iBleto gorb ^tate College of ^snculture jat Cornell Mniberstitp aitftata, M. 9. ICibrarp Cornell University Library CT 251.M97 1863 Biographical sl(etches of the state off ic 3 1924 014 084 556 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924014084556 ' c^ ^ ^'i l^^-^-^ l^- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES STATE OFFICERS MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE ST-A.TE! OW NEAV YORK. In 186S and '63. BY WM. D. MURPHY, ADTHOB OF " BIOOBAFHICAI. SKETCHES," ETC., IK 1858, '59> '60 AITD '61. ALBANY : PRINTED FOR THE AITTHIDR. Entered, according to an Act of Congress, tn the year 1863, by WILLIAM D. MURPHY, in the Clerk's office of the Northern District of New Tort. ^^^.^f^ INTRODUOTIOlSr. This is a comlbinatioii of two volumes of a series which the author commenced publishing, annually, in 1858. The object of the work is to give impartial, truthful, and condensed biographi- cal sketches of the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, State Officers, and Members of both branches of the Legislature — an object which has thus far been successfully carried out. After the publication of the fourth volume in 1861, owing to a want of proper time to continue the enterprise, the author reluc- tantly concluded to abandon it. It will be seen, however, by the following correspondence, about the opening of the session of the Legislature in 1862, that he reconsidered his determination : "AiBAKT, Jan. 30, 1862. Wm. D. Muephy, Esq. : Deak Sir — Having understood that you do not design writing the Biographical sketches of the Members of this, as you did those of tlie last and the three preceding Legislatures, we feel authorized in appealing to you not to iibandon an enterprise which you have so ably and impartially begun. As a book of reference, aside from its interest in various other respects, the four volumes already issued by you have been found to possess invaluable interest, and we find that a discontinuance of the work would be universally regarded as a very serious loss to the politi- cal history of the State. We earnestly beg you, therefore, to reconsider your determination in the premises, and again resume the work. Should your desire to abandon it arise from any lack of time in its preparation, as intimated in the preface to your last volume, we would suggest the idea of your not issuing it until after the adjournment of the Legislature. This will afford you 4 INTRODUCTION. ample time for its perfection, as well as enable you, by becoming fully acquainted with the members of each House, to do the sketches ample justice." This communication was signed by a large number of the prominent members of the Legislature of that and the preceding year, to whom the author replied as follows : "Albany, Feb. 3, 1862. Gentlemen — I thank you for the compliment of your com- munication. I shall endeavor, in compliance with your request, ' to take the lives ' of the present State Oificers and Members of the Legislature, but apprehend that I shall not find time, in con- sequence of other engagements, to complete the work till after your adjournment. This, as you very properly suggest, will enable me to devote myself more thoroughly to the preparation of the work than I have hitherto found time to do, while the book can be delivered as well after as before the adjournment of the Legislature. "Very respectfully yours, WILLIAM D. MURPHY." Owing to an unusual pressure of professional engagements, however, during the following summer, which the author could not avoid, he was compelled to defer issuing the volume for that year until now, which accounts for the present combination of two volumes in one. In pursuing this course, however, it has not been deemed necessary to repeat in both volumes, the sketches of the State Ofdcers and Senators, who occupy their positions, during both years. It will be seen, therefore, that the sketches of those for 1862, who are not now members of the Legislature are conveniently combined with the sketches of the present State Officers and Members of the Legislature. By a similar arrange- ment the author will endeavor hereafter to continue the publica- tion of the work. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. HOEATIO SEYMOUR, GOVEENOE. The political history of Governor Seymour, from its earliest commencement till now, is marked throughout by an almost unbroken series of brilliant successes. In every sphere of his public life he has been found not only eificient, but more than equal to the most trying emergencies and the most difficult, dangerous, and delicate tasks. Previous to his success, at the late election, for the distinguished position he now holds for the second time, he was the last of the Democratic Governors of New York — perhaps, in the estimation of a majority of her people, the first of her living statesmen — and is to-day the unquestioned leader of the Democracy of the State, if not of the Nation. Un- bounded confidence in him, and a firm belief that for him are reserved the highest honors of the Republic, seem now to be regarded as part of the creed of every true Democrat in the Empire State, and whatever may be the action of the next Democratic National Conven- tion, there is every reason to believe that this sentiment, *1 6 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. like the sentence of an ancient oracle, will, sooner or later, work out its own fulfillment. The family of which Governor Seymour is a distin- guished member is descended from Richard Seymour, who was one of the original settlers of Hartford, Con- necticut, where he, and two or three subsequent genera- tions, lived, and died, and where, also, a large portion of the family, in its various branches, still reside. Major Moses Seymour, his fourth lineal descendant, served with patriotic zeal in the revolutionary war, being present at the surrender of Burgoyne, after which he represented the town of Litchfield in the Legislature of Connecticut for seventeen years, with great credit to himself, and the most entire satisfaction to his con- stituents. At his death, he left five sons, of whom one was Henry Seymour, the father of our present subject; This gentleman was born in 1'780, and on his arrival at man's estate, removed to Onondaga county in this State, whence, soon after the birth of Horatio, he removed to Utica, at which place — after serving the State with great ability in the Legislature, and for many years as one of our earliest and most efiicient Canal Commission- ers — he died, leaving as a heritage to his children a most deservedly enviable reputation. One of his bro- thers was a distinguished member of the United States Senate from Vermont, for twelve years. The Hon. Origen S. Seymour, for some time Representative in Congress from the Litchfield District of Connecticut, was the son of another brother, named Ozias. The late Governor Seymour, of Connecticut, and the Hon. David L. Seymour, for some time a member of Congress from BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 7 the Rensselaer district, of this State, are connected with him. His maternal grandfather. Col. Forman, served through the Revolutionary war in the New Jersey line. Governor Seymour was born in Pompey, Onondaga county, N". Y., in the year 1811. After receiving a liberal education, for which the ample means of his father gave most enviable facility, he took up the study of the law, and being admitted to the bar, early in life, com- menced the practice of his profession, in the city of TJtica. The cares of a large and widely extended estate, however, devolving upon him on the death of his father, together with that of the late John R. Bleecker, Esq., the father of his wife, requiring, as it did, all his time and attention, and taxing his exertions to the utmost for a number of the best years of his life, compelled hira to relinquish his profession. From his youth, as were his ancestors before him, he has always been strongly attached to the Democratic party, and in the spring of 1842, when only thirty years of age, he was elected Mayor of the city of Utica, in which the Whigs were then largely in the ascendancy. In the fall of the preceding year, however, he consented to the use of his name as a candidate for the Assembly, and was triumphantly elected. Among his legislative associates, during the session that followed, were such men as John A. Dix, Michael Hoffman, David R. Floyd Jones, George R. Davis, Lemuel Stetson, and Calvin T. Hulburd, and the following extract from the "Political History of New York," will give some idea of the esti- mation in which he was then held : 8 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. " We have seldom known a man who possessed higher and better qualifications for usefulness and suc- cess in a popular government than Horatio Seymour. Kind and social by nature, affable in his deportment, possessing a shrewd, discerning mind, fluent, and at times eloquent in debate, enlarged in his views, liberal almost to a fault to his opponents, and fascinating in his address, no man seemed better calculated to acquire an ' influence in a legislative body than he, and few, indeed, at his time of life, have acquired a better standing or more substnntial moral power. He had early made himself well acquainted with the great and varied in- terests of the State of New York, an acquisition which aided him much in debate, and gave him an advantage over older members, and which, at the same time enabled him to render services in legislation highly useful and beneficial to the State." It should be sufficient evidence of the character and ability of Governor Seymour, that although at that time but thirty years of age, he at once took rank as a prominent and leading member of the Legislature, even among those whose names have been mentioned. At that time the Democrats had the ascendancy in both branches of that body, and the great measure of the session was Michael Hoffman's celebrated bill in rela- tion to finances, which passed, and which had such a powerful effect in restoring the depreciated financial credit of the State. This measure was supported with great unanimity by the Democrats, but met with violent opposition from the Whigs. It was at this session that a chism began to manifest itself in the Democratic ranks^ though it did not show itself in debates, nor in action upon legislative matters. Strange tests of political faith were talked of — a new dispensation seemed about BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 9 to dawn — and in place of the time-honored principles on which the party had been based by its fathers and apostles, certain crude notions seemed likely to be sub- stituted. The fire was, however, sufficiently smothered to admit of the re-election of Governor Bouck and Lieutenant-Governor Dickinson. He was again a member of the House during the session of 1843, and occupied the position until, and including the session of 1845. The session of 1844 opened with a strongly organized and vindictive op- position to the administration of Governor Bouck, which he himself strove to allay by every means in his power. Although this conciliatory course met with no response, still the disorganizing spirit did not extend so far as to prevent a united action in support of the nominations to the Legislature in the fall, by which a large and controlling Democratic majority was returned to both Houses. This session was an exciting and im- portant one; and, in the acrimonious contests which arose in the Assembly, our subject very soon was looked upon as the champion of the friends of the Administra- tion. But in Mr. Hoifman, the recognized leader of the Legislature in 1842, he had a powerful antagonist, and a most formidable opponent in debate, who, though dignified and chivalrous in manner, was exceedingly dogmatical and dictatorial, and, as a general thing, tyrannical in the exercise of his power over those who differed with him. Yet such was the charm of Gover- nor Seymour's manner, and such the manly frankness of his course, that he secured his opponent's most respect- ful consideration, and it was regarded as a most re- 10 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. markable and beautiful sight to behold the domineering dictator of the House deferring to the commanding courtesy of his competitor. The session of 1845 opened with new spirit, based upon the victorious election of Mr. Polk to the Presi- dency. This session Governor Seymour was induced to accept the Speaker's chair, to which he was elected, notwithstanding the violent opposition of the Division- ists. One of the prominent events of this session was the election of Daniel S. Dickinson to the United States Senate, in securing which he look an active part. He, also, engaged in the discussions relative to the call for a Convention to amend the Constitution, but voted against the bill for that purpose. With this session, however, his legislative career was brought to a close. The courtesy, liberality and generosity, marking" his whole course as a member, contributed, in no small de- gree, to secure for him the position which his skill and ability in debate, combined with his admitted sagacity and tact, fairly entitled him to. The upholders of the integrity of his party owe him a lasting debt of grati- tude for the steadiness and power which he brought to bear in defense of sound jjrinciples of policy, and the time-honored landmarks of their political faith. By the action of the Legislature of 1850, providing for the enlargement of the Erie Canal and appropriating the revenues of the State, in contravention to the pro- visions of the Constitution, Governor Seymour was again brought prominently before the people, and most earnestly resisted this effort to override the provisions of a Constitution so recently adopted. In 1850 he was, BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. H for l£e first time, put in nomination for Governor of this State, in opposition to Hon. Washington Hunt, by whom he was defeated by two hundred and sixty-two votes —the ballot standing as follows : Seymour 214,352 | Hunt 214,614 In 1852 he was again put in nomination by the Demo- . cratic party, with Washington Hunt, Whig, and Min- thorne Tompkins, Free Soil, with the following result : Seymour, 264,121 I Toinpkius, 19,299 Hunt, 239,736 | In 1854 he was put up for re-election, with Myron H. Clark, Republican ; Daniel Ullman, American, and Greene O. Bronson, Hard Shell Democrat, with the fol- lowing result : Seymour, 156 495 1 Ullman, 122,282 Clark -. 156,804 | Brouson, 33,850. While occupying the gubernatorial chair in 1852, he vetoed the notorious Maine Law, and the correctness of his views as to the power of the Legislature to pass sumptuary laws, have since been fully established by a formal decision of the Court of Appeals. In everything, tending towards a vigorous prosecu- tion of the war. Governor Seymour has given the Gov- ernment his most cordial support, freely giving his time, influence, and means to further the cause in hand. When the news of the fall of Fort Sumter burst like a thunderbolt over the silent expectancy of the land, he was in the capital of the State of Wisconsin. The Legislature was in session at the time, and jnany of its members, who stood upon the same ground with him, 12 BIOGRAPHICAI, SKETCHES. consulted with him as to the most advisable course to be pursued. While there, he also contributed largely towards the speedy transmission to the National capi- tal from that far Western state, of as fine a body of men as ever marched. Returning home, he took as , earnest an interest in the action of his own State. He spoke before the Legislature at our State Capital, for which speech. Governor Morgan himself moved a reso- lution of thanks ; spoke before various public assemblies, and contributed, both by word and deed, to further the vigorous action which has characterized our State. By the request of the Adjutant General, he not only named a committee to further enlistments in his own county, but, though greatly to the detriment of his own inte- rests, and the neglect of his own affairs, allowed himself to be placed at its head, and continued to promote the interest of everything pertaining to the cause — even up to his being placed again in nomination for Governor. Governor Seymour, however, was strongly in favor of all honorable compromise before the rebellion broke out. He was anxiously in favor of the adoption of the Crit- tenden proposition, or some similar compromise, by Congress, and believes that such a course would have averted the present disastrous and unnatural civil war. In speaking upon this subject, however, his own lan- guage is doubtless the most appropriate, as will be seen by the following extract from his speech, delivered in the State Convention, at Albany, on the 31st of Janu- ary, 1861 : " We do not ask concessions for men in open resist- ance to government, but to those who are struggling for the preservation of our Union. Shall we have no sym- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 13 pathy for those upon whom the whole weight of this contest falls ? Can we listen, unmoved, to the entreat- ies of the Governor of Maryland, or the Senator of Kentucky, or refuse to second the patriotic efforts of Virginia ? Can we so entirely forget the past history of our country, that we can stand upon the point of pride against states whose citizens battled with our fathers, and poured out with them their blood upon the soil of our state, amid the Highlands of the Hud- son, and on the fields of Saratoga ? I ask the old men within the sound of my voice, to what quarter did you look for sympathy during the last war with Great Britain, when New York was assailed upon the shores of Erie and Ontario, and when the disciplined troops, who had successfully fought Napoleon in the Peninsula, invaded us with co-operating fleets by the channel of Lake Champlain? Was it not to the states of the South ? Is it well that states which then refused to allow their militia to pass their own borders to combat a Common enemy, should be so prompt to tender theni now to battle against our own countrymen? " On the occasion of his acceptance of the nomination for Governor, last fall, he again spoke as follows : " We have been obedient, loyal and patient. We shall continue to be so under all circumstances. But let no man mistake this devotion to our country and its Constitution for unworthy fear. We have no greater stake in good order than other men. Our arms are as strong, our endurance as great, our fortitude as unwa- vering as that of our political opponents. But we seek the blessings of peace, of law, of order. We ask the public to mark our policy and our position. Opposed to the election of Mr. Lincoln, we have loyally sus- tained him; Differing from the Administration as to the course and conduct of the war, we have cheerfully responded to every demand made upon us. To-day we are putting forth our utmost efforts to reinforce our armies in the field. Without conditions or threats we 2 14 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. are exerting our energies to strengthen the hands of government, and to replace it in the commanding posi- tion it held in the eyes of the world before recent disasters. We are pouring out our blopd, our trea- sure, and our men, to rescue it from a position in which it can neither propose peace nor conduct successful war. And this support is free, and generously accorded. We wish to see our Union saved, our laws vindicated, and peace once more restored to our land. We do not claim more virtue or intelligence than we award to our opponents, but we now have the sad and bloody proof that we act under sounder principles of government. Animated by the motto we have placed upon our ban- ner: — 'The Union, the Constitution and the Laws' — we go into the political contest confident of the sup- port of a people who cannot be deaf or blind to the teachings of the last two years." But while speaking of Governor Seymour politically, we must not forget that he has a high moral and reli- gious character, without which the other would be of but little worth. He has ever been a faithful, active and energetic member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, whose interests he has labored earnestly to promote, both as an individual member of her commu- nion, and as one of the ablest leaders of her legislative councils, in which his voice is often raised. But he takes especial interest in educational establishments, and those nurseries of Christian doctrine — the Sunday Schools, whose usefulness he highly estimates, and to whose efforts he gives the heartiest encouragement. In point of physique, the subject of our sketch is about middle height, well made, and neat — but demo- cratically plain — in dress, manner and appearance. He has a large, finely shaped head, somewhat bald, with a BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 15 full broad foretead, beneath which a pair of dark hazel eyes, light and kindle as he converses, and, when he addresses an audience, flash and sparkle with most brilliant, meteoric scintillations. He has a full, large mouth, which ripples over wuth most genial smiles — sure exponents of a warm and generous heart. DAVID E. FLOYD JONES, LIEUTENANT-GO VEENOE. LiEUT.-GovEENOE JoNES has shown himself an effi- cient and capable presiding officer, and watches over the deliberations of the Senate with an air of graceful ease and dignity which contrasts favorably with that of some of his more prominent predecessors. In his per- sonal appearance he is equally adapted to the position, being tall and elegantly formed, with a full, round, well- developed head, thickly coated with short black hair, slightly tinged with aray ; heavy black whiskers, neatly trimmed ; brilliant black eyes, of intelligent expression ; and a countenance denoting unusual depth, earnestness and sincerity of thought. Although modest and unpre- tending to a degree seldom found in public men, he is well adapted to public life ; and has been honored, from time to time, by his fellow-citizens, with some of the most important official stations in the State. He is not a brilliant. or attractive orator, seldom attempting a speech ; but when he does speak, he is entirely devoid 16 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. of everything trashy ot inane and all manner of poeti- cal hysterics. Great and mighty thoughts seldom leap from his mouth, as " Minerva sprang from the brain of Jove," but he never fails to put forth what is far better — plain, practical, philosophical, argumentative, correct, and classical reasoning. Mr. Jones is a native of Fort Neck, Queens county, N. Y., where he was born on the 6th of April, 1813. His parents, Thomas Floyd Jones, and Cornelia Her- ring Jones, are both dead, the former having died in 1851, at the age of sixty-three, and the latter in Decem- ber, 1839, at the age of forty-three. His ancestry has been traced as far back as Thomas Jones, who was a Major in the army of King James, and who, after being defeated at the battle of the Boyne, emigrated from Strabane, Ireland, to America, as early as 1592. Sub- sequently, he removed to Rhode Island, and after marry- ing a daughter of Thomas Townsend, settled at Fort Neck, where he resided until his death, in 1713. His son, David Jones, to whom his property at that place was devised, was born in September, 1699. He was chosen a member of the General Assembly, in 1737, and continued in that body until 1758, occupying the posi- tion of Speaker during a period of thirteen years. He was always the unyielding advocate of the rights of the people against every species of royal encroachment, and on one occasion, while Speaker, ordered the doors of the Assembly to be closed against the Governor until a bill, then under consideration, could be passed, which his Excellency had determined to prevent by an imme- diate prorogation. In 1758 he was appointed a judge BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 17 of the Supreme Court of the Colony, which he resigned iu 1773, and died on the 1st of October, 1775. Thomas Jones, the oldest son of David Jones, was also a judge of the Supreme Court of the Colony. He married Miss De Lancy, a daughter of Lieutenant-Gov- ernor James De Lancy, and sister of the father of the Right Rev. Bishop De Lancy, of Western New York, and died in England. Samuel Jones, the grandson of Major Thomas Jones, and the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born on the 26th of July, 1734. He was a distin- guished lawyer, enjoying an extensive and lucrative practice, and was a model for all who aimed at distinc- tion in jurisprudence. His ofSce was eagerly sought by students, and besides De Witt Clinton, he instructed many who afterwards attained distinction. He was a member of the Convention that adopted the Constitu- tion of the United States, of which body his intimate friend George Clinton, was president, and in 1789, was associated with Richard Varick in revising the statutes of the State of New York. He was the same year ap- pointed recorder of the city of New York, which he held until 1797, when he was succeeded by the Hon. James Kent. He was the first Comptroller ever appointed in the state, which oflBoe he organized at the request of Gov- ernor Jay, in 1796. He died on the 21st of November, 1819, leaving five sons, the eldest of whom, Samuel Jones, has been Chancellor of the State of New York, Chief Justice of the Superior Court of the city of New York, and a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State. His second son. Major William Jones, the grandfather * 2 18 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. of the subject of this sketch, on his mother's side, was for eighty years a prominent member of the legislature ' of this state, and died only a few years since at an ad- vanced age. He was highly esteemed during his life- time, and left behind him a name of which his surviving children and grandchildren are justly proud. Mr. Jones received a preparatory course of schooling at Christ's Church Academy, Manhasset, Long Island, and in 1829, entered Union College, Schenectady, where he graduated in 1832. He then studied law, and in 1836 began the practice of his profession in the city of New York as a partner of the late James P. Howard. He devoted himself closely to the practice until 1840, when he was chosen a member of the Assembly from the city of Kew York. He was re-elected in 1841 and '42, and in 1843 was chosen a member of the Senate from the First District, then comprising the counties of New York, Kings, and Richmond. In 1846, he was a member of the Constitutional Convention, and after the expiration of his senatorial term of oflBce on the 31st of December, 1847, he was appointed Clerk of the Superior Court of the city of New York. He successfully oc- cupied this position until the spring of 1852, when he resigned, and retired to his native place where he now resides. He has always taken a deep interest in agri- cultural pursuits, and for several years was honored with the position of President of the Queens County Agricultural Society. In 1856 Mr. Jones reluctantly consented to represent his native county once more in the lower branch of the Legislatitre, where he was then the Democratic BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 19 Candidate for Speaker, and has since then been Super- visor of his town several years. During most of this time, however, he devoted himself exclusively to the quiet pursuits of his farm, until the fall of 1859 when he was unanimously nominated by the Democratic State Convention for Secretary of State, and by the aid of the indorsement of the American State Convention at Utica, was triumphantly elected. At the expiration of his term of office in this position he again retired to his farm on Long Island, where he quietly remained until last fall, when the people of the State once more sum- moned him to duty by placing him in his present distinguished position. Mr. Jones is a gentleman of superior ability and sterling integrity, and the successful industry and dis- interested patriotism with which he has discharged the duties of the various official stations to which he has been called, has not only reflected credit upon him, but it has redounded to the promotion of every interest entrusted to his care. He is a politician of the purer class, and throughout his entire political career, has been a staunch, unwavering Democrat, of the old- fashioned Hard-shell school. In social life, he is genial and attractive. Open, frank, and generous almost to a fault, he never fails to exercise a large influence over all with whom he comes in contact, and but few men have more numerous and devoted personal friends. STATE OFFICERS. HORATIO BALLARD, SECRETAET OF STATE. Mr. Ballakd was elected to his present position in the fall of 1 86 1 . on the Union ticket, composed of, and sup- ported by, men of all political parties, who were disposed to lay aside political diflferences, for the purpose of up- holding the Union, and affording more effective "aid and comfort" to the Government in this momentous period of its history. The attack of the rebels of South Carolina on Fort Sumter, and its consequent reduction, had fired the public mind, and aroused the people of the loyal states to such a degree, that party lines were apparently obliterated, and the one great object of subduing the rebellion, and rescuing the Union from, destruction, seemed to pervade every heart. Other re- verses, too, had contributed to this feeling, and at such a time, it was deemed unwise and injurious to the public good to revive party strife, lest, in the heat and din of political warfare, the great end and hope of the Nation should be forgotten, and a fresh impulse given to the BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 21 efforts of those at the South, who were striving to over- throw the Government. Influenced by such feelings and considerations, many distinguished citizens of our great state proposed the merging of political parties, and the nomination of a state ticket, on th« principle of Union and fidelity to the Government, irrespective of partisan politics. Mr. Ballard was one of the first to engage in this movement, and a very large portion of his political friends upheld him in his views. A State Convention was accordingly called, and a ticket nomi- nated on this basis, on which he was placed as a candi- date for Secretary of State. This ticket was elected by an immense majority — exceeding one hundred thou- sand; and since January 1st, 1862, he has exercised the functions of the office, to which he was thus called by the spontaneous outbreak of the popular will, to the entire satisfaction of the public. Mr. Ballard was born in the town of Homer, Cort- land county, ISr. Y., on the 21st of August, 1803, and is therefore in his sixtieth year. He is of English de- scent. His parents emigrated from the town of Hol- land, Massachusetts, where his father, Joshua Ballard, was born on the 21st of July, 1714, and lived until the year 1797, when, at the age of twenty-three, he left the place of his birth and selected a location in the town of Homer. Here he purchased about one hundred acres of land, but subsequently made several valuable addi- tions, and grew with the town, in wealth and popularity. He taught the first school in the old town of Homer, and was one of the founders of the Cortland Academy. In 1810, he was appointed Sheriff of the County ; and in 22 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 1816, was a member of the Legislature. Subsequently he was appointed County Clerk, and removed to Cort- landville, where he spent the remainder of his days, honored and respected by his townsman, and died ou the 10th of January, 1855, at the ripe age of eighty-one. His wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, whose maiden name was Parthenia Polley, lived to the age of seventy-two, and died on the 5th day of July, 1849. Mr. Ballard was educated at the Pomfrey and Cort- land Academies, with reference to the study of the law. He commenced reading law in the office of Henry Ste- phens, Esq., in 1822, and completed his studies with Judge Jewett at Skaneateles. He was admitted as an Attorney to the Supreme Court in August, 1828; as Counselor, in May, 1831 ; and soon afterwards as So- licitor and Counselor in Chancery. He became a part- ner of Mr. Stephens, and on the elevation of that gen- tleman to the bench, he succeeded him, to the leadership at the bar, for which he was eminently fitted- as one of the most energetic, industrious and able lawyers in his Judicial District. In 1841, he was appointed District Attorney of Cortland County, and held the office seven years. In 1848, he was the Democratic Candidate for Congress, in the District composed of the Counties of Cayuga and Cortland; and in 1859 he was the Demo- cratic nominee for the office of Judge in the Sixth Ju- dicial District. As a politician, Mr. Ballard has always stood high with the Democratic party, of which he has been an active and influential member, ever since he was a voter, as may be inferred by the expressions of confidence he BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 23 bas received in the way of nominations for important positions. He had ttie misfortune, however, to reside in a district, both as Congressional and Judicial, the majority of whose voters did not accord with him in sentiment ; hence his defect was in no wise to be attri- buted to any want of capacity, or character, but solely to the fact that the opposing party chose to vote for its own nominees. He always ran, however, with his ticket and shared its fate. Nevertheless, he is no politician in the more modern acceptation of the term, and wears his political harness only so far as it enables him to subserve the pubhc welfare. He is always found promptly at his post in the discharge of his official duties, and is sin- gularly efficient in the dispatch of public business. He never puts on any airs of assumed dignity, but is sociable, pleasant, and communicative, setting all who approach him at the most perfect ease. In the campaign of 1862, parties seemed to have re- sumed their former antagonistic position, to a very great extent, and the Democratic State ticket prevailed in the State. Deeming the object for which the Union party was organized to have been frustrated by the National Administration, in adopting a scheme of Emancipation as part of its policy, thereby endangering the great object for which the loyal States are contending — that of restoring the Union as it was — Mr. Ballard has cho- sen to resume his position as a Democrat ; and in the ap- pointments recently made by the Canal Board, of which he is a member, he has acted with the Democratic mem- bers, and voted only for Conservative men. This has 24 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. given rise to some comment, but none question his politi- cal consistency or the purity of his motives. Mr. Ballard has been twice married. His first wife, to whom he was united on the 27th of June, 1832, was Miss TJrsula Webb, daughter of Major Adrie Webb, a patriot of the Revolution. She died in Cortland on the 18th of December, 1845. In June, 1847, he was again mai'ried to Miss Sarah A. Fairchild, daughter of Isaac Fairchild, Esq., of Cortland. In May, 1832, Mr. Ballard united with the Presbyte- riiin Church at Cortland, and maintains the character of a consistent and devoted Christian. LUCIUS ROBINSON, COMPTROLLER. Mb. RoBisrsojT was a member of the Assembly in 1860, from the county of Chemung, to which body he was elected by a large majority, and was one of the strongest and most influential men in the House. As Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means, and a leading member of the Judiciary Committee, he was always prompt in the discharge of his duties ; and his course upon the floor of the House was highly credit- able to himself and satisfactory to his constituents. He was consequently returned again to the Legislature of 1861 by an increased majority. His familiarity with BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 25 legislation, and his popularity, ability, and fitness for the position, induced a general desire among his political friends, that he should be elevated to the Speakership, and his name was therefore presented to the Republican caucus. On the informal ballot he took a very respect- able vote, and it was universally thought that, after a few ballots — there being several candidates — he would receive the nomination ; but, unexpectedly to all, when the hopes of his friends were at the highest pitch, he withdrew his name from the canvass, and his principal competitor was consequently selected. It was conceded that Mr. Robinson was, intellectually at least, the strongest man in the House, and therefore it was that the public mind had settled upon him as the most suit- able man for Speaker. As a debater he ranks high ; and his speeches are always able and eloquent, display- ing much research, and evincing thorough preparation. During the session of 1861, Mr. Robinson introduced a series of resolutions, as a compromise measure, into the House, in reference to our National difficulties, and urged them with great zeal and power. This proposi- tion for compromise was based on the idea, that, after the admission of Kansas as a State, all the remaining territories should be formed into two separate states, and forthwith be admitted into the Union, leaving the question of slavery to be settled by the people thereof, and thus removing the prolific cause of all our trouble from National politics. These resolutions were re- ferred to a select committee, of which he was appoint- ed Chairman, who reported favorably. The report prepared by him, was a very able production, but a 3 26 BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. majority of the Republican members were opposed to it, and it was defeated by the substitution of a project of sending Commissioners to Washington, to attend a Peace Convention of the several States, at the suggestion of the state of Virginia. The speech of Mr. Robinson in favor of the report and resolutions, was a masterly effort, in which he predicted, as the result of a rejection of his pro-i position, just what has since taken place. This was after some of the Cotton States had gone out of the Union, though in time, as many thought here, in Congress and elsewhere, to check the progress of the rebellion, and exert a salutary influence which would prevent the spread of disunion sentiment, and bring back, to the protection of our honored flag, the seceded States. But the desire of the Republicans to chastise the Southern rebels, which they supposed could be easily done, and extirpate the institution of slavery, determined them to turn a deaf ear to any proposition tending to reconcile existing differences, and restore the Union, as it was. They therefore refused to co-operate with their distin- guished leader ; and civil war, with all its horrors and calamities, is sweeping over the land, devastating the fair fields of the South, sacrificing the lives of the best men of all sections of the country, and producing wide- spread ruin by means of heavy taxation, a deranged and depreciated currency, and consequent exorbitant prices of every article necessary to sustain life, and promote the comfort and welfare of the people. Mr. Robinson was elected Comptroller, in the fall of 1861, by a majority exceeding one hundred thousand. His great personal popularity, and his strong Union BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 2'? feeling, which impelled him to throw partyism "to the winds," when danger to our common country called upon all good citizens to j-ally to the rescue, induced the use of his name as a leader of the Union sentiment. His success was a tribute to his patriotism and worth ; and the ability with which he has discharged the arduous duties of his office, has elicited marked approbation from all classes and parties. Mr. Robinson is a native of Windham, Greene county, N. Y., and was born on the 4th of November, 1810. His father, Eli P. Robinson, was a farmer in the town of Windham, and was among its first settlers, having emigrated from Connecticut early in life. He was a lineal descendant of the Rev. John Robinson, from whose church the Plymouth Colony sprang. He was also a Captain of militia during the whole of the war of -1812, and served at Sackett's Harbor and on Long Island. Mr. Robinson was educated at the Delaware Aca- demy, Delhi, Delaware county. He commenced the study of law with Hon. Erastus Root, and subsequently entered the office of Hon. Amasa J. Parker, with whom he finished his course, and was admitted to the bar in 1832. He commenced the practice of law at Catskill, Greene County, N. Y., in 1833, and was three years District Attorney of that county. In 1839 he removed to New York. In 1843 he was appointed Master in Chancery by Governor Bouck, and was re-appointed by Govern er Wright in 1846, holding the position until the Court of Chancery was abolished. He continued in the successful practice of his profession in New York until 28 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 1855, when, his health being impaired in consequencie of excessive labor, he removed to the County of Che- mung and settled in the village of Elmira, where he has since remained a resident, occupying a deservedly high position. In politics he was a Democrat of the Silas Wright and Free Soil school, until the formation of the Republican party, of which he has since been an un- yielding and strenuous supporter, of the National, Con- servative stamp. Mr. Robinson was married, in 1833, to Miss Eunice Osborn of Windham, who died on the 12th of March, 1861 ; and wherever has been his residence he has sus- tained a high character for integrity and worth, both in his private life and political associations. DANIEL S. DICKINSON, ATTOENET-GENEEAL. This gentleman is one of the ancient political land- marks of the Nation, connecting the present with those palmy days when he served with distinction in the Federal Senate alongside of such men as Clay, Web- ster and Calhoun, and is one of the most experienced living statesmen in the country. According to the po- litical nomenclature of New York he was, at that period a Democrat of the " Old Hunker " school, " thoroughly dyed in the wool," and was one of the most terrible of the "terrified" — a Northern man with Southern prin- BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 29 ciples — a Virginian born by mistake in Connecticut. There are those who assert that no man in the North crawled longer and crouched lower than he did to serve the South at the expense of the country ; but at the breaking out of the rebellion, " a new change came o'er the spirit of his dream," and his political opponents now, who were his political friends then, contend that he is jnst as extreme now as his political opponents then, wbo are his peculiar friends now, assert that he was then. He may, therefore, perhaps, be considered an extreme man, and whether on the one side or the other, he is always pretty sure to occuiDy an extreme and not unfrequently an erratic position. Mr. Dickinson is a native of Goshen, Litchfield county, Connecticut, where he was born on the 11th of Septem- ber, 1800. His father was a plain, substantial farmer, who was proud of the soil from which he sprung, and which he cultivated. The circumstances of his parents being only moderate, his childhood was not luxurious nor surrounded by many advantages. He removed with, his father, in 1806, to the beautiful valley of the Che- nango, and settled in what is now known as the town of Guilford. Here he attended a common district school occasionally, and became inured to the laborious duties of a struggling farmer's son. He also spent some time at a mechanical trade, but feelings the promptings of a higher destiny, he was soon found devoting most of his time to higher branches of study and the accumulation of general knowledge. He subsequently studied law, and, in 1826, was admitted to the bar, almost immedi- ately taking a prominent rank in his profession. His *3 30 BIOGKAPeiCAL SKETCHES. professional business increased rapidly, and in 1831 lie removed to the thriving village of Binghamton, where he has always since resided. Mr. Dickinson early became actively engaged in politics, and in 1836 was elected to the State Senate. During his term of service in that body he participated prominently in the discussions growing out of the General Banking Law, the Small Bill Law, the Bank Suspension Law, the Extension of the Erie Canal, and many other important questions, and gained the reputation of an industrious and capable representative. He was subse- quently nominated by the Democrats for Lieutenant- Governor, but hard-cider, log-cabins, and coon skins which were political Meccasin those days, and General Harrison the Mohammed of them all, successfully wrought his defeat. Pie was again nominated, however, for the same position in 1842, and was elected. Id 1844 he was chosen a member of the Senate of the United States, by Governor Bouck, to fill the vacancy created in that body by the appointment of Hon. N. P. Tallmadge to the Gover- norship of the territory of Wisconsin, and on the meeting of the Legislature was elected for the succeed- ing term. On the Texas Annexation, the Oregon Question, the Mexican War, the Admission of California, the Wilmot Proviso, and the Compromise Measures of 1850, which were among the important topics discussed during his career in that distinguished body, he took a leading part and acquired a National reputation. His terra of office expired on the 4th of March, 1851, and he was the last Democratic Senator from the State of New York. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 31 In 1852, Mr. Dickinson was a prominent candidate for the Presidency before the Democratic National Con- vention at Baltimore, but was defeated by the nomina- tion of Mr. Pierce. From that time forward he remained a private citizen, engaged in professional pursuits, until the fall of 1861, when he was nominated and elected to the position he now occupies. That he is a man of ability no one will deny, but he is generally much over- rated, and possesses but little real genius. He is a good speaker, and a debater of rare ability — a well-read statesman and an industrious and successfal politician. His speeches are rather dry — unadorned with gems of poetry and eloquence, but are usually practical and well considered. He is, also, a shrewd, skillful tactician, up to all the arts and tricks of wire-pulling, and had he kept pace with the progress of the progressives in his party, he would doubtless have been a man the Demo- crats would have delighted to honor. Mr. Dickinson was married in 1822 to Miss Lydia Knapp, and attends the Episcopal church. In private life he is a most estimable man, a faithful husband, an affectionate husband, a law-abiding citizen, and an oblig- ing neighbor. He is medium in height, with rather a square figure; his face strongly marked, with years and thoughtful experience completing the original out- lines of nature, and making a pleasant and picturesque contrast with the long white hair that decorates his head. 32 BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. WILLIAM B. LEWIS. TREASURER.. Mk. Lewis was born in Brooklyn, Kings county, N.Y., on the 4th of May, 1818, and is, therefore, about forty- five years old. His ancestors were from Holland. His father, Sheppard Lewis, now lives in Brooklyn, at the advanced age of seventy-eight. His mother, Abigail Lewis, died in 1830. He was schooled in the city of his birth, and acquired a good English education. Mr. Lewis was early apprenticed to, and learned the trade of, a Mason, which business he has pursued ener- getically and successfully. By his genius and taste he has elevated himself to the highest rank, as a Master builder, and has done much to adorn and beautify his native city. The many costly and elegant structures that he has erected in Brooklyn, are enduring monu- ments of his skill and enterprise. Nor has his reputa- tion, as a Builder, been confined to his own city. New York and other places in the vicinity, are also indebted to him for the erection of many of their " palaces," and other substantial buildings. Mr. Lewis was married, on the 22d of February, 1841, to Miss Mary A. Fernald. In his religious opin- ions he is a Universalist, and belongs to a church of that denomination. In politics he was a Whig until that party ceased to exist, when he attached himself to the Americans, which organization was eventually merged in the Constitutional Union and Republican BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 33 parties, the latter of which he joined. When the rebel- lion broke out, inaugurated by the bombardment and capture of Fort Sumter by the rebels of South Caro- lina, a universal feeling of indignation swept over the Northern and Western States, breaking down the bar- riers of party distinction, and eliciting a burst of patri- otic feeling that told how near to the hearts of the people was the Union of these States. As new aggressions were made, the scale of patriotism ascended ; until the danger to the Capitol of the Nation, rendered apparent by the terrible disaster at Bull's Run, electrified the public mind, and aroused the masses to a sense of our great danger, by the magnitude of the rebellion, the resources of the rebels, and the alarming condition of our Government, which was wholly unprepared for such a formidable display of power by the insurgents. In such a day of gloom, almost despair, but one sentiment pervaded the community ; and all hearts seemed to be united in the common cause of saving the country. Under the inspiration of such an hour, party lines were partially obliterated; and in the summer of 1861 the project of a Union ticket for State officers, to be sup- ported at the fall election, was conceived, and measures taken to effect the object. A " People's State Conven- tion " was summoned to convene at Syracuse in Sep- tember, for the purpose of nominating such a ticket, to be composed of gentlemen from all parties, who sus- tained the Government and the integrity of the Union in this momentous crisis. Mr. Lewis cordially co-oper- ated in this measure, and on the assembling of the Con- vention he was placed in nomination for State Treasurer. 34 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. The whole ticket thus nominated was elected by a ma- jority of more than 100,000 ; and since January, 1862, Mr. Lewis has occupied the position to which he was elected, to the entire satisfaction of the people. He continued to act with the new Union party until it be- came apparent that the purpose of the National Admin, istration in conducting the war, was changed, and there was reason to believe that it designed to use its power for the destruction of slavery, rather than for the resto- ration of the Union on its original basis. To this " change of front" by the Government at Washington, Mr. Lewis, it is understood, is utterly opposed ; and on the occasion of mating the Canal appointments recently by the Canal Board, of which he is a member, he acted in conjunction with the Democrats in selecting conser- vative men only for the various places. Mr. Lewis is regarded in Brooklyn, where he has resided all his life, as a ma,n of great integrity, industry and ability. He occupied the situation of Comptroller in that city from 1855 to 1859, and that of Water and Sewerage Commissioner from 1859 to the present time. Prior to 1859 he was Accountant in the Tax Collector's office three years. On the occasion of his election to his present position in the State Government, he was made the recipient of a very handsome compliment from his fellow employees in the Water and Sewerage Com- mission. On their behalf, Hon. Henet C. Muephy, now State Senator, presented him with a very elegant silver tea service, costing some $600, " as a testimonial to his public character and private worth." BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 35 Mr. Lewis has commanded tbe confidence and respect of all classes of his fellow-citizens in Brooklyn, and on his leaving that city to enter upon the duties of his office as State Treasurer, the Brooklyn News, a Demo- cratic paper, thus spoke of him : " Mr. Lewis has maintained an unblemished character for rigid integrity and unshrinking assiduity in the dis- charge of his official duties. It is the possession of these qualities, joined to the many personal virtues and kindly genial bearing which marks his social intercourse with his fellow-men, that form the basis of the great popu- larity whicli he enjoys among his fellow-citizens. Firm and unyielding in his political convictions, and a shrewd partisan leader, he is a favorite in his political j^arty ; and fair and liberal in his dealings with his political opponents, he has excited no personal animosities against him among them. Mr. Lewis takes with him the kindest wishes of his fellow-citizens of Brooklyn," WILLIAM B. TAYLOR, STATE ENGINEER AND SURVETOE. Mr. Taylor was born February 27, 1824, in Manches- ter, Oneida county, N. Y. His father. Job Taylor, was foreman of cotton mills, at different periods, at Oak- ville, New Berlin, Manchester and Old Union Factory. He was, alsw, well and favorably known as an inn-keeper, in ITtica, from 1830 to 1837. During this latter period, the subject of this sketch was educated at the Utica Academy, and was prepared to enter Geneva College, 36 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. when reverses in fortune occurred, which compelled the relinquishment of that design ; and, at the age of eighteen, he was thrown upon his own resources. In the year 1837, his brother, Lorenzo Taylor, was elected City Surveyor of Utica, and William became his assistant, receiving only a nominal salary. In the win- ter of 1849, he was appointed a leveler in the Engineer Dapartment, Enlargement of the Erie Canal ; and from that time to the present, with the exception of about two years, he has been retained in the State service, in the various positions of first and second assistant. Resi- dent and Division Engineer ; and in the fall of 1861 was elected State Engineer and Surveyor, by a majority ex- ceeding 100,000. In 1853 Mr. Taylor was elected City Surveyor of Utica, and was re-elected in 1854. From 1857 to 1860 inclusive, he was a member of the Common Council in the City of Utica. In politics, Mr. Taylor was a member of the old Whig party, and after that organization was abandoned, he joined the Republicans. Upon the breaking out of the present rebellion, and the consequent inauguration of the Union movement, he took a warm interest in its success. On the assembling of the People's and Re- publican State Conventions at Syracuse, in September, 1861, he was selected as the most competent and avail- able candidate for the office he now holds, and, as we have said, was triumphantly elected. He is the youngest man that ever filled that position, being only thirty-seven years of age when he received the nomination. Of his fitness for the place the public have had an opportunity BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 37 of judging, and no man has ever filled it with more honor to himself, or credit to the State As an Engineer, Mr. Taylor has attained a high rank, and is probably inferior to none in the State. He pos- sesses characteristics of mind peculiarly adapted to his profession A man of keen perception, he is quick to detect weak points, or determine strong ones. With a mind of great activity, he has the faculty of arriving at the conclusion of a proposition before it is half stated to him. His social qualities are of a rare order — never failing to produce a strong attachment between himself and acquaintances. Reliable in his pledges, true to his friends, he possesses sufficient independence of character to do what he thinks to be right. In whatever position he has been placed, the public have always evinced en- tire confidence in his ability and integi'ity. Mr. Taylor has been married twice. His first wife was the daughter of William Harrington ; and his second wife, now living, is the daughter of the late C. H. Fair- banks. His residence is in Utica, and he attends the Universalist Church. 38 BIOGBAPIIIOAL SKETCHES. VICTOR M. RICE, SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. Me. Rice is a very large, substantial-looking man — almost a giant in stature, with great muscular power, broad cliest and sledge-hammer arm and fist ; and by his personal appearance alone, to say nothing of the other good qualities with which nature has blessed him, is well calculated to make friends wherever he goes. He is a gentleman of extremely aifable, social and pleasing disposition ; and by his industry, integrity and active business habits, has pushed his way in the world with a good deal of success. He was born on the 5th Of April, 1818, in the village of May ville, Chautauqua county, N. Y., and is now therefore in his forty-fifth year. He is of Euglish and Welch descent. His father, William Rice, was a member of the Legislature about twenty- two years ago, and now resides at Waupaca, Wiscon- sin, at the age of seventy-one years. His mother, whose maiden name was Rachel Waldo, died in 1854, at the age of sixty-four. Both his parents were natives of Washington county. Mr. Rice completed his education at Alleghany Col- lege, Crawford county, Pa., where he graduated with credit in 1841. After leaving college he engaged -in teaching'school, and after some eight months' experience in developing " young ideas," he concluded to change his pursuit, and accordingly entered the Clerk's office in Chautauqua county, and commenced the study of law in the office of the late William Smith, Esq. He BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 39' remained here until June, 1 843, when he went to Buf- falo and resumed the occupation of teaching, by taking charge of the Buffalo High School. He remained in this institution some three years, after which he was engaged for some time as editor of the Cataract, which subsequently became the Western Temperance Standard. He was employed in the Public Schools of the city of BuflFalo from 1848 to January, 1854, three years of which time he was City Superintendent of Schools. In the spring of 1854 he was elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction, which office he held three years, perfoi-ming the duties of the position with great credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the public. In 1861 he was a member of the Legislature from Erie county, and was one of the most valuable men in that body. No motives of policy, expediency or interest — no regard for individuals or localities, and no mere personal friendship could swerve him a hair's breadth from the strict line of duty. He was utterly impervious to lobby appliances, and was not only honest and faith- ful himself, but would not screen others in wrong doing. He did not distinguish himself as a debater in the house, but was content with the more valuable distinction of being a thorotfgh working member. The Legislature of 1862 again elected Mr. Rice to the position of State Superintendent of Public Instruc- tion, a well merited compliment and expressive of the public approbation of his former administration of the affiiirs of the office. He was married in 1846, to Miss Maria Louisa Winter, and occupies a high position in all the social relations of private life. 40 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. SENATORS. CHAUNCEY M. ABBOTT. Senator Abbott is a tall, slender man, of nervous bilious temperament, and although looking somewhat dehilitated and unhealthy, has long been known in the section of the State where he resides, as a man of great physical strength. He has prominent features — rendered, apparently, more so by a heavy, black beard, which he neatly cultivates at unusual length ; hazel eyes-; a high, retreating forehead; dark brown hair; aud an honest, candid expression of countenance which at once " gives assurance of the man." He is usually found sitting quietly in his seat, rarely participating to any considerable extent in the discussions of the Senate, and watches its proceedings with a degree of attention that indicates, at once, the calm deliberation and compre- hensive understanding of his legislative conduct. Senator Abbott is a native of Niles, Cayuga county, N. Y., where he was born in 1822. He is of English extraction, and is descended from the Abbott family who figured so prominently in the English judiciary. BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 41 His paternal grandfather, who was a native of Massa- chusetts, and afterwards resided in Vermont, partici- pated actively in the Revolutionary struggle, and at the close of the war, settled on the same tract of land upon which the subject of this sltetch is now living. Senator Abbott attended a common school until 1837, when he studied a year at Poughkeepsie and about the same length of time at the Moi-avia Institute, after which he took charge of his father's business, the latter having been suddenly prostrated by an attack of inflammatory rheumatism. This caused him to abandon a previous determination to become a professional man, and he consequently turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, in which he has since been chiefly occupied. He has held various town offices, including supervi- sor and justice of the peace, which he held last year, and was a member of the Assembly in 1858. He enacted a conspicuous part in that body during the session of that year, holding a position on the standing committee on State Prisons, and was one of the three Republicans who, by their votes, defeated the enact-' ment of a Registry law, at that session. He was again a member of that body in 1859, and during that year was chairman of the standing committee of which he had the previous year been a member. Politically Senator Abbott was originally a Democrat of Freesoil proclivities, and was one among the first to identify himself with the Republican movement. His nomination for his present position was awarded him with unusual unanimity by the Republican Convention of his district, and he was elected by a large majority. *4 42 BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. Although the Republican candidate, he entered heartily into the Union movement after the breaking out of the rebellion, and subsequently received the indorsement of one branch of the Union Convention, which divided equally between himself and his opponent. He is one of the staunchest friends of free schools and education in the Senate, and is always found laboring zealously for their promotion throughout the State and country. He has displayed great fii-mness and decision of charac- ter during the last session of the Legislature, and is the last man to be turned aside from an honest dis- charge of his duty by the flattery of political friends or the terrors of party rule. He is always found following the dictates of his conscience rather than the behests of a clique, and trusts to tha people for his vindication. Senator Abbott was married in 1845 to Miss Adaline, youngest daughter of the late Henry Oakley, and attends the Methodist church. WILKES ANGEL. Senator Angel was born on the 26th of February, 1815, in Exeter, Otsego county, N. Y. He is of Anglo- Saxon stock, and is the son of the late Hon. William G. Angel, of Angelica, Allegany county, who died in October, 1858, at the age of sixty-eight. His mother, whose maiden name was Emily P. English, died at Bur- lington, Otsego county, in May, 1822, at the age of thirty-two. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 43 Senator Angel's education was obtained in the Dis- trict School and Academy, where he was fitted for entering upon his law studies. He had the advantage, however, of his father's large fund of knowledge and experience, who had mingled much in public life, and had occupied official stations, having served in Congress six years — two under the administration of John Quincy Adams, and four under that of General Jackson ; and was also a member of the State Constitutional Conven- tion in 1846. Under such auspices young Angel began life ; and on his admission to the bar commenced the practice of law in Allegany county, where his success- ful course soon attracting public attention, he was elected to the office of District Attoi-ney, which position he held from 1840 until '44. He was also appointed Master in Chancery by Governor Wright, whose political opin- ions he warmly adopted, and became a prominent mem- ber of the Barnburner wing of the Democratic party. With the Seward, or Woolly Whigs, this section of the Democrats soon formed a coalition, and in 1 854 formally inaugurated the Republican party. This party rapidly rode into power, having, in the space of six years from its organization, swept over all the Northern and Wes- tern States; elected its candidate for President in 1860, and now sways the destiny of this great Republic. In this new party Senator Angel occupies a prominent position ; and in the fall of 1859, he was its representa- tive on the floor of the Assembly of this State, from the County of Allegany. Here his duties were well and satisfactorily performed, and in 1862 he was elected to 44 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. the State Senate, where he is now an active, intelligent, and energetic member. Senator Angel is a man of fair ability, and of estima- ble private character. He is much respected in the community in which he resides, and stands high with his brother Senators as a man of integrity, sound judg- ment and honesty. As a debater, though not eloquent, he yet speaks forcibly and clearly, and, when excited, with a good degree of pungency and effect. His auditors are never at a loss to comprehend his meaning ; and, how- ever much they may be dissatisfied with his conclusions, they cannot but admire the ingenuity with which he has made the " worse to appear the better cause." He is not given to " much speaking," and never makes an elaborate effort, rising only when circumstances require it, and stopping when he has said all that was necessary. In this respect his example is worthy of imitation. Mr. Angel was married December 23, 1841, to Miss Hannah Marble. In religious matters he seems to be bound by no special creed, and attends no particular church. ALEXANDER H. BAILEY. Senator Bailey is of Anglo-Irish extraction, and was born in the town of Ridgebury, Orange county, N. Y., on the 14th of August, 1817. His father, Israel W. Bailey, has been dead some years ; his mother, Jane Bailey, died in 1861 — ^both at Ridgebury. Senator Bailey graduated at Princeton College, New BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 45 Jersey, in the year 1838, and soon after commenced the study of law. On finishing his legal course in 1841, he was licensed to practice by the old Supreme Court, and located at Catskill, Greene county. Here he filled the ofiices of Justice of the Peace and Master in Chancery ; and was elected member of the Assembly in 1849. In the fall of 1850 he received the nomination for County Judge, and was elected over Hon. Lyman Tremain, late Attorney-General of the State, and last fall the Union candidate for Lieutenant-Governor. During the years 1853, '54, '55 a;nd '56 he spent his winters in the city of New Orleans, as the attorney of the heirs of Charles Millard, deceased, who reside in this State, in winding up the large estate of that gentleman, and thus had an opportunity of forming a correct estimate of Southern character, and Southern institutions, and par- ticularly that "peculiar" one which has caused the present desolating and unhappy war between the North and South. In the summer of 1855 Senator Bailey removed to the flourishing village of Rome, Oneida county, where he became the law partner of B. I. Beach, and has remained ever since in the practice of the law. He was elected to the present Senate by a majority of 3,200 over John F. Seymour, brother of Governor Sey- mour, which is the first prominent official position he has ever held. He occupies a prominent position in that body, and is always found at his post in the dis- charge of his legislative duties. In politics, he was. formerly an old Line Whig, and adhered to his party associations until its disbandment. On the organization 46 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. of the Republican party he attached himself to its for- tunes, and is one of its most efficient and able supporters. He is liberal towards opponents, though firm and decided in his principles. He is an ardent patriot, and sustains the National Government with all the vigor of his mind, and the efficiency of his personal services. In the present crisis he is in favor of a thorough prosecu- tion of the war, and is throughly hostile to any peace movement so long as the rebels are in arms against the National Government. He has been the most a:ctive man in his district, since the war broke out, in raising volunteers and infusing a war spirit into the public mind, and his effisrts have been eminently successful. In person Senator Bailey bears strong resemblance to the late honored and lamented Douglas, and has some of the most prominent characteristics of that distin- guished Senator, He is not, however, so animated and ready in debate, though he speaks deliberately and elo- quently, with great perspicuity and effect. His points are always clearly stated and eifectively argued — which is always the result of thorough preparation. He is short and thick set, with a high forehead and full face, a pleasant and expressive countenance, and though somewhat taller, one not familiarly acquainted with either, might readily mistake him for the great Illinoian. He has made but few speeches in the Senate, but he speakes only on important questions, with marked merit and power. Senator Bailey was married in 1842 to Miss Mary E. Hovell, daughter of Charles Ilovell, deceased, of Goshen, Orange county. He stands deservedly high BIOGEAPHICAI, SKETCHES. 4V in the community in which he lives, among all parties and sects, bearing the reputation of a kind, benevolent man, of great integrity and honor, and attends the Presbyterian church. JAMES A. BELL. Senator Bell was first chosen to the Senate in the fall of 1859. He was born of Anglo-Irish parentage in the town of Hebron, Washington county, on the 8th of February, 1814. His father, George Boll, was a farmer, and removed to Jefferson county in 1825, where he resided till his decease in 1841. His widow and three sous survive him. Having obtained a good English education, at the age of seventeen Senator Bell commenced teaching school, which occupation he pursued with success some five or six years. In 1836 he engaged in the mercantile business, which he has uninterruptingly and successfully pursued to tlie present time. He has held various offices of responsibility and trust. He was Postmaster during the administration of Presidents Taylor and Fillmore, and besides Qther town offices held the position of Super, visor in the town of Brownville, during the years 1857, and 1858. Previous to the Presidential contest of 1840 he was a strong, unyielding Clay Whig, but subsequent developments greatly impaired his confidence in the then existing political organizations, and although not wholly abandoning his distinctive protective tariff prin- ciples, he turned his attention more particularly to the 48 BIOGKAPHICA.L SKETCHES. restriction of the evil of intemperance and the further extension of slavery. Impressed with these views, he enlisted early and zealously in the organization of the Republican party, from which he has chiefly received all his political distinction. His first election to the Senate was achieved by a majority of more than 2,200 over the Democratic candidate, who had Whig and American antecedents, and was again triumphant at the last election by upwards of 3,000 majority. He was chairman of the Committee of Manufactures and a member of the Committee on Canals during the session of 1860, and distinguished himself by his persistent op- position to the New York City railroad projects of that year. He was again a member of the Committee on Canals, and, also, on Finance, during the session of 186!2, and for the second time occupies the position of Presi- dent pro tern, of the Senate, where he has exhibited more than ordinary parliamentary tact and ability. Senator Bell was married in 1840 to Miss Wood, second daughter of James Wood, who lived only eighteen days after their marriage. He was afterwards married on the 16th day of December, 1841, to his pre- sent wife, Miss Rachel P. Smith, a native of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, by whom he has had two chil- dren. He united, at an early age, with the Presbyterian church, of which his parents were consistent members. Senator Bell has proved himself one of the most use- ful members of the Legislature. A practical business man, he has rendered the State great service by his industry and zeal in cutting off all useless expenditures in view of the present and prospective burden of public BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 49 taxes. He is a man in whose sterling integrity not only the citizens of his District, but the people of the State, have perfect confidence. Bogus claimants and dishonest petitioners tremhle when the Senator from the 18th rises to speak, knowing full well that his voice and vote will be against them. He always seems reluctant to occupy the time of the Senate, but when he feels com- pelled to speak, his words are pointed and seldom fail to carry conviction to all unprejudiced listeners. He has great reverence for precedents, and does not hastily approve innovations, especially such as are to cost the State large sums of money. He discerns a conspiracy against the i-ights of the people, however carefully glossed over, as it were by intuition, and he possesses not only the wisdom to perceive a dishonest scheme, but the ability to show it to his compeers, in all its naked deformity. It is to be hoped that the State may long have the benefit of the experience, judgment and integ- rity of James A. Bell. JOHN J. BRADLEY. Senator Bradley is the youngest member of the Senate, being only thirty-two years of age. He is of Irish descent, and was born in the City of New York, where he was edu- cated in the Grammar School of Columbia College. When only twenty-three years of age he was elected a member of the Common Council, and held the place three years. He afterwards served as Alderman two years, and at the expi- 5 50 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. ration of bis term went to Europe and spent some time in traveling. On his return home he was put in nomination for Senator, and, receiving the united support of both wings of the Democratic party, was elected over both the Union and the Straight Republican candidates by a major- ity of nearly three thousand. He is yet a single man. In his business operations Senator Bradley has been very successful. He is the proprietor of a large livery establishment in the City of New York, which is a source of great profit. In the Senate he has taken a great inte- rest in a bill that he introduced into that body, protecting dealers in hay, among whom he is prominent, from imposi- tion in the packing and sale of that article. The pro- posed law is important to large dealers, as it provides for the deduction of tare, so that tliey shall not be compelled to purchase the wooden staves that protect the sides of the bundles, at the rate of fifteen dollars, or more, per ton, which, under the present system, are included in the weight as hay, there being from thirty to forty pounds of wood to each bundle of from two hundred to four hundred weight. Although defeated last year, the bill has now passed the Senate, and will most probably become a law. Senator Bradley is chairman of the Committee on Public Expenditures, and a member of the Committee on Claims and Indian Affairs. In whatever concerns his constituents, or in any way affects the interests of the great metropolis, he is exceedingly active and energetic, laboring diligently and with unflagging zeal for the accomplishment of a good measure, or the defeat of a bad one. He is not much of a speaker, however, though on the hay bill he waxed warm, and almost eloquent, the subject seeming to come home to BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 51 his business, if not to his bosom, but he cannot elaborate. A few words are all that he can safely say — a labored effort would probably run him against a snag. In person Senator Bradley is of medium size and height ; has light brown hair, blue eyes, heavy mustache and fresh countenance. He is a very reliable man, and is familiar and cordial in his intercourse with friends, but to a stranger he is rather unapproachable — a feature in his composition which not unfrequently does him great injustice. Doubt- less, however, a few years of experience, and a consequent improvement in his knowledge of human nature, will ren- der him still more successful in life, and render his star still more brilliantly in the ascendant. HENEY A. CLARK. Senator Clark was born in Sidney Plains, Delaware County, N. Y., in 1818, and is now, therefore, in his forty- fifth year. He is of -English descent. His father and mother both died in May, 1858, the former at the age of seventy nine, and the latter aged eighty-three. His mother's . maiden name was Foote. She was the dangher of a Revo- lutionary patriot, who was employed in the public service during that eventful period of American history, and was a resident of West Point. The subject of this sketch graduated at Hamilton College in 1838, and studied law -in Buffalo. Soon after being admitted to practice, he opened an "office in the flourishing village of Bainbridge,' 5'2 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. Chenango' county, taking the place of the late Hon. John C. Clark, who had removed to Washington. Here he yet remains, doing an extensive business, by which he has amassed a handsome property. He has attained the front rank of liis profession ; and his extensive and increasing practice attests the estimation in which his legal ability and character are held. He is considered an acute, sound lawyer ; clear, forcible and argumentative in his manner of speaking, convincing a jury by the power of his intellect and legal acumen, rather than by an appeal to their sym- pathies or passions. Mr. Clark never married ; but has lived thus far in life in a state of "single blessedness." In this particular, at least, he has ample room for improvement. In politics Senator Clark was a Whig, and cast his first vote for General Harrison, of log-cabin and hard-cider memory. He remained in that party until its dissolution, and the rise of the Republican party on its ruins, to which organization he attached himself. He has never been an oflSce-seeker, confining his attention wholly to the business of his profession, which accounts for his successful practice. His high standing in community, and his reputation as a lawyer, however, induced the Republicans of his district, in conjunction with Union Democrats and others, to place .him in nomination for the State Senate ; and he was elected by a majority exceeding 8,000, the largest ever given in his district to any candidate. Of Senator Clark's power as a Senatorial debater we can say nothing, as he never participates in the discussions of that body — probably for the reason that he would inevita- bly follow the bent of his genius, and present a dry, , g,rgumentative matter-of-fact speech, instead of a "high BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 53 falutin " rigmarole of Buncombe eloquence. Be that as it may, he contents himself with working in the Committee room, or in perfecting bills when under consideration in the Committee of the Whole. He is a man of great sagacity and unwearied industry, and devotes the whole power of. his mind to the performance of his duties. Hence, as a legislator, his services are invaluable ; and if his example could be generally followed, we should have better, or at least more intelligible, laws; less speaking for political effect, and more of practical, honest legislation for the benefit of the people. In person Senator Clark is of medium height and size, with black hair ; slightly bald on the crown of his head, and short whiskers somewhat mixed with gray. His eyes are dark, and his countenance is business-like and intelligent. Ho walks with a cane, rendered necessary by lameness in the- leg, the cords of which seem to be almost entirely relaxed. WILLIAM CLARK. Senator Clark is the successor of the late Hon. John Willard, ^nd was elected to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of that distinguished gentleman. It is no dis- paragement to the present incumbent to say, that he cannot make good the loss of his estimable predecessor ; indeed, there are few men who can fill the void which his lamented death has occasioned in the Senatorial circle. Judge Willard was no ordinary man. Possessed of high 54 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. legal attainments and great purity of character, his course was one of great usefulness, both in his profession and in pri- vate life. It was marked with every virtue that adorns human nature. His associates deeply feel the loss that their body sustained, and have passed resolutions of condolence on the solemn event. His example is before them — they can tread in his footsteps with profit and honor. He was one of the few men of whom it could have been said : " Mark the per- fect man, and behold the upright ; for the end of that man is peace." Senator Clark was elected in November, 1862, by a ma- jority exceeding six thousand, over John M. Carroll, the Democratic candidate. He is a native of Cooperstown, Otsego county, N. Y., and is fifty-one years of age. He is of English descent. He was originally a Whig, then an American, and now a Republican. In politics he is active and energetic, always taking the position of leader in what- ever party he attaches himself to ; and generally gains a good degree of popularity by his zeal and vigilance. He was a member of the Assembly in 1852, from Montgomery county, and has since been a candidate for member of Congress, but failed of success. He is ambitious to attain _ political distinction, and has great confidence in his ability to sustain himself in any position, but lacks the motive- power necessary to accelerate his onward course. Though a good business man, he has not the material to make a shining light in the political firmament. A laudable am- bition, unmarked by vain-glorions expectations, will gen^ erally succeed ; but even undoubted ability, if marred by conceit and arrogance, universally fails to reach the goal it aims at. BIGGEAPHICAI, SKETCHES. 