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Simon Cameron

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Simon Cameron
26th United States Secretary of War
In office
March 5, 1861 – January 14, 1862
Preceded byJoseph Holt
Succeeded byEdwin M. Stanton
Personal details
BornMarch 8, 1799
Maytown, Pennsylvania, USA
DiedJune 26, 1889
Maytown, Pennsylvania, USA
Political partyWhig, Democrat, Republican
SpouseMargaret Brua Cameron
ProfessionJournalist, Editor, Politician

Simon Cameron (March 8, 1799June 26, 1889) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of War for Abraham Lincoln from 1861 to 1862.

Early life

Cameron was born in Maytown, Pennsylvania, to Charles Cameron and Marth Pfoutz. He was orphaned at nine and later apprenticed to a printer, Andrew Kennedy, editor of the Northumberland Gazette before entering the field of journalism. He was editor of the Bucks County Messenger in 1821. A year later, he moved to Washington, D.C., and studied political movements while working for the printing firm of Gales and Seaton. He married Margaret Brua and returned to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where he purchased and ran the Republican in 1824.

File:SCameron-SecofWar-paintingFThorp.jpg
Portriat of Simon Cameron by Freeman Thorp.

Cameron served as state printer of Pennsylvania from 1825 until 1827 and was state adjutant general in 1826. He constructed several rail lines and merged them into the Northern Central Railway. He founded the Bank of Middletown in 1832 and engaged in other business enterprises. In 1838, he was appointed as commissioner to settle claims of the Winnebago Indians.

Poltics

Cameron became a Whig Party member, and later a member of the Democratic Party, before being elected to replace James Buchanan in the Senate in 1844. He switched to the Republican Party and was nominated for President, but gave his support to Abraham Lincoln at the 1860 Republican National Convention. Lincoln, as part of a political bargain, named Cameron Secretary of War. Because of allegations of corruption, however, he was forced to resign early in 1862. His corruption was so notorious that Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, when discussing Cameron's honesty with Lincoln, told Lincoln that "I don't think that he would steal a red hot stove". When Cameron demanded Stevens retract this statement Cameron told Lincoln "I believe I told you he would not steal a red-hot stove. I will now take that back." He was succeeded by Edwin M. Stanton, who had been serving as a legal advisor to the War Secretary. He then served as United States Minister to Russia.

In 1866, Cameron was again elected to the Senate and served there until 1877, when on assurances from the Pennsylvania legislature that his son, James Donald Cameron would be the successor to his seat, he resigned. His son had already been named as Secretary of War in 1876.

Later life

Cameron retired to his farm at Donegal Springs near Maytown, Pennsylvania where he died on June 26 1889. He is buried in the Harrisburg Cemetery in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Cameron County, Pennsylvania and Cameron Parish, Louisiana are named in his honor.

Quotes

  • "An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought."
  • "I am tired of all this sort of thing called science here... We have spent millions in that sort of thing for the last few years, and it is time it should be stopped." (on the Smithsonian Institute, 1861)

External links


Preceded byJames Buchanan U.S. senator (Class 3) from Pennsylvania
1845–1849
Served alongside: Daniel Sturgeon
Succeeded byJames Cooper
Preceded byRichard Brodhead U.S. senator (Class 1) from Pennsylvania
1857–1861
Served alongside: William Bigler, Edgar Cowan
Succeeded byDavid Wilmot
Preceded byJoseph Holt United States Secretary of War
March 5, 1861January 14, 1862
Succeeded byEdwin M. Stanton
Preceded byCassius Marcellus Clay United States Minister to Russia
January 17, 1862September 18, 1862
Succeeded byCassius Marcellus Clay
Preceded byEdgar Cowan U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania
18671877
Succeeded byJ. Donald Cameron
United States secretaries of war and the Army
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