Stewart L. Woodford

Stewart L. Woodford
U.S. Minister to Spain
In office June 19, 1897 – April 21, 1898
Preceded by	Hannis Taylor
Succeeded by	Bellamy Storer
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
In office January 24, 1877 – March 12, 1883
Preceded by	George Bliss, Jr.
Succeeded by	Elihu Root
Member of the United States House of Representatives from New York's 3rd congressional district
In office March 4, 1873 – July 1, 1874
Preceded by	Henry Warner Slocum
Succeeded by	Simeon B. Chittenden
Lieutenant Governor of New York
In office January 1, 1867 – December 31, 1868
Governor	Reuben Fenton
Preceded by	Thomas G. Alvord
Succeeded by	Allen C. Beach
Personal details
Born	(1835-09-03)September 3, 1835 New York City, New York
Died	February 14, 1913(1913-02-14) (aged 77) New York City, New York
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	Columbia University
Occupation	Attorney
Military service
Allegiance	Union
Service/branch	Union Army
Years of service	1862–1865
Rank	Brigadier General (Brevet)
Commands	103rd Infantry Regiment, United States Colored Troops
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Stewart Lyndon Woodford (September 3, 1835 in New York City – February 14, 1913) was an American politician.

Life

He studied at Yale University and Columbia College (now Columbia University). At the latter he graduated in 1854 and was a member of St. Anthony Hall. Then he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1857, and commenced practice in New York City.

In 1860 he was chosen messenger of the electoral college of his state to convey to Washington its vote in favor of the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. In 1861 he was appointed U. S. assistant district attorney for the southern district of New York, holding this office about eighteen months.

In 1862 he entered the Union army as a volunteer, serving until 1865, during which time he became in succession chief-of-staff to Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore in the Department of the South, and military commandant of Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia. He became colonel of the 103rd Regiment of U.S. Colored Infantry. On January 13, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Woodford for the award of the honorary grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from May 12, 1865 and the U. S. Senate confirmed the award on March 12, 1866.^[1]

He was the Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1867 to 1868, elected in 1866 on the Republican ticket with Governor Reuben E. Fenton. In 1870, Woodford was the Republican candidate for Governor but was defeated by the incumbent Democrat John T. Hoffman.

In 1872, he was elected as a Republican to the 43rd United States Congress and served from March 4, 1873 to July 1, 1874. Also in 1872 he was chosen to be a presidential elector.

He was U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1877 to 1883.

In June 1897, President William McKinley appointed Woodford to the post of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Spain. Spain severed diplomatic relations with the U.S. on April 21, 1898, and Woodford left his post the same day. The United States declared war on Spain as of that date by Act of Congress approved on April 25, 1898.

He died in New York City and was buried in Stamford, Connecticut's Woodland Cemetery, Section B, Lot 12415.^[2]

See also

• Spanish–American War#Declaring war
• Teller Amendment

Notes

Sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stewart Lyndon Woodford.

• United States Congress. "Stewart L. Woodford (id: W000713)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 
• Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
• Samuel R. Harlow, H. H. Boone (1867). Life Sketches of the State Officers, Senators, and Members of the Assembly …. Weed, Parsons & co.  Life Sketches of State Officers
•  Wilson, James Grant; Fiske, John, eds. (1900). "Woodford, Stewart Lyndon". Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.