ColorizedPast
Corporal
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2016
- Location
- Hangzhou, China (Wisconsin, USA)
Brigadier General Abram Duryée (USA)
Abram Duryée was born in New York City on 29 April 1815 to a family of soldiers of French Huguenot ancestry. His grandfather fought in the American Revolutionary War, and his father and two uncles were officers during the War of 1812. Abram worked as merchant and became wealthy as a mahogany importer. In 1833, he joined the New York State Militia, serving in the 142nd New York Regiment. He moved on to the 27th Regiment five years later. Starting as a private, he eventually rose to colonel of the regiment in 1859. He led the regiment in the Astor Place Riot and was wounded twice. When he resigned his commission in 1859, it was against the protests of his colleagues.
Following President Lincoln's call for volunteers, Duryée raised the 5th New York Volunteers in less than a week becoming its colonel on 14 May 1861. It was one of the several Zouave units formed. "Duryée's Zouaves" fought at Big Bethel.
He was appointed brigadier general to date from 31 August 1861. Commanding a brigade in the division under James B. Ricketts, Duryée fought in the Battle of Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run, and several others. At the Battle of Antietam, he succeeded Ricketts as division commander, when Ricketts replaced Joseph Hooker as corps commander. He was wounded at Second Bull Run, South Mountain, and Antietam.
Duryée went on a short leave of absence. When he returned, he was disheartened to find his brigade under the command of Brig. Gen. John Gibbon, who was his junior by date of rank. He resigned on 5 January 1863, after the army rejected his claims to his old command. Despite this, he received brevet promotion to major general of volunteers following the war. He was also elected by the 71st New York Infantry as their colonel and as brigadier general by the 4th New York Brigade, both of which he declined. His son, Jacob, was a lieutenant colonel and received a brevet brigadier general commission at the end of the war.
In 1873, Duryée was appointed New York City Police Commissioner. On 13 January 1874, Duryée led a force of 1,600 policemen to suppress a labor protest in Tompkins Square Park. Although there were no notices in sight to inform the crowd that the meeting's permit had been revoked, Commissioner Duryée led a squad of patrolmen into the crowd and ordered protesters to disperse. Police immediately began to attack the crowd using batons and mounted police charges. Samuel Gompers later described the scene in his memoirs, writing that "mounted police charged the crowd on Eighth Street, riding them down and attacking men, women, and children without discrimination. It was an orgy of brutality. I was caught in the crowd on the street and barely saved my head from being cracked by jumping down a cellarway."
46 protesters were arrested by the police, and ten were later arraigned on charges of assault and battery against police officers, aiding and inciting riot, or with charges of "meeting and talking wildly in the streets." Speakers for the New York Committee of Safety, the organizers of the Tompkins Square protest, condemned Commissioner Duryée for having "charged his police upon inoffensive workingmen like so many 'bulldogs.'" Duryée defended the police's use of force: "It was the most glorious sight I ever saw the way the police broke and drove the crowd. Their order was perfect as they charged with their clubs uplifted."
Abram Duryée died in New York on 27 September 1890.
Abram Duryée was born in New York City on 29 April 1815 to a family of soldiers of French Huguenot ancestry. His grandfather fought in the American Revolutionary War, and his father and two uncles were officers during the War of 1812. Abram worked as merchant and became wealthy as a mahogany importer. In 1833, he joined the New York State Militia, serving in the 142nd New York Regiment. He moved on to the 27th Regiment five years later. Starting as a private, he eventually rose to colonel of the regiment in 1859. He led the regiment in the Astor Place Riot and was wounded twice. When he resigned his commission in 1859, it was against the protests of his colleagues.
Following President Lincoln's call for volunteers, Duryée raised the 5th New York Volunteers in less than a week becoming its colonel on 14 May 1861. It was one of the several Zouave units formed. "Duryée's Zouaves" fought at Big Bethel.
He was appointed brigadier general to date from 31 August 1861. Commanding a brigade in the division under James B. Ricketts, Duryée fought in the Battle of Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run, and several others. At the Battle of Antietam, he succeeded Ricketts as division commander, when Ricketts replaced Joseph Hooker as corps commander. He was wounded at Second Bull Run, South Mountain, and Antietam.
Duryée went on a short leave of absence. When he returned, he was disheartened to find his brigade under the command of Brig. Gen. John Gibbon, who was his junior by date of rank. He resigned on 5 January 1863, after the army rejected his claims to his old command. Despite this, he received brevet promotion to major general of volunteers following the war. He was also elected by the 71st New York Infantry as their colonel and as brigadier general by the 4th New York Brigade, both of which he declined. His son, Jacob, was a lieutenant colonel and received a brevet brigadier general commission at the end of the war.
In 1873, Duryée was appointed New York City Police Commissioner. On 13 January 1874, Duryée led a force of 1,600 policemen to suppress a labor protest in Tompkins Square Park. Although there were no notices in sight to inform the crowd that the meeting's permit had been revoked, Commissioner Duryée led a squad of patrolmen into the crowd and ordered protesters to disperse. Police immediately began to attack the crowd using batons and mounted police charges. Samuel Gompers later described the scene in his memoirs, writing that "mounted police charged the crowd on Eighth Street, riding them down and attacking men, women, and children without discrimination. It was an orgy of brutality. I was caught in the crowd on the street and barely saved my head from being cracked by jumping down a cellarway."
46 protesters were arrested by the police, and ten were later arraigned on charges of assault and battery against police officers, aiding and inciting riot, or with charges of "meeting and talking wildly in the streets." Speakers for the New York Committee of Safety, the organizers of the Tompkins Square protest, condemned Commissioner Duryée for having "charged his police upon inoffensive workingmen like so many 'bulldogs.'" Duryée defended the police's use of force: "It was the most glorious sight I ever saw the way the police broke and drove the crowd. Their order was perfect as they charged with their clubs uplifted."
Abram Duryée died in New York on 27 September 1890.