Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 57

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360

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Colonel McLeer is unaware as to whether the signal was understood or not; but the fact remains that the direc- tion of the fire of the battery was almost immediately changed; and to this incident the survivors of that night attribute their escape from almost certain death. Throughout the day the battle raged backward and for- ward, the wounded lying close to the ground to escape the bullets which flew past them almost constantly, until late in the afternoon, when, with others, Col. McLeer was found and removed to an old stone house; the half of a shelter tent, held at either corner by a soldier, being made to do duty as a stretcher. Here a student surgeon insisted upon amputating Col. McLeer's wounded leg and arm, much against the Colonel's will; and it is possible that had he not been driven off by rebel missiles he would have done it, nolens volens. Reaching the hospital, under the promise that his leg would be saved if possible, Colonel McLeer submitted to the amputation of his arm. Thanks to his splendid physical condition, after the lapse of within a few days of a year, Colonel McLeer was discharged from the hospital, his leg saved, but helpless as an infant; in which condition he was brought home, and so continued for nearly two years. On the return of the Fourteenth to Brooklyn, he was carried to a carriage and rode in the procession on the occasion of the enthusiastic recep- tion which was extended the regiment on its arrival from the seat of war.

The subsequent military record of Colonel McLeer is too recent to require recapitulation here. Upon the reorganization of the Fourteenth as a National Guard regiment he was elected First Lieutenant of Company C, being afterward appointed Quartermaster on the staff of Colonel Fowler, and subsequently promoted Major, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Colonel of the regiment, which latter position he still holds.

In 1865, Colonel McLeer was elected City Auditor on the Republican ticket. In 1869, he was a candidate for Street Commissioner and, as was conceded, was elected, but did not serve. In 1873, he was appointed United States Pension Agent for the district of Long Island, with the addition of the payment of all the naval pensions for the state of New York, and served until 1875, when the office was consolidated with that of New York. On his retirement from this position, lie received a very complimentary letter from the United States Treasury Department upon the exceptional correctness of his accounts. He was appointed Post- master of Brooklyn by President Hayes, in December, 1877, and entered upon the duties of his office January 1st, 1878. A comparison of the present condition of the post office with that of the past shows clearly how much those who send and receive letters in Brooklyn arc indebted to his zeal, industry and intelligence. Only those who have a special interest in the receipt and distribution of letters in Brooklyn can have even a faint idea of the radical changes and marked improve-

ments which have taken place in the postal service during the two years of Col. McLecr's administration just past. The number of those familiar with its organization and practical operation is comparatively limited, but the results achieved have already made themselves very widely felt.

Colonel McLeer has been actively identified with the Grand Army of the Republic from its institution, having been one of the charter members of the first Post instituted in Kings county-Post 4. Hc has held the office of Post Commander, was on the staff of General Sickles when the latter was Department Com- mander, and has been a delegate to every State Conven- tion of the Grand Army in New York. He has been very active in the promotion of the benevolent work of the soldiers' aid societies, and has given largely of his time and means to assist disabled veterans and the widows and orphans of deceased soldiers to secure pensions, without other fec or reward than the con- sciousness of accomplishing an act of Christian charity.

Assessment and Collection of Internal Rev- enue in Kings County .- Under the law creating the offices of Assessor and Collector of Internal Revenue, Kings county was divided into two districts corres- ponding with its congressional districts; the Second In- ternal Revenue District consisting of the sixth, cighth, ninth, tenth, twelfth, fourteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth wards of Brooklyn, and the outlying townships of the county; and the Third District con- sisting of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh, eleventh, thirteenth, fifteentli, nineteenth and twen- tieth wards of Brooklyn. In March, 1871, Kings, Queens, Suffolk and Richmond counties were consti- tuted the First Internal Revenue District of the State of New York. May 20, 1873, the office of Assessor was abolished; the entire local business since then has been transacted in the office of the Collector.

