William Henry Purnell (March 4, 1826 – March 30, 1902) was a Maryland lawyer who served as the
Comptroller of Maryland (1856–1861), Union officer during 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 later as President of the reorganized
University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...
and of
Hood College
, motto_lang = la
, mottoeng = With Heart and Mind and Hand
, established =
, type = Private college
, religious_affiliation = United Church of Christ
, endowment = $104.5 million (2020)
, president = Andrea E. Chapd ...
.
Early and family life
Born in
Worcester County, Maryland
Worcester County is the easternmost county of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,460. Its county seat is Snow Hill.
It is the only county of Maryland that borders the Atlantic Ocean, and the only county ...
to Moses Purnell and his wife, Maria Bowen Purnell, in 1826. In 1846, Purnell received a degree from Delaware College (now the
University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...
), which he would come to lead later in his career. After graduation, he moved to
Snow Hill, Maryland
Snow Hill is a town and the county seat of Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,103 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Snow Hill was founded in 1 ...
to read law with Judge Franklin. On June 13, 1849, still in Snow Hill, he married Margaret Neill Martin. They would have ten children, including four daughters and a son before 1860.
Career
Purnell was admitted to the Maryland bar and practiced law, eventually becoming associated with the
Know-Nothing Party
The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855 and thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". ...
. In 1856 Maryland voters elected Purnell to statewide office as comptroller and he moved his family to
Annapolis
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
. Re-elected in 1860, Purnell would quit that office in 1861 as newly elected 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 ...
appointed him as post master of
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, a key patronage appointment.
![Purnell Legion MD Cavalry p98](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Purnell_Legion_MD_Cavalry_p98.jpg)
As the
United States 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 ...
began and after the defeat at the
First Battle of Bull Run
The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas made clear that the war would not end quickly, Purnell resigned his federal position and recruited troops from Baltimore, the northern Chesapeake Bay Counties and Maryland's Eastern shore at
Pikesville, Maryland
Pikesville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Pikesville is just northwest of the Baltimore city limits. It is the northwestern suburb closest to Baltimore.
The population was 30,764 at the 2010 cens ...
under the special direction of the Secretary of War. The unit was nicknamed "Purnell's Legion", and included nine companies of infantry, two companies of cavalry, and two batteries of light artillery, all assigned to Dix's Division. Its first assignment was on Maryland's Eastern Shore, to break up a potential Confederate encampment. Although the units would continue to serve for three years (and many til the war's end), Purnell resigned from the military, holding the rank of colonel, in February 1862 and resumed the position of post master of Baltimore. This resignation was endorsed by Major General
John Adams Dix
John Adams Dix (July 24, 1798 – April 21, 1879) was an American politician and military officer who was Secretary of the Treasury, Governor of New York and Union major general during the Civil War. He was notable for arresting the pro-Southern ...
. The legion then became a regiment of infantry, two independent companies of cavalry and two independent artillery batteries. The infantry would then be assigned to Pope's Army of Virginia and later to the Army of the Potomac, and while held in reserve at the
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...
, fight in the Maryland Campaign and
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...
, then the actions around Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia, before being amalgamated into the
1st Maryland Infantry
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
at war's end. One of the cavalry units, dismounted, would earn distinction at the
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...
.
From 1864 to 1866, Purnell was chairman of the Union Party's Central Committee. President Andrew Johnson then appointed him assessor of internal revenue for Baltimore. He retired from politics in 1867 and resumed his legal practice in Baltimore.
In 1870, Purnell became the president of Delaware College, and moved to
New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...
with his family. He was the institution's first president after its revival as a
Land Grant College
A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.
Signed by Abraha ...
. Purnell was a strong supporter of co-education but after a fifteen-year trial, Delaware College stopped accepting female students by a vote of the board on June 24, 1885.
At the same meeting, the board accepted Purnells resignation as college president, but he continued as a trustee.
Purnell than accepted the presidency of
Hood College
, motto_lang = la
, mottoeng = With Heart and Mind and Hand
, established =
, type = Private college
, religious_affiliation = United Church of Christ
, endowment = $104.5 million (2020)
, president = Andrea E. Chapd ...
, a female seminary in
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in and the county seat of Frederick County, Maryland. It is part of the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area. Frederick has long been an important crossroads, located at the intersection of a major north–south Native ...
, and later of New Windsor College in
Carroll County, Maryland
Carroll County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 172,891. Its county seat is Westminster.
Carroll County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is ...
, only to return to his alma mater in 1897 as an instructor in oratory, which position he held until his death.
Death and legacy
Purnell died in 1902 and was buried in the cemetery of historic
St. Anne's Church close to Maryland's statehouse in
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
. In addition to the historical markers erected on battlefields to honor Purnell's legion, in 1972, the University of Delaware dedicated a building in his honor, specifically recognizing his efforts to educate women.
[Seaford article]
References
External links
Information of Purnell family
{{DEFAULTSORT:Purnell, William Henry
1826 births
Comptrollers of Maryland
University of Delaware alumni
Maryland lawyers
People of Maryland in the American Civil War
Union Army colonels
People from Worcester County, Maryland
1902 deaths
Maryland Know Nothings
Presidents of the University of Delaware