USA > New York > Niagara County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Niagara County, New York > Part 68
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Suffolk, Virginia, from October to the latter part of December, 1862, and participated in several reconnoisances and engagements in the Blackwater region. He then served at New Berne, North Carolina, from January 2 1863, to March 7, 1865, doing outpost duty, in which he led several charges. With two companies he charged and captured the Confederate works at Jackson's Mills, after- wards took works at South West creek, was in the heroic defense of Bachelor's Creek bridge, and participated in the battle of Wise's Forks, March 9, 1865. Later in March, 1865, he commanded a large infantry escort for a supply train for Sherman's army, which left Goldsboro and went to Kingston, that State. In May, 1865, he established an ordnance depot at Salisbury to collect scat- tered Confederate arms, after he had assisted in conducting a vast ordnance train front Raleigh to Greensboro. He was honorably mustered out of the volunteer service June 27, 1865.
On June 20, 1866, he was appointed by President Johnson as a second lieutenant in the 13th United States infantry ; on Sep- tember 20, 1866, was transferred to the 31st infantry, and on May 15, 1869, was trans- ferred to the 22d infantry. IIe was pro- moted to first lieutenant August 5, 1872, and to captain January 1, 1888, and was recom- mended for brevet by his colonel for "hon- orable and meritorious service " during the Indian wars, but the senate did not act on it on account of a prohibitory order of 1871 against all further brevets. During 1866 he was stationed at Newport Barracks, Ken- tucky, Fort Columbus, New York, and Fort Randall, South Dakota. During 1867 and 1868, and part of 1869, he commanded coll- pany E, 31st United States infantry, and was stationed at Forts Rice, Stephenson,
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and Buford, North Dakota, and in that time repelled an Indian attack on Fort Stephenson, escorted some large trains ; on July 27, 1868, repelled an Indian at- tack while surveying a road from Fort Buford to Fort Stephenson, and in Jan- uary, 1869, captured the Sioux chief, Little Running Bear, who was an ally of Sitting Bull. In 1869 he escorted prisoners from Fort Buford to Stillwater penitentiary, a distance of seven hundred miles, through two and one-half feet of snow, with the thermometer ranging from thirty to forty degrees below zero. In that year he was transferred from company E to company K, and from 1869 to 1875 was in charge of a herd guard, and was stationed at Forts Rice and Monroe. He was detailed for duty at Washington City, at Grant's second inauguration, as aid-de-camp to the grand marshal, and on June 9, 1875, he was trans- ferred to company F, and was successively stationed in Dakota, at Fort Sully, White- stone agency, and Fort Randall, (the plan of which he drew after Fort Wayne, Michigan), and in New Orleans, to suppress the insur- rection against the Kellogg government, and while in Louisiana, acted as judge ad- vocate, for nearly two months, of a general court martial. He afterwards returned to Fort Wayne, Michigan, where he drafted plans of public buildings, and from Decem- ber 7 to December 23, 1875, was engaged in conducting recruits from Columbus, Ohio, to Dallas, Texas. From September 1, 1876, to July, 1877, he participated in a campaign in Dakota, under Colonel Miles, against a large force of Sitting Bull's hos- tiles, during which time he escorted trains and made reconnoisances to the head of the Rose Bud and the great bend of the Mis- souri. In 1877 he assisted in suppressing
the Chicago riots, and on August 4 left that city to command a battalion (from August 6 to October 10) in putting down the coal miners' riot at Wilkesbarre, Penn- sylvania. He returned from Wilkesbarre to Fort Brady, Michigan; surveyed the target range now at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, in 1878; drew a plan of that fort, and made a map of the reservation there in 1879; was in the campaign against the Ute Indians in Colorado in 1880; engaged in various active services from 1880 to. 1885; was at Fort Lyon in 1885 and 1886; on re- cruiting service during 1887 and 1888, and then commanded his company at Fort Tot- ten until he retired from the regular army, in 1889.
He was in the attack, on May 7, 1877, of Lame Deer's camp, and on August 20, 1868, in an attack with twenty-five men on one hundred and seventy-five Indians, he was wounded and captured, but made his escape the same day.
In 1889 Captain Cusick came to San- born, where he has resided ever since. He is a companion of the first class of the mili- tary order of the Loyal Legion, and was ad- mitted to membership December 25, 1888, under R. B. Hayes as commander-in-chief.
