Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

INGIIAM COUNTY NOTES

215

and commanded troops quartered in New York City. He was
afterward made New York State Marshal and while holding that
position arrested Aaron Burr for treason. He was a member of
the State Legislature several terms. Both his father and his
father-in-law, grandfathers of Col. Frederick W. Curtenius,
gave distinguished service in the Revolutionary army. The
father of Peter Curtenius sold his business in New York City for
$16,000 and expended the whole amount for the benefit of the
army. On July 11, 1776, he read the Declaration of Independence
in New York, the first time it was ever given in public. With
Alexander Hamilton, Mayor of New York, and other city officials,
he placed himself at the head of the "Sons of Freedom," a local
organization, and with him as their leader the party marched to
where the equestrian statue of King George III stood, demolished
it and sent the pieces to Litchfield, Conn., where the loyal women
of that place made the lead into musket balls for the use of the
American army.
Frederick W. Curtenius was born in New York City in 1806
and graduated from Hamilton College, Oneida, N. Y., in 1823
and began to study law.
His inherited military taste proved stronger than his love of
books, and after a short time he gave up his studies and went to
South America to join the patriots who were making an effort to
free themselves from Spanish dominion. He was made a lieutenant and gave good service until the close of the war, when he
returned to New York, where he later commanded a regiment of
State Militia. In 1835 he came to Michigan and settled in what
is now Kalamazoo. In 1847 he raised a company for the First
Regiment of Michigan Infantry, commanded by Col. T. B. W.
Stockton, was made captain of his company and went with it to
Mexico, where he stayed until the end of the war. In 1855 he was
made Adjutant-General of Michigan, and held that position until
1861. He was then commissioned as colonel of the Sixth Michigan Infantry. He did garrison duty in Baltimore for six months,
then the regiment was made a part of the Gulf Division under
Gen. B. F. Butler and moved to New Orleans. This regiment,
after the capture of the city, was the first to take charge of the
United States Mint. Some time later Col. Curtenius was placed
in charge of United States property at Vicksburg, and owing to