Oliver Lyman Spaulding – Brigadier General, United States Army Government Official – Member of Congress

Born at Jaffrey, New Hampshire, August 2, 1833, he received an AB degree from Oberlin, 1855. He married Mary Cecilia Swegles, August 12, 1862. He was admitted to the Bar in 1858.

He was appointed Captain, Company A, 23rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry, August 1, 1862; Major, February 13, 1863; Lieutenant Colonel, April 6, 1863; Colonel, April 16, 1864. He was breveted Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers, June 25, 1865 for “faithful and meritorious services during the war.” He was mustered out on June 28, 1865.

He was a Regent at the University of Michigan, 1859-1864; Secretary of State of Michigan, 1866-70; declined appointment as U.S. District Judge for Utah Territory, 1871; Member of the Michigan State Republican Commission, 1871-78; Special Agent, U.S. Treasury Department, 1875-81; Member of the 47th Congress (1881-83), 6th District of Michigan; Chairman of a government commission sent to the Sandwich Islands to investigate matters pertaining to the Hawaian Reciprocity Treaty, 1883; Again a Special Agent, U.S. Treasury Department, January-December 1885 and 1889-90. He declined appointment as Circuit Judge, 1889, tendered by the Governor of Michigan; he was Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department, 1890-93 and in 1897-1903. He was President of the first Pan-American Customs Congress, 1903 and a delegate to the Republican National Convention, 1896.

He resided at St. Johns, Michigan, until his death in Washington, D.C. on July 30, 1922. He was buried in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery. His wife, Mary Cecilia Swegles Spaulding (March 24, 1844 – September 4, 1926), is buried with him.  His daughter, Edna C. Spaulding, 17 November 1870-23 January 1952) is also buried with him.

His son, Oliver Lyman Spaulding, Jr., Brigadier General, United States Army, is buried near him in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery.

SPAULDING, MARY CECILIA W/O OLIVER LYMAN

• DATE OF DEATH: 09/04/1926
• DATE OF INTERMENT: Unknown
• BURIED AT: SECTION WE  SITE 432-A
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
• WIFE OF OL SPAULDING – COL 23RD MICH INF, BVT BRIG GEN USV

SPAULDING, OLIVER L

• COL 23RD MICH INF BVT BRIG GEN USCVCW
• VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
• DATE OF DEATH: 07/30/1922
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 08/02/1922
• BURIED AT: SECTION WW  SITE 432-A
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

SPAULDING, EDNA C D/O OLIVER L

• DATE OF BIRTH: 11/17/1870
• DATE OF DEATH: 01/23/1952
• BURIED AT: SECTION 1  SITE 432-A
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
• DAUGHTER OF OL SPAULDING, COL USA

Courtesy of the U.S. House of Representatives:

SPAULDING, Oliver Lyman, a Representative from Michigan; born in Jaffrey, Cheshire County, N.H., August 2, 1833; completed preparatory studies, and was graduated from Oberlin (Ohio) College in 1855; moved to Michigan and taught school; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1858 and commenced practice in St. Johns, Mich.; regent of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor 1858-1864; during the Civil War served in the Union Army as a captain in the Twenty-third Regiment, Michigan Volunteers and promoted to colonel; resumed the practice of law in St. Johns, Mich.; secretary of state of Michigan 1866-1870; member of the Republican State committee 1871-1878; declined the position of United States district judge of the Territory of Utah in 1871; special agent of the United States Treasury Department 1875-1881; elected as a Republican to the Forty-seventh Congress (March 4, 1881-March 3, 1883); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1882 to the Forty-eighth Congress; chairman of the commission sent to the Sandwich Islands to investigate alleged violations of the Hawaiian reciprocity treaty in 1883; again a special agent of the United States Treasury in 1885, 1889, and 1890; Assistant Secretary of the Treasury 1890-1893 and 1897-1903; president of the first International American Customs Congress, held in New York City in January 1903; again a special agent of the United States Treasury 1903-1909; customs agent 1909-1916; died in Washington, D.C., July 30, 1922; interment in Arlington National Cemetery.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard