John R. G. Pitkin

John Robert Graham Pitkin
United States Ambassador to Argentina
In office 1889–1893
Preceded by	Bayless W. Hanna
Succeeded by	William I. Buchanan
Personal details
Born	1840-1841 New Orleans, Louisiana
Died	(1901-07-04)July 4, 1901 New Orleans, Louisiana
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Children	Helen Pitkin
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Branch/service	Crescent Infantry Regiment
Rank	Private
Battles/wars	American Civil War

John Robert Graham Pitkin, also known as John R. G. Pitkin, (1840-1841 – July 4, 1901) was an American diplomat and soldier.

Biography

Pitkin was born in either 1840 or 1841 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He would study at the University of Louisiana, and was admitted to the bar in 1861.[1]

Following his graduation, Pitkin would practice law while serving as a school principal in New Orleans between the years of 1861 to 1863.[2] During the Civil War, he would find himself briefly serving as a private in Louisiana's Crescent Regiment, beginning on February 18, 1863.[3] However, after the fall of New Orleans, he publicly declared himself a Republican and Unionist, earning him a position in the Reconstruction.[4] He would participate in the Southern Loyalist convention, held in Philadelphia in 1866, and would serve as a Republican campaign speaker.[5]

Pitkin had a daughter on August 8, 1877, in New Orleans, Louisiana named Helen. She would go on to become a staff writer for the Louisiana paper, the Times-Democrat.[6]

In 1877 Pitkin was nominated to be marshal of the United States for the eastern district of Louisiana; he would hold the position for one year.[7] Later in 1882, he would take the position back up.[8]

Pitkin served as the United States' Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Argentina from 1889 to 1893.[6][9][10]

The last government position that Pitkin would hold would be postmaster of New Orleans, which he served as between 1898 and 1900.[7][11] He resigned from this position amid a blackmail scandal involving his secretary.[4]

Pitkin died in New Orleans on July 4, 1901.[1][12]

References

1. Kestenbaum, Lawrence. "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Pink to Pittoni". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
2. Garfield, James Abram; Brown, Harry James (1967). The Diary of James A. Garfield: 1878-1881. Michigan State University. ISBN 978-0-87013-221-6.
3. Office, New York (State) Adjutant General's (1868). Annual Report of the Adjutant-General. The Office.
4. Reed, John Shelton (2012-09-17). Dixie Bohemia: A French Quarter Circle in the 1920s. LSU Press. ISBN 978-0-8071-4765-8.
5. Grant, Ulysses Simpson; Marszalek, John F. (1967). The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: November 1, 1870-May 31, 1871. Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 978-0-8093-2197-1.
6. Alderman, Edwin Anderson; Harris, Joel Chandler; Kent, Charles W.; Smith, Charles Alphonso; Knight, Lucian Lamar; Metcalf, John Calvin (1910). Library of Southern Literature: Biographical dictionary of authors. Martin & Hoyt Company.
7. Garrison, William Lloyd (1981). The Letters of William Lloyd Garrison. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-52666-2.
8. Senate, United States Congress (1969). Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America. order of the Senate of the United States.
9. "John Robert Graham Pitkin - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
10. Ruxton, Ian, ed. (30 September 2017). The Diaries of Sir Ernest Mason Satow, 1889-1895: Uruguay and Morocco. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-0-359-28131-2.
11. Bose, Joel Campbell Du; Owen, Thomas McAdory (1903). The Gulf States Historical Magazine. Gulf States Historical Magazine.
12. "John R. G. Pitkin". The New York Times. 1901-07-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-12.