Identity:

Stoeckl married Eliza Howard, the sister of Hannah Worthington Swift, who was the wife of William Henry Swift.

Life:

He arrived in the USA in 1854 to become Consul General of the Russian Government. Upon his arrival, he learned that Minister Alexander Bodisco was dead and he was expected to take charge of the legation. He became Minister in August 1857, and a few months later he was awarded the rank of actual Counselor of State. In 1867 he negotiated with William Henry Seward, Secretary of State under President Andrew Johnson, the acquisition by the United States from Russia of 586,412 square miles of land at the northwestern tip of the North American continent now known as Alaska. He remained in the US for fifteen years. His continental manners and fluent English made him popular in Washington circles. AMW commented on their wedding.

Bibliography:

Jensen, Ronald J., The Alaska Purchase and Russian-American Relations, Seattle, 1975, pp. 5-17.