History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 135

Author: Ruttenber, Edward Manning, 1825-1907, comp; Clark, L. H. (Lewis H.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1336


USA > New York > Orange County > History of Orange County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 135


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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W. Hamilton (musician), Co. B, 124th ; en1. Aug. 1, 1862.


Matthias T. Holbert, Co. B, 124th ; wounded ut Chancellorsville.


Bobert Holland, Jr., Co. B, 124th; enl. Ang. 12, 1862; killed at Gettys- burg.


Charles Harrington, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aog. 5, 1862.


Ebenezer Ilojbert, corp., Co. D, 124th ; enl. Ang. 8, 1862; wounded.


Andrew J. Isbell, Co. B, 124th ; en). July 31, 1862.


Thomas Joues.


Francis Johnson, Co. M, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Jan. 22, 1864.


George Johnson, Charles Johnson.


James S. Jones, Co, D, 56th ; enl. Aug. 1, 1861 ; re-enl. Co. D, 15th Art., Jan. 18, 1464; had been in the Mexican war,


John f. Judson, Co. A, 124th ; en). Aug. 11, 1862. Alexander Jones, Co. F, 124th ; enl. Aug. 6, 1862.


George Jackson, 26th; enl. 1862.


Edward Jarvis, 19th ; en]. 1861.


Charles Knapp, Co. C, 124th; enl. Aug. 15, 1862 ; wounded. Joseph Kain, 56th ; enl. 1861.


George Ketchum, Ist N. Y. Engineers.


Julius Krancye, Wm. Kelper.


Benjamin M. Little, Co. B, 124th ; en]. August, 1862.


John Lowe (20th), W'm. J. Lancey, Wm. Leonard, James Lynn.


Henry Y. Lewis, Co. H, 168th; enl. Oct. 6, 1862.


Win. F. Lewis, drum- major, 40th,


Michael Landy, Co. A, 4th Mass.


John T. Laroe, Co. I, 124th ; wounded.


Patrick Leach. Co. B, 124th ; enl. Ang. 7, 1862 ; wonuded.


Benjamin W. Little, Co. B, 124th : enl. Ang. 8, 1862 ; wounded.


Charles Manning, 1st Engineers.


Dennis McCormick, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 11, 1862; wounded at Chan- cellorsville.


Michael Mooney, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 11, 1862.


Edward T. Mapes, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 12, 1862; wounded.


| Stephen Millspangh, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 11, 1802.


James M. Merritt, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 20, 1862 ; pro. ord. sergt. Wm. Il. Merritt, Co. B, 124th : enl. Aug. 5, 1862.


Henry S. Murray, capt., Co. B, 124th; enl. Aug. 14, 1862; severely wounded at Chancellorsville; taken prisoner; pro. major.


Robert R. Murray, corp., Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 11, 1862; pro. sergt. ; wounded at Chancellorsville.


James Merriam.


George W. Murray, 7th Militia ; enl. April, 1861.


Michael McGowan, James McNamee.


A. J. Moore, regular army.


HI. Miller, 7th ; Thomas H. Moore ; Wmn. L. Miller, 7th; Philetns L. Murphy, August G. Moerch, Albert Mortimer, John Maree, Peter Mc Donald.


Jnmes Morgan, Co. E, 25th Cavalry; enl. Feb. 5, 1864.


George Il. Miller, Co. E, 25thi Cavalry ; en). Jan, 20, 1864.


John Meade, 56th ; enl. 1862.


James McCoun, Co. M, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Sept. 12, 1864.


Wisner Murray, 7th N. Y .; enl. April, 1861.


Martin Mentoy, 10th Legion; enl. November, 1861; died in service ; brought home for burial.


Thomas S. Marvel, capt., 10th Legion ; enl. November, 1861.


Lewis McCoy, Wallkill Gnards.


Charlee Mortimer.


DeWitt W. Millspaugh, Co. B, 124th ; enl. 1862; died of disease just after return.


James Marvin.


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Ali Maghi-


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GOSHEN.


Peter Miller, 14th U. S. C. T.


Henry Morrison. Isaac Miller, 26th U. S. C. T. James Mulligan. James Mapes, 26th U. S. C. T. Elias Miller, Co. C, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Feb 9, 1864. Ele Mann.


