{{DEFAULTSORT:Scheffer, Albert}}{{Infobox officeholder | name = Albert Scheffer | office = Member of the Minnesota Senate | image = Albert Scheffer.jpg | caption = Scheffer c.1885 | term_start = January 3, 1887 | term_end = January 4, 1891 | signature = Signature of Albert Scheffer (1844–1905).png | governor = Andrew Ryan McGill<br/>William Rush Merriam | birth_date = March 27, 1844 | birth_place = Rheinberg, Kingdom of Prussia | death_date = September 29, 1905 | death_place = Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | resting_place = Oakland Cemetery<br/>Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | other_party = Republican | relations = Charles Scheffer (brother) | allegiance = United States of America | branch = Union Army | service_years = 1864–1865 | rank = 35px First Lieutenant | unit = *Company A, 39th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment *Company C, 35th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment *Company C, 45th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment | battles = American Civil War }}
'''Albert Scheffer''' (March 27, 1844 – September 29, 1905) was an American politician from the state of Minnesota. He was the younger brother of Minnesota State Treasurer Charles Scheffer.
== Early life == Scheffer was born in Rheinberg on March 27, 1844. He emigrated to the United States in 1849, and became a banker in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1860.<ref>{{cite web|last=Harris|first=Moira F.|last2=Harris|first2=Leo J.|title=Albert Scheffer|url=https://www.immigrantentrepreneurship.org/entries/albert-scheffer/}}</ref>
== Military service == On May 16, 1864 Scheffer volunteered for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War and was enrolled into the ranks of Company A of the 39th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, a regiment made of Hundred Days Men that fought in the Second Battle of Memphis.<ref>{{cite web |title=Soldier Details |url=https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=EC774FCD-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A |access-date=April 8, 2026 |website=The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service) |ref={{sfnref|The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)}}}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Wisconsin Adjutant Generals Office |url=https://archive.org/details/rosterofwisconsi02wisco/page/658/mode/2up |title=Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865. |date=1886 |publisher=Democrat Printing Company |volume=2 |location=Madison, Wisconsin |pages=658 |language=en}}</ref> Scheffer mustered out of service on September 22, 1864.<ref name=":0" /> On October 11, 1864 Scheffer re-enlisted into the Union Army and was enrolled into Company C of the 35th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment as a Private.<ref>{{cite web |title=Soldier Details |url=https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=EC774FCD-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A |access-date=April 8, 2026 |website=The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service) |ref={{sfnref|The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)}}}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Wisconsin Adjutant Generals Office |url=https://archive.org/details/rosterofwisconsi02wisco/page/558/mode/2up |title=Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865. |date=1886 |publisher=Democrat Printing Company |volume=2 |location=Madison, Wisconsin |pages=559 |language=en}}</ref> Scheffer was quickly promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on December 30, 1864 and was transferred to assist in commanding Company C of the 45th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment.<ref>{{cite web |title=Soldier Details |url=https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=ED774FCD-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A |access-date=April 8, 2026 |website=The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service) |ref={{sfnref|The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)}}}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Wisconsin Adjutant General's Office |url=https://archive.org/details/rosterofwisconsi02wisco/page/771/mode/2up |title=Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865. |publisher=Democrat Printing Company |volume=2 |location=Madison, Wisconsin |publication-date=1886 |pages=771 |language=en}}</ref> Scheffer mustered out of service on July 17, 1865.<ref name=":2" />
== Politics == In 1872, he ran as a Democrat for Minnesota State Auditor, losing to Orlan P. Whitcomb. In 1886, now as a Republican, Scheffer ran for governor of Minnesota. During the Republican primary, he was one of five candidates. After one had dropped out, two others attempted to consolidate their votes behind Scheffer to defeat frontrunner Andrew Ryan McGill, however rouge delegate refusing to switch their votes resulted in Scheffer losing the nomination to McGill.<ref>{{cite news|title=M'GILL THE LEADER|date=September 23, 1886|publisher=St. Paul Pioneer Press|url=https://newspaperhub.mnhs.org/?a=d&d=sppp18860923.1.1&srpos=26&e=------188-en-20--21--img-txIN-Convention----1886-------}}</ref> That year, he was first elected to the Minnesota Senate. He left office in 1891.<ref>{{cite web|title=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library|url=https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=14668}}</ref>
Scheffer Elementary School in St. Paul is named after him.<ref>{{cite web|last=McClure|first=Jane|title=Scheffer Elementary|url=https://saintpaulhistorical.com/items/show/66?tour=20&index=2}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scheffer, Albert}} Category:1844 births Category:1905 deaths Category:19th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature Category:People from Rheinberg Category:Grand Army of the Republic officials Category:Minnesota gubernatorial candidates