G «- * *?JKV A 0* „•••., **b H* *V^' ' ^ „** <, -... r^ A V * iA 88 A Amos Wylie Prentice Dec. 20, 1816 Dec. 14, 1894 The Case, Lockwood bf Brainard Co., Printers, Hartford, Conn. - "taw, 3 */ry THE annals of a life like that of Amos Wylie Prentice give but a meagre account of the life itself. They simply furnish the frame for the picture or the scene in which the regnant spirit moved. The story can be quickly told; for this life was not eventful in the ordinary sense. Mr. Prentice was born of good New England stock in the town of Griswold, Conn., Dec. 20, 18 16. His parents were Amos and Lucy (Wylie) Prentice, both bearing family names of which there have been many honored representatives in American history, among whom on the Prentice side may be mentioned Hon. Sargent Smith Prentiss of Missis- sippi, Judge Samuel Prentiss of Vermont, Hon. George Denison Prentiss of Kentucky, and the Rev. Dr. George Lewis Prentiss of New York. By the death of his father, Mr. Prentice was left to the care of his mother, and when but seven years of age came with her to reside in Norwich. In that city he lived the remainder of his life. Here he received a good common-school education and was early trained to industry and self-reliance. At the age of twenty-four, having proved his fidelity in the subordinate position of clerk, he was admitted into BURTON HSST. COLLECT I :0!T EXCHANGE DUPLICATE the firm of John Breed & Co., and in a business ■which has been carried on in one place for one hun- dred and thirty years, he spent his life. Always interested in public affairs and ready to bear his part in them, though never seeking office, he was called by his fellow-citizens to serve as Rep- resentative and Senator in the State Legislature, County Commissioner, member of the City Council, and Mayor of the city. He was entrusted with many positions of great responsibility in the finan- cial affairs of the city, being for many years senior director in the First National Bank, and president of the Norwich Savings Society — the second larg- est in the State of Connecticut. He was also one of the Trustees of the Norwich Free Academy, and Deacon in the Broadway Congregational Church. All these offices and others that we do not mention he honored by sound judgment, fidelity and effi- ciency, and in them won the respect and confidence of those with whom he associated. He rendered signal service in the time of the Civil war, contributing freely at its beginning for the raising and equipping of its soldiers, presiding with rare grace and dignity at the great meetings which did so much for the kindling of patriotism and the sustaining of the general government, co- operating in confidential relations with his intimate and life-long friend, Governor Buckingham, and in many large-hearted ways proving his worthiness as a citizen and patriot. 5 ' He was one of the founders of Broadway church, and to the interests of the church he devoted thought and time and money. Though rarely speaking in its meetings, his constant and inter- ested attendance and benign personality bore an impressive testimony that was as effective as the words of others, and his loyalty to the vows he had there early taken upon himself, and his devotion and co-operation in all its activities, gave him the leading place in its membership. Of no one would it more truly be said, " I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God." Mr. Prentice was married May 1 8, 1 840, to Han- nah C. Parker. In his domestic life all the kindli- ness and grace of his character shone forth, and his home was a model of affection and hospitality. Four daughters called forth the wealth of love, and answered to it to crown the parents' hearts with joy. And this was no selfish devotion to each other. The home was like a garden where flowers were to be cultivated that should shed their fragrance on all around, and the children were early taught that the blessings showered on them were to be shared with others. And so in love for each other all vied with each other in thoughtfulness and helpfulness for others, and the large-hearted kindness of the father transfused itself into every part of the house- hold. As the years went on, one after another wa6 transplanted to the home above: the mother for whom in all dutifulness he had provided a home, the wife with whom in the constancy and confidence of true marriage he had walked forty-seven years, two daughters in childhood, and last the oldest born upon whom his heart leaned in his advancing years ; and he was left chastened and refined with his youngest child, cheering and comforting his heart in his devotion to her and her children. There in the old home, brightened by the compan- ionship of his grandchildren, stricken but beauti- fied, venerable in years but not old in heart, with no loss of interest in or hold upon the activities of this life, and full of plans for further service, he was perfected; and after a few days of weakness the painless release came, and within six days of his seventy-eighth birthday he passed within the veil. Living thus many years in the same place, and coming into daily contact with men of various char- acter who became thoroughly conversant with him, no suspicion of dishonesty or of low and unworthy motives or methods of business ever was fixed upon him. If those who had known him through life had at last found in him any lack of integrity, it would well nigh have destroyed their confidence not only in humanity, but even the very distinction of right and wrong. Duty was his guide in daily life in things little as well as great. When he was convinced what was right for him to do, the ques- tion was settled as to what he would do. Because of their confidence in him, and because of his large public spirit, his name was sought in commercial, educational, and religious enterprises to guarantee them to the support of others. While he was not ambitious of honor or place, and was content to do his duty in what seemed to him the right direction, yet men trusted and loved him, and delighted to impose leadership upon him. In all that thus came to him, he preserved a modest esti- mate of himself, and without assumption could serve in