Was Andrew Holmes Kicked Out of Princeton for Rioting?- Part 1

Since I've been writing a lot about this guy.

From the 1908 William and Mary Quarterly Magazine. "'The Great Rebellion' at Princeton."

"In April, 1807, occurred some riotous proceedings at Princeton, which are known as The Great Rebellion.'  Among the students 'expelled' was Abel P. Upshur, of Northampton County, Virginia, who afterwards became Secretary of State of the United States.

"He appeared before the Board of Trustees in defense of his comrades and made, it is said, a fine display of argument and eloquence.

"He subsequently attended Yale College.

"Joseph Cumming, Robert Breckenridge, Edmund Pendleton, Charles Snead, and Andrew H. Holmes and probably others of the 'rioters' were Virginians."

I would like to find out exactly what the "riot" was?

Those Rowdy Virginia Boys.  --Brock-Perry

Some More on Abel P. Upshur

Abel P. Upshur was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1811.  He was a volunteer in the Virginia State militia in the War of 1812, but saw no action.  Also a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1812-1813.

His father, Liileton Upshur,  was a captain in the U.S. Army in the War of 1812 while commanding a company in the 27th Virginia Militia Regiment which was called to duty.

The destroyer USS Abel P. Upshur (DD-193) was named for him.

--Brock-Perry

Two Coincidences in Abel P. Upshur's Death

Two coincidences I find of interest in the U.S. Secretary of State's death in 1843.

First, he was on the USS Princeton, the eventual name of the college he was expelled from for being a leader in the "Great Rebellion" in 1807.

Second, the USS Princeton was commanded by Robert F. Stockton, the son of Richard Stockton who had delivered the speech at Princeton's chapel trying to get the students to back down on their grievances.

Interesting Coincidences.  --Brock-Perry

Abel P. Upshur-- Part 3: As Secretary of State, Death

On february 28, 1844, along with U.S. President John Tyler and other dignitaries, Abel P. Upshur was on the Potomac River aboard the new navy steamship USS Princeton, when he and several others were killed in a gun explosion.  He was buried at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C..

Also killed were the Secretary of the Navy, Thomas Gilmer and Beverly Kennon, the Navy's chief of construction.  Twenty others were injured.  President Tyler survived because he was below deck at the time.

--Brock-Perry

Captain Littleton Upshur

On Saturday I mentioned that Abel P. Upshur's father, Littleton Upshur was a War of 1812 officer.

I wasn't able to find out much about him, but this is what I did find.

From Petersrow.com.

Captain Littleton Upshur's Company, 27th regiment.  This company had 63 men and was a part of the Virginia militia.

The payroll of it showed that Littleton Upshur, was a captain and was owed pay for 1 month and 29 days.

the 27th Regiment Virginia Militia was from Northampton County and the regiment was commanded by Col. major Major S. Pitts (probably just one Major in the name.)

They served from September 21 to October 28, 1813 and from May 28 to November 1814.

--Brock-Perry

Abel P. Upshur-- Part 2: Secretary of the Navy

His father was Littleton Upshur, a plantation owner, member of the Virginia legislature and a captain in the U.S. Army in the War of 1812.

Abel P. Upshur attended Princeton and Yale Colleges and was expelled from Princeton for his participating in a student rebellion.  From October 11, 1841, to July 23, 1843, he was Secretary of the Navy and during that time introduced the Bureau Systems, regularization of the officer corps, increased Navy appropriations and established the U.S. Navy Observatory and Hydrographic Office.

--Brock-Perry

Abel P. Upshur-- Part 1: Leader of the "Great Rebellion" at Princeton and Later U.S. Secretary of State

From Wikipedia.

I mentioned in earlier posts on Andrew Hunter Holmes that one of the leaders of the "Great Rebellion" at Princeton in 1807 was Abel P. Upshur and that he had gone on to be the Secretary of War in the Tyler administration.

(1790-1844)

American lawyer, judge and politician from Virginia.  Served as Secretary of the Navy and secretary of State in the Whig administration of President John Tyler.

He was instrumental in negotiating the secret treaty that led to the 1845 annexation of Texas to the United States and also had a key role in it coming in as a slave state.

--Brock-Perry

Andrew Hunter Holmes and the "Great Rebellion" at Princeton-- Part 1

From the William and Mary Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 16, 1908.

The "Great Rebellion" at Princeton took place on March 31, 1807.  On April 1, 1807, one of the expelled students was one Abel P. Upshur, of Virginia, who later became Secretary of State of the United States.  Five other "rioters" were from Virginia like him, including Andrew Hunter Holmes.

Andrew Holmes was born in 1789, and attended Princeton and William and Mary.  he was a lawyer in New Orleans when the War of 1812 began and was killed at the 1814 Battle of Mackinac.

--Brock-Perry

Richard Stockton, Jr-- Part 2: Father of Commodore Robert Stockton of USS Princeton Tragedy

The answer to yesterday's question as to whether Richard Stockton was the father of Robert F. Stockton, the commander of the USS Princeton when the cannon exploded killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, who was one of the students disciplined for the "Great Rebellion" of 1807 and received the sermon from Richard Stockton, Jr. after the petition was delivered.  The answer is yes he was.

Richard Stockton, Jr. was a U.S. senator and representative from New Jersey.  he graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1779 and is buried at Princeton Cemetery.

He was the son of Richard Stockton, who signed the Declaration of Independence from New Jersey.

Small World.  --Brock-Perry

Richard Stockton, Jr.-- Part 1

I have to wonder whether this Richard Stockton, Jr., who delivered the sermon trying to get the student leaders to renounce their petition on behest of Princeton President Smith, was related to the commander of the USS Princeton on that fateful day the in the 1840s when the Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of State were killed and President Tyler came close to being killed as well.

--Brock-Perry

Andrew Hunter Holmes- Part 2: "The Great Rebellion" at Princeton.

From the William and Mary Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 16, 1908.

Evidently, Andrew Holmes had a part in it as he was disciplined.

"The Great Rebellion" at Princeton took place on March 31, 1807.  During discipline hearings the next month, several were expelled, many of whom were Virginians.  One of them was Abel P. Upshur, who later became U.S. Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of State.

Upshur would later be killed by the cannon explosion of the USS Princeton in 1844.

Five other of the "rioters" were Virginians, including one Andrew Hunter Holmes.

--Brock-Perry