John Gould Stephenson
John Gould Stephenson | |
---|---|
5th Librarian of Congress | |
In office May 24, 1861 – December 31, 1864 | |
President | Abraham Lincoln |
Preceded by | John Silva Meehan |
Succeeded by | Ainsworth Rand Spofford |
Personal details | |
Born | Castleton Medical College | March 1, 1828
Occupation |
|
Military career | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | Indiana Legion, Army |
Years of service | 1861–1864 |
Rank | Colonel |
Unit | Iron Brigade |
Conflict | |
John Gould Stephenson (March 1, 1828 – November 11, 1883) was an American physician and soldier who served as
Believing that the library had fallen into neglect under Meehan's administration, Stephenson begun a mass change of staff soon after taking office, firing all but one assistant. He hired journalist Ainsworth Rand Spofford, a friend of his brother, as assistant librarian in August 1861. Although never formally commissioned, Stephenson began serving in the Union Army soon after his appointment of Librarian of Congress. He briefly served as an acting naval surgeon to the 19th Indiana Infantry in 1861, before serving as an aide-de-camp in the Indiana militia, where he achieved the rank of colonel. In 1863, he served as the aide-de-camp of Solomon Meredith, commander of the Iron Brigade, and saw action at the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. He resigned as librarian for unclear reasons in December 1864, and was succeeded by Spofford. He served in various positions as a clerk during the 1870s, and was appointed as a medical examiner at the Bureau of Pensions in Washington in the early 1880s. He died on November 11, 1883, after several months of illness, and was buried in the Congressional Cemetery.
Early life and career
On March 1, 1828, John Gould Stephenson was born in
The
He was one of Lincoln's earliest advocates for the 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago, writing in support of his candidacy in March 1860. At the convention, he worked to influence the Kentucky delegation into supporting Lincoln. He actively campaigned for Lincoln in both Indiana and Illinois, writing that he had spent several weeks campaigning for him in Clark County and Edgar County, Illinois.[8]
Librarian of Congress
Appointment
Shortly after Lincoln's victory in the presidential election, Stephenson began to pursue a political appointment as the Librarian of Congress using connections within the Republican Party. His brother, Reuben Henry Stephenson, worked as the librarian of the Young Men's Mercantile Library of Cincinnati, and this may have influenced him to pursue the position. Many testimonials in favor of appointing Stephenson to the position were sent to Lincoln, beginning within a few weeks of the election. Various figures, including local physicians and a Kentucky Republican convention delegate, wrote to Lincoln, emphasizing Stephenson's service to the Republican Party and the Lincoln campaign. In March 1861, Senator Henry S. Lane also wrote to Lincoln in support, stating that Stephenson was a "gentleman of fine education" and that his appointment would "give great pleasure to the Republicans of his neighborhood".[9][7] While the number of other candidates for the position is unknown, at least three people wrote to Lincoln asking for Hezekiah Lord Hosmer to be appointed as librarian.[10]
Stephenson himself arrived in Washington at some point before May 1861 and wrote a letter to Lincoln asking to be appointed, urging haste so as to become acquainted with the library before the opening of the next session of Congress.
I have just left Mr. Lincoln. I found him alone this evening and had a good old fashioned talk as I frequently have and always, when he has leisure [...] Mr. Lincoln is very kind to me and has given me not only what I have asked for myself but so far nearly anything I have asked for my friends [...] and promised me to appoint Dr. Stevenson Congressional Librarian tomorrow. You know that the Dr. is not heavy mettal [sic] but he has worked hard for us & is poor and can hand down books to M. C. as well & as gracefully as any one and besides he is a Wabash man and I am for him. You know I never forget friends.