office, or, if circumstances changed, could, without wounded vanity, take his place and serve in the ranks as loyally as at the head. Tried in many positions he was always found faithful, and made for himself and his family a name that will be held in honor and affection by all who knew him. And this place of honor he had won not merely by his trustworthiness, but he had endeared him- self by unselfishness and true interest in others. He not only discharged his own duties well, but he helped others to meet their duties and to bear their burdens. His uniform kindness and sympathy drew out the confidence of all and made him the counselor and friend whose advice and help were constantly in demand. He was broad-minded and charitable in his judg- ments of his fellow-men. He rejoiced without jeal- ousy in the honor and success that came to the wor- thy, and he readily overlooked the faults of those in whose general character he had confidence. He was kind even in cases where he knew he had been wronged, and was ready to help those who had not favored his views and plans. And his charity made him active in beneficent work, not giving because he felt it was a duty, but enjoying it as a privilege. Almost every day brought appeals to his charity, and he knew how to dispense charity with charity. He was not annoyed by the frequency or urgency of the calls made upon him, was willing to have people free to ask of him, though not indiscriminate in bestowing and reserv- ing perfect freedom as to the response he would make. His discretion was wisely exercised, while his gifts were confined within no narrow limits. He did not overlook the wants of his own town, and all the good enterprises, educational and relig- ious, testify to his benefaction. His private chari- ties, though unostentatious, were numerous, and many in humble life knew that at his death they had lost their best earthly friend. But his charity did not stop at home. Scattered through all our land, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, are churches and colleges and other benevolent and religious in- stitutions rejoicing in his liberal gifts, and in other countries are monuments of his faithful steward- ship. So constant was the outflow of his gifts to others that he never amassed a large fortune, al- though he was blessed with a large measure of pros- perity in his business. He could be contented and serene in the changes that disturbed others whose ambition was to accumulate great wealth, because these changes could not touch his treasure, laid up in the integrity of his life and in the benefits he had conferred on mankind. The same integrity was true of what may be called his religious duties, though it would be diffi- cult to draw a line between his religious and his secular life. He was not a man of varying moods, or, if he experienced these, it was not in the dis- charge of his Christian duties. He was accustomed to maintain that religion should be a matter of prin- ciple rather than of feeling, and while the latter was not wanting, the former was conspicuous in his religious life. Whether he should be present at his church on the Lord's day or at the prayer-meetings each week, or whether he should engage in this or that service for the Master did not depend upon his inclination at the time, but upon what he had de- cided to be his duty. The result was that any one who knew what in general his convictions were, always knew where to find him and could depend upon his being where and doing what was needed. This example impressed itself on many all the more powerfully because it was unconscious of itself as example ; it did not pose or seek observation ; it simply acted for itself as a principled, well-ordered, IO conscientious life. The influence upon men was greater than many of them at the time were aware, and many of those who knew him will continue to look back and ask themselves how this exemplary Christian would have acted in the circumstances in which they are placed, and will be influenced by the remembrance of him. His quiet, consistent, and well-rounded life was especially powerful in its influence upon young men, in whom he always took a deep interest. As illustrative of this was the testimony borne by a class of boys in the Sunday-school to whom the teacher once put the question, " Who among those you know is the best example of Christian man- hood?" to which was answered by each one, " Mr. Amos W. Prentice." This tribute which those who knew him would naturally and spontaneously pay was not won by demonstration or ostentation or by anything done for effect, but by a considerate, kindly, consistent daily life, spent in the simple discharge of duty without a thought of himself, his own aggrandize- ment, or his own reputation. And this impress of his character was deepened as he advanced in years. His spirit shone through so that his coming was watched for as an object of beauty, and the gra- ciousness of his presence, so gentle, so courteous, so dignified, so kindly, was like a benediction to those who came into it. Usually silent, reserved, but al- II •ways alert and observant and thoughtful, his opin- ion, when expressed, though in few words, was weighty because thoughtful, generous, firm, and sure to be followed by action that would correspond with it. " Happy is the man to whom old age brings only maturity and not decay. To him it brought not the premonitions of weakness, of dis- ease and dissolution, but only ripeness, ripeness for a higher and better world. It shone upon him like the light of the October sun on the sheaves of the ripened harvest. He illustrated how some men might depart this life without dying. He always looked like one who was always ready to hear the words : ' Friend, come up higher,' like one who in due time might pass on, not through the valley of the shadow of death, but walking on before us up- ward and onward, until he walked with God and disappeared from our sight among the stars." The funeral services were held at his home on Broadway at 2 o'clock, Wednesday afternoon, De- cember 19th. There was a very large attendance of friends and mourners. Mayor Harwood and the members of the city government, the selectmen and