The Six Nations of New York sometimes elected white inen as sachems, and Captain Cusick was elected as a sachem on Septem- ber 6, 1860, to succeed his kinsman, William Chew, Sr., but resigned the position and its honors of chieftainship on June 20, 1866, when he became an officer in the regular army.
DWARD S. WHEELER, now a citi- zen of Niagara county, was born at Eastport, Maine, in 1842. In early life he removed to the city of Boston, Massachu-
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OF NIAGARA COUNTY.
setts, and entering Harvard college, Cam- bridge, was graduated from that institution in 1863. He immediately enlisted in the United States navy and served until 1865, in the West Gulf squadron, under Admiral Farragut. He was at Mobile bay, and took part in the operations ending with the cap- ture of Mobile. He resigned from the navy in 1865, and married Jennie H. Townsend in 1866, and to them were born five chil- dren, three sons and two daughters. Their eldest son died in 1871.
J AMES M. MORSE, an aged and highly respected citizen, who owns a fine farm near Wilson, this county, was born in the · city of New York, January 17, 1817, and is the son of Noah and Sallie (Williams) Morse. The Morses are of English extrac- tion, Noah Morse (father) having been born in that country and emigrated to America, settling in Oneida county, New York, where he married Sallie Williams, by whom he had a family of eleven chil- dren, eight sons and three daughters, of whom the subject of this sketch was the youngest. Mrs. Morse was born in Con- necticut, and died in Batavia, New York, in 1838, at the age of fifty-four. She was a devoted member of the Methodist Episco- pal church. Mr. Morse was a cabinet maker by trade, and shortly after his mar- riage removed to New York city, where he resided until the time of his death, which occurred at sea, in the year 1819.
The maternal grandfather of James M. Morse was John Williams, who was a na- tive of Connecticut, and who came to Oneida county, New York, and settled near the foot of Oriskany hill when that region was all a dense forest. He was a farmer
and carpenter, and purchased land there and cleared out a farm, on which he erected the first frame house ever built in that vicinity. He married and had a family of seven children.
James M. Morse obtained his education in the common schools of his native city, and was making rapid progress when, at the age of fourteen, he was bound as an apprentice to the shoemaker's trade, his father laving died when he was only two years old. After working as an apprentice for nearly two years he secured his freedom through his brother Henry, who was acting as his guardian, and returned to the em- ploy of Samuel Plats, with whom he had lived previous to his apprenticeship. After remaining with Mr. Plats one year he en- gaged with George Campfield for two years, after which he left Oneida county and located in Orleans county, where he resided until 1840. He then came to the town of Wilson, Niagara county, where he pur- chased a farnı of one hundred acres of fine and highly improved land which he still owns.
In 1842 Mr. Morse married Sabry Machor, who died March 15, 1881. On September 23, 1889, he was again married, wedding Mrs. Estella Fisher, nee Arnold. Her former husband, Marsden Fisher, died in 1872, leaving one child, Clara, who married Isaac H. Hall, a farmer and fruit grower of Canandaigua, Ontario county.
In political faith Mr. Morse was formerly an old line whig, but when the Republican party was formed he became an active member of that organization, and continued to give it his support throughout the war and up to 1885, when he became a prohi- bitionist. He has never aspired to office, his only aim in political matters being to
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secure good government and advance the interests of the people. He is a member of the Universalist church, and takes an active interest in whatever concerns its welfare and usefulness, contributing liberally of his time and means toward its support.
