Alexander Samuel Diven

Alexander Samuel Diven (February 10, 1809 – June 11, 1896) was an American politician from New York and an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was born on February 10, 1809, in Catharine, then in Chemung County (now Schuyler County), New York. Raised in upstate New York in the early years of the nineteenth century, he came of age in a region that was developing rapidly with the growth of transportation networks and commerce, influences that would later shape his professional and political interests.

Diven received a common-school education and then studied law. After reading law in the traditional manner of the period, he was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Elmira, New York. As Elmira expanded as a commercial and transportation hub in the Southern Tier, Diven became a prominent local attorney and businessman. He was active in civic affairs and local development, gaining recognition that helped launch his political career. His early professional life established him as a figure of some standing in his community, with interests that extended beyond the law into infrastructure and economic growth.

Diven entered public office as a member of the New York State Senate, representing the 27th District in 1858 and 1859. In the State Senate he participated in debates and legislation during a period marked by intensifying national tensions over slavery and sectional conflict. His service in Albany helped position him for national office and aligned him with the emerging Republican Party, which was consolidating its strength in New York and across the North in the late 1850s.

As a member of the Republican Party representing New York, Alexander Samuel Diven contributed to the legislative process during 1 term in office in the United States House of Representatives. He was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-seventh Congress and served from March 4, 1861, to March 3, 1863, representing a New York district during the opening years of the Civil War. Diven’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of constituents while the Union confronted secession and war. In the House he supported the Union war effort and was associated with measures to strengthen federal authority and prosecute the conflict effectively.

During the Civil War, Diven also served as an officer in the Union Army. While in Congress he took an active role in raising and organizing troops from New York, and he entered military service as a colonel of volunteers. He was commissioned colonel of the 107th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, a unit recruited largely from his region of the state. Under his leadership, the regiment was mustered into service and contributed to the Union’s military campaigns. His dual role as legislator and officer reflected the commitment of many Northern political leaders who directly supported the war effort in the field as well as in Congress.

After his term in Congress and his wartime service, Diven returned to Elmira and resumed his legal and business pursuits. He became heavily involved in railroad development, particularly in the management and direction of lines serving the Southern Tier and connecting regions. His work in railroads contributed to the postwar economic growth of Elmira and surrounding communities, and he remained an influential figure in local affairs. In his later years he continued to be regarded as a leading citizen, drawing on decades of experience in law, politics, military service, and business.

Alexander Samuel Diven died in Elmira, Chemung County, New York, on June 11, 1896. His long life spanned from the early republic through the Civil War and into the industrializing late nineteenth century, and he left a record of service as a state legislator, member of Congress, Union Army officer, and businessman closely associated with the development of his region of New York.