Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York : with a historical sketch of the county, Part 7

Author: Dilley, Butler F; Edson, Obed, 1832-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Gresham
Number of Pages: 740

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OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

occasion requires. He has been a democrat in In the second year of the late war he enlisted politics since 1876. In addition to his profes- sion and work in educational matters, he has taken a deep interest in the history of the State and is a member of the ancient and well known Holland Historical Society of New York.

S IDNEY M. HOSIER, treasurer of Chau- tauqua county and a wounded veteran of the Jate civil war, is a son of Isaac and Arvilla (Rogers) Hosier, and was born near Blocksville, in the town of Harmony, Chautauqua county, New York, October 21, 1843. His maternal grandfather, Elisha Rogers, moved to near Garrett, De Kalb county, Ind., where he fol- lowed farming until his death. He mar- ried and had four children, one son and three daughters: Harris, who is engaged in farm- ing ncar Garrett; Arvilla, Sophia and Orrilla. Isaac Hosier (father) was born October 13, 1810, aged seventy-four years and six months. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, a repub- lican in politics and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His wife was Arvilla Rogers, daughter of Elisha Rogers, and to their union were born three sons and two daughters : Effie, who died in infancy ; Elisha, who was one of the first of New York's sons to respond to President Lincoln's call for troops in 1861, en- listed in Co. B, 72nd regiment New York Vols., and was killed in the early part of the Penin- sular campaign, at the battle of Williamsburg ; Sidney M .; Walter E., engaged in farming in the town of Portland ; and Ada A., wife of M. D. Carpenter, of Boomertown.

Sidney M. Hosier passed his boyhood days in his native village and reeeived a good com- mon school education. He then, in order to more fully fit himself for some business pursuit in life, went to Buffalo and entered Bryant and Stratton's Commercial and Business college, of that city. He learned telegraphy and book- keeping and devoted some time to penmanship.

(August 2nd, 1862) in Co. D, 112th regiment, N. Y. Infantry, and served in thic many severe marches and numerous hard battles of the Army of the Potomac until the siege of Petersburg, where on the 29th of September, 1864, he lost his right arm by a gun-shot wound. He was sent to Hampton Roads hospital, where he re- mained for some time, and then transferred to New York Central Park hospital and from there to Buffalo High Street hospital, and was honorably discharged from the United States service at Buffalo, N. Y., on the eighth day of July, 1865. He then returned home and be- came a telegraph operator at Randolph, on the Atlantic and Great Western railroad, where he remained for about six months, and then re- signed to have an operation performed on his shoulder to remove loose bones. After leaving the service of that railway company he was em- 1872, when he was appointed agent and tele- graph operator at Clymer station, on the West- ern New York & Pennsylvania railroad, which position he held until the spring of 1886, when he resigned on account of health. In the fall of 1887 lie was elected treasurer of Chautau- qua eounty for a term of three years, which expired December 31st, 1890. The only office previous to this which he ever held was that of collector of the town of Harmony, for the year 1868.

and died at Boomertown, this county, April, 1884, ployed on several other railroads until about

June 20, 1871, he married Anise E. Gilmore, daughter of James Gilmore, of Portage county, Ohio.

Sidney M. Hosier is a member of Mayville Lodge, No. 284, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Mayville ; Chautauqua Lodge, No. 3, Ancient Order of United Workmen, at West- field, and William Sackett Post, No. 324, Grand Army of the Republic, of Westfield. He is a republican from principle and has always given a full and cordial support to his party. As a business man he has financial ability and many

BIOGRAPHY AND IIISTORY

ycars of commercial experience. As treasurer of this county he lias discharged the duties of his office with fidelity and intelligence, and as a soldier his military record is one of faithful and willing service.

M AJOR EDGAR P. PUTNAM, clerk of the courts and county clerk of Chautau- qua county and who was an efficient cavalry officer under General Sheridan during the war of the " Great Rebellion," is a son of James R. and Maria L. (Flagg) Putnam, and was born in the town of Stockton, Chautauqua county, New York, May 4, 1844. James R. Putnam was a member of one of the several Putnam families who were early settlers of Chautauqua county, and who all seem, without exception, to have come from Massachusetts, where, in 1740, eighty males were registered as bearing the name of Putnam, and of whom two, Israel and Rufus, were conspicuous American generals in the Revolutionary war. James R. Putnam was a son of Gilbert Putnam and was born in the town of Stockton in 1821. He was a farmer by occupation and died in Busti when only twenty-six years of age. He was a whig in politics and married Maria L. Flagg, by whom he had one child, the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Maria L. (Flagg) Putnam is a daughter of Eleazer Flagg (maternal grandfather), who was a native of Rutland, Vermont, where he was a prominent politician for many years and served as sheriff of his county. He removed with his family to Chautauqua county, where he settled in the town of Stockton.