Charles McCann, Co. C, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Feb. 5, 1864. John Mann, 56th.


James M. Hunt, 168th ; wounded. Alexander B. Olds.


Ira R. l'ayne, Co. H, 168th ; enl. Oct. 9, 1862.


Henry E. Pomeroy, Co. C, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Feb. 16, 1864. J. W. Puff.


John Pintler, Ist N. Y. ; killed in action.


John Price, 168th ; M. l'intler, capt. ; John Pembroke, Nathan Porter, Alma Perry, Nathan Parke, Richard Peterson.


Ellis l'ost, Co. A, 124th ; qr .- mr .- sergt .; pro. qr .- mr. Henry C. Payne, musician, Co. B, 124th ; en1. Aug. 11, 1862. Hugh Quiun, Co. M, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Sept. 8, 1864.


Peter Quinn, Co. M, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Sept. 8, 1864.


Wm. W. Rowe, Co. C, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Jan. 23, 1864. James Riley, Co. M, 15th Art .; enl. Jan. 26, 1864.


William Riley, Co. M, 15th Art .; enl. Jan. 26, 1864.


Wm. Reed, 124th ; enl. Aug. 9, 1862; wounded.


Coe L. Reevs, corp., Co. B, 124th ; en1. Aug. 11, 1862 ; pro. sergt. ; wounded at Chancellorsville.


Reuben Rynders, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 7, 1862.


James Scott, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Ang. 4, 1862; pro. corp .; wounded six times at Gettysburg.


Jesse Sullivan, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 4, 1862.


Henry O. Smith, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Ang. 4, 1862; wounded at Chancel- lorsville; never heard from.


Stephen B. Smith ; Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 6, 1862; died at Falmouth, Va. John A. Space, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 11, 1862.


Samuel Shultz, Co. B, 124th; enl. Aug. 9, 1862; died in the service. Edward Stafford, 124th.


Samuel Sherman, Co. B, 124tb ; enl. August, 1862 ; killed at Spottsylvania. Ira Stafford, 124th.


Abram Shipman, naval service. Tuthill Smith, Ist Eng.


Theodore Shaw, 2d; William Scott, Peter Smith, Alexander Swazey,


Andrew Schafer, Theodore Shaw, Joseph Stafford, Edward Stafford. Theodore A. Shaw, Co. H, 168th ; en]. Oct. 7, 1862; trans. to Co. K. William Scott, Co. C, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Feb. 9, 1864.


Peter C. Smith, Co. C, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Feb. 12, 1864.


Sampson Smith, Co. C, 25th Cavahy ; enl. Feb. 9, 1864.


Edward Scbwighofter, Co. E, 25th Cavalry ; enl. March 9, 1864.


Robert W. Stevenson, Co. M, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Oct. 13, 1864.


George K. Sayer, 10th Legion; enl. November, 1861 ; hospital steward. Johu Tremper, 56th.


Hector Thompson, 5tb.


Thomas II. Thomas, John O. Tuthill, William Tennant.


Ezra F. Tuthill, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 11, 1862; wounded at Chancel- lorsville.


William Utter.


David R. P. Van Gordeo, Co. B, 124th ; enl. Ang. 2, 1862.


William Valentine, corp., Co, B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 4, 1862; wounded at Chancellorsville, and died from the wound.


Hiraus Vandewater, 26th U. S. C. T.


Walter Van Tiser, 28th U. S. C. T.


Rynn Van Sickle.


David 0. Wetmore, wounded.


Richard J. Wilson, wounded. Charles White, 2d N. Y .; killed in action in 1863.


Moses A. Wells, 22d.


Jonathan Wilcox, 56th.


Lieut. D. C. Wilkiu.


John Wright. Charles A. White. Johnson Wilcox.


John White, Co. B, 124th; enl. 1862.


William B. Wood, Co. A, 124th ; enl. Aug. 13, 1862.


Charles A. Wheeler, sergt., Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 2, 1862; killed st Spottsylvania.


William White, corp., Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 7, 1862.


John Williams, corp., Co. B, 124th ; enl. Aug. 13, 1862.


36


Thomas M. Wood, Co. C, 25th Cavalry ; eul. Jan. 30, 1864.


William Wilkerson, Co. E, 25th Cavalry ; enl. Feb. 5, 1864.


