Alonzo G. Draper  Alonzo Granville Draper (September 6, 1835 – September 3, 1865) was a volunteer officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War who eventually earned the grade of brevet brigadier general. During his early career, Draper was an outspoken advocate of various social causes, particularly worker's rights. As an officer during the Civil War, Draper was best known as the commander of the 36th United States Colored Troops. Born in Brattleboro, Vermont, Draper eventually moved to Lynn, Massachusetts. He was known as an eloquent speaker and became a local leader of several social causes including temperance and labor rights. In 1859, Draper was elected the first chairman of the Lynn Mechanics Association. In connection with this position, he also became editor of the "New England Mechanic", a publication dealing with the rights of industrial laborers. Draper was one of the key leaders of the New England Shoemakers Strike of 1860, the first significant movement of its kind. The political popularity he earned as a champion of worker's rights helped him to become assistant city marshal in Lynn. A few years before the Civil War, Draper married Sarah Elizabeth Andrews of Boston. They would have six children including one set of twins. Shortly after the beginning of the Civil War, Draper began recruiting a company of volunteer soldiers in Lynn. Draper was commissioned captain on July 5, 1861, and his company became Company C of the 14th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The regiment trained at Fort Warren in Boston and departed for Washington, D.C., in August 1861. Soon after arriving in Washington, the 14th Massachusetts was assigned to garrison duty at Fort Albany in Arlington, Virginia, which was one of many fortifications defending the capital. The regiment spent months training in the use of heavy artillery and therefore, in January 1862, was re-organized and became the 1st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery. On January 16, 1863, he was promoted to the grade of major. In the summer of 1863, Brig. Gen. Edward A. Wild, also from Massachusetts, organized the creation of several units of North Carolina infantry regiments consisting of African-American volunteers who would fight for the Union. Draper desired to lead one of these regiments and sought the support of Governor John Albion Andrew of Massachusetts. Writing Gov. Andrew, Draper described his passion for abolitionism and his desire to support the rights of African-Americans. On August 2, 1863, he became colonel of the 2nd North Carolina Colored Volunteers.