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1867. 


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*  • 
•  ••»  • 


WESTERN     LN&RA^ING  C0_ CHICAGO. 


LIFE    SKETCHES 


STATE  OFFICERS,  SENATORS, 


MEMBERS    OF    THE    ASSEMBLY 


STATE  OF  NEW  YORK, 


IN   1867. 


By  S.  R.  HARLOW  and  H.  H.  BOONE. 


ALBANY: 

WEED,  PARSONS  AND  COMPANY,  PRINTERS. 

1867. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-six 

By  S.  R.  HARLOW  and  H.  H.  BOONE, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Northern 

District  of  New  Yorlc. 


WEED,  PARSONS  AND  COMPANY, 
PRINTERS,  STEREOTYPERS  AND  BOOKBINDERS 
ALBANY,  N.  Y. 


INTRODUCTION. 


About  six  months  ago,  the  Editors  first  entertained  the  idea  of 
issuing  a  volume,  giving  a  concise  narration  of  the  leading  events 
in  the  lives  of  the  State  Officers  and  Members  of  the  Legislature. 
Their  project  meeting  with  favor,  at  the  outset,  they  were  encour- 
aged to  consummate  it.  The  most  of  their  labor,  in  the  midst 
of  other  duties,  has  been  crowded  into  the  brief  space  of  three 
months ;  this  book  is  the  result.  No  care  has  been  spared  by  them 
to  make  it  valuable  for  reference,  both  as  to  facts  and  dates  ;  and 
yet  an  occasional  error  may  possibly  be  found. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  Sketches  of  the  Members  of  the  Legisla- 
ture are  alphabetically  arranged,  thus  removing  the  necessity  for 
an  index. 

The  Editors  avail  themselves  of  this  opportunity  to  express  their 
thanks  for  the  uniform  courtesy  extended  toward  them,  by  every 
gentleman  whose  name  appears  within  this  volume,  and  to  other 
gentlemen,  —  many  of  them  strangers  at  the  incipient  stages  of 
this  work,  — who  have  rendered  invaluable  assistance  in  furnishing 
incidents  and  dates  for  the  compilation  of  these  Sketches. 


ivil50525 


iDuaoaT 


LIFE  SKETCHES, 


REUBEN   E.   FENTON, 

GOVEKNOK. 

Reube^st  E.  Fenton,  who  has  just  been  chosen  Gover- 
nor of  New  York,  for  a  second  term,  was  born  in  Carroll, 
Chautauqua  county,  on  the  4th  of  Jul}'',  181.9.  His  father 
is  a  native  of  New  Hampshire;  but  the  Fenton  family  is 
of  Connecticut  origin.  His  grandfather  resided  there 
until  about  the  year  1777.  The  Governor  is  a  descenda?it 
of  Robert  Fentox,  who  was  a  man  of  note  among  the 
early  settlers  of  that  State,  and  one  of  the  patentees  of 
Mansfield,  when  that  tOAvn  was  set  off  from  Windham,  in 
1V03.  The  family  was  a  patriotic  one  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  furnished  its  share  of  soldiers  in  "  the 
times  which  tried  men's  souls,"  who  did  good  service  in 
the  struggle  which  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  our 
Republican  government. 

Governor  Fentox  is  the  son  of  a  hard-working  farmer, 
and  spent  his  early  years  on  the  old  homestead.  He  was 
an  amiable,  friendly  boy,  and  a  universal  favorite  among 
his  associates.  Whatever  was  going  on  in  the  neighbor- 
hood where  he  lived,  he  was  expected  to  participate  in  and 
lead.  When  the  boys  organized  for  "  a  training,"  they 
invariably  placed  young  Fentox  in  command ;  and  it  is 
probably  owing  to  this  fiict,  and  the  military  knowledge 


6  LIFE     SKETCHES. 

thus  acquired,  that  before  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age 
he  was  elected  to  the  Colonelcy  of  the  16 2d  reghnent, 
New  York  State  Militia. 

His  opportunities  for  acquiring  an  education  were  very 
limited,  but  they  were  well  improved.  He  was  a  good 
scholar  when  he  was  in  the  common  school,  and  when, 
subsequently,  he  passed  a  few  terms  in  different  academies, 
he  made  rapid  progress  as  a  student,  and  won  the  appro- 
bation of  his  preceptors  for  his  manly  qualities  and  exem- 
plary deportment.  He  read  law  one  year,  not  with  the 
view  of  going  into  the  profession,  but  to  make  himself 
familiar  with  the  principles  and  forms  of  that  science, 
under  the  impression  that  this  knowledge  would  be  useful 
to  him  in  whatever  business  he  might  engage. 

At  the  age  of  twenty  he  commenced  business,  with  very 
limited  means,  and  under  adverse  circumstances.  But  the 
fact  did  not  discourage  him,  nor  turn  him  from  his  pur- 
poses. The  world  was  before  him,  and  what  others  had 
accomplished,  young  Fenton  resolved  should  be  done  by 
him.  He  went  at  his  work  with  all  the  earnestness  and 
energy  of  his  character,  and  a  few  years  saw  him  a  success- 
ful and  prosperous  merchant.  While  in  this  pursuit,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  lumber  trade,  as  an  auxiliary  to 
his  mercantile  business.  He  was  still  a  young  man  when  he 
purchased  his  first  "  boards  and  shingles,"  and  as  he  floated 
off  upon  his  fragile  raft,  valued  at  less  than  one  thousand 
dollars,  there  were  not  wanting  those  who  wondered  at 
his  temerity,  and  the  failure  of  his  enterprise  was  confi- 
dently predicted.  But  nothing  could  dampen  his  ardor. 
He  tied  his  little  raft  safely  on  the  shore  of  the  Ohio,  near 
Cincinnati,  went  into  the  city,  found  a  customer,  sold  his 
lumber,  and  returned  to  his  home  with  a  pride  and  satis- 
faction never  excelled  in  after  years,  though  he  went  the 
round  with  profits  ten-fold  greater.  Lumbering  became 
in  a  few  years  his  principal  business ;  and  to  such  a  man, 


REUBEN   E.    FENTON.  7 

success  and  competence  were  but  a  matter  of  time.  He 
soon  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being  the  most  suc- 
cessful lumberman  on  the  Alleghany  and  Ohio  rivers; 
but  this  came  only  because  he  wrought  it  by  untiring 
perseverance  and  indefatigable  energy. 

In  the  business  capacity  of  Governor  Fenton,  will  be 
found  the  basis  of  his  success  in  life ;  and  to  the  same  fact 
he  is  doubtless  in  a  great  measure,  indebted  for  his  politi- 
cal advancement.  Uniting  superior  business  qualities  with 
an  invincible  determination  to  succeed  in  whatever  he 
undertakes,  he  has  seldom  failed  to  attain  the  object  of 
his  ambition.  He  was  successful  as  a  merchant ;  suc- 
cessful as  a  lumberman ;  and  he  has  been  successful  as  a 
politician.  His  idea  is  that  a  man  to  succeed,  should  be 
"  always  on  hand."  He  was  accustomed  to  fill  his  store 
with  goods  before  his  neighbors  filled  theirs ;  and  in  the 
early  spring,  before  "  the  thaw  "  was  expected,  his  lumber 
was  snugly  rafted  on  the  banks  of  creeks,  ready  to  take 
the  current  and  be  the  first  to  reach  Pittsburgh  and  Cin- 
cinnati. It  was  not  only  a  pride  he  felt  in  being  at  the 
head  of  the  river  fleets,  but  experience  on  different  occa- 
sions when  his  readiness  and  preparation  found  him  the 
only  man  in  market,  had  taught  him  that  it  was  equally 
profitable. 

In  1843,  Mr.  Fentox  was  chosen  Supervisor  of  his  native 
town,  and  held  the  position  for  eight  successive  years. 
Three  of  these  eight  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Board, 
though  the  Board  was  two  to  one  Whig,  while  he  was  a 
well-known  Democrat.  But  he  was  courteous  and  affable, 
manly  and  upright,  genial  and  sensible,  and  his  opponents 
by  common  consent  selected  him  to  preside  over  their 
deliberations.  What  higher  compliment  could  be  jDaid 
him  as  a  fair-minded  and  honorable  man ! 

In  1849,  his  friends  tried  him  for  the  Assembly,  and  he 
came  within  twenty-one  votes  of  being  elected,  though 


8  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

the  successful  candidate  was  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
popular  men  in  the  Assembly  district,  which  was  strongly 
Whig. 

In  1852,  he  was  nominated  by  his  Democratic  friends 
for  Congress,  and  elected  by  fifty-two  majority,  though 
the  district,  from  the  manner  in  which  it  was  accustomed 
to  vote,  should  have  given  at  least  3,000  majority  against 
him.  He  took  his  seat  on  the  first  Monday  in  December, 
1853,  in  a  House  which  was  Democratic  by  about  two  to 
one.  Mr.  Douglas,  Chairman  of  the  Senate  Committee  on 
Territories,  in  the  course  of  the  session  was  beguiled  into 
embodying  in  a  bill  which  provided  for  the  organization 
as  territories  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  a  repeal  of  that 
portion  of  the  Missouri  compromise  of  1820,  which  forbade 
the  legalization  of  slavery  in  any  territory  of  the  United 
States,  lying  north  of  N.  lat.  36°  30^  Mr.  Fenton,  with  N". 
P.  Banks,  and  quite  a  number  of  the  younger  Democrats, 
with  Col.  Thomas  H.  Benton  and  other  seniors,  stead- 
fastly opposed  this  proposition,  and  opposed  the  bill 
because  of  it.  The  bill  was  nevertheless  forced  through 
the  House  by  a  vote  of  113  to  100,  and  became  a  law. 
In  the  division  that  thereupon  ensued,  Mr.  Fenton  took 
Republican  ground  with  Pkeston  King,  Ward  Hunt, 
George  Opdyke,  and  other  conspicuous  Democrats,  and 
he  has  never  since  been  other  than  a  Republican. 

In  ]854,  the  Know  Nothings  carried  his  district  by  a 
considerable  majority  (Mr.  Fenton  consenting  to  be  a  can- 
didate on  the  Saturday  previous  to  election),  as  they  did 
a  good  many  others  in  the  State;  but,  in  1856,  he  ran  on 
the  Fremont  ticket,  and  was  elected,  and  thence  reelected 
by  large  and  generally  increasing  majorities  down  to  1864, 
when  he  withdrew,  having  been  nominated  for  Governor. 
He  thus  served  five  terms  in  Congress,  each  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  strongly  Whig  district  composed  of 
Chautauqua   and   Cattaraugus   counties,    which   contains 


EEUBEN"   E.    PENTON.  9-. 

many  able  and  worthy  men  who  were  in  full  accord  with 
its  by-gone  politics,  and  to  the  almost  unanimous  accept- 
ance of  his  constituents. 

Immediately  on  entering  Congress,  Mr.  Fexton  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  soldiers  of  1812,  and  shortly  after  intro- 
duced a  bill  providing  for  the  payment  of  the  property 
accounts  between  the  United  States  and  the  State  of  New 
York,  for  military  stores  furnished  in  the  war  of  1812. 
This  measure  he  continued  to  urge  upon  the  attention  of 
Congress,  and  finally,  on  the  30th  May,  1860,  had  the 
satisfaction  to  witness  its  passage  in  the  House  by  a  vote 
of  98  to  80.  He  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Com- 
merce in  the  XXXIHd  and  XXXVth  Congresses,  and 
performed  the  duties  appertaining  to  that  position  in  a 
manner  satisfactory  to  all.  It  is  but  simple  truth  to  say 
that  he  was  one  of  the  quietly  industrious  and  faithful 
members  of  the  House,  Nor  was  he  a  silent  representa- 
tive. He  could  talk  when  there  seemed  a  necessity  for 
speaking.  During  his  Congressional  career,  he  delivered 
able  and  efiective  speeches  against  the  repeal  of  the  Mis- 
souri Compromise  Act ;  in  advocacy  of  a  cheap  postal 
system ;  the  bill  to  extend  invalid  pensions ;  for  the 
improvement  of  rivers  and  harbors ;  to  regulate  emigra- 
tion to  this  country  ;  against  the  policy  of  the  Democratic 
party  with  regard  to  Kansas ;  for  the  final  settlement  of 
the  claims  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Revolution ;  in  vindica- 
tion of  the  principles  and  policy  of  the  Republican  party ; 
on  the  Deficiency  bill ;  the  bill  to  facilitate  the  payment 
of  bounties ;  on  the  repeal  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law ;  on 
providing  for  payment  of  losses  by  the  rebellion,  &c. 

Mr.  Fenton  served  in  Congress  nearly  to  the  end  of  the 
war  for  the  Union,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  firmest 
and  most  efficient  supporters.  Believing  the  Union  to  be 
right  and  the  rebellion  wrong  throughout,  he  gave  his 
best  energies  to  the  national  cause,  voting  steadily  for 


10  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

taxes,  loans,  levies,  drafts,  and  for  the  emancipation  policy 
whereby  they  were  rendered  effectual.  Men  of  greater 
pretensions  were  abundant  in  Congress,  but  there  was 
none  more  devoted,  or  more  ready  to  invoke  and  to  make 
sacrifices  for  the  triumph  of  the  Union. 

In  the  fall  of  1862,  Mr.  Fenton's  name  was  favorably 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  office  of  Governor,  but 
finding  Gen.  Wadsworth  was  to  be  pressed  for  a  nomina- 
tion, Mr.  Fenton  promptly  withdrew  from  the  canvass,  and 
yielded  to  the  patriot  soldier  his  warmest  support.  In 
1864,  Mr.  Fenton  was  designated  as  the  standard-bearer 
of  the  Republican  party,  and  chosen  Governor  by  a 
majority  considerably  larger  than  Mr.  Lincoln's  ;  and  two 
years  later,  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  reflection, 
and  the  wisdom  of  the  selection  is  sufiiciently  attested  by 
the  increased  majority  he  received  in  1866  over  that  given 
him  in  1864. 

The  administration  of  Gov.  Fexton  commenced  at  the 
culminating  period  of  the  war,  and  required  the  exercise 
of  industry,  method,  decision,  and  the  power  of  discrimi- 
nating, originating  and  executing.  He  brought  to  the 
discharge  of  his  new  position  all  these  forces  of  body  and 
mind,  and  proved  patient  amid  perplexities,  quick  in  his 
perceptions,  safe  in  his  judgments,  mastering  toilsome 
details,  and  successfully  meeting  difficult  emergencies. 
His  practical  training,  his  wide  experience,  his  luminous 
intellect  and  well-disciplined  judgment,  saved  him  from 
the  failure  that  a  man  of  less  power  might  have  encoun- 
tered. His  official  relations  with  our  soldiers  did  not 
weaken  the  attachments  that  had  given  him  the  honored 
title  of  the  "  soldier's  friend."  He  was  prompt  to  reward 
merit,  and  skillful  to  harmonize  differences  that  often 
threatened  demoralization  and  serious  injury  to  many  of 
the  military  organizations  then  in  the  field.  Upon  the 
return  of  our   brave  bovs,  Gov.    Fenton  addressed  the 


EEUBEN^   E.    FENTON.  11 

following  letter  to  the  War   Committees  of  the  various 
districts  in  the  State ; 

Gentlemen  :  The  late  orders  of  the  Secretary  of  War  for  muster- 
ing out  a  large  portion  of  the  grand  army  are  being  rapidly  carried 
into  effect,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  by  the  Fourth  of  July  most 
of  the  regiments  to  be  discharged  under  the  orders  will  have  reached 
their  homes.  In  view  of  this  fact,  allow  me  to*  call  your  attention 
to  the  propriety  of  celebrating  that  day  in  a  manner  not  only  befitting 
the  anniversary  of  the  nation's  birth,  but  also  commemorating  its 
recent  rescue  from  imminent  peril.  I  need  not  say  that  welcome 
and  all  honor  to  the  men  whose  patriotism  has  consecrated  the 
nation  to  a  new  career  of  greater  freedom,  whose  bravery  has  given 
security  from  strife  and  perpetuity  to  our  institutions,  should  be  one 
of  the  most  prominent  features  of  such  an  occasion.  Let  us  at  once 
demonstrate,  by  a  grand  ovation,  our  devotion  to  the  institutions 
preserved  to  us,  and  our  gratitude  to  those  who  with  heroic  con- 
stancy, defended  them  through  years  of  terrible  war.  I  have 
thought  best  not  to  issue  an  executive  proclamation  to  this  end,  as 
I  prefer  this  demonstration  should  be  the  spontaneous  uprising  of 
the  people,  eagerly  welcoming  back  the  citizen  soldiers — our  friends 
and  neighbors  —  from  the  dangers  of  the  battle-field  and  the  severe 
duties  of  military  discipline,  to  peace  and  the  exercise  of  civil  rights 
under  the  quiet  which  their  valor  has  secured.  I  sincerely  hope 
these  suggestions  may  meet  with  favor  from  your  people,  and  that 
each  locality  will  arrange  such  a  programme  as  shall,  according  to 
its  circumstances,  best  devote  the  day  to  commemoration,  gratitude 
and  general  rejoicing. 

Very  truly  yours,  R.  E.  FENTOK 

His  judicious  course  fully  commanded  public  confidence 
and  approval,  and  at  the  close  of  the  first  year  of  his  term, 
Moses  H.  Grinnell,  Wm.  M.  ^^eemilye,  Joseph  B. 
Collins,  Richard  L.  Taylor,  Peter  Cooper,  John 
Hecker,  Minthorne  Tompkins,  Isaac  Sherman,  J.  S. 
Schultz  and  many  other  proHiinent  and  wealthy  citizens 
of  New  York  city,  addressed  to  him  a  letter  of  thanks, 
promising  him  their  hearty  cooperation  and  support  in  his 
efforts  to  meliorate  the  condition  of  the  metropolis.     A 


12^^  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

few  months  later,  when  in  New  York  city,  thousands  of 
such  men  waited  uj)on  him  in  person,  giving  high  assur- 
ance of  respect  and  approbation.  The  "New  York 
Tribune  "  referred  to  this  remarkable  demonstration  as  a 
j)roper  recognition  of  official  worth  and  integrity,  saying, 
"  This  hearty  welcome  sprang  from  generous  and  enduring 
remembrance  of  the  protection  afforded  to  our  municipal 
rights  and  franchises,  in  his  judicious  exercise  of  the  veto 
power." 

His  vetoes  of  various  bills  which  would  have  deprived 
the  City  of  Xew  York  of  valuable  franchises,  without 
compensating  advantages,  proved  so  acceptable  to  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  of  New  York  county,  that  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  was  unanimously  adopted  : 

Resolved^  That  the  thanks  of  the  Boc\rd  are  hereby  tendered  to 
His  Excellency,  Grovernor  Fenton,  for  his  recent  vetoes  of  various 
bills  passed  by  the  Legislature  of  this  State  infringing  upon  the 
rights  and  franchises  of  this  city  and  county,  and  we  sincerely  con- 
gratulate the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York  in  having  an  Execu- 
tive who  possesses  the  vigilance  and  fearlessness  necessary  to  correct 
the  errors  of  hasty  and  imperfect  legislation. 

Gov.  Fenton's  State  papers  are  always  compact,  cogent 
and  convincing.  His  vigor  of  style  and  strength  of  diction 
are  admirably  illustrated  in  a  letter  to  the  committee  that 
invited  him  to  a  meeting  held  at  Cooper  Institute,  in  New 
York  city,  in  the  fall  of  1866,  for  the  purpose  of  ratifying 
the  action  of  the  State  Union  Convention : 

State  of  New  York,  Executive  Department, 
Albany,  October  13,  1866. 

Gentlemen  :  I  cannot  attend  the  meeting  at  Cooper  Institute  on 
the  15th  inst,  to  which  you  invite  me;  my  pubhc  duties  at  the 
capital  will  prevent. 

The  questions  now  agitating  the  public  mind  are  of  the  greatest 
moment  and  interest;  and  they  are  such  as  could  not  be  presented 
to  any  other  people.     It  will  not  be  forgotten  that  the  gigantic  war 


REUBEN   E.    FENTON.  13 

through  which  we  have  just  passed  was  prosecuted  on  behalf  of  the 
government  in  defense  of  the  supremacy  of  the  ballot.  The  clearly 
expressed  will  of  the  nation  is  the  supreme  law  of  the  land. 
Against  an  expression  of  this  will,  men  honored  by  large  communi- 
ties with  public  trusts  which  they  were  ready  to  betray  for  purposes 
of  guilty  ambition,  stimulated  their  States  to  revolt,  and  by  crafty 
and  dangerous  devices,  inflamed  the  passions  of  their  people,  until 
in  a  spirit  of  frantic  and  blind  delusion  they  fired  upon  their  own 
flag,  and  enveloped  the  whole  land  in  the  flame  of  war.  The  com- 
mon traditions;  the  national  pride ;  the  sacred  oath  of  fealty ;  these 
were  all  forgotten,  scouted,  or  ignored,  and  under  the  ill-starred 
banner  of  rebellion,  organized  armies  marched  to  crush  out  the 
grand  heritage  of  American  freedom,  and  to  reverse  by  force  of 
arms  the  constitutional  expression  of  the  popular  will.  Patriotic 
men  sprang  from  the  various  walks  of  labor  and  industry,  from  the 
schools  and  colleges,  the  fields  and  the  workshops ;  fortunes  were 
thrown  into  the  scale ;  fireside  circles  were  broken,  and  6very  house- 
hold was  made  familiar  with  the  perils  of  mutilation,  captivity  and 
death,  in  that  common  spirit  of  loyalty  and  devotion  which  prompted 
the  fixed  resolve,  from  the  hour  that  Sumter  fell,  that  the  Union 
our  fathers  had  established  should  stand,  and  that  the  rights  and 
liberties  of  a  free  people,  secured  by  covenant,  should  be  maintained 
in  blood.  These  patriot  forces  trampled  out  the  fires  of  rebellion ; 
the  principle  of  popular  government  was  vindicated;  and  the 
leaders  and  armies  of  the  conspirators  surrendered,  as  prisoners  of 
war,  the  weapons  with  tvhich  they  sought  the  destruction  of  their 
country. 

To  the  representatives  of  these  communities  who  thus  organized 
to  destroy  our  liberties,  we  are  urged  to  commit,  at  once  and  without 
guarantees^  the  authority  to  legislate  for  us ;  to  award  justice  to  the 
soldiers  and  sailors  by  whom  they  were  subdued ;  to  determine 
whether  the  public  debt  shall  be  paid ;  and  to  claim  undue  prepon- 
derance of  representation  in  the  national  councils,  and  a  dispropor- 
tionate vote  in  the  electoral  college,  as  a  reward  for  a  defeated  and 
treasonable  attempt  to  subvert  the  government. 

Places  are  now  claimed  in  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives for  men  who  foreswore  their  allegiance  to  the  Constitution, 
and  held  ofl&ce  under  the  usurpation  of  Davis,  and  bis  associate  con- 


14  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

spirators.  Such  an  assumption  is  against  the  common  sense  of  the 
country.  It  is  plain  that  on  the  dissolution  of  the  rebel  armies 
there  was  no  lawful  local  government  in  any  of  the  insurgent  States  ; 
nor  was  there  any  power  in  the  people  of  those  States  to  regain  the 
status  they  lost  by  organized  rebellion.  The  State  action  which 
they  now  invoke  to  excuse  individuals  from  the  penalties  of  personal 
crime,  disabled  them  as  communities  from  resuming,  without  the 
consent  of  the  people  on  whom  they  made  war,  a  participation  in 
governing  them,  by  claiming  the  place  abdicated  for  the  purposes 
of  treason.  Their  right  of  representation  as  States  being  thus  prac- 
tically suspended  by  their  own  act,  what  power  is  competent  to 
reinstate  them  in  their  former  relations  to  the  government? 
Evidently  it  is  not  in  the  States  themselves,  independent  of  Con- 
gressional sanction  or  recognition.  There  is  no  lawful  local  execu- 
tive to  call  an  election,  and  no  lawful  local  government  under  which 
such  an  election  can  be  made.  The  Federal  government  is  to 
determine  what  shall  be  the  terms  of  restoration.  It  is  a  question 
for  the  sovereign  power,  and  with  us  the  sovereign  is  not  the 
President,  but  the  people.  Under  the  Constitution,  the  will  of  the 
people  is  to  be  expressed  through  its  representatives  in  Congress 
assembled.  The  simple  duty  of  the  President  is  to  execute  their 
will,  thus  expressed.  By  interposing  his  veto,  he  may  compel  them 
to  express  it  by  a  two-thirds  vote ;  but  it  is  the  will  of  the  people, 
and  not  his  will  which  is  expressed ;  and  it  is  not  by  his  vote,  but 
by  the  vote  of  Congress,  that  it  has  the  force  of  a  popular  law. 

With  unerring  judgment  and  forecast,  the  martyred  Lincoln 
appreciated  the  question  in  its  true  aspect ;  and  in  commissioning 
loyal  men,  with  the  simple  powers  of  military  governors,  he  provided 
for  the  present  peace;  while  he  recognized  in  the  people  in  Congress 
assembled  the  only  competent  authority  to  restore  permanent  civil 
government  in  the  insurgent  States,  under  the  Constitution  they 
had  foresworn,  and  to  determine  the  conditions  under  which  they 
should  be  restored  to  their  practical  relations  in  the  Union.  Such 
is  the  common  judgment  of  the  loyal  States.  Such  is  the  clear  con- 
viction and  the  firm  demand  of  the  mass  of  loyal  men  North  and 
South.  It  is  a  question  which  belongs  to  the  people,  and  not  to  the 
President  —  to  the  law-making  power,  and  not  to  the  agent,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  enforce  the  laws  and  to  obey  them. 


KEUBEN   E.    FENTOiN^.  15 

But  it  is  claimed  that  the  adoption  of  the  amendments  proposed 
by  Congress  ought  not  to  be  made  a  condition  of  representation ; 
that  however  just  in  themselves,  no  constitutional  safeguard  should 
be  provided  which  has  not  been  passed  upon  in  Congress  by  the 
insurgent  States.  The  weakness  of  this  position  is  too  obvious  to 
deceive  any  but  those  who  advance  it.  The  President  is,  doubtless, 
competent  to  proclaim  the  cessation  of  hostilities  and  the  return  of 
peace ;  but  Congress  alone  can  guarantee  a  Republican  form  of  gov- 
ernment to  States  which  have  subverted  their  own  governments 
established  under  the  Constitution. 

In  the  discharge  of  a  high  public  trust,  the  present  Congress  has 
patiently  and  laboriously  investigated  the  condition  of  that  portion 
of  the  country  convulsed  by  the  recent  rebellion ;  and,  in  a  com- 
mendable spirit  of  moderation,  it  has  proposed  for  adoption,  an 
amendment  to  the  Constitution,  so  reasonable  and  appropriate  to 
the  existing  state  of  affairs,  that  its  propriety  and  justice  are  admit- 
ted even  by  those  who  oppose  its  adoption.  The  plan  of  adjustment 
thus  presented,  is  the  only  one  before  the  people.  It  has  the  sanc- 
tion of  an  overwhelming  majority  in  the  Senate  and  House  of 
Representatives ;  it  has  been  heartily  and  earnestly  indorsed  by  the 
people  of  every  State  in  which  a  general  election  has  since  been 
held;  it  will  receive  the  unanimous  approval  of  all  the  States, 
whose  unwavering  loyalty  bore  us  triumphantly  through  the  war ; 
it  is  a  noble  and  magnanimous  peace-ofifering  tendered  by  Congress, 
in  behalf  of  the  people,  to  the  misguided  States  which  permitted 
themselves  to  be  precipitated  into  rebellion  by  bold  and  reckless 
leaders,  some  of  whom  are  now  demanding  instant  and  uncondi- 
tional admission  to  seats  in  the  governing  council  of  the  nation. 
Very  respectfully, 

R.  E.  FENTON. 
To  Messrs.  P.  A.  Conkling,  Francis  A.  Thomas,  Owen  W.  Brennan, 
John  Fitch,  Charles  A.  Dana,  Committee. 

His  views  upon  the  pending  issues,  were  afterward  ably 
maintained  in  a  speech  delivered  at  a  large  political 
gathering  in  Jamestown,  just  prior  to  the  election  of  186G. 
An  unerring  test  of  the  correctness  of  his  opinions,  and 
the  wisdom  of  his  administration,  is  furnished  in  the  fact 


16  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

that,  during  the  late  canvass,  his  opponents  were  utterly- 
unable  to  assail  his  official  record,  while  his  friends  eftect- 
ively  employed  the  same  in  his  behalf. 

Governor  Fenton  realizes  that  the  people  have  made 
him  their  Chief  Magistrate,  and  that  they  look  to  him,  and 
to  no  other  person,  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  the  duties 
of  the  responsible  position.  He  is  controlled  by  no  clique 
—  he  is  the  agent  of  no  cabal.  He  jDatiently  listens  to  all 
who  desire  to  consult  him,  and  then  follows  the  dictates 
of  his  own  good  judgment.  He  has  no  prejudice  so  strong, 
nor  partiality  so  great  as  to  lead  him  to  do  an  unjust  act. 

He  is  a  careful  thinker  and  a  hard  worker.     No  man  ■ 
ever  labored  more  hours  in  the  Executive  Chamber  than 
he  does.    Whatever  work  engages  his  attention,  he  attends 
to  it  personally,  even  to  the  minutest  details. 

In  the  character  of  Governor  Fenton,  extremes  center : 
though  a  decided  radical  in  his  convictions,  there  is  just 
enough  conservatism  about  him  to  make  him  an  entirely 
safe  man.  Though  a  man  of  intense  feelings  and  strong 
prejudices,  no  man  is  more  impartial  and  unbiased  when  a 
duty  is  to  be  performed.  There  are  few  men  whose  minds 
are  as  well  balanced  as  his  ;  the  strong  points  in  his  char- 
acter are  not  neutralized  by  weak  ones. 

The  Governor  is  a  fearless  man.  Make  it  clear  to  him 
that  a  thing  ought  to  be  done,  and  he  will  do  it,  no  matter 
who  may  advise  differently ;  and  yet  he  will  never  do  a 
rash  act.  He  is  entirely  open  and  frank  in  his  intercourse 
with  men,  and  at  the  same  time  cautious  and  reserved :  . 
though  easy  and  unassuming  in  his  manner,  he  is  always 
dignified  and  circumspect.  In  the  generosity  of  his  nature 
he  would  grant  every  request  that  might  be  addressed  to 
him ;  but  this  is  often  impracticable ;  he  cannot  give 
everybody  an  office ;  he  cannot  comply  with  the  wishes  of 
all  who  make  known  their  wants ;  where  there  is  a  conflict 
of  opinion,  he  is  obliged  to  act  on  his  own  responsibility ; 


EEUBEN   E.    FENTOX.  17 

and  this  he  does  without  hesitation,  and  rarely  makes  a 
mistake.  He  possesses  a  noble  heart,  and  naturally  sym- 
pathizes with  those  who  need  assistance.  During  the  late 
war,  he  visited  battle-fields  on  which  our  young  men  lay 
weltering  in  blood,  and  hospitals  to  which  they  had  been 
conveyed,  because  he  thought  he  might  minister  to  their 
comfort,  and  at  least  gladden  their  hearts ;  nor  could  he 
have  done  otherwise.  His  feelings  as  certainly  take  him  to 
places  where  a  sympathetic  word  is  a  blessing,  as  the 
needle  turns  to  the  pole.  That  the  feelings  of  youth 
survive  in  his  manhood,  and  that  he  cherishes  a  warm 
sympathy  for  childhood,  is  very  pleasantly  shown  in  a 
letter  acknowledging  a  testimonial  of  membership  to  the 
American  Sunday  School  Union,  presented  by  the  scholars 
of  a  Sabbath  School.  In  his  reply  to  the  Superintendent 
he  says: 

"  Thank  the  boys  for  me  and  tell  them  I  shall  place  the  gift  in 
my  study,  that  I  may  never  forget  in  the  performance  of  the  grave 
duties  to  which  I  am  called,  that  little  children  are  taking  note  of 
what  I  do,  sure  that  if  my  conduct  can  be  held  up  in  commendation 
to  those  of  whom  Christ  says :  '  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  Heaven,' 
it  will  reach  the  highest  standard  of  earthly  merit." 

Governor  Fenton  believes  in  doing  good  to  all;  that 
kind  offices  are  rarely  lost  on  any  member  of  the  human 
family ;  that  they  tend  to  make  mankind  better  and  hap- 
pier. This  is  his  religion,  and  he  manifests  it  by  acts 
rather  than  words.  More  brilliant  men  may  have  occupied 
the  executive  chair  in  our  State,  but  it  has  been  filled  by 
no  more  sagacious  statesman,  and  by  no  more  conscien- 
tious man,  and  such  will  be  the  verdict  of  those  who  shall 
impartially  write  a  history  of  the  times  wherein  we  live. 
3 


STEWART    L.   WOODFORD, 

LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR. 

Lieutenant-Governor  Woodford  is  a  native  of  the 
metroi3olis  of  New  York,  where  he  was  born  in  the  year 
1835. 

His  father,  Josiah  C.  Woodford,  was  from  Hartford 
county,  Connecticut ;  his  mother,  from  Suffolk  county, 
Long  Island,  in  this  State. 

He  was  a  boy  of  good  promise,  whose  success  in  life  was 
foreshadowed  by  his  industry  and  tenacity  of  purpose. 
Before  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  entered  the  Fresh- 
man Class  of  the  Columbia  College,  from  which  he  grad- 
uated with  high  honors  in  1854.  He  then  turned  his 
attention  to  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Brown,  Hall 
&  Yanderpool,  at  New  York,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1857. 

As  a  lawyer,  Mr.  Woodford  was  popular  and  successful, 
and  almost  immediately  took  a  prominent  place  among 
the  younger  members  of  his  profession. 

In  the  year  1860,  he  w^as  a  delegate  to  the  convention  at 
Chicago,  which  nominated  Abrahaim  Lincoln  for  the 
Presidency.  On  his  return,  he  entered  into  the  canvass 
with  great  spirit,  and  worked  unceasingly  for  the  Repub- 
lican cause.  His  eloquence  was  heard  from  the  rostrum, 
and  his  energies  were  felt  in  private  councils  in  behalf  of 
the  great  interests  which  he  was  willing  subsequently  to 
defend  in  the  field.  It  was  his  privilege,  after  that  mem- 
orable canvass,  to  convey  the  vote  of  the  Electoral  College 
of  New  York,  to  Washington.  Closely  following  the 
honor  thus  conferred  upon  him,  was  his  election  as  Chair- 
man of  the  Young  Men's  Republican  Committee,  of  the 
City  of  New  York. 


STEWART   L.    WOODFORD.  19 

In  April,  1861,  Mr.  Woodford  was  appointed  Assistant 
United  States  Attorney,  for  the  Southern  District  of  New 
York.  This  was  an  office  of  importance,  requiring  a  high 
order  of  abilities  for  the  proper  discharge  of  its  weighty 
duties ;  and  Mr.  Woodford  filled  it  in  an  unexceptionable 
manner.  After  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion,  the 
blockade  of  the  Southern  ports  rendered  necessary  the 
creation  of  a  bureau  in  that  office,  for  the  legal  prosecu- 
tion of  the  vast  number  of  naval  captures  made  by  the 
government.  This  bureau  was  placed  in  charge  of  Mr. 
Woodford,  whose  industry,  aided  by  natural  talent  and 
keen  discrimination,  enabled  him  to  successfully  present  to 
the  court  the  intricate  questions  arising  for  adjudication. 

In  1862,  after  the  gloomy  retreat  of  McClellan  across 
the  Peninsula,  a  general  feeling  of  the  necessity  of  renewed 
action  and  sacrifice,  pervaded  the  hearts  of  the  people. 
Mr.  Woodford  hastened  to  obey  the  common  impulse, 
resigned  his  lucrative  office,  and  enlisted  for  the  war  as  a 
private.  He  was  immediately  elected  captain  of  his 
company,  which  was  assigned  to  the  127th  regiment  New 
York  Volunteers,  under  Col.  William  Gurxey.  Before 
leaving  for  the  front,  he  was  again  promoted  to  a  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonelcy. About  this  time,  he  removed  his  resi- 
dence to  Brooklyn.  The  winter  of  1862-3  was  spent  by 
his  regiment  in  and  around  Washington,  which  was  then 
threatened  by  the  rebel  forces  ;  but  the  life  of  comparative 
inaction  was  interrupted  by  the  siege  of  Suftolk  Va.,  by 
General  Loxgstreet.  Colonel  Woodford's  command 
was  sent  to  Suffolk,  and  subsequently  to  the  Peninsula, 
under  General  Dix.  He  afterward  served  in  the  11th 
Corps,  and  was  then  transferred  to  the  department  of  the 
South  where  he  won  for  himself  distinguished  military 
honors. 

When  General  Gillmore  began  his  extensive  operations 
against  Charleston,  Colonel  Woodford,  with  his  regiment, 


20  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

took  a  prominent  part  in  them.  In  the  spring  of  1864,  he 
commanded  the  several  forts  on  Morris  Island,  which 
shelled  the  city  of  Charleston  so  destructively.  During 
the  summer  of  that  year,  he  acted  as  Judge- Advocate- 
General  of  the  department  of  the  South,  and,  in  the  early 
autumn,  was  intrusted  with  the  supervision  of  the  exchange 
of  prisoners  at  Charleston  Harbor.  But  staff  duty  was 
not  congenial  to  his  taste,  and  as  Sherman  neared  the 
coast,  he  applied  for  leave  to  rejoin  his  regiment,  and  par- 
ticipate in  the  operations  undertaken  by  General  Foster, 
against  the  Charleston  and  Savannah  Railroad.  His 
request  was  granted,  and  he  was  actively  engaged  in  the 
movements  which  followed. 

At  the  battle  of  Honey  Hill,  Coosawhatchie  and  Tula- 
finny,  his  bravery  was  conspicuous,  and  received  marked 
commendation  from  his  superiors.  His  men  were  always 
willing  to  follow  where  their  plucky  colonel  led. 

Just  before  the  surrender  of  Lee,  and  after  active 
movements  had  ceased  on  the  coast.  Colonel  Woodford 
was  appointed  Provost-Marshal-General  of  the  Southern 
Department ;  and,  a  short  time  after,  was  made  the  first 
Military  Governor  of  Charleston.  It  was  in  this  city  that 
the  rebellion  was  conceived  and  born.  The  populace,  at 
the  time  of  the  breaking  up  of  the  gigantic  cabal,  were 
filled  with  hatred  and  disloyalty.  The  aristocratic  South- 
rons illy  submitted  to  the  dictation  of  a  Northern  man. 
Disloyal  citizens  on  the  one  hand,  and  rebel  deserters  and 
desperadoes  on  the  other,  smouldering  buildings,  half- 
famished  and  homeless  families,  the  absence  of  civil  law, 
and  a  chaotic  state  of  society,  all  conspired  to  bring  into 
play  the  highest  order  of  administrative  capabilities. 

Under  the  authority  of  Colonel  Woodford,  these  vol- 
canic elements  were  harmonized,  much  to  the  delight  of 
those  who  had  suffered  by  the  reign  of  terror.  By  his 
courteous,  but  iron  firmness,  he  soon  convinced  even  the 


STEWAKT   r-.    WOODFORD.  21 

disloyal  that  the  best  course  for  them  was  to  submit  quietly 
to  the  authority  of  the  Military  Governor,  who  had  been 
placed  over  them  by  an  outraged  but  vindicated  govern- 
ment. Order  was  restored  so  perfectly  at  last,  that  ten 
thousand  colored  people,  in  the  celebration  of  the  Emanci- 
pation Proclamation,  and  weeks  before  the  surrender  of 
Lee,  marched  triumphantly  through  the  principal  streets 
of  the  city,  with  the  flag  of  the  Republic  floating  over 
them,  with  banners  inscribed  with  mottoes  commemorative 
of  the  termination  of  their  bondage,  and  bearing  a  cofiin 
emblematic  of  the  death  and  burial  of  slavery.  It  is  not 
to  be  supposed  that  the  citizens  relished  this  demonstra- 
tion, but  the  cool  decision  of  Governor  Woodford  awed 
them  into  a  state  of  outward  submission ;  and  they  well 
knew,  that  any  molestation  would  have  drawn  upon  them- 
selves summary  punishment. 

For  the  remarkable  administrative  abilities  displayed  at 
this  important  juncture,  he  was  made  Chief  of  Staff,  by 
Major-General  Gillmore.  While  the  city  of  Charleston 
was  under  Colonel  Woodford's  command,  order  prevailed 
on  all  sides ;  the  loyalist  felt  safe  in  the  enjoyment  of  his 
privileges,  and  the  secessionist  was  forced  to  admit  that 
the  colonel  manifested  tenacity  of  purpose  to  administer 
justice  to  all.  It  was  while  acting  in  this  capacity  that 
he  was  commissioned  Brigadier-General  by  brevet,  for 
meritorious  services. 

Subsequently,  he  succeeded  the  gallant  General  Grover 
in  command  of  the  city  of  Savannah ;  and  his  administra- 
tion in  that  city  was  also  a  complete  success. 

Among  the  distinguishing  acts  of  his  course,  was  the 
practical  assistance  which  he  gave  to  the  negroes  in  found- 
ing their  schools  and  churches.  On  every  hand  he  saw 
hundreds  of  colored  people  eager  to  be  taught.  They 
were  a  distinct  and  peculiar  race  that  had  been  shut  out 
from  educational  advantages  for  many  generations;  and 


22  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

he  determined  that  every  possible  avenue  should  now  be 
opened  to  them.  How  successfully  he  accomplished  his 
purpose,  the  gratitude  of  the  negroes  testifies.  He  rees- 
tablished the  police  force,  relighted  the  streets,  and  demon- 
strated that  he  w^as  not  only  bravely  just  to  the  blacks, 
but  wise  and  energetic  in  his  management  of  all  the  civil 
affiiirs  of  the  important  city  that  had  been  confided  to  his 
control. 

General  Woodford  subsequently  reassumed  the  position 
of  Chief  of  Staff  to  the  Department  Commander ;  and  in 
August,  1865,  resigned  his  commission,  and  returning  to 
his  home  in  Brooklyn,  resumed  the  practice  of  the  law. 

In  October  of  the  same  year,  he  was  unanimously  nomi- 
nated by  the  Republican  party  in  New  York  city  as  their 
candidate  for  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas ;  but 
he  decided  not  to  change  his  residence  from  Brooklyn 
(to  which  city  he  had  moved  his  family  soon  after  he 
entered  the  army),  and  declined  the  nomination. 

In  the  autumn  of  1866,  and  after  a  canvass  in  which  he 
visited  nearly  every  county  in  the  State,  General  Wood- 
ford was  elected  Lieutenant-Governor  of  New  York,  by 
the  Union  Republican  party,  receiving  a  majority  of  15,024 
votes.  The  Democratic  party  were  confident  of  the  success 
of  their  candidate,  Mr.  Prtiyn,  but  the  ballot  of  the  peo- 
ple gave  a  sweeping  verdict  in  favor  of  General  Woodford. 

The  Lieutenant-Governor  combines,  with  an  agreeable 
ai^jDcarance  and  pleasing  address,  the  graces  and  polish  of 
a  gentleman.  He  is  a  cultivated  scholar,  and  a  close  and 
logical  lawyer.  His  eloquence  is  of  the  highest  order, 
and  his  presence  before  an  audience  is  strangely  magnetic, 
as  thousands  can  testify  Avho  have  heard  him  from  the 
political  rostrum  and  in  the  court-room. 

He  is  the  youngest  man  that  has  ever  been  President  of 
the  Senate  of  New  York,  being  now  but  thirty-one  years 
of  asre. 


FEANCIS    C.   BARLOW, 

SECRETARY    OF    STATE. 

A  SLIGHT,  almost  delicate  form,  yet  as  closely  knit  as 
that  of  a  deer ;  a  pair  of  strange,  grey  eyes  ;  a  well-devel- 
oped, classical  head,  a  firm  expressive  mouth,  giving  the 
features,  in  repose,  an  air  of  sadness ;  and  you  have  an 
outline  of  General  Barlow's  physique.  Francis  C.  Bar- 
low was  born  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  on  the  1 9th  of 
October,  1834,  of  New  England  parentage.  When  he  was 
two  years  of  age,  his  parents  removed  to  Massachusetts,  in 
the  vicinity  of  Boston,  where,  with  the  exception  of  two 
years  spent  in  New  Hampshire,  he  resided  until  he  entered 
Harvard.  He  prepared  for  college  at  one  of  the  institu- 
tions in  Cambridge,  and  was  matriculated  at  Harvard  in 
1851.  During  his  collegiate  course  he  was  distinguished 
for  his  fine  scholarship,  graduating  with  the  honors  of  his 
class,  in  July,  1855.  In  the  month  of  September  follow- 
ing, he  went  to  the  city  of  New  York,  where  he  was  very 
successfully  engaged  in  teaching  private  classes,  for  the 
purpose  of  preparing  young  men  for  college  and  the  count- 
ing-room. In  the  autumn  of  1856,  Mr.  Barlow  entered 
the  law  office  of  William  Curtis  Noyes,  Esq.,  where  he 
remained  until  the  spring  of  1857.  He  was  then  employed 
as  a  clerk  by  Messrs.  Wheaton  &  Livingston,  attorneys 
and  counselors-at-law,  also  reporting  law  cases  for  the 
"Tribune,"  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1858.  In  the 
month  of  January,  1859,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
George  Bliss,  Jr.,  which,  in  all  of  its  relations,  was  most 
satisfactory  to  both  parties.  But  the  professional  duties 
of  his  life  were  interrupted  by  the  rebellion,  in  1801.  The 
very  day  which  heralded  the  news  of  the  assault  on  Sum- 
ter, found  him  ready,  at  almost  a  moment's  warning,  to 


24  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

leave  his  business  and  his  home,  in  order  to  defend  the 
principles  which  had  found  such  deep  root  in  his  heart. 
He  hated  servitude  in  all  of  its  forms  ;  and  he  loved,  both 
by  nature  and  education,  all  the  foundation  precepts  of 
liberty  in  their  highest  and  broadest  sense;  and  he  was 
prepared  to  go  beyond  the  simple  entertainment  of  these 
noble  views ;  he  was  Avilling  to  make  any  sacrifice,  how- 
ever great,  in  order  to  maintain  the  eternal  justice  of  the 
nation's  cause. 

Although  his  friends  knew  how  deeply  he  cherished  his 
opinions,  yet  they  were  unprepared  for  his  announcement 
that  he  would  enter  the  ranks  as  a  private  soldier.  He 
had  bright  prospects  ahead  in  his  profession  ;  but,  though 
his  attention  was  directed  to  them,  he  saw,  above  all,  the 
danger  of  the  country. 

"  Wait,"  said  some  of  his  friends,  "  and  we  will  get  a 
commission  for  you." 

"A  commission  for  me?"  was  his  inquiry.  "  I  never 
handled  a  gun  in  ray  life  !  " 

Without  any  further  ceremony,  he  joined  the  12tli 
State  Militia,  on  the  20th  of  April,  1861,  which  went  out 
for  three  months.  There  was  no  flourish  about  this  act. 
In  an  unostentatious  manner,  Mr.  Barlow  was  enrolled  as 
a  private ;  and,  in  the  same  quiet  and  determined  way,  he 
commenced  a  proud  record.  The  next  day,  his  regiment 
departed  for  Washington,  in  defense  of  the  capital.  While 
there  in  camp,  he  applied  himself,  in  an  assiduous  manner, 
to  the  study  of  military  treatises.  Every  leisure  moment 
found  him,  book  in  hand,  mastering  the  tactics.  At  the 
end  of  three  or  four  weeks,  he  accepted  the  position  of 
First  Lieutenant,  offered  him  by  Colonel  Buttekfield,  who 
fully  appreciated  his  merits. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  period  for  which  he  had  enlisted, 
he  returned  to  New  York.  But  not  feeling  that  his  whole 
duty  to  his  country  had  been  discharged,  after  the  organ- 


PRANCIS    C.    BARLOW.  25 

ization  of  the  61st  regiment,  New  York  Volunteers,  he 
was  selected  and  appointed  as  its  Lieutenant-Colonel ;  and 
thus  opened  another  chapter  in  his  military  course.  He 
had  commenced  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder ;  but  he  saw 
what  many  so  often  fail  to  perceive,  that  all  one  has  to 
do  is  to  put  one  foot  above  the  other,  and  the  ascent 
must  be'  sure.  Moreover,,he  was  not  satisfied  with  being 
competent  for  performing  the  duties  of  a  lieutenant- 
colonelcy.  The  same  spirit  that  had,  a  short  time  before, 
commenced  to  learn  the  simple  evolutions  of  a  company, 
looked  ahead,  far  beyond  the  elementary  principles  of  the 
science  of  war,  to  the  grand  sweep  of  brigades,  divisions 
and  corps. 

His  regiment  was  assigned  to  General  McClellan's 
army;  and  during  the  autumn  and  winter  months  of  1861, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Barlow  was  studying  the  tactics,  as 
he  had  leisure,  with  a  resolute  will.  When  the  grand 
army  moved  down  in  front  of  Yorktown  he  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  Colonel. 

In  a  few  days,  transpired  the  fierce  battle  of  Fair  Oaks, 
in  which  the  valor  of  our  soldiers  was  put  to  a  severe 
trial.  During  this  engagement.  Colonel  Barlow's  regi- 
ment lost  its  color-bearer,  and  four  of  the  color-guard ;  and 
General  Howard,  having  lost  an  arm,  gave  the  command 
of  his  brigade  to  Colonel  Barlow.  He  fearlessly  led  the 
troops  into  the  midst  of  the  slaughter,  now  encouraging 
by  his  words,  now  holding  them  firmly  in  their  positions 
by  his  authority  and  his  presence,  never  permitting  them 
to  swerve  from  points  already  gained.  His  bravery  won 
for  him  a  single  star  upon  his  shoulder.  He  distinguished 
himself  in  the  same  gallant  manner  during  the  bloody 
*'  seven  days'  fight."  The  next  conflict  in  which  he  took 
a  prominent  part  was  at  Antietam.  On  this  occasion,  he 
was  wounded  in  the  breast  and  groin.  ECis  life  was  des- 
paired of  by  the  surgeons ;  but  his  wife,  noble  and  faithfuJ, 
4 


2C  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

nursed  him  with  a  womanly  tenderness  which  saved  his 
life.  As  soon  as  he  recovered,  he  led  a  brigade  into  the 
bloody  battle  of  Chancellorsville.  When  the  waves  of 
the  rebellion  dashed  upon  the  southern  slopes  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, General  Barlow  led  the  same  brigade  into  the 
horrible  engagement.  Without  a  twinge  of  physical  fear, 
in  the  midst  of  shell  and  cannon,  he  rode  in  front  of  the 
line,  inspiriting  the  troops,  and  exhorting  them  to  remain 
unyielding.  Wheeling  squadrons,  carrying  slaughter  in 
their  courses,  swept  on  like  mighty  engines  of  destruction, 
and  still  the  slight  form  of  General  Barlow  was  seen 
dashing  from  one  point  of  attack  to  another.  At  last,  the 
fearless  rider  fell  from  his  horse,  wounded  by  four  musket- 
balls.  The  great  agony  of  the  fight  went  on,  and  the 
brave  General  lay  on  the  field,  exposed  to  the  fire  of  friend 
and  foe.  While  in  this  condition,  he  was  again  twice 
wounded.  When  night  terminated  the  battle,  he  was 
found  by  the  rebel  General  Early,  who,  while  passing 
over  the  field,  discovered  his  rank  by  the  star  upon  his 
shoulder.  Supposing  him  to  be  dead.  General  Early 
paused  with  his  staff  officers,  to  ascertain  his  name, 
remarking  that  nothing  could  be  done  for  the  dead  Gene- 
ral. Feebly  raising  his  head.  General  Barlow  gave 
Early  that  terse,  gritty  reply,  which  was  afterward,  at 
the  battle  of  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  so  fully  verified : 
"  I  will  live  to  fight  you  yet.  General ! " 

The  assiduous  attentions  of  Mrs.  Barlow,  who  had 
accompanied  the  army,  succoring  the  wounded  in  hospital 
and  field,  again  brought  her  husband  from  the  valley  of 
death.  We  would  further  add  that  this  noble  wife  —  a 
most  accomplished  and  beautiful  woman  —  devoted  herself 
to  the  cause  in  hospital  service,  attending  upon  sick  and 
Avounded  men,  who  learned  to  whisper  her  name  with  the 
reverence  which  attaches  to  a  superior  being.  In  this 
work  of  heroic  self-sacrifices,  she  contracted  the  hospital 


FRANCIS    C.    BARLOW.  27 

fever  and  died,  as  truly  and  nobly  a  martyr  to  country  as 
the  bravest  soldier  who  ever  fell  on  battle-field. 

Resuming  his  command  in  1864,  he  participated  in  the 
battles  of  the  Wilderness.  In  one  of  these  engagements 
he  captured  a  whole  division  of  General  Early's  corps, 
under  the  command  of  General  Johnsox,  and  forty  pieces 
of  artillery.  The  brilliancy  of  these  exploits  is  unsur- 
passed. In  front  of  Petersburgh,  he  was  promoted  to  a 
Major-Generalship.  Taking  a  prominent  part  in  the 
closing  conflict  before  Richmond,  he  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  the  great  army  of  the  Confederacy  vanquished 
by  the  determined  legions  of  the  North. 

In  the  autumn  of  1865,  General  Barlow  was  nominated 
by  the  Union  party  of  the  State  of  New  York,  as  candi- 
date for  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State,  against.  General 
Slocum,  who  had  been  nominated  by  the  Democrats.  All 
will  remember  the  exciting  canvass  of  that  campaign. 
Every  important  point  of  the  great  issue  was  discussed 
from  the  rostrum,  in  city  and  hamlet ;  and  both  parties 
bent  all  their  energies  to  the  accomplishment  of  a  success- 
ful finale.  The  result  was  the  election  of  General  Bar- 
low by  a  majority  of  27,491. 

Prompt  in  his  executive  abilities,  he  performs  his  official 
duties  in  the  same  decisive  manner  which  he  displayed  in 
the  army.  He  remains  firm  to  the  rights  which  he  defended 
with  his  sword ;  and  the  laconic  force  of  his  orders  on  the 
battle-field,  characterizes  the  expression  of  his  political 
opinions. 


THOMAS    HILLHOUSE, 

COMPTKOLLER. 

Thomas  Hillhouse,  the  present  Comptroller,  is  de- 
scended from  one  of  the  most  honorable  and  distinguished 
families  in  the  comitry.  Its  first  representative  in  the 
United  States,  an  Irish  Protestant  minister,  settled  in 
New  England,  in  1720. 

His  eldest  son,  William,  held  important  positions  under 
the  Colonial  Government  of  Connecticut,  and,  after  the 
Revolution,  was  a  member  of  the  Council,  or  Upper  House 
of  the  Legislature,  and  a  County  Judge.  He  married 
Sarah  Griswold,  sister  of  the  first  Governor  of  Connec- 
ticut, of  that  name.  Of  the  six  sons  of  William,  James, 
the  eldest,  Avas  a  member  of  Congress  from  1790  to  1796, 
and  was  then  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States, 
in  which  body  he  served  with  distinction,  and  without 
interruption,  until  1810,  when  he  resigned  to  take  charge 
of  the  Connecticut  School  Fund,  of  which  he  had  been 
appointed  Commissioner.  On  the  election  of  Mr.  Jeffer- 
sox  as  President,  he  succeeded  him  as  President  of  the 
Senate. 

Thomas,  the  youngest  of  the  sons  of  William,  and 
father  of  the  Comptroller,  emigrated  to  the  State  of  New 
York  in  1801,  and  established  himself  in  business  at  what 
Avas  then  the  village  of  Troy.  A  few  years  later,  he  pur- 
chased a  farm,  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Albany,  to 
which  he  removed  in  1810.  It  was  here  that  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  born,  March  10th,  1817.  His  boyhood 
may  be  dismissed  with  the  remark,  that  it  was  made  up 
of  the  usual  incidents  falling  to  the  lot  of  persons  in  his 
situation  of  life.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  while  preparing 
for  college,  he  was  called  home  by  the  death  of  his  father, 


THOMAS   HILLHOUSE.  29 

to  take  charge  of  his  affairs.  Abandoning  all  thoughts  of 
a  profession,  he  devoted  himself  sedulously  to  the  manage- 
ment of  the  family  property.  For  the  next  ten  years  he 
was  widely  known  as  an  enthusiastic,  hard-working,  and 
influential  farmer,  serving,  for  several  years,  as  an  efficient 
officer  of  the  State  Agricultural  Society,  and  regularly 
attending  its  public  exhibitions.  In  1851,  he  removed  to 
Geneva,  in  the  county  of  Ontario,  where,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  time  occupied  in  public  duties,  he  has  since 
resided. 

The  subsequent  connection  of  Mr.  Hillhouse  with  public 
affairs,  grew  out  of  the  course  of  President  Buchanan's 
administration  on  the  question  of  the  extension  of  slavery 
over  the  free  Territories  of  the  West.  It  was  this  consid- 
eration that  determined  many  thoughtful  men,  not  before 
actively  connected  with  the  political  organizations  of  the 
day,  to  unite  in  a  determined  effort  for  the  overthrow 
of  the  dominant  party.  In  the  Presidential  campaign  of 
1856,  Mr.  Hillhouse  "took  a  conspicuous  part,  and  it  was 
to  his  active  labors  at  that  time,  in  the  county  of  his  resi- 
dence, that  he  owed  his  election  to  the  State  Senate  in 
1 859.  The  attention  of  the  Legislature,  the  following  year, 
was  principally  occupied  with  questions  of  local  concern  ; 
and  the  sound  practical  wisdom  which  Mr.  Hillhouse 
brought  to  the  consideration  of  the  various  and  complicated 
interests  of  the  State,  soon  gave  him  a  commanding  influ- 
ence in  that  body.  Before  the  assembling  of  the  Senate, 
in  January,  1861,  the  plot  for  the  dissolution  of  the  Union 
had  been  developed,  and  it  had  become  apparent  to  the 
most  incredulous  minds  that  the  country  would  soon  be  in 
the  throes  of  a  revolution.  It  was  under  the  full  convic- 
tion that  the  storm  could  not  be  averted,  that  Mr.  Hill- 
house, on  the  first  day  of  the  session,  moved  a  resolution 
for  the  appointment  of  a  Select  Committee  on  National 
Affairs ;  and,  as  Chairman  of  that  Committee,  he  subse- 


30  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

quently  brought  in  an  able  report,  denouncing  the  course 
of  the  Southern  States  as  a  revolutionary  attempt  to  sub- 
vert the  government,  which,  if  persisted  in,  was  to  be  met 
by  a  coercion  of  arms,  and  declaring  that  the  State  of  Xew 
York  was  prepared  to  support  the  General  Government 
with  her  material  as  well  as  her  moral  power.  But  the 
march  of  events  was  more  rapid  than  the  proceedings  of 
Legislative  bodies,  and  the  report  and  accompanying  reso- 
lutions were  still  under  consideration  when  the  attack  on 
Sumter  called  the  people  to  arras,  and  transferred  the 
questions  at  issue,  from  the  arena  of  debate  to  the  arbitra- 
ment of  the  sword. 

The  Legislature  adjourned  on  the  l7th  of  April,  1861 5 
and,  in  July  of  that  year,  the  position  of  Adjutant-General 
of  the  State  was  tendered  to  Mr.  Hillhouse,  and  he  at  once 
accepted  it.  In  entering  upon  the  discharge  of  its  duties, 
without  previous  experience,  he  manifested  his  faith  in  the 
proposition  that  much  of  the  mystery  which  unprofessional 
minds  attach  to  a  subject,  exists  only  in  the  imagination, 
and  that  a  determined  purjDOse  will  go  far  to  remove  the 
most  formidable  difficulties. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  over-estimate  the  value  of 
the  labors  of  Adjutant-General  Hillhouse,  to  the  State 
and  the  nation.  He  strove  with  an  assiduity  and  ability 
rarely  equaled  in  the  public  service,  to  infuse  into  the 
organization  of  the  military  arm  of  the  State,  thorough 
efficiency  and  preparation  for  the  work  in  hand.  That  he 
succeeded,  the  valor  and  exploits  of  the  volunteers  from 
the  State  of  New  York  in  the  national  army,  fully 
attest. 

The  connection  of  Mr.  Hillhouse  with  the  military 
service,  terminated  with  the  close  of  Governor  Morgan's 
second  term;  and  he  was  without  official  employment, 
from  that  time  until  1865,  when  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  he  now  holds. 


THOMAS    HILLHOUSE.  31 

He  lias  held  the  office  of  Comptroller  for  one  year,  but, 
in  that  time,  he  has  manifested  his  eminent  ability  and 
great  fitness  for  the  position.  He  brings  to  the  discharge 
of  its  arduous  duties,  a  breadth  of  comprehension  and  thor- 
ough appreciation  of  the  interests,  dignity  and  well-being 
of  a  great  State,  which  preeminently  entitle  him  to  the 
appellation  —  a  statesman.  His  paper  on  the  sources  of 
revenue  and  the  powers  of  the  State  and  national  govern- 
ment, indicates  a  capacity  for  usefulness  in  the  public 
service,  rarely  surpassed. 

Politically,  Mr.  Hillhouse  has  acted  with  the  Repub- 
lican party  from  its  earliest  history.  Being  a  firm  believer 
in  the  supremacy  of  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
and  convinced  that  it  is  clothed  with  the  most  ample 
powers  to  meet  every  emergency  in  public  affairs,  he  was 
enabled  to  give  to  the  extraordinary  measures  of  that 
government,  during  the  war,  an  intelligent  and  valuable 
support,  all  the  more  earnest  that  it  was  not  inconsistent 
with  his  honest  convictions  as  to  the  extent  of  its  juris- 
diction. Some  time  before  the  passage  of  the  act  of  Con- 
gress "  To  enroll  the  national  forces,"  he  had  expressed  the 
opinion  that,  as  an  incident  to  the  power  "  to  raise  and 
support  armies,"  Congress  could  adopt  the  means  of  com- 
pulsory service;  and,  after  the  passage  of  the  act,  he 
defended  it  in  a  series  of  articles,  widely  circulated,  which 
went  very  far  toward  settling  the  controversy.  These 
articles  were  quoted  in  Congress,  and  everywhere  referred 
to  as  disposing  of  a  subject  which  had  provoked  much 
bitter  discussion. 


JOSEPH    ROWLAND, 

STATE   TREASURER. 

Joseph  Howland  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
on  the  3d  of  December,  1834.  He  is  the  son  of  Samuel 
Howla:s^d,  Esq.,  of  the  firm  of  Howland  &  Aspinwall. 
His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  the  late  John  Hone, 
Esq.,  a  distinguished  merchant  of  the  city  of  New  York. 
His  lineage  can  be  traced  directly  to  the  Puritans,  his 
ancestor,  John  Howland,  being  one  of  the  earnest  adven- 
turers who  embarked  in  the  Mayflower. 

General  Howland  received  all  the  advantages  of  a  lib- 
eral education,  through  private  schools  and  tutors ;  and  also 
enjoyed  the  privileges  of  nine  years  of  travel  in  Europe 
and  America.  Being  of  a  delicate  constitution,  he  sought 
to  improve  his  health  by  retirement  from  city  life ;  there- 
fore, about  ten  years  ago,  he  removed  to  a  farm,  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  Hudson,  a  little  north  of  the  Highlands, 
in  the  town  of  Fishkill,  where  he  has  an  extended  view 
of  mountain  and  river  scenery,  and  where  the  invigorating 
air  has  done  very  much  to  render  him  more  robust  and 
healthy.  There  he  is  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  his 
extensive  lands,  and  in  various  works  of  improvement,  to 
the  supervision  of  which  he  devotes  a  large  portion  of  his 
time,  when  not  engaged  in  official  duties.  There,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  an  ample  fortune,  and  the  society  of  his 
estimable  wife  (who  was  the  daughter  of  Charles  W. 
WooLSEY,  Esq.,  of  New  York  city),  surrounded  by  every- 
thing calculated  to  render  life  attractive,  he  seeks  to  make 
himself  useful  by  relieving  the  wants  of  the  poor,  and 
doing  much  to  promote  the  public  welfare.  He  has 
erected,  in  the  vicinity  of  his  residence,  upon  the  site  of 
the  former  district  school  house,  an  edifice  of  rare  archi- 


JOSEPH    HOWLAND.  33 

tectiiral  beauty,  a  ^  portion  of  which  is  designed  as  a 
school  house  for  the  district,  and  the  remainder  as  a  chapel 
for  public  worship.  This  building  cost  over  fourteen 
thousand  dollars.  In  it,  assembles,  every  Sabbath,  a  large 
Sunday  School,  of  which  General  Howlaxd  is  the  Super- 
intendent ;  and  there  religious  services  are  regularly  held. 

When  the  rebel  organization  first  made  an  assault  upon 
one  of  the  United  States  forts,  Mr.  Howland  was  ani- 
mated by  a  feeling  of  exalted  patriotism.  His  first  and 
strongest  impulse  was  to  ofier  his  services  in  defense  of  his 
country.  And  what  wonder  that  he  did  so?  What 
wonder  that  the  Puritan  blood  coursed  through  its  chan- 
nels with  indignation,  when4;he  Union  was  betrayed  and 
insulted  ?  His  whole  lineage  had  been  uncompromisingly 
true  to  the  Republic :  could  he  prove  false  to  the  pure  sen- 
timents of  his  forefathers  ?  He  had  an  attractive  home, 
made  dear  to  him  by  many  associations,  and  presided  over 
by  a  refined  and  intelligent  wife  ;  he  possessed  a  large  for- 
tune, which  afforded  him  means  for  gratifying  his  tastes ; 
he  had  occupations  which  were  congenial  to  him  ;  and,  he 
was  the  center  of  hosts  of  friends.  Many  persons  would 
have  preferred  to  have  simply  used  their  wealth  in  behalf 
of  their  country  —  and  with  great  credit,  too  —  but  Mr. 
HowLAND  and  his  wife  recognized  the  priceless  worth  of 
our  institutions,  and  they  were  willing  to  forego  the 
enjoyments  which  had  so  long  been  at  their  command, 
and  to  consecrate  themselves,  as  well  as  their  wealth,  to  the 
aid  of  their  government.  Therefore,  the  husband  bound 
on  the  equipage  for  military  service,  and  the  wife  donned 
the  costume  appropriate  for  a  woman  who  was  willing 
to  spend  long,  tiresome  hours  in  the  hospital  wards. 

Mr.  HowLAND  first  entered  the  service,  on  the  1 0th  of 
May,  1861,  in  the  capacity  of  Adjutant  of  the  16th  Regi- 
ment, New  York  Volunteers,  Colonel  Davies  command- 
ing ;  and  subsequently  served  as  Acting  Adjutant-General. 
5 


34  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

His  military  abilities  were  soon  tested,  in  the  calamitous 
conflict  of  Bull  Run,  in  July,  1861,  on  which  occasion  he 
exhibited  qualities  of  coolness  in  changing  the  troops  from 
point  to  point,  which  compared  favorably  with  the  acts  of 
veteran  soldiers.  On  the  16th  of  September,  1861,  he  was 
commissioned  Assistant  Adjutant-General  of  Volunteers, 
ranking  as  Captain.  On  the  promotion  of  Colonel  Davies, 
which  took  place  on  the  Vth  of  March,  1862,  Captain 
Howl  AND  was  appointed  Colonel  of  the  16th  Regiment 
N.  Y.  Vols.  There  was  an  unanimous  desire,  on  the  part 
of  the  officers  of  the  regiment,  that  this  promotion  should 
be  made,  and  Generals  Slocum  and  Fkankhn  added  their 
hearty  recommendations.  Sometimes  men  are  tried  soon 
after  they  are  placed  in  new  positions ;  and  it  is  these 
sudden  emergencies  which  demonstrate  whether  or  not  a 
person  is  equal  to  fiery  ordeals.  'Not  long  after  he  took 
command  of  the  16th  Regiment,  the  battle  of  West  Point 
was  fought,  in  which  his  regiment  was  engaged  through- 
out the  day.  Amid  the  slaughter  and  din  of  the  san- 
guinary conflict,  his  men  remained  unyielding,  filled  with 
confidence  in  their  leader. 

Three  or  four  months  after  this,  at  the  battle  of  Gaines' 
Mill,  his  regiment  was  stationed  at  a  dangerous  point. 
Occupying  the  right  of  the  line,  it  was  very  much  exposed 
during  the  engagement;  but  Colonel  Howland  daunt- 
lessly  led  his  men  into  the  hottest  of  the  fight.  The 
enemy  had  taken  two  of  our  guns,  but  they  were  not  per- 
mitted to  hold  them  any  great  length  of  time,  for  Colonel 
Howland  charged  with  his  regiment,  and  retook  them  at 
great  hazard.  In  the  effort,  he  was  severely  wounded ; 
but,  though  painfully  exhausted,  it  was  not  until  the  close 
of  the  battle  that  he  left  his  saddle.  This  wound  totally 
unfitted  him  for  active  duty;  and  his  otherwise  failing 
health  compelled  him  to  return  home.  But  the  call  of  his 
country  was  still  ringing  in  his  ears ;  and,   against  the 


JOSEPH   ROWLAND.  35 

judgment  of  his  friends,  he  soon  retui:ned  to  the  scenes  of 
war.  It  was  apparent,  however,  that  his  physical  system 
was  so  impaired,  that  he  could  not  bear  the  fatigue  inci- 
dent to  camp  life.  Therefore,  he  was  obliged,  with  many 
regrets,  to  resign  his  position  in  the  army,  where  he  had 
acquired  many  friends,  and  to  return  to  the  quiet  of  civil 
life.  His  regiment  had  the  most  unlimited  confidence  in 
him,  upon  all  occasions,  and  found  in  him,  a  friend  whose 
generous  heart  was  full  of  sympathy  for  them.  It  is  well 
known  that,  in  the  early  months  of  the  war,  the  govern- 
ment was  unable  to  furnish  all  necessary  articles  to  the 
soldiers.  Colonel  Howland  met  this  want  by  supplying 
his  men  with  gaiters  and  rubber  blankets,  purchased  at  his 
own  expense ;  and,  when  his  connection  with  the  army 
ceased,  he  still  remembered  the  soldiers  in  the  field,  and 
forwarded  to  them  articles  for  their  comfort  and  relief. 
His  brilliant  military  record  was  duly  recognized  by  Presi- 
dent LiNCOLisr,  who  commissioned  him  Brigadier-General, 
for  gallantry  at  the  battle  of  Gaines'  Mill,  his  commission 
to  date  from  March  4th,  1864.  We  would  mention  the 
regard  and  kindness  displayed  by  his  noble  wife,  who  took 
upon  herself  the  duties  of  the  hospitals,  with  all  the  hero- 
ism of  a  brave  and  Christian  woman. 

General  Howland  has  always  ranked  as  a  sound  Repub- 
lican. He  was  elected,  by  his  party,  as  State  Treasurer, 
in  ISTovember,  1865.  He  has  never  been  an  office-seeker; 
and  the  position  which  he  now  holds  so  creditably,  was 
urged  upon  him  by  his  political  friends,  strictly  upon  his 
personal  merits.  During  the  period  in  which  he  has  been 
in  office,  he  has  made  numerous  accessions  of  friends,  for 
none  can  know  him  but  to  admire  him  for  his  many  vir- 
tues. Easy  and  affable  in  his  manner,  possessing  excellent 
social  qualities,  he  renders  every  one  happy  in  his  pres- 
ence, and  commands  the  respect  of  the  people,  by  his 
unstained  integrity. 


JOHN  H.    MAETINDALE, 

ATTOENEY-GENERAL. 

John  Heney  Maetindale  was  born  at  Sandy  Hill,  in 
the  county  of  Washington,  N.  Y.,  on  the  20th  of  March, 
1815.  His  father,  the  Hon.  Heney  C.  Maetindale, 
was  a  native  of  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts,  a  dis- 
tinguished citizen  of  the  county  of  Washington,  a  man  of 
literary  tastes  and  culture,  and  of  liberal  education,  by 
profession  a  lawyer,  holding  at  intervals  various  public 
stations  in  the  county,  and  for  ten  years  a  member  of 
Congress  from  the  Washington  district,  during  the  admin- 
istrations of  Presidents  Moneoe,  John  Quincy  Adams 
and  Jackson.  His  mother,  born  in  Manchester,  Vermont 
—  whose  maiden  name  was  Mineeva  HiTCHCoci:  —  was  a 
daughter  of  John  Hitchcock,  Esq.,  who,  with  his  brothers 
AsHEL,  Isaac  and  Ziea,  settled  in  the  town  of  Kingsbury, 
Washington  county,  near  the  conclusion  of  the  revolu- 
tionary war.  The  burial  ground  in  Kingsbury,  set  apart 
for  the  purpose  by  John  Hitchcock,  and  where  his 
remains  and  those  of  his  father,  and  brothers  Ashel  and 
Isaac,  and  many  of  their  descendants  for  four  generations 
are  now  reposing,  was  long  known  in  the  neighborhood 
as  "  Squire  Johri's  LoV 

Mr.  Maetindale  is  a  graduate  of  the  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point,  having  entered  there  in  1831,  and  gradu- 
ated with  distinction,  being  third  in  his  class,  in  1835.  He 
entered  the  army  as  Second  Lieutenant  on  leaving  the 
Academy,  but  resigned  in  March  of  the  following  year,  to 
engage  in  more  active  pursuits.  He  immediately  com- 
menced the  study  of  the  law,  and  in  July,  1838,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  and  engaged  in  practice  in  Batavia, 
ISTew  York.    In  1840  he  was  married,  at  Batavia,  to  Eme- 


JOHN   H.    MARTINDALE.  37 

LINE  M.  HoLDEN,  a  daughter  of  Hinman  Holden,  Esq., 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Western  IsTew  York,  and  for  a  long 
time  a  resident  and  a  highly  respected  and  influential  citi- 
zen of  Genesee  county.  In  1842,  he  was  appointed  District 
Attorney  of  Genesee  county  by  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas,  and  held  that  office  for  the  three  following  years. 
In  1847,  at  the  first  election  under  the  new  Constitution 
of  1846,  he  was  chosen  to  the  same  office,  and  held  it  until 
the  1st  of  January,  1851.  In  the  spring  of  1851,  he 
removed  to  the  city  of  Rochester,  and  successfully  prose- 
cuted his  profession  there,  until  the  outbreak  of  the  recent 
rebellion,  when  he  promptly  tendered  his  services  to  the 
Government,  and  was  commissioned,  in  August,  1861, 
Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers,  and  was  assigned  to  the 
command  of  the  First  Brigade  of  General  Fitz  John 
Porter's  Division.  His  two  brothers.  Colonel  Edward 
Martindale  and  Brevet  Major  F.  E.  Martindale,  and 
his  son.  Lieutenant  Edward  H.  Martindale  —  composing 
every  adult  male  member  of  his  family — followed  him 
into  the  military  service.  During  the  long  period  of 
inactivity  following  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  General  Mar- 
tindale was  diligently  engaged  in  instructing  and  dis- 
ciplining his  Brigade.  When,  at  length,  the  campaign  was 
opened  at  Yorktown,  he,  with  his  command,  took  part  in 
all  the  battles  and  encounters  which  occurred  on  the  Pen- 
insula, in  the  disastrous  summer  of  1862.  At  Yorktown, 
Hanover  Court  House,  Gaines'  Mill  and  Mechanicsville, 
the  Brigade  of  General  Martindale  was  conspicuous  for 
the  skillful  manner  in  which  it  was  handled,  for  its  rapid 
movements  to  points  of  danger,  and  its  great  efficiency. 

His  Brigade  consisted,  at  various  times,  of  Massachusetts, 
New  York,  Maine  and  Michigan  regiments.  The  18th 
and  22d  Massachusetts,  the  13th  and  25th  New  York,  the 
2d  Maine  and  the  1st  Michigan,  being  commanded  by  him 
before  the  ending  of  the  Peninsula  campaign.     With  the 


38  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

Army  of  the  Potomac,  he  and  his  Brigade  lay  waiting  in 
the  works  before  Washington,  during  the  long  inactivity 
of  1861 ;  and  with  them  he  marched  and  fought  upon  the 
Peninsula,  from  Yorktown  to  Malvern  and  Harrison's  Bar. 
In  all  that  series  of  encounters,  he  bore  an  active  part, 
especially  at  Yorktown,  Hanover  Court  House,  Gaines' 
Mill,  Mechanicsville  and  Malvern.  His  Brigade  endu- 
red its  full  share  of  exposure  and  struggle. 

At  the  battle  of  Hanover  Court  House,  he  showed 
marked  military  capacity.  He  took  the  dangerous  respons- 
ibility of  disposing  his  troops  and  putting  them  in  peril- 
ous position,  contrary  to  the  orders  of  his  superior  officer. 
For  while  actually  engaged  fighting  with  the  enemy,  he 
received  from  General  Fitz  John  Poeter,  an  order  to 
retire  and  move  toward  the  Court  House,  where  the  rest 
of  General  Porter's  command  had  proceeded.  It  being 
manifest,  however,  that  the  Commanding  General  was 
entirely  mistaken  in  the  "  situation "  of  the  enemy,  and 
that  obedience  to  his  orders  would  leave  the  whole  line  of 
march  open  to  assault  against  the  rear  and  left  flank  of  the 
Union  column,  he  remained  with  one  regiment  (the  2d 
Maine)  to  cover  the  line,  and  confront  the  whole  force  of 
the  enemy.  In  this  position,  he  was  joined  by  a  regiment 
(the  44th  New  York)  which  he  had  left  behind  to  guard 
the  approach  of  the  enemy  by  a  curving  road,  and  which 
was  then  moving  toward  the  Court  House  quite  uncon- 
scious that  General  Porter  had  ordered  his  whole  rear 
to  be  left  exposed,  and  had  thereby  actually  interposed, 
between  that  regiment  and  his  main  force,  more  than  4,000 
of  the  enemy.  General  Maetindale  was  here  joined  by  a 
fragment  of  the  25th  New  York,  under  Colonel  Johnson, 
and  two  pieces  of  artillery,  and  by  fortunate  disposition 
of  his  force  —  not  exceeding,  all  told,  1,000  men — held  the 
whole  strength  of  the  enemy  at  bay,  for  nearly  two  hours. 
This  was  the  only  serious  and  perilous  fighting  in  that 


JOHN   H.    MARTINDALE.  39 

battle ;  for  when,  at  length,  the  main  body  of  General 
Porter's  command  returned  to  the  battle-field  from  the 
Court  House  (a  distance  of  about  four  miles),  the  prepon- 
derance of  force  was  so  much  in  our  favor,  that  the  enemy 
scarcely  offered  a  serious  resistance,  and  was  soon  put  to 
rout. 

Major-General  Griffin,  conspicuous  in  the  campaign  of 
the  Peninsula,  writes  as  follows  of  General  Martindale  : 

"Before  Yorktown;  at  Hanover,  where  we  gained  a  complete 
victory  (and  the  entire  success  was  due  to  his  exertions  and  judg- 
ment alone) ;  at  G-aines'  Mill,  where  I  recollect  his  earnest  objec- 
tions to  the  positions  of  the  different  arms  of  service,  and  where,  I 
believe,  had  the  Commanding  Officer  listened  to  the  proposed  changes, 
the  result  would  have  been  diflferent;  again,  at  Malvern,  where  his 
command  was  ably  handled ;  at  these  battles,  from  my  own  per- 
sonal observation  of  his  conduct,  comes  my  expressions  of  con- 
fidence." 

On  the  retreat  from  Malvern  to  Harrison's  Bar,  which 
happened  in  the  night-time,  and  after  a  successful  battle, 
a  circumstance  happened  which  led  to  unpleasant  con- 
sequences. The  army  at  Malvern  had  Avon  a  decided  vic- 
tory. At  nightfall  they  rested  on  their  arms ;  but,  in  the 
dead  of  night,  they  were  aroused  by  the  order  to  retreat. 
It  was  a  black  and  rainy  night.  The  fact  was  known  and 
reported  that  the  Commanding  General  of  the  army  was 
on  board  of  a  gunboat,  but  subordinate  commanders  were 
not  informed  of  the  cause  for  the  retreat,  nor  to  what 
point  they  were  to  go,  unless  it  might  be  Fortress  Monroe 
itself.  In  the  confusion  of  so  sudden  and  so  unexpected  a 
retreat,  the  wounded  and  dying  were  left  on  the  field,  and 
many  of  the  commands  were  utterly  scattered. 

General  Martindale  remained  halted  at  the  head  of  his 
column  for  two  hours,  endeavoring  to  preserve  order ;  but, 
at  length,  finding  it  impossible,  gave  the  command  to 
move  forward.    The  largest  part  of  his  command  in  his 


40  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

rear,  without  his  knowledge,  had  already  been  started  for- 
ward in  the  darkness,  and  was  far  in  advance  of  him,  by 
command  of  a  superior  officer.  He  found  himself  immedi- 
ately mixed  up  in  entire  confusion  in  the  promiscuous  rout. 
Excited  and  indignant  at  this  disorder  and  apparent  deser- 
tion of  the  wounded,  he  exclaimed  to  some  of  his  asso- 
ciate officers  in  language  to  this  effect :  "  Let  us  stay  with 
the  men  and  surrender,  rather  than  abandon  them." 

The  retreat,  however,  was  continued.  On  arriving  at 
Harrison's  Bar,  he  was  taken  sick  with  typhoid  fever, 
owing  to  long  exposure  and  want  of  food.  In  that  con- 
dition he  was  brought  to  Washington,  and  lay  there, 
hovering  between  life  and  death,  at  the  house  of  a  friend, 
from  the  middle  of  July  till  the  latter  part  of  August. 
During  that  time,  while  lying  thus  helpless,  charges  were 
preferred  against  him  by  General  Fitz  John  Poeter,  that 
he  proposed  to  surrender  his  Brigade  to  the  enemy  on 
the  retreat  from  Malvern.  Whether  these  charges  were 
founded  in  malice  or  not,  they  entirely  perverted  the 
whole  idea  of  his  sudden  and  unpremeditated  expression 
on  that  occasion.  Immediately  upon  recovering  from  his 
sickness,  he  demanded  a  court  of  inquiry  at  Washington. 
This  court,  composed  of  three  general  officers  of  the 
highest  standing,  entirely  and  promptly  exonerated  him 
from  the  charges,  and  reported  that  they  were  disproved 
by  the  prosecutor's  own  evidence. 

The  Administration,  immediately  after,  as  if  to  mark 
their  approbation  of  his  conduct,  appointed  him  Military 
Governor  of  Washington,  a  position  of  critical  respons- 
ibility, and  one  requiring  both  military  and  civil  ability 
of  a  peculiar  character. 

He  was  subsequently  breveted  Major-General  of  Volun- 
teers by  commission  from  the  President  and  Senate,  for 
gallant  conduct  at  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill.  He  was 
appointed  to  the  position  of  Military  Governor,  in  Novem- 


JOHN   H.    MAETINDALE.  41 

ber,  1862,  and  held  the  balances  between  the  rival  juris- 
dictions, civil  and  military  of  the  city,  with  an  equal,  a 
firm,  and  an  instructed  hand,  until  the  first  of  May,  1864, 
when  he  was  relieved  at  his  own  request,  and  ordered  to 
join  the  Army  of  the  James,  at  Fortress  Monroe,  under 
the  command  of  Major-General  Butler. 

At  the  movement  of  this  army  toward  Petersburgh, 
General  Maktindale  was  placed  in  command  of  a 
division,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Swift  Creek, 
and  in  the  movement  toward  Richmond,  and  the  battle  of 
Drury's  Bluff  or  Proctor's  Creek.  He  moved  with  his 
division,  being  the  second  of  the  18th  Corps,  under  Gen- 
eral W.  F.  Smith,  and  joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
on  the  1st  of  June,  1864,  at  Cold  Harbor.  He  entered 
immediately  into  the  action  at  that  place,  on  that  day, 
and  was  also  in  the  engagements  which  continued  there, 
at  intervals,  until  the  12th  of  June.  In  the  severe  assault 
of  the  3d  of  June,  he  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  battle 
with  his  division,  and  much  exposed — one-third  of  his 
command  being  killed  or  wounded  within  the  space  of  an 
hour.  He  moved  from  Cold  Harbor  with  the  18th  Corps, 
in  advance  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  was  present 
at  the  assault  on  Petersburgh,  on  the  15  th  of  June,  when 
the  outer  defenses  northeast  of  that  city,  were  carried 
by  the  18th  Corps,  under  command  of  General  Smith. 
On  the  following  day  his  division  was  again  in  action, 
cooperating  with  the  9th  Corps.  On  the  l'8th,  he  com- 
manded a  Provisional  Corps,  composed  of  two  divisions 
of  the  18th,  and  McNeil's  division  of  the  6th  Corps,  and 
gained  the  advanced  line  on  the  Appomattox,  held  by  our 
forces  until  the  final  movement  in  the  following  spring. 
On  the  retirement  of  General  W.  F.  Smith,  General  Mak- 
tindale took  command  of  the  18th  Army  Corps,  and 
retained  it  till  he  was  totally  disabled  by  sickness,  and  was 
compelled  to  relinquish  his  command  and  resign  his  com- 
6 


42  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

mission.  With  what  reluctance  his  resignation  was 
accepted,  may  be  inferred  from  the  following  indorsement 
by  his  Commanding  General  on  his  letter  of  resignation : 

In  the  Field,  August  9,  1864. 
Approved  with  regret,  I  would  wish  that  a  brave,  energetic  and 
efficient  officer  could  be  kept  in  the  service.  I  trust  his  health  may 
be  restored,  and  have,  therefore,  extended  his  leave  of  absence  for 
twenty  days,  trusting  that  in  the  mean  time,  with  renewed  health. 
General  Martindale  may  recall  his  resignation. 

BENJAMIN  F.  BUTLER, 

Major-  General  Commanding. 

Broken  down  by  the  labors  and  exposure  of  three  years' 
service,  Gen.  Martindale  was  compelled  to  retire;  yet,  in 
his  retreat  to  civil  life,  he  was  mindful  of  his  country's 
welfare,  and  lifted  up  his  voice  for  the  reelection  of 
Abraham  Lincoln  to  the  Presidency.  On  the  4th  of 
July,  1865,  he  addressed  his  fellow-townsmen  at  Roch- 
ester, urging  the  adoption  of  the  amendment  of  the 
Constitution  as  the  final  destruction  of  slavery. 

Before  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party.  General 
Martixdale  was,  like  his  father,  a  Whig  and  an  enthusi- 
astic admirer  and  supporter  of  *'  Harry  Clay."  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Convention  which  organized  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  has  ever  since  cooperated  with  that  party, 
and  been  recognized  as  one  of  the  earnest  members  of  it. 
He  was  elected  Attorney-General  of  this  State  in  Novem- 
ber, 1865,  and  entered  on  the  duties  of  the  office  on  the 
1st  of  January  following. 

General  Martindale  ranks  among  the  ablest  lawyers  of 
this  State.  His  powers  of  analysis,  his  comprehensive 
legal  knowledge  and  his  familiarity  with  human  nature, 
combine  to  render  him  a  skillful  attorney;  and  his 
graceful  delivery,  his  burning  sarcasm  and  his  artistic 
delineations  coupled  with  his  appeal  to  the  sympathies, 
are  all  powerful  aids  which  are  completely  at  his  command. 


J.    PLATT    GOODSELL, 

STATE    ENGINEER   AND    SURVEYOR. 

Mr.  GooDSELL  is  the  eldest  son  of  the  late  Dr.  Thomas 
GooDSELL,  and  by  his  mother,  who  was  a  Livingston,  he 
is  connected  with  the  families  of  that  name  in  the  eastern 
and  other  portions  of  this  State.  He  was  born  at  Utica, 
Oneida  county,  New  York,  and  has  continued  to  be  a 
resident  of  that  county  to  the  present  time.  Mr.  Goodsell 
received  his  earlier  education  at  the  Utica  Academy,  and 
completed  his  studies  in  Massachusetts,  entering  early  in 
life,  into  the  practice  of  civil  engineering. 

His  first  service  in  connection  with  the  public  works  of 
the  State,  began  in  1840,  under  the  supervision  of  the  late 
distinguished  engineer.  Holmes  Hutchinson,  in  tlie  survey 
for  the  enlargement  of  the  Erie  Canal,  and  extended 
through  the  years  1841  and  1842.  The  years  1843  and 
1844  were  spent  in  Mobile,  Alabama,  for  the  benefit  of  his 
health,  which  had  become  impaired.  While  in  the  South, 
he  occasionally  practiced  surveying  and  engineering.  On 
his  return  to  his  native  State,  he  was  appointed,  in  1846, 
by  Nathaniel  Jones,  who  was  Canal  Commissioner  at 
that  time,  as  Second  Assistant  Engineer,  and  in  1846, 
imder  the  new  Constitution,  on  the  active  resumption  of 
the  public  works,  was  promoted  through  the  several  grades 
of  Assistant.  In  1 850  he  was  appointed  Resident  Engineer, 
to  be  located  at  Albany.  His  labors,  at  this  point,  for  the 
enlargement  of  the  Erie  Canal,  and  the  plans  which  he 
originated  and  adopted  for  a  cheaper  class  of  mechanical 
structures,  especially  those  of  the  aqueducts  of  the  Mohawk 
Valley,  are  all  well  known  to  the  profession. 

Major  Goodsell  was  removed  from  the  office  of  Resi- 
dent Engineer,  on   account  of  political  changes,  in  1853, 


u 


LIFE    SKETCHES. 


and  during  the  same  year,  was  appointed  Chief  Engineer 
of  the  Cape  Fear  and  Deep  River  Railroad,  in  North 
Carolina.  He  was  constantly  engaged  in  the  surveys, 
locations  and  constructions  of  that  road  during  1854,  1855, 
and  1856.  While  thus  employed,  he  was,  without  solici- 
tation on  his  part,  appointed  by  the  Canal  Board,  Division 
Engineer  on  the  New  York  State  Canals,  being  located, 
by  the  State  Engineer  and  Surveyor,  on  the  Eastern 
Division  at  Albany.  During  the  period  from  1856  to  1861, 
this  Division  of  the  Erie  Canal,  together  with  the  north- 
ern portion  of  the  Black  River  Canal,  and  the  improve- 
ments of  the  Black  River,  was  completed  and  ready  for 
use,  as  were  also  the  combined  locks  on  the  Champlain 
Canal,  at  Waterford  and  Whitehall.  The  promptitude  and 
competency  with  which  these  works  were  conducted,  were 
attributable  to  Major  Goodsell,  who,  feeling  that  his  office 
was  no  sinecure,  was  faithful  in  his  superintendence  of  the 
improvements  which  he  had  in  charge.  But,  in  1861,  he 
was  again  removed  from  office,  by  the  Canal  Board, 
subject  as  he  was  to  the  fluctuations  of  politics  ;  and,  in 
1862,  was  reappointed  Division  Engineer,  for  the  Middle 
Division,  located  at  Syracuse.  He  was  holding  that  position 
when  nominated  and  elected  by  the  Republican  party  to 
the  office  which  he  now  holds.  As  a  proof  of  the  esteem 
with  which  Mr.  Goodsell  is  held  by  the  citizens  of  his 
own  town,  we  would  mention  that  he  was  twice  elected  to 
the  office  of  Supervisor,  in  which  capacity,  with  commend- 
atory promptness,  he  carried  his  town  through  the  diffisr- 
ent  calls  for  volunteers,  made  in  1863  and  1864. 

About  the  year  1850,  a  society  of  engineers  was  formed, 
called  "The  'New  York  State  Institution  of  Civil  Engi- 
neers." This  association  had  a  central'  office  in  the  State 
Hall,  at  Albany.  Mr.  Goodsell  was  a  leading  member  of 
the  organization,  and  for  many  years,  one  of  its  executive 
officers.   Most  of  the  prominent  engineers  of  the  State  were 


J.    PLATT   GOODSELL.  45 

among  its  members ;  and,  within  its  rooms,  the  walls  of 
which  were  covered  with  plans,  were  discussed  many 
important  questions  relating  to  canals,  railroads,  aqueducts 
and  bridges.  A  monthly  paper  was  also  issued  by  the 
Secretary  of  the  Society.  But  the  association  long  since 
passed  out  of  existence,  because  it  did  not  receive  that 
aid  from  the  public,  to  which  it  was  entitled. 

Mr.  GooDSELL  has  always  been  respected  for  his  moral 
worth  as  well  as  for  his  professional  ability ;  and  he  has 
enjoyed,  in  no  small  measure,  the  esteem  and  confidence  of 
the  officers  connected  with  the  public  works  of  the  State, 
not  only  on  account  of  his  boldness  and  force  of  character, 
but  also  for  his  peculiar. practical  knowledge  of  matters 
connected  with  his  profession.  His  energies  have  mostly 
been  directed  to  canal  affairs,  and  therefore  he  is  enabled 
to  readily  comprehend  the  many  embarrassing  questions 
which  frequently  arise  in  the  execution  of  his  labors. 
Possessing  quick  perceptions,  he  rapidly  draws  his  infer- 
ences, and  seldom  changes  his  conclusions.  There  is 
nothing  erratic  in  his  composition ;  on  the  contrary,  he  has 
an  even  temperament  which  rarely  subjects  any  man  to 
severe  criticism.  Mr.  Goodsell  is  self-made  and  self- 
reliant  ;  and  his  services  cannot  fail  to  be  of  great  useful- 
ness to  the  public  at  large. 


PATKICK  H.   JONES, 

CLERK    OF   THE    COURT    OF   APPEALS. 

Mr.  Jones  is  a  gentleman  of  slight  proportions,  but 
plainly  possessing  powers  of  great  endurance.  He  has 
a  mild,  calculating  eye,  a  pleasant  face,  and  a  courteous, 
modest  mien.  He  was  born  in  the  county  of  Westmeath, 
Ireland,  November  20th,  1830.  At  the  age  of  seven,  he 
was  sent  to  a  grammar  school  in  the  city  of  Dublin, 
where  he  remained  for  three  years;  and,  in  1840,  at  the 
age  of  ten,  he  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents,  who 
settled  on  a  farm  in  the  county  of  Cattaraugus,  New 
York.  He  was  sent  by  his  parents  to  the  Union  School 
at  Ellicottville,  then  presided  over  by  Professor  Lowell 
of  Middlebury  College,  Vermont,  where  he  was  well 
grounded  in  the  common  branches  of  school  studies. 
In  1850,  being  then  twenty  years  of  age,  he  became 
connected  with  a  leading  journal  of  this  State,  and 
traveled  through  the  Western  States  as  its  correspond- 
ent. He  subsequently  became  the  local  editor  of  the 
"  Buffalo  Republic,"  and  one  of  the  editors  of  the  "  Buf- 
falo Sentinel." 

The  pursuits  of  a  journalist  do  not  appear  to  have 
been  congenial  to  the  tastes  of  Mr.  Jones,  for,  in 
1853,  he  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Hon. 
Addison  G.  Rice,  at  Ellicottville,  N.  Y.  Three  years 
afterward,  Mr.  Jones  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  partnership  with 
Mr.  Rice;  he  continued  this  partnership  until  the  out- 
break of  the  Rebellion,  when,  like  so  many  of  his 
profession,  he  left  the  desk  of  a  lawyer  to  enter  the 
army,  in  which  he  was  destined  to  rise  to  distinction. 
Much  of  the  interest  of  this  sketch,  of  course,  centers 


PATRICK   H.   JONES.  47 

in  his  military  career.  It  was  his  bravery  which  brought 
him  so  early  into  prominence,  and  secured  his  elevation 
by  the  voice  of  the  people  to  high  official  position,  as 
a  spontaneous  testimonial  of  approbation  and  thankful- 
ness for  services  rendered  to  his  country. 

He  entered  the  service  in  1861,  as  Second  Lieutenant  in 
the  37th  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers,  commanded  by 
Colonel  J.  H.  McCunn,  now  one  of  the  judges  of  the 
Superior  Court  of  New  York  city.  His  regiment  was 
attached  to  the  army  of  General  McClellan,  and  Lieu- 
tenant Jones  served  throughout  the  whole  Campaign  of 
the  Peninsula,  and  was  present  at  the  battles  of  Williams- 
burgh,  Fair  Oaks,  and  the  battles  of  the  celebrated 
retreat  to  Harrison's  Landing.  For  gallant  conduct 
during  this  campaign.  Lieutenant  Jones  was  success- 
ively promoted  Adjutant  and  Major  of  his  regiment, 
before  the  close  of  the  Peninsula  Campaign.  That  the 
services  of  Lieutenant  Jones'  regiment,  during  these  bat- 
tles, were  important,  and  the  fighting  severe,  will  appear 
from  the  fact  that  it  formed  a  part  of  the  command  of  the 
gallant  Kearney,  who  fell  at  Chantilly.  Major  Jones 
was  commissioned  Colonel  of  the  154th  Regiment,  New 
York  Volunteers,  in  October  1862.  This  regiment  was 
raised  in  the  counties  of  Cattaraugus  and  Chautauqua. 
Upon  its  arrival  at  Washington,  Colonel  Jones  assumed 
command  of  it,  having  just  left  his  old  regiment,  the  37th, 
in  which  he  had  so  gallantly  earned  his  promotion.  He 
soon  afterward  reported  to  General  Sigel,  whose  command 
at  that  time,  formed  a  part  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
Upon  the  retirement  of  General  Burnside  in  the  new 
organization  of  the  army.  Colonel  Jones'  regiment  was  a 
portion  of  the  command  of  General  O.  O.  Howard,  under 
whom  he  fought  at  Chancellorsville,  where  he  fell  severely 
wounded,  fighting  amidst  the  rout  of  his  corps.  He  fell 
into  the  enemy's  hands  during  the  battle,  but  was  soon 


48  LIFE   SKETCHES, 

after  exchanged.  In  the  mean  time,  and  while  he  was 
recovering  from  his  wounds,  General  Howard's  corps,  the 
11th,  and  Slocum's,  the  12th,  was  ordered  to  the  west 
Tinder  Hooker,  to  relieve  the  starving  army  of  Thomas  at 
Chattanooga,  recently  driven  by  Bragg  from  the  field 
of  Chickamauga.  Colonel  Jones  rejoined  his  regiment  the 
day  before  the  battle  of  Chattanooga,  having  hastened 
thither  as  soon  as  the  nature  of  his  wounds  would  admit, 
and  thus  had  the  honor  of  being  present  at  that  great 
battle  which  effectually  turned  the  tide  of  rebel  victory  in 
the  west,  and  plucked  from  Bragg  the  laurels  won  at 
Chickamauga.  Soon  after,  the  corps  of  Howard  and 
Slocum  were  consolidated  by  order  of  General  Grant,  and 
formed  thenceforth  the  20th  corps  under  General  Hooker. 
In  the  new  organization,  Colonel  Jones  was  assigned  with 
his  regiment  to  the  division  of  General  J.  W.  Geary 
(present  Governor  of  Pennsylvania),  a  sagacious  and  skill- 
ful officer.  He  commanded  a  brigade  under.  General 
Geary,  during  the  terrible  and  glorious  campaign  of 
Atlanta,  and  in  the  great  march  of  Sherman  to  the  Atlan- 
tic; and  entered  Savannah  in  triumph,  on  the  22d  of 
•December,  1864,  in  the  van  of  the  army.  It  is  well  known 
that  General  Geary's  vigilance  was  rewarded  on  the 
occasion,  by  the  discovery  of  the  evacuation  of  the  city 
by  the  enemy.  He  entered  Savannah  while  the  rest  of 
the  army  were  sleeping.  Colonel  Jones  was  stationed 
with  his  brigade  in  the  city.  For  services  during  the  cam- 
paigns of  Chattanooga  and  Atlanta,  he  was  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  Brigadier-General,  upon  the  recommendation 
of  Generals  Hooker  and  Howard,  approved  by  General 
Sherman  himself  After  the  great  review  at  Washington, 
active  service  being  over,  he  resigned  his  commission  and 
retired  to  civil  life.  He  recommenced  the  practice  of  law, 
on  his  return  home.  He  was  elected  on  the  Union  Repub- 
lican ticket  of  1865,  to  the  position  of  Clerk  of  the  Court 


PATEICK   H.   JONES.  40 

of  Appeals,  and  has,  since  January  1st,  1866,  been  dis- 
charging the  duties  of  that  office.  Last  summer  General 
Jones  removed  to  New  York  city,  where  he  now  is,  when 
not  engaged  in  official  duties. 

Such  is  a  short  account  of  the  interesting  history  of  this 
gentleman.  So  many  men  of  the  present  day,  fresh  from 
the  fields  of  strife,  are  worthy  of  admiration,  that  it  seems 
almost  invidious  to  eulogize  any  particular  one ;  but  we 
cannot  refrain  from  adding  that  Mr.  Jones'  course,  from 
boyhood  to  the  present  time,  has  been  marked  by  integrity 
of  purpose  and  bravery  of  spirit.  Born  in  a  land  where 
the  oppression  of  hundreds  of  years  has  not  been  able  to 
crush  out  the  longings  of  the  people  for  liberty,  and 
coming  to  a  country  where  every  man  is  a  sovereign,  and 
where  eagerness  for  distinction,  wealth  and  power,  is 
remarkable,  he  has,  in  reality,  "  won  his  way  "  in  a  praise- 
worthy manner. 

1 


NATHANIEL  S.  BENTON, 

AUDITOR  OF  THE  CANAL  DEPARTMENT. 

There  is  a  class  of  mind  pervading  the  New  England 
States,  which  is  unflinching  in  emergencies,  and  uncom- 
promising in  integrity.  Taking  upon  itself  the  character- 
istics of  its  rugged  surroundings,  it  stands  out  in  as  clear 
relief  as  the  granite  mountains.  Its  influence  is  felt  from 
the  pines  of  Maine  to  the  bayous  of  the  South.  One 
meets  it  in  the  thoroughfares  of  the  metropolis,  and 
on  the  pioneer  lines  of  our  frontiers  —  firm,  unyielding, 
honest !  The  subject  of  this  sketch  belongs  to  this  class. 
His  native  State  seems  to  have  imparted  to  him  much  of 
the  sterling  worth  which  she  gave  to  her  stern  settlers. 

Nathaniel  S.  Benton  was  born  in  Westmoreland, 
New  Hampshire,  on  the  19th  of  February,  1792.  When 
he  was  four  years  of  age,  his  parents  removed,  with  their 
family,  to  the  small  town  of  Fryburgh,  situated  in  the 
western  part  of  Maine  which  was  then  a  Province.  Here, 
Mr.  Benton  attended  the  village  Academy,  being  in- 
structed, awhile,  by  Daniel  Webster,  who  was  principal 
of  that  institution.  During  the  winter  of  1812,  he  was 
engaged  in  teaching ;  and,  in  the  spring,  he  again  resumed 
his  studies.  But  the  sound  of  war  was  filling  the  land ; 
the  country  was  calling  for  troops  to  defend  the  frontiers. 
Filled  with  a  sense  of  patriotism,  Mr.  Benton  abandoned 
his  books,  and  enlisted,  as  a  private,  in  the  34th  Regiment, 
United  States  Infantry.  But  a  short  time  elapsed  before 
he  was  appointed  Ensign ;  and,  as  soon  as  he  reported 
himself  at  Portland,  Avhich  was  the  head-quarters  of  his 
regiment,  he  received  the  commission  of  a  Lieutenant. 
He  remained  here  with  his  company,  doing  garrison  duty 
at  Fort  Preble,  until  the  succeeding  fall,  when  his  regiment 


NATHANIEL   S.    BENTON.  61 

joined  Hampton's  army,  at  Cumberland  Head.  In  that 
campaign  lie  acted  as  Adjutant  of  the  1st  Light  Corps, 
which  was  commanded  by  Major  Josiah  Snelling,  of  the 
old  4th  United  States  Infantry,  of  Tippecanoe  and 
Brownstown  celebrity.  Major  John  E.  Wool,  then  of 
the  29th  United  States  Infantry,  now  Major-General 
Wool,  of  the  regular  army,  commanded  the  2d  Light 
Corps.  Mr.  Benton  participated,  with  heroism,  in  the 
actions  which  took  place  on  that  frontier,  while  he  was  in 
the  service.  He  also  served  as  Judge-Advocate  at  two 
general  courts-martial,  while  the  army  was  in  winter  quar- 
ters, at  Plattsburgh,  in  1814. 

At  the  termination  of  the  war,  he  began  the  study  of 
law,  in  the  office  of  his  uncle,  Mr.  A.  G.  Britton,  in  the 
town  of  Orford,  New  Hampshire ;  and,  early  in  the  year 
1816,  he  left  that  place  and  went  to  Little  Falls,  New 
York,  where  he  continued  his  studies  in  the  office  of  G. 
H.  Feetee,  Esq.  Near  the  close  of  the  next  year,  he  was 
made  Justice  of  the  Peace  by  the  Council  of  Appointment, 
which  body,  under  the  old  Constitution,  held  the  neces- 
sary powers  for  that  purpose.  At  the  October  Term  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  in  1819,  he  was  duly  examined,  and 
admitted  to  practice.  A  few  weeks  later,  Chancellor 
Kent  admitted  him  as  Solicitor  in  Chancery. 

Having  a  desire  to  see  something  of  the  West,  he  made 
an  extended  tour  of  observation  in  that  direction,  passing 
through  the  States  of  Pennsylvania,  Virginia,  Kentucky, 
Tennessee,  Missouri,  Illinois,  Michigan,  Indiana  and  Ohio. 
During  this  time,  in  the  spring  of  1820,  he  visited  the 
locality  where  the  city  of  Chicago  now  stands,  on  which 
site  was  nothing  but  an  old  block  house.  Thence  he  tra- 
versed the  wilderness,  from  the  head  of  Lake  Peoria,  on 
the  Illinois  river,  due  west  to  the  Mississippi  crossing,  and 
explored  the  lands  then  set  apart  for  military  bounties  to 
the  soldiers  of  1812,  almost  daily  encountering  the  semi- 


62  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

hostile  Winnebago  Indians.  On  his  return  to  Little  Falls, 
he  opened  a  law  office  in  that  place.  He  held  the  office 
of  Surrogate  from  1821  to  1828,  when  he  resigned,  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  State  Senator  for  the  Fifth  Senate 
district.  He  held  this  office  until  the  close  of  the  session, 
in  1831,  and  then  resigned  to  accept  the  appointment  of 
United  States  District  Attorney,  made  by  President  Jack- 
son. He  continued  to  hold  that  position  under  succeeding 
appointments  made  by  Presidents  Jackson  and  Van 
BuREN,  until  the  year  1841.  He  was  appointed  by 
Governor  Maecy,  First  Judge  of  Herkimer  county,  in 
1832. 