55 Mr. Clark is engaged in the produce and transportation business in Fort Plain, where he resides. He has several times been elected Supervisor of the town of Minden ; has been a trustee of the village, and is now President of the Corporation. He is respected as a good citizen, and is a man of exemplary habits and character. BICHARD B. CONNOLLY. Senator Connolly is now serving his second term in the Senate, having first been chosen a member of that body in 1859. His official career has demonstrated a superior order of representative ability, and while universally acknowledged to be a skillfully adroit and eminently successful politician, he has discharged his duties with honor alike to himself and his constituents. But few men, too, for many years, have brought a higher degree of personal popularity to the discharge of their Senatorial duties at Albany. His good-natured, clever, and agreeable disposition seldom fails to extort the praise and kind wishes of even his most uncompro- mising political opponents, and if unsuccessful in secur- ing a vote for a favorite project through the medium of the reason, he scarcely ever fails to accomplish the same end through his peculiarly quiet appeals to the heart. Senator Connolly was born in Ireland, and is about forty-six years of age. He came to America when only 56 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. about nineteen years old, and located in the city of New- York, where he has always since resided. He had no superior education to recommend him to favor, but being a bright, active, good-looking, intelligent boy, vsras soon after his arrival, taken into the well known and exten- sive auction house of John Haggerty & Son, where he remained some- ten years, and then went into the em- ployment of Simeon Draper, by whom he was valued very highly. In 1845 he was appointed a clerk in the Custom House, where he subsequently took charge of the Statistical Bureau, and while in that position was selected by the Collector, in connection with two other gentlemen, to make up and revise the tariff of 1842. In 1849 he left the Custom House, and receiving the ap- pointment of discount clerk in the Bank of North Ame- rica, remained there till 1852, when he was nominated and triumphantly elected as County Clerk by a majority of over eleven thousand. While holding this position he discharged his duties so well and satisfactorily, that he was re-nominated and elected in the fall of 1855 by over fifteen thousand majority. A few days before the election the Sunday Times, in speaking of him, said : "Mr. Connolly's friends have much reason to feel proud of their nominee, for amid all the storm and whirlwind of public suspicion, the crop of indictments for con-uption, and the complaints for inefficiency against public officers, he, almost alone, stands forth untainted by the breath of distrust — the idol and the nominee of every branch of the great Democratic family." Having left the position of County Clerk, Senator Con- nolly was brought forward in the fall of 1859 as the BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Bl Democratic Candidate for Senator in the seventh district, and was triumphantly elected by about three thousand majority. During the session of the Legislature of 1860, he was a member of the standing committees on Canals, Privileges and Elections and Public Buildings, and also a member of the special committee to which was referred the Pro Rata and Railroad Toll bills, and as a minority of which he made one of the most able and elaborate reports of the session. He was again placed on all three of the above committees during the session of 1861, and the committee on Engrossed Bills, as well as on the select committee on Petitions for aid to the Albany and Susque- hanna Railroad. When the fearful threatenings of disunion were first made, after the last Presidential election, Senator Connolly was among the first to rally to the support of the Govern- ment. While addressing the Senate on the subject, on the 19th of February, 1861, he said: " Sir, I feel that an emergency so vast, a ruin so terrible as that now pending over the land of my adoption and most grateful love, demands at the hands of every patriotic man, whether Republican or Democrat, the sacrifice of his personal asperities, prejudices or mere theoretical opinions of a partisan nature, in order to save, reconstruct, and per- petuate that Union -to which we are all indebted for the unexampled prosperity of this country in all its material relations and the public recognition of our glorious though infant flag among the proudest nationalities of the earth." Again, on the 15th of April, after the fall of Fort Sumter, in explaining his vote on the volunteer bill, he said : " Four times. Sir, have I been honored by the Democracy of the city and county of New York, by being elected to responsible and honorable positions, and, therefore, four times, at least, have I sworn to support the Constitution 58 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES, of the United States and that old flag. Sir, I sliall support ' it now. (Great applause.) And by the blessings of God I hope that flag will yet wave, not only over the sixteen Northern States, but the Middle States and all the seceding, and that ail may receive from it equal protection. Why, Sir, when we look back to the history of- this country, in the early days of the Republic, there was no party then. Let there be no party now." (Renewed applause.) The speeches from which these extracts are taken, were flmong the best delivered, in the Senate during the session of 1861, and, though young in legislation, gave their author an enduring fame as a patriot. Senator Connolly has always been a straight-forward and consistent Democrat, of the old-fashioned school, and was a delegate to the Young Men's General Com- mittee, and, also, to several nominating Conventions at Tammany Hall as early as 1836. He soon became one of the leading spirits of the " old seventh," and served as its constant representative in all the party councils and conventions. He has been among the most active workers in the Democratic General Committee, as well as in the Tammany Society of which he has been twice chosen a sachem. He is now a resident of the twenty- first ward, where he exercises the same ability and influ- ence for which ho was so well known in the seventh ward. Senator Connolly was re-elected to the present Senate by a handsome majority over two opposing candidates. With the aid of his experience during the two previous years in that body, he has been regarded by his legisla- tive associates of both political parties as a leader among them, during the last and present sessions, and has BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 59 gathered many fresh laurels as a representative man. His speech in support of his bill, repealing the Church Property law of 1 855, which passed both Houses through his own exertions, was among his finest production dur- ing the last session as will be readily seen by the fol- lowing brief extract : " If I know myself, Mr. President, I am no fanatic in religion ; but knowing as I do the feelings and senti- ments of a large number of Catholics, I have long been impressed with the idea that no class of our fellow-citi- zens, native or adopted, are more loyal or patriotic, or feel more deeply the importance of preserving our Union and the free institutions that have grown up under it. Our adopted citizens have felt the oppression and tyranny of other forms of government, and the stability and perpetuity of this Republic is their only hope of ulti- mately unloosening the chains that fetter the limbs of their kindred and friends in the land of their birth." Senator Connolly was married in 183 7 to the eldest daughter of John Townsend, an old and respectable merchant in the city of New York, and is the head of an amiable and interesting family, of which he is justly proud. He is singularly genial as a companion, with no professional formality or reserve, and possesses a rich fund of anecdote and a sportive wit that always gives a pungent zest to his conversation. He is never with- out a hearty grasp for the hand hardened by toil, and whether a man's face is bronzed at the plow or bleached in the mill — whether he be clad in ruffles or in rags-, he is sure to meet with a warm welcome and unosten^ tatious reception when introduced to " Dick Connolly." 60 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. CHARLES COOK. Sbnatoe Cook is a man of great energy, sagacity and perseverance. Possessing these faculties in an eminent degree, it is not strange that he is the architect of his own fortune, having, by his personal efforts, conquered all diffi- culties, and acquired a property that almost entitles him to the title of " millionaire." The foundation of his fortune ■was laid in successful contracts for the construction of the Erie Canal, and, subsequently, improved by engagements on the public works. His great shrewdness, and thorough ac- quaintance with men, enabled him to judge accurately and to turn to advantage every facility that occurred. Hence his contracts were always remunerative, and in the end he retired from his labors with a very large portion of this world's goods. Senator Cook was soon pointed out, by his knowledge of the canals, gained by being connected with their construc- tion, as a proper man to fill the office of Canal Commis- sioner. In that capacity he has served the State faithfully and well. His judgment and good sense, coupled with his practical knowledge of the public works, rendered him a valuable officer, and his efficiency in the Canal Board, and on the line of the canals, attests the wisdom indicated by his selection. After his retirement from the Canal Board, he applied himself with energy to his domestic concerns, and entered zealously upon the work of improving the town in which he resides. He had aided largely in the formation of the county of Schuyler, and was lavish of his means for its BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 61 growth and prosperity. In the contest for the county seat he was, of course, ardently in favor of fixing the location in the beautiful village of which he was a resident, and his superior sagacity and enterprise were ultimately rewarded with success. Havana became the county seat, and the public buildings — the fruit of his enterprise — evince the liberality, taste, and wisdom of his plans. He has since done much to beautify the county seat he labored so hard to obtain. At his own expense he has built a neat church for the accommodation of the Episcopalians, of which de- nomination he is a worthy and active member. The Mon- tour Souse, a first-class hotel, is a splendid monument of his munificence and taste. The Bank of Havana also belongs to him, and he is interested in many kinds of busi- ness located in the village. Since the location of the Peoples College in his vicin- ity. Senator Cook has entered largely into the plans for the promotion of the great objects which the founders of the institution had in view. He has already given largely of his means for its establishment, and it is understood that he intends to endow it still further from his private for- tune, when he shall be "gathered to his fathers." The munificent bequest of $300,000 is said to be the sum that he has determined to bestow upon this noble work. Senator Cobk has succeeded, by his tact, good sense and ' ability, in gaining a good degree of influence in the Senate. He is a practical, common-sense man, and his natural ability, sound judgment and clear perception, enables him to comprehend and grapple any subject which is brought before the Senate — to expose its fallacy or elucidate its merits with great perspicuity and force. As a debater he 6 62 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. is not a man of words merely, but a close reasoner — logical and convincing. He is not eloquent, but his per- suasive powers are great, and with a few words, modestly delivered, he sets a subject so clearly before his auditors that he that runs may read and understand. Politically, he is a Kepublican — ardent and sincere. He was an active member of the old Whig party, but after its dissolution, aided in the organization of the Republican party, by which he was chosen to his present position. Though decided in his political opinions, he never allows party considerations to warp his judgment, but acts honestly, independently, and with an eye single to the public interest. He has accomplished great good in his day and generation, and in his death will surely not be forgotten. His deeds will live in the memory of his countrymen long after the marble that will mark his resting-place shall have crumbled back to dust. CHARLES G. CORNELL. Senator Cornell is a gentleman of prepossessing ap- pearance and manners, of good form, and apparent robust health. His age is thirty-six, having first opened his eyes on this globe of ours, in the city of New York, on the 12th of February, 1827. Though never before a member of the State Legislature, he was not without legislative experience when . he entered upon his duties in the Senate, having been several years a member of the Common Council and Board of Aldermen in the city of New York, and for some BIOGEAPHIOAL SKETCHES. 63 time President of the former body. These bodies, it is well known, transact more business than many of our State Legislatures, and form an excellent school in the rudiments of legislation. Here he distinguished himself as a man of great readiness and boldness — always respectful, and sel- dom, if ever, failing in an encounter with older and more experienced legislators. In politics Senator Cornell is a Democrat of the Tammany order, and for several years has been a member of the General Committee. His father was a staunch Jelfersonian Democrat, and from him the son learned his political creed. He is open, fearless, straight-forward, turning neither to the right nor the left, but pursuing a consistent, honest course, adhering strictly to party usages, and obeying party man- dates. But, though a " straight out " party adherent, he is far from being illiberal ; and accords to all who differ with him the same privilege that he exercises, and deports him- self to friends and opponents, alike honorably, liberally and justly. When the present civil war broke out. Senator Cornell was one of the first who offered his services to the Govern- ment. He had previously held a commission in the Eighth Kegiment of N. Y. S. M., and with his companions volun- teered to go the seat of war. He accompanied his regiment to Washington, thence to Virginia, and was a participator in the battle of Bull Eun, in July, 1861. On that bloody and disastrous field, he distinguished himself for his coolness and courage, and was honored with a commendatory notice from the Commander-in-Chief. In the Senate he has never figured much as a speaker, participating in discussion only when positive necessity 64 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. requires it. As a debater he never uses a superfluity of words, but confiues himself to plain common-sense argu- ments, which never fail to mate a deep impression on his hearers. In his manner he is cool and collected, never indulging in flights of the imagination, but taking a matter- of-fact view of the subject in hand. His voice is full, rich and well modulated. Though rapid in his utterance, he enunciates clearly and distinctly, so that he is well, under- stood — a habit that more distinguished speakers might copy with advantage. In fact, he is a useful, practical man ; and such kind of men make the best legislators. Senator Cornell is a married man. He attends the Protestant Episcopal Church, and is liberal in his religious opinions. In person he is above the medium height, has straight black hair, deep blue eyes, smooth face, with the exception of a goatee on the chin, a pleasant expression of countenance, with a courteous and affable manner. LYSANDER FARRAR. Senator Fareab was born in Watertown, Jefferson county, in 1814, and is now about forty-nine years old. He is of English descent. His father, Josiah Farrar, died in April; 1824, at the age of fifty two, and he was thus left, when about ten years old, in charge of his mother to shape his course, and fit him for the active duties of manhood ; and well she performed her task. She saw him through his academical and professional studies, and lived to witness his rapid progress in busi- BIOGEAPHI0A.L SKETCHES. 65 aess, occupying a high position in society, and honored with the confidence of the community among whom he lived. She died at the ripe old age of eighty-one, at the house of her son in Rochester, in March, 1860. Senator Farrar fitted for college at Union Academy, Belleville, Jefferson county, and graduated at Union College in 1836. He was educated in reference to the practice of law, and studied his profession in the office of the late Samuel Stevens, Esq., in the city of Albany. On finishing his law studies he located at Rochester, where he has ever since remained in the practice of the duties of his profession. In this he has been successful, having attained the front rank, with a J'eputation for honesty, integrity and ability, that gives him a com- manding influence in community. Not being an aspii-ant for office. Senator Farrar has, hitherto, held only local positions in his own city, such as supervisor and alderman, which places he has honor- ably filled. He was married in Jamestown, Chautauqua county, in 1839, to Miss Melissa M. Keyes, of that vil- lage. In religious matters he worships with the Pres- byterians. Of a social temperament, calm and quiet, he prefers the genial pursuits of his own profession, to that of the rancor and turmoil of political hfe. In per- son he is of medium height, dignified in bearing, not ungraceful in his manners, with expressive dark eyes, an intelligent countenance, thick dark brown hair and whiskers slightly intermixed with gray; and on the whole, passes for a good looking man. Senator Farrar early attached himself to the Dem- ocratic party, and acted with and sustained the Dem- 66 BIOGKAPHICAL SKBTCHBS. ocracy until the Kansas difficulties broke out, and President Buchanan had developed his policy in regard to that Territory. Not deeming the measures of the President wise or just, and it seeming incumbent on the party to indorse his acts, as its supreme head, he went over to the Republicans, and, in the last Presidential campaign, advocated the election of Abraham Lincoln. His talents and efficiency soon rendered him promi- nent among his new friends ; and, on the organization of the Union party, in the fall of 1861, he received the nomination of Senator. His general integrity, and free- dom from partisan rancor, induced other parties to acquiesce in the nomination, and he consequently re- ceived the unanimous vote of his district. Senator Farrar occupies the place of Chairman of the Committee on Cities and Villages, which is an arduous position, requiring a great deal of labor, patience and investigation, to examine and decide upon the various propositions submitted ; and nice discrimination to de- termine between measures asked to advance private interests, and those demanded by public exigency. In this difficult task he has exercised a sound judgment, evinced a disposition to guard well the public interest, while he carefully respected that of private citizens which came before him. All his duties are discharged conscientiously, with an eye to the welfare of the State, and the duty he owes to his constituents. Senator Farrar is a good debater, and though de- liberate is never at a loss for words. He enunciates clearly and distinctly, and is easy, though forcible in his manner. He does not make long speeches, but on all BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 67 questions presents the subject plausibly, ably and clearly wasting no words in attempts at flashy eloquence, but elucidating the matter in hand perspicuously, with ability, and to the understanding of his hearers. He is always brief, comprehensive and convincing, and his argument tells with effect. In his manner he is calm and quiet, gesticulating but little, but emphasizing with discrimination and power. None who hear him are at a loss to know where he stands, and what his views are. He speaks to be understood, and hence always com- mands attention. Senator Farrar is emphatically a Union man. He pursued his preliminary studies at Union Academy ; his collegiate course at Union College ; was nominated Senator by the Union party, and elected by a Union of all parties. The Union, therefore, seems to have a strong claim upon his services, and he responds cheer- fully and cordially to whatever pertains to the cause of the Union. CHARLES J. FOLGER. Senator Folgee is a native of Nantucket, Massa- chusetts, and was born in the year 1818, and is there- fore in the forty-fifth year of his age. He received the advantages of a good primary education in the district school and academy, and graduated in Geneva College, N". Y. Soon after he left college he commenced the study of the law, and, on being admitted to practice, 68 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. located in Ontario county, where he still remains. He married in 1844. In religion lie is orthodox, and is a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. In politics he was originally a Democrat, but, following the lead of Silas Wright, he became a Barnburner — as the rad- ical wing of the Democratic party was termed. When the Republican party was organized, he naturally slid into its ranks, with a large proportion of the B'arn- burner Democrats, and is now a leading and prominent member of the party. He fully sustains the Emanci- pation poUcy of the President, and cordially indorses the measures of his administration. He advocates a vigorous, determined prosecution of the war, until the rebels shall unconditionally submit to the Government. Senator Folger has been eminently successful as a practitioner of the law, and stands in the front rank of the profession. His reputation is not confined to his own village or county, but he is well and favorably known all over the western part of the State, and his services are eagei'Iy sought for far and wide. He has held the position of Judge of Ontario county, and at- tained the character of an able and upright judge, of strict impartiality and great legal ability. In person Mr. Folger is of ordinary height, good figure, and dignified in his appearance. He has light brown hair, rather thin ; blue eyes ; smooth face — repu- diating whiskers, with a well-shaped head, particularly developed in the organs of conscientiousness and firm- ness. He is rather grave in his demeanoi-, but, when excited by the subject of conversation, or discussion, he becomes animated, and his eye beams with an expres- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 69 sion that, in its vividness, indicates the possessor as be- longing rather to the " Sunny South " than to the mere plodding dwellers in the frigid North. In all matters of business he is active, determined and industrious — leaving no legitimate means untried to effect his pur- pose. In his general intercourse with the world he is not over social, but rather reserved ; but this is rather the effect of his temperament than a natural disinclina- tion to mingle with the multitude. He is, nevertheless, a popular man — the effect of his incorruptible integrity and honorable and manly bearing.- In debate Mr. Folger is sound, logical, forcible and eloquent. His words are well chosen, and he utters them with great distinctness and precision. He is rather deliberate, yet not a slow speaker, and every word he utters is well understood. He never makes a mistake, but presents every point clearly and lucidly, so that all who hear him can readily comprehend and un- derstand his argument. He addresses himself to the judgment of his hearers, never indulging in flights be- yond the ken of his auditory, nor belittling reason and common-sense by the utterance of rhapsodical mum- mery. In fine, he is a man of genius and talents, the leading man of his party in the Senate, and worthy of the confidence reposed in liim. His constituents are well served, and they may say of him at the close of his term, " Well done, good and faithful servant." TO BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. JACOB S. FREER. Senator Freer is a physician of extensive practice, and resides "in the town of EUenville, Ulster county, N. Y. He is a native of the same county, and was born in the towTi of Marbletown in 1824. Having gone through the requisite course of studies, he graduated at the Geneva Medical College in 1846, at the age of twenty-two. He soon afterwards located at Blooming- burgh, Sullivan county, where he continued about two years, doing a fair business, when he removed to EUen- ville, a very flourishing town in his native county. In this town he has pursued his regular business success- fully, and has gained an enviable reputation in his pro- fession. He has also been honored with many tokens of respect and confidence, from the citizens of his town and county. Besides holding town ofBces, he was elected member of the Assembly in the fall of 1851, and took a prominent stand in that body, against the confirmation of the Canal lettings, under the nine million Constitu- tional amendment of that day — taking the ground that the contracts were fraudulent and corrupt. Senator Freer has always been a Democrat, and when the party divided, some years ago, he took ground with the Barnburners, without however, adopting all the radical notions of that wing of the Democracy. When the Republican party was organized, he refused to surrender or repudiate his Democratic principles, as did many of his associates ; but remained with his old friends, instead of coalescing with Whigs and Aboli- BIOGRAPHIC A.L SKETCHES. 71 tionists in a new political experiment. Nor did he join in the Union movement, consequent upon the general outbreak of patriotism at the commencement of the present desolating and unnatural war. In the fall of 1861, Senator Freer received the Demo- cratic nomination for State Senator, and was opposed by Hon. Theodoric R. Westbrook, who was nominated by the Union Democrats and Republicans. Mr. West- brook had previously represented his district in Con- gress, its a Democrat, and was an advocate and exponent of the principles of Judge Douglas, sustaining with much zeal the Kansas-Nebraska bill of that distinguished Sen- ator. Notwithstanding the legislative experience of his opponent, however, and his identification with, and support of the leading measures of a Democratic National Administration, Senator Freer was elected by a majority of four hundred and eighteen, though the Union State ticket polled a majority of about five hundred in the dis- trict. This result was a tribute to his personal worth, as well as an approval of the consistency of his political course. It is proper also, to state, "as a demonstration of the good feelirig of his townsmen towards him, that whilst the Union State ticket received a majority of one hundred and eighty in the town, his majority on the Democratic ticket, was two hundred and seventy-five. No better evidence of a man's sterling worth can be given, than such an expression from his immediate neighborhood. Senator Freer is a useful, working Senator, and doubt- , less accomplishes as much for his constituents or the State at large, as did any of his more eloquent prede- Y2 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. cessors. His district has been heretofore represented by Hon. George T. Pierce, M. Schoonmaker and Geo. W. Pratt ; but neither of these gentlemen,' have better served their constituents, although two of them were able and eloquent debaters. The third was like the present, purely unostentatious, but practical. He laid down his life for his country, and has gone to his re- ward. Senator Freer seldom mingles in debate, but when he does speak he is brief, comprehensive and con- clusive. Every word that he utters tells on the subject in hand, as he thinks before he speaks. As a Senator, he has the entire confidence of his brethren, as a man of honesty, integrity and industry. He possesses indomitable energy and firmness, never shrinking from his duty, or fearing to meet any question that may arise. In his political feelings he is ardent, firm and reliable, though not illiberal. He is not so wedded to party as to do an unjust act to further its objects, but decides all matters before him on the prin- ciple of riffht. Hence he is greatly respected by men of all parties, and has an influence far above, and be- yond, that of a partisan character. JOHN GANSON. Senatok Ganson is one of the most prepossessing men in the Senate, both in his personal appearance and the general tone of his character. He is somewhat above the medium height, straight, active, and well- BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. TS formed, and has a brisk, energetic gait, which is strongly significant of his firm and decisiTe character. His nose is delicate and well formed, his forehead, which is ren- dered ample by an agreeable baldness, bold and promi- nent ; his mouth by no means devoid of humor, and his eye, which is deep blue, intensely brilliant and as clear as the morning star. When he looks at a man it seems as though he were going, literally, to read him through and through, and no amount of oily duplicity, no brazen effrontery, no studied concealment, could avail anything before his keen, penetrating glance. It is an eye to make all rogues tremble, and even honest men, when under its influence, look about them to be sure that they have not been unwittingly engaged in some mis- chief. Senator Ganson is of Dutch and Scotch descent, and was born in Le Roy, Genesee county, N. Y., in 1818. Tliis is the first official position he ever held. He has always persistently refused to allow his name to be pre- sented to the people as a candidate, and his nomination for Senator was conferred upon him without his know- ledge or consent. Two committees were selected by the convention to apprise him of his nomination, but, although he stated distinctly to both of them that he would not, under any circumstances, accept the distinc- tion, the last appointed informed the convention that he had consented to accept, and his nomination was accord- ingly ratified, and his election triumphantly secured. Finding himself thus unavoidably placed before the people, he made a short speech, defining his position on the war, and sustaining the Administration in a suc- 1 T4 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. cessful suppression of the rebellion ; but beyond -this he did nothing whatever to secure his election, although his opponent, who was one of the most popular men in the district, labored zealously to secure his own triumph. At the last election, Mr. Ganson was brought forward with great unanimity as a candidate for Congress, and was triumphantly elected in a district hitherto strongly Republican. As a lawyer Senator Ganson ranks high among the most eminent legal minds in the State. He is accurate and well read, and though belonging to the political minority in the Senate, has rendered the State great service by checking unnecessary legislation, and pre- venting impolitic innovations. His perceptive faculties are as keen as a brier. He invariably scents instinctive-, ly "the nigger" in a measure of questionable pi'opriety, and, as his straight-forward, manly and independent conduct on all occasions indicates, cherishes a supreme contempt for all manner of combinations, log-PoUing, and class-legislation, which is, to an unusual degree, a distinguishing characteristic of the present Legislature. Although a Democrat, of the conservative school, he is never embarrassed in a free and conscientious discharge of his duties by party drill or influences, and shapes his official conduct entirely by a desire to legislate for the State rather than mere sections or parties. He is justly classed among the foremost orators of the Senate, and always speaks clearly and forcibly, but seldom ad- dresses that body at any considerable length. Senator Ganson is a man of family, and occupies a deservedly high position in all the relations of private life. BIOGEA.PHICAL SKETCHES. 15 GEORGE A. HARDIN. Senator Haedin is one of the youngest men in the Senate, and has outstripped in point of age even Mr. Sew- ard, who, when first a member of the Senate, was the youngest man ever chosen to that body. He was born of Anglo-Scotch parentage, on the lYth of August, 1832, in the town of Winfield, Herkimer county, N. Y., and is now a resident of Little Falls in that county. His father, Col. Joseph Hardin, is still living, as is also his mother, and both his grandparents, all of whom sustain a high and respectable position ia the commu- nity where they reside. Senator Hardin was educated under the tuition of the venerable Dr. Nott, at Union College, Schenectady, where he graduated with distinction in 1852. He immediately entered upon a course of legal training, and was admitted to the bar in 1854. His success ia his profession, which thus far has exceeded the most reasonable expectations of himself and friends, is, per- haps, the strongest evidence of his ability and future success as a lawyer. He was appointed District Attor- ney in January, 1858, by Gov. King, was elected by the people in the fall of the same year, and held the position until the commencement of his Senatorial term, having discharged his ofiicial duties in the most credita- ble and satisfactory manner. Politically, he was formerly a Republican, but at the outbreak of the present rebellion his patriotism led him far beyond all party considerations, and he was triumph- antly elected by a lai-ge majority to the seat he now ^e BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. occupies, as tlie candidate of the Union movement in his district. His course in the Senate has exhibited the strongest evidences of mature intellect and a sound, discriminating judgment, and although modest and somewhat distrustful of his ability to cope successfully with his superiors in age and legislative experience, he has mingled somewhat freely in the debates of that body, and has seldom failed to secure the good opinion of all those who have had the pleasure to listen to his well-timed and convincing remarks. As a speaker, he is calm and dispassionate — deliberate in thought and careful in expression, and never attempts to address the Senate without a thorough understanding of the subject under discussion, speaking thoughts rather than words, and aiming to convince rather than simply please his legislative peers. To- these qualities are added a dig- nified, senatorial bearing, and an easy, graceful style of gesticulation, with an entire absence of that theatrical uplifting of the hands and uproUing of the eyes which has latterly become so prevalent in the hysteric raptures of mahogany orators. Senator Hardin is endowed by nature with a pre- possessing personal appearance. He is of medium stature, elegantly and well formed, with intelligent blue eyes, light hair and goatee, rather pale complexion, and a good natured, mild and agreeable expression of coun- tenance which makes friends of all with whom he comes in contact. He is still single, and attends the Episcopal church. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 77 MONROE HENDERSON. The vacant seat of Senator Henderson constantly re- minds us of the fact that his colleagues have lost a frank and manly peer, and his constituents a bold and fearless champion. Like scores of other men in this country he doubtless erred when he turned aside from his quiet pursuits as a merchant to mingle in the stormy and ex- citing arena of party politics. Ambitious, and possess- ing the ability and means to gratify that ambition, his success was at once insured when he had consented to become a candidate for office. But, possessing marked ability, energetic in action, and excitable in tempera- ment, with a body weakened by too close application to business, the labors and excitement of a political cam- paign were too much for his physical and intellectual constitution to endure. Although able to take his seat at the opening of the last Legislature, his zeal for the interests of his constituents only caused him to partici- pate so actively in the proceedings of the Sena,te that he still grew speedily worse, and was soon compelled to abandon his legislative duties entirely. Senator Henderson is a native of Watertown, Jeffer- son county, N". Y., and is forty-three years of age. He is of Scotch extraction, and a lineal descendant of Pre- sident Monroe. His father, Thomas Monroe Hender- son, who came from Scotland, died some years since, as did also his mother, whose maiden name was Haw- kins, and whose father was a member of Washington's Life Guard during the Revolution. IS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Senator Henderson was educated at Clinton Liberal Institute, in Oneida county, and in 1842 removed to Long Island. He began active life in the city of New York as a clerk in the extensive sUk establishment of Peck, Bloodgood & Co. He was subsequently with Gidney, Bladgfield & Co., and afterwards went into the house of Fisher, Cushing & Co., where he finally became a partner under the name of Fisher, Cushing & Henderson. He remained in business some four years, abandoning it in consequence of ill health, and during the past ten years has been living a retired life. He took atrip to Kansas in 1856, and was absent about a year. Politically he was formerly a Whig, and a great admirer of Henry Clay, and since the abandon- ment of that party has been a conservative Republican, He must necessarily be a man of great personal and political popularity, representing, as he does, a strong Democratic district, and it is a remarkable fact that although the Democratic candidates in the county of Queens, where he resides, were elected by nearly two thousand majority, he carried the county by a majority at the last election. Senator Henderson is a tall, slender man, well-pro- portioned, and is altogether personable, not to say pre- possessing in his personal appearance. He is near- sighted, wearing glasses ; has dark gray eyes ; neatly trimmed black whiskers all over his face; and a face whose finely-formed features indicate the refined and intelligent gentleman. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 19 ALMANZOK HUTCHINSON. Senator Hutchinson was born in Remsen, Oneida county, in 1 8 1 0, and is of Scotch-Welch extraction. He was bred and remains a farmer. His parents were natives of Connecticut, and settled in Oneida county about the commencement of the present century. In 1816 they removed into what is now Orleans, , then Genesee county, and located on the same farm that their son now improves. His father died in 1820, when he was only ten years old, by which sad event the duty of fitting him for the great business of life, devolved upon his mother. After going through the course usu- ally taught in the district schools, he was sent to an academy where he spent some time in perfecting his studies, preparatory to undertaking the arduous duties of teaching ; to which task he devoted the winter sea- son for several years, working on the farm in the sum- mer. He was a member of the Assembly in 185 V, '58 and '59, and proved himself a capable and efiicient legis- lator. In politics he was, formerly, a Whig ; afterwards a prominent Liberty man ; and is now an earnest and influential Republican. He married Miss Mary G. Short in 1845, and is a member of the Congregational church. In person Senator Hutchinson is above medium height, large boned, rather spare, somewhat muscular, with large, coarse features. His hair is brown and rather thin ; his whiskers modest. In his manners and dress he is plain, and in his mode of speaking, unassum- ing. He enunciates clearly ; and without any apparent effort is distinctly heard in every part of the Senate 80 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Chamber or Assembly. Scarcely any question is mooted, giving rise to debate, in which he does not participate ; and though he never makes a labored effort, he generally throws a good deal of light on the subject in hand. He speaks easy, is always ready and always understood. He attempts no oratorical flight, but is a plain matter- of-fact speaker, contenting himself with stating and en- forcing his argument in language easily comprehendedj and not liable to be misinterpreted or misapplied. A pleasant vein of humor runs through his remarks, giv- ing zest to the discussion, and relieving his hearers from the tedium generally experienced, when one in the habit of " much speaking " has the floor. Though he speaks often what he says is to the purpose, and when he is done he has the good sense to — stop. While in the Assembly, Mr. Hutchinson served, in ISSV, on the Committee on Public Lands; in 1858 on that of Colleges and Academies, and in 1859 was Chair- man of the Committee on Canals, one of the most im- portant committees in the House. Since he has been a member of the Senate he has occupied the position of Chairman of the Committee on the Manufacture of Salt. Senator Hutchinson is, emphatically, a working man, and his Senatorial course will be recorded as one of great industry, energy and usefulness. Possessing un- common natural sagacity, he is not liable to be deceived as to measures, nor by the art often resorted to, to change the character of a bill by a doubtful or complex phraseology, which is intended to read plausibly, but to deceive surely. He is generally correct in his interpre- tation of language, and does not fail to detect any BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 81 attempt to mystify, or conceal the I'sal object in view. He advocates or opposes any measure with the same earnestness, and seems to legislate for the public wel- fare only. He is always busy, giving close attention to the duties imposed upon him, whether in the committee room or in his place in the Senate. It may truly be said of him that, though neither eloquent nor learned, he makes no pretension to exhibit himself for more than he really is, either in his person or of his attainments ; and notwithstanding he is deficient in the art of appearing to better advantage than he deserves, he nevertheless possesses the best qualifications for a useful Senator, that of sterling common sense. With this gift he is largely endowed ; and hence what he lacks in outward show, is more than made up by substantial service. RUSSELL M. LITTLE. Senatoe Little was born in Peru, Berkshire county, Mass., on the 28th of December, 1809. He is of mixed English and Scotch descent. It does not appear that he had any ancestor on board the Mayflower when that far-famed vessel anchored at Plymouth Rock, strange as that omission may seem in the genealogy of a native of Massachusetts, neither is it understood that any of his paternal grandparents were distinguished oflScers in the Revolution; but notwithstanding these apparent mis- fortunes, he can doubtless boast a highly respectable and intelligent lineage. 82 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Senator Little was one of the young men annually sent forth by the old Bay State to fill pulpits and learned professorships throughout the Union. He was educated at Wilbraham, Mass., as a minister for the Methodist Episcopal Church, and, in 1831, located at Columbiaville, Columbia county, N. Y. Here he remained eleven years in the discharge of his pastoral duties, when, in consequence of a pulmonary disease, resulting, in a great degree, from the arduous tax of his professional labors, he withdrew, to the regret of his friends, from the ministry, and was soon after appointed Secretary of the Dividend Mutual Insurance Company at Glen's Falls, which position he occupied until his election to the seat he now fills in the Senate. He was Chairman of the Committee on Insurance Companies during the last session of the Legislature, and his labors, in a branch of business to which he is so thoroughly accustomed, have proven satisfactory to himself and all parties con- cerned. Politically, he originally belonged to the old line Whig party until the extinction of that organiza- tion, when, like many Northern men of similar political sentiments, he became identified with the Republican movement, from which party he was chosen to the Senate by a large majority against a thorough Demo- cratic opponent. Heretofore, however, he has been noted rather as a quiet, inofiensive citizen than as a politician of any prominence. He is conscientious in the discharge of his duties in the Senate, and in comparison with some other members of that body, may be said to be very watchful of State interests. He cannot be called a brilliant orator and seldom speaks at BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 83 great length on any subject, thereby setting a com- mendable example to some of his fellow-legislators, and earning the gratitude of those who have suffered from a prolonged tax upon time and attention without reali- zing any benefit therefrom. His manners in social life, like his demeanor in public, are quiet and unassuming. He still officiates occasionally as a clergyman, and responds promptly to any demand upon his services by his brethren. In August, 1832, Senator Little married Miss Nancy Blair, of Cambridge, Washington county, and is said to be perfectly happy in all his domestic relations. In person he is of medium size, with very dark hair and whiskers, black eyes, and a mild, rather good looking countenance. HENRY R. LOW. Sestatoe Low was born inFallsburgh, Sullivan county, N. T., on the 23d of September, 1827, and is of English descent. His paternal ancestors were Huguenots, origi- nally from France, whence, in consequence of religious persecution, they were compelled to emigrate to Holland, from which country they came to New York, at an early period of our history, and settled in Huguenot, Ulster county. His maternal grandfather was one of the old Continentals, and served under Washington in the Revo- lution. His father was born in Ulster county, and died 84 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. a short time since, at the age of sixty-three. His mother whose maiden name was Charlotte Drake, died in 1848. Senator Low's education was principally ohtained in the district school ; though he spent some time in thie Collegiate school at Napanock, under the charge of Charles F. Maurice, and finished his academic course at the State Normal School in the city of Albany. Select- ing the law for his profession, lie entered the office of the Hon. A. C. Niven, at Monticello, Sullivan county, where he remained until he was admitted to the bar, and where he still resides. In 1852 he entered into co- partnership with Mr. Niven, which continued until 1856, when he was elected County Judge and Surrogate. In 1860 he was re-elected, and held the office until he was elected Senator in 1 862, when he resigned. He was mar- ried in 1854 to Mary C. Watkins, daughter of Hon. J. D. Watkins, formerly State Senator from that district, and is an attendant on the Presbyterian church. In politics, Mr. Low was, originally, a Democrat, but left that party on the formation of the American organi- zation, to which he attached himself Subsequently he returned to the Democratic fold, and, under the lead of Stephen A. Douglas, served under its banner during the great Presidential struggle, which resulted in the election of Abraham Lincoln. He continued with the Democrats until the war of the rebellion formally broke out, by the attack upon, and the capture of, Fort Sumter, when, as a Union Democrat, he united with the Republicans, and has ever since acted with that party. He takes strong ground in favor of the National Administration, and fully sustains the President in his Emancipation BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 85 Proclamation. He was elected to the Senate on the Union ticket, against a straight Democrat, and is Chair- man of the Union State Central Committee. His several political changes may subject him to the charge of in- consistency, or unreliability ; but he contends that he has remained true to Democratic principles. Nevei'- theless, it cannot be denied that the vacillation of his political course has destroyed much of his original politi- cal popularity in his District, and that for some time to come, at least, he will be compelled to gratify his political ambition by seeking support elsewhere. Senator Low's personal appearance is not very pre- possessing, being rather slender, not exactly erect, and of medium height. His complexion is florid, his hair brown, with a reddish tinge, with ample mustache and whiskers of the same color ; but his countenance is in- telligent and expressive He is a fluent debater, rather rapid in his utterance, never embarrassed ; but does not always state his points clearly or argue them logically. He exhibits a good deal of industry and research in gathering his materials for a speech, and is always ready for a passage at arms. His principal fault, however, is much speaking, which detracts somewhat from the attention that he would otherwise command. As a private citizen, he stands deservedly high, enjoying the entire confidence of the community in which he resides, but is not generally regarded by those who know him best as altogether re- liable in matters of purely a partisan character. On the whole, Mr. Low is an industrious, useful and intelligent Senator. He is seldom out of his seat ; watches 8 86 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. closely the proceedings, and is ever ready to discuss any topic that comes before the Senate. His constituents are well and faithfully served, and nothing pertaining to their particular interests, or the general welfare, escapes his observation. CHARLES C. MONTGOMERY. Senatoe Montgomery was born in the town of Ma- drid, St. Lawrence county, N. Y., August 19, 1818. His parents were natives of Vermont, a state celebrated for the production of stalwart and powerful six-footers, of which the subject of this sketch is a genuine sample, his height measuring some six feet and three inches. He is of good Revolutionary stock, and was reared under the influence of the principles of freedom, as expounded and enforced by the fathers of our National Indepen- dence ; and hence his attachment to our liberal institu- tions and the glorious emblem of our Union — the Star Spangled Banner. His father was a successful farmer, and died May 5, 1843, at the age of sixty-three. His mother departed June 7th of the same year, aged fifty-six. Senator Montgomery was formerly a Democrat, but in the year 1848, after the nomination of Lewis Cass for the Presidency, he left the main body of his old friends and, with the Free Soil Whigs, gave his support to Martin Van Buren. With his ideas of freedom he spurned the party platform of that day, which, in his BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 87 judgment, was framed exclusively to suit Southern pol- iticians. He dissented from the Democratic policy also on the Kansas-Nebraska question and the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, and entered cordially into the project of formmg a new political organization, which resulted in the establishment of the Republican party, to which he has ever since been attached. He is highly conservative in his views on all the great questions of State or National policy ; and, though he acts with his party, never stultifies his private sentiments by voting against his own judgment and sense of propriety. He seldom mingles in debate in the Senate, though, it is said, he speaks forcibly and pungently when he becomes thoroughly awakened to the importance of the subject and the necessity of making an effort. Senator Montgomery has always enjoyed an enviable popularity at home, and has received many proofs of the approbation of his townsmen. He has been twice elected Justice of the Peace, and four times Town Su- perintendent of Common Schools In 1857, '58, and '59 he was elected Supervisor of the town, in the latter year receiving every vote cast at the election. He was chairman of the Board of Supervisors in 1858; and in all his official acts performed his duties satisfactorily to the people of his town and county. In the fall of 1859 Senator Montgomery was elected State Senator, and in 1861 he was re-elected to the same office. He is one of the most useful, and^^e may say, retiring and unpretending men in the Senate, in his general habits and conduct, and commands the entire respect of every member of that body. He is Chair- 88 biogeaphica;, sketches. man of the Standing Committee on Indian Affairs ; and also a prominent member of the Committee on State Prisons, Public Printing, and the Erection and Division of Towns and Counties. Though he will not, proba- bly, be remembered for any brilliant display of Sena- torial eloquence, during his term of oflBce, his high moral qualities, dignified and courteous bearing, unbending patriotism and assiduous attention to his duties, can be held up as an example for those who come after him. Senator Montgomery is truly one of " Nature's no- blemen," being tall, straight, and well-proportioned in his person, dignified, modest, unassuming and amiable in his deportment, and firm, consistent and honest in his political opinions. His mind is well stored with useful knowledge, and in his conversation, if opportunity be ■ given, he is not sparing in the use of it. He is a man of observation and intelligence, hoarding up for future use whatever comes within his range; and, therefore, is conversant with the general topics of the day, which renders him an agreeable and valuable companion. Though possessed of handsome talents and sound judg- ment, he is not what is termed a fluent man ; but his quiet demeanor is rather the fruit of innate modesty and distrust of his own powers, than a want of intelligence or information. On occasions when it becomes neces- saiy for him to speak out, the storehouse of his mind is opened, its resources are developed, and his friends are regaled with a copious flow of " thoughts that breathe and words that burn." He is, in every respect, a gentle- man — ^kind, genial, dispassionate ; he provokes no con- troversies, but conciliates all around him by the pro- BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 89 priety of his own demeanor. But with all his excellent qualities, the Senator has one great fault, which is a serious drawback on his usefuhiess — he is a bachelor ! This error, however, he can easily conquer ; he has qnly to select a heart to attack, and then rush — to arms ! He attends the Episcopal church. ALLEN MUNROE. Sbnatoe Muneoe is now on the last year of his second term in the Senate, having been first elected in the fall of 1859, by a very large majority, and re-elected in 1861 by a plurality of votes — there having been three tickets in the field. He was the straight Republican candidate, and ran against Hon. George Geddes, the Union nominee, and an exclusive Democratic ticket. He is a younger brother of Hon. James Munroe, who also represented the same district in the Senate two terms, from 1852 to 1856 ; and the son of Nathan Mun- roe, a merchant of enterprise and wealth, who died July 5th, 1839, in the forty-ninth year of his age. His mother is still living in Syracuse. Senator Munroe was born in Elbridge, Onondaga county, N". T., on the 10th of March, 1819, and is of Scotch descent. His grandfather emigrated from Scot- land when a boy, and his grandmother was the daugh- ter of Col. Benjamin Church, a distinguished officer in ' *8 90 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. King Philip's war. He was educated at the Munroe Academy in his native village, an institution establishod and endowed by his father. Here he was fitted for the junior class in college ; but at the age of eighteen his purpose was changed, and he was placed in charge of an experienced merchant in the city of Auburn, to be taught the mercantile business. Three years afterwards, in the spring of 1840, he established himself in business in the village of Elbridge, in the store which had long been occupied by his father. He continued in trade some seven years, when he married Miss Julia Town- send, daughter of John Townsend, Esq., of Albany. After his marriage he made the tour of Europe, and on Ms return settled in Syracuse, where he accepted the agency of the Syracuse Company, and engaged in milling and the manufacture of salt. In the spring of 1854 Senator Munroe was elected Mayor of the city of Syracuse, and held the position one year. He is now a trustee of the Munroe Collegiate Institute at Elbridge ; President of the Onondaga county Savings Bank; a director of the Bank of Salina; a trustee of the Asylum for Idiots, at Syracuse ; a trus- tee of the Asylum for Inebriates at Binghamton ; a trustee of the Onondaga County Orphan Asylum ; a trustee of the Oakwood Cemetery at Syracuse ; Vice- President of the Oswego and Syracuse Rail Road Com- pany, and a director in the Gas Light Company of that city. He also occupies several other public positions, to which he has been called by his fellow-citizens, on account of his capacity and sterling integrity. BIOGEA.PHICAL SKETCHES.' 91 Senator Munroe, was formerly a Whig, but when that party ceased to exist he joined the movement for a new organization, which resulted in the establishment of the Republican party. He was prominent as a "Whig, and was one of the State Central Committee of that party several years — a position that he has also occupied in the Republican organization. He is firm and decided in his political opinions, though not a bitter partisan ; and has always been popular with the masses. Though not a speaker, he yet exercises a good deal of influence in the Senate by his known integrity and dignified and courteous bearing. He is a man of excellent judgment, and his business qualifications are of a superior order, as his success in life clearly shows. As a legislator he is cautious, deliberate and intelligent, committing himself to no rash measures, but acting solely in reference to the interests of his constituents, and the benefits of the people of the whole State. He is a practical man, and he carries with him in the discharge of his legislative duties the same amount of industry, economy and sys- tematic arrangement that characterizes his course in private life. There is method in all that he does, and he engages in everything with a mathematical precision that is always the sure harbinger of success. Since he has been in the Senate he has been Chairman of the Standing Committee on State Prisons, and a member of the Committees on Privileges and Elections and Joint Library, the duties of which he has diligently and faithfully performed. In a word, Mr. Munroe is a useful Senator and a reliable man. 92 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. In person the Senator is tall and slender with blue eyes and hair of a shade between gold color and dark brown. His countenance is expressive, intelligent and good-humored, and he may be set down as a good looking man. He is an attendant of the Presbyterian Church. HENRY C. MURPHY. Senatoe Mitepht ranks prominently among the ablest men in the Senate, and has had far more legislative ex- perience than any other man in that body. He was a leading and influential member of the twenty-eighth Congress, and by his successful and distinguished course in that body, secured a re-election to the thirtieth Con- gress. The Brooklyn Dry Dock project was one of his pet measures, and to his eflbrts, more than to those of any other man in Congress, did it owe its success. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1846, in which he played a leading part, and held the respon- sible position of Minister to Holland during the Admin- istration of Mr. Buchanan. In 1852, Senator Murphy came very near being chosen President of the United States — a fact hitherto not publicly known. After several days had been spent in the Baltimore Convention, in unsuccessful ballotings for a candidate for President, a private caucus of the ruling few was held to agree upon the name of some suitable man to be presented to the Convention as a compromise BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 93 candidate. At this caucus Augustus Schell was one of the leading spirits. After canvassing the subject thoroughly, and carefully comparing the relative merits of the several names suggested, the choice of the caucus was finally narrowed down to Henry C. Murphy and Franklin Pierce. For a long time it appeared as though the former would be the lucky man, a majority of those present being evidently in his favor ; but the military experience of the latter was finally raised as a point in his favor, which at once turned the scale in his behalf, and his name was presented to the Convention, instead of that of Mr. Murphy, and his election by the people triumphantly achieved. Senator Murphy was born of Irish parentage, in 1811, in the city of Brooklyn, and is still a resident of that city. He is by profession a lawyer, and was for many years a member of the law firm of Lott, Murphy & Vanderbilt, at one time the leading firm in that place. His legal ability is of a high order, and previous to his advent into public life, he was actively and successfully engaged as a practitioner at the bar. As a debater, he is ready and pointed — forcible and severe in his man- ner, and when his whole soul becomes enlisted in his cause, makes his opponent quail before the cutting but classic and parliamentary rebukes of his eloquence. History, precedent, analogy, and illustration — all seem to rise unbidden to fortify the positions he assumes, and he always speaks extemporaneously. His speeches on the repeal of the Church Property bill, against the reso- lution advising the expulsion of Jesse D. Bright from the Senate of the United States, and on the Congres- 94 BIOGEAPHIOAL SKETCHES. sional Apportionment bill, were among the best that were made during the last session of the Legislature. Politically Senator Murphy has always been a Dem- ocrat and although chosen to his present position on a Union ticket, still obeys the requirements of party dis- cipline. Like all great men he has his faults, and if there is any one defect in his political character more prominent than any other it is that he is too much of a politician to be always a safe legislator. He is some- times found sacrificing on the altar of party much of his natural strength, which otherwise would contribute largely to the best interests of the State. Still, he pos- sesses, in an eminent degree, all the essential elements of a high-toned and honorable gentleman, and would be the last man to be knowingly guilty of a mean and dis- reputable act. No one, too, in the Senate has, probably, passed thus far through the trying ordeal of his legis- lative career so entirely free from the filthy corruption which so frequently pollutes the oflScial garments of our representatives at Albany, as has Senator Murphy. JOHN V. L. PRUYN. Senatoe Peutn is of pure, old-fashioned Holland extraction, and is descended from one of the oldest, most respectable, and extensive families in the State, his ancestors having been prominent among its earliest settlers. He is a native of the city of Albany, where BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 95 he has always been an influential and leading citizen. His education was obtained chiefly in private select schools and at the Albany Academy, and subsequently he received a degree, though not in course, at Rutgers College, New Jersey. After leaving school he turned his attention to the study of the law, pursuing his studies, principally, in the ofiioe of the late James King, of Albany, and was admitted to the bar about the year 1832. Since then he has been actively and siiccessfully engaged in the pursuit of his profession, and although not exclusively devoted to the practice, has acquired a prominent rank at the bar. As a man of industry and indomitable perseverance in whatever he undertakes to accomplish, it is cheerfully conceded that Senator Pruyn has but few superiors. His ability and business capacities are of the highest order, and enable him to perform a great amount of labor. This is fully demonstrated by the various im- portant positions to which he has been called by the partiality of his fellow-citizens. In 1835 he was chosen Director and Counsel of the old Mohawk and Hudson River Railroad Company, and now holds the responsible position of General Counsel, and acting Treasurer of the New York Central Railroad Company. Perhaps no man in the State of his age has been longer or more successfully connected with railroads, and the executive skill and ability brought to bear by him in the discharge of his duties in such connection, have been alike credit- able to himself and satisfactory to those interested in these corporations. Senator Pruyn was also Master of Chancery by the 96 ^ BIOGRA.PHICAL SKETCHES. appointment of Governor Maroy, and held the position of Injunction Master of the Third Circuit, which ranked next to Vice-Chancellor. In 1844 he was selected on the same day with James S. Wadsworth a member of the Board of Regents, and, in January, 1862, Chancel- lor of the University. Since then he has discharged the duties of the latter position with ability and success, and has performed more labor than any of his prede- cessors for many years. He is peculiarly adapted to tbis position by the refinement of his literary taste and the correctness of his judgment in whatever pertains to the place, and is doubtless destined to prove himself an invaluable public servant in the capacity of Chancellor. Politically, he has always been a Democrat of the olden school, though never a politician. His nomina- tion as Senator was entirely unsolicited, and it was with the greatest reluctance that he consented to accept the position. His career, however, in that body has already clearly proven that he is " the right man in the right place," and'that he is the ablest and most valuable repre- tive the Albany district has had in the Senate for many years. The direct and energetic manner in which he carries out, in the discharge of his duties, whatever seems right and just to him has given him a power and influence in the Legislature which it is dangerous to disregard. Although extensively engrossed with professional en- gagements he is always promptly at his post in the committee room, and is seldom, if ever, absent from his seat on the floor of the Senate. He stands high as a debater, but rejects all rhetorical ornament — all ostenta- BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 9T tion and show. Stating his premises plainly and concise- ly, his reasoning leads to his conclusion as irresistibly as a strong and deep river tends to the sea. His style of language and manner is simple, vigorous and correct, and from the very necessities of his intellectual and moral organization, he is a sound as well as a just rea- soner. The course of Senator Pruyn on all political questions coming before the Senate, has been eminently National. Looking neither toward the North or the South, he is straight-forward, consistent, and patriotic on all occa- sions, and discharges every duty devolving upon him with an eye single to the preservation of "the Union, the Constitution, and the enforcement of the laws," thus rendering himself a man the Nation now wants, in this hour of her greatest trial. He is one of the most kind-hearted and benevolent men in the Senate, and at the close of the last session of the Legislature donated his entire year's salary as Senator to the benefit of the poor. JOSEPH H. RAMSEY. Senator Ramsey is, physically, the smallest man in the Senate, being only about five feet four inches in height, and is, therefore, readily recognized by the stran- ger as he quietly occupies his place in the Senatorial circle. He was a member of the Assembly in 1855, and is now serving his third term iu the Senate, having been 9 98 BIOGEAPniCAL SKETCHES. a member of that body in 1856 and '57, and again in 1860 and '61. During his last term in the Senate, he was a member of the Raih-oad and other important committees, and at the expiration of his term went back to the practice of his profession. He was soon induced, however, to almost wholly abandon it by the deep inte- rest he took in the measure, giving a certain amount of money toward the completion of the Albany and Susque- hanna Railroad. His efforts, however, in behalf of the project having been temporarily defeated by the veto of the Governor, he appealed to the people again as a candi- date for the Senate on that issue, and was again elected. He immediately introduced the measure again into the Legislature, but notwithstanding a pledge of the Gov- ernor to the contrary, in his message at the opening of the session, it again encountered his veto after having again passed both Houses by large majorities. He again introduced the same measure at the opening of the last and preceding sessions, but although it passed again on both occasions, it again encountered the Executive veto. Senator Ramsey was born on the 29th of January, 1816, in Sharon, Schoharie county, N. Y. He is of German and English descent. Both bis parents are still living at Cobleskill, in his native county, his father, Frederick Ramsey, being now seventy-two years of age. He received a good, practical education, and at the age of twenty-five removed to Lawyersville, where he studied law with Jedediah Miller, and where "he has since resided. Originally he was a Whig, of strong Freesoil proclivities, and was among the first to enlist in the organization of the Republican party. He. was BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 99 a delegate to the first Republican Convention ever held in the State, and has since been strong and nnyielding in his advocacy of Republican principles. His ability as a lawyer and as a legislator is far above mediocrity, and he is a fluent and sensible speaker, wielding, at all times, no inconsiderable influence upon the deliberations of the Senate. He possesses a social temperament ; enjoys a large share of personal and political popularity, and is a general favorite among all classes of people at Albany. Senator Ramsey was married in March, 1836, to Miss Sarah S. Boyoe, and attends the Reformed Dutch Church, RALPH RICHARDS. Senator Richards is a native of Weathersfield, Windsor county, Vermont, at which place he was born in the year 1809. He is of English descent. After receiving a common school education he entered the Castleton Academy, at which institution he passed con- siderable time, preparing himself for the profession of teacher. In 1813, his father, Eli Richards, removed into the State of New York, settling in Hampton, Washington county, where he remained until his death, at an advanced age, in March, 1858, and where his son, the subject of this sketch, still resides. 100 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. For many years, principally at Whitehall, Senator Richards pursued the profession of teacher with dis- tinguished success. His peculiar qualities of character admirably fitted him for that honorable pursuit. His unchangeable good nature, his uniform courtesy and kindness, and a remarkable power of adapting himself to the various dispositions of his pupils, rendered him universally popular, and hundreds who have now ad- vanced to man and womanhood, looking back to their school days, remember him with affection and respect. Several years since he retired to his farm in the pleasant valley of Hampton, where, as an agriculturaUst, he has been equally successful as in his former pursuit. From early life he has taken a deep interest in political affairs, and has always been open, candid and decided in the expression of his sentiments. He is no political trimmer, setting his sails to catch whatever popular breeze may arise, but stands steadfast by his convictions, in sunshine and storm, in triuniph" and defeat. He commenced his political career as a Whig, but as the question of slavery began more and more to attract public attention, he gradually seceded from his former associates untU he found himself among the foremost of those whom he styled the friends of freedom, but who, in the nomenclature of parties, are known as Abolitionists. Years ago, while yet an obscure backwoodsman among the mountains of North Elba, and before his name had been blazoned through the world, Senator Richards had looked into the eyes of John Brown, and felt that the sentiments which spoke through them were BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 101 congenial with his own. Though disapproving of the insane raid which at length brought him to the scaffold, he nevertheless remembers the old puritan with admi- ration, regarding him as a fearless, self-sacriiicing but misguided hero. He has also been a strong and unwavering advocate of temperance, and upon that subject and the subject of slavery has frequently spoken in public, maintaining that intemperance and human bondage were the two great and overshadowing evils of the times. In the fall of 1857 he was elected member of Assem- bly from the northern district of Washington county, and at the ensuing session of the Legislature comported himself in such manner as to secure the warm appro- bation of his constituents. He now represents the district comprising the counties of Rensselaer and Washington in the Senate, his honesty of purpose, his sound judgment, and his cordial manners, securing him an honorable position*mong his associates in that body. In private Ufe, among his friends and neighbors, no man enjoys a more enviable reputation. However much some may differ with him in political or religious matters, all unite in awarding to him, in their highest sense, the qualities of uprightness and integrity, and designating him as "God's noblest work — an honest man." 102 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. HEZEKIAH D. EOBERTSON. Senator Robertson is one of the most active and en- evgetic members of the Senate. He is a ready, but an elaborate speaker, seldom occupying the floor more than five or ten minutes at a time, but stating his views clearly and succinctly. He never seeks, nor avoids a discussion on any given subject ; and, no mat- ter what obstacles obstruct his way, never relaxes his efforts in whatever he undertakes. He is now on his second term, or fourth year, in the Senate ; and from his large experience and familiarity with legislative pro- ceedings and rules, possesses a vei'y considerable influ- ence. His working propensities, too, add greatly to his usefulness, ■ and render him a most valuable Senator. He has acted as Chairman of the Committee on Com- merce and Navigation ever since be has been in the Senate, and has served on the Committees on Manufac- tures, Indian Affaii's, and Retrenchment. Several of the leading bills passed during the last three years were introduced by him, among which was the Metropolitan Police bill, whereby the Police Department of the city of New York was remodeled, and by which Westches- ter county, though included in the Police District, was exempted from taxation for police purposes. The Board of Public Charities and Corrections in New York also owes its existence to his indomitable perseverance and legislative tact — a measure by which the Ofiice of Alms House Governor was abolished, and the Board reduced BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 103 from ten to four members. He likewise introduced the Pilot bill, and carried it triumphantly against a strong opposition, thus securing to the pilots of Long Island Sound the same privileges that are accorded to those of Sandy Hook. The Emigrant Runner's bill, by which ad- ditional safeguards are secured to the emigrants, was also drafted and introduced into the Senate by him ; as was, also, the Concert Saloon bill, which became a law, and he was eminently successful in getting through several local measures tending to benefit his own immediate constituents. Senator Robertson is a native of the town of Bed- ford, Westchester county, N. Y., and was born on the 15th of December, 1828. He is of Scotch and German extraction, and is a cousin of ex-Senator William H. Robertson, who represented the same Senatorial district in the years 1854 and 1855, and who is now Judge of Westchester County Court. His maternal grandfather, Hezekiah Dykeman, was a captain in the Revolutionary war, and was distinguished for his courage and patri- otism. Senator Robertson received an academical education in his native town, intending to go through a collegiate course and fit himself for the legal profession, but the sudden death of both of his parents induced him to turn his attention to agricultural pursuits. He com- menced farming in the town of Poundridge. At the age of twenty-one he was chosen Superintendent of Schools, and at the close of his oflBcial term Supervisor of that town. In 1853 he removed to Bedford, and engaged in the mercantile business with Benjamin J. 104 BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. Ambler, under the firm of Ambler & Robertson. In 1859 the oopartnersbip was dissolved, Mr. Eobertson retiring from the firm. Immediately upon Ms removal to Bedford, he was chosen Superintendent of Schools in that town, and subsequently, for some years, has been elected Supervisor. Originally a devoted follower of Henry Clay, and a determined Whig, he has, during his whole political career, evinced the sincerity of the views he maintained, by a consistent, energetic, straight- forward course, and adherence to the principles avowed and practised by that great expounder of Whig doc- trine. It is mainly to his efforts that the Union party, which has been so successful in Westchester county, was formed. As a citizen of the Ninth Congressional District he advocated and secured, at the hands of the Americans, the re-nomination and election of Hon. John B. Haskin to his seat in the Thirty-sixth Congress. His sympa- thies and proclivities since the campaign of 1858 have been with the Republicans, agreeing with them sub- stantially on all questions of National interest. In 1856, Senator Robertson was nominated by the Americans of the First Assembly District of Westches- ter county, for a seat in the Assembly, but, although receiving fifteen hundred votes, he was defeated by the Republican candidate. He was elected Senator on his. first term. In the fall of 1859, by a majority of over eighteen hundred, having been nominated by the Ameri- cans, and indorsed by the Republicans and Anti-Lecomp- ton Democrats. On his second term, he was elected, in 1861, on the Union ticket, by nine hundred majority. BIOGEAPHICAL SKBTCHEg. 