town officers, the members of Sedgwick Post, G. A. R., officials and employes from the Norwich Sav- ings Society, First National Bank, Eaton, Chase & Co., The Bulletin Company, and other organizations 12 in whose management Mr. Prentice had been actively interested, were present. The service was conducted by the Rev. Lewellyn Pratt, D.D., pastor of Broadway Church, who read the thirty-seventh Psalm and a few verses from the last book of Revelation. The quartette of the Broadway Church, of which Mr. Prentice was senior deacon, sang two selections. Dr. Pratt offered prayer and paid the following tribute to the de- ceased. Burial was at Yantic Cemetery, the honor- ary pall-bearers being John T. Wait, H. H. Osgood, John Mitchell, W. A. Aiken, Lewis A. Hyde, S. B. Bishop, W. R. Burnham, and R. P. Keep. HIS PASTOR'S TRIBUTE. We pause a few moments — after hearing what God has to say- to us in His word — not to say all that might be expressed here. If I could gather up all the utterances of the past few days with ref- erence to the event that calls us together, what a rich tribute that would be to the life and memory of any man. A stranger might deem that it were somewhat overstrained and extravagant, but we know that what would thus be told is what will continue to be said as the years go by. For no brilliant meteor has flashed be- fore our eyes, dazzling for the time our vision, no overpowering influence has wrought to warp our judgment, but a calm, earn- est, true life has been spent in the common affairs of this world, whose characteristics and the spring of whose action we can appre- ciate and understand. I shall speak of two or three aspects of that life. Here has been one who believed that business was honor- able, and that it could be conducted in such way that a Christian man need not be ashamed of it nor find it inconsistent with his 13 Christian profession. I take it that it is no small meed of praise when it can be said that a man has spent over fifty years in busi- ness in one place in such a way as to have no stain upon his record, so as to preserve his integrity, and so as to have his name more and more honored to the end. Here was one making no haste to be rich ; who coveted no man's goods ; who believed in fairness and honesty ; who could wait, trusting to those funda- mental laws and principles that underlie trade and make it mu- tual exchange ; who would take no unfair advantage ; who scorned trickery and duplicity ; who would be the same on week days when dealing with his fellow men as on Sunday when bow- ing before his Maker. This man thus became an example of true success in business. Men trusted him, and God blessed him. Whoever might be plunging into wild speculation, he was pursu- ing the even tenor of his way ; whoever was scheming to bring about crises, he was working as if there were to be a future; whoever was breaking, he was holding firm. And the end justi- fied the wisdom of his course. No name was more honored or more trustworthy in business cicles than Amos W. Prentice, He exemplified, too, the breadth of character that can be developed in the ordinary circumstances of life. Here was a man of no special and rare early advantages, one who began life in a simple way, who had not the training of the higher schools nor the culture of travel, but who made the ordinary relations of life develop and broaden him. He early recognized himself as in re- lation, and he strove to understand and to fulfill his relations to his God and to his fellow men — to those who had gone before and to those who should come after him. He put himself under bonds to help on the good things that had been handed down by his predecessors, and in turn to transmit to his successors inter- ests and institutions which should be a blessing after he had gone. He accepted the truth that " no man liveth to himself," and he entered sympathetically into the concerns of men, culti- vated his affectionate nature, interested himself in all good enter- prises, appreciated what others were doing, had a warm heart for those who were struggling, a kind word and a smile for the children. 14 He was an embodiment of practical righteousness and goodness. What breadth there was in his unselfishness, his trustfulness, his kindness, his hospitality, his truth, his generos- ity, and magnanimity ! Tested in the home, in business, in so- ciety, in the state, and in the church, he rose to each responsibil- ity and won the crown of loyalty, fidelity, and usefulness. He was so large-hearted and interested in all good things that he naturally found his place in positions of trust which he never sought, but which came to him because they were his and men delighted to own his right. How many such positions he has ably and conscientiously filled, you well know. What family ties meant to him ! What significance there was to him in citizen- ship ! What friendships he enjoyed ! What of privilege and of constant, unflagging duty there was to him in membership in the church of Christ ! And again, he exemplified the greatness of goodness. Judged by some standards, he might not be called great ; but' what more influential man was there in this community ? What one will be more missed ? And this power was not from any for- tunate accident, not from any eagerly sought conspicuousness, but because of the weight of his character, the integrity of his life, the accumulated momentum of a long career of disinterested- ness. He could exert power among men because he had no prejudice, no suspicion to overcome ; men could trust his judg- ment because he had kept it clear and unbiased, and they knew him to be seeking best things, and because — scoff at it as they may — men believe that " the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." He was great and strong because he struck down through the perturbed and confused things that lie on the surface into those deep currents that set toward righteousness. How often we sought the sanction of his name to head the list of some good enterprise ! How much strength and support he had con- tributed to education, good government, and good morals ! How much he had done for the Free Academy, of which he had been many years a trustee ! What a pillar in the church, of which he was one of the original members ! What a defender of the faith! 