The biographical encyclopaedia of New Jersey of the nineteenth century, Part 125

Author: Robson, Charles, ed; Galaxy Publishing Company, publisher
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, Galaxy publishing company
Number of Pages: 924

USA > New Jersey > The biographical encyclopaedia of New Jersey of the nineteenth century > Part 125

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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he was elected a member of the Board of Education of the | Hill, June 17th, 1775. It is probable that he never left the City of Newark from the Second ward in October, 1869, and was re-elected in 1871, serving as Chairman of the Committee on High Schools. In 1869 the Republican party put him forward, without any seeking on his part, as their candidate for Senator for the county, and he was elected. So well pleased was the party with its choice, so amply did his career in the Senate justify their confidence, that a re- election in 1872, by a greatly increased majority, followed naturally. In the session of 1873 he was unanimously elected President of the Senate, and a similar honor was conferred upon him in the succeeding session. He proved himself a most efficient presiding officer, displaying intimate knowledge of parliamentary practice, holding the scales evenly between both parties, and at all times upholding the dignity of the position and of the Senate. He has always pursued his profession in Newark, and is justly regarded as one of the first lawyers in the State. For several years he has been Counsel to the Chosen Board of Freeholders of Newark.

OLFAX, GENERAL WILLIAM, Captain of Washington's Life-Guard, late of Pompton, New Jersey, was born in Connecticut, July 3d, 1756, and "was of the staunchest New England stock. An ancestor of the same name was one of the early scttlers of Weathersfield, Connecti- cut, and the births of four of his children are recorded as occurring in that ancient village about 1653-59. He was probably the grandfather of John Colfax, of New London, Connecticut, who married Ann Latimer, September 3d, 1727, the young couple being admitted to the church in New London on profession of their faith, and their son, George (born December 25th, 1727) baptized March 17th, 1728. The records also note the births of these other children of John Colfax : Ann, 1728; Jonathan, 1736; John, 1739; William, 1748 .- George married Lucy, daugh- ter of Ebenezer Avery, and their children were : Sarah, 1750; George, 1752; Ebenezer, 1753; Lucy, 1755; Wil- liam, 1756; Jonathan, 1758; Ann, 1760; Robert, 1761; John, 1763; Mary, 1766. Captain George Colfax, the father of this numerous progeny, died in 1766, leaving an estate of {807. Lucy, his widow, survived him nearly forty years, dying in September, 1804, aged seventy-five." Of his early life little is certainly known, and nothing of notewor- thy importance can be gleaned concerning his career as a youth. " Doubtless it was the same as that of every other young farmer in New England-full of the rugged toil and self-dependence that taught the Yankces their power, and made them the rcadier to exercise it when the time came for them to assert their right to their independence, their ability to maintain which had long been evident. He often used to tell his family that he participated in the battle of Bunker

