Читать книгу History of Westchester County, New York, Volume 3 - Группа авторов - Страница 85

One of the most prominent residents of Tarrytown, New York, is Alfred Lawrence, a brief biography of whom follows. Mr. Lawrence is a son of John and Mary Lawrence, and was born in New York city, June 15, 1809. There his grandfather lived and there his father, who was a lawyer and a public man, was born, his death occurring in New Orleans, Louisiana, of yellow fever. John and Mary Lawrence had but one child, our subject.

When his father died Alfred Lawrence was but a mere lad. He attended the old Duane street school, where many since eminent New Yorkers received their primary education, and when he was old enough learned the trade of horse-shoeing, at which he busied himself three years. Then he went to boating between New York and Albany and became a captain, being well known along the lower Hudson. For fifteen years he was thus employed and then located at Tarrytown and engaged in marketing and the saloon business. Later he became a popular hotel-keeper, and as such for nearly half a century greeted those who came to Tarrytown.

Mr. Lawrence was an old-time Democrat, and, as events proved, a war Democrat. He took an active interest in politics as a young man, and an even more active interest in fighting fire. He had been a member of the "Old Fourteenth" engine company of New York city, with headquarters at Vesey and Church streets, and had done gallant service with "Old Number One." He was the organizer of the fire department at Tarrytown, and his experience in New York, — including that at the great fire which, on December 16, 1835, burned out a block opening from Broadway to the East river, — was useful in that work and in the active operations which naturally followed as occasion demanded. He gathered the original Phoenix Company together and then, at his own expense, secured for "the boys" an engine from Syracuse. It cost six hundred dollars, but he did not stop working and giving until a suitable engine-house was erected. When the department was reorganized, in 1861, he was elected its chief, and he held that office most efficiently for many years, except while in military service in the south. For several years he was chief of police at Tarrytown.

May 31, 1861, Mr. Lawrence enlisted in Company H, Thirty-second New York Volunteers, and his oldest son, Henry A. Lawrence, enlisted with him. The regiment proceeded to Washington, thence to Alexandria, and was soon at the front. At Bull Run, young Lawrence, who had been promoted to sergeant, was wounded and later perished by fire as he lay helpless on the field! The fire company he had organized at Tarrytown formed the nucleus of Company H and contributed thirty members to it. Mr. Lawrence was made sergeant at the beginning. He was promoted to be second lieutenant June 12, 1862, and to the first lieutenancy of the company March 20, 1863. He was mustered out of service June 9, following. He was in the Second Brigade, Fifth Division of the Army of Northern Virginia until October 15, 1861; in the Third Brigade, Fifth Division of the Army of the Potomac until May, 1862; in the Second Brigade, First Division, Sixth Corps of the Army of the Potomac until May, 1563, — almost at the expiration of his term of service. He participated in duty in the vicinity of Washington and at Fairfax Court House, in the Blackburn's Ford affair, in the memorable Bull Run fight, in the skirmish near Munson Hill and in that at Annandale, in the Peninsula campaign, in the siege of Yorktown, in the expedition to West Point and in the engagement at West Point, in the affairs at Barboursville and Ethan's Landing, in the seven-days battles before Richmond, in the engagements at Gaines' Mills, Gamett's and Golding's Farms, Savage Station, White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, Bakersville, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Mayer's Heights, Salem Church and intermediate points, doing soldiers' duty in camp, on the field of battle and on many long and weary marches.

Mr. Lawrence is an active and enthusiastic G. A. R. man and was a member of Acker Post, of Tarrytown, until it was disbanded, and since then he has been a member of Kitching Post, of Yonkers. He has been for many years identified with the Masonic order. He has in his possession a badge of the Richmond, Virginia, chief of police which was taken off the coat of that officer during the war at Morrisonville, near Richmond.

Mr. Lawrence was married, in August, 1841, to Emily Minnerly, of Mount Pleasant, who died July 17, 1878, and who bore him the following named children: Edward A., who was killed in the battle of the Wilderness; Henry A., who is deceased; Louisa, wife of Wilson Acker, ticket agent for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company, in New York city; Peter, of Tarrytown, who married Rebecca Knapp, died June 5, 1899; Sarah, wife of John McNally, postmaster of SingSing; Alfred, Jr., who died at the age of fifteen; and George and Nellie, who died in infancy. August 5, 1885, Mr. Lawrence married Emeline (Cole) Lake, daughter of Jacob and Aletta Cole, of Pleasant Valley, Dutchess county. Mr. Cole was a farmer of prominence, and he died in 1852, aged sixty-one. By his present wife, Mr. Lawrence has no children. Mrs. Lawrence's family is well known in this part of the state. One of her sisters was Mrs. Euphemia Bishop; another is Mrs. Susan Ann King, a widow; a third is Mrs. Mary Lake, of Yonkers. By her marriage with Jeremiah Lake, deceased, Mrs. Lawrence has four children: Emma, Mrs. William DeRevere, Mrs. Cornell and Mrs. Mollie Beesmer.