15 What a bulwark for righteousness! One such life is worth whole volumes of so-called evidences of Christianity ; it convinces by a force that cannot be gainsaid or resisted. Such a life is no mere human achievement ; it is a gift of God. That business integrity, that practical righteousness were results of obedience to the law of God. That benignity and grace and sweetness and charity were Christlikeness, the grace of the spirit that comes through faith in and affiance with the One who saves us from the narrowness and death of selfishness and sin. He had Chris- tian faith, and he built himself up on his most holy faith. And the strength of his life was that by conscious choice he linked himself with the eternal forces of the Spirit, and these forces worked through him, transforming body, soul, and spirit, and making him an agent and instrument of Divine efficiency. We do not eulogize him to-day ; we thank God for the gift of such a man. We thank God that his life was lengthened out and that he was kept in freshness and vigor to the end. We thank God for that genial presence, which was always and everywhere a benediction. And we thank God for the hope of immortality which the undying graces of his character strengthen within us. Earth is poorer to-day, but heaven is richer, because God has taken to Himself this gift so long loaned to us ; and while we la- ment our loss the very air thrills above us with the welcome he receives : " Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord." Mr. Prentice's death called forth many tributes to his memory, from which these have been se- lected : From the Norwich Bulletin of December 14, 1894: The announcement of the death of the Hon. Amos W. Pren- tice will be received with deep regret by every citizen of Norwich. Mr. Prentice had been ill but a few days, the illness culminating i6 in a succession of shocks which cut short his life at 12.15 this morning. Mr. Prentice was a man whom everybody respected and those who knew him well loved him for his noble traits of true manhood and particularly for his rare and sympathetic courtesy. He was a true friend and one who brought sunshine into many hearts at times of their deepest sorrow. Standing often in the position of mediator, he never allowed himself to add fuel to the flame of any one who had perhaps been wronged. His position was ever that of a peacemaker and his advice was characteristic of one who was, as all knew him to be, of a humble and contrite heart. Though a native of Griswold, his birth occurring December 20, 1816, Mr. Prentice came early in life to this city, where he lived through a long and successful business and public career. At the day of his death he was president of the Norwich Savings society, which is with one exception the largest savings institution in Connecticut. He has filled other positions of responsibility and trust, being president of the Thames Fire Insurance Company, director of the First National Bank, and interested in the management of promi- nent financial and industrial interests of this city. He took a de- light in aiding and abetting the educational institutions of the town, and was identified with the Norwich Free Academy, being a member of its board of trustees and one of the donors after the incorporation. Mr. Prentice received his education in the schools of his na- tive town. When a young man he entered the employ of the hardware house of John and James Breed of Norwich. The sign John Breed & Co. , which had at that time been on the store since the declaration of war with Great Britain in 1812, is still dis- played to-day, not having been removed during the subsequent partnerships of Breed, Prentice & Co., A.W. Prentice &Co., and more recently— on the retirement of Mr. Prentice— Eaton, Chase & Co. From 1856 until 1889 Mr. Prentice was the senior member of the firm, and he has since had his own desk in the company's *7 office and has been able to impart to his successors a deal of wise counsel and an inspiration from his sunshiny ways. In his early political life Mr. Prentice was a whig, but since the existence of the republican party he has been true to it in all honorable action that it has taken. In 1854 he was elected state senator from this district. Four years later he was nominated and elected mayor of the city of Norwich in a close and exciting contest. His administration was characterized by his faithful discharge of duty ; his constant zeal for the interests of the city ; his careful attention to the various departments of the municipal government ; his familiarity with all that concerned its manage- ment, and his discrimination and good judgment upon all mat- ters that affect his city's welfare. In i860, having served the city in the capacity of mayor for two years and having discharged the duties of that position to the satisfaction not alone of his own but of all parties, he declined a re-nomination. In 1877 Mr. Prentice represented Norwich in the legislature, He was on the republican side and exerted an important influence during the session. The deceased was an active Christian worker. When Broad- way Congregational church was founded in 1842 he was one of the original members. In August, 1845, he was made clerk of the society and continued in that position until January 29, 1866. At the time of his death he was the senior deacon of the church. Mr. Prentice was married on May 18, 1840, to Miss Hannah E. Parker, whose death occurred December 24, 1887. One daughter, Mrs. A. H. Chase, and a grandson, Mr. Amos P. Dor- rance, survive him. From the Norwich Evening Record, December 14, 1894: The people were surprised to learn from the columns of the Record of last evening that Hon. Amos W. Prentice was danger- ously ill and they were filled with sorrow to-day to learn of his 3 death, which occurred a few moments past twelve o'clock last night. Amos W. Prentice was easily the ideal citizen of this town. He was the soul of honor and enjoyed the full confidence of the people of this vicinity. He possessed a broad mind and a kindly disposition and was charitable to all in