[3] He was appointed Collector of the Port of Bristol in 1824,[4] but dismissed from that position in 1827, as recounted by John Quincy Adams, "for delinquency long continued, and increasing, after repeated warnings".
[5] Adams recounted that Drury had obtained the post through the political influence of Senator James D'Wolf, over a better candidate, and that Drury, in a meeting with Adams, "acknowledged and deeply lamented his delinquency", and pleaded with Adams for assistance in extending the time "to recover the monies due from him as Collector".
[5] Adams declined to assist Drury, instead directing him to write a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury.
[5] In 1833, Drury wrote the first account of the murder trial of Ephraim Kingsbury Avery titled A report of the examination of Rev.
to disguise the inadequacy of justices Howe and Haile's decision by distorting the testimony given" at one of the proceedings in the trial, and several contradictory accounts were written in response.