Edward Delafield Smith (May 8, 1826 – April 12, 1878) was an American lawyer who served as

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York The United States attorney for the Southern District of New York is the United States Attorney, chief federal law enforcement officer in eight contiguous New York counties: the counties (coextensive boroughs of New York City) of New York County, ...

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 ...

Career

At 33 years old, Smith was appointed federal attorney for New York City by

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 ...

. His most famous case was in 1862, when he oversaw the prosecution of slave trader Nathaniel Gordon. Gordon, who was captured in 1860 under the previous administration of

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was the 15th president of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861. He also served as the United States Secretary of State, secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and represented Pennsylvan ...

, had had the prosecution of his case delayed by then District Attorney James I. Roosevelt. When Smith assumed his post in April 1861, he found that Gordon had been in custody for some time in the relative comfort of the Eldridge Street jail, with no plans to bring a trial. As a result, Smith had Gordon moved to

the Tombs The Tombs was the colloquial name for Manhattan Detention Complex (formerly the Bernard B. Kerik Complex during 2001–2006), a former municipal jail at 125 White Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It was also the nickname for three prev ...

. At the time, Smith was determined to help stop the slave trade and saw the case as an opportunity to set an example for all future slave traders. Smith pushed for a death sentence for Gordon and won. Gordon was sentenced to death, and executed in 1862. Later on, he also prosecuted John Andrews, leader of the New York City draft riots. A staunch unionist and Republican, Smith helped to found the Union League of New York and the Union Defense Committee. From 1871 to 1875, he served as

Corporation Counsel The corporation counsel is the title given to the chief legal officer who handles civil claims against the city in some U.S. municipal and county jurisdictions, including negotiating settlements and defending the city when it is sued. Most corp ...

for

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Personal life

Edward was a direct descendant of the early American colonist Daniel Smith of

Watertown, Massachusetts Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Sq ...

. He was the second cousin of attorney James Smith Bush.

References

1826 births 1878 deaths United States attorneys for the Southern District of New York 19th-century American politicians Lawyers from New York City 19th-century American lawyers {{US-law-bio-stub American abolitionists