need. One of the best testimonies to his high character is that during all his years in business those in his employ held him in high esteem and the best of feeling prevailed between employer and employe. His family relations were happy. From the Academy Journal of January, 1895 : This is not the place for an extended account of the details of Mr. Prentice's life, though such details, which would disclose how the boy from the country, coming after a few years of scanty schooling to the city, by unremitting toil, by interest in his work, by fidelity to every trust, made himself essential to his employ- ers, and passed from the position of boy in the store to head of the house. What an achievement this ! How full of lessons to every ambitious boy ! How many failures, for one such success ! But what we have been familiar with was the benignant face and dignified figure of our friend in his hale old age ( he lacked only two years of eighty), and Mr. Prentice was an object of great interest to us all, as the oldest surviving trustee of the Academy, and as one of that group of men, already in the full prime of manhood when the Academy was founded, who have followed its history and sympathized with its expansion ever since. Norwich has produced nothing else which gives her such peculiar distinction as the Free Academy. Amos W. Prentice shared, to the full, in all the inspiring hopes which attended the birth of the school, and was its enthusiastic, intelligent, and lib- eral supporter to the very end. How much their enthusiasm for the promotion of education did for the noble men of Mr. Pren- tice's generation ! How large the fruits of their self-denying lib- erality and far-sighted benevolence have borne ! May Norwich never cease to cherish its noble Academy, their sacred legacy, *9 and may all teachers and pupils renew their devotion to a school which is closing the first half-century of its history, and has so largely fulfilled the hopes of its founders ! From the New London Day : The death of Amos W. Prentice of Norwich removes one of the few survivors of a coterie of men who were marked in their time in private and public affairs for their ability and integrity, and for their influence on affairs extending beyond the confines of their town and State. They represented the old stock of New England, unfortunately getting almost out of sight and memory and being replaced by a class of men in many ways inferior to the coterie who were the right hand men of Governor Bucking- ham. In business they had the requisites for success and achieved it, making solid wealth and establishing enterprises that remain, after their lives have ended, as their monuments. Norwich had a number of such men out of proportion to her population, and the city should remember them with gratitude. From the N. Y. Tribune : Amos W. Prentice, who died in Norwich, Conn., last Thurs- day evening, at the age of 78, was one of the most highly es- teemed citizens of Eastern Connecticut. For 57 years he had been identified with one of the few business houses in that city which date back to Colonial times, although in 1889 he retired from its active management. But he was a great deal more than a successful hardware merchant. His sterling character and marked sagacity led to his being invited to serve as Mayor (1858- 1860) and in both Houses of the Legislature (first as a Whig and then as a Republican), as trustee of the Free Acade:ny and direc- tor in the First National Bank and the Norwich Savings Society, of which latter he was president at the time of his death. He was a helpful counselor of Connecticut's war Governor, Bucking- ham, a conscientious member of the Broadway Congregational church, and a wise and influential adviser in other organized 20 movements for the good of the community in which he lived. His kind face and manner, scrupulous sense of honor, and marked modesty, combined with his warm interest in public affairs, won for him, to a large degree, the respect and affection of all who knew him. From minutes adopted by directors of several banks : First National Bank, December 17, 1894. By the death of the Honorable Amos W. Prentice, this bank has sustained a loss which it is difficult to express in words, but a loss most keenly felt by every one of his associates. For more than thirty years as one of its directors he has been conscien- tiously faithful to every interest of the bank ; as a counselor he was wise and just and generous ; and as an associate he was uni- formly genial, kind, and sympathetic. His was a life rich in years, full of good works, and without reproach. " None knew him but to love him, None named him but to praise." As a mark of our esteem for Mr. Prentice and our sympathy for his family, the bank will be closed and the officers and direc- tors will attend the funeral services in a body. Ordered, That this minute be inscribed upon the records of the bank, published in the daily papers of the city, and a copy sent to the family of Mr. Prentice. Lewis A. Hyde, Cashier. The Norwich Savings Society, December 14, 1894. At a special meeting of the directors of this bank the follow- ing action was taken : In the providence of God He has called from us the Hon. Amos W. Prentice, president of the Norwich Savings Society, who has been connected with this institution for more than forty 21 years successively as trustee, director, vice-president, and since November 5, 1890, as president, then succeeding Franklin Nich- ols, deceased. It is fitting that his associates, with feelings of profound sor- row, make expression of their appreciation of his worth and val- uable services and their great respect and love for their departed friend. Mr. Prentice came to Norwich a youth from the adjoining town of Griswold, and then became |the active and ambitious clerk, the prudent and successful merchant and business man, the warm friend, the safe adviser, the generous almoner, the re- spected and honored citizen, and the embodiment in his life of the virtues belonging to a Christian gentleman. Presiding as he did at the only meeting in eastern Connecticut addressed by Abraham Lincoln, we are reminded of the memorable words so descriptive of his life — " with