Samuel Swinfin Burdett (February 21, 1836 – September 24, 1914) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

Biography

He was born on February 21, 1836, in The Old Manse,

Broughton Astley Broughton Astley is a large village and civil parish located in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated in the south of Leicestershire, about east of Hinckley, about from the centre of Leicester, and about 14 mil ...

, bordering

Sutton-in-the-Elms Sutton in the Elms is a settlement in the northwest of Broughton Astley (where the population is listed), Leicestershire. Its name is sometimes abbreviated to Sutton Elms. Sutton is one of the three settlements mentioned in Domesday that now com ...

Leicestershire, England Leicestershire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warwickshire to the south-west, and ...

. His father was minister at Sutton-in-the-Elms Baptist Chapel. When twelve years of age he emigrated to the United States. He worked on a farm in

Lorain County, Ohio Lorain County () is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio As of the 2020 census, the population was 312,964. Its county seat is Elyria, and its largest city is Lorain. The county was physically established in 1822, beco ...

, and attended the common schools. He studied law at

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...

, Ohio, was admitted to the bar in 1858 and commenced practice in

DeWitt, Iowa DeWitt is a city in Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,514 at the time of the 2020 census, which represented a 9.2% increase over that of 2000, making it the fastest growing city in Clinton County. History DeWitt was p ...

. Burdett was an abolitionist and joined John Brown during the

Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas, Bloody Kansas, or the Border War, was a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory, and to a lesser extent in western Missouri, between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the ...

conflict in May 1856. He entered the Union Army as a private in the First Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, in May 1861. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, later becoming captain, and served until August 1864. He served as assistant provost marshal general from March 1, 1864 – August 1, 1864. He moved to

Osceola Osceola (1804 – January 30, 1838, Vsse Yvholv in Muscogee language, Creek, also spelled Asi-yahola), named Billy Powell at birth, was an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida. His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfa ...

, St. Clair County,

, in December 1865. Attorney for the seventh circuit in 1868 and 1869. He served as delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1868. Burdett was elected as a Republican to the Forty-first and Forty-second Congresses (March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873). He served as chairman of the Committee on Manufactures (Forty-second Congress). He was an unsuccessful candidate in 1872 for reelection to the Forty-third Congress. He resumed the practice of law in

Osceola, Missouri Osceola is a city in and the county seat of St. Clair County, Missouri, United States. The population was 909 at the 2020 census. During the American Civil War, Osceola was the site of the Sacking of Osceola. History Located on the Osage Rive ...

. He was appointed Commissioner of the General Land Office in 1874. He engaged in the practice of law in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, residing at Glencarlyn, Virginia, during his last years. Commander in chief of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (United States Navy, U.S. Navy), and the United States Marine Corps, Marines who served in the American Ci ...

from 1885 to 1886. He founded the Arlington, Virginia neighborhood of Glencarlyn with his partner George W. Curtis in 1888. When he was old he decided that he would like to visit the place where he was born. He travelled to England and stayed at the Old Manse (now 12, Green Rd) Broughton Astley, Leicestershire. He suddenly became ill, and some days later he died, on September 24, 1914, in the very room in which he had been born. He was buried with his wife, Nancy (1826–1906) in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Legacy

He is the namesake of the community of

Burdett, Missouri Burdett is an unincorporated community in northwest Bates County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. The community is on Missouri Route FF approximately seven miles west northwest of Adrian. History Burdett was plat In the United States, a p ...

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Burdett, Samuel Swinfin 1836 births 1914 deaths Military personnel from Leicestershire Commissioners of the United States General Land Office Union army officers Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri People from Broughton Astley People from Lorain County, Ohio People from DeWitt, Iowa Grand Army of the Republic commanders-in-chief People from Osceola, Missouri Politicians from Arlington County, Virginia Military personnel from Iowa 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives