USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester county in history; manual and civil list, past and present. County history: towns, hamlets, villages and cities, Volume III > Part 30
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Recently, in a Congressional debate, the question was raised when and where the Civil War closed. Lee surrendered at Spottsylvania Court-House April 9, 1865; Johnston at Durham Station, N. C., April 26; Taylor at Citronelle, Ala., May 6; while the battle of Palmito Ranch, in Texas, was fought May 13, the Confederates winning the victory. As a matter of conven- ience the Government decided that the war closed June 1, 1865, while the Supreme Court, as appeared by citations in the debate, has assigned different dates to mark the legal termination of the war. It is really said to have closed at different times in different States. By an act passed in March, 1867, Congress, for certain purposes it had then in mind, even decided that the war ended officially on August 20, 1866.
As to the place where the last gun was fired, that distinction appears to belong to Texas. Representative Sheppard of that State pointed out that the battle of Palmito Ranch was fought on the spot where nineteen years earlier Gen. Taylor with 2,000
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American troops defeated a Mexican army of 6,000 under Arista, at Palo Alto, the opening conflict of the Mexican war.
Although the coincidence that the opening battle of the Mexican War and the closing encounter of the Civil War were fought on the same spot has no significance, the fact in itself is memorable, and in time, as Mr. Sheppard suggests, may be commemorated by a suitable monument.
This County has three Militia Companies, N. Y. S. N. G. at Yonkers, Mount Vernon and White Plains, and two State Naval Militia organizations, at New Rochelle and Ossining.
THE BIG BLIZZARD.
March 12, 1888, was the date on which the Great Blizzard visited this section of the globe-an event unique in the weather history of New York.
Railroad commuters residing in this county and doing busi- ness in New York were kept days from their homes. Horse cars were the rule then in New York city, the cable road in One Hundred and Twenty-fifth street being the only exception. The elevated trains were drawn by the bobtailed steam engines whose smoke and noise are still remembered as nuisances patheti- cally long endured. These means of transit yielded quickly to the advance of the heavy snow, under command of the fierce wind, and walking became the order of the day for anybody who was forced to get anywhere, even then through tunnels made in the deep snow.
Supplies were shut off as if by a military cordon. Food prices soared. Babies cried in vain for milk. Condensed milk took the place of fresh dairy product in ordinary combinations from oyster stew to café-au-lait. The schools closed or suffered a decimated attendance. Among the sights of the time, briefly witnessed, were dogs and people crossing the East River on the ice. The weather siege had its effect on the death-roll too, and Roscoe Conkling's name was among those finally on the list of the blizzard's dead.
New York city has had, including Mayor Gaynor, in 1911, seventy-nine different Mayors in its history.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN EIGHTEEN SIXTY.
The Presidential election which stands prominent as the most momentous in the history of our Nation was the four- cornered fight in 1860.
Then we had as candidates for President, Douglas, Democrat ; Lincoln, Republican; Breckinridge, Democrat, and Bell, Inde- pendent, the latter the candidate of newly organized Constitu- tional Union party.
With the heretofore victorious Democratic party split into two factions, each determined to outdo the other, and an inde- pendent party nominee in the field, the friends of Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, were quite confident of success. Yet the latter realized that the unexpected might hap- pen, as it frequently does.
There was a possibility in that campaign that the opposition to Lincoln could poll enough electoral votes to prevent him from getting a majority, and a hope that the election thus would be thrown into the House of Representatives. It was figured that in a House election the best Lincoln could do would be to get the votes of fifteen States, while Breckinridge could expect twelve States. The other States would probably go to Douglas first and then to Breckinridge, giving the latter the Presidency; or, failing that, Lane, the Vice-Presidential candidate on the Breckinridge ticket, in the mean time would be elected Vice-President by the Senate and would succeed to the Presidency.
But the situation feared by the friends of Lincoln did not present itself. The result of the election proved quite positive in favor of a change in the political affairs of the Nation. Lin- coln, according to the returns, had secured a necessary majority of the electoral vote, although receiving only two-fifths of the popular vote. There was a fusion of the anti-Lincoln tickets in the States of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but this fusion availed little as to the result.
The division in the National Democratic party, it is explained, came about in this way: The National nominating convention of the party was regularly called to meet in Charleston, S. C.
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(Judge Thomas Smith, of Yonkers, attended as a delegate, representing the Congressional district of which Westchester County was a part.)
Douglas went to the Convention with a majority of the dele- gates in his favor; but California and Oregon voting with the South gave the anti-Douglas forces control of the committees, and the Convention soon came to a disagreement over the word- ing of the platform. The Douglas men wanted a platform similar to the one adopted by the Convention nominating Buchanan four years previous. Those in opposition to Douglas, being in majority on the platform committee, reported a plat- form pronouncing slaves property, and gave a citizen the right to take them wherever he would. About fifty bolted the Con- vention, the anti-Douglas platform was adopted; the Conven- tion, unable to agree on candidates to be nominated, had to agree to an adjournment-it was decided to meet several weeks later in Baltimore, Md., the more conservative hoping that when they again met an amicable settlement of differences would be brought about and the destruction of the party avoided.
The reassembling of the Convention in Baltimore found little apparent change in the sentiment of the delegates. When the Southern delegates discovered that the Douglas men were likely to control the Convention and carry off the prizes, the South- erners promptly withdrew. The Convention proceeded to busi- ness and gave Douglas the regular party nomination. The bolt- ing Convention chose John C. Breckinridge, Vice-President under Buchanan, as its nominee for President, and the bolters from the Charleston Convention endorsed the nomination of Breckinridge, at a Convention held in Richmond, Va.
To his credit it should be said that Douglas regretted very much the happenings that promised to disrupt his party. He sent a letter to the Baltimore Convention saying that if he stood in the way of harmony his name should be removed from con- sideration. When this letter was suppressed by overzealous friends, he sent a telegram containing same declarations, to the chairman of the New York State delegation, but the telegram shared a fate similar to that of the letter, and Douglas was nominated. In a speech on the stump he said that if he had received the unanimous nomination of his party on the platform adopted by the party four years before, Lincoln would have secured no other electoral votes than those of Massachusetts and Vermont.
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Later, Bell, the Constitutional Union candidate for President, suggested that Douglas, Breckinridge and himself withdraw as candidates and concentrate on one man to oppose Lincoln. Breckinridge expressed a willingness to agree to such an arrange- ment, but Douglas declared that matters had gone too far for him to withdraw, since he believed that his withdrawal would mean that many of his supporters would rally to the aid of Lincoln.
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
The salary of the President of the United States is $75,000 per annum, with a special allowance of $25,000 per annum for traveling expenses. The salary of a Vice-President is $12,000 per annum. The salary of a cabinet officer is $12,000 per annum.
The Court of Common Pleas of New York, which had been in existence for two hundred years, was merged by the new Constitution into the Supreme Court on January 1, 1896.
The name of Pope Pius X is Giuseppe Sarto (Joseph Taylor, in English).
In resigning the Governorship of New Jersey on the eve of his inauguration as President of the United States, Gov. Wilson made a speech to the Legislature in which occurred these words, foreshadowing the spirit which is now guiding his Administra- tion :
"The rarest thing in public life is courage, and the man who has courage is marked for distinction; the man who has it not is marked for extinction and deserves submersion. The people of this country are going to be served by conscience and not by expediency."
Of all the stately Colonial houses that once were the pride of New York only two survive, the Roger Morris house, com- monly known as the Jumel Mansion, and the Van Cortlandt
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house in Van Cortlandt Park. These have been preserved to us after many struggles, and we ought to value them as a heritage from the golden days of our fathers, and as interesting examples of domestic architecture. The question is, how much longer, in this era of progress, will these buildings be per- mitted to stand ?
William Gaston Hamilton, son of John Church Hamilton, and grandson of General Alexander Hamilton, first United States Secretary of the Treasury, born September 15, 1832, died at his home in New York city on January 23, 1913.
The Interstate Commerce bill passed Congress and was en- acted into law in 1887, and gave life to the then latent powers of the Constitution over commerce between States. The law was at first considered a novelty, but much of the political and industrial history of the United States for almost a generation has been influenced by it.
An act of the State Legislature, passed April 30, 1900, Chap. 699, enabled the United States Government to purchase from New York city a part of Hart's Island located in Westchester County, the said land to be used for the purpose of the erec- tion of a light house or light houses, and a fog signal station.
South Carolina in convention, on December 20, 1860, adopted the ordinance of secession. It is said that this convention was mostly composed of gray-headed men; the youngest being over thirty years of age.
Mrs. Gore, wife of the blind Senator Thomas P. Gore, from Oklahoma, graduated from a law school so as to help her hus- band. He collaborates with her on his speeches, and when he wants to memorize a fine oration, she reads it to him until he knows it by heart.
HOW APPARENTLY UNIMPORTANT INCIDENTS CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY.
By HON. CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW .*
In 1864 the late Judge Robertson of Westchester and myself went to the National Republican Convention at Baltimore (which was to nominate President Lincoln for the second term), by way of Washington, in order to consult with Secretary of State William H. Seward, our State leader. We dined with Mr. Seward, and after dinner he told us that it had been thought wise by the National leaders of the party in renominating President Lincoln, to drop Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin, who was a straight Republican, and nominate a War Demo- crat in his stead. There had been a general agreement upon Daniel S. Dickinson of New York for the place. Mr. Seward said that he could not speak for the President, nor would the President take any position, but for himself he was opposed to the nomination of Dickinson. In his own contests, covering many years, with Mr. Dickinson as the leader of the opposi- tion, he had found him the most bitter of partisans and very narrow. He believed that if by any accident the President was removed and Dickinson should become President it would be most unfortunate for the country. He thought that the Unionists in the Border States who had risked every- thing for the Union should receive the conspicuous recognition of a nomination for the Vice-Presidency. He said that Andrew Johnson of Tennessee had risked more, done more and evinced more high courage and patriotism than anyone under those perilous conditions. He thought that the nomination of Andrew Johnson for Vice-President would be most helpful in the Border States. Judge Robertson and I started for Baltimore with this mission. It was a delicate one because we could not quote Mr. Seward, nor speak with authority for the Administration. We, however, did our best with the Seward men among the delegations who had supported him so loyally for President four years before. The controversy became so acute that by
* Written by Senator Depew expressly for this book. The story is now told for the first time.
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general consent the matter was left to the New York delega- tion. There was a hot discussion in that delegation which lasted until nearly daylight, when, on a vote, Andrew Johnson was declared to be its choice by one majority. This verdict was accepted by the Convention, and Andrew Johnson became Presi- dent of the United States.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN CANNOT ALWAYS BE FORETOLD.
The principal objection Seward had to the nomination of Dickinson, was that he feared that in case Dickinson, here- tofore a staunch Democrat, was elected Vice-President, and by chance Lincoln died, Dickinson would become President, and then show he was more of a Democrat than he was a Republi- can. Johnson, Democrat, was nominated and elected Vice- President; Lincoln died; Johnson proved to be first a Demo- crat; the Republican leaders sought to drive him from office by impeachment; a few Republican senatorial votes saved him.
John B. Henderson, who died in Washington recently, was the last to survive of the seven Republican Senators who voted against the impeachment of Andrew Johnson.
The vote of the Senate was 35 to 19, or one short of the two-thirds necessary to convict. Had one of the seven who stood by their convictions yielded to the entreaties of their associates and their constituents, President Johnson would have been removed from office, Benjamin F. Wade would have be- come President, and the whole course of history would have been changed.
It was nearly thirty years ago that Blaine wrote that "the sober reflection of later years has persuaded many who favored impeachment that it was not justifiable on the charges made, and that its success would have resulted in greater injury to free institutions than Andrew Johnson in his utmost endeavor was able to inflict."
The seven Republicans who voted "not guilty" at the close of the most notable trial in our history were Fessenden, of Maine; Fowler, of Tennessee; Grimes, of Iowa; Henderson, of Missouri; Ross, of Kansas; Trumbull, of Illinois, and Van Win- kle, of West Virginia.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY SOLDIERS IN THE CIVIL WAR.
This County contributed many men, equal to if not more than its quota, to serve in the United States Volunteer Army during the Civil War. Many a regiment organized in various sections of this State included in its ranks patriotic men hailing from the ever patriotic County of Westchester.
Of the regiments in which our County had many represen- tatives mention is here made of only a few.
The One Hundred and Thirty-fifth New York Volunteer In- fantry, later the Sixth New York Heavy Artillery; the Second New York Volunteer Cavalry (Harris Light) ; the Seventeenth New York Volunteer Infantry (Westchester Chasseurs) ; the Fifth New York Volunteer Infantry (Duryea's Zouaves) ; the Ninth New York Volunteer Infantry (Hawkins' Zouaves) ; the One hundred and Sixty-eighth Volunteers; the Fifth New York Veteran Infantry; the Second Heavy Artillery; the Second Mounted Rifles; and the 3d, the 12th, the 13th, N. Y. S. M., the 22d, the 27th, the 38th, the 39th, the 42d, the 47th, the 71st, the 79th, the 91st, the 106th, the 124th, the 133d, the 139th, the 143d, the 145th, the 155th, the 170th and the Mozart Regiment, New York State Volunteer Infantry, the last named regiment (composed principally of men enlisted from New York city), was quartered in Yonkers and left latter place for the seat of war.
The One Hundred and Thirty-fifth New York Volunteer In- fantry, later the Sixth New York Heavy Artillery, was gen- erally recognized as a Westchester County regiment, as a con- siderable majority of its members had enlisted from this county, though many men were recruited for the regiment also in the counties of Rockland and Putnam.
On August 14, 1862, the Governor of the State of New York authorized Colonel Lewis G. Morris, of Morrisania (this county), to raise a regiment of infantry within the Tenth Congressional district, composed of the counties of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam.
The work of organizing such regiment was entrusted to Wil-
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liam H. Morris, of Morrisania, who later became its Colonel, assisted by J. Howard Kitching, of Peekskill, who became its Lieutenant-Colonel. The other officers of the regiment were, James A. Robinson, Major; Charles H. Leonard, Adjutant; Frederick Tompkins, Quartermaster; Jared D. Wood, Surgeon ; Robert Rae and Ryckman D. Bogart, Assistant Surgeons; Rev. Henry W. Sculler, Chaplain.
The headquarters of the new regiment was in Yonkers.
On April 2, 1863, Colonel Morris, belonging to a Westchester County family of fighting men, was promoted to Brigadier- General, and on April 11, following, Lieutenant-Colonel Kitching was advanced to the head of the regiment as Colonel.
When given the position of Colonel, to succeed Morris, Kitch- ing was but twenty-five years of age. His popularity with his men was pronounced and deserved. He died in Yonkers, Janu- ary 16, 1865, from the effects of wounds received at the battle of Cedar Creek, Va., October 19, 1864. A Grand Army Post in Yonkers, known as No. 60, organized in 1868, is named in his honor.
When the command was changed into a heavy artillery regi- ment, on October 6, 1862, it was made into three battalions of four companies, each battalion commanded by a major.
To succeed Lieutenant-Colonel Kitching, Capt. Ralph E. Prime (of Yonkers), of the Fifth New York Volunteers (Dur- yea's Zouaves), was appointed on January 12, 1863. This latter appointment, made by the Governor, was not approved by the rank and file, who preferred that a selection be made from officers of the regiment; Capt. Prime deemed it wise to resign, which he did on March 19, 1863. Major Edmund R. Travis was chosen to fill the vacant position of Lieutenant-Colonel.
The original 135th Regiment left this State on September 5, 1862. Its first assigned duty was in defense of Baltimore, Md., and was quartered near Fort McHenry. Here it remained for a time to permit thorough drill of the raw recruits in the manual of arms and also in the handling of heavy ordinance. The location of the camp was next changed to Maryland Heights, near Harper's Ferry, Va. The last named locality proved a most unhealthy one, where typhoid fever became epidemic; no time was lost in breaking camp and getting off to a more healthy zone.
Members of the regiment proved to be fighters and always ready for action-brave and efficient soldiers, creditable to the
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sections of the State from which they came. Through their term of enlistment they saw much active service.
The local Sixth Artillery Regiment suffered quite severely in the battle of Cedar Creek. It had one officer and eleven enlisted men killed, three officers and eleven men mortally wounded (one of the number being Col. Kitching), two officers and fifty men wounded that recovered therefrom and sixteen enlisted men missing, the majority of whom died while prison- ers of war.
