Inventor. He learned the business of a manufacturing chemist and became interested in electrical experiments, inventing various practical devices which were employed on the first telegraph line between New York city and Philidelphia, Pa. which was built in 1846 under his supervision. Among his inventions are guttapercha insulators for telegraph wires and submarine telegraph cables. He also discovered that the use of glass on telegraph poles secured a continuous circuit. In 1849 he went to California and engaged in mining until 1851, when he returned to the east and studied medicine. At the breaking out of the civil war he joined the army as surgeon in the 1st New Jersey Militia, and in 1862 became medical director of the department of the south. He was assigned to duty as medical purveyor of the department in September, 1862, and medical director of the 10th army corps in May, 1864. In January, 1865, he was appointed medical purveyor of the department of Virginia and North Carolina, and stationed at Fort Monroe. On Dec. 16, 1865, he received the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel, and was mustered out of the service. Returning to Newark he engaged in private practice, and served four years as postmaster. Source: American Biographical Library, The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans
Volume 3

Obituary - John J. Craven, late surgeon of the First Regiment of New Jersey, Medical Surveyor of the Department of the South, and Medical Director of Tenth Army Corps, died at Patchogue Tuesday evening of apoplexy. Mr. Craven was the inventor of a submarine telegraph cable. He was 70 years old.

Dr. John J. Craven, a prominent resident of Patchogue, died on Tuesday evening of paralysis, aged 71 years. The deceased was President of the Board of Education, and took an active part in the all the affairs of the village. Several years ago he was a Democratic nominee for Member of Assembly, but was defeated by Hon. James H. Pierson. Dr. Craven was once prominent in military and scientific circles, and superintended the building of the first telegraph line between New York and Philadelphia. He was an eminent physician and served through the war in various important positions. As brigade surgeon he accompanied Sherman in his march to the sea, and after the fall of Atlanta was made medical director of the Tenth Army Corps. In 1865, he was assigned to duty as medical purveyor of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina, with headquarters at Fortress Monroe. While in this position, he was the medical attendant of Jefferson Davis while he was confined in the fortress as a prisoner of war.

Shortly after the assassination of Lincoln and the accession of President Johnson, he was appointed postmaster of Newark, NJ. In 1846, when he constructed the telegraph line from New York to Philadelphia, the difficulty of overcoming the grounding of the wires at the poles was still unsolved. It was he who first used the now familiar glass balls. The cable was one of his creations and he first proposed the submersion of telegraph wires.

(Suffolk County News (Sayville), Saturday, February 18, 1893, Page: 2; South Side Signal (Babylon), Saturday, February 18, 1893, Page: 2)∼*Civil War veteran...Grand Army of the Republic. 1st New Jersey infantry, surgeon, Co. F&S. Enlisted 30 April 1861. Discharged 27 Jan 1866.
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John Craven was an extraordinary man. He was a carpenter, an inventor, a gold miner, a physician-soldier, a respected community physician and a tinkerer.