Alexander Wilkin, capt., Mexican war; col., 2d Minn .; enl. 1861, at St. Paul ; killed in Georgia.


William H. Wood, 1st N. Y. Eng .; enl. 1861 ; wounded.


William Wallace, 1st.


Charles E. Wright, sergt., 124th; en1. 1862.


Ananias Wheeler, wounded.


Henry Williams. Jacob Young.


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.


ALEXANDER WRIGHT.


His father, Robert Wright, born in Ireland, came to America about the close of the Revolutionary war, with his father, and settled in Pennsylvania, where, soon after, the father died. Robert returned to his I native country, where, in 1793, he married a lady of wealth, and in 1795 returned to this country, and set- tled at Newburgh, N. Y. Here he resided for several years, and then purchased a farm of 125 acres in the town of Newburgh, upon which he resided until his death, which occurred in 1835, at the age of sixty-six years. His wife survived him, and died in 1851.


Robert Wright and wife were attendants and sup- porters of the Associate Reformed Church, and con- tributors to all worthy and local objects.


Their eldest son, William, boru in 1797, was a suc- cessful business man of Newburgh, and died in 1865, aged sixty-eight years; Jane resides in Newburgh ; Margaret became the wife of Robert W. Boyd, and resided at Hamptonburgh, where both died; John was a leather manufacturer in Sullivan Co., N. Y .; Francis and Robert (deceased) resided on the home farmı; James removed to Indiana, where he success- fully carried on business for many years, and died at Cairo; Alexander, subject of this sketch, and Susan reside at Newburgh.


Alexander Wright was born June 6, 1813, and dur- ing his boyhood obtained a practical business educa- tiou at the common school and in the private school of the well-known scholar and teacher, James R. Wil- son, of Coldenham, Orange Co., N. Y. At the age of eighteen he became a clerk in the general store of Judge Robert Denniston, at Salisbury Mills, in the town of Blooming-Grove, where he remained for three years. Here he earned a reputation for integrity, and upon the recommendation of Judge Denniston he ob- tained a situation as clerk in the Highland Bank, at Newburgh, upon its organization in 1834, where he re- mained until 1839, when he went to Middletown, and organized the Middletown Bank, now the National Bank of Middletown, of which he was chosen cashier, and filled the position until 1844.


In 1846 he organized the Chester Bank at Chester, and officiated as cashier until 1850, and in 1851 he organized the Goshen Bank, now Goshen National Bank, of which he was elected president, with Wil- liam L. Beakes as cashier, and continued his connec-


554


HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.


tion with this bank until 1857, when he disposed of his interest in bank stock and retired from the more active duties of life.


During his residence in Middletown he was one of the prime movers in founding the Wallkill Acad- emy of that place, got up the subscription for the erection of the brick building, now standing, and col- lected and disbursed the money.


Upon taking up his residence in Goshen, Mr. Wright was chosen one of the board of trustees of the Farmers' Hall Academy, and officially and otherwise labored earnestly for the continuation of that institu- tion of learning, that its benefits might accrue to the rising generation of Goshen and Orange County. He has ever been a promoter of church interests, and all objects tending to the prosperity of the place where . he has resided, and the general good of society.


During his active business life Mr. Wright was known as a discreet and successful financier, and his business ability was commensurate with the most pro- gressive demands of the times.


He married, Jan. 10, 1844, Mary, daughter of Henry S. and Laura (Genung) Beakes, and granddaughter of Stacey Beakes, one of the early merchants of Middle- town, N. Y. Her only brother was William L. Beakes, and her sisters, Jane, wife of the late Dr. Winfield, and Cynthia, wife of the late Charles C. McQnoid, a lawyer, all of Middletown. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Wright are Mary; Robert, died, at the age of nine years, in 1856; Frank Alexander, and Janie Laura.


ADAM H. SINSABAUGH.


In 1730 four families,-Sinsabaugh, Millspaugh, Bookstaver, and Youngblood,-on account of religious persecution in their native country, left Germany and settled in the town of Montgomery, Orange Co., N. Y. Their first winter was spent in a dug-out, or tem- porary place to live. In the following spring they built a log church, and there continued worship for many years. These families purchased 1000 acres of land in the town, and part of the same property is in possession of their descendants at the present time.


