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DANIEL WANTON LYMAN
1844- 1886
AN
APPRECIATION
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THE NEW YCRK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
824180 A
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Copyrighted 1913
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See Appendix B
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DEDICATION
TO recall pleasantly the stanch and steadfast friend-
ship shown the many who enjoyed his acquaint-
ance and the genial, neverfailing welcome ot an
inimitable host, this book is issued in memory of
DANIEL WANTON LYMAN
by surviving members of the Chi Psi fraternity of Brown
University, the Ellsworth Phalanx of the Providence High
School, and a circle of friends who hold him in esteemed
remembrance.
Providence, Rhode Island
June 15, 1910
CONTENTS
Foreword .......
Photographic View of Hermitage — Front
Photograph of Daniel W. Lyman on bridge
Photographic View of Hermitage — Rear
Extract from Providence Journal of May 29, 1904
View of Soldiers and Sailors' Monument, North Providence
Presentation Address by George W. Whitaker
View of Lyman Gymnasium, Brown University
Tribute of Surviving Members of Chi Psi, Brown, '64
Portrait of Daniel W. Lyman as Captain of the Ellsworth
Phalanx .......
Sketch of the Ellsworth Phalanx by William A. Spicer
Extract from Speech of Ex.-Gov. Elisha Dyer at Dedica
tion of Soldiers and Sailors' Monument
View of Dyer Memorial at Roger Williams Park
Appendix A — Correspondence
Appendix B " ...
Appendix C — Extract from Providence Journal
Appendix D — Will
Page
I I
15
17
19
21
26
27
28
29
32
33
49
50
55
56
57
58
[9]
FOREWORD.
HERBERT Spencer has said that "Sentiment is the
key note of all human action and it cannot be too
high." This assertion by one of the profoundest
thinkers of the age goes far toward encouraging efforts
that would more feebly grope without it.
To place before those who shall follow, in concrete and
simple form, the goodly qualities of mind and soul held
by those who have preceded, with a record of purposes
that shall be an encouragement toward what is worthy
of doing, is a just and commendable sentiment when applied
to those to whom recollection turns with " Much to praise,
little to be forgiven."
This may be very truthfully said of
DANIEL WANTON LYMAN
It will be difficult to find any who knew him, and
mingled in affairs with him, whose hearts will not for a
moment more warmly throb as they recall some charac-
teristic word, phrase or pose and who will not feel a kindly
glow of thought for an unyielding inflexibility of purpose
[II]
which culminated in generous benefactions for those of
his day and generation and of those to come.
There being no portrait of him in the possession of Brown
University, the surviving members of the Chi Psi Frater-
nity, those of the Ellsworth Phalanx of the Providence
High School and a circle of relatives and friends have united
in presenting one which is considered acceptable by the
University. It is given in the hope and expectation that it
may prove of interest to succeeding generations of students
and to the public at large as portraying a type of New
England citizen that once dwelt in the City of Providence
in the State of Rhode Island.
Amory C. Sampson.
[12]
President's Office
Brown University
Providence
June 25, 1912.
Mr. Amory C. Sampson,
17 Custom House Street,
Providence, R. I.
My dear Mr. Sampson, —
It is with pleasure I learn you are preparing a
Memorial to our honored fellow citizen, the late Daniel
Wanton Lyman, one of the largest benefactors of Brown
University. Daily, going to and from my home, I pass
the beautiful building which was built out of his gift to
Brown. Through that building thousands of students have
received physical training and a better equipment for lite.
Only those who remember the past deserve to have a future.
I hope and believe that, through your Memorial, we shall
more steadfastly remember and more deeply appreciate the
large public service given by him.
Sincerely yours.
M/Z.fr^^^^^UM;'^
Tribute from the Honorable Asa Bird Gardiner, LL.D., L.H.D., flD. lb.
The Society of the Cincinnati
in the State of
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
Office of the President
•,tTlTutfO 3* Juhi. tut
New York, April 29, 1912.
Amory C. Sampson, Esq.,
Providence, R. I.
My dear sir, —
Your proposed memorial to the late Honorable
Daniel Wanton Lyman, hereditary member in and
Treasurer of this State Society of the Cincinnati, is most
appropriate.
Although a comparatively young man when he passed
away, he was a legislator of experience, and a man of
affairs, a leader of society, a man of honor and a gentle-
man of the old school ; kindly, courteous, and considerate
of the feelings of others.
He was beloved by the Society and his demise was a
great loss, one that I have never ceased regretting. He
was proud of his State and of the services to her of his
Wanton ancestors, of Roger Williams, from whom he was
descended, and of his own grandfather, Chief Justice
Daniel Lyman, who was at the taking of Ticonderoga in
1775' ^^^ ^^° served as commissioned officer to the final
historic disbandment of the Continental Army at New-
burgh in 1783.
Eminently patriotic, he was always to be found a cordial
supporter of whatever might be for the good of the com-
munity.
I was indeed happy in having such a friend.
Faithfully yours,
NAMES OF FRIENDS
Asa Bird Gardiner
Hazard Stevens
Mrs. James M. Varnum
Edward Aborn Greene
Esther D. Hammond
Carolyn Lyman Chaffee
Sarah Dyer Barnes
Amy Hoppin Aldrich
George R. Dyer
Arnold B. Chace
Cornelius S. Sweetland
William W. Douglas
William Ames
Darius L. Goff
William E. Lincoln
Henry T. Grant
Courtland B. Dorrance
William A. Spicer
William A. Hoppin
Arthur W. Dennis
Desmond FitzGerald
Louis H. Comstock
John D. Lewis
Simeon B. Tilley
Stephen S. Rich
James F. Field
Frederic H. Fuller
Amory C. Sampson
[13]
mmkm
Extract from the Providence Journal of
May 29th, 1904
OVER seventeen years ago Daniel Wanton Lyman of
North Providence died so suddenly that his death
was a shock to his fellow-townsmen, among whom
he was a man of prominence, as well as to his family and
friends. Major Lyman was a wealthy man, and there was
even more than the usual interest which attaches to the
distribution of an amount of property like that of Major
Lyman, because of the known fact that he was, in life, a
man of strong individuality and one who carried, beneath
the exterior of a polite and courteous gentleman, a certain
inflexibility of belief and adherence to self-conceived ideas,
which made him an interesting man to know. The read-
ing of Major Lyman's will was, therefore, looked forward
to with certainty that his property would be disposed of,
as is the function of wills to do, and with an almost equal
certainty that the disposition would not be in the ordinary,
or at least much practised, manner of giving by will. The
reading of the will, said to have been written by the tes-
tator himself, did not at all dispel this impression, but
rather confirmed it. Relatives, friends, servants, public in-
stitutions, charitable and educational, were generously re-
membered, and among other bequests was one of $5000
for a monument to be erected in the town of North Prov-
idence to the memory of the soldiers and sailors who en-
listed from the town as it existed after 1874, the time of
its division from what is now the city of Pawtucket and
[21]
also from what is now a part of Providence, and who died
in the service.
To-morrow the monument for which Major Lyman left
that money will be dedicated, and the event will be a par-
ticularly interesting one, not only because this will be the
first monument of a public character to be erected in
North Providence, but also because of the history of the
fund, as it had lain in the town's treasury for many years
before being applied to the purpose for which it was left.
