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LIFE SKETCHES 
 
 STATE OFFICERS, SENATORS, 
 
 MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY 
 
 STATE OF NEW YORK, 
 
 IN 1867- 
 
 By S. R, HARLOW and H. H. BOONE. 
 
 ® i 
 
 y of W*d#f$#* 
 ALBANY: 
 
 WEED, PARSONS AND COMPANY, PRINTERS. 
 1867. 
 

 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year eighteen hundred and sixty-six 
 
 By S. R. HARLOW and H. H. BOONE, 
 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Northern 
 
 District of New York. 
 
 ■WEED, PARSONS AND COMPANY, 
 PRINTERS, 8TEREOTYPERS AND BOOKBINDERS 
 ALBANY, N. Y. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 About six months ago, the Editors first entertained the idea of 
 issuing a volume, giving a concise narration of the leading events 
 in the lives of the State Officers and Members of the Legislature. 
 Their project meeting with favor, at the outset, they were encour- 
 aged to consummate it. The most of their labor, in the midst 
 of other duties, has been crowded into the brief space of three 
 months ; this book is the result. No care has been spared by them 
 to make it valuable for reference, both as to facts and dates ; and 
 yet an occasional error may possibly be found. 
 
 It will be seen that the Sketches of the Members of the Legisla- 
 ture are alphabetically arranged, thus removing the necessity for 
 an index. 
 
 The Editors avail themselves of this opportunity to express their 
 thanks for the uniform courtesy extended toward them, by every 
 gentleman whose name appears within this volume, and to other 
 gentlemen, — many of them strangers at the incipient stages of 
 this work, — who have rendered invaluable assistance in furnishing 
 incidents and dates for the compilation of these Sketches. 
 
LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 REUBEN E. FENTON, 
 
 GOVERNOR. 
 
 Reuben E. Fenton, who has just been chosen Gover- 
 nor of New York, for a second term, was born in Carroll, 
 Chautauqua county, on the 4th of July, 1819. His father 
 is a native of New Hampshire; but the Fenton family is 
 of Connecticut origin. His grandfather resided there 
 until about the year 1777. The Governor is a descendant 
 of Robert Fenton, who was a man of note among the 
 early settlers of that State, and one of the patentees of 
 Mansfield, when that town was set off from Windham, in 
 1703. The family was a patriotic one during the Revolu- 
 tionary wai*, and furnished its share of soldiers in " the 
 times which tried men's souls," who did good service in 
 the struggle which resulted in the establishment of our 
 Republican government. 
 
 Governor Fenton is the son of a hard-working farmer, 
 and spent his early years on the old homestead. He was 
 an amiable, friendly boy, and a universal fovorite among 
 his associates. Whatever was going on in the neighbor- 
 hood where he lived, he was expected to participate in and 
 lead. When the boys organized for " a training," they 
 invariably placed young Fenton in command ; and it is 
 probably owing to this fact, and the military knowledge 
 
6 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 thus acquired, that before he was twenty-one years of age 
 he was elected to the Colonelcy of the 162d regiment, 
 New York State Militia. 
 
 His opportunities for acquiring an education were very 
 limited, but they were well improved. He was a good 
 scholar when he was in the common school, and when, 
 subsequently, he passed a few terms in different academies, 
 he made rapid progress as a student, and won the appro- 
 bation of his preceptors for his manly qualities and exem- 
 plary deportment. He read law one year, jiot with the 
 view of going into the profession, but to make himself 
 familiar with the principles and forms of that science, 
 under the impression that this knowledge would be useful 
 to him in whatever business he might engage. 
 
 At the age of twenty he commenced business, with very 
 limited means, and under adverse circumstances. But the 
 fact did not discourage him, nor turn him from his pur- 
 poses. The world was before him, and what others had 
 accomplished, young Fextox resolved should be done by 
 him. He went at his work with all the earnestness and 
 energy of his character, and a few years saw him a success- 
 ful and prosperous merchant. While in this pursuit, he 
 turned his attention to the lumber trade, as an auxiliary to 
 his mercantile business. He was still a young man when he 
 purchased his first "boards and shingles," and as he floated 
 oft* upon his fragile raft, valued at less than one thousand 
 dollars, there were not wanting those who wondered at 
 his temerity, and the failure of his enterprise was confi- 
 dently predicted. But nothing could dampen his ardor. 
 He lied his little raft safely on the shore of the Ohio, near 
 Cincinnati, went into the city, found a customer, sold his 
 lumber, and returned to his home with a pride and satis- 
 faction never excelled in after years, though he Avcnt the 
 round with profits ten-fold greater. Lumbering became 
 in a few years his principal business; and to such a man, 
 
REUBEN E. FENT0N. 7 
 
 success and competence A^ere but a matter of time. He 
 soon enjoyed the reputation of being the most suc- 
 cessful lumberman on the Alleghany and Ohio rivers ; 
 but this came only because he wrought it by untiring 
 perseverance and indefatigable energy. 
 
 In the business capacity of Governor Fenton, will be 
 found the basis of his success in life ; and to the same fact 
 he is doubtless in a great measure, indebted for his politi- 
 cal advancement. Uniting superior business qualities with 
 an invincible determination to succeed in whatever he 
 undertakes, he has seldom failed to attain the object of 
 his ambition. He was successful as a merchant ; suc- 
 cessful as a lumberman ; and he has been successful as a 
 politician. His idea is that a man to succeed, should be 
 " always on hand." He Avas accustomed to fill his store 
 with goods before his neighbors filled theirs ; and in the 
 early spring, before " the thaw " was expected, his lumber 
 was snugly rafted on the banks of creeks, ready to take 
 the current and be the first to reach Pittsburgh and Cin- 
 cinnati. It was not only a pride he felt in being at the 
 head of the river fleets, but experience on different occa- 
 sions when his readiness and preparation found him the 
 only man in market, had taught him that it was equally 
 profitable. 
 
 In 1843, Mr. Fenton was chosen Supervisor of his native 
 town, and held the position for eight successive years. 
 Three of these eight he was Chairman of the Board, 
 though the Board Avas two to one Whig, Avhile he Avas a 
 Avell-knoAvn Democrat. But he Avas courteous and affable, 
 manly and upright, genial and sensible, and his opponents 
 by common consent selected him to preside OAer their 
 deliberations. What higher compliment could be paid 
 him as a fair-minded and honorable man ! 
 
 In 1849, his friends tried him for the Assembly, and he 
 came within twenty-one A r otes of being elected, though 
 
8 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 the successful caudi. late was one of the oldest and most 
 popular men in the Assembly district, which was strongly 
 Whig. 
 
 In 1852, he was nominated by his Democratic friends 
 for Congress, and elected by fifty-two majority, though 
 the district, from the manner in which it was accustomed 
 to vote, should have given at least 3,000 majority against 
 him. lie took his seat on the first Monday in December, 
 1853, in a House which was Democratic by about two to 
 one. Mr. Douglas, Chairman of the Senate Committee on 
 Territories, in the course of the session was beguiled into 
 embodying in a bill which provided for the organization 
 as territories of Kansas and Nebraska, a repeal of that 
 portion of the Missouri compromise of 1820, which forbade 
 the legalization of slavery in any territory of the United 
 States, lying north of 1ST. lat. 36° 30 r . Mr. Fen-tost, with N. 
 1'. Banks, and quite a number of the younger Democrats, 
 with Col. Thomas IT. Benton and oilier seniors, stead- 
 lastly opposed this proposition, and opposed the bill 
 because of it. The bill was nevertheless forced through 
 the Souse by a vote of 113 to 100, and became a law. 
 In the division that thereupon ensued, Mr. Fenton took 
 Republican ground with Preston Kino, Ward Hunt, 
 GEORGE OPDTKE, and other conspicuous Democrats, and 
 he has never since been other than a Republican. 
 
 In 1854, the Know Nothings carried his district by a 
 considerable majority (-Mr. Fkxton consenting to be a can- 
 didate on the Saturday previous to election), as they did 
 a good many others in the State; but, in 185G, he ran on 
 the Fremont ticket, and was elected, and thence reelected 
 by large and generally increasing majorities down to 18G4, 
 when he withdrew, having been nominated for Governor. 
 lie thus served five terras in Congress, each as the repre- 
 sentative of the strongly Whig district composed of 
 Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, which contains 
 
REUBEN" E. PENTON. V 
 
 many able and worthy men who Avere in full accord with 
 its by-gone politics, and to the almost unanimous accept- 
 ance of his constituents. 
 
 Immediately on entering Congress, Mr. Fenton espoused 
 the cause of the soldiers of 1812, and shortly after intro- 
 duced a bill providing for the payment of the property 
 accounts between the United States and the State of New 
 York, for military stores furnished in the war of 1812. 
 This measure he continued to urge upon the attention of 
 Congress, and finally, on the 30th May, 1860, had the 
 satisfaction to witness its passage in the House by a vote 
 of 98 to 80. He Avas Chairman of the Committee on Com- 
 merce in the XXXIIId and XXXVth Congresses, and 
 performed the duties appertaining to that position in a 
 manner satisfactory to all. It is but simple truth to say 
 that he was one of the quietly industrious and faithful 
 members of the House. Nor was he a silent representa- 
 tive. He could talk when there seemed a necessity for 
 speaking. During his Congressional career, he delivered 
 able and effective speeches against the repeal of the Mis- 
 souri Compromise Act ; in advocacy of a cheap postal 
 system ; the bill to extend invalid pensions ; for the 
 improvement of rivers and harbors ; to regulate emigra- 
 tion to this country ; against the policy of the Democratic 
 party with regard to Kansas ; for the final settlement of 
 the claims of the soldiers of the Revolution ; in vindica- 
 tion of the principles and policy of the Republican party; 
 on the Deficiency bill ; the bill to facilitate the payment 
 of bounties ; on the repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law ; on 
 providing for payment of losses by the rebellion, &c. 
 
 Mr. Fentok served in Congress nearly to the end of the 
 
 war for the Union, of which he was one of the firmest 
 
 and most efficient supporters. Believing the Union to be 
 
 right and the rebellion wrong throughout, he gave his 
 
 best energies to the national cause, voting steadily for 
 2 
 
10 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 taxes, loans, levies, drafts, and for the emancipation policy 
 whereby they were rendered effectual. Men of greater 
 pretensions were abundant in Congress, but there Avas 
 none more devoted, or more ready to invoke and to make 
 sacrifices for the triumph of the Union. 
 
 In the fall of 18G2, Mr. Fexton's name was favorably 
 mentioned in connection with the office of Governor, but 
 finding Gen. Wadswokth was to be pressed for a nomina- 
 tion, Mr. Fenton promptly withdrew from the canvass, and 
 yielded to the patriot soldier his warmest support. In 
 1864, Mr. Fenton was designated as the standard-bearer 
 of the Republican party, and chosen Governor by a 
 majority considerably larger than Mr. Lincoln's ; and two 
 years later, he was unanimously nominated for reelection, 
 and the wisdom of the selection is sufficiently attested by 
 the increased majority he received in 1866 over that given 
 him in 1864. 
 
 The administration of Gov. Fenton commenced at the 
 culminating period of the war, and required the exercise 
 of industry, method, decision, and the power of discrimi- 
 nating, originating and executing. He brought to the 
 discharge of his new position all these forces of body and 
 mind, and proved patient amid perplexities, quick in his 
 perceptions, safe in his judgments, mastering toilsome 
 details, and successfully meeting difficult emergencies. 
 His practical training, his wide experience, his luminous 
 intellect and well-disciplined judgment, saved him from 
 the failure that a man of less power might have encoun- 
 tered. His official relations with our soldiers did not 
 weaken the attachments that had given him the honored 
 title of the " soldier's friend." He was prompt to reward 
 merit, and skillful to harmonize differences that often 
 threatened demoralization and serious injury to many of 
 the military organizations then in the field. Upon the 
 return of our brave boys, Gov. Fenton addressed the 
 
REUBEN E. FENT0N. 11 
 
 following letter to the War Committees of the various 
 districts in the State : 
 
 Gentlemen : The late orders of the Secretary of War for muster- 
 ing out a large portion of the grand array are being rapidly carried 
 into effect, and it is to be hoped that by the Fourth of July most 
 of the regiments to be discharged under the orders will have reached 
 their homes. In view of this fact, allow me to call your attention 
 to the propriety of celebrating that day in a manner not only befitting 
 the anniversary of the nation's birth, but also commemorating its 
 recent rescue from imminent peril. I need not say that welcome 
 and all honor to the men whose patriotism has consecrated the 
 nation to a new career of greater freedom, whose bravery has given 
 security from strife and perpetuity to our institutions, should be one 
 of the most prominent features of such an occasion. Let us at once 
 demonstrate, by a grand ovation, our devotion to the institutions 
 preserved to us, and our gratitude to those who with heroic con- 
 stancy, defended them through years of terrible war. I have 
 thought best not to issue an executive proclamation to this end, as 
 I prefer this demonstration should be the spontaneous uprising of 
 the people, eagerly welcoming back the citizen soldiers — our friends 
 and neighbors — from the dangers of the battle-field and the severe 
 duties of military discipline, to peace and the exercise of civil rights 
 under the quiet which their valor has secured. I sincerely hope 
 these suggestions may meet with favor from your people, and that 
 each locality will arrange such a programme as shall, according to 
 its circumstances, best devote the day to commemoration, gratitude 
 and general rejoicing. 
 
 Very truly yours, E. E. FENTON. 
 
 His judicious course fully commanded public confidence 
 and approval, and at the close of the first year of his term, 
 Moses H. Grinnell, Wm. M. Vermilye, Joseph B. 
 Collins, Richard L. Taylor, Peter Cooper, John 
 Hecker, Minthorne Tompkins, Isaac Sherman, J. S. 
 Schultz and many other prominent and wealthy citizens 
 of New York city, addi*essed to him a letter of thanks, 
 promising him their hearty cooperation and support in his 
 efforts to meliorate the condition of the meti'opolis. A 
 
12 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 few months later, when in New York city, thousands of 
 such men waited upon him in person, giving high assur- 
 ance of respect and approbation. The "New York 
 Tribune " referred to this remarkable demonstration as a 
 proper recognition of official worth and integrity, saying, 
 "This hearty welcome sprang from generous and enduring 
 remembrance of the protection afforded to our municipal 
 rights and franchises, in his judicious exercise of the veto 
 power." 
 
 His vetoes of various bills which would have deprived 
 the City of New York of valuable franchises, without 
 compensating advantages, proved so acceptable to the 
 Board of Supervisors of New York county, that the fol- 
 lowing resolution was unanimously adopted : 
 
 Resolved, That the thanks of the Board are hereby tendered to 
 ITis Excellency, Governor Fenton, for his recent vetoes of various 
 bills passed by the Legislature of this State infringing upon the 
 rights and franchises of this city and county, and we sincerely con- 
 gratulate the people of the State of New York in having an Execu- 
 tive who possesses the vigilance and fearlessness necessary to correct 
 the errors of hasty and imperfect legislation. 
 
 Gov. Fenton's State papers are always compact, cogent 
 and convincing. His vigor of style and strength of diction 
 are admirably illustrated in a letter to the committee that 
 invited him to a meeting held at Cooper Institute, in New 
 York city, in the fall of 1866, for the purpose of ratifying 
 the action of the State Union Convention : 
 
 State oof New York, Executive Department, ) 
 Albany, October 13, 18G6. J 
 
 G-entlemen: I cannol attend the meeting at Cooper Institute on 
 the 15th inst, to which you invite me; my public duties at the 
 1 will prevent. 
 
 The questions now agitating the public mind are of the greatest 
 moment and intere b; and they are such as could not be presented 
 to any other people. It will not be forgotten that the gigantic war 
 
RETTBEX E. FENTOX. 13 
 
 through which we have just passed was prosecuted on behalf of the 
 government in defense of the supremacy of the ballot. The clearly- 
 expressed will of the nation is the supreme law of the land. 
 Against an expression of this will, men honored by large communi- 
 ties with public trusts which they were ready to betray for purposes 
 of guilty ambition, stimulated their States to revolt, and by crafty 
 and dangerous devices, inflamed the passions of their people, until 
 in a spirit of frantic and blind delusion they fired upon their own 
 flag, and enveloped the whole land in the flame of war. The com- 
 mon traditions ; the national pride ; the sacred oath of fealty ; these 
 were all forgotten, scouted, or ignored, and under the ill-starred 
 banner of rebellion, organized armies marched to crush out the 
 grand heritage of American freedom, and to reverse by force of 
 arms the constitutional expression of the popular will. Patriotic 
 men sprang from the various walks of labor and industry, from the 
 schools and colleges, the fields and the workshops ; fortunes were 
 thrown into the scale ; fireside circles were broken, and every house- 
 hold was made familiar with the perils of mutilation, captivity and 
 death, in that common spirit of loyalty and devotion which prompted 
 the fixed resolve, from the hour that Sumter fell, that the Union 
 our fathers had established should stand, and that the rights and 
 liberties of a free people, secured by covenant, should be maintained 
 in blood. These patriot forces trampled out the fires of rebellion ; 
 the principle of popular government was vindicated; and the 
 leaders and armies of the conspirators surrendered, as prisoners of 
 war, the weapons with which they sought the destruction of their 
 country. 
 
 To the representatives of these communities who thus organized 
 to destroy our liberties, we are urged to commit, at once and without 
 guarantees, the authority to legislate for us ; to award justice to the 
 soldiers and sailors by whom they were subdued ; to determine 
 whether the public debt shall be paid ; and to claim undue prepon- 
 derance of representation in the national councils, and a dispropor- 
 tionate vote in the electoral college, as a reward for a defeated and 
 treasonable attempt to subvert the government. 
 
 Places are now claimed in the Senate and House of Representa- 
 tives for men who foreswore their allegiance to the Constitution, 
 and held office under the usurpation of Davis, and his associate con- 
 
14 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 spirators. Such an assumption is against the common sense of the 
 country. It is plain that on the dissolution of the rebel armies 
 there was no lawful local government in any of the insurgent States ; 
 nor was there any power in the people of those States to regain the 
 status they lost by organized rebellion. The State action which 
 they now invoke to excuse individuals from the penalties of personal 
 crime, disabled them as communities from resuming, without the 
 consent of the people on whom they made war, a participation in 
 governing them, by claiming the place abdicated for the purposes 
 of treason. ' Their right of representation as States being thus prac- 
 tically suspended by their own act, what power is competent to 
 reinstate them in their former -relations to the government ? 
 Evidently it is not in the States themselves, independent of Con- 
 gressional sanction or recognition. There is no lawful local execu- 
 tive to call an election, and no lawful local government under which 
 such an election can be made. The Federal government is to 
 determine what shall be the terms of restoration. It is a question 
 for the sovereign power, and with us the sovereign is not the 
 President, but the people. Under the Constitution, the will of the 
 people is to be expressed through its representatives in Congress 
 assembled. The simple duty of the President is to execute their 
 will, thus expressed. By interposing his veto, he may compel them 
 to express it by a two-thirds vote ; but it is the will of the people, 
 and not his will which is expressed ; and it is not by his vote, but 
 by the vote of Congress, that it has the force of a popular law. 
 
 With unerring judgment and forecast, the martyred Lincoln 
 appreciated the question in its true aspect ; and in commissioning 
 loyal men, with the simple powers of military governors, he provided 
 for the present peace; while he recognized in the people in Congress 
 assembled the only competent authority to restore permanent civil 
 government in the insurgent States, under the Constitution they 
 had foresworn, and to determine the conditions under which they 
 should be restored to their practical relations in the Union. Such 
 is the common judgment of the loyal States. Such is the clear con- 
 viction and the firm demand of the mass of loyal men North and 
 South. It is a question which belongs to the people, and not to the 
 President — to the law-making power, and not to the agent, whose 
 duty it is to enforce the laws and to obey them. 
 
REUBEN E. TEUTON. 15 
 
 But it is claimed that the adoption of the amendments proposed 
 by Congress ought not to be made a condition of representation ; 
 that however just in themselves, no constitutional safeguard should 
 be provided which has not been passed upon in Congress by the 
 insurgent States. The weakness of this position is too obvious to 
 deceive any but those who advance it. The President is, doubtless, 
 competent to proclaim the cessation of hostilities and the return of 
 peace ; but Congress alone can guarantee a Republican form of gov- 
 ernment to States which have subverted their own governments 
 established under the Constitution. 
 
 In the discharge of a high public trust, the present Congress has 
 patiently and laboriously investigated the condition of that portion 
 of the country convulsed by the recent rebellion ; and, in a com- 
 mendable spirit of moderation, it has proposed for adoption, an 
 amendment to the Constitution, so reasonable and appropriate to 
 the existing state of affairs, that its propriety and justice are admit- 
 ted even by those who oppose its adoption. The plan of adjustment 
 thus presented, is the only one before the people. It has the sanc- 
 tion of an overwhelming majority in the Senate and House of 
 Representatives ; it has been heartily and earnestly indorsed by the 
 people of every State in which a general election has since been 
 held ; it will receive the unanimous approval of all the States, 
 whose unwavering loyalty bore us triumphantly through the war ; 
 it is a noble and magnanimous peace-offering tendered by Congress, 
 in behalf of the people, to the misguided States which permitted 
 themselves to be precipitated into rebellion by bold and reckless 
 leaders, some of whom are now demanding instant and uncondi- 
 tional admission to seats in the governing council of the nation. 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 R. E. FENTOK 
 To Messrs. F. A. Conkling, Francis A. Thomas, Owen W. Brennan, 
 John Fitch, Charles A. Dana, Committee. 
 
 His views upon the pending issues, were afterward ably- 
 maintained in a speech delivered at a large political 
 gathering in Jamestown, just prior to the election of I860. 
 An unerring test of the correctness of his opinions, and 
 the wisdom of his administration, is furnished in the fact 
 
16 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 that, during the late canvass, his opponents were utterly 
 unable to assail his official record, while his friends effect- 
 ively employed the same in his behalf. 
 
 Governor Fenton realizes that the people have made 
 him their Chief Magistrate, and that they look to him, and 
 to no other person, for the faithful discharge of the duties 
 of the responsible position. He 'is controlled by no clique 
 — he is the agent of no cabal. He patiently listens to all 
 who desire to consult him, and then follows the dictates 
 of his own good judgment. He has no prejudice so strong, 
 nor partiality so great as to lead him to do an unjust act. 
 
 He is a careful thinker and a hard worker. No man 
 ever labored more hours in the Executive Chamber than 
 he does. Whatever work engages his attention, he attends 
 to it personally, even to the minutest details. 
 
 In the character of Governor Fenton, extremes center : 
 though a decided radical in his convictions, there is just 
 enough conservatism about him to make him an entirely 
 s:if'e mini. Though a man of intense feelings and strong 
 prejudices, no man is more impartial and unbiased when a 
 duty is to be performed. There are few men whose minds 
 are as well balanced as his ; the strong points in his char- 
 acter are not neutralized by weak ones. 
 
 The Governor is a fearless man. Make it clear to him 
 that a thing ought to be done, and he will do it, no matter 
 who may advise differently ; and yet he will never do a 
 rash act. He is entirely open and frank in his intercourse 
 with men, and at the same time cautious and reserved : 
 though easy and unassuming in his manner, he is always 
 dignified and circumspect. In the generosity of his nature 
 he would grant every request that might be addressed to 
 him; but this is often impracticable; he cannot give 
 everybody an office; he cannot comply with the wishes of 
 all who make known their wants ; where there is a conflict 
 of opinion, he is obliged to act on his own responsibility; 
 
REUBEN E. FENTON. 17 
 
 and this he does without hesitation, and rarely makes a 
 mistake. He possesses a noble heart, and naturally sym- 
 pathizes with those who need assistance. During the late 
 war, he visited battle-fields on which our young men lay 
 weltering in blood, and hospitals to which they had been 
 conveyed, because he thought he might minister to their 
 comfort, and at least gladden their hearts ; nor could he 
 have done otherwise. His feelings as certainly take him to 
 places where a sympathetic word is a blessing, as the 
 needle turns to the pole. That the feelings of youth 
 survive in his manhood, and that he cherishes a warm 
 sympathy for childhood, is very pleasantly shown in a 
 letter acknowledging a testimonial of membership to the 
 American Sunday School Union, presented by the scholars 
 of a Sabbath School. In his reply to the Superintendent 
 he says : 
 
 " Thank the boys for me and tell them I shall place the gift in 
 my study, that I may never forget in the performance of the grave 
 duties to which I am called, that little children are taking note of 
 what I do, sure that if my conduct can be held up in commendation 
 to those of whom Christ says: 'Of such is the kingdom of Heaven,' 
 it will reach the highest standard of earthly merit." 
 
 Governor Fenton believes in doing good to all ; that 
 kind offices are rarely lost on any member of the human 
 family ; that they tend to make mankind better and hap- 
 pier. This is his religion, and he manifests it by acts 
 rather than words. More brilliant men may have occupied 
 the executive chair in our State, but it has been filled by 
 no more sagacious statesman, and by no more conscien- 
 tious man, and such will be the verdict of those who shall 
 impartially write a history of the times wherein we live. 
 3 
 
STEWART L. WOODFORD, 
 
 LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR. 
 
 Lieutenant-Governor Woodford is a native of the 
 metropolis of New York, where he was born in the year 
 1835. 
 
 His father, Josiah C. Woodford, was from Hartford 
 county, Connecticut ; his mother, from Suffolk county, 
 Long Island, in this State. 
 
 He was a boy of good promise, whose success in life was 
 foreshadowed by his industry and tenacity of purpose. 
 Before he was fifteen years of age, he entered the Fresh- 
 man Class of the Columbia College, from which he grad- 
 uated with high honors in 1854. He then turned his 
 attention to the study of law in the office of Brown, Hall 
 & Vanderpool, at New York, and was admitted to the 
 bar in 1857. 
 
 As a lawyer, Mr. Woodford was popular and successful, 
 and almost immediately took a prominent place among 
 the younger members of his profession. 
 
 In the year 18G0, he was a delegate to the convention at 
 Chicago, which nominated Abraham Lincoln for the 
 Presidency. On his return, he entered into the canvass 
 with great spirit, and worked unceasingly for the Repub- 
 lican cause. His eloquence was heard from the rostrum, 
 and his energies were felt in private councils in behalf of 
 the great interests which he was willing subsequently to 
 defend in the held. It was his jDrivilege, after that mem- 
 orable canvass, to convey the vote of the Electoral College 
 of New York, to Washington. Closely following the 
 honor thus conferred upon him, was his election as Chair- 
 man of the Young Men's Republican Committee, of the 
 City of New York. 
 
STEWART L. WOODFORD. 19 
 
 In April, 1861, Mr. Woodford was appointed Assistant 
 United States Attorney, for the Southern District of New 
 York. This was an office of importance, requiring a high 
 order of abilities for the proper discharge of its weighty 
 duties ; and Mr. Woodford filled it in an unexceptionable 
 manner. After the breaking out of the rebellion, the 
 blockade of the Southern ports rendered necessary the 
 creation of a bureau in that office, for the legal prosecu- 
 tion of the vast number of naval captures made by the 
 government/ This bureau was placed in charge of Mr. 
 Woodford, whose industry, aided by natural talent and 
 keen discrimination, enabled himjto successfully present to 
 the court the intricate questions arising for adjudication. 
 
 In 1862, after the gloomy retreat of McClellast across 
 the Peninsula, a general feeling of the necessity of renewed 
 action and sacrifice, pervaded the hearts of the people. 
 Mr. Woodford hastened to obey the common impulse, 
 resigned his lucrative office, and enlisted for the war as a 
 private. He was immediately elected captain of his 
 company, which was assigned to the 127th regiment New 
 York Volunteers, under Col. William Gurney. Before 
 leaving for the front, he was again promoted to a Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonelcy. About this time, he removed his resi- 
 dence to Brooklyn. The winter of 1862-3 was spent by 
 his regiment in and around Washington, which was then 
 threatened by the rebel forces ; but the life of comparative 
 inaction was interrupted by the siege of Suffolk Va., by 
 General Loxgstreet. Colonel Woodford's command 
 was sent to Suffolk, and subsequently to the Peninsula, 
 under General Dix. He afterward served in the 11th 
 Corps, and was then transferred to the department of the 
 South where he won for himself distinguished military 
 honors. 
 
 When General Gillmore began his extensive operations 
 against Charleston, Colonel Woodford, with his regiment, 
 
20 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 took a prominent part in them. In the spring of 1864, he 
 commanded the several forts on Morris Island, which 
 shelled the city of Charleston so destructively. During 
 the summer of that year, he acted as Judge-Advocate- 
 General of the department of the South, and, in the early 
 autumn, was intrusted with the supervision of the exchange 
 of prisoners at Charleston Harbor. But staff duty was 
 not congenial to his taste, and as Sherman neared the 
 coast, he applied for leave to rejoin his regiment, and par- 
 ticipate in the operations undertaken by General Foster, 
 against the Charleston and Savannah Railroad. His 
 request was granted, and he was actively engaged in the 
 movements which followed. 
 
 At the battle of Honey Hill, Coosawhatchie and Tula- 
 finny, his bravery was conspicuous, and received marked 
 commendation from his superiors. His men were always 
 willing to follow Avhere their plucky colonel led. 
 
 Just before the surrender of Lee, and after active 
 movements had ceased on the coast, Colonel Woodford 
 was appointed Provost-Marshal-General of the Southern 
 Department ; and, a short time after, was made the first 
 Military Governor of Charleston. It was in this city that 
 the rebellion was conceived and born. The populace, at 
 the time of the breaking up of the gigantic cabal, were 
 filled with hatred and disloyalty. The aristocratic South- 
 rons illy submitted to the dictation of a Northern man. 
 Disloyal citizens on the one hand, and rebel deserters and 
 <l<'sj>(>radoes on the other, smouldering buildings, half- 
 famished and homeless families, the absence of civil law, 
 and a chaotic state of society, all conspired to bring into 
 play the highest order of administrative capabilities. 
 
 Under the authority of Colonel Woodford, these vol- 
 canic elements were harmonized, much to the delight of 
 those who had suffered by the reign of terror. By his 
 courteous, but iron firmness, he soon convinced even the 
 
STEWART L. WOODFORD. 21 
 
 disloyal that the best course for them was to submit quietly 
 to the authority of the Military Governor, who had been 
 placed over them by an outraged but vindicated govei'n- 
 ment. Order was restored so perfectly at last, that ten 
 thousand colored people, in the celebration of the Emanci- 
 pation Proclamation, and weeks before the surrender of 
 Lee, marched triumphantly through the principal streets 
 of the city, with the flag of the Republic floating over 
 them, with banners inscribed with mottoes commemorative 
 of the termination of their bondage, and bearing a coffin 
 emblematic of the death and burial of slavery. It is not 
 to be supposed that the citizens relished this demonstra- 
 tion, but the cool decision of Governor Woodford awed 
 them into a state of outward submission ; and they well 
 knew, that any molestation would have drawn upon them- 
 selves summary punishment. 
 
 For the remarkable administrative abilities displayed at 
 this important junctm*e, he was made Chief of Staff, by 
 Major-General Gillmore. While the city of Charleston 
 was under Colonel Woodford's command, order prevailed 
 on all sides ; the loyalist felt safe in the enjoyment of his 
 privileges, and the secessionist was forced to admit that 
 the colonel manifested tenacity of purpose to administer 
 justice to all. It was while acting in this capacity that 
 he was commissioned Brigadier-General by brevet, for 
 meritorious services. 
 
 Subsequently, he succeeded the gallant General Grover 
 in command of the city of Savannah ; and his administra- 
 tion in that city was also a complete success. 
 
 Among the distinguishing acts of his course, was the 
 practical assistance which he gave to the negroes in found- 
 ing their schools and churches. On every hand he saw 
 hundreds of colored people eager to be taught. They 
 were a distinct and peculiar race that had been shut out 
 from educational advantages for many generations ; and 
 
22 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 he determined that every possible avenue should now be 
 opened to them. How successfully he accomplished his 
 purpose, the gratitude of the negroes testifies. He rees- 
 tablished the police force, relighted the streets, and demon- 
 strated that he was not only bravely just to the blacks, 
 but wise and energetic in his management of all the civil 
 affairs of the important city that had been confided to his 
 control. 
 
 General Woodford subsequently reassumed the position 
 of Chief of Staff to the Department Commander ; and in 
 August, 1S65, resigned his commission, and returning to 
 his home in Brooklyn, resumed the practice of the law. 
 
 In October of the same year, he was unanimously nomi- 
 nated by the Republican party in New York city as their 
 candidate for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas ; but 
 he decided not to change his residence from Brooklyn 
 (to which city he had moved his family soon after he 
 entered the army), and declined the nomination. 
 
 In the autumn of 18G6, and after a canvass in which he 
 visited nearly every county in the State, General Wood- 
 ford was elected Lieutenant-Governor of New York, by 
 the Union Republican party, receiving a majority of 15,024 
 votes. The Democratic party were confident of the success 
 of their candidate, Mr. Pruyst, but the ballot of the peo- 
 ple gave a sweeping verdict in favor of General Woodford. 
 
 The Lieutenant-Governor combines, with an agreeable 
 appearanceand pleasing address, the graces and polish of 
 a gentleman. He is a. cultivated scholar, and a close and 
 logical lawyer. His eloquence is of the highest order, 
 and liis presence before an audience is strangely magnetic, 
 as thousands can testify who have heard him from the 
 political rostrum and in the court-room. 
 
 He is the youngest man that has ever been President of 
 the Senate of New York, being now but thirty-one years 
 of acre. 
 
FRANCIS C. BARLOW, 
 
 SECRETARY OP STATE. 
 
 A slight, almost delicate form, yet as closely knit as 
 that of a deer ; a pair of strange, grey eyes ; a well-devel- 
 oped, classical head, a firm expressive mouth, giving the 
 features, in repose, an air of sadness ; and you have an 
 outline of General Barlow's physique. Francis C. Bar- 
 low was born in Brooklyn, New York, on the 19th of 
 October, 1834, of New England parentage. When he was 
 two years of age, his parents removed to Massachusetts, in 
 the vicinity of Boston, Avhere, with the exception of tAVO 
 years spent in New Hampshire, he resided until he entered 
 Harvard. He prepared for college at one of the institu- 
 tions in Cambridge, and was matriculated at Harvard in 
 1851. During his collegiate course he was distinguished 
 for his fine scholarship, graduating with the honors of his 
 class, in July, 1855. In the month of September follow- 
 ing, he went to the city of New York, where he was very 
 successfully engaged in teaching private classes, for the 
 purpose of preparing young men for college and the count- 
 ing-room. In the autumn of 185G, Mr. Barlow entered 
 the law office of William Curtis Noyes, Esq., where he 
 remained until the spring of 1857. He was then employed 
 as a clerk by Messrs. Wheatox & Livingston, attorneys 
 and counselors-at-law, also reporting law cases for the 
 "Tribune," and Avas admitted to the bar in 1858. In the 
 month of January, 1859, he formed a partnership with 
 George Bliss, Jr., which, in all of its relations, was most 
 satisfactory to both parties. But the professional duties 
 of his life were interrupted by the rebellion, in 1803. The 
 very day which heralded the news of the assault on Sum- 
 ter, found him ready, at almost a moment's warning, to 
 
24 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 leave his business and his home, in order to defend the 
 principles which had found such deep root in his heart. 
 He hated servitude in all of its forms ; and he loved, both 
 by nature and education, all the foundation precepts of 
 liberty in their highest and broadest sense; and he was 
 prepared to go beyond the simple entertainment of these 
 noble views ; he was willing to make any sacrifice, how- 
 ever great, in order to maintain the eternal justice of the 
 nation's cause. 
 
 Although his friends knew how deeply he cherished his 
 opinions, yet they were unprepared for his announcement 
 that he would enter the ranks as a private soldier. He 
 had bright prospects ahead in his profession ; but, though 
 his attention was directed to them, he saw, above all, the 
 danger of the country. 
 
 "Wait," said some of his friends, "and we will get a 
 commission for you." 
 
 " A commission for me ? " Avas his inquiry. " I never 
 handled a gun in my life ! " 
 
 Without any further ceremony, he joined the 12th 
 State Militia, on the 20th of April, 1861, which went out 
 for three months. There was no flourish about this act. 
 In an unostentatious manner, Mr. Barlow was enrolled as 
 a private ; and, in the same quiet and determined way, he 
 commenced a proud record. The next day, his regiment 
 departed for Washington, in defense of the capital. While 
 there in camp, he applied himself, in an assiduous manner, 
 to the study of military treatises. Every leisure moment 
 found him, book in hand, mastering the tactics. At the 
 end of three or four weeks, he accepted the position of 
 First Lieutenant, offered him by Colonel Butterfield, who 
 fully appreciated his merits. 
 
 At the expiration of the period for which he had enlisted, 
 he returned to New York. But not feeling that his whole 
 duty to his country had been discharged, after the organ- 
 
FRANCIS C. BARLOW. 25 
 
 ization of the 61st regiment, New York Volunteers, he 
 was selected and appointed as its Lieutenant-Colonel ; and 
 thus opened another chapter in his military course. He 
 had commenced at the bottom of the ladder ; but he saw 
 what many so often fail to perceive, that all one has to 
 do is to put one foot above the other, and the ascent 
 must be sure. Moreover, he was not satisfied with being 
 competent for performing the duties of a lieutenant- 
 colonelcy. The same spirit that had, a short time before, 
 commenced to learn the simple evolutions of a company, 
 looked ahead, for beyond the elementary principles of the 
 science of war, to the grand sweep of brigades, divisions 
 and corps. 
 
 His regiment was assigned to General McClellan's 
 army; and during the autumn and winter months of 1861, 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Barlow was studying the tactics, as 
 he had leisure, with a resolute will. When the grand 
 army moved down in front of Yorktown he was promoted 
 to the rank of Colonel. 
 
 In a few days, transpired the fierce battle of Fair Oaks, 
 in which the valor of our soldiers was put to a severe 
 trial. During this engagement, Colonel Barlow's regi- 
 ment lost its color-bearer, and four of the color-guard ; and 
 General Howard, having lost an arm, gave the command 
 of his brigade to Colonel Barlow. He fearlessly led the 
 troops into the midst of the slaughter, now encouraging 
 by his words, now holding them firmly in their positions 
 by his authority and his presence, never permitting them 
 to swerve from points already gained. His bravery won 
 for him a single star upon his shoulder. He distinguished 
 himself in the same gallant manner during the bloody 
 " seven days' fight." The next conflict in which he took 
 a prominent part was at Antietam. On this occasion, he 
 was wounded in the breast and groin. His life was des- 
 paired of by the surgeons ; but his Avife, noble and faithful, 
 4 
 
26 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 nursed him with a womanly tenderness which saved his 
 life. As soon as he recovered, he led a brigade into the 
 bloody battle of Chancellorsville. When the waves of 
 the rebellion dashed upon the southern slopes of Pennsyl- 
 vania, General Barlow led the same brigade into the 
 horrible engagement. Without a twinge of physical fear, 
 in the midst of shell and cannon, he rode in front of the 
 line, inspiriting the troops, and exhorting them to remain 
 unyielding. Wheeling squadrons, carrying slaughter in 
 their courses, swept on like mighty engines of destruction, 
 and still the slight form of General Barlow was seen 
 dashing from one point of attack to another. At last, the 
 fearless rider fell from his horse, wounded by four musket- 
 balls. The great agony of the fight went on, and the 
 brave General lay on the field, exposed to the fire of friend 
 and foe. While in this condition, he was again twice 
 wounded. When night terminated the battle, he was 
 found by the rebel General Early, who, while passing- 
 over the field, discovered his rank by the star upon his 
 shoulder. Supposing him to be dead, General Early 
 paused with his staff officers, to ascertain his name, 
 remarking that nothing could be done for the dead Gene- 
 ral. Feebly raising his head, General Barlow gave 
 Early that terse, gritty reply, which was afterward, at 
 the battle of Spottsylvania Court House, so fully verified : 
 " I will live to fight you yet, General ! " 
 
 The assiduous attentions of Mrs. Barlow, who had 
 accompanied the army, succoring the wounded in hospital 
 and field, again brought her husband from the valley of 
 death. We would further add that this noble wife — a 
 most accomplished and beautiful woman — devoted herself 
 to the cause in hospital service, attending ujjon sick and 
 wounded men, who learned to Avhisper her name with the 
 reverence which attaches to a superior being. In this 
 work of heroic self-sacrifices, she contracted the hospital 
 
FRANCIS C. BARLOW*. 27 
 
 fever and died, as truly and nobly a martyr to country as 
 the bravest soldier who ever fell on battle-field. 
 
 Resuming his command in 1864, he participated in the 
 battles of the Wilderness. In one of these engagements 
 he captured a whole division of General Early's corps, 
 under the command of General Johxsox, and forty pieces 
 of artillery. The brilliancy of these exploits is unsur- 
 passed. In front of Petersburgh, he was promoted to a 
 Major-Generalship. Taking a prominent part in the 
 closing conflict before Richmond, he had the satisfaction 
 of seeing the great army of the Confederacy vanquished 
 by the determined legions of the North. 
 
 In the autumn of 1865, General Barlow was nominated 
 by the Union party of the State of New York, as candi- 
 date for the office of Secretary of State, against General 
 Slocum, who had been nominated by the Democrats. All 
 will remember the exciting canvass of that campaign. 
 Every important point of the great issue was discussed 
 from the rostrum, in city and hamlet ; and both parties 
 bent all their energies to the accomplishment of a success- 
 ful finale. The result was the election of General Bar- 
 low by a majority of 27,491. 
 
 Prompt in his executive abilities, he performs his official 
 duties in the same decisive manner which he displayed in 
 the army. He remains firm to the rights which he defended 
 with his sword; and the laconic force of his orders on the 
 battle-field, characterizes the expression of his political 
 opinions. 
 
THOMAS HILLHOUSE, 
 
 COMPTROLLER. 
 
 Thomas Hillhouse, the present Comptroller, is de- 
 scended from one of the most honorable and distinguished 
 families in the country. Its first representative in the 
 United States, an Irish Protestant minister, settled in 
 New England, in 1720. 
 
 His eldest son, William, held important positions under 
 the Colonial Government of Connecticut, and, after the 
 Revolution, was a member of the Council, or Upper House 
 of the Legislating, and a County Judge. He married 
 Sarah Griswold, sister of the first Governor of Connec- 
 ticut, of that name. Of the six sons of William, James, 
 the eldest, was a member of Congress from 1790 to 1796, 
 and was then elected to the Senate of the United States, 
 in which body he served with distinction, and without 
 interruption, until 1810, when he resigned to take charge 
 of the Connecticut School Fund, of which he had been 
 appointed Commissioner. On the election of Mr. Jeffer- 
 son as President, he succeeded him as President of the 
 Senate. 
 
 Thomas, the youngest of the sons of William, and 
 father of the Comptroller, emigrated to the State of New 
 York in 1801, and established himself in business at what 
 was then the village of Troy. A few years later, he pur- 
 chased a farm, in the adjoining county of Albany, to 
 which he removed in 1810. It was here that the subject 
 of this sketch was born, March 10th, 1817. His boyhood 
 may be dismissed with the remark, that it was made up 
 of the usual incidents falling to the lot of persons in his 
 situation of life. At the age of eighteen, while preparing 
 for college, he was called home by the death of his father, 
 
THOMAS HILLHOUSE. 29 
 
 to take charge of his affairs. Abandoning all thoughts of 
 a profession, he devoted himself sedulously to the manage- 
 ment of the family property. For the next ten years he 
 was widely known as an enthusiastic, hard-working, and 
 influential farmer, serving, for several years, as an efficient 
 officer of the State Agricultural Society, and regularly 
 attending its public exhibitions. In 1851, he removed to 
 Geneva, in the county of Ontario, where, with the excep- 
 tion of the time occupied in public duties, he has since 
 resided. 
 
 The subsequent connection of Mr. Hillhouse with public 
 affairs, grew out of the course of President Buchanan's 
 administration on the question of the extension of slavery 
 over the free Territories of the West. It was this consid- 
 eration that determined many thoughtful men, not before 
 actively connected with the political organizations of the 
 day, to unite in a determined effort for the overthrow 
 of the dominant party. In the Presidential campaign of 
 185G, Mr. Hillhouse took a conspicuous part, and it was 
 to his active labors at that time, in the county of his resi- 
 dence, that he owed his election to the State Senate in 
 1859. The attention of the Legislature, the following year, 
 was principally occupied with questions of local concern ; 
 and the sound practical wisdom which Mr. Hillhouse 
 brought to the consideration of the various and complicated 
 interests of the State, soon gave him a commanding influ- 
 ence in that body. Before the assembling of the Senate, 
 in January, 1861, the plot for the dissolution of the Union 
 had been developed, and it had become apparent to the 
 most incredulous minds that the country would soon be in 
 the throes of a revolution. It was under the full convic- 
 tion that the storm could not be averted, that Mr. Hill- 
 house, on the first day of the session, moved a resolution 
 for the appointment of a Select Committee on National 
 Affairs ; and, as Chairman of that Committee, he subse- 
 
30 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 quently brought in an able report, denouncing the course 
 of the Southern States as a revolutionary attempt to sub- 
 vert the government, which, if persisted in, was to be met 
 by a coercion of arms, and declaring that the State of New 
 York was prepared to support the General Government 
 with her material as well as her moral power. But the 
 march of events was more rapid than the proceedings of 
 Legislative bodies, and the report and accompanying reso- 
 lutions were still under consideration when the attack on 
 Sumter called the people to arms, and transferred the 
 questions at issue, from the arena of debate to the arbitra- 
 ment of the sword. 
 
 The Legislature adjourned on the 17th of April, 1861; 
 and, in July of that year, the position of Adjutant-General 
 of the State was tendered to Mr. Hillhouse, and he at once 
 accepted it. In entering upon the discharge of its duties, 
 without previous experience, he manifested his faith in the 
 proposition that much of the mystery which unprofessional 
 minds attach to a subject, exists only in the imagination, 
 and that a determined purpose will go far to remove the 
 most formidable difficulties. 
 
 It is almost impossible to over-estimate the value of 
 the labors of Adjutant-General Hillhouse, to the State 
 and the nation. He strove with an assiduity and ability 
 rarely equaled in the public service, to infuse into the 
 organization of the military arm of the State, thorough 
 efficiency and preparation for the work in hand. That he 
 succeeded, the valor and exploits of the volunteers from 
 the State of New York in the national army, fully 
 attest. 
 
 The connection of Mr. Hillhouse with the military 
 service, terminated with the close of Governor Morgan's 
 second term; and he was without official employment, 
 from that time until 1865, when he was elected to the 
 office he now holds. 
 
THOMAS HILLHOUSE. 31 
 
 He has held the office of Comptroller for one year, but, 
 in that time, he has manifested his eminent ability and 
 great fitness for the position. He brings to the discharge 
 of its arduous duties, a breadth of comprehension and thor- 
 ough appreciation of the interests, dignity and well-being 
 of a great State, which preeminently entitle him to the 
 appellation — a statesman. His paper on the sources of 
 revenue and the powers of the State and national govern- 
 ment, indicates a capacity for usefulness in the public 
 service, rarely surpassed. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Hilliiouse has acted with the Repub- 
 lican party from its earliest history. Being a firm believer 
 in the supremacy of the government of the United States, 
 and convinced that it is clothed with the most ample 
 powers to meet every emergency in public affairs, he was 
 enabled to give to the extraordinary measures of that 
 government, during the war, an intelligent and valuable 
 support, all the more earnest that it was not inconsistent 
 with his honest convictions as to the extent of its juris- 
 diction. Some time before the passage of the act of Con- 
 gress " To enroll the national forces," he had expressed the 
 opinion that, as an incident to the power " to raise and 
 support armies," Congress could adopt the means of com- 
 pulsory service ; and, after the passage of the act, he 
 defended it in a series of articles, widely circulated, which 
 went very far toward settling the controversy. These 
 articles were quoted in Congress, and everywhere referred 
 to as disposing of a subject which had provoked much 
 bitter discussion. 
 
JOSEPH HOW LAND, 
 
 STATE TREASURER. 
 
 Joseph Howland was born in the city of New York, 
 on the 3d of December, 1834. He is the son of Samuel 
 Howland, Esq., of the firm of Howland & Aspinwall. 
 His mother was the daughter of the late John Hone, 
 Esq., a distinguished merchant of the city of New York. 
 His lineage can be traced directly to the Puritans, his 
 ancestor, John Howland, being one of the earnest adven- 
 turers Avho embarked in the Mayflower. 
 
 General Howland received all the advantages of a lib- 
 eral education, through private schools and tutors; and also 
 enjoyed the privileges of nine years of travel in Europe 
 and America. Being of a delicate constitution, he sought 
 to improve his health by retirement from city life ; there- 
 fore, about ten years ago, he removed to a farm, on the 
 east bank of the Hudson, a little north of the Highlands, 
 in the town of Fishkill, where he has an extended view 
 of mountain and river scenery, and where the invigorating 
 air has done very much to render him more robust and 
 healthy. There he is engaged in the cultivation of his 
 extensive lands, and in various works of improvement, to 
 the supervision of which he devotes a large portion of his 
 time, when not engaged in official duties. There, in the 
 enjoyment of an ample fortune, and the society of his 
 estimable wife (who was the daughter of Charles W. 
 "Woolsev, Esq., of New York city), surrounded by every- 
 thing calculated to render life attractive, he seeks to make 
 himself useful by relieving the wants of the poor, and 
 doing much to promote the public welfare. He has 
 erected, in the vicinity of his residence, upon the site of 
 the former district school house, an edifice of rare archi- 
 
JOSEPH HOWLAND. 33 
 
 tcctural beauty, a portion of which is designed as a 
 school house for the district, and the remainder as a chapel 
 for public worship. This building cost over fourteen 
 thousand dollars. In it, assembles, every Sabbath, a large 
 Sunday School, of which General Howlaxd is the Super- 
 intendent ; and there religious services are regularly held. 
 
 When the rebel organization first made an assault upon 
 one of the United States forts, Mr. Howl and was ani- 
 mated by a feeling of exalted patriotism. His first and 
 strongest impulse was to offer his seiwices in defense of his 
 country. And what wonder that he did so? What 
 wonder that the Puritan blood coursed through its chan- 
 nels with indignation, when the Union was betrayed and 
 insulted ? His whole lineage had been uncompromisingly 
 true to the Republic : could he prove false to the pure sen- 
 timents of his forefathers ? He had an attractive home, 
 made dear to him by many associations, and presided over 
 by a refined and intelligent wife ; he possessed a large for- 
 tune, which afforded him means for gratifying his tastes ; 
 he had occupations which were congenial to him ; and, he 
 was the center of hosts of friends. Many persons would 
 have preferred to have simply used their wealth in behalf 
 of their country — and with great credit, too — but Mr. 
 Rowland and his wife recognized the priceless worth of 
 our institutions, and they were willing to forego the 
 enjoyments which had so long been at their command, 
 and to consecrate themselves, as well as their wealth, to the 
 aid of their government. Therefore, the husband bound 
 on the equipage for military service, and the wife donned 
 the costume appropriate for a woman who was willing 
 to spend long, th'esome hours in the hospital wards. 
 
 Mr. Howland first entered the service, on the 10th of 
 May, 1861, in the capacity of Adjutant of the 16th Regi- 
 ment, New York Volunteers, Colonel Da vies command- 
 ing ; and subsequently served as Acting Adjutant-General. 
 
34 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 His military abilities were soon tested, in the calamitous 
 conflict of Bull Run, in July, 1861, on which occasion he 
 exhibited qualities of coolness in changing the troops from 
 point to point, which compared favorably with the acts of 
 veteran soldiers. On the 16th of September, 1861, he was 
 commissioned Assistant Adjutant-General of Volunteers, 
 ranking as Captain. On the promotion of Colonel Davies, 
 which took place on the 7th of March, 1862, Captain 
 Howl and was appointed Colonel of the 16th Regiment 
 N. Y. Vols. There was an unanimous desire, on the part 
 of the officers of the regiment, that this promotion should 
 be made, and Generals Slocum and Franklin added their 
 hearty recommendations. Sometimes men are tried soon 
 after they are placed in new positions ; and it is these 
 sudden emergencies which demonstrate whether or not a 
 person is equal to fiery ordeals. Not long after he took 
 command of the 16th Regiment, the battle of West Point 
 was fought, in which his regiment was engaged through- 
 out the day. Amid the slaughter and din of the san- 
 guinary conflict, his men remained unyielding, filled with 
 confidence in their leader. 
 
 Three or four months after this, at the battle of Gaines' 
 Mill, his regiment was stationed at a dangerous point. 
 Occupying the right of the line, it was very much exposed 
 during the engagement; but Colonel Howland daunt- 
 lessly led his men into the hottest of the fight. The 
 enemy had taken two of our guns, but they were not per- 
 mit ted to hold them any great length of time, for Colonel 
 Howland charged with his regiment, and retook them at 
 greal hazard. In the effort, he was severely wounded ; 
 but, though painfully exhausted, it was not until the close 
 of the battle that he left his saddle. This wound totally 
 unfitted him for active duty; and his otherwise failing 
 health compelled him to return home. But the call of his 
 country was still ringing in his ears ; and, against the 
 
JOSEPH HOWL AND. 35 
 
 judgment of his friends, he soon returned to the scenes of 
 war. It was apparent, however, that his physical system 
 was so impaired, that he could not bear the fatigue inci- 
 dent to camp life. Therefore, he was obliged, with many 
 regrets, to resign his position in the army, where he had 
 acquired many friends, and to return to the quiet of civil 
 life. His regiment had the most unlimited confidence in 
 him, upon all occasions, and found in him, a friend whose 
 generous heart was full of sympathy for them. It is well 
 known that, in the early months of the war, the govern- 
 ment was unable to furnish all necessary articles to the 
 soldiers. Colonel Rowland met this want by supplying 
 his men with gaiters and rubber blankets, purchased at his 
 own expense ; and, when his connection with the army 
 ceased, he still remembered the soldiers in the field, and 
 forwarded to them articles for their comfort and relief. 
 His brilliant military record was duly recognized by Presi- 
 dent Lincoln, who commissioned him Brigadier-General, 
 for gallantry at the battle of Gaines' Mill, his commission 
 to date from March 4th, 1864. We would mention the 
 regard and kindness displayed by his noble wife, who took 
 upon herself the duties of the hospitals, with all the hero- 
 ism of a brave and Christian woman. 
 
 General Howland has always ranked as a sound Repub- 
 lican. He was elected, by his party, as State Treasurer, 
 in November, 1865. He has never been an office-seeker; 
 and the position which he now holds so creditably, was 
 urged upon him by his political friends, strictly upon his 
 personal merits. During the period in which he has been 
 in office, he has made numerous accessions of friends, for 
 none can know him but to admire him for his many vir- 
 tues. Easy and affable in his manner, possessing excellent 
 social qualities, he renders every one happy in his pres- 
 ence, and commands the respect of the people, by his 
 unstained integrity. 
 
JOHN H. MARTINDALE, 
 
 ATTORNEY-GENERAL. 
 
 John Henry Martindale was Tborn at Sandy Hill, in 
 the county of Washington, N. Y., on the 20th of March, 
 1815. His father, the Hon. Henry C. Martindale, 
 was a native of Berkshire county, Massachusetts, a dis- 
 tinguished citizen of the county of Washington, a man of 
 literary tastes and culture, and of liberal education, by 
 profession a lawyer, holding at intervals various public 
 stations in the county, and for ten years a member of 
 Congress from the Washington district, during the admin- 
 istrations of Presidents Monroe, John Quincy Adams 
 and Jackson. His mother, born in Manchester, Vermont 
 — whose maiden name was Minerva Hitchcock — was a 
 daughter of John Hitchcock, Esq., who, with his brothers 
 Ashel, Isaac and Zira, settled in the town of Kingsbury, 
 Washington county, near the conclusion of the revolu- 
 tionary war. The burial ground in Kingsbury, set apart 
 for the purpose by John Hitchcock, and where his 
 remains and those of his father, and brothers Ashel and 
 Isaac, and many of their descendants for four generations 
 are now reposing, was long known in the neighborhood 
 as " Squire John's Lot.'''' 
 
 Mr. Martindale is a graduate of the Military Academy 
 at West Point, having entered there in 1831, and gradu- 
 ated with distinction, being third in his class, in 1835. He 
 entered the army as Second Lieutenant on leaving the 
 Academy, but resigned in March of the following year, to 
 engage in more active pursuits. He immediately com- 
 menced the study of the law, and in July, 1838, was 
 admitted to the bar, and engaged in practice in Batavia, 
 New York. In 1840 he was married, at Batavia, to Eme- 
 
JOHN H. MARTINDALE. 37 
 
 line M. Holden, a daughter of Hinman Holden, Esq., 
 one of the pioneers of Western New York, and for a long 
 time a resident and a highly respected and influential citi- 
 zen of Genesee county. In 1842, he was appointed District 
 Attorney of Genesee county by the Court of Common 
 Pleas, and held that office for the three following years. 
 In 1847, at the first election under the new Constitution 
 of 1846, he was chosen to the same office, and held it until 
 the 1st of January, 1851. In the spring of 1851, he 
 removed to the city of Rochester, and successfully prose- 
 cuted his profession there, until the outbreak of the recent 
 rebellion, when he promptly tendered his services to the 
 Government, and was commissioned, in August, 1861, 
 Brigadier-General of Volunteers, and Avas assigned to the 
 command of the First Brigade of General Fitz John 
 Porter's Division. His two brothers. Colonel Edward 
 Martindale and Brevet Major F. E. Martindale, and 
 his son, Lieutenant Edavard H. Martindale — composing 
 every adult male member of his family — followed him 
 into the military service. During the long period of 
 inactivity following the battle of Bull Run, Genei-al Mar- 
 tindale was diligently engaged in instructing and dis- 
 ciplining his Brigade. When, at length, the campaign was 
 opened at Yorktown, he, with his command, took part in 
 all the battles and encounters which occurred on the Pen- 
 insula, in the disastrous summer of 1862. At Yorktown, 
 Hanover Court House, Gaines' Mill and Mechanicsville, 
 the Brigade of General Martindale was conspicuous for 
 the skillful manner in which it was handled, for its rapid 
 movements to points of danger, and its great efficiency. 
 
 His Brigade consisted, at various times, of Massachusetts, 
 New York, Maine and Michigan regiments. The 18th 
 and 22d Massachusetts, the 13th and 25th New York, the 
 2d Maine and the 1st Michigan, being commanded by him 
 before the ending of the Peninsula campaign. With the 
 
38 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Army of the Potomac, he and his Brigade lay waiting in 
 the works before Washington, during the long inactivity 
 of 1861 ; and with them he marched and fought upon the 
 Peninsula, from Yorktown to Malvern and Harrison's Bar. 
 In all that series of encounters, he bore an active part, 
 especially at Yorktown, Hanover Court House, Gaines' 
 Mill, Mechanicsville and Malvern. His Brigade endu- 
 red its full share of exposure and struggle. 
 
 At the battle of Hanover Court House, he showed 
 marked military capacity. He took the dangerous respons- 
 ibility of disposing his troops and putting them in peril- 
 ous position, contrary to the orders of his superior officer. 
 For while actually engaged fighting with the enemy, he 
 received from General Fitz John" Porter, an order to 
 retire and move toward the Court House, where the rest 
 of General Porter's command had proceeded. It being 
 manifest, however, that the Commanding General was 
 entirely mistaken in the " situation " of the enemy, and 
 that obedience to his orders would leave the whole line of 
 march open to assault against the rear and left flank of the 
 Union column, he remained with one regiment (the 2d 
 Maine) to cover the line, and confront the whole force of 
 the enemy. In this position, he was joined by a regiment 
 (the 44th New York) which he had left behind to guard 
 the approach of the enemy by a curving road, and which 
 was then moving toward the Court House quite uncon- 
 scious that General Porter had ordered his whole rear 
 to be left exposed, and had thereby actually interposed, 
 between that regiment and his main force, more than 4,000 
 of the enemy. General Martindale Avas here joined by a 
 fragment of the 25th New York, under Colonel Johnson, 
 and two pieces of artillery, and by fortunate disposition 
 of his force — not exceeding, all told, 1,000 men — held the 
 whole strength of the enemy at bay, for nearly two hours. 
 This was the only serious and perilous fighting in that 
 
JOHN H. MARTIXDALE. 39 
 
 battle ; for when, at length, the main body of General 
 Porter's command returned to the battle-field from the 
 Court House (a distance of about four miles), the prepon- 
 derance of force was so much in our favor, that the enemy 
 scarcely offered a serious resistance, and was soon put to 
 rout. 
 
 Major-General Griffix, conspicuous in the campaign of 
 the Peninsula, writes as follows of General Martixdale : 
 
 ' : Before Torktown; at Hanover, where we gained a complete 
 victory (and the entire success was due to his exertions and judg- 
 ment alone) ; at Gaines' Mill, where I recollect his earnest objec- 
 tions to the positions of the different arms of service, and where, I 
 believe, had the Commanding Officer listened to the proposed changes, 
 the result would have been different; again, at Malvern, where his 
 command was ably handled ; at these battles, from my own per- 
 sonal observation of his conduct, comes my expressions of con- 
 fidence." 
 
 On the retreat from Malvern to Harrison's Bar, which 
 happened in the night-time, and after a successful battle, 
 a circumstance happened which led to unpleasant con- 
 sequences. The army at Malvern had won a decided vic- 
 tor}'. At nightfall they rested on their arms ; but, in the 
 dead of night, they were aroused by the order to retreat. 
 It was a black and rainy night. The fact was known and 
 reported that the Commanding General of the army was 
 on board of a gunboat, but subordinate commanders were 
 not informed of the cause for the retreat, nor to what 
 point they were to go, unless it might be Fortress Monroe 
 itself. In the confusion of so sudden and so unexpected a 
 retreat, the wounded and dying were left on the field, and 
 many of the commands were titterly scattered. 
 
 General Martixdale remained halted at the head of his 
 column for two hours, endeavoring to preserve order ; but, 
 at length, finding it impossible, gave the command to 
 move forward. The largest part of his command in his 
 
40 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 rear, without his knowledge, had already been started for- 
 ward in the darkness, and was far in advance of him, by- 
 command of a superior officer. He found himself immedi- 
 ately mixed up in entire confusion in the promiscuous rout. 
 Excited and indignant at this disorder and apparent deser- 
 tion of the wounded, he exclaimed to some of his asso- 
 ciate officers in language to. this effect : " Let us stay with 
 the men and surrender, rather than abandon them." 
 
 The retreat, however, was continued. On arriving at 
 Harrison's Bar, he was taken sick with typhoid fever, 
 owing to long exposure and want of food. In that con- 
 dition he was brought to Washington, and lay there, 
 hovering between life and death, at the house of a friend, 
 from the middle of July till the latter part of August. 
 During that time, while lying thus helpless, charges were 
 preferred against him by General Fitz Johi* Porter, that 
 he proposed to surrender his Brigade to the enemy on 
 the retreat from Malvern. Whether these charges were 
 founded in malice or not, they entirely perverted the 
 whole idea of his sudden and unpremeditated expression 
 on that occasion. Immediately upon recovering from his 
 sickness, he demanded a court of inquiry at Washington. 
 This court, composed of three general officers of the 
 highest standing, entirely and promptly exonerated him 
 from the charges, and reported that they were disjyroved 
 by the prosecutor's own evidence. 
 
 The Administration, immediately after, as if to mark 
 their approbation of his conduct, appointed him Military 
 Governor of Washington, a position of critical respons- 
 ibility, and one requiring both military and civil ability 
 of :i peculiar character. 
 
 He was subsequently breveted Major-General of Volun- 
 teers by commission from the President and Senate, for 
 gallant conduct at the battle of Malvern Hill. He was 
 appointed to the position oi.' Military Governor, in Novem- 
 
JOHX H. MARTINDALE. 41 
 
 ber, 1862, and held the balances between the rival juris- 
 dictions, civil and military of the city, with an equal, a 
 firm, and an instructed hand, until the first of May, 1864, 
 when he was relieved at his own request, and ordered to 
 join the Army of the James, at Fortress Monroe, under 
 the command of Major-General Butler. 
 
 At the movement of this army toward Petersburgh, 
 General Martindale was placed in command of a 
 division, and participated in the battle of Swift Creek, 
 and in the movement toward Richmond, and the battle of 
 Drury's Bluff or Proctor's Creek. He moved with his 
 division, being the second of the 18th Corps, under Gen- 
 eral W. F. Smith, and joined the Army of the Potomac, 
 on the 1st of June, 1864, at Cold Harbor. He entered 
 immediately into the action at that place, on that day, 
 and was also in the engagements which continued there, 
 at intervals, until the 12th of June. In the severe assault 
 of the 3d of June, he was in the thickest of the battle 
 with his division, and much exposed — one-third of his 
 command being killed or wounded within the space of an 
 hour. He moved from Cold Harbor with the 18th Corps, 
 in advance of the Army of the Potomac, and was present 
 at the assault on Petersburgh, on the 15 th of June, when 
 the outer defenses northeast of that city, were carried 
 by the 18th Corps, under command of General Smith. 
 On the following day his division was again in action, 
 cooperating with the 9th Corps. On the 18th, he com- 
 manded a Provisional Corps, composed of two divisions 
 of the 18th, and McNeil's division of the 6th Corps, and 
 gained the advanced line on the Appomattox, held by our 
 forces until the final movement in the following spring. 
 On the retirement of General W. F. Smith, General Mar- 
 tindale took command of the 18th Army Corps, and 
 retained it till he was totally disabled by sickness, and was 
 compelled to relinquish his command and resign his com- 
 
42 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 mission. With what reluctance his resignation was 
 accepted, may be inferred from the following indorsement 
 by his Commanding General on his letter of resignation : 
 
 In tiie Field, August 9, 1864. 
 Approved with regret. I would wish that a brave, energetic and 
 efficient officer could be kept in the service. I trust his health may 
 be restored, and have, therefore, extended his leave of absence for 
 twenty days, trusting that in the mean time, with renewed health, 
 General Martixdale may recall his resignation. 
 
 BENJAMIN F. BUTLER, 
 
 Major- General Commanding. 
 
 Broken down by the labors and exposure of three years' 
 service, Gen. Martindale was compelled to retire; yet, in 
 his retreat to civil life, he was mindful of his country's 
 welfare, and lifted up his voice for the reelection of 
 Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency. On the 4th of 
 July, 1865, he addressed his fellow-townsmen at Roch- 
 ester, urging the adoption of the amendment of the 
 Constitution as the final destruction of slavery. 
 
 Before the formation of the Republican party, General 
 Martixdale was, like his father, a Whig and an enthusi- 
 astic admirer and supporter of " Harry Clay." He was 
 a member of the Convention which organized the Repub- 
 lican party, and has ever since cooperated with that party, 
 and been recognized as one of the earnest members of it. 
 He was elected Attorney-General of this State in Novem- 
 ber, 1865, and entered on the duties of the office on the 
 1st of January following. 
 
 General Martixdale ranks among the ablest laAvyers of 
 this State. His powers of analysis, his comprehensive 
 Legal knowledge and his familiarity with human nature, 
 combine 1<> render him a skillful attorney; and his 
 graceful delivery, his burning sarcasm and his artistic 
 delineations coupled with his appeal to the sympathies, 
 are all powerful aids which arc completely at his command. 
 
J. PLATT GOODSELL, 
 
 STATE ENGINEER AND SURVEYOR. 
 
 Mr. Goodsell is the eldest son of the late Dr. Thomas 
 Goodsell, and by his mother, who was a Livingston, he 
 is connected with the families of that name in the eastern 
 and other portions of this State. He was born at Utica, 
 Oneida county, New York, and has continued to be a 
 resident of that county to the present time. Mr. Goodsell 
 received his earlier education at the Utica Academy, and 
 completed his studies in Massachusetts, entering early in 
 life, into the practice of civil engineering. 
 
 His first service in connection with the public works of 
 the State, began in 1840, under the supervision of the late 
 distinguished engineer, Holmes Hutchinson, in the survey 
 for the enlargement of the Erie Canal, and extended 
 through the years 1841 and 1842. The years 1843 and 
 1844 were spent in Mobile, Alabama, for the benefit of his 
 health, which had become impaired. While in the South, 
 he occasionally practiced surveying and engineering. On 
 his return to his native State, he was appointed, in 1846, 
 by Nathaniel Jones, who was Canal Commissioner at 
 that time, as Second Assistant Engineer, and in 184G, 
 under the new Constitution, on the active resumption of 
 the public works, was promoted through the several grades 
 of Assistant. In 1 850 he Avas appointed Resident Engineer, 
 to be located at Albany. His labors, at this point, for the 
 enlargement of the Erie Canal, and the plans which he 
 originated and adopted for a cheaper class of mechanical 
 structures, especially those of the aqueducts of the Mohawk 
 Valley, are all well known to the profession. 
 
 Major Goodsell was removed from the office of Resi- 
 dent Engineer, on account of political changes, in 1853, 
 
44 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 and during the same year, was appointed Chief Engineer 
 of the Cape Fear and Deep River Railroad, in North 
 Carolina. He was constantly engaged in the surveys, 
 locations and constructions of that road during 1854, 1855, 
 and 1856. While thus employed, he was, without solici- 
 tation on his part, appointed hy the Canal Board, Division 
 Engineer on the New York State Canals, being located, 
 hy the State Engineer and Surveyor, on the Eastern 
 Division at Albany. During the period from 1856 to 1861, 
 this Division of the Erie Canal, together with the north- 
 ern portion of the Black River Canal, and the improve- 
 ments of the Black River, was completed and ready for 
 use, as were also the combined locks on the Champlain 
 Canal, at Waterford and Whitehall. The promptitude and 
 competency with which these works were conducted, were 
 attributable to Major Goodsell, who, feeling that his office 
 was no sinecure, was faithful in his superintendence of the 
 improvements which he had in charge. But, in 1861, he 
 was again removed from office, by the Canal Board, 
 subject as he was to the fluctuations of politics ; and, in 
 1862, was reappointed Division Engineer, for the Middle 
 Division, located at Syracuse. He Avas holding that position 
 when nominated and elected by the Republican party to 
 the office which he now holds. As a proof of the esteem 
 with which Mr. Goodsell is held by the citizens of his 
 own town, we would mention that he was twice elected to 
 the office of Supervisor, in which capacity, with commend- 
 atory promptness, he carried his town through the differ- 
 ent calls for volunteers, made in 1S63 and 1864. 
 
 About the year 1850, a society of engineers was formed, 
 called "The New York State Institution of Civil Engi- 
 neers. 1 ' This association had a central office in the State 
 Hall, at Albany. Mr. Goodsell was a leading member of 
 the organization, and for many years, one of its executive 
 officers. Most of the prominent engineers of the State were 
 
J. PLATT GOODSELL. 45 
 
 among its members ; and, within its rooms, the walls of 
 which were covered with plans, were discussed many- 
 important questions relating to canals, railroads, aqueducts 
 and bridges. A monthly paper was also issued by the 
 Secretary of the Society. But the association long since 
 passed out of existence, because it did not receive that 
 aid from the public, to which it was entitled. 
 
 Mr. Goodsell has always been respected for his moral 
 worth as well as for his professional ability ; and he has 
 enjoyed, in no small measure, the esteem and confidence of 
 the officers connected with the public works of the State, 
 not only on account of his boldness and force of character, 
 but also for his peculiar practical knowledge of matters 
 connected with his profession. His energies have mostly 
 been directed to canal affairs, and thei'efore he is enabled 
 to readily comprehend the many embarrassing questions 
 which frequently arise in the execution of his labors. 
 Possessing quick perceptions, he rapidly draws his infer- 
 ences, and seldom changes his conclusions. There is 
 nothing erratic in his composition ; on the contrary, he has 
 an even temperament which rarely subjects any man to 
 severe criticism. Mr. Goodsei/l is self-made and self- 
 reliant ; and his services cannot fail to be of great useful- 
 ness to the public at large. 
 
PATRICK H. JONES, 
 
 CLERK OF THE COURT OF APPEALS. 
 
 Mr. Jones is a gentleman of slight proportions, but 
 plainly possessing powers of great endurance. He has 
 a mild, calculating eye, a pleasant face, and a courteous, 
 modest mien. He was born in the county of Westmeath, 
 Ireland, November 20th, 1830. At the age of seven, he 
 was sent to a grammar school in the city of Dublin, 
 where he remained for three years; and, in 1840, at the 
 age of ten, he came to this country with his parents, who 
 settled on a farm in the county of Cattaraugus, New 
 York. He was sent by his parents to the Union School 
 at Ellicottville, then presided over by Professor Lowell 
 of Middlebury College, Vermont, where he was well 
 grounded in the common branches of school studies. 
 In 1850, being then twenty years of age, he became 
 connected with a leading journal of this State, and 
 traveled through the Western States as its correspond- 
 ent. He subsequently became the local editor of the 
 "Buffalo Republic," and one of the editors of the "Buf- 
 falo Sentinel." 
 
 The pursuits of a journalist do not appear to have 
 been congenial to the tastes of Mr. Jones, for, in 
 1853, he began the study of law in the office of Hon. 
 Addison G. Rice, at Ellicottville, N. Y. Three years 
 afterward, Mr. Jones was admitted to the bar, and 
 commenced the practice of law in partnership with 
 Mr. Rice ; he continued this partnership until the out- 
 break of the Rebellion, when, like so many of his 
 profession, he left the desk of a lawyer to enter the 
 army, in which he was destined to rise to distinction. 
 Much of the interest of this sketch, of course, centers 
 
PATRICK H. JONES. 47 
 
 in his military career. It was his bravery which brought 
 him so early into prominence, and secured his elevation 
 by the voice of the people to high official position, as 
 a spontaneous testimonial of approbation and thankful- 
 ness for services rendered to his country. 
 
 He entered the service in 1861, as Second Lieutenant in 
 the 37th Regiment, New York Volunteers, commanded by 
 Colonel J. II. McCunn, now one of the judges of the 
 Superior Court of New York city. His regiment was 
 attached to the army of General McClellan, and Lieu- 
 tenant Jones served throughout the whole Campaign of 
 the Peninsula, and was present at the battles of Williams- 
 burgh, Fair Oaks, and the battles of the celebrated 
 retreat to Harrison's Landing. For gallant conduct 
 during this campaign, Lieutenant Jones was success- 
 ively promoted Adjutant and Major of his regiment, 
 before the close of the Peninsula Campaign. That the 
 services of Lieutenant Jones' regiment, during these bat- 
 tles, were important, and the fighting severe, will appear 
 from the fact that it formed a part of the command of the 
 gallant Kearney, who fell at Chantilly. Major Jones 
 was commissioned Colonel of the 154th Regiment, New 
 York Volunteers, in October 1862. This regiment was 
 raised in the counties of Cattaraugus and Chautauqua. 
 Upon its arrival at Washington, Colonel Jones assumed 
 command of it, having just left his old regiment, the 37th, 
 in which he had so gallantly earned his promotion. He 
 soon afterward reported to General Sigel, whose command 
 at that time, formed a part of the Army of the Potomac. 
 Upon the retirement of General Burnside in the new 
 organization of the army, Colonel Jones' regiment was a 
 portion of the command of General O. O. Howard, under 
 whom he fought at Chancellorsville, where he fell severely 
 wounded, fighting amidst the rout of his corps. He fell 
 into the enemy's hands during the battle, but was soon 
 
48 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 after exchanged. In the mean time, and -while he was 
 recovering from his wounds, General Howard's corps, the 
 11th, and Slocum's, the 12th, was ordered to the west 
 under Hooker, to relieve the starving army of Thomas at 
 Chattanooga, recently driven by Bragg from the field 
 of Chickamauga. Colonel Jones rejoined his regiment the 
 day before the battle of Chattanooga, having hastened 
 thither as soon as the nature of his wounds would admit, 
 and thus had the honor of being present at that great 
 battle which effectually turned the tide of rebel victory in 
 the west, and plucked from Bragg the laurels won at 
 Chickamauga. Soon after, the corps of Howard and 
 Slocum were consolidated by order of General Grant, and 
 formed thenceforth the 20th corps under General Hooker. 
 In the new organization, Colonel Jones was assigned with 
 his regiment to the division of General J. W. Geary 
 (present Governor of Pennsylvania), a sagacious and skill- 
 ful officer. He commanded a brigade under, General 
 Geary, during the terrible and glorious campaign of 
 Atlanta, and in the great march of Sherman to the Atlan- 
 tic; and entered Savannah in triumph, on the 22d of 
 December, 1864, in the van of the army. It is well known 
 that General Geary's vigilance was rewarded on the 
 occasion, by the discovery of the evacuation of the city 
 by the enemy. He entered Savannah while the rest of 
 the army were sleeping. Colonel Jones was stationed 
 with his brigade in the city. For services during the cam- 
 paigns of Chattanooga and Atlanta, he was promoted to 
 the rank of Brigadier-General, upon the recommendation 
 of Generals Hooker and Howard, approved by General 
 Sherman himself After the great review at Washington, 
 active service being over, he resigned his commission and 
 retired to civil life. He recommenced the practice of law, 
 on his return home. He was elected on the Union Repub- 
 lican ticket of 18G5, to the position of Clerk of the Court 
 
PATRICK H. JONES. 49 
 
 of Appeals, and has, since January 1st, 1866, been dis- 
 charging the duties of that office. Last summer General 
 Jones removed to New York city, where he now is, when 
 not engaged in official duties. 
 
 Such is a short account of the interesting history of this 
 gentleman. So many men of the present day, fresh from 
 the fields of strife, are worthy of admiration, that it seems 
 almost invidious to eulogize any particular one ; but we 
 cannot refrain from adding that Mr. Jones' course, from 
 boyhood to the present time, has been marked by integrity 
 of purpose and bravery of spirit. Born in a land where 
 the oppression of hundreds of yeai's has not been able to 
 crush out the longings of the people for liberty, and 
 coming to a country where every man is a sovereign, and 
 where eagerness for distinction, wealth and power, is 
 remarkable, he has, in reality, " won his way " in a praise- 
 worthy manner. 
 
 1 
 
NATHANIEL S. BENTON, 
 
 AUDITOR OF THE CANAL DEPARTMENT. 
 
 There is a class of mind pervading the New England 
 States, which is unflinching in emergencies, and uncom- 
 promising in integrity. Taking upon itself the character- 
 istics of its rugged surroundings, it stands out in as clear 
 relief as the granite mountains. ■ Its influence is felt from 
 the pines of Maine to the bayous of the South. One 
 meets it in the thoroughfares of the metropolis, and 
 on the pioneer lines of our frontiers — firm, unyielding, 
 honest ! The subject of this sketch belongs to this class. 
 His native State seems to have imparted to him much of 
 the sterling worth which she gave to her stern settlers. 
 
 Nathaniel S. Benton was born in Westmoreland, 
 New Hampshire, on the 19th of February, 1792. When 
 he was four years of age, his parents removed, with their 
 family, to the small town of Fryburgh, situated in the 
 western part of Maine which was then a Province. Here, 
 Mr. Benton attended the village Academy, being in- 
 structed, awhile, by Daniel Webster, who was principal 
 of that institution. During the winter of 1812, he was 
 engaged in teaching; and, in the spring, he again resumed 
 his studies. But the sound of war was filling the land ; 
 the country was calling for troops to defend the frontiers. 
 Filled with a sense of patriotism, Mr. Benton abandoned 
 his books, and enlisted, as a private, in the 34th Regiment, 
 United States Infantry. But a short time elapsed before 
 he was appointed Ensign ; and, as soon as he reported 
 himself at Portland, which was the head-quarters of his 
 regiment, lie received the commission of a Lieutenant. 
 He remained here with his company, doing garrison duty 
 at Fort Preble, until the succeeding fall, when his regiment 
 
NATHANIEL S. BENTON. 51 
 
 joined Hampton's army, at Cumberland Head. In that 
 campaign he acted as Adjutant of the 1st Light Corps, 
 which was commanded by Major Josiah Snelling, of the 
 old 4th United States Infantry, of Tippecanoe and 
 Brownstown celebrity. Major John E. Wool, then of 
 the 29th United States Infantry, now Major-General 
 Wool, of the regular army, commanded the 2d Light 
 Corps. Mr. Benton participated, with heroism, in the 
 actions which took place on that frontier, while he was in 
 the service. He also seiwed as Judge-Advocate at two 
 general courts-martial, while the army was in winter quar- 
 ters, at Plattsburgh, in 1814. 
 
 At the termination of the war, he began the study of 
 law, in the office of his uncle, Mr. A. G. Britton, in the 
 town of Orford, New Hampshire ; and, early in the year 
 1816, he left that place and went to Little Falls, New 
 York, where he continued his studies in the office of G. 
 H. Feeter, Esq. Near the close of the next year, he was 
 made Justice of the Peace by the Council of Appointment, 
 which body, under the old Constitution, held the neces- 
 sary powers for that purpose. At the October Term of 
 the Supreme Court, in 1819, he was duly examined, and 
 admitted to practice. A few weeks later, Chancellor 
 Kent admitted him as Solicitor in Chancery. 
 
 Having a desire to see something of the West, he made 
 an extended tour of observation in that direction, passing 
 through the States of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, 
 Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. 
 During this time, in the spring of 1820, he visited the 
 locality where the city of Chicago now stands, on which 
 site was nothing but an old block house. Thence he tra- 
 versed the wilderness, from the head of Lake Peoria, on 
 the Illinois river, due west to the Mississippi crossing, and 
 explored the lands then set apart for military bounties to 
 the soldiers of 1812, almost daily encountering the semi- 
 
52 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 hostile Winnebago Indians. On his return to Little Falls, 
 he opened a law office in that place. He held the office 
 of Surrogate from 1821 to 1828, when he resigned, to dis- 
 charge the duties of State Senator for the Fifth Senate 
 district. He held this office until the close of the session, 
 in 1831, and then resigned to accept the appointment of 
 United States District Attorney, made by President Jack- 
 son-. He continued to hold that position under succeeding 
 appointments made by Presidents Jackson and Van 
 Buren, until the year 1841. He was appointed by 
 Governor Marcy, First Judge of Herkimer county, in 
 1832. 
 
