Brockett collection

Collection

Identifier: 381

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COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Deeds, bonds, accounts, lists, scrapbooks, and letters pertaining to the Irvine family and Albany, Rensselaer and Washington Counties, New York. Deeds from Alexander and Cadwallader Colden. Also, papers pertaining to the Lourie family, of Washington County, including lists from "The Old Town" book (1773-1816) including slave owners, school districts, fire wardens, and town meetings of Albany County. Scrapbooks of John S. Crocker, Warden of the United States Jail in Washington, D. C., relating to President Garfield, Guiteau, the Jail, Washington, D. C. and other topics; letters from Crocker to his wife from Albany, Rikers Island, Libby Prison, Salisbury Prison, and from his stations with McClellan's and Burnside's armies, describing in detail the problems of his commands, his capture, a number of campaigns, and the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Dates

1773-1890.

Creator

Brockett, Frank S. (Collector, Person)

Language of Materials

Collection material in English

Biographical / Historical

1820, March 4 Born, son of Col. Francis Crocker and Anna Woodworth, of Cambridge, N.Y. Both of Revolutionary War ancestry. Col. Crocker a Mayflower descendent.
1834 Gen. Crocker began his military career by organizing a company of schoolboys, of which he was elected Captain - so well drilled and disciplined the company were the pride of the village.
1837 Taught school at Ashgrove, suburb of Cambridge.
1840 Commissioned First Lieutenant of artillery, attached to 14th Regiment of N.Y. State Militia by Gov. Seward. During the next twenty years rose through the successive grades of Captain, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, and General in the State Militia, thus forming State-wide acquaintance among military men and officials.
1843 Was married on June 13 to Harriette Sipperly of Melrose, N.Y. They had three sons, John S., Jr., Irving M., and Willis F. Crocker.
1846 Was admitted to the New York State Bar, having studied law in the office of Judge Howe of Cambridge and Albany Law School.
1855 Joined the "Know Nothings" and appoint Deputy for the first assembly district of Washington County.
1855 Elected member of the New York State Assembly.
1860 Organized Cambridge Valley Lodge #481, F&AM (chartered June 12) and was elected J.W. of the Lodge. (When living in Washington, D.C. after close of Civil War, advanced to the 33rd and highest Degree in Masonry and was a brother Lodge member of President James A. Garfield.)
1861 Governor Morgan authorized him to raise and drill a Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. Quickly mustered 1030 outstanding men, mostly from Washington, Warren, Essex, and Rensselaer Counties. This Regiment was numbered the 93rd N.Y.V. and were christened "Morgan Rifles" in honor of Governor Morgan.
1862, January 30 Col. Crocker and his Regimental officers were commissioned and shortly thereafter left for Washington and became attached to the Army of the Potomac under General Geo. B. McClellan, and during 1862-1863 served as Headquarters Guard of this Army, under McClellan, Burnside, Hooker, and Meade, participating in the Peninsular Campaign, Antietem, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg.
1864 Expiration, in January, of enlistment; furloughed, and re-enlisted as a Veteran Regiment, the first of this class of the Army of the Potomac, and then took the field and fought under Gen. Grant up to the time of Lee's surrender at Appomattox.
1864 At the Battle of the Wilderness, May 5, the 93rd N.Y.V. were cited by General Birney for outstanding gallantry, and Colonel Crocker was made a Brigadier General in the field on the death of General Hayes. In this battle, General Crocker had four horses killed under him and himself was severely wounded.
1865, May 23 The remnants of this renowned Regiment participated in the Grand Review on Pennsylvania Avenue at Washington, D.C.
1865-1869 Was a practicing lawyer in Washington.
1869 Was appointed by President U.S. Grant Warden of the United States Jail at Washington, which he held until his death in 1890. During his tenure of office, he officiated at the hanging of Charles J. Guiteau, the assassinator of President James A. Garfield. Also during this period he was very active in politics in the city, being President of the Board of Aldermen and Acting Mayor. He had very active participation in the filling in of the Canal and levelling of Washington's streets, directed by the hard-bitten and resolute "Boss" Shepard.
1890 Died.