The names of the heads of these families are found at Albany, where they were naturalized and swore allegiance to George III., in 1735. Of the first-named family, Jacob was great-grandfather of our subject. Frederick, son of Jacob, was born in the town of Mont- gomery, and reared the following children, who were married and reared families, settling in the vicinity of their birthplace, viz. : Adam, Mary, Elizabeth, appointed census-taker of one-half of Orange County


Betsy, Henry, Frederick, Mrs. DeHart, and Abram. Of these children, Henry, born in 1758, married Mar- garet, daughter of John A. Brown, of Easton, Pa., who was the youngest in a family of fourteen children. She died in 1842, aged seventy-four.


Henry Sinsabaugh spent his life as a merchant at Nazareth, Pa., and as a farmer in Sullivan County, and in the town of Montgomery, Orange Co., where 1


he died in 1826. He was a volunteer soldier in the war of the Revolution, and was at the battle of Fort Montgomery. His son David was a soldier in the war of 1812. His children are Susan, wife of Philip Gross; Catharine, wife of Daniel Plumley, of Mont- gomery; David, and Adam H.


Adam H. Sinsabaugh was born in the town of Montgomery, May 11, 1802. His minority was mostly spent at home, where he received only limited oppor- tunities for any education from books. He married, Dec. 23, 1824, Jemima, daughter of Isaac Crissey, of Montgomery, who was born Oct. 22, 1799, and died Feb. 19, 1832, leaving one daughter, Elizabeth, who became the wife of William Sinsabaugh, of lowa. His second wife was Jane Sinsabaugh, who was born Nov. 1, 1809, and died Sept. 22, 1844. The children born of this union were Kate, wife of Goldsmith Gregory, of Iowa ; William ; and James B., who served four years in the United States navy during the late : civil war; subsequently enlisted in Hancock's vet- eran corps, and was stationed at Indianapolis, where he was accidentally drowned in the White River.


His third marriage, in 1845, was to Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Scofield, of Goshen, who was born Ang. 26, 1820, and died Jan. 11, 1861, and who bore him two sons,-George (deceased) and Ilenry, of Goshen.


Mr. Sinsabaugh married, Oct. I, 1861, Maria Jane, daughter of Elting and Catharine (DuBois) France, of Ulster Co., N. Y., who was born Aug. 3, 1833. Their children are Nellie J. and Cora Du Bois. Catharine DuBois was a daughter of Henry, and granddaughter of Methusalem DuBois, who was a lineal descendant of Louis DuBois, the progenitor of the DuBois family in Esopus, who was born in the province of Artois, France, Oct. 27, 1626, married Catharine Blanshan, daughter of a burgher of the city of Mannheim, Germany, and in 1660, with his wife and two sons, Abraham and Isaac, settled in Hurley, Ulster Co., and was the first Protestant of the name in this country. He was the first elder of the French Reformed Church, established at New Paltz in 1683. Elting France's mother was only daughter of Peter Elting, of New Paltz.


After his first marriage Mr. Sinsabaugh settled in the town of Crawford, Orange Co., where, in 1833, he first came to notice in politics as constable of that town. In 1834 he served as constable and collector, and was continued in those offices by re-election, with- out opposition, until 1840. In June, 1840, he was by Anthony J. Bleecker, marshal of the southern dis- trict of New York, and in the fall of the same year he was appointed under-sheriff of the county, re- moved to Goshen, and served in that capacity for three years. In 1843 he was elected sheriff of Orange County, and discharged the duties of the office creditably for one term.


Mr. Sinsabaugh headed the first temperance move-


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ments in Orange County, and became permanently identified with various organizations in town, county, and State, where his influence for the good of the cause was often acknowledged, and he was honored with the vice-presidency of the New York State Tem- perance Society under its president, Gen. Joseph S. Smith, of Kingston, N. Y., who was one of its foun- ders in 1865.


Mr. Sinsabaugh was formerly identified with the Democratic party, but was always opposed to the extension of slavery. In 1848 he joined the " Barn- Burner" party, and in 1856 became a Republican. He was appointed deputy provost-marshal, and held that position through the entire late civil war. He has been a member and trustee of the Presbyterian Church at Goshen for thirty years, and has officiated as elder nearly the whole time of his residence here. He is also a life-member, and has been first vice-president of the Orange County Bible Society. Mr. Sinsa- baugh is widely known throughout Orange County, and by all esteemed for his correct habits, his high moral influence, and for his integrity in all the rela- tions of life.