Edgar P. Putnam attended the common schools until he was seventeen years of age, when he entered the Union army. He enlisted on September 11, 1861, as a private in Co. D, 9th New York cavalry, and served as such un- til 1862, when he was promoted corporal. In the same year he became sergeant, and in 1864 was commissioned first lieutenant of liis com- pany. In April, 1865, he was promoted to a

captaincy and commissioned as captain of Co. I of his regiment. He was breveted major when mustered out on July 17, 1865, as his commis- sion states, "for gallant and meritorious ser- vices." He participated in the battles of York- town, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericks- burg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, and was with Mcclellan on the Peninsula. He was on detached service and carried important dispatches at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg for Generals Geary, Slocum and Meade, also in the battles of Mine Run and Brandy Station. He partici- pated in the terrible battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court-house and Cold Harbor. After the last named battle his regiment was ordered back to Washington for the protection of that city, but was soon after transferred to the Shenandoah Valley and rendered Sheridan valu- able service in the great battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. Capt. Putnam led his company in Sheridan's raids round Rich- mond and in the closing scene of the war at Appomattox Court-house. During his entire term of service Major Putnam's regiment was in one hundred and fifty-six skirmishes and battles in which he was always present for duty. He was twice wounded in battle, first at Travillion Station and second at Five Forks, Va. After the close of the war he was appointed as a deputy United States surveyor, and had charge until 1875 of government surveys in Minnesota, where his headquarters were at Minneapolis. From 1875 to 1888 he was engaged in the book and drug business in Jamestown as a member of the firm of Henderson & Putnam. In 1884 he was appointed postmaster of Jamestown by President Arthur. In 1888 he was chosen clerk of the courts and county clerk of Chautau- qua county, New York, for a period of three years, by a majority of six thousand votes, and entered upon the duties of his office January 1, 1889, and lias ably and honorably fulfilled the same until the present time.

In 1875 he united in marriage with Eppa

OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

Mace, daughter of William Mace, a merchant of Jamestown. They have one child, a daughter, named Edna P. cobite Rebellion of 1715 in Scotland. The paternal great-great-grandfather of William G. Martin was an Erskine, who was born in 1688 and died in 1730. He joined in the Rebellion of 1715, the object of which was to restore the Stuart family to the throne of Great Britain. When the army of the Earl of Mar was defeated in November of that year, Erskine, with many others, fled to France, where he remained in exile until 1718, when he returned to Scotland under the assumed name of Myreton, that being his mother's family name. He had two sons, William and George, the latter of whom came to New York about 1750 and settled near the Democratic party. He is an attendant of the Hudson river. The former, William Myreton, was born in Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1720, and married Jane Morris, a cousin of Robert Morris, of revolutionary fame.

Major Edgar P. Putnam is a member of the Jamestown Club, Knights of Honor, Order of Maccabees and James M. Brown Post, No. 285, Grand Army of the Republic. He is a member of Mount Moriah Lodge, No. 145, F. and A. Masons, and Jamestown Commandery, No. 61, Knights Templar. He is genial and pleasant and hospitable, and has always been public- spirited and progressive. In politics he is a strong republican, but not an extremist, and has some of his warmest personal friends in the Protestant Episcopal church, of which his wife and daughter are members and communicants. Major Putnam is well informed in regard to military matters, and especially upon the history of the late war, in which he was an active par- ticipant for over four years. His military record is one of remarkable interest for the unusually large number of (156) skirmishcs and battles in which he honorably participated with his regi- ment, and for the immunity which he seemed to possess against bullets on the battle-field and disease in unhealthy camps. Both as a soldier and officer he was faithful in the discharge of his regular duties and the performance of any special work that was assigned to him.