malice toward none, with charity for all." With a deep sense of the loss which this institution has sus- tained, and feeling keenly the personal loss to every member of this board, we tender to the family of our beloved associate our heartfelt sympathy. In further token of respect we will attend the funeral ser- vices, during the hours of which the bank will be closed. Ordered, That this action be entered upon the records of the society, and that a copy be transmitted to the family. Ordered, That a copy of these minutes be furnished to the press for publication. Attest— Costello Lippitt, Secy. Thames National Bank, Norwich, Conn. At the meeting of the directors of the Thames National bank, December 15, 1894, there existed a general and spontaneous de- sire to express the feeling of the directors on the death of Hon. Amos W. Prentice. In accord with that feeling the following minutes were spread upon the records : While the late Hon. Amos W. Prentice was not connected 22 with this organization yet we feel that the death of a citizen of such standing and character is distinctly a loss to the entire com- munity, in which all institutions participate. We extend our sincere sympathy to his family. Hugh H. Osgood, Lucius Briggs, John Mitchell, Edward N. Gibbs, W. N. Blackstone, George S. Palmer, Charles L. Hubbard, Arthur H. Brewer, Henry H. Gallup, A. A. Young, S. B. Meech. At a regular meeting of Sedgwick Post, No. i , department of Connecticut, G. A. R., the following resolutions were presented and by vote adopted : Whereas, Sedgwick Post, No. i, Department of Connecticut, G. A. R., has learned with profound sorrow of the death of the Hon. Amos W. Prentice, an original life member of " Sedg- wick Post Citizens' Corps," an organized body, auxiliary to this Post ; and Whereas, The deceased, in peace and in war, was a truly loyal and patriotic citizen and a sincere friend of the soldier and the veteran, and was ever ready by his counsel and by his deeds to uphold the truest principles of our order ; and Whereas, We have and do sustain in his removal from among us a great and irreparable loss ; therefore be it Resolved, That we recognize the good hand of God in hav- ing given to us so noble an example of citizenship and usefulness, and that in calling to Himself his own we humbly bow to the will of the all-wise Father. Resolved, That a delegation of the comrades of this post at- tend the funeral of the deceased. 23 Resolved, That a copy of this preamble and these resolu- tions be certified by the commander and adjutant of this post, and entered in full upon our records, and that a copy of the same be sent to the surviving family of the deceased, and that they be printed in the Norwich Morning Bulletin and the Norwich Evening Record. L. A. Gallup, j Warren Lee Goss, V Committee. John M. Brewer, ) We certify that the above is a correct copy of the preamble and resolutions as adopted. Wm. H. Palmer, Commander. Amos D. Allen, Adjutant. From letters of relatives and friends : New Haven, December 17, 1894. I had fully intended to be present at the funeral services for your father, and to unite with his many Norwich friends in the honor paid to his memory at his burial, but to my sincere regret circumstances have so turned, in a way beyond my control, that I am constrained to give up the carrying out of my purpose. Your father has seemed to me for years past to be the one who, in an especial manner, connected me with the old family life and house in Norwich — the life and home of my childhood. With his departure to the other life, the past seems to remove for me into the distance and the old friends seem in their earthly living, to be farther away in the bygone years. He was a true Chris- tian— full of the spirit of a true disciple of Christ. Truly he has lived an honored and honorable life, a useful and a happy one. It was a pleasure always to see his happy and kindly face. The whole circle in which he moved was made happy by his happy spirit. He has faithfully done his work, and a good work it has been. The world was the better for his living in it. I am sure that the blessed reward is opening upon him very delight- 24 fully in these beginning days of his new life. Happy man, in that he lived so earnestly, so truly, so peacefully, so trustfully, so joyfully, even to the ripeness of old age, and then so quietly moved onward to the brighter scenes and to the larger sphere of life and love. We who knew him in love and friendship may well rejoice in his joy, and may well call him blessed. He goes away from our sight and our life to meet those who have gone before him — whose voices he may have heard calling him at the hour when he was falling asleep. It is a beautiful world to which he has gone — and he will be waiting there for those of his house- hold whom he left behind, even while he is rejoicing with those whom he had lost for a while but has now found again. May the kind Father in Heaven, who dealt so kindly and lovingly with him through all the years, deal with you also in His tenderest love — and may the memory of the earthly father be to you al- ways an inspiration of love and joy. . . . Very sincerely yours, Timothy Dwight. Washington, D. C, December 16, 1894. As I opened the wrapper of the Norwich paper you were kind enough to send me, I had a foreboding that it probably bore the news of Cousin Amos's death. I was much grieved to learn of it, as he was really the last remaining family link connecting me with my early childhood, and I had hoped next summer to be able to see him once more. Of all the large family circle that used to go over to Federal Hill in Griswold on Thanksgiving Day, I am now the only one left — for you were born after that. Your father was always a favorite — I think I may say the favorite member of the family, and we were all taught to look up to him as an upright citizen, as well as a successful business man. I can well understand what a loss he must be to the entire community. 25 With kind regards and sympathy'from ray wife and myself, I am Sincerely yours, H. B. Brown. 