In the early part of December, 1864, the Sixth Artillery left the Shenandoah Valley and joined the besieging forces near Petersburgh. On April 2, 1865, it joined in the assault on Petersburgh, and on the afternoon of that day entered the evacuated city.
The regiment was mustered out of service on April 24, 1865.
Likewise, Westchester County was largely represented in the United States Navy during the Civil War.
FILLING A VACANCY IN OFFICE.
The Election Laws of the State of New York provide a way for filling vacancies in County Offices, by death or otherwise. Provision for such a contingency as the death of a Sheriff, as occurred in this County on October 9, 1911, is made in Section 292 of the Election Laws, part of the Consolidated Laws of the State of New York, which reads :
" A vacancy occurring before October 15 of any year in any office authorized to be filled at a general election, shall be filled at the general election held next thereafter, unless otherwise provided by the Constitution, or unless previously filled at a special election."
The State Constitution provides that " the Governor may appoint to fill vacancies in office; no person appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold his office by virtue of such appointment . longer than the commencement of the political year next suc- ceeding the first annual election after the happening of the vacancy."
The Constitution also provides that the political year shall begin on the first day of January.
THE COUNTY'S MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY (Continued from page 260, volume 2.)
One Hundred and thirty-sixth Session-1913-Tracey P. Madden of Yonkers, Verne M. Bovie of New Rochelle, Wilson R. Yard of Pleasantville and Mortimer C. O'Brien of White Plains.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
VERNE M. BOVIE
Verne Morgan Bovie, Member of Assembly representing the Second District of Westchester County, was born on March 10, 1877, in Gallipolis, Ohio, a son of Frederick M. and Lucy Vernon (Alexander) Bovie.
He was educated in public schools and at Marietta College, graduating from latter college in Class of 1898, salutatorian of the class, receiving honors in history and political sci- ence. Elected member of Phi Beta Kappa; manager of baseball and football teams, playing on both. Editor-in-Chief of College paper. President of Phi Gamma Literary Society, and President of local chap- ter of Delta Upsilon Fraternity. Left College upon breaking out of Spanish War to recruit a company of volunteers at Gallipolis, of which he was elected Captain, and served at head of Company "C," 7th Ohio U. S. Volunteer Infantry throughout the war, returning from the field to graduate. Attended Co- lumbia University Law School and New York Law School. Graduated from the latter in 1902, in which year he was admitted to the New York Bar. He then became a resi- dent of New Rochelle, in this County.
He has since 1902 practiced his profession in New York city, with branch office in New Rochelle. Is president of Graduates' Club of New York city; Vice-President of the National Fraternity Delta Up- silon.
At the general election held in No- vember, 1912, he was elected a Mem- ber of Assembly to represent the
second district of Westchester County.
His career as representative of this County in the State Legislature of 1913 is both a credit to his con- stituents and to himself. His course was dictated by a sincere desire to represent the real sentiment of the people of his district and of the County and uphold the honor of what he conceived to be the real principles of the Democratic party to which he belongs.
Mr. Bovie's record in the Assembly is an enviable one. His vote was re- corded on the right side of every proposition, serving the best inter- ests of the people. He voted in favor of an honest Statewide Primary Law, to enact which his political party stood committed; he voted against impeaching Governor Sulzer, acts that made him many friends outside his political party.
He stands conspicuous among the Legislative delegation from West- chester County as one independent and strong enough, indifferent alike to threats and flattery ,to repel out- side political influence, tempting him to serve a questionable purpose by promise of future reward.
His ability as a speaker is recog- nized; in argument he is logical, forcible and convincing; his future career promises to be most brilliant as a lawyer and as a public servant, where integrity and faithfulness is appreciated.
In 1913 he was urged for the Mayorality nomination in New Rochelle.
Mr. Bovie is married to Miss Mary Tinker, of New York city. They have one son, Henry Tinker Bovie.
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SERVED AS COUNTY OFFICIALS.
SURROGATES OF COUNTY. (Continued from page 145, Vol. 2.) William A. Sawyer, of Port Chester, from 1913, now acting.
COUNTY TREASURERS.
(Continued from page 105, Vol. 1.)
The County Treasurer must receive and hold, subject to the orders of Courts or proper County officers, all moneys belong- ing to the County or held as trust funds, bail moneys and fines.
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