The offices of Assessor and Collector in the Second and Third Districts were established in 1862. The suc- cessive Assessors in the Second District were JOHN WIL- LIAMS, JAMES R. ALIBAN and ALBERT G. ALLEN ; the successive Collectors were ALFRED M. WOOD, R. S. TORREY and JAMES FREELAND. The successive As- sessors in the Third District were WILLIAM E. ROBIN- SON, THOMAS WELLWOOD, SAMUEL T. MADDOX, MICHAEL SCANLAN and JAMES JOURDAN ; the successive Collec- tors were HENRY C. BOWEN, H. CALLICAT, E. T. WOOD and GORDON L. FORD. The Assessors of the First Dis- trict, after the consolidation, and until the abolition of the office, were JAMES JOURDAN and OLIVER T. LEACHI; the Collectors have been JAMES FREELAND and (since January, 1880) RODNEY C. WARD. The Internal Revenuc offices have been located most of the time in the Hamilton building, on Court street, Brooklyn. The organization of the department in he First District, in January, 1884, was as follows: Rodney C. Ward, Col-

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lector ; Edward B. Fowler, Chief Deputy Collector ; Oliver C. Patterson, Cashier; Alexander HI. Doty, Dep. uty- Collector and Bond Clerk ; Robert Anderson and Dora B. Robinson, Book-keepers; John Q. A. Strachan, Clerk and Messenger; Granville W. Harman, Chief' of Division Deputies; Philander J. Hawkins, Charles H. Baylis, Samuel S. Aymar, Charles R. Phillips, Charles E. Bostwick, William M. Rome, Enoch Jacobs, Eben- ezer HI. Disbrow, Edward E. Bowen, Charles Schurig, Samuel Bowden, Robert J. Morgan, Charles O'Donnell, Win. P. Pickett, and W. B. Dugan, Division Deputies ; William H. Whitlock, Chief of Spirit Department ; John A. Biggs, John H. Burleson, Jacob David, George A. Eden, Samuel V. French, Myles MeLanghlin, G. W. Middleton, H. M. Craft, Samuel T. Waterhouse, James Woodhead, United States Gaugers ; T. F. Bloomfield, James B. Collins, Robert S. Cooke, M. Fitzgerald, John A. Gardner, Jr., Joshua A. Garrison, James Greenwood, Lemnel C. Nodine, Elias W. Thompson, and William Josiah, United States Storekeepers.

The Navy Yard is located upon Wallabout bay, on lands originally forming a portion of the old Remsen estate, purehased, in 1781, by Mr. John Jack- son and his brother, Samuel. John Jackson's portion having a good water-front, he established a ship-yard, where he built a large merchant ship, the Canton; and afterwards a small frigate for the United States, called the John Adams, which, after doing good service in the war of 1812-14, was burned by its commander, September, 1814, off the Maine coast, to escape eap- ture by the enemy. In 1800, the Secretary of the Navy, having his attention ealled to this ship-yard as being well adapted for a first-class navy yard, ap- pointed agents to effect its purchase, but they gave a preference to Bennett's Point, Newtown creek. Joseph Bennett, the owner, refusing to sell, Mr. Jackson, February 7, 1801, sold his property for $40,000 to the United States government, which took possession on the 23d of that month. Later (1824) the United States purchased the piece of land now occupied by the Naval Hospital, from the widow and other heirs of Martin Schenck. This addition contained about thirty-five acres, and the price paid for it was $7,650.

By these two purchases, the government became pos- sessed of the land on the east and also on the west side of the Wallabout, and needed only to obtain the intervening plot of ground in order to make the site of the navy yard complete. August 14, 1848, Fred- erick Griffin and his wife, Catharine, conveyed to the United States, in consideration of the sum of $285,000, all the land between the former purchases of the gov- ermnent and bounded on the water side by low water mark, and on the city side by Flushing avenne, March 1, 1867, the goverment bought of William Ruggles and others, for $90,000, an irregular piece of land, with its water-front situated on the northerly corner of

the yard, lying at the foot of Little street. The total price paid for all of these purchases was $426,707.50.

This property was originally but a waste of mud- flats, swamps and creeks, excepting only the hill on the western side, upon which the Commandant's house now stands, and that on the eastern side where the hospital is located. High water then reached the point about where the lower end of the building known as that of Provisions and Clothing now stands, and thence, in a circular line, as far as the foot of Sands street. From Sands street, along the present navy yard, as far as Flushing avenue, and thence as far as Clinton ave- nue, extending into the present City Park, was a large mill-pond, empty at low water ; from thence along Flushing avenue to the hospital hill, down the bay and near the line of Washington avenue, there was no solid ground. The present Kent avenue basin was on the line of what is known as Sehenek's creek. A toll-bridge spanned the mill-pond mentioned, from Sands street to Flushing avenue, near Hampden street; its locality be- ing now solid ground within the preeinets of the Navy Yard.

