William Eustis

William Eustis
12th Governor of Massachusetts
In office May 31, 1823 – February 6, 1825
Lieutenant	Levi Lincoln, Jr. (1823-1824) Marcus Morton (1824-1825)
Preceded by	John Brooks
Succeeded by	Marcus Morton Acting Governor Levi Lincoln, Jr.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 1st, 8th, & 13th districts
In office March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1805 August 21, 1820 – March 3, 1823
Preceded by	Harrison Gray Otis (1801) John Bacon (1803) Edward Dowse (1820)
Succeeded by	Lemuel Williams (1803) Josiah Quincy III (1805) John Reed, Jr. (1823)
6th United States Secretary of War
In office March 7, 1809 – January 13, 1813
President	James Madison
Preceded by	Henry Dearborn
Succeeded by	John Armstrong, Jr.
Personal details
Born	June 10, 1753(1753-06-10) Cambridge, Massachusetts
Died	February 6, 1825(1825-02-06) (aged 71) Boston, Massachusetts
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse(s)	Caroline Langdon
Alma mater	Harvard University
Signature
Military service
Service/branch	Continental Army
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War

William Eustis (June 10, 1753 – February 6, 1825) was an early American physician, politician, and statesman. Trained in medicine, he served as a surgeon during the American Revolutionary War before entering into politics. He served several terms in the United States Congress representing Massachusetts, and was serving as Secretary of War under President James Madison at the outbreak of the War of 1812. He then served as minister of the United States to the Netherlands before returning to Massachusetts. He was twice elected Governor of Massachusetts, and died in office.

Life

He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and studied at the Boston Latin School before he entered Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1772. He studied medicine under Dr. Joseph Warren and helped care for the wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where Warren was killed. He served the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War as surgeon of the artillery regiment at Cambridge and then as a hospital surgeon.

He entered medical practice in Boston after the war and served as surgeon with the Shays' Rebellion expedition of 1786–1787.

He became vice president of the Society of the Cincinnati, serving from 1786 to 1810 and again in 1820.

He was elected to the Massachusetts General Court from 1788 to 1794 and was a member of the Governor's Council for two years. Following this he served two terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1801 to 1804, representing Massachusetts in the 7th and 8th Congresses, and having won close races over Josiah Quincy III and John Quincy Adams. While in the House he was one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1804 to conduct the impeachment proceedings against John Pickering, judge of the United States District Court for New Hampshire. He failed to win reelection in 1804.

He served as United States Secretary of War from March 7, 1809 to January 13, 1813. During his tenure, he attempted to prepare the U.S. Army for the outbreak of the War of 1812, and resigned in the face of criticism following American reversal on the battlefield.

He was appointed minister of the United States to the Netherlands by President James Madison, serving from 1814 to 1818.

He returned home from Europe because of ill health, at which time he purchased and resided in the mansion in Roxbury built by royal governor William Shirley in the 1750s (now known as the Shirley-Eustis House). He was again elected to the United States House of Representatives and served 1820 to 1823, presiding as chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Military Affairs during this time. He ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Massachusetts three times (in 1820, 1821 and 1822) and was finally elected governor and served two terms, from 1823 to 1825.

He died in Boston while governor in February 1825 and is buried at the Old Burying Ground in Lexington, Massachusetts.

External links

• William Eustis at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Official Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Biography

Political offices
Preceded by Henry Dearborn	United States Secretary of War Served under: James Madison 1809–1813	Succeeded by John Armstrong, Jr.
Preceded by John Brooks	Governor of Massachusetts May 31, 1823 – February 6, 1825	Succeeded by Marcus Morton Acting Governor
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Harrison Gray Otis	Member from Massachusetts's 8th congressional district March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1803	Succeeded by Lemuel Williams
Preceded by John Bacon	Member from Massachusetts's 1st congressional district March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805	Succeeded by Josiah Quincy III
Preceded by Edward Dowse	Member from Massachusetts's 13th congressional district August 21, 1820 – March 3, 1823	Succeeded by John Reed, Jr.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by William Vans Murray	Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Netherlands December 19, 1814 – May 5, 1818	Succeeded by Alexander H. Everett