 Mr. Hammond in his Political History of New York, 
 speaks of Mr. Benton as holding an influential position 
 while in the Senate. He served, in that body, with 
 Spencer, Seward, Viele, Allen, Tallmadge and others 
 of that day, who have since departed. Mr. Benton 
 always acted with the Democratic organization, until 
 1855, and in 1858 he identified himself with the Repub- 
 lican party. He always advocated the speedy completion 
 of our public works, and, on that point, often disagreed 
 with his political associates. He held strictly to the 
 doctrine that human slavery could nowhere exist in this 
 country, except by an authority of positive statute law ; 
 and that the common law of the Anglo-Saxon race, could, 
 in no respect, sanction or uphold the enslavement of a 
 human being, black or white. He advocated the election 
 and reelection of Mr. Lincoln to the Presidency; and 
 never countenanced the non-coercion of rebellion and 
 secession. 
 
 When the excitement ran high between the Old Hunk- 
 ers and the Barn Burners, the Legislature elected him 
 Secretary of State. He received the appointment of 
 Auditor, in 1856, from the Commissioners of the Canal 
 Fund. When the power of appointment was conferred 
 
NATHANIEL S. BENTON. 53 
 
 upon the Governor and Senate, in 1857, he was reap- 
 pointed by Governor Morgan; and he has since been 
 reappointed by Governor Fenton. His present term 
 expires on the 1st of January, 1868. 
 
 Mr. Benton, though liberal and tolerant in the common 
 affairs of life, holds tenaciously to the doctrine of strict 
 construction in the discharge of his official duties. His 
 rule of action is the Constitution and laws of the land 
 passed in accordance therewith, believing that there is no 
 security for public rights and the liberty and safety of the 
 citizen, in a republic, except in a strict adherence to this 
 rule — that the welfare of a constituent member of the 
 State, should be subordinate to that of the whole commu- 
 nity. He maintains that the canals of the State are the 
 property of the whole people, and not of any particular 
 portion or section of the State, or class of its citizens. In 
 
 1859, three years after Mr. Benton went into the office, 
 the canal receipts had fallen off over $900,000 from 1850, 
 owing to the reduction in the rates of toll in 1858-9, a 
 result foretold by the Auditor at the time. In January, 
 
 1860, on the coming in of a Republican Canal Board, Mr. 
 Benton, having then been in the Department four years, 
 urgently advocated the restoration of the rates of toll to 
 those of 1857, and, on some articles, a higher rate ; and he 
 presented such facts to the Board as satisfied the members 
 that his policy was the true one for the interests of the 
 State. The subject was actively canvassed, earnestly 
 debated and strongly opposed by the shipping and for- 
 warding interests on the canal; but the measure was 
 finally carried through; and, in the spring of 1862, the 
 rates were brought back to those of 1857, with this result 
 or difference between 1857 and 1862, viz. : an avei*age gain 
 of thirty-six cents a ton in 1862, over that of 1859, making 
 that difference nearly three millions of dollars, including 
 the tolls on the increased tonnage. This fact shows the 
 
54 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 soundness of the Auditoi''s notions on this financial 
 question. 
 
 Mr. Bexto^ is a gentleman of unimpeachable reputa- 
 tion. He is every inch an honest man, as hundreds of his 
 acquaintances, in public and private life, can testify. He 
 is, as he ever has been, a faithful sentinel oyer the treasury 
 of the State, in the Canal Department ; and his mind, at 
 the age of seventy-four years, is just as acute as ever, in 
 recognizing the traces of corruption. That he has spent 
 so much of his lifetime, in the political arena, without a 
 stain upon his buckler, is a fact which furnishes an exam- 
 ple worthy of being imitated. It is to be regretted that 
 men of this stamp are becoming rare, and that in their 
 places are fast coming up those who care more for pecu- 
 niary gain and self-aggrandizement, than for the true 
 interests of the State. 
 
VICTOR M. RICE, 
 
 SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. 
 
 Mr. Rice is a man considerably above the average 
 size, of nervous, sanguine temperament, and is in the 
 forty-ninth year of his age, having been born April 5th, 
 1818. He is a native of Mayville, Chautauqua county, 
 and a son of the Hon. William Rice, who is mentioned, 
 in the "Historical Gazetteer," among the early settlers 
 of that county, and who migrated thither from the 
 county of Washington. 
 
 Mr. Rice, like many others whose fortune it has been 
 to be sons of early settlers, seems not to have been con- 
 tent with the education obtained during his minority; 
 and hence we find him in his twenty-fourth year (1841) 
 emerging from Alleghany College, Pennsylvania, where 
 he had just graduated, and seeking a position as teacher 
 of youth. 
 
 In 1842, he commenced the study of law, in the office" 
 of William Smith, in Mayville — a course of study which 
 was not completed until several years later. In 1843, 
 he removed to Buffalo, and was employed as teacher 
 of the Latin language, penmanship and book-keeping, 
 in a nourishing private school, of which John Drew 
 was principal and proprietor. In 1844, he and Mr. 
 Dkeav established a school of a higher grade, consisting 
 of various departments, which was denominated the 
 " Buffalo High School," and which was liberally patron- 
 ized by the wealthy inhabitants of that city. In 1846, 
 he was induced to lay aside the ferule, and mount the 
 tripod as editor of the " Cataract," afterward the " West- 
 ern Temperance Standard." In 1848, he was employed in 
 the schools of Buffalo, and in 1852, was elected City 
 
56 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Superintendent of Schools. Under his supervision, and 
 as a result of his exertions, the schools of Buffalo took a 
 position among the first in the State — a position well 
 maintained for a number of years. In 1853, he was 
 elected President of the New York State Teachers' 
 Association, of which he had for several years been 
 an active working member. The Legislature passed, in 
 1854, an act creating the "Department of Public Instruc- 
 tion," and Mr. Rice was elected the first Superintendent, 
 for three years, from the first Tuesday of April in that 
 year. The schools throughout the State were, at this 
 time, under the inspection of Town Superintendents. 
 The State Superintendent soon saw, not only the ineffi- 
 ciency of the supervision, but his own utter inability 
 to bring into regular, harmonious action, the nine hun- 
 dred and twenty-six subordinate officers elected by the 
 towns, and make himself felt through them, as an educa- 
 tional power upon the schools. One year's experience 
 was enough. He saw that, if he would accomplish any- 
 thing satisfactory to himself, or of advantage to the 
 educational interests of the State, some other agency 
 must be employed ; and he earnestly set to work to 
 secure the passage of the law creating the office of 
 School Commissioner. This was effected in 1856. The 
 change, for a time, at least, threw much labor upon 
 the department, but it gave the department an efficiency 
 which it never had before, and which continues to 
 increase as time progresses. During this first term as 
 Superintendent, personally, and with the aid of an able 
 assistant, E. Pesiiine Smith, he collected and collated 
 the various fragmentary statutes in regard to Public 
 Instruction, both special and general, which had been 
 long accumulating on the statute books, and, by legis- 
 lative authority, published them with explanatory notes, 
 forms and directions, under the title, " Code of Public 
 
VICTOR M. RICE. 57 
 
 Instruction." In this book, many of the incongruities 
 of the school laws were first made manifest to the 
 public, and it was, by far, the best exposition of the Pub- 
 lic School System of the State, ever published. Another 
 valuable public service of this first term, is worthy of 
 mention. The public school moneys for the towns, were 
 placed in the hands of the Town Superintendents, without 
 proper, efficient checks against their misapplication, or 
 their embezzlement, and thousands of dollars were annu- 
 ally lost through incompetent or dishonest Town Super- 
 intendents. The same officer made the apportionment 
 to the schools and disbursed the money. This evil was 
 remedied by the act of 1856, imposing upon the School 
 Commissioners the duty of making the apportionment 
 to the schools, giving the disbursement of the moneys to 
 the Supervisors, and throwing around the transaction, 
 such guards and checks as make embezzlement impossible 
 without immediate detection. 
 
 Mr. Rice was a member of the Legislature from Erie 
 county, in 1861; was Chairman of the Committee on 
 " Colleges, Academies and Common Schools," and took 
 an influential part in all the important business of the 
 session. In February, 1862, he was a second time elected 
 by the Legislature, Superintendent of Public Instruction, 
 and was again reelected, in April, 1865. During his 
 present double term of office as Superintendent, he has 
 accomplished much of permanent, public good. He 
 has secured the revision, amendment and improvement 
 of the general school laws, and has largely increased the 
 number and efficiency of Teachers' Institutes. He has 
 secured the establishment of five Normal Schools, for 
 training teachers; and if, as we hope he may, he shall 
 induce the Legislature of 1867 to abolish the rate bill, 
 and make all the schools of the State free, he will fix his 
 
58 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 place in history, side by side with those accounted public 
 benefactors, and may proudly say with Horace : 
 
 " Exegi monumentum sere perennius, 
 * y Non omnis moriar." 
 
 As a public officer, Mr. Rice is extremely cautious ; is 
 what is known as a " strict constructionist " of law, and 
 very rarely, if ever, assumes the exercise of doubtful 
 powers. 
 
GEORGE W. SCHUYLER, 
 
 SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BANK DEPARTMENT. 
 
 George W. Schuyler was born in Stillwater, Sai'atoga 
 county, February 2d, 1810, and is the youngest of twelve 
 brothers. The family removed to Ithaca, Tompkins county, 
 the following year, where the subject of this sketch still 
 resides. Until sixteen years of age, he worked upon the 
 farm, attending district school, summer and winter. At that 
 age, he entered a drug store, for the purpose of learning 
 that business. At twenty-three years of age, he prepared 
 for College, and entered the Freshman Class, of the Uni- 
 versity in the city of New York, in the fall of 1834, gradu- 
 ating with honor in 1837. In 1838, he resumed the business 
 which he had learned, and in which he is still engaged, 
 and was so far successful as to acquire independence. 
 
 Always being of Anti-Slavery convictions, his first entry 
 upon the political arena was in 1848, canvassing Tomp- 
 kins county in earnest and effective advocacy of the " Buf- 
 falo Platform." He was elected village trustee, the two 
 following years, and in that capacity, exhibited his usual 
 good sense in guarding the interests of his fellow-towns- 
 men. He adhered to the Barn-Burner, or Free-Soil 
 section of the Democratic party ; refusing to be dandled 
 in the lap of Hunkerism, in 1852, he supported Hale 
 for President in that campaign. Mr. Schuyler was 
 one of five who organized the Republican party in 
 Ithaca in 1855, and zealously canvassed the county for 
 Fremont in 1856. lie was a delegate to the Chicago 
 Republican Convention, in 1860, and voted for Seward. 
 He was also a delegate to the Republican Convention in 
 
CO LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Baltimore, in 1864, and exerted his influence, though with- 
 out success, for the renomination of Vice-President Haji- 
 lin ; and he is proud of his effort, to this day. 
 
 Upon the first call for 75,000 volunteers, in 1861, he was 
 one of two men who addressed a meeting of the citizens of 
 his village, in favor of the movement ; and, the following 
 day, assisted in raising a subscription of $10,000 for the 
 families of volunteers, being made financial officer for the 
 Board, for the distribution of the funds collected — a posi- 
 tion of much labor and annoyance, the duties of 
 which he discharged gratuitously. During the war, Mr. 
 Schuyler was a firm supporter of the Government, and 
 rendered valuable assistance, both by generous personal 
 contributions, and by his zeal and efficiency in stimulating 
 the latent patriotism of his fellow-citizens, and in securing 
 volunteers for the service. 
 
 Without effort or solicitation on his own part, he was 
 nominated for the office of State Treasurer, by the Repub- 
 lican Convention of 1863, and was elected. He was 
 warmly urged for renomination, in the Convention of 1865, 
 but the popular current in favor of veterans, was too 
 strong to be resisted, and he succumbed with his associates 
 in office. No one accepted the verdict more cheer- 
 fully, or worked more heartily or zealously for the 
 success of the ticket put in nomination, than did Mr. 
 Schuyler. 
 
 His great personal popularity, his tried integrity, and 
 his steadfast and unselfish devotion to his party, pointed 
 him out at once as the proper man to fill the vacancy in 
 the office of Superintendent of the Banking Department ; 
 and his claims were earnestly pressed upon the attention of 
 the Governor, who, recognizing the eminent fitness of Mr. 
 Schuyler, sent his name to the Senate, at its first execu- 
 tive session, in 1866, and his appointment was confirmed 
 without the usual formality of reference. 
 
GEORGE W. SCHUYLEK. Gl 
 
 Mr. Schuyler is a descendant of one of the oldest Dutch 
 families, whose members were prominently identified with 
 the history of the Colony, four of his uncles having been 
 officers in the Revolution. His political career has been 
 open, consistent and straight-forward. In person, he is 
 stout, fine looking, and of about medium height ; and his 
 face is expressive of amiability. His manners are frank, 
 cordial and courteous ; he is generous and kind-hearted, a 
 warm and sincere friend, and a considerate, though firm 
 and candid opponent. As a public officer, he has proved 
 himself capable, honest and popular to a remarkable degree ; 
 and no suspicion of corruption ever attached to him in his 
 connection with public affairs. 
 
WILLIAM BARNES, 
 
 SUPERINTENDENT OF THE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT. 
 
 Mr. Barnes was born the 26th of May, 1824, in the 
 town of Pompey, Onondaga county, New York. His 
 father was the late Orson Barnes, a worthy and 
 respected citizen of Onondaga county. His grandfather 
 was a native of Massachusetts, whence he came to this 
 State about the year 1800. His mother was Miss Eliza 
 Phelps, of Springfield, Massachusetts, and was the 
 daughter of Horace Phelps, Esq., of that city. 
 
 Mr. Barnes received only a common school and acade- 
 mic education ; his Alma Mater was the Manlius Academy 
 and the ordinary select schools of his county. His father 
 was a merchant and farmer, whose sons were all taught to 
 practically understand the severe labor of a farmer's life, 
 in a newly settled section of country. At the early age 
 of fifteen, the subject of this article was sent out from the 
 homestead, to teach school. The next year he began 
 the study of law, in the office of Minard & Stansbury, 
 at Baldwinsville, New York, teaching school, however, 
 during the winter season, for the purpose of bearing his 
 own expenses. His father's farm was three miles from the 
 village, and William walked that distance, morning and 
 evening, for several years. 
 
 It was during the leisure of these lonely, but pleasant 
 and invigorating walks, that he conned over the plans of 
 his future life. He Avas always encouraged and incited by 
 the wise counsels of his father, who Avas a man of great 
 ambition and superior intelligence. Mr. Barnes, after 
 studying awhile at Baldwinsville, was in the offices of 
 Messrs. Hillis & Pratt, and General James P. Law- 
 rence, of Syracuse. His father being anxious that before 
 
WILLIAM BARNES. 63 
 
 his admission to the bar, his son should have the advant- 
 ages of witnessing a more extended practice than the 
 courts of Onondaga county afforded, recommended him 
 to pass the last year of his legal studies in some larger 
 city. Such was the zeal which filled the mind of Mr, 
 Barnes, when he was in Baldwinsville, he would some- 
 times walk a distance of twelve miles that he might hear 
 and see the actual practice in the courts at Syracuse. At 
 length, pursuant to his father's advice, having procured 
 letters of introduction from Judge Stansbury, General 
 Lawrrxce, Judge Pratt and others, with the wages 
 which he had earned during the preceding winter by 
 teaching, in his pocket, he started for Albany, in May, 1845. 
 After visiting nearly all of the principal lawyers' offices in 
 Albany, he finally arranged with the firm of Hammond & 
 Weed, for a clerkship in their office, receiving his board 
 as compensation for his services. He immediately took 
 the main office-charge of an extensive and increasing legal 
 practice ; and was admitted to the Bar, the next year, at 
 the General Term of the Supreme Court, held at Utica. 
 The late Nicholas Hill was one of the Board of Exam- 
 iners ; he gave Mr. Barnes many words of encourage- 
 ment, and predicted for him a brilliant career. After 
 admission, the young lawyer, with his parchment in his 
 pocket, paid a short visit to the homestead, and then 
 started out into the world again. Finally, after consider- 
 able examination and negotiation in reference to other 
 localities, he visited Albany for the purpose of starting in 
 business, having, however, only a borrowed capital of 
 seven dollars. On his arrival in Albany, he sat down in 
 his room, and sadly calculated for how long a time seven 
 dollars would pay his board-bill and other expenses. In 
 a few days, however, his prospects were brightened by an 
 arrangement for a partnership with his old friend and 
 patron, Samuel H. Hammond, Esq. ; and thus the law firm 
 
64 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 of Hammond, King & Barnes was established — a firm 
 which had an influential practice, until the period of its 
 dissolution, in 1851, at which time, Mr. Barnes individ- 
 ually opened an office and continued in practice until 1860, 
 when he was appointed to his present position as Superin- 
 tendent of the Insurance Department. Previous to 1855, 
 Mr. Barnes, as the Special Agent and Counsel of the Bank 
 Department, had examined the Lewis County, and the 
 ' Reciprocity Banks, which were in an insolvent condition. 
 His success in making those examinations attracted the 
 attention of the Comptroller, Hon. James M. Cook, who, 
 in the summer of 1855, designated him as a Commissioner 
 to make special examinations of the Webster, Henry Clay, 
 National Exchange, Tontine, and other Insurance Com- 
 panies in this State. All the companies examined — seven 
 in number — were reported by him as fraudulent, and were 
 afterward dissolved by the Supreme Court. The glaring 
 frauds of those organizations, thus exposed to the gaze of 
 the public, by the lucid reports of Mr. Barnes, startled the 
 Insurance Companies as well as the business community, 
 and many minds were busy in devising schemes for the 
 prevention of such dangerous impositions. The successor 
 of Mr. Cook, Comptroller Burrows, tried in vain to 
 remedy the evil. In 1859, an act was passed by the Legis- 
 lature, establishing an Insurance Department, and trans- 
 ferring to it all books, documents and securities relating to 
 insurance, which were in the Comptroller's office, and all 
 of the control and regulation of Insurance Companies. 
 The special examinations of Mr. Barnes in 1855, doubt- 
 less led to the establishment of the Insurance Department ; 
 therefore, the Companies and the public, with almost 
 entire unanimity, desired that he should have the manage- 
 ment of it. Governor Morgan acceded to their wishes; 
 and on the 11th day of January, 1860, sent his nomination 
 to the Senate, which was immediately and unanimously 
 
WILLIAM BARNES. 65 
 
 confirmed without the usual reference. In April 1S65, 
 Mr. Barnes was reappointed as Superintendent by Gov- 
 ernor Fenton. He has continued to discharge the duties 
 of that office in the most conscientious manner, until the 
 present time. The thorough and elaborate reports of the 
 New York Insurance Department, are recognized in other 
 States of the union, as the most authoritative expositions 
 of the standing of American companies, and have often 
 been commended by leading insurance journals in Eng- 
 land, Germany, Prussia and other European countries, as 
 the best publications of this kind in any country. 
 
 In politics, Mr. Barnes was educated as a Democrat, but 
 he exhibited, early in life, decided radical and progressive 
 tendencies. In 1844, although not a votei', he became a 
 member of the Liberty party, and made speeches in favor 
 of the election of James G. Birney to the Presidency. 
 He was very active in his efforts to assist in the organizing 
 of that party in the counties of Onondaga and Madison. 
 Mr. Barnes remained with that organization, until 1848, 
 when he supported Mr. Van Buren for the Presidency, 
 and made a number of speeches in favor of " Free Soil, 
 Free Speech and Free Men." He was also an enthusiastic 
 supporter of the " Corner Stone" principles advocated by 
 the "Albany Atlas." In 1856, Mr. Barnes became an ener- 
 getic member of the Republican party, having been one 
 of the originators of the Saratoga and Auburn Conven- 
 tions, and a leading man in forming the Republican organ- 
 ization of Albany county, in the fall of 1855. He has 
 always, emphatically, opposed the "Philadelphia Conven- 
 tion " and the policy of President Johnson, believing that 
 the old landmarks of freedom, for which he has battled, 
 should be maintained in the hour of victory as well as 
 defeat. Mr. Barnes was Secretary of the New York State 
 Kansas Committee, the labors of which were very efficient 
 and thorough ; and he greatly assisted in giving to the 
 9 
 
66 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 State of Kansas, the Free Soil Constitution which, finally, 
 was secured at the bayonet's point. He was an early 
 adherent of the temperance reform, and enlisted as a 
 speaker in the Washingtonian movement. He was also an 
 initiator of various educational reforms; and, in connec- 
 tion with his father, the County Superintendent of Com- 
 mon Schools, took charge of one of the first Teachers' 
 Institutes ever held in this State. 
 
 In 1849, Mi - . Barnes married Miss Emily P. Weed, the 
 youngest daughter of Thurlow Weed, Esq. Mrs. Barnes 
 is a lady of extraordinary intelligence and quick percep- 
 tions, and by her rare powers has wielded no inconsider- 
 able influence in the benevolent and patiiotic movements 
 at the Capital. 
 
SENATORS. 
 
 GEORGE H. ANDREWS. 
 
 The Senator from the Twentieth District is now a resi- 
 dent of Springfield, Otsego county. He was born in the 
 city of New York (where the greater portion of his life 
 was spent), on the 3d of September, 1821. His father was 
 an educational professor, and he enjoyed, therefore, during 
 his boyhood years, unusual advantages of paternal educa- 
 tion. Before he was twelve years old he had read through 
 the yEneid, and at a period when most lads have but begun 
 fitting for school, he was familiar with most of the stand- 
 ard works in classical literature, and with many branches 
 of study which are the terror of Freshmen in College. In 
 1836, Avhen fifteen years of age, he entered the office of 
 the " Courier and Enquirer," then the leading newspaper 
 of the Metropolis, as a clerk. Exhibiting peculiar adapt- 
 ation for the profession, he was in a few weeks made 
 Reporter. His position was a somewhat changeful but 
 always an honorable one, so long as he remained connected 
 with this establishment. He vibrated between the desk 
 of accountant and the office of Reporter, until 1848, when 
 his long and able services were properly recognized and 
 rewarded by making him Publisher and Associate Editor 
 of the paper; a position in which he secured a State and 
 National reputation, and exercised a very considerable 
 control over political movements, acting in concert with 
 
68 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 some of the best minds of the old Whig party, to which 
 he belonged, giving an effective support to its measures 
 and originating many' movements which were of import- 
 ance to its welfare and success. In 1854, he was the 
 Whig candidate for Congress, in the Fifth District, and in 
 1856, was the Republican candidate for the same office. 
 
 In 1858, Mr. Andrews, feeling somewhat the effects 
 upon a naturally strong constitution of more than twenty 
 years of office work, removed his residence to Springfield, 
 Otsego county, a location selected by him solely on 
 account of the purity of its atmosphere and the beauty of 
 its surroundings. In 1863, he was elected State Senator, 
 and served his constituents so well that he was again 
 chosen after a unanimous renomination and by a very 
 flattering vote. His tenure of office depends solely ujDon 
 his own willingness to occupy the position, or upon the 
 probabilities of his removal to some station in which his 
 great abilities would have a wider scope for exercise. 
 
 As a member of the Senate, Mr. Andrew's has a very 
 high rank, and is universally conceded to be among the 
 ablest members of a body that embraces some of the best 
 intellects of the State. In 1865, he was selected by the 
 Governor as one of the Commissioners to obtain a reduc- 
 tion of the quota assigned to this State in the call of the 
 General Government — a very delicate and responsible 
 duty. He proved himself fully equal to the trust reposed 
 in him. It was by him the plan was devised which 
 received the indorsement of President Lincoln, and har- 
 monized all the differences that had arisen between the 
 State and Federal authorities. As Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Municipal Affairs, he has taken a conspicuous 
 part in the legislation relating to New York city, seeking 
 always on the one hand, to secure such thorough action as 
 shall guarantee the best interests of the law-abiding public, 
 and on the other hand, to guard the municipal franchises 
 
GEORGE H. ANDREWS. 69 
 
 from invasion and from the clangers of centralized power. 
 This principle in his policy was happily illustrated by his 
 course upon the bill creating a Metropolitan Health Com- 
 mission, and the Metropolitan Fire Department Law 
 owes to his well-judged advocacy, and to his prudent sug- 
 gestions, much of the power which secured its adoption 
 by the Legislature, and enabled it to pass the ordeal of a 
 test as to its constitutionality in the Court of Appeals. 
 During the late recess, he has acted as Chairman of the 
 Special- Commission to examine the different plans for 
 street raih*oads in the city of New York, a labor for which 
 his strong common sense and quick perceptions have 
 especially qualified him. 
 
 In the Senate, Mr. Andrews is peculiarly prominent as 
 a ready and versatile debater. He is remarkable for the 
 readiness with which he discovers the strong points of his 
 own, and the weak points of an adversary's situation, and 
 for his keen, incisive and always telling manner of 
 presenting an argument. His rhetoric is faultless; his 
 imagination alert and felicitous ; his command of wit 
 appears unusually great, and his humor irresistible. In 
 addition to this, a wide and varied com*se of reading, and 
 much association with leading men, during a period of 
 more than a quarter of a century, have placed him in 
 possession of a fund of historic and biographic illustra- 
 tion and comparison, which seems almost inexhaustible, 
 and which he has always at command. In readiness of 
 repartee, he has few equals. A luckless opponent who 
 leaves a gap in his logic, has no sooner taken his seat than 
 the Senator from the Twentieth is upon him, dissecting 
 his blunders with pitiless logic, and riddling him with 
 sarcasms keen as Damascene blades ; at the same time, he 
 is never unkind, never discourteous, never personally 
 bitter. Naturally warm-hearted and generous, his asso- 
 ciations and habits have all served to culture the inbred 
 
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 70 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 instincts of a gentleman ; and even the victim who writhes 
 under the scalpel, is compelled to acknowledged the 
 admirable grace and skill with which it is employed. Mr. 
 Andrews is seldom ambitious in his rhetoric ; but some 
 of his extemporaneous speeches have been marked by 
 passages of eloquence which for beauty and pathos would 
 do honor to any deliberative body. 
 
 Senator Andrews is not a graduate of any college. 
 Those who are aware of this fact, have remarked with 
 surprise, his intimate and critical knowledge of the 
 classics, and the scholarly ease and grace which always 
 distinguish his public addresses. An explanation is to be 
 found for this in the profession of his father, and the 
 advantages of early education he thus enjoyed, and by 
 which a naturally quick and capable mind was early 
 developed. In addition to this, Mr. Andrews enjoyed 
 for many years the intimate acquaintance and constant 
 society of such men as J. Watson Webb, Charles King, 
 C. F. Daniels, John O. Sargent, Henry J. Raymond, 
 James R. Spalding and others of their class ; with him 
 no Board of University Professors can present a com- 
 parison in general attainments. Thus advantaged, and 
 with the opportunities of that "People's College," the 
 newspaper office, he has secured an education, both theo- 
 retical and practical, which gives him a place among the 
 best scholars of the State. 
 
JAMES BARNETT. 
 
 Me. Baenett was born in Orange county, Vermont, 
 May 18th, 1810. His ancestors were among the one hun- 
 dred families, mostly Presbyterian, that emigrated from 
 the North of Ireland, in 1719, and settled the town of 
 Londonderry, New Hampshire — an industrious and thrifty 
 people. His father, after his marriage in 1*799, removed to 
 the mountain State of Vermont, and from thence, in 1817, 
 migrated to Madison county, New York. Having a large 
 family to support, his struggles, like those of all pioneers 
 of that time, in a new country which was almost a wilder- 
 ness, were severe and trying ; and though he was enabled 
 to rear his children to be the possessors of rugged consti- 
 tutions, and to instill into their minds high notions of 
 uprightness of character, he could afford them but few 
 opportunities for an education. His son, James Baenett, 
 attended the common schools of that day, during the 
 winter months, laboring on the farm with his father in 
 the summer, until eighteen years of age, when he engaged 
 in teaching school in the winter, continuing his labors 
 upon the farm, during the summer. In 1832, he accepted 
 a clerkship in the mercantile business; and, in 1836, 
 engaged in that business upon his own account, in Fay- 
 etteville, Onondaga county. He removed to Peterboro', 
 in 1838, and has continued the same business until the 
 present time. 
 
 From his early political education and training, he was 
 led to espouse the principles of the Democratic party, 
 giving his first vote, in 1831, for Enos T. Theoop for 
 Governor ; his first vote for President being for Andrew 
 Jackson, in 1832. On the formation of the Liberty party 
 
72 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 he became a convert to its principles, and was an active 
 and leading member until the organization of the Repub- 
 lican party, at which time he joined its fortunes, and has 
 ever since been an earnest advocate of its principles and 
 measures. 
 
 He was several times chosen Supervisor of his town by 
 the Liberty party, which, by the influence of Hon. Gerrit 
 Smith (a resident of the same town), Hon. Mr. Barnett, 
 and a few other zealous advocates, had acquired quite an 
 ascendancy in that immediate section. 
 
 Mr. Barnett was elected to the Legislature in 1859, 
 from the Second District of Madison county, by the 
 Republican organization; and in 1860, was chosen Jus- 
 tice of the Peace, by the electors of his town. 
 
 In 1S65, he was elected by the Republican Union party 
 to the Senate of the State of New York from the Twenty- 
 third Senatorial District, comprising the counties of 
 Madison, Chenango and Cortland. The first session 
 of his present term as Senator, he served as Chairman of 
 the Committees on Indian Affairs, and Charitable and 
 Religious Societies, also as a member of the Committee on 
 Retrenchment. During the late war for the suppression 
 of the rebellion, he gave largely of his time and means, 
 actively and effectively encouraging enlistments ; and, 
 with a heart warmly enlisted in the cause, did much to 
 sustain the Government. Under his encouraging influ- 
 ence his two sons became volunteers in the Union army; 
 the eldest, bravely representing the stock from which he 
 sprang, going forth at the first call, to meet a hero's death 
 at Antietam. 
 
 Mr. Barnett is a man of strong convictions. His 
 religious sentiments are, and from his earliest years have 
 been, of the Puritan orthodox type of his New England 
 ancestors, adopting the radical congregational views of 
 church polity. lie is a devoted friend of Sabbath 
 
DAVID S. BENNETT. 73 
 
 Schools, and has labored in the cause as Sabbath School 
 Superintendent, for more than thirty years. 
 
 He is a valuable public servant. Utterly incapable of 
 duplicity, carefully scrutinizing all measures which come 
 before him for decision, bringing to his aid, in solving 
 their merits, a clear head, sound judgment and rigid 
 uprightness, he discharges his duties with a fidelity and 
 wisdom which cause him to be highly respected. 
 
 DAVID S. BENNETT. 
 
 Senator Bennett is a gentleman brimful of good humor 
 and affability. In person, he is a little under medium 
 height, closely built, and has a face expressive of keen 
 business tact, enjoyment of social relations, and benevolent 
 purposes. 
 
 He was born, in 1 814, at Camillus, Onondaga county, New 
 York. His parents were from Connecticut. His father, who 
 was a farmer, bred his son to agricultural pursuits, during 
 his minority. Mr. Bennett had the customary benefits of 
 the common school, in early youth ; and later, he spent a 
 couple of years at the Onondaga Hollow Acadeni3 r , of which 
 Prof. Samuel B. Woolworth, one of the most erudite 
 educators in the State, was the Principal. While at that 
 institution, he managed to mingle plenty of schoolboy fun 
 with study, though never doing an act in a malicious spirit. 
 At one time, he thought of going through college ; and, in 
 fact, made some progress in fitting for the Freshman year ; 
 but his tastes were manifestly for business, and the idea of 
 a collegiate course was abandoned. After leaving school, 
 he pursued farming, until 1842, when he left Camillus, and 
 removed to Syracuse, New York, where he conducted the 
 10 
 
 
74 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 produce commission business, for a term of years. In 1849, 
 Mr. Bennett closed up his affairs in Syracuse, and went 
 into the same business in Buffalo, under the firm of D. S. 
 Bennett & Co., which was really a branch house of a firm 
 in New York city, in Avhich he was largely interested, under 
 the name of Bennett, Hall & Co., subsequently charged 
 to Bennett & Brokaw. A year afterward, the latter firm 
 established an independent Banking House, the name of 
 which was the Queen City Bank, with a capital of $55,000, 
 and the object of which was to use the capital for the pur- 
 pose of making advances on the produce to be forwarded 
 to the firm in New York city. At the end of a couple of 
 years, however, the project not meeting their expectations, 
 the affairs of the Bank were honorably brought to a close. 
 At about that time, Mr. Bennett, still continuing in his 
 old business, purchased of Joseph Dart, the first grain 
 elevator built in this country ; it was known as the " Dart 
 Elevator," and eligibly situated for the lake trade. In 
 18G0, it was consumed by fire. Undaunted by the loss, 
 Mr. Bennett immediately built, on the same site, an 
 immense elevator 150 feet long by 100 feet wide, with a 
 storage capacity of 600,000 bushels. The rapidity with 
 which this undertaking was accomplished, is worthy of 
 mention, when taken in connection with the fact that, only 
 the year before, he had, in company with George W. Tift, 
 Esq., a prominent business man of Buffalo, erected a large 
 elevator at the terminus of the New York and Erie Railroad. 
 The sagacity which Mr. Bennett manifested in these 
 enterprises, places him in the first order of commercial men. 
 In 1SG5, he invested some of his capital in a couple of 
 barques, purchasing a half interest with George W. Allen, 
 Esq. So satisfactory did this investment prove to be, he 
 built, last year, in connection with Mr. Allen, and Truman 
 G. Avery, two large barques, each of about 1,000 tons 
 burden, at a cost of $95,000. He is now building a barque 
 
DAVID S. BENNETT. 75 
 
 of 1,200 tons burden, with a carrying capacity of 50,000 
 bushels of corn, which will excel all vessels of the kind, on 
 the lakes. 
 
 As a business man, Mr. Bennett is bold and forcible. 
 Obstacles are of secondary importance to him. Let him 
 but catch a glimpse of a chance of success, and he uses 
 his whole strength to consummate his purposes. But this 
 inherent energy of character never betrays him into the 
 commission of an unmanly act; for whenever he cannot 
 see his way clear, without a resort to unfair means, he 
 pursues the matter no further. He has always adhered to 
 the theory that large successes are accomplished by taking 
 corresponding risks, and has usually made it a point to 
 carry out most of his stupendous enterj)rises where there 
 would be the least competition, and where, to a casual 
 observer, there seemed but slight inducements for running 
 great hazards. In his early manhood, he married Miss 
 Harriett A. Benham, daughter of Truman Benham, 
 Esq., of Bridgewater, Oneida county, New York. This 
 lady, with her excellent domestic qualities, has presided 
 over his home like a true American woman; and with 
 her strong, practical sense, has given bent to the successful 
 plans of his life. 
 
 Mr. Bennett has been a business man, rather than a 
 politician. He belonged to the Democratic party, in its 
 palmy days ; but, with the memorable change in political 
 organizations, he espoused the cause of the Republican 
 party, at its formation. In 1865, he was nominated to the 
 State Senate by the Thirty-first District, which seemed to be 
 almost impregnably Democratic. The canvass was very 
 heated ; both parties fought with furious vigor, and, not- 
 withstanding the opposition from the Democrats headed by 
 the late Dean Richmond, Mr. Bennett was elected by a 
 majority of 743. In the session of 1866, he carried through 
 the Niagara Frontier Police Bill, which was persistently 
 
16 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 opposed by the Democrats, but which, in its efficient work- 
 ings, has now the commendations of both parties. He is 
 Chairman of the Committee on the Manufacture of Salt, 
 and is a member of the Committees on Canals and Indian 
 Affairs. Mr. Bennett seldom enters into debate. He lays 
 no claim to the embellishments of oratory. Whatever he 
 has to say, he expresses in a " round, unvarnished" way, 
 and that is the end of it, so far as talk is concerned. He 
 is vigilant over general and local interests, and faithful 
 in his legislative work. 
 
 SAMUEL CAMPBELL. 
 
 The village of New York Mills lies in the lovely valley 
 of the Mohawk and Sauquoit. There are three factories, 
 the "Oneida," the famed "New York Mills," and the 
 " Burr Stone." For a mile and a half skirting each side of 
 the fine hard road, are the school houses and churches 
 of the village, the grounds and residences of the factory- 
 owners, and the homes of the operatives. In summer, 
 New York Mills is very attractive ; it is one of the sights, 
 in Oneida county, which strangers go to see. The houses 
 of the workingmen are neat, convenient and healthy, 
 most of them standing back from the road, with yard in 
 front, garden in rear, and half hidden by foliage. Sobriety 
 and good order at all times prevail. 
 
 It is hard to realize that this fictory people, with their 
 comfort, temperance and intelligence, their books, Sunday 
 observances, and winter lectures, their freedom from the 
 " clemming " of crowded Europe, are working at the same 
 business, and, were originally, very many of them, of the 
 same nationality as the men and the women made familiar 
 
SAMUEL CAMPBELL. 77 
 
 to us by Parliaraentaiy reports and debates, by poets and 
 novelists — the men and the women of Eliot, Mrs. Gas- 
 kell, Charlotte Bronte, John Bright and Charles 
 Kingsley. The good standing of New York Mills is due 
 to the character of the employes, which has always been 
 high, and to the regulations and example of the employers. 
 
 The memory of Benjamin Walcott is honored in many 
 places, but nowhere more honored than among the work- 
 ing people, for whose interests and happiness he was 
 zealous and responsible. The ovation given him some 
 years ago, on his return from the Old World, was a 
 striking evidence of the love that was borne him ; the 
 whole population turning out to give him joyous welcome. 
 His ideas have, in the main, been carried out by his suc- 
 cessors, his son and Samuel Campbell, the stranger, 
 whom, thirty-five years ago, the elder Walcott welcomed 
 within his gates. 
 
 Samuel Campbell was born at Tarbolton, Ayrshire, 
 Scotland, in 1809. In his boyhood he had the advantages 
 of those schools for which his native land has been 
 renowned through Europe, since John Knox returned 
 from the feet of Calvin, and Scotland broke forever with 
 Rome. He came to America in 1831, and pitched his tent 
 in New York Mills. He began his new life, as a working- 
 man, in the employ of Marshall & Walcott. He had 
 an iron frame, great working power, mechanical skill, 
 ready adaptation of means to ends, quick perception of 
 defects and remedies, and he rose steadily and rapidly. 
 He made many valuable improvements in machinery. In 
 1847, he became a partner in the company. From that 
 time, his business career has been upward and onward. 
 The hands and brain of Mr. Campbell have been cease- 
 lessly at work, and with large results in many directions. 
 And now, in his advancing years, he has the joy to know 
 that his ample fortune has been won by honest labor of 
 
78 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 head and hand, without a stain on his character or reputa 
 tion, and with a full discharge of his duties to employes, 
 to community, to family and to country. 
 
 Mr. Campbell has given much attention to agriculture. 
 A fine farm is attached to his residence, and he has 
 imported and raised some of the best stock — Ayrshires, 
 Durhams and Alderneys. His herd of Ayrshires is the 
 best in the country. His stock has often won for him 
 the first prizes at State and county fairs. 
 
 Mr. Campbell married, in 1833, the lady whose virtues 
 and whose pleasant ways cheered him during his long 
 years of toil, and who still presides over his household. A 
 large family of sons and daughters have grown up around 
 him; his eldest son is Consul at Bayonne, France. The 
 residence of the Senator is on an eminence far back from 
 the road, in the center of fine and variegated grounds, and 
 overlooking a wide and lovely landscape. The rooms are 
 high and large, the hall and staircase of unusual breadth 
 and sweep, and all around are memorials of his mother- 
 land. 
 
 Mr. Campbell was a Whig, afterward a Republican, 
 and always a devoted son of his adopted country. As 
 Supervisor of Whitestown and member of the War Com- 
 mittee of Oneida county, he worked with all his might 
 during the war and for the war. His liberality went 
 forth in every conceivable direction. We had intended 
 to give his benefactions, so far as known to us, but the list 
 is too long ; we have no room for it ; and a statement 
 of what we know would do but partial justice to an open- 
 handed patriotism most rare and honorable. The Union 
 party showed their sense of his nobleness in this regard 
 by appointing him a Delegate to the Convention, at Balti- 
 more, which nominated Mr. Lincoln for his second term, 
 and by the heavy majority which sent him to the Senate. 
 The manner of his nomination was very complimentary. 
 
SAMUEL CAMPBELL. 79 
 
 Dr. L. "W. Rogers, of Utica, a man who knew him well, 
 prefaced the presentation of his name to the Convention 
 by the following address : 
 
 "Mr. President — I rise to name a candidate for Senator, who 
 is well known to the members of this Convention — so favorably- 
 known that he needs no word of eulogy from me. He is a man of 
 large experience in business, and well acquainted with the wants 
 and condition of the district; a Democrat in the true sense of the 
 term, who sympathizes with the common people, and aims to 
 improve and elevate them ; a patriot, who stood by the country in 
 her day of trouble, laboring without ceasing, and contributing 
 without stint to furnish troops for the Union army, and to support 
 our brave soldiers in the field ; a man whose character for personal 
 and political integrity is without reproach and above suspicion; a 
 large-hearted, liberal gentleman, whom none know but to love, 
 none name but to praise — Samuel Campbell, of Whitestown." 
 
 The strong sense of Mr. Campbell soon mastered the 
 details of a Senator's duty ; and, in his quiet, unobtru- 
 sive, but effective way, he has accomplished all that he or 
 his constituents desired. The attention is naturally drawn 
 to him as he sits in the Senate, and the eye of the stranger 
 lingers on the fine head, flowing beard, white hair and 
 bright, cheery face, surmounting the broad shoulders and 
 stalwart frame of Samuel Campbell. 
 
GEORGE CHAMBERS. 
 
 Senator Chambers was born, October 31st, 1815, in 
 Marbletown, Ulster county, New York. His ancestors were 
 of the Dutch families that were among some of the first 
 settlers of the county ; and his father, Jacob Chambers, was 
 a Surveyor of considerable eminence in his profession, and 
 was much engaged in surveying and dividing up the lands 
 of the State, in allotments, towns and sub-divisions. He 
 also represented his district in the Legislature, in the 
 year 1836. 
 
 Mr. Chambers represents the Tenth Senatorial District, 
 and is a member of the Committees on Public Health, 
 Medical Societies, Literature, and Charitable and Religious 
 Societies. He is a physician of extensive practice, in his 
 county, of the Allopathic School, having graduated about 
 the year 1838, which profession he has continually followed, 
 up to the present time. Commencing his professional 
 duties, immediately after graduating, in the town of Never- 
 sink, Sullivan county, he found a large field for usefulness, 
 as well as a rugged and wild country, which Avould have 
 been an unsurmountable barrier to any one practicing medi- 
 cine, possessed of less physical endurance and energy than 
 the Doctor ; but, by perseverance, which is one of the most 
 prominent traits of his character, he has succeeded in over- 
 coming the usual difficulties which interpose in the success 
 of young men commencing business. After three years' 
 residence in Sullivan county, he returned to the place of 
 his nativity, a few years before the death of his father, and 
 has since been engaged, until the present time, in the 
 double capacity of physician and farmer. He represented 
 the town of Marbletown, from 1861 to 1866, in the Board 
 
 
GEORGE CHAMBERS. 81 
 
 of Supervisors, of which he was Chairman, daring the last 
 three years. 
 
 Notwithstanding the close application with which he 
 confined himself to his professional business, he was not 
 insensible to the political events of the day ; and he has 
 generally been counted as one of those who, from their 
 actions, and the interest manifested in political affairs, are 
 numbered among live politicians. Although a strict party 
 man, he never has been an aspirant for official position ; 
 and whenever he has allowed himself to become a candidate 
 for office, it has been at a sacrifice of his individual feelings 
 to the wishes of his political friends. In politics, he was 
 originally a Henry Clay Whig, and supported successively 
 the Whig nominees for the Presidency, until the nomination 
 of John C. Fremont, when he decided not to go into the 
 Republican ranks ; but, on the contrary, supported Mil- 
 lard Fillmore, the " American" candidate for the Presi- 
 dency. In 1860, Mr. Chambers acted with that wing of the 
 Democracy which was in favor of the election of Stephen 
 A. Douglas, and, in the subsequent Presidential campaign, 
 his talents and exertions were cast in the balances, in favor 
 of Gen. MoCr.ELLAN. Since then, he has uniformly indorsed 
 the policy of the Democracy. 
 
 Senator Chambers is a gentleman of commanding ap- 
 pearance, and meets all men with urbanity. Though he 
 is unfrequently an orignator of measures, he nevertheless 
 lays down his propositions in a perspicuous manner, and 
 stands ready to defend them and to discuss their merits, 
 if necessary ; and yet he is not a frequent debater, prefer- 
 ring to accomplish his legislative work in a quiet way ; 
 but he shows no neglect of either general or special inter- 
 ests. 
 
 11 
 
LORENZO D. COLLINS. 
 
 This Senator, for the Thirteenth District, was born in 
 Whitehall, Washington county, New York, on the 13th 
 of July, 1821. Both of his grandfathers were in the Army 
 of the Revolution. His paternal grandfather having been 
 taken prisoner, was carried to England, and there impris- 
 oned until the close of the war. His father, a resident of 
 Whitehall, served for a short time in the war of 1812; 
 and, being in moderate circumstances, was able to afford 
 his large family of children no special advantages of edu- 
 cation, beyond what could be obtained in the District 
 School, during a short winter respite from industrial pur- 
 suits. Leaving Whitehall at the age of twenty, the 
 subject of this article removed to West Troy, Albany 
 county, and there hired out to work by the month for a 
 period of two years. At the expiration of that time, he 
 found that, in addition to the little capital which he had 
 saved from his earnings, he had made a reputation for 
 integrity, which enabled him to obtain the requisite credit 
 for commencing business on his own account ; and accord- 
 ingly, in 1843, he commenced the canal store and stabling 
 business in that village; he added to it, in 1850, storage 
 and forwarding. 
 
 His business grew in extent, and yielded a handsome 
 return in profit, so that, in 1855, he had not only been able 
 to erect fine buildings for its accommodation, but had also 
 something to invest in bank stock. The same year, he was 
 elected a Director of the Union Bank of Troy, a position 
 which he still holds. In order to facilitate his grain busi- 
 ness, in which he was heavily interested, he became an 
 owner of boats to a considerable extent, so that his inter. 
 
LORENZO D. COLLINS. 83 
 
 ests have been constantly and increasingly connected with 
 the canals of the State. 
 
 In 1882, his brother entered into partnership Avith him. 
 Being thus partially relieved of the immediate care and 
 oversight of his business, Mr. Collins, in the same year, 
 removed to the fine farm upon which he now resides, about 
 one mile northwest of the village. His early experience 
 in farm life, coupled with his naturally good judgment in 
 any pursuit, has enabled him to prove himself a practical 
 as well as an amateur farmer. 
 
 As a business man, Senator Collins has been abun- 
 dantly successful. Beginning life as he did, he may take 
 a justifiable pride in saying, that his note never went to 
 protest, nor was there ever a time, in his business experi- 
 ence, when he could not pay every dollar that he owed. 
 
 Being a man of deep convictions and positive opinions, 
 Senator Collins early became known as an ardent and 
 leading supporter of the principles enunciated by the old 
 Whig party ; and when that party ceased to exist, he 
 engaged with equal zeal in the support of Republican 
 principles, and soon became known in his village as an 
 influential party man. Although residing in a strong 
 Democratic Ward, in 1852, he was elected one of the 
 Trustees of the village. He discharged his duties so 
 acceptably, that, in the following year, he was chosen 
 President of the Board. In 1858, the Republicans of the 
 Fourth Assembly District of Albany county, fixed upon 
 him as the man who could probably overcome the strongly 
 adverse majority in the district. He accepted the nomina- 
 tion, and was triumphantly elected. In the succeeding 
 year he was again elected. In the House, he was a mem- 
 ber of the Canal Committee for two years ; but, upon 
 receiving a renomination for a third term, his business 
 interests compelled him to decline. In 1865, he was 
 elected State Senator, which result, together with the 
 
84 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 election of the balance of the Republican ticket in the 
 county constituting the Senatorial District, may be attri- 
 buted, in a great measure, to positive strength in the 
 nomination. Mr. Collins, while never seeking show or 
 prominence before the public, is, in. respect to practical 
 ideas touching the material interests of the State, one of 
 the able members of the Senate. He possesses that inti- 
 mate acquaintance with questions of commerce and finance, 
 which is so essential to practical legislation, and his long 
 identification and acquaintance with canal interests, give 
 him deserved prominence and influence in that respect, 
 and eminently fit him for his position as Chairman of the 
 Committee on Canals. 
 
 Recognizing him as one of the representative business 
 men of that vicinity, Senator Collins was, in 1865, 
 appointed by the Board of Trade of the city of Troy, as 
 a delegate to the International Convention held in Detroit, 
 in that year. Among his neighbors, he is looked upon as 
 a public spirited citizen, ever ready to bestow labor and 
 means for the purpose of securing the good of the commu- 
 nity. During the rebellion, he not only took deep interest 
 in helping to fill the quotas of men demanded from his 
 village, but he also interested himself, to a great extent, 
 in raising a fund for the relief of the families of volunteers. 
 Among the local improvements for which his fellow-citi- 
 zens are indebted to him, may be mentioned the fine iron 
 bridge, at the upper side cut, in West Troy, extending the 
 whole width of Broadway. The Canal Board determined 
 upon, and actually put under contract, an ordinary road 
 bridge for this point, but they were dissuaded from that 
 design chiefly through his interposition. 
 
 Being of a generous and genial nature, Senator Collins 
 enjoys the successes which have attended his efforts in 
 life ; and he finds a satisfaction in giving a kind word, and 
 extending a helping hand to the deserving. Still in the 
 
CHARLES G. CORNELL. 85 
 
 prime of life, it is not probable that his public record is 
 yet complete ; and he may, therefore, be justly regarded 
 as one of the " cominer men " of the State. 
 
 CHARLES G. CORNELL. 
 
 This gentleman, representing the Fifth Senatorial Dis- 
 trict, is a native of the city of New York, at which place 
 he was born on the 12th of February, 1827. In politics, 
 he is a Democrat of the Tammany School — his Democ- 
 racy being inherited, and widely diffused through the 
 Cornell family. In personal appearance, he is a well- 
 built man, standing five feet eleven, with a well-balanced 
 head, firmly set on a stout neck. He has excellent muscu- 
 lar development, and activity. His face denotes firmness, 
 if not stubbornness of character, truth and sincerity; 
 yet he has a mild blue eye, and rather pleasing expres- 
 sion, black hair inclined to straightness. His disposition 
 and social qualifications are such as to gather around him 
 firm and lasting friends. As a business man, he is one of 
 those who have the foresight to look well ahead, and the 
 courage to take risks where others would hesitate. He 
 acquired a competency in his business, before he entered 
 into the field of politics ; and, with his business habits, had 
 he wholly ignored the honors of office, would have been 
 worth a couple of hundred thousand dollars more than he 
 is at present. In the district which he represents in the 
 Senate, Mr. Cornell is highly respected and esteemed. 
 His political course has been open and faithful to his party 
 and his friends. Even with his political opponents, he 
 bears the reputation of being a man of honor and truth. 
 He served several years in the city government, and in one 
 
86 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 of its branches .is presiding officer. During the past four 
 years, he has filled the onerous position of Street Commis- 
 sioner, holding the place longer, and giving better satis- 
 faction in the discharge of its important duties, than any- 
 other incumbent. During the last year, the office was 
 made the scape-goat for all pretended reform interests ; 
 when harrassed and annoyed, Mr. Cornell withdrew 
 from the place. In the Senate, he is more of a worker 
 than a talker, looking well after the interests of his constit- 
 uents, and protecting them to the best of his ability. 
 
 Mr. Cornell served the full period of his time in the 8th 
 Regiment, New York State Militia, and was among the first 
 to volunteer his services at the breaking out of the war. 
 He served with his regiment with great credit, having 
 command nearly the Avhole of the time of the Bull Run 
 fight. He is an unflinching Union man, and an advocate 
 of law and order. During the Draft riots in the city of 
 New York, he rendered efficient service to the city authori- 
 ties, for which he was publicly complimented by Mayor 
 Opdyke. 
 
 In his dealings with every one, he is a courteous, affable 
 gentleman ; and as a legislator, a practical and useful 
 member. 
 
 EZRA CORNELL. 
 
 There is a pleasure in tracing the career of men who 
 have marched steadily onward, from obscure positions in 
 boyhood, to those of influence in later life. There is 
 something grand in the course of a man who has chosen 
 the undeviating line of rectitude, and always kept it: 
 neither to the right nor the left — but straightforward. 
 Such a man is Ezra Cornell, whose life is being crowned 
 with pecuniary success, political honors, and deeds of 
 
EZRA CORNELL. 87 
 
 benevolence. Mr. Cornell was born at Westchester 
 Landing, Westcbester county, New York, on the 11th day 
 of January, in the year 1807. His parents were both 
 natives of New England, and both members of the Society 
 of Friends. His mother died eight years ago, at about 
 seventy years of age, and his father died a few years later, 
 in the ninety-first year of his age. 
 
 The early boyhood of Mr. Cornell was spent in aiding 
 in the pottery which his father conducted successively, at 
 Tarrytown, New York, English Neighborhood, New 
 Jersey, and De Ruyter, New York. The educational 
 advantages which he enjoyed were very limited. He 
 had no preparatory training for a collegiate course ; 
 he did not pass through the curriculum of a university ; 
 he had no parchment in Latin, showing that he was 
 a graduate of college, for his advantages for gaining 
 an education were confined to the district school, as it 
 was, forty or fifty years ago. At the age of seventeen, 
 his scholastic training was completed ; and, for a short 
 period, he was employed in farming, a pursuit for which 
 he still exhibits great fondness. But agriculture had not 
 the scope which such a mind as his required. There are 
 some natures which cannot be confined to small circles ; 
 their energies are ever on the alert to find room for expan- 
 sion, and work which will bring into play their most active 
 faculties. Mr. Cornell's mind was one of this peculiar 
 cast : acute, vigorous, and inventive, it looked beyond the 
 mere formalities of toil, to cause and effect. He possessed 
 great mechanical genius. At one time we discover him 
 exposing the blunders of a head carpenter who was at 
 work for his father, though, as yet, he had had neither 
 experience nor instruction in architecture; and soon after, 
 a house arises under his unpracticed hand. 
 
 In the year 1827, he went to Homer, New York, and 
 engaged in building wool carding machines. Thence, 
 
88 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 during the succeeding year, he moved to Ithaca, where he 
 was employed in a machine shop, building and repairing 
 cotton machinery. Such was his zeal and real worth, his 
 employer, without solicitation, increased his wages, before 
 the time, for which he was engaged, had half expired. 
 This may seem a trifling incident, but it is an index of a 
 strong practical intellect. He next took charge of a flour- 
 ing mill, at Ithaca, and held the position for ten years, at 
 what was then considered a large salary. During this 
 engagement, he evinced a great deal of skill and enter- 
 prise in making mechanical improvements, and in building 
 a large mill for his employer, in such a manner as to be 
 able to run the establishment with but little manual labor, 
 so nicely adapted was the machinery. 
 
 When the term of his engagement expired, which was 
 in 1840, he entered into agricultural pursuits, on an 
 extended scale, which he has never since entirely aban- 
 doned. He spent a couple of years in Maine and Georgia, 
 interesting himself in agricultural improvements, which 
 proved successful in themselves, as well as in the other 
 results which grew out of them. While pursuing this 
 avocation, his attention was directed to the project of 
 building the telegraph. His convictions told him that the 
 plan would be feasible, and he soon entered into an 
 engagement with Mr. F. O. J. Smith, who had taken the 
 government contract for laying the telegraph from Balti- 
 more to Washington, in insulated pipes placed under 
 ground. Mr. Cornell set his inventive faculties at work 
 to construct a machine for laying the pipes, by which he 
 could very considerably lessen the expense of the labor. 
 In this effort he was successful. But Professor Morse's 
 mode of insulation was so imperfect, as to cause an aban- 
 donment of an underground telegraph. 
 
 .Mi-. Cornell, who was appointed Assistant Superin- 
 tendent of the Telegraph Company, now changed the 
 
EZRA CORNELL. 89 
 
 design, and, in the place of underground pipes, substituted 
 upright poles. This plan was practicable, and the air line 
 from Baltimore to Washington, was completed by him in 
 the spring of 1844. But public prejudice was strong 
 against the practicability of telegraphs. It was altogether 
 too wonderful an undertaking for old ideas. But, not- 
 withstanding opposition, the determined vigor of Mr. 
 Cornell and kindred spirits, carried the enterprise 
 through all obstacles, to a most satisfactory termination. 
 
 At different times, he has been Superintendent in the 
 erection of various lines, and, generally, with pecuniary 
 success. His investments in telegraphic stock have been 
 heavy ; and they have been so enhanced in value, as to 
 increase his wealth to a princely sum. Thus his far-reach- 
 ing foresight, his unyielding perseverance and his honesty 
 of intentions, have elevated him from comparative pov- 
 erty to wealth. Money is very paltry, in the hands of 
 men who are narrow in their views, and illiberal in their 
 natures. Mr. Cornell, fortunately, is a gentleman of a 
 broad and liberal spirit. His benevolence has become 
 proverbial ; and the people have learned to esteem him as 
 one of the philanthropists of this State. We can never 
 forget that, while in London, in 1862, he generously paid, 
 from his own private means, the expenses of several 
 soldiers to this country, in order that they might join our 
 army, then engaged in putting down the rebellion. 
 
 On his return from Europe, he commenced the erection 
 of the " Cornell Library," which has since been completed, 
 at a cost of $100,000, and which he donated to the village 
 of Ithaca, as a public library, lecture and reading-rooms, 
 with an endowment adequate to render it self-sustaining 
 and perpetual. 
 
 And when the plan of an agricultural college at Ovid 
 failed, Mr. Cornell proposed to the Trustees, that, if they 
 would organize upon a broader basis, and locate it at 
 12 
 
90 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Ithaca, he would contribute the sum of $500,000 toward 
 the endowment of their institution. This proposition 
 resulted in the founding of the " Cornell University," now 
 in the progress of erection at Ithaca, to which Mr. Cornell 
 has given a valuable farm, the Jewett Cabinet, which 
 cost $10,000, and cash to the amount of $500,000. He is 
 also devoting his personal enei'gies and time, and loaning 
 his means to this institution, for the purpose of purchasing 
 from the State the College land scrip, and locating the 
 lands, a work which promises to add millions of dollars 
 to the endowment of a college for the liberal education 
 of the industrial classes. This deed needs no comment, 
 except the hearty response of the people cooperating with 
 the donor, in making the plan beneficial to our agricul- 
 tural and mechanical interests. 
 
 In the years 1862-3, Mr. Cornell was a member of 
 the Assembly. He there distinguished himself for his 
 comprehensive abilities. In 1863, his constituents recog- 
 nized the fact by electing him to the State Senate ; and 
 they reiterated their satisfaction by a reelection in 1865. 
 
 On the organization of the Republican party, Mr. Cor- 
 nell, who had previously been a Whig, attached himself 
 to it ; he has, ever since, been one of its most zealous 
 adherents. 
 
 In appearance, he is firm and self-reliant. There is a 
 determination around his mouth, and a keenness in his eye 
 which forbid the approach of corruption ; and at the same 
 time, the sunshine of benevolence emanating from the 
 heart within, is reflected from every feature of his face. 
 
RICHARD CROWLEY. 
 
 The youngest man in the Senate is Mr. Crowley, who 
 was elected to the place, which he now holds in that 
 body, before he was twenty-nine years old. He was born 
 at Lockport, New York, December 14th, 1836. His 
 father and mother came to this country, from Ireland ; 
 they settled on a small farm, when Mr. Crowley was ten 
 years of age. His life, until he became twenty-one, was 
 like that of most farmers' sons, of small means, made up 
 mostly of working on the farm, during the summer 
 months, and attending the common school in the winter 
 season. As an exception to the above-mentioned educa- 
 tional advantages, he attended the Union school at Lock- 
 port, two terms. During the years that he spent on his 
 father's farm he had access to a tolerably good school 
 district library ; and also studied Latin, and pursued a 
 course of reading under the teachings of a friend. He 
 had a great taste for history and biography, which he 
 fully gratified. When he was twenty-one he left home 
 and commenced his fight with the world. He worked 
 his way to the West, as far as Kalamazoo, Michigan, and 
 " hired out " to teach a country school, in an adjoining 
 town. While thus employed, having purchased a copy of 
 Blackstone's Commentaries, he devoted his spare hours 
 to the study of them. When his school term expired, he 
 traveled through several of the Western States, and then 
 returned to Lockport. In the spring of 1857, he entered 
 the law office of Gardner & Lamont, practitioners in 
 Lockport, devoting a portion of his time, however, to 
 general reading and the study of Latin, rhetoric and 
 mental and moral philosophy. The succeeding winter he 
 again engaged in teaching, in order to replenish his 
 
92 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 exchequer ; and, in the spring, resumed his professional 
 studies in the office of L. F. & G. W. Bowen, where he 
 remained until 1861, when, having been previously admit- 
 ted to the Bar in Lockport, he commenced practicing, 
 after having formed a partnership with E. J. Chase, Esq., 
 a brother of Hon. S. P. Cha.se. He was admitted to 
 practice in the Supreme Court of the United States in 
 January, 1865, Chief Justice* Chase, presiding. Mr. 
 Crowley has had intrusted to him many cases of import- 
 ance, concerning property and crime ; and has proven 
 himself an able advocate and counselor. In early life he 
 took a deep interest in political matters growing out of 
 the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and the Kansas 
 and Nebraska agitation. The result of his reasoning was 
 a determination to attach himself to Republican princi- 
 ples. He has never before held any public office, except 
 that of City Counsel for the city of Lockport. When 
 elected to his present place in the Senate, his vote was 
 very nattering, especially in the county of Niagai-a, 
 wherein he received over four hundred more votes than 
 any other candidate on either the State or county ticket, 
 although some of the most popular men in the county 
 were in nomination. 
 
 Mr. Crowley has made achievements that are certainly 
 remarkable. What he now is, cannot be due to ancestry ; 
 for like Cicero, when jeered at concerning his name, he 
 has felt that he must make his own name, if he would 
 have a place for it in the great hereafter. He is a living 
 exemplification of the truth : " Perseverantia omnia 
 vincit." He is the son of a poor man ; by his own per- 
 sonal efforts he has risen from poverty to be an ornament 
 to the Niagara Bar ; and the high esteem in which he is 
 held, may well In 1 envied by young men Avho have been 
 surrounded, all their lives, by much more advantageous 
 circumstances. As a speaker and debater he is far above 
 
CHARLES J. F0LGER. 93 
 
 mediocrity. His language is elegant and forcible, some- 
 times almost severely chaste, and his voice is distinct in 
 utterance. He was an earnest advocate of the Health 
 Bill, and the Excise Law for New York city ; and favored 
 the amendment of the Registry Law of the State, and the 
 repeal of the contract system of keeping the Canals of 
 the State in repair. He has also taken an interest and a 
 part in all matters of general legislation. 
 
 CHARLES J. FOLGER. 
 
 Charles James Folger, Senator from the Twenty- 
 sixth District, is a native of Massachusetts, in which State 
 he was born on the 16th of April, 1818. His ancestors 
 were sea-faring men; masters of vessels sailing out of 
 Nantucket, and his early boyhood days were spent in the 
 wild and free associations of the coast life, which pos- 
 sesses so much of romance and adventure. When he was 
 a little more than twelve years of age, he removed with 
 his parents to Geneva, in this State, where he has resided 
 since, except when at intervals engaged in the study of 
 law elsewhere. He entered Geneva College in 1833, and 
 graduated in 1836, with the honors of his class. In 
 October of that year, he commenced the study of the law, 
 in the office of Mark H. Sibley & Alvah Worden, at 
 Canandaigua. The influence of such a preceptor as Mr. 
 Sibley, upon a mind so receptive and active as that of 
 his young friend, could not fail to be beneficial, and, 
 undoubtedly, a large share of the great practical success 
 he has since attained in public life, is to be attributed to 
 this association. He also read law in the office of Bowen 
 Whiting, at Geneva, and with John M. Holley, at 
 
94 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Lyons. In 1839, he was admitted to practice at the Bar 
 of the Supreme Court, in General Term, at Albany, and 
 in May, of the following year, entered upon the pursuit 
 of his profession at Geneva. His advance was rapid 
 and honorable. A fine personal presence, a studious 
 analysis of all the rules and practices of law, a mind 
 fully stored with classic lore, and with the very best 
 productions of the jurists of all countries, and a persua- 
 sive style of eloquence, were the elements of a sure and 
 honorable promotion. In 1844, he was appointed — 
 under the old Constitution — Judge of the Ontario Court 
 of Common Pleas. He held that office for one year, 
 and discharged its duties with general satisfaction, and 
 then resigned. He was also Master and Examiner in 
 Chancery until the Chancery Court was abolished by the 
 adoption of the Constitution of 1846. In 1851, he was 
 elected County Judge of Ontario county, and held that 
 office for four years. In 1861, he was elected to the 
 Senate, being reelected in 1863, and again in 1865. 
 
 Mr. Folger has acted with the Republican party from 
 the period of its organization, and lias always been a 
 conspicuous and able defender of the principles it was 
 established to maintain. His influence in his own par- 
 ticular section of the State has contributed largely to the 
 great popular predominance of Republican principles. 
 Upon the F6rum, through the Press, and as a Legislator, 
 his voice has alwaj's been earnest for equal rights and 
 justice to all. Almost uniformly chosen a representative 
 in the State Conventions of his party, he has contributed 
 largely to give shape to its general policy. His address 
 as temporary Chairman of the Syracuse Convention in 
 1865, will long be remembered by those who heard it, as 
 a model of eloquence, vigor and terseness. 
 
 In the Senate, Mr. Folger is a recognized leader. His 
 opinions are always treated by that body with marked 
 
CHARLES J. FOLGER. 95 
 
 respect, and even when he is compelled to dissent from 
 his peers in judgment, he receives from them the credit 
 due to sincere convictions and great ability. As Chair- 
 man of the Judiciary Committee, much of the most 
 important business of the Legislature passes through his 
 hands ; and his extensive legal knowledge, his great skill 
 in research, his wonderful powers of analysis, and his 
 untiring industry, have made his services in this capacity 
 of almost incalculable value. Without derogation of the 
 claims of other gentlemen upon the Committee, it is safe 
 to say that all will pronounce this tribute to his personal 
 usefulness entirely just and deserved. 
 
 The estimation in which Mr. Folger is held by his 
 peers, may be judged from the fact that during the ses- 
 sion of 18G5-6, he was unanimously chosen President pro 
 tern., to serve during the absence of the Lieutenant-Gov- 
 ernor, Hon. Thomas G. Alvord. This high compliment 
 was renewed at the opening of the present session ; and 
 as before, without a dissenting voice. 
 
 The chief characteristics of Mr. Folger as a Senator, 
 are his great industry and his unbending integrity. He 
 is thoroughly devoted to the duties of his position, and 
 labors incessantly, both upon the floor and in committees, 
 to perfect and elaborate legislation. The importance of 
 this fact is best understood by those who know how great 
 are his resources of legal lore. Nobody ever suspected 
 him of favoring a bill or advocating a scheme from the 
 impulse of selfish or mercenary motives. His mind is 
 preeminently that of a statesman. He regai-ds all ques- 
 tions from the broad general stand-point of public expe- 
 diency and justice, and is able to bring to his use the 
 lessons of history and the experience of centuries in 
 determining his own views. 
 
 As a speaker, there are few among the many eloquent 
 men in the State, who possess so much or such varied 
 
96 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 power as Mr. Folgee. He is a native orator, whose 
 innate abilities have been wondrously increased by a 
 thorough education and severe discipline. He never 
 addresses the Senate without fixing its attention, and 
 always utters ideas which are certain to illustrate the 
 subject in hand. His wealth of imagery is sometimes 
 surprising, and the readiness with which it is employed 
 in giving charms to the most commonplace topics, makes 
 him a most desirable ally and a formidable opponent. He 
 is uniformily dignified and affable in debate ; but the 
 trenchant vigor with which he disposes of an antago- 
 nist, is frequently inimitable. Never making speeches 
 for "effect;" always confining himself to the topic 
 immediately under discussion ; and grouping facts, figures 
 and fancies with the skill of a master, he has achieved a 
 position beside the master intellects of the State, and 
 will long be remembered after he shall have left the 
 Senate Chamber, for — we trust — higher honors and 
 richer spheres of usefulness. 
 
 In personal appearance, Mr. Folger is commanding 
 and graceful. His features wear the stamp of intel- 
 lect, and advertise the gentlemanly suavity which is a 
 predominant trait in his character. His voice has that 
 peculiarly melodious inflection which is always ascribed 
 as one of the graces ' of the native orator. He is cool 
 and self-possessed under every circumstance, and never 
 finds himself in a situation for which he has not 
 adequate resources. Nobody would suspect him of 
 having approached, within a decade, the forty-eight 
 years he wears so well. 
 
 
JAMES GIBSON. 
 
 Senator Gibson is a gentleman of quiet dignity. His 
 long flowing hair and whiskers, tinged with grey, his mild 
 eye, which seems to be overflowing with kindly feelings, 
 his low, persuasive voice, which is seldom brought up to a 
 high pitch, unite in throwing around him a personal 
 atmosphere which renders his presence both pleasant and 
 powerful. His father was a lawyer of distinction, in 
 Washington county, who died when his son James was 
 eleven years old. Though in good pecuniary circum- 
 stances while living, at his death, his estate netted nothing 
 to his family of orphans, who were consequently left to 
 fight their own way in the world, their mother having 
 previously died. 
 
 Senator Gibson was born in Salem, Washington county, 
 New York, September 5th, 1816. His school days were 
 passed in the Washington Academy, at Salem, which was 
 among the oldest educational institutions in this State, and 
 from which some of our leading men are graduates. He 
 there obtained a fair classical education. Before the con- 
 clusion of his school life, he entered the law office of his 
 uncle, Samuel Stevens, a former partner of his father, who 
 was, at that time, eminent as a practitioner, and who after- 
 ward became one of the leading members of the Albany 
 Bar. In 1836, at the October Term of the Supreme Court, 
 Mr. Gibson was admitted to practice, and thereuj^on 
 formed a partnershij) with Cyrus Stevens, which con- 
 tinued one year. At the termination of his business 
 associations with Mr. Stevens, he continued his legal pro- 
 fession, on his individual responsibility. His qualifications 
 were such as to attract the attention of the public ; and, 
 in a brief time, he gathered to himself an extended prac- 
 13 
 
98 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 ticc. Having no one associated with liim, he, from neces- 
 sity, selected but little office business, preferring to act in 
 the capacity of an advocate, or as counsel. There were 
 exceptions to this, it is true ; but the general burden of 
 his labors was made up of those cases which demanded 
 careful study and laborious argument. During his life he 
 has had charge of a large number of criminal suits, which 
 have involved delicate points of circumstantial evidence, 
 and in the conducting of which, his almost intuitive 
 knowledge of the human passions, has made him both 
 skillful and successful. Many important civil controver- 
 sies have also been intrusted to him — controversies that 
 involved immense sums of money. Among other cases of 
 this nature, Mr. Gibsox conducted a protracted litigation 
 for the Troy and Rutland Railroad, out of which grew a 
 number of suits, upon side issues, in which he was coun- 
 sel. The nature of the above-mentioned suit Avas to this 
 effect : The Troy and Rutland Railroad had leased its road 
 to the Rutland and Washington Railroad — a Vermont 
 Association — which had pledged its road, with its rolling 
 stock, as security for the payment of its rent. Four years 
 elapsed, and the lessees not having paid the rent according 
 to agreement, the Troy and Rutland Railroad employed 
 Mr. Gibson to commence an action, in the Supreme Court, 
 for the purpose of obtaining possession of the Rutland and 
 Washington Railroad, and its rolling stock, and reentering 
 upon the Troy and Rutland Railroad. In that action, a 
 receiver of the two roads was appointed ; possession of 
 their property, with the rolling stock, was given to him ; 
 and he operated the two roads, for one year. A final 
 judgment was obtained, in the action, by the consent of 
 all concerned, by which the plaint ill's were to extend the 
 time of payment of arrears, and both roads were to be 
 delivered over to the trustees appointed for the creditors 
 of the Rutland and Washington Railroad. From this suit 
 
JAMES GIBSON. 99 
 
 sprang an immense litigation, of which Mr. Gibson held 
 the threads. On the compromise in the original suit, the 
 defendants gave a mortgage on their effects to their 
 creditors. About two years ago, Mr. Gibson foreclosed 
 that mortgage, the road was bid off by a Boston gentle- 
 man, and it now forms a part of the routes operated by 
 the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad Association. We 
 have cited this, to show the character and importance of 
 the business which is placed in the hands of Mr. Gibson - . 
 
 Years ago, he was Lieutenant-Colonel of the 50th Regi- 
 ment of Infantry, which in 1S48, was consolidated with the 
 •30th Artillery. By order of the Adjutant-General he was 
 attached to it, though not in the line, until 18G3, when, 
 being elected into the line, he received his commission. 
 The Colonel, subsequently, resigning, Mr. Gibson, in Octo- 
 ber, 1865, was promoted to Colonel, and still holds the 
 office. During the last year, by his untiring efforts, 
 the regiment has been furnished with uniforms and equip- 
 ments, and under orders has paraded in full strength. It, 
 probably, cannot be excelled by any other regiment out 
 of the cities. From 1852 to 1856, Mr. Gibson was County 
 Judge of Washington county, having previously held 
 various public offices. In the autumn of 1865, Judge 
 Gibson -was elected to the Senate from the Twelfth Sena- 
 torial District, by a Union Republican majority of over 
 three thousand. While acting in his present capacity, his 
 attention has been particularly occupied by his duties as 
 Chairman of the Committee on Claims, and as a member 
 of the Committee on Judiciary, both of which combined, 
 probably furnish two-thirds of the business of the Senate. 
 Some of the reports from the committee of which he is 
 Chairman, exhibit close scrutiny with reference to the 
 numerous claims which are presented to the Legislature. 
 Judge Gibson holds to the theory that the Legislature 
 should sternly resist appeals for donations, under the head 
 
100 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 of " equitable" claims, and should bear in mind that the 
 State and its tax payers have superior claims on its justice 
 and equity ; that it is futile for the Canal Commissioners 
 to require economy in the expenditures of subordinates, 
 if the Legislature shall constantly interfere, by donating 
 large sums to contractors for deficiencies in their profits. 
 Last year he carried forward a measure which originated 
 in the House, authorizing the survey of the Hudson River, 
 from tide-water-head to Fort Edward, and of the Cham- 
 plain Canal, from that place to Whitehall, the object of 
 which was to test the feasibility of improving navigation, 
 for the use of vessels of large tonnage. Mr. Gibson has 
 been a warm advocate for all measures of local interest to 
 his District. At the opening of the session in 1866, he 
 took a strong position in favor of the measures and policy 
 of Congress, and introduced a series of resolutions to 
 that effect. Though the resolutions, afterward passed, 
 were modified in order to form a ground upon which both 
 Senate and Assembly could meet, yet the spirit of Mr. 
 Gibson's resolutions was retained. He is still true to his 
 antecedents, and has emphatically declared himself in favor 
 of a Radical national course, in a concise speech delivered 
 in the Senate during the early part of the present session. 
 
 ABEL GODARD. 
 
 Senator Godard represents the Seventeenth Sen- 
 atorial District. He is a native of St. Lawrence county — 
 a section of this State which has always been in the van 
 of liberal and progressive ideas, and which has produced 
 some of the noblest minds that have shaped both State 
 and national policies. The country will always gladly 
 pay homage to the memory of Preston King and Silas 
 
ABEL GODAED. 101 
 
 Weight ; and it is but simple justice to say that, so fax- as 
 purity of character is concerned, the mantle of public 
 favor and honor, which was once cast on those sterling 
 men, has fallen on a worthy representative in the person 
 of Mr. Godaed. 
 
 His grandfather, Lewis Godaed, was a Captain in the 
 war of 1812, and died while a prisoner of war. His 
 father, Hon. Haelow Godaed, is a politician of much 
 influence in St. Lawrence county, who represented his 
 district in the Assembly, in 1847, '48, '58, and '59. 
 
 The boyhood days of Abel Godaed were mostly spent 
 in the Academy, in preparation for a collegiate course ; 
 when his preparatory studies were completed, he entered 
 the Rochester University, from which he graduated in 
 1859. During the same year, he was employed as 
 Engrossing Clerk in the Assembly. But that position, of 
 course, was merely temporary. It was not his desire to 
 be dependent upon no fixed occupation, and, therefore, as 
 soon as convenient, he decided upon choosing a profes- 
 sional life. He had previously stored his mind with a 
 knowledge of the classics and polite literature, and con- 
 sequently was, thus far, sufficiently accomplished to grace 
 any of the professions. But, being of a legal turn of 
 mind, he entered the Albany Law School from which he 
 graduated in August, 1861. At that time, it is well known 
 that the country was convulsed by the Southern Rebel- 
 lion. Places in the counting-room, the pulpit, and at the 
 bar, were made vacant by those who, though inex- 
 perienced in war, were willing, at all events, to throw 
 their bodies in the breach, as bulwarks against the traitors 
 of the nation. At the second call of President Lincoln", 
 for additional volunteers, Mr. Godaed enlisted as a 
 private in the 60th Regiment, New York Volunteers, 
 which was organized at Ogdensburgh, New York. At 
 the election of officers, he was chosen Captain, and 
 
102 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 entered the field in October following. In the campaign 
 of General Banks, in the Shenandoah Valley, Mr. Godard 
 bore his share of duty. After the battle of Antietam, in 
 which Colonel Goodrich, commanding the 60th Regiment, 
 was killed, Captain Godard was promoted to Major. In 
 the fall of 1802, he was advanced to the rank of Colonel; 
 and in the following year, led his regiment in the san- 
 guinary engagements of Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, 
 and Ringgold. At the battle of Gettysburg, both his 
 regiment and himself displayed the loftiest heroism. 
 Upon whatever point they were brought to bear, the 
 enemy felt their power, as if lightning bolts had been 
 projected into their midst. In front of the regimental 
 line of the 60th New York Regiment, after the capture 
 of three battle-flags, were found ninety-eight dead rebels, 
 including six commissioned officers. At Lookout Moun- 
 tain or the " Battle above the Clouds," under General 
 Hooker, Colonel Godard and his regiment were in the 
 advance line of battle, and captured the first battle- 
 flag taken from the rebels in that fight, and General 
 Walthal's sword, 'which Colonel Godard presented to the 
 Bureau of Military Record of this State. In the conflict at 
 Ringgold he was much exposed to danger ; but he showed 
 a brave spirit. The bullets flew around him like hailstones, 
 yet he led his men against the foe, determined to leave no 
 duty undone. When the fight was at an end, there were 
 eleven bullet-holes in his uniform. Truly, it seems that 
 his was a charmed lite! In the celebrated campaign of 
 General Sherman, to Atlanta, Colonel Godard led his 
 regiment in the battles of Resaca, Dallas, Allatoona, and 
 Peachtvee Creek; and his regiment was the first to unfurl 
 the colors over the city of Atlanta. He was honorably 
 discharged from the service in September, 1864. 
 
 Colonel Godaud's military life was distinguished for 
 great personal bravery. He was always at the head of his 
 
• W0LC0TT J. HUMPHREY. 103 
 
 regiment, though clangers thickened and. seemed insur- 
 mountable ; and it can be justly said that his military 
 record has no stain of cowardice upon it. 
 
 In 1865, Mr. Godard was elected Supervisor of the 
 town of De Kalb ; and during the same year, the Repub- 
 lican party, in view of the hazards which lie had run, and 
 the patriotism which he had evinced in the army, and also 
 because of his mental abilities, and an ardent enthusiasm 
 which was the basis of his character, elected him to the 
 State Senate, in which he is Chairman of the Committee 
 on Militia and Public Defense, and a member of the 
 Committees on Claims and Engrossed Bills. 
 
 WOLCOTT J. HUMPHREY. 
 
 Mr. Humphrey is a gentleman who has had consider- 
 able experience in the political affairs of the State. For 
 twenty years or more, he has taken deep interest in public 
 matters, and has served the people in various positions of 
 responsibility and trust. His ability and fidelity have 
 been recognized by an election to the Senate — one of the 
 highest expressions of confidence which can be given. 
 
 Mr. Humphrey's birthplace was Canton, Hartford 
 county, Connecticut. He is forty-nine years of age. His 
 father, grandfather and great-grandfather were natives of 
 the same town. The original head of the family, in this 
 country, were two brothers who came from England, in 
 the sixteenth century, and settled in Massachusetts. From 
 them have descended the numerous branches of the family 
 ■which may now be found in every State in the Union. 
 
 Mr. Humphrey's father concluded in 1818, to remove 
 from the locality where his family had dwelt for so many 
 
104 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 years, and decided to make the town of Sheldon, Genesee 
 county (now Wyoming), Ins future home. This section 
 was then the " far West," and when we consider the 
 primitive facilities for travel which then existed — when 
 the long, tedious journeys of the hardy pioneers, were 
 performed on horseback or in lumbering wagons — and 
 when it is known that his father had the good old- 
 fashioned family of fifteen children, to look after (after- 
 ward increased to seventeen), it will be readily believed 
 that the change was one requiring a good deal of New 
 England grit and perseverance. But the exodus was 
 accomplished ; and a new scene opened in the lives of the 
 whole family. 
 
 Senator Humphrey's early education was acquired 
 wholly in a common school ; but, by extensive travel 
 through the States, and much mingling with the bustling 
 business world — " keeping his eyes and ears open " the 
 while — he has stored his mind with a large fund of 
 practical knowledge and information. When twenty 
 years old, he entered the military service of the State ; 
 and, in 1840, was elected Colonel of the 9th Regiment, 8th 
 Brigade, New York State Artillery. In 1844, he resigned 
 his commission and gave up all connection with military 
 affairs. He married, in 1841, Miss Amanda Martindale, 
 a daughter of Major William S. Martindale, of Dorset, 
 Vermont, a lady of excellent domestic qualities. 
 
 At different times Mr. Humphrey has held various town 
 offices; and during the year 1850, was Marshal for taking 
 the census in six of the towns of his county. In 1849, '53 
 and '60, he was appointed Postmaster, and, after serving 
 awhile, as many times, resigned ; his second resignation 
 took place when Tyler proved himself recreant to the 
 party with which he was identified. In 1850, he was 
 elected to the Assembly, and was returned in 1851. His 
 political talents and constant activity gave him a leading 
 
W0LC0TT J. HUMPHREY. 105 
 
 position in that body. The latter term, lie served as 
 Chairman of the Committee on Railroads, and reported 
 the Central Railroad Bill, authorizing the railroad con- 
 solidation, and establishing the existing restrictions. He 
 was also selected by the caucus to take charge of the Pro- 
 hibitory Liquor Law passed at that session ; and he made 
 an able speech in its behalf. 
 