Besides this the ultimate application of the money to the
exact purpose for which Major Lyman left it to the town
and the erection of the monument upon the exact spot
designated in Major Lyman's will as his choice of a loca-
tion become curiously, and to many satisfactorily, unique
as contrasted with some of Major Lyman's bequests.
When the last will and testament of Major Lyman was
read the opinion was generally expressed that the docu-
ment was admirable for breadth of generous distribution
and for the clearness of its terms, and it is safe to say that
but very few of those who read it printed in the Providence
Journal of the time, thought that any of the bequests would
be diverted in the somewhat remarkable manner that they
have been turned from what appeared to be a plainly ex-
pressed wish by the writer of the Daniel W. Lyman will.
Perhaps the most pronounced case of this kind occurred in
respect to the house and farm occupied as a country resi-
dence by Major Lyman at the time of his death, which
did not, however, take place at the North Providence
house, but at the residence of a relative in Providence,
where Major Lyman was visiting. The Lyman house in
North Providence is located on Fruit Hill avenue, less than
half a mile from the village of Lymansville, which takes
[22]
its name from the Lyman family, an ancestor of Daniel
W. Lyman having built up a mill industry at that place,
which is remarkable for having been the place where the
first power loom in the country was set up and operated ;
this, too, by the ancestor of Major Lyman, who was also
of distinguished ancestry on his mother's side, being ma-
ternally descended from Elisha Dyer, a citizen of commer-
cial and social eminence, father of Gov. Elisha Dyer, now
spoken of as " Old " Governor Dyer, because of his de-
scendant of the same name who held the office more re-
cently, and who will deliver the principal oration at the
dedication of the Lyman monument to-morrow.
Major Lyman took an active and constant pride in keep-
ing his out-of-town home in excellent condition, and he
had added to the natural beauties of the place by artificial
embellishments, so that "The Hermitage," as it was called
by its owner, was one of the most picturesque places to be
found about Providence. This property, with ten acres of
land was left to the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to
Children to be used as a home for children in charge of
the society, but with a provision that, if it should not be
accepted or its use should be ever discontinued by the so-
ciety, the house, land and $50,000 left with it for a main-
tenance fund, should pass to Brown University, to be used
as a poor-student fund, and out of the tangle which arose
from the several interpretations placed upon what was
thought, at first glance, to be clear and unmistakable lan-
guage, the property at last landed in the possession of
Brown University, and is now owned by that corporation,
but in a condition so changed from that in which it was
kept by Major Lyman as to excite sadness in the hearts of
all those who knew the place when care and a due appre-
[23]
ciation of its beauties made it a delight to visitor and pass-
erby. Under Major Lyman's care the old place was most
interesting both as to the house and its surroundings.
Of an old-fashioned type, the house was kept outwardly
in a condition of repair and coloring befitting its character,
and inside the low-studded rooms were literally filled with
furniture, articles of use and adornment, with a large col-
lection of old and curious things gathered together by Ma-
jor Lyman, and the grounds about the house and stable
were harmoniously in keeping with the buildings. Now
the once beautiful home of the man who was so thoughtful
of others that he bequeathed as much as $5000 to more
than one person as a mark of friendly appreciation, and
whose love of natural beauty was marked, is a wreck of its
former condition. The trees about the place are still
beautiful, and it is doubtful if anywhere in the state of
Rhode Island could be found more perfect types of the
white ash tree than stand about the front of the Lyman es-
tate on Fruit Hill avenue, to which are added some fine
old elms and other trees, which made up a part of Major
Lyman's scheme of surroundings for his North Providence
estate.
Nothing beyond the appointing of a committee ever
came of the several attempts to take some decided action in
the matter until a year ago last March, when a committee
was appointed at the financial town meeting to take the
matter in charge, and, with tacit instructions to obtain an
opinion of the Supreme Court upon the wording of the
clause of Major Lyman's will, under which the town re-
ceived the bequest. There is no doubt that a majority of
this committee favored the erection of a Town Hall rather
than a monument, and there was a rather general hope and
[24]
belief, on the part of the lesser number, that the Court
would command a strict adherence to the seemingly more
reasonable construction of Major Lyman's words, and it
turned out that the few were correct and the many more
or less disappointed, the Court ruling that Major Lyman
clearly intended that a monument in the ordinary accept-
ance of the term should be erected, and that it should be
located, if possible, at the junction of Fruit Hill and Olney
avenues, as suggested by Major Lyman. Under the work
ol the committee, thus instructed, the suggested site has
been enlarged by the purchase of land, and a statue of a re-
turning soldier of the Civil War has been set up thereon,
the whole to be dedicated and turned over to the Town of
North Providence to-morrow, with fitting ceremonies,
among which will be an oration by Ex-Gov. Elisha Dyer,
an address by Governor Garvin and probably an address by
War Governor William Sprague, who has promised to be
present. The monument is the design of Mrs. Alice
Theo Ruggles Kitson of Boston.
[25]
Presentation Address
By
George W. Whitaker.
FRIENDS: We are gathered here to-day to cele-
brate the transfer of this magnificent product of
genius to the town of North Providence.
Art remains always young and new. The last record of
a people is its art,_and by this is a country known.
Since the beginning of history the sculptor has found no
worthier or nobler theme for the expression of his artistic
aspiration than the sacrifice of human life in defence of
home and country.
In ages to come, and long after what we see of a less
enduring nature around us shall have passed away, this
beautiful statue of imperishable bronze erected to the
memory of the Soldiers and Sailors enlisting from the town
of North Providence who fell or died in the Civil War,
by one of her eminent and grateful sons, will remain
standing as a sign and inspiration to future generations,
ever encouraging loyalty to our country.
I feel that it is the sentiment and desire of your com-
mittee that the Park and Monument retain the same sim-
plicity and condition of surroundings in the future which
now obtains.
In behalf of the committee it gives me great pleasure to
present this monument and grounds to the town of North
Providence.
[27]
2 £
Tribute by Surviving Members of the
Chi Psi Fraternity of Brown
AMONG the pleasant recollections of our connection
with Brown University, and of those with whom
we were there associated, are the lasting life im-
pressions made upon us by Daniel Wanton Lyman. We
distinctly recall that from the first a natural disposition was
shown by him to foster and encourage matters of interest
regarding social and civic affairs, that came within his scope,
widening as life went on to broader efforts and maintain-
ing, ever from childhood, a self-respect and courtesy of
bearing that were his by right of heredity.
While not attaining to scholarly distinction in college,
he nevertheless showed in practical matters, pertaining
thereto, a sense of sound judgment and good taste that
caused his opinions to be heeded by men of maturer age.
Unvarying and inflexible in his determination, when once
his mind was made up, he held to his views with commend-
able persistency leaving nothing undone in his endeavor to
convince his associates of the correctness of his decisions.
Attitudes of hostility that might be provoked by a seem-
ingly independent, yet not aggressive, bearing were inva-
riably softened by his sense of humor and by a genial hos-
pitality which was the prompting of a heart warmer than
he was credited with. The real kindliness of his nature
was revealed by his intentions regarding the division of his
large estate and by the gift to his Alma Mater of the Gym-
[29]
nasium that bears his name. Aside from this his helping
hand, never ostentatiously shown, was more often in evi-
dence than was supposed.
