John Schuyler Crosby

John Schuyler Crosby
First Assistant United States Postmaster General
In office
1884–1885
Preceded byFrank Hatton
Succeeded byMalcolm Hay
5th Governor of the
Montana Territory
In office
January 15, 1883 – November 11, 1884
Appointed byChester A. Arthur
Preceded byBenjamin F. Potts
Succeeded byB. Platt Carpenter
U.S. Consul, Florence, Italy
In office
1876–1882
Preceded byJames Lorimer Graham Jr.
Succeeded byWilliam L. Welch
Personal details
Born(1839-09-19)September 19, 1839
Albany, New York
DiedAugust 8, 1914(1914-08-08) (aged 74)
Newport, Rhode Island
Resting placeAlbany Rural Cemetery
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Harriet Van Rensselaer
(m. 1863; died 1911)
Children2
Parent(s)Clarkson F. Crosby
Angelica Schuyler
RelativesHenry Sturgis Crosby (grandson)
Stephen Van Rensselaer IV (father-in-law)
EducationUniversity of the City of New York (now New York University)
ProfessionCivil Engineer
AwardsOrder of the Crown of Italy

John Schuyler Crosby (September 19, 1839 – August 8, 1914) (usually referred to as J. Schuyler Crosby)[1][2][3] was an American military officer and government official. He was most notable for his service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After leaving the Army, he served as United States Consul in Florence, Italy and as the fifth Governor of the Montana Territory.

The descendant of several prominent families in New York, Crosby attended the University of the City of New York (now New York University), but left before graduating so he could take an extended world tour. Having served in New York's militia before the Civil War, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Union Army's 1st Artillery Regiment once hostilities commenced. He was later promoted to first lieutenant and brevet captain, and served as assistant adjutant general under General Banks and assistant inspector general under General Philip Sheridan. He remained in the Army after the war, receiving brevets as major and lieutenant colonel for his role in defending the U.S. border during the French occupation of Mexico and participation in Custer's campaigns during the Indian Wars.

After leaving the Army in 1871, Crosby worked as an engineer, designing and supervising the construction of lighthouses, breakwaters, and other marine projects. He served as U.S. Consul in Florence, Italy from 1876 to 1881, Governor of the Montana Territory from 1883 to 1884, U.S. First Assistant Postmaster General from 1886 to 1889, and as New York City school commissioner from 1889 to 1891.

Crosby died in Newport, Rhode Island, on August 8, 1914, and was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery.

  1. ^ Executive Documents Printed by Order of the House of Representatives During the Second Session of the Forty-First Congress. Vol. 11. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1870. p. 169.
  2. ^ Grant, Ulysses Simpson (2005). The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: November 1, 1876-September 30, 1878. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press. p. 379. ISBN 978-0-8093-2632-7.
  3. ^ Contributions to the Historical Society of Montana. Vol. VI. Helena, MT: Historical Society of Montana. 1907. p. 484.