 Some time in 1855, Mr. Humphrey removed to Bloom- 
 ington, Illinois, where he was instrumental in securing the 
 return of the late Owen Lovejoy to Congress, against 
 Judge Davies. He was, we believe, President of the 
 Convention that nominated Mr. Lovejoy. After residing 
 in Bloomington three years, or thereabouts, he returned 
 to "Wyoming, and resumed business at North Java, from 
 which place he removed to "Warsaw, in 1864, where he 
 now lives. During the war, he was enrolling officer for 
 the government, and was mobbed, by foreign opponents 
 of the draft, while in the discharge of his duties. 
 
 Mr. Humphrey was elected to the Senate from the 
 Thirtieth District (Wyoming, Livingston and Allegany), 
 in 1865, by 5,240 majority over the late Judge Hastings, 
 of Livingston. An excellent position was given him, on 
 the committees, he being a member of the Committees on 
 Railroads, Internal Affairs, and Printing, and Chairman 
 of the Committee on Roads and Bridges. He ranks as 
 a faithful worker, and one of the best debaters .among 
 the non-speech-making Senators. His political views were 
 Whig, so long as there was a Whig party, and he became 
 a member of the Republican party when it was formed. 
 He has been farmer, merchant, and tanner by turns, and 
 is extensively engaged in the latter business at present. 
 He is a gentlemen of fine presence, and great nei-vous 
 energy, of warm friendships and good impulses, and pos- 
 sesses talents of a high order, as a political organizer and 
 an indefatigable worker. 
 14 
 
ADAM W. KLINE. 
 
 Senator Kline is descended from a family conspicuous 
 among the early settlers of Try on county, "within whose 
 bounds were enacted some of the bloodiest scenes of the 
 Revolution. Its population was mostly located in the val- 
 ley of the Mohawk river, having crept westward to the 
 sources of that classic stream, previous to the year 1 750. 
 Mr. Kline's paternal grandfather was from Germany. 
 He first located on lands near Fort Stanwix (now Rome), 
 Oneida county, where William Kline, the father of the 
 Senator, was born, in 1775. Later, the grandfather moved 
 eastward to Fort Johnson (two and one-half miles west of 
 the present village of Amsterdam), which he purchased, 
 with a large tract of land adjacent. He finally planted 
 his homestead a mile west of the fort ; and, when his son 
 William attained his majority, gave him a farm and a 
 home, only a mile distant, where the subject of this notice 
 was born, February 5th, 1818, and where his time was 
 spent, until eighteen years of age. Mr. Kline's mother is 
 a native of Schenectady : her ancestors were from Holland 
 and Scotland. He was favored Avith only the ordinary 
 advantages of the common schools of that day, but dili- 
 gently improved and cultivated those habits of observation 
 and reflection, to which he owes the distinction he now 
 enjoys. Before he was twenty-one, he determined to work 
 out his fortunes, unaided. Accordingly he left home, went 
 to Amsterdam, learned the trade of a carpenter, and fol- 
 lowed it, in that village, for ten years, having had the entire 
 charge of the business after his second year of service. 
 
 In 1843, a machine for weaving figures into carpets was 
 wanted for a factory about to be opened in Amsterdam. 
 No one in that place would undertake its construction. 
 
 
ADAM W. KLINE. 107 
 
 Iii that emergency, Mr. Kline came forward, and offered 
 to take a contract for ten machines. The proprietor of 
 the factory hesitated, fearing he would sustain loss by 
 delay, hut finally made the contract, on the assurance 
 from Hon. John Sanford that, if Mr. Kline did not 
 succeed, he would pay the damage. In less than the 
 time agreed upon, a most excellent machine was placed 
 in the factory and satisfactorily set running. This was a 
 turning point in the road to fortune. Orders for similar 
 machines were multiplied beyond his power to fill, and 
 at once he was in the midst of an extensive and lucrative 
 business. From this, he was diverted by a proposition 
 made by the Hon. Mr. Sanford, to form a mercantile 
 partnership. The terms were too favorable to be rejected. 
 Arrangements were consummated, and the business went 
 on satisfactorily and profitably. The firm was dissolved, 
 by mutual consent, in 1847, when Mr. Kline moved across 
 the river to Port Jackson, and engaged alone in merchan- 
 dising, having, at the same time, an interest in the scythe 
 factory of Mr. Case, in Amsterdam. In 1S44, he married 
 Miss Bata A. Simons, of Florida, Montgomery Co., whose 
 family came from New England. In 1857, in connection 
 with John Maxwell, he built a stockinet factory, about 
 a mile and a half north of Amsterdam, which was the 
 first one erected in that town. The business was pros- 
 perous until October, 1S59, when a fire brought it to 
 a close, and the partnership was terminated. He after- 
 ward built a similar factory near the railroad, in the 
 village of Amsterdam, and ran it until February, 18GG, 
 when it was likewise burned. On the same site, he has 
 built a large flouring mill, which has but recently been 
 put in operation. The business interests of Amsterdam 
 arc indebted to no one, more than to him, for their enlarge- 
 ment and flourishing condition ; in connection with them, 
 few have acquired a larger competence ; and, in the various 
 
108 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 enterprises of life, few, have been more uniformly success- 
 ful. He is now largely engaged in the wool trade, in 
 Troy, and is Vice-President of the First National Bank 
 of Amsterdam. During the late civil strife, he was one 
 of the District Committee, whose purpose was to hasten 
 the organization of the 115th Regiment, New York Vol- 
 unteers ; and was Chairman of the War Committee of his 
 town during the war, and no man in that community gave 
 more freely of his substance, to support the wives and 
 children of the soldiers who were fighting the battles of 
 his country, than did Mr. Kline, and he probably did 
 more to encourage enlistments than any other person in 
 that section of the State. 
 
 His political and official career was commenced at Port 
 Jackson, in the town of Florida, opposite the village of 
 Amsterdam. In 1849, he was elected Supervisor of the 
 town, overcoming a majority against his party of about 
 150, and being the first Whig elected to that office, in 
 thirty years. Having returned to Amsterdam, in 1853, he 
 was elected Supervisor of that town in 1858 and 1859, and 
 Mas, both years, Chairman of the Board. In 1859, he was, 
 elected Treasurer of the county of Montgomery, having, in 
 his own town of Amsterdam, 383 majority, and precisely 
 the same in 1S65, when elected State Senator. He is 
 Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Manufactures, 
 and is on the Committees on Banks, and Roads and Bridges. 
 During the Session of 18G6, he was a member of the 
 Special Committee appointed by Lieutenant-Governor, 
 Alvord, on Federal Relations. As a legislator, Senator 
 Kline is practical, vigilant, faithful and honest; as a 
 politician, he is true to principle and party relations. 
 He makes no pretensions to eloquence, but he can express 
 his ideas clearly, and in a manner to command notice. He 
 enjoys no small degree of popularity in his district, and 
 has the respect of his colleagues in the Senate. 
 
NICHOLAS B. LA BAIT. 109 
 
 Mr. Kline owes all that he is to his own persevering 
 toil. From comparative poverty, he has arisen to affluence 
 and power, and he now is among the best business oper- 
 ators in his section of the State. He is generous, indefat- 
 igable and energetic as a business man, and as a worker 
 for his party. 
 
 NICHOLAS B. LA BAU. 
 
 Mr,. La Bau's personelU is really one of the finest in 
 the Senate. A person is attracted by his finely cut 
 features which are decidedly classical, as well as by his 
 polished manners and faultless exterior. He displays that 
 carefulness in dress, which marks the gentleman of 
 refinement, without creating an impression of superlative 
 fastidiousness ; and his rich voice, whether heard in debate 
 or in conversation, is exceedingly pleasing. 
 
 He is a native of Trenton, New Jersey, at which place 
 he was born, July 29th, 1823. His maternal grandfather 
 was born on the Island of Scio, of Greek parents, and 
 came to this country while young, settling in Philadelphia. 
 He became one of the wealthiest merchants in that city. 
 His paternal ancestry were Huguenots ; they left France 
 during the reign of Louis XIV, and settled in New Jersey. 
 
 Mr. La Bau is a graduate of Columbia College, New 
 York. After leaving college, he studied law, and was 
 admitted to practice at the Bar. He followed the legal 
 profession until 1859, when, on account of ill health, he 
 was compelled to relinquish his professional pursuits. In 
 
110 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 1860, lie had a severe and dangerous illness which confined 
 him to his bed for six months ; and he did not entirely 
 recover from this attack, until January, 1863. 
 
 Up to the year 1S59, he had identified himself with the 
 first Division New York State Militia, and had served in 
 almost every capacity — Aid to Brigadier-General, Brigade 
 Judge Advocate, Captain New York City Guards ; and 
 when his health failed him, he was Lieutenant-Colonel 
 of the 55th Regiment. 
 
 Mr. La Bau was an ardent Union man, from the begin- 
 ning of our national conflict, and, as soon as his health 
 permitted, took an unmistakable position in favor of the 
 Administration. He was, at that time, a resident of 
 Richmond county, to which he had removed from New 
 York, for the purpose of fully regaining his health. 
 Richmond county was hopelessly Democratic ; and its 
 financial affairs were in the hands of a most corrupt 
 ring. In 1863, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolu- 
 tion to raise, upon the bonds of the county, a sum suffi- 
 cient to pay every drafted man's exemption fee ; and they 
 individually said: " Not a man shall go to the war from 
 Richmond county." Such a flagrant determination to 
 indirectly aid the active enemies at the South, was enough 
 to make the blood boil in the veins of any true Union 
 man ! Mr. La Bau look an earnest part in favor of the 
 tax payers of the county, to break up the strongholds of 
 corruption. He was the Union candidate for the Assem- 
 bly, in 1863 ; but the Democratic tide was too strong 
 against him, and his opponent was elected. In the spring 
 of 1S64, he canvassed the county against the corrupt 
 Board of Supervisors, and in favor of the reformatory 
 movement, which he had inaugurated. His attempt was 
 successful ; for all of the Board, except one, were rejected; 
 and honest, independent men were elected in their stead. 
 In the autumn of the same year, he again ran for Member 
 
NICHOLAS B. LA EAU. Ill 
 
 of Assembly, but be was beaten by tbe opposing candi- 
 date, nevertheless having run far ahead of his ticket. 
 
 In 1865, Senator La Bau's name was brought before the 
 people of the First District, as candidate for State Senator. 
 After his nomination, the Democratic Committee split on 
 the nominations of Mr. Christie and Mr. Havens, both 
 factions claiming that their proceedings were regular. 
 Mr. La Bau made a thorough canvass of the counties of 
 Richmond and Suffolk, speaking to audiences nearly every 
 night. Four days before the election, a reconciliation was 
 effected between the two Democratic factions, and Mr. 
 Havens withdrew in favor of Mr. Christie. Mr. La Bau's 
 chances for success were considered hopeless, as the district 
 was Democratic by at least 1,800 majority. In fact, Geo. 
 William Curtis had, in 18G2, been defeated in running 
 for Congress, by a majority of 1,308; and Mr. Christie, 
 in 1803, had been elected to the Senate by 1,612, in his 
 favor. Mr. La Bau's friends, however, worked tenaciously, 
 resolved not to give up the contest until the last moment. 
 The result was his election by about seventy majority — 
 a most satisfactory triumph, as it demonstrated his popu- 
 larity among his constituents. 
 
 In the Senate of 1866, he was a member of the Commit- 
 tees on Judiciary, Engrossed Bills, and Roads and Bridges. 
 Mr. La Bau secured the passage of a number of import- 
 ant measures, during the session of 1866, among which 
 were the following : a bill to introduce the Metropolitan 
 Police into Richmond county ; another to regulate the fees 
 of justices and constables in the same county, limiting 
 their fees to $300 per annum, whereas some of those 
 officers had each been accustomed yearly to exact from 
 $2,000 to $3,000 from the county ; also, a bill to protect 
 seamen coming into the port of New York, and to break 
 up the infamous system of plundering which was carried 
 on by sailor boarding houses. He took the " laboring oar " 
 
112 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 in behalf of the Metropolitan Excise Bill, which embraced 
 the county of Richmond within its provisions; and advo- 
 cated the conferring of the appointing power upon the 
 Governor, in the Metropolitan Health Bill ; he also intro- 
 duced and secured the passage of a bill amending the 
 general manufacturing law, thereby enabling persons to 
 form companies to build and maintain hotels; and another 
 amending the act relative to limited or special partner- 
 ships, by which young men may now engage in banking 
 and brokerage upon the capital of others, invested as 
 special partners. 
 
 As a debater, Mr. La Bait is ready and persjncuous. 
 His style of oratory is often florid, though not excessively 
 so, and his points of advantage and defense are usually 
 well selected. Ornate in rhetoric, and sagacious in argu- 
 ment, he is an opponent of gentlemanly bearing, and a 
 colleague of fine culture. 
 
 ABRAHAM LENT. 
 
 Few public men have achieved a more honorable career 
 than Abraham Lent. Modest and unpretentious, he has 
 secured a position in popular esteem, which others, of more 
 showy accomplishments and greater fondness of applause, 
 have striven for in vain. With less of ambition for political 
 honor than the majority of men, nominations and appoint- 
 ments have been tendered him, not only without solicita- 
 tion on his part, but when he did not expect them. His 
 course as a representative, like his custom as a man of 
 business, lias been characterized by a careful, pains-taking, 
 efficiency and straightforwardness, which have made him 
 popular, as well as demonstrated his usefulness, and 
 
ABRAHAM LENT. 113 
 
 endeared him to his constituency. It requires little pro- 
 phetic ken to predict for hirn further public service, and, 
 perhaps, in a higher arena. 
 
 The family of Mr. Lent settled at Fishkill, in the county 
 of Dutchess, at an early period in the colonial history of 
 New York ; and his relatives in that part of the State, take 
 rank among the most respectable citizens. His father 
 came to the city of New York, in boyhood, and engaged 
 in business with success. He died about a year since, 
 having the gratification of witnessing one son in the 
 Senate of his own State, and another holding a similar 
 position in California. 
 
 Abraham Lent was born in Pearl street, New York, 
 on the 12th day of February, in the year 1815, at the 
 very time when the people of that city, as indeed, of 
 the entire country, were rejoicing, and indulging in 
 mutual congratulations at the proclamation of peace 
 with Great Britain. He was sent to school in Yandewater 
 street, then one of the most popular and aristocratic dis- 
 tricts of the city. His proficiency was very creditable. 
 He afterward engaged in the study of the law, in the 
 office of Edwin Burr, but, after some time, abandoned 
 that profession for trade. His first endeavors were not 
 successful, or even encouraging ; but, as fast as one effort 
 failed, he immediately embarked with an unflagging zeal 
 upon another, and so continued till long past thirty years 
 of age. His energy and persistency did not fail, never- 
 theless, of yielding their proper recompense, and he 
 acquired what was better than mere pecuniary success — 
 a wide reputation for upright and honorable dealing. 
 Finally, in 1850, he became the junior partner in the 
 clothing establishment of the firm of Croney & Lent, 
 where he succeeded, by careful and patient industry, in 
 amassing a competency. He is still engaged in prosperous 
 business. j 5 
 
114 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 In 1859, he was elected to the Board of Councilmen for 
 the Sixth District, where he soon had an opportunity 
 to display his integrity as a public man. The famous 
 Japanese Embassy visited New York, and were made 
 the guests of the city. Mr. Lent was a member of the 
 Joint Committee of Reception, and distinguished him- 
 self by persistently refusing to cooperate in the attempt 
 to defraud the municipal treasury, which made that com- 
 mittee so notorious over the whole country. Artifices 
 were employed, threats and liberal promises of money 
 made to him, to lend himself to the knavery, but he was 
 not swerved. He was again elected, and reelected, serv- 
 ing five terms in all, maintaining the same reputation for 
 honesty and ability throughout the whole period. 
 
 To his utter surprise, having neither desired or expected 
 such a distinction, he was nominated for the Senate, and 
 received the handsome majority of 442 over the Hon. 
 David V. Freeman, although the Democratic State 
 ticket, at the same election, had a majority of about 800. 
 The same admirable qualities which had for five years dis- 
 tinguished the Councilman, were displayed to equal 
 advantage by the Senator ; and being thoroughly con- 
 versant with the affairs and wants of the city of New 
 York, he soon acquired an influence in shaping legislation 
 which he exercised to the best of his ability. Seldom has 
 a constituency been more fortunate in the selection of a 
 representative. At the charter election of 1866, Mr. Lent 
 was suggested as a candidate for the office of Comp- 
 troller ; but, as his Senatorial term would continue a year 
 longer, the proposition was not entertained, although 
 his availability was generally acknowledged. He always 
 secm'ed more votes than others of the same political faith 
 who were in nomination at the same time ; acquiring his 
 popularity without resorting to the acts of the dema- 
 gogue, or even the tinsel accomplishments of the public 
 
HENRY R. LOW. 115 
 
 speaker. His native good sense has led him to avoid dis- 
 play, only directing his attention to official business ; and 
 he accepted political preferment as a public duty, willing 
 to be set aside when his services should not be required. 
 Having a local popularity which has been richly deserved, 
 always fulfilling his obligations to the letter, possessing 
 an excellent capacity for the transaction of business, and 
 being in the prime of life, there is every reason to believe 
 that he will continue in public life for many years yet to 
 come. 
 
 HENRY R. LOW. 
 
 Mr. Low is of French and English ancestry. His 
 father's ancestors, in consequence of the intolerance shown 
 them in relation to their religious principles, were among 
 the Huguenots who fled from France to Holland, in order 
 to escape from the persecutions that were heaped upon 
 them, and afterward came to this country and settled in 
 the county of Ulster, New York, where they were ready 
 to meet and endure the privations of a hardy pioneer life, 
 rather than to tamely and servilely submit to the dictations 
 of despotism. His maternal grandfather was a staunch 
 patriot, in revolutionary times, and served in the American 
 army during that trying struggle. Mr. Low's father, who 
 died in 1863, was a native of Ulster county, and a farmer. 
 He Avas a man of small means, who, by using strict 
 economy, was able to support his family in a respectable 
 way, and give his children the benefit of a common 
 education. 
 
 Senator Low became a pupil at the Collegiate Institute, 
 of which Professor Charles F. Maurice was the Principal j 
 
116 LITE SKETCHES. 
 
 while there his scholarship was of the first grade, and his 
 deportment such as to win the esteem of his teachers. 
 Professor Maurice, who, by the way, ranks among the best 
 educators of this State, discerned in his pupil the germ 
 of a fine mind, and knowing the straitened circumstances 
 which surrounded him, very kindly offered to pay his 
 expenses through college. But boyhood seldom looks 
 upon the future with eyes of wisdom ; the patience of the 
 young mind canuot always wait for the consummation of 
 plans which, in their fruition, shall bring lasting benefits ; 
 and, therefore, looking from a stand-point widely different 
 from that which is occupied by age and experience, youth 
 draws hasty conclusions, and shrinks from attempting that 
 which will defer the ready accomplishment of its hopes 
 and aspirations. Reasoning from the immature sugges- 
 tions which arise in the mind of a boy, and feeling that 
 the undertaking, so generously proposed by his teacher, 
 would be too great for himself, Mr. Low courteously 
 decided not to accept the offer. In looking over his life, 
 at the present time, he sees, with regret, that he made a 
 mistake in declining a collegiate course which his bene- 
 factor had proffered him. Having completed his academic 
 studies, at the Normal School in the city of Albany, he 
 taught in the common school a couple of years, and then 
 organized a select school, of which he was teacher, for 
 about one year. He afterward started a similar school at 
 Monticello, New York, which was, soon after, reorganized 
 as the Monticello Academy. 
 
 But Mr. Low did not intend to follow teaching as a life- 
 long profession, hence he began the study of law in the 
 office of Hon. A. C. Niven. For a time, he partially sup- 
 ported himself by conducting cases in the justices' court; 
 but those means were inadequate to meet his necessary 
 expenses, and, at last, he was obliged to ask his friends for 
 the loan of a sum sufficient to carry him through his 
 
HENRY E. LOW. 117 
 
 studies. His request was readily granted. Mr. Niven 
 was his firm friend at that time, encouraging the young 
 student, and aiding him in a pecuniary way. After Mr. 
 Low's admission to the Bar, he entered into partnership 
 with Mr. Niven, and continued in that relation until he 
 was elected County Judge and Surrogate, in the year 
 1856. He held that position by reelection until 1862, 
 when he was chosen State Senator. He has, for three 
 successive terms, been elected to the Senate, though 
 residing in a Democratic District. His contest for the 
 seat in 1864 with Hon. A. C. Niven, was one of the most 
 important and prolonged which has ever been had in this 
 State. Both were men of recognized talent, and both 
 were influential citizens ; but Mr. Niven was compelled to 
 submit to a verdict against himself. 
 
 Senator Low's course has officially been marked by a 
 strict and conscientious dischai'ge of duty, a close atten- 
 tion to legislative business, and a fearless and determined 
 opposition to all* measures savoring of extravagance and 
 corruption. He has sometimes been regarded as an ultra 
 radical, for which more or less censure has been passed 
 upon him ; and yet time has demonstrated the wisdom of 
 his views and the foresight of his opinions. From the 
 birth of the great idea of the Emancipation Proclamation, 
 he was in favor of it; and strenuously urged the arming 
 of slaves and the making of war with all the materials at 
 the nation's command. With much sagacity, Mr. Low 
 foresaw and denounced the treacherous course of Mr. 
 Johnson, and also the painful shiftings of Secretary 
 Seward; and the ideas promulgated by him in his 
 speeches in 1863 and in 1866, though in advance of those 
 of most of the leading politicians of our State, have been 
 fully justified and adopted by the Republican party in its 
 platforms and resolutions ; and his speech in reference to 
 the assassination of President Lincoln, is justly regarded 
 
118 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 as one of the most appropriate tributes to the memory of 
 the nation's martyr. 
 
 Mr. Low supported the leading war measures enacted 
 by the State Legislature for the raising of men and 
 money, payment of bounties, buying arms, &c, for the 
 putting down of the rebellion ; and was liberal in con- 
 tributing for the care and support of the families of the 
 soldiers, and providing for the sick and disabled. 
 
 He was the author of the Soldiers' Voting Law, vetoed 
 by Governor Seymour, and a supporter of the bill which 
 afterward became a law. He drafted and introduced the 
 original bill for a Registry Law, embodying the leading 
 features of the present act, and was one of its warmest 
 supporters. He especially labored for the Metropolitan 
 Excise Law, and for the law taxing the shares of the 
 National Banks, passed by the Legislature of 1866, and 
 supported the Health Bill and Metropolitan Fire Commis- 
 sion Bill. He uniformly opposed all canal jobs and canal 
 claims, believing the present system to be wrong. Senator 
 Low ranks among the best debaters in the Senate ; and is 
 an industrious and trustworthy officer. 
 
 HENRY CRUSE MURPHY. 
 
 This gentleman has represented the Third Senatorial 
 District for the last six years, and recently received the 
 nomination for United States Senator from the Democratic 
 Members of the Legislature. Thus placed prominently 
 before the public, as the acknowledged representative of 
 his party, he is entitled to special notice. 
 
 Timothy Murphy, grandfather of the Senator, emigrated 
 to America, from Ireland, in the year 1769, and settled in 
 
HENRY CRUSE MURPHY. 119 
 
 Monmouth county, New Jersey, where he married Mary 
 Garrison, granddaughter of Richard Hartshorne, of 
 Middletown, for several years member of the Council, and 
 Representative of the Assembly of that Province, and who 
 was also proprietor of an extensive plantation, adjoining 
 to and including Sandy Hook, which was in the possession 
 of his descendants until a recent period. On the breaking 
 out of the Revolution, the above mentioned Timothy 
 Murphy warmly espoused the American cause, and, with 
 the other Whigs of Monmouth, took up arms in defense of 
 those principles which he cherished, and transmitted to his 
 descendants. He left eight children, four of whom were 
 sons, viz. : William, John Garrison, Francis and Joseph. 
 
 John Garrison Murphy married Clarissa Runyon, of 
 Princeton, New Jersey, and settled, about the year 1808, 
 in Brooklyn, where he died in 1854, in the seventieth year 
 of his age, leaving two sons and four daughters. 
 
 Henry C. Murphy, the eldest of these children, was 
 born in Brooklyn, in 1810, and has ever since been a resi- 
 dent of that city. After receiving a preparatory education, 
 he entered Columbia College, from which he graduated in 
 1830. He then commenced the study of the law, with the 
 late Peter W. Radcliffe, of New York — one of the best 
 lawyers of his day, and a man of established purity and 
 uprightness of character — and was admitted to the Bar, 
 in 1833. In the year following, he married Miss Amelia 
 Greenwood, daughter of Richard Greenwood, of Haver- 
 straw, Rockland county, New York. Though applying 
 himself assiduously to the duties of his profession, Mr. 
 Murphy found time to bestow on literary and political 
 subjects, and was a frequent contributor to several period- 
 icals of the day. He thus early became known in political 
 circles, in which he has since occupied a foremost position. 
 
 At the time Mr. Murphy entered public life, the State 
 of New York had been long pursuing, in regard to its 
 
120 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 moneyed interests, a policy which had placed the banks, in 
 every section of the State, under the control of petty 
 monopolists, created by political favoritism. A convention 
 of the young men of the day, assembled at Herkimer, in 
 1834, to which Mr. Murphy was elected a delegate. On 
 its organization, he was appointed Chairman on Resolu- 
 tions, and then, for the first time, exhibited that foresight 
 and energy of character for which he has since been 
 distinguished. He took occasion at once, to introduce in 
 the Committee, and subsequently in the Convention, a 
 resolution denouncing the above policy, although the 
 patronage which it created had been distributed for the 
 benefit of his own party. Violent opposition was made 
 to the adoption of the resolution, but it finally j^assed, 
 with some modification. It was, however, never permitted 
 to see the light, having been suppressed in the official 
 report of the proceedings of the Convention. Still it had 
 its effect. The fact that the resolution had been sup- 
 pressed soon became known. The New York Evening 
 Post, then edited by the late William Leggett, and 
 many other journals, exposed the unfair proceeding, took 
 up the doctrine, and gave it a strength and popularity 
 which resulted, in a few years, in the utter prostration of 
 the system of monopolized banking in the State of New 
 York. 
 
 Mr. Murphy was, soon after, appointed Attorney and 
 Counsel to the Corporation of his native city, and, conse- 
 quently, became familiar with, the nature and operation of 
 municipal corporations generally. In 1842, he was elected 
 Mayor of Brooklyn. During his administration, he intro- 
 duced a system of retrenchment, which actually kept the 
 expenditures of that city within its income. He com- 
 menced this retrenchment by the reduction of his own 
 salary. Before the expiration of his term of office as 
 Mayor, he was elected member of the Twenty-eighth 
 
HENRY CRUSE MURPHY. 121 
 
 Congress, and took his seat accordingly in the House of 
 Representatives, in 1843. Although one of its youngest 
 members, he at once occupied a high position in that body ; 
 and, on the Tariff question, advocated a system of duties 
 for revenue purposes only, and thus incidentally indorsed 
 the doctrine of free trade. 
 
 On the question of the annexation of Texas, he was 
 in favor of the measure, but advised its postponement, in 
 order that Mexico might be afforded an opportunity to 
 give her assent, and that more unanimity might be secured 
 thereby in favor of it in the United States. In view of 
 the events which have since transpired, the wisdom of this 
 recommendation must be admitted. On other questions 
 of public policy, he took an equally prominent position ; 
 and, with ability, opposed the alteration of the Natural- 
 ization Laws, and demonstrated the inconsistency of such 
 a measure with the genius of our government, and its bad 
 effects on the settlement of the public domain. For the 
 splendid Dry Dock which has been constructed at Walla- 
 bout bay, the port of New York is entirely indebted to 
 Mr. Murphy's zeal and perseverance. 
 
 The most notable position in State politics which this 
 gentleman has occupied, was that of member of the Con- 
 vention which assembled, in 1846, to frame a new Consti- 
 tution for this State. Here he brought forward several 
 important provisions, some of which were eventually 
 incorporated into that instrument. His course on this, as 
 on most occasions, met the approbation of his constituents, 
 and on his return from the Convention, he was again 
 elected to Congress by the largest vote ever previously 
 polled in his district. 
 
 On the accession of Mr. Buchanan to the Presidency, 
 
 Mr. Murphy received the appointment of Minister to the 
 
 Hague. Identified, as he had long been, with the efforts 
 
 made to rescue from oblivion the early history of our 
 
 16 
 
122 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 State, particularly that portion of it which relates to its 
 first colonization by Holland, the selection elicited general 
 approval. When the rebellion broke out, Mr. Murphy 
 was still Minister of the United States to the Netherlands. 
 It was exceedingly important at the time, that the govern- 
 ments of Europe should be correctly informed of the 
 precise facts of the case, and of the real relation of the 
 States to the Federal Government, in order that foreign 
 powers might readily see and adhere to their well-estab- 
 lished line of duty. Accordingly, Minister Murphy 
 addressed to the Government of the Netherlands an 
 elaborate exposition of that relationship, and clearly 
 pointed out the absolute supremacy of the General Gov- 
 ernment in all matters committed to it by the Constitu- 
 tion, and the equally absolute rights of the States over 
 all matters not delegated to the United States by that 
 instrument. He seized the opportunity to show, at the 
 same time, that the rebellion owed its origin chiefly to 
 sectional hate and the ambition of the leaders. This paper 
 was printed at length in the Diplomatic Correspondence 
 of 1861 and 1862, and was highly praised by men of 
 all parties. Upon his return to the United States, he 
 announced his determination to uphold the National flag 
 against secession, and was immediately elected to the Senate 
 of the State as a Union man. At the State Convention of 
 the Democratic party, in 1862, he was chosen temporary 
 Chairman, and insisted that all citizens, without distinc- 
 tion of party, should support the Administration in 
 putting down the rebellion. In the annual oration before 
 the Tammany Society, on the 4th of July, 1863, he took 
 no less patriotic ground in behalf of the Union. Indeed, 
 he was no less zealous in acts than in words ; for mainly 
 by his exertions, the Third Senatorial Regiment — the 
 159th New York State Volunteers, Colonel Molineux — 
 was raised, and the bounties paid to the men, without 
 
HENRY CRUSE MURPHY. 123 
 
 calling upon either the State, city or county authorities for 
 that purpose. Such, in bi'ief, is the history of his action 
 in regard to the rebellion. 
 
 Mr. Murphy has been elected three times to the Senate, 
 for successive terms, and is now in his sixth year of ser- 
 vice in that body. He has taken a conspicuous part in 
 all important debates and discussions, and particularly 
 distinguished himself in his efforts to repeal the bill in 
 regard to ecclesiastical tenures, and to establish the quar- 
 antine in the lower bay of New York — measures which he 
 successfully carried through. He also was in favor of 
 sustaining the different internal improvements throughout 
 the State, without regard to the section where they were 
 proposed, provided they contributed to the general pros- 
 perity. Having always been a strict constructionist, Mr. 
 Murphy voted against ratifying the Amendment to the 
 Constitution of the United States abolishing Slavery. He 
 holds that, as the Federal Government is one of delegated 
 powers exclusively, and as the subject of slavery was not 
 embraced in the Constitution, and was to be disposed of 
 only by the States where it existed, the power of amend- 
 ment is necessarily limited to the subjects embraced in the 
 Constitution, and does not legitimately apply to that of 
 abolishing slavery. 
 
 In debate, Senator Murphy always speaks extempora- 
 neously ; in argument, he is close and logical ; in manner, 
 earnest and apparently severe ; and, when he warms to 
 his subject, history, precedent and analogy all seem to rise 
 unbidden to fortify the positions he assumes. In private 
 character, he possesses, in an eminent degree, all the 
 essential elements of a high-toned and honorable gentle- 
 man ; and no public man has, probably, passed thus far 
 through the trying ordeal of a legislative career, so entirely 
 free from the taint of corruption. Though eminently a 
 practical man, taking a deep and active interest in public 
 
124 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 affairs — a man of the people — he is a scholar, " and a ripe, 
 good one." To the gratification of this taste, Mr. Murphy 
 has given much of his time and means. During his travels, 
 at home and abroad, he has accumulated one of the finest 
 private libraries in America, and possesses the full power 
 to appx-eciate and enjoy it ; and however much he may win 
 honor and fame as a public spirited citizen, or a successful 
 political leader, his claims as one of the literati can never 
 be lost sight of, and will constitute his most enduring 
 fame. Mr. Murphy's contributions to literature are of a 
 very valuable character, and include a number of trans- 
 lations from the Dutch language, of which he is a perfect 
 master. 
 
 THOMAS MURPHY. 
 
 Senator Murphy is, in every acceptance of the term, a 
 self-made man. His career is one of those many illustra- 
 tions of the advantages of American institutions, and of 
 our form of government. He was born in Ireland, in 
 August, 1823, and is, therefore, now in his forty-fourth 
 year. His parents left that country, in 1833, and came to 
 Albany, where they resided until their death. Thomas, 
 at the age of eleven, obtained employment in the cap-front 
 manufacturing establishment of Alfred Pierce, in Hud- 
 son street, Albany ; and, before he was there one year, 
 became foreman over a dozen or more youths employed 
 by that firm. 
 
 He soon worked his way into the confidence of his 
 employer, who intrusted him with the most confidential 
 portion of his business, and before he left that establish- 
 ment, had full charge of the delivery of goods to the retail 
 
THOMAS MURPHY. 125 
 
 merchants in that line of trade, in this vicinity, as well as 
 all collections of debts. 
 
 His father died in 1838, leaving nine children, the 
 subject of this sketch being next to the youngest. Cir- 
 cumstances soon after placed upon him the main support 
 of his mother. She died in 1840, and a short time after 
 this event, he decided to leave Albany and seek his 
 fortune in New York city. 
 
 He left Albany in 1841, being then in his eighteenth 
 year, in company with another young man, to seek 
 employment in the metropolis. Neither of the two knew 
 a soul in New York ; and, after searching in vain, four or 
 five days, for employment, they held a council to see what 
 should be done. Young Murphy found himself with only 
 two dollars in his exchequer, and with the bitter experience 
 of a week's efforts to remind him of the poor prospect 
 of obtaining work. The heart of his comrade failed him, 
 and he proposed to return to Albany. Every effort pos- 
 sible was made to induce Thomas Murphy to accompany 
 him, but he was equally determined to remain and fight 
 out the battle of life in that field. The two parted, one 
 returning to Albany, and the other remaining to strug- 
 gle, as best he could, against what then seemed adverse 
 fortune. 
 
 The second day after their separation, Thomas Murphy 
 obtained employment in the hat, cap, boot and shoe store 
 of Reubek Vose, in Water street, near Wall. He 
 remained there five years, but finding that the obstacles 
 in his way were almost insurmountable, and that, not- 
 withstanding he applied himself night and day, he could 
 not obtain promotion, he left, in 184G, and obtained a posi- 
 tion in the store of George Biedge, on Hanover square, 
 in the same line of trade. He commenced there, at a 
 salary of six dollars per week, and gave such satisfaction, 
 that, in four years, he refused a salary of three thousand 
 
126 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 dollars. Ho had, by that time, become so well known 
 that several capitalists were anxious to take him in as 
 partner. He accepted an offer from a Mr. Lee, and went 
 into partnership with him, in 1851, occupying the uppes 
 stories of the building in Cedar street, near Nassau, over 
 the store of Buckley & Claflin ; a Mr. Aveey was taken 
 in as special partner. A few years after, the firm was 
 increased by the accession of George Chapman, and was 
 then known as Lee, Murphy & Co. 
 
 He remained in Cedar street only two years, when the 
 firm moved to Dey street, their business having increased 
 so fast that th'ey were obliged to occupy two stores. A 
 few years afterward, they removed to Murray street, near 
 Broadway, where they remained as long as Mr. Murphy 
 continued in business. The firm was afterward changed 
 to Murphy & Childs, and, subsequently, to Murphy 
 & Griswold. Under this last partnership, the business 
 was conducted until the close of the rebellion. Mr. 
 Murphy having lost heavily during the financial crisis in 
 1857, and fearing another disaster on the termination of 
 the rebellion, concluded to stay out of business until the 
 return of specie payments, and has since been dealing in 
 unimproved real estate in New York. 
 
 His firm, for a number of years, did the largest business 
 in that trade in New York, the sales amounting to about 
 three millions annually. They had several contracts for 
 furnishing military hats and caps during the war. 
 
 In politics, he was a Whig until the formation of the 
 Republican party. He was a delegate to the Philadelphia 
 Convention, in 185G, from the Fifth Congressional District, 
 and there voted for General Fremont. He was also a 
 delegate to the Chicago Convention which nominated 
 Abraham Lincoln, and also to the Baltimore Convention 
 which renominated him in 1864. The first office that he 
 ever held, is the position of Senator, which he now fills as 
 
JOHN I. NICKS. 127 
 
 the representative of the Seventh Senatorial District. He 
 was placed by Lieutenant-Governor Alvord on the 
 Committees on Finance, Commerce and Navigation, and 
 Medical Colleges. He has made a joractical and working 
 member ; while he has not shown that brilliancy in debate 
 of some of his associates, he has proven himself one of 
 the most useful members of the present Senate. He has 
 always been identified with the Sewaed-Weed wing of 
 his party, and is now Chairman of the regular or old 
 Republican Central Committee in New York city. 
 
 In personal appearance, he is somewhat prepossessing, 
 being a man about five feet ten in height, stoutly built, 
 light hair and florid complexion. 
 
 JOHN I. NICKS. 
 
 This gentleman, the Senator from the Twenty-seventh, 
 recently elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resigna- 
 tion of Stephen T. Hatt, chosen Canal Commissioner, 
 comes into the Senate in the latter session of the term 
 without previous legislative experience. But the sterling 
 qualities which he is known to possess, will soon make him 
 as well appreciated here, as he has so long been, at home. 
 
 Senator Nicks was born at Rhinebeck, in Dutchess 
 county, in the year 1822. He is of English descent, 
 though, like most self-made Yankees, having been left at 
 an early age to fight his own way through life, he knows 
 little or nothing concerning his ancestors. 
 
 His advantages of early education were extremely limi- 
 ted ; a few months in the rude common school of the day 
 was all that he enjoyed. A necessity more immediately 
 pressing, than a brilliant, or even an ordinary education, 
 
128 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 made imperative demand on his time and energies. He 
 must work — and so was apprenticed with Messrs. Near 
 & Hendricks, at Red Hook, New York, to learn the art 
 and mystery of a tobacconist. He afterward, before he 
 was of age, carried on a little business in that line, in 
 Brooklyn, from whence he removed to Ithaca. At this 
 latter place, he was, for some time, foreman of a large 
 tobacco factory, and also carried on business for himself. 
 In 1847, he removed to Elmira, at which place there was 
 then no establishment of the kind. Mr. Nicks' resources 
 were small, and he opened business in a modest way ; but 
 constant success, from the first, attended his enterprise. 
 For years past, his business has been larger than that of 
 any similar establishment in Southern New York. His 
 own material prosperity has increased with his business, 
 and, from a poor boy, he has become, at middle age, a man 
 of independent resources. 
 
 Mr. Nicks early took a promiment interest in politics. 
 In 1844, he staked his all on Henry Clat, and lost. He 
 did not thereby lose his admiration for the great com- 
 moner, but he wisely concluded to make no more bets on 
 elections, and has consistently adhered to his determina- 
 tion ever since. The first political office held by Mr. 
 Nicks was that of Supervisor from the Second Ward in 
 the village of Elmira, in 1851, having been chosen by the 
 Whig party of that day. He was afterward, for several 
 terms, chosen Trustee of the village, also member of the 
 Board of Education, and Chief Engineer of the Fire 
 Department. In 18G4, when Elmira was made a city, he 
 Avas the candidate of the Republican party, for Mayor, 
 but failed, by a few votes, of an election. In 1865, his 
 name Avas again used, and his election secured by an 
 unprecedented majority. In 1866, he Avas reelected by a 
 handsome vote, in spite of very determined opposition. 
 lie is now invested Avith the dignities of that office, his 
 
 
JOHN I. NICKS. 129 
 
 term expiring in March, 1867. In the prompt, intelligent 
 and satisfactory discharge of the duties of Mayor, he has 
 displayed his marked executive talent. Under his admin- 
 istration, numerous reforms and improvements have been 
 inaugurated, until the business matters of the city have 
 been reduced to the same thorough system which ever 
 characterizes the prudent management of his private 
 affairs. 
 
 In 1862, when the present internal revenue system was 
 inaugurated, Mr. Nicks was appointed by President 
 Lincoln to the office of Assessor for the Twenty-seventh 
 District of New York. To the management of this office, 
 he brought the same characteristic ability which has 
 marked his discharge of every public as well as private 
 duty. Out of chaos, he produced system and order, and 
 ranked, at Washington, among the best officers of his 
 class, in the country. No decision of his was ever over- 
 ruled by the Department. The duties of this office he 
 was quietly pursuing when Mr. Johnson commenced his 
 gyrations " around the circle." Mr. Nicks, like hundreds 
 of other Republican office-holders, was true to principle. 
 He kept on the even tenor of his way, pursuing precisely 
 the same course which he would have pursued under ordi- 
 nary circumstances. He neither courted martyrdom nor 
 hid from the wrath of the "powers that be." In August, 
 1866, after the adjournment of Congress, the Rejmblicans 
 of Elmira invited their able and' faithful Representative, 
 Hon. Hamilton Ward, to address them on the political 
 issues of the day, at Ely Hall. Over this meeting, Mr. 
 Nicks was invited to preside. On taking the chair, among 
 other remarks he made the following : 
 
 " Ladies and Gentlemen : — You are all aware that I am now 
 
 nllhig a small office in the gift of the Government. But if to hold 
 
 that office I must sacrifice my principles, I say begone with the 
 
 office. I say to you, and desire it may be heard and understood 
 
 17 
 
130 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 throughout the length and breadth of the land, that principle is, 
 and ever should be, above office. When I, in my boyhood, learned 
 to love that great man, Henry Clay, I was taught by him that it 
 was ' better to be right than President.' I say to you, ladies and 
 gentlemen, of this platform sent forth by Congress, that in looking 
 it over carefully, I feel that I can indorse every word of it. I feel 
 that it is asking but little of those men who have combined to 
 destroy our Government to submit to the policy of Congress. I 
 care not for the position in which this may place me, so long as 
 I feel that I am acting upon principle, fearless of all considera- 
 tions." 
 
 This was but a few days before the Philadelphia Con- 
 vention. Within a week, the head of Assessor Nicks 
 rolled in the basket. On the evening of the day of the 
 telegraphic announcement of this fact, the Republican 
 citizens of Elmira, to the number of three or four thou- 
 sand, marched with music and banners, to the residence 
 of the Mayor, and saluted him in honor of his adherence 
 to principle. The demonstration was a spontaneous and 
 heartfelt expression of popular sentiment. A few days 
 afterward, when the office of Senator for the Twenty- 
 seventh District was made vacant by the resignation of 
 Canal Commissioner IIayt, the public voice suggested 
 Mr. Nicks as his successor. In the nominating Conven- 
 tion, held at Corning, each delegate from Chemung, 
 Steuben and Schuyler, as his name Avas called, rose in his 
 place and designated him as the candidate of their choice. 
 The nomination, thus made, was ratified by the people, by 
 a larger majority than was ever before received by any 
 candidate in the district. 
 
 In the discharge of the duties of this important station, 
 we predict that Senator NlCKS will speedily achieve an 
 honorable rank among the eminent gentlemen with whom 
 he is now associated, doing Ins full share to preserve the 
 high character of the Senate. 
 
JOHN o'donnell. 131 
 
 Senator Nicks is a member of the same Committees as 
 was his predecessor — those of Canals, Grievances, and 
 Retrenchment. 
 
 JOHN O'DONNELL. 
 
 Senator O'Donnell is a native of Fort Ann, Wash- 
 ing county, New York, where he was born, in 1827. His 
 father was of Irish birth, and his mother an American 
 woman. His opportunities for education were limited to 
 the District School, at which, until fourteen years of age, 
 he enjoyed the ordinary advantages, which extended no 
 further than reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar and 
 geography. Whatever else he has acquired (and he is a 
 man of excellent information) is through judicious reading 
 and careful observation. 
 
 In early life, he removed to Lyme, Jefferson county, and 
 in 1849, settled in Lowville, Lewis county, where he 
 now resides. Here he commenced trade, at first in the 
 line of clothing, but afterward as a general merchant; 
 and, by earnest and careful attention to business, gradually 
 extended his means, and acquired the confidence and 
 respect of his fellow citizens. He subsequently purchased 
 the site of two corner lots, in the most central and eligible 
 point for business in the village, and erected large and 
 commodious blocks of buildings, extending along both 
 streets, which have added greatly to the business facilities 
 of the place. .Within a year or two, he has withdrawn 
 from trade, as a successful merchant. 
 
 Mr. O'Donxell is known at home, as a man of great 
 energy and perseverance, and seldom undertakes an entei-- 
 prise without carrying it through. It is understood among 
 
132 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 his friends, that he has been reading law for the last two 
 years, and that he designs to be admitted to the Bar. 
 
 In 1804, he was on the Republican State Committee, 
 a delegate to the Baltimore Convention, which renominated 
 President Lincoln, and a member of Assembly from 
 Lewis county. In that body, he served as Chairman of 
 the Committee on the Internal Affairs of Towns and 
 Counties, and was noted for the diligent attention he 
 bestowed upon the interests of his constituents, and upon 
 all measures of the public welfare He obtained, in various 
 appropriations for Lewis county, for building a bridge, 
 lock and dam, on Black river, and for the improvement 
 of Beaver river, over fifty thousand dollars; also, secured 
 the passage of an act removing the Court House from 
 Martinsburgh to Lowville ; and was the author of an 
 act of great importance to the dairy interests of the 
 State : — " To protect butter and cheese manufactories ; " 
 and was complimented by the Speaker for carrying 
 through every bill which he attempted. 
 
 In 1805, he was elected Senator for the Eighteenth Dis- 
 trict (Lewis and Jefferson), against Andrew Cornwall, 
 the Democratic candidate, and succeeding Hon. James A. 
 Bell. He is Chairman of the Senatorial Committee upon 
 Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties, and a member of 
 the Committee upon Insurance, and upon Public Expendi- 
 ture. Mr. O'Donnell reported the New York Excise 
 Bill, and was active in securing its passage through the 
 Senate; he was the author of the bill to protect "Primary 
 Meetings, Caucuses and Conventions of Political Parties ; " 
 also of the bill to divide the safety fund of 880,000, remain- 
 ing in the Bank Department, among the .bill-holders of 
 the Lewis County, Yates County, and Reciprocity Banks, 
 resulting in a payment of nearly fifty per cent to the bill- 
 holders. During the campaign of 1 860, he was very active, 
 and spoke some forty times, at political meetings, held by 
 
THOMAS PARSONS. 133 
 
 appointment of the State Committee. As a public speaker, 
 Senator O'Donnell is energetic, fluent and argumentative, 
 seldom failing to fix the attention of a political opponent, 
 and always leaving the impression, that he is correct and 
 conscientious in his views. 
 
 THOMAS PARSONS. 
 
 In Senator Parsons is seen a good illustration of 
 success in life gained over unfavorable circumstances 
 and surroundings. Seldom in any other country than 
 our own, can humble parentage and the hinderances of 
 poverty be overcome, and wealth, position and influence 
 be attained. What wonder, then, that they who in the 
 old motherland see before them only a future of dreary 
 toil and miserable return, seek our hospitable shores, 
 knowing that under the freedom of Republican govern- 
 ment, the future promises all things to him who puts 
 forth eaimest endeavor ? 
 
 Senator Parsons was born in Chieveley, Berkshire, 
 England, Januaiy 7th, 1814. His parents were both 
 English. A common school education was afforded him, 
 until his fourteenth year, when he engaged as a shepherd. 
 Four years of his youth were spent in this lowly occupa- 
 tion ; and then came a desire for a different field of labor. 
 Actuated by this, he emigrated to America in the year 
 1832, leaving England, in advance of his parents. By 
 some means, he was led to the garden of the Empire 
 State, commonly spoken of, in those days, as " the 
 Genesee Country," and hired out as a farm hand, in 
 the town of Wheatland, Monroe county. Here he labored 
 at chopping cord-wood, husking corn, and performing the 
 
134 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 various services incident to farm life, for the very modest 
 remuneration of seven dollars per month. About four 
 years more were thus spent, and at the end of that time, 
 he went to Rochester, where he has since continued to 
 reside most of the time. He is now a manufacturer of 
 lumber doing a large milling business in that line. His 
 mill is located near the brink of the beautiful Genesee 
 Falls ; and there, during business hours, he may be gen- 
 erally found, busily engaged in overseeing employes, &c. 
 
 In the years 1851, '52, '53, '54, '57, and '58, Senator 
 Parsons was a member of the Common Council of the 
 "Flour City," being elected Alderman by the Democratic 
 party, with which he was then identified. Having done 
 excellent service in that capacity, he was, in 1857, elected 
 to the Assembly, Avhere he made a good record as an 
 efficient, straightforward representative. He severed his 
 connection with the Democratic party, in the summer of 
 1SG0, sustaining the nomination of Abraham Lincoln. 
 His election to the Senate, was the result of an unusually 
 bitter canvass, in which Amon Bronson, Conservative 
 Republican, nominated by the Democrats, was defeated 
 by a majority of six hundred. 
 
 Senator Parsons occupies a good position as a legis- 
 lator. He is a member of the Canal Committee, and also 
 of the Committees on Engrossed Bills, and Privileges and 
 Elections. He is a close observer of the proceedings of 
 the Senate, and brings into legislative business the same 
 careful consideration which has insured his success in the 
 every-day transactions of life. Possessed of good sound 
 common sense — a requisite with which all politicians arc 
 not gifted — he weighs well his actions, and is always 
 prudent and thoughtful, and thoroughly watchful over the 
 interests of his constituents. The great commercial con- 
 cerns of the State receive his constant and unceasing care; 
 the canals more especially, find in him a zealous protector. 
 
HEXRY R. PIERSOX. 135 
 
 In person, Senator Parsons is about five feet eight 
 inches in height, broad-shouldered, and has a well- 
 balanced head. His address is pleasant, and his manner 
 courteous, but decisive. He is social, open-hearted and 
 approachable ; and though a good talker, he makes little 
 pretension to oratorical display, and seldom takes up much 
 time in debate ; his remarks, however, command attention 
 for their earnest directness. 
 
 HENRY R. PIERSON. 
 
 The Senator for the Second District,, is one of those 
 men who, by self-reliance and force of character, achieve 
 a measure of success, of which others, more favored by 
 fortune, come short. He was born in Charleston, Mont- 
 gomery county, New York, June 13th, 1819. His parents 
 were poor, and he inherited from them nothing but an 
 unblemished name, and those elemental qualities which 
 enabled him to make his way to an honorable position. 
 His early opportunities for acquiring an education were 
 only those afforded by the ordinary course of common 
 school instruction. At the age of twenty-one, being 
 thrown on his own resources, he left home. Determined 
 to secure for himself a liberal education, he labored indus- 
 triously, and by teaching school, and with trifling outside 
 aid, at length attained the object of his ambition. He 
 entered Union College, in 1843, and graduated in July, 
 184G, with full honors. Choosing the law as a profession, 
 he removed to New York, in 1847. The perseverance 
 that had helped him thus far, aided him in surmounting 
 new obstacles in a crowded city, where he found him- 
 self, without fortune, friends, or influence. His zeal and 
 
136 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 ability were such that he was admitted to the Bar, in 
 May, 1848. He at once engaged in active practice, and sub- 
 sequently formed a partnership with Hon. Aeijah Mann, 
 which continued several years. In 1849, he removed 
 to Brooklyn. In that city, where he has since resided, he 
 immediately interested himself in public affairs, and soon 
 became a prominent and influential citizen. Originally a 
 Whig, he has been identified with the Republican Union 
 party, since its organization. The first official position 
 held by him, was that of member of the Board of Educa- 
 tion. He was appointed to that position by the Mayor 
 and Aldermen, in 1854, and served until 1857. Important 
 interests are intrusted to the management of the Board 
 of Education, and, in the discharge of his share of the 
 duty, Mr. Piee&on fully recognized the responsibility of 
 the trust. He Avas reappointed in 1860, and is still a 
 member of the Board. In 185V, he was elected Alderman 
 of the Third Ward. Until 1860, he represented that ward 
 in the Common Council, to the entire satisfaction of a 
 large, wealthy, and intelligent constituency. His position 
 in the local legislature was one of commanding influence ; 
 and, for a 3'ear and a half, he was President of the Board 
 of Aldermen. In 1857, he was the Republican candidate 
 for State Senator for the Second District, and was defeated 
 by the Democratic candidate, Mr. Gardiner, by about 
 forty votes. Irregularities, amounting in some instances 
 to positive fraud, were alleged to have occurred in connec- 
 tion with the election, and Mr. Pierson was urged by his 
 political friends to contest the seat. He, however, declined 
 to do so, preferring to owe senatorial honors to the will 
 of the people, clearly expressed in a majority vote, rather 
 than to a technical question of regularity. In 1865, that 
 will was thus expressed, by a handsome majority, in a 
 district usually regarded as close and doubtful. In that 
 year, Mr. Pierson was elected over Calvin E. Pratt, the 
 
HENEY E. PIEESON. 13*7 
 
 Democratic candidate, by a majority of 1,097. In 1863, 
 the Democratic majority in the district was 1,068. In 
 1860, Mr. Pieeson retired from the active practice of his 
 profession, and was chosen President of the Brooklyn 
 City Railroad Company, an office which he still fills. The 
 position is one demanding, from an incumbent, much 
 executive ability, which Mr. Pieeson has abundantly 
 developed. During the six years of his Presidency, the 
 business of the numerous roads controlled by the Com- 
 pany, has largely increased ; and, while the stockholders 
 have reason to be satisfied with the management of affairs, 
 the accommodation provided for a very numerous and 
 rapidly augmenting population, is superior to that afforded 
 at any previous period. Mr. Pieeson - is of large frame, 
 and portly presence, and is full of healthful vitality. Of 
 a genial temper, warm social qualities, and good address, 
 he is that rare and fortunate individual — a popular man. 
 As a debater, Mr. Pieeson" holds a good rank, rejecting, 
 however, ostentation and rhetorical ornament. He lays 
 down his propositions plainly and concisely, and discusses 
 them both vigorously and correctly. 
 
 18 
 
MOSS KENT PLATT. 
 
 Senator Platt was born May 3d, 1809, in Plattsbnrgh, 
 a town situated on Lake Champlain, receiving its name 
 from his grandfather Judge Zepheniah Platt, who 
 moved there from Poughkeepsie at an early day, when 
 the country was a comparative wilderness, and who was 
 one of the original proprietors of the town. Of Judge 
 Platt's nine sons, five made Plattsburgh their permanent 
 home. The only one now living is Hon. James Platt, of 
 Oswego. 
 
 William Pitt Platt, father of Senator Platt, married 
 Hannah Kent, the only sister of Chancellor Kent. Mrs. 
 Platt was a woman of superior intellect and mental cul- 
 ture. The writer has often heard her relate amusing and 
 interesting incidents connected with her bridal trip down 
 Lake Champlain, when the only mode of conveyance was 
 an open row-boat, and the journey, now performed in a 
 few hours during the season of navigation, occupied three 
 weeks. This long and tedious journey was, in a measure, 
 relieved by her ardent appreciation of the wild beauty of 
 scenery, which has charmed thousands of travelers, since 
 that time. Her fine countenance — charming even in old 
 age, and while suffering from total loss of sight — would 
 glow with animation as she related the impression made 
 on her mind when her eye first rested upon the grand 
 mountain ranges that skirt the borders of this beautiful 
 lake. The home to which farmer Platt conducted his 
 beautiful young bride, was on the point of land running 
 out into the lake, called Cumberland Head, in sight of 
 which, occurred the naval engagement of the 11th of Sep- 
 tember, 1814. On a bright Sabbath morning, she landed, 
 accompanied by her husband and colored servants, and 
 
MOSS KENT PLATT. 139 
 
 took possession of the Log Cabin prepared for her 
 reception. 
 
 Senator Platt's father placed him in a store, at the age 
 of fourteen, where he remained until he was twenty-one. 
 At that period he entered into active mercantile business, 
 and continued in it, seventeen years. In 1847, he was 
 induced to engage in manufacturing iron, on the Saranac 
 river which abounds in rich mines of ore. These mines 
 are situated west of the flourishing village of Plattsburgh. 
 
 Mr. Platt soon perceived that the rough roads of the 
 country were serious obstacles to the successful prosecu- 
 tion of business in that region. He immediately entered 
 into a project for constructing a plank road. It was suc- 
 cessfully carried through, and it has added greatly to the 
 business of Plattsburgh ; it is, moreover, the only avenue 
 of communication with Clinton Prison, in the good man- 
 agement of which he has always taken a lively interest ; 
 and it is with no small degree of satisfaction that he finds 
 that his favorite plan of manufacturing iron by convict 
 labor, proves profitable to the State. 
 
 In 1851, the Legislature appropriated $10,000 to improv- 
 ing the channel of the Saranac river. Mr. Platt was 
 appointed one of the Commissioners to expend the money. 
 This expenditure has proved of great value ; the money 
 has been returned tenfold to the State, in tolls on the 
 Champlain Canal, and has opened a wilderness, now 
 rapidly being settled, which must otherwise have remained 
 uninhabited for many generations. 
 
 In 1852, Senator Platt was induced by urgent 
 entreaties, to engage in a project for constructing a rail- 
 road from Plattsburgh to the Canada line, in conjunction 
 with an effort made by gentlemen of Montreal to build a 
 road from that city to the same point, thereby shortening 
 the distance from Montreal to Plattsburgh, twenty-five 
 miles. Mr. Platt was immediately chosen director in the 
 
140 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 company formed to carry out the work, and entered into 
 it with the vigor and activity so characteristic of him, 
 never relaxing his efforts until the enterprise was pushed 
 through to completion. He has had charge of this road 
 for the last ten years, and is now earnestly engaged in its 
 extension to Whitehall, on the west side of the lake. 
 When completed, it will give an almost air-line com- 
 munication between Montreal and New York, and save 
 fifty miles of travel over any other route between the 
 two cities. 
 
 Mr. Platt is not easily turned aside from the object he 
 has in view, and he meets all difficulties with a determina- 
 tion to overcome them. His integrity and unswerving 
 fidelity to every trust are well understood, and his kind- 
 ness of heart has won for him the title of " Friend to the 
 Poor." It may not be amiss to say that he has, from early 
 life, sustained an unblemished religious character. 
 
 In the fall of 1S65, Mr. Platt was put in nomination 
 for Senator against Hon. Winslow C. Watson, over 
 whom he was elected by a majority of fifteen hundred. 
 Owing to his popularity he ran very much ahead of his 
 ticket. During the session of I860, he introduced and 
 carried through the Plattsburgh and Whitehall Railroad 
 Bill, which was vetoed, however, by Governor Fenton : 
 through his exertions a similar bill has been passed by the 
 Senate, during the present session, and ably sustained by 
 him in an effective speech. 
 
 He is a member of the Committees on Railroads, and 
 State Prisons, and is Chairman of the Committee on 
 Retrenchment. 
 
 Senator Platt is emphatically a working man, and 
 when he retires from his duties in the Senate Chamber, he 
 will have the consciousness of knowing that he has left 
 nothing undone to advance the interests of his constit- 
 uents, and the welfare of the State. 
 
WALTER L. SESSIONS. 
 
 Mr. Sessions belongs to that class of men who have 
 worked their way upward, in spite of adverse circum- 
 stances. Of humble parentage, he has made for himself a 
 reputation which may well be envied by many of those 
 who have had all the appliances of wealth and influence 
 to aid them. He was born in Brandon, Rutland county, 
 Vermont, October 4th, 1820. His father was a farmer, of 
 small means ; but, having a family of five boys, he resolved 
 to sell his farm, and to purchase a larger one, on which 
 they could all find plenty to do, and thus add to their 
 mutual support. He carried out his plan in 1S35, and 
 removed to Clymer, Chautauqua county, New York, 
 where he took a contract for a farm, in an unbroken wil- 
 derness, from the Holland Land Company. There cer- 
 tainly were no surroundings which could excite the 
 ambition of any boy. The rudely constructed home; 
 the rough implements for clearing lands and cultivating 
 them; the lack of decorations from the hand of art; the 
 hundred voices of the forests, which repeatedly told 
 the story of the solitude around ; and the midnight stars 
 which looked down upon the home remote from the noisy 
 hum of active business life; all these were the associations 
 which hung around his childhood. But there is a voice 
 which speaks to the soul alone : mortal ear cannot hear it ; 
 but its accents are as winning as that of an houri, calling 
 the inexperienced nature to come up through the flinty 
 gorges of poverty and obscurity, to a higher plane of life. 
 And who shall say that the youth, Walter, did not hear 
 that voice, through his days of toil ? But he never forgot 
 his filial duties ; whatever aspirations he may have enter- 
 tained in his secret thoughts, he remained with his father 
 
142 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 and brothers until he was nineteen, and assisted in cleaving 
 land, in order to bring it under cultivation ; and, at other 
 times, worked ont by the month, and gave his wages to 
 his father, to help pay for the land which he had pur- 
 chased. During this time, he was occasionally engaged in 
 running lumber down the Allegany and Ohio rivers, to 
 Cincinnati and Louisville. On some of these expeditions 
 he often met with many adventures, both exciting and 
 dangerous, which served to lighten his laborious duties. 
 
 In 1839, Mr. Sessions was sent by his father to Avon, 
 Livingston county, to work by the month, where he could 
 get higher wages than he could command in Chautauqua 
 county. During that year he worked for Captain Shel- 
 don, of Avon, being engaged in farming, and drawing 
 stone to the Genesee Valley canal, and in working on the 
 canal locks. The two following years, he worked for Cap- 
 tain George Root and Mr. Stocking. In October, 1841, 
 having attained his majority, he determined to acquire a 
 good education. Thus far, his life had been spent in 
 almost unremitting labor. From the age of thirteen to 
 twenty-one, he had attended school only eighteen days. 
 This was not owing to any penuriousness of his father, 
 but because necessity demanded that the boys should aid 
 in paying the debts of the farm, and in supporting the 
 family. Young Sessions practiced the most scrupulous 
 economy during his minority. While working at Avon, 
 which was one hundred and fifty miles from his home, 
 whenever he visited his parents, he always walked, taking 
 five days to perform the journey. 
 
 Having arrived at manhood, he saw the necessity and 
 advantage of acquiring knowledge. He did not think 
 that man was a mere labor-machine, with no motive 
 beyond the attainment of sustenance ; but he believed 
 that in order to rise to the highest rank of development, 
 intelligence should be coupled with toil. Therefore, in the 
 
WALTER L. SESSIONS. 143 
 
 month of November, 1841, he began to attend a select 
 school, taught by a graduate of Hamilton College. In 
 the spring of 1842, he entered the Academy at Westfield, 
 Chautauqua county, where he continued his studies until 
 June, 1844, excepting, that during the months of haying 
 and harvesting, he worked on the farm, and taught school, 
 three months during each winter, thus earning money 
 enough to pay for his board and tuition at school. While 
 teaching, he improved his spare time in reading Black- 
 stone ; and, on the 20th of March, 1845, began the study 
 of law in the office of Judge Lewis, Panama, Xew York, 
 and continued with him until June, 1849, when he was 
 admitted to practice in the Supreme Court. During all 
 the time, from his entrance to the Academy until his 
 admission to the Bar, the only assistance which he 
 received was five dollars from his father, given him in 
 1842. 
 
 While teaching, and studying law, Mr. Sessions was 
 several times elected Superintendent of Common Schools. 
 From that time to this, he has taken a deep interest in the 
 elevation and improvement of the schools of the State. 
 Mr. Sessions formerly adhered closely to the Whig party, 
 until the dissolution of that organization, when he joined 
 the Republican party. As a Whig, he was twice elected 
 to the Assembly, and was Chairman of the Committee on 
 Ways and Means in the House of 1854. He was elected 
 to the Senate in 1859, and was made Chairman of the 
 Committee on Finance; being reelected in 1865, he was 
 again appointed Chairman of the same Committee. 
 
 Mr. Sessions enjoys a high degree of confidence from 
 his party throughout the State. Considerate of the rights 
 and feelings of others, he wins respect, and wields an influ- 
 ence worthy of the ambition of any honorable and aspiring 
 man. Patriotic in his impulses and principles, he freely 
 spent his time and money in promoting the interests of his 
 
144 JJFE SKETCHES. 
 
 country during its recent struggle. His energy and 
 directness of purpose, ready and general intelligence, 
 and his persuasive and extemporaneous manner of speak- 
 ing, are qualifications which are completely at his command. 
 Being thoroughly informed with reference to State affairs, 
 and being an industrious worker, Mr. Sessions makes his 
 legislative services of great value to the jaeople whom he 
 represents. 
 
 CHARLES STANFORD. 
 
 Senator Stanford was born on the 26th day of April, 
 1819, in the town of Water vliet, Albany county, New York, 
 His father, Josiah Stanford, a native of New England, 
 early settled in that town. During his long life he was 
 distinguished for his integrity, energy of character, and 
 intelligence. He was both a farmer and contractor. He 
 died in 18G2, widely known and lamented. Of six sons, 
 five are still living, three in California, one in Australia, 
 and one the subject of this sketch. After receiving a 
 common school education, young Stanford further prose- 
 cuted his studies at the Prattstown Academy, in Steuben 
 county, and in the Clinton Liberal Institute, in Oneida 
 county. Leaving school, the future Senator devoted his 
 time to the assistance of his father upon the farm, and in 
 the prosecution of his various contracts. In 1844, he took 
 a large contract upon his own responsibility, in the city 
 of Albany, to grade the ravine then known as the Hudson 
 street hollow. This enterprise proving a success, was fol- 
 lowed by contracts upon the Pittsfield and North Adams, 
 and the Hudson River Railroads. While engaged upon 
 the Hudson River Railroad, an incident occurred, bringing 
 
CHARLES STANFORD. 145 
 
 out the characteristics of the man, and the qualities which 
 have given him success in the world. Owing to sharp 
 competition, the contracts were all taken low. After a 
 partial performance, nearly all the other contractors aban- 
 doned their contracts, and the railroad company informed 
 Mr. Stanford that he would be permitted to abandon his. 
 His reply was, "I take no contracts to throw up;" and 
 he finished his work, making a fair profit, where the others 
 predicted a loss. 
 
 In 1850, he went to California, then just opening it3 
 gates of golden promise to the world. His brothers, 
 either accompanied or soon followed him. In connection 
 with, we believe, three of them, he founded a commercial 
 house, which soon rose to be one of the largest and 
 wealthiest upon the Pacific coast. The firm of Stanford 
 Brothers, then first organized, still exists, the Senator 
 remaining at its head. Neither disastrous fires, nor finan- 
 cial panics, have disturbed its solidity, though a loser by 
 both. It has established branches in different parts of 
 California. In 1859, in connection with two of his 
 brothers, he established a large commercial house in Mel- 
 bourne, Australia, and soon after, branches in Sidney and 
 New Zealand. The trade of these several houses is very 
 large. One of his brothers, the Hon. Leland Stanford, 
 was elected Governor of the State of California, in 1861, 
 and held the office for two years. He is the President of 
 the Central Pacific Railroad, now being rapidly con- 
 structed, and soon about to form the extreme western link 
 of the great chain of railroads across the continent. 
 
 In 1S54, the interests of his firm requiring that one of 
 its members should reside near New York city, Mr. Stan- 
 ford returned to the State of New York, and, in 1861, 
 took up his residence in Schenectady county, purchasing 
 a large farm in the town of Niskayuna, where he has since 
 
 resided. In 1863, he was elected by the Republican party 
 19 
 
146 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 to represent his county in the Assembly. He was a 
 member of the Committees on Public Lands and Public 
 Printing. He was again elected in 1864, and was made 
 Chairman of the responsible Committee on Railroads. 
 He was chosen a delegate to the Baltimore Convention in 
 1864, and voted for the renomination of President Lin- 
 coln'. In the fall of 1865, he was prevailed upon to accept 
 the Republican nomination for Senator of the Fourteenth 
 District. This district was composed of Schenectady, 
 Schoharie and Delaware counties, and, according to the 
 previous elections, was largely Democratic. He was 
 elected, however, by a majority of 1,614. This result 
 was as gratifying to the friends of Mr. Stanford, as it was 
 unexpected to his opponents. During this campaign, 
 he established the Schenectady Daily Union: he still 
 remains its proprietor. It is one of the handsomest daily 
 papers in the State, is conducted with enterj)rise and 
 talent, having done much to change the county of Schen- 
 ectady from one of doubtful politics, to a Republican 
 stronghold. 
 
 Mr. Stanford is now in the prime of life. He is a man 
 of robust and portly frame, fine presence, and an easy 
 dignity of manner. In the Senate, he is a working, rather 
 than a talking member. He is a member of the Commit- 
 tees on Commerce and Navigation, Agriculture, and the 
 Erection and Division of Towns and Counties, being 
 chairman of the latter committee. It need hardly be said 
 that he is a man of strong common sense, great energy of 
 character, firmness of purpose, and untiring industry. 
 With him obstacles arc the things to be surmounted, not 
 hinderances to advancement. A conviction that a measure 
 is right, secures for it his support ; and though the mea- 
 sure may, for the moment, be unpopular, his support of it 
 is none the less zealous ; he is willing to wait for justice. 
 To his other qualities he adds an integrity that is unques- 
 
EDMUND G. SUTHERLAND. 147 
 
 tioned, and a private character above reproach. The 
 schemes of corruption which are but too frequently the 
 objects of legislative favor, find in Mr. Stanford neither 
 advocate nor friend. Too rich to desire a bribe, and too 
 honest to take one, he is a good type of the public servant, 
 whom the State can illy spare. 
 
 EDMUND G. SUTHERLAND. 
 
 Mr. Sutherland is Senator from the Eighth District. 
 He was born in the town of Plymouth, Chenango county, 
 in this State. His father, Silas Sutherland, was a native 
 of Vermont, of Scotch descent ; he held a commission in 
 the volunteer forces of this State, in the war of 1812, and 
 served on the northern frontier under General Gaines ; at 
 the sortie from Fort Erie, he Avas wounded in the left arm 
 by a piece of a bomb shell. His grandfather, John 
 Sutherland, was a millwright, and built the mills on 
 Otter Creek, in Rutland county, Vermont, known as 
 " Sutherland's Mills." 
 
 His mother was a native of New England, of English 
 Puritan descent ; and her father, Philemon Tiffany, was 
 at the battle of Bunker Hill, and served in the ranks of 
 the army till the close of the Revolutionary struggle. 
 
 Owing to the limited circumstances of his family, 
 Senator Sutherland was not favored with those facilities 
 for an early education which are within the reach of the 
 more favored youths of the present day, and was forced 
 to content himself with the scanty instruction imparted at 
 district schools, at interrupted intervals, in Tompkins, 
 Cortland, Monroe and Madison counties, where his parents 
 successively resided, these schools being generally kept in 
 
148 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 log school houses, which distinguished that section of our 
 State, at that day. In 1830-31, lie attended the winter 
 term of the Polytechnic Academy at Chittenango, and, 
 "graduating 1 ' in the spring entered the printing office 
 of the Troy Statesman, a weekly political paper which 
 was then started by a half-brother, Thomas Jefferson 
 Sutherland, who in 1838 figured somewhat conspicuously 
 in the Canadian " Patriot Avar." The publication of the 
 Statesman was continued but one year; after which 
 time the young printer went to North Adams, Berkshire 
 county, Mass., and worked for another year in the printing 
 office of the Berkshire Advocate, a National Republican 
 paper. This paper also, like many similar enterprises of 
 that description, sank to premature decay ; and the pro- 
 prietor, preferring the free State of New York to the 
 "imprisonment for debt " statutes of Massachusetts, made a 
 secret assignment of the Advocate and its assets to his 
 printer and another creditor, Doctor Elihu S. Hawks, and 
 left for this State, leaving behind a batch of personal 
 and ill-natured editorial and other articles, for the forth- 
 coming issue of the "Advocate," which was duly put 
 to press under the imposing firm name of " Hawks & 
 Sutherland, Assignees." In justice to Doctor Hawks, it 
 should be said he was not consulted as to the character of 
 the contents of this issue. The edition was only partly 
 worked off and sent out, when that usually quiet little 
 village was thrown into considerable excitement; the 
 establishment was taken abrupt possession of by Doctor 
 Hawks and his friends, the junior "partner" put under 
 arrest for libel, and the columns of the Advocate, charged 
 with censure and invective, turned upon the late but 
 absconded editor. The excitement partially died away in 
 a few days, and the complaint was dropped ; the printer, 
 a youth of nineteen, not being held to account for the acts 
 of the real offender. 
 
EDMUND G. SUTHERLAND. 149 
 
 In the fall of 1834, Mr. Sutherland went to Haver- 
 straw, Rockland county, N. Y., and worked in the office 
 of the North River Times — a paper started in the 
 interest of the Whig party, which was then organized 
 by a fusion of the National Republican and Anti-Masonic 
 parties. He remained there, in the mixed capacities of 
 journeyman, foreman, and proof-reader, for two years, at 
 the end of which time (in the fall of 1836) he sailed for 
 New Orleans, where he worked on the New Orleans 
 Observer, a weekly Presbyterian publication, the office of 
 which was burned, on the 1st of January, 1837; then on 
 the True American, and read proof, as an occasional pas- 
 time, for George W. Kendall who was the chief writing 
 editor of the New Orleans Picayune, which was started 
 that winter by Kendall & Lumsden. In the mean time, 
 he was induced to become interested, with three other 
 young men, in fitting out one of the first vessels (a sloop) 
 which sailed for Galveston on the conclusion of the 
 armistice between Mexico and Texas, with a cargo of 
 groceries and provisions, which proved to be a profitable 
 venture ; a second cargo was sent to Houston, with a like 
 result. In the latter part of May, he returned North, by 
 steamers, up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, to Louisville, 
 and Cincinnati, crossing through Ohio, by way of Colum- 
 bus, and over the Alleganies, down to Baltimore by stage- 
 coach ; and, in the fall of 1837, accepted the situation 
 of foreman in the office of the Hudson River Chronicle, 
 then being started by the late Alexander H. Wells, at 
 Sing Sing, Westchester county. This situation he held 
 till the spring of 1840, when, Mr. Wells having been 
 appointed Surrogate of the county, he purchased Mr. 
 Wells' undivided interest in the paper, partly on account 
 of arrears of wages due, and published it till 1844, selling 
 his interest so acquired therein to James B. Swain. In 
 the summer and fall of that year, in the interest of his 
 
150 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 friends, lie published a campaign paper, called The Pro- 
 tector, which supported the nomination of Henry Clay, 
 for the Presidency. 
 
 In 1843 and '44, Mr. Sutherland read law in the office 
 of Messrs. Ward & Lockwood, though he never followed 
 the legal profession. On the 1st of May, 1845, he estab- 
 lished the Eastern State Journal, at White Plains, which 
 he has continued to publish, as a Democratic paper, to the 
 present time, and which is the leading Democratic organ 
 of Westchester county, and yields a handsome income. 
 During the first eleven months of this publication, he had 
 associated with him his half-brother, General Thomas Jef- 
 ferson Sutherland, now deceased. In 1853 and '54, Mr. 
 Sutherland held the office of Superintendent of Common 
 Schools for the town of White Plains. 
 
 He was elected member of Assembly from the Second 
 District of Westchester in 1856, and was a member of the 
 Printing Committee and also of the Select Committee 
 on Census, at the session of 1857. The following year, he 
 was returned to that body, in which he was Chairman of 
 the Committee on State Prisons, and was a member of the 
 Committee on Railroads. 
 
 At the annual session of the Board of Supervisors of the 
 county of Westchester, in 1858, he was elected Clerk of the 
 Board, and reelected for three successive years. In 1862, he 
 was elected Supervisor of the town of White Plains, and 
 successively reelected, holding the office to the present time. 
 He was Chairman of the Board in 1863, '64 and '65. The 
 duties of the office of Supervisor were onerous and respon- 
 sible during the continuance of the late war; and the 
 raising and disbursing of moneys to fill the town's quotas 
 of men for the United States service, in order to avoid 
 the necessity of drafts, and the care and distribution of 
 moneys to the families of volunteers, were duties dis- 
 charged to the satisfaction of all. He has frequently been 
 
AX DREW DICKSON WHITE. 151 
 
 6ent as a Delegate to Democratic State Conventions, since 
 1850, and was a member of the Democratic State Com- 
 mittee, in 18G2. 
 
 Mr. Sutherland was elected to the present Senate in 
 1865, and was appointed on the Committees on Railroads, 
 State Prisons, and Printing, which places he now holds. 
 Pie is a gentleman of commanding appearance and fine 
 social qualities ; is a cool and discreet politician, true to his 
 party, possessing much tenacity of purpose, and conse- 
 quently exercises a controlling influence in the political 
 affairs of his county and senatorial district. Mr. Suther- 
 land is one of the five Democrats in the Senate. 
 
 ANDREW DICKSON WHITE. 
 
 Mr. White is one of the youngest members of the 
 Senate, and, in the influence fairly won by him in strength 
 of view of the questions of chiefest interest in the pro- 
 gress of the times, typifies the rule of young men to 
 which public opinion is framing itself. lie was born in 
 the village of Homer, in the county of Cortland, Novem- 
 ber 7th, 1832. His family were of those who came thence 
 from New England, bringing with them its sagacity, its 
 power of adaptation to the circumstances of a new 
 country, and that vigor which goes upward with the 
 advance of the community in which they dwell. 
 
 In 1839, Mr. White's father, Horace White, Esq., 
 removed to Syracuse, and became the Cashier of the Bank 
 of Syracuse. He made himself one of that city's most 
 prominent and influential citizens, winning opulence by the 
 power of sagacious judgment and energetic acts, identi- 
 fying himself with its good name, attached to good men 
 
152 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 and good objects in its midst; and, with all tins, sensible, 
 to a degree seldom known in the walks of private life, of 
 the full worth and value of all that belongs to a trained, 
 thorough completeness of education ; a judgment and a 
 taste which he made practical in the culture which he 
 bestowed on his son, the subject of this sketch ; and that 
 son's success and honors, and his position and the respect 
 and confidence of his fellow men, have worked out the 
 full measure of his father's reward. 
 
 His son passed through a variety of schools. The 
 Academies of Syracuse, Ballston and Moravia, gave him 
 the pre-collegiate training. The study he pursued at the 
 latter, was parenthetical between his collegiate life, com- 
 ing after a year at Hobart, and just before his residence at 
 Yale. 
 
 The colleges, both of them, made their depth of impres- 
 sion upon Mr. White's thought. President Hale was a 
 man that met all the difficulties of his position — and they 
 were, in his day, formidable — with the energy, and with 
 the good way and will of a kindly scholar. He had occa- 
 sion for firmness, and he used it. He had a love for the 
 beautiful, and he led the way to it. It has been Mr. 
 White's most grateful duty to utter words of graceful 
 eulogy over the grave of this scholar, and he gladly 
 availed himself of the opportunity. 
 
 At Yale, Mr. White found all the educational facilities 
 which an accumulated opulence of endowment can furnish, 
 and under these influences, men are independent, and 
 avouch a truth, or adhere to it for its own sake. The 
 scholar has his true relation with his teacher. Whoever 
 went to Yale, willing to learn, found the facility; who 
 went there evidencing the will and the capacity, found 
 at once the assistance and the trial. Prizes were gained, 
 not given. A student must show that the power was in 
 him, or the keen ordeal would soon efface hope of success. 
 
ANDREW DICKSON WHITE. 153 
 
 Yale College has greatly advanced in the last years, but it 
 was, at the day of Mr. White's student life, a College far 
 in the front. It had not the precise scholarship of Harvard, 
 When a nicety of position of a doctrine would be argued, 
 even if the doctrine itself was but a secondary one, when 
 established in its very place. There is an ideal in some 
 scholarship which is fastidious of rule, and text, and tra- 
 dition. Yale sought to grasp boldness, even if the grasp 
 must needs afterward be relaxed, for better similitude to 
 usage. It had a free thought in its substance, even at that 
 period when it was thronged by those who, from their geo- 
 graphical position, and their sectional heresies, were found 
 against that judgment of the true status of man, which 
 the events of our own day have made an universal truth. 
 The love toward learning was developed in Mr. White in 
 the training of Yale. He received its impress, and he 
 left honorable memories — memories which more than lin- 
 ger there yet, and which, but recently, most honorably to 
 Yale and to its alumnus, reasserted themselves. Its con- 
 tests for honors found Mr. White successful in so many 
 instances, that his record in Yale may not be omitted in 
 any just delineation of his career. Upon the theme of the 
 " Greater Distinctions in Statesmanship," he won the Yale 
 Literary gold medal, open to the entire College, and the 
 Clark prize of the Junior Class, for his essay upon the 
 "True Basis of Citizenship in the Republic ;" and the De 
 Forest gold medal, in the senior class, for the oration 
 upon the "Diplomatic History of Modern Times." These 
 utterances were not lightly heard, for they touched those 
 themes which were the breathings of the great voice, 
 which have been left to our own day to proclaim so that 
 the nations hear. 
 
 There is at Yale, the institution of a magazine embody- 
 ing the current thought — giving home to the literature 
 of the College — the threshold over which many bright 
 20 
 
154 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 hearts step timidly, before they walk thereafter in power. 
 Of this, he was chosen Editor, and so continued until 
 the day of his graduation. His election was opposed. 
 There was in him, it was said, opinions that questioned 
 whether a slave-holding republic, was not, in itself, a denial 
 of itself. He had not consented to all compromises. He 
 had believed that whatever older men might seek of calm- 
 ness — preferences of the prosperous to the perilous, he 
 must believe in the truth of the education he was receiving, 
 and deny the attempted synonym, that American slavery 
 was but another term for American liberty — nor did he 
 seek to escape this charge ; and in their belief of his truth, 
 or his independence, or his ability, or all three of them, his 
 fellow-students elected him — and an election by young 
 men is worth something. They are not often mistaken in 
 their associates of every hour. 
 