Mr.  Hammond  in  his  Political  History  of  New  York, 
speaks  of  Mr.  Benton  as  holding  an  influential  position 
while  in  the  Senate.  He  served,  in  that  body,  with 
Spencer,  Sewakd,  Viele,  Allen,  Tallmadge  and  others 
of  that  day,  who  have  since  departed.  Mr.  Benton 
always  acted  with  the  Democratic  organization,  until 
1855,  and  in  1858  he  identified  himself  with  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  always  advocated  the  speedy  completion 
of  our  public  works,  and,  on  that  point,  often  disagreed 
with  his  political  associates.  He  held  strictly  to  the 
doctrine  that  human  slavery  could  nowhere  exist  in  this 
country,  except  by  an  authority  of  positive  statute  law ; 
and  that  the  common  law  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  could, 
in  no  respect,  sanction  or  uphold  the  enslavement  of  a 
human  being,  black  or  white.  He  advocated  the  election 
and  reelection  of  Mr.  Lincoln  to  the  Presidency;  and 
never  countenanced  the  non-coercion  of  rebellion  and 
secession. 

When  the  excitement  ran  high  between  the  Old  Hunk- 
ers and  the  Barn  Burners,  the  Legislature  elected  him 
Secretary  of  State.  He  received  the  appointment  of 
Auditor,  in  1856,  from  the  Commissioners  of  the  Canal 
Fund.     When  the  power  of  appointment  was  conferred 


NATHANIEL   S.    BENTON.  53 

upon  the  Governor  and  Senate,  in  1857,  he  was  reap- 
pointed by  Governor  Morgan;  and  lie  has  since  been 
reappointed  by  Governor  Fenton.  His  present  term 
expires  on  the  1st  of  January,  1868. 

Mr.  Benton,  though  liberal  and  tolerant  in  the  common 
affairs  of  life,  holds  tenaciously  to  the  doctrine  of  strict 
construction  in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties.  His 
rule  of  action  is  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  the  land 
passed  in  accordance  therewith,  believing  that  there  is  no 
security  for  public  rights  and  the  liberty  and  safety  of  the 
citizen,  in  a  republic,  except  in  a  strict  adherence  to  this 
rule — that  the  welfare  of  a  constituent  member  of  the 
State,  should  be  subordinate  to  that  of  the  whole  commu- 
nity. He  maintains  that  the  canals  of  the  State  are  the 
property  of  the  whole  people,  and  not  of  any  particular 
portion  or  section  of  the  State,  or  class  of  its  citizens.     In 

1859,  three  years  after  Mr.  Benton  went  into  the  office, 
the  canal  receipts  had  fallen  off  over  $900,000  from  1850, 
owing  to  the  reduction  in  the  rates  of  toll  in  1858-9,  a 
result  foretold  by  the  Auditor  at  the  time.     In  January, 

1860,  on  the  coming  in  of  a  Republican  Canal  Board,  Mr. 
Benton,  having  then  been  in  the  Department  four  years, 
urgently  advocated  the  restoration  of  the  rates  of  toll  to 
those  of  1857,  and,  on  some  articles,  a  higher  rate ;  and  he 
presented  such  facts  to  the  Board  as  satisfied  the  members 
that  his  policy  was  the  true  one  for  the  interests  of  the 
State.  The  subject  was  actively  canvassed,  earnestly 
debated  and  strongly  opposed  by  the  shipping  and  for- 
warding interests  on  the  canal;  but  the  measure  was 
finally  carried  through;  and,  in  the  spring  of  1862,  the 
rates  were  brought  back  to  those  of  1857,  with  this  result 
or  difference  between  1857  and  1862,  viz. :  an  average  gain 
of  thirty-six  cents  a  ton  in  1862,  over  that  of  1859,  making 
that  difference  nearly  three  millions  of  dollars,  including 
the  tolls  on  the  increased  tonnage.     This  fact  shows  the 


64  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

soundness    of   the    Auditor's    notions    on    this   financial 
question. 

Mr.  Benton  is  a  gentleman  of  unimpeachable  reputa- 
tion. He  is  every  inch  an  honest  man,  as  hundreds  of  his 
acquaintances,  in  public  and  private  life,  can  testify.  He 
is,  as  he  ever  has  been,  a  faithful  sentinel  over  the  treasury 
of  the  State,  in  the  Canal  Department ;  and  his  mind,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-four  years,  is  just  as  acute  as  everj  in 
recognizing  the  traces  of  corruption.  That  he  has  spent 
so  much  of  his  lifetime,  in  the  political  arena,  without  a 
stain  upon  his  buckler,  is  a  fact  which  furnishes  an  exam- 
ple worthy  of  being  imitated.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that 
men  of  this  stamp  are  becoming  rare,  and  that  in  their 
places  are  fast  coming  up  those  who  care  more  for  pecu- 
niary gain  and  self-aggrandizement,  than  for  the  true 
interests  of  the  State. 


VICTOR  M.   RICE, 

SUPERINTENDENT   OF   PUBLIC   INSTRUCTION. 

Mr.  Rice  is  a  man  considerably  above  the  average 
size,  of  nervous,  sanguine  temperament,  and  is  in  the 
forty-ninth  year  of  his  age,  having  been  born  April  5th, 
1818.  He  is  a  native  of  Mayville,  Chautauqua  county, 
and  a  son  of  the  Hon.  William  Rice,  who  is  mentioned, 
in  the  "Historical  Gazetteer,"  among  the  early  settlers 
of  that  county,  and  who  migrated  thither  from  the 
county  of  Washington. 

Mr.  Rice,  like  many  others  whose  fortune  it  has  been 
to  be  sons  of  early  settlers,  seems  not  to  have  been  con- 
tent with  the  education  obtained  during  his  minority; 
and  hence  we  find  him  in  his  twenty-fourth  year  (1841) 
emerging  from  Alleghany  College,  Pennsylvania,  where 
be  had  just  graduated,  and  seeking  a  position  as  teacher 
of  youth. 

In  1842,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law,  in  the  office 
of  William  Smith,  in  Mayville — a  course  of  study  which 
was  not  completed  until  several  years  later.  In  1843, 
he  removed  to  Buffalo,  and  was  employed  as  teacher 
of  the  Latin  language,  penmanship  and  book-keeping, 
in  a  flourishing  private  school,  of  which  John  Drew 
was  principal  and  proprietor.  In  1844,  he  and  Mr. 
Drew  established  a  school  of  a  higher  grade,  consisting 
of  various  departments,  which  was  denominated  the 
"Buffiilo  High  School,"  and  which  was  liberally  patron- 
ized by  the  wealthy  inhabitants  of  that  city.  In  1846, 
he  was  induced  to  lay  aside  the  ferule,  and  mount  the 
tripod  as  editor  of  the  "  Cataract,"  afterward  the  "  West- 
ern Temperance  Standard."  In  1848,  he  was  employed  in 
the   schools  of  Buffalo,  and   in   1852,  was   elected  City 


66  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

Superintendent  of  Schools.  Under  his  supervision,  and 
as  a  result  of  his  exertions,  the  schools  of  Buffalo  took  a 
position  among  the  first  in  the  State  —  a  position  well 
maintained  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1853,  he  was 
elected  President  of  the  New  York  State  Teachers' 
Association,  of  which  he  had  for  several  years  been 
aii  active  working  member.  The  Legislature  passed,  in 
1854,  an  act  creating  the  "Department  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion," and  Mr.  Rice  was  elected  the  first  Superintendent, 
for  three  years,  from  the  first  Tuesday  of  April  in  that 
year.  The  schools  throughout  the  State  were,  at  this 
time,  under  the  inspection  of  Town  Superintendents. 
The  State  Superintendent  soon  saw,  not  only  the  ineffi- 
ciency of  the  supervision,  but  his  own  utter  inability 
to  bring  into  regular,  harmonious  action,  the  nine  hun- 
dred and  twenty-six  subordinate  officers  elected  by  the 
towns,  and  make  himself  felt  through  them,  as  an  educa- 
tional power  upon  the  schools.  One  year's  experience 
was  enough.  He  saw  that,  if  he  would  accomplish  any- 
thing satisfactory  to  himself,  or  of  advantage  to  the 
educational  interests  of  the  State,  some  other  agency 
must  be  employed;  and  he  earnestly  set  to  work  to 
secure  the  passage  of  the  law  creating  the  office  of 
School  Commissioner.  This  was  effected  in  1856.  The 
change,  for  a  time,  at  least,  threw  much  labor  upon 
the  department,  but  it  gave  the  department  an  efficiency 
which  it  never  had  before,  and  which  continues  to 
increase  as  time  progresses.  During  this  first  term  as 
Superintendent,  personally,  and  with  the  aid  of  an  able 
assistant,  E.  Peshine  Smith,  he  collected  and  collated 
the  various  fragmentary  statutes  in  regard  to  Public 
Instruction,  both  special  and  general,  which  had  been 
long  accumulating  on  the  statute  books,  and,  by  legis- 
lative authority,  published  them  with  explanatory  notes, 
forms  and  directions,  under  the  title,    "  Code  of  Public 


VICTOR   M.    RICE.  57' 

Instruction."  In  this  book,  many  of  .the  incongruities 
of  the  school  laws  were  first  made  manifest  to  the 
public,  and  it  was,  by  far,  the  best  exposition  of  the  Pub- 
lic School  System  of  the  State,  ever  published.  Another 
valuable  public  service  of  this  first  term,  is  worthy  of 
mention.  The  public  school  moneys  for  the  towns,  were 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Town  Superintendents,  without 
proper,  efficient  checks  against  their  misapplication,  or 
their  embezzlement,  and  thousands  of  dollars  were  annu- 
ally lost  through  incompetent  or  dishonest  Town  Super- 
intendents. The  same  officer  made  the  apportionment 
to  the  schools  and  disbursed  the  money.  This  evil  was 
remedied  by  the  act  of  1856,  imposing  upon  the  School 
Commissioners  the  duty  of  making  the  apportionment 
to  the  schools,  giving  the  disbursement  of  the  moneys  to 
the  Supervisors,  and  throwing  around  the  transaction, 
such  guards  and  checks  as  make  embezzlement  impossible 
without  immediate  detection. 

Mr.  Rice  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  from  Erie 
county,  in  1861 ;  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
"  Colleges,  Academies  and  Common  Schools,"  and  took 
an  influential  part  in  all  the  important  business  of  the 
session.  In  February,  1862,  he  was  a  second  time  elected 
by  the  Legislature,  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction, 
and  was  again  reelected,  in  April,  1865.  During  his 
present  double  term  of  office  as  Superintendent,  he  has 
accomplished  much  of  permanent,  public  good.  He 
has  secured  the  revision,  amendment  and  improvement 
of  the  general  school  laws,  and  has  largely  increased  the 
number  and  efficiency  of  Teachers'  Institutes.  He  has 
secured  the  establishment  of  five  Normal  Schools,  for 
training  teachers;  and  if,  as  we  hope  he  may,  he  shall 
induce  the  Legislature  of  1867  to  abolish  the  rate  bill, 
and  make  all  the  schools  of  the  State  free,  he  will  fix  his 
8 


68  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

place  in  history,  side  by  side  with  those  accounted  public 
benefactors,  and  may  proudly  say  with  Horace  : 

"  Exegi  monumentum  sere  perennius, 
*     *    Non  omnis  moriar." 

As  a  public  officer,  Mr.  Rice  is  extremely  cautious ;  is 
what  is  known  as  a  "  strict  constructionist "  of  law,  and 
very  rarely,  if  ever,  assumes  the  exercise  of  doubtful 
powers. 


GEORGE  W.   SCHUYLER, 

SUPERINTENDENT   OF   THE    BANK   DEPARTMENT. 

George  W.  Schuyler  was  born  in  Stillwater,  Saratoga 
county,  February  2d,  1810,  and  is  the  youngest  of  twelve 
brothers.  The  family  removed  to  Ithaca,  Tompkins  county, 
the  following  year,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  still 
resides.  Until  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  worked  upon  the 
farm,  attending  district  school,  summer  and  winter.  At  that 
age,  he  entered  a  drug  store,  for  the  purpose  of  learning 
that  business.  At  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  prepared 
for  College,  and  entered  the  Freshman  Class,  of  the  Uni- 
versity in  the  city  of  New  York,  in  the  fall  of  1834,  gradu- 
ating with  honor  in  1 8  3  7.  In  1 8  3  8,  he  resumed  the  business 
which  he  had  learned,  and  in  which  he  is  still  engaged, 
and  was  so   far   successful  as  to   acquire    independence. 

Always  being  of  Anti-Slavery  convictions,  his  first  entry 
upon  the  political  arena  was  in  1848,  canvassing  Tomp- 
kins county  in  earnest  and  effective  advocacy  of  the  "  Buf- 
falo Platform."  He  was  elected  village  trustee,  the  two 
following  years,  and  in  that  capacity,  exhibited  his  usual 
good  sense  in  guarding  the  interests  of  his  fellow-towns- 
men. He  adhered  to  the  Barn-Burner,  or  Free-Soil 
section  of  the  Democratic  party ;  refusing  to  be  dandled 
in  the  lap  of  Hunkerism,  in  1852,  he  supported  Hale 
for  President  in  that  campaign.  Mr.  Schuyler  was 
one  of  five  who  organized  the  Kepublican  party  in 
Ithaca  in  1855,  and  zealously  canvassed  the  county  for 
Fremont  in  1856.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Chicago 
Republican  Convention,  in  1860,  and  voted  for  Seward. 
He  was  also  a  delegate  to  the  Republican  Convention  in 


60  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

Baltimore,  in  1864,  and  exerted  his  influence,  thougli  with- 
out success,  for  the  renomination  of  Vice-President  Ham- 
lin ;  and  he  is  proud  of  his  effort,  to  this  day. 

Upon  the  first  call  for  75,000  volunteers,  in  1861,  he  was 
one  of  two  men  who  addressed  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of 
his  village,  in  favor  of  the  movement ;  and,  the  following 
day,  assisted  in  raising  a  subscription  of  $10,000  for  the 
families  of  volunteers,  being  made  financial  officer  for  the 
Board,  for  the  distribution  of  the  funds  collected — a  posi- 
tion of  much  labor  and  annoyance,  the  duties  of 
which  he  discharged  gratuitously.  During  the  war,  Mr. 
Schuyler  was  a  firm  supporter  of  the  Government,  and 
rendered  valuable  assistance,  both  by  generous  personal 
contributions,  and  by  his  zeal  and  efficiency  in  stimulating 
the  latent  patriotism  of  his  fellow-citizens,  and  in  securing 
volunteers  for  the  service. 

Without  effort  or  solicitation  on  his  own  part,  he  was 
nominated  for  the  office  of  State  Treasurer,  by  the  Repub- 
lican Convention  of  1863,  and  was  elected.  He  was 
warmly  urged  for  renomination,  in  the  Convention  of  1865, 
but  the  popular  current  in  favor  of  veterans,  was  too 
strong  to  be  resisted,  and  he  succumbed  with  his  associates 
in  office.  No  one  accepted  the  verdict  more  cheer- 
fully, or  worked  more  heartily  or  zealously  for  the 
success  of  the  ticket  put  in  nomination,  than  did  Mr. 
Schuyler. 

His  great  personal  popularity,  his  tried  integrity,  and 
his  steadfast  and  unselfish  devotion  to  his  party,  pointed 
him  out  at  once  as  the  proper  man  to  fill  the  vacancy  in 
the  office  of  Superintendent  of  the  Banking  Department ; 
and  his  claims  were  earnestly  pressed  upon  the  attention  of 
the  Governor,  who,  recognizing  the  eminent  fitness  of  Mr. 
Schuyler,  sent  his  name  to  the  Senate,  at  its  first  execu- 
tive session,  in  1866,  and  his  appointment  was  confirmed 
without  the  usual  formality  of  reference. 


GEORGE   W.    SCHUYLER.  61 

Mr.  Schuyler  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  Dutch 
families,  whose  members  were  prominently  identified  with 
the  history  of  the  Colony,  four  of  his  uncles  having  been 
officers  in  the  Revolution.  His  political  career  has  been 
open,  consistent  and  straight-forward.  In  person,  he  is 
stout,  fine  looking,  and  of  about  medium  height ;  and  his 
face  is  expressive  of  amiability.  His  manners  are  frank, 
cordial  and  courteous ;  he  is  generous  and  kind-hearted,  a 
warm  and  sincere  friend,  and  a  considerate,  though  firm 
and  candid  opponent.  As  a  public  officer,  he  has  proved 
himself  capable,  honest  and  popular  to  a  remarkable  degree ; 
and  no  suspicion  of  corruption  ever  attached  to  him  in  his 
connection  with  public  affairs. 


WILLIAM    BAENES, 

SUPERINTENDENT   OF   THE   INSURANCE   DEPARTMENT. 

Mr.  Barnes  was  born  the  26th  of  May,  1824,  in  the 
town  of  Pompey,  Onondaga  county,  New  York.  His 
father  was  the  late  Orson  Barnes,  a  worthy  and 
respected  citizen  of  Onondaga  county.  His  grandfather 
was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  whence  he  came  to  this 
State  about  the  year  1800.  His  mother  was  Miss  Eliza 
Phelps,  of  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  Horace  Phelps,  I^sq.,  of  that  city. 

Mr.  Barnes  received  only  a  common  school  and  acade- 
mic education ;  his  Alma  Mater  was  the  Manlius  Academy 
and  the  ordinary  select  schools  of  his  county.  His  father 
was  a  merchant  and  farmer,  whose  sons  were  all  taught  to 
practically  understand  the  severe  labor  of  a  farmer's  life, 
in  a  newly  settled  section  of  country.  At  the  early  age 
of  fifteen,  the  subject  of  this  article  was  sent  out  from  the 
homestead,  to  teach  school.  The  next  year  he  began 
the  study  of  law,  in  the  office  of  Minard  &  Stansbuey, 
at  Baldwinsville,  New  York,  teaching  school,  however, 
during  the  winter  season,  for  the  purpose  of  bearing  his 
own  expenses.  His  father's  farm  was  three  miles  from  the 
village,  and  William  walked  that  distance,  morning  and 
evening,  for  several  years. 

It  was  during  the  leisure  of  these  lonely,  but  pleasant 
and  invigorating  walks,  that  he  conned  over  the  plans  of 
his  future  life.  He  was  always  encouraged  and  incited  by 
the  wise  counsels  of  his  father,  who  was  a  man  of  great 
ambition  and  superior  intelligence.  Mr.  Barnes,  after 
studying  awhile  at  Baldwinsville,  was  in  the  offices  of 
Messrs.  Hillis  &  Pratt,  and  General  James  R.  Law- 
rence, of  Syracuse,    His  father  being  anxious  that  before 


WILLIAM    BAENES.  63 

his  admission  to  the  bar,  his  son  should  have  the  advant- 
ages of  witnessing  a  more  extended  practice  than  the 
courts  of  Onondaga  county  afforded,  recommended  him 
to  pass  the  last  year  of  his  legal  studies  in  some  larger 
city.  Such  was  the  zeal  which  filled  the  mind  of  Mr, 
Barnes,  when  he  was  in  Baldwinsville,  he  would  some- 
times walk  a  distance  of  twelve  miles  that  he  might  hear 
and  see  the  actual  practice  in  the  courts  at  Syracuse.  At 
length,  pursuant  to  his  father's  advice,  having  procured 
letters  of  introduction  from  Judge  Stansbury,  General 
Lawrrn-ce,  Judge  Pratt  and  others,  with  the  wages 
which  he  had  earned  during  the  preceding  winter  by 
teaching,  in  his  pocket,  he  started  for  Albany,  in  May,  1845. 
After  visiting  nearly  all  of  the  principal  lawyers'  offices  in 
Albany,  he  finally  arranged  with  the  firm  of  Hamiviond  & 
Weed,  for  a  clerkship  in  their  office,  receiving  his  board 
as  compensation  for  his  services.  He  immediately  took 
the  main  office-charge  of  an  extensive  and  increasing  legal 
practice ;  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  the  next  year,  at 
the  General  Term  of  the  Supreme  Court,  held  at  Utica. 
The  late  Nicholas  Hill  was  one  of  the  Board  of  Exam- 
iners ;  he  gave  Mr.  Barnes  many  words  of  encourage- 
ment, and  predicted  for  him  a  brilliant  career.  After 
admission,  the  young  lawyer,  with  his  parchment  in  his 
pocket,  paid  a  short  visit  to  the  homestead,  and  then 
started  out  into  the  world  again.  Finally,  after  consider- 
able examination  and  negotiation  in  reference  to  other 
localities,  he  visited  Albany  for  the  purpose  of  starting  in 
business,  having,  however,  only  a  borrowed  capital  of 
seven  dollars.  On  his  arrival  in  Albany,  he  sat  down  in 
his  room,  and  sadly  calculated  for  how  long  a  time  seven 
dollars  would  pay  his  board-bill  and  other  expenses.  In 
a  few  days,  however,  his  prospects  were  brightened  by  an 
arrangement  for  a  partnership  with  his  old  friend  and 
patron,  Samuel  H.  Hammond,  Esq. ;  and  thus  the  law  firm 


64  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

of  Hammoi?"d,  King  &  Barnes  was  established — a  firm 
which  had  an  influential  practice,  until  the  period  of  its 
dissolution,  in  1851,  at  which  time,  Mr.  Barnes  individ- 
ually opened  an  office  and  continued  in  practice  until  1860, 
when  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  position  as  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Insurance  Department.  Previous  to  1855, 
Mr.  Barnes,  as  the  Special  Agent  and  Counsel  of  the  Bank 
Department,  had  examined  the  Lewis  County,  and  the 
Reciprocity  Banks,  which  were  in  an  insolvent  condition. 
His  success  in  making  those  examinations  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  Comptroller,  Hon.  James  M.  Cook,  who, 
in  the  summer  of  1855,  designated  him  as  a  Commissioner 
to  make  special  examinations  of  the  Webster,  Henry  Clay, 
National  Exchange,  Tontine,  and  other  Insurance  Com- 
panies in  this  State.  All  the  companies  examined — seven 
in  number — were  reported  by  him  as  fraudulent,  and  were 
afterward  dissolved  by  the  Supreme  Court.  The  glaring 
frauds  of  those  organizations,  thus  exposed  to  the  gaze  of 
the  public,  by  the  lucid  reports  of  Mr.  Barnes,  startled  the 
Insurance  Companies  as  well  as  the  business  community, 
and  many  minds  were  busy  in  devising  schemes  for  the 
prevention  of  such  dangerous  impositions.  The  successor 
of  Mr.  Cook,  Comptroller  Burrows,  tried  in  vain  to 
remedy  the  evil.  In  1859,  an  act  was  passed  by  the  Legis- 
lature, establishing  an  Insurance  Department,  and  trans- 
ferring to  it  all  books,  documents  and  securities  relating  to 
insurance,  which  were  in  the  Comptroller's  office,  and  all 
of  the  control  and  regulation  of  Insurance  Companies. 
The  special  examinations  of  Mr.  Barnes  in  1855,  doubt- 
less led  to  the  establishment  of  the  Insurance  Department ; 
therefore,  the  Companies  and  the  public,  with  almost 
entire  unanimity,  desired  that  he  should  have  the  manage- 
ment of  it.  Governor  Morgan  acceded  to  their  wishes; 
and  on  the  11th  day  of  January,  1860,  sent  his  nomination 
to  the  Senate,  which  was  immediately  and  unanimously 


WILLIAM    BAENES.  65 

confirmed  without  the  usual  reference.  In  April  1865, 
Mr.  Barnes  was  reappointed  as  Superintendent  by  Gov- 
ernor Fenton.  He  has  continued  to  discharge  the  duties 
of  that  office  in  the  most  conscientious  manner,  until  the 
present  time.  The  thorough  and  elaborate  reports  of  the 
New  York  Insurance  Department,  are  recognized  in  other 
States  of  the  union,  as  the  most  authoritative  expositions 
of  the  standing  of  American  companies,  and  have  often 
been  commended  by  leading  insurance  journals  in  Eng- 
land, Germany,  Prussia  and  other  European  countries,  as 
the  best  publications  of  this  kind  in  any  country. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Barnes  was  educated  as  a  Democrat,  but 
he  exhibited,  early  in  life,  decided  radical  and  progressive 
tendencies.  In  1844,  although  not  a  voter,  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Liberty  party,  and  made  speeches  in  favor 
of  the  election  of  James  G.  Birney  to  the  Presidency. 
Pie  was  very  active  in  his  efforts  to  assist  in  the  organizing 
of  that  party  in  the  counties  of  Onondaga  and  Madison. 
Mr.  Barnes  remained  with  that  organization,  until  1848, 
when  he  supported  Mr.  Van  Buren  for  the  Presidency, 
and  made  a  number  of  speeches  in  favor  of  "Free  Soil, 
Free  Speech  and  Free  Men."  .  He  was  also  an  enthusiastic 
supporter  of  the  "  Corner  Stone"  principles  advocated  by 
the  "Albany  Atlas."  In  1856,  Mr.  Barnes  became  an  ener- 
getic member  of  the  Republican  party,  having  been  one 
of  the  originators  of  the  Saratoga  and  Auburn  Conven- 
tions, and  a  leading  man  in  forming  the  Republican  organ- 
ization of  Albany  county,  in  the  fall  of  1855.  He  has 
always,  emphatically,  opposed  the  "  Philadelphia  Conven- 
tion "  and  the  policy  of  President  Johnson,  believing  that 
the  old  landmarks  of  freedom,  for  which  he  has  battled, 
should  be  maintained  in  the  hour  of  victory  as  well  as 
defeat.  Mr.  Barnes  was  Secretary  of  the  New  York  Statp 
Kansas  Committee,  the  labors  of  which  were  very  efficient 
and  thorough ;  and  he  greatly  assisted  in  giving  to  the 
9 


66  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

State  of  Kansas,  the  Free  Soil  Constitution  which,  finally, 
was  secured  at  the  bayonet's  point.  He  was  an  early 
adherent  of  the  temperance  reform,  and  enlisted  as  a 
speaker  in  the  Washingtonian  movement.  He  was  also  an 
initiator  of  various  educational  reforms ;  and,  in  connec- 
tion with  his  father,  the  County  Superintendent  of  Com- 
mon Schools,  took  charge  of  one  of  the  first  Teachers' 
Institutes  ever  held  in  this  State. 

In  1849,  Mr.  Barnes  married  Miss  Emily  P.  Weed,  the 
youngest  daughter  of  Thuiilow  Weed,  Esq.  Mrs.  Barnes 
is  a  lady  of  extraordinary  intelligence  and  quick  percep- 
tions, and  by  her  rare  powers  has  wielded  no  inconsider- 
able influence  in  the  benevolent  and  patriotic  movements 
at  the  Capital. 


SENATORS. 


GEORGE    H.   ANDREWS 


The  Senator  from  the  Twentieth  District  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Springfield,  Otsego  county.  He  was  born  in  the 
city  of  New  York  (where  the  greater  portion  of  his  life 
was  spent),  on  the  3d  of  September,  1821.  His  father  was 
an  educational  professor,  and  he  enjoyed,  therefore,  during 
his  boyhood  years,  unusual  advantages  of  paternal  educa- 
tion. Before  he  was  twelve  years  old  he  had  read  through 
the  ^neid,  and  at  a  period  when  most  lads  have  but  begun 
fitting  for  school,  he  was  familiar  with  most  of  the  stand- 
ard works  in  classical  literature,  and  with  many  branches 
of  study  which  are  the  terror  of  Freshmen  in  College.  In 
1836,  Avhen  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  entered  the  office.of 
the  "  Courier  and  Enquirer,"  then  the  leading  newspaper 
of  the  Metropolis,  as  a  clerk.  Exhibiting  peculiar  adapt- 
ation for  the  profession,  he  was  in  a  few  weeks  made 
Reporter.  His  position  was  a  somewhat  changeful  but 
alw^ays  an  honorable  one,  so  long  as  he  remained  connected 
with  this  establishment.  He  vibrated  between  the  desk 
of  accountant  and  the  office  of  Reporter,  until  1848,  when 
his  long  and  able  services  were  properly  recognized  and 
rewarded  by  making  him  Publisher  and  Associate  Editor 
of  the  paper;  a  position  in  which  he  secured  a  State  and 
National  reputation,  and  exercised  a  very  considerable 
control  over  political  movements,  acting  in  concert  with 


68  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

some  of  the  best  minds  of  the  old  Whig  party,  to  which 
he  belonged,  giving  an  effective  support  to  its  measures 
and  originating  many  movements  which  were  of  import- 
ance to  its  welfare  and  success.  In  1854,  he  was  the 
Whig  candidate  for  Congress,  in  the  Fifth  District,  and  in 
1856,  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  the  same  office. 

In  1858,  Mr.  Andrews,  feeling  somewhat  the  effects 
upon  a  naturally  strong  constitution  of  more  than  twenty 
years  of  office  work,  removed  his  residence  to  Springfield, 
Otsego  county,  a  location  selected  by  him  solely  on 
account  of  the  purity  of  its  atmosphere  and  the  beauty  of 
its  surroundings.  In  1863,  he  was  elected  State  Senator, 
and  served  his  constituents  so  well  that  he  was  again 
chosen  after  a  unanimous  renomination  and  by  a  very 
flattering  vote.  His  tenure  of  office  depends  solely  upon 
his  own  willingness  to  occupy  the  position,  or  upon  the 
probabilities  of  his  removal  to  some  station  in  which  his 
great  abilities  would  have  a  wider  scope  for  exercise. 

As  a  member  of  the  Senate,  Mr.  Andrews  has  a  very 
high  rank,  and  is  universally  conceded  to  be  among  the 
ablest  members  of  a  body  that  embraces  some  of  the  best 
intellects  of  the  State.  In  1865,  he  was  selected  by  the 
Governor  as  one  of  the  Commissioners  to  obtain  a  reduc- 
tion of  the  quota  assigned  to  this  State  in  the  call  of  the 
General  Government  —  a  very  delicate  and  responsible 
duty.  He  proved  himself  fully  equal  to  the  trust  reposed 
in,  him.  It  was  by  him  the  plan  was  devised  which 
received  the  indorsement  of  President  Lincoln,  and  har- 
monized all  the  differences  that  had  arisen  between  the 
State  and  Federal  authorities.  As  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Municipal  Affairs,  he  has  taken  a  conspicuous 
part  in  the  legislation  relating  to  New  York  city,  seeking 
always  on  the  one  hand,  to  secure  such  thorough  action  as 
shall  guarantee  the  best  interests  of  the  law-abiding  public, 
and  on  the  other  hand,  to  guard  the  municipal  franchises 


GEOEGE    H.   ANDEEWS.  69 

from  invasion  and  from  the  dangers  of  Centralized  power. 
This  principle  in  his  policy  was  happily  illustrated  by  his 
course  upon  the  bill  creating  a  Metropolitan  Health  Com- 
mission, and  the  Metropolitan  Fire  Department  Law 
owes  to  his  well-judged  advocacy,  and  to  his  prudent  sug- 
gestions, much  of  the  power  which  secured  its  adoption 
by  the  Legislature,  and  enabled  it  to  pass  the  ordeal  of  a 
test  as  to  its  constitutionality  in  the  Court  of  Appeals. 
During  the  late  recess,  he  has  acted  as  Chairman  of  the 
Special  Commission  to  examine  the  different  plans  for 
street  railroads  in  the  city  of  New  York,  a  labor  for  which 
his  strong  common  sense  and  quick  perceptions  have 
especially  qualified  him. 

In  the  Senate,  Mr.  Andeews  is  peculiarly  prominent  as 
a  ready  and  versatile  debater.  He  is  remarkable  for  the 
readiness  with  which  he  discovers  the  strong  points  of  his 
own,  and  the  weak  points  of  an  adversary's  situation,  and 
for  his  keen,  incisive  and  always  telling  manner  of 
presenting  an  argument.  His  rhetoric  is  faultless;  his 
imagination  alert  and  felicitous ;  his  command  of  wit 
appears  unusually  great,  and  his  humor  irresistible.  In 
addition  to  this,  a  wide  and  varied  course  of  reading,  and 
much  association  with  leading  men,  during  a  period  of 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  have  placed  him  in 
possession  of  a  fund  of  historic  and  biographic  illustra- 
tion and  comparison,  which  seems  almost  inexhaustible, 
and  which  he  has  always  at  command.  In  readiness  of 
repartee,  he  has  few  equals.  A  luckless  opponent  who 
leaves  a  gap  in  his  logic,  has  no  sooner  taken  his  seat  than 
the  Senator  from  the  Twentieth  is  upon  him,  dissecting 
his  blunders  with  pitiless  logic,  and  riddling  him  with 
sarcasms  keen  as  Damascene  blades ;  at  the  same  time,  he 
is  never  unkind,  never  discourteous,  never  personally 
bitter.  Naturally  warm-hearted  and  generous,  his  asso- 
ciations and  habits  have  all  served  to  culture  the  inbred 


70  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

instincts  of  a  gentleman ;  and  even  the  victim  who  wiithes 
under  the  scalpel,  is  compelled  to  acknowledged  the 
admirable  grace  and  skill  wdth  which  it  is  employed.  Mr. 
Andrews  is  seldom  ambitious  in  his  rhetoric ;  but  some 
of  his  extemporaneous  speeches  have  been  marked  by- 
passages  of  eloquence  which  for  beauty  and  pathos  w^ould 
do  honor  to  any  deliberative  body. 

Senator  Andrews  is  not  a  graduate  of  any  college. 
Those  who  are  aware  of  this  fact,  have  remarked  with 
surprise,  his  intimate  and  critical  knowledge  of  the 
classics,  and  the  scholarly  ease  and  grace  which  always 
distinguish  his  public  addresses.  An  explanation  is  to  be 
found  for  this  in  the  profession  of  his  father,  and  the 
advantages  of  early  education  he  thus  enjoyed,  and  by 
which  a  naturally  quick  and  capable  mind  was  early 
developed.  In  addition  to  this,  Mr.  AndreW'S  enjoyed 
for  many  years  the  intimate  acquaintance  and  constant 
society  of  such  men  as  J.  Watson  Webb,  Charles  King, 
C.  F.  Daniels,  John  O.  Sargent,  Henry  J.  Raymond, 
James  R.  Spalding  and  others  of  their  class ;  with  him 
no  Board  of  University  Professors  can  present  a  com- 
parison in  general  attainments.  Thus  advantaged,  and 
with  the  opportunities  of  that  "People's  College,"  the 
newspaper  office,  he  has  secured  an  education,  both  theo- 
retical and  practical,  which  gives  him  a  place  among  the 
best  scholars  of  the  State. 


JAMES    BARNETT 


Me.  Baenett  was  born  in  Orange  county,  Vermont, 
May  18th,  1810.  His  ancestors  were  among  the  one  hun- 
dred families,  mostly  Presbyterian,  that  emigrated  from 
the  North  of  Ireland,  in  1719,  and  settled  the  town  of 
Londonderry,  New  Hampshire  —  an  industrious  and  thrifty 
people.  His  father,  after  his  marriage  in  1799,  removed  to 
the  mountain  State  of  Vermont,  and  from  thence,  in  1817, 
migrated  to  Madison  county.  New  York.  Having  a  large 
family  to  support,  his  struggles,  like  those  of  all  pioneers 
of  that  time,  in  a  new  country  which  was  almost  a  wilder- 
ness, were  severe  and  trying ;  and  though  he  was  enabled 
to  rear  his  children  to  be  the  possessors  of  rugged  consti- 
tutions, and  to  instill  into  their  minds  high  notions  of 
uprightness  of  character,  he  could  afford  them  but  few 
opportunities  for  an  education.  His  son,  James  Baenett, 
attended  the  common  schools  of  that  day,  during  the 
winter  months,  laboring  on  the  farm  with  his  father  in 
the  summer,  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  engaged 
in  teaching  school  in  the  winter,  continuing  his  labors 
upon  the  farm,  during  the  summer.  In  1832,  he  accepted 
a  clerkship  in  the  mercantile  business;  and,  in  1836, 
engaged  in  that  business  upon  his  own  account,  in  Fay- 
etteville,  Onondaga  county.  He  removed  to  Peterboro', 
in  1838,  and  has  continued  the  same  business  until  the 
present  time. 

From  his  early  political  education  and  training,  he  was 
led  to  espouse  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party, 
giving  his  first  vote,  in  1831,  for  Enos  T.  Theoop  for 
Governor ;  his  first  vote  for  President  being  for  Andeew 
Jackson,  in  1832.     On  the  formation  of  the  Liberty  party 


12  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

he  became  a  convert  to  its  principles,  and  was  an  active 
and  leading  member  until  the  organization  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  at  which  time  he  joined  its  fortunes,  and  has 
ever  since  been  an  earnest  advocate  of  its  principles  and 
measures. 

He  was  several  times  chosen  Supervisor  of  his  town  by 
the  Liberty  party,  which,  by  the  influence  of  Hon.  Geerit 
Smith  (a  resident  of  the  same  town),  Hon.  Mr.  Barnett, 
and  a  few  other  zealous  advocates,  had  acquired  quite  an 
ascendancy  in  that  immediate  section. 

Mr.  Barnett  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1859, 
from  the  Second  District  of  Madison  county,  by  the 
Republican  organization;  and  in  1860,  was  chosen  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace,  by  the  electors  of  his  town. 

In  1865,  he  was  elected  by  the  Republican  Union  party 
to  the  Senate  of  the  State  of  New  York  from  the  Twenty- 
third  Senatorial  District,  comprising  the  counties  of 
Madison,  Chenango  and  Cortland.  The  first  session 
of  his  present  term  as  Senator,  he  served  as  Chairman  of 
the  Committees  on  Indian  Affairs,  and  Charitable  and 
Religious  Societies,  also  as  a  member  of  the  Committee  on 
Retrenchment.  During  the  late  war  for  the  suppression 
of  the  rebellion,  he  gave  largely  of  his  time  and  means, 
actively  and  effectively  encouraging  enlistments;  and, 
with  a  heart  warmly  enlisted  in  the  cause,  did  much  to 
sustain  the  Government.  Under  his  encouraging  influ- 
ence his  two  sons  became  volunteers  in  the  Union  army ; 
the  eldest,  bravely  representing  the  stock  from  which  he 
sprang,  going  forth  at  the  first  call,  to  meet  a  hero's  death 
at  Antietam. 

Mr.  Barnett  is  a  man  of  strong  convictions.  His 
religious  sentiments  are,  and  from  his  earliest  years  have 
been,  of  the  Puritan  orthodox  type  of  his  New  England 
ancestors,  adopting  the  radical  congregational  views  of 
church  polity.      He    is    a    devoted    friend    of   Sabbath 


DAYID   8.   BEIJNETT.  •      13 

Schools,  and  has  labored  in  the  cause  as  Sabbath  School 
Superintendent,  for  more  than  thirty  years. 

He  is  a  valuable  public  servant.  Utterly  incapable  of 
duplicity,  carefully  scrutinizing  all  measures  which  come 
before  him  for  decision,  bringing  to  his  aid,  in  solving 
their  merits,  a  clear  head,  sound  judgment  and  rigid 
uprightness,  he  discharges  his  duties  with  a  fidelity  and 
wisdom  which  cause  him  to  be  highly  respected. 


DAVID    S.    BENNETT 


Senator  Bennett  is  a  gentleman  brimful  of  good  humor 
and  aflTability.  In  person,  he  is  a  little  under  medium 
height,  closely  built,  and  has  a  face  expressive  of  keen 
business  tact,  enjoyment  of  social  relations,  and  benevolent 
purposes. 

He  was  born,  in  1814,  at  Camillus,  Onondaga  county,  New 
York.  His  parents  were  from  Connecticut.  His  father,  who 
was  a  farmer,  bred  his  son  to  agricultural  pursuits,  during 
his  minority.  Mr.  Bennett  had  the  customary  benefits  of 
the  common  school,  in  early  youth ;  and  later,  he  spent  a 
couple  of  years  at  the  Onondaga  Hollow  Academy,  of  which 
Prof.  Samuel  B.  Woolworth,  one  of  the  most  erudite 
educators  in  the  State,  was  the  Principal.  While  at  that 
institution,  he  managed  to  mingle  plenty  of  schoolboy  fun 
with  study,  though  never  doing  an  act  in  a  malicious  spirit. 
At  one  time,  he  thought  of  going  through  college ;  and,  in 
fact,  made  some  progress  in  fitting  for  the  Freshman  year ; 
but  his  tastes  were  manifestly  for  business,  and  the  idea  of 
a  collegiate  course  was  abandoned.  After  leaving  school, 
he  pursued  firming,  until  1842,  when  he  left  Camillus,  and 
removed  to  Syracuse,  New  York,  where  he  conducted  the 
10 


74     •  LIFI>>  SKETCHES. 

produce  commission  business,  for  a  term  of  years.  In  1849, 
Mr.  Bennett  closed  up  his  affairs  in  Syracuse,  and  went 
into  the  same  business  in  Buffalo,  under  the  firm  of  D.  S. 
Bennett  &  Co.,  which  was  really  a  branch  house  of  a  firm 
in  New  York  city,  in  which  he  was  largely  interested,  under 
the  name  of  Bennett,  Hall  &  Co.,  subsequently  charged 
to  Bennett  &  Beokaw.  A  year  afterward,  the  latter  firm 
established  an  independent  Banking  House,  the  name  of 
which  was  the  Queen  City  Bank,  with  a  capital  of  |5o,000, 
and  the  object  of  which  was  to  use  the  capital  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  advances  on  the  produce  to  be  forwarded 
to  the  firm  in  ISTew  York  city.  At  the  end  of  a  couple  of 
years,  however,  the  project  not  meeting  their  expectations, 
the  affairs  of  the  Bank  were  honorably  brought  to  a  close. 
At  about  that  time,  Mr.  Bennett,  still  continuing  in  his 
old  business,  purchased  of  Joseph  Dart,  the  first  grain 
elevator  built  in  this  country ;  it  was  known  as  the  "  Dart 
Elevator,"  and  eligibly  situated  for  the  lake  trade.  In 
1860,  it  was  consumed  by  fire.  Undaunted  by  the  loss, 
Mr.  Bennett  immediately  built,  on  the  same  site,  an 
immense  elevator  150  feet  long  by  100  feet  wide,  with  a 
storage  capacity  of  600,000  bushels.  The  rapidity  with 
which  this  undertaking  was  accomplished,  is  worthy  of 
]nention,  when  taken  in  connection  with  the  fact  that,  only 
the  year  before,  he  had,  in  company  with  George  W.  Tift, 
Esq.,  a  prominent  business  man  of  Buffalo,  erected  a  large 
elevator  at  the  terminus  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad. 
The  sagacity  which  Mr.  Bennett  manifested  in  these 
enterprises,  places  him  in  the  first  order  of  commercial  men. 
In  1865,  he  invested  some  of  his  capital  in  a  couj)le  of 
barques,  purchasing  a  half  interest  with  George  W.  Allen, 
Esq.  So  satisfactory  did  this  investment  prove  to  be,  he 
built,  last  year,  in  connection  with  Mr.  Allen,  and  Truman 
G.  Avery,  two  large  barques,  each  of  about  1,000  tons 
burden,  at  a  cost  of  $95,000.     He  is  now  building  a  barque 


DAVID   S.    BENNETT.  15 

of  1,200  tons  burden,  with  a  carrying  -capacity  of  50,000 
bushels  of  corn,  which  will  excel  all  vessels  of  the  kind,  on 
the  lakes. 

As  a  business  man,  Mr.  Bennett  is  bold  and  forcible. 
Obstacles  are  of  secondary  importance  to  him.  Let  him 
but  catch  a  glimpse  of  a  chance  of  success,  and  he  uses 
his  whole  strength  to  consummate  his  purposes.  But  this 
inherent  energy  of  character  never  betrays  him  into  the 
commission  of  an  unmanly  act;  for  whenever  he  cannot 
see  his  way  clear,  without  a  resort  to  unfair  means,  he 
pursues  the  matter  no  further.  He  has  always  adhered  to 
the  theory  that  large  successes  are  accomplished  by  taking 
corresponding  risks,  and  has  usually  made  it  a  point  to 
carry  out  most  of  his  stupendous  enterprises  where  there 
would  be  the  least  competition,  and  where,  to  a"  casual 
observer,  there  seemed  but  slight  inducements  for  running 
great  hazards.  In  his  early  manhood,  he  married  Miss 
Harriett  A.  Benham,  daughter  of  Truman  Benham, 
Esq.,  of  Bridgewater,  Oneida  county,  New  York.  This 
lady,  with  her  excellent  domestic  qualities,  has  presided 
over  his  home  like  a  true  American  woman;  and  with 
her  strong,  practical  sense,  has  given  bent  to  the  successful 
plans  of  his  life. 

Mr.  Bennett  has  been  a  business  man,  rather  than  a 
politician.  He  belonged  to  the  Democratic  party,  in  its 
palmy  days  ;  but,  with  the  memorable  change  in  political 
organizations,  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Republican 
party,  at  its  formation.  In  1865,  he  was  nominated  to  the 
State  Sena'te  by  the  Thirty-first  District,  which  seemed  to  be 
almost  impregnably  Democratic.  The  canvass  was  very 
heated  ;  both  parties  fought  with  furious  vigor,  and,  not- 
withstanding the  opposition  from  the  Democrats  headed  by 
the  late  Dean  Richmond,  Mr.  Bennett  was  elected  by  a 
majority  of  743.  In  the  session  of  1 866,  he  carried  through 
the  Niagara  Frontier  Police  Bill,  which  was  persistently 


76  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

opposed  by  the  Democrats,  but  which,  in  its  efficient  work- 
ings, has  now  the  commendations  of  both  parties.  He  is 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  the  Manufacture  of  Salt, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  Canals  and  Indian 
Affairs.  Mr.  Bennett  seldom  enters  into  debate.  He  lays 
no  claim  to  the  embellishments  of  oratory.  Whatever  he 
has  to  say,  he  expresses  in  a  "  round,  unvarnished"  way, 
and  that  is  the  end  of  it,  so  far  as  talk  is  concerned.  He 
is  vigilant  over,  general  and  local  interests,  and  faithful 
in  his  leQ:islative  work. 


SAMUEL    CAMPBELL, 


The  village  of  New  York  Mills  lies  in  the  lovely  valley 
of  the  Mohawk  and  Sauquoit.  There  are  three  factories, 
the  "Oneida,"  the  famed  "New  York  Mills,"  and  the 
"  Burr  Stone."  For  a  mile  and  a  half  skirting  each  side  of 
the  fine  hard  road,  are  the  school  houses  and  churches 
of  the  village,  the  grounds  and  residences  of  the  factory- 
owners,  and  the  homes  of  the  operatives.  In  summer, 
New  York  Mills  is  very  attractive  ;  it  is  one  of  the  sights^ 
in  Oneida  county,  which  strangers  go  to  see.  The  houses 
of  the  workingmen  are  neat,  convenient  and  healthy, 
most  of  them  standing  back  from  the  road,  with  yard  in 
front,  garden  in  rear,  and  half  hidden  by  foliage.  Sobriety 
and  good  order  at  all  times  prevail. 

It  is  hard  to  reajize  that  this  factory  people,  with  their 
comfort,  temperance  and  intelligence,  their  books,  Sunday 
observances,  and  winter  lectures,  their  freedom  from  the 
"  clemming  "  of  crowded  Europe,  are  working  at  the  same 
business,  and,  were  originally,  very  many  of  them,  of  the 
same  nationality  as  the  men  and  the  women  made  familiar 


SAMUEL   CAMPBELL.  77 

to  US  by  Parliamentary  reports  and  debates,  by  poets  and 
novelists  —  the  men  and  the  women  of  Ehot,  Mrs.  Gas- 
KELL,  Charlotte  Bronte,  John  Bright  and  Charles 
KiNGSLEY.  The  good  standing  of  'New  York  Mills  is  due 
to  the  character  of  the  employes,  which  has  always  been 
high,  and  to  the  regulations  and  example  of  the  employers. 

The  memory  of  Benjamin  Walcott  is  honored  in  many 
places,  but  nowhere  more  honored  than  among  the  work- 
ing people,  for  whose  interests  and  happiness  he  was 
zealous  and  responsible.  The  ovation  given  him  some 
years  ago,  on  his  return  from  the  Old  World,  was  a 
striking  evidence  of  the  love  that  was  borne  him ;  the 
whole  population  turning  out  to  give  him  joyous  welcome. 
His  ideas  have,  in  the  main,  been  carried  out  by  his  suc- 
cessors, his  son  and  Samuel  Campbell,  the  stranger, 
whom,  thirty-five  years  ago,  the  elder  Walcott  welcomed 
within  his  gates. 

Samuel  Campbell  was  born  at  Tarbolton,  Ayrshire, 
Scotland,  in  1809.  In  his  boyhood  he  l^ad  the  advantages 
of  those  schools  for  which  his  native  land  has  been 
renowned  through  Europe,  since  John  Knox  returned 
from  the  feet  of  Calvin,  and  Scotland  broke  forever  with 
Home.  He  came  to  America  in  1831,  and  pitched  his  tent 
in  New  York  Mills.  He  began  his  new  life,  as  a  working- 
man,  in  the  employ  of  Marshall  &  Walcott.  He  had 
an  iron  frame,  great  working  power,  mechanical  skill, 
ready  adaptation  of  means  to  ends,  quick  perception  of 
defects  and  remedies,  and  he  rose  steadily  and  rapidly. 
He  made  many  valuable  improvements  in  machinery.  In 
1847,  he  became  a  partner  in  the  company.  From  that 
time,  his  business  career  has  been  upward  and  onward. 
The  hands  and  brain  of  Mr.  Campbell  have  been  cease- 
lessly at  work,  and  with  large  results  in  many  directions. 
And  now,  in  his  advancing  years,  he  has  the  joy  to  know 
that  his  ample  fortune  has  been  won  by  honest  labor  of 


V8  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

head  and  hand,  without  a  stain  on  his  character  or  reputa 
tion,  and  with  a  full  discharge  of  his  duties  to  employes, 
to  community,  to  family  and  to  country. 

Mr.  Campbell  has  given  much  attention  to  agriculture. 
A  fine  farm  is  attached  to  his  residence,  and  he  has 
imported  and  raised  some  of  the  best  stock — Ayrshires, 
Durhams  and  Alderneys.  His  herd  of  Ayrshires  is  the 
best  in  the  country.  His  stock  has  often  won  for  him 
the  first  prizes  at  State  and  county  fairs. 

Mr.  Campbell  married,  in  1833,  the  lady  whose  virtues 
and  whose  pleasant  ways  cheered  him  during  his  long 
years  of  toil,  and  who  still  presides  over  his  household.  A 
large  family  of  sons  and  daughters  have  grown  up  around 
him;  his  eldest  son  is  Consul  at  Bayonne,  France.  The 
residence  of  the  Senator  is  on  an  eminence  far  back  from 
the  road,  in  the  center  of  fine  and  variegated  grounds,  and 
overlooking  a  wide  and  lovely  landscape.  The  rooms  are 
high  and  large,  the  hall  and  staircase  of  unusual  breadth 
and  sweep,  and  all  around  are  memorials  of  his  mother- 
land. 

Mr.  Campbell  was  a  Whig,  afterward  a  Republican, 
and  always  a  devoted  son  of  his  adopted  country.  As 
Supervisor  of  Whitestown  and  member  of  the  War  Com- 
mittee of  Oneida  county,  he  worked  with  all  his  might 
during  the  war  and  for  the  war.  His  liberality  went 
forth  in  every  conceivable  direction.  We  had  intended 
to  give  his  benefactions,  so  far  as  known  to  us,  but  the  list 
is  too  long;  we  have  no  room  for  it;  and  a  statement 
of  what  we  know  would  do  but  partial  justice  to  an  open- 
handed  patriotism  most  rare  and  honorable.  The  Union 
party  showed  their  sense  of  his  nobleness  in  this  regard 
by  appointing  him  a  Delegate  to  the  Convention,  at  Balti- 
more, which  nominated  Mr.  Lincoln  for  his  second  terra, 
and  by  the  heavy  majority  which  sent  him  to  the  Senate. 
The  manner  of  his  nomination  was  very  complimentary. 


SAMUEL   CAMPBELL.  19 

Dr.  L.  W.  Rogers,  of  Utica,  a  man  who  knew  him  well, 
prefaced  the  presentation  of  his  name  to  the  Convention 
by  the  following  address  : 

"Mr.  President  —  I  rise  to  name  a  candidate  for  Senator,  who 
is  well  known  to  the  members  of  this  Convention  —  so  favorably 
known  that  he  needs  no  word  of  eulogy  from  me.  He  is  a  man  of 
large  experience  in  business,  and  well  acquainted  with  the  wants 
and  condition  of  the  district;  a  Democrat  in  the  true  sense  of  the 
term,  who  sympathizes  with  the  common  people,  and  aims  to 
improve  and  elevate  them ;  a  patriot,  who  stood  by  the  country  in 
her  day  of  trouble,  laboring  without  ceasing,  and  contributing 
without  stint  to  furnish  troops  for  the  Union  army,  and  to  support 
our  brave  soldiers  in  the  field ;  a  man  whose  character  for  personal 
and  political  integrity  is  without  reproach  and  above  suspicion ;  a 
large-hearted,  liberal  gentleman,  whom  none  know  but  to  love, 
none  name  but  to  praise  —  Samuel  Campbell,  of  Whitestown." 

The  strong  sense  of  Mr.  Campbell  soon  mastered  the 
details  of  a  Senator's  duty;  and,  in  his  quiet,  unobtru- 
sive, but  effective  way,  he  has  accomplished  all  that  he  or 
his  constituents  desired.  The  attention  is  naturally  drawn 
to  him  as  he  sits  in  the  Senate,  and  the  eye  of  the  stranger 
lingers  on  the  fine  head,  flowing  beard,  white  hair  and 
bright,  cheery  face,  surmounting  the  broad  shoulders  and 
stalwart  frame  of  Samuel  Campbell. 


GEORGE    CHAMBERS. 


Senator  Chambers  was  born,  October  31st,  1815,  in 
Marbletown,  Ulster  county,  New  York.  His  ancestors  were 
of  the  Dutch  families  that  were  among  some  of  the  first 
settlers  of  the  county ;  and  his  father,  Jacob  Chambers,  was 
a  Surveyor  of  considerable  eminence  in  his  profession,  and 
was  much  engaged  in  surveying  and  dividing  up  the  lands 
of  the  State,  in  allotments,  towns  and  sub-divisions.  He 
also  represented  his  district  in  the  Legislature,  in  the 
year  1836. 

Mr.  Chambers  represents  the  Tenth  Senatorial  District, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  Public  Health, 
Medical  Societies,  Literature,  and  Charitable  and  Religious 
Societies.  He  is  a  physician  of  extensive  practice,  in  his 
county,  of  the  Allopathic  School,  having  graduated  about 
the  year  1838,  which  profession  he  has  continually  followed, 
up  to  the  present  time.  Commencing  his  professional 
duties,  immediately  after  graduating,  in  the  town  of  Never- 
sink,  Sullivan  county,  he  found  a  large  field  for  usefulness, 
as  well  as  a  rugged  and  wild  country,  which  would  have 
been  an  unsurmountable  barrier  to  any  one  practicing  medi- 
cine, possessed  of  less  physical  endurance  and  energy  than 
the  Doctor ;  but,  by  perseverance,  which  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  traits  of  his  character,  he  has  succeeded  in  over- 
coming the  usual  difficulties  which  interpose  in  the  success 
of  young  men  commencing  business.  After  three  years' 
residence  in  Sullivan  county,  he  returned  to  the  place  of 
his  nativity,  a  few  years  before  the  death  of  his  father,  and 
has  since  been  engaged,  until  the  present  time,  in  the 
double  capacity  of  physician  and  farmer.  He  represented 
the  town  of  Marbletown,  from  1861  to  1866,  in  the  Board 


•  GEORGE   CHAMBEES.  81 

of  Supervisors,  of  which  he  was  Chairman,  during  the  last 
three  years. 

Notwithstanding  the  close  application  with  which  he 
confined  himself  to  his  professional  business,  he  was  not 
insensible  to  the  political  events  of  the  day ;  and  he  has 
generally  been  counted  as  one  of  those  who,  from  their 
actions,  and  the  interest  manifested  in  political  affairs,  are 
numbered  among  live  politicians.  Although  a  strict  party 
man,  he  never  has  been  an  aspirant  for  official  position ; 
and  whenever  he  has  allowed  himself  to  become  a  candidate 
for  office,  it  has  been  at  a  sacrifice  of  his  individual  feelings 
to  the  wishes  of  his  political  friends.  In  politics,  he  was 
originally  a  Henry  Clay  Whig,  and  supported  successively 
the  Whig  nominees  for  the  Presidency,  until  the  nomination 
of  John  C.  Fremont,  when  he  decided  not  to  go  into  the 
Republican  ranks;  but,  on  the  contrary,  supported  Mil- 
lard Fillmore,  the  "  American"  candidate  for  the  Presi- 
dency. In  1 860,  Mr.  Chambers  acted  with  that  wing  of  the 
Democracy  which  was  in  favor  of  the  election  of  Stephen 
A.  Douglas,  and,  in  the  subsequent  Presidential  campaign, 
his  talents  and  exertions  were  cast  in  the  balances,  in  favor 
of  Gen.  McC  lell an.  Since  then,  he  has  uniformly  indorsed 
the  policy  of  the  Democracy. 

Senator  Chambers  is  a  gentleman  of  commanding  ap- 
pearance, and  meets  all  men  with  urbanity.  Though  he 
is  unfrequently  an  orignator  of  measures,  he  nevertheless 
lays  down  his  propositions  in  a  perspicuous  manner,  and 
stands  ready  to  defend  them  and  to  discuss  their  merits, 
if  necessary ;  and  yet  he  is  not  a  frequent  debater,  prefer- 
ring to  accomplish  his  legislative  work  in  a  quiet  way ; 
but  he  shows  no  neglect  of  either  general  or  special  inter- 
ests. 

11 


LORENZO    D.    COLLINS. 


This  Senator,  for  the  Thirteenth  District,  was  born  in 
Whitehall,  Washington  county.  New  York,  on  the  13th 
of  July,  1 821.  Both  of  his  grandfathers  were  in  the  Army 
of  the  Revolution.  His  paternal  grandfather  having  been 
taken  prisoner,  was  carried  to  England,  and  there  impris- 
oned until  the  close  of  the  war.  His  father,  a  resident  of 
Whitehall,  served  for  a  short  time  in  the  war  of  1812; 
and,  being  in  moderate  circumstances,  was  able  to  afford 
his  large  family  of  children  no  special  advantages  of  edu- 
cation, beyond  what  could  be  obtained  in  the  District 
School,  during  a  short  winter  respite  from  industrial  pur- 
suits. Leaving  Whitehall  at  the  age  of  twenty,  the 
subject  of  this  article  removed  to  West  Troy,  Albany 
county,  and  there  hired  out  to  work  by  the  month  for  a 
period  of  two  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  he 
found  that,  in  addition  to  the  little  capital  which  he  had 
saved  from  his  earnings,  he  had  made  a  reputation  for 
integrity,  which  enabled  him  to  obtain  the  requisite  credit 
for  commencing  business  on  his  own  account ;  and  accord- 
ingly, in  1843,  he  commenced  the  canal  store  and  stabling 
business  in  that  village;  he  added  to  it,  in  1850,  storage 
and  forwarding. 

His  business  grew  in  extent,  and  yielded  a  handsome 
return  in  profit,  so  that,  in  1855,  he  had  not  only  been  able 
to  erect  fine  buildings  for  its  accommodation,  but  had  also 
something  to  invest  in  bank  stock.  The  same  year,  he  was 
elected  a  Director  of  the  Union  Bank  of  Troy,  a  position 
which  he  still  holds.  In  order  to  facilitate  his  grain  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  was  heavily  interested,  he  became  an 
owner  of  boats  to  a  considerable  extent,  so  that  his  inter. 


LOEENZO   D.    COLLINS.  83 

ests  have  been  constantly  and  increasingly  connected  with 
the  canals  of  the  State. 

In  1862,  his  brother  entered  into  partnership  with  him. 
Being  thus  partially  relieved  of  the  immediate  care  and 
oversight  of  his  business,  Mr.  Collins,  m  the  same  year, 
removed  to  the  fine  farm  upon  Avhicli  he  now  resides,  about 
one  mile  northwest  of  the  village.  His  early  experience 
in  farm  life,  coupled  with  his  naturally  good  judgment  in 
any  pursuit,  has  enabled  him  to  prove  himself  a  practical 
as  well  as  an  amateur  farmer. 

As  a  business  man,  Senator  Collins  has  been  abun- 
dantly successful.  Beginning  life  as  he  did,  he  may  take 
a  justifiable  pride  in  saying,  that  his  note  never  went  to 
protest,  nor  was  there  ever  a  time,  in  his  business  experi- 
ence, when  he  could  not  pay  every  dollar  that  he  owed. 

Being  a  man  of  deep  convictions  and  positive  opinions, 
Senator  Collins  early  became  known  as  an' ardent  and 
leading  supporter  of  the  principles  enunciated  by  the  old 
Whig  party ;  and  when  that  party  ceased  to  exist,  he 
engaged  with  equal  zeal  in  the  support  of  Republican 
principles,  and  soon  became  known  in  his  village  as  an 
influential  party  man.  Although  residing  in  a  strong 
Democratic  Ward,  in  1852,  he  was  elected  one  of  the 
Trustees  of  the  village.  He  discharged  his  duties  so 
acceptably,  that,  in  the  following  year,  he  was  chosen 
President  of  the  Board.  In  1858,  the  Republicans  of  the 
Fourth  Assembly  District  of  Albany  county,  fixed  upon 
him  as  the  man  who  could  probably  overcome  the  strongly 
adverse  majority  in  the  district.  He  accepted  the  nomina- 
tion, and  was  triumphantly  elected.  In  the  succeeding 
year  he  was  again  elected.  In  the  House,  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Canal  Committee  for  two  years ;  but,  upon 
receiving  a  renomination  for  a  third  term,  his  business 
interests  compelled  him  to  decline.  In  1865,  he  was 
elected  State   Senator,  which  result,   together   with   the 


84  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

election  of  the  balance  of  the  Republican  ticket  in  the 
county  constituting  the  Senatorial  District,  may  be  attri- 
buted, in  a  great  measure,  to  positive  strength  in  the 
nomination.  Mr.  Colli:n-s,  while  never  seeking  show  or 
prominence  before  the  public,  is,  in  respect  to  practical 
ideas  touching  the  material  interests  of  the  State,  one  of 
the  able  members  of  the  Senate.  He  possesses  that  inti- 
mate acquaintance  with  questions  of  commerce  and  finance, 
which  is  so  essential  to  practical  legislation,  and  his  long 
identification  and  acquaintance  with  canal  interests,  give 
him  deserved  prominence  and  influence  in  that  respect, 
and  eminently  fit  him  for  his  position  as  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Canals. 

Recognizing  him  as  one  of  the  representative  business 
men  of  that  vicinity.  Senator  Collin^s  was,  in  1865, 
appointed  by  the  Board  of  Trade  of  the  city  of  Troy,  as 
a  delegate  to  the  International  Convention  held  in  Detroit, 
in  that  year.  Among  his  neighbors,  he  is  looked  upon  as 
a  public  spirited  citizen,  ever  ready  to  bestow  labor  and 
means  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  good  of  the  commu- 
nity. During  the  rebellion,  he  not  only  took  deep  interest 
in  helping  to  fill  the  quotas  of  men  demanded  from  his 
village,  but  he  also  interested  himself,  to  a  great  extent, 
in  raising  a  fund  for  the  relief  of  the  families  of  volunteers. 
Among  the  local  improvements  for  which  his  fellow-citi- 
zens are  indebted  to  him,  may  be  mentioned  the  fine  iron 
bridge,  at  the  upper  side  cut,  in  West  Troy,  extending  the 
whole  width  of  Broadway.  The  Canal  Board  determined 
upon,  and  actually  put  under  contract,  an  ordinary  road 
bridge  for  this  point,  but  they  were  dissuaded  from  that 
design  chiefly  through  his  interposition. 

Being  of  a  generous  and  genial  nature,  Senator  Collins 
enjoys  the  successes  which  have  attended  his  eftbrts  in 
life ;  and  he  finds  a  satisfaction  in  giving  a  kind  word,  and 
extending  a  helping  hand  to  the  deserving.     Still  in  the 


CHAKLES   G.    CORNELL.  85 

prime  of  life,  it  is  not  probable  that  his  public  record  is 
yet  complete ;  and  he  may,  therefore,  be  justly  regarded 
as  one  of  the  "  coming  men  "  of  the  State. 


CHAKLES    G.    CORNELL. 


This  gentleman,  representing  the  Fifth  Senatorial  Dis- 
trict, is  a  native  of  the  city  of  New  York,  at  which  place 
he  was  born  on  the  12th  of  February,  1827.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  Democrat  of  the  Tammany  School  —  his  Democ- 
racy being  inherited,  and  widely  diffused  through  the 
Cornell  family.  In  personal  appearance,  he  is  a  well- 
built  man,  standing  five  feet  eleven,  with  a  well-balanced 
head,  firmly  set  on  a  stout  neck.  He  has  excellent  muscu- 
lar development,  and  activity.  His  face  denotes  firmness, 
if  not  stubbornness  of  character,  truth  and  sincerity; 
yet  he  has  a  mild  blue  eye,  and  rather  pleasing  expres- 
sion, black  hair  inclined  to  straightness.  His  disposition 
and  social  qualifications  are  such  as  to  gather  around  him 
firm  and  lasting  friends.  As  a  business  man,  he  is  one  of 
those  who  have  the  foresight  to  look  well  ahead,  and  the 
courage  to  take  risks  where  others  would  hesitate.  He 
acquired  a  competency  in  his  business,  before  he  entered 
into  the  field  of  politics ;  and,  with  his  business  habits,  had 
he  wholly  ignored  the  honors  of  ofiice,  would  have  been 
worth  a  couple  of  hundred  thousand  dollars  more  than  he 
is  at  present.  In  the  district  which  he  represents  in  the 
Senate,  Mr.  Cornell  is  highly  respected  and  esteemed. 
His  political  course  has  been  open  and  faithful  to  his  party 
and  his  friends.  Even  with  his  political  opponents,  he 
bears  the  reputation  of  being  a  man  of  honor  and  truth. 
He  served  several  years  in  the  city  government,  and  in  one 


Bd  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

of  its  branches  as  presiding  officer.  During  the  past  four 
years,  he  has  filled  the  onerous  position  of  Street  Commis- 
sioner, holding  the  place  longer,  and  giving  better  satis- 
faction in  the  discharge  of  its  important  duties,  than  any 
other  incumbent.  During  the  last  year,  the  office  was 
made  the  scape-goat  for  all  pretended  reform  interests ; 
when  harrassed  and  annoyed,  Mr.  Coenell  withdrew 
from  the  place.  In  the  Senate,  he  is  more  of  a  worker 
than  a  talker,  looking  well  after  the  interests  of  his  constit- 
uents, and  protecting  them  to  the  best  of  his  ability. 

Mr.  Cornell  served  the  full  period  of  his  time  in  the  8th 
Regiment,  New  York  State  Militia,  and  was  among  the  first 
to  volunteer  his  services  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war. 
He  served  with  his  regiment  with  great  credit,  having 
command  nearly  the  whole  of  the  time  of  the  Bull  Run 
fight.  He  is  an  unflinching  Union  man,  and  an  advocate 
of  law  and  order.  During  the  Draft  riots  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  he  rendered  efficient  service  to  the  city  authori- 
ties, for  which  he  was  publicly  complimented  by  Mayor 
Opdyke. 

In  his  dealings  with  every  one,  he  is  a  courteous,  affable 
gentleman ;  and  as  a  legislator,  a  practical  and  useful 
member. 


EZRA   CORNELL. 


There  is  a  pleasure  in  tracing  the  career  of  men  who 
have  marched  steadily  onward,  from  obscure  positions  in 
boyhood,  to  those  of  influence  in  later  life.  There  is 
something  grand  in  the  course  of  a  man  who  has  chosen 
the  undeviating  line  of  rectitude,  and  always  kept  it: 
neither  to  the  right  nor  the  left  —  but  straightforward. 
Such  a  man  is  Ezra  Cornell,  whose  life  is  being  crowned 
with   pecuniary  success,  political  honors,   and   deeds   of 


EZRA   CORNELL.  87 

benevolence.  Mr.  Cornell  was  born  at  Westchester 
Landing,  Westchester  county,  New  York,  on  the  11th  clay 
of  January,  in  the  year  1807.  His  parents  were  both 
natives  of  New  England,  and  both  members  of  the  Society 
of  Friends.  His  mother  died  eight  years  ago,  at  about 
seventy  years  of  age,  and  his  father  died  a  few  years  later, 
in  the  ninety-first  year  of  his  age. 

The  early  boyhood  of  Mr.  Cornell  was  spent  in  aiding 
in  the  pottery  which  his  father  conducted  successively,  at 
Tarrytown,  New  York,  English  Neighborhood,  New 
Jersey,  and  De  Ruyter,  New  York.  The  educational 
advantages  which  he  enjoyed  were  very  limited.  He 
had  no  preparatory  training  for  a  collegiate  course; 
he  did  not  pass  through  the  curriculum  of  a  university ; 
he  had  no  parchment  in  Latin,  showing  that  he  was 
a  graduate  of  college,  for  his  advantages  for  gaining 
an  education  were  confined  to  the  district  school,  as  it 
was,  forty  or  fifty  years  ago.  At  the  age  of  seventeen, 
his  scholastic  training  was  completed ;  and,  for  a  short 
period,  he  was  employed  in  farming,  a  pursuit  for  which 
he  still  exhibits  great  fondness.  But  agriculture  had  not 
the  scope  which  such  a  mind  as  his  required.  There  are 
some  natures  which  cannot  be  confined  to  small  circles ; 
their  energies  are  ever  on  the  alert  to  find  room  for  expan- 
sion, and  work  which  will  bring  into  play  their  most  active 
faculties.  Mr.  Cornell's  mind  was  one  of  this  peculiar 
cast :  acute,  vigorous,  and  inventive,  it  looked  beyond  the 
mere  formalities  of  toil,  to  cause  and  efiect.  He  possessed 
great  mechanical  genius.  At  one  time  we  discover  him 
exposing  the  blunders  of  a  head  carpenter  who  was  at 
work  for  his  father,  though,  as  yet,  he  had  had  neither 
experience  nor  instruction  in  architecture ;  and  soon  after, 
a  house  arises  under  his  unpracticed  hand. 

In  the  year  1827,  he  went  to  Homer,  New  York,  and 
engaged  in  building  wool   carding  machines.     Thence, 


88  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

during  the  succeeding  year,  he  moved  to  Ithaca,  where  he 
was  employed  in  a  machine  shop,  building  and  rei^airing 
cotton  machinery.  Such  was  his  zeal  and  real  worth,  his 
employer,  without  solicitation,  increased  his  wages,  before 
the  time,  for  which  he  was  engaged,  had  half  expired. 
This  may  seem  a  trifling  incident,  but  it  is  an  index  of  a 
strong  practical  intellect.  He  next  took  charge  of  a  flour- 
ing mill,  at  Ithaca,  and  held  the  position  for  ten  years,  at 
what  was  then  considered  a  large  salary.  During  this 
engagement,  he  evinced  a  great  deal  of  skill  and  enter- 
prise in  making  mechanical  improvements,  and  in  building 
a  large  mill  for  his  employer,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be 
able  to  run  the  establishment  with  but  little  manual  labor, 
so  nicely  adapted  was  the  machinery. 

When  the  term  of  his  engagement  expired,  which  was 
in  1840,  he  entered  into  agricultural  pursuits,  on  an 
extended  scale,  which  he  has  never  since  entirely  aban- 
doned. He  spent  a  couple  of  years  in  Maine  and  Georgia, 
interesting  himself  in  agricultural  improvements,  which 
proved  successful  in  themselves,  as  well  as  in  the  other 
results  which  grew  out  of  them.  While  pursuing  this 
avocation,  his  attention  was  directed  to  the  project  of 
building  the  telegraph.  His  convictions  told  him  that  the 
plan  would  be  feasible,  and  he  soon  entered  into  an 
engagement  with  Mr.  F.  O.  J.  Smith,  who  had  taken  the 
government  contract  for  laying  the  telegraph  from  Balti- 
more to  Washington,  in  insulated  pipes  placed  under 
ground.  Mr.  Cornell  set  his  inventive  faculties  at  work 
to  construct  a  machine  for  laying  the  pipes,  by  which  he 
could  very  considerably  lessen  the  expense  of  the  labor. 
In  this  effort  he  was  successful.  But  Professor  Morse's 
mode  of  insulation  was  so  imperfect,  as  to  cause  an  aban- 
donment of  an  underground  telegraph. 

Mr.  Cornell,  who  was  appointed  Assistant  Superin- 
tendent  of  the   Telegraph   Company,   now   changed  the 


EZRA   CORNELL.  89 

design,  and,  in  the  place  of  underground  pipes,  substituted 
upright  poles.  This  plan  was  practicable,  and  the  air  line 
from  Baltimore  to  Washington,  was  completed  by  him  in 
the  spring  of  1844.  But  public  prejudice  was  strong 
against  the  practicability  of  telegraphs.  It  was  altogether 
too  wonderful  an  undertaking  for  old  ideas.  But,  not- 
withstanding opposition,  the  determined  vigor  of  Mr. 
Cornell  and  kindred  spirits,  carried  the  enterprise 
through  all  obstacles,  to  a  most  satisfactory  termination. 

At  different  times,  he  has  been  Superintendent  in  the 
erection  of  various  lines,  and,  generally,  with  pecuniary 
success.  His  investments  in  telegraphic  stock  have  been 
heavy ;  and  they  have  been  so  enhanced  in  value,  as  to 
increase  his  wealth  to  a  princely  sum.  Thus  his  far-reach- 
ii>g  foresight,  his  unyielding  perseverance  and  his  honesty 
of  intentions,  have  elevated  him  from  comparative  pov- 
erty to  wealth.  Money  is  very  paltry,  in  the  hands  of 
men  who  are  narrow  in  their  views,  and  illiberal  in  their 
natures.  Mr.  Cornell,  fortunately,  is  a  gentleman  of  a 
broad  and  liberal  spirit.  His  benevolence  has  become 
proverbial ;  and  the  people  have  learned  to  esteem  him  as 
one  of  the  philanthropists  of  this  State.  We  can  never 
forget  that,  while  in  London,  in  1862,  he  generously  paid, 
from  his  own  private  means,  the  expenses  of  several 
soldiers  to  this  country,  in  order  that  they  might  join  our 
army,  then  engaged  in  putting  down  the  rebellion. 

On  his  return  from  Europe,  he  commenced  the  erection 
of  the  "  Cornell  Library,"  which  has  since  been  completed, 
at  a  cost  of  $100,000,  and  which  he  donated  to  the  village 
of  Ithaca,  as  a  public  library,  lecture  and  reading-rooms, 
with  an  endowment  adequate  to  render  it  self-sustaining 
and  perpetual. 

And  when  the  plan  of  an  agricultural  college  at  Ovid 
failed,  Mr.  Cornell  proposed  to  the  Trustees,  that,  if  they 
would  organize  upon  a  broader  basis,  and  locate  it  at 
12 


90  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

Ithaca,  he  would  contribute  the  sum  of  |5 00,000  toward 
the  endowment  of  their  institution.  This  proposition 
resulted  in  the  founding  of  the  "  Cornell  University,"  now 
in  the  progress  of  erection  at  Ithaca,  to  which  Mr.  Cornell 
has  given  a  valuable  farm,  the  Jewett  Cabinet,  which 
cost  $10,000,  and  cash  to  the  amount  of  1500,000.  He  is 
also  devoting  his  personal  energies  and  time,  and  loaning 
his  means  to  this  institution,  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing 
from  the  State  the  College  land  scrip,  and  locating  the 
lands,  a  work  which  promises  to  add  millions  of  dollars 
to  the  endowment  of  a  college  for  the  liberal  education 
of  the  industrial  classes.  This  deed  needs  no  comment, 
except  the  hearty  response  of  the  people  cooperating  with 
the  donor,  in  making  the  plan  beneficial  to  our  agricul- 
tural and  mechanical  interests.  .» 

In  the  years  1862-3,  Mr.  Cornell  was  a  member  of 
the  Assembly.  He  there  distinguished  himself  for  his 
comprehensive  abilities.  In  1863,  his  constituents  recog- 
nized the  fact  by  electing  him  to  the  State  Senate ;  and 
they  reiterated  their  satisfaction  by  a  reelection  in  1865. 

On  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  Mr.  Cor- 
nell, who  had  previously  been  a  Whig,  attached  himself 
to  it ;  he  has,  ever  since,  been  one  of  its  most  zealous 
adherents. 

In  appearance,  he  is  firm  and  self-reliant.  There  is  a 
determination  around  his  mouth,  and  a  keenness  in  his  eye 
which  forbid  the  approach  of  corruption ;  and  at  the  same 
time,  the  sunshine  of  benevolence  emanating  from  the 
heart  within,  is  reflected  from  every  feature  of  his  face. 


RICHARD    CROWLEY. 


The  youngest  man  in  the  Senate  is  Mr.  Crowley,  who 
was  elected  to  the  place,  which  he  now  holds  in  that 
body,  before  he  was  twenty-nine  years  old.  He  was  born 
at  Lockport,  New  York,  December  14th,  1836.  His 
father  and  mother  came  to  this  country,  from  Ireland; 
they  settled  on  a  small  farm,  when  Mr.  Crowley  was  ten 
years  of  age.  His  life,  until  he  became  twenty-one,  was 
like  that  of  most  farmers'  sons,  of  small  means,  made  up 
mostly  of  working  on  the  farm,  during  the  summer 
months,  and  attending  the  common  school  in  the  winter 
season.  As  an  exception  to  the  above-mentioned  educa- 
tional advantages,  he  attended  the  Union  school  at  Lock- 
port,  two  terms.  During  the  years  that  he  spent  on  his 
father's  farm  he  had  access  to  a  tolerably  good  school 
district  library;  and  also  studied  Latin,  and  pursued  a 
course  of  reading  under  the  teachings  of  a  friend.  He 
had  a  great  taste  for  history  and  biography,  which  he 
fully  gratified.  When  he  was  twenty-one  he  left  home 
and  commenced  his  fight  with  the  world.  He  worked 
bis  way  to  the  West,  as  far  as  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  and 
*'  hired  out "  to  teach  a  country  school,  in  an  adjoining 
town.  While  thus  employed,  having  purchased  a  copy  of 
Blackstone's  Commentaries,  he  devoted  his  spare  hours 
to  the  study  of  them.  When  his  school  term  expired,  he 
traveled  through  several  of  the  Western  States,  and  then 
returned  to  Lockport.  In  the  spring  of  1857,  he  entered 
the  law  office  of  Gardner  &  Lamont,  practitioners  in 
Lockport,  devoting  a  portion  of  his  time,  however,  to 
general  reading  and  the  study  of  Latin,  rhetoric  and 
mental  and  moral  philosophy.  The  succeeding  winter  he 
again   engaged  in   teaching,   in    order   to    replenish   his 


92  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

exchequer;  and,  in  the  spring,  resumed  his  professional 
studies  in  the  office  of  L.  F.  &  G.  W.  Bowen",  where  he 
remained  until  1861,  when,  having  been  previously  admit- 
ted to  the  Bar  in  Lockport,  he  commenced  practicing, 
after  having  formed  a  partnership  with  E.  J.  Chase,  Esq., 
a  brother  of  Hon.  S.  P.  Chase.  He  was  admitted  to 
practice  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  in 
January,  1865,  Chief  Justice  Chase,  presiding.  Mr. 
Ckowley  has  had  intrusted  to  him  many  cases  of  import- 
ance, concerning  property  and  crime;  and  has  proven 
himself  an  able  advocate  and  counselor.  In  early  life  he 
took  a  deep  interest  in  political  matters  growing  out  of 
the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  and  the  Kansas 
and  Nebraska  agitation.  The  result  of  his  reasoning  was 
a  determination  to  attach  himself  to  Republican  princi- 
ples. He  has  never  before  held  any  public  office,  except 
that  of  City  Counsel  for  the  city  of  Lockport.  When 
elected  to  his  present  place  in  the  Senate,  his  vote  was 
very  flattering,  especially  in  the  county  of  Niagara, 
wherein  he  received  over  four  hundred  more  votes  than 
any  other  candidate  on  either  the  State  or  county  ticket, 
although  some  of  the  most  popular  men  in  the  county 
were  in  nomination. 

Mr.  Crowley  has  made  achievements  that  are  certainly 
remarkable.  What  he  now  is,  cannot  be  due  to  ancestry ; 
for  like  Cicero,  when  jeered  at  concerning  his  name,  he 
has  felt  that  he  must  make  his  own  name,  if  he  would 
have  a  place  for  it  in  the  great  hereafter.  He  is  a  living 
exemplification  of  the  truth :  "  JPerseverantia  omnia 
vincity  He  is  the  son  of  a  poor  man ;  by  his  own  per- 
sonal efforts  he  has  risen  from  poverty  to  be  an  ornament 
to  the  Niagara  Bar ;  and  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is 
held,  may  well  be  envied  by  young  men  who  have  been 
surrounded,  all  their  lives,  by  much  more  advantageous 
circumstances.     As  a  speaker  and  debater  he  is  far  above 


CHAELES  J.   FOLGEE.  93 

mediocrity.  His  language  is  elegant  and  forcible,  some- 
times almost  severely  chaste,  and  his  voice  is  distinct  in 
utterance.  He  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Health 
Bill,  and  the  Excise  Law  for  New  York  city ;  and  favored 
the  amendment  of  the  Registry  Law  of  the  State,  and  the 
repeal  of  the  contract  system  of  keeping  the  Canals  of 
the  State  in  repair.  He  has  also  taken  an  interest  and  a 
part  in  all  matters  of  general  legislation. 


CHARLES    J.    FOLGER 


Chaeles  James  Folgee,  Senator  from  the  Twenty- 
sixth  District,  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  in  which  State 
he  was  born  on  the  16th  of  April,  1818.  His  ancestors 
were  sea-faring  men;  masters  of  vessels  sailing  out  of 
Nantucket,  and  his  early  boyhood  days  were  spent  in  the 
wild  and  free  associations  of  the  coast  life,  which  pos- 
sesses so  much  of  romance  and  adventure.  When  he  was 
a  little  more  than  twelve  years  of  age,  he  removed  with 
his  parents  to  Geneva,  in  this  State,  where  he  has  resided 
since,  except  when  at  intervals  engaged  in  the  study  of 
law  elsewhere.  He  entered  Geneva  College  in  1833,  and 
graduated  in  1836,  with  the  honors  of  his  class.  In 
October  of  that  year,  he  commenced  the  study  of  the  law, 
in  the  office  of  Maek  H.  Sibley  &  Alvah  Woeden,  at 
Canandaigua.  The  influence  of  such  a  preceptor  as  Mr. 
Sibley,  upon  a  mind  so  receptive  and  active  as  that  of 
his  young  friend,  could  not  fail  to  be  beneficial,  and, 
undoubtedly,  a  large  share  of  the  great  practical  success 
he  has  since  attained  in  public  life,  is  to  be  attributed  to 
this  association.  He  also  read  law  in  the  office  of  Bo  wen 
Whiting,  at  Geneva,  and  with   John  M.  Holley,  at 


94  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

Lyons.  In  1839,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  at  the  Bar 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  in  General  Term,  at  Albany,  and 
in  May,  of  the  following  year,  entered  upon  the  pursuit 
of  his  profession  at  Geneva.  His  advance  was  rapid 
and  honorable.  A  fine  personal  presence,  a  studious 
analysis  of  all  the  rules  and  practices  of  law,  a  mind 
fully  stored  with  classic  lore,  and  with  the  very  best 
productions  of  the  jurists  of  all  countries,  and  a  persua- 
sive style  of  eloquence,  were  the  elements  of  a  sure  and 
honorable  promotion.  In  1844,  he  was  appointed  — 
under  the  old  Constitution  —  Judge  of  the  Ontario  Court 
of  Common  Pleas.  He  held  that  office  for  one  year, 
and  discharged  its  duties  with  general  satisfaction,  and 
then  resigned.  He  was  also  Master  and  Examiner  in 
Chancery  until  the  Chancery  Court  was  abolished  by  the 
adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  1846.  In  1851,  he  was 
elected  County  Judge  of  Ontario  county,  and  held  that 
office  for  four  years.  In  1861,  he  was  elected  to  the 
Senate,  being  reelected  in  1863,  and  again  in  1865, 

Mr.  FoLGER  has  acted  with  the  Republican  party  from 
the  period  of  its  organization,  and  has,  always  been  a 
conspicuous  and  able  defender  of  the  principles  it  was 
established  to  maintain.  His  influence  in  his  own  par- 
ticular section  of  the  State  has  contributed  largely  to  the 
great  popular  predominance  of  Republican  principles. 
Upon  the  Forum,  through  the  Press,  and  as  a  Legislator, 
his  voice  has  always  been  earnest  for  equal  rights  and 
justice  to  all.  Almost  uniformly  chosen  a  representative 
in  the  State  Conventions  of  his  party,  he  has  contributed 
largely  to  give  shape  to  its  general  policy.  His  address 
as  temporary  Chairman  of  the  Syracuse  Convention  in 
1865,  will  long  be  remembered  by  those  who  heard  it,  as 
a  model  of  eloquence,  vigor  and  terseness. 

In  the  Senate,  Mr.  Folger  is  a  recognized  leader.  His 
opinions  are  always  treated  by  that  body  with   marked 


CHARLES   J.    FOLGER.  95 

respect,  and  even  when  he  is  compelled  to  dissent  from 
his  peers  in  judgment,  he  receives  from  them  the  credit 
due  to  sincere  convictions  and  great  ability.  As  Chair- 
man of  the  Judiciary  Committee,  much  of  the  most 
important  business  of  the  Legislature  passes  through  his 
hands ;  and  his  extensive  legal  knowledge,  his  great  skill 
in  research,  his  wonderful  powers  of  analysis,  and  his 
untiring  industry,  have  made  his  services  in  this  capacity 
of  almost  incalculable  value.  Without  derogation  of  the 
claims  of  other  gentlemen  upon  the  Committee,  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  all  will  pronounce  this  tribute  to  his  personal 
usefulness  entirely  just  and  deserved. 

The  estimation  in  which  Mr.  Folger  is  held  by  his 
peers,  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  during  the  ses- 
sion of  1865-6,  he  was  unanimously  chosen  President  pro 
tem.^  to  serve  during  the  absence  of  the  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor, Hon.  Thomas  G.  Alvord.  This  high  compliment 
was  renewed  at  the  opening  of  the  present  session  ;  and 
as  before,  without  a  dissenting  voice. 

The  chief  characteristics  of  Mr.  Folger  as  a  Senator, 
are  his  great  industry  and  his  unbending  integrity.  He 
is  thoroughly  devoted  to  the  duties  of  his  position,  and 
labors  incessantly,  both  upon  the  floor  and  in  committees, 
to  perfect  and  elaborate  legislation.  The  importance  of 
this  fact  is  best  understood  by  those  who  know  how  great 
are  his  resources  of  legal  lore.  Nobody  ever  suspected 
him  of  favoring  a  bill  or  advocating  a  scheme  from  the 
impulse  of  selfish  or  mercenary  motives.  His  mind  is 
preeminently  that  of  a  statesman.  He  regards  all  ques- 
tions from  the  broad  general  stand-point  of  public  expe- 
diency and  justice,  and  is  able  to  bring  to  his  use  the 
lessons  of  history  and  the  experience  of  centuries  in 
determining  his  own  views. 

As  a  speaker,  there  are  few  among  the  many  eloquent 
men  in  the  State,  who  possess  so  much  or  such  varied 


96  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

power  as  Mr.  Folger.  He  is  a  native  orator,  whose 
innate  abilities  have  been  wondrously  increased  by  a 
thorough  education  and  severe  discipline.  He  never 
addresses  the  Senate  without  fixing  its  attention,  and 
always  utters  ideas  which  are  certain  to  illustrate  the 
subject  in  hand.  His  wealth  of  imagery  is  sometimes 
surprising,  and  the  readiness  with  which  it  is  employed 
in  giving  charms  to  the  most  commonplace  topics,  makes 
him  a  most  desirable  ally  and  a  formidable  opponent.  He 
is  uniformily  dignified  and  afiable  in  debate ;  but  the 
trenchant  vigor  with  which  he  disposes  of  an  antago- 
nist, is  frequently  inimitable.  Never  making  speeches 
for  "effect;"  always  confining  himself  to  the  topic 
immediately  under  discussion  ;  and  grouping  facts,  figures 
and  fancies  with  the  skill  of  a  master,  he  has  achieved  a 
position  beside  the  master  intellects  of  the  State,  and 
will  long  be  remembered  after  he  shall  have  left  the 
Senate  Chamber,  for  —  we  trust  —  higher  honors  and 
richer  spheres  of  usefulness. 

In  personal  appearance,  Mr.  Folger  is  commanding 
and  graceful.  His  features  wear  the  stamp  of  intel- 
lect, and  advertise  the  gentlemanly  suavity  which  is  a 
predominant  trait  in  his  character.  His  voice  has  that 
peculiarly  melodious  inflection  which  is  always  ascribed 
as  one  of  the  graces  of  the  native  orator.  He  is  cool 
and  self-possessed  under  every  circumstance,  and  never 
finds  himself  in  a  situation  for  which  he  has  not 
adequate  resources.  Nobody  would  suspect  him  of 
having  approached,  within  a  decade,  the  forty-eight 
years  he  wears  so  well. 


JAMES    GIBSON. 


Senator  Gibson  is  a  gentleman  of  quiet  dignity.  His 
long  flowing  hair  and  whiskers,  tinged  with  grey,  his  mild 
eye,  which  seems  to  be  overflowing  with  kindly  feelings, 
his  low,  persuasive  voice,  which  is  seldom  brought  up  to  a 
high  pitch,  unite  in  throwing  around  him  a  personal 
atmosphere  which  renders  his  presence  both  pleasant  and 
powerful.  His  father  was  a  lawyer  of  distinction,  in 
Washington  county,  who  died  when  his  son  James  was 
eleven  years  old.  Though  in  good  pecuniary  circum- 
stances while  living,  at  his  death,  his  estate  netted  nothing 
to  his  family  of  orjDhans,  who  were  consequently  left  to 
fight  their  own  way  in  the  world,  their  mother  having 
previously  died. 

Senator  Gibson  was  born  in  Salem,  Washington  county, 
New  York,  September  5th,  1816.  His  school  days  were 
passed  in  the  Washington  Academy,  at  Salem,  which  was 
among  the  oldest  educational  institutions  in  this  State,  and 
from  which  some  of  our  leading  men  are  graduates.  He 
there  obtained  a  fair  classical  education.  Before  the  con- 
clusion of  his  school  life,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  his 
uncle,  Samuel  Stevens,  a  former  partner  of  his  father,  who 
was,  at  that  time,  eminent  as  a  practitioner,  and  who  after- 
ward became  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Albany 
Bar.  In  1836,  at  the  October  Term  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
Mr.  Gibson  was  admitted  to  practice,  and  thereupon 
formed  a  partnership  with  Cyrus  Stevens,  which  con- 
tinned  one  year.  At  the  termination  of  his  business 
associations  with  Mr.  Stevens,  he  continued  his  legal  pro- 
fession, on  his  individual  responsibility.  His  qualifications 
were  such  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  public ;  and, 
in  a  brief  time,  he  gathered  to  himself  an  extended  prac- 
13 


98  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

tice.  Having  no  one  associated  with  him,  he,  from  neces- 
sity, selected  but  little  office  business,  preferring  to  act  in 
the  capacity  of  an  advocate,  or  as  counsel.  There  were 
excejDtions  to  this,  it  is  true ;  but  the  general  burden  of 
his  labors  was  made  up  of  those  cases  which  demanded 
careful  study  and  laborious  argument.  During  his  life  he 
has  had  charge  of  a  large  number  of  criminal  suits,  which 
have  involved  delicate  points  of  circumstantial  evidence, 
and  in  the  conducting  of  which,  his  almost  intuitive 
knowledge  of  the  human  passions,  has  made  him  both 
skillful  and  successful.  Many  important  civil  controver- 
sies have  also  been  intrusted  to  him  —  controversies  that 
involved  immense  sums  of  money.  Among  other  cases  of 
this  nature,  Mr.  Gibsox  conducted  a  protracted  litigation 
for  the  Troy  and  Rutland  Railroad,  out  of  which  grew  a 
number  of  suits,  upon  side  issues,  in  which  he  was  coun- 
sel. The  nature  of  the  above-mentioned  suit  was  to  this 
effect :  The  Troy  and  Rutland  Railroad  had  leased  its  road 
to  the  Rutland  and  Washington  Railroad  —  a  Vermont 
Association — which  had  pledged  its  road,  with  its  rolling 
stock,  as  security  for  the  payment  of  its  rent.  Four  years 
elapsed,  and  the  lessees  not  having  paid  the  rent  according 
to  agreement,  the  Troy  and  Rutland  Railroad  employed 
Mr.  Gibson  to  commence  an  action,  in  the  Supreme  Court, 
for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  possession  of  the  Rutland  and 
Washington  Railroad,  and  its  rolling  stock,  and  reentering 
upon  the  Troy  and  Rutland  Railroad.  In  that  action,  a 
receiver  of  the  two  roads  was  appointed;  possession  of 
their  property,  with  the  rolling  stock,  was  given  to  him ; 
and  he  operated  the  two  roads,  for  one  year.  A  final 
judgment  was  obtained,  in  the  action,  by  the  consent  of 
all  concerned,  by  which  the  plaintiffs  were  to  extend  the 
time  of  payment  of  arrears,  and  both  roads  were  to  be 
delivered  over  to  the  trustees  appointed  for  the  creditors 
of  the  Rutland  and  Washington  Railroad.     From  this  suit 


'  JAMES    GIBSON-.  09 

sprang  an  immense  litigation,  of  which  Mr.  Gibson  held 
the  threads.  On  the  compromise  in  the  original  suit,  the 
defendants  gave  a  mortgage  on^heir  effects  to  their 
creditors.  About  two  years  ago,  Mr.  Gibson  foreclosed 
that  mortgage,  the  road  was  bid  off  by  a  Boston  gentle- 
man, and  it  now  forms  a  part  of  the  routes  operated  by 
the  Rensselaer  and  Saratoga  Railroad  Association.  We 
have  cited  this,  to  show  the  character  and  importance  of 
the  business  which  is  placed  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Gibson. 

Years  ago,  he  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  50th  Regi- 
ment of  Infantry,  which  in  1848,  was  consolidated  with  the 
30th  Artillery.  By  order  of  the  Adjutant-General  he  was 
attached  to  it,  though  not  in  the  line,  until  1863,  when, 
being  elected  into  the  line,  he  received  his  commission. 
The  Colonel,  subsequently,  resigning,  Mr.  Gibson,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1865,  was  promoted  to  Colonel,  and  still  holds  the 
office.  During  the  last  year,  by  his  untiring  efforts, 
the  regiment  has  been  furnished  with  uniforms  and  equip- 
ments, and  under  orders  has  paraded  in  full  strength.  It, 
probably,  cannot  be  excelled  by  any  other  regiment  out 
of  the  cities.  From  1852  to  1856,  Mr.  Gibson  was  County 
Judge  of  Washington  county,  having  previously  held 
various  public  offices.  In  the  autumn  of  1865,  Judge 
Gibson  was  elected  to  the  Senate  from  the  Twelfth  Sena- 
torial District,  by  a  Union  Republican  majority  of  over 
three  thousand.  While  acting  in  his  present  capacity,  his 
attention  has  been  particularly  occupied  by  his  duties  as 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Claims,  and  as  a  member 
of  the  Committee  on  Judiciary,  both  of  which  combined, 
probably  furnish  two-thirds  of  the  business  of  the  Senate. 
Some  of  the  reports  from  the  committee  of  which  he  is 
Chairman,  exhibit  close  scrutiny  with  reference  to  the 
numerous  claims  which  are  presented  to  the  Legislature. 
Judge  Gibson  holds  to  the  theory  that  the  Legislature 
should  sternly  resist  appeals  for  donations,  under  the  head 


100  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

of  "  equitable  "  claims,  and  should  bear  in  mind  that  the 
State  and  its  tax  payers  have  superior  claims  on  its  justice 
and  equity ;  that  it  is  futile  for  the  Canal  Commissioners 
to  require  economy  in  the  expenditures  of  subordinates, 
if  the  Legislature  shall  constantly  interfere,  by  donating 
large  sums  to  contractors  for  deficiencies  in  their  profits. 
Last  year  he  carried  forward  a  measure  which  originated 
in  the  House,  authorizing  the  survey  of  the  Hudson  River, 
from  tide-water-head  to  Fort  Edward,  and  of  the  Cham- 
plain  Canal,  from  that  place  to  Whitehall,  the  object  of 
which  was  to  test  the  feasibility  of  improving  navigation, 
for  the  use  of  vessels  of  large  .tonnage.  Mr.  Gibson  has 
been  a  warm  advocate  for  all  measures  of  local  interest  to 
his  District.  At  the  opening  of  the  session  in  1866,  he 
took  a  strong  position  in  favor  of  the  measures  and  policy 
of  Congress,  and  introduced  a  series  of  resolutions  to 
that  efiect.  Though  the  resolutions,  afterward  passed, 
were  modified  in  order  to  form  a  ground  upon  which  both 
Senate  and  Assembly  could  meet,  yet  the  spirit  of  Mr. 
Gibson's  resolutions  was  retained.  He  is  still  true  to  his 
antecedents,  and  has  emphatically  declared  himself  in  favor 
of  a  Radical  national  course,  in  a  concise  speech  delivered 
in  the  Senate  during  the  early  part  of  the  present  session. 


ABEL   GODARD 


Senator  Godard  represents  the  Seventeenth  Sen- 
atorial District.  He  is  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence  county  — 
a  section  of  this  State  which  has  always  been  in  the  van 
of  liberal  and  progressive  ideas,  and  which  has  produced 
some  of  the  noblest  minds  that  have  shaped  both  State 
and  national  policies.  The  country  will  always  gladly 
pay  homage  to  the  memory  of  Preston  King  and  Silas 


ABEL   GODARD.  101 

Wright  ;  and  it  is  but  simple  justice  to  say  that,  so  far  as 
purity  of  character  is  concerned,,  the  mantle  of  public 
favor  and  honor,  which  was  once  cast  on  those  sterling 
men,  has  fallen  on  a  worthy  representative  in  the  person 

of  Mr.   GODARD. 

His  grandfather,  Lewis  GodaUd,  was  a  Captain  in  the 
war  of  1812,  and  died  while  a  prisoner  of  war.  His 
father,  Hon.  Harlow  Godard,  is  a  politician  of  much 
influence  in  St.  Lawrence  county,  who  represented  his 
district  in  the  Assembly,  in  1847,  '48,  '58,  and  '59. 

The  boyhood  days  of  Abel  Godard  were  mostly  spent 
in  the  Academy,  in  preparation  for  a  collegiate  course ; 
when  his  preparatory  studies  were  completed,  he  entered 
the  Rochester  University,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1859.  During  the  same  year,  he  was  employed  as 
Engrossing  Clerk  in  the  Assembly.  But  that  position,  of 
course,  was  merely  temporary.  It  was  not  his  desire  to 
be  dependent  upon  no  fixed  occupation,  and,  therefore,  as 
soon  as  convenient,  he  decided  upon  choosing  a  profes- 
sional life.  He  had  previously  stored  his  mind  with  a 
knowledge  of  the  classics  and  polite  literature,  and  con- 
sequently was,  thus  far,  sufficiently  accomplished  to  grace 
any  of  the  professions.  But,  being  of  a  legal  turn  of 
mind,  he  entered  the  Albany  Law  School  from  which  he 
graduated  in  August,  1861.  At  that  time,  it  is  well  known 
that  the  country  was  convulsed  by  the  Southern  Rebel- 
lion. Places  in  the  counting-room,  the  pulpit,  and  at  the 
bar,  were  made  vacant  by  those  who,  though  inex- 
perienced in  war,  were  willing,  at  all  events,  to  throw 
their  bodies  in  the  breach,  as  bulwarks  against  the  traitors 
of  the  nation.  At  the  second  call  of  President  Lincoln, 
for  additional  volunteers,  Mr.  Godard  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  the  60th  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers, 
which  was  organized  at  Ogdensburgh,  New  York.  At 
the    election  of   officers,  he    was    chosen   Captain,   and 


102         .  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

entered  the  iield  in  October  following.  In  the  campaign 
of  General  Banks,  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  Mr.  Godaed 
bore  his  share  of  duty.  After  the  battle  of  Antietam,  in 
which  Colonel  Goodeich,  commanding  the  60th  Regiment, 
was  killed.  Captain  Godaed  was  promoted  to  Major.  In 
the  fall  of  1862,  he  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  Colonel; 
and  in  the  following  year,  led  his  regiment  in  the  san- 
guinary engagements  of  Gettysburg,  Lookout  Mountain, 
and  Ringgold.  At  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  both  his 
regiment  and  himself  displayed  the  loftiest  heroism. 
Upon  whatever  point  they  were  brought  to  bear,  the 
enemy  felt  their  power,  as  if  lightning  bolts  had  been 
projected  into  their  midst.  In  front  of  the  regimental 
line  of  the  60th  New  York  Regiment,  after  the  capture 
of  three  battle-flags,  were  found  ninety-eight  dead  rebels, 
including  six  commissioned  officers.  At  Lookout  Moun- 
tain or  the  "  Battle  above  the  Clouds,"  under  General 
HooKEE,  Colonel  Godaed  and  his  regiment  were  in  the 
advance  line  of  battle,  and  captured  the  first  battle- 
flag  taken  from  the  rebels  in  that  fight,  and  General 
Walthal's  sword,  which  Colonel  Godaed  presented  to  the 
Bureau  of  Military  Record  of  this  State.  In  the  conflict  at 
Ringgold  he  was  much  exposed  to  danger ;  but  he  showed 
a  brave  spirit.  The  bullets  flew  around  him  like  hailstones, 
yet  he  led  his  men  against  the  foe,  determined  to  leave  no 
duty  undone.  When  the  fight  was  at  an  end,  there  were 
eleven  hidlet-holes  in  his  uniform.  Truly,  it  seems  that 
his  was  a  charmed  life !  In  the  celebrated  campaign  of 
General  Sheeman,  to  Atlanta,  Colonel  Godaed  led  his 
regiment  in  the  battles  of  Resaca,  Dallas,  Allatoona,  and 
Peachtree  Creek ;  and  his  regiment  was  the  first  to  unfurl 
the  colors  over  the  city  of  Atlanta.  He  was  honorably 
discharged  from  the  service  in  September,  1864. 

Colonel  Godaed's   military   life  was   distinguished  for 
great  personal  bravery.    He  was  always  at  the  head  of  his 


WOLCOTT   J.    HUMPHEEY.  103 

regiment,  though  dangers  thickened  and  seemed  insur- 
mountable ;  and  it  can  be  justly  said  that  his  military 
record  has  no  stain  of  cowardice  ujDon  it. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Godakd  was  elected  Supervisor  of  the 
town  of  De  Kalb;  and  during  the  same  year,  the  Repub-. 
lican  party,  in  view  of  the  hazards  which  he  had  run,  and 
the  patriotism  which  he  had  evinced  in  the  army,  and  also 
because  of  his  mental  abilities,  and  an  ardent  enthusiasm 
which  was  the  basis  of  his  character,  elected  him  to  the 
State  Senate,  in  which  he  is  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Militia  and  Public  Defense,  and  a  member  of  the 
Committees  on  Claims  and  Engrossed  Bills. 


WOLCOTT    J.    HUMPHREY, 


Mr.  Humphrey  is  a  gentleman  who  has  had  consider- 
able experience  in  the  political  affairs  of  the  State.  For 
twenty  years  or  more,  he  has  taken  deep  interest  in  public 
matters,  and  has  served  the  people  in  various  positions  of 
responsibility  and  trust.  His  ability  and  fidelity  have 
been  recognized  by  an  election  to  the  Senate  —  one  of  the 
highest  expressions  of  confidence  which  can  be  given. 

Mr.  Humphrey's  birthplace  was  Canton,  Hartford 
county,  Connecticut.  He  is  forty-nine  years  of  age.  His 
father,  grandfather  and  great-grandfather  were  natives  of 
the  same  town.  The  original  head  of  the  family,  in  this 
country,  were  two  brothers  who  came  from  England,  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  and  settled  in  Massachusetts.  From 
them  have  descended  the  numerous  branches  of  the  family 
which  may  now  be  found  in  every  State  in  the  Union. 

Mr.  Humphrey's  father  concluded  in  1818,  to  remove 
from  the  locality  where  his  family  had  dwelt  for  so  many 


104  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

years,  and  decided  to  make  the  town  of  Sheldon,  Genesee 
county  (now  Wyoming),  his  future  home.  This  section 
was  then  the  "  far  West,"  and  when  we  consider  the 
primitive  facilities  for  travel  which  then  existed  —  when 
the  long,  tedious  journeys  of  the  hardy  pioneers,  were 
performed  on  horseback  or  in  lumbering  wagons — and 
when  it  is  known  that  his  father  had  the  good  old- 
fashioned  flimily  of  fifteen  children,  to  look  after  (after- 
ward increased  to  seventeen),  it  will  be  readily  believed 
that  the  change  was  one  requiring  a  good  deal  of  New 
England  grit  and  perseverance.  But  the  exodus  was 
accomplished ;  and  a  new  scene  opened  in  the  lives  of  the 
whole  family. 

Senator  Humphrey's  early  education  was  acquired 
wholly  in  a  common  school ;  but,  by  extensive  travel 
through  the  States,  and  much  mingling  with  the  bustling 
business  world  —  "keeping  his  eyes  and  ears  open"  the 
while  —  he  has  stored  his  mind  with  a  large  fund  of 
practical  knowledge  and  information.  When  twenty 
years  old,  he  entered  the  military  service  of  the  State ; 
and,  in  1840,  was  elected  Colonel  of  the  9th  Regiment,  8th 
Brigade,  New  York  State  Artillery.  In  1844,  he  resigned 
his  commission  and  gave  up  all  connection  with  military 
affairs.  He  married,  in  1841,  Miss  Amanda  Martindale, 
a  daughter  of  Major  William  S.  Martindale,  of  Dorset, 
Vermont,  a  lady  of  excellent  domestic  qualities. 

At  different  times  Mr.  Humphrey  has  held  various  town 
offices;  and  during  the  year  1850,  was  Marshal  for  taking 
the  census  in  six  of  the  towns  of  his  county.  In  1849,  '53 
and  '60,  he  was  appointed  Postmaster,  and,  after  serving 
awhile,  as  many  times,  resigned ;  his  second  resignation 
took  place  when  Tyler  proved  himself  recreant  to  the 
party  with  which  he  was  identified.  In  1850,  he  was 
elected  to  the  Assembly,  and  Avas  returned  in  1851.  His 
political  talents  and  constant  activity  gave  him  a  leading 


WOLCOTT   J.    HUMPHREY.  105 

position  in  that  body.  The  latter  term,  he  served  as 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Railroads,  and  reported 
the  Central  Railroad  Bill,  authorizing  the  railroad  con- 
solidation, and  establishing  the  existing  restrictions.  He 
was  also  selected  by  the  caucus  to  take  charge  of  the  Pro- 
hibitory Liquor  Law  passed  at  that  session ;  and  he  made 
an  able  speech  in  its  behalf. 

Some  time  in  1855,  Mr.  Humphrey  removed  to  Bloom- 
ington,  Illinois,  where  he  was  instrumental  in  securing  the 
return  of  the  late  Owen^  Lovejoy  to  Congress,  against 
Judge  Davies.  He  was,  we  believe.  President  of  the 
Convention  that  nominated  Mr.  Lovejoy.  After  residing 
in  Bloomington  three  years,  or  thereabouts,  he  returned 
to  Wyoming,  and  resumed  business  at  North  Java,  from 
which  place  he  removed  to  Warsaw,  in  1864,  where  he 
now  lives.  During  the  war,  he  was  enrolling  officer  for 
the  government,  and  was  mobbed,  by  foreign  opponents 
of  the  draft,  while  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties. 

Mr.  Humphrey  was  elected  to  the  Senate  from  the 
Thirtieth  District  (Wyoming,  Livingston  and  Allegany), 
in  1865,  by  5,240  majority  over  the  late  Judge  Hastings, 
of  Livingston.  An  excellent  position  was  given  him,  on 
the  committees,  he  being  a  member  of  the  Committees  on 
Railroads,  Internal  Affairs,  and  Printing,  and  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Roads  and  Bridges.  He  ranks  as 
a  faithful  worker,  and  one  of  the  best  debaters  among 
the  non-speech-making  Senators.  His  political  views  were 
Whig,  so  long  as  there  was  a  Whig  party,  and  he  became 
a  member  of  the  Republican  party  when  it  was  formed. 
He  has  been  farmer,  merchant,  and  tanner  by  turns,  and 
is  extensively  engaged  in  the  latter  business  at  present. 
He  is  a  gentlemen  of  fine  presence,  and  great  nervous 
energy,  of  warm  friendships  and  good  impulses,  and  pos- 
sesses talents  of  a  high  order,  as  a  political  organizer  and 
an  indefatigable  worker. 
14 


ADAM    W.    KLINE. 


Senator  Kline  is  descended  from  a  family  conspicuous 
among  the  early  settlers  of  Tryon  county,  Avithin  whose 
bounds  were  enacted  some  of  the  bloodiest  scenes  of  the 
Revolution.  Its  population  was  mostly  located  in  the  val- 
ley of  the  Mohawk  river,  having  crept  westward  to  the 
sources  of  that  classic  stream,  previous  to  the  year  1'750. 
Mr.  Kline's  paternal  grandfather  was  from  Germany. 
He  first  located  on  lands  near  Fort  Stanwix  (now  Rome), 
Oneida  county,  where  William  Kline,  the  father  of  the 
Senator,  was  born,  in  1775.  Later,  the  grandfather  moved 
eastward  to  Fort  Johnson  (two  and  one-half  miles  west  of 
the  present  village  of  Amsterdam),  which  he  purchased, 
with  a  large  tract  of  land  adjacent.  He  finally  planted 
his  homestead  a  mile  west  of  the  fort ;  and,  when  his  son 
William  attained  his  majority,  gave  him  a  farm  and  a 
home,  only  a  mile  distant,  where  the  subject  of  this  notice 
was  born,  February  5th,  1818,  and  w^here  his  time  w^as 
spent,  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  Mr.  Kline's  mother  is 
a  native  of  Schenectady :  her  ancestors  were  from  Holland 
and  Scotland.  He  was  favored  with  only  the  ordinary 
advantages  of  the  common  schools  of  that  day,  but  dili- 
gently improved  and  cultivated  those  habits  of  observation 
and  reflection,  to  which  he  owes  the  distinction  he  now 
enjoys.  Before  he  was  twenty-one,  he  determined  to  work 
out  his  fortunes,  unaided.  Accordingly  he  left  home,  went 
to  Amsterdam,  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  and  fol- 
lowed it,  in  that  village,  for  ten  years,  having  had  the  entire 
charge  of  the  business  after  his  second  year  of  service. 

In  1843,  a  machine  for  weaving  figures  into  carpets  was 
wanted  for  a  factory  about  to  be  opened  in  Amsterdam. 
Ko  one  in  that  place  would  undertake  its  construction. 


ADAM  W.   KLINE.  107 

In  that  emergency,  Mr.  Kline  came  forward,  and  offered 
to  take  a  contract  for  ten  machines.  The  proprietor  of 
the  factory  hesitated,  fearing  he  would  sustain  loss  by 
delay,  but  finally  made  the  contract,  on  the  assurance 
from  Hon.  John  Sanfoed  that,  if  Mr.  Kline  did  not 
succeed,  he  would  pay  the  damage.  In  less  than  the 
time  agreed  upon,  a  most  excellent  machine  was  placed 
in  the  factory  and  satisfactorily  set  running.  This  was  a 
turning  point  in  the  road  to  fortune.  Orders  for  similar 
machines  were  multiplied  beyond  his  power  to  fill,  and 
at  once  he  was  in  the  midst  of  an  extensive  and  lucrative 
business.  From  this,  he  was  diverted  by  a  proposition 
made  by  the  Hon.  Mr.  Sanford,  to  form  a  mercantile 
partnership.  The  terms  were  too  favorable  to  be  rejected. 
Arrangements  were  consummated,  and  the  business  went 
on  satisfactorily  and  profitably.  The  firm  was  dissolved, 
by  mutual  consent,  in  1847,  when  Mr.  Kline  moved  across 
the  river  to  Port  Jackson,  and  engaged  alone  in  merchan- 
dising, having,  at  the  same  time,  an  interest  in  the  scythe 
factory  of  Mr.  Case,  in  Amsterdam.  In  1844,  he  maiTied 
Miss  Bata  a.  Simons,  of  Florida,  Montgomery  Co.,  whose 
family  came  from  New  England.  In  1857,  in  connection 
with  John  Maxwell,  he  built  a  stockinet  factory,  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  Amsterdam,  which  was  the 
first  one  erected  in  that  town.  The  business  was  pros- 
perous until  October,  1859,  when  a  fire  brought  it  to 
a  close,  and  the  partnership  was  terminated.  He  after- 
ward built  a  similar  factory  near  the  railroad,  in  the 
village  of  Amsterdam,  and  ran  it  until  February,  1866, 
when  it  was  likewise  burned.  On  the  same  site,  he  has 
built  a  large  flouring  mill,  which  has  but  recently  been 
put  in  operation.  The  business  interests  of  Amsterdam 
are  indebted  to  no  one,  more  than  to  him,  for  their  enlarge- 
ment and  flourishing  condition ;  in  connection  with  them, 
few  have  acquired  a  larger  competence ;  and,  in  the  various 


108  V     LIFE    SKETCHES. 

enterprises  of  life,  few,  have  been  more  uniformly  success- 
ful. He  is  now  largely  engaged  in  the  wool  trade,  in 
Troy,  and  is  Vice-President  of  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Amsterdam.  During  the  late  civil  strife,  he  was  one 
of  the  District  Committee,  whose  purpose  was  to  hasten 
the  organization  of  the  115th  Regiment,  New  York  Vol- 
unteers ;  and  was  Chairman  of  the  War  Committee  of  his 
town  during  the  war,  and  no  man  in  that  community  gave 
more  freely  of  his  substance,  to  support  the  wives  and 
children  of  the  soldiers  who  were  fighting  the  battles  of 
his  country,  than  did  Mr.  Kline,  and  he  probably  did 
more  to  encourage  enlistments  than  any  other  person  in 
that  section  of  the  State. 

His  political  and  official  career  was  commenced  at  Port 
Jackson,  in  the  town  of  Florida,  opposite  the  village  of 
Amsterdam.  In  1849,  he  was  elected  Supervisor  of  the 
town,  overcoming  a  majority  against  his  party  of  about 
150,  and  being  the  first  Whig  elected  to  that  office,  in 
thirty  years.  Having  returned  to  Amsterdam,  in  1853,  he 
was  elected  Supervisor  of  that  town  in  1858  and  1859,  and 
was,  both  years.  Chairman  of  the  Board.  In  1859,  he  was, 
elected  Treasurer  of  the  county  of  Montgomery,  having,  in 
his  own  town  of  Amsterdam,  383  majority,  and  precisely 
the  same  in  1865,  when  elected  State  Senator.  He  is 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Trade  and  Manufactures, 
and  is  on  the  Committees  on  Banks,  and  Roads  and  Bridges. 
During  the  Session  of  1866,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Special  Committee  appointed  by  Lieutenant-Governor, 
Alvord,  on  Federal  Relations.  As  a  legislator,  Senator 
Kline  is  practical,  vigilant,  faithful  and  honest;  as  a 
politician,  he  is  true  to  principle  and  party  relations. 
He  makes  no  pretensions  to  eloquence,  but  he  can  express 
his  ideas  clearly,  and  in  a  manner  to  command  notice.  He 
enjoys  no  small  degree  of  popularity  in  his  district,  and 
has  the  respect  of  his  colleagues  in  the  Senate. 


NICHOLAS   B.    LA   BAU.  109 

Mr.  Kline  owes  all  that  he  is  to  his  own  persevering 
toil.  From  comparative  poverty,  he  has  arisen  to  affluence 
and  power,  and  he  now  is  among  the  best  business  oper- 
ators in  his  section  of  the  State.  He  is  generous,  indefat- 
igable and  energetic  as  a  business  man,  and  as  a  worker 
for  his  party. 


NICHOLAS    B.    LA    BAU 


Mr.  La  Bau's  personelle  is  really  one  of  the  finest  in 
the  Senate.  A  person  is  attracted  by  his  finely  cut 
features  which  are  decidedly  classical,  as  well  as  by  his 
polished  manners  and  faultless  exterior.  He  displays  that 
carefulness  in  dress,  which  marks  the  gentleman  of 
refinement,  without  creating  an  impression  of  superlative 
fastidiousness ;  and  his  rich  voice,  whether  heard  in  debate 
or  in  conversation,  is  exceedingly  pleasing. 

He  is  a  native  of  Trenton,  New  Jersey,  at  which  place 
he  was  born,  July  29th,  1823.  His  maternal  grandfather 
was  born  on  the  Island  of  Scio,  of  Greek  parents,  and 
came  to  this  country  while  young,  settling  in  Philadelphia. 
He  became  one  of  the  wealthiest  merchants  in  that  city. 
His  paternal  ancestry  were  Huguenots ;  they  left  France 
during  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV,  and  settled  in  New  Jersey. 

Mr.  La  Bau  is  a  graduate  of  Columbia  College,  New 
York.  After  leaving  college,  he  studied  law,  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  at  the  Bar.  He  followed  the  legal 
profession  until  1859,  when,  on  account  of  ill  health,  he 
was  compelled  to  relinquish  his  professional  pursuits.     In 


110  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

1860,  he  had  a  severe  and  dangerous  illness  which  confined 
him  to  his  bed  for  six  months ;  and  he  did  not  entirely 
recover  from  this  attack,  until  January,  1863. 

Up  to  the  year  1859,  he  had  identified  himself  with  the 
first  Division  New  York  State  Militia,  and  had  served  in 
almost  every  capacity  —  Aid  to  Brigadier-General,  Brigade 
Judge  Advocate,  Captain  New  York  City  Guards;  and 
when  his  health  failed  him,  he  was  Lieutenant-Colonel 
of  the  55th  Regiment. 

Mr.  La  Bau  was  an  ardent  Union  man,  from  the  begin- 
ning of  our  national  conflict,  and,  as  soon  as  his  health 
permitted,  took  an  unmistakable  position  in  favor  of  the 
Administration.  He  was,  at  that  .time,  a  resident  of 
Richmond  county,  to  which  he  had  removed  from  New 
York,  for  the  purpose  of  fully  regaining  his  health. 
Richmond  county  was  hopelessly  Democratic;  and  its 
financial  afiairs  were  in  the  hands  of  a  most  corrupt 
ring.  In  1863,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  passed  a  resolu- 
tion to  raise,  upon  the  bonds  of  the  county,  a  sum  suffi- 
cient to  pay  every  drafted  man's  exemption  fee  ;  and  they 
individually  said :  "  Not  a  man  shall  go  to  the  war  from 
Richmond  county."  Such  a  flagrant  determination  to 
indirectly  aid  the  active  enemies  at  the  South,  was  enough 
to  make  the  blood  boil  in  the  veins  of  any  true  Union 
man !  Mr.  La  Bait  took  an  earnest  part  in  favor  of  the 
tax  payers  of  the  county,  to  break  up  the  strongholds  of 
corruption.  He  was  the  Union  candidate  for  the  Assem- 
bly, in  1863  ;  but  the  Democratic  tide  was  too  strong 
against  him,  and  his  opponent  was  elected.  In  the  spring 
of  1864,  he  canvassed  the  county  against  the  corrupt 
Board  of  Supervisors,  and  in  favor  of  the  reformatory 
movement,  which  he  had  inaugurated.  His  attempt  was 
successful ;  for  all  of  the  Board,  except  one,  were  rejected ; 
and  honest,  independent  men  were  elected  in  their  stead. 
In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  he  again  ran  for  Member 


NICHOLAS  E.   LA   BAF.  Ill 

of  Assembly,  but  lie  was  beaten  by  the  opposing  candi- 
date, nevertheless  having  run  far  ahead  of  his  ticket. 

In  1865,  Senator  La  Bau's  name  was  brought  before  the 
people  of  the  First  District,  as  candidate  for  State  Senator. 
After  his  nomination,  the  Democratic  Committee  split  on 
the  nominations  of  Mr.  Christie  and  Mr.  Havens,  both 
factions  claiming  that  their  proceedings  were  regular. 
Mr.  La  Bait  made  a  thorough  canvass  of  the  counties  of 
Richmond  and  Suffolk,  speaking  to  audiences  nearly  every 
night.  Four  days  before  the  election,  a  reconciliation  was 
effected  between  the  two  Democratic  factions,  and  Mr. 
Havens  withdrew  in  favor  of  Mr.  Christie.  Mr.  La  Bau's 
chances  for  success  were  considered  hopeless,  as  the  district 
was  Democratic  by  at  least  1,800  majority.  In  fact,  Geo. 
William  Curtis  had,  in  1862,  been  defeated  in  running 
for  Congress,  by  a  majority  of  1,308;  and  Mr.  Christie, 
in  1863,  had  been  elected  to  the  Senate  by  1,612,  in  his 
favor.  Mr.  La  Bau's  friends,  however,  worked  tenaciously, 
resolved  not  to  give  up  the  contest  until  the  last  moment. 
The  result  was  his  election  by  about  seventy  majority  — 
a  most  satisfactory  triumph,  as  it  demonstrated  his  popu- 
larity among  his  constituents. 

In  the  Senate  of  1866,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Commit- 
tees on  Judiciary,  Engrossed  Bills,  and  Roads  and  Bridges. 
Mr.  La  Bau  secured  the  passage  of  a  number  of  import- 
ant measures,  during  the  session  of  1866,  among  which 
were  the  following :  a  bill  to  introduce  the  Metropolitan 
Police  into  Richmond  county ;  another  to  regulate  the  fees 
of  justices  and  constables  in  the  same  county,  limiting 
their  fees  to  |300  per  annum,  whereas  some  of  those 
officers  had  each  been  accustomed  yearly  to  exact  from 
$2,000  to  $3,000  from  the  county ;  also,  a  bill  to  protect 
seamen  coming  into  the  port  of  New  York,  and  to  break 
up  the  infamous  system  of  plundering  which  was  carried 
on  by  sailor  boarding  houses.     He  took  the  "  laboring  oar  " 


112  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

in  behalf  of  the  Metropolitan  Excise  Bill,  which  embraced 
the  county  of  Richmond  within  its  provisions;  and  advo- 
cated the  conferring  of  the  appointing  power  upon  the 
Governor,  in  the  Metropolitan  Health  Bill ;  he  also  intro- 
duced and  secured  the  passage  of  a  bill  amending  the 
general  manufacturing  law,  thereby  enabling  persons  to 
form  companies  to  build  and  maintain  hotels ;  and  another 
amending  the  act  relative  to  limited  or  special  partner- 
ships, by  which  young  men  may  now  engage  in  banking 
and  brokerage  upon  the  capital  of  others,  invested  as 
special  partners. 

As  a  debater,  Mr.  La  Bau  is  ready  and  perspicuous. 
His  style  of  oratory  is  often  florid,  though  not  excessively 
so,  and  his  jDoints  of  advantage  and  defense  are  usually 
well  selected.  Ornate  in  rhetoric,  and  sagacious  in  argu- 
ment, he  is  an  opponent  of  gentlemanly  bearing,  and  a 
colleague  of  fine  culture. 


ABRAHAM    LENT. 


Few  public  men  have  achieved  a  more  honorable  career 
than  Abraham  Lent.  Modest  and  unpretentious,  he  has 
secured  a  position  in  popular  esteem,  which  others,  of  more 
showy  accomplishments  and  greater  fondness  of  applause, 
have  striven  for  in  vain.  With  less  of  ambition  for  political 
honor  than  the  majority  of  men,  nominations  and  appoint- 
ments have  been  tendered  him,  not  only  without  solicita- 
tion on  his  part,  but  when  he  did  not  expect  them.  His 
course  as  a  representative,  like  his  custom  as  a  man  of 
business,  has  been  characterized  by  a  careful,  pains-taking, 
efficiency  and  straightforwardness,  which  have  made  him 
popular,   as   well    as    demonstrated    his   usefulness,   and 


ABRAHAM  LENT.  113 

endeared  him  to  his  constituency.  It  requires  little  pro- 
phetic ken  to  predict  for  him  further  public  service,  and, 
perhaps,  in  a  higher  arena. 

The  family  of  Mr.  Lent  settled  at  Fishkill,  in  the  county 
of  Dutchess,  at  an  early  period  in  the  colonial  history  of 
New  York ;  and  his  relatives  in  that  part  of  the  State,  take 
rank  among  the  most  respectable  citizens.  His  father 
came  to  the  city  of  New  York,  in  boyhood,  and  engaged 
in  business  with  success.  He  died  about  a  year  since, 
having  the  gratification  of  witnessing  one  son  in  the 
Senate  of  his  own  State,  and  another  holding  a  similar 
position  in  California. 

Abraham  Lent  was  born  in  Pearl  street,  New  York, 
on  the  12th  day  of  February,  in  the  year  1815,  at  the 
very  time  when  the  people  of  that  city,  as  indeed,  of 
the  entire  country,  were  rejoicing,  and  indulging  in 
mutual  congratulations  at  the  proclamation  of  peace 
with  Great  Britain.  He  was  sent  to  school  in  Vande  water 
street,  then  one  of  the  most  popular  and  aristocratic  dis- 
tricts of  the  city.  His  proficiency  was  very  creditable. 
He  afterward  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  law,  in  the 
office  of  Edwin  Burr,  but,  after  some  time,  abandoned 
that  profession  for  trade.  His  first  endeavors  were  not 
successful,  or  even  encouraging ;  but,  as  fast  as  one  effort 
failed,  he  immediately  embarked  with  an  unflagging  zeal 
upon  another,  and  so  continued  till  long  past  thirty  years 
of  age.  His  energy  aiid  persistency  did  not  fail,  never- 
theless, of  yielding  their  proper  recompense,  and  he 
acquired  what  was  better  than  mere  pecuniary  success  — 
a  wide  reputation  for  upright  and  honorable  dealing. 
Finally,  in  1850,  he  became  the  junior  partner  in  the 
clothing  establishment  of  the  firm  of  Croney  &  Lent, 
where  he  succeeded,  by  careful  and  patient  industry,  in 
amassing  a  competency.  He  is  still  engaged  in  prosperous 
business.  ^g 


114  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

In  1859,  he  was  elected  to  the  Board  of  Councilmen  for 
the  Sixth  District,  where  he  soon  had  an  opportunity 
to  display  his  integrity  as  a  public  man.  The  famous 
Japanese  Embassy  visited  New  York,  and  were  made 
the  guests  of  the  city.  Mr.  LE:NrT  was  a  member  of  the 
Joint  Committee  of  Reception,  and  distinguished  him- 
self by  persistently  refusing  to  cooperate  in  the  attempt 
to  defraud  the  municipal  treasury,  which  made  that  com- 
mittee so  notorious  over  the  whole  country.  Artifices 
were  employed,  threats  and  liberal  promises  of  money 
made  to  him,  to  lend  himself  to  the  knavery,  but  he  was 
not  swerved.  He  was  again  elected,  and  reelected,  serv- 
ing five  terms  in  all,  maintaining  the  same  reputation  for 
honesty  and  ability  throughout  the  whole  period. 

To  his  utter  surprise,  having  neither  desired  or  expected 
such  a  distinction,  he  was  nominated  for  the  Senate,  and 
received  the  handsome  majority  of  442  over  the  Hon. 
David  Y.  Feeeman,  although  the  Democratic  State 
ticket,  at  the  same  election,  had  a  majority  of  about  800. 
The  same  admirable  qualities  which  had  for  five  years  dis- 
tinguished the  Councilman,  were  displayed  to  equal 
advantage  by  the  Senator;  and  being  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  the  afiairs  and  wants  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  he  soon  acquired  an  influence  in  shaping  legislation 
which  he  exercised  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  Seldom  has 
a  constituency  been  more  fortunate  in  the  selection  of  a 
representative.  At  the  charter  election  of  1866,  Mr.  Lent 
was  suggested  as  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  Comp- 
troller ;  but,  as  his  Senatorial  term  would  continue  a  year 
longer,  the  proposition  was  not  entertained,  although 
his  availability  was  generally  acknowledged.  He  always 
secured  more  votes  than  others  of  the  same  political  faith 
who  were  in  nomination  at  the  same  time ;  acquiring  his 
popularity  without  resorting  to  the  acts  of  the  dema- 
gogue, or  even  the  tinsel  accomplishments  of  the  public 


HENRY   E.   LOW.  115 

speaker.  His  native  good  sense  has  led  him  to  avoid  dis- 
play, only  directing  his  attention  tcr  official  business ;  and 
he  accepted  political  preferment  as  a  public  duty,  willing 
to  be  set  aside  when  his  services  should  not  be  required. 
Having  a  local  popularity  which  has  been  richly  deserved, 
always  fulfilling  his  obligations  to  the  letter,  possessing 
an  excellent  capacity  for  the  transaction  of  business,  and 
being  in  the  prime  of  life,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  he  will  continue  in  public  life  for  many  years  yet  to 
come. 


HENRY  R.   LOW 


Me.  Low  is  of  French  and  English  ancestry.  His 
father's  ancestors,  in  consequence  of  the  intolerance  shown 
them  in  relation  to  their  religious  principles,  were  among 
the  Huguenots  who  fled  from  France  to  Holland,  in  order 
to  escape  from  the  persecutions  that  were  heaped  upon 
them,  and  afterward  came  to  this  country  and  settled  in 
the  county  of  Ulster,  New  York,  where  they  were  ready 
to  meet  and  endure  the  privations  of  a  hardy  pioneer  life, 
rather  than  to  tamely  and  servilely  submit  to  the  dictations 
of  despotism.  His  maternal  grandfather  was  a  staunch 
patriot,  in  revolutionary  times,  and  served  in  the  American 
army  during  that  trying  struggle.  Mr.  Low's  father,  who 
died  in  1863,  was  a  native  of  Ulster  county,  and  a  farmer. 
He  was  a  man  of  small  means,  who,  by  using  strict 
economy,  was  able  to  support  his  family  in  a  respectable 
way,  and  give  his  children  the  benefit  of  a  common 
education. 

Senator  Low  became  a  pupil  at  the  Collegiate  Institute, 
of  which  Professor  Chaeles  F,  Maurice  was  the  Principal; 


116  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

while  there  his  scholarship  was  of  the  first  grade,  and  his 
deportment  such  as  to  win  the  esteem,  of  his  teachers. 
Professor  Maueice,  who,  by  the  way,  ranks  among  the  best 
educators  of  this  State,  discerned  in  his  pupil  the  germ 
of  a  fine  mind,  and  knowing  the  straitened  circumstances 
which  surrounded  him,  very  kindly  offered  to  pay  his 
expenses  through  college.  But  boyhood  seldom  looks 
upon  the  future  with  eyes  of  wisdom ;  the  patience  of  the 
young  mind  cannot  always  wait  for  the  consummation  of 
plans  which,  in  their  fruition,  shall  bring  lasting  benefits ; 
and,  therefore,  looking  from  a  stand-point  widely  different 
from  that  which  is  occupied  by  age  and  experience,  youth 
draws  hasty  conclusions,  and  shrinks  from  attempting  that 
which  will  defer  the  ready  accomplishment  of  its  hopes 
and  aspirations.  Reasoning  from  the  immature  sugges- 
tions which  arise  in  the  mind  of  a  boy,  and  feeling  that 
the  undertaking,  so  generously  proposed  by  his  teacher, 
would  be  too  great  for  himself,  Mr.  Low  courteously 
decided  not  to  accept  the  offer.  In  looking  over  his  life, 
at  the  present  time,  he  sees,  with  regret,  that  he  made  a 
mistake  in  declinijig  a  collegiate  course  which  his  bene- 
factor had  proffered  him.  Having  completed  his  academic 
studies,  at  the  Normal  School  in  the  city  of  Albany,  he 
taught  in  the  common  school  a  couple  of  years,  and  then 
organized  a  select  school,  of  which  he  was  teacher,  for 
about  one  year.  He  afterward  started  a  similar  school  at 
Monticello,  New  York,  which  was,  soon  after,  reorganized 
as  the  Monticello  Academy. 

But  Mr.  Low  did  not  intend  to  follow  teaching  as  a  life- 
long profession,  hence  he  began  the  study  of  law  in  the 
office  of  Hon.  A.  C.  Niven.  For  a  time,  he  partially  sup- 
ported himself  by  conducting  cases  in  the  justices'  court; 
but  those  means  were  inadequate  to  meet  his  necessary 
expenses,  and,  at  last,  he  was  obliged  to  ask  his  friends  for 
the  loan  of  a   sum   sufficient   to  carry  him  through  his 


HENEY   K.    LOW.  117 

studies.  His  request  was  readily  granted.  Mr.  Niven 
was  his  firm  friend  at  that  time,  encouraging  the  young 
student,  and  aiding  him  in  a  pecuniary  way.  After  Mr. 
Low's  admission  to  the  Bar,  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  Mr.  NiVEisr,  and  continued  in  that  relation  until  he 
was  elected  County  Judge  and  Surrogate,  in  the  year 
1856.  He  held  that  position  by  reelection  until  1862, 
when  he  was  chosen  State  Senator.  He  has,  for  three 
successive  terms,  been  elected  to  the  Senate,  though 
residing  in  a  Democratic  District.  His  contest  for  the 
seat  in  1864  with  Hon.  A.  C.  IsTiven,  was  one  of  the  most 
important  and  prolonged  which  has  ever  been  had  in  this 
State.  Both  were  men  of  recognized  talent,  and  both 
were  influential  citizens ;  but  Mr.  Niven  was  compelled  to 
submit  to  a  verdict  against  himself. 

Senator  Low's  course  has  officially  been  marked  by  a 
strict  and  conscientious  discharge  of  duty,  a  close  atten- 
tion to  legislative  business,  and  a  fearless  and  determined 
opposition  to  all  measures  savoring  of  extravagance  and 
corruption.  He  has  sometimes  been  regarded  as  an  ultra 
radical,  for  which  more  or  less  censure  has  been  passed 
upon  him ;  and  yet  time  has  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of 
his  views  and  the  foresight  of  his  opinions.  From  the 
birth  of  the  great  idea  of  the  Emancipation  Proclamation, 
he  was  in  favor  of  it;  and  strenuously  urged  the  arming 
of  slaves  and  the  making  of  war  with  all  the  materials  at 
the  nation's  command.  With  much  sagacity,  Mr.  Low 
foresaw  and  denounced  the  treacherous  course  of  Mr. 
Johnson,  and  also  the  painful  shiftings  of  Secretary 
Sewaed;  and  the  ideas  promulgated  by  him  in  his 
speeches  in  1863  and  in  1866,  though  in  advance  of  those 
of  most  of  the  leading  politicians  of  our  State,  have  been 
fully  justified  and  adopted  by  the  Republican  party  in  its 
platforms  and  resolutions ;  and  his  speech  in  reference  to 
the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  is  justly  regarded 


118  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

as  one  of  the  most  appropriate  tributes  to  the  memory  of 
the  nation's  martyr. 

Mr.  Low  supported  the  leading  war  measures  enacted 
by  the  State  Legislature  for  the  raising  of  men  and 
money,  payment  of  bounties,  buying  arms,  &c.,  for  the 
putting  down  of  the  rebellion;  and  was  liberal  in  con- 
tributing for  the  care  and  support  of  the  families  of  the 
soldiers,  and  providing  for  the  sick  and  disabled. 

He  was  the  author  of  the  Soldiers'  Voting  Law,  vetoed 
by  Governor  Seymouk,  and  a  supporter  of  the  bill  which 
afterward  became  a  law.  He  drafted  and  introduced  the 
original  bill  for  a  Registry  Law,  embodying  the  leading 
features  of  the  present  act,  and  was  one  of  its  warmest 
supporters.  He  especially  labored  for  the  Metropolitan 
Excise  Law,  and  for  the  law  taxing  the  shares  of  the 
National  Banks,  passed  by  the  Legislature  of  1866,  and 
supported  the  Health  Bill  and  Metropolitan  Fire  Commis- 
sion Bill.  He  uniformly  opposed  all  canal  jobs  and  canal 
claims,  believing  the  present  system  to  be  wrong.  Senator 
Low  ranks  among  the  best  debaters  in  the  Senate ;  and  is 
an  industrious  and  trustworthy  officer. 


HENRY   CRUSE   MURPHY. 


This  gentleman  has  represented  the  Third  Senatorial 
District  for  the  last  six  years,  and  recently  received  the 
nomination  for  United  States  Senator  from  the  Democratic 
Members  of  the  Legislature.  Thus  placed  prominently 
before  the  public,  as  the  acknowledged  representative  of 
his  party,  he  is  entitled  to  special  notice. 

Timothy  Murphy,  grandfather  of  the  Senator,  emigrated 
to  America,  from  Ireland,  in  the  year  1769,  and  settled  in 


HENEY   CRUSE   MURPHY.  119 

Monmouth  county,  New  Jersey,  where  he  married  Mary 
Garrison,  granddaughter  of  Richard  Hartshorne,  of 
Middletown,  for  several  years  member  of  the  Council,  and 
Representative  of  the  Assembly  of  that  Province,  and  who 
was  also  proprietor  of  an  extensive  plantation,  adjoining 
to  and  including  Sandy  Hook,  which  was  in  the  possession 
of  his  descendants  until  a  recent  period.  On  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Revolution,  the  above  mentioned  Timothy 
Murphy  warmly  espoused  the  American  cause,  and,  with 
the  other  Whigs  of  Monmouth,  took  up  arms  in  defense  of 
those  principles  which  he  cherished,  and  transmitted  to  his 
descendants.  He  left  eight  children,  four  of  whom  were 
sons,  viz. :  William,  John  Garrison,  Francis  and  Joseph. 

John  Garrison  Murphy  married  Clarissa  Runyon,  of 
Princeton,  New  Jersey,  and  settled,  about  the  year  1808, 
in  Brooklyn,  where  he  died  in  1854,  in  the  seventieth  year 
of  his  age,  leaving  two  sons  and  four  daughters. 

Henry  C.  Murphy,  the  eldest  of  these  children,  was 
born  in  Brooklyn,  in  1810,  and  has  ever  since  been  a  resi- 
dent of  that  city.  After  receiving  a  preparatory  education, 
he  entered  Columbia  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1830.  He  then  commenced  the  study  of  the  law,  with  the 
late  Peter  W.  Radclippe,  of  New  York  —  one  of  the  best 
lawyers  of  his  day,  and  a  man  of  established  purity  and 
uprightness  of  character  —  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar, 
in  1833.  In  the  year  following,  he  married  Miss  Amelia 
Greenwood,  daughter  of  Richard  Greenwood,  of  Haver- 
straw,  Rockland  county.  New  York.  Though  applying 
himself  assiduously  to  the  duties  of  his  profession,  Mr. 
Murphy  found  time  to  bestow  on  literary  and  political 
subjects,  and  was  a  frequent  contributor  to  several  period- 
icals of  the  day.  He  thus  early  became  known  in  political 
circles,  in  which  he  has  since  occupied  a  foremost  position. 

At  the  time  Mr.  Murphy  entered  public  life,  the  State 
of  New  York  had  been  long  pursuing,  in  regard  to  its 


120  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

moneyed  interests,  a  policy  which  had  placed  the  banks,  in 
every  section  of  the  State,  under  the  control  of  petty 
monopolists,  created  by  political  favoritism.  A  convention 
of  the  young  men  of  the  day,  assembled  at  Herkimer,  in 
1834,  to  which  Mr.  Mukphy  was  elected  a  delegate.  On 
its  organization,  he  was  appointed  Chairman  on  Resolu- 
tions, and  then,  for  the  first  time,  exhibited  that  foresight 
and  energy  of  character  for  which  he  has  since  been 
distinguished.  He  took  occasion  at  once,  to  introduce  in 
the  Committee,  and  subsequently  in  the  Convention,  a 
resolution  denouncing  the  above  policy,  although  the 
patronage  which  it  created  had  been  distributed  for  the 
benefit  of  his  own  party.  Violent  opposition  was  made 
to  the  adoption  of  the  resolution,  but  it  finally  passed, 
with  some  modification.  It  was,  however,  never  permitted 
to  see  the  light,  having  been  suppressed  in  the  official 
report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Convention.  Still  it  had 
its  effect.  The  fact  that  the  resolution  had  been  sup- 
pressed soon  became  known.  The  New  York  Evening 
Post,  then  edited  by  the  late  William  Leggett,  and 
many  other  journals,  exposed  the  unfair  proceeding,  took 
up  the  doctrine,  and  gave  it  a  strength  and  popularity 
which  resulted,  in  a  few  years,  in  the  utter  prostration  of 
the  system  of  monopolized  banking  in  the  State  of  New 
York. 

Mr.  MuEPHY  was,  soon  after,  appointed  Attorney  and 
Counsel  to  the  Corporation  of  his  native  city,  and,  conse- 
quently, became  familiar  with  the  nature  and  operation  of 
municipal  corporations  generally.  In  1842,  he  was  elected 
Mayor  of  Brooklyn.  During  his  administration,  he  intro- 
duced a  system  of  retrenchment,  which  actually  kept  the 
expenditures  of  that  city  within  its  income.  He  com- 
menced this .  retrenchment  by  the  reduction  of  his  own 
salary.  Before  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office  as 
Mayor,  he  was  elected  member  of  the  Twenty-eighth 


HENRY   CRUSE   MURPHY.  121 

Congress,  and  took  his  seat  accordingly  in  the  House  of 
Representatives,  in  1843.  Although  one  of  its  youngest 
members,  he  at  once  occupied  a  high  position  in  that  body ; 
and,  on  the  Tariff  question,  advocated  a  system  of  duties 
for  revenue  purposes  only,  and  thus  incidentally  indorsed 
the  doctrine  of  free  trade. 

On  the  question  of  the  annexation  of  Texas,  he  was 
in  favor  of  the  measure,  but  advised  its  postponement,  in 
order  that  Mexico  might  be  afforded  an  opportunity  to 
give  her  assent,  and  that  more  unanimity  might  be  secured 
thereby  in  favor  of  it  in  the  United  States.  In  view  of 
the  events  which  have  since  transpired,  the  wisdom  of  this 
recommendation  must  be  admitted.  On  other  questions 
of  public  policy,  he  took  an  equally  prominent  position ; 
and,  with  ability,  opposed  the  alteration  of  the  Natural- 
ization Laws,  and  demonstrated  the  inconsistency  of  such 
a  measure  with  the  genius  of  our  government,  and  its  bad 
effects  on  the  settlement  of  the  public  domain.  For  the 
splendid  Dry  Dock  which  has  been  constructed  at  Walla- 
bout  bay,  the  port  of  New  York  is  entirely  indebted  to 
Mr.  Murphy's  zeal  and  perseverance. 

The  most  notable  position  in  State  politics  which  this 
gentleman  has  occupied,  was  that  of  member  of  the  Con- 
vention which  assembled,  in  1846,  to  frame  a  new  Consti- 
tution for  this  State.  Hefe  he  brought  forward  several 
important  provisions,  some  of  which  were  eventually 
incorporated  into  that  instrument.  His  course  on  this,  as 
on  most  occasions,  met  the  approbation  of  his  constituents, 
and  on  his  return  from  the  Convention,  he  was  again 
elected  to  Congress  by  the  largest  vote  ever  previously 
polled  in  his  district. 

On  the  accession  of  Mr.  Buchanak  to  the  Presidency, 

Mr.  Murphy  received  the  appointment  of  Minister  to  the 

Hague.     Identified,  as  he  had  long  been,  with  the  efforts 

made  to  rescue  from  oblivion  the  early  history  of  our 

16 


122  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

State,  particularly  that  portion  of  it  which  relates  to  its 
first  colonization  by  Holland,  the  selection  elicited  general 
approval.  When  the  rebellion  broke  out,  Mr.  Muephy 
was  still  Minister  of  the  United  States  to  the  Netherlands. 
It  was  exceedingly  important  at  the  time,  that  the  govern- 
ments of  Europe  should  be  correctly  informed  of  the 
precise  facts  of  the  case,  and  of  the  real  relation  of  the 
States  to  the  Federal  Government,  in  order  that  foreign 
powers  might  readily  see  and  adhere  to  their  well-estab- 
lished line  of  duty.  Accordingly,  Minister  Muephy 
addressed  to  the  Government  of  the  Netherlands  an 
elaborate  exposition  of  that  relationship,  and  clearly 
pointed  out  the  absolute  supremacy  of  the  General  Gov- 
ernment rn  all  matters  committed  to  it  by  the  Constitu- 
tion, and  the  equally  absolute  rights  of  the  States  over 
all  matters  not  delegated  to  the  United  States  by  that 
instrument.  He  seized  the  opportunity  to  show,  at  the 
same  time,  that  the  rebellion  owed  its  origin  chiefly  to 
sectional  hate  and  the  ambition  of  the  leaders.  This  paper 
was  printed  at  length  in  the  Diplomatic  Correspondence 
of  1861  and  1862,  and  was  highly  praised  by  men  of 
all  parties.  Upon  his  return  to  the  United  States,  he 
announced  his  determination  to  uphold  the  National  flag 
against  secession,  and  was  immediately  elected  to  the  Senate 
of  the  State  as  a  Union  man.  ^t  the  State  Convention  of 
the  Democratic  party,  in  1862,  he  was  chosen  temporary 
Chairman,  and  insisted  that  all  citizens,  without  distinc- 
tion of  party,  should  support  the  Administration  in 
putting  down  the  rebellion.  In  the  annual  oration  before 
the  Tammany  Society,  on  the  4th  of  July,  1863,  he  took 
no  less  patriotic  ground  in  behalf  of  the  Union.  Indeed, 
he  was  no  less  zealous  in  acts  than  in  words ;  for  mainly 
by  his  exertions,  the  Third  Senatorial  Regiment — the 
159th  New  York  State  Volunteers,  Colonel  Molt]S"eux  — 
was  raised,  and  the  bounties  paid  to  the  men,  without 


HENRY   CRUSE   MURPHY.  123 

calling  upon  either  tlie  State,  city  or  county  authorities  for 
that  purpose.  Such,  in  brief,  is  the-  history  of  his  action 
in  regard  to  the  rebellion. 

Mr.  Murphy  has  been  elected  three  times  to  the  Senate, 
for  successive  terms,  and  is  now  in  his  sixth  year  of  ser- 
vice in  that  body.  He  has  taken  a  conspicuous  part  in 
all  important  debates  and  discussions,  and  particularly 
distinguished  himself  in  his  efforts  to  repeal  the  bill  in 
regard  to  ecclesiastical  tenures,  and  to  establish  the  quar- 
antine in  the  lower  bay  of  ISTew  York  —  measures  which  he 
successfully  carried  through.  He  also  was  in  favor  of 
sustaining  the  different  internal  improvements  throughout 
the  State,  without  regard  to  the  section  where  they  were 
proposed,  provided  they  contributed  to  the  general  pros- 
perity. Having  always  been  a  strict  constructionist,  Mr. 
Murphy  voted  against  ratifying  the  Amendment  to  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  abolishing  Slavery.  He 
holds  that,  as  the  Federal  Government  is  one  of  delegated 
powers  exclusively,  and  as  the  subject  of  slavery  was  not 
embraced  in  the  Constitution,  and  was  to  be  disposed  of 
only  by  the  States  where  it  existed,  the  power  of  amend- 
ment is  necessarily  limited  to  the  subjects  embraced  in  the 
Constitution,  and  does  not  legitimately  apply  to  that  of 
abolishing  slavery. 

In  debate.  Senator  Murphy  always  speaks  extempora- 
neously ;  in  argument,  he  is  close  and  logical ;  in  manner, 
earnest  and  apparently  severe;  and,  when  he  warms  to 
his  subject,  history,  precedent  and  analogy  all  seem  to  rise 
unbidden  to  fortify  the  positions  he  assumes.  In  private 
character,  he  possesses,  in  an  eminent  degree,  all  the 
essential  elements  of  a  high-toned  and  honorable  gentle- 
man ;  and  no  public  man  has,  probably,  passed  thus  far 
through  the  trying  ordeal  of  a  legislative  career,  so  entirely 
free  from  the  taint  of  corruption.  Though  eminently  a 
practical  man,  taking  a  deep  and  active  interest  in  public 


124  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

affairs  —  a  man  of  the  people — he  is  a  scholar,  "  and  a  ripe, 
good  one."  To  the  gratification  of  this  taste,  Mr.  Murphy 
has  given  much  of  his  time  and  means.  During  his  travels, 
at  home  and  abroad,  he  has  accumulated  one  of  the  finest 
private  libraries  in  America,  and  possesses  the  full  power 
to  appreciate  and  enjoy  it ;  and  however  much  he  may  win 
honor  and  fame  as  a  public  spirited  citizen,  or  a  successful 
political  leader,  his  claims  as  one  of  the  literati  can  never 
be  lost  sight  of,  and  will  constitute  his  most  enduring 
fame.  Mr.  Murphy's  contributions  to  literature  are  of  a 
very  valuable  character,  and  include  a  number  of  trans- 
lations from  the  Putch  language,  of  which  he  is  a  perfect 
master. 


THOMAS    MURPHY. 


Senator  Murphy  is,  in  every  acceptance  of  the  term,  a 
self-made  man.  His  career  is  one  of  those  many  illustra- 
tions of  the  advantages  of  American  institutions,  and  of 
our  form  of  government.  He  was  born  in  Ireland,  in 
August,  1823,  and  is,  therefore,  now  in  his  forty-fourth 
year.  His  parents  left  that  country,  in  1833,  and  came  to 
Albany,  where  they  resided  until  their  death.  Thomas, 
at  the  age  of  eleven,  obtained  employment  in  the  cap-front 
manufacturing  establishment  of  Alfred  Pierce,  in  Hud- 
son street,  Albany ;  and,  before  he  was  there  one  year, 
became  foreman  over  a  dozen  or  more  youths  employed 
by  that  firm. 

He  soon  worked  his  way  into  the  confidence  of  his 
employer,  who  intrusted  him  with  the  most  confidential 
portion  of  his  business,  and  before  he  left  that  establish- 
ment, had  full  charge  of  the  delivery  of  goods  to  the  retail 


THOMAS  MUKPHY.  125 

merchants  in  that  line  of  trade,  in  this  vicinity,  as  well  as 
all  collections  of  debts. 

His  father  died  in  1838,  leaving  nine  children,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  being  next  to  the  youngBst.  Cir- 
cumstances soon  after  placed  upon  him  the  main  support 
bf  his  mother.  She  died  in  1840,  and  a  short  time  after 
this  event,  he  decided  to  leave  Albany  and  seek  his 
fortune  in  New  York  city. 

He  left  Albany  in  1841,  being  then  in  his  eighteenth 
year,  in  company  with  another  young  man,  to  seek 
employment  in  the  metropolis.  Neither  of  the  two  knew 
a  soul  in  New  York ;  and,  after  searching  in  vain,  four  or 
five  days,  for  employment,  they  held  a  council  to  see  what 
should  be  done.  Young  Murphy  found  himself  with  only 
two  dollars  in  his  exchequer,  and  with  the  bitter  experience 
of  a  week's  efforts  to  remind  him  of  the  poor  prospect 
of  obtaining  work.  The  heart  of  his  comrade  failed  him, 
and  he  proposed  to  return  to  Albany.  Every  effort  pos- 
sible was  made  to  induce  Thomas  Murphy  to  accompany 
him,  but  he  was  equally  determined  to  remain  and  fight 
out  the  battle  of  life  in  that  field.  The  two  parted,  one 
returning  to  Albany,  and  the  other  remaining  to  strug- 
gle, as  best  he  could,  against  what  then  seemed  adverse 
fortune. 

The  second  day  after  their  separation,  Thomas  Murphy 
obtained  employment  in  the  hat,  cap,  boot  and  shoe  store 
of  Reuben  Vose,  in  Water  street,  near  Wall.  He 
remained  there  five  years,  but  finding  that  the  obstacles 
in  his  way  were  almost  insurmountable,  and  that,  not- 
withstanding he  applied  himself  night  and  day,  he  could 
not  obtain  promotion,  he  left,  in  1846,  and  obtained  a  posi- 
tion in  the  store  of  George  Birdge,  on  Hanover  square, 
in  the  same  line  of  trade.  He  commenced  there,  at  a 
salary  of  six  dollars  per  week,  and  gave  such  satisfaction, 
that,  in  four  years,  he  refused  a  salary  of  three  thousand 


126  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

dollars.  He  had,  by  that  time,  become  so  well  known 
that  several  capitalists  were  anxious  to  take  him  in  as 
partner.  He  accepted  an  offer  from  a  Mr.  Lee,  and  went 
into  partnership  with  him,  in  1851,  occupying  the  upper 
stories  of  the  building  in  Cedar  street,  near  Nassau,  over 
the  store  of  Buckley  &  Claflin  ;  a  Mr.  Avery  was  taken 
in  as  special  partner.  A  few  years  after,  the  firm  was 
increased  by  the  accession  of  Geoege  Chapman,  and  was 
then  known  as  Lee,  Murphy  &  Co. 

He  remained  in  Cedar  street  only  two  years,  when  the 
firm  moved  to  Dey  street,  their  business  having  increased 
so  fast  that  they  were  obliged  to  occupy  two  stores.  A 
few  years  afterward,  they  removed  to  Murray  street,  near 
Broadway,  where  they  remained  as  long  as  Mr.  Murphy 
continued  in  business.  The  firm  was  afterward  changed 
to  Murphy  &  Childs,  and,  subsequently,  to  Murphy 
&  Griswold.  Under  this  last  partnership,  the  business 
was  conducted  until  the  close  of  the  rebellion.  Mr. 
Murphy  having  lost  heavily  during  the  financial  crisis  in 
1857,  and  fearing  another  disaster  on  the  termination  of 
the  rebellion,  concluded  to  stay  out  of  business  until  the 
return  of  specie  payments,  and  has  since  been  dealing  in 
unimproved  real  estate  in  New  York. 

His  firm,  for  a  number  of  years,  did  the  largest  business 
in  that  trade  in  New  York,  the  sales  amounting  to  about 
three  millions  annually.  They  had  several  contracts  for 
furnishing  military  hats  and  caps  during  the  war. 

In  politics,  he  was  a  Whig  until  the  formation  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Philadelphia 
Convention,  in  1856,  from  the  Fifth  Congressional  District, 
and  there  voted  for  General  Fremont.  He  was  also  a 
delegate  to  the  Chicago  Convention  which  nominated 
Abraham  Lincoln,  and  also  to  the  Baltimore  Convention 
which  renominated  him  in  1864.  The  first  ofiice  that  he 
ever  held,  is  the  position  of  Senator,  which  he  now  fills  as 


JOH^   I.    NICKS.  127  . 

the  representative  of  the  Seventh  Senatorial  District.  He 
was  placed  by  Lieutenant-Governor  Alvord  on  the 
Committees  on  Finance,  Commerce  and  Navigation,  and 
Medical  Colleges.  He  has  made  a  practical  and  working 
member ;  while  he  has  not  shown  that  brilliancy  in  debate 
of  some  of  his  associates,  he  has  proven  himself  one  of 
the  most  useful  members  of  the  present  Senate.  He  has 
always  been  identified  with  the  Seward-Weed  wing  of 
his  party,  and  is  now  Chairman  of  the  regular  or  old 
Republican  Central  Committee  in  ISTew  York  city. 

In  personal  appe^ance,  he  is  somewhat  prepossessing, 
being  a  man  about  five  feet  ten  in  height,  stoutly  built, 
light  hair  and  florid  complexion. 


JOHN    I.    NICKS. 


This  gentleman,  the  Senator  from  the  Twenty-seventh, 
recently  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  resigna- 
tion of  Stephen  T.  Hatt,  chosen  Canal  Commissioner, 
comes  into  the  Senate  in  the  latter  session  of  the  term 
without  previous  legislative  experience.  But  the  sterling 
qualities  which  he  is  known  to  possess,  will  soon  make  him 
as  well  appreciated  here,  as  he  has  so  long  been,  at  home. 

Senator  Nicks  was  born  at  Rhinebeck,  in  Dutchess 
county,  in  the  year  1822.  He  is  of  English  descent, 
though,  like  most  self-made  Yankees,  having  been  left  at 
an  early  age  to  fight  his  own  way  through  life,  he  knows 
little  or  nothing  concerning  his  ancestors. 

His  advantages  of  early  education  were  extremely  limi- 
ted ;  a  few  months  in  the  rude  common  school  of  the  day 
was  all  that  he  enjoyed.  A  necessity  more  immediately 
pressing,  than  a  brilliant,  or  even  an  ordinary  education, 


128  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

made  imiDerative  demand  on  his  time  and  energies.  He 
must  work  —  and  so  was  apprenticed  with  Messrs.  Near 
&  Hendkicks,  at  Red  Hook,  New  York,  to  learn  the  art 
and  mystery  of  a  tobacconist.  He  afterward,  before  he 
was  of  age,  carried  on  a  little  business  in  that  line,  in 
Brooklyn,  from  whence  he  removed  to  Ithaca.  At  this 
latter  place,  he  was,  for  some  time,  foreman  of  a  large 
tobacco  factory,  and  also  carried  on  business  for  himself. 
In  1847,  he  removed  to  Elmira,  at  which  place  there  was 
then  no  establishment  of  the  kind.  Mr.  Nicks'  resources 
were  small,  and  he  opened  business  i^j  a  modest  w^ay ;  but 
constant  success,  from  the  first,  attended  his  enterprise. 
For  years  past,  his  business  has  been  larger  than  that  of 
any  similar  establishment  in  Southern  New  York.  His 
own  material  prosperity  has  increased  with  his  business, 
and,  from  a  poor  boy,  he  has  become,  at  middle  age,  a  man 
of  independent  resources. 

Mr.  Nicks  early  took  a  promiraent  interest  in  politics. 
In  1844,  he  staked  his  all  on  Henry  Clay,  and  lost.  He 
did  not  thereby  lose  his  admiration  for  the  great  com- 
moner, but  he  wisely  concluded  to  make  no  more  bets  on 
elections,  and  has  consistently  adhered  to  his  determina- 
tion ever  since.  The  first  political  office  held  by  Mr. 
Nicks  was  that  of  Supervisor  from  the  Second  Ward  in 
the  village  of  Elmira,  in  1851,  having  been  chosen  by  the 
Whig  party  of  that  day.  He  was  afterward,  for  several 
terms,  chosen  Trustee  of  the  village,  also  member  of  the 
Board  of  Education,  and  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Fire 
Department.  In  1864,  when  Elmira  was  made  a  city,  he 
was  the  candidate  of  the  Republican  party,  for  Mayor, 
but  failed,  by  a  few  votes,  of  an  election.  In  1865,  his 
name  was  again  used,  and  his  election  secured  by  an 
unprecedented  majority.  In  1866,  he  was  reelected  by  a 
handsome  vote,  in  spite  of  very  determined  opposition. 
He  is  now  invested  with  the  dignities  of  that  office,  his 


JOHN   I.    NICKS.  129 

term  expiring  in  March,  1867.  In  the  prompt,  intelligent 
and  satisfactory  discharge  of  the  duties  of  Mayor,  he  has 
displayed  his  marked  executive  talent.  Under  his  admin- 
istration, numerous  reforms  and  improvements  have  been 
inaugurated,  until  the  business  matters  of  the  city  have 
been  reduced  to  the  same  thorough  system  which  ever 
characterizes  the  prudent  management  of  his  private 
affairs. 

In  1862,  when  the  present  internal  revenue  system  was 
inaugurated,  Mr.  JSTicks  was  appointed  by  President 
Lincoln  to  the  office  of  Assessor  for  the  Twenty-seventh 
District  of  New  York.  To  the  management  of  this  office, 
he  brought  the  same  characteristic  ability  which  has 
marked  his  discharge  of  every  public  as  well  as  private 
duty.  Out  of  chaos,  he  produced  system  and  order,  and 
ranked,  at  Washington,  among  the  best  officers  of  his 
class,  in  the  country.  No  decision  of  his  was  ever  over- 
ruled by  the  Department.  The  duties  of  this  office  ho 
was  quietly  pursuing  when  Mr.  Johnson  commenced  his 
gyrations  "  around  the  circle."  Mr.  Nicks,  like  hundreds 
of  other  Republican  office-holders,  was  true  to  principle. 
He  kept  on  the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  pursuing  precisely 
the  same  course  which  he  would  have  pursued  under  ordi- 
nary circumstances.  He  neither  courted  martyrdom  nor 
hid  from  the  wrath  of  the  "  powers  that  be."  In  August, 
1866,  after  the  adjournment  of  Congress,  the  Republicans 
of  Elmira  invited  their  able  and  faithful  Representative, 
Hon.  Hamilton  Warp,  to  address  them  on  the  political 
issues  of  the  day,  at  Ely  Hall.  Over  this  meeting,  Mr. 
Nicks  was  invited  to  preside.  On  taking  the  chair,  among 
other  remarks  he  made  the  following : 

"  Ladies  AND  Gentlemen  : — You  are  all  aware  that  I  am  now 

filling  a  small  office  in  the  gift  of  the  Government.     But  if  to  hold 

that  office  I  must  sacrifice  my  principles,  I  say  begone  with  the 

office.     I  say  to  you,  and  desire  it  may  be  heard  and  understood 

17 


130  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  that  principle  is, 
and  ever  should  be,  above  office.  When  I,  in  my  boyhood,  learned 
to  love  that  great  man,  Henry  Clay,  I  was  taught  by  him  that  it 
was  'better  to  be  right  than  President.'  I  say  to  you,  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  of  this  platform  sent  forth  by  Congress,  that  in  looking 
it  over  carefully,  I  feel  that  I  can  indorse  every  word  of  it.  I  feel 
that  it  is  asking  but  little  of  those  men  who  have  combined  to 
destroy  our  Government  to  submit  to  the  policy  of  Congress.  I 
care  not  for  the  position  in  which  this  may  place  me,  so  long  as 
I  feel  that  I  am  acting  upon  principle,  fearless  of  all  considera- 
tions." 

This  was  but  a  few  days  before  the  Philadelphia  Con- 
vention. Within  a  week,  the  head  of  Assessor  Nicks 
rolled  in  the  basket.  On  the  evening  of  the  day  of  the 
telegraphic  announcement  of  this  fact,  the  Republican 
citizens  of  Ehnira,  to  the  number  of  three  or  four  thou- 
sand, marched  Avith  music  and  banners,  to  the  residence 
of  the  Mayor,  and  saluted  him  in  honor  of  his  adherence 
to  principle.  The  demonstration  was  a  spontaneous  and 
heartfelt  expression  of  popular  sentiment.  A  few  days 
afterward,  when  the  office  of  Senator  for  the  Twenty- 
seventh  District  was  made  vacant  by  the  resignation  of 
Canal  Commissioner  Hayt,  the  public  voice  suggested 
Mr.  Nicks  as  his  successor.  In  the  nominating  Conven- 
tion, held  at  Corning,  each  delegate  from  Chemung, 
Steuben  and  Schuyler,  as  his  name  was  called,  rose  in  his 
place  and  designated  him  as  the  candidate  of  their  choice. 
The  nomination,  thus  made,  was  ratified  by  the  people,  by 
a  larger  majority  than  was  ever  before  received  by  any 
candidate  in  the  district. 

In  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  this  important  station, 
we  predict  that  Senator  Nicks  will  speedily  achieve  an 
honorable  rank  among  the  eminent  gentlemen  with  whom 
he  is  now  associated,  doing  his  full  share  to  preserve  the 
high  character  of  the  Senate. 


JOHN  o'doxnell.  131 

Senator  Nicks  is  a  member  of  the  same  Committees  as 
was  his  predecessor  —  those  of  Canjils,  Grievances,  and 
Retrenchment. 


JOHN    O'DONNELL 


Senator  O'Donnell  is  a  native  of  Fort  Ann,  Wash- 
ing county.  New  York,  where  he  was  born,  in  1827.  His 
father  was  of  Irish  birth,  and  his  mother  an  American 
woman.  His  opportunities  for  education  were  limited  to 
the  District  School,  at  which,  until  fourteen  years  of  age, 
he  enjoyed  the  ordinary  advantages,  which  extended  no 
further  than  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  grammar  and 
geography.  Whatever  else  he  has  acquired  (and  he  is  a 
man  of  excellent  information)  is  through  judicious  reading 
and  careful  observation. 

In  early  life,  he  removed  to  Lyme,  Jefferson  county,  and 
in  1849,  settled  in  Lowville,  Lewis  county,  where  he 
now  resides.  Here  he  commenced  trade,  at  first  in  the 
line  of  clothing,  but  afterward  as  a  general  merchant; 
and,  by  earnest  and  careful  attention  to  business,  gradually 
extended  his  means,  and  acquired  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  his  fellow  citizens.  He  subsequently  purchased 
the  site  of  two  corner  lots,  in  the  most  central  and  eligible 
point  for  business  in  the  village,  and  erected  large  and 
commodious  blocks  of  buildings,  extending  along  both 
streets,  which  have  added  greatly  to  the  business  facilities 
of  the  place.  Within  a  year  or  two,  he  has  withdrawn 
from  trade,  as  a  successful  merchant. 

Mr.  O'Donnell  is  known  at  home,  as  a  man  of  great 
energy  and  perseverance,  and  seldom  undertakes  an  enter- 
prise without  carrying  it  through.     It  is  understood  among 


132  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

his  friends,  that  he  has  been  reading  law  for  the  last  two 
years,  and  that  he  designs  to  be  admitted  to  the  Bar. 

In  1864,  he  was  on  the  Republican  State  Committee, 
a  delegate  to  the  Baltimore  Convention,  which  renominated 
President  Lincoln,  and  a  member  of  Assembly  from 
Lewis  county.  In  that  body,  lie  served  as  Chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  the  Internal  Affairs  of  Towns  and 
Counties,  and  was  noted  for  the  diligent  attention  he 
bestowed  upon  the  interests  of  his  constituents,  and  upon 
all  measures  of  the  public  Avelfare  He  obtained,  in  various 
appropriations  for  Lewis  county,  for  building  a  bridge, 
lock  and  dam,  on  Black  river,  and  for  the  improvement 
of  Beaver  river,  over  fifty  thousand  dollars ;  also,  secured 
the  passage  of  an  act  removing  the  Court  House  from 
Martinsburgh  to  Lowville ;  and  was  the  author  of  an 
act  of  great  importance  to  the  dairy  interests  of  the 
State :  —  "  To  protect  butter  and  cheese  manufactories ; " 
and  was  complimented  by  the  Speaker  for  carrying 
througli  every  bill  which  he  attempted. 

In  1865,  he  was  elected  Senator  for  the  Eighteenth  Dis- 
trict (Lewis  and  Jefferson),  against  Andeew  Cornwall, 
the  Democratic  candidate,  and  succeeding  Hon.  James  A. 
Bell.  He  is  Chairman  of  the  Senatorial  Committee  upon 
Internal  Affairs  of  Towns  and  Counties,  and  a  member  of 
the  Committee  upon  Insurance,  and  upon  Public  Expendi- 
ture. Mr.  O'DoNNELL  reported  the  New  York  Excise 
Bill,  and  was  active  in  securing  its  passage  through  the 
Senate ;  he  was  the  author  of  the  bill  to  protect  "  Primary 
Meetings,  Caucuses  and  Conventions  of  Political  Parties;" 
also  of  the  bill  to  divide  the  safety  fund  of  $80,000,  remain- 
ing in  the  Bank  Department,  among  the  bill-holders  of 
the  Lewis  County,  Yates  County,  and  Reciprocity  Banks, 
resulting  in  a  payment  of  nearly  fifty  per  cent  to  the  bill- 
holders.  During  the  campaign  of  1 866,  he  was  very  active, 
and  spoke  some  forty  times,  at  political  meetings,  held  by 


THOMAS   PARSONS.  133 

appointment  of  the  State  Committee.  As  n  public  speaker, 
-Senator  O'Donnell  is  energetic,  fluent  and  argumentative, 
seldom  failing  to  fix  the  attention  of  a  political  opponent, 
and  always  leaving  the  impression,  that  he  is  correct  and 
conscientious  in  his  views. 


THOMAS    PARSONS 


In  Senator  Paksons  is  seen  a  good  illustration  of 
success  in  life  gained  over  unfavorable  circumstances 
and  surroundings.  Seldom  in  any  other  country  than 
our  own,  can  humble  parentage  and  the  hinderances  of 
poverty  be  overcome,  and  wealth,  position  and  influence 
be  attained.  "What  wonder,  then,  that  they  who  in  the 
old  motherland  see  before  them  only  a  future  of  dreary 
toil  and  miserable  return,  seek  our  hospitable  shores, 
knowing  that  under  the  freedom  of  Republican  govern- 
ment, the  future  promises  all  things  to  him  who  puts 
forth  earnest  endeavor  ? 

Senator  Parsons  was  born  in  Chieveley,  Berkshire, 
England,  January  7th,  1814.  His  parents  were  both 
English.  A  common  school  education  was  afibrded  him, 
until  his  fourteenth  year,  when  he  engaged  as  a  shepherd. 
Four  years  of  his  youth  were  spent  in  this  lowly  occupa- 
tion ;  and  then  came  a  desire  for  a  difierent  field  of  labor. 
Actuated  by  this,  he  emigrated  to  America  in  the  year 
1832,  leaving  England,  in  advance  of  his  parents.  By 
some  means,  he  was  led  to  the  garden  of  the  Empire 
State,  commonly  spoken  of,  in.  those  days,  as  "the 
Genesee  Country,"  and  hired  out  as  a  farm  hand,  in 
the  town  of  Wheatland,  Monroe  county.  Here  he  labored 
at  chopping  cord-wood,  husking  corn,  and  performing  the 


134  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

various  services  incident  to  farm  life,  for  the  very  modest 
remuneration  of  seven  dollars  per  month.  About  four- 
years  more  were  thus  spent,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time, 
he  went  to  Rochester,  where  he  has  since  continued  to 
reside  most  of  the  time.  He  is  now  a  manufacturer  of 
lumber  doing  a  large  milling  business  in  that  line.  His 
mill  is  located  near  the  brink  of  the  beautiful  Genesee 
Falls ;  and  there,  during  business  hours,  he  may  be  gen- 
erally found,  busily  engaged  in  overseeing  employes,  &c. 

In  the  years  1851,  '52,  '53,  '54,  '57,  and  '58,  Senator 
Parsons  was  a  member  of  the  Common  Council  of  the 
"  Flour  City,"  being  elected  Alderman  by  the  Democratic 
party,  with  which  he  was  then  identified.  Having  done 
excellent  service  in  that  capacity,  he  was,  in  1857,  elected 
to  the  Assembly,  where  he  made  a  good  record  as  an 
efficient,  straightforward  representative.  He  severed  his 
connection  with  the  Democratic  party,  in  the  summer  of 
1860,  sustaining  the  nomination  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 
His  election  to  the  Senate,  was  the  result  of  an  unusually 
bitter  canvass,  in  which  Amon  Bronson,  Conservative 
Republican,  nominated  by  the  Democrats,  was  defeated 
by  a  majority  of  six  hundred. 

Senator  Parsons  occupies  a  good  position  as  a  legis- 
lator. He  is  a  member  of  the  Canal  Committee,  and  also 
of  the  Committees  on  Engrossed  Bills,  and  Privileges  and 
Elections.  He  is  a  close  observer  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  Senate,  and  brings  into  legislative  business  the  same 
careful  consideration  which  has  insured  his  success  in  the 
every-day  transactions  of  life.  Possessed  of  good  sound 
common  sense  —  a  requisite  with  which  all  politicians  are 
not  gifted  —  he  weighs  well  his  actions,  and  is  always 
prudent  and  thoughtfuL,  and  thoroughly  watchful  over  the 
interests  of  his  constituents.  The  great  commercial  con- 
cerns of  the  State  receive  his  constant  and  unceasing  care; 
the  canals  more  especially,  find  in  him  a  zealous  protector. 


HENRY    K.    PIERSON.  135 

111  person,  Senator  Parsons  is  about  five  feet  eiglit 
inches  in  height,  broad-shouldered,'  and  has  a  well- 
balanced  head.  His  address  is  pleasant,  and  his  manner 
courteous,  but  decisive.  He  is  social,  open-hearted  and 
approachable ;  and  though  a  good  talker,  he  makes  little 
pretension  to  oratorical  display,  and  seldom  takes  up  much 
time  in  debate ;  his  remarks,  however,  command  attention 
for  their  earnest  directness. 


HENRY  R.   PIERSON. 


The  Senator  for  the  Second  District,  is  one  of  those 
men  who,  by  self-reliance  and  force  of  character,  achieve 
a  measure  of  success,  of  which  others,  more  favored  by 
fortune,  come  short.  He  was  born  in  Charleston,  Mont- 
gomery county,  New  York,  June  13th,  1819.  His  parents 
were  poor,  and  he  inherited  from  them  nothing  but  an 
unblemished  name,  and  those  elemental  qualities  which 
enabled  him  to  make  his  way  to  an  honorable  position. 
His  early  opportunities  for  acquiring  an  education  were 
only  those  afforded  by  the  ordinary  course  of  common 
school  instruction.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  being 
thrown  on  his  own  resources,  he  left  home.  Determined 
to  secure  for  himself  a  liberal  education,  he  labored  indus- 
triously, and  by  teaching  school,  and  with  trifling  outside 
aid,  at  length  attained  the  object  of  his  ambition.  He 
entered  Union  College,  in  1843,  and  graduated  in  July, 
1846,  with  full  honors.  Choosing  the  law  as  a  profession, 
he  removed  to  New  York,  in  1847.  The  perseverance 
that  had  helped  him  thus  far,  aided  him  in  surmounting 
new  obstacles  in  a  crowded  city,  where  he  found  him- 
self, without  fortune,  friends,  or  influence.     His  zeal  and 


136  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

ability  were  such  that  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  in 
May,  1 848.  He  at  once  engaged  in  active  practice,  and  sub- 
sequently formed  a  partnership  with  Hon.  Abijah  Mann, 
which  continued  several  years.  In  1849,  he  removed 
to  Brooklyn.  In  that  city,  where  he  has  since  resided,  he 
immediately  interested  himself  in  public  affairs,  and  soon 
became  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen.  Originally  a 
Whig,  he  has  been  identified  with  the  Republican  Union 
party,  since  its  organization.  The  first  official  position 
held  by  him,  was  that  of  member  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion. He  was  ai:>pointed  to  that  position  by  the  Mayor 
and  Aldermen,  in  1854,  and  served  until  1857.  Important 
interests  are  intrusted  to  the  management  of  the  Board 
of  Education,  and,  in  the  discharge  of  his  share  of  the 
duty,  Mr.  Pierson  fully  recognized  the  responsibility  of 
the  trust.  He  was  reappointed  in  1860,  and  is  still  a 
member  of  the  Board.  In  1857,  he  was  elected  Alderman 
of  the  Third  Ward.  Until  1860,  he  represented  that  ward 
in  the  Common  Council,  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  a 
large,  wealthy,  and  intelligent  constituency.  His  position 
in  the  local  legislature  was  one  of  commanding  influence ; 
and,  for  a  year  and  a  half,  he  was  President  of  the  Board 
of  Aldermen.  In  1857,  he  was  the  Republican  candidate 
for  State  Senator  for  the  Second  District,  and  was  defeated 
by  the  Democratic  candidate,  Mr.' Gardiner,  by  about 
forty  votes.  Irregularities,  amounting  in  some  instances 
to  positive  fraud,  were  alleged  to  have  occurred  in  connec- 
tion with  the  election,  and  Mr.  Pierson  was  urged  by  his 
political  friends  to  contest  the  seat.  He,  however,  declined 
to  do  so,  preferring  to  owe  senatorial  honors  to  the  will 
of  the  people,  clearly  expressed  in  a  majority  vote,  rather 
than  to  a  technical  question  of  regularity.  In  1865,  that 
will  was  thus  expressed,  by  a  handsome  majority,  in  a 
district  usually  regarded  as  close  and  doubtful.  In  that 
year,  Mr.  Pierson  was  elected  over  Calvin  E.  Prati',  the 


HENRY   E.    PIERSON.  137 

Democratic  candidate,  by  a  majority  of  1,097.  In  1863, 
the  Democratic  majority  in  the  district  was  1,068.  In 
1860,  Mr.  PiERSOJsr  retired  from  the  active  jDractice  of  his 
profession,  and  Avas  chosen  President  of  the  Brooklyn 
City  Raih'oad  Company,  an  office  which  he  still  fills.  The 
position  is  one  demanding,  from  an  incumbent,  much 
executive  ability,  which  Mr.  Pierson  has  abundantly 
developed.  During  the  six  years  of  his  Presidency,  the 
business  of  the  numerous  roads  controlled  by  the  Com- 
pany, has  largely  increased ;  and,  while  the  stockholders 
have  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the  management  of  aflTairs, 
the  accommodation  provided  for  a  very  numerous  and 
rapidly  augmenting  population,  is  superior  to  that  afforded 
at  any  previous  period.  Mr.  Pierson  is  of  large  frame, 
and  portly  presence,  and  is  full  of  healthful  vitality.  Of 
a  genial  temper,  warm  social  qualities,  and  good  address, 
he  is  that  rare  and  fortunate  individual  —  a  popular  man. 
As  a  debater,  Mr.  Pierson  holds  a  good  rank,  rejecting, 
however,  ostentation  and  rhetorical  ornament.  He  lays 
down  his  propositions  plainly  and  concisely,  and  discusses 
them  both  vigorously  and  correctly, 

18 


MOSS    KENT    PLATT, 


Senator  Platt  was  born  May  3d,  1809,  in  Plattsburgh, 
a  town  situated  on  Lake  Champlain,  receiving  its  name 
from  his  grandflither  Judge  Zepheniaii  Platt,  who 
moved  there  from  Poughkeepsie  at  an  early  day,  when 
the  country  was  a  comparative  wilderness,  and  who  was 
one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  the  town.  Of  Judge 
Platt's  nine  sons,  five  made  Plattsburgh  their  permanent 
home.  The  only  one  now  living  is  Hon.  James  Platt,  of 
Oswego. 

William  Pitt  Platt,  father  of  Senator  Platt,  married 
Hannah  Kent,  the  only  sister  of  Chancellor  Kent.  Mrs. 
Platt  was  a  woman  of  superior  intellect  and  mental  cul- 
ture. The  writer  has  often  heard  her  relate  amusing  and 
interesting  incidents  connected  with  her  bridal  trip  down 
Lake  Champlain,  when  the  only  mode  of  conveyance  was 
an  open  row-boat,  and  the  journey,  now  performed  in  a 
few  hours  during  the  season  of  navigation,  occupied  three 
weeks.  This  long  and  tedious  journey  was,  in  a  measure, 
relieved  by  her  ardent  appreciation  of  the  wild  beauty  of 
scenery,  Avhich  has  charmed  thousands  of  travelers,  since 
that  time.  Her  fine  countenance  —  charming  even  in  old 
age,  and  while  suffering  from  total  loss  of  sight — would 
glow  with  animation  as  she  related  the  impression  made 
on  her  mind  when  her  eye  first  rested  upon  the  grand 
mountain  ranges  that  skirt  the  borders  of  this  beautiful 
lake.  The  home  to  which  farmer  Platt  conducted  his 
beautiful  young  bride,  was  on  the  point  of  land  running 
out  into  the  lake,  called  Cumberland  Head,  in  sight  of 
which,  occurred  the  naval  engagement  of  the  11th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1814.  On  a  bright  Sabbath  morning,  she  landed, 
accompanied  by  her  husband  and   colored   servants,  and 


MOSS   KENT  PLATT.  139 

took    possession    of   the   Log   Cabin    prepared    for    her 
reception. 

Senator  Platt's  father  iDlaced  him  in  a  store,  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  where  he  remained  until  he  was  twenty-one. 
At  that  period  he  entered  into  active  mercantile  business, 
and  continued  in  it,  seventeen  years.  In  1847,  he  was 
induced  to  engage  in  manufacturing  iron,  on  the  Saranac 
river  which  abounds  in  rich  mines  of  ore.  These  mines 
are  situated  west  of  the  flourishino:  villaoje  of  Plattsburs^h. 

Mr.  Platt  soon  perceived  that  the  rough  roads  of  the 
country  were  serious  obstacles  to  the  successful  prosecu- 
tion of  business  in  that  region.  He  immediately  entered 
into  a  project  for  constructing  a  plank  road.  It  was  suc- 
cessfully carried  through,  and  it  has  added  greatly  to  the 
business  of  Plattsburgh ;  it  is,  moreover,  the  only  avenue 
of  communication  with  Clinton  Prison,  in  the  good  man- 
agement of  which  he  has  always  taken  a  lively  interest ; 
and  it  is  with  no  small  degree  of  satisfaction  that  he  finds 
that  his  favorite  plan  of  manufacturing  iron  by  convict 
labor,  proves  profitable  to  the  State. 

In  1851,  the  Legislature  aj)propriated  $10,000  to  improv- 
ing the  channel  of  the  Saranac  river.  Mr.  Platt  Avas 
appointed  one  of  the  Commissioners  to  expend  the  money. 
This  expenditure  has  proved  of  great  value ;  the  money 
has  been  returned  tenfold  to  the  State,  in  tolls  on  the 
Champlain  Canal,  and  has  opened  a  wilderness,  now 
rapidly  being  settled,  which  must  otherwise  have  remained 
uninhabited  for  many  generations. 

In  1852,  Senator  Platt  was  induced  by  urgent 
entreaties,  to  engage  in  a  project  for  constructing  a  rail- 
road from  Plattsburgh  to  the  Canada  line,  in  conjunction 
with  an  effort  made  by  gentlemen  of  Montreal  to  build  a 
road  from  that  city  to  the  same  point,  thereby  shortening 
the  distance  from  Montreal  to  Plattsburgh,  twenty-five 
miles.     Mr.  Platt  was  immediately  chosen  director  in  the 


140  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

company  formed  to  carry  out  the  work,  and  entered  into 
it  with  the  vigor  and  activity  so  characteristic  of  him, 
never  relaxing  his  efforts  until  the  enterprise  was  pushed 
through  to  comj)letion.  He  has  had  charge  of  this  road 
for  the  last  ten  years,  and  is  now  earnestly  engaged  in  its 
extension  to  Whitehall,  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake. 
When  completed,  it  will  give  an  almost  air-line  com- 
munication between  Montreal  and  New  York,  and  save 
fifty  miles  of  travel  over  any  other  route  between  the 
two  cities. 

Mr.  Platt  is  not  easily  turned  aside  from  the  object  he 
has  in  view,  and  he  meets  all  difficulties  with  a  determina- 
tion to  overcome  them.  His  integrity  and  unswerving 
fidelity  to  every  trust  are  well  understood,  and  his  kind- 
ness of  heart  has  won  for  him  the  title  of  "  Friend  to  the 
Poor."  It  may  not  be  amiss  to  say  that  he  has,  from  early 
life,  sustained  an  unblemished  religious  character. 

In  the  fall  of  1865,  Mr.  Platt  was  put  in  nomination 
for  Senator  against  Hon.  Winslow  C.  Watsoiv',  over 
whom  he  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  fifteen  hundred. 
Owing  to  his  popularity  he  ran  very  much  ahead  of  his 
ticket.  During  the  session  of  1866,  he  introduced  and 
carried  through  the  Plattsburgh  and  Whitehall  Railroad 
Bill,  which  was  vetoed,  however,  by  Governor  Fenton  : 
through  his  exertions  a  similar  bill  has  been  passed  by  the 
Senate,  during  the  present  session,  and  ably  sustained  by 
him  in  an  effective  speech. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  Railroads,  and 
State  Prisons,  and  is  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Retrenchment. 

Senator  Platt  is  emphatically  a  working  man,  and 
when  he  retires  from  his  duties  in  the  Senate  Chamber,  he 
will  have  the  consciousness  of  knowing  that  he  has  left 
nothing  undone  to  advance  the  interests  of  his  constit- 
uents, and  the  welfare  of  the  State. 


WALTER    L.   SESSIONS. 


Mr.  Sessions  belongs  to  that  class  of  men  who  have 
worked  their  way  upward,  in  spite  of  adverse  circum- 
stances. Of  humble  parentage,  he  has  made  for  himself  a 
reputation  which  may  well  be  envied  by  many  of  those 
who  have  had  all  the  appliances  of  wealth  and  influence 
to  aid  them.  He  was  born  in  Brandon,  Rutland  county, 
Vermont,  October  4th,  1820.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  of 
small  means  ;  but,  having  a  family  of  five  boys,  he  resolved 
to  sell  his  farm,  and  to  purchase  a  larger  one,  on  which 
they  could  all  find  plenty  to  do,  and  thus  add  to  their 
mutual  support.  He  carried  out  his  plan  in  1835,  and 
removed  to  Clymer,  Chautauqua  county,  New  York, 
where  he  took  a  contract  for  a  farm,  in  an  unbroken  wil- 
derness, from  the  Holland  Land  Company.  There  cer- 
tainly were  no  surroundings  which  could  excite  the 
ambition  of  any  boy.  The  rudely  constructed  home; 
the  rough  implements  for  clearing  lands  and  cultivating 
them ;  the  lack  of  decorations  from  the  hand  of  art ;  the 
hundred  voices  of  the  forests,  which  repeatedly  told 
the  story  of  the  solitude  around ;  and  the  midnight  stars 
which  looked  down  upon  the  home  remote  from  the  noisy 
hum  of  active  business  life ;  all  these  were  the  associations 
which  hung  around  his  childhood.  But  there  is  a  voice 
which  speaks  to  the  soul  alone :  mortal  ear  cannot  hear  it ; 
but  its  accents  are  as  winning  as  that  of  an  houri,  calling 
the  inexperienced  nature  to  come  up  through  the  flinty 
gorges  of  poverty  and  obscurity,  to  a  higher  plane  of  life. 
And  who  shall  say  that  the  youth,  Walter,  did  not  hear 
that  voice,  through  his  days  of  toil  ?  But  he  never  forgot 
his  filial  duties ;  whatever  aspirations  he  may  have  enter- 
tained in  his  secret  thoughts,  he  remained  with  his  father 


142  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

and  brothers  until  he  was  nineteen,  and  assisted  in  clearing 
land,  in  order  to  bring  it  under  cultivation ;  and,  at  other 
times,  worked  out  by  the  month,  and  gave  his  Avages  to 
his  father,  to  help  pay  for  the  land  which  he  had  pur- 
chased. During  this  time,  he  was  occasionally  engaged  in 
running  lumber  down  the  Allegany  and  Ohio  rivers,  to 
Cincinnati  and  Louisville.  On  some  of  these  expeditions 
he  often  met  with  many  adventures,  both  exciting  and 
dangerous,  which  served  to  lighten  his  laborious  duties. 

In  1839,  Mr.  Sessions  was  sent  by  his  father  to  Avon, 
Livingston  county,  to  work  by  the  month,  where  he  could 
get  higher  wages  than  he  could  command  in  Chautauqua 
county.  During  that  year  he  worked  for  Captain  Shel- 
don, of  Avon,  being  engaged  in  farming,  and  drawing 
stone  to  the  Genesee  Yalley  canal,  and  in  working  on  the 
canal  locks.  The  two  following  years,  he  worked  for  Cap- 
tain George  Root  and  Mr.  Stocking.  Li  October,  1841, 
having  attained  his  majority,  he  determined  to  acquire  a 
good  education.  Thus  far,  his  life  had  been  spent  in 
almost  unremitting  labor.  From  the  age  of' thirteen  to 
twenty-one,  he  had  attended  school  only  eighteen  days. 
This  was  not  owing  to  any  penuriousness  of  his  fither, 
but  because  necessity  demanded  that  the  boys  should  aid 
in  paying  the  debts  of  the  farm,  and  in  supporting  the 
family.  Young  Sessions  practiced  the  most  scrupulous 
economy  during  his  minority.  While  working  at  Avon, 
which  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  his  home, 
whenever  he  visited  his  parents,  he  always  walked,  taking 
five  days  to  perform  the  journey. 

Having  arrived  at  manhood,  he  saw  the  necessity  and 
advantage  of  acquiring  knowledge.  He  did  not  think 
that  man  was  a  mere  labor-machine,  with  no  motive 
beyond  the  attainment  of  sustenance ;  but  he  believed 
that  in  order  to  rise  to  the  highest  rank  of  develojDment, 
intelligence  should  be  coupled  with  toil.     Therefore,  in  the 


WALTER  L.    SESSIONS.  143 

month  of  November,  1841,  he  began  to  attend  a  select 
school,  taught  by  a  graduate  of  Hamilton  College.  In 
the  spring  of  1842,  he  entered  the  Academy  at  Westfield, 
Chautauqua  county,  where  he  continued  his  studies  until 
June,  1844,  excepting,  that  during  the  months  of  haying 
and  harvesting,  he  worked  on  the  farm,  and  taught  school, 
three  months  during  each  winter,  thus  earning  money 
enough  to  pay  for  his  board  and  tuition  at  school.  While 
teaching,  he  improved  his  spare  time  in  reading  Black- 
stone  ;  and,  on  the  20th  of  March,  1845,  began  the  study 
of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Lewis,  Panama,  New  York, 
and  continued  with  him  until  June,  1849,  when  he  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  the  Supreme  Court.  During  all 
the  time,  from  his  entrance  to  the  Academy  until  his 
admission  to  the  Bar,  the  only  assistance  which  he 
received  was  five  dollars  from  his  father,  given"  him  in 
1842. 

While  teaching,  and  studying  law,  Mr.  Sessions  was 
several  times  elected  Superintendent  of  Common  Schools. 
From  that  time  to  this,  he  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the 
elevation  and  improvement  of  the  schools  of  the  State. 
Mr.  Sessions  formerly  adhered  closely  to  the  Whig  party, 
until  the  dissolution  of  that  organization,  when  he  joined 
the  Republican  party.  As  a  Whig,  he  was  twice  elected 
to  the  Assembly,  and  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Ways  and  Means  in  the  House  of  1854.  He  was  elected 
to  the  Senate  in  1859,  and  was  made  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Finance;  being  reelected  in  1865,  he  was 
again  appointed  Chairman  of  the  same  Committee. 

Mr.  Sessions  enjoys  a  high  degree  of  confidence  from 
his  party  throughout  the  State.  Considerate  of  the  rights 
and  feelings  of  others,  he  wins  respect,  and  wields  an  influ- 
ence worthy  of  the  ambition  of  any  honorable  and  aspiring 
man.  Patriotic  in  his  impulses  and  principles,  he  freely 
spent  his  time  and  money  in  promoting  the  interests  of  his 


144  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

country  during  its  recent  struggle.  His  energy  and 
directness  of  purpose,  ready  and  general  intelligence, 
and  his  persuasive  and  extemporaneous  manner  of  speak- 
ing, are  qualifications  which  are  completely  at  his  command. 
Being  thoroughly  informed  with  reference  to  State  affairs, 
and  being  an  industrious  worker,  Mr.  Sessions  makes  his 
legislative  services  of  great  value  to  the  people  whom  he 
represents. 


CHARLES    STANFORD 


Senator  Stanford  was  born  on  the  26th  day  of  April, 
1819,  in  the  town  of  Watervliet,  Albany  county.  New  York, 
His  father,  Josiah  Stanford,  a  native  of  New  England, 
early  settled  in  that  town.  During  his  long  life  he  was 
distinguished  for  his  integrity,  energy  of  character,  and 
intelligence.  He  was  both  a  farmer  and  contractor.  He 
died  in  1862,  widely  known  and  lamented.  Of  six  sons, 
five  are  still  living,  three  in  California,  one  in  Australia, 
and  one  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  After  receiving  a 
common  school  education,  young  Stanford  further  prose- 
cuted his  studies  at  the  Prattstown  Academy,  in  Steuben 
county,  and  in  the  Clinton  Liberal  Institute,  in  Oneida 
county.  Leaving  school,  the  future  Senator  devoted  his 
time  to  the  assistance  of  his  father  upon  the  farm,  and  in 
the  prosecution  of  his  various  contracts.  In  1844,  he  took 
a  large  contract  upon  his  own  responsibility,  in  the  city 
of  Albany,  to  grade  the  ravine  then  known  as  the  Hudson 
street  hollow.  This  enterprise  proving  a  success,  was  fol- 
lowed by  contracts  upon  the  Pittsfield  and  North  Adams, 
and  the  Hudson  River  Railroads.  While  engaged  upon 
the  Hudson  River  Railroad,  an  incident  occurred,  bringing 


CHARLES   STANFORD.  145 

out  the  characteristics  of  the  man,  and  the  qualities  which 
have  given  him  success  in  the  workl.  Owing  to  sharp 
competition,  the  contracts  were  all  taken  low.  After  a 
partial  performance,  nearly  all  the  other  contractors  aban- 
doned their  contracts,  and  the  railroad  company  informed 
Mr.  Stanford  that  he  would  be  permitted  to  abandon  his. 
His  reply  was,  "I  take  no  contracts  to  throw  up;"  and 
he  finished  his  work,  making  a  fair  profit,  where  the  others 
predicted  a  loss. 

In  1850,  he  went  to  California,  then  just  opening  its 
gates  of  golden  promise  to  the  world.  His  brothers, 
either  accompanied  or  soon  followed  him.  In  connection 
with,  we  believe,  three  of  them,  he  founded  a  commercial 
house,  which  soon  rose  to  be  one  of  the  largest  and 
wealthiest  upon  the  Pacific  coast.  The  firm  of  Stanford 
Brothers,  then  first  organized,  still  exists,  the  Senator 
remaining  at  its  head.  Neither  disastrous  fires,  nor  finan- 
cial panics,  have  disturbed  its  solidity,  though  a  loser  by 
both.  It  has  established  branches  in  different  parts  of 
California.  In  1859,  in  connection  with  two  of  his 
brothers,  he  established  a  large  commercial  house  in  Mel- 
bourne, Australia,  and  soon  after,  branches  in  Sidney  and 
New  Zealand.  The  trade  of  these  several  houses  is  very 
large.  One  of  his  brothers,  the  Hon.  Leland  Stanford, 
was  elected  Governor  of  the  State  of  California,  in  1861, 
and  held  the  office  for  two  years.  He  is  the  President  of 
the  Central  Pacific  Railroad,  now  being  rapidly  con- 
structed, and  soon  about  to  form  the  extreme  western  link 
of  the  great  chain  of  railroads  across  the  continent. 

In  1854,  the  interests  of  his  firm  requiring  that  one  of 
its  members  should  reside  near  New  York  city,  Mr.  Stan- 
ford returned  to  the  State  of  New  York,  and,  in  1861, 
took  up  his  residence  in  Schenectady  county,  purchasing 
a  large  farm  in  the  town  of  Niskayuna,  where  he  has  since 
resided.     In  1863,  he  was  elected  by  the  Republican  part}*" 


146  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

to  represent  his  county  in  the  Assembly.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Committees  on  Public  Lands  and  Public 
Printing.  He  was  again  elected  in  1864,  and  was  made 
Chairman  of  the  responsible  Committee  on  Railroads. 
He  was  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  Baltimore  Convention  in 
1864,  and  voted  for  the  renomination  of  President  Lin- 
coln". In  the  fall  of  1865,  he  was  prevailed  upon  to  accept 
the  Republican  nomination  for  Senator  of  the  Fourteenth 
District.  This  district  was  composed  of  Schenectady, 
Schoharie  and  Delaware  counties,  and,  according  to  the 
previous  elections,  was  largely  Democratic.  He  was 
elected,  however,  by  a  majority  of  1,614.  This  result 
was  as  gratifying  to  the  friends  of  Mr.  Stanfokd,  as  it  was 
unexpected  to  his  opponents.  During  this  campaign, 
he  established  the  Schenectady  Daily  Union:  he  still 
remains  its  proprietor.  It  is  one  of  the  handsomest  daily 
papers  in  the  State,  is  conducted  with  enterprise  and 
talent,  having  done  much  to  change  the  county  of  Schen- 
ectady from  one  of  doubtful  politics,  to  a  Republican 
stronghold. 

Mr.  Stanford  is  now  in  the  prime  of  life.  He  is  a  man 
of  robust  and  portly  frame,  fine  presence,  and  an  easy 
dignity  of  manner.  In  the  Senate,  he  is  a  working,  rather 
than  a  talking  member.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Commit- 
tees on  Commerce  and  Navigation,  Agriculture,  and  the 
Erection  and  Division  of  Towns  and  Counties,  being 
chairman  of  the  latter  committee.  It  need  hardly  be  said 
that  he  is  a  man  of  strong  common  sense,  great  energy  of 
character,  firmness  of  purpose,  and  untiring  industry. 
With  him  obstacles  are  the  things  to  be  surmounted,  not 
hinderances  to  advancement.  A  conviction  that  a  measure 
is  right,  secures  for  it  his  support ;  and  though  the  mea- 
sure may,  for  the  moment,  be  unpopular,  his  support  of  it 
is  none  the  less  zealous  ;  he  is  willing  to  wait  for  justice. 
To  his  other  qualities  he  adds  an  integrity  that  is  unques- 


EDMUND   G.    SUTHERLAND.  147 

tioned,  and  a  private  character  above  reproach.  The 
schemes  of  corruption  which  are  but  too  frequently  the 
objects  of  legislative  favor,  find  in  Mr.  Stanford  neither 
advocate  nor  friend.  Too  rich  to  desire  a  bribe,  and  too 
honest  to  take  one,  he  is  a  good  type  of  the  public  servant, 
whom  the  State  can  illy  spare. 


EDMUND    G.    SUTHERLAND, 


Mr.  Sutherland  is  Senator  from  the  Eighth  District. 
He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Plymouth,  Chenango  county, 
in  this  State.  His  father,  Silas  Sutherland,  was  a  native 
of  Vermont,  of  Scotch  descent ;  he  held  a  commission  in 
the  volunteer  forces  of  this  State,  in  the  war  of  1812,  and 
served  on  the  northern  frontier  under  General  Gaines  ;  at 
the  sortie  from  Fort  Erie,  he  was  wounded  in  the  left  arm 
by  a  piece  of  a  bomb  shell.  His  grandfather,  John 
Sutherland,  was  a  millwright,  and  built  the  mills  on 
Otter  Creek,  in  Rutland  county,  Vermont,  known  as 
"  Sutherland's  Mills." 

His  mother  was  a  native  of  New  England,  of  English 
Puritan  descent ;  and  her  father,  Philemon  Tiffany,  was 
at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  served  in  the  ranks  of 
the  army  till  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle. 

Owing  to  the  limited  circumstances  of  his  family, 
Senator  Sutherland  was  not  favored  with  those  facilities 
for  an  early  education  which  are  within  the  reach  of  the 
more  favored  youths  of  the  present  day,  and  was  forced 
to  content  himself  with  the  scanty  instruction  imparted  at 
district  schools,  at  -interrupted  intervals,  in  Tompkins, 
Cortland,  Monroe  and  Madison  counties,  where  his  parents 
successively  resided,  these  schools  being  generally  kept  in 


148  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

log  school  houses,  which  distinguished  that  section  of  our 
State,  at  that  day.  In  1830-31,  he  attended  the  winter 
tenn  of  the  Polytechnic  Academy  at  Chittenaugo,  and, 
"  graduating "  in  the  spring  entered  the  printing  office 
of  the  Troy  Statesman,  a  weekly  political  j^'^^per  which 
was  then  started  by  a  half-brother,  Thomas  Jefferson 
Sutherland,  Avho  in  1838  figured  somewhat  conspicuously 
in  the  Canadian  "  Patriot  war."  The  publication  of  the 
Statesman  was  continued  but  one  year;  after  which 
time  the  young  printer  Avent  to  North  Adams,  Berkshire 
county,  Mass.,  and  worked  for  another  year  in  the  printing 
office  of  the  Berkshire  Advocate,  a-  National  Republican 
paper.  This  paper  also,  like  many  similar  enterprises  of 
that  description,  sank  to  premature  decay ;  and  the  pro- 
prietor, preferring  the  free  State  of  New  York  to  the 
"imprisonment  for  debt "  statutes  of  Massachusetts,  made  a 
secret  assignment  of  the  Advocate  and  its  assets  to  his 
printer  and  another  creditor.  Doctor  Elihu  S.  Hawks,  and 
left  for  tliis  State,  leaving  behind  a  batch  of  personal 
and  ill-natured  editorial  and  other  articles,  for  the  forth- 
coming issue  of  the  "Advocate,"  which  was  duly  put 
to  press  under  the  imposing  firm  name  of  "  Hawks  & 
Sutherland,  Assignees."  In  justice  to  Doctor  Hawks,  it 
should  be  said  he  was  not  consulted  as  to  the  character  of 
the  contents  of  this  issue.  The  edition  was  only  partly 
worked  off  and  sent  out,  when  that  usually  quiet  little 
village  was  thrown  into  considerable  excitement;  the 
establishment  was  taken  abrupt  possession  of  by  Doctor 
Hawks  and  his  friends,  the  junior  "partner"  put  under 
arrest  for  libel,  and  the  columns  of  the  Advocate,  charged 
with  censure  and  invective,  turned  upon  the  late  but 
absconded  editor.  The  excitement  partially  died  away  in 
a  few  days,  and  the  complaint  was  dropped ;  the  printer, 
a  youth  of  nineteen,  not  being  held  to  account  for  the  acts 
of  the  real  offender. 


EDMUND   G.    SUTHERLAND.  149 

In  the  fall  of  1834,  Mr.  Sutherland  went  to  Haver- 
straw,  Rockland  county,  N".  Y.,  and 'worked  in  the  office 
of  the  North  River  Times  —  a  paper  started  in  the 
interest  of  the  Whig  party,  which  was  then  organized 
by  a  fusion  of  the  National  Republican  and  Anti-Masonic 
parties.  He  remained  there,  in  the  mixed  capacities  of 
journeyman,  foreman,  and  proof-reader,  for  two  years,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  (in  the  fall  of  183C)  he  sailed  for 
New  Orleans,  where  he  worked  on  the  New  Orleans 
Observer,  a  weekly  Presbyterian  publication,  the  office  of 
which  was  burned,  on  the  1st  of  January,  1837;  then  on 
the  True  American,  and  read  proof,  as  an  occasional  pas- 
time, for  George  W.  Kendall  who  was  the  chief  writing 
editor  of  the  New  Orleans  Picayune,  which  was  started 
that  winter  by  Kendall  &  Lumsden.  In  the  mean  time, 
he  was  induced  to  become  interested^  with  three  other 
young  men,  in  fitting  out  one  of  the  first  vessels  (a  sloop) 
which  sailed  for  Galveston  on  the  conclusion  of  the 
armistice  between  Mexico  and  Texas,  with  a  cargo  of 
groceries  and  provisions,  which  proved  to  be  a  profitable 
venture  ;  a  second  cargo  was  sent  to  Houston,  with  a  like 
result.  In  the  latter  part  of  May,  he  returned  North,  by 
steamers,  up  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio  Rivers,  to  Louisville, 
and  Cincinnati,  crossing  through  Ohio,  by  way  of  Colum- 
bus, and  over  the  Alleganies,  down  to  Baltimore  by  stage- 
coach; and,  in  the  fall  of  1837,  accepted  the  situation 
of  foreman  in  the  office  of  the  Hudson  River  Chronicle, 
then  being  started  by  the  late  Alexander  H.  Wells,  at 
Sing  Sing,  Westchester  county.  This  situation  he  held 
till  the  spring  of  1840,  when,  Mr.  Wells  having  been 
appointed  Surrogate  of  the  county,  he  purchased  Mr. 
Wells'  undivided  interest  in  the  paper,  partly  on  account 
of  arrears  of  wages  due,  and  published  it  till  1844,  selling 
his  interest  so  acquired  therein  to  James  B.  Swain.  la 
the  summer  and  fall  of  that  year,  in  the  interest  of  his 


150  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

friends,  he  published  a  campaign  paper,  called  The  Pro- 
tector, which  supported  the  nomination  of  Henry  Clay, 
for  the  Presidency. 

In  1843  and  '44,  Mr.  Sutherland  read  law  in  the  office 
of  Messrs.  Ward  &  Lockwood,  though  he  never  followed 
the  legal  profession.  On  the  1st  of  May,  1845,  he  estab- 
lished the  Eastern.  State  Journal,  at  White  Plains,  which 
he  has  continued  to  publish,  as  a  Democratic  paper,  to  the 
present  time,  and  which  is  the  leading  Democratic  organ 
of  Westchester  county,  and  yields  a  handsome  income. 
During  the  first  eleven  months  of  this  publication,  he  had 
associated  with  him  his  half-brother,  General  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson Sutherland,  now  deceased.  In  1853  and  '54,  Mr. 
Sutherland  held  the  office  of  Superintendent  of  Common 
Schools  for  the  town  of  White  Plains. 

He  was  elected  member  of  Assembly  from  the  Second 
District  of  Westchester  in  1856,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Printing  Committee  and  also  of  the  Select  Committee 
on  Census,  at  the  session  of  1857.  The  following  year,  he 
was  returned  to  that  body,  in  which  he  was  Chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  State  Prisons,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Committee  on  Railroads. 

At  the  annual  session  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the 
county  of  Westchester,  in  1858,  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the 
Board,  and  reelected  for  three  successive  years.  In  1862,  he 
was  elected  Supervisor  of  the  town  of  White  Plains,  and 
successively  reelected,  holding  the  office  to  the  present  time. 
He  was  Chairman  of  the  Board  in  1863,  '64  and  ^65.  The 
duties  of  the  office  of  Supervisor  were  onerous  and  respon- 
sible during  the  continuance  of  the  late  war;  and  the 
raising  and  disbursing  of  moneys  to  fill  the  town's  quotas 
of  men  for  the  United  States  service,  in  order  to  avoid 
the  necessity  of  drafts,  and  the  care  and  distribution  of 
moneys  to  the  families  of  volunteers,  were  duties  dis- 
charged to  the  satisfaction  of  all.    He  has  frequently  been 


ANDREW   DICKSON   WHITE.  151 

Bent  as  a  Delegate  to  Democratic  State  Conventions,  since 
1850,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Democratic  State  Com- 
mittee, in  1862. 

Mr.  Sutherland  was  elected  to  the  present  Senate  in 
1865,  and  was  appointed  on  the  Committees  on  Railroads, 
State  Prisons,  and  Printing,  which  places  he  now  holds. 
He  is  a  gentleman  of  commanding  appearance  and  fine 
social  qualities ;  is  a  cool  and  discreet  politician,  true  to  his 
party,  possessing  much  tenacity  of  purpose,  and  conse- 
quently exercises  a  controlling  influence  in  the  political 
affairs  of  his  county  and  senatorial  district.  Mr.  Suther- 
land is  one  of  the  five  Democrats  in  the  Senate. 


ANDREW    DICKSON    WHITE 


Mr.  White  is  one  of  the  youngest  members  of  the 
Senate,  and,  in  the  influence  fairly  won  by  him  in  strength 
of  view  of  the  questions  of  chiefest  interest  in  the  pro- 
gress of  the  times,  typifies  the  rule  of  young  men  to 
which  public  opinion  is  framing  itself.  He  was  born  in 
the  village  of  Homer,  in  the  county  of  Cortland,  Novem- 
ber 7th,  1832.  His  family  were  of  those  who  came  thence 
from  New  England,  bringing  with  them  its  sagacity,  its 
power  of  adaptation  to  the  circumstances  of  a  new 
country,  and  that  vigor  which  goes  upward  with  the 
advance  of  the  community  in  which  they  dwell. 

In  1839,  Mr.  White's  father,  Horace  White,  Esq., 
removed  to  Syracuse,  and  became  the  Cashier  of  the  Bank 
of  Syracuse.  He  made  himself  one  of  that  city's  most 
prominent  and  influential  citizens,  winning  opulence  by  the 
power  of  sagacious  judgment  and  energetic  acts,  identi- 
fying himself  with  its  good  name,  attached  to  good  men 


152  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

and  good  objects  in  its  midst ;  and,  with  all  this,  sensible, 
to  a  degree  seldom  known  in  the  walks  of  private  life,  of 
the  full  worth  and  value  of  all  that  belongs  to  a  trained, 
thorough  completeness  of  education ;  a  judgment  and  a 
taste  wiiich  he  made  practical  in  the  culture  which  he 
bestowed  on  his  son,  the  subject  of  this  sketch ;  and  that 
son's  success  and  honors,  and  his  position  and  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  his  fellow  men,  have  worked  out  the 
full  measure  of  his  father's  rcAvard. 

His  son  passed  through  a  variety  of  schools.  The 
Academies  of  Syracuse,  Ballston  and  Moravia,  gave  him 
the  pre-collegiate  training.  The  study  he  pu.rsued  at  the 
latter,  was  parenthetical  between  his  collegiate  life,  com- 
ing after  a  year  at  Hobart,  and  just  before  his  residence  at 
Yale. 

The  colleges,  both  of  them,  made  their  depth  of  impres- 
sion upon  Mr.  White's  thought.  President  Hale  was  a 
man  that  met  all  the  difficulties  of  his  position  —  and  they 
were,  in  his  day,  formidable  —  with  the  energy,  and  with 
the  good  way  and  will  of  a  kindly  scholar.  He  liad  occa- 
sion for  firmness,  and  he  used  it.  He  had  a  love  for  tlie 
beautiful,  and  he  led  the  way  to  it.  It  has  been  Mr. 
White's  most  grateful  duty  to  utter  words  of  graceful 
eulogy  over  the  grave  of  this  scholar,  and  he  gladly 
availed  himself  of  the  opportunity. 

At  Yale,  Mr.  White  found  all  the  educational  facilities 
Avhich  an  accumulated  opulence  of  endowment  can  furnish, 
and  under  these  influences,  men  are  independent,  and 
avouch  a  truth,  or  adhere  to  it  for  its  own  sake.  The 
scliolar  has  his  true  relation  with  his  teacher.  Whoever 
went  to  Yale,  willing  to  learn,  found  the  facility;  who 
went  there  evidencing  the  Avill  and  the  capacity,  found 
at  once  the  assistance  and  the  trial.  Prizes  were  gained, 
not  given.  A  student  must  show  that  the  power  was  in 
him,  or  the  keen  ordeal  would  soon  eiface  hope  of  success. 


ANDREW   DICKSON   WHITE.  l6& 

Yale  College  has  greatly  advanced  in  the  last  years,  but  it 
was,  at  the  day  of  Mr.  White's  student  life,  a  College  far 
in  the  front.  It  had  not  the  precise  scholarship  of  Harvard, 
when  a  nicety  of  position  of  a  doctrine  would  be  argued, 
even  if  the  doctrine  itself  was  but  a  secondary  one,  when 
established  in  its  very  place.  There  is  an  ideal  in  some 
scholarship  which  is  fastidious  of  rule,  and  text,  and  tra- 
dition. Yale  sought  to  grasp  boldness,  even  if  the  grasp 
must  needs  afterward  be  relaxed,  for  better  siuiilitude  to 
usage.  It  had  a  free  thought  in  its  substance,  even  at  that 
period  when  it  was  thronged  by  those  who,  from  their  geo- 
graphical position,  and  their  sectional  heresies,  were  found 
against  that  judgment  of  the  true  status  of  man,  which 
the  events  of  our  own  day  have  made  an  universal  truth. 
The  love  toward  learning  was  developed  in  Mr.  White  in 
the  training  of  Yale.  He  received  its  impress,"  and  he 
left  honorable  memories  —  memories  which  more  than  lin- 
ger there  yet,  and  which,  but  recently,  most  honorably  to 
Yale  and  to  its  alumnus,  reasserted  themselves.  Its  con- 
tests for  honors  found  Mr.  White  successful  in  so  many 
instances,  that  his  record  in  Yale  may  not  be  omitted  in 
any  just  delineation  of  his  career.  Upon  the  theme  of  the 
"  Greater  Distinctions  in  Statesmanship,"  he  won  the  Yale 
Literary  gold  medal,  open  to  the  entire  College,  and  the 
Clauk  prize  of  the  Junior  Class,  for  his  essay  upon  the 
"True  Basis  of  Citizenship  in  the  Republic  ;"  and  the  De 
Forest  gold  medal,  in  the  senior  class,  for  the  oration 
upon  the  "  Diplomatic  History  of  Modern  Times."  These 
utterances  were  not  lightly  heard,  for  they  touched  those 
themes  which  were  the  breathings  of  the  great  voice, 
which  have  been  left  to  our  own  day  to  proclaim  so  that 
the  nations  hear. 

