History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan, Part 75

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott
Number of Pages: 761

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The eldest daughter, a lovely, noble woman, Mrs. John Den Blyker, survives her brother, the joy and solace of her father.

Mr. Balch afterwards married Miss Elizabeth E. Dun- gan, in 1849, at Philadelphia, Pa., by whom he had two children,-a son, who died at three months, and a daughter, who died with the terrible disease, diphtheria. She was remarkable for her retentive memory and fine voice, and her great love for music and song.

The second Mrs. Balch was a woman of fine appearance, mistress of the French and Spanish languages, as well as

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HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

the English, and a remarkable conversationalist. She was also a fine student of history, and possessed an extensive knowledge of great men, both living and dead. She died at her home in Kalamazoo, Jan. 8, 1880.

Mr. Balch's home has ever been a happy one for himself and family, and pleasant to his many friends and acquaint- ances.

HON. FREDERICK W. CURTENIUS

was born in New York City, Sept. 30, 1806. His father, Gen. Peter Curtenius, commanded the State troops quar- tered in the city during the war of 1812. He was subse- quently marshal of the State for a number of years, and in such capacity arrested Aaron Burr when charged with treason. He was also a prominent member of the Legisla- ture, and the intimate friend of De Witt Clinton, Martin Van Buren, and many other leading men and prominent politicians. Both the grandfathers of Col. Curtenius were military men, and served with distinction in the Revolu- tionary war.

F. W. Curtenius was a graduate of Hamilton College, Oneida Co., N. Y., in 1823, and soon after commenced the study of the law ; but, inheriting a taste for military life, he gave up the profession after three months' study to join the South American patriots under Bolivar.

Procuring credentials from the consul-general at New York, he, at the age of eighteen years, embarked for South America in 1824, and, on his arrival, was commissioned lieutenant in the New Granadan army, with which he served until the close of the war, honorably distinguishing himself, and being slightly wounded.

He returned to New York, and in 1831 was commis- sioned colonel of a regiment of State militia belonging in the counties of Warren and Washington.

In 1835 he removed to Michigan, and settled as a farmer on Grand Prairie, Kalamazoo Co. Kalamazoo village was then a mere hamlet, containing less than three hundred in- habitants.

In 1842, Col. Curtenius was appointed a member of the visiting board at West Point. In 1847 he raised at Kala- mazoo a company of infantry, which formed a part of the 1st Regiment of Michigan Volunteers, under command of Col. Thomas B. W. Stockton, and accompanied it to Mex- ico, where he remained until the close of the war,* when, with his command, he returned to Michigan.

In 1855 he was appointed adjutant-general of the State, which position he filled until 1861, when, upon the break- ing out of the Rebellion, he recruited the 6th Regiment of Michigan Infantry Volunteers, with which he proceeded to Baltimore, Md., where the command remained in gar- rison for a period of six months. Subsequently the 6th composed a portion of Gen. B. F. Butler's expedition against New Orleans ; and, when that city was captured, took possession of the United States Mint. The regiment remained in the city for about twelve days, when Col. Cur- tenius, in command of a brigade composed of his own and two other Western regiments, was ordered to Vicksburg ; but, that place being found too strong to be successfully

attacked by a small force, the command was ordered to return to Baton Rouge, where it was placed in charge of United States property.

At this latter point an incident led to the sundering of Col. Curtenius' connection with the army. A number of slaves had taken refuge within his lines, and the general commanding ordered Col. Curtenius to deliver them to their masters ; which order he refused to obey, taking the ground that he was not commissioned by the State of Mich- igan to return runaway slaves. For this he was arrested, when, feeling keenly the injustice of such treatment, he resigned and returned home. The State authorities honor- ably sustained him in his course, and administered a rebuke to the general who ordered his arrest.

Col. Curtenius was elected to the State Senate in 1856, and again in 1867. In 1868 he was appointed by the President of the United States collector of internal rev- enue for the Fourth Congressional District, which office he held for two years, declining a re-appointment.

During the past fifteen years Col. Curtenius has held the office of treasurer of the Michigan Asylum for the Insane. In 1866 he was elected president of the Kalamazoo City Bank. He is a prominent member of the Presbyterian Church, and has filled many offices in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, including that of delegate to the Grand Lodge.

Col. Curtenius has been twice married. His first wife, whom he married in 1826, was Elizabeth Fowler, of New York City, who died in 1867, leaving two children. In 1868 he married a daughter of J. P. Woodbury, of Kala- mazoo, who has five daughters and one son.

Col. Curtenius bears his increasing years remarkably well ; and no one who looks upon his erect and vigorous form, and his step, firm and elastic as that of early man- hood, would suspect he had passed his "threescore and ten."

GEN. DWIGHT MAY,

the oldest son of Rockwell and Celestia E. May, was born Sept. 8, 1822, in Sandisfield, Berkshire Co., Mass. In the spring of 1834 his parents moved to Gull Prairie, Kalamazoo Co., in the then Territory of Michigan. The country was then new, and the few settlers were generally poor. Many privations were encountered. Farm labor during the year, except three months spent in the district school in the winter, constituted the yearly routine of the subject of this sketch during his minority. There were then no public libraries, and but few books of any kind in the settlement. Newspapers were scarce and expensive. Notwithstanding all these drawbacks, he read with avidity such books and papers as were accessible to him, took an active part in the debating clubs, and early determined to acquire a good education. In the fall of 1842 he went to Kalamazoo to attend the branch of the University of Mich- igan, then in charge of Professor William Sutton, M.A. He continued off and on under his tuition and that of Rev. James A. B. Stone, D.D., until the summer of 1846. By working vacations and teaching he prepared for college, and in September, 1846, after a rigid examination, was ad-

* See commencement of Chapter XXVI.

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mitted to the sophomore class in the University of Mich- igan. With poor health and limited means he struggled along, but managed to keep up with his class, and in August, 1849, graduated in the classical department, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Three years after, he received the degree of Master of Arts. Soon after graduation he went into the law office of Lothrop & Duffield, at Detroit, and in July, 1850, was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of Michigan. In 1861 he was admitted to practice in all of the United States courts by the Supreme Court of the United States.

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In August, 1850, he went to Battle Creek, Mich., and opened an office with Hon. Marsh Giddings, late Governor of New Mexico. He was the first village clerk of Battle Creek, and in the spring of 1851 was elected a justice of the peace to fill a three years' vacancy. He remained at Battle Creek until September, 1852, when he removed to Kalamazoo, where he remained until his death.

Soon after coming to Kalamazoo he was elected school- inspector and superintendent of the village schools, which last office he resigned in 1856. He took a deep interest in the public schools, and labored diligently to establish the present union school system. In 1854 he was elected prose- cuting attorney of Kalamazoo County, which office he held six years.

At the beginning of the Southern Rebellion he enlisted as a private in the " Kalamazoo Light Guards," and April 22, 1861, was unanimously elected captain of the company. The company was accepted for the three months' service, under the 75,000 call of President Lincoln, and on the last day of April went to Detroit, and there became Com- pany I of the 2d Regiment Michigan Infantry, commanded by Col. Israel B. Richardson.

Before the muster into the service of the United States, orders came that the regiment must muster for three years or not at all. This change was made, and the regiment moved to Washington, D. C.

Capt. May continued with the regiment until December, 1861, when, his home business demanding his personal at- tention and no longer to be neglected, he resigned, came home, settled and arranged his business, and in October, 1862, was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the 12th Michigan Infantry, then stationed at Bolivar, Tenn.

He continued with his regiment until it was finally mus- tered out and disbanded at Jackson, Mich., March 6, 1866. On the resignation of Col. Graves, in the spring of 1865, he was promoted colonel, and in October, 1865, he was breveted brigadier-general.

He was with his regiment at the battle with Van Dorn, at Middleburg, Tenn., Dec. 24, 1862; at the siege of Vicksburg; the capture of Little Rock, Sept. 10, 1863 ; and the many skirmishes in which the regiment was en- gaged with the enemy.

At the general election in 1866 he was elected Lieuten- ant-Governor by 30,000 majority ; and in 1868 was elected attorney-general of the State, and was re-elected in 1870, both times by large majorities.

In 1873 he was elected President of the village of Kal- amazoo, and was re-elected in 1874 by nearly a unanimous vote.

Gen. May was always studious, but relied more upon labor than genius for success. He had a nervous, san- guine temperament, with strong will and convictions, and generally pushed whatever he undertook. As a public speaker he used plain, strong language, and sought to con- vince the judgment of his hearers rather than to amuse their fancy with well-rounded periods.

He had few wants, dressed plainly, lived within his means, kept out of debt, and by industry, economy, honest dealing, and fair ability, acquired an average competency.

While in the army he contracted rheumatism, which made him a constant sufferer, and greatly crippled his energies.

In politics he was a Republican, and was present at the organization of the party, and ever after advocated its principles.

He was married Sept. 4, 1849, to Amelia S. Kellogg, a native of Pennsylvania. One child only survives the union, Mrs. Minnie K. Brown, of Mount Pleasant, Mich.

Gen. Dwight May died on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 1880. This sad visitation makes a vacancy in the ranks of the men who have been prominent in the political and military history of the State.

The following action was taken by the village board of trustees and at a meeting of the veterans of the late war :

"THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

"SPECIAL MEETING.

" A special meeting of the board was held in the council-room Jan. 29, 1880. Board called to order at 7.30. President Metcalf in the chair. Present, Trustees Bevans, De Yoe, De Smit, Hill, Kidder, McCaffrey, and Pyl. Absent, Trustee Chapin.

"The president addressed the board as follows :

"' GENTLEMEN OF THE BOARD,-It is unnecessary for me to announce the decease of our fellow-townsman, Gen. Dwight May, who passed from earth a little before noon on yesterday. During his lifetime

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HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Gen. May occupied several positions of honor and trust in the gift of the people of our State, county, and village.

"'Believing it is due to him, and to the people whom we represent, that this board make some official recognition of his public services, to be spread upon the records of the village, this meeting has been called. Gentlemen, what action will you take ?'

" Trustee Hill offered the following motion : 'Moved that a com- mittee of three be appointed as a committee on resolutions.' The following members were appointed as such committee: R. F. Hill, E. W. De Yoe, John Pyl.

"The committee made the following report, which was adopted unanimously :

"'Resolved, That the members of this board have learned with feel- ings of sorrow of the death of Gen. Dwight May, who for two years was a member of this board, and for two years the honored President of this village.

"'Resolved, That in his long residence in our midst he has, by his patriotism, fidelity, talent, and learning, justly earned the reputa- tion, and occupied the position, of one of Kalamazoo's most honored citizens.

"Resolved, That the president and members of this board attend his funeral in a body, and that these resolutions be spread upon our records.

"'Resolved, That we tender the members of his family our sympathy in this their great bereavement, and that the clerk be instructed to transmit them a copy of these resolutions.

"' R. F. HILL, "' E. W. DE YOE, "' JOHN PYL, ""'Committee on Resolutions' "

"A MEETING OF VETERANS.

" At a meeting of soldiers and sailors of the late war, held at the register's office in Kalamazoo, Thursday evening, January 29th, to take appropriate action in reference to the death of Gen. Dwight May, Robert Burns was elected chairman, and L. Cahill, secretary.

"On motion, Delos Phillips, Robert F. Hill, and D. E. Groesbeck were appointed a committee to draft resolutions of respect to the memory of our late friend and comrade, Gen. Dwight May.

"The committee on resolutions presented the following, which were unanimously adopted :

"'Resolved, That we, the citizen-soldiery, friends, and neighbors of Gen. Dwight May, have received with profound sorrow the announce- ment of his death.

"'Resolved, That in his life he has filled a full measure of usefulness, an indefatigible student, a defender of his country, in whose service on the tented field he spent years of patriotic effort, a citizen who has in every position he has occupied served with credit to himself, and greatly to the satisfaction and benefit of the community in which he has lived.

"'Resolved, That we sympathize with the family of the deceased in this their great bereavement.'"

COL. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ORCUTT

was born in Roxbury, Washington Co., Vt., under the shadow of the Green Mountains, on the 9th day of Feb- ruary, 1815. He obtained his education at the common schools of his native town and at Randolph Academy, in Orange Co., Vt.

In 1834 he removed to Michigan, stopping first at De- troit for a few months. He was in Chicago for about a year, and subsequently made his home in Allegan for about the same length of time, and finally settled at Kalamazoo in 1836. He was elected constable in 1841, and was deputy United States marshal for a number of years.

When the Mexican war was in progress, he enlisted in Capt. F. W. Curtenius' company (A), Ist Michigan Vol- unteers, and served in the capacity of first sergeant during

his term of service, faithfully and ably fulfilling the duties of his office.