 When it came to the exercises of the Commencement 
 Hay, he selected the theme of " Modern Oracles," and 
 made the wise illustration of what John Quincy Adams 
 had said. Whoever will read what that most distin- 
 guished man did say, in the clearness of his vision, when 
 the door of Texas was to be opened through the aggres- 
 sions which Southern men made, will see that his words 
 were like those of an Oracle. Mr. White could not have 
 made a more accurate selection. The prophet lived not 
 to see the morning hour of the revolution, for which his 
 courage had been the very life ; but this country can never 
 forget his truth of judgment, as to the event. Of course 
 there was a division of sentiment, at New Haven, whether 
 Mr. White was just or prudent in his course, but he won 
 friendships among the Scholars there, which are yet in all 
 their kindly force. 
 
 The same care for the thoroughness of education, gave 
 Mr. White, so soon as he left college, the opportunity of 
 visiting Europe ; and he transferred his studies, during the 
 
ANDREW DICKSON WHITE. 155 
 
 three years that he remained there, to the University of 
 Berlin, and the College of France. The elaborate scholar- 
 ship of the Old World is a good exercise for the young 
 mind of America. It teaches what a new country is so 
 slow to learn, — the value of patience. We are a people 
 who cannot bear the idea of waiting during three hundred 
 years, to build our St. Peter's. It must, from foundation to 
 cross, be built " in our day." Not so does Europe tell the 
 scholar. He must learn thoroughly so that he shall know 
 accurately. All these words it is well for the American 
 student to hear. They were heard and weighed, and 
 remembered by Mr. White. To this added intellectual 
 training, he gave the result of an extended tour all over 
 Europe, with the episode of a diplomatic service, as 
 attache to the legation of Gov. Seymour, of Connecti- 
 cut, then representing this country at St. Petersburgh. 
 That was the day of European war, of terrible struggle 
 over the key to the East (so soon again to disturb the 
 world). Then, while wielding the power of his great 
 armies, the Emperor died ; and in the train of this event, 
 which startled all Europe, came the splendor of the cor- 
 ronation of Alexander II, with its gorgeous ceremonial, 
 blending the grandeur of both continents, and, in itself, an 
 era in Russian history. Of all this, Mr. White was a 
 spectator, and this chapter in man's theory and practice of 
 power was attentively studied by him, as by a thoughtful 
 and appreciative man. Mr. White described these scenes. 
 The narration he gave of them, was read in this country in 
 wide circulation ; and, as it was a European and an Orien- 
 tal pageant in the delineation of an American, it had 
 deserved popularity. 
 
 He returned home in 1856; and, accepting the pleasant 
 memories of former days of student life, he went again to 
 New Haven, studying law and history. It was at that 
 time that a very pleasant incident reminded him of his 
 
156 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 home. His reputation had established itself there, and he 
 who wins the voice of the home life, conquers prejudices 
 and establishes character. 
 
 New Haven was not content with a cold system of 
 theoretical education, touching the intellect only. There 
 had arisen there, and been in practice, a system of care for 
 the poor both of city and county, which in its workings 
 had attracted the attention of the city of Syracuse. It 
 bore the name of the Brewster plan. Mr. White was 
 selected to make such investigation of it as would give 
 access to its work. He did so, and his report received pub- 
 lication. That for this duty, which in its nature recpiired 
 accuracy of judgment, so that the sympathies should not 
 go beyond their line — a work which was so likely to be 
 affected by attachment to an old policy or rashness in 
 innovation — that Mr. White was selected by the city of 
 his boyhood for this, those who know what is included in 
 local difficulties of estimation, knew the honor was solid 
 and valuable. 
 
 For the study of history Mr. White showed his taste. 
 He wrote of it. He reviewed and deliberated, and 
 analyzed. He grasped the large labors of the scholars 
 who had written the World-History and the Universal 
 History, receiving their bias and direction, as the German 
 or the Italian mind delineated. 
 
 It was an honor, indeed, to be selected as worthy of the 
 Professorship of History in the University of Michigan. 
 Of that University the world has already heard. It shall, 
 by the power that it is even now in process of developing, 
 hear more. To this Professorship Mr. White was chosen. 
 
 Established early in the history of a State, so new 
 itself that its citizens are older than the commonwealth, 
 grandly endowed by a liberality that made the beautiful 
 and fertile earth at once to be in ministry to the intel- 
 lectual, it holds its place among the great institutions of 
 
ANDREW DICKSON WHITE. 157 
 
 learning, by a title that claims the rank of high scholar- 
 ship. It has a most numerous student life within it — the 
 young men of a young nation. To such a gathering, Mr. 
 White poured out the lessons of history, giving his free 
 and hopeful interpretation to all problems that the annals 
 of our land present — mysteries then — revelations now. 
 To these modern men, so fresh and earnest, he pictured 
 the contrast — the education of the development of civil- 
 ization in the middle ages — of the reformation of France 
 before, and of France after, the revolution. In the grasp 
 of Mr. White's learning, and in the force of his views of 
 men, and what is the right of man's condition, these lec- 
 tures were incisive. They went on and beyond cold writ- 
 ing in old ways, and asserted their lessons of freedom's 
 struggles and freedom's victory. In Boston, where so 
 much of our literature has found its home, there is a maga- 
 zine published which has been of the best of American 
 magazines. We will not assign to it the first place, because 
 our article does not give us the privelege to decide. But 
 no man can dispute its intellectual power. To this maga- 
 zine Mr. White became a contributor. He drew out the 
 historical truths that came so strongly in the words Jef- 
 ferson and Slavery — a theme whose just grasp requires 
 close historical knowledge. Pie described the statesman- 
 ship of Richelieu, and pointed to the decline of the serf 
 system of Russia, 
 
 In 1863, Mr. White went upon a semi-official mission to 
 Europe, remaining a few months. The country was in 
 the wild work of war. It was proving its strength. It 
 was misunderstood. It was depreciated. It was the very 
 hour for a learned and eloquent man to avouch its cause, 
 and this Mr. White did vigorously. He spoke at meet- 
 ings in London. He wrote what he, with just appreciation 
 of the patriotism of that great section of our country, 
 designated as " A Word from the Northwest." He vindi- 
 
158 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 catecl his country and upheld its honor. He was himself a 
 proof that in our war for freedom, we had not forgotten the 
 charms of delicate and elaborate learning. 
 
 Returning from Europe, his own immediate fellow men, 
 those who had known him best, called him to the repre- 
 sentation of the Onondaga District in the Senate of New 
 York. He was triumphantly elected and reelected, at a 
 time when the whole elective power of the country was 
 stirred to its depths. Mr. White gave unchanging sup- 
 port to the administration of President Lincoln, and 
 followed his country with the same afFection, as well in 
 temporary defeat as in abiding victory. He spared no 
 word or effort to make the arms of the Republic, those of 
 the conqueror, and gave the army his enthusiastic good 
 will and good wish. In the Senate, Mr. White took, at 
 once, a prominent place, being welcomed to especial trust 
 over all the departments of education and literature. His 
 voice is heard as that of a man of thought and study, 
 capable, as so few men of thought and study are, of mak- 
 ing it effective, and proving it agreeable. His service in 
 the Senate has found no limit of action. It has found 
 foremost place in all measures which he believed to be 
 of good government, as well for the great city as for 
 the State, and especially in those measures in which he 
 thought he saw the safety and relief of so many of the 
 poor and sick and suffering — the Health Bill, and the bill 
 for the organization of the Hudson River Asylum for the 
 Insane. 
 
 In I860, Mr. White delivered at New Haven, before 
 the Phi Beta Kappa Society, an oration of remarkable 
 force, on the theme, that the worst foe of a State was an 
 aristocracy founded on the subjection of an inferior class. 
 
 Yale College, after this, called him, in the most flatter- 
 ing manner, by its best and its worthiest, to the delightful 
 duty of the direction of its art department. But this, and 
 
ANDREW DICKSON WHITE. 159 
 
 other most agreeable places, Mr. White has declined, to 
 devote himself to the charge of the Cornell University, to 
 whose head, young as he is, he has, with the acceptance 
 of all friends of education, been called. To build up a 
 great University in New York, has been one of the dreams 
 of his life; and to receive its direction, its compass, its 
 influences for the ages, from his care of its initiative, is all 
 before him. To this high duty his friends know him to be 
 equal ; and the choice of him as President, is regarded as 
 New York calling one of its own scholar sons to its honors. 
 Mr. "White is yet young. His life's history is to be 
 written. He has already made himself a name in learn- 
 ing, in literature, in statesmanship. As it looks to mortal 
 eye, his life concentrates great responsibilities, for its priv- 
 ileges have been many, its advantages remarkable, its 
 honors early. We believe these responsibilities will find 
 intelligent fulfillment, and Western New York will record 
 it in her proudest annals, that, although her territorial life 
 is so neAV that the memories of the forest are yet fresh, she 
 has furnished to the University which adorns her lake side, 
 of her own native born, a scholar in his own right, and 
 master of accumulated learning. 
 
EDWARD G. WILBOR. 
 
 Chatham, Columbia county, New York, is situated 
 in an exceedingly picturesque portion of this State. 
 Meadows lie nestled in valleys which are divided by clear 
 streams ; pasture lands upon hillside slopes stretch upward 
 to the edges of forests ; timberland crowns the summits 
 of mountain spurs ; and handsome villages hold no small 
 degree of beauty and intelligence. In fact, it is just the 
 spot for a home around which cluster the memories of 
 former times. 
 
 Senator Wilbor was born in the town which we have 
 mentioned, September 10th, 1807, and he has always 
 resided there except five years of his boyhood which he 
 spent at Esj)erance, Schoharie county, New York, to which 
 his father removed. His ancestors were English ; but 
 they did not possess that conservative spirit which would 
 stagnate the channels of progress, rather than have their 
 ease disturbed ; on the contrary they were liberal and 
 progressive. Catching the inspiration which sometimes is 
 wafted from one generation to another, the boy drank in 
 many of the healthy influences of his ancestry. His 
 earlier days of education were spent in the district 
 schools ; and who that has ever attended them can forget 
 the reminiscences connected with them? The long rows 
 of seats with no backs to rest the aching spine, the stern 
 faced schoolmaster with his quill pen over his ear, and his 
 long mahogany ferule in his hand, the tiers of sleepy boys 
 just nodding themselves from the multiplication table into 
 the land of dreams, a little fellow with his foolscap on 
 his head doing penance for having broken some trivial 
 rule; all these pass before the mind of many a man whose 
 voice has been heard in State and national councils. After 
 
EDWARD G. WILBOR. 161 
 
 months and years of attendance in the common school, 
 Mr. Wilbor attended the Kinderhook Academy, during 
 a few terms. New and more liberal advantages were 
 afforded him, while a pupil in that institution, which he 
 appropriated to himself with the ordinary zeal of hoy- 
 hood. After the completion of his academical studies, Mi*. 
 Wilbor decided to make farming his future avocation. 
 As an agriculturist he has met with very few reverses. 
 The harvest has brought to him its abundance, and has 
 given him a competence which puts him beyond the 
 necessity of toil, and leaves him to suit his own pleasure 
 whether or not he shall take that rest which advanced 
 years so much deserve. At the age of twenty-one, Mr. 
 Wilbor allied himself to the Whig party, which, in 
 Columbia county was sadly in the minority. In 1840, he 
 ran on the Harrison ticket for member of Assembly, but, 
 of course, was defeated by the superior strength of the 
 other party; and in 1846, he again was a candidate for 
 the same office and came within twenty-five votes of an 
 election. True to his principles, he remained in the Whig 
 ranks until the columns of the Republican party were being 
 made up, and then espoused the cause of that organiza- 
 tion. In 1865, he was nominated for State Senator by 
 the Republican Union party of the Eleventh Senatorial 
 District, in opposition to the most popular man which the 
 Democrats had in that part of the District, Moses Y. 
 Tilden, of New Lebanon. Ideas, as the election proved, 
 had undergone a change. The steady and tremendous 
 onset of the war had carried Avith it an aAvakening of 
 humanity ; and men had, in the mean time, learned to read 
 and think for themselves ; and so the Republican party 
 gathered sufficient strength to itself to elect Mr. Wilbor 
 by a majority of five hundred and fifty-five. 
 
 In the early part of the rebellion he gave to the army 
 his oldest son, nineteen years of age, who remained until 
 21 
 
162 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 the close of the conflict. He was one of the thousands of 
 gallant men who had no stain upon his military reputa- 
 tion. "We can give him no higher encomium than to say, 
 " He served his country well." While in the service, his 
 health became impaired by exposure. On his return 
 home the malady grew worse, and ten months after the 
 waiting ones had welcomed his return, they bore him 
 outward and buried him with a soldier's honors. Of 
 him and his burial a young poetess whose name is not 
 unfamiliar to the public, and who was one of his kindred, 
 wrote as follows : 
 
 " The soft air stole across the blooming hills, 
 And filled the Sabbath morn with fragrance sweet— 
 
 The sky-born choirs, in leafy arches hid, 
 Proclaimed their praise in warbled carols, meet. 
 
 " With him who sleeps the last, long, quiet sleep, 
 Beneath the drooping elms the mourners passed, 
 
 Before them, sadly, on the village green, 
 The flag he had defended hung half mast. 
 
 " There, all unmoved by breath of wandering wind, 
 
 It seemed that sorrow lay among the stars, 
 And wound her closely clinging arms about 
 
 The thirteen glorious, old, unsevered bars. 
 
 " Thus sadly trailed its treasured, blood- wrought folds 
 
 Until beneath they bore the noble dead, 
 Then with one long, triumphant sweep, it flung 
 
 Its unstained beauty, proudly o'er his head. 
 
 " A moment, and again it drooped before them 
 
 Unmoved and sad against the azure sky, 
 And never more it spread its glowing pinions, 
 
 While all the long, dark train crept slowly by. 
 
 " If thus the Raven banner once had fluttered 
 
 Above the biers of those who fighting fell, 
 The wailing clans would wild have hailed the symbol, 
 
 That in Walhalla's halls the brave did dwell. 
 
 " Not that we read, by changing sign and token, 
 Yet in our hearts we hide the treasured thought, 
 
 That Freedom, boasting not above her treasures, 
 Accepts with tears the sacrifice we brought." 
 
EDWARD G. WILBOR. 163 
 
 Mr. Wilbor was instrumental, in the session of 1866, in 
 procuring the passage of " An act to authorize any town 
 in the counties of Columbia or Rensselaer to aid in the 
 completion of the Lebanon Springs Railroad," authorizing 
 commissioners appointed by the County Judge, to borrow 
 money on the faith and credit of towns, and to execute 
 bonds therefor, under their hands and seals. This bill 
 was of great importance to the counties in question. He 
 also aided in the passage of a bill for the amendment of 
 the Charter of the city of Hudson. During this session, 
 in addition to other legislative work, he has aided in 
 securing the locating of the Insane Asylum at the city of 
 Poughkeepsie. 
 
 Mr. Wilbor is Chairman of the Committee on Poor 
 Laws, and a member of the Committees on Internal 
 Affairs of Towns and Counties, Grievances, Manufactures, 
 and Erection and Division of ToAvns and Counties. He 
 is a fine old gentleman whose face is always lighted by a 
 smile, and whose heart is at all times open to the approach 
 of benevolence. 
 
STEPHEN K. WILLIAMS. 
 
 Senator Williams was born in Bennington, Vermont, 
 May 9th, 1819. His father, Richard P. Williams, M. D., 
 immigrated to what is now the Village of Newark, then 
 new and unsettled, in Wayne county, New York, when 
 the subject of our sketch was four years of age. 
 
 Mr. Williams early evinced that aptness and proficiency 
 in his studies, which have been so characteristic of him 
 throughout his after life. During his boyhood he was 
 studious and reserved, reading much, particularly history 
 and biography, being far in advance of most boys of his 
 age in his studies. For this, he was indebted much to the 
 kind attentions of his father, who taught him during his 
 evenings. Owing to his thorough preparation for a col- 
 legiate course, and evident maturity of qualification, the 
 faculty of Union College in his case varied the rule requir- 
 ing the applicant for admission to be sixteen years old, and, 
 at the early age of fifteen, admitted him to the Sophomore 
 Class, with which he steadily advanced until he graduated 
 with marked distinction, in the year 1837. 
 
 After a few months travel in the Eastern and Southern 
 States, having chosen the profession of the law, he com- 
 menced the study of it in the office of Judge Sherwood, at 
 Newark, Wayne county, and finally completed his prepar- 
 atory reading in the office of the Hon. George II. Mid- 
 dleton, late of Syracuse, and was admitted to practice, in 
 the year 1842. He at once entered into copartnership 
 with Judge Middleton ; and his success as a practitioner, 
 was marked and continous. In some respects his first 
 business connection was a fortunate one. . Judge Middle- 
 ton, was a man of much more than ordinary caliber ; he 
 was a thorough scholar, possessing a fine judicial mind, 
 
STEPHEN K. "WILLIAMS. 165 
 
 and an able and effective advocate. But the multi- 
 farious and confining details of the office business were 
 particularly distasteful to him, and to these, from necessity 
 as well as from choice, Mr. Williams applied himself, with 
 tireless energy. With such zeal and earnestness did he 
 prosecute his labor, that for weeks together, all through his 
 professional life, his lamp might be seen burning almost 
 into the small hours, night after night, thus laying the 
 foundation of the success which has since crowned his 
 professional labors. A few years were sufficient to make 
 him known as one of the leading lawyers of his district. 
 
 As a student he was laborious, indefatigable ; as a law- 
 yer scrupulously faithful to the interests of his clients, and 
 untiring in the advocacy of their claims ; and despising the 
 mere trickery by which too many of the profession are 
 willing to gain temporary forensic triumphs, he acquired, 
 -with the bench, a high reputation for candor and frank- 
 ness as well as legal attainments, and with the Bar, the 
 character of a fair, courteous and gentlemanly prac- 
 titioner whose professional reputation Avas a guaranty 
 against chicanery. 
 
 Mr. Williams has always been an earnest and a consis- 
 tent politician, believing in human progress and the doc- 
 trine of the equal rights of all, and has made it the object 
 of some of his leading efforts, to advocate the extension 
 of equal rights to all races and conditions of men. 
 
 He has always devoted himself so closely to his profes- 
 sion, as to prevent all thought of political preferment — 
 having held but one public office, that of District Attorney 
 of his county — until 1863, when he was elected Senator 
 of the Twenty-fifth District ; to which office he was 
 reelected, in the fall of 1865, by a majority of over four 
 thousand, and more than two hundred in advance of his 
 ticket. Within a few years, he has several times been 
 proposed for Congress, from his district, but the claims of 
 
166 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 locality taking precedence, the nomination went to Cayuga 
 county. 
 
 During his first Senatorial term, he was Chairman of the 
 Committee on the Erection and Division of Towns and 
 Counties, and Chairman of the Committee on the Manu- 
 facture of Salt, was second on the Committee on Railroads, 
 and Grievances, and took a prominent part in the debates 
 on all public questions. 
 
 In 1865, Mr. Williams was a delegate to the Baltimore 
 National Convention, which renominated Abraham Lin- 
 coln for the Presidency. He aided in the admission of 
 the Louisiana delegates into that convention, whom he 
 regarded as entitled to representation there, as they had 
 formed a loyal constitution and a loyal government which 
 was then in the hands of loyal men. In regard to his 
 action on that occasion, the New Orleans True Delta, then 
 a loyal paper, and published by Hon. William R. Fisn, 
 said : 
 
 "It is well known to most of our readers, that when the Louisiana 
 delegation presented themselves as members of the Baltimore Con- 
 vention, in April last, there was considerable opposition to their 
 admission. It is not generally known, however, how that opposi- 
 tion was overcome, at least, on the part of the New York delegates. 
 Mr. Williams, a member from that State, enjoying the confidence 
 of Mr. Preston King, the Chairman of the Committee on Creden- 
 tials, and the respect and good will of all the other members who 
 knew him, used his influence, both publicly and privately, in behalf 
 of the admission of our delegates ; and it is not too much to attrib- 
 ute their admission, in a great measure, to his exertions. This 
 circumstance forms a connecting link between the New York State 
 Senator and the citizens of Louisiana." 
 
 He has always been an earnest and effective friend of 
 the canals of this State, and has endeavored, several times, 
 to abolish the system of repairs by contract ; but the 
 strong influences, interested in preserving the present 
 
STEPHEN K. WILLIAMS. 167 
 
 system, have thus far prevented the accomplishment of its 
 repeal. 
 
 In the Senate, Mr. Williams has been a firm friend of 
 the soldier. In 1864, he introduced a bill "for the relief 
 of the families of volunteers in actual service in the army 
 and navy of the United States ; " supported warmly and 
 efficiently the Constitutional amendment, giving them the 
 right to vote while in the field ; dedicated his services, for 
 several months each year, during the war, to the promotion 
 of the interests of volunteers, and gave his active support 
 to bills raising bounties for soldiers. He is Chairman of 
 the Committee on State Prisons, and second on the Com- 
 mittees on Public Buildings, Manufacture of Salt, and 
 Railroads. 
 
 Senator "Williams is a ready and accomplished debater, 
 speaking seldom on unimportant questions, but on issues 
 of importance, always taking a prominent part. 
 
JOHN J. WOLCOTT. 
 
 Senator Wolcott is a native of Trenton, Oneida 
 county, New York. He was born June 20th, 1810. His 
 parents were of English descent, and removed to Oneida 
 county, from Weathersfield, Connecticut, in 1 800. Samuel 
 Wolcott, father of the Senator, was one of the pioneers 
 of Oneida county. He lived to the age of eighty-two 
 years, in a community which grew up around him, and 
 which his intelligence and exemplary life had done so 
 much to improve. He died in 1857, universally regretted. 
 
 Senator Wolcott received such education as the times 
 afforded, in the common schools of Oneida county, and in 
 the Academies of that part of the State. His early days 
 were spent upon his father's farm. In 1831, he first 
 engaged in commercial pursuits, in his native town, and 
 in 1834, removed to the village of Fulton, Oswego county, 
 where he has since been successfully engaged in commer- 
 cial enterprises. He has, at all times, been deeply inter- 
 ested in the growth of the village, with the history of 
 which, he has been so long identified ; and he has had the 
 satisfaction of seeing it rank among the most prosperous 
 and enterprising of the State. He is one of the principal 
 stockholders in what was the Oswego River Bank, 
 organized in 1855, and of which he was elected President. 
 More recently, this institution has passed into the First 
 National Bank of Fulton, with Senator Wolcott contin- 
 uing in the same l'elation as its presiding officer. 
 
 In early life, Senator Wolcott was a Democrat, but 
 always of the Radical school. It was not in his nature to 
 tolerate so inconsistent a feature in our institutions as 
 American slavery. As a Democrat, he Avas, in days gone 
 by, of the Michael Hoffman and Samuel Young school, 
 
JOHN J. WOLCOTT. 169 
 
 and became an active " Barn Burner," in the days when 
 " Hunkerism " formed the other extreme of the Demo- 
 cratic organization. The events of 1848, found him 
 ready to enter into the " Free Soil " movement. In the 
 campaign of 1848, upon the "Buffalo platform," he was 
 a zealous supporter of Van Buren and Adams, and 
 did much toward moulding that public opinion which 
 resulted in a sweeping majority against General Cass in 
 Oswego county. Extensively and most favorably known 
 as a business and public man, his taking a decided and 
 active position in favor of "Free Soil, Free Speech, 
 and Free Men," had a great influence with people in his 
 section of the country. 
 
 For many years, Oswego county had been considered 
 among the most reliably Democratic in the State. It 
 is now among the strongest Republican counties of the 
 State. This liberal sentiment of the county is largely 
 owing to many men, who, like Senator Wolcott, refused 
 to follow the Democratic party. In the combinations and 
 compromises between " Soft Shell " and " Hard Shell " 
 Democracy, which followed the canvass of 1848, Senator 
 Wolcott was nominally with the former, but he was 
 little in harmony with them, and repudiated their candi- 
 dates, when he could not consistently support them. 
 When the Republican party was organized, he entered it 
 with zeal ; and he has been one of its leading members, in 
 his own county, down to the present. In 1856, he was a 
 supporter of Fremont and Dayton, as he was, four years 
 later, of Lincoln and Hamlin, and still later, of Lincoln 
 and Johnson. During the Avar, in common with his loyal 
 fellow citizens, he was active in support of the govern- 
 ment, and in sending and supporting men in its defense. 
 
 In a life so active as has been Senator Wolcott's, it 
 could not well be otherwise than that places of trust and 
 responsibility would be offered him. In every situation, 
 22 
 
170 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 his services have been marked by thoroughness and fidelity 
 to the interests of the masses. In every issue which has 
 arisen between the laboring classes, on the one hand, and 
 combinations or would-be aristocracy on the other, Sen- 
 ator Wolcott has always been with the people. He has 
 ever been the friend of the laboring men and mechanics, in 
 their struggles to better their condition ; and thei'e are few 
 men in his community more favorably known among the 
 farmers with whom he has had to deal through so many 
 years. He was early elected to the office of Town Clerk, 
 and was subsequently Sujjeiwisor, so long as he would con- 
 sent to run. He was Chairman of the Board, in 1854. He 
 was frequently Trustee of his village, and was twice Presi- 
 dent of the same. In 1844, he was Loan Commissioner of 
 his county. In 1857, the present Second Assembly District 
 of Oswego county, was formed, and Mr. Wolcott was 
 selected as the first candidate for member. Although the 
 District was considered to be a close one, his majority was 
 nearly one thousand. 
 
 In the fall of 1855, he was nominated in county Con- 
 vention for State Senator, Oswego county forming the 
 Twenty-first Senatorial District, and was elected by a large 
 majority. He is Chairman of the Committee on Public 
 Printing, a member of the Committee on Canals, and also 
 on Banks. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on 
 Public Printing, early in the last session, he made a report 
 in which he called the attention of the Senate to the 
 enormous useless expenditures for legislative printing, 
 made by previous legislatures, and the great abuse which 
 had grown up in the legislature in these expenditures. 
 He recommended that the Senate should be liberal in its 
 orders, but that all useless and extravagant expenditures 
 should be dispensed with. The Committee made this 
 recommendation a rule, which was inflexibly adhered to in 
 their reports, and the Senate sustained its Committee. 
 
BENJAMIN WOOD. lYl 
 
 During his terra in the Senate, Senator Wolcott has 
 acquired the reputation of being an intelligent, capable 
 and industrious legislator. He is a man of good sense and 
 sound judgment. In the ordinary walks of life, he has 
 always been distinguished for his lively interest in all that 
 tends to improve society, and benefit his fellow men. He 
 has always been a practical and active temperance man, 
 and has devoted his attention to the cause of education, 
 having for years freely given his time among all his other 
 engagements, to the discharge of the duties of School Dis- 
 trict Trustee, and of President of the Board of Trustees 
 of Falley Seminary. 
 
 BENJAMIN WOOD. 
 
 Senator Wood was born at Shelbyville, Kentucky, on 
 the 13th October, 1820. The first among his paternal 
 ancestors whose history is identified with this country, 
 was Henry Wood, who emigrated from Wales, in 1616, 
 and settled in Massachusetts. He was a staunch Quaker, 
 and, to escape the persecutions of the Puritans, he left the 
 colony, and settled in the neighborhood of where now 
 stands Camden, New Jersey. He called his estate " Pea 
 Shore," and there most of his descendants have lived and 
 died. This Henry Wood was the great-grandfather of 
 Benjamin Wood, father of the subject of the present 
 sketch. Mi*. Wood's maternal ancestors were also Quakers, 
 and attained distinction, both in Em-ope and America. 
 
 Mr. Wood engaged in business, at an early age. Before 
 he attained his fourteenth year, he had visited, with one 
 exception, all the States of the Union, and had made 
 several voyages to the West India Islands, and Central 
 
172 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 America. After many years of travel, he engaged in 
 business, in New York, which he carried on successfully 
 for several years ; he then retired, relinquishing the con- 
 cern into the hands of his partners. In May, 1860, he 
 purchased the New York Daily News. Under his man- 
 agement, that paper soon held a conspicuous position in 
 the arena of journalism. It was suppressed by the govern- 
 ment, soon after the outbreak of the late civil war ; but, on 
 the 18th of May, 1863, its publication was resumed, and it 
 has since been conducted with the energy and enterprise 
 that are distinguishing characteristics of its proprietor. 
 The Sunday News, recently introduced to the public, has 
 already acquired no little popularity. 
 
 Mr. Wood's political career has been eventful and con- 
 spicuous. During the last Presidential campaign, he was 
 a staunch supporter of Douglas, and contributed largely, 
 from his time, his purse and energies, to assist that states- 
 man's canvass. He was, at that time, a member of the 
 State Central Committee, of New York, and as such, was 
 chosen Chairman of the Select Committee appointed to 
 unite the Anti-Republican elements of the State. He was 
 also Chairman of the Convention of Democratic editors 
 that assembled at the Astor House, in 1860. The same 
 year, Mr. Wood became a candidate for the representation 
 of the Third Congressional District, of New York, and was 
 elected by a majority of six hundred and thirty-two. His 
 speeches in Congress have occasioned much excitement 
 and comment, in consequence of their bold denunciation 
 of the war. On the 11th of June, 1860, Mr. Bingham, of 
 Ohio, presented a preamble and resolution, declaring that 
 information had been received by the government, 
 that Hon. Benjamin Wood, a member of the House, 
 from New York city, had been engaged in communicating, 
 or attempting to communicate, important intelligence to 
 the rebels in arms against the government, and direct- 
 
BENJAMIN WOOD. 173 
 
 ing the Judiciary Committee to investigate the subject, 
 and report upon the facts. 
 
 Mr. Wood said : " I hope the resolution will be adopted ; 
 and I also desire to thank the government for giving me 
 what they have denied to so many others, namely, an 
 opportunity to be heard." The reference to the Committee 
 Avas made, but in the absence of any creditable evidence 
 of the charge, the matter was quietly dropped, in spite of 
 Mr. Wood's earnest and repeated demands for a full inves- 
 tigation. 
 
 In 1862, he Avas returned to Congress by an overwhelm- 
 ing majority, thus demonstrating that his constituents 
 approved of his Congressional course. At the close of his 
 term, he was earnestly requested to become a candidate 
 for the third time, but positively refused. However, 
 at the solicitation of many citizens, he consented to run 
 for the Senate of this State, and was elected by a large 
 majority. 
 
 Mr. Wood is a little above the middle height, strongly 
 but not rudely built, and possesses a constitution that has 
 thus far withstood the ordeal of a life of intermingled 
 labor and adventure. His eyes are of a quiet blue ; his 
 countenance pale, animated under excitement, but with a 
 somewhat mournful and fatigued expression in repose. 
 His features, and especially the firm lines about his mouth, 
 indicate the chief traits of his character, self-will and deter- 
 mination. Although resolute almost to stubbornness, and 
 quick to resent insult or injury, he is rather gentle and 
 reserved in deportment. He has many political enemies, 
 and but few personal ones. His nature, frank and out 
 spoken to a fault, rather conciliates than repels. Sincerity 
 is an attribute that even his political foes do not deny him. 
 
 Mr. Wood has bestowed much time and attention upon 
 the cultivation of his farm at Manhasset. This includes 
 a garden of eleven acres ; one of the finest in the world. 
 
174 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Some impression may be received of the extraordinary 
 skill and labor bestowed upon this horticultural paradise, 
 by the fact that Mr. Wood has carried off the first pre- 
 miums for flowers, for several years past, in competition 
 with the magnificent nurseries of Flushing. 
 
 JAMES TERWILLIGER, 
 
 CLERK OF THE SENATE. 
 
 Mr. Teewilliger is a native of New Scotland, Albany 
 county, New York, where he was born January 30th, 1825. 
 He is of Holland and Scotch lineage. In the year 1836, 
 he removed to the town of De Witt, Onondaga county ; 
 and, up to the age of eighteen, his time was spent in work- 
 ing on the farm, and obtaining the meager education 
 imparted by the district schools. He early manifested 
 a great love for books and newspapers. He seized every- 
 thing of the kind which came in his way, and devoured 
 the contents with avidity. His tastes were more particu- 
 larly in sympathy with works of a political nature, and 
 biographies of statesmen; and thus his thoughts were 
 turned to the workings of political machinery. In the 
 mean time, until he was twenty-six years old, he labored 
 on his father's farm, familiarizing himself with all of the 
 weary routine of agi'icultural toil. In 1851, a new chap- 
 ter was opened, in his life. Laying aside the implements 
 of manual work, he invested his capital in journalism, 
 and became one of the proprietors of the Syracuse Daily 
 Journal. His connection with that newspaper, continued 
 until 1855, when he was appointed Deputy Clerk of the 
 Assembly, by R. U. Shearman, then Clerk of the House. 
 In 1850, he received the appointment of Journal Clerk of 
 
JAMES TEKWILLIGEB. 175 
 
 the Senate, and held that appointment for four years, at the 
 end of which time, he was elected Clerk of the Senate. 
 Mr. Terwilliger has since been three times elected with- 
 out opposition. In addition to this post of honor and 
 responsibility, he has held others of similar importance. 
 In fact, the past eighteen or twenty years of his life have 
 been more or less employed in arranging the details of 
 either county or State campaigns, and in supervising the 
 order of legislative business. Mr. Terwilliger was chosen 
 Clerk of the Board of Supervisors of Onondaga county, in 
 1849; and, from the organization of the Republican party 
 in 1856, to the year 1860, he was Secretary of the Onon- 
 daga County Republican Committee, when he was elected 
 Secretary of the Republican State Committee. He con- 
 ducted the memorable presidential campaign of that year, 
 with masterly tact and acceptance, and originated the 
 plan of sending speakers, by the State Committee, into 
 different sections, a practice now so generally adopted. 
 Mr. Terwilliger has been Secretary or Acting Secretary 
 of the Republican Union State Committee, ever since, 
 except the years 1862 and '64. In the canvass of 1864, 
 he was Acting Secretary of the National Union Executive 
 Committee, and additionally aided the State Committee 
 very materially. 
 
 When the lamented Preston King was appointed Col- 
 lector of the Port of New York, the position of Private 
 and Confidential Secretary to the Collector was offered 
 to Mr. Terwilliger, without any solicitation or previous 
 knowledge of the matter, on his part. Induced by friend- 
 ship for Mr. King, he accepted the place, and held it until 
 the appointment of the present Collector, when he resigned. 
 
 Mr. Terwilliger's familiarity with all the ramifications 
 of political forces ; his very large acquaintance with the 
 leaders of parties in this State and the country at large ; 
 his ready comprehension of the right thing in the right 
 
176 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 place, render his services almost invaluable. As Clerk of 
 the Senate, he is a master. All of the duties attending 
 that post are as familiar to him, as are the successions of 
 propositions of Euclid, to a professor in college ; and his 
 executive abilities, his steady application to the rapid dis- 
 patch of business, and his almost uninterrupted attendance 
 upon the sessions of the Senate, greatly enhance the value 
 of his services. 
 
 There is no bluster in his composition. The calm dignity 
 of the perfect gentleman always rests upon him, and the 
 smile of good nature is rarely missed from his face. Mr 
 Terwilliger is held in high estimation by both parties. 
 At the close of each term, elegant testimonials have been 
 presented to him by the Senators, as an expression of their 
 appreciation of his ability and kindness. 
 
MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY. 
 
 EDMUND L. PITTS, 
 
 SPEAKER. 
 
 Me. Pitts has arisen to a height of popularity which is 
 seldom attained by men, at so early an age. Long before 
 the first of January, the Members of Assembly began to 
 cast around for candidates for the Speakership of the 
 House. Names of men long identified with legislative 
 action, of conceded ability, and who are among the lead- 
 ers of the Republican party, were mentioned as being 
 worthy of the honor ; but, as the time for the assembling 
 of the Legislature drew near, there was a general impres- 
 sion that Mr. Pitts would be the gentleman whom the 
 House would trust to carry it through its coming session. 
 Previous to the Republican caucus, one name after 
 another was dropped, with perfect good feeling, and Mr. 
 Pitts was conceded, with unanimity, to be the candidate. 
 On the assembling of the caucus, he was nominated by 
 acclamation. Such a compliment, however, was well 
 bestowed, and was in accordance with public sentiment. 
 He is a firm adherent to the Republican party; he has 
 never had any affiliation with frauds and corrupt measures ; 
 and his great aim has been to fight down schemes for 
 plunder, and to maintain principles of right, irrespective 
 of men. If he has personal ambitions, as it is natural he 
 should have, he makes them subservient to the general 
 23 
 
178 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 welfare; and, anxious to discharge his complicated and 
 delicate duties in a way which shall do justice to all, Mr. 
 Pitts has thus far elicited commendation from both parties. 
 Mr. Pitts is a native of Yates, Orleans county, New 
 York. He is not yet twenty-eight years of age ; hut he 
 has a maturity of mind which is rarely found in one so 
 young. When a lad, he attended the academies in the 
 vicinity of his home, and was considered to be a remark- 
 ably brilliant scholar. A desire sprang up in his mind to 
 go through college ; and, therefore, the mysteries of amo- 
 as-at and bonus-a-um were in due time mastered, the 
 classics and mathematics duly conned, and, after a time, 
 the boy found himself prepared for the Sophomore year 
 in college. During these terms of study, he had an 
 able instructor and a reliable friend, Professor Charles 
 Fairmax, now Principal of the Medina Academy, of 
 whom he speaks in warm terms of gratitude. When Mr. 
 Pitts was fifteen, he carried off the first prize for declama- 
 tion at a public exhibition, and, from our knowledge of 
 him, he has not yet relaxed his study in that direction. 
 But the question of a collegiate course was abandoned, 
 because his father, though now in comfortable circum- 
 stances, was then scarcely prepared to take the responsi- 
 bility of meeting the bills which would have to be 
 incurred. In the year 1859, Mr. Pitts attended the Law 
 School at Poughkeepsie, and then read law with Hon. San- 
 eord E. Church, at Albion. Such was the rapidity of 
 his progress, he was admitted to practice, in 18G0, about 
 fifteen months after he began the study of his profession. 
 In the autumn of 18G0, he entered into a partnership with 
 Ai>\\ Uowen, Esq., which has continued ever since. 
 Confidence was had in his legal acumen ; men trusted the 
 linn with cases of importance, and found that they were 
 skillfully managed; and what was, at one time, a promis- 
 ing beginning, has ripened into a steady success. 
 
EDMUND L. PITTS. 179 
 
 When Mr. Pitts was nineteen, be was a Douglas 
 Democrat, and made campaign speeches in favor of that 
 wing of the Democracy ; hut when he began to studiously 
 weigh the doctrines which he was promulgating, he 
 became convinced of their sophistry, and discarded them 
 altogether. His first vote, he is proud to say, was cast 
 for Abraham Lixcoln ; and every campaign since be 
 was of age, has found him advocating, from the forum, 
 almost daily and nightly, the enduring principles of his 
 party. In 1862, in convention, Mr. Pitts, without any 
 thought that he was even remotely dreamed of for a can- 
 didate to the office, came within one vote of the nomination 
 for Member of Assembly; two years after, however, he 
 was elected to the Assembly, and has continued to repre- 
 sent his district ever since. While carefully watching and 
 urging the local interests of his constituents, he has boldly 
 battled against the " New York ring," and has never 
 hesitated to attack the strongholds of corruption, or to 
 tear away the flimsy gauze of trickery. Last session, be 
 introduced a very important amendment into the New 
 York tax levy, which met with obstinate resistance from 
 certain parties ; and yet, if we mistake not, the recent 
 decision of Judge Barnard, in relation to the notorious 
 gas contract swindle, turned upon that very amendment 
 which was finally fought through by Mr. Pitts. He is 
 regarded with confidence by many of the best men of 
 New York city, avIio recognize in him the exponent 
 of unselfish motives, and the staunch friend of their 
 municipality. In the Assembly of 1866, he was Chairman 
 of the Committee on Privileges and Elections, and was a 
 Member of the Committee on the Affairs of Cities. 
 
 In stature, Mr. Pitts is five feet and four inches. He 
 sometimes facetiously remarks that his friends call him 
 five feet only, but that he is determined to have the benefit 
 of the fraction over. He has a pleasant face, which is 
 
180 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 full of animation and character, and a voice -which is deci- 
 sive in tone when he is in earnest, but sweeping when he 
 is denunciatory. 
 
 31 r. Pitts, as Speaker of the Assembly, is distinguished 
 for his ready perceptions, his intimate knowledge of par- 
 liamentary law, acquired by long familiarity with legisla- 
 tion, and his speedy dispatch of business. He is uniformly 
 courteous, but self-reliant ; and in referring bills to the 
 various committees — an act which requires discretion — 
 he seldom makes mistakes. 
 
 OKNON ARCHER 
 
 Me. Archer was born in Granville, "Washington 
 county , New York, October 1st, 1814. At the age of 
 ten years, he commenced attending school at Granville 
 Academy, and continued in that institution nearly seven 
 years, a large portion of which time, Rev. Sale^i Towx, 
 LL. D., was Principal. In 1831, he entered Williams 
 College, and graduated in 1835. His standing in his class 
 was good — excelling in languages, but indifferent in 
 mathematics. After securing his diploma, he opened a 
 select school in Utica, where he remained one year ; he 
 then removed to Romeo, Michigan, and took charge of 
 the Romeo Academy, then just opened. In 1838, he was 
 a candidate for member of the lower branch of the Legis- 
 lature in that State, but was defeated with the rest of 
 his ticket (Whig) ; Macomb county then being strongly 
 Democratic. 
 
 Mr. Archer returned to New York, in 1839, and took 
 charge of Marion Academy, and continued to be its 
 Principal for nearly six years. In 1845, he removed 
 
ORNON ARCHER. 181 
 
 to Walworth (also in Wayne county), and was Principal 
 of Walworth Academy about two years. He was nomi- 
 nated in 1844, by the Whig party, for member of Assem- 
 bly, but was defeated, although running considerably 
 ahead of his ticket. In 1846, he was elected a member of 
 the Convention to revise the Constitution of the State, 
 and bore a prominent part in the deliberations of that 
 body. Three years afterwai'd, he served as Deputy Clerk 
 of the Assembly, under Philander B. Prindle. After 
 the close of the session, he was employed in the office 
 of the Secretary of State, arranging the documents 
 appertaining to the Colonial History of the State, and 
 transcribing such portions as were selected for imbrication. 
 In 1851, '52, and in 1855, '56, Mr. Archer served as 
 Deputy Clerk in the Assembly, under Richard IT. Shear- 
 man, Clerk. He was appointed Assistant Assessor of 
 Internal Revenue, in 1862, which office he held until 
 nominated for the Assembly, in September, 1866, when 
 he resigned. 
 
 Mr. Archer was educated in the old Whig faith, and 
 was, from the origin of that party, a zealous defender of 
 its principles. He voted for Harrison in 1840, for Clay 
 in 1844, for Taylor in 1848, for Scott in 1852, for 
 Fremont in 1856, and for Lincoln in 1860 and '64. He 
 was always a decided opponent to Slavery — an Aboli- 
 tionist in fact — but he never was drawn from his party 
 allegiance, as many of that class were. Mr. Archer has 
 frequently been engaged in political canvasses, speaking 
 not only in his own county, but often in other parts of 
 the State. He has been repeatedly Delegate to State 
 Conventions, and was a member of that Convention in 
 1854, which first organized the Republican party. In 
 1850, Mr. Archer was admitted to the Bar, and has since 
 then, when not engaged in official duties, practiced law. 
 His majority in the District for member of Assembly, in 
 
182 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 the late election, was 1,162, which was 300 larger than 
 any' member ever before received. 
 
 He is a gentleman of peculiar talents. His long 
 experience as an educator has done much toward develop- 
 ing his analytical powers, and his participation in politi- 
 cal contests has given him an adroit skill which is highly 
 essential to a legislator. 
 
 JOHN G. BAKER. 
 
 Mr. Baker is the representative of the Third District 
 of the county of Ulster. He is a descendant of patriotic 
 ancestry, his father having been a soldier in the American 
 army, during the Revolutionary war. He is a native of 
 Greene county, New York, is a farmer by occupation, and 
 is thirty-two years of age. Mr. Baker was educated in 
 the common school, and at the Greenville Academy. He 
 was a teacher, for several terms ; but his father becoming 
 infirm, he returned home, and took charge of the farm. 
 He had a taste for agriculture, and was very observant in 
 his practical farming. His mind w T as not satisfied with 
 simply knowing that seed must be put into the ground in 
 order to germinate ; but he went further, in his observa- 
 tions and inquiries, and sought the best methods for pro- 
 moting the growth of his various products. Having read 
 the best agricultural papers, he acted upon many of the 
 suggestions which, he found in them, and tested their 
 a alidity by his own obseiwation. In this way, he accumu- 
 lated a fund of information, upon which he afterward drew 
 to advantage. In 1860, a new field of action was opened 
 which he immediately occupied. Laying aside the farmer's 
 implements, he went to the city of New York, and, for 
 
STEPHEN BAKER. 183 
 
 some time, was one of the publishers of the Practical Far- 
 mer and Scientific Gardener, a valuable paper, in its sphere. 
 Mr. Baker was formerly a " Know-Nothing," and, as 
 such, voted for Millard Fillmore for the presidency. 
 But he soon left the party, and united with the Democracy, 
 with which he has ever since cast his political fortunes. 
 This is his first experience in legislative action. He is a 
 member of the Committee on Agriculture ; and his already 
 acquired knowledge of farming will be of value to him in 
 the consideration of questions which may arise while he is 
 acting in that capacity. He is a very quiet member, is 
 punctual in his attendance, and is an attentive observer of 
 the proceedings of the House. 
 
 STEPHEN BAKER. 
 
 Mr. Baker's life has been chequered with dashing 
 adventures, which, if narrated in detail would form an 
 interesting volume. We can, however, but simply allude 
 to the salient points which we have been able to gather, 
 now and then, in hasty snatches of conversation. Mr. 
 Baker was born of American parentage, in the town of 
 Southeast, Putnam county, New York, December 31st, 
 1835, and received a moderate common school education. 
 At the age of twenty, wishing to see something of frontier 
 life, he went to Kansas, at the close of the civil strife in 
 that region, and engaged in the transportation business 
 between Omaha and Fort Kearney. In 1858, when the 
 gold mines of Colorado were discovered, he was one of 
 the first white men who explored South Park, and Pike's 
 Peak, traversing the south fork of the Platte river, and 
 leaving their names on the bleached skulls of buffaloes, as 
 
184 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 guide-blocks for those who might follow after. During 
 this expedition, he participated in many thrilling scenes, 
 both in camp .and on the march, and beheld some of the 
 grandest scenery on the continent. Of course privations 
 had to be endured ; but they were over-balanced by the 
 fascinations which always hover over an unexplored region. 
 In the spring of 1859, Mr. Baker joined in a war against 
 the Utahs, near the head waters of Clear Creek, and thus 
 became familiar with the customs of Indian warfare. His 
 venturesome spirit led him into the midst of many exciting 
 dangers, from which he escaped as by a charmed existence. 
 After varied experiences among the Camanches, Sioux, 
 Black Feet, Pawnees, Omahas, and other Indian tribes, he 
 returned to his native State, and in August, 1862, entered 
 the service of the United States as First Lieutenant in the 
 6th New York Artillery. July 5th, 1863, he was attached 
 to the army of the Potomac, near South Mountain, partici- 
 pating in the battles of Wapping Heights and Mine Run, 
 the latter of which was terribly sanguinary. In the month 
 of November, 1863, he was promoted to Captain, on 
 account of his bravery on the field. Remaining with his 
 regiment, he took part in the battles of the Wilderness, 
 Spottsylvania, North Anna, Bethesda Church, Coal Harbor 
 and Petersburgh. Captain Baker was ordered to Wash- 
 ington, in August, 1864, and was transferred to the Middle 
 Department under General Sheridan. After the battle of 
 Cedar Creek, he was promoted to Major, and ordered to 
 the Army of the James. For gallantry in an important 
 engagement with some of the enemy's iron-clads, he was 
 commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel. It was his privilege to 
 be engaged in the final rout of the Rebel army, which was 
 the crowning triumph of our arms. After his regiment 
 was mustered out, he was retained in the service, to aid 
 in consolidating the remaining battalions of the 6th, 10th, 
 and 13th Regiments of Heavy Artillery, and, with the 
 
HORATIO BALLARD. 185 
 
 consolidated regiment, was placed in command of Peters- 
 burgh. His signal bravery was again rewarded, in July, 
 1865, by a promotion to the rank of Colonel. He was 
 mustered out of service in the following September. 
 
 Colonel Baker ably represented Putnam county in the 
 Legislature, in 1866, as a Union Republican, and, therefore, 
 has had experience in legislation. 
 
 HORATIO BALLARD. 
 
 Mr. Ballard is a gentleman of affability and urbanity. 
 His past political experience, his wide acquaintance with 
 men, and his legal attainments, are points of no insignifi- 
 cant importance to a member of the Legislature. He is 
 nearly sixty-four years old ; therefore, with other legisla- 
 tive capacities, he brings with him ripe judgment and 
 settled opinions. 
 
 His father, a native of Massachusetts, was among the 
 early settlers of the town of Homer, New York, and was 
 one of the founders of the Cortland Academy. He held 
 various county offices, and was a member of the Legis- 
 lature. 
 
 Mr. Ballard received his education at the Pompey and 
 the Cortland Academy. He commenced his legal studies 
 with Judge Stephens, and finished them with Judge 
 Jewett. In 1828, he was admitted as Attorney to the 
 Supreme Court, and, three years subsequently, as Coun- 
 selor. He formed a law partnership with Judge Ste- 
 phens, and soon ranked among the leading lawyers in his 
 Judicial District. He accepted the appointment of District 
 Attorney, in 1841, and held it for a number of years, dis- 
 charging his duties in a manner acceptable to the public. 
 24 
 
186 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 In 1 848, he was the candidate of the Barn Burner Democ- 
 racy, for Congress ; but his district having heavy Whig 
 majorities against the Democrats, he was not elected; 
 and, in 1859, having been nominated for Judge of the 
 Supreme Court, for the Sixth Judicial District, he was 
 defeated by the same causes. 
 
 On the reception of the news of the slaughter of some of 
 the soldiers of a Massachusetts regiment in the streets 
 of Baltimore, in April, 1861, a very enthusiastic war 
 meeting was held at the Court House in Cortland county, 
 over which Mr. Ballard presided. He had drawn his 
 conclusions as to what should be his future course in rela- 
 tion to the war. Recognizing but one line of policy, 
 which seemed to him correct, he laid aside his former party 
 ties, and united with the Union organization. In Septem- 
 ber, 1861, he was spontaneously nominated, by the Union 
 Convention, for Secretary of State. That was a time 
 when men forgot all mercenary and petty motives, in the 
 great desire to express their condemnation of the faithless- 
 ness of the South ; and, while our heroes were baring their 
 breasts to the conflict, all along the lines, the voice of the 
 people, at the North, thundered out their protest against 
 the sophistry of secession. The Empire State gave no 
 uncertain expression on that occasion. Mr. Ballard's 
 majority was 107,712. He discharged the duties of Secre- 
 tary of State with carefulness and ability, and retired from 
 office with the reputation of being a consistent State 
 officer. 
 
 In the recent campaign, in the county of Cortland, 
 without solicitation on his part, and indeed, without his 
 expectation, he was unanimously nominated for the 
 Assembly, on the Union ticket, and elected by a large 
 majority, running ahead of his ticket. 
 
 His wife and three children compose his present house- 
 hold. One of his sons served as First Lieutenant in the 
 
SAMUEL M. BARKER. 187 
 
 Union army, from 1862, until near the close of 18G4, when 
 he fell a victim to disease, and the brave fellow, whom the 
 bullets of the rebels failed to kill, was buried, none 
 the less a hero than if he had fallen at the cannon's throat. 
 Thus the father feels that his own loyalty has been conse- 
 crated, as indeed has that of many others, by the sacrifice 
 which he has made. His eldest daughter married Hon. 
 Wm. H. Robertson, who is member of Congress from the 
 Tenth Congressional District. 
 
 Mr. Ballard takes an interest in the cause of education. 
 He is now President of the Board of Trustees of the Cort- 
 landville Academy — one of the flourishing institutions in 
 this State ; and, last fall, he was instrumental in procuring 
 the location of one of the State Normal Schools, in Cort- 
 land Village. He is a member of the Judiciary Committee, 
 and of the Committee oh Colleges, Academies and Schools. 
 
 SAMUEL M. BARKER. 
 
 As early as the year 1850, Mr. Barker was known to 
 the people of his county as an influential and competent 
 worker in politics. He is one of those men who are satis- 
 fied to use their energies for the common good, without 
 continually looking out for the " loaves and fishes." 
 Therefore, though he might have been elevated to official 
 positions, if he had been disposed to urge his claims, he 
 held no office until the year 1865, when he was elected by 
 the Republicans of his county to represent them in the 
 Lower House of the Legislature. During that term, he 
 elicited the approbation of his constituents, as well as that 
 of his colleagues, by his plain, straightforward mannei*. 
 In 1866, Mr. Barker was again unanimously nominated 
 
188 LITE SKETCHES. 
 
 for a reelection. At this juncture, there arose an unfor- 
 tunate split in the party, which was accomplished by 
 stragglers and disaffected Republicans, and which resulted 
 in the running of a third candidate, in addition to the 
 regular opposition. In this campaign, Mr. Barker's 
 popularity was displayed to most excellent advantage; 
 his labors for the party were almost unremitting ; and the 
 success of the State ticket of 1866, in Schuyler county, 
 owes much to his strenuous persistency. 
 
 Mr. Barker is the eldest son of Joseph Barker, a highly 
 respectable farmer residing in the town of Hector, Schuyler 
 county, New York. He was born on the 14th day of 
 August, 1827. Like most boys in his neighborhood, at that 
 time, he had the advantages of the district school, which, 
 though within the reach of almost every one, were, as 
 everybody is aware, of a very limited character. The 
 common school was in those days, and indeed now is, a 
 decidedly primitive affair, in many of the rural districts. 
 The cities and large villages have become awakened in 
 relation to the necessities of the present generation ; but 
 the boy who can blun'der through some of our district 
 schools, and have an aspiration beyond the height of the 
 dingy ceiling above his desk, is worthy of a place in 
 Westminster. When, however, Mr. Barker advanced to 
 the age of seventeen or eighteen, he became a pupil in the 
 select school of John - A. Gillett, A. M., at Peach 
 Orchard, situated on the east bank of Seneca Lake. 
 While there, he made good progress in his studies, and 
 improved his opportunities perhaps as well as the majority 
 of his schoolfellows ; but he did not evince a decided taste 
 for the classics and literature, his mind being more 
 inclined to business and the active pursuits of life. At 
 the age of twenty-seven, he began farming, at a little dis- 
 tance from the homestead, and has pursued that calling 
 ever since. In combination with his agricultural occu- 
 
SAMUEL M. BARKER. 189 
 
 pation, Mr. Barker has dealt largely in live stock and 
 wool, and recently has engaged in the manufacture of 
 mowing machines — a business which has gradually 
 become extensive and profitable. He most emphatically 
 opposes any appropriations for corporations, on the 
 ground that the present indebtedness of the State is 
 already large enough; and the fact that he voted against 
 every bill afterward vetoed by the Governor, is worthy 
 of mention. In relation to our national politics, Mr. 
 Barker has never had any sympathy with that which is 
 hostile to equal rights; but he has always acted with 
 those impelling forces which pulse the country forward. 
 To this end, he worked zealously, in the time of war, 
 expending his means, and devoting his time, for the pur- 
 pose of filling up the ranks of our armies. 
 
 He is a perfect gentleman in his demeanor, generous in 
 his impulses, and upright in principle. Probably no man 
 in the House has more warm friends than he ; and unques- 
 tionably no Member is more highly regarded. 
 
OLIVER A. BAR STOW. 
 
 Mr. Barstow is a fine old gentleman of friendly ways, 
 who is quiet in his demeanor and honest in his purposes. 
 He is plainly a thinking man, though of few words, and, 
 when convinced of the justice of a measure, his mind 
 is not easily shaken in its conclusions. His ancestors 
 came from England, in 1635, and settled in Hanover, 
 Massachusetts; they were, for several generations, sea- 
 faring men and ship-builders. He was born in Great 
 Barrington, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, in Novem- 
 ber, 1809. He is the youngest child of Doctor Samuel 
 Barstow, a gentleman of excellent talents, who was 
 reputed a skillful physician, and was held in high esteem 
 in the political circles of Massachusetts. At the time of 
 his death, which occurred in 1812, he was a member of the 
 Senate of his State. 
 
 Oliver A. Barstow remained with his mother, acquir- 
 ing such education as could be obtained in the common 
 schools, until he was sixteen years of age. In the mean 
 time, he had not only gathered to himself quite a fund of 
 knowledge, but he had also been favored with all of those 
 pure influences which pervade a home presided over by a 
 mother. In 1825, he became a member of the family of 
 his uncle, the Hon. Gamaliel II. Barstow, of Nichols, 
 Tioga county, New York, who was then Treasurer of this 
 State, and who had previously been a member of both 
 branches of the Legislature, and First Judge of the Court 
 of Common Pleas of Tioga county. In passing, it is 
 due to Judge Barstow's memory, to say that, as State 
 Treasurer, he bore a spotless official record. The same 
 may be said of him with reference to every office which 
 he ever held. 1 1 is election to Congress, in 1830, was an 
 
OLIVER A. BARSTOW. 191 
 
 honor well bestowed, and his intimate acquaintance with 
 political reminiscences, rendered valuable aid to Mr. Ham- 
 mond in the preparation of the Political History of New 
 York. Young Oliver remained in his uncle's family 
 until he was twenty-one. It is to be supposed that his 
 character was shaped by his surroundings, for his uncle's 
 frugality, sound practical sense, and eminent honors, must 
 have have had their weight upon the young man ; and 
 these things, coupled with the trainings of his earlier 
 days, left a lasting impression on his memory. In 1830, 
 he went to the Western States, and found employment as 
 clerk on some of the river steamboats. But he remained 
 in the west only a year or two, and then returned to 
 Tioga county and went into business. His life has been 
 industrious and laborious, his attention being directed to 
 merchandising, lumbering and agriculture. In whatever 
 undertaking Mr. Barstow has embarked, he has put his 
 own hand to the oar, and weathered storms which would 
 have made more timid natures shrink. 
 
 Politically, he was, in past years, a Whig, but ever 
 since the organization of the Republican party, he has 
 uniformly acted with it. He has been Supervisor of the 
 town of Nichols, several years, and, for the last twenty- 
 three years, has been Justice of the Peace. In his elec- 
 tion to the Legislature of the present year, he received 
 twelve hundred majority over his opponent, Daniel D. 
 McDowell. Mr. Barstow is a member of the Com- 
 mittee on Canals, in which capacity we believe he will be 
 of material benefit to the State. 
 
WILSON BERRYMAN. 
 
 Mb. Berryman was born in County Deny, Ireland, 
 October 21, 1841. His ancestors were Scotch. He emi- 
 grated to New York, in October, 1856i He attended the 
 public schools in New York city, and, in 1857, entered 
 the College of the city of New York, then known as the 
 New York Free Academy, from which he graduated in 
 1862, receiving the degree of A. B., and, in 1865, the 
 degree of A. M. 
 
 Mr. Berryman was mustered into the military service 
 of the United States, in March, 1864, as a First Lieutenant 
 in the 32d United States Colored Troops. He served 
 with the regiment, in South Carolina, until mustered out 
 of the service, in August, 1865. A portion of this period 
 he served as Assistant Provost Marshal of the district of 
 Hilton Head, and, subsequently, as Assistant Adjutant- 
 General of the district of Beaufort. He was with the 
 regiment in the battles of Honey Hill, South Carolina, 
 November 30, 1864, Pocotaligo, December 7, 1864, and 
 James Island, February 10, 1865, and in all the various 
 raids and skirmishes in which the regiment was engaged, 
 including the expedition of General E. E. Potter, through 
 South Carolina, in March and April, 1865, which extended 
 as far as Camden. 
 
 Mr. Berryman is a Civil Engineer by profession, and 
 resides at No. 315 West 43d street, New York. He is a 
 Republican. 
 
 He was a Member of Assembly in 1866, having been 
 elected for the Thirteenth Assembly District of New York 
 city, and took an active part, in the Legislature of that 
 session in all measures relating to the city of New York. 
 
RICHMOND BIC KNELL. 
 
 In point of years, Mr. Bicknell ranks among the 
 younger members of the House. He has a face which is 
 full of manly character, and a mind of fine culture. 
 There is no pomposity in his mental composition; he 
 approaches no man with a "flourish of trumpets," and 
 transparencies covered with inscriptions of "Ego;" nor 
 does he display an inanity which shows a lack of force 
 and individuality ; but he impresses one with the idea of 
 a modest determination which is not easily swerved by 
 opposition and temptation. 
 
 Mr. Bicknell's native place is the town of Stockholm, 
 St. Lawrence county, New York, in which he was born, 
 on the 1st of August, 1837. His father, one of the earliest 
 Settlers of that town, and one of its highly respected citi- 
 zens, still survives. He brought up his son Richmond to 
 labor, in his youthful days, on the farm, believing that, 
 whatever avocation he might choose when he reached the 
 years of maturity, the physical development resulting 
 from manual work, and the invigoration of out-door exer- 
 cise, would be highly impoi'tant in laying the foundation 
 for physical endurance. 
 
 In addition to Mr. Bicknell's common school advan- 
 tages, he received instruction, for a couple of terms, at the 
 St. Lawrence Academy, situated in Potsdam ; but his 
 education has been, to a considerable extent, self-acquired. 
 When twenty years old, he began the study of law, at 
 Potsdam, in the office of Hon. Henry L. Knowles, the 
 pi'esent County Judge of St. Lawrence county ; and about 
 two years and a half afterward he was admitted to prac- 
 tice ; since that time he has been a law partner of Judge 
 Knowles. His qualifications as a lawyer give him a 
 25 
 
194 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 prominent place among the lawyers of the northern por- 
 tion of the State. He is a fluent and forcible advocate, 
 and, in the sphere of discussion, is perfectly at home. In 
 the political campaigns of the last few years, he has ren- 
 dered effective service, but, aside from this, has not 
 otherwise engaged in politics, until his nomination to the 
 Assembly, last fall, which resulted in his election by 
 the largest majority, except one, of any member elected 
 to the House of 1867, viz. : two thousand six hundred 
 and sixty-eight. 
 
 LAFAYETTE J. BIGELOW. 
 
 Mr. Bigelow was born in the town of Ellisbuvgh, Jef- 
 ferson county, New York, on the 13th of May, 1835. His 
 parents came from Vermont, and his father, Jot-ham Bige- 
 low, was a farmer in independent circumstances, who 
 always took a lively interest in public affairs, held the 
 office of Supervisor of his town for several years, and in 
 1835 and '30, was a member of Assembly. Lafayette, 
 his youngest son, was sent to Union Academy, a distance 
 of two miles from where he lived, at quite an early age, 
 and as he boarded at home, he did not lack for physical 
 exercise. At this excellent institution, he was prepared for 
 college, and entered the Sophomore class of Union College 
 in the fall of 1854. While there he was studious and 
 stood about average in general scholarship. He was 
 elected President of the Adelphic society of that institu- 
 tion, and once read a poem before it. He was always 
 fond of general reading, and was more given to perusing 
 the English classics than in digging after the Greek roots, 
 or divining the subtle mysteries of the higher mathe- 
 
LAFAYETTE J. BIGEL0AV. 195 
 
 matics. In composition, declamation and extemporaneous 
 speaking, he took rank among the first while at school. 
 
 At the end of the Junior year, feeling anxious to begin 
 active life, and having already decided on his profession, 
 he left Union College and entered the University of 
 Albany, Department of Law, in the fall of 1855. He 
 graduated at this institution in the spring of 1857, receiv- 
 ing the degree of LL.B., and while there he took the 
 silver medal as the prize for the second best original essay 
 on the subject of " Eminent Domain." 
 
 In May, 1857, he removed to Watertown, the shire-town 
 of his native county, and commenced the practice of law 
 in company with Bradley Winslow, Esq., a young gen- 
 tleman who had just been admitted to the Bar. The new 
 firm of Winslow & Bigelow got along about as fast as 
 young lawyers usually do ; at all events, the junior mem- 
 ber of the firm, Mr. Bigelow, who is a prudent man 
 withal, concluded that he could stand the expense of 
 "coffee and muffins for two," and married Miss Hattie 
 E., daughter of Mason Rounds, Esq., of Mannsville, New 
 York. 
 
 In 1861, he was appointed District Attorney to take the 
 place of his law partner who had been elected to the office, 
 but who entered the volunteer service early in that year, 
 and served in the Union army with distinction, rising suc- 
 cessively from Lieutenant to Colonel. In the spring of 
 1865, while in command of his regiment, he was shot 
 through the abdomen and did not recover until months 
 after. Mr. Bigelow served out his official term as District 
 Attorney, and gave his partner, in the field, $600 out of 
 the $800 salary of the office. 
 
 In the fall of 1862, he was nominated almost by accla- 
 mation for District Attorney, and was elected by a large 
 majority. For three years longer, he discharged the duties 
 of this office with entire satisfaction to the county, and had 
 
196 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 the reputation of being a very faithful and successful public 
 prosecutor. In the fall of 1863, following an inclination 
 which he had long felt for the editorial profession, he 
 bought an interest in the Daily and Weekly Reformer, 
 published at Watertown, and one of the largest and most 
 influential Union journals of Northern New York. 
 
 Mr. Bigelow has, for a young man, a high reputation 
 as a campaign speaker and literary lecturei\ In the cam- 
 paign of 1864, he took a prominent part, and spoke in 
 Brooklyn and different parts of the State. In politics, he 
 has always been a Republican, and has never acted with 
 any other party. During the rebellion, he made many 
 Union speeches; was a member of the War Committee 
 in his county, and rendered effective service in raising 
 recruits. 
 
 Mr. Bigelow's tastes are really literary, rather than 
 political, and he is called a graceful and vigorous writer. 
 He has lectured before some of the first Lyceums in this 
 State, and his name is frequently seen in some of our 
 popular periodicals. At the last commencement of Union 
 College, he received the honorary degree of A. M., as a 
 recognition of his literary character. He has always 
 taken an interest in educational matters ; is a Trustee of 
 St. Lawrence University, and of two Academies. In the 
 winter of 1865 and '66, he held the office of Assistant 
 Clerk of the Assembly. 
 
 In the fall of 1866, Mr. Bigelow was nominated for 
 Assembly, receiving twenty-nine of the thirty votes in 
 the convention on a first ballot. He was elected by a 
 majority of one thousand six hundred and seventy-eight. 
 
 He Avas made Chairman of the Committee on Printing, 
 and accorded a position on Colleges, Academies and Com- 
 mon Schools, on which he is an active member. He was 
 an earnest supporter of Roscoe Conkling for Senator. 
 Early in the session, he introduced the bill to increase the 
 
JOHN" J. BLAIR. 197 
 
 salary of School Commissioners, supported earnestly the 
 bill to establish free schools, and in the exciting debate in 
 the House on the proposed Convention to revise the Con- 
 stitution, advocated the amendment providing for thirty- 
 two delegates at large. His future legislative career must 
 remain unwritten on these pages, but we predict that it 
 will be approved by his constituents and the people of the 
 State. 
 
 JOHN J. BLAIR. 
 
 The member from the Fourth District of New York, 
 was born in the city of which he is a representative, 
 on the 17th of April, 1833. His parents were natives 
 of Ireland, and offered their son every opportunity for 
 an excellent education, but like many others, he was 
 ambitious of becoming a workman while yet a boy, and 
 so merely availed himself of the advantages presented by 
 the Common Schools. At the age of sixteen years, he 
 was apprenticed at the Allaire Works, one of the most 
 extensive machine shops in the country, and soon became 
 a proficient at his trade. Mr. Blair early took an interest 
 in politics, being elected constable of the Seventh Ward, at 
 the age of twenty years and six months, being compelled 
 to wait until he had arrived at manhood's estate before 
 he could qualify. At the age of twenty-two, he became 
 Assistant Captain of the Seventh Ward Police, under the 
 old municipal system. In this position, he was popular 
 with the men under him, and with the citizens generally. 
 He held the place until the Metropolitan Police law went 
 into effect, and though offered a Captaincy in the new 
 force, declined upon principle, and held to the old organ- 
 ization, until it was disbanded. Mr. Blair then returned 
 
198 LIFE SKETCHES 
 
 to his trade, working at it until the famous machinists' 
 strike of 1864, when he made a pledge never to return 
 to the bench until the demands of the mechanics were 
 granted by their employers. The workingmen were finally 
 forced by circumstances to submit, but Mr. Blair kept 
 his word. He afterward became connected with the Fifth 
 District Judicial Court, and remained there until elected 
 to the Assembly, to which he was first nominated by the 
 workingmen, afterward being indorsed by the Republicans 
 and the Union Democracy. His election was regarded as 
 a great triumph over Tammany Hall, as that organization 
 considered the District one of the surest for their ticket 
 in the city. But the workingmen were a unit for Mr. 
 Blaie, and this settled the question. He is, and he always 
 has been a Democrat. 
 
 In 18G2, Mr. Blair went to Hilton Head in the employ 
 of the Naval Department, and remained there one year, 
 as Superintendent of repairs of machinery and repairs of 
 gunboats. Here he was of great service to the country. 
 In 1853, he took part in an expedition to explore the 
 Amazon River, which failed owing to the objections of 
 the Brazilian Government. Several of his companions 
 w^ere lost in the expedition. In short, Mr. Blair's whole 
 life has been quite eventful. 
 
LEVI B LAKES LEE. 
 
 Until recently, Mr. Blakeslee was a farmer, residing in 
 Kirkland, Oneida county, New York. Though very much 
 interested in his occupation, he still found time to devote 
 himself to political interests, and he was elected by the 
 Whigs to represent them from his district in the Assem- 
 bly, at the session of 1854. In 1855, he introduced a 
 resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution, 
 to abolish the property qualification of colored voters, 
 thus early recognizing the principle of equal political 
 rights irrespective of color. This resolution was, after a 
 sharp contest, passed by the Assembly, but was defeated 
 in the Senate. He subsequently identified his political 
 opinions with those of the Republicans. The Second 
 Assembly district of Oneida county had in practice the 
 system of rotation in presenting candidates for nomina- 
 tion, that is, each town, in turn, had the privilege of the 
 candidacy ; therefore, though Mr. Blakeslee had proved 
 himself perfectly acceptable to his constituency, yet, 
 according to precedent, he could not be put in nomination 
 again, until the expiration of nine years. When that 
 period had elapsed, the town of Kirkland again offered 
 him as the candidate. He was nominated and elected to 
 the Assembly, in the Fall of 1863. In 1864, after sufficient 
 experience upon the Committee of Claims to convince him 
 of the evils of the present system of settlement of claims 
 against the State, he introduced a bill giving the Supreme 
 Court jurisdiction of all cases of claims against the State, 
 in the several judicial districts where they arise; his 
 theory of the matter being, that the present system is 
 unjust, in that there is no way in which the citizen can 
 enforce his State claims. That it is unsafe for the State, 
 
200 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 because the hearing, before the Committees of the Legisla- 
 ture, is entirely ex parte, no defense to the claims ever 
 being made, unless the claimant's own evidence should 
 accidentally show fraud upon its face ; and, even then, the 
 rejection of the claim is not final, but only postpones 
 the case a year, when it is again presented with the 
 evidence of fraud carefully concealed, the first experiment 
 showing exactly what alterations were necessary. This 
 bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee, and by them 
 reported to the House ; but the late date of its introduc- 
 tion prevented final action thereon. 
 
 In 1865, Mr. Blakeslee was nominated for Supervisor, 
 against his expressed wishes, and unanimously elected, 
 in the town of Kirkland, which had often been so closely 
 contested, politically, that a Democratic success was as 
 frequent as a Republican triumph. 
 
 In May, 1865, he removed to the city of TJtica, where he 
 is now engaged in business, as a coal dealer. In the pre- 
 liminary movements of the last canvass, he was requested 
 to accept the nomination for Member of Assembly, in the 
 First District of Oneida county. Business interests caused 
 him to feel that it was his duty to decline the honor ; but 
 further consideration led him to reconsider his decision ; 
 and he finally concluded to take upon himself the issues 
 of the campaign. The consequence was his election. Mr. 
 Blakeslee's former experience in the varicms ramifica- 
 tions of Legislative business, enables him to meet the 
 questions arising therefrom, with adequate skill. 
 
CHARLES BLAUVELT. 
 
 Charles Blauvelt, Member of Assembly from the 
 Fifth District of New York, was born in the city of 
 which he is a representative, in the year 1836. Conse- 
 quently, he is in the thirty-first year of his age, though 
 in appearance somewhat younger. Mr. Blauvelt, when 
 quite young, took a deep interest in politics, and soon 
 became one of the rising Democracy of the Metropolis. 
 Courteous in his intercourse with strangers, and affable at 
 all times, he soon attached to him a large number of 
 personal and political friends, who secured his triumphant 
 election to the Assembly of 1865, after a sharp struggle. 
 In that body, he served creditably as a member of the 
 important Committee on Public Printing, and though not 
 devoted to speech-making in the House, still returned to 
 his constituents with the reputation of being a successful 
 legislator. Owing to some complications in New York 
 politics, he failed of a reelection to the Legislature of 
 1866, but at the polls in the fall of that year he was 
 returned to the House by a majority so large that his 
 choice may almost be said to have been unanimous. In 
 the appointment of committees, Mr. Blauvelt was 
 selected to serve upon those of State Charitable Institu- 
 tions, and Joint Library, but the Speaker afterward added 
 him to the Committee on Insurance, when the House 
 authorized its increase to seven members. Mr. Blauvelt 
 is a member of the 12th Regiment, New York National 
 Guard; he accompanied that command to the seat of 
 war. He was captured with his regiment at Harper's 
 Ferry, in 1862, and paroled, which prevented his return to 
 the field. By profession, he is an accountant. 
 26 
 
WILLIAM B. BOYD. 
 
 Mr. Boyd is a native of Barrington, Yates county, New 
 York, where he was born, in the year 1824, March 28th. 
 His father and mother were natives of this country ; the 
 former was of Irish descent, and the latter was of German 
 ancestry. He received a fair academic education in his 
 early years; and, at the age of twelve, left home, with 
 the determination to carve his own way in the world. 
 Residing in Yates county until he was eighteen years old, 
 he removed to the village of Prattsburgh, Steuben county, 
 New York, where, at the age of twenty-two, he engaged 
 in the mercantile trade. The village contained several 
 manufactories, and, therefore, afforded desirable facilities 
 for his business. Twelve years subsequently, he engaged 
 in farming, and the traffic in grain and wool. In the latter 
 avocation, he is still quite a heavy operator. Mr. Boyd 
 was Post-Master of Prattsburgh, from the year 1849 to 
 1853, under the Whig Administration. He was a Member 
 of the Assembly, in 1866, having been elected over his 
 Democratic competitor, by four hundred and twenty-four 
 majority, and was on the Committee on Banks; he was 
 reelected last fall by a majority of five hundred and four- 
 teen. At the opening of the session, he was appointed on 
 the Committee on Banks, and was made Chairman of the 
 Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Department ; 
 but he resigned soon after his appointment. 
 
 Mr. Boyd is a gentleman of great business energy, and, 
 therefore, is not easily SAverved from his undertakings. 
 By his own tact, he has become the possessor of a hand- 
 some property, having the gratification of knowing that 
 he has wrought his fortune solely by steady and merito- 
 rious application. He is held in high estimation by his 
 
THOMAS A. BRIGGS. 203 
 
 acquaintances ; and, though there may be members in the 
 House of superior legislative talents, there are none who 
 are more reliable for integrity. 
 
 THOMAS A. BRIGGS. 
 
 Mk. Briggs was born in Athens, Greene county, on the 
 4th of September, 1834, and is consequently in the 33d 
 year of his age. He is of old Knickerbocker stock, his 
 ancestors having resided in this State for many genera- 
 tions past, several of them participating in the great 
 struggle for Independence. He received a common school 
 education, and, at an early age, engaged in the business 
 of boating, for which he displayed a great aptitude, 
 having command of a sloop when fourteen years old. It 
 was not long before he commanded a steamer, and, as a 
 captain, he became very popular. For three years he was 
 in the government service, as Captain of the " Silas O. 
 Pierce," a dispatch boat at Fortress Monroe, which was 
 the first to pass through " Dutch Gap," and the first to 
 reach Richmond after the evacuation of the rebel capital 
 by the Confederate forces. Mr. Briggs took the news of 
 Mr. Lincoln's death from Fortress Monroe to Norfolk — 
 the telegraph being broken — with instructions to deliver it 
 in j>erson. In the national service, though not an active 
 participant in the struggles between the armies and navies 
 of the contending hosts, he still accomplished much in his 
 modest capacity, and the government and its officers 
 never had reason to complain of the manner in which his 
 duties were performed. He claims no fame as a politician, 
 having never before been a candidate for any office. He 
 has always been a Democrat of the straightest order. Mr. 
 
204 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Beiggs serves upon the important Committee of Com- 
 merce and Navigation. He is very reticent to strangers ; 
 but anions his friends he is more frank. 
 
 WILLIAM BRISTOL. 
 
 Me. Beistol, the member from Wyoming, was born at 
 Gainesville, in that county, May 7th, 1821, and has resided 
 there ever since. His father was a native of this State, 
 and a fine type of the resolute and hardy pioneers who 
 planted in Western New York, the germ of that intelli- 
 gence, industry, wealth and patriotism which now char- 
 acterize that section of the State. He was a Member of 
 the Assembly of 1823. His mother, a woman of strong 
 character and sterling virtues, was a worthy daughter of 
 Massachusetts. His grandfather was a Revolutionary 
 hero, and his father, a soldier in the war of 1812. Like 
 many others of our successful men, Mr. Beistol received 
 in a common school the basis of his education. Person- 
 ally directing the management of his extensive farm, he 
 has occupied himself principally as a wool dealer. His 
 large business operations have been generally successful, 
 and he possesses an ample fortune, which is as generously 
 used, as it was honorably won. He has recently bought 
 one of the finest places in Warsaw, which he will make 
 his residence, after this season. Mr. Beistol's wide-awake 
 and intelligent interest in political affairs, began before he 
 could vote. He was originally a Democrat; in 1848, 
 became an active and influential Barn-Burner, and in the 
 Syracuse Barn-Burner Convention of 1856, which indorsed 
 Feemont, he was one of the few representatives of his 
 section of the State. Since that time, he has been an 
 
WILLIAM BRISTOL. 205 
 
 enthusiastic Republican. He was Presidential Elector for 
 the Twenty-ninth District in 1864, and was one of the 
 Secretaries of the College. For the past four years he 
 has been unanimously chosen Supervisor of his town, 
 and has served as Chairman of the Board for two years. 
 
 In 1862, when President Lincoln issued his call for 
 600,000 Volunteers, Governor Morgan appointed Mr. 
 Bristol one of the War Committee for the Thirtieth 
 District. At this time he was at Rochester, deeply 
 engaged in business. He immediately returned home. 
 On Sunday, notice was read from the pulpit of one of 
 the churches, inviting all who desired to aid in crush- 
 ing the Rebellion to meet in his orchard. The Thursday 
 following, largely through his indefatigable energy, a 
 full company, made up of some of the finest young 
 men that left the State at their country's call, was 
 enrolled, ready for duty. It was the first company on 
 the muster-roll of the famous First New York Dragoons. 
 Three years afterward, when " all that were left of 
 them" returned from following the fiery Sheridan, out 
 of money and anxious to go to their friends previous 
 to being paid off, Mr. Bristol interested himself in 
 getting them released from their miserable quarters 
 near Rochester, and advanced them money from his 
 private purse to carry them to their waiting homes. In 
 the same pleasant grove, where, three years before, these 
 brave boys had enlisted, a grand pic-nic was gotten up 
 to welcome their return. Over four thousand persons 
 were present, and it was one of the most notable rural 
 gatherings ever held in that section. By the unanimous 
 wish of his fellow-citizens, the whole matter of volun- 
 teering, bounties, &c, was left to his discretion, and so 
 well was the duty done that the repeated calls were 
 always honored, and the town owes not a dollar for 
 bounties. The same good management was manifested 
 
206 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 in the conduct of the county's volunteering and finances, 
 by the Committee of Supervisors, of which he was Chair- 
 man, and the county paid its last bond, the past year. 
 Aside from private bounties paid to volunteers from his 
 town, their fiimilies received many substantial tokens 
 of his remembrance. The soldier and the soldier's family 
 had no truer friend than he. 
 
 Last fall he was nominated for the Assembly by accla- 
 mation and with great good feeling. He was elected by 
 a majority of 1,848. Personally, Mr. Bristol is a gentle- 
 man of fine appearance, open and courteous manners and 
 most generous impulses — a man of ability, experience in 
 the world, and strong common sense — having a large 
 acquaintance among the public men of the State, and 
 the c;ood will and confidence of his constituents. 
 
 BENJAMIN F- BRUCE. 
 
 Mr. Bruce has, perhaps, more of an air distingue than 
 any other member in the Lower House. His tall, finely 
 developed figure, his proud, erect bearing, and his well- 
 shaped head, combine to attract the attention of the spec- 
 tator in glancing over the gentlemen who compose the 
 Assembly. Mr. Bruce has a deep, sonorous voice, which 
 has been highly cultivated ; and, as an orator, he fully com- 
 mands the attention of the listenei*. Some of his most bril- 
 liant speeches were extemporaneously delivered; in fact, he 
 seldom puts his ideas on paper, preferring to trust himself 
 to the impulse of the occasion. Mr. Bruce is a generous 
 hearted man ; and, in conversation, is easy and entertain- 
 ing. He is a native of Lenox, Madison county, New 
 York, and of Dutch and Scotch lineage. In youth, he 
 
BENJAMIN F. BRUCE. 207 
 
 acquired nothing more than a plain English education, 
 and then became a clerk in a country store. From sixteen 
 to twenty-one, he was engaged on the canal, and then 
 began farming. But, being naturally inclined toward 
 politics, Mr. Bruce early displayed a disposition to 
 engage in State affairs, and readily attained a great 
 measure of influence in the Whig party, which he repre- 
 sented in the Constitutional Convention held in 1846. In 
 that Convention, Article two, Section one of the Con- 
 stitution, in relation to the elective franchise, was 
 originally framed by Governor Bouck, Chairman of 
 the Committee on Franchises, so as to commence, " Every 
 white male citizen, &c." Mr. Bruce moved an amend- 
 ment striking out the word "white-" but, after an 
 animated debate, in which he defended his idea with a 
 masterly skill, it was defeated. It required no little 
 moral cour.age, at that time, to advocate negro suffrage 
 without property qualifications ; yet it is worthy of note 
 that the Congressional District, in which. Mr. Bruce 
 resided, sustained his views. 
 
