Biography

02/04/1835 - 09/23/1904

Brevet Brigadier General Harrison Allen (R28) Mercer, Venango and Warren Counties 1870-1871 (R28) Erie and Warren Counties 1872

Early Life:

Brevet Brigadier General Harrison Allen, born December 4, 1835, Russellburg, Warren County, Pennsylvania; son of Samuel P. and Mary Thompson Allen; rural schools education, Jamestown Academy, New York, Randolph Academy, New York, and Fredonia Academy; brevet brigadier general, Civil War, 1861-1865, (i); lawyer; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1865-1866; at large delegate, Soldier’s National Convention, 1868; delegate, Republican National Convention, 1868; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1870-1872; elected, Auditor General, 1872-1875, unsuccessful campaign, reelection, Auditor General, 1874; Delegate, Chicago National Republican Convention, 1880; unsuccessful campaign, United States Congress, 1882; appointed, United States Marsha, Dakota Territory, 1882-1886; elected, chair, Republican Central Committee of the Dakota Territory; 1886-1888; Commander, Grand Army of the Republic, 1887; Unsuccessful campaign, United States Congress, 1888; appointee, President Theodore Roosevelt, deputy auditor, Office of the Auditor, United States Post-Office Department, 1901-1904; married twice, first to Anna Page; Susanna Wade (i); died, mitral insufficiency with heart failure, September 23, 1904, Washington, District of Columbia; interment, Arlington National Cemetery with his wife, Susanna, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia.

Early Career:

Major, 39^th Regiment, 10^th Pennsylvania Volunteer Reserve, Civil War, 1861-1862; colonel, 151^st Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, 1862-1863; engaged in action, Drainesville, Union Mills; Belle Plain; Point Conway diversion; Fredericksburg-Chancellorsville; Pollock’s Mill Creek; Gettysburg; and Williamsport, Maryland; Funkstown, Maryland,  Falmouth (Fredericksburg), Virginia; brevet brigadier general, United States Volunteers, Civil War, 1865.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1865-1866; not a candidate for reelection, 1867.  

At large delegate, Soldier’s National Convention, Chicago, 1868; delegate, Republican National Convention, 1868, Ulysses Grant.

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 28^th district, Mercer, Venango and Warren Counties, 1870-1871; member, Estates and Escheats, Election Districts, Education, Public Buildings and New Counties and County Seats.  

Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 30th district, Erie and Warren Counties, 1872; member, Congressional Apportionment, Estates and Escheats, Judiciary Local, Military Affairs and Public Printing Committees.

Elected, Republican, Auditor General of Pennsylvania, 1872-1875.

Unsuccessful campaign, reelection, Auditor General, 1874.   

Continued Government Service/National Politics:

Delegate, Chicago National Republican Convention, 1880. (i)

Unsuccessful campaign, United States Congress, 1882.

Appointed, President James A. Garfield, President Chester A. Arthur, United States Marshal, Dakota Territory, 1882-1886.

Elected, chair, Republican Central Committee, Dakota Territory, 1886-1888.

Commander, Grand Army of the Republic, 1887.

Unsuccessful campaign, United States Congress, 1888.

Appointee, President Theodore Roosevelt deputy auditor, Office of the Auditor, United States Post-Office Department, 1901-1904.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=7652&body=H

Legacy:

Great grandnephew of General Anthony Wayne.

Brother, Orrin C. Allen Pennsylvania State Senate, Venango and Warren Counties, 1887-1890.

First wife, Anna Page, widow, Colonel George Cobham, killed, Battle of Peach Tree Creek, 1864.

Cited:

Smull’s Legislative Hand Book, (1870) Smull, J.A., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 433 and 438-440.

Smull’s Legislative Hand Book, (1872) Smull, J.A., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 502, 503, 506-508.

        (i) https://www.timesobserver.com/news/local-news/2020/11/warren-to-dakota-to-dc/