H ON. WILLIAM G. MARTIN, special sur-

rogate of Chautauqua county and a mem- ber of the well known law firm of Van Dusen & Martin, of Mayville, was born at Witham, county Essex, England, September 15, 1848, and is a son of Rev. Robert and Hester (Beard) Martin. The original name of the family was Erskine, they tracing their descent from a branch of the ancient Scottish family of that nanie, which descended in an unbroken line from a Henry De Erskine who lived in the twelfth century. The change of name was the

About this time the family changed the spell- ing of the name to its present form. William Myreton (great-grandfather), commanded the coast guard station on the Isle of May, seven miles from the mainland of Scotland. He was a schoolmate of Paul Jones, and once carried important despatches to Franklin at Paris, which Jones had brought from America. He was drowned at sca in 1790, and left an only son, William Martin (grandfather), born in 1760 and died in 1822. He succeeded his father in command of the Isle of May Station and married his cousin, Jane Morris, by whom he had seven sons and four daughters. His youngest son, Robert Martin (father), was born in Fifcshire, Scotland, in 1820. He was cdu- . cated at Edinburgh, went to England where he resided for several years, and was an active par- ticipant in the Chartist Movement from 1842 to 1847. He married Hester Beard, born 1818, who is a daughter of George Beard, Esq., late of Coggesliall, Essex, and came to the United States in 1854, entered the Baptist min- istry and located in western New York.

He became deeply interested in the great anti- result of circumstances connected with the Ja- slavery movement of that day and preached

BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

,and lectured extensively against the institution of African slavery and the curse of human bondage. He resided in western New York until 1880 when he removed to Michigan, where he now resides He has six children-William G., Jemima J., Hester M., Duncan McLaren, Jean E. and Mary E .; the last three of whom were born in the United States. William G. Martin received his education in the common schools of New York and commenced reading law in the office of Hon. Walter L. Sessions, of Panama (now of Jamestown), this State. In 1882 he came to Mayville when he entered the office of A. A. Van Dusen, completed his course of reading and was admitted to practice in the conrts of this State in March, 1884. January 1, 1886, he formed his present law partnership with A. A. Van Dusen, under the firm-name of Van Dusen & Martin. In 1887 he was elected special surrogate of Chautauqua county for a term of three years and is serving in that capac- ity at the present time, On January 1, 1873, he married Frances Isabel Graves, daughter of Henry M. Graves, of Friendship, New York. Mr. Martin is a republican in politics, is a mem- ber of Peacock Lodge, No. 696, F. and A. M., and Westfield chapter, No. 239, Royal Arch Masons. He has been successful in the practice of his profession and is discharging very credit- ably the duties of his present office.

W ILLIAM CHACE, M.D., a well-known physician of Mayville, of thirty-two · years' continuous practice, was born at St. Cath- erines, in Lincoln county, province of Ontario, Canada, January 4, 1833, and is a son of Dr. William C. and Celinda (Holden) Chace. The Chace family was one of the early settled fami- lies of New York and in every generation from its first settlement in the Empire State to the present time it has numbered among its mem- bers one or more physicians. Dr. William Chace (grandfather) was born in Coventry, October, 1754, and became a resident of Wash- |

ington county, this State, where he practiced medicine for many years. He served as a phy- sician and surgcon in the Continental armies during the Revolutionary war and after its termination resumed his practice in Washington county, where he afterwards died. One of his sons was John Chace, who was a lawyer, prac- ticed at Mayville for some time and then went South. Another son, Dr. William C. Chace (father), was born in Easton, Washington county, N. Y., August 19, 1795, and came about 1814 to this county where he studied medicine under Dr. Jedediah Prendergast, of Mayville, and attended Geneva Medical college from which he was graduated. After gradua- tion he went to southern Indiana where he remained two years and then went to St. Cath- erines, Canada, upon the urgent solicitation of Hon. W. H. Merritt, who married a daughter of Dr. Jedediah Prendergast, and who was at that time largely interested in various business enterprises and quite prominent in Canadian political affairs. Mr. Merritt desired Dr. Chacc's assistance as a partner in the manufac- ture of salt on a large scale, but about this time salt-brine was found in abundance at Syracuse, New York, and its subsequent manufacture into salt, with which the market was filled rendered the Canadian salt wells unprofitable property. Dr. Chace soon withdrew from the company in which he was interested and engaged in the gen- eral mercantile business which he followed for several years. While engaged in salt manufac- turing he made the discovery of the medicinal properties possessed by the water which is left after extracting the salt from the salt-brine. Dr. Chace was engaged in the mercantile business and practice of medicine at St. Catherines until 1855, when he returned to Mayville, where he practiced for some years and where he died in 1876, at eighty years of age. He was a repub- lican and a vestryman of the Protestant Epis- copal church. He was married three times. His first wife was Mary Brundige, who died and left

OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

him one child : James B., now deceased. He married for his second wife Celinda Holden and after her death wedded Susan Evans. By his second marriage he had five children : Wil- liam and Mary, who died in infancy ; Eliza (deceased) ; Dr. William, and John (dead). Mrs. Celinda (Holden) Chace was born August 30, 1802, and passed away in the spring of 1834. She was a daugliter of William Holden (maternal grandfather), who was a native far- mer and life-long resident of Tompkins connty.

William Chace received his literary education in St. Catherines academy and read medicine with his father. He entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of New York city, and was graduated from that institution in the class of 1858. Immediately after gradnation he came to Mayville where he remained ever since and has been engaged successfully in the practice of his profession. August 7, 1861, he married Mary L. Green, daughter of William Green, of Mayville. They are the parents of four children : three of whom are of age and graduates of Hobart college, Geneva, N. Y. ; Dr. William H., a resident physician of Buffalo, who read medicine with his father, was gradu- ated from Buffalo Medical college in the class of 1887, and is the physician in the fourth gen-' eration of the Chaee family of New York ; Clarence H., read law with Williams & Potter, was admitted to the bar in 1888, married Alice, daughter of William P. Taylor, of Buffalo, and is a member of the bar of that city ; John O., book-keeper for the Buffalo Storage company, and George.

Dr. William Chace is a vestryman in the Protestant Episcopal church-the church of his forefathers. He is a democrat and a Fellow of the New York State Medical Association. He has a large and remunerative practice at May- ville and the surrounding country. He is in- terested, to some extent, in agricultural pursuits and owns farms in the immediate vicinity of the county scat. He belongs to an old and worthy

family, and his Christian name, William, ap- pears in each one of its generations since it was founded in the Empire State, and in every in- stance has been borne by a physician of ability and reputable standing. Dr. William Chace is a Past Master of Peacock Lodge, No. 696, F. and A. M., a Past Master and High Priest of Westfield Chapter, No. 239, H. R. A. M., and a member of Dunkirk Commandery, No. 40, Knights Templar.

p HILIP PHILLIPS. The first Philip Phillips to live in Chantauqua county was born in Massachusetts, July 29, 1764. In 1816 he moved to Cassadaga. Five children made up his family, and the fourth, an uncle of the subject of this sketch, was the second Philip Phillips to live in the county. To his eldest brother, Sawyer, born in 1791, was given a fam- ily of fourteen children, ten of whom lived to attain maturity. One of these, the subject of this sketch, was born August 13, 1834, and has lived to be more famed at home and abroad than any man Chautauqua county has given to the world. He was the seventh of the family of fourteen which blessed the humble farm-house near Cassadaga, at that time doing duty as the Phillips homestead. Whether his infant lungs were exercised to any greater degree than those of his brothers and sisters is not recorded ; cer- tain it is, that at a very tender age his musical proclivitics asserted themselves. Once the village choir-by no means an accomplished body of singers-tried a new tune to the words " When I can read my title clear." A moment the mel- ody went along smoothly enough, then somebody struck a false note and somebody else followed, and the rout became general. The minister-a Rev. Mr. Peckham-had chanced to hear young Master Phillips sing the same tune a few days before, so he called on him to help the choir out, and up stood the future "Singing Pilgrim," scarce ten years of age thien, and rendered the new tune all alone, from beginning to end. In

BIOGRAPIIY AND HISTORY

a short time he was a member of the elioir to whose rescuc he had so ehivalrously eome a few years before. When nine years of age he lost his mother, but the memory of her blessed teaeh- ings and tender thoughtfulness toward her eliild- ren in the midst of manifold household eares, has remained with him as a benediction in after life. As can thousands of others, to whom the memo- ries of sainted motherhood have proved peren- nial springs of comfort, he can say,

" Happy he With such a mother; faith in womankind Beats with his blood, and hope in all things high Comes easy to him."