 In those days, the military of this State received no 
 little attention, and there were aspirations, as there are 
 now, for bars and stars upon the shoulders, and for com- 
 missions of high rank. Mr. Bruce's military merits 
 received recognition at different times, and he was looked 
 upon as an officer, under the old militia regime, who was 
 worthy of signal recognition. He received, from Gov- 
 ernor Marcy, the appointment of Brigade-Major and 
 Inspector of the 35th Brigade, and held the office until 
 1851, when he was appointed Inspector-General by Gov- 
 ernor Hunt, holding the place until he was removed by 
 Governor Seymour, in May, 1853. During the guberna- 
 torial administrations of Governors Clark and King, 
 Mr. Bruce again discharged the duties of Inspector- 
 General. In the mean time, after duly inspecting the 
 
208 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 old arsenal in New York city, situated in the vicinity of 
 the Central Park, and finding it in an unsafe condition, 
 and a source of great expense on account of its unfavor- 
 able situation, he recommended the sale of it and the ten 
 acres accompanying it, taking the proceeds thereof for 
 the purpose of erecting arsenals and armories in different 
 parts of the State. His suggestions met with favor in the 
 Legislature, and the property was sold for $275,000 ; and 
 out of the proceeds, without any additional expense to 
 the State, several fine arsenals have been built. The 
 wisdom of this enterprise is perfectly obvious. 
 
 Mr. Bruce was removed by Governor Morgan, in 
 January, 1859. We should mention, in this connection, 
 that, in March, 1851, he was made Inspector of Railroad 
 Tolls, resigning, however, when he was appointed Inspector- 
 General. In January, 1801, he was chosen Canal Com- 
 missioner by the Legislature, to fill the vacancy* occasioned 
 by the death of William II. Barnes who had been 
 elected in November, 1860. Mr. Bruce was nominated 
 for the same office, in the fall of 1861. The Republican 
 Convention indorsed and adopted the ticket made up by 
 the People's Convention, except the nomination of F. A. 
 Tallmadge, for Canal Commissioner, in whose place Mr. 
 Bruce was substituted, being the only Republican nominee 
 on the ticket. This division of the Republican Union 
 vote, resulted in the election of William W. Wright, the 
 Democratic candidate, by a small plurality. In November, 
 1803, Mr. Bruce had the satisfaction of again running 
 against Mr. Wright, and of defeating him by a majority 
 of nearly thirty thousand. He now represents the Second 
 District of Madison county in the Assembly, having been 
 elected by a majority of seven hundred and ninety-eight. 
 
 In the appointment of Committees, the Speaker selected 
 Mr. Bruce as Chairman of the Committe on Federal 
 Relations. 
 
AUGUSTUS A. BRUSH. 
 
 This is Mr. Brush's first term at Albany, in the 
 capacity of Assemblyman ; but we do not question that 
 he will quite readily adapt himself to the exigencies of 
 Legislative action, and prove himself to be a fearless and 
 prudent protector of the rights of " old Dutchess." There 
 are two extremes which new members should guard against. 
 One is excessive timidity, and the other, blind fearlessness. 
 Mr. Brush's contact with the world has been sufficient to 
 enable him to overcome the former, and avoid the latter. 
 
 His ancestors came to this country from England, and 
 settled on Long Island. They were very conspicuously 
 identified with the early history of this nation. His 
 grandfather served, during the Revolution, as an officer 
 of various ranks, from Captain up to General, and his 
 bravery gave him the respect of his fellow officers. 
 
 Mr. Brush left school, at the age of twenty, and entered 
 upon a mercantile life, in the town of East Fiskhill, New 
 York, to which he had removed from New Fairfield, 
 Connecticut. He still conducts the business of a general 
 country store, in that place. He was elected School Com- 
 missioner, in 1860, and reelected, in 1863. The watchful 
 manner in which he took care of the school interests, in his 
 district, afforded great gratification to the inhabitants. 
 His irreproachable character, and searching insight into 
 human nature, were two very important qualifications for 
 a man in his official position. In his intercourse with his 
 fellow-citizens, he always extended a courteous greeting 
 to all, whether in exalted or humble station, and thus won 
 their high regard, which they plainly exhibited by electing 
 him to a still more exalted office, in the Legislature. Mr. 
 Brush's majority was seven hundred and ninety-seven ; 
 27 
 
210 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 with a single exception, he carried every town in his 
 district. He is an effective worker in politics, and a 
 leading man in the church of which he is a member. 
 Possessing a noble heart, he gives willingly and liberally, 
 whenever charity appeals to him for assistance ; and, with 
 a firm purpose to avoid that which might compromise his 
 honor, he combines the qualities of a good public officer 
 and a reliable friend. 
 
 He is a member of the Committees on Public Health 
 and Medical Colleges and Societies, and State Charitable 
 Institutions. In the transaction of legislative business, 
 he assumes no showy demeanor for the sake of effect ; but 
 talks and acts with a motive to make himself useful. 
 
 GEORGE W. BUCK. 
 
 This gentleman represents the county of Chemung. 
 He was chosen, after one of the most spirited contests 
 ever known in the State, by a majority of one hundred 
 and ten, over Colonel E. L. Patrick, the Democi*atic 
 nominee. 
 
 Mr. Buck is fifty-four years of age, and was born in the 
 town of Chemung, where he now resides. Elijah Buck, 
 his grandfather, was a resident of the Wyoming Valley, 
 at the time of the terrible massacre. On that occasion, 
 he was driven from his home, and afterward settled at 
 Chemung, where the family and its descendants have ever 
 since resided. 
 
 Mr. Buck early developed the qualities which have 
 made him popular and successful. Pleasant and agreeable 
 in his manners, active and untiring in his habits, sym- 
 pathetic in the wants and purposes of those around him, 
 
GEORGE W. BUCK. 211 
 
 earnest in every good work, and generous almost to a 
 fault, it is no matter of wonder to those who know him, that 
 his name has always been a tower of strength among the 
 people, in whose midst he was born and has constantly 
 resided. 
 
 His political life began when excitement ran high 
 between the Whig and Democratic parties. His town 
 sympathized with the prevailing sentiment in county, 
 State and nation, and was heavily Democratic. Mr. Buck 
 was reared in the opposite school, and followed the glori- 
 ous but never successful banner of the gallant " Harry of 
 the West." As he became known to the people of the 
 county, they quickly appreciated his sterling qualities, 
 and, with remarkable unanimity, the Whigs determined 
 "to try him on" for the Legislature. They had been 
 buried beneath an opposing majority of nearly a thou- 
 sand, from which no name or turn of events had ever 
 been strong enough to free them. In the fall of 1847, 
 they nominated Mr. Buck by acclamation for Member 
 of Assembly. He accepted the nomination, took off his 
 coat, and went to work. His own indomitable spirit, 
 energy and faith were infused into the hearts of his party. 
 He w T as successful; the first and only Whig who, up to 
 that time in Chemung county, had ever come within 
 seven hundred votes of an election. Since that time he 
 has represented his town, at least two-thirds of the time, in 
 the Board of Supervisors, and has served several times, 
 with great acceptance, as Chairman of the Board. He is 
 acknowledged on all hands to be the best and most useful 
 Supervisor in the county! 
 
 After the virtual disruption of the Whig party, from its 
 Waterloo defeat, in 1852, Mr. Buck allied himself with 
 the American, or Know-Nothing party, and adhered to its 
 fortunes until it also went down to the tomb of the 
 Capulets. From the haunts of that ephemeral ghost, 
 
212 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 he emerged — a modern Democrat. He took to this 
 business very awkwardly, and with poor prospects of 
 success. The only ambition he seemed to have, was a 
 hope that, in some manner, he might reform the habits of 
 his new associates. But the events of the war dispelled 
 that illusion, and giving up the task as hopeless, he came 
 back to the bosom of his early home, and now enjoys that 
 personal peace and political tranquillity which flow from a 
 conscience void of offense toward God or man. 
 
 When the war of the rebellion broke out, Mi*. Buck 
 threw himself into the contest with great zeal. He was 
 Supervisor of his town during nearly the whole period 
 of the war. His quotas were among the first to be 
 filled, and in every duty which distinguished the loyal 
 citizen and true patriot, he was foremost. As an 
 evidence of their appreciation of his services, as well as 
 their confidence in his integrity and patriotism, the Repub- 
 licans of Chemung county invited him to become their 
 candidate for Member of Assembly, in the fall of 1866. 
 The contest was protracted, embittered, and exciting to 
 the last degree. But through it all, with unflagging zeal, 
 and self-reliant faith, Mr. Buck persevered to the end, 
 never doubting his own success, and winning, as all the 
 while he seemed to know he should. It is doubtful, 
 whether with any other man, the county could have been 
 carried. 
 
 Mr. Buck began life, as to pecuniary means, at the 
 bottom of the ladder ; and in business success and social 
 position, he has climbed well toward the top. He is now 
 a successful banker, with a handsome competence. He 
 lives freely, is kind to his friends, generous to the poor and 
 afflicted, and bountiful to charities and religion. 
 
LEANDER BUCK. 
 
 Mr. Buck was born in the city of New York, Novem- 
 ber 3d, 1826. He is of French and German descent, and 
 belongs to one of the branches of the Tompkins family, 
 so many of whose members have acquired distinction in 
 the councils, both of the State and tke nation. Mr. Buck 
 has always resided in his native city, where he enjoyed 
 the benefits of a common school education, which, in his 
 younger days, were not so numerous nor so varied as at 
 present. After leaving school, he prepared himself for the 
 profession of a builder ; and he has been engaged in that 
 avocation for the past twenty years. Mr. Buck has super- 
 intended the erection of many public buildings, and several 
 of the finest school edifices in the city of New York. 
 
 Mr. Buck never took an active part in politics until 
 quite lately. Aside from his business, military matters have 
 mostly engaged his attention, and occupied his leisure 
 hours. In 1845, he became a member of the well known 
 9th Regiment, National Cadets, remaining in their ranks 
 until 1849, when he was transferred to the 8th Regiment, 
 Washington Guard. His thorough study of military 
 tactics was, in time, appreciated, and he gradually rose 
 from a private to the rank of Major, which he held until 
 1865, when he resigned, having been in the service for 
 quite twenty years. In 1861, Mr. Buck, then a Captain 
 in the 8th Regiment, responded to the call for troops to 
 defend the National Capital, and finished the first three 
 months campaign by participating, with his command, in 
 the disastrous battle of Bull Run. In 1862, having, in the 
 mean time, been promoted to a Majority, he returned to 
 the field, his regiment being stationed at Yorktown, as a 
 post guard, and remained there until the termination of 
 
214 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 McClellan's Peninsular Campaign. This ended Mr. 
 Buck's military service in defense of the Union. Since 
 then, he has attended to his professional duties, tempora- 
 rily leaving them to take a seat in the Assembly, to which 
 he "was elected by a flattering majority, notwithstanding 
 an opposition in his own party. He has always been, and 
 always expects to be, a Democrat. 
 
 CALEB F. BUCKLEY. 
 
 Me. Buckley, representing the Fifth District of Kings 
 county, was born in the City of New York, on the 16th 
 of November, 1841, and is consequently in the 26th 
 year of his age. His father and grandfather were born in 
 the same city, the latter taking part in the war of 1812 ; 
 during that contest he was a pilot on the lakes, partici- 
 pating in the struggles for naval supremacy there, which 
 resulted so gloriously for the American arms. His mater- 
 nal ancestors were likewise natives of the City of New 
 York, so that Mr. Buckley may be said to have come from 
 genuine old Knickei-bocker stock. His father was a well 
 known Democratic politician of the old Seventh Ward, 
 being for a long time President of the famous Ironsides 
 Club, which included large numbers of men who have 
 since achieved considerable fame. Caleb F. Buckley 
 removed with his father to Brooklyn, in the year 1S48; 
 and, since that time, he has resided in the District he now 
 represents. He has been a member of one of the Demo- 
 cratic General Committees for the past three or four years. 
 His nomination for the Assembly was by acclamation, 
 b his election was considered doubtful, as the District 
 is the most strongly Republican in the county. The 
 
PATRICK BURNS. 215 
 
 result, however, demonstrated his popularity, as he was 
 chosen by a plurality of nearly three hundred, much to 
 the astonishment of the opposition. Mr. Buckley received 
 a common school education, has a good knowledge of 
 business, and by occupation is a clerk. His District is 
 one of the wealthiest in the State. 
 
 PATRICK BURNS. 
 
 Mr. Burns, the representative of the First District of 
 Kings county, is a native of the County of Monaghan, 
 Ireland, and was born January 1st, 1833. His parents 
 emigrated to this country about twenty-four years ago, 
 and settled in Brooklyn, in the Second and Fifth Wards 
 of which, they have resided ever since. Mr. Burns was 
 early apprenticed to a ship joiner, and became an adept in 
 the business of ship-building, at which he worked for 
 about seven years, the most of the time being in the 
 employ of the government at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. 
 He early attached himself to the Democratic party, in 
 whose ranks he was an active worker. At the age of 
 twenty-one, he was elected a member of the Democratic 
 General Committee; and, in 18G2, was chosen to repre- 
 sent the Fifth Ward in the Board of Supervisors, serving 
 during his term as Chairman of the Alms House Com- 
 mittee, and Committees on Grades, Relief of Families of 
 Volunteers, Courts, County Jail, and Bounties. As a 
 member of the latter Committee, he was assigned to the 
 receiving ship North Carolina, where he paid the bounties 
 to the volunteers accredited to Kings county. The 
 duties of this position were very arduous, but Mr. Burns 
 acquitted himself with credit, and won the praise of his 
 associates and the public. Just before the close of 
 his term as Supervisor, in 1864, he was unanimously 
 
216 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 nominated as the candidate of his party for the 
 Assembly, and was elected by over 500 majority, not- 
 withstanding an Independent Democrat took the field 
 against him. In the Assembly of 1865, he served on the 
 Committee on Salt, but its duties not taking much of his 
 time, he devoted himself to the affairs of his city, and 
 became a useful member. Mr. Burns made quite a repu- 
 tation in an effort to have all the streets of Brooklyn 
 opened to the public, but failed, owing to the desperate 
 efforts of propei'ty owners, who insist upon holding the 
 thoroughfares in which they live, as private property, 
 subject to no local control. In 1865, Mr. Burns started 
 an extensive kindling wood factory, which proved a 
 pecuniary success. In the fall of 1866, he was again nom- 
 inated for the Assembly, to which he was chosen by the 
 unprecedented majority of nearly two thousand. 
 
 ROSWELL L. BURROWS. 
 
 Mr. Burrows represents the Third Assembly District 
 of Erie county, having been elected by a majority of one 
 hundred and fifty-one. He is a thorough Republican, and 
 a prominent lawyer in the city of Buffalo, where he 
 resides. He has a mind which is well stored with general 
 and legal knowledge, a dash of repartee which is glitter- 
 ing, and a fund of anecdote almost inexhaustible. Mr. 
 Burrows is Chairman of the Committee on Joint Library, 
 and a member of the Committee on Canals. He is a man 
 of recognized talents, fine culture, and has an analytical 
 mind which readily masters the intricacies of law. We 
 regret that we have been unable to obtain any of the 
 details of his life ; but such being the fact, in legal parlance, 
 we "rest the case." 
 
HEMAN G. BUTTON. 
 
 Mr. Button resides in the town of Machias, Catta- 
 raugus county, New York, where he has been located 
 from infancy. When the country in that vicinity, was an 
 unbroken wilderness, his parents were among the first 
 settlers who faced the primitive mode of living which 
 attends frontier life. They were hard-working people ; 
 their wants were few and their advantages were not of 
 the broadest kind; but there was a simple happiness in 
 their humble lot, which satisfied their honest hearts. 
 
 Mr. Button, early gained the esteem of his associates 
 by his unostentatious manners, and his evident inten- 
 tions to do right, even at the sacrifice of pecuniary 
 gains ; and this confidence was expressed on repeated 
 occasions by electing him to represent the people in 
 town and county offices. For many successive years, he 
 has been Justice of the Peace in the town of Machias, 
 and has acquired a considerable legal knowledge, in that 
 particular sphere. He was Superintendent of the Poor 
 for several terms, and retired from office with an unblem- 
 ished reputation. Mr. Button was also one of the 
 Justices of Sessions during one official term, a position 
 requiring but ordinary capacities, it is true, and yet which 
 is a complimentary testimonial. He was also town 
 Superintendent of Common Schools, for four years. 
 
 In 1854, Mr. Button ably represented his town in the 
 Board of Supervisors, and was also a Member of the Board, 
 for the last year. In the proceedings of the Board of 
 Supervisors for 1863, a resolution was introduced by 
 Mr. Johnson, Democrat, of Ellicottville, highly compli- 
 mentary of Mr. Button, for the faithful discharge of his 
 duties as county Superintendent. He has held either 
 
 town or county offices, twenty-three yeai*s in succession. 
 
 28 
 
218 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Mr. Button was formerly a "Whig, but united with, the 
 Republican party immediately upon its organization. He 
 was, of course, a strong supporter of the war against the 
 efforts of treason ; and, in addition to his influence and 
 money of which he gave without stint, he lent to the 
 army and the country, two sons who were a long time in 
 the service, and fought with commendatory heroism. 
 Not long since, the late Judge Tex Broeck founded the 
 Ten Broeck Free Academy, in Franklinville, and donated 
 a sum sufficient to sustain the institution ; before his 
 decease, he appointed Mr. Button as one of its trustees, 
 in whose practical sense he had great confidence. From 
 our limited observation of Mr. Button, we are of the 
 opinion that he is an upright man, and that he will return 
 to his district, enjoying the respect of all who know him. 
 
 SAMUEL CANDEE. 
 
 This gentleman was born in the town of Southford, 
 New Haven county, Connecticut, on the 8th day of 
 May, 1814. His parents were English. Mr. Candee 
 had not the advantages of an early education, but, by 
 industry and careful study, he acquired a fair proficiency 
 in all the Common School branches. Politically, Mr. 
 Candee was a Whig, and afterward espoused the Repub- 
 lican cause. Although frequently pressed by his friends 
 to hold various offices he would never accept any position 
 beyond the Town Collectorship of the town of Pompey, 
 New York, to which office he was elected three times. 
 But, in the fall of 1866, in the Third Assembly District 
 of Onondaga county, he was unanimously nominated by 
 the Republican party for Member of Assembly, and was 
 
WILLIAM R. CHAMBERLAIN. 210 
 
 elected by a majority of 1051, running thirty-nine votes 
 ahead of the State ticket in his own town. He is serving 
 on the Committees of Internal affairs of Towns and Coun- 
 ties, and Salt. Mr. Candee is, by occupation, a farmer, 
 heretofore being largely connected with the public works 
 of the State. He is a gentleman of industrial habits, of 
 courteous manners, upright in his dealings, and possesses 
 the entire confidence of his county. 
 
 WILLIAM R. CHAMBERLAIN. 
 
 Mr, Chamberlain was born at Abbottsford, Canada 
 East, December 15th, 1834. At the age of sixteen, he 
 removed to the State of Vermont, where he received a 
 liberal academic education. In 1857, he removed to 
 Colton, St. Lawrence county, where he studied law, with 
 Arkins Foster, was admitted to the Bar in November, 
 1861, and has since practiced law successfully in Canton. 
 He has taken a leading part in the politics of St. Lawrence 
 county, having been specially serviceable to the Republican 
 party, with which he is identified, as a campaign speaker, 
 until his throat became affected. In September, 1862, he 
 was appointed Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, by 
 E. D. Brooks, Collector of Internal Revenue, of the Sev- 
 enteenth District, serving in that office, with fidelity and 
 integrity, until October, 1865, when he resigned, in conse- 
 quence of ill health. 
 
 He was a Member of Assembly in 1866, faithfully serv- 
 ing his constituents and the people of the State. He is one 
 of the working members of the House, rarely making a 
 speech, but when he does, always with effect. He was 
 
220 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 chosen by the Speaker, the present session, as Chairman 
 of the Committee on Privileges and Elections, a marked 
 compliment, inasmuch as three contested seats, involving 
 very nice points, were before that Committee. 
 
 EDGAR B. CLARKE. 
 
 The ancestors of Mr. Clarke were English. He is a 
 descendant of the celebrated Joseph Clarke, who, in 
 company with his brother John, emigrated from England, 
 and, in the year 1671, established the First " Seventh Day 
 Baptist Church" in America, at Newport, Rhode Island. 
 
 Mr. Clarke's family, with its different branches, is 
 quite large ; and some of its members have occupied 
 prominent positions in politics and society. He was 
 educated at De Ruyter Institute which is situated in 
 Madison county, New York. He is now a manufacturer 
 of agricultural implements and furniture, at Unadilla 
 Forks, conducting the business in partnership with his 
 father, under the firm of Clarke & Son". Their establish- 
 ment gives employment to a large number of workmen ; 
 and their capital is recognized as the means of infusing 
 spirit into the enterprises of that locality. The firm is 
 a highly reputable one, in business circles ; and the senior 
 and junior partners are gentlemen who are not narrow 
 in their views ; but, on the contrary, both entertain com- 
 prehensive ideas of social as well as business relations. 
 
 Mr. Clarke has always striven to promote the interests 
 of the Republican party in his county ; and has, for some 
 years, held offices of a local nature, in the town in which 
 he lives. During the war, though he was so much out 
 of health that his services in the field would have been 
 
EDGAE B. CLARKE. 221 
 
 unavailable, yet he was among the foremost to encourage 
 enlistments. Probably, it is not asserting too much, to 
 say that the promptness, with which every demand of 
 the government was met, by his town, was owing very 
 much to Mr. Clarke's zeal in arousing his fellow citizens 
 to the work. The awful conflict, at the South, made 
 demands, not only upon his capital, but also upon his 
 kindred. Three of his brothers placed themselves at 
 their country's disposal. One of them died in the hos- 
 pital, a slow death of martyrdom ; and another was 
 slain at Antietam. 
 
 Mr. Clarke enters upon his new political experiences 
 with a good reputation preceding him ; and we have no 
 misgivings in relation to his guarding well the buckler 
 which is thus far untarnished. He is now in his thirty- 
 second year. Youth, influence, and the respect of the 
 public, are in his favor. Therefore, we shall be greatly 
 disappointed, if his political history shall end at the 
 'close of the present session. Very appropriately, he 
 was placed on the Committee on Trade and Manufactures ; 
 and his previous experience in manufacturing enables 
 him to easily comprehend any disputed questions which 
 properly come before that Committee. 
 
WILLIAM S. CLARK. 
 
 Me. Clark's grand-parents, who were born in Dutchess 
 county, New York, settled in Coeymans, Albany county, 
 during the year 1773. His paternal grandfather being 
 unable to endure the privations of pioneer life, died at the 
 age of thirty-two; his maternal grandfather, Reubex 
 Stanton, was among those who, by their vigor and hardi- 
 hood, contributed much to clear up the wilderness in 
 Coeymans, in the days when homes were never safe, in con- 
 sequence of the depredations of marauders from the army 
 in the war preceding the Revolution. He was, for some 
 years, a licentiate in the Baptist Church, and was regularly 
 ordained by that denomination, in 1793, continuing to 
 preach until he was disqualified by age. Mr. Clark's 
 parents settled on a farm in Carlisle, Schoharie county, ip 
 1813, where his father died in 1849. His mother is still 
 living ; and though seventy-nine years old, she is healthful 
 and active, with faculties unimpaired, and with her dark 
 brown hair scarcely marked with a thread of silver. 
 
 Mr. Clark was favored with good educational oppor- 
 tunities, having attended some of the academies of Scho- 
 harie and Madison counties. He was a teacher during 
 several winters, and then chose law as a profession ; he 
 graduated from the Albany Law School in the spring of 
 1858, and returned to Sloansville, where he now resides. 
 Since then, however, he has gratified his desire for travel 
 very largely, and has also been identified with all move- 
 ments of public interest in his locality, yet devoting 
 himself to the practice of his profession. 
 
 Mr. Clark was elected Town Superintendent of Com- 
 mon Schools, in the year 1850, and was Commissioner of 
 Excise during the years 1862, 'G3 and 'G4. 
 
"WILLIAM S. CLARK. 223 
 
 A special election having been called for the purpose 
 of filling the vacancy caused by the decease of the Mem- 
 ber elect from Schoharie county, Mr. Clark was nominated 
 by acclamation, by the Democrats, and elected without 
 opposition. To use a facetious expression of his, he has 
 "hosts of constituents." During the war, his talents and 
 influence were used to pi'omote the interests of the gov- 
 ernment, both by addressing Avar and bounty meetings, 
 and encouraging volunteering, in his own county and the 
 surrounding ones. He has always been a Democrat ; and 
 various political articles from his pen, which have appeared 
 through the public press, among them, his discussion of 
 the proposed Constitutional Convention, in 1858, display 
 a repleteness of ideas which is above the ordinary cast of 
 mind. Mr. Clark has an excellent literary taste, and 
 displays a certain vim and dash, in his composition, which 
 excite one's admiration. His " Memoir of Charles How- 
 ard Phelps," which was written for the Trustees of the 
 Dudley Observatory, and subsequently published by them, 
 is a chaste and beautiful tribute to the memory of one 
 whose whole soul was inspired with the grandeur of 
 Astronomy, and whose life trembled at the impressions 
 of those master thoughts which seem to transfigure the 
 whole being. 
 
 The introduction of a law defining the duties of Over- 
 seers of Highways, which was reported by the Committee 
 without amendment ; a clear, concise, but full report of 
 the views of the minority of the Committee on Privileges 
 and Elections, in the Putnam county case, and a bill to 
 amend the Registry Law, are some of the measures which 
 he has already introduced, in his legislative capacity. 
 Mr. Clark is in the prime of life, and enjoys a good joke 
 or a keen sarcasm about as well as an epicure relishes his 
 salads and " green seal." 
 
HUGH CONGER. 
 
 Mr. Conger represents the First District of Albany- 
 county. He was born in the town of Berne, New York, 
 March 31st x 1804, and has always resided within a mile of 
 the place of his birtb. He is a farmer, and dealer in blue 
 quarry stone. In 1830, he was elected Constable, running 
 as stump candidate, and receiving one hundred majority. 
 For over twenty yeai*s, Mr. Conger was Justice of the 
 Peace, which office he held, for sixteen successive years. 
 He was also Justice of Sessions, five years. His original 
 political views were those maintained by the Democracy ; 
 at present he is a Republican. Last fall, Mr. Conger ran 
 for the Assembly, against "William J. Snyder, and was 
 elected by a majority of six hundred and nine. He serves, 
 in the present Assembly, on the Committees on Expendi- 
 tures of the House, and Roads and Bridges. 
 
JOSEPH COVELL. 
 
 Mr. Covell was a Democrat until after the election of 
 President Pierce, in 1852. The policy pursued during 
 his administration, and the circumstances which gave it 
 direction, led Mr. Covell to believe that the power which 
 controlled the platform of the Democratic party was 
 firmly located in the Slave States, and that it must 
 necessarily remain thei*e unless affected by some unforseen 
 convulsion. It was further clearly apparent to him that 
 those who were termed the Fire Eaters of the South were 
 intent on the destruction of the government ; that they 
 controlled the South, and that the South controlled the 
 Democratic party. Accordingly, in 1856, he took a 
 decided stand in favor of the principles of the Republican 
 party, and he has ever since zealously endeavored to assist 
 in thwarting the designs of those who would destroy our 
 institutions of libei'ty. Politically, Mr. Covell occupies 
 no ambiguous ground. He is most emphatic in the declar- 
 ation of his opinions, though never denunciatory. In the 
 Assembly he is unobtrusive in his manner, never seeking 
 to make himself conspicuous for the sake of mere effect, 
 thus fully verifying the old Greek maxim : " We have two 
 ears and but one mouth, in order that we may hear the 
 more and speak the less." Mr. Covell's face gives us 
 the impression that he is a fair, sound-hearted man, and 
 his reputation does not belie appearances. His place of 
 nativity is Hadley, Saratoga county, New York, where he 
 was born in 1808. He was reared on a farm, until he was 
 seventeen years of age, at which time he left home to 
 attend an Academy. During the succeeding six or seven 
 years, he was engaged in acquiring an Academical educa- 
 tion, and in teaching. In 1833, he married and settled on 
 29 
 
226 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 a form in the town of Edinburgh, Saratoga county. He 
 followed farming as his principal occupation, until 1856, 
 having held, at different times, the offices of Justice of the 
 Peace, and Supervisor of the town. While in the dis- 
 charge of his duties, his mind was directed to many legal 
 questions which came before him, and thus by degrees, 
 the idea of practicing law as a profession, suggested itself 
 to him, and finally settled into a determination. Supply- 
 ing himself with the necessary books, he soon fitted 
 himself for an examination. He obtained a license as 
 Attorney and Counselor-at-Law, in 1856; and from that 
 period until the year 1860, he followed his profession, and 
 also conducted his agricultural affairs. He then disposed 
 of his farm and removed to Fish House Village in the 
 town of Northampton, Fulton county, where he now 
 resides and practices law exclusively. He was elected by 
 the Republicans as Member of the Assembly, in 1865 ; 
 and during that term was a member of the Committee of 
 Ways and Means, and acted as Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Petitions of Aliens. His constituents reelected 
 him in 1866, by a majority nearly three times as great as 
 in 1865. He is on the Committees on Judiciary and 
 Federal Relations. 
 
CHARLES M. C RAND ALL 
 
 Mr. Crandall, a son of Benjamin G. Crandall, is 
 forty-one years of age. His native place is Amity — now 
 Belmont, Allegany county, New York. Having been left 
 an orphan when he was six years old, he found a home 
 with his grand-parents. His grand-father, Samuel Van 
 Campen — a name intimately connected with some of the 
 hardships wrought by the Revolution — removed from 
 Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, in company with ten 
 other families, in 1797, and settled in what is now called 
 Allegany county. They were the first white inhabitants 
 in that section of the State. The first religious meeting 
 ever held in the town of Amity, convened at his house. 
 
 Mr. Crandall graduated from the Medical College at 
 Castleton, Vermont, in 1859. Since that time, he has 
 been a practicing physician of acknowledged skill, in the 
 town of Belfast, New York. 
 
 In 1864, he was chosen Member of Assembly by the 
 Republicans of the First District of Allegany county. He 
 was reelected in 1865 ; and he was an able member of the 
 Committees on "Ways and Means, Public Health, Medical 
 Societies and Colleges, and was Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Expenditures of the House. During the last 
 political campaign, Dr. Crandall again was the reci- 
 pient of public honors, by again being reelected to the 
 House, to represent the whole of Allegany county, by a 
 majority of 3,740. While the country was convulsed by 
 the rebellion, he gratuitously devoted his medical services 
 to the care of the sick and wounded, from the time of the 
 battle of Fair Oaks until after the army arrived at Harri- 
 son's Landing, and when the battle of Fredericksburgh 
 occurred, he again visited the horrible scenes of the hospi- 
 
228 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 tals, and rendered essential aid to the suffering. While 
 there, he became impressed with a sense of the necessity 
 of medical agents to be sent by our State, to look after 
 our wounded men. 
 
 In February, 1863, he attended the regular annual meet- 
 ing of the New York State Medical Society, and intro- 
 duced the following resolution : 
 
 Whereas, The present civil war has caused the hospitals of the 
 District of Columbia to be filled with sick and wounded soldiers 
 from this State, proportionate to the number of volunteers sent 
 out; and, whereas, every safeguard possible should be thrown 
 around those who have periled their all for us ; therefore, 
 
 Resolved, That the New York State Medical Society respectfully 
 request of our Legislature and Executive to earnestly consider the 
 propriety of appointing an agent, to reside at Washington, who 
 shall be a physician and surgeon, with clerical assistants, whose 
 only business shall be to look after the interest and welfare of the 
 sick and wounded of the State of New York. 
 
 The resolution was violently opposed by some members 
 of the society. The subject was referred to a committee, 
 which reported favorably. Drs. Swinburne and S. D. 
 Willakd were appointed as a committee to present the 
 subject to the Governor and the Legislature. The result 
 was the passage of the act entitled, " An Act to provide 
 additional means of relief for sick and wounded soldiers 
 of the State of New York, in the United States of 
 America." As the initiator of the above movement, Dr. 
 Ckandall is deserving of the gratitude of the people. 
 
 In mid-summer, 1864, two of his brothers were wounded, 
 in front of Atlanta. He hastened to their assistance, and 
 was in constant attendance in the hospitals of Nashville 
 and Louisville for several weeks. He was appointed 
 Surgeon of the 141st Kcgiment, New York Volunteers, 
 receiving the unanimous vote of the officers of the regi- 
 ment, Colonel IIayt (brother of Canal Commissioner 
 
CHARLES M. CEANDALL. 229 
 
 Hatt), commanding. On the clay before he received intel- 
 ligence of his appointment, he was nominated for reelection 
 as Member of Assembly ; therefore, he reluctantly declined 
 the position in the regiment. April 3d, 1865, on receiving 
 the news of the battles in front of Petersburgh and Rich- 
 mond, he was requested by Governor Fenton to " hasten 
 to City Point, the Army of the Potomac, or whereverJthe 
 sufferers from the late battles most demand attendance, 
 and assist in taking care of wounded New York soldiers." 
 
 On the 24th of the same month, he was appointed by 
 Governor Fentox, Military Agent of the State of New 
 York, at City Point, Virginia. He remained at that place, 
 until it was abandoned. Subsequently he held the appoint- 
 ment of Visiting Agent of Military Hospitals, and spent 
 some time in the various hospitals of the Department of 
 the Potomac. 
 
 Doctor Ceandall is a man of recognized competence, 
 both in his profession, and in the Legislature. Humane in 
 heart, upright in motives, he has a past upon which he can 
 look with satisfaction. During the terms he has so honor- 
 ably served in the Assembly, he has been prominently 
 identified with several very important measures. He took 
 a special interest in the commission and appointment of the 
 late Doctor Willaed, of Albany, to investigate the condi- 
 tion of the insane poor domiciled in the alms houses of the 
 State; and also the bills to increase the capital stock of 
 the New York and Erie Railroad Company to $4,000,000, 
 and for the completion and improvement of the Chenango 
 and Genesee Valley Canals. The bill for the establishment 
 of a Masonic Hall and Asylum in New York, which was one 
 of the greatest benevolent enterprises of the Masons, was 
 introduced and forwarded by him. Pie was very active in 
 behalf of the act establishing the Willard Asylum, zeal- 
 ously supported the Cornell University, and the Metro- 
 politan Health and Fire Department Bills. He introduced 
 
230 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 and urged a very important measure, which passed to final 
 enactment, relative to the Quarantine laws ; and strenu- 
 ously opposed the bill increasing the fare on the New 
 York Central Railroad. 
 
 THOMAS J. CREAMER. 
 
 Thomas J. Creamer is of Irish descent, and was born on 
 the 26th of May, 1S41. He left school when ten years of 
 age, having had a common school education in the city 
 of New York ; and engaged, shortly afterward, in the dry 
 goods establishment of A. T. Stewart & Co., where he 
 remained several years ; but, desiring to change his course 
 of life, from a mercantile to a px - ofessional career, he 
 labored night and day to improve a deficient education, 
 and, when he arrived at the age of twenty-one years, was 
 admitted as a Member of the Bar. He has since been 
 engaged in active political life, having been elected to the 
 Legislature when he was but twenty-three years of age, 
 polling the largest vote ever cast for any candidate in the 
 district he represents. In the Legislature of 1865, he took 
 an active part in the debates on all questions relating to 
 the city of New York. During the session, he delivered 
 a speech in opposition to the establishment of a paid Fire 
 Department in New York, which was considered one of 
 the most effective and eloquent, on that side of the subject. 
 Mr. Creamer was reelected to the Legislature in the fall 
 of 1865, by over 2,000 majority, and was a prominent and 
 energetic member during the session of 1866, serving on 
 the Committees on Railroads, Claims and Engrossed Bills. 
 He was a strong advocate of a change in the Militia Laws 
 of the State, in order to place the old fogy generals, who, 
 
THOMAS J. CREAMER. 231 
 
 he believed, were a drag on the efficiency of our State 
 Militia, on the retired list ; and did much to pass the law 
 which has brought about the desired change. He was 
 reelected to the present House, by an increased majority. 
 Mr. Creamer, although a young man, takes a prominent 
 and influential position in the Assembly. He is more of a 
 debater than an orator. Although he is not gifted with that 
 plethora of language, so delightful to its possessor, and so 
 annoying to those who are compelled frequently to listen 
 to it, he is possessed of those more essential qualities of a 
 successful legislator — a clear and attractive manner of 
 presenting a question ; concise and logical method of expo- 
 sition ; quickness of perception, both as to his own position 
 and opportunities, and those of his opponents ; thorough 
 knowledge of the rules of the House and of parliamentary 
 practice; and a personal bearing to all with whom he 
 comes in contact, calculated to rally strong support. Mr. 
 Creamer was placed by the Speaker on the important 
 Committee on Privileges and Elections, of which he is an 
 efficient member. 
 
BERNARD CREGAN. 
 
 Bernard Cregan was born on the 15th of October, 
 1832, in Ireland. At an early age he was left an orphan, 
 and thrown upon his own resources. When seven years 
 old, he went to sea as a cabin boy, starting from Liverpool, 
 and going thence to Gibraltar and Hong Kong, returning, 
 after a long absence, to the port from which he started. 
 Being desirous of visiting America, he shipped for this 
 country upon the ill-fated steamer, the Ocean Monarch, 
 which, when a short distance out, Was destroyed by fire, 
 the calamity resulting in a loss of about four hundred 
 lives. Mr. Cregan was saved by hanging on to the chain 
 under the bowsprit, his arm being cut into the bone, 
 leaving a scar which still remains. After his rescue he 
 returned to Liverpool and once more started for America 
 as a cabin boy. From New York he went to New Orleans, 
 soon after returning to the Great Metropolis. Here he 
 sought and obtained work, part of the time being engaged 
 in the Sun newspaper office. In 1848 he caught the gold 
 fever, and went to California, by way of Cape Horn, 
 remaining there until 1851, when he returned, by way 
 of Panama, to New York, where he engaged in mercan- 
 tile pursuits, which have ever since occupied his attention. 
 It was not till about three years since that Mr. Cregan 
 entered into politics. He is a Tammany Hall Democrat, 
 but last fall received the indorsement of all wings of his 
 party, as a candidate for the Assembly — a deserved testi- 
 monial to his personal popularity. He is one of two 
 Democrats in the Legislature who voted for the Constitu- 
 tional Amendment. He represents the Thirteenth Assem- 
 bly District of New York city. 
 
HENRY CRIBBEN. 
 
 Mr. Cribben is of English birth. He was born in the 
 Isle of Man, December 18th, 1834. Having immigrated 
 to this country, he ultimately settled in the city of Roch- 
 ester, New York, where he followed the occupation of 
 iron moulder. He is still one of that handicraft, com- 
 bining in his character, intelligence, thrift and patriotism. 
 Representing the laboring classes, as well as others, he 
 knows, by his own experience, what is for the good of the 
 working people, both in his own city and in the State at 
 large. He was elected to the Assembly by the Republican 
 party, by one hundred and seventy-eight majority over 
 Chaustcey Perry, Esq. He is on the Committees on 
 Trade and Manufactures, and Grievances. 
 
 Mr. Cribben entered the military service of the United 
 States, August 26th, 1862, as a private in the 140th 
 Regiment, New York Volunteers, performing a soldier's 
 duties, until June 2d, 1864, when the Rebels took him 
 prisoner, at Bethesda Church, Virginia, and thus cut 
 short his efficiency. They gave him the full benefit of 
 their infernal prison-pens. By way of introduction, they 
 allowed him limited quarters in Libby Prison, where fresh 
 air was as rare as their loyalty. After receiving the tortur- 
 ing accommodations to be found there, they transferred 
 him to Oglethorpe Prison, Macon, Georgia, anticipating, 
 no doubt, that a little more tropical heat would burn out 
 either his life or his loyalty ; not succeeding in their pur- 
 poses, they placed him in the Marine Prison, at Savannah, 
 and, subsequently, in four different pens which they digni- 
 fied by the name of prison, in South Carolina. Finally, 
 Mr. Cribben was confined at Charlotte, North Carolina, 
 where he determined not to enjoy any more of their hos- 
 30 
 
234 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 pitality, and succeeded in making his escape, February 
 16th, 1865. After traveling a distance of nearly four 
 hundred miles, suffering from a loss of strength in conse- 
 quence of his emaciated condition, running risks which 
 kept his nerves strained to their highest tension, for fear 
 of being discovered by merciless scouts, he reached Knox- 
 ville, Tennessee, March 17th, 1865. 
 
 His active military record is distinguished for his par- 
 ticipation in the battles of Fredricksburgh, Chancel- 
 lorsville, Gettysburgh, Kappahanock, Mine Run, the 
 Wilderness, Laurel Hill-, Spottsylvania, North Anne 
 River and Bethesda Church, where, as we have before 
 mentioned, he was captured. 
 
 He was promoted through different grades, for his 
 bravery, and finally, when the war was ended, he ranked 
 as Captain. He was honorably discharged from the ser- 
 vice, June 3d, 1865. 
 
 JOHN E. DEVELIN 
 
 Mr. Develin was born in Yonkers, Westchester county 
 on the 31st of August, 1820. His lather was a native of 
 Ireland, who came to America, in the year 1814. His 
 mother was one of the Iceland family, of Long Island. 
 In 1824, when Mr. Develin was four years old, his father 
 removed to the city of New York, where the son has con- 
 tinued ever since to reside. At an early age, he was sent 
 to school, and was prepared for College, at the old Gram- 
 mar School, in Murray street, of which the Principal was 
 Mr. Charles II. Antiion, whose excellence as an educator 
 of youth, has gained for him a just celebrity. In 1836, at 
 the age of sixteen years, Mr. Develin entered Georgetown 
 
JOHN E. DEVELIN. 235 
 
 College, in the District of Columbia, an institution under 
 the management of the order of Jesuits. He was gradu- 
 ated, first in his class, in 1840. Upon his return to the 
 city of New York, he commenced the study of law with 
 Jonathan*' Miller, Esq., a leading practitioner, and was 
 admitted to the Bar, in 1844. Later, he became a partner 
 of Mr. Miller, and remained so until the latter's death, a 
 few years since. In the fall of 1845, Mr. Deyelin was 
 a candidate for the Assembly, to which position he was 
 elected, and reelected in 1846, serving honorably during 
 both sessions. His object in going to the Legislature 
 was to procure the enactment of laws for the aid and 
 protection of emigrants, and to secure an act of incorpo- 
 ration for St. John's College, at Fordham, a Catholic 
 institution, which has since passed under the control of 
 the order of Jesuits. Mr. Develin was successful in both 
 of his objects. He introduced the first bill for the care 
 and protection of emigrants, which, after passing the 
 House, was so amended in the Senate, as to provide for 
 the organization of the Board of Commissioners of 
 Emigration. At the close of the session of 1847, he 
 retired from an active participation in politics, and 
 devoted himself assiduously to the practice of his pro- 
 fession. But, during his entire career, he has given 
 special attention to the subject of emigration, and has 
 personally prej)ared nearly every law upon that subject, 
 which is upon the Statute Books of this State. He was 
 himself appointed a member of the Board of Commis- 
 sioners of Emigration, the duties of which he performed 
 for several years. He was Chairman of the Committee of 
 the Board which had charge of the hospitals at Staten 
 Island, during the epidemic cholera of 1849. On retiring 
 from the Board, he was appointed Counsel to the Commis- 
 sioners of Emigration, which position he held, until very 
 recently, when he resigned. In November, 1862, Mr. 
 
236 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Develin was elected Counsel to the Corporation of the 
 city of N"ew York, holding that office until his term of 
 office expired, in 1866. In the fall of 1866, he was again 
 returned as Member of Assembly. His district embraces 
 the rural and most beautiful portion of New York Island, 
 lying on the southern and western side of Central Park, 
 and includes Bloomingdale, Manhattanville, Carmansville, 
 Washington Heights, Kings Bridge, and High Bridge. 
 
 In politics, Mr. Develin has always been a Democrat, 
 cheerfully aiding the government in crushing the rebellion. 
 But his genial ways have secured for him a host of friends 
 among men of all parties. He is affable, intelligent, 
 refined, and generous, and counts among his warm 
 admirers, nearly all of those who have the pleasure of an 
 acquaintance with him. He is, by birth and education, a 
 Catholic. In 1854, he married a daughter of Charles A. 
 Stetson, Esq., of the Astor House. At the present time, 
 he resides near Manhattanville, on the banks of the 
 Hudson, and lives in a style which comports with his 
 refined tastes and abundant means. His popularity among 
 his people and neighbors is evinced by the majority which 
 he obtained in his district, at the last election, having a 
 plurality of about 1,100, in a vote of 2,200. 
 
HENRY M. DIXON. 
 
 This member from the Seventh District of Kings 
 county, was born in Ireland on the 30th of September, 
 1835, and is consequently, in the thirty-second year of his 
 age. When but a child, he came to this country in com- 
 pany with an aunt, and located in the city of New York. 
 Shortly after, he removed to Williamsburgh, and engaged 
 to a farmer, remaining with him for about a year. 
 Thrown entirely upon his own resources, he managed to 
 learn a mechanical branch of trade, and at the age of 
 seventeen, was in business for himself. Mr. Dixon was 
 always an active member of the Fire Department, having 
 been a private, assistant-foreman and foreman of one of 
 the leading companies of Williamsburgh. For two terms, 
 he was President of the Department, and in 1866, was a 
 candidate for Chief Engineer, being defeated by but a few 
 votes, after a most exciting contest, in which more than 
 ordinary effort was made to elect his opponent. At an 
 early period, he took an active interest in politics ; and in 
 1863, ran as the Democratic candidate for Alderman of 
 the Thirteenth Ward (a Republican stronghold), but was 
 defeated by a small majority — an evidence of his pop- 
 ularity with the masses. In the contest which resulted 
 in his election to the Assembly, the whole city took a deep 
 interest, and opinion was much divided as to the result. 
 Ira Buckman, Jr., a member of the House in 1866, was 
 his opponent, but Mr. Dixon triumphed by quite seven 
 hundred majority, much to the astonishment of the oppo- 
 sition. Mr. Dixon has always been a Democrat. 
 
CONSTANTINE DONOHO. 
 
 Mr. Donoho represents the Second Assembly District 
 of the city of New York, having been elected as a Tam- 
 many and McKeon Democrat, over Byeam Gaughan 
 (Union Democrat), and George Ross (Republican Union), 
 by a majority of 913. He was a member of the House in 
 1866, serving on the Committee on Joint Library. 
 
 Mr. Doxono is a native of New York city, where he 
 was born, on the 26th of September, 1840. He is of Irish 
 parentage. His education was acquired in the Common 
 Schools of the city. At present he holds a clerkship in 
 the Bureau of Arrears, in the office of the Comptroller 
 of the city of New York. He entered the political arena, 
 in 1861, as an independent candidate for the Assembly, in 
 the district which he now represents ; but was defeated. 
 In 1865, Mr. Donoho was again a candidate, the nomina- 
 tion being tendered to him, four days previous to the 
 election. This time, he was elected by a handsome 
 majority. He is now serving on the Committee on Salt. 
 
 In 1862, he served three months as a private in the 69th 
 New York State Militia, guarding "Washington ; at the 
 expiration of that time, he returned home with his regi- 
 ment, and again engaged in business pursuits. Mr. 
 Donoho is youthful in personal appearance, has dark, 
 curly hair, florid complexion, and is of medium stature. 
 His stock of good nature is abundant. He is considerable 
 of a ward politician, and has the confidence of his con- 
 stituents. 
 
JACOB H. DUNTZ. 
 
 Mr. Duntz was a farmer by occupation, until two years 
 ago ; he then engaged in buying and selling sheep, on 
 quite a large scale. All of his business associations have 
 been marked by practicality and honesty ; and mingled 
 with his toil, he has enjoyed the confidence of his towns- 
 Linen, both socially and politically. 
 
 Mr. Duntz is a native of Gallatin, Columbia county, 
 New York, and is nearly thirty-one years of age. His 
 father died when his son Jacob was five years old, leaving 
 a wife and four children, besides a large landed estate for 
 their maintenance. The circumstances in which Mr. 
 Duntz was placed in his childhood, naturally gave direc- 
 tion to his future occupation. The two firms left by his 
 father awakened, in his mind, a laudable ambition to con- 
 tinue in the avocation of agriculture. Living at a 
 distance of two miles from any school house, his oppor- 
 tunities for acquiring an education were neither easy nor 
 attractive ; but he plodded over the route in the winter 
 season, in spite of the cold and bad walking, until he was 
 sufficiently versed in the English branches to teach a Dis- 
 trict School. 
 
 Mr. Duntz has been a member of the Board of Super- 
 visors in his county, for four successive years. In the fall 
 of 1865, he was nominated for the Assembly by the 
 Republicans, but was defeated by fifty-one majority. 
 Last autumn, however, the order of things was reversed, 
 and he was elected by eighty-two majority. Mr. Duntz 
 is greatly esteemed by those who have known him from a 
 boy, and is recognized as a loyal, patriotic citizen. Offi- 
 cially, he is not among those who do a vast amount of 
 superlative talking, but in the main, his acts display his 
 good common sense of which he has a large stock. 
 
CHARLES G. ELLIS. 
 
 Mr. Ellis was born in the city of Schenectady, Schenec- 
 tady county, New York, on the 27th of October, 1842. 
 He is of Scotch descent, his father, John Ellis, having 
 emigrated to this country from Scotland, about the year 
 1820. His mother was of the same origin, and in moral, 
 and intellectual qualities, was excelled by few. His father 
 has been long and favorably known throughout the United 
 States, as the proprietor of one of the largest Locomotive 
 Works in the country ; and the engines themselves are 
 everywhere known as of the very best finish and the 
 greatest durability. Being in affluent circumstances, he 
 gave his son Charles opportunities for education, corres- 
 ponding to his wealth. For many years, he had the 
 advantages of the best Academy in the city of Schenec- 
 tady. Having there completed a regular course, he was 
 admitted a member of one of the best boarding schools, 
 (Doctor Reed's, at Geneva) in the State of New York. 
 There his mind gave evidence of that activity and business 
 talent which has marked his after life. Attending with 
 diligence to his studies, he laid the foundation of a 
 thorough education. After leaving that institution, he 
 at once entered upon the active duties of life, taking the 
 place formerly held by his father, who had recently died. 
 He is now one of four brothers who carry on the Schenec- 
 tady Locomotive Works. 
 
 He began his political career as a Republican, having 
 been elected Alderman of his city in the spring of I860, 
 and discharged his duties in a highly satisfactory manner. 
 Last fall he was elected to the Assembly by five hundred 
 and seventeen majority, in a Democratic county. Though 
 not engaged on the field in military service, yet at home, 
 
JOSEPH B. FAT. 241 
 
 he energetically worked with head and means, for the 
 vigorous prosecution of the war ; and from the firing of 
 the first gun on Sumter until the fall of the Rebel Con- 
 federacy, he Avas a firm, constant and liberal supporter of 
 the Government. 
 
 Mr. Ellis is a member of the Committees on the Affairs 
 of Villages and Expenditures of the House. Though 
 young, he displays discretion in his legislative acts which 
 compares favorably with that of maturer years, and 
 which promises to give him a post of honor still higher 
 than the one which he now holds. 
 
 JOSEPH B. FAY, 
 
 This is Mr. Fat's second term in the House. Repre- 
 senting a fine farming section, and being a farmer by 
 occupation, he is well qualified to look after the local 
 necessities of his district. He is Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Agriculture. 
 
 Being radical in his views, it was natural that he should 
 answer the call of the country to defend it, in the hour of 
 peril. Therefore, laying aside the implements of peaceful 
 pursuits, he enlisted as Captain in the 154th Regiment 
 New York Volunteers, on the 22d of August, 1862. He 
 was a participant in the battle of Gettysburgh; and, 
 during the fight, he was taken prisoner. His regiment 
 arrived at the scene of action, on the 1st of July, 1863, 
 and was hurried into the engagement as quickly as possible. 
 His brigade was ordered to the right, in order to extend 
 their line ; but a charge was made by the enemy in over- 
 whelming numbers. The enemy's line extending to their 
 right, so as to expose the 154th Regiment to an enfilading 
 31 
 
242 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 fire, it was compelled to attempt a change of position ; 
 but, in the meantime, such an advantage had been gained 
 by the opposing forces as to enable them to completely 
 hem in the Regiment on three sides. Being thus over- 
 powered, a surrender was imperative. Rations were not 
 served to the prisoners, until three days after they were 
 captured ; and Captain Fay, at the end of that time, had 
 four ounces of fresh beef and a cup of raw flour given 
 him. Suffering from a wound on his head, which had 
 been dealt him by a rebel, in a hand to hand encounter, he 
 begged for medical aid , but none was given to him, until 
 the seventh day after his capture, when one of the surgeons 
 gave him a hasty prescription, with the consoling assurance 
 that probably nothing would help him. Being imprisoned 
 in Libby Prison, he made up his mind that he had fought 
 his last battle, and " hoed his last row." The public are 
 familiar with the horrible details of our prisoners' suffer- 
 ings; and it is sufficient to say that Captain Fay, during 
 eight or nine months, was made to drink the bitter draught 
 to the dregs. But through the influence of Misses Anna 
 and Amorett Jones, who kindly prevailed upon their 
 brother, Mr. S. B. Jones, residing at Memphis, Tennessee, 
 to go to Richmond and intercede for him, he was at last 
 released from his tortures. 
 
 Captain Fay was born, in 1817. He is of Scotch extrac- 
 tion, and possesses many of the points of firmness, so 
 common to that race. Although he is not a man Avho may 
 be said to " carry his heart on his coat sleeve," yet, when 
 fitting occasions present themselves, he is generous and 
 charitable. 
 
LEANDER W. FISKE. 
 
 Mr. Fiske is a lawyear, and a native of Booneville, 
 Oneida county, New York, at which place he was born, 
 September 30th, 1835. His interests have been connected 
 with that town, during his entire life. Booneville, an incor- 
 porated village of considerable enterprise, and the terminus 
 of the Black River and Utica Railroad, is his present place 
 of residence. His ancestors came from England, and settled 
 in Rhode Island, as eaidy as 1*725; and though the blood 
 of John Bull has not been diluted to any great extent, in 
 the veins of succeeding generations, yet, a love for Repub- 
 lican institutions has been carefully nurtured and preserved. 
 Therefore, it was the most natural thing in the world, that 
 Mr. Fiske should cast his virgin vote for John C. Fremont. 
 His politics have remained unchanged, except as they have 
 advanced with the progressive mutations attending the 
 Republican party ; hence, his actions are gauged by 
 the great rule of equity and justice to all men, whether 
 black or white. He enlisted in 1862, as private in Com- 
 pany D, 146th Regiment, New York Volunteers; but he 
 was soon discharged by the War Department, on account 
 of deafness, which wholly unfitted him for service. Thus 
 ended his military career; but he had done his duty to the 
 best of his ability, regretting, however, that he could not 
 participate in the active scenes of war which were going 
 on at the South. On his return home, he resumed his 
 profession as a lawyer, which he still follows. He was 
 elected to the Assembly, last fall, by a majority of five 
 hundred and seventy-one. He was appointed, by the 
 Speaker, on the Committees on Two-thirds and Three-fifths 
 Bills, and Militia and Public Defense ; he is Chairman of 
 the former. 
 
ALEXANDER FREAK. 
 
 Mr. Frear is of Huguenot extraction. His family- 
 emigrated to this country, about the middle of the seven- 
 teenth century — the three brothers Frear having obtained 
 a grant, from the States of Holland, of lands on the Hud- 
 son river, now embraced in the counties of Ulster and 
 Dutchess. Their descendants are still numerous in that 
 region, and are generally thrifty, prosperous citizens. Mr. 
 James B. Frear, of Poughkeepsie, was a man of an 
 active, restless temper, and took a strong interest in poli- 
 tics. The party feeling between the friends of Governor 
 Tompkins and Dewitt Clinton, was very high, and Mr. 
 Frear was zealous in his support of the " Bucktails." 
 He was one of the most influential Republicans in the 
 county of Dutchess, and retained his ascendancy until his 
 death, which took place in 1833. His son, the subject of 
 this sketch, Alexander Frear, was born at Pough- 
 keepsie, on the 18th of August, 1820. He received a 
 common school education, and afterward attended the 
 academy in his native town. He began, at an early age, 
 to display the energy, and other characteristics, for which 
 his father had been distinguished. At fourteen, he became 
 a clerk in a store at Poughkeepsie, but not being contented 
 there, went to New York about three years afterward, 
 and, at the age of nineteen, became a partner in the house 
 of Sheldon & Company, in Pearl street. He remained 
 there until 1848, when he established the importing house 
 of Alexander Frear & Company in New York, with 
 branches in Chicago and Galena. This firm prospered and 
 carried on a heavy business, until the financial revulsion 
 of 1857. The effects of this crisis were more disastrous 
 at the West, even, than in New York, and the establish- 
 ment was compelled to close up its affairs. 
 
ALEXANDER FREAK. 245 
 
 Mr. Frear now entered more deeply into politics, and 
 was elected to the Board of Councilmen, from the Seventh 
 Senatorial District. The next year, he was chosen Alder- 
 man for the Eleventh District, consisting of the Twentieth 
 Ward of the city of New York. The same indefatigable 
 energy and singleness of purpose, which had characterized 
 him as a man of business, he now displayed in his official 
 duties. The rebellion broke out, and he was among the 
 foremost in sustaining the Government, using his official, 
 as well as personal, influence, to secure the adoption of 
 measures for furnishing men and money for the service 
 of the country. His enthusiasm was so great, as almost 
 to sever his previous political associations, and he took the 
 lead in organizing a Union Association in the Twentieth 
 Ward, in the fall of 1861, comprising both Democrats and 
 Republicans, and electing its candidates for the Assembly 
 and other offices. 
 
 In 1865, Mr. Frear was elected to the Assembly by a 
 plurality of about eight hundred votes, over a Demo- 
 cratic candidate who had the conservative Republican 
 nomination. He was reelected in 1866, by an increased 
 majority. In the Legislature, as in the Common Council, 
 though never distinguished as a debater, he has been 
 known as one of the most effective and successful men 
 that ever engaged in public business — fully justifying 
 his previous reputation for shrewdness, energy and fidelity. 
 To these qualifications and endowments, he is indebted 
 for his popularity. 
 
HENRY WEBB GENET. 
 
 Mr. Genet was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, Feb- 
 ruary 27th, 1828. His father was John M. Genet, a 
 native of France, who came to America during the 
 troubles which ensued upon the first French Revolution. 
 His mother was a native of Ireland, who emigrated to 
 this country, in childhood. 
 
 Mr. Genet, the elder, removed to Albany when the 
 subject of our notice was about one year of age, and 
 went into commercial business, near the river. His son 
 Henry attended school in Albany, for several years, and 
 then taking a fancy for the life of an agriculturist, was 
 placed upon a farm in the town of Monroe, Saratoga 
 county, where he remained four or five years, diligently 
 prosecuting his literary studies, during the winter months. 
 When about sixteen years of age, Mr. Genet left the 
 farm, and entered the Glens Falls Academy, where he 
 remained about a year and a half. He then left and went 
 to the city of New York, where his father was then resid- 
 ing. 
 
 When about nineteen years of age, he entered the 
 University of the city of New York, at which he remained 
 two years, and then entered the law office of Mr. Hastings, 
 in that city, and was, in due time, admitted, finishing his 
 preparatory studies in the office of McCunn & Moncrief. 
 He was, in early life, an enthusiastic admirer of Henry 
 Clay, and, during the life of that great man, naturally 
 acted with the Whig party. On the dissolution of that 
 organization, he joined the Democracy, with which he 
 lias ever since cooperated. In 1857, he was elected on the 
 Democratic ticket to the Board of Councilmen from the 
 Twelfth Ward of New York. The following year he 
 
HENRY WEBB GENET. 217 
 
 was elected Alderman, and reelected two years after, 
 being chosen President of the Board, during the last 
 two years of his term. In 1861, he was elected to the 
 responsible office of County Clerk, the duties of which 
 he discharged during the years 1862, 1863 and 1864. 
 He was elected to represent the Twenty-first Assembly 
 District of the city and county of New York, at the 
 fall election of 1866. Mr. Genet is a quiet member, 
 closely attentive to the business of the House, and exer- 
 cises great influence where he is known. He is a thorough 
 politician, but is neither narrow nor exclusive in his par- 
 tisanship, and is one of the most efficient workers on 
 the floor. 
 
 During the three most important years of the war, 
 viz. : the years ending January 1st, 1864, Mr. Genet, 
 as President of the Board of Aldermen was, ex officio, a 
 member of the War Fund Committee, of which the Mayor 
 of the city, and the President of the Board of Council- 
 men, were also, ex officio members. Every one remembers 
 the constant and valuable aid rendered by this organization 
 to the National Government, during the dark era of our 
 history which has just closed so triumphantly, and there 
 was, on the Committee, no one who privately, or in his 
 public capacity, was found more ready to support every 
 measure dictated by patriotism, than Mr. Genet; and 
 his votes will always be found in favor of the most 
 lavish support, in blood and treasure, of our threatened 
 Nationality. 
 
GEORGE C. GIBBS. 
 
 Mr. Gibbs was born in the town of Harpersfield, Dela- 
 ware county, New York, on the 6th of January, 1832. 
 His father removed with his family to Jefferson, Scho- 
 harie county, in 1840, where he purchased a farm, on» 
 which the later boyhood of Mr Gibbs was passed. After 
 receiving a good common school and academic education, 
 for some years he taught common schools during the 
 winter, and aided in the labors of the farm, in summer. 
 
 When he reached the age of twenty-one, he was nomi- 
 nated on the Whig ticket, and elected town Superintendent 
 of Schools for the town of Jefferson. He afterward 
 applied himself to the study of architecture, and finally 
 entered into business, as a contractor and builder, in Stam- 
 ford, Delaware county. He pursued that business until 
 the Southern conflict. 
 
 In August, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, 3d New 
 York Cavalry, then being raised by Captain (afterward 
 Colonel) Ferris Jacobs, Jr. When the company was 
 mustered in at Elmira, he was chosen Quartermaster- 
 Sergeant, and was soon promoted to First Sergeant. 
 
 Early in 1863, he was commissioned First Lieutenant, 
 his regiment being stationed at Newbern, North Carolina. 
 In September and October, 1864, he served as Acting- 
 Assistant Inspector-General, on the Staff of Colonel R. M. 
 West, commanding the 2nd Brigade of General Kautz's 
 Cavalry Division. He was promoted to Captain, in the 
 following January, and served upon the Staff of Colonel 
 Geo. W. Lewis, until his regiment was consolidated with 
 the 1st New York Mounted Rifles, forming the 4th New 
 York Provisional Cavalry. While he was attached to that 
 regiment, he participated in almost every battle and skir- 
 
GEORGE C. GIBBS. 249 
 
 mish in which his regiment was engaged during its whole 
 period of service. On all these occasions, he behaved 
 with conspicuous gallantry. The courage and address with 
 which he led the advance into an entrenched camp of 
 the Rebels, near Kinston, and his coolness, when, under the 
 command of Major Hall, his squadron of Cavalry covered 
 the retreat of General Wilson, after his raid upon the 
 communications of General Lee, in 1865, were especially 
 admired *by his brother officers. On the latter occasion, 
 
 i the whole Rebel column was kept at bay, for more than 
 an hour, until the bridge over Stony Creek was burned, 
 and our cavalry finally escaped by swimming the stream. 
 Lieutenant Gibbs spurred his horse off a high rock into 
 
 I the river, and barely escaped in safety. 
 
 In the battle of Goldsboro', he was slightly wounded by 
 a musket ball, in the arm and side, his life being saved 
 by a package of papers in his coat pocket ; and in an 
 engagement on the Derbytown road, before Richmond, he 
 was severely wounded through the left leg, by a Minie 
 ball. 
 
 Last year, he received a commission as Brevet-Major, 
 New York Volunteers, for " gallant and rnei'itorious ser- 
 
 1 vices in the late war" — a testimonial to his worth and 
 fidelity as an officer. Major Gibbs is now engaged in 
 business as a stove and tin dealer, in Stamford, Delaware 
 county. He was nominated for Member of Assembly, by 
 the Republican party, in 1866, and received a majority of 
 two hundred and seventy-four votes over his competitor. 
 When the Speaker made his appointments, he placed Mr. 
 Gibbs on the Committees on State Prisons, and Charitable 
 and Religious Societies. 
 
 32 
 
COLUMBUS GILL. 
 
 Mr. Gill represents Warren county, and is a Member 
 of the Committee on Roads and Bridges. Like a majority 
 of the prominent men of the times, he is a self-made man. 
 His father was a native of England, who came to this 
 country before the days of the Revolution, in which he 
 took an active part in favor of his adopted country. His 
 mother was a true New England woman, who taught the 
 principles of liberty to her numerous family of boys, two 
 of whom were in the war of 1812, and participated in the 
 battle of Plattsburgh. 
 
 Mr. Gill was born in Castleton, Vermont, in 1809. He 
 now lives in Stony Creek, New York. By avocation, he is 
 a merchant; and, through industry and frugality, enjoys a 
 competency. He has been for many years a Justice of the 
 Peace, Supervisor, several terms Justice of Sessions, and 
 Postmaster. Mr. Gill is a straightforward, independent 
 man, positive and firm in his convictions; he cares little 
 for dull abstractions, looking upon matters in a practical 
 light, and giving no time to outward show. His views of 
 general matters are clear and comprehensive. To a 
 stranger he might at times aj)pear somewhat reticent, 
 though he is frank and cordial — a true friend. 
 
GEORGE M. GLEASON. 
 
 This gentleman, representing the First District of St. 
 Lawrence county, was born in what was then called Poto 
 Ferry, and which is now the town of Pitcairn, New York. 
 He is thirty-eight years old. 
 
 Mr. Gleasox attended school until eighteen years of 
 age, when he became a teacher. He taught until he was 
 twenty-eight years old. Since that time, he has been 
 engaged in farming. 
 
 In September, 1861, he enlisted in the service of the 
 United States, as a private in Company D, 60th Regiment 
 New York Volunteers. In October following he was 
 made Second Lieutenant, in which capacity he served 
 either with his company, then stationed at the Relay 
 House, Maryland, guarding the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- 
 road, or in recruiting service at Ogdensburgh, until May, 
 1862, when his regiment was ordered to report to General 
 Sigel at Harper's Ferry. Soon after their arrival he was 
 appointed Assistant-Quartermaster of the Regiment, and 
 accompanied it on its marches through the Shenandoah 
 and Rappahannock Valleys, until August, when he was 
 attacked with typhoid fever, in consequence of which he 
 was reduced from one hundred and ninety pounds to one 
 hundred and eight. The surgeon in charge informed him 
 that there was no probability of his recovering his health, 
 while in active service, and he therefore tendered his 
 resignation accompanied by the surgeon's certificate of 
 disability, which was accepted. In his emaciated condi- 
 tion, he returned home. 
 
 Mr. Gleason has three times been chosen Supervisor 
 of Pitcairn; he also served five years as Justice of the 
 Peace, and four years as town Superintendent of Common 
 
252 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Schools. In 1866, he represented his district in the Legis- 
 lature, and he has been retarned to the present Assembly 
 by an increased majority. The Speaker appointed him on 
 the Committee on Claims, and Indian Affairs ; he is Chair- 
 man of the latter. 
 
 Mr. Gleason began political life as a Democrat, and 
 voted with that party until 1856, "when he cast his first 
 Republican vote for John C. Fremont. Since then he 
 has been a Republican of the most radical character, advo- 
 cating negro suffrage, and opposing amnesty to rebels ; in 
 these sentiments he reflects the opinions of his constitu- 
 ents. Mr. Gleason is a plain, modest man, and is 
 endowed with good, practical sense. 
 
 JOHN VON GUILDER GRIDLEY. 
 
 Mr. Gridley is a descendant of one of the oldest Welsh 
 families on our soil. His great-grandfather was one of 
 three brothers who emigrated to this country about the 
 year 1728, settling in different sections, Mr. Gridley's 
 direct ancestor locating in Connecticut. Mr. Grid- 
 ley's grandfather married the only sister of Major Von 
 Guilder, of New Jersey, and removed to New York 
 city. By this marriage, there were two children, a son 
 and a daughter. The son, John Von Guilder Gridley, 
 became a prominent builder of New York city, instituted 
 the Builders' Protective Association, and held the position 
 of President of the organization, at the time of his death. 
 His second son, the present Member of the House, was 
 born on the 29th of March, 1822, at the corner of Spencer 
 and Thompson streets, New York city, where his father 
 lived until Mr. Gridley was nearly six years of age, 
 
JOHN VON GUILDER GRIDLEY. 253 
 
 -when lie removed into King street, residing there until his 
 death. Mr. Gridley succeeded his father in the building 
 business, and became equally eminent in it. After follow- 
 ing the avocation for many years, he turned his attention 
 to the law, studied and graduated at the New York Univer- 
 sity, commenced its practice, and is now an able lawyer 
 of New York city. This is Mr. Gridley's first term in 
 the Assembly. He has exhibited superior qualifications, 
 as a working legislator. He is a valuable Member of the 
 Committee on Cities, bringing to that responsible posi- 
 tion a thorough knowledge of the governmental machinery, 
 political complications, and diverse business interests of 
 New York city, which, with his quick perceptions, not 
 only of the general merits of the measures that come 
 before the Committee, but of the detail of their pro- 
 visions, contribute to give him a powerful influence in 
 shaping legislation in the place where the work is really 
 done, in Committee. 
 
WILLIAM GURLEY, 
 
 Mr. Gitrley is of New England origin, his parents 
 having removed from Mansfield, Connecticnt, in the year 
 1813, and settled in West Troy, Albany county, New 
 York. Here his father, Ephraim Gitrley, started an iron 
 foundery, in 1816; and, two years later, removed to Troy, 
 then a newly incorporated but already thriving city, on 
 the east side of the river, where, in connection with Mr. 
 Alpheits Hanks, he established the first iron foundery in 
 Rensselaer county — a business which has now grown to 
 be a most important interest in that section of the State. 
 
 William Gitrley was born in the city of Troy, March 
 16th, 1821 ; his father dying in 1829, he and a younger 
 brother and sister were left to the sole care of a widowed 
 mother, of comparatively feeble health, and of small pecu- 
 niary means. Rightly judging that knowledge and virtue 
 were the foundation of all true excellence, she gave her 
 children, not only a careful religious training at home, but 
 also the best education afforded by the schools, in her 
 immediate vicinity. 
 
 William choosing the profession of a Civil Engineer, 
 attended the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, then, and 
 now, an excellent scientific school, from which he gradu- 
 ated with credit, in 1839. 
 
 After following the business of a Surveyor for some 
 years, he turned his attention to the manufacture of the 
 instruments with whose use he was already familiar, 
 learning the business in the shop of Mr. Hanks, then a 
 well known maker of surveying instruments, in the city 
 of Troy. After remaining with Mr. Hanks for five years, 
 he entered into partnership with Mr. Jonas H. Phelps, in 
 the year 1845, and with him prosecuted the same business, 
 
WILLIAM GURLEY. 255 
 
 much more extensively, for the next seven years, at the 
 end of which time the firm became changed by the with- 
 drawal of Mr. Phelps, and the accession of his younger 
 brother. The new firm, under the name of W. & L. E. 
 Gurley, at once greatly increased their facilities ; and, 
 for fifteen years past, they have been by far the most 
 extensive manufacturers of engineers' and surveyors' instru- 
 ments in the United States. The great fire of May 10th, 
 1862, entirely consumed their establishment, but nothing 
 daunted, even for an hour, they at once commenced to 
 rebuild on a scale nearly four times larger than the first. 
 They have since been abundantly rewarded for their 
 courao-e and foresight. 
 
 The prominence of Mr. Gurley as a business man, and 
 his well known intelligence and integrity, have long been 
 recognized by the community with which his life has 
 been identified ; and, though always refusing to seek any 
 position in public life, he has never shrunk from what he 
 conceived to be his duty as a man and a citizen ; and very 
 few in the community have been more actively engaged 
 in all the entei'prises which tend to elevate mankind. But 
 few years of his mature life have passed free from the 
 cares of public office : he has faithfully labored as Trus- 
 tee of several educational and religious institutions ; con- 
 nected for years with the Young Men's Association, in 
 important positions, he was, in 1851, elected its President, 
 after a canvass, the warmth of which is still well remem- 
 bered. 
 
 As Alderman of his native ward, he served with general 
 acceptance from 1860, to 1864; and as Fire Commissioner, 
 he helped, in 1861, to inaugurate the greatly improved 
 system, now so .much approved in all our larger cities. 
 He is a member of the Board, up to the present time. 
 In November, 1866, he was nominated by the Republicans 
 of Troy, as the Representative of his native city in the 
 
256 "LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Assembly of the State of New York. The district had, 
 for a series of years, been strongly of the opposite politics, 
 being relied upon, pretty uniformly, for a majority of four 
 or five hundred. Mr. Gurley, however, entered into the 
 canvass, personally, and though nominated almost as a 
 forlorn hope, at the heel of the election, against T. B. Car- 
 koll, he still surprised himself and his friends by obtaining 
 a majority of eight hundred and fourteen. He is a 
 Member of the Committee on the Affairs of Cities. 
 
 Mr. Gurley, yet in the prime of a vigorous manhood, 
 is widely known as a capable and successful business man, 
 and financier, being now, Vice-President of the National 
 Exchange Bank, of Troy, and adorning all the relations j 
 of public and private life. He may, with reason, look 
 forward to positions of even greater usefulness and honor j 
 in the future. 
 
LEWIS B. HALSEY. 
 
 Me. Halsey, Member of Assembly from the First Dis- 
 trict of Orange county, is one of the youngest members 
 of the Legislature for 1867, having been born at his 
 present place of residence, Newburgh, on the 31st day of 
 January, 1841. On the paternal side, he springs from an 
 English ancestry, and upon the maternal, from Dutch blood, 
 though his more immediate progenitors were natives of 
 this country. Having passed the earlier years of his life, 
 in his native town, and availed himself of such educational 
 advantages as were within his reach, Mr. Halsey in the 
 fall of 1860, entered college at Nassau Hall, Princeton, 
 New Jersey, where he held creditable rank with his fellow 
 students during a full course of four years, and from 
 whence he graduated with all the collegiate honors, in the 
 class of 1864. Having already fixed upon the law as his 
 future profession, Mr. Halsey upon graduating, entered 
 the office of one of Philadelphia's most distinguished advo- 
 cates — Benjamin F. Bruce, Esq., and, in due course, was 
 admitted to practice in the courts of this State, at Brook- 
 lyn, in December, 1865. Subsequently he opened a law 
 office at Newburgh, where he has since remained. In per- 
 sonal appearance, Mr. Halsey is of full, medium stature, 
 with a broad and well-formed forehead, a keen, penetrating 
 eye that meets one with a frank, assuring kindliness, and 
 which added to a modest self-possession that is both natu- 
 ral and becoming, mark him out as a young man of 
 excellent promise. And those who know him best, look 
 with confidence to his future career, both as a private 
 citizen, and in any public station, the duties of which he 
 may be called upon to discharge. In politics, Mr. Hal- 
 sey is a Republican ; was elected over his Democratic 
 33 
 
258 I^E SKETCHES. 
 
 competitor, Mr. Halset R. Stevens, an old and worthy 
 fellow-townsman, by a majority of 1,148 in a total vote of 
 6 136. He is a Member of the Committees on Judiciary, 
 and Engrossed Bills. 
 
 SHEFFIELD HARRINGTON. 
 
 Modest in demeanor, honest in purpose, and correct in 
 action, Mr. Harrington is one of that kind of men who 
 win respect, though they do not seek the plaudits of the 
 multitude. Steady-going in their habits, they command 
 the regard of the public, and share in the labor, as well 
 as in the reward. Mr. Harrington was born in New 
 Lisbon, Otsego county, New York, June 25th, 1809, 
 whence his father moved from Rhode Island, in 1780. His 
 boyhood was unmarked by any remarkable events, and 
 he pursued the course of ordinary, every-day life, with- 
 out having to practice any great self-denials, and without 
 being satiated with an overplus of luxuries. Following 
 a plain mode of life, he appreciated whatever indulgences 
 were allowed him, and did not grumble because he could 
 not be favored like those in more pleasant spheres of 
 action. Storing his mind, from the common opportunities 
 of the country schools in those days, he fitted himself for 
 mercantile pursuits, in which he is engaged at the present 
 time, in the town of Hartwick, New York. In early 
 manhood, he served a regular apprenticeship at wool-card- 
 ing and cloth-dressing, and worked at that business for 
 nearly fifteen years. When the tide of prejudice against 
 Free Masonry assumed a political form, Mr. Harrington 
 was an Anti-Mason. After that excitement had subsided, 
 
PALMER E. HAVENS. 259 
 
 lie attached himself to the Whigs, and held various offices, 
 of a local nature, in the interest of that party. He 
 unhesitatingly joined the Republicans, in 1856, and he has 
 been unwavering in his faithfulness. He was a Member 
 of the House in 18G6, and served on the Committee on 
 Charitable and Religious Societies, and was Chairman of 
 the Committee on Affairs of Villages. His District has 
 returned him, with an increased majority, thus assuring 
 him of the satisfaction which he has already given by his 
 legislative acts. He is Chairman of the same Committee 
 as that of last year, and is also serving on the Commit- 
 tee on Grievances. 
 
 PALMER E. HAVENS. 
 
 Palmer E. Havens stands prominent among the best 
 class of our legislators. He was born November 24th, 
 1818, in the town of Moriah, Essex county, New York. 
 His father, Deacon John Havens, a Roger Williams 
 Baptist, and a pioneer settler of that town, though always 
 in humble circumstances, was a man of piety, known and 
 respected for that decision of character and firmness of 
 purpose, which was the only, yet, as it proved, a sufficient 
 legacy to his son. 
 
 His father's limited means and large family obliged the 
 son, scarcely beyond his childhood, to care for himself. 
 The interrupted attendance of the common school of his 
 native place, was the only educational privilege which he 
 enjoyed imtil after his sixteenth year; yet, so much had 
 his ready intellect and energy accomplished, that, at this 
 age, he commenced teaching, and was most successful in 
 this pursuit for the ten years following. His continued 
 
2G0 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 effort at self-culture under better advantages, in the mean 
 time, made him a proficient mathematician and English 
 scholar. During the same time, he entered the law office 
 of the late General Henry H. Ross, of Essex, and was 
 admitted to the Bar in 1843. 
 
 Essex, the loveliest of our northern villages, " the abode 
 of wealth, intelligence and refinement," he selected as the 
 field of his future professional labors. Prompt and faithful 
 attention to bxisiness, and zeal for his client, won for him a 
 wide reputation and a lucrative practice. Although the 
 earnest prosecution of matters placed in his hands, may- 
 have sometimes made him the object of that ungenerous 
 spirit of animosity which is often indulged toward the 
 legal ability and diligence which has forced the unwilling 
 discharge of just obligations, yet his popularity has always 
 been of a steady growth to that degree which is evidenced 
 by the hearty support which he has always received from 
 his neighbors, at the polls. Confirmed in his religious and 
 political faith, he is, nevertheless, liberal in his treatment 
 of those who differ with him ; and is generous hearted and 
 public spirited. He supported the old Whig party while 
 it existed, and for years, he has given his influence to the 
 Republican organization. His party relations have been 
 dignified and unswerving. In his own town, at different 
 periods, he has held the offices of Superintendent of Com- 
 mon Schools, Town Clerk and Supervisor. 
 
 In the fall of 1861, when the dangers which threatened 
 the country made the people anxious to send their best 
 men to represent them, Mr. Havens was put in nomina- 
 tion, for Member of Assembly, and elected — his own 
 town voting for him almost unanimously. Americanism, 
 in its day, had won to its support nearly two-thirds of 
 the voters of Essex, and, as Mr. Havens would never 
 have anything to do with " Sam," the prospect for a large 
 "home vote" — that very sure index of popularity — was 
 
PALMER E. HAVENS. 261 
 
 not flattering. Yet, so much did party spirit give way to 
 the respect which he commanded, that, out of the ten 
 hundred and forty-eight votes of his townsmen, he received 
 ten hundred and twenty-seven. 
 
 In the Legislature of 1862, which was marked for its 
 ability, his courteous and gentlemanly bearing, attention to 
 business, and readiness in debate, gained him firm friends 
 among his associates, and a reputation in the State. His 
 advocacy of the bill for the Public Defense, and other 
 important general measures, as well as his success in mat- 
 ters of special interest to his constituents, marked his 
 fitness for his position. On his return, his constituents 
 met him, and, by a public demonstration, indorsed his 
 course and welcomed him home. In the succeeding fall, 
 he was renominated and reelected. His second year was 
 marked by his able reviews of Governor Seymour's Mes- 
 sage, which, with others of his speeches, in the Legislature 
 and on the " stump," have been widely circulated by his 
 party. 
 
 In 1863, he was elected Senator from his District (Six- 
 teenth), and his two years in the Upper House, fully 
 guaranteed his ability. Outspoken and fearless in the 
 enunciation of his views, he counseled only his own con- 
 science and judgment, as to his actions. His speeches 
 were always substantial, and showed that labor and Care 
 in preparation, which mark all his undertakings. 
 
 In the fall of 1866, leading and influential men of 
 Northern New York, feeling that the interests of that 
 section needed a live representative, more than urged Mr. 
 Havens to accept another nomination for Member of the 
 Assembly. His choice was for the quiet and more profit- 
 able pursuit of his profession, and the enjoyment of his 
 beautiful home, which his means has enabled him to 
 arrange to his own refined taste; but the nomination 
 having been tendered by acclamation, he accepted and 
 
262 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 was elected by nearly twelve hundred majority. He was 
 strongly urged, by influential men, within and without the 
 Legislature, for the Speakership, but he declined to enter 
 the contest against personal friends who desired the place. 
 Of middle age, among the ablest Members of the pres- 
 ent Legislature, popular at home and abroad, with a clear 
 and patriotic record, without political mistakes to embar- 
 rass him, and with a growing experience in public affairs, 
 we have reason to expect a future as progressive and suc- 
 cessful as the past. 
 
