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Westchester  County 


IN 


HISTORY 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST 

PAST  AND  PRESENT 


COUNTY  HISTORY 
TOWNS,  HAMLETS,  VILLAGES  AND  CITIES 


TRULY  THIS  PEOPLE  CAN  SAY,  WE  HAVE  MADE  HISTORY 


1683-1912 


BY 

HENRY  T.  SMITH 

Connected  with  County  Journalism  Forty-Five  Years 


VOLUME  II 


Containing  specially  prepared  articles  relative  to  the  County;  matters  concerning:  the  County's  history; 
0|  organization  of  Towns,  Villages  and  Cities;   population  as  shown  by  the  various  census 

enumerations,  with  other  statistics  and  general  facts  of  interest  and  value. 


Also,  containing  the  portraits  and  biographies  of  distinguished  men  connected  with  the  County's  early 
history,  as  well  as  of  prominent  officials  of  the  present  time. 


White  Plains.  N.  Y. 

HENRY  T.  SMITH,  Publisher 

1912 


I 


j       TO  KtV?  YOFK 
PUBLIC  I M^V 

A5STCP.,   '  • 


Copyright  by 

HENRY  T.  SMITH 

1912 


All  rights  reserved 


PREFACE. 

In  offering  additional  volumes  of  the  Westchester  County 
Manual  and  Civil  List,  the  author  considers  that  no  special  or 
formal  words  of  introduction  are  necessary. 

The  first  volume,  published  in  1898,  had  a  circulation  greater 
than  anticipated  by  the  publisher,  and  the  issuing  of  a  second 
edition  was  required  to  meet  the  demand. 

Numerous  books  relative  to  the  history  of  historic  Westchester 
County  have  been  written;  and,  while  they  possess  a  peculiar 
sameness,  they  have  many  meritorious  features.  The  author  of 
this  history  has  endeavored  to  get  out  of  the  "beaten  path," 
and  give  his  book  an  individuality  of  its  own.  That  it  may 
fulfill  the  mission  intended  is  greatly  desired. 

Recognizing  the  necessity  of  securing,  while  data  is  yet  avail- 
able, as  complete  a  record  as  possible  of  officials  connected  with 
the  County's  history,  and  estimating  that  the  preservation  of 
such  record,  in  convenient  book  form,  will  be  of  practical  value 
in  the  future,  as  well  as  at  the  present  time,  the  author,  in  the 
year  1890,  commenced  the  compilation  of  this  work;  and  the 
greeting  it  received  on  the  presentation  to  the  public  of  the  first 
volume  has  encouraged  him  to  offer  additional  volumes,  after 
the  lapse  of  a  due  number  of  years. 

As  this  historical  publication  is  the  first  and  the  only  one  of 
its  kind  ever  undertaken  relative  to  Westchester  County,  and 
particularly  to  its  civic  life,  it  will  be  readily  understood  that 
years  of  research  and  labor  had  to  be  devoted  to  bring  about 
desired  results.  The  book,  in  its  several  volumes,  is  the  out- 
come of  efforts  to  preserve  in  ready  reference  form  the  names 
and  history  of  the  men  who,  at  different  periods  dating  back 
over  two  hundred  years,  have  rendered  honorable  and  meri- 
torious service  to  Westchester  County,  making  them  worthy  of 
having  their  names  preserved  in  connection  with  its  history. 

In  order  to  make  the  several  volumes  of  this  book  of  general 
interest  to  all  readers,  efforts  are  made  to  present,  in  attractive 
form,  thrilling  and  absorbing  incidents  relating  to  remarkable 
facts  in  the  County's  history. 

3 


4  PREFACE. 

The  bioj^^raphical  annals  of  the  County,  a  feature  of  the  book, 
deal  only  with  "  people  of  all'airs;  "  they  who  have  been  con- 
spicuous in  the  County's  life  during  the  many  years;  they  who 
have  *'  done  thintrs  "  toward  the  makinp:  of  its  history— that 
somethini:  which  entitles  them  to  be  remembered  in  years  to 
come,  after  they  have  passed  into  the  ''  Beyond,"  when  mem- 
ories are  cherished  by  beloved  ones  remaining. 

By  a  careful  reading  of  the  biographies  of  those  who  assisted 
in  its  success  and  development  much  can  be  learned  of  the 
County's  history. 

In  the  preparation  of  biographies,  it  has  been  the  desire  to 
indulge  in  no  undeserved  praise,  or  fulsome  laudation.  Every 
one  has  been  accorded  the  credit  honestly  deserved,  and  it 
has  been  the  author's  sincere  purpose  to  bring  to  public  recog- 
nition the  characteristics  and  traits  of  each  who  has  been  deemed 
worthy  of  biographical  consideration. 

^lany  of  the  men  whose  biographies  appear  in  the  first  volume 
of  this  book,  who  were  active  in  public  affairs  and  directing 
matters  of  State  at  that  time,  have  since  passed  over  the  line 
into  the  land  of  "  the  great  majority."  Twelve  years  or  more, 
the  time  lapsing  between  the  dates  of  publishing  the  two  vol- 
umes, have  worked  great  changes  within  our  County.  No  man 
knoweth  what  time  hath  in  store  for  him.  In  several  instances, 
those  who  aided  in  obtaining  necessary  information,  and  who 
watched  eagerly  for  the  publication  of  this  voliune,  are  not  here 
to  be  among  its  readers. 

In  dealing  with  the  past  and  present  in  the  civic  life  of  our 
County,  as  much  pleasure  has  been  experienced  in  giving  the 
photographs  and  sketches  of  office-holders  conspicuous  in  years 
gone  by,  as  in  doing  like  service  for  men-of -affairs  of  the  present 
day.  We  all  realize  that  our  country  is  better  owing  to  the 
loyal  public  service  rendered  by  all  good  citizens  in  their  day. 
We  are  inclined— that  is,  the  most  of  us  are — to  have  too  little 
respect  and  veneration  for  the  things  of  antiquity,  despite  the 
fact  that  we  talk  a  great  deal  about  the  good  old  times  of  long 
ago,  about  the  noble  acts  and  heroic  deeds  of  the  fathers.  In 
the  hustle  and  bustle  of  modern  life  we  are  apt  to  bowd  over 
with  sacrilege  and  disdain  some  of  the  most  ancient  and 
respected  landmarks  of  the  past.  We  have  our  eyes  fixed 
upon  the  goal  in  mirage  ahead,  and  we  are  wont  to  forget  the 
objects  of  reality  in  the  rear.     We  do  not  remember  at  all 


PREFACE. 


5 


times  that  it  is  better  to  be  a  "  Has-Been  "  than  a  ''  Never- 
Was-At-All." 

The  aim  of  the  author  has  been  to  make  the  work  authentic 
in  facts  and  dates.  In  the  absence  of  authenticated  records,  in 
many  cases  dependence  had  to  be  placed  upon  the  memory  of 
old  residents.  It  is  therefore  possible  that,  despite  most  con- 
scientious and  indefatigable  labor,  an  occasional  error  may  be 
found. 

It  is  hoped  that  as  a  book  of  reference  it  may  prove  invaluable. 

The  author  feels  that  he  is  greatly  indebted  to  many  friends 
who  kindly  rendered  him  the  assistance  that  enabled  him  to 
bring  out  the  succeeding,  as  well  as  the  first,  volume.  He  takes 
this  occasion  to  publicly  tender  his  thanks  to  all,  assuring  them 
that  but  for  such  valuable  aid  his  labor  might  have  been  more 
than  disproportionably  increased. 


February,  1912. 


WESTCHESTER  COUNTY. 

(Continued  from  page  5,  Vol.  1.) 

Westchester  County  is  a  long,  comparatively  narrow,  strip  of 
land,  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Borough  of  the  Bronx  (New 
York  city),  on  the  west  by  the  Hudson  River,  on  the  north  by 
the  County  of  Putnam  and  the  State  of  Connecticut,  on  the 
east  by  Long  Island  Sound.  The  total  area  of  the  County  is 
five  hundred  and  six  square  miles,  and  its  present  population 
(1910)  is  283,055.  The  southern  end  of  the  county,  divided 
into  cities  and  villages,  is,  for  all  practical  purposes,  solidly 
built  up.  Above  White  Plains  village,  with  few  exceptions,  it 
still  remains  comparatively  a  rural  district. 

Counties,  as  well  as  all  things  else,  have  a  beginning,  so  it 
was  with  Westchester  County.  And  in  the  beginning  it  had  a 
people,  and  these  people  were  the  *'  red  men  of  the  forest," 
the  original  members  of  the  order  of  *'  Foresters  of  America." 

The  woods  of  Westchester  County  were  inviting  to  these 
original  Americans,  from  the  shores  of  the  Hudson  River  to  the 
shores  of  Long  Island  Sound.  From  the  enchanting  high  hills 
of  the  north,  and  to  the  south  so  far  as  the  haunted  waters  of 
Sputen  Duyvil  Creek,  itself  the  home  of  many  a  spirit,  if  it  be 
true  that  ghosts  walk;  the  Indians  of  long  ago  gave  the  land 
about  the  shores  of  this  historic  creek  a  name  of  unpronounce- 
able gutterals  and  sowed  the  rocky  soil  of  Westchester  County's 
southern  boundary  line  with  arrow  heads  and  traditions.  Along 
the  water  fronts  and  through  the  woods  where  our  Indian 
brethren  disputed  titles  with  their  neighbors,  the  bears  and  the 
catamounts,  generations  of  white  men  have  come  with  their 
feuds  and  friendships,  their  loves  and  their  hates,  and  have  all 
passed  away.  Others  are  here,  alike  as  human  as  those  who 
have  gone  before. 

As  to  the  original  settlers  of  the  county,  the  Indians,  and  their 
immediate  successors,  the  Dutch,  much  has  been  written  as 
special  subjects  and  in  a  general  way  by  recorders  of  matters 
historical.  From  these  writings  we  learn  the  general  opinion 
of  all,  that  the  first  inhabitants  of  our  County  were  shamefully 

7 


8  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

abused  not  only  by  the  Dutch  settlers  themselves,  as  a  whole, 
but  by  a  powerful  trading  corporation  that  stole  rather  than 
purchased  property  from  the  ignorant  first  owners.  If  money 
was  exchanged  in  acquiring  property,  the  buyer  would  see  to 
it  that  an  ample  quantity  of  rum  was  at  hand  to  sell  to  the 
Indian  and  get  ({uick  return  of  that  money.  In  many  cases 
the  Indian  would  first  be  made  drunk  and  then  persuaded  to 
sign  some  kind  of  a  docimient  bartering  away  his  land.  The 
Dutch  East  India  Company's  agents  were  in  most  cases,  if  not 
in  all  cases,  the  "  purchasing  "  agents,  and  this  grasping  cor- 
poration held  on  to  the  land  so  acquired,  leasing  it  at  high 
rental  to  honest  settlers,  and  in  a  few  instances  only  selling  a 
parcel. 

Ruttenber,  a  writer  on  this  subject,  says:  "  Until  touched 
and  warped  by  wrong  treatment,  wherever  the  Indians  were 
met,  they  were  liberal  and  generous  in  their  intercourse  with 
the  whites,  and  more  sinned  against  than  sinning,  they  left 
behind  them  evidences  of  great  wrongs  suffered;  their  enemies 
being  their  witnesses," 

The  Dutch  trading  company  introduced  among  the  Indians 
intoxicating  liquors,  and  it  was  a  common  sight  to  see  on  the 
streets  of  New  Amsterdam  (New  York)  daily,  and  in  fact 
nightly,  numerous  Indians  helpless  as  the  result  of  over-indul- 
gence in  intoxicating  liquor.  While  in  this  state,  as  well  as 
when  sober,  the  Indian  was  robbed  of  his  earnings,  as  well  as 
the  furs  and  goods  they  had  purchased  from  agents  of  the 
trading  company. 

The  Indians  complained  that  the  Dutch  had  not  paid  them 
sufficient  price  for  their  land,  but  their  complaints  were  long 
unheeded.  They  even  claimed  that  the  money  owed  them  by 
wealthy  Dutch  residents  was  kept  from  them,  and  they  at 
times  suffered  for  want  of  food  as  well  as  did  their  wives  and 
children. 

The  scandal  growing  out  of  this  robbing  of  the  Indians  became 
finally  so  great  that  the  Council  of  New  Amsterdam  had  to  take 
notice.  In  the  published  old  records  of  New  Amsterdam  is 
found,  under  the  title  of  "  Ordinances  of  New  Amsterdam," 
the  following  preamble  and  ordinance,  bearing  upon  this  sub- 
ject:  "  Great  complaints  are  daily  made  to  the  Director-Gen- 
eral and  Council  by  the  Indians  or  natives,  that  some  of  the 
inhabitants  of  New  Netherlands  set  the  natives  to  work  and  use 
them  in  their  service,  but  let  them  go  unrewarded  after  the 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  9 

work  is  done,  and  refuse,  contrary  to  all  international  law,  to 
pay  the  savages  for  their  labors.  These  Indians  threaten  that, 
if  they  are  not  satisfied  and  paid,  they  will  take  their  own  pay, 
or  recover  their  remunerations  by  other  improper  means.  There- 
fore, to  prevent  all  trouble  as  much  as  possible,  the  Director 
and  Council  warn  all  inhabitants  who  owe  anything  to  an 
Indian  for  wages  or  otherwise  to  pay  it  without  dispute,  and 
if  in  the  future  they  employ  savages,  they  shall  be  held  liable 
to  pay  upon  the  evidence  and  complaint  of  the  Indians  (who 
for  good  reason  shall  be  considered  credible  witnesses  in  such 
cases),  under  penalty  of  such  a  fine  as  the  circumstances  shall 
indicate  as  proper." 

The  Indians,  as  owners,  had  been  ejected  from  the  Island  of 
Manhattan,  and,  locating  in  the  adjacent  Westchester  territory, 
soon  became  only  transient  guests  in  the  then  Dutch  city.  They 
were  more  than  inclined  to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  the  whites. 
Though  they  frequently  and  naturally  had  unkindly  differences 
with  other  tribes  of  Indians,  they  manifested  ever  a  friendly 
feeling  for  the  Dutch  settlers. 

That  the  Indians  did  finally  go  on  the  ''  war-path,"  in  1643 
and  later,  and  bring  disaster  upon  the  white  settlers,  is  not  sur- 
prising, when  we  consider  the  treatment  they  received;  the 
actions  of  certain  powerful  Dutch  corporations  may  justly  be 
considered  as  provocation. 

That  the  Dutch  settlers  who  inhabited  a  great  section  of 
Westchester  County,  especially  the  southern  portion,  were 
brought  into  dislike,  is  not  surprising  when  we  consider  their 
treatment  of  the  Indians.  The  fault  lay  not  with  the  average 
Dutch  settler,  but  rather  with  the  arbitrary,  dominant  Dutch 
East  India  Company  which  bought  land,  or  more  properly 
acquired  it,  by  means  fair  or  foul,  and  then  permitted  settlers 
to  occupy  it  at  exorbitant  rental  rates.  The  Dutch  settlers 
rebelled  but  were  helpless.  This  conduct  of  the  Dutch  East 
India  Company,  and  the  dominant  spirit  shown,  to  rule  or  ruin, 
had  the  ultimate  result  of  discrediting  the  company  as  a  com- 
mercial agency,  and  creating  to  it  such  an  opposition  that  it 
finally  lost  its  commercial  standing  and  contributed  to  the  loss 
of  Dutch  supremacy  and  to  permitting  the  English  to  acquire 
occupancy  of  territory  held  by  the  Dutch.  The  first  most 
prominent  act  of  hostility  to  the  power  of  the  Dutch  East  India 
Company  was  when  Pell  negotiated  direct  with  the  Indians  for 
the  purchase  of  that  tract  of  land  embracing  what  is  now  the 


10  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

towns  of  Pelham  and  New  Rochelle,  disregarding  the  hereto- 
fore all-powerful  Dutch  company.  It  is  held  by  historians  that 
Governor  Winthrop  of  Connecticut  prompted  the  actions  of  the 
English  in  forcing  the  issue  with  the  Dutch  for  possession  of 
the  land  fonning  a  great  part  of  Westchester  County.  Beyond 
doubt  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  had  organized  one  of  the 
greatest  of  original  trusts,  especially  in  land  accumulation  for 
speculative  purposes,  ever  attempted  in  this  country;  truly  they 
bought  low  and  sold  high,  and  when  this  company  came  to  grief, 
and  it  was  helpless  to  rob  Indian  or  white  man,  there  were  no 
outward  manifestations  of  great  mourning  among  the  honest 
Dutch  citizens. 

Westchester,  one  of  the  original  counties  of  the  State,  is  as 
well  one  of  its  most  historic  counties.  In  the  days  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary War  it  furnished  its  full  quota  of  fighting  men  and 
heroic  women,  as  it  has  since  done,  whenever  our  country  called, 
and  was  in  need  of  able  and  willing  hands,  for  support  or 
defense. 

In  the  Revolutionary  War  period,  being  adjacent  to  New 
York  city,  where  a  strong  force  of  British  troops  were  entrenched, 
the  county  was  ever  a  hot-bed  of  conflict,  and  periodical  inva- 
sions and  depredations  were  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception, 
if  not  from  flying  trips  made  by  the  enemy's  scouting  parties, 
it  was  from  irregular  marauding  parties  organized  for  purposes 
of  plunder,  of  friend  or  foe;  so  long  as  spoils  could  be  secured 
the  invaders  were  indifferent  as  to  persons  they  robbed.  As 
the  lower  section  of  the  County,  from  the  Hudson  River  to 
Long  Island  Sound,  became  known  as  "  neutral  ground,"  resi- 
dents within  the  prescribed  limits  were  considered  just  prey, 
according  to  the  fates  of  war.  Among  these  prowling  gangs 
of  desperadoes  were  two  bands  known  as  '^  Cowboys  "  and 
*'  Skinners."  These  bands  were  well  and  appropriately  named; 
the  first  stole  and  drove  off  every  head  of  cattle,  found  unpro- 
tected, to  sell  to  the  British  Army  in  New  York,  which  willingly 
purchased  the  stolen  goods,  "  and  no  questions  asked,"  with 
directions  to  go  back  and  steal  more  from  the  ''  rebels."  The 
second  band  "  skinned  "  every  locality  neglected  or  overlooked 
by  the  plundering  "  Cowboys,"  even  to  the  contents  of  the 
houses  defended  only  by  lone  women  whose  male  protectors  were 
fighting  for  their  country  in  the  Continental  Army.  Not  only 
were  people  robbed,  but  their  buildings  were  burned  by  these 
worse  than  brutes.     When  Andre  was  halted  at  Tarrytown  he 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  11 

first  took  the  man  who  commanded  him  to  **  stand,"  to  be  either 
a  **  Cowboy  "  or  a  **  Skinner,"  and  felt  easy;  knowing  them  so 
well,  he  was  confident  he  could  bribe  them  with  money,  and 
pass  on. 

When  General  Washington  retreated  from  Long  Island,  to 
evade  the  British  Army  in  New  York,  commanded  by  General 
Howe,  he  passed  through  Westchester  County.  This  was  prob- 
ably during  one  of  the  most  trying  periods  for  the  American 
Army  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  when  General  Washington 
was  sorely  taxed,  but  more  than  ever  determined  to  continue 
battling  for  the  patriotic  cause.  Many  petty  complaints  and 
predictions  as  to  disaster  and  ultimate  failure  to  patriotic  hopes 
beset  him,  yet  he  went  his  way  determined  to  win  the  victory 
every  true  heart  desired. 

A  well-known  historical  writer,  describing  Washington's  entry 
into  Westchester  County,  said:  **Altho  his  army  was  poorly 
equipped,  wretchedly  disciplined,  and  not  large,  altho  the 
soldiers  of  one  section  were  jealous  and  suspicious  of  those  of 
another,  altho  there  were  any  number  of  deserters,  sick  and 
absent  men,  and  in  spite  of  the  most  irritating  interference  of 
Congress,  which  gave  Washington  no  power  to  fill  vacancies, 
and  insisted  on  short  terms  of  enlistment  for  the  soldiers, 
Washington  did  not  throw  up  his  commission  as  most  men 
would  have  done,  but  showed  his  true  greatness  by  determining 
to  do  the  best  he  could  with  what  he  had." 

''  The  Battle  of  Pell's  Point,  or  Glover's  Rock,"  was  fought 
about  four  miles  east  of  the  present  Bartow  station,  in  the  town 
of  Pelham,  around  the  **  Split  Rock  "  road,  on  each  side  of 
which  the  opposing  forces  were  posted.  The  Bronx  Chapter 
of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  have  placed  a 
tablet  to  mark  this  battlefield. 

When  the  British  attempted  to  follow  up  General  Washing- 
ton, and  camped  at  Eastchester,  the  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church, 
which  yet  stands  as  a  venerable  record  of  the  past,  was  used  as 
a  hospital  for  some  Hessian  soldiers  by  the  British. 

This  church  edifice  was  also  used  during  the  Revolutionary 
War  period  as  a  Court  House,  and  is  now  considered  more 
highly  on  account  of  its  service  in  various  ways  of  usefulness. 

The  '*  Battle  of  White  Plains  "  was  an  event  wherein  the 
American  Army,  though  crippled  for  want  of  sufficient  num- 
bers, showed  its  valor  and  proved  to  the  enemy  that  every 
patriot  there  fighting  was  determined,  and  could  be  ever  counted 


12  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

upon  to  do  his  utmost  to  gain  success  for  the  cause  of  liberty 
and  to  secure  the  final  triumph  of  the  struggling  Republic. 

The  main  thoroughfare  through  the  county  in  the  early  days 
was  *'  the  Old  Westchester  Path,"  running  from  New  York 
city  north.  It  has  been  described  as  little  better  than  an  Indian 
trail,  rough  and  rocky,  difficult  to  travel,  especially  in  the  rainy 
season.  ^lany  of  the  men  prominent  in  Colonial  times  and 
credited  to  New  York  city,  their  places  of  business,  were  resi- 
dents of  nearby  Westchester  County,  living  here  in  the  summer 
and  wintering  in  the  city,  as  now.  The  *'  Old  "Westchester 
Path  "  was  the  highway  over  which  the  Morrises,  the  Hamil- 
tons,  the  Jays,  the  Phillipses,  the  Van  Cortlandts,  and  other 
distinguished  residents  journeyed  from  their  homes  to  their 
business  in  the  city  and  return.  Over  this  path  both  armies 
had  marched.  Now  we  have,  instead  of  this  "  Old  Path," 
boulevards,  parkways,  macadam  and  paved  streets. 

From  a  volume  treating  of  the  early  settlers  in  Westchester 
Count3%  published  in  1790,  we  learn  that  the  population 
remained  about  the  same  from  1756  to  1786,  but  a  good  increase 
was  shown  from  1786  to  1790;  about  thirteen  per  cent,  being 
blacks,  most  of  them  slaves. 

Jedediah  Morse,  A.  'M.,  author  of  the  volume  aforementioned, 
has  this  to  say  as  to  then  existing  conditions,  viz. :  ' '  The  effect 
of  the  Revolution  has  been  as  greatly  and  as  happily  felt  by 
this  section  as  by  any  of  the  United  States.  The  accession  of 
inhabitants  within  a  few  years  has  been  great,  even  beyond 
calculation ;  and  so  long  as  lands  can  be  obtained  in  the  county 
upon  advantageous  terms  and  with  a  good  title,  and  the  gen- 
eral government  continues  to  protect  industry  and  encourage 
commerce,  so  long  they  will  continue  to  increase.  The  English 
language  is  generally  spoken,  but  is  not  a  little  corrupted  by  the 
Dutch  dialect  which  is  still  spoken  in  this  lower  section  of  the 
State.  But  as  Dutch  schools  are  almost,  if  not  wholly,  dis- 
continued, that  language,  in  a  few  generations,  will  probably 
cease  to  be  used  at  all.  The  increase  of  English  schools  has 
already  had  a  perceptible  effect  in  the  improvement  of  the 
English  language." 

The  manners  of  the  people  differ  as  well  as  their  language. 
The  sections  inhabited  by  those  whose  ancestors  were  natives 
of  England  possess  manners  and  customs  similar  to  those  of 
their  ancestors.  The  localities  inhabited  by  the  Dutch  have 
adopted  the  English  manners  in  a  great  degree,  but  still  retain 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  13 

many  modes,  particularly  in  their  religion,  which  are  peculiar 
to  the  Hollanders.  They  are  industrious,  neat  and  economical 
in  the  management  of  their  farms  and  their  families.  What- 
ever business  they  engage  in  they  generally  follow  the  old  track 
of  their  forefathers  and  seldom  invent  any  new  improvements  in 
agriculture,  manufactures  or  mechanics.  They  were  the  first 
settlers  (excepting  Indians)  and  were  particularly  friendly  to 
the  English  colony  that  settled  at  Plymouth  in  New  England 
in  1620;  and  continued  to  be  amicably  disposed  toward  the 
English  colonies  east  of  them,  until  the  unhappy  dispute  arose 
concerning  the  lands  on  the  Connecticut  River." 

'*  The  Revolution  and  its  consequences  have  had  a  very  per- 
ceptible influence  in  diffusing  a  spirit  of  liberality  among  the 
Dutch,  and  is  dispelling  the  clouds  of  ignorance  and  national 
prejudice.  Schools,  academies  and  colleges  are  being  established 
for  the  education  of  their  children,  in  the  English  and  learned 
languages,  and  in  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  a  literary  and 
scientific  spirit  is  evidently  increasing.  If  such  are  the  bud- 
dings of  improvement  in  the  dawn  of  our  empire,  what  a  rich 
harvest  may  we  expect  in  its  meridian." 

*'  The  manners  and  character  of  the  inhabitants  of  every 
settlement  will  take  their  colouring,  in  a  great  or  less  degree, 
from  the  peculiar  manners  of  the  first  settlers.  It  is  much 
more  natural  for  emigrants  to  a  settlement  to  adopt  the  cus- 
toms of  the  original  inhabitants  than  the  contrary,  even  though 
the  emigrants  should  in  length  of  time,  become  the  most  numer- 
ous. Hence,  it  is  that  the  neatness,  parsimony  and  industry  of 
the  Dutch  were  early  imitated  by  the  first  English  settlers  in 
Westchester  County  and  vicinity,  and,  until  the  Revolution,  '  i^.^i^. 
formed  a  distinguishing  trait  in  their  provincial  character.  It 
is  still  discernible,  though  in  a  much  less  degree,  and  will  prob- 
ably continue  visible  for  many  years  to  come. " 

"  Besides  the  Dutch  and  English  already  mentioned,  there 
are,  within  the  borders  of  the  county,  emigrants  from  Scotland, 
Germany,  France  and  Ireland.  The  French  emigrants,  known 
as  Huguenots,  settled  principally  at  New  Rochelle,  and  many 
of  their  descendants  now  fill  some  of  the  highest  offices  in  the 
United  States." 

There  was  no  part  of  the  continent  where  the  manners  of 
England,  and  its  aristocratical  notions  of  blood  and  alliance, 
prevailed  with  more  force  than  in  a  certain  circle  immediately 
around  the  metropolis  of  New  York,  and  especially  in  West- 


14  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST, 

Chester  County,  in  the  period  just  preceding  the  Revolution. 
The  customs  of  the  early  Dutch  inhabitants  had,  indeed,  blended 
in  some  measure  with  the  English  manners;  but  still  the  latter 
prevailed.  As  an  early  writer  states,  this  attachment  to  Great  i 
Britain  was  increased  by  the  frequent  intermarriages  of  the  I 
officers  of  the  mother-country  with  the  wealthier  and  more 
powerful  families  of  the  vicinity,  until,  at  the  commencement  i 
of  the  Revolution,  their  united  influence  had  very  nearly  thrown 
the  colony  into  the  scale  on  the  side  of  the  crown.  A  few,  how- 
ever, of  the  leading  families  espoused  the  cause  of  the  people, 
and  a  sufficient  stand  was  made  against  the  efforts  of  the  crown 
party  to  organize,  and  aided  by  the  army  of  the  confederation, 
to  maintain  an  independent  and  republican  form  of  government. 
Under  the  circumstances  it  is  not  surprising  to  learn  that  the 
lower  section  of  Westchester  County,  nearest  to  New  York  city, 
was  influenced  by  the  Tory  sentiment ;  the  upper  section  of  the 
County,  dwelling  under  better  influences,  were  steadfast  in  sup- 
port of  the  cause  of  their  countrymen,  and  to  the  northern  sec- 
tion of  the  County  many  of  its  patriotic  families  had  to  flee  for 
protection  from  the  enemy  in  the  south. 

The  County  was  erected  November  1,  1683,  by  an  act  of  the 
General  Assembly,  and  this  was  confirmed  by  a  later  act,  of 
October,  1691.  As  originally  constituted,  the  County  had  sub- 
stantially the  same  boundaries  that  it  had  before  its  southern 
portion  became,  in  1873,  a  part  of  New  York  city. 

By  an  act  of  the  General  Assembly,  passed  in  the  year  1683, 
Westchester  village  (now  annexed  to  New  York  city)  was  made 
the  **  County  Seat  "  of  the  County,  and  it  remained  so  until 
1759,  when  it  resigned  to  White  Plains  the  honor  of  being  the 
**  Shire  town,"  which  distinction  White  Plains  yet  retains. 

In  this  early  period  the  County  was  but  an  aggregation  of 
farming  towns,  with  few  or  no  villages. 

Even  as  late  as  1840  there  were  only  two  sparsely  settled  vil- 
lages—Sing Sing  and  Peekskill— and  no  cities.  Mount  Pleas- 
ant town  led  in  population,  with  the  town  of  Cortlandt  second, 
Greenburgh  town  third,  Bedford  next,  and  Yorktown  closely 
following  with  a  population  equal  to  that  of  Yonkers.  (York-  1 
town  now  has  3,020,  and  Yonkers  79,803.)  Farming  and  stock- 
raising  was  fin  1840)  the  principal  occupation  of  the  inhabi- 
ants.  The  market  for  cattle  was  in  New  York  city.  Mount 
Pleasant 's  cooperage  establishments  employed  many  persons. 
Grist  mills  were  in  full  operation  in  many  sections  in  the  upper 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  15 

part  of  the  County,  and  the  Westchester  "  family  flour  "  was 
considered  a  standard  article,  much  sought  after. 

The  County  continued  in  area  as  it  was  when  erected  until, 
by  special  acts  of  the  State  Legislature,  a  good  portion  of  its 
territory  on  the  southern  boundary  was  chopped  off  and  car- 
ried away  to  benefit  New  York  city.  By  laws  of  1873,  chap. 
613,  the  towns  of  Morrisania,  West  Farms  and  Kingsbridge 
(south  Yonkers)  were  annexed  to  New  York  city.  Later,  the 
Legislature,  laws  of  1895,  chap.  934,  annexed  the  town  of  West- 
chester and  parts  of  Eastchester  (east  and  south  Mount  Vernon) 
and  Pelham  (including  City  Island)  to  the  City  of  New  York. 

Efforts  were  made,  through  the  State  Legislature  in  1910, 
to  annex  the  cities  of  Yonkers,  Mount  Vernon  and  New  Rochelle 
and  the  towns  of  Eastchester  and  Pelham  to  New  York  City. 
Strong  opposition  developed  and  the  attempts  were  abandoned. 

The  population  of  Westchester  County,  according  to  the  sev- 
eral census  enumerations,  from  1698  to  and  including  1892,  is 
shown  on  page  8,  volume  1,  of  this  Manual.  The  Federal  census 
enumeration  in  1900  gives  the  County  a  population  of  184,257; 
in  the  1905  State  census  the  County  is  credited  with  228,950 
population;  in  the  most  recent,  the  1910,  census  the  County's 
population  is  placed  at  283,055. 

Unlike  many  counties  in  the  State,  Westchester  County  has 
steadily  gained  in  population  since  the  date  of  its  organization ; 
in  later  years  the  increase  has  been  more  pronounced  than  in 
preceding  periods.  The  reasons  accounting  for  this  advance 
are  various.  For  instance,  in  1880  the  population  of  the  County 
was  108,988 ;  ten  years  later,  in  1890,  there  were  in  the  County 
146,772  persons,  a  gain  of  37,784.  In  1900  the  population  was 
184,257,  a  gain  of  37,485  within  ten  years,  nothwithstanding  the 
fact  that  in  1895  a  portion  of  the  towns  of  Eastchester,  Pelham 
and  Mount  Vernon  were  annexed  to  New  York  city.  In  1905, 
only  five  years  following,  when  another  State  census  was  taken, 
we  find  the  County's  population  still  climbing,  having  reached 
the  228,950  mark,  with  a  gain  of  45,575  over  the  last  census 
figures.  In  the  present  year,  1911,  we  have  the  latest  census 
returns,  that  show  increased  gains,  the  amount  being  54,105  in 
the  last  five  years.     Surely  we  are  going  some. 

Few  counties  in  the  State  equal,  and  certainly  none  present 
a  better  showing  as  to  numbers  and  quality  of  its  inhabitants, 
and,  taking  all  things  into  consideration,  is  it  surprising  that 
so  many  persons  strive  to  get  in  and  so  few  desire  to  get 


16  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

out  of  our  County  1     What  can  be  produced  more  attractive  and 
holding? 

The  population  of  the  several  cities,  towns  and  villages  in 
the  County  will  be  shown  elsewhere  under  appropriate  heads. 

Within  the  last  five  years  the  County  has  been  greatly  bene- 
fited in  the  way  of  public  improvements. 

bullions  of  dollars  have  been  expended  upon  the  electrification 
of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad,  passing  through  the  County, 
along  the  line  of  the  Harlem  Railroad  branch,  from  the  Grand 
Central  Station  to  North  AMiite  Plains. 

Millions  of  dollars  have  been  expended  upon  electrifying  the 
Hudson  River  Railroad  division,  completed  to  Hastings-on- 
Hudson. 

]\Iillions  of  dollars  have  been  expended  in  the  electrification 
of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad  from  the 
Grand  Central  Station,  through  our  County,  to  Stamford,  Conn. 

iMillions  of  dollars  are  to  be  expended  in  the  construction 
and  the  electrifjdng  of  the  New  York,  AYestchester  &  Boston 
Railway,  to  run  from  Harlem,  through  this  County,  including 
Mount  Vernon,  Pelham,  New  Rochelle  and  Scarsdale,  to  White 
Plains,  and  Larchmont,  Mamaroneck,  Harrison,  Rye  and  Port 
Chester,  to  the  Connecticut  State  line. 

iMillions  of  dollars  have  been  expended  in  the  construction 
of  the  Bronx  Valley  sewer,  running  through  White  Plains, 
Scarsdale,  Eastchester,  Mount  Vernon  and  Yonkers,  in  this 
countv. 

Millions  of  dollars  are  to  be  expended  in  the  construction  of 
the  Bronx  Parkway,  running  through  this  County. 

Millions  of  dollars  have  been  spent  in  building  State  roads; 
in  constructing  asphalt  pavement,  in  granite  block  paving  and 
in  macadam  streets. 

The  boundary  line  between  New  York  city  and  Westchester 
County,  in  length  between  eight  and  nine  miles,  is  crossed  by 
a  six-track  railroad,  three  four-track,  a  double  and  single  track 
railroad  and  half  a  dozen  electric  trolley  railroad  lines,  with 
another  four-track  railroad  in  construction. 

In  the  years  1910  and  1911  one  of  the  vital  questions  con- 
fronting residents  of  the  County  was— "How  shall  the  several 
cities,  villages  and  towns  in  the  County  obtain  a  sufficient  supply 
of  water  to  meet  the  demands  of  a  rapidly  growing  population  ? ' ' 
Until  the  last  five  years,  previous  to  1910,  this  was  not  consid-  j 
ered  a  serious  matter.  \ 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  17 

Years  ago  when  the  City  of  New  York  first  had  to  go  beyond 
its  boundaries  for  additional  water  supply,  it  naturally  turned 
to  the  hills  and  lakes  of  Westchester  County  for  it.  By  various 
acts  passed  by  the  Legislature,  from  time  to  time,  it  came  into 
the  County  and  has  condemned  practically  the  entire  available 
water  supply. 

Of  tne  five  hundred  and  six  square  miles  in  the  County,  New 
York  city,  through  condemnation  proceedings,  to  insure  its 
water  supply,  has  taken  two  hundred  and  six  square  miles  in 
the  upper  and  other  sections  of  the  County. 

It  has  been  carefully  estimated  that  "  the  big  city  "  has  left 
only  about  thirty  square  miles  of  water-shed  available  at  this 
time  for  additional  use  by  the  municipalities  of  Westchester 

i     County.     This  amount  is,  of  course,  absurdly  small,  and  when 
it  is  realized  that  it  is  made  up  of  scattering  districts  where 

\     population  is  rapidly  encroaching,   it  becomes  nonsensical  to 
think  of  making  any  plans  to  use  it  for  a  permanent  County 

I    system. 

It  is  admitted  that  when  the  passage  of  the  several  Legisla- 
tive acts  was  attempted  by  New  York  City  to  appropriate  to 
its  use  the  several  desirable  lakes  and  streams  in  this  County, 
I  that  it  might  have  an  ample  water  supply,  Westchester  County 
authorities  should  not  have  complacently  permitted  the  passage 
of  the  acts  and  allowed  the  taking,  but  should  have  provided 
that  the  future  of  the  County  be  protected ;  but  the  lack  of  fore- 
t  bought  may  be  excusable  when  we  consider  that  the  growth 
of  the  County,  as  well  as  the  growth  of  the  city  of  New  York, 

j    "jias  been  beyond  the  expectations  of  residents  of  the  time,  and 

I  future  requirements  could  not  be  anticipated. 
\li|  The  cities  of  Yonkers  and  Mount  Vernon  are  at  present  in 
great  need  of  an  additional  water  supply.  These  cities  being 
immediately  on  the  boundary  line  of  New  York  city  at  the 
southern  end  of  the  County,  and  being  the  largest  centers  of 
population  within  the  County,  are  feeling  the  demand  first,  but 
the  same  condition  exists  through  all  the  smaller  municipalities 
as  well  as  every  town,  village  and  city  in  the  County,  and  all 
are  endeavoring  to  find  relief. 

The  city  of  New  Rochelle  is  specially  favored,  having  a  good 
supply  of  water,  provided  by  private  enterprise. 

By  means  of  special  bills,  introduced  in  the  State  Legisla- 
ture in  1910  and  1911,  Yonkers  and  Mount  Vernon,  and  villages 
""f  the  County,  to  get  temporary  relief,  asked  the  privilege  of 

I 
\ 


V 


18  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

connecting  with  New  York  City's  water  mains  running  tlirougli 
the  neighborhood.  It  was  asserted  by  residents  of  this  County 
that  it  was  but  just  that  New  York  City  grant  assistance  to 
this  County,  in  way  of  a  water  supply,  when  it  could  well 
afford  to  do  so.  Local  municipalities  should  not  be  put  to  great 
expense  necessary  in  establishing  independent  water  plants  when 
they  have  the  aqueducts  of  the  City  of  New  York  running 
through  their  boundaries  and  furnishing  an  ample  supply  of 
water,  which  belongs  to  them  by  right  of  heritage,  taken  from 
them  without  recompense  by  the  State  Legislature. 

Inasmuch  as  Westchester  County  was  willing  that  the  City 
of  New  York  should  take  its  water  in  the  time  of  need,  the 
latter  City  should  be  willing  to  render  similar  aid  in  the  County's 
time  of  need. 

An  act  creating  the  counties  of  New  York,  Kings,  Queens, 
Richmond  and  AVestchester  as  a  Metropolitan  Election  District 
and  authorizing  the  appointment,  by  the  Governor,  of  a  State 
Superintendent  of  Election  for  said  district,  became  a  law 
July  16,  1898. 

The  area  of  the  County  is  506  square  miles;  water  frontage 
5-i   miles;    improved   highways.    State   roads,    etc.,    520   miles 
public  and  private  improvements  under  way,   estimated  cos 
$500,000,000. 

The  County  Board  of  Supervisors,  on  March  16,  1898,  passf 
an  act   establishing  and  defining  the  disputed  boundary  1 
between  the  towns  of  New  Rochelle  and  Pelham,  and  in  1( 
fixed  the  disputed  boundary  line  between  New  Rochelle  g 
Scarsdale. 

As  evidence  of  the  County's  growth,  consider  the  figi.  • 
showing  the  increase  of  the  value  of  real  and  personal  est 
in  the  county  each  year,  viz. :  In  1839  the  total  valuation  wa^ 
$7,768,979;  in  1879,  $52,095,138;  in  1889,  $66,634,291;  in  1898, 
$166,869,055:  in  1899,  $168,536,470;  in  1900,  $171,709,873;  in 
1901,  $179,339,132;  in  1902,  $180,451,135;  in  1903,  $185,145,- 
868;  in  1904,  $192,601,367;  in  1905,  $205,270,848;  in  1906, 
$254,800,648;  in  1907,  $269,027,378;  in  1908,  $283,867,516;  in 
1909,  $293,249,644;  in  1910,  $322,327,366. 

It  is  prophesied  that  the  County  ten  years  hence  will  have 
a  population,  considering  present  advancement,  of  fully  425,000 
and  an  assessed  valuation  of  over  $500,000,000.  The  growth 
of  the  County  has  been  wonderful  in  the  last  ten  years,  far 
exceeding  all  predictions. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  19 

The  public  business  of  the  County  has  kept  pace  with  the 
growth  of  the  population.  Ten  years  ago  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors considered  the  business  of  the  County  could  be  trans- 
acted at  an  annual  session;  now  it  is  necessary  to  hold  monthly 
sessions  of  the  Board,  and  frequently  special  sessions,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  annual  session. 

A  State  Normal  School  is  to  be  established  in  the  County. 

Besides  the  regulation  State  roads,  there  are  the  asphalt-paved, 
the  brick-paved  and  the  macadamized  roads  and  streets  every- 
where. The  old  fashioned  common  dirt  roadbed  is  seldom  seen, 
and  then  only  in  out-of-the-way  places  not  yet  reached  in  the 
march  of  public  improvements.  Its  public  roads  aggregate 
over  five  hundred  miles. 

During  the  year  1909  there  were  6,367  mortgages  recorded 
in  the  County,  amounting  to  $27,017,535;  about  fifty  per  cent, 
greater  than  the  amount  loaned  in  1908,  which  was  $18,106,122. 
The  total  amount  in  1910  was  more  than  double  that  of 
1908. 

It  is  authentically  stated  that  in  1910  Westchester  County 
had  the  largest  number  of  volunteer  firemen  in  the  State  of 
New  York.  The  number  given  was  5,260  active  members  and 
6,120  exempt  members. 

The  County  is  especially  liberal  in  paying  officials.  The 
salaries  provided  compare  favorably  with  those  paid  by  other 
counties  in  the  State.     Only  in  exceptional  cases  has  an  official 

^    complained  of  low  salary  (as  they  frequently  will  in  all  com- 
munities), but  they  were  never  known  to  agree  with  the  tax- 
I   payer  who  suggested  that  probably  salaries  were  too  high.     Even 

Iin  case  one  deemed  his  services  were  being  obtained  too  cheaply 
he  never  expressed  a  desire  to  return  to  **  the  good  old  times," 
^hen,  in  the  early  days,  the  salaries  of  the  officers  of  this  County 
iwere  paid  in  pelts ;  when  the  County  Clerk,  who  now  gets  $10,000 
\per  annum,  payable  monthly,  was  satisfied  to  take  for  his  services 
WOO  beaver  skins,  and  considered  himself  well  paid.  Pelts  were 
jplentiful  in  those  days  as  pennies  now,  and  much  better  dis- 
tributed for  purposes  of  currency  and  barter.  Later  the  salary 
f  the  County  Clerk  was  increased  to  100  buck  skins.  The  Jus- 
tice's salary  was  paid  in  mink  skins.  Even  in  that  day  State 
fficials  were  satisfied  to  accept  deer  skins,  raccoon  skins  and 
ther  pelts  in  return  for  services  rendered. 


\ 


20  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

WESTCHESTER  COUNTY  LAKES 

Acquired  by  the  City  of  New  York,  to  contribute  to  its  water 
supply,  are  as  follows: 

Croton  Lake/  in  the  towns  of  Yorktown,  New  Castle,  Somers, 
Bedford,  Lewisboro  and  North  Salem. 

Kensico  Lake/  in  the  to\^^ls  of  North  Castle  and  Mount 
Pleasant. 

Bvram  Lake  in  the  towns  of  Bedford  and  North  Castle. 

Big  and  Little  Rye  Lakes,  in  the  towns  of  Harrison  and  North 
Castle. 

Wampus  Lake,  in  the  town  of  New  Castle. 

RESERVOIRS  IN  THE  COUNTY 

Belonging  to  the  City  of  New  York,  for  the  storaoje  of  water^ 
for  use  of  residents  of  that  city,  are  as  follows : 

Croton  Dam,  commonly  known  as  Croton  Lake,  lying  in  the 
towns  of  Cortlandt,  Yorktown,  New  Castle,  Bedford,  Somers, 
Lewisboro  and  North  Salem. 

Cross  River,  in  the  to^^Tis  of  Bedford,  Lewisboro  and  Pound- 
ridge. 

Kensico  Reservoir,  in  the  towns  of  North  Castle  and  Mount 
Pleasant. 

Reservoir  "A,"  in  the  town  of  Somei'^. 

Reservoir  "K,"  part  in  the  town  of  Somers  and  part  in  the 
countv  of  Putnam. 

Reservoir  *'M, "  in  the  town  of  North  Salem. 

Most  of  the  Lakes  acting  as  feeders  to  the  Croton  system  in  - 
Westchester  County  are  located  in  Putnam  county.  f 


^  Croton   Lake   and   Kensico   Lake   -^vere   but   streams,  hardly   worth    the   I 
name  of  lake,  before  the  City  of  New  York  acquired  them.     Croton  Lake^^ 
was  made  by  that  City  in  1836;  Kensico  Lake  was  made  in  1883.     Byram^ 
Lake,  Big  and  Little  Eye  Lakes  and  "Wampus  Lake  are  natural  lakes. 

'  All  reservoirs  are  open ;  the  water  can  be  drawn  off  readily  when  need  ^ 
be  for  any  purpose.  ,  . 

,4 

in 


live 

kh 
•iar 


i[ 


POPULATION  SHOWN  BY  CENSUS. 

The  population  of  Westchester  Coxmty,  according  to  the 
census  of  1910,  is  shown  by  the  following  official  report,  issued 
by  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  of  the  Census,  at  Washington, 
D.  C; 

Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor, 
i  bureau  of  the  census, 

Washington. 

I 

February  11,  1911. 

I     Mr.  Henry  T.  Smith, 

j  White  Plains,  N.  T. 

\     Sir: 

In  reply  to  your  letter,  here  is  inclosed  a  copy  of  an  advance 
bulletin  giving  the  population,  according  to  the  returns  of  the 
Thirteenth  Census,  of  Westchester  County,  New  York,  by  minor 
civil  divisions. 

Very  respectfully, 

E.  DANA  DURAND, 

Director. 

NEW  YORK. 

I         Population  of  Westchester  County  by  Minor  Civil  Divisions— 
^  .  1910 : 


i 

i 


Westchester  county 283 ,055 

Mt.  Pleasant  town,  including  Briar  Cliff  Manor  (part  of), 
,  North  Tarrytown,  Pleasantville,  and  Sherman  Park  vil- 

1  lages 11 ,863 

Briar  Cliff  Manor  village  (part  of) 23 

Total  for  Briar  Cliff  Manor  village   (1)   in  Mt. 

Pleasant  and  Ossining  towns 950 

North  Tarrytown  village 5,421 

^        Pleasantville  village 2,207 

i        Sherman  Park  (3)  now  Hillside 423 

Mt.  Vernon  city 30,919 

V  Ward  1 5,779 

Ward  2 6,511 

Ward  3 4,327 

{  Ward  4 8, 746 

i  Ward  5 5,556 

;/j'ew  Castle  town,  including  Mt.  Kisco  village  (part  of) ...  .  3,573 

I       Mt.  Kisco  village  (part  of) 1 ,  536 

I  21 


22  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

New  Rochelle  city 28,867 

Ward  1 5,663 

Ward  2 8 ,  740 

Ward  3 5,569 

Ward  4 8,895 

North  Castle  town 1 ,  522 

North  Salem  town 1 ,258 

Ossining  town,  including  Briar  Cliff   Manor   (part  of)  and 

Ossining  villages 12,828 

Briar  Cliff  Manor  (part  of) 927 

Ossining  village 11,480 

Pelham  town,  including  North  Pelham,  Pelham,  and  Pel- 
ham  Manor  villages 2,998 

North  Pelham  village 1,311 

Pelham  village 681 

Pelham  Manor  village 852  (4) 

Poundridge  town 725 

Rye  town,  including  Mamaroneck  (part  of).  Port  Chester, 

and  Rye  villages 19,652 

Mamaroneck  village  (part  of) 2,285 

Port  Chester  village 12,809 

Rye  village  (5) 3,964 

Bedford  town,  including  Mt.  Kisco  village  (part  of) 5,629 

Mt.  Kisco  village  (part  of) 1 ,266 

Total  for  Mt.    Kisco  village  in  Bedford  and  New- 
Castle  towns 2,802 

Cortlandt  town,  including  Croton-on-Hudson  and  Peekskill 

villages 22,255 

Croton-on-Hudson  village 1,806 

Peekskill  ^'illage 15,246 

Eastchester  town,  including  Bronxville  and  Tuckahoe  vil- 
lages   6,422 

Bronxville  village 1 ,  863 

Tuckahoe  village  (1) 2,722 

Greenburgh  town,  including  Ardsley,  Dobbs  Ferry,  Hast- 
ings-upon-Hudson,    Irvington,    Tarrytown    and    '\Miite 

Plains  (part  of)  villages 23, 193 

Ardsley  village 537 

Dobbs  Ferry  \'illage 3 ,  455 

Hastings-upon-Hudson  village 4,552 

Irvington  village 2 ,319 

Tarrji:own  village 5 ,  600 

White  Plains  town,  including  ^Miite  Plains  village  (part  of)  15,045 

White  Plains  village  (Wards  3,  4  and  5  and  parts  of 

Wards  1  and  2) 13,904  f 

AMiite  Plains  village  (parts  of  Wards  1  and  2) 2,045  1 

Total  for  ^Miite  Plains  village  in  Greenburgh  and  ; 

"VMiite  Plains  towns 15,949  / 

Ward  1 3,347  t 

Ward  2 3,456  i 

Ward  3 3,538  ' 

Ward  4 2,190  \ 

Ward  5 3,418  ; 

Harrison  town 4 ,  22b 

Lewisboro  town 1 ,  12'- 

Mamaroneck  town,  including  Larchmont  and  Mamaroneck 

(part  of)  villages 5 ,  60 

Larchmont  village 1 ,958  i^ 

Mamaroneck  village  (part  of) 3,414 

Total  for  Mamaroneck  village  in  Mamaroneck  and 

Rye  towns 5,699 

Scarsdale  town 1 ,  Sij^ 

Somers  town 1 ,  22 


/ 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  23 

Yonkers  city 79,803 

Ward    1 8,268 

Ward    2 6,596 

Ward    3 6,730 

Ward    4 11,037 

Ward    5 12,272 

Ward    6 12,568 

Ward    7 9,939 

Ward    8 3,661 

Ward    9 5,138 

Ward  10 3,594 

Yorktown 3,020 

Total  population  in  the  county 283,055 

(1)  Incorporated  in  1902. 

(2)  That  part  of  Mamaroneck  village  in  Mamaroneck  town,  not  separately 
returned. 

(3)  Incorporated  in  1906. 

(4)  Not  separately  returned. 

(5)  Incorporated  in  1904. 

(6)  Includes  population  (10,029)  of  Westchester  town. 

As  shown  by  this  last  Federal  Census,  the  population  of  the 
United  States,  exclusive  of  Alaska  and  all  insular  possessions, 
but  with  the  army  and  navy  not  fully  reported,  is  announced 
officially  at  91,972,267.     Most  people  are  likely  to  regard  the 
continental  United  States,  including  Alaska,  as  our  true  coun- 
try, and  hence  we  can  call  ourselves  in  round  numbers  92,000,000. 
These  figures  exceed  considerably  the  early  estimates  of  the 
census  experts,  and  are  of  vital  importance  in  considering  the 
tendencies  and  future  of  the  Republic.     The  increase  has  been 
21  per  cent.,  a  slightly  greater  percentage  than  that  of  the 
I  preceding  decade,  but  in  actual  numbers  the  gain  has  been 
•j'more  than  two  and  a  half  millions  greater  than  that  of  1890- 
,xil900.     Hitherto  the  percentage  has  been  dropping. 
{      The  growth  has  been  exceedingly  uneven,  more  so  than  ever 
I  before,  and  there  are  several  striking  features.     The  first  is  the 
( enormous  increase  of  the  city  of  New  York.     This  may  be 
\  fairly  called  a  phenomenon.     Nothing  like  it  has  ever  occurred 
before.     The  city  increased  within  its  limits  1,329,000.     Many 
of  the  adjoining  towns  in  Westchester  County,  on  the  north, 
doubled.     The  true  New  York,  including  all  suburbs,  which  are 
its  overflow,  gained  about  1,800,000,  and  the  figures  place  the 
population  of  the  metropolitan  district  at  about  7,000,000.    This 
increase  also  is  cumulative.     A  State  census  was  taken  in  1905 
and  for  the  first  half  of  the  decade  the  increase  was  115,000  a 
year,  but  for  the  second  half  it  rose  to  151,000  annually.     The 
same  result  was  shown  in  the  adjoining  Westchester  County 


24  MAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

cities.     It  is  quite  obvious  that  New  York  is  soon  to  be  the 
largest  city  in  the  world. 

Greater  New  York  itself,  the  political  New  York,  has  grown 
by  1,329,000.  No  State  except  Pennsylvania  equalled  this 
growth.  All  Illinois  gained  less  than  two-thirds  as  much;  Ohio 
not  half. 

Metropolitan  New  York  has  been  defined  as  including  West- 
chester County,  and  certain  localities  on  Long  Island  and  in 
New  Jersey.  A  part  of  the  population  of  this  wider  region  is 
rural  in  character  because  of  distance  from  railways,  but  it  is 
as  well  defined  as  political  divisions  permit.  It  includes  close 
to  7,000,000  people,  and  has  grown  in  ten  years  about  2,000,000 ; 
say  as  much  as  the  ten  combined  States  of  Missouri,  Kentucky, 
Tennessee,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Virginia,  AVest  Vir- 
ginia, Mississippi,  Maryland  and  Florida. 

Commuting  New  York  includes,  besides  the  metropolitan  area 
thus  defined,  considerable  sections  of  Suffolk,  Putnam,  Dutchess, 
Rockland  and  Orange  Counties,  of  Greenwich,  Stamford  and 
probably  as  far  as  Bridgeport  in  Connecticut,  and  of  close-by 
New  Jersey.  This  added  area,  not  accurately  definable,  a  con- 
siderable part  of  whose  adult  men  are  daily  denizens  of  New 
York,  contains  half  a  million  or  more  souls,  and  has  made  an 
increase  equal  to  Utah's.  In  summer  the  tributary  area  is  eve 
wider. 

The  census  gives  much  information  of  value  and  teaches 
much  in  its  presentation  of  facts  and  figures. 

To  the  thousand  millions  which  Congress  appropriates  c 
year,  most  of  it  on  account  of  wars  past  and  to  come,  mu 
added,  by  one  who  would  know  the  actual  burdens  that  the 
people  carry,  the  cost  of  city,  county  and  State  governments. 
The  Census  Bureau  recently  contributed  some  information  on 
this  subject  in  a  bulletin  showing  that  in  1908  the  expenditures; 
by  158  of  the  principal  American  cities  amounted  to  $405,000,- 
000.  Municipal  outlay  per  capita  runs  all  the  way  from  $27.58 
in  Boston  and  $2-4.71  in  New  York  to  $12.34  in  Baltimore  and 
$12.76  in  New  Orleans.  More  than  one-half  of  these  hundreds 
of  millions  goes  for  education  and  police  and  fire  protection. 

Wasteful  as  local  administration  often  is,  it  is  certain  that 
the  people  who  foot  the  bills  get  more  for  their  money  than  is 
the  case  at  Washington.  Recklessness  there  begets  recklessness 
in  the  cities  and  the  States,  so  that  extravagance  is  likely  to 
characterize  every  public  enterprise  and  agency.     If  in  addi- 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  25 

tion  to  the  known  cost  of  government  that  is  merely  wasteful 
we  could  ascertain  the  sums  which  the  people  pay  by  reason 
of  monopolistic  combinations  operating  under  unjust  laws  or 
in  defiance  of  law,  we  should  have  the  figures  of  a  tax  oppres- 
sion probably  without  a  precedent. 

Most  of  these  dollars,  whether  wisely  used  or  squandered  or 
pilfered,  are  wrung  primarily  from  industry.  Rents  and  prices 
of  commodities  must  rise  while  such  exactions  mount  higher  and 
higher.  We  have  no  other  question  in  this  country  of  such  vital 
importance  to  every  man,  woman  and  child  as  that  which 
involves  economy,  efficiency  and  justice  in  the  public  service. 

First  Federal  Census,  1790. 

A  census  of  the  United  States  is  required  to  be  taken  every 
ten  years,  as  provided  by  the  Constitution.  The  first  was  taken 
in  1790,  under  the  supervision  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States;  subsequent  censuses,  to  and  including  that  of  1840, 
were  taken  under  the  supervision  of  the  Secretary  of  State. 
In  1849  the  newly  organized  Department  of  the  Interior  directed 
the  work  and  continued  such  supervision  until  relieved  by  the 
Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor  created  by  act  of  Con- 
gress in  1903.  In  the  preceding  year  an  act  of  Congress  made 
the  Census  Office  a  permanent  bureau  of  the  Government,  under 
direction  of  a  Director  of  the  Census.  This  bureau  is  now 
attached  to  the  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor.  The 
Director  of  the  Census  is  appointed  by  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  receives  a  salary  of  $7,000  per  year.  The 
Census  Bureau  gives  employment,  in  office  work,  to  about  700 
persons. 

The  act  of  Congress  authorizing  the  taking  of  the  first  census 
in  1790,  was  passed  at  thQ  second  session  of  the  first  Congress, 
and  was  signed  on  March  1,  1790.  This  act  required  the 
marshals  in  each  State  to  take  an  enumeration  of  the  inhabi- 
tants in  their  respective  districts,  employing  such  assistants 
as  were  necessary  to  do  the  work.  On  October  27,  1791,  the 
census  returns  were  made  to  Congress.  Considering  that  the 
work  of  enumeration  was  not  commenced  until  August  1,  1790, 
the  census  was  concluded  in  one  year  and  two  months.  The 
census  was  taken  in  seventeen  States;  unfortunately  the  sched- 
ules for  six  States  were  destroyed  by  fire  when  the  British 
army  burned  the  capitol  building  at  Washington,  during  the 
War  of  1812;  the  schedules  for  the  State  census  of  Virginia 


26  MAXUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

for  three  years  were  substituted  for  the  schedules  of  the  census 
of  1790  iu  this  State,  but  they  were  not  complete. 

According  to  this  census,  of  1790,  which  represents  a  complete 
list  of  the  heads  of  families  in  the  United  States  at  the  time  of 
the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  there  were  3,231,533  persons 
in  the  country  at  the  time,  less  than  one-twenty-sixth  of  the 
number  of  present  population. 

In  making  these  early  enumeration  schedules,  reference  is 
made  only  to  heads  of  families,  accordingly  there  are  only  about 
540,000  names  recorded  on  original  lists.  Families  of  that  time 
averaged  six  persons.  The  schedules  which  were  destroyed  and 
not  replaced  contained  110,000  names,  so  that  only  about  400,000 
names  appear  on  the  published  schedules.  The  gross  area  of 
the  country  at  that  period  was  827,844  square  miles,  of  which 
29  per  cent.,  or  239,935  square  miles,  only  was  settled. 

According  to  the  published  schedules,  the  1790  census  showG 
the  several  States  to  have  population  as  follows:  Virginia, 
474,610;  Pennsylvania,  434,373;  New  York,  340,120;  North 
Carolina,  393,751;  Maryland,  319,728;  South  Carolina,  249,073; 
Connecticut,  237,946 ;  Xew  Jersey,  184,139 ;  New  Hampshire, 
141,885 ;  Maine,  96,540 ;  Yermont,  85,539  ;  Georgia,  82,548 ;  Ken- 
tuck^',  73,977;  Rhode  Island,  68,825;  Delaware,  59,094. 

The  census  enumeratoi^  of  this  early  date,  who  were  assistant 
United  States  marshals,  were,  evidently,  permitted  to  exercise 
their  own  judgment  as  to  the  form  in  which  they  made  their 
returns,  except  that  a  table  was  provided  which  they  were 
required  to  follow.  It  was  made  up  of  five  columns,  and  the 
headings  were  as  follows :  Names  of  heads  of  families ;  free 
white  males  of  16  years  and  up,  including  heads  of  families; 
free  white  males  under  16  years;  free  white  females,  including 
heads  of  families;  all  other  free  persons;  slaves.  The  assistant 
marshals  acted  in  taking  following  census  enumerations,  includ- 
ing that  of  the  1820  census.  They  in  their  work  used  no  special 
forms,  in  fact  the  stationery  used  was  such  scraps  of  writing 
paper  as  they  found  close  at  hand,  regardless  of  form  or 
quality;  their  records  were  usually  kept  on  merchant's  account 
paper,  and  quite  frequently  the  returns,  to  give  them  the  appear- 
ance of  "  official  importance,"  were  bound  in  fancy  figured 
wall  paper. 

The  total  number  of  negro  slaves  in  the  United  States  in 
1790  was  697,897 :  the  census  of  that  year  showed  21,324  negro 
slaves  in  the  State  of  New  York;  1,419  slaves  in  "Westchester 
County. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  27 

The  cost  of  the  1790  census  was  $44,377,  and  650  persons  were 
engaged  in  its  taking;  contrast  this  with  the  estimated  expense 
of  the  1910  census— $19,000,000,  and  the  employment  of  about 
110,000  persons.  The  returns  published  of  the  1790  census  fill 
one  small  volume;  the  published  returns  of  the  twelfth  (1900) 
census  fill  ten  large  quarto  volumes,  containing  10,400  pages 
in  all. 

Under  a  special  act  of  Congress,  the  1790  census  returns  were 
republished,  in  book  form,  in  1907.  The  volimie  devoted  to 
the  State  of  New  York  contains  a  map  of  the  State  at  that 
period.  On  this  map  there  are  no  lines  designating  AVest- 
chester  County,  one  of  the  original  counties  of  the  State.  But 
old  towns  of  our  County,  to  a  limited  number,  are  shown.  Bed- 
ford was  then  the  principal  township,  next  came  Cortlandt, 
giving  evidence  that  the  greater  number  of  population  had 
centered  in  the  northern  section  of  the  County;  this  has  been 
accounted  for  by  the  report  that  many  people  of  the  County 
removed  from  the  lower  to  the  upper  section  of  the  County  to 
escape  persecution  by  the  British,  then  in  New  York  city,  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War.  Westchester  and  Morrisania  then 
covered  the  territory  now  occupied  by  the  Borough  of  the  Bronx, 
New  York  city.  Yonkers  has  no  place  on  the  map ;  in  its  stead 
is  mentioned  the  town  of  Phillipsburg,  which  name  in  later 
years  gave  way  to  that  of  Yonkers;  Eastchester,  built  around 
the  spot  where  now  stands  the  old  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church, 
is  mentioned  on  this  old  map.  On  the  green  in  front  of  this 
church  was  the  place  where  the  county  militia  met  to  drill.  New 
Eochelle,  later  a  haven  for  banished  Huguenots,  is  also  given  a 
place  on  the  map,  as  is  Rye,  containing  the  homes  of  many 
Revolutionary  patriots  and  where  our  County's  Board  of  Super- 
visors was  first  organized.  White  Plains,  the  present  County 
seat,  ^'  is  not  on  the  map  "  of  that  early  day. 

Westchester  County  is  mentioned  as  one  of  the  counties  of 
the  state  in  the  published  schedules  of  the  1790  census,  and  the 
population  of  the  County  is  given  as  24,003,  of  which  number 
1,419  were  negro  slaves. 

The  total  population  of  the  towns  in  the  County  was  shown 
to  be  as  follows: 

Bedford,  2,470;  Cortlandt,  1,932;  Eastchester,  740;  Green- 
burg,  1,450;  Harrison,  1,004;  Mamaroneck,  452;  Morrisania, 
143 ;  Mount  Pleasant,  1,924 ;  New  Rochelle,  694 ;  North  Castle, 
2,478;  North  Salem,  1,058;  Pelham,  199;  Poundridge,  1,062; 
Rye,  986;  Salem,  1,453;  Scarsdale,  281;  Stephen  (now  known 


28 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


as   the   town    of    Somers),    1,297;    Westchester,    1,141;   Whiter 
Plains,  605;  Yonkers,  1,125;  York  (now  Yorktown),  1,609. 

Census  of  1820. 

A  census  taken  in  1820  stated  the  population  of  Westchester 
County,  by  towns,  to  be  as  follows: 


Bedford 

Cortlandt 

East  Chester. .  . . 

Greenburgh 

Harrison 

*Mount  Pleasant 
Mamaroneck.  .  .  . 

New  Castle 

New  Rochelle.  .  . 
North  Castle. .  .  . 
North  Salem.  .  .  . 

Pelham 

Poundridge 

Rye 

Scarsdale 

Somers 

South  Salem .... 
West  Chester .  .  . 
^Miite  Plains. . . . 

Yonkers 

Yorktown 

Totals 


Whites 


32,423 


Slaves 


2,427 

5 

2,432 

3,402 

19 

3,421 

1,001 

20 

1,021 

2,039 

25 

2,064 

982 

12 

994 

3,668 

16 

3,684 

878 

0 

878 

1,366 

2 

1,368 

1,129 

6 

1,135 

1,477 

3 

1,480 

1,164 

1 

1,165 

283 

0 

283 

1,356 

1 

1,357 

1,329 

14 

1,343 

322 

7 

329 

1,834 

7 

1,841 

1,427 

2 

1,429 

2,136 

26 

2,162 

667 

8 

675 

1,550 

36 

1,586 

1,986 

5 

1,991 

215 


Totals 


32,638 


*  The  town  of  Ossining  was  then  included  in  that  of  Mount  Pleasant. 

Yonkers  had  36  slaves,  the  largest  number,  and  Mamaroneck 
and  Pelham  had  none. 

Census  of  1825. 

The  census  of  1825  gave  the  County  a  population  of  33,131; 
16,692  male  persons  and  16,439  females.  Also  showed  that 
there  were  in  the  County  the  year  preceding  193  marriages,  941 
births,  and  391  deaths;  that  the  County  contained  239,458  acres 
of  improved  land;  30,933  head  of  cattle,  6,566  horses,  38,042 
sheep  and  39,293  hogs.  Manufactured  36,003%  yards  of 
domestic  fulled  cloth,  35,6321/4  yards  of  flannel  and  woolen 
cloth — not  fulled,  and  97,3491/2  yards  of  linen,  cotton  and  thin 
cloth,  were  produced  in  the  year  1824.  In  the  County  there 
were,  at  this  time,  71  grist  mills,  74  sawmills,  5  oil  mills,  26' 
fulling  mills,  3  cotton  factories,  3  woolen  factories,  and  22 
distilleries. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


29 


The  population  of  the  county,  as  shown  by  the  several  census 
enumerations,  taken  in  1698  and  subsequently,  was  as  follows 
j  In  1698,  1,063 ;  in  1703,  1,946 ;  in  1712,  2,815 ;  in  1723,  4,409 
^n  1731,  6,033 ;  in  1737,  6,745 ;  in  1746,  9,235 ;  in  1749,  10,703 
^n  1756,  13,257 ;  in  1771,  21,745 ;  in  1790,  24,003 ;  in  1800,  27,347 
m  1810,  30,272 ;  in  1814,  26,367 ;  in  1820,  32,638 ;  in  1825,  33,131 
iin  1830,  36,456 ;  in  1835,  38,789 ;  in  1840,  48,686 ;  in  1845,  47,394 
(in  1850,  58,263;  in  1855,  80,678;  in  1860,  99,497;  in  1865 
101,197;  in  1870,  131,348;  in  1875,  103,564*;  in  1880,  108,988 
ino  census  taken  in  1885)  ;  in  1890,  146,772;  in  1892,  147,830 
Ino  census  taken  in  1895)  ;  in  1900,  183,375;  in  1905,  228,950 
m  1910,  283,055. 

The  population  of  Westchester  County,  by  minor  civil  divi 
sions,  from  1860  to  and  including  1905,  was  as  follows: 


Town 


edford 

ortlandt 

Eastchester 

Greenburgh 

.  Harrison 

.  Lewisboro 

.  Mamaroneck 

'.  Morrisaniaf 

;  Mount  Vernon  City . 
'.  Mount  Pleasant .  .  . . 

New  Castle 

"  New  Rochelle 

tew  Rochelle  City, 
orth  Castle 
ssining 

P'elhamJ 

P-oundridge 

Rye 

S^carsdale 

WestchesterJ 

West  Farms  t 

White  Plains 

"V\onkers§ 

Y jonkers  City 

Yprktown 


1865 


3,465 
9,393 
5,615 
8,463 
1,380 
1,653 
1,393 
11,691 


4,389 
1,879 
3,968 


2,198 
6,213 
1,043 
1,299 
4,675 
557 
3,926 
7,333 
2,122 
12,756 


2,559 


1875 


3,744 
11,928 
8,294 
10,943 
1,431 
1,598 
1,425 


5,411 
2,242 

4,678 


1,961 
8,533 
1,538 
1,008 
5,936 
529 
6,560 


2,749 


17,232 
2,610 


1880 


3,731 
12,664 
8,737 
8,934 
1,494 
1,612 
1,863 


5,450 
2,297 
5,276 


1,818 
8,769 
2,540 
1,034 
6,576 
614 
6,789 


4,094 


18,892 
2,481 


1890 


3,291 

15,139 

15,442 

11,613 

1,485 

1,417 

2,385 


5,844 
2,110 
9,057 


1,475 

10,058 

3,941 

830 

9,477 

683 

10,029 


4,508 


32,033 

2,378 


1892 


3,267 

14,039 

17,763 

11,630 

1,444 

1,369 

2,470 


5,870 
2,187 
9,990 


1,403 
8,814 
2,696 

841 
9,680 

594 
8,326 


4,952 


31,419 
2,241 


1900 


3,497 
18,703 
3,040 
15,564 
2,048 
1,311 
3,849 


21,228 
8,698 
2,401 


14.720 
1,471 

10,895 
1,571 

823 
12,861 

885 


7,869 


47,931 
2,421 


1905 


4,759 
21,079 
3,986 
18,635 
2,922 
1,542 
5,655 


25,006 
9,728 
2,956 


20,479 
1,483 

10,316 

1,841 

798 

18,077 
1,018 


12,129 


61,716 
2,294 


*The  apparent  decrease  in  1875  is  owing  to  several  towns  in  the  southern 
Befction  of  the  county  being  annexed  to  New  York  city  and  the  taking  away 
of  \  several  thousands  of  population. 

if  Towns  of  Morrisania,  West  Farms  and  Kingsbridge  annexed  to  City  of 
NW  York,  by  Legislature,  Chap.  613,  Laws  of  1873. 

'  %  Town  of  Westchester  and  parts  of  Eastchester  and  Pelham  annexed  to 
City  of  New  York,  by  Legislature,  Chap.  934,  Laws  of  1895. 

i  §  City  of  Yonkers  erected  from  town  of  Yonkers  by  Legislature,  Chap. 
8616,  Laws  of  1872,  and  town  of  Kingsbridge  erected  from  town  of  Yonkers 


hy 


Supervisors,  December  19,  1872. 


30  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

States  in  order  according  to  population  run  as  follows :    New 
York,  Pennsylvania,  Illinois,  Ohio,  ^Missouri,  Texas,  Massachu- 
setts, Indiana,  Michigan,  Iowa,  Georgia,  Kentucky,  Wisconsin, 
Tennessee,  each  with  over  2,000,000  population.     Nevada  has, 
the  smallest  population. 

The  largest  county  in  the  United  States  is  Custer  County,  in 
Montana,  which  has  20,490  square  miles.     The  smallest  county' 
is  Bristol  County,  Rhode  Island,  which  has  25  square  miles. 

In  considering  the  census  reports  we  are  informed,  as  tq 
proportion  of  sexes  in  the  United  States,  that  there  are  morr 
males  than  females  in  this  nation.  As  a  rule,  sparsely  settled 
regions  have  an  excess  of  males  and  densely  settled  regions 
an  excess  of  females.  Cities  have  more  females  than  males.  /] 
Increasing  proportion  of  girls  among  school  children.  Women 
live  longer  than  men.  Death  rate  higher  for  males  than 
females.  I 

The  population  of  New  York  city  is  40.4  per  cent  foreign  born,  i 

Under  provisions  of  Congress,  act  of  July  2,  1909,  the  Thir-j 
teenth  Census  was  directed  to  be  taken  in  1910,  commencing  •, 
April    15.     The    office    clerical    force   was    increased    to    4,000 1 
employees;   330  supervisors  of  the  census  and  nearly   70,000 1 
enumerators  were  appointed.     In  June,  1909,  Congress  appro- 
priated $10,000,000  to  meet  the  expenses  of  this  last  census,! 
and  it  was  estimated  that  more  than  half  as  much  again  addi-  i 
tional  would  be  needed  to  meet  the  expense  of  finishing  the 
census  and  putting  it  in  shape  for  presentation  to  the  public. 

The  total  white  population  of  the  original  area  of  the  United. 
States  in  1610  was  but  210  persons.  In  1900  the  twelfth  census 
showed  a  population  in  our  territory  at  that  time  of  over 
76,000,000.  In  1910  we  find  it  to  be  92,000,000.  The  taking' 
of  the  census  every  ten  years  is  somewhat  of  a  task,  as  can  well' 
be  imagined,  when  it  is  taken  into  consideration  that  in  1900  it- 
cost  Uncle  Sam  no  less  than  $13,000,000,  and  in  1910  mucl^ 
more.  Since  former  date  it  is  figured  that  his  family  has  in- 
creased by  about  16,000,000  members.  The  enumeration  had  to 
be  finished  within  two  weeks  in  the  cities  that  had  5,000  popu- 
lation or  over  at  the  last  census,  and  within  30  days  in  aM 
other  areas.  To  perform  this  task  promptty  the  United  Stat'^^s 
employed  the  services  of  75,000  men,  outside  the  Washington 
Bureau  force.  The  cost  of  the  census  of  1910,  it  is  estimated, 
will  be  about  $19,000,000. 

But  it  is  expected  that  these  figures  will  be  reduced,  owinlg 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


31 


to  the  economical  and  improved  methods  installed  in  the  Census 
^Bureau.  Much  saving  has  been  effected  by  the  introduction  of 
semi-automatic  electrical  card-punching,  tabulating  and  sorting 
machines.  The  permanent  force  of  the  Census  Bureau  includes 
700  clerks. 

The  figures  and  facts  of  the  new  census,  already  sifted  out  and 
analyzed,  have  produced  much  valuable  information.  The  work 
on  the  whole  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  and  affords  us  data 
for  the  solution  of  national  problems  that  we  cannot  do  without 
ii  we  are  to  make  intelligent  progress. 

Cities  in  the  County. 


Incor- 
porated 

Population 

1900 

1905 

1910 

*Yonker8,  in  town  of  Yonkers,  was 
incorporated  as  a  village  in  1855, 
and  as  a  city  in 

*Mount  Vernon,  in  town  of  East- 
chester,  was  incorporated  as  a  vil- 
lage in  1853,  and  as  a  city  in 

*New  Rochelle,  town  of  New  Rochelle, 
was  incorporated  as  a  village  in 
1858,  and  as  a  city  in 

1872 

1892 
1899 

47,931 
21,228 
14,720 

61,716 
25,006 
20,479 

79,803 
30,919 

28,867 

*  These  cities  were  chartered  by  special  acts  of  the  Legislature. 

Yonkers  has  become  a  second  class  city,  as  provided  for  by 
general  act  of  the  Legislature ;  a  position  earned  by  its  rapidly 
increasing  population. 

Incorporated  Villages  in  the  County. 


■ 

Incor- 
porat- 
ed 

1900 

Popu] 
1902 

ation 
1905 

1910 

Ardsley,  town  of  Greenburgh 

Briar  Cliff  Manor,  towns  of  Ossining  and 
Mt.  Pleasant 

1896 

1902 

1898 
1898 
1873 
1910 

1879 
1872 
1891 

1895 

404 

"'"579 
1,533 

2,888 

392 

381 

611 

1,421 

2,780 

470 

417 

994 

1,599 

3,515 

537 
950 

Bronxville,  town  of  Eastchester 

Croton,  town  of  Cortlandt 

1,863 
1,806 

Dobbs  Ferry,  town  of  Greenburgh 

Elmsford,  town  of  Greenburgh 

3,455 

828 

Hastings-on-Hudson,    town    of    Green- 
burgh   

Irvington,  town  of  Greenburgh 

Larchmont,  town  of  Mamaroneck 

Mamaroneck,  towns  of  Mamaroneck  and 
Rye 

2,002 

2,231 

945 

4,722 

2,171 

2,236 
989 

3,988 

3,060 
2,480 
1,760 

5,090 

4,552 
2,319 
1,958 

5,699 

32 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


*Moiint    Kisco,   towns   of  Bedford   and 

New  Castle 

North  Pelham,  town  of  Pelhara 

North  Tarrvtown,  town  of  Mt.  Pleasant 

*Ossining.  town  of  Ossining 

*Peekskill,  town  of  Cortlandt 

Pelham,  town  of  Pelham 

Pelham  Manor,  town  of  Pelham 

Pleasant ville,  town  of  Mount  Pleasant.  . 

*Port  Chester,  town  of  Rye 

Rye  Village,  town  of  Rye 

Sherman  Park,t  town  of  Mount  Pleasant 

Tarrj'town,  town  of  Greenburgh 

Tuckahoe,  town  of  Eastchester 

*White  Plains,  town  of  White  Plains .  .  . 


Incor- 
porat- 
ed 


1875 
1896 
1874 
1813 
1827 
1896 
1891 
1897 
1868 
1904 
1906 
1870 
1902 
1866 


Population 


1900 


1,346 

684 

4,241 

7,939 

10,358 

303 

1,204 
7,440 


4,770 

7,899 


1902 


1,535 

693 

4,165 

7,793 

12,448 

368 

594 

1,246 

8,631 


4,961 
1,111 


1905 


1,850 

850 

4,750 

7,135 

13,200 

349 

638 

1,585 

11,198 

4,076 

288 

5,370 

1,580 

11,579 


1910 


2,802 
1,311 
5,421 
11,48C' 
15,24f 
681. 
852 
2,20: 
12,80^ 
3,964 
423 
5,600 
2,722 
15,949 


*  The  star  indicates  the  villages  incorporated  by  special  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature. 

t  Name  changed  to  Hillside. 

Port  Chester,  from  April  23,  1823,  to  March  11,  1837,  was 
known  by  the  name  of  ' '  Saw-Pit ; "  on  the  latter  date  the  name 
''  Port  Chester  "  was  adopted.  West  Mount  Vernon  and  Cen- 
tral Mount  Vernon  were  incorporated  as  a  village  in  1869 ;  in 
1875,  by  vote  of  the  citizens,  this  village  decided  to  consolidate 
and  become  a  part  of  the  village  of  Mount  Vernon.  Ossining  was 
formerly  known  as  the  village  of  Sing  Sing;  because  the  latter 
name  was  deemed  objectionable  owing  to  its  connection  with 
the  State  Prison  located  within  the  village,  a  special  act  of  the 
Legislature  was  secured  permitting  the  change  of  name  as  to 
the  village  and  leaving  the  old  name  in  sole  possession  of  the 
prison. 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  GOVERNING. 

We  of  this  present  day  cannot  fully  realize  the  difficulties 
that  confronted  the  founders  of  the  Nation  when  they  discovered 
themselves  liberated  from  control  of  the  mother  country  and 
privileged  to  devise  ways  for  the  government  of  themselves. 

Writers  of  American  history  dwell  with  considerable  emphasis 
upon  the  serious  conditions  prevailing  during  the  period  embrac- 
ing the  fifteen  years  which  intervened  between  the  meeting  of 
the  First  Continental  Congress,  in  1774,  and  the  beginning  of 
government  under  our  present  Constitution.  During  these  years 
the  country's  future  was  often  imperiled,  not  only  by  the  suc- 
cesses of  the  British  Army  in  the  early  stages  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  but  at  all  times  by  the  inefficiency  of  our  own 
central  government,  and  later,  after  our  arms  had  been  victori- 
ous and  the  power  of  Great  Britain  had  been  banished  from  our 
shores,  by  the  petty  jealousy,  suspicion  and  rivalry  which  pre- 
vailed among  the  respective  Colonies. 

There  had  been  no  permanent  union  of  the  Colonies  prior  to 
1774,  but  each  had  been  careful  to  preserve  its  political  identity. 
Attempts  at  union  had  been  viewed  with  distrust  by  the  colo- 
nists and  regarded  with  disfavor  by  England.  A  defensive 
alliance  between  the  New  England  Colonies  for  the  purpose  of 
protecting  their  settlements  from  attacks  by  hostile  Indians  had 
been  effected,  but  this  union  did  not  contemplate  a  plan  for 
the  government  of  all  the  Colonies  by  a  central  authority. 
In  1754  Benjamin  Franklin  and  others  succeeded  in  getting 
together  a  meeting  of  representatives  from  many  of  the  Colo- 
nies, in  what  is  known  as  the  ''  Albany  Convention."  Here 
an  attempt  was  made  to  perfect  a  union  of  the  Colonies,  but 
the  lack  of  harmony  on  the  part  of  the  colonists  and  the  oppo- 
sition of  England  proved  the  attempt  a  failure.  The  "  Stamp 
Act  "  and  the  increased  oppression  of  Great  Britain  succeeded 
in  making  a  union  necessary.  Delegates  from  eight  Colonies 
formed,  in  1765,  what  was  known  as  ''  The  Stamp  Act  Con- 
gress." The  continued  aggressions  of  the  English  government 
finally  led  to  the  formation  of  the  First  Continental  Congress, 
to  which  all  Colonies  agreed  to  send  delegates. 

33 


34  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

The  First  Continental  Congress  met  in  September,  1774.  Laws 
enacted  by  the  British  Parliament,  which  the  colonists  regarded 
as  oppressive,  roused  the  people  and  caused  the  formation  cf 
this  Congress.  These  obnoxious  laws  are  referred  to  as  the 
Boston  Port  Bill,  virtually  closing  the  port  of  Boston  to  com- 
merce: the  Transportation  Bill,  whereby  in  certain  cases  per- 
sons accused  of  murder  in  resisting  the  laws  might  be  sent  to 
England  for  trial :  the  ^Massachusetts  Bill,  an  attempt  on  the 
part  of  England  to  modify  the  charter  of  Massachusetts;  the 
Quartering  Act.  prcividing  for  the  quartering  of  British  soldiers 
upon  the  people:  and  the  Quebec  Act,  depriving  the  Colonies 
of  Massachusetts,  Connecticut  and  Virginia  of  the  vast  North- 
western Territorv  claimed  bv  them  between  the  Great  Lakes 
and  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivei^.  and  annexing  the  same  to 
the  Pro'^ince  of  Quebec.  The  indignation  aroused  by  the  pas- 
sage and  attempted  enforcement  of  these  laws  was  such  that, 
under  the  lead  of  ]\Iassachusetts  and  Virginia,  a  body  composed 
of  delegates  from  all  of  the  thirteen  Colonies,  except  Georgia, 
assembled  in  Philadelphia  to  take  such  action  as  might  be  deemed 
necessaiy  to  obtain  a  redress  of  their  grievances.  This  assembly 
is  known  in  history  as  the  First  Continental  Congress.  It 
remained  in  session  in  Carpenter's  Hall,  in  Philadelphia,  from 
September  5.  1774.  to  October  26.  1771. 

In  these  sessions  the  Congress,  on  behalf  of  the  people  of  the 
Colonies,  adopted  a  ''  Bill  of  Rights  "  (setting  forth  certain 
inalienable  rights  of  the  people,  in  the  enjo\^nent  of  which  they 
are  to  be  forever  protected  by  the  Government,  and  thereby 
placing  well  defined  restrictions  upon  the  powers  of  the  Gov- 
ernment and  its  officei^).  and  formulated  addresses  to  the 
people  of  the  Colonies  and  to  the  king  and  people  of  Great 
Britain,  for  the  purpose,  as  it  was  hoped,  of  bringing  about  a 
better  understanding  between  the  parties  to  the  controversy, 
and  thus  avoiding  further  conflict.  It  is  to  be  noticed  that  at 
this  time  the  people  of  the  Colonies  were  still  loyal  to  England 
and  had  no  thought  of  becoming  an  independent  nation,  but 
sought  only  to  obtain  what  they  conceived  to  be  their  rights  as 
Englishmen.  The  acts  of  the  First  Continental  Congress  are 
important  in  the  political  history  of  our  country  because,  by  its 
proceedings,  the  sentiment  in  favor  of  union  between  the  Colo- 
nies was  strengthened  and  developed,  and  at  that  time  general 
laws  were  first  enacted  commanding  the  respect  and  obedience 
of   the   entire    country,    and,    being   ratified   and   approved   by 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  35 

the  respective  Colonies,  they  had  all  the  dignity  of  national 
laws. 

The  Second  Continental  Congress  met  in  Philadelphia  in 
May,  1775.  At  this  time  the  battle  of  Lexington  and  Concord 
had  taken  place  and  the  authority  of  Congress  was  recognized 
as  the  supreme  power  of  the  land.  Congress  at  once  assumed 
management  of  the  Continental  Army,  raised  money  for  prose- 
cuting the  war  with  Great  Britain,  and,  on  behalf  of  the  united 
Colonies,  entered  into  negotiations  with  foreign  countries.  The 
exercise  of  such  powers  as  these  is  one  of  the  attributes  of  sov- 
ereignty, and,  with  the  creation  of  a  central  government  repre- 
senting the  entire  country,  the  history  of  the  American  Union 
commences. 

The  Continental  Congress  has  been  called  a  revolutionary 
body,  because  there  was  no  legal  authority  for  its  existence. 
Its  organization  was  the  spontaneous  act  of  the  people,  caused 
by  the  pressing  necessity  for  some  central  government.  It 
assumed  to  act  with  an  authority  which  it  did  not  really  pos- 
sess, because  no  powers  had  ever  been  conferred  upon  it  expressly 
by  the  people,  and  its  existence  was  due  solely  to  the  necessity 
of  meeting  the  crisis  occasioned  by  the  war  with  Great  Britain. 
Most  of  its  acts  had  the  effect  of  general  laws,  as  they  met 
with  the  consent  and  approval  of  the  people;  otherwise  Con- 
gress would  have  been  powerless  to  enforce  its  own  commands. 

Such  a  government  as  this  could  not  be  otherwise  than  ineffi- 
cient and  unsatisfactory,  and  with  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence the  need  of  a  stronger  central  government  was  more 
apparent  than  ever,  for  then  the  Colonies  assumed  a  place  among 
the  sovereign,  independent  nations  of  the  world  and  required  a 
government  having  at  least  power  to  enforce  the  obedience  of 
its  own  citizens. 

In  1777,  the  Articles  of  Confederation  were  prepared  and 
submitted  to  the  people  of  the  Colonies  for  approval.  The 
object  of  the  Confederation  was  stated  to  be  the  formation  of 
a  '*  league  of  friendship  "  between  the  States  "  for  their  com- 
mon defense  and  the  security  of  their  liberties  and  their  mutual 
and  general  welfare."  The  Articles  of  Confederation  were 
finally  adopted  in  1781,  when  the  war  with  Great  Britain  had 
practically  ceased;  but  the  government  under  them  was  a 
failure,  because  their  plan,  while  contemplating  the  creation  of 
a  national  government,  still  did  not  deprive  the  States  of  their 
sovereign  powers  and  left  them  undisturbed   in  the   exercise 


36  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

of   powers   inconsistent   with   the   theor^^   of   a   strong   central 
government. 

A  well-known  writer,  speaking  of  our  nation's  early  govern- 
ment and  referring  to  the  failure  of  the  Articles  of  Confedera- 
tion to  accomplish  what  was  intended,  owing  to  the  want  of 
power  to  do  certain  things  necessary  for  the  government's 
maintenance,  says : 

''  For  example,  it  is  impossible  for  any  government  to  exist 
unless  it  has  the  power  of  raising  money  with  which  to  meet  its 
obligations.  This  must  be  done  by  taxation,  which  is  simply 
a  method  of  taking  a  certain  amount  of  the  private  property  of 
citizens  and  applying  the  same  to  the  payment  of  the  expenses 
of  the  government  incurred  for  the  common  good  of  all. 

'^  Under  the  '  league  of  friendship  '  the  expenses  of  govern- 
ment were  to  be  paid  out  of  the  common  treasury,  supplied  by 
the  States  in  proportion  to  the  value  of  all  land  within  each 
State,  but  the  taxes  for  paying  that  proportion  were  to  be  levied 
by  the  Legislatures  of  the  several  States,  not  by  Congress  con- 
taining representatives  from  all  States.  Consequently,  no  mat- 
ter how  serioush'  Congress  mis"ht  need  monev,  it  could  obtain 
none  unless  the  States  carried  out  their  compact  and  levied  the 
necessary  taxes,  a  thing  which  they  generally  failed  to  do. 
Hence,  at  the  very  outset,  we  find  the  national  government 
absolutely  without  the  power  of  taxation,  probably  the  most 
necessary  and  fundamental  prerogative  for  any  government  to 
possess. 

'^  Another  of  the  inseparable  attributes  of  sovereignty  is  the 
power  to  make  treaties  with  foreign  nations  for  the  purpose  of 
regulating  trade  between  the  countries.  Under  the  Articles  of 
Confederation,  Congress  had  no  such  power,  and  consequently 
Spain  and  Great  Britain  refused  to  make  any  commercial 
treaties  with  the  new  government,  and,  in  addition,  did  all  they 
could  to  hamper  the  commerce  of  the  States  by  exacting  burden- 
some taxes  upon  imported  goods  and  by  other  restrictions  upon 
trade.  This  condition  of  things  imposed  great  hardship  upon 
the  people  of  this  country,  because  they  were  neither  able  to 
purchase  abroad  many  articles  of  necessity  not  manufactured 
here,  nor  could  they  dispose  of  their  agricultural  products, 
which  constituted  their  chief  wealth. 