105. In person Mr. Robertson is of ordinary size ; has light brown hair and whiskers ; expressive blue eyes, and an intelligent, good-natured countenance. Although for some time on the bachelor list, reason and reflection have satisfied him that a single life is not entirely com- patible with Senatorial dignity ; and having the highest possible authority that " it is not good that man should be alone," he has recently changed his condition, by consummating a union with the fairer and better part of creation. He was married on the 16th day of Decem- ber, 1861, to Miss Sarah C. Butler, daughter of the Rev. Charles F. Butler, of Syracuse. RICHARD K. SANFORD. Senator Sanfoeb is a native of the town of Volney, Oswego county, N. Y., and was born on the 25th of July, 1822. His ancestors were originally members of the Plymouth Colony, and abandoned their home rather than surrender their religious freedom. His pa- ternal grandfather served in the war of the Revolution, and gained honorable distinction. After the close of the war, he settled in Warren, Herkimer county, and reared a family. In 1816, Kingsbury E. Sanford, his son, and father of the subject of this sketch, removed to Volney, Oswego county, where, as we have men- tioned, Richard was born. Mr. Sanford was one of the first settlers of the town, and bore a prominent part in the public aflfairs of that region. In 1819 he was ap- 106 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHBS. pointed Justice of the Peace by the old Council of Appointment, and during the greater portion of his ac- tive life was honored with official station. Senator Sanford entered Hamilton College in 1839, and graduated in 1843, taking the highest honors of his class. He was soon afterwards elected Superintendent of Common Schools in his native town, which position he held until he was invited to take charge of Middle- bury Academy, in Wyoming county, where, and at other institutions, he remained until 1855, when he set- tled on a farm in the vicinity of his father's residence. Becoming wearied of agricultural pursuits, however, after about three years of earnest toil, he abandoned his farm and entered upon the more congenial occupa- tion of catering for the public, through the medium of a newspaper. In 1856 he became the owner and editor of the Fulton Patriot and Gazette, and since that time has been its conductor. In this employment, he is at home, having, by education and the accumulation of a large fund of knowledge, political, historical and gene- ral, become eminently fitted for the position of editor. Here he has attained an enviable reputation, not only for firmness as a politician and ability as a writer, but for his uniform courtesy, and honorable bearing towards all men and all parties. Although a political editor, he has but little taste for the usual appliances of partisan- ship, preferring to wage a contest of principle, to that of winning an ephemeral triumph, by means of the in- trigues and tricks of caucus. "An honest man is the noblest work of God." BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 107 In the fall of 1860 Senator Sanford was honored with a nomination for the Assembly, without his solicitation or expectation. It was a voluntary tribute by his friends of all parties, to his moral worth and patriotic devotion to the cause of the Uuion, then, and now, in jeopardy by the secession of the Southern States, and the civil war against the Government consequent thereon. His voice had been emphatic in favor of sustaining the na- tional authorities upholding the Constitution, and de- fending the national honor ; and his name was given to the people as one calculated to inspire the feelings of the masses, rouse them to action, and cheer them on to victory. The result vindicated the sagacity of his friends — he was elected by an. unprecedented majority. Performing his legislative duties to the entire satis- faction of his constituents, his services were again de- manded; and in 1861 his name was brought forward as a candidate for State Senator. He was elected, and now occupies a seat in that distinguished body. In his Senatorial course, Senator Sanford commands universal respect. His character and tastes comport well with the dignity of the office. He is usually silent, but always attentive to his duties, rarely participating in debate, and only when necessity seems to demand an effort. In his manner he is calm and courteous, seem- ing rather to avoid than attract attention ; and when he speaks it is with the purpose of enforcing his views, and elucidating the subject matter under discussion. He attempts no rhetorical display or finished elocution ; but his ideas are always good, his words well chosen and well weighed, and his manner deliberate and im- 108 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. pressive. In a word, he is not an orator but an excel- lent talker, and he talks good sense, sound logic and convincing argument. In politics he was formerly a radical Democrat, and voted for John P. Hale in the Presidential election of 1852. In 1854 he united with the Republican party, and continues an able advocate and defender of its creed. Senator Sanford was married, in 1848, to Miss Lucy A. Carrier, who died in May, 1859, after a protracted illness and great suffering. She left two children. He is a member of the Presbyterian church in the village of Fulton, where he resides, and sustains a high social position. JESSE C. SMITH. Senator Smith is fifty-four years old, and is of Scotch extraction on his maternal side. His father's family came from Rhode Island and were probably of EngUsh or Irish origin. He is a native of Butternuts, Otsego county, N. Y., but how long he resided there, or where he was educated and studied his profession, does not appear. It can only be stated, therefore, that he is now a practising lawyer, of fair ability, in the city of Brooklyn, Kings county, where he has resided for some years. In politics he was formerly a Whig, but since the organization of the Republican party he has been identified with that organization. He does not seem, BIOGEAPHICAIi SKETCHES. 109 however, to have been very prominent as a politician, and never rose to the surface of puhlic attention until our national difficulties merged, for a time, political parties and considerations, inducing the nomination of no-party or Union men as candidates for office. He seems to have risen into notice with the decline of par- tisan feeling, and received the nomination for Senator on what purported to be a Union ticket. The district which he represents is largely Democratic; but so strong was the desire of the people to discard party considerations, and to exhibit a degree of patriotism that rose above partisan politics, that Mr. Smith was triumphantly elected, though there was nothing in his name, or in any service he had rendered the public, or in his superior standing as a lawyer or a citizen, to give him notoriety, but simply for the reason that he was designated by a Union Convention This fact alone gave currency to his name and nomination, and he was swept along by the irresistible tide of patriotism that then prevailed, and was suddenly metamorphosed from a private citizen into a "grave and reverend" Senator. What effect the resumption of party strife will have upon his destiny remains to be seen. Before the breaking out of the rebellion Senator Smith was Colonel of the Fourteenth Regiment, of the E". Y. State Mihtia, which position he has resigned. His knowledge of military matters was properly appreciated by the President of the Senate, who, on forming the several committees, placed him at the head of that on Military Affairs. To this committee was devolved the important duty of revising the mihtia laws of the State, 10 110 EIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. and deducing therefrom a system better adapted to the present situation of our National affairs. As chairman of the committee, he reported a bill -which, after much consideration and modification, passed the Legislature and became a law. Its practical working, however, has not been so favorable as the Senator hoped and pre- dicted, and important amendments have been suggested which have been brought before the Legislature at its present session. Doiibtless the military sagacity and experience of Senator Smith has enabled him to dis- cover the errors of the bill, so that he can readily recon- struct and adapt it to present and future emergencies. Except on the Militia bill, Senator Smith has not distinguished himself in the Senate. He does not possess the power of speaking with facility or eloquence, and consequently seldom takes part in the discussions of the Senate, other than by suggestion, briefly stated, on some matter under consideration in Coiamittee of the Whole. On grave National subjects which are periodically in- troduced, touching the Governor's peculiar opinions, or the policy of the National Administration in prosecut- ing the war, he is silent, and probably wisely so ; in- deed, there are few who add to their reputation by reading long, dry speeches, perhaps prepared by other hands, which are intended, not so much for the en- lightenment of the public as to see their own names in print, for selfish motives and Buncombe notoriety. The rage for this kind of distinction prevails to a great extent at the present time, and it is creditable to Senator Smith that he has not fallen in with the current. The Senator's career has attracted but little attention, BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. Ill not SO much from innate modesty whicli leads one to shrink from the public gaze, as lawyers, generally, do not possess much of this estimable quality, and he is not an exception, as from the deficiencies we have noted. It should be mentioned, however, as an indication of partisan feeling, that he voted against the joint resolu- tions inviting General McClellan to visit the Capital, whieh were introduced into the Assembly by Mr. Daroy, and had passed that body with great unanimity. He is, nevertheless, an active and industrious member, rather " useful than ornamental," and possibly effects as much for his constituents and the State, as any of his more distinguished associates. Generally he is social and of easy access, but to those who seek business favors at his hands, he is not easily approached. In personal ap- pearance he is scarcely of medium size ; has dark eyes ; black crispy hair and stubby whiskers. His counte- nance is rather animated, indicating industry and energy. WILLIAM H. TOBEY. ■ Senator Tobey possesses a higher degree of Senatorial dignity, perhaps, than any other man in the Senate, and hy the venerableness of his mien and the measured utterance of his matured thoughts in well-balanced and classic sen- tences, carries us irresistibly back to the good old days when such men as John C. Spencer, Silas Wright, William C. Bouck, and John A. King occupied seats in that body. He is a gentleman of strong mind and superior legal 112' BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. attainments, whicli, coupled witli an ingenuous common sense and sterling integrity, have been of no little service to tlie State in enabling bim to assist in maturing the large number of bills that have come before the Senate for its consideration during the present session. His position as a calm, dispassionate and logical debater is doubtless unsur- passed by that of any of his Senatorial colleagues, and though always extemporaneous, his speeches never, unlike those of nearly all public men, need revision, being ready for the printer as soon as they have fallen from his lips. He is always fair and honorable with his opponents in dis- cussion, possessing a strong aversion to all manner of stra- tagey, but seems to enjoy the position of his antagonist with considerable delight when he has reduced him to the attempt of successfully replying to an unanswerable argu- ment. Senator Tobey was born in Hudson, Columbia county, N. Y., in 1799. He was liberally educated for the law, and since his admission to the bar has been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession in his native county, where he has always resided. He was brought up in the old Whig school of politics, having been a prominent and active member of that party for many years, and since the abandonment of its organization has been identified with the Eepublican movement. So far as party obligations, however, are concerned, he is one of the most independent men in the Senate, and is never found according a measure his support simply upon party grounds. He was a leading member of the Assembly in 1858. In 1840 he was appointed Surrogate of Columbia county by Gov. Seward, and from the time of his retirement from that BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 113 position until tis election to the seat he now occupies in the Senate, remained a private citizen at his home in the village of Kinderhook, where he still resides. LYMAN TRUMAN. Senator Truman is a living example of the power of man over his own destiny, having arisen by the exercise of industry, economy and perseverance from a very humble condition in life to his present distinguished public and private position. At the early age of sixteen, having had but a few months' schooling, he was thrown upon the world, by the death of his father, with a widowed mother, and four brothers and three sisters, younger than himself, mainly dependent upon his exertions to extricate them from the difficulties that surrounded them. They were without any visible means of support, the farm of which they had been left in possession being so much incum- bered as almost to preclude the possibility of retaining it. The circumstances in which the family was placed, however, demanded of him instant and laborious exer- tion to provide for its wants, and he immediately set himself to work with a will. With the blessing of Heaven on his labors he accomplished his task. In a few years he succeeded in clearing off all incumbrances on the farm — schooling his brothers and sisters in the meantime — and secured a comfortable home to cheer *10 114 BIOGEAPHIOAL SKETCHES. the declining years of his honored mother. In the culture of the farm he met with extraordinary success, confining his attention, mostly, to the production of a single crop — potatoes, of which he raised, annually, an almost incredible quantity. This crop he shipped down the Susquehanna every spring in arks ; and realized from it, during his management of the farm, a sum sufficient to pay all outstanding debts and furnish a fund with which to commence the mercantile business. Having become established in this new branch, in which he had taken three of his brothers as partners, leaving the other brother to manage the farm, the firm embarked in the lumber business, which they have continued to the present time with great success, realizing an ample fortune thereby." He is also the owner of large tracts of land in the Western States, much of which has largely increased in value since he purchased, and which alone constitutes a very large property, it having been selected on personal inspection and in good localities. Senator Truman's personal appearance is not very pre- possessing, always having evinced an utter disregard of fashionable dress, and, seemingly, held in sovereign con- tempt the refinements of social life. He looks as though his clothes were put on his person by some one else. His collar, unlike his creed, yields to every pressure, and his coat hangs like a bag on his back. He has veiy thick black hair and whiskers, which presents the ap- pearance of never having been in contact with a comb. His features, however, are expressive, his eye dark and piercing, and his whole countenance indicate intelligence and energy. He is emphatically a self-made man, taking BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 115 no Other human being as a model, but shaping his own course and character according to his own notions of propriety. He is of English and Scotch descent, and was born in Candor, Tioga county, on the 2d of March, 1806. Both his paternal and maternal grandfathers took part in the Revolutionary war. His father, Aaron Truman, emigrated from Massachusetts to ISTew York, in 1804, and settled in Tioga county, where he died in 1822. His mother was a native of Connecticut, and died in 1844. Senator Truman has been President of the Bank of Owego several years, and was three times elected Su- pervisor of the town. In 184Y he ran as a stump can- didate for the Assembly against his uncle, Hon. Erastus Goodrich, the Democratic nominee, by whom he was beaten by a majority of fourteen, in a district that usually gave a Democratic majority of from five to six hundred. In early life he was a Democrat, and cast his first vote for Gen. Jackson. From 1833 to 1848 he was an ardent Whig, but in the latter year he joined the Free Soilers in the support of Martin Van Buren. From that time until the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, he took but little interest in politics ; but when the Republican party was organized, he again entered the field and be- came a zealous and active partisan in its support. In 1857 he was elected State Senator, and in 1859 and 1861, was re-elected to the same oifice, being the only Senator who has held the oflSce three terms, under the present Constitution. Ever since he has been in the Sen- ate he has been Chairman of the Committee on Claims. 116 EIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. Though plain and blunt in his manners, and unmerci- fully ferocious in his abuse of the King's English, Senar tor Truman, nevertheless, speaks to the purpose, and is generally well understood. In debate, he is extremely awkward, using his right arm constantly, with a pen or pencil in his hand, but with a motion anything but grace- ful. He has, also, an inveterate habit of scratching his head, when puzzled with a problem that he cannot readily solve, or an idea that he cannot lucidly express ; and when he is pushed into a corner, which is not often the case, his contortions and scratching operations excite the merriment of his associates, in which, generally, he has the good sense to laugh as heartily as any of them. In debate he sometimes "brings down the House" by a homely and unscientific thrust, which, nevertheless, goes direct to some vulnerable spot in the argument of an opponent, whom he thus effectually prostrates. At home the Senator has long been honored with the cog- nomen of "Davy Crockett," as significant of his char- acter for independence, honesty, go-aheaditiveness, and contempt for scholastic attainments. But with all his plainness and honesty he is inordinately vain — not of his good looks or costume, for of these, as has been said, he is utterly indifferent, but of the correctness of his judgment in business and political matters, and the position he occupies. Whatever he says is right — in his own opinion, and his conclusions cannot well be re- moved. He regards himself as a Mentor, to whom all must bow with profound deference and respect. Of his position, he is sure to remind Senators, about once a week, that he is now on his third term, or in his fifth BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 117 ov Sixth year ; and this is a distinction of which he may- well be proud. He represents an intelligent constitu- ency, and if they are willing to bear with his oddities and humors, it is because they know him to be reliable, industrious and attentive to their interests — not oaring for the imperfections of his demeanor, or speech, but looking only to the benefits they secure through his energy and perseverance. Senator Truman was married January 10, 1838, to Miss Emily Goodrich, by whom he has three children. His family attend the Congregational church. He is a man of sterling integrity and untiring energy — upright and honorable in all his dealings, and possessing the entire confidence of the community in which he lives. He has done much for the village and town of Owego, and when " he goes hence, to be here no more forever," the present generation, " their children and their chil- dren's children," will remember wdth veneration and respect the honored name of Lyman Teuman. CHRISTIAN B. WOODRUFF. This gentleman is the best looking man in the Senate, being tall, well proportioned, with thick, curly hair, black and glossy as the raven's wing ; a large, black, luminous, good-natured eye ; smooth face and jet black mustache. His countenance is expressive and intelli- gent ; and altogether he is such an one as the fair delight to entangle in their meshes, and compel to worship at 118 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. their shrine. But — he is married ! and the smiles and blandishments of beauty, if lavished upon him are irre- trievably lost; he is eifectually beyond the reach of ambitious mothers and aspiring daughters. Senator Woodruff was born in the city of New York in 1829, and is therefore in his thirty-fourth year. His father's family were from New Jersey, and his mother's from New York. He has been three times elected to the Assembly, and served in that body with great credit to himself and his constituents, who have fuUy appre- ciated his worth. In 1859 he was a member of the Committee on Privileges and Elections ; in 1860, of the Committees on the Militia, the Erection and Division of Towns and Counties, and the Select Committee on the Excise law; in 1861 of the committees oh Ways and Means, and the Incorporation of Cities and Villages. On all these committees, and in the general duties of the House, he has been diligent, active and laborious, and has proved himself to be one of the best working mem- bers of that body. Although he can speak, he is not afl3icted with the talking mania — an evil that engulfs so many vain and ambitious legislators in a vortex from whence they never emerge. He husbands his resources, and, by the exercise of watchfulness and prudence, is enabled to discriminate wisely, act judiciously, and by proper vigilance and energy accomplish the purpose he has in view. He is, in fine, a good legislator. In the fall of 1861 Senator Woodruff was elected a member of the Senate on the Democratic ticket, by the immense majority of eleven thousand, out of eleven thou- sand nine hundred and eighty'Seven votes polled. The BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 119 Union candidate against him, Francis R. Tillon, Esq., re- ceived only nine hundred and eighty-six votes, showing the great popularity of Mr. Woodruff, and the entire satisfac- tion that his legislative course inspired. In the Senate he fully sustains the reputation he won in the Assembly, as an industrious, energetic and successful working member. Senator Woodruff has always been firmly and consis- tently attached to the Democratic party, never swerving to the right nor to the left, to adopt any ism that might bubble to the surface of the political cauldron ; nor be deluded from his course by the sophism of a treacherous political leader. He is a straight-forward, honest politician, guided by the light of truth as it strikes his mental vision, and pursuing his onv^ard way with an eye single to the honor and success of his. party. He wields a strong influ- ence throughout the district which he represents, and deservedly so, as he is a gentleman of superior personal qualifications, high sense of honor and undeviating integ- rity. The attachment of his friends and associates to him are strong and unyielding ; and he implicitly regards his obligations, never failing in the performance of a task that he undertakes, if ^ithin the compass of human possibility. This is the secret of his success and power; the man who is true to his friends seldom makes enemies, and renders \i\^ friends true to him. 120 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES, HORACE 0. YOUNG. Senator Young is of English extraction, and was born in the town of Smithfield, Madison county, N". Y. His father was a native of Martha's Vineyard, Massa- chusetts. His mother, whose maiden name was Philena Kellog, was born and reared in Western New York. Mr. Young began life with a good plain English educa- tion, sufficient to enable him to engage in any kind of business that he chose to select. He was educated in Fenner, Madison county, without reference to any pro- fession, but his peculiar talent inclined him to mechanical employment. After leaving school, therefore, and having fitted himself for the practical duties of life, he commenced his career as a builder; and after some years of unremitting industry, he attained a good deal of celebrity, as a thorough-going and successful me- chanic. He was always prompt and up to time in performing his contracts, and his work was always well done. He also gained a high reputation as an Architect, and was called upon, far and near, f*r service in this branch of industry. He drew the plans and specificar tions for the State House in Minnesota, which, in evetf respect, is a noble specimen of his architectural taste and judgment, and is admirably adapted for the use for which it was designed. He has also been the Architect of several churches, and other public edifices, and rail- road bridges, all of which have given entire satisfaction. Senator Young has filled several offices in his town New Albion, Cattaraugus county, such as Justice of the BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 121 Peace, Supervisor, and other places. In 1849, and again in 1850, he was a member of Assembly from Cattaraugus county, and gained a good reputation as a safe and honest legislator. He was a member of the old Whig party so long as it had an existence, and on its demise he transferred his allegiance to the new Republican organization, and is now one of its representatives in the Senate. He is a de- cided and firm man in his political creed, but is not a strong partisan. Senator Young was married in Cazenovia on the 19th of January, 1831, to Miss Laura P., daughter of the late Gideon Walker, one of the defenders of Fort Niagara in the war of 1812, who was killed by the English at the storm- ing of the fort. Some years since he retired from business, and has turned his attention to farming, with great success. In matters of religion he is liberal, ever ready to attend to, and succor, the wants of the poor and the afflicted, which we have high authority for saying is essential to a pure reli- gious life. In the community in which he lives. Senator Young stands deservedly high as a substantial and reliable man. He is swayed entirely by principles of right, and never allows political asperities to interfere with his social duties. Energetic, industrious, and strictly honest, he has forced his way in the world, and his good name rests upon a basis that cannot be shaken. In the discharge of his duties in the Senate he exhibits sterling integrity and unwavering honesty. He is not a speaker, in the common acceptation of the term, but he, nevertheless, makes himself clearly understood when cir- cumstances render it necessary for him to participate in 11 122 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. debate. He is sure never to speak unless he has something to say ; and his remarks are always brief, to the purpose, and marked with good sense and sound judgment. He is emphatically a working man, and when he retires from his duties in the Senate Chamber he will have the conscious- ness of knowing, and feeling, that he has left nothing undone to advance the interests of his constituents, and the welfare of the State, MEMBERS or THE SENATE. Number of their respective Districts, and the Counties and Wards composing the same. Lieut. -GovEENOB David R. Floyd Jokes, Amltjvllle, Queens Co. Diet. Counties and WardB. Senatore. 1. Suffolk, Queens, and Bichmond counties Monroe Henderson. 2. 1st, 2d, 3d, 4tli, 5th, 7tli, 11th, 13th, and 19th wards of Brooklyn Jesse C. Smith. 3. 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th wards of Brooklyn Henry C. Murphy. 4. 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 14th wards of New York. . . . Christian B. Woodruff. 5. 10th, nth, 13th, and 17th wards of New York Charles Gt. Cornell. 6. 9th, 15th, 16th, and 18th wards of New York John J. Bradley. 7. 12th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22d wards of New York Richard B. Connolly. 8. Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties Hezekiah D. Robertson. 9. Orange and Sullivan Henry R. Low. 10. Ulster and Greene Jacob S. Freer. 11. Dutchess and Columbia William H. Tobey. 12. Rensselaer and Washington. ...... Ralph Richards. 13. Albany John V. L. Pruyn. 124 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 14. Delaware, Schoharie, and Schenec- tady Joseph H. Ramsey. 15. Montgomery, Fulton, Saratoga, and Hamilton William Clark. 16. Warren, Essex, and Clinton Russell M. Little. 17. St Lawrence and Franklin Charles C. Montgomery. 18. Jefferson and Lewis James A. Bell. 19. Oneida Alexander H. Bailey. 20. Herkimer and Otsego George A. Hardin. 21. Oswego Richard K. Sanford. 22. Onondaga Allen Munroe. 23. Madison, Chenango, and Cortland. . Henry A. Clark. 24. Tompkins, Tioga, and Broome ... . Lyman Truman. 25. Wayne and Cayuga ~ Chauncey M. Ahbott. 26. Ontario, Yates, and Seneca Charles J. Folger. 27. Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuhen. . Charles Cook, 28. Monroe Lysander Farrar. 29. Niagara, Orleans, and Genesee Almanzor Hutchinson. 30. Wyoming, Livingston, and Allegany Wilkes Angel. 31. Erie John Ganson. 32. Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Horace C. Young. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF SENATORS. The Goujities in which they reside, their Post Office Address, and Politics. Name of Senators. Counties. P. O. Address. Politics. MourOB Henderson Queens Jamaica Dem. Jesse C. Smith Kings Brooklyn Rep. Henry C. Murpliy Kings Brooklyn Dem, Christian B. Woodruff New York. . . . New York .... Dem. Charles G. Cornell New York New York.... Dem. John J. Bradley New York New York Dem. Richard B. Connolly New York New York Dem. Hezekiah D. Robertson .. . Westchester.. Bedford Rep. Henry R. Low Sullivan Montioello Rep. Jacob S. Freer Ulster EUenville Dem. William H. Tobey Cohimbia Kinderhook . . , Rep. Ralph Richards Washington. . . Hampton Rep. John V. L. Pruyn Albany Albany Dem. Joseph H. Ramsey Schoharie Lawyersville . . Rep William Clark Montgomery . . Fort Plain Rep. Russell M. Little Warren Glen's Falls . . . Rep. Charles C. Montgomery... St. Lawrence . . Waddington.. Rep. James A. Bell Jefferson Dexter Rep. Alexander H. Bailey Oneida Rome Rep. George A Hardin Herkimer Little Falls. .. . Rep. Richard K. Sanford Oswego Fulton Rep. Allen Munroe Onondaga Syracuse Rep. Henry A. Clark Chenango Bainbridge. . . . Rep. 11* ] 26 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Lyman Truman Tioga Owego Rep. Chauncey M. Abbott Cayuga Niles Rep. Charles J Polger Ontario Geneva Rep. Charles Cook Schuyler Havana Rep. Lysander Farrar Monroe Rochester .... Rep. Almanzor Hutchinson. ... Orleans Gaines Rep. Wilkes Angel AUegauy Angelica Rep. John Ganson Erie Buffalo Dem. Horace C. Young Cattaraugus ... New Albion. . . Rep. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEES. Clnims — Truman, Eichards, Young. Finance — Bell, Angwl, Connolly, Murphy, Bailey. Judiciary — Polger, Tobey, Pruy'n, Low, Gansou. Canals — Cook, Hutchinson, Connolly. Railro ds. — Angel, Sanford, Cornell. Charitable and Religious Societies. — Tobey, Hardin, Murphy. Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties. — Montgomery, Abbott, Freer. Prisons — Bailey, H. A. Clark, Woodruff. Poor Laws. — Abbott, Young, Little. Engrossed Sills. — Montgomery, Sanford, Angel. Indian Affairs. — Sanford, Robertson, Bradley. Commerce and Navigation. — Robertson, Truman, Gansoir. Agriculture. — Richards, Abbott, Young. Literature. — Piuyu, Ramsey, Sanford. Militia. — Smith, Ramsey, Cornell Roads and Bridges — H. A. Clark, Bailey, Young. Grievances. — Low, Montgomery, Woodruff. Banks. — Munroe, Cook, Tobey. Insurance Companies. — Little, Bell, Parrar. Privileges and Elections. — Cornell, Cook, Hardin. Manufactures. — Young, Munroe, Hutchinson. Retrenchment. — Murphy, Robertson, H. A. Clark. Public Buildings. — Pruyn, Bailey, Bell. Erection and Division of Towns and Counties. — Ramsey, Folger Connolly. 128 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Cities and Villages. — Farrar, Hardin, Low, Smith, Freer, Bradley, W. Clark. Public Expenditures. — Bradley, Little, Abbott. Expiring Laws. — Woodruff, Tobey, Farrar. Public Health, Medical Colleges and Societies. — Freer, Smith, W. Clark. Public Printing — Low, Sanford, Richards. Manufacture of Salt. — Hutchinson, Folger, Richards. Joint Library. — Hardin, Angel, Woodruff. Select Commi'tee on Petitions for Aid to Albany and Susquehanna Railroad. — Ramsey, CoinioUy, Angel. MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY IN 1862. HENRY J. RAYMOND, SPEAKER. Mr. Raymond is doubtless one of the most skillful, ready, and eflScient presiding officers in the State, if not in the entire country. His brilliant career as President of the Senate and Speaker of the Assembly has extorted this degree of praise from even his most bitter and unre- lenting political opponents. His whole nature — tem- perament, tone of voice, quickness of movement, ready comprehen sion, fluency of language, skill in parliamentary practice, uniform courtesy of manner, unfaltering firm- ness, and unyielding perseverance — all harmoniously blended, constitute a combination rarely found in any one man in this or any other age or country. Whatever may be thought of him in other respects, this much, at least, will be cheerfully accorded him by all. Mr. Raymond is a native of Lima, Livingston county, N. Y., where he was born on the 24th of January, 1820. 130 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. He is of English extraction. His father, Jarvis Ray- mond, who is still living, was the proprietor of a small farm upon which Henry was accustomed to labor when a boy. His eagerness to study, however, soon caused him to pass most of his time in school until the winter of 1836, when he turned teacher himself. He subsequently entered college, and in 1 840 graduated at the University of Vermont. Shortly afterwards, he went to the city of New York, where he studied law a year in the office of Edward W. Marsh, meanwhile maintaining himself by teaching the classics in a young ladies' seminary, and by contributions to a literary journal called the New Torker. At the establishment of the New York Tribune, in April, 1841, he formed a connection with that paper as assistant editor, and acquired a distin- guished reputation as a reporter — an art then comparar tively but little practised in America. In 1843, at the solicitation of James Watson Webb, he accepted a position on the editorial staff of the New York Courier & jEnquirer, which he held till 1851, when he relin- quished if in consequence of a political disagreement with Mr. Webb. He had also some four years pre- viously formed a literary connection with the publishing house of Harpers & Brothers, which he retained some ten years. During this period he had a protracted con- troversy with Horace Greeley, in the columns of their respective journals, upon the principles of socialism, especially as taught by Fourier, which he attacked and Greeley defended. The successive articles on each side attracted much attention, and were afterwards published in pamphlet form and extensively circulated. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 131 Mr. Raymond began his political career in 1850 as a Whig member of the Assembly. He was again a member of that body in 1851, and during that session successfully occupied the responsible situation of Speaker, taking, at the same time, a deep interest in the common school system and canal policy of the State. After the adjournment of the Legislature he sailed for Europe for the benefit of his health, and shortly after his return, in August, 1851, pub- lished the first number of the New York Times — a paper which he has since successfully conducted to the position of one of the leading journals of the country. In 1852, in the capacity of a substitute for a regular delegate to- the Whig National Convention at Baltimore, he addressed that body at length, in spite of a stormy opposition, in exposi- tion of Northern sentiment. In 1854 he received the nomi- nation for Lieutenant-Governor by the Whig, Anti-Nebraska and Temperance State Conventions, and was triumphantly elected to that position. He was prominently active in the promotion of the Eepublican party, and drew up the "Ad- dress to the People," which was put forth in 1856 by the National Convention at Pittsburg. After leaving the office of Lieutenant-Governor on the 31st of December, 1857, he remained a private citizen, in the active pursuit of his occu- pation as the leading editor and proprietor of the New York Times, until the inauguration of the Union move- ment, which again brought him to the Assembly, wherehe has again added fresh laurels to his reputation as a presiding officer and public representative. Mr. Raymond is one of the shrewdest and most sagacious legislators in the State. He is cautious, without being timid — resolute, but not rash— rfirm, but not obstinate. 132 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. He always matures his plans in his own mind, and has the power of keeping them concealed until the proper time comes for their development. As a speaker he ranks high ; and is remarkable for his fluency, correctness, and self-pos- session. His ideas, like his person, are always neatly dressed, and never appear before the public in dishabille. There is always a harmonious blending of the poetical and the practical, a pleasant union of the ornamental and use- ful, a body and soul joined together in all his speeches. There is something tangible, solid, nutritious, and enduring in all he says. Those who were members of the House in 1862, will never forget his power as a debater; the polite- ness of his badinage ; the refinement of his cutting sarcasm, and the gentility of his wit. His superiority as a writer is equally apparent, and the magazines are filled with speci- mens of his chaste and elegant productions. In short, he is the Addison of America. Mr. Raymond was married on the 23d of October, 1843, to Miss Juliette Weaver — a lady of refinement and educa- tion, and attends the Presbyterian Church. JONATHAN M. ACKLEY. Mr. Ackley belongs to that class of healthful, well-to-do and intelligent farmers, whose personal comforts and enjoy- ments are as unalloyed by discontents and irritations as is possible in this life. He was born in Winfield, Herkimer county, N. Y., on the 8th of May, 1810. His father, Jona- than Ackley, was a native of Connecticut. Emigrating to BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 133 Plainfield while that place was yet in its infancy, he married Mehitabel, daughter of Jonathan MofFatt, after whom Mr. Ackley was named. His father died when Jonathan was Jwo years of age, leaving four children. His mother, who was of Scotch descent, was an energetic and resolute woman, and brought up her children with great care and labor. Mr. Ackley early evinced a strong desire to obtain a good education. His mother having but little means to devote to this purpose, he, by teaching school occasionally, defrayed the expenses of attending different academies. In 1837 he removed from his native town to Henderson, Jefferson county, and some time after to Lorraine. The part to which he removed afterwards became a portion of the town of Worth. At the first election for officers for that town he was chosen a Justice of the Peace, which office he held for many years. He was Supervisor of the town of Worth during the yeai's 1851, '53 and '54. He was formerly a Whig, but joined the Republican party soon after its organi- zation. He is a strong temperance man, and, while a member of the Assembly, labored strenuously to secure the passage of a Prohibitory Liquor Law. Mr. Ackley married AnnKilburn in the year 1832. He is a member of the Congregational Church. SAMUEL M. ALLEY. Colonel Alley was born in the town of Almond, Allegany county, N. Y., in 1825, the same year in which 12 134 . BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. his parents removed into that town from Moravia, Cayuga county. He is of French descent. His father, Peter Alley, who was celebrated in the early history of Western New York as a bear and deer hunter, died in Cayuga county in 1829, leaving a wife and three chil- dren, the maiden name of the former of whom was Lucy Hemingway. Both his parents were natives of Cayuga county. Colonel Alley received a limited English education, and was a poor bound boy, until the age of twenty, when he purchased his time and went into the mercan- tile and manufacturing business with his uncle, the Hon. James Alley. In 182'; he removed from his native place to Hornellsville, Steuben county, where he has always since resided, having grown up with the place, and now standing high among its prominent and influential citizens. He was elected clerk of that county in 1856, holding the position three years, and with that excep- tion never held any public oflBce until his election to the last House. He originally belonged to the Freesoil section of the Democratic party, and by the natural course of political events became a Republican in 1856. Since then he has always been unyieldingly attached to that party, and was chosen a member of the Assembly as a candidate of the late so-called People's party. As a legislator he was quiet and faithful in the dis- charge of his duties, enjoying, at the same time, the entire good will and friendship of all his associates, and was universally regarded by all who knew him as one of the most clever, jolly, good-natured men in the Legis- lature — a perfect "prince of good fellows." It was BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 135 chiefly through his eiforts that the bill relative to the celebrated Pultney estate was carried through the House after the enacting clause had been stricken out. Colonel Alley was married in 1850 to Miss Sylvania, youngest daughter of Major Thomas Bennett, and at- tends the Presbyterian church. THOMAS G. ALVOED. Mr. Altord is a native of Onondaga county, N". Y., and was born in 1818. He is now, therefore, in his forty-fifth year, though his venerable appearance would justify the belief that he is ten years older. He is of Dutch and English descent, and both of his grandfathers did service in the Revolutionary war. In his youth he enjoyed good educational, advantages, and graduated at Yale College in 1838, at the age of twenty. He was a class-mate of John Van Buren, and has been about as vascillating in his political life as that notable individual. Soon after leaving College Mr. Alvord entered himself for the mercantile business, and served a short time as clerk in a store in Pittsfield, Mass. Not relishing the counter, however, he soon changed it for the bar, and having gone through the usual course preparatory to the practice of law, was admitted in 1832. Pie then opened an oflSce in Salina, now Syracuse, and followed his profession till 1846, when he abandoned it and took up the maniifacture of coarse salt. In 1843, and again in 1858 and '62, he was a member of the Assembly, and 136 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. gained some reputation as a legislator. The second year he was elected Speaker, and performed its arduous duties very creditably. He was again a candidate for the posi- tion in 1862, but was foiled in a contest with Hon. Henry J. Raymond, who was for the second time elected to fill the Speaker's chair. It was no discredit toMr. Alvord, however, to be beaten by Mr. Raymond, who as a pre- siding officer has no superior. Mr. Alvord's reputation in the Assembly was that of a man of ability and eloquence, rather than one of pat- riotism and usefulness. As a debater he excelled, being fluent, energetic, concise and clear. He always attracted attention when he rose to speak, and was listened to with unflagging interest. His persistence, however, is unre- lenting — very seldom convinced of error, and never be- trays a consciousness of being vanquished. His voice is strong though not unpleasant, and he is distinctly heard in every part of the chamber. His views on public mat- ters, particularly expenditures, were large and liberal^ and he always carried them out by voting /br large ap- propriations, and against small ones. He despised little things ; hence his ideas of legislation were that great projects only should receive the public patronage and support. The practical working of his theory is " to make the rich, richer ; the poor, poorer," and to this end he seemed to labor. Doubtless he holds the rational opinion that a man must live by his wits, but he is not over scrupulous how his genius should be employed. Mr. Alvord was originally a Hard-Shell Democrat ; sub- sequently became a Soft-Shell, and on the breaking out of the war engaged in the Union movement. He was Presi- BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 137 dent of the Union State Convention in 1861, but voted for the Straight Republican ticket. In other words, he repu- diated Tallmadgb, the Union nominee for Canal Commis- sioner, and voted for Bruce, the Eepublican nominee for the same office. He is exceedingly ambitions, and esteems himself admirably qualified for any public position. He lacks discretion, however, and seldom succeeds in conceal- ing his object and plan of action. When he left the Speaker's chair he had a good reputation, but his lobby schemes and associations at Albany, in the winter of 1861, destroyed public confidence in him, and lost him the nomi- nation for Lieutenant-Governor last fall, instead of Lyman Tremain — a position to which he aspired with the most intense anxiety. SMITH ANTHONY. Mr. Anthony was a member of the Assembly in 1861, where he served as Chairman of the Committee on Expen- ditures of the House, and as a member of the Committee on State Prisons. He was one of the most quiet men in that body, but his influence was strong and generally felt in the action of the House upon all important measures. Mr. Anthony was born on the 18th of April, 1813, in Greenfield, Saratoga county, N. Y. He is of English descent. Both his parents, John Anthony and Susannah Allen, are still living; the former at the age of eighty- three, and the latter at the age of seventy-seven. His edu- cation was received in a common district school, and his *12 138 BIOGEAPHICAIi SKETCHES. occupation has always been that of farming. He resided in the town of Ledyard, Cayuga county, from 1822 until 1843, when he removed into the town of Fleming, in the same county, where he has been Supervisor during the years 1846, '47, '49, '51, '58, and '60. He was also Justice of the Peace in 1852. He was formerly a Whig, and is now firmly attached to the principles and policy of the Republican party. Mr. Anthony was married in 1837, to Miss Mary Gray, and is liberal in his views on the subject of religion. ELI AVERY. Mr. Atery is a native of the town of New Hart-- ford, Oneida county, N. Y., and is fifty-three years of age. He is of Yankee descent, both his paternal and maternal ancestors having emigrated to this state from New England. His educational advantages were only such as the common schools of his native place afforded, and his occupation has always been that of farming. He is a gentleman of respectability and influence in the community where he resides, and was chosen a member of the Assembly by a majority of upwards of thirteen hundred. He was not one of the noticeable members of the House, but nevertheless was always punctual and straight-forward in the discharge of his duties. BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 139 A. BLEECKER BANKS. Mr. Banks is a native of the city of New York, and is now about twenty-eight years old. He is of English and Welch descent. His father, David Banks, is an extensive publisher of law books in that city, and is well known in legal circles, being the oldest publisher of works on law and kindred subjects in the United States. The imprint of Banks, Brothers, may be found in a large number of volumes in the library of every lawyer in the Union. The maiden name of the mother of Mr. Banks was Harriet Loyd. She is still living, being now about fifty years of age. In early life Mr. Banks attended a French school. After leaving this he attended Columbia College for the space of a year. He then became associated with his father in the publishing business, in which he has been engaged, in the city of Albany, for about seven years. Ever since he has been a voter he has been a member of the Democratic party. He never held office previous to his election to the Assembly. He is a very clever young man, and is wealthy — the source of much of the influ- ence he possesses. He is unmarried. 140 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. THOMAS BAKRY. Me. Barry is self-made — the architect of his own fortune — a good, clever, active business man, standing high in the community where he resides. He was not a speaking member of the House, but was always found diligent and faithful in the discharge of his duties. Mr. Barry was born on the 3d of December, 1822, in the Parish of Drumcollaher, county of Limerick, Ireland. He came, when quite young, with his parents to this country, and after living some three years in the city of New York, removed, about the year 1828, with them to the town of WiUett, Cortland county, where he still resides. He is descended from the " noble family of Barrys," who figure conspicuously in Irish history. His father, Thomas Barry, died in 1849, at the age of seventy-five, and his mother, whose maiden name was Susannah Finnessy, is still living at the age of sixty- two. Mr. Barry was educated in the common schools of Cortland county, and has devoted his life chiefly to farming. Prior to his marriage, however, he devoted ten successive winters to teaching a common school, He has always taken a deep interest in agricultural pur- suits, and has been President of the Union Agricultural Society in his county. In politics, he has never wavered in his attachment to the principles and policy of the Democratic party, and was a staunch supporter of Mr. Douglas in the last Presidential contest. Mr. Barry was married in 1850 to Miss Ellen Condon, and is a member of the Roman Catholic Church. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 141 GEORGE BARTLETT. Mr. Bartlett is a native of Salisbury, Conn., and is forty-one years of age. He is of pure English descent, although his ancestry in this country can be traced back through a long series of years. His father, Loring Bartlett, is still living in Salisbury, at an advanced age, and his mother, whose maiden name was Phebe Moore, died some five years ago, at the age of seventy, beloved and respected by all who knew her. Mr. Bartlett came to the state of New York about thirty years ago, a poor boy, and entered Union College, at Schenectady, where he was an industrious and faithful student, somewhat distinguished for his opposition to secret societies, and graduated in 1840. After leaving college he entered the law oflSce of the Hon. Daniel S. Dickinson, at Binghamton, where, after pursuing a thorough course of legal training, he was admitted to the bar, and where he since became successfully engaged in the pi'actice of his profession. In politics, he has always been a Democrat of the Hard-Shell school — one of the hardest of the Hards, and was a delegate to the Baltimore Convention in 1860, which nominated John C. Breckinridge for the Presidency. Like many others, however, of the same political persuasion at the North, he esche wT3d all party considerations at the breaking out of the rebellion, and was elected to the Assembly as a representative of the late Union movement. Mr. Bartlett is a gentleman of conceded ability, and ranks high in his profession. He never held any public oflSce before coming to the Legislature, but discharged 142 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. his duties in that body in a manner which showed him eminently capable of higher and more important dis- tinction. He made several speeches during the session, which were considered masterly efforts — especially that in favor of the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad bill — and made him friends even among his political op- ponents. TRACY BEADLE. Mr. Beadle is a native of the town of Otsego, Otsego county, N. Y., and is fifty years of age. His paternal ancestors were residents of the State of Connecticut, and, his mother's family came from Massachusetts. Being wholly a self-made man, his education was confined princi- pally to the common schools of his native place. Subse- quently he was employed in the mercantile business, and was for many years an industrious and successful merchant in Cooperstown, in his native county. He afterwards removed to Elmira, Chemung county, where he is now an established and successful banker. Like all self made men in this country, he is one of the most reliable and influential persons in that section of the State, and by his industry, economy, and indomitable perseverance, has amassed a large fortune. In politics, he was originally a Whig, and was elected to the Assembly as the Union Republican can- didate over a straight Democratic opponent. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 143 CHARLES D. BENEDICT, Me. BE^fEDlCT was one of the most intelligent and active, though perhaps not one of the most influential members of the House in 1862. He was generally con- sidered one of the "right bowers " of Speaker Raymond, to whose nod he was always obedient, and although not objectionable himself, was rendered unpopular by the contact, among the enemies of the Speaker. Jfeverthe- less, he is a gentleman of very much more than ordi- nary legislative skill and ability, and was always straight- forward, independent, and faithful in the discharge of every duty devolving upon him. Mr. Benedict is a native of Newburgh, Orange county, N". Y., and is thirty -nine years of age. His father's family lived in Vermont, and his mother's in Massachu- setts. He was originally a Whig, and was elected to the Assembly as the Union candidate over a straight Republican and an out-and-out Democratic opponent. He is a gentleman of fine social qualities, and stands well in the community in which he resides. He is a lawyer of some force, and occupies a creditable position at the bar in the city of Brooklyn. 144 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. LEROY E. BOWE. The legislative career of this gentleman was neither brilliant nor attractive. Wholly unaccustomed to public life he was but little adapted to the duties devolving upon him. He is the living illustration of the remark of a noted English celebrity, that " no man can be a good lawyer and a good statesman." His position at the bar is prominent and influential in the section of the State where he resides, and he is said to be in the enjoy- ment of a lucrative practice. Mr. Bowe is a native of the town of Hartwick, Otsego county, N. Y., and is forty-two years of age. His fathei-'s family were from Connecticut, and his mother's from Rhode Island. He was originally a Democrat, but joined the late Union movement at the breaking out of the rebellion, and was chosen by that party a member of the Assembly. The habits of industry acquired in his profession were brought with him to the discharge of his public duties at Albany, but he was simply a worker — never a talker. BENJAMIN E. BOWEN. Dr. Bowbn was born on the 15th of January, 1801, in the town of Coventry, R. I. He is descended from Richard and Ann Bowen, who emigrated from Wales about the year 1640, and settled in Rehoboth, Mass., BI06EAPHICAL SEETGHES. l4S naming it Swansea, after the place tJaey had left in Wales. They brought with them seven children. Their second son Obadiah, married Mary Clifton, of R. I., about the twentieth year of his age, and had thirteen childrenj; the eldest of whom, Obadiah, 2d^ when about twenty- seven years of age, married Abigail BuUock. They had ten children. Their fourth son^ Aaron, who was born on the 4th of Novembei', 1691, married Experience Whitaker, in the twenty, seventh year of his age. They had nine children. Their fourth son, Aaron, 2d, was born on the 2d of September, 1730, and, at the age of thirty -two, married Elnathan Gorton, of Warwick, R. I. They had thirteen children— seven sons and six daugh- ters. Their third son, Stephen, was married in the twenty-ninth year of his age, to Rebecca Hill, of North Kingston, R. I., and the subject of this sketch was their first child. They both died in Eastford, Connecticut, — the former on the IVth of August, 1831, in the sixty- seventh year of his age, and the latter, on the 2'7th of September, 1841, in the sixty-ninth year of her age. Pardon and William Bowen, who were distant rela- tives, were both distinguished physicians, at Providence, in the early part of the present century. The Hon. Jabez Bowen, LL. D., who was Lieutenant-Governor of R. I., and Chancellor of Brown University, was the eldest son of Dr. Ephraim Bowen, and the fifth in de- scent from Richard and Ann, from whom Prof. Francis Bowen was also descended, as were doubtless all the Bowens in the Northern States. Dr. Bowen received a common school education, and, at the age of ; twenty-one, removed with his parents to 13 146 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. "Windham county, Conn. He worked at farming during tte summer, and taught school in the winter for some eight years. During the latter part of this time he, also, studied medicine, and attended one course of lectures at the Berkshire Medical Institute, in the fall of 1827. He came to New York the same year, and located at Holland Patent, Oneida county, in June, 1828, at the same time receiviilg a diploma from the Censors of the Medical Society of that county. He followed the prac- tice of his profession in that place, some seven years, and then removed into Mexico, Oswego county, where he now resides. He held the oflSce of President of the Oswego County Medical Society in 1837, and again in 1851, and in 1846 became a prominent member of the State Medical Society, upon whose recommendation he received the degree of M. D. from the Regents of the University of the state in 1832. He was Postmaster at Holland Patent under Jackson's administration, and at Mexico under President Polk, besides having held several unimportant town offices at both places. He has always been a Democrat of the old school, but was among the first to join the late Union movement, and was chosen to the Assembly by a flattering vote, over a Democratic and Republican opponent. He has been quiet and unpretending in the House, but straight- forward and creditable, and his speech on the Metro- politan Health bill, which passed the House, but was defeated in the Senate, was alike honorable to his head and his heart. Dr. Bowen was married to Miss Julia Haskin, of Pittstown, Rensselaer county, on the 14th of May, 1829, BIOGEAPHICAL SKBTCHBS. 147 and has had but one child, Frances, who was born at Holland Patent on the 1st of January, 1833, and who was married on the 3d of May, 1853, to George G. French, the present District Attorney of Oswego county. DANIEL B. BRYAN. Me. Bryan is a native of Ovid, Seneca county, N. Y., and is fifty years of age. He is of English, Dutch, French and Irish descent. His father, George Bryan, died on the 11th of August, 1853, at the age of seventy-seven, and his mother, whose maiden name was Jane Covert, is still living at the age of seventy-seven. Mr. Bryan was educated in a common district school, and was reared a farmer. He has held the ofBce of Postmaster some thirteen years at Sonora, Steuben county, where he now resides, and was a member of the House in 1861, where he was prominently known as a leading member of the Committee on Militia and Pub- lic Defence. He belongs to the Radical wing of the Republican party, having originally been a Free Soil Democrat, and was returned to the Assembly as a straight Republican candidate, by a very largely increased majority, although his opponent was one of the most popular Democrats in his district. He is a plain, sub- stantial farmer of good business capacity, and although quiet and unpretending in whatever he does, has shown himself to be amply qualified for a representative posi- 148 BTOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. tion. His position in the community where he resides is prominent and influential^ and he wields a strong personal strength wherever he is known. His constitu- ents could not do better than to send him to the Legisla- ture again. Mr. Bryan was married in 1838, to Miss Elizabeth B. HaUett, and attends the Methodist Episcopal Church. JAMES H. BURR. Mr. Burr was a member of the Assembly in 1861, and although a quiet man, wielded a strong influence in the deliberations of that body. He was a member of the Com- mittee on Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties, and did more than any other man in the House, perhaps, to secure the success of Judge Harris as a candidate for United States Senator. Mr. Burr is a native of Gloversville, Fulton county, N. Y. He was born on the 9th of May, 1816. He is descended from Puritan stock. Both his parents and maternal grand- parents came from Connecticut. His father, James Burr, who was a relative of Aaron Burr, died on the 28th of September, 1853, at the age of seventy-four ; and his mother, whose maiden name was Amarillis Mills, died on the 2Vth of February, 1856, at the age of^ seventy-three. He received a common school and academical education. EIOGBAPHICAl SKETCHES. 149 and was brought up to the manufacture of buckskin mit- tens and gloves, and the dressing of deer skin, which has always since been his chief occupation. At the commence- ment of the business, some years ago, it amounted to only a few hundred dollars, but it now reaches the sum of a half million of dollars a year, at Gloversville alone, where he still resides. He never held any prominent public position until his election to the Legislature, but has always been found honest and straight-forward in the discharge of every duty devolving upon him. He now holds the position of United States Collector in the Eighteenth Congressional District. Mr. Burr was married on the 29th of September, 1841, to Miss Azuba Warner, of Troy, and belongs to the Baptist Church. JAMES W. BUSH. Mr. Bush has died since the adjournment of the Legislature. He was one of the most quiet, though influential men in the House, and has left behind him an extensive circle of warm personal and political friends. He never aspired to political distinction, although fre- quently honored with distinguished marks of public confidence, and has been strictly a business man through life. Mr. Bush was a native of the town of Ramapo, Rock- land county, N. Y., and was fifty-six years of age. He was, at the time of his death, an extensive coal merchant *13 150 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. in the city of New York. Politically, he was thorough- ly Democratic in all his views and feelings, and waa elected to the Assembly, by a large majority, as the representative of that party in the district. His con- servatism always arrayed him on the side of com- promise in our national diflBculties, and he lived just long enough to witness the beginning of those national disasters which he always foretold would be the result of a growing opposition to political concession. The panorama of events, predicted by him are now passing rapidly before us — the broken sword ; the war steed, without his rider ; falling columns and crumbhng mon- uments ; prostrate commerce ahd a bankrupt treasury ; weeping widows and fatherless children. JOHN CALLAHAN. Mr. Callahan is the present Postmaster of the Assembly — a position to which he was appointed 'by the present Speaker, Mr. Callicot, without any solici- tation on his part whatever. He was a member of the House in 1861, where he bore an active part, and served with credit as a member of the Committee on Trade and Manufactures. He is always quiet and unassuming in the discharge of his public duties, though is nevertheless quite distinguished for his promptness and efficiency. Mr. Callahan was born in the city of Cork, Ireland, in 1836, and is descended from unmixed Irish stock. BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 151 He came to the United States in 1843, and took up his residence in the city of New York, where he still re- sides. He received a good business education, and has usually followed the occupation of a plumber. Politi- cally, he has always been a staunch Democrat of the national conservative stamp, but although always active- ly engaged in politics, never occupied any very promi- nent official position until his election to the Legisla- ture. In social life, he is well liked and popular, and makes friends wherever he goes. JOHN A. CASE. Mb. Case was born in the town of Lima, Livingston county, N". T., in 1820. His paternal ancestors came from England. His paternal grandfather served two years in the American army during the Revolution, and had quite an eventful career as a soldier. He was taken prisoner ; carried to England and remained a prisoner until the close of the war — a period of two years, when he was taken over to France and released. He worked his passage home. He took up his residence in Lima, Livingston county, and was one of the first white set- tlers of that locality. He remained there until he died at the advanced age of eighty-nine. The father of Mr. Case was Henry Case. His mother's maiden name was Fanny Burohard. The former died in the year 1831, the latter in 1820. Mr. Case was educated at the academy in Palmyra, Wayne county, N. T., and entered upon the business of 152 BIOGEAPHICAX SKETCHES. farming. In the year 1855 te returned to Erie county, where he now resides. He has a taste for military affairs ; was formerly a captain of a Cavalry Company in the 6lth Regiment N. Y. S. M., and was, in 1862, Major of that Regiment. He has also been a Commis- sioner of the Erie County penitentiary. In politics he was formerly a Whig and now a Republican. He has held the office of Supervisor. Mr. Case was married in 1840 to Christina M., daugh- ter of Capt. Thomas Peck of Lima, Livingston county, and attends the Congregational church. NOAH A. CHILDS. Me. Childs was a member of the Assembly in 1858, and again in 1859. During the former year he was Chairman of the Committee on Roads and Bridges, and during the latter a member of the Insurance Committee. Although quiet and unassuming in the discharge of his duties, he was energetic and industrious, and ranked prominently among the more useful and substantial men of the House. Mr. Childs is a native of Bakersville, Fairfield county, Vermont, where he was born in December, 1810. He is of English descent, and his father was a native of Massachusetts. Colonel Childs, who bore such a gal- lant and conspicuous part in the Mexican war, is a re- lative of his, as are also Daniel Lee Childs, of Boston, and Marcus Childs, of Canada West, who was for BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 153 several years a prominent member of Parliament before the revolution of 1838. Thomas ChUds, who was a mem- ber of Congress in 1835, is also one of his brothers. Mr. Childs was brought up in a dense, uncultivated forest, and received scarcely any educational advantages. At the age of twenty-three he passed a short time in Boston, after which he married Miss Lucia A. Fuller, and removed to the city of New York, where he has since been an active and successful business man, having , amassed a handsome property. His election to the House was his first prominent appearance in the political arena, but he has exhibited qualities as a representative which secure him the credit of far more legislative experience. Politically, he has always been a conserva- tive Democrat, and, although not a boisterous politician, is always faithful and diligent in the discharge of all his party trusts and obligations. He attends the Con- gregational Church, and is one of the most generous and benevolent men in the community in which he resides, always giving lavishly of his means to the support of benevolent and religious objects. DAVID S. CODDINGTON. This was Mr. Coddington's first appeai'ance in a public ofiicial position, and he came to Albany as a straight Democrat from the most aristocratic Fifth-Avenue atmos- phere in the Metropolitan city. He is naturally a Demo- crat, of bold and self-reliant character; which gives him 154 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. progressive rather than conservative proclivities, and has always, from the outstart of his life, rendered him the staunch advocate of the principles and policy of that party. Still, he is no politician in the modern acceptation of the term, but belongs to that purer class of men upon whom the country must now rely for safety in this hour of her greatest peril. He sustained a prominent and influential part in the great Union demonstration, at Union Square, after the fall of Fort Sumter, and has been heard, through his addresses to the people, on several other great public occasions. Mr. Coddington belongs to one of the oldest and most respectable families in the citj' of New York. He is a son of the late Jonathan J. Coddington, a gentleman of high standing and influence wherever he was known, and is about thirty-six years of age. His education is liberal and finished. He was bred a lawyer, but although always taking a very deep interest in public afi'airs, has been induced, by his independence of means and the delicacy of his constitution, to live, thus far, an easy, luxurious, and literary life. As a Speaker, Mr. Coddington is pleasant and ele- gant, rounding his periods with a degree of beauty and grace rarely excelled, and is always choice, clas- sical, and not unfrequently humorous in his style of thought and expression. He speaks only occasion- ally, but always to the point, and his logic seldom lacks the reach of the rifled cannon, which annihilates while it silences the batteries of his opponents. His maiden speech in the House, exposing the folly and madness of the " on to Richmond " cry, created a greater sensation, perhaps, than any delivered in the BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 155 Capitol for years, and will forever remain an enduring monument to his fame, and an example, worthy of all imitation, of the sacrifice of pride to principle, of self to country, and of party to patriotism. He was again rendered conspicuous near the close of the session by his efforts to reform the corrupt and bogus primary election system of the city of New York, and through boxes established at the polls give all the citizens a chance to choose their own nominating conventions. He fought, unaided and alone, upon the floor of the House, the entire delegation from New York, save two, on this measure, and so strong was he in his influence over members, that, although the enacting clause of the bill was stricken out, on one occasion, during his absence, he poured forth upon the whole phalanx of its opponents such vigorous and effective blows that it was restored, and the bill ordered to a third reading by a vote of fifty-seven to twenty-six. WILLIAM J. COEY. Mr. Coet was born in tbe city of New York, in 1827, and was one of the youngest men in the House. He is descended from pure Irish stock, his parents who came to this country in 1821, having both been natives of Ireland. His father, whose name was also William J. Coey, died in 1860, at the age of sixty-two, and his mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Jane 156 BIOGEAPHICAIi SKETCHES. Carlisle, is still living. After coming to this country,- his parents were always residents of the city of New York. Mr. Coey was educated in the ordinary day-schools of his native city, and has always been chiefly engaged as an accountant or book-keeper. He has always been a staunch, live Democrat, of the National Conservative school, with an unrelenting aversion to the nigger question in any form, and never held a political office before coming to the Assembly. He was one of the quiet men of the House, but showed himself a kind, clever and agreeable gentleman. ISAAC COLES. Me. Coles is a native of Glencove, Long Island. He was born on the 'Zth of January, 1817, and was forty- five years of age the day on which the Legislature was organized. His father, Thomas Coles, who died in 1858, at the age of seventy-seven, was of Welch and Turkish descent, and his mother, whose maiden name was Amelia Hewlett, is of English descent. His mater- nal ancestors left England at the restoration of Charles II., and arriving in America settled on Long Island. Mr. Coles received a common English education, but never attended school after he was sixteen years of age. He was clerk in a store in the city of New York from 1834 till 1841, when he returned to Long Island. Shortly afterwards he went into the mercantile trade BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 157 for himself in his native place, and continued so en- gaged till about two years ago, when he retired from business. He was formerly a Henry Clay Whig and was elected to the Assembly as a Union Republican, although having since, generally, acted with the Demo- cratic party. He made a good representative, and in- troduced into the Legislature the resolutions awarding Captain John D, Worden a magnificent sword for his gallant conduct as commander of the Monitor at the time of her celebrated engagement with the Merrimac, in Hampton Roads. Mr. Coles was married in ] 845 to Miss Mary Willets, and belongs to the Society of Friends, in which he and his wife were brought up. ALMERIN J. CORNELL. Mr. Cornell was born in the town of Berne, Albany coimty, N". Y., on the 24th of November, 1811. His ancestors were of English origin, and some of them were distinguished as American soldiers during the struggle for our National Independence, his paternal grand- father serving as an officer under General Sullivan. His father, Abraham Cornell, died in Schoharie county, in November, 1851, at the age of sixty-four, and his mother, whose maiden name was Lydia Mott, is still living at the age of seventy-three. Mr. Cornell was brought up on a farm, and early ac- customed himself to its labors. Having received a com- 14 158 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. mon English education he quietly settled down to the life of a farmer, and has successfully pursued that occu- pation ever since. In politics, he was formerly a Whig, but since the disorganization of that party, has been a strenuous Republican. He held several town offices be- fore coming to the Assembly, and has always been faith- ful and conscientious in the discharge of his public duties. Mr. Cornell was married on the 12th of December, 1832, to Miss Nancy Almy, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. JONATHAN B. COWLES. Dr. Cowles is a native of Durham, Greene county, N. Y., and is of English and Welch descent. He was born on the 29th of May, 1799, and is next to the oldest man in the House. His father, David Cowles, who was a Revolutionary sire, and a native of Farmington, Con- necticut, died in Greene county, at the age of sixty- eight, and his mother, whose maiden name was Eunice Payne, died at the same place, at the age of sixty-two. Dr. Cowles received an academical education, and has been engaged in the practice of medicine, without any intermission, during the past forty-four years. He re- sided in Delaware county from 1818 until 1842, when he returned to Durham, where he has always since lived. He has held various town offices, the duties of which he always discharged in a creditable and satisfactory BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 159 manner ; and although among the most quiet men in the House, has shown himself a good representative and a safe legislator. In politics, he has always been an un- yielding and consistent Democrat, of the old-fashioned Jackson school, and longs to see the country brought back to the ancient landmarks of the days when the great leaders of that party held the supremacy in the Administration of the Government. Dr. Cowles was married in 1822 to Miss Harriet, daughter of Judge Beers, formerly one of the Judges in Delaware county. He usually attends the Presbyte- rian and Dutch Reformed Churches, to the latter of which he belongs. NICHOLAS E. DARROW. Me. Daeeow was born in the town of Chatham, Colum- bia county, N. Y., in 1808. His parentage is of English and Irish origin. His grandfather, on his mother's side, was a soldier of the Eevolution. His father, John Darrow, also served in the struggle for our independence. He helped make the chain that was stretched across the Hudson Kiver in the year 1118, in order to stop British vessels from ascending above that point. He died in Chatham, Columbia county, in 1813, with the prevailing epidemic of that year, at the age of fifty-eight. Mr. Darrow's mother, whose maiden name was Eunice Eggleston, died at Claren- don, Orleans county, in 1860, at the age of eighty-two. In 1813, Mr. Darrow, with his mother and the other mem- 160 BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. bers of the family, removed to what was then a part of Genesee county, in this State. The part to which they removed was almost a wilderness. From the age of five years up till near his maiority, he helped to clear the dense forest around his home. Most of his education was obtained in a log school house near his mother's residence. Desiring to become a merchant, he attended 3n Academy for the space of one year. He began life as a country merchant. He failed in business, however, in 1833, since which time he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits. Mr. Darrow has always been a Democrat in politics! He supported the Union movement in 1861, and was elected on a Union ticket to the Assembly. He has been Supervisor of the town in which he resides several times, and has held several other town offices. He was Superintendent of Canal repairs during the years 1846 and '47. He has also held the office of Colonel of the 25th Eegiment, N. Y. S. M. Mr. Darrow was married in the year 1830, to Miss Sarah A. Sweet, and attends the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches. EMRY DAVIS. This gentlem.an, in his own estimation, was one of the most brilliant stars in 1862, in the legislative galaxy of the State. It is folly, however, to attempt to disguise the fact, that he is as verdant as a child who believes that the fairies in a pantomime are fairies forever and BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 161 ever, and that the harlequin is born in patches and masks. Indeed, he impressed most of his legislative associates during last winter as nothing more nor less than a blun- dering countrified ignoramus. He labored zealously to ' distinguish himself as an independent man, but in his simple efforts to do so, exhibited nothing more than downright mulishness. Independence of character without wisdom enough to be consistent is simply stubbornness. This has been his case as well in legisla- tion as in politics and the activities of private life. Originally a Whig, he soon became an American, then a Republican, and now a modern Unionist. At the out- set of his private career he aspired to be a lawyer, but he has since been dividing his time in equal proportions between pettifogging, merchandising, lumbering, farm- ing, and speculating. The legislative career of Mr. Davis has been equally vascillating and undecided. He has been on all sides of all questions, and has been wafted about like a feather in the breeze by the various influences peculiar to the capitol of the State. Sometimes it has been so difficult for him to determine which side of a question he was really on that he dodged it entirely by absenting himself. This was the embarrassing position in which he found himself on the Susquehanna Railroad bill and the Metro- politan Health bill — two of the most important mear sures of the session. His only excuse is his unconscious simplicity, for he is as open to flattery as a school girl who distributes the contents of her hamper among a circle of toadies. *14 162 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. JOHN C. DAVIS. Mr. Davis was born at Riverhead, Suffolk county, N. y., on the 29tli of July, 1813. His family is of English origin. His paternal grandfather was a soldier in the American army, during the Revolution, and was present at the surrender of Burgoyne, and also at that of Cornwallis. His father, Chapman Davis, died at the age of fifty-nine. His mother, whose maiden name was Polly Wells, died two days after her husband, at the age of fifty-seven. Both were natives of Suffolk county. Mr. Davis, in his early days, attended no other insti- tutions of learning save the common school of his native place. He chose the vocation of a merchant, which he still pursues. He is not an ofiice-seeker, and it was with great reluctance that he accepted the nomination for member of Assembly. It was the first nomination for ofiice that he ever consented to take. He was formerly a Henry Clay Whig; supported Fillmore in 1856, and since then has voted with the Republican party. He was elected on a Union ticket, supported by Republi- cans. As a member of the House he evinced much honesty, reliability and conscientiousness. He took no part in debate, but contented himself with the expres- sion of his views in private circles, and a quiet vote upon questions before the House. Mr. Davis was married on the 10th of December, 1835, to Miss Mary Ann Ferry, and attends the Sweden- borgian Church, of which his wife is a member. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 163 WILLIAM DOYLE. Mr. Dotle was one of the quiet men of the House. His honesty, industry, and uprightness of character rendered him influential among his legislative associates, but he never indulged in speech-making, possessing a supreme dislike for all that class of men who seem to think that the weight of their brains is properly judged by the length of their tongues, and who are constantly thrusting that sometimes useful member of their body corporate out of their mouths to its fullest extent. Mr. Doyle is a native of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and is now thirty-eight-years of age. He is of pure Irish extraction. His education was obtained chiefly in the _ common schools of his native State, and he early deve- loped rather a remarkable degree of mechanical skill and ingenuity. A few years ago he located in Albany, where he has since been industriously engaged in manu- facturing and mechanical pursuits. His political views and feelings have always been strongly- Democratic, and he was elected to the Assembly over a strong Re- publican opponent. He stands high as a private citizen wherever he is known, and enjoys a high degree of personal, as well as political popularity. His district has been well and faithfully represented. 164 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. JOHN B. BUTCHER. This is Mr. Butcher's second term in the Assembly. He was a prominent member of that body in 1861, and then, as in 1862, he was one of the most active and suc- cessful business men in the Legislature. As a member of the Standing Committee on Railroads, he was always found at his post, faithfully discharging his duties, and, save when thus engaged, was seldom, if ever, absent from his seat on the floor of the House. He possesses a degree of personal and political influence that is almost irresistible, and is remarkable for the untiring industry and tenacity with which he pursues whatever he under- takes. This is attested by the fact that he triumphantly carried the bill regulating the price of milk-freight on the Harlem railroad, through the Assembly after it had been defeated in the House — a circumstance almost un- paralleled in point of fact as well as in parliamentary practice. Mr. Dutcher is a native 'of the Harlem valley, and is descended from pure English stock. He was born on the 13th of February, 1830, in Dover, Dutchess county, where he resided on the same farm on which he was born until April, 1861, since which time he has been living in the adjoining town of Pawling. His father, David Dutcher, died on the 9th of June, 1853, at the age of fifty-six, and his mother, whose maiden name was Amy Bowdish, is still living at the age of sixty-two. Mr. Dutcher passed one term at a select school in Litch- field county, Connecticut, but was educated chiefly in the common schools of his native place. He was reared a BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 165 farmer, and has always been actively engaged in the culti- vation of the soil. He held the ofSce of Supervisor in his native place in 1857, and in the following year was chosen a Justice of the Peace, which position, contrary to his wishes, he occupied until his removal from the town. Poli- tically, he was formerly a Whig, and is now a staunch Republican, although among the foremost in the Union movement created by the breaking out of the rebellion. He is one of the most practical and unpretending men in the House. There is no vain show or ostentation whatever in his composition. He is just as nature made him — plain, unassuming, straight-forward and energetic in everything he says or does ; and amid all the cry of corruption his in- tegrity was never impeached or questioned. Dutchess county has sent but few such men to the Legislature, and her good people owe him some more prominent position as a mark of their appreciation of the services he rendered them in that which he here held at their hands. Mr. Dutcher was married on the 22d of May, 1860, to Miss Christina, daughter of Daniel Dodge, of Pawling, Dutchess county. SMITH ELY. Mr. Ely was one of the most gentlemanly members of the Assembly in 1862. He was modest, retiring and diffident to a fault, yet always quite self-possessed. In the House he never took a prominent part, except in 166 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. matters affecting his own district. He labored hard to secure the passage of the bill authorizing the state to sell the Quarantine grounds in Richmond county, and through his advocacy of it required him to encounter all kinds of opposition, he preserved at aU times his dignity and self-respect. Mr. Ely was born in the State of New Jersey, and is now about sixty years of age. His family is of English origin. His father, Moses Ely, died at the age of eighty-two, and his mother, Rebecca Cook, at the age of eighty-nine. He is the uncle of the Hon. Smith Ely, Jr., who represented the Fifth Senatorial District of this state in 1858 and '69. Mr. Ely removed to this state in 1822. He was edu- cated at common schools, with the idea of becoming a farmer. He is now, however, engaged in mercantile and manufacturing pursuits. He was formerly a Whig; is now a Democrat, but is very independent in political matters. He has strong and conservative sentiments, and thinks this war could have been avoided. He has heretofore held the oflSce of Supervisor. The maiden name of the wife of Mr. Ely was Abby B. Bartlett. Mr. Ely is a member of the Unitarian Church, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 167 JOHN FULTON. Mr. Fulton was one of the most prominent and influ- ential members of the House in 1 861 . He served during that session on the Committees on Canals and Public Ex- penditures of the House, and although quiet and unpre- tending in the discharge of his duties, was always found faithful to the trust with which his constituents had clothed him. He was, also, an active member of the Assembly in 1860, when he was likewise a leading mem- ber of the Committee on Canals. His good, sound, practical common sense, together with a capacity for business rarely excelled, always gave his counsels great weight among his legislative associates, and never failed to render him powerful for the success or defeat of any measure that might come before the House for its action. Mr. Fulton was born in the city of Albany, and is forty-eight years of age. He is of pure Irish extraction. He received a good business education, and possesses the knowledge of the experience of a successful career in business. He has long been extensively engaged in the milling business at Waterford, Saratoga county, where he resides, and has been the owner for some time of a line of freight barges on the Canal and Hudson River. He was for many years extensively connected in the manufacture of flour with the late Hon. John House, who was a member of the Assembly in 1821. Although having filled many important town ofiices, he was always strictly a business man, and until he became a member of the Legislature, was never prominently 168 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. known in an official capacity. In politics, he was always a staunch Democrat of the olden school, until the fall of Fort Sumter, when he took ground in support of the late Union movement, and came to the Legislature as one of its representatives. Mr. Fulton's present wife was Miss Ann E., daughter of Captain Samuel Goodspeed, one of the first settlers of Troy, and attends the Episcopal church. R. NELSON GERE. Mk. Gere is one of the most enterprising and suc- cessful business men of central New York. Financial operations are his delight, and he seems to find his highest enjoyment in opening up new avenues to labor and wealth. Mr. Gere is a descendant of a family of the Puritan stock, which emigrated from New London county. Conn., to the Mohawk Valley in this state. He was born in the year 1822 at Amsterdam, Montgomeify county, N. Y. His father, Robert Gere, was quite a pro- minent politician, and for some years was Superintendent of the Onondaga Salt Springs. His mother was Miss Sophia Stanton. Both were living at the time he was a member. When he was five years of age he removed with his parents to Geddes, Onondaga county. Mr. Gere received a thorough academical training at Syracuse under the instruction of Mr. Owen Root, now a Professor in Hamilton College. The choice of studies BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 169 lie pursued was made in view of his becoming a farmer. This vocation he commenced at the age of twenty-one, and pursued for five years. He then relinquished agricultural pursuits and commenced operations as a Canal and Rail road Contractor. In one or more contracts to build or repair a section of canal, or railroad, he has been interested until the present time. He has also been extensively engaged, for eight years past, in the manu- facture of salt, both by solar evaporation and artificial heat, and also in the manufacture of that kind of iron known as " Merchant Bar Iron." He is President of the " Syracuse Iron Works." Politically he was a Whig from the time he began to take part in politics until the decease of that organization, when he became a Repub- lican. He has held several minor political offices ; has been President and Trustee of the village in which he resides, and was Supervisor of his town during the years 1856 and '57. He was for three years Chairman of the Board of Inspectors of the Onondaga Peni- tentiary. Mr. Gere loves, and is a great favorite of, society. He is very popular in the circle in which he moves. In the House he was very influential, though his influence was exerted in a quiet way. He has a watchful eye over the salt interests of his county, and when it was pro- posed, during the session of 1862, to increase the duties on salt, and abolish the ofiice of Inspector of Salt, he met the proposition with an opposition so able and energetic, as most effectually to prevent its adoption. Mr. Gere was married in 1843 to Miss Ward, of Madison county, by whom he has had six children. 15 170 .BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. ■They are all members ' of the Presbyterian Church in Syracuse, of which Rev. Dr. Caniield is Pastor. EZRA P. GOSLIN. Mr. Goslin is a native of Cooperstown, Otsego county, N. Y., and is fifty-two years of age. He is of English and Scotch descent. Both his parents are dead, his father, Joseph Goslin, having died in Erie county, in 1824, at the advanced age of eighty-two, and his mother, at the same place, in 1847, at the age of fifty-two. Mr. Goslin removed, when quite young, with his parents, into Erie countj^, where he still resides. He received a common school education, and has devoted his life chiefly to agricultural pursuits. He has held the office of Justice of the Peace and Loan Commissioner, and brought with him to the discharge of his public duties, the experience and self-reliance of an active busi- ness career. In politics, he was formerly a Whig, and after the repeal of the Missouri Compromise in 1854, became an active member of the Republican party. He has been a strong Union man since the breaking out of the rebellion — in favor of a vigorous prosecution of the war, and was chosen to his present position as a Union Republican. Mr. Goslin was married in 1882 to Miss Betsy Lewis, and attends the Presbyterian church, to the support of which he is a generous contributor. He is a gentleman of fine social qualities ; has a countenance which reminds BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 171 one of having weathered rugged winters, and an eye that is constantly playing as though he were always concocting a practical joke. THOMAS S. GRAY. Mr. Gkat was born in Durham, Greene county, N. Y., in 1814, and is of Scotch descent. At the age of nine years he was left an orphan and thrown upon his own resources, to a very gi-eat extent. From that time, until he reached the age of twenty- one, he served as clerk in the mercantile business, when he removed to the town of Warrensburgh, Warren county, and com- menced the tanning of sole leather, which grew in his hands to be a very large and extensive business. He still continues it, and with such success that he has amassed a very large property, and is now considered one of the wealthiest men in the northern section of the' State. He is a man of great personal popularity and influence, and has represented his county in the Assem- bly in 1856 and in 1862. In politics, he has been uni- formly a Democrat, from principle, and acted with that party until the present calamitous civil war broke out, when his patriotism overrode his partisan feelings, and he avowed his readiness to support the Government of his country at all hazards. In the summer of 1861, when the people demanded a cessation of party strife, and the formation of a Union organization, he entered cordially into the movement ; and in the fall of the same 112 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. year was nominated as a candidate for tlie Assembly, to which he was elected by a sweeping majority. As a legislator Mr. Gray is able, fearless and honest. He is a man of quick apprehension; and as an active business man at home, took naturally and easily to the business of legislation. His-uprightness is a "coat of mail " that effectually baffled lobby agents, who could not, or dare not, therefore, approach him for an evil purpose. He was a Member of the Committee on the Militia and Public Defense, and aided materially in ma- turing bills adapted to the present crisis. In his private relations Mr. Gray has always occupied a high position as a man of stern integrity, and as a kind and benevolent citizen and friend. EDMUND GREEN. Me. Green was horn in the town of Redhook, Dutchess county, N. Y., and is forty-six years of age. His ancestors were residents of Massachusetts. He received a common school education, aad was reared a farmer, which he has always since industriously pursued as his chief occupation. Politically, he is strongly attached to the Repuhlioan faith, and was elected a member of the House by a compli- mentary majority, as the candidate of that party. Like most farmers, he is a man of plain and simple habits, and although not boisterously prominent, discharged his duties faithfully and to the best of his ability. The most distingnish- ing trait of character developed by him during the winter, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. l'?3 was his intense hostility toward Speaker Kaymond, voting against the customary resolutions complimenting him for his impartiality at the end of the session. HENRY D. HALL. Dr. Hall is a native of Herkimer county, N. Y., and is about fifty years of age. His father, Jeremiah Hall, an old Eevolutionary soldier, died some years ago, as did also his mother, whose maiden name was Esther Wiight, and who was a cousin of the late Gov. Wright. His father was from Rhode Island, and his mother from Vermont. Dr. Hall left home when quite young, and went to sea, which he followed some six years. After returning home he was educated as a physician, graduating in 1832, at the University of Vermont, at Burlington. He then traveled some six years, in the United States ; and after practising medicine some six years, at Clinton, Oneida county, removed to North Hempstead, Long Island, where he remained till 1854, when he went to Kansas. He passed through all the trying scenes of the territorial history of that country, and in 1858 returned to Jamaica, Long Island, where he has always since resided. Dr. Hall has always been a staunch Democrat of the olden school. He held the offices of Justice of the Peace and District Attorney in Kansas, having been admitted to the bar as early as 1840, and was elected to the House by a large majority. The members of 1862 will long remem- *15 174 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. ber him for his admirable reply to Mr. Burr on the subject of stuffing birds and preparing skins. His wife, who is now dead, was a sister of Senator Hen- derson, from the First District. WILLIAM A. HALSEY. Mr. Halsey is a native of Blooming Grove, Orange county, N. Y., and is fifty-three years of age. Although quiet and unassuming, never taking any considerable part in the discussions of the House, he ranked high among its most useful members, and was always found straightforward and indefatigable in the discharge of his duties. He has long sustained the position of a leading man in Cayuga' county, where he is successfully engaged in farming, and was one of the best representatives his District sent to Albany for many years. Like most Whigs of the Seward, or Woolly-head school, he is now a Republican of the strictest sect, and was elected to the Assembly by a majority of six hundred, and upwards, over a respectable Democratic opponent. Endowed by nature with social qualities of a high order, he makes friends wherever he goes, and was well liked by his legislative associates of all parties. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 175 NEWBERRY D. HALSTED. Mr. Halsted is dead. During the latter part of the session his seat has been vacant and will know hira no more forever. Almost in the very mid-day of his manhood — in the very midst of his usefulness, he has descended to his grave. Like the greatest of the Homeric heroes, whom Providence " doomed to early death," so, too, he was cut off in the very vigor of manhood. His sun of life has set forever. It fell from its meridian splendor. No twilight obscured its setting. Mr. Halsted was born at Rye, Westchester county, N. Y., on the 26th of September, 1813. His grandfather, Ezekiel Halsted, who was a native of New Rochelle, in that county, removed to Rye, in 1*746, of which pjace Philemon Halsted, the father of the subject of this sketch, was also a native. His mother, Deborah Daven- port, was born at New Rochelle, and died at Rye on the 1st of July, 1845, at the age of fifty-seven. His father died at the same place on the 16th of May, 1857, at the age of seventy-eight. Mr. Halsted received an academical education, and was always successfully engaged in farming. He was politically, an old-fashioned Democrat of the Jackson school, but never cared to abandon the quiet pursuits of the farm for the more exciting scenes of a political life. With the exception, therefore, of the office of Supervisor, which he filled during the years 1851, '52 and '53, he never held any prominent public position until his election to the seat he occupied in the House 176 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. at the time of his death. In the discharge of his puh- lic duties, he was always found faithful and conscientious ; and the innumerable social gifts and virtues with which he was blessed, will always impress his memory indeli- bly upon the minds of those who knew him in private life. As a husband, father and friend, he never will be forgotten. " His virtue is treasured in our hearts ; his death in our despair." ALVm 0. HAUSE. Mr. Hause has proven himself one of the most useful and reliable men that Schuyler county has sent to the Legislature since its formation as a county. He is descended from a long line of English ancestry on his paternal side, and has inherited just enough of German blood on his maternal side, to make him one of the most quiet and substantial men in the House. He is a native of the town of Wayne, Steuben county, N. Y., where he was born on the 15th of December, 1814, and like most men reared in a new country has lived the Ufe of a frugal, industrious and successful man. His father, Joseph Hause, who was a native of Orange county, died in 1838, at the age of fifty-one, and his mother, who was a Miss Rogers from Putnam county, died in 1847, at the age of sixty-three. Mr. Hause received a common school education, and was bred a farmei-, which has always been his chief BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 177 occupation. He held the office of Supervisor in 1852, before the organization of Schuyler county, and has occupied the same position, during the past two years, in the town where he resides. Unlike most public men he has never sought office, and has never met with any opposition when once a candidate. He has always been a firm and unyielding Democrat of the Douglas school, and was chosen to his present position by a combination of the friends of the Union belonging to all parties. Mr. Hause was married on the 28th of October, 1841, to Miss Peroes F. Noble, who is a native of Enfield, Conn. He is a member of the Baptist Church, and is a gentleman of high standing in the community where he resides. GEORGE W. HAZLETON. Mr. Hazleton was born in the town of Fowler, St. Lawrence county, N. Y., on the 8th of December, 1816, and is now forty six years of age. His father was a native of Vermont, and his mother was born in Ireland. They emigrated to St. Lawrence county in 1813, and settled upon 'a farm which Mr. Hazleton cultivated, in connection with a saw-mill and brick-yard, to which he soon thereafter added a store. The boyhood of the subject of this sketch was spent at labor, in the various occupations which engaged his father's attention, while, at intervals, he attended the district school. 178 BIOGRAPHHICAL SKETCHES. and, at a later day, the Academy. These advantages, with his reading at home, enabled him to procure a substantial education, and, to engage in the task of teaching. In 1835, then in his nineteenth year, young Hazleton was appointed paymaster of the 24th Regiment, N. Y.. S. M., and in the course of a few years he was successively elevated to the positions of Quartermaster, Adjutant, and Lieut.-Colonel. In 1838 he engaged as an agent of the Mis- sissippi Land Company, for the purpose of exploring lands on the Mississippi river, and to report thereon. He tra- versed the country from Green Bay, a distance of five hundred miles, most of the v/ay in a bark canoe, and passed two hundred miles beyond any white settlement. After an absence of seven months he returned, having fully accom- plished the purpose of his mission. In the fall of 1845 Mr. Hazleton removed to Black River, Jefferson county. The following spring he was elected Justice of the Peace by the Democratic party. He also held the office of Supervisor and Postmaster several years. At the breaking out of the rebellion he joined the Union movement, and in the fall of 1861 was nominated and elected Member of the Assembly, by a majority of seven hundred and fifty, against a Democratic competitor. His legislative course was not marked with brilliancy, but was stamped with usefulness. He is a man of sound judgment, and of great business capacity. Mr. Hazleton was married in 1839 to Miss Almira Cole, of Fowler, St. Lawrence county. He attends the Univer- salist church. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 179 DANIEL R. HUDSON. Mr. Hudson is a descendant, in a straight line, of the distinguished navigator who first sailed mp the noble river which bears his name. He was born in Blooming Grove, Orange county, N. Y., on the 20th of February, 1825. His paternal ancestors were natives of Long Island. The family of his mother, Sarah Reeve, came from New Jersey. His father, Jonathan Hudson, died in 1857, at the age of sixty-three, and his mother in 1833, at the age of thirty-seven. Mr. Hudson received a fair common school education, and commenced life as a farmer, which avocation he followed until a few years since, when he united to his agricultural pursuits that of a merchant. He followed the latter two years in Sussex county, New Jersey, where he held the ofiice of Postmaster. He has held several minor offices in his native town. Mr. Hudson commenced political life as a Democrat. When the question of slavery divided that party, he sided with the Freesoil wing, and on the organization of the Republican party, his strong anti-slavery senti- ments naturally led him to join it. He was elected to the Assembly on a Union ticket, by a handsome ma- jority. He is not an office-seeker, and is much more of a business man than a politician. He has a full, round, well-developed frame, indicative of good health and a cheerful disposition. Mr. Hudson was married in 1853 to Elizabeth J. Davis, and is a member of the Independent Congrega- tion of Blooming Grove. 180 BTOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. CALVIN T. HULBURD. The lower branch of the Legislature of 1862, is allowed to have been the ablest body of legislators, taken in the aggregate, that has assembled in the Capitol since the days of Bradish, Granger, Fillmore, Hoifman, and others, who shone as stars in the political firmament. Conspicuous in this body was Mr. Hulburd, who, by his ability and power as a debater, exercised a potent influence over its deliberations. He is a man of high intellectual attainments, strong common sense and excel- lent judgment. His opinions had great weight in the House, and he was looked upon by his fellow-members as one whose suggestions, on matters of moment, could generally be adopted with safety. As we have said, this Legislature was of marked character and ability ; and if, associated with such men as Raymond, Stetson, Pierce, Alvord, Ogden, Phelps, and Coddington, he could attract a good degree of public notice, it was because of his eminent ability, statesmanlike views, and honest devotion to the public good. Mr. Hulburd was born in 1809, in Stockholm, St. Lawrence county, N. Y., and is now in the fifty-fourth year of his age. His parents were natives of the State of Vermont. His father, Ebenezer Hulburd, died in 1857; and his mother, Lucy Hulburd, in 1850. After pursuing a regular course of academical studies, he en- tered Middlebury College, Vermont, and graduated with honor. Having determined upon the profession of law for his futurff occupation, he entered the office of Hon. Abraham Van Vechten, of Albany, where he remained BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 181 one year. He also read law one year with Isaac McConihie, Esq., of Troy, and finished his preparatory course at the Law School of Yale College. Instead, however, of engaging in the practical duties of the pro- fession for which he had so studiously prepared himself, he suddenly changed his purpose and engaged in mer- cantile pursuits. This business, however, did not exact- ly suit him, and, after a brief experience, he relinquished it for the more genial occupation of farming, which has since engaged his attention. In politics Mr. Hulburd was a Democrat, and he adhered to the Democratic party until the slavery, or free soil, ques- tion divided it into two sections — the Hunker and Barn- burner. With the distinguished statesman of his own county, the late lamented Hon. Silas Wright, he took sides with the latter, and continued steadfastly in its support until it was merged, partially, at least, in the Eepublican move- ment of 1854. Since that time he has been an active and ardent Republican ; was a strenuous supporter of Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency; and earnestly sustains the Na- tional Administration in its war policy. Mr. Hulburd was a member of the Assembly in the years 1842, '43, and '44. Taking a deep interest in the subject of education, he advocated the establishment of the State Normal School, and was delegated by the Legislature to visit Massachusetts, and examine the system adopted in that State. His report on the subject was a very able document, and its effect on the Legislature was apparent in the passage of the State Normal School bill, in both branches, without a dissenting vote. He was associated in the Assembly of 1842 with such men as Gov. Seymour, John A.Dix, Michael 16 182 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Hoffman, and George R. Davis, among whom lie occupied a prominent position. In the fall of 1861 he was elected a member of the Assembly on the Union ticket; and here, again, as we have said, he greatly distinguished himself His speech on the proposed issue, by the U. S. Government, of legal ten- der notes, was a powerful effort, and stamped his character as a statesman of no ordinary merit. His speech on the defense of the northern frontier was also a masterly produc- tion. At the fall election in 1862 he was elected a member of congress, from the Seventeenth Congressional District. Mr. Hulburd is a tall, commanding figure, dark piercing eyes, black hair intermixed with gray, and has a pleasant, intellectual countenance. He was married in 1842 to Miss Jane Isabella Butterfield, of Saclcett's Harbor, and is a member of the Presbyterian Church. WILLARD JOHNSON. Mr. Johnson is a native of the town of Volney, Oswego county, N. Y., where he was born on the 16th of May, 1820. His parents, Lovwell Johnson and Mary Johnson Rawson, both died in Oswego county, where he still resides. He received a limited English educa- tion, and has passed most of his life as a contractor and shipping merchant. In 1851 he went into copartnership with William Baldwin, who was a member of the As- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 183 sembly in 1858, under the firm name of Baldwin & Johnson, and has since then been extensively engaged in fulfilling contracts on the canals and for the General Government. He is strictly a thorough-going business man, never having held any public office, vs^ith the exception of that of Supervisor, until his election to the House, and was one of the most kind, clever, agreeable and popular men in the Legislature. Mr. Johnson has always been a Democrat of the most conservative character. As a candidate for the Assem- bly, however, he exercised a strong influence outside of his own party, and was elected by a handsome majority in what was previously a strong Republican district. Neither was his influence as a member of the House circumscribed by party lines, but the weight of his personal strength seldom failed to break down all mere party considerations. Like all truly good and reliable men, he was always too modest to attempt what he could not accomplish, and has never failed to succeed in whatever he has seriously undertaken. EDWARD JONES. Me. Jones is a brother of Jay Jarvis Jones who was one of the most popular and pleasant young men in the House of 1861. He is a native of Roxbury, Massachu- setts, and is thirty-seven-years of age. He is descended from pure Anglo-Saxon stock, his parents, who are still 184 BlOGEAPHICAl SKBTCHBS. living, tracing their ancestry as far back as the third generation in this country. Some of his ancestors were quite prominent in the war of the Revolution ; and his father, Edmund Jones, who was a private in the war of 1812, was held as a prisoner on three diiferent British frigates, and was confined in prison some eight months in England. Mr. Jones received a good business education, and has been one of the most active and successful business young men in the city of New York, where he resides. His perseverance and industry, coupled with an abun- dance of social qualities of the highest order, qualifies him well for success in anything he may undertake, and are doubtless destined, with proper care and attention, to render him a man of great usefulness and distinction in life. Although never having held any prominent, official place before his election to the House, he is well adapted for a representative position, and has been dili- gent and faithful in the discharge of every duty devolv- ing upon him. His politics have always been of the pure, unadulterated Democratic stamp, and he is one of the most faithful and consistent workers in his party in the Metropolitan City. He regards the war as one vast humbug^ gotten up by broken-down politicians, and insane fanatics, and looks upon the country as hopeless- ly lost unless the consepvative men speedily rise up iu their might and rescue it from its peril. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 185 WM. J. C. KENNY. Mr. Kenny was born of Irish parentage, in the city of New York, and is put down at twenty-six years of age. He was educated in the State of Maryland, and graduated with becoming honors. After leaving college he studied medicine under Prof. Whittaker, but declining in health, soon sought more active employment, and was, by the influence of strong political friends, attached to the New York post-office, under I^aac V. Fowler. He was a mem- ber of the Assembly in 1861, and deported himself in such a manner that he was unanimously renominated and elected by a plurality of nearly two hundred, although several strong candidates had entered the field against him. In his social relations Mr. Kenny is gentlemanly and urbane, and never wounds the sensibilities of any one by any unguarded expressions. He was a very active mem- ber of the House, and represents the interests of his consti- tuents with a diligence and faithfulness deserving of all commendation. He is still single, and belongs to the Catholic Church, though he never interferes with the secta- rian principles of others, possessing a liberal and an enlight- ened mind, and being truly a rising young man. 40 186 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. RICHARD J. LALOR. Mr. Laloe is a native of the " Emerald Isle," having first seen the light in Cascade, Kilkenny county, Ireland, about thirty-four years ago. He is a well-educated gentleman, has figured a good deal as an Editor, and is a strong and polished writer. He was, in reality, the chief editor of the Irish N^ev;s, of which Thomas Francis Meagher was the ostensible Editor and Proprietor. Like many of his coun- trymen, he feels a deep interest in the success of our free insti- tutions, and sympathises with the Government in its eflforts to snstain them against the assaults of rebels in arms. He is now attached to the Irish Brigade, as its' Sutler. Mr. Lalor was a quiet, but industrious member, and well represented his constituents in the Assembly. He did not participate in debate, but he effected more substantial good by his energy and activity in advancing the business of legislation, than he could have done by making speeches, had he possessed the disposition, or ability, to indulge in so fruitless a pastime. He was a man of work, and went along with his duties in the House in a business-like man- ner, leaving nothing undone that tended to promote the interests of his immediate constituents, or benefit the peo- ple of the State. He was a member from the second district of Kings county, was elected as a Union Democrat over three Demo- cratic opponents, and resides in Brooklyn. Of his family, and habits, no data has been furnished, and consequently nothing can be said. The good people of Brooklyn, how- ever, had full confidence in his honesty and integrity, and thence the inference may be drawn that he was every way worthy of the station to which they elected him. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 187 WILLIAM LAMONT. The personal appearance of Dr^ Lamont is fine and pleasing. He is rather above the average size ; is well proportioned in build ; has full, round, rosy, genial face, and dark hair and whiskers, with a sufficient sprink- ling of gray to give to his appearance an air of dignity and venerableness. Dr. Lamont is a native of Ch-arlotteville, Schoharie county, N. Y., in which place he was born in the year 1812. He is of French and Lish extraction, on his father's side, and English on his mother's. His father, William Lamont, born in Columbia county, N. Y., was an officer in the Revolutionary war, and two of his brothers held military commissions and served in the war of 1812. He was educated at an Academy in Jef- ferson, Schoharie county. After a course of study he entered upon the practice of physic and surgery, in which he achieved marked success. Dr. Lamont is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, for the interest of which he has been a faithful laborer. He was one of the founders of the New York Conference Seminary and Collegiate Institute at Char- lotteville, and much of the success of that flourishing school is owing to his persistent and Avell-directed effijrts in its behalf. Indeed, he has had much of the oversight and management of that institution since its organiza- tion. In all matters which he makes a specialty he occupies the front rank — at least, in his own locality. He stands high as a physician, and in 1862 was Presi- dent of the Medical Society of Schoharie county. 188 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Dr. Lament, ever since he has been in political life, has been a firm and consistent member of the Demo- cratic party. He has been several times a member of the Board of Supervisors of his county, and during two terms was chairman of that body. He was married in 1833 to Miss Anna Vrooman. BENJAMIN L. LUDINGTON. Mr. Ludington is of Welch and Irish extraction on his father's side, and German on his mother's. He is one of eight brothers, seven of whom are living, the oflfspring of Harley R. and Mary Ludington, and was born in Fallsburgh, Sullivan county, N. Y., in 1885. His father is a lawyer and farmer, and was Sergeant-at-Arms in the Assembly in 1838. He is still living, as is also his mother. Mr. Ludington was educated in the common school room, and Academy; and after completing his course, worked on the farm in the summer season, and taught school in the winter. He commenced the study of law with his brother, Clinton V. R. Ludington, at Monticello, Sullivan county ; pursued the course with Hon. Lyman Tremain, late Attor- ney-General of the State, and finished at the University at Albany, under Professors Harris, Dean and Parker. On being admitted to practice, he opened an olBce in Monticello, where he still resides. Mr. Ludington was formerly a Whig, in which party he remained until circumstances induced the organization of- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 189 the Republican party. On the consummation of that event, he joined the Republicans, and is an indefatigable and active member of that party. He had never held office until he was elected to the Assembly, on the Union ticket. Mr. Ludington is a young man of excellent ability, with a good deal of energy and enterprise. He is an active and intelligent member, and has the reputation of being indus- trious and persevering, and will undoubtedly make his mark. He has many characteristics of a good legislator, and is of a disposition not to rust out. He is not a married man, but at his age, twenty-eight, there is time enough yet. In religious matters he is an attendant upon the Presby- terian Church. FREDERIC A. LYMAN. Mr. Lyman is a native of the town of Otisco, Onondaga county, N. Y., and was one of the youngest men in the House, having been born on the 3d of September, 1833. His parents were both natives of Hampshire county, Mass., and were of Scotch descent. His father, Thomas Lyman, died in Onondaga county, on the 24th of October, 1850, at the age of sixty-five, and his mother, whose name before marriage was Betsy Clapp, is still living, at the age of seventy. Mr. Lyman was educated at the Onondaga Valley Aca- demy, and passed one term in the Albany Law School, and also one at the State and National Law School at Pough- keepsie. He removed, with his parents, when only two 190 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. years of age, from his native place to the town of Onondaga, where he resided till 1854, since which time he has been a resident of the town of Marcellus. He was admitted to the bar in 1856, and since then has been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession. He was formerly a Repub- lican, until the inauguration of the late Union movement, when he took an active part in the organization of that party and was elected upon that issue to the Assembly, defeating a straight "Republican candidate by fifty majority. He was an honest, faithful, and intelligent member of the House, and has left upon the records of that body a legis- lative career of which his constituents may feel proud. DENNIS McCABE. Me. McCabe was one of the most clever, whole-souled and agreeable geatlem.en in the Legislature of 1862. Although rather prepossessing in his personal appear- ance, there was nothing vain and ostentatious about him. He was perfectly plain, simple and unpretending — never put on airs, and had the good will of every one — pages, officers, members, old and young — all — not even excepting the ladies, among whom he was said to be quite popular. Mr. McCabe is a native of the city of New York, where he has always resided. He is descended from pure Irish stock. His education was confined chiefly to the ordinary English branches, and his career in life has been that of a successful business man. Politically, BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 191 he is a Republican of strong conservative proclivities, and was elected to the Assembly as a representative of that party. He was always found faithful in the dis- charge of his legislative duties, and did credit to himself as well as those whom he represented. He was. again a candidate at the last election for a seat in the House, but although, personally, one of the most popular men in his district, was entirely overwhelmed in the contest by the strong Democratic current that so unexpectedly swept over the almost entire State. ALEXANDER McLEOD. Me. McLeod is the descendant of a long line of Scotch Cameronians that have held high positions in the ecclesiastical and political world, and have been dis- tinguished for their patriotism and attachment to free principles. His paternal grandfather. Rev. Alexander McLeod, D. D., was born in Scotland and emigrated to this country in 1793. He graduated at Union College, and in 1800 became Pastor of the First Reformed Pres- byterian Church of New York City, in which position he remained until his death in 1833. He was the author of a series of sermons, justifying the United States Government in the war with England in 1812. For these sermons he received the thanks of James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, the Corporation of the City of New York, and many other public men and bodies. Mr. MoLeod's father. Rev. William N. McLeod, D. D., is 192 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. now Pastor of the same church which was under the care of Dr. Alexander McLeod. He is also Professor of Theology to the General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, and occupies a high standing among the clergy and literary men of New York city. The maternal grandfather of Mr. McLeod was Rev. Samuel B. Wylie, D. D., LL. D. He was a native of Ireland, and was exiled from that country for his eiforts in behalf of its freedom along with the Emmets, Lamp- sons, McNevins, and others in 1798. He was Pastor of the First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Phila- delphia and Vice-Provost of the University of Pennsyl- vania. Rev. Dr. Wylie, of Philadelphia, and Rev. Dr. Wylie, of Miami University, are uncles of Mr. McLeod. Mr. McLeod was born in the city of Philadelphia, on the 14th of August, 1832. Soon after his birth his parents removed to the city of New York, and he has ever since been a resident of that city. He received his education at the University of the City of New York. He entered upon a mercantile career, which he is still pursuing. He is an ardent and active Republican of the Radical school, is prominent in New York City politics, and has been a Delegate to several Republican State Conventions. He is connected with the press of New York City, and wields an able pen. He had not held office previous to his election to the Assembly. He is very popular, as he has a pleasing address and easily makes friends. Mr. McLeod is unmarried, and attends the First Re- formed Presbyterian Church of New York City. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 193 EDGAR Mcmullen. This gentleman is a native of Albany, descended from the Scotch on his father's side, as his name indicates, while from his maternal ancestors he inherits the blood of the good old Dutch stock of the Van Benthuysens. For many years previous to his death his father occu- pied a prominent position among the substantial mer- chants of Albany, and at one time ran for Mayor of that city. His son, Edgae, appears never to have enjoyed other than an ordinary academical education. Af- ter passing his twelfth year we lose sight of him until he turns up one of the Wardens of the port of New York, an appointment he retained for the period of four years. In 1862 he made his appearance in the Assembly as member from one of the Brooklyn districts, elected by the Union party. His course during the session was more boisterous than brilliant. He affected a holy horror for official corruption, and was made Chairman of a Special XDommittee to investigate the acts of the Military Board. For a time he led many to anticipate that he was about to make developments of the most startling character, but the whole matter finally termi- nated in a first-rate fizzle. During his onslaught upon the integrity of others, the fact was brought home to him quite emphatically that those who live in glass houses ought not to throw stones. He attracted some attention also by his hostility to the Free Concert Bill, and his notions of morality, as connected with the subject that bill involved, coincided 17 194 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. exactly with the frowsy female distributers of lager beer. Last fall he was again a candidate for the Assembly, but the voters of his district very properly determined to excuse him from further oflBcial service. Mr. MoMullen is a young man of somewhat prepos- sessing appearance; has some rather clever qualities ; is quite ambitious in a political way, but lacks those moral and intellectual attributes that lead to permanent distinction. SAMUEL T. MADDOX. The career of Mr. Maddox furnishes another proof of the oft-repeated assertion that in this country the poorest and humblest may aspire to, and reach positions of, trust and of honor. Mr. Maddox was born in the city of New York, on the 20th of May, 1830. His parents were poor and could do little towards giving him a start in the world. He obtained a little education in the public schools of New York city. At the age of eight years he commenced battling with the world as a laborer in a rope-walk. This business, however, did not suit his taste very well, and he left it, and learned the trade of a ship-builder. At the age of eighteen, having become a resident of Brooklyn, he joined the Fire Depart- ment of that city. He is still a member, and is very proud of his connection with the firemen of that city. He is fore- man of a Hook and Ladder Company, and has twice been BIOGEAPHICA.L SKETCHES. 195 elected President of the Fire Department of the eastern district of Brooklyn. At the breaking out of the Rebellion, Mr. Maddox assisted in raising a company of volunteers for the 13th Regiment, under the command of the late Col. Smith. He went with the company as a private, and served three months, the period for which he volunteered. Both as a fireman and a soldier, he was exceedingly popular among his associates, and always found means to cheer up the boys and make time pass pleasantly, even under circumstances calculated to give rise to the " blues." Mr. Maddox gave up working at ship building some years ago, an accident rendering him unable to work at it any longer. He then went into the collecting and commis- sion business. When he first became a voter he joined the Democratic party, but the events of 1856 made him a Republican, and he went in straight for Fremont. Since that time he has been a staunch Republican. He was elected to the Assembly on a straight Republican ticket, two other candidates being in the field. He was among the most active members of the House, and evinced con- siderable talent in legislative matters. Mr. Maddox was married in 1852, to Miss Sarah L.Bates. FRANCIS 0. MASON. Me. Mason is a native of the town of Bristol, Ontario county, N. Y., and is twenty-nine years of age. His father's family were from Massachusetts, and his 196 .BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. mother's were always residents of this State. He re- ceived a good academical education, and having passed a short time in the study of the law, was admitted to the bar. He followed his profession a short time with some success, when, unfortunately, as in the case of all young lawyers, he turned his attention to politics. Possessing a good deal of natural ability, together with a quick, active, persevering disposition, he soon became quite prominent in the local management of Republi- can politics in Ms district, and was elected to the Assembly as a representative of the late Union move- ment. His career in that body was not brilliant, though marked with a good degree of industry and attention to business, and he is said to have been faithful and conscientious in the discharge of his duties. His marked independence of character, however, was not calculated to conciliate many friends, and the hostility exhibited by him towards the County Treasurers of the State in the matter of a bill reducing the profits of their office, simply to gratify, apparently, a personal animosity at home, rendered him quite unpopular both in and out of the House, before the close of the session. After the adjournment of the Legislature, Mr. Mason returned to his home in Canandaigua, but only to find, as the natural result of a temporary abandonment of his profession, his clients pretty well scattered. Finding his profession, therefore, not very profitable, he sought other pursuits, and finally found himself performing military duties at Albany in a subordinate capacity, under the Adjutant-General. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 197 DAVID G. MAXON. Mr. Maxon was one of the oldest and most quiet men in tlie House. He was born in Petersburgh, Rens- selaer county, N. Y., on the 10th of August, 1802. He is of English descent. His parents were both originally from Rhode Island. His father, David Maxon, died, at an advanced age, on the 15th of August, 1839, and his mother, whose maiden name was Sarah Greenman, died on the 6th of August, 1853. Mr. Maxon was educated in a common district school, and was brought up on a farm, still pursuing, at the present time, an honest cultivation of the soil as his occupation. He never held any public office until his election to the Legislature, save that of Supervisor, which he occupied during the years 1846, '47, '60, and '62. In politics he was formerly a Democrat, taking sides with the FreesoU faction in 1848, and is now a Republican. He is not a talking man, being, what is far better as a legislator, a working man, and is said to have been honest and faithful in the discharge of his legislative duties. Mr. Maxon was married in 1823 to Hannah Mary Rix, and belongs to the Baptist Church. *17 198 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. ORSON MOORE. Me. Moore was borh of English descent, on the 2d of August, 1801, in the town of South Brookfield, Mass. He is a brother of Dr. Thomas I. Moore, of Stai-field, Illinois, and the Rev. Calvin C. Moore, of Ontario, in the same state, late a Baptist missionary in India. His father HoUon Moore, died in 1858, at Cummington, Mass., at the age of eighty, and his mother, whose maiden name was Sally Kendall, died in 1837, at Ches- terfield, in that State, at the age of fifty-six. Mr. Moore received a common school education in his native State, and in 1827, located in the town of Nor- way, Herkimer county, N. T., where he resided till his removal in 1836, to the town of Russia, in the same county, his present place of residence. He was reared a farmer, and has always been extensively engaged in that occupation as a dairyman, milking, at the present time, from forty to fifty cows during the season, and making from three to five hundred and fifty pounds of cheese per cow during the season. He taught school in Massachusetts during the winter season from 1820 to '28, and during the summer months in those years, laid stone wall in Herkimer county, averaging nearly four hundred rods a season. He has been Justice of the Peace some sixteen years since 1842, and Supervisor four years. He is a man of exemplary habits, and has not used a glass of any kind of intoxicating drink as a beverage during the last thirty-five years. Politically, he was originally a Whig and is now a Republican. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 199 His course in the Assembly was quiet and unpretend- ing, but none the less distinguished for a faithful dis- charge of his duties. Mr. Moore was married in November, 1827, to Miss Thirza Ann Salisbury, who died in 1842, and in January, 1843, was married again to Miss Matilda L., a sister of his first wife. He is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church. PHILIP H. NEHER. Why on earth Should you wish to know my place of birth ; Why should you question when and'where I first inhaled my native air ; Why should you know of what descent, Whether blood of Newton, Clay, or Kent, What moots it if Union, Yale, or Brown, Or the school-house of the country town. Should all proclaim, with pride elate, He surely is our graduate. " What offices," you ask, well, I declare, This question to me is hardly fair, And I fain would shrink your acrid cup, And cry " Oh ! Murphy, let me up," But you must know all your book to fill, Well, Sir, I was born at Sandy Hill, Washington county, Empire State, In name and fame all truly great"; The good book at home records the time, February fifteen, 'twenty-nine, 200 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. And my ancestry, you'll understand, Were from the German's fatherland. Distinguished kin I never knew ; Have alvrays rowed my own canoe, Edward Neher is my father's name, Unsullied by emblazoned fame. Regina Cooper, my mother says, They called her in her girlish days ; Both are happy, and still alive. Aged fifty-three and fifty-five. " Where was I educated ?" Well, I hardly think that I can tell. Yet I may to you acknowledge It was at a rural college, That has long been quite lost to fame, 'Twere folly now to give it a name. " What occupation V Mercantile, Which yet I follow with a will. " Office," Sir, is not my nature. My first is that of legislator, And what I have done to be sent here Is not to me entirely clear. " Politics,'' well, I was a Whig, When Olay and Webster sailed the brig ; When Scott and Fremont's friends took hold, I was, with them, out in the cold. When secession raised its head. And shook its looks of gory red. Then, Sir, I own with joy elate I welcomed to the Ship of State An honest man, few earth have trod, As they're the noblest works of God. " When married," Sir, my thoughts now stray To a dozen years ago this day, BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 201 When a maiden fair, with affection full, Yielded the name of Jennie Bull. To your last I'll say please record me Of Roger Williams' proclivity. Now, Sir, I have answered your fourteen, Prom which " brief caudle " you may glean One fact, which to me is clear, I am simply P. H. Neher. NICHOLAS NEWKIKK. This good-natured, clever, jolly, old-fashioned and agree- able gentleman is a lineal descendant of the ancient Dutcli settlers, who were the first to penetrate the wilds of the head-waters of the Mohawk, many years ago, and was one of the noticeable characters of the House in 1862. Wholly devoid of all political, aspiration, he cared not to come to Albany in the capacity of a representative, but when he once found himself in that position, he determined to embrace the opportunity thus afforded him of having a good time " away from home," which he did. Wherever, therefore, there was any sport to be found during the win- ter, the hero of our sketch was sure to be " the observed of all observers." The distinguished peculiarity of his case, however, was that he was generally a sort of butt for the whole House, on whose shoulders every ridiculous incident was regularly fathered, whether it owed its paternity to him or not. He was, as it were, residuary legatee to all the post- 202 BIOGRAPHICAl SKETCHES. humons follies of his ancient Mohawk ancestors, as well as of all the absurdities of his living legislative cotemporaries. As Pasquin stood sponsor for all the wise sayings of Rome, so he came in for all the foolish actions of the Assembly of 1862. Mr. Newkirt is a large, full, round, fat man, on short legs, with a humorous eye, a full, florid, shiny face, and is so unctuous withal that he involuntarily impresses one with the idea that he must have oil, instead of blood, in his veins, like other people. He is a man of exquisite taste — not in music, nor yet of painting, and still less can it be said of him that he is particularly distinguished for his taste in dress, or dancing, or any such frivolities, but it is simply in the matter of oysters on the half-shell, turtle soup, fresh canvass-back ducks, fillets of tenderloin, sour krout, old rye and hot punch — in all of which his taste is pre-eminent. He always enjoys these things, however, in company with his friends ; and it is said when at home " his latch string is always on the outside of the door." Although a man of high respectability, it is said he had one fault at Albany — that of being constantly in love. He was a perfect ancient Adonis of modern origin, with the difference that he was entirely devoid of that degree of modesty and timidity for which Adonis is so much distinguished in his friendly inter- course with Venus in the celebrated " Passionate Pil- grim." Jilting did not seem to do him any good ; if one lady played hir^ false, he instantly made a declara- tion to another. Fair or dark, short or tall, fat or slim, it were all the same ; his heart was like a carpet-bag — you could cram any amount of love into it. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 203 DARIUS A. OGDEN. Mr. Ogden was born in the town of Geneva, Cayuga county, N. Y., on the 14th of August, 1815. His father's family came to this State from New Jersey, and are, pro- bably, of Welch extraction. They were connected with Governor Ogden's family, and many others of the name who have been distinguished for their patriotism, learning and worth. His father, Ezekiel Ogden, died when the subject of this sketch was only eight years old, thus leaving him to the care of his mother to prepare him for the important duties of life. She lived to witness his entire success, and died, honored and esteemed, in 1860, at the advanced age of eighty-five, having lived a widow about forty years. Mr. Ogden was educated in the district school and aca- demy, and worked on the farm until he was fifteen years old. He then went to Penn Yan, and engaged as a clerk in a store, until he became of age. Having attained his majority, he commenced business on his own account, but not succeeding to his satisfaction, after a year's experience, he sold out, and commenced the study of law. He was subsequently admitted to practice, but did not pursue the profession. In 1841 he was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace, and in 1843 was appointed Postmaster in Penn Yan. Subsequently he became the Editor and Pro- prietor of the Penn Yan D&mocrat, and for several years conducted that paper with marked ability, attaining a high rank in the editorial profession. In 1853 he was appointed Canal Appraiser, by Governor Seymour, and distinguished himself in that position as a 204 BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. man of sound judgment, discrimination and ability. This office involves a large expenditure, annually, for the payment of awards ; and the appraisers are liable to be imposed upon by claimants for canal damages, ■vviio usually demand an amount far exceeding the actual injury sustained. It re- quires, therefore, a general acquaintance with business, good judgment, and uncompromising integrity, to guard against imposition, secure to citizens their just dues, and at the same time protect the interests of the State. Mr. Ogden, however, possessed these qualifications in an eminent de- gree, and his action in the board, during the brief time he ■was connected with it, redounds to the good of the State, and to his own integrity and honor. In 1854 he was ap- pointed Consul to Honolulu, by President Pierce, where he remained two years, performing his duties to the National Government with the same fidelity that characterised his dealings with the State. In politics, Mr. Ogden is a Union Democrat, and belonged to the Hunker wing of the party in the contest with the Barnburners. In 1848 he stumped the State in support of Gen. Cass for the Presidency, and was one of the most effective speakers in the campaign. In 1856, and again in 1858,he was the Democratic Candidate for Congress in his district and polled a very large vote. In 1861, on the breaking out of the rebellion, he en- gaged in the so-called Union movement, by which he was chosen to the Assembly by a majority of about sixteen hundred. His course in that body is familiar to all, as one of the ablest and most eloquent members of that body. He took strong ground in support of the National Government and against yielding to the inte^ rests of slavery. Bro GRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 205 Mr. Ogden was married in 1834 to Miss Judith A. Lawrence, who belonged to one of the most respectable families in Yates county. He is a member of and at- tends the Methodist Church, in which he takes a deep interest. He has also done much for the cause of edu- cation, having, with the aid of a few public-spirited citizens of Penn Yan, succeeded in establishing a first class academy, which is now in successful operation, and promises to redound as well to the interest of the village as to the energy of its- citizens. WILLIAM G. OLVANY. Me. Olvasty was the youngest member of the House during the session of 1862. Possessed of keen percep- tive faculties and quick to acquire knowledge, he is, nev- ertheless, one of those men who enjoy a social gathering far more than the routine of legislative business or the platitudes of a political harangue. He has a rare talent for cracking a joke, telling a story, singing a song, or mimicking the ludicrous peculiarities of humanity. This talent is often brought into requisition by his friends, when met together at festive gatherings, and his mirth- provoking efforts seldom fail to bring down the house. Mr Olvany is a native of New York city. He was born on the 20th of January, 1838, on the site lately occupied by the Broadway Theatre. His lineage is full-blooded Irish. His education was obtained at two of the public schools of New York city, and at St. Vincent's Academy. 18 206 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. He completed a course of study at the latter, -with honor to himself, at the early age of seventeen. He then be- came a clerk in the wholesale dry goods establishment of Messrs. Smyth, O'Rourke & Herring, of New York city. His father, James Olvany, in the meantime, carried on the livery business. This, ere long, increased to such an extent that Mr. Olvany left the firm above named and took charge of the books of his father's business. Po- litically, he has belonged to no other than the Demo- cratic party, and never held office previous to his being elected to the Assembly. Mr. Olvany was married on the 25th of November; 1860, to Miss Delia Burke, born in London, England, of Irish parents. He attends the Roman Catholic Church. DAVID B. PARCE. Mr. Paece is a native of Chenango county, N. Y., and of the district which he represented in the Assem- bly. His progenitors were of English origin. Both his parents were living at the time he was a member, being then about seventy years of age. His father, Justus Parce, was a member of the House in 1838. Mr. Parce obtained his education at the common school of his native place and at Norwich Academy. He chose the mercantile business as the vocation of his life, and still follows it. He is quite active in political BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 207 matters, and has been several times elected to the office of Supervisor of his town. He has also held the office of Postmaster for several years. He has been a Repub- lican since the existence of that party. He was, how- ever, elected on a " Democratic and People's" Ticket, against an opponent who ran on a " Republican and Union Ticket." Mr. Parce is still a comparatively young man, being now about thirty-five years of age. In the discharge of his duties as a member of the House, he evinced much clearness of mental vision and executive ability, and gave promise of becoming a person of much influence and weight of character. Mr. Parce was married on the 22d of December, 1861, to Miss Anna Huddleton. He attends the Baptist Church. LUCIUS PECK. Dr. Peck was born on the 29th of December, 1821, in the town of New Berlin, Chenango county, N. Y. His parents were natives of New England, and were of the genuine Puritan stock. His father, James Peck, died on the 28th of February, 1845, at the age of fifty- seven. His mother, Sally Landon, died on the 17th of February, 1839, at the age of fifty-one. Having received a good common school education, Dr. Peck devoted some time to teaching, occupying his 208 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. spare time in the study of medicine, the practice of which he had determined should be the vocation he would pursue through life. He studied under the super- vision of Dr. A. B. Case of Steuben county, and took his degree at Geneva in 1847. He toot up his residence in Wyoming county, where he still resides and follows his profession. Dr. Peck formerly belonged to that wing of the old Whig party known as Silver Gray. About the time the Radical portion of that party were merged into the Republican organization, he joined the Democratic party. He supported the Union movement of 1861, and was nominated for the Assembly by a Union Con- vention, the Republicans of his district, without holding a convention, readily giving him their support. He had a straight Democratic opponent, whom he defeated by about twelve hundred majority. Dr. Peck has no great taste for the excitements of political life, and has taken but little part in the schemes of politicians. He was one of the quiet members of the House, seldom engaging in debate. He was married in the year 1842 to Miss Mary C. Day, of Steuben county, N. Y. He is an attendant of the Congregational Church. BIOfiEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 209 THOMAS D. PENFIELD. Mr. Penfield was born in the town of Camden, Oneida connty, N. Y., and is forty-nine years of age. His ancestry in this country is traceable through a long series of years, and he is supposed to be of pure Anglo-Saxon origin. After receiving a good English education he engaged in active business pursuits — chiefly agricultural and mercantile — and for many years has been one of the most extensive and successful millers in Oneida county. Although unaccustomed to public life, Mr. Penfield brouglit with him to the discharge of his legislative duties all the essential qualities of a successful practical business man — qualities which, notwithstanding a foolish popular idea to the contrary, usually make better and safer legisla- tors of men than the pedantry and egotism of those who ■have nothing to commend them to public attention but the worthless parchment, in the suggestive language of Mrs. Partington, of some '^fetnale cemetary." Always promptly at his post, he never proved faithless in the discharge of the trust confided to him by his constituents, and was generally considered by his associates in the House as one of the best and most useful men in that body. Politically, he has always been a Democrat, but at the breaking out of the rebellion took part in the late Union movement, by which his election to the Assembly was secured. *18 210 BIOGRAPHICAL SKBTCHES. ROYAL PHELPS. One of the most remarkable signs of the times is the disposition shown by men of wealth and social position, who have heretofore abjured politics and public life, to set aside these advantages, and take part in the great civil struggle that now convulses the country. The distinctions of wealth had long since ceased to satisfy honorable ambition ; for, in the unpre- cedented prosperity of the country which recent years have developed, so many had achieved fortune, and by such sudden and easy steps, that success in this depart- ment of life had ceased to be regarded as a test of merit or a claim to position. Mere social rank — what little there is in this country founded upon hereditary fame or estate — was also found to afford but a negative and sterile gratification. When the outbreak of civil war aroused the country to the sense of unexpected danger, gentlemen of this class seized with avidity the opportu- nity to enter upon the serious duties the struggle imposed. Thus we see the Astors, Van Rensselaers, and Hamiltons taking place on the staffs of our Gene- rals ; Wadsworth, one of our largest landholders, a Brigadier-General; and Sprague, the most extensive manufacturer in the Union, with a princely revenue, first in the field, at the head of the Rhode Island con- tingent, as a Major-General. In the contest which is to show whether Cotton or Corn or Commerce is King, it is well that each of the contending dynasties should appear on the field in the person of representative men. BIOGEA.PHICAL SKETCHES. 211 It is aot upon the battle-field alone that this contest finds its representatives, in the class we have indicated ; but in the legislative chamber as well. In Congress and in the State Legislatures, the struggle, which has now culminated iu battle, commenced ; and the indifference of the classes most interested in the results allowed issues merely political, and which should have been kept within the domain of politics, to take this fatal turn. Royal Phelps was born at Sempronius, Cayuga county, N. Y., on the 30th March, 1809, and is the only son of the Rev. Royal Phelps, of Hannah Spafford his wife. He descends on the paternal side from the Phelps of Westfield, Massachusetts, who came from England and settled at that place about the year 1670. His grand- father, the Hon. John Phelps, was a distinguished lawyer of that place, graduated at Yale College in the class of 1759, and was for several years the Representative of Hampden county, in the Legislature of Massachusetts. His father, the Rev.iRoyal Phelps, second son of the former, was born at Westfield in 1780, graduated at Yale College in the class of 1801, was installed Pastor of Sempronius in 1806, and died at Watertown in 1831. Mr. Phelps' mother was a daughter of Col. John Spafford of Tinmouth, Rutland county, Vermont, and died at Lowville in 1831. She was a sister of the late Horatio Gates Spafford, LL. D., author of " Spafford's Gazetteer of the State of New York." Col. Spafford was an officer in the Revolutionary army, and was commissioned as First Lieutenant of a company 212 BIO&RAPHICAL SKETCHES. in the regiment of " Green Mountain Boys," on the 8th of July, 1776. Young Phelps was kept at school and his education carefully watched over by his father, until he was some thirteen or fourteen years old, about which time great misfortunes befell his parents, and he was sent to his grandfather. Col. Spafford, then residing at Lowville, Lewis county, in this State ; and on his death it was found necessary to place him in some situation where he would not be a burden to his relatives. He was consequently placed in the family of a friend of his father, Gen. ISTorthrup, at Lowville, with the intention of making him a tanner ; but this not being exactly to his liking, he, one fine morning — the day he was fifteen years old — took it into his head to run away, and like all country boys directed his course to New' York. Fortunately, on his arrival there he recollected the name of an old friend of his fiither, and on finding him out was most kindly taken in charge by him. This friend aided him in attending a commercial school for a few months, and finally got him a situation as clerk in a highly respectable house on an island of St. Croix, in the West Indies, for which place he sailed in the autumn of 1824. Here he remained for a year or two; and then following in the path of all young adventurers of that day, started for the Spanish Main, where the Liberator Bolivar had but recently driven out the Spanish authorities and established the Republic of Colombia. Here, at Puerto Cabello, young Phelps served a long apprenticeship as clerk, and finally commenced business BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 213 on his own account ; and by the year 1840 built up a house, with extensive connections in his own country as well as in Europe, and in credit second to none on the Spanish Main. About this time he became a part- ner in, and took the management of, an old established house at La Guayra, the largest American house by far on that coast ; and there he remained till he was invited by his correspondents in New York to come home and take charge of their establishment, they being desirous of retiring from business. This was in ISiV, since which time Mr. Phelps has resided in New York, and been actively engaged in business. The career of Mr. Phelps, from its adventurous outset, in his first youthful escapade, until his return to his native land, was marked by many incidents of romantic interest. The Spanish Main was the scene of revolutions and of civil wars, which, following each other in quick succession, not only involved the citizens of the country, but the commer- cial residents. In the battles and sieges which attended the wars of the rival factions, life and property were, at times, equally in peril, and it required great courage, firmness, and a cool judgment, to steer clear of these dangers. The pros- perous young American was much sought for by the Re- publican leaders, and secured the friendship of some of the distinguished patriots. Not a few of the Europeans and Americans, who had settled in the country, tempted by the brilliant prospect of prosperity and freedom, which the young Republics appeared to present, and by which the protection that the condition of citizenship off'ered to person and property, renounced their original allegiance, and ac- cepted a naturalization. Mr. Phelps resisted every overture 214 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. of this kind. The recollection of his revolutionary ances- try, and the pride of country, kept hira firm in his allegiance. Circumstances had made him, to a great extent, the repre- sentative man of the interests of his country and his countrymen, and he maintained the position with liberality and courage. Mr. Phelps was married to a Spanish lady during his residence in South America, and has one child, a daughter. Mr. Phelps has always adhered to the religion of his fathers — Old School Presbyterian — and in politics has always been a firm National Democrat, of the Conservative school. We have spoken of Mr. Phelps as the Representative of Commerce. His position, the circumstances under which he was elected, and his extensive business connections, on this Continent and Europe, and consequent practical know- ledge of the laws of trade, eminently qualify him for such a position. But, as a legislator, he is tied down to no special interest, but discharges his duties with a conscientious sense of his responsibility to all classes of citizens, and to the diversified interests of a great State. Mr. Phelps has been one of the favorites of fortune. No commercial failure has ever, for a moment, discredited his name, which we find inscribed high on the list, in the roll of the rich men of New York. His brief legislative career was equally honorable, and exerted an influence upon the proceedings of the House,, second to no other man in that body. BTOGEAPHICAL SK3ETCHES. 215 DAVID PICKETT. Me. Pickett was one of the old-fasliioned landmarks of the House. He possessed a strong aversion to all manner of spread-eagle blowing, and ranked well among the most quiet and industrious men of that body. He is a native of Litchfield county, Conn., where he was born on the 15th of March, 1805. His parents were both natives of that state, and were living in the town of Danbury when the British burnt that place during the Revolution. They removed to the State of New York in 1810, and, after consuming some three weeks in making the journey, settled in Oneida county. They performed the entire trip in an ox-team, and crossed the Hudson at Catskill in an old scow. Some ten years afterwards they removed into the town of Gorham, Ontario county. His father, Ebenezer Pickett, died in May, 1850, at the age of eighty, and his mother, in March, 1861, at the age of ninety. Mr. Pickett received a common English education, and was reared a farmer, which has always since been his occupation. He has always taken a very deep interest in agriculture, and has been President of the Town Agricultural Society and Vice-President of the County Agricultural Society where he resides. He has held various town offices, including that of Supervisor, which he occupied in 1865 and '56. Politically, he was formerly a Whig, and was chosen to the Assembly as a straight-haired Republican. His position in the commu- nity where he resides is prominent and influential, and 216 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. he has always taken a deep interest in whatever per- tains to the welfare of his constitn.ents. Mr. Pickett was married in 1828 to Maria A. Doug- lass, of Whitesboro', Oneida county, and belongs to the Baptist Church. GEORGE T. PIERCE. The boldest and most fearless member of the Legis- lature of 1862 was the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this sketch. ■ But few of his legislative peers equaled — certainly none excelled — him in his qualifications as a representative. In the onslaught of debate he was ever foremost; his crest high and his falchion keen. Whether his antagonists numbered two or ten — whether the whole of the Assembly were against him, he could " take a raking fire at the whole group." Like the shrouded Junius, he dared Commons, Lords, and King to the encounter, but unlike that terrible Shadow he never sought any craven covert, but fought in the open lists, with a muscular and mental weight that defied the unreasoning cries of the mob, and rolled back the thunders of the Executive anathema. Mr. Pierce is a native of Dutchess county, N. Y., and is about forty years of age. He was brought up on his father's farm, and in 1 840 entered Yale College, from which he graduated in 1843. He did not, how- ever, follow very closely the collegiate course of instruc- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 217 tlon while at college, and spent most of his time in the investigation of mooted questions, and in the discus- sions of the societies connected with the institution. After leaving college he passed a season at the Cam- bridge Law School, under the charge of the late Judge Story and Senator Sumner, of Massachusetts. In 1 844 Mr. Pierce returned to his native county, and during the autumn of that year stumped, with consider- able success, that and the adjoining counties for' the Democracy. The next fall he was chosen a member of the Assembly from Dutchess county, by a majority of one vote, in a poll of over ten thousand, and even this was so doubtful that his seat was fiercely contested. After six weeks of controversy, however, he was sus- tained in the House by one vote, also, and as a member of that body was associated with such men as the late Gov. Young, Ira Harris, now United States Senator ; Alva Warden, of Cayuga; Judge Hall, of the Northern District of New York ; Judge Chatfield, late of the United States Court of Minnesota; Judge Wells, of California; Colonel Crain, of Herkimer, and Samuel J. Tilden, of New York, who were then members of the Legislature. If, among so many distinguished men, Mr Pierce gained prominence, it may be inferred that his talents are of a high order, and such is the fact. As a legis- lator, he is ever on the alert, and nothing escapes his observation. No measure of doubtful import could pass without his knowledge ; and any attempt to mys- tify the provisions of a bill, so as to allow some favored project of the lobbyists to be smuggled into a law, 19 218 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. was sure to be detected by his searching scrutiny. To his activity, energy and indomitable perseverance, the State has gained signal advantage, as his scathing exposure of bad measures, got up for base purposes, has "nipped in the bud" some of the vilest schemes. In 1850 and '51, Mr. Pierce was a member of the Senate, and iri that grave and dignified body, also, he was one of the leading members. In 1 862 he was again a Member of the Assembly; and, in aHduse containing an unusual amount of talent, as was the case that year, he stood confessedly one of the leading men, and second to none as a debater. He well sustained the high char- acter that he had earned in previous years, and may well be set down as among the prominent men of the State. It is understood that Mr. Pierce contemplates remov- ing to one of the Western States, and a long time will not elapse ere we hear from him as a star of the first magnitude in the Western horizon. PETER A. PORTER. ' , Mk. Porter was one of the most talented young men in the House in 1862. His speeches always exhibited a large fund of general knowledge, a thorough understanding of the subject in hand, a rare combination of representative ability, and a deep solicitude for the best interests of his constituents and the State. The most marked peculiarity of his mind was its strong metaphysical turn, which not unfrequently rendered him theoretical, rather than practical, BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 219 but with the aid of the practical experience of older mem- bers, he was justly regarded by men of all parties in the House, as among the most useful men in that body. Mr. Porter is a native of Black Rock, Erie county, N. Y., and is thirty-five years of age. His paternal family lives in Connecticut, and his mother's family were from Virginia. He received a good, practical, business education, and during most of his life has been successfully engaged in agricultu- ral pursuits. He possesses the qualities of a good business man, and has the advantage of a large capital. In politics, he has been a Republican, and was elected to the Assembly as a representative of the late Union movement. He joined the army, shortly after the adjournment of the Legislature, as Colonel of the Regiment of N. Y. S.- V., and is now serving his country by active services in the field. His future is before him, with everything in his favor, and his star js in the ascendant. BENJAMIN PRINGLE. Mr. Peingle was born in 1807, at Richfield, Otsego county, N. Y., and resided there till 1829, when he re- moved to Batavia, his present home. He is descended from the Pringles of Scotland, a numerous, distin- guished and ancient race, of which Sir John Pringle is at present, the representative chief. Mr. Pringle's father was one of the pioneers of Ot- sego county, and has left the reputation of a man of 220 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. extensive and accurate knowledge and sound reasoning powers, besides a monument to Ms memory in the fact, that he rendered efficient aid in organizing the present school system of the State. Mr. Pringle received a common school education, on which were engrafted the instructions of a private tutor, and several years' study in an academy. Then fol- lowed the study of law, and his legal copartnership with the Hon. Albert Smith and the Hon. Heman J. Red- field, at Batavia— the practice of his profession with such success that he never lost a suit which he com- menced — his elevation to the bench — his agency of the Holland Land Company — the presidency of the Bank of Genesee — his election to Congress for two terms — and finally his appearance as a member of the present House. He has, also, been a leading layman of the Protestant Episcopal Church. These are the salient points in a life of usefulness and labor — earnest, persistent, and well-directed— in public and private circles. N"o undue ambition or wild aspira- tions have disturbed the serenity of a life, loyal to duty and faithful to trust, any more than passion has marred the calm outlines and repose of that face and form of quiet dignity which attracts the curiosity and respect of the stranger, who is, told, on inquiry, " that is Judge Pringle." He rarely addresses the House, but a few words of information, advice, or exposition, spoken by him at the fitting time, and in a low placid tone, never fail to produce a far greater effect than the sten- torian platitudes and interminable declamation of less infrequent orators. BIOGRAPHICAX SKETCHES. 221 ANDREW J. PROVOST. Mr. Provost was born in tbe city of New York, on the seconddayof April, 1834, and is now twenty-eight years old. He is of French extraction — his ancestors emigrating to this country about the year 1635. His father, David Provost, is still living, at the age of fifty-nine ; his mother died in April, 1855, at the age of fifty-five. Mr. Provost was educated at Williston Seminary, East Hampton, Mass., and although fully prepared to enter col- lege, he determined to engage in mercantile pursuits, a project which he subsequently abandoned in favor of the law. In 1851 he entered the law office of Messrs: Crane & Cornell, in the city of New York, as a student, where he remained until 1855, when he was admitted to the bar. Soon afterwards he removed to Williamsburgh, and engaged in the duties of his profession with much success. He is now the senior member of the firm of Provost, Fisher & Daily, in that flourishing village. Mr. Provost was a Member of the Assembly in 1861, as was also one of his partners, Mr. Fisher, who was a strong Ee- publican, and a very valuable member. Mr. Provost was a Democrat vof the old Jeffersonian school — a kind that knows no turning. His course in the Assembly gave great satisfaction to his constituents, and they again returned him as a member for 1862, as a Union Democrat. He sustains a high social position wherever he is known; and both years that he served in the Assembly he was one of the most popular and deserving members. He was married on the 4tb of June, 1856, to Miss *19 222 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Harriet, daughter of Judge Obadiah Titus, of Butchess county, who was a member of Congress in 1832. He attends the Reformed Dutch Church, of which his wife is a member. ABRAM PRYNE. This gentleman was educated for the ministry, and for several years was an acceptable preacher of thq Gospel ; but being very much of an enthusiast he was wafted away by " every wind of doctrine ;" " tossed to and fro " on the billows of radicalism, and was finally wrecked in the sea of abolitionism. In exchange for the Gospel of Christ he took up the vagaries of Garri- son ; battled the demon of slavery at a safe distance from its den ; entered upon the political arena and be- came the champion of Republicanism, and finally became a monomaniac on the subject of human bondage. He was the victim of his own ungovernable passions, which unsettled his reason and, in the end, sent him " to his account with all his imperfections on his head." Mr. Pryne was born in Lysander, Onondaga county, IN". Y., in 1824, and lived to the age of thirty-eight years. Having received a fair academic education, and his mind being imbued with deep reUgious feelings, he had a strong desire to become a preacher of righteous- ness. With this view he prepared himself, and at the suitable time entered upon this important calling. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 223 For some time he was impressed with the vast impor- tance of his mission, but being of an enthusiastic tem- perament, he adopted ultra notions on all the exciting topics of the day, such as slavery, temperance and politics, and soon began to wander from the legitimate duties of a minister, until he found himself engulfed in the miry pool of party politics. He soon afterwards engaged as an assistant editor with Fred. Douglass ; and when that gentleman (of color) fled the country, through fear of a criminal prosecution, as an accomplice of John Brown in his raid on the " sacred soil " of Vir- ginia, he became chief editor. Thus his political long- ings were encouraged, and he soon threw off all restraint and became altogether a political partisan. Being thus prepared, he entered the field as a candidate for ofiice, and was elected a Member of the Assembly in the fall of 1861, by the Republicans of Wayne county, where he resided. In the month of January following, he made his-debut in the Assembly Chamber, as a legislator and politician. Being a man of considerable ability and great fluency, as a speaker, he entered readily into the debates incident to legislation, and often became in- volved in personal controversies, on political questions, in which he exhibited a good deal of ingenuity and tact. From his peculiar temperament he was not a man who could legislate wisely, but was carried away by his prejudices and passions into labyrinths of controversial discussions, which precluded such attention to legisla- tive duties, as is requisite for the consideration of grave and important matters. After the adjournment of the Legislature Mr. Pryne a24 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. returned to his home, to repose on the laurels he had won. But, alas ! how little do mortals know of their own destiny. Ere the summer had passed the startling intelligence flashed over the wires, that the unfortunate gentleman had committed suicide. Peace to his memory. Let his errors be forgotten, and his virtues only he re- membered. He was a kind-hearted man and, undoubt- edly, a sincere Christian. His mental aberration was an aflliction that the Great Disposer of Events only could control ; and for the acts of a " mind diseased," He, only — the God of infinite mercy — is the judge. ALBERT G. PURDY. Dr. PtjKDY is a native of Plymouth, Chenango county, N. Y., and is fifty-four years of age. He is descended from pure Anglo-Saxon stock. He received a good education, and engaged in the study of medicine. Sub- sequently he entered upon the practice of his profession, and is now a successful physician in Madison county, where he resides. He was a Member of the Assembly in 1857, and during the session of that year served on the Committee on Claims. His political sentiments are strongly Republican — in favor of emancipation, exter- mination, and all that sort of thing ; and he came to the Assembly the second time as a representative of the late Union movement. The most distinguishing mark of his career in that body was his persistent efforts to BIOGEAPHICAl SKETCHES. 225 divide the county of Madison ; which, however, failed of success, and which destroyed much of his personal as well as his political popularity at home. THOMAS H. REED. We have in the history of individuals many instances of persons born and brought up on a farm and made familiar with agricultural pursuits who nevertheless early develop a disinclination to become farmers. They take naturally to books and are anxious to go to school, and had much rather learn a lesson than turn a furrow. In short, their activities are those of the brain rather than those of the body. Of this we have an example in the life of the subject of this sketch. Mr. Reed was born in Carmel, Putnam county, N. Y., on the 27th of December, 1826. Both his parents, James H. Reed and Emily Hazen, who are of English descent, are natives of Putnam county, and are still liv- ing. During his youthful days he spent his summers in working upon his father's farm and his winters in attending the district school. In the spring of 1844 he commenced teaching, and in the autumn of the same year became a pupil of the State If ormal School, at which institution he graduated in 1847. He then taught again until the summer of 1851 when he was a clerk on board of a night passenger boat running be- tween New York and Albany. In the autumn of that 226 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. year he commenced keeping a private school in the vil- lage of Carmel, Putnam county. He then taught suc- cessfully, employing three assistants until 1854, when he closed his school and became professor of mathematics in Raymond Collegiate Institute, a new institution of learning then started by Rev. H. G. Livingston at Car- mel. On the death of Mr. Livingston, in 1855, he re- opened his private school and continued it for one year, when he accepted the position of cashier of the Croton River Bank, which he still holds. Mr. Reed was a Clay Whig ; afterwards an Ameri- can, and then a Republican. He was very active in the Union movement of 1861, and was nominated for the Assembly by both parties. He was married on the 5th of April, 1852, to Nancy J. Tillott, who died on the 6th of February, 1855. He was again married on the 23d of January, 1860, to Ann Augusta Crosby, and attends the Presbyterian Church. ADDISON G. RICE. Mr. Rice was born at Richfield, Otsego county, N. Y., on the 29th of December, 1821. He is of English origin. His father, Elijah A. Rice, is still living, at the age of sixty- eight. His mother, whose maiden name was Hawks, died at the age of sixty-two. Mr. Rice received a good common school and academical education, and then studied higher English and the classics BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 227 under a private tutor. He subsequently commenced the study of law, and in due time was admitted as an attorney and counsellor. He attends closely to the business of his profession, and is considered a good lawyer. Though taking that interest in National and State affairs which every intelligent and right-thinMng citizen regards as a duty, he is not in the popular sense of the term a politician, much less an office-seeker, and came to the Assembly entirely without his solicitation. He was originally a Whig, and is now a Republican. Mr. Rice is fond of speaking and enjoys a public debate, though he was absent from his seat a large part of the ses- sion on account of sickness. When present he always took part in the discussion of questions of general interest, and those affecting his locality, and was quite good in debate. He was married on the 22d of December, 1846. He attends the Protestant Episcopal Church. ELIAS EOOT. Mb. Root is an energetic, self-made man, of methodi- cal business habits, and brought with him to the dis- charge of his legislative duties the experience of a successful career. Without the advantageous aids of fortune or influential friends, he began life for himself while yet a mere boy ; but, by the resources of his intellect and the energy of his character, has success- fully made his way up to the position he now occupies in public and private life. Having received an ordinary 228 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. common school and academical education, he began his career as a student at West Point, where, in conse- quence of ill health, he remained only a short time, and finally, after traveling for some time in unsuccessful pur- suit of something to do, found himself employed as a school teacher in the vicinity of Newburgh, Orange county, N. Y. Here he remained, in that capacity, some two years, when, at about the age of twenty-one,- he en- gaged in the mercantile trade in that village, which he followed there successfully till 1831. He then removed into Herkimer county, in the then town of German Flatts, still continuing his mercantile pursuits, to which he then added an extensive produce business, and carried on a successful trade, in that place, till 1856, when he removed to Oswego, where he has always since' been residing. Mr. Root is descended from English ancestry, and was born on the 30th of November, 1806, at Fort Ann, Washington county, N. Y. He is one of an extensive connection, all the Roots in the United States having sprung from but one family, who originally came to this country. His mother, whose maiden name was Roxcyntha George, died in 1853, at the age of sixty- six. His paternal grandfather, Ashel Root, who served in the Revolutionary struggle, and his father, John Root, were both natives of Rensselaer county. The former died in 1835, at the advanced age of eighty- three, and the latter is still living, at the age of eighty. Mr. Root was one of the founders of the Mohawk Valley Bank, of which he was for many years Vice- President, and has devoted himself to banking since his BIOGEAPHICAl SKETCHES. 229 removal to Oswego, where he is now President of the Marine Bank. He was never ambitious of political preferment, preferring the quiet pursuit of his own private business to the turmoil and strife of public life, and with the exception of the office of Loan Commis- sioner, which he held under Governor Wright, and that of Supervisor, which he occupied some three years in Herkimer county, he never consented to hold any im- portant public position till his election to the House in 1852. Nevertheless, he is a very industrious, hard- working Republican, of Democratic antecedents, and from the day on which he assisted in christening the party, at Auburn, in 1856, down to the present hour, has been among the most zealous and consistent of the supporters of its principles and measures. Although chosen as the Republican candidate to the Assembly, his love for the Union transcends all mere party consi- derations, and he is always ready and anxious to subor- dinate all mere political preferences to a thorough and successful prosecution of the present war. Mr. Root was married on the 14th day of January, 1830, to Miss Lydia Noyes, and belongs to the Congre- gational Church. CHARLES J. SAXE. Mr. Saxb was a Member of the Assembly in 1861, and in 1862 served his second term in that body. His legisla- tive career has been quiet and unassuming, though eminently 20 230 BIOGEAPHICAI, SKETCHES. satisfactory and successful. Of some dozen bills introduced by him in 1861, lie failed to secure the passage, through both Houses, of but one — that asking State aid to the Troy University, which was defeated in the Senate by the casting- vote of the Lieut.-Governor. During the session of 1862, however, he was more successful in regard to that measure. He triumphantly carried it through both Houses, and, to the satisfaction of his constituency and the credit of himself, it finally became a law. His speech, it is true, on the subject, which was spoken of by the public press, in terms of com- mendation, betrayed no effort whatever at oratorical dis- play ; but it showed a knowledge of- facts and figures, which established at once his reputation as a shrewd business man and a capable legislator. Mr. Saxe is a native of the Green Mountain State, where he was born on the 25th of March, 1814. He is of Ger- man and English descent. He is the oldest of four brothers, whose aggregate height is over twenty-four feet, and one of whom is John G. Saxe, the celebrated poet. His father, the Hon. Peter Saxe, who was a brother of the wife of Col. J. B. Scovell, of Cambria, N. Y., died at that place on the 27th of May, 1839, at the age of fifty-nine, and his mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Jewett, is still living, at the age of seventy- three. Mr. Saxe was educated in his native place, Highgate, Franklin county, Vermont, and at the county grammar school in St. Albans in that State. He followed farming and merchandising in his father's store while young, besides assisting in his father's grist and saw-mill, and was subsequently, for fifteen years, a merchant in his native place and at St. Albans. He came to New York BIOGEAPHlCAl SKETCHES. 231 in March, 1851, and located at Troy, where he has since been the most extensive wholesale lumber commission merchant at that place. He formerly did business under the firm name of Saxe & Avery, but it is now Douglass, Saxe & Co., and his business has been extended to Albany. From the age of sixteen until he was twenty-six years old, he was Surveyor of his native county, and from 1835 until 1840 was Postmaster at Saxe's Mills. He was also several years Trustee of the United States Deposit Fund at St. Albans, and occasionally held the office of Justice of the Peace. He is now Vice-Presi- dent of the Market Bank of Troy, and occupies a high position in that city. In politics he has never faltered in his devotion to the principles and policy of the old Democratic party, and ranks high among the members of that party, as he did among his political opponents in the last House. Mr. Saxe was married on the 22d of February, 1843, to Miss Susan Maria Baker, granddaughter of Judge Hammond, late of Pittsford, Vermont, who died in 1847. He then, on the 22d of February, 1853, married his present wife. Miss EUen, daughter of the Hon. Thomas Griggs, of Massachusetts, and belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church. 232 BIOGRAPHICAI, SKETCHES. SIMON J. SCHERMERHOEN. Mk. Schermbrhoen was born on the 26th of Septem- ber, 1827, in the town of Rotterdam, Schenectady county, N. T., of unmixed Holland Dutch parentage. His father, Jacob J. Schermerhorn, died in 1849, in that county, at the age of sixty, and his mother, Maria Vedder, died in 1832, at the same place, at the age of forty-four. Mr. Schermerhorn received at the common schools of his native place the education usually given to farmers' sons, who were expected to follow the occupation of their fathers. His school-days over, he took to the plow very naturally and contentedly, and became a steady-going farmer. Embracing the political creed of the Democratic party, he gave it- the help of his vote and his influence, and in 1856 was elected Supervisor of his town without opposition. He sympathized with the Union movement in 1861, and was elected to the Assem- bly without opposition.. Mr. Schermerhorn was one of the quiet members of the House, but was nevertheless industrious and influ- ential, and in the social and political circles in which he moves is quite popular. He was married on the 4th of February, 1857, to Miss Helen M. Veeder, and attends the Reformed Dutch Church. BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 233 CHARLES M. SCHOLEFIELD. When this gentleman rises to speak, he reminds one of Burns' couplet : " Perhaps it may turn out a sang, Perhaps turn out a sermon." "Boz" says that "Mark Tapley was never more jolly than is this man Scholefield." He never treads upon any- body's corns, unless he is first kicked upon the shins. Still, he is pretty sure not to pick quarrels with plucky men, for although he thinks very little of the rest of man- kind, he has a great deal of regard for himself. He was one of the most fluent speakers in the House in 1862, as he was in 1859, when he was also a member. He is likewise a good parliamentarian ; quite a tactician, and though some- times pretty strong in. debate, believes with most men that " A little nonsense now and then Is relished by the best of men.'' The sketch, however, of Mr. Scholefield has already appeared fully in the author's volume for 1859, which ren- ders it wholly unnecessary to repeat it in detail here. Suffice it to say that there is nothing at all distinguishing either in his public or private career. *20 234 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. WILLET SERLS. Me. Seels was elected to the Assembly, at a special election, after the opening of the Legislature, to fill the seat in that body of the Hon. John Vanderzee, who died shortly before the opening of the session, and who had always been prominently known in his district as a man of character and influence. Mr. Serls was born on the 23d of January, 1814, on the same farm on which he still resides, in the town of Coeymans, Albany county, N. Y. He is of English descent. Two brothers originally came to America; one settled in Rhode Island, and the other on Long Island. He sprung from the latter, and is the youngest of eleven children. His father, Abraham Serls, died in 1849, at the age of eighty-one, and his mother, whose maiden name was Joanna Tompkins, died in 1860, at the age of ninety-two. Mr. Serls was educated in the common schools of his native place. His chief occupation has been that of farming, though he has, also, for upwards of twenty years, been engaged in mercantile pursuits, together with the foundry business, which he has successfully followed some ten years. He has held several town oflBces, including that of Supervisor, which he occupied some two years, and has been Postmaster ever since the establishment of an office where he resides. His politics have always been of the true Democratic stamp, and his abhorrence of sectionalism has always been of the most bitter and uncompromising intensity. As a legis- BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 235 lator he is sound, practical, and dispassionate; as a citizen enterprising, straightforward, honest and influ- ential — as valuable a man as his district has sent to the Legislature for many years. Mr. Serls was married on the 13th of February, 1834, to Miss Eliza Ann Vincent, and attends the Methodist Church. H. D. H. SNYDEK, Je. Me. Sntdbe is a native of Prattsville, Greene county, N. Y., and was one of the most industrious and efBcient young men in the Legislature. He is but twenty-eight years of age, and began active life for himself when only nineteen. He was educated at the academy in his native place, and at the Charlotte tistitute, in Delaware county, at the latter of which Professor Waterbury, now of the Albany Academy, was then a teacher. He soon became interested in a tannery at Middletown, Dela- ware county, now owned and operated by his brother, and subsequently purchased the more extensive estab- lishment at Newkirk's Mills, Fulton county, together with the entire accompanying village and some ten thousand acres of land. He was very successful in busiaess, and soon after purchased an interest in a tannery at Port Leyden, Lewis county, where he now resides. In his tanneries he tans, annually, some seventy thousand sides of leather, the United States tax on which now amounts to over ten thousand dollars. 236 BIOaRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Althougt interested at Port Leyden for some years, Mr. Snyder did not take up Ms residence at tli3,t place till June, 1861. He immediately, on so doing, enlisted in the Union ranks, and by actively encouraging the patriotic sentiment of that county and vicinity, contributed vastly to the effi- cient enlistment of volunteers. The reward for the services thus rendered was his triumphant election to the Assembly, there being but one single vote cast against him in his own election district, and but twenty-seven in the entire town- ship where he resides. It is not surprising, therefore, that a person possessing the energy of character thus exhibited should have succeeded so well in making his mark in the House. He did many things during the session worthy of special remark, but his greatest success, perhaps, was on the Public Defense bill, where he successfully deprived the thunderers of the House of all their artillery. After there had been days of discussion, and gallons of ink had been shed by such men as Pierce, Stetson, Raymond, and Ogden, in framing bills and amendments, he defeated them all by introducing a substitute which was substantially adopted by the House. He is an incessant worker — indefatigable in whatever he undertakes, and was considered by some as one of the most dangerous opponents to encounter in the Legislature. He is, at the same time, kind-hearted, socia- ble, and agreeable toward all with whom he comes in con- tact, and possesses the faculty of making scores of friends wherever he goes. No one, perhaps, hasiiebo more faith- ful and efficient in the discharge of their legislative duties during the session, and his course in the House is doubtless a fair indication of a still more prominent and successful career in the future. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 237 Mr, Snyder was married in 1860, to Miss Storrs, of Eaton, Madison county, and enjoys a high social position where he resides. GEOKGE SPRINGER. Me. Spbingee is a descendant of pure German stock, and possesses all those marked attributes of character for which the German race is so peculiarly distinguished. He is a native of the town of Stark, Herkimer county, N. Y., where he was born on the 13th of February, 1805. His paternal grandfather, Jacob Springer, was an officer in the Revolution. Both his parents were natives of the town of Brunswick, Rensselaer county, and removed into Herkimer county about sixty years ago. His father, Lodowick Springer, died in 1857, at the age of eighty-two, and his mother, whose maiden name was Maria Coons, died in 1821, at the age of forty- four. Mr. Springer was educated in the common schools of his native place, and has always been engaged in farm- ing. He has been Supervisor of his town some eight or nine years since 1839, and was chosen to the Assem- bly by a flattering majority. Politically, he was origi- nally a Whig, but, through the mistaken idea that the Republican movement was inaugurated alone for the amelioration of the condition of the slave, was very naturally led, by his strong German sympathies, into the ranks of that party. 238 BIOGEAPHICAl SEBTCHES. ■ 'Mr. Springer was married in 1832, to Miss Christina Eekler, and attends the Lutheran Church. LEMUEL STETSON. This gentleman has long held a prominent position among the most eminent men of the State. The brief space allowed us in these sketches does not permit us to do more than barely allude to some of the principal passages in Hs life. It would require a volume to do full justice to his biography, for " he is a man who has done the State some service, and they know it." Mr. Stetson was born close upon the Canada line, in the town of Champlain, Clinton county, in 1804, and has continued to reside in his native county until the present time. Having received an academical education at the age of twenty, he entered upon the study of the law, a profession for which he was pecuharly well adapted. After his admission to the bar he rose rapidly to dis- tinction and took his place among such men as Ross, Simmons, Hand, Sweatland, and others who shed lustre upon the legal fraternity of Northern New York. As a politician, the numerous and responsible offices he has held from time to time exhibits the enduring confidence entertained towards him by his fellow citi- zens. For six years, while comparatively a young man, he held the office of District Attorney of Clinton county. He has been four times returned to the Legislatm-e. In 1846 he was a member of the Constitutional Convention. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 239 For three years he was Judge and Surrogate of Clinton, and has also represented his district in Congress. In 1856 he ran for Comptroller on the Democratic Ticket, but was defeated by the Americans, who were then at the height of their power. The Congressional debates, the report of the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention, and of the various Legis- latures of which he has been a member, show the marked position he occupied among his comrades in all these bodies. As a lawyer at the bar, as a judge on the bench, in Con- gress, in the assemblies of the people, wherever he appears, he is a man of mark. Utterly fearless, independent and self-possessed, he moves straight forward to the object be- fore him, without hesitating for an instant to court favors by the way. He has firmness and decision to a remarkable degree, and these qualities, combined with strong, native intellect, and a high-toned sense of honor, have necessarily made him influential and conspicuous among his fellow- citizens. Up to the breaking out of the war, Mr. Stetson was a Democrat of the Hard-shell persuasion. When, however, treason raised its arm against the Eepublic, he ranged him- self at once on the side of those who demand that the Re- bellion shall be crushed at all hazards and at any cost. The war has brought desolation and grief to the house- hold of Mr. Stetson, as it has to so many others in the land. His eldest son, Col. Stetson, of the regiment raised in Essex and Clinton counties, was among the foremost of the volun- teers. He fell at the battle of Antietam. He was gallant, generous, brave, the pride of his friends and the idol of his family. His father hastened to the bloody field, on receipt 240 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. ofthe sad intelligence, found the remains of his beloved boy, and erected a temporary monument to mark his grave. His narrative of the trip to the battle-ground of Antietam was widely published, and though subdued by grief, breathed the genuine spirit of a patriot. It will be read long after its honored author shall have likewise gone to sleep with his fathers. JEREMIAH SWEET. Me. Sweet is a Union. Republican, and by the nume- rical strength of his party, in his district, was elected to the Assembly by some seven hundred majority over his Democratic opponent, John T. Thomas. He. is a native of Milford, Otsego county, N. Y., and is fifty- seven years of age. Like the sons of most farmers, in the days of his youth he received only an ordinary English education, and has passed most of his life in agricultural pursuits. His career in the House was quiet and unpretending, but he is said to have discharged his duties with a good deal of success and ability. He is a gentleman of respectability and some influence in the community in which he lives, and had some personal influence at Albany. BIOGRAPHICAL SKBTCHBS. 241 GEORGE H. TAYLOR. Mr. Taylor is one of the most enterprising and influ- ential men in the town of Fort Edward, and has served with credit as a Member of the Legislature. Although since 1845, largely interested in the general mercantile and produce business, with an extensive firm in the city of New York, he is, by profession, a practical civil en- gineer and surveyor, and, in 1858, gratuitously planned and superintended the construction of the free bridge across the Hudson river at Fort Edward. He, also, took the survey and made the plan of the Fort Edward Water Works, of which Company he is now President. Mr. Taylor was born in Fort Edward, and is forty- two years of age. He is descended from Anglo-Saxon stock. He was educated at the Washington County Academy, at Argyle, and at a mathematical school at Sandy Hill, and studied civil engineering. He was, politically, a Democrat until the bombardment of Fort Sumter, since which time he has been identified with the late Union movement, having been elected to the Assembly as the candidate of that party. He held the oflSce of Supervisor during the years 1855 and '58, and has always been one of the chief pillars of the Fort Edward Institute smce its establishment. He is, also, a prominent Director in the Bank of Fort Edward. Mr. Taylor was married in 1844 to Miss Annie Squires, and attends the Episcopal Church. His social qualities are of a high order, and he is "great on chowder." 21 242 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. JACOB TEN BROECK. Mr. Ten Broeck is a descendant of one of the old Dutch families who first settled the State of New York. Three brothers originally came to America, one settling at Claverack, another at Kingston, and the other at Albany, he having sprung from the latter. Se is a native of Clermont, Columbia county, where he was born on the 13th of May, 1800, and where he was engaged in farming until 1846, when he removed into Greenport, in that county. He continued his agricultural pursuits until some seven or eight years ago, since which time he has Tjeen living a retired life in the city of Hudson, of which he has now the honor to be Mayor. Mr. Ten Broeck received a common school and aca- demical education. He was originally a Democrat till 1856, when he supported Mr. Fillmore for the Presi- dency. He supported John Bell, toward whom he bears a strong resemblance in his personal appearance, and Edward Everett, the Union candidates, in the great contest of 1860; and has since then been acting with the Democratic party, believing that upon its success alone depends the future salvation of the country. He has held the office of Justice of the Peace some four years ; and was a quiet, industrious, and faithful member of the House during last winter. He has, also, had con- siderable military experience, having entered the service when only nineteen years of age. Mr. Ten Broeck was married in 1821, to Miss Ann Benner, of Dutchess county, and attends the Dutch BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 243 Reformed Church. He has twin sons living, whose wives are twin sisters, and has four daughters. ERON N. THOMAS. This gentleman is a native of the town of Porapey, Onondaga county, N. Y., where he was born on the 9th of May, 1809. He is descended from patriotic stock, his grandfather, Elijah Thomas, having been an officer in the Revolutionary army. In 1824 his parents, both natives of New England, removed from Pompey to the town of Rose, Wayne county, where the subject of this sketch still resides. The youth of Mr. Thomas was singularly unfortunate, having been afflicted with fever sores to such an extent, that he was confined to his bed for seven years. In 1831 his leg was amputated. Almost the whole of that portion of life, devoted by the young to the acquirement of an education necessary to fit them for the duties of after years, was passed by him upon a bed of pain. His future prospects at this time were, indeed, despond- ing ; nevertheless, he has proved himself to be one of those strong characters whom the hardest misfortunes fail to overcome, and who, by the force of native energy, rise superior to the most formidable difficulties. In 1833 Mr. Thomas became a clerk in a country -store at a salary of fifty dollars a year, yet from this moderate beginning he soon managed to enter intobusi- 244 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. ness on his own account, and for many years was largely engaged in merchandising and commercial pursnitB. Since 1859 he has devoted himself principally to farm- ing, and has taken au active interest in everything relating to the agricultural welfare of his section. He has been Supervisor, and on various occasions has been elected to other responsible offices in his town. He was appointed Postmaster during the Administration of General Jackson, an appointment which he has held under every Democratic Administration since. Upon the breaking out of the rebellion he united with the Union party as a war Democrat, and in a strong Republican district, was elected to the Assembly by a majority of four hundred and eleven. His principal speeches in the House were upon the bill to abolish the oflSce of State Assessors, and for completing the Sodus Canal, thus connecting the waters of Lake Ontario with the Erie Canal at Big Sodus Bay as a military necessity, in both of which he exhibited talent and a correct appre- ciation of the interests of the State. Mr. Thomas has been twice married, and belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church, though his religious views are unbiased by sectarian prejudices. Consider- ing the afflictions of his youth, and the deprivations to which they subjected him, he has been a remarkably successful man, and his life presents an encouraging example to the young, laboring under similar disabilities, worthy of imitation. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 245 WILLIAM M. THOMAS. Mb. Thomas was universally acknowledged, among his legislative compeers, to be one of the safest and most faith- ful men in the House. His integrity has become pro- verbial, his industry unceasing, and his face has always been sternly set against all the corrupt influences and com- binations for which the Legislature has become so famous. He is a self-made, successful business man, having, by his industry and honesty, succeeded in accumulating an inde- pendent fortune, but is far removed from selfishness, and would never sacrifice nor deny his principles to obtain place, power, fame, or fortune. He is a gentleman of plain, unpretending habits and manners — polite, not finical; courteous, not affected, and truthful, without dissimulation — in his personal intercourse with his fellow-men. Mr. Thomas was born on the 12th of December, 1812, in Swansea, Glamorganshire, South Wales. His maternal grandfather was an officer in the British army, and took a prominent part in the battle of Waterloo. His father, John Thomas, died in 1838, at the age of sixty-two, and his mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Davis, died iu 1848, at about the same age. Mr. Thomas received a limited education, and came to America when about the age of nineteen. Shortly after his arrival he located at Brooklyn, where he has always since resided. He served his time at the carpenter's trade, and since the completion of his - apprenticeship has been extensively and successfully engaged as a builder. He made a tour of the Eastern Continent about two years *21 246 BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. ago, and is now living a retired life. Originally, he was a Democrat until 1840, when he became a Whig, and is now a Kepublican. He has never been an active poli- tician, contenting himself with the quiet pursuit of his own private business, and is now serving his constituents for the first time in a public capacity. Mr. Thomas was married in 1834, to Miss Rhoda Pra- zier, who is a niece of the Rev. Dr. Nott, President of Union College. He attends the Rev. Dr. Beecher's Church, and is a gentleman of high standing and respectability in the city of his residence. BENJAMIN F. TRACEY. Mr. Tracey is young, able, hard-working and certain to take high and honorable rank among the public men of this State. He vi^on the respect and esteem of the whole Assembly in 1862 by his frank and upright course, and made his mark quite as thoroughly as any other member upon the business of the House. He is a law- yer by profession, a fluent, vigorous and impressive speaker, and is certain always to seize the leading point of every subject which he attempts to discuss. His forte is argument rather than rhetoric, and he seldom fails to carry conviction to fair and unprejudiced minds. He', never deals in sophistries, and is never imposed upon by them. Of' thorough and unquestioned integrity, seeking always the right of every question, but at the BIOGEA.PHICAL SKETCHES. 247 same time sufficiently practical never to overlook or undervalue considerations of sound expediency, and having the faculty of pressing strongly the main con- trolling argument of every question, he influenced the action of the House very largely upon every important topic which engaged its attention. Mr. Tracey is descended from Irish ancestors, and was born in Owego, Tioga county, N". Y., on the 26th of April, 1830. He was educated at the academy in his native place, and after studying law some time with Colonel Nathaniel W. Davis, his successor in the House, was admitted to the bar. When only twenty-three years of age he was chosen District Attorney of Tioga county, where he has always resided, and having served a second term, declined an election the- third time in consequence of the pressure of his private practice. Politically, he was originally a Whig, casting his first Ptesidential vote for General Scott in 1852. He took an active part in the organization of the Republican party, to the principles and policy of which he still firmly adheres. He is a gentleman of high standing and- influence in the community where he resides, and his career in the House was eminently creditable to him- self and his constituents. He made many very warm personal and political friends during the session, and is quite certain to be heard of very often hereafter in the political history of the State and country. He joined the Army soon after the adjournment of the Legislature as Colonel of the Tioga County Regiment of N. Y. S. V., and is now serving his country in the field. Mr. Tracey was married on the 23d of January, 1851, 248 BIOGEAPHIOAL SKETCHBS. to Miss Delinda E., daughter of Nathaniel Catlin, and usually attends the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which his wife is a member, and of which he has long been a trustee. His parents are both still living at an advanced age. JOHN VAN ETTEN, Je. Mr. Van Etten was born on the 4th of Fetruavy, 1815., He is a native of. the town of Deerpark, Orange county, N. Y., and has always been a resident of that county. He is of pure Holland extraction, and is descended from one of the oldest and most respectable families in that section of the State. Major Decker, who was shot at the battle of Minisink, in I'll 9, was a relative of his mother's family. His maternal grandmother was saved at the same time, while at school, from the Indians and tories under Brandt. He is a brother of Dr. Solomon Van Etten, who is now First Surgeon of the Fifty-Sixth Regiment of N. Y. S. V. Both his parents are still living; his father, Levi Van Etten, being now upwards of seventy-two years of age and his mother, whose maiden name was EUanor Car- penter, being nearly the same age. Mr. Van Etten received a good common school English education, and has always been actively and successfully engaged in farming. He was elected Sheriff of Orange county in 1849, holding the position three years, and was Supervisor of his town in 1858 and '59. Besides this, he BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 249 has held several other unimportant town offices, and in every position to which his fellow-citizens have called him, he has been found honest and faithful in the discharge of every duty devolving upon him. Politically, he has always been a Democrat of the old-fashioned Conservative stamp, possessing an intense hostility toward all that class of fana- tics at the North who have been so effective in bringing civil war upon the country, and has never been found to waver ahair's breadth in his support of pure Democratic prin- ciples. As a member of the House he was straightforward, consistent, and conscientious in the discharge of his duties, and passed most of last summer in the discharge of his duties as Chairman of the Special Committee, appointed at the last Session of the Legislature, to ascertain the amount of unclaimed moneys in the several Savings Banks and other moneyed institutions in the State. Mr. Van Etten was married in 1839, to Miss Mary V. Cuddeback, and attends the Second Dutch Church. PETER J. VAN VLEET. Me. Van Vleet is a native of the town of Lodi, Seneca county, N. Y., where he was born on the 2d of March, 1815. He is of Dutch and German descent. His father, Jared Van Vleet, who is still living at the advanced age of seventy-one, was born in New Jersey, and removed thence with his parents to Lodi, in 1792. His mother, whose maiden name was Dolly Swarthout, was a native of the town of Romulus, Seneca county, 250 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. and died in 1835 at the age of forty-three, leaving nine children of whom Peter was the oldest. His parents moved to the town of Romulus in ISlY, where he has always since resided. With the exception of three months' schooling at Ovid Academy, Mr. Yan Vleet was educated at a common district school, laboring on his father's farm in the sum- mer and attending school in the winter. He has always been engaged in farming, owning and cultivating over two hundred acres, which are beautifully situated on the shores of Seneca Lake, within a mile of the State Agricultural College and farm, an institution in which he has always taken a deep and abiding interest. He has, since the age of twenty-one, held various unim- portant town offices, and during the year 1846, '47, '58j '59 and '60, occupied the position of Supervisor. Pie was chairman of the Board in 1858 and '59, and al- though the board was a tie between the two political parties, he was re-elected chairman in 1860. He was also quite prominent in military life, under the old or- ganization. In 1836 he was commissioned by Governor Marcy Adjutant of the 128th Regiment of Infantry, which position he held until 1845, when he received ^ from Governor Wright the appointment of Brigade Inspector of the 38th Brigade (comprising the counties of Seneca and Wayne), with the rank of Major, holding the position several years. Mr. Van Vleet is a consistent Democrat of the old line school, and supported Gen. Cass in 1848. Though" not a noisy, scheming politician, he possesses great personal ■ popularity, and has held manj' places of public trust. He BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 251 represented the only Democratic county in Central and Western New York in the Assembly, and was elected by a handsome majority over a powerful opponent, running nearly one hundred votes ahead of the Stafje ticket. Al- though modest and unassuming in manner, and quiet and unobtrusive in the discharge of his duties, he was justly classed among the industrious, practical, substantial, com- mon-sense men of the House. Mr. Van Vleet was married, in 1837, to Miss JaneGulick, of Lodi, and attends the Presbyterian church at Ovid, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Dr. Lounsberry. DANIEL WATERBURY. Me. Wateeburt was born at Franklin, Delaware county, N. Y., in 1828. His father, the Rev. Daniel Waterbury, was a graduate of Union College and of the Theological school at Princeton; he oiBciated for many years as pastor of the Presbyterian Congregations in Andes, Franklin and Delhi. The successful establish- ment of the Delaware Literary Institute is attributed to his exertions. He died at Warsaw, Wyoming county, on the 22d of December, 1838, at the age of forty-five. The family of Mr. Waterbury is Revolutionary, and his grandfather and great grandfather served in the army. Seven great uncles held commissions. His great grandfather Stevens was killed by the British in the attack on Danbury. His uncle, Asa Grant, was a Mem- ber of the Legislature of 1821 and '22, and his uncle, 252 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. David S. Waterbury, of the Constitutional Convention of 1846, both representing the same district he now does. Mr. Waterbury was left an orphan at the age of ten. Col. Asa Grant, his mother's brother, took charge of her children, adopted and edncated them, and upon his death left them his property. They attended the dis- trict school, and at a maturer age were sent to academi- cal institutions. Mr. Waterbury, after several terms at the Delaware Literary Institute and the Delhi and Fergusonville Academies, finally graduated at the Normal School in 1848. He then spent some time in teaching, after which he entered Union College, graduating with honor in 1854, and was elected a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Turning his attention to legal pursuits he en- tered the Poughkeepsie Law School, and after graduat- ing was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in the city of New York. In 1857, after the death of his uncle, Colonel Grant, he returned to Delaware county, where he has since been engaged in legal and agricultural pursuits. Mr. Waterbury was nominated for the Assembly by the Republican party in 1860, and was elected. He served on the Judiciary Committee during the session of the Legislature that followed. He was re-elected to the House of 1862, his opponent being a straight Demo- crat, His speeches delivered during that session were justly regarded as efforts reflecting high honor upon him as an orator and logician. He was a member of the Salt Committee last summer which visited Syracuse and Saginaw, Michigan. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 253 In Mr. Waterbury is found the rare combination of the scholar, the gentleman, and the efficient professional and business man. He has more than justified the ex- pectations of his friends and supporters. The same indefatigable care for the interests of the State, assidu- ous regard for the welfare of his own constituents, and unrivaled public spirit, together with an unsullied integrity, have continued to characterize his career. He is originally of Puritan stock from Rhode Island, being descended from the Waterbury, Stevens, Grant and Lewis families. He is unmarried, and attends the Presbyterian Church. SYLVESTER WATERBURY. Mr. Waterbury is a native of Nas'sau, Rensselaer county, N. Y., where he now resides, and is forty-three years of age. His paternal ancestors settled in Connecticut, and his mother's family were residents of the State of New York. He received a common school education, and has passed his life chiefly as a farmer. Politically, he is a Democrat of the Conservative school, and has been quite prominent in the management of his party in the town where he resides. His course as a Member of the House was not brilliant, but straightforward, honest, and faithful to the interests of his constituents. He is a gentleman of character and influence in the community where he resides, and enjoys a high degree of personal as well as political popularity. 22 254 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. BENJAMIN R. WELLS. Me. Wells is a native of the city of Kew York, where he was born in 1817. He is descended from genuine Anglo-Saxon stock. He received an academical education in his native city, and is now a successful farmer in Monroe county, where he is well and favor- ably known. Politically, he was formerly a member of "^ the old Whig party, but when it abandoned its organization, he became a firm RepubUcan. He was a member of the House in 1861, serving with credit as a member of the Committee on Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties, and was highly esteemed as a member of that body for his honesty and integrity of purpose and the unyielding fidelity with which he dischai-ged every duty devolving upon him. The wife of Mr. Wells, whose maiden name was Sarah Temple Bowen, is a lady of superior female excel- lence, and, like her husband, is an ornament to the com- munity in which she moves. NELSON K. WHEELER. Me. Wheelee is a native of the town of Hancock, Delaware county, N. Y., and is still a resident of that county. He is descended from pure Yankee stock, his ancestors having been among the earliest settlers of BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 255 Massachusetts, and is fifty-three years of age. He re- ceived an academical education, and sustains the repu- tation of a good lawyer in Delaware county. He served as a Member of Assembly in 1843, when he discharged his duties in a manner that secured him the good opinion of all his legislative associates. Politically, he was originally a Whig, with strong Freesoil proclivities, and by the natural bent of his political training, early becapae a Republican. MATTHEW WIAED. This gentleman was a Member of the House in 1861, and somewhat unexpectedly turned up again in that body in 1862. The only distinguishing mark of his legis- lative career, however, was a blue coat which he always persisted in wearing, and by which he was familiarly known during both sessions, not only to his associates, but by all who were in the habit of visiting the Assem- bly Chamber. This, however, was no discredit to him, for it is asserted that Wellington liberated Spain in a red coat, extravagantly overestimated at a sixpence, while Napoleon entered Moscow in a green one, out at the elbows. The author stated in his volume for 1861, that he knew nothing authentic of Mr. Wiard, and he has since failed to obtain anything more authentic than what was then published of him. He disappeared from the Capitol 256 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. immediately after the adjournment of the Legislature in 1862, and has not been heard of since then. SAMUEL WILBOR. Mr. Wilbor -was bom in the town of Chatham, Columbia county, N. Y., where he still resides. He is the second son of Samuel S. and Hannah Wilbor, and received a name (Samuel) which had been handed down in the family from father to son, through six successive generations. He has, also, inherited, and now lives, in the old family mansion occupied by his grandfather before him. His ancestors came to this country about the year 1650, and were subsequently among the earliest settlers of Columbia and Dutchess counties. He is sup- posed to be of Welch descent. Mr. Wilbor was educated in the old Dutch town of Kinderhook in his native county, taking an academical course, and was inclined to pursue the study of medi- cine. , His inclination, however, in this respect was soon changed by the death of his father, which devolved upon him the care of the latter's business, including the management of a large farm. Since then he has passed his life chiefly in agricultural pursuits, to which he has occasional added various mercantile enterprises. Al- though by no means an indifferent observer of the ordinary course of political events he has never been a politician in the more modern acceptation of the term. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 257 His political conduct is shaped entirely by a desire to do whatever is best calculated to subserve the best interests of the country, and although elected to the House as a Union Republican, he is perfectly indepen- dent in his political views and feelings. His course in the Assembly was unusually quiet and unpretending, but the industry, intelligence and honesty of purpose exhibited by him in the discharge of his duties gave him a strong influ.ence among his legislative associates. He was a member of the Committee on Federal Relations — one of the most important of the session — and a member of that which, dui'ing the past summer, has had under investigation the amount of unclaimed moneys in the several Savings Banks and other moneyed institutions in the State. In both of these positions he displayed no ordinary degree of ability, and as a member of the latter committee has aided in the presentation of one of the ablest reports that has ever been made to the Legisla^ ture on that subject. Mr. Wilbor was married in 1837 to Miss Elsie, daugh- ter of John J. Van Valkenburgh, a lady of superior accomplishments, who died in 1844. In 1849 he was again married to Miss Margaret K. Whiteside, of Champlain, N. Y., and stands high in all the social rela- tions of private life. *22 ALPHABETICAL LIST MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY. With the Districts and .Counties they represent^ Post- office address, and Politics. Hon. Henkt J. Eatmokd, Speaker, New York city, Rep. Dla. Assemblymen. CountleB. P. O. Address. Pol. 1 Aokley, Jonathan M., Jefferson, Worthville, . . . E. 1 Allen, Andrew L. , . . . Cattaraugus Maohias E. 3 Alley, Samuel M.,. . . Steuben , . . . Hornellsville, . . R. 2 Alvord, Thomas G., . Onondaga, Salina, R, Andrus, Albert, Franklin, ........ Malone, ...... E. 2 Anthony, Smith, ... . Cayuga, Fleming E. 2 Avery, Eli, Oneida,.... Clayville, R. 3 Banks, A. Bleeoker, . Albany, Albany, D. Barry, Thomas Cortland, Marathon E. Bartlett, George Broome, Binghamton, . . R. Beadle, Tracy Chemung, Elmira R. S, Benedict, Charles K, . Kings,- New York city, R. 1 Bookstaver, Jesse P., Ulster, Saugerties D. 1 Bowe, Leroy E Otsego, Middlefield, . . . E. 3 Bowen, Benjamin E., Oswego, Mexico, R. 1 Brand, William H.,.. Madison Leonardsville, . R. 1 Bryan, Daniel B Steuben, , Sonora R. Burr, James H., Fulton & Hamilton, Gloversville, . . R. 5 Bush, James W...... New York, New York,.... D. 1 Callahan, John New York, New York,,... D. 4 Case, John A. Erie Holland R. 11 .Childs, NoahA. New York, New York, — D. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 259 Dis. Afiaemblymen. Counties. P. O. Address. ' Pol. 2 Church, Cornelius A., Otsego, Morris, R. 15 Coddington, Davids., New York, New York, D. 6 Coey, William J.,... New York New York,.... D. 1 Coles, Isaac, Queens Glen Cove R. 2 Cornell, AlraerinJ.,. Albany, Rensselaerville, R. Cornell, Ezra, Tompkins, Ithaca, R. Cowles, Jonathans., Greene Durham, D. 1 Crnttenden, Alvah E., Allegany, Canaseraga, . . . R. 4 Darcy, James Kings Brooklyn, D. Darrow, Nicholas E. , . Orleans, Clarendon, .... R. 1 Davis, Emry, Chautauqua, Bnsti, R. 1 Davis, John C, Suffolk River Head, .. . R. 3 Depew, Chaunoey M., Westohe.ster, Peekskill, R. 3 Dewey, William,.... JeflFerson, Three Mile Bay, R. 4 Doyle, William, Alhany, Albany, D. 1 Dutcher, John B Dutchess, Pawling, R. Ely, Smith Richmond New Brighton, D. 2 Fisher, Francis B.,.. . Chenango, Greene, R. 1 Fletcher, Benjamin H. Niagara, Lockport, D. 1 Pulton, John Saratoga, Waterford, R. 3 Gere, R. Nelson,.... Onondaga, Geddes, R. 3 Goslin, Ezra P., Erie, Akron, R. Gray, Thomas S. Warren, Warrenshurgh, R. 2 Green, Edmund, Dutchess Tivoli, R. 2 Hall, Henry D., Queens, Jamaica, D. 1 Halsey, William A.,.. Cayuga, Port Byron,... R. 2 Halsted, Newhury D., Westchester Rye, D. Haring, James S Rockland, Orangehurgh,. . D. Hause, Alvin C. Schuyler Weston R. 2 Havens, John S., Suffolk, Patohogue, D. Havens, Palmer E.,.. Essex Essex, R. 2 Hazleton, George W., Jefferson, Black River,.. . R. 2 Houghton, Nath'l M., Saratoga, South Corinth, R. 1 Hudson, Daniel R , . . Orange Blooming Grove R. 3 Hulburd, Calvin T.,. St. Lawrence Brasher Falls,. R. 260 BIOGEAPHICAl SKETCHES. Dis. AsBemWymen. CouDtles. P. O. Address. Pol. 2 Johnson, Willard, . . . Oswego, Fulton, D. 17 Jones, Edward New York, New York D. 4 Kenny, William J. C, New York New York, D. 2 Lake, Henry 0., Chautauqua, Charl'tteCe'tre, R. 2 Lalor, Richard I., . . . . Kings, Brooklyn D. Lanaont, William, . . . Schoharie, Charlotteville, . D. 2 Leamy, Daniel, New York New York, . • . , D. 3 Loutrel, George L.,.. New York, New York R. 2 Loveridge, Edw'd D., Allegany Cuba, E. Ludington, Benj. L., Sullivan, Monticello, R. 1 Lyman, Frederick A., Onondaga, .... Maroellus, ..... R. 16 MoCabe, Dennis New York New York, E. 1 McGonegal,GeorgeE., Monroe Rochester, R. 9 McLeod, Alexander,.. New York New York E. 7 McMuUen, Edgar,. . . . Kings, Brooklyn, E. 6 Maddox, Samuel T.,. Kings, Williamsburgh, E. 2 Mason, Francis Ontario, Canandaigua, . . R. 2 Maxon, David G. Rensselaer Petersburgh,. . . R. 1 Moore, Orson Herkimer, . ... Russia, E. 1 Murphy, John W., . . Erie Buffalo, D. 2 Neher, Philip H.,. ... . Washington, W. Pawlet, Vt., E. Newkirk, Nicholas, . . Montgomery Fort Hunter,. . . D. 10 O'Brien, Daniel M., . . New York, New York, D. Ogden, Darius A , . . . Yates Penn Yan, ... E. 8 Olvany, William G., . New York, New York, D. 1 Faroe, David B Chenango, South Otselic,. D. - Peck, Lucius Wyoming Java R. 3 Penfield, Thomas D., Oneida, Camden E. 14 Phelps, Royal, New York, New York D. 1 Pickett, David Ontario Gorham R. 2 Pierce, George T...... Ulster Esopus, R. 2 Porter, Peter A. Niagara,.... Niagara Falls,. R. Pringle, Benjamin, . . Genesee, Batavia R. 1 Provost, Andrew J.,. Kings Williamsburgh, R. 2 Pryne, Abram, Wayne Williamson, . . . R. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 261 Dis. AssemblymeD. Counties. P. O. Address. Pol. 2 Purdy, Albert G.,... Madison, Oneida, R. Reed, Thomas H., . . . Patnam, Brewster's St'n, R. 2 Redington, James, . . . St. Lawrence Waddington, . . R. 2 Rice, Addison 0-.,... Cattaraugus, Ellioottville, .. . R. 1 Root, Elias, Oswego Owego R. 1 Saxe, Charles, J...... Rensselaer, Troy, D. Sohermerhorn, Sim. J. Schenectady, Schenectady,.. D. 1 Soholefield, Chas. M., Oneida Whitestown, . . R. 2 Seymour, Horatio, . . . Erie Buffalo, D. 2 Sherwood, Henry,.. . Steuben Addison, R. 2 Skinner, Samuel Livingston, Nunda, R. 12 Smith, Andrew New York, New York, D. Snyder, H. D. H., Jr., Lewis Port Leyden, . . R. 1 Serls, Willet, Albany, Coeymans, D. Springer, George Herkimer, Starkville, R. Stetson, Lemuel Clinton, Plattsburgh,.... R. 4 Sweet, Jeremiah, .... Oneida, Utica R. 1 Talman, Pierre C, . . , Westchester, Morrisania, .... D. 1 Taylor, George H Washington, Fort Edward, . . R. 1 Ten Broeck, Jacob, . . Columbia, Hudson, D. 1 Thomas, Eron N.,.. . Wayne, Rose, R. 3 Thomas, William M., Kings, Brooklyn, R. 1 Townsley, Elias P.,. . St. Lawrence, De Kalb, R. Tracy, Benjamin F., . Tioga Oswego, R. 2 Trimmer, Eliphaz, . . Monroe, Rochester, D. 2 Van Etten, John, Jr., Orange, Huguenot D. Van Vleet, Peter J.,. . Seneca, Ovid, D. 13 Ward, Alexander, .. . New York New York D. 2 Waterbury, Daniel, . . Delaware^ Margaretville,.. R. 3 Waterbury, Sylvester Rensselaer, Nassau, D. 3 Wells, Benjamin R.,. Monroe, North Chili,... R. 3 Westbrook, Ebenezer, Ulster, Accord D. 1 Wheeler, Nelson K., . Delaware, Deposit R. 1 Wiard, Matthew, Livingston, East Avon, .... R. 2 Wilbor, Samuel, .... Columbia, Chatham, R. ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEES. Ways and Means. — Hulburd, Seymour, Rice, Alvord, Pierce, D. Waterbury, Provost. Commerce and Navigation. — Phelps, Ely, Saxe, Townsley, Coles. Canals. — Ogden, Murphy, Johnson, Gere, Taylor, Beadle, Love- ridge. Railroads. — Tracy, Trimmer, Banks, Butcher, Houghton. Banks. — ^Rpot, Beadle, Phelps, Scholefield, Gfray. Insurance Companies. — Alvord, P. E. Havens, Bookstaver, Mc- Mullen, Reed. Two-Thirds and Three-Fifths Bills. — Maxon, Ward, Neher, Townsley, Callahan. Colleges, Academies and Common Schools, — Porter, Trimmer, MoLeod, Pryne, Church. Grievances. — Sweet, Dewey, Maddox, Haring, Green. Privileges and Elections. — Bryan, Talman, Stetson, McCahe, Bowe. Petitions of Aliens, — Ludington, Neher, Leamy, Case, E. N. Thomas. Claims Rice, Fisher, Mason, Avery, Kenney. Erection and Division of Towns and Counties. — Hudson, Talman, Barry, Cruttenden, Newkirk. Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties, — Purdy, Bookstaver, Bryan, Lake, J. S. Havens. Medical Colleges and Societies. — Bowen, Hause, Lament, W. M. Thomas, Peck. State Charitable Institutions. — Wheeler, Bush, Pringle, Reding- ton, Childs. Affairs of Cities,— Prmgle, Coddington, Benedict, Seymour, Halsey, Fulton, Porter. EIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 263 Affairs of Villages. — Penfield, Lyman, Hall, J. C. Dayis, Springer. Manufacture of Salt. — P. E. Havens, Penfield, Gere, Wells, Smith. Trade and Manufactures. — Wiard, Snyder, Alley, Loutrel, Van Vleet. State Prisons. — Anthony, Wheeler, Andrus, Depew, Ten Broeok. Engrossed Bills. — E. Davis, A. J. Cornell, Olvany, Sohermerhorn, Bush. Militia and Public Defense. — Pierce, Darrow, Fletcher, Gray, Scholefield, Alley, Jones. Roads and Bridges. — Butcher, Skinner, S. Waterhury, Van Etten, Moore. Public Lands. — Eedington, Aokley, McGonegal, A. J. Cornell, Parce. Indian Affairs. — Allen, Doyle, Maxon, Ward, Sohermerhorn. Charitable and Religious Societies. — Burr, Darcy, Pryne, Cowles, Brand. Agriculture. — ^E. Cornell, Goslin, Westhrook, Pickett, McGonegal. Public Printing. — Mason, Fisher, McCabe, Ludington, Lalor. Expenditures in the Executive Department. — Houghton, Halsted, Coey, Loveridge, Lyman. Judiciary. — Stetson, Waterbury, Tracey, O'Brien, Benedict, Bart- lett, Sherwood. Joint Library. — Coddington, Banks, MoLeod, Hulburd, Depew. Expenditures of the House. — Maddox, Wiard, Case, Fletcher, Loutrel. Select Committee on the Revision of the Rules. — Scholefield, Al- vord. Pierce, Hulburd, Rice. Federal Relations. — Scholefield, E. Davis, Saxe, Wilbor, Dewey, Loveridge, Childs. Select Committee on the Revision of the Rules. — Scholefield, Al- vord. Pierce, Hulburd, Rice. MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY IlSr 1863. THEOPHILUS C. CALLICOT, SPEAKER. Mr. Callicot is a native of Fairfax county, Virginia, and is about thirty-seven years of age. He is descended from an English family who originally settled in that State. When only ten years of age he v^as sent from his father's farm to a grammar school in Alexandria, then in the District of Columbia, where he remained several years. His parents, however, removing to the eastern shore of Maryland, he was transferred to the academy at New London, Chester county, Pennsylvania, where he was prepared for college. He then, in 1841, entered the Sophomore class of Delaware College, at Newark, Delaware, where he completed his course, sub- sequently receiving the degree of A. M. He afterwards studied law at Elkton, Maryland, with the Hon. Hiram McCullough, one of the most eminent lawyers in that State, and after spending some time at the lectures and 23 266 BIOGEAPHICAI; SKETCHES. moot-courts of -the Yale College Law School, became a student of the New York practice in the oflBce of the distinguished and lamented Nathaniel B. Blunt. In 1847 he was admitted to practice in all the courts of the State of New York, after passing a rigid examination in the first class who presented themselves before the Supreme Court for that purpose under the new Consti- tution. In politics Mr. Callicot has always been a firm and unyielding Democrat, but never a violent partisan. His first appearance in public life was as a Member of Assembly, in 1860, from the Third District of Kings county, which had always before given a strong anti- Democratic majority. At the opening of the session of that year he was the Democratic candidate for Speaker, receiving his full party vote, but by the numerical strength of his opponents was defeated at the organiza- tion of the House for that position by Mr. Littlejohn, the Republican candidate. He was also" a member of the Committee of Ways and Meaiis, and the Judiciary Committee, and was generally regarded as the leader of his party in the Assembly during that winter. He was again a candidate for a seat in that body in the fall of 1860 from the same district, but although receiv- ing a larger number of votes than when elected, he was defeated by sixty majority. He was renominated at the last election, and, after a very active and exciting canvass, was triumphantly elected by more than five hundred majority. Although not participating in the Democratic caucus at the opening of the present session of the Legislature BIOGEAPHJCAL SKETCHES. 267 Mr. Callicot voted steadily for Mr. Dean, the Demo- cratic candidate for Speaker, throughout most of the exciting contest that preceded the organization, as the result of a tie between the Democratic and Republican forces. He refused, however, to do so any longer after the Republicans had abandoned their regular candidate for Speaker, and expressed their intention of voting for him for that position. The inevitable result of this course, therefore, was his own election as Speaker, and in return, apparently for the favor thus shown him by his political opponents, he immediately voted with them in completing the organization of the House. As a presiding oflBcer he has exhibited far more ability than it was generally supposed he possessed before his promotion to the Speakership. He is always promptly at his post, and notwithstanding the embar- rassing position in which he finds himself in consequence of the circumstances of his election as Speaker, he has succeeded in the discharge of his duties to a degree that would have been creditable to some of his more distinguished predecessors in that capacity. GEORGE ADGATE. It is rarely the case that as good and valuable a man as Mr. Adgate is found in the lower branch of the Legislature. Possessed of a sound judgment, good in- tellect, and a character distinguished for its integrity 268 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. and honesty of purpose, together with a kind, courteous and agreeable disposition, he is evidently " the right man in the right place," and has shown himself one of the most reliable and useful men his district has had in the Legislature for many years. Mr. Adgate is a native of the town of Peru, Clinton county, N. Y., and is fifty-three years of age. He is descended from English stock. After receiving a limi- ted English education he turned his attention to agri- cultural pursuits, which he successfally followed, and for several years has been devoting most of his time to merchandising. He has held -various town oflBces in his town and county since becoming a voter, including that of Supervisor, holding the position of Chairman of the Board several years. In politics he has always been a Democrat of the old Jeifersonian school, and has for many yeirs been one of the chief leaders of his party in the county of Clinton. He was nominated at the lest election with unusual unanimity for the seat he now holds in the Assembly, and was triumphantly elected over the Hon. Lemuel Stetson, one of the strongest men in the last Legislature. Mr. Adgate was married in 1843 to Miss C. M. Learned, and attends the Presbyterian Church. He is a gentleman of fine social qualities, and enjoys a high degree of personal popularity. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 269 ANDREW L. ALLEN. Me. Allen was a member of the last House, where he served, with credit, as Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs. He is a quiet, conscientious, and in- dustrious man, and has exhibited very good representa- tive ability since a member of the Legislature. Mr. Allen is a native of the town of Hamburgh, Erie county, N. Y. He was born on the I'Zth of August, 1824. He is of English and Irish descent. His father, Cheney Allen, is still living at the age of seventy-seven, and his mother, whose maiden name was Sarah Lytle, died in 1852, at the age of sixty-one. Mr. Allen was educated in a common district school. He was reared a farmer, and has^always been success- fully engaged in agricultural pursuits. He removed into Cattaraugus county, in 1836, where he has always since resided, and. where he sustains a prominent and influen- tial position. He was originally a Seward Whig, and after the abandonment of the Whig organization, became a Republican. He has held the office of Justice of the Peace some four years, and was returned to the present House by an increased majority as a straight Republican candidate. He acts more and talks less than men gene- rally. Mr. Allen was married on the 1st of November, 1847, to Miss Elvire Bush, and usually attends the Unitarian Church. *23 270 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. NEWTOIif ALDRICH. Mr. Aldrioh is a native of the town of Luzerne, Warren county, N. Y., and is thirty-three years of age. His pater- nal ancestors were among the earliest settlers of Connecti- cut, and he is supposed to be of English descent. After receiving a limited English education he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, in which he has been engaged most of his life in his native town, where he now resides. Politically he is an ardent Republican, of Woolly-head antecedents, and was defeated as the straight candidate of his party for the Assembly, in the fall of 1861, by the Hon. Thomas S. Gray, one of the leading men of the last House. He was again nominated at the last election, for the same position, and by the aid of the late Union movement was elected over a straight Democratic opponent. His course in the House has been so quiet that but little is known of him as a legislator. ALBERT ANDRUS. Me. Andkus is emphatically one of the best and safest Members of the Assembly, and served as a member of that body in 1862 with commendable success. He is of genuine old New England Congregational stock, and himself a member of that church. Three of his imcles, on his father's side, and seven cousins have been minis- ters of that denomination. One of the latter is Presi- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. '211 dent of Marietta College, Ohio, and another was for- merly pastor of the Tabernacle Church in New York. He is one of five brothers, four of whom, including him- self, have been members of legislative bodies — three in New York and one in Illinois. Theology and politics seem to characterize the family. The native place of Mr. Andrus is Malone, Franklin county, N". Y., where he was born in 1819, and is now, therefore, forty-four years of age. He received an ordi- nary education at Malone, and St. Albans, Vermont, and was educated in reference to the mercantile business. In 1835 he went to Constantine, Michigan, where he served as clerk in a store two years, after which he com- menced business on his own account, and pursued it nine years, when he returned to his native town — the climate of the West not agreeing with his constitution. He was very successful, however, in his Western busi- ness, and on his return to Malone commenced buying and selling real estate, in connection with a store, and has amassed a handsome property. He still continues this business with good success. The father of Mr. Andrus, Hon. Cone Andrus, was born in Connecticut ia 1782, and died in Malone in 1822, at the age of forty ; his mother, Anna Parker Andrus, died in Vermont in 1834, aged thirty-nine. He was married in 1846, to Miss Mary Ann Jackson, of Milton, Vermont, daughter of Giles Jackson, Esq. The grand- father of Mrs. Andrus was one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of Vermont, of Irish descent, and re- motely connected with Gen. Andrew Jackson. Mr. Andrus has been the usual round of town officers ; 272 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. is Vice-President of the Franklin County Mutual Insu- rance Company ; a Director in tlie Bank of Malone, and one of tlie Trustees of the Franklin County Academy. He is of old Henry Clay Whig antecedents, but for the last seven years has acted with the Democrats, and was defeated in 185Y as the Democratic candidate for the Assembly, by one vote. On the breaking out of the rebellion he avowed himself a Union man, and united with the Republicans and others in forming a Union organization. In the fall of 1861 he was nominated for ■ the Assembly, as the candidate of that party, and was elected by 1,38Y majority over the Democratic nominee, Mr. Stephens, formerly sheriff of that county. As a legislator he has proved himself safe, prudent and relia- ble, and one of the most active and intelligent members of the Assembly. His constituents have wisely returned him again for the present year ; and his experience, tact and energy renders him one of the most valuable mem- bers. He is strongly conservative in his views, and does not approve the emancipation poKcy of the Presi- dent, but under the circumstances is wUling to give it a fair trial. In the prolonged contest for Speaker, it is known that the Democrats offered him the candidacy for that posi- tion, after having failed in electing an exclusive party man, but he declined the honor. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 273 HORACE BEMIS. Me. Bemis is a Dative of Vermont, and is thirty-five years old. He is a lawyer, is located in Hornellsville, Steuben county, N. Y., and was elected to the Assembly of 1863 by a majority of six hundred and seventy-eight. In politics, Mr. Bemis professes to be a Democrat, though it would seem that he ,is not very reliable in party matters. He was elected as a Union Democrat, and with his name added to the Kepublican list, the parties were tied, on the opening of the Legislature. In the Eepublican or Union caucus, it is said that he threatened to go over to the De- moci'ats, and thereby elect a Democratic Speaker, unless the Republican members would unite upon his colleague, Mr. Sherwood ; and in order to avoid this dilemma, his demand was acceded to, and that gentleman received the nomination. After several ballotings, it became apparent that neither of the regular candidates could be elected, un- less some one dropped off from either side, thus giving the opposing party the preponderance. At this critical period, the Republicans succeeded in drawing Mr. Callicot to their aid, and the way was apparently made clear for his election. But an unexpected difBcuIty arose. Some two or three Republicans would not support that gentleman, and the case stood as dubious as ever. At this juncture, Mr. Bemis offered to throw his weight in the Democratic scales, and indeed voluntarily promised to, do so ; but for some unex- plained reason he did not come up to the mark, and the recusant Republicans being induced to act with their bre- thren, the contest was decided by the election of Callicot. 274 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. During this period of excitement, which lasted some three weeks, the course of Mr. Bemis was so vascillating as to excite much remark ; and a good deal of apprehension was engendered among his friends, lest he should go over to the Democrats. Evidently he desired to do so ; but that party, not considering the "game as worth the candle," manifested no particular anxiety to secure him ; and, fearing that he might "be left out in the cold," he concluded to remain as he was. Mr. Bemis began his career as an apprentice to a shoe- maker; but his ideas soon getting above "peg" work, he left his native State and turned up in Steuben county, where he hung out his shingle as an insurance agent. Sub- sequently he studied law, which he has always since follow- ed, with indiiferent success, in justices' courts. CHARLES A. BENJAMIN. Mb. Benjamin is a native of the town of Brownville, Jefferson county, N. Y., and is forty-two years of age. His ancestors were residents of Vermont. He received only such an education as is usually afforded farmers' sons in a new country, and has passed most of his life as an agriculturalist. Politically, he is a firm and un- yielding' Republican, and was elected to the Assembly as the straight Republican candidate by a handsome majority over his Democratic opponent. Although he is said to be a gentleman of respectability and influence in his native county, where he now resides, his course BIOGEAPHICAX SKETCHES. 275 in the House has been remarkably quiet, and he is but little known outside of the immediate circle of his personal friends. JESSE F. BOOKSTAVER. Me. Bookstaveb may almost be said to have been born a politician. He has been active in political matters ever since he became a voter. He enjoys the excitement of political gatherings, and of arranging and carrying out legi- timate political schemes. He has keen, perceptive facul- ties, understands human nature, is energetic and indefati- gable, when thoroughly aroused and determined to carry a point ; has a pleasant exterior and companionable and social qualities, and hence, has been remarkably successful in political matters. He is always ready, when his party asks his services, and few men can work to better advantage. Mr. Bookstaver was born in Montgomery county, N. Y., on the 15th of August, 1828, of German descent. His father, Levi Bookstaver, died in October, 1862, and his mother, whose maiden name was Catharine Snyder, died several years ago. Mr. Bookstaver obtained a fair educa- tion at the academy in his native town. He then com- menced the study of law in the office of his brother, John L. Bookstaver, then in practice in Montgomery. He ob- tained his license -soon after reaching the age of twenty-one. His brother dying soon after, he succeeded to his business a large part of which consisted in acting as a general agent for the estate of Robert L. Livingston, one of the descen- 27C BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. dants of the well-known family which obtained the "Liv- ingston Patent." He at length removed to Saugerties, Ulster county, where he still resides. Mr. Bookstaver was originally a Democrat. In 1854 he joined the American organization, and in the following year was elected by that organization, Surrogate of the County of Ulster. Upon the disintegration of the American party, he went back to the Democratic party, to which he has since remained steadfastly attached. In the fall of 1861 he was elected Member of Assembly, and re-elected in 1862, by a largely increased majority. He has several times been elected a Director of the Village of Saugerties. In the Assembly he is always active, and exerts no small influence upon the proceedings of that body. He never makes set speeches, and seldom talks over five minutes at a time, but success usually follows his efi'orts. Mr. Bookstaver was married in May, 1852, to Miss Eliza ■ beth Marshall. HENRY C. BOSWELL. Mr. Boswell is a native of Trenton, Hunterdon county. New Jersey, and is fifty years of age. His maternal ances- tors were always residents of that State, and his father's family were from Pennsylvania. After receiving a good, practical business education, he turned his attention to the study of medicine, and is now a druggist in Brooklyn. Although a firm and consistent Democrat of the Conserva- tive stamp, he was never a politician, but his great personal BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 2 "7 "7 strength always makes him a formidable opponent. He was nominated by the Democrats of his district with great unanimity, and was triumphantly elected over his prede- cessor in the House. He is one of the most quiet men in the Legislature, but has shown himself an efficient and capable legislator. ELIAS W. BOSTWICK. De. Bostwick was bom in Canaan, Columbia county, N". Y., and is thirty-four years of age. His father, Herman B. Bostwick, was a descendant of the New Eilgland Puritans, as was also his mother, whose maiden name was Mary H. Lee. His father died in the town of Austerlitz, on the 10th of October, 1 834. The Doctor obtained his education, principally, at the district school, and had in view the profession of medicine. After he was prepared, he entered the Medical College at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where he took his diploma, and entered upon the practical duties of his profession in Kinderhook, Columbia county. Dr. Bostwick has belonged to various political parties, but has never been so closely identified with any one of them as to become prominent. On the occasion of the Union movement, which embraced all party men and no party men, he very properly, and naturally, united with it ; and from the peculiarity of his antecedents — claimed by none as a partisan— he was very appro- 24 278 BIOGEAPHIOAL SKETCHES. priately designated as a candidate for the Assembly, aS one who would command votes from all organizations — having heretofore acted with all. The result proved the wisdom of the selection, as he was entirely successful. He is an active member of the House — watchful and observant of everything that is passing, and ready to interpose objections, or suggest amendments that he deemed proper. Quick of perception he readily dis- covers defects, and his sagacity and good sense as readily prompts the remedy. He seldom speaks on any subject other than by few explanatory remarks, giving his views succinctly and with more advantage to the public, than by the delivery of an elaborate speech. Brevity is the soul of wit ; and with the Doctor the truth and aptness of the proverb is fully verified. The Doctor manages his religious matters on the same principle that guides his political course — he belongs to or attends all denominations. When he knocks at the gate, hereafter, Peter will undoubtedly admit him, as none can dispute his creed or faith. WILLIAM H. BRAND. Mr. Brand is a native of Brookfield, Madison county, N. Y., of Scotch descent, although his immediate ancestors came from the State of Rhode Island. He was educated at the Whitestown Seminary, and for some time followed the occupation of a farmer. At present he hails from Leon- ardsville, where he is engaged as agent and book-keeper. BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 279 He has been twice elected to the Assembly, on the last occasion receiving a majority of fifteen hundred over his Democratic competitor. He served during the session of 1862, on the Committee on Charitable and Religious Socie- ties. He is a Republican of the strictest sect; an earnest opponent of the institution of slavery, and one of those vfho demand the suppression of the rebellion and the mainte- nance of the Government al any cost, regarding Northern Democrats and Southern traitors as alike enemies of their country. In 1846 Mr. Brand married Miss Sarah Ann Robinson, and his religious vievps is in accordance with those of the Baptist denomination. JOSEPH BEEED. Mr. Breed was originally from the Green Mountain State, as might easily be inferred from his stalwart appearance, and was born in 1811, in Windham county. He is descended from the genuine Yankee stock. His parents, who are now dead, were both residents of Breedshill, Massachusetts, where his father, Henry G. Breed, was born. Mr. Breed received a limited education, and came to New York about thirty-five years ago. He took up his residence in Onondaga Valley, where he has since chiefly resided, and where, during the past seven years, he has been successfully engaged in milling. He had previously, however, been engaged in contracting and farming. He has held various town ofSces, including that of Supervisor, 280 EIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. which he occupied two years, and was elected to the Assembly as a Union Republican by upwards of a thousand majority. In politics, he was originally a Clay Whig, and is now a Republican of the more Conservative stamp. He has always been found faithful to his party, and was one of the very last Republicans who went over to the support of Mr. Callicot for Speaker at the organization of the House. Although seldom essaying to make a speech, he is diligent and faithful in the discharge of his legislative duties, and has shown himself a good representative. Mr. Breed was married in 1837, to Miss Letetia Lew- rence, and attends the Dutch Reformed Church. IRA BROCKETT. Mr. Brockett is one of the most personable, if not pre- possessing gentlemen in the House. He is about medium in height, with an elegantly formed body ; a well developed head, thickly coated with soft black hair; brilliant black eyes, of intelligent expression ; and a pleasant, agreeable, good- nattired countenance, which imparts a charm to his inter- course with men that but few possess. To this is added a rare combination of all the essential attributes of a perfect gentleman, which makes him friends of all with whom he comes in contact, and has rendered him one of the most popular men in his section of the State. Mr. Brockett was born in 1814, in Galway, Saratoga county, N. Y., where he has always resided, and where he is largely engaged in the mercantile trade. His parents, BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 281 who were natives of Connecticut, were among the earliest settlers of that place, and his father became distinguished as the most scientific agriculturalist in that section of the State. His son, the subject of this sketch, received a limited education, and while yet a mere lad became a clerk in the store of Gen. Earl Stimpson. He still retains all the active business habits he then acquired, and is now one of the shrewdest and most successful merchants in the county of Saratoga- Mr. Brockett was formerly a Whig; an ardent admirer and supporter of Clay and Webster, and always adhered firmly to the political principles inculcated by those distin- guished men. Upon the dissolution, however, of the Whig party, in 1856, he became an active supporter of the princi- ples and policy of the Democatic party, believing such a course eminently National and desiring to secure to the South all their just rights under the Constitution. Still, he has never been prominent as a politician, or rather as an ofBce-holder, confining himself almost entirely to his duties asastrict businessman. The first oflSce he ever held was that of Trustee of the village of Gal way, from which he ascended, in 1860, to the more dignified position of Supervisor, and continuing his flight, finally, in 1863, alighted in the Capi- tol of the State. As a legislator he is quiet and unostenta- tious in everything he does ; is always promptly at his post in the discharge of his duties ; and wields an influence in the House which always tells, for weal or for woe, upon the destiny of any measure coming before that body for its action. Although a man of strong, old-fashioned conservative principles, possessing an intense hatred of fanaticism in any *24 282 BIOGKAPHICAIi SKETCHES. foi'm, Mr. Brockett, at the breaking out of the rebellion, was, probably, the most active man in his county in raising volunteers, being the first in his town to advertise additional bounties to volunteers, and contributed largely of his time and means to the accomplishment of that end. He is utterly opposed, however, it is understood, to the present emancipation policy of the Federal Administration, and desires a thorough prosecution of the war alone for the restoration of the Union as it was, and the preservation of the Constitution as it is. Mr. Brockett was married some twenty years ago to Miss Mary, daughter of Dr. Nathan Thompson, brother of the late Judge Thompson, one of the ablest jurists of Saratoga county. She is a lady of superior worth and intelligence, and, with her husband, attends the Presbyterian Church. WILLIAM BROWN. Mr. Brown is a native of the town of Ogden, Mon- roe county, N. Y., where he was born on the 3d of No- verabei", 1809. He is of English descent. His father, William B. Brown, who was a distinguished man in his day, holding the position of Judge and Member of As- sembly, died in 1851, at the age of seventy, and his mother, whose maiden name was Rachel Wiley, died in 1842, at the age of sixty-five. Mr. Brown was educated in the common schools of his native place, and has passed his life chiefly as a far- mer. He has held the offices of Justice of the Peace BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 283 and Supervisor, the former four years and the latter two years, and was elected to the Assembly as a straight Republican candidate by upwards of six hundred ma- jority. He was also Canal Superintendent two years, and Commissioner of the Monroe County Penitentiary some three years. His politics were formerly of the Whig school, but at the disorganization of that party he became a Republican, still holding firmly to the prin- ciples and policy of that party. He is a firm and con- sistent Member of the House, and although not boister- ous in the discharge of his duties, exhibits a good deal of representative ability. Mr. Brown was married in 1831, to Miss Claresse M. Webster, and attends the Presbyterian Church. His social qualities are of a high order, and he is personally quite popular among his legislative associates. WILLIAM BROOKS. This gentleman is a native of Otsego county, of Dutch and English descent. He was educated in the common and select schools of his native place, and trained from early life to the business of a merchant — ■ a business in which he is still engaged. For several years he was town clerk, and in 1862 Su- pervisor of his town. He was formerly an old line Whig, but some twelve years since united with the De- mocracy and is now numbered among the most adaman- tine HardsheUs of his party. He is sincere and earnest 284 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. in his political convictions, and stands by them as immov- able as a rock. His opposition to the measures of the Administration is open and avowed, his sentiments being in unison with those of Vallandigham of Ohio, and Fer- nando "Wood, of N"ew York. Mr. Brooks is quiet and unassuming in his personal bearing, yet possessing qualities of such an agreeable and genial nature, that he invariably commands the friendship and good will of all with whom he comes in contact. Though rarely, if ever, indulging in debate, the quiet influence of his character is felt and respected in the House. In 1836 he was married to Miss Hettie M. Morse, and to use his own words, " attends the Universalist Church, of course." JOHN CHICKERING. Mr. Chickering was born in Worcester county, Massachusetts, and is fifty-two years of age. He is sup- posed to be descended from Puritan stock. His edu- cational advantages were confined chiefly to the free schools of New England, and he has passed most of his life as a farmer. He was elected to the House as a straight Republican, but has been remarkably quiet in the discharge of his duties since the opening of the ses- sion. More than this the author has wholly failed to ascertain concerning him. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 285 CORNELIUS A. CHURCH. Mr. Church is about the only man in the House who lost his equilibrium during the contest for Speaker, exclaim- ing, on one occasion, when trembling like Belshazzar, at the sight of the handwriting on the wall — " Stand firm, I am d d mad !" He was a Member of the Assembly in 1862, serving on the Committee on Colleges, Academies, and Common Schools, and was then regarded as a third-rate man in that body. Ridiculous, however, as it is, he seems to be some- what more exalted this session, a good many of his Eepub- lican friends looking up to him as one of the leaders of the party in the House. It is entirely due many of his politi- cal associates, however, to say that they are very far better' calculated to occupy the position of a leader of the party upon the floor of that body, than our worthy friend from Otsego. Mr. Church is a native of Bainbridge, Chenango county, N. Y., and is forty-five years of age. He received an ordi- nary English education, and is a tanner and currier, in which business he has passed most of his life. He is a Republican of the" strictest sect, and believes in a thorough prosecution of the war upon the basis enunciated in the President's Emancipation Proclamation. His ability as a speaker is far below mediocrity, and he rarely attempts to address the House; his ambition not unfrequently rendering him exceedingly unhappy in consequence of his suability to do so. Rarely has his District sent a man to the Legisla- ture so little calculated to take care of its real interests at the State Capitol. 286 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. ELIZUR CLARK. Mr. Clark is one of the most quiet, though straightfor- ward, consistent, substantial, well-meaning men in the House. There is nothing at all showy or ostentatious in his composition, but the sound judgment and good com- mon sense which he possesses in no ordinary degree, renders him a valuable man and a safe legislator. Mr. Clark is a native of Say Brook, Middlesex jcounty, Vermont, and is fifty-five years of age. He is probably of English descent. His father, Beaumont Clark, died some years ago, at the age of ninety ; and his mother, whose maiden name was Nabbe Spencer, at the age of seventy- eight — both in Jackson county, Mich. He received an ordinary business education in the free schools of New England, and in 1823 located at Salina, Onondaga county, where he is now engaged in the lumber trade and the manufacture of .coarse salt. He held the office of Super- visor in 1856 ; has been Commissioner of Excise since ISSY ; and was elected to the Assembly over the Hon. Elias W. Leavenworth, one of the strongest men in his dis- trict. The first vote he ever cast was for Andrew Jackson, in 1828, and he has always since then been astern, unwav- ering Democrat of the National Conservative stamp. Although ever ready to sustain the National Administra- tion in a vigorous prosecution of the war for the restoration of the Union, he is thoroughly hostile to the policy recently inaugurated by the Emancipation Proclamation, believing it calculated, if not designed, to contribute more than anything else to a speedy and permanent dissolution of the Union. BIOGKAP^ICAl SKETCHES. 28'7 Mr. Clark is one of the most agreeable and gentlemanly- Members of the Legislature, and almost invariably makes friends of all with whom he comes in contact. THADDEUS W. COLLINS. Me. Collins was born in the town of Rose, "Wayne county, N. Y., on the 15th of April, 1830. His ances- try is of English origin. His paternal grandfather was a native of Vermont, and his father, Stephen Collins, was born in Wayne county where he still resides, at the age of sixty-one. His mother, whose maiden name was Clarissa -Wilson, is a native of Connecticut, and is also still living, at the age of fifty-nine. Mr. Collins has had excellent educational advantages. In 1855 he graduated at Genesee College, and iii the year 1857 at the Law Department of the University of Albany. Soon after graduating at the latter institution he commenced the practice of law in the town of Wol- cott, Wayne county, which he still pursues at that place. Politically, he was formerly a Whig, and is now a Republican. In 1860 he was elected Supervisor of the town of Wolcott. He is rather a modest man; and does not push himself forward, yet is evidently not de- void of a laudable ambition to rise. He attends closely to his legislative duties and though not a silent member, speaks but seldom. His personal appearance does not give a favorable impression of him, but acquaintance proves him to be better than he looks. During the ses- 283 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. sion he has been an attentive student of legislative mat- ters, and has gained a knowledge of them which he will undoubtedly, use for his own benefit. Mr. Collins was married on the 18th of November, 1858, to Miss Lavina A. Wood, and attends the Baptist Church. ANSON G. CONGER. The town of Danby, situated on the eastern border of the Green Mountain State, was the birthplace of Mr. Conger, who is one of those energetic, self-reliant, self-made men of whom we are so justly proud. He belongs to a family of Quakers, his father, Noah Conger, having been a preacher in that denomination. Mr. Conger was brought up on a farm, enjoying during the winter months the advantages of a common school education, and while a young man occasionally taught a district school himself. In 1845, at the age of thirty- three, he removed to the town of Collins, Erie county, where he has ever since resided. There he entered upon the business of buying and selling lands and negotiating loans, and possessing a speculative turn of mind, to- g.ether with a sound judgment, soon succeeded in accu- mulating a handsome fortune. Satisfied with the profits of his earlier labors and speculations, he not long since closed up his business affairs, and now lives in retire- ment. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 289 Mr. Conger was originally a Whig, and was elected to the present House as a straight. Republican. For three years he was Supervisor of his town. In 1845 he married Miss Portia White, and is an attendant upon the Methodist Church. He is a gentleman of intelli- gence and solidity of character, and looks back to his pecuniary success in life with self-complacent satisfaction. EZRA CORNELL. Mr. Cornell was born in Westchester, Westchester county, N.Y., in ISC'/. His father was from Bristol coun- ty, Mass., whence he removed to Columbia county, N.Y., in 1802, and was married in 1806 to a daughter of Cap- tain Reuben Barnard, of Nantucket, who had then re- cently emigrated to Columbia county with his family. Soon after their marriage his parents removed to West- chester. His mother died in 1858, at the age of seventy years ; and his father is stiU living at the advanced age ■ of ninety-two. The family of Mr. Cornell have always borne a high reputation for honesty, sobriety, and in- dustry. Mr. Cornell's education was obtained at brief inter- vals in district schools in Westchester, Bergen county, N. J., and De Ruyter, Madison county, N. Y. At the last-named place he, with a younger brother, obtained his schooling under the tuition of Colonel T. C. Nye on the following terms: The two boys, aged seven- teen and eighteen respectively, agreed to chop and 25 290 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. fix for planting four acres of heavy beech and maple timber land after school was out, on condition of receiv- ing three months' schooling. This task they accom- plished between the 15th of March and the 15th of May, 1825, and four acres of good corn was raised on the ground that season, it having been chopped, burned, logged, cleared, fenced and planted in that space of time. Thus the two boys secured their education and graduated with honor — a noble example for boys of the present day. Mr. Cornell possesses great mechanical genius, and quickly comprehends the mysteries of art. When he was eighteen years old, the summer after he left the De Ruyter school, his father engaged a carpenter to build a shop, and he was required to assist in doing the work. His task was to bore for mortises, with a two-inch auger; and he was set to work with the expectation, on the part of his father, that, after a brief trial, he would hack out. But backing out was not in his nature — he never put his hand to the plow and looked back ; his desire was to learn, and he went ahead with that pur- pose only in view, closely observing the movements of the " Boss," who laid out the work, and studying the " scratches " that he made. By the second day he had mastered the mystery of the " square rule," and under- stood the principle that governed it, and before the day had closed he detected an error in the laying out. He modestly called the attention of the " Boss " to the matter, but received a torrent of abuse for his pains, and narrowly escaped a whipping from his father for his presumption. It turned out, however, that he was BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHBS. 291 right, and the "Boss" sullenly caved in. The next season young Cornell engaged to build a two-story frame house, of large size, and he went to work single- handed and alone. He framed the building by " square rule ;" and, notwithstanding the timber was scattered about in all directions, part of it in the woods, and part on the spot where it was to be used, the frame came to its place without an error, and was pronounced by old workmen the best in town. Having established his reputation as a mechanic, Mr. Cornell embarked in the business of building, and in 1828 settled in Ithaca, Tompkins county. Here he was employed by the late J. S.- Beebe, Esq., in repairing a mill ; and so well pleased was that gentleman with his workmanship and enterprise that he gave him the entire charge of his milling business, in which he continued from 1830 to 1840. During the time he was with Mr. Beebe he built a large flouring mill, with eight run of stones, which was an entire success, and was pronounced the best ever erected in the county. In 1840 he turned his attention to farming, with great success, taking the county premium several years for crops of one hundred bushels or more of shelled corn per acre. His farming business is now of considerable magnitude, and is mostly managed by his sons. He has two farms of three hundred acres each, and a stock of thorough-bred cattle that cost him $10,000. In 1843 Mr. Cornell became acquainted with F. O. J. Smith, Esq., the celebrated Telegraph manager, at whose suggestion he engaged in the business. He soon in- vented a machine for laying wire in tubes sunk in the 292 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. ground, which worked admh-ably ; but Professor Morse subsequently discovered that the insulation of the wire was not sufficient to work in the ground, and the machine was abandoned. About this time Congress appropriated $30,000 to build a line from Washington to Baltimore ; and the success of his machine having established his character, he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of the Telegraph by the Hon. J. C, Spencer, Secretary of the Treasm-y. On the completion of the line in May, 1 844, the Whig National Convention then holding its session in Baltimore, he announced the nomination of Henry Clay for President, to the aston- ished citizens of Washington ; and a month later, he reported the proceedings of the Democratic Convpntion which nominated James K. Polk for the same office. A few months working of this line, however, proved the insufficiency of Morse's instruments for telegraphing on lines of any considerable length, and Mr. Cornell turned his attention to the subject in the hope of remedying their defects. He succeeded perfectly, and the instru- ments now in use, known as the Morse instruments, were the production of his inventive genius. In 1846 Mr. Cornell superintended the construction of the Telegraph line from New York to Philadelphia, and the same year that from New York to Albany. In 1847 he built the line from Troyto Montreal, and from Buffiilo to Milwaukie. Since then he has been engaged in building, working and managing telegraph lines, the last three years of which his time has been divided, more or less, with his farm at Ithaca. Mr. Cornell was a Whig in politics, and adhered to BIOGEAPHICAl SKETCHES. 293 his party uutil the organization of the Republicans, which party he joined. He never held office until he was elected Member of the Assembly, and never sought political distinction. He is the President of the Ameri- can Telegraph Company, and in 1862 was President of the State Agricultural Society. He is a useful legisla- tor, active and attentive to his business, and wasting no time in Buncombe speeches. Mr. Cornell was married in March, 1841, to Miss Mary Ann, daughter of Benjamin Wood, of Dryden, Tompkins county. His parents were Quakers, and he rather inclines that way ; but he attends all churches, and aids all denominations as circumstances seem to require. Though his early education was deficient, his native talents, energy and perseverance, and his large intercourse with the world, has enabled him to gather an invaluable fund of knowledge and an acquaintance with language, that will put to shame many who have had greater advantages. ROBERT W. COURTNEY. Mr. Cotjetnet is one of the most unpretending and gentlemanly men in the House. He is just as nature made him — plain, simple, straightforward, and per- fectly independent, and wields an influence in the deli- berations of that body which is seldom safely disre- garded. *25 294 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. He is a native of the town of Sidney, Delaware county, N. Y., and is forty-five years of age. He was reared on a farm, receiving a limited common English education, and has, thus far, devoted his life chiefly to agricultural pursuits. Politically, he is a Republican of the more conservative stamp, but obeys party discipline only so far as it enables him to subserve the interests of his constituents and the general welfare of the State. But few men in the House are better qualified for a representative position, and but few of his legislative associates will pass the ordeal of the present session so entirely free of the taint of all manner of ofiicial cor- ruption as will Mr. Courtney. ALVAH E. CRUTTENDEN. Me. Cetjttenden was born in Le Roy, Genesee county, E". Y., and is forty-eight years of age. His ancestors were among the earliest settlers of Massachu- setts. He received a common school education, and was brought up on a farm, which has always been his chief occupation. Originally, he belonged to the Whig party, but since the abandonment of its organization he has been an unyielding Republican, and was elected to the Assembly as such on a Union ticket. He was, also, a Member of the House in 1862, where he served on the Committee on Canals and the Committee for the Erection and Division of Towns and Counties. He is BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, 295 a kind, clever, and agreeable gentleman, and enjoys considerable personal popularity among those by whom he is best known. JOHN CUTLER. The name of John Cutler is familiar to every resident of the city of Albany. Indeed, there are few men in the State, not connected with official station, more widely known. He is a native of Coeymans, Albany county, and is now about forty-five years of age. John Cutler is not an Arab, but an Albanian as we have just said ; nevertheless, he strongly resembles the dusky oriental in one particular — his indomitable passion for the horse. His affection for the equine race surpasses the love of women. " And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses, and twelve thousand horsemen," is, no doubt a statement which John had meditated upon more profoundly than any other passage of scripture. In the mere matter of numbers, Solomon was considerably ahead of Cutler, the latter having but several hundred, yet, as regards speed and quality, we would lay a trifling wager, could the thing be got at definitely, that the King was behind the Assemblyman. Touching his stable — the edifice he has recently erected for the shelter of his most valuable stock, it is admitted, it surpasses everything of the kind mentioned in sacred or profane history. Solomon in all his glory had nothing to compare with it. On St. Patrick's day, 296 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 1863, it was thrown open to the examination of the public, and since then, the daily papers have given us description after description of its marvellous conveni- ence, novelty and magnificence. Henceforward, like Palmer's studio, the Geological rooms and the State Library, it is destined to become one of the favorite resorts of citizens and sojourners in Albany. Having said this much of his horses and his stable, a word now in relation to their proprietor. We have al- ready stated his age. From the oflScial list of members, with their ages, occupation, &c., we gather the further facts that he weighs 173 pounds, and stands five feet ten in his boots. He is no politician. The reins of Govern- ment are not the kind of reins he is ambitious to hold. His presentation as a candidate for the Assembly was none of his work. A mousing politician, one who creeps through the gutters into ofiice, is as disgusting in his eyes, as a glandered mare. The People took him up, and as an evidence of what they thought of him, he received, in a hitherto closely contested district, out of 4,286 votes cast, 3,838. The mere statement of this factis a sufficient comment on his popularity. It was extraordinary fast time, such as no candidate who ever has, or ever will run over the same pohtical track, can expect to make. The personal qualities that characterize Mr. Cutler, necessarily render him a favorite among all who know him. He is generous to a fault, honorable in his deal- ings, social, genial and manly. We close this brief sketch with an expression of the hope that he may find a smooth track the remainder of his life, and receive a just man's reward when he reaches the Judge's stand. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 297 JAMES DAECY. Mk. Dai'cy was first chosen a member of the Assem- bly in the fall of 1859, and has been a member of that body ever since. During the session of 1860 he was a prominent member of the Committee on Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties, and the author and chief sup- porter of the bills establishing a public market in the city of Brooklyn and cheapening the rate of fare on the Brooklyn ferries. In 1861 he was a member of the Committee on the Erection and Division of Towns and Counties, and during the session of 1862 was prominent on some of the most important committees in the House. His legislative career has been quiet and unpretend- ing ; but the industry, ability and success with which he has discharged his duties to his constituents and the State has not failed to establish his reputation as a safe legislator, fully capable of successfully filling still higher and more important positions at the hands of his fellow citizens. He was prominently spoken of as a candidate for Speaker at the opening of the present session, but gracefully yielded his support to Judge Dean for that position. Mr. Darcy was born in the city of Buffalo, on the 12th of November, 1834. He is of pure Irish descent. His father, Daniel Darcy, a prominent and influential man, is still living in that city. His mother, whose maiden name was Eliza Davenport, died in 1848, at the age of thirty-two. He was educated in the public 298 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. schools of his native city, and, in January, 1851, re- moved to the city of Brooklyn, where he has always since resided, spending most of his time in some public official station. His political position has always been one of consis- tent and unyielding attachment to the Democratic party. When a candidate before the people he has always received the united support of that party, and is justly regarded as one of its most active and energetic yonng leaders in the cotinty of Kings. There is nothing at all sectional in his composition. He is thoroughly National in all his political views and feelings, and looks upon the success of the Democratic party as the only remain- ing salvation for the country in this the hour of her sorest trial. Mr. Darcy is married. He is a young gentleman of prepossessing appearance, and, by his superior social qualities, is calculated to make friends wherever he goes. It was he who introduced into the present House the joint resolutions inviting Maj. Gen. McClellan to the Capitol, which passed that body, but were defeated in the Senate. NATHANIEL W. DAVIS. Col. Davis is one of the leading men in the Assem- bly, and is, in one sense at least, the greatest man in the House. His tall and commanding figure towers high above his associates, and attracts the attention of all BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 299 who visit the Legislature. He is of large frame, large - bone, powerful muscle, and measures six feet and three inches in height. He has black hair, blue eyes, a coun- tenance expressing great energy, firmness and decision, yet indicative of mildness and good humor — traits not uncommon in men of large stature and strength. He may be set down as one who would be resolute in resist- ing an encroachment on his rights ; yet he is not dis- posed to be fractious or turbulent, but when drawn into a controversy, whether physical or mental, he knows how to take care of himself, and generally escapes unscathed. Col. Davis was born in Weston, Litchfield county. Conn., on the 10th of May, 1801. He is of Irish and Welch extraction on his paternal side, and English on his maternal. His father, Nathaniel Davis, was a miller and farmer, and folio vred his calling in Weston until the spring of 1820, when he removed to the town of Catha- rine, Tioga (now Schuyler) county, N. Y'., and settled near Johnson's Settlement. Here he spent the remainder of his days, and died in August, 1826, quickly following to the grave his deceased wife, who died the month pre- ceding. The family are of good Revolutionary stock, and have always been distinguished for their integrity, honor and industry. Col. Davis commenced his education in the common school and academy at Weston, and completed it at the academy in Ithaca, Tompkins county. He read law with Hon. David Woodcock, of Ithaca, one of the best lawyers in the State ; and after being admitted to prac- tice, removed to Owego, Tioga county, in 1832, where 300 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. he entered into partnership with E. S. Sweet, Esq. He was admitted as an Attorney in the Supreme Court in No- vember, 1833, and in 183V as Counsellor ; also as Solicitor and Counsellor in Chancery in 1837, and as Proctor and Counsellor in the District Court of the United States in New York in 1842. Mr. Davis still resides in Owego, where he does an extensive business in his profession. In 1844 Col. Davis represented Tioga county in the Assembly, and in the fall of 1862 he was again elected to the same office. In politics he was a Whig until the party ceased to be, when he joined the Republicans. He is conservative in his opinions, and has no sympathy with Abolitionism. He has served as Surrogate of, and Commissioner of Loans for the county of Tioga ; and President of the village of Owego. He has also had considerable military experience, having several years commanded the Fifty-third and Fpurty-fourth Regi- ments N. Y. S. M. As a lawyer Col. Davis occupies a high place at the bar of his own county and Judicial district. He is a man of great industry, research and perseverance, and by his indomitable energy has gained a reputation of which any man might be proud. His reasoning powers are good, and he enforces his arguments with a good deal of power and eloquence. He is always safe and reliable, never holding out false hopes to a client, but giving an honest opinion of the merits and law in the case ; hence he is usually successful. In the present crisis Col. Davis has shown himself true to the Government. On the first breaking out of the rebellion he was early in the field ; and by his great BIOGEAPHTOAL SKETCHES. 301 energy and perseverance recruited the first company that was raised in the State. He has also sent his only son to the battle-field to win glory and renown, or, it may be, die a glorious death. Col. Davis has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Harriet M. Clow, of Saratoga, to whom he was married in May, 1833. She died in Owego in November, 1837. His present wife was Miss Ann R. Winton, to whom he was married in May, 1839. He attends the Episcopal Church. GILBERT DEAN. Mr. Dean is, perhaps, the ablest man in the Assembly, at least of the Democrats, and will certainly rank the high- est as a debater. His speeches are well arranged, pure in style, evincing chaste and finished scholarship, and clear, forcible and logical in their deduction. His opponents, even, can listen to him with satisfaction and delight, ad- miring the beautiful diction in which his icleas arc clothed, and the fervid eloquence with which they are uttered; They will not, of course, justify his conclusions, but they must admit the plausibility of his arguments, and the ability and ingenuity with which he strives to make the "worse appear the better cause." The man of genius and talent will always command respect, though the doctrines and sentiments that he inculcates may not be acceded to. So with Mr. Dean. All parties accord to him the highest place among the orators of the Legislature ; while no oppo- 26 302 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. nent, probably, can be induced by his eloquence to swerve from the party dictum, though non-committals would ac- tnowledge at once the wisdom of his conclusions. Mr,. Dean was born in Dutchess county, and is about forty -five years old. He graduated at Yale College, Con- necticut, with high honors, taking the first prize in mathe- matics and in composition. Among his class-mates were ex-Seuator James Wadsworth, Donald G. Mitchell (the Ike Marvel), Frank P. Blair, Professor Emerson, and others. He was not only distinguished among them as a scholar and student of original mind, but also as the most skillful col- lege politician, and adroit and able debater. He was also first President, from his class, of the Linonian Society, in which contest he was opposed by Donald G. Mitchell, over whom he was elected by a haiidsome majority. He was admitted to the bar, and entered upon the prac- tice of the law in Poughkeepsie, in the spring of 1844, and soon secured a large and profitable business. Clients came to him from all quarters, not from his own immediate vicinity only, but from distant cities and neighboring States. Here he had as competitors old practitioners, such men as Henry Swift, Stephen Cleveland, Charles Johnston, and others, lawyers who had long been known in the profession, and were in the full blast of a successful business — men who would have been distinguished in their profession any- where. But by dint of perseverance, confidence in his own powers, and the brilliancy and solidity of his talents, he forced his way to a level with the best of them. In 1850, Mr. Dean was nominated for Congress, in the Eleventh Congressional District, and was elected by a triumphant majority. This distinction was a high honor, BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 303 as there were many men in the district whose character and talents abundantly fitted them for the position, and whose age and experience seemed to point them out as more appropriate candidates. But the popular will was in his favor, and the current could not be stayed ; he was selected, elected, and the result justified the highest expec- tations of his friends. He was the youngest member on the floor of the House ; but, nevertheless, he entered at once upon his duties and soon made his mark. His speeches are quoted as among the best delivered in Congress, and by general consent he was ranked as one of the ablest and most eloquent members. He was instrumental in obtain- ing the passage of a law, proposed many years ago, autho- rizing the erection of a statue of Washington, an appropria- tion which he advocated and obtained. In 1852, he was re-elected, and during the whole of his second term, maintained the elevated position he had gained on the first. He was a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and as such, presented the Committee's resolution of thanks to Capt. Ingraham, of the frigate St. Louis, who was the hero in the afiair of Martin Koszta, in the harbor of Smyrna. But our limits will not allow us to follow Mr. Dean throughout his Congressional career; suffice it to say that he was identified with the passage of many important laws, prominent among which was one for the establishment of the " New York Assay Office," a measure of vast im- portance to the Commercial Metropolis. In one of his speeches in Congress, speaking of the future relative position of the Democratic and Anti-Slavery par- ties, he uttered the following sentiment, in prophetic vein. 304 BIOGEAPHIOAL SKETCHES. which, in almost the identical words, is now the rallying cry of the great Union party of the Nation. He said : " We, standing on the battle-ground of the Nation, under national colors, will bear aloft, in success, or disaster; in victory, or defeat ; in the conflict, or after its close. The Constitution of oue Fathers, the Union as it is !" In 1854, Mr. Dean was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court, by Governor Seymour ; an oflSce of which the whole bar had requested his acceptance. In 1856, he removed to the city of New York, and resumed the duties of his profession, and was one of the counsel for the defense in the trial of Mrs. Cunningham, for the murder of Dr. Burdeli. In 1862, he was nominated and elected to the present Assembly, and was the Democratic candidate for Speaker at the opening of the session. In person, he is of medium height, with brown hair, bald on the crown ; heavy mustache, blue eyes and fresh countenance. His manners are polished, his deportment easy and unconstrained. He has amassed a handsome property, and has an elegant establishment at the head of Madison Avenue. Mr. Dean married the daughter of Hon. Alvan Stewart, formerly of Cherry Valley, one of the most eloquent and profound jurists in the State. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 305 CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW. Mr. Dbpew is one of the ablest members of the Assembly, and bids fair to become a prominent man in the State. He possesses decided ability, to which may be added a good degree of industry, energy and perse- verance. Although looking much older, he is scarcely twenty-nine years of age ; but his bearing and business habits, partake more of the character of middle age, or even maturer years, than of the impetuosity and reckless- ness of youth. He seems to have reached manhood earlier than usually falls to the lot of mortals ; or, if not fully matured, and he improves as rapidly for a few years to come, as in the past, he may be set down as possessing extraordinary talents. His looks, bearing, habits and settled character indicate maturity of years, while the fact is indisputable that he is still in his youth. His father is only fifty-five years old, and his mother is less than fifty. He is, in fact, a venerable young man, a proper associate and companion of men of the preced- ing generation. His vigor of intellect, too, is in accord- ance with his appearance — possessing the strength, solidity and ripeness of middle age. Mr. Depew was born in Peekskill, Westchester county, April 23, 1834. His father, Isaac Depew, who is still living, is descended from the French Huguenots. His mother, who is also living, is a descendant of the Sher- mans of Connecticut — the branch to which Roser o Sherman belonged. He graduated at Yale College in 1856, with one of the first honors of his class ; studied *26 306 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. law with Hon. William Nelson, of PeekskiU, and was admitted to the bar in 1858. In 1859 he commenced practice in that village, where he still resides. He has mingled some in political matters, and was a delegate to the Republican State Convention in 1858. In 1860 he stumped the Ninth Congressional District in favor of Lin- coln. In 1861 he was elected Member of the Assembly as a Union Republican by an unusually large majority — his own town, which gave a majority for the State Democratic ticket, giving him a majority of two hun- dred and fifty-nkie ! His antecedents were Democratic, but on the occasion of the repeal of the Missouri Com- promise he went over to the Republicans, and cast his first vote for Fremont. In 1862 he was re-elected to the Assembly, and is one of the most useful members of that body. He is Chair- man of the Committee on Ways and Means, and exer- cises a good deal of influence in the House. He was spoken of at the commencement of the session as a can- didate for the Speakership, but another member was designated by the caucus. The failure of both of the caucus nominees, produced a state of things that would have elevated him to the Chair, had he desired it, as he was the second nominee of his party for the place and as it was understood that many of his political opponents would have voted for him, but he declined the honor, and submitted to, and aided in, the election of Mr. CaUicot. This, however, it is well understood, was a measure of policy, rather than of choice, on the part of Republicans; and was, probably, the best thing they could do under the circumstanbes. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 307 Mr. Depew is a very valuable member, assiduous and earnest in the discharge of his duties, and possessing the entire confidence of his fellow members. He is, in fine, a rising man, and is worthy the public confidence. He is yet unmarried, and belongs to the Old School Presbyterian Church. LANSON DEWEY. Me. Dewey is a native of the town of Vernon, Oneida county, N. Y., and is fifty-seven years of age. His pa- rents were originally residents of Connecticut, and set- tled in the State of New York many years ago. . Mr. Dewey received a pretty good education, and was reared on a farm. Since beginning active life he has passed most of his time in agricultural pursuits, and has generally been successful. He has held the oiBce of Supervisor some four years in Ontario county, where he now resides, besides various other upimportant town offices, and has always been found faithful and conscien- tious in the discharge of his duties. In politics, he was originally a Whig, and was one among the first to en- gage in the Republican movement at the organization of that party. Although a quiet, gentlemanly man, never attempting, like some of his legislative compeers, what he is wholly incapable of performing, he is never- theless a capable representative, and deserves well at the hands of his constituents. 308 BIOGEAPHIOAL SKETCHES. Mr. Dewey is a widower, and stands deservedly high in all the social relations of private life. WILLIAM DEWEY. Mr. Dewey is a native of the city of Albany. His father, Timothy Dewey, was a native of New Hampshire, and a distinguished civil engineer thirty years ago, and erected the first gas-light works in this State, having visited Europe to study their construction and operation. The grandfather of Mr. Dewey was a soldier in the Eevolu- tionary War, and was at the battle of Bunker Hill, and also served in the expedition to Canada in 1776. He died in Vermont in 1853, aged 97 years. Mr. Dewey's father died the same year, aged 70 . years. His mother was Syl- via Canfield, a native of Salisbury, Connecticut, and died in the city of New York in ISS-l. Mr. Dewey's parents removed from Albany to the city of New York when he was six years old. He received a liberal education, and was fitted for the profession of civil engineering. He was appointed a City Surveyor by the then Mayor, Cornelius W. Lawrence, and the Common Council. One of his first employments was to assist his father in making some surveys and levels, having reference to supplying the city of New York with pure and whole- some water. He superintended the construction of the reservoir and water works in the city of Poughkeepsie, and made various surveys in New York and vicinity. In 1836 he was employed by Benjamin Wright, formerly Chief BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 309 Engineer of this State, to make surveys of the village of Pulaski, and the water power on the Salmon river, in the county of Oswego. This property had originally all be- longed to Judge Wright, and as many village lots had been sold, at various periods, the accuracy of a City Sur- veyor was required to reconcile disputed lines. While engaged in this labor, Mr. Dewey was employed by the Watertown and Eome Eailroad Company, to survey a route for the proposed road from Rome, in Oneida county, to Watertown, in Jefferson county. These surveys, esti- mates and report, were submitted in the fall of 1836, when he was employed by the Watertown and Cape Vincent Eailroad Company, to extend the surveys to the Eiver St. Lawrence. While making this survey to the river, Mr. Dewey bought a tract of wild land, very heavily timbered, of a fertile soil, but requiring extensive drainage. The financial reverses of IBS'? prevented the railroads from being prosecuted at that time, and in the fall of that year he began improvements on his purchase; and since that time, excepting from the spring of 1844 to the spring of 1848, he has resided on the tract, which now is a beautiful farm of about one thousand acres. During the four years, just named, Mr. Dewey studied law with Hon. Joseph' Mullin, and was admitted as an Attorney and Counsellor, and holds a diploma, signed by Hon. Greene C. Bronson. He paid some attention to politics, and took part with the Whig party in the presidential campaigns of 1844 and 1848. But neither law nor politics took precedence of a project he had conceived to resuscitate the long dormant railroad feeling of 1836. He devoted a large part of his time, during this period, to writing and talking in favor of 310 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. the almost forgotten road ; and, with other ardent co- workers, he had the pleasure of seeing the company re- organized, the work on the construction began in 1848, and the road soon- completed from Eome to Cape Vincent, a distance of 100 miles. This road passes through the Ashland Farm, the name given to his tract by Mr. Dewey, who was always an admirer of Henry Clay, of Ashland. Mr. Dewey has been a very moderate politician since the breaking np of the Whig party. In his own town he has held the oflSce of School Commissioner and Supervisor . Some years ago, he was associated with several distinguished engineers and lawyers, by the Legislature of the State, on a commission to establish the route of the New York and Erie Railroad, at some dispvited points. In 1854, he served as a Member of the Assembly from Jeflferson county, having been put in nomination, by a mass meeting, against the regular party candidates. He was subsequently nominated by Democrats for the State Senate. In the fall of 1861, he was nominated and elected to the Legislature, having received the support of all parties. During his residence in Jefferson county, Mr. D. has occasionally practised at his profession of engineering, but has paid little attention to the legal profession. The superintendence of his large farm occupies most of his time. He was elected for the third time to the Legislature, in the fall of 1862. At this last election he was the candidate of the Union party for the Assembly, and took an active part in raising volunteers for the war during the summer of 1862. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 311 ALBERT G. DOW. Mr. Dow is not a brilliant man, possessing neither the ability nor the inclination to make a speech, but he is what is doubtless far belter as a legislator — an earnest and consistent worker, attending closely to an honest discharge of his duties as a representative. Unlike many of his associates upon the floor of the House he is never found standing about in the cloak rooms and ante-chamber waiting, Micavvber-like, for something to turn up, but is always at his post, watching with com- mendable solicitude the interests of his constituents and the general welfare of the State. Mr. Dow is a native of Plainfield, Cheshire county. New Hampshire, and is fifty-four years of age. He received a good business education in the free schools of New England, and has passed his life chiefly as a merchant. He has held the ofiioe of Commissioner of Excise in Cattaraugus county, where he now resides, since 1857, and was Supervisor of his town during the years 1851, '53, '56, '57, '58, '59 and '62. In pohtics he has been a Democrat, always unyieldingly attached to the principles and policy of that party, but at the break- iug out of the rebellion abandoned his partisan predi- lections and joined the late Union movement, receiving his nomination and election to the Assembly as a repre- sentative of that party. 312 BTOGEAPHICA.L SKETCHES. JOSEPH C. DOUGHTY. Mi«. DotiGHTY is one of the most quiet, careful, consistent and reliable men in either branch of the Legislature, to which qualities he combines every attribute of a perfect gentleman. No one has excelled him during the winter in a faithful and conscientious discharge of their legislative duties, and it is universally conceded that his district has not sent as good a representative to the Assembly for many years. Mr. Doughty is a native of the town of Beekman, Dutchess county, N. Y., and is fifty-four years of age. After receiving a good business education, he turned his atten- tion to merchandising, and has for some years been one of the most extensive and successful commission merchants in the city of Poughkeepsie, where he resides. Although having no taste for politics, devoting himself exclusively to a quiet discharge of his duties as a careful business man, he held the office of Supervisor, in his native town, two years, and was elected to the Assembly by upwards of three hundred majority, in a district hitherto strongly Republican. Originally he was a Whig, of the Clay and Webster school, and supported Mr. Fillmore for the Presi- dency in 1856. Subsequently, however, his strong con- servative views led him into the ranks of the Democracy, with whom he has since generally acted, believing that the restoration of the Union is more likely to be attained through the success of Democratic measures than those of any other political party. Mr. Doughty is a man of family, and is personally, as BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 313 well as politically, one of the most popular men in the connty of Dutchess. LEMUEL DURFEE. Mil. Dltrfee is a native of the town of Palmyra, Wayne county, N. Y., and is sixty-one years of age. His father's family came from Rhode Island, and his mother's from Massachusetts. He received a limited English education, and is now engaged in farming, which has been his chief occupation through life. He is strictly a business man, having no taste for party politics, but during the past quarter of a century has held almost every ofBce in the gift of the people of his town and county. His early poli- tical teachings were all obtained in the Clay and Webster school, but when the old Whig party abandoned its organi- zation, he joined the Republicans. He was elected to the Assembly as a straight Republican, and has exhibited traits of character which qualify him well for the position he occupies. In the social circle he is affable and courteous, and by his uniform kindness and good will toward all with whom he comes in contact, makes friends wherever he goes. 27 314 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. CHARLES T. DURYEA. Me. Dtjrtba is the Member from the First Assembly district in Queens county. He was born on the 20th day of August, 1832, in the town of Brookhaven, Suf- folk county, N. Y., and is_thlrty-five years of age. He is of German extraction, and his parents are still living. Mr. Duryea is a very large man, being six feet and one inch in height, and large in proportion, weighing two hundred and twenty-five pounds. He is a very aflSable and pleasant companion, easy of access, and a warm friend. He received a common school education, and entered upon the business of life as a farmer, which pursuit still occupies his attention. In politics, he was an American, but after the demise of that organization he joined the Democrats, and by them was elected a Member of the Assembly of 1863. He is a good, sub- stantial member, attends faithfully to his duties, and does good service for his constituents. At home he is a man of very considerable influence, a prominent and active man in his town, and greatly respected for his in- tegrity and high sense of honor. He was married on the 17th day of March, 1858, to Miss Mary Ann Smith. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 315 LUTHER S. BUTCHER. jMr. Dutcheb was boi-n in the town of Dover, Dutchess county, N. Y., and is of Dutch extraction. His father and mother are both dead ; the former was sixty- seven, and the latter was eighty-six years of age. His education was obtained at the common schools, and was adapted to the calling he had selected for his future life, that of merchant and manufacturer. He has served as Justice of the Peace several years ; and was elected Member of Assembly in the fall of 1862, rmming against his cousin, John B. Dutcher, who was the Republican candidate, and a Member of the Assembly the jpreceding year. The contest was a very close one, and until the oflBcial canvass was made, it was not known which Dutcher had been successful. His majority was thirty- one. Mr. Dutcher is a very quiet man, of good character and habits, and fair ability. He makes no show in the House, — his inclination leading him rather to an unos- tentatfous discharge of his duty, than to a vain display of protended acquirements unsuited to his occupation. He is a straight-out Democrat and adheres to his party under any and all circumstances, never swerving from the beaten path in which he has trodden since the days of his youth. He was married on the 1st day of De- cember, 1833, to Miss Amelia A. Giddings, and though formerly a Quaker, attends the Baptist Church. 31fi BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. PIREZ H. FIELD. Mb. Field was a member of the House in 1861, and during the session of that year served on the Committee on Banks — a position which he again holds in the present Assembly. Although one of the most quiet men in the Legislature of that year, he showed himself an excellent representative, and his constituents have exhibiteu a just appreciation of their real interests by sending him to Albany again. Politically, he is a staunch Republican of Whig antecedents, but he is essentially conservative on all the great questions of the day, and was one of those in the- House in 1861 who supported the proposition to send Peace Commissioners to Washington in compliance with the Virginia resolutions, to avert, if possible, the calamity of the civil war which is now fast destroying the country and which might then have been averted. Mr. Field is a native of the town of Phelps, Ontario county, N. Y., and is forty-two years of age. His an- cestors settled in Massachusetts, and he is probably of English descent. After receiving a good, practical busi- ness education, he engaged in mercantile pursuits, which have always since been his chief occupation. His posi- tion in the village of Geneva, where he resides, is that of a gentleman of intelligence and superior business capacity, and he brings with him to the discharge of his legislative duties the experience of a successful business career. He is unmarried, and the high order of social qualities which he possesses makes him troops of friends everywhere. BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 317 THOMAS C. FIELDS. Mr. Fields is a native of St. Lawrence county, N. Y., and was born November 9, 1825. He is of Irish descent. He received his education at Delhi Academy, Delaware county, in reference to the study of law, and having fitted himself for the profession, was admitted to the bar, and located in the city of New York, where he still resides. He has filled the office of Public Ad- ministrator of New York, and is one of the Central Park Commissioners. Mr. Field is a Democrat of the straitest sect, and is an earnest advocate of the measures and principles of that party. He is a ready speaker, of good voice, very vehement in his action, and, when excited, fierce and loudin the expression of indignation or wrath. Generally, he is a good debater ; and although a warm partisan, is a man of genial feelings and seems to be as courteous and familiar with his political opponents as with his friends, but is often untrue to both. He was elected to the Legislature of 1863, and is a prominent leader of his party in the Assembly. In all strictly party measures, he is the man to gather in the forces and see that every member is on hand. In the excited contest for Speaker, he took a very active part; and when the Republicans brought forward the name of Mr. Callicot, both parties having failed to break the tie on the regular candidates, his indignation broke forth in tones, both loud and deep, and the vials of his wrath were poured on the head of that devoted gentleman. During the few days that intervened between the introduction of Mr. *27 318 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Callicot as the Republican candidate, and his election to the Speakership, Mr. Fields led the column of attack ; and if he did not utterly annihilate the newly adopted candidate, it was from no lack of vigor on the part of the assailant. The pubKc and private character of the re- cusant Democrat was bared to the public gaze, and he was denounced in unmeasured terms as a renegade and traitor. Since the organization of the House, Mr. Fields has preferred charges of corruption against the Speaker, over his own signature and on his own responsibility. These have been referred to a Select Committee of In- vestigation, who will, undoubtedly, thoroughly sift the matter and report thereon. If "found guilty, the Speaker, as a citizen and a public man, will be forever disgraced ; if honorably acquitted, as all good citizens hope that he ■will be, he will come out the brighter for the hard rub- bing he has endured. Mr. Fields has, also, waged a relentless war upon many others holding official station, wrongfully attack- ing their private characters, and charging them with a criminal disposition to deplete the public treasury; but he should not forget that "those who live in glass houses should not throw stones," and that his own official career m the city of New York will not safely bear investigation. Mr. Fields was married to Miss Annie E. Smith, in the city of New York, in 1847. He attends no particu- lar Church. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 319 FRANCIS B. FISHER. Me. Fishee is an indefatigable working man, and has gained an enviable reputation in the House for fairness, uprightness and honesty. Though a good speaker, he is not prone to occupy much of the time of the Assem- bly in the discussion of extraneous subjects, but con- tents himself with brief and comprehensive statements of his views on the various measures introduced, leaving a record of his acts, rather than his words, as evidence of his zeal and industry in behalf of his constituents. In the Legislature of 1862 he distinguished himself for his bold and successful championship of the rights of the Press ; and, though it might be said that his private interests were, to some extent, involved in the success of the bill then pending, yet he represented the views of the entire Press of the State — an interest of vast magnitude, not only to publishers, but to the people themselves. The public Press is the guardian of Liber- ty, and whatever advances its interests conduces to the happiness and prosperity of the people. It should, therefore, be fostered by the State as a matter of policy, as it, is used to enlighten and instruct the masses, and thereby promote the public welfare. Mr. Fisher is thirty years old, and has had the advan- tage of a good academic education. He is a practical printer, and has for several years conducted and pub- lished the Chenango American, of which he is the proprietor. He early joined the American party, and continued its zealous defender and advocate as long as 320 BIOGEAPHIOAL SKBTOHBS. it had an existence. Before the last Presidential contest came on, or rather before any candidates were regularly nominated, he raised the name of Daniel S. Dickinson for President, and urged his claims for that high office. As neither branch of the Democracy, however, pre- sented the name of that gentleman, he went into the canvas in favor of John C. Breckinridge, who was sig- nally defeated. On the breaking out of the war he fell in with the People's movement, and aided in the elec- tion of the Union State ticket in the fall of 1861. He served in the Assembly in 1862, and was re-elected, and is again a Member in 1863. He is a man of fair ability and of undoubted integrity. BENJAMIN H. FLETCHER. One of the best appearing men in the House is Ma. Fletcher, of Niagara. He is about forty-eight years of age, and entirely a self-made man. He emanated from that great hive of enterprising, vigorous, and Self-reliant speci- mens of human nature, known as New England. Born in Addison county, Vermont, like Horace Greeley and Judge Douglas, who hailed from the same quarter, he went forth at nineteen years of age to seek his fortune. And, like Greeley, he first tried the city of New Yorli, but not as suc- cessful as the former there, he moved up the river as far as Poughkeepsie, where a friend assures us he knew him, in 1835, working for twelve dollars and a half a month. We next hear of him selling goods at Ticonderoga, whence, BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 821 after a few years, he returned to his former home in Ver- mont. But not satisfied with his experience of the world, he uext turns his face westward, and finally fetches up at Painsville, Ohio; where he continues in successful busi- ness until his final settlement at Lockport, in this State, in December, 1843, where he has since continued to reside. Mr. Fletcher is a distiller ; and the extent of his business may be judged of from the fact that he uses about a thou- sand bushels of corn and rye a week, or fifty thousand bushels a year. He is evidently a person of decision, and is pronounced an excellent business man. Politically, he is a Democrat, and comes legitimately by it — since his father was one of the few from the Federal State of Vermont who shouldered his musket and flew to the rescue of Plattsburgh, when it was assailed by the British in the war of 1812. He has been Supervisor of Lockport, holding the position two or three terms ; and has also been Chief Engineer of the Fire Department of that place for a number of years, and the popularity acquired by him in this position may account for his election to the last Assembly, as well as the present, by a large majority in both instances, in what had before been a strong Republican district. Mr. Fletcher has his second wife, and is a vestryman in the Episcopal Church, of which his wife is a member. 322 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. CORNELIUS FLYNN. Me. Fltnn is a native of Wales, and is now a resident of the first district in the city of New York, which 'he repre- sents in the Assembly. He is of Irish descent, and is twenty-eight years of age. As a boy he was poor, strug- gling hard to obtain an education, but by industry and per- severance has made up in active life what he lost in the schools. He is an active and industrious young man, and is successfully engaged' in business as a boatman. All his political teachings were obtained at the feet of such men as Gov. Seymour, John A. Dix, Elijah F. Purdy, and many others of that class, aiid his attachment to the Democratic party has always been firm and consistent. His social qua- lities give him considerable personal popularity among those who know him best. DAVID V. FREEMAN. ^ Mr. Fueeman is one of the most clever cand agreear h\e young gentlemen in the House. His career in that body has not been boisterous, but he has discharged his duties in a manner that has secured him the good opinion of all his legislative associates. Mr. Freeman is a native of Bellville, Essex county, New Jersey, and is forty years of age. He is engaged in business in the city of New York as an importer, and has been quite successful in all his undertakings. In BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 323 politics he is a Democrat, of the more conservative stamp, and takes quite an active part in the politics of the Metropolitan city. He was the candidate of his party for the Assembly against two opponents, one representing the Union movement and the other the Republican party, but was triumphantly elected over both by a plurality of upwards of one thousand votes. His great personal strength makes him a strong oppo- nent whenever befoi-e the people, and he generally runs far in advance of his ticket. He has made many friends at Albany during the winter, and serves his constituents diligently and faithfully. THEODOEE FREAN. Mr. Frban was born in Charleston, S. C, in 1822, and is of Irish descent on the paternal side. He came to the city of New York in 1834, where he received an education in the public schools. In 1839 he removed to Staten Island ; and at the age of twenty-one, was elected a Justice of the Peace and Town Clerk, in the town of Stapleton, the place of his residence. The former of these offices he held thirteen years, and the latter four years. After his election as Justice, he studied law. Being a prominent and active man in his town, he has filled nearly all the town offices with great satisfaction to the people. He was a member of the Board of Health on Staten Island a few years ago which declared the Quarantine buildings a nuisance, and which 324 BIOQRAPHICAL SKETCHES. occasioned bo inuct excitement at the time, that the military were called out to protect the property and keep the peace. He has always taken a deep interest in free schools in his community ; and was the first asso- ciate Justice under the present Constitution, in Rich- mond county, which position he has held several terms. In 1859 he was appointed U. S. Consul at Belfast, Ire- land, where he remained until 1861. He was appointed U. 8. Storekeeper at Quarantine by Collector Redfield of New York ; and on the incoming of Schell, who took Redfield's place, he was transferred to that city as an Assistant Storekeeper. In all his multifarious employ- ments he has acquitted himself to the entire satisfaction of the Government and the people. The father of Mrs. Frean was prominent in the Mili- tary Department of South Carolina, during his residence in the Palmetto State. He died on Staten Island in 1857 at the age of seventy. His mother, whose maiden name was Ann Eliza Haws, is still living at an advanced age. On the breaking out of the rebellion, his cousin, Thomas Frean, was Surveyor-General of South Caro- lina. But, notwithstanding his antecedents, the sub- ject of this sketch has always been true, loyal "and patriotic. He took an active part in the enlistment of soldiers for the war, and was an enrolling officer of his town. He was also one of the Senatorial Committee designated by Governor Morgan to superintend the war movements, and as such discharged his duty with great zeal and efficiency. In politics he is-a Democrat of the Jefferson stamp. BIOG]tAPHICAL SKETCHES. 