Alexander Cummings (November 17, 1810 – July 16, 1879) was an American newspaper publisher and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician from Pennsylvania who served as the third

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of the

Territory of Colorado The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the ...

from 1865 to 1867. He was opposed to Colorado statehood and his term was contentious and riddled with controversy between pro-state and anti-state factions. He published the

Philadelphia North American ''The North American'' was an American newspaper published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1839, though it could claim a lineage back to 1771, and published until 1925, when it was purchased by the owner of the rival '' Public Led ...

, the

Philadelphia Evening Bulletin The ''Philadelphia Bulletin'' was a daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the largest circulation newspaper in Philadelphia for 76 years and was once the largest evening newspaper in the United ...

and the

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers. It was a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under publi ...

newspapers. He worked as a special purchasing agent for the United States War Department during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

but was removed due to profiteering. He recruited the Nineteenth Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry and served as Colonel. He served as Superintendent of Troops of African Descent for the State of Arkansas and was brevetted Brigadier General for meritorious service. He worked as collector of internal revenue for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania and as U.S. Consul to the

Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent island ...

Early life and newspaper publishing

Cummings was born in

Williamsport, Pennsylvania Williamsport is a city in, and the county seat of, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It recorded a population of 27,754 at the 2020 Census. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a popula ...

, on November 11, 1810. He worked as a printer and in 1845 purchased a half interest in the

newspaper. In 1847, he sold his half interest and published the first issue of Cummings' Evening Telegraphic Bulletin which evolved into the

. He remained publisher of the Bulletin until 1859 and then founded the

. The World operated as a semi-religious newspaper but did not prosper under Cummings and in 1862 came under control of other owners who dropped the religious character and changed the politics from Republican to Democratic. It was through the newspaper work that Cummings became associated with

Simon Cameron Simon Cameron (March 8, 1799June 26, 1889) was an American businessman and politician who represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate and served as United States Secretary of War under President Abraham Lincoln at the start of the Americ ...

who would become the Secretary of War under President Lincoln during the American Civil War.

American civil war

At the beginning of the

, Cummings used his political influence with Cameron to be appointed as a special purchasing agent for the War Department. He was assigned to expediting the defense of Washington D.C. which included arranging railroad transportation of troops and purchasing supplies. Cummings wasted much of his $2,000,000 budget on overpriced purchases that were never used by troops. He arranged for the purchase of 790 Halls carbines which the military had previously ruled as dangerous and obsolete. The U.S. government sold them for $3.50 each and Cummings purchased them back at $15 each. He also arranged the purchase of 1,670 dozen straw hats and 19,680 pairs of linen pants that were subsequently ruled out of uniform. A committee on contracts assigned by the United States House of Representatives investigated Cummings financial expenditures and were never able to account for $140,000. On April 30, 1862, the House of Representatives passed a resolution which stated: He was discharged for profiteering and his political enemies labeled him with the nickname "Old Straw Hat". After leaving the War Department, Cummings recruited the Nineteenth Regiment of Pennsylvania

Volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

Cavalry and became Colonel in October 1863. The regiment saw action in Tennessee and Mississippi in 1864 but Cummings was not in command. In February 1864, Cummings was made Superintendent of Troops of African Descent for the State of Arkansas. Cummings organized one colored battery of light artillery and five regiments of colored infantry. He was

brevetted In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

to the rank of Brigadier General by President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

for meritorious service.

Colorado territorial governor

President Johnson appointed Cummings the new

of the

on October 17, 1865, to replace John Evans who resigned following the Sand Creek Massacre. Many of Evans' colleagues resented the forced change in leadership and opposed the new territorial Governor. Cummings was opposed to Colorado statehood and when he entered office, Colorado had already voted in favor of statehood and elected a state legislature and new governor in anticipation of a quick approval from Congress. The newly elected "state" legislature met in December 1865 and elected John Evans and Jerome B. Chaffee as U.S. Senators. Cummings publicly refuted the authority of the "state" legislature and declared that the territorial government was the only legal government in Colorado. Colorado citizens were forced to take sides between pro-state and anti-state factions and the legitimacy of Cummings' authority. President Johnson vetoed Colorado admission to statehood as the "state" constitution allowed only white males older than twenty-one the right to vote. Cummings had a bitter feud with the territorial government second in command, pro-state Secretary of the Colorado Territory,

Samuel Hitt Elbert Samuel Hitt Elbert (April 3, 1833 – November 27, 1899) was an attorney in the Nebraska Territory before settling in the Colorado Territory. He served as the Secretary of the territory and from 1873 to 1874, he was the Governor of the Colorad ...

. Cummings was not satisfied with the quality and location of the territorial offices and accused Elbert of deliberatively selecting them to inconvenience him and the territorial government. Cummings selected a better office and when he moved, took the Great Seal of the Territory which was used to affix public documents. Elbert demanded the return of the seal since it was his official duty to use the seal. Cummings accused Elbert of attempting to use the seal to illegally reverse the 1864 vote to reject Colorado statehood and break up the territorial government. Pro statehood newspapers such as the

Rocky Mountain News The ''Rocky Mountain News'' (nicknamed the ''Rocky'') was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States, from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As ...

took up Elbert's cause and published negative stories about Cummings including his past record with the War Department. The feud escalated to Cummings' superior, U.S. Secretary of State

William H. Seward William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...

and prompted the resignation of Elbert. Cummings encouraged investment in mining and the development of railroads. In the 1866 election for territorial delegate to Congress, Cummings backed

Alexander Cameron Hunt Alexander Cumming (December 23, 1825 – May 14, 1894) was the fourth governor of the Territory of Colorado, serving from 1867 to 1869 as a member of the Republican Party. Hunt was born in New York, New York on January 12, 1825. Soon after hi ...

, an anti-statehood candidate over George Chilcott. The election was marked with scandal when votes were illegally counted in Chilcott's favor. The Territorial Canvassing Board declared Chilcott the winner while Cummings called the election for Hunt. The issue was escalated to the House Committee on Elections and Chilcott was sworn in as a "sitting delegate". Another bill for Colorado statehood was entered into the Congress in December 1866 and was debated in January 1867. The Congress was going to reject the bill as it still did not allow African Americans the right to vote. Congress passed the bill when the bill was re-written allowing the right to vote to African Americans but it was again vetoed by President Johnson claiming that controversial census results did not meet the requirement for congressional representation and a state legislature resolution rejected statehood. In January 1867, the Colorado territorial legislature passed a law forbidding African Americans from serving on juries. Cummings vetoed the bill but the legislature overrode the veto. Cummings political enemies launched a campaign to discredit him and accused him of paying his daughter for work not performed and for grossly overpaying for the shipment of goods for the Department of Indian Affairs. Cummings resigned as Territorial Governor on April 27, 1867 and was succeeded by Hunt. Cummings was appointed collector of internal revenue for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania by President Johnson. He was nominated for Commissioner of Internal Revenue but was not confirmed by the Senate. The end of President Johnson's term in 1869 briefly ended Cummings political connections. He may have studied law and published a revised version of a law book where he refers to himself as a "Counsellor of Law". With the election of

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governor ...

to the presidency, Cummings was appointed as U.S. Consul to the

. Cummings died in

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Canada, in 1879 while conducting consular activities and was interred in an unmarked grave in

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. A simple governmental issue tombstone currently marks his grave.

External links

Library of Congress - Reply to Governor Cummings letter in the Press of November 8

Citations

Sources