Patrick Henry Jones Patrick Henry Jones ( November 20 , 1830 – July 23 , 1900 ) was an American lawyer , public servant and postmaster of New York City during the mid - to late 19th century . In 1878 , he was involved in the Alexander T . Stewart bodysnatching case when he was contacted by the kidnappers to act as an intermediary between themselves and the Stewart estate . When negotiations stalled between the Stewart family ' s lawyer Henry Hilton , he assisted Stewart ' s widow in negotiating for the return of her husband ' s body . Jones also had a successful military career serving with the Union Army during the American Civil War , being involved in thirty major battles and countless skirmishes , and reaching the rank of brigadier general before the war ' s end . He was one of ten Irish - Americans to become brigade commanders and one of four Irish born officers to become a divisional commander . Biography . Early life and legal career . Born in County Westmeath , Ireland on November 20 , 1830 , Jones attended grammar school in Dublin for three years until emigrating with his family to the United States in 1840 . They settled on a farm in Cattaraugus County , New York where Jones would spend most of his childhood . Because of his poor background , he received only a limited education at the Union School in Ellicottville . In 1850 , the 20 - year - old Jones became involved in journalism and traveled as a correspondent throughout the Western States for a leading New York journal . He later became the local editor for the " Buffalo Republic " and one of the editors of the " Buffalo Sentinel " . Eventually , Jones decided to pursue a career in law and later studied under the firm of Addison Rice . He was admitted to the bar in 1856 and afterwards practiced law with Addison in Ellicottville as a full partner . By 1860 , he had established himself as one of the most prominent lawyers in western New York . A lifelong Democrat , he became disillusioned by the party ' s support of Southern succession from the Union and , in May 1861 , decided to join the military in defense of the United States . Military service . Upon the outbreak of the American Civil War , Jones readily joined the Union Army . On July 7 , 1861 , he enlisted with the 37th New York Volunteers , popularly known as the " Irish Rifles " , under Colonel John H . McCunn . He was initially a private but quickly found himself elected to the rank of second lieutenant by the men in the regiment . He was present at the First Battle of Bull Run , only two weeks after his enlistment , but saw no action as the unit was held in reserve . Jones displayed " gallant conduct " during his first years with the regiment and soon rose in rank to first lieutenant and adjutant on November 4 , 1861 , and then major on January 21 , 1862 . He and the " Irish Rifles " later joined General Samuel P . Heintzelman ' s III Corps , as part of the 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Division under Brigadier General Philip Kearny , during the Peninsula campaign and participated in Williamsburg , Seven Pines and the Seven Days campaign . Jones was also present when the 37th New York Volunteers , then attached to the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division of the III Corps , were at the Second Battle of Bull Run . In May and June , he began suffering from malaria and was hospitalized in Washington , D . C . on September 26 remaining there until the end of October . He was also briefly an officer to Major General Franz Sigel prior to the retirement of General Ambrose Burnside and the reorganization of the Army of the Potomac . On October 8 , 1862 , Jones was promoted to the rank of colonel and transferred to the 154th New York Volunteers , or the " Hardtack regiment " , then under command by his former law partner Colonel Addison Rice . Rice had originally founded the regiment and , within two months of its arrival in Northern Virginia , he turned over his command to Jones . The 154th was part of General Oliver O . Howard ' s XI Corps during the Battle of Chancellorsville , attached to the 1st Brigade of the 2nd Division commanded by Brigadier General Adolph von Steinwehr , where Jones was wounded in the right hip when his unit was ambushed and overrun by Confederate troops under Thomas " Stonewall " Jackson resulting in his capture . Jones remained a prisoner - of - war for five months until being released in a prisoner exchange in October 1863 ; other accounts claim he was paroled for medical reasons on May 15 and again hospitalized in Washington during June where had an attack of amaurosis two months later . After his release from hospital in Anapolis , Maryland , Jones was placed in charge of paroled prisoners before returning to active duty and accompanied the XI Corps upon being transferred to Tennessee . The unit was present at Chattanooga during the assault on Missionary Ridge the next month , however they did not participate in the battle . In April 1864 , Jones took a brief leave of absence to recover his health . When the XI and XII Corps were combined to form the Major General William T . Sherman ' s XX Corps during that spring , although still in poor health , Jones accepted command of the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Division ( " Geary ' s White Stars " ) during the Atlanta campaign , the March to the Sea and the Carolinas campaign . On May 8 , he was seriously injured in a skirmish at Buzzard ' s Roost ( Mill Creek Gap ) when his horse fell off a cliff during the Battle of Rocky Face