325 Mr. Frean was married in 1848 to Miss Amanda A. Lozier, who is of French extraction. He attends the Episcopalian Church. FRANCIS R. GILBERT. Mr. Gilbert is one of those attentive and efBcient men who labor assiduously to serve those who honor him with their confidence and their suffrage. He not only works faithfully, but intelligently, and is justly regarded as one of the most useful and reliable men in the House. Although a good speaker, he never rises to debate a question unless he has something to say. Frank and generous in charac- ter, and kind and affable in his manner, he makes warm friends wherever he goes, and enjoys a high degree of per- sonal popularity at home, where he is best known. Mr. Gilbert was born in the town of Stamford, Delaware county, N. Y., and is thirty-one years of age. His parents were both born in this State. After receiving an academi- cal education, he turned his attention to the study of the law, and is now a successful practitioner at the bar in his native town and county, where he resides. He has always been a firm and unyielding Democrat of the old-fashioned National Conservative stamp, and was elected by upwards of three hundred majority over the Hon. Daniel Water- bury, his Republican opponent, who had represented the district in the Assembly during the two preceding years. He is always unsparing in his denunciation of " Nigger- 28 326 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. heads," by whom he is sometimes denominated a " Copper- head." Mr. Gilbert is a widower, and enjoys a high social posi- tion where he resides. WILLIAM GILLESPIE. This gentleman is one of the most useful men in the House, and probably does more to keep up the regular routine of business than any other member. He allows no innovation upon the rules ; and when an attempt is made to introduce business out of the regular order, his ringing " I object " is heard in every part of the hall, and instantly " order reigns in Warsaw." It requires some nerve to interpose and effectually frustrate the scheme of a fellow-member, to get his particular bill ahead, and Mr. Gillespie is just the man to do it. He has the requisite amount of firmness and decision in his composition, and he is not slow to act when occasion requires it. He does not do this in a captious or un- worthy spirit, but simply as a matter of duty, that all may have an equal chance, and no undue preference be given to impatient or unscrupulous members who con- sult their own convenience rather than the public good. He is, moreover, one of the most courteous and oblig- ing members in the House, and is ever ready to afford " aid and comfort" to his associates, when he can do so without infringing upon the rights of others. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 327 Mr. Gillespie was born in the city of New York on the 6th of November, 1802, and is now sixty years of age. He is of Irish extraction on his paternal and Dutch on his maternal side. His parents removed from the city in 1812, a period when its business interests were paralyzed by the war with England, and located in the town of Bethel, Sullivan county, where his father died in 1849, at the age of seventy -two. His mother, whose maiden name was Mary Van Riper, died in 1840, also seventy-two years old. He was educated in the common schools of the State, and has followed the business of farming the greatest part of his life. He has also engaged in hotel keeping, and has been a practical surveyor the last twenty years, and now follows that business. He is a man of note in his town, and has filled the office of Justice of the Peace twelve years, besides having been honored with several other town offices. He has also been County Superintendent of the Poor, and in the fall of 1862 was elected Member of the Assembly, which office he now fills with great credit to himself and beneficially to his constituents and the State. Mr. Gillespie has always been a Democrat. He was married in 1825 to Miss Elvira Hurd, and is a member of the Presbyterian Church. 328 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. WILLIAM C. GOVER. Me. Gover was born in the city of Philadelphia, in 1818, and when about nine years old removed, with his parents, to the city of New York, where he has ever since resided. His father, George W. A. Gover, served in the war of 1812, and was stationed at Fort Hamil- ton, Long Island. He was a native of the city of Lon- don, England, and died in 1832. His mother was born in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. At the age of fourteen, by the death of his father, the responsibility of providing for the support of his mother and two younger children devolved upon young Gover ; and from that time he has been unremitting in his efforts to discharge these duties with fidelity, and has met with the most gratifying success. His means of education, under the circumstances, were necessarily very limited ; nevertheless, by intense application, un- wearied industry and perseverance, he has acquired a good fund of knowledge, and is one of the most intelli- gent and reliable gentlemen in the neighborhood in which he resides. Mr. Gover was a Sergeant of Police previous to July 3, 1857, when, as he avers, he was fraudulently dis- missed by the Board of Police Commissioners, and has since then passed most of his time in an editorial capa- city. In politics he has always been a Democrat, of the Adamantine Jeffersonian School, and has exercised a good deal of influence among the better class of New York politicians. When the rebellion broke out, and BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 329 within three days after the bombardment and capture of Fort Sumter, he entered the Government service as a Captain in the Twenty-fifth Regiment of New York Volunteers, and was soon afterwards appointed Assist- ant Provost Marshal at Alexandria, having his head- quarters at the Marshall House, where the lamented and intrepid Ellsworth was killed. He was actively engaged in the service one year. He was elected to the Assembly of 1859, which term he served so satisfactorily to his constituents that they re-elected him the next year by the largest majority given to any candidate for the Assembly in the State. He was a member of the Standing Committee on Engrossed Bills and Public Printing, and was again elected in the fall of 1862. He is one of the most intelligent, ready and fluent members of the present Legislature. He has been connected with the Press for some years, is a man of more than ordinary talents, possessing a mind peculi- arly metaphysical, and is a writer of taste and ability. At the age of twenty-eight Mr. Gover was married to Miss Caroline Cropsey, a lady of superior excellence, who is now dead. He was again married, in 1859, to Miss Emily Renode, of the city of New York, a lady of great personal attraction and rare excellence. He attends the Universalist Church. *28 330 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. LOREN GREEN. Mr. Green was born in the town of Lebanon, Co- lumbia county, N. Y., and is forty years of age. His parents were from New Jersey. After receiving an ordinary English, education' he turned his attention to merchandising, in which he now pretends to be engaged. He is not one of the noticeable characters of the House, and is therefore but comparatively very little known outside of the circle of immediate friends in which he moves. His political principles are strongly Republi- can, and he was elected to the Assembly on a straight Republican ticket. JAMES S. HARING. Mr. HA.RING was born in Orangetown, Rockland county, on the 26th day of August, 1820, and is now in his forty-third year. He is a descendant of Revolution- ary stock, his grandfather having served under Wash- ington, in the days that " tried men's souls," in command of a company. He had previously, as had his noble commander, served in the French war, and gained an honorable name. His grandson, the subject of this sketch, is now in possession of the old patriot's sword, preserved in the family as a relic of the olden time, and the valorous deeds of its patriotic owner. Mr. Haring's paternal ancestors were from Holland ; his maternal ones BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 331 from England. His father died at the age of seventy- one, in Oi-angetown, but his mother is still living with the snows of eighty-eight winters upon her head. Mr. Haring is a farmer, and still resides in the town of his birth, on the old homestead. He is, and always has been, a Democrat, and has several times been honored by his townsmen, with the oflSce of Supervisor ; and has also served as Commissioner of Excise several years. He has been twice married, his first wife dying in 1844. He was again married in 1849. Though a very quiet man, he is an exceedingly active and industrious legis- lator, carefully watchful of the interests of his constitu- ents, and never allowing an opportunity to pass unheeded in which they could be benefited. He does not possess, or rather does not practice, the faculty of public speak- ing ; but he accomplishes as much good, perhaps more than the most eloquent of his associates. His social qualities are of the highest order, and his personal popu- larity is very great. In person, he is a very tall, dignified looking man, and in his bearing he is courteous, affable and engaging. Though the tallest man in the House, being six feet four, he is every inch a man. JOHN S. HAVENS. Mr. Havens is a native of Brookhaven, Suffolk county, N. Y., where he was born on the 20th of October, 1826, and is now in his thirty-seventh year. He is of Welch and English extraction. His father, John Havens, died at 332 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Patohogue, in 1850, at tlie age of sixty-three. His mother is still living. He has a good English education, which he obtained at Belleport Academy, and was fitted for the mer- cantile business, which he now follows. Mr. Havens is a prominent man in-his town, and was Supervisor in the years 1859, '60 and '61. He was Post- master, also, under the administrations of Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. His political views are Democratic, and he was elected to the present Assembly as the candi- date of that party. He stands well in the House as a busi- ness member, and is" a man of excellent judgment, but seldom mingles in debate, speaking only on important occasions, and when well prepared. What he says is well said, and is generally logical and conclusive. He is quiet and unobtrusive, but gives earnest attention to what is going forward in the House ; and attends closely and dili- gently to all matters of interest to his constituents. Indeed, he is a valuable member ; and were the majority of his peculiar cast, temperament and habits, the business of the House would be better done, and the session shortened. He is a man of fine, social qualities, and has many warm personal friends, yet, strange to say, he lives in a state of "single blessedness." He attends the Congregational Church. BI06EAPHICAL SKETCHES. 333 PALMER E. HAVENS. This gentleman belongs to that class of self-made men who, under our liberal institutions, form the most substantial portion of the community. Without the adventitious aid of wealth or influence in early life, they work their way slowly but surely to positions of com- petence and distinction. Such men are entitled to commendation and never fail, in the end, of being appreciated by their fellow citizens. The subject of this sketch was born in the town of Moriah, Essex county, on the 24th November, 1818. The only means of education to which he had access until sixteen years of age, were found in the common schools of his native place, yet such was the vigor of his intellect and the assiduity to which he devoted himself to study that even at that early period he was prepared to enter upon the duties of teacher himself. This occu- pation he pursued for ten years, acquiring in the mean- time, by self effort and without aid, an extensive know- ledge of mathematics and the higher English branches. During the same time he studied law, and was so far successful, notwithstanding his other engagements and pursuits, that he was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-five. On the west shore of Lake Champlain, half way be- tween its northern and southern extremities, nestling, in theii' season, among fruits and flowers, stands the charm- ing little village of Essex. The broad expanse of water in front — the Green Mountains looming up to the clouds 334 BIOGEAPHICAX SKETCHES. in the distance — to the northeast the steeples of the Queen village of Vermont glittering in the sun, steamers and sail craft gliding to and fro, all combine to form a picture of such exceeding beauty as is rarely to be found. This spot, the abode of wealth, intelligence and refine- ment, Mr. Havens selected, upon his admission to the bar, as the scene of his future labors. His industry, and the unflagging perseverance he exhibited in protecting the interests of his clients, at once gave him a vride reputation, and brought him an extensive business. The favorable estimation in which he was held by his fellow townsmen is evidenced by the fact that during eight years he held the oflBce of Superintendent of Com- mon Schools, two years that of Town Clerk and two years Supervisor. In the fall of 1861 Mr. H. was brought forward as the Republican candidate for the Assembly. During the existence of the Whig party he had been an active and earnest supporter of the principles of that organi- zation, but upon its dissolution, united with the Repub- lixjans with whom he still acts. Americanism, in its day and generation, was of most remarkable growth and strength in the little town of Essex. At least three- fourths of its voters wrapped themselves in the Ameri- can flag, and took upon themselves the obligations of the order beneath the outstretched wings of the Ameri- can Eagle, leaving but few Democrats and still fewer Republicans. The prospects of a Republican candidate running for the Assembly in a town exhibiting the poli- tical complexion of Essex, to the eye of an ordinary BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 335 observer, were not flattering. And yet, such was the esteem in which he was held, that out of a vote of two hundred and forty-eight he received two hundred and twenty-seven. In the Legislature of 1862 he was distinguished for his close attention to business and gave evidence of his ability in his advocacy of the bill for the Public Defense and other measures. On returning home at the close of the session, he was met by his constituents who publicly demonstrated their approval of his course, and in the succeeding fall renominated and re-elected him. The limit, to which we are necessarily confined in these sketches, does not permit us to speak at large of his course in the session of 1863. SufBce it to say, that his speeches in the Committee of the Whole, upon the Governor's Message, which have been widely circulated, have established his reputation as lOne of the ablest debaters in the House, while his uniform courtesy and gentlemanly bearing, has secured him the respect of all his associates. Possessed of an unblemished reputation — in the prime of life — ^popular both at home and abroad, we see nothing in the way of his future advancement, and cannot otherwise regard him than as one of the rising men of the day. 336 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. WILLAKD J. HEACOCK. Mr. Hbacock is forty-one years of age, and was born in Johnstown, Pulton county, N. Y. He is now a resident of Oloversville, where he is engaged in manu- facturing. His ancestors were residents of Connecticut, and he has inherited many of the peculiarities of the people of New England. His politics are of the Republi- can school. He has always been quite active in the local management of his party wherr he resides, and in 1860 was one of the Vice-Presidents of the Republican State Convention at Syracuse. He represented the manu- facturers of his section before Congress on the Tax bill, and dul-ing the past summer was Chairman of the War Committee in his county. He is a gentleman of good business capacity and makes a capable representative. BYRON HEALY. This gentleman is a lawyer of considerable ability, resident in Warsaw, Wyoming county, N. Y. He was born in Dansville, Steuben county, somewhere about thirty-one years ago, and, doubtless, was well taken care of, nurtured and brought up in a path of some kind, and educated for the profession which is now the business of his life. This is all we know of his early histoiy, having labored in vain to procure more BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 337 particular data. He was elected to the present Assem- bly by a majority of ^twelve hundred and ninety-eight. Mr. Healy is a man of decided ability, and has dis- tinguished himself in debate. He is Chairman of the Committee on Railroads, one of the most important committees in the House, and is well adapted to the dis- charge of its arduous duties. He is an industrious, working member, and although proven to be abun- dantly capable, does not consume much of the time of the House in making speeches. He seems to prefer going ahead with the business of legislation to any oratorical display of political knowledge or Buncombe literature. His political antecedents, as gathered from his speech on the Governor's Message, were Demo- cratic ; but on the breaking out of the rebellion, he deemed it his duty to sustain the National Government, and hence joined with the Republicans on that ground. He was elected to the Legislature as a Union Democrat. Mr. Healy is unmarried, and is a gentleman of fine social qualities, making friends wherever he goes. THOMAS H. HILL. Mr. Hill is a native of the county of Cavan, Ireland, and is one of the youngest men in the House, being only twenty-five years of age. He is a lawyer, engaged in the practice in the city of New York, and is said, by those who know him best, to possess considerable 29 338 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. talent. His course, however, in the Assembly has been so quiet, and his social intercourse so exclusive, that it is exceedingly difficult to judge either of his ability as a representative or his qualities as a man. He is a staunch Democrat, and was elected to his present posi- tion by a handsome majority. ERVIN HOPKINS, Jr. We have been able to obtain but little information touching the history of this gentleman. From the official list of the Members of Assembly, however, we learn that he is a native of Hebron, Washington county, one of the towns composing the district he now repre- sents. From the same source it further appears that he is married, a farmer by occupation, thirty-six years of age, weighs one hundred and ninety pounds avoirdupois, and lacks an inch of being six feet high. It is his first term in the Assembly, to which he was elected over William Coleman, of Sandy Hill, a very formidable competitor, by a majority of five hundred and sixteen. He was a member of the Whig party during its existence, since which time he has been an active and earnest Republican. Mk. Hopkins is one of the non-speaking members, but attentive to the duties of his position, and rarely absent from his seat. He is gentlemanly in his inter- course, and prepossessing in personal appearance. With BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 339 a little more self-assurance, united with his native good sense, and agreeable, manners, he would be more con- spicuous than he is at present in the House. No doubt, however, his constituents are as faithfully represented, as they would be, if his tongue were a yard long. TIMOTHY A. HOPKINS. Me. Hopkins is the oldest of five brothers and two sisters, now living, and was born on the 5th day of Feb- ruary, 1805, in the town of Amherst, Erie county, N. Y., and is now fifty-eight years of age. He is of Welch descent on his paternal and Irish on his maternal side. His father. General Hopkins, was a native of Great Bar- rington, Massachusetts, and his mother, whose maiden name was Nancy Ann Kern, was born in Monmouth county, New Jersey. They were married in Amherst in 1805. Gen. Hopkins served on the frontier during the war of 1812, and died in Amherst in 1853, aged seventy-seven. His wife died in 1848, aged sixty-nine. Mr. Hopkins received an ordinary common school education, whilst engaged in working the farm. He remained with his parents until 1826, when he estab- lished himself at Elyria, Loraine county, Ohio, in the manufacture of cast iron plows. In 1828 he returned to Amherst, and engaged in the business of selling clocks in the western counties of New York and Penn- sylvania, extending bis route into Ohio, Kentucky and Canada. In 1844 he purchased an interest in the mills 340 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. at Williamsville, in the town of Amherst, and com- menced the manufacture of lumber and water lime, which business he still continues, having purchased the entire establishment. Mr. Hopkins has been highly honored with office, both civil and military. From 1828 to 1838 he served in the State Militia, as Captain and Lieut.-Colonel. In 1840 he was elected Supervisor, and held the office five years. From 1841 to 1856 he held the office of Justice of the Peace ; and ia 1847 he entered upon the duties of the office of Sheriff of the county of Erie, to which he had been elected the previous fall. He now represents the third district of Erie county in the Assembly, having been elected by a majority of nine hundred in Novem- ber, 1862, over William Westover. The course of Mr. Hopkins from his youth up indi- cates great energy, enterprise and perseverance. That he is a good citizen, a man of probity and worth, is evident from the confidence reposed in him by the peo- ple of his town and county during the whole period of his residence among them — from his birth to the present moment. He is also an excellent legislator, attending exclusively to his duties, and laboring zealously for the benefit of his constituents. In politics Mr. Hopkins was originally a Whig, and cast his first vote for John Quincy Adams in 1828. On the breaking up of the Whig party, not relishing the abolition bearing of the Republican creed, he joined the Democrats, and now acts with and represents that party. He was married in 1831 to Miss Hannah Wil- liams, who died on the 6th day of April, 1856. Since BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 341 that time he has remained a widower. He has no religious preferences, and tolerates all denominations. NATHANIEL M. HOUGHTON. The representative of the Northern district of Sara- toga, was born at Corinth where he still resides, and is forty-six years of age. He is of New England descent, his father being a native of Massachusetts, his mother, of Vermont. He was a Member of the last Legislature serving on the Committee on Railroads, and was also Chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Depart- ment. He is a Republican of the first water, and was elected to the present House over Samuel Y. Rockwell, Democrat, by a majority of over one thousand. He is a member of the medical profession; a gen- tleman of good personal presence, weighing one hun- dred and eighty pounds, and is about five feet eight inches in height. It is seldom he indulges in debate, but when he does take the floor his manner is somewhat peculiar. He belongs to that class of orators who " tear a passion to tatters." No matter how indifferent and unimportant the subject, he throws into it all the energy of voice, and wildness of action that characterizes Forest in his most ranting moods. He swings his arms about him in a manner dangerous to bystanders ; shakes his bushy locks down over his eyes, and altogether presents an *29 342 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. interesting tragic appearance. "Wake me up when Kirby dies." BERNARD HUGHES. Me. Hughes is a genius, a man of decided talent, and a humorist. He is a ready speaker, very fluent ; and for pointed sarcasm surpasses every member of the House. His speeches, though apparently unpremedi- tated, are well arranged, cogent, logical, sometimes rhetorical, and always pungent, forcible and eloquent. When he speaks he elicits marked attention — his audi- ence expecting to be treated with a rich repast, in which, generally, they are not disappointed. He says what no other man can say, and in a manner which none can imitate : and the marked attention which is given to him attests the interest he excites, and the power he exercises. He is emphatically an original ; and his eccentricity is of that kind which gives zest to every word that he utters, and imparts a meaning to every look and gesture. He is a true Irish wit ; and his gems sparkle brilliantly through all his efforts, giving light and life to his subject, and affording a glow of delight and approbation to all within his hearing. His language is pure, and often beautifully expressed, with just enough of the brogue in his enunciation to add to the interest that his eloquence inspires. Mr. Hughes, as might have been anticipated from what is written above, was born in the town of Caladon, BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 343 Tyrone county, Ireland, and is forty years of age. His ancestry is good, and many of his progenitors have dis- tinguished themselves in the various walks and occupa- tions of life. He was educated in Ireland, and pursued his studies in reference to his future occupation as a lawyer, and devoted much time to the study of the British classics, Roman and Grecian history. In 184'7 he emigrated to this country, and located in Buffalo, where he married a Miss Hawson. In 1852 he gradua- ted at the Law University in Albany, and in 1860 re- moved to Brooklyn, where he now resides, and pi-aotioes law in the city of N"ew York. In the fall of 1862 he entered the lists for the Assem- bly, and ran as a stump candidate, beating the regular Democratic and two Republican candidates, by a plu- rality of six hundred and seventy-four over his Demo- cratic brother, and a still greater vote over the Repub- lican nominees. He is a straight Democrat. As a legis- lator he has carved out for himself a good reputation, and efficiently serves his constituents and the State. He is a member of the Roman Catholic Church. CHARLES HULETT. This gentleman is one of the most useful, valuable and trustworthy members of the Legislature. He rarely speaks, but when he rises in his place, he is always sure to speak to some purpose. He uses no pearls of poetry or flights of fancy, but deals altogether in the purest and strongest Anglo- 344 ; BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. Saxon, advancing in a straight, geometrical line, directly to the real point in controversy. Frequently, when the House has been put to sleep by an overwhelming dose of carefully written speeches, the gentleman from Chemung suddenly throws a bomb-shell into the midst of the Cham- ber, which startles every one with a true understanding of the matter under discussion. He is a perfect terror to the lobby, whose numbers about the Capitol this winter are unprecedented, threatening to render this Legislature even more disreputable than that of 1860, and he has the integ- rity and manhood to steer clear of all " entangling alli- ances." Mr. Hulett is a genuine Yankee, descended from distin- guished ancestry. He is a native of the town of Redding, Windsor county, Vermont, and is fifty-eight years of age. Although receiving a limited English education, he is chiefly self-taught, having through life devoted a great share of his leisure time to study. He is now a successful farmer in Chemung county, and is considered one of the safest and most reliable men in that section of the State. In politics, he is a bold, straightforward and unswerving Democrat, and was elected to the Assembly in a district hitherto strongly Eepublican. He is a gentleman of fine, social qualities, and wields a strong personal influence wherever he is known. He has filled almost every ofi&ce in the gift of the people of his town and county, discharging his duties with credit to himself and entire satisfaction to his constituents. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 345 EGBERT C. HUTCHINGS. Mb. Hutchings was a Member of Assembly in 1861, serving with credit on the Judiciary Committee, and occupying a prominent position on the floor of the House. He was renominated in the fall of the same year, but was defeated by seven votes by the Hon. Royal Phelps, one of the most prominent merchants of the city of New York, and a leading mau in the last Legislature. Mr. Hutchings is next to the youngest man in the House, and was the youngest in 1861. He was bom in the city of New York, and is only twenty-six years of age. He is descended from Knickerbocker and Pu- ritan stock. Both his parents are living, his father, Edward W. Hutchings, a gentleman of high character, being now about the age of fifty-two. Mr. Hutchings was educated at Princeton College, N. J., where he graduated in the class of 1858. After leaving college he sailed for Europe, and passed over a year in the study of the civil law in Paris, acting, during the first Italian war, as a correspondent of one of the principal New York papers. In 1859 he returned to the United States, and in the spring following graduated at the Columbia Law School, receiving the valedictory honor of his class. He was subsequently admitted to the bar, and has since been engaged in the practice of his profession in his native city. Politically, he has always been a Democrat of the old-fashioned Hardshell stamp, but whenever a candidate before the people, he 346 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. has never failed to receive the united support of the party, and always ran far ahead of his ticket. Mr. Hutchings is a ready, fluent and eloquent speaker, and is doubtless one of the most accomplished writers in the Legislature. Although calm, quiet and unassu- ming in his public conduct, he has many friends both inside and outside of the Legislature, and has exhibited a degree of representative ability which qualifies him well for almost any position in the gift of the people. He delivered some of the most logical and eloquent speeches that were made in the House in 1861, and that delivered by him at the present session on the Gov- ei-nor's Message reflected great credit on his head and heart. He is a young gentleman of pleasant exterior, and generally makes friends wherever he goes. He is about medium in height, with an elegantly-formed body, and has dark, intelligent blue eyes, glossy brown hair and niustache, and a smooth, gOod-natured face, strongly indicative of a warm-hearted, generous disposition. SAMUEL E. JOHNSON. Me. Johnson was born in Newtown, Queens county, N. T., in 1816. His father, the Rev. Ezra M. Johnson, is still living at the age of seventy, and is actively en- gaged in the duties of the Ministry in Brooklyn. He has been a clergyman of the Episcopal Church, and has lived and preached in that city without any salary since BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 347 1824. He married the daughter of the Rev. John B. Johnson, the first minister who officiated in the two- steepled Reformed Dutch Church in Albany, who left a large real estate in Brooklyn, which descended to the mother of the subject of this sketch and her two broth- ers, the Rev. William D. Johnson, D. D., rector of Grace Church, Jamaica, and the Rev. Samuel R. John- son, D. D., President of the Episcopal General Theo- logical Seminary in New York. Mr. Johnson was educated at the Flushing Institute, under the care of the Rev. Dr. Mulenbnrg, and gradu- ated at Columbia College in 1834. He afterwards studied law with Peter A. Jay, and has since then been engaged in the practice of his profession in Brooklyn. He ^as admitted to the bar in 183 V, and visited Europe the year following. He was appointed Master in Chan- cery by Governor Bouck, holding the position until it was abolished by the new Constitution. In 1844 he was appointed Superintendent of Common Schools in Kings county by a Board of Supervisors politically op- posed to him. In 1849 he was elected County Judge, the only successful candidate on the Democratic ticket, and ran over a thousand ahead of his ticket. He was elected to the Assembly in 1852, and in 1856 City Judge of Brooklyn, his opponent, however, E. D. Cul- ver, receiving the certificate of election in the latter case. Subsequently he became Corporation Counsel ; and it can be said of him that no decision of his while County Judge was ever reversed, and that no suit of his while Corporation Counsel was ever reversed upon its merits, when carried to a higher court. He was elected to the 348 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. present House by a handsome majority, and is one of the best men in that body. The -wife of Mr. Johnson is a daughter of the late Jacob Foster, of Brooklyn, by whom he has two sons, and one daughter who is married to Alfred Becar, Esq. VINCENT C. KING. In personal appearance and affability of manner, this gentleman has, perhaps, not a superior in the House. He is particular in his costume, evidently having a passion for nicely-iitting apparel and clean linen. The bright eyes that look down from the ladies' gallery, beam with satis- faction, as they rest upon the gentleman from New York. It is a matter of regret that we have been unable to obtain so little information in regard to the history of his life. When applied to for such information he has been as 'silent as a lobster. We have, however, succeeded in ascertaining that he first squared himself against existence in the town of Wil- ton, Saratoga county, some thirty and odd years ago. His parents were both natives of this State. He is at present a merchant in New York, representing the seventh district of that city, and of course, a Democrat. His competitors for the Assembly were Thomas E. Stewart, Union, and Edward V. Price, People's Union, receiving a majority over both of three hundred and twenty-nine. This is his first appearance in any public station, so far as we can learn. As yet he has made but little, if any, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 349 attempt at debate. His qualities as a speaker are yet unde- veloped, yet judging phrenologically, we doubt not he could maintain himself with credit should an emergency demand it. He is somewhat reserved, and yet remarkably social in his nature, and one of that class who improve upon acquaintance. PETER G. KISSELBRACK. This gentleman has a Dutch name, and it may there- fore be safely concluded that he is of Dutch extraction, which is the fact. He was born in Ancram, Columbia county, N. Y., some thirty-eight years ago, be the same more or less, and has always lived in that county. He was an Assessor of his town three years, and Town Clerk two years, and is held in high esteem by his neighbors and townsmen. He was elected last fall to the Assembly of 1863, and is a faithful and industrious member. He is not a man of show, either in his person or by his many words ; but he is a man of sense, intelligence and capacity. Hence he justly appreciates the several subjects that come be- fore the Assembly, and accurately discriminates when the ayes and noes are called. He is never taken at fault, but weighs every matter deliberately, and judges and votes upon it according to its merits. Mr. Kisselbrack is a staunch Democrat, of the Jeffer- sonian stamp. As such he was elected to the Assembly 30 350 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. by a very flattering majority over Hon. Samuel Lasher, a member last year, who was sustained by Republicans and Union Democrats. He was married in 1 846, to Miss Cornelia Ann Killmore. He attends the Methodist and Dutch Reformed Churches. JULIUS KORN. ' This gentleman is a native of Prussia. He was born in Breslau, Silesia, in 1813, and is now forty-nine years old. His ancestry were Prussians, and his parents- are still living. For a period of three hundred years, his ancestors, in a direct line, have been ministers of the Gospel — the son following the father in each succeeding generation, in the duties of that sacred calling. In his own family the mantle of the father fell upon a brother, who now officiates in the sacred desk. He received a classical education, and since he came to this country has been connected with the public press, as the editor of the German Democratic paper, the Staats Zeitung, published in the city of New York. He has also held the position of Port Warden in New York. He passed some time in California, and held a public position in that State. Mr. Korn was elected to the Assembly of 1863, by a majority exceeding two thousand. He is a man of superior ability and attainments, and is a busy, active member. He is a fluent and eloquent speaker, but does not often address the House, for the reason, it is supposed, of his imperfect utterance of the English language. He has spoken enough, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 351 however, to show that he is a scholar and a man of taste. If permitted to speak in his own language, he would, doubt- less, mate the hall of the Assembly ring with his eloquence. Mr. Korn is a single man, and a follower of the Great Reformer, Martin Luther. HENRY C. LAKE. Mr. Lake is a native of Gerry, Chautauqua county, N". Y., where he has always resided. He is descended from pure English stock, and was born on the 30th of May, 1823. His father, Calvin Lake, who was a gentle- man of character and influence in Western New York, died in 1842, at the age of fifty-seven, and his mother, whose maiden name was Sarah Mather, is still living at the age, of sixty-two. Mr. Lake passed a few mouths in an academy while a boy, but received most of his education in the " back- woods " of his native county. He taught school several terms from the age of seventeen until twenty-two, and then read law some two years without intending to practise. In 1847 he embarked in farming, which he successfully followed till 1855, and has since then been extensively engaged in the manufacture of horse-power machinery, his business extending over all the free states. In politics, he was originally a Democrat of the Free Soil school, voting for Mr. Van Buren in 1848, and in 1852 supported Pierce for the Presidency. In 1854 he 352 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. acted with the American party, and since 1856 has been a Republican with strong conservative proclivities. He held the office of Justice of the Peace from 1854 till 1858, and was also Supervisor in 1858 and 1861, besides having held other unimportant town offices. Mr. Lake is a gentleman of exemplary habits — al- ways promptly in his seat, as well as patient and laborious on the several committees to which he belongs. He is matter-of-fact in his mode of thinking — seldom deals in mere theory, and although capable of expressing himself unequivocally and to the point, has avoided'the unfortu- nate habit, so common to new members, of speaking when there is nothing to be said. While others, therefore, who have figured conspicuously in the House, have accomplished scarcely anything of immediate interest to their constituencies, he has been quietly laying the foundation for certain success, and has succeeded in triumphantly carrying through both Houses nearly every measure he has undertaken. In his impulses, Mr. Lake is kind and generous. He seldom makes an enemy where friendship is a real virtue, and though decided and unyielding in the maintenance of right and justice, tempers all his acts with mercy and good fellowship. Rarely has his district sent as good a man to the Legislature — certainly none more faithfully devoted to her best interests, and he certainly deserves far higher distinction at the hands of his fellow citizens. Mr. Lake was married on the Slst of August, 1847, to Miss Margaret M. Ames, and attends the Universalist Church. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 353 SAMUEL LAWRENCE. Mr. Lawrence is a native of the city of New York, an J is fifty-three years of age. He is a merchant doing business in Havanna, Schuyler county, where he resides, and is one of the leading men in that place. His poli- tics are strongly Republican, and he was elected to the Assembly, and was elected on a Union ticket, by a majority of more than five hundred over a straight De- mocratic opponent. He has occupied almost every office in the militia service of the State, from Corporal to Brigadier-General, and was a prominent member of the House in 1846. He is considered one of the most reliable men in the Legislature this winter. DANIEL LEAMY. Mr. Leamt is a native of old Ireland, and is thirty- two years of age. Pie came to America in 1834 with his parents, who first settled at Montreal, Canada, where they resided some eight years. His father, Thomas Murphy, died some five years ago in the city of New York, and his mother, whose maiden name was Mary Murphy, is still living. He is a brother of Patrick C. Leamy, a young gentleman of unusual promise, who was educated at St. John's College. Mr. Leamy received a common English education, and since leaving Montreal has been a resident of the *30 354 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Metropolitan city. He is a practical mechanic, and like most poor boys coming to this country, has been the successful architect of his own fortune. Politically, he has always been a firm and unyielding Democrat of the Tammany Hiill school, and was four times an unsuc- cessful independent candidate for the Assembly before his election to the House of 1862. He is a very quiet and attentive member, and made many personal friends at Albany, during this and last winter, by his uniform courtesy and good conduct towards all with whom he has come in contact. THOMAS A. LED WITH. Me. Lbdwith is the youngest man in the Legislature, He is a native of the city of New York, where he has always resided, and is twenty-three years of age. He is of pure Irish extraction. After receiving a good substantial business education, he studied law, and is now successfully engaged in the practice of his profes- sion in his native city. Politically, he has always been an industrious and hard-working Democrat, and was elected to his present position by over two thousand majority. He is said to be a young gentleman of excel- lent attainments, and promises fair to rise early in his profession. He possesses a pleasant exterior; never attempts any forensic display ; has many friends in the legislative circle ; and serves his constituents truly and faithfully, being in every way worthy of their confidence and esteem. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 355 JACOB LE FEVER. The county of Ulster is widely knowu as the Huguenot county — having been peopled by the French Huguenots, who, at the revocation of the edict of Nantes, fled to Hol- land, and thence, about the year 1680, resolved to avoid per- secution by escaping to the New World. Accordingly they appeared on this side of the Atlantic; and while some of them settled in Pennsylvania and others at New Eochelle, in Westchester county, still others of them settled in the county of Ulster. And from the latter, the present subject of our sketch is a direct descendant, having been born on the very premises where his ancestors first settled nearly two hundred years ago. By vocation he is a farmer ; and judging by his address and general appearance, we presume it is carried on by him upon a liberal scale, and with a return of liberal profits. The town of New Paltz and that portion of the county which he represents, is one of the most beauti- ful and productive farming sections of the State. Those of our readers who have formed their judgment of the county of Ulster by what appears to them as they pass up and down the Hudson, would be surprised and delighted could they behold the fine valley of the Wallkill, as the latter winds through the southern towns of that county on its way to tide water. In point of area of territory, Mr. Le Fever represents nine of the nineteen towns of the county. It is the district heretofore represented by James G. Graham, Esq., and more recently by the " Gentleman from Ulster," whom our readers who have been in the habit of attending upon the sessions 356 BIOGEAPHICA.L SKETCHES. of the Legislature will not soon forget, the Hon. George T. Pierce. Therefore the district may be said to have exer- cised as much influence over the legislation of the State of late years as any other district within her limits, and, from the flattering opinions expressed by his fellow-members, we think the interests of his constituents, and of the people of the State, will not suffer at the hands of its present repre- sentative. Mr. Le Fever was .mainly educated at the New Paltz Academy, under that extraordinary man and popular ora- tor, Eiiphas Fay, who was candidate for Secretary of State of New York upon the incoming of the Whig administra- tion in 1838. The State officers were at that time appointed by the Legislature, and Mr. Fay was defeated by a few votes in legislative caucus by John C. Spencer. It was honor enough to be beat by such an opponent, it will be said. Aye ! " There were giants in those times," and to be Secretary of State at that day, amounted to something. Mr. Le Fever has served in the Board of Supervisors of his county for two consecutive years, and took a high posi- tion in a body of which some of the ablest men of Ulster were members — among them Ex-Sheriff Deyo, Abner Has- brouck, Esq., late candidate for State Senator in that district, Thaddeus Hait, Esq., of Plattekill, and others. The last year of his service he was Chairman of the Committee on Equalization, a most responsible position, and the duty of which he discharged to the entire satisfaction of the Board and of the people. His election to the Legislature shows the importance of a discreet and proper exercise of the elec- tive franchise, and what important results come out of apparently unimportant events. For while his Assembly BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 357 District gave fifty-one majority for Horatio Seymour, for Governor, Mr. Le Fever had one hundred and ninety-nine majority for Member of the Assembly. His opponent in the canvass was John GrifBth, Esq., former Sheriff of the county, by no means a weak or unpopular candidate. But Young America was obviously against him ; while the character and conduct of Mr. Le Fever had been such as to secure to him the respect and confidence of the staid and ■ solid portion of the community. In the Legislature, he enjoys the full confidence of his fellows and of all who know him. CHARLES P. LESLIE. Mr. Leslie is one of the four youngest members of the Assembly. Mr. McKeon of Rensselaer being of the same age — twenty-seven, Mr. Hill of New York, twenty-five, and Mr. Ledwith twenty-three. Of his history, we have only been able to glean, from the statistical list, the fact that he was born in Still- water, Saratoga county ; has a residence in Brook- lyn, and a law office in New York ; and from other sources, that he is the son of " Old Oswego," the cele- brated stump campaigner during the existence of the American party. It can hardly be said, however, that the son is a " chip of the old block," as the father never failed in the performance of any duty, but went ahead with a degree of energy and perseverance worthy of all praise. Young Leslie, however, is sometimes in his seat, 358 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. and doubtless supposes, very justly, too, that the public business advances quite as rapidly in his absence, as it would if he was present. Mr. Leslie's political antecedents are American, and he adhered to that organization during the whole period of its existence. On its demise he went over to the Democrats, and was elected by them to his present po- sition in the Assembly. His legislative career is not marked with any special service to the pubUc, although he has sufficient capacity to have made a useful mem- ber ; but a few more years will ripen him, and it is not improbable but that he may yet become a bright par- ticular star in the political heavens. HIRAM W. LOOMIS. Mr. Loomis is a native of the town of Warren, Herkimer county, and is thirty-three years of age. His present place of residence is Palermo, Oswego county, where he is a tiller of the ground, and a popular and worthy citizen. He has been Town Superintendent of Common Schools, and in 1855 was one of the marshals for taking the census. He is also an Assistant Assessor of the United States, for the twenty- second district, under the law of 1862. He was elected a Member of the present Assembly, over Hon. Willard John- son, former member, after a very close contest, his majority being thirty-four. He is a member of the Committee on Railroads and Joint Library. Mr. Loomis is a gentleman of high standing in the com- munity in which he lives, and is a man of great energy and BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 359 perseverance. As a shrewd political manager, he has no superior. In politics he is a Republican. He is a married HENRY S. LOTT. Mr. Lott is one of the largest men in the House, weigh- ing about two hundred and thirty-five pounds, and standing six feet in his stockings. He is a plain, honest, unpretend- ing, straightforward man, a hater of flams and shams and proud pretensions, and is a lover of the right. The hand may be rough, the mind uncultivated, but the heart is kind, the person brave, and the spirit undaunted and un- flagging. Mr. Lott is a native of Jamaica, Queens county, N. Y., and is forty-one years of age. He received a common school education, and has passed his life, thus far, in the honest occupation of a farmer. He has always been a boM, uncompromising Democrat of the old school, and was chosen to his seat in the Assembly by a majority of over five hundred, in a closely contested district. He is very quiet in the discharge of his duties, but is an honest and faithful representative. He has been Assessor of his town for fifteen consecutive years. 360 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. GEORGE L. LOUTREL. Mr. Loutkel was a Member of the last Assembly. He served as a member of the Committees on Trade and Manufactures and Expenditures of the House. He was re-elected at the last election by a largely increased vote, and is now, as he was then, one of the leading Demo- cratic members of that body. He is a native of the city of New York, where he now resides, and is thirty-five years of age. He is engaged in the coal business, and possesses considera- ble industry and business capacity. His politics have always been thoroughly Democratic, and he is ever true and unfaltering in his devotion to its interests and policy. He is one of the most witty, sarcastic and good-natured men in the House, and always makes a point when he speaks. EDWARD D. LOVERIDGE. Mr. Lovbridgb was born in New Milford," Litchfield county, Connecticut, on the 11th of December, 1824, and came to New York in 1852. He was educated at Trinity College, pursuing a partial course, and began the practice of the law in 1854, in Wyoming county, in this State. In 1856, he removed into Allegany county, where he entered into copartnership with his brother, N. P. Lovcridge, who had been practising there some three or four years, and where the two are now prosecuting a successful business. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 301 Mr. Loveridge is descended from pure English stock. His father and mother are still living, the former, Erastus Loveridge, having attained the age of seventy, and the lat- ter, the age of sixty-six. Politically, he was formerly a Democrat, but since the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, has been a staunch, consistent, and unyielding Eepublican. Always devotedly attached to the pursuit of his profession, he has but seldom participated actively in politics, but •whenever he has done so, his personal and political popu- larity have rendered him quite successful. He has held several town offices, including that of Supervisor in 1860 and '61, and was a Member of Assembly in 1862. He is a gentleman of some ability, but is evidently on pretty good terms with himself. Mr. Loveridge was married on the 19th of October, 1854, to Miss Frances E. Bartlett. He attends the Epis- copal Church, and is a gentleman of high standing in all the social relations of private life. MICHAEL McCANK. Me. McGakn is a genial, clever and agreeable young gentleman of prepossessing personal appearance, and numbers his personal friends by scores. This is his first prominent appearance in public life, but the degree of ability and industry exhibited by him in the discharge of his duties shows that his constituents have not mis- taken their man, and that he is destined to rise still higher in the scale of honorable distinction. 31 362 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Mr. McCann was born in Brooklyn, Kings county, N. Y., and is thirty-one years of age. He is descended from pure Irish stock. He received a liberal education, and turned his attention to the law, in the practice of which he is now engaged in the city of New York, where he resides. Politically, he has always been a Democrat of the Fernando Wood school, and has been a member of the Mozart General Committee during the past three years. He was unanimously nominated at the last election by the Democracy of his district for the position he now holds, and was triumphantly elected by a handsome plurality over two opponents, one of whom was Dennis McCabe, a member of the last House. ISAAC McDOUGALL. Me. McDougall was born in Bethlehem, Albany county, on the 25th of October, 1825, and is now in the thirty-eighth year of his age. His father, John McDou- gall, is stiU living ; his mother, whose maiden name was Hannah Jillson, died in 1841. His occupation has generally been that of farming, but he has been en- gaged a good deal in lumbering ; and now carries on the business of refining kerosene oil, under the firm of N. B. Foot & Co. He resides in the town of Delta, Oneida county, and was married in 1850 to Miss Hannah M. Jones, of Boonville, of the same county. Mr. McDougall has attained some distinction in his town, and has been elected to the office of Justice of BTOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 363 the Peace. In politics, he was a Democrat up to the time of the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, when he joinerl the Republicans, by whom he was elected as a Member of the present House. He is a very respecta- ble citizen, and makes an excellent Member of the Legislature, being a man of great sagacity, sound judg- ment and energy. GEORGE MoGONEGAL. This gentleman is one of the working men of the Assembly, and is one of the most reliable members of that 'body. He is a quiet, but an observant member, always attentive to his duties, and well posted in the business of legislation. In whatever concerns his im- mediate constituents, he is energetic and persevering, never slumbering at his post, but diligent, prompt and ready to seize the opportune moment, when success seems to be within his reach, for decisive action. Nor is he less attentive in matters of general interest, but is ready at all times in accelerating the public business. Me. McGonegal was born in the town of Hillsdale, Columbia county, N". Y., on the 8th of April, 1828, and is now thirty-five years old. In 1834 his parents removed to Monroe county, where he still resides. He is of Scotch descent, his grandfather being from the North of Ireland, which is settled mostly by emigrants from Scotland. His father was a Member of the As- 364 BIOGKAPHICAIi SKETCHES. sembly from Monroe county in 1847 ; and died in the town of Irondequoit in that county, in August, 1855, at the age of sixty-seven. His mother, whose maiden name was Mary Hoyt, is still living, at the age of sixty- six. He has a good common English education^ which he obtained in the district school, and in the Rochester Academy. He has always followed the plow, and is an experienced farmer. In 1860 and '61 he was elected Supervisor of his town; and in the fall of 1862 was elected a Member of the Assembly, on the Republican ticket. Originally, he was a Whig, and adhered to the fortunes of that party as long as it had an existence, and on its demise he joined the Eepublican organization. He was married on the 31st day of March, 1853, to Miss Louisa E. Loder, daughter of Daniel B. Loder of Rochester, and attends the Baptist Church. ARCHIBALD C. McGOWAN. Me. McGowan was born in Pownal, Bennington county, Vermont, on the 26th day of August, 1822, and is now forty years old. His paternal grandfather was a native of Scotland ; was born in 1760; emigrated to this country before the Revolution, and when the war broke out, joined the Continental army and partici- pated in the battle of Bennington. After the war he settled in Hoosick, Rensselaer county, N. Y., vyhere Clark McGowan, the father of the subject of this sketch, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 365 was born. His mother, whose maiden name was Mary- Carpenter, was also born in Pownal, and died when he was seventeen months old. His father died when he was two years old. Mr. MoGowan being thus left an orphan, and the youngest of the family, has had much to encounter in his progress ui life. Left alone at a tender age, the care and attention that he would otherwise have had, was denied him, and his schooling was, therefore, very much limited. But, with what he acquired in his occasional attendance at the district school, and the opportunity he providentially had of finishing his course, at the Jonesville Academy, in Saratoga county, he ob- tained a pretty good English education, and emerged into business life tolerably well qualified to contend with the world for a livelihood. His strong natural powers and great energy of character, moreover, enabled him to overcome all obstacles, and he soon found him- self going ahead in the full tide of successful experi- ment. At the age of seventeen he set out to seek his fortune, and for some time was employed by an older brother in Troy, as a clerk. Afterwards he was em- ployed at Clifton Park, Saratoga county, where, in 1845, after three years' service as a clerk, he formed a co-partnership with Mr. H. H. Rogers in a Canal store. While here he formed another partnership with Miss Mary Louisa Rogers, the daughter of his business part- ner, whom he married in 1846. Soon afterwards, his health failing, he gave up business for two or three years, but resumed it again in 1850, and continued it prosper- ously till 1853, when he engaged in the lumber and coal *31 366 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. traffic. In 1854 he removed to Frankfort, Herkimer county, engaged in the mercantile business and boat building, and soon thereafter purchased a farm and added agriculture to his other pursuits. Mr. McGowan was formerly a Democrat, but voted for Fillmore in 1856. He has acted with the Republi- cans since they organized into a party, and is now of the straitest kind. JAMES McKEON. Mr. McKeon is an Irishman by descent, though born in the city of Troy, Rensselaer county, the first district of which he now represents. He is only twenty-seven years of age, and is such a man as Caesar had in contemplation when he exclaimed : " Let me have men about me that are fat !" When a lad he entered the service of Messrs. R. D. & D. Murray, as eiTand boy in their large brush manufactory, in which situation he remained four years. At the end of that period he was apprenticed to Eaton & Gilbert, proprie- tors of the celebrated omnibus and post coach establish- ment on Green Island. In that concern he also remained fonr years, acquiring, in the meantime, the reputation of being one of the best workmen in the country. Subse- quently he engaged in the liquor trade, and though with- out capital, such was his confidence in himself that he ran in debt for his stock, and by strict attention to business succeeded beyond his most sanguine expectations. In BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 367 course of time he established a wholesale grocery store,' which is now in profitable operation. Few young men have been more prosperous in a pecuniary way, or secured a more creditable business reputation. It is a somewhat remarkable fact that he neither drinks liquor nor uses tobacco in any form, though for a long time a dealer in these articles. As we intimated above, Mr. McKeon is of rotund propor- tions, and therefore naturally an Alderman, an ofl!ice he has held since 1859, and enjoys the reputation of being one of the leading men of the Board. At the election last fall he received a majority of up- wards of one thousand over a strong and popular oppo- nent, who ran against him for the seat he now occupies. He has always taken a strong interest in the Fire Depart- ment of the city of Troy, and for several years was fore- man of the company to which he was attached. In 1858, the company presented him with a silver trumpet, and we think we cannot better close this sketch than by copying here the following closing extract from the presentation address, by Mr. George Demers : You have talents and capacities that fit you for control- ling in a measure the conduct of others ; may you use them for good purposes. Let it be your ambition to develop in those under your leadership the noblest attributes of efii- cient firemen and upright citizens; of men whose good qualities are counterbalanced and destroyed by no attend- ant evil one ; who can generate caloric enough to operate a fire engine, without taking on fuel from a beer pail ; who can extinguish a conflagration by the well-directed applica- tion of cold water, and without swearing at it ; who can work well without playing ill ; who would be ashamed to go near a looking-glass, if they had any idea that they 368 BIOGEAPHICAI, SKETCHES. should see a loafer there. It can only be said to you, in conclusion : " Stand for the Eight, through thick or thin : Let rogues uphold the wrong. Be manful, cheerful : in the din. Triumph is with the strong. What'er the bad may say or do. Fight for the honest part ; What bodes a frown, a growl to you. If truth sustains the heart?" JAMES McLEAN. This is the first prominent appearance of Me. McLeait in a public official capacity. He has long been a leading man in the section of the State where he resides, but his ambition has led him to excel in a quiet pursuit of his business rather than in the empty honors of a little brief authority. His qualities of head and of heart, however, adapt him well for the position he now occupies, and render him one of the very best men in the Legislature. Although a good debater, he rarely attempts to speak, and when he does he advances directly to the real point in controversy, which he never fails to handle intelli- gently and satisfactorily. Mr. McLean is forty-three years of age, and was born in the town of Junius, Seneca county, N. Y. He has passed his life chiefly as a resident of that county, where he is successfully engaged in the lumber and milling business. He held the office of Superintendent of the BIOGEAPHlCAl SKETCHES. 36^ Poor from 1853 until '57, and has repeatedly been Su- pervisor and Justice of the Peace in his town. He has always been strongly conservative in all his political views and feelings, voting for Mr. Fillmore in the Pres- idential contest of 1856, and was a member of the Committee of Sixteen in the Utica State Convention ia 1859, which made out the State ticket that was that year elected. He has always been found a shrewd and sagacious leader whenever taking part in politics, and is always a most dangerous opponent. Mr. McLean is married, and is a gentleman of high character and influence in the community of which he is a resident. JOHN Mc SHEA. This gentleman was born in the city of Armagh, the Primatical See of Ireland, some thirty-two years ago, and emigrated to this country in 1847, and located in Albany. His parents are still living. In 1849, he removed to Nis- kayuna, Schenectady county, where he established himself in the business of tanning and currying, and still resides there. He is one of a family of four brothers, each one of whom, like himself, stands six feet in his boots. He is highly respected in his town, as a young man of fine talents and estimable character. In his business, he is regarded as a man of strict integrity and honor, and is a straight- forward, energetic and enterprising man. His personal popularity is very great, and his townsmen have evinced 3'70 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHBS. their good feelings toward him by conferring upon him important trusts. Well educated himself, he has taken great interest in the education of others, and has held various offices connected with the common schools. He ias also been elected for two terms, as Justice of the Peace, and is now an acting magistrate. Mr. McShea has always been an unflinching Democrat, and by his voice and pen labored hard to avert the evils of war. But when the rebellion broke out, he took his stand, at once, in defense of the Union and the Constitution, resolved to stand by and sustain the flag of his adopted country. He was appointed one of the War Committee of his town, and was an efficient and active member. He was also selected, by Gov. Morgan, as one of the commis- sioners to superintend the enrollment of persons liable to do military duty, and has been arduous and earnest in the discharge of his duty. Mr. McShea was elected a Member of the present As- sembly in a close contest, being the first Democrat elected in the county in ten years, in a contested election. He made his debut in the House, on the occasion of the an- nouncement of the death of Judge Willard, who was the Senator from his district. His eulogy on that distinguished man was an effort of great jnerit, its touching pathos and eloquent delivery producing great effect. This was fol- lowed soon after by a speech on the Governor's Message, and the subject of Arbitrary Arrests, which, it is well known, involved all the political questions of the day. The research displayed in this speech, its arrangement and elo- quent delivery, stamps his character as one of the ablest debaters in the House. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 371 Mr. McShea is a very useful and eflBcient member, and though one of the youngest, is looked upon as one of the most promising and most worthy. The people of his dis- trict have reason to be proud of their representative, and by honoring him, hereafter, they will do honor to them- selves. He is unmarried, and is a member of the Roman Catholic Church. JOHN E. MAESHALL. This gentleman, by his unassuming and courteous deportment, and strict attention to his duties through- out the session, has secured the respect of his fellow- members in the House, without distinction of party. He is a native of Mamaroneck, Westchester county, forty-eight years of age, and a boot and shoe dealer by occupation. His grandfather, Sylvanus Marshall, ren- dered efficient service to the country in the Revolution, by his successful efforts in bringing out volunteers, and served himself throughout the entire war. Though receiving only a common school education, Me. Maeshall has, like many other self-made men, edu- cated himself, and, perhaps, no man in the Legislature is better informed upon all the great questions of the day. He is a prominent man in the community where he resides, entering cheerfully and earnestly into all enter- prises looking to the public improvement. As an evi- dence of the long-continued esteem in which he is held 372 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. by his fellow-townsmen, we need only state the fact that he was Supervisor of the town of Rye for six years in succession, ending in 1861. In politics he has invari- ably adhered to the Democratic party, and been un- flinching in his opposition to all manner of political cor- ruption. He is a warm-hearted, generous and high- toned, and represents his constituents with marked dignity and ability. Upon the opening of the rebellion, like his patriotic grandfather before him, he was zealous and active in raising volunteers, and has since devoted much time in furnishing relief for their families. Of his own means he has contributed liberally as his circumstances would permit. As a member of the Union Defense Commit- tee, and in every other way, he has demonstrated his love of country and his detestation of the rebellion. In June, 1837, Mr. Marshall was married to Miss Susan M. Covert. He is a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and an attendant at St. Peter's in the village of Portchester. ABNER C. MATTOON. Me. Maitoon was born in the town of Locke, Cayuga county, N. Y., in 1814, and is, therefore, forty-nine years old. He is of French and Anglo-Saxon extraction. His father, Henry Mattoon, died in 1823; his mother, whose maiden name was Lydia Ann Clough, is still BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 373 entered upon the active duties of life under favorable auspices. For many years he has been extensively en- gaged in the forwarding business, ship building and mercantile business, in all of which he has met with great success. He is now one of the largest canal boat owners in the State, and hence transports, to and from New York, immense quantities of produce and mer- chandise. He keeps an office in New York, at No. 1 OV Broad street, his interest and business being so largely connected with the Commercial Metropolis as to render it necessary, though his residence is in Oswego. He is a man of extraordinary energy and enterprise, of great sagareity and ability, and rushes through, at all hazards, whatevei' project he may have on hand. It is even said of him that, determined to go ahead in everything, he keeps the fastest horse, and the swiftest yacht, in the "Lake country." It is not strange that such a man should be eminently successful, as no reverse daunts him, but on the contrary nerves him to still greater effort. When quite young, Mr. Mattoon went to Rochester, where he was brought up, and after several years' resi- dence in that city, went to New York and established himself in business; whence, in 1844, he removed to Oswego. Besides his large business operations, he has, in the genuine spirit of philanthropy, had an eye to the interests of the rising generation, and has taken a deep interest in the subject of education. He was School Commissioner ten years, and is now President of the Board of Education. He assisted in establishing the new system of " object lesson teaching," now in successful operation in Oswego, although it seems to 32 374 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. have found no favor elsewhere. It is, nevertheless, a most important improvement, and seems the best calcu- lated to make an enduring impression on the young and tender minds of youth, as it daguerreotypes the object , on their memories so clearly and strongly as not to be removed or defaced. First impressions are the most enduring ; and hence objects engraved on the minds of the young, will last as long as the soul inhabits the body. Mr. Mattoon has always held a high place in the estimation of the community in which he resides. In addition to his long service as School Commissioner, he has been elected Supervisor three successive years, and has had many other strong proofs of the regard of his fellow citizens. In former days Mr. Mattoon was a Whig, thence by easy transition an American, and since the dissolution or suspension of that organization, he has acted with the Republican party. As an American he was a can- didate for the Assembly, running against Hon. Orville Robinson, by whom he was beaten by a small majority ; consequently Mr. Robinson became the Speaker of the Assembly. He was elected a Member of the present Assembly by a majority of three hundred and fifty-six. He was married in 1843, to Miss Caroline N. Nichols, a most estimable and beautiful lady, and attends the Presbyterian Church. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 375 STEPHEN L. MAYHAM. Blenheim, Schoharie county, is the birthplace of Me. Matham. He is now in the thirty-fifth year of his age, having been born on the 8th of October, 1828. He is of mixed descent, the blood of Ireland, Scotland and Germany mingling in his veins. His father, John Mayham, was a farmer of moderate means, and during his earlier years his son assisted him in his agricultural pursuits. He, however, enjoyed all the advantages of education to be found in the common schools of Blenheim, and subsequently passed some time as a student in Jefferson Academy. At the age of twenty-one he entered the law office of S. W. Jack- son, in Gilboa, remaining there for the period of six months, when he removed to Ithaca, Tompkins county, where he completed his professional studies, and was admitted to the bar in 1850. Since that time the prac- tice of law has been his only occupation. For four years Mr. Mayham was Superintendent of Common Schools of the town of Blenheim, three years its Supervisor, and has been District Attorney of Scho- harie county. He has always been an unwavering Democrat of the National stamp, and was elected to the House by over two thousand majority. He possesses strong native intellect, a sound, discriminating judg- ment ; and although speaking rarely, is one of the most forcible, concise and convincing debaters in the House. To these qualities are added all the noblest attributes of a warm-hearted, generous and agreeable gentleman, 376 BIOGRAPHIOAl SKETCHES. which makes him friends among all classes of men, with out distinction of party. In 1851 Mr. Mayham married Miss Julia A. Martin, and is an attendant of the Reformed Dutch Church. LEVI MILLER. Me. Miller is one of the oldest men in the House, being sixty-four years of age, and is a native of the town of Westmoreland, Worcester county, Mass. He is well educated, and has passed his life principally as a sur- veyor and civil engineer. In politics he was originally a staunch Whig, but at the abandonment of the organi- zation of that body became a Republican. He was a Member of Assembly in 1846, where he maintained a quiet though respectable position, and was re-elected at the last election by a flattering majority. He is married, and is said to be a man of respecta- bility and some influence in the neighborhood where he resides. WILLIAM MORGAN. Mr. MoEGAif is a man of strong prejudices, and is a Republican of the most rabid stamp. He is sel- dom found kicking over the party traces, and not unfre- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 377 quently excels his party by the extremity to which he carries his views and feelings on public questions. Al- though no speaker, he was exceedingly zealous in his opposition to the resolutions of Judge Dean, on the sub- ject of arbitrary arrests, which were defeated in the House by a strict party vote. Nevertheless, Mr. Morgan is said to be a gentleman of some character and influence where he resides, in Niagara county, and was elected to the Assembly by a flattering majority. He is about forty-eight years of age ; a builder, and has been Supervisor of his town some four years. FREEMAN P. MOULTON. This gentleman is a native of the Gibraltar of the Democracy of the Empire State — old Schoharie county. He is a large, substantial, good-natured, whole-souled man, with a big heart and a hearty grasp of the hand for all his friends, and is as immovable in his attachment to pure Democratic principles as his native hills. He is a plain, practical man, and although seldom addressing the House, always speaks to the purpose when he arises in debate. His judgment is good ; his discrimina- tion clear; his firmness almost unbounded, and he serves all questions, involving the interests of the State, as Hamlet did the Ghost : " I'll speak to it though hell itself should gape, And bid me hold my peace." *32 378 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, Mr. MouLTON is about forty-four years of age. His pa- ternal ancestors settled in Connecticut, and his mother's family were residents of this State. His education was confined chiefly to the common schools of his native place, and he has devoted his life thus far principally to agricultural pursuits. He has held the ofiice of School Superintendent, but his position, at present, is the first prominent office he ever occupied. He is a gentleman of superior personal popularity, and was elected a Member of Assembly by a complimentary majority. He is always at his post in the House, and attends to his duties faithfully and intelligently. JAMES M. MUNRO. The first district of Onondaga has three times returned this gentleman to the Assembly, and yet it cannot be said that he is a po.pular man in the community where he resides, in the proper sense of that term. He is somewhat blnfi' and burly in his disposition, and repels rather than attracts those with whom he comes in contact. Neverthe- less, he is a shrewd wire-puller, and by good management he has succeeded in obtaining a number of offices. Besides being three times elected to the Legislature, as above stated, he was for several years Superintendent of the Poor, and from 1856 to 1869 SheriflF of the county of Onondaga. He is still a resident of Caraillus, where he was born about the year 1814, and is consequently forty-nine years BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 3'79 of age. By occupation he is a farmer and miller. In poli- tics lie is a radical Republican, and as such was elected to the present Assembly over John Munro, Democrat, by five hundred and ninety-three majority. Mr. Munro is a married man, about five feet ten inches high, of solid proportions, and has been styled the Cyclops of the Assembly. JOHN W. MURPHY. Mr. Muepht is a native of the Green Isle of the Ocean, and was born in the town of Ballycolane, in the county of Kildare, Ireland, on the 22d day of June, 1830, and is now in his thirty-third year. He came to this country in November, 1849, and settled in Bufialo, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1856 he went to Minnesota, where he practised his profession about a year. He was a member of the first Democratic State Convention in that State, representing Sibley county. In the fall of 1857 he returned to Bufialo, opened a law ofiice, took a partner and has since been practising under the firm of Murphy & Matteson. He was never a candidate for office until he was nominated for the Assembly, although he has long been prominent in politics. He is a staunch Democrat, firm and unyielding as the everlasting hills, and exercises a good deal of influence in his party. He is a single man, and belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. 