WILLIAM H. H. RANSOM, a highly respected and prosperous citizen of the village of Ransomville, is a son of William H. H., Sr., and Sarah N. (Sanger) Ransom, and was born in the town of Porter, Niagara county, New York. William H. H. Ran- som, Sr., came from Sullivan to Niagara county when only thirteen years of age, was made captain of a boat after his arrival at Ransomville, and was also made captain of a militia company. He came by the canal from Whitehall to Lockport, and then to Lewiston. His family had resided from an carly period in Ulster county, this State, and we have no earlier date of them, but the similarity between the name of the vil- lage of Ransomville and that of the subject might indicate some earlier settlers of the same name and family. After he grew to maturity he served as postmaster for eight years. He was a carpenter by trade, and followed that occupation nearly all his life. In 1841 he embarked in the mercantile business with his son, under the firm name of William H. H. Ransom & Son. Mr. Ran- som died at the advanced age of seventy-four years. He married Sarah N. Sanger, who was of Scotch-English extraction and a lineal descendant of King Charles. To them were born thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters : Elton T., married Alice Taylor and has one son; Herbert M., married to Alice Burlock, and they have two children ; Oscar C., now of Grand Rapids, Michigan,
and a lawyer by profession, married Minnie Berkey, by whom he has three sons; Walter J., a prominent physician of Lockport, who married Lilian Baker, by whom he has one child, a daughter; William H. H., the sub- ject of this sketch; H. Seymour, married Grace White, by whom he has one child; Mary C., wife of William Rowley, has four children and resides at Ransomville; Lissie B., married William E. Whitefield, has three children, two sons and one daughter, and resides in Missouri; Nina E., married E. Dillingham, an employee of the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad Com- pany, and has two daughters; Jennie, mar- ried James H. Hopkins, a farmer of the town of Porter, and has three children, all daughters; Susan D., married Walter V. Peterson, has two children, and resides near Ransomville; Carrie M., married H. B. Thayer, an employee of the Western Elec- tric Company, of New York city, and has one daughter; and Lottie M., who resides at home with her mother. Mrs. Ransom is now in her sixty-seventh year, living on the old homestead.
William H. H. Ransom was reared on the farm and received his education in the com- mon schools. He has been engaged in farming the greater part of his life.
Mr. Ransom married and has three chil- dren, one son and two daughters : Elizabeth, Florence, and Karl. In politics Mr. Ransom is a democrat, and gives his party a hearty support.
W ILLIAM BROWN, a well known and prosperous farmer of Johnson's Creek, was born on January 12, 1834, in the town of Hartland, Niagara county, New York. His parents were Thomas and Nancy (MacCandlish) Brown. The Browns are of
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OF NIAGARA COUNTY.
English descent, and trace their ancestry back many generations. William Brown (grandfather) was a native of England, and emigrated to America about 1790, settling in the town of Canadice, Ontario county, New York, where he died about 1848, at the ripe old age of ninety years. He pur- chased a farm of one hundred and fifty acres from the Holland Land Company, and devoted his life to clearing it up and culti- vating it. In politics he was a whig, and married Betsy Stanton, by whom he had a family of nine children, four sons and five daughters. One of these sons was Thonias Brown (father), who was born in the town of Canadice, Ontario county, this State, January 8, 1788, and afterward removed to Niagara county, settling in the town of Hart- land, one and one-half miles north of John- son's Creek, where he purchased several tracts of land aggregating three hundred and fifty acres. He learned the carpenter's trade when a young man, but devoted most of his after life to agricultural pursuits, which he conducted very successfully and on an ex- tensive scale. In politics he was formerly a whig, but became a republican, and took an active interest in all public questions. He served as highway commissioner and supervisor of the town of Hartland for three terms. He married Nancy MacCand- lish in 1832, and by this union liad a family of five children who grew to maturity.
The maternal grandfather of William Brown was William MacCandlish, who was born in the historic highlands of Scotland, and emigrated to America about 1800, and settled in the town of Canadice, Ontario county, this State, where he died in 1824, aged about seventy-six years. By occupa- tion he was a blacksmith, in politics a whig, and a devoted member of the Scotch Re-
formed church. He married and reared a family of eleven children, five sons and six daughters.
William Brown attended the common schools of his native county in this State, acquiring a good practical English educa- tion, which qualified him for the various duties of life. After leaving school he de- voted his time to farming and fruit grow- ing, which proved a congenial occupation, and in which he has been quite successful. He now owns two fine farms in the town of Hartland, one of seventy acres, one mile south of Johnson's creek, upon which he resides, and another containing one hundred and ninety-five acres, situated three miles north of that village. Both are good farms, well improved, and very productive. In politics he is a republican, always earnestly supporting the measures of that party.
In 1859 Mr. Brown married Elizabeth Curtis, and to them has been born a family of three children: William, born Septem- ber 12, 1869, was graduated from the Ro- chester Business university in 1883; George, born May 10, 1871, was also graduated from the Rochester Business university in 1889, and is now representing Kelley & Co., pub- lishers of Rochester, this State; and Mer- ritt, born February 2, 1877, and living at home with his parents.