' '  A  short  experience  with  the  scheme  of  government  furnished 
by  the  Articles  of  Confederation  served  to  show  that  nimierous 
amendments  were  required  to  promote  the  efficiency  of  the  gov- 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  37 

ernment,  and  that  without  such  amendments  the  union  of  the 
States,  instead  of  being  perpetual,  as  the  Articles  had  planned, 
was  in  constant  danger  of  complete  disruption.  When  this  con- 
clusion was  reached  another  glaring  defect  was  found,  in  that 
it  was  provided  by  these  Articles  that  no  amendment  could  be 
made  unless  agreed  to  in  a  congress  and  afterward  confirmed 
by  the  Legislatures  of  all  the  States,  thus  rendering  it  extremely 
difficult,  if  not  in  many  cases  absolutely  impossible,  to  secure 
any  alteration  in  the  government  system. 

**  Many  other  defects  in  the  Articles  of  Confederation  might 
be  mentioned,  but  these  few  will  serve  to  show  how  imperfect 
was  the  system.  After  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
from  1781  to  1789,  the  condition  of  the  country  was  deplorable. 
This  has  been  called  '  the  critical  period  of  American  history,' 
because  then  the  chances  for  the  success  of  popular  government 
in  this  country  were  about  evenly  balanced.  It  w^as,  indeed, 
*  a  time  that  tried  men's  souls/  as  had  been  said  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary period. 

*'  The  close  of  the  war  had  left  the  country  burdened  with  a 
large  debt,  on  which  Congress  could  not  pay  the  interest, 
because  it  had  no  money  and  no  means  of  getting  any.  States 
often  refused  to  pay  their  due  proportion  into  the  public  treas- 
ury. Open  rebellion  existed  in  some  parts  of  the  country  and 
Congress  was  powerless  to  enforce  order.  No  gold  was  in  cir- 
culation and  paper  money  had  been  issued  by  the  States  and  by 
Congress  to  such  an  extent  as  to  depreciate  its  value  and  render 
it  worthless.  Commerce  was  at  a  standstill  and  the  entire 
country  was  bankrupt.  Thoughtful  people  feared  a  state  of 
anarchy  would  soon  prevail  and  the  disruption  of  the  Federal 
Union  would  follow,  some  even  believing  that  England  would 
again  conquer  the  country,  for  the  king's  troops  were  still  quar- 
tered in  the  military  posts  along  the  northern  frontier. 

*^  Under  such  circumstances  as  these  the  necessity  for  a 
stronger  central  government  became  imperative,  but  the  result 
was  not  easy  to  accomplish.  More  than  one  attempt  was  made 
and  failed,  but  finally  a  convention  composed  of  delegates  from 
all  the  Colonies,  except  Rhode  Island,  was  assembled  in  Phila- 
delphia on  the  14th  day  of  May,  1787.  This  convention  con- 
tinued in  session  for  four  months,  and  as  the  result  of  its  labors 
the  present  Constitution  of  the  United  States  was  framed  and 
presented  to  the  people  for  approval. 


38  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

"  But  little  is  known  as  to  the  debates  which  occurred  during 
the  sessions  of  this  convention,  for  the  only  record  of  its  pro- 
ceedings which  has  been  preserved  consists  of  the  notes  taken 
by  James  I\Iadison  (afterwards  President  of  the  United  States) 
and  others,  who  were  in  attendance  as  delegates.  These  notes 
were  very  full  and  make  most  interesting  reading,  because  they 
show  the  range  of  subjects  under  consideration  and  the  names 
of  those  who  were  in  attendance  and  participated  in  the  dis- 
cussions. From  these  records  we  learn  that  the  proceedings 
were  reasonably  unanimous  and  free  from  violent  discussion, 
except  upon  three  questions,  the  most  important  of  which  was 
the  manner  in  which  the  different  States  should  be  represented 
in  the  Federal  Congress.  And  here  we  again  have  occasion  to 
notice  distrust  and  suspicion  on  the  part  of  the  smaller  toward 
the  larger  States.  The  delegates  from  the  smaller  States  insisted 
that,  inasmuch  as  the  convention  was  forming  a  union  of  sov- 
ereign States,  each  of  the  States  should  have  an  equal  represen- 
tation in  Congress,  while  on  behalf  of  the  larger  States  it  was 
urged  that  the  number  of  representatives  from  each  State  should 
be  based  upon  its  population.  This  dispute  was  compromised 
by  giving  to  each  of  the  States  an  equal  representation  in  the 
Senate,  and  providing  that  in  the  House  of  Representatives  the 
number  of  members  from  each  State  should  be  determined  by 
the  population.  The  two  remaining  questions  which  provoked 
serious  discussion  were  whether  or  not  the  slave  trade  should  be 
permitted  to  continue,  and  how  slaves  should  be  counted  in 
estimating  the  population  of  a  State  as  a  basis  for  determining 
the  number  of  members  to  which  it  should  be  entitled  in  the 
House  of  Representatives.  These  questions  were  of  immense 
importance  at  that  time,  but  owing  to  the  complete  abolition  of 
slavery  in  this  country  they  are  now  interesting  to  us  only  as 
matters  of  history." 

Among  the  delegates  attending  this  convention  were  General 
"Washington,  Randolph  and  ^ladison  from  Virginia ;  Alexander 
Hamilton  from  Xew  York;  Benjamin  Franklin  and  the  two 
Morrises  from  Pennsylvania ;  John  Rutledge  and  the  two  Pinck- 
neys  from  South  Carolina ;  Roger  Sherman  from  Connecticut, 
and  many  others,  all  constituting  an  assemblage  of  political 
thinkers  whose  sagacity  has  never  been  surpassed. 

The  Convention  completed  its  labors  on  September  17,  1787, 
after  the  members  had  siomed  the  new  Constitution. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  39 

From  the  notes  of  the  Convention,  taken  by  James  Madison, 
we  reproduce  the  following  to  illustrate  the  impressiveness  of 
the  occasion: 

''  Whilst  the  last  members  were  signing,  Doctor  Franklin, 
looking  toward  the  President's  chair,  at  the  back  of  which  a 
rising  sun  happened  to  be  painted,  observed  to  a  few  members 
near  him  that  painters  had  found  it  difficult  to  distinguish,  in 
their  art,  a  rising  from  a  setting  sun.  '  I  have,'  said  he,  *  often 
and  often,  in  the  course  of  the  session,  and  the  vicissitudes  of 
my  hopes  and  fears  as  to  its  issue,  looked  at  that  behind  the 
President,  without  being  able  to  tell  whether  it  was  rising  or 
setting ;  but  now,  at  length,  I  have  the  happiness  to  know  that  it 
is  a  rising  and  not  a  setting  sun.'  " 

The  Constitution*  was  ratified  in  June,  1788,  by  the  requisite 
number  of  States.  This  most  important  instrument  has  come 
to  be  regarded  as  a  masterpiece  of  political  wisdom,  not  only  by 
those  who  directly  enjoy  its  benefits,  but  by  students  of  political 
institutions  throughout  the  world.  Of  it  the  great  English 
Premier  Gladstone  once  said :  "As  far  as  I  can  see,  the  Ameri- 
can Constitution  is  the  most  wonderful  work  ever  struck  off  at 
one  time  by  the  brain  and  purpose  of  man." 

Mr.  Froude,  the  great  English  historian,  in  speaking  of  our 
Constitution,  said: 

''  The  problem  of  how  to  combine  a  number  of  self-governed 
communities  into  a  single  commonwealth,  which  now  lies  before 
Englishmen  who  desire  to  see  a  federation  of  the  Empire,  has 
been  solved  completely  in  the  American  Union.  The  bond 
which,  at  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  was  looser  than  that 
which  now  connects  Australia  and  England,  became  strength- 
ened by  time  and  custom.  The  attempt  to  break  it  was  suc- 
cessfully resisted  by  the  sword,  and  the  American  Republic  is, 
and  is  to  continue,  so  far  as  reasonable  foresight  can  anticipate, 
one  and  henceforth  indissoluble." 


*The  Declaration  of  Independence  and  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  is  in  an  iron  safe  in  the  library  of  the  State  Department,  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  The  four  pages  of  the  Constitution  and  the  pages  containing 
the  resolution  submitting  the  Constitution  to  the  States  of  the  Union,  are 
in  excellent  condition.  The  ink  is  as  black  as  when  fresh  laid  with  a  quill 
pen. 

The  Declaration  of  Independence  itself  is  fairly  well  preserved,  but  few 
signatures  are  legible.  Both  these  important  documents  were  exposed  to 
view  on  May  7,  1911,  the  first  time  in  nine  years,  then  because  the  Secretary 
of  State  had  to  open  the  safe  for  the  purpose  of  inspecting  the  demurrers, 
which  he  found  in  good  condition. 


40  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

PARK  LAND  FORMERLY  IX  THE  COUNTY. 

Pelhani  Bay  Park,  formerly  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
town  of  Pelham,  now  belonging  to  the  City  of  New  York,  con- 
tains 1,756  acres  of  land. 

Van  Cortlandt  Park,  formerly  a  part  of  the  to^Ti  of  Yonkers, 
now  belonging  to  New  York  City,  contains  1,132.35  acres. 

Bronx  Park,  formerly  a  part  of  the  town  of  "West  Farms,  now 
of  New  York  City,  comprises  716  acres. 

Crotona  Park,  formerly  a  part  of  the  town  of  Morrisania, 
now  belonging  to  New  York  City,  has  154.6  acres;  Claremont 
Park,  nearby,  has  38  acres. 

Bronx  and  Pelham  parkway  is  11,861  feet  long  and  400  feet 
wide. 

Mosholu  parkway  is  6,035  feet  long  and  600  feet  wide. 

Crotona  parkway  and  avenue  is  3,815  feet  long  and  200  feet 
wide. 

The  Spuyten  Duyvil  parkway  is  11,500  feet  long,  and  ranging 
in  width  from  60  to  180  feet. 

The  Borough  of  the  Bronx  (formerly  the  southern  section 
of  Westchester  County)  has  a  greater  area  of  parks  than  any 
of  the  other  boroughs  of  Greater  New  York. 

The  Borough  of  ]\Ianhattan  has  47  parks,  which  are  improved 
and  have  official  names ;  10  which  are  improved  and  not  named ; 
4  which  are  named  but  not  improved.  Central  Park  is  the 
largest,  with  943.019  acres;  Riverside  Park  has  140,037  acres, 
and  they  are  the  largest  of  the  61  parks.  The  driveways  in  the 
parks  are  confined  principally  to  Central  and  Riverside  Parks; 
Central  Park  having  ten  miles  of  them,  ranging  in  width  from 
35  feet  to  60  feet.     Central  Park  is  now  valued  at  $150,000,000. 


STATE  AND  LOCAL  GOVERNMENT. 

The  State  of  New  York  contained  nineteen  counties  in  1783, 
when  in  March  of  that  year,  by  act  of  the  Legislature,  these 
counties  were  subdivided  into  townships.  Westchester  County, 
in  1790,  had  a  population  of  24,003  (see  page  8,  vol.  1,  of  this 
Manual),  and  was  subdivided  into  twenty-one  townships.  The 
town  of  Bedford  was  considered  the  county's  chief  township 
and  had  a  population  of  2,470. 

The  townships,  into  which  the  counties  were  divided,  were 
corporations  invested  with  certain  privileges.  The  act  directs 
that  the  freeholders  in  the  several  townships  shall  assemble  in 
town  meetings,  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  April  annually,  and 
choose  their  town  officers,  viz.:  One  Supervisor,  one  Town 
Clerk,  from  three  to  seven  Assessors,  one  or  more  Collectors, 
two  Overseers  of  the  Poor,  Commissioners  of  Highways,  Consta- 
bles, Fence  Viewers,  Poundmasters,  etc.  These  to  hold  their 
respective  offices  one  year,  or  until  others  be  chosen.  This  act, 
which  appears  to  have  originated  from  a  spirit  of  pure  repub- 
licanism, came  in  force  the  first  day  of  April,  1789.  It  had  a 
happy  tendency  to  disseminate  through  the  State  such  infor- 
mation and  such  principles  as  were  calculated  to  cherish  the 
spirit  of  freedom  and  support  of  free  republican  government. 
The  frequent  gathering  of  people  in  town  meetings  made  them 
acquainted  with  each  other,  and  assimilated  their  ideas  and 
their  manners.  Their  being  invested  with  power  made  them 
feel  their  importance  and  roused  their  ambition.  Advocates  of 
the  law  maintained  that  town  meetings  would  be  as  so  many 
schools,  in  which  all  the  free  citizens  of  the  State  might  learn 
how  to  transact  public  business  with  propriety,  and  in  which 
they  might  qualify  themselves  for  the  highest  offices  of  the 
State.  The  number  of  town  offices,  it  was  argued,  could  be 
increased,  from  time  to  time,  without  additional  expense  to  the 
State ;  and  as  the  desire  of  promotion  is  innate  in  human  nature, 
and  as  ambition  to  possess  the  requisite  qualifications  commonly 
accompanies  this  desire,  the  probability  is  that  the  number  of 
persons  qualified  for  public  office  would  be  increased,  and  of 
course  the  number  of  good  citizens  proportionably  multiplied 

41 


42  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

and  the  subordinate  civil  affairs  of  the  State  more  faithfully 
and  more  reoriilarlv  transacted. 

The  town  meeting  as  it  existed  in  the  early  days,  and  still 
exists  in  some  communities,  has  been  considered,  in  the  opinion 
of  best  authorities  on  the  subject  of  civil  government,  the  most 
perfect  example  of  a  government  by  the  people  that  can  be 
found  in  the  political  history  of  any  nation,  and  the  town  meet- 
ing has  been  a  nursery  of  patriotism,  a  school  for  the  education 
of  citizens  and  a  safeguard  for  the  preservation  of  the  liberties 
of  the  people.  Doubtless  these  town  meetings  were,  in  the  early 
days,  what  the  proposed  "  direct  primaries  "  are  intended  for 
in  these  days. 

These  meetings  were  popular  because  they  permitted  all  the 
male  inhabitants  of  the  town,  over  twenty-one  years  of  age,  to 
have  a  part  in  the  civil  government.  In  these  meetings  every 
attendant  had  an  equal  voice  and  was  at  liberty  to  make  motions, 
offer  resolutions  and  partake  in  the  discussions  of  any  and  all 
questions  under  consideration,  such  as  the  levying  of  taxes,  the 
election  of  officers  and  the  expenditure  of  public  money. 

In  New  England  the  old  custom  of  holding  town  meetings 
still  exists  in  manv  sections,  which  have  refused  to  abandon  it 
^(^  for  more  pretentious  governmental  methods.  In  these  meetings 
/V6\  all  qualified  persons  take  part  and  attendance  is  compulsory, 
failure  to  attend  being  punishable  by  a  fine.  These  town  assem- 
blies are  considered  a  complete  exemplification  of  a  government 
''  of  the  people,  for  the  people  and  by  the  people." 

All  writers  are  agreed  that  the  various  forms  of  government 
prevailing  in  the  United  States  have  been  the  growth  of  either 
the  Township  system,  derived  from  the  New  England  Colonies, 
or  the  County  system,  which  was  first  developed  in  the  Colony 
of  Virginia. 

The  County,  like  the  Township,  was  of  English  origin,  and  was, 
in  the  first  instance,  used  to  designate  the  portions  of  England 
in  which  the  early  inhabitants  dwelt.  This  is  shown  plainly  by 
manv  of  the  countv  names  which  still  exist  in  England.  For 
example,  the  Coimty  of  Essex  was  originally  the  home  of  the 
East  Saxons,  and  the  Countv  of  Middlesex  was  the  abode  of 
the  ]\Iiddle  Saxons.  Enaiish  historv  informs  us  that  still 
another  German  tribe  invaded  England  called  the  Angles. 
These  people  and  the  Saxons  were  of  similar  origin,  and  the 
term  "  Anglo-Saxon  "  is  used  to  designate  the  union  of  these 
tribes.     From  the  Angles  was  derived  the  name  of  England, 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  43 

and  after  their  settlement  they  were  divided  into  two  tribes 
known  as  "North  Folk"  and  "South  Folk/'  from  which 
originated  the  two  county  names  of  Norfolk  and  Suffolk. 
All  these  county  names  were  imported  to  this  country  by  the 
early  settlers  and  one  or  more  of  them  can  be  found  in  use  to 
designate  either  a  county  or  a  city  in  nearly  all  of  the  original 
thirteen  colonies. 

Westchester  County  derives  its  name  from  Chester  in  Eng- 
land, and  was  given  it  by  early  English  settlers. 

When  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  took  effect,  in 
the  year  1789,  there  were  no  large  cities  in  the  country.  The 
largest  city  was  Philadelphia,  which  had  a  population  of  about 
31,000  inhabitants.  Next  came  New  York  with  a  population 
of  23,000,  followed  by  Boston  with  18,000.  These  were  the 
largest  cities  in  the  original  thirteen  states,  and  there  were 
scarcely  a  dozen  others  with  a  population  of  5,000  each,  so  it 
is  apparent  that  questions  of  municipal  government  could  not 
have  been  troublesome  in  those  days,  because  it  is  not  in  small 
cities  that  the  present  abuses  exist. 

A  well-known  writer,  in  speaking  on  this  subject,  says: 
**  The  system  of  municipal  government  in  vogue  in  this  country 
has  been  the  least  successful  of  all  our  political  institutions. 
The  scheme  of  government  provided  by  our  political  fore- 
fathers has  been  satisfactory  in  national  and  state  affairs,  but 
this  has  not  been  the  case  in  the  government  of  cities.  The 
problems  of  municipal  government  received  but  little  attention 
from  them,  doubtless  because  they  believed  that  the  citizens 
of  a  community  should  have  sole  charge  of  the  regulation  of 
local  affairs.  Even  if  they  had  considered  it  a  part  of  their 
duty  to  provide  a  scheme  for  municipal  government,  it  is 
doubtful  if  such  a  scheme  would  now  be  successful,  for  the 
reason  that  the  questions  which  now  confront  those  who  are 
charged  with  the  administration  of  city  affairs  did  not  exist 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century." 

Compare  the  population  of  New  York,  Boston  and  Phila- 
delphia in  1789  with  the  population  of  those  cities  to-day; 
compare  the  expense  of  running  these  same  cities  with  the 
expense  of  to-day. 

In  1910  the  Director  of  the  United  States  census  published 
statistics  endeavoring  to  provide  reasons  why  cities  cost  so 
much  to  run  and  where  the  money  goes.  Most  important  of 
all  were  the  facts  showing  the  general  cost  of  being  a  full- 


44  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

grown,  modern  American  municipality  at  the  present  day. 
For  the  purpose  of  comparison  as  well  as  brevity,  New  York 
and  the  other  members  of  the  first  group  of  cities  have  been 
selected.  They  are  Boston,  Philadelphia,  St.  Louis  and  Chicago. 
It  costs  more  to  run  New  York  city  for  a  year  than  it  does  to 
run  all  the  other  four  combined.  Indeed,  it  is  a  more  expen- 
sive proposition  to  pay  for  maintaining  New  York  than  the 
remaining  fourteen  cities  of  the  United  States  which  have 
populations  in  excess  of  300,000. 

The  expenditures  for  New  York  city  for  1907  amounted  to 
$433,280,130.  The  cost  of  the  whole  group  of  fifteen  cities 
was  $829,093,363.  It  is  apparent  from  this  that  New  York's 
budget  for  that  year,  which  is  the  last  for  which  complete 
comparative  tables  were  obtainable,  was  considerably  more  than 
half  the  whole  group.  For  the  same  year  the  gross  expendi- 
tures of  the  four  cities  ranking  next  to  New  York  were  as 
follows : 

Chicago $87,695,310 

Philadelphia 54,630,372 

St.  Louis 32,869,768 

Boston 55,714,029 

Total $230,909,479 

The  expense  in  New  York  city  for  1911  will  go  far  over  the 
million  mark. 

New  York  police  employees  exceed  in  number  double  that 
of  any  other  city  in  the  Union;  it  had  9,604  men  in  1907. 
Chicago  had  4,529;  Philadelphia,  3,201;  St.  Louis,  1,788; 
Boston,  1,386. 

New  York  City's  fire  department  cost  in  the  year  1907 
$7,925,277,  a  several  times  greater  sum  than  any  other  city. 

In  view  of  later  period  changes,  picture  the  surprises  that 
would  meet  Washington  were  he  able  to  walk  the  streets 
of  one  of  our  modern  cities  to-day:  '  He  never  in  his 
life  saw  a  flagstone  sidewalk,  nor  an  asphalted  street,  nor  a 
pane  of  glass  six  feet  square.  He  never  heard  a  factory  whistle ; 
he  never  saw  a  building  ten  stories  high,  nor  an  elevator,  nor  a 
gas  jet,  nor  an  electric  light;  he  never  saw  a  hot-air  furnace, 
nor  entered  a  room  warmed  by  steam ;  he  never  struck  a  match, 
nor  sent  a  telegram,  nor  spoke  through  a  telephone,  nor  touched 
an  electric  bell ;  he  never  saw  a  horse  car,  nor  an  omnibus,  nor 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  45 

a  trolley  car,  nor  a  ferry  boat.  Fancy  him  boarding  a  street 
car  to  take  a  ride!  He  would  probably  pay  his  fare  with  a 
nickel,  but  the  nickel  is  a  coin  he  never  saw.  Fancy  him  star- 
ing from  the  car  window  at  a  fence  bright  with  theatrical 
posters,  or  at  people  rushing  madly  by  in  an  automobile,  or  at 
a  man  riding  on  a  bicycle,  or  at  people  sailing  through  space 
in  a  modern  air-ship.' 

This  reference  is  given  to  illustrate  the  changes  which  have 
taken  place  between  the  year  1789  and  the  present  day.  In 
Washington's  time  people  were  satisfied  to  travel  as  fast  as 
horses  would  carry  them,  and  then,  some  time,  the  pace  was 
considered  too  rapid. 

The  origin  of  modern  cities  dates  back  to  the  history  of  Eng- 
land of  about  the  eleventh  century,  when  towns  and  cities  began 
to  grow  in  importance  and  receive  royal  recognition. 

In  1789  nearly  all  the  cities  in  the  United  States  were  gov- 
erned on  the  plan  of  the  New  England  town  meeting,  except  the 
city  of  New  York,  which  had  the  first  city  government  in  the 
country.  The  town  meeting  was  satisfactory  until  the  cities 
became  so  large  that  the  annual  meetings  of  the  citizens  were 
unwieldy  from  the  number  attending  them,  and  each  individual 
citizen  could  no  longer  have  a  voice  in  public  affairs.  In  such 
a  case  an  application  would  be  made  to  the  State  Legislature 
^(as  now)  asking  that  a  charter  be  granted  providing  a  scheme 
of  government  and  incorporating  the  city  as  a  body  politic. 

Boston  for  a  period  covering  one  hundred  and  eighty  years, 
from  the  date  of  its  organization  as  a  town  to  1822,  had  a  gov- 
ernment by  town  meeting.  In  the  latter  year,  when  the  last 
town  meeting  was  held,  the  town  had  a  population  of  40,000, 
and  the  meetings  were  so  large  as  to  be  unwieldy  and  unman- 
ageable. Then  an  application  was  made  to  the  State  Legisla- 
ture for  a  city  charter. 

Villages  may  be  incorporated  under  a  general  act,  or  by 
special  act  of  the  Legislature.  As  the  population  of  any 
locality  increases  and  the  territory  becomes  thickly  settled,  such 
locality  may  become  incorporated  as  a  village  whenever  a 
majority  of  the  voters  at  an  election  held  for  determining  the 
question  shall  be  in  favor  of  such  a  change,  and  with  the  taking 
and  recording  such  a  vote  in  the  office  of  the  County  Clerk. 

In  the  early  days  of  our  Nation's  history  there  was  no  ballot- 
voting;  it  was  a  viva  voce  matter,  and  each  man  knew  his  fel- 
low's creed.     At  the  polling  place,  in  the  public  hall  or  on  the 


46  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

open  green,  electors  assembled.  On  a  bench  raised  high  above 
the  crowd  were  seated  the  opposing  candidates,  for  Congress 
or  State  Delegates,  for  the  close  inspection  of  the  electors  pre- 
vious to  voting.  Near  the  candidates  stood  the  Sheriff  and 
Deputy  Sheriff;  around  each  of  the  candidates  pressed  com- 
mitteemen, workers  with  tallies,  vociferous  well-wishers,  and 
prophets  of  victory,  and  a  few  pei^onal  friends.  Citizens 
entitled  to  vote  gathered  from  all  sections;  they  came  in  vehicles, 
on  horseback  and  afoot ;  the  strong  and  the  weak,  the  halt  and 
the  blind,  the  sick  and  the  well,  the  old  and  the  young;  all  free 
men,  all  alert,  all  pleasurably  excited  over  the  prospect  of  a 
political  fight  in  which  their  side  was  sure  to  win. 

As  the  electors  approached  the  bench  on  which  sat  the  can- 
didates, and  in  front  of  the  Sheriff,  the  voter  was  to  announce 
in  a  loud,  clear  voice  the  name  of  the  candidate  for  whom  he 
voted ;  the  Sheriff'  as  loudly  recorded  each  vote  and  a  clerk  made 
record  in  a  book  of  each  vote  so  cast.  At  the  end  of  the  ballot- 
ing there  was  no  delay  in  announcing  the  result  of  the  election. 

The  custom  of  the  time  required  that  the  candidate  voted  for 
should  thank  the  man  who  voted,  and  that  at  once  and  pub- 
licly, aloud  and  aptly,  with  no  slurring  acknowledgment  of 
service. 

Such  elections  were  held  in  this  County,  on  the  public  green 
in  front  of  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church,  in  East  Chester. 

In  the  primitive  days  much  was  made  of  election  times.  It 
was  one  grand  gala  day,  when  everybody  in  the  country  around 
assembled  expecting  to  meet  every  other  man  with  whom  he 
was  acquainted.  Friends  of  candidates  vied  with  friends  of 
opposing  candidates  in  endeavors  to  provide  entertainment  of 
a  substantial  character  in  the  way  of  nourishment,  evidently 
believing  that  through  banqueting  the  good  will  of  electors  and 
their  votes  could  be  secured.  All  ranks  of  society,  all  ages, 
occupations  and  opinions  met  on  a  common  level  and  partook 
of  the  good  cheer  furnished  by  candidates,  and,  doubtlessly, 
feasted  at  the  spreads  provided  by  both  candidates,  accepting, 
probably,  what  they  received  as  "  honest  graft,"  as  the  term 
is  used  to-day.  In  many  ways,  electors  were  constructed  in 
the  early  days  of  our  Nation's  history  as  are  their  relatives  of 
the  present  period. 

Town  meetings  frequently  continued  to  be  held  several  days. 


COUNTY  ELECTIONS  IN  EARLY  DAYS. 

To  illustrate  how  electors  of  the  early  days  could  be  aroused 
over  political  issues,  equally  as  well  as  electors  of  the  present 
day,  a  report  is  here  given  of  an  election  held  on  October  29, 
1733,  for  Representative  in  the  Provincial  Assembly  for  West- 
chester County.  It  was  not  like  one  of  those  recent  village  elec- 
tion held  in  this  County,  for  a  few  hours  in  the  afternoon;  it 
lasted  about  three  days,  and  proved  to  be  most  exciting. 

It  was  one  of  the  early  battles  for  Colonial  rights,  and  the 
issue  was  awaited  with  intense  interest. 

Although  the  voters  were  from  various  towns  of  the  County, 
it  was  an  affair  especially  of  the  two  great  Manors  of  Morrisania 
and  Phillipseburgh— the  opposing  hosts  being  made  up  chiefly  by 
their  respective  tenantry.  Lewis  Morris  and  Frederick  Phillipse 
were  the  rival  lords  of  these  Manors.  They  had  their  mansions 
in  the  city  of  New  York  and  their  Manorial  Halls— one  in  Mor- 
risania, the  other  in  Yonkers — on  their  rural  domains.  In  the 
town  they  revolved  with  a  lessened  lustre  around  the  provincial 
court,  but  in  the  country  they  were  magnates,  calling  the  roll  of 
their  tenants  on  quarter  days  from  their  stone  portals. 

Each  of  these  semi-feudal  proprietors  held  high  office  of  state ; 
Morris  being  Chief-Justice  of  the  Province,  and  Phillipse  an 
Associate-Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court.  Morris  had  the  Repub- 
lican traditions  of  his  family,  who  were  once  soldiers  of  Crom- 
well's horse.  Phillipse  inherited  the  ultra-royalist  principles 
prevalent  under  the  Stuarts. 

In  1733  Morris  was  sixty-five  years  of  age,  and  Phillipse  was 
near  fifty.  In  August  of  that  year  Morris  had  been  arbitrarily 
removed  from  the  office  of  Chief-Justice  by  Governor  William 
Cosby  for  a  decision  adverse  to  the  Governor  in  his  celebrated 
suit  against  Rip  Van  Dam.  James  DeLancy  was  then  made 
Chief-elustice  and  Phillipse  was  promoted  to  the  seat  of  second 
Judge. 

Morris  then  determined  to  appeal  to  the  people,  and  offered 
himself  as  a  candidate  for  the  Provincial  Assembly  for  the 
County  of  Westchester,  his  son  Lewis,  Jr.,  being  already  a  mem- 
ber of  that  body.    Phillipse,  his  political  and  social  rival,  by  way 

47 


48  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

of  belittling  the  contest,  put  up  an  obscure  schoolmaster  and  a 
Jacobite,  a  Mr.  William  Forster,  as  the  opposing  candidate. 

Phillipse  had  opposed  a  levy  of  quit  rents  on  his  Manor,  which 
his  partisans  termed  a  ''land  tax,"  and  instead  of  it  had  advo- 
cated the  raising  of  revenue  by  excise  duties.  Hence  the  oppos- 
ing rallying  cries  of  the  electors.  The  election  took  place  on 
Eastchester  Green,  in  front  of  the  old  St.  Paul's  Episcopal 
Church,  still  standing  there. 

At  that  date  the  only  newspaper  in  either  Province  was  the 
New  York  Gazette,  a  weekly,  published  by  William  Bradford, 
the  public  printer,  who  was,  of  course,  devoted  to  the  party  of 
the  Governor.  This  was  the  first  paper  published  in  the  Colony, 
and  its  first  number  had  appeared  only  eight  years  before.  The 
result  of  this  election  was  not  such  as  pleased  the  Governor,  and 
the  report  of  same  did  not  appear  in  the  court  organ.  A  re- 
porter connected  with  the  paper  journeyed  to  the  scene  of  elec- 
tion for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  usual  "full  report,"  but, 
owing  to  the  result  being  advei*se  to  that  desired  by  the  Gov- 
ernor's friends.  Publisher  Bradford  refused  to  allow  the  report 
to  appear  in  the  Gazette.  Subsequently,  the  reporter,  John  Peter 
Zenger,  showed  his  report  to  friends  of  Morris,  who  decided  to 
have  same  published,  and  so  encouraged  Zenger  that  he  w^as  able 
to  issue  the  second  newspaper  of  New  York;  the  first  number, 
entitled  the  New  York  Weekly  Journal,  was  published  on  Novem- 
ber 5,  1733. 

The  following  is  the  report  of  Zenger: 

October  29,  1733. 

"On  this  day,  Lewis  Morris,  Esq.,  late  Chief  Justice  of  this 
Province,  was  by  a  majority  of  voices  elected  a  Representative 
from  the  County  of  Westchester.  It  was  an  Election  of  great 
Expectation;  the  Court  and  the  Country's  interest  was  exerted 
(as  is  said)  to  the  utmost.  I  shall  give  my  readers  a  particular 
account  of  it.  Nicholas  Cooper,  Esq.,  High  Sheriff  of  the  said 
County,  having  by  papers  affixed  to  the  Church  of  Eastchester 
and  other  public  places,  given  notice  of  the  Day  and  Place  of 
Election,  without  mentioning  any  time  of  the  Day  when  it  was 
to  be  done,  which  made  the  Electors  on  the  side  of  the  late  Judge 
very  suspicious  that  some  Fraud  was  intended— to  prevent  which 
about  fifty  of  them  kept  watch  upon  and  about  the  Green  at 
Eastchester  (the  Place  of  Election)  from  12  o'clock  the  night 
before  till  the  Morning  of  the  Day.     The  other  Electors,  begin- 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  49 

ning  to  move  on  Sunday  afternoon  and  evening,  so  as  to  be  at 
New  Rochelle  by  Midnight,  their  way  lay  through  Harrison's 
Purchase,  the  Inhabitants  of  which  provided  for  their  Enter- 
tainment as  they  passed  each  house  in  their  way,  having  a  table 
plentifully  covered  for  that  Purpose.  About  midnight  they 
all  met  at  the  house  of  William  LeCount  at  New  Rochelle,  whose 
house  not  being  large  enough  to  entertain  so  great  a  number,  a 
large  fire  was  made  in  the  Street  by  which  they  sat  till  daylight, 
at  which  time  they  began  to  move.  They  were  joined  on  the 
hill  at  the  East  end  of  the  Town  by  about  seventy  horse  of  the 
Electors  of  the  lower  part  of  the  County;  and  then  proceeded 
toward  the  place  of  Election  in  the  following  order,  viz. :  First 
rode  two  trumpeters  and  three  violins;  next,  four  of  the  prin- 
cipal Freeholders,  one  of  which  carried  a  banner,  on  one  side  of 
which  was  affixed  in  gold  capitals,  'King  George,'  and  on  the 
other  in  golden  capitals,  'Liberty  and  Law;'  next  followed  the 
Candidate,  Lewis  Morris,  Esq.,  then  two  Colours;  and  at  sun 
rising  they  entered  upon  the  Green  at  Eastchester,  followed  by 
about  three  hundred  horse  of  the  principal  Freeholders  of  the 
County,  a  greater  number  than  had  ever  appeared  for  one  man 
since  the  settlement  of  that  County. 

"After  having  rocle  three  times  round  the  Green,  they  went 
to  the  houses  of  Joseph  Fowler  and  Mr.  Child,  who  were  well 
prepared  for  their  reception ;  the  late  Chief  Justice  was  met  on 
his  alighting  by  several  Gentleman  who  came  there  to  give  their 
votes  for  him.  About  11  o'clock  appeared  the  Candidate  of  the 
other  side,  William  Forster,  Esq.,  schoolmaster,  appointed  by 
the  Society  of  Propagation  of  the  Gosple,  and  lately  made,  by 
commission  from  his  Excellency  the  present  Governor,  Clerk  of 
the  Peace  and  Common  Pleas  in  that  County;  which  commis- 
sion it  is  said  he  purchased  for  the  valuable  consideration  of  one 
hundred  pistories  given  the  Governor.  Next  him  came  two  en- 
signs borne  by  two  of  the  Freeholders;  then  followed  the  Hon- 
ourable James  DeLancey,  Esq.,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Province  of 
New  York,  and  the  Honourable  Frederick  Phillipse,  Esq.,  Second 
Judge  of  the  said  Province  and  Baron  of  the  Exchequer,  at- 
tended by  about  a  hundred  and  seventy  horse  of  the  Freeholders 
and  friends  of  the  said  Forster  and  the  two  Judges;  they  en- 
tered the  Green  on  the  East  side,  and  riding  twice  round  it, 
their  word  was  'No  Land  Tax.' 

"As  they  passed,  the  second  Judge  civilly  saluted  the  late 
Chief  Justice  by  taking  off  his  hat,  which  the  late  Judge  re- 


50  MAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

turned  in  the  same  manner,  some  of  the  late  Judge's  party 
crying  out  'No  Excise,'  and  one  of  them  was  heard  to  say 
(though  not  b}"  the  Judge),  'No  Pretender!'  Upon  which  Fors- 
ter,  the  Candidate,  replied:  'I  will  take  notice  of  you!'  They 
after  that  retired  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Baker,  which  was  pre- 
pared to  receive  and  entertain  them.  About  an  hour  after,  the 
High-Sheriff  came  to  town,  finely  mounted ;  the  housings  and 
hostler-caps  being  scarlet,  richly  laced  with  silver.  Upon  his 
approach,  the  Electors  on  both  sides  went  into  the  Green,  where 
they  were  to  elect,  and,  after  having  read  his  Majesty's  writ,  bid 
the  Electors  proceed  to  the  choice,  which  they  did,  and  a  great 
majority  appeared  for  Mr.  Morris,  the  late  Judge ;  upon  which 
a  poll  was  demanded,  but  by  whom  it  is  not  knoAvn  to  the  relator, 
though  it  was  said  by  many  to  be  done  by  the  Sheriff  himself. 

"Morris,  the  Candidate,  several  times  asked  the  Sheriff  upon 
whose  side  the  majority  appeared,  but  could  get  no  other  reply 
but  that  a  poll  must  be  had;  and,  accordingly,  after  about  two 
hours'  delay  in  getting  benches,  chairs  and  tables,  they  began  to 
poll.  Soon  after,  one  of  those  called  Quakers,  a  man  of  known 
worth  and  estate,  came  to  give  his  vote  for  the  late  Judge.  Upon 
this  Forster  and  the  two  Fowlers,  Moses  and  AVilliam,  chosen 
by  him  to  be  inspectors,  questioned  his  having  an  estate,  and 
required  of  the  Sheriff'  to  tender  him  the  book  to  swear  in  due 
form  of  law,  which  he  refused  to  do,  but  offered  to  take  his 
solemn  affirmation,  which  both  by  the  laws  of  England  and  of 
this  Province  was  indulged  to  the  people  called  Quakers,  and 
had  always  been  practised  from  the  first  election  of  represen- 
tatives in  this  Province  to  this  time,  and  never  refused;  but 
the  Sheriff'  was  deaf  to  all  that  could  be  alleged  on  that  side ; 
and,  notwithstanding  that  he  was  told  by  the  late  Chief  Justice 
and  James  Alexander,  Esq.,  one  of  his  Majesty's  Council  and 
Councillor-at-Law.  and  by  AYilliam  Smith.  Esq.,  Councillor-at- 
Law,  that  such  a  procedure  was  contrary  to  law,  and  a  violent 
attempt  of  the  liberties  of  the  people,  he  still  persisted  in  refus- 
ing the  said  Quaker  to  vote,  and  in  like  manner  did  refuse  seven- 
and-thirty  Quakers  more — men  of  known  and  visible  estates. 

''This  Cooper,  now  High-Sheriff  of  the  said  County,  is  said 
not  only  to  he  a  stranger,  in  that  County,  but  not  having  a  foot 
of  land  or  other  visible  estate  in  it,  unless  very  lately  granted, 
and  it  is  believed  that  he  has  not  where-with-all  to  purchase  any. 
The  polling  had  not  long  been  continued  before  Mr.  Edward 
Stephens,  a  man  of  a  very  considerable  estate  in  the  said  County, 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  51 

did  openly,  in  the  hearing  of  all  the  Freeholders,  there  assem- 
bledj  charge  William  Forster,  Esq.,  the  Candidate  on  the  other 
side,  with  being  a  Jacobite  and  in  the  interest  of  the  Pretender, 
and  that  he  should  say  to  Mr.  William  Willet  (a  person  of  good 
estate  and  known  integrity,  who  was  at  that  time  present  and 
ready  to  make  oath  to  the  truth  of  what  was  said),  that  true  it 
was  that  he  had  not  taken  the  oaths  to  his  Majesty  King  George, 
and  enjoyed  a  place  in  the  Government  under  him  which  gave 
him  bread ;  yet  notwithstanding  that  should  King  James  come 
into  England  he  should  think  himself  obliged  to  go  there  and 
fight  for  him.  This  was  loudly  and  strongly  urged  to  Forster 's 
face,  who  denied  it  to  be  true;  and  no  more  was  said  of  it  at 
that  time. 

''About  11  o'clock  that  night  the  poll  was  closed,  and  it  stood 
thus : 

For  the  late  Chief  Justice 231 

The  Quakers 38 

Total 269 


« 


For  William  Forster,  Esq 151 

The  Difference 118 

Total 269 

*'So  that  the  late  Chief  Justice  carried  it  by  a  great  majority 
without  the  Quakers.  Upon  closing  the  poll  the  other  Candidate, 
Forster,  and  the  Sheriff  wished  the  late  Chief  Justice  much  joy. 
Forster  said  he  hoped  the  late  Judge  would  not  think  the  worst 
of  him  for  setting  up  against  him,  to  which  the  Judge  replied 
he  believed  he  was  put  upon  it  against  his  inclinations,  but  that 
he  was  highly  blamable,  and  who  did  or  should  know  better  for 
putting  the  Sheriff,  who  was  a  stranger  and  ignorant  upon  such 
matters,  upon  making  so  violent  an  attempt  upon  the  liberty  of 
the  people,  which  would  expose  him  to  ruin  if  he  were  worth 
10,000  pounds,  if  the  people  aggrieved  should  commence  suit 
against  him.  The  people  made  a  loud  huzza,  which  the  late  Chief 
Judge  blamed  very  much,  as  what  he  thought  not  right.  Forster 
replied  he  took  no  notice  of  what  the  common  people  did,  since 
Mr.  Morris  did  not  put  them  upon  the  doing  of  it.  The  inden- 
tures being  sealed  the  whole  body  of  Electors  waited  on  their 
new  Representative  to  his  lodgings  with  trumpets  sounding  and 


52  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

violins  playing,  and  in  a  little  time  took  their  leave  of  him,  and 
thus  ended  the  election  to  the  general  satisfaction." 

The  election  of  Mr.  Morris  caused  great  rejoicing  in  New  York 
city,  and  when,  on  the  31st  of  October,  he  landed  in  that  place 
he  was  saluted  by  a  general  fire  of  the  guns  from  the  merchant 
vessels  lying  in  the  harbor,  and  was  ' '  received  by  great  numbers 
of  the  most  considerable  merchants  and  inhabitants  of  the  city, 
and  by  them  with  loud  acclamations  of  the  people  as  he  walked 
the  streets,  conducted  to  the  Black  Horse  Tavern  (northwest 
corner  of  Smith,  now'  William  street,  and  Garden  street,  now 
Exchange  place),  where  a  handsome  entertainment  was  prepared 
for  him  at  the  charge  of  the  Gentlemen  who  received  him,  and 
in  the  middle  of  one  side  of  the  room  was  fixed  a  tablet  with 
golden  Capitals,  ''King  George,  Liberty  and  Law." 

Another  notable  election  was  that  held  in  1775,  of  the  two 
Manors  of  AVestchester  County.  The  actors  of  the  former  scene 
had  passed  away,  but  their  descendants  were  still  arrayed  in 
opposition,  battling  for  important  issues.  In  the  third  genera- 
tion the  heirs  of  the  former  lords  led  their  respective  tenantry 
and  partisans.  Col.  Lewis  Morris  on  the  one  side  and  Col.  Fred- 
erick Phillipse  on  the  other.  The  question  was  whether  the 
colony  should  be  represented  in  full  in  the  Second  Continental 
Congress,  about  to  assemble  in  Philadelphia.  The  people  of 
AVestchester  County  were  therefore  called  to  meet  on  April  11 
at  AVhite  Plains,  to  select  delegates  to  the  New  York  Provincial 
Congress,  or  else  refuse  to  do  so.  The  Royalists,  or  "Friends 
of  the  Government,"  under  Phillipse,  were  defeated.  The  news 
of  the  result  of  the  election  in  AA'estchester  County  was  received 
with  rejoicing  all  over  the  country,  and  when  news  was  brought 
of  the  action  of  the  AA^hite  Plains  convention  the  church  bells 
of  New  York  city  rang  out  peals  of  joy.  The  AA'hite  Plains 
convention  was  held  a  week  before  the  battle  of  AVhite  Plains. 
The  next  year  Col.  Lewis  Alorris  signed  the  Declaration  of 
Independence. 

It  was  Col.  Lewis  Alorrls  who  presided  over  the  people's 
mass  meeting  held  in  the  Court  House,  AVhite  Plains,  imme- 
diately after  news  had  been  received  of  the  battles  of  Lexing- 
ton and  Concord.  He  urged  the  patriotic  citizens  of  AA^est- 
chester  County  to  declare  themselves  on  the  side  of  those  who 
denounced  the  course  Parliament  had  pursued  in  opposing  Eng- 
lish subjects  in  America,  and  to  come  out  boldly  in  favor  of 
immediate  separation  and  armed  revolution.     The  meeting  acted 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  53 

in  accordance  with  Col.  Morris'  suggestions,  and  decided  for 
all  time  where  Westchester  County  would  stand  during  the  com- 
ing struggle— committed  to  the  patriotic  cause.  The  meeting 
further  elected  Col.  Morris  as  a  delegate  to  the  first  Continental 
Congress  to  convene  in  Philadelphia,  and  thus  he  became  one 
of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

The  New  York  city  subway  railroad  system  was  completed  and 
put  in  operation  October  31,  1906. 


The  recent  act  authorizing  the  condemnation  of  lands  in  pro- 
ceedings to  enable  New  York  city  to  increase  its  water  supply, 
was  passed  in  1905. 

Westchester  County,  or  a  considerable  portion  of  it,  is  to  be 
used  for  storage  of  the  vast  quantities  of  water  necessary  for  the 
use  of  residents  of  the  city  of  New  York.  Reservoirs  of  great 
capacity  will  be  found  in  many  sections  in  the  northern  and 
middle  sections  of  the  County,  and  even  as  far  south  as  Yonkers. 
Here  is  where  the  Croton  water  is  stored,  and  here  will  be  stored 
the  water  brought  down  from  the  Catskills.  New  and  extensive 
reservoirs  are  being  constructed  in  readiness  to  receive  the  new 
supply. 

A  huge  aqueduct,  like  a  railroad  tunnel,  is  to  be  built  under- 
neath the  city  of  New  York,  the  first  to  be  constructed  under  a 
large  city,  to  run  seventeen  and  a  half  miles  through  the  heart 
of  the  big  city.  It  will  run  far  below  the  levels  of  any  subway. 
It  is  estimated  that  the  cost  will  be  no  less  than  $25,000,000.  It 
is  necessary  to  bore  through  solid  rock,  as  the  walls  must  resist 
a  tremendous  volume  of  water  which  will  come  down  from  the 
Catskills,  ninety-six  miles  away,  with  the  force  of  a  Niagara. 


On  Good  Friday,  April  14,  1865,  Abraham  Lincoln,  President 
of  the  United  States,  Avas  assassinated,  in  Ford 's  Theater,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  The  forty-sixth  anniversary  of  this  sad  event 
occurred  on  Good  Friday  in  1911;  a  similar  anniversary  had  not 
fallen  upon  a  Good  Frid&y  siasd  1876,  and  it  will  not  again 
Tintil  1922. 


54  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

Reference  is  made  of  the  remarkable  coincidences  in  the  lives 
of  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  became  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  Jefferson  Davis,  who  became  President  of  the  so-called 
Confederate  States,  and  opponents  during  the  Civil  War.  Both 
were  born  in  Kentuckj\  Lincoln  in  1809,  Davis  in  1808,  mak- 
ing them  nearly  of  the  same  age.  Both  removed  from  their 
native  State  in  their  childhood.  Lincoln  to  the  Northwest,  Davis 
to  the  Southwest.  Lincoln  was  a  captain  of  volunteers  and 
Davis  a  second  lieutenant  of  regulars  in  the  Black  Hawk  AVar 
of  1832.  They  began  their  political  careers  the  same  year, 
1844,  Lincoln  being  a  Presidential  Elector  for  Clay  and  Davis 
for  Polk.  They  were  elected  to  Congress  about  the  same  time, 
1845  and  1846,  They  were  called  to  preside  over  their  respec- 
tive governments  the  same  year  and  within  a  few  days ;  Davis 
over  the  Confederate  States,  February  8,  1861,  and  Lincoln  as 
President  of  the  Ignited  States,  on  March  4,  1861. 

Davis,  previous  to  the  organization  of  the  Confederacy,  was 
Secretary  of  War  in  the  Cabinet  of  President  Pierce,  and  served 
his  State  as  a  United  States  Senator.  Lincoln  also  aspired  to 
be  a  L'nited  States  Senator,  but  was  defeated  by  Douglas,  after 
an  heroic  fight. 


Congress,  in  the  year  1885,  passed  an  act  fixing  the  Presi- 
dential succession.  In  case  of  the  removal,  death,  resignation, 
or  inability  of  both  the  President  and  Vice-President,  then  the 
Secretary  of  State  shall  act  as  President  until  the  disability  of 
the  President  or  Vice-President  is  removed  or  a  President  is 
elected.  If  there  be  no  Secretary  of  State,  then  the  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury  will  act ;  and  the  remainder  of  the  order  of 
succession  is  as  follows :  The  Secretary  of  War,  Attorney-Gen- 
eral, Postmaster-General,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  Secre- 
tary of  the  Interior.  The  acting  President  must,  upon  taking 
office,  convene  Congress,  if  not  at  the  time  in  session,  in  extra- 
ordinary session,  giving  twenty  days'  notice.  This  act  applies 
only  to  such  Cabinet  officers  as  shall  have  been  confirmed  by 
the  Senate  and  are  eligible  under  the  Constitution  to  the 
Presidency. 


POLITICAL  PARTIES  AND  THEIR  ORIGIN. 

In  dealing  with  the  biographical  annals  of  the  County,  with 
men  of  affairs,  this  publication  has  entered  the  political  life 
of  Nation,  State  and  Commimity. 

Politics  is  here  spoken  of  in  its  broadest  sense,  meaning  the 
science  of  government.  Politics  as  it  deals  with  the  question 
of  statecraft  and  the  regulation  of  the  public  affairs  of  the 
Nation,  the  preservation  of  its  safety,  peace  and  prosperity,  the 
defense  of  its  rights  and  territory  from  foreign  control  and 
conquest,  and  the  increase  of  its  own  strength  and  resources. 
One  who  is  well  versed  in  this  science  is  a  politician  in  the 
highest  sense  of  the  word.  The  term  politician,  as  just  defined, 
is  synonymous  with  that  of  statesman. 

The  existence  of  at  least  two  political  parties  is  believed  to 
be  required  under  uur  form  of  government;  as  it  is,  apparently, 
necessary  that  citizens  range  themselves  on  one  side  or  the 
other  in  discussion  of  political  questions  that  generally  develop 
differences  of  opinion,  even  upon  the  simplest  governmental 
propositions. 

A  good  citizen  will  familiarize  himself  with  politics  concern- 
ing his  country.  To  become  conversant  with  politics  does  not 
require  making  politics  a  business  to  the  exclusion  of  other 
vocations,  and  becoming  classified  as  a  "  Practical  Politician," 
a  title  much  abused. 

It  has  been  urged,  and  properly  too,  that  the  man  endowed 
with  the  elective  franchise  who  does  not  exercise  the  same, 
should  have  the  privilege  of  voting  taken  from  him.  There 
are  some  of  this  sort,  we  regret  to  say,  who  will  not  vote 
at  a  political  election,  because  they  are  fearful  that  asso- 
ciation with  politics  might  prove  contaminating.  Should  not 
the  franchise  be  taken  from  them  that  they  be  freed  from 
temptation  ? 

The  right  of  voting  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  prerogatives 
of  citizenship,  and  the  duty  of  voting  and  taking  part  in  public 
a:ffairs  should  never  be  neglected  by  patriotic  citizens. 

Such,  Avho  might  be  voters  and  take  part  in  the  civic  life,  if 
they  desire  to  be  good  citizens,  are  often  the  loudest  in  lament- 

55 


56  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

ing  over  what  they  term  a  fact  that  "  the  best  men  are  not 
elected  to  public  office."  In  this  connection  the  question  might 
be  asked,  what  have  they  done  to  bring  about  a  better  state  of 
affaii^?  Are  they  willing  to  accept  a  public  trust,  to  devote 
valuable  time  to  the  service  of  their  fellow  citizens,  that  better 
conditions  may  be  inaugurated?  Does  not  the  unjust  criticism 
of  public  officials  furnish  cause  for  "  the  higher  grade  "  of 
citizens  being  reluctant  about  accepting  public  positions,  and 
subjecting  themselves  to  the  too  common  suspicion  that  an 
official  becomes  such  owing  to  a  desire  for  private  gain  or  to 
commit  some  flagrant  wrong? 

As  has  been  wisely  said,  an  official  cannot  be  expected  to  be 
superior  in  tone  to  the  community  which  has  elected  him  as  its 
representative. 

AYould  not  the  way  to  better  conditions  be  found  in  stopping 
fault  finding  and  in  the  enlistment  of  every  good  citizen  in  the 
work  of  securing  faithful  discharge  of  public  trusts?  Let  not 
your  excuse  be,  "  other  people's  business  is  not  my  business." 
That  laws  be  observed  and  good  citizenship  prevail,  that  the 
protection  of  your  family  and  the  peace  of  your  neighbor  be 
maintained,  should  prove  incentive  enough  for  the  average  man 
taking  interest  in  public  affairs. 

President  Butler  of  Columbia  College,  in  a  recent  address, 
said :  ' '  If  the  decent  people  of  America  would  begin  to-morrow 
to  do  things  which  their  private  beliefs  and  their  public  pro- 
fessions require,  the  sum  total  of  the  world's  comfort  and 
happiness  would  be  marvelously  increased  before  simset.  Let 
us  put  a  bounty  on  good  citizenship  by  giving  to  it  great 
influence,  by  rendering  it  high  honor,  and  by  holding  it  in 
incomparable  esteem.  Let  these  standards  be  set  early  in  the 
home  and  in  the  school.  Before  all  else,  keep  the  inspiring 
maxim,  liberty  under  law,  before  every  American  child,  and 
as  he  grows  in  power  of  appreciation  see  that  he  understands 
what  it  means  and  involves. 

"  The  perpetuation  of  democracy  depends  upon  the  existence 
in  the  people  of  that  habit  of  will  which  is  justice.  Liberty 
under  law  is  the  process  for  attaining  justice  which  has  thus 
far  been  most  successful  among  civilized  men.  The  call  to 
citizenship  is  a  call  to  the  exercise  of  liberty  under  law,  a  call 
to  the  limitation  of  liberty  by  law,  and  a  call  to  the  pursuit  of 
justice,  not  only  for  one's  self,  but  for  others." 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  57 

A  good,  law-abiding  citizen  will  take  interest  in  public  affairs 
that  he  may  aid  in  upholding  law,  and  secure  liberty  and  justice, 
not  only  for  himself,  but  for  others. 

Governor  Hadley,  of  Missouri,  in  an  address  recently  deliv- 
ered before  the  Missouri  University  Alumni  Association,  recom- 
mended the  establishment  of  a  school  of  politics. 

"  When  I  was  in  school  I  was  taught  not  to  run  for  office," 
said  he.  ' '  That  is  the  reason  I  moved  to  Missouri,  for  I  thought 
I  would  be  immune  here.  The  university  should  be  kept  out 
of  partisan  politics.  I  should  add  another  school  to  your  great 
university,  a  school  of  politics.  I  would  put  at  the  head  of  it 
the  most  experienced  and  most  proficient  politician  in  the  State. 
I  would  choose  a  high-minded  and  an  honest  man,  one  who 
places  principle  above  party  and  righteousness  above  success. 
Politics  is  an  honorable  and  can  be  an  honest  calling." 

Citizens  living  under  a  popular  form  of  government  should 
be  interested  in  politics  and  public  questions,  that  an  enlightened 
public  opinion  may  be  created  and  maintained  which  will  correct 
the  faults  of  government,  guide  the  acts  of  public  officials  and 
counteract  the  evils  which  are  likely  to  result  from  dishonest 
or  incompetent  management  of  public  affairs. 

Differences  of  opinion  on  political  questions  create  divisions 
in  the  large  body  of  electors.  From  the  formation  of  a  union 
of  those,  whose  opinions  are  similar,  is  born  what  we  know  as 
political  parties.  The  mission  of  the  political  party,  as  gen- 
erally understood,  is  to  secure  the  ascendency  of  their  party 
ideas  and  the  election  to  public  office  of  candidates  who  will 
carry  out  a  particular  political  policy.  Political  party  man- 
agement is  directed  by  leaders,  or  what  is  familiarly  known  as 
*'  the  organization,"  in  every  State,  county,  city  and  munici- 
pality throughout  the  country. 

As  a  general  rule,  each  of  the  political  parties  endeavor  to 
nominate  for  public  office  men  of  recognized  worth  and  integ- 
rity; men  with  unblemished  reputations  in  the  community 
where  they  have  been  long  known,  and,  in  many  instances, 
where  they  have  resided  for  a  life  time.  Against  whom  it  is 
believed  not  one  word  detrimental  to  his  private  or  public  char- 
acter could  be  uttered.  Yet,  after  the  nomination  most  scan- 
dalous stories  are  put  in  circulation  picturing  nominees  of  all 
parties  as  the  most  disreputable  and  undesirable  citizens  that 
could  be  found.  That  these  circulated  stories  are  proven  to 
be  the  basest  kind  of  falsehoods,   manufactured  for  political 


58  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

effect,  does  not  make  it  more  gratifying  to  the  candidate  who 
finds  he  has  little  redress  against  moral  assassins.  Perhaps  the 
utterance  of  untruths  is  expected  to  be  excused  on  the  score  of 
''  campaign  hysteria.''  There  is  no  excuse  to  be  accepted  for 
it.  Those  who  instigate  criminal  libel,  who  mistake  freedom 
of  expression  for  license,  are  striking  at  the  very  basis  of  our 
political  system,  and  drastic  means  of  punishment  should  be 
provided. 

EARLY  ORGAXIZATIOX  OF  PARTIES. 

The  formation  of  political  parties  commenced  with  the  first 
session  of  Congress  held  after  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution, 
and  the  discussion  of  questions  of  taxation  developed  the  issue 
upon  which  citizens  divided.  AVe  have  seen  that  the  failure  of 
government  under  the  Articles  of  Confederation  was  due  largely 
to  the  fact  that  the  general  government  had  no  power  to  raise 
money  by  taxation.  Accordingly,  one  of  the  first  problems 
which  presented  itself  to  the  new  government  was  to  devise 
a  svstem  of  taxation  which  would  secure  sufficient  revenue  to 
meet  the  expense  of  government,  and  at  the  same  time  would 
not  prove  too  burdensome  to  an  impoverished  people. 

Alexander  Hamilton  was  the  first  Secretary  of  the  Treasury, 
and  upon  him  devolved  the  duty  of  solving  the  problem.  The 
task  was  a  delicate  one,  owing  to  the  fact  that  many  citizens 
had  seriously  opposed  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  because 
they  feared  that  taxation  under  the  Federal  Government  would 
be  excessive  and  ruinous  to  citizens  already  overburdened  with 
local  taxes. 

The  methods  of  taxation  introduced  by  Hamilton  were  sub- 
stantially the  same  as  the  system  now  in  vogue,  viz.,  duties  on 
imported  goods  and  internal  revenue  taxes  upon  a  few  articles 
of  domestic  production,  such  as  whiskey  and  tobacco.  The 
system  of  direct  taxation,  by  levying  a  duty  on  imported  goods, 
excited  no  opposition  on  the  part  of  the  citizen,  because  it  is 
a  tax  which  is  paid  in  the  form  of  an  enhanced  price  placed 
upon  the  imported  goods.  This  method  of  taxation  has  been 
constantly  in  use  as  a  means  of  raising  a  national  revenue, 
solely  because  the  people  who  pay  the  taxes  do  not  realize  that 
they  are  doing  so,  and  consequently  make  no  complaint  of  the 
burdens  of  taxation. 

The  individual,  when  he  considers  his  tax  relations  with  the 
government,  may  realize  that  the  government  taxes  the  blanket 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  59 

he  is  wrapped  up  in  when  he  is  born.  It  taxes  the  lumber  in 
the  roof  that  covers  his  head.  It  taxes  the  food  that  he  eats, 
the  clothes  that  he  wears,  the  coffin  in  which  he  is  buried  and 
the  humble  gravestone  that  bids  him  rest  in  peace  with  the 
hope  of  a  glorious  resurrection. 

The  system  .of  internal  revenue  taxation  devised  by  Hamilton 
provoked  serious  opposition  from  the  outset,  which  culminated 
in  the  Whiskey  Rebellion  in  Western  Pennsylvania.  This  insur- 
rection was  quelled  by  the  Federal  Army,  and  thereafter  the 
opposition  adopted  the  more  reasonable  methods  of  discussion 
to  accomplish  its  objects. 

The  measures  recommended  to  Congress  by  Alexander  Ham- 
ilton covered  a  variety  of  subjects  bearing  upon  the  policy  to 
be  pursued  by  the  new  government,  such  as  the  raising  and 
collection  of  revenue,  estimates  of  the  income  and  expenditures 
of  the  government,  the  regulation  of  the  currency,  navigation 
laws,  the  Post  Office  Department  and  the  public  lands.  Dealing 
more  particularly  with  the  financial  policy  of  the  government, 
he  devised  the  system  of  taxation  already  mentioned,  made  an 
exhaustive  report  upon  the  public  credit,  wherein  he  prepared 
a  plan  for  refunding  and  finally  paying  the  entire  indebtedness 
of  the  United  States,  as  well  as  the  debts  contracted  by  the 
different  States  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 

It  must  not  be  understood  that  these  measures  presented  by 
Hamilton  were  adopted  without  serious  discussion,  though  finally 
enacted  as  laws,  forming  a  comprehensive  system  of  public 
policy.  This,  at  times,  bitter  discussion  in  debates  created  a 
feeling  that  finally  resulted  in  the  formation  of  two  well-defined 
and  compact  political  parties. 

During  President  Washington's  administration  the  leadership 
of  the  opposition  to  Hamilton  and  his  measures  was  bestowed 
on  Thomas  JefPerson,  also  a  member  of  Washington's  cabinet, 
as  Secretary  of  State,  about  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1791. 
This  opposition  to  the  Hamilton  policy  was  based  chiefly  upon 
the  theory  that  Congress  did  not  have  power  under  the  Con- 
stitution to  enact  the  measures  which  Hamilton  recormnended. 
The  government  of  the  United  States  possesses  only  those  specific 
powers  which  are  enumerated  in  the  Constitution.  When  it  is 
first  proposed  that  the  government  shall  exercise  a  particular 
power,  the  question  is  always  raised  as  to  whether  or  not  the 
provisions  of  the  Constitution  will  permit. 


60  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

As  it  was  when  Secretary  Hamilton  recommended  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  national  bank,  his  opponents  contended  that  the 
power  to  enact  such  a  law  was  not  granted  by  the  Constitution. 
Hamilton  and  his  friends  met  this  argument  by  asserting  that 
in  addition  to  the  powers  expressly  enumerated  in  the  Consti- 
tution, the  government  has  certain  implied  powers;  as  example, 
they  cited  the  provision  of  the  Constitution  which  gives  to 
Congress  authority  to  make  all  laws  necessary  and  proper  for 
carrying  into  effect  the  powers  delegated  to  the  general  gov- 
ernment, which  is  sometimes  called  the  elastic  clause  of  the 
Constitution. 

Ever  since  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  Congress  has 
had  power  to  levy  direct  taxes  if  it  pleases,  subject  only  to  the 
restrictions  that  they  be  apportioned  among  the  several  States 
according  to  population.  As  a  matter  of  public  policy,  how- 
ever, Congress  has  never  exercised  this  power.  The  effect  of 
popular  sentiment  upon  the  taxing  powers  of  Congress  is  stated 
with  exceptional  force  by  United  States  Supreme  Court  Justice 
Harlan  in  his  recent  dissenting  opinion  in  the  income-tax  case. 
He  says:  "  Any  attempt  on  the  part  of  Congress  to  apportion 
among  the  States,  upon  the  basis  simply  of  their  population, 
taxation  of  personal  property  or  of  incomes,  would  tend  to 
arouse  such  indignation  among  the  freemen  of  America  that  it 
would  never  be  repeated."  In  other  words,  the  taxing  power 
of  Congress  has  to  be  exercised  in  accordance  with  the  sentiment 
of  the  American  people. 

Congress  recently,  in  1908,  levied  an  excise  tax  upon  the  net 
income  of  all  corporations  doing  business  in  the  United  States. 

In  the  time  of  the  Civil  War,  and  during  the  Spanish- Ameri 
can  AYar,  Congress  enacted  what  was  termed  a  stamp-tax,  t( 
raise  money  to  defray  current  expenses  of  the  Government 
revenues  received  from  other  sources  proving  inadequate. 

Contests  in  early  Congresses  over  what  was  termed  Constitu 
tional  questions  were  always  spirited,  and  sometimes,  probably, 
verv  bitter. 

Representatives  of  the  Nation  in  those  days  were  patriotic, 
above  desire  for  personal  gain  or  advantage,  seeking  first  the 
welfare  of  their  country,  for  which  many  of  them  had  made 
personal  sacrifices;  they  were  able,  strong,  sincere. 

Thomas  Jefferson,  in  leading  the  forces  opposing  that  remark- 
able young  leader  Alexander  Hamilton,  was  aided  by  Randolph 
Attorney-General  in  Washington's  Cabinet,  and  James  Madison 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  61 

who  later,  like  Jefferson,  became  a  President  of  the  United  States. 
Hamilton  would,  more  than  probably,  have  reached  that  high 
office  had  it  not  been  for  his  untimely  death  at  the  hands  of  one 
who  dared  to  question  his  bravery. 

The  discussions  between  Hamilton  and  his  allies  on  one  side 
and  Jefferson  and  Madison  and  their  supporters  on  the  other, 
are  said  to  have  been  the  most  brilliant  ever  heard  in  the 
Nation's  legislative  bodies. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  people  began  ranging  themselves 
on  one  side  or  on  the  other,  and  a  result  was  the  formation  of 
two  political  parties,  representing  two  theories  as  to  proper 
construction  of  the  Constitution.  One  of  these  parties,  of  which 
Hamilton  was  the  leading  representative,  favored  what  has  been 
termed  a  *'  loose  "  construction  of  the  Constitution,  giving  the 
government  extensive  implied  powers.  This  was  called  the 
Federalist  party.  The  followers  of  the  other  party  contended 
for  a  **  strict  "  construction  of  the  Constitution,  allowing  the 
general  government  to  exercise  only  the  powers  which  had  been 
granted  to  it  in  specific  terms.  Jefferson  was  the  acknowledged 
leader  of  this  latter  party,  which  was  first  called  the  Anti-Fed- 
eralist party,  and  then,  within  a  few  years,  the  Republican- 
Democratic  party. 

Since  then  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  have  been  divided 
principally  into  two  parties  along  practically  the  same  lines, 
although  the  names  of  the  parties  have  changed  from  time  to 
time.  The  Federalist  party  retained  that  name  until  1828, 
when,  until  1832,  it  was  knowTi  as  the  National  Republican 
party.  In  the  latter  year  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Whig 
party,  which  declared  for  Protection  of  Home  Industry,  National 
Internal  Improvements,  etc.  The  Whig  party  name  continued 
Lintil  1854,  when  it,  or  a  part  of  it,  adopted  the  name  of  Repub- 
lican party,  the  designation  it  bears  to-day.  In  1856,  at  a 
convention  held  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  the  name  Republican  was 
generally  adopted  by  this  party.  The  party  of  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son held  on  to  the  name  Republican-Democratic  until  1828, 
when  the  name  Democratic  was  adopted,  and  is  the  name  by 
which  the  party  is  known  at  present. 

In  1843  there  sprung  up  what  was  known  as  the  ' '  American  ' ' 
party,  familiarly  characterized  as  the  "  Know-Nothing  "  party. 
It  had  its  origin  in  New  York  city  and  spread  to  other  large 
cities.  The  party  first  assumed  the  shape  of  a  secret  order, 
hostile  in  professirtfr  to  foreign  domination,  and  in  effect  to  the 


62  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

naturalization  of  immigrants  until  after  a  residence  in  this 
country  twentv-one  vears,  the  time  a  native  born  has  to  serve 
before  he  reaches  his  majority  and  becomes  eligible  to  vote. 
This  party  was  at  first  confined  to  the  larger  cities,  but  in  the 
early  fifties  its  influence  had  extended  and  achieved  temporary 
triiunphs  in  many  southern  and  eastern  states.  Many  who  had 
been  prominent  as  leaders  in  the  AVhig  party  had  gone  into  the 
American  party.  In  1855  the  American  party  came  within  a 
few  votes  of  carrying  New  York  State  and  controlling  the 
State  Legislature.  In  1856  this  party  nominated  as  its  candi- 
date for  President  of  the  United  States,  ]\Iillard  Fillmore,  of  this 
State,  who  had  been  Vice-President  elected  on  the  AVhis:  ticket, 
and  who  had  served  as  President,  filling  the  vacancy  caused  by 
the  death  of  President  Tavlor.  In  this  latter  election  the 
American  party  made  such  a  poor  showing,  carrying  only  one 
State,  Maryland,  that  it  went  gradually  down,  dwindling  until 
its  members  had  been  fullv  absorbed  into  one  or  the  other  of 
the  great  rival  parties. 

During  the  present  year  (1911)  a  Republican  statesman  of 
national  fame,  on  being  asked  his  views  as  to  the  possibilities 
of  the  formation  of  a  new  political  party,  such  as  the  so-called 
"  New  Nationalists,"  growing  out  of  the  present  dissensions  in 
the  older  party  ranks,  replied,  "  I  have  little  faith  or  belief 
in  these  announcements  of  the  birth  of  new  political  parties 
through  man-made  agencies.  New  parties  grow  and  develop 
because  they  are  started  from  the  seed  of  an  issue.  Issues 
make  political  parties,  not  men.  It  is  no  more  possible  for 
one  man  to  plan  and  create  a  party  than  it  is  to  bridge  the 
Atlantic.  No,  not  for  one  man  nor  ten  men,  nor  ten  thousand 
men,  to  form  a  new  party.  These  new  parties  come  and  they 
go.  They  spring  up  in  the  night  and  are  chased  away  by  a 
sunrise.  Many  of  them  have  been  seen  to  come  and  go  within 
the  last  fifty  years." 

In  1864  there  was  an  attempt  by  some  of  the  strongest 
men  in  the  Republican  party  to  form  a  newer  party  right  in 
the  furnace  heat  of  the  Rebellion.  They  met  at  Cleveland, 
Ohio.  They  had  conferences  and  they  even  went  so  far  as 
to  nominate  for  President  John  C.  Fremont,  who  had  been  the 
Rppublican  party  candidate  for  President  in  1856;  but  this 
new  party  did  not  even  live  until  election  day." 

Then  came  the  Liberal  Republican  movement  of  1872.  That 
was  the  year  I  came  to  Congress.     That  ^jovement  failed  of 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  63 

fruition,  although  it  took  no  less  personages  than  David  Davis 
and  Gov.  Trumbull  of  Illinois  and  Gen.  Nathaniel  P.  Banks  out 
of  the  Republican  party  and  they  made  Greeley  their  nominee. ' ' 

"  The  defeat  of  Greeley  was  the  death  knell  of  the  Liberal 
Republican  party." 

"  The  same  year  another  political  party,  calling  itself  the 
Greenback  party,  came  into  existence,  and  tried  to  nominate 
the  most  esteemed  philanthropist  Peter  Cooper  for  the  Presi- 
dency." 

*'  The  Greenbackers  came  to  the  front  again  in  1876  and 
figured  in  a  small  way  in  the  campaign  of  1880.  Then  we  had 
the  Populist  movement,  that  lived  and  died  and  went  the  way 
of  the  others. 

**  No,  there  won't  be  a  new  party  until  there  is  a  new  issue, 
and  there  is  not  a  new  issue  to-day.  Of  course,  the  Prohibi- 
tionists, we  always  have  them  with  us.  They  will  hardly  reach 
the  proportions  of  a  new  party.  They  have  been  trying  too 
long  for  the  distance  they  have  gotten  thus  far 


?  > 


CHOOSING  A  PRESIDENT. 

The  question  as  to  "  who  shall  be  chosen  the  first  President  " 
of  the  new  Republic,  was  one  of  the  many  difficult  problems 
that  confronted  the  early  day  patriots,  the  young  nation's  best 
friends,  an(^  proved  to  be  a  matter  of  serious  concern.  As 
natural  to  be  supposed,  there  were  many  willing  to  serve  the 
public  in  the  capacity  of  President,  and  in  this  respect  human 
nature  was  in  that  former  period  very  much  as  it  is  to-day. 
Many  call,  but  few  are  wanted. 

General  Washington  was  the  first  choice  by  unanimous  con- 
sent. He  had,  however,  on  resigning  his  commission  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  announced  his  intention  of  retiring  from  public 
business,  and  had  been  with  difficulty  induced  to  act  as  a 
member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention.  To  abandon  his 
retirement  for  the  labors  of  the  office  of  President  was  even 
more  repugnant  to  his  wishes. 

Benjamin  Franklin,  who  had  served  his  country  most  loyally 
at  home  and  in  positions  of  great  responsibility  abroad,  was 
considered,  but  the  advanced  age  of  Franklin  rendered  it  inex- 
pedient that  he  should  be  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency,  nor 
is  it  possible  that  he  would  have  permitted  himself  to  be  pro- 
posed. John  Adams,  of  Massachusetts,  was  a  willing  candi- 
date,  and   in   fact   was  the   only   apparent   candidate   against 


64  :\rAxrAL  axd  civil  list. 

"Washington  or  any  one  else  in  the  field ;  his  persistency  gained 
for  him  election  as  first  Vice-President. 

The  more  the  question  was  considered,  stronger  appeared  the 
necessity  of  electins:  Gen.  Washington.  He  was  believed  to 
be  the  only  person  who  would  be  likely  to  unite  all  suffrages. 
The  demand  for  Washington  was  so  strong  that  even  he  himself 
could  not  overcome  it  in  any  other  way  than  by  compliance  with 
the  wishes  of  the  people.  His  repugnance  was  such  that  it 
became  necessary  that  he  should  be  strongly  urged  to  allow  his 
being  proposed  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency.  Prominent 
men,  whose  standing  entitled  them  to  serious  consideration, 
wrote  strong  letters  pressing  him  to  undertake  this  important 
office.  Gen.  Washington,  convinced  by  these  arguments,  no 
longer  attempted  to  shun  the  responsibilities  involved,  and  his 
name  was  proposed  to  the  electoral  college. 

His  election  followed  unanimously.  His  Cabinet  was  com- 
posed of  the  heads  of  four  departments,  Secretarj^  of  State, 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  Secretary  of  War,  and  an  Attorney- 
General.  Two  members  of  the  Cabinet,  Thomas  Jefferson,  Sec- 
retary of  State,  and  Edmund  Randolph,  Attorney-General, 
were,  like  the  President,  from  Virginia,  Alexander  Hamilton, 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  was  from  New  York,  and  Henry 
Knox,  Secretary  of  W^ar  (army  and  navy),  was  from  Massa- 
chusetts. 

At  the  commencement  of  President  AYashington's  first  term 
there  was  no  semblance  of  a  political  party,  but,  as  the  per- 
formance of  public  business  progressed  in  Congress,  opinions 
differed  and  men  began  to  take  sides  on  questions  occurring. 
On  the  subjects  of  credit,  of  finance,  of  an  excise,  and  of  a 
National  Bank,  the  Cabinet  of  President  AVashington  was 
divided.  Jefferson,  who  held  for  a  strict  interpretation  of  the 
Constitution,  appeared  as  the  opponent  of  many  of  the  measures 
of  Hamilton,  who  favored  a  liberal  construction  of  the  Consti- 
tution. A  gradual  estrangement,  and,  finally,  a  cessation  of 
friendly  intercourse  between  them,  had  thus  arisen  (though 
later  Hamilton  did  Jefferson  a  great  service  when  opportunity 
afforded).  President  Washington  had  applied  himself  assidu- 
ously to  heal  the  breach,  but  unsuccessfully.  The  President 
reposed  perfect  reliance  in  the  integrity  and  honesty  of  purpose 
of  both :  and  while  maintaining  most  cordial  relations,  he  appears 
to  have  determined  to  commit  himself  in  no  shape  with  a  party 
which  might  be  formed  to  sustain  the  opinions  of  either.     The 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  65 

end  of  his  first  term  of  office  was  about  to  expire,  and  he  longed 
to  retire  to  private  life.  This  wish  was  combatted  by  members 
of  his  Cabinet.  His  retention  in  office  was  one  thing  they 
surely  agreed  upon.  Jefi:erson,  Hamilton  and  Randolph  each 
addressed  him  letters  expressive  of  their  opinions  on  this  sub- 
ject; and,  however  various  were  their  views  and  the  reasons 
they  alleged,  they  concurred  in  urging  him  to  serve  for  a  second 
term.  His  consent  to  be  considered  as  a  candidate  was  reluc- 
tantly given,  and  he  was  elected  and  again  inaugurated. 

Up  to  this  time  little  distinction  of  party  existed,  save  that 
founded  on  the  old  difference  between  the  friends  and  the 
opponents  of  the  Federal  Constitution.  The  personal  popularity 
of  President  Washington,  and  the  reverence  in  which  he  was 
held  by  the  great  body  of  the  people,  would  have  rendered  any 
direct  attempt  to  oppose  his  administration  fatal  to  those  who 
made  it. 

The  debates  on  the  funded  system  and  excise,  and  more  par- 
ticularly the  question  of  the  constitutionality  of  a  National 
Bank,  led  to  a  distinction  among  political  men  which  speedily 
caused  the  formation  of  two  great  factions,  whose  contests  con- 
tinued for  more  than  twenty  years.  Hamilton  became  the  leader 
of  the  Federal  party,  which  adopted  his  principles.  The  oppo- 
site party,  the  Anti-Federal,  later  the  Republican,  recognized 
as  its  leaders  Jefferson  and  Randolph,  of  the  President's  Cabi- 
net, and  James  Madison,  then  a  member  of  Congress,  afterward 
President. 

President  Washington  had  resolved  that  he  would  not  govern 
as  the  President  of  a  faction,  and  knew  his  power  of  making 
the  discordant  materials  of  his  Cabinet  work  together  for  the 
general  good.  Therefore  neither  of  the  opposing  parties 
assumed  the  form  of  opposition  to  him,  but  charged  what  was 
obnoxious  to  each  upon  the  leaders  of  the  other. 

President  Washington  at  all  times  friendly  with  Secretary 
Hamilton  and  to  a  considerable  degree  favoring  Hamilton's 
measures,  yet  had  the  highest  regard  for  Secretary  Jefferson 
and  other  members  of  his  Cabinet.  In  several  instances  he 
was  governed  by  the  opinions  of  Secretaries  Jefferson  and  Ran- 
dolph, contrary  to  the  advice  of  Hamilton.  ^\nien  it  came  to 
dealing  with  foreign  nations  and  upholding  the  interests  of  this 
country,  the  Cabinet  was  unanimous  in  giving  hearty  support 
to  the  President.     In  fact  in  all  cases  whep  the  President  made 


66  MAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

known  his  wishes  he  found  his  Cabinet  united  in  carrying  out 
his  views. 

When  Hamilton,  in  1795,  resigned  the  office  of  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  and  returned  to  New  York  and  recommenced  the 
practice  of  law,  he  retained  his  place  as  head  of  the  Federalist 
party.  He  found  that  to  make  money  necessary  for  a  proper 
existence  for  self  and  family,  he  could  not  afford  to  devote  all 
his  time  to  politics.  In  those  days  of  official  purity,  it  was  not 
yet  imagined  that  the  possession  of  a  public  trust  could  ever  be 
made  a  source  of  fortune,  either  directly  or  indirectly.  The 
salaries  were  fixed  at  the  lowest  limit  believed  to  be  compatible 
with  the  decent  support  of  the  incumbent;  (Washington  had 
urged  that  he  be  permitted  to  serve  as  President  without  salary, 
that  the  money  be  used  where  most  needed)  and  an  attempt  to 
save  from  salar^^  would  be  considered  saving  what  was  granted 
for  public  purposes  and  would  have  been  visited  by  contempt. 
Speculations  growing  out  of  the  opportunity  for  information 
possessed  by  the  departments  would  have  been  reckoned  crim- 
inal, if  not  within  the  strict  letter  of  the  laws,  at  least  in  the 
eye  of  the  community.  Hamilton,  however,  never  seems  to 
have  imagined  the  possibility  of  acquiring  wealth  in  the  latter 
way.  Had  this  been  his  object,  he  had  opportunities  such  as  no 
other  public  man  ever  possessed.  Jefferson  and  other  members 
of  Washington's  Cabinet  were  equally  above  suspicion  and  no 
charge  of  official  wrong  committed  was  ever  brought  against 
either. 

When  Hamilton  retired  from  the  office  of  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  after  nearly  twenty  years  of  public  service,  he  did 
so  with  less  wealth  than  when  he  had  entered  it;  and  the  neces- 
sity for  providing  a  support  for  his  family  was  his  strongest 
reason  for  resigning.  His  hopes  for  success  at  the  bar  were 
fully  realized. 

The  administration  of  Washington  was  drawing  to  a  close, 
in  1796,  and  he  had  determined  not  to  serve  a  third  term.  The 
two  great  parties  had  been  fully  developed,  and  Jefferson  had 
been  placed  at  the  head  of  that  which,  after  passing  through 
the  phases  of  Anti-Federal  and  Democratic,  had  assumed  the 
style  of  Republican.  The  opposing  party  remained  known  as 
the  Federal,  with  Hamilton  as  its  acknowledged  leader. 

John  Adams,  the  second  President,  was  credited  to  the  Federal 
party,  but  was  more  inclined  to  consider  himself  the  party  leader 
than  to  recognize  Hamilton  as  such. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  67 

The  administration  of  Adams  professed  to  carry  out  Wash- 
ington's "  policies."  The  heads  of  department  under  Wash- 
ington (after  Hamilton,  Jefferson,  Randolph  and  Knox  had 
resigned),  were  retained  in  office,  and  all  the  great  features  of 
the  national  policy  remained  for  a  time  unchanged.  Adams, 
however,  speedily  became  unpopular.  The  fact  that  he  had 
been  the  apparent  opponent  of  Washington  in  the  election  for 
President,  which  was  necessary,  in  the  original  form  of  the 
Constitution,  to  make  him  Vice-President,  and  the  large  majority 
by  which  he  was  chosen  as  the  successor,  seem  to  have  given 
him  an  overwhelming  estimate  of  his  personal  importance. 
Beginning  his  political  career  by  professions  of  implicit  obedi- 
ence to  the  popular  will,  he  underwent,  when  he  obtained  power, 
the  transformation  almost  certain  to  demagogues,  from  supple 
subserviency  to  arbitrary  exertion  of  authority.  Familiar  with 
the  etiquette  of  the  courts  of  Europe,  he  felt  inclined  to  mimic 
the  state  and  seclusion  of  monarchs.  The  reserve  and  distance 
of  manner,  natural  and  dignified  in  President  Washington, 
might  awe,  but  they  never  excited  resentment.  Manners  of  the 
same  description,  ingrafted  unnaturally  on  the  less  imposing 
person  of  Adams,  excited  derision  in  some,  and  roused  the  anger 
of  others.  The  sterling  honesty  of  his  purposes  was  no  com- 
pensation for  the  faults  of  his  manner.  Advantage  was  taken 
by  the  opposition  party  of  the  defects  of  his  character,  and  the 
popularity  of  his  administration  speedily  declined. 

In  one  or  more  instances  Washington  had  to  intercede  to 
prevent  Adams  making  blunders  fatal  to  his  administration. 
Instead  of  appreciating  the  kind  offices  of  the  former  President 
he  grew  jealous,  especially  when  he  realized  that  the  greater 
part  of  his  Cabinet  entertained  a  higher  respect  for  the  opinions 
of  Washington  than  for  his  own.  Further,  Adams  became 
jealous  of  Hamilton,  whom  he  considered  an  aspirant  for  the 
Presidency,  and  for  this  and  similar  foolish  reasons  he  became 
estranged  from  the  party  to  which  he  owed  his  own  elevation 
to  office.  Probably  Washington's  high  regard  for  Hamilton 
was  a  cause  of  Adams  considering  Hamilton  as  a  dangerous 
rival.  The  petty  jealousies  and  vacillating  policy  of  the  Adams 
administration  were  the  contributing  causes  of  the  decline  of  the 
Federal  party.  Thomas  Jefferson,  who  was  head  of  the  party 
opposing  that  which  Adams  represented,  and  at  the  same  time 
Vice-President,  was  a  man  of  entirely  different  temperament 
from    that    of    Adams    and    shared    to    a    greater    degree   the 


68  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

popularity  given  AVasliington ;  he  was  able  to  note  the  mistakes 
President   Adams  made  and  to   profit  by   Adams'   experience. 

It  was  John  Adams  who  described  New  York  politics  as  "  the 
devil's  own  incomprehensible." 

The  leaders  of  the  Federal  party  were  guilty  of  mistakes 
made  by  many  political  leaders  since  that  early  day ;  taking  it  for 
granted  that  the  "'  organization  "  is  so  strong  that  error  after 
error  connnitted  will  be  overlooked  by  a  "long-suffering  people." 

The  continued  victories  which  had  been  gained  by  the  Feder- 
alists from  the  time  the  Convention  which  framed  the  Consti- 
tution assembled,  caused  them  to  forget  the  absolute  dependence 
of  our  politicians  on  popular  favor.  The  leading  Federalists 
held  themselves  aloof  from  the  mass  of  the  people,  and  thus 
gave  force  to  the  charge  of  aristocratic  feeling  which  was  urged 
against  them.  This  charge  was  reiterated  until  it  was  believed 
bv  manv.  and  alienated  the  veomanrv  of  the  country  from 
Adams'  administration.  Another  cause  was  the  levying  of 
special  tax  for  warlike  preparations ;  among  these  taxes  was 
that  of  stamps,  which  was  adroitly  coupled  by  the  opposing 
party  with  the  similar  measure  that,  when  enacted  by  the  British 
Parliament,  had  operated  as  one  of  the  prominent  causes  of  the 
Revolutionary  struggle. 

Finally,  two  laws  were  passed  repugnant  to  the  feelings  of  the 
people,  the  one  imposing  penalties  on  political  writers,  and 
creating  the  crime  of  sedition;  the  other  placing  the  personal 
liberty  of  emigrants  at  the  disposal  of  the  executive.  By  these 
acts  many  of  those  who  had  swelled  the  Federal  majorities 
became  alienated,  and  if  they  did  not  join  their  strength  to  the 
Republican-Democratic  party,  withdrew  their  support  from  the 
administration. 

The  death  of  Washington  might  also  be  considered  as  one  of 
the  causes  of  the  decline  of  the  strength  of  the  Federal  party. 
We  have  here  spoken  of  that  prudence  which  held  the  balance 
between  the  members  of  his  Cabinet,  that,  while  he  may  have 
adopted  the  views  of  one,  he  gave  to  the  others  no  just  cause 
of  offense.  After  his  retirement  from  office.  AVashington  was 
not  specially  active  in  public  aff'airs:  he  had  by  no  public  act, 
save  the  acceptance  of  the  command  of  the  provisional  army 
which  it  was  thought  best  to  organize  to  be  in  readiness  in  case 
of  need,  given  support  to  the  administration  of  Adams :  at  times 
it  seemed  as  if  his  dissatisfaction  with  the  policy  of  Adams  was 
such  that  it  appears  possible  that  he  might  have  been  induced 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  69 

to  stand  again  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency.  He  was  still 
in  the  vigor  of  his  faculties,  and  little  impaired  in  personal 
activity ;  and  the  convictions  of  the  danger  to  which  the  country 
was  exposed  from  the  prevalence  of  the  principles  of  the  French 
Kevolutionists  were  such  that  it  is  not  improbable  that  he  might 
again  have  left  his  beloved  retirement,  could  he  have  been 
satisfied  that  by  so  doing  he  would  have  again  become  the  ruler 
of  a  nation,  not  the  head  of  a  political  party. 

The  consiunmate  prudence  and  political  tact  of  Jefferson 
prevented  the  forebodings  of  Washington  from  being  realized. 
The  funded  debt  was  not  meddled  with;  the  National  Bank  was 
not  only  left  undisturbed,  but  continued  as  the  fiscal  agent  of 
the  government ;  a  dignified  policy  relative  to  foreign  powers 
was  maintained,  and  the  measures  enacted  during  Washington's 
administration,  and  dear  to  him,  were  not  interfered  with. 
Jefferson  even  studiously  avoided  the  exercise  of  his  Constitu- 
tional powers  of  removal  from  office  for  the  mere  purpose  of 
rewarding  his  political  adherents. 

Such  was  the  number  of  seceders  from  the  Federal  party 
after  the  death  of  Washington,  that  their  opponents  resolved 
to  adopt  the  bold  policy  of  running  two  candidates  in  order  to 
secure  the  election  of  a  Vice-President,  and  thus,  although  a 
choice  by  the  electoral  colleges  was  not  effected,  the  two  candi- 
dates of  the  Republican-Democratic  party  were  brought  before 
the  House  of  Representatives  with  claims  apparently  equal.  In 
the  vote  of  this  body  by  States,  it  soon  appeared  that  the 
Federal  members  had  it  in  their  power  to  determine  which  of 
the  two,  Thomas  Jefferson  or  Aaron  Burr,  should  be  chosen 
President  to  succeed  Adams.  Many  violent  Federal  partisans 
were  inclined  to  throw  a  brand  of  discord  into  the  Republican- 
Democratic  party,  by  conferring  the  dignity  upon  Burr,  who 
even  at  that  time  was  considered  a  demagogue,  a  political  adven- 
turer who  would  serve  only  his  own  ends  regardless  of  the 
interests  of  others  more  patriotic.  At  this  time  Burr  was 
accused  of  intriguing  with  opponents  of  his  party  to  secure 
preferment  for  himself.  It  is  reliably  stated  that  Hamilton, 
whom  the  death  of  Washington  had  placed  in  the  first  rank  of 
the  Federal  party,  was  responsible  for  the  defeat  of  Burr,  as 
he  interfered  to  prevent  the  votes  of  his  friends  being  cast  for 
that  gentleman.  And  this  action  on  the  part  of  Hamilton  con- 
tributed to  the  ill-feeling  between  Hamilton  and  Burr  that  led 
to  the  killing  of  the  former  by  the  latter. 


70  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

For  Jefferson,  Hamilton  had  no  affection,  nor  did  he  believe 
in  the  honesty  of  his  views ;  but  he  knew  that  he  would  at  least 
be  governed  by  the  prescribed  forms  of  legislation,  and  that  the 
alterations  which  his  advent  might  cause  in  the  policy  of  the 
government  would  be  in  conformity  with  the  letter  of  the 
Constitution,  and  directed  by  the  sanctions  of  legal  enactment. 

The  success  of  Jefferson  embittered  Burr,  and  roused  his  most 
violent  nature.  He  appears  to  have  ascribed  the  disappoint- 
ment he  felt,  but  did  not  venture  openly  to  avow,  to  Hamilton. 

Burr*  had,  like  Hamilton,  been  commissioned  at  Peekskill  by 
Gen.  Washington,  but  at  the  very  beginning  of  his  career  in 
the  army  had  been  excluded  from  the  military  family  of  Wash- 
ington on  account  of  his  open  profligacy,  and  he  had  seen 
Hamilton  occupying  the  station  to  which  he  had  aspired.  Pro- 
fessional rivalrv  had  existed  between  them  at  the  New  York 
bar,  and  while,  in  point  of  mere  talent,  they  ranked  as  equals, 
Burr  saw  that  the  universally  admitted  purity  of  Hamilton's 
character  gave  him  an  ascendancy  against  which  it  was  vain 
to  strive.  All  these  causes  united  excited  in  the  breast  of 
Burr  a  vindictive  spirit,  the  more  furious  in  consequence  of 
the  necessity  of  repressing  it. 

The  violence  of  party  politics  was  far  from  being  abated 
by  the  election  of  Jefferson  to  the  Presidency.  Hamilton  was 
called  upon  to  reorganize  the  Federal  party  and  put  it  on 
fighting  basis  to  contend  with  Jefferson's  administration;  he 
gave  to  the  cause  of  his  party  the  aid  of  his  powerful  pen,  and 
succeeded  in  restoring  the  unity  of  the  Federal  party,  which 
had  been  impaired  by  the  impolitic  acts  of  Adams.  The  admin- 
istration party  retorted  by  attacks  upon  Hamilton's  political 
character,  and  the  principles  of  government  which  they  accused 
him  and  his  party  of  maintaining. 

The  excitement  was  such  that  the  younger  members  of  either 
party  could  not  be  restrained  to  the  weapons  of  argument,  but 
sought  each  other's  blood.  The  eldest  son  of  Hamilton,  who 
had  just  reached  man's  estate,  was  one  of  the  first  victims  of 
this  spirit.  Excited  by  the  attacks  which  were  continually 
uttered  against  the  principles  of  his  father,  he  singled  out  and 
insulted  the  author  of  a  public  address,  in  which  the  language 
of  the  party,  ascribing  a  desire  of  monarchial  government  and 

*  Col.  Burr  was  assigned  to  command  a  Westchester  militia  regiment, 
stationed  so  as  to  protect  the  lower  end  of  the  County.  He  served  with 
Army  four  years.  After  retiring  from  the  Army  he  resided  for  a  time  in 
Morrisania. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  71 

the  establishment  of  an  aristocracy  to  the  Federalists,  had  been 
adopted  with  the  rashness  of  youth  and  the  ardor  of  convic- 
tion. A  hostile  meeting  at  Hoboken  was  the  consequence,  in 
which  Philip  Hamilton  fell.  The  survivor  of  the  duel,  who 
appears  to  have  been  unwillingly  forced  by  his  political  friends 
into  a  course  which  his  conscience  reprobated,  was  even  more 
to  be  pitied  than  his  victim;  for,  in  spite  of  the  support  of  his 
partisans,  and  the  applause  they  lavished  on  his  courage,  he 
sank  to  the  grave  before  the  lapse  of  many  months,  a  prey 
to  feelings  of  remorse.  It  is  unnecessary  to  say  how  severe 
was  this  affliction  to  one  of  Hamilton's  sensibilities.  The  sad 
death  of  the  son  was  a  prediction  of  the  coming  fate  of  the 
father. 

In  1804,  when  Burr  was  completing  a  term  as  Vice-Presi- 
dent, the  second  office  in  dignity  within  the  gift  of  the  people, 
he  announced  himself  as  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  Governor 
of  the  State  of  New  York.  By  succeeding  in  forming  a 
division  in  the  ranks  of  the  Republican-Democratic  party  he 
obtained  a  nomination.  For  his  success  in  this  election  his 
hopes  were  mainly  founded  upon  the  support  of  the  Federal- 
ists, who,  he  believed,  would  support  him  merely  for  the  pur- 
pose of  overwhelming  their  political  opponents.  Many  Feder- 
alists fell  into  the  snare,  and  there  was  at  one  time  a  proba- 
bility that  they  would  unite  as  a  party  in  his  support,  and 
thus  insure  his  election.  Hamilton,  still  believing  that  Burr 
was  not  a  safe  man  to  be  intrusted  with  independent  power,  was 
decidedly  opposed  to  the  support  of  Burr  by  his  political  friends, 
and  endeavored  to  prevent  it  by  all  the  means  at  his  command. 
The  result  of  Hamilton's  remonstrances  was  to  withdraw  from 
Burr  a  large  part  of  the  support  on  which  he  relied,  and  the 
election  terminated  in  the  defeat  of  Burr,  and  in  the  success 
of  his  opponent.  Gen.  Lewis. 

In  the  open  and  decided  opposition  which  Hamilton  had 
manifested  to  the  election  of  Burr  as  Governor,  the  latter  saw 
an  opening  for  satisfying  his  vindictive  feelings.  His  ambi- 
tious projects  were  all  blasted;  for  he  had,  by  permitting 
himself  to  be  a  "  bolting  candidate,"  lost  all  claim  on  the 
Republican-Democratic  party,  while  by  the  Federalists  he  was 
repudiated.  His  pecuniary  fortunes  were  in  as  dilapidated  a 
condition  as  his  political,  and  he  was,  in  fact,  in  that  state  of 
desperation  in  which  the  exposure  of  his  own  life  would  be  no 
obstacle  to  a  desire  of  vengeance. 


72  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

Hamilton  J  on  the  other  hand,  was  a  fit  subject  for  his  designs. 
Proud  of  his  character  as  a  soldier,  it  was  almost  certain  that 
he  would  not  refuse  a  hostile  meeting  if  called  for  on  any  rea- 
sonable grounds;  while  it  was  possible  that,  with  a  solemn  sense 
of  religious  obligation,  he  might  attempt  to  satisfy  the  point  of 
honor  by  the  exposure  of  his  own  life,  without  attempting  that  of 
his  adversary.  Evidence  exists  which  proves  satisfactorily  that, 
when  his  friends  began  to  fear  that  Burr  sought  his  life,  he  de- 
clared that,  although  he  might  meet  him.  he  would  not  fire  at  him. 

Early  in  June,  1804,  Burr  addressed  a  note  to  Hamilton, 
enclosing  a  statement  to  the  effect  that  Hamilton  and  Judsre 
Kent  concurred  in  the  opinion  that  Bm-r  was  "  a  dangerous 
man,  and  one  that  ought  not  to  be  trusted  with  the  reins  of 
government,  etc."  Burr  called  for  an  explanation  from  Ham- 
ilton. The  latter  saw  in  this  demand  a  determination  to  force 
him  into  a  duel,  and  seems  to  have  felt  the  conviction  that  no 
step  that  he  could  take  with  honor  would  enable  him  to  avoid 
it.  Under  these  impressions,  he  called  to  his  councils  none  of 
those  devoted  and  prudent  friends,  who  would  have  seen  that 
the  preservation  of  his  life  was  the  most  important  of  all  objects. 

Hamilton's  reply,  while  it  exhibits  the  injustice  of  calling 
upon  him  to  avow  or  deny  so  vague  a  charge,  and  interroga- 
tories as  to  the  justice  of  inferences  drawn  by  others  from  what 
he  may  have  said  of  a  political  opponent  during  a  competition 
of  fifteen  vears,  intimates  his  willinR'ness  to  avow  or  disavow 
any  definite  opinion  which  he  may  be  charged  with  having 
declared.  Expressing  a  trust  that  Burr  would  see  the  matter 
in  the  same  light,  the  reply  concludes  by  saying  that,  if  he 
does  not,  "  he  can  only  regret  the  circumstances,  and  must 
abide  the  consequences." 

The  rejoinder  of  Burr  was  properly  characterized  by  Hamil- 
ton as  rude  and  offensive.  It  was  evident  that  Burr  was  deter- 
mined to  compel  Hamilton  to  fight  him,  even  if  he  veiled  his 
determination  under  flimsy  pretences. 

From  the  paper  which  Hamilton  left  explanatory  of  his 
course,  it  appears  that,  with  perfect  conviction  of  the  impro- 
priety of  duelling,  he  did  not  feel  himself  so  far  elevated  above 
other  political  men  as  to  be  emancipated  from  its  absurd  laws; 
and  that  he  believed  that,  in  the  existing  tone  of  popular  feel- 
ing on  the  subject,  his  future  usefulness  to  his  country  would 
be  destroved  bv  a  refusal  to  fisrht.  It  doubtless  did  not  occur 
to  him  that  he  who  had  fousfht  beside  AVashins'ton  in  many 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  73 

battles  and  had  been  rewarded  for  valiant  services,  could  not 
be  charged  with  personal  cowardice;  nor  was  he  aware  of  the 
deep  religious  feeling  of  a  large  body  of  the  people,  which 
would  have  supported  one  who  should  decline  a  duel  from  con- 
scientious motives,  such  as  Hamilton  sincerely  entertained. 

By  Hamilton's  desire,  the  meeting  was  postponed  until  the 
close  of  a  court  then  sitting  in  New  York.  The  interval  was 
calmly  and  steadily  applied  by  Hamilton  to  the  promotion  of 
the  interests  of  his  clients;  nor  did  there  appear  any  failure 
in  his  accustomed  zeal,  or  any  want  of  the  undisturbed  devotion 
of  his  mind  to  the  consideration  of  their  causes.  Yet  he  must 
have  known  that  his  life  was  in  extreme  danger.  Burr's 
adroitness  in  the  use  of  a  pistol  was  notorious,  and  Hamilton 
had  good  reasons  for  believing  that  Burr  would  not  be  satis- 
fied but  with  his  blood. 

The  meeting  took  place  beneath  the  cliff  of  Wehawken,  and 
on  the  first  fire  Hamilton  fell.  His  own  pistol  was  discharged 
while  in  the  act  of  falling,  and  obviously  without  any  attempt 
at  aim.  The  wound  was  not  immediately  fatal,  and  he  was 
removed  across  the  Hudson  to  the  country  seat  of  his  friend 
William  Bayard.  Here  he  lingered,  without  the  least  hope  of 
recovery,  for  thirty  hours. 

Burr,  branded  by  many  as  Hamilton's  murderer,  virtually 
became  an  outcast.  He  was  visited  forthwith  by  a  storm  of 
indignation,  beneath  which  he  instantly  sunk.  Within  a  few 
months  he  departed,  a  voluntary  exile  from  his  country,  and 
abjectly  claimed  to  be  allowed  to  avow  allegiance  to  the  power 
against  whose  rule  he  had  successfully  fought.  On  his  return 
he  was  shunned  even  by  those  who  had  been  most  captivated 
by  his  popular  arts;  and  although  he  resumed  a  place  at  the 
New  York  city  bar,  a  conscious  feeling  of  disgrace  bowed 
down  his  talent  and  placed  him  in  a  low  rank  where  he  had 
before  reigned  almost  supreme. 

A  writer  of  that  early  day,  in  speaking  of  the  tragic  death 
of  Hamilton,  said:  "  When  the  angry  feelings  excited  by  the 
long  struggle  between  the  Federal  and  the  Republican  parties 
shall  have  cooled,  and  all  actors  in  these  stirring  scenes  shall 
have  retired  from  the  stage,  it  requires  little  prescience  to  pre- 
dict that  Hamilton  will  assume,  by  general  consent,  a  first 
place  among  American  statesmen,  and  will  be  held  in  the 
estimate  of  his  patriotic  services  as  second  to  Washington 
alone. ' ' 


74  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

PRESIDENTIAL  NOMINATING  CONVENTIONS. 

The  men  who  framed  the  Constitution  made  no  provision  for 
nominating  candidates,  and,  in  fact,  had  never  heard  of  nomi- 
nations. It  was  their  intention  that  the  electors  should  choose 
the  President,  uninfluenced  by  popular  passion  or  prejudice. 
There  w^re  no  parties  or  party  organizations,  and  everything 
was  left  to  the  wisdom  of  the  electors,  who  were  to  be  chosen 
by  the  States  in  whatever  manner  the  State  pleased. 

Before  AVashington 's  administration  had  ended  two  parties 
had  formed,  and  nominating  machinery  was  soon  provided  in 
a  Congressional  caucus,  by  which  the  Congressman  of  each 
party  selected  the  candidate  and  the  electors  ratified  this  selec- 
tion. Thus  the  legislative  department  virtually  chose  the  execu- 
tive in  spite  of  all  constitutional  precautions  to  keep  the  depart- 
ments independent. 

The  Congressional  caucus  lasted  until  1824,  when  the  Jack- 
son men  bolted  the  nomination  of  Crawford.  It  was  in  that 
year  that  Andrew  Jackson  was  pitted  against  John  Quincy 
Adams  for  the  Presidential  nomination;  Jackson  received  a 
plurality,  but  not  a  majority  of  the  electoral  vote,  and  the 
matter  went  to  the  House  of  Representatives,  where  Adams 
received  a  majority  of  votes  of  Representatives,  voting  as 
States.  Four  years  later  Tennessee's  Legislature  nominated 
Andrew  Jackson  without  reference  to  the  Congressional  caucus. 
His  opponent,  John  Quincy  Adams  was  renominated  in  the  old 
way,  but  that  was  the  end  of  the  Presidential  nominations  by 
Congressional  caucus.     In  this  later  year  Jackson  was  electedc 

The  overthrow  of  ''  King  Caucus  "  was  popularly  regarded 
as  the  greatest  political  reform  since  the  establishment  of  the 
Republic. 

Originally  the  electoral  vote  was  frequently  divided,  the 
electors  really  exercising  the  freedom  of  choice  which  the  Con- 
stitution gives  them.  Until  1804  the  man  who  got  the  second 
highest  number  of  votes  was  elected  Vice-President.  Since  then 
the  electors  vote  separately  for  President  and  Vice-President. 
Under  the  old  system  in  1796  fourteen  men  received  votes  for 
President.  Three  of  the  fourteen.  Aaron  Burr,  George  Clinton 
and  John  Jay  (of  AVest Chester  County)  were  from  New  York. 

Before  1800  it  was  the  general  custom  for  the  State  Legisla- 
tures to  choose  the  electors,  and  it  was  not  until  1828  that  the 
Presidential   electors  were  chosen  in  nearly  all  the  States  by 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  75 

popular  vote.  As  late  as  1876  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of 
Colorado  chose  the  three  Presidential  electors  to  represent  that 
State.  There  is  nothing  in  the  Constitution  to  prevent  any 
State  Legislature  naming  its  own  electors  without  appeal  to  the 
people,  provided  such  a  method  of  election  is  prescribed  by  the 
State  laws. 

NATIONAL    CONVENTIONS. 

Under  the  United  States  Constitution  as  originally  practiced 
there  were  no  National  Conventions.  The  Constitution  provided 
for  a  series  of  State  Conventions  which  should  elect  a  President 
by  a  majority  vote,  and  on  their  failure  to  give  any  candidate 
a  majority  the  House  of  Representatives  then  balloted  on  the 
five  highest,  afterward  reduced  by  Constitutional  amendment 
to  the  three  highest. 

The  theory  of  the  Constitution  enacted  in  Section  3  of  Article 
2,  and  amplified  in  the  twelfth  amendment,  was  that  the  people 
of  each  State  should  choose  as  many  of  their  most  distinguished 
citizens  as  electors  as  was  ''  equal  to  the  whole  number  of 
Senators  and  Representatives  to  which  the  State  may  be  entitled 
in  the  Congress,"  and  that  these  electors  shall  consult  together 
and  if  possible  agree  on  who  should  be  President  and  who  should 
be  Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 

Forty  years  elapsed  between  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution 
and  the  time  of  holding  the  first  National  Convention. 

While  the  Constitution  contemplated  the  creation  of  a  Presi- 
dential convention  in  each  State,  it  never  provided  for  two 
conventions  in  each  state  or  for  all  the  State  conventions  to 
meet  as  one  in  a  national  convention.  The  mode  of  procedure 
now  observed  by  political  parties  in  the  nomination  of  Presi- 
dential candidates  is  a  condition,  a  scheme  of  government  never 
contemplated  either  by  the  drafters  of  the  Constitution  or  by 
the  political  generation  succeeding  them.  Under  the  present 
system,  instead  of  the  people  of  each  State  selecting  "  their 
most  distinguished  citizens  as  electors,"  the  office  of  Presiden- 
tial elector  has  become  a  dummy  political  function,  with  its 
duties  as  perfunctory  as  those  of  a  machine.  No  instance  is 
now  known  where  a  Presidential  elector  uses  the  independent 
judgment  which  the  Constitution  confers  upon  him,  where  he 
ever  refused  to  vote  for  the  candidates  nominated  by  the 
National  Convention  of  his  party;  nominations  in  which  prob- 
ably the  electors  had  no  voice,  not  being  present  at  the  nomi- 
nating convention. 


76  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

The  Constitutional  plan  provides  that  no  one  except  electors, 
or  Representatives  in  Congress  in  case  electors  cannot  agree, 
can  vote  directly  for  any  candidate  for  President,  nominated 
by  either  of  the  political  parties. 

It  has  been  frequently  suggested  that  the  Constitution  should 
be  so  amended  as  to  permit  a  direct  vote  of  the  people  in  choos- 
ing the  President  and  Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 

The  early  National  Conventions  were  hardly  more  than  con- 
ferences, the  first  having  been  held  in  1831,  by  supporters  of 
Henry  Clay  for  President.  There  are  many  men  living  who 
can  remember  when  the  introduction  of  a  National  Convention 
into  the  Nation's  political  life  was  considered  a  great  innovation. 
As  years  grew  the  National  convention  became  an  established 
political  institution,  with  no  laws  except  its  own  laws,  with  no 
power  except  voluntary  consent,  yet  as  effective  in  enforcing 
decrees  as  the  Government  of  the  United  States  or  the  govern- 
ment of  any  other  nation. 

The  National  Convention  is  the  most  distinctly  original  Ameri- 
can contribution  to  the  art  of  government.  It  is  a  product  of 
evolution  and  it  has  no  legal  status. 

National  Conventions,  of  all  parties,  held  every  four  years, 
are  called  by  a  National  committee  of  the  party  organization, 
which  meets,  names  the  time  and  place  for  holding  the  conven- 
tion, fixes  the  number  and  qualification  of  delegates  and  issues 
the  call  for  the  convention. 

The  unit  in  the  Democratic  convention  is  the  State;  in  the 
Republican  convention,  the  Congressional  district.  Hence,  a 
Democratic  State  Convention  can  instruct  all  the  delegates  from 
that  State  to  vote  for  a  particular  candidate.  A  Republican 
State  Convention  can  instruct  only  the  number  of  delegates 
elected  by  that  convention  as  delegates-at-large,  and  each  Con- 
gressional district  can  instruct  its  own  delegates  as  it  pleases. 
This  decision  was  promulgated  with  considerable  force  in  the 
Republican  National  Convention  in  1880,  when  an  attempt  was 
made  (against  the  protest  of  W.  H.  Robertson,  of  Westchester 
County)  by  State  leaders  to  ignore  the  wishes  of  Congressional 
districts  in  New  York  State  and  vote  the  whole  State  as  a  unit 
for  the  third  time  nomination  of  General  Grant.  The  individual 
vote  of  every  delegate  in  the  Republican  National  Convention  is 
counted.  Democratic  National  Conventions  recognize  the  unit 
rule  by  which,  when  so  authorized  by  a  State  convention,  a 
majority  of  the  delegates  from  that  State  can  vote  the  entire 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  77 

delegation  as  a  unit;  thus  forty-six  delegates  from  New  York 
State  can  cast  New  York's  ninety  votes.  In  a  Democratic 
National  Convention  the  votes  of  two-thirds  of  the  delegates 
are  necessary  to  nominate  a  candidate.  In  a  Republican 
National  Convention  a  majority  of  delegates  can  nominate. 

The  two-thirds  rule  was  adopted  by  the  first  Democratic 
National  Convention  held  in  1832,  in  order  to  give  a  semblance 
of  unanimity  in  the  nomination  of  Martin  Van  Buren,  of  this 
State,  for  Vice-President.  The  supporters  of  John  K.  Polk 
revived  it  in  1844  in  order  to  defeat  Van  Buren's  renomination 
for  President.  The  rule  has  been  adhered  to  in  every  Demo- 
cratic National  Convention  since  that  time.  Its  purpose  is  often 
defeated,  however,  by  the  unit  rule,  which  makes  it  actually 
possible  for  a  little  more  than  one-third  of  the  delegates  to 
nominate  the  candidates  through  the  simple  process  of  allow- 
ing a  bare  majority  of  one  in  each  State  delegation  to  vote  the 
majority. 

The  Republican  National  Convention,  held  in  the  year  1912, 
will  be  composed  of  1,072  delegates,  from  all  States  and  Ter- 
ritories. In  the  Democratic  National  Convention  there  will  be 
1,094  delegates,  representing  all  sections  of  the  country.  The 
difference  in  number  of  delegates  attending  conventions  is  due 
to  territorial  representation.  In  the  Republican  Convention 
Alaska,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  are  allowed  six  delegates, 
while  others,  including  the  Philippines,  have  but  two  each.  The 
Democratic  Convention  allows  six  delegates  to  all  territories, 
Alaska,  Arizona,  District  of  Columbia,  Hawaii,  New  Mexico  and 
Porto  Rico.  In  other  respects  the  basis  of  representation  is 
the  same  in  both  conventions,  every  State  having  two  delegates 
to  each  electoral  vote. 

Not  only  is  heard  the  desire  for  a  direct  vote  by  which  to 
elect  the  President  and  Vice-President  of  the  United  States, 
but  a  stronger  demand  comes  for  the  election  of  United  States 
Senators  by  direct  vote  of  the  people,  instead  of  by  the  State 
Legislatures,  as  is  now  the  law. 

In  1912  Congress  finally  passed  necessary  resolutions  provid- 
ing for  the  submission  to  the  States  of  an  amendment  to  the 
Constitution  that  will  take  from  special  interests  and  the  few 
the  selection  of  United  States  Senators,  and  transfer  the 
power  to  the  people  for  direct  action.  In  most  cases  this  will 
call  for  constitutional  changes  in  the  several  States. 


78  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

Advocates  of  the  movement,  who  are  confident  of  getting 
these  additional  States,  say  that  the  United  States  Senate  can- 
not be  taken  out  of  the  hands  of  machine  politicians  or  special 
interests  except  by  the  primary  route.  All  experiences,  they 
claim,  show  that  the  best  government  is  attainable  only  through 
popular  action. 

When  Congress  calls  a  convention  to  propose  an  amendment, 
that  amendment  does  not  become  a  part  of  the  Constitution  until 
three-fourths  of  the  States  have  ratified  it. 

The  political  State  nominating  conventions  are  conducted 
similar  to  the  political  National  Conventions ;  mode  of  proced- 
ure, rules  governing,  etc.  The  State  Committee  of  the  party 
fixes  the  time  and  place  for  holding  the  convention. 

Candidates  for  all  State  offices,  not  appointive,  are  placed  in 
nomination  by  these  State  Conventions. 

Elections  for  State  officers  are  held  in  even  years ;  terms  being 
for  two  years  each.  County  and  municipal  officers  are  elected 
throughout  the  State  in  odd  years. 

In  early  years  the  officers  of  this  State  were  appointed,  not 
elected,  and  no  nominating  convention  was  deemed  necessary. 
The  mode  of  selecting  public  officers  in  this  State  has  varied. 
Under  the  Constitution  of  1777  the  State  Assembly  selected  a 
Council  of  Appointment  from  the  Senators,  and  the  Governor 
had  "  a  casting  voice  but  no  other  vote  "  in  this  council,  which 
ruled  the  State.  At  the  time  the  Constitution  of  1821  was 
adopted,  8,287  military  and  6,663  civil  officers  held  their  com- 
missions from  this  Council.  For  many  years  the  politics  and 
government  of  New  York  State  were  largely  controlled  by  three 
great  families,  the  Clintons,  the  Schuylers  and  Livingstons. 

The  Constitution  of  1821  abolished  the  Council  of  Appoint- 
ment and  provided  that  the  Legislature  should  elect  the  chief 
State  department  officers.  It  was  not  until  the  Constitution  of 
1846  was  adopted  that  the  election  of  these  officers  was  vested 
in  the  people  under  manhood  suffrage,  and  it  was  under  this 
Constitution  that  the  political  party  nominating  convention 
became  a  firmly  established  institution.  Each  change  had  for 
its  object  the  extension  of  the  principles  of  democracy  to  give 
the  people  at  large  more  and  more  power  over  the  selection  of 
their  servants. 

The  introduction  of  the  nominating  convention  into  our 
political  system  increased  to  a  vast  degree  the  power,  it  is  said, 
of    leaders    who    combine    to    constitute    what    is    termed    the 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  79 


cc 


political  organization,"  directing  the  management  and  shap- 
ing the  policy  of  their  political  party,  and,  incidentally,  exer- 
cising considerable  influence  in  the  choice  of  candidates. 

That  there  is  considerable  objection  to  the  prevailing  mode 
of  selecting  political  candidates,  is  manifest  by  the  strong  influ- 
ences now  being  used  to  effect  a  change.  Governor  Hughes  and 
those  in  sympathy  with  him,  maintain  that  the  only  way  to  get 
an  honest  expression  from  the  people  as  to  their  choice  of  men 
to  fill  the  various  public  otfices.  State  or  local,  is  by  a  "  direct 
primary  vote."  Advocates  for  the  primary  vote  are  against 
the  convention,  influenced  by  party  leaders,  making  nomina- 
tions. It  is  believed  by  many  people  that  this  wide-spreading 
movement  to  democratize  the  nomination  of  candidates  for  public 
office  is  inevitable. 

Does  the  new  movement  not  look  like  going  back  to  first 
principles,  to  the  days  of  town  meetings,  when  the  people  them- 
selves did  the  choosing  of  public  officers,  and  it  was  a  "  govern- 
ment by  the  people?" 

In  the  Presidential  election  of  1908  the  following  political 
parties  took  part:  The  Republican,  the  Democratic,  the  Prohi- 
bition, the  People's,  the  Socialist,  the  Independent,  the  Social- 
ist Labor. 


''  POLITICAL  BOSSES." 

The  term  "  Political  Boss  "  is  not  a  new  one  in  this  State. 
This  gentleman  may  appear  in  different  forms,  but  nevertheless 
he  appears  prominently  all  through  the  State's  political  history. 

To-day  we  hear  of  corporate  influences  controlling  ''  political 
bosses,"  of  the  bosses  controlling  the  political  party  "  organi- 
zation," and  the  organization  controlling  the  little  politicians, 
who  are,  like  those  "  higher  up,"  in  it,  in  many  instances,  for 
personal  profit,  regardless  of  the  people's  interests. 

Back  in  the  early  days  of  the  Nation  the  corporate  interests 
were  not  as  formidable  as  now.  The  "  trusts  "  were  then  not 
as  trustful  as  now.  Steel,  sugar,  lumber  and  similar  products, 
as  trusts,  had  not  their  growth;  they  were  not  big  and  strong 
enough  to,  by  aid  of  "  spot  cash,"  elect  United  States  Senators, 
and  even  elect  Presidents. 

When  politics  began  to  take  on  shape,  immediately  following 
the  Revolutionary  period,  it  was  the  "  family  influence  "  that 
the  aspiring  politician  had  to  look  up.     New  York  was  too 


80  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

directly  descended  from  the  patroons  and  too  intimately  con- 
nected with  England's  ''  family  methods  "  not  to  illustrate  the 
"workings  of  family  in  politics. 

As  early  as  1666  New  York  city  had  its  "  political  boss," 
in  one  Thomas  Delawall,  who  was  at  that  time  Mayor  of  the 
city,  member  of  the  Governor's  Council  and  Collector  of  Cus- 
toms.  He  was  not  "a  poor  pothouse  politician,"  but  a  man  of 
wealth  and  standing  in  the  community,  the  o"v^^ler  of  large 
parcels  of  land  in  the  then  distant  new  Harlem  and  in 
the  lower  section  of  AVestchester  County.  He  was  Mayor 
again  in  1671  and  in  1678 ;  in  fact  he  could  be  Mayor  as  often 
as  he  desired.  In  1675  the  "  Boss  "  yielded  to  "  family  influ- 
ence "  and  had  his  son-in-law,  William  Dervall,  chosen  Mayor. 

The  first  United  States  Senator  from  this  State  was  Gen. 
Philip  Schuyler,  a  brave  soldier  and  able  man.  He  was  father- 
in-law  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  recognized  leader  (or  "  Boss  ") 
of  the  Federal  party  in  this  State.  Though  the  General  was  a 
proper  person  for  the  office,  ''  family  influence  "  may  have  had 
something  to  do  with  bringing  about  his  election. 

President  John  Adams,  who,  it  is  asserted,  at  times,  early  in 
the  game,  assumed  to  be  a  political  boss,  was  quite  severely 
criticized  for  giving  "  the  family  "  too  much  consideration 
when  making  political  appointments. 

Governor  George  Clinton  was  a  clever  politician,  one  of  the 
best  of  his  time.  In  the  years  he  was  Governor,  1801  to 
180-1,  and  subsequently,  he  was  State  leader  of  his  party,  the 
Republican-Democratic. 

Chancellor  Livingston  was  leader  of  the  opposition  partj^,  and 
between  them  they  owned  the  State,  politically  speaking,  at  the 
opening  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

This  condition  of  affairs  continued  most  amicably  for  a  con- 
siderable period.  Even  in  those  times  opposing  political  bosses 
made  "  side  deals  "  to  accomplish  an  object  both  desired,  as 
Aaron  Burr,  who  desired  to  be  "a  political  boss,"  on  his  own 
account,  found  out. 

To  illustrate  ''  the  family  influence  "  which  controlled,  ref- 
erence  may  be  made  to  the  fact  that  Edward  Livingston,  a  son, 
was   Mavor   of   New   York,   and   laid   the    corner-stone   of   the 

«.  7 

present  City  Hall  in  1803 ;  Dr.  Tillotson,  a  brother-in-law  of 
the  Chancellor,  was  Secretary  of  State;  Morgan  Lewis,  another 
brother-in-law,  was  Chief  Justice  of  the  State  Supreme  Court; 
John  Armstrong,  another  brother-in-law,  was  made   a  United 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  81 

States  Senator,  which  position  he  resigned  to  take  another  office 
in  New  York  city;  Brockholst  Livingston  and  Smith  Thomp- 
son, who  married  a  Livingston,  were  Judges  in  the  Supreme 
Court.  The  Clintons,  representing  the  opposition  party,  as  a 
family  were  considerately  taken  care  of.  De  Witt  Clinton,  a 
nephew,  was  made  United  States  Senator,  and  resigned  in  1803 
to  become  Mayor  of  New  York  city  by  appointment  of  his 
uncle;  he  was  an  able  man,  and  it  was  through  his  efforts, 
assisted  by  Gen.  Schuyler,  that  the  great  Erie  Canal  became 
a  fact;  also  he  did  much  to  advance  the  progress  of  the  city; 
twice  afterward  he  was  made  Mayor,  but  his  terms  were  not 
consecutive;  he  was  Governor  of  the  State,  elected  in  1817,  and 
again  in  1824. 

The  Clinton  and  Livingston  family  influence  did,  it  is  charged, 
combine  to  combat  the  aspirations  of  Aaron  Burr.  Burr  fought 
the  dominant  families  with  all  his  might.  The  "  family  influ- 
ence ' '  started  a  newspaper  in  New  York  city,  and  Burr  did  like- 
wise. The  ''  influence  "  succeeded  in  getting  Burr  and  his 
friend  Col  Swartwout  off  the  directorate  of  the  Manhattan 
Bank.  It  looked  like  blood,  so  earnest  were  the  combatants. 
De  Witt  Clinton  and  Col.  Swartwout  went  up  into  Morrisania, 
Westchester  County,  and  indulged  in  the  favorite  pastime  of 
the  period— a  duel,  each  firing  five  bullets;  Swartwout  was  shot 
twice,  Clinton  fortunately  escaped.  This  duel  later  involved 
Swartwout 's  brother  and  Recorder  Riker  in  a  duel ;  Riker  was 
shot  and  ever  after  was  lame.  Later  Gen.  Hamilton's  eldest 
son  was  killed  in  a  duel  defending  the  political  principles  of  his 
father  and  himself.  The  culmination  of  this  old-fashioned 
electioneering  came  shortly  in  the  duel  in  which  Burr  unjustly 
entangled  Gen.  Hamilton,  resulting  in  the  death  of  the  latter 
and  the  political  annihilation  of  Burr. 

Dating  from  1809  ''  the  family  influence  "  began  to  loose  its 
hold  on  politics,  and  party  "  leaders,"  regardless  of  family 
connections,  began  to  assert  themselves. 

In  1819  the  old  Federalist  party,  the  party  of  Washington 
and  Hamilton,  was  no  longer  anjrthing  but  a  name.  As  a 
party  organization  of  National  scope  and  influence  it  had  all 
but  ceased  to  exist.  The  Republican  (later  Democratic)  party 
had  no  organized  opposition;  for  that  reason  it  had  split  into 
factions.  One  of  these  factions  took  its  name  from  De  Witt 
Clinton,  its  leader,  and  was  known  as  the  "  Clintonians ; "  the 
other  faction,  known  as  the  '^  Bucktails,"  had  for  its  leader  a 


82 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


native  of  Westchester  County,  Daniel  D.  Tompkins,  late  Gov- 
ernor, who  had  just  been  elected  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States;  Martin  Van  Buren,  then  Attorney-General  of  the  State, 
and  later  President  of  the  United  States,  was  an  aid  to  Tomp- 
kins among  the  "  Bucktails. " 

From  then  on   we  have  had  "  political   leaders,"  who  are 
generally  termed  "  Bosses. 


J  5 


PRESIDENTIAL  VOTE  IN  COUNTY. 

The  vote  given  for  the  electoral  ticket  of  the  political  parties, 
commencing  the  year  electors  were  first  chosen  by  popular  vote, 
has  been  as  follows  in  Westchester  County: 


Year. 

1828 

1832 
1836 
1840 
1844 

1848 


1852 


1856 


1860 


1864 


1868 


1872 


Candidate  for  President. 
Andrew  Jackson, 
John  Quincy  Adams, 
Andrew  Jackson, 
Henry  Clay, 
Martin  Van  Buren, 
William  H.  Harrison, 
Martin  Van  Buren, 
AYilliam  H.  Harrison, 
James  K.  Polk, 
Henry  Clay, 
Lewis  Cass, 
Zachary  Taylor, 
Martin  Van  Buren, 
Franklin  Pierce, 
Winfield  Scott, 
James  Buchanan, 
Millard  Fillmore, 
John  C.  Fremont, 
Stephen   A.    Douglas,' 
John  Bell  and  John 
C.  Breckenridge,     J 
Abraham  Lincoln, 
George  B.  McClellan, 
Abraham  Lincoln, 
Horatio  Seymour, 
Ulysses  S.  Grant, 
Horace  Greeley, 


Political  Party. 

Votes  Cast. 

Democrat, 

3,788 

Whig, 

3,153 

Democrat, 

3,133 

Whig, 

2,293 

Democrat, 

3,009 

Whig, 

1,749 

Democrat, 

4,354 

Whig, 

4,083 

Democrat, 

4,412 

Whig, 

4,258 

Democrat, 

2,146 

Whig, 

4,312 

Free  Soil, 

1,312 

Democrat, 

5,283 

Whig, 

4,033 

Democrat, 

4,600 

Whig, 

4,450 

Republican, 

3,641 

r 


Union 


8,100 


Republican, 

6,771 

Democrat, 

9,353 

Republican, 

7,593 

Democrat, 

11,667 

Republican, 

9,641 

Democrat  and  Lib- 

eral Republican, 

11,112 

MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


83 


Year. 

Candidate  for  President. 

Political  Party. 

Votes  Cast. 

1872 

Ulysses  S.  Grant, 

Republican, 

10,223 

1876 

Samuel  J.  Tilden, 

Democrat, 

12,050 

Rutherford  B.  Hayes, 

Republican, 

9,547 

1880 

Winfield  S.  Hancock, 

Democrat, 

11,858 

James  A.  Garfield, 

Republican, 

11,367 

1884 

Grover  Cleveland, 

Democrat, 

12,524 

James  G.  Blaine, 

Republican, 

11,286 

1888 

Grover  Cleveland, 

Democrat, 

14,948 

Benjamin  Harrison, 

Republican, 

13,456 

1892 

Grover  Cleveland, 

Democrat, 

16,091 

Benjamin  Harrison, 

Republican, 

13,456 

1896 

William  McKinley, 

Republican, 

19,357 

William  J.  Bryan, 

Democrat, 

11,770 

John  M.  Palmer, 

Gold  Democrat, 

650 

1900 

William  J.  McKinley, 

Republican, 

21,250 

William  J.  Bryan, 

Democrat, 

16,436 

John  G.  Woolley, 

Prohibition, 

418 

Eugene  V.  Debs, 

Social  Democrat, 

384 

Joseph  F.  Maloney, 

Social  Labor, 

229 

1904 

Theodore  Roosevelt, 

Republican, 

25,101 

Alton  B.  Parker, 

Democrat, 

18,093 

Silas  C.  Swallow, 

Prohibition, 

309 

Eugene  V.  Debs, 

Social  Democrat, 

808 

Charles  H.  Corrigan, 

Social  Labor, 

306 

Thomas  E.  Watson, 

People's  Party, 

263 

1908 

William  H.  Taft, 

Republican, 

29,438 

William  J.  Bryan, 

Democrat, 

18,346 

Thomas  L.  Hisgen, 

Independent, 

1,237 

Eugene  V.  Debs, 

Social  Democrat, 

923 

Eugene  W.  Chafin, 

Prohibition, 

376 

August  Gillhaus, 

Social  Labor, 

102 

PRESIDENTIAL  ELECTION  OF  1884. 

One  of  the  most  exciting  periods  in  the  political  history  of 
Westchester  County  was  that  connected  with  the  election  of 
1884,  when  Grover  Cleveland,  Democrat,  ran  against  James  G. 
Blaine,  Republican,  for  the  Presidency. 

As  the  Republican  nominee  was  an  intimate  as  well  as  a 
political  friend  of  Collector  of  the  Port  William  H.  Robertson, 
who  was  also  the  Republican  leader  of  this  County,  and  as  said 


84  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

nominee  had  been  mainly  instrumental,  while  Secretary  of  State 
in  President  Garfield's  Cabinet,  in  securing  Robertson's  ap- 
pointment as  Collector  of  the  Port,  the  latter  was  specially 
anxious  that  Mr.  Blaine  be  elected  and  particularly  that  he 
carry  Westchester  County  by  a  good  majority.  He  strained 
every  effort,  by  personal  appeal,  even  among  old  Democratic 
friends,  to  aid  him  in  doing  a  favor  to  one  who  had  done  him 
great  favors  in  the  past,  and  many  Democrats  were  willing  to 
oblige. 

]\Ir.  Cleveland  had  obtained  certain  prestige  through  being 
elected,  two  years  previously,  as  Governor  of  this  State  by  a 
majority  of  nearly  200,000.  over  Folger  the  Republican  candi- 
date, and  as  Governor  he  had  earned  the  confidence  of  many 
Republicans  with  independent  tendencies. 

In  1879  Cornell,  the  Republican  candidate  for  Governor,  was 
elected  by  a  considerable  majority. 

In  1880  the  Republicans  carried  the  State  for  Garfield.  In 
1882  Republicans  in  large  numbers  bolted  their  ticket  owing 
to  a  claim  that  their  party's  nomination  for  Governor  had  been 
given  in  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  the  administration  in 
AVashington,  and  Republican  electors  in  this  State  were  not 
permitted  to  make  their  own  selection  of  a  Gubernatorial  can- 
didate :  as  a  consequence  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Gov- 
ernor, Mr.  Cleveland,  rolled  up  the  unprecedented  majority  of 
nearlv  200.000. 

t. 

AVhen  ]\Ir.  Blaine  became  the  Republican  nominee  in  1884  the 
antagonistic  feeling  that  had  existed  between  the  "Stalwarts" 
and  the  ''Half  Breeds"  factions  within  the  Republican  party 
had  not  fullv  died  out.  ]\Ir.  Blaine  was  remembered  as  the 
principal  foe  of  "Stalwarts,"  as  the  political  advisor  of  Presi- 
dent Garfield,  and  as  the  one  who  engineered  the  defeat  of  other 
Presidential  aspirants  at  the  Republican  National  Convention 
and  brought  about  Garfield's  nomination,  when  he  found  that  he 
himself  could  not  get  the  nomination;  that  he  had  infiuenced  the 
President  to  name  AYilliam  H.  Robertson  for  Collector  of  the 
Port — these  little  remembrances,  together  with  that  fearful  mis- 
take made  by  the  prominent  clergyman  who,  in  an  attempt  to 
aid  'Mr.  Blaine's  election,  referred  to  "the  three  Rs,"  as  stand- 
ing for  "Rum,  Romanism  and  Rebellion,"  did  not  materially 
help  ]\Ir.  Blaine's  chances  in  this  State. 

No  person  knew  better  than  Collector  Robertson  the  general 
political  situation :  he  and  a  few  others  were  being  depended 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  85 

upon  to  swing  the  State  in  the  right  direction.  Robertson 
worked  as  he  never  had  worked  before.  He  first  w^as  confi- 
dent that  his  fences  in  this  County  were  up  and  strong,  and 
then  devoted  himself  to  "saving  the  State." 

The  Democrats  in  the  County  had  a  fair  organization  in  those 
days,  and  same  found  plenty  of  work  to  do,  and  every  efi^ort  was 
made  to  accomplish  results. 

The  political  fight  in  the  County  that  followed  that  year  cer- 
tainly proved  spirited. 

Election  night  news  came  from  Albany  to  the  effect  that  the 
result  was  in  doubt,  that  the  vote  was  so  close  that  no  idea  of 
who  had  carried  the  State  could  be  given;  a  single  vote  might 
decide  the  result.  Later  came  the  information,  "an  official 
statement  of  the  vote  cast  in  Westchester  County  is  needed;  on 
that  depends  the  result." 

As  may  be  imagined,  excitement  in  the  County  ran  high;  the 
tension  of  the  public  political  pulse  was  away  above  the  normal. 
The  politicians  of  both  parties  got  busy.  The  morning  after 
the  election  the  Democrats  sent  representatives  into  every  elec- 
tion district  of  the  twenty-two  towns  of  the  County;  evidently 
they  remembered  the  Tilden-Hayes  election,  and  feared  that 
figures  might  get  juggled  between  the  election  district  and  the 
County-seat.  Two  or  more  towns  had  not  made  complete  returns 
the  night  before,  and  no  explanations  followed.  It  had  been 
said  that  even  one  vote  might  decide,  therefore  both  parties 
were  determined  to  chase  the  elusive  vote  and  permit  none  to  get 
away. 

It  was  a  time  when  Republicans  were  more  than  ever  sus- 
picious of  Democrats,  and  vice  versa. 

It  proved  true,  the  report  that  the  result  in  the  State  depended 
upon  the  official  returns  from  Westchester  County.  The  eyes 
of  the  Nation  were  turned  upon  us,  and  the  County  was  expected 
to  do  its  whole  duty,  honestly  and  fearlessly. 

On  the  day  set  when  the  Supervisors  would  convene  as  a 
Board  of  Canvassers,  the  County-seat  entertained  many  hundred 
guests  brought  there  by  the  intense  interest  manifested  in  the 
result  on  which  rested  the  election  of  a  President  of  the  United 
States,  for  it  w^as  admitted  that  as  the  County  decided,  the  State 
would  go,  and  as  the  carrying  of  the  State  of  New  York  was 
necessary  to  the  election  of  either  candidate,  the  whole  summed 
up  amounted  to  this— the  electors  of  the  County  of  Westchester 
i^^ould  elect  the  President. 


86  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

Distinguished  men  from  all  parts  of  the  Union  were  present 
to  witness  the  canvassing  of  the  votes.  Prominent  lawyers  rep- 
resented the  National  Committees  of  both  political  parties ;  every 
step  was  fought,  each  contesting  for  the  advantage. 

No  man  fought  better  for  a  friend  than  did  William  H.  Rob- 
ertson for  his  friend  James  G.  Blaine,  but  the  fates  were  against 
him.  Westchester  County,  by  the  votes  of  its  electors,  had 
decided  in  favor  of  Mr.  Cleveland,  by  a  majority  of  1,238 ;  the 
vote  in  detail  being,  Cleveland,  12,524,  Blaine,  11,286.  As 
Cleveland  carried  the  State  by  about  1,400,  including  West- 
chester County  vote,  it  can  readily  be  seen  how  important  AVest- 
chester's  majority  was. 

PRESIDENTIAL   ELECTORS. 

The  Congressional  District,  of  which  Westchester  County  was 
and  is  a  part,  or  a  whole,  has  been  represented  in  the  Electoral 
College,  from  time  to  time,  by  the  following  named: 

Stephen  Ward,  Eastchester 1792 

Lewis  Morris,  3d,  Westchester 1796 

Pierre  Van  Cortlandt,  Jr.,  Cortlandt 1800 

John  Herring,  Rockland  County 1804 

Ebenezer  White,   Yorktown 1808 

Philip  Van  Cortlandt,  Cortlandt 1812 

Peter  S.  Van  Orden,  Rockland  County 1816 

Jacob  Odell,  Tarrytown 1820,  1828 

James  Drake,  Peekskill 1824 

Abraham  I\Iiller,  Westchester 1832 

Jeremiah  Anderson,  Harrison 1836 

Pierre  Van  Cortlandt,  Cortlandt 1840 

Daniel  Johnson,  Rockland  County 1844 

George  Benson,  Rockland  County 1848 

Edward  Suffern,  Rockland  County 1852 

Jared  V.  Peck,  Rve 1856 

William  H.  Robertson,  Bedford 1860 

Alexander  Davidson,  Rockland  County 1864 

George  B.  Pentz,  Yonkers 1868 

David  D.  Smith,  Rockland  County 1872 

Jordan  L.  Mott,  Morrisania 1876 

John  B.  Trevor,  Yonkers 1880 

John  Hunter,  Westchester ,  .  . .  .  1884 

J.  Thomas  Stearns,  Morrisania 1888 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  87 

Martin  J.  Keogh,  New  Rochelle 1892 

William  L.  Ward,  Port  Chester 1896 

Frank  V.  Millard,  Tarry  town 1900 

James  Wood,  Mount  Kisco 1904 

Franklin  Q.  Brown,  Dobbs  Ferry 1908 


VOTE  FOR  GOVERNOR  AND  LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR. 

The  vote  cast  in  the  County  for  the  respective  candidates  for 
Governor,  in  various  years  since  1896,  was  as  follows: 

1898            Theodore  Roosevelt,  Republican,  16,653 

Augustus  Van  Wyck,  Democrat,  15,012 

Benjamin  Hanford,  Socialist,  637 

John  Kline,  Prohibition,  254 

Theodore  Bacon,  Social  Labor,  54 

1900            Benjamin  B.  Odell,  Jr.,  Republican,  20,806 

John  B.  Stanchfield,  Democrat,  16,890 

William  T.  Wardell,  Prohibition,  393 

Charles  H.  Corregan,  Social  Democrat,  446 

Benjamin  Hanford,  Socialist,  258 

1902            Benjamin  B.  Odell,  Jr.,  Republican,  18,459 

Bird  S.  Coler,  Democrat,  16,754 

1904            Frank  W.  Higgins,  Republican,  23,846 

D.  Cady  Herrick,  Democrat,  19,340 

Thomas  Pendergast,  Social  Democrat,  815 

John  McKee,  Prohibition,  303 

Daniel  De  Lon,  Social  Labor,  31J 

Alfred  J.  Boulton,  People's  Party,  192 

1906             Charles  E.  Hughes,  Republican,  24,233 

William  R.  Hearst,  Democrat,  18,748 

John  R.  Chase,  Social  Democrat,  532 

Henry  M.  Randall,  Prohibition,  216 

Thomas  H.  Jackson,  Social  Labor,  151 

1908            Charles  E.  Hughes,  Republican,  27,894 

Lewis  S.  Chandler,  Democrat,  20,027 

Clarence  J.  Shearn,  Ind.  League,  1,361 

Joshua  Wanhope,  Social  Democrat,  843 

George  E.  Stockwell,  Prohibition,  304 

Leander  A.  Armstrong,  Social  Labor,  90 

1910            Henry  L.  Stimson,  Republican,  22,331 

John  A.  Dix,  Democrat,  21,981 


88 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


1910  John  J.  Hopper, 

Clias.  E.  Russell, 
T.  Alex.  MacNielioll, 
Frank  E.  Passamio, 

The  vote  east  for  Lieutenant-Governor  in  the  following  named 
years  was  distributed  among  the  several  candidates  as  follows: 


Ind.  League, 

1,247 

Social  Democrat, 

950 

Prohibition, 

283 

Soc.  League, 

113 

1898 

Timothy  L.  Woodruff, 

Republican, 

16,162 

Elliott  Danforth, 

Democrat, 

15,012 

Leander  A.  Ariii  strong. 

Social  Democrat, 

660 

John  A.  Sayles, 

Prohibition, 

300 

Thomas  M.  Osborn, 

Social  Labor, 

115 

1900 

Timothy  L.  Woodruff, 

Republican, 

20,888 

William  F.  Mackey, 

Democrat, 

16,830 

Leander  A.  Armstrong, 

Social  Democrat, 

449 

Albert  J.  Rumsey, 

Prohibition, 

388 

AVilliam  Butscher, 

Social  Labor, 

245 

1902 

Frank  W.  Higgins, 

Republican, 

18,401 

Charles  N.  Bulger, 

Democrat, 

16,665 

1904 

Matthew  Linn  Bruce, 

Republican, 

24,072 

Francis  B.  Harrison, 

Democrat, 

19,340 

Charles  R.  Bach, 

Social  Democrat, 

812 

Alden  W.  Young, 

Prohibition, 

303 

Boris  Remstein, 

Social  liabor, 

306 

Charles  Spaulding, 

People's  Party, 

196 

1906 

Matthew  Linn  Bruce, 

Republican, 

23,539 

Lewis  S.  Chandler, 

Democrat, 

19,184 

Gustave  A.  Strebel, 

Social  Democrat, 

554 

Freeman  H.  Bettys, 

Prohibition, 

228 

Frank  E.  Passamio, 

Social  Labor, 

160 

1908 

Horace  White, 

Republican, 

28,216 

John  A.  Dix, 

Democrat, 

19,597 

Daniel  W.  Finnimore, 

Ind.  League, 

1,272 

Gustave  A.  Strebel, 

Social  Democrat, 

889 

Marshall  A.  Hudson, 

Prohibition, 

377 

Frank  E.  Passamio, 

Social  Labor, 

98 

1910 

Edward  Schoeneck, 

Republican, 

23,028 

Thomas  P.  Conway, 

Democrat, 

20,728 

William  R.  Hearst, 

Ind.  League, 

1,541 

Gustave  A.  Strebel, 

Social.  Democrat, 

958 

Calvin  McCarthy, 

Prohibition, 

319 

James  T.  Hunter, 

Social  Labor, 

125 

MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  89 

CASTING  THE  ELECTORAL  VOTE. 

The  electoral  vote  of  New  York  State  has  not  always  gone  to 
one  political  party,  as  the  following  will  show: 

In  1868,  when  Seymour,  Democrat,  ran  against  Grant,  Repub- 
lican, the  Democrat  secured  the  33  votes  of  the 
State. 

In  1872,  when  Grant,  Republican,  opposed  Greeley,*  the  Repub- 
lican took  the  35  votes. 

In  1876,  Tilden,  Democrat,  carried  the  State  over  Hayes,  Re- 
publican, and  took  the  35  votes. 

In  1880,  Garfield,  Republican,  won  over  Hancock,  Democrat, 
and  secured  the  State's  35  votes. 

In  1884,  Cleveland,  Democrat,  outran  Blaine,  Republican,  and 
was  given  the  36  votes,  and,  as  a  consequence,  the 
election. 

In  1888,  Harrison,  Republican,  took  the  36  votes  from  Cleve- 
land, Democrat,  and  the  election. 

In  1892,  Cleveland,  Democrat,  recovered  lost  ground,  won  over 
Harrison,  Republican,  and  received  New  York's  36 
votes,  that  secured  him  the  election. 

In  1896,  McKinley,  Republican,  won  easily  over  Bryan,  Demo- 
crat, and  took  the  State's  prize  of  36  votes. 

In  1900,  McKinley,  Republican,  repeated  his  victory  over 
Bryan,  Democrat,  and  secured  the  36  votes. 

In  1904,  Roosevelt,  Republican,  won  the  39  votes  of  the  State, 
from  Parker,  Democrat. 

In  1908,  Bryan,  Democrat,  had  his  old  luck  "  in  the  enemy's 
country,"  and  Taft,  Republican,  went  to  the  Elec- 
toral College  with  New  York's  39  votes. 


*  Horace  Greeley,  the  Democratic  and  Liberal  Republican  candidate  for 
President,  died  before  the  electoral  vote  was  cast,  and  the  Greeley  electors  of 
five  States  voted  for  Thomas  A.  Hendricks  of  Indiana. 


90  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

THE   OLD,  OLD  WAY. 

Notwithstanding  what  has  been  said  relative  to  a  change  in 
the  mode  of  conducting  political  party  national  conventions, 
it  is  likely  that  the  old  way  will  prevail  for  some  time  to  come. 

It  will  be  pretty  well  known  in  advance  who  the  fortunate 
nominee  is  to  be,  though  many  candidates  will  be  presented 
before  the  convention. 

It  becomes  the  nominee-to-be  to  appear  modest,  and  as  not 
seeking  the  nomination ;  a  case  where  the  nomination  seeks  the 
man,  after  having  received  detailed  information  as  to  where  he 
can  be  found. 

In  the  convention  it  will  be  the  same  old  story.  After  Ala- 
bama has  yielded  to  the  silver-tongued  orator  from  Indiana  who 
presents  the  name  of  a  favorite  son,  and  Colorado  has  yielded  to 
the  silver-tongued  orator  from  Pennsylvania,  who  names  a  favor- 
ite son  of  that  State,  then  the  real  silver-tongued  orator  of  the 
convention  will  accompany  Freedom  from  her  mountain  height, 
while  she  unfurls  her  standard  to  the  air  and  tears  the  azure 
robe  of  night  and  sets  the  stars  of  glory  there  and  in  the  name 
of  the  goddess  of  that  particular  political  party,  in  the  name  of 
triumphant  Americanism,  present  the  name  of  the  man  who  is 
to  get  the  nomination,  while  the  convention  goes  wild,  the  band 
plays  "A  Hot  Time  in  the  Old  Town  To-night,"  and  the  hys- 
terical delegates  grab  the  State  standards  and  march  around  the 
convention  hall,  and  the  stampede  has  begun. 


United  States  military  posts  in  the  County  are  Fort  Slocum, 
at  New  Rochelle,  and  Fort  Schuyler,  opposite  AVestchester.  Both 
on  Long  Island  Sound. 

Town  Boards  in  this  County,  in  1911,  agreed  to  pay  Inspec- 
tors of  Election  from  $12  to  $15  per  day  for  services  as  such 
inspectors  during  the  four  days  of  registration  and  elections,  for 
general  election  of  that  year.  The  new  election  law  requiring 
longer  hours  of  service.  The  previous  allowance  was  from  $8  to 
$10  per  day. 


This  Countv  had  Countv  Commissioners  of  Excise  from  1857 
to  1870.     See  page  117,  Vol  1. 


^^\^\v\>^^^^ 


ELECTING  A  UNITED  STATES  SENATOR. 

When  a  mere  lad,  just  entering  his  teens,  the  author  of 
this  book  was  privileged  to  attend,  in  1863,  the  most  exciting 
sessions  ever  held  in  the  history  of  the  Assembly  of  the  State 
Legislature. 

The  Legislature  of  that  year  was  to  elect  a  United  States 
Senator  in  place  of  Preston  King,  Republican.  The  Republi- 
cans had  twelve  majority  in  the  Senate,  while  the  Assembly  was 
composed  of  64  Republicans  and  64  Democrats.  As  can  be 
readily  seen,  this  situation  deadlocked  the  Assembly  and  jeopar- 
dized the  Republican  chances  of  electing  King's  successor  in 
joint  session,  as  under  the  law  of  the  period  the  Legislature 
could  not  convene  in  joint  session  until  some  candidate  had  a 
majority  in  each  branch.  On  the  face  of  it  either  a  Repub- 
lican or  a  Democrat  must  betray  his  party  to  break  the  dead- 
lock. 

The  Republican  Assemblymen  in  caucus  agreed  to  support 
for  Speaker  "Westchester's  Favorite  Son,"  Hon.  Chauncey 
M.  Depew,  of  Peekskill,  who  had  the  year  previously  begun  his 
public  career  as  an  Assemblyman  representing  the  Third 
Assembly  District  of  this  county.  The  choice  of  the  Demo- 
cratic caucus  was  Gilbert  Dean,  of  Kings  County.  Through 
many  ballots  the  excitement  ran  high.  Every  man  had  to  be 
in  his  place  and  voting.  On  one  occasion,  preceding  a  ballot, 
Thomas  C.  Fields,  of  New  York  (uncle  of  the  late  Andrew  C. 
Fields,  of  Dobbs  Ferry,  this  county),  talked  five  hours  con- 
tinuously to  gain  time  necessary  to  permit  Democratic  Assem- 
blymen to  get  across  the  river  on  the  ice  from  East  Albany, 
as  the  river  had  suddenly  frozen  and  prevented  the  ferry 
running. 

When  it  came  to  a  point  where  it  was  realized  that  neither 
of  the  party  caucus  nominees  for  Speaker  could  be  elected,  each 
receiving  on  the  numerous  ballots  64  votes,  Theophilus  C.  Calli- 
cott,  of  Brooklyn,  elected  as  a  Democrat,  with  political  ambi- 
tions, proposed  to  candidate  Depew  that  if  the  Republicans 
would  elect  him  Speaker  he  in  return  would  vote  for  the  Repub- 
lican candidate  for  United  States  Senator  and  break  the  dead- 

91 


92  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

lock.  AVhen  Callicott's  Democratic  colleagues  learned  of  his 
apostacy  naturally  the  excitement  increased;  eight  Democrats 
offered  to  vote  for  the  Republican  nominee,  Mr.  Depew,  for 
Speaker.  Mr.  Depew  submitted  the  two  proposals  to  the 
Republican  caucus,  which  decided  in  favor  of  Callicott's  offer, 
as  it  not  only  secured  his  vote  for  the  Republican  candidate  for 
Senator,  but  also  gave  considerable  patronage  to  the  Republi- 
cans, and  was  likely  to  bring  the  party  even  greater  advantage. 
On  the  19th  day  of  balloting  Callicott  was  elected  by  his  own 
vote. 

All  this  was  but  the  preliminary  to  the  contest  among 
Republicans  over  the  Senatorship  which  followed.  AVilliam 
H.  Seward,  Secretary  of  State  in  President  Lincoln's  Cabinet, 
and  Thurlow  Weed,  the  recognized  Republican  State  leader, 
favored  the  election  of  Edward  D.  Morgan,  a  rich  merchant  of 
New  York  city,  who  was  chairman  of  the  Republican  National 
Committee.  Horace  Greeley,  a  former  partner  in  the  political 
firm  of  ''  Seward,  Weed  and  Greeley,"  favored  the  re-election 
of  King,  or  Daniel  S.  Dickinson.  The  opposition,  who  dis- 
trusted Morgan,  however,  were  not  united,  and  the  first  formal 
ballot  in  the  Republican  caucus  gave  Morgan  25  votes,  King 
16,  Dickinson  15,  Charles  B.  Sedgwick,  a  Syracuse  lawyer,  11, 
David  Dudley  Field  7,  Henry  J.  Raymond,  editor  of  the  New 
York  Times,  6,  and  Ward  Hunt,  later  a  Justice  of  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court,  4.  The  number  necessary  to  a  choice 
was  44.  On  the  second  ballot  Morgan  received  50  votes,  Dick- 
inson 13,  King  11,  Rajrmond  9,  and  Field  2.  Morgan  became 
the  caucus  nominee.  On  joint  ballot  Morgan  received  80  votes, 
to  70  votes  cast  for  Erastus  Corning,  of  Albany,  the  Demo- 
cratic nominee.  Ugly  rumors  persisted  for  years  that  Morgan's 
election  could  not  have  been  accomplished  without  the  use  of 
Morgan's  monev. 

The  Republicans,  in  1868,  elected  a  majority  of  the  State 
Legislature,  and  at  once  a  fierce  contest  ensued  over  the  choice 
of  a  successor  to  Senator  Morgan  whose  term  was  to  expire  on 
March  4,  1869.  Several  political  acts  of  Morgan's  while  Senator 
had  made  for  him  enemies  in  the  party.  He  had  the  support 
of  Roscoe  Conkling,  his  Senatorial  colleague,  but  certain  Repub- 
licans feared  Conkling  and  did  not  favor  his  domination  in 
State  Republican  politics.  Reuben  E.  Fenton,  who  was  just 
relinquishing  the  Governorship  to  John  T.  Hoffman,  Democrat, 
was,  in  1869,  at  the  height  of  his  influence  and  power.     He  was 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  93 

the  recognized  head  of  the  Republican  "  State  machine,"  as 
distinguished  from  "  the  Federal  crowd,"  to  which  Conkling 
and  Morgan  were  credited.  In  this  year  James  W.  Husted,  of 
Peekskill,  was  serving  his  first  year  in  the  Assembly,  and  was 
numbered  among  the  adherents  of  Governor  Fenton.  A  Demo- 
crat was  in  the  Senate  from  this  district. 

Fenton 's  friends  succeeded  in  controlling  the  organization  of 
the  Legislature,  electing  Truman  G.  Younglove  Speaker.  The 
Senatorial  contest  proved  to  be  as  promised,  very  exciting.  The 
Morgan  money  was  reported  to  be  plentiful  to  aid  Morgan's 
re-election.  The  New  York  Times  stated  editorially:  "It  is 
conceded  on  all  hands  that  money  will  decide  the  contest." 
Like  Morgan,  Fenton  was  a  wealthy  man.  Another  factor, 
however,  eventually  entered  more  largely  into  the  situation; 
Speaker  Younglove,  at  Fenton 's  suggestion,  basing  his  action 
on  the  belief  that  good  committee  appointments  were  of  more 
potency  than  other  arguments,  held  back  the  announcement 
of  committees  until  he  had  exacted  support  for  his  candidate, 
Fenton.  On  January  16,  1869,  the  Republican  caucus  was  held 
to  decide  on  a  candidate  to  support  for  United  States  Senator; 
it  was  a  straight-cut  fight  between  Fenton  and  Morgan,  "  the 
State  machine  "  and  ''  the  Federal  crowd."  Fenton  won  on 
first  ballot,  receiving  52  votes,  to  40  votes  cast  for  Morgan. 

DEPEW'S    FIRST    APPEARANCE    AS    A    SENATORIAL    CANDIDATE. 

It  was  in  the  winter  of  1881  when  "  our  own  Chauncey  " 
M.  Depew  first  loomed  up  quite  prominently  as  a  candidate 
for  United  States  Senator.  The  fight  over  the  Senatorship  in 
the  State  Legislature  that  winter  is,  mildly  speaking,  referred 
to  as  "  New  York's  historic  Senatorship  contest."  Thomas 
C.  Piatt  had  been  elected  Senator  in  January  of  that  year. 
Piatt  had,  in  the  year  1879,  assured  State  Senator  W.  H. 
Robertson,  of  Westchester  County,  that  he  (Robertson)  was 
his  choice  for  Governor,  while  he  was  secretly  favoring  the 
nomination  of  Alonzo  B.  Cornell.  Later,  Mr.  Conkling  and  he 
succeeded  in  having  Cornell  nominated  for  Governor.  In 
return  for  this.  Gov.  Cornell  advocated  the  election  of  Piatt 
as  United  States  Senator.  Roscoe  Conkling,  then  a  United 
States  Senator  from  this  State,  and  the  recognized  Republican 
State  leader,  wanted  State  Senator  Richard  Crowley,  of  Niagara, 
to  be  elected  as  his  colleague,  but  finally  gave  his  support  to 
Piatt. 


94  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

Independent  Republicans  in  the  Legislature,  to  a  consider- 
able nmnber,  decided  to  support  Senator  Chauncey  M.  Depew, 
of  Peekskill.  Enough  of  the  Independents  eventually  voted 
for  Piatt  to  give  him  the  caucus  nomination  by  one  vote. 

After  Piatt  had  taken  his  seat  as  Conkling's  colleague  came 
the  break  with  the  Garfield  administration,  over  the  appoint- 
ment of  AYilliam  H.  Robertson  as  Collector  of  the  Port  of  New 
York.  The  resignations  in  May  of  both  Conkling  and  Piatt 
from  the  Senate  followed  as  a  rebuke  to  President  Garfield. 
This  was  grand-stand  play.  Neither  Conkling  nor  Piatt  had 
any  serious  doubt  that  the  Legislature  which  had  elected  Piatt 
in  January  would  send  them  both  back  to  AYashington  in  May, 
as  a  vindication  of  their  stand  against  Garfield.  The  Stalwart 
faction,  to  which  they  belonged,  had  a  clear  majority  in  the 
Republican  caucus,  and  the  two  Senators  took  it  for  granted 
that  its  members  would  stand  by  them  loyally.  But  they  made 
the  mistake  common  to  many  politicians  who  fail  to  take  the 
people  into  their  confidence;  neither  one  counted  on  the  change 
in  sentiment  which  had  taken  place  out  of,  if  not  in,  the  Legis- 
lature in  the  course  of  a  few  months.  The  attitude  of  oppo- 
sition maintained  by  Conkling  and  Piatt  had  stirred  the  State 
to  its  depths.  Legislators  began  to  hear  from  their  constituents 
about  it.  The  result  was  that  when  a  call  was  sent  out  for  a 
Republican  caucus,  many  of  the  "  Half-breeds,"  supporters  of 
the  Garfield  Administration,  and  even  some  of  the  "  Stalwarts," 
refused  to  heed  it.  Balloting  began  on  May  31,  without  any 
settlement  having  been  reached  by  the  Republicans.  The  first 
ballot  resulted  as  follows:  To  succeed  Piatt  (long  term),  Piatt, 
29 ;  Depew,  21 ;  Gov.  A.  B.  Cornell,  12 ;  Elbridge  G.  Lapham,  8 ; 
Warner  Miller,  5 ;  Richard  Crowley,  3.  Francis  Kernan,  of 
Utiea,  received  54,  the  full  Democratic  vote.  To  succeed  Conk- 
ling (short  term),  Conkling,  39;  "William  A.  Wheeler,  19;  Cor- 
nell, 9;  Crowley,  5;  Miller,  1.  John  C.  Jacobs,  of  Brooklyn, 
received  54,  the  Democratic  votes. 

The  first  ballot  marked  the  highest  point  in  the  balloting 
reached  by  Conkling  and  Piatt  in  the  struggle  which  proceeded 
through  56  ballots,  lasting  from  May  31  to  July  22.  On  July  1, 
Piatt,  to  the  surprise  of  his  friends,  withdrew  from  the  strife. 
The  assassination  of  President  Garfield  on  the  following  day 
had  a  marked  effect  on  the  balloting,  and  a  few  days  later,  at  a 
Republican  conference,  in  the  interest  of  harmony,  Mr.  Depew, 
who  had  led  the  balloting  almost  since  the  start,  for  the  long 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  95 

term,  withdrew  his  name.  A  caucus  w^as  then  held,  in  which 
Senator  William  H.  Robertson,  of  Westchester  County,  proved 
an  important  factor,  and  at  this  caucus  Warner  Miller  was 
nominated  for  the  long  term.  Gov.  Cornell  was  slated  for  the 
short  term,  but  he  refused  to  accept,  as  he  would  not  oppose 
Conkling's  re-election,  and  the  nomination  went  to  Elbridge 
G.  Lapham. 

Conkling  never  again  held  office,  and  his  defeat  for  re-election 
as  Senator  terminated  his  political  leadership,  and,  it  is  said, 
he  never  ceased  to  deplore  his  mistake  in  resigning  the  Senator- 
ship.     Piatt  later  admitted  that  he  suggested  their  resigning. 

Piatt  returned  to  active  politics,  assumed  State  leadership, 
was  again  a  United  States  Senator,  and,  in  1898,  materially  aided 
' '  Westchester 's  favorite  son, ' '  Chauncey  M.  Depew  to  be  elected 
as  his  associate  in  the  Senate. 

In  1911  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York  elected  the 
forty-first  Senator  to  represent  this  State  in  the  United  States 
Senate  since  the  ratification  of  the  Constitution. 

The  term  of  office  of  Senator  Chauncey  M.  Depew  terminated 
on  March  4,  1911,  after  serving  two  terms  of  six  years  each. 
It  was  hoped  by  his  friends  that  he  would  be  permitted  to  serve 
yet  another  term  in  a  position  for  which  he  is  well  adapted. 

The  general  election  of  November,  1910,  decided  against  him, 
inasmuch  as  it  returned  a  Democratic  majority  in  both  branches 
of  the  State  Legislature.  By  a  unanimous  vote,  Mr.  Depew 
received  the  Republican  caucus  nomination  to  succeed  himself, 
and  in  the  joint  ballots  received  every  Republican  vote,  includ- 
ing the  last  ballot  at  the  time  a  choice  was  made.  The  Demo- 
cratic majority  experienced  difficulty  in  concentrating  their 
votes  upon  one  member  of  their  party.  William  F.  Sheehan, 
of  New  York,  received  the  Democratic  caucus  nomination,  but 
thirty  Democrats,  who  became  styled  as  "  Insurgents,"  refused 
to  enter  a  caucus  or  to  be  bound  by  the  actions  of  a  caucus, 
and  persisted  in  voting  for  others  than  for  Mr.  Sheehan ;  numer- 
ous ballots,  one  cast  every  week  day  from  Jan.  17  to  March  30, 
1911,  failed  to  elect.  On  the  evening  of  March  31,  the  nominee 
of  a  new  Democratic  caucus  succeeded  in  getting  the  full  Demo- 
cratic vote  and  in  being  elected;  this  man  was  James  Aloysius 
0 'Gorman,  at  the  time  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  of  the 
First  Department,  New  York  city. 

It  is  no  reflection  upon  the  gentleman  elected,  to  mention 
that  before  his  selection  was  decided  upon,  a  tender  of  the 


96  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

Senatorship  was  made  to  a  resident  of  AYestcliester  County; 
and  at  one  juncture  it  looked  as  if  a  son  of  Westchester  would 
be  succeeded  in  the  United  States  Senate,  from  New  York,  by 
another  hailing  from  the  same  county.  Supreme  Court  Justice 
Martin  J.  Keogh,  of  New  Rochelle,  this  county,  felt  compelled 
to  decline  the  high  honor,  which  he  fully  appreciated,  as  he 
preferred  to  remain  on  the  bench  and  fill  out  the  new  term  for 
which  he  had  just  been  elected. 

The  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York  has  no  power  to 
appoint  a  United  States  Senator  to  fill  vacancy  while  the  Legis- 
lature is  in  session  and  able  to  act.  For  this  reason  during  the 
Legislative  deadlock  of  1911,  from  March  4,  the  date  Senator 
Depew's  term  ended,  to  one  month  later.  New  York  State  had 
but  one  representative  in  the  upper  branch  of  Congress. 

Of  the  total  number  serving  as  United  States  Senators, 
elected  from  this  State,  Westchester  County  is  credited  with 
two,  Governeur  Morris,  of  Morrisania,  from  1800  to  1803,  and 
Chauncey  M.  Depew,  of  Peekskill,  from  1899  to  1911. 

Eleven,  one-fourth,  of  the  Senators  have  come  from  New  York 
city.  The  homes  of  the  rest  are  widely  scattered  through  the 
upper  section  of  the  State. 

Statistics  teach  us  that  in  the  earlier  period  this  office  of  high 
honor  was  not  sought  after  so  persistently  as  it  is  now.  To  be 
a  United  States  Senator  in  1789  and  for  several  years  later  was 
an  honor  held  in  comparatively  light  esteem.  In  1789  the  State 
went  unrepresented  some  months  because  the  State  Senate  and 
Assembly  could  not  agree  on  a  method  of  choice. 

The  same  situation  occurred  again  in  1803,  when  both  Sena- 
tors having  resigned,  one  to  become  Mayor  and  the  other  Post- 
master of  New  York  city,  the  State  was  left  without  a  repre- 
sentative in  the  upper  house  of  Congress.  There  were  nine 
resignations  in  the  first  fifteen  years  of  the  Senatorship ;  since 
1844  there  have  been  only  two,  and  those  occurring  under 
unusual  circumstances. 

Stranger  than  the  number  of  resignations,  in  the  earlier  days, 
were  the  offices  for  which  aspirants  quitted  the  National  Senate. 
Senator  Bailey,  who  hailed  from  Poughkeepsie,  and  who  suc- 
ceeded Gouverneur  ]\Iorris  of  this  county  in  the  Senate,  pre- 
ferred to  be  postmaster  in  New  York  city  rather  than  Senator. 
James  Watson,  of  New  York,  Senator  Morris'  predecessor, 
served  two  years  and  then  resigned  to  become  Naval  Agent  at 
New  York.     Others  resigned  to  accept  small  judicial  offices  and 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  97 

other  political  positions  that  would  not  be  thought  of  by  men 
who  to-day  measure  up  to  a  Senatorship.  Those  Senators  of 
old  were  good,  able  men,  but  they  were,  apparently,  given  to 
doing  queer  things. 

De  Witt  Clinton,  an  able  statesman,  in  1802  resigned  the 
Senatorship  to  become  Mayor  of  New  York  city,  by  appoint- 
ment from  his  uncle,  Gov.  Clinton.  He,  it  is  said,  lived  to  recog- 
nize that  he  had  made  a  mistake  and  ruined  his  political  pros- 
pects, though  he  got  to  be  Governor.  Certainly  his  Presidential 
aspirations  were  set  back  when  he  removed  himself  from  the 
National  eye.  The  same  may  be  said  of  Nathaniel  P.  Tallmadge 
who,  in  1844,  resigned  the  Senatorship  to  accept  the  Governor- 
ship of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  which  he  lost  within  two 
years. 

Contests  for  the  United  States  Senatorship  in  this  State  have 
generally  been  settled  before  the  party  caucus  met,  by  an  agree- 
ment among  the  political  leaders;  but  there  have  been  some 
interesting  contests  settled  in  caucus.  One  contest,  that  of  1881, 
the  Conkling-Platt,  was  carried  to  the  floor  of  the  Legislature. 
The  Senatorial  contest  of  1911,  made  famous  by  a  fight  started 
by  certain  Democratic  members  of  the  Legislature  against  what 
they  termed  "  an  outside  controlled  caucus,"  is  an  event  that 
promises  to  become  historical. 

The  Campaign  Publicity  Act,  which  passed  Congress  and 
became  a  law  in  August,  1911,  prohibits  candidates  for  the 
Senatorship  spending  over  $10,000  to  aid  their  election. 

As  early  as  1895  State  Legislatures  began  to  pass  resolutions 
asking  Congress  to  afford  them  the  opportunity  to  ratify  an 
amendment  to  the  Constitution  which  shall  provide  for  the 
direct  election  of  United  States  Senators.  Other  States  adopted 
the  more  practical  expedient  of  reforming  their  primary  laws, 
so  as  to  name  the  man  at  the  primary  and  to  insure  the  choice 
of  the  popular  vote  being  made  the  choice  of  the  Legislature. 

According  to  the  best  authority  in  Congress  the  only  way 
in  which  the  demand  for  popular  election  of  United  States 
Senators  may  be  placed  before  the  States  as  a  Federal  propo- 
sition is  in  accordance  with  Article  5  of  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States. 

For  a  long  time  the  definite  action  of  the  various  State  Legis- 
latures on  the  election  of  United  States  Senators  failed  to  make 
a  marked  impression  upon  Congress.  Prior  to  1911,  the  House 
of  Representatives  passed  the  necessary  Constitutional  amend- 


98  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

ment  several  times,  but  the  Senate  refused  to  concur,  the  Sen- 
ators acting  in  opposition  for  various  political  reasons. 

Nevertheless,  public  sentiment  in  favor  of  direct  election  of 
United  States  Senators  was  never  so  strong  as  in  this  year  1911. 
In  the  vote  cast  in  the  House  of  Representatives  in  March, 
1911,  only  16  votes  were  recorded  in  opposition;  the  opposition, 
apparently,  related  to  the  extent  of  the  authority  which  Con- 
gress is  to  retain  over  the  manner  of  elections  and  the  quali- 
fications of  voters. 

A  change  in  the  mode  of  selecting  United  States  Senators  is 
sure  to  come,  and  soon. 

State  governments  will  probably  gain  more  than  the  United 
States  Government  from  the  election  of  Senators  by  popular 
vote;  for  Senatorial  contests  are  a  persistent  source  of  legis- 
lative demoralization. 


The  President's  Salary. 

The  question  of  salary  of  the  President  of  the  United  States 
was  the  cause  of  much  discussion  in  the  First  Congress,  in  view 
of  the  fact  that  the  Constitution  declared  that  the  President 
should  receive  compensation  for  his  services.  AVashington  had 
notified  his  fellow-citizens  that  he  desired  no  salary.  The  limits 
suggested  in  Congress  ranged  from  $15,000  to  $70,000.  The 
salary  was  finally  placed  at  $25,000,  and  this  remained  the 
salary  until  President  Grant's  second  term  (March  3,  1873), 
when  it  was  increased  to  $50,000,  and  an  extra  allowance  allowed 
for  expenses  of  the  Executive  Mansion.  During  the  discussion 
relative  to  increase  of  salary  and  extra  allowance,  it  was  held 
that  with  time  the  expenses  of  the  President  in  maintaining  the 
dignity  of  the  office  increased  and  unless  due  provision  was 
made  by  the  government  to  meet  these  expenses,  none  but  very 
wealthy  men  would  be  able  to  hold  the  office  of  President. 

Congress,  by  act  approved  March  4,  1907,  appropriated,  in 
addition  to  the  $50,000  per  annum  salary,  $25,000  per  annum 
"  for  traveling  expenses  of  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
to  be  expended  at  his  discretion  and  accounted  for  by  his  cer- 
tificate solely."  Later  in  the  year  1907,  the  question  of  increas- 
ing the  President's  salary  again  came  up,  and  it  was  finally 
decided  to  fix  the  same  at  $75,000  per  year,  and  at  the  follow- 
ing session  the  additional  appropriation  of  $25,000  per  annum 
for  traveling  expenses  was  made. 


MEMBERS  OF  CONGRESS. 

{Continued  from  page  16,  Vol.  1.) 

The  government  of  the  United  States  is  divided  into  three 
branches— legislative,  executive  and  judicial. 

In  the  American  scheme  of  government,  comprising  three 
co-ordinate  branches.  Congress  is  an  important  one.  It  prom- 
ises to  have  a  total  membership  of  five  hundred  and  twenty- 
nine. 

The  legislative  powers  of  the  government  are  vested  in  a 
Congress,  consisting  of  a  Senate  and  a  House  of  Representatives, 
the  Senate  being  designated  sometimes  as  the  "  upper  house  " 
and  the  House  of  Representatives  as  the  "  lower  house  "  of 
Congress. 

Congress  must  assemble  at  least  once  a  year,  and  the  session 
commences  on  the  first  Monday  in  December,  in  the  city  of 
Washington,  District  of  Columbia. 

The  House  of  Representatives  is  known  as  the  "  popular 
body,"  as  it  is  nearer  to  the  people,  reflecting  the  sentiment 
of  the  people,  and  its  members  being  elected  more  frequently 
than  members  of  the  ''  upper  house."  The  term  of  office  of 
a  Representative  is  two  years,  that  of  a  Senator  six  years;  the 
first  being  chosen  by  direct  vote  of  the  people,  the  second  by 
votes  of  members  of  Legislatures  in  the  several  States. 

Representatives  are  elected  every  second,  or  even,  year  by 
the  people  of  the  different  States.  Any  male  person  at  least 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  who  has  been  for  seven  years  a  citizen 
of  the  United  States,  is  eligible  for  the  office  of  Representative 
in  Congress;  he  must,  further,  be  an  inhabitant  of  the  State 
from  which  he  is  chosen.  The  number  of  Representatives  to 
which  any  particular  State  is  entitled  depends  upon  the  popu- 
lation of  the  State,  the  only  persons  excluded  in  determining 
the  number  of  Representatives  in  most  States  being  Indians. 
In  Oklahoma  State  Indians  may  be  counted  and  vote,  on  con- 
dition that  they  have  severed  tribal  relations. 

The  Constitution  makes  no  provision  for  the  appointment  of 
any  officers  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  except  the  presid- 

99 


100  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

ing  officer,  who  is  called  the  Speaker;  this  officer  has  usually 
been  a  member  of  the  House,  but  it  is  held  that,  under  the 
Constitution,  the  House  may  choose  a  Speaker  who  is  not  a 
member.  Frequently  of  late  there  has  been  much  talk  in  Con- 
gress of  electing  as  Speaker  a  parliamentarian  who  is  not  a 
member  of  that  body.  Advocates  of  this  idea  claim  that  the 
English  plan  of  having  an  expert  parliamentarian,  instead  of 
a  politician,  as  a  presiding  officer  is  the  only  correct  one.  They 
maintain  that  as  long  as  the  House  selects  a  party  leader  as 
Speaker  just  so  long  will  the  House  have  partisan  and  unfair 
rulings  from  the  chair. 

At  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  each  State 
was  allowed  one  Representative  for  every  30,000  of  popula- 
tion, but  every  State  having  a  population  of  less  than  30,000 
was  entitled  to  one  Representative. 

Under  the  apportionment  made  in  accordance  with  the  last 
census;  this  State  is  allowed  one  Representative  for  approxi- 
mately every  212,000  of  inhabitants. 

The  United  States  census  taken  in  the  year  1910  may  change 
materially  the  apportionment  of  Representatives  in  Congress. 

The  Senate  of  the  United  States  is  composed  of  two  Senators 
from  each  State,  chosen,  as  a  general  rule,  by  the  State  Legis- 
lature for  a  term  of  six  years.  In  many  States  the  Senators 
are  chosen  by  a  popular  vote ;  names  of  candidates  for  the  office 
are  placed  before  the  people  assembled  at  political  primary 
meetings  and  a  vote  taken  to  express  preference,  the  person 
receiving  the  highest  number  of  votes  is  thus  recommended  to 
the  Legislature,  and  the  Legislature  in  turn  confirm  the  action 
of  the  people  by  electing  their  choice.  An  "  election  by  the 
people  "  mode  of  choosing  United  States  Senators. 

The  qualifications  of  a  Senator  are  that  he  must  be  at  least 
thirty  years  of  age  and  must  have  been  a  citizen  of  the  L^nited 
States  for  nine  years,  and  must  be  an  inhabitant  of  the  State 
from  which  he  is  chosen. 

In  case  the  office  of  Senator  from  any  State  becomes  vacant 
while  the  Legislature  of  the  State  is  not  in  session,  the  Governor 
has  power  to  make  a  temporary  appointment  luitil  the  Legis- 
lature meets.  It  has  generally  been  held  that  the  Governor 
does  not  have  power  to  make  a  temporary  appointment  in  case 
of  vacancies  occasioned  by  a  failure  of  the  Legislature  to  elect, 
although  in  recent  years  several  such  appointments  have  been 
attempted  to  be  made. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  101 

The  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  is  the  presiding 
officer  of  the  Senate,  but  he  has  no  vote  unless  the  Senate  is 
equally  divided.  All  other  officers  of  the  Senate  are  chosen 
by  the  Senators,  and  among  them  is  a  President  pro  tempore, 
who  presides  in  the  absence  of  the  Vice-President  and  performs 
all  the  duties  of  the  Vice-President  in  case  the  Vice-President 
is  required  to  exercise  the  duties  of  the  President,  as  was  the 
case  in  several  instances,  by  reason  of  the  death  of  Presidents 
of  the  United  States. 

UNITED   STATES    SENATORS    FROM    THIS    COUNTY. 

Gouverneur  Morris,  of  Westchester,  from  April  3,  1800,  to 
February  1,  1803. 

Chauncey  M.  Depew,  of  Peekskill,  two  terms.  Elected  Janu- 
ary 18,  1899,  re-elected  January  18,  1905 ;  term  expired  1911. 

The  election  of  a  United  States  Senator  is  controlled  by 
Federal  law,  not  by  State  law.  The  act  of  1866  carefully 
defines  the  procedure. 

On  the  second  Tuesday  after  its  meeting  and  organization 
the  Legislature  is  to  convene  for  the  purpose  of  electing  a 
Senator.  '^  Each  house  shall  openly,  by  a  viva-voce  vote  of 
each  member  present,  name  one  person  for  Senator  in  Congress 
from  such  State."  The  following  day  the  two  houses  con- 
vene in  joint  session  at  noon,  and  if  the  same  person  has  received 
a  majority  of  all  votes  in  each  house  he  shall  be  declared 
Senator.  Otherwise  the  joint  Assembly  shall  proceed  to  choose, 
**  by  a  viva-voce  vote  of  each  member  present,  a  person  for 
Senator,  and  the  person  who  receives  a  majority  of  all  the  votes 
of  the  joint  assembly,  a  majority  of  all  the  members  elected  to 
both  houses  being  present  and  voting,  shall  be  declared  duly 
elected."  If  there  is  no  majority  the  joint  Assembly  is  required 
to  meet  each  succeeding  day  during  the  session  and  take  at 
least  one  vote  until  a  Senator  is  elected. 

As  the  New  York  Legislature  consists  of  201  members,  51 
being  Senators  and  150  xVssemblymen,  it  requires  101  votes  to 
elect  a  United  States  Senator  in  this  State. 

The  Governor  of  a  State  has  no  power  to  appoint  a  United 
States  Senator  to  fill  vacancy  while  the  Legislature  is  in  ses- 
sion, and  able  to  act  to  elect. 

The  proposition  to  amend  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  now  being  submitted  to  the  several   States,  providing 


102  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

for   popular    election    of    United    States    Senators,    will,    it    is 
believed,  be  adopted. 

Twenty-seven  States  petitioned  Congress  to  call  a  conven- 
tion to  submit  to  the  States  a  constitutional  amendment  pro- 
viding for  popular  election  of  Senators.  Most  of  these  States 
already  select  Senators  by  vote  cast  at  primary  elections. 

REPRESENTATIVES   IN    CONGRESS   FROM    THIS    COUNTY. 

By  act  of  the  Legislature,  passed  April  13,  1892,  Westchester 
County  was  combined  with  a  small  section  of  New  York  City, 
of  what  was  known  as  the  ''  annexed  district,"  to  make  the 
16th  Congressional  District. 

Under  that  apportionment  the  following  named  gentlemen 
have  represented  the  district,  in  the  years  given : 

William  Ryan,  of  Port  Chester,  1893-4.* 
Ben  L.  Fairchild,  of  Pelham,  1895-6. 
William  L.  Ward,  of  Port  Chester,   1897-8. 
John  Quincy  Underbill,  of  New  Rochelle,  1899,  1900.     (Died 
May  21,  1907;  aged  59  years.) 

Cornelius  A.  Pugsley,  of  Peekskill,  1901-2. 

Changes  in  boundary  line,  in  1901,  under  new  apportionment, 
effected  also  a  change  in  the  political  complexion  of  local  Con- 
gressmen, the  Westchester  County  Congressional  district  now 
being  as  strongly  Republican  as  it  was  before  Democratic. 

Norton  P.  Otis  (a  former  Mayor),  1903-4.  (Died  February 
20,  1905.) 

John  E.  Andrus  (a  former  Mayor),  1905-6-7-8-9-10-11,  present 
incumbent. 

The  vote  cast  for  Congressman  in  the  Nineteenth  (West- 
chester) District,  1910,  was  divided  as  follows: 

John  E.  Andrus,  Republican  and  Ind.  Labor. .  23,140 

Cornelius  A.  Pugsley,  Democrat 22,247 

Alfred  E.  Dixon,   Socialist 929 

Charles  A.  Brady,  Prohibition 286 

A  new  apportionment  of  Congressional  districts  in  the  State 
has  been  made  under  the  Federal  census  of  1910.  The  State  is 
given  43  instead  of  37  Congressmen. 

*For  names  of  previous  Con^jressmen  see  page  17,  Vol.  1. 


MAiMJAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  103 

Jared  V.  Peck,  of  Rye,  who  served  during  the  years  1853 
and  1854,  preferred  to  be  considered  as  a  business  man,  pos- 
sessing good  common  sense.  He  was  not  a  man  for  show  or 
self  aggrandizement,  as  was  proven  when  he  later  presented 
a  free  library  to  Port  Chester,  giving  building  and  books, 
valued  at  $30,000,  on  the  expressed  condition  that  his  name  be 
not  connected  with  the  gift  in  any  way,  not  even  as  a  trustee. 
He  also  served  as  a  Presidential  elector  in  1856. 

John  B.  Haskin,  of  West  Farms,  was  a  forcible  speaker, 
strong  in  "  stump  campaigning."  He  was  often  heard  of  in 
Congress.  He  frequently  stated  that  he  came  from  "  fighting 
stock,"  and  as  a  political  fighter  he  proved  himself  worthy  of 
his  sires.     He  served  four  years  in  Congress. 