A proof of the influence of his life upon his associates
is found in the fact that men, hardened by contact with
the world, invariably soften their tones and kindly recall
him as always a most interesting personality and of marked
influence in any commendable enterprise. To this day the
mention of Capt. Lyman, "The Major," or "Dan," as his
best-loved intimates addressed him, interests them and their
descendants.
No fireside quite like his for geniality and merry chat,
is the testimony of all who were privileged to sit there.
It is only a memory now ; that it may be an undying one
is a sentiment to which we personally are most glad to
subscribe.
As surviving members of his College Fraternity, the Chi
Psi Society, we desire to proffer this simple tribute to the
worth that was in him and which permeated his life.
^/n^^^ ^^ ^ -^^^ux
[30]
THE
ELLSWORTH PHALANX
n
*^v *
f
Capt. D. W. Lyman
Lieut. C. A. Barnard Lieut. W. C. Simmons, Jr.
The Ellsworth Phalanx
" We are the boys, the gay old boys
Who marched in '6 1 :
We'll ne'er forget old times, my boys.
When you and I were young."
_ Old War Song
NEVER in all history was so wonderful a scene as
the sudden uprising of the young men of the
North in loyal response to the call of their great
Captain, Abraham Lincoln. Like the minute-men at Con-
cord and Lexington, they sprang to the defence of their
country, and when their mission was accomplished, after
four long years of war, and after many of their comrades
had perished on the field of honor, the survivors returned
as quietly and loyally to the employments of peace and the
delights of home.
«« Prior to the late War of the Rebellion," said Gen.
Horatio Rogers, one of Rhode Island's foremost soldiers
and jurists, "it was a matter of speculation among us,
whether, if opportunity offered, the young men of this
generation would emulate the heroism of their patriotic
ancestors. In those tranquil times, and to our inexper-
ienced minds, the history of the great struggle for inde-
pendence seemed like a romance. Our civil war has at
last solved the problem, and has proved that devotion to
country has not withered in the hearts of our American
Youth."
In April, 1861, the peal of hostile cannon filled the
land, and the mutterings of the impending storm were
heard in our schools and colleges.
[33]
Studies languished at the old High School on Benefit
street, for more vital problems demanded the consideration
of teachers and scholars, how to learn to be patriots and be
ready to make whatever sacrifice the honor of the country
should demand. Through the open windows came the
noise of fife and drum and the tramp of men. The at-
mosphere was too full of excitement and the spirit of the
hour to concentrate the mind upon ordinary studies. The
country was in peril and there were traitors in the camp.
Every student was expected to show his colors and the
National Flag was displayed from the High School build-
ing in the presence of teachers, students, citizens and
soldiers about leaving for the war. The young ladies of
the school carried small flags and smiled approvingly
from the windows. Mayor Jabez C. Knight delivered a
stirring address. Bishop Clarke, turning to the volun-
teers, said, " My grandfather, after the battle of Bunker
Hill, had to sleep in a baker's oven and I am glad he
did not get baked else I should not be here to-day to
address you. Some of you may have to sleep in a baker's
oven before you get back. If you do, I hope you will
not get baked, but come back well-bre(a)d men, as you
are to-day." Ex-Mayor William M. Rodman referred to
the caution given Nathanael Greene by his mother,
"Whatever happens, don't get shot in the back." After
the singing of America, nine rousing cheers were given for
"Governor Sprague," "The First Regiment," "The
Marines," about leaving for the war, and " The Young
Ladies of the High School."
It was now the middle of April, 1861. President Lin-
coln had called for seventy-five thousand volunteers to put
down the Rebellion, and it was decided by the High
[34]
School boys to organize a military company for the service
of the state. An enthusiastic meeting was held in the hall,
and an able committee appointed, who quickly reported
over seventy names on the roster, and the boys then fell
into line under the name of " The Ellsworth Phalanx," in
honor of the youthful and lamented commander of the
New York Zouaves, who was shot at Alexandria, Va.,
May 24, 1 86 1, after tearing down a confederate flag in
that city. Only a few days before Ellsworth had reported
with his regiment at the capitol and received the thanks of
President Lincoln for his prompt response to the call. At
the White House his attention was called to a confederate
flag across the river, flaunting defiance from the summit of
the Marshall House. Turning to the President he said,
"I will lower that flag with my own hands." Loyally he
fulfilled the pledge at the sacrifice of his life. He was one
of the youngest oflicers in the service. He had so much
of the boy in him that he rushed forward and was shot.
Hardly a year passed before many of the members of the
Ellsworth Phalanx, as soldiers of the Tenth Rhode Island
Volunteers, were marching through the same city and by
the same hotel where Ellsworth fell, and they halted while
they sang the stirring strains of " Ellsworth's Avengers,"
and fell into step again with that grand old marching song,
"John Brown's body lies a mold'ring in the grave
But his soul is marching on."
Colonel Ellsworth was an attorney in Presiden Lincoln's
oflice in Springfield, Illinois, when he was a candidate for
the presidency, and after his election, accompanied him to
Washington. When the news came that the state of South
Carolina had begun the war he went to New York, and in
[35]
an incredibly short space of time, organized and equipped
his Zouave Regiment, a thousand strong, and hurried it to
Washington. His untimely death was sincerely lamented.
He was so generous and loyal, so stainless and brave, that
even Bayard himself would have been proud of him. He
was buried from the East room of the White House, by
the special order of President Lincoln, who mourned him
as a brother.
Another young soldier of genius who was killed in his
first battle was Theodore Winthrop, the gifted author of
" Cecil Dreeme." On the 19th of April, 1861, he left
the armory door of the Seventh New York with his hand
upon a howitzer; and on the 21st of June his body lay
upon the same howitzer, at the same door, wrapped in the
flag for which he gladly died, as the symbol of human
freedom. With boyish enthusiasm he describes the march
of the Seventh through Washington. " It was worth a
life, that march ! Our neat uniforms and bright barrels
showed to great advantage. On we marched, tramp,
tramp, to the White House, showed ourselves to the Presi-
dent, made our bow to him as our host, and then marched
up to the Capitol, our grand lodgings. I was pleased to
notice that the top had been left off for ventilation.
Once inside, firstly, we washed. Constant vigilance is the
price of neatness. We find that a soldier needs, besides
his soldierly drill, first, good feet ; second, a good stomach ;
third, and after them come the good head and the good
heart ; and so I say to every volunteer, * Trust in God, and
keep your shoes easy.' In our little marches we have en-
countered other regiments, and most soldierly of all, the
Rhode Island men, in blue flannel blouses and bersagliere
hats. It is evening, and the gentle moon looks on, mild
[36]
and amused, the fairest and fullest lady of all that visit us.
Morning dawns at length for ' Reverlee,' as everybody
pronounces it, and there is for a moment a sound of legs
rushing into pantaloons, and arms plunging into jackets, as
the orderly calls, ' Fall in for roll call.' "
Alas, with Theodore Winthrop went out of the world
great possibilities of military distinction, literary fame and
usefulness. The death of no two officers in the Civil War
was more sincerely lamented than that of Ellsworth and
Winthrop, cut off in their ardent dawn, with their work
hardly begun. They were the first conspicuous victims
of the great struggle.
