Caleb Tompkins (December 22, 1759 – January 1, 1846) was a U.S. 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 * '' ...

, and the brother of Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins.

Early life

Caleb Tompkins was born on the Fox Meadows estate near Scarsdale in the Province of New York on December 22, 1759, and was the eldest son of Jonathan G. Tompkins, a prominent judge and landowner. He was educated locally, and trained for a legal career.

American Revolution

Tompkins served as a Private in the 2nd Regiment of Westchester County Militia (Thomas's Regiment) during the American Revolution. In October 1776 he fled his home to escape British troops, successfully evading capture by submerging himself in a nearby swamp. This incident was known to

James Fenimore Cooper James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) was an American writer of the first half of the 19th century, whose historical romances depicting colonist and Indigenous characters from the 17th to the 19th centuries brought h ...

, who used a fictionalized version of it in his 1821 novel ''The Spy''. Tompkins remained in the militia after the war, and was a

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

when he resigned in 1797.

Career

Tompkins studied law, attained admission to the bar, and practiced in Westchester County. He also inherited Fox Meadows, where he resided throughout his life. An Anti-Federalist who became a member of the Democratic-Republican Party and later a Democrat who identified with the Bucktails and

Jacksonians Jacksonian democracy was a 19th-century political philosophy in the United States that expanded suffrage to most white men over the age of 21, and restructured a number of federal institutions. Originating with the seventh U.S. president, And ...

, he was Scarsdale's first Town Clerk, and held other local offices including Town Supervisor. Tompkins 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 ...

from 1804 to 1806. He served as

Judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

of the Westchester County Court from 1807 to 1820. Tompkins was elected to the Fifteenth and

Sixteenth The 16th century begins with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (Roman numerals, MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (Roman numerals, MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar ...

Congresses, and served from March 4, 1817, to March 3, 1821. In 1823 Tompkins returned to the position of Westchester County Judge, and he remained on the bench until his death. In 1828 he was an unsuccessful candidate for Congress, losing a narrow contest to

Henry B. Cowles Henry Booth Cowles (March 18, 1798 – May 17, 1873) was a U.S. Representative from New York. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Cowles moved with his father to Dutchess County, New York, in 1809. He was graduated from Union College, Schenectady, ...

Death and burial

Tompkins died in Scarsdale on January 1, 1846. He was interred in the First Presbyterian Church Cemetery in White Plains.Thomas E. Spencer
Where They're Buried
1998, page 254

References

External links

a
''Political Graveyard''
a
''Our Campaigns.com''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tompkins, Caleb 1759 births 1846 deaths New York (state) lawyers New York (state) militiamen in the American Revolution American militia officers New York (state) state court judges Politicians from Westchester County, New York Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Politicians from Scarsdale, New York New York (state) Anti-Federalists Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 19th-century American lawyers