New York City Police Battle With River Pirates Cropped

George W. Gastlin born George Washington Gastlin (October 1, 1835 – October 2, 1895) was an American law enforcement officer and

police captain A police captain is a police rank in some countries, such as the United States and France and in the Philippines. By country France France uses the rank of ''capitaine'' for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. Th ...

, with the

New York City Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act i ...

, who founded the " Steamboat Squad" and served as its commander, during the 1870s and 80s.

Early life

Gastlin joined the 82nd New York Infantry Regiment as a corporal on May 21, 1861. He was promoted to sergeant before being discharged for disability on May 20, 1862.

Police career

He joined the NYPD on May 19, 1864, less than a year after the

New York Draft Riots The New York City draft riots (July 13–16, 1863), sometimes referred to as the Manhattan draft riots and known at the time as Draft Week, were violent disturbances in Lower Manhattan, widely regarded as the culmination of white working-cla ...

, and gradually rose up the ranks over the next few years being promoted to

roundsman The Roundsman System (sometimes termed the billet, or ticket, or item system), in the Elizabethan Poor Law (1601), was a form of organised labour exchange for the poorest labourers by which a parish vestry helped to pay local farmers, households ...

on February 15, 1868, and then sergeant on July 6, 1870. On June 9, 1876, Gastlin was appointed as head of the "Steamboat Squad", a special police unit formed to combat

River pirate A river pirate is a pirate who operates along a river. The term has been used to describe many different kinds of pirate groups who carry out riverine attacks in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and South America. They are usually prosecuted ...

s and

street gangs A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...

active on the New York waterfront, Asbury, Herbert. ''The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the New York Underworld''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. (pg. 77) Capt. Gastlin Appreciated. A Handsome Gold Shield Presented By Transportation And Other Lines
. New York Times. 1 Jan 1884 and was finally made a captain on September 20, 1878.Obituary Record. George W. Gastlin
. New York Times. 3 Oct 1895 On December 31, 1883, a meeting was held at the

Astor House The Astor House was a luxury hotel in New York City. Located on the corner of Broadway and Vesey Street in what is now the Civic Center and Tribeca neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan, it opened in 1836 and soon became the best-known hotel in Ame ...

in honor of Gastlin and his work with the "Steamboat Squad". Organized by a 4-man committee under James Robbins (''

Stonington Line The New York, Providence and Boston Railroad, normally called the Stonington Line, was a major part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between New London, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island. It is now part of Amtrak's high-s ...

''), J.S. Boden (''

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

''), C.H. Tucker ('' West Shore and Buffalo Railroad'') and John S. Krems (''Baltimore Transportation Company''), at least 40 representatives from steamboat and railroad companies were in attendance including R.J. Cortes (''

White Star Line The White Star Line was a British shipping company. Founded out of the remains of a defunct packet company, it gradually rose up to become one of the most prominent shipping lines in the world, providing passenger and cargo services between ...

''), W.H. Stamford (''Old Dominion Line''), E.A. Dereau (''Stonington Line''), John T. Robb (''Pennsylvania Railroad''), Andrew M. Underhill (''

Guion Line The Liverpool and Great Western Steamship Company, known commonly as the Guion Line, was a British passenger service that operated the Liverpool-Queenstown-New York route from 1866 to 1894. While incorporated in Great Britain, 52% of the company ...

''), James A. Smith (''Citizens' Steamboat Company'') and H.L. Freeland (''

Fall River Line The Fall River Line was a combination steamboat and railroad connection between New York City and Boston that operated between 1847 and 1937. It consisted of a railroad journey between Boston and Fall River, Massachusetts, where passengers would ...

''). After giving a testimonial of the police captain's career, Andrew Underhill presented Gastlin with a custom-made gold shield on behalf of the committee along with a letter of thanks, placed in an elaborate gold frame, from all the companies involved. Under his leadership, the "Steamboat Squad" drove out most of the criminal element from Corlears' Hook by the time of his retirement on July 1, 1890. He worked as a

private detective A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

for the next several years until poor health forced him to stop.

Death

Gastlin died from

Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine, and was frequently accompanied ...

at his Seventh Avenue home on the morning of October 2, 1895, after a two-week illness.

Early life

Police career

Death

References

Further reading