3S0 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. Mr. Murphy is a man of decided talent, of an impulsive, ardent temperament ; and, when roused to action, is im- petuous and sometimes slightly vindictive. He is a ready speaker, and as he warms up with his subject, is em- phatic and decisive. He makes strong points, and uses strong language to enforce them, always commanding the attention of the House. In the protracted and heated discussion incident to the election of Speaker, he par- ticipated largely, and his determined course elicited loud applause from the galleries. The blows that he dealt on that occasion will long be remembered by the corruptionists who came under his scathing review, and they will do anything but bless his memory. He is an observant legislator, taking good care of the interests of his constituents, and suffers no opportunity to pass without notice, bearing in any way upon them. He is a man of generous impulses, warm-hearted and genial. If he has faults they are of the head only, his heart has nothing to do with them. DANIEL M. O'BRIEN. This gentleman, as his name indicates, is of Celtic pa- rentage, though boi"n in the city of New York on the 1st April, 1836. In youth he enjoyed excellent advantages for obtain- ing a thorough education, being a pupil of William H. Leggett one of the finest classical scholars in the country, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 381 and subsequently of John Gilmary Shea, celebrated as the author of the work entitled " The Exploration and Discovery of the Mississippi Valley." Upon leaving school Me. O'Bkien resolved to adopt the law as his profession, and accordingly entered the office of Chauncey Shaffer and Benjamin T. Kissam as a student, and was admitted to the bar in 185Y. He has been successful in business. In the fall of 1861 he was elected to the Assembly by a majority of four hun- dred and eighty-seven over his opponent, and was a member of the Judiciary Committee. His services in the House were of such a satisfactory character, that his constituents renominated him, increasing his previous majority to one thousand seven hundred and forty-two. This, too, was accomplished notwithstanding he was bitterly opposed by the "Ring" in the city of New Tork — an institution with which he has never had any affiliation. Mr. O'Brien is a bachelor, twenty-seven years of age, and of prepossessing manners. He is a gentleman of warm and generous impulses and is regarded by his multitude of friends as a genuine good fellow. WILLIAM L. OSWALD. Me. Oswald was born in Edinburgh, that ancient capital of Scotland, in 1831, and is now, therefore, in his thirty-second year. He was President of the village of West Troy in 1861, and Chief Engineer of the Fire 882 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. Department in 1858 and '59. "When the rebellion broke out he raised a company with which he entered the field as Captain. He is now President of the West Troy Gas Company, and is also engaged in the business of steam towing, and is an enterprising and industrious man. Politically he is a Democrat, and is one of the most active workers of his party in his district. He is not boisterous in his career, but makes a pretty good representative. HARVEY PALMER. Me. Palmeu is a native of the town of Parish, Oswego county, N. y., where he now resides, and is forty-six years of age. His parents were natives of Connecticut, and he is probably of English descent. He received a common English education, and is a farmer. He has held the office of Supervisor some three years, and was elected to the Assembly by upwards of a thousand majority on a straight Republican ticket over a strong Democratic opponent. He is married. His course in the House is very quiet, and has attracted but little attention during the winter. BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 383 JOHN PARKS. Ma. Parks is a native of the town of Glen, Montgomery county, where he was born some forty-five years ago, but is now a resident of Medina, Orleans county. He is a man of good personal appearance, generally has on a clean shirt, a glossy, well-starched and well-ironed collar, a tasty cra- vat, and fashionable coat, &c. ; and thus equipped, takes his seat every morning in full view of the Ladies' Gallery, where he probably indulges in visions of the past, before occasional gray hairs began to appear on his cranium. Usually he seems to be engrossed in the contemplation of the fair subjects before him ; but it is questionable whether admiration only is the passion that impels 'him. As a member of the House he is not noted for industry, proba- bly because his time is more pleasantly occupied. Never- theless he is a jovial, pleasant companion, and means to enjoy himself anyhow. Mr. Parks is a Station Agent on the Central Railroad, and in 1850 and '51, held subordinate positions in the Assembly Chamber. He is married. ABEAHAM X. PARKER. Me. Paekee is a gentleman of note in the Assembly, not so much for his ability — though he is a man of respectable talents — as for a disposition to thrust his finger into every man's pie. He is a busy intermeddling 384 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. genius, with so grotesque and burly a figure, that no art, or artistical manufacture of his outward adornments, can refine or even mollify his appearance. He is one of those undefinable, indescribable, but imposing works of the Great Architect, that no human mind can appre- ciate, or human skill delineate. He is a man by himself and of himself, and his sympathies, therefore, run con- trary to the usual course of his species, in a diverse direction. White is said to be no color ; his taste, therefore, verges to its strongest opposite— black ; hence he is more interested in the colored race, than in the fairest of the Caucasians. His townsmen seem to have had some just appreciation of his taste, in selecting as an associate with him in the transaction of home busi- ness, a gentleman of color ; and the papers have an- nounced, with a flourish of trumpets, that Mr. Parker, and Mr. (Black) Swan, have been elected trustees of the village, &c. Doubtless their spirits are congenial, though their color varies. Mr. Parker is a native of the Green Mountain State, and was born in Granville, Addison county, some thirty years ago. He is a lawyer by profession, and practices in Potsdam, St. Lawrence county. He is an acting Justice of the Peace, and is esteemed a good officer ; and among his neighbors bears the character of a man of integrity and fairness. He was elected a Member of the present Assembly by a large majority, and, as we have said, takes a distinguished part in the proceedings of that body. He is a married man. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 385 JOHN PAULDING. This gentleman is a grandson of the Westchester lad ■who assisted in the capture of Major Andre, and thus secured the country against the treason of Arnold. His father, the late Alderman George Paulding, was the oldest son of the above patriot, and for many years was a leading man in the Metropolitan city. Mr. Paulding is a native of the 8th ward in the city of New York, and is about forty-three years of age. After receiving a liberal education, he studied law, and is now engaged in the practice of his profession in the city of New York, and resides in the town of Flatbush, on Long Island. He has always maintained a leading position in the Democratic party, although more of a business man than a politician, and was elected to the House by a large majority. His position in that body is quiet and unassuming, though there are but few of his legislative associates who excel him in an honest and faithful discharge of his duties. Mr. Paulding is now a widower, and enjoys a high social position in the community where he resides. GEORGE I. POST. Mr. Post was born on the 2d of April, 1826, at Flem- ing, Cayuga county, N. Y., and his descent, speaking • in a fractional way, is one-half German, one-fourth Dutch, one-eighth Scotch, and one-eighth English. 33 386 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. After passing through the common schools of his na- tive town he concluded his education at the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary at Lima. At an early day his father resolved on making him a physician, but having little taste for the medical profession, he turned his attention to the more congenial pursuit of the law, and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1855, establishing himself immedi- ately in the city of Auburn, where he has ever since continued to reside. The practice of his profession, however, was materially interrupted by the political campaign of 1856, in which he took an active and lead- ing part, and still more in 1857, by accepting the presi- dency of an organization, the object of which was to aid the settlement of the then territory of Kansas. In company with the Hon. John J. Brinkerholf he visited the territory and used his efforts and influence in behalf of the Free State cause. Returning from the West, he turned his attention to the reorganization and resuscita- tion of the Lake Ontario, Auburn and New York Rail- road Company, an enterprise in which he has been earnestly engaged. The first office held by Mr. Post was Superintendent of schools of the town of Fleming, to which he was elected at the age of twenty-one. In 1857 he was made Alderman of the third ward of the city of Auburn, and was chairman of the Board of Common Council upon the revision of the city charter. At the general election in the autumn, of 1859 he was elected District Attorney of the county of Cayuga, which office he filled with ability for the term of three years. Last fall he Mas, elected to the present Legislature in which he is a lead- BTOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 387 ing Republican. Thus it will be seen that he has enjoyed in an eminent degree the continued confidence and sup- port of his fellow citizens. From boyhood up to 1854 Mr. Post was a Democrat, sympathizing fully with the Free Soil wing of the party. In this year, being a delegate to the Democratic State Convention that indorsed the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, he withdrew from that body and has since had no political fellowship with his old associates. Subsequently he formed a slight acquaintance with " Sam," but the brief interview was uncongenial and they parted company. Mr. P. was married to Miss Esther C. Wyckoff, a branch of the family of the "Rev. Dr. Wyckoff of Albany, in 1847, and is an attendant at the Dutch Reformed Church. In person he is full six feet high, weighs one hundred and eighty pounds, has dark hair, blue eyes, and is prepossessing in appearance. DANIEL M. PRESCOTT. Mr. Prescott is a native of New Hartford, Oneida county, N". Y., where he first saw the light, forty-four years ago, and is of English extraction on his paternal, and Welch on his maternal side. His father, Oliver Prescott, died at the age of seventy-five. His mother, whose maiden name was Kuth Morgan, died in her seventy-second year. He is a relative of Col. Prescott, of Revolutionary memory, who participated in the battle of Bunker Hill, and was one 388 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. of the most gallant officers in the Continental service. His occupation is that of a farmer, and he is a brother of Amos H. Prescott, Esq., who was a prominent member of the American party, and, at the last meeting it ever held, was elected President of its State Council. Mr. Prescott was formerly a Whig, biit went over to the Republicans when they organized into a p^rty. In 1859, he was elected Ser- geant-at-Arms of the Assembly, and was an efficient and excellent officer. He had previously, in 1851, served as an Assistant. He was elected to the present Assembly on the Republican ticket, by a very handsome majority. Mr. Prescott is a man of high respectability, and posses- ses a good deal of influence in his town He is an intelli- gent and well-informed man ; is quiet and affable in his demeanor, and a man of good impulses. As a Member of the Legislature, he is diligent, a good worker, but not a speaker, yet does good service for his constituents and the State at large. He attends the TJniversalist Church ; was married, in 1853, to Miss Lydia M. Bacon, and again, in 1862, to Miss Mary E. Wood, having lost his first wife. ELIZUR H. PRINDLE. Mr. Prindlb is a very prominent Member of the House, and bids fair to make his mark in the political world. He is a gentleman of decided ability, a fluent and ready debater, just in his conceptions, and apt and forcible in presenting them. In debate he is always clear, pungent and comprehensive; courteous to his BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 389 opponents, energetic but not ungraceful in his delivery. His language is well chosen and never grates with harshness upon the ear ; his points -are usually strong, well arranged, and logically argued. His style is free from redundancy and is illustrative, succinct and vigor- ous. When he speaks he commands implicit attention ; and his clear, distinct utterance reaches every part of the House. His voice is good, full and strong, needing no apparent effort to throw it where he pleases. In private life he is a man of integrity and nice sense of honor, and stands deservedly high in the community in which he lives. Mr. Prindle was born in Newtown, Fairfield county, Connecticut, May 6, 1830, and is thirty-two years old. His father, Seth Prindle, died in Otsego county, in 1 841 ; his mother, whose maiden name was Blackman, is still living. He is of Scotch extraction. On coming to the State of N"ew York his parents first located at Unadilla, where he received an academical education, and prepared himself for the practice of the law. Subsequently he removed to Norwich, Chenango county, where he opened an ofiice and stiU resides. He has served" as District Attorney for the county the past three years, and has received many tokens of the approbation of his fellow townsmen, in various places of trust to which they have elected him. Mr. Prindle was formerly a Whig, but is now a Re- publican. He has turned the corner of bachelorship, and is yet single — not exactly the place for a good- looking man. He is a member of no church, but attends the Baptist. *33 390 BIOGKAPHICAL, SKETCHES. JOHN A. QUACKENBUSH. Me. Qdackenbush is one of the quiet men of the House, and never figures in the printed proceedings of that body. He is a native of Schaghticoke, Rensselaer county, N. Y., where he was born in 1829, and where he still resides, in the capacity of a farmer. He was formerly a Whig, and is now an unyielding Republican, being a supporter of the Emanci- pation Proclamation, and whatever else may be advocated by that party. He ran on a straight Republican ticket, for the Assembly, and was elected over John S. Fake, a pro- minent Democrat. This is his first appearance in an official capacity outside of his own town. His private character is said to be good, bnt he will never astonish the nation as a representative of the people. JAMES REDINGTON. Mk. Redington is one of the ablest men in the Assembly, and takes a leading part iu all the important discussions in that body. He is a good speaker, and, when deeply interested in the subject under considera- tion, as, for instance, the subject of Temperance, is really eloquent. On this great moral question he is ardent and sincere ; its earnest advocate, he enters upon its discussion with great zeal and energy, when it is brought up for the consideration of the House, and pre- sents it in a light so clear, bold and eloquent, that all BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 391 must acknowledge the truth and force of his arguments, even though they may not conform to the principle itself. Indeed, on all questions that arise he seems to be at home. He is also a useful member — a man of work, indefatigable in the performance of his duties, and suffering nothing to be lost by neglect on his part. He is peculiarly alive to whatever affects his own im- mediate constituents ; and when the people of St. Law- rence — their views or their whims, are alluded to, he is on his feet at once, to explain, or defend, as the case may require. In his personal and social relations he stands high — a man of high sense of honor, integrity and great purity of character. He is universally respected in his own community, and at the Capital, where he has spent the last two winters, he is highly honored and esteemed. Mr. Redington was born in the town of Madrid, (now Waddington) St. Lawrence county, N. Y., in 1810, and is now fifty-three years old. He is of English extraction. His father, Jacob Redington, was a soldier of the Revolution, and served during the war. He was one of the first settlers in St. Lawrence county, and was the first Justice of the Peace in the town of Madrid. He was also in the war of 1812 and was wounded in battle, and died in 1843, aged eighty-six. His mother, whose maiden name was Eunice King, died in 1847, aged seventy-six. Mr. Redington was educated principally at the St. Lawrence Academy at Potsdam, where his parents then resided. On concluding his academical studies, he commenced reading the law, went through his course, 392 BIOGKAPHICAl. SKETCHES. was admitted to the bar, and followed the profession several years. His reputation as a lawyer stood de- servedly high, and his practice was very successful. One of his students, Hon. Charles C. Montgomery, is now a Member of the Senate. In 1837 he was elected Justice of the Peace in his town, which was strongly opposed to him in politics ; but his personal popularity, and known integrity, with superior qualifications, car- ried him triumphantly through. In 1839 he was appointed Surrogate by Governor Seward, and held the office four years ; and in 1855 he was elected by the people to the same place. Previous to 1848 he was a Whig, but in the Presidential campaign of that year, he stepped on the Buffalo Platform and supported Martin Van Buren. In 1852 he slid down to the support of John P. Hale ; and in 1855 was a delegate to the Saratoga Con- vention, which formally organized the Republican party. He was a delegate to the State Republican Convention in 1856, and has ever since been identified with that party. Mr. Redington was married at Newtown, Connecticut, in June, 1885, to Miss Charlotte G. Colfax, a relative of a member of Congress of that name from Indiana. He is a member of the Congregational Church. ■BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 393 WILLIAM P. ROBINSON. Mh. Robinson was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, on the 13th of June, 1836. He is of genuine Puritan extrac- tion, being a direct descendant of " Old John Robinson," who came over in the Mayflower. In 1841 his parents, Horatio and Mary A. Robinson, emi- grated from Rhode Island to- this State, and settled at Auburn. Their son, William P., was educated at Hamil- ton College, and after graduating became one of the editors of the Auburn Daily Advertiser, a paper enjoying a large circulation, and conducted with marked ability. In this occupation he has been engaged for the last six years. He has also been connected with the Board of Super- visors of Cayuga county, three years as clerk and three as member. He is a staunch supporter of the principles and policy of the Republican party, and has, perhaps, contributed as much as any man of his age to their success in his district, in which he received a majority of one thousand four hun- dred and seventy-six. Mr. Robinson is a gentleman of culture, agreeable in his manners and popular with his associates. He is a married man, and an attendant upon the Universalist Church. 394 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. LUKE ROB. Mii.. RoK is a native of Greene county, N. Y., and was born in the town of Athens, on the 23d day of lito- vember, 1824, and is now in his thirty-ninth year. His father, William Roe, died in 1861, at the age of seventy- five. His mother, whose maiden name was Jane Baker, is still living. They were both natives of the State of New York. He was educated in the district school, and ob- tained a good English education. He now resides in the town of Cairo, which has been his residence for about six- teen years. Mr. Roe is a farmer, and is a leading man in his town. He has held several town offices, and in the years 1858, '59 and '60 was Supervisor. In political matters, he has always been a hard Democrat, and there is little pr'ospect of his ever softening, as he is as firm as adamant in his opinions. He is a good legislator, but no speaker, and never even reads a dissertation or an essay, on some abstruse subject, to his complacent fellow-members, wlio generally occupy the time thus taken up by the essayist, or Buncombe orator, in writing, reading the newspapers, eating apples, or cracking peanuts. He is a man of strong mind, good com- mon sense and sound judgment, qualities peculiarly adapted to the position he occupies, but of which many members of more pretensions are sadly, deficient. He is also indus- trious and energetic, and attends to his duties ' closely and faithfully. His constituents are as well, perhaps better, served than those who send members to the Legislature, excelling only in book knowledge, but who know little of BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 395 the world and its concerns. He is a strong and influential man in his own county, and commands universal respect. He attends the Baptist Chui-ch. HENRY ROGERS. Mil. Rogers was born in the city of Albany in 1832, and is, therefore, in the thirty-first year of his age. His parents were both natives of Ireland. Having received a limited English education he learned the mason trade, which he now follows in the city of New York, where he resides. Politically, he was brought up in the Demo- cratic school, and has always proved faithful to the principles and interests of his party. He was nominated by the Democrats of his district for the Assembly with flattering unanimity, and was elected by nearly a thou- sand majority over two opposing candidates. He is not a brilliant Member of the House, but discharges his duties diligently and conscientiously. GEORGE L. ROUSE. Mb. Rouse is a native of Cazenovia, Madison county, N. Y., and is thirty-four years old. He represents the second district of his county, and was elected by a majority of six hundred and twenty-nine. His bccupa- 396 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. tion is that of a merchant, and his politics are Republi- can. Ho is in no wise distinguished in the House, but keeps himself within himself — saying nothing and doing little. He is said to be a good, clever, sociable man ; and this is all that we can glean respecting him. HORATIO SEYMOUR. Me. Seymour is descended from the same family to which Gov. Seymour of this State, belongs. His father, and Henry Seymour, the father of the Governor, were both sons of Major Moses Seymour, of Connecticut, and were natives of that State. The former settled in Ver- mont, which he afterwards represented in the United States Senate some twelve years, and the latter in On- ondaga county, N. Y. The Hon. Origen Seymour, for- merly Member of Congress from the Litchfield District, Connecticut, is the son of another brother, and the late Gov. Seymour, of Connecticut, and the Hon. David L. Seymour, of Troy, are also members of the same family. Mr. Seymour is a native of Middlebury, Addison county, Vermont, and is forty-eight years of age. He was liberally educated, and after leaving school, studied law, in the practice of which he has always since been successfully engaged. Having no particular taste for the turmoil and strife of political life, he always remained a quiet citizen at his home in the city of Buffalo, where he now resides, until the breaking out of the rebellion, when, at the solicitation of his fellow-citizens, he consented BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 397 to become the Democratic candidate for Member of As- sembly, and was triumphantly elected. This was in the fall of 1861, and so well were the people of his district pleased with his course during the session of the Legis- lature which followed, that they again returned him at the last election by a majority of live hundred over the Hon. Erastus S. Prosser, late Senator from the thirty- first district, and the strongest Republican probably in the county. He was the Democrat candidate for Speaker in 1862. As a legislator, he is one of the most valuable and useful men in the House. He is a good speaker of em- phatic manner, and his familiarity with parliamentary rules renders hirn a troublesome opponent, and at the same time enables him frequently to carry his point even against the opposition of a majority. In debate, there are but few more ready speakers on the floor of the Assembly, and there are none more prompt in an off-hand, unpremeditated speech. He is never at a loss for words, and the facility with which he enters the arena of discussion, on any subject, evinces a good store of general information. In politics, he is consistent and unyielding, always fighting to the " bitter end " for pure Democratic principles, and never sets aside his political sentiments for the sake of mere expediency. Mr. Seymour is a man of family, and enjoys a high social position in private life. 34 398 BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. GUY SHAW. Me. Shaw is a farmer ; was born in Pennsylvania ; is forty-two years old, and resides in Barrington, Yates county, N. Y. He was elected to the present Assembly by a majority of eleven hundred and fifty-five. He is a good, substantial member, and never speaks, although he is said to be a good speaker. He is good size, well- proportioned, and is a married man. ASA S. SHERMAN. Mr. Sherman has always been a firm and consistent Democrat, and cast his first Presidential vote in 1840 for Martin Van Buren. He was a candidate for the Assembly in the fall of 1861, but was defeated by the Hon. Thos. D. Penfield, a member of the last House, by a majority of six hundred and four. He was re-nominated, however, at the last election, and was victoriously elected by precisely the same majbrity that he was defeated by the previous year, thus showing a change, in one year, in his favor, in the district, of twelve hundred and eight votes. Mr. Sherman was born in Cazenovia, Madison county, N. Y., and is forty-three years of age. His parents were both natives of Massachusetts. His mother is dead, but his father, Asa Sherman, is still living, at an advanced age. He removed, when quite young, into Onondaga county, ■where he received a common school education, and where BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 399 he resided until 1844, when he located in Madison county, his present place of residence. His occupation is that of a builder, in which he has been quite successful. He never held a public position previous to his election to the pre- sent Assembly, but has given considerable evidence during the winter of his ability to successfully fill the place. HENRY SHERWOOD. Me. Sherwood is a native of Woodhull, formerly Troupsburgh, Steuben county, where he was born on the 27th January, 1824. He was educated for the legal profession, reading law with the Hon. F. C. Dininny at Addison, and was admitted to practice in all the courts of this State in 1852. Since then he has practised at the bar of Steuben, and the judicial district in which it is included, with success. He was elected to the Assembly of 1862, and was a member of the Judiciary Committee, in which capacity his legal knowledge was appreciated. He was returned to the Assembly of 1863 by a majority of one thousand and seventy-five over Amos Carr, his Democratic com- petitor. Such was the favorable reputation Mr. S. had secured for hjmself at the preceding session, his friends selected him as the Republican candidate for Speaker. In the fierce contest that ensued, however, he withdrew, which eventually threw the election in favor of Mr. Callicot. He was originally a Democrat, of Freesoil proclivi- 400 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. ■ties, voting iu 1848 for Van Buren, and in 1852 for Pierce, but in 1856 advocated the election of Fremont, and was among the founders of the Republican organi- zation, the party to which he still strenuously adheres. He is descended from the Sherwoods of Long Island, who rendered efficient aid to the American cause throughout the Revolution. In 1855 he married Miss Eleanora Robinson, then of Ithaca. Though not a member, he is a general atten- dant upon the Episcopal Church. Mr. Sherwood is one of the most prominent men in the House, and a gentle- man of decided character and ability. SAMUEL SKINNER. Mr. Skinner is the oldest man in the Assembly, and Avas also the oldest in the last House. He was born on the 18th of January, 1797, in Cheshire county. New Hampshire, and is of pure English descent. His father, Peffril Skinner, died in 1811, at the age of thirty-seven, and his mother, whose maiden name was Lucy Abbott, died in 1839, at the age of sixty-four. They both lived, at the time of their death, in Union village, Washington county, N. Y., whither they had removed when the subject of this sketch was about twelve years of age. Mr. Skinner was educated in a common school, and worked in a cotton factory till he was twenty-one years of age. He then removed into Onondaga county. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 401 where he lived some eight years, and then into Living- ston county, where he now resides. He was engaged in farming from the age of twenty-two until the year 1850, since which time he has been employed in the foundry and lumber business. He has been Supervisor some nine years, and during the past quarter of a cen- tury has filled various other town offices. Politically, he was originally a Whig, and since the establishment of the Republican party has been ranked among its sup- porters. He was chosen to his present position as a straight Republican, by a handsome majority, over a Republican opponent, who had received the Union nomination, and has shown himself a quiet though sub- stantial legislator. Mr. Skinner was married in 1819 to Miss Lonanna Satterlee, who died in June, 1859, and has since then been single. He belongs to the Baptist church. ANDREW SMITH. An old proverb asserts, that the choicest articles are always done up in the smallest packages. So it is with Me. Smith who is the smallest man in the Assembly, weighing only one hundred and twenty-five pounds, and standing but five feet four in his stockings. He is well- proportioned, active and energetic; and is always at his post, carefully watching the interests of those whom he represents. Mr. Smith is a native of the county Cavan, Ireland, *34 402 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. where lie was born on the 23d of December, 1822. His parents both died in the old country, and he came to America in 1844, taking up his residence in the city of New York, where he has always since resided.- He re- ceived a limited education in the common schools of his native country, and has passed his life chiefly as a mer- chant, or in some public capacity. Politically, he has always been a strong and uncompromising Democrat of the Tammany HaU school, and in the fall of 1859 was triumphantly elected to the Assembly by a majority of two hundred over the combined vote of the Mozart Hall and Republican candidates. He had, previously, in the fall of the same year, been mentioned in connec- tion with the office of State Prison Inspector, and lacked only a few votes of receiving the nomination in the Demo- cratic State Convention at Syracuse. During the session of the Legislature in 1860 he served on the Committee of the Incorporation of Cities and Villages, and was looked upon as one of the best men in the House that winter. He was again a member of that body in 1862, and was re-elected in the contest of last fall by a handsome ma- jority. He is wholly a self-made man, and during his legislative career has shown the abiKty and perseverance to accomplish almost anything he may undertake. Mr. Smith was married on the 23d of September, 1 847, to Miss Ellen McCaffrey, and belongs to the Catholic Church, BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 403 FRANCIS B. SMITH. Mr. Smith is one of the most quiet and unobtru- sive men in the House. He is, however, a lawyer of conceded ability, and discharges his duties in a manner that is entitled to very much more praise than the career of many of his more boisterous legislative asso- ciates. He is a native of the town of Union, Broome county, N. Y., where he was born on the 23d of June, 1823. His father, Samuel M. Smith, is still living at an advanced age; his mother, whose maiden name was Betsey Bean, died in Broome county in 1857. He was educated chiefly under the tuition of Miss L. M. Pine, an accomplished teacher, and at the Jefierson Academy, in Schoharie county. He then studied law in the office of the Hon. Ashbum Birdsall at Binghamton, and since his admission to the bar has been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession in his native county. He was chosen Superintendent of Common Schools in 1847, holding the position six years, and in 1852 was elected District Attorney, which office he occupied three years. Previous to the fall of Fort Sum- ter he was a Democrat in regular standing with his party, but since then he has been acting with the Union organization, by which he was chosen to his present position. Mr. Smith was married in 1854, and is entirely liberal in his views on the subject of religion. 404 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. HAMILTON E. SMITH. Mk. Smith is a native of Duanesburgh, Schenectady county, N. Y., and is fifty-one years of age. His parents were both natives of this State. After receiving a com- mon English education he learned a mechanical trade, which he followed with considerable success for some years, and he is now engaged in farming, in Livingston county, where he resides. He held the oflBce of Super- visor in 1855, but never occupied any prominent official station till his election to the present House. His politi- cal status was formerly Whig, but his strong anti-slavery sentiments soon converted him to the Republican faith after the organization of that party, in which he is now a faithful and obedient servant. SAXTON SMITH. " An honest man is the noblest work of God ;" and in Mr. Smith we have an exemplification of the fact, that truth and poetry are sometimes identical. His name is a familiar one in the annals of New York legislation, and yet no stain rests upon it — a rare occurrence. In the years 1838, '40 and '44 he was a Member of the Assembly; and from 1846 to 1849, inclusive, a Member of the Senate. His whole legislative career has been marked with entire devotedness to the interests of his constituents, and the welfare of the State. He is a man BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 405 of great purity of character, a warm heart, generous impulses and unswerving integrity. No lobbyist can, or dare, approach him for a corrupt purpose, for there is that iu his eye and countenance that repels at once all such advances ; and the tempter would stand rebuked and belittled in his presence. In his political views he is firm, decided and uncompromising ; yet so strong is the conviction of his entire honesty that his opponents respect him as highly as do his most intimate party friends. He was a member of the first Senate under the present Constitution, composed of twenty-four Whigs and eight Democrats, yet no one of the majority com- manded more fully the confidence of the whole body than did he. This was not because of his superior ability — though he is a man of strong intellect ; nor for any brilliant oratorical powers, as he rarely speaks, but what he has to say is couched in brief, terse, com- mon sense remarks, speaking directly to the point, and in language not to be misunderstood. He is respected because he is known to be a man of unbending integrity, high sense of honor, and of great moral worth. In polt tics he is a Jeffersonian Democrat, " steadfast and im- movable." Mr. Smith was born in Putnam county, and is fifty- nine years old. He is of English extraction. His pa- rents were both born in Putnam county, and are both dead. His father, Abraham Smith, died in 1813, at the age of forty-nine ; his mother died in 1850 aged eighty- six. He received an academical education ; was brought up a farmer, and still pursues that honorable calling — improving the identical farm on which he was born. He 406 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. has been chosen Supervisor of his town, Putnam Valley, some ten or twelve times, and has held other important trusts. He was elected a member of the present Assem- bly by a majority of four hundred and forty-one ; attends the Presbyterian Church, and, we are sorry to say it, is a bachelor — for such a man should leave the world a " copy of himself." WILLIAM J. SNYDEE. Mr. Snyder was born in Albany county, N. Y., in 1825, and is now thirty-eight years old. His grand- father was a soldier of the Revolution. His father, John Snyder, died in 1848, at the age of sixty-three; his mother, whose' maiden name was Elizabeth Frazer, died in 1852, aged sixty-two. His education was obtained at the district school, and was sufBcieut for ordinary business. In addition to farming, which has been his occupation since boyhood, he has kept a hotel in Bethlehem Centre, and has maintained a good repu- tation. He never held an office until his election to the present Assembly, of which he is a substantial and intelligent member. He is not a speaker, but is never- theless a man of considerable influence, and is indefati- gable in the performance of his duties, never missing an opportunity to benefit his constituents. During the existence of the American party Mr. Snyder was a member of that organization, and since its extinction he has acted with the Democrats, by whom BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 40Y he was sent to the Legislature. He is a man of very considerable influence in his town, and is respected as a man of integrity and honor. He was married in 1850 to Miss Jane Ann MoGill, who died in 1856; and in 1858 he was again married to Miss Amelia Safford. He is an attendant on the Dutch Reformed Church. EBENEZER S. STRAIT. This gentleman is the son of Meshach Strait, who was one of three brothers named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and great uncle of three triplets bearing the same names. He was born in Stephentown, Rensselaer county, N. Y., on the 28th of May, 1824, and is now thirty-nine years old. He is of English extraction on his paternal and Dutch on his maternal side. His mother's maiden name was Aphia Smith, who is still living at an advanced age, as is also his father, who is eighty-two years old. He received an academical edu- cation ; studied law the usual time ; was admitted to the bar, and has been in the practice of his profession at Nassau since 1849. He is a man of great energy, prudence and sagacity, and, as a consequence, has met with large success in his professional business. By his own energy, tact and perseverance he has acquired a very handsome property, never having received any pecuniary aid from his relatives and friends. He is now considered wealthy, and has the satisfaction of knowing, 408 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. what any man might be proud to say, that his fortune is the work of his own hands, and the sweat of his own brow. Although Mr. Strait has been twice elected to the Assembly, he has never sought office, but the office has sought him. He was a Member in 1857, but was nomi- nated, very unexpectedly to himself, in his absence, and elected by a handsome majority. His nomination for the present House was, in the same manner, in his absence from home, without ballot and with entire una- nimity on the part of the Convention. He was elected by a majority of six hundred and fifty-two votes over Ex-Senator A. J. Colvin. He is a good Member, distinguished for his entire devotion to the public business, and the good sense and good judgment that characterizes his legislative action. Mr. Strait has been honored by his townsmen with various trusts, and held the office of Superintendent of Common Schools some five terms. He was President of the village of Nassau in 1861, and is held in high esteem in the community of his residence. He has always been a Democrat. He was married in the town of New Lebanon, Columbia county, N. Y., Dec. 25, 1859, to Miss Louisa Hand, of a very respectable family. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 409 JOHN STEWARD. Mr. Steward was born in the town of Frankfort, Herki- mer county, N. Y., on the 21st of October, 1806, and is now in his fifty-seventh year. He is of Scotch extrac- tion. His father, John Steward, died April 15, 1826, at the age of thirty-nine. His mother, whose maiden name was Wilcox, is still living, at the age of seventy-five. When he was six years old, his father removed to Chau- tauqua county, where he received his education in the com- mon schools of the town of Harmony, his present place of residence. He was brought up a farmer, but for many years has been also engaged in the mercantile business, in which he has prospered. He is a man of considerable dis- tinction in his town, and has held the office of Supervisor ton years. He was elected to the present House last fall, in a close and warmly contested election, by a majority of one hundred and fifty-one. Mr. Steward is a very fine, dignified-looking man, and an excellent member. He never speaks, but is attentive to the business of the House, and faithful to his constituents. He is intelligent, agreeable, and of that cast of character which corrupt men dare not approach. He was married on the 15th of September, 1851, to Miss Joanna Glidden, and attends the Methodist Episcopal Church. 35 410 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. GRIFFIN SWEET. De. Sweet was born in the town of Norway, Her- kimer county, N. Y., on the 5th of March, 1814. Pie is of pure English descent. His father, Wanton Sweet, died in 1850, at the age of seventy-three, and his mother, whose maiden name was Olive Carr, died at the same age, in 185*7. His parents were both natives of Wor- cester county, Mass. Dr. Sweet received an academical education, and studied medicine at the Fairfield Medical School, in Herkimer county, where he graduated in 1840. He then engaged in the practice of his profession some seven years, after which he attended a course of medical lectures at Jefferson College, Philadelphia. He then returned again to his native county, where he has always since resided in the successful practice of his profession. He has held various unimportant town oifices where he resides, and in 1851 was a member of the Board of Supervisors. In politics, he was originally a Democrat, voting for Van Buren in 1848, and was one of the very first in his town to engage in the organi- zation of the Republican party. He was chosen a Mem- ber of the Assembly on a straight Republican ticket; and although a quiet man, has proven himself a safe legislator. Dr. Sweet has never been married, and occupies a high position in all the social relations of private life. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 411 JOHN W. TAGGAKT. Mr. Taggart is a native of Middleburgh, Schoharie county, N. Y., where he was born in 1812. He is of Eng- lish descent. His father, Henry Clark Taggart, died in that county in 1828, at the age of forty; and his mother, whose maiden name was Catharine Almy, died in Otsego county in 1850, at the age of sixty-two. His parents were both natives of Rhode Island. Mr. Taggart was educated in the common schools of Otsego county, and has passed most of his life in farming and lumbering, in both of which he has met with gratify- ing success. He has held the office of Supervisor in the town of Urbana, Steuben county, where he now resides, and was elected to his present position by a majority of nearly five hundred. Politically, he was originally a Whig, of the Seward school, and at the disorganization of that party became a Republican. He is one of the most efficient and influential members in the House, being an earnest, intelligent and untiring worker, and is a man of strong, practical, common sense, and an unexceptionable character. Mr. Taggart was married, in 1841, to Miss Mary Ann Bruudage, and attends the Episcopal Church. 412 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. PIERRE C. TALMAN. Mr. Talman is from the " Sunny South," having been ushered into this busy world in Charleston, South Caro- lina, in the year of oar Lord, one thousand eight hun- dred and thirty-two, and is now, therefore, thirty-one years of age. He is of Dutch descent, his father being a Knickerbocker of good family, though his mother was a South Carolinian; He left his native city when about fifteen years old, for the North ; and when of suitable age be engaged in mercantile pursuits. His genius was not, however, adapted to measuring tape, and selling calico ; and, as a consequence, he did not succeed very well. He, therefore, abandoned the business, and com- menced the study of law, which was more to his taste. In 1850 he removed to Westchester county; and in 1853 commenced the pi-actice of his profession in Mor- risania, in which he has been very successful. In 1860 he received the nomination for Member of Assembly but was not elected ; but in 1861 having again been put on the course, he succeeded by a majority of six hun- dred. His legislative course having been satisfactory to his constituents, his name was again placed before the people, and he was elected by the magnificent majority of twelve hundred and seventy-two votes— wa significant demonstration of approbation by the electors of his district. Mr. Talman is greatly respected in the House, not only for his ability, but for his genial good nature, and agreeable social qualities. In debate, whatever may be BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 413 the subject, he is sure to " set the House in a roar," by a well-timed witticism, or an adroit turning of the point of an assailant, and flooring an antagonist with his own weapon. He is a ready, and forcible speaker, and al- ways commands the attention of the House. His voice is strong, and well modulated ; his utterance clear, dis- tinct, and of sufficient capacity to be heard in every part of the hall. He is vigilant and active, thoroughly versed in the rules of legislation, and seldom or never at fault on a "point of order." He is an honest and capable legislator, and a zealous Democrat. In person, Mr. Talman is of medium height, but unusually fleshy, with reddish brown hair, fresh coun- tenance, and an animated, pleasant expression. He possesses all the requisites of good companionship, yet has one glaring fault; he is a — bachelor. ASA C. TEFFT. Mr. Tefft is a substantial farmer of Washington county, of which he is a native, having been born in the town of Greenwich, about the year 1800. His ancestors came from Rhode Island. He resides at prgsent at Fort Miller, a small village on the east bank of the Hudson, within the limits of the town of Fort Edward. Mr. Tefft is quiet and unobtrusive in his manners, seldom, if ever, indulging in debate, but remarkably attentive to his duties, and possessing the respect and esteem of his associates. Politically, he is a Republican *36 414 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. of the most earnest stamp, in every respect loyal in his sentiments, and zealous to contribute the utmost in his power towards the suppression of the Rebellion. This is his first appearance in the Assembly, and we cannot learn that he has ever held any other public station of importance. He was elected over Edwin B. Nash, a Democrat of the Atlas and Argus school, by the em- phatic majority of nine hundred and fifty-three. In his personal appearance, he is one of the most venerable gentlemen in the House, and bears the impress of intel- ligence and solidity of character. He belongs to that class of thrifty and enlightened farmers which forms so large a portion of the population of the rich agricultural district of Washington county, and is a worthy speci- men and representative of the class. ELIAS P. TOWNSLEY. Me. Townslbt was born in the town of De Kalb, . St. Lawrence county, N. Y., in 1814, and is now forty- eight years old. He is of English descent. His father, Gideon Townsley, was a native of Massachusetts, and died in 1842, at the age of fifty-eight. His mother,, whose maiden name was Elvira Page, was a native of Connecticut, and died in 1852, aged sixty-six. She was a cousin of Harlan Page, who was distinguished in the city of E"ew York as a philanthropist. His father first settled in Cooperstown, Otsego county, where he re- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 415 maiued a few years and removed to St. Lawrence county, just previous to the war of 1812. Mr. Townsley received a common school education in his native town ; and at a suitable age went to work with his father, who was a tanner and currier, and pre- pared himself for the business of life. He carried on this business a few years, when he relinquished it, purchased a farm, and for ten years was engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1850 he established a land agency, and has since been engaged in buying and selling lands. He has served in his town as Supervisor four years, Justice of the Peace eight years, and has filled several other impor- tant town offices. In the fall of 1861 he was elected a Member of Assembly, having been nominated by the Republicans, adopted by the Union party as their can- didate, and ran without opposition. He was elected to the present House by a majority of seventeen hundred and three votes over William J. Averill, the Democratic nominee. Originally, he was a Whig, but became a Republican on the organization of that party. He was a delegate to the Republican State Convention in 1862, and is considered a sagacious politician. He is a good business member, and is much respected in the House. He was married in 1 840 to Miss Dora B. Griflin, of Hartford, Connecticut, who died in December, 1850. In 1853 he was maiTied to Miss Louisa E. Thompson, of Massachusetts. He attends the Presbyterian Church. 416 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. ELIPHAZ TRIMMER. This is Col. Teimmbb's third term in the Assembly. He was a Member in 1856, and again in 1862, serving with distinction during both sessions, and was re-elected at the last election by a largely increased majority over a strong Republican opponent. Although seldom ad- dressing the House, he is a lawyer of decided ability, ranking prominently at the bar in the city of Rochester, where he resides, and exerts a quiet influence upon the proceedings of the Legislature which enables him almost always to succeed in carrying his points. He possesses a sound, discriminating judgment, and is one of those practical men whose voice and vote on practical every- day business matters are worth tenfold more than all the eloquence and erudition of men who are merely professional. He is a great friend of the Canals, occu- pying the position of Chairman of the Canal Committee in the House, and is always at his post carefully guard- ing them against the encroachments of private monopo- lies, and • the intrigues and corruption of individual schemes and enterprises. Col. Trimmer is a staunch Democrat, and although not a strict partisan, has always been found true to the principles and policy of that party. He was promi- nently spoken of as a candidate for Speaker at the opening of the present session, and was finally nomina- ted for that position, after a large number of unsuccessful ballotings had been taken with Judge Dean as the Democratic candidate, but not until his success had been rendered entirely impossible by the indiscriminate BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 417 denunciation of some of those who assumed to be the leaders of his party upon the floor of the House. If he had been nominated earlier in the contest, he would, doubtless, have been successful, but it is well understood, that when the ranks of his opponents had been rendered compact and determined by the insane and lawless violence of a certain self-constituted, though brainless, leader from the city of New York, the success of his party was rendered utterly hopeless, no matter what may have been the individual strength of its candidate. Col. Trimmer is a native of Lebanon, Hunterdon county. New Jersey, and is forty-eight years of age. He was liberally educated for the law, and has always been successfully engaged in the practice of his pro- fession. He is a gentleman of stout build, broad- shouldered, with a fully developed body, black hair and eyes, a full, smooth face, and a countenance denoting great firmness and decision of character and warm and generous impulses. He is, personally, one of the most popular men in the Legislature, and occupies a high position in the estimation of the people of Albany, among whom he is no longer a stranger. JOHN D. VAN BUREN. Mk. Van Buren is a small man, of only five feet and five inches in height, but large in his own conceit. He plumes himself upon his dignity ; and is aristocratic in fl8 BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. his feelings — looking, not exactly down, that being impossible, but — up on his fellows as inferiors. He has not distinguished himself particularly in the present Assembly, otherwise than by having proposed a Com- mittee on the Callicot Investigation, which the House did not accept. He is a native of the city of New York, a resident of Newburgh, Orange county, and is fifty-two years old. He is a Deihocrat. HENRY D, VAN HOESEN, Me. Van Hobsen is one of the largest men in the House, weighing two hundred pounds, and standing six feet two. He is a native of the town of Preble, Cort- land county, N. Y., and is thirty-four years of age. He received a pretty good education, and is now a practical farmer and surveyor in his native place, where he stiU resides. He belongs to the Republican party, and was chosen a Member of Assembly by a majority of sixteen hundred and eighty-one over Anson Peck, his Democratic opponent. He is married, and is said to be a gentleman of some personal popularity in the commu- nity where he resides. His course in the House has been exceedingly quiet, but he sustains the reputation of a thorough worker and a good representative. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 419 HENRY L. WAIT. This is the Whitest man in the Legislature — by far the most fleshy — standing six feet in his broad-toed boots, and weighing two hundred and sixty-six pounds. He seems to have copied Falstaff's receipt for good living, and reminds us, when looking at his disc, of Mil- ton's description of Satan's shield, which, with a trifling alteration, is an admirable picture of his head and face : " the broad circumference Stands on his shoulders like the moon, whose orb Through optic glass the Tuscan artist views." Mk. Wait is a native of Athens, not the Capital of ancient Greece — but a beautiful little village, nestling itself upon the banks of the Hudson, in Greene county, and is forty years of age. After receiving a limited common school education, he went to the city of New York in 1839, to seek his fortune, and remained there until 1853. He then removed to the city of Albany, where he has since been employed as agent for the pro- pellers Erastus Corning and John Taylor. Politically, he was formerly an uncompromising and zealous Ameri- can, but since the abandonment of that organization he has been acting with the Democrats, by whom he was chosen to his present position by a majority of upwards of five hundred, in a closely contested district, over the Hon. William A. Young, who represented the same dis- trict in the House in 1859. He was once an unsuccess- ful candidate for Alderman in the second ward in Albany, but this is the first public position he has ever held. 420 BIOGtEAPHICAL SKETCHES. ALEXANDER WARD. Mb. Ward was a Member of the House in 1862, when he acquitted himself with considerable credit, and was re-elected at the last election by an increased vote. He is a native of the city of New Yort, where he now resides, and is thirty-flVe years of age. He is of pure Irish descent. His education was limited, but since leaving school he has made ample amends for his deficiency in that respect, and ranks well in his calling as an active and intel- ligent mechanic. Politically, he has always been a Demo- crat, and has adhered with unyielding tenacity to Tammany Hall through all her numerous trials and difficulties. He has been a member of the General Committee for six years, and still occupies that position. With the exception of Superintendent of Sidewalks, he never held any ofiSoial posi- tion until his election to the Assembly, but by his course during the session, he has proved himself a good represen- tative and a popular man. ABRAM B. WEAVER. There are but few men in either branch of the Legis- lature who equal this gentleman in his personal appear- ance. Tall, erect, manly, well-proportioned, and fully developed, with jet black hair and heavy black whiskers, and a countenance denoting unusual decision of character and marked ability, it is rarely the case that we find BIOGRAPHIC AX SKETCHES. 421 any one so gracefully constituted. His manner and general' bearing — kind, courteous and agreeable to all with whom he comes in contact — is equally captivating, and all combined, contribute to render him a leader among his peers, and one of the bright particular stars in the Legislative galaxy of the State. Me. Weaver was born in Deerfield, Oneida county, N. Y., on the 18th of December, 1830, and is, therefore, in the thirty-third year of his age. He is of pure German extraction. His father, George M. Weaver, is still living at the age of seventy-four, as is also his mother, whose maiden name was Delia Bellinger, and who has now attained the age of sixty-seven. His parents are both natives of the State of New York. Mr. Weaver was educated at the Utica Academy and at Hamilton College. He pursued his course with a view to the study of the law, and was in due time ad- mitted to the bar, but, although standing well in his profession, he is now devoting himself chiefly to agri- cultural pursuits. In 1856 he was appointed School Commissioner, and in the following year was elected to the same oiBoe for three years. He has always been a bold, fearless and unyielding Democrat of the National Conservative school, and is a leading spirit in his party in the county of Oneida, where he has always resided. As a speaker he ranks prominently among the very best in the Assembly, and his speech in that body on the Governor's Message will long be remembered as one of the best efforts of the Session. Mr. Weaver is unmarried, and attends the Reformed Dutch Church in the city of Utica. 36 422 BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. EBENEZER WESTBROOK. Horace Greeley said of the Legislature of 1860 : " It is an undeniable fact that the last Legislature was in part composed of as graceless a set of political demagogues, public plunderers, corrupt place-seekers, and low-bred pot- house politicians as ever went unwhipped of justice." How far this is true of the Legislature of 1863 remains to be seen ; and its members should not forget that some things are like Hudibras' gun — " Which aimed at dnok or plover, Recoiled and kicked its owner over I" BENJAMIN F. WIGGINS. Mr. Wiggins is a native of Greenport, Suffolk county, N. Y., where he was born in 1829, and where he has always resided. He is a son of Benjamin Wiggins, who was of English descent, and who died in 1847, universally respect- ed by all who knew him, as a high-minded and honorable gentleman. Mr. Wiggins was educated at the Wesleyan University at Middletown, Connecticut, where he graduated in 1853. After leaving college, he devoted himself chiefly to teach- ing, until a few years ago, since which time he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits. In politics, he was ori- ginally a Whig, casting his first Presidential vote for Gen. Scott in 1852, and at the organization of the American party in his native county, the year following, became one of its chief supporters. In the fall of 1858, he was chosen BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 423 a Member of Assembly by the combined vote of the Americans and Republicans in his district, and during the session that followed, was Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, and a member of the Committee on the Erection and Division of Towns and Counties. He was renominated and elected to the present House as a straight Republican. Although seldom taking a very conspicuous part in legislative proceedings, he is a good speaker, and has not unfrequently addressed the people of his district upon the stump and in behalf of the cause of temperance. Mr. Wiggins is still single, and attends the Congregational Church. CHARLES S. WOODWARD. Mr. Woodward is a native of Mount Hope, Orange county, where he was born on the 21st of August, 1808, the first child born in the village after it received its name. He is descended from good fighting revolutionary stock, one of his ancestors having fallen in the battle of Minisink, or Beaver Brook, between the inhabitants of Goshen and adjoining towns and a party of Indians and tories under Brandt, in 1119. His grandmother was Mary Waldron, a lineal descendant from that family whom Diedrich Knick- erbocker, in his history of New York, describes as being cast away on the shores of Harlaem, but who, saving from the wreck a keg of Holland, did then and there set up a tavern and prosper greatly. His father. Col. Benjamin Woodward, was an influential and distinguished citizen, 424 BIOGEAPHICAl SKETCHES. universally esteemed and beloved. He was thrice elected to the Assembly, was member of the Constitutional Con- vention of 1821, a State Senator from 1827 to 1830, and performed his duties with ability and honor. He died in May, 1841. The epitaph upon his tombstone — "A public benefactor, and the poor man's friend " — is justly expressive of his character. In 1825, at the age of seventeen, the subject of this notice removed to New York, and served as clerk in a wholesale dry goods establishment for five years. He afterwards removed to Beaver Brook, Sullivan county, then a comparative wilderness, and engaged heavily in the lum- bering business, at the same time carrying on a store and farm. Since 1856 he has been a resident of his native vil- lage of Mount Hope, under the shadow of the Shawangunk mountain, famous for its minerals, as it was formerly for its novel and beautiful appearance, being cultivated to its very summit. Mr. W., in youth, received a fair English education, and a fondness for reading through life has resulted in storing his mind with a fund of general information. He has had a diversity of occupations, since setting up for himself in the world, having been clerk, merchant, farmer, innkeeper, lum- berman, &c., &c. At present he has settled down to the agreeable occupation of an agriculturalist, occasionally act- ing in the capacity of a surveyor. He is also Supervisor of his town, an office with which he has been frequently hon- ored, both in Sullivan and Orange counties. Twice he has been the candidate for Congress from the Ninth Congres- sional District, but on both occasions, his party being in the minority, he was unsuccessful. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 425 In politics he is a Democrat — his motto being, the rights of the citizen, the State, and the National Government shall be supported and maintained in their integrity. His views of religion are liberal, never having united with a church, but, on the contrary, holding to the doctrine that the simple teachings of the Gospel can better be fol- lowed by not becoming attached to any particular creed, dogma, or sect. He has been twice married, his present wife being the daughter of the late James D. Swartwout, a highly respected citizen of Deer Park, by whom he has had eight children, all living. *36 ALPHABETICAL LIST MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY. With the Districts and Counties they represent, Post- office address, and Politics. Hon. Theophilus C. Callioot, Speaker, Brooklyn. DiB. Assemblymen. Counties. P. O. Address. Pol. Adgate, George, Clinton, Keeseville, .... D. 1 Allen, Andrew L., . . . Cattaraugus, Maehias, R. Aldrich, Newton, Warren, Luzerne, R. Andrus, Albert, Franklin, Malone, R. 3 Bemis, Horace Steuben, Hornellsville, . . R. 1 Benjamin, Charles A., Jefferson, Smithville, R. 1 Bookstaver, Jesse P., Ulster, Sangerties, D. 6 Boswell, Henry C.,.. Kings, Brooklyn D. 2 Bostwick, Elias W.,. Columbia, Red Rock R. 1 Brand, Wm. H., Madison Leonardsville,.. R. 3 Breed, Joseph, Onondaga Syracuse, R. 1 Brockett, Ira, Saratoga,.... Galway, D. 3 Brown, William Monroe Spenoerport, . . . R. 1 Brooks, Wm., Otsego, Cooperstown,. . D. Chickering, John, . . . Lewis Copenhagen,.. R. 2 Church, Cornelius A., Otsego, Morris, E. 2 Clark, Elizur, Onondaga, Salina, D. 1 Collins, Thaddeus W. Wayne Wolcott R. 4 Conger, Anson G.,.. . Erie, Collins' Centre, R. Cornell, Ezra, Tompkins Ithaca R. 1 Courtney, Robert W., Delaware Unadilla R. Cruttenden,AlvahE., Allegany, Canaseraga R. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 427 DiB. Aeaemblymen. Counties. P. O. Address. Pol. 2 Cutler, John Albany, Albany, D. 4 Darcy, James, Kings Brooklyn D. Davis, Nathaniel W.,. Tioga, Owego, R. 15 Dean, Gilbert, New York, New York city, D. 3 Depew, Chaunoey M., Westchester, Peekskill, R. 2 Dewey, Lanson, Ontario, Victor, R. 3 Dewey, William,.... Jefferson, Three Mile Bay, R. 2 Dow, Albert Gr., Cattaraugus, Randolph, R. 2 Doughty, Joseph C.,. Dutchess, Poughkeepsie,.. D. 2 Durfee, Lemuel, Wayne, Palmyra, R. 1 Duryea, Charles T.,.. Queens, Syosset D. 1 Dutcher, Luther S., . . Dutchess, South Dover, . . D. 1 Field, Perez H., .... Ontario Geneva, R. 17 Fields, Thomas C.,.. New York New York city, D. 2 Fisher, Francis B., . . Chenango, Greene, c R. 1 Fletcher, Benjamin H. Niagara, Lockport, D. 1 Flynn, Cornelius, . . . New York New York city, D. 9 Freeman, David A., . New York, New York city, D. Frean, Theodore Richmond Stapleton, .... D. 2 Gilbert, Francis R.,. . Delaware, Stamford, .... D. Gillespie, William, .. Sullivan, Mongaup Va'y, D. 4 Gover, William C, . . New York, New York city, D. Green, Loren Genesee Byron Center, . R. Haring, James S., . . . Rockland, Orangeburgh, . . D. 2 Havens, John S. Suffolk, Patohogue, ... D. Havens, Palmer E., . . Essex, .... Essex R. Heacock, Willard J., Fulton & Hamilton,. Gloversville, .. R. Healy, Byron Wyoming Warsaw R. 8 Hill, Thomas H New York New York city, D. 3 Hopkins, Timothy A., Erie, Williams ville, . D. 2 Hopkins, Ervin, Jr.,. Washington Granville, R. 2 Houghton, Nath'l M , Saratoga Corinth, R. 2 Hughes, Bernard, . . . Kings Brooklyn D. Hulett, Charles, Chemung, Horseheads, . . D. 14 Hutchings, Robt. C, New York, New York city, D. 428 BIOGRAPHICAL, SKETCHES. Dis. Assemblymen. Oountiee. P. O. AddresB. Pol. 3 Johnson, Samuel E,, . Kings, Brooklyn, D. 7 King, Vincent C, . . . New York New York city, D. 1 Kisselbrack, Peter G , Coluiatiia, Cop'e I'n Wks, D. 6 Korn, Jnlin.s, New York, New York city, D. 2 Lake, Henry C, . . Chautauqua, Charlotte C'tre, R. Lawrence, Samuel, . . Schuyler, Havana, R. 2 Leamy, Daniel, New York, New York city, D. 11 Ledwith, Thomas A., New York New York city, D. 2 Le Fever, Jacob, .... Ulster 'New Paltz R. 7 Leslie, Charles P.,. .. Kings, Brooklyn D. 2 Loomis, Hiram W., . Oswego, Vermillion R. 2 Lott, Henry S., Queens, Jamaica, D. 3 Loutrel, George L., . . New York, New York city, D. 2 Loveridge, Edw. D., . Allegany, Cuba, R. 16 MoCann, Michael, . . . New York New York city, D. 4 McDougall, Isaac, . . . Oneida, Delta, R. 1 McGonegal, Geo. E., . Monroe, Rochester R. 2 MoGowan, Arch'd C, Herkimer, Frankfort R. 1 MoKeon, James, .... Rensselaer, Troy D. McLean, James, .... Seneca Waterloo, D. McShea, John, Jr., . . Schenectady, .... Niskayuna, . . . D. 2 Marshall, John B., . . Westchester, Portchester, ... D. 1 Mattoon, Abner C ,.. Oswego, Oswego, R. Mayham, Stephen L., Schoharie, No. Blenheim, . D. 2 Miller, Levi, Jefferson Antwerp R. 2 Morgan, William, .. . Niagara, Somerset, R. Monlton, Freeman P., Montgomery, .... Flat Creek, . . . D. 1 Munro, James M,,... Onondaga, Camillas, R. 1 Murphy, John W., .. Erie, Buffalo, D. 10 O'Brien, Daniel M., . New York New York city, D. 4 Oswald, Wm. L Albany, West Troy, ... . D. 3 Palmer, Harvey, Oswego, Parish R. Parks, John, Orleans, Medina, R. 3 Parker, Abrahams.,; St. Lawrence Potsdam, R. 1 Paulding, John, Kings New Utrecht, . . D. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 429 DiB. ABBemWymen. ConDtiee. P. O. AddresB. Pol. 1 Post, George I., Cayuga Fair Haven, . . . R. 2 Prescott, Daniel M., . . Oneida W'Mng'n Mills, R. 1 Prindle, Elizur H.,.. Chenango, Norwich R. 2 Quackenbusli, J. A.,. Rensselaer Sohaghticoke, . R. 2 Rediugton, James, ... St. Lawrence Waddington, . . R. 2 Rol)inson,WilliamP., Cayuga, Auburn, , R. Roe, Luke, Greene, Cairo, D. 5 Rogers, Henry, New York, New York city, D, 2 Rouse, George L., ... Madison Cazenovia, .... R. 2 Seymour, Horatio, . . . Erie Buffalo, D. Shaw, Guy Yates Penn Yan, R. 3 Sherman, Asa S Oneida, Durhamville, . . D. 2 Sherwood, Henry, . . . Steuben Addison, R. 2 Skinner, Samuel, .... Livingston, Nunda, R. 12 Smith, Andrew New York New York city, D. 1 Smith, Hamilton B.,. Livingston, Fowlerville, ... R. Smith, Francis B.,.. . Broome Union, R. Smith, Saxton, Putnam, Red Mills, D. 1 Snyder, Wm. J. Albany, Bethlehem Cen. D. 3 Strait, Ebenezer S.,.. Rensselaer, Nassau D. 1 Steward, John Chautauqua, Panama, R. 1 Sweet, Griffin, Herkimer, Fairfield, R. 1 Taggart, John W.,.. . Steuben, Hammondsport R. 1 Talman, Pierre C.,. . . Westchester, Morrisania, D. 1 Tefft, Asa C. Washington, Fort Miller,... R. 1 Towusley, Elias P., . . St. Lawrence De Kalb R. 2 Trimmer, Eliphaz, . . . Monroe, Rochester, .... D. 1 Van Buren, John D., Orange, New Windsor, D. Van Hoesen, H. B.,. . Cortland, Preble, R. 3 Wait, Henry L., Albany Albany, D. 13 Ward, Alexander, . . . New York New York city, D. 1 Weaver, Abram B., . . Oneida, Deerfield, D. 3 Westbrook, Ebenezer Ulster Accord, D. 1 Wiggins, Benjamin,.. Suffolk, Greenport R. 2 Woodward, C. S Orange Mount Hope,.. D. ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEES. Ways and Means. — Depew, Dean, W. Dewey, Woodward, Andrus, Steward, Mayham. Commerce and Navigation. — Mattoon, Haring, Leamy, Cutler, Bostwiok. Canals. — Trimmer, Breed, Bookstaver, MoGrowan, T. A. Hopkins, Mattoon, Hulett. Railroads. — Healy, Talman, Houghton, Dnryea, Loomis. Banks. — S. Smith, P. H. Field, Doughty, Rouse, Cornell. Insurance Companies. — King, P. E. Havens, Boswell, F. B. Smith, Van Buren. Two-Thirds and Three-Fifths Bills. — Brooks, Parker, Mayha'm, Aldrich, Murphy. Colleges, Academies and Common Schools. — Church, G-over, Loveridge, Weaver, Conger. Grievances. — Van Buren, H. E. Smith, Westbrook, Courtney, Strait. Privileges and Elections. — E. P. Havens, Moulton, Church, S. Smith, Fisher. Petition of Aliens. — O'Brien, Palmer, Gilbert, Morgan, Oswald. Erection and Division of Towns and Counties — Prescott, Wait, Taggart, Woodward, Shaw. Claims. — Parker, Brookett, Cruttenden, Hill, Breed. Internal Affairs of Towns and Counties. — J. S. Havens, Le Fever, Moulton, Benjamin, Freeman. Medical Colleges and Societies. — Sweet, Korn, Bostwick, Boswell, Houghton. State Charitable Institutions. — Tefft, Gillespie, L. Dewey, Dutcher, Brand. Affairs of Cities. — Seymour, Fisher, A. Smith, Bemis, Parks, Hutohings, Lake. BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 431 Affairs of Villages. — Munro, Paulding, Brand, Snyder, F. B. Smith. Manufacture of Salt. — Clark, MoDougall, Hulett, Tefft, Talman. Trade and Manufactures. — Heacock, Hamilton, MoShea, Van Hoesen, Kisselbraok, H. E. Smith. State Prisons. — Adgate, Robinson, Marshall, Brown, Roe. Engrossed Bills. — Gilbert, Wiggins, Bookstaver, Van Hoesen, Leslie. Militia and Public Defense. — Fletcher, Davis, Weaver, Lawrence, McLean, Quackenbush, Flynn. Roads and Bridges. — Ward, Wiggins, Wait, McDougall, Skinner. Public Lands. — Lott, Allen, MoCann, Chickering, Leslie. Indian Affairs — Dow, E. Hopkins, Jr., Durfee, Duryea, Hughes. Charitable and Religious Societies. — Redington, Clai-k, Green, Dutcher, Miller. Agriculture. — Cornell, McGonegal, Shaw, Westbrook, Palmer. Public Printing. — Robinson, Korn, Townsley, McKeon, Mc- (?onegal. Expenditures in the Executive Department. — Marshall, Aldrioh, Rogers, Dow, Brooks. Expenditures of the House. — Post, A. Smith, Green, Brockett, Le Fever. /Mdiciorj/.— Sherwood, Johnson, Collins, Frean, Prindle, Healy, Ledwith. Federal Relations.— 'W . W Dewey, Davis, Trimmer, Post, King, Loveridge, Sherman. Joint Library.— Loomis, Gillespie, P. H. Field, Sherwood, Pauld- ing. Grinding Committee.— hoveriige, Davis, L, Dewey, Fisher, Free- man, Johnson, Lott, Miller, Moulton, Monroe, Quaokenbush, Wait. OFFICERS OF THE SENATE. Name. Office. County. James Terwilliger, . . . Clerk, Onondaga. Charles G. Pairman, . . Journal Clerk, Chemung. William Hotchkiss, . . Deputy Clerk, Warren. Henry B. Ensworth, . Deputy Clerk, Monroe. George W. Fay, Deputy Clerk, Tioga. Herman Rulison, Librarian Jefferson. Richard U. Owens, . . . Sergeant-at-Arms, Oneida. Calebs. Baboock, ... PoBtmaBt'r & Asst. Ser.-at-Arms Westchester. Stephen C. MoOonnell Assistant Postmaster Albany. Orville Griffin Doorkeeper, Washington. Charles Johnson 1st Assistant Doorkeeper,.. Herkimer. Sanders Wilson, 2d Assistant Doorkeeper, , . St. Lawrence. Giles H. Holden 3d Assistant Doorkeeper, . . Niagara. Nathaniel Goodwin, . . Keeper Senate Chamber, . . . Albany. Myer Stark, Janitor, Albany. Orrin Abbott, Doorkeeper, Erie. REPORTERS. Name. Paper. T. S. Gillett, Albany Evening Journal. D. A. Manning Albany Atlas and Argus. William H. Bogart, New York World. Nathan Comstock, New York Tribune. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 433 D. A. Levien, Associated Press. Sullivan C. Kimball, Albany Statesman and Standard. John C. Jacobs New York Express. Jacob C. Cnyler Albany Express. P. Harlow, Ulster Democrat. Spence Spencer, American Citizen. Geo. W. Bull N. Y. Commercial Advertiser. G. E. Williams, Oswego Times. 37 OFFICERS OF THE ASSEMBLY. 1862. Office. Clerk, Assistant Clerk, . Journal Clerk, . . Kame. Joseph B. Cnshman, . . Stephen C. Agnew, . . . Charles R. Dayton, . . . John A. Sabin, Engrossing Clerk, John C. Spafard, Financial Clerk, Elias H. Jenner, Deputy Clerk Bailey G. Hathaway, . . . Librarian, Gnrdon B. Taylor Assistant Librarian, ...... Levi M. Crano, Sergeant-at-Arms, Lauren L. Rose, Ass't Sergeant-at-Arms, . . Norman B. Sprague, . . . Doorkeeper, Wm. H. Creed, 1st Ass't Doorkeeper Thomas Miller, 2d Ass't Doorkeeper, .... Henry Janes, Doorkeeper Ladies' Gall'y, George H. Myers, " middle outer door, Daniel B. Shafer, " north outer door, . Herman B. Young, " Gentlemen's Gall'y Squire Rightmire, " Cloak room, Charles E. Young, " Richard E. Wiusor " '. Geo. W. Burger, Keep'r Assembly Chamb'r, William Carey, Postmaster County. Oneida. Sullivan. Suffolk. Franklin. Otsego. Chautauqua. Orleans. Cattaraugus. Wayne. Erie. Dutchess. Essex. Livingston. Rensselaer. Delaware. range. Tioga. Oswego. Chautauqua. Ulster. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 435 James W. Miller, Ass't Postmaster Columbia. Henry A. Rodgers Janitor, Broome. Henry C. Wood, Bank Messenger Oneida. Matthew 0. Hallenbeck, Clerk's Messenger, , New York. KEPOKTERS. Name. Paper. Philander Deming, Albany Evening Journal. Donglas A. Levien, Atlas & Argus, and Ass'd Press. William Hastings, Albany Knickerbocker. William I. Gearon Albany Statesman. J. F. Cleaveland, N. Y. Tribune. J. C.HoUey, N. Y. Times. Hiram Calkins N. Y. Herald. Alex. Wilder N. Y. Evening Post. Julius Korn, N. Y. Staats Zeitung. W. C. Gover Brooklyn City News. A. Fonda, Troy Budget. J. S. Thorn, .' . , Troy Times. A. B. Caldwell, Syracuse Courier. R. M. Griffin, Albany Standard. D. A. Levien, Jr., Brooklyn Eagle. OFFICERS OF THE ASSEMBLY. 1863. Name. Office. County. Joseph B. Cushman, . Clerk, Oneida. ^iMwries R. Dayton,.. Journal Clerk, Suftblk. J. Thomas Davis Financial Clerk, Rensselaer. Richard E. Winsor, . . Assistant Clerk, Chautauqua. John L. Parker, Engrossing Clerk, Cayuga. Moses Rich, Deputy Clerk St. Lawrence. Addison S. Burdick, Assistant Journal Clerk,... Madison. Albert S. Burdick, . . Librarian Washington. Alonzo Durrin, Assistant Librarian, , , Westchester. Levi M. Gano, Sergeant-at-Arms, Cattaraugus. Thos. M. Riley Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms, Kings. Chas. E. Young, .... Doorkeeper .Oswego. Alex. Frier 1st Assistant Doorkeeper, ,. . Columbia. Willard L. Cook 2d Assistant Doorkeeper,. . . Jefferson. Samuel W. Bowker, Ladies' Gallery Queens. Wm. Smith Gentlemen's Gallery, Herkimer. Richard Curry Middle outer door, Steuben. Abram J. Myer, North outer door, Ulster. Daniel Bostwick, .... Inside cloak room New York. Jacob B. Lozier, .... Doorkeeper, Richmond. Thomas Daley, " Seneca. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 437 Owen E. O'Maley, . . . Doorkeeper, Monroe. Chas. S. Houghton, , . Doorkeeper, Saratoga. Senj. Conger, Keeper Assembly Chamber, Dutchess. John Callahan, Postmaster, New York. G. H. P. Van Home, Assistant Postmaster Montgomery. Daniel A. Knapp, . . . Janitor, Niagara. Gaylord H. Church,. Bank Messenger, Otsego. Nelson P. Wells, .... Clerk's Messenger, Monroe. REPOKTERS. Name. Paper. Stephen 0. Hutohins, Albany Evening Journal. B. M. Griffin, Albany Statesman & Standard. H. J. Hastings, Albany Knickerbocker. D. A. Levien Atlas & Argus. Hiram Calkins, N. Y. Herald. C. D. Brigham N. Y. Daily Times. Nathan Comstock, N. Y. Tribune. A. Wilder N. Y. Evening Post. G. W. Bull, N. Y. Commercial Advertiser. W. W. Perkins Brooklyn Eagle. Benjamin R. Wells, Rochester Democrat. A. M. Clapp, Buffalo Express. George W. Peck Auburn Daily Advertiser. E. Fenn, Brooklyn City News. A. B. Caldwell, Syracuse Constitutionalist.