Theron S. Copeland
Encyclopedia
Theron S. Copeland was an American law enforcement officer and police captain
with the New York City Police Department
. He studied military tactics
at a military academy
and in the National Guard before joining the police force in 1855. Much of his career was spent as a drillmaster and, during the New York Draft Riots
in 1863, he was part of the force under Inspector Daniel C. Carpenter
who confronted a mob intending to loot the New York financial district
and the United States sub-treasury. Copeland was later named in a general address to the police force for displaying "valor and intelligent service" during the riots.
In January 1903, he retired at the rank of captain after 41 years of service. He died at Barlow Street on July 8, 1905. Survived by his wife and eleven children, his funeral was held at their home and was buried at Greenwood Cemetery
.
Police captain
- France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant....
with the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
. He studied military tactics
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
at a military academy
Military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps of the army, the navy, air force or coast guard, which normally provides education in a service environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned.Three...
and in the National Guard before joining the police force in 1855. Much of his career was spent as a drillmaster and, during the New York Draft Riots
New York Draft Riots
The New York City draft riots were violent disturbances in New York City that were the culmination of discontent with new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The riots were the largest civil insurrection in American history apart from the Civil War itself...
in 1863, he was part of the force under Inspector Daniel C. Carpenter
Daniel C. Carpenter
Daniel C. Carpenter was an American law enforcement officer and police inspector of the New York Police Department. He was one of earliest leading detectives on the police force during the mid-19th century and also had a prominent role in the Police Riot of 1857 and New York Draft Riots in 1863...
who confronted a mob intending to loot the New York financial district
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
and the United States sub-treasury. Copeland was later named in a general address to the police force for displaying "valor and intelligent service" during the riots.
In January 1903, he retired at the rank of captain after 41 years of service. He died at Barlow Street on July 8, 1905. Survived by his wife and eleven children, his funeral was held at their home and was buried at Greenwood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County , New York. It was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2006 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.-History:...
.
Further reading
- Bernstein, Iver. The New York City Draft Riots: Their Significance for American Society and Politics in the Age of the Civil War. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
- Cook, Adrian. The Armies of the Streets: The New York City Draft Riots of 1863. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1974.
- Costello, Augustine E. Our Police Protectors: History of the New York Police from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. New York: A.E. Costello, 1885.
- Headley, J.T. The Great Riots of New York, 1712 to 1873, Including a Full and Complete Account of the Four Days' Draft Riot of 1863. New York: E.B. Treat, 1873.
- Hickey, John J. Our Police Guardians: History of the Police Department of the City of New York, and the Policing of Same for the Past One Hundred Years. New York: John J. Hickey, 1925.
- McCague, James. The Second Rebellion: The Story of the New York City Draft Riots of 1863. New York: Dial Press, 1968.