At about the age of fourteen young Phillips was apprentieed to a farmer of the vicinity, a Mr. B. W. Grant. The terms of his appren- tieeship stipulated that he was to assist in ordi- nary farm work as required, in return therefor receiving his board, being allowed to attend school during the winter months, and when lie beeame of age to be " set off" with one hundred dollars cash and two suits of clothes. It was while serving this apprenticeship to Mr. Grant, that Philip Phillips had his first opportunity of attending singing school. Here, during the winter of 1850, he mastered the rudiments of music. The winter of 1851 proved one of the most important of his life, for with it came an old-fashioned revival of religion in the region, and with the revival young Phillips' eonversion. The light that came into his heart those winter months has grown brighter ever sinee, and more than once the Singing Pilgrim has proved its power when darkness sought to reign over his pathway. Too poor to purchase a musieal in- strument himself, the young apprentiee found a sympathizing friend in his employer, Mr. Grant, who purchased for his use one of the old-fash- ioned melodeons then just eoming into vogue. It proved the fruitful friend of his leisure hours, for they were all spent in its companionship, and here the "Singing Pilgrim," largely self-taught, aequired, or rather developed, that originality

which is the handmaiden of genius. Noting this restlessness under farm duties when his heart was really in musical work, Mr. Grant re- leased young Phillips from the remainder of his apprenticeship, and at the age of nineteen the young singer opened his first singing school in Allegany, N. Y. This work set the pattern for his career, although it was not until some years later that all his talents were directed in the channel of Gospel singing. Fame soon eame to him, and in 1858 he responded to an invitation to visit Marion, Ohio. It was while here that he found one of his musie pupils peeuliarly in- teresting, and on the 27th of September, 1860, he was united in marriage to Olive M. Clark. To her loving help and companionship, Mr. Phillips owes much of his sueeess ; and no sketeh of his life would be complete which failed to mention that other star that through the long years

" has shone so close beside him That they make one light together."

From 1861 to 1866 Mr. Phillips was in busi- ness in Cincinnati, O., having associated with him Messrs. William Summer and John R. Wright, two of the most able and respected financiers of the west. Here they built up an extensive trade in musie books and instruments, but the large and well-arranged store burned down in 1865. Then the "Singing Pilgrim" gave his attention solely to the writing and singing of his songs. and the sale of his books. Of these latter, while the "Musical Leaves," " Hallowed Songs," and "Singing Pilgrim," have been most popular, the aggregate of all sales, largely in foreign countries, has reached over six million copies.

In January, 1865, at the great anniversary of the United States Christian Commission, hield in the Congressional elamber at Washington, just a few days after its completion, Philip Phillips sang "Your Mission." President Lineoln was there; all the cabinet advisers who had held up his hands so faithfully during the

OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

war; the Chief Justice and Justices of the Su- preme Court, senators and representatives, sol- diers, sailors, commoners ; these all united to make up that vast and brilliant assemblage. Never was the power of a single song, rich with musie-set gems of truth, so demonstrated before; and when at quarter before twelve President Lincoln sent to the Hon. William H. Seward, chairman of the meeting, the written request, still in Mr. Phillips' possession, " Near the close let us have 'Your Mission' repeated by Mr. Phillips. Don't say I called for it. Lincoln," the great President had only voiced the desire of every other auditor, and again the soul- stirring words left the singer's lips to scal their mission of renewed inspirations and determina- tions to more helpful living. When the sad shock of the President's assassination followed in April of that year, calls came from every hand for Mr. Phillips to sing the song which had so pleased the martyred President while yet he was in the active fulfillment of his mission. Since that time, with slight variation, the Sing- ing Pilgrim's life has been spent in answering these calls to sing the story of Jesus and His love over every part of the world. He has traveled more than any other man. Ira D. Sankey caught his first inspiration from him, and through his direct influence became assoei- ated with Mr. Moody ; he has given over forty- five hundred evenings of song, leaving behind him a net profit to different churches and chari- ties of well-nigh one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ; he has belted the- world, and many times traveled throughout Europe; he has enjoyed the friendship of such men as Spurgeon, Lord Shaftsbury, Dr. Bonar, Beecher, and many others of the most noted ecclesiastics and phil- anthropists both sides of the water; and at the time of this writing, the fifty-sixth year of his age, scems to have lost none of that power and originality in sacred song which has made him a master in his work. The intricacies of clas- sical music would never revcal their hidden

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Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chautauqua County, New York : with a historical sketch of the county, Part 7

Author: Dilley, Butler F; Edson, Obed, 1832- Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Gresham Number of Pages: 740

Author: Dilley, Butler F; Edson, Obed, 1832-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Gresham
Number of Pages: 740