W ILFRED E. WILLEY, city attorney of Suspension Bridge, and an able and promising young lawyer of the Niagara county bar, is a son of Joseph and Catherine (Smith) Willey, and was born in 1858 at Nunda, Livingston county, New York. The ancestors of Mr. Willey on both sides were natives of the Emerald Isle, and both fam- ilies emigrated to America about the same
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
time and settled in New York. His pater- nal grandfather located first in Canada, and later came to Livingston county, New York, near Nunda, where he died. Joseph Wil- ley (father) was born in the province of Quebec, and came with his parents to Liv- ingston county, where he passed his entire life, engaged in the business of stone mason and contractor. He married Catherine Smith, by whom he had a family of nine children, nearly all of whom reached ma- turity, married, and are now widely scat- tered.
Wilfred S. Willey received his early edu- cation in the common schools of Livingston county, after leaving which he entered an institution of a higher grade and completed his academic education. Like so many of the intellectual men of his race, his mind was attracted toward the legal profession, and when his English studies were finished he entered the office of Delbert Moat, of Nunda, and began reading law. Some time afterward he changed to the law office of H. C. Peck, of the same place, where he completed his reading, and was admitted to the bar in 1880. He at once opened an office in Nunda for the practice of his pro- fession, and remained there until sickness compelled him to relinquish his practice and seek recuperation for a time. Later he located at Fillmore, Allegany county, where he was engaged in practice eight years, and in the year 1890 he removed to Suspension Bridge, opened an office, and has been regularly engaged in the practice of law ever since. He has already won considerable reputation in his profession, and being a close student and an earnest worker, there is reason to predict a highly successful career in the future. His con- vincing logic, and equally keen wit and
occasional sarcasm, are widely known and as widely feared by an antagonist. Mr. Willey is now serving as city attorney for the village of Suspension Bridge.
The bond of marriage united Mr. Willey to Clara A., daughter of Thomas Bennett, of Livingston county, and to their union have been born two children : Wilfred and Lloyd A.
In politics Wilfred E. Willey is a stal- wart republican, deeply grounded in the political tenets of his party, and giving it an earnest and active support. He is a member of Orion Lodge, No. 229, Free and Accepted Masons, and very popular in Ma- sonic circles and among the legal fraternity. He has won a host of friends in this village by his evident legal ability and genial ways.
R OBERT N. CAMPBELL, a prominent young lawyer of Suspension Bridge, and a graduate from the law school of the State university of Michigan, is a son of Robert A. and Helen (Rose) Campbell, and was born November 6, 1858, in Ontario, Canada. The Campbells, as the name would indicate, are of Scottish descent. Robert Campbell (grandfather) was born in Argyle- shire, in the west of Scotland, but emigrated to North America and settled in Ontario, dominion of Canada, where he lived until his death; and where his son, Robert A. Campbell (father), was born in 1834. The latter removed to the United States at a later period and located at Suspension Bridge, this county, where he died in 1888, aged fifty-four years. He received a good education, served as paymaster on the Burdic canal, was engaged in merchandising, and taught in the public schools of Canada for thirty years. He was a Presbyterian in re-
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. F. Felton - -2
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OF NIAGARA COUNTY.
ligious belief, and married Helen Rose, by whom he had two children : Robert N., and one who died in infancy. His wife was a daughter of Rufus H. Rose, a native of England, who emigrated to Ontario, Canada, and lived and died there.
Robert N. Campbell attended the schools of his native place, studied classics in the high school at Welland, Ontario, and afterward en- tered the Michigan university at Ann Arbor, Michigan, from which he graduated in the law department with the class of 1882. He was admitted to the bar the same year and located at Wyandotte, Kansas, for the practice of his profession. He remained there some eighteen months, when he de- termined to remove east, and came to Sus- pension Bridge, in May, 1884, where he opened a law office, and has been regularly engaged in practice ever since. He assisted in the organization of the Niagara Savings bank, and is secretary of that company. He is a man of fine legal attainments, and bids fair to win high rank at the bar, and is very popular in social circles.
