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 Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, 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 appointe ...

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 Ass ...

, 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. Demograp ...

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 e ...

, 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 tow ...

. 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, Massachusetts ...

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 stea ...

. During the

he served in the

as quartermaster of the

60th New York Volunteer Infantry The 60th New York Infantry Regiment (aka "St. Lawrence Regiment") was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment saw service in both the eastern and the western theaters of the American Civil War. Serv ...

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 are ...

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 t ...

and

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

. He was later stationed in Washington, D.C. 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. 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 th ...

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

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...

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

St. Lawrence University St. Lawrence University is a private liberal arts college in the village of Canton in St. Lawrence County, New York. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and 100 graduate students. Though St. Lawrence today is non-denominational, it was founde ...

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 en ...

, and was active in the creation of what is now the State University of New York at Potsdam. 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 popu ...

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 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