 STEPHEN HAYNES. 
 
 Mr. Hatnes is the oldest member of the House, being 
 sixty-five years of age. He is the representative of the 
 Fourth District of Kings county. He was born in the year 
 1802, in Southampton, Suffolk county, New York. His 
 ancestors were originally from England, and among their 
 descendants, was the famous Governor Hayne, of South 
 Carolina, whose great discussion with Daniel Webster 
 is now a matter of history. When but a small boy, the 
 last war with Great Britain began, and Mr. Hatnes, full 
 of martial fire, volunteered his services, and was regularly 
 enlisted as a member of the Sea Fencibles, stationed at Sag 
 Harbor. He remained in the service eighteen months, and 
 in the course of time, duly received his land warrant from 
 the United States Government. 
 
 Mr. Hatnes, when quite young, was employed on a 
 farm in his native place, but shortly after the war, in 
 which he participated, he went to New York, and, 
 engaging with a mason, thoroughly learned the art of 
 building. In 1822, then of age, Mr. Haynes moved to 
 
THEODORE HINSDALE. 263 
 
 Brooklyn, and engaged in business for himself, as a 
 builder, in which he was very successful. Among the 
 specimens of architecture, in the City of Churches, which 
 reflect credit upon his skill, are the City Hall, the County 
 Jail, and the Lunatic Asylum, at Flatbush. 
 
 Mr. Haynes early took a deep interest in politics, as a 
 Democrat. When Brooklyn was first incorporated, he 
 was chosen Alderman of the Seventh Ward, serving in 
 that capacity several years, afterward being chosen Super- 
 visor for a number of successive terms. As a member of 
 the Board of Education, he was noted for his deep interest 
 in the spread of knowledge, and in all places of public 
 trust, he was equally distinguished for attention to duty, 
 and a thorough acquaintance with it. 
 
 This is Mr. Haynes' second term in the Assembly, 
 having been a member of the Legislature of 1865; and 
 few are more successful in forwarding measures for the 
 benefit of their constituents than he. 
 
 THEODORE HINSDALE. 
 
 Mr. Hinsdale was born in Middletown, Connecticut, 
 February 30th, 1819; graduated from the Wesleyan 
 University in that place, in 1836; was admitted to the 
 Bar in 1840, and has since practiced law in New York 
 city, residing in Brooklyn since 1846. He was elected 
 Alderman for the Third Ward of that city in 1865. Mr. 
 Hinsdale is a very successful lawyer, of large practice ; 
 is of irreproachable moral character, and strict integrity ; 
 a high toned gentleman and thorough scholar. These 
 qualifications, together with his intimate knowledge of 
 the business interests and local government of Kings 
 
264 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 county, his acquaintance with the affairs of New York 
 city, and his cool and cautious dissection of every project, 
 has rendered hirn an influential and safe member of the 
 Committee on Cities. 
 
 CHARLES WESLEY HINSON. 
 
 Me. Hinson" was horn in the city of Buffalo, Erie county, 
 New York, on the 20th day of November, 1844. He is 
 the youngest member of the Assembly, having been elected, 
 two weeks before completing his twenty-second year. 
 His father was born on the Island of Heligoland, of 
 English parents, in 1818. His mother was born in the 
 county of Longford, Ireland, in the same year. 
 
 Mr. Hinson is a graduate of the Central High School 
 of Buffalo. After graduation, he worked one year at the 
 trade of Machinist, and then studied law in the office 
 of Hon. James M. Humphrey, Member of Congress, 
 Thirty-first District, New York ; and was admitted to the 
 Bar, May 9th, 1866. 
 
 Shortly after Mr. Hinson's admission to practice, the 
 Fenian affair at Fort Erie occurred, and General John 
 O'Neill, commanding that expedition, together with his 
 companions in arms, numbering twenty-five officers and 
 some four hundred men, were taken prisoners by the 
 United States authorities. The officers were kept aboard 
 the United States steamer Michigan, while the men were 
 kept on an open scow, exposed to the drizzling rain, 
 without the slightest shelter. While looking at the suf- 
 ferings of these poor men and while every one was 
 wondering what would be done with the prisoners, the 
 idea occurred to Mr. Hixson to apply to a court for Avrits 
 
CHARLES WESLEY HINSON. 265 
 
 of habeas corpus, to ascertain by what authority the 
 prisoners were held. Accordingly, he immediately drew 
 up the applications, in eighteen cases, and applied to Hon. 
 G. W. Clinton, one of the Justices of the Superior 
 Court of Buffalo, who allowed the writs. Mi*. Hinson 
 took a small boat, went aboard the Michigan, and served 
 the writs on Captain Andrew Brtson, and also had an 
 interview with the prisoners, who received him with 
 loud cheers. Next day, an officer appeared before Judge 
 Clinton, making excuses for not producing the bodies of 
 the prisoners. The Judge gave him twenty-four hours 
 time, during which, warrants were issued for the men by 
 Perry G. Parker, United States Commissioner, before 
 whom the officers were taken next morning, guarded by a 
 Regiment of United States Infantry, which was stationed 
 at Fort Porter, at the time. 
 
 The officers were allowed to give bail for various 
 amounts, and the privates were immediately discharged 
 on their own recognizances. Subsequently, a nolle pro- 
 sequi was entered in all the cases, by order of the 
 Attorney-General of the United States. 
 
 Mr. Hinson is a positive Democrat : he was opposed to 
 the abandoning of the time-honored name of Democracy ; 
 and he believes that had the Democratic Convention nom- 
 inated a straight ticket, and called things by their proper 
 names, they would have elected Mr. Hoffman for Gov- 
 ernor, and carried the State by a large majority. 
 
 Mr. Hinson was elected by the Democrats of the First 
 District of Erie county, comprising the First, Fifth, Eighth 
 and Thirteenth Wards, and the town of West Seneca, by 
 a majority of 388, over the Republican candidate. He 
 serves on the Committees on Engrossed Bills and Petitions 
 of Aliens. 
 
 34 
 
L. HARRIS HISCOCK. 
 
 Mr. Hiscock was born the? 2d of May, 1824, in the 
 town of Pouipey, Onondaga county, New York. His 
 parents were of English and Scotch origin. His grand- 
 father, Richard Hiscock, was a soldier in the American 
 Revolution. The maternal ancestry of Mr. Hiscock was 
 a long line of Harrises, coming down to the family con- 
 nection of Hon. Ira Harris, United States Senator, who 
 is a cousin of the subject of our sketch. Mr. Hiscock had 
 only the advantages of an academical education, but he 
 has acquired a high mental culture which many collegians 
 might feel proud to possess. He was a farmer's son, and 
 at the age of seventeen, commenced teaching common 
 school in his town. In February, 1845, he was elected by 
 the Democracy to the office of Town Superintendent of 
 Schools, of the town of Pompey. This position he held 
 for two years, having, in the mean time, inaugurated a 
 great improvement in the old style of teaching. In the 
 interim he had given much time to the study of law, and 
 finally completed his studies with that distinguished 
 lawyer, Hon. Daniel Gott, of Pompey, and was admitted 
 to the Bar, in 1848, he being one of four admitted, out of 
 a class of nine. In the same year, he opened a law office 
 at Tully, Onondaga county, and in February, 1849, was 
 elected Justice of the Peace of that town, which office he 
 held for four years. In 1850, he was elected Sui3ervisor of 
 the same town, and was almost unanimously reelected in 
 1851. In the fall of that year, the Democrats nominated 
 him for the office of Surrogate, against Colonel Mustard, 
 a popular AVhig, who was then an incumbent of the office. 
 The contest was unusually spirited, and to a great extent 
 
L. HARRIS HISCOCK. 267 
 
 personal, and resulted in Mr. Hiscock's election, by six 
 hundred majority. He held this office until January 1st, 
 1856, when he opened a law office in Syracuse, still con- 
 tinuing his practice in Tully, which was managed princi- 
 pally by Frank Hiscock, Esq., his brother and law 
 partner. In the spring of 1858, the Tully office was dis- 
 continued, and both partners conducted their business in 
 Syracuse, where the firm still exists, doing a general prac- 
 tice, but making the settlement of estates a specialty, to 
 some extent. 
 
 Mr. Hiscock was an active Democrat, up to 1856, when 
 he united in a call of seventeen dissatisfied Democrats, for 
 a meeting at the City Hall, Syracuse, in July of that year, 
 which culminated in a Republican majority of nearly seven 
 thousand in the county of Onondaga, at the ensuing Presi- 
 dential election. 
 
 During the rebellion, Mr. Hiscock was a co-laborer in 
 the cause of patriotism. He contributed of his means 
 freely, and used his influence to promote enlistments, and 
 to aid the government generally in its struggle for 
 liberty. 
 
 In the fall of 1865, he was, by acclamation, nominated 
 by the Republicans for Member of Assemby in the Third 
 District of Onondaga county, and was elected by a 
 majority of over thirteen hundred. On the organization 
 of the House, he was placed second, respectively, on the 
 Committees on Judiciary, Local General Orders, and 
 Public Lands. As Judge Selden, Chairman of the Judi- 
 ciary Committee, was ill most of the session, the duties 
 of the Chairmanship, during Judge Selden's absence, 
 were performed by Mr. Hiscock, who signalized himself 
 in the protracted discussions which frequently came up, on 
 important questions. In the fall of 1856, he was reelected 
 to the Legislature from the Second (under the late appor- 
 tionment) District, by a majority of twelve hundred and 
 
268 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 forty-one, being fifty votes over that of the Republican 
 State ticket. On his election, the New York Tribune 
 and other leading Republican journals coupled his name 
 for the Speakership with that of the present incumbent, 
 Speaker Pitts, as well as with the names of other promi- 
 nent gentlemen of the party ; and, although many ardent 
 friends, in various part of the State, urged him to be a 
 candidate for the position, he declined. Mr. Hiscock, in 
 this session, is ably serving as Chairman of the Judiciary 
 Committee, and is second on Privileges and Elections. 
 
 Although his life has not been fraught with many 
 public offices, yet it is a gratification to his many friends 
 to know that what few positions he lias filled, have been 
 honored by his industry and integrity. He is a self-made 
 man. Perhaps no lawyer, in his county, comes in contact 
 annually with more people, in his office, than he. It is 
 not alone his legal knowledge that is sought after, but his 
 ripe judgment relative to public affairs, his candid opinion 
 on private matters, and his sympathy in the daily walks 
 of life. He is courteous, and all feel at home in his 
 society ; he is honest, and all respect and trust him. He 
 is neither vain nor haughty, neither boastful nor arbitrary ; 
 but, while he accords to everyone purity of motives, and 
 gives due weight to their opinions, he has the firmness to 
 express his own views freely, and to defend them against 
 any attack. Being cautious, he is seldom led into error; 
 but, being candid, he is ever ready to acknowledge his 
 mistake. He practices no deceit, yet is quick to discern 
 it when sought to be practiced upon him or his friends. 
 He is true to party, and as faithful to friendship. If 
 selfish, he is honorably so, for he seeks not to destroy 
 others to build up himself. Though rigid in economy, 
 lie is benevolent to a worthy cause, and will not lend his 
 aid to any other, either for public policy or personal 
 popularity. 
 
ADOLPHUS F. HITCHCOCK. 269 
 
 As a debater, Mr. Hiscock is fluent and brief. He is 
 not sparkling, but solid, clear and logical. He uses no 
 fulsome oratory for the heart, but carries convincing argu- 
 ments directly to the mind with irresistible force. 
 
 ADOLPHUS F. HITCHCOCK. 
 
 The town of Kingsbury, Washington county New 
 York, is the native place of Mr. Hitchcock, where he was 
 reared and educated. He is still a resident of that place. 
 His father was Collins Hitchcock, for many years a 
 Justice of the Peace of the same town. His grandfather 
 was Asahel Hitchcock, also a magistrate, of whom 
 special mention is made in the sketch of Attorney-General 
 Maetindale contained in this volume. It will be seen 
 that Mr. Hitchcock and the Attorney-General (also a 
 native of the town of Kingsbury), are nearly related. 
 The Hitchcocks have long held a prominent place in 
 Washington county. His grand uncle, Zlna Hitchcock, 
 was member of Assembly from that county, from 1*790 to 
 1794, and State Senator, from 1794 to 1803. Two of his 
 brothers have served as Sheriff, and one is now county 
 clerk of the county of Washington ; other members of 
 his family have held various prominent public stations in 
 that portion of the State. 
 
 Adolphus F. Hitchcock is a farmer by occupation, 
 residing upon and cultivating the same farm which was 
 owned and cultivated by his father and grandfather before 
 him. He represents by his industry, his intelligence and 
 his honesty the agricultural class which compose the 
 major part of that rich and populous county. From 
 early life, with a clear discernment of the character and 
 
270 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 motives of men, a high appreciation of good government 
 and wholesome laws, he has wielded no small influence in 
 the political councils of his party throughout the county. 
 Mr. Hitchcock formerly belonged to the old party of 
 " Clay Whigs ; " by them he was elected, in 1847, to repre- 
 sent the same district as that of which he now is the 
 representative. On that occasion, he acquitted himself 
 honorably, and with credit to his constituency. He became 
 a member of the Republican party in its infancy, and has 
 proved himself to be one of its most active and efficient sup- 
 porters. His patriotic advocacy of the war, and his efforts 
 to sustain the Union, were but the manifestations of a well- 
 settled principle. He has held the office of Justice of the 
 Peace for many years. Quiet and unassuming in his dis- 
 position, he generally has preferred the more peaceful 
 pursuits of the farm, though never flinching from duty, 
 even though it might call him away from his congenial 
 occupation. This is the first instance, in that district, in 
 which a representative has been reelected to the Assembly. 
 His majority over his competitor was 1,112. Mr. Hitch- 
 cock is over sixty-three years of age. Having passed the 
 meridian of life, the people have placed these honors upon 
 him, in his advanced years, feeling that he cannot be 
 swerved from their interests by opposing influences. 
 
ABRAHAM HOFFMAN. 
 
 Mr. Hoffman began his political life as a Whig, and 
 entertained the principles of Henry Clay, until the death 
 of that eminent man. After the disintegration of the 
 Whig party, Mr. Hoffman followed the current of 
 the American organization ; but he soon became convinced 
 that his course was inconsistent, and he therefore with- 
 drew, and engaged in the work of organizing the Repub- 
 lican ranks in his county. Mr. Hoffman was the first 
 Republican Sheriff elected in Montgomery county, serving 
 as such for three years. Since then, he has held several 
 minor offices. Last fall, he was put in nomination for the 
 Assembly, against Isaac S. Frost, the Democratic nomi- 
 nee. At the preceding election, the Democrats had elected 
 their candidate by a majority of one hundred and eighty- 
 nine. With such facts before Mr. Hoffman and his 
 friends, they were incited to herculean efforts for success. 
 After a warm contest, the Republicans elected him by 
 eight majority. 
 
 He is of German parentage. Caughnawaga, Montgom- 
 ery county, New York, is his native town, in which he- 
 was born, on the 31st day of March, 1810. At the age of 
 seventeen, having received a limited education, he worked 
 by the month ; at twenty-six, commenced business as a 
 contractor on the Auburn & Syracuse Railroad, in which 
 he continued until 1838, when he took a contract on the 
 Croton Water Works, continuing in that business until 
 1841. At that time, Mr. Hoffman removed to Fort Plain, 
 Montgomery county, and entered largely into the forward- 
 ing and produce business, which he still conducts. 
 
 In the Assembly, he is a member of the Committees on 
 Canals, and Privileges and Elections. 
 
BUSHROD E. HOPPIN. 
 
 This gentleman is a son of Curtis Hoppin, a farmer in 
 the town of Lebanon, Madison county, New York. After 
 attending the Eaton and Hamilton Academies, from the 
 age of sixteen to nineteen years, he taught school two 
 winters. He afterward, in company with his brother, 
 drove a flock of sheep to Illinois, and after disposing of 
 them in the way of speculation, returned to the town 
 of his nativity, and followed farming and dairying until 
 the spring of 1855, when he went to Sangamon county, 
 Illinois, and engaged in raising live stock. In the autumn 
 of 1858, he and a partner, William S. Head, started for 
 Texas with a drove of twelve hundred sheep ; they win- 
 tered in Southwest Missouri. In August following, they 
 resumed their journey through the Indian Territory, 
 crossed the Red River at Preston, Texas, and wintered 
 in Hill and Bosque county. In January, 1860, Mr. Hoppin 
 went to Galveston, where he remained a short time, and 
 then made a journey to Hill county. At this time, some 
 of the preliminary steps toward secession were taken in 
 the State of Texas. Wild and unfounded reports of the 
 burning of villages and towns by northern men were set 
 in circulation by the press ; untruthful rumors of plots to 
 incite the negroes to insurrection were set afloat ; self- 
 constituted vigilance committees were formed ostensibly 
 to protect society, but, in reality, to further the aims 
 of the subsequent rebellion; and the faithfulness with 
 which the infernal work was done, may be seen in 
 the fact that Texas was the fii*st to withdraw from the 
 Charleston Convention. In the midst of such scenes as 
 these, Mr. Hoppin found little to coincide with his own 
 loyal views. But, from motives of policy, while in the 
 
BUSHROD E. HOPPIN. 273 
 
 strongholds of political intrigue, he was compelled to be 
 silent touching his true sympathies, until he could escape 
 from the midst of traitorous plottings. Speedily closing 
 up his business affairs, he returned to Illinois, and reached 
 home one week before the election which elevated Mr. 
 Lincoln to the Presidency. In December he moved back 
 to Madison county New York. Mr. Hoppin is now inter- 
 ested in farming and wool growing in Logan county, 
 Illinois, pasturing his flocks on the prairies in summer, and 
 buying feed for them in winter. 
 
 In politics, he is a Republican. He was county Super- 
 intendent of the Poor in 1854, but resigned when he 
 removed West. In 1862, he was Assistant Assessor for 
 the Twenty-second Congressional District. He was elected 
 to the present House by 1750 majority. He is on the 
 Committee on the Affairs of Villages. 
 
 Mr. Hoppin is thirty-eight yeai-s of age ; is a gentleman 
 of fair abilities and courteous manners ; and is a practical 
 thinker. He is clear in his ideas of State and National 
 policies, and honest in the expression of his views. 
 
 35 
 
CHARLES S. HOYT. 
 
 Doctor Hoyt is a, tall, well-built man, with a face 
 expressive of humane feelings, and meets his associates 
 and even strangers with frankness, both socially and 
 officially. His birthplace is Ridgefield, Connecticut, 
 where he was born June 8tb, 1822. He is of English 
 ancestry, with genuine liberal opinions in his mental com- 
 position. In childhood, he removed with his parents to 
 this State, and settled with them in Owasco, Cayuga county, 
 ]STew York ; but about five years afterward he moved to 
 Victory in the same county. In 1834, his father took him 
 and the remainder of the family to Middlesex, Yates 
 county, and continued farming, his usual avocation. 
 
 Doctor Hoyt received an academic education. His 
 tastes were not in sympathy with classical branches, but 
 were more inclined to mathematics. At the age of four- 
 teen, he taught school ; and for a couple of years, attended 
 the Rushville Academy in the summer time, working 
 on the farm at intervals, and teaching during the winter 
 months. At the age of twenty-one, he began the study 
 of his profession, in the office of Doctor N". "Webb, of 
 Rushville, and continued his practice of teaching, a por- 
 tion of the time, in order to defray some of his expenses. 
 He graduated from the Geneva Medical College, in 1847, 
 and located at Potter Centre, Yates county. He dis- 
 charged the duties of Town Superintendent of Schools, 
 during 1848. His political views were Democratic, of the 
 radical school; and in 1851, the Democrats of Yates county 
 elected him to the Assembly. But when the South began 
 its disloyal course by an open outbreak, Doctor Hoyt 
 threw off his allegiance to the Democracy, put himself 
 in the van of those who helped to form the Union party in 
 
CHARLES S. HOYT. 275 
 
 his county, and made himself efficient in aiding recruiting, 
 and in rousing the people to a sense of their danger. 
 August 11th, 1862, Doctor Hoyt was appointed Assistant 
 Surgeon for the 126th Regiment, New York Volunteers, 
 Colonel Sheeeill commanding ; and, the 20th of May, 
 1864, was promoted to Surgeon of the 39th Regiment, 
 New York Volunteers, which was formerly known as the 
 old " Garibaldi Guards." While in the 126th regiment he 
 was among those who were captured at Harper's Ferry, 
 under Colonel Miles. At that time he was on duty at the 
 post-hospital, and, after the capture, remained in the lines, 
 taking care of the sick and wounded, until after the place 
 was retaken by the Union army. A few days previous to 
 the exchange of his regiment, he reported to it. The 
 winter of 1862 and '63, was passed in the defenses around 
 Washington, at Union Mills and Centreville. His regi- 
 ment was attached to the Second Corps of the army of 
 the Potomac, just as it was moving northward, prior to the 
 battle of Gettysburgh. From that time until the army 
 was mustered out of service, he witnessed every battle 
 except the skirmishes of Auburn and Bristow Station, 
 during the transpiration of which, he was sick at home, 
 with typhoid fever. In the early part of the war, Doctor 
 Hoyt was always with his regiment on the field, in time 
 of action : but at the opening of the campaign in 1864, he 
 was detailed to the field hospital, as executive officer, 
 and was afterward the Surgeon in charge of it, and 
 remained so until the close of the war, when he had the 
 satisfaction of closing up its affairs. As a testimonial of 
 the esteem in which he was held, the attendants of the 
 hospital presented him with an elegant gold watch. Thus 
 far, we have merely narrated incidents ; but it is only 
 justice to Doctor Hoyt, to say that he was a universal 
 favorite in the army, that he never shirked a responsibility 
 no matter how unpleasant ; and what is certainly com- 
 
276 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 mendatory, he never drank a drop of liquor, either socially 
 or medicinally, while he was connected with his regiment. 
 When he entered the service, the children of his village 
 presented him with a sash and sword, which he had the 
 pleasure of bringing back with him, after the struggle 
 was over. 
 
 In the Assembly, Doctor Hoyt, with others of his pro- 
 fession, serves on the Committees on Public Health and 
 Medical Colleges and Societies, and is furthermore Chair- 
 man of the Committee on State Charitable Institutions. 
 
 WILLIAM E. HUNT. 
 
 Mr. Hunt is a resident of Otto, Cattaraugus county, 
 New York, which was named after Jacob S. Otto, Agent 
 of the Holland Land Company. He is of New England 
 parentage, his parents having moved from Vermont to 
 Perrysburgh, New York, when he was ten years old. 
 Until he was eighteen, he was an attendant on the common 
 schools ; and then finished his school career, by two terms 
 at the Fredonia Academy. During the following nine or 
 ten years, he assumed the charge of his mother's farm — 
 his father having died when his son was sixteen — and 
 accumulated about eight hundred dollars for himself. 
 Wishing a change, he left the farm, and went to Otto, 
 where he has remained ever since, and invested his little 
 capital in mercantile trade. Little by little, his gains 
 increased, until he gathered to himself a comfortable com- 
 petence, and extended his trade to a larger scale. In his 
 transactions, he is cautious, preferring to take no hasty 
 step, rather than to lose by a blind venture where flatter- 
 ing inducements give promise of great gains. 
 
WILLIAM E. HUNT. 277 
 
 At first a Whig, lie was subsequently induced to join 
 the American party, when Mr. Ullman ran for Governor ; 
 but, finding himself mistaken as to the objects of the 
 leaders, he left that organization, at the end of three 
 weeks, completely satisfied that " Sam " was " not himself 
 at all." Since then, he has been a Republican, unwavering 
 and influential ; and, during the war, he gave efficacy to 
 his opinions by devoting his attention to the procuring of 
 volunteers, and the raising and disbursing of bounty 
 funds, of which he had full charge in his town. 
 
 Besides holding other town offices, Mr. Hunt has been 
 Supervisor of Otto, from 1859 to the present time, with 
 the exception of one year. His majority for the Assembly 
 was eleven hundred and sixty. Not aspiring to great 
 political power, he, nevertheless, is a man who will not 
 shrink from labors, however onerous, whenever their con- 
 summation shall be for the welfare of the State. He is 
 faithful to the local necessities of his district, and thus far 
 has carried through a bill providing for three new streets 
 in the village of Waverly. 
 
JAMES IRVING. 
 
 Mr. Irving represents the Sixteenth Assembly District 
 of New York, in which city lie was born, on the 6th of 
 July, 1821. He belongs to a " Scotch-Irish " family, and 
 his father emigrated from Londonderry, in the north 
 of Ireland, in 1808. His mother was a native of this 
 country. 
 
 Mr. Irving was a pupil, during boyhood, in several 
 private schools, also attending several seasons at the 
 public and high schools. He was a bold lad, active, fond 
 of adventure, and, true to his Scotch blood, always 
 regardful of business. Leaving school, he went into the 
 employment of the noted " Chris. Guire," in Washing- 
 ton Market, remaining with him ten years, and sustaining 
 a good reputation for industry and fidelity. In 1S47, he 
 engaged a market-stand, and set up in business on his 
 own account. He speedily became a leading man among 
 the butchers of New York, buying and selling, on the 
 average, one hundred head of cattle a Aveek, for sixteen 
 years. His sagacity in making purchases was unrivaled. 
 He seldom varied five pounds from a correct estimate of 
 the weight of an animal. This and his great industry 
 soon secured his prosperity, and, in 1857, he had accumu- 
 lated the handsome fortune of $400,000. He held large 
 contracts for supplying the institutions on Ward's and 
 Blackwell's Island, and also obtained valuable contracts 
 for supplies for the army and navy. But the fluctuating 
 prices of 1857 seriously affected him, and half of his 
 property was swallowed up by the disasters of that year. 
 He continued in business, however, till 1863. 
 
 In 1847, Mr. Irving was married to Miss Hannah 
 Leonard, a sister of the present well-known Inspector 
 
JAMES IRVING. 279 
 
 of the Metropolitan Police. The mother of Mrs. Irving 
 was a Roman Catholic, a woman of superior intellect 
 and of strictly conscientious principles, and. carefully 
 instructed her children in religious duties. Mrs. Irving 
 admirably displays the effect of her early culture, in her 
 careful, maternal supervision of the conduct and education 
 of her own children, six in number. In these matters, she 
 has the full concurrence of her husband, who, professing 
 no religious faith himself, is liberal to all who do. 
 
 Mr. Irving has been for many years actively interested 
 in politics, belonging to the Tammany wing of the Demo- 
 cratic party. Although several times in the field as a 
 candidate, he was never regularly nominated, and always 
 was obliged to encounter a powerful combination of the 
 factions against him. It is his boast, however, that he 
 has always received a higher vote than the opposing 
 Democratic candidate. In 1865, he was a candidate for 
 Alderman in the Fourteenth District, receiving double 
 the vote of the regular Democratic candidate, although 
 defeated by Mr. Joseph B. Varnum, Republican, by a 
 small majority. Last fall, he was an independent candi- 
 date for the Assembly, against Michael N". Salmon, and 
 Henry Beeny, Republican, and received a plurality of 
 sixteen. Although he is in a place not familiar to him 
 from past associations, he is generally in his seat during 
 the session, and gives the most careful attention to the 
 business under consideration. 
 
JOHN C. JACOBS. 
 
 John C. Jacobs, representative of the Ninth District 
 of Kings county, was horn on the 16th of December, 
 1838, and is, consequently, in the 29th year of his age. 
 His father was born in Vermont, and his mother in Penn- 
 sylvania, and in Lancaster county, of the latter State, the 
 subject of this sketch first saw the light. The paternal 
 ancestors of Mr. Jacobs, were of the old New England 
 revolutionary stock, and several of them participated in 
 the struggle for independence ; the maternal side were of 
 German origin, one of them having held a high position 
 under Frederick the Great, of Prussia. 
 
 When Mr. Jacobs was quite young, his parents removed 
 to the city of Brooklyn, where, with the exception of a 
 year, he has since resided. At an early age, he went to 
 a select school, and was progressing rapidly, when his 
 family removed to Philadelphia, which broke in upon 
 his educational progress; and from his twelfth year, it 
 may be said, that his school house studies ended. Return- 
 ing to Brooklyn, he entered a lawyer's office, but growing 
 dissatisfied with the day labor there laid out for him, 
 sought and obtained a place in the large printing estab- 
 lishment of John A. Gray & Co., in New York. Here, 
 as copy holder, he became acquainted with many news- 
 paper men of prominence — their journals being issued 
 from the establishment — and soon cultivated a taste for 
 the profession of a journalist. When eighteen years of 
 age, he commenced newspaper life as- a Reporter on the 
 New York Express, and rapidly advanced, until he had 
 charge of the political news columns. In 1860, he became 
 the correspondent of the same paper, in Albany, remaining 
 with it until 1865, when in the same capacity, he repre- 
 
JOHN C. JACOBS. 281 
 
 sented the New York World. In 1862, Mr. Jacobs 
 volunteered to accompany McClellan's army on its 
 famous Peninsular campaign, as a correspondent, and, 
 becoming attached to the 1st New York Volunteers, then 
 in Kearney's Division, he had a chance to see, and partici- 
 pate in, some of the hardest fighting of the war. His 
 account of the evacuation of Harrison's Landing, and the 
 march to Yorktown, published in the Express, was exten- 
 sively copied by the press, throughout the country. 
 
 Mr. Jacobs began his political life early. In the cam- 
 paign of 1850, though but a boy, he was active in the 
 opposition to Fremont's election, and in 1860, was well 
 known in Brooklyn, as a leader among the young men who 
 combined against the Lincoln ticket. In 1863, he was 
 nominated by the Democrats for Assembly, John C. Perry 
 being the Republican candidate, Theophilus C. Callicot 
 and an independent Democrat, also running. This split 
 defeated him. In 1S65, he also ran, being again defeated 
 by William W. Goodrich, after a contest of great 
 severity. Mr. Jacobs' friends insisted that he should 
 again run in 1866, and the Democratic convention nomi- 
 nated him by acclamation. The Republicans made every 
 effort to defeat him, but this time he won by a majority 
 of nearly nine hundred. 
 
 In the House, Mr. Jacobs has devoted most of his time 
 to local matters, except in urging the famous bill relative to 
 prostitution, which has attracted so much attention. He 
 serves on the Committee on Public Printing, and on that 
 of Colleges, Academies and Common Schools. 
 
 Mr. Jacobs is a liberal-minded man, who is generous 
 both to friend and foe. He never forgets a kindness, and 
 usually manages, in a delicate manner, to repay it in ten- 
 fold proportion. He has nothing of " flash " and " paste " 
 in his mental composition; but on the contrary, readily 
 discriminates, in his actions, between humbug and truth. 
 36 
 
FREDERICK JULIAND. 
 
 Mr. Juliand was born in Greene, Chenango county, 
 New York (his present residence), October 9th, 1806, 
 being the youngest son of Captain Joseph Juliand, a 
 native of Lyons, France, who emigrated to this country 
 during the stormy times of the French Revolution, and 
 settled in Greene, in 1798 (a town purchased by the State 
 from the Oneida and Tuscarora Indians, in 1785, and 
 named in honor of General Nathaniel Greene). His 
 was one of eight or ten French families who were the 
 first white settlers of that vicinity. Among the incidents 
 of their pioneer life they boast of a visit from the cele- 
 brated French Statesman Talleyrand. 
 
 The boyhood days of Frederick Juliand were spent 
 on his father's farm, he being the recipient of such privi- 
 leges as the common schools of that day afforded. In his 
 more advanced youth he received academic advantages 
 at Oxford in his own county, and at Utica. 
 
 Having served an apprenticeship as merchant's clerk, he 
 embarked in the mercantile business, in his native town, 
 which he successfully prosecuted for upward of twenty- 
 five years, retiring from active pursuits, with a handsome 
 competency, in 18G0. 
 
 From his youth upward he has taken an interest in the 
 political issues before the country. He was a staunch 
 Whig in the clays of that party, and at its dissolution 
 became an equally ardent Republican, his opinions and 
 advice having great weight in the locality where he was 
 best known. He has twice been a member of the Union 
 State Central Committee, and has held several offices of 
 trust, in all of which he has served faithfully, and Avon a 
 reputation for purity of purpose, dignity of character, 
 
FREDERICK JULIAND. 283 
 
 ability and enterprise. He was Postmaster under Har- 
 rison and Tyler ; is one of the incorporators for locating 
 the Soldiers' Home, and is one of the Trustees of the 
 Inebriate Asylum, at Binghamton. He was a member of 
 Assembly in 1856, serving upon the Committee on Banks, 
 and was State Senator from the Twenty-third District, 
 comprising the counties of Chenango, Madison and Cort- 
 land, in 1864 and '65, being chosen by a majority of 
 5,459. During this service, he was Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Public Printing, and a member of the Committees 
 on Banks, Roads and Bridges, and Poor Laws. He earned 
 considerable distinction as Senator, acquiring a name for 
 exercising careful and comprehensive judgment, upon all 
 matters of legislation, and for steadfastly advocating 
 economy in conducting the affairs of the State. Standing 
 in the foremost ranks of those whose honesty and firmness 
 could be relied upon, his career as a Senator was without 
 a blemish. Among the important questions settled by 
 the Legislature while he was in the Senate, was that of the 
 Chenango Canal extension. This measure, was, through 
 the immediate supervision and active exertions of Senator 
 Juliand, put into practical effect, and by virtue of the 
 law passed, mainly by his influence, is noAV near its com- 
 pletion. The speech made by Mr. Juliand, in its behalf 
 before the Committee of the whole Senate, displayed 
 careful research and wise judgment. 
 
 Mr. Juliajtd was an effective supporter of the late war, 
 contributing liberally from his time and means to sustain 
 the Union. He was one of the Committee appointed 
 by the Governor to raise recruits, and performed valuable 
 service in that behalf. His libei*ality toward the families 
 of absent soldiers, has made his name familiarly welcome 
 at many a lonely fireside. 
 
 In the summer of 1864, the town of Greene, had occa- 
 sion to forward funds to an agent at Newbern, North 
 
284 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Carolina, who was there endeavoring to enlist men to fill 
 their quota. Much against his will Mr. Juliand was 
 induced to undertake the task. He started via Washing- 
 ton and Norfolk, taking the steamer Fawn at- the latter 
 place for Ronoake Island, via the Dismal Swamp Canal. 
 When about 150 miles from Norfolk, the steamer was 
 attacked by Guerrillas, under the command of a Captain 
 Hopkins. Upward of a hundred shots were fired at the 
 steamer, killing and wounding nine of the little party of 
 only thirty. Mr. Juliand and the remaining survivors 
 were taken prisoners and robbed of all their baggage ; the 
 steamer was burned, and they were compelled to march, 
 the whole night, thirty miles, to Elizabeth City, where, 
 after being robbed of $6,000 (a portion of the funds he 
 was transporting), he and Major Jenny of Syracuse, were 
 paroled, through the interference of a friend, the remainder 
 of the party being marched off to a vile Southern prison, 
 where it has been since ascertained more than half of 
 them died horrible deaths. Mr. Juliand and his com- 
 panions made their escape from rebel domain in a sail- 
 boat, after being without food or shelter, for about two 
 entire days. 
 
 His recent election to the Assembly was a flattering 
 expression of the esteem and regard in which he is held 
 at home. The county by the recent apportionment is 
 reduced to one member, and there was considerable 
 strife among prominent gentlemen for the position. Mr. 
 Juliand's name was not mentioned in that connection 
 until the Convention which placed him in nomination had 
 organized, and even then against his express desire. He 
 received a unanimous nomination, and at the polls, received 
 1,608 majority, the highest vote given to any candidate 
 upon the ticket. 
 
 Mr. Juliand is strictly moral and temperate in his 
 habits, a worthy example and an honor to society. 
 
PATRICK KEADY. 
 
 
 Me. Keady, the Member of Assembly from the Third 
 District of Kings county, was born at Mount Equity, 
 county of Roscommon, Ireland, on the 26th day of June, 
 1832. His parents soon after moved to Correen, an unpre- 
 tending village about four miles distant from the town of 
 Ballhiasloe, where his father leased a small farm, which 
 he worked for a few years, and then died. Pateick had, 
 at that time, just begun to go to school ; but, being the 
 oldest son, he was forced to stay at home and work 
 the farm for the support of himself and his brothers 
 and sisters. Finding farming unprofitable in his native 
 country, he came to America, in 1851, in order to better 
 his condition. Arriving here on the 17th day of March 
 in that year, he lost no time in seeking employment, and 
 was soon afterward bound as an apprentice to a promi- 
 nent master printer, Josiah T. Smith, of Brooklyn. Mr. 
 Keady could then scarcely write his own name in a 
 legible manner, but, by his devotion to study in his 
 leisure hours, he soon began to improve in the art of 
 reading and writing. He rapidly acquired a knowledge 
 of the country, and was passionately fond of newspaper 
 reading. Indeed, the price of newspapers, and his cloth- 
 ing and board bills, were, for a time, his only expense. 
 By the advice of his employer, he practiced exact econ- 
 omy, and Benjamin Feanklin himself could not have 
 been more scrupulous in this respect than he was for a 
 time. In a few years he was able to aid his mother, two 
 brothers and one sister, who were yet in Ireland, but who 
 also came to this country, shortly before Mr. Keady's time 
 for service had expired. Having served his apprenticeship 
 according to agreement, he was paid full journeyman's 
 
286 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 wages by his employer, a compliment which falls to the 
 lot of few apprentices, even in this country. Mr. Keady 
 continued to work at his trade in New York city, where 
 he pursued it for upwards of fifteen years ; he then found 
 his health greatly impaired by his exhausting labors by 
 day, and his studies by night. He at length concluded 
 to find some other employment, and, having a taste for 
 journalism, he at once commenced the study of short- 
 hand writing. Having studied phonography for over a 
 year, during which time he still worked at his trade, he 
 sought and obtained a position as reporter on one of the 
 New York daily papers. This position, we believe, he 
 holds up to the present time. He has always been a 
 Democrat in politics, but has never held any office before. 
 He was opposed during the campaign by the regular 
 Republican candidate, and by a prominent Democrat 
 also ; but he defeated both by a plurality of over fifteen 
 hundred votes. Whatever Mr. Keady knows — and he is 
 a gentleman of no little intelligence — is the result of close 
 study under unfavorable circumstances. He still devotes 
 his leisure hours to study, is temperate in his habits, and 
 is refined in his deportment. 
 
JAMES W. KIMBALL. 
 
 Mr. Kimball is a native of Lawrence, St. Lawrence 
 county, New York, where he was born, June 25th, 1825. 
 His homestead was of the most primitive kind — a log 
 house, covered with ash bark, the logs having been cut 
 and peeled by the hands of his father and mother. The 
 house was built and covered in one day, five families, 
 including men and women (being all of the inhabitants 
 within a circle of two miles), participating in its erection. 
 They afterward sat down to a delicious supper, consisting, 
 in part, of the flesh of black bears, raccoons and venison, 
 which was to be had in abundance, at that period. Mr. 
 Kimball spent his boyhood, at home, participating in 
 the general labors of a backwoods life. When he was 
 seventeen, he went to the village of Potsdam, and 
 attended the academy one term, working night and morn- 
 ing for his board. He then worked six months on a farm 
 for wages, and earned a sum of money sufficient to pay 
 what debts he had incurred while at Potsdam. Being 
 anxious to add still more to his stock of knowledge, Mr. 
 Kimball entered the academy at Fort Covington, James 
 C. Spencek being Principal, and remained there a couple 
 of terms. During the winters of 1844 and 1845, laying 
 aside his books as a student, he mounted the platform as a 
 district school teacher. Having met Avith the usual num- 
 ber of successes and defeats in attempting to develope and 
 educate the young minds under his care, he abandoned 
 that avocation, and, in the spring of 1845, accepted a 
 clerkship in Fort Covington, at a salary of six dollars 
 a month ; his compensation was yearly increased, until 
 1851, at which time he received three hundred and fifty 
 dollars per annum. Sometime during that year, Mr. Kim- 
 
288 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 ball left his employers, with seven hundred and twenty- 
 five dollars in his pocket, the savings from his earnings. 
 In May, 1852, he began business on his own account, in a 
 small way. There were many discouraging aspects 
 surrounding him ; his funds were limited ; his former 
 employers, with a cash capital of $50,000, were inimical 
 toward his project ; and his credit was circumscribed : 
 but, by perseverance, he accumulated property, and, in 
 1863, closed his business, and found, in his favor, a cash 
 balance of $40,000. 
 
 Mr. Kimball voted with the Democrats for the first 
 time, in 1846, and continued to do so, until 1856, when he 
 became a Republican, subsequently representing his town 
 as Supervisor, for five successive years, and in the years 
 1864 and '65, serving as Chairman of the Board. During 
 the last four years, he has been one of the Commissioners 
 of Excise in his county. This is his third term in the 
 Assembly, to which he has been eleeted, each time, by a 
 large majority. He is on the Committee on Federal Rela- 
 tions, and is Chairman of the Committee on State Prisons. 
 
JACOB LEFEVER. 
 
 Although a comparatively young man, Mr. Lefever 
 lias repeatedly been elevated to places of honor and trust, 
 by the people of his town and district. In 1861, he was 
 chosen Supervisor of New Paltz, one of the wealthiest 
 towns in Ulster county, and was reelected to the same 
 office, the following year. In 1862, he was nominated for 
 the Assembly ; and, in a district which gave Horatio 
 Seymour fifty-one majority, he was elected by a majority 
 of one hundred and ninety-nine, over ex-Sheriff Griffiths, 
 one of the most popular Democrats in the county. 
 Important consequences resulted to the State and Nation 
 from his election, in this manner, and at this time. His 
 appearance in the Assembly, as will be remembered, tied 
 that body politically, and finally led to the election of Mr. 
 Callicot, as Speaker, which gave the control of both 
 branches of the Legislature to the Union party. And out 
 of this grew the election of Governor Morgan to the 
 United States Senate, and the consequences which have 
 resulted to the country from his presence there. 
 
 His course in the Legislature of 1863, was so satisfac- 
 tory to his constituents, that he was returned, in 1864, and 
 again, in 1865, by increased majorities. The nomination 
 for the session of 1866 was tendered him; but, owing to 
 pi*essing business engagements, he declined to be a candi- 
 date. His friends, however, who knew him as a tried and 
 true representative, would not consent to his remaining in 
 retirement for another year, and they insisted on his 
 accepting a nomination for the present term. He did not 
 feel at liberty to again refuse ; and, although the district 
 is nearly equally divided, politically, and his opponent in 
 the canvass was a young and active Democrat, he was 
 37 
 
290 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 elected by a majority of three hundred and eighty-four, 
 running largely ahead of his ticket. 
 
 Mr. Lefever was born in the town of New Paltz, 
 Ulster county, on the 20th of April, 1831. His ancestors 
 were French Huguenots, who were compelled to leave 
 their native land on account of religious persecution, and 
 who settled in this country, about the year 1680. He now 
 owns and resides on a portion of the land purchased of the 
 savages by them, and afterwards granted to them, by 
 letters patent from the English government. There, in the 
 beautiful and fertile valley of the " AValkill," a few miles 
 west of the Hudson River, and in one of the finest agri- 
 cultural districts in the State, Mr. Lefever enjoys the 
 pleasant and independent life of the American farmer. 
 Liberally educated at the New Paltz Academy and 
 Amenia Seminary, he is enabled to cultivate his broad 
 acres intelligently, and with profit to himself. 
 
 Mr. Lefever has been identified with the Republican 
 party since its organization. An active and efficient 
 worker, with great personal popularity, he combines more 
 political strength than almost any other man in the 
 district. As a legislator, his course has been such as to 
 command respect ; and he has the reputation of being an 
 industrious and capable member. 
 
DEWITT C. LITTLEJOHN. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born in 1818, in the 
 town of Bridgewater, Oneida county, New York. Of his 
 early years the writer of this has little knowledge beyond 
 the fact that he passed creditably through such schools 
 as the country then afforded, and pursued an academic 
 course, until he was prepared to enter the Sophomore class 
 in college. Instead of pursuing a collegiate course, how- 
 ever, he surrendered the student's form for the desk of the 
 counting-room, and his life, so far, has been devoted 
 mainly to commercial pursuits. 
 
 In 1839, at the age of twenty-one, Mr. Littlejohn went 
 to Oswego, then a growing village of but five thousand 
 inhabitants, taking with him vigor, integrity of charac- 
 ter, perseverance and shrewd business tact — characteristics 
 which have adhered to him through life. His removal to 
 Oswego was for the purpose of entering into business 
 relations with the late Hon. Henry Fitzhugh. Though 
 not the pioneers of the lake trade, the energy of this firm 
 did much toward developing and bringing into existence 
 that immense internal commerce with the West, by the 
 way of the lakes, which is among the wonders of modern 
 times. 
 
 Mr. Littlejohn has always taken an active interest in 
 the prosperity and growth of his city. This activity was 
 early marked by the people among whom he had made 
 his home ; he was elected, while still a " new comer," a 
 Trustee of Oswego Village, and was one of the first 
 Mayors when the village became a city. 
 
 In the midst of active habits and pressing business 
 relations, politics for him had few allurements. And, 
 indeed, it will be found that whenever he has taken office, 
 
292 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 it has been for the opportunity it afforded for the accom- 
 plishment of some important public end. In the early 
 classification of the political parties of his day, Mr. Lit- 
 tlejohn was a " Free Soil " or Anti-slavery Whig ; 
 and he has always hated slavery with the full inten- 
 sity of his nature. While many of the prominent men 
 of his party with whom he was, in those days, on 
 intimate terms, embraced "Conservative" views and 
 finally gravitated into the Pro-slavery party, he stood 
 by his avowed and early convictions, and without doubt 
 exerted no little influence in moulding the Radical sen- 
 timent which now characterizes his district and county. 
 When the Whig party was shipwrecked upon the rock of 
 mistaken expediency, Mr. Littlejohn - was found ready to 
 enter zealously into the Republican organization, and, 
 from that date, he has labored to promote its distinctive 
 principles and measures. In his own district and county, 
 there is no other voice which has been more frequently 
 heard from the rostrum, and none which the people so 
 delight to hear, or which arouses them to such degrees of 
 enthusiasm. It is, however, in the character of a legislator 
 that Mr. Littlejohn has won the greatest distinction, and 
 is now the most favorably known. 
 
 By the State Constitution of 1846, provision was made 
 for the enlargement of the Erie Canal ; but no such 
 provision was made for the Oswego Canal. It is not sur- 
 prising that the people of Oswego county were alarmed. 
 In this emergency, in 1853, Mr. Littlejoihst was selected 
 as the best man to go to the Assembly, to obtain that 
 justice, in the Legislature, which had been denied in the 
 Constitutional Convention. His familiarity with commer- 
 cial matters brought him into immediate notice, in the 
 Legislature, in connection with the measures for the com- 
 pletion of the enlargement of the Erie Canal, then sus- 
 pended for the want of means, and the enlargement of 
 
DE-WITT C. LITTLE JOHN. 293 
 
 the Oswego Canal, which had not been provided for by the 
 Constitutional Convention. An amendment to the Con- 
 stitution was required to meet the case. Of the Committee 
 of the House to effect this, Mr. Littlejohn was an active 
 member, as he was also of the Joint Committee of both 
 Houses, appointed to advance the same end. 
 
 The people of the State having ratified the amendment, 
 Mr. Little john, in 1854, was again elected by his district 
 to assist in giving effect to the provisions of the amended 
 Constitution. In this Assembly, he was placed in the 
 responsible position of Chairman of the Canal Committee ; 
 and, as such, he reported the measures by which the 
 enlargement of the Erie Canal was completed, and pro- 
 visions made for the simultaneous enlargement of the 
 Oswego and Seneca and Cayuga Canals, and the locks of 
 the Champlain Canal. Such was his reputation for ability 
 established in the Legislature of 1854, that, having been 
 reelected, on the opening of the Legislature of 1855, he 
 was placed in the Speaker's chair. It was during this 
 term that the memoi'able strife occurred in the reelection 
 of Hon. William H. Sewaed, to the United States Senate. 
 The friends of freedom, in all parts of the Union, were 
 watching the result with great anxiety. The strife was 
 fierce and acrimonious. Mr. Littlejohn threw himself 
 into the contest with his well-known strength of purpose. 
 It was conceded that his individual efforts turned the scale, 
 and William H. Sewaed, in that critical period, when 
 public opinion w r as just beginning to be aroused to the 
 dangerous encroachments of the slave power, was selected 
 as the leader of the cause in the United States Senate. 
 Mr. Littlejohn was held responsible for the result. 
 Nowhere was the feeling more vindictive than in his own 
 city. The anti-slavery sentiment, however, was no less 
 fully aroused. His friends rallied to his support, and his 
 course was most emphatically indorsed by his triumphant 
 
294 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 election to the office of Mayor of Oswego, after one of the 
 most violently contested canvasses which that city has 
 ever experienced. 
 
 Mr. Littlejohn was again elected in 1857, '59, '60, and 
 '61, in each of which years, he, with little opposition, occu- 
 pied the Speaker's chair. Each of these sessions had its 
 particular work, in which Mr. Little john took a leading 
 part ; and during these years in the Assembly, he estab- 
 lished a reputation as an eloquent debater, and an ability 
 as a parliamentarian and legislator, which has never been 
 excelled by any other citizen of this State. As a presiding 
 officer, he has been particularly popular, and as such, he 
 has had few equals. 
 
 Mr. Littlejohn labored zealously for the election of 
 Fkemont, in 1856, and Lincoln, in 1860. The estimation 
 in which his services were held at Washington, may be 
 judged from the fact, that on the accession of Mr. Lincoln 
 to the Presidency, he appointed Mr. Littlejohn to the 
 highly responsible and lucrative office of United States 
 Consul at Liverpool, a position which he promptly declined, 
 not desiring to leave the country, at a time when the gov- 
 ernment was liable to need the services of its citizens. 
 
 In 1862, it will be remembered, there came a time of 
 general apathy and discouragement in regard to the war. 
 The President issued calls for six hundred thousand fresh 
 troops, and this levy required from Oswego county, two 
 full regiments, in addition to the two already in the field. 
 The Colonelcy of a regiment was urged upon Mr. Little- 
 john, by the War Committee of the county. Although 
 in no sense a military man, such was the urgency of the 
 case, that he did not hesitate, and, in ten days from the time 
 he accepted the appointment, he raised the 110th regiment. 
 In August, Colonel Littlejohn moved his regiment to 
 Baltimore, where it was ordered into a camp of instruction, 
 under Major-General Wool. His command remained in 
 
DEWITT C. LITTLE JOHN". 295 
 
 this camp, until November, when it was designated as a 
 portion of the great expedition to New Orleans, under 
 Major-General Banks ; and in that month, Colonel Little- 
 john and his regiment went on board the steamship Erics- 
 son, Avhich was placed under his command for the voyage. 
 The expedition consisted of some twenty or thirty steam- 
 ships, formed in two lines, and Colonel Littlejohn was 
 ordered to place the Ericsson in the rear of one of the 
 lines, to succor any of the vessels which might be disabled. 
 The line of sailing was soon broken by a storm which 
 came up with great violence and dispersed the fleet. The 
 propeller Thames, with the 114th Regiment, New York 
 Volunteers, on board, became disabled, and the Ericsson 
 took her in tow. In the fury of the storm, the task of 
 saving the vessel, became not only difficult, but extremely 
 perilous. Twice the hawsers parted, and twice the two 
 steamships collided, at the imminent risk of sinking both. 
 For forty-eight hours, Colonel Littlejohn never left the 
 deck of the Ericsson, giving directions for the safety of 
 the steamers. The result was, that the Ericsson towed 
 the Thames into Port Royal, with every man on board 
 saved. Colonel Littlejohn's regiment went into camp at 
 Carrolton, near New Orleans, in December, 1862. It was 
 under the command of General Banks, during his adminis- 
 tration of the affairs of the Gulf, doing admirable duty at 
 the memorable siege of Port Hudson, and elsewhere ; and, 
 when much reduced, was finally ordered to Fort Jefferson, 
 Tortugas Islands, for guard duty, where it was finally dis- 
 charged, at the close of the war. 
 
 In November, 1802, while with his regiment, Colonel 
 Littlejohn was elected a representative to the Thirty- 
 eighth Congress. Before the close of the Thirty-seventh 
 Congress, that body adopted a resolution, that, under the 
 constitution, no member could hold a commission in 
 the army, and that for a member to accept and hold such 
 
296 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 a commission, would vacate his seat. Mr. Littlejohn, 
 therefore, just before the 4th of March, 1863, resigned his 
 commission, that there might be no question of his eligi- 
 bility to his seat. His health was failing, and his sub- 
 sequent dangerous and protracted sickness, sufficiently 
 proves, that by a continuance in the service, his life would 
 have been the penalty. But he has always justified his 
 action solely upon the ground of duty to his government, 
 and to the cause, the success of which he had no right 
 to imperil. No commander was ever more popular with 
 his regiment than was Colonel Littlejohn, as no one ever 
 looked more closely after the wants and welfare of his men. 
 Mr. Littlejohn was present at the organization of the 
 Thirty-eighth Congress, but was immediately taken sick, 
 and was detained for five months. Returning to his seat 
 in his feeble state of health, he signalized his first term by 
 maturing and procuring the passage of a law which 
 appropriated $300,000 to the preservation of the Lake 
 Harbors, after Congress had avowed its purpose to appro- 
 priate no moneys, except for war purposes. Rarely, 
 indeed, has a new member been more honorably noticed 
 in the organization of the House, than was Mr. Little- 
 john. He held a prominent position on the Commit- 
 tee on the Rules of the House, was Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Pensions, second on Roads and Canals, and held 
 an important place on the Committee on Ways and Means. 
 During the short term, his health having improved, Mr. 
 Littlejohn brought forward his measure for the construc- 
 tion of a ship canal around the Falls of Niagara. This 
 measure he carried through the House, and at one time 
 there seemed little doubt that it would also pass the 
 Senate. In the settlement of the other great questions 
 which came up for consideration in the Thirty-eighth 
 Congress, Mr. Littlejohn took an active part. He sus- 
 tained the amendment to the Constitution of the United 
 
DEWITT C. LITTLE JOHN. 297 
 
 States, which abolished slavery. He was a warm friend 
 of the policy of President Lincoln, at that time the 
 subject of severe criticism on the part of even some pro- 
 minent members of the Republican organization. Mr. 
 Littlejohn had faith in his prudence, his wisdom and 
 his patriotism, and frequently, his eloquent voice rang 
 out in defense of the Administration. It will be remem- 
 bered, that among the closing scenes of the Thirty-eighth 
 Congress, was a spirited discussion upon the policy of the 
 President, between the late Hon. Henky Wintek Davis 
 and Mr. Littlejohn. 
 
 In the winter of 1866, Mr. Littlejohn again became a 
 Member of the Assembly of this State. He was Chairman 
 of the Committee on Commerce and Navigation, Chair- 
 man of the Special Committee to Revise the Rules of the 
 House, Chairman of the Select Committee on Census and 
 Apportionment, second on the Committee on Canals, 
 and, after the House had been in session a few weeks, was 
 elected Speaker pro tern., and during much of the time 
 occupied the Chair. The crowning triumph of the ses- 
 sion, however, and that which most signalized his ability 
 and power as a legislator, was the passage, by the House, 
 of a bill chartering a company to construct the Niagara 
 Ship Canal. The passage of this bill, under the circum- 
 stances attending it, was regarded the greatest personal 
 triumph ever achieved in the Legislature of the State. 
 There were conditions attached to the bill by the Senate, 
 however, which rendered it inoperative. 
 
 At the close of the session, Mr. Littlejohn was greeted 
 with a public reception by his constituents, such as is 
 seldom awarded a public servant. In token of their appre- 
 ciation of his labors, he was presented with a silver Dinner 
 Service, the cost of which was $4,500. At the proper 
 time, he was unanimously elected to the Legislature of 
 1867, by the people of his district. 
 38 
 
298 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Mr. Littlejohn is a member of the Board of Trade, 
 of the city of Oswego, has been at times its presiding 
 officer, and headed its delegation in the Commercial Con- 
 vention, held in Detroit, in 1864, composed of the leading 
 commercial minds of the nation, and it is not too much to 
 say that he was one of the leading spirits of that body. 
 
 During the summer of 1865, a project originated in 
 some of the inland counties of the State, to construct 
 a railroad from Lake Ontario to the Hudson River, oppo- 
 site New York. A company was organized, under the 
 name of the " Midland Railroad Company," and in Feb- 
 ruary, 1866, Mr. Littlejohn was elected its President. 
 During the summer following, he, in concert with other 
 Directors, spent much time in awakening an interest in its 
 construction, along the line of the projected road, with 
 the most nattering promise of final success. 
 
 In personelle, Mr. Little.tohn is tall, straight, and some- 
 what spare. He has a piercing eye, and upon the floor, 
 his voice and manner, in any public assemblage, always 
 attract the most lively interest. In habits, he is strictly 
 temperate, and in personal appearance and dress, plain and 
 unassuming. His private life, in all respects, is unques- 
 tionable, and few men have a greater power of winning 
 and establishing strong personal friendships. 
 
HOMER N. LOCKWOOD. 
 
 Mr. Lockwood has an exceedingly genial face and a 
 uniformly polite manner which is never fitful and impa- 
 tient. The man who knows how to approach him to-day, 
 can be confident that he will find the same way of access 
 to-morrow. There are some men in the world, who, under 
 the instigations both of private pique and public aggrava- 
 tions, let fly a shower of venomous words in the most 
 indiscriminate manner, just as some blind hedgehog dis- 
 charges his arrows ; but Mr. Lockwood has a happy way 
 of never letting one know when he is hit, and never vent- 
 ing spleen on those with whom he associates. 
 
 He was born in Victory, Cayuga county, New York, 
 June 23d, 1833. He is a descendant of the family of 
 Lockwoods that first settled in this country, in 1630, 
 having emigrated from Northamptonshire, England. 
 
 In the year 1817, the parents of Mr. Lockwood moved 
 from Connecticut to their new home in Victory. After 
 passing a laborious and useful life of nearly half a century 
 on the same farm, they celebrated their fiftieth marriage 
 anniversary, or "golden wedding," the 2d of October, 1863. 
 
 Mr. Lockwood is the youngest of six children. After 
 a liberal academical education, at F alley Seminary, he 
 evinced* a desire for travel, and as a preliminary step for 
 carrying out his jxirposes in that direction, consummated 
 an engagement with J. H. Coltost & Co., of New York, 
 as agent for their geographical works. Being soon after 
 promoted to General Agent, he finally entered into a 
 limited partnership. The first year of his partnership, 
 1853, he spent in South Carolina; during the next winter, 
 he was in Kentucky, superintending his employes who 
 were compiling a large map of that State ; and during 
 
300 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 the three following years, he was similarly employed in 
 Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, having his principal 
 offices in Memphis and New Orleans. In the Spring of 
 1859, Mr. Lockwood conceived the idea of extending his 
 business to the West Indies, and accordingly established 
 an office in Havana. An arrangement was readily made 
 by him with competent Spanish civil engineers, to carry 
 out the plan of publishing a detailed topographical plan 
 of the Island of Cuba, under the patronage of the Spanish 
 government. This large undertaking consumed nearly five 
 years. The winter months were spent by him, in traveling 
 over the island, and in supervising and arranging informa- 
 tion received at his office in Havana. Of course the 
 tropical summers were so hot as to prevent him from 
 performing any great amount of active labor, during their 
 continuance ; on such occasions he was accustomed to 
 make a hegira to the States. Mr. Lockwood with grati- 
 fying success conducted a similar enterprise, during 18G3 
 and 1864, in the Island of Porto Rico. In the course of 
 business he visited the Islands of St. Thomas, Santa Cruz, 
 the Bahamas, the Bermudas and many other West India 
 Islands. We should have to appropriate a large share of 
 this volume, were we to give a description of his eventful 
 life in the tropics. We leave to himself the narration of 
 his blood-chilling adventures among the mountain passes, 
 of the long, dreamy hours spent under a southern evening 
 sky, and, quien sabe, of the soft glances which none but 
 Spanish senoritas know how to give. Speaking the Span- 
 ish language almost as well as his mother tongue, during 
 the dark days of our civil war, his voice was often heard, 
 defending the Union, and nourishing the almost extinct 
 spark of sympathy among the faithless foreigners. 
 
 After Mr. LocKwood's return to his native home in 
 1865, he was elected to the Assembly from the First Dis- 
 trict of Cayuga county; in the Legislature of 1866, he 
 
JARVIS LORD. 301 
 
 served on the Committees on the Manufacture of Salt, 
 Engrossed Bills, and Public Printing, and, during the last 
 half of the session, was Chairman of the last mentioned 
 Committee. He was also one of the important Committee 
 of five to arrange the priority of business before the 
 House. During this session he is serving on the Commit- 
 tees on Public Printing, State Prisons and Manufacture of 
 Salt ; he is Chairman of the latter. 
 
 Mr. Lockwood was the only bachelor member during 
 the last session who had the courage to break through the 
 ranks and join the order of Benedicts, which event was 
 celebrated the 13th of February, 1866. 
 
 At the last election Mr. Lockwood was reelected to the 
 Assembly by a majority of 1,365, the largest ever given 
 in his disti'ict. He ranks well among his fellow legisla- 
 tors, and possesses the high esteem of his acquaintances. 
 
 JARVIS LORD, 
 
 Mr. Lord, the Member for the First District of Monroe 
 county, was born at Ballston, Saratoga county, February 
 10th, 1816. He is in the prime of life, and as vigorous as 
 he was at twenty-five ; of good physical proportions, and 
 an excellent constitution, and a temperament adapted to 
 both mental and physical endurance ; he has been favored 
 with excellent health, and seldom tires by active labor. 
 
 Mr. Lord was the son of poor parents, and had no 
 other educational advantages than those afforded by the 
 common schools in the days of his boyhood. He availed- 
 himself of these, however, so far as to acquire a tolerable 
 knowledge of those branches which were to be most 
 essential to him in business life. He adopted the avoca- 
 tion of a farmer, and, though he has most of the time had 
 
302 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 large interests in other pursuits, he has made the farm his 
 home, and has taken a pride in the culture of the soil. 
 He has resided, for twenty-five years or more, at Pitts- 
 ford, seven miles from Rochester, and has there one of 
 the best cultivated and most productive farms in Monroe 
 county. He takes delight in the cultivation of fruit, and 
 the raising of stock, particularly horses, of which he is a 
 great admirer. 
 
 Mr. Lord has always been a Democrat of the Jacksox 
 and Wright school. Devoted to the Union, he warmly 
 espoused the Federal cause at the beginning of the rebel- 
 lion, and gave freely to promote the national interests, 
 and, it is said, did more than any other man in his town 
 to keep the calls for men filled, and to help the soldiers in 
 the field and at home. He has enjoyed a personal popu- 
 larity at home, equaled by few men. When nominated 
 for office, his neighbors support him with enthusiasm. 
 He was elected to the Assembly, in 1858, on the Dem- 
 ocratic ticket, when the District went Republican by 
 several hundreds. He was elected again in 1866, by a 
 majority of fifteen over a strong opponent, when the 
 District gave Governor Fe:nton six hundred majority. 
 He has, once or more, served as Supervisor. 
 
 Mr. Lord has been engaged for many years in building 
 canals in this State, and he enjoys a high reputation as a 
 contractor. He is now President of the Farmers' and 
 Mechanics' National Bank of Rochester, an old and reli- 
 able institution. As a citizen, Mr. Lord has a spotless 
 character, and, as a business man, his reputation is excel- 
 lent all over Central and Western New York. 
 
 Mr. Lord does not claim to be an orator; his attention 
 has never been bestowed on the embellishments of rhetoric 
 and elocution. Whenever he has an opinion to utter, he 
 delivers it point blank, and usually with very good aim. 
 His shrewdness and plain sense are his leading character- 
 
JOHN MAXWELL. 303 
 
 istics. At the opening of the present Legislature, his 
 party presented him as the Democratic candidate for 
 Speaker, and sustained him by an unbroken vote ; but 
 the Republican majority in the House accomplished the 
 election of Mr. Pitts. 
 
 JOHN MAXWELL. 
 
 Me. Maxwell who represents the First Assembly Dis- 
 trict of Ulster county, was born in the year 1818, in the 
 county of Tyrone, Ireland. His father Thomas Maxwell, 
 served under the gallant leader Sir John" Mooee, and 
 afterward under Wellington, the " Iron Duke." He par- 
 ticipated in the principal battles and campaigns of those 
 heroic leaders. At Waterloo, he was in the thickest of 
 the conflict, and was an eye witness of the turning of the 
 tide which swept away the eagles of France, and doomed 
 Napoleon to exile. In 1828, he immigrated to this 
 country, bringing with him his wife and five children, 
 among whom was his son John, then a lad of ten years, 
 and settled in the city of Philadelphia, where he remained 
 two years, and then removed to the neighborhood of 
 Saugerties, New York. Young Maxwell grew to man- 
 hood, in that vicinity, entered into mercantile business, 
 and also became a dealer in North River blue stone. Just 
 before the opening of the late civil war, Mr. Maxwell 
 retired from his former pursuits, and commenced brokerage 
 in New York city. The same industry and sagaciousness 
 which he had manifested in his previous enterprises were 
 undiminished in this latter business ; and his efforts 
 were attended with large returns of j>rofit. His political 
 antecedents were Whig ; and at the organization of the 
 
304 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Republican party, he joined the columns which have 
 since received continued accessions, and have carried the 
 country through strife and bloodshed. Mr. Maxwell 
 represents a district which, in 1864, gave nearly 700 
 Democratic majority, but which gave him at the last 
 election, a majority of one hundred and seventy-nine. 
 
 He is a gentleman who is regarded by his acquaintances 
 as a first class man, and whose social relations are untar- 
 nished. Pie has a fine judgment in business matters, and in 
 relation to all just purposes, is very liberal, whereas he 
 decidedly condemns anything which bears the taint of 
 corruption. His intimate knowledge of our inland trade 
 and commerce fits him for his position on the Committee 
 on Commerce and Navigation. 
 
 Mr. Maxwell has a ruddy, jovial face, and a massive 
 frame, which looks as if it could stand a great amount of 
 fatigue. 
 
CHARLES M C KINNEY. 
 
 Charles McKinney, the Member of Assembly from 
 the Third District of Oswego county, is a native of the 
 county which he represents, having been born in Redfield, 
 in 1828. His parents were of New England stock, who 
 settled in Redfield nearly forty years ago, being among 
 the pioneers in the early settlement and development of 
 that region of the State. 
 
 Mr. McKinney was educated mostly in the common 
 schools and academies in his section of the country, and, 
 except when in school, his boyhood was spent in agricul- 
 tural pursuits. After his majority, he was engaged six 
 years in the milling business, since which time he has been 
 a merchant. 
 
 In the affairs and politics of his own town, Mr. McKin- 
 ney has not been passive, as is evidenced from the positions 
 conferred upon him by his fellow townsmen, whose confi- 
 dence and respect he fully enjoys. He has repeatedly 
 held the town offices of Inspector of Election, Town 
 Clerk, Assessor, etc.; and, in 1858, he was elected to the 
 office of Supervisor, to which he was again elected in 
 1865 and 1866; the duties of which place he has always 
 discharged to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. 
 
 He was elected to the present Legislature by a majority 
 of 1,571 votes, and represents one of the most radical 
 districts of the State. He serves on the Committees on 
 Towns and Counties, and Agriculture. Being without 
 legislative experience, except such as is acquired in the 
 local legislature of his county— the Board of Super- 
 visors — he has his record yet to make. 
 
 39 
 
JACOB A. MEAD 
 
 Jacob AcKERMAisr Mead, the member from Livingston 
 county, was born in Pompton, Passaic county, New- 
 Jersey, on the 9th of September, 1816. His parents 
 removed to Seneca county, New York, in his infancy; and 
 when ten years of age, he came to Ontario county. In 
 1835, he became a citizen of Mount Morris, Livingston 
 county, where he has since resided. He enjoyed the usual 
 opportunities for acquiring a common school education, 
 and soon after settling in Mount Morris, became a mer- 
 chant. In this pursuit he continued for several years, and 
 afterward changed his occupation for that of a lumber 
 dealer. 
 
 He has always been active in politics. He was a Whig 
 down to the formation of the Republican party; and since 
 that period, he has been an unhesitating advocate of the 
 principles of the latter party. From 1856 to 1859, he 
 held a position in the Engineer's Department, located at 
 Cuba, New York, and in 1861, he Avas appointed Superin- 
 tendent of the Genesee Valley Canal, which office he held 
 for a year, devoting himself with characteristic energy to 
 the performance of his duties. Mr. Mead has uniformly 
 favored all public measures promotive of the canal 
 interests of the State. 
 
 In 1863, he was appointed Commissioner of the Board 
 of Enrollment of the Twenty-fifth Congressional District, 
 and served efficiently in that capacity, until the Board, in 
 common with the other similar boards throughout the 
 country, was discontinued in 1865. 
 
 By the reapportionment of the State under the census 
 of 1865, the county of Livingston lost one representative 
 in the lower branch of the Legislature, thus leaving it 
 
GEORGE W. MILLSPAUGH. 307 
 
 with a single member, in the Assembly. In September 
 last, he was nominated at the Republican county Conven- 
 tion, and, although actively opposed throughout the can- 
 vass by the Hon. Mr. Hendee, present Supervisor of 
 Geneseo, and recently a member of the Assembly, a 
 gentleman of personal popularity, and claimed by his 
 friends as a Republican, (though nominated by a Demo- 
 cratic Convention,) Mr. Mead was elected by*849 majority. 
 He takes his seat with no little experience in the public 
 service, and his habits of industry and close inquiry, have 
 already fitted him for the vigilance required of him as a 
 member of the Committees on Commerce and Navigation, 
 and Federal Relations. 
 
 GEORGE W. MILLSPAUGH. 
 
 The paternal ancestors of Mr. Millspaugh emigrated 
 from Holland, about the year 1700. The name was origi- 
 nally spelled Meltzbach, but euphonic changes have toned 
 it down to its present mode of spelling. His maternal 
 grandfather, John Cameron, was a Scotchman, who, in 
 1757, then a lad of sixteen, residing near Edinburgh, 
 was impressed into the English service. He fought with 
 Wolfe at the taking of Quebec, and was subsequently a 
 soldier in the American army during the Revolution. At 
 the close of that struggle, he held a Lieutenant's com- 
 mission. 
 
 Mr. Millspaugh, until sixteeen years old, attended the 
 district school. He then availed himself of the educa- 
 tional benefits afforded by the Montgomery Academy. 
 While in the pursuit of his studies at that institution, he 
 also acquired no little experience in teaching, thus bring- 
 
308 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 ing into practice the instruction which he had received. 
 When he was twenty-one years old, he began the study 
 of law in the office of General Borland, a distinguished 
 Democratic politician, and an able lawyer, residing at 
 Montgomery, Orange county, New York. Being thrown 
 somewhat upon his own efforts for his pecuniary supplies, 
 he taught two yeai'S, and pursued his legal studies during 
 his leisure time. After his admission to the Bar, Avhich 
 transpired in February, 1850, he followed his profession 
 in the town of Montgomery, until the spring of 1858 
 when he removed to Goshen. While a resident of 
 Montgomery, he was elected Superintendent of Common 
 Schools for the period of two years, and was likewise 
 Justice of the Peace four years. He has held the same 
 office during seven years of his residence in the town of 
 Goshen, and has been Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, 
 for the past five years. 
 
 In 1865, Mr. Millspaugh was elected to the Assembly 
 by the Democrats, by seventy-five majority, leading his 
 ticket, and being the only Democratic candidate who was 
 elected in the county. He was reelected in 1866 by a 
 majority of one hundred and eighty-nine. Such was the 
 popular feeling in his favor, he ran two hundred ahead of 
 his ticket in his District. Mr. Millspaugh is an unosten- 
 tatious man, aiming at no display, yet firm in his opinions. 
 He is concise in the expression of his views, and is a cour- 
 teous and manly opponent in debate. As a member of 
 the last Legislature, he gained the approval of men of all 
 parties by his straightforward manner in the transaction 
 of business ; he ranks among the prominent Members of 
 the present House. He is a member of the Committees 
 on Federal Relations, and on Local General Orders. 
 Mr. Millspaugh is a native of the town of Montgomery, 
 New York, and has always been a resident of Orange 
 county. 
 
CHRISTIAN MINIER. 
 
 The Member of Assembly from the Second Assembly- 
 District of Steuben county, was born in the town of Canis- 
 teo, county of Steuben, New York, in the year 1818. His 
 parents were natives of that county, and, at the time Mr. 
 Minier was five years of age, moved to the town of Big 
 Flats, in the county of Chemung, where he remained 
 until his twenty-eighth year. At this time, he became a 
 resident of the town of Caton, in the county of Steuben, 
 of which he is now a resident. He received a common 
 school education, and, during the greater portion of his 
 life, has been engaged in the business of farming. He 
 has held the office of Justice of the Peace in his town for 
 fourteen years, and has also represented his town in the 
 Board of Supervisors, at intervals, for ten years, during 
 that time serving upon the most important Committees 
 of that body. At the last election he was elected, in a 
 contested canvass, to the office he now holds, over Morris 
 Smith, Democrat, by a majority of 1885. He serves on 
 the Committees on Petitions of Aliens, and Public Lands. 
 
 
ELISHA MOODY. 
 
 Mr. Moody is the senior member of the firm of " E. 
 Moody & Sons," proprietors of the Niagara Nurseries, at 
 Lockport, New York, where he has been engaged in that 
 business, during the last twenty-five years ; in the mean 
 time, lie has employed several thousand men ; and such 
 has been his fairness in dealing, no person has had cause 
 to complain of Mr. Moody as an employer. In all busi- 
 ness transactions he bears the reputation of being prudent 
 and honest. He is a native of Unity, New Hampshire. 
 His father went to Cayuga county, New York, in 1816, 
 Avhere he died in 1820. Mr. Moody then went to live 
 with Mr. William Hayden, near Auburn, and learned 
 the trade of woolen manufacturing. In 1835, he moved 
 to Michigan, and settled near the village of Allegan. 
 The country in that section, was comparatively in its 
 primitive state, and the wheels of civilization were just 
 beginning to move. Districts now populous and wealthy, 
 were then scarcely more than an unbroken wilderness ; 
 and counties now powerful in business and politics, were 
 in their infancy, both socially and politically. Mr. Moody 
 was one of the Inspectors of the first election held in the 
 county of Allegan after the organization of the State of 
 Michigan ; and attended the first wedding which trans- 
 pired in the county. While a resident of Allegan, he 
 held town offices, and was nominated for Judge Probate, 
 but he declined the honor, not being an aspirant for poli- 
 tical distinction, and preferring rather to devote his time 
 to his business projects which were quite important, as he 
 dealt largely in lands, for three or four years. Soon after 
 his return to this State, which took place in 1838, he 
 opened the nursery which we have already mentioned. 
 
MICHAEL C. MURPHY. 311 
 
 Mr. Moody, originally a Whig, is now a Republican of 
 undoubted zeal. He was elected by the First District 
 of Niagara county, by a majority of one hundred and 
 twenty-seven. He is on the Committees on Agriculture 
 and Roads and Bridges. As a citizen, Mr. Moody is 
 irreproachable. He is esteemed by his acquaintances, 
 and is counted among those who give substantial benefits 
 to their localities. 
 
 MICHAEL C. MURPHY. 
 
 Mr. Murphy, though still young, has experienced many 
 exciting adventures, and has won military distinction in 
 defending his adopted country. He is a native of Kilmal- 
 loek, Limerick county, Ireland, where he was born March 
 7th, 1839. When about eight years of age, he came to 
 America, arriving in New York city, November, 1847. 
 When he reached a suitable age, he learned the printer's 
 trade. At the opening of the civil Avar in this country, 
 Mr. Murphy, in common with hundreds of others from the 
 same avocation, enlisted in the army. April 20th, 1861, he 
 was commissioned as Captain in the Ellsworth Regiment 
 of Fire Zouaves. After the release of General Corcoran 
 from the rebel prison, Captain Murphy resigned his com- 
 mission in the Regiment of Zouaves, and joined the " Irish 
 Legion," as Captain. He was promoted, January 4th, 
 1863, to a Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the 2d Regiment of 
 the " Legion." He was closely identified with the move- 
 ments of General Corcoran's command, until he was 
 dismissed from the service by order of General Meade, 
 to date from June 9th, 1864, for sending a flag of truce to 
 the skirmishing line of the enemy, in an endeavor to save 
 
312 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 the lives of one hundred and five privates and seven 
 officers, who were wounded and lying between both lines. 
 This took place May 24th, 1864, while he was in command 
 of the advance line of the Second Division of the Second 
 Army Corps. "When this dismissal was brought to the 
 notice of General Grant, and the facts of the case were 
 clearly presented to him, he justified the course of Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel Murphy, who was immediately restored to 
 his rank, by order of President Lincoln. He left the 
 service in March, 1865, in consequence of ill-health. He 
 was a valorous officer, and a man true to his country. 
 
 The Fenian raid upon Canada, which set the English 
 Cabinet in a flutter, made the Canadians quake with sud- 
 den fear, and caused her Majesty's troops to suppose that 
 the time for field duty had come, will long be remembered 
 as a preliminary movement which, though it failed to 
 accomplish the purposes of the Irish people, nevertheless 
 caused John Bull to cast an inquiring glance toward the 
 Emerald Isle, and wonder if Erin was really in earnest. 
 Mr. Murphy was General of that portion of the Fenian 
 army, in May and June, 1866, which was concentrated at 
 Malone, New York, and was intended for the assaulting 
 column against Montreal. Every reader is familiar with 
 the failure of that undertaking, the causes of which it 
 is neither our place nor purpose to discuss. 
 
 In November, 1866, Mr. Murphy was elected to the 
 Assembly by the Democrats of the First District of the city 
 of New York, which is composed of the First, Second, 
 Third and Fifth Wards. His majority was 1,496. He 
 was appointed on the Committee on Militia and Public 
 Defense. 
 
 He has a fine military bearing, is an agreeable gentle- 
 man, and wins the good will of those with whom he comes 
 in contact. 
 
OWEN MURPHY. 
 
 Me. Murphy was born in the county of Monaghan, Ire- 
 land, and is about thirty-two years of age. His father 
 died when he was about four years old, leaving him to 
 fight life's hard battle alone, and, single-handed, to achieve 
 position and honor. The family immigrated to the United 
 States, while he was quite young, locating in the city of 
 New York. He learned the trade of tinsmith and plumber, 
 and has since followed that avocation, commencing busi- 
 ness for himself, in March, 1857, locating in Houston street, 
 near Allen. In all his business relations, he has been very 
 successful, and has attained an enviable reputation for 
 uprightness and fair dealing. He served nine years in the 
 old Volunteer Fire Department, being an officer for 
 several years, and four successive times elected Foreman 
 of Hose 16, which office he held when the paid system 
 was inaugurated. He has taken a lively interest in all the 
 political issues of the day. He is an unflinching Demo- 
 crat ; but in the local politics of the city, he has always 
 opposed the corrupt practices of the " ring," and has been 
 in favor of supporting the most trustworthy men for office. 
 
 Although Mr. Murphy is a new member, an honorable 
 and responsible place on the Committee on Cities, was 
 given to him, by the Speaker. 
 
 40 
 
JOHN OAKEY. 
 
 Mr. Oakey was born in Brooklyn, September 12th, 
 1829. He is a lineal descendant of John Okey, one of 
 Cromwell's favorite officers, and a regicide, having signed 
 the death-warrant of Charles I. Upon the Restoration, 
 he fled with his family to Holland, Avhere, on some specious 
 pretext, he was enticed into Flanders, when he was ille- 
 gally seized and forcibly taken to England, tried, convicted 
 as a regicide, hung, quartered and dragged upon a hurdle. 
 The proceedings on his trial can be found among the 
 English State trials. 
 
 The sons of the regicide married among the Hollanders, 
 which fact accounts for the name of Oakey being found 
 among those of Dutch descent, although it is of English 
 origin. His descendants were among the first immigrants 
 to this country. One, named Henry Okey, settled in 
 Flatlands, Kings county, New York, and his descendants 
 have continued their residence in the same vicinity ; the 
 great-grandfather, grandfather and father of John Oakey, 
 all having been born there. 
 
 Mr. Oakey's father removed to Brooklyn, and lived there 
 a number of years ; he removed to Elatbush when John 
 was eight years old, and still continues to make it his 
 residence. Mr. Oakey's mother was born in Litchfield, 
 Connecticut, and was a descendant of the Rev. Mr. 
 Hooper, who founded the city of Hartford. 
 
 John Oakey was the seventh of nine children, and his 
 father being a journeyman carpenter, all the little Oakeys 
 had to " scratch for themselves " as soon as they were 
 able. Fortunately, the location of Erasmus Hall Academy 
 in Flatbush, gave him advantages for education superior 
 to those of public schools, and at very little cost. Those 
 
JOHN OAKEY. 315 
 
 opportunities were so well improved, that, when it came 
 time, in his father's judgment, for him, in consideration 
 of the circumstances of his family, to leave school, he was 
 prepared for college ; and interested friends, united with 
 his mother's solicitations, prevailed on his father to send 
 him to Yale, from which he graduated in 1849. 
 
 Upon leaving college, Mr. Oakey studied law in the 
 office of the late Hon. James Humphrey, M. C, in New 
 York city, during which time he supported himself, and 
 was also enabled to pay off a greater portion of the 
 indebtedness incurred in his education, by nightly giving 
 lessons on the violin ; so that which he had cultivated in 
 college as an amusement, became to him a great source of 
 help. After being admitted to the Bar, he entered a law 
 office as clerk, and, in a few years, became a partner in 
 the same office. He still continues the practice of his 
 profession in New York city. 
 
 Mr. Oakey was a private in the noted 7th Regiment 
 of New York city, National Guards, and served with it 
 in the memorable campaign in the defense of Washing- 
 ton, in the spring of 1861; three months, in 1862, at 
 Federal Hill, Baltimore; and, in 1863, at the same place, 
 and at Frederick and the Monocacy. He also served with 
 the regiment, during the New York riots. 
 
