Alexander Samuel Diven (1809 - 1896)

Born 10 Feb 1809 in Catharine, Schuyler, New York, United States

Died 11 Jun 1896 at age 87 in Elmira, Chemung, New York, United States

Biography

Civil War Union Army Brevet Brigadier General, US Congressman. A successful lawyer who had practices in Elmira and Angelica, New York, he served in the New York State Senate in the years prior to the Civil War. In 1860 he successfully ran against incumbent Alfred Wells to represent New York’s 27th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, and took his seat as a Republican on March 4, 1861. A staunch anti-slavery Unionist and supporter of President Abraham Lincoln, he joined with fellow United States Congressman Robert B. Van Valkenburgh, who represented the adjoining 28th New York Congressional District, to recruit a regiment in response to President Lincoln’s July 1862 call for 300,000 more men to fight the Rebellion. Together the helped put together what became the 107th New York Volunteer Infantry. On August 13, 1862 Alexander Diven was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the unit, with Robert Van Valkenburgh receiving the Colonelcy of the regiment the same day. At the subsequent September 1862 Battle of Antietam the regiment was heavily engaged and lost 63 men killed, wounded and missing. Colonel Van Valkenburgh would resign due to failing health after the battle, and Alexander Diven was promoted to Colonel and commander on October 11, 1863. He missed the December 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg, having been granted a 90 day leave from the Army to serve in Congress, but returned for the May 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville, where again the regiment was heavily engaged and lost heavily, sustaining 83 casualties. He was then mustered out on May 11, 1863. He declined to run for re-election, and Robert Van Valkenburgh was elected to succeed him. After leaving Congress he was commissioned back into the Union Army as a Major of Volunteers, and was appointed by President Lincoln as Acting Assistant Provost Marshall for western New York, a duty he performed until the war’s end. He was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on August 30, 1864 for “meritorious services during the war”. After the war he became a railroad executive, and was involved in manufacturing of railroad equipment. He passed away in Elmira, New York in 1896.

Sources

Bio by: Russ Dodge via Find A Grave, database and images [1] memorial page for Alexander Samuel Diven (10 Feb 1809–11 Jun 1896), Find A Grave Memorial no. 5995034, citing Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, Chemung County, New York, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave ..