Moses S. Beach
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Moses Sperry Beach (October 5, 1822 – July 25, 1892) was an American newspaper owner, editor, inventor, and politician from New York. His papers were the Boston Daily Times and the
New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American conservative news website and former newspaper based in Manhattan, New York. From 2009 to 2021, it operated as an (occasional and erratic) online-only publisher of political and economic opinion pieces, as we ...
. He ran the Sun through most of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, and was active during the presidency of
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
. He was featured in
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
's book
The Innocents Abroad ''The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrim's Progress'' is a travel book by American author Mark Twain. Published in 1869, it humorously chronicles what Twain called his "Great Pleasure Excursion" on board the chartered steamship ''Quaker City' ...
, after embarking on the Quaker City to visit Europe and the Holy Land. He was also a great friend of abolitionist pastor
Henry Ward Beecher Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the Abolitionism, abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery ...
, and was a trustee Plymouth Church, which was at the forefront of the anti-slavery movement at the time.Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims
National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior


Life

Beach was born on October 5, 1822, in
Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...
. He was the son of
Moses Yale Beach Moses Yale Beach (January 15, 1800 – July 19, 1868) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and publisher, who founded the Associated Press, and is credited with originating print syndication. His fortune, as of 1846, amounted t ...
, proprietor of ''
The Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot Plasma (physics), plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as ...
'', and Nancy Day. His brother was
Alfred Ely Beach Alfred Ely Beach (September 1, 1826 – January 1, 1896) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, publisher, and patent lawyer, born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He is known for his design of the earliest predecessor to the New York City Subwa ...
, the first subway-constructor in New York, and proprietor of ''
Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it, with more than 150 Nobel Pri ...
'', while his uncle was Benjamin Day, founder of the New York Sun.The Story of the Sun. New York, 1833-1918, Chapter VIII “The Sun” During The Civil War Another brother was banker William Yale Beach. His paternal grandmother was descended from the
Yale family Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges char ...
that founded
Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
, and his maternal grandmother was descended from Pilgrim William Brewster. His cousins were
Frederick Converse Beach Frederick Converse Beach (March 27, 1848 – June 8, 1918), was a New York patent attorney, editor and co-owner of ''Scientific American'', and editor-in-chief of the new ''Encyclopedia Americana'' in the early 1900s.Beach, StanleyArchives at Yal ...
and
Stanley Yale Beach Stanley Yale Beach (1877 – 1955) was a wealthy aviation pioneer, who was an early financier of Gustave Whitehead, who claimed to have made powered controlled flight before the Wright brothers. He was among the first technically trained men to b ...
, and his great-grandson was Brewster Yale Beach. Beach attended
Monson Academy Monson may refer to: People * Monson (surname) * Baron Monson * Monson baronets Places United States * Monson, California * Monson, Maine * Monson, Massachusetts ** Monson High School * Monson Township, Traverse County, Minnesota * Monson, We ...
, where he was taught by his uncle Rev. Alfred Ely. He left the school after several years due to his failing eyesight. In 1840, he spent a year in France learning French at an institution near Paris. He worked with his father in ''The Sun'' until 1845, when he bought half of the '' Boston Daily Times''. In October 1845, Beach and his brother
Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...
joined their father in a partnership of ''The Sun''. In 1848, the brothers bought out their father and took control of the newspaper.
Moses Yale Beach Moses Yale Beach (January 15, 1800 – July 19, 1868) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and publisher, who founded the Associated Press, and is credited with originating print syndication. His fortune, as of 1846, amounted t ...
organized a dinner before retiring. The guests included other members of the news industry such as Congressman
Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congres ...
, Congressman James Brooks, and
Henry Jarvis Raymond Henry Jarvis Raymond (January 24, 1820 – June 18, 1869) was an American journalist, newspaper publisher, and politician who co-founded both the Republican Party and ''The New York Times''. He was a member of the New York State Assembly, the ...
, founder of the
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
, and Chairman of the Republicans under
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
. Beach owned the Sun Building and other properties in New York.Buffalo Weekly Express
28 Jul 1892, Thu ·Page 1


Career

In 1852, he became the sole proprietor, with a brief gap from 1860 to 1861 when he was ill, where
William Conant Church William Conant Church (August 11, 1836 – May 23, 1917) was an American journalist, author and soldier. He was publisher of several newspapers and magazines in association with his father and brother. He was the co-founder and second president of ...
published the paper instead. Under Moses Sperry Beach's leadership, the Sun supported
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
, and was described as an out-and-out loyalist. The paper covered his day of election as well as his assassination. They refused to join other newspapers in wild abuse of Lincoln and
Johnson Johnson may refer to: People and fictional characters *Johnson (surname), a common surname in English * Johnson (given name), a list of people * List of people with surname Johnson, including fictional characters *Johnson (composer) (1953–2011) ...
at the
1864 National Union National Convention The 1864 National Union National Convention was the United States presidential nominating convention of the National Union Party, which was a name adopted by the main faction of the Republican Party in a coalition with many, if not most, ...
, and gave support to
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...
as its candidate for the U.S. presidency, the General who led the Union Army to victory during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
in 1865.
The Sun : The reelection of
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
announces to the world how firmly we have resolved to be a free and united people.
--''The entry in the Story of the Sun: New York, 1833-1918''
By the end of the war, the Sun was read by half a million people, at a time when the city of New York had less than a million population. Beach owned the paper until 1868, when he sold it to Charles A. Dana, the past
Assistant Secretary of War The United States assistant secretary of war was the second–ranking official within the American Department of War from 1861 to 1867, from 1882 to 1883, and from 1890 to 1940. According to thMilitary Laws of the United States "The act of Augus ...
of Abraham Lincoln and Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...
. He also patented several inventions related to printing and
stereotyping In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...
. These patents consisted of feeding the roil paper to the press instead of flat sheets, wetting the paper prior to printing, cutting off sheets after printing, and adapting newspaper presses to print both sides of the same sheet at the same time.The Encyclopedia Americana: A General Dictionary of the Arts and Sciences
Thomas Campbell Copeland, 1904
After the war, he and a group of travelers decided to visit Europe and the
Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...
. Before departure, he organized at his home a farewell Gala with
Beecher Beecher may refer to:__NOTOC__ People *Beecher (surname) Places United States *Beecher, Illinois * Beecher, Michigan, a census-designated place and unincorporated community near Flint * Beecher, Wisconsin, a town * Beecher (community), Wisconsin, ...
, which was to be a five-month luxury tour organized by Captain Charles Duncan, the Shipping Commissioner of the Port of New York, and father in-law of Dr. Arthur Wells Yale.
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
joined the group and they embarked on the
USS Quaker City USS ''Quaker City'' was a heavy, sidewheel steamship leased by the Union Navy at the start of the American Civil War. She was subsequently purchased by the navy, outfitted with a powerful 20-pounder long rifle, and assigned to help enforce the ...
steamship to Europe in 1867, with Moses Sperry and other members making an appearance in Mark Twain's ''
Innocents Abroad ''The Innocents Abroad, or The New Pilgrim's Progress'' is a travel literature , travel book by American author Mark Twain. Published in 1869, it humorously chronicles what Twain called his "Great Pleasure Excursion" on board the chartered stea ...
''. The luxurious cruise was the first organized tourism trip in American history.Journey Abroad with an American Legend at the New-York Historical Society
Mark Twain and the Holy Land, On View October 25, 2019 – February 2, 2020
The itinerary included Gibraltar, Rome, Athens, Constantinople, Beirut, Jerusalem, Cairo, and other exotic places, including the 1867 Exposition Universelle in Paris, and a visit with Czar Alexander II and other members of the
House of Romanov The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning dynasty, imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russi ...
. His daughter Emma joined the voyage and became a friend of
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
. She became his correspondent and Twain later stayed overnight at Moses Sperry's home in Brooklyn, New York.


Later life

Beach lived in Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, from 1851 to 1888, at which point he retired to
Peekskill, New York Peekskill is a city in northwestern Westchester County, New York, United States, north of New York City. Established as a village in 1816, it was incorporated as a city in 1940. It lies on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across fr ...
. 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 ...
as a
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...
, representing Kings County 2nd District, in
1858 Events January–March * January 9 ** Revolt of Rajab Ali: British forces finally defeat Rajab Ali Khan of Chittagong. ** Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas, commits suicide. * January 14 – Orsini affair: Pi ...
. He became a board director of the Brooklyn Fire Insurance Company on Court Street, next to
Brooklyn Borough Hall Brooklyn Borough Hall is a building in Downtown Brooklyn, New York City. It was designed by architects Calvin Pollard and Gamaliel King in the Greek Revival style, and constructed of Tuckahoe marble under the supervision of superintendent ...
. In 1845, Beach married Chloe Buckingham. They had two sons and three daughters, including artist Emma Beach Thayer, who married to naturalist
Abbott Handerson Thayer Abbott Handerson Thayer (August 12, 1849May 29, 1921) was an American painter, naturalist, and teacher. As a painter of portraits, figures, animals, and landscapes, he enjoyed a certain prominence during his lifetime, and his paintings are repres ...
, a pioneer of
military camouflage Military camouflage is the use of camouflage by an Military, armed force to protect personnel and equipment from observation by enemy forces. In practice, this means applying colour and materials to military equipment of all kinds, including ...
and member of the
Thayer family The Thayer family is an American Boston Brahmin family. They are descended from early settlers and brothers Thomas Thayer (1596–1665) and Richard Thayer (1601–1664). Notable members * Atherton Thayer (1766–1798), Sheriff * Ebenezer Tha ...
. His son Charles Yale Beach was a manufacturer and real estate investor, with holdings in
New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...
and
Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...
, and was a correspondent of
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
. He was also a student in philosophy at
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
, and supported
Elihu Root Elihu Root (; February 15, 1845February 7, 1937) was an American lawyer, Republican Party (United States), Republican politician, and statesman who served as the 41st United States Secretary of War under presidents William McKinley and Theodor ...
's investigation of Captain Duncan. Beach was treasurer of the Working Woman's Protective Union for the first 30 years of its existence. He was a deacon and trustee of Plymouth Church, which was at the forefront of the anti-slavery movement during the mid-19th century. He was also superintendent of its Sunday school, and a close friend of its pastor,
Henry Ward Beecher Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the Abolitionism, abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery ...
, an ardent abolitionist. The
Beecher family Originating in New England the Beecher family in the 19th century was a political family notable for issues of religion, civil rights, and social reform. Notable members of the family include clergy (Presbyterians and Congregationalists), educator ...
were great friends of the Beaches, being neighbors in Brooklyn, and are featured in the Pulitzer book
The Most Famous Man in America ''The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher'' is a 2006 biography of the 19th-century American minister Henry Ward Beecher, written by Debby Applegate and published by Doubleday (publisher), Doubleday. The book describes ...
. The families were also living next to each other at
Peekskill, New York Peekskill is a city in northwestern Westchester County, New York, United States, north of New York City. Established as a village in 1816, it was incorporated as a city in 1940. It lies on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across fr ...
, as Beach followed his friend Henry Beecher and bought land next to his farm on the Beecher-McFadden Estate. Their homes were also used as
Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...
safe houses to host in secret tunnels the slaves who were on their way to Canada, in disobedience to the
Fugitive Slave Law The fugitive slave laws were laws passed by the United States Congress in 1793 and 1850 to provide for the return of slaves who escaped from one state into another state or territory. The idea of the fugitive slave law was derived from the Fugi ...
.President Lincoln and the Underground Railroad
Peekskill, Historic Preservation Program, Overview of Historic Preservation in Peekskill, 2002, p.10
Visitors of Beecher in Peekskill included his sister
