Thomas H. Seymour
| Thomas H. Seymour | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 36th Governor of Connecticut | |
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In office May 4, 1850 – October 13, 1853 |
|
| Lieutenant |
Charles H. Pond Green Kendrick Charles H. Pond |
| Preceded by | Joseph Trumbull |
| Succeeded by | Charles H. Pond |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 1st district |
|
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In office March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 |
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| Preceded by | Joseph Trumbull |
| Succeeded by | James Dixon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Thomas Hart Seymour September 29, 1807 Hartford, Connecticut |
| Died | September 3, 1868 (aged 60) Hartford, Connecticut |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
Thomas Hart Seymour (September 29, 1807 – September 3, 1868) was a Democratic politician and lawyer from Connecticut. He served as the 36th Governor of Connecticut from 1850 to 1853 and as Minister to Russia from 1853 to 1858. He was the leader of the peace settlement in the Democratic Party, and narrowly lost the April 1863 gubernatorial election.
Born in Hartford, Connecticut to Major Henry Seymour and Jane Ellery, Seymour was sent to public schools as a child and graduated from Middletown Military Academy in Middletown, Connecticut in 1829. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1833, commencing practice in Hartford.
A judge of probate from 1836 to 1838, Seymour was also Editor of the Jeffersonian from 1837 to 1838. In 1842, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served one term from 1843 to 1845, declining reelection in 1844.
During the Mexican-American War, Seymour was commissioned as a major in the Connecticut Infantry on March 16, 1846, later recommissioned to the new 9th United States Infantry on April 9, 1847. Due to his courageous leadership at the Battle of Chapultepec, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 12th Infantry under Colonel Milledge L. Bonham on August 12, 1847.
After the war, Seymour made an unsuccessful run for Governor of Connecticut in 1849, but was chosen the next year in 1850. He served as an 1852 presidential elector, endorsing Franklin Pierce and, in return for his support, Seymour was appointed to serve as minister to Russia and resigned the governorship shortly after being reelected to a fourth term. He accepted the commission of Minister to Russia from President Franklin Pierce. He resigned from the governorship on October 13, 1853, and spent the next four years in Russia, where he built a warm and ongoing alliance with the Czar Nicholas and his son. He served in this position until 1858 when President James Buchanan replaced him with Francis W. Pickens. In Russia, his attaches included Daniel Coit Gilman and Andrew Dickson White.
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Wikipedia