John Chandler | |
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| United States Senator fromMaine | |
| In office June 14, 1820 – March 3, 1829 | |
| Preceded by | inaugural holder |
| Succeeded by | Peleg Sprague |
| 1st President of the Maine Senate | |
| In office March 15, 1820 – June 19, 1820 | |
| Preceded by | inaugural holder |
| Succeeded by | William Moody |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's17th district | |
| In office March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1809 | |
| Preceded by | Phineas Bruce |
| Succeeded by | Barzillai Gannett |
| Member of theMassachusetts Senate | |
| In office 1803–1805 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1762-02-01)February 1, 1762 |
| Died | September 25, 1841(1841-09-25) (aged 79) |
| Resting place | Mount Pleasant Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican Jacksonian |
| Spouse | |
| Children | three sons, four daughters |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Massachusetts United States |
| Branch/service | Massachusetts State Militia Continental ArmyUnited States Army |
| Rank |  Major General (Mass. Militia) Brigadier General (U.S. Army) |
| Commands | Massachusetts State Militia 17th Division |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War War of 1812 |
John Chandler (February 1, 1762 – September 25, 1841) was anAmerican politician andsoldier ofMaine. The political career of Chandler, aDemocratic-Republican, was interspersed with his involvement in the statemilitia during both theAmerican Revolutionary War and theWar of 1812.
Chandler was born inEpping in theProvince of New Hampshire. He was one of 69 children and the third-oldest son of Joseph Chandler (1725–1776) and his wife Lydia (née Eastman; 1726–1820). His father Joseph was a blacksmith. He fought in theFrench and Indian War and was acaptain in theRevolutionary War. He died atMount Independence in 1776.[1]
Chandler was self-educated and enlisted in theContinental Army at age 15. In the same year he was captured by the British, but he soon escaped. In May 1779 he was captured again. In September, he was able to escape and made his way back to Epping. Immediately he reenlisted in the Continental Army.[2][3] During the war he had become the protégé of GeneralHenry Dearborn, (1751–1829), a future fifthU.S. Secretary of War (1801–1809), who was also an important commander of the Northeast sector atFort Detroit, in the Old Northwest Territory, but a terrible failure during theWar of 1812.
On August 27, 1783, Chandler married Mary Whittier, with whom he had seven children (three sons and four daughters).[4]
After the end of the war, Chandler was without money. However, he borrowed money from Dearborn and bought a farm nearMonmouth in theDistrict of Maine, then a part ofMassachusetts. He settled there with his family in 1784. A local schoolmaster gave him all the support he needed to catch up on his schooling quickly. He worked hard as ablacksmith, prospered over the years and became a respected member of the community.[5]
From 1803 to 1805, Chandler served in theMassachusetts Senate; he later was elected to theU.S. House of Representatives as aDemocratic-Republican, serving from March 4, 1805, to March 3, 1809. Chandler was not a candidate for renomination in 1808. In the same year he was appointedSheriff ofKennebec County. On February 27, 1812, he became major general of the Massachusetts Militia.[3]
At the outbreak of the War of 1812, PresidentJames Madison appointed Chandler to the command of the 17th division. This was a brigade of U.S. Volunteers, troops recruited for one year of service. At this moment he was still major general of the Massachusetts Militia. On July 8, 1812, he resigned his militia office and wascommissioned as abrigadier general of theUnited States Army.[2] The first part of the war he was serving under Major General Henry Dearborn as the commander of one of three brigades of theArmy of the North.[6]
At the beginning of June 1813 he accompanied Brigadier GeneralWilliam H. Winder during theNiagara campaign on an advance into Canada. At theBattle of Stoney Creek Chandler was wounded, and both he and Winder were captured bySgt. Alexander Fraser , when they wandered into the British line, thinking it was their own. In 1814 he was set free in an exchange of prisoners. Chandler subsequently served defending the coast of New Hampshire and Maine, coordinating efforts between the local militia and federal units. After the war ended, he returned to politics as a member of theMassachusetts General Court in 1819.
Chandler was the firstpresident of the Maine Senate and a member of the Maine Constitutional Convention. Upon the admission of Maine to the Union, Chandler was elected to theU.S. Senate. Chandler began his term on June 14, 1820, and was reelected in 1823. During his time in the Senate, Chandler was thechairman of the Committee on Militia during the18th through20th Congresses and played a key role in establishing the arsenal atAugusta, as well as the construction of the military road fromBangor toHoulton. He resigned on March 3, 1829, to become the customs collector ofPortland, a post he held until 1837. Chandler was a trustee ofBowdoin College from 1821 - 1838.[7] He died in Augusta at age 79 and was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by none-new position | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 17th congressional district (Maine district) March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1809 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by none-new office | U.S. senator (Class 2) from Maine 1820–1829 Served alongside:John Holmes,Albion K. Parris | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by None | 1stPresident of the Maine Senate 1820 | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 2 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