6 Poplar St., Brooklyn, N. Y., December 18, 1894. I am sincerely grieved at the news of your good father's death. He was such a kind friend to me in trying circumstances that I shall always be grateful to him. But, aside from my per- sonal relations, I admired him greatly as a Christian and a citi- zen. He was such a splendid type of the man every community needs, but so rarely sees, that I feel it a privilege to have lived in the same town with him. Having been so fortunate as to catch a few glimpses of his home life, too, I can understand how much more reason you have for attachment than the children of some fathers ; and can the better sympathize with you in this loss. Cordially yours, James C. Hall. 274 Broadway, December 15, 1894. With much sorrow I learn the departure from this life of your good father — my highly esteemed friend for more than fifty years. On coming to Norwich in 1840, I soon became acquainted with Amos W. Prentice, then a young unmarried man, to whom I be- came much attached. After he was married and settled our intimacy increased. Your father and mother added many pleasant hours to my life, of which I have a very pleasant memory which will continue as long as reason is continued to me. As your father was my junior by more than eight years, I have never thought for a mo- ment that he would pass away before I did. Not hearing of his illness, his death was a great surprise to me and causes deep re- gret. At more than eighty-six I cannot fill the places of old 26 friends as they pass away. I know not where to look among the friends that are left for one to whom I could become so much at- tached as I was to your father, who it always gave me pleasure to meet. May God bless you and your family, and give you in this hour of your bereavement that support and consolation which He alone can give. Yours very sincerely, Moses Pierce. Asheville, N. C, December 18, 1894. The copies of Norwich papers just received have given me the sorrowful news of your father's sudden death. Will you per- mit me to offer, with the many others who knew and loved Amos Prentice, my sincere condolence with you in your grief, and also to join with you in rejoicing in the lovely life and fra- grant memory which his friends and associates will hold in en- during recollection. My early life in Norwich had some very kindly and affectionate relations with Mr. Prentice, and his life- long love and attachment for my father and mother, now passed away, has always kept green the freshness and spontane- ity of his genial greeting and remembrance. I am glad to have been able to see him again so lately as this past autumn, and to have again the impression of his cheery face and pleasant voice. All who knew him respected and loved him, and can but speak to you in mutual regret and condolence at his loss. I regret that I am at such a distance that I cannot show the token of respect of attendance at the funeral. Within a few days I expect to be in New York, but too late for that duty. Believe me, Very respectfully and sincerely yours, J. F. Gulliver. Norwich, Dec. 14, 1894. I should have been glad to see you when I called at your house yesterday. I think you will know how sincerely I shall mourn your dear father. I felt not a little of the filial feeling to- 27 ward him. His interest, sympathy, and outspoken approval have been towers of strength to me constantly since I have been in Norwich. It is, indeed, a beautiful thing to have lived to the end such a life as his has been — quietly, heartily, vigorously, yet so unostentatiously sustaining the cause of the right, and helping to build up and maintain in the community with which he was so closely and completely identified the cause of truth and righteous- ness. To have gone through life everywhere making friendships, and promoting kindly feeling, — to have been uncompromising in living up to his convictions, and yet to have won universal love and affection, is a mighty achievement. Many of us may justly feel that no earthly treasure is comparable to that of having had such parents as we have had. I am sure that you will deeply feel — more deeply than ever before — from now on, what a blessing you have had in your father. I am very sincerely your friend, R. P. Keep. Rochester, Dec. 17, '94. We have received two Norwich papers containing notices of your dear father's death. It is with sincere sorrow and with gen- uine, heartfelt sympathy that I drop you this note. Of all the friends I came to know and to love in Norwich, there were none more dear, if indeed so dear, as your father; for I think all would say there was none other quite so worthy of love. If all were like him, we would have an immediate and constant millennium. Although it must be very hard for you to part with him, it must be a great consolation to know that he has joined your mother and Mrs. Willard and the other sister who, I believe, many years ago, went to the heavenly land. Mrs. Millard wishes to unite with me in sincere sympathy and in kindest remembrances. Should we ever visit Norwich again, it will hardly seem the same now that your father is gone. Sincerely yours, Nelson Millard. 28 The Ontario, Chicago, Dec. 18, 1894. I sincerely and deeply sympathize with you in your great be- reavement, by the death of your father, my old and valued friend and schoolmate, the intelligence of which I have received through the Norwich papers sent to me, with marked notices. It is now sixty- three years since I, a boy in my seventeenth year, left my native place to live in Pittsburgh. Your father was then in his fifteenth year. He lived with his uncle, and I with my grand- father, next-door neighbors, and we were schoolfellows and play- fellows together. We often played tag together and he was the fleetest runner in the school. Since then, after leaving Norwich, we have only met on my occasional visits to my old home, when I have always made it my privilege to call and renew our old ties of friendship, and he was such a " home-body" that I do not re- member to have failed to find him at home, until this summer he was absent, and I lament that now I shall see his kindly face and feel the cordial grip of his hand no more in the flesh. He was a representative man of the old Norwich school, and in his memory you have indeed a goodly heritage. Very sincerely, Simeon