army from that day till the liberties of his country were se- cured." He appears to have enlisted in a Connecticut regiment, and in the records of the comptroller's office of that State is credited with service in the Continental army to January Ist, 1780, {184 3s. IId. On January Ist, 1781, he received for balance of service {106 Is. 4d. While the American army was encamped at Valley Forge, Washington issued an order, dated March 17th, 1778, directing that " one hundred chosen men are to be annexed to the guard of the commander-in-chief, for the purpose of forming a corps, to be instructed in the manœuvres necessary to be introduced into the army, and to serve as a model for the execution of them." These men, taken from the various States, were required to be from five feet eight inches to five feet ten inches in height, from twenty to thirty years of age, and of robust constitutions and good character. They were to be American-born, and the motto of the guard was, " Con- quer or Die.' Into this honorable corps he was drafted, and his fine appearance and gallantry in the field soon made him a favorite with the general, and it was not long ere he became a Lieutenant, subsequently succeeding Caleb Gibbs, of Rhode Island, as Captain Commandant, though it appears that he was never commissioned a Captain. He was thrice wounded in battles, once dangerously; one of these wounds was received at the battle of White Plains, New York, in October, 1776. Upon one occasion, while in the act of giving the word of command to his men, a bullet struck his uplifted sword, shattering the blade, and, glancing, skinned one of his fingers. In another engagement, a bullet struck his forearm, severing the integuments, and passing between the bones without touching them. Again, while riding on horseback in an exposed position, a bullet was sent through his body, just above the hip, and below the bowels, entering in front and coming out behind. In the excitement of the battle lie did not notice the wound, but galloped from point to point over the field delivering orders, until one of his men saw the dripping stream, and cried out, " Captain, the blood is running out of your boot." Glancing down, he perceived his condition for the first time, saw that the wound was serious, and rode over toward the field-hospital. Dr. Ledyard looked at the wound, and bade him go at once into the hospital and stay there. Later, Washington, "seeing the state of his trusted captain, said to him : ' You are in a deplorable condition ; I will give you a furlough that you may go home till you recover.' He persisted in staying with the army, however, till they went into winter quarters at Morristown in the winter of 1779-80." During that season he went home to Con- necticut, in the saddle the entire distance ; while in March the snow had fallen so licavily that in many instances he rode over the covered fence-tops. Eventually, he returned greatly improved in health, and remained with his comrades- in-arms until the close of the war. At the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, at Yorktown, in October, 1781, he was, at

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his own particular request, permitted to occupy a prominent | Brigadier-General of the 2d Division of Infantry, Bergen position on horseback, near his beloved chief, and in after years was never weary of describing that memorable scene, with all its attendant incidents. He was a personal friend of Lady Washington, as well as of the general, and the family still preserves a sort of net for his cue, knitted of linen thread by her, and given to him as a present. His descendants have also one of a brace of pistols given to him by Washington. " He was a man of fine presence; about five feet ten inches in height, large frame, well-proportioned, and weighing about one hundred and ninety or two hundred pounds. He had dark hair, a clean-shaven face, with massive square-set under-jaw, a clear, florid complexion, and beautiful blue eyes. His hair was powdered and worn in a cue, tied with a black ribbon, till his later years. A pretty miniature of himself, painted about the end of the revolu- tionary war for his sweetheart, shows that his coat was dark blue, with collar and facing of scarlet; his waistcoat was doubtless buff, although the color is now faded; a ruffled shirt-bosom overflows the upper part of the waistcoat, and there appears to be a black cravat about his neck, with a white collar turned partly over it. This neatness of dress characterized his appearance all his life." While the army was at Pompton Plains, northern New Jersey, the citizens showed the officers various courtesies. About a quarter of a mile above the Pompton Steel Works, the road to Wanaque and Ringwood leaves the old Hamburgh turnpike, and at the southeast corner of these roads stands an ancient yellow frame-house, two stories high in front, with roof sloping almost to the ground in the rear; a covered verandah in front, and quaint half-doors, show that it is a mansion of the olden time. This was the residence, during the Revo- lution, of Casparus (Jasper) Schuyler, grandson of Arent Schuyler. The young officers found here a great attraction in the charming daughter, Hester Schuyler-who, in accord- ance with a custom of Dutch families, was named after her grandmother, Hester, daughter of Isaac Kingsland. "And the valiant young Colfax, brave as he was in battle, surren- dered at discretion before the flash of her bright eyes." Soon after the close of the war, he took up his residence at Pompton, and August 27th, 1783, was married to the bellc of the village. There, for more than half a century, he lived quietly and peacefully as a farmer, " seeing his chil- dren grow up around him, and witnessing the wonderful de- OTTS, HON. FREDERICK A., of Pittstown, was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in 1836. After receiving a liberal education he engaged in the mining and shipping of coal, and for a number of years has conducted an extensive wholesale coal business in New York. About 1862 he purchased a farm-originally the property of one of his ancestors- near Pittstown, Hunterdon county, New Jersey, and while still maintaining his business in New York, has since this date made his home in New Jersey. In early life he identified himself with the Republican party ; was an ear- ncst supporter of the administration of President Lincoln, velopment of the nation for whose existence he had fought so long and well in his youth. He was honored, trusted, and revered by his neighbors, and was repeatedly elected or appointed to various responsible positions in the town, county or State. By appointment of the Legislature, he was for many years a Justice of the Peace, and a Judge of Com- mon Pleas; in 1806-7, 1809-10 and 1811, was a member of the General Assembly from Bergen county, New Jersey ; and in 1808, 1812 and 1813, served prominently in the Leg- islative Council. He was always warmly interested in mili- tary affairs and measures; in 1811 filled the position of

Brigade ; and in the war of 1812 was in command at Sandy Hook; " while at the elaborate and enthusiastic celebra- tions of Independence Day, which were customary a half century ago, his presence was deemed indispensable at the demonstrations in his neighborhood." In 1824 or 1825, on the occasion of the great parade in Newark, in honor of the French hero, the Marquis de Lafayette, he participated as one of the most conspicuous revolutionary heroes of the day. " He preserved his faculties to the very last, and died after but a few days illness, 9th September, 1838, aged eighty-two years and two months." He was buried on his own estate with military honors, the militia of Paterson and vicinity turning out en masse on the occasion, with martial music, under the command of General Abraham Godwin, the younger, and Coloncl Cornelius G. Garrison, both of Paterson. The services were held in the Dutch Reformed Church at Pompton, Rev. Isaac S. Demarest officiating, while the people came in crowds from all the country around, to testify by their presence to their respect for one whom they had so long reverenced and admired. On the sites of the houses built by Brockholls (or Brockholst) and Schuyler are now two spacious and inviting country mansions, occu- pied, the one by the venerable Dr. William Washington Colfax, the other by his nephew, Major William Washing- ton Colfax. A short distance above the doctor's residence, in an enclosed field, and but a few feet from the roadside, is an unostentatious white marble pyramidal shaft, about five feet high, resting on a simple brown stone base, and bearing this inscription : "General William Colfax, Captain of Washington's Life-Guards." He left six children : George Washington, born November 3d, 1784, married Eliza Col- fax; Lucy, born November 18th, 1789, married Henry P. Berry; Schuyler, born August 3d, 1792, married Hannah Delameter Stryker (father of Schuyler Colfax, Vice-Presi- dent of the United States, 1869-73); Elizabeth, born August 8th, 1794, married James L. Baldwin ; William W., born April 26th, 1797, married Hester Mandeville ; Maria, born July 3d, 1800, married Abraham Williams.

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and has since his removal to New Jersey been prominent in local and State politics. In 1870 he was nominated State Senator from Hunterdon county, and was defeated; the county being notoriously strongly Democratic. In 1872 he again led the forlorn hope, accepting in that year the con- gressional nomination from the Fourth District. He was again defeated, but he succeeded in greatly reducing the ordinary Democratic majority in the district from about six thousand to about two thousand ; while in his county, that on previous important elections had given a Democratic majority of from fifteen hundred to two thousand, he was defeated by but five hundred and seventy-six votes. In 1873 he was once more the Republican nominee for State Senator from Hunter- don, and on this occasion was elected by a majority of three hundred and eighty seven-being the only Senator ever elected over a Democrat in the county. While a member of the Senate he was Chairman of the Committee on Com- merce and Navigation ; was a member of various other im- portant committees ; and throughout his term of office dis- played legislative ability of a high order. In 1872 he was chosen a member of the Republican State Executive Com- mittee, and in the deliberations and actions of that body liis counsel and energetic labor have done much toward strengthening the New Jersey division of the party. Always manly and outspoken in his political views; never seeking office, and accepting nomination in the face of almost cer- tain defeat and at a considerable personal sacrifice; thor- oughly honest in his convictions, and at all times deter- mined to use his best efforts for the good of the whole people, he has uniformly succeeded in winning the personal esteem of his political enemies, and, as his record shows, has actually turned several thousand of his political enemies into his political friends. Already his name has been prom- inently mentioned by the leading men of his party in con- nection with the gubernatorial office, and should he receive the nomination for Governor his chances of election seem of the best.

cast his first vote. In 1850 he returned to New Jersey and took up his residence in Hudson county, where he remained twelve years. In 1852 he married a daughter of IIon. W. D. Coleman, member of Congress from Kentucky, and a granddaughter of Chief Justice Marshall. When, in the same year, the Whig party suffered its famous defeat, Mr. Randolph allied himself with the Native American or Know Nothing party, and took a prominent part in its pro- ceedings, and generally in State politics. During the struggle over the slavery question in 1860 Mr. Randolph and other Know Nothings formcd a coalition with the Democratic party, by which he was elected to the House of Assembly from the First District of Hudson county, and was offered but declined the Speakership of that body. He was the first .Democrat who ever carried that district. In 1861 he presided as Chairman over the Special Com- mittee on the Peace Congress, and was one of those who inaugurated the measure for the relief of soldiers' families. In the same year, 1861, he was elected to the State Senate to fill an unexpired term, and the following year he was re- elected and served until 1865. The year of his re-election he was appointed Commissioner of Draft for Hudson county. In 1867 he was unanimously elected President of the Morris & Essex Railroad Company. In the fall cam- paign of 1868 he became the Democratic candidate for Governor, and was elected by a majority of 4,618 votes over John I. Blair, the Republican nomince. He was in- augurated in 1869, and held the office three years, during which time he used the veto power freely for the purpose of defeating whatever he considered corrupt legislation, proving himself an efficient as well as a popular officer. During his governorship he caused the repeal of the transit tax on persons travelling through the State, and established a general railway law; he made the State Prison system self-supporting ; passed a bill for the punishment of bribers in elections; suggested the plan for the State Lunatic Asylum ; settled the feud between the Erie and Delaware Railroads, and various other important acts. He also signed the resolution of the Legislature which ratified the Fifteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution. During his last year of office Governor Randolph showed his independence of character by his action in regard to the Orangemen's procession, July 12th, 1871. The day before Superintendent Kelso, of New York, had issued a proclamation, forbidding the Orangemen's procession in that city. This caused great excitement, loud and angry demands being made on the authorities to accord to them, the Orangemen, the same privileges which had always becn accorded to other organi- zations, and, always before, to them. The news of the order by Superintendent Kelso having been telegraphed to Governor Randolph, who was at Newark, he immediately issued the following proclamation, which has become famous : "A portion of our citizens desiring to celebrate what is deemed by them an anniversary day, and it having

ANDOLPHI, HON. THEODORE F., Lawyer, was born in New Brunswick, Middlesex county, New Jersey, June 24th, 1826. His family are of old revolutionary stock, dating back to the progenitor of the Randolphs of Roanoke, Virginia. His father, James F. Randolph, was for thirty-six years the publisher and editor of the Fredonian, an able and influential journal of the Whig party, published at New Brunswick. He was an able statesman, and for eight years represented his party in Congress. Theodore was liberally educated, and adopted the profession of the law, being ad- mitted to the bar in 1848. IIe was brought up by his father in the Whig school of politics, and when quite young he became a writer on his father's paper. When quite a young man he went to Mississippi for a season, where he come to my knowledge that interference with the contem-

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plated celebration may possibly take place, by reason of ordered that no blank cartridges be sent, as he felt that to which a serious disturbance of the peace of this State would fire blank cartridges in such a situation would be to insti- gate riot rather than to quell it. During the day he was constantly alert to see that no New York organization crossed the river, and for the same purpose he remained on a tugboat, on the watch, all night. Fortunately, no attempt was made, and in the trouble of the next day the civil authority showed its ability to cope with the situation with- out the direct interference of the military. All through his conduct of this emergency Governor Randolph proved him- self a ruler of singular firmness and ability in an emergency. On the expiration of his office Mr. Randolph devoted him- self to farming and mining. On his home, at Morristown, New Jersey, where he has resided since 1862, comprising ninety acres, he pursued his agricultural tastes and fondness for stock-raising. On January 20th the New Jersey Demo- cratic caucus nominated him as successor, in the United States Senate, to Hon. John P. Stockton, whose term ex- pired in March of that year. His opponent was Hon. George M. Robeson. At the election, a week later, he re- ceived the entire vote of all the Democratic members of both houses. In March, 1875, Mr. Randolph was placed on the Committees on Military Affairs, Mines and Mining, and Civil Service and Retrenchment. March 9th, 1877, he was placed on the Committees on Commerce and Mili- tary Affairs. probably ensue; therefore, I, Theodore F. Randolph, Gov- ernor of the State of New Jersey, do hereby proclaim that both the letter and spirit of the Constitution of our State of New Jersey, as well as the long-established custom of our people to permit and protect all peaceful gatherings of the inhabitants of this State, irrespective of political or religious creed, makes it the lawful right of any body of peaceful citizens to assemble together, and that right cannot be abridged or interfered with by any unauthorized body of men of any nationality, creed, or religion, whatever the real or supposed provocation may seem to be ; and I do therefore enjoin upon all good, law-abiding and peaceful citizens of this, our State of New Jersey, to assist in every way in pre- serving the peace, good order, and dignity of the same, not only by abstinence from provocation, but by acts of tolera- tion, forbearance, and true manliness. And I do hereby warn all persons from other States who may seek by acts of provocation to interfere with the peaceful assembling of the inhabitants of this State, that such offence against the peace and good order of the commonwealth will be promptly and rigorously punished by our authorities, whom I do further enjoin and command to enforce this proclamation, assuring all such properly-constituted authorities that, in the event of the insufficiency of the ordinary local power, then the entire power of the State will, if necessary, be called into exercise to compel, at any cost, respect for and obedience to our laws. And I do further enjoin upon the members UCKLEY, BENJAMIN, Manufacturer, of Pater- son, New Jersey, son of Joseph Buckley, was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England, January 29th, 1808. From his sixteenth to his twentieth year he served as an apprentice to Samuel Lees & Son, machinists, of Oldham; remained with the firm for six months after the termination of his term of apprenticeship, and in 1831 immigrated to America. Set- tling at Paterson, he worked at his trade in the establishments of Rogers, Danforth, and others; and in 1844 began the manufacture, upon his own account, of spindles and flyers. This business he still continues under the firm-name of Benjamin Buckley & Co., his two sons having for some time been associated in partnership with him. In April, 1871, he was elected President of the Second National Bank of Paterson, a position that at present (1877) he still holds. He is also a Director of the Paterson Fire Insurance Com- pany. For a number of years he has taken a prominent part in politics. In 1856 he was elected to the State As- sembly, was re-elected in 1857-58, and subsequently served for nine years as a member of the State Senate, being in 1867 President of that body. Able in committee and sound in debate, his legislative career has been highly honorable; its appreciation by his constituents being evidenced by his re- peated re-elections, and also by his election, in 1875-76-77, as Mayor of Paterson. He married Mary, daughter of Mr. Wilson, of Paterson, of the society, especially, professing to assemble together to-morrow, the exercise of the utmost patience, care, and discretion in the pursuance of their rights, bearing in mind that, to a large portion of our fellow-citizens, the peculiar occasion of their gathering is deemed an unnecessary revival of an ancient political and religious feud, of no gen- eral interest to the great body of our American citizens, and, though they were sustained, as in their right to peacefully assemble together, they are by no means sustained, as I firmly believe, by any large number of sincere, patriotic, and Christian people in the expediency of the exercise of that right at this, time. Given at the executive chambers, in the city of Trenton, this IIth day of July, in the year of our Lord 1871, and the independence of the United States of America the ninety-sixth. Theodore F. Randolph. At- test, Samuel C. Brown, Private Secretary." Speaking of the matter afterwards, Mr. Randolph said that when he read Superintendent Kelso's order he immediately deter- mined, without having time or opportunity to consult with any one, to issue his proclamation, as he felt that the result of this order would be to throw into New Jersey the riotous elements of New York. By one o'clock the proclamation was written, sent to the telegraph, and ordered to be printed in hand-bills and posted. By half-past three o'clock all the necessary military orders had been given. When the am- munition was forwarded, Governor Randolph said he