William  Radford,  of  Yonkers,  who  was  not  an  orator  and 
never  spent  time  in  attempts  to  make  speeches,  served  two  terms 
in  Congress,  1863-4-5-6,  as  a  Democrat;  was  again  a  candidate 
for  re-election  in  1866.  He  was  at  this  time  opposed  by  a 
considerable  number  of  influential  members  of  his  own  party, 
who  took  issue  with  him  on  account  of  certain  actions  of  his 
in  Congress;  it  being  charged  that  he  knowingly  and  inten- 
tionally deserted  his  party  and  arrayed  himself  on  the  opposite 
side  and  supported  political  measures  advocated  by  his  party's 
opponents,  the  consideration  offered  him  being  political  pat- 
ronage. The  district  at  that  time  was  strongly  Democratic,  and 
Congressman  Radford  believed  that  if  he  was  successful  enough 
to  get  the  party  nomination  his  election  would  certainly  follow, 
regardless  of  the  disaffection  among  his  old  supporters.  He 
secured  the  nomination ;  in  fact  he  was  permitted  to  secure  the 
nomination  by  those  who  had  a  purpose  to  serve.  Seeing  an 
opportunity  not  to  be  disregarded,  the  Republican  party  pre- 
vailed upon  County  Judge  William  H.  Robertson  to  become 
the  party  candidate  for  Congress.  The  campaign  that  fol- 
lowed was  one  of  the  most  spirited  for  that  period.  The  dis- 
affected Democrats  voted  for  Robertson  or  remained  away  from 
the  polls ;  Robertson  was  elected.  Congressman  Radford  retired 
to  private  life.  Thus  Judge  Robertson  was  enabled  to  break 
into  a  long  line  of  Democratic  Congressmen  from  the  local 
district.  But  he  expressed  no  desire  to  return  to  Washington; 
in  fact,  he  stated  that  he  did  not  feel  at  home  in  Congress, 
would  prefer  to  legislate  for  the  county  in  Albany. 

Clarkson  N.  Potter,  Democrat,  of  New  Rochelle,  followed 
Robertson  and  served  as  Representative  in  Congress  three  terms, 


104  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

when  he  decided  to  retire,  to,  as  he  said,  give  some  one  else  a 
chance  to  serve  the  district.  X.  Holmes  Odell,  Democrat,  of 
Tarrytown,  who  was  ending  his  third  term  as  County  Treas- 
urer, was  nominated  to  succeed  Mr.  Potter,  and  Mr.  Potter  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Odell.  The  special  fitness  of  Mr.  Potter  for  the  office 
was  generally  acknowledged  and  he  was  usually  elected  with  but 
little  opposition.  Mr.  Potter  in  1879  was  the  Democratic  candi- 
date for  Lieut. -Governor,  but  was  defeated  in  a  close  campaign, 
in  which  it  was  at  first  believed  he  was  elected. 

AVhen  Mr.  Odell  ran  he  had  as  his  Republican  oppo- 
nent ex-Assemblyman  Amherst  Wight,  Jr.,  of  Port  Chester. 
]\Ir.  AVight  had  taken  a  prominent  part  during  several  sessions 
of  the  Legislature  and  had  proven  himself  a  man  of  marked 
ability:  he  had,  he  thought,  got  all  the  honor  there  was  in  being 
an  Assemblyman,  and  being  ambitious,  he  sought  the  Republi- 
can nomination  for  Congress.  He  was  permitted  to  be  nomi- 
nated, but — .  The  rumors  afloat  at  the  time  implied  that  he 
did  not  receive  the  party  support,  for  the  reason  that  it  was 
feared  he  aspired  to  be  a  party  leader  when  the  then  recognized 
party  leaders  did  not  want  their  number  increased.  After  this 
sad  defeat,  I\Ir.  AVight,  Jr.,  retired  from  active  politics. 

The  election  of  Alexander  Smith,  Republican,  of  Yonkers, 
in  1879,  over  Alalcolm  Cobb.  Democrat,  of  Ossining,  was  the 
second  break  into  the  Democratic  Congressional  line.  Mr. 
Smith  had  at  the  time  gained  wide  reputation  as  a  carpet  manu- 
facturer employing  several  hundred,  if  not  thousands,  of  people; 
and  this,  added  to  his  high  personal  character,  rendered  him 
particularly  popular;  and,  notwithstanding  he  ran  against  a 
most  estimable  gentleman  and  a  leading  member  of  the  AV^^st- 
chester  Countv  bar,  he  was  elected.  But  the  excitement  of 
campaigning,  though  personally  moderate,  proved  too  much  for 
his  health,  which  of  late  had  not  been  robust.  At  nine  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  on  the  day  of  election,  just  after  word  announc- 
ing his  success  had  been  brought  to  him,  he  died.  The  vacancy 
caused  by  his  death  was  not  filled  until  after  the  next  general 
election,  at  which  AA'aldo  Hutchins,  Democrat,  of  Kings- 
bridge  (formerly  of  Yonkers  now  in  the  annexed  district), 
was  chosen. 

^h\  Hutchins  served  in  Congress  two  terms.  He  had,  when 
he  first  ran,  for  his  Republican  opponent  Alexander  Taylor,  of 
Rye.  a  representativp  of  the  young  element  in  politics.  Taylor 
proved  to  be  a  hustler  and  ever  kept  the  friends  of  his  opponent 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  105 

guessing  as  to  the  length  his  ability  as  a  vote-getter  would  take 
him.  It  was  believed  at  first  that  Taylor  had  carried  the  Demo- 
cratic County  of  Westchester;  but  the  official  vote  gave  the 
county  to  Hutchins  by  549 ;  the  strong  Democratic  vote  in  ' '  the 
annexed  district  "  added  to  Hutchins'  majority.  When  the 
latter  ran  again  he  had  as  his  Republican  opponent  a  gentleman 
who  proved  to  be  gentleness  itself.     Mr.  Hutchins  was  re-elected. 

Mr.  Hutchins  then  tried  for  the  nomination  for  Governor, 
but  was  defeated  in  the  Convention  by  Grover  Cleveland  secur- 
ing the  nomination. 

The  year  1894,  when  William  Ryan  was  a  candidate  for 
re-election,  proved  a  bad  one  for  the  Democrats.  In  that  year 
the  Tariff  issue  was  raised,  and  as  a  result  the  Republican-Pro- 
tectionists swept  the  country,  and  known  Democratic  Congres- 
sional Districts  were  carried  by  the  Republicans,  as  they  never 
were  before;  this,  the  16th,  was  influenced  the  same  way,  and 
a  Republican  succeeded  Mr.  Ryan.  Changes  of  this  kind  are 
liable  to  occur  at  any  time;  the  enactment  of  a  new  high  Tariff 
law,  in  1910,  when  the  people  were  clamoring  for  "  a  revise 
downward,"  caused  Republican  districts  to  elect  Democrats  and 
gave  a  majority  in  the  House  of  Representatives  to  the  Demo- 
crats in  1911. 

The  Republican  victory  in  1896  was  attributed  to  the  Bryan 
16  to  1  issue ;  in  that  year  Bryan  ran  as  the  Democratic  can- 
didate for  President,  and  it  was  a  sure  thing  for  any  one  run- 
ning on  the  opposition  ticket  in  this  locality. 

To  oppose  Ryan,  in  1894,  the  Republicans  made  a  strong  nomi- 
nation in  naming  Ben  L.  Fairchild  of  the  town  of  Pelham. 
Mr.  Fairchild  conducted  a  clever  canvass  in  his  determination 
to  overcome  a  formidable  adverse  majority,  and  proved  himself 
to  be  a  "  hustling  vote-getter,"  as  was  promised  he  would  do 
at  the  time  his  friends  asked  for  his  nomination.  In  Congress 
Mr.  Fairchild 's  vote  was  recorded  on  the  right  side  of  every 
proposition,  and  the  record  made  by  him  as  our  district's  rep- 
resentative will  bear  minute  inspection;  it  proved  creditable  to 
his  constituents  as  well  as  to  himself.  As  was  his  due,  under 
the  accepted  rule  that  "  one  good  term  deserves  another,"  Mr. 
Fairchild  received  the  regular  nomination  from  the  Republican 
party  for  re-election  in  1896,  at  a  convention,  regularly  called 
by  the  Republican  Congressional  Committee,  and  held  in  the 
city  of  Yonkers.  Unfortunately  for  harmonious  action,  the 
Republican  party  within  the  Congressional  district  was  at  this 


106  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

period  in  a  "  state  of  upheaval,"  as  a  result  of  a  faction  fight 
growing  out  of  a  spirited  rivalry  for  the  local  party  leadership. 
One  faction  headed  by  Judge  William  H.  Robertson  and  Wil- 
liam L.  Ward  opposed  the  faction  friendly  to  Congressman 
Fairchild,  and  for  this  reason  opposed  the  latter  and  refused 
him  an  endorsement.  The  Robertson-Ward  faction  held  a 
Republican  convention  in  White  Plains  on  the  same  day  the 
Republican  convention  in  Yonkers  renominated  Congressman 
Fairchild. 

The  first  action  taken  by  the  leaders  in  White  Plains  was 
to  agree  that  the  nominee  of  their  convention  was  to  "stand 
pat,"  and  continue  as  a  candidate  for  Representative  in  Con- 
gress to  the  closing  of  the  polls  on  election  day;  maintaining, 
in  season  and  out  of  season,  that  he,  and  he  only,  was  the 
"  regular  nominee  "  of  the  Republican  party  in  this  district. 
William  L.  W^ard  was  finally  persuaded  to  take  the  nomination 
from  the  White  Plains  convention  on  conditions  specified.  Mr. 
W^ard  simultaneously  secured  an  independent  nomination  by 
petition.  Both  alleged  Republican  ' '  regular  ' '  candidates  being 
men  of  "  grit,"  the  strife  for  the  masterhand  w^as  soon  under 
way,  to  the  full  satisfaction  of  all  who  enjoy  being  onlookers 
viewing  the  skillful  playing  of  the  political  game.  The  oppos- 
ing forces  were  equally  expert  as  well  as  resourceful,  and  in 
the  end  honors  were  about  equally  divided. 

The  certificate  of  Mr.  Fairchild 's  nomination  by  the  Repub- 
lican convention  was  filed  with  the  Secretary  of  State  at  Albany, 
as  the  law  requires;  Mr.  Ward  caused  a  separate  certificate  of 
his  nomination  by  the  White  Plains  convention  to  be  also  filed 
with  the  Secretary  of  State.  Both  Fairchild  and  W^ard  claimed 
to  be  the  "  regular  nominee  "  of  the  Republican  party  for 
Representative  in  Congress  from  this  district.  The  Secretary 
of  State  decided  that  the  convention  nominating  Mr.  Fairchild 
was  the  regular  Republican  convention,  authorized  to  make 
such  nomination.  To  this  Mr.  AYard  and  friends  objected  and 
forthwith  appealed,  from  the  Secretary  of  State's  decision, 
to  Mr.  Justice  Edwards,  sitting  in  Hudson,  N.  Y.  Justice 
Edwards,  on  this  application,  issued  an  order  overruling  the 
Secretary  of  State,  and  directing  Mr.  Ward's  name  to  be  printed 
in  the  Republican  column  on  the  official  ballot  in  place  of  the 
name  of  Mr.  Fairchild.  An  appeal  from  Justice  Edwards' 
order  was  taken  to  the  Court  of  Appeals,  but  it  was  too  late 
for  the  appeal  to  be  heard  before  election  day,  with  the  result 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  107 

that  Mr.  Ward's  name  on  election  day  was  printed  in  the 
Republican  column,  giving  him  the  Republican  vote  and  the 
election  on  the  face  of  the  returns.  Subsequent  to  the  election 
the  Court  of  Appeals  unanimously  reversed  Justice  Edwards' 
with  an  opinion  (151  New  York,  page  359)  which  held  on  the 
merits  that  Mr.  Fairchild  was  the  regular  Republican  nominee 
and  that  his  name  should  have  been  printed  in  the  Republi- 
can column  on  the  official  ballot,  and  also  held  that  Justice 
Edwards,  through  whose  order  Mr.  Ward's  name  was  printed 
in  the  Republican  column  on  the  official  ballot,  had  no  juris- 
diction to  make  such  order. 

But  this  decision  of  "  the  higher  court  "  came  too  late  to 
benefit  Mr.  Fairchild,  though  it  doubtless  afforded  him  satis- 
faction to  a  great  degree,  even  if  it  did  not  restore  to  him  his 
just  due.  Mr.  Ward  was  comfortably  seated  in  Congress, 
realizing  that  possession  is  many  points  in  law;  his  associates 
decided  not  to  disturb  him,  and  he  was  permitted  to  serve  out 
the  two  years'  term,  at  the  end  of  which  Mr.  Ward  declined  a 
renomination,  stating  that  his  vast  business  interests  demanded 
his  undivided  attention. 

Mr.  Fairchild  loyally  served  the  district  in  Congress,  and 
by  so  doing  earned  a  re-election.  Mr.  Ward  ably  and  faith- 
fully succeeded  him,  and  their  constituency  in  this  county 
profited  by  the  services  of  each. 

LENGTH    OF    SERVICE. 

A  study  of  the  length  of  service  of  Senators  and  Represen- 
tatives in  Congress,  is,  at  least,  an  interesting  one.  Numerous 
members  of  Congress  have  been  retained  by  constituents  many 
years,  some  as  long  as  they  would  consent  to  remain  in  the 
service  of  the  people.  Their  inducement  being  patriotic  motives, 
more  than  from  a  desire  for  pecuniary  compensation,  as  the 
salary  attached  to  the  office  of  Senator  or  Representative  is 
shamefully  small  and  inadequate. 

Service  has  been  longer  in  the  Senate  than  in  the  House,  on 
account  of  the  term  being  longer.  In  the  early  period  men 
who  were  not  so  absorbed  in  business  and  in  chasing  the 
almighty  dollar,  were  willing  to  serve  their  country  longer  in 
the  halls  of  Congress,  and  their  constituents  were  anxious  that 
they  should.  It  would  not  be  fair  to  say  that  men  were  more 
patriotic,  self-sacrificing  and  abler  in  the  earlier  days  of  the 
Republic  than  men  are  now. 


108  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

It  has  been  found  that  long  service  is  helpful  to  the  State 
and  gives  the  member  leadership  in  committee  appointments 
which  is  of  great  value  to  his  district. 

Philip  Van  Cortlandt,  'who  represented  this  county  in  the 
first  Congress  as  Kepresentative,  served  twelve  years,  from  1789. 
Aaron  AYard,  another  of  our  Representatives,  served  one  year 
longer,  from  1825  to  18-44,  but  not  continuously.  These  men 
were  residents  of  this  county.  Of  the  later  day,  Clarkson  N. 
Potter,  of  New  Rochelle,  served  the  longest  time,  four  terms, 
eight  years.  As  a  usual  custom,  local  Representatives  were 
retained  only  for  one  term,  two  years;  occasionally  there  was 
an  exception.  The  present  Representative,  John  E.  Andrus, 
of  Yonkers,  is  serving  his  fourth  term,  or  seventh  year. 

In  the  United  States  Senate,  Chauncey  M.  Depew,  of  Peeks- 
kill,  served  twelve  years.     His  last  term  ending  March  4,  1911. 

Many  able  men  have  preferred  to  be  in  the  House  rather  than 
in  the  Senate.  Henry  Clay  liked  the  turbulence  of  the  lower 
chamber  better  than  the  solemn  stillness  of  the  other  branch. 
He  began  his  real  political  career  there  in  1811,  although  he 
was  in  the  Senate  as  early  as  1806.  Clay's  service  in  national 
office  extended  to  his  death  in  1852,  while  a  member  of  the 
Senate.  It  covered  a  period  of  46  years  in  all,  though  part  of 
the  time  he  was  in  private  life. 

There  were  men  with  long  public  careers  earlier  than  Clay. 
Nathaniel  Macon,  of  North  Carolina,  entered  the  House  of 
Representatives  in  1791,  and  was  there  until  1815,  when  he 
went  to  the  Senate  and  served  until  1828,  thus  being  in  Congress 
37  years  continuously.  Thomas  Newton,  of  Virginia,  was  in 
the  House  from  1801  to  1831,  continuously.  He  was  the  only 
man  who  served  30  years  in  the  House  until  William  S.  Holman, 
of  Indiana,  in  more  recent  days,  slightly  exceeded  that  record. 

Senator  Benton,  one  of  the  ablest  men  ever  seated  in  Congress, 
represented  his  State  in  the  United  States  Senate  for  30  years, 
continuously.  No  one  equalled  this  length  of  service  until  the 
time  of  Senator  Sherman,  of  Ohio,  and  Senator  ^lorrill,  of 
Maine,  in  later  years,  save  Senator  AVilliam  R.  King,  of  Ala- 
bama, who  was  in  the  Senate  in  the  aggregate  about  30  years. 
King  and  John  C.  Calhoun,  of  South  Carolina,  began  their 
public  ser^dce  in  1811,  when  both  were  members  of  the  House 
over  which  Speaker  Clay  presided,  and  each  was  in  national 
office  at  the  time  of  his  death,  Calhoun  dying  in  1850  and 
King  in  1853.     Both  were  in  each  branch  of  Cono^ress  and  in 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  109 

the  Vice-Presidency.  Calhoun  being  Vice-President  from  1825 
to  1829 ;  Calhoun  was  also  Secretary  of  War  in  President 
Monroe's  Cabinet,  in  1817.  King  was  Vice-President  in  1853, 
but  died  one  month  and  fourteen  days  after  taking  office;  office 
remained  vacant  balance  of  term. 

Henry  Clay,  besides  serving  many  terms  in  Congress,  was 
Secretary  of  State  during  the  administration  of  President  John 
Quincy  Adams,  serving  from  1825  to  1829. 

The  public  service  of  Daniel  AVebster,  of  Massachusetts,  began 
in  1813,  two  years  later  than  that  of  Calhoun  and  King,  and 
included  membership  in  each  branch  of  Congress.  He  died 
39  years  later,  while  Secretary  of  State  under  President  Fil- 
more,  in  1852.  Previous  to  entering  Filmore's  Cabinet,  he 
had  served  as  Secretary  of  State  in  the  Cabinets  of  President 
Harrison  and  Tyler,  from  1841  to  1843.  (His  widow  lived  and 
died  in  New  Rochelle  in  this  county.) 

After  retiring  from  the  office  of  President  of  the  United 
States,  John  Quincy  Adams,  known  as  "  the  old  man  eloquent," 
was  elected  as  a  Representative  in  Congress,  and  held  that 
office  at  the  time  of  his  death.  In  1836  his  colleagues  in  the 
House  were  James  K.  Polk  and  Franklin  Pierce,  who  were 
later  to  be  Presidents  of  the  United  States. 

In  1848,  when  Polk  was  President,  Abraham  Lincoln,  who 
was  serving  his  first  term,  and  Andrew  Johnson,  who  later  was 
Lincoln's  associate  on  a  Presidential  ticket,  was  serving  his 
third  term,  were  members  of  the  House;  Lincoln  a  Whig,  and 
Johnson  a  Democrat.  In  this  Congress,  the  thirtieth,  Horace 
Greeley,  two  years  later  a  resident  of  Westchester  County,  was 
a  member,  representing  a  New  York  city  district,  elected  to 
serve  three  months  to  fill  a  vacancy. 

Jefiferson  Davis,  a  United  States  Senator,  and  later  President 
of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  in  1848  declined  to  support,  or 
even  vote  for,  his  father-in-law.  Gen.  Zachary  Taylor  for  the 
office  of  President  of  the  United  States,  on  political  grounds. 
Gen.  Taylor  was  the  successful  Whig  candidate. 

Mr.  Davis  was  a  colleague  in  Congress  of  Jared  V.  Peck, 
Representative  from  this  county,  and  they  were  intimate 
friends. 

Thomas  Corwin,  of  Ohio,  had  been  a  member  of  Congress 
prior  to  1850,  when  he  entered  President  Filmore's  Cabinet  as 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury;  from  1850  to  1853  he  served  as  a 
Cabinet  officer,  and  in  1859  w^as  sent  back  to  Congress.     When 


110  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

he  looked  about  him  and  saw  many  new  faces,  and  missed 
many  old  ones,  he  exclaimed,  "  The  Gods,  are  all  deadT' 
referring  to  Clay,  Calhoun,  AYebster,  Benton,  King,  John 
Quincy  Adams  and  the  rest  of  the  distinguished  men  with 
whom  he  served  many  years  earlier,  his  first  appearance  in  Con- 
gress being  in  1831.     His  career  in  public  life  lasted  until  1864. 

James  Monroe's  career  as  a  public  official,  which  began  with 
his  election  to  the  Continental  Congress  in  1783,  ended  forty- 
two  years  after,  when  he  retired  from  the  highest  office  in  the 
gift  of  the  people,  the  position  of  President  of  the  United  States. 
Besides  serving  in  both  houses  of  Congress,  Mr.  Monroe  was 
Secretary  of  State  under  his  close  friend  President  Madison, 
and  held  various  responsible  positions  representing  this  Nation 
in  foreign  countries.  He  abandoned  the  practice  of  law  when 
a  young  man,  and  was  afterward,  and  until  his  election  as 
President,  always  holding  public  office,  his  special  fitness  making 
him  in  constant  demand. 

Lewis  Cass,  of  Ohio,  and  John  J.  Crittendon,  of  Kentucky, 
both  of  whom  held  portfolios  in  the  Cabinets  of  two  Presidents, 
served  long  terms  in  Congress. 

Coming  down  to  more  recent  periods  we  come  upon  several 
long  records  of  service  in  public  life.  The  length  of  service  of 
some  members  of  Congress  who  died  recently  are  notable.  John 
Sherman,  Senator  from  Ohio,  and  Justin  S.  Morrill,  of  Maine, 
who  were  in  Congress  shortly  after  the  ^Missouri  Compromise, 
entered  the  House  in  1856,  and  Morrill  remained  there  con- 
tinuously until  1867,  and  in  the  Senate  from  that  time  until 
his  death  in  1898,  or  43  yeai^,  9  months  and  24  days,  which  is 
the  longest  career  in  Congress  continuously  or  absolutely  in 
American  annals.  His  service  in  the  Senate  was  little  less  than 
32  years.  Sherman  was  in  the  Senate  almost  32  years  and  in 
the  House  six  years.  Sherman  was  a  member  of  President 
Hayes'  Cabinet,  as  Secretary  of  the  Treasury^,  from  1877  to 
1881,  and  a  member  of  President  McKinley's  Cabinet,  as  Sec- 
retary of  State,  for  a  short  period. 

Senator  Allison,  of  Iowa,  served  in  the  United  States  Senate 
for  35  years  and  a  few  months,  and  was  one  of  its  most  influ- 
ential members. 

Senator  Aldrich,  of  Rhode  Island,  came  from  a  little  State, 
but  he  was  until  recently  the  big  man  in  the  Senate,  the  leader 
of  the  majority,  conspicuous  in  the  formation  of  tariff  laws 
and  other  laws  relative  to  the  finances  of  the  Nation.     He  entered 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  Ill 

the  Senate  29  years  ago,  and  in  1910  declined  a  re-election.     He 
retired  with  30  years  of  service  to  his  credit. 

The  venerable  Senator  Hale,  of  Maine,  the  Nestor  of  the 
Senate,  had  been  a  member  seven  months  longer  than  Aldrich, 
when  he  retired  from  the  Senate  in  1910.  He  would  have 
had  to  retain  his  place  in  the  Senate  until  his  eightieth  year  to 
pass  Aldrich 's  record. 

Senator  Benjamin  Ryan  Tillman,  of  South  Carolina,  is  serv- 
ing his  eighteenth  year  in  the  Senate. 

Senators  Cockrill,  of  Missouri,  Hoar,  of  Massachusetts,  Mor- 
gan, of  Alabama,  Frye,  of  Maine  (who  died  in  1911),  Jones, 
of  Nevada,  and  Representative  Grow,  of  Pennsylvania,  are 
others  who  gave  many  of  their  best  years  to  long  service  of  their 
country,  in  the  halls  of  national  legislation. 

Representative  Cannon,  of  Illinois,  Speaker  of  the  House, 
is  serving  his  eighteenth  term  in  Congress.  Sereno  E.  Payne, 
of  New  York,  late  Republican  leader  on  the  floor  of  the  House, 
and  father  of  the  present  Payne  tariff  bill,  is  in  his  thirteenth 
term  of  service,  and  is  likely,  if  his  life  be  spared,  to  serve 
many  more  years. 

Representative  Samuel  Randall,  of  Pennsylvania,  made  a 
long  record  for  service  and  was  active  in  public  life  up  to  the 
hour  of  his  death.  Mr.  Randall,  who  had  relatives  here,  was 
well  known  in  this  county. 

Of  the  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  thirty- 
seven  in  number,  from  the  State  of  New  York  serving  in  the 
present  Sixty-second  Congress,  one  will,  at  the  finishing  of  this 
term,  have  served  thirteen  terms,  one  eight  terms,  two  seven 
terms,  three  six  terms,  six  five  terms,  three  four  terms,  nine 
three  terms,  six  two  terms,  and  six  are  in  their  first  term  of 
service. 

William  Sulzer,  of  New  York  city,  is  serving  his  eighth 
term;  D.  S.  Alexander,  of  Buffalo,  and  George  N.  Southwick, 
of  Albany,  retired  in  1911  after  serving  their  seventh  term. 

The  oldest  member  of  the  present  Senate,  in  the  Sixty-first 
Congress,  in  years,  is  Isaac  Stephenson,  of  Wisconsin,  aged  80; 
the  youngest  Senator  is  Mr.  Gore,  of  Oklahoma,  39  years  of  age. 
The  oldest  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  N.  D. 
Sperry,  of  Connecticut,  83  years  of  age,  retired  in  1911;  and 
the  youngest  Representative  is  Charles  Gordon  Edwards,  of 
Georgia,  aged  32  years. 


112  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

As  we  scan  the  roster  of  the  United  States  Senate  and  note 
the  birthplaces  of  Senators,  we  are  impressed  with  the  fact 
that  the  State  of  ^Mississippi  has  gained  the  distinction  in  the 
Sixty-first  Congress  of  being  the  "  ^Mother  of  United  States 
Senators."  There  are  at  present  seven  members  of  the  upper 
house  of  the  National  Legislature  who  first  saw  the  light  of  day 
in  that  State.  No  other  State  can  boast  of  so  large  a  number. 
Each  has  achieved  a  high  degree  of  success  in  political  affairs. 
Their  names  are  Hernando  D.  Money  and  Anselm  J.  McLaurin 
(both  died  recently),  who  represented  Mississippi  in  the  Senate, 
Joseph  W.  Bailey,  of  Texas,  Francis  G.  Newlands,  of  Nevada, 
James  P.  Clarke,  of  Arkansas,  Thomas  P.  Gore,  of  Oklahoma, 
and  George  E.  Chamberlain,  of  Oregon.  Each  of  these  Mis- 
sissippians  won  fame  before  coming  to  the  Senate.  By  many, 
Senator  Money  was  regarded  as  the  most  accomplished  scholar 
in  the  Senate ;  he  was  a  conspicuous  member  of  the  House 
before  his  election  to  the  Senate,  where  he  served  his  third  term, 
of  six  years  each.  Senator  McLaurin  was  twice  Governor  of  his 
native  State  before  he  became  Senator.  Senator  Bailey  was  a 
political  factor  in  ]\Iississippi  three  years  before  he  attained 
his  majority,  and  was  a  Presidential  elector  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one.  Senator  Newlands  left  his  native  State  to  go  West 
in  search  of  fortune;  he  became  private  secretary  to  the  late 
Senator  Sharon,  of  Nevada,  afterwards  the  manager  of  a  large 
mining  estate,  and  finally  married  Sharon's  daughter.  He 
served  ten  years  in  the  House  and  was  father  of  the  irrigation 
law  by  which  millions  of  acres  of  arid  lands  of  the  West  have 
been  brought  to  fertility. 

Senator  Gore,  the  blind  statesman,  and  the  youngest  Senator, 
being  only  39  years  old,  for  years  has  been  recognized  as  the 
greatest  orator  of  the  Southwest.  Senator  Clarke  achieved 
distinction  as  Attorney-General  and  Governor  of  Arkansas. 
Senator  Chamberlain  was  twice  elected  as  the  Democratic  Gov- 
ernor of  Oregon,  a  strong  Republican  State,  and  is  largely 
responsible  for  the  famous  Oregon  primary  law  which  provides 
for  the  popular  election  of  United  States  Senators.  The  law 
enabled  him  to  come  to  the  Senate,  although  the  Republicans 
controlled  the  Legislature  by  a  large  majority. 

Kentucky  ranks  next  to  Mississippi  as  the  birthplace  of 
United  States  Senators.  Senator  Cullen,  of  Illinois,  Republi- 
can. Senator  Bristow,  of  Kansas,  Republican.  Senator  Stone, 
of  Missouri,  Democrat,  Senator  Piles,  of  AYashington,  Repub- 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  113 

lican,  Senators  Bradley  and  Paynter,  of  Kentucky,  Democrats, 
were  all  born  in  the  Blue  Grass  State. 

The  State  of  Maine  has  two  Democratic  Senators,  caused  by 
change  of  political  views  of  its  electors,  for  the  first  time  in  the 
State's  history. 

There  are  no  ''  gentlemen  "  in  the  Senate.  That  is  to.  say, 
there  are  none  in  a  parliamentary  sense.  They  are  all  gentle- 
men in  polite  society,  but  they  must  not  be  referred  to  as  such 
during  the  Senate  proceedings. 

It  is  perfectly  proper  in  the  House  of  Representatives  to 
refer  to  an  associate  on  the  floor  as  the  ' '  Gentleman  from  Mary- 
land or  Maine  or  Florida,"  but  to  speak  of  a  Senator  as  the 
**  Gentleman  from  Tennessee  or  Virginia  or  Rhode  Island  " 
would  be  an  unpardonable  breach  of  Senatorial  proprieties. 
The  member  of  the  upper  branch  must  always  be  called  or 
addressed  as  the  "  Senator  from  so-and-so." 

Ever  and  anon  Vice-President  Sherman,  who  got  his  parlia- 
mentary training  in  the  House,  speaks  from  the  chair  to  "  the 
gentleman,  etc."  He  generally  catches  himself  in  time  to 
save  himself  a  rebuke  from  some  stickler  for  form. 

Not  long  ago  a  new  Senator,  in  making  a  speech,  continued 
to  refer  to  an  associate  as  '^  the  gentleman  from  New  York." 
He  was  allowed  to  finish  his  speech,  but  when  he  had  concluded 
Senator  Gallinger  rose  and  administered  a  gentle  but  effective 
rebuke  to  the  new  member. 

''  I  do  not  wish  to  reflect  upon  the  Senator  from  New  York," 
said  Senator  Gallinger,  "  by  suggesting  that  he  is  not  the 
gentleman  which  he  has  been  so  frequently  called  during  the 
late  address,  but  we  know  that  the  practice  in  this  body  pro- 
hibits such  usage." 

The  fact  that  two  brothers,  from  different  States  and  of 
different  political  faiths,  served  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives in  1910,  attracted  some  attention.  The  cases  of  two 
brothers,  elected  specially  to  represent  strong  opposite  views, 
like  Representative  George  E.  Foss,  of  Illinois,  and  Represen- 
tative Eugene  N.  Foss,  of  Massachusetts  (in  1910),  have  been 
less  rare  than  they  are  generally  supposed  to  have  been.  In 
their  instance,  however,  the  striking  circumstance  is  added  that 
they  belong  to  different  parties,  the  Illinois  Foss  being  a  Repub- 
lican and  the  Massachusetts  Foss  a  Democrat,  though  only  newly 
fledged. 


114  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

In  the  Congress  of  1847,  which  marked  Lincoln's  first  appear- 
ance in  AVashington  as  a  member  of  the  House,  there  were  three 
brothers  from  the  same  State.  Maine  was  represented  in  the 
Senate  by  AVilliam  Pitt  Fessenden,  who  succeeded  Salmon  P. 
Chase  in  Lincoln's  Cabinet  as  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and 
in  the  House  bv  Samuel  C.  Fessenden  and  Thomas  A.  D.  Fessen- 
den.  In  a  previous  Congress  three  "Washburns  had  served,  but 
they  were  from  different  States. 

In  1849  Senator  Dodge,  of  Wisconsin,  and  Senator  Dodge,  of 
Iowa,  father  and  son,  were  members  of  the  same  body.  The 
former  was  the  first  Territorial  Governor  of  Wisconsin,  holding 
office  from  1836  to  1841,  and  from  him  Dodgeville,  the  county 
seat  of  Iowa  County,  Wis.,  takes  its  name. 

In  the  Fifty-ninth  Congress  Frederick  Landis  joined  his 
brother  Charles  B.  Landis  for  one  term  as  a  fellow-member 
from  Indiana.  A  third  brother  at  the  time  was  Postmaster  at 
San  Juan,  Porto  Rico,  and  a  fourth  Judge  Kenesaw  Mountain 
Landis  of  the  United  States  District  Court. 

The  Congressional  perquisites  are  worthy  of  mention.  Every 
Member  of  Congress  has  the  free  use  of  the  Congressional  baths 
and  the  barber-shops  under  the  Capitol.  He  can  take  a  nifty 
Turkish  bath,  a  Russian  bath,  a  Roman  bath,  a  needle-shower, 
or  the  plain,  old-fashioned  Pike  County  style  of  bath,  lying 
down  in  a  tub  with  both  faucets  going,  and  it  doesn't  cost  him 
a  cent.  As  often  as  he  pleases  he  may  have  a  shave,  a  hair-cut, 
a  facial  massage  and  be  manicured  all  around,  as  they  say  in 
parts  of  Iowa  when  shoeing  a  horse.  Every  other  day  he  can 
have  the  back  of  his  neck  shaved,  just  as  if  he  were  going  to 
some  large  social  function  back  home.  Uncle  Sam  pays  for  the 
attendants  and  provides  the  whole  outfit. 

AVe  mustn't  overlook  the  notion-counter  at  the  Capitol,  either. 
The  members  don't,  so  why  should  we?  Especially  as  the  said 
notion-counter  is  a  gracious  and  enduring  boon  to  statesmen, 
their  wives,  families,  heirs  and  assigns.  It  contains  everything 
you  can  think  of  that  would  properly  come  under  the  head  of 
notions,  and  a  great  deal  besides— all  kinds  of  stationery,  all 
kinds  of  typewriter  and  desk  supplies,  pocket-knives,  scissors, 
fountain-pens,  card-cases,  purses,  wrist-bags,  visiting-cards,  busi- 
ness cards,  and— sh-h-h!— even  the  kind  of  cards  that  run  fifty- 
two  to  a  set  and  may  be  used  for  playing  old  maid  and  other 
harmless  games. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  115 

COMPENSATION    OF    MEMBERS. 

Attempts  of  Members  of  Congress  to  advance  their  pay  from 
time  to  time  have  raised  a  breeze  that  swept  them  from  office. 
Prominent  men  believed  to  be  guilty  of  attempts  to  raid  the 
United  States  Treasury  by  the  introduction  of  "  grab  bills," 
have  been  voted  to  remain  at  home,  and  the  halls  of  Congress 
that  knew  them  once  know  them  no  more.  Even  in  the  earliest 
days,  Members  of  Congress  were  charged  with  defrauding  the 
Government  by  presenting  dishonest  claims  for  mileage. 

When  the  pay  of  Members  of  Congress  was  originally  fixed, 
railroads  and  steamboats  as  yet  were  not;  stage-coaches  ran  on 
a  few,  and  but  a  few,  great  highways  of  travel ;  most  of  the 
members  came  part  of  the  way  on  horseback,  and  some  came 
all  the  way.  It  was  therefore  deemed  just,  in  fixing  their 
compensation  at  $6  per  day,  to  stipulate  that  a  like  sum  should 
be  allowed  as  mileage,  or  the  cost  in  time  and  money  of  journey- 
ing each  twenty  miles  on  the  roads  to  and  from  Washington. 
Congress,  in  time,  raised  its  own  pay  to  $8  per  day,  and  $8  for 
every  twenty  miles  in  coming  to  and  returning  from  AVashington. 
In  1816  the  pay  was  changed  to  $1,500  per  annum,  the  mileage 
remaining  as  before;  but  the  people  revolted  at  this,  and  swept 
out  nearly  every  member  w^ho  had  voted  for  the  salary  raise. 
The  next  Congress  had  to  repeal  the  Compensation  Act,  and  the 
price  per  day  went  back  to  $8,  mileage  the  same.  In  1848  a 
war  for  "  cut  prices  "  as  to  mileage  was  made  in  Congress.  It 
was  not  only  charged  that  the  rate  allowed  was  outrageously 
high,  but  also  that  members  were  dishonest  in  their  demand  for 
pay;  alleging  that  they  traversed  more  miles  than  they  really 
did  or  was  necessary  for  them  to  do.  Much  bitterness  was 
occasioned  owing  to  open  charges  of  dishonesty  of  members  in 
this  respect. 

The  introduction  and  rapid  multiplication  of  steamboats, 
especially  on  our  great  trans- Alleghany  network  of  rivers  and 
lakes,  rendered  this  mileage  absurdly  too  high.  A  member  now 
(in  1848)  traversed  a  distance  of  two  thousand  miles  about  as 
quickly  as,  and  at  hardly  more  expense  than,  his  predecessor 
by  half  a  century  must  have  incurred  on  a  journey  of  two  hun- 
dred miles,  for  which  the  latter  was  paid  $80,  and  the  former 
$800.  Nor  was  this  all.  The  steamboat  routes,  though  much 
more  swiftly  and  cheaply  traversed,  were  nearly  twice — some- 
times thrice— the  length  of  the  stage  and  horseback  roads  they 
superseded.     And— as  the  law  said  at  first,  and  continued  to 


116  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

say,  that  they  were  to  charge  mileage  '^  by  the  usually  traveled 
route  " — they  then  charged  and  received  t\^dce  as  much  for 
traveling  five  days  in  a  sumptuous  cabin,  replete  with  every 
luxury,  as  their  fathers  were  paid  for  roughing  it  over  the 
mountains  in  fifteen  to  twentv  davs,  at  a  far  greater  cost. 

It  was  protested  that  it  was  not  right  for  a  member  residing 
in  central  Ohio,  Indiana  or  Illinois  to  "swing  around  the  circle," 
via  Detroit,  Bufi:'alo,  Alban}^  and  New  York,  in  traveling  from 
home  to  \Va>shington  City;  in  fact,  railroads  are  generally 
straightening  and  shortening  the  "usual"  routes  of  traveling. 

Next  the  pay  of  a  Member  of  Congress  was  raised  to  $3,000 
per  annum,  and  an  allowance  of  forty  cents  per  mile,  by  "  the 
usually  travelled  route."  Later  the  salary  was  fixed  at  $5,000 
per  annum  and  the  mileage  fixed  at  twenty  cents  per  mile. 

The  present  salary  of  a  I\Iember  of  Congress,  Senator  and 
Eepresentative,  is  $7,500  per  annum,  and  mileage  of  twenty 
cents  per  mile  for  traveling  to  and  from  AVashington. 

The  bill  for  the  apportionment  of  Representatives  in  Con- 
gress under  the  thirteenth  census,  as  adopted  by  the  House, 
provides  for  a  new  House  of  433  members  on  and  after  March  3, 
1913.  With  Arizona  and  Xew  Mexico  admitted  to  Statehood, 
with  one  Representative  each,  the  total  will  be  435.  The  present 
membership  is  391. 

Under  the  new  reapportionment  plan  no  State  loses  a  mem- 
ber. The  following  States  gain  the  number  indicated:  Ala- 
bama, 1:  California,  3;  Colorado,  1;  Florida,  1;  Georgia,  1; 
Idaho,  1 ;  Illinois,  2 ;  Louisiana,  1 ;  Massachusetts,  2 ;  Michigan, 
1 ;  Minnesota,  1 ;  ]\Iontana,  1 ;  New  Jersey,  2 ;  New  York,  4 ; 
North  Dakota,  1:  Ohio,  1;  Oklahoma,  3;  Oregon,  1;  Pennsyl- 
vania, 4:  Rhode  Island,  1;  South  Dakota,  1;  Texas,  2;  Utah,  1; 
AVashington,  2 ;  AVest  Virginia,  1. 

Under  the  new  apportionment,  of  1911,  New  York  State  will 
have  forty-three  Congressional  districts. 

The  States  are  left  free  to  redistrict  themselves  in  their  own 
way  and  to  determine  the  qualifications  of  voters  without  Federal 
interference. 

The  Campaign  Publicity  Bill,  passed  by  Congr-ess  in  August^ 
1911,  became  a  law  on  receiving  the  signature  of  President  Taft, 
on  August  19.  This  act  provides  that  Congressmen  may  spend 
$5,000  and  Senators  only  $10,000  to  further  their  election.  It 
provides  also  for  the  publication  of  expenditures  both  before 
and  after  election. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  117 

NEW   APPORTIONMENT 

The  State  Legislature,  on  September  30,  1911,  in  passing  a 
bill  reapportioning  the  State  into  Congressional  Districts,  placed 
the  County  of  Westchester  into  two  districts,  to  be  known  as 
the  Twenty-fourth  and  the  Twenty-fifth  Districts,  and  fixed  the 
boundary  lines  of  said  new  districts  as  follows: 

TwENTY-FouRTPi  DISTRICT— Beginning  at  the  Bronx  River  at 
the  intersection  of  said  river  and  the  boundary  line  between  the 
city  of  New  York  and  the  city  of  Yonkers,  running  west  of  said 
boundary  line  between  the  city  of  New  York  and  the  city  of 
Yonkers,  to  the  Hudson  River,  along  the  Hudson  River  north 
to  the  boundary  lines  of  the  city  of  Yonkers  and  the  Town  of 
Greenburg,  east  along  said  boundary  line  to  the  point  where 
said  boundary  line  meets  the  boundary  lines  between  the  towns 
of  Greenburg,  Scarsdale,  Eastchester,  thence  southeast  along 
the  boundary  line  between  the  Towns  of  Scarsdale  and  East- 
chester southerly  along  the  boundary  line  between  the  town  of 
Eastchester  and  the  city  of  New  Rochelle,  and  along  said  bound- 
ary line  to  the  point  where  the  said  boundary  line  meets  the 
boundary  line  of  the  city  of  Mount  Vernon  and  the  Town  of 
Pelham,  and  along  the  boundary  line  between  the  city  of  New 
Rochelle  and  the  Town  of  Pelham  and  along  Long  Island  Sound, 
to  the  East  River  to  One  Hundred  and  Forty-ninth  Street,  in 
the  Borough  of  the  Bronx,  southwesterly  to  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-ninth  Street,  through  Prospect  Avenue,  northerly  to 
Prospect  Avenue  to  Freeman  Avenue,  northerly  on  Freeman 
Avenue  to  Southern  Boulevard,  northerly  through  Southern 
Boulevard  to  Pelham  Avenue,  easterly  on  Pelham  Avenue  to 
the  Bronx  River  to  the  intersecting  boundary  line  of  the  city 
of  New  York  and  the  city  of  Yonkers,  to  the  point  of  beginning. 

Twenty-Fifth  District— The  county  of  Rockland  and  the 
County  of  Westchester,  except  that  portion  lying  within  the 
city  of  Yonkers,  the  city  of  Mount  Vernon,  the  Town  of  East- 
chester and  the  Town  of  Pelham  as  at  present  constituted,  shall 
comprise  the  Twenty-Fifth  District. 


118 


MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 


Biographical  Sketches. 


WILLIAM   NELSON. 

William  Nelson,  late  of  the  village 
of  Peekskill,  this  county,  able  law- 
yer, District  Attorney,  Member  of 
Assembly,  State  Senator,  Justice  of 
the  Court  for  the  Correction  of  Er- 
rors, Representative  in  Congress,  etc., 
was  born  on  June  29,  1784,  in  Clin- 
ton, near  Hyde  Park,  N.  Y.,  the 
eighth  child  and  sixth  son  of  Thomas 
End  Sara  Wright  Nelson. 

His  ancestors  were  of  English 
origin,  and  the  first  to  settle  in  this 
country  came  over  from  England 
about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  and  established  himself  on 
a  farm  in  Mamaroneck,  in  this 
countv.  This  farm,  which  was  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  residence  of  the 
Heathcotes,  DeLaneeys  and  other 
prominent  Colonial  families,  was 
kept  in  the  Nelson  family  for  many 
generations. 

Thomas  Nelson,  the  father  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  at  an  early 
age  married  Miss  Wright,  the  daugh- 
ter of  a  respected  farmer  who  lived 
in  Hanover,  now  Somers,  in  this 
county.  After  marriage  he  settled 
on  a  farm  he  had  purchased  on  Crum 
Elbow  Creek,  in  Dutchess  county. 
His  wife  bore  him  ten  children,  of 
whom  William  was  the  tenth.  The 
early  years  of  William  Nelson  were 
spent  as  rvere  those  of  most  farmers' 
sons — devoting  the  glorious  summer 
time  to  raising  crops  and  going  to 
the  district  school  in  the  winter. 

Later  he  attended  the  academy  in 
I'oughkeepsie,  near  by;  here  he  ac- 
quired a  knowledge  of  some  of  the 
higher  branches  of  English  educa- 
tion, and  pursued  for  a  short  time 
the  study  of  Latin.  He  next  became 
a  law  student  in  the  office  of  Theron 
Rudd,  of  Poughkeepsie,  then  an  at- 
torney of  distinction  and  large  prac- 
tice, and  kter  a  clerk  of  the  District 
Court   of  the  L^nited   States. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar  in  1807,  and  his  diploma  was 
signed  by  James  Kent,  then  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
State  of  New  York.  He  migrated 
on  horseback  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
where  he  contemplated  establishing 
himself  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion. One  of  the  first  matters  in  his 
professional  career  took  him  to 
Peekskill,   in   this   County,   where   he 


contemplated  staying  for  a  few 
months.  He  became  so  involved  in 
'  legal  matters  that  he  permanently 
established  his  office  and  residence 
,  in  last  named  place. 
!  His  acquaintances  in  the  legal  fra- 
!  ternity  included  the  most  distin- 
guished which  constituted  the  Bar  of 
Dutchess  county.  Among  them  were 
Smith  Thompson,  Judge  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  United  States; 
.James  Talmage,  afterward  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor of  the  State  of  New 
York;  Thomas  J.  Oaklev,  afterward 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  New  York;  Gilbert  Livingston, 
James  Emmett,  Sr.,  who  became  Cor- 
cuit  Court  Judge;  Nathaniel  P.  Tal- 
mage,  later  United  States  Senator; 
James  Hooker,  later  Surrogate  of 
Dutchess  County,  and  many  others. 
William  Nelson  early  identified 
himself  with  the  county's  best  in- 
terests and  soon  became  Peekskill 's 
leading  citizen.  His  law  office  had 
as  students  men  who  later  became 
distinguished  as  lawyers  with  nation- 
wide reputations;  Ignited  State  Sena- 
tor Chauncey  M.  Depew,  Supreme 
Court  Justice  Jackson  O.  Dykman, 
County  Judge  Robert  S.  Hart,  Calvin 
Frost,  J,  Warren  Tompkins,  Francis 
Larkin,  David  Wiley  Travis  and 
others  well  known,  were  ever  pleased 
to  say  that  they  once  studied  law  un- 
der the  guidance  of  William  Nelson 
of  Peekskill. 

In  1815  Mr.  Nelson  was  appointed 
District-Attorney  for  the  district 
composed  of  the  counties  of  West- 
chester, Rockland  and  Putnam,  which 
office  he  held  until,  by  act  of  the 
Legislature,  in  1818,  the  districts 
were  made  coterminous  with  the 
counties.  For  more  than  twenty-five 
years  he  was  District-Attorney  of 
Westchester  County,  having  been 
ecmmissioned  by  Governors  Daniel 
S.  Tompkins  and  Dewitt  Clinton, 
successively,  and  been  continued  in 
the  office  many  years  afterward  by 
the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  of  the  county  after  they  be- 
came empowered  to  make  the  ap- 
pointment. 

He  was  elected  a  Member  of  As- 
sembly and  served  the  upper  district 
of  the  countv  in  the  years  1820  and 
1821. 

In  1823  he  was  elected  State  Sena- 


WILLIAM  NELSON 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


119 


tor  and  ably  served  the  district  from 
1824  to  1827. 

From  1824  to  1827  he  also  served 
as  a  Judge  of  the  Court  for  the  Cor- 
rection of  Errors,  then  the  highest 
Court  of  this  State. 

In  1823,  shortly  after  the  adop- 
tion of  the  new  constitution,  Gov. 
Yates  tendered  him  the  Circuit- 
Judgeship  of  the  Second  Circuit,  but 
he  declined  the  same  and  the  ap- 
pointment was  given  to  and  accepted 
by  Samuel  R.  Betts,  later  appointed 
United  States  District  Court  Judge. 

In  1846,  he  was  nominated  to  be 
a  member  of  the  convention  to  re- 
vise the  State  Constitution,  but  failed 
to  be  elected,  by  a  small  vote. 

In  the  same  year,  1846,  Mr.  Nel- 
son was  nominated  for  Representa- 
tive in  Congress  for  the  district  com- 
posed of  the  counties  of  Westchester 
and  Rockland,  and  was  elected  by  a 
handsome  majority.  He  was  re- 
elected in  1848,  and  served  in  Con- 
gress until  1851.  He  proved  a  use- 
ful member,  whose  popularity  en- 
abled him  to  be  of  great  service  to 
his  home  district.  In  Congress  one 
of  his  colleagues  was  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, of  Illinois,  later  President  of 
the  United  States.  Between  these 
two  men  a  strong  friendship  grew 
that  lasted  during  the  life  of  the 
lamented  President.  "When  on  his 
\»ay  to  Washington,  in  1860,  to  be 
inaugurated  as  President,  Mr.  Lin- 
coln stopped  at  Peekskill  to  ^^reet 
his  old  friend  Nelson. 

After  retiring  from  Congress  Mr. 
Nelson  devoted  his  time  to  the  prac- 
tice of  law,  and  to  the  time  of  his 
death  was  the  recognized  head  of  the 
County  bar. 

Mr.  Nelson  had  a  singular  com- 
bination of  legal  and  business  abil- 
ity. He  was  eminently  sagacious 
and  ijractical.  He  was  very  courte- 
ous in  his  manners,  especially  to  the 
female  sex.  His  habits  were  very 
simple  and  he  was  very  faithful  to 
his  friends.  He  had  great  natural 
vigor  and  a  magnetic  personality  that 
empowered  him  to  exercise  great  in- 
fluence over  his  friends  and  neigh- 
bors all  for  their  benefit  and  for  the 
benefit  of  the  community  at  large. 

He  was  one  of  Peekskill 's  foremost 
citizens,  insomuch  that  a  great  many 
of  the  institutions  standing  to-day 
are  attributed  to  his  conception  or 
to    his    public-spiritedness    to    acqui- 


esce with  other  initiators.  The  monu- 
ments standing  to-day  to  his  en- 
deavors are  the  Peekskill  Military 
Academy  and  the  Westchester  County 
National  Bank,  of  which  institutions 
he  was  one  of  the  original  incorpora- 
tors. 

On  the  >)th  day  of  February,  1812, 
he  was  married  by  the  Rev.  Silas 
Constant  to  Cornelia  Mandeville 
Hardman,  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Dorinda  Clark  Hardman.  To  them 
were  born  thirteen  children,  eight 
sons  and  five  daughters.  The  fourth 
child  and  third  son,  Thomas  Nelson, 
became  distinguished  as  a  jurist; 
and  the  latter 's  son,  Thomas  Nelson, 
Jr.,  is  at  this  writing  the  President 
of  the  Village  of  Peekskill,  and  the 
only  survivor  of  this  branch  of  the 
Nelson  family. 

Hon.  William  Nelson  passed  away 
on  October  2,  1869,  and  his  body  lies 
buried  in  the  Peekskill  Cemetery. 

He  will  ever  be  remembered  as 
one  of  the  strongest  characters  ever 
appearing  in  the  public  life  of  this 
county,  a  good  specimen  of  the  ''old 
school."  His  influence  was  ever  ex- 
erted for  good,  and  the  world  in 
which  he  was  known  was  made  better 
by  his  having  lived. 

On  the  announcement  of  his  death 
before  the  Supreme  Court  in  West- 
chester County,  and  on  proper  mo- 
tion, a  committee  of  members  of  the 
County  Bar  was  named  by  the  pre- 
siding Justice  to  prepare  and  pre- 
sent to  the  Court  suitable  resolutions 
referring  to  the  great  loss  the  Bar 
had  sustained  by  his  demise;  this 
committee  consisted  of  J.  Warren 
Tompkins,  ex-County  Judge  Robert 
S  Hart,  District-Attorney  Jackson 
O.  Dykman,  Edward  R.  Wells  and 
Francis  Larkin,  most  of  whom  had 
been  students  in  Mr.  Nelson's  ofiice. 
At  a  session  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
Justice  Tappen  presiding,  held  on 
November  22,  1869,  the  said  commit- 
tee reported  appropriate  resolutions 
that  were  read  by  Chairman  Tomp- 
kins, of  the  committee,  and  which 
were  adopted  by  a  rising  vote,  after 
District-Attorney  Dykman,  Judge 
Hart,  Francis  Larkin  and  Mr.  Tomp- 
kins had  made  addresses  pertinent 
to  the  occasion.  Justice  Tappen 
closed  the  proceedings  by  adjourning 
the  Court  for  the  day,  out  of  respect 
to  the  memory  of  the  deceased  dis- 
tinguished member  of  the  bar. 


120 


MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 


WILLIAM  H.  KOBEETSOX. 

"William  H.  Eobertson,  a  former 
Congressman,  etc.;  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Bedford;  on  October  lU, 
1823;  a  son  of  Henry  and  Huldah 
(Fanton)  Eobertsou.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  L'nion  (or  Bedford) 
Academy  in  his  native  town.  Studied 
law  in  the  olfice  of  Judge  Eobert  S. 
Hart  (the  first  elected  County  Judge 
in  this  County);  in  Bedford  village, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1847. 
In  1853  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  Odle  Close;  also  of  Bedford  and 
who  also  studied  with  Judge  Hart, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Close  & 
Eobertson,  and  this  partnership  con- 
tinued until  Mr.  Close's  death,  on 
November  19,  1894.  They  opened  an 
office  in  Mott  Haven,  Morrisania; 
where  they  remained  until  after  the 
Civil  War,  when  they  removed  to 
White  Plains,  where  their  office  was 
ever  after  held. 

His  first  vote  was  for  Henry  Clay 
for  President  in  1844.  He  took  in- 
terest in  politics  when  only  seven- 
teen years  of  age. 

His  first  office  was  Town  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools,  to  which  lie  was 
elected  in  1845 ;  was  a  Member  of 
Assembly  in  1848-49;  in  1853  was 
first  elected  a  State  Senator;  in  1855 
was  elected  County  Judge  and  twice 
re-elected,  serving  twelve  years; 
elected  several  times  as  Presidential 
Elector;  elected  to  Congress  in  1866; 
was  State  Senator  many  years,  and 
as  often  as  he  desired;  was  appointed 
Collector  of  the  Port  of  New  York 
in  1881;  in  1887  he  was  again  elected 
State  Senator,  and  re-elected,  serving 
until  1892,  when  he  retired.  (See 
biography  in  volume  1,  page  98.) 

Mr.  Eobertson  died  at  his  home  in 
Bedford  in  1898. 

BENJAMIN  L.  FAIRCHILD. 

Benjamin  Lewis  Fairchild.  a  for- 
mer Representative  in  Congress,  w^as 
born  on  January  5,  1863,  in 
Sweden,  Monroe  County,  N.  Y.,  a 
son  of  Benjamin  and  Calista 
(Schaeffer)  Fairchild,  and  is  of  Eng- 
lish and  German  descent.  The  Fair- 
childs  originally  settled  in  Connec- 
ticut at  an  early  period,  the  family 
name  spreading  throughout  the 
country  from  that  point.  The  Ameri- 
can ancestor  on  the  maternal  side 
came  over  in  Wolfe's  army  in  Revo- 


lutionary days,  settled  and  married 
in  New  York,  had  one  child,  a  son, 
who  also  had  but  one  son,  Jacob 
Schaefler,  the  grandfather  of  Benja- 
min L.  Fairchild.  The  latter 's  father 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  en- 
listed as  a  private  and  served  through 
the  entire  war,  at  the  close  of  which 
he  had  suffered  the  loss  of  both 
property  and  health.  He  was  se- 
verely wounded  during  the  campaign 
of  the  Wilderness.  This  change  in 
circumstances  at  the  close  of  the  war 
necessitated  the  removal  of  the  fam- 
ily to  Washington,  D,  C,  where  Ben, 
then  two  years  of  age,  the  youngest 
of  three  children,  was  reared  and 
educated.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he 
had  finished  the  course  in  the  public 
schools.  For  nine  years  following 
until  1885  he  was  employed  in  Gov- 
ernment departments,  during  which 
period  he  completed  a  business  col- 
lege course.  After  graduating  from 
the  business  college,  he  entered  the 
law  department  of  Columbian  Uni- 
versity, graduating  in  1885  with 
the  degree  of  LL.  M.,  having  pre- 
viously received  the  degree  of  LL. 
B. ;  he  then  resigned  his  position  in 
the  Treasury  Department,  and  was 
admitted    to    the    Washington    Bar. 

Desiring  a  broader  field  he  re- 
moved to  New"  York  in  1885;  after 
spending  a  year  in  the  office  of 
Henry  C.  Andrews,  he  was  admitted 
to  the  New  York  State  Bar.  in  May, 
1886.  Entering  the  law  office  of 
Ewing  &  Southard,  he  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  in  1887,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Ewing,  Southard 
&  Fairchild;  General  Thomas  Ewing, 
and  Hon.  Milton  I.  Southard,  the 
senior  members  of  the  firm,  being 
former  Representatives  in  Congress 
from  Ohio;  in  1893  Gen.  Ewing  re- 
tired and  the  firm  name  became 
Southard  &  Fairchild.  Mr.  South- 
ard having  died,  ]\Ir.  Fairchild  is 
now  alone  in  his  law  practice,  with 
offices  in  New  York  city. 

In  1893  he  became  a  resident  of 
Pelham,  in  this  County,  where  he  yet 
resides  and  where  he  owns  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  land.  To  him 
more  than  to  any  other  person,  prob- 
ably, Pelham  owes  its  present  de- 
velopment into  a  delightful  residen- 
tial section  of  the  County.  Under 
his  immediate  supervision  home  parks 
were  laid  out  and  paved  and  macada- 
mized streets  were  constructed,  mak- 


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MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


121 


ing  the  town  inviting  to  people  seek- 
ing choice  country  homes  near  New 
York  city. 

In  1893  he  was  an  unsuccessful 
Eepublican  candidate  for  Delegate 
to  the  State  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion; he  carried  Westchester  County, 
but  the  Democratic  majority  in  the 
New  York  city  annexed  district  was 
too  great  to  be  overcome. 

In  1894  he  was  nominated  by  his 
party  for  Kepresentative  in  Congress. 
Though  the  district  was  normally 
Democratic,  he  carried  it  as  a  Ee- 
publican by  fifty-five  hundred  major- 
ity over  a  popular  opponent,  who 
was  elected  two  years  previously  by  a 
majority  of  sixty-five  hundred.  His 
career  in  Congress  reflected  honor 
upon  his  constituents  as  well  as  upon 
himself,  and  it  was  generally  re- 
gretted when  he  retired  from  public 
life  to  devote  his  time  solely  to  his 
chosen  profession. 

In  the  chapter  relating  to  '^Mem- 
bers of  Congress, ' '  commencing  on 
page  94,  97-8-9,  reference  is  made  to 
Mr.    Fairchild. 

Mr.  Fairchild 's  legal  practice  at 
present  requires  all  his  time,  leav- 
ing him  not  even  *  *  spare  moments ' ' 
of  relaxation  to  enjoy  the  game  of 
politics.  Recently  the  interests  of 
clients  called  him  to  Europe,  and  fre- 
quently he  is  called  to  serve  his  cli- 
ents in  all  parts  of  the  country. 

He  was  married  in  February,  1893, 
to  Miss  Anna  Crumble,  who  died,  in 
1902,  daughter  of  the  late  James 
and  Ann  E.  Crumbie,  an  old  New 
York  family,  and  has  one  child,  a 
son,  Franklin  Crumbie  Fairchild. 


WILLIAM  L.  WARD. 

William  Lukens  Ward,  former 
Representative  in  Congress,  a  Re- 
publican elector,  member  of  Repub- 
lican National  Committee  for  State 
of  New  York,  Chairman  Westchester 
County   Republican   Committee. 

Was  born  just  over  the  New  York 
State  line  in  the  borough  of  Green- 
wich, Conn.,  on  September  2,  1856, 
a  son  of  William  E.  and  Tacy 
(Lukens)  Ward.  He  was  educated 
at  the  Friends'  Seminary,  New  York 
city.  He  is  a  Quaker,  a  man  of 
peace — and  peace  he  will  have  even 
if  he  has  to  fight  for  it.  His  father 
was  born  in  Camden,  N.  J. 


After  securing  a  good  preliminary 
education,  he  entered  Columbia  Col- 
lege. As  he  was  an  athlete  in  his 
younger  days,  especially  fond  of 
Daseball,  his  abilities  were  recog- 
nized when  he  entered  college.  He 
played  on  football  team  during  his 
four  years  at  college. 

His  father,  associated  with  the 
firm  of  Russell,  Birdsail  &  Ward, 
was  extensively  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  bolts,  etc.  The  son  en- 
tered his  father's  factory,  and 
served  his  time  as  machinist. 

Later  in  1S82,  with  the  assistance 
of  his  father,  young  Ward,  associ- 
ated with  others  who  like  himself 
had  learned  the  trade  in  Ward,  Sr's 
factory'  started  a  similar  factory  in 
Port  Chester.  From  the  start  the 
new  factory  proved  a  success  and  to- 
day is  a  leader  in  the  trade.  Mr. 
Ward  has  an  enviable  reputation  of 
being  a  kind  and  generous  employer; 
men  enter  his  employment  when  they 
are  young  and  remain  when  they  are 
gray,  and  until  they  can  work  no 
longer.  He  is  considerate  and  just, 
and  by  being  so  has  earned  the  high 
regard  of  his  employes. 

Having  first  demonstrated  that  he 
was  a  good  business  man,  he  was  en- 
titled in  the  way  of  recreation,  to 
turn  his  attention  in  another  direc- 
tion. In  the  early  eighties  he  be- 
gan taking  an  active  interest  in  poli- 
tics. Heretofore  he  frequently 
looked  at  things  political  as  did  his 
father,  who  was  a  lifelong  Demo- 
crat, who  opened  his  residence  for 
the  holding  of  the  first  Democratic 
caucus  ever  held  in  that  locality. 
The  time  was,  not  many  years  past, 
when  it  was  quite  fashionable  to  be 
a  Democrat  in  the  town  of  Rye,  when 
the  town  gave  a  majority  of  three 
hundred  or  more  to  the  Democratic 
party.  That  this  custom  has  changed 
is  owing  greatly  to  the  exertions  of 
the  present  Mr.  Ward. 

Mr.  Ward  became  the  successor  of 
Mr.  Lounsbury  and,  his  ability  being 
recognized  by  his  colleagues  on  the 
County  Committee,  he  was  rapidly 
advanced  until  in  1894  he  was  chosen 
to  fill  the  position  of  chairman  of 
the  Westchester  County  Republican 
Committee,  a  place  held  by  Judge- 
Senator  Robertson  for  about  thirty 
years. 

Prior  to  this,  in  1896,  he  reluc- 
tantly consented  to  become  a  candi- 


122 


MAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


date  for  Congress.  One  term  was 
sufficient;  he  declined  a  re-election; 
his  business,  rapidly  growing, 
needed  his  undivided  attention  at 
home.  Politics  as  a  recreation  might 
be  well  enough,  but  as  a  business — 
never.  His  stay  in  Congress  was 
pleasant;  he  was  given  place  on 
some  of  the  more  important  com- 
mittees, and  he  made  many  valuable 
acquaintances  of  men  who  are  now 
classed  among  his  most  esteemed 
friends. 

In  Congress  Mr.  Ward  introduced 
and  had  passed  the  bill  for  the  forty 
foot  channel,  now  called  the  Ambrose 
Channel,  in  Xew  York  Harbor.  Pub- 
lic credit  has  always  been  given  to 
others,  but  the  records  show  that  Mr. 
Ward  introduced  and  had  passed  this 
important  measure. 

He  was  elected  a  Presidential  Elec- 
tor in  1896. 

That  he  is  a  member  of  the  Na- 
tional body  in  his  political  organiza- 
tion is  a  special  honor  justly  appre- 
ciated by  him.  He  has  held  this  po- 
sition eight  years. 

He  is  not  an  office  seeker  for  his 
own  benefit,  therefore  he  is  a  suc- 
cessful political  leader.  He  recog- 
nizes the  fact  that  no  leader  can  be 
a  success  in  Westchester  County  who 
tries  to  further  his  personal  inter- 
ests. He  must  absolutely  close  every 
avenue  that  might  bring  him  gain. 
His  strength  with  the  people  lies 
in  working  for  the  party  and  be- 
ing straight  and  making  his  word 
as  good  as  his  bond.  Relating  to 
his  own  position  as  leader,  Mr.  Ward 
recentlv  said  in  an  interview,  '  *  In 
some  counties  a  leader  has  been  suc- 
cessful by  imposing  upon  the  loyalty 
of  his  friends  to  advance  his  own  in- 
terests, but  he  has  not  lasted  long. 
Often  my  friends  have  come  to  me 
and  wanted  me  to  be  a  director  of 
this  or  that  institution.  It  is  all 
perfectly  legitimate  business  and  I 
could  have  made  considerable  money, 
but  in  every  case  I  have  refused  to 
have  anything  to  do  with  them.  An- 
other requisite  for  a  leader  is  that 
he  must  have  the  confidence  of  the 
people.  It  takes  time  to  get  this, 
but  after  a  man  proves  himself  it 
is  his   greatest  asset." 

Mr.  Ward  practices  what  he 
preaches,  and  proves  that  a  success- 
ful business  man  can  be  a  successful 
political    leader.      Certainly    the    Re- 


publicans of  Westchester  County  are 
fortunate  in  having  him  for  leader. 
Mr.  Ward  was  married  September 
15,  1880,  to  Miss  Madge  Leland, 
daughter  of  Warren  Leland,  of 
Long  Branch.  Four  children  have 
blessed  this  union;  two  sons,  Evans 
and  Warren,  and  two  daughters, 
Dorothy  and  Winifred.  The  sons  are 
learning  the  trade  of  grandfather 
and  father. 


JOHN  Q.  UXDERHILL. 

John  Quincy  Underhill,  a  former 
Congressman,  etc.,  was  born  in  the 
town  of  New  Rochelle,  on  February 
19,  1848,  a  son  of  George  W.  L.  and 
Julia  Ann  (Barker)  Underhill. 

He  held  numerous  political  offices 
in  his  native  town  and  village. 

Was  Village  Trustee  in  1877,  and 
was  Village  President  in  1878  and 
was  re-elected;  in  1880  was  elected 
a  Town  Auditor;  for  several  years 
was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation; for  ten  years  was  president 
of  Commissioners  of  Sewers  and 
Drainage  of  the  village  of  New  Ro- 
chelle. 

Was  elected  Representative  in  Con- 
gress in  1898. 

At  the  time  af  his  death  he  was 
vice-president  and  treasurer  of  the 
Westchester  Fire  Insurance  Com- 
pany. (See  biography,  page  232, 
volume   1.) 

Mr.  Underhill  died  May  21,  1907. 


CORNELIUS  A.  PUGSLEY. 

Hon.  Cornelius  Amory  Pugsley 
was  born  about  fifty-five  years  ago  at 
Peekskill,  a  thriving  Westchester 
County  town,  even  m  the  days  of  the 
Revolution,  when  it  was  a  base  of 
supplies  and  a  center  for  the  mob- 
ilization of  troops  for  the  Continen- 
tal Army.  His  maternal  grandfather 
was  Cornelius  Meeker,  a  son  of  Ben- 
jamin Meeker  (a  soldier  of  the  Revo- 
lution), and  a  descendant  of  William 
Meeker,  a  founder  of  the  town  of 
Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  who  was  supposed 
to  have  come  to  Massachusetts  Bay 
about  1630;  and  his  father's  Ameri- 
can ancestor  was  James  Pugsley,  who 
came  from  England  about  1680  and 
settled  in  Pelham  Manor,  Westches- 
ter County.  The  great-grandfather 
of   Mr.   Pugsley,   Samuel   Pugsley,   a 


WILLIAM  L.  WARD 


JOHN  E.  ANDRUS 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


123 


soldier  in  the  Kevolutionary  War, 
married  Elizabeth  Drake,  daughter 
of  Jeremiah  Drake,  a  brother  of 
Colonels  Samuel  and  Gilbert  Drake, 
who  commanded  Westchester  County 
regiments  in  the  Continental  Army. 

When  a  young  man,  Mr.  Pugsley 
entered  the  Westchester  County  Na- 
tional Bank  at  Peekskill,  in  a  cleri- 
cal position,  and  is  now  President  of 
this  well  known  institution,  which  is 
one  of  the  oldest  and  strongest  of 
the  financial  institutions  in  the 
State.  He  was  made  the  first  chair- 
man of  Group  VII  of  the  New  York 
Bankers'  Association  when  it  was  or- 
ganized, and  has  twice  been  elected 
a  member  of  the  Executive  Council 
of  the  American  Bankers'  Associa- 
tion, and  is  well  known  in  banking 
circles  throughout  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Pugsley  is  greatly  interested 
in  the  patriotic  work  oi  the  Sons  of 
the  American  Revolution,  and  has 
been  President  of  the  Empire  State 
Society,  S.  A.  R.,  and  Treasurer- 
General,  Vice-President-General,  and 
President-General  of  the  National 
Society,  lie  is  also  an  honorary 
member  of  the  John  A.  Dix  Post, 
G.  A.  R.,  of  New  York;  honorary 
member  of  the  Harris  Light  Cavalry 
Association ;  a  member  of  the  Patria 
Club,  of  New  York  City;  of  the 
New  England  Society,  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  of  New  York,  and 
many  other  organizations. 

At  the  time  of  the  Tercentenary 
celebration  oi  the  discovery  of  the 
Hudson,  he  was  one  of  the  original 
commissioners,  and  served  upon  many 
of  the  committees. 

Mr.  Pugsley  has  travelled  exten- 
sively both  abroad  and  in  this  coun- 
try. He  enjoys  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion as  an  orator  and  after-dinner 
speaker,  and  has  been  the  orator 
of  the  day  at  prominent  commemor- 
ative celebrations,  and  among  the 
principal  speakers  at  National  and 
State  Bankers'  conventions  and  other 
large  gatherings. 

While  always  interested  in  poli- 
tics and  public  affairs,  he  was  never 
a  candidate  for  ofiice  until  the  fall 
of  1900,  when  he  was  elected  to  the 
57th  Congress  from  the  old  XVIth 
District  of  New  York,  including  his 
native  County,  then  possibly  the  larg- 
est in  point  of  population  of  any 
Congressional  district  in  the  United 
States.     Upon  the  convening  of  Con- 


gress in  December,  1901,  his  ability 
and  knowledge  of  financial  matters 
was  recognized  by  the  Speaker  of 
the  House,  and  he  was  honored  with 
an  appointment  on  the  Banking  and 
Currency  Committee.  At  the  close 
of  the  Congress,  the  Speaker  re- 
ferred to  him  in  a  magazine  article 
as  one  of  the  best  informed  Demo- 
crats in  the  House  on  financial  mat- 
ters. 

Mr.  Pugsley  has  been  a  delegate 
at  State  conventions;  in  1904  he 
was  the  choice  of  his  County  for 
nomination  as  Democratic  candidate 
for  Governor,  and  in  1908  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  national  convention  in 
Denver,  being  at  that  time  one  of  the 
Eastern  men  who  was  prominently 
mentioned  for  the  Vice-Presidency. 

JOHN  E.  ANDRUS. 

John  Emory  Andrus,  Congress- 
man, former  Mayor,  etc.,  was  born 
in  Pleasantville,  this  County,  on 
Februarv   10,   1841. 

He  was  fitted  for  college  at  Char- 
lotteville  Seminary,  Schoharie  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y. ;  was  graduated  from  Wes- 
leyan  University,  Middletown,  Conn., 
with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  in  the  class 
of  1862 ;  taught  school  in  New  Jersey 
for  four  years. 

He  came  to  Yonkers  when  quite  a 
young  man.  Engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  medicinal  preparations, 
which  business  he  still  continues  in 
his  home  city  of  Yonkers;  is  presi- 
dent of  the  New  York  Pharmaceu- 
tical Association  and  of  the  Palisade 
Manufacturing  Company;  treasurer 
of  the  Arlington  Chemical  Company; 
trustee  of  Wesleyan  University; 
treasurer  of  the  Ocean  Grove  (N.  J.) 
Association;  trustee  New  York  Life 
Insurance  Company,  and  officer  in 
other  associations. 

Was  elected  Mayor  of  Yonkers 
in  1903;  was  first  elected  to  Con- 
gress in  1904  and  re-elected  in  the 
years  1906,  1908,  1910,  serving  in 
the  Fifty-ninth,  Sixtieth,  Sixty-first 
and  Sixty-second  Congresses. 

In  the  Sixty-second  Congress,  1911, 
Congressman  Andrus  was  named  as 
the  ranking  minority  member  of  the 
Committee  on  Public  Buildings  and 
also  as  a  member  of  the  Committee 
on   Irrigation. 

During  his  career  in  Congress  he 
has  done  much  to  benefit  his  con- 
stituents.    Secured  liberal  appropria- 


124 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


tions  for  river  improvements  and  for 
erection  of  Post-office  buildings 
amounting  to  over  a  million  dollars. 
Congressman  Andrus  is  known  to 
be  a  liberal  contributor  for  the  main- 
tenance of  public  institutions  and 
charities;  he  is  credited  with  provid- 
ing funds  for  the  construction  of  a 
new  principal  building  for  the  col- 
lege from  which  he  was  graduated. 
He  has  been  a  large  contributor  to 
the  Methodist  Church  building  fund 


and  he  recently  subscribed  $50,000 
to  a  fund  to  aid  ministers  of  the 
gospel  connected  with  the  Methodist 
Church. 

Congressman  Andrus'  wife  died  in 
January,  1910.  He  has  seven  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  four  daughters. 
The  eldest  son,  William,  is  in  busi- 
ness with  his  father.  One  daughter 
is  the  wife  of  former  State  Senator 
Frederick  M.  Davenport  of  Onondaga 
County,  N.  Y. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Westchester  County  was  duly 
incorporated  by  certificate  signed  by  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  in  1909. 

Judges  in  this  County  have  never  worn  gowns  when  sitting 
on  the  bench,  in  fact  they  have  always  sho^Ti  strong  aversion 
to  wearing  same. 

In  October,  1911,  members  of  the  Westchester  County  Bar 
Association  presented  to  Supreme  Court  Justice  Martin  J. 
Keogh  a  life-like  painted  portrait  of  himself.  The  presentation 
being  made  at  the  home  of  the  Justice,  in  New  Rochelle. 


The  Westchester  County  Volunteer  Firemen's  Association  is 
an  active  society  whose  large  membership  is  united  for  the  gen- 
eral good  of  the  firemanic  fraternity.  It  has  already  lived 
many  years  of  usefulness. 


Washington's  first  inauguration  took  place  in  New  York  city, 
and  his  second  in  Philadelphia.  John  Adams  in  Philadelphia; 
Jefferson  and  the  Presidents  following,  elected  by  the  people, 
were  inaugurated  in  Washington,  D.  C. 


A  life-size  portrait,  painted  in  oil,  of  former  County  Judge 
Silas  D.  Gifford,  who  served  from  1872  to  1884,  was  presented 
in  October,  1911,  to  the  County  by  his  relatives ;  the  portrait  is 
to  hang  in  the  County  Court  Chambers  alongside  of  the  por- 
traits of  other  Judges  who  sat  in  that  Court. 


OUR  COURTS.  NATIONAL  AND  STATE. 

{Continued  from  Folurne  1.) 

The  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  was  organized,  pur- 
suant to  a  law  enacted  by  Congress,  in  the  year  1789,  known 
as  the  Judicial  Act,  and  at  first  was  composed  of  one  Chief 
Justice  and  five  Associate  Justices.  Since  that  time  changes 
have  been  made  in  the  organization  of  the  Court  as  necessity 
has  required,  and  it  is  now  composed  of  one  Chief  Justice  and 
nine  Associate  Justices.  All  of  these  judges  are  appointed  by 
the  President,  and,  with  good  behavior,  hold  their  respective 
offices  for  life;  they  can  be  removed  by  impeachment  proceed- 
ings only.  The  Court  holds  daily  sessions,  Saturdays  and  Sun- 
days excepted,  in  the  Capitol  building  in  Washington,  D.  C, 
commencing  in  October  of  each  year  and  continuing  until  the 
month  of  May,  when  it  adjourns  until  the  ensuing  October. 

During  the  first  years  of  its  existence,  the  Supreme  Court  had 
but  little  work  to  do,  and  for  many  years  not  more  than  twenty- 
five  cases  were  pending  before  it  each  year;  but  within  the  last 
half  of  a  century  the  business  of  the  Court  has  increased  enor- 
mously. At  the  present  time  cases  disposed  of  annually  run 
up  into  the  thousands.  The  United  States  Supreme  Court 
stands  at  the  head  of  the  judicial  system,  and  its  decisions  are 
final. 

The  judicial  power  of  this  Nation  is  now  vested  in  one 
Supreme  Court  and  in  such  inferior  courts  as  Congress  may, 
from  time  to  time,  establish.  Under  the  power  thus  given  to 
establish  courts,  Congress  has  created  the  Circuit  Court  of 
Appeals,  the  Circuit  Court  and  the  District  Court,  which,  speak- 
ing generally,  comprise  our  judicial  system,  but  in  addition  to 
these  there  are  also  the  Court  of  Claims,  created  by  act  of  Con- 
gress in  1891,  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  District  of  Columbia, 
the  Territorial  Courts,  the  Court  of  Customs  Appeals,  and  the 
Commerce  Court,  created  by  act  of  Congress  in  1909. 

That  judges  may  be  secure  in  their  tenure  of  office  and  free 
from  all  influences  which  would  tend  to  hinder  them  in  the 
impartial  discharge  of  their  duties,  the  appointment  is  for  life, 
provided  the  incumbent  properly  performs  the  duties  of  his 

125 


126  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

office.  The  Constitution  also  provides  that  the  judges  shall 
receive  for  their  services  a  compensation  which  shall  not  be 
diminished  during  their  continuance  in  office.  Thus  it  appears 
that  these  two  provisions  place  a  judge  of  a  Federal  Court  in 
an  absolutely  independent  position,  the  first  giving  him  prac- 
tically a  life  tenure  in  office,  and  the  second  guaranteeing  him 
an  income  which  cannot  be  diminished. 

The  suggestion  that  judges  be  made  subject  to  "  recall,"  if 
their  views  do  not  coincide  with  those  of  the  majority,  should 
be  defeated  most  positively. 

As  the  result  of  the  English  Revolution  of  1688,  it  was 
decreed  that  judges  should  no  longer  hold  office  at  the  pleasure 
of  the  Crown  but  during  good  behavior.  It  was  written  into 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  that  judges  should  hold 
office  during  good  behavior.  In  the  State  constitutions  the  same 
provision  is  made  even  when  the  judges  are  elected.  They  hold 
office  for  the  term  for  which  they  were  chosen,  or  during  good 
behavior,  and  bad  behavior  is  to  be  determined  by  the  orderly 
processes  of  impeachment. 

The  Federal  Courts  deal  only  with  cases  coming  within  the 
scope  of  the  enumeration  contained  in  the  second  section  of 
the  third  article  of  the  Constitution,  and  these  courts  must  not 
be  confused  with  the  courts  which  form  a  part  of  the  govern- 
ment of  each  of  the  States,  in  which  the  ordinary  disputes 
between  citizens  are  settled. 

So  much  has  been  written  in  praise  of  the  judicial  system 
of  our  government  that  it  is  difficult  to  find  language  which  will 
exceed  in  the  extravagance  of  its  terms  the  utterances  of  dis- 
tinguished writers  in  Europe  and  America  upon  this  subject. 
One  writer,  in  speaking  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court, 
says: 

"  No  product  of  government,  either  here  or  elsewhere,  has 
ever  approached  it  in  grandeur.  Within  its  appropriate  sphere 
it  is  absolute  authority.  From  its  mandates  there  is  no  appeal. 
Its  decree  is  law.  In  dignity  and  moral  influence  it  outranks 
all  other  judicial  tribunals  of  the  world.  No  court  of  either 
ancient  or  modern  times  was  ever  invested  with  such  high  pre- 
rogatives. Its  jurisdiction  extends  over  sovereign  States,  as 
well  as  the  humblest  individual.  It  is  armed  with  the  right, 
as  well  as  the  power,  to  annul  in  effect  the  statutes  of  a  State 
whenever  they  are  directly  against  the  civil  rights,  the  con- 
tracts, the  currency  or  the  intercourse  of  the  people. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  127 

''  Secure  in  the  tenure  of  its  judges  from  the  influence  of 
politics  and  the  violence  of  prejudice  and  passion,  it  presents 
an  example  of  judicial  independence  unattainable  in  any  of  the 
States  and  far  beyond  that  of  the  highest  court  in  England. 
Its  judges  are  the  sworn  ministers  of  the  Constitution  and  are 
the  high  priests  of  justice.  Acknowledging  no  superior,  and 
responsible  to  their  consciences  alone,  they  owe  allegiance  to  the 
Constitution  and  to  their  own  exalted  sense  of  duty.  No  insti- 
tution of  purely  human  contrivance  presents  so  many  features 
calculated  to  inspire  both  veneration  and  awe." 

Another  writer  on  the  subject  says:  "  In  ancient  and 
medigeval  times,  the  courts  of  law  were  instruments  of  oppres- 
sion and  injustice  quite  as  frequently  as  they  were  a  protection 
to  the  rights  of  individuals,  but  in  the  judicial  system  of  the 
United  States  we  find  that  the  framers  of  the  Constitution 
secured  results  which  had  before  that  time  existed  only  in  the 
theoretical  and  speculative  writings  of  philosophers. 

"  By  the  creation  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  there 
was  effected  a  practically  complete  separation  of  the  legislative- 
executive  and  judicial  departments  of  the  government,  a  condi- 
tion to  which  we  have  now  become  so  accustomed  as  to  render 
it  difficult  for  us  to  realize  to  what  extent  the  few  paragraphs 
of  the  Constitution  producing  this  result  have  excited  the  admira- 
tion of  political  and  philosophical  students." 

John  Jay,  w^ho  spent  his  youth  and  many  years  of  his  useful 
life  as  a  resident  of  AVestchester  County,  and  after  his  retire- 
ment from  public  office  lived  (and  died)  on  his  estate  in  Bed- 
ford, one  of  the  townships  of  this  county,  was  the  first  Chief 
Justice  of  the  United  States,  receiving  his  appointment  from 
President  Washington.  When  Justice  Jay  resigned,  in  1796, 
to  take  up  diplomatic  duties  in  Europe,  President  Washington 
nominated  Associate  Justice  William  Cushing,  of  Massachu- 
setts, to  fill  the  vacancy;  Justice  Cushing,  however,  declined 
the  appointment,  preferring  to  remain  as  Associate  Justice  to 
being  the  Chief  Justice.  Cushing  remained  as  Justice  until 
1810. 

In  looking  about  for  a  suitable  person  to  succeed  Justice  Jay, 
President  Washington  selected  John  Rutledge,  of  South  Caro- 
lina. Rutledge  had  declined  in  1789  to  accept  appointment  as 
an  Associate  Justice,  but  later  was  willing  to  become  Chief 
Justice.  President  Washington  commissioned  him  during  a 
recess  and  he  presided  over  the  court  at  the  summer  term,  but 


128  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

his  nomination  was  rejected  by  the  Senate  the  next  winter.  It 
would  appear  that  for  the  reason  he  would  not  serve  when  he 
was  wanted  at  the  early  date,  the  Senate  did  not  want  him 
when  he  was  willing  to  serve. 

Not  since  Justice  Gushing 's  day,  until  1910,  has  a  President 
nominated  an  Associate  Justice  for  the  Chief  Justiceship.  Asso- 
ciate Justice  Field  felt  sure  that  President  Cleveland  would 
elevate  him,  in  1888,  to  succeed  Chief  Justice  AYaite.  Instead, 
President  Cleveland  selected  Melville  AY.  Fuller,  who  was  then 
55  years  of  age. 

In  1910  President  Taft  broke  the  rule,  by  advancing  an 
Associate  Justice  to  the  Chief  Justiceship,  when  he  appointed 
Associate  Justice  Edward  D.  AYhite,  of  Louisiana,  to  be  Chief 
Justice.  At  the  time  of  his  last  appointment  Justice  AYhite 
was  sixty-five  years  of  age.  In  politics  the  new  Chief  Justice 
is  classified  as  a  Democrat.  Ability,  not  politics,  was  considered 
when  President  Taft  made  the  selection. 

Oliver  Ellsworth,  of  Connecticut,  was  nominated  for  Chief 
Justice,  after  Rut]  edge,  in  1796,  and  he  served  four  years.  John 
Marshall,  of  Virginia,  was  appointed  to  this  office  in  1801,  and 
he  held  it  31  years;  Roger  B.  Taney,  of  Maryland,  held  it  28 
years ;  Solomon  P.  Chase,  of  Ohio,  held  it  nine  years ;  I\Iorrison 
E.  AYaite,  of  Ohio,  held  it  14  years;  Melville  W.  Fuller,  of  Illi- 
nois, held  it  22  years. 

Of  the  recent-day  judges.  Chief  Justice  Melville  AY.  Fuller, 
of  Illinois,  appointed  by  President  Cleveland  in  1888,  was  born 
in  1833,  and  served  on  the  bench  twenty-two  years ;  Justice  John 
M.  Harlan,*  of  Kentucky,  a  soldier  and  statesman,  appointed 
by  President  Hayes  in  1877,  was  also  born  in  1833,  and  is  now 
77  years  of  age,  and  has  served  thirty-three  years  on  the  bench; 
Justice  David  J.  Brewer,  of  Kansas,  appointed  by  President 
Benjamin  Harrison  in  1889,  was  born  in  1837  and  died  in  1910, 
after  serving  twenty-one  years;  Justice  Edward  D.  AYhite,  of 
Louisiana,  appointed  bj^  President  Cleveland  in  1891,  was  bom 
in  1845,  and  has  served  seventeen  years;  Justice  Rufus  W. 
Peckham,  of  New  York,  appointed  by  President  Cleveland  in 
1895,  was  born  in  1838,  died  in  1909,  after  serving  fourteen 
years  on  the  bench ;  Justice  Joseph  McKenna,  of  California, 
appointed  by  President  McKinley  in  1898,  was  born  in  1843, 
and  has  served  twelve  years ;  Justice  Oliver  AY.  Holmes,  of  Massa- 
chusetts, appointed  by  President  Roosevelt  in  1902,  was  bom 

*  Justice  Harlan  died  in  October,  1911. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  129 

in  1841,  has  served  eight  years;  Justice  AYilliam  R.  Day,  of 
Ohio,  appointed  by  President  Roosevelt  in  1903,  was  born  in 
1849,  and  has  served  seven  years;  Justice  AVilliam  H.  Moody, 
of  Massachusetts,  appointed  by  President  Roosevelt  in  1906, 
was  born  in  1853,  has  served  four  years. 

The  terms  of  Justices  Taney,  Marshall,  David  Davis,  of  New 
York,  and  Harlan  overlappino-,  with  the  exception  of  a  gap  of 
one  year  in  1835-6,  cover  the  life  of  the  Republic  from  the  end 
of  John  Adams's  term  as  President  in  1801  to  the  present 
day. 

It  is  not  strange  that  every  lawyer  looks  upon  a  place  upon 
the  United  States  Supreme  Court  bench  as  the  summit  of  his 
profession;  that  President  Taft,  who  was  a  Circuit  Justice, 
turned  with  regret  from  it  when  he  accepted  a  place  in  the 
Cabinet  of  President  Roosevelt,  and  that  great  lawyers  who  in 
private  practice  could  earn  many  tiiiR's  the  judicial  salary,  who 
are  fitted  to  connnand  and  framed  to  enjoy  social  amenities  of 
the  highest  order,  are  more  than  willing  to  devote  their  time 
exclusively  to  the  duties  of  the  Court,  and  that  lawyers  of  the 
highest  standing  are  frequently  mentioned  as  willing  candidates 
for  appointment  to  this  coveted  judgeship  without  thought  of 
the  possibility  of  their  refusal  to  accept. 

It  has  always  been  the  popular  assumption  that  no  person 
has  ever  declined  the  offer  of  the  Chief  Justiceship.  But  the 
popular  belief  is  erroneous.  United  States  Senator  Roscoe 
Conkling,  of  this  State,  declined  it  when  offered  to  him  by 
President  Grant  in  1874;  John  G.  Carlisle,  of  Kentucky,  at  the 
time  he  was  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  declined 
when  President  Cleveland  offered  it  to  him  in  1888. 

It  is  a  venerable  bench.  The  average  term  of  United  States 
Supreme  Court  Justices  has  been  fifteen  years,  but  many  have 
passed  that  post  and  continued  valuable  services  for  longer 
periods. 

Chief  Justice  Taney  lived  to  be  89  years  old,  and  served 
twenty-eight  years ;  Justice  Gabriel  Duval  reached  the  ripe  age  of 
92  years,  serving  twenty-five  years ;  Justice  William  Strong,  who 
was  87  when  he  died,  served  ten  years;  Justice  John  Marshall 
died  when  80  years  old,  and  after  he  had  served  thirty-four 
years  on  the  bench;  Justice  Joseph  Story,  who  died  aged  86 
years,  served  thirty-four  years  on  the  bench;  Justice  Stephen 
J.  Field  served  thirty-four  years  and  died  in  his  83d  year ;  Jus- 
tice Bushrod  AYashington  served  thirty-one  years,  and  died  when 


130  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

89  years  old;  Justice  Noali  Swayne  died  when  80  years  old, 
serving  thirty  years:  Justice  AYilliam  Johnson  was  on  the  bench 
thirty  years,  dying  at  the  age  of  83  years ;  Justice  Samuel  Nelson 
died  at  the  age  of  81  years,  serving  twenty-nine  years;  Justice 
MacLean  served  on  the  bench  thirty-two  years,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  85.  Justice  AVayne,  who  lived  to  be  87  years  old,  also 
served  thirty-two  years. 