There  is  at  Yale,  the  institution  of  a  magazine  embody- 
ing the  current  thought  —  giving  home  to  the  literature 
of  the  College  —  the  threshold -over  which  many  bright 
20 


154  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

hearts  step  timidly,  before  they  walk  thereafter  in  power. 
Of  this,  he  was  chosen  Editor,  and  so  continued  until 
the  day  of  his  graduation.  His  election  was  opposed. 
There  was  in  him,  it  was  said,  opinions  that  questioned 
whether  a  slave-holding  republic,  was  not,  in  itself,  a  denial 
of  itself.  He  had  not  consented  to  all  compromises.  He 
had  believed  that  whatever  older  men  might  seek  of  calm- 
ness—  preferences  of  the  prosperous  to  the  perilous,  he 
must  believe  in  the  truth  of  the  education  he  was  receiving, 
and  deny  the  attempted  synonym,  that  American  slavery 
was  but  another  term  for  American  liberty — nor  did  he 
seek  to  escape  this  charge ;  and  in  their  belief  of  his  truth, 
or  his  independence,  or  his  ability,  or  all  three  of  them,  his 
fellow-students  elected  him  —  and  an  election  by  young 
men  is  worth  something.  They  are  not  often  mistaken  in 
their  associates  of  every  hour. 

When  it  came  to  the  exercises  of  the  Commencement 
Day,  he  selected  the  theme  of  "  Modern  Oracles,"  and 
made  the  wise  illustration  of  what  John  Quincy  Adams 
had  said.  Whoever  will  read  what  that  most  distin- 
guished man  did  say,  in  the  clearness  of  his  vision,  when 
the  door  of  Texas  was  to  be  opened  through  the  aggres- 
sions which  Southern  men  made,  will  see  that  his  words 
were  like  those  of  an  Oracle.  Mr.  White  could  not  have 
made  a  more  accurate  selection.  The  prophet  lived  not 
to  see  the  morning  hour  of  the  revolution,  for  which  his 
courage  had  been  the  very  life ;  but  this  country  can  never 
forget  his  truth  of  judgment,  as  to  the  event.  Of  course 
there  was  a  division  of  sentiment,  at  New  Haven,  whether 
Mr.  White  was  just  or  prudent  in  his  course,  but  he  won 
friendships  among  the  Scholars  there,  which  are  yet  in  all 
their  kindly  force. 

The  same  care  for  the  thoroughness  of  education,  gave 
Mr.  White,  so  soon,  as  he  left  college,  the  opportunity  of 
visiting  Europe ;  and  he  transferred  his  studies,  during  the 


ANDREW   DICKSON  WHITE.  155 

three  years  that  he  remained  there,  to  the  University  of 
Berlin,  and  the  College  of  France.  The  elaborate  scholar- 
ship of  the  Old  World  is  a  good  exercise  for  the  young 
mind  of  America.  It  teaches  what  a  new  country  is  so 
slow  to  learn,  —  the  value  of  patience.  We  are  a  people 
who  cannot  bear  the  idea  of  waiting  during  three  hundred 
years,  to  build  our  St.  Peter's.  It  must,  from  foundation  to 
cross,  be  built  "  in  our  day."  Not  so  does  Europe  tell  the 
scholar.  He  must  learn  thoroughly  so  that  he  shall  know 
accurately.  All  these  words  it  is  well  for  the  American 
student  to  hear.  They  were  heard  and  weighed,  and 
remembered  by  Mr.  White.  To  this  added  intellectual 
training,  he  gave  the  result  of  an  extended  tour  all  over 
Europe,  with  the  episode  of  a  diplomatic  service,  as 
attache  to  the  legation  of  Gov.  Seymour,  of  Connecti- 
cut, then  representing  this  country  at  St.  Petersburgh. 
That  was  the  day  of  European  war,  of  terrible  struggle 
over  the  key  to  the  East  (so  soon  again  to  disturb  the 
world).  Then,  while  wielding  the  power  of  his  great 
armies,  the  Emperor  died ;  and  in  the  train  of  this  event, 
which  startled  all  Europe,  came  the  splendor  of  the  cor- 
ronation  of  Alexander  II,  with  its  gorgeous  ceremonial, 
blending  the  grandeur  of  both  continents,  and,  in  itself,  an 
era  in  Russian  history.  Of  all  this,  Mr.  White  was  a 
spectator,  and  this  chapter  in  man's  theory  and  practice  of 
power  was  attentively  studied  by  him,  as  by  a  thoughtful 
and  appreciative  man.  Mr.  White  described  these  scenes. 
The  narration  he  gave  of  them,  was  read  in  this  country  in 
wide  circulation ;  and,  as  it  was  a  European  and  an  Orien- 
tal pageant  in  the  delineation  of  an  American,  it  had 
deserved  popularity. 

He  returned  home  in  1856;  and,  accepting  the  pleasant 
memories  of  former  days  of  student  life,  he  went  again  to 
New  Haven,  studying  law  and  history.  It  was  at  that 
time  that  a  very  pleasant  incident  reminded  him  of  his 


156  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

home.  His  reputation  had  established  itself  there,  and  he 
who  wins  the  voice  of  the  home  life,  conquers  prejudices 
and  establishes  character. 

New  Haven  was  not  content  with  a  cold  system  of 
theoretical  education,  touching  the  intellect  only.  Tliere 
had  arisen  there,  and  been  in  practice,  a  system  of  care  for 
the  poor  both  of  city  and  county,  which  in  its  workings 
had  attracted  the  attention  of  the  city  of  Syracuse.  It 
bore  the  name  of  the  Brewster  plan.  Mr.  White  was 
selected  to  make  such  investigation  of  it  as  would  give 
access  to  its  work.  He  did  so,  and  his  report  received  pub- 
lication. That  for  this  duty,  which  in  its  nature  required 
accuracy  of  judgment,  so  that  the  sympathies  should  not 
go  beyond  their  line  —  a  work  which  was  so  likely  to  be 
affected  by  attachment  to  an  old  policy  or  rashness  in 
innovation  —  that  Mr.  White  was  selected  by  the  city  of 
his  boyhood  for  this,  those  who  know  what  is  included  in 
local  difficulties  of  estimation,  knew  the  honor  was  solid 
and  valuable. 

For  the  study  of  history  Mr.  White  showed  his  taste. 
He  wrote  of  it.  He  reviewed  and  deliberated,  and 
analyzed.  He  grasped  the  large  labors  of  the  scholars 
Avho  had  written  the  World-History  and  the  Universal 
History,  receiving  their  bias  and  direction,  as  the  German 
or  the  Italian  mind  delineated. 

It  was  an  honor,  indeed,  to  be  selected  as  worthy  of  the 
Professorship  of  History  in  the  University  of  Michigan. 
Of  that  University  the  world  has  already  heard.  It  shall, 
by  the  power  that  it  is  even  now  in  process  of  developing, 
hear  more.     To  this  Professorship  Mr.  White  was  chosen. 

Established  early  in  the  history  of  a  State,  so  new 
itself  that  its  citizens  are  older  than  the  commonwealth, 
grandly  endowed  by  a  liberality  that  made  the  beautiful 
and  fertile  earth  at  once  to  be  in  ministry  to  the  intel- 
lectual, it  holds  its  place  among  the  great  institutions  of 


ANDREW   DICKSON   WHITE.  157 

learning,  by  a  title  that  claims  the  rank  of  liigh  scholar- 
ship. It  has  a  most  numerous  student  life  witliin  it  —  the 
young  men  of  a  young  nation.  To  such  a  gathering,  Mr. 
White  poured  out  the  lessons  of  history,  giving  his  free 
and  hopeful  interpretation  to  all  problems  that  the  annals 
of  our  land  present  —  mysteries  then  —  revelations  now. 
To  these  modern  men,  so  fresh  and  earnest,  he  pictured 
the  contrast  —  the  education  of  the  development  of  civil- 
ization in  the  middle  ages  —  of  the  reformation  of  France 
before,  and  of  France  after,  the  revolution.  In  the  grasp 
of  Mr.  White's  learning,  and  in  the  force  of  his  views  of 
men,  and  what  is  the  right  of  man's  condition,  these  lec- 
tures were  incisive.  They  went  on  and  beyond  cold  writ- 
ing in  old  ways,  and  asserted  their  lessons  of  freedom's 
struggles  and  freedom's  victory.  In  Boston,  where  so 
much  of  our  literature  has  found  its  home,  there  is  a  maga- 
zine published  which  has  been  of  the  best  of  American 
magazines.  We  will  not  assign  to  it  the  first  place,  because 
our  article  does  not  give  us  the  privelege  to  decide.  But 
no  man  can  dispute  its  intellectual  power.  To  this  maga- 
zine Mr.  White  became  a  contributor.  He  drew  out  the 
historical  truths  that  came  so  strongly  in  the  words  Jef- 
ferson and  Slavery — a  theme  whose  just  grasp  requires 
close  historical  knowledge.  He  described  the  statesman- 
ship of  Richelieu,  and  pointed  to  the  decline  of  the  serf 
system  of  Russia. 

In  1863,  Mr.  White  went  upon  a  semi-official  mission  to 
Europe,  remaining  a  few  months.  The  country  was  in 
the  wild  work  of  war.  It  was  proving  its  strength.  It 
was  misunderstood.  It  was  depreciated.  It  was  the  very 
hour  for  a  learned  and  eloquent  man  to  avouch  its  cause, 
and  this  Mr.  White  did  vigorously.  He  spoke  at  meet- 
ings in  London.  He  wrote  what  he,  with  just  appreciation 
of  the  patriotism  of  that  great  section  of  our  country, 
designated  as  "  A  Word  from  the  Northwest."    He  vindi- 


158  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

cated  his  country  and  upheld  its  honor.  He  was  himself  a 
proof  that  in  our  war  for  freedom,  we  had  not  forgotten  the 
charms  of  delicate  and  elaborate  learning. 

Returning  from  Europe,  his  own  immediate  fellow  men, 
those  who  had  known  him  best,  called  him  to  the  repre- 
sentation of  the  Onondaga  District  in  the  Senate  of  New 
York.  He  was  triumphantly  elected  and  reelected,  at  a 
time  when  the  whole  elective  power  of  the  country  was 
stirred  to  its  depths.  Mr.  White  gave  unchanging  sup- 
port to  the  administration  of  President  Lincoln,  and 
followed  his  country  with  the  same  affection,  as  well  in 
temporary  defeat  as  in  abiding  victory.  He  spared  no 
word  or  effort  to  make  the  arms  of  the  Republic,  those  of 
the  conqueror,  and  gave  the  army  his  enthusiastic  good 
will  and  good  wish.  In  the  Senate,  Mr.  White  took,  at 
once,  a  prominent  place,  being  welcomed  to  especial  trust 
over  all  the  departments  of  education  and  literature.  His 
voice  is  heard  as  that  of  a  man  of  thought  and  study, 
capable,  as  so  few  men  of  thought  and  study  are,  of  mak- 
ing it  effective,  and  proving  it  agreeable.  His  service  in 
the  Senate  has  found  no  limit  of  action.  It  has  found 
foremost  place  in  all  measures  which  he  believed  to  be 
of  good  government,  as  well  for  the  great  city  as  for 
the  State,  and  especially  in  those  measures  in  which  he 
thought  he  saw  the  safety  and  relief  of  so  many  of  the 
poor  and  sick  and  suffering — the  Health  Bill,  and  the  bill 
for  the  organization  of  the  Hudson  River  Asylum  for  the 
Insane. 

In  1866,  Mr.  White  delivered  at  New  Haven,  before 
the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society,  an  oration  of  remarkable 
force,  on  the  theme,  that  the  worst  foe  of  a  State  was  an 
aristocracy  founded  on  the  subjection  of  an  inferior  class. 

Yale  College,  after  this,  called  him,  in  the  most  flatter- 
ing manner,  by  its  best  and  its  worthiest,  to  the  delightful 
duty  of  the  direction  of  its  art  department.     But  this,  and 


ANDREW  DICKSON  WHITE.  159 

other  most  agreeable  places,  Mr.  White  has  declined,  to 
devote  himself  to  the  charge  of  the  Cornell  University,  to 
whose  head,  young  as  he  is,  he  has,  with  the  acceptance 
of  all  friends  of  education,  been  called.  To  build  up  a 
great  University  in  New  York,  has  been  one  of  the  dreams 
of  his  life;  and  to  receive  its  direction,  its  compass,  its 
influences  for  the  ages,  from  his  care  of  its  initiative,  is  all 
before  him.  To  this  high  duty  his  friends  know  him  to  be 
equal ;  and  the  choice  of  him  as  President,  is  regarded  as 
New  York  calling  one  of  its  own  scholar  sons  to  its  honors. 
Mr.  White  is  yet  young.  His  life's  history  is  to  be 
written.  He  has  already  made  himself  a  name  in  learn- 
ing, in  literature,  in  statesmanship.  As  it  looks  to  mortal 
eye,  his  life  concentrates  great  responsibilities,  for  its  priv- 
ileges have  been  many,  its  advantages  remarkable,  its 
honors  early.  We  believe  these  responsibilities  will  find 
intelligent  fulfillment,  and  Western  New  York  will  record 
it  in  her  proudest  annals,  that,  although  her  territorial  life 
is  so  new  that  the  memories  of  the  forest  are  yet  fresh,  she 
has  furnished  to  the  University  which  adorns  her  lake  side, 
of  her  own  native  born,  a  scholar  in  his  own  right,  and 
master  of  accumulated  learning. 


EDWARD    G.    WILBOR, 


Chatham,  Columbia  county,  New  York,  is  situated 
in  an  exceedingly  picturesque  portion  of  this  State. 
Meadows  lie  nestled  in  valleys  which  are  divided  by  clear 
streams  ;  pasture  lands  upon  hillside  slopes  stretch  upward 
to  the  edges  of  forests ;  timberland  crowns  the  summits 
of  mountain  spurs ;  and  handsome  villages  hold  no  small 
degree  of  beauty  and  intelligence.  In  fact,  it  is  just  the 
spot  for  a  home  around  which  cluster  the  memories  of 
former  times. 

Senator  Wilbor  was  born  in  the  town  which  we  have 
mentioned,  September  10th,  1807,  and  he  has  always 
resided  there  except  five  years  of  his  boyhood  which  he 
spent  at  Esperance,  Schoharie  county,  New  York,  to  which 
his  father  removed.  His  ancestors  were  English;  but 
they  did  not  possess  that  conservative  spirit  which  would 
stagnate  the  channels  of  progress,  rather  than  have  their 
ease  disturbed;  on  the  contrary  they  were  liberal  and 
progressive.  Catching  the  inspiration  which  sometimes  is 
wafted  from  one  generation  to  another,  the  boy  drank  in 
many  of  the  healthy  influences  of  his  ancestry.  His 
earlier  days  of  education  were  spent  in  the  district 
schools ;  and  who  that  has  ever  attended  them  can  forget 
the  reminiscences  connected  with  them  ?  The  long  rows 
of  seats  with  no  backs  to  rest  the  aching  spine,  the  stern 
faced  schoolmaster  with  his  quill  pen  over  his  ear,  and  his 
long  mahogany  ferule  in  his  hand,  the  tiers  of  sleepy  boys 
just  nodding  themselves  from  the  multiplication  table  into 
the  land  of  dreams,  a  little  fellow  with  his  foolscap  on 
his  head  doing  penance  for  having  broken  some  trivial 
rule ;  all  these  pass  before  the  mind  of  many  a  man  whose 
voice  has  been  heard  in  State  and  national  councils.    After 


EDWARD  G.    WILBOR.  161 

months  and  years  of  attendance  in  the  common  school, 
Mr.  WiLBOR  attended  the  Kinderhocfk  Academy,  during 
a  few  terms.  New  and  more  liberal  advantages  were 
afforded  him,  while  a  pupil  in  that  institution,  which  he 
appropriated  to  himself  with  the  ordinary  zeal  of  boy- 
hood. After  the  completion  of  his  academical  studies,  Mr. 
WiLBOR  decided  to  make  farming  his  future  avocation. 
As  an  agriculturist  he  has  met  with  very  few  reverses. 
The  harvest  has  brought  to  him  its  abundance,  and  has 
given  him  a  competence  which  puts  him  beyond  the 
necessity  of  toil,  and  leaves  him  to  suit  his  own  pleasure 
whether  or  not  he  shall  take  that  rest  which  advanced 
years  so  much  deserve.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  Mr. 
WiLBOR  allied  himself  to  the  Whig  party,  which,  in 
Columbia  county  was  sadly  in  the  minority.  In  1840,  he 
ran  on  the  Harrison  ticket  for  member  of  Assembly,  but, 
of  course,  was  defeated  by  the  superior  strength  of  the 
other  party;  and  in  1846,  he  again  was  a  candidate  for 
the  same  office  and  came  within  twenty-five  votes  of  an 
election.  True  to  his  principles,  he  remained  in  the  Whig 
ranks  until  the  columns  of  the  Republican  party  were  being 
made  up,  and  then  espoused  the  cause  of  that  organiza- 
tion. In  1865,  he  was  nominated  for  State  Senator  by 
the  Republican  Union  party  of  the  Eleventh  Senatorial 
District,  in  opposition  to  the  most  popular  man  which  the 
Democrats  had  in  that  part  of  the  Di^rict,  Moses  Y. 
TiLDEN",  of  New  Lebanon.  Ideas,  as  the  election  proved, 
had  undergone  a  change.  The  steady  and  tremendous 
onset  of  the  war  had  carried  with  it  an  awakenino:  of 
humanity ;  and  men  had,  in  the  mean  time,  learned  to  read 
and  think  for  themselves ;  and  so  the  Republican  party 
gathered  sufficient  strength  to  itself  to  elect  Mr.  Wilbor 
by  a  majority  of  five  hundred  and  fifty-five. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  rebellion  he  gave  to  the  army 
his  oldest  son,  nineteen  years  of  age,  who  remained  until 
21 


162  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

the  close  of  the  conflict.  He  was  one  of  the  thousands  of 
gallant  men  who  had  no  stain  upon  his  military  reputa- 
tion. We  can  give  him  no  higher  encomium  than  to  say, 
"  He  served  his  country  well."  "While  in  the  service,  his 
health  became  impaired  by  exposure.  On  his  return 
home  the  malady  grew  worse,  and  ten  months  after  the 
waiting  ones  had  welcomed  his  return,  they  bore  him 
outward  and  buried  him  with  a  soldier's  honors.  Of 
him  and  his  burial  a  young  poetess  whose  name  is  not 
unfamiliar  to  the  public,  and  who  was  one  of  his  kindred, 
wrote  as  follows : 

*'  The  soft  air  stole  across  the  blooming  hills, 
And  filled  the  Sabbath  morn  with  fragrance  sweet— 

The  sky-born  choirs,  in  leafy  arches  hid, 
Proclaimed  their  praise  in  warbled  carols,  meet. 

"  "With  him  who  sleeps  the  last,  long,  quiet  sleep. 
Beneath  the  drooping  elms  the  mourners  passed. 

Before  them,  sadly,  on  the  village  green, 
The  flag  he  had  defended  hung  half  mast. 

"  There,  all  unmoved  by  breath  of  wandering  wind, 

It  seemed  that  sorrow  lay  among  the  stars, 
And  wound  her  closely  clinging  arms  about 

The  thirteen  glorious,  old,  unsevered  bars. 

"  Thus  sadly  trailed  its  treasured,  blood- wrought  folds 

Until  beneath  they  bore  the  noble  dead, 
Then  with  one  long,  triumphant  sweep,  it  flung 

Its  unstained  beauty,  proudly  o'er  his  head. 

♦•  A  moment,  and  again  it  drooped  before  them 

Unmoved  and  sad  against  the  azure  sky. 
And  never  more  it  spread  its  glowing  pinions, 

"While  all  the  long,  dark  train  crept  slowly  by. 

"If  thus  the  Raven  banner  once  had  fluttered 

Above  the  biers  of  those  who  fighting  fell. 
The  wailing  clans  would  wild  have  hailed  the  symbol. 

That  in  Walhalla's  halls  the  brave  did  dwell. 

"  Not  that  we  read,  by  changing  sign  and  token, 
Yet  in  our  hearts  we  hide  the  treasured  thought. 

That  Freedom,  boasting  not  above  her  treasures, 
Accepts  with  tears  the  sacrifice  we  brought." 


EDWARD   G.    WILBOR.  .     163 

Mr.  WiLBOR  Avas  instrumental,  in  the  session  of  1866,  in 
procuring  the  passage  of  "An  act  to  authorize  any  town 
in  the  counties  of  Columbia  or  Rensselaer  to  aid  in  the 
completion  of  the  Lebanon  Springs  Railroad,"  authorizing 
commissioners  appointed  by  the  County  Judge,  to  borrow 
money  on  the  faith  and  credit  of  towns,  and  to  execute 
bonds  therefor,  under  their  hands  and  seals.  This  bill 
was  of  great  importance  to  the  counties  in  question.  He 
also  aided  in  the  passage  of  a  bill  for  the  amendment  of 
the  Charter  of  the  city  of  Hudson.  During  this  session, 
in  addition  to  other  legislative  work,  he  has  aided  in 
securing  the  locating  of  the  Insane  Asylum  at  the  city  of 
Poughkeepsie. 

Mr.  WiLBOR  is  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Poor 
Laws,  and  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  Internal 
Affairs  of  Towns  and  Counties,  Grievances,  Manufactures, 
and  Erection  and  Division  of  Towns  and  Counties.  He 
is  a  fine  old  gentleman  whose  face  is  always  lighted  by  a 
smile,  and  whose  heart  is  at  all  times  open  to  the  approach 
of  benevolence. 


STEPHEN    K.    WILLIAMS. 


Senator  Williams  was  born  in  Bennington,  Vermont, 
May  9th,  1819.  His  father,  Richaed  P.  Williams,  M.  D., 
immigrated  to  what  is  now  the  Village  of  Newark,  then 
new  and  unsettled,  in  Wayne  county,  New  York,  when 
the  subject  of  Our  sketch  was  four  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Williams  early  evinced  that  aptness  and  proficiency 
in  his  studies,  which  have  been  so  characteristic  of  him 
throughout  his  after  life.  During  his  boyhood  he  was 
studious  and  reserved,  reading  much,  particularly  history 
and  biography,  being  far  in  advance  of  most  boys  of  his 
age  in  his  studies.  For  this,  he  was  indebted  much  to  the 
kind  attentions  of  his  father,  who  taught  him  during  his 
evenings.  Owing  to  his  thorough  preparation  for  a  col- 
legiate course,  and  evident  maturity  of  qualification,  the 
faculty  of  Union  College  in  his  case  varied  the  rule  requir- 
ing the  applicant  for  admission  to  be  sixteen  years  old,  and, 
at  the  early  age  of  fifteen,  admitted  him  to  the  Sophomore 
Class,  with  which  he  steadily  advanced  until  he  graduated 
with  marked  distinction,  in  the  year  1837. 

After  a  few  months  travel  in  the  Eastern  and  Southern 
States,  having  chosen  the  profession  of  the  law,  he  com- 
menced the  study  of  it  in  the  office  of  Judge  Sherwood,  at 
Newark,  Wayne  county,  and  finally  completed  his  prepar- 
atory reading  in  the  office  of  the  Hon.  George  H.  Mid- 
DLETON,  late  of  Syracuse,  and  was  admitted  to  practice,  in 
the  year  1842.  He  at  once  entered  into  copartnership 
with  Judge  Middleton  ;  and  his  success  as  a  practitioner, 
was  marked  and  continous.  In  some  respects  his  first 
business  connection  was  a  fortunate  one.  Judge  Middle- 
ton,  was  a  man  of  much  more  than  ordinary  caliber ;  he 
was  a  thorough  scholar,  possessing  a  fine  judicial  mind, 


STEPHEN   K.    WILLIAMS.  165 

and  an  able  and  effective  advocate.  But  the  multi- 
farious and  confining  details  of  the  -office  business  were 
particularly  distasteful  to  him,  and  to  these,  from  necessity 
as  well  as  from  choice,  Mr.  Williams  applied  himself,  with 
tireless  energy.  With  such  zeal  and  earnestness  did  he 
prosecute  his  labor,  that  for  weeks  together,  all  through  his 
professional  life,  his  lamp  might  be  seen  burning  almost 
into  the  small  hours,  night  after  night,  thus  laying  the 
foundation  of  the  success  which  has  since  crowned  his 
professional  labors.  A  few  years  were  sufficient  to  make 
hiin  known  as  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  his  district. 

As  a  student  he  was  laborious,  indefatigable  ;  as  a  law- 
yer scrupulously  faithful  to  the  interests  of  his  clients,  and 
untiring  in  the  advocacy  of  their  claims ;  and  despising  the 
mere  trickery  by  which  too  many  of  the  profession  are 
willing  to  gain  temporary  forensic  triumphs,  heacquired, 
with  the  bench,  a  high  reputation  for  candor  and  frank- 
ness as  well  as  legal  attainments,  and  with  the  Bar,  the 
character  of  a  fair,  courteous  and  gentlemanly  prac- 
titioner Avhose  professional  reputation  was  a  guaranty 
against  chicanery. 

Mr.  Williams  has  always  been  an  earnest  and  a  consis- 
tent politician,  believing  in  human  progress  and  the  doc- 
trine of  the  equal  rights  of  all,  and  has  made  it  the  object 
of  some  of  his  leading  efforts,  to  advocate  the  extension 
of  equal  rights  to  all  races  and  conditions  of  men. 

He  has  always  devoted  himself  so  closely  to  his  profes- 
sion, as  to  prevent  all  thought  of  political  preferment  — 
having  held  but  one  public  office,  that  of  District  Attorney 
of  his  county  —  until  1863,  when  he  was  elected  Senator 
of  the  Twenty-fifth  District;  to  which  office  he  was 
reelected,  in  the  fall  of  1865,  by  a  majority  of  over  four 
thousand,  and  more  than  two  hundred  in  advance  of  his 
ticket.  Within  a  few  years,  he  has  several  times  been 
proposed  for  Congress,  from  his  district,  but  the  claims  of 


106  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

locality  taking  precedence,  the  nomination  went  to  Cayuga 
county. 

During  his  first  Senatorial  term,  he  Avas  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  the  Erection  and  Division  of  Towns  and 
Counties,  and  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  the  Manu- 
facture of  Salt,  was  second  on  the  Committee  on  Railroads, 
and  Grievances,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  debates 
on  all  public  questions. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Williams  was  a  delegate  to  the  Baltimore 
National  Convention,  which  renominated  Abraham  Lin- 
coln for  the  Presidency.  He  aided  in  the  admission  of 
the  Louisiana  delegates  into  that  convention,  whom  he 
regarded  as  entitled  to  representation  there,  as  they  had 
formed  a  loyal  constitution  and  a  loyal  government  which 
was  then  in  the  hands  of  loyal  men.  In  regard  to  his 
action  on  that  occasion,  the  New  Orleans  True  Delta,  then 
a  loyal  paper,  and  published  by  Hon.  William  R.  Fish, 
said: 

"  It  is  well  known  to  most  of  our  readers,  that  when  the  Louisiana 
delegation  presented  themselves  as  members  of  the  Baltimore  Con- 
vention, in  April  last,  there  was  considerable  opposition  to  their 
admission.  It  is  not  generally  known,  however,  how  that  opposi- 
tion was  overcome,  at  least,  on  the  part  of  the  New  York  delegates. 
Mr.  Williams,  a  member  from  that  State,  enjoying  the  confidence 
of  Mr.  Preston  King,  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Creden- 
tials, and  the  respect  and  good  will  of  all  the  other  members  who 
knew  him,  used  his  influence,  both  publicly  and  privately,  in  behalf 
of  the  admission  of  our  delegates ;  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  attrib- 
ute their  admission,  in  a  great  measure,  to  his  exertions.  This 
circumstance  forms  a  connecting  link  between  the  New  York  State 
Senator  and  the  citizens  of  Louisiana." 

He  has  always  been  an  earnest  and  effective  friend  of 
the  canals  of  this  State,  and  has  endeavored,  several  times, 
to  abolish  the  system  of  repairs  by  contract;  but  the 
strong  influences,  interested  in  preserving    the  present 


STEPHEN   K.   WILLIAMS.  167 

system,  have  thus  far  prevented  the  accomplishment  of  its 
repeal. 

In  the  Senate,  Mr.  Williams  has  been  a  firm  friend  of 
the  soldier.  In  1864,  he  introduced  a  bill  "for  the  relief 
of  the  families  of  volunteers  in  actual  service  in  the  army 
and  navy  of  the  United  States ;  "  supported  warmly  and 
efficiently  the  Constitutional  amendment,  giving  them  the 
right  to  vote  while  in  the  field ;  dedicated  his  services,  for 
several  months  each  year,  during  the  war,  to  the  promotion 
of  the  interests  of  volunteers,  and  gave  his  active  support 
to  bills  raising  bounties  for  soldiers.  He  is  Chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  State  Prisons,  and  second  on  the  Com- 
mittees on  Public  Buildings,  Manufacture  of  Salt,  and 
Railroads. 

Senator  Williams  is  a  ready  and  accomplished  debater, 
speaking  seldom  on  unimportant  questions,  but  On  issues 
of  importance,  always  taking  a  prominent  part. 


JOHN    J.    WOLCOTT 


Senator  Wolcott  is  a  native  of  Trenton,  Oneida 
county,  New  York.  He  was  born  June  20th,  1810.  His 
parents  were  of  English  descent,  and  removed  to  Oneida 
county,  from  Weathersfield,  Connecticut,  in  1 800.  Samuel 
WoLCOTT,  father  of  the  Senator,  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Oneida  county.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-two 
years,  in  a  community  which  grew  up  around  him,  and 
which  his  intelligence  and  exemplary  life  had  done  so 
much  to  improve.*   He  died  in  1857,  universally  regretted. 

Senator  Wolcott  received  such  education  as  the  times 
afforded,  in  the  common  schools  of  Oneida  county,  and  in 
the  Academies  of  that  part  of  the  State.  His  early  days 
were  spent  upon  his  father's  farm.  In  1831,  he  first 
engaged  in  commercial  j^ursuits,  in  his  native  town,  and 
in  1834,  remoA^ed  to  the  village  of  Fulton,  Oswego  county, 
where  he  has  since  been  successfully  engaged  in  commer- 
cial enterprises.  He  has,  at  all  times,  been  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  growth  of  the  village,  with  the  history  of 
which,  he  has  been  so  long  identified ;  and  he  has  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  it  rank  among  the  most  prosperous 
and  enterprising  of  the  State.  He  is  one  of  the  principal 
stockholders  in  what  was  the  Oswego  River  Bank, 
organized  in  1855,  and  of  which  he  was  elected  President. 
More  recently,  this  institution  has  passed  into  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Fulton,  with  Senator  Wolcott  contin- 
uing in  the  same  relation  as  its  presiding  officer. 

In  early  life,  Senator  Wolcott  was  a  Democrat,  but 
always  of  the  Radical  school.  It  was  not  in  his  nature  to 
tolerate  so  inconsistent  a  feature  in  our  institutions  as 
American  slavery.  As  a  Democrat,  he  was,  in  days  gone 
by,  of  the  Michael  Hoffman  and  Samuel  Young  school, 


JOHN   J.    WOLCOIT.  169 

and  became  an  active  "  Barn  Burner,"  in  the  days  when 
*' Hunkerism "  formed  the  other  extreme  of  the  Demo- 
cratic organization.  The  events  of  1848,  found  him 
ready  to  enter  into  the  "  Free  Soil "  movement.  In  the 
campaign  of  1848,  upon  the  "Buffalo  platform,"  he  was 
a  zealous  supporter  of  Van  Buren  and  Adams,  and 
did  much  toward  moulding  that  public  opinion  which 
resulted  in  a  sweeping  majority  against  General  Cass  in 
Oswego  county.  Extensively  and  most  favorably  known 
as  a  business  and  public  man,  his  taking  a  decided  and 
active  position  in  favor  of  "Free  Soil,  Free  Speech, 
a\id  Free  Men,"  had  a  great  influence  with  people  in  his 
section  of  the  country. 

For  many  years,  Oswego  county  had  been  considered 
among  the  most  reliably  Democratic  in  the  State.  It 
is  now  among  the  strongest  Rej^ublican  counties  of  the 
State.  This  liberal  sentiment  of  the  county  is  largely 
owing  to  many  men,  who,  like  Senator  "Wolcott,  refused 
to  follow  the  Democratic  party.  In  the  combinations  and 
compromises  between  "  Soft  Shell "  and  "  Hard  Shell " 
Democracy,  which  followed  the  canvass  of  1848,  Senator 
WoLCOTT  was  nominally  with  the  former,  but  he  was 
little  in  harmony  with  them,  and  repudiated  their  candi- 
dates, when  he  could  not  consistently  support  them. 
When  the  Republican  party  was  organized,  he  entered  it 
with  zeal ;  and  he  has  been  one  of  its  leading  members,  in 
his  own  county,  down  to  the  present.  In  1856,  he  was  a 
supporter  of  Fremont  and  Dayton,  as  he  was,  four  years 
later,  of  Lincoln  and  Hamlin,  and  still  later,  of  Lincoln 
and  Johnson.  During  the  war,  in  common  with  his  loyal 
fellow  citizens,  he  was  active  in  support  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  in  sending  and  supporting  men  in  its  defense. 

In  a  life  so  active  as  has  been  Senator  Wolcott's,  it 
could  not  well  be  otherwise  than  that  places  of  trust  and 
responsibility  would  be  offered  him.  In  every  situation, 
22 


170  LIFE   SE^ETCHES. 

his  services  have  been  marked  by  thoroughness  and  fidelity 
to  the  interests  of  the  masses.  In  every  issue  which  has 
arisen  between  the  laboring  classes,  on  the  one  hand,  and 
combinations  or  would-be  aristocracy  on  the  other.  Sen- 
ator WoLCOTT  has  always  been  with  the  people.  He  has 
ever  been  the  friend  of  the  laboring  men  and  mechanics,  in 
their  struggles  to  better  their  condition ;  and  there  are  few 
men  in  his  community  more  favorably  known  among  the 
farmers  with  whom  he  has  had  to  deal  through  so  many 
years.  He  was  early  elected  to  the  office  of  Town  Clerk, 
and  was  subsequently  Supervisor,  so  long  as  he  would  con- 
sent to  run.  He  was  Chairman  of  the  Board,  in  1854.  He 
was  frequently  Trustee  of  his  village,  and  was  twice  Presi- 
dent of  the  same.  In  1844,  he  was  Loan  Commissioner  of 
his  county.  In  1857,  the  present  Second  Assembly  District 
of  Oswego  county,  was  formed,  and  Mr.  Wolcott  was 
selected  as  the  first  candidate  for  member.  Although  the 
District  was  considered  to  be  a  close  one,  his  majority  was 
nearly  one  thousand. 

In  the  fall  of  1855,  he  was  nominated  in  county  Con- 
vention for  State  Senator,  Oswego  county  forming  the 
Twenty-first  Senatorial  District,  and  was  elected  by  a  large 
majority.  He  is  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Public 
Printing,  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Canals,  and  also 
on  Banks.  As  Chairman  of  the  Senate  Committee  on 
Public  Printing,  early  in  the  last  session,  he  made  a  report 
in  which  he  called  the  attention  of  the  Senate  to  the 
enormous  useless  expenditures  for  legislative  printing, 
made  by  previous  legislatures,  and  the  great  abuse  which 
had  grown  up  in  the  legislature  in  these  expenditures. 
He  recommended  that  the  Senate  should  be  liberal  in  its 
orders,  but  that  all  useless  and  extravagant  expenditures 
should  be  dispensed  with.  The  Committee  made  this 
recommendation  a  rule,  which  was  inflexibly  adhered  to  in 
their  reports,  and  the  Senate  sustained  its  Committee. 


BENJAMIN   WOOD.  I7l 

During  his  term  in  the  Senate,  Senator  Wolcott  has 
acquired  the  reputation  of  being  an  intelligent,  capable 
and  industrious  legislator.  He  is  a  man  of  good  sense  and 
sound  judgment.  In  the  ordinary  walks  of  life,  he  has 
always  been  distinguished  for  his  lively  interest  in  all  that 
tends  to  improve  society,  and  benefit  his  fellow  men.  He 
has  always  been  a  practical  and  active  temperance  man, 
and  has  devoted  his  attention  to  the  cause  of  education, 
having  for  years  freely  given  his  time  among  all  his  other 
engagements,  to  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  School  Dis- 
trict Trustee,  and  of  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  Falley  Seminary. 


BENJAMIN   WOOD 


Senator  Wood  was  born  at  Shelbyville,  Kentucky,  on 
the  13th  October,  1820.  The  first  among  his  paternal 
ancestors  whose  history  is  identified  with  this  country, 
was  Henry  Wood,  who  emigrated  from  Wales,  in  1616, 
and  settled  in  Massachusetts.  He  was  a  staunch  Quaker, 
and,  to  escape  the  persecutions  of  the  Puritans,  he  left  the 
colony,  and  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  where  now 
stands  Camden,  New  Jersey.  He  called  his  estate  "  Pea 
Shore,"  and  there  most  of  his  descendants  have  lived  and 
died.  This  Henry  Wood  was  the  great-grandfather  of 
Benjamin  Wood,  father  of  the  subject  of  the  present 
sketch.  Mr.  Wood's  maternal  ancestors  were  also  Quakers, 
and  attained  distinction,  both  in  Europe  and  America. 

Mr.  Wood  engaged  in  business,  at  an  early  age.  Before 
he  attained  his  fourteenth  year,  he  had  visited,  with  one 
exception,  all  the  States  of  the  Union,  and  had  made 
several  voyages  to  the  West  India  Islands,  and  Central 


172  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

America.  After  many  years  of  travel,  he  engaged  in 
business,  in  ISTew  York,  which  he  carried  on  successfully 
for  several  years ;  he  then  retired,  relinquishing  the  con- 
cern into  the  hands  of  his  partners.  In  May,  1860,  he 
purchased  the  New  York  Daily  News.  Under  his  man- 
agement, that  paper  soon  held  a  conspicuous  position  in 
the  arena  of  journalism.  It  was  suppressed  by  the  govern- 
ment, soon  after  the  outbreak  of  the  late  civil  war ;  but,  on 
the  18th  of  May,  1863,  its  publication  was  resumed,  and  it 
has  since  been  conducted  with  the  energy  and  enterprise 
that  are  distinguishing  characteristics  of  its  proprietor. 
The  Sunday  News,  recently  introduced  to  the  public,  has 
already  acquired  no  little  popularity. 

Mr.  Wood's  political  career  has  been  eventful  and  con- 
spicuous. During  the  last  Presidential  campaign,  he  was 
a  staunch  supporter  of  Douglas,  and  contributed  largely, 
from  his  time,  his  purse  and  energies,  to  assist  that  states- 
man's canvass.  He  was,  at  that  time,  a  member  of  the 
State  Central  Committee,  of  New  York,  and  as  such,  was 
chosen  Chairman  of  the  Select  Committee  appointed  to 
unite  the  Anti-Republican  elements  of  the  State.  He  was 
also  Chairman  of  the  Convention  of  Democratic  editors 
that  assembled  at  the  Astor  House,  in  1860.  The  same 
year,  Mr.  Wood  became  a  candidate  for  the  representation 
of  the  Third  Congressional  District,  of  New  York,  and  was 
elected  by  a  majority  of  six  hundred  and  thirty-two.  His 
speeches  in  Congress  have  occasioned  much  excitement 
and  comment,  in  consequence  of  their  bold  denunciation 
of  the  war.  On  the  11th  of  June,  1860,  Mr.  Bixgham,  of 
Ohio,  presented  a  preamble  and  resolution,  declaring  that 
information  had  been  received  by  the  government, 
that  Hon.  Benjamin  Wood,  a  member  of  the  House, 
from  New  York  city,  had  been  engaged  in  communicating, 
or  attempting  to  communicate,  important  intelligence  to 
the  rebels  in   arms  against  the  government,  and   direct- 


BENJAMIN   WOOD.  173 

ing  the  Judiciary  Committee  to  investigate  the  subject, 
and  report  upon  the  facts. 

Mr.  Wood  said :  "  I  hope  the  resolution  will  be  adopted ; 
and  I  also  desire  to  thank  the  government  for  giving  me 
what  they  have  denied  to  so  many  others,  namely,  an 
opportunity  to  be  heard."  The  reference  to  the  Committee 
Avas  made,  but  in  the  absence  of  any  creditable  evidence 
of  the  charge,  the  matter  was  quietly  dropped,  in  spite  of 
Mr.  Wood's  earnest  and  repeated  demands  for  a  full  inves- 
tigation. 

In  1862,  he  was  returned  to  Congress  by  an  overwhelm- 
ing majority,  thus  demonstrating  that  his  constituents 
approved  of  his  Congressional  course.  At  the  close  of  his 
term,  he  was  earnestly  requested  to  become  a  candidate 
for  the  third  time,  but  positively  refused.  However, 
at  the  solicitation  of  many  citizens,  he  consented  to  run 
for  the  Senate  of  this  State,  and  was  elected  by  a  large 
majority. 

Mr.  Wood  is  a  little  above  the  middle  height,  strongly 
but  not  rudely  built,  and  possesses  a  constitution  that  has 
thus  far  withstood  the  ordeal  of  a  life  of  intermingled 
labor  and  adventure.  His  eyes  are  of  a  quiet  blue ;  his 
countenance  pale,  animated  under  excitement,  but  with  a 
somewhat  mournful  and  fatigued  expression  in  repose. 
His  features,  and  especially  the  firm  lines  about  his  mouth, 
indicate  the  chief  traits  of  his  character,  self-will  and  deter- 
mination. Although  resolute  almost  to  stubbornness,  and 
quick  to  resent  insult  or  injury,  he  is  rather  gentle  and 
reserved  in  deportment.  He  has  many  political  enemies, 
and  but  few  personal  ones.  His  nature,  frank  and  out 
spoken  to  a  fault,  rather  conciliates  than  repels.  Sincerity 
is  an  attribute  that  even  his  political  foes  do  not  deny  him. 

Mr.  Wood  has  bestowed  much  time  and  attention  upon 
the  cultivation  of  his  farm  at  Manhasset.  This  includes 
a  garden  of  eleven  acres  ;  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world. 


114:  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

Some  impression  may  be  received  of  the  extraordinary- 
skill  and  labor  bestowed  upon  this  horticultural  paradise, 
by  the  fact  that  Mr.  Wood  has  carried  off  the  first  pre- 
miums for  flowers,  for  several  years  past,  in  competition 
with  the  magnificent  nurseries  of  Flushing. 


JAMES    TERWILLIGEK, 

CLERK    OF   THE    SENATE. 

Mr,  Terwilliger  is  a  native  of  New  Scotland,  Albany 
county,  New  York,  where  he  was  born  January  30th,  1825. 
He  is  of  Holland  and  Scotch  lineage.  In  the  year  1836, 
he  removed  to  the  town  of  T>e  Witt,  Onondaga  county ; 
and,  up  to  the  age  of  eighteen,  his  time  was  spent  in  work- 
ing on  the  farm,  and  obtaining  the  meager  education 
imparted  by  the  district  schools.  He  early  manifested 
a  great  love  for  books  and  newspapers.  He  seized  every- 
thing of  the  kind  which  came  in  his  way,  and  devoured 
the  contents  with  avidity.  His  tastes  were  more  particu- 
larly in  sympathy  with  works  of  a  political  nature,  and 
biographies  of  statesmen;  and  thus  his  thoughts  were 
turned  to  the  workings  of  political  machinery.  In  the 
mean  time,  until  he  was  twenty-six  years  old,  he  labored 
on  his  father's  farm,  familiarizing  himself  with  all  of  the 
weary  routine  of  agricultural  toil.  In  1851,  a  new  chap- 
ter was  opened,  in  his  life.  Laying  aside  the  implements 
of  manual  work,  he  invested  his  capital  in  journalism, 
and  became  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Syracuse  Daily 
Journal.  His  connection  with  that  newspaper,  continued 
until  1855,  when  he  was  appointed  Deputy  Clerk  of  the 
Assembly,  by  R.  U.  Shearman,  then  Clerk  of  the  House. 
In  1856,  he  received  the  appointment  of  Journal  Clerk  of 


JAMES  TEEWILLIGEE.  175 

the  Senate,  and  held  that  appointment  for  four  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time,  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Senate. 
Mr.  Terwilligee  has  since  been  three  times  elected  with- 
out opposition.  In  addition  to  this  post  of  honor  and 
responsibility,  he  has  held  others  of  similar  importance. 
In  fact,  the  past  eighteen  or  twenty  years  of  his  life  have 
been  more  or  less  employed  in  arranging  the  details  of 
either  county  or  State  campaigns,  and  in  supervising  the 
order  of  legislative  business.  Mr.  Teewilligee  was  chosen 
Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Onondaga  county,  in 
1849;  and,  from  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
in  1856,  to  the  year  1860,  he  was  Secretary  of  the  Onon- 
daga County  Republican  Committee,  when  he  was  elected 
Secretary  of  the  Republican  State  Committee.  He  con- 
ducted the  memorable  presidential  campaign  of  that  year, 
with  masterly  tact  and  acceptance,  and  originated  the 
plan  of  sending  speakers,  by  the  State  Committee,  into 
different  sections,  a  practice  now  so  generally  adopted. 
Mr.  Terwilligee  has  been  Secretary  or  Acting  Secretary 
of  the  Republican  Union  State  Committee,  ever  since, 
except  the  years  1862  and  '64.  In  the  canvass  of  1864, 
he  was  Acting  Secretary  of  the  National  Union  Executive 
Committee,  and  additionally  aided  the  State  Committee 
very  materially. 

When  the  lamented  Preston  King  was  appointed  Col- 
lector of  the  Port  of  New  York,  the  position  of  Private 
and  Confidential  Secretary  to  the  Collector  was  offered 
to  Mr.  Terwilligee,  without  any  solicitation  or  previous 
knowledge  of  the  matter,  on  his  part.  Induced  by  friend- 
ship for  Mr.  King,  he  accepted  the  place,  and  held  it  until 
the  appointment  of  the  present  Collector,  when  he  resigned. 

Mr.  Terwilliger's  familiarity  with  all  the  ramifications 
of  political  forces ;  his  very  large  acquaintance  with  the 
leaders  of  parties  in  this  State  and  the  country  at  large ; 
his  ready  comprehension  of  the  right  thing  in  the  right 


176  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

place,  render  his  services  almost  invaluable.  As  Clerk  of 
the  Senate,  he  is  a  master.  All  of  the  duties  attending 
that  post  are  as  familiar  to  him,  as  are  the  successions  of 
propositions  of  Euclid,  to  a  professor  in  college ;  and  his 
executive  abilities,  his  steady  application  to  the  rapid  dis- 
patch of  business,  and  his  almost  uninterrupted  attendance 
upon  the  sessions  of  the  Senate,  greatly  enhance  the  value 
of  his  services. 

There  is  no  bluster  in  his  composition.  The  calm  dignity 
of  the  perfect  gentleman  always  rests  upon  him,  and  the 
smile  of  good  nature  is  rarely  missed  from  his  face.  Mr 
Terwilliger  is  held  in  high  estimation  by  both  parties. 
At  the  close  of  each  term,  elegant  testimonials  have  been 
presented  to  him  by  the  Senators,  as  an  expression  of  their 
appreciation  of  his  ability  and  kindness. 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY. 


EDMUND    L.    PITTS, 

SPEAKER. 

Me.  Pitts  has  arisen  to  a  height  of  popularity  which  is 
seldom  attained  by  men,  at  so  early  an  age.  Long  before 
the  first  of  January,  the  Members  of  Assembly  began  to 
cast  around  for  candidates  for  the  Speakership  of  the 
House.  Names  of  men  long  identified  with  legislative 
action,  of  conceded  ability,  and  who  are  among  the  lead- 
ers of  the  Republican  party,  were  mentioned  as  being 
worthy  of  the  honor ;  but,  as  the  time  for  the  assembling 
of  the  Legislature  drew  near,  there  was  a  general  impres- 
sion that  Mr.  Pitts  would  be  the  gentleman  whom  the 
House  would  trust  to  carry  it  through  its  coming  session. 
Previous  to  the  Republican  caucus,  one  name  after 
another  was  dropped,  with  perfect  good  feeling,  and  Mr. 
Pitts  was  conceded,  with  unanimity,  to  be  the  candidate. 
On  the  assembling  of  the  caucus,  he  was  nominated  by 
acclamation.  Such  a  compliment,  however,  was  well 
bestowed,  and  was  in  accordance  with  public  sentiment. 
He  is  a  firm  adherent  to  the  Republican  party;  he  has 
never  had  any  affiliation  with  frauds  and  corrupt  measures ; 
and  his  great  aim  has  been  to  fight  down  schemes  for 
plunder,  and  to  maintain  principles  of  right,  irrespective 
of  men.  If  he  has  personal  ambitions,  as  it  is  natural  he 
should  have,  he  makes  them  subservient  to  the  general 
23 


178  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

welfare;  and,  anxious  to  discharge  his  complicated  and 
delicate  duties  in  a  way  which  shall  do  justice  to  all,  Mr. 
Pitts  has  thus  far  elicited  commendation  from  both  parties. 
Mr.  Pitts  is  a  native  of  Yates,  Orleans  county,  New 
York.  He  is  not  yet  twenty-eight  years  of  age ;  but  he 
has  a  maturity  of  mind  which  is  rarely  found  in  one  so 
young.  When  a  lad,  he  attended  the  academies  in  the 
vicinity  of  his  home,  and  was  considered  to  be  a  remark- 
ably brilliant  scholar.  A  desire  sprang  up  in  his  mind  to 
go  through  college ;  and,  therefore,  the  jnysteries  of  amo- 
as-at  and  honus-a-um  were  in  due  time  mastered,  the 
classics  and  mathematics  duly  conned,  and,  after  a  time, 
the  boy  found  himself  prepared  for  the  Sophomore  year 
in  college.  During  these  terms  of  study,  he  had  an 
able  instructor  and  a  i^eliable  friend.  Professor  Charles 
Fairman^,  now  Principal  of  the  Medina  Academy,  of 
whom  he  speaks  in  warm  terms  of  gratitude.  When  Mr. 
Pitts  was  fifteen,  he  carried  off  the  first  prize  for  declama- 
tion at  a  public  exhibition,  and,  from  our  knowledge  of 
him,  he  has  not  yet  relaxed  his  study  in  that  direction. 
But  the  question  of  a  collegiate  course  was  abandoned, 
because  his  father,  though  now  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances, was  then  scarcely  prepared  to  take  the  responsi- 
bility of  meeting  the  bills  which  would  have  to  be 
incurred.  In  the  year  1859,  Mr.  Pitts  attended  the  Law 
School  at  Poughkeepsie,  and  then  read  law  with  Hon.  San- 
roRD  E.  Church,  at  Albion.  Such  was  the  rapidity  of 
his  progress,  he  was  admitted  to  practice,  in  1860,  about 
fifteen  months  after  he  began  the  study  of  his  profession. 
In  the  autumn  of  1860,  he  entered  into  a  partnership  with 
Adna  Bowen",  Esq.,  which  has  continued  ever  since. 
Confidence  was  had  in  his  legal  acumen  ;  men  trusted  the 
firm  with  cases  of  importance,  and  found  that  they  were 
skillfully  managed ;  and  what  was,  at  one  time,  a  promis- 
ing beginning,  has  ripened  into  a  steady  success. 


EDMUND   L.    PITTS.  179 

When  Mr.  Pitts  was  nineteen,  he  was  a  Douglas 
Democrat,  and  made  campaign  speeches  in  favor  of  that 
wing  of  the  Democracy;  but  when  he  began  to  studiously 
weigh  the  doctrines  which  he  was  promulgating,  he 
became  convinced  of  their  sophistry,  and  discarded  them 
altogether.  His  first  vote,  he  is  proud  to  say,  was  cast 
for  Abraham  Lincoln;  and  every  campaign  since  he 
was  of  age,  has  found  him  advocating,  from  the  forum, 
almost  daily  and  nightly,  the  enduring  principles  of  his 
party.  In  1862,  in  convention,  Mr.  Pitts,  without  any 
thought  that  he  was  even  remotely  dreamed  of  for  a  can- . 
didate  to  the  office,  came  within  one  vote  of  the  nomination 
for  Member  of  Assembly;  two  years  after,  however,  he 
was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  and  has  continued  to  repre- 
sent his  district  ever  since.  While  carefully  watching  and 
urging  the  local  interests  of  his  constituents,  he  has  boldly 
battled  against  the  "New  York  ring,"  and  has  never 
hesitated  to  attack  the  strongholds  of  corruption,  or  to 
tear  away  the  flimsy  gauze  of  trickery.  Last  session,  he 
introduced  a  very  important  amendment  into  the  New 
York  tax  levy,  which  met  with  obstinate  resistance  from 
certain  parties ;  and  yet,  if  we  mistake  not,  the  recent 
decision  of  Judge  Barnard,  in  relation  to  the  notorious 
gas  contract  swindle,  turned  upon  that  very  amendment 
which  was  finally  fought  through  by  Mr.  Pitts.  He  is 
regarded  with  confidence  by  many  of  the  best  men  of 
New  York  city,  who  recognize  in  him  the  exponent 
of  unselfish  motives,  and  the  staunch  friend  of  their 
municipality.  In  the  Assembly  of  1866,  he  was  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Privileges  and  Elections,  and  was  a 
Member  of  the  Committee  on  the  Affairs  of  Cities. 

In  stature,  Mr.  Pitts  is  five  feet  and  four  inches.  He 
sometimes  facetiously  remarks  that  his  friends  call  him 
five  feet  only,  but  that  he  is  determined  to  have  the  benefit 
of  the  fraction  over.    He  has  a  pleasant  face,  which  is 


180  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

full  of  animation  and  character,  and  a  voice  which  is  deci- 
sive in  tone  when  he  is  in  earnest,  but  sweeping  when  he 
is  denunciatory. 

Mr.  Pitts,  as  Speaker  of  the  Assembly,  is  distinguished 
for  his  ready  perceptions,  his  intimate  knowledge  of  par- 
liamentary law,  acquired  by  long  familiarity  with  legisla- 
tion, and  his  speedy  dispatch  of  business.  He  is  uniformly 
courteous,  but  self-reliant;  and  in  referring  bills  to  the 
various  committees — an  act  which  requires  discretion — 
he  seldom  makes  mistakes. 


ORNON    ARCHER 


Mr.  Archer  was  born  in  Granville,  Washington 
county.  New  York,  October  1st,  1814.  At  the  age  of 
ten  years,  he  commenced  attending  school  at  Granville 
Academy,  and  continued  in  that  institution  nearly  seven 
years,  a  large  portion  of  which  time.  Rev.  Salem  Towsr, 
LL.  D.,  was  Principal.  In  1831,  he  entered  Williams 
College,  and  graduated  in  1835.  His  standing  in  his  class 
was  good  —  excelling  in  languages,  but  indifferent  in 
mathematics.  After  securing  his  diploma,  he  opened  a 
select  school  in  Utica,  where  he  remained  one  year ;  he 
then  removed  to  Romeo,  Michigan,  and  took  charge  of 
the  Romeo  Academy,  then  just  opened.  In  1838,  he  was 
a  candidate  for  member  of  the  lower  branch  of  the  Legis- 
lature in  that  State,  but  was  defeated  with  the  rest  of 
his  ticket  (Whig) ;  Macomb  county  then  being  strongly 
Democratic. 

Mr.  Archer  returned  to  New  York,  in  1839,  and  took 
charge  of  Marion  Academy,  and  continued  to  be  its 
Principal  for   nearly   six    years.      In   1845,  he   removed 


ORNOIT  ARCHER-.  181 

to  Walworth  (also  in  Wayne  county),  and  was  Principal 
of  Walworth  Academy  about  two  years.  He  was  nomi- 
nated in  1844,  by  the  Whig  party,  for  member  of  Assem- 
bly, but  was  defeated,  although  running  considerably 
ahead  of  his  ticket.  In  1846,  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Convention  to  revise  the  Constitution  of  the  State, 
and  bore  a  prominent  part  in  the  deliberations  of  that 
body.  Three  years  afterward,  he  served  as  Deputy  Clerk 
of  the  Assembly,  under  Philander  B.  Prindle.  After 
the  close  of  the  session,  he  was  employed  in  the  office 
of  the  Secretary  of  State,  arranging  the  documents 
appertaining  to  the  Colonial  History  of  the  State,  and 
transcribing  such  portions  as  were  selected  for  publication. 
In  1851,  '52,  and  in  1855,  '56,  Mr.  Archer  served  as 
Deputy  Clerk  in  the  Assembly,  under  Richard  U.  Shear- 
man, Clerk.  He  was  appointed  Assistant  Assessor  of 
Internal  Revenue,  in  1862,  which  office  he  held  until 
nominated  for  the  Assembly,  in  September,  1866,  when 
he  resigned. 

Mr.  Archer  was  educated  in  the  old  Whig  faith,  and 
was,  from  the  origin  of  that  party,  a  zealous  defender  of 
its  principles.  He  voted  for  Harrison  in  1840,  for  Clay 
in  1844,  for  Taylor  in  1848,  for  Scott  in  1852,  for 
Fremont  in  1856,  and  for  Lincoln  in  1860  and  '64.  He 
was  always  a  decided  opponent  to  Slavery  —  an  Aboli- 
tionist in  fact  —  but  he  never  was  drawn  from  his  party 
allegiance,  as  many  of  that  class  were.  Mr.  Archer  has 
frequently  been  engaged  in  political  canvasses,  speaking 
not  only  in  his  own  county,  but  often  in  other  parts  of 
the  State.  He  has  been  repeatedly  Delegate  to  State 
Conventions,  and  was  a  member  of  that  Convention  in 
1854,  which  first  organized  the  Republican  party.  In 
1850,  Mr.  Archer  was  admitted  to  the  Bar,  and  has  since 
then,  when  not  engaged  in  official  duties,  practiced  law. 
His  majority  in  the  District  for  member  of  Assembly,  in 


182  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

the  late  election,  was  1,162,  which  was  300  larger  than 
any  member  ever  before  received. 

He  is  a  gentleman  of  peculiar  talents.  His  long 
experience  as  an  educator  has  done  much  toward  develop- 
ing his  analytical  powers,  and  his  participation  in  politi- 
cal contests  has  given  him  an  adroit  skill  which  is  highly 
essential  to  a  legislator. 


JOHN    G.    BAKER. 


Mr.  Baker  is  the  representative  of  the  Third  District 
of  the  county  of  Ulster.  He  is  a  descendant  of  patriotic 
ancestry,  his  father  having  been  a  soldier  in  the  American 
army,  during  the  Revolutionary  war.  He  is  a  native  of 
Greene  county,  New  York,  is  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and 
is  thirty-two  years  of  age.  Mr.  Baker  was  educated  in 
the  common  school,  and  at  the  Greenville  Academy.  He 
was  a  teacher,  for  several  terms ;  but  his  father  becoming 
infirm,  he  returned  home,  and  took  charge  of  the  farm. 
He  had  a  taste  for  agriculture,  and  was  very  observant  in 
his  practical  farming.  His  mind  was  not  satisfied  with 
simply  knowing  that  seed  must  be  put  into  the  ground  in 
order  to  germinate ;  but  he  went  further,  in  his  observa- 
tions and  inquiries,  and  sought  the  best  methods  for  pro- 
moting the  growth  of  his  various  products.  Having  read 
the  best  agricultural  papers,  he  acted  upon  many  of  the 
suggestions  which  he  found  in  them,  and  tested  their 
validity  by  his  own  observation.  In  this  way,  he  accumu- 
lated a  fund  of  information,  upon  which  he  afterward  drew 
to  advantage.  In  1860,  a  new  field  of  action  was  opened 
which  he  immediately  occupied.  Laying  aside  the  farmer's 
implements,  he  went  to  the  city  of  New  York,  and,  for 


STEPHEN  BAKER.  183 

some  time,  was  one  of  the  publishers  of  the  Practical  Far- 
mer and  Scientific  Gardener,  a  valuable  paper,  in  its  sphere. 
Mr.  Baker  was  formerly  a  "  Know-Nothing,"  and,  as 
such,  voted  for  Millard  Fillmore  for  the  presidency. 
But  he  soon  left  the  party,  and  united  with  the  Democracy, 
with  which  he  has  ever  since  cast  his  political  fortunes. 
This  is  his  first  experience  in  legislative  action.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Committee  on  Agriculture ;  and  his  already 
acquired  knowledge  of  farming  will  be  of  value  to  him  in 
the  consideration  of  questions  which  may  arise  while  he  is 
acting  in  that  capacity.  He  is  a  very  quiet  member,  is 
punctual  in  his  attendance,  and  is  an  attentive  observer  of 
the  proceedings  of  the  House. 


STEPHEN    BAKEE. 


Mr.  Baker's  life  has  been  chequered  with  dashing 
adventures,  which,  if  narrated  in  detail  would  form  an 
interesting  volume.  We  can,  however,  but  simply  allude 
to  the  salient  points  which  we  have  been  able  to  gather, 
now  and  then,  in  hasty  snatches  of  conversation.  Mr. 
Baker  was  born  of  American  parentage,  in  the  town  of 
Southeast,  Putnam  county.  New  York,  December  31st, 
1835,  and  received  a  moderate  common  school  education. 
At  the  age  of  twenty,  wishing  to  see  something  of  frontier 
life,  he  went  to  Kansas,  at  the  close  of  the  civil  strife  in 
that  region,  and  engaged  in  the  transportation  business 
between  Omaha  and  Fort  Kearney.  In  1858,  when  the 
gold  mines  of  Colorado  were  discovered,  he  was  one  of 
the  first  white  men  who  explored  South  Park,  and  Pike's 
Peak,  traversing  the  south  fork  of  the  Platte  river,  and 
leaving  their  names  on  the  bleached  skulls  of  buffaloes,  as 


184  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

guide-blocks  for  those  who  might  follow  after.  During 
this  expedition,  he  participated  in  many  thrilling  scenes, 
both  in  camp  and  on  the  march,  and  beheld  some  of  the 
grandest  scenery  on  the  continent.  Of  course  privations 
had  to  be  endured ;  but  they  were  over-balanced  by  the 
fascinations  which  always  hover  over  an  unexplored  region. 
In  the  spring  of  1859,  Mr.  Baker  joined  in  a  war  against 
the  Utahs,  near  the  head  waters  of  Clear  Creek,  and  thus 
became  familiar  with  the  customs  of  Indian  warfare.  His 
venturesome  spirit  led  him  into  the  midst  of  many  exciting 
dangers,  from  which  he  escaped  as  by  a  charmed  existence. 
After  varied  experiences  among  the  Camanches,  Sioux, 
Black  Feet,  Pawnees,  Omahas,  and  other  Indian  tribes,  he 
returned  to  his  native  State,  and  in  August,  1862,  entered 
the  service  of  the  United  States  as  First  Lieutenant  in  the 
6th  New  York  Artillery.  July  5th,  1863,  he  was  attached 
to  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  near  South  Mountain,  partici- 
pating in  the  battles  of  Wapping  Heights  and  Mine  Run, 
the  latter  of  which  was  terribly  sanguinary.  In  the  month 
of  November,  1863,  he  was  promoted  to  Captain,  on 
account  of  his  bravery  on  the  field.  Remaining  with  his 
regiment,  he  took  part  in  the  battles  of  the  Wilderness, 
Spottsylvania,  North  Anna,  Bethesda  Church,  Coal  Harbor 
and  Petersburgh.  Captain  Baker  was  ordered  to  Wash- 
ington, in  August,  1864,  and  was  transferred  to  the  Middle 
Department  under  General  Sheridan.  After  the  battle  of 
Cedar  Creek,  he  was  promoted  to  Major,  and  ordered  to 
the  Army  of  the  James.  For  gallantry  in  an  important 
engagement  with  some  of  the  enemy's  iron-clads,  he  was 
commissioned  Lieutenant-Colonel.  It  was  his  privilege  to 
be  engaged  in  the  final  rout  of  the  Rebel  army,  which  was 
the  crowning  triumph  of  our  arms.  After  his  regiment 
was  mustered  out,  he  was  retained  in  the  service,  to  aid 
in  consolidating  the  remaining  battalions  of  the  6th,  10th, 
and  13th  Regiments  of  Heavy  Artillery,  and,  with  the 


HORATIO    BALLAKD.  185 

consolidated  regiment,  was  placed  in  command  of  Peters- 
burgh.  His  signal  bravery  was  again  rewarded,  in  July, 
1865,  by  a  promotion  to  the  rank. of  Colonel.  He  was 
mustered  out  of  service  in  the  following  September. 

Colonel  Baker  ably  represented  Putnam  county  in  the 
Legislature,  in  1806,  as  a  Union  Republican,  and,  therefore, 
has  had  experience  in  legislation. 


HORATIO    BALLARD. 


Mr.  Ballard  is  a  gentleman  of  affability  and  urbanity. 
His  past  political  experience,  his  wide  acquaintance  with 
men,  and  his  legal  attainments,  are  points  of  no  insignifi- 
cant importance  to  a  member  of  the  Legislature.  He  is 
nearly  sixty-four  years  old ;  therefore,  with  other  legisla- 
tive capacities,  he  brings  with  him  ripe  judgment  and 
settled  opinions. 

His  father,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  was  among  the 
early  settlers  of  the  town  of  Homer,  New  York,  and  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Cortland  Academy.  He  held 
various  county  offices,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Legis- 
lature. 

Mr.  Ballard  received  his  education  at  the  Pompey  and 
the  Cortland  Academy.  He  commenced  his  legal  studies 
with  Judge  Stephens,  and  finished  them  with  Judge 
Jewett.  In  1828,  he  was  admitted  as  Attorney  to  tlie 
Supreme  Court,  and,  three  years  subsequently,  as  Coun- 
selor. He  formed  a  law  partnership  with  Judge  Ste- 
phens, and  soon  ranked  among  the  leading  lawyers  in  his 
Judicial  District.  He  accepted  the  appointment  of  District 
Attorney,  in  1841,  and  held  it  for  a  number  of  years,  dis- 
charging his  duties  in  a  manner  acceptable  to  the  public. 
24 


186  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

In  1848,  he  was  the  candidate  of  the  Barn  Burner  Democ- 
racy, for  Congress ;  but  his  district  having  heavy  Whig 
majorities  against  the  Democrats,  he  was  not  elected ; 
and,  in  1859,  having  been  nominated  for  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  for  the  Sixth  Judicial  District,  he  was 
defeated  by  the  same  causes. 

On  the  reception  of  the  news  of  the  slaughter  of  some  of 
the  soldiers  of  a  Massachusetts  regiment  in  the  streets 
of  Baltimore,  in  April,  1861,  a  very  enthusiastic  war 
meeting  was  held  at  the  Court  House  in  Cortland  county, 
over  which  Mr.  Ballaed  presided.  He  had  drawn  his 
conclusions  as  to  what  should  be  his  future  course  in  rela- 
tion to  the  war.  Recognizing  but  one  line  of  policy, 
which  seemed  to  him  correct,  he  laid  aside  his  former  party 
ties,  and  united  with  the  Union  organization.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1861,  he  was  spontaneously  nominated,  by  the  Union 
Convention,  for  Secretary  of  State.  That  was  a  time 
when  men  forgot  all  mercenary  and  petty  motives,  in  the 
great  desire  to  express  their  condemnation  of  the  faithless- 
ness of  the  South ;  and,  while  our  heroes  were  baring  their 
breasts  to  the  conflict,  all  along  the  lines,  the  voice  of  the 
people,  at  the  North,  thundered  out  their  protest  against 
the  sophistry  of  secession.  The  Empire  State  gave  no 
uncertain  expression  on  that  occasion.  Mr.  Ballard's 
majority  was  107,712.  He  discharged  the  duties  of  Secre- 
tary of  State  with  carefulness  and  ability,  and  retired  from 
office  with  the  reputation  of  being  a  consistent  State 
officer. 

In  the  recent  campaign,  in  the  county  of  Cortland, 
without  solicitation  on  his  part,  and  indeed,  without  his 
expectation,  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  the 
Assembly,  on  the  Union  ticket,  and  elected  by  a  large 
majority,  running  ahead  of  his  ticket. 

His  wife  and  three  children  compose  his  present  house- 
hold.    One  of  his  sons  served  as  First  Lieutenant  in  the 


SAMUEL   M.    BARKER.  187 

Union  army,  from  1862,  until  near  the  close  of  1864,  when 
he  fell  a  victim  to  disease,  and  the  brave  fellow,  whom  the 
bullets  of  the  rebels  failed  to  kill,  was  buried,  none 
the  less  a  hero  than  if  he  had  fallen  at  the  cannon's  throat. 
Thus  the  father  feels  that  his  own  loyalty  has  been  conse- 
crated, as  indeed  has  that  of  many  others,  by  the  sacrifice 
which  he  has  made.  His  eldest  daughter  married  Hon. 
Wm.  H.  Robertson,  who  is  member  of  Congress  from  the 
Tenth  Congressional  District. 

Mr.  Ballard  takes  an  interest  in  the  cause  of  education. 
He  is  now  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Cort- 
landville  Academy  —  one  of  the  flourishing  institutions  in 
this  State ;  and,  last  fall,  he  was  instrumental  in  procuring 
the  location  of  one  of  the  State  Normal  Schools,  in  Cort- 
land Village.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Judiciary  Committee, 
and  of  the  Committee  on  Colleges,  Academi€S  and  Schools. 


SAMUEL    M.    BARKER 


As  early  as  the  year  1850,  Mr.  Barker  was  known  to 
the  people  of  his  county  as  an  influential  and  competent 
worker  in  politics.  He  is  one  of  those  men  who  are  satis- 
fied to  use  their  energies  for  the  common  good,  without 
continually  looking  out  for  the  "loaves  and  fishes." 
Therefore,  though  he  might  have  been  elevated  to  oflicial 
positions,  if  he  had  been  disposed  to  urge  his  claims,  he 
held  no  office  until  the  year  1865,  when  he  was  elected  by 
the  Republicans  of  his  county  to  represent  them  in  the 
Lower  House  of  the  Legislature.  During  that  term,  he 
elicited  the  approbation  of  his  constituents,  as  well  as  that 
of  his  colleagues,  by  his  plain,  straightforward  manner. 
In  1866,  Mr.  Barker  was  again  unanimously  nominated 


188  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

for  a  reelection.  At  this  juncture,  there  arose  an  unfor- 
tunate split  in  the  party,  which  was  accomplished  by 
stragglers  and  disaffected  Republicans,  and  which  resulted 
in  the  running  of  a  third  candidate,  in  addition  to  the 
regular  opposition.  In  this  campaign,  Mr.  Barker's 
popularity  was  displayed  to  most  excellent  advantage; 
his  labors  for  the  party  were  almost  unremitting ;  and  the 
success  of  the  State  ticket  of  1866,  in  Schuyler  county, 
owes  much  to  his  strenuous  persistency. 

Mr.  Barker  is  the  eldest  son  of  Joseph  Barker,  a  highly 
respectable  farmer  residing  in  the  town  of  Hector,  Schuyler 
county,  N"ew  York.  He  was  born  on  the  14th  day  of 
August,  1827.  Like  most  boys  in  his  neighborhood,  at  that 
time,  he  had  the  advantages  of  the  district  school,  which, 
though  within  the  reach  of  almost  every  one,  were,  as 
everybody  is  aware,  of  a  very  limited  character.  The 
common  school  was  in  those  days,  and  indeed  now  is,  a 
decidedly  primitive  affair,  in  many  of  the  rural  districts. 
The  cities  and  large  villages  have  become  awakened  in 
relation  to  the  necessities  of  the  present  generation ;  but 
the  boy  who  can  blunder  through  some  of  our  district 
schools,  and  have  an  aspiration  beyond  the  height  of  the 
dingy  ceiling  above  his  desk,  is  worthy  of  a  place  in 
Westminster.  "When,  however,  Mr.  Barker  advanced  to 
the  age  of  seventeen  or  eighteen,  he  became  a  pupil  in  the 
select  school  of  John  A.  Gillett,  A.  M.,  at  Peach 
Orchard,  situated  on  the  east  bank  of  Seneca  Lake. 
While  there,  he  made  good  progress  in  his  studies,  and 
improved  his  opportunities  perhaps  as  well  as  the  majority 
of  his  schoolfellows ;  but  he  did  not  evince  a  decided  taste 
for  the  classics  and  literature,  his  mind  being  more 
inclined  to  business  and  the  active  pursuits  of  life.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-seven,  he  began  farming,  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  homestead,  and  has  pursued  that  calling 
ever  since.     In  combination  with  his  agricultural  occu- 


SAMUEL   M.   BARKER.  189 

pation,  Mr.  Barker  has  dealt  largely  in  live  stock  and 
wool,  and  recently  has  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
mowing  machines  —  a  business  which  has  gradually 
become  extensive  and  profitable.  He  most  emphatically 
opposes  any  appropriations  for  corporations,  on  the 
ground  that  the  present  indebtedness  of  the  State  is 
already  large  enough ;  and  the  fact  that  he  voted  against 
every  bill  afterward  vetoed  by  the  Governor,  is  worthy 
of  mention.  In  relation  to  our  national  politics,  Mr. 
Barker  has  never  had  any  sympathy  with  that  which  is 
hostile  to  equal  rights;  but  he  has  always  acted  with 
those  impelling  forces  which  pulse  the  country  forward. 
To  this  end,  he  worked  zealously,  in  the  time  of  war, 
expending  his  means,  and  devoting  his  time,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  filling  up  the  ranks  of  our  armies. 

He  is  a  perfect  gentleman  in  his  demeanor,  generous  in 
his  impulses,  and  upright  in  principle.  Probably  no  man 
in  the  House  has  more  warm  friends  than  he ;  and  unques- 
tionably no  Member  is  more  highly  regarded. 


OLIVER    A.    BARSTOW 


Mr.  Baestow  is  a  fine  old  gentleman  of  friendly  -ways, 
who  is  quiet  in  his  demeanor  and  honest  in  his  purposes. 
He  is  plainly  a  thinking  man,  though  of  few  words,  and, 
when  convinced  of  the  justice  of  a  measure,  his  mind 
is  not  easily  shaken  in  its  conclusions.  His  ancestors 
came  from  England,  in  1635,  and  settled  in  Hanover, 
Massachusetts;  they  were,  for  several  generations,  sea- 
faring men  and  ship-builders.  He  was  born  in  Great 
Barrington,  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1809.  He  is  the  youngest  child  of  Doctor  Samuel 
Barstow,  a  gentleman  of  excellent  talents,  who  was 
reputed  a  skillful  physician,  and  was  held  in  high  esteem 
in  the  political  circles  of  Massachusetts.  At  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1812,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Senate  of  his  State. 

Oliver  A.  Barstow  remained  with  his  mother,  acquir- 
ino:  such  education  as  could  be  obtained  in  the  common 
schools,  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age.  In  the  mean 
time,  he  had  not  only  gathered  to  himself  quite  a  fund  of 
knowledge,  but  he  had  also  been  favored  with  all  of  those 
pure  influences  which  pervade  a  home  presided  over  by  a 
mother.  In  1825,  he  became  a  member  of  the  family  of 
his  uncle,  the  Hon.  Gamaliel  H.  Barstow,  of  Nichols, 
Tioga  county,  New  York,  who  was  then  Treasurer  of  this 
State,  and  who  had  previously  been  a  member  of  both 
branches  of  the  Legislature,  and  First  Judge  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  of  Tioga  county.  In  passing,  it  is 
due  to  Judge  Barstow's  memory,  to  say  that,  as  State 
Treasurer,  he  bore  a  spotless  official  record.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  him  with  reference  to  every  office  which 
he  ever  held.    His  election  to  Congress,  in  1830,  was  an 


OLIVER   A.    BAESTOW.  191 

honor  well  bestowed,  and  his  intimate  acquaintance  with 
political  reminiscences,  rendered  valuable  aid  to  Mr.  Ham- 
mond in  the  preparation  of  the  Political  History  of  New 
York.  Young  Oliver  remained  in  his  uncle's  family 
until  he  was  twenty-one.  It  is  to  be  supposed  that  his 
character  was  shaped  by  his  surroundings,  for  his  uncle's 
frugality,  sound  practical  sense,  and  eminent  honors,  must 
have  have  had  their  weight  upon  the  young  man;  and 
these  things,  coupled  with  the  trainings  of  his  earlier 
days,  left  a  lasting  impression  on  his  memory.  In  1830, 
he  went  to  the  "Western  States,  and  found  employment  as 
clerk  on  some  of  the  river  steamboats.  But  he  remained 
in  the  west  only  a  year  or  two,  and  then  returned  to 
Tioga  county  and  went  into  business.  His  life  has  been 
industrious  and  laborious,  his  attention  being  directed  to 
merchandising,  lumbering  and  agriculture.  In  whatever 
undertaking  Mr.  Barstow  has  embarked,  he  has  put  his 
own  hand  to  the  oar,  and  weathered  storms  which  would 
have  made  more  timid  natures  shrink. 

Politically,  he  was,  in  past  years,  a  Whig,  but  ever 
since  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  he  has 
uniformly  acted  with  it.  He  has  been  Supervisor  of  the 
town  of  Nichols,  several  years,  and,  for  the  last  twenty- 
three  years,  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace.  In  his  elec- 
tion to  the  Legislature  of  the  present  year,  he  received 
twelve  hundred  majority  over  his  opponent,  Daniel  D. 
McDowell.  Mr.  Barstow  is  a  member  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Canals,  in  which  capacity  we  believe  he  will  be 
of  material  benefit  to  the  State. 


WILSON  BEERYMAN. 


Mr.  BERRYMAisr  was  born  in  County  Derry,  Ireland, 
October  21,  1841.  His  ancestors  were  Scotch.  He  emi- 
grated to  New  York,  in  October,  1856.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  in  New  York  city,  and,  in  1857,  entered 
the  College  of  the  city  of  New  York,  then  known  as  the 
New  York  Free  Academy,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1862,  receiving  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  and,  in  1865,  the 
degree  of  A.  M. 

Mr.  Berryman"  was  mustered  into  the  military  service 
of  the  United  States,  in  March,  1864,  as  a  First  Lieutenant 
in  the  3 2d  United  States  Colored  Troops.  He  served 
with  the  regiment,  in  South  Carolina,  until  mustered  out 
of  the  service,  in  August,  1865.  A  portion  of  this  period 
he  served  as  Assistant  Provost  Marshal  of  the  district  of 
Hilton  Head,  and,  subsequently,  as  Assistant  Adjutant- 
General  of  the  district  of  Beaufort.  He  was  with  the 
regiment  in  the  battles  of  Honey  Hill,  South  Carolina, 
November  30,  1864,  Pocotaligo,  December  7,  1864,  and 
James  Island,  February  10,  1865,  and  in  all  the  various 
raids  and  skirmishes  in  which  the  regjiment  was  ensfas-ed, 
including  the  expedition  of  General  E.  E.  Potter,  through 
South  Carolina,  in  March  and  April,  1865,  which  extended 
as  far  as  Camden. 

Mr.  Berryma:n-  is  a  Civil  Engineer  by  profession,  and 
resides  at  No.  315  West  43d  street.  New  York.  He  is  a 
Republican. 

He  was  a  Member  of  Assembly  in  1866,  having  been 
elected  for  the  Thirteenth  Assembly  District  of  New  York 
city,  and  took  an  active  part,  in  the  Legislature  of  that 
session  in  all  measures  relating  to  the  city  of  New  York. 


RICHMOND    BIG  KNELL. 


In  point  of  years,  Mr.  Bicknell  ranks  among  the 
younger  members  of  the  House.  He  has  a  face  which  is 
full  of  manly  character,  and  a  mind  of  fine  culture. 
There  is  no  pomposity  in  his  mental  composition;  he 
approaches  no  man  with  a  "flourish  of  trumpets,"  and 
transparencies  covered  with  inscriptions  of  "Ego;"  nor 
does  he  display  an  inanity  which  shows  a  lack  of  force 
and  individuality ;  but  he  impresses  one  with  the  idea  of 
a  modest  determination  which  is  not  easily  swerved  by 
opposition  and  temptation. 

Mr.  Bicknell's  native  place  is  the  town  of  Stockholm, 
St.  Lawrence  county.  New  York,  in  which  he  was  born, 
on  the  1st  of  August,  1837.  His  father,  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  that  town,  and  one  of  its  highly  respected  citi- 
zens, still  survives.  He  brought  up  his  son  Richmond  to 
labor,  in  his  youthful  days,  on  the  farm,  believing  that, 
whatever  avocation  he  might  choose  when  he  reached  the 
years  of  maturity,  the  physical  development  resulting 
from  manual  work,  and  the  invigoration  of  out-door  exer- 
cise, would  be  highly  important  in  laying  the  foundation 
for  physical  endurance. 

In  addition  to  Mr.  Bicknell's  common  school  advan- 
tages, he  received  instruction,  for  a  couple  of  terms,  at  the 
St.  Lawrence  Academy,  situated  in  Potsdam;  but  his 
education  has  been,  to  a  considerable  extent,  self-acquired. 
When  twenty  years  old,  he  began  the  study  of  law,  at 
Potsdam,  in  the  ofiice  of  Hon.  Henry  L.  Knowles,  the 
present  County  Judge  of  St.  Lawrence  county ;  and  about 
two  years  and  a  half  afterward  he  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice ;  since  that  time  he  has  been  a  law  partner  of  Judge 
Knowles.  His  qualifications  as  a  lawyer  give  him  a 
25 


194  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

prominent  place  among  the  lawyers  of  the  northern  por- 
tion of  the  State.  He  is  a  fluent  and  forcible  advocate, 
and,  in  the  sphere  of  discussion,  is  perfectly  at  home.  In 
the  political  campaigns  of  the  last  few  years,  he  has  ren- 
dered effective  service,  but,  aside  from  this,  has  not 
otherwise  engaged  in  politics,  until  his  nomination  to  the 
Assembly,  last  fall,  which  resulted  in  his  election  by 
the  largest  majority,  except  one,  of  any  member  elected 
to  the  House  of  1867,  viz. :  two  thousand  six  hundred 
and  sixty-eight. 


LAFAYETTE    J.    BIGELOW. 


Me.  Bigelow  was  born  in  the  town  of  Ellisburgh,  Jef- 
ferson county,  New  York,  on  the  13th  of  May,  1835.  His 
parents  came  from  Vermont,  and  his  father,  Jotham  Bige- 
low, was  a  farmer  in  independent  circumstances,  who 
always  took  a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs,  held  the 
office  of  Supervisor  of  his  town  for  several  years,  and  in 
1835  and  '36,  was  a  member  of  Assembly.  Lafayette, 
his  youngest  son,  was  sent  to  Union  Academy,  a  distance 
of  two  miles  from  where  he  lived,  at  quite  an  early  age, 
and  as  he  boarded  at  home,  he  did  not  lack  for  physical 
exercise.  At  this  excellent  institution,  he  was  prepared  for 
college,  and  entered  the  Sophomore  class  of  Union  College 
in  the  fall  of  1854.  While  there  he  was  studious  and 
stood  about  average  in  general  scholarship.  He  was 
elected  President  of  the  Adelphic  society  of  that  institu- 
tion, and  once  read  a  poem  before  it.  He  was  always 
fond  of  general  reading,  and  was  more  given  to  perusing 
the  English  classics  than  in  digging  after  the  Greek  roots, 
or  divining  the  subtle  mysteries  of   the  higher  mathe- 


LAFAYETTE   J.    BIGELOW.  195 

matics.  In  composition,  declamation  and  extemporaneous 
speaking,  he  took  rank  among  the  first  while  at  school. 

At  the  end  of  the  Junior  year,  feeling  anxious  to  begin 
active  life,  and  having  already  decided  on  his  profession, 
he  left  Union  College  and  entered  the  University  of 
Albany,  Department  of  Law,  in  the  fall  of  1855.  He 
graduated  at  this  institution  in  the  spring  of  1857,  receiv- 
ing the  degree  of  LL.B.,  and  while,  there  he  took  the 
silver  medal  as  the  prize  for  the  second  best  original  essay 
on  the  subject  of  "  Eminent  Domain." 

In  May,  1857,  he  removed  to  Watertown,  the  shire-town 
of  his  native  county,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  law 
in  company  with  Bradley  Winslow,  Esq.,  a  young  gen- 
tleman who  had  just  been  admitted  to  the  Bar.  The  new 
firm  of  Wii^SLOW  &  Bigelow  got  along  about  as  fast  as 
young  lawyers  usually  do ;  at  all  events,  the  junior  mem- 
ber of  the  firm,  Mr.  Bigelow,  who  is  a  prudent  man 
withal,  concluded  that  he  could  stand  the  expense  of 
"coffee  and  muffins  for  two,"  and  married  Miss  Hattie 
E.,  daughter  of  Mason  Rounds,  Esq.,  of  Mannsville,  New 
York. 

In  1861,  he  was  appointed  District  Attorney  to  take  the 
place  of  his  law  partner  who  had  been  elected  to  the  office, 
but  who  entered  the  volunteer  service  early  in  that  year, 
and  served  in  the  Union  army  with  distinction,  rising  suc- 
cessively from  Lieutenant  to  Colonel.  In  the  spring  of 
1865,  while  in  command  of  his  regiment,  he  was  shot 
through  the  abdomen  and  did  not  recover  until  months 
after.  Mr.  Bigelow  served  out  his  official  term  as  District 
Attorney,  and  gave  his  partner,  in  the  field,  |600  out  of 
the  $800  salary  of  the  office. 

In  the  fall  of  1862,  he  was  nominated  almost  by  accla- 
mation for  District  Attorney,  and  was  elected  by  a  large 
majority.  For  three  years  longer,  he  discharged  the  duties 
of  this  office  with  entire  satisfaction  to  the  county,  and  had 


196  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

• 

the  reputation  of  being  a  very  faithful  and  successful  public 
prosecutor.  In  the  fall  of  1863,  following  an  inclination 
which  he  had  long  felt  for  the  editorial  profession,  he 
bought  an  interest  in  the  Daily  and  Weekly  Reformer, 
published  at  Watertown,  and  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
influential  Union  journals  of  Northern  New  York. 

Mr.  BiGELOW  has,  for  a  young  man,  a  high  reputation 
as  a  campaign  speaker  and  literary  lecturer.  In  the  cam- 
paign of  1864,  he  took  a  prominent  part,  and  spoke  in 
Brooklyn  and  different  parts  of  the  State.  In  politics,  he 
has  always  been  a  Republican,  and  has  never  acted  with 
any  other  party.  During  the  rebellion,  he  made  many 
Union  speeches;  was  a  member  of  the  War  Committee 
in  his  county,  and  rendered  effective  service  in  raising 
recruits. 

Mr.  BiGELOw's  tastes  are  really  literary,  rather  than 
political,  and  he  is  called  a  graceful  and  vigorous  writer. 
He  has  lectured  before  some  of  the  first  Lyceums  in  this 
State,  and  his  name  is  frequently  seen  in  some  of  our 
popular  periodicals.  At  the  last  commencement  of  Union 
College,  he  received  the  honorary  degree  of  A.  M.,  as  a 
recognition  of  his  literary  character.  He  has  always 
taken  an  interest  in  educational  matters ;  is  a  Trustee  of 
St.  Lawrence  University,  and  of  two  Academies.  In  the 
winter  of  1865  and  '66,  he  held  the  office  of  Assistant 
Clerk  of  the  Assembly. 

In  the  fall  of  1866,  Mr.  Bigelow  was  nominated  for 
Assembly,  receiving  twenty-nine  of  the  thirty  votes  in 
the  convention  on  a  first  ballot.  He  was  elected  by  a 
majority  of  one  thousand  six  hundred  and  seventy-eight. 

He  was  made  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Printing, 
and  accorded  a  position  on  Colleges,  Academies  and  Com- 
mon Schools,  on  which  he  is  an  active  member.  He  was 
an  earnest  supporter  of  Roscoe  CoNKLmG  for  Senator. 
Early  in  the  session,  he  introduced  the  bill  to  increase  the 


JOHN  J.   BLAIR.  «  197 

salary  of  School  Commissioners,  supported  earnestly  the 
bill  to  establish  free  schools,  and  in  the  exciting  debate  in 
the  House  on  the  proposed  Convention  to  revise  the  Con- 
stitution, advocated  the  amendment  providing  for  thirty- 
two  delegates  at  large.  His  future  legislative  career  must 
remain  unwritten  on  these  pages,  but  we  predict  that  it 
will  be  approved  by  his  constituents  and  the  people  of  the 
State. 


JOHN    J.    BLAIR 


The  member  from  the  Fourth  District  of  New  York, 
was  born  in  the  city  of  which  he  is  a  representative, 
On  the  I7th  of  April,  1833.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  Ireland,  and  offered  their  son  every  opportunity  for 
an  excellent  education,  but  like  many  others,  he  was 
ambitious  of  becoming  a  workman  while  yet  a  boy,  and 
so  merely  availed  himself  of  the  advantages  presented  by 
the  Common  Schools.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  he 
was  apprenticed  at  the  Allaire  Works,  one  of  the  most 
extensive  machine  shops  in  the  country,  and  soon  became 
a  proficient  at  his  trade.  Mr.  Blair  early  took  an  interest 
in  politics,  being  elected  constable  of  the  Seventh  Ward,  at 
the  age  of  twenty  years  and  six  months,  being  compelled 
to  wait  until  he  had  arrived  at  manhood's  estate  before 
he  could  qualify.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  became 
Assistant  Captain  of  the  Seventh  Ward  Police,  under  the 
old  municipal  system.  In  this  position,  he  was  popular 
with  the  men  under  him,  and  with  the  citizens  generally. 
He  held  the  place  until  the  Metropolitan  Police  law  went 
into  effect,  and  though  offered  a  Captaincy  in  the  new 
force,  declined  upon  principle,  and  held  to  the  old  organ- 
ization, until  it  was  disbanded.     Mr.  Blair  then  returned 


198  LIFE   SKETCHES 

to  his  trade,  working  at  it  until  the  famous  machinists' 
strike  of  1864,  when  he  made  a  pledge  never  to  return 
to  the  bench  until  the  demands  of  the  mechanics  were 
granted  by  their  employers.  The  workingmen  were  finally 
forced  by  circumstances  to  submit,  but  Mr.  Blair  kept 
his  word.  He  afterward  became  connected  with  the  Fifth 
District  Judicial  Court,  and  remained  there  until  elected 
to  the  Assembly,  to  which  he  was  first  nominated  by  the 
workingmen,  afterward  being  indorsed  by  the  Republicans 
and  the  Union  Democracy.  His  election  was  regarded  as 
a  great  triumph  over  Tammany  Hall,  as  that  organization 
considered  the  District  one  of  the  surest  for  their  ticket 
in  the  city.  But  the  workingmen  were  a  unit  for  Mr. 
Blaie,  and  this  settled  the  question.  He  is,  and  he  always 
has  been  a  Democrat. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Blair  went  to  Hilton  Head  in  the  employ 
of  the  Naval  Department,  and  remained  there  one  year, 
as  Superintendent  of  repairs  of  machinery  and  repairs  of 
gunboats.  Here  he  was  of  great  service  to  the  country. 
In  1853,  he  took  part  in  an  expedition  to  explore  the 
Amazon  River,  which  failed  owing  to  the  objections  of 
the  Brazilian  Government.  Several  of  his  companions 
were  lost  in  the  expedition.  In  short,  Mr.  Blair's  whole 
life  has  been  quite  eventful. 


LEVI   BLAKESLEE 


Until  recently,  Mr.  Blakeslee  was  a  farmer,  residing  in 
Kirkland,  Oneida  county,  New  York.  Though  very  much 
interested  in  his  occupation,  he  still  found  time  to  devote 
himself  to  political  interests,  and  he  was  elected  by  the 
Whigs  to  represent  them  from  his  district  in  the  Assem- 
bly, at  the  session  of  1854.  In  1855,  he  introduced  a 
resolution  proposing  an  amendment  to  the  Constitution, 
to  abolish  the  property  qualification  of  colored  voters, 
thus  early  recognizing  the  principle  of  equal  political 
rights  irrespective  of  color.  This  resolution  was,  after  a 
sharp  contest,  passed  by  the  Assembly,  but  was  .defeated 
in  the  Senate.  He  subsequently  identified  his  political 
opinions  with  those  of  the  Republicans.  The  Second 
Assembly  district  of  Oneida  county  had  in  practice  the 
system  of  rotation  in  presenting  candidates  for  nomina- 
tion, that  is,  each  town,  in  turn,  had  the  privilege  of  the 
candidacy ;  therefore,  though  Mr.  Blakeslee  had  proved 
himself  perfectly  acceptable  to  his  constituency,  yet, 
according  to  precedent,  he  could  not  be  put  in  nomination 
again,  until  the  expiration  of  nine  years.  When  that 
period  had  elapsed,  the  town  of  Kirkland  again  ofiered 
him  as  the  candidate.  He  was  nominated  and  elected  to 
the  Assembly,  in  the  Fall  of  1863.  In  1864,  after  sufiicient 
experience  upon  the  Committee  of  Claims  to  convince  him 
of  the  evils  of  the  present  system  of  settlement  of  claims 
against  the  State,  he  introduced  a  bill  giving  the  Supreme 
Court  jurisdiction  of  all  cases  of  claims  against  the  State, 
in  the  several  judicial  districts  where  they  arise;  his 
theory  of  the  matter  being,  that  the  present  system  is 
unjust,  in  that  there  is  no  way  in  which  the  citizen  can 
enforce  his  State  claims.     That  it  is  unsafe  for  the  State, 


200  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

because  the  hearing,  before  the  Committees  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, is  entirely  ex  parte,  no  defense  to  the  claims  ever 
being  made,  unless  the  claimant's  own  evidence  should 
accidentally  show  fraud  upon  its  face ;  and,  even  then,  the 
rejection  of  the  claim  is  not  final,  but  only  postpones 
the  case  a  year,  when  it  is  again  presented  with  the 
evidence  of  fraud  carefully  concealed,  the  first  experiment 
showing  exactly  what  alterations  were  necessary.  This 
bill  was  referred  to  the  Judiciary  Committee,  and  by  them 
reported  to  the  House ;  but  the  late  date  of  its  introduc- 
tion prevented  final  action  thereon. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Blakeslee  was  nominated  for  Supervisor, 
against  his  expressed  wishes,  and  unanimously  elected, 
in  the  town  of  Kirkland,  which  had  often  been  so  closely 
contested,  politically,  that  a  Democratic  success  was  as 
frequent  as  a  Republican  triumph. 

In  May,  1865,  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Utica,  where  he 
is  now  engaged  in  business,  as  a  coal  dealer.  In  the  pre- 
liminary movements  of  the  last  canvass,  he  was  requested 
to  accept  the  nomination  for  Member  of  Assembly,  in  the 
First  District  of  Oneida  county.  Business  interests  caused 
him  to  feel  that  it  was  his  duty  to  decline  the  honor ;  but 
further  consideration  led  him  to  reconsider  his  decision; 
and  he  finally  concluded  to  take  upon  himself  the  issues 
of  the  campaign.  The  consequence  was  his  election.  Mr. 
Blakeslee's  former  experience  in  the  various  ramifica- 
tions of  Legislative  business,  enables  him  to  meet  the 
questions  arising  therefrom,  with  adequate  skill. 


CHAKLES    BLAUVELT. 


Chaeles  Blauvelt,  Member  of  Assembly  from  the 
Fifth  District  of  New  York,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
which  he  is  a  representative,  in  the  year  1836.  Conse- 
quently, he  is  in  the  thirty-first  year  of  his  age,  though 
in  appearance  somewhat  younger.  Mr.  Blauvelt,  when 
quite  young,  took  a  deep  interest  in  politics,  and  soon 
became  one  of  the  rising  Democracy  of  the  Metropolis. 
Courteous  in  his  intercourse  with  strangers,  and  affable  at 
all  times,  he  soon  attached  to  him  a  large  number  of 
personal  and  political  friends,  who  secured  his  triumphant 
election  to  the  Assembly  of  1865,  after  a  sharp  struggle. 
In  that  body,  he  served  creditably  as  a  member  of  the 
important  Committee  on  Public  Printing,  and  though  not 
devoted  to  speech-making  in  the  House,  still  returned  to 
his  constituents  with  the  reputation  of  being  a  successful 
legislator.  Owing  to  some  complications  in  New  York 
politics,  he  failed  of  a  reelection  to  the  Legislature  of 
1866,  but  at  the  polls  in  the  fall  of  that  year  he  was 
returned  to  the  House  by  a  majority  so  large  that  his 
choice  may  almost  be  said  to  have  been  unanimous.  In 
the  appointment  of  committees,  Mr.  Blauvelt  was 
selected  to  serve  upon  those  of  State  Charitable  Institu- 
tions, and  Joint  Library,  but  the  Speaker  afterward  added 
him  to  the  Committee  on  Insurance,  when  the  House 
authorized  its  increase  to  seven  members.  Mr.  Blauvelt 
is  a  member  of  the  12th  Regiment,  New  York  National 
Guard;  he  accompanied  that  command  to  the  seat  of 
war.  He  was  captured  with  his  regiment  at  Harper's 
Ferry,  in  1862,  and  paroled,  which  prevented  his  return  to 
the  field.  By  profession,  he  is  an  accountant. 
26 


WILLIAM    B.    BOYD 


Me.  Boyd  is  a  native  of  Barrington,  Yates  county,  Kew 
York,  where  he  was  born,  in  the  year  1824,  March  28th. 
His  father  and  mother  were  natives  of  this  country ;  the 
former  was  of  Irish  descent,  and  the  latter  was  of  German 
ancestry.  He  received  a  fair  academic  education  in  his 
early  years;  and,  at  the  age  of  twelve,  left  home,  with 
the  determination  to  carve  his  own  way  in  the  world. 
Residing  in  Yates  county  until  he  was  eighteen  years  old, 
he  removed  to  the  village  of  Prattsburgh,  Steuben  county. 
New  York,  where,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  trade.  The  village  contained  several 
manufactories,  and,  therefore,  afforded  desirable  facilities 
for  his  business.  Twelve  years  subsequently,  he  engaged 
in  farming,  and  the  traffic  in  grain  and  wool.  In  the  latter 
avocation,  he  is  still  quite  a  heavy  operator.  Mr.  Boyd 
was  Post-Master  of  Prattsburgh,  from  the  year  1849  to 
1853,  under  the  Whig  Administration.  He  was  a  Member 
of  the  Assembly,  in  1866,  having  been  elected  over  his 
Democratic  competitor,  by  four  hundred  and  twenty-four 
majority,  and  was  on  the  Committee  on  Banks;  he  was 
reelected  last  fall  by  a  majority  of  five  hundred  and  four- 
teen. At  the  opening  of  the  session,  he  was  appointed  on 
the  Committee  on  Banks,  and  was  made  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Expenditures  in  the  Executive  Department ; 
but  he  resigned  soon  after  his  appointment. 

Mr.  Boyd  is  a  gentleman  of  great  business  energy,  and, 
therefore,  is  not  easily  swerved  from  his  undertakings. 
By  his  own  tact,  he  has  become  the  possessor  of  a  hand- 
some property',  having  the  gratification  of  knowing  that 
he  has  wrought  his  fortune  solely  by  steady  and  merito- 
rious application.     He  is  held  in  high  estimation  by  his 


THOMAS  A.    BRIGGS.  203 

acquaintances  ;  and,  though  there  may  be  members  in  the 
House  of  superior  legislative  talents,  there  are  none  who 
are  more  reliable  for  integrity. 


THOMAS    A.    BKIGGS 


Mr.  Briggs  was  born  in  Athens,  Greene  county,  on  the 
4th  of  September,  1834,  and  is  consequently  in  the  33d 
year  of  his  age.  He  is  of  old  Knickerbocker  stock,  his 
ancestors  having  resided  in  this  State  for  many  genera- 
tions past,  several  of  them  participating  in  the  great 
struggle  for  Independence.  He  received  a  common  school 
education,  and,  at  an  early  age,  engaged  in  the  business 
of  boating,  for  which  he  displayed  a  great  aptitude, 
having  command  of  a  sloop  when  fourteen  years  old.  It 
was  not  long  before  he  commanded  a  steamer,  and,  as  a 
captain,  he  became  very  popular.  For  three  years  he  was 
in  the  government  service,  as  Captain  of  the  "  Silas  O. 
Pierce,"  a  dispatch  boat  at  Fortress  Monroe,  which  was 
the  first  to  pass  through  "  Dutch  Gap,"  and  the  first  to 
reach  Richmond  after  the  evacuation  of  the  rebel  capital 
by  the  Confederate  forces.  Mr.  Briggs  took  the  news  of 
Mr.  Lincoln's  death  from  Fortress  Monroe  to  Norfolk — 
the  telegraph  being  broken — with  instructions  to  deliver  it 
in  person.  In  the  national  service,  though  not  an  active 
participant  in  the  struggles  between  the  armies  and  navies 
of  the  contending  hosts,  he  still  accomplished  much  in  his 
modest  capacity,  and  the  government  and  its  officers 
never  had  reason  to  complain  of  the  manner  in  which  his 
duties  were  performed.  He  claims  no  fame  as  a  politician, 
having  never  before  been  a  candidate  for  any  office.  He 
has  always  been  a  Democrat  of  the  straightest  order.    Mr. 


204  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

Briggs  serves  upon  the  important  Committee  of  Com- 
merce and  Navigation.  He  is  very  reticent  to  strangers ; 
but  among  his  friends  he  is  more  frank. 


WILLIAM   BRISTOL. 


.  Mr.  Bristol,  the  member  from  Wyoming,  was  born  at 
Gainesville,  in  that  county.  May  7th,  1821,  and  has  resided 
there  ever  since.  His  father  was  a  native  of  this  State, 
and  a  fine  type  of  the  resolute  and  hardy  pioneers  who 
planted  in  Western  New  York,  the  germ  of  that  intelli- 
gence, industry,  wealth  and  patriotism  which  now  char- 
acterize that  section  of  the  State.  He  was  a  Member  of 
the  Assembly  of  1823.  His  mother,  a  woman  of  strong 
character  and  sterling  virtues,  was  a  worthy  daughter  of 
Massachusetts.  His  grandfather  was  a  Revolutionary 
hero,  and  his  father,  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812.  Like 
many  others  of  our  successful  men,  Mr.  Bristol  received 
in  a  common  school  the  basis  of  his  education.  Person- 
ally directing  the  management  of  his  extensive  farm,  he 
has  occupied  himself  principally  as  a  wool  dealer.  His 
large  business  operations  have  been  generally  successful, 
and  he  possesses  an  ample  fortune,  which  is  as  generously 
used,  as  it  was  honorably  won.  He  has  recently  bought 
one  of  the  finest  places  in  Warsaw,  which  he  will  make 
his  residence,  after  this  season.  Mr.  Bristol's  wide-awake 
and  intelligent  interest  in  political  affairs,  began  before  he 
could  vote.  He  was  originally  a  Democrat;  in  1848, 
became  an  active  and  influential  Barn-Burner,  and  in  the 
Syracuse  Barn-Burner  Convention  of  1856,  which  indorsed 
Fremont,  he  was  one  of  the  few  representatives  of  his 
section  of  the  State.    Since  that  time,  he  has  been  an 


"WILLIAM    BEISTOL.  205 

enthusiastic  Republican.  He  was  Presidential  Elector  for 
the  Twenty-ninth  District  in  1864,  and  was  one  of  the 
Secretaries  of  the  College.  For  the  past  four  years  he 
has  been  unanimously  chosen  Supervisor  of  his  town, 
and  has  served  as  Chairman  of  the  Board  for  two  years. 

In  1862,  when  President  Lincoln  issued  his  call  for 
600,000  Volunteers,  Governor  Morgan  appointed  Mr. 
Bristol  one  of  the  War  Committee  for  the  Thirtieth 
District.  At  this  time  he  was  at  Rochester,  deeply 
engaged  in  business.  He  immediately  returned  home. 
On  Sunday,  notice  was  read  from  the  pulpit  of  one  of 
the  churches,  inviting  all  who  desired  to  aid  in  crush- 
ing the  Rebellion  to  meet  in  his  orchard.  The  Thursday 
following,  largely  through  his  indefatigable  energy,  a 
full  company,  made  up  of  some  of  the  finest  young 
men  that  left  the  State  at  their  country's  call,  was 
enrolled,  ready  for  duty.  It  was  the  first  company  on 
the  muster-roll  of  the  famous  First  New  York  Dragoons. 
Three  years  afterward,  when  "  all  that  were  left  of 
them"  returned  from  following  the  fiery  Sheridan,  out 
of  money  and  anxious  to  go  to  their  friends  previous 
to  being  paid  off,  Mr.  Bristol  interested  himself  in 
getting  them  released  from  their  miserable  quarters 
near  Rochester,  and  advanced  them  money  from  his 
private  purse  to  carry  them  to  their  waiting  homes.  In 
the  same  pleasant  grove,  where,  three  years  before,  these 
brave  boys  had  enlisted,  a  grand  pic-nio  was  gotten  up 
to  welcome  their  return.  Over  four  thousand  persons 
were  present,  and  it  was  one  of  the  most  notable  rural 
gatherings  ever  held  in  that  section.  By  the  unanimous 
wish  of  his  fellow-citizens,  the  whole  matter  of  volun- 
teering, bounties,  &c.,  was  left  to  his  discretion,  and  so 
well  was  the  duty  done  that  the  repeated  calls  were 
always  honored,  and  the  town  owes  not  a  dollar  for 
bounties.    The  same  good  management  was  manifested 


206  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

in  the  conduct  of  the  county's  volunteering  and  finances, 
by  the  Committee  of  Supervisors,  of  which  he  was  Chair- 
man, and  the  county  paid  its  last  bond,  the  past  year. 
Aside  from  private  bounties  paid  to  volunteers  from  his 
town,  their  families  received  many  substantial  tokens 
of  his  remembrance.  The  soldier  and  the  soldier's  family 
had  no  truer  friend  than  he. 

Last  fall  he  was  nominated  for  the  Assembly  by  accla- 
mation and  with  great  good  feeling.  He  was  elected  by 
a  majority  of  1,848.  Personally,  Mr.  Bristol  is  a  gentle- 
man of  fine  appearance,  open  and  courteous  manners  and 
most  generous  impulses  —  a  man  of  ability,  experience  in 
the  world,  and  strong  common  sense  —  having  a  large 
acquaintance  among  the  public  men  of  the  State,  and 
the  good  will  and  confidence  of  his  constituents. 


BENJAMIN    F.    BRUCE. 


