American politician
Henry Bell Van Rensselaer
In office March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843Preceded by
John Fine Succeeded by
Charles Rogers
Born (1810-05-14 ) May 14, 1810
Albany, New York , USDied March 23, 1864(1864-03-23) (aged 53)
Cincinnati, Ohio , US Resting place Grace Episcopal Churchyard,
Jamaica, Queens , New York City, New York Spouse
Elizabeth Ray King
(
m. )
Children 10 Parent(s)
Stephen Van Rensselaer III Cornelia Paterson Relatives See
Van Rensselaer family Allegiance United States of America
Union Branch/service
Union Army Years of service 1831–1832, 1861–1864 Rank
Brigadier General (1861)
Colonel (1861-1864) Battles/wars
American Civil War
Henry Bell Van Rensselaer (May 14, 1810 – March 23, 1864) was an American military officer in the
Union Army during the
American Civil War , and a politician who served in the
United States Congress as a
Representative from the
state of New York .
[1]
Early life
Van Rensselaer as a young man
Henry Van Rensselaer was born at the manor house in
Albany, New York . His father was
Stephen Van Rensselaer III , the
patroon of the
Manor of Rensselaerswyck , who was also a United States Representative and founder of the
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute . The Van Rensselaers belong to the
King family of Massachusetts and New York City. His mother, Cornelia Paterson,
[2] was the daughter of
William Paterson , who served as
Governor of New Jersey and an Associate Justice of the
United States Supreme Court .
[3] He graduated from the
United States Military Academy at
West Point, New York , in 1831.
[4]
Career
He was appointed a
brevet
Second Lieutenant of the Fifth Regiment, United States Infantry on July 1, 1831, and resigned January 27, 1832.
[1] He then engaged in agricultural pursuits near
Ogdensburg, New York , and served as a military aide to Governor
William H. Seward from 1839 to 1840.
[4]
Upon his father's death in 1839, Van Rensselaer, as the fifth son, inherited the wild lands in
St. Lawrence County along the
St. Lawrence River . His eldest brother,
Stephen Van Rensselaer IV inherited the manor on the Albany side of the
Hudson River .
[1]
Van Rensselaer was elected as a
Whig to the
Twenty-seventh United States Congress , and served from March 4, 1841, to March 3, 1843. He was subsequently president of several mining companies, including the American Mineral Company and the Consolidated Franklinite Company.
[1] He was a director of the Northern Railroad (later the
Rutland Railroad ), but resigned to help found the
Ogdensburg, Clayton and Rome Railroad .
[5]
U.S. Civil War
Upon the outbreak of the
American Civil War , he reentered the military service with the rank of
colonel in the Union Army, and was appointed
chief of staff to General
Winfield Scott as a
brigadier general .
[1] After Scott's retirement, Van Rensselaer was reappointed as a colonel, and from November 1861 until his death, he served as an
inspector general of several
corps and departments including the
1st Army Corps , Department of the Rappahannock,
3rd Army Corps and
Department of the Ohio .
[4]
Personal life
On August 22, 1833, Van Rensselaer married Elizabeth Ray King (1815–1900),
[6] daughter of
John Alsop King (1788–1867), the
Governor of New York , and Mary Ray.
[7] Elizabeth's maternal grandfather was
U.S. Senator
Rufus King (1755–1827) and her great-grandfather was
John Alsop (1724–1792), a prominent New York City merchant.
[7] Together, they had:
[8]
Mary Van Rensselaer (1834–1902), who married John Henry Screven (1823–1903) in 1874.
[8]
[9]
Cornelia Van Rensselaer (1836–1864),
[10] who married James Lenox Kennedy (1823–1864),
[8] son of
David Sproat Kennedy and nephew of philanthropist
James Lenox .
[11]
Stephen Van Rensselaer (1838–1904), who married Mathilda Coster Heckscher (1838–1915).
[8]
Henry Van Rensselaer, who died young.
[8]
Euphemia Van Rensselaer (1842–), who became a
Sister of Charity and took the name Marie Dolores.
[8]
Elizabeth Van Rensselaer (1845–1911), who married George Waddington (1840–1915),
[8] a son of William D. Waddington (1811–1886) and Mary Elizabeth Ogden (1810–1867).
[12]
[13]
John King Van Rensselaer (1847–1909), who married
May Denning King (1848–1925), granddaughter of
James Gore King .
[8]
[14]
[15]
[16]
Katherine Van Rensselaer (1849–1901), who married
Dr. Francis Delafield (1841–1915), son of
Dr. Edward Delafield , in 1870.
[8]
Henry Van Rensselaer (1851–1907), who joined the
Society of Jesuits .