 Mr. Oakey had never been a politician, but, in Flat- 
 bush, has been School Trustee several terms, Trustee of 
 Erasmus Hall Academy, Justice of the Peace, &c. His 
 District was deemed to be Democratic, beyond perad- 
 venture, and he received the Republican nomination for 
 the Assembly, in 1865, as a forlorn hope, running against 
 Mr. Whitman", the Democratic candidate, who had been 
 elected the previous year by a large majority. Much to 
 his own surprise and that of his friends, he was elected by 
 thi'ee hundred and fifty majority. It was thought, in 
 1866, that he would be defeated, inasmuch as he had voted 
 
316 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 for the Excise law, but he received the handsome majority 
 of two hundred and fifty, and was the only one of the mem- 
 bers of the previous House from Kings county, that was 
 returned. In the Assembly, Mr. Oakey occupies one of 
 the most honorable and responsible positions, having been 
 designated by the Speaker to the Chairmanship of the 
 Committee on Commerce and Navigation. 
 
 Mr. Oakey, besides being possessed of superior practical 
 qualifications as a working legislator, is one of the wits of 
 the House, and is social, genial, affable and obliging, hav- 
 ing a smile and a kind word for all. He has been recently 
 promoted from a private in the ranks, to the position of 
 Judge Advocate, with the rank of Colonel, on the Staff 
 of Major-General Shaler, First Division, New York State 
 National Guard. 
 
 DANIEL O'REILLY. 
 
 This gentleman has royal Irish blood in his veins, being 
 a descendant of the famous O'Reillys, of the county of 
 Cavan, Ireland, who wei - e Princes under the Irish mon- 
 archy, and participated in the ineffectual struggles of Erin 
 to keep herself an independent government. 
 
 He was born in Cavan county, Ireland, in the year 1839. 
 When very young, he left his home, without the knowl- 
 edge, and, in fact, against the will of his parents, and 
 came to New York city, where he obtained an education 
 in the public schools. After leaving school, Mr. O'Reilly 
 was employed in the manufacture of soda water, for several 
 years. But being, at that time, of a restless and ven- 
 turesome disposition, he embarked on an expedition to 
 Nicaragua, with the late General Walker. The romance 
 of his dreams was dissipated by the privations which he 
 
DANIEL O'REILLY. 317 
 
 had to endure. Instead of General Walker's marching, 
 with triumphant banners, to the consummation of success, 
 his progress was, inch by inch, disputed, until he found 
 his army dwindled down to a mere handful of men. 
 After many sufferings, Mr. O'Reilly returned to New 
 York. 
 
 When the late war broke out, he enlisted in the 170th 
 Regiment, New York State Volunteers, and served until 
 the surrender of the Rebel forces. He participated in 
 twenty-one different battles, among which were those of 
 Bristow Station, Mine Run, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, 
 Spottsylvania Court House, North Anne River, Peters- 
 burgh, Richmond, &c. After his return from the war, he 
 was elected School Inspector of the Fourteenth Ward of 
 New York, and acted in that capacity until an act of the 
 Legislature abrogated that office. Last fall, he was nomi- 
 nated, by the Mozart Democracy of the Third District, for 
 Member of the Assembly, and was elected against three 
 other candidates, by a plurality of four hundred and 
 eighty-two. 
 
JOHN L. PARKER. 
 
 The birth-place of Mr. Parker is Sempronius — now 
 Moravia — Cayuga county, New York, where he was born, 
 on the 25th day of March, 1825. On his mother's side, he 
 is a descendant of John" Locke, whose name is familiar 
 to almost every one ; and his father was of the English 
 family of Parkers, of Welsh descent. 
 
 Mr. Parker obtained his education, which was academic, 
 by his oavii exertions. Conscious that the best investment 
 which could be made with his time and money, was to be 
 found in qualifying himself for the opportunities which 
 fall in the way of every citizen, he studied diligently 
 while at school, confident that, in after years, he would be 
 amply repaid for his studiousness. On the completion of 
 his school life, he began the study of law. In due time, 
 he was admitted to practice ; and he has continued in his 
 profession ever since, rising, by persevering toil, to an 
 honorable place at the Bar of Cayuga county. Soon after 
 Mr. Parker attained his majority, he became an office- 
 holder, and he has never been out of office, since that time ; 
 consequently, his life has been very closely interwoven 
 with politics. Originally a Democrat, he remained so, 
 until 185G, when he joined the Republican party, preferring 
 to attach himself to an organization which had for its 
 foundation, the enduring principles of equity, rather than 
 to remain within the ranks of Hunkerism. 
 
 Mr. Parker has natural and acquired qualifications, 
 which have placed him among the most influential mem- 
 bers of the House. As a parliamentarian, he has few 
 superiors, and his knowledge in this regard, with his 
 naturally quick intellect and intuitive shrewdness, have 
 rendered him one of the best tacticians in the Assembly, 
 
JOHN L. PARKER. 319 
 
 for several years. This fact caused him to be selected 
 by a party caucus, in his first year (1865), to engineer 
 the Metropolitan Paid Fire Department Bill through the 
 House ; and he did it, although the opposition was strong 
 and unscrupulous. His skill, in this respect, received a 
 striking illustration, in 1867, when, in the first few weeks 
 of the session, he brought to a third reading in the House, 
 and passed by a unanimous vote, a bill to require the rail- 
 road companies of this State to give equal freight and 
 express facilities to all (a bill designed to reach the case 
 of the Merchants' Union Express Company). The bill 
 passed through all the stages of legislation openly, yet so 
 quietly, that its presence was scarcely known before it had 
 passed beyond the jurisdiction of the House. 
 
 Mr. Parker has also eminent qualifications as a presid- 
 ing officer, having the requisite knowledge, promptness 
 and decision for that position. His qualifications in that 
 respect caused him to be selected, in 1865, by a party 
 caucus, as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, on 
 the Metropolitan Health Bill, and the Buffalo Police Bill. 
 In 1866, he was frequently called to take the Chair by 
 Speaker Tremain. 
 
 He is also an effective debater. In 1865, he delivered a 
 speech on the Constitutional Amendment; in 1866, on the 
 Health Bill, and the resolutions indorsing Congress against 
 the President; and, in 1867, an impromptu argument on the 
 Constitutional Amendments, all of which were deservedly 
 highly praised and widely read. 
 
 In his general course as a legislator, he has sought the 
 best interests of the State, the keeping down of taxation, 
 and the overthrow or crippling of monopolies. He has 
 been Chairman, for two years, of the Committee on Rail- 
 roads, serving in that delicate position with credit to 
 himself, honor to his constituents and the true interests 
 of the State. 
 
GEORGE J. PENFIELD. 
 
 This gentleman was born, March 24th, 1826, in Camden, 
 Oneida county, New York. He is the youngest son of 
 Fowler Penfield, of English descent, who took part in 
 the war of 1812, on the western frontier, and who was the 
 second son of Jesse Penfield who distinguished him- 
 self in the Revolutionary war, having entered the service 
 at the age of seventeen. He served in the army, over 
 seven years, and was in the battle of White Plains, and 
 all the other memorable battles of the Revolution ; he then 
 removed from the State of Connecticut to Camden, New 
 York, where he lived to a good old age. 
 
 On the maternal side, Mr. Penfield is of French and 
 Holland descent, of the families bearing the names of 
 DeMilt and Wormsley, that fled from the persecutions 
 instituted against the Christians, having left their proj:>erty 
 to be confiscated, and landed on Manhattan Island, when 
 New York was but a small village. Benjamin DeMilt 
 was a man of almost unbounded liberality ; he donated 
 an extensive library to the Mechanics' Library of New 
 York city, and appropriated a large amount of money 
 to that institution. His maiden sisters bequeathed a great 
 portion of their estate to benevolent institutions ; and the 
 authorities of New York honored them for the deed, by 
 giving one of the Dispensaries their name. 
 
 Mr. Penfield had few advantages for acquiring learn- 
 ing. From boyhood, to the age of twenty-five, he was 
 employed in farming pursuits. Before he was twenty-one, 
 he removed, with his father and family, to Westchester 
 county, New York. 
 
 For twelve or thirteen years, Mr. Penfield conducted 
 a lucrative business, in the town of New Rochelle. On 
 
GEORGE J. PENFIELD. 321 
 
 the breaking out of the war, he aided in fitting out the 
 first regiment of volunteers which went from Westchester 
 county, and which participated in the disastrous battle 
 of Bull Run. He, and other patriotic gentlemen in that 
 vicinity, pledged themselves to the support of the families 
 of the soldiers who went out at that time ; and they faith- 
 fully redeemed their pledge. And, in fact, all through 
 the war, Mr. Penfield was among the foremost of those 
 who assiduously exerted themselves to fill the quotas of 
 men, which were demanded for the purpose of filling up 
 our broken columns in the field. In 1862, he was elected 
 Secretary of the Westchester county Mutual Insurance 
 Company, and was subsequently chosen President of it. 
 He has also held various town offices. He is now a mem- 
 ber of the Board of Education, and one of the first Trustees 
 of the village of New Rochelle; and he has twice repre- 
 sented his town in the Board of Supervisors, having been 
 elected by the Democratic party. He is President of the 
 Savings Bank in New Rochelle; and, as a business man, 
 displays eminent characteristics. He very matei'ially aided 
 in securing the erection of a new church edifice for the 
 congregation of which he is a member, also in improving 
 the public schools in order to meet the growing wants of 
 his town, and in accomplishing the incorporation of the 
 village of New Rochelle. 
 
 Mr. Penfield is of irreproachable character, and a 
 useful citizen. He was elected to the Assembly, over 
 his Republican opponent, by a fair majority ; and was 
 appointed on the Committee on Insurance Companies. 
 
 41 
 
HENRY A. PHILLIPS. 
 
 Lewis county is represented in the Assembly, this 
 year, by a new member, Henry A. Phillips of Lowville, 
 a young man of much promise. There are few men in 
 Lewis county who have enjoyed better early advantages, 
 or who have gathered more experience or useful knowl- 
 edge from passing events, than Mr. Phillips. Having 
 early received a thorough education, and mingled much 
 in public life, he is now well prepared to discharge the 
 responsibilities of a position, which he did not, in any way, 
 seek. 
 
 Mr. Phillips is a native of Connecticut, having been 
 born in Middletown, July 20th, 1834. His parents were 
 of English descent. In the early part of his life, he went 
 to Lewis county, New York, and attended school at Low- 
 ville Academy, several years ; after that, he graduated at 
 the State Normal School, at Albany, and subsequently was 
 a student at the Meridan Classical Academy, in New 
 Hampshire. He is a good scholar, and has obtained con- 
 siderable celebrity, as a literary lecturer. He is one of the 
 best political speakers in Lewis county. 
 
 For several years, he edited the Journal and Republi- 
 can, a newspaper printed at Lowville. His reputation as 
 a journalist is well established, and it is acknowledged 
 that he conducted the paper with discretion and ability, 
 doing very much in his county to elevate the Republican 
 party to its present commanding position. Mr. Phillips 
 left the publishing business, in consequence of ill health, 
 about two years ago, and has since traveled extensively, 
 greatly to the improvement of his health. 
 
 He was, for three yeai-s, Chairman of the Republican 
 county Committee, of Lewis county, a position which he 
 
JOSEPH H. PLUMB. 323 
 
 filled with signal ability. He has often been elected dele- 
 gate to the various political conventions of his party, in 
 the State, and has formed a thorough acquaintance with 
 the public men of the day. He now enters upon his first 
 experience as a legislator, with all the qualifications which 
 a new member can possess — honesty, education and talent. 
 He occupies a position in the front rank of the young 
 members of the Legislature. His brief speech in the 
 Assembly on the bill to provide for a Constitutional Con- 
 vention, was concise and ai-gumentative. 
 
 He holds a good position on Committees, and is well 
 known as an active, useful and influential legislator. 
 
 JOSEPH H. PLUMB. 
 
 Colonel Plumb belongs to a New England family. His 
 father, Mr. Ralph Plumb emigrated from Connecticut to 
 this State, about the close of the war with Great Britain, 
 making his home, for a season, in Oneida countj r . He 
 afterward removed to Talmadge, on the Western Reserve, 
 Ohio. Here his son Joseph was born, March 10th, 1819. 
 The ensuing July, Mr. Plumb removed to Fredonia, in 
 Chautauqua county, where he remained four years, after 
 which, he made his residence at Gowanda, near Aldrich 
 Mills, lying in the town of Collins, Erie county. At this 
 period the region was a wilderness, and but two or three 
 white families dwelt in the vicinity. Here young Plumb 
 spent his boyhood. Great pains were taken with his edu- 
 cation. His father and family belonged to the Presbyte- 
 rian Church, of which he has also been a member for many 
 years. Joseph was duly put to school, and at riper age, 
 
324 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 became a student at the Fredonia Academy, and also at 
 the Oneida Institute, at Whitesboro', then under the 
 charge of Rev. Beriah Green. 
 
 After leaving school, he entered his father's store, and 
 afterward became a partner. They carried on business, in 
 an honorable way, securing general confidence, and with it, 
 liberal patronage. Several years afterward, he engaged 
 also in milling, and established a factory for wool carding 
 and cloth dressing, in those days an important branch of 
 business. He prospered in everything that he undertook, 
 and acquired a handsome fortune. Finally, several years 
 ago, he withdrew from mercantile business, and having 
 bought a large farm, gave his attention entirely to dairy- 
 ing, in which he has been actively engaged ever since. 
 
 He held, for several years, the rank of Colonel of the 
 198th Regiment, of the New York State Militia. 
 
 The Plumb family always took an active interest in 
 political subjects. They were supporters of Whig prin- 
 ciples. Mr. Alvin Plumb represented the county of 
 Chautauqua, in the Assembly, in 1833 and 1837, and 
 Ralph, his brother, was elected from Erie county, in 1834. 
 Colonel Plumb himself, was a member of the Assembly in 
 1860, but had no share in its unenviable reputation, having 
 early resolved to work for no measure which was pressed 
 by improper agencies. He also held the office of Super- 
 visor of the town of Collins for six years, and was Chair- 
 man of the Board at its last session. 
 
 After the dissolution of the Whig party, Colonel Plumb 
 united with the " Americans," and was their candidate for 
 the Assembly in 1859, receiving over twelve hundred 
 majority. He has ever since acted with the Republicans, 
 supporting Mr. Lincoln, for President, in I860, and 
 forming that wing of the dominant political party which 
 supported the emancipation policy, and the most vigorous 
 prosecution of the war. At the last election he received 
 
WILLIAM POOL. 325 
 
 3,195 votes, a majority of 361. He is a man of unassuming, 
 manners, untiring industry, and great wariness. More 
 such representatives would insure the best legislation. 
 
 Mr. Plumb is a member of the Committees on Insurance 
 Companies, Claims, and Local General Orders. 
 
 WILLIAM POOL. 
 
 Mr. Pool was born in Lewiston, Niagara county, New 
 York, May 15th, 1825, and is the eldest of seven children, 
 five of whom are living. He is a descendant, in the seventh 
 degree, from Edward Pool, who died in Weymouth, 
 Mass., in 1G64. His father, Thomas F. Pool, was born in 
 Abington, Mass., and removed with his parents to Niagara 
 county, the year previous to the declaration of the war of 
 1812, where, with the exception of a year, when driven 
 from the frontier by the invasion of the British and 
 Indians, he has ever since resided, in the enjoyment of a 
 competence secured by an honest and industrious life. 
 His mother, previous to marriage, was Miss Fanny 
 Sutherland, who removed to Niagara county from Suth- 
 erland's Falls, Vermont, when quite young, and engaged 
 in school teaching. Her ancestry, on the maternal side, 
 is traceable to Prince Rupert of Cromwell's time. 
 Senator Sutherland, of Westchester county, is, we 
 believe, a relative. She died in 1849. 
 
 Mr. Pool spent his youth upon the farm, and enjoyed 
 such advantages as were afforded by the common schools 
 of those days, with the additional advantage of a period 
 passed at the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, at Lima, New 
 York. He married Miss Wealthy Woolson, in 1848, 
 
326 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 and settled near his birth-place. He was, soon after, 
 appointed Postmaster of the Dickinsonville Post-office, 
 just then established under Mr. Fillmore's adminis- 
 tration. Ambitious to engage in other pursuits, he 
 resigned his office, leased his farm, and removed to Lock- 
 port, in 1852, entering the office of the Lockport Daily 
 Courier (then owned by C. L. Skeels, Esq.), as assistant 
 in the editorial and business department. In May, 1854, 
 in compliance with the wishes of prominent citizens of 
 Niagara Falls, the publication of the Niagara Falls Gazette 
 was commenced by him, in company with B. F. Sleeper, 
 Esq. In January, 1864, Mr. Pool became sole proprietor, 
 and he continues to manage and edit the Gazette with 
 pecuniary profit, and to the evident satisfaction of his 
 townsmen. 
 
 Mr. Pool entered political life as an earnest Whig, and 
 he has ever since been steadily opposed to the general 
 policy of the Democratic party. His town is strongly 
 Democratic; hence, although he has been the candidate 
 of his party for the highest town offices, he has never 
 held other than those of minor importance. His 
 political fidelity and party services were very properly 
 recognized by the Republican party of his Assembly Dis- 
 trict, in 1866, and he was unanimously nominated in 
 convention as its candidate for Member of Assembly. 
 The nomination was ratified by the largest majority (566) 
 ever given for that office by the towns comprising the Dis- 
 trict, which has been represented by such able men as 
 Hon. P. B. Porter (Speaker of the Assembly in 1841), 
 Hon. Burt Van Horn (present Member of Congress), the 
 late Colonel P. A. Porter (killed at Coal Harbor while 
 leading his regiment, the 8th New York Heavy Artillery), 
 and others. He is a member of the Committees on 
 Engrossed Bills and Public Printing, and is Chairman of 
 the former. 
 
OSCAR F. POTTER. 32 V 
 
 Mr. Pool has always taken a deep interest in all that 
 related to the prosperity of his village and county. He 
 has invested liberally of his time and means in aid of 
 local improvements, and in attending to the educational, 
 church, military and social organizations and interests of 
 his village. 
 
 OSCAR F. POTTER. 
 
 Mr. Potter represents the Fourth District of Albany 
 county. His native town is Fort Edward, "Washing- 
 ton county, New York, -where he was born in 1824. 
 Having lived there during the first eight years of his 
 life, he removed with his parents to Waterford, New 
 York. The death of his father occurred when he was 
 thirteen years old. As the boy Oscar grew up, he 
 was engaged on the canals and rivers of this State, and 
 connected with the lumbering business, in which he is 
 now interested. In 1861, Mr. Potter was elected Justice 
 of the Peace of the town of Watervliet, on the Repub- 
 lican ticket, and held that office until 1866. At that 
 time, the slaveholders' rebellion having broken out, he 
 arranged his business matters with a view of entering 
 the army, but he was turned from his purpose by those 
 who furnished the materials for the first monitor, and was 
 induced to aid the government by supplying articles for 
 naval and army uses. In doing so, however, he was not 
 fortunate enough to accumulate wealth, as did many 
 others ; but, on the contrary, he contributed fully as much 
 as he made, to support the cause of the country. Since 
 the cessation of hostilities, Mr. Potter, in common with 
 numerous other Republicans in his town, has worked with 
 
328 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 renewed zeal for the predominance of his party. In this, 
 they have been eminently rewarded by seeing the strong- 
 holds of Democracy broken np, and their own ticket 
 triumphant. He was elected to the Assembly by a 
 majority of two hundred and ninety-two. He has a 
 position on the Committees on Affairs of Villages, and 
 Public Lands. Mr. Potter earnestly advocates all 
 measures for the improvement of the Hudson river, 
 believing that the key to the inland resources of the 
 State should not be overlooked in our expenditures. 
 
 ALPHEUS PRINCE. 
 
 Me. Prince is the member from the Fourth District of 
 Erie county, comprised of the towns of Alden, Amherst, 
 Chictawauga, Clarence, Elma, Grand Island, Lancaster, 
 Marilla, Newstead and Tonawanda, representing a popu- 
 lation of 29,486. He was born in the town of Verona, 
 Oneida county, New York, in the " Tilden Hill district," 
 on the 13th of December, 1824, and is therefore in his 
 forty-third year. His father Mr. David Prince, a most 
 estimable citizen, and family removed to Erie county, in 
 1836, where he still resides. Young Prince attended the 
 district school in his native town, and afterward at New- 
 stead, but subsequently took an academic course at Clinton, 
 Oneida county. He was always popular among his mates. 
 He is a farmer by vocation, but being of an active tem- 
 perament, always took a warm interest in public matters. 
 He is " six feet high and well-proportioned," weighing two 
 hundred and forty-five pounds. Having a clear florid com- 
 plexion and a brilliant eye, he is one of the good looking 
 men in the House. Possessed of great suavity of manner 
 
SAMUEL M. PURDY. 329 
 
 and an agreeable sociability of temperament, he wins the 
 good opinion of all with whom he comes in contact. In 
 politics, Mr. Prince has always been a Democrat, and as 
 such, was a delegate to the Charleston Convention of 1860. 
 He has been a delegate to several State Conventions, and 
 as a politician he always had the confidence of the late 
 Dean Richmond whom he greatly resembles in personal 
 appearance, and in his strong common sense view of men 
 and politics. Mr. Pkince has ever stood well with his 
 party; among his fellow citizens he is generally respected, 
 as he never unpleasantly obtrudes his opinions upon those 
 who see proper to differ with him. The only important 
 political offices ever held by Mr. Peince, previous to his 
 election to the Assembly, last fall, were Deputy United 
 States Marshal, and Deputy United States Collector at 
 Buffalo. He is a member of the Committee on Roads and 
 Bridges. 
 
 SAMUEL M. PURDY. 
 
 West Farms, a town in Westchester county, New 
 York, is situated along the Sound, and the Harlem River. 
 Its scenery is picturesque ; Bronx River bounding it on 
 the east, and Harlem River on the west, and Mill-Brook 
 winding its way through the central portion ; undulating 
 plains, broken, here and there, by ridges, and productive 
 and well-tilled farms, all conspire to combine within its 
 limits a great deal of beauty and utility. Mr. Purdy has 
 long been a resident of this town, and ever since he settled 
 among its people, has held an honorable rank among his 
 townsmen. He was born, August 28th, 1824, in East 
 Chester, Westchester county, New York. In youth, he 
 42 
 
330 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 received an ordinary English edncation, and then studied 
 law in the office of Samuel E. Lyon, Esq., of White 
 Plains. At the age of twenty-five, his law studies having 
 been completed, Mr. Purdy passed the usual examination, 
 and was admitted to practice, settling in the town of West 
 Farms. The people elected him Justice of the Peace, in 
 1850, and they have conferred that office upon him, each 
 successive term ever since. He was a member of the 
 Board of Supervisors, in the years 1855, '56, '61, '64, '65 
 and '66, being four times elected without opposition. At 
 his last election to the office of Supervisor, out of the 521 
 votes cast, Mr. Purdy received 513 ; at the same time he 
 was chosen Justice of the Peace by a vote of 518 to 4. 
 Evidently the electors of West Farms are very well satis- 
 fied with Mr. Purdy. Such local popularity is rarely 
 possessed by any man. He enjoys the confidence of the 
 inhabitants in his town and vicinity, who often consult 
 him in business matters, intrust large sums of money to 
 him for investment, and act upon his sagacious suggestions. 
 He is not a public reformer, but he entertains and practices 
 the strictest principles of temperance ; and his personal 
 example in this direction, is a potent, silent influence, 
 which wins the regard of the community, and jdaces him 
 on a high plane of morality. 
 
 In politics, Mr. Purdy was a Whig, until the election 
 of James Buchanan for the Presidency; since that time, 
 he has most scrupulously indorsed the Democratic plat- 
 forms and nominees. While the conflict with the South 
 was transpiring, his influence, both in an official capacity, 
 and as a private citizen, was used in filling the quotas 
 required, each time when there was a call for troops, thus 
 saving the town from a draft. He was elected to the 
 Assembly, last fall, by a majority of 820. Mr. Purdy 
 serves on the Committee on Internal Affairs, and capably 
 performs his legislative work. 
 
JOHN RABER. 
 
 Mr. Raber, Representative of the Sixth District of 
 Kings county, is a native of Prussia ; he was born March 
 2d, 1823. He came to this country when he was ten 
 years of age; and, until 1841, his home was in the city of 
 New York. Though he received but the advantages of an 
 ordinary business education, yet he entered upon the active 
 pursuits of life, determined to battle successfully. His first 
 employment was as a clei'k in the agricultural business ; in 
 1850, he was engaged in wire cloth and sieve manufactur- 
 ing ; in 1857, he was interested in the flour and feed trade ; 
 and, some time after, was largely engaged in the grocery 
 business. In all of these various undertakings, Mr. Raber 
 has met with the success which follows energy, enterprise 
 and practical knowledge. 
 
 Mr. Raber has always been an active and unchanging 
 Democrat ; not in any sense an office seeker, he, only once 
 before his election to the Assembly, was a candidate for 
 the indorsement of the people ; that was in 1865, when he 
 ran for Supervisor of the Sixteenth Ward of Brooklyn, 
 and was defeated through party divisions. But, in 1 866, 
 he received the unanimous support of the Democracy. 
 Mr. Raber is a quiet man, speaking seldom, and then 
 briefly ; and, as a representative, is attentive and devoted 
 to the interests of the public. 
 
FRANK A. RANSOM. 
 
 Mr. Ransom, Member of Assembly from the Seventh 
 District of New York city, was born at Olcott, Niagara 
 county, New York, March 5th, 1838. He is mainly of 
 English descent. After several removals, his pax*ents took 
 up their residence at Lockport, in the same county, in 
 1847, where they still reside. There he enjoyed the 
 advantages of education afforded by the Lockport Union 
 School, until fourteen years of age, at which time he set 
 out to make his own way in the world, commencing as a 
 clerk in the village of his nativity. In 1856, he started 
 for New York city, and was there engaged as a book- 
 keeper in a large importing house. In the spring of 1858, 
 owing to the fact that the firm by which he was employed 
 became somewhat involved, and the prospects of obtain- 
 ing employment being rather limited at that time, he 
 concluded to spend the summer with his parents at Lock- 
 port. But his active disposition would not brook idleness, 
 and failing to procure other employment he applied 
 for and obtained the place of teacher in a district school 
 in his native county. He took the school for three months, 
 with the privilege of teaching for five if he should so 
 conclude. Beginning with the idea of having a better 
 school than had ever been taught there before, he quickly 
 ascertained that thoroughness in the teacher was not merit 
 in the scholars' opinion, and that many of the parents 
 sympathized with their children in that belief. When the 
 three months were up, he was only too glad to get rid of 
 his thankless task. This was his view of teaching. Hav- 
 ing now arrived at the age of manhood, he felt that it was 
 time for him to lay out a course for life, and concluded to 
 enter the legal profession. He was admitted as a student 
 
FRANK A. RANSOM. 333 
 
 into the office of Messrs. Woods, Murray & Greene, of 
 Lockport, Attorneys of extensive practice in the western 
 part of the State. After remaining in their office, about a 
 year, he left his studies and again went to New York, 
 determined to accumulate sufficient means, and then resume 
 his studies, which he never entirely abandoned although he 
 has since been busily engaged in conducting a successful 
 mercantile trade. In 18G0, he engaged in the liquor busi- 
 ness, in Bleecker street, which he conducts at the present 
 time. He was admitted to the Bar at the December term 
 of the Supreme Court, in and for the city and county of 
 New York, in 1866. 
 
 He has never mingled actively in politics, although 
 always a strict and uncompromising Democrat, believing 
 the Constitution of the United States, valid both in peace 
 and in war. He never held a political office before. He 
 was elected to the Legislature as Member of Assembly, 
 for 1867, from the Seventh District of New York city, 
 receiving the nominations of the Tammany, Mozart, and 
 Conservative Republican Conventions. He was opposed 
 by Edward Mitchell (Radical Republican), and James 
 Riley who received the nominations of the McKeon and 
 Democratic Union Conventions. His majority over Mr. 
 Mitchell was ninety-four, Mr. Riley getting but a small 
 vote. The seat is contested by Mr. Mitchell who claims 
 that in the First District of the Fifteenth Ward, the can- 
 vassers gave to Riley votes which were cast for him, 
 (Mitchell), and which determined the election. No 
 fraud is charged upon Mr. Ransom. He is the first 
 Democrat ever elected to the Assembly from the Fifteenth 
 Ward. The district has been heretofore Republican. He 
 is on the Affairs of Villages. 
 
JAMES REED. 
 
 The Member from the Eighth District of New York, 
 was horn on the 19th of August, 1818, in New Brunswick, 
 New Jersey. His paternal ancestors were Irish, and 
 the maternal ones were German. While yet an infant, 
 Mr. Reed was taken to the city of New York, by his 
 parents, where he resided until fourteen years of age, 
 having enjoyed the benefits of a select school education. 
 Then going to Yonkers, he engaged to a butcher, and 
 thoroughly learned the trade, after five years' service. 
 Returning to New York, he went to work in the Clinton 
 Market, remained there a short time, and then went to 
 Peekskill, where he hired out as a journeyman at his 
 occupation. But New York city had too many attractions 
 for him, and he soon returned to it, opening a market on 
 Avenue B, and then in Broadway. He is now one of the 
 prominent dealers in Fulton Market. 
 
 Mr. Reed early took an active interest in politics, and 
 was a general favorite among the young Democracy of 
 1840 and 1844. The first public position ever filled by 
 him, was that of Deputy Clerk of Washington Market, 
 being appointed in 1852, which position he filled with 
 credit to himself and advantage to the city. In 1860, he 
 was elected one of the Aldermen of New York, but was 
 defeated in his efibrts for reelection. Mr. Reed's election 
 to the Assembly was by an overwhelming majority. In 
 person, the subject of this sketch is very portly, and 
 though often sick, he is attentive to his duties, and makes 
 an excellent representative. 
 
AUSTIN L. REYNOLDS. 
 
 Mr. Reynolds was born in the town of Moreau, Sara- 
 toga county, Now York, on the 19th day of June, 1826. 
 His father, George Reynolds, was originally from the 
 State of Rhode Island, and early in life came into Moreau 
 and established his homestead. He was for many years 
 one of the most active and energetic business men of the 
 town, and received, previous to his death, in 1839, all 
 the respect due to a high-minded, worthy citizen. The 
 subject of this sketch enjoyed the advantages of an 
 academic education, pursuing a thorough course, first as a 
 student at the Glens Falls Academy, and completing 
 his studies at the Kinderhook Academy, in Columbia 
 county. He next entered upon a course of legal studies, 
 and thoroughly qualified himself for the Bar, to which he 
 was admitted in 1852. "With fine prospects he entered 
 upon the practice of a profession in which two of his 
 brothers were engaged — Jajies L. Reynolds, of Fort 
 Edward, taking high rank at the Washington county Bar, 
 and Hon. John H. Reynolds, of Albany, distinguished as 
 among the most eminent lawyers of the State. The con- 
 finement of office employment at length so far impaired 
 his health as to compel him to relinquish his practice, and 
 engage in the active pursuits of out-door business. He 
 turned his attention to farming, in which he was not a 
 novice, having had charge of his mother's estate for 
 several years after the demise of his father. He likewise 
 engaged in lumbering, and has been amply successful in 
 both occupations, in which he still continues. In 1854, he 
 was a candidate for Member of Assembly, and was 
 defeated by the small majority of thirteen votes. He 
 was connected with the Democratic party down to the 
 
336 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 commencement of the Slaveholders' rebellion, when he 
 felt compelled to sunder old party ties, and place himself 
 on the side of his country, in the ranks of the Repub- 
 lican Union party. None were warmer in the support of 
 the war for the preservation of the Union, and none have 
 more firmly maintained the great principles of the party 
 to which he now belongs. He has held various positions 
 in town and county. For seven terms he has been Super- 
 visor of Moreau, elected as a Democrat, previous to the 
 war, five years in succession, from a town largely Repub- 
 lican, and since twice elected by the Union party to the 
 same office, and twice in succession as a Member of 
 the State Assembly. He first took his seat in January, 
 1806, and served on the Committee on Cities, one of the 
 most important committees of the House, and also on 
 the Committee on Roads and Bridges. His second term 
 began in January, 1867, and he was again placed on the 
 Committee on Cities. 
 
 As a man, he possesses all the solid qualities that give 
 to character its worth and beauty. His mental and moral 
 habits give cast to his course of action in the ordinary 
 affairs of life. He takes time to plan, but, when resolved, 
 no obstacles turn him from his purpose, and success is 
 not problematical. Perhaps few men act with greater 
 preassurance of desired results ; and, by a wise forecast, 
 directing his efforts, he has established a high reputation 
 as a safe and prosperous business man. As a friend, he is 
 generous, firm, reliable. As a citizen, he is true to the 
 best interests of society. Upholding and illustrating 
 the virtues that adorn, denouncing and uprooting the 
 vices that disgrace, he is always careful that his example 
 shall be worthy of imitation. As a legislator, he took 
 high rank, during his first term in the Assembly; and 
 so honorably did he discharge his duties, as to make a 
 reputation of which his constituents are justly proud, 
 
WILLIAM H. EICE. 337 
 
 and they returned him to his present seat by a largely 
 increased majority, satisfied that he will again ably repre- 
 sent them, and maintain the honor of their choice. He 
 enjoys the popular favor to an eminent degree, and in 
 every respect is worthy of the repeated marks of confi- 
 dence bestowed upon him by the people. 
 
 WILLIAM H. RICE. 
 
 Doctor William H. Rice represents the Second District 
 of Oswego county. He was born in Elbridge, Onondaga 
 county, New York, in 1821 ; but, when he was quite young, 
 his parents removed to Clay, in the same county, where the 
 most of his youth was spent. His early education was 
 acquired in the common schools of the town, and in some 
 of the academies of the State. His medical studies were 
 commenced in his own county, and subsequently pursued, 
 for two years, in New York city; he graduated from 
 the College of Physicians and Surgeons, after a thorough 
 course of study, in 1840. 
 
 After graduating, Doctor Rice spent nearly two years, 
 traveling in New England, and in the Southern and 
 Western States. He subsequently resided one year in 
 Brooklyn, New York. In 1850, he located in Caugh- 
 denoy, Oswego county, his present residence. A thorough 
 knowledge of his profession soon gave him a large field 
 of practice. In sentiment, he has always been opposed to 
 slavery, and, therefore, entered, at the first, into the Repub- 
 lican organization, of which he is a leading member in his 
 own locality. 
 
 In the practice of his profession, Doctor Rice had little 
 
 time to devote to office. He was, however, elected Town 
 43 
 
338 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Superintendent of Common Schools, and, for some time, 
 held the office of Postmaster in his village, and was 
 Supervisor of his town in 1859, and again in 1860. 
 
 In the fall of 1861, the Second Oswego County Regi- 
 ment, the 81st New York Volunteers, was placed in the 
 field, and, in December of that year, Doctor Rice was 
 commissioned as its Surgeon. Thoroughly educated in 
 his profession, he fulfilled all of his arduous duties with 
 fidelity. He was with the 81st Regiment, during all of the 
 Peninsular campaign, participating in the battle of Fair 
 Oaks, in which the 81st, being in the advance, suffered 
 severely. He was with his regiment, also, in all the 
 famous " seven days' fight " before Richmond. After this, 
 the 81st was detailed for garrison duty at Yorktown; but, 
 in December, 1862, it was ordered south, where it partici- 
 pated in the first attempt upon Charleston, in April, 1863. 
 In July following, the regiment Avas ordered to North 
 Carolina, Avhere it shared in the dangers of the cam- 
 paign at that point. In the spring of 1864, it was 
 attached to the "Army of the James," under General 
 Butler, and was among the first regiments landed at 
 Bermuda Hundred. Forming a part of the Corps of 
 "Baldy Smith," it was uniformly in the fights, until 
 the affair at Drury's Bluff, in which it was engaged under 
 General Smith, after which it joined General Gkant at 
 Coal Harbor, prominently participating in the severe 
 affairs at that point, on the 2d and 3d of June, 1864. 
 
 Doctor Rice was here placed in the responsible charge 
 of the Field Hospital of the 18th Army Corps. He con- 
 tinued on duty at that hospital, until the 12th of June, 
 when the corps returned to Bermuda Hundred, and par- 
 ticipated in the second attempt on that stronghold of 
 Petersburgh. After this, he was put in charge of the 
 medical department of General Carr's Brigade, then 
 commanding the defenses of the James. He discharged 
 
SETH M. RICHMOND. 339 
 
 the duties of this position, until he was mustered out, 
 near the close of the war. He had the reputation of being 
 a faithful, popular and efficient surgeon. 
 
 Doctor Rice was elected by the Republicans of his 
 District, to the Legislature of 1866, in Avhich body he 
 served on the Committees on Public Health, Medical Col- 
 leges and Societies, and Federal Relations. He was 
 reelected to the Assembly of 1867. He is Chairman of 
 the Committee on Charitable and Religious Institutions, 
 and a member of the Committees on Public Health, Med- 
 ical Colleges, &c. 
 
 As a legislator, Doctor Rice is industrious and careful, 
 and is vigilant and faithful to all the interests of his 
 constituents, with whom he has earned the reputation of 
 being a sagacious representative. 
 
 SETH M. RICHMOND. 
 
 Mr. Richmond, representing the county of Herkimer, 
 in the Assembly, was born, May 17th, 1818, in the town 
 of Augusta, Oneida county. His father, Deacon Isaac 
 Richmond, was one of the very first settlers in Oneida 
 county, to which he removed early in life, from Massachu- 
 setts, where most of the ancestry of Mr. Richmond 
 resided. 
 
 With merely the advantages of a common school educa- 
 tion, Mr. Richmond, when sixteen years of age, commenced 
 as clerk in the country store of General Knox, in Augusta, 
 and, in 1837, came to Little Falls, Herkimer county — where 
 he has ever since resided — acting in the capacity of cashier 
 and bookkeeper of the extensive works connected with the 
 enlargement of the Erie Canal, at that point. Three years 
 
340 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 later, he began business for himself, as a merchant and job- 
 ber of goods, mostly connected with country trade, in the 
 different villages of the county; and, in 1843, he commenced 
 the manufacture of paper, and subsequently of axes. Ever 
 since that time, he has been in active business, at Little 
 Falls, and has been largely identified with the prosperity 
 and groAvth of that village. He has been interested as a 
 partner in the building and running of three large paper 
 mills, one of which was destroyed by fire, in 1853, at a loss 
 of $20,000 ; and, for many years, he carried on the princi- 
 pal lumber trade of the village. Indeed, he was the 
 pioneer in this extensive trade, between the timbered 
 regions of the "North Woods" and the eastern markets. 
 In 1841, he commenced the coal business, and furnished 
 the first anthracite coal, for domestic use, ever seen in Little 
 Falls ; and now the consumption of that article is several 
 thousand tons per annum. For many years, he was also 
 engaged in business upon the Erie Canal, witli the inter- 
 ests, necessities and management of which, he became very 
 familiar, and in the prosperity and success of which, he 
 has always been deeply interested. 
 
 In 1855, he was elected Justice of the Peace, on the 
 Whig ticket, in opposition to the Know Nothing candi- 
 date; and, in 1857, was chosen President of the village, 
 to which position he was afterward reelected, for three 
 successive years. He was Sheriff of Herkimer county, 
 in 1860-63. During his official career, the Northern 
 Copperhead riots transpired. Mr. Richmond issued a 
 proclamation, enjoining all good citizens to stand by law 
 and order. The result was salutary ; though at first many 
 of his political opponents were disposed to harshly criti- 
 cise him, yet, as time brought events into closer order, 
 every man, whether Democrat or Republican, could not 
 do otherwise than concur in his course. During the civil 
 Avar, he was President of the Union clubs in his town, and 
 
SETH M. RICHMOND. 341 
 
 received, at his house, many of the sanitary supplies, which 
 were forwarded to their destination. In the mean time, 
 he went to the front, and visited the soldiers at Fredericks- 
 burgh and Arlington Heights, and while there, was made 
 the recipient of large sums of money from the soldiers, for 
 distribution among their families, on his return. 
 
 In 1866, the county, under the new apportionment, 
 being entitled to but one member of Assembly, he was, 
 while absent from home, and totally ignorant of the action 
 of the convention, unanimously nominated by the Repub- 
 licans for that position. His majority, in the election, was 
 next to the highest given, in the county, for any candidate. 
 His political antecedents are those of the Whig party, 
 from Harrison down to Fremont; and he has been known 
 as an earnest advocate of internal improvements, the 
 canal enlargement, and in favor of a national protective 
 policy. He is a member of the Committees on Banks, 
 and Local General Orders. Not claiming to be an orator, 
 he, nevertheless, is ready to discuss his own points, in a 
 plain, but business-like manner. He is exemplary in his 
 habits and conduct, on all occasions. 
 
ELLIS H. ROBERTS. 
 
 Ellis H. Roberts was born at Utica, in 1827. His 
 father died when lie was very young. His mother is 
 still blessing with her presence, her children and her 
 grand-children. Mr. Roberts is a self-made man, bat, 
 unlike most men of his class, he has not been content 
 with simply building himself up by business enterprise ; 
 but, at an early age, labored to get as good an education 
 ,as the country and the times afforded. Those Avho know 
 him personally and well, or who are the readers of the 
 Utica Morning Herald, can determine the measure of his 
 success. He has been self-dependent from the age of nine 
 years. He learned his trade in the printing office of his 
 brother, R. W. Roberts, one of the best schools in the 
 State. By industry, thrift, and self-denial, he acquired a 
 first class 'academic and collegiate education. Every 
 Yale man will understand the rank of Mr. Roberts, at 
 New Haven, when told that he was member of the 
 "Skull and Bone" fraternity, that he obtained the Bristed 
 scholarship, and carried off the second honor in the large 
 class of 1850. 
 
 Soon after his graduation, Mr. Roberts became the 
 chief writing editor of the Utica Morning Herald, a 
 position he retained until the fall of 1854. In 1851, he 
 married the eldest daughter of David E. Morris, of 
 Utica. The brother of Mrs. Roberts, Edward Morris, 
 D. D., of Columbus, Ohio, is quite renowned, at the 
 West, as preacher and professor, and her father, was 
 one of the very best men whom the writer of this brief 
 notice ever knew; a gentleman in the highest sense, a 
 Christian, known as such of all men. 
 
ELLIS H. ROBERTS. 343 
 
 Mr. Roberts retired from the management of the 
 Utica Morning Herald, during the fall of 1854, in con- 
 sequence of divisions in the party of which it was the 
 organ, but, soon after, he became its editor and proprietor. 
 From that time, down to this hour, the advance of the 
 Herald has been constant and rapid. It is now the organ, 
 not only of the city of Utica, and the county of Oneida, 
 but of many counties. No pains or money have been 
 spared to enhance its usefulness and power. He was not 
 content with making the Herald a sound and strong politi- 
 cal organ, but he has Avon for it an excellent literary repute, 
 and on agricultural matters it is an acknowledged autho- 
 rity. It has a correspondent in New York; during the 
 sessions of Congress and Legislature it has correspondents 
 at Washington and Albany; at different times, and for 
 years, some one of its editors has contributed to its 
 columns instructive and brilliant letters from the old 
 world. 
 
 Mr. Roberts has always been surrounded by able 
 assistants who have seconded his earnest efforts to make 
 the Herald a first class newspaper. His energy has reaped 
 its just rewards; the Herald has, at least, 10,000 daily sub- 
 scribers, and is, of course, a power. In politics, he was a 
 Whig; then a Republican. He writes and speaks with 
 almost dangerous facility ; but, in all that he says, there 
 is to be seen his liberal culture, and his natural force. His 
 party, in Oneida county, owe very much to his pen and 
 tongue. And the party and the country, likewise, owe 
 him much for this, that, during the war, and especially 
 during its darkest periods, when men's hearts were failing 
 them for fear, and men's tongues were loose with censure, 
 he stood by the government with unflinching courage. In 
 a large and populous district, where the Herald had no peer 
 for influence, he kept up the heart of the despondent by his 
 cheering words, taught a generous confidence in our over- 
 
344 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 burdened rulers, and nerved the people to the sacrifices 
 necessary to the war's success and the salvation of the 
 country. 
 
 As a business man, Mr. Roberts is thorough and strict. 
 He is just in his dealings, liberal in his charities, and on 
 his integrity there is no stain. His opinions are firmly 
 held, and boldly maintained. He does not turn his back 
 on a cause because it is not popular, nor on a race, because 
 it is lowly. In 1862, his friends nominated him for the 
 Mayoralty of Utica. Utica is a Democratic town, and 
 Mr. Roberts ran in the dark days of '62, when England 
 was threatening, and the rebellion was assuming its grand- 
 est proportions. He allowed no consideration to lessen 
 his aggressive zeal for the government. In its behalf, 
 he took no counsel of personal expediency, and he was 
 beaten. He was a delegate to the National Union Con- 
 vention of 1864. He was elected last fall to the present 
 Assembly, from the Second District of Oneida county. 
 
 His ability and his purity as a legislator will justify 
 the estimate we have above set down. 
 
ALEXANDER ROBERTSON. 
 
 In personal appearance Mr. Robertson may be classed 
 among the substantial men. He is muscular, though not 
 corpulent, and has the air of a man who " takes life easy," 
 come weal or woe. Judging from his features, we would 
 conclude that he is generous to his friends, and honorable 
 but unshrinking to his foes ; that when he once settles 
 into a project he is not to be turned from the accomplish- 
 ment of it, while there remains a shadow of hope for it, 
 and that when he has wrought out his purposes, he 
 experiences no small amount of satisfaction. 
 
 Mr. Robertson is forty-one years of age. He Avas 
 born in Warrensburgh, Warren county, New York. He 
 subsequently removed to Moreau, Saratoga county, and 
 afterward to Fort Edward. At the age of seventeen, he 
 left school and assisted his father on the farm. In 1848, 
 he went to Whitehall, and engaged in the transportation 
 business, and in 1855, removed to Albany, and still con- 
 tinued in entei*prises of the same nature, transporting 
 merchandise to and from Northern New York and Canada, 
 and also conducting an extensive commission business. 
 Through these channels of trade, Mr. Robertson has 
 accumulated an amount of property sufficient to place him 
 in a position of comparative independence. He bears a 
 good reputation as a gentleman of honor, and enjoys 
 a large degree of popularity, in the circles in which he is 
 known. 
 
 During the past eight or ten years, Mr. Robertson has 
 participated in political agitations, and wielded a potent 
 arm, in his party. In the Fall of 1864, he was elected to 
 the Assembly on the Democratic ticket. During that 
 session, he served on the Committee on Cities, was among 
 44 
 
346 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 the originators of the " Capitol Bill," and was one of the 
 leading spirits Avho aided in carrying it through, on 
 the last day of the session, in spite of the most vigorous 
 opposition ; and, during this session, he has given notice of 
 a bill to provide an appropriation for a New Capitol. 
 Among other measures which he successfully advocated, 
 was the Hudson River Improvement Bill, appropriating 
 $150,000 for the purpose of improving the navigation of 
 the Hudson. Judging Mr. Robertson's future by what 
 he has hitherto accomplished, as a legislator, we do not 
 hesitate to affirm that he will impartially guard the local 
 interests of Albany. 
 
 In politics he is a straightforward, outspoken Democrat ; 
 and making our inferences from a knowledge of his Scotch 
 decision, we think he will be a Democrat during the 
 remainder of his life. 
 
 HENRY ROGERS. 
 
 This gentleman was born in the city of New York, on the 
 16th day of July, 1832. His parents were of Irish extrac- 
 tion. His grandfather, on his maternal side, participated 
 as an officer in the Irish rebellion of '98. Mr. Rogers had 
 only the advantages of a common school education, gained 
 by his own industry and perseverance. He has always been 
 a Democrat, taking a prominent part in New York poli- 
 tics. In 1863, he was appointed Inspector of Streets, and 
 held that position, until 1864. He was elected to the 
 Assembly, in 1863, from the Ninth Assembly District of 
 New York city, serving on the Committee of Expendi- 
 tures of the Executive Department; was reelected as 
 Member of Assembly in 1864, and served on the Commit- 
 
PATRICK RUSSELL. 347 
 
 tee of Engrossed Bills. In 18G6, he was again returned, 
 by the Tammany Democracy, to the Assembly, by a 
 plurality of 579, running against a Mozart candidate and 
 the Republican nominee. He is now serving on the 
 Military and Defense Committee. In 1861, Mr. Rogers 
 enlisted as a private in Colonel Duryea's (5th) Regiment 
 of New York Volunteers, and proceeded to the front. 
 He participated in the battle of Big Bethel, where he was 
 seriously wounded in the side ; being thus incapacitated 
 for duty, he was honorably discharged. Mr. Rogers is a 
 mason and builder by occupation, carrying on the business 
 extensively, in the Metropolis. He is a gentleman of 
 energy and of fine social qualities, is popular in his Dis- 
 trict, and is remarkable for his fidelity to his personal 
 friends. 
 
 PATRICK RUSSELL. 
 
 The ancestors of Mr. Russell emigrated from Ireland 
 to this country in 1813. His birth transpired at Pattei'- 
 son, New Jersey, June 6th, 1830. When five years of 
 age, he removed to Newark, and remained there until 
 1848, in which year he went to the city of New York, 
 and learned the trade of carriage making. 
 
 He mingled but little in political contests, until 1860, 
 when he was a candidate for Common Councilman of New 
 York city, and was defeated. He was, however, elected 
 to that office, in 1863, '64 and '65. Mr. Russell was 
 nominated for the Assembly, by the Tammany wing of 
 the Democracy, and elected by a majority of four hundred 
 and sixty-two. He is on the Committtees. on Aliens and 
 Engrossed Bills. 
 
348 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 During the rebellion, he voted for Horatio Seymour, 
 and claimed to be a War Democrat, at the same time con- 
 tributing liberally from his means for the prosecution of 
 the war. 
 
 GEORGE H. SAN FORD. 
 
 Mr. Sanford is a native of the town of Queensbury, 
 Warren county, New York, where he was born December 
 14th, 1836. He is of English extraction. His maternal 
 grandfather removed from Lebanon, Connecticut, to 
 Washington county, New York, about the year 1785, 
 and married a daughter of William Robards, who was 
 an officer in the French Avar, and Avas taken prisoner to 
 Canada by the Indians, but afterward escaped by running 
 the gauntlet. His paternal grandfather, David Sanford, 
 at about the same time, emigrated from NeAV Milford, 
 Connecticut, to Queensbury, NeAV York, where the father 
 of the present George H. Sanford, Avas born, and Avho 
 represented Warren county in the Legislature of 1841. 
 
 Mr. Sanford lived with his parents at Glens Falls, and, 
 at the age of tAvelve, entered the store of a merchant as 
 clerk, serving in that capacity, during the summer season, 
 for a couple of years, and attending school during the 
 winter time. In this way, he Avas able to make a prac- 
 tical application of Avhat he learned. When he Avas 
 fourteen, his parents changed their residence to Ballston, 
 New York. Lad, though he Avas, he resolved to earn his 
 OAvn means of support, in the future, and, Avith the con- 
 sent of his father and mother, Avent to Albany and found 
 employment as receiving and shipping clerk in the Avhole- 
 sale lumber trade. His father Avas a manufacturer of and 
 
 
GEORGE H. SANFORD. 349 
 
 denier in lumbei*, and the experience which young San- 
 ford had previously gained was considerable. He con- 
 tinued in the employ of the same firm for six years, during 
 the season of navigation, excepting one year while attend- 
 ing the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, at Troy, New 
 York. During two winters of this time, he attended other 
 schools, and the remaining three winters, he was engaged 
 in lumbering, in a moderate way, on his own account, in 
 Genesee county, New York, and Potter county, Penn- 
 sylvania. When twenty years old, Mr. Sanford left 
 Albany, and gave his whole attention to his own business 
 plans. Having made Syracuse, New York, his residence, 
 he there entered into the lumber and salt trade, combin- 
 ing also the manufacture of lumber at Saginaw, Michigan, 
 and locating pine lands in that State. He was one of the 
 Pioneer Company organized, in 1858, to bore for salt 
 water, in the Saginaw Valley. In the spring of 1862, 
 being uncertain in reference to the effect which the war 
 might have upon commercial interests, Mr. Sanford 
 retired from business, invested his means in real estate, 
 and, at the age of twenty-five, removed from Syracuse to 
 Oneida, New York, his present place of residence. He is 
 now first Vice-President of the Oneida Savings Bank, and 
 is a Director in the Oneida Valley National Bank ; in 
 business circles, he is esteemed for his sagacity and 
 foresight. 
 
 Political questions have always interested him, and the 
 result of his early reasoning, was his espousal of Demo- 
 cratic tenets, when he attained his majority. Mr. Sanford 
 was a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention, 
 held at Chicago, in 1864, which nominated General 
 McClellan for the Presidency. We believe that he was 
 the youngest member of that body. A unanimous nomi- 
 nation was given him for the office of Supervisor, in the 
 spring of 1865, by the Democracy of the town of Verona. 
 
350 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Such was his personal popularity, he was, after a lively 
 canvass, elected by one hundred and fifty-nine majority, 
 though the toAvn was strongly Republican. Last year, 
 he was reelected to the same office, by a majority of three 
 hundred and eighty-nine. In the Democratic Convention 
 of the Third Assembly District of Oneida county, held in 
 the fall of 18G6, he was nominated for Member of Assem- 
 bly. His Republican jiredecessor, Hon. B. N. Huntington, 
 who, though running in an acknowledged Democratic Dis- 
 trict, had been elected, the previous year, by nearly eight 
 hundred majority, was again placed in nomination by the 
 Republicans, but he declining to run, Pliny Phelps, of 
 Camden, was chosen as candidate, in his stead. In this 
 issue, Mr. Sanford had a plurality of four hundred and 
 ninety votes. 
 
 
 HIRAM SCHUTT. 
 
 Mr. Schutt was a participant in the country's struggle 
 to maintain its existence against the onslaughts of the 
 rebellion. He was commissioned Captain of Company K., 
 148th Regiment New York Volunteers, August 14th, 
 1862. He served with his regiment, during the autumn of 
 that year, in the campaign against Suffolk, Virginia, and 
 he was stationed at Fort Norfolk, during the following 
 winter. In the summer of 18G3, a general Court-martial 
 was held in the city of Norfolk, of which Captain 
 Schutt was a member. He rejoined his regiment at 
 Yorktown, the succeeding fall. In the raid on Rich- 
 mond by General Wistar — which was probably the 
 severest ever made on that city — in the month of Feb- 
 ruary, 1864, he was engaged with the forces employed on 
 
HIRAM SCHUTT. 351 
 
 that occasion. Leaving Yorktown with his regiment, in 
 the spring of 1864, he ascended the James river, with 
 the troops under the command of Major-General Butler, 
 and was in the different engagements on the south side of 
 Richmond, in the month of May following. At the battle 
 of Drury's Bluff, he was wounded, but he recovered 
 sufficiently to participate in the operations before Peters- 
 burgh, during the months of June, July and August, 
 1864. But ill health compelled him to offer his resigna- 
 tion, in September, 1864. It was accepted, and he was 
 honorably discharged from the service, on account of 
 physical disability. Thus terminated his military career 
 which had been characterized by his ready performance of 
 whatever was presented to him by the necessities of the 
 moment. There were times when he would have been 
 justifiable in asking for an extension of his furlough ; and 
 yet, regardless of failing health, he manfully and heroic- 
 ally buckled on his weapons, and faced the foe again. 
 
 Mr. Schutt was born in the town of Manchester, 
 Ontario county, New York. His father was a native of 
 Massachusetts and was of French descent. He moved to 
 western New York, early in the present century, and 
 located in Ontario county. He was a soldier in the war 
 of 1812, and took part in the engagement at Queenstown 
 Heights. After the war, he followed the occupation of a 
 farmer, and during eighteen or twenty years, held the 
 office of Justice of the Peace. 
 
 Mr. Schutt obtained his education in the common 
 schools of the country, and made no little proficiency in 
 scholarly attainments. He was a farmer until the year, 
 1853, at which time he entered into mercantile business, 
 and has continued therein, until the present time. He was 
 elected Justice of the Peace in 1860, and Justice of Ses- 
 sions in 1861. Formerly a Whig, he very naturally 
 became an adherent of Republicanism. In 1865, he was 
 
352 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 chosen to represent the First District of Ontario county, 
 in the Assembly, and was reelected in 1866. He is one 
 of the Committee on Militia and Public Defense, and 
 Chairman of the Committee on Roads and Bridges. 
 
 Captain Schutt has a tall, muscular form, proud, erect 
 bearing, and squarely cut features, which give him a 
 decided air militairc ; and his every movement gives 
 proof of his abilities to command and to defend. 
 
 JOHN H. SELKREG. 
 
 Mr. Selkreg has been a practical printer, and, con- 
 sequently, has had all the varieties of experience and 
 change appertaining to that occupation. He is editor 
 and proprietor of the Ithaca Journal, a paper which has 
 aided in many a hard fought battle, and which still sur- 
 vives, as Mr. Selkreg, by his firm Scotch tenacity, has 
 fully proven. 
 
 His parents died when he was a mere boy (the youngest 
 of a family of five children), and left him to the care of 
 the older members of the family. Pie never attended 
 school after he was eleven years old, and what little 
 education he had gained up to that time, had been 
 acquired in the district school at Staatsburgh, New York, 
 his native place. His disposition, at the age of thirteen, 
 rather inclined to printing, as an occupation ; therefore, 
 having left his brother-in-law, with whom he had been 
 living, he began an apprenticeship in the printing office 
 of the Poughkeepsie Telegraph, then published by Messrs. 
 Killey & Low, and which was, at that time, as it now is, 
 the Democratic organ of Dutchess county. He continued 
 there, until the year 1838. Having arrived at that point 
 
JOHN" H. SELKREG. 353 
 
 where he thought himself sufficiently proficient to com- 
 mence life on his own responsibility, he became a resident 
 of Brooklyn, and, for a few months, entered into a partner- 
 ship with the firm of Messrs. Arnold, Van Anden & Co., 
 publishers of the Brooklyn Eagle. Not being entirely 
 satisfied with his business relations, he returned to Pough- 
 keepsie in 1839, and published the Poughkeepsie Casket, a 
 literary paper. Two years subsequently, he purchased an 
 interest in the Ithaca Journal, and, in connection with Hon. 
 A. Wells, continued its publication for several years. He 
 afterward became sole proprietor of the establishment. 
 
 The Ithaca Journal was once the Democratic organ of 
 Tompkins county. In 1.848, Mr. Selkreg refused to sup- 
 port Mr. Cass, and ran up Mr. Van Buren's name. The 
 Hunkers established the Flag of the Union, to break down 
 the Journal ; but they not succeeding in the attempt, the 
 "Flag" was lowered, and the Journal still continued to be 
 the exponent of the Democracy. From the year 1850 to 
 1S5G, Mr. Selkreg saw that a great change was being- 
 wrought in the Democratic party. The repeal of the Mis- 
 souri Compromise seemed to him an outrage xipon political 
 honor. Such was the drift of affairs, he refused to support 
 Buchanan, and advocated the claims of Fremont, thus 
 undoubtedly carrying over the county to the " Path- 
 Finder," inasmuch as the Republican vote ran up in a 
 single year, from 1,460 to 4,030. 
 
 From 1857 to 1861, he discharged the duties of Com- 
 missioner of Loans. President Lincoln made him Post- 
 master of Ithaca, in 1861. He was reappointed, in 1865, 
 by Andrew Johnson, who, in the most nonchalant man- 
 ner, subjected him to the guillotine, on the 25th of August, 
 1866, for refusing to adopt Mr. Johnson's peculiar views. 
 Mr. Selkreg survived the shock; andj under the warm 
 pressure of his friends, accepted the nomination for Member 
 of Assembly, being elected by a majority of 1,472. 
 45 
 
354 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 He has held several offices of business interests. At one 
 time he was President of the Ithaca and Binghamton 
 Telegraph Company, and he is now President of the Ithaca 
 Calendar Clock Company. 
 
 Mr. Selkreg, during the present session, is a member 
 of the Committees of Ways and Means, and of Banks, 
 two of the most important Committees of the House. 
 
 He possesses a good deal of dry humor, and is keen as 
 steel. His vigilance is unremitting; and his style of 
 debate, though declamatory, is not at all unpleasant. 
 
 ALBERT D. SHAW. 
 
 Me. Shaw was born in the town of Lyme, Jefferson 
 county, New York, 21st Decembei-, 1841. In June, 1861, 
 he entered the service of his country, by enlisting in the 
 35th Regiment, New York Volunteers, in which he served 
 with honor to himself and credit to his family, until 
 the expiration of the term of service of his regiment, 
 which was mustered out, at Elmira, in June, 1863. He 
 participated in the following memorable engagements : 
 Rappahannock Station, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, South 
 Mountain, Antietam and Fredericksburgh. After his dis- 
 charge from the army, he received the appointment of 
 special agent, under Captain Frederick Emerson at 
 Watertown, which position he filled to the satisfaction of 
 all, until discharged by order of the Government, at the 
 close of the war of the great rebellion. 
 
 He is a young man — one of the youngest ever sent from 
 Jefferson county — but his strict integrity, perseverance and 
 attention to the duties of a legislator, have won for him 
 many warm friends. Few of the young members stand 
 higher, or have a better record than he, in the Legislature. 
 
THOMAS SHILAND. 
 
 Cambridge, New York, is one of the delightful villages 
 which adorn the county of Washington. It is situated in 
 a very picturesque section ; and the pleasing landscapes 
 which surround it, stretch far away into charming per- 
 spective. The inhabitants, in the main, are comparatively 
 wealthy, and generously hospitable. Our lot, once or 
 twice, has been, for a short time, cast in that neat village ; 
 and we can cheerfully recommend any one to the " tender 
 mercies " of its people. 
 
 Mr. Shiland is one of the residents of that place. He 
 is the owner and occupant of the old homestead purchased 
 by his father, when the country was a wilderness. He is 
 of Scotch descent, and cherishes a commendable ancestral 
 pride ; and the associations of youth and riper years, 
 which naturally cluster around his home, create within his 
 heart, more than an ordinary reverence for it. He is fifty- 
 two years old. Mr. Shiland entered the junior class of 
 Union College ; but on account of sickness, he could not 
 remain to graduate. When he left college, he preferred 
 the wholesome pursuits of agriculture, to the more exciting 
 and harassing cares of a professional life ; therefore, he 
 became a farmer, and, by his intelligence and industry, his 
 labors have been crowned with marked success. 
 
 Mr. Shiland was first elected to the office of Justice of 
 the Peace, in the year 1840, an office which he has held, 
 Avithout interruption, until the present time. He also 
 served as Justice of Sessions, four years. 
 
 He was a prominent advocate, in the county, of Whig 
 principles, until the formation of the Republican organiza- 
 tion ; since that, he has been an influential leader of 
 Republicanism. He was elected to the office which he 
 
356 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 now holds, from the First Assembly District, in Washing- 
 ton county by the pleasing little majority of eighteen 
 hundred and sixty. He is on the Committees on State 
 Prisons, and Agriculture. 
 
 Mr. Shiland, veiy deservedly, enjoys the confidence of 
 the community in which he lives. He is prominently 
 identified with the educational, social, political and 
 religious interests of his county, always interesting him- 
 self, with commendable zeal, in every enterprise, having, 
 for its object, the elevation of the moral and intellectual 
 status of the masses; and his personal aid in securing men 
 and means to aid the government, in the midst of our 
 cruel civil Avar, was unflagging, and proved him to be a 
 man of the strictest loyalty. His son, in the volunteer 
 service, was wounded at Chancellorsville. 
 
 
 JOHN SIGERSON. 
 
 Mr. Sigerson represents the Sixth District of New 
 York city. He was elected, as the workingmen's candi- 
 date, over Hon. Jacob Seebacher, the regular Democratic 
 candidate, who represented that district in the Assembly, 
 during the years 1865 and 1866. In the last election, 
 it was a generally conceded opinion that it would be 
 impossible to defeat the Democratic nominee ; but such 
 was the feeling against the New York "ring," and 
 such was the careful organization of the workingmen's 
 forces, Mr. Sigerson was elected by the triumphant 
 majority of twelve hundred and forty-eight. 
 
 In general politics, Mr. Sigerson is a Democrat ; but, in 
 local affairs, he is opposed to that faction of the Democracy, 
 in his city, which, by systematic fraud, has made itself 
 
JOHN SIGERSON. 357 
 
 notorious from one end of the State to the other. When 
 the Speaker made up his committees, Mr. Sigerson was 
 appointed on the committees on Two-thirds and Three- 
 fifths Bills, and Charitable and Religious Societies. 
 
 He is of wealthy parentage, and is a native of the city 
 of New York. In consequence of certain technical irregu- 
 larities in a will made by his uncle, he lost considerable 
 property, some years ago. Being ambitious to work his 
 own way in the world, and inclined to active pursuits, he 
 commenced business as a carman, when only fourteen 
 years old, and followed that calling until 1860, when he 
 accepted a clerkship in the department of the Croton 
 Aqueduct, and remained there until January 1st, 1867, 
 when he resigned, to assume his legislative duties. 
 Although this is his first experience in any elective office, 
 yet his sound sense amply qualifies him for supporting 
 the interests of his constituents. 
 
FRANCIS SKILLMAN. 
 
 This gentleman is a descendant, on the paternal side, 
 of Thomas Skillman, and, on the maternal side, of 
 Adrian Onderdonk, both of whom were Committee- 
 Men, during the Revolutionary war, and were confined 
 in the notorious "Jersey" prison-ship, at New York. 
 During their imprisonment, they contracted a disease 
 from which they never recovered. Mr. Skillman is thus 
 a relative of the Bishops Onderdonk, of New York and 
 Pennsylvania. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, 
 but was reared by his grandfather, in the town of North 
 Hempstead, Long Island, where he has ever since resided, 
 following the avocation of farming. His landed estate is 
 both extensive and valuable, and he is one of the best 
 agriculturists in his town. He has served his full time in 
 the militia of this State as Cornet, Lieutenant, and Captain 
 in the Horse Artillery. But, in the midst of his labors, 
 Mr. Skillman found time to devote to the reading of 
 law, to which his attention was turned by his election 
 as Justice of the Peace, nearly twenty years ago, which 
 office he has continuously held to the present time. He 
 discharged the duties of Justice of Sessions for three 
 years ; and, ever since he Avas twenty-one, he has repeat- 
 edly held town office of some kind. Mr. Skillman never 
 solicited either a nomination or a vote, and, therefore, 
 when the Democratic party nominated him for the Assem- 
 bly, he was taken somewhat by surprise. He was elected 
 by a majority of four hundred and forty-seven. He is a 
 member of the Committee on Trade and Manufactures. 
 
 In his manners, he is a pleasant, unassuming gentleman; 
 and as a legislator, is watchful and industrious. 
 
HENRY SMITH. 
 
 Mr. Smith, who represents the Second District of 
 Albany county, is a lawyer of recognized ability and wide 
 reputation. Although he has been but little in official 
 position, he has gained honorable distinction in his profes- 
 sion, and holds a place in the front rank at the Bar of the 
 Capital. His conspicuous connection with several legal 
 cases of extended interest, has made him known throughout 
 the State, and though new to legislative halls, he is not a 
 stranger to those who meet him there. A thick-set man, of 
 medium height, with large head, clear blue eyes, lips and 
 chin significant of firmness and power, features round 
 and genial, but capable of an austere expression before the 
 witness-box, and hair well tinged with gray, though he is 
 yet in the prime of life ; such is the man whom the Capital 
 sends as one of her representatives. 
 
 Mr. Smith's father, Thomas Smith, Esq., was, like him- 
 self, a prominent lawyer, of Schoharie county, and subse- 
 quently of Albany. The son was born at Cobleskill, in 
 the former county, March 14th, 1829. While a lad, he 
 attended the common school, and received the meager 
 rudimentary instruction imparted, in those days, in schools 
 poorly organized and irregularly maintained. But in the 
 Academy at Esperance, which he entered, August 1st, 
 1842, he enjoyed better advantages. His teacher was a 
 Scotchman, named William McLaren, who had all the 
 conscientiousness and thoroughness of his people, together 
 with all their sternness and severity. Vehement, impetu- 
 ous and ugly, his austere discipline was not unfrequently 
 illustrated by the swift and passionate propulsion of a 
 well-worn text-book at the head of an offending pupil. 
 His discipline in study was no less rigorous, but better 
 
360 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 tempered, and the careful and thorough habits of reading 
 and study which he acquired under this hard master, Mr. 
 Smith has always retained, and to them he attributes much 
 of his success. 
 
 On the 10th of September, 1844, Mr. Smith left Cobles- 
 kill, and became clerk in a hardware store, at Detroit, 
 Michigan. But he remained there only a year, and return- 
 ing to his former home, began reading law with his father, 
 in January, 1846. Eighteen months of the diligent and 
 searching study which had been learned under the stern 
 old Scotch master, enabled the young student to pass a 
 critical examination, and on the 10th of June, 1847, at the 
 unusually early age of eighteen years, he was admitted to 
 practice, in the old Court of Common Pleas, for the county 
 of Schoharie. In 1850, upon attaining age, he was admit- 
 ted to practice in all the Courts of the State, and has ever 
 since sedulously devoted himself to his profession. His 
 qualifications and business soon called upon him to act on 
 a wider stage, and in February, 1857, he removed to 
 Albany, where he has since resided. His rise in the pro- 
 fession was rapid and substantial, from the very beginning. 
 In 1854, his legal acquirements were so well recognized, 
 that he received the nomination for County Judge ; but, 
 being on the Whig ticket, with which party he had always 
 been identified, was, of com-se, defeated. Upon the for- 
 mation of the Republican party, he joined it, and, in 1862, 
 received its nomination for Congress, in the Fourteenth 
 District. Both counties composing the district, Albany 
 and Schoharie, were hopelessly adverse, and he was 
 defeated. In 1865, he was nominated by acclamation as 
 the Republican candidate for District Attorney, and, after 
 a severe contest, was elected by a small majority, it being 
 the first time a Republican had carried the county, in 
 several years. This office he still holds, and under the 
 influence of his commanding talents, shrewd judgment, 
 
HENRY SMITH. 361 
 
 and indefatigable industry, the number of convictions has 
 largely increased, and the vicious classes have received 
 such a check as they have not known for a long time 
 before. As an evidence of Mr. Smith's popularity, it may 
 also be stated that he was elected to the Assembly by a 
 majority of five hundred and sixty-four, from a district 
 which usually gives several hundred majority on the other 
 side. 
 
 As a lawyer, Mr. Smith's career has been varied and 
 brilliant. His practice extends over a wide circuit of ter- 
 ritory, and he has tried and argued many cases for the 
 State, on behalf of the Attorney-General. Both in crimi- 
 nal and civil causes he has Avon a merited distinction. In 
 the trial of George W. Smith, County Judge of Oneida, 
 before the Senate, which formed one of the most interest- 
 ing of the few State trials in our history, he was 
 associated with ex-Senator Shafer, for the defense. He 
 is also one of the counsel for the contestants in the cele- 
 brated Dudley will case, which is still before the courts ; 
 and the fame of the Gordon trial, in which he acted as 
 prosecuting attorney, is coextensive with the bounds of 
 the State. This last trial, indeed, afforded so fair an exhi- 
 bition of Mr. Smith's powers, that it may well be dwelt 
 upon for a moment, as better illustrating them than any 
 general analysis. The peculiar circumstances of the mur- 
 der, the eminence of the counsel for the defense, the fact 
 that they had already succeeded in gaining a new trial, 
 the singular net-work of circumstantial evidence, all com- 
 bined to invest the case with unusual interest. Mr. Smith 
 conducted it with signal ability. The shrewdness with 
 which he elicited all the facts, the keenness with which he 
 made apparently insignificant circumstances assume a 
 startling importance, the skill with which he wove the 
 web of proof around the culprit, so closely as to leave no 
 avenue of escape, were rare evidences of legal acumen. 
 
 46 
 
3G2 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 His closing address is generally considered a master-piece 
 of forensic argument. In graphic force of portraiture, 
 ingenious arrangement, and convincing weight of logic, it 
 is seldom surpassed. As a speaker, Mr. Smith is direct, 
 earnest, and impressive. He always prepares his cases 
 with great care, but for the language of his sj}eeches he 
 trusts to the moment. Disdaining all tawdry ornament, 
 he seeks not to please, but to persuade ; not to charm, but 
 to convince. He never sacrifices force of statement, or 
 vigor of argument to beauty of expression. He aims not 
 so much at the grace of rhetoric, as at the overwhelming 
 power of logic. His words are simple and unpretentious, 
 his style clear, nervous, and full of energy. Perspicuous 
 in statement, luminous in its reasoning, his speech is not 
 unfrequently enlivened with an incisive sarcasm, which 
 cuts through the specious veil of sophistry like a Damascus 
 blade ; and it sometimes rises into a vehement torrent of 
 fiery invective against those who have outraged right and 
 justice. Mr. Smith's intellect is of that order which 
 penetrates to the core of a subject, and, seizing the pivotal 
 idea with unrelenting grasp, never lets it go. Issues, or 
 phases, plausible, it may be, but only inferior, have no 
 power to turn him aside. Endowed with a sagacious 
 sense, gifted with a rare tact, his mind stored with the 
 treasures of general knowledge, as well as of legal learn- 
 ing, shreAvd, practical, discerning, genial in temperament, 
 warm in friendship, it may be said in a word, that the 
 representative of the Second District of Albany, will 
 always attract attention in a deliberative body. 
 
JOSHUA SMITH. 
 
 There are men who, though quiet and unobtrusive in 
 their habits, are, nevertheless, calm, reflective and. saga- 
 cious. Perhaps their voices may not often be heard in the 
 forum ; they may not enter the inner circles of the political 
 arena; they may not speak in flowing periods through 
 the press ; but they read, and think, and form opinions 
 to which they give force at the ballot box — opinions from 
 which they are not easily moved, because they have 
 passed them through the mint of their own minds, and 
 stamped them with the signet of their own individuality. 
 Such men are our farmers, in the main, who represent the 
 agricultural interests of our State ; of their number is Mr. 
 Smith, who represents the First District of Delaware 
 county. His life has been an uneventful one, so far as 
 extraordinary occurrences are concerned. Never seeking 
 to mingle with the great mass of people who are eager 
 for gain and eminence, he has chosen a course which has 
 undoubtedly brought full as much happiness and satisfac- 
 tion, as he would have experienced, had he chosen more 
 public pursuits. 
 
 Mr. Smith's father, who came from Rhode Island, in 
 1798, to Tompkins, was a miller by occupation. He gave 
 his son the usual opportunities of the district school, at the 
 same time educating him in the processes of labor. After 
 Joshua had arrived at a proper age, he began teaching, 
 and, in that manner, increased his pecuniary resources suffi- 
 ciently to be able to continue his studies during the summer 
 seasons. In 1846, when he was twenty-five years old, he 
 purchased the mill property belonging to his father, and 
 conducted the business until 1858, when he disposed of the 
 mill, and bought a small farm near by, on which he now 
 
364 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 resides. In 1862, the nomination for Member of Assembly, 
 on the Republican ticket, was offered him, but he declined 
 it, from a sense of duty. The next year he was appointed 
 Postmaster at Cannonsville. He held that position until 
 1866, when he was brought to the political block and 
 decapitated by President Johxsox, for reasons which are 
 apparent to any one who was observant of the times when 
 that event occurred. In other words, Mr. Smith was not 
 mercenary enough to surrender his opinions to a policy 
 diametrically opposed to his ideas of right. The Repub- 
 licans of his district elected him, last fall, to his place in 
 the House by a majority of one thousand and twenty-five. 
 
 DANIEL G. STARR. 
 
 Mr. Starr was elected to the Assembly to fill the 
 vacanpy occasioned by the death of Hon. A. J. Baldwin, 
 who was a member from Sullivan county, in 1866, and 
 was reelected for 1867, but died soon after his election. 
 Governor Fenton ordered a special election to transpire, 
 December 18th, 1866. The Democrats put Mr. Starr in 
 nomination and elected him. He is a native of Fallsburgh, 
 Sullivan county, New York, where he was born, on the 
 twenty-first of January, 1837. His youth was spent on 
 a farm, where, by vigorous toil, his physical powers were 
 developed in such a way as to enable him to bear the 
 tax which an after sedentary life Avould impose upon him. 
 The rudimental studies which formed the .basis of his 
 education, were followed by higher academic branches, 
 which he pursued, for a year, at the Charlotteville Semi- 
 nary, Schoharie county, an institution which, at that time, 
 was at the height of prosperity. Before entering upon 
 
DANIEL G. STARR. 365 
 
 his professional studies, Mr. Starr went to Hampton, a 
 small village in Madison county, Illinois, situated on the 
 Terre Haute, Alton and St. Louis Railroad, where he 
 taught the village school for some months. Whether or 
 not his object may have been to increase the amount of 
 his finances, it is certain that the practical application 
 of what he had learned, more fully prepared him for after 
 life. At the end of a year he returned home, and, during 
 the following year, entered into business speculations. In 
 November, 1857, he began the study of law, in the office 
 of Hon. A. C. Niven, at Monticello, New York. Sub- 
 sequently spending a term at the Albany Law School, 
 he was admitted to practice, in April, 1861, and there- 
 upon settled in Monticello, where he has a lucrative 
 business, and is looked upon as a lawyer of promise. 
 Being a comparatively young man, and unambitious for 
 public notice, his life has been unmarked by thrilling 
 episodes. He has been Clerk of the Board of Supervisors 
 of Sullivan county, four years; and, in 1866, was elected 
 Justice of the Peace. In the House, he is serving on the 
 Committee on Claims, and Sub-committee of the Whole. 
 
 Mr. Starr has always been a Democrat, and has 
 scrupulously indorsed the platforms and candidates of 
 his party. 
 
ORSON STILES. 
 
 Mr. Stiles received a, classical education, having grad- 
 uated from Union College, in 1833. After the completion 
 of his collegiate course, he read law in the office of the 
 Hon. Deodatus Wright, at Amsterdam, New York, and 
 commenced practice, in 1837, at Irving, a village situated 
 in Chautauqua county on Cattaraugus Creek, near its 
 entrance into the lake, where he continued to reside until 
 the autumn of 1849. As an Attorney and Counselor, he 
 was, even at that period, recognized as a gentleman of fine 
 scholarly and legal attainments. He received the political 
 trust of County Clerk from the Whig party in 1850, and 
 thereupon removed to Mayville, the county seat, where he 
 remained until the close of his term. He then selected 
 Fredonia, as his place of residence, and has been a citizen 
 of that village ever since. Possessing, as he does, excel- 
 lent qualifications as a financier, he has been largely 
 interested in the banking business during the last ten 
 years ; he is regarded as a sagacious, upright operator. 
 In local politics, Mr. Stiles is looked upon with great 
 confidence. In 1865, the Republicans of the Second Dis- 
 trict of Chautauqua county, elected him to the Assembly 
 by a majority of 1504. In I860, they decided to make the 
 matter more emphatic by reelecting him by an increased 
 majority of 2,406. 
 
 Upon the great question of Reconstruction, he is in 
 complete sympathy with Congress, relative to its policy. 
 Believing that the National Legislature, after a careful 
 investigation of the social state of the South, has finally 
 provided a plan by which justice to the government can 
 be maintained, and magnanimity and mercy displayed 
 toward the conquered, he holds that it is the duty of 
 every citizen, both North and South, to sustain that plan. 
 
ORSON STILES. 367 
 
 We quote the closing portion of a speech delivered by 
 him in the Assembly, January 10th, 18G7 : 
 
 " The truth is, reconstruction has been made difficult by the 
 attempts to do it so carefully that no one should suffer, and no one 
 should be offended. The rebels themselves have been surprised at 
 the great care which has been taken to override the laws against 
 treason, and to reinstate them to places which they had forfeited 
 by all the rules of justice and all the precedents of the past. Did 
 Jefferson Davis suppose when he was overtaken in his attempts 
 to effect an ignominious escape, that there was anything in reserve 
 for him but an ignominious death ? Did he suppose that an 
 administration, or a party, which had expended their best efforts 
 and their best blood to save the country, and to justify and vindi- 
 cate a republican form of government, would consent that these 
 great investments should be utterly wasted, and that no security 
 would be exacted for the future ? No, sir, he had no such expec- 
 tations. And as the war progressed, and one stronghold after 
 another gave way ; when Grant was reaching forward to grasp 
 the pillars of the temple, and it was being demonstrated that the 
 rebellion could not result in a successful revolution, he sought most 
 earnestly for the means of personal security, and inquired anxiously 
 for the rocks and the mountains. All those men who had furnished 
 the rebellion with brains, and given it life and character, expected 
 nothing less than the visitation of retributive justice. They had 
 heard the thunders of the law issuing from the highest places, and 
 they had no reason to expect anything but the speedy coming of 
 the judgment. They remembered that the man who now occu- 
 pies the chair of the presidency had said, and repeatedly, during 
 the whole progress of the war, 'that treason must be made odious, 
 that traitors must be .punished and impoverished,' and they 
 knew that the loyal heart of the north responded to these senti- 
 ments. They expected nothing but the prompt administration of 
 justice and the strict enforcement of the laws. 
 
 " Sir, we are embarrassed to-day, because these men have been 
 disappointed. If they had not been, the question of reconstruc- 
 tion would have been long since settled and the country would 
 have been at peace. Had Mr. Johnson stood by Congress — had 
 he stood by himself — had he not become intoxicated by his acci- 
 
368 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 dental advancement, and sought to make as well as to execute the 
 law, we would not be asking ourselves whether the result of 
 the war should be a triumph or a defeat, but the assurance would 
 be sent forward to all the coming generations of this nation, that 
 while we had the means and the energy to secure a victory, we 
 also had the courage and the discretion to improve our advantages 
 to the future growth and safety of our country. And this is our 
 duty. The hereafter will not forgive us for doing less. 
 
 " Now, sir, I do not wish to be understood as counseling the 
 use of extreme measures. Let them all be tempered by mercy, 
 with enough of vigor and earnestness in them to secure the future 
 against the possible repetition of these terrible scenes. Congress 
 in its anxiety to effect just this end has submitted these amend- 
 ments to the Constitution, and the people at the recent elections 
 have indorsed them with an earnestness which we cannot misun- 
 derstand. Led by no man, they have thought and acted for 
 themselves. Congress cannot now recede. When it changes its 
 position, it will be an advance, and the people will follow in close 
 and solid column. 
 
 "The assent of the requisite number of States to these amend- 
 ments may not be secured. But I see in this delay or uncertainty 
 no reason why they should be abandoned. Would they prefer 
 territorial governments ? So be it. This alternative, if we will, 
 they cannot reject or resist. The north has the power to dictate 
 terms, and it is her duty to exercise it. All loyal men north and 
 south demand it. The real interest of the rebels themselves 
 demands it. The freedmen demand it. Aud whether the south 
 shall accept or reject, let us be found doing our whole duty, trust- 
 ing the issues to that kind Providence who has led us so carefully 
 through all the dark ways of the past." 
 