Along the front of the Navy Yard extends Wallabout bay, where, during the Revolutionary war, the British prison-ships were moored, and where, for eight years (1776-84) the British ships wintered. The horrors committed on board those prison-ships are matters of history. On the beach of the bay, as well as in the ravine, near Remsen's doek, were buried those patriots who fell victims to the British eruelty whiel prevailed on board the old JJersey and other prison-ships; till the whole length of the shore in front of the vessels was one vast graveyard, in which the interments were made so carelessly that the incoming tide often washed ont the remains, seattering the bones to bleach in the sim along the low beach. The old Jersey, the most noted of the prison-ships, is thought to have been moored near where the northern part of ship-house No. 1 is now built. Fully 11,000 persons are supposed to have perished on board the old Jersey alone. What the aggregate mortality of all the prison-ships was, will never be known. In September, 1878, work- men, while digging to plant an anchor, near the north- ern corner of ship-house No. 1, exhumed portions of two skeletons, the skulls of which were in a state of good preservation, the teeth being perfect, and which were reinterred at Fort Greene.

The Navy Yard is enclosed on the land side by a high wall, within which are the various mechanic shops required in building and repairing vessels ; a large and costly dry-dock ; large buildings to cover ships of war in process of construction, extensive lumber ware- houses, several marine railways, and immense stores of ammunitions of war. Upon an eminence, a little to the eastward of the yard proper, is a U. S. Marine Hospi- tal for the care of the sick, aged or disabled seamen belonging to the navy. This building, which is faced

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with white marble, presents a fine arehiteetural ap- pearance. Adjoining it, in the rear, a small but taste- ful graveyard offers a quiet resting place to those who die in the hospital. In appropriate juxtaposition with the hospital is an extensive laboratory for the manufacture of medieines for the navy. The chemieal and mechanical arrangements of this laboratory are remarkably adapted to their use; the laboratory being the only institution of the kind possessed by any govern- ment. The grounds belonging to the hospital estab- lishments eomprise some thirty-five aeres. Upon Park avenue, a little south of the Navy Yard, are extensive Marine Barracks, etc. The Naval Lyceum, estab- lished in 1833 by officers of the navy, is a literary in- stitution, which has a deeidedly interesting history of its own. It has a library and museum, both of which are prized and contributed to by friends of the navy in all parts of the world.

The first offieer ordered in charge of the Navy Yard appears to have been Lieutenant JONATHAN THORNE, who, according to the records of the Navy Department, was in charge from 1801 to 1806, during which period nothing was done to improve the pro- perty. Captain ISAAC CHAUNCEY eame in 1806 and re- mained six years. The residence of the Commandant was built during his supervision, in 1806 and 1807 and, in 1811, it was damaged by fire and repaired. Other im- provements were the stone embankments to the terraces contiguous to the house, which work was paid for by the proceeds of the sales of chips. The ereetion of six brick buildings was also begun. These buildings were designed for store-houses and offices, and in one of them was a large room fitted up for and set apart as the chapel of the yard, in which religious serviees were held on Sundays. These buildings were at the foot of Main street, and were torn down in 1868. Captain SAMUEL EVANS took command in 1812, and was the Commandant until his death in 1824.

Up to this time the government had done but little to improve the property, which was recognized as a naval station, but was not yet called a Navy Yard. The war with England oeeurring during this period, made busy times during 1812-14, more than one hundred vessels having been fitted out for sea, supplied with stores, etc. During 1815, the frigate Fulton was built, the first war steamer ever constructed by any nation, a thirty-gun vessel of 2,000 tons burthen, built upon a plan submitted by Robert Fulton, and able to throw both hot water and hot iron. She made her trial trip under command of Captain David Porter, father of Admiral Porter, and was destroyed while ly- ing at anehor off the Navy Yard, in 1828, by the explo- sion of her magazine, by which aecident one offieer and forty-seven of her crew lost their lives. In 1820, the Ohio, a seventy-four-gun ship, was launched, which was modelled by Henry Eckford, and was regarded as a fine vessel. She was still in existence at a very

reeent date, used as the receiving ship at Boston. The construction of the frigate Savannah was begun in 1822, but she was not launehed until thirty years later. These vessels have been mentioned as having been th earliest built at this station.