Ridge . He was cleared to return to duty a month later , however his surgeon recommended " a change of climate and mode of living " allowing Jones to take another sick leave in December . He resumed his command during the final weeks of the campaign and was present at the surrender of Confederate General Joseph E . Johnston in March 1865 . On April 18 , Jones accepted a commission as brigadier - general on the personal recommendations of Generals Joseph " Fighting Joe " Hooker and Oliver Howard . President Abraham Lincoln telegraphed General Sherman to inquire about their requests to which Sherman praised his " gallant services in the field " during the campaign . Rejoining his old unit at Goldsboro , North Carolina , he remained at that rank for the rest of the war and resigned on June 17 , 1865 . Stewart bodysnatching case . After his resignation , Jones resumed his law practice in Ellicottville and in November 1865 was elected on the Republican ticket as Clerk of the New York Court of Appeals . He remained in this office until December 31 , 1868 . On August 13 , 1868 , Jones was appointed by Gov . Reuben E . Fenton as Register of New York City ( the local recorder of deeds ) to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles G . Halpine , remaining in this office until the end of the year with the understanding that the fees of the office be paid over to Halpine ' s widow . On April 1 , 1869 , Jones was appointed by President Ulysses S . Grant as postmaster of New York City and was eventually succeeded by Thomas L . James upon his resignation in 1872 . From 1875 to 1877 , Jones was again Register of New York City , elected in November 1874 on the Republican ticket . Afterwards he resumed his private practice . In January 1877 , Jones was contacted by Henry G . Romaine requesting that he act as an intermediary between himself and the Stewart estate . Romaine had been involved in stealing the body of Alexander T . Stewart three months earlier and was demanding a ransom from his widow Cornelia . In several signed letters to Jones , Romaine offered the return of Stewart ' s body for $ 250 , 000 and was instructed to contact him through personal ads in the " New York Herald " . He also received a small packet , express delivered from Canada , which included the knobs and two of the silver handles from Stewart ' s casket as well as a small strip of velvet and triangular piece of paper . Jones immediately reported the incident to the NYPD Chief of Police George W . Walling and , after a meeting with Walling and Henry Hilton , Jones agreed to proceed in the negotiations . On February 5 , Jones placed a personal ad offering to open negotiations . A letter was sent six days later , postmarked Boston , in which Romaine offered the return of Stewart ' s body on several conditions which included payment of $ 250 , 000 in cash , that the body would be delivered to an arranged spot 25 miles from Montreal , Canada only to Jones and Hilton , Jones would hold the money to turn it over to a representative and for " both parties to maintain forever an unbroken silence in regard to the transaction " . Hilton refused to agree to these terms and broke off negotiations . Jones was then told to deliver these demands to Stewart ' s widow himself , but Jones refused to participate any further . A year later , after further negotiations by Hilton had failed , Jones was approached by Stewart ' s widow to negotiate on her behalf . Romaine agreed to return the body for $ 100 , 000 and , while the distraught widow favored to accept the offer , Jones persuaded her to allow him to continue negotiations and was eventually able to get Romaine to accept an offer of $ 20 , 000 . He later oversaw the delivery of the ransom money as well as the return of the body in Westchester County , New York . Later years . Jones suffered serious medical problems in his old age , specifically deafness and , which his physician blamed on his exposure to artillery fire and his time in the swamps along the Chickahominy River during his military service . He also suffered from constant pain in his right sciatic nerve , attributed to his old war wound suffered at Chancellorsville , as well as his wound in the gluteal region . Almost every spring and fall , he suffered from chills and fever lasting a week or two and confined him to bed . He also had occasional episodes of jaundice for which he took calomel , citrus of magnesia and an unknown type of Indian medicine . In October 1886 , a medical examination showed that the scar where the bullet had entered , located two inches below the trochanter major , was the " size of a ten - cent piece " while the exit wound four inches back and two inches below the first scar . His liver and spleen were both enlarged by percussion , his skin looked anemic , the conjunctiva of his eyes were yellowish , and had suffered considerable weight loss . His condition had worsened after another examination in August 1898 and his health continued to decline over the next two years . In early - July 1900 , Jones began suffering from severe gastroenteritis . His condition did not respond to therapeutic treatments as he lost control of his bowels and was unable to keep down solid food , living on scalded milk and brandy . On July 18 , 1900 , Jones died from cardiac failure , indirectly caused by his gastroenteritis , at his home in Port Richmond , New York . His funeral was held at St . Mary ' s Church two days later and then buried in St . Peter ' s Cemetery . Jones was survived by his wife and four sons .