Mr.  Bruce  has,  perhaps,  more  of  an  air  distingue  than 
any  other  member  in  the  Lower  House.  His  tall,  finely 
developed  figure,  his  proud,  erect  bearing,  and  his  well- 
shaped  head,  combine  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  spec- 
tator in  glancing  over  the  gentlemen  who  compose  the 
Assembly.  Mr.  Bruce  has  a  deep,  sonorous  voice,  which 
has  been  highly  cultivated ;  and,  as  an  orator,  he  fully  com- 
mands the  attention  of  the  listener.  Some  of  his  most  bril- 
liant speeches  were  extemporaneously  delivered;  in  fact,  he 
seldom  puts  his  ideas  on  paper,  preferring  to  trust  himself 
to  the  impulse  of  the  occasion.  Mr.  Bruce  is  a  generous 
hearted  man ;  and,  in  conversation,  is  easy  and  entertain- 
ing. He  is  a  native  of  Lenox,  Madison  county.  New 
York,  and  of  Dutch  and  Scotch  lineage.     In  youth,  he 


BENJAMIN  r.   BEUCE.  207 

acquired  nothing  more  than  a  plain  English  education, 
and  then  became  a  clerk  in  a  country  store.  From  sixteen 
to  twenty-one,  he  was  engaged  on  the  canal,  and  then 
began  farming.  But,  being  naturally  inclined  toward 
politics,  Mr.  Bruce  early  displayed  a  disposition  to 
engage  in  State  affairs,  and  readily  attained  a  great 
measure  of  influence  in  the  Whig  party,  which  he  repre- 
sented in  the  Constitutional  Convention  held  in  1846.  In 
that  Convention,  Article  two.  Section  one  of  the  Con- 
stitution, in  relation  to  the  elective  franchise,  was 
originally  framed  by  Governor  Bouck,  Chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  Franchises,  so  as  to  commence,  "  Every 
white  male  citizen,  &c."  Mr.  Bruce  moved  an  amend- 
ment striking  out  the  word  ^^  white -^"^  but,  after  an 
animated  debate,  in  which  he  defended  his  idea  with  a 
masterly  skill,  it  was  defeated.  It  required  no  little 
moral  courage,  at  that  time,  to  advocate  negro  suffrage 
without  property  qualifications ;  yet  it  is  worthy  of  note 
that  the  Congressional  District,  in  which  Mr.  Bruce 
resided,  sustained  his  views. 

In  those  days,  the  military  of  this  State  received  no 
little  attention,  and  there  were  aspirations,  as  there  are 
now,  for  bars  and  stars  upon  the  shoulders,  and  for  com- 
missions of  high  rank.  Mr.  Bruce's  military  merits 
received  recognition  at  different  times,  and  he  was  looked 
upon  as  an  officer,  under  the  old  militia  regime,  who  was 
worthy  of  signal  recognition.  He  received,  from  Gov- 
ernor Marcy,  the  appointment  of  Brigade-Major  and 
Inspector  of  the  35th  Brigade,  and  held  the  office  until 
1851,  when  he  was  appointed  Inspector-General  by  Gov- 
ernor Hunt,  holding  the  place  until  he  was  removed  by 
Governor  Seymour,  in  May,  1853.  During  the  guberna- 
torial administrations  of  Governors  Clark  and  King, 
Mr.  Bruce  again  discharged  the  duties  of  Inspector- 
General.      In  the  mean  time,  after  duly  inspecting  the 


208  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

old  arsenal  in  New  York  city,  situated  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Central  Park,  and  finding  it  in  an  unsafe  condition, 
and  a  source  of  great  expense  on  account  of  its  unfavor- 
able situation,  he  recommended  the  sale  of  it  and  the  ten 
acres  accompanying  it,  taking  the  proceeds  thereof  for 
the  purpose  of  erecting  arsenals  and  armories  in  different 
parts  of  the  State.  His  suggestions  met  with  favor  in  the 
Legislature,  and  the  property  was  sold  for  $275,000;  and 
out  of  the  proceeds,  without  any  additional  expense  to 
the  State,  several  fine  arsenals  have  been  built.  The 
wisdom  of  this  enterprise  is  perfectly  obvious. 

Mr.  Bkuce  was  removed  by  Governor  Morgan,  in 
January,  1859.  We  should  mention,  in  this  connection, 
that,  in  March,  1851,  he  was  made  Inspector  of  Railroad 
Tolls,  resigning,  however,  when  he  was  appointed  Inspector- 
General.  In  January,  1861,  he  was  chosen  Canal  Com- 
missioner by  the  Legislature,  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned 
by  the  death  of  William  H.  Barnes  who  had  been 
elected  in  November,  1860.  Mr.  Bruce  was  nominated 
for  the  same  office,  in  the  fall  of  1861.  The  Republican 
Convention  indorsed  and  adopted  the  ticket  made  up  by 
the  People's  Convention,  except  the  nomination  of  F.  A. 
Tallmadge,  for  Canal  Commissioner,  in  whose  place  Mr. 
Bruce  was  substituted,  being  the  only  Republican  nominee 
on  the  ticket.  This  division  of  the  Republican  Union 
vote,  resulted  in  the  election  of  William  W.  Wright,  the 
Democratic  candidate,  by  a  small  plurality.  In  November, 
1863,  Mr.  Bruce  had  the  satisfaction  of  again  running 
against  Mr.  Wright,  and  of  defeating  him  by  a  majority 
of  nearly  thirty  thousand.  He  now  represents  the  Second 
District  of  Madison  county  in  the  Assembly,  having  been 
elected  by  a  majority  of  seven  hundred  and  ninety-eight. 

In  the  appointment  of  Committees,  the  Speaker  selected 
Mr.  Bruce  as  Chairman  of  the  Committe  on  Federal 
Relations. 


AUGUSTUS   A.    BRUSH 


This  is  Mr.  Brush's  first  term  at  Albany,  in  the 
capacity  of  Assemblyman ;  but  we  do  not  question  that 
he  will  quite  readily  adapt  himself  to  the  exigencies  of 
Legislative  action,  and  prove  himself  to  be  a  fearless  and 
prudent  protector  of  the  rights  of  "  old  Dutchess."  There 
are  two  extremes  which  new  members  should  guard  against. 
One  is  excessive  timidity,  and  the  other,  blind  fearlessness. 
Mr.  Brush's  contact  with  the  world  has  been  sufficient  to 
enable  him  to  overcome  the  former,  and  avoid  the  latter. 

His  ancestors  came  to  this  country  from  England,  and 
settled  on  Long  Island.  They  were  very  conspicuously 
identified  with  the  early  history  of  this  nation.  .  His 
grandfather  served,  during  the  Kevolution,  as  an  officer 
of  various  ranks,  from  Captain  up  to  General,  and  his 
bravery  gave  him  the  respect  of  his  fellow  officers. 

Mr.  Brush  left  school,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  and  entered 
upon  a  mercantile  life,  in  the  town  of  East  Fiskhill,  New 
York,  to  which  he  had  removed  from  New  Fairfield, 
Connecticut.  He  still  conducts  the  business  of  a  general 
country  store,  in  that  place.  He  was  elected  School  Com- 
missioner, in  1860,  and  reelected,  in  1863.  The  watchful 
manner  in  which  he  took  care  of4he  school  interests,  in  his 
district,  afforded  great  gratification  to  the  inhabitants. 
His  irreproachable  character,  and  searching  insight  into 
human  nature,  were  two  very  important  qualifications  for 
a  man  in  his  official  position.  In  his  intercourse  with  his 
fellow-citizens,  he  always  extended  a  courteous  greeting 
to  all,  whether  in  exalted  or  humble  station,  and  thus  won 
their  high  regard,  which  they  plainly  exhibited  by  electing 
him  to  a  still  more  exalted  office,  in  the  Legislature.  Mr. 
Brush's  majority  was  seven  hundred  and  ninety-seven; 
27 


210  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

with  a  single  exception,  he  carried  every  town  in  his 
district.  He  is  an  effective  worker  in  politics,  and  a 
leading  man  in  the  church. of  which  he  is  a  member. 
Possessing  a  noble  heart,  he  gives  willingly  and  liberally, 
whenever  charity  appeals  to  him  for  assistance ;  and,  with 
a  firm  purpose  to  avoid  that  which  might  compromise  his 
honor,  he  combines  the  qualities  of  a  good  public  officer 
and  a  reliable  friend. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  Public  Health 
and  Medical  Colleges  and  Societies,  and  State  Charitable 
Institutions.  In  the  transaction  of  lesjislative  business, 
he  assumes  no  showy  demeanor  for  the  sake  of  effect ;  but 
talks  and  acts  with  a  motive  to  make  himself  useful. 


GEORGE    W.    BUCK 


This  gentleman  represents  the  county  of  Chemung. 
He  was  chosen,  after  one  of  the  most  spirited  contests 
ever  known  in  the  State,  by  a  majority  of  one  hundred 
and  ten,  over  Colonel  E.  L.  Patrick,  the  Democratic 
nominee. 

Mr.  Buck  is  fifty-four  years  of  age,  and  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Chemung,  where  he  now  resides.  Elijah  Buck, 
his  grandfather,  was  a  resident  of  the  Wyoming  Valley, 
at  the  time  of  the  terrible  massacre.  On  that  occasion, 
he  was  driven  from  his  home,  and  afterward  settled  at 
Chemung,  where  the  family  and  its  descendants  have  ever 
since  resided. 

Mr.  Buck  early  developed  the  qualities  which  have 
made  him  popular  and  successful.  Pleasant  and  agreeable 
in  his  manners,  active  and  untiring  in  his  habits,  sym- 
pathetic in  the  wants  and  purposes  of  those  around  him, 


GEORGE  W.    BUCK.  211 

earnest  in  every  good  work,  and  generous  almost  to  a 
fault,  it  is  no  matter  of  wonder  to  those  who  know  him,  that 
his  name  has  always  been  a  tower  of  strength  among  the 
people,  in  whose  midst  he  was  born  and  has  constantly 
resided. 

His  political  life  began  when  excitement  ran  high 
between  the  Whig  and  Democratic  parties.  His  town 
sympathized  with  the  prevailing  sentiment  in  county. 
State  and  nation,  and  was  heavily  Democratic.  Mr.  Buck 
was  reared  in  the  opposite  school,  and  followed  the  glori- 
ous but  never  successful  banner  of  the  gallant  "  Harry  of 
the  West."  As  he  became  known  to  the  people  of  the 
county^  they  quickly  appreciated  his  sterling  qualities, 
and,  with  remarkable  unanimity,  the  Whigs  determined 
"to  try  him  on"  for  the  Legislature.  They  had  been 
buried  beneath  an  opposing  majority  of  nearly  a  thou- 
sand, from  which  no  name  or  turn  of  events  had  ever 
been  strong  enough  to  free  them.  In  the  fall  of  1847, 
they  nominated  Mr.  Buck  by  acclamation  for  Member 
of  Assembly.  He  accepted  the  nomination,  took  off  his 
coat,  and  went  to  work.  His  own  indomitable  spirit, 
energy  and  faith  were  infused  into  the  hearts  of  his  party. 
He  was  successful;  the  first  and  only  Whig  who,  up  to 
that  time  in  Chemung  county,  had  ever  come  within 
seven  hundred  votes  of  an  election.  Since  that  time  he 
has  represented  his  town,  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  time,  in 
the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  has  served  several  times, 
with  great  acceptance,  as  Chairman  of  the  Board.  He  is 
acknowledged  on  all  hands  to  be  the  best  and  most  useful 
Supervisor  in  the  county. 

After  the  virtual  disruption  of  the  Whig  party,  from  its 
Waterloo  defeat,  in  1852,  Mr.  Buck  allied  himself  witli 
the  American,  or  Know-Nothing  party,  and  adhered  to  its 
fortunes  until  it  also  went  down  to  the  tomb  of  the 
Capulets.      From    the   haunts  of  that   ephemeral   ghost, 


212  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

he  emerged  —  a  modern  Democrat.  He  took  to  this 
business  very  awkwardly,  and  with  poor  prospects  of 
success.  The  only  ambition  he  seemed  to  have,  was  a 
hope  that,  in  some  manner,  he  might  reform  the  habits  of 
his  new  associates.  But  the  events  of  the  war  dispelled 
that  illusion,  and  giving  up  the  task  as  hopeless,  he  came 
bick  to  the  bosom  of  his  early  home,  and  now  enjoys  that 
personal  peace  and  political  tranquillity  which  flow  from  a 
conscience  void  of  offense  toward  God  or  man. 

When  the  war  of  the  rebellion  broke  out,  Mr.  Buck 
threw  himself  into  the  contest  with  great  zeal.  He  was 
Supervisor  of  his  town  during  nearly  the  whole  period 
of  the  war.  His  quotas  were  among  the  first  to  be 
filled,  and  in  every  duty  which  distinguished  the  loyal 
,.  citizen  and  true  patriot,  he  was  foremost.  As  an 
evidence  of  their  appreciation  of  his  services,  as  well  as 
their  confidence  in  his  integrity  and  patriotism,  the  Repub- 
licans of  Chemung  county  invited  him  to  become  their 
candidate  for  Member  of  Assembly,  in  the  fall  of  1866. 
The  contest  was  protracted,  embittered,  and  exciting  to 
the  last  degree.  But  through  it  all,  with  unflagging  zeal, 
and  self-reliant  faith,  Mr.  Buck  persevered  to  the  end, 
never  doubting  his  own  success,  and  winning,  as  all  the 
while  he  seemed  to  know  he  should.  It  is  doubtful, 
whether  with  any  other  man,  the  county  could  have  been 
carried. 

Mr.  Buck  began  life,  as  to  pecuniary  means,  at  the 
bottom  of  the  ladder ;  and  in  business  success  and  social 
position,  he  has  climbed  well  toward  the  top.  He  is  now 
a  successful  banker,  with  a  handsome  competence.  He 
lives  freely,  is  kind  to  his  friends,  generous  to  the  poor  and 
afflicted,  and  bountiful  to  charities  and  religion. 


LEANDER  BUCK 


Mr.  Buck  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  ISTovem- 
ber  3d,  1826.  He  is  of  French  and  German  descent,  and 
belongs  to  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Tompkins  family, 
so  many  of  whose  members  have  acquired  distinction  in 
the  councils,  both  of  the  State  and  the  nation.  Mr.  Buck 
has  always  resided  in  his  native  city,  where  he  enjoyed 
the  benefits  of  a  common  school  education,  which,  in  his 
younger  days,  were  not  so  numerous  nor  so  varied  as  at 
present.  After  leaving  school,  he  prepared  himself  for  the 
profession  of  a  builder ;  and  he  has  been  engaged  in  that 
avocation  for  the  past  twenty  years.  Mr.  Buck  ha«  super- 
intended the  erection  of  many  public  buildings,  and  several 
of  the  finest  school  edifices  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

Mr.  Buck  never  took  an  active  part  in  politics  until 
quite  lately.  Aside  from  his  business,  military  matters  have 
mostly  engaged  his  attention,  and  occupied  his  leisure 
hours.  In  1845,  he  became  a  member  of  the  well  known 
9th  Regiment,  National  Cadets,  remaining  in  their  ranks 
until  1849,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  8th  Regiment, 
Washington  Guard.  His  thorough  study  of  military 
tactics  was,  in  time,  appreciated,  and  he  gradually  rose 
from  a  private  to  the  rank  of  Major,  which  he  held  until 
1865,  when  he  resigned,  having  been  in  the  service  for 
quite  twenty  years.  In  1861,  Mr.  Buck,  then  a  Captain 
iu  the  8th  Regiment,  responded  to  the  call  for  troops  to 
defend  the  National  Capital,  and  finished  the  first  three 
months  campaign  by  participating,  with  his  command,  in 
the  disastrous  battle  of  Bull  Run.  In  1862,  having,  in  the 
mean  time,  been  promoted  to  a  Majority,  he  returned  to 
the  field,  his  regiment  being  stationed  at  Yorktown,  as  a 
post  guard,  and  remained  there  until  the  termination  of 


214  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

McClellan's  Peninsular  Campaign.  This  ended  Mr. 
Buck's  military  service  in  defense  of  the  Union.  Since 
then,  he  has  attended  to  his  professional  duties,  tempora- 
rily leaving  them  to  take  a  seat  in  the  Assembly,  to  which 
he  was  elected  by  a  flattering  majority,  notwithstanding 
an  opposition  in  his  own  party.  He  has  always  been,  and 
always  expects  to  be,  a  Democrat. 


CALEB    F.    BUCKLEY. 


Me.  Buckley,  representing  the  Fifth  District  of  Kings 
county,  was  born  in  the  City  of  New  York,  on  the  16th 
of  November,  1841,  and  is  consequently  in  the  26th 
year  of  his  age.  His  father  and  grandfather  were  bom  in 
the  same  city,  the  latter  taking  part  in  the  war  of  1812 ; 
during  that  contest  he  was  a  pilot  on  the  lakes,  partici- 
pating in  the  struggles  for  naval  supremacy  there,  which 
resulted  so  gloriously  for  the  American  arms.  His  mater- 
nal ancestors  were  likewise  natives  of  the  City  of  New 
York,  so  that  Mr.  Buckley  may  be  said  to  have  come  from 
genuine  old  Knickerbocker  stock.  His  father  was  a  well 
known  Democratic  politician  of  the  old  Seventh  Ward, 
being  for  a  long  time  President  of  the  famous  Ironsides 
Club,  which  included  large  numbers  of  men  who  have 
since  achieved  considerable  fame.  Caleb  F.  Buckley 
removed  with  his  father  to  Brooklyn,  in  the  year  1848; 
and,  since  that  time,  he  has  resided  in  the  District  he  now 
represents.  He  has  been  a  member  of  one  of  the  Demo- 
cratic General  Committees  for  the  past  three  or  four  years. 
His  nomination  for  the  Assembly  was  by  acclamation, 
b  his  election  was  considered  doubtful,  as  the  District 
is  the  most  strongly  Republican  in  the  county.     The 


PATRICK   BURNS.  215 

result,  however,  demonstrated  his  popularity,  as  he  was 
chosen  by  a  plurality  of  nearly  three  hundred,  much  to 
the  astonishment  of  the  opposition.  Mr.  Buckley  received 
a  common  school  education,  has  a  good  knowledge  of 
business,  and  by  occupation  is  a  clerk.  His  District  is 
one  of  the  wealthiest  in  the  State. 


PATRICK    BURNS. 


Mr.  Burns,  the  representative  of  the  First  District  of 
Kings  county,  is  a  native  of  the  County  of  Monaghan, 
Ireland,  and  was  born  January  1st,  1833.  His  parents 
emigrated  to  this  country  about  twenty-four  years  ago, 
and  settled  in  Brooklyn,  in  the  Second  and  Fifth  Wards 
of  which,  they  have  resided  ever  since.  Mr.  Burns  was 
early  apprenticed  to  a  ship  joiner,  and  became  an  adept  in 
the  business  of  ship-building,  at  which  he  worked  for 
about  seven  years,  the  most  of  the  time  being  in  the 
employ  of  the  government  at  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard. 
He  early  attached  himself  to  the  Democratic  party,  in 
whose  ranks  he  was  an  active  worker.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Democratic 
General  Committee;  and,  in  1862,  was  chosen  to  repre- 
sent the  Fifth  Ward  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  serving 
during  his  term  as  Chairman  of  the  Alms  House  Com- 
mittee, and  Committees  on  Grades,  Relief  of  Families  of 
Volunteers,  Courts,  County  Jail,  and  Bounties.  As  a 
member  of  the  latter  Committee,  he  was  assigned  to  the 
receiving  ship  North  Carolina,  where  he  paid  the  bounties 
to  the  volunteers  accredited  to  Kings  county.  The 
duties  of  this  position  were  very  arduous,  but  Mr.  Burns 
acquitted  himself  with  credit,  and  won  the  praise  of  his 
associates  and  the  public.  Just  before  the  close  of 
his  term  as   Supervisor,   in   1864,   he  was  unanimously 


216  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

nominated  as  the  candidate  of  his  party  for  the 
Assembly,  and  was  elected  by  over  600  majority,  not- 
withstanding an  Independent  Democrat  took  the  field 
against  him.  In  the  Assembly  of  1865,  he  served  on  the 
Committee  on  Salt,  but  its  duties  not  taking  much  of  his 
time,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  affairs  of  his  city,  and 
became  a  useful  member.  Mr.  Burns  made  quite  a  repu- 
tation in  an  effort  to  have  all  the  streets  of  Brooklyn 
opened  to  the  public,  but  failed,  owing  to  the  desperate 
efforts  of  property  owners,  who  insist  upon  holding  the 
thoroughfares  in  which  they  live,  as  private  property, 
subject  to  no  local  control.  In  1865,  Mr.  Buens  started 
an  extensive  kindling  wood  factory,  which  proved  a 
pecuniary  success.  In  the  fall  of  1866,  he  was  again  nom- 
inated for  the  Assembly,  to  which  he  was  chosen  by  the 
unprecedented  majority  of  nearly  two  thousand. 


ROSWELL  L.  BURROWS 


Mr.  Burrows  represents  the  Third  Assembly  District 
of  Erie  county,  having  been  elected  by  a  majority  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty-one.  He  is  a  thorough  Republican,  and 
a  prominent  lawyer  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  where  he 
resides.  He  has  a  mind  which  is  well  stored  with  general 
and  legal  knowledge,  a  dash  of  repartee  which  is  glitter- 
ing, and  a  fund  of  anecdote  almost  inexhaustible.  Mr. 
Burrows  is  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Joint  Library, 
and  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Canals.  He  is  a  man 
of  recognized  talents,  fine  culture,  and  has  an  analytical 
mind  which  readily  masters  the  intricacies  of  law.  We 
regret  that  we  have  been  unable  to  obtain  any  of  the 
details  of  his  life ;  but  such  being  the  fact,  in  legal  parlance, 
we  "rest  the  case." 


HEMAN    G.    BUTTON 


Me.  Button  resides  in  the  town  of  Machias,  Catta- 
raugus county,  New  York,  where  he  has  been  located 
from  infancy.  When  the  country  in  that  vicinity,  was  an 
unbroken  wilderness,  his  parents  were  among  the  first 
settlers  who  faced  the  primitive  mode  of  living  which 
attends  frontier  life.  They  were  hard-working  people; 
their  wants  were  few  and  their  advantages  were  not  of 
the  broadest  kind ;  but  there  was  a  simple  happiness  in 
their  humble  lot,  which  satisfied  their  honest  hearts. 

Mr.  Button,  early  gained  the  esteem  of  his  associates 
by  his  unostentatious  manners,  and  his  evident  inten- 
tions to  do  right,  even  at  the  sacrifice  of  pecuniary 
gains;  and  this  confidence  was  expressed  on  repeated 
occasions  by  electing  him  to  represent  the  people  in 
town  and  county  oflices.  For  many  successive  years,  he 
has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  the  town  of  Machias, 
and  has  acquired  a  considerable  legal  knowledge,  in  that 
particular  sphere.  He  was  Superintendent  of  the  Poor 
for  several  terms,  and  retired  from  office  with  an  unblem- 
ished reputation.  Mr.  Button  was  also  one  of  the 
Justices  of  Sessions  during  one  official  term,  a  position 
requiring  but  ordinary  capacities,  it  is  true,  and  yet  which 
is  a  complimentary  testimonial.  He  was  also  town 
Superintendent  of  Common  Schools,  for  four  j^ears. 

In  1854,  Mr.  Button  ably  represented  his  town  in  the 
Board  of  Supervisors,  and  was  also  a  Member  of  the  Board, 
for  the  last  year.  In  the  proceedings  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  for  1863,  a  resolution  was  introduced  by 
Mr.  Johnson,  Democrat,  of  Ellicottville,  highly  compli- 
mentary of  Mr.  Button,  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  his 
duties  as  county  Superintendent.  He  has  held  either 
town  or  county  offices,  twenty-three  years  in  succession. 


218  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

Mr.  Button  was  formerly  a  Whig,  but  united  with  the 
Re2)ublicari  party  immediately  upon  its  organization.  He 
was,  of  course,  a  strong  supporter  of  the  war  against  the 
efforts  of  treason ;  and,  in  addition  to  his  influence  and 
money  of  which  he  gave  without  stint,  he  lent  to  the 
army  and  the  country,  two  sons  who  were  a  long  time  in 
the  service,  and  fought  with  commendatory  heroism. 
Not  long  since,  the  late  Judge  Tex  Bedeck  founded  the 
Ten  Broeck  Free  Academy,  in  Franklin ville,  and  donated 
a  sum  sufficient  to  sustain  the  institution ;  before  his 
decease,  he  appointed  Mr.  Button  as  one  of  its  trustees, 
in  whose  practical  sense  he  had  great  confidence.  From 
our  limited  observation  of  Mr.  Button,  we  are  of  the 
opinion  that  he  is  an  upright  man,  and  that  he  will  return 
to  his  district,  enjoying  the  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


SAMUEL  CANDEE. 


This  gentleman  was  born  in  the  town  of  Southford, 
New  Haven  county,  Connecticut,  on  the  8th  day  of 
May,  1814.  His  parents  were  English.  Mr.  Candee 
had  not  the  advantages  of  an  early  education,  but,  by 
industry  and  careful  study,  he  acquired  a  fair  proficiency 
in  all  the  Common  School  branches.  Politically,  Mr. 
Candee  was  a  Whig,  and  afterward  espoused  the  Repub- 
lican cause.  Although  frequently  pressed  by  his  friends 
to  hold  various  offices  he  would  never  accept  any  position 
beyond  the  Town  Collectorship  of  the  town  of  Porapey, 
New  York,  to  which  office  he  was  elected  three  times. 
But,  in  the  fall  of  1866,  in  the  Third  Assembly  District 
of  Onondaga  county,  he  was  unanimously  nominated  by 
the  Republican  party  for  Member  of  Assembly,  and  was 


WILLIAM   R.    CHAMBERLAIN-.  219 

elected  by  a  majority  of  1051,  running  thirty-nine  votes 
ahead  of  the  State  ticket  in  his  own  town.  He  is  serving 
on  the  Committees  of  Internal  affairs  of  Towns  and  Coun- 
ties, and  Salt.  Mr.  Candee  is,  by  occui;)ation,  a  farmer^ 
heretofore  being  largely  connected  with  the  public  works 
of  the  State.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  industrial  habits,  of 
courteous  manners,  upright  in  his  dealings,  and  possesses 
the  entire  confidence  of  his  county. 


WILLIAM    R.    CHAMBEKLAIN 


Me.  Chamberlain  was  born  at  Abbottsford,  Canada 
East,  December  15th,  1834.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he 
removed  to  the  State  of  Vermont,  where  he  received  a 
liberal  academic  education.  In  1857,  he  removed  to 
Colton,  St.  Lawrence  county,  where  he  studied  law,  with 
Aekins  Foster,  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  November, 
1861,  and  has  since  practiced  law  successfully  in  Canton. 
He  has  taken  a  leading  part  in  the  politics  of  St.  Lawrence 
county,  having  been  specially  serviceable  to  the  Republican 
party,  with  which  he  is  identified,  as  a  campaign  speaker, 
until  his  throat  became  affected.  In  September,  1862,  he 
was  appointed  Deputy  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue,  by 
E.  D.  Brooks,  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue,  of  the  Sev- 
enteenth District,  serving  in  that  ofiice,  with  fidelity  and 
integrity,  until  October,  1865,  when  he  resigned,  in  conse- 
quence of  ill  health. 

He  was  a  Member  of  Assembly  in  1866,  faithfully  serv- 
ing his  constituents  and  the  people  of  the  State.  He  is  one 
of  the  working  members  of  the  House,  rarely  making  a 
speech,  but  when  he  does,  always  with  efiect.     He  was 


220  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

chosen  by  the  Speaker,  the  present  session ,  as  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Privileges  and  Elections,  a  marked 
compliment,  inasmuch  as  three  contested  seats,  involving 
very  nice  points,  were  before  that  Committee. 


EDGAR    B.    CLARKE 


The  ancestors  of  Mr.  Clarke  were  English.  He  is  a 
descendant  of  the  celebrated  Joseph  Clarke,  who,  in 
company  with  his  brother  John,  emigrated  from  England, 
and,  in  the  year  1671,  established  the  First  "Seventh  Day 
Baptist  Chm*ch"  in  America,  at  Newport,  Rhode  Island. 

Mr.  Clarke's  family,  with  its  different  branches,  is 
quite  large;  and  some  of  its  members  have  occupied 
prominent  positions  in  politics  and  society.  He  Avas 
educated  at  De  Ruyter  Institute  which  is  situated  in 
Madison  county,  New  York.  He  is  now  a  manufacturer 
of  agricultural  implements  and  furniture,  at  Unadilla 
Forks,  conducting  the  business  in  partnership  with  his 
father,  under  the  firm  of  Clarke  &  Son.  Their  establish- 
ment gives  employment  to  a  large  number  of  workmen ; 
and  their  capital  is  recognized  as  the  means  of  infusing 
spirit  into  the  enterprises  of  that  locality.  The  firm  is 
a  highly  reputable  one,  in  business  circles ;  and  the  senior 
and  junior  partners  are  gentlemen  who  are  not  narrow 
in  their  views ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  both  entertain  com- 
prehensive ideas  of  social  as  well  as  business  relations. 

Mr.  Clarke  has  always  striven  to  promote  the  interests 
of  the  Republican  party  in  his  county ;  and  has,  for  some 
years,  held  offices  of  a  local  nature,  in  the  town  in  which 
he  lives.  During  the  war,  though  he  was  so  much  out 
of  health  that  his  services  in  the  field  would  have  been 


EDGAK  B.    CLARKE.  221 

unavailable,  yet  he  was  among  the  foremost  to  encourage 
enlistments.  Probably,  it  is  not  asserting  too  much,  to 
say  that  the  promptness,  with  which  every  demand  of 
the  government  was  met,  by  his  town,  was  owing  very 
much  to  Mr.  Clarke's  zeal  in  arousing  his  fellow  citizens 
to  the  work.  The  awful  conflict,  at  the  South,  made 
demands,  not  only  upon  his  capital,  but  also  upon  his 
kindred.  Three  of  his  brothers  placed  themselves  at 
their  country's  disposal.  One  of  them  died  in  the  hos- 
pital, a  slow  death  of  martyrdom ;  and  another  was 
slain  at  Antietam. 

Mr.  Clarke  enters  upon  his  new  political  experiences 
with  a  good  reputation  preceding  him ;  and  we  have  no 
misgivings  in  relation  to  his  guarding  well  the  buckler 
which  is  thus  far  untarnished.  He  is  now  in  his  thirty- 
second  year.  Youth,  influence,  and  the  respect  of  the 
public,  are  in  his  favor.  Therefore,  we  shall  be  greatly 
disappointed,  if  his  political  history  shall  end  at  the 
close  of  the  present  session.  Yery  appropriately,  he 
was  placed  on  the  Committee  on  Trade  and  Manufactures ; 
and  his  previous  experience  in  manufacturing  enables 
him  to  easily  comprehend  any  disputed  questions  which 
properly  come  before  that  Committee. 


WILLIAM    S.    CLARK. 


Me.  Clark's  grand-parents,  who  were  born  in  Dutchess 
county,  New  York,  settled  in  Coeyraans,  Albany  county, 
during  the  year  1773.  His  paternal  grandfather  being 
unable  to  endure  the  privations  of  pioneer  life,  died  at  the 
age  of  thirty-two;  his  maternal  grandfather,  Reubex 
Stantox,  was  among  those  who,  by  their  vigor  and  hardi- 
hood, contributed  much  to  clear  up  the  wilderness  in 
Coeymans,  in  the  days  when  homes  were  never  safe,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  depredations  of  marauders  from  the  army 
in  the  war  preceding  the  Revolution.  He  was,  for  some 
years,  a  licentiate  in  the  Baptist  Church,  and  was  regularly 
ordained  by  that  denomination,  in  1793,  continuing  to 
preach  until  he  was  disqualified  by  age.  Mr.  Clark's 
parents  settled  on  a  farm  in  Carlisle,  Schoharie  county,  in 
1813,  where  his  father  died  in  1849.  His  mother  is  still 
living ;  and  though  seventy-nine  years  old,  she  is  healthful 
and  active,  with  faculties  unimpaired,  and  with  her  dark 
brown  hair  scarcely  marked  with  a  thread  of  silver. 

Mr.  Clark  was  favored  with  good  educational  oppor- 
tunities, having  attended  some  of  the  academies  of  Scho- 
harie and  Madison  counties.  He  was  a  teacher  during 
several  winters,  and  then  chose  law  as  a  profession ;  he 
graduated  from  the  Albany  Law  School  in  the  spring  of 
1858,  and  returned  to  Sloans ville,  where  he  now  resides. 
Since  then,  however,  he  has  gratified  his  desire  for  travel 
very  largely,  and  has  also  been  identified  with  all  move- 
ments of  public  interest  in  his  locality,  yet  devoting 
himself  to  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

Mr.  Clark  was  elected  Town  Superintendent  of  Com- 
mon Schools,  in  the  year  1850,  and  was  Commissioner  of 
Excise  during  the  years  1862,  '63  and  '64. 


WILLIAM   S.   CLARK.  223 

A  special  election  having  been  called  for  the  purpose 
of  filling  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  decease  of  the  Mem- 
ber elect  from  Schoharie  county,  Mr.  Clark  was  nominated 
by  acclamation,  by  the  Democrats,  and  elected  without 
opposition.  To  use  a  facetious  expression  of  his,  he  has 
"  hosts  of  constituents."  During  the  war,  his  talents  and 
influence  were  used  to  promote  the  interests  of  the  gov- 
ernment, both  by  addressing  war  and  bounty  meetings, 
and  encouraging  volunteering,  in  his  own  county  and  the 
surrounding  ones.  He  has  always  been  a  Democrat ;  and 
various  political  articles  from  his  pen,  which  have  appeared 
through  the  public  press,  among  them,  his  discussion  of 
the  proposed  Constitutional  Convention,  in  1858,  display 
a  repleteness  of  ideas  which  is  above  the  ordinary  cast  of 
mind.  Mr.  Clark  has  an  excellent  literary  taste,  and 
displays  a  certain  vim  and  dash,  in  his  composition,  which 
excite  one's  admiration.  His  "  Memoir  of  Charles  How- 
ard Phelps,"  which  was  w^ritten  for  the  Trustees  of  the 
Dudley  Observatory,  and  subsequently  published  by  them, 
is  a  chaste  and  beautiful  tribute  to  the  memory  of  one 
whose  whole  soul" was  inspired  with  the  grandeur  of 
Astronomy,  and  whose  life  trembled  at  the  impressions 
of  those  master  thoughts  which  seem  to  transfigure  the 
whole  being. 

The  introduction  of  a  law  defining  the  duties  of  Over- 
seers of  Highways,  which  was  reported  by  the  Committee 
without  amendment;  a  clear,  concise,  but  full  report  of 
the  views  of  the  minority  of  the  Committee  on  Privileges 
and  Elections,  in  the  Putnam  county  case,  and  a  bill  to 
amend  the  Registry  Law,  are  some  of  the  measures  which 
he  has  already  introduced,  in  his  legislative  capacity. 
Mr.  Clark  is  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  enjoys  a  good  joke 
or  a  keen  sarcasm  about  as  well  as  an  epicure  relishes  his 
salads  and  "  green  seal." 


HUGH   CONGER, 


Mr.  Conger  represents  the  First  District  of  Albany- 
county.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Berne,  New  York, 
March  31st,  1804,  and  has  always  resided  within  a  mile  of 
the  place  of  his  birth.  He  is  a  farmer,  and  dealer  in  blue 
quarry  stone.  In  1830,  he  was  elected  Constable,  running 
as  stump  candidate,  and  receiving  one  hundred  majority. 
For  over  twenty  years,  Mr.  Conger  was  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  which  office  he  held,  for  sixteen  successive  years. 
He  was  also  Justice  of  Sessions,  five  years.  His  original 
political  views  were  those  maintained  by  the  Democracy ; 
at  present  he  is  a  Republican.  Last  fall,  Mr.  Conger  ran 
for  the  Assembly,  against  "William  J.  Snyder,  and  was 
elected  by  a  majority  of  six  hundred  and  nine.  He  serves, 
in  the  present  Assembly,  on  the  Committees  on  Expendi- 
tures of  the  House,  and  Roads  and  Bridges. 


JOSEPH    COVELL, 


Mr.  Covell  was  a  Democrat  until  after  the  election  of 
President  Pierce,  in  1852.  The  policy  pursued  during 
his  administration,  and  the  circumstances  which  gave  it 
direction,  led  Mr.  Covell  to  believe  that  the  power  which 
controlled  the  platform  of  the  Democratic  party  was 
firmly  located  in  the  Slave  States,  and  that  it  must 
necessarily  remain  there  unless  aifected  by  some  unforseen 
convulsion.  It  was  further  clearly  apparent  to  him  that 
those  who  were  termed  the  Fire  Eaters  of  the  South  were 
intent  on  the  destruction  of  the  government;  that  they 
controlled  the  South,  and  that  the  South  controlled  the 
Democratic  party.  Accordingly,  in  1856,  he  took  a 
decided  stand  in  favor  of  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  he  has  ever  since  zealously  endeavored  to  assist 
in  thwarting  the  designs  of  those  who  would  destroy  our 
institutions  of  liberty.  Politically,  Mr.  Covell  occupies 
no  ambiguous  ground.  He  is  most  emphatic  in  the  declar- 
ation of  his  opinions,  though  never  denunciatory.  In  the 
Assembly  he  is  unobtrusive  in  his  manner,  never  seeking 
to  make  himself  conspicuous  for  the  sake  of  mere  effect, 
thus  fully  verifying  the  old  Greek  maxim  :  "  We  have  two 
ears  and  but  one  mouth,  in  order  that  we  may  hear  the 
more  and  speak  the  less."  Mr.  Covell's  face  gives  us 
the  impression  that  he  is  a  fair,  sound-hearted  man,  and 
his  reputation  does  not  belie  appearances.  His  place  of 
nativity  is  Hadley,  Saratoga  county,  Kew  York,  where  he 
was  born  in  1808.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm,  until  he  was 
Beventeen  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  left  home  to 
attend  an  Academy.  During  the  succeeding  six  or  seven 
years,  he  was  engaged  in  acquiring  an  Academical  educa- 
tion, and  in  teaching.  In  1833,  he  married  and  settled  on 
29 


226  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

a  fann  in  the  town  of  Edinburgh,  Saratoga  county.  He 
followed  farming  as  his  principal  occupation,  until  1856, 
having  held,  at  different  times,  the  offices  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  Supervisor  of  the  town.  While  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties,  his  mind  was  directed  to  many  legal 
questions  which  came  before  him,  and  thus  by  degrees, 
the  idea  of  practicing  law  as  a  profession,  suggested  itself 
to  him,  and  finally  settled  into  a  determination.  Supply- 
ing himself  with  the  necessary  books,  he  soon  fitted 
himself  for  an  examination.  He  obtained  a  license  as 
Attorney  and  Counselor-at-Law,  in  1856;  and  from  that 
period  until  the  year  1860,  he  followed  his  profession,  and 
also  conducted  his  agricultural  affairs.  He  then  disposed 
of  his  farm  and  removed  to  Fish  House  Village  in  the 
town  of  Northampton,  Fulton  county,  where  he  now 
resides  and  practices  law  exclusively.  He  was  elected  by 
the  Republicans  as  Member  of  the  Assembly,  in  1865  ; 
and  during  that  term  was  a  member  of  the  Committee  of 
Ways  and  Means,  and  acted  as  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Petitions  of  Aliens.  His  constituents  reelected 
him  in  1866,  by  a  majority  nearly  three  times  as  great  as 
in  1865.  He  is  on  the  Committees  on  Judiciary  and 
Federal  Relations. 


CHARLES   M.    CRANDALL. 


Mr.  Ckandall,  a  son  of  Benjamin-  G.  Ckandall,  is 
forty-one  years  of  age.  His  native  place  is  Amity  —  now 
Belmont,  Allegany  county,  New  York.  Having  been  left 
an  orphan  when  he  was  six  years  old,  he  found  a  home 
with  his  grand-parents.  His  grand-father,  Samuel  Yak 
Campen  —  a  name  intimately  connected  with  some  of  the 
hardships  wrought  by  the  Revolution  —  removed  from 
Luzerne  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  company  with  ten 
other  families,  in  1797,  and  settled  in  what  is  now  called 
Allegany  county.  They  were  the  first  white  inhabitants 
in  that  section  of  the  State.  The  first  religious  meeting 
ever  held  in  the  town  of  Amity,  convened  at  his  house. 

Mr.  Crandall  graduated  from  the  Medical  College  at 
Castleton,  Vermont,  in  1859.  Since  that  time,  he  has 
been  a  practicing  physician  of  acknowledged  skill,  in  the 
town  of  Belfast,  Kew  York. 

In  1864,  he  was  chosen  Member  of  Assembly  by  the 
Republicans  of  the  First  District  of  Allegany  county.  He 
was  reelected  in  1865  ;  and  he  was  an  able  member  of  the 
Committees  on  Ways  and  Means,  Public  Health,  Medical 
Societies  and  Colleges,  and  was  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Expenditures  of  the  House.  During  the  last 
political  campaign.  Dr.  Crandall  again  was  the  reci- 
pient of  public  honors,  by  again  being  reelected  to  the 
House,  to  represent  the  whole  of  Allegany  county,  by  a 
majority  of  3,740.  While  the  country  was  convulsed  by 
the  rebellion,  he  gratuitously  devoted  his  medical  services 
to  the  care  of  the  sick  and  wounded,  from  the  time  of  the 
battle  of  Fair  Oaks  until  after  the  army  arrived  at  Harri- 
son's Landing,  and  when  the  battle  of  Fredericksburgh 
occurred,  he  again  visited  the  horrible  scenes  of  the  hospi- 


228  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

tals,  and  rendered  essential  aid  to  the  suffering.  While 
there,  he  became  impressed  with  a  senses  of  the  necessity 
of  medical  agents  to  be  sent  by  our  State,  to  look  after 
our  wounded  men. 

In  February,  1863,  he  attended  the  regular  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  New  York  State  Medical  Society,  and  intro- 
duced the  following  resolution : 

"Whereas,  The  present  civil  war  has  caused  the  hospitals  of  the 
District  of  Columbia  to  be  filled  with  sick  and  wounded  soldiers 
from  this  State,  proportionate  to  the  number  of  volunteers  sent 
out;  and,  whereas,  every  safeguard  possible  should  be  thrown 
around  those  who  have  periled  their  all  for  us ;  therefore, 

Resolved^  That  the  New  York  State  Medical  Society  respectfully 
request  of  our  Legislature  and  Executive  to  earnestly  consider  the 
propriety  of  appointing  an  agent,  to  reside  at  Washington,  who 
shall  be  a  physician  and  surgeon,  with  clerical  assistants,  whose 
only  business  shall  be  to  look  after  the  interest  and  welfare  of  the 
sick  and  wounded  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

The  resolution  was  violently  opposed  by  some  members 
of  the  society.  The  subject  was  referred  to  a  committee, 
which  reported  favorably.  Drs.  Swinburne  and  S.  D. 
WiLLARD  were  appointed  as  a  committee  to  present  the 
subject  to  the  Governor  and  the  Legislature.  The  result 
was  the  passage  of  the  act  entitled,  "  An  Act  to  provide 
additional  means  of  relief  for  sick  and  wounded  soldiers 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  in  the  United  States  of 
America."  As  the  initiator  of  the  above  movement.  Dr. 
Ckandall  is  deserving  of  the  gratitude  of  the  people. 

In  mid-summer,  1864,  two  of  his  brothers  were  wounded, 
in  front  of  Atlanta.  He  hastened  to  their  assistance,  and 
was  in  constant  attendance  in  the  hospitals  of  Nashville 
and  Louisville  for  several  weeks.  He  was  appointed 
Surgeon  of  the  141st  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers, 
receiving  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  officers  of  the  regi- 
ment.  Colonel    Hayt   (brother   of   Canal   Commissioner 


CHARLES  M.    CK  AND  ALL.  220 

Hayt),  commanding.  On  the  day  before  he  received  intel- 
ligence of  his  appointment,  he  was  nominated  for  reflection 
as  Member  of  Assembly ;  therefore,  he  reluctantly  declined 
the  position  in  the  regiment.  April  3d,  1865,  on  receiving 
the  news  of  the  battles  in  front  of  Petersburgh  and  Kich- 
mond,  he  was  requested  by  Governor  Fenton  to  "  hasten 
to  City  Point,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  or  wherever  the 
sufferers  from  the  late  battles  most  demand  attendance, 
and  assist  in  taking  care  of  wounded  New  York  soldiers." 

On  the  24th  of  the  same  month,  he  was  appointed  by 
Governor  Fenton,  Military  Agent  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  at  City  Point,  Virginia.  He  remained  at  that  place, 
until  it  was  abandoned.  Subsequently  he  held  the  appoint- 
ment of  Visiting  Agent  of  Military  Hospitals,  and  spent 
some  time  in  the  various  hospitals  of  the  Department  of 
the  Potomac. 

Doctor  Ceandall  is  a  man  of  recognized  competence, 
both  in  his  profession,  and  in  the  Legislature.  Humane  in 
heart,  upright  in  motives,  he  has  a  past  upon  which  he  can 
look  with  satisfaction.  During  the  terms  he  has  so  honor- 
ably served  in  the  Assembly,  he  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  several  very  important  measures.  He  took 
a  special  interest  in  the  commission  and  appointment  of  the 
late  Doctor  Willakd,  of  Albany,  to  investigate  the  condi- 
tion of  the  insane  poor  domiciled  in  the  alms  houses  of  the 
State;  and  also  the  bills  to  increase  the  capital  stock  of 
the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad  Company  to  $4,000,000, 
and  for  the  completion  and  improvement  of  the  Chenango 
and  Genesee  Valley  Canals.  The  bill  for  the  establishment 
of  a  Masonic  Hall  and  Asylum  in  New  York,  which  was  one 
of  the  greatest  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  Masons,  was 
introduced  and  forwarded  by  him.  He  was  very  active  in 
behalf  of  the  act  establishing  the  Willard  Asylum,  zeal- 
ously supported  the  Cornell  University,  and  the  Metro- 
politan Health  and  Fire  Department  Bills.   He  introduced 


230  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

and  urged  a  very  important  measure,  which  passed  to  final 
enactment,  relative  to  the  Quarantine  laws ;  and  strenu- 
ously oj^posed  the  bill  increasing  the  fare  on  the  New 
York  Central  Railroad. 


THOMAS  J.  CREAMER. 


Thomas  J.  Creamer  is  of  Irish  descent,  and  was  born  on 
the  26th  of  May,  1841.  He  left  school  when  ten  years  of 
age,  having  had  a  common  school  education  in  the  city 
of  New  York ;  and  engaged,  shortly  afterward,  in  the  dry 
goods  establishment  of  A.  T.  Stewart  &  Co.,  where  he 
remained  several  years ;  but,  desiring  to  change  his  course 
of  life,  from  a  mercantile  to  a  professional  career,  he 
labored  night  and  day  to  improve  a  deficient  education, 
and,  when  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  was 
admitted  as  a  Member  of  the  Bar.  He  has  since  been 
engaged  in  active  political  life,  having  been  elected  to  the 
Legislature  when  he  was  but  twenty-three  years  of  age, 
polling  the  largest  vote  ever  cast  for  any  candidate  in  the 
district  he  represents.  In  the  Legislature  of  1865,  he  took 
an  active  part  in  the  debates  on  all  questions  relating  to 
the  city  of  New  York.  During  the  session,  he  delivered 
a  speech  in  opposition  to  the  establishment  of  a  paid  Fire 
Department  in  New  York,  which  was  considered  one  of 
the  most  effective  and  eloquent,  on  that  side  of  the  subject. 
Mr.  Creamer  was  reelected  to  the  Legislature  in  the  fall 
of  1865,  by  over  2,000  majority,  and  was  a  prominent  and 
energetic  member  during  the  session  of  1866,  serving  on 
the  Committees  on  Railroads,  Claims  and  Engrossed  Bills. 
He  was  a  strong  advocate  of  a  change  in  the  Militia  Laws 
of  the  State,  in  order  to  place  the  old  fogy  generals,  who, 


THOMAS  J.    CREAMEK.  231 

he  believed,  were  a  drag  on  the  efficiency  of  our  State 
Militia,  on  the  retired  list ;  and  did  much  to  pass  the  law 
which  has  brought  about  the  desired  change.  He  was 
reelected  to  the  present  House,  by  an  increased  majority. 
Mr.  Creamer,  although  a  young  man,  takes  a  prominent 
and  influential  position  ijj  the  Assembly.  He  is  more  of  a 
debater  than  an  orator.  Although  he  is  not  gifted  with  that 
plethora  of  language,  so  delightful  to  its  possessor,  and  so 
annoying  to  those  who  are  compelled  frequently  to  listen 
to  it,  he  is  possessed  of  those  more  essential  qualities  of  a 
successful  legislator — a  clear  and  attractive  manner  of 
presenting  a  question ;  concise  and  logical  method  of  expo- 
sition ;  quickness  of  perception,  both  as  to  his  own  position 
and  opportunities,  and  those  of  his  opponents ;  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  rules  of  the  House  and  of  parliamentary 
practice;  and  a  personal  bearing  to  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact,  calculated  to  rally  strong  support.  Mr. 
Creamer  was  placed  by  the  Speaker  on  the  important 
Committee  on  Privileges  and  Elections,  of  which  he  is  an 
efficient  member. 


BERNARD    CREGAN. 


Bernard  Cregan  was  born  on  the  15th  of  October, 
1832,  in  Ireland.  At  an  early  age  he  was  left  an  orphan, 
and  thrown  upon  his  own  resources.  When  seven  years 
old,  he  went  to  sea  as  a  cabin  boy,  starting  from  Liverpool, 
and  going  thence  to  Gibraltar  and  Hong  Kong,  returning, 
after  a  long  absence,  to  the  port  from  which  he  started. 
Being  desirous  of  visiting  America,  he  shipped  for  this 
country  upon  the  ill-fated  steamer,  the  Ocean  Monarch, 
which,  when  a  short  distance  out,  was  destroyed  by  fire, 
the  calamity  resulting  in  a  loss  of  about  four  hundred 
lives.  Mr.  Cregan  was  saved  by  hanging  on  to  the  chain 
under  the  bowsprit,  his  arm  being  cut  into  the  bone, 
leaving  a  scar  which  still  remains.  After  his  rescue  he 
returned  to  Liverpool  and  once  more  started  for  America 
as  a  cabin  boy.  From  New  York  he  went  to  New  Orleans, 
soon  after  returning  to  the  Great  Metropolis.  Here  he 
sought  and  obtained  work,  part  of  the  time  being  engaged 
in  the  Sun  newspaper  office.  In  1848  he  caught  the  gold 
fever,  and  went  to  California,  by  way  of  Cape  Horn, 
remaining  there  until  1851,  when  he  returned,  by  way 
of  Panama,  to  New  York,  where  he  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile pursuits,  which  have  ever  since  occupied  his  attention. 
It  was  not  till  about  three  years  since  that  Mr.  Cregan 
entered  into  politics.  He  is  a  Tammany  Hall  Democrat, 
but  last  fall  received  the  indorsement  of  all  wings  of  his 
party,  as  a  candidate  for  the  Assembly  —  a  deserved  testi- 
monial to  his  personal  popularity.  He  is  one  of  two 
Democrats  in  the  Legislature  who  voted  for  the  Constitu- 
tional Amendment.  He  represents  the  Thirteenth  Assem- 
bly District  of  New  York  city. 


HENRY  CRIBBEN 


Mr.  Cribben  is  of  English  birth.  He  was  born  in  the 
Isle  of  Man,  December  18th,  1834.  Having  immigrated 
to  this  country,  he  ultimately  settled  in  the  city  of  Roch- 
ester, New  York,  where  he  followed  the  occupation  of 
iron  moulder.  He  is  etill  one  of  that  handicraft,  com- 
bining in  his  character,  intelligence,  thrift  and  patriotism. 
Representing  the  laboring  classes,  as  well  as  others,  he 
knows,  by  his  own  experience,  what  is  for  the  good  of  the 
working  people,  both  in  his  own  city  and  in  the  State  at 
large.  He  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  by  the  Republican 
party,  by  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight  majority  over 
Chauncey  Perry,  Esq.  He  is  on  the  Committees  on 
Trade  and  Manufactures,  and  Grievances. 

Mr.  Cribben  entered  the  military  service  of  the  United 
States,  August  26th,  1862,  as  a  private  in  the  140th 
Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers,  performing  a  soldier's 
duties,  until  June  2d,  1864,  when  the  Rebels  took  him 
prisoner,  at  Bethesda  Church,  Virginia,  and  thus  cut 
short  his  efficiency.  They  gave  him  the  full  benefit  of 
their  infernal  prison-pens.  By  way  of  introduction,  they 
allowed  him  limited  quarters  in  Libby  Prison,  where  fresh 
air  was  as  rare  as  their  loyalty.  After  receiving  the  tortur- 
ing accommodations  to  be  found  there,  they  transferred 
him  to  Oglethorpe  Prison,  Macon,  Georgia,  anticipating, 
no  doubt,  that  a  little  more  tropical  heat  would  burn  out 
either  his  life  or  his  loyalty ;  not  succeeding  in  their  pur- 
poses, they  placed  him  in  the  Marine  Prison,  at  Savannah, 
and,  subsequently,  in  four  difierent  pens  which  they  digni- 
fied by  the  name  of  prison,  in  South  Carolina.  Finally, 
Mr.  Cribben  was  confined  at  Charlotte,  North  Carolina, 
where  he  determined  not  to  enjoy  any  more  of  their  hos- 
30 


234  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

pitality,  and  succeeded  in  making  his  escape,  February 
16th,  1865.  After  traveling  a  distance  of  nearly  four 
hundred  miles,  suffering  from  a  loss  of  strength  in  conse- 
quence of  his  emaciated  condition,  running  risks  which 
kept  his  nerves  strained  to  their  highest  tension,  for  fear 
of  being  discovered  by  merciless  scouts,  he  reached  Knox- 
ville,  Tennessee,  March  17th,  1865. 

His  active  military  record  is  distinguished  for  his  par- 
ticipation in  the  battles  of  Fredricksburgh,  Chancel- 
lorsville,  Gettysburgh,  Rappahanock,  Mine  Run,  the 
Wilderness,  Laurel  HilL,  Spottsylvania,  North  Anne 
River  and  Bethesda  Church,  where,  as  we  have  before 
mentioned,  he  was  captured. 

He  was  promoted  through  different  grades,  for  his 
bravery,  and  finally,  when  the  war  was  ended,  he  ranked 
as  Captain.  He  was  honorably  discharged  from  the  ser- 
vice, June  3d,  1865. 


JOHN   E.    DEVELIN. 


Me.  Develin  was  born  in  Yonkers,  Westchester  county 
on  the  31st  of  August,  1820.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Ireland,  who  came  to  America,  in  the  year  1814.  His 
mother  was  one  of  the  Ireland  family,  of  Long  Island. 
In  1824,  when  Mr.  Develin  was  four  years  old,  his  father 
removed  to  the  city  of  New  York,  where  the  son  has  con- 
tinued ever  since  to  reside.  At  an  early  age,  he  was  sent 
to  school,  and  was  prepared  for  College,  at  the  old  Gram- 
mar School,  in. Murray  street,  of  which  the  Principal  was 
Mr.  Charles  H.  Anthon,  whose  excellence  as  an  educator 
of  youth,  has  gained  for  him  a  just  celebrity.  In  1836,  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  years,  Mr.  Develin  entered  Georgetown 


JOHN   E.   DEVELIN.  235 

College,  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  an  institution  under 
the  management  of  the  order  of  Jesuits.  He  was  gradu- 
ated, first  in  his  class,  in  1840.  Upon  his  return  to  the 
city  of  New  York,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  with 
Jonathan  Millee,  Esq.,  a  leading  practitioner,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar,  in  1844.  Later,  he  became  a  partner 
of  Mr.  Millee,  and  remained  so  until  the  latter's  death,  a 
few  years  since.  In  the  fall  of  1845,  Mr.  Develin  was 
a  candidate  for  the  Assembly,  to  which  position  he  was 
elected,  and  reelected  in  1846,  serving  honorably  during 
both  sessions.  His  object  in  going  to  the  Legislature 
was  to  procure  the  enactment  of  laws  for  the  aid  and 
protection  of  emigrants,  and  to  secure  an  act  of  incorpo- 
ration for  St.  John's  College,  at  Fordham,  a  Catholic 
institution,  which  has  since  passed  under  the  control  of 
the  order  of  Jesuits.  Mr.  Develin  was  successful  in  both 
of  his  objects.  He  introduced  the  first  bill  for  the  care 
and  protection  of  emigrants,  which,  after  passing  the 
House,  was  so  amended  in  the  Senate,  as  to  provide  for 
the  organization  of  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of 
Emigration.  At  the  close  of  the  session  of  1847,  he 
retired  from  an  active  participation  in  politics,  and 
devoted  himself  assiduously  to  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. But,  during  his  entire  career,  he  has  given 
special  attention  to  the  subject  of  emigration,  and  has 
personally  prepared  nearly  every  law  upon  that  subject, 
which  is  upon  the  Statute  Books  of  this  State.  He  was 
himself  appointed  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners of  Emigration,  the  duties  of  which  he  performed 
for  several  years.  He  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of 
the  Board  which  had  charge  of  the  hospitals  at  Staten 
Island,  during  the  epidemic  cholera  of  1849.  On  retiring 
from  the  Board,  he  was  appointed  Counsel  to  the  Commis- 
sioners of  Emigration,  which  position  he  held,  until  very 
recently,  when   he  resigned.      In  !N"ovember,  1862,  Mr. 


236  >  LIFE  SKETCHES. 

Develin  was  elected  Counsel  to  the  Corporation  of  the 
city  of  New  York,  holding  that  office  until  his  term  of 
office  expired,  in  1866.  In  the  fall  of  1866,  he  was  again 
returned  as  Member  of  Assembly.  His  district  embraces 
the  rural  and  most  beautiful  portion  of  New  York  Island, 
lying  on  the  southern  and  western  side  of  Central  Park, 
and  includes  Bloomingdale,  Manhattanville,  Carmansville, 
Washington  Heights,  Kings  Bridge,  and  High  Bridge. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Develin  has  always  been  a  Democrat, 
cheerfully  aiding  the  government  in  crushing  the  rebellion. 
But  his  genial  ways  have  secured  for  him  a  host  of  friends 
among  men  of  all  parties.  He  is  affable,  intelligent, 
refined,  and  generous,  and  counts  among  his  warm 
admirers,  nearly  all  of  those  who  have  the  pleasure  of  an 
acquaintance  with  him.  He  is,  by  birth  and  education,  a 
Catholic.  In  1854,  he  married  a  daughter  of  Charles  A. 
Stetson,  Esq.,  of  the  Astor  House.  At  the  present  time, 
he  resides  near  Manhattanville,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Hudson,  and  lives  in  a  style  which  comports  with  his 
refined  tastes  and  abundant  means.  His  popularity  among 
his  people  and  neighbors  is  evinced  by  the  majority  which 
he  obtained  in  his  district,  at  the  last  election,  having  a 
plurality  of  about  1,100,  in  a  vote  of  2,200. 


HENRY  M.  DIXON. 


This  member  from  the  Seventh  District  of  Kings 
county,  was  born  in  Ireland  on  the  30th  of  September, 
1835,  and  is  consequently,  in  the  thirty-second  year  of  his 
age.  When  but  a  child,  he  came  to  this  country  in  com- 
pany with  an  aunt,  and  located  in  the  city  of  New  York. 
Shortly  after,  he  removed  to  Williamsburgh,  and  engaged 
to  a  farmer,  remaining  with  him  for  about  a  year. 
Thrown  entirely  upon  his  own  resources,  he  managed  to 
learn  a  mechanical  branch  of  trade,  and  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  was  in  business  for  himself.  Mr.  Dixon  was 
always  an  active  member  of  the  Fire  Department,  having 
been  a  private,  assistant-foreman  and  foreman  of  one  of 
the  leading  companies  of  Williamsburgh.  For  two  terms,' 
he  was  President  of  the  Department,  and  in  1866,  was  a 
candidate  for  Chief  Engineer,  being  defeated  by  but  a  few 
votes,  after  a  most  exciting  contest,  in  which  more  than 
ordinary  effort  was  made  to  elect  his  opponent.  At  an 
early  period,  he  took  an  active  interest  in  politics ;  and  in 
1863,  ran  as  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Alderman  of 
the  Thirteenth  Ward  (a  Republican  stronghold),  but  was 
defeated  by  a  small  majority  —  an  evidence  of  his  pop- 
ularity with  the  masses.  In  the  contest  which  resulted 
in  his  election  to  the  Assembly,  the  whole  city  took  a  deep 
interest,  and  opinion  was  much  divided  as  to  the  result. 
Ira  Buckman,  Jr.,  a  member  of  the  House  in  1866,  was 
his  opponent,  but  Mr.  Dixon  triumphed  by  quite  seven 
hundred  majority,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  oppo- 
sition.   Mr.  Dixon  has  always  been  a  Democrat. 


CONSTANTINE   DONOHO. 


Mr.  Donoho  represents  the  Second  Assembly  District 
of  the  city  of  New  York,  having  be^n  elected  as  a  Tam- 
many and  McKeon  Democrat,  over  Byeam  Gaughan 
(Union  Democrat),  and  Geoege  Ross  (Republican  Union), 
by  a  majority  of  913.  He  was  a  member  of  the  House  in 
1866,  serving  on  the  Committee  on  Joint  Library. 

Mr.  DoNOHO  is  a  native  of  ISTew  York  city,  where  he 
was  born,  on  the  26th  of  September,  1840.  He  is  of  Irish 
parentage.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the  Common 
Schools  of  the  city.  At  present  he  holds  a  clerkship  in 
the  Bureau  of  Arrears,  in  the  office  of  the  Comptroller 
of  the  city  of  New  York.  He  entered  the  political  arena, 
in  1861,  as  an  independent  candidate  for  the  Assembly,  in 
the  district  which  he  now  represents ;  but  was  defeated. 
In  1865,  Mr.  Donoho  was  again  a  candidate,  the  nomina- 
tion being  tendered  to  him,  four  days  previous  to  the 
election.  This  time,  he  was  elected  by  a  handsome 
majority.     He  is  now  serving  on  the  Committee  on  Salt. 

In  1862,  he  served  three  months  as  a  private  in  the  69th 
ISTew  York  State  Militia,  guarding  Washington ;  at  the 
expiration  of  that  time,  he  returned  home  with  his  regi- 
ment, and  again  engaged  in  business  pursuits.  Mr. 
Donoho  is  youthful  in  personal  appearance,  has  dark, 
curly  hair,  florid  complexion,  and  is  of  medium  stature. 
His  stock  of  good  nature  is  abundant.  He  is  considerable 
of  a  ward  politician,  and  has  the  confidence  of  his  con- 
stituents. 


JACOB    H.    DUNTZ 


Me.  Duntz  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  until  two  years 
ago ;  he  then  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  sheep,  on 
quite  a  large  scale.  All  of  his  business  associations  have 
been  marked  by  practicality  and  honesty;  and  mingled 
with  his  toil,  he  has  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  his  towns- 
men, both  socially  and  politically. 

Mr.  DuNTz  is  a  native  of  Gallatin,  Columbia  county, 
New  York,  and  is  nearly  thirty-one  years  of  age.  His 
father  died  when  his  son  Jacob  was  five  years  old,  leaving 
a  wife  and  four  children,  besides  a  large  landed  estate  for 
their  maintenance.  The  circumstances  in  which  Mr. 
DuNTZ  was  placed  in  his  childhood,  naturally  gave  direc- 
tion to  his  future  occupation.  The  two  farms  left  by  his 
father  awakened,  in  his  mind,  a  laudable  ambition  to  con- 
tinue in  the  avocation  of  agriculture.  Living  at  a 
distance  of  two  miles  from  any  school  house,  his  oppor- 
tunities for  acquiring  an  education  were  neither  easy  nor 
attractive ;  but  he  plodded  over  the  route  in  the  winter 
season,  in  spite  of  the  cold  and  bad  walking,  until  he  was 
sufficiently  versed  in  the  English  branches  to  teach  a  Dis- 
trict School. 

Mr.  DuNTz  has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors in  his  county,  for  four  successive  years.  In  the  fall 
of  1865,  he  was  nominated  for  the  Assembly  by  the 
Republicans,  but  was  defeated  by  fifty-one  majority. 
Last  autumn,  however,  the  order  of  things  was  reversed, 
and  he  was  elected  by  eighty-two  majority.  Mr.  Duntz 
is  greatly  esteemed  by  those  who  have  known  him  from  a 
boy,  and  is  recognized  as  a  loyal,  patriotic  citizen.  Offi- 
cially, he  is  not  among  those  who  do  a  vast  amount  of 
superlative  talking,  but  in  the  main,  his  acts  display  his 
good  common  sense  of  which  he  has  a  large  stock. 


CHARLES  G.  ELLIS 


Mr.  Ellis  was  born  in  the  city  of  Schenectady,  Schenec- 
tady county,  New  York,  on  the  27th  of  October,  1842. 
He  is  of  Scotch  descent,  his  father,  John  Ellis,  having 
emigrated  to  this  country  from  Scotland,  about  the  year 
1820.  His  mother  was  of  the  same  origin,  and  in  moral 
and  intellectual  qualities,  was  excelled  by  few.  His  father 
has  been  long  and  favorably  known  throughout  the  United 
States,  as  the  proprietor  of  one  of  the  largest  Locomotive 
Works  in  the  country ;  and  the  engines  themselves  are 
everywhere  known  as  of  the  very  best  finish  and  the 
greatest  durability.  Being  in  affluent  circumstances,  he 
gave  his  son  Chakles  opportunities  for  education,  corres- 
ponding to  his  wealth.  For  many  years,  he  had  the 
advantages  of  the  best  Academy  in  the  city  of  Schenec- 
tady. Having  there  completed  a  regular  course,  he  was 
admitted  a  member  of  one  of  the  best  boarding  schools, 
(Doctor  Reed's,  at  Geneva)  in  the  State  of  Kew  York. 
There  his  mind  gave  evidence  of  that  activity  and  business 
talent  which  has  marked  his  after  life.  Attending  with 
diligence  to  his  studies,  he  laid  the  foundation  of  a 
thorough  education.  After  leaving  that  institution,  he 
at  once  entered  upon  the  active  duties  of  life,  taking  the 
place  formerly  held  by  his  father,  who  had  recently  died. 
He  is  now  one  of  four  brothers  who  carry  on  the  Schenec- 
tady Locomotive  Works. 

He  began  his  political  career  as  a  Republican,  having 
been  elected  Alderman  of  his  city  in  the  spring  of  1866, 
and  discharged  his  duties  in  a  highly  satisfactory  manner. 
Last  fall  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  by  five  hundred 
and  seventeen  majority,  in  a  Democratic  county.  Though 
not  engaged  on  the  field  in  military  service,  yet  at  home, 


JOSEPH  B.   FAY.  241 

he  energetically  worked  with  head  and  means,  for  the 
vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war ;  and  from  the  firing  of 
the  first  gun  on  Sumter  until  the  fall  of  the  Rebel  Con- 
federacy, he  was  a  firm,  constant  and  liberal  supporter  of 
the  Government. 

Mr.  Ellis  is  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  the  Afiairs 
of  Villages  and  Expenditures  of  the  House.  Though 
young,  he  displays  discretion  in  his  legislative  acts  which 
compares  favorably  with  that  of  maturer  years,  and 
which  promises  to  give  him  a  post  of  honor  still  higher 
than  the  one  which  he  now  holds. 


JOSEPH  B.  FAY 


This  is  Mr.  Fay's  second  term  in  the  House.  Repre- 
senting a  fine  farming  section,  and  being  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  he  is  well  qualified  to  look  after  the  local 
necessities  of  his  district.  He  is  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Agriculture. 

Being  radical  in  his  views,  it  was  natural  that  he  should 
answer  the  call  of  the  country  to  defend  it,  in  the  hour  of 
peril.  Therefore,  laying  aside  the  implements  of  peaceful 
pursuits,  he  enlisted  as  Captain  in  the  154th  Regiment 
New  York  Volunteers,  on  the  22d  of  August,  1862.  He 
was  a  participant  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburgh;  and, 
during  the  fight,  he  was  taken  prisoner.  His  regiment 
arrived  at  the  scene  of  action,  on  the  1st  of  July,  1863, 
and  was  hurried  into  the  engagement  as  quickly  as  possible. 
His  brigade  was  ordered  to  the  right,  in  order  to  extend 
their  line ;  but  a  charge  was  made  by  the  enemy  in  over- 
whelming numbers.  The  enemy's  line  extending  to  their 
right,  so  as  to  expose  the  154th  Regiment  to^an  enfilading 
31 


242  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

fire,  it  was  compelled  to  attempt  a  change  of  position ; 
but,  in  the  meantime,  such  an  advantage  had  been  gained 
by  the  opposing  forces  as  to  enable  them  to  completely 
hem  in  the  Regiment  on  three  sides.  Being  thus  over- 
powered, a  surrender  was  imperative.  Rations  were  not 
served  to  the  prisoners,  until  three  days  after  they  were 
captured ;  and  Captain  Fay,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  had 
four  ounces  of  fresh  beef  and  a  cup  of  raw  flour  given 
him.  Suffering  from  a  wound  on  his  head,  which  had 
been  dealt  him  by  a  rebel,  in  a  hand  to  hand  encounter,  he 
begged  for  medical  aid ,  but  none  was  given  to  him,  until 
the  seventh  day  after  his  capture,  when  one  of  the  surgeons 
gave  him  a  hasty  prescription,  with  the  consoling  assurance 
that  probably  nothing  would  help  him.  Being  imprisoned 
in  Libby  Prison,  he  made  up  his  mind  that  he  had  fought 
his  last  battle,  and  "  hoed  his  last  row."  The  public  are 
familiar  with  the  horrible  details  of  our  prisoners'  suffer- 
ings; and  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  Captain  Fay,  during 
eight  or  nine  months,  was  made  to  drink  the  bitter  draught 
to  the  dregs.  But  through  the  influence  of  Misses  Anna 
and  Amorett  Jones,  who  kindly  prevailed  upon  their 
brother,  Mr.  S.  B.  Jones,  residing  at  Memphis,  Tennessee, 
to  go  to  Richmond  and  intercede  for  him,  he  was  at  last 
released  from  his  tortures. 

Captain  Fay  was  born,  in  1817.  He  is  of  Scotch  extrac- 
tion, and  possesses  many  of  the  points  of  firmness,  so 
common  to  that  race.  Although  he  is  not  a  man  who  may 
be  said  to  "  carry  his  heart  on  his  coat  sleeve,"  yet,  when 
fitting  occasions  present  themselves,  he  is  generous  and 
charitable. 


LEANDER    W.    FISKE. 


Me.  Fiske  is  a  lawyear,  and  a  native  of  Booneville, 
Oneida  county,  New  York,  at  which  place  he  was  born, 
September  30th,  1835.  His  interests  have  been  connected 
with  that  town,  during  his  entire  life.  Booneville,  an  incor- 
porated village  of  considerable  enterprise,  and  the  terminus 
of  the  Black  River  and  Utica  Railroad,  is  his  present  place 
of  residence.  His  ancestors  came  from  England,  and  settled 
in  Rhode  Island,  as  early  as  1725;  and  though  the  blood 
of  John  Bull  has  not  been  diluted  to  any  great  extent,  in 
the  veins  of  succeeding  generations,  yet,  a  love  for  Repub- 
lican institutions  has  been  carefully  nurtured  and  preserved. 
Therefore,  it  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world,  that 
Mr.  Fiske  should  cast  his  virgin  vote  for  Johj?^  C.  Fremont. 
His  politics  have  remained  unchanged,  except  as  they  have 
advanced  with  the  progressive  mutations  attending  the 
Republican  party;  hence,  his  actions  are  gauged  by 
the  great  rule  of  equity  and  justice  to  all  men,  whether 
black  or  white.  He  enlisted  in  1862,  as  private  in  Com- 
pany D,  146th  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers;  but  he 
was  soon  discharged  by  the  War  Department,  on  account 
of  deafness,  which  wholly  unfitted  him  for  service.  Thus 
ended  his  military  career ;  but  he  had  done  his  duty  to  the 
best  of  his  ability,  regretting,  however,  that  he  could  not 
participate  in  the  active  scenes  of  war  which  were  going 
on  at  the  South.  On  his  return  home,  he  resumed  his 
profession  as  a  lawyer,  which  he  still  follows.  He  was 
elected  to  the  Assembly,  last  fall,  by  a  majority  of  five 
hundred  and  seventy-one.  He  was  appointed,  by,  the 
Speaker,  on  the  Committees  on  Two-thirds  and  Three-fifths 
Bills,  and  Militia  and  Public  Defense ;  he  is  Chairman  of 
the  former. 


ALEXANDER  FREAR 


Me.  Freak  is  of  Huguenot  extraction.  His  family- 
emigrated  to  this  country,  about  the  middle  of  the  seven- 
teenth century — the  three  brothers  Fkear  having  obtained 
a  grant,  from  the  States  of  Holland,  of  lands  on  the  Hud- 
son river,  now  embraced  in  the  counties  of  Ulster  and 
Dutchess.  Their  descendants  are  still  numerous  in  that 
region,  and  are  generally  thrifty,  prosperous  citizens.  Mr. 
James  B.  Freak,  of  Poughkeepsie,  was  a  man  of  an 
active,  restless  temper,  and  took  a  strong  interest  in  poli- 
tics. The  party  feeling  between  the  friends  of  Governor 
Tompkins  and  Dewitt  Clinton,  was  very  high,  and  Mr. 
Fkear  was  zealous  in  his  support  of  the  "  Bucktails." 
He  was  one  of  the  most  influential  Republicans  in  the 
county  of  Dutchess,  and  retained  his  ascendancy  until  his 
death,  which  took  place  in  1833.  His  son,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  Alexander  Frear,  was  born  at  Pough- 
keepsie, on  the  18th  of  August,  1820.  He  received  a 
common  school  education,  and  afterward  attended  the 
academy  in  his  native  town.  He  began,  at  an  early  age, 
to  display  the  energy,  and  other  characteristics,  for  which 
his  father  had  been  distinguished.  At  fourteen,  he  became 
a  clerk  in  a  store  at  Poughkeepsie,  but  not  being  contented 
there,  went  to  New  York  about  three  years  afterward, 
and,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  became  a  partner  in  the  house 
of  Sheldon  &  Company,  in  Pearl  street.  He  remained 
there  until  1848,  when  he  established  the  importing  house 
of  Alexander  Frear  &  Company  in  New  York,  with 
branches  in  Chicago  and  Galena.  This  firm  prospered  and 
carried  on  a  heavy  business,  until  the  financial  revulsion 
of  1857.  The  effects  of  this  crisis  were  more  disastrous 
at  the  West,  even,  than  in  New  York,  and  the  establish- 
ment was  compelled  to  close  up  its  affairs. 


ALEXANDER  PEEAR.  245 

Mr.  Feeae  now  entered  more  deeply  into  politics,  and 
was  elected  to  the  Board  of  Councilmen,  from  the  Seventh 
Senatorial  District.  The  next  year,  he  was  chosen  Alder- 
man for  the  Eleventh  District,  consisting  of  the  Twentieth 
Ward  of  the  city  of  New  York.  The  same  indefatigable 
energy  and  singleness  of  purpose,  which  had  characterized 
him  as  a  man  of  business,  he  now  displayed  in  his  official 
duties.  The  rebellion  broke  out,  and  he  was  among  the 
foremost  in  sustaining  the  Government,  using  his  official, 
as  well  as  personal,  influence,  to  secure  the  adoption  of 
measures  for  furnishing  men  and  money  for  the  service 
of  the  country.  His  enthusiasm  was  so  great,  as  almost 
to  sever  his  previous  political  associations,  and  he  took  the 
lead  in  organizing  a  Union  Association  in  the  Twentieth 
Ward,  in  the  fall  of  1861,  comprising  both  Democrats  and 
Republicans,  and  electing  its  candidates  for  the  Assembly 
and  other  offices. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Frear  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  by  a 
plurality  of  about  eight  hundred  votes,  over  a  Demo- 
cratic candidate  who  had  the  conservative  Republican 
nomination.  He  was  reelected  in  1866,  by  an  increased 
majority.  In  the  Legislature,  as  in  the  Common  Council, 
though  never  distinguished  as  a  debater,  he  has  been 
known  as  one  of  the  most  effective  and  successful  men 
that  ever  engaged  in  public  business  —  fully  justifying 
his  previous  reputation  for  shrewdness,  energy  and  fidelity. 
To  these  qualifications  and  endowments,  he  is  indebted 
for  his  popularity. 


HENRY   WEBB    GENET 


Me.  Genet  was  born  in  Wethersfield,  Connecticut,  Feb- 
ruary 27th,  1828.  His  father  was  John  M.  Genet,  a 
native  of  France,  who  came  to  America  during  the 
troubles  which  ensued  upon  the  first  French  Revolution. 
His  mother  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  emigrated  to 
this  country,  in  childhood. 

Mr.  Genet,  the  elder,  removed  to  Albany  when  the 
subject  of  our  notice  was  about  one  year  of  age,  and 
went  into  commercial  business,  near  the  river.  His  son 
Henry  attended  school  in  Albany,  for  several  years,  and 
then  taking  a  fancy  for  the  life  of  an  agriculturist,  was 
placed  upon  a  farm  in  the  town  of  Monroe,  Saratoga 
county,  where  he  remained  four  or  five  years,  diligently 
prosecuting  his  literary  studies,  during  the  winter  months. 
When  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  Mr.  Genet  left  the 
farm,  and  entered  the  Glens  Falls  Academy,  where  he 
remained  about  a  year  and  a  half.  He  then  left  and  went 
to  the  city  of  New  York,  where  his  father  was  then  resid- 
ing. 

When  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  entered  the 
University  of  the  city  of  New  York,  at  which  he  remained 
two  years,  and  then  entered  the  law  office  of  Mr.  Hastings, 
in  that  city,  and  was,  in  due  time,  admitted,  finishing  his 
preparatory  studies  in  the  office  of  McCunn  &  Moncrief. 
He  was,  in  early  life,  an  enthusiastic  admirer  of  Henry 
Clay,  and,  during  the  life  of  that  great  man,  naturally 
acted  with  the  Whig  party.  On  the  dissolution  of  that 
organization,  he  joined  the  Democracy,  with  which  he 
has  ever  since  cooperated.  In  1857,  he  was  elected  on  the 
Democratic  ticket  to  the  Board  of  Councilmen  from  the 
Twelfth  Ward  of  New  York.     The  following  year  he 


HENEY   WEBB   GENET.  247 

was  elected  Alderman,  and  reelected  two  years  after, 
being  chosen  President  of  the  Board,  during  the  last 
two  years  of  his  term.  In  1861,  he  was  elected  to  the 
responsible  office  of  County  Clerk,  the  duties  of  which 
he  discharged  during  the  years  1862,  1863  and  1864. 
He  was  elected  to  represent  the  Twenty-first  Assembly 
District  of  the  city  and  county  of  New  York,  at  the 
fall  election  of  1^66.  Mr.  Genet  is  a  quiet  member, 
closely  attentive  to  the  business  of  the  House,  and  exer- 
cises great  influence  where  he  is  known.  He  is  a  thorough 
politician,  but  is  neither  narrow  nor  exclusive  in  his  par- 
tisanship, and  is  one  of  the  most  efficient  workers  on 
the  floor. 

During  the  three  most  important  years  of  the  war, 
viz.:  the  years  ending  January  1st,  1864,  Mr.  Genet, 
as  President  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  was,  ex  officio^  a 
member  of  the  War  Fund  Committee,  of  which  the  Mayor 
of  the  city,  and  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Council- 
men,  were  also,  ex  officio  members.  Every  one  remembers 
the  constant  and  valuable  aid  rendered  by  this  organization 
to  the  National  Government,  during  the  dark  era  of  our 
history  which  has  just  closed  so  triumphantly,  and  there 
was,  on  the  Committee,  no  one  who  privately,  or  in  his 
public  capacity,  was  found  more  ready  to  support  every 
measure  dictated  by  patriotism,  than  Mr.  Genet;  and 
his  votes  will  always  be  found  in  favor  of  the  most 
lavish  support,  in  blood  and  treasure,  of  our  threatened 
Nationality. 


GEORGE   C.    GIBBS 


Mr.  Gibbs  was  born  in  the  town  of  Harpersfield,  Dela- 
ware county,  New  York,  on  the  6th  of  January,  1832. 
His  father  removed  with  his  family  to  Jefferson,  Scho- 
harie county,  in  1840,  where  he  purchased  a  farm,  on 
which  the  later  boyhood  of  Mr  Gibbs  was  passed.  After 
receiving  a  good  common  school  and  academic  education, 
for  some  years  he  taught  common  schools  during  the 
winter,  and  aided  in  the  labors  of  the  farm,  in  summer. 

When  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  was  nomi- 
nated on  the  Whig  ticket,  and  elected  town  Superintendent 
of  Schools  for  the  town  of  Jefferson.  He  afterward 
applied  himself  to  the  study  of  architecture,  and  finally 
entered  into  business,  as  a  contractor  and  builder,  in  Stam- 
ford, Delaware  county.  He  pursued  that  business  until 
the  Southern  conflict. 

In  August,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  3d  New 
York  Cavalry,  then  being  raised  by  Captain  (afterward 
Colonel)  Fekris  Jacobs,  Jr.  When  the  company  was 
mustered  in  at  Elmira,  he  was  chosen  Quartermaster- 
Sergeant,  and  was  soon  promoted  to  First  Sergeant. 

Early  in  1863,  he  was  commissioned  First  Lieutenant, 
his  regiment  being  stationed  at  Newbern,  North  Carolina. 
In  September  and  October,  1864,  he  served  as  Acting- 
Assistant  Inspector-General,  on  the  Staff  of  Colonel  R.  M. 
West,  commanding  the  2nd  Brigade  of  General  Kautz's 
Cavalry  Division.  He  was  promoted  to  Captain,  in  the 
following  January,  and  served  upon  the  Staff  of  Colonel 
Geo.  W.  Lewis,  until  his  regiment  was  consolidated  with 
the  1st  New  York  Mounted  Rifles,  forming  the  4th  New 
York  Provisional  Cavalry.  While  he  was  attached  to  that 
regiment,  he  participated  in  almost  every  battle  and  skir- 


GEOEGE   C.    GIBBS.  249 

mish  in  which  his  regiment  was  engaged  during  its  whole 
period  of  service.  On  all  these  occasions,  he  behaved 
with  conspicuous  gallantry.  The  courage  and  address  with 
which  he  led  the  advance  into  an  entrenched  camp  of 
the  Rebels,  near  Kinston,  and  his  coolness,  when,  under  the 
command  of  Major  Hall,  his  squadron  of  Cavalry  covered 
the  retreat  of  General  Wilson,  after  his  raid  upon  the 
communications  of  General  Lee,  in  1865,  were  especially 
admired  by  his  brother  officers.  On  the  latter  occasion, 
the  whole  Rebel  column  was  kept  at  bay,  for  more  than 
an  hour,  until  the  bridge  over  Stony  Creek  was  burned, 
and  our  cavalry  finally  escaped  by  swimming  the  stream. 
Lieutenant  Gibbs  spurred  his  horse  off  a  high  rock  into 
the  river,  and  barely  escaped  in  safety. 

In  the  battle  of  Goldsboro',  he  was  slightly  wounded  by 
a  musket  ball,  in  the  arm  and  side,  his  life  being  saved 
by  a  package  of  papers  in  his  coat  pocket;  and  in  an 
engagement  on  the  Derby  town  road,  before  Richmond,  he 
was  severely  wounded  through  the  left  leg,  by  a  Minie 
ball. 

Last  year,  he  received  a  commission  as  Brevet-Major, 
New  York  Volunteers,  for  "  gallant  and  meritorious  ser- 
vices in  the  late  war" — a  testimonial  to  his  worth  and 
fidelity  as  an  officer.  Major  Gibbs  is  now  engaged  in 
business  as  a  stove  and  tin  dealer,  in  Stamford,  Delaware 
county.  He  was  nominated  for  Member  of  Assembly,  by 
the  Republican  party,  in  1866,  and  received  a  majority  of 
two  hundred  and  seventy-four  votes  over  his  competitor. 
•When  the  Speaker  made  his  appointments,  he  placed  Mr. 
Gibbs  on  the  Committees  on  State  Prisons,  and  Charitable 
and  Religious  Societies. 

32 


COLUMBUS  GILL 


Me.  Gill  represents  Warren  county,  and  is  a  Member 
of  the  Committee  on  Roads  and  Bridges.  Like  a  majority 
of  the  prominent  men  of  the  times,  he  is  a  self-made  man. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  England,  who  came  to  this 
country  before  the  days  of  the  Revolution,  in  which  he 
took  an  active  part  in  favor  of  his  adopted  country.  His 
mother  was  a  true  Xew  England  woman,  who  taught  the 
principles  of  liberty  to  her  numerous  family  of  boys,  two 
of  whom  were  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Plattsburgh. 

Mr.  Gill  was  born  in  Castleton,  Vermont,  in  1809.  He 
now  lives  in  Stony  Creek,  New  York.  By  avocation,  he  is 
a  merchant;  and,  through  industry  and  frugality,  enjoys  a 
competency.  He  has  been  for  many  years  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  Supervisor,  several  terms  Justice  of  Sessions,  and 
Postmaster.  Mr.  Gill  is  a  straightforward,  independent 
man,  positive  and  firm  in  his  convictions;  he  cares  little 
for  dull  abstractions,  looking  upon  matters  in  a  practical 
light,  and  giving  no  time  to  outward  show.  His  views  of 
general  matters  are  clear  and  comprehensive.  To  a 
stranger  he  might  at  times  appear  somewhat  reticent, 
though  he  is  frank  and  cordial  —  a  true  friend. 


GEORGE   M.    GLEASON 


This  gentleman,  representing  the  First  District  of  St. 
Lawrence  county,  was  born  in  what  was  then  called  Poto 
Ferry,  and  which  is  now  the  town  of  Pitcairn,  New  York. 
He  is  thirty-eight  years  old. 

Mr.  Gleason  attended  school  until  eighteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  became  a  teacher.  He  taught  until  he  was 
twenty-eight  years  old.  Since  that  time,  he  has  been 
engaged  in  farming. 

In  September,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  service  of  the 
United  States,  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  60th  Regiment 
New  York  Volunteers.  In  October  following  he  was 
made  Second  Lieutenant,  in  which  capacity  he  served 
either  with  his  company,  then  stationed  at  the  Relay 
House,  Maryland,  guarding  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Rail- 
road, or  in  recruiting  service  at  Ogdensburgh,  until  May, 
1862,  when  his  regiment  was  ordered  to  report  to  General 
SiGEL  at  Harper's  Ferry.  Soon  after  their  arrival  he  was 
appointed  Assistant-Quartermaster  of  the  Regiment,  and 
accompanied  it  on  its  marches  through  the  Shenandoah 
and  Rappahannock  Valleys,  until  August,  when  he  was 
attacked  with  typhoid  fever,  in  consequence  of  which  he 
was  reduced  from  one  hundred  and  ninety  pounds  to  one 
hundred  and  eight.  The  surgeon  in  charge  informed  him 
that  there  was  no  probability  of  his  recovering  his  health, 
while  in  active  service,  and  he  therefore  tendered  his 
resignation  accompanied  by  the  surgeon's  certificate  of 
disability,  which  was  accepted.  In  his  emaciated  condi- 
tion, he  returned  home. 

Mr.  Gleason  has  three  times  been  chosen  Supervisor 
of  Pitcairn;  he  also  served  five  years  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  four  years  as  town  Superintendent  of  Common 


262  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

Schools.  In  1866,  he  represented  his  district  in  the  Legis- 
lature, and  he.  has  been  returned  to  the  present  Assembly 
by  an  increased  majority.  The  Speaker  appointed  him  on 
the  Committee  on  Claims,  and  Indian  Affairs ;  he  is  Chair- 
man of  the  latter. 

Mr.  Gleason  began  political  life  as  a  Democrat,  and 
voted  with  that  party  until  1856,  when  he  cast  his  first 
Republican  vote  for  John  C.  Feemont.  Since  then  he 
has  been  a  Republican  of  the  most  radical  character,  advo- 
cating negro  suffrage,  and  opposing  amnesty  to  rebels ;  in 
these  sentiments  he  reflects  the  opinions  of  his  constitu- 
ents. Mr.  Gleason  is  a  plain,  modest  man,  and  is 
endowed  with  good,  practical  sense. 


JOHN  VON  GUILDER  GRIDLEY, 


Mr.  Geidley  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  Welsh 
families  on  our  soil.  His  great-grandfather  was  one  of 
three  brothers  who  emigrated  to  this  country  about  the 
year  1728,  settling  in  different  sections,  Mr.  Gridley's 
direct  ancestor  locating  in  Connecticut.  Mr.  Grid- 
ley's  grandfather  married  the  only  sister  of  Major  Von 
Guilder,  of  New  Jersey,  and  removed  to  New  York 
city.  By  this  marriage,  there  were  two  children,  a  son 
and  a  daughter.  The  son,  John  Von  Guilder  Gridley, 
became  a  prominent  builder  of  New  York  city,  instituted 
the  Builders'  Protective  Association,  and  held  the  position 
of  President  of  the  organization,  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
His  second  son,  the  present  Member  of  the  House,  was 
born  on  the  29th  of  March,  1822,  at  the  corner  of  Spencer 
and  Thompson  streets,  New  York  city,  where  his  father 
lived  until  Mr.  Gridley  was  nearly  six  years  of  age, 


JOHN  VON   GUILDER  GRIDLEY.  263 

when  he  removed  into  King  street,  residing  there  until  his 
death.  Mr.  Gridley  succeeded  his  father  in  the  building 
business,  and  became  equally  eminent  in  it.  After  follow- 
ing the  avocation  for  many  years,  he  turned  his  attention 
to  the  law,  studied  and  graduated  at  the  New  York  Univer- 
sity, commenced  its  practice,  and  is  now  an  able  lawyer 
of  New  York  city.  This  is  Mr.  Gridley's  first  term  in 
the  Assembly.  He  has  exhibited  superior  qualifications, 
as  a  working  legislator.  He  is  a  valuable  Member  of  the 
Committee  on  Cities,  bringing  to  that  responsible  posi- 
tion a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  governmental  machinery, 
political  complications,  and  diverse  business  interests  of 
New  York  city,  which,  with  his  quick  perceptions,  not 
only  of  the  general  merits  of  the  measures  that  come 
before  the  Committee,  but  of  the  detail  of  their  pro- 
visions, contribute  to  give  him  a  powerful  influence  in 
shaping  legislation  in  the  place  where  the  work  is  really 
done,  in  Committee. 


WILLIAM   GURLEY, 


Mr.  Gueley  is  of  New  England  origin,  his  parents 
having  removed  from  Mansfield,  Connecticut,  in  the  year 
1813,  and  settled  in  West  Troy,  Albany  county,  New 
York.  Here  his  father,  Epheaim  Gueley,  started  an  iron 
foundery,  in  1816;  and,  two  years  later,  removed  to  Troy, 
then  a  newly  incorporated  but  already  thriving  city,  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river,  where,  in  connection  with  Mr. 
Alpheus  Hanks,  he  established  the  first  iron  foundery  in 
Rensselaer  county — a  business  which  has  now  grown  to 
be  a  most  important  interest  in  that  section  of  the  State. 

William  Gueley  was  born  in  the  city  of  Troy,  March 
16th,  1821;  his  father  dying  in  1829,  he  and  a  younger 
brother  and  sister  were  left  to  the  sole  care  of  a  widowed 
mother,  of  comparatively  feeble  health,  and  of  small  pecu- 
niary means.  Rightly  judging  that  knowledge  and  virtue 
were  the  foundation  of  all  true  excellence,  she  gave  her 
children,  not  only  a  careful  religious  training  at  home,  but 
also  the  best  education  afibrded  by  the  schools,  in  her 
immediate  vicinity. 

William  choosing  the  profession  of  a  Civil  Engineer, 
attended  the  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute,  then,  and 
now,  an  excellent  scientific  school,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated with  credit,  in  1839. 

After  following  the  business  of  a  Surveyor  for  some 
years,  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  manufacture  of  the 
instruments  with  whose  use  he  was  already  familiar, 
learning  the  business  in  the  shop  of  Mr.  Hanks,  then  a 
well  known  maker  of  surveying  instruments,  in  the  city 
of  Troy.  After  remaining  with  Mr.  Hanks  for  five  years, 
he  entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Jonas  H.  Phelps,  in 
the  year  1845,  and  with  him  prosecuted  the  same  business, 


WILLIAM  GUKLEY.  255 

much  more  extensively,  for  the  next  seven  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  the  firm  became  changed  by  the  with- 
drawal of  Mr.  Phelps,  and  the  accession  of  his  younger 
brother.  The  new  firm,  under  the  name  of  W.  &  L.  E. 
GuRLEY,  at  once  greatly  increased  their  facilities ;  and, 
for  fifteen  years  past,  they  have  been  by  far  the  most 
extensive  manufacturers  of  engineers'  and  surveyors'  instru- 
ments in  the  United  States.  The  great  fire  of  May  10th, 
1862,  entirely  consumed  their  establishment,  but  nothing 
daunted,  even  for  an  hour,  they  at  once  commenced  to 
rebuild  on  a  scale  nearly  four  times  larger  than  the  first. 
They  have  since  been  abundantly  rewarded  for  their 
courage  and  foresight. 

The  prominence  of  Mr.  Gurley  as  a  business  man,  and 
his  well  known  intelligence  and  integrity,  have  long  been 
recognized  by  the  community  with  which  his  life  has 
been  identified  ;  and,  though  always  refusing  to  seek  any 
position  in  public  life,  he  has  never  shrunk  from  what  he 
conceived  to  be  his  duty  as  a  man  and  a  citizen ;  and  very 
few  in  the  community  have  been  more  actively  engaged 
in  all  the  enterprises  which  tend  to  elevate  mankind.  But 
few  years  of  his  mature  life  have  passed  free  from  the 
cares  of  public  office :  he  has  faithfully  labored  as  Trus- 
tee of  several  educational  and  religious  institutions ;  con- 
nected for  years  with  the  Young  Men's  Association,  in 
important  positions,  he  was,  in  1851,  elected  its  President, 
after  a  canvass,  the  warmth  of  which  is  still  well  remem- 
bered. 

As  Alderman  of  his  native  ward,  he  served  with  general 
acceptance  from  1860,  to  1864;  and  as  Fire  Commissioner, 
he  helped,  in  1861,  to  inaugurate  the  greatly  improved 
system,  now  so  .much  approved  in  all  our  larger  cities. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Board,  up  to  the  present  time. 
In  November,  1866,  he  was  nominated  by  the  Republicans 
of  Troy,  as  the  Representative  of  his  native  city  in  the 


256  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

Assembly  of  the  State  of  New  York.  The  district  had, 
for  a  series  of  years,  been  strongly  of  the  opposite  politics, 
being  relied  upon,  pretty  uniformly,  for  a  majority  of  four 
or  five  hundred.  Mr.  Gurley,  however,  entered  into  the 
canvass,  personally,  and  though  nominated  almost  as  a 
forlorn  hope,  at  the  heel  of  the  election,  against  T.  B.  Cae- 
EOLL,  he  still  surprised  himself  and  his  friends  by  obtaining 
a  majority  of  eight  hundred  and  fourteen.  He  is  a 
Member  of  the  Committee  on  the  Affairs  of  Cities. 

Mr.  GuELEY,  yet  in  the  prime  of  a  vigorous  manhood, 
is  widely  known  as  a  capable  and  successful  business  man, 
and  financier,  being  now,  Vice-President  of  the  National 
Exchange  Bank,  of  Troy,  and  adorning  all  the  relations 
of  public  and  private  life.  He  may,  with  reason,  look 
forward  to  positions  of  even  greater  usefulness  and  honor 
in  the  future. 


LEWIS  B.  HALSEY 


Me.  Halsey,  Member  of  Assembly  from  the  First  Dis- 
trict of  Orange  county,  is  one  of  the  youngest  members 
of  the  Legislature  for  1867,  having  been  born  at  his 
present  place  of  residence,  ISTewburgh,  on  the  31st  day  of 
January,  1841.  On  the  paternal  side,  he  springs  from  an 
English  ancestry,  and  upon  the  maternal,  from  Dutch  blood, 
though  his  more  immediate  progenitors  were  natives  of 
this  country.  Having  passed  the  earlier  years  of  his  life, 
in  his  native  town,  and  availed  himself  of  such  educational 
advantages  as  were  within  his  reach,  Mr.  Halsey  in  the 
fall  of  1860,  entered  college  at  Nassau  Hall,  Princeton, 
New  Jersey,  where  he  held  creditable  rank  with  his  fellow 
students  during  a  full  course  of  four  years,  and  from 
whence  he  graduated  with  all  the  collegiate  honors,  in  the 
class  of  1864.  Having  already  fixed  upon  the  law  as  his 
future  profession,  Mr.  Halsey  upon  graduating,  entered 
the  office  of  one  of  Philadelphia's  most  distinguished  advo- 
cates —  Benjamin  F.  Brtjce,  Esq.,  and,  in  due  course,  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  the  courts  of  this  State,  at  Brook- 
lyn, in  December,  1865.  Subsequently  he  opened  a  law 
office  at  Newburgh,  where  he  has  since  remained.  In  per- 
sonal appearance,  Mr.  Halsey  is  of  full,  medium  stature, 
with  a  broad  and  well-formed  forehead,  a  keen,  penetrating 
eye  that  meets  one  with  a  frank,  assuring  kindliness,  and 
which  added  to  a  modest  self-possession  that  is  both  natu- 
ral and  becoming,  mark  him  out  as  a  young  man  of 
excellent  promise.  And  those  who  know  him  best,  look 
with  confidence  to  his  future  career,  both  as  a  private 
citizen,  and  in  any  public  station,  the  duties  of  which  he 
may  be  called  upon  to  discharge.  In  politics,  Mr.  Hal- 
sey is  a  Republican ;  was  elected  over  his  Democratic 
33 


258  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

competitor,  Mr.  Halsey  R.  Stevens,  an  old  and  worthy 
fellow-townsman,  by  a  majority  of  1,148  in  a  total  vote  of 
6,136.  He  is  a  Member  of  the  Committees  on  Judiciary, 
and  Engrossed  Bills. 


SHEFFIELD    HARRINGTON. 


Modest  in  demeanor,  honest  in  purpose,  and  correct  in 
action,  Mr.  Haeeington  is  one  of  that  kind  of  men  who 
Avin  respect,  though  they  do  not  seek  the  plaudits  of  the 
multitude.  Steady-going  in  their  habits,  they  command 
the  regard  of  the  public,  and  share  in  the  labor,  as  well 
as  in  the  reward.  Mr.  Haeeington"  was  born  in  New 
Lisbon,  Otsego  county,  New  York,  June  25th,  1809, 
whence  his  father  moved  from  Rhode  Island,  in  1*780.  His 
boyhood  was  unmarked  by  any  remarkable  events,  and 
he  pursued  the  course  of  ordinary,  every-day  life,  with- 
out having  to  practice  any  great  self-denials,  and  without 
being  satiated  with  an  overplus  of  luxuries.  Following 
a  plain  mode  of  life,  he  appreciated  whatever  indulgences 
were  allowed  him,  and  did  not  grumble  because  he  could 
not  be  favored  like  those  in  more  pleasant  spheres  of 
action.  Storing  his  mind,  from  the  common  opportunities 
of  the  country  schools  in  those  days,  he  fitted  himself  for 
mercantile  pursuits,  in  which  he  is  engaged  at  the  present 
time,  in  the  town  of  Hartwick,  New  York.  In  early 
manhood,  he  served  a  regular  apprenticeship  at  wool-card- 
ing and  cloth-dressing,  and  worked  at  that  business  for 
nearly  fifteen  years.  When  the  tide  of  prejudice  against 
Free  Masonry  assumed  a  political  form,  Mr.  Haeeington 
was  an  Anti-Mason.    After  that  excitement  had  subsided, 


PALMER  E.    HAVENS.  259 

he  attached  himself  to  the  Whigs,  and  held  various  offices, 
of  a  local  nature,  in  the  interest  of  that  party.  He 
unhesitatingly  joined  the  Republicans,  in  1856,  and  he  has 
been  unwavering  in  his  faithfulness.  He  was  a  Member 
of  the  House  in  1866,  and  served  on  the  Committee  on 
Charitable  and  Religious  Societies,  and  was  Chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  Affairs  of  Villages.  His  District  has 
returned  him,  with  an  increased  majority,  thus  assuring 
him  of  the  satisfaction  which  he  has  already  given  by  his 
legislative  acts.  He  is  Chairman  of  the  same  Committee 
as  that  of  last  year,  and  is  also  serving  on  the  Commit- 
tee on  Grievances. 


PALMER    E.    HAVENS 


Palmer  E.  Havens  stands  prominent  among  the  best 
class  of  our  legislators.  He  was  born  November  24th, 
1818,  in  the  town  of  Moriah,  Essex  county.  New  York. 
His  father,  Deacon  John  Havens,  a  Roger  Williams 
Baptist,  and  a  pioneer  settler  of  that  town,  though  always 
in  humble  circumstances,  was  a  man  of  piety,  known  and 
respected  for  that  decision  of  character  and  firmness  of 
purpose,  which  was  the  only,  yet,  as  it  proved,  a  sufficient 
legacy  to  his  son. 

His  father's  limited  means  and  large  family  obliged  the 
son,  scarcely  beyond  his  childhood,  to  care  for  himself. 
The  interrupted  attendance  of  the  common  school  of  his 
native  place,  was  the  only  educational  privilege  which  he 
enjoyed  until  after  his  sixteenth  year;  yet,  so  much  had 
his  ready  intellect  and  energy  accomplished,  that,  at  this 
age,  he  commenced  teaching,  and  was  most  successful  in 
this  pursuit  for  the  ten  years  following.    His  continued 


260  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

effort  at  self-culture  under  better  advantages,  in  the  mean 
time,  made  him  a  proficient  mathematician  and  English 
scholar.  During  the  same  time,  he  entered  the  law  ofiice 
of  the  late  General  Henry  H.  Ross,  of  Essex,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1843. 

Essex,  the  loveliest  of  our  northern  villages,  *'  the  abode 
of  wealth,  intelligence  and  refinement,"  he  selected  as  the 
field  of  his  future  professional  labors.  Prompt  and  faithful 
attention  to  business,  and  zeal  for  his  client,  won  for  him  a 
wide  reputation  and  a  lucrative  practice.  Although  the 
earnest  prosecution  of  matters  placed  in  his  hands,  may- 
have  sometimes  made  him  the  object  of  that  ungenerous 
spirit  of  animosity  which  is  often  indulged  toward  the 
legal  ability  and  diligence  which  has  forced  the  unwilling 
discharge  of  just  obligations,  yet  his  popularity  has  always 
been  of  a  steady  growth  to  that  degree  which  is  evidenced 
by  the  hearty  support  which  he  has  always  received  from 
his  neighbors,  at  the  polls.  Confirmed  in  his  religious  and 
political  faith,  he  is,  nevertheless,  liberal  in  his  treatment 
of  those  who  difier  with  him ;  and  is  generous  hearted  and 
public  spirited.  He  supported  the  old  Whig  party  while 
it  existed,  and  for  years,  he  has  given  his  influence  to  the 
Republican  organizatioh.  His  party  relations  have  been 
dignified  and  unswerving.  In  his  own  town,  at  different 
periods,  he  has  held  the  ofiices  of  Superintendent  of  Com- 
mon Schools,  Town  Clerk  and  Supervisor. 

In  the  fall  of  1861,  when  the  dangers  which  threatened 
the  country  made  the  people  anxious  to  send  their  best 
men  to  represent  them,  Mr.  Havens  was  put  in  nomina- 
tion, for  Member  of  Assembly,  and  elected — his  own 
town  voting  for  him  almost  unanimously.  Americanism, 
in  its  day,  had  won  to  its  support  nearly  two-thirds  of 
the  voters  of  Essex,  and,  as  Mr.  Havens  would  never 
have  anything  to  do  with  "  Sam,"  the  prospect  for  a  large 
"home  vote"  —  that  very  sure  index  of  popularity  —  was 


PALMEE   E.    HAVENS.  261 

not  flattering.  Yet,  so  mucli  did  party  spirit  give  way  to 
the  respect  which  he  commanded,  that,  out  of  the  ten 
hundred  and  forty-eight  votes  of  his  townsmen,  he  received 
ten  hundred  and  twenty-seven. 

In  the  Legislature  of  1862,  which  was  marked  for  its 
ability,  his  courteous  and  gentlemanly  bearing,  attention  to 
business,  and  readiness  in  debate,  gained  him  firm  friends 
among  his  associates,  and  a  reputation  in  the  State.  His 
advocacy  of  the  bill  for  the  Public  Defense,  and  other 
important  general  measures,  as  well  as  his  success  in  mat- 
ters of  special  interest  to  his  constituents,  marked  his 
fitness  for  his  position.  On  his  return,  his  constituents 
met  him,  and,  by  a  public  demonstration,  indorsed  his 
course  and  welcomed  him  home.  In  the  succeeding  fall, 
he  was  renominated  and  reelected.  His  second  year  was 
marked  by  his  able  reviews  of  Governor  Seymouk's  Mes- 
sage, which,  with  others  of  his  speeches,  in  the  Legislature 
and  on  the  *'  stump,"  have  been  widely  circulated  by  his 
party. 

In  1863,  he  was  elected  Senator  from  his  District  (Six- 
teenth), and  his  two  years  in  the  Upper  House,  fully 
guaranteed  his  ability.  Outspoken  and  fearless  in  the 
enunciation  of  his  views,  he  counseled  only  his  own  con- 
science and  judgment,  as  to  his  actions.  His  speeches 
were  always  substantial,  and  showed  that  labor  and  Care 
in  preparation,  which  mark  all  his  undertakings. 