— William P. Dole, letter to Dr. Davis, May 14, 1861[10]
The incumbent Librarian, John Silva Meehan, had held the position since 1829. His longtime ally and associate James Pearce's lack of clear support for the Union following the secession of the Southern states significantly impacted his political influence. Although publicly apolitical, Meehan himself faced rumors of southern sympathies. Ainsworth Rand Spofford attributed his age and period of service as the primary factor for his replacement, writing that Meehan had become "a very ancient fossil".[11] Pearce urged the president not to replace Meehan, gaining support from the other two senators of the Congressional Joint Committee on the Library.[11] Despite this, Lincoln asked Secretary of State William H. Seward to send him a commission for Stephenson on May 23, with Stephenson accepting the following day, becoming the 5th Librarian of Congress. Meehan calmly accepted his dismissal, and left his duties at the end of May.[10][12]
Tenure
In the months after assuming office, Stephenson became irritated with the state of the library, viewing it as having fallen into disrepair and neglect under his predecessor. He threw out what he deemed as low-quality books and initiated a mass change of staff, firing all assistants except Meehan's son, Law Library head C. H. Warton Meehan. This alarmed the members of the Joint Committee. Pearce believed Stephenson had gone beyond his authority, especially in the disposal of books, but noted that the Joint Committee was largely powerless to stop him. Lincoln was confused by the change of staff, and asked Caleb B. Smith if Stephenson had resigned. Stephenson defended his actions against the Joint Committee, stating in the annual report that the firing of the previous staff was "[because] his conviction, induced by several months of trial and observation, as well as by the facts as to the condition of the Library already recited, of their incapacity for their several posts."[10]
Stephenson was infuriated by the presence of the War Department's bakeries in the Capitol basement during the Civil War, installed to feed troops stationed nearby. Smoke and soot from the ovens drifted up into the Library of Congress, staining books and tables. The bakeries also disabled the library's heating systems during operation, as a flue for the baking operation had been built into the flue of the Library's furnace. Senator Solomon Foot rallied Senate members in favor of the removal of the bakeries, upset with smoke drifting into the Senate chambers. Rep. Charles R. Train also advocated against the ovens, citing the damage to the Library of Congress, but the resolution failed in the House. They were not removed until October 1862, following a letter to Lincoln from Stephenson and commissioner B. B. French.[14][15]
Appointment of Spofford
Around the beginning of August 1861, Stephenson "intimated an offer" for the position of Assistant Librarian to Ainsworth Rand Spofford, a war journalist who had begun to browse the Library of Congress when not writing. Stephenson's brother, Reuben, had long been a close friend of Spofford, both being members of the Literary Club of Cincinnati.[16] Spofford agreed after some deliberation, and began working in late September.[17] Stephenson departed Washington the same day Spofford began work, not returning for two months.[18] Spofford held warm feelings towards him, writing that he was a "thorough good fellow—liberal—high-minded—active—but with no special knowledge of books".[19] Spofford and fellow Assistant Librarian Edward B. Stelle signed many of the library documents during the period.[20] Library of Congress historian Lucy Salamanca described Stephenson's appointment of Spofford as "his single greatest contribution to the development of the library".[21]
Military service
Stephenson began to spend extended periods in military service soon after his appointment as Librarian of Congress. Spofford noted that he "devoted a large portion of his time" to care for ill soldiers of the 19th Indiana Regiment in late September 1861, placed into a temporary hospital inside the
Resignation
For unclear reasons, Stephenson had indicated an intention to resign in late 1864. Spofford began a lengthy letter-writing campaign, soliciting endorsements from every congressional representative and senator. Stephenson announced his resignation from his post as Librarian of Congress on December 22, 1864, with Spofford officially succeeding him on December 31.[26][27] Some older sources attribute Stephenson's resignation to his engagement in "speculations created by the War", but no firm evidence has emerged corroborating the claim.[26][28]
Later life and death
Little information is known about Stephenson's later life. He stated that he was employed "in various capacities as a clerk not in service of the United States" between 1865 and 1880, although the exact location or locations of his residence during this time is unknown.
In either November 1881[28] or July 1883,[29] he entered employment as a medical examiner in the Bureau of Pensions in Washington, D.C. In August 1883, he approached a physician due to persistent insomnia, and by mid-October was too ill to continue work. Captain Grant invited Stephenson to stay at his home to recover, where he died on November 11, 1883. A medical examiner attributed his death to heart disease. Veterans of the First Army Corps organized his funeral, and he was buried at the Washington Congressional Cemetery.[28][29][30]
References
Citations
- ^ Carter 1976, p. 77.
- ^ Carter 1976, pp. 77–78.
- ^ Wood 1949, p. 263.
- ^ Carter 1976, p. 78.
- ^ Wood 1949, pp. 263–264.
- ^ Carter 1976, p. 80.
- ^ a b Wood 1949, p. 264.
- ^ a b Carter 1976, pp. 78–79.
- ^ a b Carter 1976, pp. 79–80.
- ^ a b c d e Carter 1976, p. 81.
- ^ a b McDonough 1976, pp. 22–23.
- ^ McDonough 1976, p. 23.
- ^ Cole 1972, p. 270.
- ^ Wood 1949, pp. 266–267.
- ^ Carter 1976, p. 83.
- ^ Cole 1976, pp. 95–99.
- ^ Cole 1976, pp. 99–102.
- ^ Cole 1976, p. 103.
- ^ Carter 1976, pp. 82–83.
- ^ Carter 1976, pp. 83–84.
- ^ Salamanca 1942, p. 197.
- ^ Carter 1976, p. 85.
- ^ Wood 1949, p. 266.
- ^ a b Carter 1976, p. 86.
- ^ a b Wood 1949, p. 268.
- ^ a b Carter 1976, p. 88.
- ^ Cole 1976, pp. 105–106.
- ^ a b c d e Wood 1949, p. 269.
- ^ a b c d e f Carter 1976, pp. 88–89.
- ^ "John G. Stephenson (1828–1883)". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
Bibliography
- Carter, Constance (1976). "John Gould Stephenson: Largely Known and Much Liked". Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress. 33 (2): 76–91. JSTOR 29781670– via JSTOR.
- JSTOR 29781519.
- JSTOR 29781671– via JSTOR.
- McDonough, John (1976). "John Silva Meehan: A Gentleman of Amiable Manners". Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress. 33 (1): 2–28. JSTOR 29781661.
- Salamanca, Lucy (1942). Fortress of Freedom: The Story of the Library of Congress. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co.
- Wood, Richard G. (1949). "Librarian-in-Arms: The Career of John G. Stephenson". Library Quarterly. 19 (4): 263–269. JSTOR 4303804– via JSTOR.