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ANSOM, STEPHEN BILLINGS, Lawyer, of | member of the Middlesex County Medical Society, having Jersey City, was born at Salem, Connecticut, Oc- served as President of that organization in 1870, and having been for nine years past its representative in the annual conventions of the State Medical Society. In this latter body he holds a no less leading place, having repeatedly been chosen its delegate to the annual conventions of the medical societies of other States, and having also represented it at the meetings of the American Medical Association-the supreme head of the medical profession in America. He is also a member of the New Jersey Micro- scopical Society ; of the New Brunswick Historical Society, of which he has been Secretary since 1868; of the Phi Beta Kappa, Rutgers College Chapter, of which he was Secretary in 1875-76, and was re-elected for the present year (1877) ; and-of the order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. In February, 1862, he was appointed an Acting Assistant Surgeon in the United States volunteer army, was subsequently promoted to be Surgeon, served until the end of the war, and was honorably discharged in 1865. He was present and rendered efficient service at the battles of Hanover, Fair Oaks, Gaines' Mill, and Savage's Station ; was taken prisoner in the latter engagement, and was for some time confined in Libby and at Belleisle. On being released he rejoined his command, and was with the army of the Potomac during the retreat down the Peninsula to Fortress Monroe; was in Suffolk during the siege by Long- street's corps, took part in the engagements before Peters- burg and Richmond, and was in Fort Yorktown at the time of the explosion of the magazine. Beside his very active field service, he rendered service no less valuable in the hospital department, being detailed as Assistant Sur- geon to the hospital at Craney's Island, and to the United States General Hospital at Plampton, Virginia, and as Post Surgeon at Fort Yorktown during the winter of 1863-64. He married Charlotte B., eldest daughter of Dr. Anthony Bournonville, a leading physician of Philadelphia. tober 12th, 1814, being the son of Amsa Ranson, a farmer long resident in that place. He was educated at Bacon Academy, Colchester, Con- necticut, until 1835. During the latter part of this term he was engaged in teaching, which occupation he pursued for the following six years at Mendham, Belvidere, llope, New Germantown and Chester. In 1841 he began the study of law under the direction of Phineas B. Kennedy, then county clerk at Belvidere, and finished his course under William Thompson, of Somerville. He was ad- mitted to the bar of New Jersey on September 5th, 1844. For three years he practised his profession at New German- town, Hunterdon county. In April, 1848, he removed to Somerville, where he resided and prosecuted the law until 1856. Two years previously to the last-mentioned he had opened an office in Jersey City, to which after a while he removed his residence, and where he still continues to prac- tise. In politics he was originally a Democrat, and sup- ported Van Buren for President in 1848. Four years later he advocated the Free Soil platform, and voted for Pierce, the political elements with which he then found himself crystallizing into the Republican party. He supported IIorace Greeley for the Presidency against the re-election of Ulysses S. Grant. Always a prohibitionist, he cast at the last Presidential election the only vote recorded in Jersey City for Green Clay Smith, the prohibitionist candidate. In 1845 and 1846 he commanded a company of militia at New Germantown. He married, May 14th, 1845, Maria C. Apgar, daughter of Jacob Apgar, a merchant of Hunter- don county, who went to California on the discovery of gold, and died there in 1849. In the following year Mrs. Ransom died. He was married a second time, in July, 1856, to Eliza W. Hunt, daughter of Stephen R. Hunt, lawyer, of Somerville."

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The biographical encyclopaedia of New Jersey of the nineteenth century, Part 125

Author: Robson, Charles, ed; Galaxy Publishing Company, publisher Publication date: 1877 Publisher: Philadelphia, Galaxy publishing company Number of Pages: 924

Author: Robson, Charles, ed; Galaxy Publishing Company, publisher
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, Galaxy publishing company
Number of Pages: 924