Daniel Ullmann
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Daniel Ullman, also spelled Ullmann (April 28, 1810 – September 20, 1892) was an American lawyer and politician from
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. He also served as a
Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
general in the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
; raising and leading colored troops.


Political career

Born in
Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
, Ullman graduated from
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
in 1829 and moved to New York City, where he began practicing law. A member of the Whig Party, he became a prominent member of the faction opposed to the leadership of
William H. Seward William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senate, United States Senat ...
. A frequent candidate for office, his most notable campaign was as the American Party candidate for the governorship of New York in
1854 Events January–March * January 4 – The McDonald Islands are discovered by Captain William McDonald aboard the ''Samarang''. * January 6 – The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is perhaps born. * January 9 – The Teut ...
, in which he won 26% of the vote.


Witness in the Burdell - Cunningham Trial

In late 1856 Ullman moved into a boarding house that was run by Mrs. Emma Augusta Cunningham at 31 Bond Street in Manhattan. The attorney did not really socialize much with his fellow lodgers, but he attended a party held in the boarding house on January 14, 1857. Although he later testified that he only spent half an hour at the party, he did admit seeing some people there who he recognized as respectable people. He probably saw two of his fellow lodgers, Dr.
Harvey Burdell Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...
and Mr. John Eckel. Burdell, a wealthy dentist, had been having a close relationship with Mrs. Cunningham. How close would be a subject of dispute. She claimed she married him, and would later try to pass off a hired baby as her own by him. Mrs. Cunningham also seemed to be carrying on a close relationship with Mr. Eckel. On January 31, 1857 Burdell would be stabbed to death by an intruder while at his desk in the boarding house. Suspicion fell on Mrs. Cunningham and Mr. Eckel, and a coroner's court was held to examine the evidence regarding the murder. Mr. Ullman was a witness (oddly he had come home late, heard nothing unusual, and went to his room, so he was not suspected). The next morning he was awakened by the noise of the police and Mrs. Cunningham and others upon the discovery of Dr. Burdell's body. Ullman's testimony would be relatively trivial, except that he claimed Mrs. Cunningham did show grief and horror at the event. The Coroner's Court was presided over by Coroner Edward Connory, an Irish immigrant who enjoyed teasing Mr. Ullman, who was good natured enough to return the banter. Cunningham and Eckel were both tried for the murder of Burdell, and prosecuted by New York City's District Attorney A. Oakley Hall later Mayor of the city. They were acquitted. The case was never solved. Ullman's experience as an unexpected witness in a famous unsolved New York City murder mystery was somewhat repeated in 1870, when Major General
Francis Preston Blair Jr. Francis Preston Blair Jr. (February 19, 1821 – July 8, 1875) was a United States Senator, a United States Congressman and a Union Major General during the Civil War. He represented Missouri in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, a ...
was a witness to members of the family of
Benjamin Nathan Benjamin Nathan (December 20, 1813 – July 28, 1870) was an American investor and philanthropist. He was bludgeoned to death in his home in 1870, and the notorious murder case remains unsolved despite several trials in the years following his dea ...
running out of their home for help when they found Mr. Nathan murdered. The Nathan home was on West 23rd Street in Manhattan. General Blair was in bed in a hotel across the street, and awaken by the cries of the Nathan family members. Blair had been the running mate to former New York Governor
Horatio Seymour Horatio Seymour (May 31, 1810February 12, 1886) was an American politician. He served as Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president in the 1868 United States presidential elec ...
when they ran for President and Vice President against
Ulysses Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
and Schuyler Colfax in 1868. Seymour had run for re-election to his first term as Governor of New York in 1854, and was defeated by
Myron Clark Myron Holley Clark (October 23, 1806 – August 23, 1892) was an American politician from the U.S. state of New York. Early life Clark was born in Naples, Ontario County, New York on October 23, 1806. He was the eldest son of Maj. Joseph Cla ...
due, in part, to the third party candidacy of Ullman as the Know Nothing Candidate running such a successful campaign.


Civil War Service

During the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Ullman became colonel of the
78th New York Infantry Regiment The 78th New York Infantry Regiment ("78th Highlanders") was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 78th New York Infantry was organized at New York City, New York January through April 1862 and muster ...
. Captured at the
Battle of Cedar Mountain The Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks attacked Confederate f ...
in August 1862, he was detained at Libby Prison until he was paroled two months later. He later approached President
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
about the possibility of enlisting African Americans as soldiers. After subsequent discussion, in January 1863 Ullman was promoted to brigadier general and sent to Louisiana where he raised five regiments of
African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
as soldiers in a unit that was designated the
Corps d'Afrique The United States Colored Troops (USCT) were regiments in the United States Army composed primarily of African-American (colored) soldiers, although members of other minority groups also served within the units. They were first recruited during ...
. He now commanded a brigade made up of those colored infantry regiments and a regiment of colored engineers. Ullman led his men into the Siege of Port Hudson, where they suffered heavy casualties. Afterwards he commanded the District of Port Hudson and continued to lead colored troops for the rest of the war, having a full division in mid 1864. Developing an alcohol problem, he was relieved of his command shortly before the war ended. Ullman was mustered out in August 1865 and was made a
Brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...
Major General for his war service.


Post war

Ullman died in Nyack, New York in September 1892.


References

* * Jack Finney; ''Forgotten News: The Crime of the Century and Other Lost Stories''; New York; Simon & Schuster—A Firesign Book; 1983, 1985; p. 3–186 deal with the Burdell murder case; Ullman's testimony is discussed on pp. 77–79 *
Edmund Pearson Edmund Lester Pearson (1880–1937) was an American librarian and writer. He was a writer of the "true crime" literary genre. He is best known for his account of the notorious Lizzie Borden murder case. Early life Pearson was born in Newburypo ...
; ''Murder at Smutty Nose and Other Murders''; Garden City, New York; Doubleday & Co.—The Sun Dial Press; 1926, 1938; p. 291–320: "Number 31 Bond Street; or, the Accomplishments of Mrs. Cunningham". Ullman is mentioned only briefly on page 306 *
Tyler Anbinder Tyler Anbinder (born September 26, 1962) is an American historian known for his influential work on the pre-civil war period in U.S. history. Books * ''Nativism and Slavery: The Northern Know Nothings and the Politics of the 1850s''. New York: ...
; ''Nativism & Slavery: The Northern Know Nothings & the Politics of the 1850s''; New York; Oxford; Oxford University Press; 1992. llman's involvement in the 1854 campaign is covered between pp. 77–84; where it is reported a rumor that he was born in India to Hindu parents was used against him


External links


''Yale Obituary Record''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ullman, Daniel 1810 births 1892 deaths Yale University alumni 19th-century American military personnel New York (state) lawyers New York (state) Whigs 19th-century American politicians People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Union Army generals New York (state) Know Nothings 19th-century American lawyers