As  a  general  rule,  an  appointment  of  Justice  of  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court  by  the  President  is  promptly  confirmed 
by  the  United  States  Senate,  but  there  has  been  one  or  more 
exceptions.  An  instance  of  this  kind  is  recalled ;  in  the  year 
1894  certain  Senators  took  exceptions  to  the  nomination  of  a 
noted  lawyer  from  New  York,  on  political  grounds  only,  claim- 
ing that  he  did  not  sufficiently  represent  the  political  party  to 
which  he  was  credited.  The  President  finally  withdrew  the 
nomination  and  substituted  another,  taking  the  latter  from  a 
different   State. 

The  death  of  Justice  Rufus  W.  Peckham,  in  1909,  left  for  a 
time  New  York  State  without  a  Justice  on  the  United  States 
Supreme  Court  bench. 

President  Taft,  on  December  13,  1909,  nominated,  and  the 
Senate  confirmed  the  appointment  of,  Horace  H.  Lurton,  of 
Tennessee,  as  an  Associate  Justice,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by 
the  death  of  Justice  Rufus  W.  Peckham,  of  New  York.  Mr. 
Lurton  was  born  in  1844. 

On  March  28,  1910,  another  vacancy  occurred,  caused  by  the 
death,  on  that  day,  of  David  Josiah  Brewer,  Associate  Justice. 
He  was  found  dead  in  his  bathroom  at  his  home  in  Washington ; 
physicians  announced  that  he  had  died  suddenly  of  apoplexy. 
He  was  born  on  June  20,  1837,  in  Smyrna,  Asia  Minor,  where 
his  father  was  a  pioneer  missionary.  The  family  came  from 
Massachusetts;  at  the  time  of  his  appointment  he  was  credited 
to  Kansas. 

The  full  number  of  Justices  is  nine,  when  the  bench  is  full. 
The  death  of  Justice  Brewer  reduced  the  active  court  to  seven; 
Justice  Moody  being  ill  and  confined  to  a  hospital.  In  1910 
Congress  passed  a  special  act  providing  that  in  case  Justice 
Moody  resigned,  within  a  certain  period,  his  full  salary  be  paid 
him  for  life. 

Chief  Justice  Melville  W.  Fuller  died  in  July,  1910,  at  the 
age  of  77  years.  As  a  general  thing,  Justices  of  the  United 
States  Court  have  not  been  over-burdened  with  wealth;  in  fact, 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  131 

they  were  never  over-paid  for  their  services.  Their  salary  being 
less  than  a  Supreme  Court  Justice  in  our  own  Ninth  Judicial 
District.  Chief  Justice  Fuller  was  a  wealthy  man  before  his 
appointment ;  at  his  death  his  estate  was  estimated  to  amount 
to  nearly  $1,000,000. 

President  Taft,  on  April  25,  1910,  nominated  for  an  Asso- 
ciate Justice,  Charles  E.  Hughes,  then  Governor  of  the  State 
of  New  York.  The  Senate  promptly  confirmed,  and  Gov. 
Hughes  was  appointed.  On  October  1,  1910,  Mr.  Hughes 
resigned  the  office  of  Governor  and  took  his  place  upon  the 
bench.  At  the  time  of  appointment,  Gov.  Hughes  was  45  years 
of  age. 

During  the  years  1909  and  1910,  President  Taft  named,  as 
well  as  a  Chief  Justice,  four  new  Associate  Justices,  former 
Governor  Hughes,  of  New  York,  Mr.  Lurton,  of  Tennessee, 
Willis  Van  Devanter,  of  Wyoming,  and  Joseph  R.  Lamar,  of 
Georgia.  Lurton,  Van  Devanter  and  Lamar,  at  time  of  appoint- 
ment, had  already  high  rank  as  Judges. 

In  1910,  Justice  Moody,  owing  to  ill-health,  was  retired  with 
pay  by  special  act  of  Congress. 

In  1911,  as  reconstituted  by  President  Taft,  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  Ignited  States  is  made  up  of  six  nominal  Repub- 
licans—Harlan,  McKenna,  Day,  Holmes,  Hughes  and  Van 
Devanter,  and  three  nominal  Democrats— AVhite,  Lurton  and 
Lamar.  Edward  D.  White,  of  Louisiana,  the  new  Chief  Jus- 
tice, has  been  a  member  of  the  court  since  1894. 

While  the  history  of  the  court  shows  that  partisanship  has 
rarely  appeared  in  its  councils,  Mr.  Taft  has  revealed  in  the 
four  selections  that  he  has  made  and  in  the  elevation  of  Justice 
W^hite  admirable  wisdom  and  tact  in  consulting  legitimate  sec- 
tional and  political  preferences.  By  conferring  the  Chief  Jus- 
ticeship upon  a  Louisiana  Democrat  he  gives  to  the  South  the 
greatest  national  honor  that  it  has  received  since  the  Civil 
War. 

In  less  than  two  years  it  has  been  President  Taft's  high 
privilege  to  name  more  members  of  the  court  than  any  other 
President  except  Washington  and  Lincoln. 

A  new  United  States  Court,  to  be  known  as  the  Commerce 
Court,  was  created  by  act  of  Congress. 

With  the  appointment,  in  1910,  of  judges  who  are  to  preside 
in  this  new  court  the  national  judiciary,  as  recently  enlarged, 
became  complete. 


132  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

On  the  formation  of  the  Government  there  were  only  the 
Supreme  Court  and  the  District  Courts.  For  many  years  the 
Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  acted  as  Circuit  Judges.  When 
this  service  became  burdensome  the  United  States  Circuit  Court 
was  established,  and  in  time,  for  the  purpose  of  relieving  the 
Supreme  Court  still  further,  the  United  States  Court  of  Appeals 
was  created,  the  various  Circuit  and  District  Judges  presiding. 
The  United  States  Court  of  Claims,  Avhich  sits  only  in  AVashing- 
ton,  was  founded  quite  as  much  for  the  purpose  of  removing 
responsibilities  from  Congress  as  to  assist  the  older  courts 
alreadv  overloaded. 

The  Coramerce  Court  and  the  Court  of  Customs  Appeals  are 
in  part  the  result  of  a  conviction  that  the  regular  courts  have 
too  much  to  do  and  in  part  a  response  to  the  fact  that  the  Inter- 
state Commerce  Commission  and  the  Custom  House  authorities 
have  been  exercising  too  much  judicial  power.  The  Judges  of 
the  Commerce  Court  will  eventually  be  Circuit  Judges  desig- 
nated by  the  Supreme  Court  for  this  service. 

In  the  Commerce  Court  the  disagreements  between  railroads 
and  shippers  will  be  heard  and  settled.  To  the  Court  of 
Customs  Appeals  will  be  carried  all  the  differences  growing 
out  of  the  administration  of  the  tariff  law  that  cannot  be 
adjusted  elsewhere.  Both  of  these  tribunals  are  charged  with 
duties  requiring  on  their  part  highly  specialized  and  technical 
knowledge. 


CIRCUIT  COURT  AND  DISTRICT  COURTS. 

Justices  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  the  United  States,  Second 
Circuit,  of  which  Westchester  County  is  a  part,  are  as  follows: 

E.  Henry  Lacombe,  appointed  in 1887 

Alfred  C.  Coxe,  appointed  in 1902 

Henry  G.  Ward,  appointed  in 1907 

Walter  C.  Xoyes,  appointed  in 1907 

Justices  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  Southern 
District,  State  of  New  York,  of  which  AVestchester  County  is 
a  part,  are  as  follows: 

George  B.  Adams  (died  1911),  appointed  in.  .  .  .  1901 

George  C.  Holt,  appointed  in 1903 

Charles  'M.  Hough,  appointed  in 1906 

Learned  Hand,  appointed  in 1909 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  133 

Westchester  County  unites  with  the  counties  of  New  York, 
Dutchess,  Orange,  Putnam,  Rockland,  Greene,  Columbia,  Ulster 
and  Sullivan  in  forming  the  Southern  United  States  Judicial 
District.  Terms  of  court  are  held  in  the  General  Post-Office 
building  in  New  York  City. 

No  resident  of  Westchester  County  has  ever  been  favored 
with  an  appointment  as  a  Justice  of  this  Court;  most,  if  not 
all,  of  such  appointments  made  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States  have  gone  to  residents  of  New  York  County. 

The  salary  of  the  Chief  Justice  is  $13,000  per  annum;  Asso- 
ciate Justice,  $12,500.  The  salary  of  a  Circuit  Justice  is  $7,000 
per  annum ;  the  salary  of  a  District  Justice  is  $6,000  per  annum ; 
the  United  States  Court  of  Claims  Chief  Justice  receives  $6,500 
per  annum,  and  the  Associate  Justices  $6,000. 


STATE  SUPREME  COURT. 

(Continued  from  page  37,  Vol.  1.) 

The  new  Constitution,  adopted  in  1891:,  completely  changed 
the  judicial  system  of  the  State.  The  most  notable  changes 
were  its  elevation  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  rank ;  and  the  lessen- 
ing of  the  amount  of  work  thrown  upon  the  Court  of  Appeals. 
Thus  the  Court  of  Appeals  was  confined  to  questions  of  law, 
and  a  new  court  was  created,  known  as  the  Appellate  Supreme 
Court,  to  deal  with  questions  of  fact.  Justices  of  the  Supreme 
Court  to  be  designated  by  the  Governor  to  act  as  Justices  of  this 
Court.  The  new  Constitution  provided  that  this  change  in  the 
judiciary  system  should  not  go  in  effect  until  January  1,  1896. 
The  new  Constitution  made  the  following  important  provisions : 
Providing  for  the  trial  of  impeachments  when  preferred  by  the 
Legislature  or  the  Governor.  This  Court  of  Impeachment  will 
consist  of  the  Lieutenant-Governor,  the  State  Senators  and  the 
Court  of  Appeals. 

For  a  Court  of  Appeals,  consisting  of  a  Chief  Judge  and  six 
Associate  Judges,  elected  by  the  people  of  the  whole  State,  to 
hold  their  offices  for  the  term  of  fourteen  years.  The  salary 
of  the  Chief  Judge  is  $10,500,  and  of  the  Associate  Judges 
$10,000,  with  an  allowance  of  $2,000  each  for  expenses.  This 
Court  is  to  have  jurisdiction  to  hear  and  determine  appeals  from 
the  orders  or  judgments  of  the  Appellate  Division  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  and,  except  where  the  judgment  is  of  death, 
it  is  limited  to  the  review  of  questions  of  law. 


134  :maxual  axd  civil  list. 

The  Appellate  Division,  in  any  department,  may  allow  an 
appeal  upon  any  question  of  law  which,  in  its  opinion,  ought 
to  be  reviewed  by  the  Court  of  Appeals.  The  Constitution  also 
says:  "  No  unanimous  decision  of  the  Appellate  Division  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  that  there  is  evidence  supporting  or  tend- 
ing to  sustain  a  finding  of  fact,  or  a  verdict  not  directed  by  the 
Court,  shall  be  reviewed  by  the  Court  of  Appeals,  except  where 
the  judgment  is  of  death."  The  Legislature  is  authorized  to 
further  restrict  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Court  and  the  right  to 
appeal  thereto :  but  the  right  of  appeal  is  not  to  depend  on  the 
amount  involved. 

The  new  Constitution  abolished  Circuit  Courts  and  Courts  of 
Oyer  and  Terminer,  and  provided  that  after  December  31,  1895, 
their  jurisdiction  be  vested  in  the  Supreme  Court.  The  State, 
the  new  Constitution  says,  is  to  be  divided  into  four  judicial 
departments.  The  first,  composed  of  New  York  County,  and 
the  others,  to  be  divided  by  the  Legislature,  must  be  bounded 
by  county  lines,  and  be  compact  and  equal  in  population  as 
nearly  as  may  be.  Judicial  departments,  according  to  the  Con- 
stitution, may  be  altered  once  in  ten  years,  but  without  increas- 
ing the  number.  The  Appellate  Division  of  the  Supreme  Court 
shall  consist  of  seven  Justices  in  the  first  department  and  five 
in  each  of  the  other  departments.  (Westchester  County  is  in 
the  second  department  of  the  Appellate  Division.)  Under  the 
new  Constitution,  General  Terms  of  the  Supreme  Court  were 
abolished  and  their  jurisdiction  transferred  to  the  Appellate 
Division.  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  are  elected  for  a  term 
of  fourteen  years.  A  Justice  whose  term  of  office  has  been 
abridged  by  limitation  of  age  may,  with  his  consent,  be  assigned 
by  the  Governor  to  any  duty  in  the  Supreme  Court,  while  his 
compensation  is  continued. 

The  Constitution  of  1894  provided  that  ''the  Legislature  may 
erect  out  of  the  Second  Judicial  District  as  now  constituted, 
another  judicial  district  and  apportion  the  Justices  in  office 
between  the  districts,  and  provide  for  the  election  of  additional 
Justices  in  the  new  district  not  exceeding  the  limit  herein  pro- 
vided."  In  accordance  with  this  provision,  the  Ninth  Judicial 
District,  of  which  Westchester  County  is  a  part,  was  erected. 

Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  are  prohibited,  by  the  Consti- 
tution, from  holding  any  other  office  or  place  of  public  trust ; 
from  exercising  any  power  of  appointment  to  public  office,  and 
from  practicing  as  attorney  or  counsellor,  or  acting  as  referee. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  135 

They  are  removable  by  concurrent  resolution  of  both  Houses 
of  the  Legislature,  if  two-thirds  of  all  the  members  elected  to 
each  branch  concur  therein. 


Back  of  fifty  years  ago,  during  the  continuance  of  the  former 
Judicial  District  (when  Westchester  County  was  combined  wdth 
the  County  of  Kings  and  other  counties  composing  the  district), 
as  a  rule  Westchester  County  received  little  or  no  consideration 
when  it  came  to  selecting  men  to  fill  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court.  Up  to  1859  Westchester  County  stood  modestly 
back,  and  the  bigger  county  of  Kings,  with  delegates  to  nomi- 
nating convention  overpowering  in  number,  confiscated  all  the 
Judgeships.  In  that  year,  through  the  infiuence  of  Hon.  Thomas 
Smith,  who  was  then  the  local  Judge,  as  well  as  editor  and  owner 
of  the  Yonkers  Herald  newspaper,  and  recognized  Democratic 
leader  of  Yonkers,  it  was  agreed  to  give  Westchester  County 
recognition  long  delayed.  Judge  Smith  was  specially  honored 
by  being  permitted  to  name  his  choice,  with  the  expressed  under- 
standing that  such  choice  would  be  duly  ratified.  Much  to  the 
surprise  of  the  gentleman  selected,  the  Judge  named  William 
W.  Scrugham,  of  his  own  town  of  Yonkers.  The  selection  was 
not  made  on  personal  grounds,  but  owing  solely  to  the  belief 
that  Mr.  Scrugham,  who  stood  well  as  a  representative  of  the 
Westchester  County  bar,  was  well  equipped  for  the  office  and 
would  fill  the  place  most  acceptably  to  citizens  generally,  regard- 
less of  politics.  The  nomination  of  Mr.  Scrugham  was  made 
unanimously.  Judge  Smith  presenting  his  name  to  the  Judicial 
Convention ;  his  election  follow^ed,  by  a  large  majority.  The 
writer  of  this  was  present  when  Mr.  Scrugham  sought  an  inter- 
view with  Judge  Smith,  and  heard  him  tell  the  Judge  that  he 
was  under  everlasting  obligation  to  him,  and  to  him  alone,  for 
his  selection  as  a  candidate  for  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  asked  why  he  was  so  particularly  favored,  when  he  had  no 
political  claim  upon  the  Judge;  it  w^as  then  that  the  latter 
related  to  Mr.  Scrugham  the  reason  for  it,  of  his  belief  that  the 
people  demanded  of  every  political  party  the  nomination  of  the 
best  men  obtainable  to  hold  public  office  and  discharge  public 
trusts;  men  responsible  for  nominations  should  not  be  influ- 
enced by  personal  considerations;  w^hat  would  serve  the  people 
best  should  be  first  thought  of. 

Justice    Scrugham 's    career    on    the    bench    justified    Judge 
Smith's  good  opinion  of  him.     The  election  of  Scrugham  was 


136  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

that  of  the  first  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  elected  from  this 
county,  but  not  the  last.  Next  came,  in  1867,  the  election  of 
Abraham  B.  Tappen,  of  Fordham,  and  later  of  Tuckahoe, 
Yonkers ;  then  followed  the  first  election  of  Jackson  0.  Dykman, 
of  White  Plains,  in  1875,  who  was  re-elected  fourteen  years  later, 
in  1889 ;  and  finally,  in  the  old  district,  in  1895,  came  the  elec- 
tion of  Martin  J.  Keogh,  of  New  Rochelle,  who  is  still  on  the 
bench,  having  with  great  credit  served  fourteen  years,  and  who 
was  unanimously  re-elected  in  1909  in  the  new  district. 

At  the  termination  of  Justice  Tappen 's  eight  years'  term  of 
office,  in  1875,  he  was  a  candidate  to  succeed  himself;  he  was 
renominated  by  the  Democratic  Judicial  Convention,  with  every 
prospect  of  re-election.  From  causes  not  necessary  to  enumerate, 
a  formidable  opposition  to  Justice  Tappen  had  sprung  up 
within  the  Democratic  party.  This  opposition,  while  not  power- 
ful enough  to  prevent  Tappen 's  renomination,  was  of  sufficient 
strength  to  justify  the  holding  of  a  Convention  and  the  nomi- 
nating of  an  independent  Democratic  candidate  for  Supreme 
Court  Justice.  Such  a  convention  was  held,  in  September,  1875, 
in  Brooklyn.  Of  the  willing  aspirants,  the  choice  fell  upon 
Jackson  0.  Dykman,  of  White  Plains,  who  just  previously  had 
served  a  term  as  District-Attorney  of  W^estchester  County.  The 
Republican  Judicial  Convention,  held  nearby,  realizing  it  impos- 
sible to  elect  an  out  and  out  Republican,  and  to  encourage 
Democratic  splits  on  general  principles,  endorsed  the  nomina- 
tion of  Mr.  Dykman.  Then  began  one  of  the  most  exciting  and 
peculiar  political  campaigns  for  an  important  judicial  office 
ever  held  in  this  State.  Democrats  were  arraigned  against 
Democrats,  and  Republicans  against  Republicans,  the  latter 
deciding  they  could  vote  as  pleased  them,  both  candidates  being 
Democrats.  In  Yonkers,  where  Justice  Tappen  resided,  Demo- 
cratic and  Republican  leaders  agreed  to  the  destroying  of  Dyk- 
man ballots,  printed  in  the  old  form,  that  Tappen  might  receive 
the  total  vote  of  the  town ;  as  a  result  Dvkman  received  but  a 
few  scatterino^  votes  in  Yonkers  on  election  da  v.  In  Orange 
County,  where  the  opposition  to  Tappen  originated,  the  tactics 
employed  by  Tappen 's  friends  in  Yonkers  were  used  to  help 
Dykman,  particularly  in  the  city  of  Newburgh,  where  but  few 
votes  for  Tappen  found  their  Avay  into  the  ballot  box.  The 
majority  for  Dykman  in  Newburgh  more  than  offset  the  majority 
for    Tappen    in   Yonkers.     After   Dykman 's    election,    Tappen 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  137 

retired  from  politics,  and  devoted  his  time  to  legal  practice  and 
his  farm  in  Tuckahoe. 

APPELLATE    DIVISION    JUSTICES. 

Designation  of  Presiding  and  Associate  Justices  for  the  four 
Judicial  Departments,  in  which  the  State  is  divided,  to  com- 
pose the  Appellate  Divisions,  is  made  by  the  Governor,  pur- 
suant to  section  2,  article  6,  of  the  Constitution. 

A  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  in  any  Judicial  District, 
may  be  assigned  to  duty  in  any  other  Judicial  District  Court 
of  the  State.  The  Governor  may  select  from  any  Judicial  Dis- 
trict, when  choosing  Justices  to  become  members  of  an  Appel- 
late Division  Court.  Such  selection  is  considered  a  special 
honor  by  the  Justice  chosen. 

No  Justice  of  the  Appellate  Division  can  exercise  any  of  the 
powers  of  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  other  than  those  of 
a  Justice  out  of  court,  and  those  pertaining  to  the  Appellate 
Division,  or  to  the  hearing  and  decision  of  motions  submitted 
by  consent  of  counsel. 

The  Appellate  Court  of  the  Second  Department,  of  which 
the  Ninth  Judicial  District  is  a  part,  is  located  in  Brooklyn. 

The  Second  Department  consists  of  the  Second  and  Ninth 
Judicial  Districts.  The  Second  Judicial  District  (of  which 
Westchester  County  was  formerly  a  part)  includes  the  counties 
of  Kings,  Queens,  Richmond,  Suffolk  and  Nassau.  The  Ninth 
Judicial  District  is  composed  of  counties  taken  by  special  act 
of  the  Legislature  from  the  Second  Judicial  District  and  formed 
into  a  separate  district,  viz. :  Westchester,  Dutchess,  Orange, 
Rockland  and  Putnam. 

From  the  date  of  organization  of  the  Ninth  Judicial  District, 
in  1906,  to  1909,  the  Justices  comprising  the  Second  Department 
Appellate  Court  were,  viz. :  Michael  H.  Hirschberg,  of  the 
Ninth  District,  Presiding  Justice;  John  Woodward,  Almet  F. 
Jenks,  AVilliam  J.  Gaynor,  Adelbert  P.  Rich,  Warren  B.  Hooker 
and  Nathan  L.  Miller,  Associate  Justices. 

Governor  Hughes  made  an  appointment  to  succeed  Justice 
Hooker,  as  an  Associate  Justice,  in  January,  1909,  and  other 
appointments  followed  when  necessary  to  keep  the  number  up 
to  the  required  five.  The  last  vacancy  was  that  caused  by  the 
resignation  of  Justice  Gaynor,  who  became  Mayor  of  Greater 
New  York,  January  1,  1910. 


138  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

The  Second  Department  Appellate  Division,  at  the  beginning 
of  1910,  was  composed  as  follows:  Justice  Hirschberg,  of  New- 
burgh  (in  the  Ninth  Judicial  District),  presiding,  and  Associate 
Justices  Almet  F.  Jenks,  Joseph  A.  Burr  and  Edward  B. 
Thomas,  of  Brooklyn,  and  John  Woodward,  of  Jamestown. 
(The  Governor  may  select  Justices  from  any  section  of  the 
State  to  compose  Appellate  Courts.) 

Official  records  give  the  ages  of  Associate  Justices  of  this 
Appellate  Court  to  be  as  follows,  in  the  year  1910 :  Justice 
Burr,  who  was  55  when  elected  in  1899,  is  66  in  1910,  and  will 
reach  the  age  limit  when  his  term  expires,  December  31,  1913. 
Justice  Thomas,  who  was  58  when  elected  in  1904,  is  64  in  1910 ; 
will  be  72  years  of  age  when  his  term  expires  in  1918.  Justice 
Jenks,  who  was  45  years  of  age  when  last  elected,  in  1898,  is 
57  in  1910,  and  will  be  59  when  his  term  expires  in  1912.  Jus- 
tice AVoodward,  whose  term  expires  this  year,  was  but  37  years 
of  age  when  elected  fourteen  years  ago ;  was  but  51  years  old 
in  January,  1911.  Chief  Justice  Hirschberg,  whose  new  term 
commenced  January  1,  1911,  was  49  years  of  age  fourteen 
years  ago. 

Governor  Dix,  on  January  7,  1911,  designated  Justice  Almet 
F.  Jenks  as  Presiding  Justice  of  the  Appellate  Division,  of  the 
Second  District,  and  named  AYilliam  J.  Carr  as  an  Associate 
Justice  of  the  Appellate  Division.  Justice  Hirschberg,  whom 
Justice  Jenks  succeeds  as  Presiding  Justice,  was  re-elected  in 
the  Ninth  Judicial  District  as  a  Justice  in  1910,  was,  in  January, 
1911,  named  by  Gov.  Dix  for  Associate  Justice,  of  the  same 
court,  for  the  full  term  of  five  years. 

NINTH    JUDICIAL    DISTRICT. 

A  special  act  of  the  State  Legislature  creating  the  Ninth 
Judicial  District,  composed  of  the  counties  of  Westchester, 
Dutchess.  Orange,  Rockland  and  Putnam,  was  passed  in  1906* 
and  the  first  Supreme  Court  Justices  chosen  for  this  new  Judi- 
cial District  were  elected  at  the  general  election  held  in  Novem- 
ber, 1906. 

Isaac  N.  Mills,  of  Mount  Vernon,  Westchester  County,  Arthur 
S.   Tompkins,  of  Nyack,  Rockland  County,  and  Joseph  Mors- 


*The  bill  providing  for  this  act  was  first  suggested  and  drafted  by  Hon- 
Theodore  H.  Silkman,  Surrogate  of  Westchester  county,  and  the  bill  was 
introduced  in  both  branches  of  the  Legislature  by  representatives  from  this 

countv. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  139 

chauser,  of  Poughkeepsie,  Dutchess  County,  were  chosen  as 
Supreme  Court  Justices,  and  they,  together  with  Justice  Martin 
J.  Keogh,  of  New  Rochelle,  Westchester  County,  and  Michael 
H.  Hirschberg,  of  Newburgh,  Orange  County,  are  associated 
with  the  new  Ninth  Judicial  District  Supreme  Court. 

The  terms  of  office  of  the  several  Justices  expire  on  dates  as 
follows : 

Isaac  N.  Mills December  31,  1920 

Arthur  S.   Tompkins December  31,  1920 

Joseph  Morschauser   December  31,  1920 

Martin   J.   Keogh December  31,  1923 

Michael  H.  Hirschberg December  31,  1924 

Justice  Keogh  and  Justice  Hirschberg  were  transferred  from 
the  Second  Judicial  District  to  the  new  Ninth  Judicial  District, 
on  account  of  their  being  residents  within  counties  included  in 
the  new  district. 

Justice  Keogh,  whose  first  term  expired  December  31,  1909, 
was  unanimously  renominated  by  both  the  Democratic  and  the 
Republican  political  parties,  in  separate  and  in  joint  conven- 
tion, in  1909,  and  his  election  followed,  for  a  term  ending 
December  31,  1923. 

Justice  Hirschberg  was  unanimously  renominated  for  Supreme 
Court  Justice,  Ninth  Judicial  District,  by  both  the  Republican 
and  the  Democratic  political  parties,  and  re-elected  in  1910. 

The  Justices  of  the  Ninth  Judicial  District  are  all  men  in 
the  prime  and  vigor  of  life,  fitted  for  many  years  of  usefulness. 
According  to  official  record,  in  1910,  as  the  age  has  to  be  stated 
when  filing  oath  of  office.  Justice  Hirschberg  is  entering  his 
63d  year;  Justice  Keogh  was,  on  January  1,  57  years  of  age; 
Justice  Mills  is  in  his  58th  year;  Justice  Morschauser  owns  up 
to  46,  and  is  proud  of  it;  and  Justice  Tompkins,  the  youngest 
of  the  number,  is  close  on  to  44  years  of  age. 

The  Judiciary  of  the  Ninth  District  has  been  everywhere 
spoken  of  in  terms  that  make  residents  of  the  district  proud. 
It  is  admitted  that  no  collusion  or  fraud  can  stand  before  our 
Judiciary. 

This  is  the  character  that  causes  capital  to  seek  employment 
here;  this  is  the  character  that  gives  security  to  our  rights,  and 
value  to  our  property;  and  to  these  combined  causes  are  to  be 
attributed  a  large  portion  of  the  flowing  prosperity  that  is  felt 
throughout  every  portion  of  the  Judicial  District. 


140  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

The  salaries  of  the  Justices  were  made  $6,000  per  annum; 
besides  which  they  receive  an  annual  allowance  of  $1,200  each 
for  expenses  (except  in  the  First  District).  The  Justices  of  the 
Second  District  each  receive  an  additional  annual  allowance 
of  $10,300,  which  amount  is  levied  on  the  counties  in  said  dis- 
trict by  the  State  Comptroller.  The  total  salary  received  by 
each  Justice  in  the  Second  District  being  $17,500  per  annum. 

The  law  regulating  the  salar}^  of  a  Supreme  Court  Justice  in 
the  Second  Judicial  District  (which  was  divided  to  make  the 
Ninth  Judicial  District)  was  made  applicable  to  the  new  (the 
Ninth)  district.  Therefore  the  Justices  in  this  latter  Judicial 
District  also  receive  a  salary  of  $17,500  per  annum  each. 

The  salary  of  a  confidential  clerk,  to  each  Justice,  is  fixed  at 
$2,500  per  annum. 

The  business  transacted  in  the  local  Supreme  Court  has  grown 
rapidly.  It  was  not  many  years  ago  that  the  Supreme  Court 
sitting  in  this  county  held  but  four  terms  a  year,  each  term 
lasting  about  three  weeks.  The  increasing  legal  business  of  the 
county,  together  with  that  contributed  by  the  nearby  large 
cities,  made  it  necessary  for  the  creation  of  a  new  Judicial  Dis- 
trict and  the  providing  of  more  Judges.  As  a  result,  we  have 
the  Ninth  Judicial  District  Supreme  Courts,  ready  and  able 
to  dispatch  all  business  presented.  Two  trial  parts  have  been 
established  in  the  county,  giving  eighteen  terms  of  court  of  four 
weeks  each,  with  four  terms  of  Special  Term  for  trials,  in  addi- 
tion to  Special  Term  days  on  Saturday  for  the  hearing  of 
motions. 

The  naturalization  of  aliens,  presided  over  by  a  Supreme 
Court  Justice,  is  under  the  supervision  of  the  United  States 
Government. 


COUNTY  COURT. 

(Continued  from  page  100,  Vol.  1.) 

On  the  erection  of  the  County  of  AYestchester,  in  1683,  West- 
chester, in  the  southern  section  of  the  county,  was  made  the 
Countv  Towji  bv  an  act  of  the  General  Assemblv,  pavssed  in 
October  of  that  vear,  which  act  directed  that  Courts  of  Sessions 
for  the  county  should  be  held  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  June  and 
December,  one  to  be  held  in  the  village  of  Westchester  and  the 
other  in  the  callage  of  Eastchester.  On  the  first  AYednesday  of 
December  a  "  Court  of  Oyer  and  Terminer  and  general  jail 
delivery  "  was  to  be  held. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  141 

From  official  records  it  is  learned  that  the  first  Court  of 
Sessions  in  this  county  was  held  on  June  3,  1684. 

John  Pell,  of  Pelham,  was,  in  1684,  appointed  the  first  County 
Judge  and  he  continued  in  office  until  1693,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Caleb  Heathcote,  of  Mamaroneck,  who  served  until 
1721;  William  Willett,  of  Harrison,  served  to  1732;  Frederick 
Philipse,  of  Yonkers,  to  1734;  Israel  Honeywell,  of  Yonkers, 
from  1734  to  1737,  and  1740  to  1743,  and  who  were  followed  in 
succession  by  others,  as  shown  on  page  100,  volume  1. 

Westchester  continued  to  be  the  county  seat  until  November 
6,  1759,  when  the  last  session  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
was  held  there. 

The  Court  House  in  Westchester  was  destroyed  by  fire  on 
February  4,  1758.  Recognizing  the  necessity  of  locating  the 
County  Court  House  in  a  locality  more  central,  it  was  decided 
not  to  rebuild  the  Court  House  in  Westchester  village.  To 
secure  proper  authority  to  designate  a  new  ''  shire  town  " 
and  construct  a  new  Court  House,  the  General  Assembly  was 
appealed  to.  On  December  16,  1758,  the  following  legislative 
act  was  passed: 

''An  Act  to  empower  the  Justices  of  the  Peace  and  Aldermen 
of  the  Borough  of  Westchester,  in  Conjunction  with  the  Super- 
visors of  Westchester  County,  to  ascertain  and  fix  a  place  for 
erecting  a  new  Court  and  a  new  Court  House  and  gaol  for  the 
said  county;  and  for  raising  a  sum  not  exceeding  one  thousand 
pounds,  on  the  estates,  real  and  personal,  of  all  the  freeholders 
and  inhabitants  of  the  said  county,  for  and  towards  erecting 
the  said  Court  House  and  gaol." 

AVhite  Plains  village  was  selected  as  the  county  seat,  princi- 
pally through  the  eftorts  of  Dr.  Robert  Graham,  who  was  Super- 
visor of  White  Plains  and  later  a  County  Judge.  He  gave  to 
the  county  the  site,  on  Broadway,  White  Plains,  upon  which 
the  Court  House  was  erected.     (See  page  33,  volume  1.) 

On  November  5,  1776,  at  midnight,  a  party  of  disorderly  per- 
sons, said  to  be  "  straggling  "  followers  of  the  American  Army, 
set  fire  to  this  Court  House,  more  for  the  fun  of  seeing  it  burn 
than  for  anything  else.  Fortunately  the  records  of  the  Courts 
and  of  the  Provisional  Convention  were  removed  previous  to 
the  Court  House  being  destroyed. 

Courts  were  held  during  the  Revolutionary  War  period  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Bedford,  until  the  destruction  of 
the  church  building  by  the  British  in  1779.     From  latter  date 


142  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

courts  were  held  in  the  meeting  house  in  Upper  Salem,  until 
1784. 

The  General  Assembly,  on  April  11,  1785,  passed  an  act  order- 
ing that  sessions  of  the  courts  be  held  in  the  Presbyterian  meet- 
ing house  in  Bedford,  until  the  Court  House  should  be  rebuilt, 
or  until  further  orders  of  the  General  Assembly.  An  act  passed 
May  1,  1786,  by  the  General  Assembly,  authorized  the  erection 
of  Court  Houses  in  both  White  Plains  and  Bedford,  and  eigh- 
teen hundred  pounds  was  appropriated  for  the  purpose.  Stephen 
Ward,  Thomas  Thomas,  Ebenezer  Purdy,  Richard  Hatfield, 
Ebenezer  Lockwood,  Jonathan  G.  Tompkins  and  Richard 
Sackett,  Jr.,  were  named  as  a  committee  to  superintend  the 
construction. 

The  first  session  of  the  County  Court  was  held  in  Bedford 
Court  House  on  January  28,  1788,  and  a  session  was  held  in 
AVhite  Plains  on  May  26,  same  year.  For  many  years  courts 
were  held  alternately  at  these  places. 

The  site  of  the  second  Court  House  in  AYhite  Plains  is  now 
occupied  by  the  Armorj^  of  the  local  State  Militia  company. 

The  third  Court  House  in  White  Plains,  was  erected  on 
Railroad  Avenue,  in  that  village,  in  1857,  at  a  cost  of  nearly 
$150,000.  In  1894  a  wing  was  added  on  the  west  side,  to  be 
used  as  a  "  hall  of  records,"  at  a  cost  of  about  $40,000.  (See 
page  36,  volume  1.) 

In  1910  was  completed  additions  to  the  original  building  that 
nearly  doubled  its  size,  the  cost  of  new  work  reaching  nearly 
$700,000. 

The  new  Constitution  of  the  State  abolished  the  office  of  Jus- 
tice of  Sessions  and  consolidated  the  County  Court  and  the 
County  Court  of  Sessions  under  the  title  of  County  Court.  The 
final  sitting  of  the  AYestchester  County  Court  of  Sessions  was 
held  on  December  31,  1895. 

Four  courts,  three  Supreme  and  a  County  Court,  are  in  almost 
constant  session  in  the  County.  The  Surrogate's  Court  is  held 
on  four  days  weekly  during  the  year,  excepting  the  month  of 
August. 

The  County  Court,  in  1890,  held  only  four  terms  a  year,  with 
an  average  of  twenty-five  cases  on  the  calendar  for  a  term,  no 
term  lasting  more  than  four  weeks.  Now  the  County  Court 
sessions  are  almost  continuous,  excepting  the  summer  vacation 
season,   and   frequently   the   increase   in  business   requires   the 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  143 

running  of  one  term  into  the  next,  and  the  number  of  cases  on 
the  term  calendar  has  increased  at  the  rate  of  six  to  one. 

County  Courts  are  continued  by  the  new  Constitution  with 
original  jurisdiction  in  actions  for  the  recovery  of  money  only 
where  the  defendants  reside  in  the  county,  and  in  which  the 
complainant  demands  judgment  for  a  sum  not  exceeding  $2,000. 
The  Legislature  is  given  the  power  to  enlarge  or  restrict  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  County  Courts,  but  not  beyond  the  limit  of 
$2,000.  County  Judges  are  to  hold  their  offices  for  six  years. 
Under  the  Constitution,  which  went  into  effect  January  1,  1896, 
Courts  of  Sessions  were  abolished,  except  in  the  county  of 
New  York.  Kings  County  is  authorized  to  have  two  County 
Judges. 

The  Legislature  may,  on  application  of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors, provide  for  the  election  of  a  local  officer  to  discharge  the 
duties  of  County  Judge,  in  case  of  inability  or  of  a  vacancy, 
and  in  such  other  cases  as  may  be  provided  by  law,  and  to  exer- 
cise such  other  powers  in  special  cases  as  are  or  may  be  pro- 
vided by  law.  No  County  Judge  shall  hold  office  longer  than 
until  and  including  the  last  day  of  December  next  after  he 
shall  arrive  at  seventy  j^ears  of  age.  Vacancies  occurring  in 
the  office  of  County  Judge  shall  be  filled  in  the  same  manner 
as  like  vacancies  occurring  in  the  Supreme  Court.  The  com- 
pensation of  any  County  Judge  shall  not  be  increased  or  dimin- 
ished during  his  term  of  office.  His  salary  is  established  by 
act  of  the  Legislature,  and  is  made  payable  out  of  the  County 
Treasury.  A  County  Judge  of  any  county  may  hold  County 
Courts  in  any  other  county  when  requested  by  the  Judge  of  such 
other  county.  The  County  Judge  of  Westchester  County  is 
prohibited  from  practicing  as  an  attorney  or  counselor  in  any 
court  of  record  of  this  State,  or  act  as  referee,  as  the  county 
has  a  population  exceeding  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand. 

The  salary  of  the  present  County  Judge  of  Westchester 
County  is  $10,000  per  annum,  as  fixed  by  special  act  of  the 
Legislature ;  Laws  of  1907,  chap.  256.  The  salary  was  formerly 
$7,500  per  annum,  fixed  by  the  Legislature ;  Laws  of  1901,  chap. 
584. 

The  State  Legislature  passed  a  special  act  in  1903,  chap.  601, 
authorizing  the  County  Judge  of  Westchester  County  to  appoint 
a  Court  Crier,  at  a  fixed  compensation  of  $1,200  per  annum,  to 
be  paid  in  monthly  installments  by  the  County  Treasurer. 


144  MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

The  following  named  residents  of  the  county,  in  addition  to 
those  mentioned  in  volume  one,  have  held  this  office: 

Smith  Lent,  Sing  Sing,  1896  to  1902. 

William  P.  Piatt,  White  Plains,  1902  to  1908 ;  re-elected  and 
served  from  1908,  now  acting. 


Present   Clerk   of   Court,    Gerald   Fitzgerald;    Stenographer, 


William  L.  Milligan. 


SURROGATE'S  COURT. 

(Continued  from  page  101,  Vol.  1.) 

The  State  Constitution,  adopted  in  1894,  provides  that  the 
Surrogate  and  Surrogate's  Courts  shall  have  the  jurisdiction 
and  powers  which  the  Surrogate  and  Surrogate's  Courts  form- 
erly possessed,  until  otherwise  provided  by  the  Legislature. 
The  County  Judge  shall  be  Surrogate  of  his  county  except 
where  a  separate  Surrogate  has  been  elected  (as  in  Westchester 
County).  In  counties  having  a  population  exceeding  forty 
thousand,  wherein  there  is  no  separate  Surrogate,  the  Legisla- 
ture may  provide  for  the  election  of  a  separate  officer  to  be 
Surrogate,  whose  term  of  office  shall  be  six  years.  When  the 
Surrogate  shall  be  elected  as  a  separate  officer  his  salary  shall 
be  established  by  law,  payable  out  of  the  County  Treasury.  No 
County  Judge  or  Surrogate  shall  hold  office  longer  than  until 
and  including  the  last  day  of  December  next  after  he  shall  be 
seventy  years  of  age.  Vacancies  occurring  in  the  office  of  Sur- 
rogate shall  be  filled  in  the  same  manner  as  like  vacancies  occur- 
mg  in  the  Supreme  Court.  The  compensation  of  any  Surrogate 
shall  not  be  increased  or  diminished  during  his  term  of  office. 
For  the  relief  of  Surrogate's  Courts  the  Legislature  may  confer 
upon  the  Supreme  Court  in  any  county  having  a  population 
exceeding  four  hundred  thousand,  the  powers  and  jurisdiction 
of  Surrogates,  with  authority  to  try  issues  of  fact  by  jury  in 
probate  cases. 

The  Legislature  may,  on  application  of  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors, provide  for  the  election  of  local  officers,  not  to  exceed  two 
in  any  county,  to  discharge  the  duties  of  Surrogate,  in  case  of 
inability  or  of  a  vacancy,  and  in  such  cases  as  may  be  provided 
by  law,  and  to  exercise  such  other  powers  in  special  cases  as  are 
or  may  be  provided  by  law. 


^  i 


F 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


145 


Prior  to  1846  Surrogates  for  Westchester  County  were 
appointed;  the  first  elected  Surrogate  of  this  county  entered 
upon  his  duties  January  1,  1848.  By  special  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature, passed  April  10,  1833,  the  office  and  court  of  the  Surro- 
gate was  established  in  the  County  Court  House  in  the  village 
of  White  Plains,  to  which  place  the  same  were  removed  on 
May  10,  1833. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  passed  May  27,  1889,  the 
salary  of  the  Surrogate  was  fixed  at  $6,000  per  annum.  By 
special  act  of  the  Legislature,  passed  May  10,  1906,  the  salary 
was  fixed  at  $7,500  per  annum,  as  it  is  now.  The  term  of 
office  is  six  years. 

Regular  terms  of  this  Court  are  held  in  White  Plains.  Special 
term  is  held  in  Yonkers  every  Wednesday  and  in  Peekskill  the 
fourth  Thursday  in  each  month.  No  regular  Court  is  held  dur- 
ing July,  August  and  September. 

In  addition  to  the  names  already  given  (in  volume  one)  the 
following  named  residents  have  held  this  office  in  this  county: 

Theodore  H.  Silkman,  of  Yonkers,  for  twelve  years,  from 
1895  to  1907  (died  August  22,  1910). 

Frank  V.  Millard,  of  Tarrytown,  from  1907,  now  acting. 

OFFICIAL  STAFF   OF   THE   SURROGATE'S   COURT. 

Frank  E.  Clark,  Chief  Clerk;  David  S.  Murden,  Deputy 
Clerk;  George  H.  Peene,  Record  Clerk;  Wallace  Dutcher,  Chief 
Recording  Clerk;  Louis  A.  Houghtaling,  Assistant  Recording 
Clerk;  Alfred  Pendorf,  Index  and  Accounting  Clerk;  James  H. 
Howorth,  Office  Stenographer  and  Clerk;  J.  Flanagan,  Court 
Stenographer;  William  T.  Ferguson,  Solomon  D.  Oakley  and 
Timothy  Dwyer,  Court  Officers. 

Anson  Baldwin,  of  Yonkers,  in  1911  resigned  the  Chief  Clerk- 
ship he  had  held  since  1902. 


Biographical  Sketches. 


Hon.   martin  J.   KEOGH. 

Martin  Jerome  Keogh,  Justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  was  born  in  Ire- 
land, the  land  which  has  produced  so 
many  of  our  substantial  and  honored 
citizens,  a  son  of  John  and  Margaret 
Keogh,  in  the  year  1853.  His  parents 
died  when  he  was  quite  young  and 
he  became  a  charge  of  an  uncle;  to 
his  own  labor  is  due  the  good  educa- 
tion he  has;    the  lad's  independent 


nature  caused  him  to  ' '  strike  out  for 
himself  ' '  as  soon  as  the  opportunity 
afforded.  The  young  student  read 
much  of  American  history,  and  hia 
reading  created  in  him  a  desire  to  be 
in  the  '^  new  country  "  that  offered 
so  many  advantages  to  the  indus- 
trious ambitious.  Impatiently  he 
waited  an  opportunity,  which  came 
in  his  early  manhood.  He  was  not 
overburdened     with     worldly     goods 


146 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


when  he  landed  on  the  American 
shore,  but  he  did  possess  -what  was 
greater  than  riches,  the  vigor  of 
youth  and  a  determination  to  suc- 
ceed, regardless  of  obstacles.  He  was 
virtually  friendless  in  a  strange  coun- 
try; he  brought  no  letters  of  intro- 
duction to  intiuential  residents;  his 
only  recommendation  was  an  honest 
face  and  an  evident  determination  to 
' '  make  good, ' '  if  given  a  chance. 

Possessed  of  a  bright  intellect,  re- 
inforced by  quick  native  wit  and  a 
jovial,  happy  disposition,  he  made 
friends  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact. 

Willing  to  do  whatever  his  hands 
found  to  do,  he  was  employed  in  vari- 
ous capacities,  until  new  acquaint- 
ances, becoming  aware  of  possibili- 
ties in  his  connection,  recommended 
to  him  that  he  devote  some  of  his 
time  to  legal  study.  As  a  result  of 
this  kindly  advice,  he  spent  all  the 
time  possible  outside  of  his  daily  la- 
bor in  other  directions,  to  the  myster- 
ies of  the  law;  he  worked  as  a  news- 
paper reporter,  or  in  store  or  shop, 
in  the  day  time  and  at  night  after 
he  had  retired  to  his  humble  hall 
room  he  studied,  as  the  midnight  oil 
burned.  The  money  he  earned  ' '  in 
trade"  he  carefully  saved,  after  pay- 
ing his  slight  expenses.  In  due 
course  of  time  he  was  able  to  enter 
the  New  York  University  Law  School, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1875, 
with  high  honors  and  the  degree  of 
LL.B.;  in  1906  the  degree  of  LL.D. 
was  conferred  upon  him. 

The  same  year  he  graduated  from 
Law  School  he  became  a  resident  of 
New  Eochelle,  where  he  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  as  a  part- 
ner in  the  firm  of  Banks  &  Keogh. 
On  Mr.  Banks  being  elected  County 
Eegister,  this  partnership  was  dis- 
solved the  first  part  of  January,  1878. 
For  a  time  Mr.  Keogh  continued 
alone.  Later  he  became  associated 
with  John  W.  Boothby,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Keogh  &  Boothby,  with 
offices  in  New  Rochelle  and  Port 
Chester.  At  the  dissolution  of  this 
latter  partnership,  Mr.  Keogh  con- 
ducted business  on  his  own  account, 
having  offices  in  New  York  City  and 
New  Rochelle. 

He  for  a  period  served  as  Cor- 
poration Counsel  of  the  village  of 
New  Rochelle.  but  soon  found  that 
his    rapidly    increasing    law   practice 


would  debar  him  from  public  oflS.ce 
holding. 

He  was  always  regarded  as  an 
eminently  safe  counsellor  and  an  ex- 
ceedingly effective  practitioner  at  the 
bar.  As  a  criminal  lawyer,  he  had 
few  equals  in  the  State,  and  justly 
gained  an  enviable  State-wide  repu- 
tation. Before  a  jury  no  man  was 
stronger  or  more  convincing.  His 
personal  appearance  and  manner  were 
calculated  to  impress  a  jury  as  but 
few  pleaders  are  able  to  do.  Of 
commanding  height,  erect  carriage 
and  piercing  eye,  and  with  a  counte- 
nance expressing  intelligence  and 
confidence,  when  he  arose  for  a  for- 
ensic effort,  not  even  his  youth  could 
prevent  a  stranger  from  expecting 
a  superior  display  of  oratorical  abil- 
ity and  legal  acumen.  And  no  dis- 
appointment followed.  His  voice 
swelled  full  and  clear,  his  statements 
of  fact  were  concentrated,  earnest 
and  plain,  and  as  he  warmed  with  his 
subject,  he  would  become  impressive 
and  fervent,  playing  upon  the  sym- 
pathies and  passions  of  listeners  with 
a    master   hand. 

Such  marked  talents  necessarily 
commended  their  possessor  for  po- 
litical preferment. 

In  1892  Mr.  Keogh  was  elected  on 
the  Democratic  ticket  as  a  Presiden- 
tial Elector,  and  he  had  the  pleasure 
as  well  as  the  honor  of  casting  in 
the  Electoral  College  a  ballot  for 
Grover  Cleveland  for  President,  a 
man  for  whom  he  had  the  highest 
regard. 

The  opportunity  to  satisfy  the  am- 
bition of  the  average  lawyer,  and 
the  lawyer  above  the  average,  to 
reach  the  Supreme  Court  bench,  came 
to  him  unsought  in  1895,  when  he 
was  prevailed  upon  to  accept  the 
Democratic  nomination  for  Supreme 
Court  Justice,  for  the  Second  Judi- 
cial District.  General  satisfaction 
was  expressed  by  members  of  the  bar 
throughout  the  judicial  district,  and 
members  of  all  political  parties  ral- 
lied to  ensure  his  election.  Though 
the  election  was  held  in  a  year  when 
the  opposing  political  party  was  gen- 
erally successful,  and  some  of  the 
Republican  candidates  for  the  Su- 
preme Court  Justiceship  were  chosen 
in  this  district,  Mr.  Keogh,  more 
successful  than  others  on  his  ticket, 
Avas  not  carried  under  by  the  '  *  land- 
slide ; "    he  was  chosen   by   a   hand- 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


147 


some  majority,  proving  that  he  had 
been  liberally  supplied  with  all  kinds 
of  votes,  testifying  to  his  well  earned 
popularity. 

At  the  time  of  his  election,  Mr. 
Keogh  was  the  acknowledged  leader 
of  the  Westchester  County  bar,  and 
had  been  president  of  the  County 
Bar  Association.  To  accept  the  po- 
sition on  the  Bench  he  relinquished 
an  extensive  business  paying  yearly 
many  times  more  than  the  salary  he 
would  receive;  beside  his  general 
practice,  he  was  attorney  for  valu- 
able estates. 

In  the  able  discharge  of  duties  as 
a  Justice,  from  the  very  beginning 
of  his  career,  he  justified  the  trust 
placed  in  him  by  the  action  of  the 
people  who  elected  him.  His  just 
treatment  of  advocate  and  client  in- 
creased the  regard  entertained  for 
him.  He  took  first  rank  as  a  jurist, 
and  not  only  were  his  services  desired 
in  his  own  district,  but  he  was  very 
frequently,  by  special  request  of 
those  interested,  assigned  to  preside 
in  courts  of  the  First  Judicial  Dis- 
trict, New  York  city;  had  he  so  de- 
sired, he  could  have  been  assigned 
by  the  Governor  to  serve  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Appellate  Division. 

His  fame  as  a  Justice  had  the  ef- 
fect, not  long  after  his  ascending  the 
bench,  of  bringing  his  name  promi- 
nently before  the  public  as  the  possi- 
ble Democratic  candidate  for  Gov- 
ernor. While  he  fully  appreciated 
the  good  intentions  of  friends,  he 
made  it  known  that  his  name  should 
not  be  considered  as  that  of  an  as- 
pirant for  the  Gubernatorial  nomi- 
nation; he  was  content  to  remain 
where  the  people  had  placed  him — 
on  the  bench.  Again,  in  1910,  he  was 
urged  by  enthusiastic  friends  from 
all  parts  of  the  State  to  accept  the 
Democratic  nomination  for  Governor, 
and  his  name  was  presented  to  the 
State  Convention  held  at  Eochester; 
again  he  sent  the  same  answer — his 
work  had  been  laid  out  for  him  and 
he  would  remain  true  and  serve  the 
people  where  best  he  could. 

Justice  Keogh 's  second  election,  in 
1909,  for  another  term  of  fourteen 
years,  and  especially  the  voluntary 
manner  in  which  it  was  brought 
about,  all  political  parties  compet- 
ing to  do  him  honor,  was  a  great 
compliment  to  him ;  particularly  so, 
as    it   was    the   first    time   that   both 


the  principal  political  parties  united 
in  this  vicinity  to  accord  any  person 
a  joint  nomination. 

As  if  to  prove  further  what  we 
have  here  asserted,  that  Justice 
Keogh 's  fame  is  State-wide,  and  his 
popularity  even  broader,  not  con- 
fined to  a  locality,  like  a  ''Pent  up 
Utica, "  comes  this  statement  of 
fact:  From  January  16  to  March 
30,  1911,  the  Democratic  Legislature, 
in  session  in  Albany,  was  in  a  "  dead- 
lock" over  the  choice  of  a  United 
States  Senator  to  represent  this 
State,  who  was  to  enter  upon  his 
duties  on  April  5,  following.  A  com- 
promise candidate  for  the  position 
was  found  necessary;  a  meeting  of 
Democratic  leaders  was  held  in  New 
York  city  on  March  29;  many  names 
were  proposed,  but  none  proved  ac- 
ceptable until  the  name  of  Justice 
Keogh  was  suggested.  Against  him 
no  protest  came;  he  was  in  no  way 
allied  with  ' '  the  undesirable  inter- 
ests,"  was  connected  with  no  party 
faction,  and  in  all  ways  he  was 
deemed  clean  and  upright;  he  was 
decided  upon  as  the  man  of  the  hour, 
whose  selection  would  appeal  to  all 
Democrats,  * '  regulars, "  "  insur- 
gents,"  or  by  whatever  name  they 
may  be  called.  There  was  no  ques- 
tion as  to  whether  the  amiable  Jus- 
tice would  accept  an  honor  to  reach 
which  is  the  ambition  of  all  men  in 
public  life.  The  Justice  was  seeking 
a  few  days '  rest  in  Hot  Springs,  Va. ; 
a  telegram  was  sent  asking  him  to 
accept.  True,  the  temptation  was 
great;  but  the  Justice's  usual  good 
judgment  told  him  that  the  high 
prize  was  not  for  him  at  this  time, 
his  obligations  lay  in  another  direc- 
tion; though  the  insured  honor  was 
enough  to  entice  any  man,  he  proved 
strong  enough  to  put  it  off,  and  re- 
main in  the  judicial  position  which 
he  so  ably  fills,  which  is  congenial 
to  him  and  in  which  he  gives  satis- 
faction to  the  people. 

Justice  Keogh 's  declination  of  the 
position  of  United  States  Senator 
calls  to  mind  the  remark  of  a  noted 
English  celebrity,  that  '*no  man  can 
be  a  good  lawyer  and  a  good  states- 
man. ' '  Justice  Keogh  is  a  good  law- 
yer, and  this  he  decided  to  remain, 
and  continue  to  give  the  people  of 
this  Judicial  District,  as  usual,  his 
best  service  as  a  Judge. 

We    have   here   spoken    of   Justice 


148 


MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 


Keogh  as  "U'e  knew  him  in  the  days 
when  he  first  began  practice,  exerting 
his  magnetic  influences;  to-dav  we 
know  him  as  meeting  to  the  full  the 
expectations  of  his  many  admirers. 
Possessing  that  old-time  vigor  and 
spirit,  tall,  erect,  manlv,  well-propor- 
tioned, his  jet-black  hair  tinged  with 
grev,  and  a  strong  face  denoting 
unusual  decision  of  character  and 
marked  ability.  His  manner  and 
general  bearing — kind,  courteous  and 
agreeable  to  all  with  whom  he  comes 
in  contact — is  equally  captivating, 
and  all  combined,  contribute  to  ren- 
der him  a  leader  among  his  peers. 

Before  going  upon  the  bench  Mr. 
Keogh  had  the  signal  distinction  of 
being  retained  on  one  side  or  the 
other  in  every  important  suit,  civil 
and  criminal,  which  came  up  in  the 
county,  and,  what  is  more  remark- 
able, his  practice  was  confined  espe- 
cially to  neither. 

He  defended  almost  every  capital 
case  which  was  tried  in  the  county 
while  he  was  at  the  bar,  and,  as  he 
puts  it,  his  clients  were  all  innocent 
and  were  consequently  acquitted. 

He  established  in  Westchester 
County,  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor 
people,  a  Legal  Aid  Society,  and  he 
gets  the  leading  lawyers  of  the 
county  to  take  turns  in  giving  legal 
advice  to  people  who  are  too  poor  to 
pay  a  lawyer.  This  Legal  Aid  So- 
ciety also  gives  instruction  to  appli- 
cants for  citizenship  in  our  system  of 
government  and  has  translated  into 
Italian,  most  interesting  and  instruc- 
tive, a  collection  of  questions  and 
answers  on  subjects  connected  with 
our   republican  form  of  government. 

The  Xew  Rochelle  People's  Forum, 
which  has  attracted  so  much  atten- 
tion, was  the  sole  work  of  Judge 
Keogh.  Its  success  has  been  phe- 
nomenal, and  the  discussions  before 
the  forum  have  attracted  the  great- 
est attention  throughout  the  country. 

Judge  Keogh  married  Katharine 
Temple  Emmet,  the  great-grand- 
daughter of  Thomas  Addis  Emmet 
and  the  great  niece  of  the  illustrious 
Eobert  Emmet.  Of  this  union  there 
are  nine  children.  Justice  Keogh 
by  a  former  marriage  has  two  sons, 
Alexander  Keogh,  aged  29  years, 
who  was  an  Assistant  under  District- 
Attorney  Jerome  of  Xew  York,  and 
is  now  a  Civil  Service  Commissioner 


of     the   latter   city,   and    Martin  J. 
Keogh,  Jr.,  aged  25  years,  a  lawyer. 

Hon.  ARTHUR  S.  TOMPKIXS. 

Arthur  Sidney  Tompkins,  a  Jus- 
tice of  the  Supreme  Court,  for  this 
the  X^inth  Judicial  District,  was  bora 
on  August  26,  1865,  in  Middleburgh, 
Schoharie  County,  X',  Y.,  a  son  of 
Sidney  B.  and  Mary  H.  (Yocom) 
Tompkins.  When  he  was  about  one 
year  old  his  parents  removed  to 
Clarkstown  in  Rockland  County,  and 
since  then  he  has  been  a  resident  of 
that  county  with  the  exception  of  the 
period  he  spent  in  Tarrytown,  West- 
chester County,  as  a  student  in  the 
law  office  of  Henry  C.  Griffin,  Esq. 

He  attended  the  Clarkstown  and 
X'yack  public  schools.  At  the  age  of 
14  years  he  left  school  and  went  to 
work;  was  employed  two  years  in  a 
dry-goods  store.  He  then  took  up 
the  study  of  law  and  continued  it 
in  the  offices  of  Seth  B.  Cole,  Esq., 
and  Hon.  Abram  A.  Demarest,  of 
X'yack,  and  Henry  C.  Griffin,  Esq., 
of  Tarrytown.  He  was  admitted  to 
the  bar'  in  18S6  and  has  ever  since 
been  engaged  in  active  practice. 

Judge  Tompkins,  though  not  a  son 
by   birth,    is    a    son    of    Westchester 
County  by  adoption,  so  to  speak;  his 
former    abode    in    this    county,    his 
marriage     to    a     daughter     of     this 
county,    and    his    wide    acquaintance 
and  popularity  with  residents  of  our 
county    makes    him    *'  one    of    us." 
That  he  was  unfortunate  in  not  hav- 
ing been  born  in  Westchester  County 
is  no  particular  fault  of  his  own,  and 
^  this  fact  of  his  being  born  elsewhere 
I  should  not  be  considered  as  a  point 
'  against    him,    especially    as    he    was 
I  very  young  when  born  and  not  of  a 
j  * '  deciding    mind, ' '    and    because    he 
!  assures  us  that   if   he   had  it   to   do 
over     again     he    might     choose    our 
county,    though    he    loves    Rockland 
County,  and  good  old  Schoharie,  the 
land  of  Democratic  principles,  is  not 
the  worst  county  to  be  born  in. 

Rockland  County,  the  Judge 's  pres- 
ent place  of  residence,  was  allied  with 
Westchester  County  for  many  years 
in  the  formation  of  a  political  divi- 
sion of  the  State,  and  on  account  of 
its  intertwined  business  interests,  has 
been  recognized  as  a  close  relative 
of  the  larger  county.  The  Judge's 
mingling  with  us  and  his  association 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


149 


with  our  best  interests  led  to  his  be- 
ing numbered  as  of  us.  Therefor 
when  admirers  of  Judge  Tompkins 
spoke  of  the  young  jurist  as  "a. 
Westchester  County  boy,"  there 
were  but  few  who  would  want  to 
gainsay  it.  His  position  as  a  Su- 
preme Court  Justice  with  jurisdic- 
tion over  this  county,  and  the  fre- 
quency of  his  holding  court  in  our 
county,  furnish  other  links  in  the 
chain  that  binds  him  to  us. 

As  a  man  possessing  all  the  attri- 
butes of  relationship,  Judge  Tomp- 
kins is  here  considered  as  a  son 
and  given  a  place  in  Westchester 
County's  annals. 

The  author  of  this  Manual  who, 
with  considerable  pride,  watched 
through  the  years  his  successes  and 
justly  earned  advancement  in  reach- 
ing the  goal  of  a  lawyer's  ambition, 
knew  Judge  Tompkins  in  his  early 
youth,  as  one  possessed  of  no  ordi- 
nary cleverness,  of  marked  intelli- 
gence, predicting  a  successful  career 
in  whatever  vocation  of  life  he  chose 
to  follow.  Studious  in  habits,  pos- 
sessed of  essential  integrity,  loyalty 
to  principles,  and  determination  to 
overcome  obstacles  and  win  success 
honestly,  were  foundations  of  his 
well-formed  character,  and  composed 
his  stock  in  trade,  that  proved  more 
effective  as  business  capital  than 
would,  probably,  money  acquired 
from  wealthy  relatives,  who  were  to 
him  '^few  and  far  between."  He 
early  realized  that  to  get  along  and 
satisfy  an  honorable  ambition,  he 
had  to  depend  principally  upon  him- 
self, upon  his  own  exertions,  that  he 
had  to  be  the  "architect  of  his  own 
fortune,"  as  it  were.  How  he  did 
it,  how  he  is  deserving  of  all  honors 
credited  to  him,  furnishes  an  object- 
lesson  to  other  youths  similarly  situ- 
ated at  the  starting. 

His  genial  disposition  and  courte- 
ous manners,  even  as  a  boy,  de- 
manded kind  regard;  therefor  it  is 
not  strange  that,  when  yet  a  youth, 
he  was  elected  to  an  important  judi- 
cial office  as  a  candidate  of  a  mi- 
nority political  party.  His  charming 
personality  secured  for  him  votes 
where  political  considerations  failed. 
When  he  ran  for  the  higher  office  of 
Supreme  Court  Justice,  in  1906,  he 
still  retained  the  same  magnetic 
power  that  drew  forth  the  votes  of 
men  of   all  political  faiths,  and   se- 


cured for  him  a  larger  majority, 
throughout  this  Judicial  District, 
than  any  of  his  associate  candidates. 
To-day  he  possesses  the  high  regard 
of  all  his  fellow^  Judges  in  the  State, 
and  the  unsurpassed  confidence  of  all 
practicing  members  of  the  bar. 

Hon.  Alonzo  Wheeler,  the  Dean  of 
the  Kockland  County  bar,  in  1902, 
wrote  his  opinion  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  for  the  Rockland  County 
history,  so  ably  and  so  in  touch  with 
our  views,  that  we  quote  from  same, 
as  follows: 

' '  In  every  commonwealth  there 
have  arisen  men  whose  experiences 
have  been  phenomenal,  men  to  whom 
success  has  taken  kindly  at  the  very 
beginning.  And  this  not  by  reason 
of  the  favor  of  fickle  fortune  which 
has  pursued  the  man,  but  because 
the  man  from  the  outset  has  asserted 
his  right  and  his  determination  to 
succeed,  and  has  then  simply  pro- 
ceeded in  the  use  of  the  appointed 
means  to  achieve  the  desired  success. 
Such  a  man  is  Arthur  S.  Tompkins. 
Although  Judge  Tompkins  is  one  of 
the  younger  members  of  the  County 
Bar,  special  reference  is  given  to 
him  here  because  it  follows  naturally 
the  mention  above  made  of  him 
as  County  Judge.  In  1887  he  was 
elected  Police  Justice  of  the  Village 
of  Nyack.  He  manifested  an  apt- 
ness for  political  life,  and  was  elected 
to  the  Assembly  as  a  Republican  in 
a  Democratic  county,  in  1889.  In 
1893  he  became  the  Republican  can- 
didate for  County  Judge  and  Surro- 
gate, and  was  elected.  In  1898  he 
was  elected  a  Representative  in  Con- 
gress, and  following  his  election  re- 
signed from  the  Judgeship.  In  1900, 
he  was  again  elected  to  Congress, 
and  is  at  this  writing  serving  his 
second  term.  He  is  favorably  spoken 
of  as  a  candidate  for  the  Supreme 
Court  Bench  and  his  peculiar  fitness 
for  that  honorable  and  responsible 
position  is  not  questionable,  but  is 
cheerfully  admitted  by  his  brethren 
in  his  legal  profession.  We  have 
said  that  the  people  very  soon  re- 
cognize real  merit  and  true  worth, 
but  it  is  not  often  that  the  members 
of  a  profession  will  with  one  accord 
admit  and  proclaim  the  existence  of 
these  qualities  in  one  of  its  own  num- 
ber. However,  in  this  regard,  the 
legal  profession  differs  from  other 
professions.     The   spirit   of   fairness 


150 


MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 


and  liberality  prevails  in  this  pro- 
fession to  a  greater  extent  than  in 
any  other,  and  we  are  sure  that  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  realizes  and 
appreciates  the  fact  that  the  Bar  of 
Rockland  County  accords  to  him  a 
position  foremost  among  all  its  mem- 
bers, and  is  proud  of  the  lustre 
of  his  brilliant  record,  and  of  the 
prominence  which  is  his  because  he 
has  earned  it,  not  only  in  his  sphere 
of  action  in  his  own  county,  but 
everywhere  where  his  services  have 
been  required. 

*' Blessed  with  a  good  constitution 
and  splendid  physique,  he  possesses 
the  ability  and  strength  which  have 
enabled  him  to  succeed  in  every  un- 
dertaking. Besides  the  duties  of  his 
Congressional  and  professional  life, 
his  presence  is  demanded  and  his  voice 
is  heard  frequently  upon  civic  and 
social  occasions.  As  a  trial  lawyer 
Judge  Tompkins  has  no  superior  and 
few  equals  in  the  Judicial  District 
within  which  his  labors  are  princi- 
pally confined.  In  the  examination 
of  witnesses  he  is  shrewd,  alert,  and 
incisive.  In  argument  to  a  jury  he 
is  a  marvel  of  freshness,  simplicity 
and  power.  He  always  knows  his 
juror  and  talks  to  him.  His  argu- 
ments are  replete  with  illustrations 
which  find  their  duplicate  in  the  ex- 
periences of  the  individual  juror. 
History,  poetry  and  anecdote  are 
brought  into  requisition  by  this  mas- 
ter of  the  legal  art,  and  all  are 
blended  in  a  production  of  argu- 
ment, appeal,  pathos,  denunciation 
and  eloquence  which  are  sure  to  win 
a  good  case  and  save  a  poor  one 
from  utter  destruction.  And  with 
all  this  rare  and  brilliant  experience. 
Judge  Tompkins  is  still  a  young 
man,  and  with  the  continuance  of 
health  and  strength  is  surely  des- 
tined to  accomplish  vastly  more  than 
he  has  already  achieved  in  the  sue 
cesses  of  the  past  and  present." 

Judge  Tompkins'  nomination  as  a 
candidate  for  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  for  the  recently  created  Ninth 
Judicial  District,  composed  of  the 
counties  of  Westchester,  Dutchess, 
Orange,  Rockland  and  Putnam,  was 
made  unanimously  in  the  convention 
held  in  White  Plains,  in  this  county, 
in  the  summer  of  1906,  and  his  elec- 
tion followed,  he  leading  his  associ- 
ates on  the  ticket  in  the  voting,  as 
his  popularity  suggested  he  would  do. 


From  the  beginning  of  his  practice 
he  has  been  a  successful  lawyer,  and 
for  some  years  past  and  until  his  ele- 
vation to  the  Supreme  Court  Bench, 
the  acknowledged  leader  of  the  Rock- 
land County  Bar.  His  work  as  a 
trial  lawyer  was  large,  covering  the 
counties  of  Rockland,  Orange,  Ulster, 
Dutchess,  Westchester,  New  York 
and  Kings,  in  many  instances  trying 
cases  as  counsel  for  other  lawyers. 
He  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  best 
trial  lawyers  along  the  Hudson  River. 

He  has  also  an  enviable  reputation 
as  a  ready  speaker,  logical  and  witty, 
making  him  in  constant  demand  for 
orations  and  addresses,  on  various 
subjects,  throughout  the  State.  He 
delivered  the  address  at  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  monument  to  General 
Kilpatrick  at  West  Point,  N.  Y., 
and  at  the  opening  of  the  Stony 
Point  Reservation  was  one  of  the 
orators,  and  has  been  orator  on  many 
other  occasions. 

With  all  his  political  activity  and 
varied  law  practice,  he  has  always 
been  very  popular  in  the  county  and 
outside  of  the  county  where  he  is 
known.  No  worthy  appeal  for  help 
was  ever  made  to  him  in  vain.  There 
are  hundreds  of  instances  where  he 
has  aided  those  in  need,  and  espe- 
cially young  men  who  have  been 
struggling  for  a  start  in  life.  He 
has  always  been  the  friend  of  and  a 
sympathizer  with  the  working  man — 
always  willing  to  respond  to  any  de- 
mand that  might  be  made  upon  him. 
Having  himself  come  up  from  the 
ranks  and  accomplished  what  he  has 
by  the  hardest  kind  of  work,  perse- 
verance and  industry,  he  appreciates 
and  understands  the  difficulties  and 
embarrassments  of  those  who  from 
the  beginning  struggle  for  success 
in   life. 

Judge  Tompkins  has  always  been 
very  active  in  fraternal  organiza- 
tions, having  been  District  Deputy 
Grand  Master  of  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  and  a  member  of  the 
branches  of  that  order;  for  several 
years  was  a  representative  and 
prominent  officer  in  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  of  the  State  of  New  York,^ 
and  has  been  Grand  Master  of  the 
same  order.  He  is  also  a  member, 
and  has  been  a  prominent  officer,  of 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


151 


the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  and  a  favorite  orator  at 
functions  of  this  order;  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Foresters  of  America, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Improved  Order 
of  Red  Men,  and  other  similar  so- 
cieties, as  well  as  social  organiza- 
tions. Is  president  of  the  Nyack 
Board  of  Education,  a  member  and 
trustee  of  the  First  Baptist  Church 
of  Nyack,  a  director  of  the  Rockland 
County  Trust  Company,  and  a  mem- 
ber and  director  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  of  Nyack. 

Fordham  University,  New  York 
City,  at  its  sixty-fifth  annual  com- 
mencement, held  in  June,  1910,  con- 
ferred upon  Justice  Tompkins  the 
honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws. 

On  invitation  of  the  committee  ap- 
pointed by  the  Supreme  Court  and 
Surrogate's  Court,  Justice  Tompkins 
delivered  the  principal  oration  at  the 
special  services  held  in  memory  of 
the  late  Hon.  Theodore  Hannibal 
Silkman,  former  Surrogate  of  West- 
chester County,  at  the  County  Court 
House  in  White  Plains,  November 
18,  1910. 

Justice  Tompkins,  who  was  as- 
signed by  the  Appellate  Division  for 
December,  1910,  to  the  criminal  de- 
partment in  the  City  of  New  York, 
was,  at  the  end  of  the  term,  pre- 
sented by  members  of  the  New  York 
December  panel  of  jurors  with  a 
handsome  rosewood  gavel,  mounted 
with  silver,  in  recognition  of  the  Jus- 
tice's ability  and  well-known  cour- 
tesies. The  gavel  was  inscribed  with 
the  Justice's  name,  date,  and  the 
names  of  the  jurors. 

On  January  26,  1911,  Justice 
Tompkins  found  awaiting  him  at  his 
hotel,  in  White  Plains,  a  large  bou- 
quet of  flowers,  the  gift  of  a  panel  of 
Westchester  County  jurors  drawn  to 
serve  during  a  murder  trial,  to  ex- 
press to  the  Justice  the  jurors'  ap- 
preciation of  many  acts  of  kindness 
shown  by  him  to  them  throughout  a 
prolonged  trial. 

To  accommodate  resident  lawyers, 
and  other  members  of  the  bar.  Jus- 
tice Tompkins,  in  the  spring  of  1911, 
voluntarily  began  holding  special 
sessions  of  the  Supreme  Court  in 
Yonkers  on  Saturdays.  Because  he 
did  this,  which  was  not  required  of 
him,  he  received  a  vote  of  thanks  at 
a  public  meeting  of  members  of  the 
bar  residing  in  Yonkers. 


Justice  Tompkins  was  orator  at 
Memorial  Day  exercises  of  the  G.  A. 
R.,  in  Yonkers,  May,   1911, 

Gov.  Dix  assigned  Justice  Tomp- 
kins to  preside  over  several  criminal 
terms  of  the  Supreme  Court,  First 
Judicial  District,  New  York  city. 

He  was  married  on  May  18,  1889, 
to  Miss  Jeanie  C.  Logan,  daughter 
of  James  and  Hannah  Logan,  of 
Tarrytown,  in  this  county.  Two  chil- 
dren were  born  of  the  union  and  are 
alive.  The  family  residence  is  in 
the  village  of  Nyack. 

Hon.  JOSEPH  MORSCHAUSER. 

When  Joseph  Morschauser,  then  a 
newly  elected  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  began  his  judicial  duties  in 
Westchester  County,  in  the  early  part 
of  1907,  he  was  comparatively  a 
stranger  to  the  people  of  the  county. 

He  had  been  a  successful  prac- 
ticing attorney  in  the  city  of  Pough- 
keepsie  for  more  than  twenty  years, 
and  had  filled  successively  the  offices 
of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Recorder 
and  City  Judge  in  Poughkeepsie,  at- 
taining among  the  lawyers  of  that 
community  a  distinction  which  won 
for  him  the  Republican  nomination 
and  election  to  the  Supreme  Court 
bench  in  the  Ninth  Judicial  District. 

Judge  Morschauser  had  presided  in 
the  courts  of  Westchester  County  but 
a  very  short  time  before  he  had  com- 
manded the  confidence  and  affection 
of  the  members  of  the  bar  and  the 
good  opinion  of  all  who  came  in  con- 
tact with  him.  He  soon  came  to  be 
known  as  an  honest,  capable,  and 
sympathetic,  yet  dignified.  Judge,  a 
student  of  the  law  and  of  human  na- 
ture, and  a  man  of  great  feeling  and 
tenderness  of  heart.  As  the  people 
of  Westchester  County  learned  more 
of  Judge  Morschauser,  they  were  bet- 
ter able  to  understand  the  reason  for 
his  popularity  and  success  in  the  com- 
munity where  he  had  spent  his  life 
and  which  gave  him  to  the  bench  of 
this  district. 

Born  of  sturdy,  thrifty  German 
parentage  on  a  farm  a  few  miles 
from  Poughkeepsie  in  1863,  and 
learning,  as  a  poor,  hard-working 
boy,  the  great  lesson  of  industry  and 
self-reliance,  Joseph  Morschauser  re- 
ceived from  his  father  and  mother  an 
upright  character,  vigorous  intellect, 


152 


MANUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 


robust  physique  and  consuming  am- 
bition. 

Desiring  to  become  a  lawyer,  he 
left  the  farm,  went  to  work  in  the 
city,  earned  the  money  which  paid 
for  his  schooling,  and  in  three  years 
had  met  the  educational  tests  which 
enabled  him  to  begin  the  study  of 
law  in  the  office  of  County  Judge 
Daniel  W.  Guernsey.  In  1884  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar,  and  one  of  the 
three  examiners,  appointed  by  the 
late  Justice  Barnard,  of  Poughkeep- 
sie,  who  passed  on  the  young  man's 
qualifications,  was  the  Hon.  Isaac  X. 
Mills,  who,  at  a  subsequent  date,  was 
nominated  for  Supreme  Court  Jus- 
tice on  the  same  ticket  with  Joseph 
Morschauser. 

During  the  twenty-three  years  in 
which  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  law  in  the  courts  of  Dutchess 
County,  Judge  Morschauser  took  part 
in  the  most  important  litigations  and 
was  highly  successful  in  winning 
judgments  for  his  clients.  A  born 
fighter  and  indefatigable  worker,  he 
never  went  into  court  without  having 
his  case  thoroughly  prepared,  and  it 
was  seldom  that  an  adversary  was 
able  to  surprise  him.  If  there  were 
surprises,  they  were  usually  in  favor 
of  his  client,  for  Joseph  Morschauser 
knew  every  strong  point  in  his  own 
case  and  every  weakness  of  his  op- 
ponent. 

In  1884  he  was  elected  Justice  of 
the  Peace  in  Poughkeepsie,  and,  after 
two  terms,  was  elected  Eecorder  of 
the  city,  an  office  in  which  he  was 
brought  intimately  into  contact  with 
all  phases  of  human  nature,  and  in 
wEich  he  was  immensely  successful 
in  dealing  wisely  and  justly  with  the 
great  variety  of  cases  that  came  be- 
f  oiT^  him  every  day. 

When  the  social  evil  in  Poughkeep- 
sie made  it  necessary  for  him  to 
choose  between  the  citizens  who  had 
taken  a  stand  for  law  and  order  and 
the  element  who  were  profiting  from 
the  evil,  with  their  powerful  and 
threatening  friends,  Judge  Mors- 
chauser strictly  enforced  the  law  and 
sent  the   dive-keepers  to   jail. 

Later,  the  office  of  Eecorder  was 
changed  by  the  Legislature  to  City 
Judge,  but  without  change  in  the 
incumbent,  and  Judge  Morschauser 
was  successfully  occupying  that  office 
when,  in  1906,  he  was  called  to  the 


more  important  duties  and  broader 
popularity  of   the  Supreme  Court. 

The  Fordham  University,  at  its 
sixty-fifth  annual  commencement, 
held  in  June,  1910,  conferred  upon 
Justice  Morschauser  the  honorary  de- 
gree of  Doctor  of  Laws. 

The  parents  of  Judge  Morschauser 
were  Joseph  and  Henrietta  (Rotman) 
Morschauser,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Germany,  He  married, 
January  27,  1889,  Miss  Katherine  W. 
Bauer,  daughter  of  Joseph  Bauer,  a 
merchant  of  Poughkeepsie,  They 
have  one  son,  Joseph  C.  H.  Mors- 
chauser, aged  fifteen  years,  who  is 
a  student  at  Riverview  Military 
Academy  in  Poughkeepsie. 

Hon.  ISAAC  X,  MILLS. 

Isaac  X.  Mills,  a  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  X'inth  Judi- 
cial District,  was  born  in  Thompson, 
Windham  County,  Conn.,  on  Septem- 
ber 10,  1851. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  entered 
the  Providence  Conference  Seminary, 
at  Greenwich,  Rhode  Island;  taught 
district  school,  working  evenings  to 
keep  up  with  his  class;  graduated  in 
1870.  Graduated  from  Amherst  Col- 
lege in  1874.  In  1876  graduated 
from  Columbia  College  Law  School, 
and  in  the  same  year  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  and  became  a  resident  of 
Mount  Vernon,  in  this  county.  Was 
a  member  of  the  legal  firm  of  Mills 
&  Wood  until  1882,  Made  a  reputa- 
tion as  a  trial  lawyer.  In  1883,  at 
the  general  election,  he  was  chosen 
County  Judge;  this  position  he  re- 
tained until  1896.  He  was  elected  a 
State  Senator  and  served  during  the 
years  1901-2 — a  two  years'  term.  In 
1906  he  was  elected  to  his  present 
position. 

He  is  a  student,  well  learned  in  the 
law,  and  is  considered  one  of  the 
ablest  jurists  in  the  State.  He  has 
had  the  deciding  of  many  important 
cases,  involving  intricate  questions 
of  law,  and  his  decisions  have  been 
generally   upheld, 

Hon,  WILLIAM  P.  PLATT. 

William  Popham  Piatt,  County 
Judge,  former  District-Attorney,  etc., 
was  born  in  White  Plains  (where  he 
yet  resides),  on  May  16,  1858,  a  son 
of  Judge  Lewis  Canfield  and  Laura 
(Sherbrook  Popham)   Piatt. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


153 


His  father  was  a  lawyer  of  the  old 
school  and  highly  respected  for  his 
many  good  qualities,  and  was  the 
first  person  elected  as  Surrogate  of 
this  County. 

He  comes  of  good  Eevolutionary 
stock,  relatives  on  both  his  paternal 
and  maternal  sides  having  served  in 
the  Continental  Army.  His  father's 
grandfather  was  an  able  offi- 
cer serving  in  Col.  Pierre  Van  Cort- 
land's Third  Westchester  Militia 
Regiment.  Another  relative,  Jona- 
than Piatt,  was  member  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Safety  and  member  of  the 
Convention  forming  the  State. 

His  maternal  grandfather  held  the 
office  of  Postmaster  in  Scarsdale  in 
1850  and  later. 

He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  town,  and  on 
graduating  began  the  study  of  law 
in  the  office  of  his  father,  who  had 
for  clients  most  of  the  prominent 
residents  in  the  County.  It  is  said 
that  many  a  tarmer  felt  as  if  he  could 
not  rest  easy  unless  his  will  had  been 
drawn  by  Lawyer  Lew.  Piatt,  of 
White  Plains.  The  present  Judge 
Piatt  can  credit  much  of  his  popu- 
larity to  the  well  wishes  of  these 
men,  irrespective  of  political  party 
association,  and  relatives  who  were 
loyal  admirers  of  his  father. 

In  1879  Mr.  Piatt  was  admitted  to 
practice  at  the  bar,  and  in  the  same 
year  his  father  made  him  his  partner, 
under  the  firm  name  of  L.  C.  and 
W.  P.  Piatt,  and  the  new  firm  con- 
tinued in  the  confidences  of  the  pub- 
lic. When  the  elder  member  of  the 
firm  died,  in  1893,  his  son  succeeded 
to  the  practice,  which  had  steadily 
grown;  soon  after  Mr.  Piatt  formed 
a  partnership  with  Farrington  M. 
Thompson,  and  the  firm  of  Piatt  & 
Thompson  took  a  position  of  promi- 
nence; the  partnership  continued  un- 
til Mr.  Piatt  took  office  as  County 
Judge  in  1902. 

The  firm  of  Piatt  &  Thompson  had 
an  extensive  practice  in  the  Surro- 
gate's Court.  As  a  criminal  lawyer, 
Mr.  Piatt  developed  with  the  years, 
and  in  many  important  criminal  cases 
tried  in  the  County  he  figured  for 
the  defense  successfully. 

The  ability  he  displayed  in  con- 
ducting eases  attracted  attention, 
and  as  a  result  he  was,  in  1890,  asked 
to  become  a  candidate  for  District 
Attorney  of  his  home  county,  on  the 


Democratic  ticket.  He  was  elected, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  the  term 
he  was  re-elected,  serving  until  1896. 
In  1895  he  was  the  unsuccessful 
nominee  of  his  party  for  County 
Judge;  though  he  ran  far  ahead  of 
his  associates  upon  the  ticket,  he 
went  down  with  the  other  nominees 
of  the  party. 

As  District  Attorney  he  secured 
many  indictments  and  successfully 
prosecuted  many  important  cases,  in 
his  endeavor  to  let  no  guilty  man  es- 
cape. 

On  retiring  from  the  District  At- 
torneyship he  appeared  for  the  de- 
fense in  cases  that  became  quite 
famous,  such  as  the  Peter  James 
case,  the  burglar  who  was  put  on 
trial  for  shooting  and  killing  grocer 
Walker  B.  Adams,  at  Bedford  Sta- 
tion, on  August  19,  1896;  in  the 
case  of  James  Kelly,  accused  of  mur- 
dering his  father-in-law. 

In  November,  1901,  Mr.  Piatt  was 
the  nominee  of  the  Democratic  party 
for  County  Judge,  in  opposition  to 
Judge  Smith  Lent,  who  had  just 
served  a  term  in  that  office  and  was 
a  candidate  for  re-election.  Mr.  Piatt 
was  elected,  he  being  the  only  nomi- 
nee of  the  Democratic  side  success- 
ful; this  victory  in  great  part  being 
attributed  to  personal  popularity. 

From  the  time  Judge  Piatt  as- 
sumed office  the  practice  in  the 
County  Court  began  to  increase. 
When  he  was  called  to  the  bench  the 
Court  had  on  an  average  not  much 
over  twenty  civil  cases  on  the  cal- 
endar for  each  term,  and  the  Court 
held  only  four  terms  a  year,  no  term 
being  longer  than  four  weeks.  Grad- 
ually the  business  of  the  Court  in- 
creased. 

In  1908,  Mr.  Piatt  was  a  candidate 
to  succeed  himself.  A  movement  was 
started  having  for  its  purpose  the 
giving  of  a  union  renomination,  of 
both  the  Democratic  and  Republican 
parties,  to  Judge  Piatt.  For  some 
reason,  thought  not  necessary  to  ex- 
plain, this  arrangement  fell  through, 
the  Republican  Organization  deciding 
that  it  was  best  to  nominate  a  full 
ticket  including  a  candidate  for 
County  Judge.  The  result  of  the 
election  proved  this  refusal  to  re- 
nominate  the  Judge   bad   judgment. 

Mr.  Piatt  was  re-elected  by  a 
handsome    majority,    he    being    the 


154 


MAXUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 


only  nominee  on  the  Democratic  tick- 
et to  "win  out.  His  opponent  was 
District  Attorney  J.  Addison  Young, 
considered  the  strongest  man  his 
party  could  name  for  the  office.  The 
lesson  this  campaign  taught  was  an 
important  one,  that  the  people  are 
growing  to  dislike  politics  being 
mixed  up  too  much  with  the  Judi- 
ciary. 

The  County  Court  is  growing  into 
importance  with  every  year,  and  law- 
yers are  less  inclined  to  shun  it.  A 
capable  Judge  has  much  to  do  with 
the  apparent  change.  The  term  cal- 
endar has  increased  from  twenty 
cases  to  one  hundred  and  thirty  and 
in  some  terms  more.  Now  seven 
terms  a  vear  are  held,  one  term  fre- 
quently  running  into  the  next.  So 
great  is  the  volume  of  business  de- 
manding immediate  attention  of  the 
Court,  that  the  same  is  now  in  ses- 
sTon  forty-six  weeks  during  the  year. 
Judge  Piatt  is  a  faithful  worker,  and 
remains  on  the  bench  as  long  as  he 
is  needed  there.  His  almost  con- 
stant sittings  gives  him  but  little 
time  off  the  bench  to  prepare  his  de- 
cisions, which  are  seldom,  if  ever, 
reversed. 

Judge  Piatt  is  a  member  of  the 
New  York  Society  of  the  Sons  of 
the  American  Eevolution;  his  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  Z.  Piatt,  served 
as  a  captain  in  the  American  Eevo- 
lution and  his  maternal  great-grand- 
father also  served  in  the  same  war  as 
major  and  aide  to  Gen.  Steuben,  and 
his  maternal  grandfather  fought  on 
the  right  side  in  the  War  of  1812. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Medico-Legal 
Society  of  the  United  States,  a  mem- 
ber of  White  Plains  Lodge,  No.  473, 
F.  and  A.  M.,  a  member  of  the  Knoll- 
wood  Club,  a  member  of  the  Order  of 
Elks,  a  member  of  the  Democratic 
Club,  and  other  organizations. 

Judge  Piatt  was  married  on  Octo- 
ber 1,  1890,  to  Miss  Sara  Stuart 
Dean,  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Moses  W.  and  Sara  Stuart  Dean,  of 
"VMiite  Plains.  Of  this  union  there 
are  two  sons,  Stewart  Dean  Piatt 
and  William  P.  Piatt,  Jr. 

Hox.  FRANK  V.  MILLARD. 

Frank  Vincent  Millard,  Surrogate, 
President  of  the  Board  of  Education, 
former  Town  Clerk,  Supervisor,  Presi- 
dential Elector,   etc.,  was  born  Feb- 


ruary 27,  1867,  in  Tarrytown,  a  son 
of  James  S.  and  Elizabeth  A. 
(Purdy)  Millard. 

He  received  his  preparatory  educa- 
tion in  the  Tarrytown  public  schools 
and  Irv'ing  Institute,  entered  Yale 
College,  and  graduated  in  the  class 
of  1888.  He  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  his  father,  one  of  the  lead- 
ers of  the  Westchester  County  bar; 
on  graduating  from  the  Columbia 
Law  School  he  was  duly  admitted 
to  practice  on  February  13,  1890. 

As  a  lawyer  he  has  had  even  more 
than  his  share  of  legal  practice,  prin- 
cipally in  Surrogate's  Court  and  clos- 
ing of  estates. 

He  had  an  early  start  in  politics 
and  from  the  beginning  he  took  a 
prominent  place  in  the  councils  of 
the  Republican  party.  He  reversed 
the  adage,  "Old  men  for  counsel, 
young  men  for  war. ' '  He  was  for 
both  counsel  and  war. 

In  1890,  when  only  a  few  years 
bevond  his  maioritv,  he  ran  for  Town 
Clerk,  and  won  by  a  good  majority 
in  the  then  Democratic  town;  he  was 
re-elected  to  this  office. 

In  1892  he  won  again,  running  for 
Supervisor;  his  success  in  this  under- 
taking surprised  the  wise-heads.  For 
some  time  past  none  but  Democrats 
had  been  elected  Supervisor  in  this 
good  old  town;  men  with  grey  hair 
and  beard  and  dignified  manner, 
men  fit  to  counsel  a  nation,  had  rep- 
resented this  staid  people  in  the 
County  legislative  body;  now  behold 
a  stripling  of  a  boy,  only  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  is  elected,  and  he 
a  Republican,  too,  to  appear  and 
legislate  for  this  the  largest  town 
in  the  County. 

Nevertheless,  this  victory  sent  Mr. 
Millard's  political  stock  booming. 
He  was  considered  by  many  Republi- 
cans as  their  "coming  Moses."  He 
was  level-headed  and  sensible.  He 
took  his  honors  meekly.  After  serv- 
ing his  term  as  Supervisor,  he  stepped 
aside,  for  the  time  being,  to  give  his 
undivided  attention  to  his  law  prac- 
tice,  which   he  prized  above  politics. 

