Augustus Franklin Allen (December 13, 1813 – January 20, 1875) was elected as a member of the United States Congress from

New York's 33rd congressional district New York's 33rd congressional district was a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York (state), New York. It was eliminated as a result of the 1990 United States census, 1990 census. It was last represent ...

(

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Cha ...

and Cattaraugus Counties) in 1874. Allen died before he was able to take office.

Biography

Allen was born in

Wardsboro, Vermont Wardsboro is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 869 at the 2020 census. The town includes the villages of Wardsboro, Wardsboro Center, West Wardsboro and South Wardsboro. History The town was settled circa 1 ...

, on December 13, 1813. When he was a child his family moved to

Jamestown, New York Jamestown is a city in southern Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 28,712 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Situated between Lake Erie to the north and the Allegheny National Forest to the south, Jamesto ...

. He was educated locally and began working as a store clerk at age 17 in order to support his family after his father's death. He resided in Ellicott, was successful in business, and later became a partner in a lumber yard, woolen mill, railroads and other ventures.

Civil War

He served in the militia during the years before the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and attained the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

as commander of a regiment in which his brother Dascum served as his second-in-command. Augustus Allen later attained the rank of brigadier general before becoming inactive in the militia. During the Civil War he was appointed to organize, equip, and train the 112th New York Infantry and commissioned as a colonel. He led the regiment for several months until being succeeded by Jeremiah C. Drake, who commanded until dying of wounds received at the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

Political career

Originally a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, Allen became a Republican in the 1850s because of the new party's antislavery position. He served as Ellicott's

Town Supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the American state of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, towns, and villages. (The only boroughs, the f ...

and a member of the Chautauqua County Board of Supervisors from 1847 to 1848, 1852, 1856, 1860 to 1868, and 1871 to 1874. In 1867, he was elected to the New York Constitutional Convention. In 1874, he ran for the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

, but was defeated.Cutter, William Richard, ''Genealogical and family history of western New York,'' (Lewis Historical Publishing Co.: 1912) Vol. I, pg. 103-104 In 1874 Allen was elected to the United States House of Representatives, defeating incumbent Republican

Walter L. Sessions Walter Loomis Sessions (October 4, 1820 in Brandon, Vermont, Brandon, Rutland County, Vermont – May 27, 1896 in Panama, New York, Panama, Chautauqua County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York (state), New York. Life ...

by organizing a coalition of Democrats and former Liberal Republicans who had supported

Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congres ...

for President in 1872.

Death and burial

Allen had been ill during his campaign for Congress and died before the term started in March 1875. He died in Jamestown on January 20, 1875, and was buried in

Lake View Cemetery Lake View Cemetery is a Private property, privately owned, Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Rural cemetery, garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland, Ohio, East Cleveland ...

in Jamestown.

References

External links

''History of Chautauqua County, New York''
Andrew W. Young, 1875
''History of Chautauqua County, New York, and Its People''
Volume 1, John Phillips Downs, Fenwick Y. Hedley, editors, 1921 * Town of Ellicott
Town of Ellicott Supervisors (1813-Present)
2008, page , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Augustus F. 1813 births 1875 deaths 19th-century American legislators American militia generals Elected officials who died without taking their seats New York (state) Democrats New York (state) Liberal Republicans People from Wardsboro, Vermont People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Politicians from Jamestown, New York Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Town supervisors in New York (state) Union army colonels