page_title: James Henry Van Alen
section_title: Personal life
hierarchical_section_title: James Henry Van Alen / Personal life
caption_attribution_description: English: The Grange (1882-83, razed 1888) designed by Clarence Sumner Luce (1852-1924)
context_page_description: James Henry Van Alen was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
context_section_description: Van Alen was married to Mary Young Steward (1818–1852), the daughter of John Steward and Martha Jackson Steward.  The Van Alens had a home in Newport, Rhode Island called " The Grange " where James lived year-round. Together, they were the parents of one surviving child, a son: 
  James John Van Alen (1848–1923), a sportsman and politician who married Emily Astor (1854–1881), the eldest daughter of William Backhouse Astor, Jr. and Caroline Schermerhorn Astor.
  On a voyage returning from England with three grandchildren, Van Alen either jumped or fell off the RMS Umbria on July 22, 1886; his body was not recovered.  The New York Times reported after his death that "The sad, mysterious death of Gen. James H. Van Alen has cast a gloom over the place [Newport]. The New-York papers were eagerly read for the latest news regarding the affair, which was the sole topic of discussion in society and by the local residents, who knew and respected the deceased."
caption: The Grange (built 1882-83, razed 1888) designed by the architect Clarence Sumner Luce (1852-1924)
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