He  continued  his  position  as  chair- 
man of  the  Republican  Town  Com- 
mittee and  representative  in  the  Re- 
publican County  Committee;  in  1896 
he  was  chosen  chairman  of  the  County 
Committee,  later  retiring  voluntarily 
in  favor  of  his  friend  William  L. 
Ward. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


155 


He  accepted  appointment  as  coun- 
sel to  the  Town  Board,  to  the  Board 
of  Assessors,  to  the  Board  of  High- 
way Commissioners  of  both  the  towns 
of  Greenburgh  and  Mount  Pleasant, 
to  the  Excise  Board,  to  the  Board  of 
Health,  to  the  Tarrytown  Village 
Board  of  Trustees,  and  to  various 
Village  boards;  counsel  for  the  town 
of  Mount  Pleasant,  counsel  for  the 
County  Superintendent  of  the  Poor; 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Tarry- 
town  Board  of  Education,  which  po- 
sition he  has  held  for  more  than 
seventeen  years,  and  was,  in  1911, 
elected  president  of  the  Board;  trus- 
tee and  counsel  of  the  Westchester 
County  Savings  Bank  at  Tarrytown. 
He  was  foreman  of  Hope  Hose  Com- 
pany, No.  1,  eight  years,  many  years 
has  served  as  President  of  the  local 
Exempt  Firemen's  Association  and 
as  engineer  at  the  head  of  the  local 
fire  department.  Filled  the  position 
of  president  of  the  local  Young 
Men's  Lyceum. 

In  1900  he  was  elected  on  the  Ee- 
publican  ticket  as  a  Presidential 
Elector. 

In  1906,  when  he  was  but  thirty- 
nine  years  of  age,  Mr.  Millard  was 
elected  Surrogate;  a  young  man  for 
so  responsible  a  position,  but  the 
younger  the  better,  we  have  found. 
Judge  Silkman,  who  had  just  retired 
as  Surrogate,  was  but  thirty-six 
years  of  age  when  he  was  first 
elected. 

As  a  Surrogate,  Mr.  Millard  is  very 
popular  with  members  of  the  bar. 
He  is  always  found  prompt  at  his 
post  in  the  discharge  of  his  judicial 
duties.  The  courtesy,  liberality  and 
generosity,  marking  his  career  as  a 
public  official,  contribute,  in  no  small 
degree,  to  secure  for  him  the  position 
which  his  skill  and  ability,  com- 
bined with  his  admitted  sagacity  and 
tact,  fairly  entitle  him  to.     He  is  yet 


a  valued  adviser  in  the  councils  of 
his  party,  in  which  he  is  highly  re- 
spected for  his  ready  speech  and  free 
expression  of  honest  opinion,  and  his 
associates  in  the  party  organization, 
the  upholders  of  the  integrity  of  the 
party,  admit  they  owe  him  much  for 
the  steadiness  and  power  which  he 
has  brought  to  bear  in  aid  of  the 
party's  best  interests. 

In  1812  the  Westchester  County 
Bar  Association  adopted  resolutions 
asking  all  political  parties  to  unite 
in  giving  him  a  renomination  for 
Surrogate. 

He  is  a  Mason  of  prominence, 
belonging  to  various  branches  of 
the  order;  besides  being  a  member 
of  Solomon's  Lodge,  No.  196, 
F.  and  A,  M.,  is  a  member  of 
Irving  Chapter,  of  Westchester  Com- 
mandery,  Peekskill  Council,  is  a  32 
degree  Mason,  member  of  Mecca 
Temple  Shrine,  of  Scottish  Rite  Con- 
sistory of  New  York,  of  O.  D.  O. 's 
of  Mount  Vernon,  and  has  served 
as  District  Deputy  Grand  Master, 
12th  Masonic  District.  Belongs  to 
the  Westchester  Lodge  of  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  was 
president  of  the  Westchester  County 
Bar  Association,  in  1908-9,  and  while 
such  inaugurated  a  movement  to  es- 
tablish a  State  Supreme  Court  Library 
at  White  Plains.  After  the  passage 
of  the  law  creating  such  Library,  he 
was  appointed  by  the  Governor  as 
a  trustee,  and  from  the  beginning 
has  been  chairman  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees. 

Mr.  Millard  was  married  on  De- 
cember 30,  1891,  to  Miss  Grace  Re- 
qua,  daughter  of  Isaac  Requa,  of 
Tarrytown.  There  are  three  children 
— all  girls:  Grace  R.,  born  Septem- 
ber 22,  1893;  Emily,  born  October 
22,  1896,  and  Florence,  born  July  28, 
1898. 

Surrogate  Millard  has  always  re- 
sided in  Tarrytown. 


SUPREME  COURT  OFFICERS. 

Charles  J.  F.  Decker,  Croton  Falls,  Clerk,  Part  1 ; 
Franklin  Montross,  Peekskill,  Part  2 ; 
Harvey  Ilusted,  White  Plains,  Stenographer; 
William  H.  Carpenter,  Jr.,  White  plains,  Stenographer 
Chester  A.  Smith,  Peekskill,  Stenographer. 


156 


MAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


nARYEY  HUSTED. 

Han-ey  Husted  was  born  in  the 
year  1854,  in  the  town  of  Mount 
Pleasant,  where  his  father,  Nathaniel 
W.,  kept  a  dry  dock  and  coal  yard, 
familiarly  known  as  the  Upper  Land- 
ing. He  was  named  after  his  mater- 
nal grandfather,  Harvey  Palmer,  of 
Pleasantville. 

Mr.  Husted  has  the  distinction  of 
receiving  the  first  official  appoint- 
ment as  Stenographer  to  the  Su- 
preme, County,  and  Surrogate's 
Courts  in  Westchester  County,  and 
has  continuously  been  between  the 
bench  and  bar  for  35  years. 

When  he  entered  the  Courts  thirty- 
five  years  ago,  he  says,  the  older 
members  of  the  bar  were  in  the  habit 
of  taking  testimony  of  witnesses  in 
longhand,  with  pens  made  from 
the  quills  of  a  goose,  and  the  pens 
were  made  while  the  Court  waited, 
and  each  lawyer  prided  himself  on 
his  ability  to  make  a  better  pen  than 
his  brotuer  lawver,  and  to  take  in 
full  the  testimony  of  witnesses,  and 
oiten  disputes  occurred  between  the 
Court  and  counsel  regarding  the  evi- 
dence that  had  been  taken. 

The  lawyers  in  the  old  days  looked 
upon  the  stenographer  as  a  base  in- 
truder, who  had  intervened  between 
Court  and  counsel  to  rob  them  of 
their  reputation  to  take  full  notes 
of  a  trial. 

Upon  one  occasion,  Hon.  Jackson 
O.  Dykman,  through  whom  Mr.  Hus- 
ted received  his  first  appointment  as 
Stenographer  to  the  Special  Term  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  said  to  an  attor- 
ney wno  was  endeavoring  to  take  in 
longhand  the  testimony,  ' '  Counsel, 
we  cannot  wait  for  you  to  take  down 
the  testimony  of  the  witness." 
''Can't  wait  for  me,  your  Honor?" 
' '  Xo,  we  have  a  stenographer  here. ' ' 
"Got  a  what?"  "A  stenographer, 
who  writes  by  sound  every  word  the 
witness  utters,  and  whose  duty  it  is 
to  take  full  notes  of  the  trial  for  the 
court."  "Well,  if  your  Honor 
please,  how  am  I  to  cross-examine 
this  witness  without  his  testimony  be- 
fore me?"  "I  don't  know,"  said 
the  judge,  ' '  you  will  have  to  get 
alorsr  the  best  you  can." 

When  Mr.  Husted  was  first  ap- 
pointed, and  for  several  years  there- 
after, his  shorthand  notes  had  to  be 
transcribed    in   longhand,    and    extra 


copies  made   with    a   copying   press, 
which  was   a   tedious  task. 

Mr.  Husted  had  one  of  the  first 
typewriting  machines  manufactured, 
and  when  he  delivered  his  first  copy 
of  testimony  in  typewriting,  the 
lawyer  did  not  like  it.  The  type  was 
all  upper  case,  or  capital  letters  and 
the  ink  from  the  ribbon  filled  the 
type,  blurring  the  letters,  and  the 
carbon  paper  smutted. 

Inventive  genius  has  done  much  to 
lessen  the  drudgery  of  the  Court 
Stenographer.  He  dictates  his 
stenographic  notes  to  a  phonograph, 
the  wax  cylinders  of  which  aie 
capable  of  receiving  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  words  to  make  four  pages  of 
typewritten  matter,  and  then  these 
cylinders  are  given  to  a  type- 
writer operator,  who  places  them 
on  a  phonograph,  and  the  spoken 
words  of  the  stenographer  are  re- 
produced in  the  ears  of  the  operator 
who  makes  the  typewritten  copies. 

Mr.  Husted  says  his  official  life 
among  the  lawyers  has  been  most 
pleasant,  and  declares  that  the  legal 
profession  supersedes  all  others,  in 
that  it  has  so  many  avenues  leading 
to   distinction. 

' '  To  which  of  the  professions  do 
the  people  look  when  they  need  a 
statesman?"  asks  Mr.  Husted. 
' '  WTien  the  people  of  a  great  muni- 
cipality seek  a  man  for  Mayor,  to 
which  of  the  professions  do  they  go? 
When  the  State  is  in  need  of  a  great 
physician,  do  they  go  to  the  medical 
profession  to  get  a  man  for  Gov- 
ernor? Have  the  Presidents  of  the 
United  States  been  theologians  or 
physicians?  X"ay!  they  have  usually 
been  men  versed  in  the  law. ' ' 

"We  live  in  a  great  Eepublic,  and 
if  asked.  Have  we  a  King  in  Amer- 
ica? the  answer  must  be,  We  have, 
the  Law  is  King,  and  that  King 
should  be  respected  more  than  it  is 
feared,  and  if  a  time  shall  come 
when  that  King  is  not  respected,  the 
Republic  will  lean  to  its  fall." 

See  biography  of  Mr.  Husted  com- 
menced in  volume  one  of  this  book. 

CHARLES  J.  F.  DECKER. 
Charles  John  Frederick  Decker, 
rierk  of  the  Supreme  Court,  part 
one.  He  first  entered  the  County 
Clerk's  office  as  a  deputy  on  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1896.  and  from  that  date 
to    this    has    steadily    increased    hie 


HARVEY  HUSTED 


CHARLES  J.  F.  DECKER 


FRANKLIN  MONTROSS 


FRANK  E.  CLARK 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


157 


popularity  by  intelligent,  faithful 
service  rendered  the  public.  As  the 
position  he  holds  grew  in  importance, 
his  ability  proved  equal  to  the  de- 
mands of  increasing  responsibilities. 

In  addition  to  sketch  published  on 
page  165,  volume  one,  of  this  booK, 
relative  to  Mr.  Decker,  much  can  be 
added  testifying  to  an  honorable 
career,  steady  and  reliable. 

He  has,  through  the  years  interven- 
ing, with  credit  to  himself  and  profit 
to  those  he  served,  filled  many  posi- 
tions of  trust,  performing  duties  not 
immediately  connected  with  his  offi- 
cial positions. 

He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Home  Sav- 
ings Bank  of  White  Plains;  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Higley 
Machine  Company  of  Croton  Falls. 
Is  prominent  in  the  Masonic  Order; 
a  Forester;  a  member  of  the  local 
Automobile  Club,  and  associated 
with  other  fraternal  and  local  social 
organizations.  Is  a  trustee  of  the 
Croton  Falls  Baptist  Church  and 
Public  School.  A  member  of  the 
Republican  Club  of  New  York  city, 
and  of  the  Westchester  County 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  in  the  latter 
organization  is  a  member  of  the 
Council  Board  representing  the  town 
of  North  Salem. 

Mr.  Decker  was  married  on  April 

18,  1900,  in  the  Croton  Falls  Bap- 
tist Church,  to  Miss  Clara  V.  Gre- 
gory, daughter  of  Charles  B.  and  Ida 
(Cole)  Gregory.  Of  this  union  there 
are  two  doughters,  Madeline  L.,  and 
Charlotte  G. 

FRANKLIN  MONTROSS. 

Franklin  Montross,  Supreme  Court 
Clerk,   was   born   in    Peekskill,   July 

19,  1873,  a  son  of  David  G.  and 
Caroline  Harriet  (Yocom)  Montross. 
He  has  always  resided  in  Peekskill; 
was  educated  in  private  and  public 
schools  of  that  place.  Was  four 
years  connected  with  the  livery  busi- 
ness of  his  father  in  the  home  vil- 
lage. 

His  political  career  began  with  his 
accepting  an  appointment  as  private 
secretary  to  Hon.  James  W.  Hustea, 
of  the  State  Assembly,  and  clerk  of 
the  Assembly  Committee  on  Insur- 
ance, at  Albany,  in  1896  and  189T. 

In  1898  he  was  special  index  clerk 
in  the  County  Register's  office,  under 
Register  Thomas  R.  Hodge,  at 
White  Plains.     In  the  same  year  he 


entered  the  County  Clerk's  office  as 
recording  clerk.  In  1899  he  was  ap- 
pointed Special  Deputy  County  Clerk 
ana  assigned  to  Supreme  and  County 
Courts  as  clerk  alternately;  in  1907 
was  assigned  as  clerk  to  part  two 
Trial  Terms  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
where  he  is  at  present.  He  is 
second  oldest  employe  connected  with 
the  present  County  Clerk's  office,  in 
point  of  service. 

Mr.  Montross  is  prominent  in  fra- 
ternal and  social  organizations;  is 
a  member  and  Past  Grand  of  Cort- 
land lodge  of  Odd  Fellows,  No.  6; 
Past  Captain  of  Sons  of  Veterans, 
a  member  of  the  B.  P.  Order  of  Elks; 
a  member  of  the  Republican  Club  of 
New  "Vork  city;  a  member  of  the 
Imperial  Club  of  Peekskill;  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Highland  Boat  Club,  and 
a  member  of  the  Elks'  Club  of 
Peekskill. 

As  a  man  of  affairs  it  is  natural 
that  he  takes  active  interest  in 
politics.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Re- 
publican County  Committee  and  a 
leader  of  the  eighth  election  district 
of  the  town  of  Cortland. 

In  September,  1911,  Mr.  Montross 
was  chosen  chairman  of  the  Repub- 
lican Town  Committee,  of  the  town 
of  Cortland,  and  member  of  the  Re- 
publican County  Executive  Com- 
mittee, to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by 
the  death  of  his  father,  who  held 
these  positions  several  years,  besides* 
being  Postmaster  at  Peekskill. 

Mr.  Montross  was  married  on  Sep- 
tember 4,  1900,  to  Miss  Lillian 
Chamberlin,  daughter  of  John  Met- 
lock  and  Sarah  Bowen  Chamberlin, 
of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  Of  this  marriage 
there  are  two  children,  Harriet,  aged 
nine  years,  and  Franklin,  Jr.,  aged 
seven  years. 

FRANK  E.  CLARKE. 

Frank  Edgar  Clarke,  lawyer. 
Clerk  of  Surrogate's  Court,  Village 
Trustee,  etc.,  was  born  on  October 
26,  1878,  in  Hillsdale,  Columbia  Co., 
N.  Y.,  a  son  of  Rev.  William 
Edgar  and  Georgia  (Wood)  Clarke, 
his  father  being  a  well  known  Metho- 
dist divine.  When  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  quite  young  his  par- 
ents removed  from  Hillsdale.  For- 
tunately they  were  in  a  position  to 
satisfy  the  boy's  desire  for  knowl- 
edji*^;  nfter  a  preliminary  course  in 
local   schools,   he   attended  the   New 


158 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 


York  Military  Academy,  later  he  vras 
sent  to  the  most  excellent  Syracuse 
University,  from  which  he  graduated 
with  honors  with  the  degree  of  Ph. 
B.  in  1903. 

He  determined  on  law  as  a  profes- 
sion, and  being  a  resident  of  West- 
chester County,  he  entered  a  law 
office  in  Tarrytown  as  a  student. 
He  became  a  resident  of  "^Tiite 
Plains,  the  County-seat,  in  October, 
1903,  and  here  he  continued  his 
studies.  In  1904  he  graduated  from 
the  New  York  Law  School,  receiving 
the  degree  LL.  B.,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice,  opening  offices  in 
White  Plains. 

Mr.  Clarke  is  possessed  of  a  fine 
presence,  a  good  constitution  and 
more  than  a  usual  amount  of  energy; 
as  a  man-of -affairs  he  has  been  uni- 
formly successful,  a  result  conse- 
quent on  good  judgment  rather  than 
what  is  sometimes  termed  "  good 
luck."  In  politics  he  has  ever  taken 
a  deep  interest.  He  is  a  staunch  Re- 
publican, preferring  principle  to  po- 
sition, and  doing  yeoman's  service 
in  whatever  he  undertakes. 

He  is  a  good  representative  of  the 
*'  young  men  in  politics."  His 
popularity  suggested  his  election  as 
a  Village  Trustee  in  1906;  in  this 
position  he  has  served  two  years. 

In  1908  he  accepted  the  position  of 


assistant  to  the  District-Attorney; 
he  became  Deputy  Clerk  in  the  Sur- 
rogate's Court  in  1909,  and  in  1911 
he  was  promoted  to  the  position  he 
now  holds.  Clerk  of  the  Surrogate's 
Court. 

In  the  fall  of  1910  he  was  urged 
to  again  accept  nomination  of  his 
political  party  for  the  Village 
Trusteeship,  as  his  political  friends 
needed  him  to  secure  a  victory.  He 
was  elected  to  serve  two  years  more 
as  a  ''  Village  Father.'' 

The  taste  that  was  acquired  by  his 
early  training,  inclined  Mr.  Clarke 
to  see  service  in  the  State  Militia. 
He  is  a  Mason,  and  is  an  Elk,  be- 
ing a  member  of  the  local  lodges; 
is  a  member  of  the  College  Frater- 
nity Delta  Kappa  Epsilon;  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Graduate's  Club;  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Town  and  County  Repub- 
lican Committees,  and  a  member  of 
the  New  York  Republican  Club. 

Mr.  Clarke  was  married  July  30, 
1909,  to  Miss  Miriam  A.  Grasse, 
daughter  of  Mrs.  Mary  R.  Grasse,  of 
New  York  city.  (The  bride's  late 
father,  Henry  Grasse,  was  a  promin- 
ent New  York  lawyer,  and  at  one 
time  chairman  of  the  Republican 
Committee  of  New  York  County). 
One  child,  a  son,  David  Arvine 
Clarke,  born  June  2,  1910,  has  come 
to  bless  this  union. 


COURT  INTERPRETER. 

Armand  R.  Stainach,  of  AVhite  Plains,  who  held  this  position 
since  1886,  died  at  his  home  on  October  17,  1911,  aged  94  years. 
He  first  entered  the  County's  service  in  1861,  being  appointed 
Index  Clerk  in  the  Register's  office:  later  he  became  a 
Clerk  in  the  County  Clerk's  office  and  Interpreter  to  all  Courts. 
(See  biography,  page  167,  vol.  1.) 


UNITED  STATES  SUPREME  COURT  JUSTICES. 

President  Taft  within  three  years  appointed  a  majority  of  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court,  including  a  Chief  Justice.  It  is 
a  record  which  has  not  been  equalled  in  a  like  space  of  time  since 
President  AA'ashington.  It  is  a  record  which  has  not  been 
equalled  by  another  President  in  any  space  of  time  save  by 
Washington,  Jackson  and  Lincoln. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  159 

President  Washington  in  eight  years  had  the  naming  of  twelve 
Justices,  including  Chief  Justice  Jay,  Rutledge  and  Ellsworth. 
President  Jackson,  in  eight  years,  named  five,  including  Chief 
Justice  Taney.  President  Lincoln  in  four  years  also  named  five, 
including  Chief  Justice  Chase.  But  President  Grant  in  eight 
years  appointed  only  four,  including  Chief  Justice  Waite,  while 
President  Cleveland  in  his  two  separate  terms  appointed  four, 
including  Chief  Justice  Fuller. 

With  President  Washington  came  the  original  organization 
of  the  Court.  With  President  Jackson  an  old  political  era  ended 
and  a  new  began.  With  President  Lincoln  the  Court  was 
affected  by  the  Civil  War.  But  with  President  Taft  a  chapter 
of  natural  causes  unrelated  to  politics  operated  to  deplete  the 
Supreme  Bench  and  make  up  for  him  this  remarkable  record. 
The  last  appointment  by  President  Taft  as  Associate  Justice  of 
this  Court  was  that  of  Chancellor  Pitney  of  New  Jersey,  in  1912. 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

The  waters  of  many  of  the  lakes  and  streams,  in  Westchester 
County,  acquired  by  the  City  of  New  York  to  contribute  to  that 
city's  water  supply,  were  well  stocked  with  trout,  bass,  perch 
and  other  desirable  fish.  When  it  was  found  necessary  to  drain 
a  lake,  as  in  the  case  of  Kensico  Lake,  in  August,  1911,  the  fish 
had  to  be  removed  to  save  them  from  perishing.  The  Daniel 
Gray  Fishing  Club  of  White  Plains  contributed  $300  to  help 
defray  the  expense  of  transporting  the  fish  from  Kensico  Lake 
to  Rye  Lake  in  the  town  of  Harrison.  The  Board  of  Super- 
visors, on  August  7,  1911,  appropriated  $200  for  this  same  pur- 
pose and  $100  additional  on  condition  that  some  of  the  fish  from 
Kensico  Lake  be  conveyed  and  deposited  into  the  Grassy  Sprain 
Lake  at  Yonkers. 


The  original  wigwam  of  Tammany  Hall  was  located  in  Bow- 
ling Green  and  then  on  the  corner  of  Nassau  and  Spruce  Streets ; 
the  association's  first  regular  habitation  was  built  in  1811,  at 
the  corner  of  Park  Row  and  Frankfort  Street;  in  1868  the 
Society  removed  to  Fourteenth  Street,  New  York,  where  "head- 
quarters" has  since  been  maintained.  The  Democratic  National 
Convention,  in  1868,  was  held  in  this  hall,  which  as  a  political 
shrine  has  come  to  occupy  a  place  in  public  fame  perliaps  next 
to  Boston's  own  Fanueil  Hall. 


COUNTY  BAR  ASSOCIATION. 

The  Westchester  County  Bar  Association  was  organized  on 
March  7,  1896,  with  the  following  named  incorporators:  Wil- 
liam H.  Robertson,  Theodore  H.  Silkman,  Gideon  W.  Davenport, 
Francis  Larkin,  AVilliam  A.  Woodworth,  I.  N.  Mills,  J.  Addison 
Young,  H.  T.  Dykman,  R.  E.  Prime,  D.  Wiley  Travis,  Richard 
S.  Emmet,  Herbert  D.  Lent  and  Charles  Haines. 

Judge  William  H.  Robertson  was  elected  first  President,  and 
Gideon  W.  Davenport,  Francis  Larkin  and  R.  E.  Prime  were 
elected  Vice-Presidents;  William  A.  Woodworth,  Corresponding 
Secretary;  Charles  Haines,  Recording  Secretary,  and  Joseph 
S.  Wood,  Treasurer. 

Gideon  W.  Davenport,  who  was  Supervisor  of  the  town  of 
New  Rochelle  and  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  as 
well  a  lawyer  of  merit,  suggested  the  formation  of  this  Associa- 
tion, and  is  alluded  to  as  its  founder.  He  did  not  live  to  become 
its  President. 

In  1897,  Surrogate  Theodore  H.  Silkman  was  elected  Presi- 
dent ;  with  former  Vice-Presidents,  etc. 

In  1898,  Surrogate  Silkman  was  re-elected,  with  Joseph 
S.  Wood,  W.  A.  Woodworth  and  D.  Wiley  Travis  as  Vice- 
Presidents. 

In  1899,  Joseph  S.  Wood,  of  Mount  Vernon,  was  elected 
President,  with  Joseph  F.  Daly,  Francis  Larkin  and  W.  A. 
Woodworth  as  Vice-Presidents. 

In  1900,  Joseph  S.  Wood  was  re-elected;  Joseph  F.  Daly, 
John  M.  Digney  and  Charles  Haines  were  elected  Vice- 
Presidents. 

In  1901,  Joseph  F.  Daly,  of  Yonkers,  was  elected  President, 
and  George  C.  Appel,  AVlison  Brown,  Jr.,  and  Henry  R,  Barrett 
were  elected  Vice-Presidents. 

In  1902,  Wilson  Brown,  Jr.,  of  White  Plains,  was  elected 
President,  and  George  C.  Appel,  Henry  R.  Barrett  and  John 
Gibney  as  Vice-Presidents. 

In  1903,  Wilson  Brown,  Jr.,  was  re-elected  President,  with 

John    Gibney,   J.   M.   Wainwright   and   W.    W.    Scrugham   as 

Vice-Presidents. 

160 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  161 

In  1904,  J.  Mayhew  Wainwright,  of  Rye,  was  elected  Presi- 
dent, with  W.  W.  Scrugham,  W.  Samuel  Johnson  and  Frank 
L.  Young  as  Vice-Presidents. 

In  1905,  J.  M.  Wainwright  was  re-elected  President,  with 
John  F.  Brennan,  W.  S.  Johnson  and  Frank  L.  Young  as  Vice- 
Presidents. 

In  1906,  John  F.  Brennan,  of  Yonkers,  was  elected  Presi- 
dent, with  Frank  V.  Millard,  John  C.  Ten  Eyck  and  Stephen 
Lent  as  Vice-Presidents. 

In  1907,  John  F.  Brennan  was  re-elected  President,  with 
Frank  V.  Millard,  John  C.  Ten  Eyck,  J.  Addison  Young  and 
J.  Alvord  Peck  as  Vice-Presidents. 

In  1908,  Frank  V.  Millard,  of  Tarrytown,  was  elected  Presi- 
dent, with  John  C.  Ten  Eyck,  J.  Addison  Young,  J.  Alvord 
Peck  and  Frank  L.  Young  as  Vice-Presidents. 

In  1909,  Frank  V.  Millard  was  re-elected  President,  with  same 
Vice-Presidents  re-elected. 

In  1910,  former  District-Attorney  J.  Addison  Young,  of  New 
Rochelle,  was  elected  President,  with  John  C.  Ten  Eyck,  Her- 
bert D.  Lent,  Frank  L.  Young,  J.  Alvord  Peck  as  Vice-Presi- 
dents; William  R.  Condit,  Secretary,  and  Anson  Baldwin, 
Treasurer. 

In  1911,  J.  Addison  Young  was  re-elected  as  President,  with 
John  C.  Ten  Eyck,  J.  Alvord  Peck,  Herbert  D.  Lent  and  Frank 
L.  Young  as  Vice-Presidents ;  Oscar  LeRoy  AA^arren,  Secretary, 
and  Anson  Baldwin,  Treasurer. 


SUPREME   COURT  LIBRARY  AT  AVHITE   PLAINS. 

The  law  establishing  a  Supreme  Court  Library  at  White 
Plains  became  effective  May  18,  1908.  (Chap.  304,  Laws  of 
1908.) 

Entitled  ''An  act  to  establish  a  law  librarv  in  the  Ninth 
Judicial  District,  to  be  located  at  AVhite  Plains,  and  which 
shall  be  designated  as  '  the  Supreme  Court  Library  at  White 
Plains.'  " 

The  said  library  shall  be  under  the  care  and  management  of 
a  Board  of  Trustees,  consisting  of  five  members,  who  shall  be 
appointed  by  the  Governor,  from  among  the  members  of  the 
Westchester  County  bar,  who  shall  have  practiced  law  for  at 
least  ten  years.     Upon  the  passage  of  this  act  the  Governor 


162  MAXL'AL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

shall  appoint  one  of  said  Board  of  Trustees  who  will  serve  one 
year,  one  two  years,  one  three  years,  one  four  years,  one  five 
years.  At  the  expiration  of  such  terms  the  Governor  shall 
appoint  successors  to  said  trustees,  who  shall  serve  five  years 
and  until  their  successors  have  been  appointed. 

The  Librarian  of  said  library  shall  be  a  regularly  admitted 
attorney  and  counsellor-at-law,  who  has  practiced  law  for  at 
least  five  years.  To  be  appointed  by  said  Board  of  Trustees 
and  shall  hold  office  during  the  pleasure  of  said  board.  Salary 
to  be  fixed  by  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  to  be  paid  in  monthly 
installments  by  the  Treasurer  of  Westchester  County,  out  of 
moneys  raised  in  said  County  for  court  expenses,  upon  the  cer- 
tificate of  a  Supreme  Court  Justice  of  the  Ninth  Judicial 
District." 

In  pursuance  with  this  statute,  Governor  Hughes  appointed 
the  following  named  members  of  the  Westchester  County  bar 
as  Trustees:  Surrogate  Frank  V.  Millard,  of  Tarrytown,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Bar  Association :  ex-District- Attornev  J.  Addison 
Yoimg,  of  New  Rochelle ;  John  F.  Brennan,  of  Yonkers ;  Nathan 
P.  Bushnell,  of  Peekskill,  and  David  H.  Hunt,  of  White  Plains. 

To  decide  length  of  term  of  office  of  each,  the  Trustees  agreed 
to  draw  lots,  with  the  following  result:  Mr.  Bushnell,  to  serve 
one  year,  term  expiring  December  31,  1909 ;  Mr.  Brennan,  to 
serve  two  years,  term  expiring  December  31,  1910;  Mr.  Young, 
three  years,  term  expiring  December  31,  1911 ;  Mr.  Hunt,  four 
years,  term  expiring  December  31,  1912 ;  Mr.  Millard,  five  years, 
term  expiring  December  31,  1913.  At  expiration  of  Mr.  Bush- 
nell's  term,  at  the  end  of  1909,  Governor  Hughes  reappointed 
him  for  the  full  term  of  five  years.  Mr.  Brennan  was  also  re- 
appointed at  expiration  of  his  term. 

Mr,  Millard  was  chosen  chairman,  which  position  he  continues 
to  hold. 

At  the  organization  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  William  A. 
Woodward,  a  practicing  lawyer  of  White  Plains,  was  appointed 
Librarian,  at  an  annual  salary  of  $2,000. 

The  Library  was  opened  to  the  public  December  1,  1909,  and 
is  located  in  the  County  Court  House,  in  spacious  rooms  espe- 
cially constructed,  connecting  with  the  various  court  chambers. 

The  establishment  of  this  library  was  suggested  by  Mr.  Mil- 
lard when  president  of  the  County  Bar  Association.  The  legis- 
lative bill  authorizing  the  same  was  drawn  by  David  H.  Hunt, 
now  one  of  the  Trustees. 


ASSURED  UNANIMOUS  RE-ELECTION. 

Supreme  Court  Justice  Martin  J.  Keogh  is  surely  favored 
among  men.  To  prove  this  we  may  be  permitted  to  submit  in 
evidence  the  following:  "  May  it  please  the  jury,"  our  readers, 
to  know  the  story  relating  to  certain  proceedings  happening 
in  the  Westchester  County  Court  House,  at  White  Plains,  in 
September  28,  1909,  proceedings  that  proved  specially  interesting 
and  impressive  as  they  were  also  unusual  in  the  county's  politi- 
cal history — the  peaceful  coming  together  of  two  antagonistic 
political  bodies  to  consummate  an  amicable  arrangement  cul- 
minating in  a  union  on  the  nomination  of  a  member  of  one  of 
these  political  organizations. 

Two  separate  nominating  conventions  were  held,  and  in  each 
a  distinguished  representative  of  his  party  presided,  seated 
upon  a  rostrum  over  which,  on  the  wall,  hung  the  motto,  ' '  Peace 
and  Good  Will  Unto  Men;"  flanked  on  one  side  by  another 
motto,  bearing  the  words,  "  Love  Thy  Neighbor  as  Thyself," 
and  on  the  other  side  by  the  motto,  ' '  Brotherly  Love  Binds  All. ' ' 

The  cause  for  all  this  was  the  desire  to  commend  the  faithful 
services  of  an  efficient  public  official.  The  effect  was  the  unani- 
mous nomination,  by  both  the  Democratic  and  the  Republican 
political  parties,  of  Martin  J.  Keogh  for  Supreme  Court  Justice, 
for  fourteen  years  more. 

Surely  he  is  favored  among  his  fellows. 

As  the  Justice  is  marked  as  a  Democrat,  for  identification, 
the  Democratic  Judicial  Nominating  Convention  was  the  first 
held.  It  was  organized,  at  noon,  by  electing  as  chairman  M.  M. 
Kane,  of  Orange  County,  who  had  himself  been  a  Democratic 
candidate  for  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  at  the  preceding 
election. 

Hon.  John  F.  Brennan,  of  Yonkers,  one  of  the  most  intimate 
friends  of  Justice  Keogh,  who  had  at  a  previous  election  also 
been  a  candidate  of  his  party  for  Justice,  made  the  nominating 
speech,  as  follows: 

^^ Gentlemen  of  the  Convention:  I  am  honored  in  being  per- 
mitted  to   express   here   your   wish,    and   that    duty   is   made 

163 


164  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

extremely  simple,  but  none  the  less  pleasant,  in  the  knowledge 
that  the  nominee  of  this  Convention  has  already  been  named 
by  the  people  and  will  receive  practically  the  unanimous  vote 
of  the   district. 

Fourteen  years  ago  an  advocate  renowned  for  courage,  skill 
and  eloquence  was  nominated  on  the  Democratic  ticket  in  the 
old  Second  Judicial  District,  and  in  that  year  of  Republican 
victory  was  elected.  By  that  election  the  Bar  was  deprived 
of  a  gifted  son  that  the  Bench  might  be  enriched.  Fourteen 
years  of  service  as  Judge  have  demonstrated  in  frequent  repeti- 
tion, the  wisdom  of  that  selection  and  will  make  it  to-day  the 
duty,  as  no  doubt  it  is  the  pleasure,  of  the  delegates  to  the 
Republican  Judicial  Convention  to  second  our  good  resolution 
and  make  his  nomination  unanimous. 

I  might  here  very  well  stop,  for  what  speech  is  needed  to 
present  the  name  of  Martin  J.  Keogh  in  this  Convention. 
AVhat  can  I  say  that  has  not  been  many  times  voiced  by  each 
one  of  you,  and  that  even  now  hangs  trembling  on  your  lips, 
swelling  from  hearts  filled  with  pride  in  the  man,  and  affection- 
ate regard.  This  very  court  room  lends  itself  to  the  appropriate- 
ness of  the  selection.  This  room  that  has  witnessed  the  tri- 
umphs of  his  forensic  skill.  This  Bench  around  which  cluster 
memories  and  traditions  of  that  great  Chief  Justice  of  the  old 
General  Term,  the  revered  Barnard  and  his  associates  of  tender 
memory,  our  o^^ti  Dykman  and  Pratt,  the  mighty  Cullen,  now 
Chief  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  and  his  learned  and 
worthy  associate  Bartlett,  our  present  able  Chief  Justice  Hirsch- 
berg  of  the  Appellate  Division  and  his  distinguished  associates, 
Gaynor  and  Jenks. 

AYe  present  here  as  a  candidate  to-day,  a  man  who  is  a  peer 
of  the  greatest  of  them,  a  man  who  measures  up  to  the  high 
standard  that  should  be  set  for  this  great  office:  a  man  who  has 
a  heart  as  well  as  a  head;  who  is  keen  to  feel  sorrow  with  the 
sorrow^ful,  and  gladness  with  the  happy;  whose  mental  make-up 
has  not  become  strained  in  the  endeavor  to  apply  technical 
rules ;  who  has  a  broad  and  clear  vision  to  see  the  truth,  and 
a  fearless  courage  to  express  it ;  who  announces  law  and  makes 
decisions  instinctive  with  life.  He  may  sometimes  err,  it  is 
a  part  of  humanity  to  do  so,  but  his  decisions,  whether  sitting 
in  a  Court  of  Equity  or  in  a  Court  of  Law,  ruling  upon  ques- 
tions or  charging  juries,  are  the  decisions  at  all  times  of  a 
learned  Judge,  never  dictated  by  unjudicial  influence.     It  has 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  165 

been  said  that  no  Judge  can  live  in  the  annals  of  his  profession, 
who  cannot  win  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  Bar. 

To-day  it  is  my  great  fortune  to  present  for  renomination  a 
man  who  has  earned  that  confidence,  who  would  be  a  great 
Judge,  even  though  all  our  law  books  were  burned;  whose 
instincts  are  true  and  of  an  order  high  and  noble;  whose  life 
has  been  sweet  in  the  aspiration  for  better  things,  and  with 
all,  possessed  of  a  modesty  so  great  that  it  places  me  under 
restraint  in  performing  this  duty. 

I  present  for  the  approval  of  this  Convention,  the  most 
skillful  and  eloquent  advocate  who  has  ever  appeared  at  the 
Westchester  Bar,  a  very  learned  and  humane  Judge,  a  man 
who  has  made  even  the  losing  of  a  case  a  pleasure ;  our  neighbor 
and  friend  Martin  J.  Keogh. " 

This  nomination  was  ably  seconded  by  several  delegates  rep- 
resenting the  five  counties  within  the  Judicial  District,  the 
addresses  being  highly  complimentary  to  the  gentleman  proposed. 

On  motion,  the  nomination  of  Mr.  Keogh  was  made  by  accla- 
mation; all  delegates  giving  assent  by  rising  in  a  body. 

The  Convention  then  adjourned,  to  meet  in  joint  convention 
with  delegates  to  the  Republican  Judicial  Convention. 

The  Republican  Judicial  Convention  convened  one  hour  later, 
in  the  very  court  room  where  the  Democratic  Judicial  Conven- 
tion had  been  held.  James  M.  Hunt,  former  Corporation  Coun- 
sel of  Yonkers,  was  chosen  as  presiding  officer,  and  after  the 
organization  was  completed,  announcement  was  made  to  the 
efiiect  that  the  object  of  gathering  was  the  placing  in  nomina- 
tion of  a  candidate  for  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  to 
succeed  Martin  J.  Keogh,  whose  term  of  office  was  about  to 
expire. 

Former  District-Attorney  J.  Addison  Young,  of  New  Rochelle, 
arose  to  address  the  convention  and  was  recognized  by  the 
chairman.     Mr.  Young  spoke  as  follows: 

^'Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Convention:  A  very 
pleasant  duty  was  allotted  to  me  when  I  was  given  the  honor, 
that  many  would  covet,  of  naming  to  this  assembly  the  man 
whom  we  all  believe  is  worthy  of  being  named  in  connection 
with  a  nomination  we  have  been  called  here  to  make. 

**  The  Republican  party,  represented  in  judicial  convention, 
pays  to-day  its  highest  tribute  to  an  honored  Judge. 


166  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

''  Three  years  ago  the  Ninth  Judicial  District  held  its  first 
convention  in  this  place.  Justice  ]\Iills,  Justice  Tompkins  and 
Justice  Morschauser  were  then  enthusiastically  nominated  and 
a  few  weeks  later  triumphantly  elected  and  are  now  serving 
the  people  of  this  district  with  ability,  respect  and  honored 
by  all. 

''  It  was  demonstrated  then,  and  I  think  is  generally  con- 
ceded, that  this  district  is  a  Republican  district  and  that  a  nomi- 
nation upon  that  ticket  will  generally  insure  election. 

"  Furthermore,  it  is  apparent  that  at  the  bar  of  the  coun- 
ties comprising  this  district  there  are  many  eminent  and  learned 
lawyers,  fully  qualified  for  judicial  positions. 

"  Yet  under  these  circumstances  we,  Republican  lawyers,  are 
met  here  to-day  with  a  purpose  of  nominating  for  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court  a  man  in  political  faith  opposed  to  us. 

"  In  doing  this,  we  bestow  a  high  honor  upon  our  choice  and 
at  the  same  time  ennoble  and  enrich  the  party  to  which  we 
belong. 

'^  It  is  said  that  the  Republican  party  can  be  depended  upon 
to  do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time,  and  this,  I  believe,  is 
because  of  the  fact  that  it  is  generally  the  endeavor  of  that 
party  to  do  what  is  right. 

"  I  believe  that  what  we  are  about  to  do  here  to-day  is  being 
done  because  no  other  course  would  be  right,  politically  or 
otherwise. 

''  The  man  here  to  be  nominated  has  served  as  our  Judge  for 
fourteen  years,  and  during  all  that  time  has  held  the  scales 
even,  never  stooping  to  see  or  stopping  to  inquire  as  to  the 
political  affiliations  of  those  before  him.  Even-handed  justice 
has  always  been  his  watchword,  and  to-day,  in  making  this 
unanimous  nomination,  we  are  simply  obeying  the  rule  as  laid 
down  by  him  during  the  past  fourteen  years. 

''  But,  beyond  the  fact  that  Judge  Keogh  deserves  a  renomi- 
nation  and  that  any  other  course  on  our  part  would  be  wrong, 
we  find  this  duty  in  his  case  most  delightful. 

"  There  are  no  party  lines  among  the  people  of  this  district 
in  their  love  and  affection  for  the  Judge.  His  many  qualities 
of  head  and  heart  have  endeared  him  to  us  all.  We  admire  his 
abilitv,  we  honor  his  character,  but  we  love  the  man. 

"  The  young  lawyer  has  been  encouraged  and  helped  by  his 
patience  and  kindness.  His  humor  has  enlivened  many  a  dull 
case.     His  knowledo:e  of  human  nature  has  made  the  course  of 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  167 

justice  plain.  We  have  often  been  beaten  before  him,  but  have 
usually  gone  home  contented,  instead  of  to  the  nearest  tavern 
to  '  cuss  '  the  Judge. 

''  As  was  said  of  Charles  James  Fox—'  His  intellect  is  all 
feeling  and  his  feeling  all  intellect.' 

"  To-day  everything  that  can  make  life  honorable,  every- 
thing that  can  make  life  happy — respect,  success,  the  con- 
sciousness of  usefulness,  the  regard  of  his  fellow-men— all  are 
his. 

*'  The  promise  of  the  Hebrew  prophet  is  again  fulfilled.  '  If 
thou  wilt  walk  in  my  way,  and  if  thou  wilt  keep  my  charge, 
then  thou  also  shalt  judge  my  house  and  shall  keep  my  courts, 
and  I  will  give  thee  places  to  walk  among  those  that  stand 
high. ' 

''  As  Judge  Keogh's  neighbor  and  friend,  I  am  honored  in 
presenting  his  name  as  the  Republican  candidate  for  Justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court. 


>  ? 


Hon.  Frank  V.  Millard,  Surrogate  of  Westchester  County, 
recognized  among  his  political  associates  as  '^  the  instigator  " 
of  Justice  Keogh's  nomination  by  the  Republican  party,  was 
called  upon,  unexpectedly  to  him,  to  second  the  nomination 
made  by  the  former  District- Attorney. 

The  young  jurist,  on  rising  to  comply  with  requests  for  a 
speech,  was  greeted  with  hearty  applause  by  his  fellow  delegates. 

The  Surrogate  delivered  his  offhand,  impromptu  address  in 
his  usual  happy,  jocular  vein,  in  keeping  with  the  joyous  spirit 
that  prevailed  in  the  Convention. 


(< 


Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Convention:  I  was, 
until  now,  uninformed  as  to  my  being  regularly  assigned  to 
appear  on  either  side  of  this  action;  therefore,  I  am  caught 
without  preparation  or  opportunity  to  prepare  a  brief.  How- 
ever, I  will  attempt  in  talking  to  make  necessary  brief. 

''  In  fact,  I  will  not  endeavor  to  give  evidence  of  '  a  big 
spoke  and  a  long  tire  to  the  waggin'  of  my  tongue,'  as  some 
poet  has  said. 

' '  As  I  understand  it,  this  action  is  brought  in  the  name  of  the 
people,  demanding  the  retention  within  certain  '  limits  '  of  a 
certain  man,  for  a  term  of  fourteen  years. 

"  That  this  is  not  a  '  John  Doe  '  proceeding  is  manifest, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  name  of  the  man  we  are  seeking  is" 


168  MAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

well  known  to  all  of  us.  He  has  had  a  fair  trial  and  on  his 
own  motion  secured  many  adjournments,  running  through 
years:  therefore,  this  body,  sitting  as  a  '  Court  of  Last  Appeal,' 
can,  without  hesitation,  be  asked  to  confirm  the  action  of  the 
Court  "  below,'  which,  this  morning,  heard  the  case  on  behalf 
of  the  People  and  passed  judgment. 

"  It  may,  your  honor,  'Mv.  Chairman,  be  an  unusual  pro- 
ceeding, but  I  make  motion  that,  first,  a  sentence  of  fourteen 
years  be  passed,  and,  second,  that  the  sentenced  one  be  brought 
here  before  us  and  be  required  to  answer  whether  or  not  he  w411, 
kindly,  accept  and  serve  so  long  a  term  of  retention,  and  on  his 
decision  rests  the  confirmation  of  sentence. 

''  Mr.  Chairman,  I  beg  that  you  will  pardon  me  if  I  appear 
given  to  more  levity  than  the  occasion  warrants.  My  excuse 
is  that  I  am  full  to  overflowing  with  the  extraordinary  good 
feeling  displayed  in  connection  with  this  joint  nomination  of 
the  able  jurist  who  has  so  many  years  honored  our  County, 
and  the  judicial  district,  while  serving  as  a  Supreme  Court 
Justice. 

"  It  is  a  pleasure  to  me  at  this  time  to  stand  up  and  second 
the  nomination  of  Judge  Keogh;  and  it  was  just  as  much 
pleasure  to  me,  nearly  two  j^ears  ago,  when  presiding  at  the 
Bar  Association  dinner  of  this  countv,  to  suggest  that  which  is 
happening  now  should  take  place:  indeed  I  went  further  and 
said  that  the  fact  that  Judge  Keogh  would  succeed  himself 
was  a  forecrone  conclusion. 

"  AVe  like  Judge  Keogh  for  many  reasons.  First,  because 
of  the  fact  that  he  was  just  the  same  when  he  got  on  the 
bench  as  he  was  when  we  used  to  sit  here  practicing  law 
together.  He  never  forsrot  that  he  himself  was  once  in  that 
position.  We  like  him  because  of  the  fact  that  he  could  beat 
any  one  of  us  and  make  us  feel  very  much  as  if  we  had  won. 
You  have  often  heard  him  sav  to  some  one  in  the  court  room 
after  he  had  decided  against  him,  '  that  was  a  great  victory, 
young  man,  that  you  had  this  morning:'  and  we  like  him  for 
that  sentence  which  he  often  uttered  from  the  Bench,  and 
which  it  has  been  our  pleasure  to  listen  to :  '  Yes,  we  will  go 
on  with  this  case :  we  will  give  speedy  and  exact  justice. ' 

"  I  can't  help  it.  'Mr.  Chairman:  you  must  pardon,  if  not 
me,  the  happy  spirit  which  compels  me  to  relate  stories  in 
illustrating  points  in  my  brief. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  169 

"  I  am  convinced  that  you  gentlemen,  who  have  for  years 
associated  with  our  brilliant  Justice,  and  been  made  satisfied 
by  his  good-natured  jests  and  ready  wit,  even  if  he  finally 
decided  against  you,  and  you  have  gone  off  with  his  admoni- 
tion, '  Don't  take  life  too  seriously,  young  man,'  ringing  in 
your  ears,  will  recognize  this  occasion  to  be  one  of  unusual 
mutual  rejoicing,  when  even  my  jokes,  though  you  have  heard 
them  before,  are  admissible.  This  is  certainly  a  joyous  time, 
similar,  perhaps,  to  that  when  even  the  Constitution  was  not 
permitted  to  stand  between  friends. 

"  On  this  occasion  we  are  endeavoring  to  reflect  that  good 
nature  and  happy  disposition  of  which  our  proposed  nominee 
is  so  richly  endowed. 

"  Some  one  may,  in  the  hereafter,  refer  to  this  joint  action 
of  two  warring  political  bodies  as  an  illustration  of  the  sacred 
story  of  the  lion  and  lamb  getting  together  and  an  innocent  child 
leading  them.     Again  I  give  hearty  accord  to  this  nomination. ' ' 

The  committee,  consisting  of  one  from  each  party,  appointed 
to  notify  the  nominee  and  escort  him  before  the  joint  conven- 
tion, waited  upon  Justice  Keogh,  who  was  in  the  Judges'  room, 
off  the  old  Court  Room,  where  the  convention  had  been  held. 

When  Justice  Keogh  entered  the  room,  escorted  by  the  com- 
mittee, he  was  greeted  by  hearty  hand-clappings,  the  many  in 
the  crowded  room  vieing  with  each  other  in  attempts  to  manifest 
their  pleasure  in  being  permitted  to  take  part  in  so  unusual 
a  ceremony,  the  like  of  which  was  never  before  witnessed  in 
this  judicial  district,  if  anywhere  else  in  the  State.  Political 
party  lines  were  eliminated  for  the  time  being;  Democrats  and 
Republicans  were  so  intermingled  that  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  distinguish  one  from  the  other.  It  was  a  spontaneous  out- 
pouring of  good  feeling  expressed  in  honor  of  the  worthy 
jurist  who  had  inspired  it. 

Justice  Keogh  took  his  place  upon  the  Bench  before  which 
he  had  appeared  in  years  gone  by  as  a  most  successful  pleader, 
and  where  he  had  sat  at  different  periods  during  nearly  four- 
teen years  past.  He  spoke  in  a  tone  usually  used  by  him  when 
addressing  a  jury;  several  times  he  paused  during  the  delivery, 
as  if  the  grandeur  and  sentiment  of  the  occasion  were  over- 
coming him,  and  he  had  difficulty  in  controlling  his  emotions. 

Chairman  Hunt  in  presenting  him  to  the  Convention  said : 


170  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

^* Gentlemen  of  the  Judicial  Convention:  It  is  with  the 
greatest  pleasure  that  I  shall  present  to  you  presently,  your 
candidate  for  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  for 
the  Ninth  Judicial  District.  Some  of  us  used  to  meet  him  before 
he  was  elected  to  the  bench,  and  then  we  met  him  at  the  bar 
and  our  meetings  were  not  always  pleasant  to  us,  but  during  the 
last  fourteen  years,  we  have  all  of  us  met  him  while  he  has  been 
upon  the  bench,  and  those  meetings  have  always  been  most 
pleasant. 

' '  Gentlemen  of  the  Convention,  I  present  to  you  your  nominee 
by  unanimous  choice,  for  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
Ninth  Judicial  District." 

After  the  plaudits  of  greeting  had  subsided  sufficiently  to 
permit  his  being  heard,  the  Justice  said: 

"  Fourteen  years  ago  I  was  named  by  the  Democratic  Judi- 
ciary Convention  as  its  candidate  for  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  in  the  old  Second  Department.    I  was  elected  to  that  office. 

"  To-day  another  Democratic  Judiciary  Convention  renomi- 
nated me  for  the  same  office,  and  a  Republican  Judiciary  Con- 
vention, representing  my  Republican  fellow-citizens,  have  united 
in  making  that  nomination  unanimous.  By  so  doing  you  have 
sounded  a  note  in  favor  of  a  non-partisan  judiciary  which  will 
re-echo  throughout  the  Ninth  Judicial  District  for  all  time. 
You  have  plucked  the  high  office  of  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  out  of  the  maelstrom  of  partisan  politics. 

''  How  can  I  in  meager  words  tell  you  how  highly  I  value 
this  honor?  It  has  eYery  element  that  makes  it  dear  to  me. 
It  comes  from  my  professional  brethren.  It  comes  from  political 
allies  and  from  generous  political  adversaries.  Personal  vanity 
could  desire  no  more.  It  is  a  public  servant's  fullest  measure 
of  compensation. 

''It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  see  the  friends  and  neigh- 
bors who  were  my  friends  and  supporters  fourteen  years  ago 
with  me  to-day.  A  man  who  loses  old  friends  is  unworthy  of 
new  ones.  To  the  members  of  the  bar  of  Putnam,  Dutchess, 
Orange  and  Rockland  Counties  I  am  profoundly  grateful  for 
their  unanimous  commendation,  and  these  gentlemen  will  par- 
don me  if  I  say  I  am  specially  pleased  with  the  support  I 
received  from  the  members  of  the  bar  of  my  own  County  of 
Westchester,  with  whom  I  have  lived  and  labored  from  my 
earliest  manhood. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  171 

"  Together  we  tried  cases  in  this  old  court  room.  They  were 
delightful  colleagues  and  honorable  adversaries.  Together  we 
toiled  to  build  our  homes  in  this  beautiful  County,  and  together 
we  have  reaped  the  fruit  of  our  labors,  if  not  in  great,  at  least 
in  sufficient  plenty. 

"'  To  find  them  all  with  me  to-day  is  a  great  reward  and  a 
great  happiness.  Nothing  that  may  come  to  me  in  life's  mys- 
terious changes  will  I  ever  value  half  as  much  as  I  do  this. 

"  I  must  not  forget  to  thank  the  editors  of  all  the  papers  in 
the  Ninth  District  who,  without  one  note  of  discord,  have 
advocated  my  re-election. 

* '  I  confess  I  am  proud  of  all  this,  yet  what  can  I  say  or  what 
can  I  do  but  give  you  my  word  that  during  my  new  term  I  will 
strive  as  I  did  during  the  old  to  prove  myself  worthy  of  the 
people's  trust— that  I  will  be  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
for  the  whole  people,  upholding  justice  and  mercy,  no  matter 
how  feebly  they  may  be  defended,  opposing  injustice  and 
cruelty  no  matter  how  powerfully  they  may  be  advocated  and 
regardless  of  who  or  what  the  suitor  may  be  or  under  what 
sun  he  may  have  been  born. 

*'  I  have  no  enemies  to  punish,  no  enmities  to  gratify,  no 
reprisals  to  make,  and  if  the  roll  of  the  lawyers  of  the  Ninth 
Judicial  District  were  called  I  would  not  find  a  man  upon  it 
whom  I  have  not  trusted  and  not  one  who  has  shown  himself 
unworthy  of  my  confidence. 

*'  I  hope  in  the  years  to  come  the  mutual  confidence  and 
respect  which  have  always  honorably  distinguished  the  rela- 
tions between  the  bench  and  the  bar  of  the  Second  Department 
will  grow  stronger  and  closer  and  warmer  as  the  years  go  by, 
that  when  my  work  is  done  your  judgment  of  me  may  be  as 
generous  and  charitable  as  it  is  to-day  and  that  I  may  be  rich, 
happy  and  blessed  in  the  possession  of  your  respect,  confidence 
and  affection." 

At  the  polls  in  November,  1909,  the  people  approved  his  joint 
nomination  by  giving  Justice  Keogh  a  unanimous  re-election. 


IN  THE  JOURNALISTIC  FIELD. 

In  the  United  States  and  Canada  there  are,  in  round  numbers, 
3,000  or  more  daily  newspapers,  not  to  mention  those  published 
weekly.  It  is  estimated  that  there  are  65,000  newspapers  and 
other  periodicals  in  the  world ;  25,000  or  more  as  published  in  the 
United  States.  The  newspaper  however  is  an  Italian  inven- 
tion, the  first  newspaper  was  edited  by  Julius  Caesar;  he  used 
the  dead  walls  of  Kome  to  display  bulletins  of  the  news— news 
carefully  colored  to  suit  the  political  views  of  J.  Caesar.  Yet 
the  first  regular  publication  of  a  newspaper  was  Italian,  called 
"Gazetta,"  from  which  comes  the  English  newspaper  title 
"Gazette." 

The  first  newspaper  venture  in  America  was  a  tragic  failure. 
Mr.  Richard  Pierce,  of  Boston,  in  1690,  began  the  publication  of 
''Publick  Occurrences."  He  declared  in  his  salutatory  that 
there  were  too  many  unfounded  and  baseless  rumors  floating 
about  Boston,  and  that  the  mission  of  his  paper  was  to  record 
them,  and  then  trace  them  to  their  source.  Mr.  Pierce  appears 
to  be  entitled  to  the  honor  of  being  the  first  journalistic  muck- 
raker.  But  those  were  cruel  times,  and  the  Legislature  sup- 
pressed the  sheet  after  its  first  issue,  solemnly  declaring  it  to  be 
"a  pamphlet  which  came  out  contrary  to  law,  and  contained 
reflections  of  a  very  high  nature." 

A  generation  later  Benjamin  Franklin  confided  to  his  mother 
his  intention  to  start  a  newspaper.  The  worthy  woman  ex- 
claimed: "What  can  you  be  thinking  of,  there  are  two  news- 
papers in  America  now!"  As  a  matter  of  fact  there  Avere  five, 
but  three  of  them  were  so  far  away  that  Mrs.  Franklin  had  not 
heard  of  them. 

The  first  daily  newspaper  in  the  United  States,  ' '  The  American 
Daily  Advertiser,"  appeared  in  Philadelphia  in  1784. 

The  New  York  "Herald,"  founded  bv  James  Gordon  Bennett 
in  1835,  was  the  first  of  the  modern  school  of  newspapers.  In 
December  of  that  year  a  great  fire  in  New  York  destroyed  prop- 
erty worth  $20,000,000.  Mr.  Bennett  wrote  a  report  of  the  fire, 
with  "human  interest"  embellishments.  The  people  were 
astounded,   and  the  story  was   repeated  in  the  "Herald"  the 

172 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  173 

second  day  in  response  to  popular  demand.  Before  that  time 
newspapers  had  devoted  practically  all  their  attention  to  politics 
and  political  news,  and  to  news  from  other  cities.  Local  news 
was  ignored.  If  a  fire  occurred,  it  was  supposed  that  everybody 
knew  about  it  already,  and  that  it  would  be  silly  to  print  any- 
thing about  it.  That  attitude  toward  local  news  is  responsible 
for  the  fact  that  the  first  voyage  of  Robert  Fulton's  "Cler- 
mont" was  considered  to  be  worth  only  seven  lines  in  the  New 
York  "Evening  Post,"  and  not  until  after  an  advertisement  of 
the  rates  of  passage  to  Albany  was  inserted.  Mr.  Bennett  wrote 
all  about  the  great  fire,  and  made  the  great  discovery  that  the 
people  who  see  a  thing  are  the  very  people  who  most  want  to 
read  about  it.  He  made  another  discovery  at  the  same  time, 
that  "human  interest"  is  quite  as  much  a  feature  of  the  news 
as  is  "importance." 

These  beginnings  of  the  newspaper  business  were  small  and 
insignificant  compared  with  the  journalism  of  to-day.  The 
invention  of  the  locomotive  and  the  telegraph,  each  in  turn, 
aided  enormously  in  the  development  of  the  press.  But  the 
Civil  War  in  America  was  the  most  potent  factor  in  the  evolu- 
tion of  the  newspaper  of  to-day.  During  that  conflict  the 
American  newspapers  began  the  use  of  the  telegraph  for  gath- 
ering news,  they  illustrated  their  despatches  with  drawings  and 
maps,  and  they  learned  how  to  write  headlines  and  turn  out 
extras. 

The  next  great  event  in  the  development  of  the  American 
press  was  the  Spanish- American  War.  It  wasn  't  much  of  a  war, 
as  we  see  it  now,  but  it  seemed  to  be  the  biggest  thing  in  the 
world  just  then.  And  the  newspapers  did  seemingly  impossible 
things  every  day,  which  they  have  continued  to  do  every  day 
since.  The  close  of  the  war  didn't  end  the  war  journalism  at 
all.  For  the  past  decade  there  has  been  little  change  in  Ameri- 
can newspapers  except  that  they  have  shared  in  the  wonderful 
growth  of  the  nation. 

COUNTY  NEWSPAPERS  OF  EARLY  DATE. 


( ( 


The  art  preservative  "  and  the  Journalistic  spirit  invaded 
the  County  at  an  early  period.  The  earliest  Journal  of  which 
w^e  have  date  was  the  one  which  appeared  in  1817;  previous  to 
that  time  residents  had  to  depend  for  record  of  happenings  upon 
newspapers  published  in  New  York  city. 


174  MAXUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

The  first  specimen  of  Westchester  County  journalism  was 
the  Westchester  Herald,  established  in  1817,  in  Mount  Pleasant, 
which  at  that  date  contained  the  locality  now  known  as  Ossining. 
The  next  newspaper  started  in  hopes  of  meeting  public  favor, 
and  necessary  support  to  keep  alive  its  circulation,  was  the 
Hudson  Kiver  Chronicle,  launched  in  about  the  same  locality  as 
its  predecessor,  in  Ossining,  in  1836.  The  Herald  held  its  own 
for  a  considerable  number  of  years  and  both  papers  were  edited 
by  men  of  recognized  ability. 

The  fact  that  the  north  section  of  the  County  monopolized 
the  local  field  of  journalism,  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  the 
north  section  was  more  thickly  populated  than  other  portions 
of  the  County. 

The  Westchester  Herald  was  published  by  Caleb  Ruscoe,  to 
whom  is  related  George  I.  Ruscoe  who  has  been  Supervisor  of 
the  town  of  Poundridge  since  the  year  1893. 

The  Hudson  River  Chronicle  displayed  at  the  head  of  its  col- 
umns the  names  of  A.  H.  Wells  as  editor  and  M.  L.  Cobb  as 
printer;  together  with  the  motto:  "Pledged  to  no  party's 
arbitrary  sway,  we  follow  the  truth  where'er  it  leads  the  way." 

The  Eastern  State  Journal,  established  in  1845,  by  E.  G. 
Sutherland,  is  still  being  issued ;  the  present  editor  being  Charles 
D.  Horton. 

The  next  newspaper,  and  the  first  to  appear  in  the  town  of 
Yonkers,  was  the  Yonkers  Herald,  in  1852,  and  published  by 
Thomas  Smith,  w^ho  in  later  years  published  the  first  Daily 
Newspaper  published  in  the  County.  On  the  first  page  of  the 
Yonkers  Herald,  directly  under  and  part  of  the  head-lines,  was 
the  motto :  ' '  Independent  in  all  things,  neutral  in  nothing. '  * 
Mr.  Smith's  three  sons  are  now  editors  and  publishers  of  County 
newspapers. 


CAPTORS  OF  ANDRE. 

All  Honor  to  Paulding,  Williams  and  Van  Wart. 

Perhaps  no  event  in  the  Revolutionary  period  of  our  country 
bears  a  more  conspicuous  place  in  history  than  that  of  the 
capture  of  Major  John  Andre,  the  British  spy,  at  Tarrytown, 
in  Westchester  County,  on  September  23,  1780,  by  John  Pauld- 
ing, David  Williams  and  Isaac  Van  Wart,  honest  yeomen,  resi- 
dents of  this  county.  No  history  of  Westchester  County 
can  be  complete  without  mentioning  this  event  so  closely 
identified  with  the  county  and  with  the  patriotic  action  of 
residents. 

There  is  no  incident  of  the  American  Eevolution,  so  often 
told,  so  widely  known,  and  so  fraught  with  romance,  with 
patriotism,  and  with  pathos,  as  the  story  of  the  capture  of 
Major  Andre.  Into  that  story  enters  all  the  elements  that 
survive,  in  poetic  shape,  the  prosaic  sufferings  and  the  puny 
passions  of  war.  It  is  conspicuous  among  the  many  adventures 
and  exploits  of  the  seven  years'  conflict.  First  of  all  for  the 
magnificent  and  pictorial  exhibit  it  makes  of  the  staunch,  inflex- 
ible loyalty  of  our  county  yeomen  during  the  Revolutionary 
struggle. 

Time  has  commended  the  virtue  and  patriotism  of  Paulding, 
Williams  and  Van  Wart,  who,  in  capturing  Andre,  and  in 
spurning  his  golden  bribes,  proved  themselves  worthy  com- 
panions of  the  noble  men  who  fought  and  bled  in  ''  the  days 
that  tried  men's  souls." 

When  we  read  this  story,  and  consider  all  its  startling  details, 
we  are  impressed  by  the  stern,  patriotic  dignity  of  Gen.  Wash- 
ington, the  grace  and  accomplishments  of  the  unfortunate 
Andre,  and  the  daring  boldness  and  vindictive  treachery  of 
Arnold— of  that  Arnold  whose  skill  and  courage  shone  so  con- 
spicuously when  conducting  the  expedition  against  Canada, 
through  the  forests  of  Maine;  overcoming  difficulties  and  dan- 
gers that  were  deemed  insurmountable;  and  whose  frantic 
bravery,  on  the  plains  of  Saratoga,  made  him  the  favorite 
warrior  of  the  people,  and  rendered  more  striking  the  treachery 

175 


176  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

that  cast  liim  down  from  the  height  of  American  regard  to 
the  lowest  depths  of  scorn  and  detestation. 

At  no  period  during  the  American  struggle  for  independence 
was  Westchester  County  exempt  from  the  evils  of  war.  The 
close  proximity  to  New  York  city  and  the  British  army  head- 
quarters, and  easy  accessibility  for  purposes  of  raiding  by  the 
enemy,  kept  residents  in  constant  anxiety.  The  Highlands  of 
the  Hudson  constituted  the  strongholds  of  the  American  Army. 
While  other  portions  of  the  country  were  occasionally  invaded, 
here  the  contest  was  unceasing.  The  British  Government  at 
all  times  saw  that  the  full  possession  of  the  valley  of  the  Hud- 
son, on  their  part  would  divide  and  weaken  the  power  of  the 
colonists,  and  would  destroy  all  hopes  of  their  maintaining 
the  freedom  of  our  country.  The  greatest  effort  put  forth  by 
England  was  confined  in  its  operations  to  our  own  territories, 
from  New  York  up  along  through  the  Hudson  Yalle}^;  and 
she  selected  for  the  march  of  her  combining  armies  the  same 
avenues  through  which  commerce  now  pours  its  full  tide,  where 
the  savage  made  his  war  path,  and  where  she  had  struggled 
with  her  ancient  foe  during  the  French  War.  New  York  was 
invaded  simultaneously  through  the  valley  of  the  Upper  Hud- 
son by  her  disciplined  troops  under  Burgoyne,  by  her  fleets 
ascending  the  river,  under  Clinton,  and  by  her  savage  allies 
under  Saint  Leger,  who  were  to  exert  all  their  forms  of  warfare, 
and  to  combine  their  strength  at  Albany;  thus  to  separate  the 
New  England  States  from  the  rest  of  the  Colonies. 

The  British  power,  of  twenty  thousand  well-appointed  troops, 
held  in  New  York,  desired,  above  all  things,  first,  free  com- 
munication with  its  army  in  Canada ;  second,  to  obstruct  inter- 
course between  the  American  forces  in  New  England,  and 
those  in  New  Jersey ;  the  third,  to  gain  possession  of  those  large 
stores,  provisions  and  munitions  of  war  which  the  Americans 
had  collected,  and  without  which  all  further  resistance  against 
the  British  must  apparently  cease.  All  these  ends  would  be 
attained  by  possession  of  the  Hudson  River,  guarded  solely  by 
the  cannon  that  bristled  upon  Fort  Putnam,  and  the  brave 
hearts  who,  under  Arnold's  orders,  manned  the  fortress,  perched 
upon  the  West  Point  hills.  To  wrest  that  fortress  from  Ameri- 
can hands  by  superior  valor,  or  by  superior  power,  the  British 
troops  had  proved  unequal.  And  John  Andre  was  commissioned 
to  buy  with  gold  what  steel  could  not  conquer;  to  drive  a 
bargain  with  one  ready  for  a  price  to  become  a  traitor ;  to  count 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  177 

out  the  "  thirty  pieces  of  silver,"  by  which  British  Generals 
and  British  gentlemen  were  not  ashamed  to  purchase  the  betrayal 
of  a  cause,  whose  shining  virtue  repelled  their  power,  and 
dimmed  the  glory  of  their  arms. 

It  was  no  evidence  of  commendable  valor  on  the  part  of 
Andre  this  undertaking  of  a  mission  which  he  believed  to  be  an 
easy  task.  Andre,  who  had  known  before  her  marriage  the  wife 
of  General  Arnold  in  Philadelphia — in  which  city,  at  the  time, 
Andre  was  a  leader  in  society — entered  into  correspondence 
with  Arnold  and  was  the  agent  through  whom  Arnold  bar- 
gained, for  the  price  of  £6,000  and  a  commission  in  the  British 
Army,  not  only  to  surrender  West  Point,  but  also  to  turn  over 
to  the  enemy  the  person  of  Gen.  Washington,  of  Gen.  LaFayette 
and  all  other  American  Generals  he  could  persuade  to  be  his 
guests  in  the  Robinson  house,  his  quarters,  on  the  night  of  Sep- 
tember 26,  when  the  British,  it  was  arranged,  would  make  the 
attack.  Gen.  Washington  and  other  officers  were  to  be  sur- 
prised in  the  dead  hour  of  night,  while  they  slept.  Following 
these  important  captures,  the  garrison  of  West  Point  was  to  be 
given  up.     Thus  the  end  of  the  war  was  to  be  secured. 

The  story  here  related  tells  in  detail  how  Major  Andre— said 
by  one  of  his  English  enthusiastic  friends  to  have  been  a  valu- 
able aid  to  the  British  General  Clinton,  by  "  putting  in  motion 
the  whole  machine  of  war,"— was  outgeneraled  and  captured, 
on  his  return  from  Arnold,  by  three  farmer  boys  of  Westchester 
County,  who  refused  his  offered  bribes.  Papers  making  clear 
the  treason  of  Arnold  were  found  upon  Andre's  person,  who, 
by  his  own  frank  confession,  was  convicted  as  a  spy  and  sen- 
tenced to  be  hanged.  And  thus  he  died,  at  Tappan,  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Hudson,  on  October  2,  1780,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-nine  years. 

Probably  no  occurrence  in  American  history  made  as  many 
aching  hearts  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic;  and  Washington 
himself,  who  signed  Andre's  death  sentence  as  a  stern  matter 
of  duty  and  of  justice,  was  among  the  most  sincere  of  these 
mourners. 

Sir  Henry  Clinton,  commander  of  the  British  forces  in  New 
York,  by  the  most  urgent  representations  to  General  Washing- 
ton, tried  to  save  his  favorite,  but  in  vain.  There  was  but  one 
way,  the  surrender  of  Arnold,  then  in  New  York  city,  to  avert 
the  fate  decreed  to  Andre.  This  course  the  British,  in  good 
faith  to  the  traitor,  could  not  take. 


178  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

Andre  pleaded  for  a  soldier's  death,  but  the  Americans  held 
in  remembrance  the  fate  of  the  young  hero,  Nathan  Hale,  who 
had  been  hanged  as  a  spy.  Andre  died  with  heroic  firmness 
and  the  whole  English  army  went  in  mourning.  Andre's 
remains  were  taken  to  England  and  given  a  resting  place  beside 
Kins's  buried  in  Westminster  Abbev.  There  are  few  monu- 
ments  in  the  most  distinguished  Abbey  which  have  attracted 
more  attention  than  that  which  commemorates  the  sad  fate  of 
this  young  man,  scarcely  out  of  his  youth. 

"  AVhat  had  this  young  man  done  to  merit  immortality? 
The  mission,  whose  tragic  issue  lifted  him  out  of  the  oblivion 
of  other  minor  British  officers,  in  its  inception  was  free  from 
peril  or  daring,  and  its  objects  and  purposes  were  utterly 
infamous." 

John  Andre,  born  in  London,  England,  was  the  son  of  a 
Swiss  merchant.  Before  he  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years  he  had  become  engaged  to  Miss  Honoria  Sneyd,  a  young 
lady  of  singular  beauty  and  accomplishments.  Her  -  parents 
forbade  the  match.  Determining  to  win  fame  which  would 
soften  the  hearts  of  these  relentless  parents,  Andre,  at  the  age 
of  twenty,  entered  the  British  Army,  with  the  avowed  intention 
of  making  a  military  reputation  for  himself,  and  then,  when 
endowed  with  honors  earned,  he  would  return  and  claim  his 
bride.  'Tis  said  he  ever  wore  her  miniature  in  a  locket  about 
his  neck.  He  was  sent  to  Canada,  was  taken  prisoner  at  St. 
John's,  was  exchanged  and  joined  the  British  forces  here,  and, 
because  of  his  brilliant  characteristics,  became  a  favorite  of  Gen. 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who  appointed  him  his  aide-de-camp,  and 
soon  after  his  Adjutant-General. 

Younsr,  handsome,  clever,  full  of  gavetv,  an  artist  and  a 
poet,  Andre  was  the  life  of  the  British  Army.  While  the  troops 
of  Gen.  AYashington  were  naked  and  starving  at  Valley  Forge, 
Andre  was  the  leader  of  revels  in  Philadelphia.  When  the 
British  soldiers  evacuated  that  city  and  went  to  New  York, 
Andre  went  with  them  and,  as  before,  he  was  the  master  of 
revels. 

Benedict  Arnold  was  born  at  Norwich,  Conn.,  January  14, 
1741.  He  came  of  good  stock.  His  father,  Capt.  Benedict 
Arnold,  was  a  seaman,  running  a  trading  vessel;  his  grand- 
father, also  Benedict  Arnold,  was  the  second  Governor  of  Rhode 
Island.  The  father  died  when  he.  one  of  many  children, 
was  but  seventeen  years   of  age,   at   a   time  when  he  was,   as 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  179 

described,  ''An  uncommonly  active,  saucy,  roguish  and  impetu- 
ous lad,  showy  and  ostentatious,  rash,  headstrong,  regardless 
alike  of  friends  and  foes."  His  father  left  the  family  "  poor 
but  respectable,"  and  the  mother  endeavored  to  do  her  best 
for  a  large  family.  Benedict  3d  was  not  a  student;  on  the  con- 
trary he  detested  schools  on  principle;  he  was  of  a  restless, 
roving  disposition.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  ran  away  from 
home  to  serve  in  the  French  War.  Through  the  exertions  of 
his  mother,  he  was  made  to  return  and  go  to  work  as  an  appren- 
tice to  a  druggist,  a  relative.  After  serving  his  apprentice- 
ship, he  opened  a  drug  store  on  his  own  account  in  New  Haven, 
Conn.  He  proved  to  be  a  bad  business  man,  and  through  neg- 
lect and  personal  extravagance  he  met  failure. 

When  the  Revolutionary  War  broke  out,  Arnold  deserted  the 
drug  business  and  his  creditors,  and  at  the  head  of  the  "  Gov- 
ernor's Guard  "  hurried  to  the  front  where  battle  raged— he 
loved  tumult  and  adventure. 

In  June,  1778,  when  Philadelphia  was  evacuated  by  the 
British,  General  Washington  placed  Arnold  in  command  of 
that  city;  the  latter  was  incapacitated  for  active  service  by 
the  wound  he  had  received  at  Saratoga.  This  step  brought 
Arnold  into  direct  contact  with  Congress  and  the  Executive 
Council  of  Pennsylvania,  and  doubtless  with  the  proximate 
causes  of  his  treason.  It  required  certain  tact  to  deal  with 
men  composing  these  distinct  official  bodies,  very  different  from 
that  which  had  distinguished  Arnold  in  the  field.  Arnold  was 
blunt  and  self-willed,  and  deficient  in  tact.  He  was  accord- 
ingly soon  at  loggerheads  with  the  State  government,  and  lost, 
besides,  much  of  the  personal  popularity  with  which  he  started. 
His  acts  caused  him  to  be  mobbed  on  the  streets.  It  was  charged 
against  Arnold  that  the  extravagance  of  his  style  of  living  was 
an  offence  against  republican  simplicity  and  a  scandal  in  view 
of  the  distressed  condition  of  the  country;  that  in  order  to 
obtain  the  means  of  meeting  his  heavy  expenses  he  resorted  to 
peculations  and  extortion ;  and  that  he  showed  too  much  favor 
to  the  Tories.  These  charges  were  doubtless  not  without  some 
foundation ;  no  one  in  Philadelphia  kept  a  finer  stable  of  horses 
or  gave  more  costly  dinners  than  General  Arnold.  He  would 
have  the  best,  regardless  as  to  who  paid  the  bills.  The  charge 
of  favoring  the  Tories  may  find  its  explanation  in  a  circum- 
stance which  possibly  throws  some  light  upon  his  lavish  use  of 
money.     Miss  Margaret   Shippen,   a   daughter  of  a   gentleman 


180  :maxual  axd  civil  list. 

of   Tory  sympathies,  who   afterward  became   Chief  Justice  of 
Pennsylvania,  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  fascinating 
women   in   America,   and   at   that   time   the   reigning   belle   of 
Philadelphia.     When   the  city   was   in   control   of  the   British, 
under  Gen.  Howe,  she  had  as  her  ardent  admirer  the  ill-starred 
Major  Andre,  and  no  sooner  had  Arnold,  the  new  commandant, 
arrived  at  his  post  than  he  was  also  taken  captive.     The  lady 
was  nineteen  years  of  age,  while  Arnold  was  a  widower  twice 
her  age,  with  three  sons;  but  his  handsome  face,  his  gallant 
bearing,   and   his   splendid   career   outweighed   these   disadvan- 
tages,  and   in  the  autumn  of   1778  he  was  betrothed  to  Miss 
Shippen,  and  thus  entered  into  close  relations  with  a  prominent 
Tory  family.     For  a  time  he  lived  in  a  Tory  atmosphere ;  that, 
under  the  circumstances,  he  should  gradually  have  drifted  into 
the  Tory  position  was,  in  a  man  of  his  temperament,  almost 
inevitable.     His  nature  was  warm,  impulsive  and  easily  impres- 
sible, while  he  was  deficient  in  breadth  of  intelligence  and  in 
rigorous  moral  conviction;  and  his  opinions  on  public  matters 
took  their  hue  largely  from  his  personal  feelings.     It  was  not 
surprising  that  such  a  man,  in  giving  splendid  entertainments, 
should  invite  to  them  the  Tory  friends  of  the  lady  whose  favor 
he  was  courting.     His  course  excited  the  wrath  of  the  friends 
of  the  Continental  cause;  Gen.  Reed,  of  Pennsylvania,  wrote 
indignantly  to  Gen.  Greene  that  Arnold  had  actually  given  a 
party  at  which  "  not  only  common  Tory  ladies,  but  the  wives 
and  daughters  of  persons  proscribed  by  the   State,   and  now 
with  the  enemy  at  New  York,"  were  present   in  considerable 
numbers.     Arnold's   conduct   invited   severe   criticism,    and   he 
received  it  strong.     In  answer,  the  impulsive  Arnold  suddenly 
decided  to  resign  his  post  and  leave  the  army  altogether.     He 
would  quit  the  turmoil  of  public  affairs,  obtain  a  grant  of  land 
in  western  New  York,  settle  it  with  his  old  soldiers,  with  whom 
he  had  always  been  a  favorite,  and  lead  henceforth  a  life  of 
Arcadian  simplicity.     In  this  mood  he  wrote  to  Gen.  Schuyler, 
in  words  which  to-day  seem  strange  and  sad,  that  his  ambition 
was  not   so   much  to   "  shine   in  history  "   as  to  be   "a   good 
citizen:"  and  about  the  first  of  Januarv,  1779,  he  set  out  for 
Albany  to  consult  with  the  Xew  York  Legislature.     His  scheme 
was  approved  by  John  Jay  and  others,  and  in  all  likelihood 
would  have  succeeded;  but  as  he  stopped  for  a  day  at  Morris- 
town,  N.  J.,  to  visit  Gen.  Washington,  a  letter  overtook  him, 
with  the  information  that  as  soon  as  his  back  had  been  turned 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  181 

upon  Philadelphia  he  had  been  publicly  attacked  by  the 
president  of  the  Pennsylvania  Council.  Formal  charges  were 
brought  against  him,  alleging  improper  conduct  while  in  com- 
mand at  Philadelphia.  These  charges  were  promulgated  in  a 
most  extraordinary  fashion  by  the  said  Council's  president. 
Not  only  were  they  laid  before  Congress,  but  were  sent  to  Gov- 
ernors of  all  States  with  a  circular  letter  requesting  the  Gov- 
errors  to  communicate  them  to  their  respective  Legislatures. 
Arnold  was  naturally  enraged  at  such  an  elaborate  attempt  to 
prepossess  the  public  mind  against  him,  but  his  first  concern 
was  the  possible  effect  it  might  have  upon  Miss  Shippen.  He 
instantly  returned  to  Philadelphia,  and  demanded  an  investi- 
gation. He  had  obtained  Gen.  Washington's  permission  to 
resign  his  command,  but  deferred  acting  upon  it  till  the  inquiry 
should  have  been  ended.  A  committee  of  Congress  made  a 
report  which  Arnold  considered  vindicated  him ;  then  he  resigned 
his  command.  But  the  president  of  the  Pennsylvania  Council 
insisted  on  a  further  investigation,  claiming  he  had  more  and 
greater  damaging  evidence  to  convict.  Congress  ordered  a 
court-martial  to  try  Arnold,  much  to  his  disgust,  claiming  that 
he  was  being  persecuted  by  enemies  who  could  not  use  him  in 
his  official  position.  The  vials  of  Arnold's  wrath  were  now 
full  to  overflowing;  but  he  had  no  cause  to  complain  of  Miss 
Shippen,  for  their  marriage  took  place  in  less  than  a  week 
after  the  action  of  Congress.  Gen.  Washington,  who  sympa- 
thized with  Arnold's  impatience,  appointed  the  court-martial 
for  the  first  of  May,  but  by  the  pleadings  of  the  Council  of 
Pennsylvania  the  hearing  was  put  off  from  time  to  time,  much 
to  Arnold's  annoyance.  All  the  time  Arnold  kept  clamoring 
for  a  speedy  trial,  and  his  opponents  were  putting  it  off  on 
plea  that  time  was  needed  to  gather  evidence.  Gen.  Washing- 
ton did  his  best  to  sooth  Arnold.  It  is  believed  to  have  been 
about  that  time,  at  the  height  of  his  rage  against  Congress  for 
what  he  considered  Congress'  ill-treatment  of  him,  in  April, 
1779,  that  he  wrote  a  letter  to  Gen.  Clinton,  commander  of  the 
British  forces  in  New  York,  in  disguised  handwriting  and  under 
the  signature  of  "  Gustavus,"  describing  himself  as  an  Ameri- 
can officer  of  high  rank,  who,  through  disgust  at  the  French 
alliance  and  other  recent  proceedings  of  Congress,  might  per- 
haps be  persuaded  to  go  over  to  the  British,  provided  he  could 
be  indemnified  for  any  losses  he  might  incur  by  so  doing.  The 
beginning  of  this  correspondence  in  February,   1779— if  that 


182  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

was  really  the  time— coincided  curiously  with  the  date  of 
Arnold's  marriage,  but  it  is  in  the  highest  degree  probable  that 
down  to  the  final  act  of  treachery  Mrs.  Arnold  knew  nothing 
whatever  of  what  her  husband  contemplated,  though  one  or 
more  historic  writers  pretend  to  believe  that  she,  inspired  by 
Tory  sympathies,  urged  her  husband  to  desert  a  "  lost  cause  '* 
and  join  fortunes  with  her  loyal  Tory  friends. 

In  his  rage  it  would  be  easy,  probably,  to  persuade  him  to 
forsake  such  a  thankless  nation.  His  Tory  friends  had  cited 
examples  of  celebrated  persons  who  had  accomplished  great 
ends  by  swinging  their  power  from  one  party  to  another.  They 
told  him  that  by  giving  his  aid  to  England,  the  colonies  would 
be  restored  to  peace  and  prosperity,  and  that  all  parties  would 
thank  him  for  this  service,  and  moreover,  he  could  control  nego- 
tiations with  the  English  government. 

The  deliberations  of  the  court-martial  ended  with  finding 
Arnold  guilty  of  certain  minor  charges,  and  sentenced  him  to 
be  reprimanded  by  the  Commander-in-Chief.  It  is  needless  to 
say  the  reproof  was  administered  by  Gen.  Washington  with 
as  much  delicacy  as  possible,  and  at  the  same  time  he  offered 
Arnold  the  post  of  honor  in  the  next  campaign.  But  it  was 
too  late.  His  passionate  nature  had  been  goaded  beyond  endur- 
ance by  the  public  disgrace  that  had  been  put  upon  him.  He 
therefore  refused  the  great  honor  which  Gen.  Washington 
offered  him,  pleading  ill-health  as  an  excuse,  and  petitioned 
that  he  be  given  the  position  of  command  at  AVest  Point  instead. 
He  would  bring  about  the  crisis  of  the  Revolution  by  betraying 
his  country  and  delivering  AVest  Point  to  the  British. 

Arnold's  correspondence  with  Gen.  Clinton,  the  British  com- 
mander, had  been  kept  up  at  intervals.  Gen.  Clinton's  replies 
being  written  by  Major  John  Andre,  his  adjutant-general,  over 
the  signature  of  "  John  Anderson."  Nothing  seems  to  have 
been  thought  of  at  first  beyond  the  personal  desertion  of  Arnold 
to  the  enemy ;  the  betrayal  of  a  fortress  was  a  later  development 
of  infamy.  For  the  present,  too,  we  may  suppose  that  Arnold 
was  merely  playing  with  fire,  while  he  waited  the  result  of  the 
court-martial.  For  him  the  summer,  while  he  waited,  was  not 
a  happy  one,  especially  for  a  bridegroom ;  his  debts  went  on 
increasing,  and  evidently  he  saw  no  way  out,  without  selling 
even  his  honor.  Gen.  Washington,  in  giving  him  command  at 
West  Point,  gave  him  the  strongest  proof  of  unabated  confi- 
dence and  esteem  which  it  was  in  his  power  to  give.     Gen. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  183 

Schuyler  wrote  him  a  most  affectionate  letter,  and  others  of  his 
brothers  in  arms  gave  evidences  of  sincere  sympathy. 

Congress  had  most  grievously  and  shamefully  insulted  and 
abused  Generals  Washington,  Greene,  Schuyler,  Morgan  and 
others  loyal  to  the  American  cause,  but  these  did  not  consider 
their  unjust  treatment  sufficient  cause  for  turning  traitor  to 
their  country. 

While  the  name  of  Arnold  is  forever  a  synonym  for  treason, 
the  fate  of  Andre  yet  excites  commiseration.  Arnold  missed 
the  one  chance  to  restore  himself  in  a  degree,  at  least,  to  the 
consideration  of  mankind.  He  should  have  proven  true  to 
Gen.  Washington's  confidence  and  thus  put  to  route  his  enemies 
when  the  opportunity  was  afforded  him,  instead  he  chose  to 
turn  traitor  and  if  necessary  sacrifice  the  life  of  the  large-hearted 
Washington,  his  benefactor.  Then  again,  after  his  unsuccess- 
ful attempt  to  betray  his  country  and  deliver  West  Point  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  his  escape  to  New  York,  he  might 
have  delivered  himself  to  Gen.  Washington  and  demanded 
Andre's  exchange.  But  he  did  not.  He  chose  to  follow  the 
baser  course. 

As  we  have  stated,  the  charitably  disposed  profess  to  believe 
that  Mrs.  Arnold  was  ignorant  of  her  husband's  intention  of 
turning  traitor ;  we  are  told  how  she  fell  in  a  swoon  on  her  hus- 
band telling  her  that  all  had  been  found  out  and  he  had  to 
escape  to  save  his  life.  Gen.  Washington,  in  keeping  with  his 
reputation  for  kindness  at  all  times,  directed  that  the  news  of 
Arnold's  escape  on  the  British  vessel  be  conveyed  to  the  wife 
in  the  gentlest  manner,  and  that  she  be  permitted  to  follow  her 
own  harmless  inclinations  after  the  flight  of  her  husband.  It 
is  stated  that  after  recovering  from  an  illness  into  which  she 
was  thrown  by  the  shock,  she  rejoined  her  husband  in  New 
York  city,  and  later  went  with  him  to  England,  where  she 
was  respected,  notwithstanding  the  unfavorable  opinion  held  of 
her  husband. 

Immediately  after  arriving  in  New  York  and  being  assured 
of  the  reward  of  his  treachery,  Arnold  issued  a  statement  justi- 
fying himself  and  advising  other  Americans  to  do  as  he  had 
done,  and  making  glowing  offers  to  deserters.  He  was  sent 
out  of  New  York  at  the  head  of  British  forces  to  make  war  upon 
his  countrymen.  He  burned  Richmond,  Va.,  and  in  a  raid  upon 
New  London,  Conn.,  where  he  had  spent  many  of  his  boyhood 
days,  he  did  great  damage  by  fire.    His  hatred  of  former  friends 


184  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

evidently  knew  no  bounds.  The  Americans  tried  hard  to  cap- 
ture him,  and  he  knew  that  in  case  of  his  capture  his  life  would 
pay  the  forfeit. 

Following  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis,  he  was  sent  to  London 
to  counsel  with  the  ministry  regarding  the  carrying  on  of  the 
war.  He  was  disappointed  at  his  reception  in  England,  for, 
though  the  king  and  court  received  him  with  favor,  the  Liberals 
denounced  him  as  a  renegade  and  betrayer  of  his  trust.  The 
officers  of  the  British  army  considered  his  conduct  unbecoming 
an  officer  and  gentleman,  and  he,  therefore,  as  being  unworthy 
of  their  confidence  and  trust ;  for  this  reason  it  was  found 
impossible  to  give  him  employment  in  the  army,  to  which  he 
had  looked  forward  so  eagerly.  He  served  England  in  the 
West  Indies  war  difficulties,  and  in  1798  he  asked  for  military 
service,  which  was  denied,  even  after  he  had  petitioned  it. 
This  refusal  was  the  cause  of  his  breakdown,  and  shortly  after- 
ward he  died,  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  In  later  years  sons 
of  his  were  given  places  in  the  British  army,  and  did  good  ser- 
vice in  an  endeavor  to  redeem  the  familv  name  from  disgrace. 

The  monument  erected  at  Schuylerville  to  mark  the  spot  on 
which  the  Battle  of  Saratoga  was  fought  contains  four  niches 
in  which  to  place  the  life-size  statues  of  the  four  heroes  of  that 
battle ;  three  of  the  spaces  are  filled  and  one  niche,  facing  the 
south,  is  left  vacant ;  it  should  have  been  occupied  by  the  statue 
of  Arnold. 