He was elected sheriff of Kalamazoo County in 1854, and held the office for four years. He had previously served a number of years as deputy sheriff. When the Rebellion of 1861 broke out, he entered the 25th Infantry, and served as its lieutenant-colonel from Sept. 24, 1862, to June 9, 1865. In this position he was conspicuous for gallantry and ability. (See history of the regiment.) In 1866 he was a third time elected to the office of sheriff, which he continued to hold until his unfortunate death, in December, 1867. The following particulars are from facts furnished by Mrs. Orcutt, and newspaper accounts pub- lished at the time :

The tragedy occurred before the erection of the new jail. The old jail was known to be very insecure, and it required the utmost vigilance to prevent the escape of prisoners. There was quite a number of men confined who had said repeatedly that they should escape, and Col. Orcutt was constantly on the lookout for them. His mind was so much occupied with the idea that they might possibly get away that he was very easily awakened.

On the morning of Dec. 3, 1867, he was aroused about three o'clock by an unusual noise, and, hastily arising and dressing, he took his revolver and stepped out, when he perceived two men lurking in the shadow of the jail, and, supposing them to be prisoners just escaped, he cocked his weapon and ordered them to halt, upon which they started east across Rose Street, the colonel pursuing and firing upon them. They ran across the street into an alley near Bart- lett's book-store, and stopped behind a large burr-oak tree, and, as the colonel came rapidly up, fired three shots, one of which took effect, striking him near the right collar-bone and coming out near the left shoulder-blade, in its course passing close to a large artery. The colonel staggered back towards his dwelling, and was met by his wife near the gate, who noticed he was breathing very heavily, but supposed it was the result of excitement and running after the men. The alarm had spread, and by this time the people began to collect. Daniel Fisher and George W. Taylor came up about the time the colonel reached the gate. Notwith- standing his terrible wound, he insisted upon going around to the corner of the jail, where he still supposed some of the prisoners had escaped, and actually did so, neither his wife nor those about him knowing that he was seriously hurt. When he was satisfied that the crowd would prevent any more from escaping, he was willing to go into the house. At this time his wife, thinking of his firing, asked him if he supposed he had killed any one, when he replied, " No, but I think he has killed me."

Then, for the first time, she became aware that he was seriously wounded. He was assisted to the house, physi- cians sent for, and his wound examined, when his condition was found to be very precarious, though there was a faint hope that he might recover.

The discovery of a jack-screw, tarred rope, and a kit of burglars' tools in the alley soon satisfied the people that the men fired upon by Col. Orcutt were an outside party who had attempted to rescue prisoners. A number of tools were also found inside the jail, but it was soon discovered

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that none of the prisoners had escaped. It was supposed that the sheriff's fire had wounded one of the burglars, as blood was found.

Some accounts say that the colonel cried " Murder !" when he was struck, and that several men assisted him across the street, but his widow says she was the first to meet him at the gate, and did not hear him cry out, and knew not that he was hurt until as before stated.

The excitement among the people when the facts became known was most intense. and there was a strong determination among a large number to lynch some of the prisoners, but better counsels finally prevailed.

A mass-meeting of the citizens assembled early in the day, at which Gen. Dwight May presided. Remarks were made by several speakers, and, on motion of Capt. Burrows, a committee of five persons was appointed to take every

funeral. These committees consisted of Col. G. E. Dunbar, Gen. Charles E. Smith, Capt. J. C. Burrows, Col. D. Phil- lips, Maj. R. F. Judson, Maj. F. Pratt, Lieut. Charles H. Brown, Sergt. G. M. Buck, Gen. George S. Acker, and Capt. John H. Wells.

The funeral was a very solemn and imposing one, a vast concourse of people turning out to do respect to one who had been for many years an honored and valuable citizen, and conspicuous both as a civilian and soldier. The re- mains were interred in Mountain Home Cemetery, and the funeral expenses were defrayed by the county. The appropriate monument erected over his remains was the gift of the citizens of Kalamazoo, one individual contributing two hundred dollars. Its total cost was six hundred dollars.

There was a strong endeavor made by a few friends to procure suitable recognition of his services in the way of

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COL. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ORCUTT.

possible measure for the arrest of the guilty parties. The committee consisted of John Baker, T. C. Brownell, M. O'Brien, David Fisher, and George H. Gale. Telegrams were sent in all directions, and every means was employed to sift the matter to the bottom, but the real criminals were never discovered.

Col. Orcutt lingered until Thursday, December 12th, when he quietly passed away at 9 o'clock in the evening. The nature of his wound was such that, had it healed, the sloughing of a large artery would have eventually produced a fatal result. Everything was done to minister to him and to preserve his life, but without avail. His death cast a shadow over the whole community, for everybody took it as a personal bereavement. The court-house was appro- priately draped in mourning, and at a soldiers' meeting, presided over by Gen. Dwight May, appropriate resolutions were passed, and committees appointed to arrange for the 36

some substantial token to his widow, and the Legislature passed an act authorizing the county to levy a tax of two thousand dollars for the purpose of placing his family in com- fortable circumstances. The question was repeatedly dis- cussed by the Board of Supervisors, but when the proposi- tion to raise two thousand dollars came to a vote it was given in the negative. A proposition to raise fifteen hundred dollars shared the same fate, and when, finally, a member proposed to make it eleven hundred dollars, it was lost by a tie vote ; and so, notwithstanding the spontaneous outburst of sym- pathy among the people of the county generally, the super- visors, for reasons only known to themselves, have never thus far been willing to assist the family of one who gave his life while performing his duty to the county, and who but for a mistaken economy in the erection of public build- ings, might have been an honored living citizen to-day. Peace to his memory! His age was fifty-two years.

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HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Col. Orcutt left a wife, a woman of rare good sense and great courage in the presence of misfortune, and three young sons, who have since grown to manhood. His wife, to whom he was married Oct. 24, 1856, was Emily A. Swadel, daughter of Samuel W. Swadel, of Galesburg, Mich., a native of Middletown, Conn. The oldest son, William, is in the hardware business at Roscommon, Mich .; Benjamin is a railway engineer in Utah, and his twin brother, Frank, is with his mother, now residing in Kalamazoo.

VOLNEY HASCALL,

the son of John and Mary (Sweetland) Hascall, was born at Le Roy, Genesee Co., N. Y., Feb. 2, 1820.

John Hascall (father of Volney) was a native of Con- necticut, but, while he was yet a child, his family emigrated, early in the present century, to Genesee Co., N. Y.

During the war of 1812, John Hascall was an officer in the State militia of New York, and participated in the battles near Fort Erie. He was subsequently a merchant, an owner of flour- and woolen-mills, a lawyer, and for many years a magistrate. In 1826-28 he was a member of the New York Legislature, and for years prominent in the poli- tics of the State. He was also the inventor of the spring- balance or weighing-scales of a portable flour-mill, and of a great harvesting-machine, out of which grew the McCor- mick reaper. In 1830 he removed with his family to the Territory of Michigan, locating in Kalamazoo County, where he engaged at once in the practice of law, in farm- ing, and especially in the labor of perfecting and develop- ing his great harvester, which was designed to cut, thrash, and clean the grain by one operation. He was a man of marked characteristics, his strong mental powers manifest- ing a decided tendency to philosophical and metaphysical inquiry. He died in 1853. This brief sketch of the father of Volney Hascall is given to show the parental origin of many of the distinguishing traits of his more dis- tinguished son, and also because it is due to the memory of one of the early pioneers of Kalamazoo County.

Volney Hascall received his early education at Kalama- zoo, partly in the " Literary Institute" (so called) and partly in the " Kalamazoo Branch of the Michigan University." This course of study embraced (in addition to the ordinary English branches) Latin, higher mathematics, elocution, and logic, in each of which he progressed rapidly, and as far as time and opportunity permitted. While a mere lad at school he was thrown upon his own resources for sup- port ; but his thirst for knowledge and his appreciation of its power, not to speak of his sturdy self-reliance, even at this early age, spurred him to obtain work as clerk and copyist in lawyers' offices, and to serve an apprenticeship in the Gazette printing-office, to secure the means necessary to complete a solid educational foundation for his future business and intellectual life. While in his minority he mastered the art of printing in all its then known branches. In his twenty-first year he began the study of law in the office of Elisha Belcher, and in 1843, when he was twenty- three years of age, he was admitted to practice as an attor-

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History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan, Part 75

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott Number of Pages: 761

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott
Number of Pages: 761