BENJAMIN F. FELTON, president of
the village of North Tonawanda, and a popular, influential, and useful citizen of Niagara county, is a native of Barre, Wor- cester county, Massachusetts, and was born December 31, 1827. His parents were Ben- jamin and Lucretia (Ney) Felton, the former born in Barre, Massachusetts, and the latter at Oakham, Worcester county, that State. Mrs. Felton was a daughter of Timothy Ney, who was descended from a noble French family of early times. Ben- jamin Felton (father) was a farmer in early life, and died in his native State of Massa- chusetts. In the early years of this century
the Felton family located at Salem, that State. They were Presbyterians, and were accompanied to Salem by their pastor, Rev. Mr. Skelton. In the churchyard at Shutes- bury, near Boston, stands an old tombstone on which is recorded the name of the ma- ternal great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Ephraim Hale, who attained to the remarkable age of one hundred and seventeen years.
Charles E. Felton, a brother to the subject of this sketch, resides in Chicago, and as contractor erected the workhouse of that city, and served as its keeper for many years. He has given great attention to the subject of prisons, both as regards their construction and management, and is re- garded as an authority on the subject.
Benjamin F. Felton was born on his father's farm, and remained there until nearly eighteen years of age, attending the district school in winter and assisting in farm labor during the summer. After leav- ing the common school he took a course at the high school and academy at Oakham. He then went to Worcester, Massachusetts, where he began life for himself, engaging in various enterprises, among which was a livery business. In the spring of 1854, less than a year after opening his livery stables, they were accidentally destroyed by fire, and he then removed to Buffalo, and, in partner- ship with his brother, John Felton, began the manufacture of stationery and pocket books in that city. Later he disposed of his interest in this business to his brother and partner, who became a prominent busi- ness man of Buffalo, where he died in May, 1891. In 1857 Benjamin F. Felton bought a news stand for five hundred dollars, paying fifty dollars down. He at once threw all his energies into this business, and soon
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
secured a news route on the New York Central railroad, between Buffalo and Ni- agara Falls. Later this was extended to various other points, and by degrees the business increased until he was paying the railroad company forty-one thousand dollars annually for the privilege of selling news- papers, periodicals, and books on their trains. Mr. Felton was the chief organizer of this news system, and when he quitted the business, was succeeded by the Union News Company, they retaining many of his experienced agents. He removed to Tona- wanda in the spring of 1867, since which time he has been prominently identified with the growth and development of that village. He also takes a deep and active interest in the educational interests of the place, having served as president of the Tonawanda school board for fifteen years past, always being elected without opposi- tion. He also served one termi as secretary of the board. When he first came to Tona- wanda he purchased twenty-five acres of valuable land near the village, and has since added thirty acres more, beside a one-fourth interest in thirty-six acres, and fourteen acres where his residence now stands. He has been engaged in various business enter- prises since locating here, and has generally been successful in all his undertakings. In the spring of 1891 the republicans nomi- nated him for president of the village, and his popularity was so great that only eleven votes were cast against him, republicans and democrats uniting in his support.
In 1857 Mr. Felton was united in mar- riage with Ellen Chapman, born near Au- gusta, Maine. To them have been born a family of four children.
In his political affiliations Mr. Felton is a democrat, but while giving that party a
general support in State and national poli- tics, is by no means an extremist, and as before stated, is popular with his fellow citizens of both parties. He is vice presi- dent of the Pioneer society of Niagara county, and a director of the county agri- cultural society. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and for many years has been secretary of his lodge at Buffalo. He is also connected with the Ancient Order of, United Workmen. He is a pleasant, affable gentleman, always well posted on current events, and companionable in a marked degree. He and his family have a wide reputation for hospitality and high social qualities, and in their elegant home all friends receive a genuine, old-fashioned welcome.
H ON. L. PARSONS GILLETTE,
member of the State assembly from the second district of Niagara county, and a leading fruit grower in this part of the State, was born February 19, 1832, in Monroe county, New York, and is the son of Eliphalet and Lydia ( Miner) Gillette. The Gillettes are of French extraction. Thre father of the subject of this sketch was born at Colchester, New London county, Con- necticut, and after attaining manhood, re- moved to Monroe county, this State, where he engaged in teaching. He also taught at Batavia, Genesee county, and other places. In 1836 he came to Niagara county, and located in the town of Niagara, where he remained up to 1846, when he removed to the town of Porter, and resided there until his death, in 1873, having attained the age of four score and three years. He was an active and devoted member of the Presby- terian church, and served as a deacon in that church nearly all his life. In politics
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