Alexander Samuel Diven (February 10, 1809 – June 11, 1896) was an American politician from New York and an officer in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

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 ...

Biography

Born in

Catharine, New York Catharine is a town in Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 1,656 at the 2020 census. The town is one of two in the county named after Catherine Montour, a Native American interpreter and leader in the area. The Town of ...

, Diven attended the common schools and the academies in

Penn Yan Penn Yan is an incorporated village and the county seat of Yates County, New York, United States. The population was 5,159 at the 2010 census. It lies at the north end of the east branch of Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. Penn Yan, New York ...

and

Ovid, New York Ovid is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 2,919 at the 2020 census. The town is named after the Roman poet Ovid, a name assigned by a clerk interested in the classics. The Town of Ovid contains a village also ...

, and then studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1831, and commenced practice in Elmira. He was member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

(27th District) in

1858 Events January–March * January – **Benito Juárez (1806–1872) becomes Liberal President of Mexico. At the same time, conservatives install Félix María Zuloaga (1813–1898) as president. **William I of Prussia becomes regent f ...

and

1859 Events January–March * January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico. * January 24 ( O. S.) – Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexandru Ioan Cuza (Romania since 1866, final u ...

. Diven was elected as a

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 ...

to the

37th United States Congress The 37th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1861, ...

, holding office from March 4, 1861, to March 3, 1863. Strongly opposed to slavery, he was the first to draft and introduce measures for the recruitment of colored troops in the

. Diven entered the Army on August 13, 1862, as

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of the 107th New York Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

on October 21, 1862. He was granted leave of absence from the Army for ninety days to take his seat in Congress. He was

honorably discharged A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...

as colonel May 11, 1863, and later

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. ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

of Volunteers April 30, 1864. He spoke at the dedication of the monument honoring the 107th New York in 1869. He engaged in railroad building and operation from 1865 to 1875, and was prominently identified with the

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake Erie ...

. In the 1870s

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

native Truckson LaFrance obtained several patents on improvements he developed in the rotary steam engine. John Vischer, head of the Elmira Union Iron Works, became interested and was convinced by LaFrance to back him in the manufacture of a steam fire engine. They subsequently formed a business partnership to manufacture fire apparatus. Their success attracted the attention of Diven and his four sons, who bought the company in April 1873. They renamed LaFrance Manufacturing Company and appointed John Vischer as a Director and Truckson LaFrance as the company's Mechanical Engineer. Within three months, the new company bought 10 acres of land and built a plant to manufacture steam engines and related equipment, including railroad locomotives.http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/a/american_lafrance/american_lafrance.htm Diven served as mayor of Elmira from 1880 to 1882. General Diven was married, in 1835, to Miss Amanda Beers, of Elmira, and had four sons and four daughters. He died in

Elmira, New York Elmira () is a city and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. The population was 26,523 at the 2020 cens ...

, on June 11, 1896, and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery. His daughter, May, married U.S. Army officer Emerson H. Liscum on September 4, 1867. Diven Elementary School in the Elmira City School District is named in honor of his son, George.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Diven, Alexander Samuel 1809 births 1896 deaths People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Union Army colonels 19th-century American railroad executives Republican Party New York (state) state senators People from Schuyler County, New York Erie Railroad Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 19th-century American politicians

Biography

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