Edwin Atkins Merritt (February 26, 1828 – December 26, 1916) was an American politician, civil service reformer and diplomat. He 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 ...

officer 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 ...

, and was a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the New York Militia. In addition, he served in the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

, and held the appointive post of

Collector of the Port of New York The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, most often referred to as Collector of the Port of New York, was a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import duties on foreign goods that entered the United States by ship at t ...

Life

Edwin A. Merritt was born in

Sudbury, Vermont Sudbury is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 545 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.15%, is water. Demograph ...

on February 26, 1828, the son of Nodiah Merritt and Relief (Parker) Merritt. He was raised and educated in

Essex County, New York Essex County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,381. Its county seat is the hamlet of Elizabethtown. Its name is from the English county of Essex. Essex is one of only 2 counties that are ...

, and attended St. Lawrence Academy to receive his teaching qualification. In addition to teaching, Merritt also worked as a surveyor and engineer. From 1854 to 1857, Merritt was

Town Supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the State of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, townships called "towns", and villages. (The only borou ...

Pierrepont, New York Pierrepont (traditionally spelled Pierpont) is a town and hamlet in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 2,523. It was named after Hezekiah Pierrepont, the early owner of much of the to ...

. From 1857 to 1861 he was Clerk of the St. Lawrence County Board of Supervisors. He was a member of the

(St. Lawrence Co., 2nd D.) in

1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...

and

1861 Statistically, this year is considered the end of the whale oil industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the petroleum oil industry. Events January–March * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico City. ** The first steam-p ...

. During the

he served in the

as quartermaster of the 60th New York Volunteer Infantry with the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, and took part in campaigns in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. He was later stationed in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and assigned to supply reinforcements departing for the front lines. In January 1865 he was appointed Quartermaster General of the New York Militia with the rank of brigadier general, a position he held until 1869. In April 1865, Merritt was New York's official representative at the

second inauguration of Abraham Lincoln The second inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as president of the United States took place on Saturday, March 4, 1865, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 20th inauguration and marked the commencement ...

. He was a delegate to the 1867 state constitutional convention, and from 1869 to 1870 he was U.S. Naval Officer for the Port of New York, one of the three political appointees (collector, surveyor, and naval officer) who collected customs duties and fined importers who attempted to evade payment. In 1871, he declined appointment as U.S. Minister to Brazil. In

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

he ran on the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

ticket for

New York State Treasurer The New York State Treasurer was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1776 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the ...

, but was defeated by Democrat

Charles N. Ross Charles Nelson Ross (December 25, 1842 — November 24, 1923) was an American banker and politician. Biography Ross was born in Port Byron, New York, the son of Elmore Preston Ross (1809–1879), one of the wealthiest men of Cayuga County, New Yor ...

. In 1877, Merritt was appointed Surveyor of the Port of New York, and in 1878 he was selected to serve as Collector, succeeding

Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James ...

. He served until 1881, when he was appointed U.S. Consul General in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, where he served until 1885. Long interested in higher education, Merritt was a trustee of St. Lawrence University and

Clarkson University Clarkson University is a private research university with its main campus in Potsdam, New York, and additional graduate program and research facilities in the New York Capital Region and Beacon, New York. It was founded in 1896 and has an enr ...

, and was active in the creation of what is now the

State University of New York at Potsdam The State University of New York at Potsdam (SUNY Potsdam or, colloquially, Potsdam) is a public college in Potsdam, New York. It is the northernmost member of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Founded in 1816, it is among the ...

. Merritt died in

Potsdam, New York Potsdam ( moh, Tsi tewate’nehtararénies) is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The town population was 14,901 at the 2020 census. The ZIP Code is 13676. When SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University are in session, the popul ...

on December 26, 1916. He was buried at Pierrepont Hill Cemetery in Pierrepont.

Family

In 1858, Merritt married Eliza Rich of Pierrepont. Their son

Edwin Albert Merritt Edwin Albert Merritt (July 25, 1860 – December 4, 1914) was an American politician from New York. Life He was born on July 25, 1860, in Pierrepont, St. Lawrence County, New York, the son of Edwin Atkins Merritt (1828–1916), and was known a ...

was a Congressman from New York.

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Merritt, Edwin Atkins 1828 births 1916 deaths Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly People from Sudbury, Vermont Collectors of the Port of New York People from Potsdam, New York American diplomats Town supervisors in New York (state) Union Army officers Union militia generals Burials in New York (state) 19th-century American politicians