Samuel Abbott Green (March 16, 1830 – December 5, 1918) was an American

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

-turned-

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

from

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

who served as a medical officer 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 ...

and as mayor of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

in 1882.

Biography

Green was born in

Groton, Massachusetts Groton is a town in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, within the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 11,315 at the 2020 census. It is home to two prep schools: Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 17 ...

, to Joshua Green and Eliza Lawrence. His grandfather, Samuel Lawrence was an officer in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, and his uncles

Amos Amos or AMOS may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Amos Records, an independent record label established in Los Angeles, California, in 1968 * Amos (band), an American Christian rock band * ''Amos'' (album), an album by Michael Ray * ''Amos' ...

and

Abbott Lawrence Abbott Lawrence (December 16, 1792, Groton, Massachusetts – August 18, 1855) was a prominent American businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He was among the group of industrialists that founded a settlement on the Merrimack River that w ...

were prominent merchants, philanthropists, and politicians. Green graduated from the

Lawrence Academy at Groton Lawrence Academy at Groton is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational college preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts, in the United States. Founded in 1792 by a group of fifty residents of Groton and Pepperell, Massachusetts ...

in 1847, and

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

in 1851. Three years after his graduation, he received his medical degree from

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

, having also studied at

Jefferson Medical College Thomas Jefferson University is a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in its earliest form in 1824, the university officially combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. To signify its heritage, the univer ...

. After this, he spent several years in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. On his return to the United States, he began a medical practice in Boston, and became one of the district physicians for the city dispensary. On May 19, 1858, he was appointed by Governor Banks surgeon of the 3rd Massachusetts Militia Regiment.

Civil War service

At the beginning of the Civil War, Green was commissioned assistant surgeon of the 1st Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, and was the first medical officer mustered in for three years' service. He was promoted surgeon of the 24th Massachusetts Regiment on September 2, 1861, where he remained until November 2, 1864, serving on the staffs of various cavalry officers. He had charge of the hospital ship "Recruit" for

General Burnside Ambrose Everett Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was an American army officer and politician who became a senior Union Army, Union General officer, general in the American Civil War, Civil War and three times Governor of Rhod ...

's expedition to

Roanoke Island Roanoke Island () is an island in Dare County, North Carolina, Dare County, bordered by the Outer Banks of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke (tribe), Roanoke, a Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the ar ...

. He commanded the hospital ship "Cosmopolitan" on the coast of

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. During the

Second Battle of Fort Wagner The Second Battle of Fort Wagner, also known as the Second Assault on Morris Island or the Battle of Fort Wagner, Morris Island, was fought on July 18, 1863, during the American Civil War. Union Army troops commanded by Brig. Gen. Quincy Gillm ...

, he was chief medical officer on

Morris Island Morris Island is an 840-acre (3.4 km²) uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War. The ...

. In October 1863, he was sent to Florida, and was post surgeon at St. Augustine and

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

; thence he was sent to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, and was with the army when Bermuda Hundred was taken. He was appointed acting staff surgeon, and was stationed three months at

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

after its fall. For gallant and distinguished services in the field, in 1864 he was brevetted lieutenant colonel of volunteers. Green organized Roanoke Cemetery in 1862, which was one of the first regular burial places for

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 ...

soldiers.

Return to Boston

After the close of the war, Green was from 1865 until 1872 superintendent of the Boston Dispensary, a member of the Boston School Board 1860-1862 and 1866-1872, trustee of the

Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also the Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse'') of the Commonweal ...

1868-1878, and acting librarian from October 1877 to October 1878. In 1870 Governor Claflin appointed him one of a commission to care for disabled soldiers. In 1871 he became city physician of Boston, and retained the office till 1880. He was chosen a member of the board of experts authorized by congress in 1878 to investigate the yellow fever. In 1882, he was elected mayor of Boston, but served only one term.

Historical studies

Green gave much time to historical studies, and was librarian of the

Massachusetts Historical Society The Massachusetts Historical Society is a major historical archive specializing in early American, Massachusetts, and New England history. The Massachusetts Historical Society was established in 1791 and is located at 1154 Boylston Street in Bost ...

from 1868 until his death. He was also elected a member of the

American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...

in 1865, and served as its vice-president from 1904 to 1918.Dunbar, B. (1987). ''Members and Officers of the American Antiquarian Society''. Worcester: American Antiquarian Society. In addition to a large number of papers on scientific and historical subjects, Green published: * ''My Campaigns in America: a Journal kept by Count William de Deux-Ponts, 1780-'1'', translated from the French manuscript, with an introduction and notes (Boston, 1868) * ''An Account of Percival and Ellen Green and of Some of their Descendants'' (printed privately, Groton, Massachusetts, 1876) * ''Epitaphs from the Old Burying-Ground in Groton, Massachusetts'' (1879) * ''The Early Records of Groton, Mass., 1662-1677'' (1880) * ''History of Medicine in Massachusetts'', a centennial address delivered before the

Massachusetts Medical Society The Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) is the oldest continuously operating state medical association in the United States. Incorporated on November 1, 1781, by an act of the Massachusetts General Court, the MMS is a non-profit organization th ...

at Cambridge, 7 June 1881 (Boston, 1881) * ''Groton during the Indian Wars'' (Groton, 1883) * ''Groton during the Witchcraft Times'' (1883) * ''The Boundary-Lines of Old Groton'' (1885) * ''The Geography of Groton'', prepared for the use of the

Appalachian Mountain Club Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest outdoor group in the United States. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Ma ...

(1886) * "Groton Historical Series" (20 numbers, 1883-1887)

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Samuel Abbott 1830 births 1918 deaths Mayors of Boston People from Groton, Massachusetts Harvard Medical School alumni Physicians from Massachusetts Union Army officers 19th-century American historians 19th-century American male writers School board members in Massachusetts Historians of New England 19th-century American politicians Members of the American Antiquarian Society Historians from Massachusetts Librarians of the Boston Public Library Trustees of the Boston Public Library American male non-fiction writers Military personnel from Massachusetts