Harriet Harriet(t) may refer to: * Harriet (name), a female name ''(includes list of people with the name)'' Places *Harriet, Queensland, rural locality in Australia * Harriet, Arkansas, unincorporated community in the United States * Harriett, Texas, ...
, abolitionist and author of "
Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...
". Beach's brother,
Alfred Ely Beach Alfred Ely Beach (September 1, 1826 – January 1, 1896) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, publisher, and patent lawyer, born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He is known for his design of the earliest predecessor to the New York City Subwa ...
, founded the first school for freed slaves in Savannah, Georgia, named the
Beach Institute Alfred Ely Beach High School, known as Beach High School, is a public high school in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Beach Institute In 1867, the Beach Institute was established by the American Missionary Association (A.M.A.) and the Burea ...
, after the victory of General
Sherman Sherman most commonly refers to: *Sherman (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname ** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General *M4 Sherman, a World War II American tank S ...
, who gave the region to Lincoln after the Civil War. Beach was also a correspondent of
P.T. Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding with James Anthony Bailey the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He w ...
,
Kan'ichi Asakawa was a Japanese academic, author, historian, curator and peace advocate. Asakawa was Japanese by birth and citizenship though he lived the majority of his life in the United States. Early life and education Asakawa was born in Nihonmatsu, Japa ...
,
Edward Beecher Edward Beecher (August 27, 1803 – July 28, 1895) was an American theologian, the son of Lyman Beecher and the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Ward Beecher. Biography Beecher was born August 27, 1803, in East Hampton, New York. He ...
,
John Ericsson John Ericsson (born Johan Ericsson; July 31, 1803 – March 8, 1889) was a Swedish-American engineer and inventor. He was active in England and the United States. Ericsson collaborated on the design of the railroad steam locomotive Novelty (lo ...
,
Cyrus W. Field Cyrus West Field (November 30, 1819July 12, 1892) was an American businessman and financier who, along with other entrepreneurs, created the Atlantic Telegraph Company and laid the first telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean in 1858. Early ...
,
Edward Everett Hale Edward Everett Hale (April 3, 1822 – June 10, 1909) was an American author, historian, and Unitarian minister, best known for his writings such as " The Man Without a Country", published in ''Atlantic Monthly'', in support of the Union ...
,
Christopher Grant La Farge Heins & LaFarge was a New York City–based architectural firm founded by Philadelphia-born architect George Lewis Heins (1860–1907) and Christopher Grant LaFarge (1862–1938), the eldest son of the artist John La Farge. They were the architec ...
,
Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and wrote the popular novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (185 ...
, and
Robert E. Bonner Robert Edwin Bonner (April 28, 1824 – July 6, 1899) was an American publisher, now best known for ''The New York Ledger'', a weekly story newspaper. He owned famous trotting horses and he was a prominent supporter of the Presbyterian Church an ...
, a racehorse competitor of
Commodore Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...
. He died at home of a stroke on July 25, 1892. He was buried at
Cortlandt Manor Cortlandt Manor is a hamlet (New York), hamlet—an unincorporated section—of the Cortlandt, New York, town of Cortlandt in northern Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, roughly surrounding Peekskil ...
, Hillside Cemetery, New York, part of the ancestral estate of
Van Cortlandt Manor Van Cortlandt Manor is a 17th-century house and property built by the Van Cortlandt family located near the confluence of the Croton and Hudson Rivers in the village of Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester County, New York, United States. The coloni ...
of the
Van Cortlandt family The Van Cortlandt family was an influential political dynasty from the seventeenth-century Netherlands, Dutch origins of New York (state), New York through its period as an English colony, then after it became a state, and into the nineteenth cen ...
.


References


External links

*
The Political Graveyard
'
Moses S. Beach
at '' Find a Grave'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Beach, Moses S. 1822 births 1892 deaths People from Springfield, Massachusetts Wilbraham & Monson Academy alumni 19th-century American newspaper editors Editors of New York City newspapers Editors of Massachusetts newspapers 19th-century American inventors American inventors Politicians from Brooklyn People from Peekskill, New York Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Beach family Yale family American abolitionists Underground Railroad people 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature