The Fourteenth Regiment
Rhode Island Heavy Artillery (Colored)
in the War to Preserve the Union, 1861-1865
William H. Chenery
Providence: Snow & Farnham, 1898,
Part 6 - Personal Sketches, Continued
[Transcribed by Dave Swerdfeger]
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PERSONAL SKETCHES, CONTINUED [We have inserted sketches of the officers of the regiment as far as they can be obtained.] HENRY K. SOUTHWICK.
Henry K. Southwick, the subject of our sketch, attended the public schools of Providence, passing through the Intermediate, Grammar, and High School courses. He entered Brown University, September, 1857, "Class of 1861." Owing to injuries received in consequence of falling from a tree, he was unable to return for the Senior year, but received his A.B. degree in 1869. Later on he attended the Albany Law School, New York, and graduated and received the degree of LL.B. On examination before the Supreme Court he was admitted to practice in all courts of that State. Having a taste for military affairs he was a member of the Providence Horse Guards from its organization. The reverses of the Union arms in Virginia, the advance of Lee, threatening Washington, and the invasion of Maryland, led him to abandon the practice of law and accept a commission as second lieutenant in the Second Rhode Island Infantry. Sept. 8, 1862, he was mustered to rank from the date of his appointment, Aug. 29, 1862. September 18th he reported to Col. Frank Wheaton, commanding the regiment, which at that time was engaged in the battle of Antietam. He was assigned to Company F, commanded by Capt. William B. Sears, son of President Barnas Sears, of Brown University. November 10th, although fearfully weak and sick, he commanded his company in the grand review of the Army of the Potomac, when McClellan took leave of it and Burnside succeeded him. November 11h, he went to the regimental hospital, having a severe attack of typho-malarial fever. November 15th, he was sent to the General Hospital, in Washington, D.C. So critical was his condition at that time that it was a question with the medical authorities whether to let the regimental hospital tent stand till he (Southwick) died, instead of conveying him to the railroad cars to die on the train before morning. But the crisis was passed favorably that night. In December he received a convalescent leave of absence of twenty days to visit Rhode Island. At the expiration of his leave of absence he returned to his regiment against the advice of his family physician, as a relapse at that time was almost certain death. He reached his regiment in season to take part in Burnside's "Mud March." Aug. 18, 1863, he was commissioned first lieutenant, and was mustered in as such Aug. 24, 1863. He participated with his regiment in all its campaigns and battles until Feb. 12, 1864, when he was relieved from duty with the Second Rhode Island and ordered to report to the governor of Rhode Island for a commission in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery (Colored). He appeared before the Examining Board at Washington, D.C., of which Gen. Silas Casey was president, and received a commission as captain from the President of the United States, and signed by Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War. He was mustered in and assigned to Company M, Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, March 24, 1864. He accompanied his battalion (the Third) to Carrollton, La., where it was stationed at Camp Parapet, La. On the 6th of May, 1864, he was appointed judge advocate of a general court-martial which convened at district headquarters, and borne as such until June 17, 1864. July 6, 1864, he was detached from his regiment as acting assistant inspector-general, and assigned to duty as such for the District of Carrollton, La., and served in that capacity until Jan. 15, 1865, when he was assigned to duty in West Florida as acting assistant inspector-general of infantry and artillery. On the 18th of March, in addition to his duties as inspector, he at the request of General Asboth (although not subject to his orders in this respect) assumed the additional duties and position of provost marshal of the District of West Florida. On the 14th of April, 1865, he was relieved as provost marshal and as acting assistant inspector-general of the District of West Florida, and six days later assigned to duty in the same capacity for the District of La Fourche, La., where he remained until the District was abolished, July 15, 1865, when he was ordered to report to Headquarters District of Eastern Louisiana for duty. He personally visited every post in the district except Clinton and Fort Livingston. The former was near the Mississippi line, and the other at Grande Isle on the south coast. On the 25th of August, 1865, Lieut.-Col. Warren D. Smith, chief acting assistant inspector-general of the District, was mustered out with his regiment, and Captain Southwick succeeded him, but had been in actual charge from Aug. 11, 1865, and so continued until Oct. 2, 1865, when he was mustered out with his regiment at Camp Parapet, La. As indicative of the esteem in which Captain Southwick was regarded by his superior officers, it is asserted that when the several battalions of the regiment were ordered to assemble at Camp Parapet for muster out, Gen. T.W. Sherman, commanding the Eastern District of Louisiana, stated to General Canby that Captain Southwick's services were indispensable, and that he desired to retain him in his position until the regiment was mustered out. He also said if Captain Southwick would enter the regular army, that he would give him his personal assurance of a satisfactory commission. On one occasion Captain Southwick made application to be relieved from duty as acting assistant inspector-general for the District of La Fourche, not on account of any dissatisfaction with his duties or associations, but by a desire to be with his company. Gen. Robert A. Cameron, commanding the district, in forwarding the application to the department headquarters, endorsed it as follows: "Captain Southwick is an excellent officer, fearless and conscien(missing part). CAPTAIN PHANUEL E. BISHOP.
Soon after his return to Rhode Island he entered the class of 1867, of Brown University. It was the custom of the students in those days to have a middle name, and he chose that of Euclid, and after that time he always included the initials of that name in his signature. He remained in college about a year, when, having received a commission as first lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, he was assigned to Company B. He was often on duty as a member of general court-martials, and frequently as judge advocate. April 18, 1864, he was detailed as acting battalion quartermaster, and served in that capacity until May, 1864. He was at one time provost marshal of St. Mary's Parish, La. On the 9th of September, 1864, he assumed command of Company B, and borne as in command of that company until November, 1864. On the 9th of that month he was promoted to captain, and was mustered out with his regiment Oct. 2, 1865. After returning home he remained but a short time in Rhode Island, and went West, graduated from a business college in Chicago, and was for a time superintendent of schools in a city in Iowa. He traveled considerably, and finally returned to his native place, being at one time master of the Grove Street Grammar School. He was also superintendent of schools, and besides a member of the school committee. While connected with the schools the degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by Brown University, and he was recognized as one of the strongest advocates of a State Normal School. During his leisure hours he studied medicine, and afterwards lectures at Bowdoin and Dartmouth Colleges. He had been a past post commander of Ballou Post, and subsequently a member of Tower Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. He was also a member of Union Lodge of Masons, Good Samaritan Lodge, I.O.O.F., and connected with the local lodges of the Knights of Honor and the Foresters. Captain Bishop died in Pawtucket, Sept. 20, 1890, in the forty-seventh year of his age, of Bright's disease and heart trouble. At the time of his decease he had been in practice seventeen years. It is said of him that "he became well known in the community for his faithful devotion to his profession, and was respected for his worth as a man and as a physician." THOMAS B. BRIGGS.