On  the  wall  of  the  old  chapel  at  West  Point  there  is  a  marble 
tablet  bearing  this  inscription : 


Major  General   

Born 1740 

Died 


Joshua  Hett  Smith,  who  figured  prominently  as  the  messenger 
between  Arnold  and  Andre,  as  the  one  who  took  Andre  in  a 
rowboat  from  the  British  war- vessel,  "  Vulture,"  and  at  whose 
house  Arnold  and  Andre  met  and  plotted,  and  who  piloted 
Andre  a  part  of  the  way  back  to  New  York  city,  was  subse- 
quently arrested  under  orders  issued  by  Gen.  Washington,  at 
the  home  of  his  brother-in-law,  in  Fishkill.  He  was  tried  as 
an  accomplice  of  Andre;  in  fact  was  twice  tried  on  different 
charges,  with  similar  bearings,  his  first  trial  miscarrying.     At 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  185 

the  second  trial,  for  conspiracy,  he  was  condenmed;  he  was 
sent  to  Goshen,  Orange  County,  for  safe  keeping,  but  suc- 
ceeded in  escaping  from  the  insecure  place  in  which  he  was 
confined;  he  reached  a  place  of  safety  within  the  British  lines 
in  New  York  city. 

Smith  was  a  resident  of  Haverstraw,  in  Rockland  County, 
and  very  well  connected,  rich  if  not  wealthy;  was  a  lawyer  by 
profession,  as  were  two  of  his  brothers,  one  of  the  latter,  Wil- 
liam Smith,  was  the  Tory  Chief  Justice  in  New  York  city. 
The  daughter  of  Thomas  Smith,  another  brother,  married  John 
C.  Spencer,  who  was  Secretary  of  the  Navy  in  1842. 

Joshua  H.  Smith  is  credited  with  having  had  some  ability 
as  a  lawyer,  as  ever  being  cool  and  self-possessed.  He  con- 
ducted his  own  defence  in  each  of  his  two  trials.  His  political 
views  were  a  mystery.  He  was  friendly  with  those  fighting 
for  the  American  cause,  yet  his  friendliness  did  not  always 
invite  confidence  of  loyal  Americans.  Col.  Lamb,  commanding 
artillery  at  West  Point  would  not  visit  him,  although  they  were 
relatives,  as  the  Colonel  said  he  deemed  Smith  a  Tory,  secretly 
in  league  with  Tories.  After  events  proved  the  Colonel  to  be 
not  far  from  right. 

Smith  was  shrewd,  and  he  planned  wisely  in  arranging  to 
cover  up  his  tracks  as  he  went  along;  he  knew  he  could  serve 
the  Tory  interests  best  by  an  outward  appearance  of  being 
helpful  to  the  loyal  American  cause.  At  Smith's  trial  promi- 
nent loyal  American  citizens  came  forward  and  testified  that 
Smith  proved  his  loyalty  by,  on  two  occasions,  loaning  one 
thousand  dollars  to  aid  the  struggling  Americans. 

Smith's  house,  where  Arnold  and  Andre  met,  was  situated 
on  what  is  now  known  as  "  Treason  Hill,"  Haverstraw. 

In  1808,  Smith  published  a  book,  entitled  ''An  authentic 
narrative  of  the  causes  which  led  to  the  death  of  Major  John 
Andre,"  in  which  the  writer  undertook  to  justify  his  own  acts. 
This  book  was  first  published  in  England,  where  Smith  went 
after  leaving  New  York  city.  Later  he  returned  to  this  coun- 
try, and  being  still  possessed  of  that  self-assurance  character- 
istic of  him,  he  attempted  to  conduct  a  school  in  Haverstraw, 
but  public  opinion  succeeded  in  driving  him  out  of  that  place. 
He  died  in  1818. 

It  was  in  commemoration  of  the  manly  actions  of  Paulding, 
Williams  and  Van  Wart  that  the  monument  in  Tarrytown  was 
erected,  not  to  honor  Andre.     The  oft-accepted  idea  that  such 


186  JVIANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

monument  is  there  to  keep  alive  the  memory  of  the  accomplice 
of  the  archtraitor  Arnold  is  far  from  the  truth — the  sole  pur- 
pose of  erecting  such  monument  was  to  show  appreciation  of 
the  acts  of  honest  Westchester  County  yeomen,  to  honor  the 
men  who  captured  Andre,  considered  a  British  spy. 

Paulding  and  Van  AVart,  young  men,  were  cousins.  Wil- 
liams, the  oldest,  was  not  quite  twenty-three  years  of  age.  To 
Williams,  in  particular,  history  is  indebted  for  many  minute 
details  about  the  capture  of  Andre  and  the  events  leading  up 
to  it. 

Williams,  in  his  writings,  made  a  strong  statement  to  disprove 
the  charge  that  he  and  his  companions  were  "  Cowboys  "  or 
''  Skinners."  Paulding  and  Van  AVart  likewise  made  similar 
statements,  claiming  the  charge  to  be  unjust  and  without  foun- 
dation ;  that  on  the  eventful  September  day  they  were  militia- 
men, regularly  detailed  for  a  special  duty,  to  punish  Cowboys 
or  other  marauders,  employed  in  robbing  people  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. 

Andre  and  Williams  had  met  before,  though  neither  of  them 
were  aware  of  it  when  they  met  at  Tarrytown  September  23; 
when  Andre  was  captured  at  St.  John's  in  1775,  Williams  was 
a  soldier  of  Gen.  Montgomery's  command. 

Paulding,  who  entered  active  service  after  Andre's  capture, 
was  wounded,  a  third  time  captured,  and  was  in  a  British  hos- 
pital until  the  end  of  the  war. 

Paulding  died  in  1818,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  Van  Cort- 
landtville  Cemetery,  in  Peekskill ;  Isaac  Van  Wart  died  ten  years 
later,  and  his  remains  rest  in  the  old  Greenburgh  church-yard, 
at  Elmsford,  both  final  resting  places  being  in  this  county. 
Dav4d  Williams  removed  to  Livingstonville,  in  Schoharie  County, 
in  this  State,  where  he  died  in  1831,  and  was  buried  in  the  old 
stone  fort  at  Schoharie  Court  House.  All  lived  to  ripe  old 
age,  and  they  and  their  descendants  were  greatly  respected. 

George  Paulding,  the  eldest  son  of  John  Paulding,  was  for 
many  years  an  Alderman  and  leading  citizen  of  New  York  city. 

John  Paulding,  a  namesake  of  his  grandfather  and  son  of 
George  Paulding,  born  in  New  York  city,  represented  a  Long 
Island  district  as  Assemblyman  in  the  State  Legislature  of 
1863. 

Hiram  Paulding,  another  son  of  John  Paulding,  was  a  Rear- 
Admiral  in  the  United  States  Navy  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  was  born  in  this   county,   in  the  town   of   Cortlandt,   on 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  187 

December  11,  1797,  and  when  fourteen  years  of  age,  in  1811, 
he  was  appointed  by  President  Madison  as  a  midshipman  in 
the  Navy. 

In  part  recognition  of  the  heroic  deeds  of  John  Paulding,  a 
torpedo  boat,  built  for  the  United  States  Navy,  in  1909,  was 
named  "  Paulding."  In  April  of  that  year,  the  boat  was 
launched  at  Bath,  Me.,  and  was  christened  by  Miss  Emma 
Paulding,  daughter  of  the  late  Rear- Admiral  Hiram  Paulding. 

THE  CRISIS  PERIOD. 

September,  1780,  found  our  struggling  countrymen  laboring 
under  discouraging  conditions.  Charleston  had  fallen,  and  Gen. 
Gates  had  been  disastrously  defeated.  With  the  route  of  his 
army,  the  whole  South  had  come  under  the  enemy's  control. 
New  Jersey  was  overrun,  and  twenty  thousand  men,  veterans 
of  European  battlefields,  were  gathered  in  New  York.  The 
French  fleet  had  sailed  away,  a  large  reinforcement  arrived  to 
the  British  navy,  and  Washington's  cherished  plan  of  a  demon- 
stration against  the  city  of  New  York  had  to  be  abandoned. 
The  only  American  force  worthy  the  name  of  an  army — num- 
bering less  than  twelve  thousand,  suffering  from  long  arrears 
of  pay,  without  money  to  send  their  starving  families,  and  short 
of  every  kind  of  supplies— was  encamped  near  Peekskill,  at 
and  about  West  Point.  This  critical  moment  was  selected  by 
Arnold  with  devilish  sagacity  to  strike  his  deadly  blow.  Elated 
by  the  success  which  had  crowned  his  earlier  efforts,  he  indulged 
too  freely  his  love  for  intoxicating  liquor,  running  into  excesses 
which  left  him  without  a  command,  bankrupt  in  fortune,  at 
odds  with  Continental  officers,  and  smarting  under  the  repri- 
mand of  Congress.  He  was  ripe  for  revenge,  not  only  upon 
those  whom  he  considered  had  offended  him,  but  also  upon  the 
cause  for  which  he  had  fought,  and  upon  his  country,  and  his 
people.  He  still  retained  the  confidence  of  General  Washing- 
ton, and,  anxious  to  secure  the  largest  prize  for  his  treason, 
applied  for,  and  obtained,  the  command  of  West  Point. 

It  was  on  the  promise  of  Arnold  to  correct  his  habits  and 
assert  his  manhood  that  General  Washington  agreed  to  give  the 
West  Point  assignment.  It  was  in  the  American  Army  head- 
quarters in  Peekskill,  in  this  county,  that  Arnold  received  it. 
In  the  same  building  where  Alexander  Hamilton  and  Aaron 
Burr  had  received  their  commissions  and  became  members  of 


188  IMANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

General  AVashington's  staff.     Arnold,  in  1778,  swore  allegiance 
to  the  American  cause. 

The  surrender  of  West  Point,  controlling  the  passes  of  the 
Hudson,  with  its  war  materials,  vital  to  the  maintenance  of  the 
patriot  army,  and  its  garrison  of  four  thousand  troops,  together 
with  the  person  of  General  Washington  and  staff,  ended,  in  his 
judgment,  the  war,  and  gave  him— Arnold— a  conspicuous  place 
of  honor  in  history.  (He  received  the  conspicuous  place  for 
certain,  but  not  as  he  planned.) 

All  parties  recognized  as  a  fact  that  the  success  or  failure 
of  the  united  colonies  forming  an  independent  government 
depended,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  contest,  on  the 
State  of  New  York.  For  this  reason  the  holding  of  West  Point 
was  all  important  to  both  armies. 

Letters  written  by  Arnold,  after  assuming  command  of  West 
Point,  to  Major  Andre  occasionally  imparted  valuable  informa- 
tion, to  indicate  his  importance.  Thus  he  acted  as  a  spy  in 
the  interest  of  the  enemy.  A  friendly  agent  in  whom  Arnold 
had  confidence  and  selected  by  him,  acted  as  messenger  in  deliv- 
ering and  receiving  the  letters. 

These  letters,  phrased  in  the  terms  of  trade,  relative  to  the 
sale  of  merchandise,  were  really  disputing  about  the  price,  not 
of  wares  of  trade,  but  about  the  price  of  the  betrayal  of  the 
liberties  of  America  and  a  human  soul. 

Eighteen  months  before  Andre's  visit  to  Arnold,  the  latter 
began  writing  these  letters.  When  the  time  came  for  complet- 
ing arrangements  for  the  surrender  of  West  Point,  Arnold 
asked  that  Andre  be  permitted  to  meet  him,  instead  of  the 
officer  Gen.  Clinton,  the  British  commander,  had  intended 
sending.^ 

The  first  meeting  with  the  enemy  arranged  by  Arnold  to 
perfect  his  treacherous  plans,  on  September  12,  in  Dobbs  Ferry, 
in  this  county,  failed,  and  Arnold  came  near  being  captured. 
With  rare  audacity  he  reported  his  visit  at  once  to  General 
Washington,  and  the  next  day  wrote  a  letter  to  General  Greene, 


^  It  was  necessary  that  a  meeting  should  be  held  for  settling  the  whole 
plan,  Arnold  seemed  extremely  desirous  that  some  person  who  had  Gen. 
Clinton's  confidence  might  be  sent  to  him;  some  man,  as  he  described  in 
writing,  '*  Of  his  own  mensuration."  Gen.  Clinton  later  said,  ''  I  had 
thought  of  a  person  under  this  important  description  who  would  gladly 
have  undertaken  it,  but  his  peculiar  situation  at  the  time,  from  which  I 
could  not  release  him,  prevented. ' '  Arnold,  for  reasons  of  his  own,  insisted 
that  Andr^  should  be  the  person  sent,  Andre  knew  West  Point  and  sur- 
rounding country  quite  well,  having  been  there  in  1777. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  189 

expressing  bitter  indignation  against  General  Gates  (for  whom 
he  held  an  old  grudge,  dating  back  to  the  battle  of  Saratoga, 
previous  to  the  battle  when  General  Gates  was  forced  to  order 
Arnold's  arrest  for  misbehavior)  for  his  southern  defeat,  and 
the  apprehension  that  it  would  leave  an  indelible  stain  upon 
his  reputation. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  day  Gen.  Washington  left  the 
West  Point  military  headquarters  to  go  to  Hartford,  Conn., 
to  visit  the  French  General  Rochambeau,  that  Arnold  met 
Washington  and  accompanied  him  part  way,  taking  his  chief 
over  the  river,  in  his  barge,  to  Verplanck's  Point,  in  this  county. 
Arnold  than  had  in  his  possession  a  decoy  letter  from  the  Tory 
Beverly  Robinson,^  ostensibly  about  his  confiscated  lands,  really 
conveying  information  where  an  interview  with  Andre  might 
be  had;  Arnold  asked  Gen.  Washington  for  permission  to  go 
in  answer  to  the  summons,  but  Washington  declined,  saying  the 
matter  had  better  be  left  to  the  civil  authorities. 

An  overruling  Providence  was  protecting  the  patriotic  cause, 
and  weaving  about  the  plot  the  elements  of  its  exposure  and 
destruction. 

Baffled,  but  not  disheartened,  Arnold,  lurking  in  the  bushes 
of  the  Long  Cove,  below  Haverstraw,  sent  his  friend  Joshua 
Hett  Smith  and  two  oarsmen,  in  a  rowboat,  to  the  British  war 
vessel  ''  Vulture,"  to  bring  Andre  to  the  shore  and  to  Arnold's 
hiding  place.  The  ' '  Vulture  ' '  ^  had  brought  Andre  from 
New  York,  arriving  September  21,  and  the  vessel  laid  at  anchor 
opposite  Croton  Point,  in  this  county.  It  was  in  the  night  of 
that  day,  under  cover  of  darkness,  that  Smith  and  his  oarsmen 
visited  the  British  war  vessel;  they  were  roughly  handled  on 
the  vessel  for  daring  to  approach  without  a  flag  of  truce;  on 
explaining  that  their  business  was  with  Andre,  they  were  taken 
before  him.  Andre  expressed  his  willingness  to  go  to  Arnold 
with  Smith.  His  anxiety  to  be  about  this  diabolical  business 
overshadowed  his  caution.  He  forgot  the  admonition  of  his 
commander,  Gen.  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  directing  that  he  was  ' '  not 
to  go  within  the  American  lines,  not  to  cover  his  uniform,  not 

*  Beverly  Eobiuson,  whose  estates,  includingf  the  Eobinson  House,  had 
been  confiscated,  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Gen.  Washington  before  the 
war;  the  friendship  terminated  when  Robinson  with  other  Tories  organized 
and  equipped  a  regiment  of  *'  loyal  Americans  "  to  aid  the  British  and 
Robinson  went  to  reside  in  New  York  City.  After  the  war  he  went  to 
England,  where  he  died. 

^  The  "  Vulture  "  was  a  third-rate  vessel,  carrying  fourteen  guns,  and 
had  long  been  in  the  British  service,  and  possessed  an  eventful  history. 


190  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

to  be  the  bearer  of  any  papers. ' '  It  is  presumed  that  the  British 
General  contemplated  that  a  meeting  between  Arnold  and  Andre 
might  take  place  on  board  the  British  war  vessel  "  Vulture." 
But  if  such  was  his  desire  the  impetuosity  of  his  youthful  Adju- 
tant-General defeated  it.  Andre  decided  to  disguise  his  uni- 
form in  a  cloak  and  accompany  Smith  ashore. 

The  master  mind  of  Arnold  influenced  him  against  running 
chances  of  harm  coming  to  him  if  he  visited  the  British  vessel, 
therefore  he  determined  that  the  British  officer  should  come  to 
him  where  they  could  alone  haggle  over  terms. 

Doubtless  Andre,  if  he  thought  of  the  danger  at  all,  realized 
what  would  be  his  fate  if  discovered  within  the  American  lines, 
arrested  and  held  as  a  spy.  But  he  heeded  not;  he  was  ambi- 
tious to  make  a  great  name  for  himself  by  the  success  of  his  bold 
undertaking.  As  a  result,  he  perhaps  thought,  he  would  not 
only  receive  the  plaudits  of  his  fellows  in  the  British  army,  but 
also  would  be  recognized  by  the  English  government  and 
rewarded  by  receiving  high  distinction  in  military  or  civil  posi- 
tion, and  his  name  be  enrolled  among  the  heroes  of  the  English 
nation.  Endowed  with  great  honors,  he  would  return  to  his 
home  and  claim  his  charming  bride.  This  dream  probably 
inspired  the  youth. 

Though  admitted  to  be  brilliant,  accomplished,  captivating 
and  ambitious,  his  dealings  with  Arnold  revealed  a  serious  defect 
in  his  character;  his  moral  sense  was  paralyzed  in  the  presence 
of  great  opportunities. 

Andre  accompanied  Smith  in  the  rowboat  to  the  shore,  on  the 
w^est  side  of  the  river,  landing  under  the  mountain  near  Haver- 
straw,^  w^here  Arnold,  in  a  thicket  near  by,  was  hiding.  In 
this  obscure  place  Arnold  and  Andre  argued  until  nearly  day 
dawn,  when  Smith  came  and  asked  them  to  go  to  his  house 
nearby  where  they  could  talk  undiscovered ;  Smith  had  sent  his 
family  to  Fishkill  to  visit  a  brother-in-law  living  in  that  place, 
so  that  the  two  conspirators  could  plan  in  secret. 

AVhen  the  day  broke,  following  Andre's  leaving  the  ''  Vul- 
ture," several  patriotic  farmers  discerned  the  British  war  vessel 
lying  close  to  Teller's  Point,  opposite  Haverstraw.  Two  of 
these    farmhands,    George    Sherwood    and    Joseph    Peterson,^ 


^Haverstraw  in  1780  was  a  rural  hamlet,  in  that  section  of  Orange 
County  now  known  as  Rockland  County. 

'Peterson  is  described  as  a  mulatto,  belonging  to  Col.  Van  Cortlandt's 
regiment,  Third  Westchester  Militia ;  he  died  in  Tarrytown  at  the  age  of  103. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  191 

decided,  as  they  afterward  said,  "to  go  to  the  shore  and  have 
a  shot  at  the  Britishers, ' '  with  their  flintlock  muskets.  A  small 
boat  from  the  vessel  put  out  after  them;  the  honest,  patriotic 
yeomen  kept  up  their  fire  and  succeeded  in  fatally  wounding 
one  of  the  crew,  when  the  balance  turned  about  and  retreated 
to  the  war-vessel.  The  action  of  the  farmers  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  Col.  Livingston,^  in  command  of  Fort  Lafayette,  at  Ver- 
planck's  Point.  He  determined  promptly  to  fire  on  the  vessel, 
but  was  refused  by  Arnold  the  use  of  a  heavy  gun;  a  lighter 
gun,  a  four  pounder,  had  to  be  used,  and  with  it  he  sent  a  squad 
of  soldiers  to  the  Point,  with  orders  to  open  fire  upon  the  ' '  Vul- 
ture "  as  soon  as  they  arrived  within  range.  This  they  did, 
and  in  so  doing  rendered  an  inestimable  service  to  their  country, 
and,  as  has  been  justly  said,  history  has  failed  to  record  the  fact 
sufficiently  forcible,  and  give  credit.  These  attacks  from  the 
shore  compelled  the  ''  Vulture  "  to  raise  her  anchor  and  drift 
further  down  stream,  again  anchoring,  opposite  Croton  Point 
(in  this  county).  This  shift  of  position  on  the  part  of  the 
**  Vulture  "  proved  to  be  Andre's  undoing,  as  it  prevented  his 
return  to  the  boat,  as  none  of  the  local  boatmen  would  attempt 
to  approach  the  "  Britisher  "  now  looked  upon  with  general 
suspicion ;  even  the  venturesome  Smith  would  not  undertake  it. 
Arnold  and  Andre  remained  in  Smith's  house  until  nearly 
nightfall.  By  that  time  Arnold  had  succeeded  in  driving  the 
best  bargain  possible ;  the  price  for  Arnold 's  intended  treachery, 
payable  on  its  consummation,  was  to  be  six  thousand  pounds, 
in  coin  of  England,  and  a  Brigadier-Generalship  in  the  British 
Army.  In  return  for  this  promise,  Arnold  gave  Andre  all 
information  relative  to  the  situation  at  West  Point,  together  with 
important  papers  giving  the  plans,  fortifications,  armament, 
number  of  troops  at  West  Point,  and  the  proceedings  of  Gen. 
Washington's  last  council  of  war.  These  papers,  of  inestimable 
value  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  were  placed  by  Andre  in  his 
boots,  between  his  stockings  and  his  feet.  Arnold,  further,  gave 
assurances  that  the  defences  at  West  Point  would  be  so  manned 
as  to  fall  without  assault  on  the  part  of  the  British ;  and  further, 
that  the  person  of  Gen.  Washington  would  be  seized. 

^  Colonel  James  Livingston  was  born  in  1747,  and  died  in  Saratoga 
County,  November  29,  1833.     He  was  a  relative  of  Mrs.  J.  H.  Smith. 

To  Livingston  Gen.  Washington  wrote,  "It  is  a  source  of  gratification 
to  me  that  the  post  was  in  the  hands  of  an  officer  so  devoted  as  yourself 
to  the  cause  of  your  country." 

The  well-known  late  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Cady  Stanton,  long  a  resident  of 
"Westchester  County,  was  a  granddaughter  of  Col.  Livingston. 


192  :nlixual  axd  civil  list. 

Andre  in  return  assured  Arnold  that  he  would  receive,  on  his 
carrying  out  his  portion  of  the  contract,  the  reward  they  had 
agreed  upon.  Ambitious  Andre,  in  parting,  remarked  to  Arnold 
that  he  hoped  that  when  they  again  met  it  would  be  at  the  sur- 
render of  West  Point,  and  that  he,  himself,  would  have  the 
honor  of  receiving  Arnold's  sword. 

When  it  was  found  that  the  "  Vulture,"  necessarily,  had 
moved  down  the  river,  some  other  route  had  to  be  decided  upon 
for  Andre's  reaching  the  British  lines  in  New  York  city.  Smith 
agreed  to  accompany  Andre  as  guide  along  the  overland  route, 
as  far  as  White  Plains  in  AYestchester  County.  Arnold  pro- 
vided passes  for  Andre,  still  further  disguised,  who  was  to 
travel  under  the  assumed  name  of  * '  John  Anderson, ' '  for  Smith 
and  for  Smith's  colored  servant.^ 

As  Andre  and  his  party  started  for  the  ferry  to  cross  over 
to  Yerplanck's  Point,  Arnold  started  on  his  return  to  head- 
quarters in  AVest  Point. 

It  was  on  the  22d  day  of  September  that  Andre  started  on 
his  eventful  journey  southward.  Smith  provided  three  horses 
from  his  own  stable,  and  most  gaily  Andre  rode  away.  The 
vision  of  great  glory  won  by  peculiar  valor  was  before  him.  and 
the  thought  of  how  he  had  tricked  the  unsuspecting  Americans, 
made  him  gay. 

Smith  was  confident  he  could  pilot  Andre  safely  through  the 
American  lines  by  aid  of  Arnold's  passes,  and  probably  his 
safety  would  have  been  assured  if  Smith  had  continued  with 
him  all  the  way  through  to  the  New  York  city  line.  But  an 
all-wise  Providence  planned  otherwise. 

Smith  visited  the  Yan  Cortlandt  mansion,  at  Croton,  at  the 
outset  of  their  journey,  and  attempted  to  get  a  Continental 
officer's  uniform,  to  disguise  Andre,  from  Mrs.  Cornelia  (Yan 
Cortlandt)  Beekman,  and  fortunately  was  outwitted  by  that 
patriot  lady.^ 

Arnold's  passes  carried  Andre  and  party  safe  through  the 
patriotic  Col.  Li\angston's  camp,  at  Fort  Lafayette,  which  was 
located  on  the  top  of  the  hill  overlooking  Yerplanck's  Point, 
near  where  now  the  Bleaklev  residences  stand.  From  here 
Andre  started  going  along  the  King's  Ferry  road,  which  inter- 
sects the  Albany  Post  road    (at  present),   at  Munger's  store; 


^  These  passes  and  papers  found  on  Andr^  are  now  the  property  of  this 
State,  and  are  preserved  at  Albany. 

^  See  details  under  title  Town  of  North  Castle. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  193 

thence  north  on  the  Albany  Post  road  to  Peekskill  by  the  way 
of  South  and  Division  streets  to  what  is  now  the  Post  Office 
corner;  at  this  point  they  took  the  Crompond  road.  On  the 
road  Andre  had  a  narrow  escape  from  being  recognized  by 
Col.  Samuel  B.  Webb,  of  a  local  American  regiment,  who  had 
for  some  time  been  a  prisoner  of  the  British  in  New  York  city; 
the  Colonel  and  Andre  met  on  the  road.  Andre  knew  the 
Colonel  immediately,  but  the  Colonel,  to  Andre's  great  satis- 
faction, passed  Andre  by  as  a  stranger.  Andre  stated  later  that 
he  was  never  so  ' '  scared  ' '  in  his  life,  every  moment  he  expected 
the  Colonel  to  expose  him,  as  the  Colonel  had  met  him  often  in 
New  York;  certainly  the  Colonel  did  not  expect  to  meet  su 
important  a  British  officer  in  such  a  place  at  such  an  hour  early 
in  the  morning,  as  Andre  and  Smith  had  traveled  all  night. 

At  Crompond,  near  the  place  where  J.  Horace  Teller's  farm 
is  situated,  Capt.  Ebenezer  Boyd,^  of  the  Westchester  County 
Militia  Company,  met  them  and  inquired  for  their  passes,  and 
it  being  late  at  night  did  not  think  it  well  for  them  to  proceed. 
The  Captain  was  plainly  suspicious,  but  Arnold's  pass  had  to 
be  taken  into  consideration,  and  the  explanations  of  Andr6 
were  most  plausible.  The  Captain's  recommendation  that  they 
remain  all  night  in  that  vicinity  was  so  significant  that  they 
concluded  to  remain— but  the  delay  was  fatal  to  Andre  the  next 
day.  They  were  directed  to  the  house  of  Andreas  Miller,  close 
by,  where  they  secured  lodgings  for  the  night.  It  is  learned  in 
the  vicinity  that  this  Miller  house  remained  as  it  was  until  a 
few  years  ago,  when  it  was  torn  down ;  Miller  sold  the  property 
to  Gilbert  Strong,  and  he  to  Abram  Requa,  and  later  the  land 
was  sold  to  Cortlandt  de  Peyster  Field,  of  Peekskill,  who  now 
owns  it. 

At  daybreak  the  next  morning  Andre  and  his  party  left 
Miller's  house,  not  stopping  for  breakfast,  and  passed  on  their 
way  under  the  watchful  eye  of  Capt.  Boyd.  Their  breakfast 
they  obtained  at  the  house  of  Isaac  Underbill,  on  the  old  road 
leading  to  Pines'  Bridge.  Mrs.  Underbill,  the  hostess,  had  lost 
her  all,  but  one  cow  and  a  bag  of  meal,  by  a  raid  of  the  "  Cow- 
boys" the  night  before,  but  with  true  County  hospitality  she 
spread  before  them  the  time-honored  Westchester  dish  of  sup- 
pawn  and  milk.     The  Underbill  house  is  still  standing. 


*  Capt.  Boyd  was  an  honest  soldier,  of  Scotch  descent,  born  in  Bedford, 
this  county,  in  1735.     He  died  at  Boyd's  Corners,  June  29,  1792. 


194  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

It  was  after  reaching  Underhill's  at  Pines'  Bridge  that  Smith 
began  to  get  weary  of  his  job  as  pilot.  He  informed  Andre 
that  his  way  was  now  plain  and  direct,  that  he  no  further 
needed  a  guide.  He  had  promised  Arnold  that  he  would  accom- 
pany Andre  as  far  as  White  Plains,  in  Westchester  County, 
fifteen  miles  distant  frnm  the  Underhill  place.  Why  Smith 
refused  to  go  further  south  with  Andre  has  never  been  fully 
explained;  probably  he  feared  his  own  arrest  as  one  assisting 
a  British  officer  to  escape  through  American  lines,  and  his  true 
character  as  a  Tory  be  exposed.  He  left  Andre  to  find  his  way 
the  best  he  could  alone  through  a  region  he  knew  nothing  of. 
Smith  returned  to  Crompond,  and  from  there  to  Arnold's  head- 
quarters to  report  "  all's  well  with  Andi^e  "  on  his  march  to 
New  York.  His  report  allayed  Arnold's  anxiety,  and  then,  in 
the  easy  and  shiftless  character  of  every  body's  friend,  Smith 
journeyed  on  to  Fishkill  and  supped  with  Washington  and 
his  staff. 

AVe  left  Andre,  deserted  bv  Smith,  ridins  gavlv  along  toward 
a  haven  of  safetv  within  the  British  lines,  without  fear  of  danger. 
He  decided  to  change  the  course  first  laid  out.  and  strike  for  the 
river :  it  was  a  shorter  road,  and  from  the  Cowbovs  who 
infested  it  he  had  nothing  to  fear,  and  he  was  confident  his  dis- 
guise would  prove  a  protection.  It  appears  as  if  Providence 
was  still  leading  him  to  the  fate  that  was  to  reckon  with  him  for 
evils  committed. 

After  parting  with  Smith,  Andre  took  the  road  passing  the 
Underhill  house  on  to  Pine's  Bridge,  crossing  the  river  he 
folloAved  the  road  along  the  south  bank,  a  short  way,  until  he 
came  to  Hog  Hill:  ascended  the  hill  to  Underhill's  Corners, 
about  three  miles  from  the  bridge;  he  next  proceeded  along  the 
road  that  led  into  Chappaqua :  on  the  way  he  came  to  the  resi- 
dence of  Stevenson  Thorne,  where  he  stopped  to  enquire  the 
way,  as  he  was  in  doubt  as  to  the  road  he  should  take  to  reach 
New  York.  Seeing  Jesse  Thorne,  the  tvrelve-year-old  son  of 
the  house,  Andre  asked  him  the  way  to  Tarrytown :  the  boy 
called  his  father  to  answer  the  stranger,  the  father  gave  the 
desired  information,  and  Andre  went  on  his  wav  to  Tarrvtown 
and  his  fate.  Had  he  continued  on  the  Chappaqua  road  he 
might  have  reached  New  York  and  escaped  capture.  Out  along 
Kipp  street  to  Hardscrabble  road  Andre  went,  and  the  way 
looked  smooth  before  him.  At  the  house  of  Sylvanus  Brundage, 
in  Pleasantville,  he  stopped  to  water  his  horse;  from  thence  he 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  195 

passed  on  to  the  old  Bedford  road,  and  down  to  Rossell's  Cor- 
ners, now  Mekeel  's  Corners ;  here  he  turned  to  the  left  and  pro- 
ceeded until  he  came  to  the  residence  of  Staats  Hammond,  the 
miller,  where  he  stopped  and  asked  for  a  drink  of  water ;  a  four- 
teen-year-old son,  David  Hannnond,  who  was  asked  the  distance 
to  Tarrytown,  told  Andre  that  there  was  a  party  of  scouts  at 
Young's  Tavern,  a  short  distance  down  the  road;  this  alarmed 
Andre,  who  turned  about  and  retraced  his  steps  as  far  as  Ros- 
sell's  Corners,  where  he  started  on  a  new  course,  going  over  the 
old  Bedford  road,  to  Tarrytown  Heights  and  continuing  along 
to  the  old  Albany  Post  road,  which  led  him  to  Tarrytown,  and 
into  the  hands  of  his  captors. 

Here  let  us  stop  and  become  acquainted  with  the  captors  and 
their  companions— who  they  were  and  how  they  became  sta- 
tioned so  as  to  make  Andre's  capture  possible. 

On  Friday,  September  22,  just  after  the  noon  hour,  a  number 
of  young  militiamen,  belonging  to  the  First  Westchester  Militia, 
at  the  suggestion  of  John  Yerks,  cne  of  their  number,  agreed 
to  form  themselves  into  a  squad  of  scouts ;  through  John  Pauld- 
ing, another  of  their  number,  they  gained  the  consent  of  their 
officers.  Their  purpose  was  the  extermination,  if  possible,  of 
Cowboys  or  others  found  driving  stolen  cattle  toward  New  York 
city,  and  thus  perform  important  service  for  their  country. 
In  this  little  band,  that  started  out  from  Salem,  in  this  county, 
were  John  Yerks,  John  Dean,  John  Paulding,  James  Romer, 
Isaac  Van  Wart,  Isaac  See,  and  Abraham  Williams.  Passing 
the  place  of  Joseph  Benedict  where  David  Williams  was  work- 
ing, the  latter  recognized  them,  and  on  learning  their  purpose 
he  asked  that  he  might  go  along,  as  he  had  a  little  matter  of 
his  own  that  he  wanted  to  settle  with  the  Cowboys;  his  friend 
and  neighbor,  named  Pelham,  had  been  robbed  and  murdered 
by  Cowboys  the  day  before;  the  second  Williams  thus  joined 
the  party.  The  '^  boy-scouts,"  as  they  might  be  called,  slept 
that  night  in  John  Andrews'  hay  barn,  in  Pleasantville,  a  short 
distance  from  where  stands  the  present  Methodist  Church,  in 
Pleasantville.  Reaching  the  outskirts  of  Tarrytown  at  about 
7:30  in  the  morning  of  that  eventful  Saturday,  they  stopped 
at  the  home  of  Jacob  Romer,  father  of  James  Romer,  one  of 
the  ' '  scouts, ' '  where  they  had  breakfast,  and  Mrs.  Romer  put  up 
dinners  for  them  in  a  large  basket.  At  nearby  Jacob  Reed's 
house  they  obtained  playing  cards,  to  assist  in  passing  time 
away  while  on  the  watch  for  the  enemy.     Here  the  party  divided 


196  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

into  two  squads  to  stand  guard  over  the  two  principal  thorough- 
fares leading  to  New  York  city.  John  Dean  (born  in  1755, 
resided  in  Tarry  town  after  the  Revolution  and  died  there  on 
April  4:,  1817,  from  injuries  received  in  a  skirmish  at  King's 
Bridge  in  1781)  arranged  the  assignment  of  men  to  their  respec- 
tive posts.  AVilliams,  Paulding  and  Van  AVart  were  given  a 
post  on  what  was  known  as  the  old  Albany  Post  road,  near  the 
spot  where  stood  an  enormous  white-wood  tree,  112  feet  high 
(this  tree  was  destroyed  by  lightning  July  31,  1801,  the  same 
day  news  reached  here  announcing  Arnold's  death  in  London), 
south  of  the  small  stream  known  as  Clark's  Kill,  but  more 
recently  as  Andre  Brook,  near  where,  at  that  time,  the  old 
Bedford  road  came  into  the  Post  road.  The  other  five  men  were 
stationed  to  watch  the  old  Bedford  road  on  Davis  Hill.  The 
two  parties  of  watchers  were  within  hailing  distance,  and  it  was 
understood  between  them  that  either  party  needing  assistance 
should  fire  a  gun.  Justice  Dykman,  in  his  narrative,  states,  as 
a  curious  fact,  that  Andre  rode  past  the  five  "  scouts  "  sta- 
tioned on  Tarrytown  Heights  watching  the  Bedford  road,  as 
he  came  from  Davis'  Hill,  before  he  reached  Paulding,  Williams 
and  Van  AYart,  and  was  not  challenged.^ 

Unsuspicious  of  danger,  Andre  rode  along  quite  cheerfully. 
He  had  been  able  to  avoid  Cowboys  and  all  other  guerrilla  bands, 
and  was  greatly  pleased  to  know  he  was  so  near  the  British  lines, 
in  fact  he  half  suspected,  as  he  stated  later,  each  moment  to 
meet  a  detachment  from  the  British  army  prowling  about  thus 
far  up  in  Westchester  County.  This  expectation  doubtless  sug- 
gested the  first  remark  Andre  made  on  coming  up  to  the  three 
patriots  who  Vv^ere  to  be  his  captors.  He  passed  the  old  Sleepy 
Hollow  Reformed  Church,  and  over  the  bridge  where  tradition 
says  the  headless  horseman  rode,  along  Broadway,  or  the  old 
Post  road,  in  Tarrytown,  until  he  came  to  the  spot,  along  side 
the  brook,  where  his  progress  was  intercepted. 

Paulding,  Y'illiam  and  Van  AVart  were  lounging  on  the  south 
side  of  the  brook,  sheltered  by  the  bushes,  when  the  sound  of 
Andre's  horse's  hoofs  on  the  road  was  heard;  Paulding  stepped 
out  into  the  road,  held  up  his  musket  ^  and  commanded  the 
horseman  to  halt.     This  occurred  at  about  nine  o'clock  a.  m., 


^  Lender  the  law,  the  captors  Avere  permitted  to  retain  all  the  prisoner's 
property  found  upon  him.  Such  "was  returned  to  Andre  by  order  of  Gen. 
"Washington. 

^  Van  Wart  says  all  three  presented  their  guns. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  197 

and  Paulding  and  his  friends  had  been  on  duty  only  one  hour. 
An  earlier  start,  a  swifter  pace,  and  Andre  would  have  escaped ; 
but  this  was  still  another  of  the  trivial  incidents  in  the  fatal 
combination  about  him. 

Andre  halted,  and  his  pleasant  smile  gave  no  evidence  of 
annoyance ;  in  a  cheerful  voice  he  called  out,  ' '  My  lads,  I  hope 
you  belong  to  our  party, "  ^  "  Which  party  ? ' '  they  said.  ' '  The 
lower  party,"  he  answered.  *'  We  do."  ''  Then  thank  God," 
said  he,  "  I  am  once  more  among  friends.  I  am  a  British  officer, 
out  on  particular  business,  and  must  not  be  detained  a  minute. ' ' 
Then  they  said,  "  We  are  Americans,  and  you  are  our  prisoner, 
and  you  must  dismount."  "  My  God,"  he  said,  laughing,  '*  a 
man  must  do  anything  to  get  along,"  and  presented  Arnold's 
pass.  Had  he  presented  the  pass  first,  Paulding  said  after- 
ward, he  would  have  let  him  go.  They  carefully  scanned  it, 
but  persisted  in  detaining  him.  He  threatened  them  with 
Arnold's  vengeance  for  this  disrespect  to  his  order;  but,  in 
language  more  forcible  than  elegant,  they  told  him  "  they  cared 
not  for  that,"  and  led  him  to  the  great  white-wood  tree,  under 
which  he  was  searched.  As  the  fatal  papers  fell  from  Andre's 
feet,  Paulding  in  amazement  exclaimed,  "  My  God,  here  it  is," 
and,  as  he  read  them,  shouted  in  high  excitement  to  his  comrades, 
**  By  God,  he  is  a  spy." 

This  was  to  Andre  the  critical  moment;  how  was  he  to  be 
released  from  his  terrible  predicament?  The  promise  of  gold 
and  position  had  succeeded  in  bribing  a  trusted  General,  would 
gold  also  tempt  these  three  young  country  lads?  but  one  of 
whom  could  read.  He  decided  to  offer  the  bribe.  "  If  you 
will  release  me, ' '  said  Andre,  ' '  I  will  give  you  a  hundred  guineas 
and  any  amount  of  dry  goods."  "  I  will  give  you  a  thousand 
guineas,"  he  cried,  *'  and  you  can  hold  me  hostage  till  one  of 
your  number  conveys  a  letter  from  me  and  returns  with  the 
money  you  will  get  in  New  York." 

Then  Paulding  swore,  ''  We  would  not  let  you  go  for  ten 
thousand  guineas. ' '  That  decision  sealed  the  fate  of  Andre  and 
ensured  the  success  of  the  American  cause.     All  honor  to  Pauld- 


^  His  fatal  blunder,  which  led  to  Andre's  undoing,  was  his  loss  of  mind. 
Instead  of  asking  this  fatal  question,  he  should  have  presented  the  pass 
which  had  brought  him  safely  through  many  dangers.  Undoubtedly  the 
pass  would  have  been  accepted,  and  he  be  allowed  to  pass  on.  Gen,  Hamil- 
ton, in  later  commenting  upon  this,  said,  "  Instead  of  producing  Arnold's 
pass,  which  would  have  extricated  him  from  our  parties,  and  could  have 
done  him  no  harm  with  his  own,  he  asked  the  men  if  they  were  of  the 
*  upper  '  or  of  the  *  lower  '  party." 


198  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

ing  and  his  comrades  AVilliams  and  Van  Wart,  say  a  grateful 
people. 

As  Grant  Tliorburn  wrote,  in  1840,  relative  to  the  sum  of 
money  Andre  offered  his  three  captors,  "  This  sum  would  have 
made  the  three  so  rich  that  they  could  have  owned  more  live 
stock  than  Job  of  old,  in  the  height  of  his  prosperity.  The 
very  magnitude  of  the  sum  may  have  over-reached  its  object. 
It  is  highly  probable  no  one  of  the  three  had  ever  possessed  a. 
hundred  guineas  at  any  one  time." 

Williams,  of  the  captors,  writing  in  1817,  said:  "  AVe  refused 
to  accept  his  bribes,  unless  he  would  say  from  whom  he  got  the 
papers.     He  refused  to  say." 

To  the  imprudence  of  Andre  himself,  more  than  to  anything 
else,  is  attributed  his  capture.  One  with  a  cooler  head  might 
have  been  successful. 

After  Andre's  capture,  the  others,  the  five  scouts  on  Tarry- 
town  Heights,  joined  Paulding,  AVilliams  and  Van  AVart,  and 
all,  with  Andre  as  their  prisoner,  started  for  CoL  Sheldon's 
camp,  the  nearest  American  post.^ 

The  route  taken  to  Col.  Sheldon's  headquarters,  at  Robbin's 
Mills  (later  known  as  Kensico)  in  the  town  of  North  Castle, 
was  (as  stated  b}'  Justice  J.  0.  Dykman,  in  his  narrative)  as 
follows : 

''  They  passed  along  to  the  north  on  the  hill  west  of  the 
county  almshouse,  up  that  road,  under  Buttermilk  Hill,  across 
the  SaAvmill  river  at  the  bridge  just  below  the  mill.  Passing 
up  the  road  near  Raven  Rock,  they  went  to  the  corner  at  the 
late  residence  of  Carlton  Clark.  Turning  to  the  right  they 
ascended  the  hill  to  the  Upper  Cross  Roads,  down  another  hill, 
past  Ebenezer  Xe\\Tiian's,  across  the  hollow  now  traversed  by 
the  Harlem  Railroad,  and  up  Reynold's  Hill  on  the  AAliite 
Plains  road  to  the  old  Foshay  house.  From  here  they  proceeded 
to  the  house  of  John  Robbins,  where  Lt.-Col.  John  Jameson 
made  his  headquarters.  The}"  did  not  find  Jameson  there, 
therefore  thev  resumed  the  march,  over  the  North  Castle  road, 
to  Sand's  Mills  (Armonk),  in  the  town  of  North  Castle,  which 
lies  not  far  from  the  "  Heights  of  North  Castle,"  where  the 
patriot  troops  camped  after  the  Battle  of  AA'hite  Plains.  After 
turning  Andre  over  to  Lt.-Col.  Jameson,  all  the  militia  "scouts" 
returned  to  their  respective  camps,  excepting  Paulding,  AA'il- 
lianis  and  A^an  AA'art,  the  iimnediate  captors. 

^  See  details  under  title  Town  of  North  Castle. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  199 

Lt.-Col.  Jameson,  into  whose  charge  Andre  was  given,  as  Col. 
Sheldon  was  absent  from  headquarters,  though  a  brave  soldier, 
was  easily  deceived  by  the  smooth  spoken  Andre,  who  wanted 
the  privilege  of  writing  a  letter  and  having  it  sent  to  Arnold, 
in  which  he  intended  giving  warning  that  Arnold  might  make 
good  his  escape.  Lt.-Col.  Jameson  consented  to  send  a  letter,^ 
and  later,  at  the  urging  of  Andre,  consented  that  the  latter  go 
with  the  letter  to  Arnold  in  company  of  Lieut.  Allen  and  a 
squad  of  men.  The  papers  found  on  Andre  were  to  be  sent  to 
Gen.  Washington,  at  West  Point,  by  a  special  messenger. 
Andre  assured  Jameson  that  he,  on  reaching  Arnold,  could  con- 
vince his  accusers  that  he  was  not  a  spy.  Andre  saw  a  way  to 
escape.  Maj.  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  of  Sheldon's  command,  as 
vigilant  as  honest,  who  had  been  absent  on  duty  near  White 
Plains,  and  returned  to  headquarters  just  after  Andre's  depart- 
ure, was  not  so  easily  overcome  by  Andre's  blandishments;  the 
whole  affair  looked  suspicious  to  him;  he  remembered  that 
Arnold  had  at  one  time  asked  Col.  Sheldon  for  careful  consid- 
eration of  a  gentleman  answering  Andre's  description,  in  case 
such  a  person  should  be  met  traveling  along  the  road,  and,  as 
he  stated  later,  ''  he  smelled  treachery,"  as  he  had  but  little 
faith  in  Arnold.  The  Major  finally  prevailed  upon  Lt.-Col. 
Jameson  to  send  after  Lieut.  Allen  and  have  Andre  brought 
back,  which  was  done,  but  not  until  after  Allen  had  trouble 
with  his  soldiers,  who,  owing  to  Andre's  encouragement,  did 
not  want  to  return  him  to  headquarters.  Allen  was  ordered 
to  send  Andre  back,  but,  unfortunately,  was  permitted  to  pro- 
ceed himself  and  carry  Andre's  letter  to  Arnold.  Allen  reached 
Arnold  in  the  morning ;  while  the  messenger  sent  to  Gen.  Wash- 
ington did  not  reach  the  General  until  afternoon.  Thus  giving 
Arnold  advantage  and  time  to  arrange  his  flight.  This  is  an 
instance  wherein  the  just  were  not  favored.  Had  Gen.  Wash- 
ington returned  to  West  Point,  from  Hartford,  Conn.,  by  the 
route  which  it  was  supposed  he  would  take,  through  Danbury 
to  Peekskill,  Arnold  would  have  not  even  thus  been  saved. 
For  some  reason  Gen.  Washington  returned  two  or  three  days 
sooner  than  had  been  expected ;  and,  moreover,  he  chose  a  more 


^  Lt.-Col.  Jameson  felt  deeply  mortified  when  he  considered  his  act  in 
warning  Arnold  and  thereby  aiding  in  his  escape;  under  date  of  September 
27,  Jameson  wrote  Gen.  "Washington  a  letter  expressing  strong  regret,  and 
asking  forgiveness  for  writing  Arnold  notifying  him  of  Andre's  capture. 
This  letter  Jameson  gave  to  Paulding,  one  of  the  captors,  to  convey  to 
Gen.  Washington. 


200  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

northerly  route,  through  Farmington  and  Litchfield,  so  that 
the  messenger  failed  to  meet  him. 

As  Gen.  Washington  was  riding  from  Hartford  the  previous 
night,  depressed  by  the  refusal  of  Count  Rochambeau,  the 
French  General,  to  co-operate  in  his  plans,  and  to  be  over- 
whelmed on  the  morrow  by  Arnold's  astounding  treason,  all 
along  the  route  enthusiastic  throngs  with  torches  and  acclama- 
tions hailed  his  approach.  "  We  may  be  beaten  by  the  Eng- 
lish," he  said  to  Rochambeau 's  Aide,  "  it  is  the  fortune  of 
war;  but  behold  an  army  which  they  can  never  conquer." 

Gen.  Washington,  on  approaching  the  river  on  the  morning 
after  his  return  from  Hartford,  according  to  his  habit,  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  examine  the  fortifications.  Gen.  Lafavette, 
who  had  joined  him,  reminded  him  that  Mrs.  Arnold's  break- 
fast was  waiting.  "  You  young  gentlemen  are  all  m  love  with 
Mrs.  Arnold,"  he  said.  "  You  go  and  tell  her  not  to  wait  for 
me,  I  will  be  there  in  a  short  time."  Aides  Hamilton  and 
McHenry  delivered  the  message,  and  were  welcomed  by  Arnold 
and  his  wife. 

In  the  midst  of  the  meal,  Lieut.  Allen,  who  had  been  sent 
by  Col.  Jameson,  delivered  the  letter  sent  by  Andre  to  Arnold, 
at  West  Point  headquarters  in  the  Robinson  House. 

Arnold's  iron  nerve  held  him  unconcernedlv  at  the  table,  as 
sparkling  as  ever  in  conversation,  until  a  favorable  moment, 
when  he  asked  his  guests  to  excuse  him,  as  he  would  have  to 
run  away  from  so  delightful  a  company;  sorry,  but  he  had  to 
go  over  to  the  Point  to  prepare  for  the  reception  of  Gen.  Wash- 
ington. He  arose  and  went  upstairs;  his  wife,  being  not 
deceived,  fearing  something  unusual  had  happened,  followed 
her  husband. 

Arnold  informed  his  wife  of  his  ruin,  and  hastilv  bade  her 
perhaps  a  last  farewell,  as  she  fell  fainting  to  the  floor;  he 
kissed  his  sleeping  baby,  stepped  a  moment  into  the  breakfast 
room  to  inform  his  guests  of  the  sudden  illness  of  his  wife, 
and,  followed  by  his  boat's  crew,  dashed  down  the  hillside  to 
the  river.  To  these  honest  men  who  had  served  him  loyally 
in  a  .iust  cause,  Arnold  explained  his  haste  by  saying  that  they 
must  row  with  all  their  mi^-ht.  as  he  had  a  message  to  deliver 
on  board  the  stranse  vessel  anchored  in  the  stream  eighteen  miles 
below,  that  he  was  doing  this  errand  for  Gen.  Washington,  and 
should  be  back  before  evening.  He  reprimed  his  pistols,  and 
with  one  in  each  hand,  sat  resolved  to  die  the  death  of  a  suicide 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  201 

rather  than  be  captured.  By  promises  of  reward,  by  voice  and 
gesture,  he  urges  his  crew  to  their  best  endeavors.  To  his 
coxswain  he  offers  a  commission,  to  the  crew  rewards,  if  they 
will  desert  and  join  the  British.  They  unanimously  refused, 
and  Larvey,  the  coxswain,  replied:  "  If  Gen.  Arnold  likes  the 
King  of  England,  let  him  serve  him;  we  love  our  country,  and 
intend  to  live  or  die  in  support  of  her  cause."  At  Arnold's 
suggestion  the  coxswain  and  crew  were  made  prisoners  and 
carried  on  board  of  the  "  Vulture  "  to  New  York,  in  company 
with  their  old  commander,  who  was  the  first  and  only  American 
soldier  during  the  Revolutionary  War  who  turned  traitor  to 
his  country. 

The  Beverly  Robinson  house,  ^  where  Arnold  resided  and  made 
his  headquarters,  was  situated  about  two  miles  below  West 
Point,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson  River.  The  house  was 
burned  down  only  a  few  years  ago.  Here  also  is  the  Beverly 
Robinson  dock,  from  which  Arnold  escaped  in  a  boat,  as  stated. 
This  house  before  the  Revolutionary  War  was  owned  and  occu- 
pied by  Robinson,  who  became  a  Tory,  who  also  owned  consider- 
able land  adjoining.  It  was  to  this  house  that  Andre  was 
brought  from  Salem,  in  this  county,  where  Lt.-Col.  Jameson 
was  in  command. 

As  Gen.  Washington  was  returning  from  his  tour  of  inspection 
about  West  Point,  and  on  his  way  to  Arnold's  headquarters  in 
the  Robinson  house,  he  was  met  by  Gen.  Hamilton,  his  secre- 
tary, who  had  for  him  Lt.-Col.  Jameson's  letter  and  the  papers 
Paulding,  Williams  and  Van  Wart  had  taken  from  Andre. 
Gen.  Washington  and  his  co-patriots  soon  learned  the  cause 
of  Arnold's  sudden  flight,  the  failure  to  greet  Washington 
from  the  batteries  with  the  accustomed  salute,  the  general  neg- 
ligence and  want  of  preparation  for  attack  everywhere  found. 
For  a  time  consternation  overcame  the  defenders  of  their  coun- 
try; they  did  not  know  how  far  the  conspiracy  extended,  nor 
who  were  in  it.  The  enemy  might  come  that  yery  night  and 
find  them  unprepared.  But  Gen.  Washington  proved  equal 
to  the  situation.  He  issued  orders  right  and  left  and  found 
men  willing  to  execute  them,  and  soon  found  answer  to  his 
question,  asked  in  despair,  "  Whom  can  we  trusts'  Every 
man  about  him  then  proved  himself  a  man  of  integrity,  on  whom 

^The  Beverly  Robinson  House  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1892,  and  many 
valuable  relics  with  it. 

Garrisons,  opposite  West  Point,  was,  in  1780,  known  as  Nelson's  Point, 
and  the  nearby  vicinity  as  Nelsonville. 


202  I^IANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

he  could  rely.  Hamilton  was  sent  to  head  off  Arnold  if  possi- 
ble; Col.  Talmadge  was  ordered  to  bring  Andre  with  triple 
guards  to  the  Robinson  house;  Gen.  Greene,  at  Tappan,  was 
directed  to  put  the  whole  army  in  marching  order,  and  before 
night  every  fort  and  defence,  from  Putnam  to  Verplanck's 
Point,  was  ready  for  any  assault. 

After  Gen.  Washington  had  given  these  orders,  which  he  did 
with  no  outward  sign  of  excitement,  he  sat  down  to  dinner,  and, 
with  courtlv  kindness,  sent  to  Arnold's  hvsterical  and  scream- 
ing  wife  this  message:  "  It  was  my  duty  to  arrest  Gen. 
Arnold,  and  I  have  used  every  exertion  to  do  so,  but  I  take 
pleasure  in  informing  you  that  he  is  now  safe  on  board  the 
'  Vulture. '  ' ' 

Andre  was  brought  to  the  Robinson  house  that  night,  by 
Gen.  Washington's  order,  under  guard  of  a  detachment  of  one 
hundred  dragoons,  under  command  of  four  officers,  headed  by 
Col.  Talmadge,  who  was  determined  his  prisoner  would  be 
delivered  sure.^  The  following  day  Andre  was  taken  to  Tappan 
where  the  American  Army  had  its  headquarters.  And  Andre 
never  left  Tappan  a  live  man.^ 

According  to  the  laws  and  usages  of  war  in  relation  to  spies, 
Gen.  Washington  would  have  been  justified  in  ordering  Andre 
summarily  executed.  But  his  kindness  of  heart  ruled  in  the 
guilty  man's  favor.  The  threats  of  retaliation,  impudent  letters 
from  Arnold,  extraordinary  appeals  and  interpretations  of 
Andre's  conduct  and  position  from  Gen.  Sir  Henry  Clinton, 
did  not  have  the  effect  of  frightening  Gen.  Washington,  who 
wanted  to  perforai  only  his  plain  duty  in  the  premises.  He 
ordered  a  Board  of  Officers,  consisting  of  six  Major-Generals 
and  eight  Brigadier-Generals,  as  eminent  as  any  in  the  service, 
including  the  foreign  officers,  Gens.  La  Fayette  and  Steuben, 
to  act  as  a  court  to  consider  Andre's  case. 

This  court  gave  Andre  every  opportunity  to  present  his 
defence,  and,  when  the  facts  were  all  in,  unanimously  adjudged 
him  guilty,  and  that  he  must  suffer  the  death  of  a  spy.  His 
judges  were  most  reluctant  to  condemn  him,  but  their  duty 
was  plain.  Andre's  youth,  graces  and  accomplishments,  his 
dignity  and  cheerfulness,  won  the  affections  of  every  soldier, 

^  See  "  Town  of  Xorth  Castle, ' '  and  ' '  Town  of  North  Salem. ' ' 

^  Though  Gen.  Washington  and  his  staff  occupied  the  Robinson  house  at 

the  time  Andre  was  brought  there  a  prisoner,  he  avoided  seeing  him;   and, 

in  fact,  never  saw  Andre  at  all,  dead  or  alive. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  .         203 

and  the  desire  of  all  was  that  Arnold  might  be  captured  and 
substituted  in  Andre's  place.  In  all  the  glittering  splendor 
of  the  full  uniform  and  ornaments  of  his  rank,  in  the  presence 
of  the  whole  American  army,  without  the  quiver  of  a  muscle 
or  sign  of  fear,  the  officers  about  him  weeping,  the  bands  play- 
ing the  dead  march,  he  walked  to  his  execution.  His  last  words 
were  of  loving  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  mother  and  sister 
he  had  left  in  the  home  land,  and  the  manner  of  fame  he  would 
leave  behind.  "  How  hard  is  my  fate,  but  it  will  be  but  a 
momentary  pang,"  he  said,  as  he  pushed  aside  the  executioner 
and  himself  adjusted  the  rope.  To  those  around  he  cried: 
*'  I  pray  you  to  bear  witness  that  I  meet  my  fate  like  a  brave 
man,"  and  swung  into  eternity. 

We  are  told  that  on  the  day  of  the  execution  the  great  tree, 
under  which  Andre  was  searched,  in  Tarrytown,  was  shattered 
by  a  bolt  of  lightning;  and  at  the  same  hour,  at  his  home  in 
England,  his  sister  awoke  from  a  troubled  sleep,  screaming: 
''  My  brother  is  dead;  he  has  been  hung  as  a  spy."  It  is  sur- 
mised that  Andre  had  written  to  his  folks  hinting  that  he  was 
about  to  undertake  a  hazardous  journey,  and  the  uncertainty 
of  the  result  had  preyed  upon  his  sister's  mind,  accounting  for 
her  dream. 

Andre's  remains  were  buried  at  Tappan,  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Hudson  River,  in  Rockland  County.  Over  his  grave  a  stone 
was  placed. 

Andre  was  mourned  and  honored  in  England  as  if  he  had 
fallen  in  a  moment  of  glorious  victory  at  the  head  of  an  army. 
His  brother  was  knighted  by  the  King,  who  declared  in  solemn 
message  that  "  the  public  can  never  be  compensated  for  the 
vast  advantages  which  must  have  followed  from  the  success  of 
his  plan;"  besides  this  his  family  was  pensioned  by  the  English 
government.  In  Westminster  Abbey,  that  grand  mausoleum  of 
England's  mighty  dead,  where  repose  her  greatest  statesmen, 
warriors  and  authors,  the  King  placed  a  monument  bearing 
this  inscription :  ' '  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Major  John  Andre, 
who,  raised  by  his  merit,  at  an  early  period  of  his  life,  to  the 
rank  of  Adjutant-General  of  the  British  forces  in  America,  and 
employed  in  an  important  but  hazardous  enterprise,  fell  a  sacri- 
fice to  his  zeal  for  his  King  and  country." 

How  careful  the  writer  of  this  inscription  was  not  to  men- 
tion that  their  hero  was  arrested  inside  the  lines  of  the  enemy, 
bearing  upon  his  person  ample  evidence  to  prove  him  to  be 


204  IklAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

a  spy,  and  that  he  was  executed  according  to  the  laws  and 
usages  of  war.  after  a  fair  trial  by  a  jur^^  of  his  peers,  and  duty 
compelled  them  to  decide  as  they  did. 

Forty  years  later  a  Royal  embassy  came  to  this  country,  dis- 
interred his  remains  at  Tappan,  and  a  British  frigate,  sent  for 
the  purpose,  bore  them  to  England,  where  they  were  buried 
beside  his  monument,  in  Westminster  Abbey,  with  imposing 
ceremonies. 

In  April,  1909,  there  was  found  in  the  vaults  of  the  Yale 
College  Treasury,  at  Xew  Haven,  Conn.,  where  it  had  been 
hidden  for  many  years,  a  framed  sheet  of  paper,  faded  and 
yellow,  upon  which  is  fixed  a  lock  of  hair,  which  a  written 
inscription  shows  was  taken  from  the  head  of  ]\Iajor  Andre 
forty  years  after  his  execution.  The  hair  is  extremely  fine  and 
very  dark.  It  has  been  placed  in  the  Yale  library  ^vith  the 
pen  portrait  of  Major  Andre,  drawn  by  himself  on  the  night 
before  his  execution  and  given  to  an  American  officer. 

What  recognition  have  we  made  of  the  valuable,  patriotic 
service  rendered  their  countrv  bv  John  Pauldinsr,  David  AYil- 
Hams  and  Isaac  Yan  AVart?  True,  we  cannot  place  in  AYest- 
minster  Abbey  tablets  properly  inscribed  setting  forth  their 
deeds  of  valor,  and  we  know  thev  are  more  worthv  of  the  name 
"  Hero  ''  than  was  the  man  buried  there,  but  we  can  honor 
their  memory,  and  never  forget  that  but  for  the  service  they 
rendered,  and  which  was  by  them  thought  to  be  only  trivial, 
we  as  residents  of  the  United  States  would  not  now  enjoy  those 
privileges  of  liberty  that  make  us  a  prosperous  people. 

:\IONXMEXT  HOXOES  HIS  CAPTORS,  NOT  ANDRE. 

On  May  6,  1853,  in  the  village  of  Tarrytown,  a  public  meet- 
ing was  held,  at  which  an  organization  kno-wn  as  the  "  Monu- 
ment Association  of  the  Capture  of  Andre  "  announced  that  it 
was  proposed  to  erect  a  monument  "  to  commemorate  the  cap- 
ture of  ]\Iajor  John  Andre,  the  British  spy,  at  this  place,  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  AYar,  by  Jolm  Paulding,  David  AYilliams 
and  Isaac  Yan  AVart."'  Funds  for  this  monument  were  col- 
lected in  small  amounts  by  popular  subscription.  ]\Ir.  AVilliam 
Taylor,  on  whose  grounds  it  was  proposed  to  erect  the  monu- 
ment, had  agreed  to  give  the  necessary  land,  a  plot  of  twenty 
feet  square.  On  Alonday,  July  4.  1853,  the  corner-stone  of  the 
monument  was  laid  with   appropriate   ceremonies.     A  proces- 


Monument  at  Tarrytown  in  Honor  of 
Captors  of  Andre 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  205 

sion  of  military  and  civic  societies,  and  carriages  containing 
distinguished  citizens,  including  surviving  relations  of  Pauld- 
ing, Williams  and  Van  Wart,  was  part  of  the  day's  program. 
Col.  James  A.  Hamilton,  a  son  of  Gen.  Alexander  Hamilton, 
and  a  local  resident,  laid  the  corner-stone. 

The  monument  was  completed  and  dedicated  on  October  7, 
1853,  with  most  interesting  ceremonies,  attended  by  citizens 
from  all  sections  of  the  county  and  by  many  distinguished  men 
of  State  and  Nation. 

Hon.  Horatio  Seymour,  then  Governor  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  dedicated  the  monument,  and  Hon.  Henry  J.  Raymond, 
Lieutenant-Governor,  delivered  the  oration. 

In  the  course  of  his  remarks,  Governor  Seymour  said: 

"  I  feel  deep  interest  in  this  occasion,  because  I  believe  it  is 
to  be  the  first  of  a  series  of  measures,  calculated  to  do  justice 
to  the  early  history  of  our  State,  and  to  the  memories  of  the 
brave  and  patriotic  men  who,  within  its  limits,  contributed  so 
largely  towards  the  achievement  of  our  national  liberties,  and 
the  formation  of  our  political  institutions."  In  concluding 
his  address,  he  said: 

' '  Fellow  Citizens :  In  pursuance  of  the  patriotic  purpose 
of  those  who  have  erected  this  monument,  as  chief  magistrate 
of  this  State,  I  hereby  dedicate  it  to  the  commemoration  of  the 
capture  of  Major  John  Andre,  Adjutant-General  of  the  British 
Army,  and  the  consequent  discovery  and  defeat  of  a  foul  and 
dangerous  conspiracy  to  betray  the  liberties  of  our  country. 
May  it  ever  stand,  a  memorial  of  the  fidelity  and  bravery  shown 
by  our  ancestors  in  achieving  our  national  independence,  a 
warning  against  treason  to  our  political  institutions,  and 
a  memento  to  remind  us  of  the  blessings  which  our  God  has 
bestowed  upon  our  land." 

IMr.  Raymond,  in  the  course  of  his  eloquent  address,  had  this 
to  say : 

' '  We  stand  upon  the  very  spot  where  the  dark  plot  was  arrested 
— where  the  uplifted  arm,  just  raised  to  strike  the  fatal  and  per- 
fidious stab  at  the  liberties  of  our  land,  was  seized — where 
Andre,  just  upon  the  verge  of  safety,  within  a  step,  as  it  were, 
of  his  own  encampment,  ladened  with  the  keys  of  the  fortress 
of  American  freedom — by  incaution — fruit  of  his  foreseen  and 
almost  grasped  security— betrayed  himself  to  three  incorrup- 
tible American  hearts,  and  was  by  them  returned  to  the  Ameri- 
can camp,  whose  honor  he  had  so  assailed. 


? ) 


206  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

''  As  I  happened,  a  few  weeks  since,  to  be  wandering  through 
the  long-drawn  aisles  and  beneath  the  fretted  vaults  of  AYest- 
jLLiinster  Abbey,  that  venerable  pile  which  enshrines  the  ashes, 
and  consecrates  the  fame,  of  England's  illustrious  and  immortal 
dead— my  eye  fell  upon  a  monument,  conspicuous  by  its  posi- 
tion, and  proclaiming  itself  "  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Major 
John  Andre;  who,  raised  by  his  merit  "  (thus  the  record  runs), 
*'  at  an  early  period  of  his  life,  to  the  rank  of  Adjutant-General 
of  the  British  forces  in  America,"  etc.,  etc. 

"  Placed  thus  high  upon  the  list  of  England's  bravest  and 
noblest  men,  by  the  immediate  act  of  her  monarch,  the  name 
of  Andre  is  handed  down  to  immortalitv.  He  earned  that 
great  distinction,  for  which  greater  men  have  toiled  through 
long  lives,  and  performed  deeds  which  have  filled  the  world 
with  admiration,  and  stamped  their  impress  upon  the  whole 
current  of  the  Nation's  life,  by  the  single  endeavor  to  give 
shape  and  success  to  the  only  act  of  treachery  which  stains  the 
annals  of  the  Revolution — to  purchase  the  infamous  betrayal 
of  that  holy  cause,  which  British  power  had  proved  unable  to 
conquer,  in  an  open  and  manly  fight.  The  inscription  upon 
his  monument  justly  characterizes  the  enterprise  as  "  impor- 
tant "  to  his  King,  and  "  hazardous  "  to  himself.  But  its 
personal  hazards  fell  infinitely  below  its  public  importance. 
Andre  entered  upon  the  service,  doubly  armed  against  its 
secret  perils ;  first,  by  his  character  as  a  British  officer,  which 
would  shield  him,  on  the  neutral  ground,  from  the  hostility 
of  adherents  to  the  British  camp ;  and  second,  by  a  pass  from 
a  general,  high  in  the  American  service,  whose  bravery  had 
given  him  fame,  whose  fidelity  was  unstained  by  suspicion,  and 
whose  rank  would  have  secured,  for  any  one  bearing  his  com- 
mands, free  passage  through  the  American  camp,  and  prompt 
access  to  the  favor  and  friendliness  of  every  lover  of  the 
American  cause.  Of  danger,  then,  there  could  be  but  little, 
except  what  might  arise  from  his  own  imprudence,  or  lack  of 
self-possession.  But  the  results  of  the  enterprise,  if  it  should 
prove  successful,  promised  to  be  of  the  most  brilliant  and 
decisive  character. 

* '  Men  of  Westchester !  you  have  done  well  to  erect  this 
monument,  upon  a  spot  so  sanctified,  in  everlasting  remembrance 
of  a  deed,  so  transcendant  in  its  relations  to  the  freedom  of 
America  and  of  the  world.  It  is  among  the  most  pious  of  the 
offices   of   patriotism,   to   perpetuate,   by   such  memorials,   the 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  207 

excellence  and  the  dignity  of  noble  acts.  Oblivion  strenuously 
struggles  for  the  possession  of  all  things  earthly;  and  it  needs 
all  the  aid  of  letters  and  of  stone— of  commemorative  festival 
and  of  recorded  history— to  scare  away  the  forgetfulness  which 
settles  upon  good  deeds,  and  upon  the  memories  of  worthy 
men.  It  is  only  a  few,  at  the  best,  out  of  the  renowned  nations 
of  the  dead,  whose  names  and  characters  are  thus  handed  down 
to  the  knowledge  and  regard  of  the  living  that  come  after.  Of 
that  great  multitude  of  noble  hearts,  which  upheld  the  country 
during  our  long  and  strenuous  Revolution— of  all  those  thou- 
sands who  aided,  in  the  field,  in  council,  at  the  hearth,  by  action 
or  by  endurance,  no  less  heroic,  with  blows,  with  words,  with 
blood,  with  tears,  in  the  consummation  of  that  great  result,  how 
small  is  the  number  whose  names  have  been  engraven  on  any 
stone,  or  printed  on  any  page,  or  preserved,  in  any  way,  among 
the  hallowed  recollections  of  that  heroic  time.  It  is  only  here 
and  there  that  affectionate  veneration,  or  a  patriotic  impulse, 
snatches  one  and  another  from  the  dreary  realms  of  forgetful 
night,  gives  them  to  subsist  in  lasting  monuments,  and  secures 
them  from  oblivion,  "  in  preservations  below  the  moon."  For- 
tunate in  this,  as  in  the  felicity  of  their  useful  lives,  are  the 
three  men,  Paulding,  Williams  and  Van  Wart,  whose  memory 
your  pious  labors  will  perpetuate;  and  fortunate,  in  a  higher 
sense,  is  the  country  which  is  to  have  the  undying  benefit  of 
their  example  thus  handed  down  to  the  admiration  and  the 
emulation  of  all  coming  time.  To  them,  indeed,  it  matters  little 
whether  their  names  shall  be  heard  ever  again  among  men— 
whether  their  bodies  shall  commingle  with  the  dust,  or  be  scat- 
tered by  the  mourning  winds  which  sweep  their  native  soil. 
But  to  their  country,  and  to  us,  their  countrymen,  inheritors 
of  the  rich  blessings  they  did  so  much  to  secure,  and  to  the 
generations  yet  to  come,  to  whom,  in  turn,  they  must  be  trans- 
mitted, undefiled,  by  us— it  is  not  so.  For  our  use  and  our 
country's,  this  monument  has  risen  beneath  your  hands.  To 
us  and  to  our  children  are  its  words  addressed.  And  they  are 
words,  at  once  of  the  past,  and  for  the  future— words  of 
remembrance  and  of  hope— words  of  gratitude  to  God  evermore, 
in  His  guidance  and  support." 

This  same  '^  Monument  Association  of  the  Capture  of  Andre  " 
decided  to  arrange  to  celebrate,  on  September  23,  1880,  the  one 
hundredth  anniversary  of  the  capture  of  Andre,  by  John  Pauld- 
ing, David  Williams  and  Isaac  Van  Wart. 


208  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

The  day  was  an  exceptionally  fine  one,  as  if  the  weather 
desired  to  shine  its  blessing  upon  the  day  and  the  occasion. 
Fully  ten  thousand  people  had  gathered  at  Tarrytown  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  day's  ceremonies.  The  Centennial  procession 
was  long  and  imposing.  Grand  Army  men,  several  ]\Iilitia 
Regiments,  civic  societies,  numerous  firemen,  representing  the 
whole  county,  relatives  of  Revolutionary  heroes,  Governors  of 
States  and  representatives  of  municipal  governments  and  others, 
w^ere  in  line. 

Ex-Gov.  Samuel  J.  Tilden,  a  resident  of  our  County,  was 
president  of  the  day,  and  opened  the  exercises  with  an  address 
listened  attentively  to  by  many  thousands  of  people  gathered 
under  a  large  tent  pitched  near  the  monument.  During  his 
address.  Gov.  Tilden  said: 

"  It  was  one  hundred  years  ago,  and  on  the  spot  where  you 
have  unveiled  a  monument — the  spot  on  w^hich  the  treasonable 
plot  was  discovered  and  defeated — three  yeomen  of  the  County 
of  Westchester  performed  patriotic  service.  It  is  fitting  that 
on  the  centennial  anniversary  of  that  day,  public  esteem  and 
gratitude  should  distinguish  that  event.  Paulding,  Van  Wart 
and  Williams  are  all  present  here  by  their  representatives,  or 
by  their  children.  The  homage,  the  public  gratitude,  the  honors 
which  you  have  bestowed  to-day,  will  be  in  all  future  times,  and 
to  all  who  come  after  us,  not  only  an  example,  but  an  incentive 
to  patriotic  virtue." 

Listening  to  Gov.  Tilden,  among  the  audience,  were  the  Rev. 
Alexander  Van  Wart,  the  aged  son  of  Isaac  Van  Wart,  one  of 
the  captors,  and  Isaac  Forster  Van  Wart,  another  descendant; 
William  C.  Williams,  grandson  of  Da\nd  AVilliams :  Caleb  W. 
Paulding,  Isaac  Paulding,  Samuel  Paulding,  Pierre  Paulding 
and  I\Iary  Hallock  Paulding,  descendants  of  John  Paulding, 
one  of  the  captors. 

The  orator  of  the  day  was  "  Westchester's  Favorite  Son,'* 
Hon.  Chauncey  M.  Depew,  who  gave  a  graphic  account  of 
Andre's  capture,  and  of  details  preceding  the  capture  (substan- 
tially as  related  here),  and  then  in  part  said: 

''Andre's  story  is  the  one  overmastering  romance  of  the 
Revolution.  American  and  Ensrlish  literature  are  full  of  elo- 
quence  and  poetry  in  tribute  to  his  memory  and  sympathy  for 
his  fate.  After  the  lapse  of  a  hundred  years,  there  is  no  abate- 
ment of  absorbing  interest.  AYhat  had  this  young  man  done 
to  merit  immortality^     The  mission,  whose  tragic  issue  lifted 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  209 

him  out  of  the  oblivion  of  other  minor  officers,  in  its  inception 
was  free  of  peril  or  daring,  and  its  objects  and  purposes  were 
utterly  infamous.  Had  he  succeeded,  by  the  desecration  of  the 
honorable  uses  of  passes  and  flags  of  truce,  his  name  would 
have  been  held  in  everlasting  execration.  In  his  failure,  the 
infant  Republic  escaped  the  dagger  with  which  he  was  feeling 
for  its  heart,  and  the  crime  was  drowned  in  tears  for  his 
untimely  end.  His  youth  and  beauty,  his  skill  with  pen  and 
pencil,  his  effervescing  spirits  and  magnetic  disposition,  the 
brightness  of  his  life,  the  calm  courage  in  the  gloom  of  death, 
his  early  love  and  disappointment,  and  the  image  of  his  lost 
Honora  hid  in  his  mouth  when  captured  in  Canada,  with  the 
exclamation,  '  That  saved,  I  care  not  for  the  loss  of  all  the 
rest,'  and  nestling  in  his  bosom  when  he  was  executed,  sur- 
rounded him  with  a  halo  of  poetry  and  pity  which  have  secured 
for  him  what  he  most  sought,  and  could  never  have  won  in 
battles  and  sieges— a  fame  and  recognition,  which  have  out- 
lived that  of  all  the  generals  under  whom  he  served. 

"Are  Kings  only  grateful,  and  do  Republics  forgets  Is  fame 
a  travesty,  and  the  judgment  of  mankind  a  farce?  America 
had  a  parallel  case  in  Captain  Nathan  Hale.  Of  the  same  age 
as  Andre,  he  graduated  at  Yale  College  with  high  honors, 
enlisted  in  the  patriot  cause  at  the  beginning  of  the  contest, 
and  secured  the  love  and  confidence  of  all  about  him.  When 
none  else  would  go  upon  a  most  important  and  perilous  mis- 
sion, he  volunteered,  and  was  captured  by  the  British.  While 
Andre  received  every  kindness,  courtesy  and  attention,  and 
was  fed  from  Gen.  Washington's  table,  Capt.  Hale  was  thrust 
into  a  noisome  dungeon  in  the  sugar-house.  While  Andre  was 
tried  by  a  board  of  officers,  and  had  ample  time  and  every 
facility  for  defence,  Captain  Hale  was  summarily  ordered  to 
execution  the  next  morning.  While  Andre's  last  wishes  and 
bequests  were  sacredly  followed,  the  infamous  British  jailor 
Cunningham  tore  from  Hale  his  cherished  Bible,  and  destroyed, 
before  his  eyes,  his  last  letters  to  his  mother  and  sister,  and 
asked  him  what  he  had  to  say.  'All  I  have  to  say,'  was 
Hale's  reply,  '  I  regret  I  have  but  one  life  to  lose  for  my 
country.'  His  death  was  concealed  for  months,  because  this 
inhuman  Jailor  Cunningham  said  he  did  not  want  the  rebels 
to  know  they  had  a  man  who  could  die  so  bravely.  And  yet, 
while  Andre  rests  in  that  grandest  of  mausoleums,  where  the 
proudest  of  nations  garners  the  remains  and  perpetuates  the 


210  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

memories  of  its  most  eminent  and  honored  children,  the  name 
and  deeds  of  Nathan  Hale  have  passed  into  oblivion,  and  only 
a  simple  tomb  in  a  village  churchyard  marks  his  resting-place. 
The  dying  declarations  of  Hale  and  Andre  express  the  animat- 
ing spirit  of  their  several  armies,  and  teach  why,  ^Wth  all  her 
power,  army  and  wealth,  England  could  not  conquer  America. 
*  I  call  upon  you  to  witness  that  I  die  like  a  brave  man,'  said 
Andre,  as  he  spoke  from  British  and  Hessian  surroundings, 
seeking  only  glory  and  pay.  'I  regret  I  have  but  one  life 
to  lose  for  my  country,'  said  Hale;  and  with  him  and  his 
comrades  self  was  forgotten  in  that  absorbing,  passionate 
patriotism,  which  pledges  fortune,  honor,  and  life  to  the  sacred 
cause. 

"  But  Republics  are  not  ungrateful.  The  captors  of  Andre 
were  honored  and  rewarded  in  their  lives,  and  grateful  genera- 
tions celebrate  their  deeds  and  revere  their  memories.  Gen. 
AVashington  wrote  to  Congress :  '  The  party  that  took  Major 
Andre  acted  in  such  a  manner  as  does  them  the  highest  honor, 
and  proves  them  to  be  men  of  great  virtue;  their  conduct 
gives  them  a  just  claim  to  the  thanks  of  their  country.'  Con- 
gress acted  promptly.  It  thanked  them  by  resolution,  granted 
to  each  an  annuity  of  two  hundred  dollars  for  life,  and  twelve 
hundred  and  fiftv  dollars  in  cash,  or  the  same  amount  in  con- 
fiscated  lands  in  Westchester  County,  and  directed  a  silver 
medal  bearing*  the  motto  '  fidelitv  '  on  the  one  side  and  '  Vincit 

cr^  t,' 

Amor  Patri&e  '  on  the  other,  to  be  presented  to  them.  The 
Legislature  of  the  State  of  New^  York  gave  to  each  of  them  a 
farm,  in  consideration— reads  the  act — of  '  their  virtue  in 
refusing  a  large  sum,  offered  to  them  by  Major  Andre,  as  a 
bribe  to  permit  him  to  escape.'  Shortly  after.  Gen.  AYashing- 
ton  gave  a  dinner  party  at  Yerplanck's  Point.  At  the  table 
were  his  staff  and  the  famous  generals  of  the  army,  and,  as 
honored  guests,  these  three  young  men,  Paulding,  AYilliams 
and  Yan  AVart— whose  names  were  now  household  words  all 
over  the  land;  and  there,  with  solemn  and  impressive  speech, 
Gen.  AYashington  presented  the  medals.  Paulding  died  in  1818, 
and  in  1827  the  Corporation  of  the  City  of  New  York  placed 
a  monument  over  his  grave  in  the  old  cemetery  (the  old  Yan 
Cortlandtville  Cemetery),  just  north  of  Peekskill,  reciting,  '  The 
Corporation  of  the  City  of  New  York  erected  this  Tomb  as  a 
Memorial  Sacred  to  Public  Gratitude,'  the  Mayor  delivering 
the  address,  and  a  vast  concourse  participating  in  the  ceremonies. 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  211 

Van  Wart  died  in  1828,  and  in  the  Greenburgh  church-yard, 
the  citizens  of  this  county  erected  a  memorial  in  '  Testimony 
of  his  virtuous  and  patriotic  conduct.'  Williams  died  in  Liv- 
ingstonville,  in  Schoharie  County,  in  1831,  and  was  buried 
with  military  honors.  In  1876  the  State  erected  a  monument, 
and  his  remains  were  re-interred  in  the  old  stone  fort  at  Scho- 
harie Court  House.  On  the  spot  where  Andre  was  captured, 
men  of  Westchester  County,  in  1853,  built  a  cenotaph  in  honor 
of  his  captors. 

"Arnold,  burned  in  effi.gy  in  every  village  and  hamlet  in 
America,  received  his  money  and  a  commission  in  the  British 
Army,  but  was  daily  insulted  by  the  proud  and  honorable 
officers  upon  whom  his  association  was  forced,  and  who  despised 
alike  the  treason  and  the  traitor.  His  infamy  has  served  to 
gild  and  gloss  the  acts  of  Andre,  and,  deepening  with  succeed- 
ing years,  brings  out  with  each  generation  a  clearer  and  purer 
appreciation  of  the  virtue  and  patriotism  of  Paulding,  Wil- 
liams and  Van  Wart. 

"  Pity  for  Andre  led  to  grave  injustice  to  Gen.  Washington, 
and  detraction  of  his  captors,  which  a  century  has  not  effaced. 
Gen.  Sir  Henry  Clinton  and  his  officers,  in  addresses  and 
memoirs,  denounced  the  execution  of  Andre  as  without  justifi- 
cation. Defamers  of  Gen.  Washington  claimed  that  Andre  was 
under  the  protection  of  a  flag  of  truce,  that  he  was  within  the 
American  lines  upon  the  invitation  of  the  commander  of  the 
district,  and  under  the  protection  of  that  General's  pass,  that 
his  intent  was  free  from  turpitude,  and  the  circumstances  sur- 
rounding his  position  entitled  him  to  exchange  or  discharge. 
When  Andre  was  on  trial  upon  the  charge  of  being  a  spy,  he 
testified  in  his  own  behalf  that  '  he  had  no  reason  to  suppose 
he  came  on  shore  under  a  flag  of  truce,'  and  such  is  the  con- 
current testimony  of  all  the  witnesses.  The  story  was  the  sub- 
sequent invention  of  Arnold.  But  even  if  true,  the  flag  of  truce 
is  recognized  in  the  usages  of  war  for  definite  and  honorable 
purposes — it  ameliorates  the  horrors  of  the  conflict ;  but,  when 
used  as  a  cover  for  treasonable  purposes,  loses  its  character 
and  protective  power.  To  present  it,  as  a  defence  and  shield 
for  the  corrupt  correspondence  of  the  enemy's  emissary  and 
a  traitorous  officer,  is  a  monstrous  perversion.  It  is  true,  he 
was  present  at  Arnold's  invitation,  and  carried  his  pass,  but 
he  knew  the  object  of  his  visit,  and  did  not  hold  the  pass  in  his 
own  name  and  title.     Months  before  he  had  written  to   Col. 


212  ^L\XUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

Sheldon,  commanding  the  Continental  outposts,  that  under  a 
flag  of  truce  and  pass  he  proposed  visiting,  on  important  busi- 
ness, General  Arnold,  at  West  Point,  and  requesting  safe  con- 
duct, and  signing  and  representing  himself  as  John  Anderson, 
a  trader.  The  meeting,  which  finally  took  place,  was  an  appoint- 
ment often  before  thwarted,  and  its  object  to  tamper  with  the 
integrity  and  seduce  from  his  allegiance  the  enemy's  officer. 
The  signals  and  agencies  of  communication  and  travel  between 
hostile  forces  were  collusively  used  to  procure  the  betrayal  of 
an  army  and  the  ruin  of  a  nation.  Andre  landed  at  Haver- 
straw  to  traffic  with  the  necessities  and  tempt  the  irritated  pride 
of  a  bankrupt  and  offended  general,  and,  having  succeeded  in 
seducing  him  to  surrender  the  forts  and  trusts  under  his  com- 
mand, Benedict  Arnold,  so  far  as  his  confederate,  Andre,  was 
concerned,  ceased  from  that  moment  to  be  the  American  com- 
mander, and  any  papers  issued  by  him  to  further  and  conceal 
the  scheme  were  absolutely  void.  His  pass  and  safe  conduct 
were  not  only  vitiated  in  their  inception  by  their  joint  act  of 
giver  and  receiver,  secreting  treason  in  them,  but  they  were 
issued  to  an  assumed  name  and  borne  in  a  false  character. 
A  British  soldier  found  disguised  in  the  American  lines,  wath 
plans  of  the  patriots'  forts,  the  details  of  their  armaments,  and 
the  outlines  of  the  plot  for  their  betrayal  hidden  in  his  boots, 
lost,  with  the  discovery  of  his  personality  and  purposes,  the 
protection  of  a  fraudulent  certificate.  Generals  Greene,  Knox, 
La  Fayette  anl  Steuben,  and  other  members  of  the  board  of 
officers  who  tried  and  convicted  Andre,  may  possibly  have  been 
ignorant  of  the  great  authorities  upon  international  law;  but 
had  they  studied,  they  would  have  found  in  them  both  prece- 
dent and  justification.  AYhile  the  laws  of  war  justify  tamper- 
ing Avith  the  opposing  commander,  and  compassing  his  deser- 
tion, the  sudden,  unsuspected,  unguardable,  and  overwhelming 
character  of  the  blow  render  it  the  highest  of  crimes,  and  sub- 
jects those  detected  and  arrested  in  the  act  to  summary  execu- 
tion. A  general  is  commissioned  by  his  government  to  fight 
its  battles  and  protect  its  interests. 

"  AYhen,  in  1817,  one  of  Andre's  captors  petitioned  Congress 
for  an  increase  of  pension,  sixteen  of  the  most  respected  and 
reputable,  and  widely  known  residents  of  this  county  certified 
to  Congress,  '  that  during  the  K evolutionary  AVar  they  were 
well  acquainted  with  Isaac  Yan  AVart,  David  'W'illiams  and 
John  Paulding,  and  that  at  no  time  during  the  Revolutionary 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  213 

War  was  any  suspicion  entertained  by  their  neighbors,  or 
acquaintances,  that  they,  or  either  of  them,  held  any  undue 
intercourse  with  the  enemy.  On  the  contrary,  they  were  uni- 
versally esteemed,  and  taken  to  be  ardent  and  faithful  to  the 
cause  of  the  country.'  Van  Wart  and  Paulding,  in  solemn 
affidavits,  reasserted  the  details  of  the  capture,  and  the  motives 
of  their  conduct,  to  counteract  the  charge  made  by  Andre,  '  that 
they  stopped  him  for  plunder,  and  would  have  released  him  if 
he  could  have  given  security  for  his  ransom. ' 

''  As  each  of  the  three  patriots,  in  ripe  old  age  and  the  full- 
ness of  years,  was  called  to  render  his  account  to  the  Great 
Judge,  mourning  thousands  gathered  about  the  graves  to  tes- 
tify their  reverence;  and  the  respect  and  gratitude  of  their 
countrymen  reared  monuments  to  their  memories." 

It  must  ever  be  remembered  that  this  monument,  at  Tarry- 
town,  was  erected  to  the  honor  of  the  three  brave  men,  Pauld- 
ing, Van  Wart  and  Williams,  who  captured  Andre,  the  British 
spy,  and  not  to  honor  one  caught  in  the  act  of  being  a  principal 
in  one  of  the  most  infamous  of  crimes. 

In  connection  herewith,  we  are  permitted  the  privilege  of 
publishing  notes  taken  from  papers  of  the  lafe  Gen.  Pierre 
Van  Cortlandt,  of  Croton,  referring  to  interviews  between  the 
General  and  John  Paulding,  one  of  the  captors,  as  follows: 

''April  16,  1817.— John  Paulding,  in  the  year  1780,  was  a 
sergeant  under  Lieutenant  Peacock,  who  was  stationed  with  his 
corps  at  Daniel  Requa's  on  the  road  leading  from  Tarrytown 
to  Bedford.  This  command  was  stationed  on  the  lines  to  protect 
the  inhabitants  against  the  marauding  parties  of  British  cow 
thieves,  and  was  in  pay  either  from  the  State  of  New  York  or 
from  the  United  States,  and  consisted  of  between  thirty  and 
forty  men.  Early  one  morning  they  were  surprised  and  attacked 
by  Captain  Totten  with  upward  of  one  hundred  British  refugee 
dragoons,  and  John  Paulding,  with  about  twenty  men  of  Pea- 
cock's corps,  was  taken  prisoner,  some  badly  wounded.  Daniel 
Requa  and  Thomas  Dean  were  also  taken,  Requa  badly  wounded. 
John  Paulding  and  the  other  prisoners  were  immediately 
inarched  to  New  York  and  confined  in  the  old  Dutch  Church, 
where  he  remained  for  about  three  months.  One  evening,  the 
prisoners  being  allowed  to  walk  by  squads  in  the  yard,  Paulding, 
taking  advantage  of  the  Hessian  sentinel  turning  his  back 
toward  him,  leaped  the  board  fence  into  the  yard  of  an  adjacent 
house.     Here  he  was  seen  by  a  black  woman,  who  favored  his 


214  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

escape  into  the  street,  after  dark.  He  went  to  the  house  of  a 
friend,  Nathaniel  Leviness,  who  lived  near  the  prison.  This 
friend  furnished  him  with  provisions,  after  secreting  him  for 
the  night,  and  purchased  for  him  an  old  British  uniform  coat 
(a  yager  coat,  green,  laced  with  red),  in  which  to  effect  his 
escape  from  the  city.  Mr.  Leviness  advised  him  to  keep  out  of 
the  road  as  much  as  possible  until  he  reached  Bloomingdale, 
where  he  might  find  a  small  boat  in  which  to  cross  the  river. 
Paulding  followed  his  advice,  and  near  Bloomingdale  espied 
a  small  boat  aground.  He  went  into  the  bushes  near  by  and 
took  a  nap  until  the  tide  was  high  enough  to  float  the  boat. 
Just  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening  he  got  in  and  paddled  across 
the  Hudson,  landing  somewhere  near  Bull's  Ferry,  on  the 
Jersey  shore.  He  then  made  the  best  of  his  way  to  the  Ameri- 
can camp,  near  English  Neighborhood;  was  carried  to  the  com- 
manding officer  (who,  he  thinks,  was  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette) 
and  a  pass  was  given  him  to  return  to  Westchester  County. 
He  traveled  up  and  recrossed  the  river  at  West  Point  and  went 
directly  to  Haight's,  now  Somerstown  Plains,  in  the  manor  of 
Cortlandt.  Paulding  was  very  anxious  to  see  his  mother,  who 
w^as  then  living  at  the  house  of  old  Peter  Paulding,  at  the  old 
Sawmill  river,  three  miles  east  of  Tarrytown,  on  the  road  leading 
to  White  Plains.  His  father  was  fearful  to  remain  below,  and 
therefor  resided  in  the  manor  of  Cortlandt,  where  he  was 
shortly  after  joined  by  his  wife. 

