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    Iskander Agha Abcarius

    Birth: 1826

    Death: 1885

    Birth Date Prefix: about

    Death Date Prefix: about

    Alternate First Name: A.A.

Relationships

Biography

Iskander Abcarius was born in Beirut. In 1860, he emigrated from Lebanon/Syria to Egypt due to conflicts that made it unsafe for him to return to his homeland. He was a poet, author and philosopher.
Iskander Abcarius was one of two Syrian envoys who came to the United States during the 1860 Druze-Maronite Conflict in Syria.  In one letter from Ayoub Bey to a B.F. Hall [or Hale], he is called Col. Iskander Agha Abcarius, commandant of the 8th Regiment.  In other articles, he is referred to as "A.A. Abcarius" or simply "Mssr. Abcarius."  He and B.F. Soussa came to the United States to solicit funding to support the Christian Syrians, who were being persecuted and massacred.  Ayoub Bey Trabulsy was in contact with William H. Seward about these men and both WHS and Fred Seward were in contact with them, including WHS organizing a meeting and speech for Abcarius in Auburn in August of 1860.  A controversy emerged surrounding his and Soussa's visit, with papers publishing they were actually running a scam and were impostors.  WHS published an article in the Auburn Daily Union defending the men.  Abcarius left the US sometime in October, going to Alexandria (since he could not return to Syria safely).

Citations

Biography and Citation Information:
Biography: 
Iskander Abcarius was born in Beirut. In 1860, he emigrated from Lebanon/Syria to Egypt due to conflicts that made it unsafe for him to return to his homeland. He was a poet, author and philosopher. Iskander Abcarius was one of two Syrian envoys who came to the United States during the 1860 Druze-Maronite Conflict in Syria. In one letter from Ayoub Bey to a B.F. Hall [or Hale], he is called Col. Iskander Agha Abcarius, commandant of the 8th Regiment. In other articles, he is referred to as "A.A. Abcarius" or simply "Mssr. Abcarius." He and B.F. Soussa came to the United States to solicit funding to support the Christian Syrians, who were being persecuted and massacred. Ayoub Bey Trabulsy was in contact with William H. Seward about these men and both WHS and Fred Seward were in contact with them, including WHS organizing a meeting and speech for Abcarius in Auburn in August of 1860. A controversy emerged surrounding his and Soussa's visit, with papers publishing they were actually running a scam and were impostors. WHS published an article in the Auburn Daily Union defending the men. Abcarius left the US sometime in October, going to Alexandria (since he could not return to Syria safely).
Citation Type: 
Newspaper Article
Journal or Newspaper Title: 
New York Times
Month: 
August
Day: 
22
Year: 
1860
Citation Notes: 
http://www.nytimes.com/1860/08/22/news/personal.html Letter from Ayoub Bey to Col. Hall [or Hale] in Auburn Daily Union (Nov. [10th?], 1860): http://fultonhistory.com/newspaper%202//Auburn%20NY%20Daily%20Union/Auburn%20NY%20Daily%20Union%201860%20-%201861.pdf/Newspaper%20Auburn%20NY%20Daily%20Union%201860%20-%201861%20-%201047.pdf Iskander moving from Lebanon to Egypt: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentPrint/5/0/62141/Arts--Culture/0/Soprano-Christine-Moore-brings-Arab-world-music-to.aspx Where he was born: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1835953 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abgarios
Citation for Birth Info:
Citation Type: 
Website
Citation URL: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abgarios
Title of Webpage: 
Wikipedia: Abgarios
Website Viewing Date: 
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 - 12:00
Website Last Modified Date: 
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 - 12:00
Citation Notes: 
Information taken from Armenian Concise Encyclopedia.
Citation for Death Info:
Citation Type: 
Website
Citation URL: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abgarios
Title of Webpage: 
Wikipedia: Abgarios
Website Viewing Date: 
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 - 12:00
Website Last Modified Date: 
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 - 12:00