HENRY MERRIAM.


His father, Thomas, son of Thomas Merriam, was born at Meriden, Conn., about the year 1765, where he spent his minority.


He married Hannah, eklest daughter of Noah Guernsey, of Litchfield, Conn., and for some time afterwards was a merchant at that place. Subse- quently he removed to Schaghticoke, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., and resumed his business as a merchant. Closing this business, he purchased a farm in Sara- toga County, which he carried on for ten years, and removed to the town of Harpersfield, Delaware Co., where he again engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1815. His wife was subsequently married to a Mr. Disbro, and re- moved with a part of the family to Cicero, Onondaga Co., N. Y., where she lived to the advanced age of ninety years. Both Thomas Merriam and his wife were members of the Presbyterian Church, and es- teemed members of society. Their children were Philomelia (wife of Bartholomew Andrews, of Cic- ero); Allen was a farmer, and died at Geneva, Wis., leaving a large property there; Harvey was a farmer, and died at Cicero; Samuel resides at New Haven, where he has been a successful merchant for many years; Henry, subject of this sketch; Noah was a farmer, and died at Cicero; Mary (wife of Henry Jones, of Monroe, Orange Co.); and Clara (unmarried) resides at Syracuse, N. Y.


Henry Merriam was born in Schaghticoke, Rensse- laer Co., N. Y., Dee. 1, 1802. At the age of thirteen, upon the death of his father, he went to Litchfield,


556


HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NEW YORK.


and for six years resided with his grandfather Guern- sey. During his boyhood he received a practical business education, and learned those inestimable lessons, economy and self-reliance. In 1822, Mr. Merriam left Litchfield, and started out in life for himself. For some three years he was engaged in the sale of Yankee notions, with his headquarters at Elizabethtown, N. J. In this he was successful, and in 1825 settled at Goshen, N. Y., and, in part- nership with the late John J. Smith (Merriam & Smith), established himself in the manufacture of tinware. This firm was for many years located in business on the opposite side of the street, near the Orange Hotel, in Goshen, but on the completion of the Erie Railway, in 1841, they built a store near the Goshen Bank, at a place which has become the eentre of business since that road was finished. For fifteen years they carried on the tin and hardware business, and for most of the time had upwards of a dozen peddlers on the road selling their manufactured tin goods and notions.


In 1849 the firm opened a general hardware house, and continued a successful and large business until 1869, when Mr. Merriam retired from the active duties of life. During nearly half a century Mr. Merriam was in trade in Goshen, and for many years after his first establishment here his was the only stove-store between Newton, N. J., and Kingston, N. Y., consequently bis trade reached to all parts of Orange County, and into adjoining counties.


While his active business life was snecessful, he has never for any time forgotten the full duty of a citizen, and has been a liberal contributor to all worthy local objeets, and a promoter of the best inter- ests of society in morality and religion. For some twenty years he was identified with the educational interests of Goshen as one of the board of trustees of the Farmers' Hall Academy, and since the organiza- tion of the Goshen Bank in 185I he has been one of its directors.


Mr. Merriam was formerly a Whig, and became a Republican upon the organization of that party. He has never been solicitous of official position, and never held office, except to serve as supervisor of Goshen for one term.


His wife is Anna Eliza, daughter of Isaac and Abigail (Tusten) Reeve, of Goshen, whom he married Jan. I, 1833. She was born May 3, 1810, and with her husband have been for many years members of the Presbyterian Church at Goshen. Her grand- father, Col. Benjamin Tusten, was in the American army during the Revolutionary war, and was killed at the battle of Minisink, in 1779. Their children are Helen ; Henry G. (a graduate of Brown Univer- sity) and his brother, Charles E., are the firm of Merriam Brothers, hardware merchants, at Waverly, N. Y .; Frank A. is the successor of his father in the business at Goshen; Alexander R. Merriam was , country. graduated at Yale College in 1872, at Andover


Theological Seminary in 1877, and is the settled pastor of the Payson Congregational Church, at East Hampton, Mass. ; and Alma E.


JOHN J. SMITH.


His grandfather, Job Smith, was born Sept. 26, 1745, and died Aug. 6, 1776. He was a soldier in the patriot army, was captured hy the British, and con- fined in the old Sugar-ITouse Prison in New York, from which he was released by the influence of friends, only to return home and die of disease contracted during his imprisonment. His wife was Sarah Ogden, born March 29, 1752, and died May II, 1827, and who bore him three children, viz. : Mary Mitchell; Sarah, who became the wife of Elias Darby ; and John Job, father of our subjeet.


John Job Smith was born at Elizabethtown, N. J., Oct. 27, 1772, and married, Jan. 22, 1797, Phebe, daughter of John Jewell, who was born July 11, 1774, and died Nov. 23, 1835. He carried on blacksmith- ing at Elizabethtown, and had connected with his business a "hay-seales," not the neat platforms upon which the farmers of ISSI leisurely drive on, but a huge frame-work, from the top of which hung a big steelyard, from which depended four chains with rings at the ends to slip over the hubs of the wheels, and thus lift the wagon bodily from the ground. He died July 9, 1814.


Their children were Job, born Ang. 20, 1798, died Jan. 10, 1800; John Jewell, subjeet of this sketch; and Ogden Smith, born Aug. 27, 1803, resided at Elizabeth, and died Feb. 8, 1851.


John Jewell Smith was born at Elizabeth, N. J., Aug. 19, 1800. He only received a common-school education, but early in life learned that industry and economy are the foundation of business success. He served an apprenticeship in Elizabeth at the tinner's trade with Gould Phinney, and for three years after reaching his majority worked at his trade as a jour- neyman.


In 1824 he settled in Goshen, N. Y., and set up business for himself, his first place of business being a part of the building now comprising the Orange Hotel. Here he remained only about a year, and having formed a copartnership with Henry Merriam, the firm of Merriam & Smith started the manufacture of tinware on the opposite side of the street from his first place of business in Goshen. They continued their business there until the completion of the Erie Railway, adding to it the sale of stoves and peddlers' supplies, and had for many years some fifteen men on the road selling their manufactured wares and notions. Theirs was the first stove-store established between Newton, N. J., and Kingston, N. Y., and for several years the only one, hence this firm controlled largely the sale of tinware and stoves in a large section of


In IS41 they built a store near the Goshen Bank,


John Smith


CHARLES W. REEVS.


llis paternal ancestor first settled on Long Island, from whence Joshua Reeves, grandfather of our subject, removed and became the progenitor of the family in Orange County.


Charles W. was one in a family of eleven children of Howell Reevs (who subsequently removed to the town of Minisink), and was born in the town of Chester, Orange Co., N. Y., Sept. 1, 1805. His early life was spent on the farm at home. In 1825 he established him- self in mercantile business at Westtown, in the town of Minisink, where he continued a successful trade until 1842, when, upon the opening of the Erie Railway, he removed to Goshen, where he was enabled to enlarge his business.


By his removal he drew with him almost the entire trade of Minisink. Here he engaged in a general mer-


cantile trade and freighting business, which reached for thirty to forty miles around, Goshen being the nearest supply point to New York for the shipment of produce. Until nearly the time of his death, which occurred Sept. 2, 1865, he ranked among the most substantial and on- terprising business men of Goshen, a man of integrity, whose plighted word never failed. Ile was a director in both the Goshen and Orange County Banks for many years.


Mr. Reevs was a man of independent thought and action, possessed a naturally inquiring mind, and always attempted to complete whatever he undertook when he had once conceived in his mind the object worthy of his support. Although somewhat skeptical and in doubt of the truth of Christianity in early manhood, his convic- tions finally became firm in support of it, and ever after-


wards he was one of the most devoted supporters of the Christian religion. He became one of the founders of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Goshen in 1817, and from that time until his decease he was an earnest, Christian member, superintendent of the Sunday-school, and a liberal supporter of that church. He had an active mind, stored with knowledge acquired by exten- sive reading. His manners were affable, unobtrusive, gentle, and forbearing, and his heart was full of beney- olence, kindness, and charity. The most humble felt at onse in his presence and were always assured of his sympathy. Formerly a Whig, he became a member of the Republican party upon its organization, and by his means and influence sustained the Union cause during the Inte civil war.




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