The government was now to come to the death-grapple
with its old enemy. Freedom against Slavery, Justice
against Injustice. Rhode Island was arming for the im-
pending struggle and looked to Burnside for a leader.
" How soon can you come on and take command of the
first Rhode Island?" telegraphed our young War Governor,
William Sprague, to New York. "At once," was Burn-
side's reply. All classes were united in the determination
to vindicate the honor of the flag.
The excitement was fully shared if not increased by the
High School boys. Early in June they launched their
new military company, " The Ellsworth Phalanx." For
Captain, all eyes turned to Daniel Wanton Lyman. Our
good friend was a tall, square-shouldered, handsome fellow
of finest parts, a natural leader, inheriting the manly and
military qualities of his patriotic ancestors. He had a rare
makeup of refinement and courtliness and was a youth of
fine sensibilities. He lived to realize his ambition to make
" The Corps," as he loved to call it, the best-drilled and
equipped company in Rhode Island, so that when the state
[37]
called for its services it was found " ready and willing."
The other officers (we recall them all with pride and affec-
tion) were lieutenants, Andrew J. Gray, Charles E. Bar-
nard, John B. Kelley, Walter C. Simmons, and Jesse P.
Eddy. Sergeants, William P. Vaughan, William A.
Hoppin, Arthur Martin, C. B. Greene, and Fred A. Vin-
ton. Corporals, William A. Spicer, Warren R. Perce,
C. A. Pitcher, and John R. Read. Ensigns, Brockholdst
Mathewson, William Angell. Color sergeants, Simeon B.
Tilley, Lewis G. Janes. Color corporals, Frank F. Tingley,
Henry V. A. Joslin. Drill master. Col. Westcott B.
Handy, of the Old Guard Continentals. Clerk and treas-
urer, Lewis G. Janes. Armorer, Varnum Richardson.
Other young and valiant comrades were Lorin M. Cook,
James F. Field, Arthur W. Dennis, Charles H. Fay,
Amory C. Sampson, Desmond Fitzgerald, John D. Lewis,
Edwin Metcalf, Wendell P. Hale, H. James Goulding,
Alfred E. Cady, Wayland Douglas, Stephen S. Rich, and
Louis W. Clark. The Company averaged from seventy to
eighty fellows between the ages of fifteen and eighteen.
They made an arrangement with the UnitedTrain of Artillery
for the use of their armory on Canal street, and under the
training of that noted drill master, Colonel Handy, soon
attained a creditable degree of proficiency. Still the days
were hot, and the discipline was strict, and the fellows
found it no boy's play lugging those heavy guns round
during the long and toilsome march. But who can forget
the refreshing seasons that followed, when good old Colo-
nel Handy marched us in single file through his root and
herb shop in Market Square and treated all with a large
glass of his famous medicated beer. May his memory ever
remain as fragrant as his beer. As the good Baptist
[38]
minister said of the brandy peaches presented to him, " It
wasn't so much the gift that delighted him, as the spirit in
which it was sent."
No wonder that the High School boys advanced rapidly
in martial spirit and discipline and soon attracted the ad-
miring gaze of our citizens at the first parade of the Com-
pany on the afternoon of October 5th, '61.
How proud they were as they marched up Westmin-
ster street with their new uniforms and polished barrels.
They took the field, or rather the Dexter Training Ground,
as if the field were a ball-room. Modesty forbids us to say
more, but an indulgent critic has written, that "in point
of marching, with all the legs going together, twisting it-
self up and untwisting, marking time, getting out of the
way of an omnibus or ice cart, breaking into single file for
Indian skirmishing, forming by platoons, and wheeling
round the corner, it was the equal of any military organ-
ization I ever saw."
And as if this were not glory enough, the Providence
Journal said, " Our community was agreeably surprised and
gratified by the fine, soldierly appearance on our streets of
a new military company on Saturday, the 5th inst. The
Phalanx is formed from the lads belonging to the Provi-
dence High School. They have been drilling for several
months under the command of Daniel W. Lyman, their
unanimous choice for Captain. Their uniform is particular-
ly unique and appropriate, and was much admired. Their
marching was equal to that of our older companies, and
they bid fair to be an ornament to the City and an honor
to the State."
A second successful parade followed, November i6th,
with sixty members in the ranks, and early in December
[39]
the Company was presented with a handsome flag by Cap-
tain Lyman and the following notice appeared in the Jour-
nal of December 6, '61 :
" Presentation. The Ellsworth Phalanx, or the High
School Boys, whose soldierly appearance attracted so much
favorable attention on Saturday last, received from their
Captain, Daniel Wanton Lyman, on Tuesday evening, De-
cember 2nd, a beautiful silk flag, the glorious ' Stars and
Stripes.' The new banner was received with deafening
shouts and a ' tiger ' from the boys." The Captain seldom
laughs loud, but his smile that day was broad and apprecia-
tive, as he bade the boys to always stand by their colors.
" Pride, and glory and honor, all
Live in the colors to stand or fall."
The Phalanx was sensibly animated by the patriotic asso-
ciations of the flag, with a loyal determination to bear it
aloft, until it shall be honored and respected from the
Lakes to the Gulf.
Another grand presentation followed on the evening of
January 3d, '62, which is thus described in the Providence
Journal of January 4th :
" Presentation. The Young Ladies of the Providence
High School, last evening, at the Infantry Armory, corner
Dorrance and Weybosset Streets, presented to their class-
mates of the Ellsworth Phalanx, a beautiful blue silk ban-
ner with the inscription
PRESENTED BY THE YOUNG LADIES
OF PROVIDENCE HIGH SCHOOL
[40]
It was received with great enthusiasm and acknowledged
with an eloquent speech from Captain Lyman. Appro-
priate festivities, including dancing, followed the ' Presen-
tation.' "
February 22d, '62, Washington's Birthday, the Com-
pany assembled at High School Hall, on the corner of
Benefit and Waterman streets, and listened to the read-
ing of "Washington's Farewell Address," by their clerk,
Lewis G. Janes.
"March 31, 1862. — The obsequies of Col. John S.
Slocum, Major Sullivan Ballou, and Capt. Levi Tower,
brave Rhode Island officers who fell at the battle of Bull
Run, Va., July 21, 1861, were publicly observed in Provi-
dence today. The line was formed under the command
of Gen. Charles T. Robbins. Among the various mili-
tary organizations were the University Cadets and the
Ellsworth Phalanx, Capt. D. W. Lyman, with 53 men.
"At the conclusion of the Ceremonies at Grace Church
Cemetery, the column was reformed, and proceeded to
Dexter Training Ground, and marched in review before
Governor Sprague, who officially thanked the various
organizations in the funeral escort, including the Ellsworth
Phalanx."
The blue silk standard, with other treasured souvenirs
of the Phalanx, are preserved in the English and Scientific
High School on Summer street, David W. Hoyt, Principal.
"Wednesday afternoon, April 2d, '62, the Ellsworth
Phalanx, under Capt. D. W. Lyman, marched out of
town a short distance into North Providence for target
[41]
exercise. They were in uniform with full ranks, accom-
panied by fife and drum. The shooting was on the
whole good. Private Charles H. Fay made the best three
shots at one hundred yards, with a Burnside rifle, and won
the prize of a pair of napkin rings. The best marksman
at two hundred yards was Corporal William A. Spicer, of
the Color Guard, who won a cockade of Red, White and
Blue silk streamers, to be worn on bayonet on parade.