He re-entered the service as first lieutenant in Company D, Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery (Colored), Sept. 22, 1863. He was appointed ordnance officer at Fort Esperanza, Texas, Jan. 15, 1864, and subsequently acting ordnance officer First Division Thirteenth Army Corps. In May, 1864, Fort Esperanza was ordered to be evacuated, and (part missing). Lieutenant Briggs rejoined his battalion, and was subsequently appointed acting ordnance officer on the staff of Brig.-Gen. B.S. Roberts, commanding District of Carrollton. He was afterwards ordered to turn over his ordnance stores to the chief of ordnance, Department of the Gulf, and report to his battalion commander at Fort Jackson, La. On the 8th of February, 1865, he was appointed acting assistant quartermaster and commissary of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, La. He was relieved of these duties May 2, 1865, and ordered to Brashear City, La., and was appointed battalion quartermaster, and also acting assistant quartermaster at that place July 29, 1865. He was relived September 16, 1865, his battalion having been ordered to New Orleans to join the other battalions for muster out of service, which occurred Oct. 2, 1865. He was appointed second lieutenant in the Third United States Infantry, June 18, 1867; reported at headquarters of his regiment, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and ordered to join his company at Fort Lyon, Col.; left Fort Harker in command of a company of recruits Sept. 1, 1867, en route to Fort Lyon, under command of Gen. John R. Brooke, lieutenant-colonel Thirty-seventh Infantry; arrived at Fort Lyon September 25th, and reported to Capt. W.H. Penrose, Third Infantry, commanding post and Company I; Dec. 5, 1867, appointed post adjutant; relieved April 5, 1868; waiting orders at his home in Danielsonville, Conn., from April, 1869, to April 27, 1870; assigned to Fourteenth United States Infantry at Fort Randall, Dakota; company stationed at Crow Creek, Dakota Agency, May to August, 1870; left Crow Creek for Wyoming Territory, Aug. 4, 1870; stationed at Fort Russell, September to December 31, 1870; on six months' sick leave; stationed at Fort Laramie from August, 1871, to July, 1874; promoted to first lieutenant Feb. 9, 1874; company ordered to Camp Douglas, Utah, July, 1874; acting assistant quartermaster, Camp Stambaugh, Wyoming, from October, 1874, to January, 1875; company ordered to Fort Hall, Idaho, July, 1875; post adjutant from July, 1875, to October, 1876; appointed acting assistant quartermaster, acting commissary of subsistence and post treasurer from October, 1876, to March, 1877; appointed acting assistant quartermaster and acting signal officer from February, 1878, to August, 1878; ordered before the retiring board at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, May 19, 1879; ordered to his home as unfit for service, May 29, 1879; ordered before a retiring board at Fort Omaha, March 22, 1881; ordered to Fort Lyon, Colorado, for light duty, October, 1881; on duty as member and judge advocate of courts-martial; ordered to Fort Garland, Colorado; on court-martial duty, Sept. 6, 1882; received one year's leave, Oct. 24, 1882; retired from active service, March 15, 1883. He is at present a resident of Delavan, Ill. CHARLES H. CHACE.
On his return to Providence, Captain Chace was again desirous of serving his country, and made application to Governor Smith for an appointment in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, and, after passing a successful examination before General Casey's examining board at Washington, was commissioned first lieutenant and assigned to Company A of the Fourteenth. During the greater portion of his term of service with this regiment he was engaged in staff duty, holding the positions respectively of acting assistant Inspector general and ordnance officer at Fort Esperanza, Fort Jackson, Fort St. Philip, and at Brashear City. While a member of General Cameron's staff he initiated the arrangements whereby the Confederate Captain Vinson with his command, operating in that department, surrendered to the Union forces. Captains Vinson and Chase remained firm friends until the death of the former, which occurred several years ago at Denison City, Texas. After his return from the army Captain Chace was paymaster for B.B. & R. Knight for nearly fifteen years, and at present is the credit man for the Flint Company, of Providence, R.I. ALFRED H. BARKER, JR.
Soon after returning home he attended a course of instruction in Bryant & Stratton's Business College. He afterwards entered the employ of the Union Railroad Company, as a conductor, and was thus engaged for many years, until failing health compelled him to retire from that occupation, and after a lingering illness of disease contracted during his army service, he died May 2, 1883. He joined Prescott Post, No. 1, July 26, 1867. He afterwards connected himself with Slocum Post, with which post he was identified at the time of his decease. ZEPHANIAH BROWN.
In September, 1865, he went to Cincinnati and engaged in the oil business, and later in the cotton and commission business. He returned to Providence in July, 1883. CHARLES H. ALDRICH.
At the beginning of the war he enlisted and was mustered as a sergeant in Company C, Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Aug. 22, 1861. He was promoted to first sergeant Nov. 20, 1862, and to second lieutenant to date from Nov. 28, 1862. He was assigned to duty in Company B, Feb. 21, 1863. He participated with his regiment in its campaigns and battles until his resignation, May 2, 1863. He passed the Board of Examiners in Washington, D.C., as first lieutenant, and was assigned to Company G, Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. He was commissioned by the President Dec. 18, 1863, and was mustered in to date from Nov. 4, 1863. On the 27th of March, 1864, he was ordered on detached service as acting battalion adjutant, and continued in that capacity until July, 1864. He was borne on special duty as battalion and post quartermaster from Nov. 19, 1864, until January, 1865. Lieutenant Aldrich was in command of the picket guard on the Bayou Plaquemine, when the Confederates under Captain McAnnelly made an attack on Plaquemine on the morning of Aug. 6, 1864. Although the cavalry vidette and inner infantry picket (colored) were captured, Lieutenant Aldrich with his reserve picket guard succeeded in making his escape. As has already been stated in preceding pages, three of our colored men who were captured were taken a few miles into the interior and inhumanly murdered. Lieutenant Aldrich served with his regiment until mustered out of service Oct. 2, 1865. On his return to Rhode Island he engaged in the marble business in Providence, R.I., where he continued for several years, when he removed to Kingston, R.I., and still pursued the same business in that place. In 1877 he was appointed clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County. He was also clerk of the Supreme Court of that county, and held both offices at the time of his decease, Aug. 6, 1886. His death was undoubtedly hastened by injuries received from the premature discharge of a cannon while firing a salute on the fourth of July several years previous. He was identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a past grand of Columbia Lodge, Wakefield, R.I. He filled numerous public offices in his town with ability, and was a highly esteemed member of the Congregational Church. C. HENRY BARNEY.
After muster-out he engaged in mercantile pursuits in Providence, R.I., and was subsequently elected treasurer of the Providence Gas Burner Company, which position he held until the advent of the telephone as a business enterprise, when he resigned and became general manager of a telephone company, of which Ex-Governor Henry Howard, of Rhode Island, was president. In 1874 he joined the First Light Infantry Regiment of Providence, becoming its adjutant and also secretary and treasurer in its civil organization. He remained with this regiment until 1878, when he was elected by the legislature to the position of adjutant-general of the State of Rhode Island, which office he retained until his resignation, Jan. 1, 1882, by reason of removal from the State. During his term of office as adjutant-general, he was largely instrumental in re-organizing the militia of Rhode Island, securing the passage of an entirely new law, thoroughly uniforming and equipping the troops and inaugurating a system of annual encampments which has made the militia of that State second to none in the Union. While adjutant-general he acted as chief marshal at the funeral of General Burnside, the largest military funeral ever held in Rhode Island. In 1881 he was chosen to represent his ward in the City Council of Providence, but resigned this position also upon removal from the city. In December, 1881, while holding the position of general manager of the Interstate Telephone Company, operating in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, he was offered the charge of the telephone company controlling the State of New Jersey. This he accepted, and removed with his family to New Jersey, of which State he has since been a resident. As General Barney's active participation in the Grand Army of the Republic ended with his removal from Rhode Island, it may be well to mention it before going further. In September, 1867, he joined Prescott Post, No. 1, Department of Rhode Island, Grand Army of the Republic. Subsequently he held the positions of post adjutant and assistant adjutant-general of the department, serving several terms in each capacity. In 1877 he was elected commander of Prescott Post, and served one year, declining re-election. During his term as post commander the National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Society of the Army of the Potomac both met in Providence, and he was a prominent and zealous worker on the committee which entertained them, presiding at the mammoth camp-fire which was given in Howard Hall in honor of those organizations. He served several successive terms as the member of the National Council of Administration, Grand Army of the Republic for Rhode Island, and as aid-de-camp on the staff of several department commanders. As a citizen of New Jersey, he has devoted himself closely to private business, with the exception that in 1884 he was nominated by Gov. Leon Abbett, although of the opposite political party, and commissioned by President Arthur as the commissioner to represent New Jersey at the World's Exposition in New Orleans. Before the close of the Exposition he was made a member of its board of management. Although General Barney has interested himself in various branches of the electrical business, notably the manufacture of incandescent lamps and the application of storage batteries to the propulsion of pleasure launches, he has never entirely severed his connection with the telephone, and is at present devoting himself actively to the interests of the New York Telephone Company, which controls the field in and around New York City. He is still a comrade of the Grand Army Post of Hackensack, N.J., where he resides; is a companion of the New York Commandery of the Loyal Legion, and a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity of New Jersey. WILLIAM H. CHENERY.
On the maternal side Lieutenant Chenery is eighth in descent from Richard Mellen, who arrived in America in 1642. His son Simon and grandson Thomas were among the first comers to Framingham, Mass., and settled on what was called "Mellen's Neck," in that town. Deacon Henry Mellen, son of Thomas, removed to Hopkinton and was one of the first settlers. His grandson, Prentiss Mellen, served as a Senator in Congress from Massachusetts, and was the first chief justice of the State of Maine. Deacon Henry Mellen's son, Captain Thomas Mellen, commanded a troop of horse in the Colonial militia, and his commission, signed by Governor Shirley, and dated June 27, 1754, is in the possession of his great grandson, Lieutenant Chenery. Two sons of Captain Thomas, Colonel James and Major Thomas, served in the Revolution. Colonel James was a lieutenant-colonel in the Massachusetts troops of the Continental Line. Lieutenant Chenery received a common school education in the schools of his native town, and, at the age of fourteen, removed to Providence, and entered the printing-office of Knowles, Anthony & Co., and followed the occupation of a printer until his enlistment in the army. He enlisted as a private in Company D, Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Dec. 11, 1861. He was promoted to corporal May 1, 1862; sergeant, June 13, 1863. He participated in the battles of Roanoke Island, New Berne, siege of Fort Macon, the battles of Rahl's Mills, Kinston, Whitehall, and Goldsboro, and the attack on New Berne, in March, 1863. In August, 1863, while stationed in Fort Totten, New Berne, he was ordered on detached service at the Draft Rendezvous, at New Haven, Conn. He was commissioned second lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Sept. 21, 1863. He was subsequently ordered to appear before the Examining Board for officers of colored troops, in Washington, and, Dec. 15, 1863, received an appointment as first lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. On the 21st of December, 1863, he was mustered into the service, and was assigned to Company F. Nov. 25, 1864, while serving temporarily in Company E, he was relieved from that duty and assigned to the command of Company G. On the 13th of March, 1865, he was temporarily assigned to the command of Company H, in the absence of Captain Addeman, who was on detached service. May 1865, he was relieved from duty with that company and assigned to duty in Company E. On Sept. 27, 1865, he was ordered to report for duty with his company, F. Oct. 2, 1865, he was mustered out of service, with his regiment. Oct. 5, 1865, he was ordered to take command of Company E, and continued in that position until the final disbandment of the regiment at Portsmouth Grove, R.I. On his return to Providence he resumed his occupation as a printer, which he has followed ever since. He was for several years a member of the firm of Hammond, Angell & Co., printers, of Providence, R.I. He joined Prescott Post, No. 1, Grand Army of the Republic, June 21, 1867. He was elected officer of the day in 1873. When the National Encampment convened in Providence, in 1877, he was detailed as officer of the guard during the sessions of that body. In 1878 he was aid-de-camp on the staff of the department commander, and in 1881 was appointed an assistant mustering officer. He has held the office of adjutant of his post since 1885. He is secretary and treasurer of the Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Veteran Association, secretary of the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Veteran Association, recorder of Myrtle Lodge, No. 15, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and assistant recording secretary of Hope Lodge, No. 4, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. ROBERT S. GASKILL.
There were fifty-four of these substitutes, and they were composed of some of the worst element in our northern cities. Lieutenant Gaskill's duties in this instance were by no means pleasant or agreeable. out of the fifty-four men he succeeded in delivering at the Draft Rendezvous forty-seven. Lieutenant Gaskill was engaged in this service at Providence until Dec. 22, 1863, when he was discharged to accept promotion in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery (Colored). He was assigned to Company H, and mustered in Dec. 31, 1863. On the 24th of May, 1864, he was ordered on detached service as officer of the provost guard in Plaquemine, La., and so borne until August, 1864. On the 14th of September, 1864, he was appointed provost marshal of the Parish of Iberville, La., and so borne until November, 1864. He was mustered out with his regiment Oct. 2, 1865. After the close of the war Lieutenant Gaskill spent nearly twenty years in the West, where he was engaged in the grain business. He afterwards removed to Woonsocket, R.I., and has pursued the business of general insurance agent since that time. CHARLES S. BROOKS.