B. Williams. " It was with real grief that I heard yesterday of the great sorrow that had befallen you — the death of your dear, good father. Mr. Prentice was so indulgent, so devoted to you and yours, that your loss is indeed irreparable. He had reached an advanced age, but he was so serene, so sunny, and apparently so active, that it seemed as if a quiet and longer life was yet before him. But, in fact, his death is but his life begun. The little threshold to immortality that he has crossed was but the prepara- tion for the joys he has entered on, and this constituted its chief dignity and importance. He is reaping the reward of ' the good and faithful servant,' reunited to those he loved and lost on earth." " We were all made sad by the news of your dear father's going home. We all loved him, and who did not who ever met 2 9 him ? I doubt if it is right for us to mourn the departure of one who was so ready to go. A young man said here not long since, that he thought no man could be a Christian and be a successful business man. I felt when I read of your father, I wished he could have known him. How few such there are ! " "To my mind Mr. Prentice was an elegant, courtly, and true Christian gentleman. How you all will miss him ! None more than we." "A noble type of a man. A Christian gentleman has gone home to join a large company of loved ones, and we are left to fill, as best we can, their places. God help us and give us strength to do so." From a letter received the day before his death: " Your father is one of the rarest men in the world, and his life a perpetual benediction. How many men and women are better and nobler for his having lived is known only above." ' ' We all feel that we have lost a beloved, helpful friend, whose place can never be filled." " How we shall all miss that kindly face, so expressive of good will to all ; what a loss to our church, and the whole city, and who can fill his place. But the dear father is at rest from the sorrows of life and the infirmities of age. His vision is now unclouded." " We all mourn the death of your dear father. I thank God it was my privilege to know him. To be brought in touch with such a noble, Christian character makes one purer and stronger." " You know I loved your father, and I cannot realize that when I come in the spring he will not be there to give me the greeting which could not have been more cordial had I been one of his own family. What a saintly character his was! His white hairs were indeed a crown of glory, over a face full of love to God and to those who were privileged to know and honor him." "I never saw your father that I did not feel like saying, 30 ' Behold the perfect man ' ; ' an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile.' How beautiful to leave such a blessed memory! How grievous the desolation when such are taken from us ! Only those who knew your father can appreciate what it is to miss the sunshine of his gracious presence." " I shall ever be glad that I have known Mr. Prentice, and for the example which his life has been. The deep interest which he always showed for young people, whether in school, business, or church, endeared him to us all, and I realize that we have lost a good friend." ' ' With deepest sorrow in my heart and tears in my eyes I take my pen and attempt to tell you of the sympathy I have for you now that your father is no longer with you. He seemed so hearty and full of vitality when I left home, I felt you would still have him with you many years, and now that he is gone Norwich, like yourselves, has been bereaved. I know of no one who can ever, in any degree, fill his place in the hearts of the people, nor represent, as he did, the dignity of a generation now passed away." "To me, and to us, and to hundreds of others, your dear father has been a shining example of the noble parent, the kind friend, and the true gentleman. How very few there are of his kind. My regret is that we could not have been brought in con- tact with him oftener, and under his influence more. For the acquaintance and for the friendship that existed between us I feel truly thankful." ' ' Words fail me when I try to express the tender regard I have always felt toward your dear father since I began to know him, twenty-five years ago ! " He was one of earth's noblest, gentlest, kindest of men — a Divine reflection. " In his benign presence life seemed a sacred thing, and I am sure that thousands are better for his having lived. We know it is well with him, and we rejoice afresh in the Christian's hope." 3i ■• Not many of your father's young friends will feel a greater personal loss in his death than myself, to whom he was always so kind and helpful, and an example of the finest Christian man- hood with whom I have ever come in contact." » That all who met and knew your father, if only for a brief time, were drawn nearer to all that was higher and better, and finally to that fuller life beyond, there will be many to testify. To me your father was the personification of all that was nob e and beautiful in age, and we all know that such an honorable and beautiful climax could only be the result ofaetaeof noble effort. You can never know how strong and helpful has been his influence upon my own life, and at the time in the pas when I was with you, his beautiful example and kindly inter est were the means of leading me on to better things. That his in- fluence will be with me always to encourage and cheer, I am ^re and God grant that we may all live faithfully and nobly enough to meet him again in that life beyond. ' "The notice of your father's death came to me with great sadness The memory of those who were so dear to my father salways fresh, and nTone came nearer than the father you have now lost. A nobler, better man I never knew, and it was always a benediction to see his lovely face and feel the warm we com of his hand when I came home for a day or two. He was the dearesroW man I ever saw, and I shall mourn him very sincere- fy He has done me many kindnesses, and I have always loved him." • v v °^ °" a. $> "■' *V °^ *•• DOBBSBROS. "^«<^ **^|4^ LIBRARY BINDING > vis, **°. * "* A ^ MJGUSTINE , •*> .xJPm. FLA. ^/rpp^ o W 2 0B4 i^ «feV* ST.