Samuel G. Arnold | |
|---|---|
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| United States Senator fromRhode Island | |
| In office December 1, 1862 – March 3, 1863 | |
| Preceded by | James F. Simmons |
| Succeeded by | William Sprague |
| 6th and 14thLieutenant Governor of Rhode Island | |
| In office May 1861 – December 1862 | |
| Governor | William Sprague IV |
| Preceded by | J. Russell Bullock |
| Succeeded by | Seth Padelford |
| In office May 1852 – May 1853 | |
| Governor | Philip Allen |
| Preceded by | William B. Lawrence |
| Succeeded by | Francis M. Dimond |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1821-04-12)April 12, 1821 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Died | February 14, 1880(1880-02-14) (aged 58) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Resting place | Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, Rhode Island |
| Political party | Whig (before 1854) Republican (from 1854) |
| Spouse | Louisa Gindrat Arnold (1828–1905) |
| Relations |
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| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Brown University Harvard University |
| Profession | Attorney |
Samuel Greene Arnold Jr. (April 12, 1821 – February 14, 1880) was an American attorney and politician fromRhode Island. ARepublican, he was most notable for his service aslieutenant governor and as aUnited States senator.
Born inProvidence, Arnold received his early education under private tutors, then graduated fromBrown University in 1841 andHarvard Law School in 1845. He wasadmitted to the bar in 1845, and practiced in Providence. He was also a historian, and he served as a trustee of Brown University from 1848 to 1880.
Arnold was electedLieutenant Governor of Rhode Island in 1852 and served as acting governor. In 1859, he was elected an Associate Fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences,[1] where he wrote the two-volumeHistory of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in 1859.[2][3] He was a member of the peace commission held atWashington, D.C., in 1861 in an effort to prevent the impending civil war.
In March 1861, Arnold was again elected lieutenant governor after being nominated by theConstitutional Union and Democratic Conventions.[4] He was again elected lieutenant governor in 1862.
Shortly after the outbreak of theCivil War, Arnold was appointed as a military aide to GovernorWilliam Sprague with rank of colonel, and he raised the1st Rhode Island Battery of light artillery, which went to Washington, D.C., and was mustered into theUnion Army for three months.[2]
He was elected as aRepublican to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofJames F. Simmons, and he served from December 1, 1862, to March 3, 1863.[2] After his time in the Senate, he returned to historical research and was president of the Rhode Island Historical Society from 1868 to 1880.[2] He died in Providence on February 13, 1880;[2] interment was in Swan Point Cemetery.[2]
He married his cousin Louisa Gindrat Arnold (1828–1905), the daughter of his father's uncle Richard J. Arnold (1796–1873). He wrote, "I have brought up my cousin for years to make her my wife, for I am so fastidious and particular on that matter that I knew I never should find a lady to suit me in all respects unless I educated her for the purpose. This is an original idea to be sure."[5]
Arnold's grandnephewTheodore Francis Green was also a U.S. Senator from Rhode Island.[6]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island 1852–1853 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island 1861–1862 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from Rhode Island December 1, 1862 – March 3, 1863 Served alongside:Henry B. Anthony | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 2 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