[8]
[1]
Westerlo Van Rensselaer (1853–1857), who died young.
[8]
Van Rensselaer died of
typhoid fever in
Cincinnati, Ohio , shortly before the end of the War.
[1] He was interred in the Grace Episcopal Churchyard, in
Jamaica, Queens in New York City.
Descendants
Through his son, John King Van Rensselaer, he was the grandfather of John Alexander Van Rensselaer (b. 1872), who married Helen F. Galindo in 1896,
[17] and who was arrested in 1908 for attempting to extort $5,000 from his mother.
[18]
Through his granddaughter, Julia Floyd Delafield, Henry was the great-grandfather of
Floyd Crosby (1899–1985), himself the father of musician
David Crosby .
[19]
References
Notes
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g Spillane, S.J., Rev. Edward P.; Van Rensselaer, Henry (1908).
Life and letters of Henry Van Rensselaer, priest of the Society of Jesus . New York:
Fordham University Press . Retrieved 16 August 2017 .
^ Reynolds, Cuyler (1914).
Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York, Volume 3 . New York: Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 1166, 1341.
^ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
public domain : Cabell, Isa Carrington (1889).
"Van Rensselaer, Killian" . In
Wilson, J. G. ;
Fiske, J. (eds.).
Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography . New York: D. Appleton.
^
a
b
c
"VAN RENSSELAER, Henry Bell - Biographical Information" . bioguide.congress.gov .
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Retrieved 31 October 2016 .
^ Susan Lyman (1976).
Rails Into Racquetteville . The Norwood Historical Association. Archived from
the original on 2007-11-08. Retrieved 2007-12-17 .
^
"Obituary 1 -- VAN RENSSELAER" .
The New York Times . 17 March 1900. Retrieved 8 May 2017 .
^
a
b
"Mrs. Elizabeth Ray Van Rensselaer" .
The New York Times . March 15, 1900. Retrieved 8 May 2017 .
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k Sullivan, Robert G. (1911).
"Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Van Rensselaer Vol. IV" . www.schenectadyhistory.org .
Schenectady County Public Library . pp. 1814–1821. Retrieved 6 December 2016 .
^ Prioleau, Horry Frost; Manigault, Edward Lining (March 24, 2010).
Register of Carolina Huguenots, Vol. 2, Dupre - Manigault . Lulu.com.
ISBN
9780557242665 . Retrieved 6 December 2016 .
^
"DIED" (PDF) .
The New York Times . December 19, 1864. Retrieved 15 February 2019 .
^ Reynolds, Cuyler (1914).
Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York and the Hudson River Valley: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Building of a Nation . Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p.
1294 . Retrieved 15 February 2019 .
^
"George Waddington" .
The New York Times . 30 December 1915. Retrieved 8 May 2017 .
^ York, Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New (1905).
The Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York: History, Customs, Record of Events, Constitution, Certain Genealogies, and Other Matters of Interest. V. 1- . The Saint Nicholas Society. Retrieved 8 May 2017 .
^
"NOTED AUTHORESS DIES AT HOME HERE; Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer Was Authority on History and Society. CAME, OF 2 OLD FAMILIES Controversy With New York Historical Society Recalled - Funeral at Jamaica Tomorrow" .
The New York Times . 12 May 1925. Retrieved 8 May 2017 .
^
"Mrs. Van Rensselaer Estate $19,129" .
The New York Times . 25 June 1926. Retrieved 8 May 2017 .
^ Somers, Reneé (September 13, 2013).
Edith Wharton as Spatial Activist and Analyst . Routledge.
ISBN
9781135922979 . Retrieved 8 May 2017 .
^ Bergen, Tunis Garret (1915).
Genealogies of the State of New York: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation . Lewis Historical Publishing Company. Retrieved 8 May 2017 .
^
"J.A. VAN RENSSELAER ACCUSED BY MOTHER; Arrested for Writing a Letter Demanding Money and Threatening to Kill Her. ADMITS THAT HE WROTE IT Mother Is Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer, Prominent in Society Here and in Newport" .
The New York Times . 21 July 1908. Retrieved 8 May 2017 .
^
"ALIPH WHITEHEAD TO WED F.D. CROSBY; New York Girl's Engagement Is Announced by Her Parents. SHE IS IN JUNIOR LEAGUE Her Fiance Is a Grandson of the Late Dr. and Mrs. Francis C. Delafield" .
The New York Times . 5 December 1930. Retrieved 31 October 2016 .
Sources
This list is not complete, and should be taken as a rough guideline depending on the notability of a respective family member.
1st generation 2nd generation 3rd generation 4th generation 5th generation 6th generation 7th generation
International National People Other