After the death of Commandant Evans, and during the remainder of the year 1824, the yard was in charge of Captain ROGERS. In January, 1825, Captain ISAAC CHAUNCEY was a second time ordered in command, remaining until the latter part of 1833, when he was made one of the Navy Commissioners. In 1827, a fenee was built along the line of the yard, near the foot of Sands street. It was elaimed that it had been constructed upon private property, and the man who claimed the ownership, and some other persons, began to pull it down. The Commandant was sent for and expostulated vainly with the mob. The marines were summoned, but were restrained from employing force in dealing with the rioters. The affair was exeiting but bloodless, and the title of the government was at length eonceded. Captain CHARLES G. RIDGELY was in command from July, 1833, to November, 1839. During this period, the Lyceum building was begun, all the rooms of which, except the upper floor, are occupied as offices; the United States Naval Lyceum using the balance of the building as a library, museum and reading-room.

From November, 1839, to June, 1841, Captain JAMES RENSHAW was in command. In the year last men- tioned, the construction of the stone Dry Dock was begun, which was a stupendous work, ably planned and built. Its site was determined by Colonel Baldwin, in 1826, but efficient work was not commenced until 1841. It was subsequently prosecuted under the charge of several engineers, as follows : Prof. Edward H. Courtenay, August 1, 1841, to August 1, 1842; from which date until October, 1844, it was suspended. On the 11th of that month, it was resumed by General William Gibbs MeNeil, who had charge until April 1, 1845; William P. Sanger, from April 1, 1845, to June 23, 1846 ; William J. MeAlpine, from June 23, 1846, to October 1, 1849 ; General Chas. B. Stuart, from October 1, 1849, to August 30, 1851. The main cham- ber is two hundred and eighty-six feet long, by thirty- five feet wide at the bottom, and three hundred and seven feet long, by ninety-eight feet wide at the top ; depth, thirty-six feet, the walls being of fine eut granite. The masonry foundations are four hundred by one hundred and twenty feet, resting upon piles driven forty feet into the earth, the intermediate space being filled to a depth of two feet, with a mass of con- erete, composed of pebbles, broken granite and cement. Timbers one foot square are next dowelled to the heads of these piles, between which, eonerete is again filled in. A plank floor, four hundred by one hundred feet, eovers thesc timbers, on which rests another course of timbers and conerete, and over this, first, a course of

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stone flagging, twenty inches thick, and second, the floor proper, of fine ent granite, the whole bed from the surface of the floor to the head of the piles being nine feet in thickness. The piles upon which this doek rests are nine thousand in number, the first one having been driven on the 26th of January, 1847, and the last on the 12th of May, 1848. The dock can be emptied by steam pumps in four and one-half hours. The total cost of this great work was $2,113,173. There seemed to be at one period a commencement of a controversy between the town of Brooklyn and the United States government as to the title of the latter to the land, or a portion of the land, possessed by it. It was never brought to any determined issue, nor is there any evi- denee that the citizens of Brooklyn were aetnated in their claims by ill-will to the government, or by any other motive than a simple desire to have their char- tered rights respected.

Four vessels were launched during the administration of Commander RENSHAW, one of them the brig Somers, which afterwards became so notorious on account of the hanging from her yard-arm of Midshipman Speneer and two of her crew for an alleged attempt at mutiny. Captain M. C. PERRY was in command from June, 1841, to March, 1843; and, during this period, only one vessel-the ill-fated Albany-was commeneed. After his retirement, Commander JOSHUA SANDS assumed temporary command. Captain SILAS STRINGHAM WAS the commander from June 15th, 1843, to September, 1846, and worked earnestly for the improvement of the yard. He was a resident of Brooklyn, and is well re- membered by many of the older citizens at this time. Captain ISAAC MCKEEVER was in command until Octo- ber, 1849, and was followed by Captain WILLIAM B. SALTER, who remained until October, 1852. During this time the stone Dry Dock was finished and also one of the finest structures in the yard-the large granite building which contains the boilers and machinery of the pumping engine of the dock. During the term of service of Captain CHARLES BOORMAN-from October, 1852, to October, 1855-many improvements were made in the yard; and the Niagara, a steam frigate built under the superintendenee of the late George Steers from his own models, was launched. This vessel was afterward employed in laying the first Atlantic cable and, as an old hulk, is still existing at Boston. Captain ABRAM BIGELOW commanded for sixteen months fol- lowing Captain Boorman's retirement, and was sue- cceded by Captain LAURENCE KEARNEY, who remained nutil October, 1858.