 Mr. Stiles was born at Amsterdam New York, in 
 January, 1813, where he spent most of his youth in pre- 
 paration for college. 
 
 His legal acumen, ami his knowledge of finance, have 
 eminently fitted him for public trusts which have, on 
 numerous occasions, been reposed in him, and for his 
 duties as Chairman of the Committee on Banks. 
 
JAMES SUFFERN. 
 
 Mr. Suffern has always been a resident of the town 
 of Ramapo, Rockland county, New York. He is sixty- 
 two years of age, and, for more than forty years of that 
 time, he has been a zealous and efficient worker in the 
 Democratic party, adhering to it through all of its defeats 
 as well as its triumphs. He is an intelligent and highly 
 respected citizen, who has continuously manifested an 
 interest in the affairs of his town and county. The 
 citizens of Ramapo have elected him to the office of 
 Justice of the Peace so many times, as to entitle him to 
 a " life-membership." He held the appointment of Super" 
 intendent of the Poor, from 1836 to 1848. He also 
 represents his town in the Board of Supervisors. 
 
 Mr. Sufferx is a trustworthy farmer ; though he has 
 been an industrious toiler, he has not neglected to inform 
 himself in relation to public affairs, and he holds to his 
 political principles rather from conviction than from mere 
 policy. His ancestry was mainly Democratic. His pater- 
 nal grandfather, John Suffern, who died in 1835, at the 
 age of ninety-five years, represented that portion of 
 Orange county which now comprises the county of Rock- 
 land, in the Fifth Session of the Assembly of New York, 
 held at Poughkeepsie in 1781, '82, and was a member of 
 the State Senate for five successive terms. 
 
 In former days, Mr. Suffern held rank in the State 
 Militia, from First Lieutenant to Lieutenant-Colonel. He 
 was a very good military disciplinarian ; and, when he was 
 Captain, he had oommand of a company which was the 
 most difficult to be managed, of any other in the regiment. 
 During the administration of Governor Wright, in 1845, 
 47 
 
370 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 he resigned his Lieutenant-Colonelcy, and thus retired 
 from military life. 
 
 This is his first term in the Assembly; thus far, he 
 has exhibited great industry, and a disposition to execute 
 the trusts confided to him with the highest integrity of 
 purpose. 
 
 HENRY F. TAR BOX. 
 
 Henry Fisk Tarbox has a soldier's record — a record 
 which places him on a nation's roll of honor; and it is 
 with pleasure that we take this opportunity of alluding to 
 his participation in the grand work which, through blood, 
 and tears, and agonies, has come to a glorious consumma- 
 tion — the redemption of the Republic. The Spartan 
 mothers were accustomed to take their sons about to go 
 into battle, and, placing their shields in their hands, say : 
 " Either this, or upon this." And American mothers, and 
 wives, and sisters, for four awful years, responded "Amen !" 
 to the heroic sentiment. The people will remember, from 
 generation to generation, the military bravery of the 
 living and the dead. The latter have given their highest 
 treasures for the salvation of our institutions ; and, though 
 they may lie in graves far away from home, their deeds 
 of valor are undecaying monuments. We make this 
 reference because Mr. Tarbox's brother, a member of 
 the same regiment, was killed while leading his men in a 
 charge upon the enemy. 
 
 Mr. Tarbox is the son of Henry and Julia Tarbox, 
 and is twenty-seven years of age. His father, a man of 
 intelligence, was a bitter opposer of slavery. His mother 
 was a descendant of David Brainard, and all her rela- 
 
HENRY F. TARBOX. 371 
 
 tives are radical Rejrablicans. He spent two years at the 
 Genesee College, at Lima, New York, diligently pursuing 
 classical studies, and then commenced reading law. He 
 was admitted to practice, in November, 1864, since which 
 time he has followed his profession, at Batavia, New 
 York. Prior to his admission to the Bar, he assisted, in 
 1862, in raising and organizing the 108th Regiment, New 
 York Volunteers, personally enlisting over forty men for 
 that regiment. He received a commission as Second 
 Lieutenant of Company C ; and his brother, D. B. Tar- 
 box, was also commissioned to the same rank in Company 
 B. Each led his company in the battle of Antietam, 
 which transpired within less than a month after the regi- 
 ment was mustered into service. His brother fell in 
 that fight. Mr. Tarbox remained with his regiment until 
 he was so far disabled by disease, that he was discharged 
 by an order from the War Department. By virtue of a 
 good constitution, he afterward so far recovered from his 
 disability, as to be able to accept the position of Assistant 
 Paymaster. A year and a half subsequently, he resigned, 
 and, after completing his studies, entered upon his profes- 
 sion, as previously stated. After his nomination for 
 Member of Assembly, Mr. Tarbox took the stump, and 
 rendered essential service to his party in his county. 
 The Republicans gave him a majority of 1,400 over his 
 competitor, who was a Conservative Republican. He is 
 an active and influential Member of the House, and is a 
 member of the Committees on Internal Affairs of Towns 
 and Counties, and Colleges, Academies and Common 
 Schools. 
 
SAMUEL H. TORKEY. 
 
 Mr. Torret's father was born in Connecticut, and 
 came to this State, when a boy; he received a good 
 academic education, and settled, in early life, in the town 
 of Italy, Yates county, New York, where he resided 
 several years amid the solitude of the forest, without 
 another white inhabitant in the township, and where Mr. 
 Torrey was born, July 4, 1816. 
 
 Mr. Torrey is a self-made man. He left home at the 
 age of fourteen to carve his own fortune. He acquired a 
 good classical education, and, in the year 1837, entered 
 the law office of Messrs. "Wilson & Lester, in Canan- 
 daigua, where he pursued a course of legal studies, which 
 he completed in the office of John L. Talcott, Esq., of 
 Buffalo, and was admitted to the Bar at the Spring Term 
 of the Supreme Court, in the year 1841, and entered 
 immediately upon the practice of his profession at Rush- 
 ville, Yates county, and soon gained a successful and 
 lucrative practice, and ranked well in his profession as a 
 careful and judicious lawyer. 
 
 He is now, somewhat, extensively engaged in agricul- 
 tural pursuits, which are more congenial to his tastes than 
 the practice of his profession, and has, by his business 
 energy and skill, accumulated a large landed estate, to 
 the cultivation and improvement of which he now devotes 
 most of his time. 
 
 Mr. Torrey has always taken a lively interest in the 
 political affairs of the country, and now exercises a 
 wide political influence in his locality. Casting his first 
 Presidential vote for Henry Clay, he remained an ardent 
 Whig, until the formation of the Republican party, with 
 which he has acted to the present time. 
 
DAVID W. TRAVIS. 373 
 
 He has held town or county office almost continuously 
 for the last twenty years, and is now the supervisor of his 
 town. In 1847, he was the Whig candidate for Member 
 of Assembly in Yates county, and was a delegate to the 
 Baltimore Convention that renominated Mr. Lincoln to 
 the Presidency. 
 
 Mr. Toerey was elected to the present Assembly from 
 the Second District of Ontario county, over Robeet D. 
 Cook, Esq., Democrat, by eleven hundred and ninety-one 
 majority. He is on the Committees on Claims, and Aflairs 
 of Villages. Mr. Toeeet is a straightforward, industri- 
 ous Member of the House. 
 
 DAVID W. TRAVIS. 
 
 Me. Teavis was originally a Whig. Though not very 
 ambitious for office, in 1853 he was nominated for the 
 office of Assemblyman, but, in consequence of the running 
 of a third candidate, his Democratic opponent was elected 
 by a small majority. During the session of the Legis- 
 lature of 1854, an act was passed authorizing the election 
 of a Police Justice for the village of Peekskill. Mr. 
 Teavis was nominated for that office by the Whigs, and 
 indorsed by the Americans, who had not, as yet, assumed 
 the shape of a distinct party. The result was his election 
 by a flattering majority. Sympathizing with the Ameri- 
 cans to a certain extent, he acted with them, until their 
 more mature operations as an independent organization. 
 He then gave them a parting " grip," and returned to the 
 Whigs. 
 
 In the year 1855, he was a delegate from his district 
 to the Whig Convention held at Syracuse, and was 
 
374 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 present at the formation of the Republican party. He 
 acted with a majority of the "Whigs in joining the 
 Republicans, and he has continued true to the organiza- 
 tion, in its successes and its defeats. Although the 
 nomination for office was, at various times, offered to 
 him, yet he declined to be a candidate, though his elec- 
 tion seemed certain, in case he should consent to run. 
 Last summer, Westchester county was re-districted, inas- 
 much as the census had shown some changes in its 
 population ; and, though it was thought that there would 
 be some political changes in consequence thereof, yet Mr. 
 Travis, who ran as candidate for Member of Assembly, 
 was elected by over six hundred majority. He is on the 
 Committee on Commerce and Navigation. 
 
 He is forty-two years old, and is a native of Cortlanclt, 
 Westchester county, New York. His father was a farmer 
 by occupation, and was of English descent, and his mother 
 was of German ancestry. He was the youngest of a large 
 family. His youth was spent in working on a farm, and 
 attending the district school during the winter, until he 
 was sixteen years old. But a farmer's life had no very 
 attractive features for him, and, therefore, he very wisely 
 decided to abandon it. It requires a peculiar kind of 
 pluck to face the freezing sleet of early spring, the 110° 
 of July and August, and the nipping frosts of fall ; and if 
 one has ever so misty visions of a life more congenial, of 
 course, it is better to "fold the tent and quietly steal 
 away;" for the true key to success in any occupation, is 
 to have the heart in every effort attempted. 
 
 At the age of sixteen, Mr. Travis attended the Peeks- 
 kill Academy, and continued there as a student, for about 
 four years. He then had an inclination to attend the 
 Military Academy at West Point, but, owing to the objec- 
 tions urged by his parents, he abandoned the idea, and 
 commenced the study of law in the office of William & 
 
DAVID W. TRAVIS. 375 
 
 T. Nelson, Esq'rs, able practitioners, at Peekskill. He 
 was admitted to practice as an attorney, in 1846, and as 
 Solicitor in Chancery, under the old Constitution, the 
 winter following. He commenced practice at Peekskill, 
 in April, 1847 ; and, by hard efforts among old established 
 lawyers, he has gathered to himself a fine business. What- 
 ever he has accomplished, he has wrought by unflinching 
 industry, conscious that toil will meet with due compensa- 
 tion. 
 
 Mr. Travis has always been a zealous worker in the 
 field of politics. He is almost invariably present at the con- 
 ventions of his party, and has a measure of influence in 
 them which is never disregarded by his fellow citizens. 
 In campaigns and at the polls, he determinedly works for 
 the success of the ticket, and in the Legislature he is 
 known as a keen-sighted member. Mr. Travis is a man 
 of a great deal of nervous vitality, and throws all of his 
 powers into the accomplishment of a measure. 
 
JOHN VANDENBERG. 
 
 Mr. Vandenberg was born in the town of Coxsackie, 
 Greene county, New York, on the 31st day of July, 1828. 
 As his name indicates (which, Anglicised, means "from the 
 Hill"), he is of Dutch descent, and no douht feels proud of 
 the fact that he belongs to a race whose history is so illus- 
 trative of devotion to civil and religious liberty, and whose 
 character exhibits traits which must ever command the 
 admiration of the world. He attended the " Coxsackie 
 Academy" during the most prosperous days of that insti- 
 tution, and, as a student, played his part with credit to 
 himself and to the school. 
 
 Early associations, which always have much to do with 
 the formation of character, and the shaping of after life, 
 had, in his case, a tendency to influence in the right direc- 
 tion. He chose the profession of the law, and jn-osecuted 
 its study, for the most part, in a law office in his native 
 town. After his admission to the Bar, he removed to Con- 
 stantia, Oswego county, where, after a brief residence, he 
 was elected, first, Town Superintendent of Schools, and 
 then Justice of the Peace, and where he gained a fair 
 share of reputation as a lawyer. 
 
 In 1855, he removed to Clyde, Wayne county, where, 
 by his industry, he has increased his legal reputation; 
 and by his urbanity, has gained to himself many warm, 
 personal friends. In 1865, he was* elected Member of 
 Assembly, from the First Assembly District of that county, 
 by the Republican party, whose principles he holds, and, 
 on occasion, ably advocates, and to whose ascendency, in 
 that county, he has largely contributed. In a Legislature 
 embracing many eminent men, his ability was soon recog- 
 nized. He was not a frequent debater, but he spoke to 
 
JOHN VANDENBERG. 377 
 
 the point and commanded attention. He was Chairman 
 of the Committee on the Internal Affairs of Towns and 
 Counties, and served also as a member of the Committee 
 on the Manufacture of Salt. Mr. Vandenberg was 
 elected to the present Legislature by an increased 
 majority, and has thus far maintained the reputation 
 which he acquired during his previous term. 
 
 His course, during the rebellion, was decided and con- 
 sistent. In behalf of treason, whose object was the per- 
 petuation of slavery, and the attainment and retention of 
 power through the destruction of our government, he had 
 no excuses nor sympathy to give. For the triumph of the 
 government, he contributed to the extent of his ability 
 and means. And now, that triumph having been attained, 
 he believes that " treason must be made odious, and 
 traitors must be punished." 
 
 In person, Mr. Vandenberg is about six feet high; 
 and it is not flattery to say that his general appearance is 
 decidedly prepossessing. No one is more easy of access 
 than he, and no one more averse to ostentation. His 
 attachment to old friends is strong ; and, by his affable, 
 genial manner, he is always gaining new ones. He does 
 not court, but rather shuns, notoriety; and the honors of 
 office have come to him unsought. 
 
 48 
 
JAMES VAN VALKENBURG. 
 
 The member from Broome county was born in Oneonta, 
 Otsego county, New York, in 1820. His grandfather was 
 one of the old residents of Albany, from which city his 
 father removed to Otsego when a young man, where he 
 followed the occupation of a firmer. Mr. Van Valken- 
 burg spent his early years on his father's farm, receiving 
 only a common school education. On arriving at man- 
 hood, he engaged in the woolen manufacturing business 
 at Oneonta, and afterward at Bainbridge, Chenango 
 county, following it until 1849, when he embarked in the 
 manufacture of grain-cleaning machinery, doing a large 
 and successful business, for several years. In 1852, he 
 removed to Binghamton, Broome county, which has since 
 been his place of residence. The year following, he 
 established the Binghamton Standard, a temperance and 
 political weekly newspaper, which he conducted with 
 ability and industry, for six years. At the time of start- 
 ing the Standard, all the county offices were in the hands 
 of Democrats; but, in a very few years, a change was 
 effected, in which the influence of the Standard was unmis- 
 takably felt. This paper was independent in politics, and 
 took strong grounds against the Kansas-Nebraska Bill ; 
 advocated the nomination of Fremont for President in 
 1856, and gave him a hearty support throughout that 
 campaign. 
 
 Mr. Van Valkenburg was thoroughly conversant with 
 national and State politics, and the influence of his paper, 
 in effecting numerous and important changes, was appar- 
 ent. He was educated in the Democratic school of 
 politics, but left it on account of the issues of the 
 Wilmot Proviso. He was a supporter of Mr. Van Buren 
 in 1848, and Mr. PI ale in 1852. He has always been a 
 
JAMES VAN VALKENBURG. 379 
 
 strict temperance man, and a zealous laborer in the cause. 
 From youth, he has been a working man in the party to 
 which he belonged, never asking for office of any kind ; 
 and his presence in the House is entirely due to the earnest 
 solicitations of his many and warm friends. 
 
 In 1859, the Standard office was disposed of by Mr. 
 Van Valkenburg, his time being occupied in perfecting 
 and putting in operation a machine for dressing rice, of 
 which he was the inventor. The occurrence of the war 
 rendered this invention useless, no rice being brought into 
 market ; but his machine was a success, and it is believed 
 that it will yet come into general use, and prove to be an 
 important labor-saving implement. 
 
 Mr. Van Valkenburg received the appointment of 
 Assistant Assessor of Internal Revenue for Broome Co., 
 in the Twenty-sixth District, in 1862, a position he ably 
 and creditably filled until the fall of 1866, discharging the 
 onerous duties of the office without fear or favor. He was 
 not a supporter of President Johnson's reconstruction 
 policy; on the contrary, he was a staunch supporter of 
 Congress. Judge Wells, the District Assessor, had been 
 removed to give place to Mr. Frear, a virulent opposer 
 of Mr. Lincoln's administration, and Mr. Van Valken- 
 burg, understanding that he could not retain his office 
 and principles too, tendered his resignation, determined 
 to take the stump for the Union cause and ticket, which 
 he did with good effect. 
 
 At the next County Convention of the Union party in 
 Broome county, Mr. Van Valkenburg was selected as the 
 most suitable candidate to represent the county in the Leg- 
 islature, being elected by over eighteen hundred majority. 
 He is a member of the Committee on Ways and Means. 
 
 At the present time, Mr. Van Valkenburg resides on 
 his farm, about a mile and a half from the village of 
 Binghamton, and is engaged in the insurance business. 
 
ALFRED WAGSTAFF. Jr. 
 
 Alfred Wagstaff, Jr., was born in the city of New 
 York, March 21st, 1844; he now resides at "West Islip, 
 Suffolk county, New York. He is of English and French 
 extraction. His maternal ancestors (the Du Boises) came 
 to this country from Holland (having fled hence from 
 France) at the period of the persecution of the Huguenots, 
 and settled on the banks of the Hudson river. Many of 
 them have held high positions of honor, and have been 
 noted for their ability, honesty and integrity. 
 
 Mr. Wagstaff received a classical education, and grad- 
 uated from the Columbia College Law School, May 18th, 
 1866, receiving the degree of LL. B. He was admitted, 
 in the Second Judicial District, as a member of the Bar 
 of the State of New York, and he is now practicing his 
 profession in New York city. He was commissioned 
 Colonel of the 16th Regiment, New York State National 
 Guard, on the 19th of June, 1863, serving with his regi- 
 ment in the Brooklyn Draft Riots. In the summer of 
 1864, he was Avith his regiment in the United States ser- 
 vice, and had command of the Staten Island forts. He 
 was commissioned First Lieutenant in the 91st Regiment 
 of New York Veteran Volunteers, November 12th, 1864, 
 and was detailed to the staff of General Morris, and 
 subsequently as Commissary of Prisoners, .and left Fort 
 McIIenry for Virginia. The following letter to the Gov- 
 ernor, recommending his promotion, is commendatoiy in 
 its terms : 
 
 To the Hon. R. E. Fenton, Governor of the State of New York: 
 
 Having understood that Lieutenant A. "Wagstaff of the 91st 
 Veteran Volunteers, has been recommended by Colonel Tarbull 
 
ALFRED WAGSTAFF, JR. 381 
 
 and Lieutenant-Colonel Donelson for promotion to a Majority in that 
 regiment, I take much pleasure in adding my recommendation of 
 him from personal knowledge of the position. 
 
 Lieutenant Wagstaff has served on my staff since he was com- 
 missioned in the regiment, in November last, and is remarkable for 
 his intelligence, quickness, and a good conception of military duties ; 
 and whilst I shall regret his loss as a staff officer, I recommend him 
 to your Excellency's honorable consideration. 
 
 W. W. MORRIS, 
 
 Brevet Brigadier- General. 
 
 February, 15, 1865. 
 
 Having been promoted Major, in February, 1865 he was 
 Chief of Staff of General Crawford, and served in the 
 Army of the Potomac until the close of the war. He has 
 since received a Brevet Lieutenant-Colonelcy. 
 
 Mr. Wagstaff was a Delegate from Suffolk county to, 
 and one of the Vice-Presidents of, the Syracuse Conven- 
 tion, in 1866, which was his first connection with any 
 political party. He was nominated for Member of Assem- 
 bly by the Republican Union pai-ty, and elected by four 
 hundred and eighty-six majority. He is Chairman of the 
 Committee of Militia and Public Defense, and a member 
 of the Committee on Joint Library. 
 
 He is of tall, commanding stature, and dignified pres- 
 ence, and possesses a vigorous, cultivated mind, and a 
 retentive memory ; he has a keen sense of the ludicrous, 
 and a bright wit, which, together with an unending store 
 of pleasant reminiscences, render lrim a most agreeable 
 and entertaining companion ; and is possessed of an 
 unwearying activity, intense energy and perseverance. 
 Mr. Wagstaff is a ready debater, is quick at repartee, 
 caustic in sarcasm, and laconic in his arguments. 
 
 He has that frank, open-hearted generosity and noble 
 unselfishness which make him, at once, the popular com- 
 mander and beloved fellow-officer. He also possesses 
 sufficient self-confidence and practical experience, joined 
 
382 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 with a quick perception and instantaneous decision, to rise 
 to a distinguished eminence, as a military commander. 
 Mr. Wagstaff ranks well in the Assembly, and is what is 
 termed a working member. 
 
 SMITH M. WEED. 
 
 Mr. "Weed is one of the young men of the Assembly, 
 and ranks, in ability and influence, among the first men in 
 the House. He was born in Bellmont, Franklin county, 
 New York, July 26th, 1833, and is, consequently, now in 
 his 34th year. His father was born in New Hampshire. 
 His mother was a descendant of a Revolutionary soldier, 
 and a Quakeress. 
 
 Mr. Weed was liberally educated, having graduated at 
 the Harvard College Law School, in 1857, and immediately 
 commenced the practice of law at Plattsburgh, Clinton 
 county, where he now resides. His first appearance in 
 public life was in the Assembly of 1865. Here his talents 
 were at once recognized, and he took a leading part in all 
 the measures of that session. 
 
 When the Amendment to the Constitution of the 
 United States abolishing slavery came up for ratification 
 in the Assembly, Mr. Weed took ground in its favor, and 
 made an able speech in advocacy of the measure. His 
 views at that time were somewhat in advance of some of 
 his colleagues in that body, who severely criticised him 
 for his course. But he was vindicated by the action of 
 his party, at their State Convention, held the ensuing fall. 
 His usefulness as a legislator was so apparent, that a 
 general desire was expressed among his friends for his 
 return, and he was reelected in the fall of 1865. The 
 
SMITH M. WEED. 383 
 
 prominence he Lad gained secured for him the Democratic 
 nomination for Speaker of the House, and he received the 
 full vote of his party for that position. During that 
 session he was a Member of the Committee on Railroads. 
 Although, in a minority, he succeeded by good manage- 
 ment in securing the passage of several important bills 
 affecting the northern section of the State. 
 
 In the fall of 1866, he was again a candidate for reelec- 
 tion, defeating his popular opponent by seventy majority, 
 in a disti'ict that gave the Republican ticket a majority of 
 one hundred and twenty-seven. He is now a Member 
 of the Committee on Railroads. He was also elected 
 President of the village of Plattsburgh, in 1865, and 
 unanimously reelected in 1866. 
 
 Mr. Weed may justly be ranked among the most 
 promising young men in the State. He is a good scholar, 
 a clear thinker, and a ready debater. Though struggling 
 in a minority, throughout his legislative career, he has 
 developed rare qualities for leadership. He has never 
 failed to secure and maintain the respect of his opponents, 
 and to win the admiration of his friends. And if his 
 past record may be taken as a criterion for the future, 
 he has but just commenced a useful and successful career. 
 
SAMUEL R. WELLES. 
 
 That branch of the Welles family from which the 
 member from Seneca descended, removed from Hebron, 
 Connecticut, to this State about the year 1800. His 
 father, the venerable Doctor Gardner Welles, located 
 in Seneca county in the year 1810, where he still resides, 
 in the active practice of his profession. He was a Surgeon 
 in one of the New York Volunteer Regiments, during the 
 war of 1812, and a member of the Legislature from Seneca 
 county, for the year 1839. 
 
 Mr. Welles was born in Junius (now Waterloo), 
 February 23d, 1825. He entered Geneva College, in 1841, 
 and graduated in 1845. Adopting the profession of 
 Medicine, he attended lectures at Geneva Medical College 
 and Buffalo Medical College, receiving the degree of M. 
 D., at the latter institution, in 1848. He also attended a 
 course of lectures in the Jefferson Medical College, at 
 Philadelphia, in the winter of 1849, '50. In the spring of 
 1850, Doctor Welles commenced the practice of his 
 profession in Waterloo, where he now resides. He has 
 always acted with the Democratic party, and has been 
 elected by them to the various offices of Town Superin- 
 tendent of Common Schools, Trustee of the Village, 
 Coroner, and Supervisor in '59 and '60. In January, 1862, 
 he entered the military service as acting Assistant Sur- 
 geon, in the 61st Regiment New York State Volunteers, 
 and upon the resignation of the Surgeon, on account of 
 continued ill health, Doctor Welles received the com- 
 mission for that position, early in March of that year. He 
 was with the regiment during its stay in Camp California ; 
 attended it on the reconnoissance to the Rappahannock 
 under General Howard ; participated in the siege of 
 
SAMUEL R. "WELLES. 385 
 
 Yorktown, followed the rebels in their retreat from the 
 latter place, but too late to take part in the battle of 
 Williamsburgh. The regiment was actively engaged in 
 the battle of Fair Oaks or Seven Pines, and suffered 
 severely ; but it won for itself a noble reputation, under 
 the leadership of Colonel Francis C. Barlow, (afterwards 
 Major-General, and now Secretary of State.) During 
 and after this engagement, as well as in the actions at 
 Allen's Farm, Savage Station, White Oak Swamp and 
 Charles City Cross Roads, in all of which the regiment 
 participated and suffei'ed numerous casualties, the entire 
 care of the wounded devolved upon Doctor Welles who 
 was the only Medical officer with the regiment. The 
 wounded of the 61st Regiment at the battle of Charles 
 City Cross Roads, which took place at dusk, June 
 30th, were conveyed to different temporary hospitals. 
 Doctor Welles having attended to the immediate wants 
 of those who were at the one established nearest the field, 
 repaired, about ten o'clock in the evening, to a hospital 
 about a mile distant, where he remained in the perform- 
 ance of his duties, until after midnight, when starting to 
 return, he was misdirected into a road which led him 
 directly within the rebel lines. He was suddenly con- 
 fronted by three of the picket guard, caused to dismount, 
 taken to General Longstreet's quarters, and, in the morn- 
 ing, sent with some sixty others to Richmond, and assigned 
 a place in the officers' quarters, in the famous Libby 
 prison. The second day after his arrival, he was, upon 
 his request, allowed to take charge of a ward of our sick 
 and wounded. In the discharge of that duty, as well as 
 the scanty convenience and limited allowance of medical 
 supplies would permit, he was occupied for three weeks, 
 at the expiration of which time he was permitted to leave 
 Richmond, in company with a detachment of wounded 
 men, destined for northern hospitals. After assisting in 
 49 
 
386 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 the embarkation of the wounded at City Point, he rejoined 
 his regiment at Harrison's Landing. Of the acceptability 
 of the service rendered by our Smrgeons to the wounded 
 and suffering of Richmond, there can be no doubt ; and 
 that Doctor Welles was no whit behind his professional 
 brethren, in his attention to those needing his care, we 
 have the testimony of the Rev. Dr. Marks who was a 
 Chaplain in the 63d Pennsylvania Regiment, and a prisoner 
 in Richmond. In his book entitled " The Peninsular 
 Campaign," after speaking of some kindness done to a 
 Pennsylvania soldier he says : 
 
 " I have not met Doctor Welles since those memorable days, 
 and know not where he now may be ; but I rejoice to say that he 
 is one of the most humane and self sacrificing of Surgeons." 
 
 Soon after his return to his regiment, Doctor Welles 
 tendered his resignation, on account of illness which pre- 
 vented his further continuance in the service, and received 
 an honorable discharge. 
 
 The uncertainty which prevailed during, and for a short 
 time after the " Seven days' fight," as to the condition of 
 the army, the positive absence of any reliable information, 
 and the conflicting rumors which agitated every com- 
 munity, made the reception of news which gave assurance 
 of the safety of the army, an occasion of general rejoic- 
 ing. The return of Doctor Welles to his home, who had 
 been reported dead, was made the occasion of many pleas- 
 ing manifestations of respect and esteem from his fellow 
 citizens. During his connection with the regiment, he 
 had formed many strong and pleasant attachments, he had 
 striven faithfully to do his Avhole duty toward those 
 placed under his charge, and he left the service with 
 regret. As an evidence that these kind feelings were 
 reciprocated, we may state that a short time after reach- 
 ing home he was the recipient of a heavy silver goblet, 
 
SAMUEL R. WELLES. 887 
 
 the inscription upon which showed that it was the gift 
 of the officers and men of the 61st Regiment, to their 
 Surgeon, as a testimonial of their respect and esteem. 
 During the fall of 1862, he occupied himself actively in 
 promoting enlistments, and addressed several public meet- 
 ings in different parts of the county, for that object. In 
 the spring of 1863, he was elected Supervisor and made 
 Chairman of the Board of Supervisors ; he was reelected 
 in 1864, '65, '66. The duties of this office during the war 
 were onerous and responsible ; that they were faithfully 
 and satisfactorily discharged, his repeated election is a 
 sufficient evidence. Mr. Welles believed that the pro- 
 fession of the Democratic faith was not inconsistent with 
 loyalty to the government and to the country, and, in that 
 faith, from the commencement to the close of the war, he 
 worked earnestly to meet the demands made upon his 
 town by the government, and gave a cordial and sincere 
 support to the country in its efforts to suppress the rebel- 
 lion. In the fall of 1866, he was made the candidate of 
 the Democratic party for the office of Member of Assem- 
 bly, and was elected by a majority of 532, being about 
 200 over the average majority on the State ticket. 
 
STEPHEN H. WENDOVER. 
 
 Mr. Wendover was, until recently, interested in the 
 forwarding business ; lie represents the third generation 
 of his family continuously engaged therein. His grand- 
 father, who was a native and resident of New York city 
 at the outbreak of the Revolution, was related to Peter 
 Wendover, one of the framers of the first State Constitu- 
 tion of New York, and primarily suggested the idea of 
 the National Flag as it now is. 
 
 Mr. Wendover was born in the town of Stuyvesant, 
 Columbia county, New York, on the 28th day of July, 
 1831. His boyhood was unbroken by any stern neces- 
 sities, or pinching privations; his father, a gentleman of 
 competence, educated him with a view to business, and 
 gave him all the facilities necessary to prepare him for 
 commercial pursuits. Placing his son in the Kinderhook 
 Academy, an institution situated in Kinderhook, Columbia 
 county, New York, he gave him all of the benefits which 
 that school afforded. In 1848, Mr. Wexdovee, then 
 seventeen years of age, left the Academy, and became a 
 clerk in his father's business, to which he succeeded in 
 1855, and which he conducted with fine business skill. 
 
 Mr. Wendover never, until the autumn of 1866, allowed 
 his name to be used for the candidacy for office ; but, at 
 that time, his Republican friends, in view of the political 
 strength of the probable competitor, urged him to run for 
 the place which he now holds, to which he was elected by 
 seventy-two majority. He is serving on the Committee 
 on Commerce and Navigation. Mr. Wendover, on first 
 acquaintance, is somewhat reserved ; but among his 
 friends he is genial ; and is uniformly polite to everybody. 
 He is emphatically a discerning, large-hearted man. 
 
MARSHALL F. WHITE. 
 
 Hoosick forms one of the northern tier of towns of 
 Rensselaer county, New York. Its scenery is picturesque 
 and beautiful, and its surface consists of wild regions of 
 mountains, and narrow, fertile valleys, which are skirted 
 by precipitous hillsides. In the summer season, the scenic 
 variety is enchanting ; and, in winter, there is a grandeur 
 about the lofty mountain peaks, which cannot be forgotten. 
 Scotchmen who have visited that section, say that it more 
 closely resembles the scenery of Scotland, than any other 
 which they have witnessed in this country. This is Mr. 
 White's native place, he having been born in Hoosick 
 Falls, July 23d, 1827, of New England parentage. We 
 have no knowledge of the incidents of his youth, except 
 that he was an attendant at the Ball Seminary, located in 
 the village of his birth. 
 
 He is now an agent for the Troj'- & Boston Railroad, 
 and a coal and lumber dealer; and is regarded as one of 
 the most enterprising men in the north part of Rensselaer 
 county. 
 
 He is a sound Republican; his political antecedents 
 were Whig. He has been Town Clerk, and for five years 
 Commissioner of Common Schools. For eight years, he 
 held the office of Justice of the Peace, and is the present 
 incumbent of that position. In 1865, Mr. White was 
 elected to the Assembly, over Chauncey B. Slocum, the 
 Democratic candidate, by five hundred and eighty-nine 
 majority. During the session of 1866, he was Chairman 
 of the Committee on the Expenditures of the House. 
 He was again nominated for Member of Assembly, 
 last fall, against Gideon Reynolds, who has been widely 
 known in political circles, for many years. Mr. Reynolds 
 
390 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 had formerly been a Republican, of no insignificant power, 
 in Rensselaer county. Such . was his shrewdness, as a 
 political manager, he had, for a long time, been one of the 
 controlling spirits of his party, and had been the recipient 
 of official favor from the national administration, holding 
 the office of Internal Revenue Collector for the Fifteenth 
 District, at the time of his nomination for the Assembly. 
 When the issues between President Johnson and the 
 Republican party began to assume a tangible shape, Mr. 
 Reynolds went according to the policy of the Presi- 
 dent, and afterwards received from the Democrats the 
 nomination against Mr. White. If he had any hopes 
 that he could be elected by a combination of disaffected 
 Republicans with the Democracy, he must have been con- 
 vinced of his error, when the election displayed a majority 
 of nearly one thousand in favor of Mr. White. 
 
 The Speaker appointed Mr. White Chairman of the 
 Committee on Expenditures of the House, and a member 
 of the Committee on Internal Affairs. His thorough con- 
 versance with business matters, qualifies him for these 
 positions. He is of unimpeachable character ; and, though 
 but little skilled in debate, he makes a very reliable repre- 
 sentative. 
 
MARK D. WILBER. 
 
 Mr. Wilbee was born in Clinton, Dutchess county, 
 New York., on the 12th day of August, 1829. His father 
 is a farmer — a descendant of one of the oldest New Eng- 
 land families. They were Friends, or Quakers ; hence, 
 they had no public part in our Revolutionary struggle. 
 His maternal grandfather, Doctor John Dodge, held a 
 commission as Surgeon in the army, during the war of 
 1812-14. He practiced his profession many years in 
 Schenectady, and afterward settled and died in Dutchess 
 county. He was the son of the Rev. Doctor John Dodge, 
 who officiated at the first Baptist service on Manhattan 
 Island ; and was also a physician and surgeon, practicing 
 in New York city during the Revolution. 
 
 Mr. Wilbek, in youth, possessed a temperament of an 
 exceedingly nervous and delicate character. He entered 
 Fairfield Academy to prepare for college ; but, after two 
 years of study, his health forbidding close application, he 
 left to recuperate his strength, by travel. He first visited 
 the principal cities of the United States and Cuba ; he 
 then went to Chagres, and crossed to Panama, making the 
 passage in the most primitive style to Gorgona, and 
 finished the journey, with a single companion, on foot. 
 After spending several weeks in New Granada, he visited 
 Central America and Mexico, and sailed from Acapulco 
 to San Francisco — California was then a Territory — 
 where he settled temporarily. In that genial climate, he 
 became the embodiment of physical health. When the 
 State was admitted, the first on the Pacific coast, he took 
 an earnest interest in its prosperity, entering actively into 
 trade, mining and agriculture. He had the first threshing 
 machine built, and fed the product of a thousand acres of 
 the first wheat and barley threshed, on the coast. In 
 
392 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 1851 and 1852, he was President of the Settlers' Asso- 
 ciation, a body organized to protect the settler equitably 
 against the Mexican Land Grant monopolies. He stumped 
 the State for Pierce in 1852, running as Representative 
 to the Assembly, for the Sacramento District. He ran 
 largely ahead of his ticket, but was defeated through 
 ballot-box stuffing, advantage being taken of the sus]:>en- 
 sion of the canvass during the hours of the Great confla- 
 gration of the city, which was burned on the night of the 
 election. He returned in 1853, to finish his studies. He 
 read law at Yale, under Governors Dutton and Bissell. 
 In 1855, he united with the newly organized Republican 
 party, and stunrped Connecticut, New York and Pennsyl- 
 vania, for Fremont. He graduated, was admitted to the 
 Bar, in 1856, and entered upon the practice of his profes- 
 sion, in New York city, removing his residence to Pough- 
 keepsie. In the early part of the rebellion, he aided in 
 the organizing of troops, and, in 1862, entered the service- 
 as Quartermaster of the 159th Regiment New York State 
 Volunteers. Afterward, he served upon the Staff of General 
 Albert E. Paine in the Department of the Gulf. About 
 a year afterward, he resigned, on account of physical dis- 
 ability. In 1864, he was elected by the Union party to the 
 Assembly, serving on the Committees of Judiciary and 
 Federal Relations. During the session, he was chosen to 
 advocate the bill ratifying the Constitutional Amendment 
 prohibiting Slavery. His speech on that occasion was a 
 masterly effort in logic, history and statistical proof. It 
 was published in several papers, together with three edi- 
 tions, numbering 20,000 copies, printed and circulated by 
 the Union State Central Committee, as a campaign docu- 
 ment. He was renominated, by acclamation, and elected 
 in 1865, serving on the Committees of Cities and Insur- 
 ance; and he was reelected in 1866, a compliment 
 bestowed upon no predecessor. 
 
WILLIAM WILLIAMS. 393 
 
 Mr. Wilber is a man who labors for the benefit of his 
 city and county. He is the projector of the Pough- 
 keepsie and Eastern, and Poughkeepsie City Rail Roads, 
 and other projects, the consummation of which is due 
 almost entirely to his untiring energy. He is the Lecturer 
 on Commercial Law, in the Eastman Commercial College, 
 in the city of Poughkeepsie. As a public speaker, 
 whether in the forum or on the lecture rostrum, he dis- 
 plays a versatility of oratorical power seldom excelled. 
 In the present Legislature, Mr. Wilber is Chairman of 
 the Committee on the Affairs of Cities, one of the most 
 important in the House, and is looked upon as a sagacious 
 Member. 
 
 WILLIAM WILLIAMS. 
 
 Mr. Williams was born in Bolton, Connecticut, on the 
 6th day of September, 1815. His parents were from 
 Wales. He was elected to the Assembly in 1865, from the 
 First (Buffalo) District of Erie, and served on the Canal 
 Committee. He was reelected from the Second District, 
 in 1866, by a closely disputed contest, running fifty ahead 
 of his ticket, and receiving a majority of twenty-seven 
 votes. He is serving on the Railroad Committee. 
 
 Mr. Williams is a self-made man, he has educated him- 
 self, and acquired large means by his remarkable industry 
 and perseverance. 
 
 As a speaker, he is fluent and logical. He does not enter 
 into mere technical controversies with his opponents, but 
 upon all the political issues, and upon all questions which 
 vitally affect the interests of his constituents, he arises 
 fearlessly and enters spiritedly into debate. In this 
 respect, he has already made his mark in the Assembly. 
 50 
 
394 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Pie has been a Banker, in Buffalo, for twenty-eight 
 years, and is regarded in commercial circles as a gentle- 
 man of fine financial ability. Politically, he is a life-long 
 Democrat, taking a prominent part in politics ; socially, 
 he is highly esteemed in all circles of society, and is 
 regarded, by all parties, as a fearless and upright man. 
 
 WILLIAM B. WILSON. 
 
 Mr. Wilson, the representative of the Second District 
 of Queens county, was born in the city of New York, in 
 the year 1820. Having a passion for the sea, during his 
 boyhood, he entered the United States service on board 
 the Independence, Commodore Nicholson. His first 
 voyage was to Russia, to which country the Independence 
 carried Hon. George M. Dallas, United States Minister 
 to that empire. The ship then recrossed the Atlantic, and 
 went to Rio Janeiro, her appointed station. On this 
 voyage, Mr. Wilson spent between three and four years, 
 and then returned to New York. He then left the navy, 
 and went to reside in Newark, New Jersey, where he 
 remained until the death of his father. Shortly afterward, 
 he came to Albany, where he made himself master of the 
 art of sail-making, devoting several years to the pursuit 
 of it. He then returned to Newark, where he resided, 
 between five and six years. While in Newark, Mr. 
 Wilson was an active member of the Fire Department, 
 and rose to be Chief Engineer — a position which he held 
 for some years, and until the breaking up of the volunteer 
 system. 
 
 After leaving Newark, he resided in the city of Brook- 
 lyn, and became proprietor of a hotel in that city, in which 
 
HENRY WOLTMAN. 395 
 
 business he has ever since remained. In 1861, he removed 
 to Astoria, his present place of residence. 
 
 Mr. Wilson was married about twenty years ago. His 
 wife and three children still survive. He has always been 
 a sound and consistent Democrat, of the old Jacksonian 
 school, never swerving, for an instant, from his party 
 fidelity. He is a quiet and attentive member of the 
 House, taking up none of its time in speech-making, but 
 is always on hand to cast his vote when it is needed by 
 his constituents or his party. 
 
 HENRY WOLTMAN, 
 
 Mr. Woltiian is a native of Germany. He has seen a 
 great variety of incidents, and, for several years, has been 
 conspicuous in the local politics of his district. He is 
 thoroughly imbued with the principles of the Democracy, 
 and is considered to be a pretty shrewd manager. 
 
 Mr. Woltman was born in Bremen, Germany, April 
 21st, 1831. He is the son of an innkeeper, who also 
 carried on a distillery. Leaving the public school, at the 
 age of fifteen, he went to sea as a cabin boy, making a 
 voyage from Bremen to New York, thence to Trinidad, 
 and from that place to Bremen. Remaining in port a 
 short time, he shipped before the mast, and made three 
 or four voyages between his native town, the United 
 States, and the West Indies. During his last voyage, 
 becoming tired of a seaman's life, he ran away from the 
 vessel while in New York harbor ; or, to use his own 
 expression, he "started off without leave," and sought a 
 more congenial occupation. In 1849, he was employed as 
 clerk in a grocery store, but, not being entirely satisfied 
 with that avocation, he succeeded in being appointed on 
 
396 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 the Municipal Police force, and acted as knight of the 
 " locust club " until the organization of the Metropolitan 
 Police, when he refused to be retained on the new force. 
 Mr. Woltman then went on the street cars as conductor, 
 and continued in that capacity, from 1857 to 1859 ; he was 
 bookkeeper for the livery firm of Messrs. Towle & 
 Rover, from that time until 1862, when he accepted an 
 appointment in the New York City Inspector's office, as 
 Health Warden, and held it until the office was abolished, 
 in March, 1866. After that, he was a clerk in the Mayor's 
 office three or four months, and then was appointed 
 General Foreman of Lands and Places in the Street 
 Commissioner's office. He was elected by the Tammany 
 Democracy from the Twelfth Assembly District of New 
 York. 
 
 ABNER I. WOOD. 
 
 Mr. Wood was born, February 4th, 1813, and is, there- 
 fore, one of the oldest men in the Assembly. At the time 
 of his birth, his parents resided in Clifton Park, Saratoga 
 county, New York, where his father carried on the business 
 of shoemaking and tanning, until the winter of 1835, 
 when he removed to Clarkson, Monroe county. He is of 
 Irish descent — three generations in his lineage dating back 
 to birth under the skies of Erin. His grandfather, in the 
 paternal line, when but fifteen years old, enlisted in the ser- 
 vice of his country, and served three years in fighting the 
 French and Indians, in the old border wars. When this 
 period of strife had passed, he settled in the town of 
 Amenia, Dutchess county, became a Baptist preacher, and 
 preached to the same congregation until his death, which 
 occurred in 1810. 
 
ABXEE I. WOOD. 397 
 
 To the subject of our sketch, very meagre facilities for 
 education were afforded. Even such advantages as a 
 common school could give were his only, until he attained 
 the age of twelve years. At fifteen years of age, he com- 
 menced learning the trade of shoemaking, with his father, 
 and continued in that occupation, until 1844, since which 
 time he has been a farmer. He removed from Clarkson to 
 Brockport, Monroe county, in January, 1841, and after 
 residing there four years, again changed his residence to 
 Parma, in the same county, where he has since continued 
 to reside. 
 
 In 1850, Mr. Wood was elected Assessor of his town, 
 by the Whig party, which office he held three years. He 
 had voted with that party since attaining his majority, 
 and maintained the same party relations, until the forma- 
 tion of the Republican party. He served his town as 
 Supervisor, during the years 1858, '59, '60 and '65, his 
 faithfulness as such officer being fully attested by these 
 repeated elections. In the fall of 1865, he was elected 
 Member of Assembly, by a majority of seven hundred and 
 fifty-one over the Democratic candidate. His reelection 
 last fall, was by a complimentary majority of eight hun- 
 dred and fifty-eight, his own town speaking his popularity 
 at home, by giving three hundred and ten of the very 
 flattering vote. 
 
 Mr. Wood is an efficient representative. He is a mem- 
 ber of the Canal Committee, and the Committee on Chari- 
 table and Religious Societies, and is also Chairman of the 
 Committee on Expenditures of the Executive Department. 
 He is, therefore, one of the working men of the House. 
 He possesses a cordial, social temperament, and is at all 
 times courteous and obliging. A man of good personal 
 presence, his unpretending manner readily wins respect 
 and confidence ; and he blends always with his action, the 
 convictions of an earnest, Christian gentleman. 
 
DANIEL P. WOOD. 
 
 Daniel "Wood, the father of the subject of this sketch, 
 came, in 1800, to Pompey, Onondaga county, from the 
 Berkshire Hills. Daniel P. Wood is of New England, 
 Massachusetts stock. And this implies more than many 
 men, whose minds are biased by religious, sectional or 
 political antagonisms, are willing to admit. 
 
 Massachusetts is, in some important respects, the infe- 
 rior of this our native State. She has many faults of 
 history and character. She has given birth to not a few 
 unworthy sons and daughters. But, after all, in spite 
 of all that may be truthfully said about the Puritan 
 sternness and Calvinistic bigotry, the persecution of Bap- 
 tists and Quakers, the Cotton Mathers and Salem Witches 
 of the j)ast, or the lax notions and heresies of the present, 
 spite of all the business and political sins fairly or unfairly 
 laid at her door by Democrats and high churchmen, by 
 Sunset Cox and Horatio Seymour, Massachusetts is a 
 commonwealth eminent among her sisters for the nobler 
 qualities. Considering her numbers and the extent of her 
 territory, her history cannot easily be surpassed for variety 
 of excellence. Her children get from her an early moral 
 and intellectual training, a personal independence and love 
 of liberty, and a political education of that enlarged 
 selfishness which subordinates States to the nation, the 
 interests of the individual to the interests of the masses, 
 which holds the home prosperity — as bound up in, and 
 inseparable from, the prosperity of neighbors and sisters. 
 Those sons of hers, who go wrong, are unjust to their 
 mother and share nothing of her spirit. 
 
 Hon. Daniel P. Wood is an old friend of ours. Our 
 acquaintance dates from his entrance into college, and we 
 have watched with interest his subsequent career. He 
 
DANIEL P. WOOD. 399 
 
 inherited, and has exhibited through life, the New England 
 traits — readiness to labor and to learn, strength of will, 
 forecast and sympathy with those movements which have 
 for their end the well-being of the country, and for their 
 means the advancing condition of all classes and races. 
 His father was a lawyer and farmer, but farming was his 
 main occupation. Mr. "Wood worked diligently on the 
 farm till he was twenty years old, acquiring a vigor of 
 constitution which enabled him, in after years, to endure 
 the severest mental labor. After a preparatory course 
 at Pompey Hill Academy, Mr. Wood entered Hamilton 
 College. There he not only disciplined his mind by a 
 mastering of the class studies, but expanded it by a wide 
 range of reading. He studied law at Pompey with 
 Victory Bhidseye. In 1846 he commenced the practice 
 of law at Syracuse. His industry and skill gave him great 
 success. He was Corporation Attorney for three years, 
 and his general business was so large and attended to 
 with such fidelity that in 1853 his health broke down. In 
 that year and the year 1854 he consented to represent his 
 District in the Assembly, in the hope of good from lighter 
 labors and a change of occupation. But the legislation 
 of those years was very important, and Mr. Wood was 
 too earnest and active to give the needed rest to his 
 worn out frame. In 1853 he was Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Salt, and was on the Committees on Claims 
 and the Code. On this last Committee was Arphaxad 
 Loomis, and David Dudley Field, another codifier, was 
 often present at its sessions. The Committee sat many 
 hours each day, entertaining the most important dis- 
 cussions, demanding for their proper handling severe 
 thought and wide knowledge, and Mr. Wood brought to 
 them his legal acumen and conscientious industry. 
 
 The canal policy came up for review and determination; 
 the Legislature of this year submitted the question of 
 
400 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 debt for tne completion of the enlargement to the people, 
 and in the long, exciting and able debates Mr. Wood was 
 prominent and influential. He was one of the Managers, 
 on the part of the Assembly, of the impeachment of 
 Canal Commissioner, John C. Mather. To have been 
 assigned such important posts by a house politically 
 opposed to him, and during his first year as a legislator, 
 was no light tribute to his reputation and powers. 
 
 In 1854, as Chairman of the Committee on Colleges, 
 Academies, &c, he matured and carried through the act 
 creating the Department of Public Instruction. He was, 
 this year, a Member of the Committee of Ways and 
 Means. He attended moderately to his profession during 
 the three years immediately following, but, in 1857, a 
 hemorrhage of the throat or lungs brought him to the 
 borders of death. Most men would have given way, 
 but the will of Mr. Wood triumphed over disease. As 
 soon as he could cleverly move, he started for South 
 Carolina, returning thence on horseback. 
 
 In 1864, '65, '66, he was elected to the Assembly, as 
 re|:>resentative from the Second District of Onondaga 
 county. In 1865 and '66, he was Chairman of the Com- 
 mittee on Canals, a position requiring, almost ceaseless 
 labor. He understood the canals, knew the burdens laid 
 upon their broad and patient backs, and defended their 
 interests, with honor to himself and usefulness to the 
 State. In 1865, he was Chairman of the Committee to 
 receive the remains of President Lincoln, at the city of 
 New York, and conduct them through the State. He 
 was also on the Ways and Means, a Committee of which 
 he is this year (1867) the Chairman. 
 
 Mr. Wood was a Whig, then a Republican. During 
 the wai*, he labored without ceasing. The first regiment 
 which went from Syracuse was raised in one week. In 
 that same period, mainly through the exertions of Mr. 
 
ELEAZER WOOSTEE. 401 
 
 Wood, nearly $20,000 was contributed on behalf of the 
 soldiers and their families. His patriotism knew no fear 
 or faltering ; he kept up his patience and his hope, speak- 
 ing words of good cheer all the more when hours were 
 darkest. 
 
 As a legislator, Mr. "Wood has but few equals in either 
 House, for vigor, activity and versatility. He speaks 
 often, but never without a good understanding of his sub- 
 ject. He does not talk buncombe, nor on topics aside from 
 proper legislative business. He is clear, precise, and aims 
 directly at the point, caring little for mere ornament ; but 
 his thrusts are as telling as though the hilt of his sword 
 was jeweled and its blade of Damascus steel. 
 
 ELEAZER WOOSTER. 
 
 Mr. Wooster has fought his way in life with rigid per- 
 severance. Never having been in circumstances which 
 favored a liberal education, he has had to acquire what 
 knowledge he possesses, by solitary study. Taking, as a 
 foundation, what learning he had gained in the common 
 schools of New Hampshire, before he was fifteen, he has 
 added thereto, until he has become well informed, both 
 professionally and socially. Mr. Wooster is a native of 
 New Hampshire, and is a lawyer by profession. His 
 residence is in the town of Poestenkill, Rensselaer county, 
 New York, where he has lived for a number of years, 
 building up a business which brings him a comfortable 
 income. At the Bar he holds a fair position ; and, in the 
 prosecution of his cases, meets with an average degree of 
 success. In his district, he carries with him no little politi- 
 cal influence, and is a good manager in a campaign. 
 51 
 
402 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Having held, in an acceptable way, different town offices, 
 Mr. Wooster has made many hearty friends. In 1859, he 
 was candidate for District Attorney, on the " Know 
 Nothing" ticket, and ran 1,700 ahead of his ticket, being 
 defeated, however, by 300 majority, on account of a com- 
 bination of the Democrats with the People's party. In 
 the Assembly of 1866, Mr. Wooster bore a good reputa- 
 tion for integrity. Ill health compelled him to be absent 
 a portion of the time ; but, whenever occasion demanded 
 his attendance, he was found in his seat, though he might 
 have had a valid excuse for being away. He was returned 
 to the present Legislature by a most emphatic vote in his 
 favor. 
 
 NATHANIEL J. WYETH 
 
 Mr. Wyeth's father, Charles Wyeth, was an extensive 
 silk merchant in Baltimore, and his mother, Elizabeth 
 Wyeth, nee Norris, was a native of the same city. The 
 Wyeth family became divided, in the early years of the 
 American colonies, one branch settling in Massachusetts, 
 and the other, in Virginia ; of the latter branch, George 
 Wyeth became the most eminent, having been a signer of 
 the Declaration of Independence, and a distinguished mem- 
 ber of the Convention that framed the Constitution of 
 the United States. 
 
 Nathaniel J. Wyeth was born in the city of Baltimore, 
 Maryland, in 1830. He was named after his great uncle, 
 Nathaniel J. Wyeth, of Cambridge, well known as a 
 pioneer hunter and trapper with Kit Carson, who is 
 spoken of by Washington Irving and Schoolcraft in 
 their writings, as a man of sterling mind ; and he likewise 
 
NATHANIEL J. WYETH. 403 
 
 invented many useful machines, as is shown by the patent 
 office at Washington. 
 
 At the very early age of four years, the subject of this 
 article was sent to the boarding school, at Mount Hope, 
 where he remained until the death of his mother, which 
 occurred when he was eleven years old. Soon after this 
 bereavement, he was placed in the classical high school, at 
 Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where he received a careful 
 course of mental training, in mathematics, rhetoric, and the 
 classics. His instructors were ripe scholars, and experi- 
 enced educators ; and they soon initiated their pupil into 
 a course of culture which laid the foundations of good 
 scholarship. Mr. Wyeth's father, having a sound appre- 
 ciation of the value of a liberal education, determined to 
 give his son the most ample opportunities of a university 
 course ; to further this design, he placed his boy, Nathan- 
 iel, under the tuition of the Unitarian divine, E. Q. Sewell, 
 when he was scarcely fifteen. In the summer of 1846, he 
 was admitted to Harvard University, which was under the 
 Presidency of JEdward Everett, of whom it may be said : 
 
 " He put so much of soul into his act, 
 
 That his example had a magnet's force. 
 
 And aU were prompt to follow whom all loved." 
 
 In the summer of 1850, Mr. Wyeth graduated, receiv- 
 ing the title of A. B., and the next spring entered the 
 Law School at Harvard, where he exclusively devoted his 
 time to the study of law and political science, except the 
 few hours occasionally given to reading Dante's immortal 
 poem, under the supervision of the poet Longfellow. 
 In a year and a half, he received the degree of L L. B. 
 Having arrived at manhood, he immediately went to 
 the city of New York, and opened an office for the prac- 
 tice of his profession. A few months subsequently, he 
 married, and changed his residence to Staten Island, where 
 his home overlooks the broad bay of New York, and com- 
 
404 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 mands a full view of the ocean. He still practices at the 
 New York Bai', and is in the very heart of commercial 
 activity and industrial pursuits. He represents Richmond 
 county in the Assembly to which he was elected by the 
 Democrats, by a majority of eight hundred and twenty- 
 nine. He is member of the Committee on Colleges, 
 Academies and Common Schools, and the Sub-Committee 
 of the Whole. 
 
 Mr. Wyeth is a man of good social traits, and sound 
 opinions. 
 
 TRUMAN G. YOUNGLOVE. 
 
 Mr. Yottnglove's ancestors were of English extraction ; 
 his paternal and maternal grandfather were both soldiers 
 during the Revolutionary War, and both«drew pensions 
 to the time of their death. His paternal grandfather was 
 a native of Connecticut, but early in life emigrated to 
 Vermont, in which State he reared his family. His 
 parents came from Vermont to Edinburgh, Saratoga 
 county, New York, where the subject of this sketch was 
 born, October 31st, 1815. In December, 1846, he took up 
 his residence in Albany, remaining there until May, 1850, 
 when he went to Cohoes, from which village, in 1861, he 
 moved to Crescent, Saratoga county, where he now has 
 an elegant residence. 
 
 His advantages of education were the best afforded by 
 Select Schools in Fabius and Salina, Onondaga county, 
 and at the Galway Academy, an institution then in charge 
 of A. Watson, A. M., who gave it a reputation second 
 to that of no other in the State. While prosecuting his 
 
TKUMAN G. Y0UNGL0VE. 405 
 
 studies, he taught a district school one winter in Fabius, 
 and two in Galway. 
 
 As a student, he was noted for his diligence and profici- 
 ency, being almost always first in his classes, and seldom 
 failing to win the honors accorded to fine scholarship. He 
 early cultivated a taste for historical reading ; and the les- 
 sons of the ages have still for him a freshness of interest 
 unsurpassed by current events of the day. With mental 
 habits well formed, and intellectual powers adequately 
 trained, professional life offered to him its distinctions; 
 and with a view to such life, he studied law with the late 
 Hon. Daniel Cadt, and Hon. Teunis Van Vechten, in 
 Albany ; but soon after engaging in the practice of his 
 profession, he embarked in business enterprises at Cohoes, 
 and has ever since been conspicuously identified with all 
 the interests of that thriving town. His engagements 
 requiring constant professional skill, he has kept up his 
 law library and law reading, and, on all legal points, he is 
 his own best counselor. 
 
 At Cohoes, Mr. Younglove began to display the great 
 executive talent which has made for him a remarkable 
 record. He was a Trustee and also the Secretary of the 
 Mohawk River Mills corporation, (a company engaged in 
 manufacturing knit goods), during the existence of the 
 company, and for a considerable time, had the entire man- 
 agement of its business. Subsequently, at the organization 
 of the Clifton Company, also manufacturing knit goods, 
 he became Trustee and President of it, and so remains. 
 The same is true as respects his relations to the Cohoes 
 Gas-Light Company. He has been Trustee, Secretary and 
 Treasurer of the Cohoes Savings Institution, ever since 
 its incorporation by the Legislature in 1851. He is a 
 Director in the National Bank of Cohoes, and has been 
 such from the organization of the Bank as a State insti- 
 tution, in 1859 ; he is a Director in the Albany City Insur- 
 
406 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 ance Company, also a Director in the Troy and Cohoes 
 Railroad Company. He was "Water Commissioner of the 
 Cohoes Water Works, and Treasurer of the Water Fund, 
 for six years, and, as such, had the principal management 
 in the construction of the works. He is Secretary and 
 Agent of the Cohoes Company, which owns the entire 
 water power of the Mohawk at that place, and a large 
 amount of real estate. The business of the company con- 
 sists in leasing the water power and real estate to the 
 various manufacturing establishments, and the charge of it 
 devolves almost exclusively upon Mr. Younglove. Of 
 this company he is, and has been for several years, a Direc- 
 tor. The dam and gate-house of the company, recently 
 constructed mainly under his supervision, are among the 
 finest in the United States, and the water power thus made 
 available is scarcely equaled by any other in this country. 
 For several years, he had the entire management of the 
 Company's large Foundery and Machine Shop, both of 
 which were built under his supervision. In company with 
 another party, he has been for several years engaged in 
 manufacturing straw board, and has had the entire direc- 
 tion of the business. In the mean time, one of the finest 
 mills in the United States for such manufacture, has been 
 erected under his superintendency. Such eminence in 
 business is praiseworthy in one who early learned, and, 
 for a time, carried on the business of tanner, currier and 
 shoemaker — branches of industry in which his father had 
 been successful. 
 
 The political career of Mr. Younglove dates from his 
 twenty-first year, in which, as a Whig, he was elected 
 Inspector of Common Schools, in Fabius, an office to which 
 he was chosen a second time. In 1845, he was elected 
 Justice of the Peace, on the Whig ticket, in the town of 
 Galway, by a majority of twenty-five, when the town 
 was Democratic by eighty. At Cohoes, he was elected 
 
TRUMAN G. Y0UNGL0VE. 407 
 
 Trustee of the village, and held the position of President 
 of the Board of Education for five years in succession, 
 previous to his removal to Crescent. In 1864, he was the 
 Republican candidate for Member of Assembly, from 
 the First District of Saratoga county, but was defeated by 
 thirty-eight majority, a result caused by the errors of the 
 soldiers' vote, in the field, a number of ballots, evidently 
 intended for him, being cast for the candidate in the Second 
 Assembly Distinct. In 1865, he was put in nomination for 
 the Assembly again, and, although the District was largely 
 Democratic, was elected by three hundred and forty-seven 
 majority. He was Chairman of the Committee on Trade 
 and Manufactures. In 1866, he was returned to his seat 
 by five hundred and fifty-nine majority. He is a member 
 of the Railroad Committee, and Chairman of the Insurance 
 Committee. 
 
 As a politician, Mr. Younxjlove is keen and sagacious. 
 His conclusions are not so much the result of quick intui- 
 tion, as of a logical method of reasoning from given 
 premises. They are neither hurriedly reached, nor hastily 
 expressed. 
 
 As a patriot, earnestly supporting the government in 
 the hour of its greatest need and peril, few men, whose 
 engagements kept them from field duty, have more 
 unsparingly devoted their time and money to a sacred 
 cause which could only triumph by the offerings willingly 
 laid upon the altar of sacrifice. 
 
 His life is most exemplary, and his character is adorned 
 with virtues. While in Galway, he was for several years 
 Superintendent of the Sunday School ; at Albany, he was 
 a teacher, and at Cohoes, was again a Superintendent for 
 ten years. In these relations, he has wielded powerful 
 influences for good. 
 
 Mr. Younglove, in his legislative career, has achieved 
 an enviable reputation. Of undisputed integrity, clear in 
 
408 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 his reasoning, and correct in his conclusions, his opinions 
 have had great weight with all with whom he has come in 
 contact; and his uniform courtesy has won him many- 
 warm friends. His business talents and experience have 
 peculiarly qualified him to arrive at safe judgments, and 
 his course has been such as to encourage every commercial 
 interest of the State, and foster every sound enterprise. 
 
 LUTHER CALDWELL, 
 
 CLERK OF THE ASSEMBLY 
 
 At the opening of the present session of the Legisla- 
 ture, a very spirited contest for the Clerkship of the 
 House took place. The most prominent candidates were 
 Joseph B. Cushman of Utica, who had filled the position 
 for four successive years with marked ability, "Waldo M. 
 Potter of Saratoga Springs, now Financial Clerk of the 
 Assembly, and Major Luther Caldwell of Elmira. 
 After numerous ballotings, Mr. Caldwell was elected. 
 
 He descends from Puritan ancestry, his progenitors 
 having immigrated to America in 1634. James Cald- 
 well, who was shot by the British troops at the Boston 
 massacre, at the beginning of the Revolutionary war, was 
 a connection of this family. Luther Caldwell was born 
 in the town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, September 16th, 
 1822. Twelve years ago he was a journeyman mechanic, 
 working for the New York and Erie Railroad ; he there- 
 fore heartily sympathizes with the mechanic and laboring 
 classes. But, though his hands were hard and browned 
 with toil, his mind was not inert. While he was going 
 through with the routine of daily labor, he was also alive 
 to the march of events. He had a good supply of that 
 strong, New England sense, which has always had so 
 
LUTHER CALDWELL. 409 
 
 much to do in directing and governing the masses ; and 
 therefore, it is not astonishing that he aspired to pursuits 
 which would bring him more immediately in contact with 
 mind. 
 
 Mr. Caldwell was appointed Deputy Clerk of the 
 Assembly, for the years 1857, '59 and '60. In 1861, he 
 enlisted in the 17th Regiment, New York Volunteers, 
 which captured the first field piece taken from the rebels 
 by the army of the Potomac ; he was commissioned Lieu- 
 tenant, and was shortly afterward promoted to Captain ; 
 he has since been breveted Major, for his valor in the 
 field, by Governor Fenton. In the army he was prompt 
 in the performance of duty, and uncomplaining under 
 privations. After his Regiment was mustered out of the 
 service, in 1863 (it went out for two years), he bought a 
 half interest in the Elmira Daily Advertiser, of which 
 he is now the Editor-in-Chief. Mr. Caldwell is some- 
 what widely known as a Member of previous Repub- 
 lican State Conventions, having been Reading Secre- 
 tary in 1859, '65 and '66. In political canvasses, he is 
 regarded as an excellent campaign speaker, being familiar 
 with party policies as well as incidents. His previous 
 experience as Deputy Clerk, familiarized him with his 
 present duties, upon which he entered as no novice. 
 He is rapid in the dispatch of business before the House, 
 never causing delay by any oversight of his. His powers 
 of physical endurance are very great, and his voice 
 is as clear and distinct as a clarion. Thus far, Mr. Cald- 
 well has given genei*al satisfation to both parties, and we 
 doubt not that, when the session closes, he will bear away 
 the palm of being one of the best Clerks which the 
 Assembly has ever had. 
 
 52 
 
NATHANIEL GOODWIN, 
 
 KEEPER OF THE SENATE CHAMBER. 
 
 Our readers will pardon us for taking just one step out- 
 side the bounds of the Legislature, and giving a sketch of 
 the life of Mr. Goodwin, who is known by the sobriquet 
 of " Uncle Nat," to almost every legislator who has been 
 in Albany, for the last ten years. He is emphatically 
 " everybody's friend ;" and his good natured face, wrinkled 
 more by constant smiles than by cares, "will be remem- 
 bered by many, after he has passed from the theater of 
 life. Many a State officer, Senator, and Assemblyman, 
 will, in the future, recollect the kind offices and favors 
 which " Uncle Nat " performed. 
 
 Mi\ Goodwin was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, 
 Jnly 9th, 1803, within a few rods of Plymouth rock, of 
 which he sold many a piece to travelers, when a boy. 
 Being brought up near the sea shore, he possessed a great 
 desire to go to sea. Having acquired an education in the 
 common schools of New England, at the age of seventeen, 
 he shipped, at New Bedford, on board of a wdialer, and 
 went to the coast of Brazil. After an absence of twelve 
 months, during which time he was not once on shore, he 
 returned home ; after remaining about a month, he went 
 on another whaling voyage, going round Cape Horn 
 (the Cape of Storms), thence along the coast of Chili, Peru, 
 and California ; having remained on those whaling grounds, 
 for one season, they sailed to the Sandwich Islands for sup- 
 plies of wood and water and provisions. They remained in 
 harbor, for four weeks, and then put back to their old 
 cruising ground. Having filled their ship with a cargo of 
 oil, they returned to New Bedford, having made a cruise of 
 twenty-nine months. He afterward made several voyages, 
 on board merchant vessels, to England, South America, 
 Cuba, and other parts. During one of his absences, he was 
 
NATHANIEL GOODWIN. 411 
 
 shipwrecked off the Bahama Banks ; the vessel was a total 
 wreck, but he was saved by wreckers, and taken to 
 Havana. It is impossible, in this brief space, to relate the 
 thrilling adventures which he had, while a sailor. 
 
 When Mr. Goodwin was twenty-four, being tired of a 
 roving life, he went to Homer, Cortland county, New 
 York, and bought a farm which he managed for about six 
 years, and then sold out, subsequently following various 
 occupations. In 1840, he was elected Collector of the 
 town of Homer, on the Whig ticket. Having seen 
 the workings of slavery in the course of his travels, and 
 having imbibed a goodly amount of " Plymouth atmos- 
 phere," in his youth, he espoused the cause of the 
 Abolitionists in 1842, being appointed by the Abolition 
 Society to distribute documents, and appoint meetings in 
 the State. In 1845, through the assistance of his friends, 
 he established at Cortland ville, New York, an Abolition 
 newspaper called The True American. He sold his interest 
 two years afterward. In 1846, Mr. Goodwin went to Ten- 
 nessee, in behalf of the Abolition Society, to purchase from 
 slavery the mother of Rev. J. W. Loguen ; but owing to 
 public opinion in that quarter, her master did not dare 
 sell her. He remained in the employ of the society, until 
 1848. After that time, he held town office for several 
 terms, and in 1852, was appointed Janitor of the Assembly. 
 
 From 1852 to 1857, he was employed by the Western and 
 Harlem Railroad Companies. In 1857, he was appointed 
 to fill the vacancy, as a door-keeper in the Senate ; and in 
 1858 was appointed by resolution, as keeper of the Senate 
 Chamber, which position he has held ever since. 
 
 Of course it is unnecessary to add, that " Uncle Nat " 
 is an " out and out " Republican. He has been a friend to 
 the slave, from the time when " Abolitionist " was an 
 opprobrious epithet, but he has lived to see the triumph 
 of the great principles of Right. 
 
MEMBERS OF THE SENATE. 
 
 NUMBER OF THEIR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS, AND THE COUNTIES AND 
 WARDS COMPOSING THE SAME. 
 
 Lieut.-Governor Stewart L. Woodford, Brooklyn, Kings county. 
 
 Dist. Counties and Wards. Senators. 
 
 1. Suffolk, Queens and Richmond counties, Nicholas B. La Bait. 
 
 2. 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, 7th, 11th, 13th and 19th 
 
 wards of Brooklyn, Henry R. Pierson. 
 
 3. 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 
 
 17th and 18th wards of Brooklyn, and 
 towns of Flatbush, Flatlands, Graves- 
 end, New Lots, and New Utrecht, of 
 Kings county, Henry C. Murphy. 
 
 4. 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 14th 
 
 wards of New York, Benjamin Wood. 
 
 5. 10th, Uth, 13th and 17th wards of New 
 
 York, Charles G. Cornell. 
 
 6. 9th, 15th, 16th and 18th wards of New 
 
 York Abraham Lent. 
 
 7. 12th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22d wards of New 
 
 York, Thomas Murphy. 
 
 8. "Westchester, Putnam and Rockland 
 
 counties, Edmund G. Sutherland. 
 
 9. Orange and Sullivan, Henry R. Low. 
 
 10. Ulster and Greene, George Chambers. 
 
 11. Dutchess and Columbia, Edward G. "Wilbor. 
 
 12. Rensselaer and Washington, James Gibson. 
 
 13. Albany, Lorenzo D. Collins. 
 
 14. Delaware, Schoharie and Schenectady, ... Charles Stanford. 
 
 15. Montgomery, Fulton, Saratoga and 
 
 Hamilton, Adam W. Kline. 
 
MEMBERS OF THE SENATE. 413 
 
 Dist. Counties and Wards. Senators. 
 
 16. Warren, Essex and Clinton Moss K. Platt. 
 
 17. St. Lawrence and Franklin, Abel Godard. 
 
 18. Jefferson and Lewis, John O'Donnell. 
 
 19. Oneida, Samuel Campbell. 
 
 20. Herkimer and Otsego, George H. Andrews. 
 
 21. Oswego, John J. Wolcott. 
 
 22. Onondaga, Andrew D. White. 
 
 23. Madison, Chenango and Cortland, James Barnett. 
 
 24. Tompkins, Tioga and Broome, Ezra Cornell. 
 
 25. Wayne and Cayuga, Stephen K. Williams. 
 
 26. Ontario, Yates and Seneca, Charles J. Folger. 
 
 27. Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben, John I. Nicks. 
 
 28. Monroe, Thomas Parsons. 
 
 29. Niagara, Orleans and Genesee, Richard Crowley. 
 
 30. Wyoming, Livingston and Allegany Wolcott J. Humphrey. 
 
 31. Erie, David S. Bennett. 
 
 32. Chautauqua and Cattaraugus, Walter L. Sessions. 
 
ALPHABETICAL LIST OF SENATORS, 
 
 The Counties in which they Reside, Post-Office Address, and Politics. 
 
 Name of Senators. 
 
 Counties. 
 
 Post-office address. 
 
 Politics. 
 
 
 
 Springfield, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Bennett, David S., 
 
 
 Buffalo, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 
 New York Mills, 
 
 Stone Ridge, 
 
 West Troy, 
 
 
 Chambers, George, 
 
 Ulster, 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Cornell, Charles G., 
 
 New York, 
 Tompkins, 
 
 New York City, . 
 Ithaca, 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 Cornell, Ezra, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Crowley, Richard, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Folger, Charles J., 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Gibson, James, 
 
 Washington,... 
 St. Lawrence,.. 
 Wyoming, 
 Montgomery, .. 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Godard, Abel 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Humphrey, Wolcott J.,... 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Kline, Adam W., 
 
 Amsterdam, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 La Bau, Nicholas B., .. 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Lent, Abraham, 
 
 Sullivan, 
 
 New York City,.. 
 Monticello, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Low, Henry R., 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Murphy, Henry C, 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 Murphy, Thomas, 
 
 New York, 
 
 Chemung, 
 
 Lewis, 
 
 New York City,.. 
 Elmira 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Nicks, John I., 
 
 Republican. 
 
 O'Donnell, John, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Parsons, Thomas, 
 
 Monroe, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Pierson, Henry R., 
 
 
 
 
 Piatt, Moss K., 
 
 
 
 
 Sessions, Walter L., 
 
 Chautauqua,... 
 Schenectady, .. 
 Westchester, .. 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Stanford, Charles, 
 
 Schenectady, .... 
 White Plains, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Sutherland, Edmund G., 
 White, Andrew D., 
 
 Democrat. 
 Republican. 
 
 Wilbor, Edward G., 
 
 Chatham, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Williams, Stephen K., ... 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Wolcott, John J., 
 
 
 
 
 Wood, Benjamin, 
 
 
 New York City,.. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 
 
ALPHABETICAL LIST 
 
 OF THE 
 
 MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY, 
 
 WITH THE DISTRICTS AND COUNTIES THEY REPRESENT, POST- 
 OFFICE ADDRESS AND POLITICS. 
 
 Hon. EDMUND L. PITTS, Speaker, Medina, Orleans County. 
 
 Dis. 
 
 Assemblymen. 
 
 County. 
 
 Post-office Address. 
 
 Politics. 
 
 ? 
 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 3 
 
 Baker, John G., 
 
 Baker, Stephen, 
 
 Ulster, 
 
 
 
 Putnam, 
 
 Brewster's, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Barker, Samuel M.,.. 
 
 Schuyler, 
 
 North Hector, ... 
 
 
 
 Tioga, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 Republican. 
 
 17 
 
 Berryman, Wilson,.. 
 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 3 
 
 Bicknell, Richmond 
 
 St. Lawrence, 
 
 Potsdam, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 Bigelow, Lafay'te J., 
 
 Jefferson, 
 
 Watertown, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 4 
 
 
 New York, .... 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 1 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 5 
 
 Blauvelt, Charles, ... 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 1 
 
 Boyd, William B 
 
 Briggs, Thomas A.,.. 
 Bristol, William, 
 
 
 Prattsburgh, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 
 Wyoming, 
 
 Gainesville, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Bruce, Benjamin F., 
 Brush, Augustus A., 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 Dutchess, 
 
 Fishkill Plains,.. 
 
 
 Buck, George W., 
 
 Buck, Leander, 
 
 Chemung, 
 
 New York, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 Democrat. 
 
 18 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 5 
 1 
 3 
 1 
 
 3uckley, Caleb F 
 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 Burrows, Roswell L. 
 Button, Heman G.,.. 
 
 
 Buffalo, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Cattaraugus, .. 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
416 
 
 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Dis. 
 
 Assemblymen. 
 
 County. 
 
 Post-office Address. 
 
 Politics. 
 
 3 
 
 Candee, Samuel, 
 
 
 Pompey Centre, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 9, 
 
 Chamberlain, W. R., 
 Clarke, Edgar B., 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 
 Unadilla Forks, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Clark, William S.,... 
 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 
 Fult'n & Ham. 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Crandall, Charles M. 
 Creamer, Thomas J., 
 
 Allegany, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 14 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 Democrat, 
 
 13 
 
 Cregan, Bernard, 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 o 
 
 Cribben, Henry, 
 
 Develin, John E., 
 
 
 
 
 19 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 2 
 
 Donoho, Const'tine, 
 
 New York,.... 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 W. Taghkanick, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Ellis, Charles G., 
 
 Schenectady, 
 
 Schenectady, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 15 
 
 Frear, Alexander,.. 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 21 
 
 Genet, Henry W., ... 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 ? 
 
 Gill, Columbus 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 Republican. 
 Republican. 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 Gleason, George M., 
 
 St. Lawrence, 
 
 
 11 
 
 Gridley, John V., 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 Gurley, William, 
 
 
 Troy, 
 
 Republican. 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 ? 
 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 Democrat. 
 
 4 
 
 Haynes, Stephen, ... 
 Hinson, Charles W., 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 Buffalo, 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 2 
 
 Hiscock, L. Harris,.. 
 
 Onondaga, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 2 
 
 Hitchcock, Adol. F., 
 
 Washington,.. 
 
 Kingsbury, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 
 Montgomery, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 Hoppin, Bushrod E. 
 Hoyt, Charles S., 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Yates 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY. 
 
 41' 
 
 Dis. 
 
 Assemblymen. 
 
 County. 
 
 Post-office Address. 
 
 Politics. 
 
 2 
 
 
 Cattaraugus, .. 
 
 Otto, 
 
 Republican. 
 Democrat, 
 
 16 
 
 
 New York city, .. 
 
 <) 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 
 Juliand, Frederick, 
 
 Chenango, 
 
 Greene, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 s 
 
 
 Franklin, 
 
 
 
 
 Kimball, James W., 
 
 Fort Covington, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 New Paltz, 
 
 Oswego, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 Littlejobn, D. W. C, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 Pittsford, 
 
 1 
 
 
 Maiden, 
 
 Republican. 
 Republican. 
 
 Republican. 
 
 •? 
 
 McKinney, Charles, 
 Mead, Jacob A., 
 
 
 Redfield, 
 
 
 Livingston, ... 
 
 Mount Morris,... 
 
 o 
 
 Millspaugh, Geo. W. 
 
 Orange, 
 
 Goshen 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 2 
 
 Minier, Christian,... 
 
 Steuben 
 
 Caton Centre, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 Moody, Elisha, 
 
 Niagara 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 Murphy, Michael C, 
 
 New York 
 
 New York city,.. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 10 
 
 Murphy, Owen, 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York city,.. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 8 
 
 Oakey, John, 
 
 Kings, 
 
 l::'_'Xas'ust..N.Y. 
 
 Republican, 
 
 3 
 
 O'Reillv, Daniel, 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York city,.. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 2 
 
 Penfield, George J.,.. 
 
 Westchester,.. 
 
 New Rochelle, ... 
 
 I lemocrat. 
 
 
 Phillips, Henry A:,.. 
 
 Lewis, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 5 
 
 Plumb, Joseph II..... 
 
 Erie 
 
 i row'nda, Cat.Co. 
 
 Republican. 
 
 ., 
 
 
 
 Niagara Falls, ... 
 West Troy, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 •1 
 
 Potter, Oscar F., 
 
 Albany, 
 
 Republican, 
 
 4 
 
 Purely, Samuel M., .. 
 
 Erie 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 Westchester,.. 
 
 West Farms, 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 r» 
 
 
 New York, 
 
 Williamsburgh,. 
 
 New York city,.. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 r 
 
 Ransom, Frank A., 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 
 
 Now York city,.. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 <! Reynolds, Austin L. 
 
 Saratoga, 
 
 S. Glens Falls, ... 
 
 Republican. 
 
 2 Rice, William H., ... 
 
 
 Caughdenoy, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Richmond, Seth M., 
 
 Herkimer 
 
 Little Falls, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 ; 
 
 Roberts, Ellis H 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
418 
 
 LIFE SKETCHES. 
 
 Dis. 
 
 Assemblymen. 
 
 County. 
 
 Post-office Address. 
 
 Politics. 
 
 3 
 
 Robertson, Alex., ... 
 
 Albany, 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 Rogers, Henrv, 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York city,.. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 20 
 
 Russell, Patrick 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York city,.. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 3 
 
 Sanford, George H., 
 
 Schutt, Hiram 
 
 Selkreg, John II., 
 
 
 Oneida, Mad. Co. 
 Port Gibson, 
 
 
 1 
 
 Ontario, 
 
 Republican. 
 Republican. 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Tompkins, 
 Jefferson, 
 
 o 
 
 Shaw, Albert D., 
 
 Cape Vincent, ... 
 
 1 
 
 Shiland, Thomas, ... 
 
 Washington,.. 
 
 Cambridge, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 6 
 
 Sigerson, John, 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York citv,.. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 1 
 
 Skillman, Francis,.. 
 Smith, Henrv, 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Albany, 
 
 Albany, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 Smith, Joshua, 
 
 T^ 1 
 
 Cannonsville, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Starr, David G., 
 Stiles, Orson, 
 
 Sullivan, 
 
 Chautauqua, .. 
 Rockland, 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 2 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Suffern, James 
 
 Tarbox, Henry F.,... 
 Torrev, Samuel II.,. 
 
 Suffern's, 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 3 
 
 Travis, David W 
 
 Vandenberg, John,.. 
 
 Westchester,.. 
 Wayne, 
 
 Peekskill, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 Clyde 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 VanValkenburg, J., 
 Wagstaff, Alfred, Jr. 
 Weed, Smith M., 
 Welles, Samuel II.,.. 
 Wendover, S. H...... 
 
 Broome, 
 
 Binghamton, .... 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Suffolk, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Clinton, 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 2 
 
 Columbia, 
 
 Stnvvesant, 
 
 Republican. 
 
 2 
 
 White, Marshall F., 
 
 Rensselaer, ... 
 
 Hoosick Falls,... 
 
 Republican. 
 
 2 
 
 Wilber, Mark 1)., 
 
 Dutchess, 
 
 Poughkeepsie, ... 
 
 Republican. 
 
 2 
 
 Williams, William. 
 Wilson, William B., 
 Woltman, Henry, ... 
 
 
 Buffalo, 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 12 
 
 New York, 
 
 New York city,.. 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 15 
 
 Wood, Abner I., 
 Wood, Daniel P., 
 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 1 
 
 Onondaga, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 S 
 
 Wooster, Eleazer, ... 
 
 Rensselaer, ... 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 
 Wyeth, Nathaniel J. 
 Younglove, T. G., 
 
 
 
 Democrat. 
 
 1 
 
 Saratoga, 
 
 
 Republican. 
 
 . 
 
 
 H 15 89 
 

 
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