John Alexander Kennedy (August 9, 1803 – June 20, 1873) was the superintendent of police for New York City, from 1860 to 1863. He was in charge of the police response to the

New York City 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 ...

in 1863, until he was badly beaten by the mobs.

Biography

He was born in

Baltimore, Maryland 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 ...

on August 9, 1803. His father was a native of Ireland who became a teacher in Baltimore. John moved to New York City and worked with his brother. In 1849 he was appointed a state commissioner of emigration, and in 1854 he was elected a member of the common council. He was appointed superintendent of

Castle Garden Castle Clinton (also known as Fort Clinton and Castle Garden) is a circular sandstone fort within Battery Park at the southern end of Manhattan in New York City. Built from 1808 to 1811, it was the first American immigration station, predating ...

, and worked to protect emigrants against swindlers, as well as to administer the day to day activities at the immigrant depot. In 1860, he became superintendent of the

New York City Police 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 agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

. During 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-cl ...

, aged 59, he was severely beaten by a mob, while protecting the office of the provost-marshal at 46th Street and 3rd Avenue, on the morning of 14 July 1863. Physicians counted over 70 knife wounds. He never fully recovered. When he returned to duty he was appointed provost-marshal of New York City, as well as superintendent of police, and continued to serve in this double capacity 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 ...

. He made many enemies through his efforts to enforce the metropolitan excise law. He resigned on 11 April 1870, he then served as president of a street-railroad company for about two years, and then held the office of collector of assessments until his death in New York City on June 20, 1873, aged 69.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, John Alexander 1803 births 1873 deaths American people of Irish descent New York City Police Commissioners People from Baltimore Place of birth missing

Biography

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