Isaac Vanderbeck Fowler
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Isaac Vanderbeck Fowler (August 20, 1818 – September 29, 1869) was an American politician. He was thrice the Grand Sachem of the Tammany Society, better known as
Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was an American political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789, as the Tammany Society. It became the main local ...
, from 1848 to 1850, 1857–1858, and 1858–1859, the last term shared with William M. "Boss" Tweed. He was appointed Postmaster of New York City by President
Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. A northern Democratic Party (United States), Democrat who believed that the Abolitionism in the United States, abolitio ...
on April 1, 1853, and was also a delegate from New York to the 1860 Democratic National Convention.


Biography

Fowler was an unusual leader of the Tammany Society as he was a college graduate. He also moved in the better social circles, and convinced a number of rich young men to join the organization. Fowler had long lived beyond his means, and on May 10, 1860, was removed from his office as Postmaster and a warrant was issued for his arrest, accusing him of embezzling $155,554. Fowler, who had also produced the $2,500 to buy off the Republican Peter P. Voorhis on city's Board of Supervisors, was staying at a hotel when the warrant for his arrest was issued. The responsibility for Fowler's arrest was given to Isaiah Rynders, another Tammany operative who was serving as a United States marshal at the time. Rynders made enough ruckus upon entering the hotel where Fowler was staying that Fowler was able to escape to Mexico. Fowler eluded capture and traveled to Mexico and Cuba. On July 5, 1866, the District Attorney filed a nolle prosequi, saying that he no longer intended to prosecute Fowler for his misdeeds. Some time after that, Fowler returned to the United States. Fowler died on September 29, 1869, in
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, and was at the time planning to return to New York City.


References


Further reading

*Gustavus Myers, "The History of Tammany Hall", 1901, pp. 229, 232-233 *E. J. Edwards, "Tammany: Early Spoilsment and the Reign of the Plug-Uglies", from McClure's Magazine, Vol. IV (Dec. 1894- May. 1895) pp. 574–575 *Isaac V. Fowler's obituary from The New York Times, Oct. 1, 1869 *"New-York's Postmasters Since 1687" from the New York Times, Oct. 18, 1896 {{DEFAULTSORT:Fowler, Isaac Vanderbeck 1818 births 1869 deaths American politicians of Dutch descent Leaders of Tammany Hall Postmasters of New York City New York (state) Democrats