User:Pmcyclist/General McAlpin Article

General McAlpin was born on June 9. 1848, the son of David Hunter McAlpin, a prominent owner of a tobacco manufacturer in New York City, and Adelaide Rose McAlpin, in Ossining, New York. McAlpin attended public school for a time, then graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover Massachusetts. Following his graduation, McAlpin joined his father’s company, D. H. McAlpin & Co. With the outbreak of hostilities, McAlpin enlisted in the Civil War as a drummer boy but his father recinded the action due to his youth at age 17 After the end of the war he was old enough to enlist in his own right and in 1869 joined the 7th Regiment of the New York Militia, (later the New York Guard) with the rank of Private. McAlpin attained the rank of First Lieutenant in the 71st Infantry Regiment (New York) where he was promoted in 1885 to Colonel. After retiring from the service he was appointed Adjutant General of the State by Governor Levi P. Morton, in 1885 with the rank of Major General. In this role he deployed his units to suppress several disorders in the New York City vicinity, but saw no formal combat.

On 27 October 1870 he married Anne Brandreth, daughter of Benjamin Brandreth proprietor of the then-famous “Brandreth Vegetable Universal Pills” from which he amassed a large fortune. The wedding took place at Trinity Episcopal Church in Ossining and was officiated by Rev. Clarence Buel. In 1895 the couple celebrated their silver wedding anniversary at their house in Ossining, NY, dubbed “Hillside House”. As befitted a prominent person in the day, the couple chartered a train to bring guests from New York City and return them at the end of the evening.

He was an active worker in the Republican Party and ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 1884. For many years he was treasurer of the Republican Campaign Committee.

General McAlpin owned several large tracts of real estate in Manhattan, inherited from his father. One tract on 34th Stree and Broadway was developed into the Hotel McAlpin which was named after the General. In the lobby of the hotel stood a wooden Indian which once stood outside the family’s tobacco store on Catherine Street in Manhattan; the predecessor to the large tobacco concern which eventually became the D.H. McAlpin & Co. tobacco company.

On 12 August 1911 Gen. McAlpin was elected President and Chief Scout of the Boy Scouts of America.

General McAlpin died at 2:00 p.m. on 1 2 April 1917 at his home in Ossining of a cerebral hemorrhage.

General McAlpin left five sons:


 * Colonel Benjamin Brandreth McAlpin
 * Reverend Edwin A. McAlpin
 * J. Roderick McAlpin
 * Kenneth R. McAlpin
 * David Hunter McAlpin 2nd