John Nicholson Campbell (March 4, 1798 – March 27, 1864) was an American

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

clergyman who served as

Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives The chaplain of the United States House of Representatives is the officer of the United States House of Representatives responsible for beginning each day's proceedings with a prayer. The House cites the first half of Article 1, Section 2, Claus ...

.Presbyterian Historical Society, Montreat, NC Campbell was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, on March 4, 1798. He was a pupil of James Ross, a celebrated teacher of Philadelphia, and at an early age entered the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, but was never graduated. He studied theology with Rev. Ezra Stiles, and afterward in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, where he was for a few months teacher of languages in

Hampden-Sydney College Hampden Sydney is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince Edward County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. Hampden Sydney is the home of Hampden–Sydney College, a private all-male college that is the tenth ...

. On May 10, 1817, he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of

Hanover, Virginia Hanover is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hanover County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat and is located at the junction of U.S. Route 301 and State Route 54 south of the Pamunkey River. While hi ...

. On November 16, 1820, the 22-year-old Campbell was named Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving the Sixteenth Congress. His term as Chaplain ended March 3, 1821. After preaching in

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 33,458 with a majority bla ...

, and

New Bern, North Carolina New Bern, formerly Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 31,291 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located at the confluence of the Neuse River, Neuse a ...

,History of the Presbyterian Church in New Bern NC, With a Resume of Early Ecclesiastical Affairs in Eastern North Carolina, by Rev. L. C. Yass, 1886. he became the assistant of Rev. Dr. Balch, of Georgetown, District of Columbia, in 1823. In 1825, he accepted a call to the pastorate of Second Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., where Presidents

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth president of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States secretary of state from 1817 to 1825. During his long diploma ...

and

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

, as well as Vice President

John C. Calhoun John Caldwell Calhoun (; March 18, 1782March 31, 1850) was an American statesman and political theorist who served as the seventh vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832. Born in South Carolina, he adamantly defended American s ...

, worshipped in the 1820s. He was active in the

American Colonization Society The American Colonization Society (ACS), initially the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America, was an American organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the repatriation of freeborn peop ...

. In 1830, Campbell and others were accused by

Peggy Eaton Margaret Eaton ( O'Neill, formerly Timberlake, later Buchignani; December 3, 1799 – November 8, 1879), was the wife of John Henry Eaton, a United States senator from Tennessee and United States Secretary of War, and a confidant of Andrew Ja ...

of repeating the rumour that before her marriage, she had dined with

John Eaton John Eaton may refer to: * John Eaton (divine) (born 1575), English divine * John Eaton (pirate) (fl. 1683–1686), English buccaneer *Sir John Craig Eaton (1876–1922), Canadian businessman * John Craig Eaton II (born 1937), Canadian businessman ...

in Philadelphia without a chaperone. Jackson had appointed John Eaton

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

, and Peggy Eaton was snubbed by Cabinet wives and other prominent Washingtonians, in what became known as the

Petticoat Affair The Petticoat affair (also known as the Eaton affair) was a political scandal involving members of President Andrew Jackson's Cabinet and their wives, from 1829 to 1831. Led by Floride Calhoun, wife of Vice President John C. Calhoun, these wo ...

. This ultimately led to the resignations of Vice-President Calhoun and of all but one member of Jackson's Cabinet, and Campbell's stepping down from his pulpit. In 1831, Campbell was called to the First Presbyterian Church in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

, and remained there until his death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, John Nicholson 1798 births 1864 deaths Chaplains of the United States House of Representatives American Presbyterian ministers Clergy from Philadelphia Religious leaders from Albany, New York 19th-century American clergy