Samuel Laurence Gouverneur, Jr. (1828-1880) was the son of Samuel Laurence Gouverneur and Maria Hester Monroe, the youngest daughter of President Monroe. The senior Gouverneur was a member of the New York State Legislature and served as President Monroe’s private secretary. Gouverneur, Jr. served as a Lieutenant in the 4th U.S. Artillery Regiment during the Mexican War and was present at the capture of Mexico City and the National Palace. In 1847, he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant for his bravery at the battles of Contreras and Churubusco. After the war, Gouverneur married Marian Campbell of New York, fathered three daughters, and became the first U.S. consul in Fuzhou, China, during the administration of President Buchanan. In later life, he administered President Monroe’s estate and personal belongings.
The Samuel Gouverneur, Jr. Diary, 1847, 1914, consists of Gouverneur’s personal diary and sketches created during the Mexican War. Gouverneur took the diary codex from the cabinet of Santa Anna when U.S. forces captured Mexico City and the National Palace on September 14, 1847. The diary entries document the U.S. invasion of Mexico, while the sketches are of subjects related to Mexican culture, Mexico City, and the surrounding landscape. The diary also contains loose items such as newspaper clippings, botanical specimens, manuscripts, and maps. Some of the newspaper clippings from 1914 editions of the Washington Post and relate to the Mexican War.
The collection is open for research.
Samuel Gouverneur, Jr. Diary, 1847, 1914, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.