Having passed a satisfactory examination before General Casey's Board of Examiners at Washington, D.C., he was commissioned first lieutenant of the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Dec. 24, 1863, and assigned to Company H. Mustered in Jan. 15, 1864, borne as acting battalion quartermaster from March 27, 1864, until July, 1864. On the 23d of September, 1864, he was ordered on detached service as pass officer at post headquarters, and so borne until Oct. 31, 1864. Appointed provost marshal of St. Bernard Parish, La., Oct. 31, 1864, and so borne until September, 1865. He was mustered out of service with his regiment Oct. 2, 1865. On his return North he was engaged in mercantile business until 1881, since which time he has been in appointment under government as inspector in the office of the Surveyor of Customs at the port of New York. CHARLES W. MUNROE.
At the breaking out of the Rebellion he enlisted as a private in Company C, Fourth Rhode Island Infantry, Sept. 5, 1861; promoted to first sergeant Sept. 25, 1861; promoted to second lieutenant and transferred to Company G, Oct. 11, 1861; first lieutenant Nov. 20, 1861; resigned Aug. 11, 1862. Commissioned as first lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Feb. 23, 1864; originally assigned to Company M, and mustered in March 8, 1864; transferred to Company K, April 16, 1864; on general court-martial in May, 1864; in command of his company from March, 1864, to August, 1864, and from October, 1864, to January, 1865; mustered out of service with his regiment Oct. 2, 1865. After the war he attended the Law School at Albany, N.Y., and then went West, where he engaged in the practice of law. He died several years ago. The date of his death we have been unable to obtain. GEORGE W. H. ALLEN.
His son, George W.H. Allen, was educated in the district schools of Scituate, and at Smithville Seminary, afterwards known as Lapham Institute, which he entered at the age of thirteen, and from which he graduated in the autumn of 1857. Soon after leaving the seminary he entered the employ of his brothers, who were manufacturers of jewelry in Providence. He continued with them until the spring of 1861, when he returned to his father's home at Scituate, and remained there until the following September, when he enlisted as a private in Battery E, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Sept. 30, 1861. He was promoted to corporal Nov. 18, 1861. July 1, 1862, he was complimented by Captain Randolph for meritorious conduct at the battle of Charles City Cross Roads the day before, and, at the same time, he was advanced to gunner of the fifth piece, and served in that capacity at the battles of Malvern Hill, Harrison's Landing, Second Bull Run, and Chantilly. Nov. 21, 1862, he was promoted to sergeant, and as such served with distinction at the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Kelly's Ford, Payne's Farm, and Mine Run. He was well informed in relation to battery drill and movements, and, having a remarkable memory, he seldom hesitated as to the move to make in the execution of an order. He was wounded slightly at Gettysburg, Pa., July 2, 1863; re-enlisted December 11th, and mustered as a veteran Dec. 11, 1863. He received permission to appear before Casey's Board in Washington Feb. 4, 1864, passed as a captain, and was to have been assigned to some regiment not from Rhode Island. Preferring to serve his native State, and there being no vacancy in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery as captain, he accepted a first lieutenant's commission in that regiment, and was mustered March 23, 1864, and assigned to Company L. On the 3d of April, 1864, Lieutenant Allen, with the Third Battalion under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Viall, proceeded to Camp Parapet, La. Soon after the arrival of the battalion, he was detailed as acting aid-de-camp at post headquarters. He was afterwards ordered on special duty as actidg adjutant of the Third Battalion. He was detached as acting assistant adjutant-general of the District of Carrollton from Feb. 20, 1865, to May 7, 1865. On the 1st of July, 1865, he was ordered to Columbus, Miss., in charge of the remaining portion of the Sixteenth Indiana, to be sent on transports up the river and consolidated with the Third Indiana. He returned July 12th, and on the 29th was detailed as a member of general court-martial, Department of Louisiana and Texas, from which he was relieved Sept. 6, 1865, to be mustered out of service with his regiment, which occurred Oct. 2, 1865. Soon after his return to Rhode Island he entered the employ of the Gorham Manufacturing Company, in Providence, R.I., remaining there about one year. He then went to Waltham, Mass., and was there employed in the Waltham Watch Factory for about six years, and then returned to Providence and began business for himself as an engine turner, in which business he continued until his death, which took place Sept. 2, 1895. Lieutenant Allen was at one time a member of a lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Waltham, Mass., and had held the office of past grand in that order. He was one of the charter members of Rhode Island Council in the Order of United Friends, and was a past grand councillor and a member of the Imperial Council of that order. He was also a charter member of Burnside Council. He was for two years deputy of Tecumseh Council. He was also connected with Slocum Post, No. 10, Grand Army of the Republic, and the Rhode Island Light Artillery Veteran Association. He had been busily engaged on an invention of his own, and it was thought his labor in this employment brought on the attack that caused his death. WARREN RALPH.
On his return to Rhode Island he engaged in the grocery business in Providence, R.I., in company with Lieut. Albert W. Delnah, but is at the present time employed as a salesman for A.B. McCrillis & Co., in Providence, R.I. He is a member of the Second Rhode Island Veteran Association. ALLEN F. CAMERON.
He was enrolled as sergeant of Company A, Fifth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Oct. 28, 1861; mustered Dec. 16, 1861; promoted to first sergeant Oct. 28, 1863. He participated in the Burnside Expedition and in the several engagements in which his regiment took part, until he was commissioned first lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, and assigned to Company I. We find him serving on a general court-martial Nov. 5, 1864, and acting as aid-de-camp at post headquarters June 6, 1865. He was mustered out of service Oct. 2, 1865. On his retirement from the army he returned to Rockland and resumed the occupation he had left. Here he remained one year, and then went to work in the United States Armory at Springfield, Mass. At the time the Henry-Martini rifles were made by the Providence Tool Company he was appointed a sub-United States inspector, and assisted in the inspection of seven hundred thousand rifles. He then went to Springfield, Mass., and took in five thousand navy revolvers for the Turkish government. He is now employed by the Winchester Revolver Arms Company of New Haven, Conn. Lieutenant Cameron is a member of Admiral Foote Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and General Alfred Terry Union Veterans Union. He is also a member of A.F. & A.M., of Clayville, R.I. CHARLES H. POTTER.
GEORGE W. WEEDEN.
Since the close of the war he has been engaged as purser on the New York Line, messenger for Adams Express Company, etc. He joined Prescott Post No. 1, Grand Army of the Republic, Sept. 27, 1867. He afterwards joined Slocum Post No. 10, Sept. 3, 1884. Lieutenant Weeden has a son, George William Weeden, Jr., a member of the Seventy-first Regiment, New York Volunteers, who participated in the battle of San Juan, in Cuba, July 1, 1898. CHARLES L. STAFFORD.
Lieutenant Stafford, the subject of our sketch, was educated in the private and public schools of Providence, R.I., and graduated from the High School in April, 1862. At the call for three months' troops, in the spring of 1862, he enlisted and was mustered in as sergeant of Company B, Tenth Rhode Island Infantry, May 26, 1862. He was chief of a mess of sixteen young men, composed of Providence High School students. His company performed garrison duty in the Defences of Washington, D.C., and was stationed for the greater portion of the time in Fort Pennsylvania, and drilled in heavy artillery tactics. He was mustered out with his regiment Sept. 1, 1862. In the fall of 1862 he was on guard duty for two weeks at Lovell General Hospital, Portsmouth Grove, R.I. In June, 1863, commenced recruiting for the Thirteenth Rhode Island Volunteers, then organizing on the Dexter Training Ground, and was to have received a commission in the regiment. An order was subsequently received from Washington to discharge all six months' troops, and the Thirteenth Regiment was disbanded. He afterwards appeared before the Examining Board at Washington, D.C., and received an appointment as second lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Nov. 15, 1863, and mustered in same date. He was assigned to Company B. He served with his company on Matagorda Island, Texas, and in the spring of 1864 had charge of the sick at Pass Cavallo. While his battalion was stationed at Fort Jackson, he for a long time acted as boarding officer, and his duty was to examine the papers of the captains of all vessels passing up the Mississippi River. In May, 1865, he was detailed as permanent picket at Bayou Rammas, near Brashear City (now Morgan City), and remained there until he was promoted to first lieutenant, May 11, 1865, and was transferred to the Third Battalion stationed at Camp Parapet, La., and assigned to Company I. July 6, 1865, he was detailed to the temporary command of Company M; and August 31st in command of Company L, at Fort Banks, La., during the temporary absence of Captain Spink. Sept. 25, 1865, he was ordered to take command of Company B, and on Oct. 2, [865, was mustered out with his regiment. Since the war he has been engaged in the cotton business, and still later in the drug business. He joined Prescott Post, No. 1, Grand Army of the Republic, May 10, 1867, and afterwards became a charter member of Rodman Post, No. 12, and was for two years commander of the post. CHARLES P. GAY.
Susan Adeline (Smith) Gay, mother of Charles P. Gay, was the daughter of Benjamin and Frances (Fosdick) Smith, and was born in Providence, R.I., Nov. 29, 1817, on Smith's Hill. Her home was the brick house still standing on Davis Street. Her uncle, Col. Henry Smith, built the Duncan House, which at that time, with the Davis Street house, were the only houses on the hill. She was a lineal descendant of John Smith "The Miller," who came to Providence with Roger Williams and four others in the spring of 1636, and made the first settlement of white persons in this territory. Job Smith, the maternal great grandfather of Charles P. Gay, was born Sept. 24, 1736. He was a man of ability, serving the colony both in a civil and military capacity. His commission in the Artillery company which was issued by the Honorable Stephen Hopkins, Esq., Governor, Captain-General and Commander-in-Chief of and over the English colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England in America, and dated the 10th day of May, 1759, and the thirty-second of His Most Sacred Majesty, George the Second, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, etc., is still preserved and is in the possession of Lieutenant Gay's brother, James Bacon Gay, of Providence, R.I. Job Smith married February, 1765, Ruth Harris, daughter of Henry Harris, who was a lineal descendant of Thomas Harris, 1st, one of the first settlers of Rhode Island, and Hope (Hopkins) Harris a lineal descendant of Thomas Hopkins, 1st, also one of the first settlers. Hope Harris was the sister of the renowned statesman and patriot Stephen Hopkins, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, also sister of Commodore Esek Hopkins, the organizer and first commander of the United States Navy. The maternal grandmother of Charles P. Gay, Frances (Fosdick) Smith, was daughter of Major Thomas and Mehitable (Hawkins) Fosdick, and was a lineal descendant of Stephen Fosdick, who was born in England in 1583. Stephen Fosdick came to America in 1635, and settled in Charlestown, Mass., where he died in 1664. Thomas Fosdick, the great grandfather of Charles P. Gay, was born in Boston, Dec. 28, 1756, and served through the greater portion of the War of the Revolution. He enlisted as a fifer in Capt. John Glover, Jr.'s company, of Col. John Glover's Massachusetts regiment, in 1775, and was promoted to the rank of ensign Aug. 1, 1775, and served in that regiment until January, 1776, when he entered the Continental service in the Fourteenth Continental Infantry. This regiment distinguished itself in the retreat from Long Island, and in the advance across the Delaware before the battle of Trenton. He was in the battle of Stillwater, and served as brigade major of artillery in Gen. John Glover's brigade in the campaign against Burgoyne in 1777, and in the subsequent operations of the army in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia, remaining in the service until very near the close of the war. Lieut. Charles P. Gay, the subject of our sketch, was educated in the Public schools of Providence, and at the commencement of the Rebellion was a student in the High School. Early in 1861 he joined the Burnside Zouaves, which at that time was an active military company (now the United Train of Artillery). He was an active member and participated in all the movements of those stirring times. At the call for troops in the Spring of 1862, he enlisted in Company H, Tenth Rhode Island Infantry, and was appointed sergeant, serving in that capacity from May 26, 1862, to Sept. 1, 1862, when he was honorably discharged. In the summer of 1863 he received an appointment as second lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, and was commissioned Sept. 14, 1863, reporting to Major Joseph J. Comstock, at Dutch Island, and was assigned to Company A. He was enrolled at Providence, R.I., Nov. 15, 1863, commissioned and re-mustered to date from Oct. 10, 1863. He served with the First Battalion during its varying fortunes in Texas and Louisiana, until April 17, 1864, when he was discharged in consequence of disability incurred while in the service. On his return from the army he was connected with the manufacturing jewelry and silverware trade. He married Miss Anna Stuart Ladd, Oct. 3, 1866. She is the daughter of the late Samuel J. Ladd, of Providence, a well-known silversmith and a member of the old firm of Knowles & Ladd, now the J.B. & S.M. Knowles Company. Dr. Frederick Albert Gay, brother of Lieutenant Gay, enlisted in the Eleventh Rhode Island Infantry, and served honorably in that regiment until its muster out of service. He died Dec. 27, 1893. Lieutenant Charles P. Gay died May 10, 1897. DANIEL J. VIALL.
Lieutenant Viall enlisted in the Civil War as corporal in Company K, Ninth Rhode Island Infantry, May 25, 1862; mustered May 26, 1862; mustered out Sept. 2, 1862. He also enrolled as sergeant of Company K, Eleventh Rhode Island Infantry, Sept. 24, 1862; mustered Oct. 1, 1862; mustered out July 13, 1862. He was commissioned second lieutenant and assigned to Company B, Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Nov. 10, 1863; re-mustered to date Sept. 14, 1863; detached as acting ordnance officer, Dec. 18, 1863; ordered to report to company from detached service, April 15, 1864; detached for the fortifications by order, dated May 30, 1864; detached by order for service in Chicago Mercantile Battery, from June 25, 1864; borne as absent sick from Sept. 8, 1864, until October, 1864; discharged on tender of resignation on account of ill health, by order dated Oct. 19, 1864. It should also be stated that Lieutenant Viall, for his efficiency in artillery practice, was detailed as instructor of all the noncommissioned officers of the several companies as they successively arrived on Dutch Island. For some years after the close of the war, and until the autumn of 1882, he held position as an officer in the Rhode Island State Prison; but, as the confinement to those duties impaired his health, he resigned the situation. He was afterwards an overseer in the Builders Iron Foundry of Providence, but on account of his health was compelled to relinquish that position, and has been night watchman in that foundry for many years. He is a member of Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 4, A.F. and A.M. EDWARD ABORN.
He received a commission as second lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Oct. 28, 1863, and was assigned to Company D. He was mustered in Oct. 28, 1863. In December, 1863, he was detached from Company D for service in Company C. Jan. 12, 1864, returned to company. He was borne as absent sick from Oct. 6, 1864, until January, 1865. He was honorably discharged for disability, Jan. 22, 1865. At the close of the war he resumed his occupation as a farmer, and continued in that capacity until his death, which occurred March 29, 1889. HERBERT D. LEAVITT.
Soon after his return to Rhode Island he was appointed upon the police force of the city of Providence, but remained in that position but a short time. He was for several years in the employ of the Union Railroad Company, and was subsequently engaged in business in Franklin, Mass. He then removed to Medway, Mass., and engaged in the market business. He afterwards became connected with the same line of business in Boston in Faneuil Hall Square, where he continued until failing health compelled him to relinquish an active part in business affairs. He was a member of U.S. Grant Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and Wyoming Lodge, A.F. and A.M. He died Jan. 27, 1893. LESTER S. HILL.
Lieutenant Hill was selected from among the many competent men in his battery to the position of corporal Aug. 5, 1862. Soon after he became gunner on the fifth piece, and as such he served in all the battles in which his battery was engaged previous to his departure for another field of duty. In December, 1863, he received permission to appear before the Board of Examiners at Washington, D.C., and passed a satisfactory examination as second lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, and was assigned to Company F. He was mustered in Dec. 30, 1863. He served with his regiment in the Department of the Gulf, being stationed at various places on the Mississippi River. Being familiar with the light artillery service he was often selected to drill detachments of his battalion (the Second) in that arm. He was mustered out with his regiment Oct. 2, 1865. At the close of the war Lieutenant Hill was engaged in teaching school while preparing for his medical course. With the zeal and good judgment that he evinced during his career as a soldier, he determined to achieve a name for himself in his chosen profession. He pursued his medical studies partly in the University of Vermont at Burlington, and graduated from the University in New York City, with the degree of M.D., in March, 1872. He immediately located in the city of Providence, where he has since been engaged in his profession, and has acquired a successful and extensive practice. Dr. Hill is well known In society circles, and is connected with many organizations. Among them may be mentioned the Grand Lodge of Masons, and the Grand Chapter. He has been Grand Master of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Rhode Island, and occupied the position of Grand Representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge for six years. He has been Grand Patriarch of the Grand Encampment of Rhode Island. He is also a member of the Knights of Honor, being its State Medical Examiner for nine consecutive years. He is Medical Examiner of Providence Lodge, Ancient Order of United Workmen. In 1872 and 1873 he represented his native town in the General Assembly of Rhode Island. He has been for many years a member of the school committee of the city of Providence. He is also connected with the Rhode Island Medical Association. He is now and has been for several years a director in two of the Providence banks. Dr. Hill joined Prescott Post, No. 1, Department of Rhode Island Grand Army of the Republic, in 1872. He was elected post surgeon in 1873, and held that office for four years in succession. He was elected medical director of the department in 1876, and occupied that position for three years. In 1889 he was elected president of the First Rhode Island Light Artillery Veteran Association. He joined the Massachusetts Cornmandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States in 1894. He was appointed Assistant Surgeon General in the Rhode Island Militia May 30, 1894, and has held that office to the present time (1898). He is a member of the Rhode Island Medical Society, and of the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution; also Grand Lodge of Masons, and Grand Chapter of Masons of Rhode Island. At the commencement of the war with Spain he patriotically offered his services to the government, and was commissioned surgeon with the rank of major in the First Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers, and was mustered into service May 3, 1898, (and not May 7, as stated in the Roster), being the first person to be mustered into the regiment. On the 15th of September, 1898, he was appointed acting brigade surgeon third brigade, second division, second army corps. JOHN A. REYNOLDS.
John, the subject of our sketch, attended the public schools in early youth. He came to Providence in 1858, and worked for awhile at the lapidary business. He subsequently attended the High School of that city, and was pursuing his studies therein when he became imbued with a patriotic desire to serve his country, and enlisted as a private in Company B, Tenth Rhode Island Infantry. This company was of excellent material, being composed of students of Brown University and the Providence High School, and was commanded by that sturdy ex-governor, Elisha Dyer, father of the present governor of Rhode Island. This company was stationed in Fort Pennsylvania, in the Defences of Washington. A brother of Lieutenant Reynolds, Horatio N., was a member of Company K, of this regiment, and is now a resident of the city of Providence, R.I., and a clerk in the highway department of that city. Lieutenant Reynolds, after serving his term of enlistment with the Tenth, again entered the service as a corporal of Company I, Eleventh Rhode Island Infantry, one of the companies recruited under the auspices of the Young Men's Christian Association. He served with credit in this regiment during its term of service, and was mustered out July 13, 1863. Soon after his return home he entered Brown University in the class of 1863, but upon receiving a commission as second lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Dec. 18, 1863, he again entered the service; was mustered in Dec. 23, 1863, and assigned to Company F. Lieutenant Reynolds evinced a marked taste for vocal music; being himself a good singer, he generally took the lead in musical entertainments, and many an otherwise tedious hour in camp was pleasantly spent in this delightful recreation. Of a genial disposition, and a warm, sympathetic nature, he naturally won many friends; and his comrades will always remember him as ever ready to aid in every good word and work. He was mustered out with his regiment Oct. 2, 1865. Soon after leaving the army he removed to the West, and was employed by a publishing house in canvassing for directories throughout the South. While residing in Lafayette, Indiana, he was attacked with typhoid fever, and, after several weeks of painful illness, died Oct. 26, 1866, lamented by a large circle of acquaintances. JAMES DODDS.
GEORGE L. GASKELL.
On his retirement from the service he settled in Plaquemine, La., and engaged in the lumber business. Was selectman for several terms, and in 1874 was mayor of Plaquemine. In 1890 he removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he still resides. JAMES P. BROWN.
He was at this school when Fort Sumter fell. He manifested a strong desire to enlist, but his parents would not consent. In the spring of 1862 the consent of his parents was obtained and he enlisted for three months' service in Company K, Tenth Rhode Island Infantry. The regiment left Providence on the 26th of May, 1862, and was mustered out Sept. 1, 1862. After his return from the service he continued his studies at the University Grammar School. In September, 1863, having completed his preparatory studies he entered Brown University in the class of 1867. His heart, however, was still with our armies in the field, and, having passed a satisfactory examination before the Examining Board at Washington, D.C., he was commissioned second lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, Dec. 31, 1863, and assigned to Company H. He was detached as officer of the provost guard at Plaquemine, La., March 27, 1864. On the 28th of December, 1864, he was ordered to take command of a detachment of twenty-four from his battalion and proceed to the telegraph station directly opposite Plaquemine. Captain Southwick, acting assistant inspector-general, in a report to headquarters, says: "At the telegraph station, directly across the river, are twenty-four men of Company G, Third Rhode Island Cavalry, in charge of a second lieutenant of that company; also twenty-four men from the artillery companies. Lieut. James P. Brown, Company H, Eleventh United States Colored Artillery (Heavy), commands both the detachments. He is about twenty years of age, but evidently a very fair officer. His detachment was in very good shape." In June, 1865, his battalion was stationed at Donaldsonville, La. Here Lieutenant Brown died of congestive chills, Aug. 23, 1865. The letters written to his friends by the several officers of his battalion give the best account of his sickness and the estimation in which he was held by his comrades. We quote a few extracts. Lieutenant Gaskill, who was in temporary command of the company(section missing) had not been well during the past two months but was not considered dangerously ill until a few hours previous to his death. . . . "It is useless for me to speak to you of his merits. It is sufficient for me to say that he was an excellent officer; for in such an officer is embodied every quality pertaining to manhood. He was a strict disciplinarian. He possessed that firmness and decision of purpose, and that ability to command, which few of his age are endowed with. He strove to excel. If a person can ever be said to be generous to a fault, I surely think he could be said to be that person." Captain Addeman writes: "We have now for nearly two years been associated with each other. I had learned to love him as a brother. His high sense of honor, his conscientious attention to every duty required of him by his superiors, his temperate habits, his generous and kind heart, not only attached me to him as his captain, by the strongest ties, but also awakened the deepest love and respect of all his brother officers. There are none who are free from the weaknesses of frail humanity, but I have often thought, and as often remarked to others, that James was remarkably free from the common errors of young men. His character was pure and irreproachable. His life was unblemished. "He possessed a high degree of physical and moral courage. In the moment of threatening danger his cheek would blanch, but it was from no source of fear. He fully appreciated the extreme peril of the hour, and he heroically nerved himself to meet it. I do not think the torture of the stake or of the rack would have extorted from him a murmur. His brave soul would have rendered him equal even to that emergency. He was often envied by his brother officers for the splendid physical development with which nature had endowed him." Captain Cragin says: "I was struck from the first with the remarkable interest James manifested in military duties. He seemed to be peculiarly fitted for the profession of arms. His manly air and bearing, erect figure, powerful muscular development, ability to endure protracted labor and fatigue, undoubtable courage, resolute spirit, and especially his love for the service, seemed to furnish an unusual number of qualifications for the trying exigencies of military life. I need not say that subequent experience proved that he possessed all these soldierly qualities in a rare measure. He suffered very severely from the chills. He frequently went on duty when he was not able to do so, but was never known to utter a word of complaint. He was selected for the dangerous post of Plaquemine on account of his habits of strict discipline, and for his successful command over his men." The officers of his regiment during his sickness cared for him with a tenderness more than filial, and he was accorded a soldier's burial. His remains now rest in his native village. SAMUEL WILDES COGGESHALL.
Lieut. Samuel Wildes Coggeshall, the subject of our sketch, was born in Woonsocket, R.I., Nov. 27, 1844. In his youth he attended the public schools, also a private school for boys. At the time of his enlistment in the Union Army he was a student at East Greenwich Academy, where he had entered on a course for a profession, but which the war effectually frustrated. He first enlisted as a corporal in Company F, Ninth Rhode Island Infantry, May 26, 1862, and was stationed with his company in Fort Carroll, in the Defences of Washington, D.C. He was mustered out with his regiment, Sept. 2, 1862. He again entered the service as a sergeant in the Twelfth Rhode Island Infantry, Oct. 7, 1862, and participated with his regiment in the hard fought battle of Fredericksburg, and the campaign in the West. Upon the expiration of the term of service of the regiment, July 29, 1863, it returned to Rhode Island. Lieutenant Coggeshall had become so enthused with the patriotic spirit that he was unable to resume his studies, and proceeded to Washington, D.C., where he passed a creditable examination before General Casey's Examining Board as second lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. He was assigned to Company H, and served with credit in his regiment. On the 5th of December, 1864, he was appointed acting aid-de-camp on the staff of Gen. Thomas W. Sherman, in the Defences of New Orleans, and served in that capacity until April 1, 1865. He was mustered out with his regiment Oct. 2, 1865. After his discharge from the army he took a course of instruction in book-keeping, and went to New Orleans, where for several years he was clerk and cashier for a lumber firm. He died of yellow fever in that city, Aug. 25, 1878. FRANK FROST.
After his return from the army he was a conductor for the Union Railroad Company for several years, and afterwards entered the employ of the Nicholson File Company, but was soon after compelled to give up his occupation there in consequence of impaired health. He died Feb. 7, 1885. MARTIN S. SMITH.
