Joachimsen was born on November 26, 1817 in
Breslau,
Prussia. He immigrated to America when he was a child. Joachimsen lived in
New York City, New York and studied law in the offices of Clinton & Kane, Samuel Meredith, and John L. Lawrence. He was then admitted to the bar, and in 1840 he was appointed Assistant
Corporation Counsel of New York City. In 1855, he was appointed
Assistant United States District Attorney and, under a special provision of an Act of Congress, Substitute United States Attorney. While serving in that office, he secured the first conviction of smuggling, the first capital conviction for slave-trading, and the conviction of the
Nicaragua filibusters and violators of Neutrality Laws during the
Crimean War.
United States Attorney General Caleb Cushing, with President
Franklin Pierce's direction, officially conveyed the government's thanks to Joachimsen for his abilities in discharging his duties. He tendered his resignation due to differences that grew out of the
Kansas-Nebraska question and returned to his law practice. When the
American Civil War began, Joachimsen organized the
59th New York Infantry Regiment and went to the front with the regiment as Lieutenant Colonel. He was appointed United States Paymaster and was stationed at
Fortress Monroe. He was later assigned to
New Orleans under
Benjamin F. Butler. He was seriously injured by falling from his horse and was ordered to return to New York for treatment. He was then honorably discharged from his military service and was made Brevet Brigadier General by Governor
Reuben Fenton. An active member of New York City's Jewish community, Joachimsen was president of the Hebrew Benevolent Society in 1855, the first president of the
Hebrew Orphan Asylum in 1859, an organizer of the Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society for Children in New York in 1879 and chairman of its advisory board, vice-president of the Hebrew Young Men's Fuel Association in 1850, and honorary counsel of the Home for Infirm and Indigent Hebrews in 1871. He attended
Congregation Shearith Israel. He was a member of
B'nai B'rith and the
Freemasons. He regularly included to, among other publications, the
New Yorker Staats-Zeitung, the
Albany Law Journal, and
The Jewish Messenger. They had a son and a daughter, with the daughter being the wife of Morris Goodhart. Rabbi
Henry Pereira Mendes officiated the funeral at his home. Judges, lawyers, and members of Hebrew societies attended the funeral, including ex-Judge
Charles P. Daly, Judge Rufus B. Cowing, Recorder
Frederick Smyth, Coroner Ferdinand Levy, Judge M. C. Gross, Rabbi
Frederick de Sola Mendes, Rabbi
Kaufmann Kohler, Judge David McAdam, Judge Ehrlich, Assemblyman
Joseph Blumenthal, ex-Judge Donahue, and Rabbi Moses Maisner. He was buried in
Cypress Hills Cemetery. == References ==