John Gould Stephenson
Encyclopedia
John Gould Stephenson was an American physician and soldier. He was the fifth Librarian of the United States Congress
from 1861 to 1864.
Stephenson was born in Lancaster, New Hampshire
. After training at the New Hampshire Medical Institution and the Castleton Medical College, he moved to Terre Haute, Indiana
. Active in Republican Party politics, President Abraham Lincoln
appointed him to the post of Librarian of Congress, replacing John Silva Meehan
. The historical record is unclear why a physician sought appointment to this post.
Stephenson spent most of his time serving as a Colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War
, first with the 19th Indiana
Regiment and later with the Army of the Potomac
, participating in the Battles of Fitzhugh Crossing, Chancellorsville
, and Gettysburg
.
His most significant act was appointing Ainsworth Rand Spofford
as Chief Assistant Librarian. Spofford would later become Librarian himself and was responsible for the transition of the Library from Congressional resource to national institution.
Following his resignation in 1864, Stephenson held several political jobs, including medical reviewer at the Pension Office.
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
from 1861 to 1864.
Biography
Lancaster, New Hampshire
Lancaster is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA, on the Connecticut River named after Lancaster, England. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 3,507, the second largest in the county after Berlin. It is the county seat of Coos County and gateway to the Great North Woods Region...
. After training at the New Hampshire Medical Institution and the Castleton Medical College, he moved to Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
. Active in Republican Party politics, President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
appointed him to the post of Librarian of Congress, replacing John Silva Meehan
John Silva Meehan
John Silva Meehan was an American printer and publisher. He was the fourth Librarian of the United States Congress from 1829 to 1861....
. The historical record is unclear why a physician sought appointment to this post.
Stephenson spent most of his time serving as a Colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, first with the 19th Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
Regiment and later with the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
, participating in the Battles of Fitzhugh Crossing, Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
, and Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
.
His most significant act was appointing Ainsworth Rand Spofford
Ainsworth Rand Spofford
Ainsworth Rand Spofford was an American journalist and publisher. He was the sixth Librarian of the United States Congress from 1864 to 1897.-Early years:...
as Chief Assistant Librarian. Spofford would later become Librarian himself and was responsible for the transition of the Library from Congressional resource to national institution.
Following his resignation in 1864, Stephenson held several political jobs, including medical reviewer at the Pension Office.