Lieutenant Smith was prepared for college at Smithville Seminary in Scituate, East Greenwich Academy, and the University Grammar School of Providence, and entered Brown University in 1861, when sixteen years of age. Joining the "College Cadets" he acquired a rudimentary knowledge of military tactics as a non-commissioned officer from 1861, to 1863. In June, 1863, he went with a section of the Marine Artillery, under Colonel Gallup, to Bonnet Point, where the battery camped and drilled about six weeks. Jan. 8, 1864, he went before Gen. Casey's board for examination, and, upon receiving his commission in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, reported for duty, and was mustered in and assigned to Company K, Jan. 23, 1864. Capt. A. Richmond Rawson being absent sick, Lieutenant Smith commanded Company K until the arrival of the Third Battalion in New Orleans, about the middle of April, 1864. In July, 1865, Lieutenant Smith was appointed battalion quartermaster of the Third Battalion, and Sept. 18, 1865, acting regimental quartermaster, serving in that capacity until the disbanding of the regiment, about the last of October, 1865. In November, 1865, Lieutenant Smith received a new commission in the Sixty-fifth United States Infantry (Colored), which he did not accept, and upon which he was not mustered. Returning to Brown University in November, 1865, he graduated with the class of 1867. After graduation in 1867 Mr. Smith went to Blackfoot City, Montana, where he taught awhile in the public schools, and devoted a short time to gold mining, but was occupied the greater portion of three years in mercantile pursuits. Returning to Rhode Island in 1870 he was a coal merchant in Providence until 1876. During the next two years he was engaged in selling the "Tingley Heat Governor" in New York City and Brooklyn. Retiring to the old homestead in Scituate in 1878, he has since given his attention chiefly to fruit raising. He has held many public offices in his native town, having been moderator and a member of the town council, school committee, superintendent of schools, trial justice, and in other positions of honor and trust. He has been a member of the legislature of Rhode Island nine years, seven in the lower house and two in the senate. Mr. Smith was married in 1881 to Marcelia, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Dexter, and has two sons, Howard D. and Benjamin H. Smith, and three daughters, Mary E., Lydia W., and Helen M. Smith. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He joined Prescott Post in May, 1867, and was afterwards transferred to Rodman Post, No. 12, of Providence. Mr. Smith united with the First Baptist Church of Providence in May, 1866, and has always been interested in church and Sunday-school work, having served as superintendent of mission and Sunday-schools twenty years. BENJAMIN DUNN JONES.
On returning to Providence at the close of the war, he felt that the long interruptions of his studies had unfitted him for their further prosecution, and he removed to Omaha, Nebraska, to enter business pursuits. Here he remained until his decease, March 5, 1875. He was widely known and respected for his sterling worth, business energy, and integrity, and his untimely death was universally regretted. The Masonic Lodge of which he was a member participated in his funeral services. His remains were taken to Providence, R.I., and interred in Swan Point Cemetery in that city. PARDON MASON.
On his return from the army he was employed by Corliss & Nightingale, at their works in Providence. He was instantly killed while in their employ, Aug. 15, 1865, by being thrown from a platform by the breaking of some portion of the machinery. HERBERT F. BENNETT.
Soon after the war he removed to Bristol, R.I., and was employed as conductor on the Providence, Warren, and Bristol Railroad, which position he held until 1882, when he was elected town clerk of Bristol, which office he has held continuously ever since. He was a member of the general assembly of the town in 1881-2. He joined Babbitt Post, of Bristol, in 1867, and continued with it until the post was disbanded, in 1871. Upon its reorganization, in 1835, he again became identified with it, and has filled various offices in the post, including that of adjutant and commander. He was an aid-de-camp on the staff of the commander-in-chief in 1890, and has also served as a member of the council of administration; quartermaster-general of the the department, and as junior and senior vice department commander. He is also a member of Providence Royal Arch Chapter, St. Albans Lodge Free and Accepted Masons, Bristol and Mount Hope Council Royal Arcanum, Bristol, R.I., and the First Rhode Island Light Artillery Veteran Association. CHARLES M. SMITH.
On his return to Providence he pursued the occupation of bookkeeping. He was superintendent of lights of the city of Providence from Oct. 1, 1867, to April 14, 1879. The term of office of Mr. Smith was marked mainly by the introduction of the method of lighting gas by electricity, and those who were acquainted with him will recall his interest in that direction as one of his prominent characteristics. It was the following up of this study which brought him into the ranks of electrical experts and marked the latter years of his life. When the electric lighting apparatus was adopted its headquarters were on the second floor of the old railroad station, and when the new City Hall was being built Mr. Smith provided for his apparatus in what is now the battery room of the fire alarm telegraph. The system had but fairly been put into practical operation in the central parts of the city when Mr. Smith gave up his position and became interested in the invention of steel, non-wreckable cars, which was being introduced by Massachusetts parties, and he removed his residence to Boston. This latter scheme did not meet with the success anticipated by its promoters, and Mr. Smith finally relinquished his interests, taking up electrical work again as an expert and engineer. He died in Boston, Aug. 4, 1896. ALBERT W. DELANAH.
FIRST LIEUTENANT WILLIAM S. DYER was born in Fredericksburgh, Va., Oct. 28, 1837. He is the son of William H. and Mary Gorton (Tanner) Dyer. He is a descendant on both the paternal and maternal sides from Roger Williams. His mother was born in the house built for Joseph, son of Roger Williams. This house remained in the possession of the family until within a few years. William H. Dyer, the father of the subject of our sketch, removed to Virginia in 1836, to engage in silk culture, and returned to Rhode Island when his son William was two years of age. William received his education in the public schools of Cranston. He also attended the Smithfield Seminary, and later Jencks Mowry's Academy at Mount Pleasant, North Providence, R.I. On the breaking out of the Rebellion he was among the first to enlist in the First Light Battery Rhode Island Volunteers, April 17, 1861, and was mustered out Aug. 6, 1861. He was afterwards enrolled as quartermaster sergeant in Battery B, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Aug. 13, 1861, and was mustered in same date. He was discharged for disability Dec. 1, 1862. On his return to Rhode Island he joined the Marine Artillery, and during the draft riots was stationed with his battery at Bonnet Point, and at the armory on Benefit Street in Providence. On the 14th of September, 1863, he was appointed second lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery. He subsequently appeared before the Examining Board at Washington, D.C., and was commissioned first lieutenant in the same regiment Dec. 2, 1863. He was appointed ordnance officer at Plaquemine, La., March 27, 1864. By order of Maj.-Gen. N.P. Banks, Sept. 12, 1864, to date back to April 1, 1864, he was assigned to duty in the office of the chief engineer of the Department of the Gulf. He built the earthwork, a ten-gun fort, at Plaquemine, La. When the Second Battalion removed to Donaldsonville, in June, 1865, he was ordered to dismantle this fort and rejoined his battalion at Donaldsonville, where he held the position of post ordnance officer until the battalion was ordered to Camp Parapet, La., in September, 1865. He was mustered out Oct. 2, 1865. Since the war he has been engaged in various pursuits. From December, 1880, till April, 1884, he was in the civil service of the United States, first as clerk at Brule Agency, Dakota, and then as clerk in charge of Crow Creek Agency, Dakota; and later Special United States Indian Agent with Cheyenne Indians of Montana, and stationed at Miles City. He is at present residing in Cranston, R.I.
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