Career
He was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln in March, 1861, and recalled by President Andrew Johnson in December, 1865. He was sometimes styled "Colonel", a rank-equivalent title from his service as a consul. Carpenter also was active in state politics, identifying with the Republican Party in its formative years, and supporting New York Governor William H. Seward, 12th Governor of New York, United States Senator and United States Secretary of State under Lincoln and Johnson, who became a lifelong friend.
After his service in China, Carpenter retired to Auburn, where he lived until his death at the age of 64, on Sunday, October 25, 1885.
Carpenter was a son of Erastus and Mary (née Taylor) Carpenter, born in 1821 at Auburn, Cayuga, New York, where his father was an early merchant.
