Jacob S. Haldeman

Jacob Samils Haldeman (October 13, 1821 – November 1889) was an American banker, politician and ambassador. A resident of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he served in the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Pennsylvania Legislature from 1850 to 1855. From 1861 to 1864 he was United States Minister Resident to Sweden and Norway. He was married to Caroline Rosina Hummel (1825-1905), with whom he had two daughters, Elizabeth and Anna Mary. They also had a third child, who died in infancy. During the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln both Jacob and Caroline were present. In March 1861 Lincoln nominated Haldeman as Minister to Sweden and Norway following a suggestion by Simon Cameron.^[1]

In May 1861 Jacob Haldeman left his home in Harrisburg and traveled to Stockholm with his family. At his arrival in June 1861 he was greeted by the Swedish foreign minister who took the opportunity to express his government's sympathy for the Union cause. On June 14, 1861, Haldeman wrote that "from the limited opportunity I have had to judge, I have no hesitation in the declaration of opinion that the sympathy of the entire North of Europe is almost unanimously in favor of the existing government in the United States. The emigration of this part of Europe having been to the Northern or free States, they speak of it as if they would like to give active aid to their friends, relations, and countrymen. The public voice of the nation represented by a free press is clearly and emphatically in favor of my government." ^[2]

During the course of the war, Haldeman sent reports to the United States Secretary of State, William H. Seward. The reports concerned immigration from the Scandinavian countries, rumors regarding Confederate activities in the kingdoms of Sweden and Norway and the attitudes of the Swedish people and government towards the Union. When it was rumored that Confederate representatives were seeking recognition from Sweden, Seward wrote to Haldeman: "The president confidentially relies upon your well-known vigilance and activity as well as upon the friendly disposition of the Swedish government to prevent the carrying into effect of any such design".^[3] Haldeman also suggested to Seward that the U.S. should open a consulate in Kristiania (Oslo) in Norway. He also played a role in helping a Swedish army officer to gain a commission in the Union army.

Haldeman's wife, Caroline Haldeman, frequently met with the famous Swedish author Fredrika Bremer, who described the minister's wife as "a lady of most uncommon sense, cleverness and knowledge of American affairs".^[4] During a visit to Norway Caroline bought a gift to Seward's daughter. During periods of his stay in Stockholm Haldeman was sick.

In early 1864 Haldeman was recalled from his post. Although he was an official U.S. diplomat, Haldeman spoke quite openly about his sympathies for the Confederacy, which may have been the reason for William Seward's dissatisfaction with him, according to a letter from Swedish foreign minister Ludvig Manderström to Swedish minister Count Piper in 1864.^[5]

Haldeman was replaced by James Hepburn Campbell, a fellow Pennsylvanian and outspoken abolitionist. In the fall of 1864 Haldeman had left Stockholm and traveled to Hamburg, en route for America, there he was arrested and imprisoned by Hamburg authorities. On 5 October, Haldeman was allowed to proceed on his journey. As a result of the treatment he received, he protested to the syndicus of foreign affairs.^[6]

Haldeman attempted to gain a new diplomatic post from Seward; in 1867 he wrote to Seward asking for a diplomatic mission to Europe.^[7] It is uncertain whether Haldeman was given any new posts; no further correspondence between Haldeman and Seward is preserved. Haldeman died in 1889 and is buried in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, with his wife who died in 1905.

References

1. Lincoln, Abraham (2008). The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln 4. Wildside Press. p. 283. ISBN 978-1-4344-7698-2.
2. Hokanson, Nels (1942) Swedish Immigrants in Lincoln's Time, Harper and brothers publishing, New York. p. 148.
3. Haldeman's reports are available online at University of Wisconsin Digital Collections, “Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS). Annual message of the President, 1861-1865.” http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/FRUS
4. Burman, Carina (1996) Fredrika Bremer Brev Ny följd II 1853-1865, Gidlunds Förlag, Smedjebacken, p. 367. Fredrika Bremer was a well-known liberal and women's rights advocate and had traveled extensively in the United States during the 1850s and published several articles and books about her experiences. Her negative attitude to and descriptions of slavery in the South had a great impact on forming the Swedish public opinion during the Civil War. Like many other liberals during her time, Fredrika Bremer publicly expressed sympathy for the Union cause, but also felt sympathy for her friends in the South.
5. "[...] Here he has used a quite careless language, and in no way hidden his sympathies for the southern states.[...]" Private letter from Ludvig Manderström to Count Piper, the Swedish-Norwegian minister to Washington, dated 22 May 1864, Carl Edvard Wilhelm Pipers arkiv, volym 1, Engsöarkivet, Riksarkivet, Stockholm. In the same letter Manderström mentions that Haldeman "seemed like an honest man" and "had carried out his official obligations".
6. Haldeman, Jacob Samils, 1823(?)-1889, Letter from Jacob Samils Haldeman, October 5, 1864, in Life and Letters of Judge Thomas J. Anderson and Wife: including a Few Letters from Children and Others: Mostly Written During the Civil War: a History. Anderson, James House and Anderson, Nancy, eds., : Press of F. J. Heer, 1904, pp. 535. S1544-D227 [Bibliographic Details] [10-5-1864] Haldem:L1544-227
7. Letter from Jacob S. Haldeman to William H. Seward, dated 11 May 1867, Harrisburg, The William Henry Seward Papers, Rochester Library, New York.

External links

• Jacob S. Haldeman at The Political Graveyard