Thomas Maxwell (February 16, 1792 – November 4, 1864) was an attorney and politician, serving for one term from 1829 to 1831 as a

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from

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, as well as in county and state offices.

Early life and education

Thomas Maxwell was born on February 16, 1792, at Tioga Point (now

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. His father, Guy Maxwell, was an Indian trader and was adopted by the

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(

Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...

) in the same year. The senior Maxwell moved his family to Elmira (then Newtown Point), New York, in 1796. In 1804, he was adopted by the Seneca people, given the name ''He-je-no,'' meaning "the brave boy".

War of 1812

During the War of 1812, Guy Maxwell was appointed quartermaster of a regiment of Cavalry attached to the brigade of General Vincent Mathews. After the war he served as clerk of

Tioga County, New York Tioga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,455. Its county seat is Owego. Tioga County is part of the Binghamton metropolitan area. The county is part of the Southern Tier region of ...

from 1819 to 1829.

Congress

Maxwell was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-first Congress (March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1831). He served as chairman of the Committee on Accounts (Twenty-first Congress).

Later career

He engaged in the prosecution of pension claims. He studied law and was admitted to practice in the court of common pleas of old Tioga County in 1832. He was editor of the ''Elmira Gazette'' from 1834 to 1836, and was appointed as US postmaster of Elmira, serving 1834–1839. Deputy clerk of Chemung County in 1836. Treasurer of Chemung County in 1836–1843. He was chosen as a vice president of the

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Co. in 1841. He served as commissioner of loans of United States deposit and of State funds in 1843. About 1845 Maxwell moved his family to

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, upon his appointment as deputy clerk of the State supreme court. Later in life, Maxwell became an Iroquois agent, and made many notes on them, which were in his daughter's hands.

Red Jacket Red Jacket (known as ''Otetiani'' lways Readyref name=parkerxxiii>Parker 1952, Preface p. xxiii. in his youth and ''Sagoyewatha'' eeper Awake''Sa-go-ye-wa-tha'' as an adult because of his oratorical skills) ( – January 20, 1830) was a Senec ...

had his portrait painted for Maxwell; they were warm friends. Eighty years after the formal adoption of Maxwell, his daughter Harriet (later known as Harriet Maxwell Converse) was formally adopted by the family of Red Jacket. She was given many mementos, such as a necklace made of 79 little silver brooches, which had been worn by Red Jacket; and also his Masonic pin.

Death

Maxwell died in Elmira on November 4, 1864, and was interred in

Woodlawn Cemetery Woodlawn Cemetery is the name of several cemeteries, including: Canada * Woodlawn Cemetery (Saskatoon) * Woodlawn Cemetery (Nova Scotia) United States ''(by state then city or town)'' * Woodlawn Cemetery (Ocala, Florida), where Isaac Rice and fa ...

in Elmira.

References

Bibliography

* *

Attribution

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Thomas 1792 births 1864 deaths Quartermasters American military personnel of the War of 1812 United States Army officers Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Elmira, New York) 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives