Robert Bruce Van Valkenburgh (September 4, 1821 – August 1, 1888) was a United States representative from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and subsequent US Minister Resident to Japan.

Biography

Born in Prattsburgh, Steuben County, New York, he attended Franklin Academy there. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

. He was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

(Steuben Co., 1st D.) in

1852 Events January–March * January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic. * January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come tog ...

1857 Events January–March * January 1 – The biggest Estonian newspaper, ''Postimees'', is established by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. * January 7 – The partly French-owned London General Omnibus Company begins operating. * Janua ...

and

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 ...

. In 1858, he was the Republican candidate for Speaker, but was defeated by Democrat

Thomas G. Alvord Thomas Gold Alvord (December 20, 1810 – October 26, 1897) was an American lawyer, merchant and politician. Throughout his political career he was known as Old Salt. Life He was born on December 20, 1810, in Onondaga, New York, to Elisha Alv ...

on the 53rd ballot. Van Valkenburgh was in command of the recruiting depot in Elmira and organized seventeen regiments early in the Civil War. He was elected as a Republican to the 37th and

38th United States Congress The 38th 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, 1863, ...

es, holding office from March 4, 1861, to March 3, 1865. While in the House he was Chairman of the Committee on Militia (37th and 38th Congresses). He served as colonel of the

107th New York Volunteer Infantry The 107th New York Infantry Regiment (aka "Campbell Guards") was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 107th New York Infantry was organized at Elmira, New York beginning July 18, 1862 and mustered in ...

, and was its commander at the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

. Following the war, he was Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1865. He was appointed Minister Resident to Japan on January 18, 1866, and remained on the post until November 11, 1869. It was in his role as Minister Resident in Japan that Van Valkenburgh prevented the delivery of the '' CSS Stonewall'' to the forces of the Tokugawa clan during the

Boshin War The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a clique seeking to seize political power in the name of the Imperi ...

. After his return from Japan, Van Valkenburgh settled in Florida, and was appointed associate justice of the

Florida Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. It consists of seven members: the chief justice and six justices. Six members are chosen from six districts around the state to foster geographic diversity, and one ...

on May 20, 1874. He remained on the bench until his death in

Suwannee Springs ''For the unincorporated community see Suwannee Springs, Florida'' Suwanne Springs, once known as Suwannee Sulphur Springs is the site of natural springs and was a historic mineral spring tourist attraction and hotel in Suwannee Springs, F ...

, near Live Oak in 1888. He was buried at the Old St. Nicholas Cemetery, on the south side of the

St. Johns River The St. Johns River ( es, Río San Juan) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in eleva ...

, in Jacksonville.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Valkenburgh, Robert B 1821 births 1888 deaths American people of Dutch descent People from Prattsburgh, New York Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly Union Army colonels Ambassadors of the United States to Japan Justices of the Florida Supreme Court People of New York (state) in the American Civil War People of the Boshin War Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges 19th-century American diplomats