Background
William Gurney was born at Flushing, Long Island, in 1821.
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William Gurney
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He was of Quaker extraction. Gurney went to New York City in 1837, and obtained employment as a clerk in the wholesale establishment of Anugrah Narayan Brown, in Dey street. William Gurney was one of the originators of the Five Points Mission in New York City.
Gurney was affiliated with many Masonic lodges including Adelphic and Arcana and in 1853 was one of the founders of Continental Lodge Number.
287 Free and Accepted Masons in the state of New New York At the outbreak of the American Civil War he was a First Lieutenant in the Seventh Regiment, which he accompanied during its three months" term of service.
On his return to New York City he accepted a captain"s commission in the Sixty-fifth Regiment, New York Volunteers, commanded by Colonel John Cochrane. In 1862 he was appointed Assistant Inspector-General and Examining Officer on the staff of Government.
Morgan, in which position he was required to pass upon the qualifications of persons applying for commissions in the regiments of the State of New New York
On July 10, 1862 Gurney received authority to raise a regiment, and in 30 days recruited the One Hundred and Twenty-seventh New York Volunteers. lieutenant was organized on Staten Island September 8, 1862. Colonel Gurney returned to the front at the head of this unit
Later in 1862 he was assigned to the command of the Second Brigade in General
Abercrombie"s Division. In 1864 he joined the command of General
Q.A. Gillmore, who was then operating on the South Carolina coast. He was severely wounded at Denoe"s Neck, near Charleston, in December 1864, and was sent North for medical treatment.
On his recovery he returned south and was assigned to duty as Commander of the post at Charleston, taking over the job from Stewart Woodford.
While in this position Gurney was involved in an incident with Stephen Atkins Swails, the first African American Commissioned Officer. He was promoted for gallantry in action to the rank of Brigadier-General. General Gurney returned to New York in July, 1865, where he was mustered out of the service.
The 127th New York Volunteers he had raised was mustered out on June 30, 1865 after three years of service to the United States.
General Gurney went back with his family to Charleston, where he established himself as a merchant and cotton factor. In 1870 General Gurney was appointed Treasurer of Charleston County.
He continued to reside in Charleston until about 1878, when he came North on account of his health.
Membership
He was also a member of Adelphi Chapter and Morton Commandery. Gurney always took an active interest in the Militia, and was originally a member of the Eighth Regiment. He was a member of the Electoral College in 1872 from South Carolina, and was the Commissioner from that State in the Centennial Exposition.