From November, 1858, to November, 1861, S. L. BREEZE commanded. During the latter part of this officer's administration party spirit ran high and civil war began. The Navy Yard, from its commanding position over the waters of the bay, with its valua- ble stores of munitions of war, was marked by those in the Southern interest for seizure and use against the

United States Government. Fortunately for the mal- contents no attack was made. The yard authorities had been apprised of their intentions and any attempt to carry them into execution would have been fatal to those making it. From October 25th, 1861, until May Ist, 1865, during the busiest years of the civil war, when the Navy Yard was worked to its uttermost ea- pacity, Rear-Admiral HIRAM PAULDING was in com- mand. During a portion of this period the wharves were never left without vessels fitting for sea and pre- paring for blockade duty, and the sound of hammers was heard by day and night. Four hundred and six- teen vessels were purchased from the Commercial Ma- rine and fitted ont as ernisers. During 1861 there were employed daily an average of 1,650 men, at an expense for the year, for labor only, of $679,000. In 1862 the average daily employment for labor was 3,970 persons, at an expenditure of more than $2,000,000. The aver- age during 1863 was 5,135 laborers, at a cost of $2,874,000 for the year. During 1864 the roll had in- ereased until at one time there were over 6,000 persons employed ; but the average that year was 5,390 an the year's wages $3,735,000. During 1865, no less than 5,000 persons were employed daily, at a cost of $3,952,- 000.

Rear-Admiral CHARLES BELL came to the command of the Navy Yard May Ist, 1865, continuing until June 30th, 1868. Rear-Admiral GORDON succeeded him, remaining until October, 1870. Rear-Admiral MELANCTION SMITH was the next commander. Hle was succeeded in June, 1872, by Vice-Admiral G. C. RowAx, who remained till September, 1876. During this period the convenient building for the use of re- ernits was ereeted on the Cob Dock. On the lower floors are bath-rooms, barber shops, cte., while above are a library and reading-room and a hall which is used as a chapel and for amateur performances. September 1st, 1876, Commodore Nicuousox took command, serving until May Ist, 1880, when he was succeeded by Rear- Admiral GEORGE HI. COOPER, who gave place to Com- modore Jons H. UrsHUR, the present Commandant, April 1st, 1882. Various noticeable improvements have been made under the administrations of the three commandants last mentioned and the condition of the Navy Yard is as good at this time, in all respects, as it has been at any time for years.

May 23d, 1870, the United States Government ceded to the city of Brooklyn a strip of land on the north- east side of its property, since forming the street that fronts on Keut avenue. The question of disposing of the Navy Yard in Brooklyn and establishing one else- where has been disenssed for some time past; but it is not probable that this step will soon be taken .*

United States Forts .- FORT HAMILTON, named after the illustrious Alexander Hamilton, is situated

* From an address before the 1. I. IHst. Soclety, by Commodore NICHOLSON, published In Brooklyn Advanc

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in the cxtreme south-western portion of Long Island, in the town of New Utrecht, in N. Lat. 40° 37' 18", Long. 3º 1' 15" cast from Washington; and, by its pivotal position, commands the channel and the en- trance into the Narrows. From it, views of Staten and Coney Islands, and the shores of New Jersey are obtained, and before its frowning walls the fleets of the world must pass in gaining the harbor of New York.

In 1808, DeWitt Clinton, then Mayor of New York city, was instrumental in obtaining from the state of New York an appropriation of $100,000 for the forti- fication of the city; and, as President of the Board of Commissioners, was appointed to superintend the ac- complishment of this important military work at this locality and in other portions of the bay. A structure was erected and a few light guns mounted immediately thereafter, and continued in use until 1824, when, under the direction of General Bernard, a distin- guished French engineer, employed by the United States, the present fort was built. Fort Hamilton is of permanent granite masonry, quadrangular in form, one face of which is for water defence, and the others for land. It is surrounded by dry ditches, and a re- doubt, 200 yards in advance, on the land side, is de- signed to prevent a landing of the enemy on the beach between the fort and Bath, and also to oblige him to establish his batteries at a greater distance in case of a siege. It is completely defiled from the neighboring hills, which might otherwise be occupied by an enemy to advantage.

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Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 57

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : Munsell Number of Pages: 1360

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360