"  Paulding  and  six  others  went  from  the  manor  of  Cort- 
landt to  Daniel  Requa's,  the  place  where  Paulding  had  been 
made  prisoner.  They  had  heard  that  a  number  of  horses  had 
been  stolen,  and  formed  themselves  into  a  scouting  party  to 
intercept  the  thieves  if  they  should  attempt  to  pass  with  their 
booty  to  New  York.  Four  of  the  party  were  stationed  at  old 
William  David's,  on  the  hill,  and  the  other  three— Paulding, 
Williams  and  Van  Wart— stationed  themselves  on  the  Post  road 
at  a  small  brook,  hidden  by  some  bushes,  in  Tarrytown.  This 
was,  he  thinks,  the  fourth  day  after  his  escape  from  the  old 
Dutch  Church,  in  New  York.  The  British  uniform  coat  Pauld- 
ing procured  to  favor  his  escape  from  that  city,  he  wore  the 
day  (as  he  had  no  other  at  hand)  they  captured  Andre,  and 
this  undoubtedly  deceived  Andre  into  his  first  unguarded  ques- 
tion, for  in  reply  to  his  asking  as  to  what  party  they  belonged, 
Paulding  answered,  '  Look  at  my  dress  and  you  cannot  be  mis- 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  215 

taken.'     '  If  you  belong  to  the  lower  party/  said  Andre,  '  so 
do  I.'     The  result  is  too  familiar  to  all  to  require  repetition." 

AFFIDAVITS  OF  VAN  V^ART  AND   PAULDING. 

To  correct  judgment  of  the  conduct  and  motives  of  the 
three  men  engaged  in  the  capture  of  Major  Andre,  and  to  put 
at  rest  unmerited  distrust,  sixteen  of  the  oldest  and  best  known 
residents  of  the  county,  above  their  signatures,  certified,  in 
January,  1817,  that,  "  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  we  were 
well  acquainted  with  Isaac  Van  Wart,  David  Williams  and 
John  Paulding,  who  arrested  Major  Andre,  and  that  at  no  time 
during  the  Revolutionary  War  was  any  suspecion  entertained 
by  their  neighbors  or  acquaintances,  that  they  or  either  of  them 
held  any  undue  intercourse  with  the  enemy  (as  had  been 
charged  by  Andre).  On  the  contrary,  they  were  universally 
esteemed  and  taken  to  be  ardent  and  faithful  in  the  cause  of  their 
country.  We  further  certify,  that  Paulding  and  Williams  are 
not  now  residents  among  us,  but  that  Isaac  Van  Wart  is  a 
respected  freeholder  of  the  town  of  Mount  Pleasant;  that  we 
are  well  acquainted  with  him;  and  we  do  not  hesitate  to 
declare  our  belief,  that  there  is  not  an  individual  in  the  County 
of  Westchester,  acquainted  with  Isaac  Van  Wart,  who  would 
hesitate  to  describe  him  as  a  man  whose  integrity  is  as  unim- 
peachable as  his  veracity  is  undoubted." 

Isaac  Van  Wart,  one  of  the  captors  of  Andre,  made  the  fol- 
lowing affidavit: 

"  Isaac  Van  Wart,  of  the  town  of  Mount  Pleasant,  in  the 
County  of  Westchester,  being  duly  sworn,  doth  depose  and  say, 
that  he  is  one  of  the  three  persons  who  arrested  Major  Andre, 
during  the  American  Revolutionary  War,  and  conducted  him 
to  the  American  camp.  That  he,  this  deponent,  together  with 
David  Williams  and  John  Paulding,  had  secreted  themselves 
at  the  side  of  the  highway,  for  the  purpose  of  detecting  any 
persons  coming  from  or  having  unlawful  intercourse  with  the 
enemy,  between  the  two  armies;  a  service  not  uncommon  in 
those  times.  That  this  deponent  and  his  companions  were 
armed  with  muskets;  and  upon  seeing  Major  Andre  approach 
the  place  where  they  were  concealed,  they  rose  and  presented 
their  muskets  at  him,  and  required  him  to  stop,  which  he  did. 
He  then  asked  them  whether  they  belonged  to  his  party;  and 
then  they  asked  him  w^hich  was  his  party?  to  which  he  replied, 
the  lower  party.     Upon  which  they,  deeming  a  little  stratagem, 


216  MAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

under  sucli  circumstances,  not  only  justifiable,  but  necessary, 
gave  bim  to  understand  tbat  tbey  were  of  bis  party;  upon 
wbicb  be  iovfullv  declared  bimself  to  be  a  British  officer,  and 
told  tbem  be  bad  been  out  on  very  particular  business.  Hav- 
ing ascertained  thus  mucb,  tbis  deponent  and  bis  companions 
undeceived  bim  as  to  tbeir  characters,  declaring  themselves 
Americans,  and  that  be  must  consider  himself  tbeir  prisoner. 
Upon  tbis,  with  seeming  unconcern,  he  said  he  had  a  pass  from 
Gen.  Arnold,  which  he  exhibited,  and  then  insisted  on  their 
permitting  him  to  proceed.  But  tbey  told  him  that  as  he  had 
confessed  himself  to  be  a  British  officer,  tbey  deemed  it  to  be 
their  duty  to  convey  him  to  the  American  camp :  and  then 
took  bim  into  a  wood,  a  short  distance  from  the  highway,  in 
order  to  guard  against  being  surprised  by  parties  of  the  enemy, 
who  were  frequently  reconnoitering  in  that  neighborhood.  That 
when  tbey  bad  him  in  the  wood  tbey  proceeded  to  search  him, 
for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  who  and  what  be  was,  and 
found  inside  of  his  stocking's  and  boots,  next  to  bis  bare  feet, 
papers,  which  satisfied  tbem  tbat  he  was  a  spy.  Major  Andre 
now  showed  them  his  gold  watch,  and  remarked,  tbat  it  was 
evidence  of  bis  being  a  gentleman,  and  also  promised  to  make 
them  any  reward  which  tbey  might  name,  if  they  would  but 
permit  him  to  proceed,  which  tbey  refused.  He  then  told  them 
tbat  if  tbey  doubted  the  fulfillment  of  his  promise,  they  might 
conceal  Jiim  in  some  secret  place,  and  keep  him  there  until  they 
could  send  to  Xeiv  York  and  receive  their  reward.  And  this 
deponent  express^  declares  that  every  offer  made  by  Major 
Andre  to  tbem  was  promptly  and  resolutely  refused.  And  as 
for  bimself,  he  solemnly  declares,  tbat  he  had  not,  and  he  does 
most  sincerely  believe  tbat  Paulding  and  AVilliams  had  not, 
any  intention  of  plundering  their  prisoner;  nor  did  they  confer 
with  each  other,  or  even  hesitate  whether  they  should  accept  his 
promises;  but,  on  the  contrary,  they  were,  in  the  opinion  of  this 
deponent,  governed,  like  bimself,  by  a  deep  interest  in  the  cause 
of  tbeir  country,  and  a  strong  sense  of  duty.  And  this  depo- 
nent further  saj^s  that  be  never  visited  the  British  camp,  nor 
does  be  believe  or  suspect  tbat  either  Paulding  or  AYilliams 
ever  did,  except  that  Paulding  was  once  before  Andre's  cap- 
ture, and  once  afterwards,  made  a  prisoner  by  the  British,  as 
tbis  deponent  has  been  informed  and  believes.  And  this  depo- 
nent for  himself  expressly  denies  that  be  ever  held  any  unlawful 
traffic,   or  any  intercourse  whatever  with  the  enemy.     And — 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  217 

appealing  solemnly  to  that  omniscient  Being,  at  whose  tribunal 
he  must  soon  appear— he  doth  expressly  declare  that  all  accusa- 
tions, charging  him  therewith,  are  utterly  untrue. 

"  ISAAC  VAN  WART. 
**  Sworn  before  me,  this  2Sth 
day  of  January,  1817. 

Jacob  Radcliff,  Mayor. 


)  J 


Likewise  and  relative  to  the  same  subject,  John  Paulding, 
another  of  the  captors  of  Andre,  made  an  affidavit,  as  follows : 

**  John  Paulding,  of  the  County  of  Westchester,  one  of  the 
persons  who  took  Major  Andre,  being  duly  sworn,  saith,  that 
he  was  three  times,  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  a  prisoner 
with  the  enemy;  the  first  time  he  was  taken  at  White  Plains, 
when  under  the  command  of  Captain  Requa,  and  carried  to 
New  York  and  confined  in  the  Sugar  House.  The  second  time 
he  was  taken  near  Tarrytown,  when  under  the  command  of 
Lieutenant  Peacock,  and  confined  in  the  North  Dutch  Church, 
in  New  York;  that  both  these  times  he  escaped,  and  the  last  of 
them  only  four  days  before  the  capture  of  Andre;  that  the  last 
time  he  was  taken  he  was  wounded,  and  lay  in  the  hospital  in 
New  York,  and  was  discharged  on  the  arrival  of  news  of  peace 
there.  That  he  and  his  companions,  Van  Wart  and  Williams, 
among  other  articles  which  they  took  from  Major  Andre,  were 
his  watch,  horse,  saddle  and  bridle,  and  which  they  retained  as 
prize;  that  they  delivered  over  Andre,  with  the  papers  found 
on  him,  to  Colonel  Jameson,  who  commanded  on  the  lines ;  that 
shortly  thereafter  they  were  summoned  to  appear  as  witnesses 
at  the  headquarters  of  General  Washington,  at  Tappan;  that 
they  were  at  Tappan  some  days,  and  examined  as  witnesses 
before  the  court-martial  on  the  trial  of  Smith,  who  brought 
Andre  ashore  from  on  board  the  British  sloop-of-war ;  that  while 
there,  Col.  William  S.  Smith  redeemed  the  watch  from  them 
for  thirty  guineas ;  which,  and  the  money  received  for  the  horse, 
saddle  and  bridle,  they  divided  equally  among  themselves  and 
four  other  persons,  who  belonged  to  their  party,  but  when  Andre 
was  taken,  were  about  half  a  mile  off,  keeping  a  look-out  on  a 
hill;  that  Andre  had  no  gold  or  silver  money  with  him,  but 
only  some  Continental  bills,  to  the  amount  of  about  eighty  dol- 
lars ;  that  the  medals  given  to  him  and  Van  Wart  and  Williams, 
by  Congress,  were  presented  to  them  by  General  Washington, 


218  ]MAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

Tvhen  the  army  was  encamped  at  Verplanek's  Point,  and  they, 
on  the  occasion,  dined  at  his  table ;  that  Williams  removed  some 
years  ago  from  Westchester  County  to  the  northern  part  of 
the  State,  but  where,  particularly,  the  deponent  does  not  know. 
And  the  deponent,  referring  to  the  affidavit  of  Van  "Wart,  taken 
the  28th  day  of  January  last,  and  which  he  has  read,  says  that 
the  same  is  in  substance  true. 

' '  JOHN  PAULDING. 

*'  Sworn  before  me,  this   6th 
day  of  May,  1817. 

''  Charles  G.  Van  Wyck,  Master  in  Chancery. 

AN   ESTIMATE    OF   ARNOLD 's    CHARACTER. 

Extracts  from  a  letter  written,  September  27,  1780,  by  Gen. 
Anthony  Wayne  (the  brave  "  Mad  "  Anthony)  to  a  member 
of  Congress,  gives  not  only  the  General's  opinion  of  Arnold, 
but  also,  doubtless,  reflected  the  sentiments  of  a  large  majority 
of  the  American  Generals.  It  was  Gen.  AVashington's  kindness 
of  heart  and  hopes  of  redeeming  him,  that  retained  for  Arnold 
his  high  position  in  the  Continental  Army.  Gen.  Wayne  writes 
as  follows: 

"  I  am  confident  that  the  perfidy  of  General  Arnold  will 
astonish  the  public ;  the  high  rank  he  bore,  the  eclat  he  had 
obtained,  whether  deservedly  or  not,  justified  the  world  in  giv- 
ing it  him.  But  there  were  a  few  gentlemen  who,  at  a  very 
early  period  of  this  war,  became  acquainted  with  his  true  char- 
acter. When  you  asked  my  opinion  of  that  officer  last  winter, 
I  gave  it  freely,  and,  I  believe,  you  thought  it  rather  strongly 
shaded. 

"  I  think  that  I  informed  you  I  had  the  most  despicable  idea 
of  him,  both  as  a  gentleman  and  a  soldier,  and  that  he  had  pro- 
duced a  conviction  to  me,  in  1776,  that  honor  and  true  virtue 
were  strangers  to  his  soul ;  and,  however  contradictor^^  it  might 
appear,  that  he  never  possessed  either  genuine  fortitude  or  per- 
sonal bravery,  and  that  he  rarely  went  in  the  way  of  danger, 
but  when  stimulated  by  liquor,  even  to  intoxication.  (As  was 
the  case  at  the  Battle  of  Saratoga. — Ed.) 

*'  I  shall  not  dwell  upon  his  military  character,  or  the  meas- 
ures he  had  adopted  for  the  surrender  of  W^est  Point ;  the  latter 
have,  no  doubt,  been  already  fully  mentioned  by  the  Comman- 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  219 

der-in-Chief  in  his  despatches.  But  I  will  give  you  a  small 
specimen  of  his  peculate  talents. 

' '  What  think  you  of  his  employing  sutlers  to  retail  the  public 
liquors  for  his  private  emolument,  and  furnishing  his  quarters 
with  beds  and  other  furniture,  by  paying  for  them  with  pork, 
salt,  flour,  etc.,  drawn  from  the  magazines;  he  has  not  stopped 
here;  he  has  descended  much  lower,  and  defrauded  the  veteran 
soldier  who  has  bled  for  his  country  in  many  a  well-fought 
field,  during  five  campaigns;  among  others,  an  old  sergeant  of 
mine  has  felt  his  rapacity.  By  the  industry  of  this  man's  wife 
they  had  accumulated  something  handsome  to  support  them- 
selves in  their  advanced  age,  which  coming  to  the  knowledge  of 
this  cruel  spoiler,  he  borrowed  a  large  sum  of  money  from  the 
poor  credulous  woman,  and  left  her  in  the  lurch.  The  dirty, 
dirty  acts  which  he  has  been  capable  of  conunitting,  beggar  all 
description;  and  they  are  of  such  a  nature  as  would  cause  the 
infernals  to  blush,  were  they  accused  of  the  invention  and  exe- 
cution of  them. 

"  The  detached  and  debilitated  state  of  the  garrison  on  West 
Point  insured  success  to  the  assailants;  the  enemy  were  all  in 
perfect  readiness  for  the  enterprise,  and  only  waited  the  return 
of  Andre  to  carry  it  into  execution.  The  26th  was  the  day  fixed 
on  for  this  exploit,  and  the  discovery  of  Arnold's  treachery  was 
not  made  until  late  on  the  25th.  At  12  o'clock  of  the  morning 
of  the  26th  an  express  reached  General  Green  from  his  Excel- 
lency, who  had  fortunately  arrived  at  West  Point  on  his  return 
from  Hartford,  to  push  on  the  nearest  and  best  disciplined 
troops,  with  orders  to  gain  the  defile  or  pass  over  the  Dunder- 
burg  before  the  enemy.  The  First  Pennsylvania  Brigade  moved 
immediately,  and  on  the  arrival  of  the  second  express,  I  was 
speedily  followed  by  our  gallant  friend,  General  Irvine,  with 
the  Second  Brigade.  Our  march  of  sixteen  miles  was  per- 
formed in  four  hours,  during  a  dark  night,  without  a  single 
halt,  or  a  man  left  behind.  When  our  approach  was  announced 
to  the  General,  he  thought  it  fabulous ;  but  when  assured  of  the 
reality  of  his  Tenth  Legion  being  near  him,  he  expressed  great 
satisfaction  and  pleasure. 

*'  The  protection  of  this  important  place  is  committed  to  the 
Division  under  my  command,  until  a  proper  garrison  arrives. 
We  will  dispute  the  approaches  to  the  works,  inch  by  inch,  at 
the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  if  necessary,  decide  the  fate  of 
the  day  in  the  gorge  of  the  defiles  at  every  expense  of  blood. 


220  I^IAXUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

You  may  rest  assured  that  whatever  may  be  the  issue,  neither 
the  conduct  of  myself  nor  gallant  assistant  will  ever  require  the 
palliation  of  a  friend  or  cause  a  blush  on  the  cheek  of  any 
affectionate    acquaintance. 

"  Most  respectfully,  your  obedient, 

''ANTHONY  WAYNE." 

From  Col.  A.  Scammell's  letter  to  Col.  Peabody,  we  get  the 
following  views,  relative  to  Arnold: 

''  Treason!  Treason!  Treason!  black  as  hell!  That  a  man 
so  high  on  the  list  of  fame  should  be  guilty  as  Arnold,  must 
be  attributed  not  only  to  original  sin,  but  actual  transgressions. 

''  Heavens  and  earth!  we  were  all  astonishment,  each  peep- 
ing about  him ;  nay,  we  even  descended  to  a  critical  examina- 
tion of  ourselves.  This  surprise  soon  settled  down  into  a  fixed 
detestation  and  abhorrence  of  Arnold,  which  can  receive  no 
addition.  His  treason  has  unmasked  him  the  veriest  villain  of 
centuries  past,  and  set  him  in  true  colors.  His  conduct  and 
sufferings  at  the  northward,  has  in  the  eyes  of  the  army  and 
his  country,  covered  a  series  of  base,  grovelling,  dirty,  scanda- 
lous and  rascally  peculations  and  fraud;  and  the  army  and 
country  ever  indulgent  and  partial  to  an  officer  who  has  suffered 
in  the  common  cause,  wished  to  cover  his  faults,  and  we  were 
even  afraid  to  examine  too  closely,  for  fear  of  discovering  some 
of  his  rascality.  Now,  after  all  these  indulgences,  the  par- 
tiality of  his  countrymen,  the  trust  and  confidence  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief had  reposed  in  him,  the  prodigious  sums  he 
has  pilfered  from  his  country,  which  has  been  indulgent  enough 
to  overlook  his  malpractices,  I  say,  after  all  this,  it  is  impossible 
to  paint  him  in  colors  sufficiently  black.  Avarice,  cursed  avarice, 
with  unbounded  ambition,  void  of  principle  of  honor,  honesty, 
generosity,  or  gratitude,  induced  the  caitiff  to  make  the  first 
overtures  to  the  enemy,  as  Andre  declared  upon  his  honor,  when 
on  trial  before  the  General  officers." 

' '  May  Arnold 's  life  be  protracted  under  all  the  keenest  stings 
and  reflections  of  a  guilty  conscience :  be  hated  and  abhorred  by 
all  the  race  of  mankind ;  and  finally  suffer  the  excruciating  tor- 
tures due  to  so  great  a  traitor. 


)  > 


ROBERTSON  vs.  CONKLING  AND  PLATT. 

Westchester  County  has  furnished  at  least  two  men  of 
National  political  fame,  William  H.  Robertson  and  Chauncey 
M.  Depew,  who  were,  from  youth,  intimate  as  well  as  political 
friends. 

Mr.  Depew,  an  orator  as  widely  known  abroad  as  he  is  at 
home,  began  his  political  career  as  an  Assemblyman.  After- 
ward became  Secretary  of  State,  then  County  Clerk,  a  State 
Regent,  and  traveled  along  up 'the  ladder  until  he  reached  the 
United  States  Senate,  where  we  recently  found  him  representing 
his  native  State  and  nearing  his  eightieth  year,  with  all  his  old 
energy  unabated. 

Mr.  Robertson,  though  he  did  not  pretend  to  oratory,  was  just 
as  forcible  in  other  directions.  Like  his  friend,  he  adopted  law 
as  his  profession  and  his  ability  was  soon  recognized  in  a  sub- 
stantial way.  While  yet  a  young  man,  his  capabilities  as  a 
leader  among  men  were  made  use  of  by  those  older  seeking 
political  preferment.  His  knowledge  of  his  fellowmen,  their 
peculiarities,  their  ambitions,  strength  and  weakness,  gave  him 
unusual  power  as  a  political  leader,  and  in  later  years  brought 
him  honorable  distinction.  Men  of  all  political  faiths  were 
pleased  to  call  him  their  friend.  In  politics  he  never  mourned 
when  a  political  adherent  saw  fit  to  shift  his  allegiance ;  instead, 
he  sought  another,  even  better,  to  take  the  place  of  "  the 
departed,  but  not  forgotten,"  as  he  was  accustomed  to  say. 

Mr.  Robertson,  besides  holding  minor  local  offices,  was  several 
terms  County  Judge  of  this  County,  was  Representative  in  Con- 
gress one  term,  declining  a  re-election,  and  was  State  Senator 
many  terms.  He  was  never  defeated  when  a  nominee  for  an 
elective  office.  When  chosen  to  Congress  or  to  the  State  Senate 
it  was  from  a  district  usually  Democratic.  He  was  proud  to 
say  that  he  was  the  only  Republican  ever  elected  to  either  office 
in  the  Democratic  Westchester  district. 

The  Governorship  had  been  promised  and  refused  to  him 
twice ;  a  Cabinet  portfolio  was  not  to  his  liking,  and  a  United 
States  Senatorship  he  did  not  want,  but  he  did  want  to  be 

221 


222  JSIAXUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

Customs  Collector  at  Port  of  New  York.  This  last-named 
position  he  finally  secured,  after  the  whole  country  had  become 
aroused  over  his  getting  it.  His  slogan  was,  "  Know  just  what 
you  want :  get  it. ' ' 

The  facts  relative  to  the  securing  of  the  Collectorship  furnish 
a  somewhat  interesting,  if  not  startling,  story;  introducing,  as 
they  do,  three  of  the  cleverest  and  most  resourceful  politicians 
ever  known  in  the  State  of  New  York,  if  not  in  the  whole  United 
States— Roscoe  Conkling,  Thomas  C.  Piatt  and  William  H. 
Robertson. 

All,  Mr.  Conkling,  Mr.  Robertson  and  Mr.  Piatt,  are  dead. 
The  former  dying  in  1888,  Mr.  Robertson  ten  years  later,  and 
Mr.  Piatt  twelve  vears  later  than  Mr.  Robertson. 

Thomas  Collier  Piatt,  who  represented  this  State  as  one  of 
its  delegation  in  the  United  States  Senate,  was  for  several  years 
the  colleague  of  "  Westchester's  Favorite  Son,"  Senator 
Chauncey  M.  Depew.  Mr.  Piatt  retired  from  the  Senate  on 
March  4,  1909,  having  rounded  out  fifty-two  years  of  political 
activity.  For  a  score  of  years  he  was  the  undisputed  "  Boss  " 
of  the  Republican  party  in  the  State  of  New  York  and  a  power 
in  National  politics.  From  the  time  of  the  Fremont  campaign 
in  1856,  until  the  day  of  his  retirement  from  the  Senate,  his  life 
had  been  a  stormy  one,  though  he  was  nick-named  the  ''  Easy 
Boss."  On  every  political  battlefield,  in  State  or  Nation,  in  the 
last  two  decades,  could  be  seen  his  standard  in  the  thickest  of 
the  fight. 

]\Ir.  Piatt  is  not  of  this  County,  though  at  one  time  numbered 
among  its  residents.  His  prominence  as  an  opponent  vanquished 
by  the  County's  most  illustrious  representative,  William  H. 
Robertson,  gains  for  him  a  place  in  this  review. 

The  magnetism  with  which  ^Ir.  Piatt  was  said  to  be  liberally 
endowed,  evidentlv  failed  in  its  efficiencv  Avhen  it  came  to  con- 
trolling  Judge  Robertson,  who  possessed  a  mind  equally  as 
strong  as  that  of  ]Mr.  Piatt  and  who  was  as  clever  as  a  political 
tactician.  Mr.  Piatt  was  fully  equipped  to  play  the  game  of 
politics  as  an  expert,  but  with  all  his  acuteness  he  found  in 
Judge  Robertson  one  who  could  play  the  game  with  equal  skill ; 
frequently  to  the  former's  great  disadvantage. 

It  was  Thomas  C.  Piatt,  allied  with  United  States  Senator 
Roscoe  Conkling,  who  prevented  the  nomination  of  William  H. 
Robertson  as  the  Republican  candidate  for  Governor  in  1879, 
if  not  previously  in  1872 ;  and  later  it  was  he,  still  in  alliance 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  223 

with  Conkling,  who  entered  in  a  fight  on  President  Garfield  to 
prevent  the  nomination  and  confirmation  of  William  H.  Rob- 
ertson as  Collector  of  the  Port  of  New  York. 

The  objection  Messrs.  Conkling  and  Piatt  had  to  Judge  Rob- 
ertson was  purely  political.  He  did  not  prove  as  pliable  as 
desired  for  the  realization  of  their  political  ambitions. 

The  writer  of  this  recalls  a  conversation  he  had  with  Judge 
Robertson  in  the  Capitol  building  in  Albany,  early  in  the 
winter  of  1880.  The  Judge  related  certain  facts  attending  the 
proceedings  of  the  Republican  State  Convention  (held  in  the 
preceding  fall),  accounting  for  his  not  receiving  the  Guberna- 
torial nomination.  He  had  been  promised  this  in  good  faith 
by  men  whom  he  believed  he  could  trust  without  stultifying 
himself.  He  told  how  Piatt,  Conkling  and  their  allies  turned 
from  him  at  the  last  moment  and  brought  about  the  nomination 
of  Alonzo  B.  Cornell  in  his  stead,  for  no  other  reason  than  that 
he  would  not  sacrifice  self-respect  and  subject  himself  to  their 
absolute  control;  in  other  words,  act  as  a  figure-head  in  the 
office  of  Governor.  During  this  conversation,  a  well-known 
Republican  State  leader,  in  passing,  stopped,  and  offering  to 
the  Judge  a  hand  of  greeting,  said  in  tones  most  sympathetic: 
**  Senator,  I  am  very  sorry,  very  sorry,  indeed,  that  you  did 
not  receive  the  nomination  for  Governor  by  our  Convention." 
To  this  the  Judge  replied,  coolly:  "  Thank  you;"  and  the 
interview,  quite  brief  on  the  Judge's  side,  was  closed.  After 
the  ''  well-wisher  "  had  passed  on,  the  Judge  commented  on 
the  hypocrisy  of  some  men,  adding:  "  The  fellow  who  just 
addressed  me  so  blandly  was  one  of  those  who  deliberately 
planned  my  defeat  by  that  convention."  "  Such  is  politics, 
young  man, ' '  sighed  the  Judge. 

Above  all  things.  Judge  Robertson's  ambition  was  to  round 
out  a  long  and  successful  political  career  by  being  elected  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State  of  New  York.  That  such  desire  be  fulfilled 
was  the  sincere  wish  of  his  many  loyal  friends.  But  there  were 
some  things  Judge  Robertson  would  not  do  even  to  attain  his 
ambition. 

In  return  for  services  rendered.  Governor  Cornell,  as  soon  as 
possible  after  being  installed  in  office,  appointed  Mr.  Piatt 
a  member  of  the  Quarantine  Commission,  an  office  he  held  until 
1888,  when  Governor  Hill  removed  him. 

The  two  memorable  fights  of  Mr.  Piatt's  life  were,  first, 
when  he,  in  1880,  following  the  lead  of  Senator  Conkling,  went 


224  IVIANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

down  to  defeat  with  that  famous  band  of  ''  three  hundred  and 
six  stalwarts  "  who  tried  to  force  the  nomination  of  General 
Grant  for  a  third  term;  and  second,  when  Conkling  and  he 
failed  to  be  re-elected  by  the  Legislature  as  United  States  Sena- 
tors a  short  time  later. 

It  is  an  old  saying,  and  one  quite  true,  that  a  time— a  day 
of  reckoning— comes  when  one  can  "  settle  the  score  "  with 
another  in  the  game  of  politics.  The  time  was  at  hand,  at  this 
Republican  National  Convention,  when  Messrs.  Conkling  and 
Piatt  and  their  allies  would  be  brought  to  realize  that  their  mis- 
deeds, leading  to  the  betrayal  of  Judge  Robertson,  had  not  been 
forgotten.  That  the  old  admonition  to  forget  in  politics  one 
year  that  which  happened  in  the  year  before,  would  not  for 
this  occasion  be  observed. 

The  attempt  to  vote  the  New  York  State  delegation  in  the 
Convention  as  a  unit,  as  was  the  desire  nearest  to  the  hearts 
of  Messrs.  Conkling  and  Piatt,  proved  impossible  owing  to  the 
opposition  of  many  in  the  delegation,  under  the  lead  of  Judge 
Robertson,  who  was  a  delegate.  Promises  and  threats  were 
alike  equally  unavailing.  Judge  Robertson  and  his  friends 
stood  firm  in  their  determination  not  to  be  delivered  in  bulk 
for  any  candidate  not  their  individual  choice.  After  a  stub- 
born and  hard-fought  fight,  it  was  decided  by  the  Convention 
that  each  member  of  the  New  York  delegation  be  permitted  to 
vote  in  the  Convention  as  an  individual,  announcing  his  vote 
as  his  name  was  called.  Accordingly,  the  New  York  State  dele- 
gation did  not  vote  unanimously  for  General  Grant's  nomina- 
tion. The  action  of  Judge  Robertson  led  to  the  nomination  of 
James  A.  Garfield  for  President. 

Conkling  and  Piatt,  as  after  events  proved,  never  forgave 
Judge  Robertson  for  being  the  cause  of  their  great  himailiation 
before  representatives  of  the  Nation.  They  had  to  admit  that 
they  had  been  outgeneraled  by  a  man  from  their  own  State; 
that  their  pet  scheme,  to  bring  about  what  was  considered  the 
impossible,  to  overcome  the  prejudice  of  the  people  against  a 
third  term  for  a  President  of  the  United  States,  had  met  with 
a  telling  defeat. 

In  speaking  later  of  the  proceedings  of  that  Convention,  Mr. 
Piatt  said:  "  I  remember  that  Conkling  was  a  colossal  figure 
in  that  convention.  I  never  appreciated  him  more  than  when 
I  saw  his  tall,  majestic,  panther-like  figure  and  his  historic 
Hyperion  lock,  and  listened  to  his  matchless  oratory,  his  marvel- 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  225 

ous  power  of  invective  and  satire,  as  he  concluded  his  speech 
placing  Grant  in  nomination." 

Grant's  nomination  was  defeated;  Judge  Robertson  had 
sprung  suddenly  into  National  prominence,  owing  to  his  deter- 
mination of  purpose.  Though  his  action  had  increased  the 
bitterness  of  his  political  foes,  his  independence  had  secured 
for  him  many  loyal  friends. 

The  action  of  Judge  Robertson  in  the  Republican  National 
Convention  was  fully  approved  by  those  of  his  party  in  West- 
chester County  who  had  elected  him  as  their  delegate  to  such 
Convention.  Resolutions  were  adopted  in  various  sections  of 
the  State  commending  the  course  Judge  Robertson,  and  other 
delegates  acting  with  him,  had  pursued. 

According  to  published  report,  Messrs.  Conkling  and  Piatt 
returned  from  the  Convention  to  New  York  much  dejected. 
They  feared  for  their  political  future.  They  understood  what 
it  meant  to  be  discredited  by  one's  party  administration,  the 
loss  of  power  uplifted  by  the  disposal  of  patronage.  The  Repub- 
lican organization  was  in  chaos;  the  leaders  received  the  news 
of  Garfield's  nomination  resentfully.  They  feared  that  Gar- 
field, if  elected,  would  give  ear  only  to  Judge  Robertson  and  his 
friends  in  New  York  State,  and  the  present  Republican  organi- 
zation in  the  State  would  be  succeeded  by  another  organization 
that  might  prove  detrimental  to  the  interests  of  Conkling, 
Piatt  and  their  allies. 

To  head  off  any  influence  Judge  Robertson  might  have  with 
Garfield,  it  was  suggested  that  Senator  Conkling  visit  candi- 
date Garfield  at  his  home  in  Mentor,  Ohio.  Before  Conkling, 
as  proud  as  ever,  could  decide  to  pay  this  visit,  he  received  a 
request  from  Mr.  Garfield,  that  he  visit  him  at  his  home.  Of 
this  visit  Mr.  Piatt,  in  a  recent  interview,  spoke  as  follows: 
"  When  Garfield  heard  of  the  defection  in  New  York  he  sent 
for  Senator  Conkling.  Upon  Conkling 's  return  from  the  con- 
ference at  the  home  of  the  Presidential  nominee,  Conkling  told 
me  that  Garfield  had  promised  to  recognize  the  New  York  organ- 
ization, if  elected.  I  said :  *  Do  you  believe  him  ? '  to  which 
Conkling  replied,  '  No,  but  we  will  try  him  out.'  We  did,  and 
the  war  Garfield  made  on  us  after  election  is  a  matter  of 
historv. ' ' 

In  1881  Mr.  Piatt  was  elected  a  United  States  Senator  from 
this  State,  as  an  associate  with  his  friend  Senator  Conkling. 
His  election  was  accomplished  after  a  most  bitter  contest  in  the 


226  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

New  York  Legislature,  between  factions  in  the  party.  One  fac- 
tion, known  as  the  "  Stalwarts,''  those  affiliating  with  the  Conk- 
ling-Platt  organization,  being  arraigned  against  the  "  Half- 
Breeds, "  as  the  anti-organization  men  were  designated.  Dur- 
ing this  fight  in  the  Legislature  these  terms,  distinguishing 
factions,  were  first  used. 

Relative  to  this  election  of  Mr.  Piatt  to  the  Senatorship,  Mr. 
Chauncey  M.  Depew,  who  was  a  candidate  before  the  State  Leg- 
islature for  that  office  as  one  of  the  opponents  of  Mr.  Piatt, 
has  this  to  say :  ' '  It  was  found  that  those  who  supported  Gar- 
field were  in  a  minority  in  the  Legislature.  Some  of  his  friends 
could  get  five  votes,  some  four,  and  some  six.  It  was  found  that 
I  could  get  twenty-six.  I  did  not  want  to  run  for  Senator,  for 
private  business  reasons.  But  Judge  Robertson,  with  authority 
of  Garfield  and  Blaine,  said :  '  Chauncev,  vou  have  got  to  run 
for  Senator,'  and  I  ran.  The  contest  went  on  and  Mr.  Piatt 
received  a  certain  number  of  votes  and  State  Senator  Crowley, 
whom  Roscoe  Conkling  favored,  received  a  certain  number  of 
votes,  and  I  received  a  certain  niunber,  about  equally  divided. 
To  all  appearances  Senator  Conkling  and  Mr.  Piatt  were  not 
allied  at  the  commencement  of  this  contest :  ]\Ir.  Piatt  was 
carrying  on  a  campaign  for  himself.  The  Judge  and  I  were 
whooping  it  up  for  Westchester.  One  day  Mr.  Piatt  came  to 
me  and  said :  '  You  can  never  be  elected. '  '  Yes,  I  know  that. ' 
*  ATell,  suppose  you  elect  me.'  '  Well,'  I  said,  '  we  have  been 
crushed  in  this  State  for  twelve  years  under  the  tyranny  of  the 
Conkling  machine.  Every  efi:'ort  has  been  made  to  drive  me 
out  of  politics  and  Judge  Robertson  and  his  friends  out  of 
public  life.  AVe  have  made  our  fight,  we  have  got  our  rights 
and  don't  propose  to  be  crushed.  Suppose  you  are  elected, 
will  you  support  President  Garfield?'  '  Yes,'  promptly  replied 
Mr.  Piatt.  AVe  went  at  once  to  Judge  Robertson's  room  and 
other  members  of  the  Legislature,  who  were  supporting  me,  to 
the  number  of  twenty-six,  came  in.  To  Judge  Robertson  and 
his  fellow-members  of  the  Legislature,  Mr.  Piatt  made  the  same 
frank  statement  relative  to  his  determination  to  give  hearty  and 
loyal  support  to  President  Garfield.  The  day  following,  Mr. 
Piatt  was  elected  Ignited  States  Senator.  A  few  davs  later 
President  Garfield  sent  to  the  Senate  the  nomination  of  Judge 
Robertson  for  Collector  of  the  Port  of  New  York." 

Mr.  Depew,  and  other  friends  of  Judge  Robertson,  believed 
that  when  Judge  Robertson  was  willing  to  forget  the  way  he 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  227 

had  been  misused  heretofore  by  both  Conkling  and  Piatt,  and 
returned  good  for  evil,  by  furnishing  votes  necessary  for  Piatt's 
election  to  the  Senate,  Senator  Piatt  would  show  appreciation 
by  faithfulness  to  the  pledge  guaranteeing  his  support  to  Presi- 
dent Garfield,  as  the  least  return  he  could  make. 

What  happened  to  the  nomination  of  Judge  Robertson  for 
Collector  of  the  Port?  What  Senator  Piatt  did  in  support  of 
President  Garfield,  and  how  he  repaid  Judge  Robertson  for  aid- 
ing his  election,  is  told  in  an  interview  with  which  Senator 
Piatt  favored  us,  just  prior  to  his  death.  Senator  Conkling 's 
connection  is  also  told,  and  all  is  now  matter  of  political  history 
of  this  State. 

On  the  announcement  of  Mr.  Piatt's  election  to  the  Senator- 
ship,  Senator  Conkling  sent  a  telegram  to  Piatt  saying  that  it 
rejoiced  his  heart  to  know  that  so  thorough  and  loyal  a  "  Stal- 
wart "  had  won  the  victory.  Evidently  Conkling  was  confi- 
dent that  the  old  alliance  would  be  continued,  and  the  "  Organi- 
zation "  Republicans  in  New  York  would  continue  to  be  under 
the  rule  of  a  "  most  tyrannical  politician,"  as  Conkling  was 
classified  by  Mr.  Depew.  After  events  prove  that  he  was  not 
a  victim  of  misplaced  confidence,  so  far  as  Senator  Piatt  was 
concerned. 

Mr.  Piatt  took  his  seat  in  the  Senate  on  the  last  day  of  Presi- 
dent Hayes's  administration,  and  on  the  day  Mr.  Garfield  was 
inaugurated,  March  4,  1881,  he  and  Senator  Conkling  called 
upon  the  new  President. 

' '  We  were  received  with  cordialty, ' '  said  Senator  Piatt,  ' '  and 
departed  from  the  White  House  convinced  that  the  contract 
made  at  Mentor  would  be  fulfilled." 

President  Garfield  later  admitted  to  a  friend  that  he  never 
was  so  much  embarrassed  by  anything  as  he  was  by  the  political 
situation  in  New  York  immediately  following  his  inauguration. 
He  did  not  want  to  make  a  breach  between  the  Administration 
and  the  two  New  York  Senators,  yet  he  could  not  ignore  the 
claims  Judge  Robertson  and  friends  in  New  York  had  upon 
him.  He  recognized  the  fact  that  the  action  of  Judge  Robert- 
son, and  those  he  led  in  the  National  Convention,  made  possible 
his  nomination  for  President. 

Judge  Robertson  made  it  known  that  a  membership  in  the 
President's  Cabinet  was  not  desired  by  him. 

The  Collectorship  of  the  Port  of  New  York,  then  considered 
the  most  coveted  Federal  position  in  the  State,  was  suggested 


228  3^IAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

as  a  gift  that  might  prove  acceptable  to  the  Judge.  The  Presi- 
dent knew  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  get  the  two  Senators 
from  New  York  to  consent  to  the  confirmation  of  Judge  Robert- 
son for  any  office.  After  mature  consideration,  the  President 
decided  to  act  independently,  as  his  friend  Robertson  had,  and 
send  the  nomination  of  AVilliam  H.  Robertson,  for  Customs 
Collector  at  Port  of  New  York,  to  the  Senate.     This  he  did. 

Concerted  action  on  the  part  of  both  Senators,  Conkling  and 
Piatt,  "  held  up  "  the  confirmation.  What  happened  next  is 
a  matter  of  history,  a  thrice  told  tale. 

"  Why,"  said  Senator  Piatt,  '^  the  President,  instead  of  doing 
as  he  promised  for  the  organization,  has  picked  out  Conkling 's 
worst  enemv  and  named  him  for  the  most  lucrative  office  in  the 
State  of  New  York."  Senator  Conkling  was  furious;  he  said 
that  the  pledge  was  broken  and  it  was  open  war  on  the 
organization. 

Senators  Conkling  and  Piatt  felt  that  they  had  been  insulted, 
and  rather  than  remain  in  the  Senate  that  was  sure  to  confirm 
a  nomination  so  distasteful  to  them,  as  a  quiet  canvass  of  the 
Senate  had  proven,  they  would  resign  forthwith,  and  go  back 
to  the  New  York  Legislature,  then  in  session,  and  ask  for 
re-election  and  vindication.  They  figured  that  their  friends  con- 
trolled a  majority  of  the  Legislature  and  no  time  would  be  lost 
in  making  it  plain  to  the  President  that  a  mistake  had  been  made 
in  his  not  having  first  consulted  the  New  York  Senators  as  to 
appointments  for  that  State,  and  that  it  w^ould  be  found  advis- 
able to  withdraw  Judge  Robertson's  nomination. 

It  was  in  this  fight  against  the  President  that  Senator  Piatt 
gained  the  sobriquet  of  ' '  Me  Too, ' '  his  opponents  asserting  that 
he  merely  followed  Senator  Conkling 's  lead  in  resenting  the 
alleged  affront  offered  them  by  the  President.  This  was  unjust 
Senator  Piatt  asserted,  and  these  are  the  facts  as  vouched  for 
by  him.  Instead  of  being  a  parrot-like  follower,  Piatt  led. 
He  said : 

"  I  went  to  the  Senate  desk  and  got  the  document  nominat- 
ing Robertson.  I  considered  it  a  gratuitous  insult  to  the  New 
York  State  organization.  I  walked  over  to  Conkling  and  said, 
'  I  shall  send  my  resignation  to  Governor  Cornell  to-night.' 
Conkling  turned  to  me  and  replied :  '  Don 't  be  too  hasty  about 
this  matter,  young  man.'  We  then  went  to  the  rear  of  the 
Senate  chamber  and  talked  it  over.  Conkling  insisted  that  we 
should  wait,  and  fight  it  out  in  the  committee,  to  which  the 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  229 

nomination  of  Robertson  had  been  referred.  I  replied,  '  We 
have  been  so  humiliated  as  United  States  Senators  from  the 
great  State  of  New  York  that  there  is  but  one  thing  for  us  to 
do — rebuke  the  President  by  immediately  turning  in  our  resig- 
nations, and  then  appeal  to  the  Legislature  to  sustain  us.' 
I  induced  Conkling  to  join  me  in  offering  our  joint  resignations, 
and  that  night  the  papers  were  forwarded  to  Governor  Cornell, 
by  special  messenger." 

Senators  Conkling  and  Piatt  returned  to  New  York  to  con- 
sult friends  and  devise  the  next  step  to  be  taken.  After  con- 
siderable consideration  in  conference  with  friends,  there  being 
some  hesitancy  on  account  of  prevailing  public  sentiment,  it 
was  agreed  that  both  Senators  jointly  request  a  re-election  at 
the  hands  of  the  Legislature  then  in  session.  On  this  purpose 
being  made  known  excitement  ran  high,  and  the  prediction  that 
the  bitterest  kind  of  a  contest  would  ensue  came  true. 

Judge  Robertson,  who  was  a  member  of  the  State  Senate,  led 
the  fight  to  prevent  the  re-election  and  return  of  Conkling  and 
Piatt ;  and  back  of  him  were  all  friends  of  the  new  President. 
Before  the  end  of  the  battle,  much  to  the  disgust  of  both  Conk- 
ling and  Piatt,  a  few  organization  leaders,  who  were  most  urgent 
and  persistent  to  have  them  seek  re-election,  deserted  to  the 
opposing  side. 

When  the  defeat  of  Conkling  and  Piatt  was  certain,  Judge 
Robertson  found  it  difficult,  as  well  as  necessary,  to  convince 
his  enthusiastic  friends  that  he  did  not  wish  to  be  elected  a 
United  States  Senator.  He  had  served  one  term  as  Congress- 
man and  did  not  fancy  life  in  Washington.  He  and  his  friends 
had  the  privilege  of  naming  as  Messrs.  Conkling  and  Piatt's  suc- 
cessors, Warner  Miller  (well  known  in  this  County,  and  relative 
of  the  late  Sheriff  Samuel  C.  Miller)  and  Elbridge  G.  Lapham. 
These  gentlemen  entered  upon  their  duties  as  United  States 
Senators  immediately. 

Within  a  few  weeks  later,  William  H.  Robertson  was  unani- 
mously confirmed  by  the  United  States  Senate  as  Customs  Col- 
lector at  Port  of  New  York.  In  1887,  after  his  retirement  from 
the  office  of  Collector,  Mr.  Robertson  was  again  elected  a  State 
Senator  and  re-elected,  serving  until  1892 ;  for  a  considerable 
period  acting  by  election  as  President  pro  tem  of  the  Senate. 

He  continued  his  law  practice  during  all  the  years  of  his 
political  activity  and  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 


230  MA2vUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

Senator  Conkling,  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  and  most 
brilliant  of  men,  as  lawyer  and  statesman,  was  also  one  of  the 
most  proud  and  sensitive.  He  never  fully  recovered  from  the 
unexpected  defeat  administered  by  legislators  of  his  own  State 
whom  he  believed  to  be  his  loyal  supporters  under  any  and  all 
circumstances,  as  they  were  when  he  yielded  power  given  by 
the  disposal  of  patronage.  He  found,  as  have  others,  that  some 
alleged  friends  are  influenced  not  by  affection  for  a  particular 
man,  but  instead  by  hope  of  getting  patronage  and  easy  gain 
for  themselves;  they  turn  readily  and  travel  in  either  direction 
their  personal  interests  lead.  Why  a  man  would  do  things 
guided  solely  by  principle,  is  beyond  the  comprehension  of  some. 

Mr.  Conkling  gradually  relinquished  his  interest  in  politics 
and  returned  to  the  practice  of  law ;  to  a  profession  at  the  head 
of  which  he  soon  regained  his  place,  and  before  his  untimely 
death  he  had  amassed  a  comfortable  fortune.  He  was  the  prin- 
cipal attorney  for  the  wealthy  A.  T.  Stewart  estate  and  for  the 
estate  of  Mr.  Stewart's  wife,  who  died  after  her  husband.  The 
case  in  which  a  niece  was  contesting  the  will  of  Mrs.  Stewart, 
involving  valuable  property  in  this  County,  was  on  the  Court 
calendar  on  the  day  of  the  great  blizzard,  March  12,  1888 ;  Mr. 
Conkling  was  to  conduct  the  defense ;  on  his  way  to  Court  he 
caught  so  severe  a  cold  that  he  died  from  its  effects. 

Senator  Piatt  continued  taking  an  interest  in  politics,  regained 
his  prestige,  entrenched  himself  as  the  head  of  the  State  Repub- 
lican organization  and  was  returned  from  this  State  to  the 
United  States  Senate.  He  retained  the  party  leadership  until 
quite  recently,  when,  owing  to  physical  disability,  he  was  com- 
pelled to  retire  from  active  lead  in  the  management. 

After  his  defeat  for  "  vote  of  approval  "  and  return  to  the 
Senate,  ]\Ir.  Piatt,  with  the  stolidity  of  a  philosopher,  immedi- 
ately turned  his  attention  to  business.  He  accumulated  a  rea- 
sonable fortune  and  appeared  to  forget  politics,  but,  as  after 
evidence  proved,  he  was  playing  a  "  quiet  game,"  and  as  the 
politicians  say,  "  laying  low  in  the  high  grass,"  waiting  for 
opportunity. 

"  The  opportune  time  came,"  said  Mr.  Piatt,  ''  when  I  saw 
a  chance  to  return  good  for  evil  and  get  even  with  my  dear 
friend  Warner  ]\Iiller,  who.  with  Judge  Latham,  was  more  than 
willing  to  aid  our  enemies  and  be  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate,  in  place  of  Mr.  Conkling  and  myself,  in  1881.  Well, 
I  was  the  cause  of  havino:  ex-Senator  Warner  Miller  nominated 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  231 

for  Governor  by  the  Republican  party,  to  run  against  David 
B.  Hill,  the  Democratic  nominee.  To  be  sure  Miller  was  badly 
defeated;  that  was  too  bad,  I  know,  but  how  could  I  help  it; 
I  gave  him  the  nomination,  a  fitting  recognition  for  valuable 
services  rendered  his  country  in  the  United  States  Senate.  His 
great  popularity  should  have  elected  him.  His  defeat  was  really 
too  bad;  I  assure  you  I  felt  his  defeat  keenly,  and  have  never 
fully  gotten  over  the  disappointment." 

That  Mr.  Piatt  forced  the  nomination  of  Mr.  Miller  was  gen- 
erally known,  as  well  as  was  the  fact  that  he  made  no  conceal- 
ment of  his  activity,  as  the  recognized  leader  of  the  party  in 
the  State,  in  accomplishing  the  defeat  of  his  party's  candidate, 
as  a  rebuke,  it  was  said,  to  the  pretension  of  Miller. 

Piatt's  treatment  of  candidate  Miller  was  said  to  be  respon- 
sible for  President  Harrison's  refusal  to  appoint  Mr.  Piatt  as 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  in  Harrison's  Cabinet. 

In  1898,  Mr.  Piatt  was  well  established  as  the  head  of  the 
Republican  organization  in  this  State,  but  he  could  not  prevent 
the  nomination  that  year  of  Col.  Theodore  Roosevelt  for  Gov- 
ernor. Piatt  did  not  disguise  the  fact  that  he  did  not  like 
Roosevelt,  but  he  found  the  party  must  take  Roosevelt,  or  defeat. 
Col.  Roosevelt  was  just  home  from  the  Spanish-American  War 
and  as  strenuous  as  usual;  his  warlike  valor  had  been  widely 
advertised  and  the  sentiment  in  his  favor  was  strong  within 
the  Republican  party,  in  fact  so  strong  that  Piatt  dared  not 
ignore  it,  therefore  Piatt  acquiesced,  and  Roosevelt  was  named 
for  Governor  by  the  Republicans.  The  fate  that  befell  Warner 
Miller  was  narrowly  escaped  by  Theodore  Roosevelt,  who  was 
elected  by  a  smaller  majority  than  his  friends  expected.  Su- 
preme Court  Justice  Augustus  A.  Van  Wyck,  of  this  Judicial 
District,  was  the  Democratic  nominee  for  Governor  and  was 
"  picked  "  for  the  winner,  not  only  by  Democrats,  but  also  by 
certain  Republicans.  The  refusal  of  Richard  Croker,  head  of 
the  Tammany  organization  in  New  York  city,  to  favor  the 
nomination  and  re-election  of  Judge  Daly*  for  Supreme  Court 
Justice,  for  personal  reasons,  was  always  regarded  as  having 
disgusted  many  Democrats  and  influenced  them  to  vote  against 
their  party  Gubernatorial  candidate  and  in  favor  of  Mr.  Roose- 
velt. After  serving  one  term  as  Governor,  Mr.  Roosevelt  wanted 
to  be  renominated,  but  Mr.  Piatt,  to  get  rid  of  him,  forced  his 

*  Judge  Daly  was  then  a  resident  of  New  York  city,  now  is  a  resident  of 
Yonkers,  in  this  County. 


232  [MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

nomination  as  a  candidate  for  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States,  and,  unintentionally,  assisted  him  to  become  President. 

Of  late  years  Mr.  Piatt  has  not  been  very  active  in  politics, 
ill-health  had  a  great  deal  to  do  in  preventing  his  usual  interest. 
His  retirement  from  the  United  States  Senate  in  1909  virtually 
ended  his  political  career. 

Now  all  these  men,  once  most  active  in  political  life,  are  dead, 
gone  to  that  bourne  from  which  no  traveler  returns. 

Mr.  Robertson  died  December  6,  1898,  at  his  home  in  the  town 
of  Bedford. 

The  last  to  die  being  Thomas  Collier  Piatt.  He  lived,  within 
six  davs.  twentv-two  vears  after  his  friend  and  colleague  Roscoe 
Conkling :  Conkling  died  March  12 ;  Piatt  died  March  6. 

Though  in  feeble  health  several  years  and  needing  the  care 
of  an  attendant,  at  home  and  abroad,  he  went  almost  daily  to 
his  place  of  business  down  town  in  the  city  of  New  York  from 
his  up-town  residence.  This  he  did  up  to  March  3,  on  which 
day,  while  sitting  at  the  breakfast  table,  he  fell  over  in  a  faint 
and  was  carried  to  his  bed,  which  he  never  again  left  alive.  He 
died  at  3.45  p.  m..  Sunday.  March  6,  1910;  death  was  caused  by 
chronic  and  acute  Bright 's  disease.  At  the  time  of  death  he 
was  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of  his  age.  Funeral  services 
were  held  at  his  early  home  in  Owego,  X.  Y.,  on  Wednesday, 
March  9,  1910. 

Three  sons,  grown  to  manhood,  survive  him.  His  wife  died 
several  years  ago. 


In  1911  occurred  the  fortv-sixth  anniversarv  of  the  Civil- 
War.  Thousands  of  soldiers  survive,  and  are  likelv  to  survive 
for  years.  This  war,  like  many  wars,  was  fought  chiefly  by 
bovs.  The  records  of  the  Northern  Armv  show  that  more 
soldiers  enlisted  at  the  age  of  nineteen  than  at  any  other  age, 
and  that  those  who  were  twenty  come  next.  But  to  be  an 
officer  usually  implied  a  certain  seniority  of  years,  and  now 
those  who  were  of  rank  are  goins:  fast :  the  vear  1911  witnessed 
the  passing  of  many  Generals  of  the  Civil  AYar.  The  early 
sixties  surely  produced  a  great  generation.  It  had  its  faults, 
but  weakness  was  not  amono:  them. 


CUSTOMS  COLLECTOR  AT  THE  PORT  OF 

NEW  YORK. 

The  most  coveted  office  of  Customs  Collector  at  the  Port  of 
New  York,  considered  one  of  the  most  lucrative  Federal 
positions  within  the  gift  of  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
has  been  held  by  many  men  who  later  became  numbered  among 
the  most  distinguished  of  the  nation.  One,  Daniel  S.  Dickin- 
son, became  a  United  States  Senator  and  one  became  President 
of  the  United  States.  The  first  Republican  appointed  as  Col- 
lector at  the  Port  of  New  York  was  Hiram  Barney,  a  resident 
of  Yonkers,  in  this  County,  and  he  was  appointed  by  Presi- 
dent Lincoln,  the  appointment  dating  March  23,  1861.  As 
Collector,  Mr.  Barney  succeeded  Augustus  Schell,  at  times  a 
resident  of  this  County,  and  the  last  in  a  long  line  of  Demo- 
cratic Collectors.  Mr.  Barney  was  a  lawyer  practicing  in 
New  York  city;  he  resided  at  Kingsbridge,  in  the  southern  sec- 
tion of  the  town  of  Yonkers ;  he  continued  in  this  office  until 
September  7,  1864. 

Thomas  Smith,  of  Yonkers,  held  the  position  of  Deputy  Col- 
lector from  1857  to  1861. 

The  next  resident  of  this  County  to  hold  this  responsible 
position  was  William  H.  Robertson,  of  Katonah,  who  was 
appointed  by  President  Garfield,  under  circumstances  that  are 
now  historic.  Mr.  Robertson's  appointment  was  dated  May  18, 
1881;  he  held  the  office  until  July  1,  1885,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Edward  L.  Hedclen,  a  Democrat,  appointed  by  Presi- 
dent Cleveland.  A  Democrat  continued  in  this  office  until 
May  4,  1889. 

How  near  another  of  Westchester  County's  illustrious  sons 
came  to  being  made  Customs  Collector  at  the  Port  of  New 
York,  is  best  told  by  the  gentleman  himself;  United  States 
Senator  Chauncey  M.  Depew,  in  delivering  one  of  his  inimitable 
addresses  recently,  relating  political  experiences,  said : 

"  It  used  to  be  that  the  big  New  York  appointments  were 
strictly  National.  President  Johnson  selected  me  to  be  Col- 
lector of  the  Port  of  New  York.     I  looked  into  it  and  found 

233 


234  :maxual  and  civil  list. 

that  the  fees— it  was  on  a  fee  basis  then— made  it  worth 
$120,000  a  year.  I  was  then  a  country  lawyer  at  Peekskill, 
in  Westchester  County,  and  it  looked  good  to  me.  Well,  the 
notification  of  my  selection  was  conveyed  to  me  by  United  States 
Senator  ^Morgan,  with  his  congratulations.  The  two  United 
States  Senators  from  this  State  were  for  me,  and  it  looked 
settled. 

"  But  there  came  a  hitch.  I  learned  of  it  next  day.  John- 
son had  decided  to  veto  the  Civil  Rights  bill  and  had  been 
advised  by  some  of  his  Cabinet  not  to  give  out  that  nomination 
till  after  he  should  learn  how  the  New  York  Senators  would 
vote,  if  an  effort  were  made  to  pass  it  over  the  veto.  The  nomi- 
nation was  not  sent  in,  both  New  York  Senators  voted  against 
the  President,  the  nomination  was  never  made,  and  that's  how 
Peekskill  lost  more  money  than  it  ever  saw.  Why,  that  money 
was  more  than  all  Peekskill  was  worth  then— houses,  lands, 
evervthing. ' ' 


ITEMS  OF  INTEREST. 

The  first  post  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  was  organ- 
ized in  Decatur,  Illinois,  on  April  6,  1866. 

The  widows  of  Presidents  Polk,  Tyler,  Lincoln,  Garfield, 
McKinley  and  Cleveland  were  granted  pensions  by  act  of  Con- 
gress. Mrs.  Cleveland's  being  granted  recently,  at  $5,000  per 
year. 

]\Irs.  Elise  Sigel,  widow  of  General  Franz  Sigel,  died  at  the 
home  of  her  daughter,  in  the  Bronx,  in  1910,  aged  75  years. 
When  the  Civil  AVar  broke  out,  Mr.  Sigel  and  his  wife  were 
teaching  school  in  St.  Louis.  He  raised  a  regiment  and  battery 
of  Germans  and  offered  them  to  President  Lincoln.  General 
Sigel  died  in  1902. 

From  the  report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Education  we  learn 
that  New  York  State  has  an  army  of  1,840,909  pupils  in  school, 
equaling  the  whole  population  of  Minnesota  or  Virginia.  Upon 
these  schools  the  people  of  the  State  are  spending  $76,696,217, 
equal  to  the  entire  national  revenue  of  Canada  or  Holland.  In 
some  respects  this  is  decidedly  an  Empire  State. 


THE  STATE'S  BIRTHPLACE. 

New  York  State  recently  acquired,  by  purchase,  the  site 
whereon  stood  the  Westchester  County  Court  House,  in  which 
the  Provincial  Congress  (or  Convention)  met,  in  1776,  and 
adopted  resolutions  necessary  to  the  creation  of  the  State  of 
New  York.  This  property  is  situated  on  Broadway,  in  the 
village  of  White  Plains. 

Negotiations  for  this  purchase  were  completed  in  January, 
1909. 

A  monument  was  previously  erected  to  designate  the  spot 
on  which  the  State  was  given  birth;  this  monument  was  built 
of  stones  taken  from  the  old  Court  House  destroyed  by  fire 
four  months  after  the  holding  of  this  memorable  session,  which 
resulted  in  the  adoption  of  a  State  Constitution;  another  and 
adjoining  section  of  this  property  is  to  be  used  by  the  State 
for  purposes  of  its  militia ;  a  site  on  which  an  armory  has  just 
been  built,  to  be  occupied  by  a  local  company  of  the  National 
Guards. 

A  second  Court  House  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  one 
burned  in  1776 ;  the  second  being  built  in  1786  and  was  in  con- 
stant use  until  the  needs  of  the  County  required  a  Court 
House  more  spacious.  The  second  Court  House  was  sold  and 
carried  away,  and  the  property  fell  into  the  hands  of  private 
parties. 

That  the  site  of  the  State's  birthplace  should  belong  to  the 
State  and  be  preserved  as  a  worthy  relict  of  times  when  patri- 
otism required  sacrifices,  was  generally  conceded,  but  concerted 
action  to  further  the  State's  possession  was  not  taken  until 
years  after. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  celebration  of  the  116th  anniversary 
of  the  State's  birth,  in  July,  1892,  members  of  the  Sons  of 
the  American  Revolution  met  in  White  Plains,  on  the  site  of 
the  birthplace,  and  by  resolutions  decided  to  launch  a  move- 
ment having  for  its  object  the  preservance  of  the  landmark  by 
State  purchase. 

Early  in  the  next  year  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion caused  to  be  introduced  in  the  Legislature  of  the  State  a 

235 


236  I^IAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

bill  providing  for  a  necessary  appropriation  of  money  to  piir- 
cliase  the  property  in  question  and  for  the  erection  of  an 
appropriate  monument  to  mark  the  spot.  The  bill  passed  both 
houses  of  the  Legislature  and  went  to  the  Governor;  Governor 
Flower  decided  to  withhold  his  signature,  explaining  that  he 
believed  the  object  could  be  better  attained  through  means  of 
private  subscriptions;  that  the  contemplated  expense  was  not 
properly  a  State  charge.  Those  who  were  convinced  that  the 
site  was  of  enough  historic  importance  to  interest  all  sections 
of  the  State,  differed  with  the  Governor. 

Though  disappointed  in  not  securing  the  co-operation  of 
State  officials,  friends  of  the  project  did  not  despair  of  final 
success.  Quiet  agitation  progressed  through  years,  until  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  weary  of  waiting  action 
of  their  male  fellow-patriots,  determined  to  take  hold  and  find 
out  what  could  be  done  by  persistent,  energetic  work  in  the 
right  direction.  They  were  aroused  not  only  by  desire  for 
heroic  deeds,  but,  also,  by  rumors  that  the  desired  property 
was  about  to  be  sold  to  serve  private  ends,  and  therefore  would 
be  placed  beyond  purchase  for  patriotic  purposes.  In  1905 
the  AYhite  Plains  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American 
Revolution  took  the  initiatory,  assisted  by  fellow-members,  in 
an  endeavor  to  raise  funds  for  the  erection  of  a  suitable  monu- 
ment to  mark  the  site.  An  inscription  stone,  intended  to  be 
but  temporary,  was  unveiled  in  October,  1905,  with  appropriate 
ceremonies,  in  which  Daughters  and  Sons  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution, members  of  the  AVestchester  County  Historical  Society, 
parading  school  children  and  numerous  citizens  of  the  County, 
took  part. 

An  organization  to  be  known  as  the  ''  Society  to  Acquire 
and  Preserve  the  Birthplace  of  New  York  State,"  with  promi- 
nent citizens  residents  of  different  sections  of  the  State  as 
members,  was  formed  to  act  in  conjunction  with  the  Daughters 
of  the  American  Revolution. 

The  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Westchester  County,  in  1908, 
voted  to  appropriate  an  amount  of  money  sufficient  to  purchase 
the  property  formerly  belonging  to  the  County,  the  site  of  the 
building  in  which  the  State  was  given  birth:  the  understand- 
ing being  that  the  portion  of  the  property  on  which  stood  the 
Court  House  be  placed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Daugh- 
ters of  the  American  Revolution  and  the  adjoining  property 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  237 

be  used  as  a  site  on  which  the  State  could  erect  an  armory  for 
State  Militia. 

On  July  14  (Flag  Day),  1910,  the  monument  commemorat- 
ing the  birth  of  the  State  of  New  York  was  dedicated,  under 
the  direction  of  members  of  the  White  Plains  Chapter  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution.  The  inscription  on 
the  monument  reads :  ' '  Site  of  the  County  Court  House  where, 
on  July  10,  1776,  the  Provincial  Congress  proclaimed  the  pass- 
ing of  the  dependent  colony  and  the  birth  of  the  independent 
State  of  New  York." 

Mrs.  Freeman  H.  Merritt,  regent  of  the  White  Plains  Chap- 
ter, delivered  the  address  of  welcome  and  formally  presented 
the  monument  to  the  State. 

Hon.  Edward  R.  O'Malley,  Attorney-General  of  the  State, 
at  the  request  of  Governor  Charles  E.  Hughes,  accepted  the 
monument  on  behalf  of  the  State,  and  spoke  in  part  as 
follows : 

*'  The  gift  to  the  State  of  this  monument  is  a  fitting  way  to 
commemorate  the  birth  of  this  Commonwealth.  The  White 
Plains  Court  House  site  is  to  New  York  what  Independence 
Hall  is  to  the  Nation.  Here  on  July  10,  1776,  the  Fourth  Pro- 
vincial Congress  proclaimed  the  independence  of  New  York 
from  any  allegiance  to  Great  Britain.  It  changed  its  name  from 
*  Provincial  Congress  of  the  Colony  of  New  York  '  to  the  '  Con- 
vention of  the  Representatives  of  the  State  of  New  York. '  This 
act  gave  a  powerful  impetus  to  the  cause  of  freedom.  By  it 
New  York  took  a  final  stand  in  favor  of  independence.  The 
consequences  of  the  act  were  duly  considered.  Failure  meant 
a  greater  loss  to  New  York  than  to  any  other  Colony.  Defeat 
would  mean  the  destruction  of  her  vast  revenues  and  heavy  loss. 
The  Revolution  owed  its  success  in  a  great  degree  to  this  Com- 
monwealth. To  form  the  Union,  New  York  surrendered  its 
extensive  revenues  and  a  large  domain.  It  has  ever  made  great 
contributions  towards  the  upbuilding  of  this  Republic.  New 
York's  capital  and  ingenuity  constructed  the  Erie  canal.  This 
enterprise  not  only  proved  beneficial  to  the  State  but  also  the 
great  central  West.  Cities  bordering  on  the  Great  Lakes  owe 
much  to  the  Erie  Canal.  New  York  is  now  expending  $101,- 
000,000,  the  benefits  of  which  will  not  be  confined  alone  to 
New  York.     The  whole  country  will  be  benefited. 

"  This  is  an  appropriate  day  for  this  celebration.  One  hun- 
dred and  thirty-three  years  ago  our  flag  was  made  the  national 


238  MAXUAL  AXD  CIVIL  LIST. 

emblem  by  Congress.  Xo  flag  signifies  so  much  for  humanity. 
It  tells  us  of  the  political  independence  of  a  great  people;  of 
the  onward  march  of  a  powerful  nation;  of  unrestricted  indi- 
vidual effort.  It  means  toleration,  good  Avill,  industry  and 
education ;  it  means  equal  opportunity.  Under  no  other  flag 
has  so  many  charters  of  human  liberty  been  enacted.  Some 
laws  have  been  crude,  some  unwise,  but  in  the  aggregate  salu- 
tary. History  furnishes  no  such  effort  in  the  interests  of  the 
many. 

''  The  issues  of  to-day  are  not  greater  than  those  of  the  past. 
It  is  indeed  an  epoch-making  time.  Governmental  functions 
have  broadened.  Concentration  and  organization  have  brought 
both  advantages  and  abuses.  The  curbing  of  those  abuses  is 
one  of  the  issues  of  our  time.  Our  duty  is  to  solve  the  issues 
sanely.  The  success  of  the  past  ought  to  encourage  this  and 
future  generations.  Our  history  is  replete  with  acts  of  devo- 
tion to  high  ideals. 

**  No  organization  has  any  worthier  objects  than  the  Daugh- 
ters of  the  American  Revolution.  The  Nation  and  State  are 
indebted  to  you  for  the  noble  work  being  done.  This  com- 
munity is  indebted  to  the  local  chapter.  On  behalf  of  the  State, 
and  at  the  request  of  Governor  Hughes,  I  accept  this  beautiful 
monument  presented  to  the  State.  I  thank  you  on  behalf  of 
the  people  of  this  Commonwealth." 

At  the  close  of  the  formal  exercises,  the  ladies  of  the  White 
Plains  Chapter  presented  to  the  local  militia  company,  the  49th 
Separate  Company,  N.  G.  N.  Y.,  a  large  silk  American  flag. 
To  conclude  the  day's  program,  a  reception  was  held  in  the 
armory  just  completed. 

FORMATION    OF    STATE. 

The  Colony  Provincial  Congress  was  organized,  to  succeed 
the  Colonial  Assemblv,  in  1775.  The  first  session  of  this  Con- 
gress  was  held  in  New  York  city,  commencing  May  22,  1775 ; 
the  second  and  third  sessions  were  also  held  in  that  city  up 
to  and  including  June  29,  1776  (see  page  15,  vol  1). 

As  it  was  deemed  advisable  for  safetv  of  members  of  the 
Congress  (or  Convention)  to  hold  future  sessions  elsewhere 
than  in  New  York  city,  AVhite  Plains,  the  scene  of  many  patri- 
otic gatherings  during  the  years  of  the  Revolution,  was  decided 
upon  as  the  place  of  meeting,  and  here  the  Fourth  Provincial 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  239 

Congress  (termed  Convention)  assembled  on  July  9,  1776,  and 
continued  in  session  to  and  including  July  27,  same  year.  It 
was  at  this  memorable  session  that  the  question  was  submitted 
as  to  whether  New  York,  as  a  State,  should  indorse  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  just  signed  and  promulgated  in  Phila- 
delphia. After  due  consideration.  New  York's  approval  and 
manifestation  of  hearty  accord  of  such  declaration  was  given 
with  a  unanimous  vote.  The  Congress  further  directed  that 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  be  publicly  read  that  the  people 
of  the  State  may  hear  and  learn,  that  it  be  published  broadcast, 
^'  with  beat  of  drum  "  at  White  Plains  that  those  assembled 
as  representatives  of  the  free  and  independent  State  of  New 
York  approve  of  the  action  of  Congress  in  session  in  Philadel- 
phia, and  especially  commend  the  services  rendered  by  repre- 
sentatives in  that  Congress  from  New  York. 

This  Provincial  Congress,  in  session  in  White  Plains,  was 
presided  over  by  General  Nathaniel  WoodhuU,  its  president, 
who  a  few  weeks  later  was  killed  while  leading  his  troops  in  a 
battle  with  the  British  on  Long  Island. 

At  the  opening  session  of  the  Congress  the  following  letter 
from  the  Continental  Congress,  in  session  in  Philadelphia,  was 
read: 

*'  Gentlemen: 

*'  Although  it  is  not  possible  to  forsee  the  consequences  of 
human  actions,  yet  it  is  nevertheless  a  duty  we  owe  ourselves 
and  posterity  in  all  our  public  councils  to  decide  in  the  best 
manner  we  are  able,  and  to  trust  the  event  to  that  Being  who 
controls  both  causes  and  events,  so  as  to  bring  about  His  own 
determination. 

''  Impressed  with  this  sentiment,  and  at  the  same  time  fully 
convinced  that  our  affairs  may  take  a  more  favorable  turn,  the 
Congress  have  judged  it  necessary  to  dissolve  all  connection 
between  Great  Britain  and  the  American  Colonies,  and  to 
declare  the  free  and  independent  States,  as  you  will  perceive 
by  the  enclosed  Declaration,  which  I  am  directed  to  transmit 
to  you;  and  to  request  you  will  have  it  proclaimed  in  your 
Colony,  in  the  way  you  shall  think  most  proper. 

'^  The  important  consequences  to  the  American  States  from 
this  Declaration  of  Independence,  considered  as  the  ground 
and  foundation  of  a  future  government,  will  naturally  suggest 


240  :maxual  and  civil  list. 

the  propriety  of  having  it  proclaimed  in  such  a  manner,  as 
that  the  people  may  be  universally  informed  of  it. 
''  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  gentlemen, 

"  Your  most  obedient  and  very  humble  servant, 

JOHN  HANCOCK,  President. 
''  Honourable  Convention  of  New  York." 

Relative  to  this  communication  the  following  action  was 
taken,  as  shown  by  record  of  proceedings: 

'*'  Ordered,  That  said  letter  and  Declaration  be  referred  to 
a  Committee,  to  consist  of  Mr.  Jay,  Mr.  Yates,  Mr.  Hobart, 
Mr.  Brasher  and  Mr.  AVilliam  Smith. 

''  The  Committee  appointed  to  take  into  consideration  the 
letter  from  our  Delegates  in  Continental  Congress,  and  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  reported  the  following,  which 
was  unanimously  agreed  to,  and  is  in  the  words  following, 
that  is  to  sav: 


(t 


In  Convention  of  ike  Bepresentatives  of  the  State  of  New 
York, 

' '  AVhite  Plains,  July  9,  1776. 

"Resolved  unanimously,  That  the  reasons  assigned  by  the 
Continental  Congress  for  declaring  the  United  Colonies  free 
and  independent  States  are  cogent  and  conclusive ;  and  that 
while  we  lament  the  cruel  necessitv  which  has  rendered  that 
measure  unavoidable,  we  approve  the  same,  and  will,  at  the 
risk  of  our  lives  and  fortunes,  join  with  the  other  Colonies  in 
supporting  it. 

'^Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  the  said  Declaration  and  the  fore- 
going resolution  be  sent  to  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of 
the  County  of  AYestchester,  with  orders  to  publish  the  same, 
with  beat  of  drum,  at  this  place  on  Thursday  next,  and  to  give 
directions  that  it  be  published  with  all  convenient  speed  in  the 
several  districts  within  the  said  county :  and  that  copies  thereof 
be  forthwith  transmitted  to  the  other  countv  committees  within 
the  vState  of  New  York,  with  order  to  cause  the  same  to  be  pub- 
lished in  the  several  districts  of  their  respective  Counties. 

"Resolved,  That  500  copies  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, with  the  two  last  mentioned  resolutions  of  this  Congress 
for  approving  and  proclaiming  the  same,  be  published  in  hand- 
bills and  sent  to  all  the  county  committees  of  this  State. 


xVIANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  241 

*^ Resolved,  That  the  Delegates  of  this  State  in  Continental 
Congress  be  and  they  are  hereby  authorized  to  consent  and 
adopt  all  such  measures  as  they  deem  conducive  to  the  happi- 
ness and  welfare  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

^'Ordered,  That  copies  of  the  aforesaid  resolutions  be  trans- 
mitted to  the  Continental  Congress." 

On  July  10  this  Provincial  Congress  adopted  the  following 
resolution : 

^'Resolved  and  Ordered,  That  the  style  or  title  of  this  House 
be  changed  from  that  of  '  the  Provincial  Congress  of  the  Colony 
of  New  York  '  to  that  of  '  the  Convention  of  the  Representa- 
tives of  the  State  of  New  York. '  ' ' 

The  "  Representatives  of  the  State  of  New  York,  in  conven- 
tion assembled,"  sent  to  President  Hancock,  of  the  Continental 
Congress,  in  reply  to  his  of  July  6,  the  following  letter: 

' '  White  Plains,  Juhj  11th,  1776. 

**  Sir: — Your  letter  of  the  6th  July  inst,  enclosing  a  copy 
of  the  Declaration  of  Congress,  proclaiming  the  United  Colonies 
free  and  independent  States,  and  requesting  us  to  proclaim  and 
publish  the  same  in  this  Colony,  has  been  received. 

"  It  gives  us  pleasure  to  inform  you  that,  having  been 
informed  of  that  Declaration  by  our  Delegates,  we  have  antici- 
pated the  request  of  the  Congress  by  our  resolutions  of  the  9th 
inst.,  a  copy  of  which  was  enclosed  in  a  letter  we  did  ourselves 
the  honour  of  writing  you  this  morning. 

*'  We  have  the  honour  to  be,  etc., 

''  By  order, 

(Unsigned.) 

**  The  Honourable  John  Hancock." 

Later  President  Hancock  sent  to  the  State  Representatives 
the  following: 

^'  Baltimore,  January,  31,  1777. 
* '  Gentlemen : 

**As  there  is  not  a  more  distinguished  event  in  the  history 
of  America  than  the  Declaration  of  her  Independence,  nor  any 
that,  in  all  probability,  will  so  much  excite  the  attention  of 
future  ages,  it  is  highly  proper  that  the  memory  of  that  trans- 
action, together  with  the  causes  that  gave  rise  to  it,  should  be 
preserved  in  the  most  careful  manner  that  can  be  devised; 


242  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

I  am,  therefore,  commanded  by  Congress  to  transmit  you  the 
enclosed  copy  of  the  Act  of  Independence,  with  the  list  of  the 
several  members  of  Congress  subscribed  thereto,  and  to  request 
that  you  will  cause  the  same  to  be  put  upon  record,  that  it  may 
henceforth  form  a  part  of  the  archives  of  your  State,  and 
remain  a  lasting  testimony  of  your  approbation  of  that  neces- 
sary and  important  measui^e. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  gentlemen, 

''  Your  most  obedient   and  very  humble  servant, 

JOHN  HANCOCK,  President. 

"  Honourable  Convention  of  the  State  of  New  York." 

In  the  Provincial  Congress,  afterward  termed  the  Conven- 
tion of  Representatives  of  the  State  of  New  York,  there  were 
representing  Westchester  County,  Col.  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt, 
Gen.  Lewis  Morris,  Jonathan  G.  Tompkins,  Major  Ebenezer 
Loclnvood,  Samuel  Haviland,  Peter  Fleming,  Benjamin  Smith, 
Governeur  Morris,  Col.  Gilbert  Drake,  Zebediah  Mills,  Col. 
Lewis  Graham,  Captain  Jonathan  Piatt,  AA'illiam  Paulding  and 
John  Jay.  Though  John  Jay  was  credited  to  New  York  city 
he  was  a  resident  of  Westchester  County  and  he  had  the  best 
interest  of  the  County  at  heart ;  he  was  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent men  in  the  Congress,  and  as  chairman  of  the  committee 
appointed  to  report  a  draft  of  the  proposed  State  Constitution, 
he  prepared  that  important  document,  and  as  drafted  by  him, 
it  was  unanimously  adopted  as  the  Constitution  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  in  1777. 

In  appreciation  of  many  patriotic  deeds  performed,  Mr.  Jay 
was  made  the  first  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
State  under  the  Constitution,  and  he  was  further  greatly 
honored  by  his  fellow  countrymen  (see  page  79,  vol.  1). 

Sessions  of  the  Provincial  Congress,  succeeding  that  in  AVhite 
Plains,  were  held  in  Harlem,  in  Fishkill  and  Kingston  on  the 
Hudson  river:  this  Congress  finally  dissolved  in  Kingston  on 
Mav  13.  1777. 

The  Constitution  of  1777  failed  to  specify  the  date  on  which 
the  Governor  should  enter  upon  the  discharge  of  his  duties. 
George  Clinton  was  declared  elected  the  first  Governor  on  July 
9.  1777.  one  vear  later  than  the  date  on  which  the  Provincial 
Congress  had  met  in  AYhite  Plains  and  declared  for  the  State's 
independent  organization.  In  February,  1787,  the  Legislature 
passed  an  act  providing  that  the  Governor  and  the  Lieutenant- 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  243 

Governor  should  be  installed  into  office  on  the  first  day  of  July 
following  the  election. 

Pierre    Van    Cortlandt,    of    this    County,    was    installed    as 
State's  first  Lieutenant-Governor. 

While  the  Continental  Congress  was  in  session,  in  1775,  the 
Provincial  Congress  of  the  Colony  of  New  York  was  organized ; 
and  as  the  former  body  had  passed  resolutions  requesting  the 
Colonies  to  adopt  forms  of  government  for  themselves,  states- 
men representing  this  and  other  counties  of  this  Colony  in  the 
Continental  Congress  were  chosen  to  act  also  as  members  of  the 
Colony  Congress  to  give  assistance  in  the  formation  of  a  State 
government.  Most  prominent  among  those  called  upon  by  their 
constituents  to  aid  in  the  formation  of  a  "  home  government  " 
was  John  Jay,  who  had  by  this  time  become  famous  as  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  members  of  the  Continental  Congress. 
We  learn,  from  historical  records,  that  though  his  time  was 
fully  occupied  in  an  endeavor  to  formulate  plans  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  purposes  of  the  National  Congress,  yet  he  felt  forced 
to  heed  the  persistent  demands  of  his  native  colony  and  take 
part  as  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Congress.  This  incident 
is  only  one  of  many  illustrating  how  strongly  his  countrymen 
relied  upon  the  talents  and  patriotism  of  Mr.  Jay ;  he  was  called 
to  every  office,  civil  or  military,  in  which  there  was  opportunity 
for  displaying  his  judgment.  At  this  period  we  find  him  hold- 
ing three  appointments  at  once,  so  well  were  all  convinced  of 
his  fitness  for  every  duty  that  was  imposed  upon  him.  On 
motion  of  Mr.  Jay  the  provisional  Congress,  on  May  31,  1776, 
passed  resolutions  calling  upon  the  people  to  elect  delegates  to 
a  Convention,  a  new  body,  which  should  have,  besides  the  usual 
powers,  that  necessary  for  the  formation  and  putting  in  prac- 
tice a  new  form  of  government  for  the  Colony  of  New  York. 
Mr.  Jay  and  others  before  named  as  representatives  from  West- 
chester County  were  elected  delegates  to  this  Convention. 

As  stated,  the  first  sessions  of  this  Convention  were  held  in 
New  York  city,  where  the  Provincial  Congress  of  the  Colony 
had  been  accustomed  to  assemble.  That  city  was  even  then 
remarkable  for  its  wealth,  as  it  was  for  the  numbers  of  its  Tory 
population.  The  Provincial  Congress  of  the  Colony  realized 
the  situation  in  which  the  city  would  find  itself  in  case  of  an 
attack  from  the  enemy;  its  easiness  of  access  from  the  sea,  its 
long  inland  water  communication  and  the  aid  Tories  would 
cheerfully  render,  the  city  would  present  itself  to  the  British 


244  MAXUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

as  an  easy  conquest,  and,  when  conquered,  would  furnish  an 
excellent  place  of  arms.  The  Colony  Congress  called  out  the 
militia,  and  proceeded  to  officer  and  equip  them,  devising  meas- 
ures for  the  city's  defence.  They  found  great  difficulty,  how- 
ever, in  procuring  talented  officei^,  and  were  obliged  to  tender 
a  commission  to  Mr.  Jay,  although  he  was  already  a  member 
of  two  legislative  bodies.  Ever  ready  to  serve  his  country,  he 
accepted  the  tender,  and  became  colonel  of  the  second  militia 
regiment  of  infantry.  His  duties  as  a  legislator  were  more 
necessary  to  the  State  than  those  of  a  soldier,  and  this  command 
was  never  assumed. 

On  June  29,  1776,  Lord  Howe  of  the  British  Army  arrived 
with  a  fleet  and  army  in  the  harbor  of  New  York;  and  the 
Convention  which  had  met  to  provide  a  government  for  the 
proposed  State,  after  giving  orders,  which  show  how  little  they 
were  prepared  for  defence,  retired  to  White  Plains  in  this 
County.  The  action  of  the  Convention  in  session  at  White 
Plains  has  here  been  mentioned. 

At  a  later  session  of  the  Convention,  on  July  16,  1776,  Mr. 
Jay  succeeded  in  having  adopted  resolutions  declaring  all  per- 
sons who  in  any  way  aided  or  assisted  England,  guilty  of  treason 
to  the  new  State,  and  liable  to  be  punished  accordingly.  This 
measure,  which  was  meant  to  reach  Tories  especially,  was  ren- 
dered justifiable  by  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  which 
declared  that  the  country  was  no  longer  a  Colony,  but  a  separate 
State,  and  had  perfect  right  to  provide  in  every  way  for  its 
own  safetv. 

Westchester  County  at  this  period  contained  many  Tories, 
owing  probably  to  the  fact  of  its  close  connection  to  New  York 
citv,  which  is  described  as  having  been  then  ''  a  nest  for  them.'* 
In  Queens  County,  Long  Island,  likewise  in  close  proximity  to 
New  York  citv,  the  Torv  sentiment  was  strong,  and  the  inhabi- 
tants  of  that  county  had  proceeded  so  far  as  to  refuse  to  send 
members  to  the  Colonial  Congress,  and  had  declared  themselves 
neutral  in  the  present  struggle.  Congress,  at  the  instigation 
of  Islv.  Jay,  passed  resolutions  commenting  severely  on  the  inde- 
cision and  cowardice  of  their  course,  and  also,  as  was  necessary, 
took  measures,  by  sending  troops,  for  disarming  the  inhabitants 
and  arresting  the  most  odious.  Tories  aided  the  enemy  in 
secret,  as  spies  carrying  information  as  to  the  actions  of  their 
more  patriotic   neighbors.     As   the   head   of   the   ''  Committee 


MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST.  245 

of  Safety  ' '  in  this  State,  Mr.  Jay  succeeded,  through  the  efforts 
of  trusted  agents,  in  preventing  Tories  in  this  County  render- 
ing as  much  aid  to  the  nearby  British  forces  as  they  had  hoped 
to  do.  The  Committee  of  Safety,  in  the  absence  of  higher 
authority  for  which  it  had  to  act,  effected  glorious  results  for 
the  patriotic  cause,  and  its  members  being  in  the  confidence  of 
General  Washington  proved  valuable  aids  to  that  Chief.  The 
headquarters  of  the  Committee  of  Safety  was  in  White  Plains, 
this  County's  present  County  Seat. 


STATE  MILITARY  DEPARTMENT. 

Westchester  County  took  a  prominent  part  in  organization 
of  the  State  Militia  and  holds  an  important  place  in  the  column 
of  patriotic  counties  in  the  hours  of  peace  as  well  as  in  the 
time  of  war  when  thousands  of  its  citizens  promptly  responded 
to  the  call  to  arms. 

William  Paulding,  Jr.,  of  the  town  of  Cortlandt,  was  one  of 
the  first  called  to  aid  the  Governor  in  command  of  the  State 
Militia,  and  it  is  to  him  that  much  credit  is  given  for  the  early 
organization.  His  appointment  as  Adjutant-General  was  made 
by  Governor  Tompkins  in  1809,  and  he  continued  in  such  office 
from  the  year  1809  to  February  21,  1821,  serving  under  Gov- 
ernors Tompkins  and  Clinton. 

Allan  Macdonald,  of  White  Plains,  was  also  an  Adjutant- 
General,  appointed  by  Governor  Marcy  in  1837-38. 

Joseph  J.  Chambers,  of  Sing  Sing,  was  Chief  of  Engineers, 
on  the  Governor's  staff,  appointed  by  Governor  Myron  H.  Clark 
in  1855-56-57. 

Edwin  A.  McAlpin,  of  Sing  Sing,  served  as  Adjutant-General 
in  1895-6,  on  the  staff  of  Governor  Morton. 

Samuel  William  Johnson,  of  Rye,  was  appointed  Commissary- 
General  and  Chief  of  Ordnance  in  1871-2,  during  the  last  two 
years'  term  of  Governor  Hoffman. 

Ralph  Brandreth,  of  Sing  Sing,  served  on  Governor  Hill's 
staff  from  1886  to  1892,  as  Commissary-General  of  Subsistence. 

George  D.  Sanford,  of  Peekskill,  was  on  Governor  Flower's 
staff  as  Commissary-General  of  Subsistence,  in  1892-3-4-5. 

James  W.  Husted,  of  Peekskill,  ever  manifested  an  active 
interest  in  local  military  affairs,  and  during  the  many  years  he 


246  MANUAL  AND  CIVIL  LIST. 

served  conspicuously  in  the  State  Legislature  he  was  considered 
a  friend  of  the  militiamen.  During  his  enlistment  in  the  State 
guards  he  served  as  Judge-Advocate  of  the  Seventh  Brigade 
and  as  Major-General  of  the  Fifth  Division. 


HISTORICAL  NOTES. 

On  April  12,  1861,  the  Confederate  batteries  in  Charleston 
(S.  C.)  Harbor  fired  on  Fort  Sumter. 


President  Lincoln  issued  his  first  proclamation,  calling  for 
volunteers  for  the  Civil  War,  on  April  16,  1861. 


Eighteen  hundred  and  fifty-six  is  given  as  the  date  of  birth  of 
the  present  Republican  party.  The  year  Gen.  John  C.  Fremont 
ran  for  President. 


Under  Mayor  Edward  Holland,  in  1741,  was  begun  the  first 
paving  of  public  streets  in  New  York  city;  using  broken  stone, 
cinders  and  planks. 

The  accounts  and  vouchers  of  General  Washington's  military 
expenses  during  the  Revolution  are  on  exhibition  in  the  Con- 
gressional Library  in  AVashington,  D.  C. 


In  1911  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  began  the  second 
decade  of  the  twentieth  century  and  the  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
third  calendar  year  of  the  United  States. 


The  custom  of  placing  two  lamps,  on  posts,  to  illuminate  the 
front  of  the  Mayor's  residence  in  cities,  came  in  vogue  during 
the  time  Peter  Stuyvesant  was  ]\Iayor  in  New  York  city. 


The  late  Burton  N.  Harrison,  husband  of  the  authoress  and 
father  of  Congressman  Francis  Burton  Harrison,  was  private 
secretary  of  Jefferson  Davis  while  President  of  the  Confederate 
States. 


There  are  on  file  in  the  Congressional  Library  in  Washington, 
D.  C,  over  two  thousand  applications  for  office  under  Presi- 
dent Washington,  which  leads  us  to  believe  that  the  office- 
seeking  habit  was  strong  even  in  the  days  of  the  infancy  of  the 
Republic. 


NOV  1  -  1358