The sun., 1910-01-09
GEN. CURTIS DIES ON HIS FEET
GOING ABOUT HIS BUSINESS As
USUAL WHEN THE END CAME.
Called the Here OI Fort FIsher-Had Just
Finished n Book Entitled ''The Maxi
Ing ana Welding or tho Nation" and
Had Carried Manuscript Downtown.

Major-Gen. Newton Martin Curtis, who
commanded the van of the assaulting
column that captured Fort Fisher on
January Is. .ise5. and lost an eye in the
battle. fell dead at noon yesterday iufront
Of the Office Of the Consolidated Gas
Company at Irving place.
The General was on the way 70. his
rooms at 20 Irving place. where he had
lived for about twelve years. or since he
was an assistant inspector general OF
the National Soldiers Home The pfices
Of the home are In the New York Life
Building and Gen. Curtis had spent the
morning there talking to his colleagues.
Cols W. r. Elwell. the inspector-general
and CHIEF surgeon Of the home: Col. c. w.
Wadsw orth. an assistant lnspe ctor- gen
erol, and Major Moses ". dsrtis. the
treasurer. -.l.'; rk-7
He had taken to the office for their in.
spection the manuscript Of q book he had
just finished for the Putnsms. Il is en-
titled The Making and Welding Of the
Nation" The General complained as he
gave his friends the manuscript that he
was feeling i'll. and said he guessed IL was
about time for him TO be mustered out.
Col. ElwelA reassured him. or tried to.
and gave him prescription. The officers
Of the home attributed his depression to.
his sge-nearly IS years-and the severe
cold from which he was suffering.
He left the Office about ii o'clock and
started for home. About noon the clerks
Of the Consolidated Gas Company saw
through the front windows a very tall
man with a white beard and a commanding
carriage stumble and fall 10 the sidewalk.
He did not arise and some Of the clerks
ran out. They carried him into the Office.
He was dead. II was soon ascertained
who he was and Coroner Winterbottom
was notified The Coroner sent the body
to an undertaker's TO await the action of
the Generals family. He had four
daughters. Mary Curtis, a public school
teacher in this city; a daughter in Illi-
nois one in Indiana and one in Wisconsin
Gen. Curtiss services earned for him
in after years the title Of "the hero of
Fort Fisher" He was the leader in this
country Of the movement for the abolition
Of capital punishment. He had served
three times in Congress. had been a MEM
Der Of the New York Legislature, an
official In the customs and treasury ser
vice and had written two books and a
number of papers on civil war history
He was six feet two or three inches tall
and carried himself very erect even In
his age.
He was born at De Peyster n. Y, on
May 81. 1885. After attending Gouver-
neur Wesleyan Seminary he became post
master Of De Peyster until 1851, when
President Lincoln issued a call for 75. 600
troops TO recover the property Of the
United States forcibly seized" Yosng
Curtis volunteered. recruited a company,
became its captain and joined the Six
teenth New York Infantry. He rose in
rank step by step. becoming Lieutenant
Colonel OF the 147d New York in October.
1852. Colonel Of the regiment the next
year, brevet Brigadier- General in October,
1894 General in 1885 and BreVet
Ma ior-G General after the oaptiire of Fort
Fisher. He served with McDowell's
army in 1851. with the army OF the Potomac
in 1851 and 1882. with DIX s army, the Army
of the Potomac and in the Department of
the South in 1888. with the Army Of the
James and the Potomac in 1884 and the
Army of the Potomac In 1895. He re-
ceived the thanks Of the New York LeGis-
lature in 1855 for his gallantry in the cap
ture of Fort Fisher
Gen. Curtis figured in a dr. amatic in
cident thirteen wears ago, defending him
self at a dinner Of The Loyal Legion at
Delmonico's from charges made by Gen. |
Adelbert Ames Of Massachusetts, a fellow |
guest Of honor. that he had no part i'm /,
the direct assault on Fisher. Gen. Anes !
astonished the 500 army and navy vet |
Grams by declaring that Capt. Albert |
GallavD Lawrence and not Gen. Curtis !
ted the charge. and that Gen. Curtis held /
back calling for reenforcements. There !
was a trem endous to-do, the veterans |
cheering Curtis and calling on him to
speak. He arose. ignoring Gen. Ames. !
and addressing his remarks to Gen. Horace |
Porter. who was presiding He defended |
his record, quoting BadcaU. and finished !
with bow to Gen. AmeS and these words: |
Gen. Ames. with mis- craven heart"
He got no further. The banqueters |
sprang to their feet. rushed toward the |
two men and surrounded them Gen. |
Porter secured quiet after time and
Gen. Curtis was requested TO prepare |
for the Loyd Legion report on the battle |
NJ Fort Fisher and his own part in the |
assault. He read it two months later. |
on May 5, 1897. aud received the applause |
Of the Legion. Gen. Ames WIS a son-in- !
aw of Gen. Benjamin +. But Ter. who /
Fisher before Gen. Terry's command. |
with which Gen. Ames and Gen. Curtis |
both served won the fort:
After the surrender Of the Confederate
FORCES Gen. CurttS was tnauo InlSf OF Il
STAFF of the Department OF Virginia, with |
at Richmond. and later
Commander OF the Department OF South
west Virginia, with headquarters at
IIynchburR. He was mustered out on
January Is, 1866.
In the same year he was appointed
Collector of Customs at Oswegatchie,
n. Y. and had the post until 1857, when
he received an appo in the Treas
ury Department as special agent. He
remained in that service until 1880 In !
1884 Gen. Curtis was elected member
of the Assembly and served until 1890.
Then he was elected TO Congress from the
st. jefferson district. and when 1
the district was recomposed OF st Law
renee and Saratoga counties ne was
reelected for two terms He left Congress /
in 1897.
!. In 1898 the General became an assistant |
OF the National Sol
diers' Home. and since that time he had !
spent most OF his time in this city, al
though he had a residence in OgdensbuTg
He was active in his duties and was daily
at his Office in the New York Life Build
ing at $40 Broadway.
Several years ago he wrote for the