On the return to the armory they were ordered to step two
paces to the front to receive their trophies. They briefly
acknowledged their appreciation of the honor."
Tuesday, April 29, '62. The Second Annual Election
of the Ellsworth Phalanx was held this evening in the ar-
mory on Canal Street, and the following were elected offi-
cers for the ensuing year :
Captain, Daniel Wanton Lyman.
Lieutenants,
1st. John B. Kelley.
ad. Walter C. Simmons.
3d. Chas. A. Barnard.
4th. Jesse P. Eddy.
Brevet 2d Lieut, of the Color Guard, Louis H. Comstock.
Sergeants,
1st. Wm. P. Vaughan.
2d. William A. Hoppln.
3d. Arthur Martin.
4th. Charles T. Greene.
5th. Fred A. Vinton.
Corporals,
William A. Spicer, Warren R. Perce, C. A. Pitcher,
John A. Read.
[42]
Ensigns,
William Angell, Brockholdst M. Mathewson.
Color Sergeants, Simeon B. Tilley, Lewis G. Janes.
Color Corporals, Frank F. Tingley, Henry V. A. Joslin.
Clerk and Treasurer, Lewis G. Janes.
Drill Master, Col. Westcott B. Handy.
Armorer, Varnum Richardson.
An essay on "The Coming Crisis," by one of the
younger corporals of the Phalanx, illustrates the spirit
which pervaded the entire Company.
" Whatever sacrifice we may be called upon to make,
let us stand ready to meet it. We are not too young to
possess the spirit of patriotism, the spirit of the gallant
Ellsworth, whose name we have chosen. Let us stand
ready therefore, so that if the safety of the country should
demand it, we may rally with full 'Phalanx' in her de-
fence, and give our aid, little though it may be, to the
good cause."
The time was at hand. With May, 1862, came intel-
ligence of threatened disaster to the Union cause. Stone-
wall Jackson, whose name was worth an army to the Con-
federates, with twenty thousand men, had sent General
Banks' little army whirling down the Shenandoah Valley
to the Potomac, and at midnight on the 25th a despatch
came to Providence from the War Department with urgent
appeal for troops for the defence of the Capital. An hour
later Governor Sprague issued his proclamation for two
regiments of infantry, and one of artillery for immediate
service at Washington. The response was prompt, and
among other organizations that composed the Tenth Rhode
Island Volunteers, the Ellsworth Phalanx of the Providence
[43]
High School furnished a liberal quota. At the head of
Company B, composed almost exclusively of High School
and College students, marched Captain Elisha Dyer, an
honored governor of the state, whose former position gave
increased value to the service now rendered.
Good men were needed at once. The order of Gov-
ernor Sprague showed how pressing he deemed the emer-
gency, and as the news flashed over the wires, men leaped
from their beds, and hastened to the recruiting rendezvous.
It was no night for sleep. The alarm was transmitted
from city to country, until the entire State was aroused,
and the two regiments and battery summoned were ready
to march the next day, not waiting even for uniforms.
Let no one who saw it ever despair of the Republic.
Those youthful volunteers of the Ellsworth Phalanx who
so promptly responded to the call for troops, can hardly
have found in life a day of more strange excitement and
enthusiasm than when they enlisted and started for Wash-
ington, and although our first view of the unfinished dome
of the Capitol was from the door of a cattle car which
had been hurriedly vacated at Baltimore by cloven-footed
predecessors for our accommodation, yet we rejoiced that
we arrived in time to help prevent the execution of the
Confederate plan, and in time to receive the thanks of our
great Captain, Abraham Lincoln.
On arriving in Washington we "fell in" with alacrity
to march anywhere. The day was warm, so that the
order to pile knapsacks and overcoats into the wagons was
a great relief. As we passed along, the question was heard,
" What regiments are those ? " One of our boys replied,
"The 109th and iioth Rhode Lsland." "Whew!
When did you enlist ? " " Monday morning, and started
[44]
Tuesday afternoon," and he could not help adding, "eight
hundred more are on the way." " Good Lord ! " ejaculated
a bystander, " How many men have you got in Rhode Is-
land?" "Couldn't stop to count," was the answer, with-
out losing step.
A few weeks later, July ist, two of us boys of seventeen,
who fortunately wrote a good hand, were ordered by Colonel
Bliss to report at the War Department for special duty, as
clerks at Army Headquarters. We went with the advance
as far as the Rapidan, in August, via Manassas, Catlett's and
Warrenton. At Warrenton we took possession of a Young
Ladies' High School, a substantial brick building, where
we copied our military orders and dispatches. Only two
months before we were at the Providence High School.
We hardly expected to attend school so soon down in
" Ole Virginny." We found a number of dainty notes in
the desks, evidently left there by the young ladies for the
Yankee invaders. Some were very pathetic, but the spelling
was bad. After enlarging on music lessons and a recent
serenade, one girl said, "That was a sad accident, was it
not, that befell our beloved General Ashby. It does seem
as though all our distinguished men were being taken.
O, if we could only have piece once more "
In pleasing contrast, here are some of the notes from our
New England girls to the boys sick in the hospitals, after
the battle of Cedar Mountain, near headquarters, August
9th, where hundreds were killed and wounded.
" Dear Soldier Boy : — If these socks had language they
would tell you that many a kind wish has been knit into
them. We all think of you and want to do everything we
can for you. Keep up your courage, boys, and bye and
[45]
bye you will come back to us. Won't that be a grand
time, though. Yes, there's a good time coming, boys."
" My dear Boy : — I have knit these socks expressly for
you. How do you like them ? How do you look, and
where do you live when you are at home? I am sixteen
years old, of medium height, blue eyes, fair complexion,
light hair, and a good deal of it. Direct to . . .
** Surgeons and nurses : Hands off; these things are not
for you, but for our sick and wounded boys."
August 22, 1862, during the temporary absence of the
writer from army headquarters, at Catlett's Station, thirty-
five miles from Washington, a night attack was made by
Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, the noted Confederate Cavalry leader,
with fifteen hundred horsemen. My comrade wrote me,
"The rain poured in torrents, and the sudden attack at
midnight was a complete surprise. Everybody at head-
quarters was startled from sleep by the firing of volley after
volley in our midst, and we started up and tried to find a
way of escape. I had a hard tramp through the storm,
wind and darkness, and am thankful to get off alive. The
raiders carried off about two hundred horses, the General's
uniform, baggage and dispatches, several of the clerks and
staff-officers, and two hundred prisoners."
As our term of service had nearly expired, we rejoined
our regiment August 25th, and started for home a lew
days later. The Providence Journal extended the follow-
ing hearty welcome to us: — " The Tenth regiment and
battery arrived in Providence yesterday and was received by
a national salute and escorted to Exchange Place, August
28th. We are proud to greet them. The gallant fellows
have discharged their duties with credit to themselves and
[46]
to their State. We rejoice that we can take them by
the hand, and bid them a hearty welcome home. An
enthusiastic reception was given Capt. Elisha Dyer, and
the members of Companies B and K, in Callender
Hall on Sabin Street. It had been tastefully decorated,
and several tables spread with everything to tempt the
appetite. The two companies were escorted by the
Citizens of the Fourth Ward under command of
Capt. Daniel W. Lyman, of the Ellsworth Phalanx.
Addresses of welcome were made by Rev. Augustus
Woodbury, Dr. McKnight and President Sears of Brown
University, who spoke to the companies in general, and
the student soldiers from the High School and College
in particular. A rousing reception was afterwards given
the High School boys of Company B by the Ellsworth
Phalanx in High School Hall." A comrade thus de-
scribed the boys' home-returning. "The regiment was
formed so as to represent an entire corps d'armee. The
famous mountain howitzer captured by the boys of Com-
pany B formed the light artillery, with the Stars and
Stripes floating gloriously from the vent.* We bring
home few trophies and less scars. We bear no tattered,
shot-rent banners, but are not entirely destitute of tatters,
if we are of banners, and having done what we were or-
dered to do and marched where we were ordered to
march in Old Virginia, are not ashamed to expose our
bared soles for public inspection."
Finally, our honored Chaplain, Rev. Mr. Clapp, the be-
loved pastor of the Beneflcent Church, said of us, "Our re-
cord is an honorable one. We may not be able to shoulder
* The howitzer is preserved in the State House on Capitol Hill.
[47]
our crutches and show how fields were won, but we did
faithfully the work to which we were suddenly called, in
a most serious emergency, and when unexpectedly ordered
to the front, for closer contact with the foe, not a man
held back."
About one-fifth of all the boys who entered the High
School from 1843 to 1861 served in the Army or Navy
during the Civil War, and twenty-five per cent of the
classes from 1850 to i860 are known to have been in the
service. Number of teachers, 6 ; students, 225 ; number
who died in the service, 17. Many of the boys after com-
pleting their first term of service re-enlisted and as commis-
sioned officers served through the War.
The Roll of Honor, " In Memoriam," containing the
names of those who died in the service, is on the walls of
the English High School on Summer Street.
*^ Requiescant in Pace."
My task is accomplished, good-bye to the Ellsworth
Phalanx, and all the fine fellows that composed it. Good-
bye, Captain Lyman, of noble and worthy ambition.
Good-bye, lieutenants, sergeants, corporals, privates, to
whom we owe much kindness. Good-bye, youthful vol-
unteers, who promptly responded to the call of our great
Captain, Abraham Lincoln. Good-bye, finally, comrades
who fell in our holy cause. You died for freedom and
justice, and God was your leader.
William A. Spicer,
Co. B, Tenth R. I. Volunteers.
[48]
Extract from Speech of Ex-Governor Elisha Dyer
at Dedication of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument
in North Providence.
DANIEL WANTON LYMAN was born in the city of Providence,
Jan. 24, 1844, and died there Dec. 19, 1886, nearly 43 years of
age. He was the son of Henry Bull Lyman and Caroline, daughter
of Elisha Dyer. On his father's side the family can be traced back to
the distinguished colonial general, Phineas Lyman of Connecticut, who
did gallant service in the French and Indian wars. His grandfather,
Daniel Lyman, at the time of the battle of Lexington, was a member of
the Junior class at Yale College, and with the other members of his class
agreed to place themselves under the command of Benedict Arnold,
march to Cambridge and offer themselves as volunteers in the service of
their country. Arnold having been appointed colonel by the Provisional
Congress, and directed to take possession of Ticonderoga, Crown Point
and St. John's, offered Daniel Lyman a captain's commission, which was
accepted and the young man went with the expedition. The next year
after leaving college, 1776, he was appointed a brigade major and had a
a horse shot under him at the battle of White Plains. In 1777 he joined
Colonel Lee's regiment at Cambridge, this regiment being one of the
16 Congress regiments which served during the war. In the spring of
1778 he joined General Heath at Boston and the ensuing year was made
adjutant-general of the eastern department. When in 1780 Count
Rochambeau with a fleet and army arrived at Rhode Island, General
Heath was ordered there to receive him. As senior aide Colonel Lyman
was appointed to visit Admiral de Ternay's ship and welcome the strangers
to our shores. He was the first American who boarded the French ship.
It was upon the occasion of a reception given to the French officers
[49]
at Newport that Colonel Lyman first met his wife, Mary Wanton, whose
father, John G. Wanton, received and entertained the foreign officers with
the greatest hospitality. At the close of the war he returned to New-
port, R. I., to practice law, and subsequently served the state as chief
justice. During his residence in Newport he undertook the building of
Stone bridge, which he accomplished in three years and which at the
time was considered an herculean task. Finally he removed to the
beautiful country seat known as the Hermitage, which is here close to
us under the hill, where he spent the remainder of his days and where his
grandson lived the life of an old-fashioned country gentleman.
On his mother's side Daniel Wanton Lyman was descended from Mary
Dyer, who was hanged on Boston Common in 1660 for being a Quaker;
from Roger Williams, whose granddaughter married John Dyer ; and
thence down to Anthony Dyer, his maternal grandfather, who served
during the revolution with the Rhode Island Continental line. He was
also descended on his mother's side from Gabriel Bernon, a distinguished
Huguenot refugee.
It is stated on competent authority that during the Civil war, one
hundred Lymans served on land and on sea.
Daniel Wanton Lyman was the last male representative of his name
and stood before the world as the single survivor of his family bearing
the name of Lyman. After the death of his parents he came into posses-
sion of a large property, the income of which he greatly increased by
economy and careful management. Colonel Lyman's residence being in
North Providence, he was repeatedly chosen to represent that town in
the State Senate. He was assiduous in the performance of his official
duties ; studied carefully the forms of legislative proceedings, and the
bearings of the many questions which came up for consideration, fre-
quently expressing his views in matters under discussion forcibly and
with a graceful delivery.
As a benefactor he was an enigma, little known or understood, and
yet how good and how kind he was is well known to his dearest friends.
[51]
The crowning glory of his hfe after all was his tender and devoted
affection for his mother. From early womanhood, by reason of an
accident, she had been permanently lame, and nothing that he could do
to promote her comfort or her happiness was neglected. Neither the
claims of business nor the attractions of society kept him from his watch-
ful care of his mother. To be with her and to minister to her every want
and help her to bear the burdens of age and sickness was the absorbing
desire of his heart and stands out pre-eminent as a beautiful trait in his
character.
Colonel Lyman inherited the martial spirit which distinguished his
ancestors and his family. To those of us who were nearest him it was
known that he chafed under the facts that by reason of his youth and his
duty to his aged parents he was unable to take part in the gigantic
struggle of the civil war, but later on was commissioned as captain in
the Fifth Regiment of Rhode Island Militia, served as adjutant and after-
ward was made major on the staff of the major-general of the militia.
In May, 1869, he was appointed aide-de-camp to Governor Padelford with
the rank of colonel, and held the position until May, 1873. By hereditary
descent he was a member of the Rhode Island Society of the Cincinnati.
To those among you, his neighbors, the story of his simple daily life
need not be told. Many, many years will have passed away before his
neighbors and kinsfolk will have ceased to speak his name.
" How long shall a man live is not for him to know ;
How well shall a man live is all his own to show."
[53]
APPENDIX A
Mr. A. C. Sampson,
Providence, R. I.
Fort Hill, Pawtuxet, R. I.
August 19, 1910.
My dear Amory : —
Congratulate me on the completion of the task you assigned me
of writing a paper on the Ellsworth Phalanx, our High School Com-
pany of '61, Dan'l VV. Lyman, Captain. The work was undertaken
with considerable reluctance, after the lapse of so many years, but once
begun, it brought its reward continually, in the joy of living over again
" the times when you and I were young."
I have no recollection of the excursion of the company to Lyman's
country residence, " The Hermitage," during the summer. It may
have been when we were away quietly holding the forts near the
capital. I have Lyman's letter from Bristol Ferry, R. L, dated July 20th,
'62, in which he says:— "I dismissed the company on Tuesday, July
15th, and bade them enjoy themselves for six or seven weeks, or until
the return of your regiment. Promotion is the lot of good soldiers, so
with you. We are glad the boys were pleased with the box we sent
Your bundle was from Amory C. Sampson. Your true friend and
Captain, Dan'l W. Lyman."
My recollection is that the Hermitage was afterwards destroyed
by fire but I have not seen it for many years. Was anything saved ?
Faithfully yours,
William A. Spicer.
55]
APPENDIX B
Providence, R. I.
August 20, 1910.
Mr. William A. Spicer,
Fort Hill,
Pawtuxet, R. I.
My dear William : —
A pleasing recollection to me in days to come, will be that of
your valued letter received this morning telling of the interest you have
found in a task the extent of which I did not realize when I asked you to
attempt it. It is exceedingly well done, contains all that could be desired
and I beg your acceptance of my most earnest thanks.
Regarding the excursion to Capt. Lyman's country house, "The
Hermitage," in the very early Fall of 1862, it comes back to me now that
comparatively few of the Ellsworth Phalanx participated but that it was
an enjoyable day for those who went. My idea in including the photo-
graphic views of the beloved ancestral home of Capt. Lyman is to
renew the memories of that day in those who did go, and also the mem-
ories of the countless good times and merry chats had before his fireside
by the many friends who deeply regret that it has all gone forever from
the face of the earth with the exception of the tall chimney standing like
the obelisk in Central Park, a silent memento, — and the old-fashioned
Lyman Knocker, now in possession of Lieutenant Simmons, which is still
fulfilling its mission as of yore, in being not silent, and that it may long
continue so, is a wish in which, I am sure the " Few Surviving Comrades"
will cordially join.
I remain faithfully and gratefully yours,
Amory C. Sampson.
[56]
APPENDIX C
[Extract from the Providence Sunday Journal, Oct. 31, 1909.]
CENTURY OLD LANDMARK BURNS
Lyman Homestead on Fruit Hill Avenue Destroyed.
A fire, starting about an hour before noon yesterday, totally destroyed
the old Lyman homestead on Fruit Hill avenue in North Providence.
The blaze started around one of the chimneys and worked its way
quickly through the roof to the outside, where it made rapid headway.
Three volunteer fire companies were called and a line of 1500 feet of
hose was eventually laid from the corner of Metcalf avenue but was of
little use because of low pressure and the delay in getting so much hose
together, for no company has more than 600 feet.
The building was occupied by William Townsend and Alexander Troy,
whose goods were all saved. The building, which was owned by Lorenzo
Zambarano, was insured.
Burning from the roof down, notwithstanding the stiff breeze that was
blowing, the building burned slowly and attracted much attention.
The ruins were visited by many curious ones to see the last of the old
landmark, which was credited with being a hundred years old. The
place was considerably remodelled by Maj. Daniel W. Lyman, who was
the last of the family to live there. At the same time rare trees and
shrubs were planted about the grounds, in which the owner took great
pride. Here the pulpit of old Fruit Hill Meeting House was placed when
the building was replaced by the present chapel.
The Lyman family, who owned the Lymansville Mills and the greater
part of the land of the present mill village, lived in the homestead which
was destroyed. Upon the death of Maj. Lyman the property through a
flaw in his will was given to Brown University, by which it was sold to
an Italian named Masso, from whose hands it went to the present owner.
It was well known on account of Maj. Lyman's active interest in town
affairs during his life, and his gift of a fund for the erection of the soldiers'
and sailors' monument at Lyman Park. This, however, was only one of
his many public gifts, which include the Lyman Gymnasium at Brown
University.
[57]
APPENDIX D
In the name of the Creator and Preserver of all things.
Amen.
I, Daniel Wanton Lyman, of the town of North Providence, County
of Providence, State of Rhode Island, being fully aware of the uncertainty
of life and being of sound and disposing mind, do make this my last will
and testament, revoking all other wills heretofore by me made. I desire
so much of the real estate that I may die seized and possessed of as may
be necessary to pay the following legacies to be sold, and from the pro-
ceeds of such sale the following legacies paid to the following persons
and institutions and societies, to wit, viz. :
To my Agent, William H. Wood, of the City of Providence, Ten
Thousand (;^io,ooo) dollars, if he be living at the time of my decease ; if
not living at that time, to be divided equally between his children.
To Julia L. Aborn, my cousin. Ten Thousand ($10,000) dollars, if she
be living ; if not, to her children or child surviving her at the time of my
decease, share and share alike, and if no child be living to revert to my
estate.
To Sophia T. Aborn, Louise L. Peck, and Annie B. Tillinghast, children
of the said Julia L. Aborn, Ten Thousand ($10,000) dollars each, in trust
for their natural lives, the income from said Trust Estate to be for their
own free use and disposal, and at their death or at the death of either of
said children of Julia L. Aborn, such child's share to be divided equally
among the children of Sophia T. Aborn, Louise L. Peck, and Annie B.
Tillinghast.
To George R. Dyer, son of Elisha Dyer, Jr., Ten Thousand ($10,000)
dollars for his own free use and disposal.
To Anna Jones Dyer and Harriet Hoppin Dyer, twin children of
William Jones Dyer, Five Thousand ($5,000) dollars each, for their own
free use and disposal.
To Caroline Lyman Peck, daughter of Walter A. and Louise L. Peck,
Twenty-five Thousand ($25,000) dollars, in trust for her natural life, the
income from said Trust Estate to be for her own free use and disposal,
and at her death to her child or children, for its or their free use and dis-
posal forever. If she die leaving no child or children, then said Twenty-
five Thousand dollars to be given to the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children without reservation.
[58]
To Walter I. Barnes, Georgianna Barnes, and Sarah D. Barnes, children
of Lydia Dyer Barnes, F"ive Thousand ($5,000) dollars each, for their own
free use and disposal.
To Louis Winsor, Benjamin Winsor, and Sarah S. Winsor, Five
Thousand ($5,000) dollars each, for their own free use and disposal.
To Charles W. Simmons, Walter Cook Simmons, Amory C. Sampson,
and James A. Warren, Five Thousand ($5,000) dollars each, for their own
free use and disposal, in memory of my pleasant relations with them.
I give and bequeath my Cottage house and one acre of land to George
W. Smail, for his kindness to my mother ; — said house and land on
Metcalf Avenue, in the Town of North Providence.
To Daniel Shay, my faithful farmer. One Thousand ($1,000) dollars.
To each person (male or female) in my employ as servant or as farm hand,
or coachman or groom in my employ at the time of my decease. Five
Hundred ($500) dollars.
To the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children of the City
of Providence my Mansion House and buildings thereto belonging,
situate in the Town of North Providence on Fruit Hill Avenue, so called,
and Ten (10) acres of land adjoining the same (as my Executors may
select); also Fifty Thousand ($50,000) dollars as a fund for the same — said
Real Estate and money to be forever used as a home and fund for the
maintenance of said home for said children, and if not accepted or ever
discontinued, to revert to Brown University as a " Poor Student Fund "
to be used as the Trustees and Corporation of Brown University may
determine for that purpose, said fund to be called the " Daniel Wanton
Lyman Fund for Students."
To Edward Wheaton Hoppin, son of William Anthony Hoppin, I give
and bequeath Ten Thousand ($10,000) dollars, in memory of his father's
and mother's kindness to me.
To Swan Point Cemetery Corporation Three Thousand ($3,000) dollars
as a fund for the perpetual care of the Lyman lots in said burial grounds,
viz. : Daniel Lyman's, John W. Lyman's, and Daniel Wanton Lyman's
Lots ; the interest of said fund to be used for caring for the monuments,
grounds, and general appearance of said lots.
I give and bequeath to the Corporation of Brown University of the
City of Providence, Fifty Thousand ($50,000) dollars to build a building
for any needed use they may elect (not sectarian) in memory of my
Family, and said building to be known as the ".Lyman Memorial."
To my good friends, Elisha Dyer, Jr., William A. Hoppin, Asa Bird
Gardiner, and James M. Varnum (the last two of New York) Ten Thou-
sand ($10,000) dollars each for their own free use and disposal.
To the Town of North Providence Five Thousand ($5,000) dollars
to erect a monument to the memory of the soldiers and sailors who fell
[59]
824180 A
or died in the late war, enlisting from this part of the town existing A. D.
1885, and my desire is that the monument be erected at the junction of
Olney and Fruit Hill avenues in said town, on a triangular piece of land
thereat located.
To the " Lying-in Hospital " of the City of Providence, I give and be-
queath in memory of my devoted mother, Caroline Lyman, Twenty-five
Thousand ($25,000) dollars, as a fund for that worthy institution.
To the Nursery I give Five Thousand (^5,000) dollars.
To the City of Providence I give and bequeath Ten Thousand ($10,000)
dollars for the erection of a monument in Roger Williams Park to be
called the " Elisha Dyer Memorial," erected by his grandson, Daniel
Wanton Lyman.
I request all my just debts and funeral expenses to be paid and my
body interred in Swan Point Cemetery in the place prepared for the same
beside the remains of my devoted mother, Caroline, wife of Henry Bull
Lyman.
I appoint as Executors of this my last will and testament, Willam H.
Wood, William A. Hoppin, and Esther D. Chapin, requesting them to
use their best judgment about the time for selling the property, and
direct the entire property be kept together for one year after my death,
and the income from whatever source, after necessary expenses, taxes,
and so forth, are deducted to be divided equally between them as and for
their salary or fee for being my Executors.
I give to my dear cousin, Esther D. Chapin, all the residue of my
property both real and personal remaining after paying all legacies, ex-
penses, etc., and hereby make her my residuary legatee — which property
so given I give in trust to Esther D. Chapin for her lifetime she to
have and to enjoy all the income from said property for her own sole use
and purposes, and at the death of said Esther D. Chapin, one-half to go
to her child or children and the other half to go to Brown University.
In case she leave no child or children then her half to be, or the half
her child or children would have had, to be divided equally between the
Rhode Island Historical Society and the Rhode Island State Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
I appoint William H. Wood and William A. Hoppin, Trustees under
this my will and testament, over all trusts created, they to pay all in-
comes over to those who have been given money in trust (or property)
after deducting a reasonable compensation for their services as Trustees.
I request that no sureties be required on any bond, and that no inven-
tory be taken of my property having full and e.xplicit confidence in the
Executors herein named.
[60]
In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this four-
teenth day of July, A. D. 1885.
DANIEL WANTON LYMAN. [L. S.]
The foregoing instrument was at the date thereof signed and sub-
scribed to, sealed, published, and declared by the said Daniel Wanton
Lyman, as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us and
each of 'us who, at his request and in his presence, and in the presence of
each other, have hereunto subscribed and signed our names as witnesses,
and do hereby attest the same the day and year above written.
Spencer B. Hopkins.
William A. Ley.
CODICIL.
Whereas, owing to certain changes in human affairs, which affect more
or less the forgoing instrument, I do hereby make this my codicil to my
will and testament, as follows : In the above written will I have given
to George W. Small (for his attention and kindness to my mother) my
cottage house and lot on Metcalf Avenue in the town of North Provi-
dence ; now the said George W. Small having acted towards me in a
very unworthy and uncalled-for manner since my mother's decease, I
hereby revoke said gift of said cottage house and lot on Metcalf Avenue
to said George W. Small, and direct that the same cottage house and lot
on Metcalf Avenue be given to Bernard Campbell, my mother's former
coachman and servant, to his own free use and for his disposal forever.
Furthermore, whereas, by my will I have given the sum of Ten Thou-
sand ($10,000) dollars to Julia L. Aborn with certain qualifications, and
the said Julia L. Aborn now being dead, I revoke the said gift to her and
hers, and direct my Executors to divide the said sum of Ten Thousand
dollars in three (3) portions, as follows : One portion of Five Thousand
($5,000) dollars, one portion of Twenty-five Hundred ($2,500) dollars,
and another of Twenty-five Hundred ($2,500) dollars; and to give the
first portion of Five Thousand ($5,000) dollars to Henry A. Peters, of
Kingsey Falls, Canada, if he be living at the time of my decease, in memory
of the high esteem I bear him and his devotion to me ; the second portion
of Twenty-five Hundred ($2,500) dollars to my young friend, Louis A.
Treadwell, of Reading, Conn. ; the third portion to William A. Malone,
of Appling, Ga., for their own free use and disposal
[61]
I, furthermore, give and bequeath to Amory Chapin, son of Francis
J. Chapin, the sum of Ten Thousand (gio,ooo) dollars, for his own free
use and disposal forever.
To my cousin, Frances Jones Chapin, daughter of my Aunt Frances
Jones Vinton, Twenty-five Thousand ($25,000) dollars, in trust, the in-
come of which shall be paid to her quarterly by my trustees during her
natural life, and at her death to be given to Brown University, as a
fund for the education of poor students in that university, to be called
the Lyman Fund for students.
DANIEL WANTON LYMAN, [L. S.]
The foregoing codicil to my last will and testament was, this eighteenth
day of September, 1886, signed and subscribed to, sealed and published,
and declared by the said Daniel W. Lyman as and for his last will and
testment in the presence of us, and each of us, who, at his request, and
in his presence, and in the presence of each other, have hereunto sub-
scribed and signed our names as witnesses, and do hereby attest the
same, the day and year above written, viz., Sept. 18, 1886.
William A. Ley,
John B. Goodwin.
Copy of the " last will and testament of Daniel Wanton Lyman, left
with the Town Clerk of North Providence, R. L, December 21st, 1886,
by Wm. H. Wood."
Attest, Thomas H. Angell,
Town Clerk.
[62]
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