CHRONOLOGY--GENERAL JOHN S. CROCKER

1820, March 4
: Born, son of Col. Francis Crocker and Anna Woodworth, of Cambridge, N.Y. Both of Revolutionary War ancestry. Col. Crocker a Mayflower descendent.
1834
: Gen. Crocker began his military career by organizing a company of schoolboys, of which he was elected Captain - so well drilled and disciplined the company were the pride of the village.
1837
: Taught school at Ashgrove, suburb of Cambridge.
1840
: Commissioned First Lieutenant of artillery, attached to 14th Regiment of N.Y. State Militia by Gov. Seward. During the next twenty years rose through the successive grades of Captain, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, and General in the State Militia, thus forming State-wide acquaintance among military men and officials.
1843
: Was married on June 13 to Harriette Sipperly of Melrose, N.Y. They had three sons, John S., Jr., Irving M., and Willis F. Crocker.
1846
: Was admitted to the New York State Bar, having studied law in the office of Judge Howe of Cambridge and Albany Law School.
1855
: Joined the "Know Nothings" and appoint Deputy for the first assembly district of Washington County.
1855
: Elected member of the New York State Assembly.
1860
: Organized Cambridge Valley Lodge #481, F&AM (chartered June 12) and was elected J.W. of the Lodge. (When living in Washington, D.C. after close of Civil War, advanced to the 33rd and highest Degree in Masonry and was a brother Lodge member of President James A. Garfield.)
1861
: Governor Morgan authorized him to raise and drill a Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. Quickly mustered 1030 outstanding men, mostly from Washington, Warren, Essex, and Rensselaer Counties. This Regiment was numbered the 93rd N.Y.V. and were christened "Morgan Rifles" in honor of Governor Morgan.
1862, January 30
: Col. Crocker and his Regimental officers were commissioned and shortly thereafter left for Washington and became attached to the Army of the Potomac under General Geo. B. McClellan, and during 1862-1863 served as Headquarters Guard of this Army, under McClellan, Burnside, Hooker, and Meade, participating in the Peninsular Campaign, Antietem, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg.
1864
: Expiration, in January, of enlistment; furloughed, and re-enlisted as a Veteran Regiment, the first of this class of the Army of the Potomac, and then took the field and fought under Gen. Grant up to the time of Lee's surrender at Appomattox.
1864
: At the Battle of the Wilderness, May 5, the 93rd N.Y.V. were cited by General Birney for outstanding gallantry, and Colonel Crocker was made a Brigadier General in the field on the death of General Hayes. In this battle, General Crocker had four horses killed under him and himself was severely wounded.
1865, May 23
: The remnants of this renowned Regiment participated in the Grand Review on Pennsylvania Avenue at Washington, D.C.
1865-1869
: Was a practicing lawyer in Washington.
1869
: Was appointed by President U.S. Grant Warden of the United States Jail at Washington, which he held until his death in 1890. During his tenure of office, he officiated at the hanging of Charles J. Guiteau, the assassinator of President James A. Garfield. Also during this period he was very active in politics in the city, being President of the Board of Aldermen and Acting Mayor. He had very active participation in the filling in of the Canal and levelling of Washington's streets, directed by the hard-bitten and resolute "Boss" Shepard.
1890
: Died.

Extent

.3 cubic feet.

Additional Description

Abstract

Physical Description

Deeds, bonds, accounts, lists, scrapbooks, letters, and other papers.

General

Contact Information:: Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections 2B Carl A. Kroch Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-3530 Fax: (607) 255-9524 rareref@cornell.edu http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
EAD encoding:: Martin Heggestad, December 2002
Date modified:: Marcie Farwell, August 2018