Joseph C. Pinckney

from The New York Times, March 12, 1881:

    DEATH OF GEN. J. C. PINCKNEY,
    HIS CAREER AS A SOLDIER AND IN CITY
              PUBLIC LIFE.
 Gen. Joseph C. Pinckney, Commissioner of
Emigration, died at his residence, No. 27 Stuyves-
ant-street, yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock. He
has been troubled for some time with a torpid
liver, which, with a complication of other disorders,
prostrated him. He became insensible at midnight
on Thursday, and did not again regain concious-
ness. Gen. Pinckney was born in 1821, in the Elev
enth Ward of this City. His father, Peter Pinckney,
at one time was well-to-do, but he died poor, and
Joseph was thrown on his own resources. In 1859
he seciured the position of clerk in the Finance De-
partment, under Controller Robert T. Hawes, and
he was soon promoted. He was prominent in the
organization of the Bureau of Arrears, and became
its chief manager. Before entering political life,
however, Mr. Pinckney had become a member of
the New-York State Militia. He began as a private
in the Sixth Regiment, and had gradually risen to
the rank of Colonel in the regiment. When the war
broke out he promptly resigned his position in the
Controller's office, and was one of the first to offer
the services of himself and his regiment to Gov.
Morgan for the defense of the Union. The Sixth
was detailed to remain in Annapolis, Md., and
Col. Pinckney was placed in command of the city,
which was then an important base of supplies. At
the end of the three months for which it had been
called into service, the Sixth returned home, and
Col. Pinckney recruited the Sixty-sixth New-York
Volunteers, which was attached to the First Divi-
sion of the Second Army Corps, and did good
sercice in the Army of the Potomac, under Gens.
McClellan and Pope. While in command of the
Sixty-sixth at the battle of Gaine's Mill, Col. Pinck-
ney had behaved so gallantly that he was compli-
mented in general orders and made Brevet
Brigadier-General. He resigned his commission in
the Army in 1863, having become incapacitated for
duty by sickness contracted in the service. He
was subsequently appointed Quartermaster-Gen-
eral, in charge of the depot at Buffalo, in this
State, an office which he filled until the close of the
war.
 After a two year's trip to Europe, made neces-
sary by the state of his health, he returned home in
1867, and at once renewed the political life which
he had resigned to engage in the war. He had
been one of the organizers of the Republican Party
in the Seventeenth Ward, and has been a leading
member of the Fourteenth District Republican
Association since its foundation. At one time he
acted as President of the association, but of late
years he has represented it as a delegate in the
Republican Central Committee. In the latter body
he has always been recognized as an important
member, and for the past five years he has acted as
Chairman of the Finance Committee. In 1878
Gen. Pinckney was made Clerk of the Board of
Aldermen and served in that capacity for two
years. in 1875 he was elected Alderman from the
Sixth District, which had up to this time been
overwhelmingly Democratic. He served as Alder-
man at Large during 1877 and 1878, retiring from
the board on Jan. 1, 1879. In 1878 he was elected
Chairman of the Republican Central Committee to
succeed the late Hon. Benjamin K. Phelps, and at the
conclusion of his term he was succeeded by Gen.
Chester A. Arthur. He was appointed Commis-
sioner of Emigration by Gov. Cornell early last
year and has served in that board ever since
as Chairman of the Ward's Island Committee.
Gen. Pinckney has been a delegate to every Re-
publican State and County convention since the
war. He was a member of the Chicago Convention
which nominated President Lincoln, and an alter-
nate to Gen. Arthur at the last national conven-
tion. He was a member of the Grand Army of the
Republic since its inception. For three years he
was Commander of Cameron Post. No. 79. He was
Chairman of the Memorial Committee of the or-
ganization in 1875 and 1876, and had been
a delegate to every national and State en-
campment. He was a prominent Freemason,
formerly Master of a lodge, and was one of the
oldest members of the Morton Commandery, Knights
Templar. He was also prominent in the Order of
Odd-fellows and the Benevolent Order of Elks.
He jeld at one time one of the highest offices in
the latter society, and delivered an oration for it
when the monument was raised by the order in
1879 in Evergreen Cemetery.
 Gen. Pinckney was a widower and leaves one son,
about 19 years of age. At his home in Stuyvesant-
street, he had collected a library peculiarly rich
in everything related to New-York City politics.
He became so ill as to be confined to his house
about the latter part of December. During his ill-
ness he was attended by Dr.Carnochan.