In  the  fall  of  1866,  leading  and  influential  men  of 
Northern  New  York,  feeling  that  the  interests  of  that 
section  needed  a  live  representative,  more  than  urged  Mr. 
Havens  to  accept  another  nomination  for  Member  of  the 
Assembly.  His  choice  was  for  the  quiet  and  more  profit- 
able pursuit  of  his  profession,  and  the  enjoyment  of  his 
beautiful  home,  which  his  means  has  enabled  him  to 
arrange  to  his  own  refined  taste;  but  the  nomination 
having  been  tendered  by  acclamation,  he  accepted  and 


262  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

was  elected  by  nearly  twelve  hundred  majority.  He  was 
strongly  urged,  by  influential  men,  within  and  without  the 
Legislature,  for  the  Speakership,  but  he  declined  to  enter 
the  contest  against  personal  friends  who  desired  the  place. 
Of  middle  age,  among  the  ablest  Members  of  the  pres- 
ent Legislature,  popular  at  home  and  abroad,  with  a  clear 
and  patriotic  record,  without  political  mistakes  to  embar- 
rass him,  and  with  a  growing  experience  in  public  afiairs, 
we  have  reason  to  expect  a  future  as  progressive  and  suc- 
cessful as  the  past. 


STEPHEN   HAYNES. 


Mr.  Hatnes  is  the  oldest  member  of  the  House,  being 
sixty-five  years  of  age.  He  is  the  representative  of  the 
Fourth  District  of  Kings  county.  He  was  born  in  the  year 
1802,  in  Southampton,  Suffolk  county,  New  York.  His 
ancestors  were  originally  from  England,  and  among  their 
descendants,  was  the  famous  Governor  Hayne,  of  South 
Carolina,  whose  great  discussion  with  Daniel  Webster 
is  now  a  matter  of  history.  When  but  a  small  boy,  the 
last  war  with  Great  Britain  began,  and  Mr.  Haynes,  full 
of  martial  fire,  volunteered  his  services,  and  was  regularly 
enlisted  as  a  member  of  the  Sea  Fencibles,  stationed  at  Sag 
Harbor.  He  remained  in  the  service  eighteen  months,  and 
in  the  course  of  time,  duly  received  his  land  warrant  from 
the  United  States  Government. 

Mr.  Haynes,  when  quite  young,  was  employed  on  a 
farm  in  his  native  place,  but  shortly  after  the  war,  in 
which  he  participated,  he  went  to  New  York,  and, 
engaging  with  a  mason,  thoroughly  learned  the  art  of 
building.     In  1822,  then  of  age,  Mr.  Haynes  moved  to 


THEODORE   HINSDALE.  263 

Brooklyn,  and  engaged  in  business  for  himself,  as  a 
builder,  in  which  he  was  very  successful.  Among  the 
specimens  of  architecture,  in  the  City  of  Churches,  which 
reflect  credit  upon  his  skill,  are  the  City  Hall,  the  County 
Jail,  and  the  Lunatic  Asylum,  at  Flatbush. 

Mr.  Haynes  early  took  a  deep  interest  in  politics,  as  a 
Democrat.  When  Brooklyn  was  first  incorporated,  he 
was  chosen  Alderman  of  the  Seventh  Ward,  serving  in 
that  capacity  several  years,  afterward  being  chosen  Super- 
visor for  a  number  of  successive  terms.  As  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Education,  he  was  noted  for  his  deep  interest 
in  the  spread  of  knowledge,  and  in  all  places  of  public 
trust,  he  was  equally  distinguished  for  attention  to  duty, 
and  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  it. 

This  is  Mr.  Haynes'  second  term  in  the  Assembly, 
having  been  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  1865;  and 
few  are  more  successful  in  forwarding  measures  for  the 
benefit  of  their  constituents  than  he. 


THEODORE   HINSDALE 


Mr.  Hinsdale  was  born  in  Middletown,  Connecticut, 
February  30th,  1819;  graduated  from  the  Wesleyan 
University  in  that  place,  in  1836;  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  in  1840,  and  has  since  practiced  law  in  New  York 
city,  residing  in  Brooklyn  since  1846.  He  was  elected 
Alderman  for  the  Third  Ward  of  that  city  in  1865.  Mr. 
Hinsdale  is  a  very  successful  lawyer,  of  large  practice ; 
is  of  irreproachable  moral  character,  and  strict  integrity ; 
a  high  toned  gentleman  and  thorough  scholar.  These 
qualifications,  together,  with  his  intimate  knowledge  of 
the  business  interests  and  local   government  of  Kings 


264  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

county,  his  acquaintance  with  the  affairs  of  Kew  York 
city,  and  his  cool  and  cautious  dissection  of  every  project, 
has  rendered  him  an  influential  and  safe  member  of  the 
Committee  on  Cities. 


CHARLES   WESLEY   HINSON. 


Me.  Hinson  was  born  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  Erie  county, 
New  York,  on  the  20th  day  of  November,  1844.  He  is 
the  youngest  member  of  the  Assembly,  having  been  elected, 
two  weeks  before  completing  his  twenty-second  year. 
His  father  was  born  on  the  Island  of  Heligoland,  of 
English  parents,  in  1818.  His  mother  was  born  in  the 
county  of  Longford,  Ireland,  in  the  same  year. 

Mr.  HiNSON  is  a  graduate  of  the  Central  High  School 
of  Buffalo.  After  graduation,  he  worked  one  year  at  the 
trade  of  Machinist,  and  then  studied  law  in  the  office 
of  Hon.  James  M.  Humphrey,  Member  of  Congress, 
Thirty-first  District,  New  York ;  and  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar,  May  9th,  1866. 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Hinson's  admission  to  practice,  the 
Fenian  affair  at  Fort  Erie  occurred,  and  General  John 
O'Neill,  commanding  that  expedition,  together  with  his 
companions  in  arms,  numbering  twenty-five  officers  and 
some  four  hundred  men,  were  taken  prisoners  by  the 
United  States  authorities.  The  officers  were  kept  aboard 
the  United  States  steamer  Michigan,  while  the  men  were 
kept  on  an  open  scow,  exposed  to  the  drizzling  rain, 
without  the  slightest  shelter.  While  looking  at  the  suf- 
ferings of  these  poor  men  and  while  every  one  was 
wondering  what  would  be  done  with^the  prisoners,  the 
idea  occurred  to  Mr.  Hinson  to  apply  to  a  court  for  writs 


CHARLES   WESLEY   HINSON.  266 

of  habeas  corpus^  to  ascertain  by  what  authority  the 
prisoners  were  held.  Accordingly,  he  immediately  drew 
up  the  applications,  in  eighteen  cases,  and  applied  to  Hon. 
G.  W.  CLiifTON",  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  Superior 
Court  of  Bufialo,  who  allowed  the  writs.  Mr.  Hinsok 
took  a  small  boat,  went  aboard  the  Michigan,  and  served 
the  writs  on  Captain  Andrew  Bryson,  and  also  had  an 
interview  with  the  prisoners,  who  received  him  with 
loud  cheers.  Next  day,  an  officer  appeared  before  Judge 
Clinton,  making  excuses  for  not  producing  the  bodies  of 
the  prisoners.  The  Judge  gave  him  twenty-four  hours 
time,  during  which,  warrants  were  issued  for  the  men  by 
Perry  G.  Parker,  United  States  Commissioner,  before 
whom  the  officers  were  taken  next  morning,  guarded  by  a 
Regiment  of  United  States  Infantry,  which  was  stationed 
at  Fort  Porter,  at  the  time. 

The  officers  were  allowed  to  give  bail  for  various 
amounts,  and  the  privates  were  immediately  discharged 
on  their  own  recognizances.  Subsequently,  a  nolle  pro- 
sequi was  entered  in  all  the  cases,  by  order  of  the 
Attorney-General  of  the  United  States. 

Mr.  HiNSON  is  a  positive  Democrat :  he  was  opposed  to 
the  abandoning  of  the  time-honored  name  of  Democracy ; 
and  he  believes  that  had  the  Democratic  Convention  nom- 
inated a  straight  ticket,  and  called  things  by  their  proper 
names,  they  would  have  elected  Mr.  Hoffman  for  Gov- 
ernor, and  carried  the  State  by  a  large  majority. 

Mr.  HiNSON  was  elected  by  the  Democrats  of  the  First 
District  of  Erie  county,  comprising  the  First,  Fifth,  Eighth 
and  Thirteenth  Wards,  and  the  town  of  West  Seneca,  by 
a  majority  of  388,  over  the  Republican  candidate.  He 
serves  on  the  Committees  on  Engrossed  Bills  and  Petitions 
of  Aliens. 

34 


L.    HAKKIS    HISCOCK, 


Mr.   Hiscock  was  born   th^  2d  of  May,  1824,  in  the 
town  of  Pompey,  Onondaga   county,   New  York.     His 
parents  were  of  English  and  Scotch  origin.     His  grand- 
father, Richard  Hiscock,  was  a  soldier  in  the  American 
Revolution.     The  maternal  ancestry  of  Mr.  Hiscock  was 
a  long  line  of  Harrises,  coming  down  to  the  family  con- 
nection of  Hon.  Ira  Harris,  United  States  Senator,  who 
is  a  cousin  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch.     Mr.  Hiscock  had 
only  the  advantages  of  an  academical  education,  but  he 
has  acquired  a  high  mental  culture  which  many  collegians 
might  feel  proud  to  possess.    He  was  a  farmer's  son,  and 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  commenced  teaching  common 
school  in  his  town.     In  February,  1845,  he  was  elected  by 
the  Democracy  to  the  office  of  Town  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  of  the  town  of  Pompey.     This  position  he  held 
for  two  years,  having,  in  the  mean  time,  inaugurated  a 
great  improvement  in  the  old  style  of  teaching.     In  the 
interim  he  had  given  much  time  to  the  study  of  law,  and 
finally  completed    his   studies    with    that    distinguished 
lawyer,  Hon.  Daniel  Gott,  of  Pompey,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  Bar,  in  1848,  he  being  one  of  four  admitted,  out  of 
a  class  of  nine.    In  the  same  year,  he  opened  a  law  office 
at  Tully,  Onondaga  county,  and  in  February,  1849,  was 
elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  that  town,  which  office  he 
held  for  four  years.     In  1850,  he  was  elected  Supervisor  of 
the  same  town,  and  was  almost  unanimously  reelected  in 
1851.     In  the  fall  of  that  year,  the  Democrats  nominated 
him  for  the  office  of  Surrogate,  against  Colonel  Minard, 
a  popular  Whig,  who  was  then  an  incumbent  of  the  office. 
The  contest  was  unusually  spirited,  and  to  a  great  extent 


7' 


L.    HAEEIS   HISCOCK.  267 

personal,  and  resulted  in  Mr.  Hiscock's  election,  by  six 
hundred  majority.  He  held  this  office  until  January  1st, 
1856,  when  he  opened  a  law  office  in  Syracuse,  still  con- 
tinuing his  practice  in  TuUy,  which  was  managed  princi- 
pally by  Feank  Hiscock,  Esq.,  his  brother  and  law 
partner.  In  the  spring  of  1858,  the  Tully  office  was  dis- 
continued, and  both  partners  conducted  their  business  in 
Syracuse,  where  the  firm  still  exists,  doing  a  general  prac- 
tice, but  making  the  settlement  of  estates  a  specialty,  to 
some  extent. 

Mr.  Hiscock  was  an  active  Democrat,  up  to  1856,  when 
he  united  in  a  call  of  seventeen  dissatisfied  Democrats,  for 
a  meeting  at  the  City  Hall,  Syracuse,  in  July  of  that  year, 
which  culminated  in  a  Republican  majority  of  nearly  seven 
thousand  in  the  county  of  Onondaga,  at  the  ensuing  Presi- 
dential election. 

During  the  rebellion,  Mr.  Hiscock  was  a  co-laborer  in 
the  cause  of  patriotism.  He  contributed  of  his  means 
freely,  and  used  his  influence  to  promote  enlistments,  and 
to  aid  the  government  generally  in  its  struggle  for 
liberty. 

In  the  fall  of  1865,  he  was,  by  acclamation,  nominated 
by  the  Republicans  for  Member  of  Assemby  in  the  Third 
District  of  Onondaga  county,  and  was  elected  by  a 
majority  of  over  thirteen  hundred.  On  the  organization 
of  the  House,  he  was  placed  second,  respectively,  on  the 
Committees  on  Judiciary,  Local  General  Orders,  and 
Public  Lands.  As  Judge  Selden,  Chairman  of  the  Judi- 
ciary Committee,  was  ill  most  of  the  session,  the  duties 
of  the  Chairmanship,  during  Judge  Selden's  absence, 
were  performed  by  Mr.  Hiscock,  who  signalized  himself 
in  the  protracted  discussions  which  frequently  came  up,  on 
important  questions.  In  the  fall  of  1856,  he  was  reelected 
to  the  Legislature  from  the  Second  (under  the  late  appor- 
tionment) District,  by  a  majority  of  twelve  hundred  and 


268  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

forty-one,  being  fifty  votes  over  that  of  the  Republican 
State  ticket.  On  his  election,  the  New  York  Tribune 
and  other  leading  Republican  journals  coupled  his  name 
for  the  Speakership  with  that  of  the  present  incumbent, 
Speaker  Pitts,  as  well  as  with  the  names  of  other  promi- 
nent gentlemen  of  the  party ;  and,  although  many  ardent 
friends,  in  various  part  of  the  State,  urged  him  to  be  a 
candidate  for  the  position,  he  declined.  Mr.  Hiscock,  in 
this  session,  is  ably  serving  as  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary 
Committee,  and  is  second  on  Privileges  and  Elections. 

Although  his  life  has  not  been  fraught  with  many 
public  offices,  yet  it  is  a  gratification  to  his  many  friends 
to  know  that  what  few  positions  he  has  filled,  have  been 
honored  by  his  industry  and  integrity.  He  is  a  self-made 
man.  Perhaps  no  lawyer,  in  his  county,  comes  in  contact 
annually  with  more  people,  in  his  office,  than  he.  It  is 
not  alone  his  legal  knowledge  that  is  sought  after,  but  his 
ripe  judgment  relative  to  public  affairs,  his  candid  opinion 
on  private  matters,  and  his  sympathy  in  the  daily  walks 
of  life.  He  is  courteous,  and  all  feel  at  home  in  his 
society ;  he  is  honest,  and  all  respect  and  trust  him.  He 
is  neither  vain  nor  haughty,  neither  boastful  nor  arbitrary ; 
but,  while  he  accords  to  everyone  purity  of  motives,  and 
gives  due  weight  to  their  opinions,  he  has  the  firmness  to 
express  his  own  views  freely,  and  to  defend  them  against 
any  attack.  Being  cautious,  he  is  seldom  led  into  error ; 
but,  being  candid,  he  is  ever  ready  to  acknowledge  his 
mistake.  He  practices  no  deceit,  yet  is  quick  to  discern 
it  when  sought  to  be  practiced  upon  him  or  his  friends. 
He  is  true  to  party,  and  as  faithful  to  friendship.  If 
selfish,  he  is  honorably  so,  for  he  seeks  not  to  destroy 
others  to  build  up  himself.  Though  rigid  in  economy, 
he  is  benevolent  to  a  worthy  cause,  and  will  not  lend  his 
aid  to  any  other,  either  for  public  policy  or  personal 
popularity. 


ADOLPHUS   F.    HITCHCOCK.  269 

As  a  debater,  Mr.  Hiscock  is  fluent  and  brief.  He  is 
not  sparkling,  but  solid,  clear  and  logical.  He  uses  no 
fulsome  oratory  for  the  heart,  but  carries  convincing  argu- 
ments directly  to  the  mind  with  irresistible  force. 


ADOLPHUS    F.    HITCHCOCK. 


The  town  of  Kingsbury,  Washington  county  New 
York,  is  the  native  place  of  Mr.  Hitchcock,  where  he  was 
reared  and  educated.  He  is  still  a  resident  of  that  place. 
His  father  was  Collins  Hitchcock,  for  many  years  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace  of  the  same  town.  His  grandfather 
was  AsAHEL  Hitchcock,  also  a  magistrate,  of  whom 
special  mention  is  made  in  the  sketch  of  Attorney-General 
Maetindale  contained  in  this  volume.  It  will  be  seen 
that  Mr.  Hitchcock  and  the  Attorney-General  (also  a 
native  of  the  town  of  Kingsbury),  are  nearly  related. 
The  Hitchcocks  have  long  held  a  prominent  place  in 
Washington  county.  His  grand  uncle,  Zina  Hitchcock, 
was  member  of  Assembly  from  that  county,  from  1790  to 
1794,  and  State  Senator,  from  1794  to  1803.  Two  of  his 
brothers  have  served  as  Sheriff,  and  one  is  now  county 
clerk  of  the  county  of  Washington ;  other  members  of 
his  family  have  held  various  prominent  public  stations  in 
that  portion  of  the  State. 

Adolphus  F.  Hitchcock  is  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
residing  upon  and  cultivating  the  same  farm  which  was 
owned  and  cultivated  by  his  father  and  grandfather  before 
him.  He  represents  by  his  industry,  his  intelligence  and 
his  honesty  the  agricultural  class  which  compose  the 
major  part  of  that  rich  and  populous  county.  From 
early  life,  With  a  clear  discernment  of  the  character  and 


270  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

motives  of  men,  a  high  appreciation  of  good  government 
and  wholesome  laws,  he  has  wielded  no  small  influence  in 
the  political  councils  of  his  party  throughout  the  county. 
Mr.  Hitchcock  formerly  belonged  to  the  old  party  of 
"  Clay  Whigs ; "  by  them  he  was  elected,  in  1847,  to  repre- 
sent the  same  district  as  that  of  which  he  now  is  the 
representative.  On  that  occasion,  he  acquitted  himself 
honorably,  and  with  credit  to  his  constituency.  He  became 
a  member  of  the  Republican  party  in  its  infancy,  and  has 
proved  himself  to  be  one  of  its  most  active  and  efficient  sup- 
porters. His  patriotic  advocacy  of  the  war,  and  his  efforts 
to  sustain  the  Union,  were  but  the  manifestations  of  a  well- 
settled  principle.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace  for  many  years.  Quiet  and  unassuming  in  his  dis- 
position, he  generally  has  preferred  the  more  peaceful 
pursuits  of  the  farm,  though  never  flinching  from  duty, 
even  though  it  might  call  him  away  from  his  congenial 
occupation.  This  is  the  first  instance,  in  that  district,  in 
which  a  representative  has  been  reelected  to  the  Assembly. 
His  majority  over  his  competitor  was  1,112.  Mr.  Hitch- 
cock is  over  sixty-three  years  of  age.  Having  passed  the 
meridian  of  life,  the  people  have  placed  these  honors  upon 
him,  in  his  advanced  years,  feeling  that  he  cannot  be 
swerved  from  their  interests  by  opposing  influences. 


ABKAHAM    HOFFMAN 


Mr.  Hoffman  began  his  political  life  as  a  Whig,  and 
entertained  the  principles  of  Henry  Clay,  until  the  death 
of  that  eminent  man.  After  the  disintegration  of  the 
Whig  party,  Mr.  Hoffman  followed  the  current  of 
the  American  organization ;  but  he  soon  became  convinced 
that  his  course  was  inconsistent,  and  he  therefore  with- 
drew, and  engaged  in  the  work  of  organizing  the  Repub- 
lican ranks  in  his  county.  Mr.  Hoffman  was  the  first 
Republican  Sheriff  elected  in  Montgomery  county,  serving 
as  such  for  three  years.  Since  then,  he  has  held  several 
minor  ofiices.  Last  fall,  he  was  put  in  nomination,  for  the 
Assembly,  against  Isaac  S.  Frost,  the  Democratic  nomi- 
nee. At  the  preceding  election,  the  Democrats  had  elected 
their  candidate  by  a  majority  of  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
nine.  With  such  facts  before  Mr.  Hoffman  and  his 
friends,  they  were  incited  to  herculean  efforts  for  success. 
After  a  warm  contest,  the  Republicans  elected  him  by 
eight  majority. 

He  is  of  German  parentage.  Caughnawaga,  Montgom- 
ery county.  New  York,  is  his  native  town,  in  which  ho^ 
was  born,  on  the  31st  day  of  March,  1810.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen,  having  received  a  limited  education,  he  worked 
by  the  month ;  at  twenty-six,  commenced  business  as  a 
contractor  on  the  Auburn  &  Syracuse  Railroad,  in  which 
he  continued  until  1838,  when  he  took  a  contract  on  the 
Croton  Water  Works,  continuing  in  that  business  until 
1841.  At  that  time,  Mr.  Hoffman  removed  to  Fort  Plain, 
Montgomery  county,  and  entered  largely  into  the  forward- 
ing and  produce  business,  which  he  still  conducts. 

In  the  Assembly,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Committees  on 
Canals,  and  Privileges  and  Elections. 


BUSHKOD   E.    HOPPIN 


This  gentleman  is  a  son  of  Curtis  Hoppin,  a  farmer  in 
the  town  of  Lebanon,  Madison  county,  New  York.  After 
attending  the  Eaton  and  Hamilton  Academies,  from  the 
age  of  sixteen  to  nineteen  years,  he  taught  school  two 
winters.  He  afterward,  in  company  with  his  brother,  ► 
drove  a  flock  of  sheep  to  Illinois,  and  after  disposing  of 
them  in  the  way  of  speculation,  returned  to  the  town 
of  his  nativity,  and  followed  farming  and  dairying  until 
the  spring  of  1855,  when  he  went  to  Sangamon  county, 
Illinois,  and  engaged  in  raising  live  stock.  In  the  autumn 
of  1858,  he  and  a  partner,  William  S.  Head,  started  for 
Texas  with  a  drove  of  twelve  hundred  sheep ;  they  win- 
tered in  Southwest  Missouri.  In  August  following,  they 
resumed  their  journey  through  the  Indian  Territory, 
crossed  the  Red  River  at  Preston,  Texas,  and  wintered 
in  Hill  and  Bosque  county.  In  January,  1860,  Mr.  Hoppin 
went  to  Galveston,  where  he  remained  a  short  time,  and 
then  made  a  journey  to  Hill  county.  At  this  time,  some 
of  the  preliminary  steps  toward  secession  were  taken  in 
the  State  of  Texas.  Wild  and  unfounded  reports  of  the 
burning  of  villages  and  towns  by  northern  men  were  set 
in  circulation  by  the  press ;  untruthful  rumors  of  plots  to 
incite  the  negroes  to  insurrection  were  set  afloat;  self- 
constituted  vigilance  committees  were  formed  ostensibly 
to  protect  society,  but,  in  reality,  to  further  the  aims 
of  the  subsequent  rebellion;  and  the  faithfulness  with 
which  the  infernal  work  was  done,  may  be  seen  in 
the  fact  that  Texas  was  the  first  to  withdraw  from  the 
Charleston  Convention.  In  the  midst  of  such  scenes  as 
these,  Mr.  Hoppin  found  little  to  coincide  with  his  own 
loyal  views.     But,  from  motives  of  policy,  while  in  the 


BUSHEOD   E.    HOPPIN-.  273 

Strongholds  of  political  intrigue,  he  was  compelled  to  be 
silent  touching  his  true  sympathies,  until  he  could  escape 
from  the  midst  of  traitorous  plottings.  "  Speedily  closing 
up  his  business  affairs,  he  returned  to  Illinois,  and  reached 
home  one  week  before  the  election  which  elevated  Mr. 
Lincoln  to  the  Presidency.  In  December  he  moved  back 
to  Madison  county  New  York.  Mr.  Hoppin  is  now  inter- 
ested in  farming  and  wool  growing  in  Logan  county, 
Illinois,  pasturing  his  flocks  on  the  prairies  in  summer,  and 
buying  feed  for  them  in  winter. 

In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  He  was  county  Super- 
intendent of  the  Poor  in  1854,  but  resigned  when  he 
removed  West.  In  1862,  he  was  Assistant  Assessor  for 
the  Twenty-second  Congressional  District.  He  was  elected 
to  the  present  House  by  1750  majority.  He  is  on  the 
Committee  on  the  Affairs  of  Villages. 

Mr.  HoppiN  is  thirty-eight  years  of  age ;  is  a  gentleman 
of  fair  abilities  and  courteous  manners ;  and  is  a  practical 
thinker.  He  is  clear  in  his  ideas  of  State  and  National 
policies,  and  honest  in  the  expression  of  his  views. 

35 


CHARLES    S.    HOYT 


Doctor  Hoyt  is  a  tall,  well-built  man,  with  a  face 
expressive  of  humane  feelings,  and  meets  his  associates 
and  even  strangers  with  frankness,  both  socially  and 
officially.  His  birthplace  is  Ridgefield,  Connecticut, 
where  he  was  born  June  8th,  1822.  He  is  of  English 
ancestry,  with  genuine  liberal  opinions  in  his  mental  com- 
position. In  childhood,  he  removed  with  his  parents  to 
this  State,  and  settled  with  them  in  Owasco,  Cayuga  county, 
New  York ;  but  about  five  years  afterward  he  moved  to 
Victory  in  the  same  county.  In  1834,  his  father  took  him 
and  the  remainder  of  the  family  to  Middlesex,  Yates 
county,  and  continued  farming,  his  usual  avocation. 

Doctor  HoYT  received  an  academic  education.  His 
tastes  were  not  in  sympathy  with  classical  branches,  but 
were  more  inclined  to  mathematics.  At  the  age  of  four- 
teen, he  taught  school;  and  for  a  couple  of  years,  attended 
the  Rushville  Academy  in  the  summer  time,  working 
on  the  farm  at  intervals,  and  teaching  during  the  winter 
months.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  began  the  study 
of  his  profession,  in  the  office  of  Doctor  N.  Webb,  of 
Rushville,  and  continued  his  practice  of  teaching,  a  por- 
tion of  the  time,  in  order  to  defray  some  of  his  expenses. 
He  graduated  from  the  Geneva  Medical  College,  in  1847, 
and  located  at  Potter  Centre,  Yates  county.  He  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  Town  Superintendent  of  Schools, 
during  1848.  His  political  views  were  Democratic,  of  the 
radical  school;  and  in  1851,  the  Democrats  of  Yates  county 
elected  him  to  the  Assembly.  But  when  the  South  began 
its  disloyal  course  by  an  open  outbreak.  Doctor  Hoyt 
threw  off  his  allegiance  to  the  Democracy,  put  himself 
in  the  van  of  those  who  helped  to  form  the  Union  party  in 


CHAELES   S.    HOYT.  275 

his  county,  and  made  himself  efficient  in  aiding  recruiting, 
and  in  rousing  the  people  to  a  sense  of  their  danger. 
August  11th,  1862,  Doctor  Hoyt  was  appointed  Assistant 
Surgeon  for  the  126th  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers, 
Colonel  Sherrill  commanding;  and,  the  20th  of  May, 
1864,  was  promoted  to  Surgeon  of  the  39tli  Regiment, 
New  York  Volunteers,  which  was  formerly  known  as  the 
old  "  Garibaldi  Guards."  While  in  the  126th  regiment  he 
was  among  those  who  were  captured  at  Harper's  Ferry, 
under  Colonel  Miles.  At  that  time  he  was  on  duty  at  the 
post-hospital,  and,  after  the  capture,  remained  in  the  lines, 
taking  care  of  the  sick  and  wounded,  until  after  the  place 
was  retaken  by  the  Union  army.  A  few  days  previous  to 
the  exchange  of  his  regiment,  he  reported  to  it.  The 
winter  of  1862  and  '63,  was  passed  in  the  defenses  around 
Washington,  at  Union  Mills  and  Centreville.  -His  regi- 
ment was  attached  to  the  Second  Corps  of  the  army  of 
the  Potomac,  just  as  it  was  moving  northward,  prior  to  the 
battle  of  Gettysburgh.  From  that  time  until  the  army 
was  mustered  out  of  service,  he  witnessed  every  battle 
except  the  skirmishes  of  Auburn  and  Bristow  Station, 
during  the  transpiration  of  which,  he  was  sick  at  home, 
with  typhoid  fever.  In  the  early  part  of  the  war.  Doctor 
HoYT  was  always  with  his  regiment  on  the  field,  in  time 
of  action  :  but  at  the  opening  of  the  campaign  in  1864,  he 
was  detailed  to  the  field  hospital,  as  executive  officer, 
and  was  afterward  the  Surgeon  in  charge  of  it,  and 
remained  so  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  had  the 
satisfaction  of  closing  up  its  affairs.  As  a  testimonial  of 
the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held,  the  attendants  of  the 
hospital  presented  him  with  an  elegant  gold  watch.  Thus 
far,  we  have  merely  narrated  incidents ;  but  it  is  only 
justice  to  Doctor  Hoyt,  to  say  that  he  was  a  universal 
favorite  in  the  army,  that  he  never  shirked  a  responsibility 
no  matter  how  unpleasant;    and  what  is  certainly  com- 


276  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

mendatory,  lie  never  drank  a  drop  of  liquor,  either  socially 
or  medicinally,  while  he  was  connected  with  his  regiment. 
When  he  entered  the  service,  the  children  of  his  village 
presented  him  with  a  sash  and  sword,  which  he  had  the 
pleasure  of  bringing  back  with  him,  after  the  struggle 
was  over. 

In  the  Assembly,  Doctor  Hoyt,  with  others  of  his  pro- 
fession, serves  on  the  Committees  on  Public  Health  and 
Medical  Colleges  and  Societies,  and  is  furthermore  Chair- 
man of  the  Committee  on  State  Charitable  Institutions. 


WILLIAM    E,    HUNT 


Mr.  Hunt  is  a  resident  of  Otto,  Cattaraugus  county, 
New  York,  which  was  named  after  Jacob  S.  Otto,  Agent 
of  the  Holland  Land  Company.  He  is  of  New  England 
parentage,  his  parents  having  moved  from  Vermont  to 
Perrysburgh,  New  York,  when  he  was  ten  years  old. 
Until  he  was  eighteen,  he  was  an  attendant  on  the  common 
schools ;  and  then  finished  his  school  career,  by  two  terms 
at  the  Fredonia  Academy.  During  the  following  nine  or 
ten  years,  he  assumed  the  charge  of  his  mother's  farm  — 
his  father  having  died  when  his  son  was  sixteen  —  and 
accumulated  about  eight  hundred  dollars  for  himself. 
Wishing  a  change,  he  left  the  farm,  and  went  to  Otto, 
where  he  has  remained  ever  since,  and  invested  his  little 
capital  in  mercantile  trade.  Little  by  little,  his  gains 
increased,  until  he  gathered  to  himself  a  comfortable  com- 
petence, and  extended  his  trade  to  a  larger  scale.  In  his 
transactions,  he  is  cautious,  preferring  to  take  no  hasty 
step,  rather  than  to  lose  by  a  blind  venture  where  flatter- 
ing inducements  give  promise  of  great  gains. 


WILLIAM   E.   HUNT.  277 

At  first  a  Whig,  he  was  subsequently  induced  to  join 
the  American  party,  when  Mr.  Ullman  ran  for  Governor ; 
but,  finding  himself  mistaken  as  to  the  objects  of  the 
leaders,  he  left  that  organization,  at  the  end  of  three 
weeks,  completely  satisfied  that  "  Sam  "  was  "  not  himself 
at  all."  Since  then,  he  has  been  a  Republican,  unwavering 
and  influential ;  and,  during  the  war,  he  gave  efficacy  to 
his  opinions  by  devoting  his  attention  to  the  procuring  of 
volunteers,  and  the  raising  and  disbursing  of  bounty 
funds,  of  which  he  had  full  charge  in  his  town. 

Besides  holding  other  town  offices,  Mr.  Hunt  has  been 
Supervisor  of  Otto,  from  1859  to  the  present  time,  with 
the  exception  of  one  year.  His  majority  for  the  Assembly 
was  eleven  hundred  and  sixty.  Not  aspiring  to  great 
political  power,  he,  nevertheless,  is  a  man  who  will  not 
shrink  from  labors,  however  onerous,  whenever  their  con- 
summation shall  be  for  the  welfare  of  the  State.  He  is 
faithful  to  the  local  necessities  of  his  district,  and  thus  far 
has  carried  through  a  bill  providing  for  three  new  streets 
in  the  village  of  Waverly. 


JAMES    IRVING. 


Mr.  Irving  represents  the  Sixteenth  Assembly  District 
of  New  York,  in  which  city  he  was  born,  on  the  6th  of 
July,  1821.  He  belongs  to  a- "  Scotch-Irish  "  family,  and 
his  father  emigrated  from  Londonderry,  in  the  north 
of  Ireland,  in  1808.  His  mother  was  a  native  of  this 
country. 

Mr.  Irving  was  a  jjupil,  during  boyhood,  in  several 
private  schools,  also  attending  several  seasons  at  the 
public  and  high  schools.  He  was  a  bold  lad,  active,  fond 
of  adventure,  and,  true  to  his  Scotch  blood,  always 
regardful  of  business.  Leaving  school,  he  went  into  the 
employment  of  the  noted  "  Chris.  Guire,"  in  Washing- 
ton Market,  remaining  with  him  ten  years,  and  sustaining 
a  good  reputation  for  industry  and  fidelity.  In  1847,  he 
engaged  a  market-stand,  and  set  up  in  business  on  his 
own  account.  He  speedily  became  a  leading  man  among 
the  butchers  of  New  York,  buying  and  selling,  on  the 
average,  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  a  week,  for  sixteen 
years.  His  sagacity  in  making  purchases  was  unrivaled. 
He  seldom  varied  five  pounds  from  a  correct  estimate  of 
the  weight  of  an  animal.  This  and  his  great  industry 
soon  secured  his  prosperity,  and,  in  1857,  he  had  accumu- 
lated the  handsome  fortune  of  $400,000.  He  held  large 
contracts  for  supplying  the  institutions  on  Ward's  and 
Blackwell's  Island,  and  also  obtained  valuable  contracts 
for  supplies  for  the  army  and  navy.  But  the  fluctuating 
prices  of  1857  seriously  affected  him,  and  half  of  his 
property  was  swallowed  up  by  the  disasters  of  that  year. 
He  continued  in  business,  however,  till  1863. 

In  1847,  Mr.  Irving  was  married  to  Miss  Hannah 
Leonard,  a  sister  of  the  present  well-known  Inspector 


JAMES   lEVING.  279 

of  the  Metropolitan  Police.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Irving 
was  a  Roman  Catholic,  a  woman  of  superior  intellect 
and  of  strictly  conscientious  principles,  and  carefully- 
instructed  her  children  in  religious  duties.  Mrs.  Irving 
admirably  displays  the  effect  of  her  early  culture,  in  her 
careful,  maternal  supervision  of  the  conduct  and  education 
of  her  own  children,  six  in  number.  In  these  matters,  she 
has  the  full  concurrence  of  her  husband,  who,  professing 
no  religious  faith  himself,  is  liberal  to  all  who  do. 

Mr.  Irving  has  been  for  many  years  actively  interested 
in  politics,  belonging  to  the  Tammany  wing  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  Although  several  times  in  the  field  as  a 
candidate,  he  was  never  regularly  nominated,  and  always 
was  obliged  to  encounter  a  powerful  combination  of  the 
factions  against  him.  It  is  his  boast,  however,  that  he 
has  always  received  a  higher  vote  than  the  opposing 
Democratic  candidate.  In  1865,  he  was  a  candidate  for 
Alderman  in  the  Fourteenth  District,  receiving  double 
the  vote  of  the  regular  Democratic  candidate,  although 
defeated  by  Mr.  Joseph  B.  Yarnum,  Republican,  by  a 
small  majority.  Last  fall,  he  was  an  independent  candi- 
date for  the  Assembly,  against  Michael  N.  Salmon,  and 
Henry  Beeny,  Republican,  and  received  a  plurality  of 
sixteen.  Although  he  is  in  a  place  not  familiar  to  him 
from  past  associations,  he  is  generally  in  his  seat  during 
the  session,  and  gives  the  most  careful  attention  to  the 
business  under  consideration. 


JOHN    C.    JACOBS. 


John  C.  Jacobs,  representative  of  the  Ninth  District 
of  Kings  county,  was  born  on  the  16th  of  December, 
1838,  and  is,  consequently,  in  the  29th  year  of  his  age. 
His  father  was  born  in  Vermont,  and  his  mother  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  in  Lancaster  county,  of  the  latter  State,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  first  saw  the  light.  The  paternal 
ancestors  of  Mr.  Jacobs,  were  of  the  old  New  England 
revolutionary  stock,  and  several  of  them  participated  in 
the  struggle  for  independence ;  the  maternal  side  were  of 
German  origin,  one  of  them  having  held  a  high  position 
under  Fkederick  the  Great,  of  Prussia. 

When  Mr.  Jacobs  was  quite  young,  his  parents  removed 
to  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  where,  with  the  exception  of  a 
year,  he  has  since  resided.  At  an  early  age,  he  went  to 
a  select  school,  and  was  progressing  rapidly,  when  his 
family  removed  to  Philadelphia,  which  broke  in  upon 
his  educational  progress;  and  from  his  twelfth  year,  it 
may  be  said,  that  his  school  house  studies  ended.  Return- 
ing to  Brooklyn,  he  entered  a  lawyer's  office,  but  growing 
dissatisfied  with  the  day  labor  there  laid  out  for  him, 
sought  and  obtained  a  place  in  the  large  printing  estab- 
lishment of  John  A.  Gray  &  Co.,  in  New  York.  Here, 
as  copy  holder,  he  became  acquainted  with  many  news- 
paper men  of  prominence  —  their  journals  being  issued 
from  the  establishment  —  and  soon  cultivated  a  taste  for 
the  profession  of  a  journalist.  When  eighteen  years  of 
age,  he  commenced  newspaper  life  a&  a  Reporter  on  the 
New  York  Express,  and  rapidly  advanced,  until  he  had 
charge  of  the  political  news  columns.  In  1860,  he  became 
the  correspondent  of  the  same  paper,  in  Albany,  remaining 
with  it  until  1865,  when  in  the  same  capacity,  he  repre- 


JOHN   C.    JA.COBS.  281 

sented  the  New  York  World.  In  1862,  Mr.  Jacobs 
volunteered  to  accompany  McClellan's  army  on  its 
famous  Peninsular  campaign,  as  a  correspondent,  and, 
becoming  attached  to  the  1st  New  York  Volunteers,  then 
in  Kearney's  Division,  he  had  a  chance  to  see,  and  partici- 
pate in,  some  of  the  hardest  fighting  of  the  war.  His 
account  of  the  evacuation  of  Harrison's  Landing,  and  the 
march  to  Yorktown,  published  in  the  Express,  was  exten- 
sively copied  by  the  press,  throughout  the  country. 

Mr.  Jacobs  began  his  political  life  early.  In  the  cam- 
paign of  1856,  though  but  a  boy,  he  was  active  in  the 
opposition  to  Fremont's  election,  and  in  1860,  was  well 
known  in  Brooklyn,  as  a  leader  among  the  young  men  who 
combined  against  the  Lincoln  ticket.  In  1863,  he  was 
nominated  by  the  Democrats  for  Assembly,  John  C.  Perry 
being  the  Republican  candidate,  Theophilus  C.  Callicot 
and  an  independent  Democrat,  also  running.  This  split 
defeated  him.  In  1865,  he  also  ran,  being  again  defeated 
by  William  W.  Goodrich,  after  a  contest  of  great 
severity.  Mr.  Jacobs'  friends  insisted  that  he  should 
again  run  in  1866,  and  the  Democratic  convention  nomi- 
nated him  by  acclamation.  The  Republicans  made  every 
efibrt  to  defeat  him,  but  this  time  he  won  by  a  majority 
of  nearly  nine  hundred. 

In  the  House,  Mr.  Jacobs  has  devoted  most  of  his  time 
to  local  matters,  except  in  urging  the  famous  bill  relative  to 
prostitution,  which  has  attracted  so  much  attention.  He 
serves  on  the  Committee  on  Public  Printing,  and  on  that 
of  Colleges,  Academies  and  Common  Schools. 

Mr.  Jacobs  is  a  liberal-minded  man,  who  is  generous 
both  to  friend  and  foe.  He  never  forgets  a  kindness,  and 
usually  manages,  in  a  delicate  manner,  to  repay  it  in  ten- 
fold proportion.  He  has  nothing  of  "  flash  "  and  "  paste  " 
in  his  mental  composition;  but  on  the  contrary,  readily 
discriminates,  in  his  actions,  between  humbug  and  truth. 
36 


FREDERICK   JULIAND 


Mr.  Juliand  was  born  in  Greene,  Chenango  county, 
New  York  (his  present  residence),  October  9th,  1806, 
being  the  youngest  son  of  Captain  Joseph  Juliand,  a 
native  of  Lyons,  France,  who  emigrated  to  this  country 
during  the  stormy  times  of  the  French  Revolution,  and 
settled  in  Greene,  in  1798  (a  town  purchased  by  the  State 
from  the  Oneida  and  Tuscarora  Indians,  in  1785,  and 
named  in  honor  of  General  Nathaniel  Greene).  His 
was  one  of  eight  or  ten  French  families  who  were  the 
first  white  settlers  of  that  vicinity.  Among  the  incidents 
of  their  pioneer  life  they  boast  of  a  visit  from  the  cele- 
brated French  Statesman  Talleyrand. 

The  boyhood  days  of  Frederick  Juliand  were  spent 
on  his  father's  farm,  he  being  the  recipient  of  such  privi- 
leges as  the  common  schools  of  that  day  afforded.  In  his 
more  advanced  youth  he  received  academic  advantages 
at  Oxford  in  his  own  county,  and  at  Utica. 

Having  served  an  apprenticeship  as  merchant's  clerk,  he 
e'mbarked  in  the  mercantile  business,  in  his  native  town, 
which  he  successfully  prosecuted  for  upward  of  twenty- 
five  years,  retiring  from  active  pursuits,  with  a  handsome 
competency,  in  1860. 

From  his  youth  upward  he  has  taken  an  interest  in  the 
political  issues  before  the  country.  He  was  a  staunch 
Whig  in  the  days  of  that  party,  and  at  its  dissolution 
became  an  equally  ardent  Republican,  his  opinions  and 
advice  having  great  weight  in  the  locality  where  he  was 
best  known.  He  has  twice  been  a  member  of  the  Union 
State  Central  Committee,  and  has  held  several  offices  of 
trust,  in  all  of  which  he  has  served  faithfully,  and  won  a 
reputation  for   purity  of  purpose,  dignity  of  character, 


FREDERICK   JULIAND.  283 

ability  and  enterprise.  He  was  Postmaster  under  Har- 
risons' and  Tyler  ;  is  one  of  the  incorporators  for  locating 
the  Soldiers'  Home,  and  is  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the 
Inebriate  Asylum,  at  Binghamton.  He  was  a  member  of 
Assembly  in  1856,  serving  upon  the  Committee  on  Banks, 
and  was  State  Senator  from  the  Twenty-third  District, 
comprising  the  counties  of  Chenango,  Madison  and  Cort- 
land, in  1864  and  '65,  being  chosen  by  a  majority  of 
5,459.  During  this  service,  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Public  Printing,  and  a  member  of  the  Committees 
on  Banks,  Roads  and  Bridges,  and  Poor  Laws.  He  earned 
considerable  distinction  as  Senator,  acquiring  a  name  for 
exercising  careful  and  comprehensive  judgment,  upon  all 
matters  of  legislation,  and  for  steadfastly  advocating 
economy  in  conducting  the  affairs  of  the  State.  Standing 
in  the  foremost  ranks  of  those  whose  honesty  and  firmness 
could  be  relied  upon,  his  career  as  a  Senator  was  without 
a  blemish.  Among  the  important  questions  settled  by 
the  Legislature  while  he  was  in  the  Senate,  was  that  of  the 
Chenango  Canal  extension.  This  measure,  was,  through 
the  immediate  supervision  and  active  exertions  of  Senator 
JuLiAND,  put  into  practical  effect,  and  by  virtue  of  the 
law  passed,  mainly  by  his  influence,  is  now  near  its  com- 
pletion. The  speech  made  by  Mr.  Juliand,  in  its  behalf 
before  the  Committee  of  the  whole  Senate,  displayed 
careful  research  and  wise  judgment. 

Mr.  Juliand  was  an  effective  supporter  of  the  late  war, 
contributing  liberally  from  his  time  and  means  to  sustain 
the  Union.  He  was  one  of  the  Committee  appointed 
by  the  Governor  to  raise  recruits,  and  performed  valuable 
service  in  that  behalf.  His  liberality  toward  the  families 
of  absent  soldiers,  has  made  his  name  familiarly  welcome 
at  many  a  lonely  fireside. 

In  the  summer  of  1864,  the  town  of  Greene,  had  occa- 
sion to  forward  funds  to   an   agent  at  Newbern,  N'orth 


284  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

Carolina,  who  was  there  endeavoring  to  enlist  men  to  fill 
their  quota.  Much  against  his  will  Mr.  Juliand  was 
induced  to  undertake  the  task.  He  started  via  Washing- 
ton and  Norfolk,  taking  the  steamer  Fawn  at  the  latter 
place  for  Ronoake  Island,  via  the  Dismal  Swamp  Canal. 
When  about  150  miles  from  Norfolk,  the  steamer  was 
attacked  by  Guerrillas,  under  the  command  of  a  Captain 
Hopkins.  Upward  of  a  hundred  shots  were  fired  at  the 
steamer,  killing  and  wounding  nine  of  the  little  party  of 
only  thirty.  Mr.  Juliand  and  the  remaining  survivors 
were  taken  prisoners  and  robbed  of  all  their  baggage ;  the 
steamer  was  burned,  dnd  they  were  compelled  to  march, 
the  whole  night,  thirty  miles,  to  Elizabeth  City,  where, 
after  being  robbed  of  $6,000  (a  portion  of  the  funds  he 
was  transporting),  he  and  Major  Jenny  of  Syracuse,  were 
paroled,  through  the  interference  of  a  friend,  the  remainder 
of  the  party  being  marched  off  to  a  vile  Southern  prison, 
where  it  has  been  since  ascertained  more  than  half  of 
them  died  horrible  deaths.  Mr.  Juliand  and  his  com- 
panions made  their  escape  from  rebel  domain  in  a  sail- 
boat, after  being  without  food  or  shelter,  for  about  two 
entire  days. 

His  recent  election  to  the  Assembly  was  a  flattering 
expression  of  the  esteem  and  regard  in  which  he  is  held 
at  home.  The  county  by  the  recent  apportionment  is 
reduced  to  one  member,  and  there  was  considerable 
strife  among  prominent  gentlemen  for  the  position.  Mr. 
Juliand's  name  was  not  mentioned  in  that  connection 
until  the  Convention  which  placed  him  in  nomination  had 
organized,  and  even  then  against  his  express  desire.  He 
received  a  unanimous  nomination,  and  at  the  polls,  received 
1,608  majority,  the  highest  vote  given  to  any  candidate 
upon  the  ticket. 

Mr.  Juliand  is-  strictly  moral  and  temperate  in  his 
habits,  a  worthy  example  and  an  ^onor  to  society. 


PATRICK    KEADY. 


Me.  Keady,  the  Member  of  Assembly  from  the  Third 
District  of  Kings  county,  was  born  at  Mount  Equity, 
county  of  Roscommon,  Ireland,  on  the  26th  day  of  June, 
1832.  His  parents  soon  after  moved  to  Correen,  an  unpre- 
tending village  about  four  miles  distant  from  the  town  of 
Ballinasloe,  where  his  father  leased  a  small  farm,  which 
he  worked  for  a  few  years,  and  then  died.  Patrick  had, 
at  that  time,  just  begun  to  go  to  school ;  but,  being  the 
oldest  son,  he  was  forced  to  stay  at  home  and  work 
the  farm  for  the  support  of  himself  and  his  brothers 
and  sisters.  Finding  farming  unprofitable  in  his  -native 
country,  he  came  to  America,  in  1851,  in  order  to  better 
his  condition.  Arriving  here  on  the  17th  day  of  March 
in  that  year,  he  lost  no  time  in  seeking  employment,  and 
was  soon  afterward  bound  as  an  apprentice  to  a  promi- 
nent master  printer,  Josiah  T.  Smith,  of  Brooklyn.  Mr. 
Keady  could  then  scarcely  write  his  own  name  in  a 
legible  manner,  but,  by  his  devotion  to  study  in  his 
leisure  hours,  he  soon  began  to  improve  in  the  art  of 
reading  and  writing.  He  rapidly  acquired  a  knowledge 
of  the  country,  and  was  passionately  fond  of  newspaper 
reading.  Indeed,  the  price  of  newspapers,  and  his  cloth- 
ing and  board  bills,  were,  for  a  time,  his  only  expense. 
By  the  advice  of  his  employer,  he  practiced  exact  econ- 
omy, and  Benjamin  Franklin  himself  could  not  have 
been  more  scrupulous  in  this  respect  than  he  was  for  a 
time.  In  a  few  years  he  was  able  to  aid  his  mother,  two 
brothers  and  one  sister,  who  were  yet  in  Ireland,  but  who 
also  came  to  this  country,  shortly  before  Mr.  Keady's  time 
for  service  had  expired.  Having  served  his  apprenticeship 
according  to  agreement,  he  was  paid  full  journeyman's 


286  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

I 

wages  by  his  employer,  a  compliment  which  falls  to  the 
lot  of  few  apprentices,  even  in  this  country.  Mr.  Keady 
continued  to  work  at  his  trade  in  ISTew  York  city,  where 
he  pursued  it  for  upwards  of  fifteen  years ;  he  then  found 
his  health  greatly  impaired  by  his  exhausting  labors  by 
day,  and  his  studies  by  night.  He  at  length  concluded 
to  find  some  other  employment,  and,  having  a  taste  for 
journalism,  he  at  once  commenced  the  study  of  short- 
hand writing.  Having  studied  phonography  for  over  a 
year,  during  which  time  he  still  worked  at  his  trade,  he 
sought  and  obtained  a  position  as  reporter  on  one  of  the 
'New  York  daily  papers.  This  position,  we  believe,  he 
holds  up  to  the  present  time.  He  has  always  been  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  but  has  never  held  any  office  before. 
He  was  opposed  during  the  campaign  by  the  regular 
Republican  candidate,  and  by  a  prominent  Democrat 
also ;  but  he  defeated  both  by  a  plurality  of  over  fifteen 
hundred  votes.  Whatever  Mr.  Keady  knows  —  and  he  is 
a  gentleman  of  no  little  intelligence  —  is  the  result  of  close 
study  under  unfavorable  circumstances.  He  still  devotes 
his  leisure  hours  to  study,  is  temperate  in  his  habits,  and 
is  refined  in  his  deportment. 


JAMES    W.    KIMBALL. 


Mk.  Kimball  is  a  native  of  Lawrence,  St.  Lawrence 
county,  ISTew  York,  where  he  was  born,  June  25th,  1825. 
His  homestead  was  of  the  most  primitive  kind  —  a  log 
house,  covered  with  ash  bark,  the  logs  having  been  cut 
and  peeled  by  the  hands  of  his  father  and  mother.  The 
house  was  built  and  covered  in  one  day,  five  families, 
including  men  and  women  (being  all  of  the  inhabitants 
within  a  circle  of  two  miles),  participating  in  its  erection. 
They  afterward  sat  down  to  a  delicious  supper,  consisting, 
in  part,  of  the  flesh  of  black  bears,  raccoons  and  venison, 
which  was  to  be  had  in  abundance,  at  that  period.  Mr. 
Kimball  spent  his  boyhood,  at  home,  participating  in 
the  general  labors  of  a  backwoods  life.  When  he  was 
seventeen,  he  went  to  the  village  of  Potsdam,  and 
attended  the  academy  one  term,  working  night  and  morn- 
ing for  his  board.  He  then  worked  six  months  on  a  farm 
for  wages,  and  earned  a  sum  of  money  sufficient  to  pay 
what  debts  he  had  incurred  while  at  Potsdam.  Being 
anxious  to  add  still  more  to  his  stock  of  knowledge,  Mr. 
Kimball  entered  the  academy  at  Fort  Covington,  James 
C.  Spencer  being  Principal,  and  remained  there  a  couple 
of  terms.  During  the  winters  of  1844  and  1845,  laying 
aside  his  books  as  a  student,  he  mounted  the  platform  as  a 
district  school  teacher.  Having  met  with  the  usual  num- 
ber of  successes  and  defeats  in  attempting  to  develope  and 
educate  the  young  minds  under  his  care,  he  abandoned 
that  avocation,  and,  in  the  spring  of  1845,  accepted  a 
clerkship  in  Fort  Covington,  at  a  salary  of  six  dollars 
a  month;  his  compensation  was  yearly  increased,  until 
1851,  at  which  time  he  received  three  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  per  annum.     Sometime  during  that  year,  Mr.  Kim- 


288  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

BALL  left  his  employers,  with  seven  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  dollars  in  his  pocket,  the  savings  from  his  earnings. 
In  May,  1852,  he  began  business  on  his  own  account,  in  a 
small  way.  There  were  many  discouraging  aspects 
surrounding  him ;  his  funds  were  limited ;  his  former 
employers,  with  a  cash  capital  of  $50,000,  were  inimical 
toward  his  project;  and  his  credit  was  circumscribed: 
but,  by  perseverance,  he  accumulated  property,  and,  in 
1863,  closed  his  business,  and  found,  in  his  favor,  a  cash 
balance  of  140,000. 

Mr.  Kimball  voted  with  the  Democrats  for  the  first 
time,  in  1846,  and  continued  to  do  so,  until  1856,  when  he 
became  a  Republican,  subsequently  representing  his  town 
as  Supervisor,  for  five  successive  years,  and  in  the  years 
1864  and  '65,  serving  as  Chairman  of  the  Board.  During 
the  last  four  years,  he  has  been  one  of  the  Commissioners 
of  Excise  in  his  county.  This  is  his  third  term  in  the 
Assembly,  to  which  he  has  been  elected,  each  time,  by  a 
large  majority*  He  is  on  the  Committee  on  Federal  Rela- 
tions, and  is  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  State  Prisons. 


JACOB    LEFEVER 


Although  a  comparatively  young  man,  Mr.  Lefever 
has  repeatedly  been  elevated  to  places  of  honor  and  trust, 
by  the  people  of  his  town  and  district.  In  1861,  he  was 
chosen  Supervisor  of  New  Paltz,  one  of  the  wealthiest 
towns  in  Ulster  county,  and  was  reelected  to  the  same 
office,  the  following  year.  In  1862,  he  was  nominated  for 
the  Assembly;  and,  in  a  district  which  gave  Horatio 
Seymour  fifty-one  majority,  he  was  elected  by  a  majority 
of  one  hundred  and  ninety-nine,  over  ex-Sheriff  Griffiths, 
one  of  the  most  popular  Democrats  in  the  county. 
Important  consequences  resulted  to  the  State  and  Nation 
from  his  election,  in  this  manner,  and  at  this  time.  His 
appearance  in  the  Assembly,  as  will  be  remembered,  tied 
that  body  politically,  and  finally  led  to  the  election  of  Mr. 
Callicot,  as  Speaker,  which  gave  the  control  of  both 
branches  of  the  Legislature  to  the  Union  party.  And  out 
of  this  grew  the  election  of  Governor  Morgan  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  and  the  consequences  which  have 
resulted  to  the  country  from  his  presence  there. 

His  course  in  the  Legislature  of  1863,  was  so  satisfac- 
tory to  his  constituents,  that  he  was  returned,  in  1864,  and 
again,  in  1865,  by  increased  majorities.  The  nomination 
for  the  session  of  1866  was  tendered  him;  but,  owing  to 
pressing  business  engagements,  he  declined  to  be  a  candi- 
date. His  friends,  however,  who  knew  him  as  a  tried  and 
true  representative,  would  not  consent  to  his  remaining  in 
retirement  for  another  year,  and  they  insisted  on  his 
accepting  a  nomination  for  the  present  term.  He  did  not 
feel  at  liberty  to  again  refuse ;  and,  although  the  district 
is  nearly  equally  divided,  politically,  and  his  opponent  in 
the  canvass  was  a  young  and  active  Democrat,  he  was 
37  • 


290  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

elected  by  a  majority  of  three  hundred  and  eighty-four, 
running  largely  ahead  of  his  ticket. 

Mr.  Lefever  was  born  in  the  town  of  New  Paltz, 
Ulster  county,  on  the  20th  of  April,  1831.  His  ancestors 
were  French  Huguenots,  who  were  compelled  to  leave 
their  native  land  on  account  of  religious  persecution,  and 
who  settled  in  this  country,  about  the  year  1680.  He  now 
owns  and  resides  on  a  portion  of  the  land  purchased  of  the 
savages  by  them,  and  afterwards  granted  to  them,  by 
letters  patent  from  the  English  government.  There,  in  the 
beautiful  and  fertile  valley  of  the  "  Walkill,"  a  few  miles 
west  of  the  Hudson  River,  and  in  one  of  the  finest  agri- 
cultural districts  in  the  State,  Mr.  Lefever  enjoys  the 
pleasant  and  independent  life  of  the  American  farmer. 
Liberally  educated  at  the  New  Paltz  Academy  and 
Amenia  Seminary,  he  is  enabled  to  cultivate  his  broad 
acres  intelligently,  and  with  profit  to  himself. 

Mr.  Lefever  has  been  identified  with  the  Republican 
party  since  its  organization.  An  active  and  efficient 
worker,  with  great  personal  popularity,  he  combines  more 
political  strength  than  almost  any  other  man  in  the 
district.  As  a  legislator,  his  course  has  been  such  as  to 
command  respect ;  and  he  has  the  reputation  of  being  an 
industrious  and  capable  member. 


DEWITT    C.    LITTLEJOHN, 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  1818,  in  the 
town  of  Bridgewater,  Oneida  county,  New  York.  Of  his 
early  years  the  writer  of  this  has  little  knowledge  beyond 
the  fact  that  he  passed  creditably  through  such  schools 
as  the  country  then  afforded,  and  pursued  an  academic 
course,  until  he  was  prepared  to  enter  the  Sophomore  class 
in  college.  Instead  of  pursuing  a  collegiate  course,  how- 
ever, he  surrendered  the  student's  form  for  the  desk  of  the 
counting-room,  and  his  life,  so  far,  has  been  devoted 
mainly  to  commercial  pursuits. 

In  1839,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  Mr.  Little john  went 
to  Oswego,  then  a  growing  village  of  but  five  thousand 
inhabitants,  taking  with  him  vigor,  integrity  of  charac- 
ter, perseverance  and  shrewd  business  tact — characteristics 
which  have  adhered  to  him  through  life.  His  removal  to 
Oswego  was  for  the  purpose  of  entering  into  business 
relations  with  the  late  Hon.  Henry  Fitzhugh.  Though 
not  the  pioneers  of  the  lake  trade,  the  energy  of  this  firm 
did  much  toward  developing  and  bringing  into  existence 
that  immense  internal  commerce  with  the  West,  by  the 
way  of  the  lakes,  which  is  among  the  wonders  of  modern 
times. 

Mr.  LiTTLEJOHN  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in 
the  prosperity  and  growth  of  his  city.  This  activity  was 
early  marked  by  the  people  among  whom  he  had  made 
his  home ;  he  was  elected,  while  still  a  "  new  comer,"  a 
Trustee  of  Oswego  Village,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
Mayors  when  the  village  became  a  city. 

In  the  midst  of  active  habits  and  pressing  business 
relations,  politics  for  him  had  few  allurements.  And, 
indeed,  it  will  be  found  that  whenever  he  has  taken  office, 


292  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

it  has  been  for  the  opportunity  it  afforded  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  some  important  public  end.  In  the  early- 
classification  of  the  political  parties  of  his  day,  Mr.  Lit- 
TLEJOHN  was  a  "Free  Soil"  or  Anti-slavery  Whig; 
and  he  has  always  hated  slavery  with  the  full  inten- 
sity of  his  nature.  While  many  of  the  prominent  men 
of  his  party  with  whom  he  was,  in  those  days,  on 
intimate  terms,  embraced  "Conservative"  views  and 
finally  gravitated  into  the  Pro-slavery  party,  he  stood 
by  his  avowed  and  early  convictions,  and  without  doubt 
exerted  no  little  influence  in  moulding  the  Radical  sen- 
timent which  now  characterizes  his  district  and  county. 
When  the  Whig  party  was  shipwrecked  upon  the  rock  of 
mistaken  expediency,  Mr.  Littlejohn  was  found  ready  to 
enter  zealously  into  the  Republican  organization,  and, 
from  that  date,  he  has  labored  to  promote  its  distinctive 
principles  and  measures.  In  his  own  district  and  county, 
there  is  no  other  voice  which  has  been  more  frequently 
heard  from  the  rostrum,  and  none  which  the  people  so 
delight  to  hear,  or  which  arouses  them  to  such  degrees  of 
enthusiasm.  It  is,  however,  in  the  character  of  a  legislator 
that  Mr.  Little john  has  won  the  greatest  distinction,  and 
is  now  the  most  favorably  known. 

By  the  State  Constitution  of  1846,  provision  was  made 
for  the  enlargement  of  the  Erie  Canal;  but  no  such 
provision  was  made  for  the  Oswego  Canal.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising that  the  people  of  Oswego  county  were  alarmed. 
In  this  emergency,  in  1853,  Mr.  Littlejohn  was  selected 
as  the  best  man  to  go  to  the  Assembly,  to  obtain  that 
justice,  in  the  Legislature,  which  had  been  denied  in  the 
Constitutional  Convention.  His  familiarity  with  commer- 
cial matters  brought  him  into  immediate  notice,  in  the 
Legislature,  in  connection  with  the  measures  for  the  com- 
pletion of  the  enlargement  of  the  Erie  Canal,  then  sus- 
pended for  the  want  of  means,  and  the  enlargement  of 


DEWITT   C.    LITTLE  JOHN.  293 

the  Oswego  Canal,  which  had  not  been  provided  for  by  the 
Constitutional  Convention.  An  amendment  to  the  Con- 
stitution was  required  to  meet  the  case.  Of  the  Committee 
of  the  House  to  effect  this,  Mr.  Littlejohn  was  an  active 
member,  as  he  was  also  of  the  Joint  Committee  of  both 
Houses,  appointed  to  advance  the  same  end. 

The  people  of  the  State  having  ratified  the  amendment, 
Mr.  LiTTLEJOHN,  in  1854,  was  again  elected  by  his  district 
to  assist  in  giving  effect  to  the  provisions  of  the  amended 
Constitution.  In  this  Assembly,  he  was  placed  in  the 
responsible  position  of  Chairman  of  the  Canal  Committee ; 
and,  as  such,  he  reported  the  measures  by  which  the 
enlargement  of  the  Erie  Canal  was  conipleted,  and  pro- 
visions made  for  the  simultaneous  enlargement  of  the 
Oswego  and  Seneca  and  Cayuga  Canals,  and  the  locks  of 
the  Champlain  Canal.  Such  was  his  reputation  for  -ability 
established  in  the  Legislature  of  1854,  that,  having  been 
reelected,  on  the  opening  of  the  Legislature  of  1855,  he 
was  placed  in  the  Speaker's  chair.  It  was  during  this 
term  that  the  memorable  strife  occurred  in  the  reelection 
of  Hon.  William  H.  Sewaed,  to  the  United  States  Senate. 
The  friends  of  freedom,  in  all  parts  of  the  Union,  were 
watching  the  result  with  great  anxiety.  The  strife  was 
fierce  and  acrimonious.  Mr.  Liitlejohn  threw  himself 
into  the  contest  with  his  well-known  strength  of  purpose. 
It  was  conceded  that  his  individual  efforts  turned  the  scale, 
and  William  H.  Sewaed,  in  that  critical  period,  when 
public  opinion  was  just  beginning  to  be  aroused  to  the 
dangerous  encroachments  of  the  slave  power,  was  selected 
as  the  leader  of  the  cause  in  the  United  States  Senate. 
Mr.  LiTTLEJOHN  was  held  responsible  for  the  result. 
Nowhere  was  the  feeling  more  vindictive  than  in  his  own 
city.  The  anti-slavery  sentiment,  however,  was  no  less 
fully  aroused.  His  friends  rallied  to  his  support,  and  his 
course  was  most  emphatically  indorsed  by  his  triumphant 


294  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

election  to  the  office  of  Mayor  of  Oswego,  after  one  of  tte 
most  violently  contested  canvasses  which  that  city  has 
ever  experienced. 

Mr.  LiTTLEJOHN-  was  again  elected  in  1857,  '59,  '60,  and 
'61,  in  each  of  which  years,  he,  with  little  opposition,  occu- 
pied  the  Speaker's  chair.  Each  of  these  sessions  had  its 
particular  work,  in  which  Mr.  Littlejohn  took  a  leading 
part ;  and  during  these  years  in  the  Assembly,  he  estab- 
lished a  reputation  as  an  eloquent  debater,  and  an  ability 
as  a  parliamentarian  and  legislator,  which  has  never  been 
excelled  by  any  other  citizen  of  this  State.  As  a  presiding 
officer,  he  has  been  particularly  popular,  and  as  such,  he 
has  had  few  equals. 

Mr.  Little  JOHN  labored  zealously  for  the  election  of 
Fremont,  in  1856,  and  Lincoln,  in  1860.  The  estimation 
in  which  his  services  were  held  at  Washington,  may  be 
judged  from  the  fact,  that  on  the  accession  of  Mr.  Lincoln 
to  the  Presidency,  he  appointed  Mr.  Littlejohn  to  the 
highly  responsible  and  lucrative  office  of  IJnited  States 
Consul  at  Liverpool,  a  position  which  he  promptly  declined, 
not  desiring  to  leave  the  country,  at  a  time  when  the  gov- 
ernment was  liable  to  need  the  services  of  its  citizens. 

In  1862,  it  will  be  remembered,  there  came  a  time  of 
general  apathy  and  discouragement  in  regard  to  the  war. 
The  President  issued  calls  for  six  hundred  thousand  fresh 
troops,  and  this  levy  required  from  Oswego  county,  two 
full  regiments,  in  addition  to  the  two  already  in  the  field. 
The  Colonelcy  of  a  regiment  was  urged  upon  Mr.  Little- 
john, by  the  War  Committee  of  the  county.  Although 
in  no  sense  a  military  man,  such  was  the  urgency  of  the 
case,  that  he  did  not  hesitate,  and,  in  ten  days  from  the  time 
he  accepted  the  appointment,  he  raised  the  110th  regiment. 
In  August,  Colonel  Littlejohn  moved  his  regiment  to 
Baltimore,  where  it  was  ordered  into  a  camp  of  instruction, 
under  Major-General  Wool.     His  command  remained  in 


DEWITT   C.    LITTLE  JOHN.  295 

this  camp,  until  November,  when  it  was  designated  as  a 
portion  of  the  great  expedition  to  New  Orleans,  under 
Major-General  Banks  ;  and  in  that  month.  Colonel  Little- 
JOHN  and  his  regiment  went  on  board  the  steamship  Erics- 
son, which  was  placed  under  his  command  for  the  voyage. 
The  expedition  consisted  of  some  twenty  or  thirty  steam- 
ships, formed  in  two  lines,  and  Colonel  Littlejohn  was 
ordered  to  place  the  Ericsson  in  the  rear  of  one  of  the 
lines,  to  succor  any  of  the  vessels  which  might  be  disabled. 
The  line  of  sailing  was  soon  broken  by  a  storm  which 
came  up  with  great  violence  and  dispersed  the  fleet.  The 
propeller  Thames,  with  the  114th  Regiment,  New  York 
Volunteers,  on  board,  became  disabled,  and  the  Ericsson 
took  her  in  tow.  In  the  fury  of  the  storm,  the  task  of 
saving  the  vessel,  became  not  only  difficult,  but  extremely 
perilous.  Twice  the  hawsers  parted,  and  twice  the  two 
steamships  collided,  at  the  imminent  risk  of  sinking  both. 
For  forty-eight  hours,  Colonel  Littlejohn  never  left  the 
deck  of  the  Ericsson,  giving  directions  for  the  safety  of 
the  steamers.  The  result  was,  that  the  Ericsson  towed 
the  Thames  into  Port  Royal,  with  every  man  on  board 
saved.  Colonel  Littlejohn's  regiment  went  into  camp  at 
Carrolton,  near  New  Orleans,  in  December,  1862.  It  was 
under  the  command  of  General  Banks,  during  his  adminis- 
tration of  the  affairs  of  the  Gulf,  doing  admirable  duty  at 
the  memorable  siege  of  Port  Hudson,  and  elsewhere ;  and, 
when  much  reduced,  was  finally  ordered  to  Fort  Jefferson, 
Tortugas  Islands,  for  guard  duty,  where  it  was  finally  dis- 
charged, at  the  close  of  the  war. 

In  November,  1862,  while  with  his  regiment.  Colonel 
Littlejohn  was  elected  a  representative  to  the  Thirty- 
eighth  Congress.  Before  the  close  of  the  Thirty-seventh 
Congress,  that  body  adopted  a  resolution,  that,  under  the 
constitution,  no  member  could  hold  a  commission  in 
the  army,  and  that  for  a  member  to  accept  and  hold  such 


296  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

a  commission,  would  vacate  his  seat.  Mr.  Littlejohn, 
therefore,  just  before  the  4th  of  March,  1863,  resigned  his 
commission,  that  there  might  be  no  question  of  his  eligi- 
bility to  his  seat.  His  health  was  failing,  and  his  sub- 
sequent dangerous  and  protracted  *  sickness,  sufficiently 
proves,  that  by  a  continuance  in  the  service,  his  life  would 
have  been  the  penalty.  But  he  has  always  justified  his 
action  solely  upon  the  ground  of  duty  to  his  government, 
and  to  the  cause,  the  success  of  which  he  had  no  right 
to  imperil.  No  commander  was  ever  more  popular  with 
his  regiment  than  was  Colonel  Littlejohn,  as  no  one  ever 
looked  more  closely  after  the  wants  and  welfare  of  his  men. 
Mr.  Littlejohn  was  present  at  the  organization  of  the 
Thirty-eighth  Congress,  but  was  immediately  taken  sick, 
and  was  detained  for  five  months.  Returning  to  his  seat 
in  his  feeble  state  of  health,  he  signalized  his  first  term  by 
maturing  and  procuring  the  passage  of  a  law  which 
appropriated  $300,000  to  the  preservation  of  the  Lake 
Harbors,  after  Congress  had  avowed  its  purpose  to  appro- 
priate no  moneys,  except  for  war  purposes.  Rarely, 
indeed,  has  a  new  member  been  more  honorably  noticed 
in  the  organization  of  the  House,  than  was  Mr.  Little- 
JOHN.  He  held  a  prominent  position  on  the  Commit- 
tee on  the  Rules  of  the  House,  was  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Pensions,  second  on  Roads  and  Canals,  and  held 
an  important  place  on  the  Committee  on  Ways  and  Means. 
During  the  short  term,  his  health  having  improved,  Mr. 
LiTTLEJOHN  brought  forward  his  measure  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  ship  canal  around  the  Falls  of  Niagara.  This 
measure  he  carried  through  the  House,  and  at  one  time 
there  seemed  little  doubt  that  it  would  also  pass  the 
Senate.  In  the  settlement  of  the  other  great  questions 
which  came  up  for  consideration  in  the  Thirty-eighth 
Congress,  Mr.  Littlejohn  took  an  active  part.  He  sus- 
tained the  amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United 


DEWITT  C.    LITTLE JOHJf.  297 

States,  which  abolished  slavery.  He  was  a  warm  friend 
of  the  policy  of  President  Lincoln,  at  that  time  the 
subject  of  severe  criticism  on  the  part  of  even  some  pro- 
minent members  of  the  Republican  organization.  Mr. 
LiTTLEJOHN  had  faith  in  his  prudence,  his  wisdom  and 
his  patriotism,  and  frequently,  his  eloquent  voice  rang 
out  in  defense  of  the  Administration.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered, that  among  the  closing  scenes  of  the  Thirty-eighth 
Congress,  was  a  spirited  discussion  upon  the  policy  of  the 
President,  between  the  late  Hon.  Henky  Winter  Davis 
and  Mr.  Littlejohn. 

In  the  winter  of  1866,  Mr.  Littlejohn  again  became  a 
Member  of  the  Assembly  of  this  State.  He  was  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Commerce  and  Navigation,  Chair- 
man of  the  Special  Committee  to  Revise  the  Rules  of  the 
House,  Chairman  of  the  Select  Committee  on  Census  and 
Apportionment,  second  on  the  Committee  on  Canals, 
and,  after  the  House  had  been  in  session  a  few  weeks,  was 
elected  Speaker  pro  tern.,  and  during  much  of  the  time 
occupied  the  Chair.  The  crowning  triumph  of  the  ses- 
sion, however,  and  that  which  most  signalized  his  ability 
and  power  as  a  legislator,  was  the  passage,  by  the  House, 
of  a  bill  chartering  a  company  to  construct  the  Niagara 
Ship  Canal.  The  passage  of  this  bill,  under  the  circum- 
stances attending  it,  was  regarded  the  greatest  personal 
triumph  ever  achieved  in  the  Legislature  of  the  State. 
There  were  conditions  attached  to  the  bill  by  the  Senate, 
however,  which  rendered  it  inoperative. 

At  the  close  of  the  session,  Mr.  Littlejohn  was  greeted 
with  a  public  reception  by  his  constituents,  such  as  is 
seldom  awarded  a  public  servant.  In  token  of  their  appre- 
ciation of  his  labors,  he  was  presented  with  a  silver  Dinner 
Service,  the  cost  of  which  was  $4,500.  At  the  proper 
time,  he  was  unanimously  elected  to  the  Legislature  of 
1867,  by  the  people  of  his  district. 
38 


298  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

Mr.  LiTTLEJOHN  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trade, 
of  the  city  of  Oswego,  has  been  at  times  its  presiding 
officer,  and  headed  its  delegation  in  the  Commercial  Con- 
vention, held  in  Detroit,  in  1864,  composed  of  the  leading 
commercial  minds  of  the  nation,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to 
say  that  he  was  one  of  the  leading  spirits  of  that  body. 

During  the  summer  of  1865,  a  project  originated  in 
some  of  the  inland  counties  of  the  State,  to  construct 
a  railroad  from  Lake  Ontario  to  the  Hudson  River,  oppo- 
site New  York.  A  company  was  organized,  under  the 
name  of  the  "  Midland  Railroad  Company,"  and  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1866,  Mr.  Little  JOHN"  was  elected  its  President. 
During  the  summer  following,  he,  in  concert  with  other 
Directors,  spent  much  time  in  awakening  an  interest  in  its 
construction,  along  the  line  of  the  projected  road,  with 
the  most  flattering  promise  of  final  success. 

In  personelle,  Mr.  Little john  is  tall,  straight,  and  some- 
what spare.  He  has  a  piercing  eye,  and  upon  the  floor, 
his  voice  and  manner,  in  any  public  assemblage,  always 
attract  the  most  lively  interest.  In  habits,  he  is  strictly 
temperate,  and  in  personal  appearance  and  dress,  plain  and 
unassuming.  His  private  life,  in  all  respects,  is  unques- 
tionable, and  few  men  have  a  greater  power  of  winning 
and  establishing  strong  personal  friendships. 


HOMER   N.    LOCKWOOD 


Mr.  Lockwood  has  an  exceedingly  genial  face  and  a 
uniformly  polite  manner  which  is  never  fitful  and  impa- 
tient. The  man  who  knows  how  to  approach  him  to-day, 
can  be  confident  that  he  will  find  the  same  way  of  access 
to-morrow.  There  are  some  men  in  the  world,  who,  under 
the  instigations  both  of  private  pique  and  public  aggrava- 
tions, let  fly  a  shower  of  venomous  words  in  the  most 
indiscriminate  manner,  just  as  some  blind  hedgehog  dis- 
charges his  arrows ;  but  Mr.  Lockwood  has  a  happy  way 
of  never  letting  one  know  when  he  is  hit,  and  never  vent- 
ing spleen  on  those  with  whom  he  associates. 

He  was  born  in  Victory,  Cayuga  county,  New  York, 
June  23d,  1833.  He  is  a  descendant  of  the  family  of 
LocKWOODS  that  first  settled  in  this  country,  in  1630, 
having  emigrated  from  Northamptonshire,  England. 

In  the  year  1817,  the  parents  of  Mr.  Lockwood  moved 
from  Connecticut  to  their  new  home  in  Victory.  After 
passing  a  laborious  and  useful  life  of  nearly  half  a  century 
on  the  same  farm,  they  celebrated  their  fiftieth  marriage 
anniversary,  or  "golden  wedding,"  the  2d  of  October,  1863. 

Mr.  Lockwood  is  the  youngest  of  six  children.  After 
a  liberal  academical  education,  at  Falley  Seminary,  he 
evinced  a  desire  for  travel,  and  as  a  preliminary  step  for 
carrying  out  his  purposes  in  that  direction,  consummated 
an  engagement  with  J.  H.  Colton  &  Co.,  of  New  York, 
as  agent  for  their  geographical  works.  Being  soon  after 
promoted  to  General  Agent,  he  finally  entered  into  a 
limited  partnership.  The  first  year  of  his  partnership, 
1853,  he  spent  in  South  Carolina;  during  the  next  winter, 
he  was  in  Kentucky,  superintending  his  employes  who 
were  compiling  a  large  map  of  that  State ;   and  during 


300  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

the  three  following  years,  he  was  similarly  employed  in 
Tennessee,  Mississippi  and  Louisiana,  having  his  principal 
offices  in  Memphis  and  New  Orleans.  In  the  Spring  of 
1859,  Mr.  LocKWOOD  conceived  the  idea  of  extending  his 
business  to  the  West  Indies,  and  accordingly  established 
an  office  in  Havana.  An  arrangement  was  readily  made 
by  him  with  competent  Spanish  civil  engineers,  to  carry 
out  the  plan  of  publishing  a  detailed  topographical  plan 
of  the  Island  of  Cuba,  under  the  patronage  of  the  Spanish 
government.  This  large  undertaking  consumed  nearly  five 
years.  The  winter  months  were  spent  by  him,  in  traveling 
over  the  island,  and  in  supervising  and  arranging  informa- 
tion received  at  his  office  in  Havana.  Of  course  the 
tropical  summers  were  so  hot  as  to  prevent  him  from 
performing  any  great  amount  of  active  labor,  during  their 
continuance;  on  such  occasions  he  was  accustomed  to 
make  a  hegira  to  the  States.  Mr.  Lockwood  with  grati- 
fying success  conducted  a  similar  enterprise,  during  1863 
and  1864,  in  the  Island  of  Porto  Rico.  In  the  course  of 
business  he  visited  the  Islands  of  St.  Thomas,  Santa  Cruz, 
the  Bahamas,  the  Bermudas  and  many  other  West  India 
Islands.  We  should  have  to  appropriate  a  large  share  of 
this  volume,  were  we  to  give  a  description  of  his  eventful 
life  in  the  tropics.  We  leave  to  himself  the  narration  of 
his  blood-chilling  adventures  among  the  mountain  passes, 
of  the  long,  dreamy  hours  spent  under  a  southern  evening 
sky,  and,  quien  sabe^  of  the  soft  glances  which  none  but 
Spanish  sefioritas  know  how  to  give.  Speaking  the  Span- 
ish language  almost  as  well  as  his  mother  tongue,  during 
the  dark  days  of  our  civil  war,  his  voice  was  often  heard, 
defending  the  Union,  and  nourishing  the  almost  extinct 
spark  of  sympathy  among  the  faithless  foreigners. 

After  Mr.  Lockwood's  return  to  his  native  home  in 
1865,  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  from  the  First  Dis- 
trict of  Cayuga  county;  in  the  Legislature  of  1866,  he 


JAEVIS   LOED.  301 

served  on  the  Committees  on  the  Manufacture  of  Salt, 
Engrossed  Bills,  and  Public  Printing,  and,  during  the  last 
half  of  the  session,  was  Chairman  of  the  last  mentioned 
Committee.  He  was  also  one  of  the  important  Committee 
of  five  to  arrange  the  priority  of  business  before  the 
House.  During  this  session  he  is  serving  on  the  Commit- 
tees on  Public  Printing,  State  Prisons  and  Manufacture  of 
Salt ;  he  is  Chairman  of  the  latter. 

Mr.  LocKWOOD  was  the  only  bachelor  member  during 
the  last  session  who  had  the  courage  to  break  through  the 
ranks  and  join  the  order  of  Benedicts,  which  event  was 
celebrated  the  13th  of  February,  1866. 

At  the  last  election  Mr.  Lockwood  was  reelected  to  the 
Assembly  by  a  majority  of  1,365,  the  largest  ever  given 
in  his  district.  He  ranks  well  among  his  fellow  legisla- 
tors, and  possesses  the  high  esteem  of  his  acquaintances. 


JAEVIS    LORD, 


Me.  Loed,  the  Member  for  the  First  District  of  Monroe 
county,  was  born  at  Ballston,  Saratoga  county,  February 
10th,  1816.  He  is  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  as  vigorous  as 
he  was  at  twenty-five ;  of  good  physical  proportions,-  and 
an  excellent  constitution,  and  a  temperament  adapted  to 
both  mental  and  physical  endurance ;  he  has  been  favored 
with  excellent  health,  and  seldom  tires  by  active  labor. 

Mr.  Loed  was  the  son  of  poor  parents,  and  had  no 
other  educational  advantages  than  those  afforded  by  the 
common  schools  in  the  days  of  his  boyhood.  He  availed 
himself  of  these,  however,  so  far  as  to  acquire  a  tolerable 
knowledge  of  those  branches  which  were  to  be  most 
essential  to  him  in  business  life.  He  adopted  the  avoca- 
tion of  a  farmer,  and,  though  he  has  most  of  the  time  had 


302  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

large  interests  in  other  pursuits,  he  has  made  the  farm  his 
home,  and  has  taken  a  pride  in  the  culture  of  the  soil. 
He  has  resided,  for  twenty-five  years  or  more,  at  Pitts- 
ford,  seven  miles  from  Rochester,  and  has  there  one  of 
the  best  cultivated  and  most  productive  farms  in  Monroe 
county.  He  takes  delight  in  the  cultivation  of  fruit,  and 
the  raising  of  stock,  particularly  horses,  of  which  he  is  a 
great  admirer. 

Mr.  LoED  has  always  been  a  Democrat  of  the  Jackson 
and  Weight  school.  Devoted  to  the  Union,  he  warmly 
espoused  the  Federal  cause  at  the  beginning  of  the  rebel- 
lion, and  gave  freely  to  promote  the  national  interests, 
and,  it  is  said,  did  more  than  any  other  man  in  his  town 
to  keep  the  calls  for  men  filled,  and  to  help  the  soldiers  in 
the  field  and  at  home.  He  has  enjoyed  a  personal  popu- 
larity at  home,  equaled  by  few  men.  When  nominated 
for  ofiice,  his  neighbors  support  him  with  enthusiasm. 
He  was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  in  1858,  on  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket,  when  the  District  went  Republican  by 
several  hundreds.  He  was  elected  again  in  1866,  by  a 
majority  of  fifteen  over  a  strong  opponent,  when  the 
District  gave  Governor  Fenton  six  hundred  majority. 
He  has,  once  or  more,  served  as  Supervisor. 

Mr.  LoED  has  been  engaged  for  many  years  in  building 
canals  in  this  State,  and  he  enjoys  a  high  reputation  as  a 
contractor.  He  is  now  President  of  the  Farmers'  and 
Mechanics'  National  Bank  of  Rochester,  an  old  and  reli- 
able institution.  As  a  citizen,  Mr.  Loed  has  a  spotless 
character,  and,  as  a  business  man,  his  reputation  is  excel- 
lent all  over  Central  and  Western  New  York. 

Mr.  LoED  does  not  claim  to  be  an  orator ;  his  attention 
has  never  been  bestowed  on  the  embellishments  of  rhetoric 
and  elocution.  Whenever  he  has  an  opinion  to  utter,  he 
delivers  it  point  blank,  and  usually  with  very  good  aim. 
His  shrewdness  and  plain  sense  are  his  leading  character- 


JOHN   MAXWELL.  303 

istics.  At  the  opening  of  the  present  Legislature,  his 
party  presented  him  as  the  Democratic  candidate  for 
Speaker,  and  sustained  him  by  an  unbroken  vote;  but 
the  Republican  majority  in  the  House  accomplished  the 
election  of  Mr.  Pitts. 


JOHN    MAXWELL 


Me.  Maxwell  who  represents  the  First  Assembly  Dis- 
trict of  Ulster  county,  was  born  in  the  year  1818,  in  the 
county  of  Tyrone,  Ireland.  His  father  Thomas  Maxwell, 
served  under  the  gallant  leader  Sir  Johk  Mooee,  and 
afterward  under  Wellingto:j^,  the  "  Iron  Duke."  .  He  par- 
ticipated in  the  principal  battles  and  campaigns  of  those 
heroic  leaders.  At  Waterloo,  he  was  in  the  thickest  of 
the  conflict,  and  was  an  eye  witness  of  the  turning  of  the 
tide  which  swept  away  the  eagles  of  France,  and  doomed 
Napoleon  to  exile.  In  1828,  he  immigrated  to  this 
country,  bringing  with  him  his  wife  and  five  children, 
among  whom  was  his  son  John,  then  a  lad  of  ten  years, 
and  settled  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  where  he  remained 
two  years,  and  then  removed  to  the  neighborhood  of 
Saugerties,  New  York.  Young  Maxwell  grew  to  man- 
hood, in  that  vicinity,  entered  into  mercantile  business, 
and  also  became  a  dealer  in  North  River  blue  stone.  Just 
before  the  opening  of  the  late  civil  war,  Mr.  Maxwell 
retired  from  his  former  pursuits,  and  commenced  brokerage 
in  New  York  city.  The  same  industry  and  sagaciousness 
which  he  had  manifested  in  his  previous  enterprises  were 
undiminished  in  this  latter  business ;  and  his  efforts 
were  attended  with  large  returns  of  profit.  His  political 
antecedents  were  Whig ;  and  at  the  organization  of  the 


304  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

Republican  party,  he  joined  the  columns  which  have 
since  received  continued  accessions,  and  have  carried  the 
country  through  strife  and  bloodshed.  Mr.  Maxwell 
represents  a  district  which,  in  1864,  gave  nearly  '700 
Democratic  majority,  but  which  gave  him  at  the  last 
election,  a  majority  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-nine. 

He  is  a  gentleman  who  is  regarded  by  his  acquaintances 
as  a  first  class  man,  and  whose  social  relations  are  untar- 
nished. He  has  a  fine  judgment  in  business  matters,  and  in 
relation  to  all  just  purposes,  is  very  liberal,  whereas  he 
decidedly  condemns  anything  which  bears  the  taint  of 
corruption.  His  intimate  knowledge  of  our  inland  trade 
and  commerce  fits  him  for  his  position  on  the  Committee 
on  Commerce  and  Navigation. 

Mr.  Maxwell  has  a  ruddy,  jovial  face,  and  a  massive 
frame,  which  looks  as  if  it  could  stand  a  great  amount  of 
fatigue. 


CHARLES   M^KINNEY 


Charles  McKinney,  the  Member  of  Assembly  from 
the  Third  District  of  Oswego  county,  is  a  native  of  the 
county  which  he  represents,  having  been  born  in  Redfield, 
in  1828.  His  parents  were  of  New  England  stock,  who 
settled  in  Redfield  nearly  forty  years  ago,  being  among 
the  pioneers  in  the  early  settlement  and  development  of 
that  region  of  the  State. 

Mr.  McKiNNEY  was  educated  mostly  in  the  common 
schools  and  academies  in  his  section  of  the  country,  and, 
except  when  in  school,  his  boyhood  was  spent  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits.  After  his  majority,  he  was  engaged  six 
years  in  the  milling  business,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
a  merchant. 

In  the  aifairs  and  politics  of  his  own  town,  Mr.  McKijt- 
NEY  has  not  been  passive,  as  is  evidenced  from  the  positions 
conferred  upon  him  by  his  fellow  townsmen,  whose  confi- 
dence and  respect  he  fully  enjoys.  He  has  repeatedly 
held  the  town  offices  of  Inspector  of  Election,  Town 
Clerk,  Assessor,  etc.;  and,  in  1858,  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  Supervisor,  to  which  he  was  again  elected  in 
1865  and  1866;  the  duties  of  which  place  he  has  always 
discharged  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 

He  was  elected  to  the  present  Legislature  by  a  majority 
of  1,571  votes,  and  represents  one  of  the  most  radical 
districts  of  the  State.  He  serves  on  the  Committees  on 
Towns  and  Counties,  and  Agriculture.  Being  without 
legislative  experience,  except  such  as  is  acquired  in  the 
local  legislature  of  his  county — the  Board  of  Super- 
visors —  he  has  his  record  yet  to  make. 


39 


JACOB    A.    MEAD 


Jacob  Ackermax  Mead,  the  member  from  Livingston 
county,  was  born  in  Pompton,  Passaic  county,  New 
Jersey,  on  the  9th  of  September,  1816.  His  parents 
removed  to  Seneca  county,  New  York,  in  his  infancy ;  and 
when  ten  years  of  age,  he  came  to  Ontario  county.  In 
1835,  he  became  a  citizen  of  Mount  Morris,  Livingston 
county,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  enjoyed  the  usual 
opportunities  for  acquiring  -a  common  school  education, 
and  soon  after  settling  in  Mount  Morris,  became  a  mer- 
chant. In  this  pursuit  he  continued  for  several  years,  and 
afterward  changed  his  occupation  for  that  of  a  lumber 
dealer. 

He  has  always  been  active  in  politics.  He  was  a  Whig 
down  to  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party ;  and  since 
that  period,  he  has  been  an  unhesitating  advocate  of  the 
principles  of  the  latter  party.  From  1856  to  1859,  he 
held  a  position  in  the  Engineer's  Department,  located  at 
Cuba,  New  York,  and  in  1861,  he  was  appointed  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Genesee  Valley  Canal,  which  office  he  held 
for  a  year,  devoting  himself  with  characteristic  energy  to 
the  performance  of  his  duties.  Mr.  Mead  has  uniformly 
favored  all  public  measures  promotive  of  the  canal 
interests  of  the  State. 

In  1863,  he  was  appointed  Commissioner  of  the  Board 
of  Enrollment  of  the  Twenty-fifth  Congressional  District, 
and  served  efficiently  in  that  capacity,  until  the  Board,  in 
common  with  the  other  similar  boards  throughout  the 
country,  was  discontinued  in  1865. 

By  the  reapportionment  of  the  State  under  the  census 
of  1865,  the  county  of  Livingston  lost  one  representative 
in  the  lower  branch  of  the  Legislature,  thus  leaving  it 


GEORGE   W.    MILLSPAUGH.  307 

with  a  single  member,'  in  the  Assembly.  In  September 
last,  he  was  nominated  at  the  Republican  county  Conven- 
tion, and,  although  actively  opposed  throughout  the  can- 
vass by  the  Hon.  Mr.  Hendee,  present  Supervisor  of 
Geneseo,  and  recently  a  member  of  the  Assembly,  a 
gentleman  of  personal  popularity,  and  claimed  by  his 
friends  as  a  Republican,  (though  nominated  by  a  Demo- 
cratic Convention,)  Mr.  Mead  was  elected  by  849  majority. 
He  takes  his  seat  with  no  little  experience  in  the  public 
service,  and  his  habits  of  industry  and  close  inquiry,  have 
already  fitted  him  for  the  vigilance  required  of  him  as  a 
member  of  the  Committees  on  Commerce  and  Navigation, 
and  Federal  Relations. 


GEORGE    W.    MILLSPAUGH. 


The  paternal  ancestors  of  Mr.  Millspaugh  emigrated 
from  Holland,  about  the  year  1700.  The  name  was  origi- 
nally spelled  Meltzbach,  but  euphonic  changes  have  toned 
it  down  to  its  present  mode  of  spelling.  His  maternal 
grandfather,  John  Cameron,  was  a  Scotchman,  who,  in 
1757,  then  a  lad  of  sixteen,  residing  near  Edinburgh, 
was  impressed  into  the  English  service.  He  fought  with 
WoLEE  at  the  taking  of  Quebec,  and  was  subsequently  a 
soldier  in  the  American  army  during  the  Revolution.  At 
the  close  of  that  struggle,  he  held  a  Lieutenant's  com- 
mission. 

Mr.  Millspaugh,  until  sixteeen  years  old,  attended  the 
district  school.  He  then  availed  himself  of  the  educa- 
tional benefits  afforded  by  the  Montgomery  Academy. 
While  in  the  pursuit  of  his  studies  at  that  institution,  he 
also  acquired  no  little  experience  in  teaching,  thus  bring- 


308  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

ing  into  practice  the  instruction  which  he  had  received. 
When  he  was  twenty-one  years  old,  he  began  the  study 
of  law  in  the  office  of  General  Borland,  a  distinguished 
Democratic  politician,  and  an  able  lawyer,  residing  at 
Montgomery,  Orange  county,  New  York.  Being  thrown 
somewhat  upon  his  own  efforts  for  his  pecuniary  supplies, 
he  taught  two  years,  and  pursued  his  legal  studies  during 
his  leisure  time.  After  his  admission  to  the  Bar,  which 
transpired  in  February,  1850,  he  followed  his  profession 
in  the  town  of  Montgomery,  until  the  spring  of  1858^ 
when  he  removed  to  Goshen.  While  a  resident  of 
Montgomery,  he  was  elected  Superintendent  of  Common 
Schools  for  the  period  of  two  years,  and  was  likewise 
Justice  of  the  Peace  four  years.  He  has  held  the  same 
office  during  seven  years  of  his  residence  in  the  town  of 
Goshen,  and  has  been  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors, 
for  the  past  five  years. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Millspaugh  was  elected  to  the  Assembly 
by  the  Democrats,  by  seventy-five  majority,  leading  his 
ticket,  and  being  the  only  Democratic  candidate  who  was 
elected  in  the  county.  He  was  reelected  in  1866  by  a 
majority  of  one  hundred  and  eighty-nine.  Such  was  the 
popular  feeling  in  his  favor,  he  ran  two  hundred  ahead  of 
his  ticket  in  his  District.  Mr.  Millspaugh  is  an  unosten- 
tatious man,  aiming  at  no  display,  yet  firm  in  his  opinions. 
He  is  concise  in  the  expression  of  his  views,  and  is  a  cour- 
teous and  manly  opponent  in  debate.  As  a  member  of 
the  last  Legislature,  he  gained  the  approval  of  men  of  all 
parties  by  his  straightforward  manner  in  the  transaction 
of  business ;  he  ranks  among  the  prominent  Members  of 
the  present  House.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Committees 
on  Federal  Relations,  and  on  Local  General  Orders. 
Mr.  Millspaugh  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Montgomery, 
New  York,  and  has  always  been  a  resident  of  Orange 
county. 


CHRISTIAN    MINIER. 


The  Member  of  Assembly  from  the  Second  Assembly 
District  of  Steuben  county,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Canis- 
teo,  county  of  Steuben,  New  York,  in  the  year  1818.  His 
parents  were  natives  of  that  county,  and,  at  the  time  Mr. 
MiNiEK  was  five  years  of  age,  moved  to  the  town  of  Big 
Flats,  in  the  county  of  Chemung,  where  he  remained 
until  his  twenty-eighth  year.  At  this  time,  he  became  a 
resident  of  the  town  of  Caton,  in  the  county  of  Steuben, 
of  which  he  is  now  a  resident.  He  received  a  common 
school  education,  and,  during  the  greater  portion  of  his 
life,  has  been  engaged  in  the  business  of  farming.  He 
has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  his  town  for 
fourteen  years,  and  has  also  represented  *his  town  in  the 
Board  of  Supervisors,  at  intervals,  for  ten  years,  during 
that  time  serving  upon  the  most  important  Committees 
of  that  body.  At  the  last  election  he  was  elected,  in  a 
contested  canvass,  to  the  office  he  now  holds,  over  Morris 
Smith,  Democrat,  by  a  majority  of  1885.  He  serves  on 
the  Committees  on  Petitions  of  Aliens,  and  Public  Lands. 


ELISHA    MOODY. 


Mr.  Moody  is  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  "  E. 
Moody  &  Sons,"  proprietors  of  the  Niagara  Nurseries,  at 
Lockport,  New  York,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  that 
business,  during  the  last  twenty-five  years ;  in  the  mean 
time,  he  has  emj^loyed  several  thousand  men ;  and  such 
has  been  his  fairness  in  dealing,  no  person  has  had  cause 
to  complain  of  Mr.  Moody  as  an  employer.  In  all  busi- 
ness transactions  he  bears  the  reputation  of  being  prudent 
and  honest.  He  is  a  native  of  Unity,  New  Hampshire. 
His  father  went  to  Cayuga  county.  New  York,  in  1816, 
where  he  died  in  1820.  Mr.  Moody  then  went  to  live 
with  Mr.  WiLi^AM  Haydex,  near  Auburn,  and  learned 
the  trade  of  woolen  manufacturing.  In  1835,  he  moved 
to  Michigan,  and  settled  near  the  village  of  Allegan. 
The  country  in  that  section,  was  comparatively  in  its 
primitive  state,  and  the  wheels  of  civilization  were  just 
beginning  to  move.  Districts  now  populous  and  wealthy, 
were  then  scarcely  more  than  an  unbroken  wilderness ; 
and  counties  now  powerful  in  business  and  politics,  were 
in  their  infancy,  both  socially  and  politically.  Mr.  Moody 
was  one  of  the  Inspectors  of  the  first  election  held  in  the 
county  of  Allegan  after  the  organization  of  the  State  of 
Michigan ;  and  attended  the  first  wedding  which  trans- 
pired in  the  county.  While  a  resident  of  Allegan,  he 
held  town  offices,  and  was  nominated  for  Judge  Probate, 
but  he  declined  the  honor,  not  being  an  aspirant  for  poli- 
tical distinction,  and  preferring  rather  to  devote  his  time 
to  his  business  projects  which  were  quite  important,  as  he 
dealt  largely  in  lands,  for  three  or  four  years.  Soon  after 
his  return  to  this  State,  which  took  place  in  1838,  he 
opened  the  nursery  which  we  have  already  mentioned. 


MICHAEL   C.    MUKPHY.  311 

Mr.  Moody,  originally  a  Whig,  is  now  a  Republican  of 
undoubted  zeal.  He  was  elected  by  the  First  District 
of  Niagara  county,  by  a  majority  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-seven.  He  is  on  the  Committees  on  Agriculture 
and  Roads  and  Bridges.  As  a  citizen,  Mr.  Moody  is 
irreproachable.  He  is  esteemed  by  his  acquaintances, 
and  is  counted  among  those  who  give  substantial  benefits 
to  their  localities. 


MICHAEL    C.    MURPHY 


Mr.  Murphy,  though  still  young,  has  experienced  many 
exciting  adventures,  and  has  won  military  distinction  in 
defending  his  adopted  country.  He  is  a  native  of  Kilmal- 
lock,  Limerick  county,  Ireland,  where  he  was  born  March 
7th,  1839.  When  about  eight  years  of  age,  he  came  to 
America,  arriving  in  New  York  city,  November,  1847. 
When  he  reached  a  suitable  age,  he  learned  the  printer's 
trade.  At  the  opening  of  the  civil  war  in  this  country, 
Mr.  Murphy,  in  common  with  hundreds  of  others  from  the 
same  avocation,  enlisted  in  the  army.  April  20th,  1861,  he 
was  commissioned  as  Captain  in  the  Ellsworth  Regiment 
of  Fire  Zouaves.  After  the  release  of  General  Corcoran 
from  the  rebel  prison.  Captain  Murphy  resigned  his  com- 
mission in  the  Regiment  of  Zouaves,  and  joined  the  '*  Irish 
Legion,"  as  Captain.  He  was  promoted,  January  4th, 
1863,  to  a  Lieutenant-Colonelcy  of  the  2d  Regiment  of 
the  "  Legion."  He  was  closely  identified  with  the  move- 
ments of  General  Corcoran's  command,  until  he  was 
dismissed  from  the  service  by  order  of  General  Meade, 
to  date  from  June  9th,  1864,  for  sending  a  flag  of  truce  to 
the  skirmishing  line  of  the  enemy,  in  an  endeavor  to  save 


312  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

the  lives  of  one  hundred  and  five  privates  and  seven 
officers,  who  were  wounded  and  lying  between  both  lines. 
This  took  place  May  24th,  1864,  while  he  was  in  command 
of  the  advance  line  of  the  Second  Division  of  the  Second 
Army  Corps.  When  this  dismissal  was  brought  to  the 
notice  of  General  Grant,  and  the  facts  of  the  case  were 
clearly  presented  to  him,  he  justified  the  course  of  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Murphy,  who  was  immediately  restored  to 
his  rank,  by  order  of  President  Lincoln.  He  left  the 
service  in  March,  1865,  in  consequence  of  ill-health.  He 
was  a  valorous  officer,  and  a  man  true  to  his  country. 

The  Fenian  raid  upon  Canada,  which  set  the  English 
Cabinet  in  a  flutter,  made  the  Canadians  quake  with  sud- 
den fear,  and  caused  her  Majesty's  troops  to  suppose  that 
the  time  for  field  duty  had  come,  will  long  be  remembered 
as  a  preliminary  movement  which,  though  it  failed  to 
accomplish  the  purposes  of  the  Irish  people,  nevertheless 
caused  John  Bull  to  cast  an  inquiring  glance  toward  the 
Emerald  Isle,  and  wonder  if  Erin  was  really  in  earnest. 
Mr.  Murphy  was  General  of  that  portion  of  the  Fenian 
army,  in  May  and  June,  1866,  which  was  concentrated  at 
Malone,  New  York,  and  was  intended  for  the  assaulting 
column  against  Montreal.  Every  reader  is  familiar  with 
the  failure  of  that  undertaking,  the  causes  of  which  it 
is  neither  our  place  nor  purpose  to  discuss. 

In  November,  1866,  Mr.  Murphy  was  elected  to  the 
Assembly  by  the  Democrats  of  the  First  District  of  the  city 
of  New  York,  which  is  composed  of  the  First,  Second, 
Third  and  Fifth  Wards.  His  majority  w^s  1,496.  He 
was  appointed  on  the  Committee  on  Militia  and  Public 
Defense. 

He  has  a  fine  military  bearing,  is  an  agreeable  gentle- 
man, and  wins  the  good  will  of  those  with  whom  he  comes 
in  contact. 


OWEN   MURPHY. 


Mr.  Murphy  was  born  in  the  county  of  Monaghan,  Ire- 
land, and  is  about  thirty-two  years  of  age.  His  father 
died  when  he  was  about  four  years  old,  leaving  him  to 
fight  life's  hard  battle  alone,  and,  single-handed,  to  achieve 
position  and  honor.  The  family  immigrated  to  the  United 
States,  while  he  was  quite  young,  locating  in  the  city  of 
New  York.  He  learned  the  trade  of  tinsmith  and  plumber, 
and  has  since  followed  that  avocation,  commencing  busi- 
ness for  himself,  in  March,  1857,  locating  in  Houston  street, 
near  Allen.  In  all  his  business  relations,  he  has  been  very 
successful,  and  has  attained  an  enviable  reputation  for 
uprightness  and  fair  dealing.  He  served  nine  years  in  the 
old  Volunteer  Fire  Department,  being  an  officer  for 
several  years,  and  four  successive  times  elected  Foreman 
of  Hose  16,  which  office  he  held  when  the  paid  system 
was  inaugurated.  He  has  taken  a  lively  interest  in  all  the 
political  issues  of  the  day.  He  is  an  unflinching  Demo- 
crat ;  but  in  the  local  politics  of  the  city,  he  has  always 
opposed  the  corrupt  practices  of  the  "  ring,"  and  has  been 
in  favor  of  supporting  the  most  trustworthy  men  for  office. 

Although  Mr.  Murphy  is  a  new  member,  an  honorable 
and  responsible  place  on  the  Committee  on  Cities,  was 
given  to  him,  by  the  Speaker. 


40 


JOHN    OAKEY. 


Mr.  Oakey  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  September  12th, 
1829.  He  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  John  Okey,  one  of 
Cromwell's  favorite  officers,  and  a  regicide,  having  signed 
the  death-warrant  of  Charles  I.  Upon  the  Restoration, 
he  fled  with  his  family  to  Holland,  where,  on  some  specious 
pretext,  he  was  enticed  into  Flanders,  when  he  was  ille- 
gally seized  and  forcibly  taken  to  England,  tried,  convicted 
as  a  regicide,  hung,  quartered  and  dragged  upon  a  hurdle. 
The  proceedings  on  his  trial  can  be  found  among  the 
English  State  trials. 

The  sons  of  the  regicide  married  among  the  Hollanders, 
which  fact  accounts  for  the  name  of  Oakey  being  found 
among  those  of  Dutch  descent,  although  it  is  of  English 
origin.  His  descendants  were  among  the  first  immigrants 
to  this  country.  One,  named  Henry  Okey,  settled  in 
Flatlands,  Kings  county,  New  York,  and  his  descendants 
have  continued  their  residence  in  the  same  vicinity ;  the 
great-grandfather,  grandfather  and  father  of  John  Oakey, 
all  having  been  born  there. 

Mr.  Oakey's  father  removed  to  Brooklyn,  and  lived  there 
a  number  of  years ;  he  removed  to  Flatbush  when  John 
was  eight  years  old,  and  still  continues  to  make  it  his 
residence.  Mr.  Oakey's  mother  was  born  in  Litchfield, 
Connecticut,  and  was  a  descendant  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Hooper,  who  founded  the  city  of  Hartford. 

John  Oakey  was  the  seventh  of  nine  children,  and  his 
father  being  a  journeyman  -carpenter,  all  the  little  Oakeys 
had  to  "  scratch  for  themselves "  as  soon  as  they  were 
able.  Fortunately,  the  location  of  Erasmus  Hall  Academy 
in  Flatbush,  gave  him  advantages  for  education  superior 
to  those  of  public  schools,  and  at  very  little  cost.     Those 


JOHN  OAKEY.  315 

opportunities  were  so  well  improved,  that,  when  it  came 
time,  in  his  father's  judgment,  for  him,  in  consideration 
of  the  circumstances  of  his  family,  to  leave  school,  he  was 
prepared  for  college ;  and  interested  friends,  united  with 
his  mother's  solicitations,  prevailed  on  his  father  to  send 
him  to  Yale,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1849. 

Upon  leaving  college,  Mr.  Oakey  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  the  late  Hon.  James  Humphrey,  M.  C,  in  New 
York  city,  during  which  time  he  supported  himself,  and 
was  also  enabled  to  pay  off  a  greater  portion  of  the 
indebtedness  incurred  in  his  education,  by  nightly  giving 
lessons  on  the  violin ;  so  that  which  he  had  cultivated  in 
college  as  an  amusement,  became  to  him  a  great  source  of 
help.  After  being  admitted  to  the  Bar,  he  entered  a  law 
office  as  clerk,  and,  in  a  few  years,  became  a  partner  in 
the  same  office.  He  still  continues  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  N'ew  York  city. 

Mr.  Oakey  was  a  private  in  the  noted  lih  Regiment 
of  New  York  city,  National  Guards,  and  served  with  it 
in  the  memorable  campaign  in  the  defense  of  Washing- 
ton, in  the  spring  of  1861;  three  months,  in  1862,  at 
Federal  Hill,  Baltimore;  and,  in  1863,  at  the  same  place, 
and  at  Frederick  and  the  Monocacy.  He  also  served  with 
the  regiment,  during  the  New  York  riots. 

Mr.  Oakey  had  never  been  a  politician,  but,  in  Flat- 
bush,  has  been  School  Trustee  several  terms.  Trustee  of 
Erasmus  Hall  Academy,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  &c.  His 
District  was  deemed  to  be  Democratic,  beyond  perad- 
venture,  and  he  received  the  Republican  nomination  for 
the  Assembly,  in  1865,  as  a  forlorn  hope,  running  against 
Mr.  Whitman,  the  Democratic  candidate,  who  had  been 
elected  the  previous  year  by  a  large  majority.  Much  to 
his  own  surprise  and  that  of  his  friends,  he  was  elected  by 
three  hundred  and  fifty  majority.  It  was  thought,  in 
1866,  that  he  would  be  defeated,  inasmuch  as  he  had  voted 


316  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

for  the  Excise  law,  but  he  received  the  handsome  majority 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty,  and  was  the  only  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  previous  House  from  Kings  county,  that  was 
returned.  In  the  Assembly,  Mr.  Oakey  occupies  one  of 
the  most  honorable  and  responsible  positions,  having  been 
designated  by  the  Speaker  to  the  Chairmanship  of  the 
Committee  on  Commerce  and  Navigation. 

Mr.  Oakey,  besides  being  possessed  of  superior  practical 
qualifications  as  a  working  legislator,  is  one  of  the  Avits  of 
the  House,  and  is  social,  genial,  aflfable  and  obliging,  hav- 
ing a  smile  and  a  kind  word  for  all.  He  has  been  recently 
promoted  from  a  private  in  the  ranks,  to  the  position  of 
Judge  Advocate,  with  the  rank  of  Colonel,  on  the  Staff 
of  Major-General  Shalee,  First  Division,  New  York  State 
National  Guard. 


DANIEL  O'REILLY. 


This  gentleman  has  royal  Irish  blood  in  his  veins,  being 
a  descendant  of  the  famous  O'Reillys,  of  the  county  of 
Cavan,  Ireland,  who  were  Princes  under  the  Irish  mon- 
archy, and  participated  in  the  ineffectual  struggles  of  Erin 
to  keep  herself  an  independent  government. 

He  was  born  in  Cavan  county,  Ireland,  in  the  year  1839. 
When  very  young,  he  left  his  home,  without  the  knowl- 
edge, and,  in  fact,  against  the  will  of  his  parents,  and 
came  to  New  York  city,  where  he  obtained  an  education 
in  the  public  schools.  After  leaving  school,  Mr.  O'Reilly 
was  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  soda  water,  for  several 
years.  But  being,  at  that  time,  of  a  restless  and  ven- 
turesome disposition,  he  embarked  on  an  expedition  to 
Nicaragua,  with  the  late  General  Walker.  The  romance 
of  his  dreams  was  dissipated  by  the  privations  which  he 


DANIEL   o'rEILLY.  31 7 

had  to  endure.  Instead  of  General  Walker's  marching, 
with  triumphant  banners,  to  the  consummation  of  success," 
his  progress  was,  inch  by  inch,  disputed,  until  he  found 
his  army  dwindled  down  to  a  mere  handful  of  men. 
After  many  sufferings,  Mr.  O'Reilly  returned  to  New 
York. 

When  the  late  war  broke  out,  he  enlisted  in  the  170th 
Regiment,  ISTew  York  State  Volunteers,  and  served  until 
the  surrender  of  the  Rebel  forces.  He  participated  in 
twenty-one  different  battles,  among  which  were  those  of 
Bristow  Station,  Mine  Run,  Chancellorsville,  Wilderness, 
Spottsylvania  Court  House,  North  Anne  River,  Peters- 
burgh,  Richmond,  &c.  After  his  return  from  the  war,  he 
was  elected  School  Inspector  of  the  Fourteenth  Ward  of 
New  York,  and  acted  in  that  capacity  until  an  act  of  the 
Legislature  abrogated  that  office.  Last  fall,  he  was  nomi- 
nated, by  the  Mozart  Democracy  of  the  Third  District,  for 
Member  of  the  Assembly,  and  was  elected  against  three 
other  candidates,  by  a  plurality  of  four  hundred  and 
eighty-two. 


JOHN    L.    PARKER. 


The  birth-place  of  Mr.  Parker  is  Sempronius  —  now 
Moravia  —  Cayuga  county,  New  York,  where  he  was  born, 
on  the  25th  day  of  March,  1825.  On  his  mother's  side,  he 
is  a  descendant  of  John  Locke,  whose  name  is  familiar 
to  almost  every  one ;  and  his  father  was  of  the  English 
family  of  Parkers,  of  Welsh  descent. 

Mr.  Parker  obtained  his  education,  which  was  academic, 
by  his  own  exertions.  Conscious  that  the  best  investment 
which  could  be  made  with  his  time  and  money,  was  to  be 
found  in  qualifying  himself  for  the  opportunities  which 
fall  in  the  way  of  every  citizen,  he  studied  diligently 
while  at  school,  confident  that,  in  after  years,  he  would  be 
amply  repaid  for  his  studiousness.  On  the  completion  of 
his  school  life,  he  began  the  study  of  law.  In  due  time, 
he  was  admitted  to  practice  ;  and  he  has  continued  in  his 
profession  ever  since,  rising,  by  persevering  toil,  to  an 
honorable  place  at  the  Bar  of  Cayuga  county.  Soon  after 
Mr.  Parker  attained  his  majority,  he  became  an  office- 
holder, and  he  has  never  been  out  of  office,  since  that  time ; 
consequently,  his  life  has  been  very  closely  interwoven 
with  politics.  Originally  a  Democrat,  he  remained  so, 
until  1856,  when  he  joined  the  Republican  party,  preferring 
to  attach  himself  to  an  organization  which  had  for  its 
foundation,  the  enduring  princii^les  of  equity,  rather  than 
to  remain  within  the  ranks  of  Hunkerism. 

Mr.  Parker  has  natural  and  acquired  qualifications, 
which  have  placed  him  among  the  most  influential  mem- 
bers of  the  House.  As  a  parliamentarian,  he  has  few 
superiors,  and  his  knowledge  in  this  regard,  with  his 
naturally  quick  intellect  and  intuitive  shrewdness,  have 
rendered  him  one  of  the  best  tacticians  in  the  Assembly, 


JOHN   L.    PAKKEE.  319 

for  several  years.  This  fact  caused  him  to  be  selected 
by  a  party  caucus,  in  his  first  year  (1865),  to  engineer 
the  Metropolitan  Paid  Fire  Department  Bill  through  the 
House ;  and  he  did  it,  although  the  opposition  was  strong 
and  unscrupulous.  His  skill,  in  this  respect,  received  a 
striking  illustration,  in  1867,  when,  in  the  first  few  weeks 
of  the  session,  he  brought  to  a  third  reading  in  the  House, 
and  passed  by  a  unanimous  vote,  a  bill  to  require  tlie  rail- 
road companies  of  this  State  to  give  equal  freight  and 
express  fixcilities  to  all  (a  bill  designed  to  reach  the  case 
of  the  Merchants'  Union  Express  Company).  The  bill 
passed  through  all  the  stages  of  legislation  openly,  yet  so 
quietly,  that  its  presence  was  scarcely  known  before  it  had 
passed  beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  the  House. 

Mr.  Parker  has  also  eminent  qualifications  as  a  presid- 
ing officer,  having  the  requisite  knowledge,  promptness 
and  decision  for  that  position.  His  qualifications  in  that 
respect  caused  him  to  be  selected,  in  1865,  by  a  party 
caucus,  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  the  Whole,  on 
the  Metropolitan  Health  Bill,  and  the  Buffalo  Police  Bill. 
In  1866,  he  was  frequently  called  to  take  the  Chair  by 
Speaker  Tremaix. 

He  is  also  an  effective  debater.  In  1865,  he  delivered  a 
speech  on  the  Constitutional  Amendment;  in  1866,  on  the 
Health  Bill,  and  the  resolutions  indorsing  Congress  against 
the  President;  and,  in  1867,  an  impromptu  argument  on  the 
Constitutional  Amendments,  all  of  which  were  deservedly 
highly  praised  and  widely  read. 

In  his  general  course  as  a  legislator,  he  has  sought  the 
best  interests  of  the  State,  the  keeping  down  of  taxation, 
and  the  overthrow  or  crippling  of  monopolies.  He  has 
been  Chairman,  for  two  years,  of  the  Committee  on  Rail- 
roads, serving  in  that  delicate  position  with  credit  to 
himself,  honor  to  his  constituents  and  the  true  interests 
of  the  State. 


GEORGE   J.    PENFIELD 


This  gentleman  was  born,  March  24th,  1826,  in  Camden, 
Oneida  county,  New  York.  He  is  the  youngest  son  of 
Fowler  Penfield,  of  English  descent,  who  took  part  in 
the  war  of  1812,  on  the  western  frontier,  and  who  was  the 
second  son  of  Jesse  Penfield  who  distinguished  him- 
self in  the  Revolutionary  war,  having  entered  the  service 
at  the  age  of  seventeen.  He  served  in  the  army,  over 
seven  years,  and  was  in  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  and 
all  the  other  memorable  battles  of  the  Revolution ;  he  then 
removed  from  the  State  of  Connecticut  to  Camden,  New 
York,  where  he  lived  to  a  good  old  age. 

On  the  maternal  side,  Mr.  Penfield  is  of  French  and 
Holland  descent,  of  the  families  bearing  the  names  of 
DeMilt  and  Wormsley,  that  fled  from  the  persecutions 
instituted  against  the  Christians,  having  left  their  property 
to  be  confiscated,  and  landed  on  Manhattan  Island,  when 
New  York  was  but  a  small  village.  Benjamin  DeMilt 
was  a  man  of  almost  unbounded  liberality;  he  donated 
an  extensive  library  to  the  Mechanics'  Library  of  New 
York  city,  and  appropriated  a  large  amount  of  money 
to  that  institution.  His  maiden  sisters  bequeathed  a  great 
portion  of  their  estate  to  benevolent  institutions ;  and  the 
authorities  of  New  York  honored  them  for  the  deed,  by 
giving  one  of  the  Dispensaries  their  name. 

Mr.  Penfield  had  few  advantages  for  acquiring  learn- 
ing. From  boyhood,  to  the  age  of  twenty-five,  he  was 
employed  in  farming  pursuits.  Before  he  was  twenty-one, 
he  removed,  with  his  father  and  family,  to  Westchester 
county.  New  York. 

For  twelve  or  thirteen  years,  Mr.  Penfield  conducted 
a  lucrative  business,  in  the  town  of  New  Rochelle.     On 


GEOEGE   J.   PENFIELD.  321 

the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  he  aided  in  fitting  out  the 
first  regiment  of  volunteers  which  went  from  Westchester 
county,  and  which  participated  in  the  disastrous  battle 
of  Bull  Run.  He,  and  other  patriotic  gentlemen  in  that 
vicinity,  pledged  themselves  to  the  support  of  the  families 
of  the  soldiers  who  went  out  at  that  time ;  and  they  faith- 
fully redeemed  their  pledge.  And,  in  fact,  all  through 
the  war,  Mr.  Penfield  was  among  the  foremost  of  those 
who  assiduously  exerted  themselves  to  fill  the  quotas  of 
men,  which  were  demanded  for  the  purpose  of  filling  up 
our  broken  columns  in  the  field.  In  1862,  he  was  elected 
Secretary  of  the  Westchester  county  Mutual  Insurance 
Company,  and  was  subsequently  chosen  President  of  it. 
He  has  also  held  various  town  offices.  He  is  now  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Education,  and  one  of  the  first  Trustees 
of  the  village  of  New  Rochelle;  and  he  has  twice  repre- 
sented his  town  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  having  been 
elected  by  the  Democratic  party.  He  is  President  of  the 
Savings  Bank  in  New  Rochelle;  and,  as  a  business  man, 
displays  eminent  characteristics.  He  very  materially  aided 
in  securing  the  erection  of  a  new  church  edifice  for  the 
congregation  of  which  he  is  a  member,  also  in  improving 
the  public  schools  in  order  to  meet  the  growing  wants  of 
his  town,  and  in  accomplishing  the  incorporation  of  the 
village  of  New  Rochelle. 

Mr.  Penfield  is  of  iiTeproachable  character,  and  a 
useful  citizen.  He  was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  over 
his  Republican  opponent,  by  a  fair  majority;  and  was 
appointed  on  the  Committee  on  Insurance  Companies. 

41 


HENRY   A.    PHILLIPS 


Lewis  county  is  represented  in  the  Assembly,  this 
year,  by  a  new  member,  Henry  A.  Phillips  of  Lowville, 
a  young  man  of  much  promise.  There  are  few  men  in 
Lewis  county  who  have  enjoyed  better  early  advantages, 
or  who  have  gathered  more  experience  or  useful  knowl- 
edge from  passing  events,  than  Mr.  Phillips.  Having 
early  received  a  thorough  education,  and  mingled  much 
in  public  life,  he  is  now  well  prepared  to  discharge  the 
responsibilities  of  a  position,  which  he  did  not,  in  any  way, 
seek. 

Mr.  Phillips  is  a  native  of  Connecticut,  having  been 
born  in  Middletown,  July  20th,  1834.  His  parents  were 
of  English  descent.  In  the  early  part  of  his  life,  he  went 
to  Lewis  county,  New  York,  and  attended  school  at  Low- 
ville Academy,  several  years ;  after  that,  he  graduated  at 
the  State  Normal  School,  at  Albany,  and  subsequently  was 
a  student  at  the  Meridan  Classical  Academy,  in  New 
Hampshire.  He  is  a  good  scholar,  and  has  obtained  con- 
siderable celebrity,  as  a  literary  lecturer.  He  is  one  of  the 
best  political  speakers  in  Lewis  county. 

For  several  years,  he  edited  the  Journal  and  Republi- 
can, a  newspaper  printed  at  Lowville.  His  reputation  as 
a  journalist  is  well  established,  and  it  is  acknowledged 
that  he  conducted  the  paper  with  discretion  and  ability, 
doing  very  much  in  his  county  to  elevate  the  Republican 
party  to  its  present  commanding  position.  Mr.  Phillips 
left  the  publishing  business,  in  consequence  of  ill  health, 
about  two  years  ago,  and  has  since  traveled  extensively, 
greatly  to  the  improvement  of  his  health. 

He  was,  for  three  years.  Chairman  of  the  Republican 
county  Committee,  of  Lewis  county,  a  position  which  he 


JOSEPH   H.    PLUMB.  323 

filled  with  signal  ability.  He  lias  often  been  elected  dele- 
gate to  the  various  political  conventions  of  his  party,  in 
the  State,  and  has  formed  a  thorough  acquaintance  with 
the  public  men  of  the  day.  He  now  enters  upon  his  first 
experience  as  a  legislator,  with  all  the  qualifications  which 
a  new  member  can  possess — honesty,  education  and  talent. 
He  occupies  a  position  in  the  front  rank  of  the  young 
members  of  the  Legislature.  His  brief  speech  in  the 
Assembly  on  the  bill  to  provide  for  a  Constitutional  Con- 
vention, was  concise  and  argumentative. 

He  holds  a  good  position  on  Committees,  and  is  well 
known  as  an  active,  useful  and  influential  legislator. 


JOSEPH    H.    PLUMB, 


Colonel  Plumb  belongs  to  a  New  England  family.  His 
father,  Mr.  Ralph  Plumb  emigrated  from  Connecticut  to 
this  State,  about  the  close  of  the  war  with  Great  Britain, 
making  his  home,  for  a  season,  in  Oneida  county.  He 
afterward  removed  to  Talmadge,  on  the  Western  Reserve, 
Ohio.  Here  his  son  Joseph  was  born,  March  10th,  1819. 
The  ensuing  July,  Mr.  Plumb  removed  to  Fredonia,  in 
Chautauqua  county,  where  he  remained  four  years,  after 
which,  he  made  his  residence  at  Gowanda,  near  Aldrich 
Mills,  lying  in  the  town  of  Collins,  Erie  county.  At  this 
period  the  region  was  a  wilderness,  and  but  two  or  three 
white  families  dwelt  in  the  vicinity.  Here  young  Plumb 
spent  his  boyhood.  Great  pains  were  taken  with  his  edu- 
cation. His  father  and  family  belonged  to  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  of  which  he  has  also  been  a  member  for  many 
years.    Joseph  was  duly  put  to  school,  and  at  riper  age, 


324  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

became  a  student  at  the  Fredonia  Academy,  and  also  at 
the  Oneida  Institute,  at  Whitesboro',  then  under  the 
charge  of  Rev.  Beriah  Geeen. 

After  leaving  school,  he  entered  his  father's  store,  and 
afterward  became  a  partner.  They  carried  on  business,  in 
an  honorable  way,  securing  general  confidence,  and  with  it, 
liberal  patronage.  Several  years  afterward,  he  engaged 
also  in  milling,  and  established  a  factory  for  wool  carding 
and  cloth  dressing,  in  those  days  an  important  branch  of 
business.  He  prospered  in  everything  that  he  undertook, 
and  acquired  a  handsome  fortune.  Finally,  several  years 
ago,  he  withdrew  from  mercantile  business,  and  having 
bought  a  large  farm,  gave  his  attention  entirely  to  dairy- 
ing, in  which  he  has  been  actively  engaged  ever  since. 

He  held,  for  several  years,  the  rank  of  Colonel  of  the 
198th  Regiment,  of  the  New  York  State  Militia. 

The  Plumb  family  always  took  an  active  interest  in 
political  subjects.  They  were  supporters  of  Whig  prin- 
ciples. Mr.  Alvin  Plumb  represented  the  county  of 
Chautauqua,  in  the  Assembly,  in  1833  and  1837,  and 
Ralph,  his  brother,  was  elected  from  Erie  county,  in  1834. 
Colonel  Plumb  himself,  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  in 
1860,  but  had  no  share  in  its  unenviable  reputation,  having 
early  resolved  to  work  for  no  measure  which  was  pressed 
by  improper  agencies.  He  also  held  the  office  of  Super- 
visor of  the  town  of  Collins  for  six  years,  and  was  Chair- 
man of  the  Board  at  its  last  session. 

After  the  dissolution  of  the  Whig  party.  Colonel  Plumb 
united  with  the  "  Americans,"  and  was  their  candidate  for 
the  Assembly  in  1859,  receiving  over  twelve  hundred 
majority.  He  has  ever  since  acted  with  the  Republicans, 
supporting  Mr.  Lincoln,  for  President,  in  1860,  and 
forming  that  wing  of  the  dominant  political  party  which 
supported  the  emancipation  policy,  and  the  most  vigorous 
prosecution  of  the  war.    At  the  last  election  he  received 


WILLIAM  POOL.  825 

3,195  votes,  a  majority  of  361.  He  is  a  man  of  unassuming 
manners,  untiring  industry,  and  great  wariness.  More 
such  representatives  would  insure  the  best  legislation. 

Mr.  Plumb  is  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  Insurance 
Companies,  Claims,  and  Local  General  Orders. 


WILLIAM    POOL. 


Mr.  Pool  was  bom  in  Lewiston,  Niagara  county,  New 
York,  May  15th,  1825,  and  is  the  eldest  of  seven  children, 
five  of  whom  are  living.  He  is  a  descendant,  in  the- seventh 
degree,  from  Edward  Pool,  who  died  in  Weymouth, 
Mass.,  in  1664.  His  father,  Thomas  F.  Pool,  was  born  in 
Abington,  Mass.,  and  removed  with  his  parents  to  Niagara 
county,  the  year  previous  to  the  declaration  of  the  war  of 
1812,  where,  with  the  exception  of  a  year,  when  driven 
from  the  frontier  by  the  invasion  of  the  British  and 
Indians,  he  has  ever  since  resided,  in  the  enjoyment  of  a 
competence  secured  by  an  honest  and  industrious  life. 
His  mother,  previous  to  marriage,  was  Miss  Fanny 
Sutherland,  who  removed  to  Niagara  county  from  Suth- 
erland's Falls,  Vermont,  when  quite  young,  and  engaged 
in  school  teaching.  Her  ancestry,  on  the  maternal  side, 
is  traceable  to  Prince  Rupert  of  Cromwell's  time. 
Senator  Sutherland,  of  Westchester  county,  is,  we 
believe,  a  relative.     She  died  in  1849. 

Mr.  Pool  spent  his  youth  upon  the  farm,  and  enjoyed 
such  advantages  as  were  afforded  by  the  common  schools 
of  those  days,  with  the  additional  advantage  of  a  period 
passed  at  the  Genesee  Wesleyan  Seminary,  at  Lima,  New 
York.     He  married  Miss  Wealthy  Woolson,  in  1848, 


326  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

and  settled  near  his  birth-place.  He  was,  soon  after, 
appointed  Postmaster  of  the  Dickinsonville  Post-office, 
just  then  established  under  Mr.  Fillmoee's  adminis- 
tration. Ambitious  to  engage  in  other  pursuits,  he 
resigned  his  office,  leased  his  farm,  and  removed  to  Lock- 
port,  in  1852,  entering  the  office  of  the  Lockport  Daily- 
Courier  (then  owned  by  C.  L.  Skeels,  Esq.),  as  assistant 
in  the  editorial  and  business  department.  In  May,  1854, 
in  compliance  with  the  wishes  of  prominent  citizens  of 
Niagara  Falls,  the  publication  of  the  Niagara  Falls  Gazette 
was  commenced  by  him,  in  company  with  B.  F.  Sleeper, 
Esq.  In  January,  1864,  Mr.  Pool  became  sole  proprietor, 
and  he  continues  to  manage  and  edit  the  Gazette  with 
pecuniary  profit,  and  to  the  evident  satisfaction  of  his 
townsmen. 

Mr.  Pool  entered  political  life  as  an  earaest  "Whig,  and 
he  has  ever  since  been  steadily  opposed  to  the  general 
policy  of  the  Democratic  party.  His  town  is  strongly 
Democratic;  hence,  although  he  has  been  the  candidate 
of  his  party  for  the  highest  town  offices,  he  has  never 
held  other  than  those  of  minor  importance.  His 
political  fidelity  and  party  services  were  very  properly 
recognized  by  the  Republican  party  of  his  Assembly  Dis- 
trict, in  1866,  and  he  was  unanimously  nominated  in 
convention  as  its  candidate  for  Member  of  Assembly. 
The  nomination  was  ratified  by  the  largest  majority  (566) 
ever  given  for  that  office  by  the  towns  comprising  the  Dis- 
trict, which  has  been  represented  by  such  able  men  as 
Hon.  P.  B.  Porter  (Speaker  of  the  Assembly  in  1841), 
Hon.  Burt  Van  Horn  (present  Member  of  Congress),  the 
late  Colonel  P.  A.  Porter  (killed  at  Coal  Harbor  while 
leading  his  regiment,  the  8th  New  York  Heavy  Artillery), 
and  others.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Committees  on 
Engrossed  Bills  and  Public  Printing,  and  is  Chairman  of 
the  former. 


OSCAJR   F.    POTTEE.  327 

Mr.  Pool  has  always  taken  a  deep  interest  in  all  that 
related  to  the  prosperity  of  his  village  and  county.  He 
has  invested  liberally  of  his  time  and  means  in  aid  of 
local  improvements,  and  in  attending  to  the  educational, 
church,  military  and  social  organizations  and  interests  of 
his  village. 


OSCAll   F.  POTTER 


Mr.  Potter  represents  the  Fourth  District  of  Albany 
county.  His  native  town  is  Fort  Edward,  Washing- 
ton county,  New  York,  where  he  was  bom  in  1824. 
Having  lived  there  during  the  first  eight  years  of  his 
life,  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Waterford,  New 
York.  The  death  of  his  father  occurred  when  he  was 
thirteen  years  old.  As  the  boy  Oscar  grew  up,  he 
was  engaged  on  the  canals  and  rivers  of  this  State,  and 
connected  with  the  lumbering  business,  in  which  he  is 
now  interested.  In  1861,  Mr.  Potter  was  elected  Justice 
of  the  Peace  of  the  town  of  Watervliet,  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket,  and  held  that  office  until  1866.  At  that 
time,  the  slaveholders'  rebellion  having  broken  out,  he 
arranged  his  business  matters  with  a  view  of  entering 
the  army,  but  he  was  turned  from  his  purpose  by  those 
who  furnished  the  materials  for  the  first  monitor,  and  was 
induced  to  aid  the  government  by  supplying  articles  for 
naval  and  army  uses.  In  doing  so,  however,  he  was  not 
fortunate  enough  to  accumulate  wealth,  as  did  many 
others ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  he  contributed  fully  as  much 
as  he  made,  to  support  the  cause  of  the  country.  Since 
the  cessation  of  hostilities,  Mr.  Potter,  in  common  with 
numerous  other  Republicans  in  his  town,  has  worked  with 


328  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

renewed  zeal  for  the  predominance  of  his  party.  In  this, 
they  have  been  eminently  rewarded  by  seeing  the  strong- 
holds of  Democracy  broken  up,  and  their  own  ticket 
triumphant.  He  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  by  a 
majority  of  two  hundred  and  ninety-two.  He  has  a 
position  on  the  Committees  on  Affairs  of  Villages,  and 
Public  Lands.  Mr.  Potter  earnestly  advocates  all 
measures  for  the  improvement  of  the  Hudson  river, 
believing  that  the  key  to  the  inland  resources  of  the 
State  should  not  be  overlooked  in  our  expenditures. 


ALPHEUS    PRINCE 


Me.  Prince  is  the  member  from  the  Fourth  District  of 
Erie  county,  comprised  of  the  towns  of  Alden,  Amherst, 
Chictawauga,  Clarence,  Elma,  Grand  Island,  Lancaster, 
Marilla,  Newstead  and  Tonawanda,  representing  a  popu- 
lation of  29,486.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of  Verona, 
Oneida  county,  New  York,  in  the  "  Tilden  Hill  district," 
on  the  13th  of  December,  1824,  and  is  therefore  in  his 
forty-third  year.  His  father  Mr.  David  Prince,  a  most 
estimable  citizen,  and  family  removed  to  Erie  county,  in 
1836,  where  he  still  resides.  Young  Prince  attended  the 
district  school  in  his  native  town,  and  afterward  at  New- 
stead,  but  subsequently  took  an  academic  course  at  Clinton, 
Oneida  county.  He  was  always  popular  among  his  mates. 
He  is  a  farmer  by  vocation,  but  being  of  an  active  tem- 
perament, always  took  a  warm  interest  in  public  matters. 
He  is  "  six  feet  high  and  well-proportioned,"  weighing  two 
hundred  and  forty-five  pounds.  Having  a  clear  florid  com- 
plexion and  a  brilliant  eye,  he  is  one  of  the  good  looking 
men  in  the  House.     Possessed  of  great  suavity  of  manner 


SAMUEL  M.  PUEDT.     *  329 

and  an  agreeable  sociability  of  temperament,  he  wins  the 
good  opinion  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  In 
politics,  Mr.  Prince  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  as 
such,  was  a  delegate  to  the  Charleston  Convention  of  1860. 
He  has  been  a  delegate  to  several  State  Conventions,  and 
as  a  politician  he  always  had  the  confidence  of  the  late 
Dean  Richmond  whom  he  greatly  resembles  in  personal 
appearance,  and  in  his  strong  common  sense  view  of  men 
and  politics.  Mr.  Pkince  has  ever  stood  well  with  his 
party;  among  his  fellow  citizens  he  is  generally  respected, 
as  he  never  unpleasantly  obtrudes  his  opinions  upon  those 
who  see  proper  to  differ  with  him.  The  only  important 
political  offices  ever  held  by  Mr.  Pkince,  previous  to  his 
election  to  the  Assembly,  last  fall,  were  Deputy  United 
States  Marshal,  and  Deputy  United  States  Collector  at 
Buffalo.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Roads  and 
Bridges. 


SAMUEL   M.    PURDY 


West  Farms,  a  town  in  "Westchester  county,  New 
York,  is  situated  along  the  Sound,  and  the  Harlem  River. 
Its  scenery  is  picturesque ;  Bronx  River  bounding  it  on 
the  east,  and  Harlem  River  on  the  west,  and  Mill-Brook 
winding  its  way  through  the  central  portion ;  undulating 
plains,  broken,  here  and  there,  by  ridges,  and  productive 
and  well-tilled  farms,  all  conspire  to  combine  within  its 
limits  a  great  deal  of  beauty  and  utility.  Mr.  Purdy  has 
long  been  a  resident  of  this  town,  and  ever  since  he  settled 
among  its  people,  has  held  an  honorable  rank  among  his 
townsmen.  He  was  born,  August  28th,  1824,  in  East 
Chester,  Westchester  county,  New  York.  In  youth,  he 
42 


330  •       LIFE   SKETCHES. 

received  an  ordinary  English  education,  and  then  studied 
law  in  the  office  of  Samuel  E.  Lyoi?",  Esq.,  of  White 
Plains.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five,  his  law  studies  having 
been  completed,  Mr.  Purdy  passed  the  usual  examination, 
and  was  admitted  to  practice,  settling  in  the  town  of  West 
Farms.  The  people  elected  him  Justice  of  the  Peace,  in 
1850,  and  they  have  conferred  that  office  upon  him,  each 
successive  term  ever  since.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors,  in  the  years  1855,  '56,  '61,  '64,  '65 
and  ^G6^  being  four  times  elected  without  opposition.  At 
his  last  election  to  the  office  of  Supervisor,  out  of  the  521 
votes  cast,  Mr.  Purdy  received  513  ;  at  the  same  time  he 
was  chosen  Justice  of  the  Peace  by  a  vote  of  518  to  4. 
Evidently  the  electors  of  West  Farms  are  very  well  satis- 
fied with  Mr.  Purdy.  Such  local  popularity  is  rarely 
possessed  by  any  man.  He  enjoys  the  confidence  of  the 
inhabitants  in  his  town  and  vicinity,  who  often  consult 
him  in  business  matters,  intrust  large  sums  of  money  to 
him  for  investment,  and  act  upon  his  sagacious  suggestions. 
He  is  not  a  public  reformer,  but  he  entertains  and  practices 
the  strictest  principles  of  temperance ;  and  his  personal 
example  in  this  direction,  is  a  potent,  silent  influence, 
which  wins  the  regard  of  the  community,  and  places  him 
on  a  high  plane  of  morality. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Purdy  was  a  Whig,  until  the  election 
of  James  Buchanan  for  the  Presidency ;  since  that  time, 
he  has  most  scrupulously  indorsed  the  Democratic  plat-' 
forms  and  nominees.  While  the  conflict  with  the  South 
was  transpiring,  his  influence,  both  in  an  official  capacity, 
and  as  a  private  citizen,  was  used  in  filling  the  quotas 
required,  each  time  when  there  was  a  call  for  troops,  thus 
saving  the  town  from  a  draft.  He  was  elected  to  the 
Assembly,  last  fall,  by  a  majority  of  820.  Mr.  Purdy 
serves  on  the  Committee  on  Internal  Afiairs,  and  capably 
performs  his  legislative  work. 


JOHN    KABER 


Mr.  Raber,  Representative  of  the  Sixth  District  of 
Kings  county,  is  a  native  of  Prussia ;  he  was  born  March 
2d,  1823.  He  came  to  this  country  when  he  was  ten 
years  of  age;  and,  until  1841,  his  home  was  in  the  city  of 
New  York.  Though  he  received  but  the  advantages  of  an 
ordinary  business  education,  yet  he  entered  upon  the  active 
pursuits  of  life,  determined  to  battle  successfully.  His  first 
employment  was  as  a  clerk  in  the  agricultural  business ;  in 
1850,  he  was  engaged  in  wire  cloth  and  sieve  manufactur- 
ing ;  in  1857,  he  was  interested  in  the  flour  and  feed  trade ; 
and,  some  time  after,  was  largely  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business.  In  all  of  these  various  undertakings,  Mr.  Raber 
has  met  with  the  success  which  follows  energy,  enterprise 
and  practical  knowledge. 

Mr.  Raber  has  always  been  an  active  and  unchanging 
Democrat ;  not  in  any  sense  an  office  seeker,  he,  only  once 
before  his  election  to  the  Assembly,  was  a  candidate  for 
the  indorsement  of  the  people ;  that  was  in  1865,  when  he 
ran  for  Supervisor  of  the  Sixteenth  Ward  of  Brooklyn, 
and  was  defeated  through  party  divisions.  But,  in  1 866, 
he  received  the  unanimous  support  of  the  Democracy. 
^r.  Raber  is  a  quiet  man,  speaking  seldom,  and  then 
briefly ;  and,  as  a  representative,  is  attentive  and  devoted 
to  the  interests  of  the  public. 


FRANK   A.    RANSOM, 


Mr.  Ransom,  Membef  of  Assembly  from  the  Seventh 
District  of  New  York  city,  was  born  at  Olcott,  Niagara 
county.  New  York,  March  5th,  1838.  He  is  mainly  of 
English  descent.  After  several  removals,  his  parents  took 
up  their  residence  at  Lockport,  in  the  same  county,  in 
1847,  where  they  still  reside.  There  he  enjoyed  the 
advantages  of  education  afforded  by  the  Lockport  Union 
School,  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  set 
out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  commencing  as  a 
clerk  in  the  village  of  his  nativity.  In  1856,  he  started 
for  New  York  city,  and  was  there  engaged  as  a  book- 
keeper in  a  large  importing  house.  In  the  spring  of  1858, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  firm  by  which  he  was  employed 
became  somewhat  involved,  and  the  prospects  of  obtain- 
ing employment  being  rather  limited  at  that  time,  he 
concluded  to  spend  the  summer  with  his  parents  at  Lock- 
port.  But  his  active  disposition  would  not  brook  idleness, 
and  failing  to  procure  other  employment  he  applied 
for  and  obtained  the  place  of  teacher  in  a  district  school 
in  his  native  county.  He  took  the  school  for  three  months, 
with  the  privilege  of  teaching  for  five  if  he  should  so 
conclude.  Beginning  with  the  idea  of  having  a  better 
school  than  had  ever  been  taught  there  before,  he  quickly 
ascertained  that  thoroughness  in  the  teacher  was  not  merit 
in  the  scholars'  opinion,  and  that  many  of  the  parents 
sympathized  with  their  children  in  that  belief  When  the 
three  months  were  up,  he  was  only  too  glad  to  get  rid  of 
his  thankless  task.  This  was  his  view  of  teaching.  Hq^v- 
ing  now  arrived  at  the  age  of  manhood,  he  felt  that  it  was 
time  for  him  to  lay  out  a  course  for  life,  and  concluded  to 
enter  the  legal  profession.     He  was  admitted  as  a  student 


FRANK   A.    EANSOM.  333 

into  the  office  of  Messrs.  Woods,  Murray  &  Greene,  of 
Lockport,  Attorneys  of  extensive  practice  in  the  western 
part  of  the  State.  After  remaining  in  their  office,  about  a 
year,  he  left  his  studies  and  again  went  to  New  York, 
determined  to  accumulate  sufficient  means,  and  then  resume 
his  studies,  which  he  never  entirely  abandoned  although  he 
has  since  been  busily  engaged  in  conducting  a  successful 
mercantile  trade.  In  1860,  he  engaged  in  the  liquor  busi- 
ness, in  Bleecker  street,  which  he  conducts  at  the  present 
time.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  at  the  December  term 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  in  and  for  the  city  and  county  of 
New  York,  in  1866. 

He  has  never  mingled  actively  in  politics,  although 
always  a  strict  and  uncompromising  Democrat,  believing 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  valid  both  in  peace 
and  in  war.  He  never  held  a  political  office  before.  He 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature  as  Member  of  Assembly, 
for  1867,  from  the  Seventh  District  of  New  York  city, 
receiving  the  nominations  of  the  Tammany,  Mozart,  and 
Conservative  Republican  Conventions.  He  was  opposed 
by  Edward  Mitchell  (Radical  Republican),  and  James 
Riley  who  received  the  nominations  of  the  McKeon  and 
Democratic  Union  Conventions.  His  majority  over  Mr. 
Mitchell  was  ninety-four,  Mr.  Riley  getting  but  a  small 
vote.  The  seat  is  contested  by  Mr.  Mitchell  who  claims 
that  in  the  First  District  of  the  Fifteenth  "Ward,  the  can- 
vassers gave  to  Riley  votes  which  were  cast  for  him, 
(Mitchell),  and  which  determined  the  election.  No 
fraud  is  charged  upon  Mr.  Ransom.  He  is  the  first 
Democrat  ever  elected  to  the  Assembly  from  the  Fifteenth 
Ward.  The  district  has  been  heretofore  Republican.  He 
is  on  the  Aifairs  of  Villages. 


JAMES    REED. 


The  Member  from  the  Eighth  District  of  New  York, 
was  born  on  the  19th  of  August,  1818,  in  New  Brunswick, 
New  Jersey.  His  paternal  ancestors  were  Irish,  and 
the  maternal  ones  were  German.  While  yet  an  infant, 
Mr.  Reed  was  taken  to  the  city  of  New  York,  by  his 
parents,  where  he  resided  until  fourteen  years  of  age, 
having  enjoyed  the  benefits  of  a  select  school  education. 
Then  going  to  Yonkers,  he  engaged  to  a  butcher,  and 
thoroughly  learned  the  trade,  after  five  years'  service. 
Returning  to  New  York,  he  went  to  work  in  the  Clinton 
Market,  remained  there  a  short  time,  and  then  went  to 
Peekskill,  where  he  hired  out  as  a  journeyman  at  his 
occupation.  But  New  York  city  had  too  many  attractions 
for  him,  and  he  soon  returned  to  it,  opening  a  market  on 
Avenue  B,  and  then  in  Broadway.  He  is  now  one  of  the 
prominent  dealers  in  Fulton  Market.  • 

Mr.  Reed  early  took  an  active  interest  in  politics,  and 
was  a  general  favorite  among  the  young  Democracy  of 
1840  and  1844.  The  first  public  position  ever  filled  by 
him,  was  that  of  Deputy  Clerk  of  Washington  Market, 
being  appointed  in  1852,  which  position  he  filled  with 
credit  to  himself  and  advantage  to  the  city.  In  1860,  he 
was  elected  one  of  the  Aldermen  of  New  York,  but  was 
defeated  in  his  efibrts  for  reelection.  Mr.  Reed's  election 
to  the  Assembly  was  by  an  overwhelming  majority.  In 
person,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  very  portly,  and 
though  often  sick,  he  is  attentive  to  his  duties,  and  makes 
an  excellent  representative. 


AUSTIN   L.    REYNOLDS 


Me.  Reynolds  was  born  in  the  town  of  Moreau,  Sara- 
toga county,  New  York,  on  the  19th  day  of  June,  1826. 
His  father,  George  Reynolds,  was  originally  from  the 
State  of  Rhode  Island,  and  early  in  life  came  into  Moreau 
and  established  his  homestead.  He  was  for  many  years 
one  of  the  most  active  and  energetic  business  men  of  the 
town,  and  received,  previous  to  his  death,  in  183^,  all 
the  respect  due  to  a  high-minded,  worthy  citizen.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  an 
academic  education,  pursuing  a  thorough  course,  first  as  a 
student  at  the  Glens  Falls  Academy,  and  completing 
his  studies  at  the  Kinderhook  Academy,  in  Columbia 
county.  He  next  entered  upon  a  course  of  legal  studies, 
and  thoroughly  qualified  himself  for  the  Bar,  to  which  he 
was  admitted  in  1852.  With  fine  prospects  he  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  a  profession  in  which  two  of  his 
brothers  were  engaged  —  James  L.  Reynolds,  of  Fort 
Edward,  taking  high  rank  at  the  Washington  county  Bar, 
and  Hon.  John  H.  Reynolds,  of  Albany,  distinguished  as 
among  the  most  eminent  lawyers  of  the  State.  The  con- 
finement of  office  employment  at  length  so  far  impaired 
his  health  as  to  compel  him  to  relinquish  his  practice,  and 
engage  in  the  active  pursuits  of  out-door  business.  He 
turned  his  attention  to  farming,  in  which  he  was  not  a 
novice,  having  had  charge  of  his  mother's  estate  for 
several  years  after  the  demise  of  his  father.  He  likewise 
engaged  in  lumbering,  and  has  been  amply  successful  in 
both  occupations,  in  which  he  still  continues.  In  1854,  he 
was  a  candidate  for  Member  of  Assembly,  and  was. 
defeated  by  the  small  majority  of  thirteen  votes.  He 
was  connected  with  the  Democratic  party  down  to  the 


830  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

commencement  of  the  Slaveholders'  rebellion,  when  he 
felt  comjDelled  to  sunder  old  party  ties,  and  place  himself 
on  the  side  of  his  country,  in  the  ranks  of  the  Repub- 
lican Union  party.  None  were  warmer  in  the  support  of 
the  war  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  and  none  have 
more  firmly  maintained  the  great  principles  of  the  party 
to  which  he  now  belongs.  He  has  held  various  positions 
in  town  and  county.  For  seven  terms  he  has  been  Super- 
visor of  Moreau,  elected  as  a  Democrat,  previous  to  the 
war,  five  years  in  succession,  from  a  town  largely  Repub- 
lican, and  since  twice  elected  by  the  Union  party  to  the 
same  office,  and  twice  in  succession  as  a  Member  of 
the  State  Assembly.  He  first  took  his  seat  in  January, 
1866,  and  served  on  the  Committee  on  Cities,  one  of  the 
most  important  committees  of  the  House,  and  also  on 
the  Committee  on  Roads  and  Bridges.  His  second  term 
began  in  January,  1867,  and  he  was  again  placed  on  the 
Committee  on  Cities. 

As  a  man,  he  possesses  all  the  solid. qualities  that  give 
to  character  its  worth  and  beauty.  His  mental  and  moral 
habits  give  cast  to  his  course  of  action  in  the  ordinary 
affairs  of  life.  He  takes  time  to  plan,  but,  when  resolved, 
no  obstacles  turn  him  from  his  purpose,  and  success  is 
not  problematical.  Perhaps  few  men  act  with  greater 
preassurance  of  desired  results ;  and,  by  a  wise  forecast, 
directing  his  efforts,  he  has  established  a  high  reputation 
as  a  safe  and  prosperous  business  man.  As  a  friend,  he  is 
generous,  firm,  reliable.  As  a  citizen,  he  is  true  to  the 
best  interests  of  society.  Upholding  and  illustrating 
the  virtues  that  adorn,  denouncing  and  uprooting  the 
vices  that  disgrace,  he  is  always  careful  that  his  example 
shall  be  worthy  of  imitation.  As  a  legislator,  he  took 
^high  rank,  during  his  first  term  in  the  Assembly;  and 
so  honorably  did  he  discharge  his  duties,  as  to  make  a 
reputation   of  which  his  constituents   are  justly  proud, 


WILLIAM   H.    EICE.  337 

and  they  returned  him  to  his  present  seat  by  a  largely 
increased  majority,  satisfied  that  he  will  again  ably  repre- 
sent them,  and  maintain  the  honor  of  their  choice.  He 
enjoys  the  popular  favor  to  an  eminent  degree,  and  in 
every  respect  is  worthy  of  the  repeated  marks  of  confi- 
dence bestowed  upon  him  by  the  people. 


WILLIAM    H.    RICE. 


Doctor  William  H.  Rice  represents  the  Second  District 
of  Oswego  county.  He  was  born  in  Elbridge,  Onondaga 
county,  New  York,  in  1821 ;  but,  when  he  was  quite  young, 
his  parents  removed  to  Clay,  in  the  same  county,  where  the 
most  of  his  youth  was  spent.  His  early  education  was 
acquired  in  the  common  schools  of  the  town,  and  in  some 
of  the  academies  of  the  State.  His  medical  studies  were 
commenced  in  his  own  county,  and  subsequently  pursued, 
for  two  years,  in  New  York  city;  he  graduated  from 
the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  after  a  thorough 
course  of  study,  in  1846. 

After  graduating,  Doctor  Rice  spent  nearly  two  years, 
traveling  in  New  England,  and  in  the  Southern  and 
Western  States.  He  subsequently  resided  one  year  in 
Brooklyn,  New  York.  In  1850,  he  located  in  Caugh- 
denoy,  Oswego  county,  his  present  residence.  A  thorough 
knowledge  of  his  profession  soon  gave  him  a  large  field 
of  practice.  In  sentiment,  he  has  always  been  opposed  to 
slavery,  and,  therefore,  entered,  at  the  first,  into  the  Repub- 
lican organization,  of  which  he  is  a  leading  member  in  his 
own  locality. 

In  the  practice  of  his  profession.  Doctor  Rice  had  little 
time  to  devote  to  office.  He  was,  however,  elected  Town 
43 


338  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

Superintendent  of  Common  Schools,  and,  for  some  time, 
held  the  office  of  Postmaster  in  his  village,  and  was 
Supervisor  of  his  town  in  1859,  and  again  in  1860. 

In  the  fall  of  1861,  the  Second  Oswego  County  Regi- 
ment, the  81st  New  York  Volunteers,  was  placed  in  the 
field,  and,  in  December  of  that  year.  Doctor  Rice  was 
commissioned  as  its  Surgeon.  Thoroughly  educated  in 
his  profession,  he  fulfilled  all  of  his  arduous  duties  with 
fidelity.  He  was  with  the  81st  Regiment,  during  all  of  the 
Peninsular  campaign,  participating  in  the  battle  of  Fair 
Oaks,  in  which  the  81st,  being  in  the  advance,  suffered 
severely.  He  was  with  his  regiment,  also,  in  all  the 
famous  "  seven  days'  fight "  before  Richmond.  After  this, 
the  81st  was  detailed  for  garrison  duty  at  Yorktown;  but, 
in  December,  1862,  it  was  ordered  south,  where  it  partici- 
pated in  the  first  attempt  upon  Charleston,  in  April,  1863. 
In  July  following,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  North 
Carolina,  where  it  shared  in  the  dangers  of  the  cam- 
paign at  that  point.  In  the  spring  of  1864,  it  was 
attached  to  the  "Army  of  the  James,"  under  General 
Butler,  and  was  among  the  first  regiments  landed  at 
Bermuda  Hundred.  Forming  a  part  of  the  Corps  of 
"Baldy  Smith,"  it  was  uniformly  in  the  fights,  until 
the  affair  at  Drury's  Bluff,  in  which  it  was  engaged  under 
General  Smith,  after  which  it  joined  General  Grant  at 
Coal  Harbor,  prominently  participating  in  the  severe 
a'ffairs  at  that  point,  on  the  2d  and  3d  of  June,  1864. 

Doctor  Rice  was  here  placed  in  the  responsible  charge 
of  the  Field  Hospital  of  the  18th  Army  CorjDS.  He  con- 
tinued on  duty  at  that  hospital,  until  the  12th  of  June, 
when  the  corps  returned  to  Bermuda  Hundred,  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  second  attempt  on  that  stronghold  of 
Petersburgh.  After  this,  be  was  put  in  charge  of  the 
medical  department  of  General  Carr's  Brigade,  then 
commanding  the  defenses  of  the  James.     He  discharged 


SETH  M.  RICHMOND.  '  339 

the  duties  of  this  position,  until  he  was  mustered  out, 
near  the  close  of  the  war.  He  had  the  reputation  of  being 
a  faithful,  popular  and  efficient  surgeon. 

Doctor  Rice  was  elected  by  the  Republicans  of  his 
District,  to  the  Legislature  of  1866,  in  which  body  he 
served  on  the  Committees  on  Public  Health,  Medical  Col- 
leges and  Societies,  and  Federal  Relations.  He  was 
reelected  to  the  Assembly  of  1867.  He  is  Chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  Charitable  and  Religious  Institutions, 
and  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  Public  Health,  Med- 
ical Colleges,  &c. 

As  a  legislator,  Doctor  Rice  is  industrious  and  careful, 
and  is  vigilant  and  faithful  to  all  the  interests  of  his 
constituents,  with  whom  he  has  earned  the  reputation  of 
being  a  sagacious  representative. 


SETH    M.    RICHMOND. 


Mr.  Richmond,  representing  the  county  of  Herkimer, 
in  the  Assembly,  was  born.  May  17th,  1818,  in  the  town 
of  Augusta,  Oneida  county.  His  father.  Deacon  Isaac 
Richmond,  Avas  one  of  the  very  first  settlers  in  Oneida 
county,  to  which  he  removed  early  in  life,  from  Massachu- 
setts, where  most  of  the  ancestry  of  Mr.  Richmond 
resided. 

With  merely  the  advantages  of  a  common  school  educa- 
tion, Mr.  Richmond,  when  sixteen  years  of  age,  commenced 
as  clerk  in  the  country  store  of  General  Knox,  in  Augusta, 
and,  in  1837,  came  to  Little  Falls,  Herkimer  county — where 
he  has  ever  since  resided  —  acting  in  the  capacity  of  cashier 
and  bookkeeper  of  the  extensive  works  connected  with  the 
enlargement  of  the  Erie  Canal,  at  that  point.     Three  years 


340  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

later,  he  began  business  for  himself,  as  a  merchant  and  job- 
ber of  goods,  mostly  connected  with  country  trade,  in  the 
different  villages  of  the  county;  and,  in  1843,  he  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  paper,  and  subsequently  of  axes.  Ever 
since  that  time,  he  has  been  in  active  business,  at  Little 
Falls,  and  has  been  largely  identified  with  the  prosperity 
and  growth  of  that  village.  He  has  been  interested  as  a 
partner  in  the  building  and  running  of  three  large  paper 
mills,  one  of  which  was  destroyed  by  fire,  in  1853,  at  a  loss 
of  $20,000 ;  and,  for  many  years,  he  carried  on  the  princi- 
pal lumber  trade  of  the  village.  Indeed,  he  was  the 
pioneer  in  this  extensive  trade,  between  the  timbered 
regions  of  the  "  North  Woods  "  and  the  eastern  markets. 
In  1841,  he  commenced  the  coal  business,  and  furnished 
the  first  anthracite  coal,  for  domestic  use,  ever  seen  in  Little 
Falls ;  and  now  the  consumption  of  that  article  is  several 
thousand  tons  per  annum.  For  many  years,  he  was  also 
engaged  in  business  upon  the  Erie  Canal,  with  the  inter- 
ests, necessities  and  management  of  which,  he  became  very 
familiar,  and  in  the  prosperity  and  success  of  which,  he 
has  always  been  deeply  interested. 

In  1855,  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  on  the 
Whig  ticket,  in  opposition  to  the  Know  Nothing  candi- 
date; and,  in  1857,  was  chosen  President  of  the  village, 
to  which  position  he  was  afterward  reelected,  for  three 
successive  years.  He  was  Sheriif  of  Herkimer  county, 
in  1860-63.  During  his  official  career,  the  Northern 
Copperhead  riots  transpired.  Mr.  Richmond  issued  a 
proclamation,  enjoining  all  good  citizens  to  stand  by  law 
and  order.  The  result  was  salutary ;  though  at  first  many 
of  his  political  opponents  were  disposed  to  harshly  criti- 
cise him,  yet,  as  time  brought  events  into  closer  order, 
every  man,  whether  Democrat  or  Republican,  could  not 
do  otherwise  than  concur  in  his  course.  During  the  civil 
war,  he  was  President  of  the  Union  clubs  in  his  town,  and 


SETII    M.    EICHMOND.  341 

received,  at  his  house,  many  of  the  sanitary  supplies,  which 
were  forwarded  to  their  destination.  In  the  mean  time, 
he  went  to  the  front,  and  visited  the  soldiers  at  Fredericks- 
burgh  and  Arlington  Heights,  and  while  there,  was  made 
the  recipient  of  large  sums  of  money  from  the  soldiers,  for 
distribution  among  their  families,  on  his  return. 

In  1866,  the  county,  under  the  new  apportionment, 
being  entitled  to  but  one  member  of  Assembly,  he  was, 
while  absent  from  home,  and  totally  ignorant  of  the  action 
of  the  convention,  unanimously  nominated  by  the  Repub- 
licans for  that  position.  His  majority,  in  the  election,  was 
next  to  the  highest  given,  in  the  county,  for  any  candidate. 
His  political  antecedents  are  those  of  the  Whig  party, 
from  Harrison  down  to  Fremont;  and  he  has  been  known 
as  an  earnest  advocate  of  internal  improvements,  the 
canal  enlargement,  and  in  favor  of  a  national  protective 
policy.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  Banks, 
and  Local  General  Orders.  Not  claiming  to  be  an  orator, 
he,  nevertheless,  is  ready  to  discuss  his  own  points,  in  a 
plain,  but  business-like  manner.  He  is  exemplary  in  his 
habits  and  conduct,  on  all  occasions. 


ELLIS    H.    ROBERTS 


Ellis  H.  Roberts  was  born  at  Utica,  in  1827.  His 
father  died  when  he  was  very  young.  His  mother  is 
still  blessing  with  her  presence,  her  children  and  her 
grand-children.  Mr.  Roberts  is  a  self-made  man,  but, 
unlike  most  men  of  his  class,  he  has  not  been  content 
with  simply  building  himself  up  by  business  enterprise  ; 
but,  at  an  early  age,  labored  to  get  as  good  an  education 
as  the  country  and  the  times  afforded.  Those  who  know 
him  personally  and  well,  or  who  are  the  readers  of  the 
Utica  Morning  Herald,  can  determine  the  measure  of  his 
success.  He  has  been  self-dependent  from  the  age  of  nine 
years.  He  learned  his  trade  in  the  printing  office  of  his 
brother,  R.  W.  Roberts,  one  of  the  best  schools  in  the 
State.  By  industry,  thrift,  and  self-denial,  he  acquired  a 
first  class  academic  and  collegiate  education.  Every 
Yale  man  will  understand  the  rank  of  Mr.  Roberts,  at 
New  Haven,  when  told  that  he  was  member  of  the 
"  Skull  and  Bone  "  fraternity,  that  he  obtained  the  Bristed 
scholarship,  and  carried  off  the  second  honor  in  the  large 
class  of  1850. 

Soon  after  his  graduation,  Mr.  Roberts  became  the 
chief  writing  editor  of  the  Utica  Morning  Herald,  a 
position  he  retained  until  the  fall  of  1854.  In  1851,  he 
married  the  eldest  daughter  of  David  E.  Morris,  of 
Utica.  The  brother  of  Mrs.  Roberts,  Edward  Morris, 
D.  D.,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  is  quite  renowned,  at  the 
West,  as  preacher  and  professor,  and  her  father,  was 
one  of  the  very  best  men  whom  the  writer  of  this  brief 
notice  ever  knew;  a  gentleman  in  the  highest  sense,  a 
Christian,  known  as  such  of  all  men. 


ELLIS   H.    EGBERTS.  34,^ 

Mr.  Roberts  retired  from  the  management  of  the 
Utica  Morning  Herald,  during  the  fall  of  1854,  in  con- 
sequence of  divisions  in  the  party  of  which  it  was  the 
organ,  but,  soon  after,  he  became  its  editor  and  proprietor. 
From  that  time,  down  to  this  hour,  the  advance  of  the 
Herald  has  been  constant  and  rapid.  It  is  now  the  organ, 
not  only  of  the  city  of  Utica,  and  the  county  of  Oneida, 
but  of  many  counties.  Xo  pains  or  money  have  been 
spared  to  enhance  its  usefulness  and  power.  He  was  not 
content  with  making  the  Herald  a  sound  and  strong  politi- 
cal organ,  but  he  has  won  for  it  an  excellent  literary  repute, 
and  on  agricultural  matters  it  is  an  acknowledged  autho- 
rity. It  has  a  correspondent  in  New  York;  during  the 
sessions  of  Congress  and  Legislature  it  has  correspondents 
at  Washington  and  Albany;  at  different  times,  and  for 
years,  some  one  of  its  editors  has  contributed  to  its 
columns  instructive  and  brilliant  letters  from  the  old 
world. 

Mr.  Roberts  has  always  been  surrounded  by  able 
assistants  who  have  seconded  his  earnest  efforts  to  make 
the  Herald  a  first  class  newspaper.  His  energy  has  reaped 
its  just  rewards;  the  Herald  has,  at  least,  10,000  daily  sub- 
scribers, and  is,  of  course,  a  power.  In  politics,  he  was  a 
Whig;  then  a  Republican.  He  writes  and  speaks  with 
almost  dangerous  facility ;  but,  in  all  that  he  says,  there 
is  to  be  seen  his  liberal  culture,  and  his  natural  force.  His 
party,  in  Oneida  county,  owe  very  much  to  his  pen  and 
tongue.  And  the  party  and  the  country,  likewise,  owe 
him  much  for  this,  that,  during  the  war,  and  especially 
during  its  darkest  periods,  when  men's  hearts  were  failing 
them  for  fear,  and  men's  tongues  were  loose  with  censure, 
he  stood  by  the  government  with  unflinching  courage.  In 
a  large  and  populous  district,  where  the  Herald  had  no  peer 
for  influence,  he  kept  up  the  heart  of  the  despondent  by  his 
cheering  words,  taught  a  generous  confidence  in  our  over- 


344  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

burdened  rulers,  and  nerved  the  people  to  the  sacrifices 
necessary  to  the  war's  success  and  the  salvation  of  the 
country. 

As  a  business  man,  Mr.  Roberts  is  thorough  and  strict. 
He  is  just  in  his  dealings,  liberal  in  his  charities,  and  on 
his  integrity  there  is  no  stain.  His  opinions  are  firmly 
held,  and  boldly  maintained.  He  does  not  turn  his  back 
on  a  cause  because  it  is  not  popular,  nor  on  a  race,  because 
it  is  lowly.  In  1862,  his  friends  nominated  him  for  the 
Mayoralty  of  Utica.  Utica  is  a  Democratic  town,  and 
Mr.  Roberts  ran  in  the  dark  days  of  '62,  when  England 
was  threatening,  and  the  rebellion  was  assuming  its  grand- 
est proportions.  He  allowed  no  consideration  to  lessen 
his  aggressive  zeal  for  the  government.  In  its  behalf, 
he  took  no  counsel  of  personal  expediency,  and  he  was 
beaten.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Union  Con- 
vention of  1864.  He  was  elected  last  fall  to  the  present 
Assembly,  from  the  Second  District  of  Oneida  county. 

His  ability  and  his  purity  as  a  legislator  will  justify 
the  estimate  we  have  above  set  down. 


ALEXANDER    ROBERTSON 


In-  personal  appearance  Mr.  Robertson^  may  be  classed 
among  the  substantial  men.  He  is  muscular,  though  not 
corpulent,  and  has  the  air  of  a  man  who  "  takes  life  easy," 
come  weal  or  woe.  Judging  from  his  features,  we  would 
conclude  that  he  is  generous  to  his  friends,  and  honorable 
.but  unshrinking  to  his  foes;  that  when  he  once  settles 
into  a  project  he  is  not  to  be  turned  from  the  accomplish- 
ment of  it,  while  there  remains  a  shadow  of  hope  for  it, 
and  that  when  he  has  wrought  out  his  purposes,  he 
experiences  no  small  amount  of  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Robertson'  is  forty-one  years  of  age.  He  was 
born  in  Warrensburgh,  Warren  county.  New  York.  He 
subsequently  removed  to  Moreau,  Saratoga  county,  and 
afterward  to  Fort  Edward.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he 
left  school  and  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm.  In  1848, 
he  went  to  Whitehall,  and  engaged  in  the  transportation 
business,  and  in  1855,  removed  to  Albany,  and  still  con- 
tinued in  enterprises  of  the  same  nature,  transporting 
merchandise  to  and  from  Northern  New  York  and  Canada, 
and  also  conducting  an  extensive  commission  business. 
Through  these  channels  of  trade,  Mr.  Robertson  has 
accumulated  an  amount  of  property  sufficient  to  place  him 
in  a  position  of  comparative  independence.  He  bears  a 
good  reputation  as  a  gentleman  of  honor,  and  enjoys 
a  large  degree  of  popularity,  in  the  circles  in  which  he  is 
known. 

During  the  past  eight  or  ten  years,  Mr.  Robertson  has 
participated  in  political  agitations,  and  wielded  a  potent 
arm,  in  his  party.  In  the  Fall  of  1864,  he  was  elected  to 
the  Assembly  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  During  that 
session,  he  served  on  the  Committee  on  Cities,  was  among 
44 


346  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

the  originators  of  the  "  Capitol  Bill,"  and  was  one  of  the 
leading  spirits  who  aided  in  carrying  it  through,  on 
the  last  day  of  the  session,  in  spite  of  the  most  vigorous 
opposition ;  and,  during  this  session,  he  has  given  notice  of 
a  bill  to  provide  an  appropriation  for  a  New  Capitol. 
Among  other  measures  which  he  successfully  advocated, 
was  the  Hudson  River  Improvement  Bill,  appropriating 
$150,000  for  the  purpose  of  improving  the  navigation  of 
the  Hudson.  Judging  Mr.  Robertson's'  future  by  what 
he  has  hitherto  accomplished,  as  a  legislator,  we  do  not 
hesitate  to  affirm  that  he  will  impartially  guard  the  local 
interests  of  Albany. 

In  politics  he  is  a  straightforward,  outspoken  Democrat ; 
and  making  our  inferences  from  a  knowledge  of  his  Scotch 
decision,  we  think  he  will  be  a  Democrat  during  the 
remainder  of  his  life. 


HENRY   ROGERS. 


This  gentleman  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  on  the 
16th  day  of  July,  1832.  His  parents  were  of  Irish  extrac- 
tion. His  grandfather,  on  his  maternal  side,  participated 
as  an  officer  in  the  Irish  rebellion  of  '98.  Mr.  Rogers  had 
only  the  advantages  of  a  common  school  education,  gained 
by  his  own  industry  and  perseverance.  He  has  always  been 
a  Democrat,  taking  a  prominent  part  in  New  York  poli- 
tics. In  1863,  he  was  appointed  Inspector  of  Streets,  and 
held  that  position,  until  1864.  He  was  elected  to  the 
Assembly,  in  1863,  from  the  Ninth  Assembly  District  of 
New  York  city,  serving  on  the  Committee  of  Expendi- 
tures of  the  Executive  Department;  was  reelected  as 
Member  of  Assembly  in  1864,  and  served  on  the  Commit- 


PATRICK   RUSSELL.  347 

tee  of  Engrossed  Bills,  In  1866,  he  was  again  returned, 
by  the  Tammany  Democracy,  to  the  Assembly,  by  a 
plurality  of  579,  running  against  a  Mozart  candidate  and 
the  Republican  nominee.  He  is  now  serving  on  the 
Military  and  Defense  Committee.  In  1861,  Mr.  Rogers 
enlisted  as  a  private  in  Colonel  Duryea's  (5th)  Regiment 
of  New  York  Volunteers,  and  proceeded  to  the  front. 
He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Big  Bethel,  where  he  was 
seriously  wounded  in  the  side ;  being  thus  incapacitated 
for  duty,  he  was  honorably  discharged.  Mr.  Rogers  is  a 
mason  and  builder  by  occupation,  carrying  on  the  business 
extensively,  in  the  Metropolis.  He  is  a  gentleman  of 
energy  and  of  fine  social  qualities,  is  popular  in  his  Dis- 
trict, and  is  remarkable  for  his  fidelity  to  his  personal 
friends. 


PATRICK   RUSSELL. 


The  ancestors  of  Mr.  Russell  emigrated  from  Ireland 
to  this  country  in  1813.  His  birth  transpired  at  Patter- 
son, New  Jersey,  June  6th,  1830.  When  five  years  of 
age,  he  removed  to  Newark,  and  remained  there  until 
1848,  in  which  year  he  went  to  the  city  of  New  York, 
and  learned  the  trade  of  carriage  making. 

He  mingled  but  little  in  political  contests,  until  1860, 
when  he  was  a  candidate  for  Common  Councilman  of  New 
York  city,  and  was  defeated.  He  was,  however,  elected 
to  that  office,  in  1863,  '64  and  '65.  Mr.  Russell  was 
nominated  for  the  Assembly,  by  the  Tammany  wing  of 
the  Democracy,  and  elected  by  a  majority  of  four  hundred 
and  sixty-two.  He  is  on  the  Committtees  on  Aliens  and 
Engrossed  Bills.         / 


348  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

During  the  rebellion,  he  voted  for  Horatio  Seymour, 
and  claimed  to  be  a  War  Democrat,  at  the  same  time  con- 
tributing liberally  from  his  means  for  the  prosecution  of 
the  war. 


GEORGE    H.    SANFORD. 


Mr.  Sanford  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Queensbury, 
Warren  county,  New  York,  where  he  was  born  December 
14th,  1836.  He  is  of  English  extraction.  His  maternal 
grandfather  removed  from  Lebanon,  Connecticut,  to 
Washington  county,  New  York,  about  the  year  1785, 
and  married  a  daughter  of  William  Robards,  who  was 
an  officer  in  the  French  war,  and  was  taken  prisoner  to 
Canada  by  the  Indians,  but  afterward  escaped  by  running 
the  gauntlet.  His  paternal  grandfather,  David  Sanford, 
at  about  the  same  time,  emigrated  from  New  Milford, 
Connecticut,  to  Queensbury,  New  York,  where  the  father 
of  the  present  George  H.  Sanford,  was  born,  and  who 
represented  Warren  county  in  the  Legislature  of  1841. 

Mr.  Sanford  lived  with  his  parents  at  Glens  Falls,  and, 
at  the  age  of  twelve,  entered  the  store  of  a  merchant  as 
clerk,  serving  in  that  capacity,  during  the  summer  season, 
for  a  couple  of  years,  and  attending  school  during  the 
winter  time.  In  this  way,  he  was  able  to  make  a  prac- 
tical application  of  what  he  learned.  When  he  was 
fourteen,  his  parents  changed  their  residence  to  Ballston, 
New  York.  Lad,  though  he  was,  he  resolved  to  earn  his 
own  means  of  support,  in  the  future,  and,  with  the  con- 
sent of  his  father  and  mother,  went  to  Albany  and  found 
employment  as  receiving  and  shipping  clerk  in  the  whole- 
sale lumber  trade.     His  father  was  a  manufacturer  of  and 


GEOEGE    H.    SANFOED.  349 

dealer  in  lumber,  and  the  experience  which  young  San- 
FOED  had  previously  gained  was  considerable.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  employ  of  the  same  firm  for  six  years,  during 
the  season  of  navigation,  excepting  one  year  while  attend- 
ing the  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute,  at  Troy,  New 
York.  During  two  winters  of  this  time,  he  attended  other 
schools,  and  the  remaining  three  winters,  he  was  engaged 
in  lumbering,  in  a  moderate  way,  on  his  own  account,  in 
Genesee  county,  New  York,  and  Potter  county,  Penn- 
sylvania. When  twenty  years  old,  Mr.  Sanfoed  left 
Albany,  and  gave  his  whole  attention  to  his  own  business 
plans.  Having  made  Syracuse,  New  York,  his  residence, 
he  there  entered  into  the  lumber  and  salt  trade,  combin- 
ing also  the  manufacture  of  lumber  at  Saginaw,  Michigan, 
and  locating  pine  lands  in  that  State.  He  was  one  of  the 
Pioneer  Company  organized,  in  1858,  to  bore  for  salt 
water,  in  the  Saginaw  Valley.  In  the  spring  of  1862, 
being  uncertain  in  reference  to  the  effect  which  the  war 
might  have  upon  commercial  interests,  Mr.  Sanfoed 
retired  from  business,  invested  his  means  in  real  estate, 
and,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  removed  from  Syracuse  to 
Oneida,  New  York,  his  present  place  of  residence.  He  is 
now  first  Vice-President  of  the  Oneida  Savings  Bank,  and 
is  a  Director  in  the  Oneida  Valley  National  Bank;  in 
business  circles,  he  is  esteemed  for  his  sagacity  and 
foresight. 

Political  questions  have  always  interested  him,  and  the 
result  of  his  early  reasoning,  was  his  espousal  of  Demo- 
cratic tenets,  when  he  attained  his  majority.  Mr.  Sanfoed 
was  a  Delegate  to  the  Democratic  National  Convention, 
held  at  Chicago,  in  1864,  which  nominated  General 
McClellan  for  the  Presidency.  We  believe  that  he  was 
the  youngest  member  of  that  body.  A  unanimous  nomi- 
nation was  given  him  for  the  office  of  Supervisor,  in  the 
spring  of  1865,  by  the  Democracy  of  the  town  of  Verona. 


350  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

Such  was  his  personal  popularity,  he  was,  after  a  lively 
canvass,  elected  by  one  hundred  and  fifty-nine  majority, 
though  the  town  was  strongly  Republican.  Last  year, 
he  was  reelected  to  the  same  office,  by  a  majority  of  three 
hundred  and  eighty-nine.  In  the  Democratic  Convention 
of  the  Third  Assembly  District  of  Oneida  county,  held  in 
the  fall  of  1866,  he  was  nominated  for  Member  of  Assem- 
bly. His  Republican  predecessor,  Hon.  B.  IST.  HuNTiNGTOisr, 
who,  though  running  in  an  acknowledged  Democratic  Dis- 
trict, had  been  elected,  the  previous  year,  by  nearly  eight 
hundred  majority,  was  again  placed  in  nomination  by  the 
Republicans,  but  he  declining  to  run,  Pliny  Phelps,  of 
Camden,  was  chosen  as  candidate,  in  his  stead.  In  this 
issue,  Mr.  Sanfokd  had  a  plurality  of  four  hundred  and 
ninety  votes. 


HIRAM    SCHUTT 


Mr.  Schutt  was  a  participant  in  the  country's  struggle 
to  maintain  its  existence  against  the  onslaughts  of  the 
rebellion.  He  was  commissioned  Captain  of  Company  K., 
148th  Regiment  New  York  Volunteers,  August  14th, 
1862.  He  served  with  his  regiment,  during  the  autumn  of 
that  year,  in  the  campaign  against  Suifolk,  Virginia,  and 
he  was  stationed  at  Fort  Norfolk,  during  the  following 
winter.  In  the  summer  of  1863,  a  general  Court-martial 
was  held  in  the  city  of  Norfolk,  of  which  Captain 
Schutt  was  a  member.  He  rejoined  his  regiment  at 
Yorktown,  the  succeeding  fall.  In  the  raid  on  Rich- 
mond by  General  Wistar — which  w^as  probably  the 
severest  ever  made  on  that  city — in  the  month  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1864,  he  was  engaged  with  the  forces  employed  on 


HIRAM   SCHUTT.  351 

that  occasion.  Leaving  Yorktown  with  his  regiment,  in 
the  spring  of  1864,  he  ascended  the  James  river,  with 
the  troops  under  the  command  of  Major-General  Butlee, 
and  was  in  the  different  ensjaojements  on  the  south  side  of 
Richmond,  in  the  month  of  May  following.  At  the  battle 
of  Drury's  Bluff,  he  was  wounded,  but  he  recovered 
sufficiently  to  participate  in  the  operations  before  Peters- 
burgh,  during  the  months  of  June,  July  and  August, 
1864.  But  ill  health  compelled  him  to  offer  his  resigna- 
tion, in  September,  1864.  It  was  accepted,  and  he  was 
honorably  discharged  from  the  service,  on  account  of 
physical  disability.  Thus  terminated  his  military  career 
which  had  been  characterized  by  his  ready  performance  of 
whatever  was  presented  to  him  by  the  necessities  of  the 
moment.  Ther'e  were  times  when  he  would  have  been 
justifiable  in  asking  for  an  extension  of  his  furlough ;  and 
yet,  regardless  of  failing  health,  he  manfully  and  heroic- 
ally buckled  on  his  weapons,  and  faced  the  foe  again. 

Mr.  ScHUTT  was  born  in  the  town  of  Manchester, 
Ontario  county,  New  York.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Massachusetts  and  was  of  French  descent.  He  moved  to 
western  New  York,  early  in  the  present  century,  and 
located  in  Ontario  county.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  war 
of  1812,  and  took  part  in  the  engagement  at  Queenstown 
Heights.  After  the  war,  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer,  and  during  eighteen  or  twenty  years,  held  the 
office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

Mr.  ScHUTT  obtained  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  the  country,  and  made  no  little  proficiency  in 
scholarly  attainments.  He  was  a  farmer  until  the  year, 
1853,  at  which  time  he  entered  into  mercantile  business, 
and  has  continued  therein,  until  the  present  time.  He  was 
elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1860,  and  Justice  of  Ses- 
sions in  1861.  Formerly  a  Whig,  he  very  naturally 
became  an  adherent  of  Republicanism.     In  1865,  he  was 


852  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

chosen  to  represent  the  First  District  of  Ontario  county, 
in  the  Assembly,  and  was  reelected  in  1866.  He  is  one 
of  the  Committee  on  Militia  and  Public  Defense,  and 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Roads  and  Bridges. 

Captain  Schutt  has  a  tall,  muscular  form,  proud,  erect 
bearing,  and  squarely  cut  features,  which  give  him  a 
decided  air  inilitaire ;  and  his  every  movement  gives 
proof  of  his  abilities  to  command  and  to  defend. 


JOHN    H.    SELKREG 


Mr.  Selkreg  has  been  a  practical  printer,  and,  con- 
sequently, has  had  all  the  varieties  of  experience  and 
change  appertaining  to  that  occupation.  He  is  editor 
and  proprietor  of  the  Ithaca  Journal,  a  paper  which  has 
aided  in  many  a  hard  fought  battle,  and  which  still  sur- 
vives, as  Mr.  Selkreg,  by  his  firm  Scotch  tenacity,  has 
fully  proven. 

His  parents  died  when  he  was  a  mere  boy  (the  youngest 
of  a  femily  of  five  children),  and  left  him  to  the  care  of 
the  older  members  of  the  family.  He  never  attended 
school  after  he  was  eleven  years  old,  and  what  little 
education  he  had  gained  up  to  that  time,  had  been 
acquired  in  the  district  school  at  Staatsburgh,  New  York, 
his  native  place.  His  disposition,  at  the  age  of  thirteen, 
rather  inclined  to  printing,  as  an  occupation;  therefore, 
having  left  his  brother-in-law,  with  whom  he  had  been 
living,  he  began  an  apprenticeship  in  the  printing  office 
of  the  Poughkeepsie  Telegraph,  then  published  by  Messrs. 
KiLLEY  &  Low,  and  which  was,  at  that  time,  as  it  now  is, 
the  Democratic  organ  of  Dutchess  county.  He  continued 
there,  until  the  year  1838.     Having  arrived  at  that  point 


JOHN   H.    SELKEEG.  353 

where  he  thought  himself  sufficiently  proficient  to  com- 
mence life  on  his  own  responsibility,  he  became  a  resident 
of  Brooklyn,  and,  for  a  few  months,  entered  into  a  partner- 
ship with  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Arnold,  Van  Anden  &  Co., 
publishers  of  the  Brooklyn  Eagle.  Not  being  entirely 
satisfied  with  his  business  relations,  he  returned  to  Pough- 
keepsie  in  1839,  and  published  the  Poughkeepsie  Casket,  a 
literary  paper.  Two  years  subsequently,  he  purchased  an 
interest  in  the  Ithaca  Journal,  and,  in  connection  with  Hon. 
A.  Wells,  continued  its  publication  for  several  years.  He 
afterward  became  sole  proprietor  of  the  establishment. 

The  Ithaca  Journal  was  once  the  Democratic  organ  of 
Tompkins  county.  In  1848,  Mr.  Selkreg  refused  to  sup- 
port Mr.  Cass,  and  ran  up  Mr.  Van  Buren's  name.  The 
Hunkers  established  the  Flag  of  the  Union,  to  break  down 
the  Journal ;  but  they  not  succeeding  in  the  attempt,  the 
"Flag  "  was  lowered,  and  the  Journal  still  continued  to  be 
the  exponent  of  the  Democracy.  From  the  year  1850  to 
1856,  Mr.  Selkreg  saw  that  a  great  change  was  being 
wrought  in  the  Democratic  party.  The  repeal  of  the  Mis- 
souri Compromise  seemed  to  him  an  outrage  upon  political 
honor.  Such  was  the  drift  of  affairs,  he  refused  to  support 
Buchanan,  and  advocated  the  claims  of  Fremont,  thus 
undoubtedly  carrying  over  the  county  to  the  "  Path- 
Finder,"  inasmuch  as  the  Republican  vote  ran  up  in  a 
single  year,  from  1,460  to  4,030. 

From  1857  to  1861,  he  discharged  the  duties  of  Com- 
missioner of  Loans.  President  Lincoln  made  him  Post- 
master of  Ithaca,  in  1861.  He  was  reappointed,  in  1865, 
by  Andrew  Johnson,  who,  in  the  most  nonchalant  man- 
ner, subjected  him  to  the  guillotine,  on  the  25th  of  August, 
1866,  for  refusing  to  adopt  Mr.  Johnson's  2^eculia7'  views. 
Mr.  Selkreg  survived  the  shock;  and,  under  the  warm 
pressure  of  his  friends,  accepted  the  nomination  for  Member 
of  Assembly,  being  elected  by  a  majority  of  1,472. 
45 


354  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

He  has  held  several  offices  of  business  interests.  At  one 
time  he  was  President  of  the  Ithaca  and  Binghamton 
Telegraph  Company,  and  he  is  now  President  of  the  Ithaca 
Calendar  Clock  Company. 

Mr.  Selkeeg,  during  the  present  session,  is  a  member 
of  the  Committees  of  Ways  and  Means,  and  of  Banks, 
two  of  the  most  important  Committees  of  the  House. 

He  possesses  a  good  deal  of  dry  humor,  and  is  keen  as 
steel.  His  vigilance  is  unremitting;  and  his  style  of 
debate,  though  declamatory,  is  not  at  all  unpleasant. 


ALBERT    D.    SHAW. 


Mr.  Shaw  was  born  in  the  town  of  Lyme,  Jefferson 
county,  New  York,  21st  December,  1841.  In  June,  1861, 
he  entered  the  service  pf  his  country,  by  enlisting  in  the 
35th  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers,  in  which  he  served 
with  honor  to  himself  and  credit  to  his  family,  until 
the  expiration  of  the  term  of  service  of  his  regiment, 
which  was  mustered  out,  at  Elmira,  in  June,  1863.  He 
participated  in  the  following  memorable  engagements: 
Rappahannock  Station,  Second  Bull  Run,  Chantilly,  South 
Mountain,  Antietam  and  •Fredericksburgh.  After  his  dis- 
charge from  the  army,  he  received  the  appointment  of 
special  agent,  under  Captain  Frederick  Emerson  at 
Watertown,  which  position  he  filled  to  the  satisfaction  of 
all,  until  discharged  by  order  of  the  Government,  at  the 
close  of  the  war  of  the  great  rebellion. 

He  is  a  young  man — one  of  the  youngest  ever  sent  from 
Jefferson  county  —  but  his  strict  integrity,  perseverance  and 
attention  to  the  duties  of  a  legislator,  have  won  for  him 
many  warm  friends.  Few  of  the  young  members  stand 
higher,  or  have  a  better  record  than  he,  in  the  Legislature. 


THOMAS    SHI  LAND 


Cambridge,  New  York,  is  one  of  the  delightful  villages 
which  adorn  the  county  of  Washington.  It  is  situated  in 
a  very  picturesque  section ;  and  the  pleasing  landscapes 
which  surround  it,  stretch  far  away  into  charming  per- 
spective. The  inhabitants,  in  the  main,  are  comparatively 
wealthy,  and  generously  hospitable.  Our  lot,  once  or 
twice,  has  been,  for  a  short  time,  cast  in  that  neat  village ; 
and  we  can  cheerfully  recommend  any  one  to  the  "  tender 
mercies  "  of  its  people. 

Mr.  Shiland  is  one  of  the  residents  of  that  place.  He 
is  the  owner  and  occupant  of  the  old  homestead  purchased 
by  his  father,  Avhen  the  country  was  a  wilderness.  He  is 
of  Scotch  descent,  and  cherishes  a  commendable  ancestral 
pride;  and  the  associations  of  youth  and  riper  years, 
which  naturally  cluster  around  his  home,  create  within  his 
heart,  more  than  an  ordinary  reverence  for  it.  He  is  fifty- 
two  years  old.  Mr.  Shiland  entered  the  junior  class  of 
Union  College ;  but  on  account  of  sickness,  he  could  not 
remain  to  graduate.  When  he  left  college,  he  preferred 
the  wholesome  pursuits  of  agriculture,  to  the  more  exciting 
and  harassing  cares  of  a  professional  life ;  therefore,  he 
became  a  farmer,  and,  by  his  intelligence  and  industry,  his 
labors  have  been  crowned  with  marked  success. 

Mr.  Shiland  was  first  elected  to  the  ofiice  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  in  the  year  1840,  an  ofiice  which  he  has  held, 
without  interruption,  mitil  the  present  time.  He  also 
served  as  Justice  of  Sessions,  four  years. 

He  was  a  prominent  advocate,  in  the  county,  of  Whig 
principles,  until  the  formation  of  the  Republican  organiza- 
tion; since  that,  he  has  been  an  influential  leader  of 
Republicanism.     He  was  elected  to  the  office  which  he 


356  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

now  holds,  from  the  First  Assembly  District,  in  Washing- 
ton county  by  the  pleasing  little  majority  of  eighteen 
hundred  and  sixty.  He  is  on  the  Committees  on  State 
Prisons,  and  Agriculture. 

Mr.  Shiland,  very  deservedly,  enjoys  the  confidence  of 
the  community  in  which  he  lives.  He  is  prominently 
identified  with  the  educational,  social,  political  *  and 
religious  interests  of  his  county,  always  interesting  him- 
self, with  commendable  zeal,  in  every  enterprise,  having, 
for  its  object,  the  elevation  of  the  moral  and  intellectual 
status  of  the  masses ;  and  his  personal  aid  in  securing  men 
and  means  to  aid  the  government,  in  the  midst  of  our 
cruel  civil  war,  was  unflagging,  and  proved  him  to  be  a 
man  of  the  strictest  loyalty.  His  son,  in  the  volunteer 
service,  was  wounded  at  Chancellorsville. 


JOHN    SIGERSON 


Me.  Sigerson  represents  the  Sixth  District  of  New 
York  city.  He  was  elected,  as  the  workingmen's  candi- 
date, over  Hon.  Jacob  Seebacher,  the  regular  Democratic 
candidate,  who  represented  that  district  in  the  .Assembly, 
during  the  years  1865  and  1866.  In  the  last  election, 
it  was  a  generally  conceded  opinion  that  it  would  be 
impossible  to  defeat  the  Democratic  nominee;  but  such 
was  the  feeling  against  the  New  York  "ring,"  and 
such  was  the  careful  organization  of  the  workingmen's 
forces,  Mr.  Sigerson  was  elected  by  the  triumphant 
majority  of  twelve  hundred  and  forty-eight. 

In  general  politics,  Mr.  Sigerson  is  a  Democrat ;  but,  in 
local  affairs,  he  is  opposed  to  that  faction  of  the  Democracy, 
in  his  city,  which,  by  systematic  fraud,  has  made  itself 


JOHN  SIGERSON.  357 

notorious  from  one  end  of  the  State  to  the  other.  When 
the  Speaker  made  up  his  committees,  "Mr.  Sigerson  was 
appointed  on  the  committees  on  Two-thirds  and  Three- 
fifths  Bills,  and  Charitable  and  Religious  Societies. 

He  is  of  wealthy  parentage,  and  is  a  native  of  the  city 
of  New  York.  In  consequence  of  certain  technical  irregu- 
larities in  a  will  made  by  his  uncle,  he  lost  considerable 
property,  some  years  ago.  Being  ambitious  to  work  his 
own  way  in  the  world,  and  inclined  to  active  pursuits,  he 
commenced  business  as  a  carman,  when  only  fourteen 
years  old,  and  followed  that  calling  until  1860,  when  he 
accepted  a  clerkship  in  the  department  of  the  Croton 
Aqueduct,  and  remained  there  until  January  1st,  1867, 
when  he  resigned,  to  assume  his  legislative  duties. 
Although  this  is  his  first  experience  in  any  elective  office, 
yet  his  sound  sense  amply  qualifies  him  for  supporting 
the  interests  of  his  constituents. 


FRANCIS    SKILLMAN 


This  gentleman  is  a  descendant,  on  the  paternal  side, 
of  Thomas  Skillman,  and,  on  the  maternal  side,  of 
Adrian  Onderdonk,  both  of  whom  were  Committee- 
Men,  dui-ing  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  were  confined 
in  the  notorious  "Jersey"  prison-ship,  at  New  York. 
During  their  imprisonment,  they  contracted  a  disease 
from  which  they  never  recovered.  Mr.  Skillman  is  thus 
a  relative  of  the  Bishops  Onderdonk,  of  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
but  was  reared  by  his  grandfather,  in  the  town  of  North 
Hempstead,  Long  Island,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided, 
following  the  avocation  of  farming.  His  landed  estate  is 
both  extensive  and  valuable,  and  he  is  one  of  the  best 
agriculturists  in  his  town.  He  has  served  his  full  time  in 
the  militia  of  this  State  as  Cornet,  Lieutenant,  and  Captain 
in  the  Horse  Artillery.  But,  in  the  midst  of  his  labors, 
Mr.  Skillmais"  found  time  to  devote  to  the  reading  of 
law,  to  which  his  attention  was  turned  by  his  election 
as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  nearly  twenty  years  ago,  which 
office  he  has  continuously  held  to  the  present  time.  He 
discharged  the  duties  of  Justice  of  Sessions  for  three 
years ;  and,  ever  since  he  was  twenty-one,  he  has  repeat- 
edly held  town  office  of  some  kind.  Mr.  Skillman  never 
solicited  either  a  nomination  or  a  vote,  and,  therefore, 
when  the  Democratic  party  nominated  him  for  the  Assem- 
bly, he  was  taken  somewhat  by  surprise.  He  was  elected 
by  a  majority  of  four  hundred  and  forty-seven.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Committee  on  Trade  and  Manufactures. 

In  his  manners,  he  is  a  pleasant,  unassuming  gentleman ; 
and  as  a  legislator,  is  watchful  and  industrious. 


HENRY    SMITH 


Me.  Smith,  who  represents  the  Second  District  of 
Albany  county,  is  a  lawyer  of  recognized  ability  and  wide 
reputation.  Although  he  has  been  but  little  in  official 
position,  he  has  gained  honorable  distinction  in  his  profes- 
sion, and  holds  a  place  in  the  front  rank  at  the  Bar  of  the 
Capital.  His  conspicuous  connection  with  several  legal 
cases  of  extended  interest,  has  made  him  known  throughout 
the  State,  and  though  new  to  legislative  halls,  he  is  not  a 
stranger  to  those  who  meet  him  there.  A  thick-set  man,  of 
medium  height,  with  large  head,  clear  blue  eyes,  lips  and 
chin  significant  of  firmness  and  power,  features  round 
and  genial,  but  capable  of  an  austere  expression  before  the 
witness-box,  and  hair  well  tinged  with  gray,  though  he  is 
yet  in  the  prime  of  life ;  such  is  the  man  whom  the  Capital 
sends  as  one  of  her  representatives. 

Mr.  Smith's  father,  Thomas  Smith,  Esq.,  was,  like  him- 
self, a  prominent  lawyer,  of  Schoharie  county,  and  subse- 
quently of  Albany.  The  son  was  born  at  Cobleskill,  in 
the  former  county,  March  14th,  1829.  While  a  lad,  he 
attended  the  common  school,  and  received  the  meager 
rudimentary  instruction  imparted,  in  those  days,  in  schools 
poorly  organized  and  irregularly  maintained.  But  in  the 
Academy  at  Esperance,  which  he  entered,  August  1st, 
1842,  he  enjoyed  better  advantages.  His  teacher  was  a 
Scotchman,  named  William  McLaren,  who  had  all  the 
conscientiousness  and  thoroughness  of  his  people,  together 
with  all  their  sternness  and  severity.  Vehement,  impetu- 
ous and  ugly,  his  austere  discipline  was  not  unfrequently 
illustrated  by  the  swift  and  passionate  propulsion  of  a 
well-worn  text-book  at  the  head  of  an  ofiending  pupil. 
His  discipline  in  study  was  no  less  rigorous,  but  better 


360  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

tempered,  and  the  careful  and  thorough  habits  of  reading 
and  study  which  he  acquired  under  this  hard  master,  Mr. 
Smith  has  always  retained,  and  to  them  he  attributes  much 
of  his  success. 

On  the  10th  of  September,  1844,  Mr.  Smith  left  Cobles- 
kill,  and  became  clerk  in  a  hardware  store,  at  Detroit, 
Michigan.  But  he  remained  there  only  a  year,  and  return- 
ing to  his  former  home,  began  reading  law  with  his  father, 
in  January,  1846.  Eighteen  months  of  the  diligent  and 
searching  study  which  had  been  learned  under  the  stern 
old  Scotch  master,  enabled  the  young  student  to  pass  a 
critical  examination,  and  on  the  10th  of  June,  1847,  at  the 
unusually  early  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  was  admitted  to 
practice,  in  the  old  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  for  the  county 
of  Schoharie.  In  1850,  upon  attaining  age,  he  was  admit- 
ted to  practice  in  all  the  Courts  of  the  State,  and  has  ever 
since  sedulously  devoted  himself  to  his  profession.  His 
qualifications  and  business  soon  called  upon  him  to  act  on 
a  wider  stage,  and  in  February,  1857,  he  removed  to 
Albany,  where  he  has  since  resided.  His  rise  in  the  pro- 
fession was  rapid  and  substantial,  from  the  very  beginning. 
In  1854,  his  legal  acquirements  were  so  well  recognized, 
that  he  received  the  nomination  for  County  Judge ;  but, 
being  on  the  Whig  ticket,  with  which  party  he  had  always 
been  identified,  was,  of  course,  defeated.  Upon  the  for- 
mation of  the  Republican  party,  he  joined  it,  and,  in  1862, 
received  its  nomination  for  Congress,  in  the  Fourteenth 
District.  Both  counties  composing  the  district,  Albany 
and  Schoharie,  were  hopelessly  adverse,  and  he  was 
defeated.  In  1865,  he  was  nominated  by  acclamation  as 
the  Republican  candidate  for  District  Attorney,  and,  after 
a  severe  contest,  was  elected  by  a  small  majority,  it  being 
the  first  time  a  Republican  had  carried  the  county,  in 
several  years.  This  office  he  still  holds,  and  under  the 
influence  of  his  commanding  talents,  shrewd  judgment, 


HENRY   SMITH.  361 

and  indefatigable  industry,  the  number  of  convictions  has 
largely  increased,  and  the  vicious  classes  have  received 
such  a  check  as  they  have  not  known  for  a  long  time 
before.  As  an  evidence  of  Mr.  Smith's  popularity,  it  may 
also  be  stated  that  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  by  a 
majority  of  five  hundred  and  sixty-four,  from  a  district 
which  usually  gives  several  hundred  majority  on  the  other 
side. 

As  a  lawyer,  Mr.  Smith's  career  has  been  varied  and 
brilliant.  His  practice  extends  over  a  wide  circuit  of  ter- 
ritory, and  he  has  tried  and  argued  many  cases  for  the 
State,  on  behalf  of  the  Attorney-General.  Both  in  crimi- 
nal and  civil  causes  he  has  won  a  merited  distinction.  In 
the  trial  of  George  W.  Smith,  County  Judge  of  Oneida, 
before  the  Senate,  which  formed  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing of  the  few  State  trials  in  our  history,  he  was 
associated  Avith  ex-Senator  Shafer,  for  the  defense.  He 
is  also  one  of  the  counsel  for  the  contestants  in  the  cele- 
brated Dudley  will  case,  which  is  still  before  the  courts ; 
and  the  fame  of  the  Gordon  trial,  in  which  he  acted  as 
prosecuting  attorney,  is  coextensive  -with  the  bounds  of 
the  State.  This  last  trial,  indeed,  afforded  so  fair  an  exhi- 
bition of  Mr.  Smith's  powers,  that  it  may  well  be  dwelt 
upon  for  a  moment,  as  better  illustrating  them  than  any 
general  analj^sis.  The  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  mur- 
der, the  eminence  of  the  counsel  for  the  defense,  the  fact 
that  they  had  already  succeeded  in  gaining  a  new  trial, 
the  singular  net-work  of  circumstantial  evidence,  all  com- 
bined to  invest  the  case  with  unusual  interest.  Mr.  Smith 
conducted  it  with  signal  ability.  The  shrewdness  with 
which  he  elicited  all  the  facts,  the  keenness  with  which  he 
made  apparently  insignificant  circumstances  assume  a 
startling  importance,  the  skill  with  which  he  wove  the 
web  of  proof  around  the  culprit,  so  closely  as  to  leave  no 
avenue  of  escape,  were  rare  evidences  of  legal  acumen. 

46 


362  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

His  closing  address  is  generally  considered  a  master-piece 
of  forensic  argument.  In  graphic  force  of  portraiture, 
ingenious  arrangement,  and  convincing  weight  of  logic,  it 
is  seldom  surpassed.  As  a  speaker,  Mr.  Smith  is  direct, 
earnest,  and  impressive.  He  always  prepares  his  cases 
with  great  care,  but  for  the  language  of  Tiis  speeches  he 
trusts  to  the  moment.  Disdaining  all  tawdry  ornament, 
he  seeks  not  to  please,  but  to  persuade ;  not  to  charm,  but 
to  convince.  He  never  sacrifices  force  of  statement,  or 
vigor  of  argument  to  beauty  of  expression.  He  aims  not 
so  much  at  the  grace  of  rhetoric,  as  at  the  overwhelming 
power  of  logic.  His  words  are  simple  and  unpretentious, 
his  style  clear,  nervous,  and  full  of  energy.  Perspicuous 
in  statement,  luminous  in  its  reasoning,  his  speech  is  not 
unfrequently  enlivened  with  an  incisive  sarcasm,  which 
cuts  through  the  specious  veil  of  sophistry  like  a  Damascus 
blade ;  and  it  sometimes  rises  into  a  vehement  torrent  of 
fiery  invective  against  those  who  have  outraged  right  and 
justice.  Mr.  Smith's  intellect  is  of  that  order  which 
penetrates  to  the  core  of  a  subject,  and,  seizing  the  pivotal 
idea  with  unrelenting  grasp,  never  lets  it  go.  Issues,  or 
phases,  plausible,  it  may  be,  but  only  inferior,  have  no 
power  to  turn  him  aside.  Endowed  with  a  sagacious 
sense,  gifted  with  a  rare  tact,  his  mind  stored  with  the 
treasures  of  general  knowledge,  as  well  as  of  legal  learn- 
ing, shrewd,  practical,  discerning,  genial  in  temperament, 
warm  in  friendship,  it  may  be  said  in  a  word,  that  the 
representative  of  the  Second  District  of  Albany,  will 
always  attract  attention  in  a  deliberative  body. 


JOSHUA    SMITH 


There  are  men  who,  though  quiet  and  unobtrusive  in 
their  habits,  are,  nevertheless,  calm,  reflective  and  saga- 
cious. Perhaps  their  voices  may  not  often  be  heard  in  the 
forum ;  they  may  not  enter  the  inner  circles  of  the  i^litical 
arena;  they  may  not  speak  in  flowing  periods  through 
the  press ;  but  they  read,  and  think,  and  form  opinions 
to  which  they  give  force  at  the  ballot  box  —  opinions  from 
which  they  are  not  easily  moved,  because  they  have 
passed  them  through  the  mint  of  their  own  minds,  and 
stamped  them  with  the  signet  of  their  own  individuality. 
Such  men  are  our  farmers,  in  the  main,  who  represent  the 
agricultural  interests  of  our  State  ;  of  their  number  is  Mr. 
Smith,  who  represents  the  First  District  of  Delaware 
county.  His  life  has  been  an  uneventful  one,  so  far  as 
extraordinary  occurrences  are  concerned.  Never  seeking 
to  mingle  with  the  great  mass  of  people  who  are  eager 
for  gain  and  eminence,  he  has  chosen  a  course  which  has 
undoubtedly  brought  full  as  much  happiness  and  satisfac- 
tion, as  he  would  have  experienced,  had  he  chosen  more 
public  pursuits. 

Mr.  Smith's  father,  who  came  from  Rhode  Island,  in 
1798,  to  Tompkins,  was  a  miller  by  occupation.  He  gave 
his  son  the  usual  opportunities  of  the  district  school,  at  the 
same  time  educating  him  in  the  processes  of  labor.  After 
Joshua  had  arrived  at  a  proper  age,  he  began  teaching, 
and,  in  that  manner,  increased  his  pecuniary  resources  suffi- 
ciently to  be  able  to  continue  his  studies  during  the  summer 
seasons.  In  1846,  when  he  was  twenty-five  years  old,  he 
purchased  the  mill  property  belonging  to  his  father,  and 
conducted  the  business  until  1858,  when  he  disposed  of  the 
mill,  and  bought  a  small  farm  near  by,  on  which  he  now 


364  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

resides.  In  1 862,  the  nomination  for  Member  of  Assembly, 
on  the  Republican  ticket,  was  offered  him,  but  he  declined 
it,  from  a  sense  of  duty.  The  next  year  he  was  appointed 
Postmaster  at  Cannonsville.  He  held  that  position  until 
1866,  when  he  was  brought  to  the  political  block  and 
decapitated  by  President  Johnson,  for  reasons  which  are 
apparent  to  any  one  who  was  observant  of  the  times  when 
that  event  occurred.  In  other  words,  Mr.  Smith  was  not 
merceiftiry  enough  to  surrender  his  opinions  to  a  policy 
diametrically  opposed  to  his  ideas  of  right.  The  Repub- 
licans of  his  district  elected  him,  last  fall,  to  his  place  in 
the  House  by  a  majority  of  one  thousand  and  twenty-five. 


DANIEL    G.    STARR 


Mk.  Starr  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  to  fill  the 
vacanpy  occasioned  by  the  death  of  Hon.  A.  J.  Baldwin, 
who  was  a  member  from  Sullivan  county,  in  1866,  and 
was  reelected  for  1867,  but  died  soon  after  his  election. 
Governor  Fenton  ordered  a  special  election  to  transpire, 
December  18th,  1866.  The  Democrats  put  Mr.  Starr  in 
nomination  and  elected  him.  He  is  a  native  of  Fallsburgh, 
Sullivan  county,  New  York,  where  he  was  born,  on  the 
twenty-first  of  January,  1837.  His  youth  was  spent  on 
a  farm,  where,  by  vigorous  toil,  his  physical  powers  were 
developed  in  such  a  way  as  to  enable  him  to  bear  the 
tax  which  an  after  sedentary  life  would  impose  upon  him. 
The  rudimental  studies  which  formed  the  basis  of  his 
education,  were  followed  by  higher  academic  branches, 
which  he  pursued,  for  a  year,  at  the  Charlotteville  Semi- 
nary, Schoharie  county,  an  institution  which,  at  that  time, 
was  at  the  height  of  prosperity.     Before  entering  upon 


DANIEL   G.    STARE.  365 

his  professional  studies,  Mr.  Staer  went  to  Hampton,  a 
small  village  in  Madison  county,  Illinois,  situated  on  the 
Terre  Haute,  Alton  and  St.  Louis  Railroad,  where  he 
taught  the  village  school  for  some  months.  Whether  or 
not  his  object  may  have  been  to  increase  the  amount  of 
his  finances,  it  is  certain  that  the  practical  application 
of  what  he  had  learned,  more  fully  prepared  him  for  after 
life.  At  the  end  of  a  year  he  returned  home,  and,  during 
the  following  year,  entered  into  business  speculations.  In 
November,  1857,  he  began  the  studj'-  of  law,  in  the  office 
of  Hon.  A.  C.  NiVEX,  at  Monticello,  N"ew  York.  Sub- 
sequently spending  a  term  at  the  Albany  Law  School, 
he  was  admitted  to  practice,  in  April,  1861,  and  there- 
upon settled  in  Monticello,  where  he  has  a  lucrative 
business,  and  is  looked  upon  as  a  lawyer  of  promise. 
Being  a  comparatively  young  man,  and  unambitious  for 
public  notice,  his  life  has  been  unmarked  by  thrilling 
episodes.  He  has  been  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
of  Sullivan  county,  four  years;  and,  in  1866,  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  In  the  House,  he  is  serving  on  the 
Committee  on  Claims,  and  Sub-committee  of  the  Whole. 

Mr.  Starr  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  has 
scrupulously  indorsed  the  platforms  and  candidates  of 
his  party. 


ORSOK   STILES 


Mr.  Stiles  received  a  classical  education,  having  grad- 
uated frym  Union  College,  in  1833.  After  the  completion 
of  his  collegiate  course,  he  read  law  in  the  office  of  the 
Hon.  Deodatus  Weight,  at  Amsterdam,  Xew  York,  and 
commenced  practice,  in  1837,  at  Irving,  a  village  situated 
in  Chautauqua  county  on  Cattaraugus  Creek,  near  its 
entrance  into  the  lake,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until 
the  autumn  of  1849.  As  an  Attorney  and  Counselor,  he 
was,  even  at  that  period,  recognized  as  a  gentleman  of  fine 
scholarly  and  legal  attainments.  He  received  the  political 
trust  of  County  Clerk  from  the  Whig  party  in  1850,  and 
thereupon  removed  to  Mayville,  the  county  seat,  where  he 
remained  until  the  close  of  his  term.  He  then  selected 
Fredonia,  as  his  place  of  residence,  and  has  been  a  citizen 
of  that  village  ever  since.  Possessing,  as  he  does,  excel- 
lent qualifications  as  a  financier,  he  has  been  largely 
interested  in  the  banking  business  during  the  last  ten 
years;  he  is  regarded  as  a  sagacious,  upright  operator. 
In  local  politics,  Mr.  Stiles  is  looked  upon  with  great 
confidence.  In  1865,  the  Republicans  of  the  Second  Dis- 
trict of  Chautauqua  county,  elected  him  to  the  Assembly 
by  a  majority  of  1504.  In  1866,  they  decided  to  make  the 
matter  more  emphatic  by  reelecting  him  by  an  increased 
majority  of  2,406. 

Upon  the  great  question  of  Reconstruction,  he  is  in 
complete  sympathy  with  Congress,  relative  to  its  policy. 
Believing  that  the  National  Legislature,  after  a  careful 
investigation  of  the  social  state  of  the  South,  has  finally 
provided  a  plan  by  which  justice  to  the  government  can 
be  maintained,  and  magnanimity  and  mercy  displayed 
toward  the  conquered,  he  holds  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
every  citizen,  both  North  and  South,  to  sustain  that  plan. 


ORSON   STILES.  367 

We  quote  the  closing  portion  of  a  speech  delivered  by 
him  in  the  Assembly,  January  10th,  1867 : 

"  The  triith  is,  reconstruction  has  been  made  difi5cult  by  the 
attempts  to  do  it  so  carefully  that  no  one  should  suffer,  and  no  one 
should  be  offended.  The  rebels  themselves  have  been  surprised  at 
the  great  care  which  has  been  taken  to  override  the  laws  against 
treason,  and  to  reinstate  them  to  places  which  they  had  forfeited 
by  all  the  rules  of  justice  and  all  the  precedents  of  the  past.  Did 
Jefferson  Davis  suppose  when  he  was  overtaken  in  his  attempts 
to  effect  an  ignominious  escape,  that  there  was  anything  in  reserve 
for  him  but  an  ignominious  death?  Did  he  suppose  that  an 
administration,  or  a  party,  which  had  expended  their  best  efforts 
and  their  best  blood  to  save  the  country,  and  to  justify  and  vindi- 
cate a  republican  form  of  government,  would  consent  that  these 
great  investments  should  be  utterly  wasted,  and  that  no  security 
would  be  exacted  for  the  future  ?  No,  sir,  he  had  no  sueh  expec- 
tations. And  as  the  war  progressed,  and  one  stronghold  after 
another  gave  way ;  when  Grant  was  reaching  forward  to  grasp 
the  pillars  of  the  temple,  and  it  was  being  demonstrated  that  the 
rebellion  could  not  result  in  a  successful  revolution,  he  sought  most 
earnestly  for  the  means  of  personal  security,  and  inquired  anxiously 
for  the  rocks  and  the  mountains.  All  those  men  who  had  furnished 
the  rebellion  with  brains,  and  given  it  life  and  character,  expected 
nothing  less  than  the  visitation  of  retributive  justice.  They  had 
heard  the  thunders  of  the  law  issuing  from  the  highest  places,  and 
they  had  no  reason  to  expect  anything  but  the  speedy  coming  of 
the  judgment.  They  remembered  that  the  man  who  now  occu- 
pies the  chair  of  the  presidency  had  said,  and  repeatedly,  during 
the  whole  progress  of  the  v^ar,  'that  treason  must  be  made  odious, 
that  traitors  must  be  punished  and  impoverished,'  and  they 
knew  that  the  loyal  heart  of  the  north  responded  to  these  senti- 
ments. They  expected  nothing  but  the  prompt  administration  of 
justice  and  the  strict  enforcement  of  the  laws. 

"  Sir,  we  are  embarrassed  to-day,  because  these  men  have  been 
disappointed.  If  they  had  not  been,  the  question  of  reconstruc- 
tion would  have  been  long  since  settled  and  the  country  would 
have  been  at  peace.  Had  Mr.  Johnson  stood  by  Congress  —  had 
he  stood  by  himself —  had  he  not  become  intoxicated  by  his  acci- 


368  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

dental  advancement,  and  sought  to  make  as  well  as  to  execute  the 
law,  we  would  not  be  asking  ourselves  whether  the  result  of 
the  war  should  be  a  triumph  or  a  defeat,  but  the  assurance  would 
be  sent  forward  to  all  the  coming  generations  of  this  nation,  that 
while  we  had  the  means  and  the  energy  to  secure  a  victory,  we 
also  had  the  courage  and  the  discretion  to  improve  our  advantages 
to  the  future  growth  and  safety  of  our  country.  And  this  is  our 
duty.     The  liereafter  will  not  forgive  us  for  doing  less. 

"  Now,  sir,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  counseling  the 
use  of  extreme  measures.  Let  them  all  be  tempered  by  mercy, 
with  enough  of  vigor  and  earnestness  in  them  to  secure  the  future 
against  the  possible  repetition  of  these  terrible  scenes.  Congress 
in  its  anxiety  to  effect  just  this  end  has  submitted  these  amend- 
ments to  the  Constitution,  and  the  people  at  the  recent  elections 
have  indorsed  them  with  an  earnestness  which  we  cannot  misun- 
derstand. Led  by  no  man,  they  have  thought  and  acted  for 
themselves.  Congress  cannot  now  recede.  When  it  changes  its 
position,  it  will  be  an  advance,  and  the  people  will  follow  in  close 
and  solid  column. 

"The  assent  of  the  requisite  number  of  States  to  these  amend- 
ments may  not  be  secured.  But  I  see  in  this  delay  or  uncertainty 
no  reason  why  they  should  be  abandoned.  Would  they  prefer 
territorial  governments  ?  So  be  it.  This  alternative,  if  we  will, 
they  cannot  reject  or  resist.  The  north  has  the  power  to  dictate 
terms,  and  it  is  her  duty  to  exercise  it.  All  loyal  men  north  and 
south  demand  it.  The  real  interest  of  the  rebels  themselves 
demands  it.  The  freedmen  demand  it.  And  whether  the  south 
shall  accept  or  reject,  let  us  be  found  doing  our  whole  duty,  trust- 
ing the  issues  to  that  kind  Providence  who  has  led  us  so  carefully 
through  all  the  dark  ways  of  the  past." 

Mr.  Stiles  was  born  at  Amsterdam  'New  York,  in 
January,  1813,  where  he  spent  most  of  his  youth  in  pre- 
paration for  college. 

His  legal  acumen,  and  his  knowledge  of  finance,  have 
eminently  fitted  him  for  public  trusts  which  have,  on 
numerous  occasions,  been  reposed  in  him,  and  for  his 
duties  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Banks. 


JAMES    SUFFERN 


Mr.  Suffers  has  always  been  a  resident  of  the  town 
of  Ramapo,  Rockland  county,  New  York.  He  is  sixty- 
two  years  of  age,  and,  for  more  than  forty  years  of  that 
time,  he  has  been  a  zealous  and  efficient  worker  in  the 
Democratic  party,  adhering  to  it  through  all  of  its  defeats 
as  well  as  its  triumphs.  He  is  an  intelligent  and  highly 
respected  citizen,  who  has  continuously  manifested  an 
interest  in  the  aiFairs  of  his  town  and  county.  The 
citizens  of  Ramapo  have  elected  him  to  the  office  of 
Justice  of  the  Peace  so  many  times,  as  to  entitle  him  to 
a  "  life-membership."  He  held  the  appointment  of  Super- 
intendent of  the  Poor,  from*  1836  to  1848.  He  also 
represents  his  town  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

Mr.  Suffers  is  a  trustworthy  farmer;  though  he  has 
been  an  industrious  toiler,  he  has  not  neglected  to  inform 
himself  in  relation  to  public  affairs,  and  he  holds  to  his 
political  principles  rather  from  conviction  than  from  mere 
policy.  His  ancestry  was  mainly  Democratic.  His  pater- 
nal grandfather,  Johx  Suffern,  who  died  in  1835,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-five  years,  represented  that  portion  of 
Orange  county  which  now  comprises  the  county  of  Rock- 
land, in  the  Fifth  Session  of  the  Assembly  of  New  York, 
held  at  Poughkeepsie  in  1781,  '82,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  State  Senate  for  five  successive  terms. 

In  former  days,  Mr.  Suffern  held  rank  in  the  State 
Militia,  from  First  Lieutenant  to  Lieutenant-Colonel.  He 
was  a  very  good  military  disciplinarian ;  and,  when  he  was 
Captain,  he  had  command  of  a  company  which  was  the 
most  difficult  to  be  managed,  of  any  other  in  the  regiment. 
During  the  administration  of  Governor  Wright,  in  1845, 
47 


370  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

he  resigned  his  Lieutenant-Colonelcy,  and  thus  retired 
from  military  life. 

This  is  his  first  term  in  the  Assembly;  thus  far,  he 
has  exhibited  great  industry,  and  a  disposition  to  execute 
the  trusts  confided  to  him  with  the  highest  integrity  of 
purpose. 


HENRY    F.    TARBOX 


Henry  Fisk  Taebox  has  a  soldier's  record  —  a  record 
which  places  him  on  a  nation's  roll  of  honor ;  and  it  is 
with  pleasure  that  we  take  this  opportunity  of  alluding  to 
his  participation  in  the  grand  work  which,  through  blood, 
and  tears,  and  agonies,  has  come  to  a  glorious  consumma- 
tion—  the  redemption  of  the  Republic.  The  Spartan 
mothers  were  accustomed  to  take  their  sons  about  to  go 
into  battle,  and,  placing  their  shields  in  their  hands,  say  : 
"  Either  this,  or  upon  this."  And  American  mothers,  and 
wives,  and  sisters,  for  four  awful  years,  responded  "Amen  !" 
to  the  heroic  sentiment.  The  people  will  remember,  from 
generation  to  generation,  the  military  bravery  of  the 
living  and  the  dead.  The  latter  have  given  their  highest 
treasures  for  the  salvation  of  our  institutions ;  and,  though 
they  may  lie  in  graves  far  away  from  home,  their  deeds 
of  valor  are  undecaying  monuments.  We  make  this 
reference  because  Mr.  Tarbox's  brother,  a  member  of 
the  same  regiment,  was  killed  while  leading  his  men  in  a 
charge  upon  the  enemy. 

Mr.  Taebox  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Julia  Tarbox, 
and  is  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  His  father,  a  man  of 
intelligence,  was  a  bitter  opposer  of  slavery.  His  mother 
was  a  descendant  of  David  Brainard,  and  all  her  rela- 


HENRY   F.    TARBOX.  37l 

tives  are  radical  Republicans.  He  spent  two  years  at  the 
Genesee  College,  at  Lima,  New  York,  diligently  pursuing 
classical  studies,  and  then  commenced  reading  law.  He 
was  admitted  to  practice,  in  November,  1864,  since  which 
time  he  has  followed  his  profession,  at  Batavia,  New 
York,  Prior  to  his  admission  to  the  Bar,  he  assisted,  in 
1862,  in  raising  and  organizing  the  108th  Regiment,  New 
York  Volunteers,  personally  enlisting  over  forty  men  for 
that  regiment.  He  received  a  commission  as  Second 
Lieutenant  of  Company  C ;  and  his  brother,  D.  B.  Tar- 
box,  was  also  commissioned  to  the  same  rank  in  Company 
B.  Each  led  his  company  in  the  battle  of  Antietam, 
which  transpired  within  less  than  a  month  after  the  regi- 
ment was  mustered  into  service.  His  brother  fell  in 
that  fight.  Mr.  Tarbox  remained  with  his  regiment  until 
he  was  so  far  disabled  by  disease,  that  he  was  discharged 
by  an  order  from  the  War  Department.  By  virtue  of  a 
good  constitution,  he  afterward  so  far  recovered  from  his 
disability,  as  to  be  able  to  accept  the  position  of  Assistant 
Paymaster.  A  year  and  a  half  subsequently,  he  resigned, 
and,  after  completing  his  studies,  entered  upon  his  profes- 
sion, as  previously  stated.  After  his  nomination  for 
Member  of  Assembly,  Mr.  Tarbox  took  the  stump,  and 
rendered  essential  service  to  his  party  in  his  county. 
The  Republicans  gave  him  a  majority  of  1,400  over  his 
competitor,  who  was  a  Conservative  Republican.  He  is 
an  active  and  influential  Member  of  the  House,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Committees  on  Internal  Afiairs  of  Towns 
and  Counties,  and  Colleges,  Academies  and  Common 
Schools. 


SAMUEL   H.    TOKEEY 


Mr.  Torrey's  father  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and 
came  to  this  State,  when  a  boy;  he  received  a  good 
academic  education,  and  settled,  in  early  life,  in  the  town 
of  Italy,  Yates  county,  New  York,  where  he  resided 
several  years  amid  the  solitude  of  the  forest,  without 
another  white  inhabitant  in  the  township,  and  where  Mr. 
Torre Y  was  born,  July  4,  1816. 

Mr.  ToRREY  is  a  self-made  man.  He  left  home  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  to  carve  his  own  fortune.  He  acquired  a 
good  classical  education,  and,  in  the  year  1837,  entered 
the  law  office  of  Messrs.  Wilson  &  Lester,  in  Canan- 
daigua,  where  he  pursued  a  course  of  legal  studies,  which 
he  completed  in  the  office  of  John  L.  Talcott,  Esq.,  of 
Buffalo,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  at  the  Spring  Term 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  in  the  year  1841,  and  entered 
immediately  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Rush- 
ville,  Yates  county,  and  soon  gained  a  successful  and 
lucrative  practice,  and  ranked  well  in  his  profession  as  a 
careful  and  judicious  lawyer. 

He  is  now,  somewhat,  extensively  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  which  are  more  congenial  to  his  tastes  than 
the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  has,  by  his  business 
energy  and  skill,  accumulated  a  large  landed  estate,  to 
the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  which  he  now  devotes 
most  of  his  time. 

Mr.  ToRREY  has  always  taken  a  lively  interest  in  the 
political  affairs  of  the  country,  and  now  exercises  a 
wide  political  influence  in  his  locality.  Casting  his  first 
Presidential  vote  for  Henry  Clay,  he  remained  an  ardent 
Whig,  until  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party,  with 
which  he  has  acted  to  the  present  time. 


DAVID   W.    TRAVIS.  373 

He  has  held  town  or  county  office  almost  continuously 
for  the  last  twenty  years,  and  is  now  the  supervisor  of  his 
town.  In  1847,  he  was  the  Whig  candidate  for  Member 
of  Assembly  in  Yates  county,  and  was  a  delegate  to  the 
Baltimore  Convention  that  renominated  Mr.  Lincoln  to 
the  Presidency. 

Mr.  ToKREY  was  elected  to  the  present  Assembly  from 
the  Second  District  of  Ontario  county,  over  Robert  D. 
Cook,  Esq.,  democrat,  by  eleven  hundred  and  ninety-one 
majority.  He  is  on  the  Committees  on  Claims,  and  Affairs 
of  Villages.  Mr.  Torrey  is  a  straightforward,  industri- 
ous Member  of  the  House. 


DAVID    W.    TRAVIS 


Mr.  Travis  was  originally  a  "Whig.  Though  not  very 
ambitious  for  office,  in  1853  he  was  nominated  for  the 
office  of  Assemblyman,  but,  in  consequence  of  the  running 
of  a  third  candidate,  his  Democratic  opponent  was  elected 
by  a  small  majority.  During  the  session  of  the  Legis- 
lature of  1 854,  an  act  was  passed  authorizing  the  election 
of  a  Police  Justice  for  the  village  of  Peekskill.  Mr. 
Travis  was  nominated  for  that  office  by  the  Whigs,  and 
indorsed  by  the  Americans,  who  had  not,  as  yet,  assumed 
the  shape  of  a  distinct  party.  The  result  was  his  election 
by  a  flattering  majority.  Sympathizing  with  the  Ameri- 
cans to  a  certain  extent,  he  acted  with  them,  until  their 
more  mature  operations  as  an  independent  organization. 
He  then  gave  them  a  parting  "  grip,"  and  returned  to  the 
Whigs. 

In  the  year  1855,  he  was  a  delegate  from  his  district 
to  the  Whig    Convention   held   at  Syracuse,  and  was 


374  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

present  at  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party.  He 
acted  with  a  majority  of  the  Whigs  in  joining  the 
Republicans,  and  he  has  continued  true  to  the  organiza- 
tion, in  its  successes  and  its  defeats.  Although  the 
nomination  for  office  was,  at  various  times,  offered  to 
him,  yet  he  declined  to  be  a  candidate,  though  his  elec- 
tion seemed  certain,  in  case  he  should  consent  to  run. 
Last  summer,  Westchester  county  was  re-districted,  inas- 
much as  the  census  had  shown  some  changes  in  its 
population ;  and,  though  it  was  thought  that  there  would 
be  some  political  changes  in  consequence  thereof,  yet  Mr. 
TuAvis,  who  ran  as  candidate  for  Member  of  Assembly, 
was  elected  by  over  six  hundred  majority.  He  is  on  the 
Committee  on  Commerce  and  Navigation. 

He  is  forty-two  years  old,  and  is  a  native  of  Cortlandt, 
Westchester  county,  New  York.  His  father  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  and  was  of  English  descent,  and  his  mother 
was  of  German  ancestry.  He  was  the  youngest  of  a  large 
family.  His  youth  was  spent  in  working  on  a  farm,  and 
attending  the  district  school  during  the  winter,  until  he 
was  sixteen  years  old.  But  a  farmer's  life  had  no  very 
attractive  features  for  him,  and,  therefore,  he  very  wisely 
decided  to  abandon  it.  It  requires  a  peculiar  kind  of 
pluck  to  face  the  freezing  sleet  of  early  spring,  the  110° 
of  July  and  August,  and  the  nipping  frosts  of  fall ;  and  if 
one  has  ever  so  misty  visions  of  a  life  more  congenial,  of 
course,  it  is  better  to  "fold  the  tent  and  quietly  steal 
away;"  for  the  true  key  to  success  in  any  occupation,  is 
to  have  the  heart  in  every  effort  attempted. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen,  Mr.  Tkavis  attended  the  Peeks- 
kill  Academy,  and  continued  there  as  a  student,  for  about 
four  years.  He  then  had  an  inclination  to  attend  the 
Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  but,  owing  to  the  objec- 
tions urged  by  his  parents,  he  abandoned  the. idea,  and 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  William  & 


DAVID   W.    TEAVIS.  375 

T.  Nelson-,  Esq'rs,  able  practitioners,  at  Peekskill.  He 
was  admitted  to  practice  as  an  attorney,  in  1846,  and  as 
Solicitor  in  Chancery,  under  the  old  Constitution,  the 
winter  following.  He  commenced  practice  at  Peekskill, 
in  April,  1847  ;  and,  by  hard  efforts  among  old  established 
lawyers,  he  has  gathered  to  himself  a  fine  business.  What- 
ever he  has  accomplished,  he  has  wrought  by  unflinching 
industry,  conscious  that  toil  will  meet  with  due  compensa- 
tion. 

Mr.  Travis  has  always  been  a  zealous  worker  in  the 
field  of  politics.  He  is  almost  invariably  present  at  the  con- 
ventions of  his  party,  and  has  a  measure  of  influence  in 
them  which  is  never  disregarded  by  his  fellow  citizens. 
In  campaigns  and  at  the  polls,  he  determinedly  works  for 
the  success  of  the  ticket,  and  in  the  Legislature  he  is 
known  as  a  keen-sighted  member.  Mr.  Teavis  is  a  man 
of  a  great  deal  of  nervous  vitality,  and  throws  all  of  his 
powers  into  the  accomplishment  of  a  measure. 


JOHN   VANDENBERG 


Me.  Vandenbekg  was  born  in  the  town  of  Coxsackie, 
Greene  county,  New  York,  on  the  31st  day  of  July,  1828. 
As  his  name  indicates  (which,  Anglicised,  means  "from  the 
Hill"),  he  is  of  Dutch  descent,  and  no  doubt  feels  proud  of 
the  fact  that  he  belongs  to  a  race  whose  history  is  so  illus- 
trative of  devotion  to  civil  and  religious  liberty,  and  whose 
character  exhibits  traits  which  must  ever  command  the 
admiration  of  the  world.  He  attended  the  "  Coxsackie 
Academy "  during  the  most  prosperous  days  of  that  insti- 
tution, and,  as  a  student,  played  his  part  with  credit  to 
himself  and  to  the  school. 

Early  associations,  which  always  have  much  to  do  with 
the  formation  of  character,  and  the  shaping  of  after  life, 
had,  in  his  case,  a  tendency  to  influence  in  the  right  direc- 
tion. He  chose  the  profession  of  the  law,  and  prosecuted 
its  study,  for  the  most  part,  in  a  law  office  in  his  native 
town.  After  his  admission  to  the  Bar,  he  removed  to  Con- 
stantia,  Oswego  county,  where,  after  a  brief  residence,  he 
was  elected,  first.  Town  Superintendent  of  Schools,  and 
then  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  where  he  gained  a  fair 
share  of  reputation  as  a  lawyer. 

In  1855,  he  removed  to  Clyde,  Wayne  county,  where, 
by  his  industry,  he  has  increased  his  legal  reputation; 
and  by  his  urbanity,  has  gained  to  himself  many  warm, 
personal  friends.  In  1865,  he  was  elected  Member  of 
Assembly,  from  the  First  Assembly  District  of  that  county, 
by  the  Republican  party,  whose  principles  he  holds,  and, 
on  occasion,  ably  advocates,  and  to  whose  ascendency,  in 
that  county,  he  has  largely  contributed.  In  a  Legislature 
embracing  many  eminent  men,  his  ability  was  soon  recog- 
nized.   He  was  not  a  frequent  debater,  but  he  spoke  to 


JOHN  VANDENBERG.  377 

the  point  and  commanded  attention.  He  was  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  the  Internal  Affairs  of  Towns  and 
Counties,  and  served  also  as  a  member  of  the  Committee 
on  the  Manufacture  of  Salt.  Mr.  Vandenberg  was 
elected  to  the  present  Legislature  by  an  increased 
majority,  and  has  thus  far  maintained  the  reputation 
which  he  acquired  during  his  previous  term. 

His  course,  during  the  rebellion,  was  decided  and  con- 
sistent. In  behalf  of  treason,  whose  object  was  the  per- 
petuation of  slavery,  and  the  attainment  and  retention  of 
power  through  the  destruction  of  our  government,  he  had 
no  excuses  nor  sympathy  to  give.  For  the  triumph  of  the 
government,  he  contributed  to  the  extent  of  his  ability 
and  means.  And  now,  that  triumph  having  been  attained, 
he  believes  that  "  treason  must  be  made  odious,  and 
traitors  must  be  punished." 

In  person,  Mr.  Vandenberg  is  about  six  feet  high; 
and  it  is  not  flattery  to  say  that  his  general  appearance  is 
decidedly  prepossessing.  No  one  is  more  easy  of  access 
than  he,  and  no  one  more  averse  to  ostentation.  His 
attachment  to  old  friends  is  strong ;  and,  by  his  affable, 
genial  manner,  he  is  always  gaining  new  ones.  He  does 
not  court,  but  rather  shuns,  notoriety;  and  the  honors  of 
ofiice  have  come  to  him  unsought. 

48 


JAMES    VAN   VALKENBURG. 


The  member  from  Broome  county  was  born  in  Oneonta, 
Otsego  county,  New  York,  in  1820.  His  grandfather  was 
one  of  the  old  residents  of  Albany,  from  which  city  his 
father  removed  to  Otsego  when  a  young  man,  where  he 
followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  Mr.  Van  Valken- 
BUKG  spent  his  early  years  on  his  father's  farm,  receiving 
only  a  common  school  education.  On  arriving  at  man- 
hood, he  engaged  in  the  woolen  manufacturing  business 
at  Oneonta,  and  afterward  at  Bainbridge,  Chenango 
county,  following  it  until  1849,  when  he  embarked  in  the 
manufacture  of  grain-cleaning  machinery,  doing  a  large 
and  successful  business,  for  several  years.  In  1852,  he 
removed  to  Binghamton,  Broome  county,  which  has  since 
been  his  place  of  residence.  The  year  following,  he 
established  the  Binghamton  Standard,  a  temperance  and 
political  weekly  newspaper,  which  he  conducted  with 
ability  and  industry,  for  six  years.  At  the  time  of  start- 
ing the  Standard,  all  the  county  offices  were  in  the  hands 
of  Democrats;  but,  in  a  very  few  years,  a  change  was 
effected,  in  which  the  influence  of  the  Standard  was  unmis- 
takably felt.  This  paper  was  independent  in  politics,  and 
took  strong  grounds  against  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill; 
advocated  the  nomination  of  Fkemont  for  President  in 
1856,  and  gave  him  a  hearty  support  throughout  that 
campaign. 

Mr.  Van  Valkenburg  was  thoroughly  conversant  with 
national  and  State  politics,  and  the  influence  of  his  paper, 
in  effecting  numerous  and  important  changes,  was  appar- 
ent. He  was  educated  in  the  Democratic  school  of 
politics,  but  left  it  on  account  of  the  issues  of  the 
WiLMOT  Proviso.  He  was  a  supporter  of  Mr.  Van  Buren 
in  1848,  and  Mr.  Hale  in  1852.     He  has  always  been  a 


JAMES  VAK  VALKENBUEG.  379 

strict  temperance  man,  and  a  zealous  laborer  m  the  cause. 
From  youth,  he  has  been  a  working  man  in  the  party  to 
which  he  belonged,  never  asking  for  office  of  any  kind ; 
and  his  presence  in  the  House  is  entirely  due  to  the  earnest 
solicitations  of  his  many  and  warm  friends. 

In  1859,  the  Standard  office  was  disposed  of  by  Mr. 
Van  Valkenbukg,  his  time  being  occupied  in  perfecting 
and  putting  in  operation  a  machine  for  dressing  rice,  of 
which  he  was  the  inventor.  The  occurrence  of  the  war 
rendered  this  invention  useless,  no  rice  being  brought  into 
market ;  but  his  machine  was  a  success,  and  it  is  believed 
that  it  will  yet  come  into  general  use,  and  prove  to  be  an 
important  labor-saving  implement. 

Mr.  Vais"  Yalkenbukg  received  the  appointment  of 
Assistant  Assessor  of  Internal  Revenue  for  Broome  Co., 
in  the  Twenty-sixth  District,  in  1862,  a  position  he  ably 
and  creditably  filled  until  the  fall  of  1866,  discharging  the 
onerous  duties  of  the  office  without  fear  or  favor.  He  was 
not  a  supporter  of  President  Johis-son's  reconstruction 
policy;  on  the  contrary,  he  was  a  staunch  supporter  of 
Congress.  Judge  Wells,  the  District  Assessor,  had  been 
removed  to  give  place  to  Mr.  Freak,  a  virulent  opposer 
of  Mr.  LiisrcoLN's  administration,  and  Mr.  Van  Valken- 
BURG,  understanding  that  he  could  not  retain  his  office 
and  principles  too,  tendered  his  resignation,  determined 
to  take  the  stump  for  the  Union  cause  and  ticket,  which 
he  did  with  good  effect. 

At  the  next  County  Convention  of  the  Union  party  in 
Broome  county,  Mr.  Van  Valkenburg  was  selected  as  the 
most  suitable  candidate  to  represent  the  county  in  the  Leg- 
islature, being  elected  by  over  eighteen  hundred  majority. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Ways  and  Means. 

At  the  present  time,  Mr.  Van  Valkenburg  resides  on 
his  farm,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  village  of 
Binghamton,  and  is  engaged  in  the  insurance  business. 


ALFKED    WAGSTAFF.    Jb 


Alfred  Wagstafp,  Jr.,  was  born  in  tlie  city  of  "New 
York,  March  21st,  1844;  he  now  resides  at  West  Islip, 
Suffolk  county,  New  York.  He  is  of  English  and  French 
extraction.  His  maternal  ancestors  (the  Du  Boises)  came 
to  this  country  from  Holland  (having  fled  hence  from 
France)  at  the  period  of  the  persecution  of  the  Huguenots, 
and  settled  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  river.  Many  of 
them  have  held  high  positions  of  honor,  and  have  been 
noted  for  their  ability,  honesty  and  integrity. 

Mr.  Wagstaff  received  a  classical  education,  and  grad- 
uated from  the  Columbia  College  Law  School,  May  18th, 
1866,  receiving  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  He  was  admitted, 
in  the  Second  Judicial  District,  as  a  member  of  the  Bar 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  he  is  now  practicing  his 
profession  in  New  York  city.  He  was  commissioned 
Colonel  of  the  16th  Regiment,  New  York  State  National 
Guard,  on  the  19th  of  June,  1863,  serving  with  his  regi- 
ment in  the  Brooklyn  Draft  Riots.  In  the  summer  of 
1864,  he  was  with  his  regiment  in  the  United  States  ser- 
vice, and  had  command  of  the  Staten  Island  forts.  He 
was  commissioned  First  Lieutenant  in  the  91st  Regiment 
of  New  York  Veteran  Volunteers,  November  12th,  1864, 
and  was  detailed  to  the  staff  of  General  Morris,  and 
subsequently  as  Commissary  of  Prisoners,  and  left  Fort 
McHenry  for  Virginia.  The  following  letter  to  the  Gov- 
ernor, recommending  his  promotion,  is  commendatoiy  in 
its  terms : 

To  the  Hon.  R.  E.  Fenton,  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York : 

Having  understood  that  Lieutenant  A.  Wagstaff  of  the  91st 
Veteran  Volunteers,  has  been  recommended  by  Colonel  Tarbull 


ALFRED  WAGSTAFF,   JR.  381 

and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Donelson  for  promotion  to  a  Majority  in  that 
regiment,  I  take  much  pleasure  in  adding  my  recommendation  of 
him  from  personal  knowledge  of  the  position. 

Lieutenant  Wagstaff  has  served  on  my  staff  since  he  was  com- 
missioned in  the  regiment,  in  November  last,  and  is  remarkable  for 
his  inteUigence,  quickness,  and  a  good  conception  of  military  duties  ; 
and  whilst  I  shall  regret  his  loss  as  a  staff  officer,  I  recommend  him 
to  your  Excellency's  honorable  consideration. 

W.  W.  MORRIS, 

Brevet  Brigadier-  General. 

February,  15,  1865. 

Having  been  promoted  Major,  in  February,  1865  he  was 
Chief  of  Staff  of  General  Crawford,  and  served  in  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  imtil  the  close  of  the  war.  He  has 
since  received  a  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonelcy. 

Mr.  "Wagstaff  was  a  Delegate  from  Suffolk  county  to, 
and  one  of  the  Vice-Presidents  of,  the  Syracuse  Conven- 
tion, in  1866,  which  was  his  first  connection  with  any 
political  party.  He  was  nominated  for  Member  of  Assem- 
bly by  the  Republican  Union  party,  and  elected  by  four 
hundred  and  eighty-six  majority.  He  is  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  of  Militia  and  Public  Defense,  and  a  member 
of  the  Committee  on  Joint  Library. 

He  is  of  tall,  commanding  stature,  and  dignified  pres- 
ence, and  possesses  a  vigorous,  cultivated  mind,  and  a 
retentive  memory ;  he  has  a  keen  sense  of  the  ludicrous, 
and  a  bright  wit,  which,  together  with  an  unending  store 
of  pleasant  reminiscences,  render  him  a  most  agreeable 
and  entertaining  companion ;  and  is  possessed  of  an 
unwearying  activity,  intense  energy  and  perseverance., 
Mr.  Wagstaff  is  a  ready  debater,  is  quick  at  repartee, 
caustic  in  sarcasm,  and  laconic  in  his  arguments. 

He  has  that  frank,  open-hearted  generosity  and  noble 
unselfishness  which  make  him,  at  once,  the  popular  com- 
mander and  beloved  fellow-officer.  He  also  possesses 
sufficient  self-confidence  and  practical  experience,  joined 


382  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

with  a  quick  perception  and  instantaneous  decision,  to  rise 
to  a  distinguished  eminence,  as  a  military  commander. 
Mr.  Wagstaff  ranks  well  in  the  Assembly,  and  is  what  is 
termed  a  working  member. 


SMITH    M.    WEED 


Mr.  Weed  is  one  of  the  young  men  of  the  Assembly, 
and  ranks,  in  ability  and  influence,  among  the  first  men  in 
the  House.  He  was  born  in  Bellmont,  Franklin  county, 
New  York,  July  26th,  1833,  and  is,  consequently,  now  in 
his  34th  year.  His  father  was  born  in  New  Hampshire. 
His  mother  was  a  descendant  of  a  Revolutionary  soldier, 
and  a  Quakeress. 

Mr.  Weed  was  liberally  educated,  having  graduated  at 
the  Harvard  College  Law  School,  in  1857,  and  immediately 
commenced  the  practice  of  law  at  Plattsburgh,  Clinton 
county,  where  he  now  resides.  His  first  appearance  in 
public  life  was  in  the  Assembly  of  1865.  Here  his  talents 
were  at  once  recognized,  and  he  took  a  leading  part  in  all 
the  measures  of  that  session. 

When  the  Amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  abolishing  slavery  came  up  for  ratification 
in  the  Assembly,  Mr.  Weed  took  ground  in  its  favor,  and 
made  an  able  speech  in  advocacy  of  the  measure.  His 
views  at  that  time  were  somewhat  in  advailce  of  some  of 
his  colleagues  in  that  body,  who  severely  criticised  him 
for  his  course.  But  he  was  vindicated  by  the  action  of 
his  party,  at  their  State  Convention,  held  the  ensuing  fall. 
His  usefulness  as  a  legislator  was  so  apparent,  that  a 
general  desire  was  expressed  among  his  friends  for  his 
return,  and  he  was  reelected  in  the  fall  of   1865.     The 


SMITH   M.    WEED.  383 

prominence  he  had  gained  secured  for  him  the  Democratic 
nomination  for  Speaker  of  the  House,  and  he  received  the 
full  vote  of  his  party  for  that  position.  During  that 
session  he  was  a  Member  of  the  Committee  on  Railroads. 
Although,  in  a  minority,  he  succeeded  by  good  manage- 
ment in  securing  the  passage  of  several  important  bills 
affecting  the  northern  section  of  the  State. 

In  the  fall  of  1866,  he  was  again  a  candidate  for  reelec- 
tion, defeating  his  popular  opponent  by  seventy  majority, 
in  a  district  that  gave  the  Republican  ticket  a  majority  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty-seven.  He  is  now  a  Member 
of  the  Committee  on  Railroads.  He  was  also  elected 
President  of  the  village  of  Plattsburgh,  in  1865,  and 
unanimously  reelected  in  1866. 

Mr.  Weed  may  justly  be  ranked  among  the  most 
promising  young  men  in  the  State.  He  is  a  good  scholar, 
a  clear  thinker,  and  a  ready  debater.  Though  struggling 
in  a  minority,  throughout  his  legislative  career,  he  has 
developed  rare  qualities  for  leadership.  He  has  never 
failed  to  secure  and  maintain  the  respect  of  his  opponents, 
and  to  win  the  admiration  of  his  friends.  And  if  his 
past  record  may  be  taken  as  a  criterion  for  the  future, 
he  has  but  just  commenced  a  useful  and  successful  career. 


SAMUEL    E.    WELLES 


That  branch  of  the  Welles  family  from  which  the 
member  from  Seneca  descended,  removed  from  Hebron, 
Connecticut,  to  this  State  about  the  year  1800.  His 
father,  the  venerable  Doctor  Gardner  Welles,  located 
in  Seneca  county  in  the  year  1810,  where  he  still  resides, 
in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  a  Surgeon 
in  one  of  the  New  York  Volunteer  Regiments,  during  the 
war  of  1812,  and  a  member  of  the  Legislature  from  Seneca 
county,  for  the  year  1839. 

Mr.  Welles  was  born  in  Junius  (now  Waterloo), 
February  23d,  1825.  He  entered  Geneva  College,  in  1841, 
and  graduated  in  1845.  Adopting  the  profession  of 
Medicine,  he  attended  lectures  at  Geneva  Medical  College 
and  Buffalo  Medical  College,  receiving  the  degree  of  M. 
D.,  at  the  latter  institution,  in  1848.  He  also  attended  a 
course  of  lectures  in  the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  at 
Philadelphia,  in  the  winter  of  1849,  '50.  In  the  spring  of 
1850,  Doctor  Welles  commenced  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  Waterloo,  where  he  now  resides.  He  has 
always  acted  with  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  been 
elected  by  them  to  the  various  offices  of  Town  Superin- 
tendent of  Common  Schools,  Trustee  of  the  Village, 
Coroner,  and  Supervisor  in  '59  and  '60.  In  January,  1862, 
he  entered  the  military  service  as  acting  Assistant  Sur- 
geon, in  the  61st  Regiment  New  York  State  Volunteers, 
and  upon  the  resignation  of  the  Surgeon,  on  account  of 
continued  ill  health.  Doctor  Welles  received  the  com- 
mission for  that  position,  early  in  March  of  that  year.  He 
was  with  the  regiment  during  its  stay  in  Camp  California ; 
attended  it  on  the  reconnoissance  to  the  Rappahannock 
under   General   Howard  ;    participated  in   the   siege  of 


SAMUEL   R.    WELLES.  385 

Yorktown,  followed  the  rebels  in  tbeir  retreat  from  the 
latter  place,  but  too  late  to  take  part  in  the  battle  of 
Williamsburgh.  The  regiment  was  actively  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks  or  Seven  Pines,  and  suffered 
severely ;  but  it  won  for  itself  a  noble  reputation,  under 
the  leadership  of  Colonel  Francis  C.  Barlow,  (afterwards 
Major-General,  and  now  Secretary  of  State.)  During 
and  after  this  engagement,  as  well  as  in  the  actions  at 
Allen's  Farm,  Savage  Station,  White  Oak  Swamp  and 
Charles  City  Cross  Roads,  in  all  of  which  the  regiment 
participated  and  suffered  numerous  casualties,  the  entire 
care  of  the  wounded  devolved  upon  Doctor  Welles  who 
was  the  only  Medical  officer  with  the  regiment.  The 
wounded  of  the  61st  Regiment  at  the  battle  of  Charles 
City  Cross  Roads,  which  took  place  at  dusk,  June 
30th,  were  conveyed  to  different  temporary  hospitals. 
Doctor  Welles  having  attended  to  the  immediate  wants 
of  those  who  were  at  the  one  established  nearest  the  field, 
repaired,  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  to  a  hospital 
about  a  mile  distant,  where  he  remained  in  the  perform- 
ance of  his  duties,  until  after  midnight,  when  starting  to 
return,  he  was  misdirected  into  a  road  which  led  him 
directly  within  the  rebel  lines.  He  was  suddenly  con- 
fronted by  three  of  the  picket  guard,  caused  to  dismount, 
taken  to  General  Longstreet's  quarters,  and,  in  the  morn- 
ing, sent  with  some  sixty  others  to  Richmond,  and  assigned 
a  place  in  the  officers'  quarters,  in  the  famous  Libby 
prison.  The  second  day  after  his  arrival,  he  was,  upon 
his  request,  allowed  to  take  charge  of  a  ward  of  our  sick 
and  wounded.  In  the  discharge  of  that  duty,  as  well  as 
the  scanty  convenience  and  limited  allowance  of  medical 
supplies  would  permit,  he  was  occupied  for  three  weeks, 
at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  was  permitted  to  leave 
Richmond,  in  company  with  a  detachment  of  wounded 
men,  destined  for  northern  hospitals.  After  assisting  in 
49 


386  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

the  embarkation  of  the  wounded  at  City  Point,  he  rejoinea 
his  regiment  at  Harrison's  Landing.  Of  the  acceptability 
of  the  service  rendered  by  our  Surgeons  to  the  wounded 
and  suffering  of  Richmond,  there  can  be  no  doubt ;  and 
that  Doctor  Welles  was  no  whit  behind  his  professional 
brethren,  in  his  attention  to  those  needing  his  care,  we 
have  the  testimony  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Marks  who  was  a 
Chaplain  in  the  63d  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  and  a  prisoner 
in  Richmond.  In  his  book  entitled  "  The  Peninsular 
Campaign,"  after  speaking  of  some  kindness  done  to  a 
Pennsylvania  soldier  he  says : 

"  I  have  not  met  Doctor  Welles  since  those  memorable  days, 
and  know  not  where  he  now  may  be ;  but  I  rejoice  to  say  that  he 
is  one  of  the  most  humane  and  self  sacrificing  of  Surgeons." 

Soon  after  his  return  to  his  regiment.  Doctor  Welles 
tendered  his  resignation,  on  account  of  illness  which  pre- 
vented his  further  continuance  in  the  service,  and  received 
an  honorable  discharge. 

The  uncertainty  which  prevailed  during,  and  for  a  short 
time  after  the  "  Seven  days'  fight,"  as  to  the  condition  of 
the  army,  the  positive  absence  of  any  reliable  information, 
and  the  conflicting  rumors  which  agitated  every  com- 
munity, made  the  reception  of  news  which  gave  assurance 
of  the  safety  of  the  army,  an  occasion  of  general  rejoic- 
ing. The  return  of  Doctor  Welles  to  his  home,  who  had 
been  reported  dead,  was  made  the  occasion  of  many  pleas- 
ing manifestations  of  respect  and  esteem  from  his  fellow 
citizens.  During  his  connection  with  the  regiment,  he 
had  formed  many  strong  and  pleasant  attachments,  he  had 
striven  faithfully  to  do  his  whole  duty  toward  those 
placed  under  his  charge,  and  he  left  the  service  with 
regret.  As  an  evidence  that  these  kind  feelings  were 
reciprocated,  we  may  state  that  a  short  time  after  reach- 
ing home  he  was  the  recipient  of  a  heavy  silver  goblet, 


SAMUEL   E.    WELLES.  887 

the  inscription  upon  which  showed  that  it  was  the  gift 
of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  61st  Regiment,  to  their 
Surgeon,  as  a  testimonial  of  their  respect  and  esteem. 
During  the  fall  of  1862,  he  occupied  himself  actively  in 
promoting  enlistments,  and  addressed  several  public  meet- 
ings in  different  parts  of  the  county,  for  that  object.  In 
the  spring  of  1863,  he  was  elected  Supervisor  and  made 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors ;  he  was  reelected 
in  1864,  '65,  ^66.  The  duties  of  this  office  during  the  war 
were  onerous  and  responsible ;  that  they  were  faithfully 
and  satisfactorily  discharged,  his  repeated  election  is  a 
sufficient  evidence.  Mr.  Welles  believed  that  the  pro- 
fession of  the  Democratic  faith  was  not  inconsistent  with 
loyalty  to  the  government  and  to  the  country,  and,  in  that 
faith,  from  the  commencement  to  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
worked  earnestly  to  meet  the  demands  made  upon  his 
town  by  the  government,  and  gave  a  cordial  and  sincere 
support  to  the  country  in  its  efforts  to  suppress  the  rebel- 
lion. In  the  fall  of  1866,  he  was  made  the  candidate  of 
the  Democratic  party  for  the  office  of  Member  of  Assem- 
bly, and  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  532,  being  about 
200  over  the  average  majority  on  the  State  ticket. 


STEPHEN  H.  WENDOVER. 


Mr.  Wendover  was,  until  recently,  interested  in  the 
forwarding  business;  he  represents  the  third  generation 
of  his  family  continuously  engaged  therein.  His  grand- 
father, who  was  a  native  and  resident  of  New  York  city 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution,  was  related  to  Peter 
Wendover,  one  of  the  framers  of  the  first  State  Constitu- 
tion of  New  York,  and  primarily  suggested  the  idea  of 
the  National  Flag  as  it  now  is. 

Mr.  Wendover  was  born  in  the  town  of  Stuyvesant, 
Columbia  county,  New  York,  on  the  28th  *day  of  July, 
1831.  His  boyhood  was  unbroken  by  any  stern  neces- 
sities, or  pinching  privations ;  his  father,  a  gentleman  of 
competence,  educated  him  with  a  view  to  business,  and 
gave  him  all  the  facilities  necessary  to  prepare  him  for 
commercial  pursuits.  Placing  his  son  in  the  Kinderhook 
Academy,  an  institution  situated  in  Kinderhook,  Columbia 
county.  New  York,  he  gave  him  all  of  the  benefits  which 
that  school  afforded.  In  1848,  Mr.  Wendover,  then 
seventeen  years  of  age,  left  the  Academy,  and  became  a 
clerk  in  his  father's  business,  to  which  he  succeeded  in 
1855,  and  which  he  conducted  with  fine  business  skill. 

Mr.  Wendover  never,  until  the  autumn  of  1866,  allowed 
his  name  to  be  used  for  the  candidacy  for  ofiice ;  but,  at 
that  time,  his  Republican  friends,  in  view  of  the  political 
strength  of  the  probable  competitor,  urged  him  to  run  for 
the  place  which  he  now  holds,  to  which  he  was  elected  by 
seventy-two  majority.  He  is  serving  on  the  Committee 
on  Commerce  and  Navigation.  Mr.  Wendover,  on  first 
acquaintance,  is  somewhat  reserved;  but  among  his 
friends  he  is  genial ;  and  is  uniformly  polite  to  everybody. 
He  is  emphatically  a  discerning,  large-hearted  man. 


MARSHALL    F.    WHITE 


HoosiCK  forms  one  of  the  northern  tier  of  towns  of 
Rensselaer  county,  New  York.  Its  scenery  is  picturesque 
and  beautiful,  and  its  surface  consists  of  wild  regions  of 
mountains,  and  narrow,  fertile  valleys,  w^hich  are  skirted 
by  precipitous  hillsides.  In  the  summer  season,  the  scenic 
variety  is  enchanting ;  and,  in  winter,  there  is  a  grandeur 
about  the  lofty  mountain  peaks,  which  cannot  be  forgotten. 
Scotchmen  who  have  visited  that  section,  say  that  it  more 
closely  resembles  the  scenery  of  Scotland,  than  any  other 
which  they  have  witnessed  in  this  country.  This  is  Mr. 
White's  native  place,  he  having  been  born  in"  Hoosick 
Falls,  July  23d,  1827,  of  N"ew  England  parentage.  We 
have  no  knowledge  of  the  incidents  of  his  youth,  except 
that  he  was  an  attendant  at  the  Ball  Seminary,  located  in 
the  village  of  his  birth. 

He  is  now  an  agent  for  the  Troy  &  Boston  Railroad, 
and  a  coal  and  lumber  dealer;  and  is  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  enterprising  men  in  the  north  part  of  Rensselaer 
county. 

He  is  a  sound  Republican;  his  political  antecedents 
were  Whig.  He  has  been  Town  Clerk,  and  for  five  years 
Commissioner  of  Common  Schools.  For  eight  years,  he 
held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  is  the  present 
incumbent  of  that  position.  In  1865,  Mr.  White  was 
elected  to  the  Assembly,  over  Chauncey  B.  Slocum,  the 
Democratic  candidate,  by  five  hundred  and  eighty-nine 
majority.  During  the  session  of  1866,  he  was  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  the  Expenditures  of  the  House. 
He  was  again  nominated  for  Member  of  Assembly, 
last  fall,  against  Gideon  Reynolds,  who  has  been  widely 
known  in  political  circles,  for  many  years.    Mr.  Reynolds 


390  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

had  formerly  been  a  Republican,  of  no  insignificant  power, 
in  Rensselaer  county.  Such  was  his  shrewdness,  as  a 
political  manager,  he  had,  for  a  long  time,  been  one  of  the 
controlling  spirits  of  his  party,  and  had  been  the  recipient 
of  oiBcial  favor  from  the  national  administration,  holding 
the  office  of  Internal  Revenue  Collector  for  the  Fifteenth 
District,  at  the  time  of  his  nomination  for  the  Assembly. 
When  the  issues  between  President  Johnson  and  the 
Republican  party  began  to  assume  a  tangible  shape,  Mr. 
Reynolds  went  according  to  the  policy  of  the  Presi- 
dent, and  afterwards  received  from  the  Democrats  the 
nomination  against  Mr.  White.  If  he  had  any  hopes 
that  he  could  be  elected  by  a  combination  of  disaffected 
Republicans  with  the  Democracy,  he  must  have  been  con- 
vinced of  his  error,  when  the  election  displayed  a  majority 
of  nearly  one  thousand  in  favor  of  Mr.  White. 

The  Speaker  appointed  Mr.  White  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Expenditures  of  the  House,  and  a  member 
of  the  Committee  on  Internal  Affairs.  His  thorough  con- 
versance with  business  matters,  qualifies  him  for  these 
positions.  He  is  of  unimpeachable  character ;  and,  though 
but  little  skilled  in  debate,  he  makes  a  very  reliable  repre- 
sentative. 


MARK    D.    WILBER 


Me.  Wilber  was  born  in  Clinton,  Dutchess  county, 
New  York.,  on  the  12th  day  of  August,  1829.  His  father 
is  a  farmer  —  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  New  Eng- 
land families.  They  were  Friends,  or  Quakers;  hence, 
they  had  no  public  part  in  our  Revolutionary  struggle. 
His  maternal  grandfather,  Doctor  John  Dodge,  held  a 
commission  as  Surgeon  in  the  army,  during  the  war  of 
1812-14.  He  practiced  his  profession  many  years  in 
Schenectady,  and  afterward  settled  and  died  in  Dutchess 
county.  He  was  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Doctor  John  Dodge, 
who  officiated  at  the  first  Baptist  service  on  Manhattan 
Island ;  and  was  also  a  physician  and  surgeon,  practicing 
in  New  York  city  during  the  Revolution. 

Mr.  Wilber,  in  youth,  possessed  a  temperament  of  an 
exceedingly  nervous  and  delicate  character.  He  entered 
Fairfield  Academy  to  prepare  for  college ;  but,  after  two 
years  of  study,  his  health  forbidding  close  application,  he 
left  to  recuperate  his  strength,  by  travel.  He  first  visited 
the  principal  cities  of  the  United  States  and  Cuba ;  he 
then  went  to  Chagres,  and  crossed  to  Panama,  making  the 
passage  in  the  most  primitive  style  to  Gorgona,  and 
finished  the  journey,  with  a  single  companion,  on  foot. 
After  spending  several  weeks  in  New  Granada,  he  visited 
Central  America  and  Mexico,  and  sailed  from  Acapulco 
to  San  Francisco  —  California  was  then  a  Territory — 
where  he  settled  temporarily.  In  that  genial  climate,  he 
became  the  embodiment  of  physical  health.  When  the 
State  was  admitted,  the  first  on  the  Pacific  coast,  he  took 
an  earnest  interest  in  its  prosperity,  entering  actively  into 
trade,  mining  and  agriculture.  He  had  the  first  threshing 
machine  built,  and  fed  the  product  of  a  thousand  acres  of 
the  first  wheat  and  barley  threshed,  on  the  coast.     In 


892  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

1851  and  1852,  he  was  President  of  the  Settlers'  Asso- 
ciation, a  body  organized  to  protect  the  settler  equitably 
against  the  Mexican  Land  Grant  monopolies.  He  stumped 
the  State  for  Pierce  in  1852,  running  as  Representative 
to  the  Assembly,  for  the  Sacramento  District.  He  ran 
largely  ahead  of  his  ticket,  but  was  defeated  through 
ballot-box  stuffing,  advantage  being  taken  of  the  suspen- 
sion of  the  canvass  during  the  hours  of  the  great  confla- 
gration of  the  city,  which  was  burned  on  the  night  of  the 
election.  He  returned  in  1853,  to  finish  his  studies.  He 
read  law  at  Yale,  under  Governors  Dutton  and  Bissell. 
In  1855,  he  united  with  the  newly  organized  Republican 
party,  and  stumped  Connecticut,  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, for  Fkemont.  He  graduated,  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar,  in  1856,  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion, in  New  York  city,  removing  his  residence  to  Pough- 
keepsie.  In  the  early  part  of  the  rebellion,  he  aided  in 
the  organizing  of  troops,  and,  in  1862,  entered  the  service 
as  Quartermaster  of  the  159th  Regiment  New  York  State 
Volunteers.  Afterward,  he  served  upon  the  Staff  of  General 
Albert  E.  Paine  in  the  Department  of  the  Gulf.  About 
a  year  afterward,  he  resigned,  on  account  of  physical  dis- 
ability. In  1864,  he  was  elected  by  the  Union  party  to  the 
Assembly,  serving  on  the  Committees  of  Judiciary  and 
Federal  Relations.  During  the  session,  he  was  chosen  to 
advocate  the  bill  ratifying  the  Constitutional  Amendment 
prohibiting  Slavery.  His  speech  on  that  occasion  was  a 
masterly  effort  in  logic,  history  and  statistical  proof.  It 
was  published  in  several  papers,  together  with  three  edi- 
tions, numbering  20,000  copies,  printed  and  circulated  by 
the  Union  State  Central  Committee,  as  a  campaign  docu- 
ment. He  was  renominated,  by  acclamation,  and  elected 
in  1865,  serving  on  the  Committees  of  Cities  and  Insur- 
ance; and  he  was  reelected  in  1866,  a  compliment 
bestowed  upon  no  predecessor. 


WILLIAM   WILLIAMS.  393 

Mr.  WiLBER  is  a  man  who  labors  for  the  benefit  of  his 
city  and  county.  He  is  the  projector  of  the  Pough- 
keepsie  and  Eastern,  and  Poughkeepsie  City  Rail  Roads, 
and  other  projects,  the  consummation  of  which  is  due 
almost  entirely  to  his  untiring  energy.  He  is  the  Lecturer 
on  Commercial  Law,  in  the  Eastman  Commercial  Colleo-e, 
in  the  city  of  Poughkeepsie.  As  a  public  speaker, 
whether  in  the  forum  or  on  the  lecture  rostrum,  he  dis- 
plays a  versatility  of  oratorical  power  seldom  excelled. 
In  the  present  Legislature,  Mr.  Wilber  is  Chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  the  Affairs  of  Cities,  one  of  the  most 
important  in  the  House,  and  is  looked  upon  as  a  sagacious 
Member. 


WILLIAM    WILLIAMS. 


Mr.  Williams  was  born  in  Bolton,  Connecticut,  on  the 
6th  day  of  September,  1815.  His  parents  were  from 
Wales.  He  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  in  1865,  from  the 
First  (Buffalo)  District  of  Erie,  and  served  on  the  Canal 
Committee.  He  was  reelected  from  the  Second  District, 
in  1866,  by  a  closely  disputed  contest,  running  fifty  ahead 
of  his  ticket,  and  receiving  a  majority  of  twenty-seven 
votes.     He  is  serving  on  the  Railroad  Committee. 

Mr.  Williams  is  a  self-made  man,  he  has  educated  him- 
self, and  acquired  large  means  by  his  remarkable  industry 
and  perseverance. 

As  a  speaker,  he  is  fluent  and  logical.  He  does  not  enter 
into  mere  technical  controversies  with  his  opponents,  but 
upon  all  the  political  issues,  and  upon  all  questions  which 
vitally  affect  the  interests  of  his  constituents,  he  arises 
fearlessly  and  enters  spiritedly  into  debate.  In  this 
respect,  he  has  already  made  his  mark  in  the  Assembly. 
50 


394  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

He  has  been  a  Banker,  in  Buffalo,  for  twenty-eight 
years,  and  is  regarded  in  commercial  circles  as  a  gentle- 
man of  fine  financial  ability.  Politically,  he  is  a  life-long 
Democrat,  taking  a  prominent  part  in  politics;  socially, 
he  is  highly  esteemed  in  all  circles  of  society,  and  is 
regarded,  by  all  parties,  as  a  fearless  and  upright  man. 


WILLIAM    B.    WILSON. 


Mr.  Wilson,  tlie  representative  of  the  Second  District 
of  Queens  county,  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  in 
the  year  1820.  Having  a  passion  for  the  sea,  during  his 
boyhood,  he  entered  the  United  States  service  on  board 
the  Independence,  Commodore  Nicholson.  His  first 
voyage  was  to  Russia,  to  which  country  the  Independence 
carried  Hon.  Geokge  M.  Dallas,  United  States  Minister 
to  that  empire.  The  ship  then  recrossed  the  Atlantic,  and 
went  to  Rio  Janeiro,  her  appointed  station.  On  this 
voyage,  Mr.  Wilson  spent  between  three  and  four  years, 
and  then  returned  to  New  York.  He  then  left  the  navy, 
and  went  to  reside  in  Newark,  New  Jersey,  where  he 
remained  until  the  death  of  his  father.  Shortly  afterward, 
he  came  to  Albany,  where  he  made  himself  master  of  the 
art  of  sail-making,  devoting  several  years  to  the  pursuit 
of  it.  He  then  returned  to  Newark,  where  he  resided, 
between  five  and  six  years.  While  in  Newark,  Mr. 
Wilson  was  an  active  member  of  the  Fire  Department, 
and  rose  to  be  Chief  Engineer  —  a  position  which  he  held 
for  some  years,  and  until  the  breaking  up  of  the  volunteer 
system. 

After  leaving  Newark,  he  resided  in  the  city  of  Brook- 
lyn, and  became  proprietor  of  a  hotel  in  that  city,  in  which 


HENRY  WOLTMAN.  395 

business  he  has  ever  since  remained.     In  1861,  he  removed 
to  Astoria,  his  present  place  of  residence. 

Mr.  WiLSox  was  married  about  twenty  years  ago.  His 
wife  and  three  children  still  survive.  He  has  always  been 
a  sound  and  consistent  Democrat,  of  the  old  Jacksonian 
school,  never  swerving,  for  an  instant,  from  his  party 
fidelity.  He  is  a  quiet  and  attentive  member  of  the 
House,  taking  up  none  of  its  time  in  speech-making,  but 
is  always  on  hand  to  cast  his  vote  when  it  is  needed  by 
his  constituents  or  his  party. 


HENRY    WOLTMAN 


Mr.  Woltman  is  a  native  of  Germany.  He  has  seen  a 
great  variety  of  incidents,  and,  for  several  years,  has  been 
conspicuous  in  the  local  politics  of  his  district.  He  is 
thoroughly  imbued  with  the  principles  of  the  Democracy, 
and  is  considered  to  be  a  pretty  shrewd  manager. 

Mr.  WoLTMAN  was  born  in  Bremen,  Germany,  April 
21st,  1831.  He  is  the  son  of  an  innkeeper,  who  also 
carried  on  a  distillery.  Leaving  the  public  school,  at  the 
age  of  fifteen,  he  went  to  sea  as  a  cabin  boy,  making  a 
voyage  from  Bremen  to  New  York,  thence  to  Trinidad, 
and  from  that  place  to  Bremen.  Remaining  in  port  a 
short  time,  he  shipped  before  the  mast,  and  made  three 
or  four  voyages  between  his  native  town,  the  United 
States,  and  the  West  Indies.  During  his  last  voyage, 
becoming  tired  of  a  seaman's  life,  he  ran  away  from  the 
vessel  while  in  New  York  harbor;  or,  to  use  his  own 
expression,  he  "  started  off  without  leave,"  and  sought  a 
more  congenial  occupation.  In  1849,  he  was  employed  as 
clerk  in  a  grocery  store,  but,  not  being  entirely  satisfied 
with  that  avocation,  he  succeeded  in  being  appointed  on 


396  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

the  Municipal  Police  force,  and  acted  as  knight  of  the 
"  locust  club  "  until  the  organization  of  the  Metropolitan 
Police,  when  he  refused  to  be  retained  on  the  new  force. 
Mr.  WoLTMAX  then  went  on  the  street  cars  as  conductor, 
and  continued  in  that  capacity,  from  1857  to  1859  ;  he  was 
bookkeeper  for  the  livery  firm  of  Messrs.  Towle  & 
Rover,  from  that  time  until  1862,  when  he  accepted  an 
appointment  in  the  New  York  City  Inspector's  office,  as 
Health  Warden,  and  held  it  until  the  office  was  abolished, 
in  March,  1866.  After  that,  he  was  a  clerk  in  the  Mayor's 
office  three  or  four  months,  and  then  was  appointed 
General  Foreman  of  Lands  and  Places  in  the  Street 
Commissioner's  office.  He  was  elected  by  the  Tammany 
Democracy  from  the  Twelfth  Assembly  District  of  New 
York. 


ABNER    I.    WOOD 


Mr.  Wood  was  born,  February  4th,  1813,  and  is,  there- 
fore, one  of  the  oldest  men  in  the  Assembly.  At  the  time 
of  his  birth,  his  parents  resided  in  Clifton  Park,  Saratoga 
county.  New  York,  where  his  father  carried  on  the  business 
of  shoemaking  and  tanning,  until  the  winter  of  1835, 
when  he  removed  to  Clarkson,  Monroe  county.  He  is  of 
Irish  descent — three  generations  in  his  lineage  dating  back 
to  birth  under  the  skies  of  Erin.  His  grandfather,  in  the 
paternal  line,  when  but  fifteen  years  old,  enlisted  in  the  ser- 
vice of  his  country,  and  served  three  years  in  fighting  the 
French  and  Indians,  in  the  old  border  wars.  When  this 
period  of  strife  had  passed,  he  settled  in  the  town  of 
Amenia,  Dutchess  county,  became  a  Baptist  preacher,  and 
preached  to  the  same  congregation  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1810. 


ABNER  I.    WOOD.  397 

To  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  very  meagre  facilities  for 
education  were  afforded.  Even  such  advantages  as  a 
common  school  could  give  were  his  only,  until  he  attained 
the  age  of  twelve  years.  At  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  com- 
menced learning  the  trade  of  shoemaking,  with  his  father, 
and  continued  in  that  occupation,  until  1844,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  a  farmer.  He  removed  from  Clarksou  to 
Brockport,  Monroe  county,  in  January,  1841,  and  after 
residing  there  four  years,  again  changed  his  residence  to 
Parma,  in  the  same  county,  where  he  has  since  continued 
to  reside. 

In  1850,  Mr.  Wood  was  elected  Assessor  of  his  town, 
by  the  Whig  party,  which  office  he  held  three  years.  He 
had  voted  with  that  party  since  attaining  his  majority, 
and  maintained  the  same  party  relations,  until  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Republican  party.  He  served  his  town  as 
Supervisor,  during  the  years  1858,  '59,  '60  and  '65,  his 
faithfulness  as  such  officer  being  fully  attested  by  these 
repeated  elections.  In  the  fall  of  1865,  he  was  elected 
Member  of  Assembly,  by  a  majority  of  seven  hundred  and 
fifty-one  over  the  Democratic  candidate.  His  reelection 
last  fall,  was  by  a  complimentary  majority  of  eight  hun- 
dred and  fifty-eight,  his  own  town  speaking  his  popularity 
at  home,  by  giving  three  hundred  and  ten  of  the  very 
flattering  vote. 

Mr.  Wood  is  an  efficient  representative.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Canal  Committee,  and  the  Committee  on  Chari- 
table and  Religious  Societies,  and  is  also  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Expenditures  of  the  Executive  Department. 
He  is,  therefore,  one  of  the  working  men  of  the  House. 
He  possesses  a  cordial,  social  temperament,  and  is  at  all 
times  courteous  and  obliging.  A  man  of  good  personal 
presence,  his  unpretending  manner  readily  wins  respect 
and  confidence  ;  and  he  blends  always  with  his  action,  the 
convictions  of  an  earnest.  Christian  gentleman. 


DANIEL    P.    WOOD. 


Daniel  Wood,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
came,  in  1800,  -to  Pompey,  Onondaga  county,  from  the 
Berkshire  Hills.  Daniel  P.  Wood  is  of  New  England, 
Massachusetts  stock.  And  this  implies  more  than  many 
men,  whose  minds  are  biased  by  religious,  sectional  or 
political  antagonisms,  are  willing  to  admit. 

Massachusetts  is,  in  some  important  respects,  the  infe- 
rior of  this  our  native  State.  She  has  many  faults  of 
history  and  character.  She  has  given  birth  to  not  a  few 
unworthy  sons  and  daughters.  But,  after  all,  in  spite 
of  all  tha,t  may  be  truthfully  said  about  the  Puritan 
sternness  and  Calvinistic  bigotry,  the  persecution  of  Bap- 
tists and  Quakers,  the  Cotton  Mathers  and  Salem  Witches 
of  the  past,  or  the  lax  notions  and  heresies  of  the  present, 
spite  of  all  the  business  and  political  sins  fairly  or  unfairly 
laid  at  her  door  by  Democrats  and  high  churchmen,  by 
Sunset  Cox  and  Hoeatio  Seymouk,  Massachusetts  is  a 
commonwealth  eminent  among  her  sisters  for  the  nobler 
qualities.  Considering  her  numbers  and  the  extent  of  her 
territory,  her  history  cannot  easily  be  surpassed  for  variety 
of  excellence.  Her  children  get  from  her  an  early  moral 
and  intellectual  training,  a  personal  independence  and  love 
of  liberty,  and  a  political  education  of  that  enlarged 
selfishness  which  subordinates  States  to  the  nation,  the 
interests  of  the  individual  to  the  interests  of  the  masses, 
which  holds  the  home  prosperity — as  bound  up  in,  and 
inseparable  from,  the  prosperity  of  neighbors  and  sisters. 
Those  sons  of  hers,  who  go  wrong,  are  unjust  to  their 
mother  and  share  nothing  of  her  spirit. 

Hon.  Daniel  P.  Wood  is  an  old  friend  of  ours.  Our 
acquaintance  dates  from  his  entrance  into  college,  and  we 
have  watched  with  interest  his  subsequent  career.     He 


DANIEL  P.   WOOD.  899 

inherited,  and  has  exhibited  through  life,  the  New  England 
traits  —  readiness  to  labor  and  to  learn,  strength  of  will, 
forecast  and  sympathy  with  those  movements  which  have 
for  their  end  the  well-being  of  the  country,  and  for  their 
means  the  advancing  condition  of  all  classes  and  races. 
His  father  was  a  lawyer  and  farmer,  but  farming  was  his 
main  occupation.  Mr.  Wood  worked  diligently  on  the 
farm  till  he  was  twenty  years  old,  acquiring  a  vigor  of 
constitution  which  enabled  him,  in  after  years,  to  endure 
the  severest  mental  labor.  After  a  preparatory  course 
at  Pompey  Hill  Academy,  Mr.  Wood  entered  Hamilton 
College.  There  he  not  only  disciplined  his  mind  by  a 
mastering  of  the  class  studies,  but  expanded  it  by  a  wide 
range  of  reading.  He  studied  law  at  Pompey  with 
Victory  Birdseye.  In  1846  he  commenced  the -practice 
of  law  at  Syracuse.  His  industry  and  skill  gave  him  great 
success.  He  was  Corporation  Attorney  for  three  years, 
and  his  general  business  was  so  large  and  attended  to 
with  such  fidelity  that  in  1853  his  health  broke  down.  In 
that  year  and  the  year  1854  he  consented  to  represent  his 
District  in  the  Assembly,  in  the  hope  of  good  from  lighter 
labors  and  a  change  of  occupation.  But  the  legislation 
of  those  years  was  very  important,  and  Mr.  Wood  was 
too  earnest  and  active  to  give  the  needed  rest  to  his 
worn  out  frame.  In  1853  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Salt,  and  was  on  the  Committees  on  Claims 
and  the  Code.  On  this  last  Committee  was  Arphaxad 
LooMis,  and  David  Dudley  Field,  another  codifier,  was 
often  present  at  its  sessions.  The  Committee  sat  many 
hours  each  day,  entertaining  the  most  important  dis- 
cussions, demanding  for  their  proper  handling  severe 
thought  and  wide  knowledge,  and  Mr.  Wood  brought  to 
them  his  legal  acumen  and  conscientious  industry. 

The  canal  policy  came  up  for  review  and  determination; 
the   Legislature  of  this  year  submitted  the  question  of 


400  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

*debt  for  tne  completion  of  the  enlargement  to  the  people, 
and  in  the  long,  exciting  and  able  debates  Mr.  Wood  was 
prominent  and  influential.  He  was  one  of  the  Managers, 
on  the  part  of  the  Assembly,  of  the  impeachment  of 
Canal  Commissioner,  John  C.  Mather.  To  have  been 
assigned  such  important  posts  by  a  house  politically 
opposed  to  him,  and  during  his  first  year  as  a  legislator, 
was  no  light  tribute  to  his  reputation  and  powers. 

In  1854,  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Colleges, 
Academies,  &c.,  he  matured  and  carried  through  the  act 
creating  the  Department  of  Public  Instruction.  He  was, 
this  year,  a  Member  of  the  Committee  of  Ways  and 
Means.  He  attended  moderately  to  his  profession  during 
the  three  years  immediately  following,  but,  in  1857,  a 
hemorrhage  of  the  throat  or  lungs  brought  him  to  the 
borders  of  death.  Most  men  would  have  given  way, 
but  the  will  of  Mr.  Wood  triumphed  over  disease.  As 
soon  as  he  could  cleverly  move,  he  started  for  South 
Carolina,  returning  thence  on  horseback. 

In  1864,  '65,  '66,  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  as 
representative  from  the  Second  District  of  Onondaga 
county.  In  1865  and  ^6Q,  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Canals,  a  position  requiring  almost  ceaseless 
labor.  He  understood  the  canals,  knew  the  burdens  laid 
upon  their  broad  and  patient  backs,  and  defended  their 
interests,  with  honor  to  himself  and  usefulness  to  the 
State.  In  1865,  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  to 
receive  the  remains  of  President  Lincoln,  at  the  city  of 
New  York,  and  conduct  them  through  the  State.  He 
was  also  on  the  Ways  and  Means,  a  Committee  of  which 
he  is  this  year  (1867)  the  Chairman. 

Mr.  Wood  was  a  Whig,  then  a  Republican.  During 
the  war,  he  labored  without  ceasing.  The  first  regiment 
which  went  from  Syracuse  was  raised  in  one  week.  In 
that  same  period,  mainly  through  the  exertions  of  Mr. 


ELEAZEE  WOOSTEE.  401 

Wood,  nearly  120,000  was  contributed  on  behalf  of  the 
soldiers  and  their  families.  His  patriotism  knew  no  fear 
or  faltering  ;  he  kept  up  his  patience  and  his  hope,  speak- 
ing words  of  good  cheer  all  the  more  when  hours  were 
darkest. 

As  a  legislator,  Mr.  Wood  has  but  few  equals  in  either 
House,  for  vigor,  activity  and  -versatility.  He  speaks 
often,  but  never  without  a  good  understanding  of  his  sub- 
ject. He  does  not  talk  buncombe,  nor  on  topics  aside  from 
proper  legislative  business.  He  is  clear,  precise,  and  aims 
directly  at  the  point,  caring  little  for  mere  ornament ;  but 
his  thrusts  are  as  telling  as  though  the  hilt  of  his  sword 
was  jeweled  and  its  bl^de  of  Damascus  steel. 


ELEAZER   WOOSTER. 


Me.  Woostee  has  fought  his  way  in  life  with  rigid  per- 
severance. Never  having  been  in  circumstances  which 
favored  a  liberal  education,  he  has  had  to  acquire  what 
knowledge  he  possesses,  by  solitary  study.  Taking,  as  a 
foundation,  what  learning  he  had  gained  in  the  common 
schools  of  New  Hampshire,  before  he  was  fifteen,  he  has 
added  thereto,  until  he  has  become  well  informed,  both 
professionally  and  socially.  Mr.  Woostee  is  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  is  a  lawyer  by  profession.  His 
residence  is  in  the  town  of  Poestenkill,  Rensselaer  county, 
New  York,  where  he  has  lived  for  a  number  of  years, 
building  up  a  business  which  brings  him  a  comfortable 
income.  At  the  Bar  he  holds  a  fair  position ;  and,  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  cases,  meets  with  an  average  degree  of 
success.  In  his  district,  he  carries  with  him  no  little  politi* 
cal  influence,  and  is  a  good  manager  in  a  campaign. 
51 


40^  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

Having  held,  in  an  acceptable  way,  different  town  offices, 
Mr.  Wooster  has  made  many  hearty  friends.  In  1859,  he 
was  candidate  for  District  Attorney,  on  the  "Know 
Nothing"  ticket,  and  ran  1,700  ahead  of  his  ticket,  being 
defeated,  however,  by  300  majority,  on  account  of  a  com- 
bination of  the  Democrats  with  the  People's  party.  In 
the  Assembly  of  1866,  Mr.  Woostek  bore  a  good  reputa- 
tion for  integrity.  Ill  health  compelled  him  to  be  absent 
a  portion  of  the  time ;  but,  whenever  occasion  demanded 
his  attendance,  he  was  found  in  his  seat,  though  he  might 
have  had  a  valid  excuse  for  being  away.  He  was  returned 
to  the  present  Legislature  by  a  most  emphatic  vote  in  his 
favor. 


NATHANIEL  J.   WYETH. 


Mr.  "Wyeth's  father,  Charles  Wyeth,  was  an  extensive 
silk  merchant  in  Baltimore,  and  his  mother,  Elizabeth 
Wyeth,  nee  Norris,  was  a  native  of  the  same  city.  The 
Wyeth  family  became  divided,  in  the  early  years  of  the 
American  colonies,  one  branch  settling  in  Massachusetts, 
and  the  other,  in  Virginia ;  of  the  latter  branch,  George 
Wyeth  became  the  most  eminent,  having  been  a  signer  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  a  distinguished  mem- 
ber of  the  Convention  that  framed  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States. 

Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth  was  born  in  the  city  of  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  in  1830.  He  was  named  after  his  great  uncle, 
Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth,  of  Cambridge,  well  known  as  a 
pioneer  hunter  and  trapper  with  Kit  Carson,  who  i» 
spoken  of  by  Washington  Irving  and  Schoolcraft  in 
their  writings,  as  a  man  of  sterling. mind;  and  he  likewise 


NATHANIEL   J.    WYETH.  403 

invented  many  useful  machines,  as  is  . shown  by  the  patent 
office  at  Washington. 

At  the  very  early  age  of  four  years,  the  subject  of  this 
article  was  sent  to  the  boarding  school,  at  Mount  Hope, 
where  he  remained  until  the  death  of  his  mother,  which 
occurred  when  he  was  eleven  years  old.  Soon  after  this 
bereavement,  he  was  placed  in  the  classical  high  school,  at 
Lawrenceville,  New  Jersey,  where  he  received  a  careful 
course  of  mental  training,  in  mathematics,  rhetoric,  and  the 
classics.  His  instructors  were  ripe  scholars,  and  experi- 
enced educators ;  and  they  soon  initiated  their  pupil  into 
a  course  of  culture  which  laid  the  foundations  of  good 
scholarship.  Mr.  Wyeth's  father,  having  a  sound  appre- 
ciation of  the  value  of  a  liberal  education,  determined  to 
give  his  son  the  most  ample  opportunities  of  a  university 
course ;  to  further  this  design,  he  placed  his  boy,  Nathan- 
iel, under  the  tuition  of  the  Unitarian  divine,  E.  Q.  Sewell, 
when  he  was  scarcely  fifteen.  In  the  summer  of  1846,  he 
was  admitted  to  Harvard  University,  which  was  under  the 
Presidency  of  Edwakd  Evekett,  of  whom  it  may  be  said ; 

"  He  put  so  much  of  soul  into  his  act, 

That  his  example  had  a  magnet's  force. 

And  all  were  prompt  to  follow  whom  all  loved." 

In  the  summer  of  1850,  Mr.  "Wyeth  graduated,  receiv- 
ing the  title  of  A.  B.,  and  the  next  spring  entered  the 
Law  School  at  Harvard,  where  he  exclusively  devoted  his 
time  to  the  study  of  law  and  political  science,  except  the 
few  hours  occasionally  given  to  reading  Dante's  immortal 
poem,  under  the  supervision  of  the  poet  Longfellow. 
In  a  year  and  a  half,  he  received  the  degree  of  L  L.  B. 
Having  arrived  at  manhood,  he  immediately  went  to 
the  city  of  New  York,  and  opened  an  office  for  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  A  few  months  subsequently,  he 
married,  and  changed  his  residence  to  Staten  Island,  where 
his  home  overlooks  the  broad  bay  of  New  York,  and  com- 


4(^  .      LIFE   SKETCHES. 

mands  a  full  view  of  the  ocean.  He  still  practices  at  the 
New  York  Bar,  and  is  in  the  very  heart  of  commercial 
activity  and  industrial  pursuits.  He  represents  Richmond 
county  in  the  Assembly  to  which  he  was  elected  by  the 
Democrats,  by  a  majority  of  eight  hundred  and  twenty- 
nine.  He  is  member  of  the  Committee  on  Colleges, 
Academies  and  Common  Schools,  and  the  Sub-Committee 
of  the  Whole. 

Mr.  Wyeth  is  a  man  of  good  social  traits,  and  sound 
opinions. 


TRUMAN    G.    YOUNGLOVE 


Me.  Younglove's  ancestors  were  of  English  extraction ; 
his  paternal  and  maternal  grandfather  were  both  soldiers 
during  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  both  drew  pensions 
to  the  time  of  their  death.  His  paternal  grandfather  was 
a  native  of  Connecticut,  but  early  in  life  emigrated  to 
Vermont,  in  which  State  he  reared  his  family.  His 
parents  came  from  Vermont  to  Edinburgh,  Saratoga 
county.  New  York,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born,  October  31st,  1815.  In  December,  1846,  he  took  up 
his  residence  in  Albany,  remaining  there  until  May,  1850, 
when  he  went  to  Cohoes,  from  which  village,  in  1861,  he 
moved  to  Crescent,  Saratoga  county,  where  he  now  has 
an  elegant  residence. 

His  advantages  of  education  were  the  best  afforded  by 
Select  Schools  in  Fabius  and  Salina,  Onondaga  county, 
and  at  the  Galway  Academy,  an  institution  then  in  charge 
of  A.  Watson,  A.  M.,  who  gave  it  a  reputation  second 
to  that  of  no  other  in  the  State.     While  prosecuting  his 


TRUMAN   G.    YOUNGLOVE.  405 

Studies,  he  taught  a  district  school  one  winter  in  Fabius, 
and  two  in  Galway. 

As  a  student,  he  was  noted  for  his  diligence  and  profici- 
ency, being  almost  always  first  in  his  classes,  and  seldom 
failing  to  win  the  honors  accorded  to  fine  scholarship.  He 
early  cultivated  a  taste  for  historical  reading ;  and  the  les- 
sons of  the  ages  have  still  for  him  a  freshness  of  interest 
unsurpassed  by  current  events  of  the  day.  With  mental 
habits  well  formed,  and  intellectual  powers  adequately 
trained,  professional  life  ofierfed  to  him  its  distinctions; 
and  with  a  view  to  such  life,  he  studied  law  with  the  late 
Hon.  Daniel  Cady,  and  Hon.  Teunis  Van  Vechten,  in 
Albany ;  but  soon  after  engaging  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  he  embarked  in  business  enterprises  at  Cohoes, 
and  has  ever  since  been  conspicuously  identified  with  all 
the  interests  of  that  thriving  town.  His  engagements 
requiring  constant  professional  skill,  he  has  kept  up  his 
law  library  and  law  reading,  and,  on  all  legal  points,  he  is 
his  own  best  counselor. 

At  Cohoes,  Mr.  Younglove  began  to  display  the  great 
executive  talent  which  has  made  for  him  a  remarkable 
record.  He  was  a  Trustee  and  also  the  Secretary  of  the 
Mohawk  River  Mills  corporation,  (a  company  engaged  in 
manufacturing  knit  goods),  during  the  existence  of  the 
company,  and  for  a  considerable  time,  had  the  entire  man- 
agement of  its  business.  Subsequently,  at  the  organization 
of  the  Clifton  Company,  also  manufacturing  knit  goods, 
he  became  Trustee  and  President  of  it,  and  so  remains. 
The  same  is  true  as  respects  his  relations  to  the  Cohoes 
Gas-Light  Company.  He  has  been  Trustee,  Secretary  and 
Treasurer  of  the  Cohoes  Savings  Institution,  ever  since 
its  incorporation  by  the  Legislature  in  1851.  He  is  a 
Director  in  the  National  Bank  of  Cohoes,  and  has  been 
such  from  the  organization  of  the  Bank  as  a  State  insti- 
tution, in  1859 ;  he  is  a  Director  in  the  Albany  City  Insur- 


406  LIFE   SKETCHES. 

ance  Company,  also  a  Director  in  the  Troy  and  Cohoes 
Railroad  Company.  He  was  Water  Commissioner  of  the 
Cohoes  Water  Works,  and  Treasm-er  of  the  Water  Fund, 
for  six  years,  and,  as  such,  liad  the  principal  management 
in  the  construction  of  the  works.  He  is  Secretary  and 
Agent  of  the  Cohoes  Company,  which  owns  the  entire 
water  power  of  the  Mohawk  at  that  place,  and  a  large 
amount  of  real  estate.  The  business  of  the  company  con- 
sists in  leasing  the  water  power  and  real  estate  to  the 
various  manufacturing  establishments,  and  the  charge  of  it 
devolves  almost  exclusively  upon  Mr.  Younglove.  Of 
this  company  he  is,  and  has  been  for  several  years,  a  Direc- 
tor. The  dam  and  gate-house  of  the  company,  recently 
constructed  mainly  under  his  supervision,  are  among  the 
finest  in  the  United  States,  and  the  water  power  thus  made 
available  is  scarcely  equaled  by  any  other  in  this  country. 
For  several  years,  he  had  the  entire  management  of  the 
Company's  large  Foundery  and  Machine  Shop,  both  of 
which  were  built  under  his  supervision.  In  company  with 
another  party,  he  has  been  for  several  years  engaged  in 
manufacturing  straw  board,  and  has  had  the  entire  direc- 
tion of  the  business.  In  the  mean  time,  one  of  the  finest 
mills  in  the  United  States  for  such  manufacture,  has  been 
erected  under  his  superintendency.  Such  eminence  in 
business  is  praiseworthy  in  one  who  early  learned,  and, 
for  a  time,  carried  on  the  business  of  tanner,  currier  and 
shoemaker  —  branches  of  industry  in  which  his  father  had 
been  successful. 

The  political  career  of  Mr.  Younglove  dates  from  his 
twenty-first  year,  in  which,  as  a  Whig,  he  was  elected 
Inspector  of  Common  Schools,  in  Fabius,  an  office  to  which 
he  was  chosen  a  second  time.  In  1845,  he  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  on  the  Whig  ticket,  in  the  town  of 
Galway,  by  a  majority  of  twenty-five,  when  the  town 
was  Democratic  by  eighty.     At  Cohoes,  he  was  elected 


TEUMAN   G.    YOXJNGLOVE.  40Y 

Trustee  of  the  village,  and  held  the  position  of  President 
of  the  Board  of  Education  for  five  years  in  succession, 
previous  to  his  removal  to  Crescent.  In  1864,  he  vras  the 
Republican  candidate  for  Member  of  Assembly,  from 
the  First  District  of  Saratoga  county,  but  was  defeated  by 
thirty-eight  majority,  a  result  caused  by  the  errors  of  the 
soldiers'  vote,  in  the  field,  a  number  of  ballots,  evidently 
intended  for  him,  being  cast  for  the  candidate  in  the  Second 
Assembly  District.  In  1865,  he  was  put  in  nomination  for 
the  Assembly  again,  and,  although  the  Distriort  was  largely 
Democratic,  was  elected  by  three  hundred  and  forty-seven 
majority.  He  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Trade 
and  Manufactures.  In  1866,  he  was  returned  to  his  seat 
by  five  hundred  and  fifty-nine  majority,  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Railroad  Committee,  and  Chairman  of  the  Insurance 
Committee. 

As  a  politician,  Mr.  Younglove  is  keen  and  sagacious. 
His  conclusions  are  not  so  much  the  result  of  quick  intui- 
tion, as  of  a  logical  method  of  reasoning  from  given 
premises.  They  are  neither  hurriedly  reached,  nor  hastily 
expressed. 

As  a  patriot,  earnestly  supporting  the  government  in 
the  hour  of  its  greatest  need  and  peril,  few  men,  whose 
engagements  kept  them  from  field  duty,  have  more 
unsparingly  devoted  their  time  and  money  to  a  sacred 
cause  which  could  only  triumph  by  the  ofierings  willingly 
laid  upon  the  altar  of  sacrifice. 

His  life  is  most  exemplary,  and  his  character  is  adorned 
with  virtues.  While  in  Gal  way,  he  was  for  several  years 
Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School ;  at  Albany,  he  was 
a  teacher,  and  at  Cohoes,  was  again  a  Superintendent  for 
ten  years.  In  these  relations,  he  has  wielded  powerful 
influences  for  good. 

Mr.  YouNGLOVE,  in  his  legislative  career,  has  achieved 
an  enviable  reputation.     Of  undisputed  integrity,  clear  in 


408  LIFE    SKETCHES. 

his  reasoning,  and  correct  in  his  conclusions,  his  opinions 
have  had  great  weight  with  all  with  whom  he  has  come  in 
contact;  and  his  uniform  courtesy  has  won  him  many- 
warm  friends.  His  business  talents  and  experience  have 
peculiarly  qualified  him  to  arrive  at  safe  judgments,  and 
his  course  has  been  such  as  to  encourage  every  commercial 
interest  of  the  State,  and  foster  every  sound  enterprise. 


LUTHER   CALDWELL, 

CLEKK   OF  THE   ASSEMBLY 

At  the  opening  of  the  present  session  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, a  very  spirited  contest  for  the  Clerkship  of  the 
House  took  place.  The  most  prominent  candidates  were 
Joseph  B.  Cushman  of  Utica,  who  had  filled  the  position 
for  four  successive  years  with  marked  ability,  Waldo  M. 
Potter  of  Saratoga  Springs,  now  Financial  Clerk  of  the 
Assembly,  and  Major  Luther  Caldwell  of  Elmira. 
After  numerous  ballotings,  Mr.  Caldwell  was  elected. 

He  descends  from  Puritan  ancestry,  his  progenitors 
having  immigrated  to  America  in  1634.  James  Cald- 
well, who  was  shot  by  the  British  troops  at  the  Boston 
massacre,  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  was 
a  connection  of  this  family.  Luther  Caldwell  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Ipswich,  Massachusetts,  September  16th, 
1822.  Twelve  years  ago  he  was  a  journeyman  mechanic, 
working  for  the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad ;  he  there- 
fore heartily  sympathizes  with  the  mechanic  and  laboring 
classes.  But,  though  his  hands  were  hard  and  browned 
with  toil,  his  mind  was  not  inert.  While  he  was  going 
through  with  the  routine  of  daily  labor,  he  was  also  alive 
to  the  march  of  events.  He  had  a  good  supply  of  that 
strong,  New  England  sense,  which  has  always  had  so 


LUTHER  CALDWELL.  409 

much  to  do  in  directing  and  governing  the  masses ;  and 
therefore,  it  is  not  astonishing  that  he  aspired  to  pursuits 
which  would  bring  him  more  immediately  in  contact  with 
mind. 

Mr.  Caldwell  was  appointed  Deputy  Clerk  of  the 
Assembly,  for  the  years  1857,  '59  and  '60.  In  1861,  he 
enlisted  in  the  llih  Regiment,  New  York  Volunteers, 
which  captured  the  first  field  piece  taken  from  the  rebels 
by  the  army  of  the  Potomac ;  he  was  commissioned  Lieu- 
tenant, and  was  shortly  afterward  promoted  to  Captain ; 
he  has  since  been  breveted  Major,  for  his  valor  in  the 
field,  by  Governor  Fenton.  In  the  army  he  was  prompt 
in  the  performance  of  duty,  and  uncomplaining  under 
privations.  After  his  Regiment  was  mustered  out  of  the 
service,  in  1863  (it  went  out  for  two  years),  he  bought  a 
half  interest  in  the  Elmira  Daily  Advertiser,  of  which 
he  is  now  the  Editor-in-Chief.  Mr.  Caldwell  is  some- 
what widely  known  as  a  Member  of  previous  Repub- 
lican State  Conventions,  having  been  Reading  Secre- 
tary in  1859,  '65  and  '66.  In  political  canvasses,  he  is 
regarded  as  an  excellent  campaign  speaker,  being  familiar 
with  party  policies  as  well  as  incidents.  His  previous 
experience  as  Deputy  Clerk,  familiarized  him  with  his 
present  duties,  upon  which  he  entered  as  no  novice. 
He  is  rapid  in  the  dispatch  of  business  before  the  House, 
never  causing  delay  by  any  oversight  of  his.  His  powers 
of  physical  endurance  are  very  great,  and  his  voice 
is  as  clear  and  distinct  as  a  clarion.  Thus  far,  Mr.  Cald- 
well has  given  general  satisfation  to  both  parties,  and  we 
doubt  not  that,  when  the  session  closes,  he  will  bear  away 
the  palm  of  being  one  of  the  best  Clerks  which  the 
Assembly  has  ever  had. 


52 


NATHANIEL  GOODWIN, 

KEEPER    OP    THE    SENATE   CHAMBER. 

Our  readers  will  pardon  us  for  taking  just  one  step  out- 
side the  bounds  of  the  Legislature,  and  giving  a  sketch  of 
the  life  of  Mr.  Goodwin,  who  is  known  by  the  sobriquet 
of  "  Uncle  Nat,"  to  almost  every  legislator  who  has  been 
in  Albany,  for  the  last  ten  years.  He  is  emphatically 
"  everybody's  friend ;"  and  his  good  natured  face,  wrinkled 
more  by  constant  smiles  than  by  cares,  will  be  remem- 
bered by  man}'-,  after  he  has  passed  from  the  theater  of 
life.  Many  a  State  officer,  Senator,  and  Assemblyman, 
will,  in  the  future,  recollect  the  kind  offices  and  favors 
Avhich  "  Uncle  Nat  "  performed. 

Mr.  Goodwin  was  born  in  Plymouth,  Massachusetts, 
July  9th,  1803,  within  a  few  rods  of  Plymouth  rock,  of 
which  he  sold  many  a  piece  to  travelers,  when  a  boy. 
Being  brought  up  near  the  sea  shore,  he  possessed  a  great 
desire  to  go  to  sea.  Having  acquired  an  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  New  England,  at  the  age  of  seventeen, 
he  shipped,  at  New  Bedford,  on  board  of  a  whaler,  and 
went  to  the  coast  of  Brazil.  After  an  absence  of  twelve 
months,  during  which  time  he  was  not  once  on  shore,  he 
returned  home ;  after  remaining  about  a  month,  he  went 
on  another  whaling  voyage,  going  round  Cape  Horn 
(the  Cape  of  Storms),  thence  along  the  coast  of  Chili,  Peru, 
and  California ;  having  remained  on  those  whaling  grounds, 
for  one  season,  they  sailed  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  for  sup- 
plies of  w^ood  and  water  and  provisions.  They  remained  in 
harbor,  for  four  weeks,  and  then  put  back  to  their  old 
cruising  ground.  Having  filled  their  ship  with  a  cargo  of 
oil,  they  returned  to  New  Bedford,  having  made  a  cruise  of 
twenty-nine  months.  He  afterward  made  several  voyages, 
on  board  merchant  vessels,  to  England,  South  America, 
Cuba,  and  other  parts.     During  one  of  his  absences,  he  was 


NATHANIEL   GOODWIN.  411 

shipwrecked  off  the  Bahama  Banks ;  the  vessel  was  a  total 
wreck,  but  he  was  saved  by  wreckers,  and  taken  to 
Havana.  It  is  impossible,  in  this  brief  space,  to  relate  the 
thrilling  adventures  which  he  had,  while  a  sailor. 

When  Mr.  Goodwin  was  twenty-four,  being  tired  of  a 
roving  life,  he  went  to  Homer,  Cortland  county.  New 
York,  and  bought  a  farm  which  he  managed  for  about  six 
years,  and  then  sold  out,  subsequently  following  various 
occupations.  In  1840,  he  was  elected  Collector  of  the 
town  of  Homer,  on  the  Whig  ticket.  Having  seen 
the  workings  of  slavery  in  the  course  of  his  travels,  and 
having  imbibed  a  goodly  amount  of  "  Plymouth  atmos- 
phere," in  his  youth,  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
Abolitionists  in  1842,  being  appointed  by  the  Abolition 
Society  to  distribute  documents,  and  appoint  meetings  in 
the  State.  In  1845,  through  the  assistance  of  his  friends, 
he  established  at  Cortlandville,  New  York,  an  Abolition 
newspaper  called  The  True  American.  He  sold  his  interest 
two  years  afterward.  In  1846,  Mr.  Goodwin  went  to  Ten- 
nessee, in  behalf  of  the  Abolition  Society,  to  purchase  from 
slavery  the  mother  of  Rev.  J.  W.  Loguen  ;  but  owing  to 
public  opinion  in  that  quarter,  her  master  did  not  dare 
sell  her.  He  remained  in  the  employ  of  the  society,  until 
1848.  After  that  time,  he  held  town  office  for  several 
terms,  and  in  1852,  was  appointed  Janitor  of  the  Assembly. 

From  1852  to  1857,  he  was  employed  by  the  Western  and 
Harlem  Railroad  Companies.  In  1857,  he  was  appointed 
to  fill  the  vacancy,  as  a  door-keeper  in  the  Senate ;  and  in 
1858  was  appointed  by  resolution,  as  keeper  of  the  Senate 
Chamber,  which  position  he  has  held  ever  since. 

Of  course  it  is  unnecessary  to  add,  that  "  Uncle  Nat  " 
is  an  "  out  and  out "  Republican.  He  has  been  a  friend  to 
the  slave,  from  the  time  when  "  Abolitionist "  was  an 
opprobrious  epithet,  but  he  has  lived  to  see  the  triumph 
of  the  great  principles  of  Right. 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  SENATE. 

NUMBER    OF    THEIR   RESPECTIVE   DISTRICTS,    AND   THE    COUNTIES    AND 
WARDS   COMPOSING   THE   SAME. 

LiEUT.-GoVERNOR  STEWART  L.  "WooDFORD,  Brooklyn,  Kings  county. 

Dist.  Counties  and  Wards.  Senators. 

1.  Suffolk,  Queens  and  Richmond  counties,  Nicholas  B.  La  Bau. 

2.  1st,  2d,  3d,  4th,  5th,  7th,  11th,  13th  and  19th 

wards  of  Brooklyn, Henry  R.  Pierson. 

3.  6th,  8th,  9th,  10th,  12th,  14th,  15th,  16th, 

17th  and  18th  wards  of  Brooklyn,  and 
towns  of  Flatbush,  Flatlands,  Graves- 
end,  New  Lots,  and  New  Utrecht,  of 
Kings  county, Henry  C.  Murphy. 

4.  1st,  2d,  3d,  4th,  5th,  6th,  7th,  8th  and  14th 

wards  of  New  York, Benjamin  "Wood. 

5.  10th,  11th,  13th  and  17th  wards  of  New 

York, Charles  G.  Corneli,. 

6.  9th,  15th,  16th  and  18th  wards  of  New 

York Abraham  Lent. 

7.  12th,  19th,  20th,  21st  and  22d  wards  of  New 

York, Thomas  Murphy. 

8.  "Westchester,    Putnam,    and    Rockland 

counties, Edmund  G.  Sutherland. 

9.  Orange  and  Sullivan, Henry  R.  Low. 

10.  Ulster  and  Greene, George  Chambers. 

11.  Dutchess  and  Columbia, Edward  G.  "Wilbor. 

12.  Rensselaer  and  Washington, James  Gibson. 

13.  Albany, Lorenzo  D.  Collins. 

14.  Delaware,  Schoharie  and  Schenectady, ...  Charles  Stanford. 

15.  Montgomery,     Fulton,     Saratoga     and 

Hamilton, Adam  "W.  Kline. 


MEMBERS    OF   THE   SENATE.  413 

DIst.  Counties  and  Wards.  Senators. 

16.  Warren,  Essex  and  Clinton,  Moss  K.  PiiATT. 

17.  St.  Lawrence  and  Franklin, Abel  Godakd. 

18.  Jefferson  and  Lewis, John  O'DoNNEiiL. 

19.  Oneida,  Samuel  Campbell. 

20.  Herkimer  and  Otsego, George  H.  Andrews. 

21.  Oswego, JOHN  J.  "WOLCOTT. 

22.  Onondaga, Andrew  D.  White. 

23.  Madison,  Chenango  and  Cortland, James  Babnett. 

24.  Tompkins,  Tioga  and  Broome, Ezra  Cornell. 

25.  Wayne  and  Cayuga, Stephen  K.  Williams. 

26.  Ontario,  Yates  and  Seneca, Charles  J.  Folger. 

27.  Chemung,  Schuyler  and  Steuben, John  L  Nicks. 

28.  Monroe,.... Thomas  Parsons. 

29.  Niagara,  Orleans  and  Genesee Richard  Crowley. 

30.  Wyoming,  Livingston  and  Allegany, Wolcott  J.  Humphrey, 

31.  Erie, David  S.  Bennett. 

32.  Chautauqua  and  Cattaraugus, Walter  L.  Sessions. 


ALPHABETICAL  LIST  OF  SENATORS, 

The  Counties  ix  which  they  Beside,  Post-Office  Address,  and  Politics. 


Name  of  Senators. 

Counties. 

Post-office  address. 

Politics. 

Andrews,  George  "W., 

Barnett,  James, 

Otsego, ..    .  . 

Springfield 

Peterboro,  

Republican. 
Republican. 

Madison, 

Erie,  

Bennett,  David  S., 

Bufi"alo, 

Republican. 

Campbell,  Samuel 

Oneida      

New  York  Mills, 

Stone  Ridge, 

West  Troy, 

Republican. 
Democrat. 

Chambers,  George, 

Collins,  Lorenzo, 

Ulster,  

Albany, 

Republican, 
Democrat. 

Cornell,  Charles  G 

New  York, 

Tompkins,  

Niagara, 

Ontario,  

New  York  City,. 
Ithaca,  

Cornell,  Ezra, 

Republican. 
Republican. 
Republican. 

Crowley,  Richard, 

Lockport, 

Geneva, 

Folger,  Charles  J., 

Gibson,  James, 

Washington,... 
St.  Lawrence,.. 

Wyoming, 

Montgomery, .. 

Warren, 

New  York, 

Sullivan,  

Kings, 

Salem, 

Republican. 
Republican. 
Republican. 

Godard,  Abel 

Richville     

Humphrey,  Wolcott  J.,... 

Warsaw,  

Kline,  Adam  W 

La  Bau,  Nicholas  B.,  ...  . 

Amsterdam, 

Luzerne, 

Republican. 
Republican. 
Republican. 
Republican. 
Democrat. 

Lent,  Abraham, 

New  York  City,.. 

Monticello, 

Brooklyn, 

Low,  Henry  R., ... 

Murphy,  Henry  C, 

Murphy,  Thomas, 

Nicks,  John  L, 

New  York 

Chemung, 

Lewis,  

New  York  City,.. 
Elmira,  

Republican. 
Republican. 

O'Donnell,  John, 

Lowville    

Republican. 
Republican. 

Parsons,  Thomas, 

Monroe,  

Kings 

Rochester, 

Pierson,  Henry  R., 

Brooklyn, 

Plattsburgh, 

Panama, 

Republican. 

Piatt,  Moss  K., 

Clinton,  

Republican. 
Republican. 

Sessions,  Walter  L 

Chautauqua,... 
Schenectady, .. 
Westchester,  .. 

Onondaga, 

Columbia, 

Wayne, 

Stanford,  Charles 

Schenectady 

White  Plains, 

Syracuse,  

Republican. 

Democrat. 

Republican. 

Sutherland,  Edmund  G., 
White,  Andrew  D., 

Wilbor,  Edward  G., 

Chatham, 

Republican. 

Williams,  Stephen  K., ... 

Newark,  

Republican, 
Republican. 

Wolcott,  John  J., 

Oswego, 

Fulton, 

Wood,  Benjamin, 

New  York 

New  York  City,.. 

Democrat. 

ALPHABETICAL    LIST 


OF  THE 


ilEMBERS    OF    THE    ASSEMBLY, 

WITH  THE  DISTKICTS  AND  COTJNTIES  THEY  REPKESENT,  POST-     • 
OFFICE  ADDRESS  AND  POLITICS. 

Hon.  EDMUND  L.  PITTS,  Speaker,  Medina,  Orleans  County- 


Dis. 

Assemblymen. 

County. 

Post-office  Address. 

Politics. 

? 

Archer,  Ornon, 

Wayne,  

Palmyra, 

Republican. 
Democrat. 

3 

Baker,  John  G., 

Ulster,  

Hurley,  

Baker,  Stephen, 

Putnam,  ........ 

Brewster's,  

Republican. 

Ballard,  Horatio, 

Cortland,  

Cortland, 

Republican. 
Republican. 

Barker,  Samuel  M.,.. 

Schuyler,  

North  Hector,  ... 

Barstow,  Oliver  A.,.. 
Berryman,  Wilson,.. 

Tioga, 

Nichols, 

Republican. 
Republican. 

17 

New  York, 

New  York  city, .. 

8 

Bicknell,  Richmond 

St.  Lawrence, 

Potsdam 

Republican. 

1 

Bigelow,  Lafay'te  J., 

Jefferson,  

Watertown, 

Republican. 

4 

Blair,  John  J., 

New  York, 

New  York  city, .. 

Democrat. 

1 

Blakeslee,  Levi,  

Oneida,  

Utica, 

Republican. 

5 

Blauvelt,  Charles,  ... 

New  York, 

New  York  city, .. 

Democrat. 

1 

Boyd,  William  B., ... 

Prattsburgh, 

Republican. 

Briggs,  Thomas  A.,.. 
Bristol,  William, 

Wypming, 

Gainesville,  

Republican. 

'?, 

Bruce,  Benjamin  F., 
Brush,  Augustus  A., 

Madison, 

Lenox,  

Republican. 
Republican. 

1 

Dutchess, 

Fishkill  Plains,.. 

Buck,  George  W 

Chemung,  

Chemung,  

Republican. 

18 

Buck,  Leander, 

New  York, 

New  York  city,.. 

Democrat. 

5 

Buckley,  Caleb  F.,... 

Kings 

Brooklyn,  

Brooklyn,  

1 

Burns,  Patrick, 

Kings  

Democrat. 

8 

Burrows,  Roswell  L. 
Button,  Heman  G.,.. 

Erie, 

Buffalo, 

Republican. 

1 

Cattaraugus, ,. 

Machias, 

Republican. 

416 


LIFE   SKETCHES. 


Dis. 

Assemblymen. 

County. 

Post-oflace  Address. 

Politics. 

3 

Candee,  Samuel, 

Onondaga, 

Pompey  Centre, 

Republican. 

? 

Chamberlain,  W.R., 

Clarke,  Edgar  B., 

Clark,  William  S.,... 

Republican. 

1 

Otsego, 

Unadilla  Forks, 
Sloansville, 

Republican. 

Schoharie, 

Democrat. 

1 

Conger,  Hugh, 

Covell,  Joseph, 

Republican. 
Republican. 

Fult'n  &  Ham. 

Northampton, ... 

Crandall,  Charles  M. 
Creamer,  Thomas  J., 

Allegany, 

New  York, 

Belfast 

Republican. 
Democrat, 

14 

New  York  city, .. 

13 

Cregan,  Bernard, 

New  York 

New  York  city,.. 

Democrat. 

2 

Cribben,  Henry, 

Monroe, 

Rochester, 

Republican. 

19 

Develin,  John  E., 

New  York, 

New  York  city, .. 

Democrat. 

7 

Dixon,  Henry  M., ... 
Donoho,  Const'tine, 

Williamsburgh, 
New  York  city, .. 

Democrat. 

2 

New  York 

Democrat. 

1 

Duntz,  Jacob  H., 

Columbia,  

W.  Taghkanick, 

Republican. 

Ellis,  Charles  G., 

Schenectady, 

Schenectady, 

Republican. 

7 

Fay,  Joseph  B., 

Fiske,  Leander  W., 

Chautauqua, .. 
Oneida, 

Republican. 
Republican. 

4 

Booneville, 

15 

Frear,  Alexander,.. 

New  York, 

New  York  city, .. 

Democrat. 

21 

Genet,  Henry  W., ... 

New  York, 

New  York  city, .. 

Democrat. 

2 

Gibbs,  George  C, 

Delaware, 

Stamford, 

Republican. 

Gill,  Columbus, 

Warren 

Creek  Centre, 

Republican. 

1 

Gleason,  George  M., 

St.  Lawrence, 

East  Pitcairn, 

Republican. 

11 

Gridley,  John  V., 

New  York, 

New  York  city,.. 

Republican. 

1 

Gurley,  William, 

Halsey,  Lewis  B...... 

Troy, 

Republican. 
Republican. 

1 

Orange,  

Newburgh,  

? 

Harrington,  Sheff'd 
Havens,  Palmer  E., 

Otsego, 

Hartwick, 

Republican. 
Republican. 

Essex, 

Essex, 

4 

Haynes,  Stephen, ... 
Hinson,  Charles  W.. 
Hinsdale,  Theodore, 

Kings, 

Erie         

Brooklyn    

Democrat. 

1 

Buffalo, 

Democrat. 

^ 

Kings, 

Brooklyn, 

Republican. 

? 

Onondaga, 

Washington,.. 

Republican. 
Republican. 

2 

Hitchcock,  Adol.  F., 

Kingsbury, 

Hoffman,  Abraham 

Montgomery, 

Fort  Plain, 

Republican. 

1 

Hoppin,  Bushrod  E. 
Hoyt,  Charles  S., 

Republican. 
Republican. 

Yates, 

Potter 

MEMBERS    OP   THE    ASSEMBLY. 


41' 


Dis. 

Assemblymen. 

County. 

Post-office  Address. 

Politics. 

o 

Hunt,  William  E 

Cattaraugus, .. 
New  York, 

Otto, 

Republican. 
Democrat. 

ir> 

Irving,  James, 

New  York  city, .. 
Brooklyn, 

q 

Kings, 

Chenango, 

Republican. 

8 

Keadj^,  Patrick, 

Kimball,  James  W., 

Franklin, 

Fort  Covington, 

Republican. 

? 

Lefever,  Jacob, 

Littlejohn,  D.  W.  C, 
Lockwood,  H.  N.  ' 

Ulster, 

New  Paltz, 

Republican. 
Republican. 
Republican. 
Democrat. 

1 

Oswego 

Oswego       

1 

Cavuga.  . 

Victory, 

1 

Lord,  Jar  vis, 

Monroe,    .  . . . 

Pittsford, 

Maiden, 

Redfield 

1 

Maxwell,  John, 

McKinney,  Cliarles, 
Mead,  Jacob  A.,  

Ulster, 

Republican. 
Republican. 
Republican. 

a 

Oswego, 

Livingston, ... 

Mount  Morris,..., 

? 

Millspaugh,  Geo.  W. 
Minier,  Cliristian,... 

Orange,  

Steuben, 

Goshen, 

2 

Caton  Centre, 

Republican. 

1 

Moody,  Elisha, 

Murphy,  MicliaelC, 

Niagara, 

New  York, 

Lockport, 

Republican, 
Democrat. 

1 

New  York  city,.. 

10 

Murphy,  Owen, 

New  York, 

New  York  city,.. 

Democrat. 

8 

Oakey,  John, 

Kings, 

132Nas'ust.,N.Y. 

Republican. 

3 

O'Reilly,  Daniel, 

New  York, 

New  York  city,.. 

Democrat. 

2 

Parker,  John  L., 

Cayuga,  

Moravia, 

Republican. 

2 

Penfleld,  George  J,,.. 

Westchester,., 

New  Rochelle, ... 

Democrat. 

Phillips,  Henry  A.,.. 
Plumb,  Joseph  H.,... 
Pool,  William, 

Lewis, 

Republican. 
Republican. 
Republican, 
Republican. 
Democrat. 

5 

Erie, 

Gow'nda,  Cat.Co. 

0 

Niagara, 

Niagara  Falls,  ... 

West  Troy,  

Clarence,  

4 

Potter,  Oscar  F., 

Albany, 

4 

Prince,  Alpheus, 

Erie, 

1 

Purdy,  Samuel  M., .. 

Westchester,.. 

West  Farms, 

Democrat. 

fi 

Raber,  John, 

Kings, , 

Williamsburgh,. 
New  York  city,.. 

Ransom,  Frank  A., 

New  York, ..... 

Democrat. 

i 

Reed,  James, 

New  York, 

New  York  city,.. 

Democrat, 

I 

Reynolds,  Austin  L. 

Saratoga,  ...... 

S.  Glens  Falls, ... 

Republican. 

t 

Rice,  William  H.,  ... 

Oswego,  ......... 

Caughdenoy, 

Republican, 

Richmond,  Seth  M., 

Herkimer,  .... 

Little  Falls, 

Republican. 

2 

Roberts,  Ellis  H., 

Oneida,  ......... 

tJtica, 

Republican* 

418 


LIFE    SKETCHES. 


Dis. 

Assemblymen. 

County. 

Post-office  Address. 

Politics. 

8 

Robertson,  Alex,,  ... 

Albany, 

Albany, 

Democrat 

9 

Rogers,  Henry,  '■ 

New  York, 

New  York  city,.. 

Democrat. 

20 

Russell,  Patrick, 

New  York, 

New  York  city,.. 

Democrat. 

3 

Sanford,  George  H,, 
Schutt,  Hiram, 

Oneida,  Mad.  Co. 
Port  Gibson, 

1 

Ontario, 

Republican. 

Selkreg,  John  H 

Tompkins, 

Jefferson,  

Ithaca 

Republican. 
.  Republican. 

2 

Shaw,  Albert  D., 

Cape  Vincent,  ... 

1 

Shiland,  Thomas,  ... 

Washington,.. 

Cambridge, 

Republican, 

6 

Sigerson,  John, 

New  York, 

New  York  citv,.. 

Democrat. 

1 

Skillman,  Francis,.. 
Smith,  Henry, 

Queens  

Roslyn, 

Democrat. 

2 

Albany, 

Albany, 

Republican. 

1 

Smith,  Joshua, 

Delaware, 

Cannonsville, 

Republican. 

Starr,  David  G., 

Sullivan, 

Monticello, 

Democrat, 

2 

Stiles,  Orson, 

Chautauqua, .. 

Rockland,  

Genesee 

Republican, 

Suffern,  James, 

Tarbox,  Henry  F.,... 
Torrey,  Samuel  H.,.. 
Travis,  JDavid  W.,  ... 
Vandenberg,  John,.. 

Suffern's 

Democrat. 

Batavia 

Republican. 
Republican, 

2 

Ontario 

Naples, 

« 

Peekskill    

Republican. 
Republican, 

1 

Wayne 

Clyde,           

VanValkenburg,  J., 

Broome, 

Binghamton, 

Republican. 

Wagstaff,  Alfred,  Jr. 
Weed,  Smith  M., 

Suffolk, 

Republican. 

Clinton, 

Plattsburgh, 

Democrat. 

Welles,  Samuel  R., .. 
Wendover,  S.  H...... 

Waterloo, 

Democrat. 

2 

Columbia,  

Stuyvesant,  

Republican. 

2 

White,  Marshall  F., 

Rensselaer,  ... 

Hoosick  Falls,... 

Republican. 

2 

Wllber,  Mark  D., 

Dutchess, 

Poughkeepsie, ... 

Republican. 

2 

Williams,  William, 
Wilson,  William  B., 
Woltman,  Henry, ... 

Erie, 

Buffalo, 

Democrat. 

? 

Queens 

Astoria    • 

Democrat. 

12 

New  York, 

New  York  city,.. 

Democrat. 

8 

Wood,  Abner  I.,    .  .. 

Republican. 
Republican. 

1 

Wood,  Daniel  P., 

Onondaga, 

Rensselaer,  ... 

3 

Wooster,  Eleazer,  ... 

Poestenkill,  

Republican. 

Wyeth,  Nathaniel  J. 

Richmond,  ... 

New  Dorp,  

Democrat. 

1 

Younglove,  T.  G., 

Saratoga, 

Republican. 

■P  14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

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Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


15Dec'64Mr 

■      _.  i>  '-•-' 

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JJtu  A     w'+  -\.u  " 

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