George R. Snowden (February 12, 1841 – April 21, 1932) was a Pennsylvania lawyer and military officer who served as commander of the organization now known as the 28th Infantry Division.
Early life George Randolph Snowden was born in Franklin, Pennsylvania, on February 12, 1841. He was educated locally, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1862.U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925, 1892 entry for George R. Snowden, retrieved March 21, 2014
Civil War In August 1862 Snowden enlisted in the unit which was later designated Company I, 142nd Pennsylvania Infantry. He was commissioned as a first lieutenant in September, became the company commander in 1863, and took part in the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. He was a captain when he was discharged in April 1864.Samuel P. Bates, History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1865, 1868, republished at PA-Roots.com, retrieved March 21, 2014Paul Kahan, The Homestead Strike: Labor, Violence, and American Industry, 2014, page 90
Post-Civil War Snowden practiced law in Franklin until relocating to Philadelphia in 1874 and was active in local businesses including the Franklin Gas Company. He also continued his military service as a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard.William J. Campbell, The Bench and Bar of Philadelphia, 1893, page 31Brown, Runk & Co., History of Venango County, Pennsylvania, 1890, page 403
He served as commander of the 3rd Infantry Regiment with the rank of colonel, and took part in the military response in Pittsburgh during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. In 1878 he was promoted to Brigadier General as commander of the 1st Brigade.The national Guardsman, The Great Strike, September 1, 1877, page 37C. B. Dougherty, Historical Souvenir of the Ninth Regiment Infantry, N. G. P, 1893, page 6
Besides practicing law, Snowden also served in appointive offices, including Assistant Customs Appraiser for the Port of Philadelphia and Chief Clerk of Philadelphia's United States Mint. When the federal government began to enact civil service reform, Snowden served on the board of examiners for the Philadelphia Customs office.Philadelphia Public Ledger, Public Ledger Almanacs, 1880, page 49Philadelphia Maritime Exchange, The Hand Book of the Lower Delaware River, 1895, page 94United States Civil Service Commission, Annual Report of the United States Civil Service Commission, Volume 3, 1886, page 99 In 1880 he was an unsuccessful Democratic Party candidate for Congress, and he later served on Philadelphia's Select Council. (At the time, the city's legislative functions were carried out by two bodies, the Select Council and the Common Council.)Congressional Quarterly, Inc., Guide to U.S. Elections, 2005, page 972City of Philadelphia, Journal of the Common Council, of the City of Philadelphia, Part 2, 1883, page 268Peter McCaffery, When Bosses Ruled Philadelphia, page 39
Later career In 1890 he was promoted to major general as commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard Division, succeeding John F. Hartranft. At the time, the division consisted of three brigades and various separate units.Pennsylvania Adjutant General, Annual Report, 1898, page 202
Snowden commanded the National Guard during the Homestead Strike in July 1892. He sided with the Carnegie Steel owners over the striking union workers, saying "Pennsylvanians can hardly appreciate the actual communism of these people. They believe the works are theirs quite as much as Carnegie's."Myron R. Stowell, "Fort Frick"; Or, The Siege of Homestead, Volume 8, 1893, page 114David Montgomery, The Fall of the House of Labor, page 38
The militia's efforts to curtail the activities of striking workers enabled the owners to reopen with non-union labor.Spencer C. Tucker, The Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars, 2009, pages 289-290
Retirement Snowden retired from the military in 1900 and was succeeded as division commander by Charles Miller. In his later years Snowden was one of Philadelphia's Real Estate Assessors.Pennsylvania Adjutant General, Annual Report, 1906, page 236Philadelphia Times, Philadelphia Times Almanac, 1902, page 20 Snowden was active in the Grand Army of the Republic and Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He took part in numerous Union Army reunions, as well as the dedication of several monuments and memorials.Fairmount Park Art Association, Unveiling of the Equestrian Statue of Major-General George Gordon Meade, Volume 3, 1887, page 4Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Circular, 1911, Donations pageMilitary Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Biographical Sketches of the Contributors, 1991, page 275Horatio N. Warren, Two Reunions of the 142d Regiment, Pa. Vols., 1890, pages 7, 10-11, 48, 57, 80Reynolds Memorial Association, Unveiling of the statue of General John F. Reynolds, Philadelphia, September 18, 1884, 1884, pages 24, 27, 36
He was also active in fraternal and civic organizations, including the Masons and the Sons of the American Revolution.Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Abstract of the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, 1883, page 174Royal Printing Company, Masonic Directory of the Pennsylvania, 1880, page 86Sons of the Revolution. Pennsylvania Society, Decennial Register of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution, 1898, page 418
Snowden wrote on military subjects and other topics and was a popular public speaker. Some of his speeches were republished as articles or pamphlets.George R. Snowden, The United Service, The Battalion System for the National Guard, March 1885, page 294George R. Snowden, The Christian's Right to Bear Arms, 1911, title page In 1971 portions of his Civil War diary were published as Home to Franklin! Excerpts from the Civil War Diary of George Randolph Snowden.Charles H. Ness, Home to Franklin Excerpts from the Civil War Diary of George Randolph Snowden, 1971, page 158
Snowden never married, and had no children.U.S. Census, entries for George R. Snowden, 1860, 1880, 1910, 1930Oil City Derrick, Local Institutions get Bulk of Estate of Major (sic) George Snowden, May 9, 1932
Death and burial Snowden died in Philadelphia on April 21, 1932.Lebanon Daily News, Maj-Gen. Geo. Snowden, Colorful Figure in Phila. Died Aged 91, April 22, 1932Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Oliver H. Bair Funeral Records Indexes, 1920-1980, 1932 entry for General George R. Snowden, retrieved March 21, 2014 He was buried in Franklin Cemetery in the city of Franklin, Section D, Lot 19.Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-1999, 1932 entry for George R. Snowden, retrieved March 21, 2014 In 1869 Snowden had been an original incorporator of the cemetery.Brown, Runk & Co., History of Venango County, Pennsylvania, 1890, page 431
References
External links