Edwin Atkins Merritt (February 26, 1828 – December 26, 1916) was an American politician, civil service reformer and diplomat. He served as a Union Army officer in 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 a brigadier general in the New York Militia. In addition, 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 ...

, and held the appointive post of

Collector of the Port of New York The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, most often referred to as Collector of the Port of New York, was a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import duties on foreign goods that entered the United States by ship at ...

Life

Edwin A. Merritt was born in Sudbury, Vermont, on February 26, 1828, the son of Nodiah Merritt and Relief (Parker) Merritt. He was raised and educated in

Essex County, New York Essex County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 37,381. Its county seat is the hamlet of Elizabethtown (CDP), New York, Eliza ...

, and attended St. Lawrence Academy to receive his teaching qualification. In addition to teaching, Merritt also worked as a surveyor and engineer. From 1854 to 1857, Merritt was

Town Supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the American state of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, towns, and villages. (The only boroughs, the f ...

of Pierrepont, New York. From 1857 to 1861 he was Clerk of the St. Lawrence County Board of Supervisors. He was a member of the

(St. Lawrence Co., 2nd D.) in

1860 Events January * January 2 – The astronomer Urbain Le Verrier announces the discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan (hypothetical planet), Vulcan at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 &ndas ...

and 1861. During the

he served in the Union Army as quartermaster of the 60th New York Volunteer Infantry with the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, and took part in campaigns in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

and

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

. He was later stationed in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, and assigned to supply reinforcements departing for the front lines. In January 1865 he was appointed Quartermaster General of the New York Militia with the rank of brigadier general, a position he held until 1869. In April 1865, Merritt was New York's official representative at the

second inauguration of Abraham Lincoln The second inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as president of the United States took place on Saturday, March 4, 1865, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 20th inauguration and marked the commencement o ...

. He was a delegate to the 1867 state constitutional convention, and from 1869 to 1870 he was U.S. Naval Officer for the Port of New York, one of the three political appointees (collector, surveyor, and naval officer) who collected customs duties and fined importers who attempted to evade payment. In 1871, he declined appointment as U.S. Minister to Brazil. In

1875 Events January * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the year (Third C ...

he ran on the Republican ticket for New York State Treasurer, but was defeated by Democrat Charles N. Ross. In 1877, Merritt was appointed Surveyor of the Port of New York, and in 1878 he was selected to serve as Collector, succeeding Chester A. Arthur. He served until 1881, when he was appointed U.S. Consul General in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, where he served until 1885. Long interested in higher education, Merritt was a trustee of St. Lawrence University and

Clarkson University Clarkson University is a private research university with its main campus in Potsdam, New York. Clarkson has additional graduate programs and research facilities in the New York Capital District. It was established in 1896 and enrolled over 4 ...

, and was active in the creation of what is now the

State University of New York at Potsdam The State University of New York at Potsdam (SUNY Potsdam or simply Potsdam) is a public college in Potsdam (village), New York, Potsdam, New York, United States. Founded in 1816, it is the northernmost member of the State University of New Yo ...

. Merritt died in Potsdam, New York, on December 26, 1916. He was buried at Pierrepont Hill Cemetery in Pierrepont.

Family

On May 5, 1858, Merritt married Eliza Rich of Pierrepont. Their son Edwin Albert Merritt was a Congressman from New York.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Merritt, Edwin Atkins 1828 births 1916 deaths Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly People from Sudbury, Vermont Collectors of the Port of New York People from Potsdam, New York Consuls for the United States Town supervisors in New York (state) Union army officers Union militia generals 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature