The Biographical cyclopedia of representative men of Rhode Island, Part 124

Author: National biographical publishing co., pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Providence, National biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 868

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Island, South Carolina, in the following June, and for the brave part he took in the action, Junc 16, was promoted to the rank of Major. He accompanied a battalion of his regiment in the expedition under Generals Brannan and A. H. Terry, to burn the bridge at Pocotaligo, South Car- olina, and shared in the hot but unsuccessful action of October 24, 1862. During his service in the Department of the South he acted often and efficiently on courts-martial as judge-advocate. January 7, 1863, he received a com- mission, dated December 27, 1862, as Colonel of the Eleventh Rhode Island Regiment that served- for nine months. Scarcely had he joined his command near Alexandria, Virginia, when he was appointed Colonel of the Second Regiment (the oldest three years' troops from the State). then a part of the Second Brigade, Third Divi- sion, Sixth Corps, under General Charles Devens, and stationed at Falmouth, Virginia. Colonel Rogers, with his gallant regiment, shared in the various actions of the Army of the Potomac during the year 1863, in which the Sixth Corps bore a part, and particularly the battles of sccond Fredericksburg, Salem Heights, Gettysburg, Rappahan- nock Station, and Mine Run. For gallant conduct Colonel Rogers and his regiment received the praise of generals and a vote of thanks from the General Assembly of Rhode Island. His activity and exposures resulted in forms of disease that induced him, when the army went into winter quarters, to resign his commission, January 14, 1864, and to return home. He had served two and a half years. For gallant and meritorious services he was brevetted Brigadier General of United States Volunteers, to date from March 13, 1865. A few weeks after his return from the army he was elected Attorney-General of Rhode Island, and was twice re-elected, after which he declined further nominations for the office. In 1868 he was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives, and again for two years in 1874-6. For two years, 1866-8, he was a member of the Common Council of Providence, and again in 1873-4, a portion of the latter time being President. In the spring of 1867 his wife died. In the autumn of 1869 he married Emily P. Smith, daughter of Governor James Y. Smith. On the Ist of January, 1873, leaving the legal profession, in which he had attained a highly honorable position, he became a partner with his father-in-law, Gov- ernor Smith, and his brother-in-law, C. A. Nichols, in the business of manufacturing cotton goods, in which occupa- tion he is still engaged (1881). He possesses uncommon literary taste, as evinced by his rare library and the grace- ful productions of his pen. Besides delivering several orations on public occasions, he has written considerably for the papers of Providence. His oration delivered at the laying of the corner-stone of the new City Hall, June 24, 1875, was printed in that year. In 1878 was published his volume entitled Private Libraries of Providence, with a Preliminary Essay on the Love of Books, which was very favorably received by the critics. In him are united in a

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rarc manner the qualities of citizen, scholar, and man of business. By his first wife he has one daughter, Emily Priscilla Smith Rogers; and by his second wife two sons, Arthur Rogers and Lucian Waterman Rogers.

ICHOLSON, WILLIAM THOMAS, President and General Manager of the Nicholson File Company, was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, March 22, 1834, and is the son of William and Eliza (Forrestell) Nicholson. His father was a native of Marblehead, Massachusetts, and at an early age came to Pawtucket, where he learned the trade of a machinist, which he followed during his life. He died, April 5, 1860, at the age of fifty-two, at Whitinsville, Massachusetts, at which place he resided for many years prior to his death. William T. Nicholson attended the common schools of Whitinsville, and for about one year was a student at Ux- bridge Academy. At the age of fourteen he entered the machine shop of Paul Whitin & Sons, where he remained three years and learned the trade of a machinist, which proved to be the foundation of his success in life. At seventeen, being desirous of a more varied experience, he went to Providence, and for two and a half years was em- ployed in different machine shops in that city. In 1852 he entered the machine shop of Joseph R. Brown, with whom, and the firm of Brown & Sharp, subsequently the Brown & Sharp Manufacturing Company, he remained for six years, being employed in the manufacture of surveyor's instruments, watch, and town clocks, and a variety of rules and gauges for the most accurate measurement. His in- dustry, ingenuity, and expertness secured for him liberal compensation and gradual promotion. In 1856 he was intrusted with the entire management of their shop, in which some thirty men were then employed. At this time his evenings were diligently devoted to the study of me- chanics and mechanical drawing, in which he acquired such proficiency that he was competent to make all the drawings used in the shop in which he was employed. In the spring of 1858 he formed a copartnership with Isaac Brownell, under the firm-name of Nicholson & Brownell, for the pur- pose of carrying on a general machine business, at 85 Eddy Street, Providence. This partnership continued until 1859, when Mr. Nicholson bought the interest of Mr. Brownell, and in 1860 removed to a more commodious shop, at IIO Dorrance Strect, where he added new and improved ma- chinery, with a view to increasing the productive capacity of his establishment. His plans were thwarted, however, by the outbreak of the Civil War, which was attended with a general depression in the industrial interests of the coun- try. But such manufacturing facilities as Mr. Nicholson then possessed were not destined to long remain idle. The immense demand for war materials soon attracted his attention, and gave him abundant employment in the manufacture of special machinery necessary for the pro-

duction of small arms required by the United States Gov. ernment. He soon afterwards purchased the tools, pat- terns, and stock of Foster, Luther & Co., and again in- creased his manufacturing facilities, enabling him at this time to employ upwards of sixty hands. The good quality of his work having become fully established, Mr. Nichol- son was induced to form a special copartnership, with Henry A. Monroe, independent of his machine shop, for the manufacturing of parts of the Springfield rifles, with whom, under the style of Nicholson & Co., he manufac- tured the rear sights, bands, swivels, and side washers for upwards of one hundred and fifty thousand rifles, Mr. Nicholson having devised and constructed special machin- ery for this purpose. In the spring of 1864 he sold his interest in this branch of the business to his partner, Mr. Monroe, which enabled him to give more attention to his machine shop, and especially to the development of an invention which he had long desired to perfect,-an im- proved machine for cutting files. This he soon succeeded in doing, and after obtaining his first patents organized a stock company for the manufacture of files by machinery. The company was organized in 1864, with Mr. Nicholson at its head, and with a capital stock of $300,000, under the corporate name of the Nicholson File Company. They at once bought the machine shop, assumed all of Mr. Nichol- son's contracts, and inimediately began to manufacture the necessary machinery. Great obstacles were at once met, and had to be overcome; trades unions combined to pre- vent, and consumers were not disposed to buy files made by machinery. It was necessary to originate and perfect machinery for not only the cutting, but for the forging and grinding of over four hundred different kinds of files to insure success, and be independent of the trades unions. After years of experiment, and the inspection of the vari- ous modes by which files were produced in this and other countries, and the construction of a variety of machinery, for which over forty patents were obtained, the productions of this company became widely noted for their superiority. The capacity of their works is now one thousand dozen files per day, and this company is one of the most prosper- ous manufacturing corporations in this country. This suc- cess is attributable chiefly to Mr. Nicholson's efficient management of the affairs of the company he represents. Mr. Nicholson has also been prominently identified with some of the public institutions of Providence. He was one of the original committee to draft the act of incorporation of the Providence Public Library, granted January, 1871, and, in March, 1877, was elected one of the Trustees, which position he still occupies. He is a director of the Rhode Island National Bank, a member of the Providence Board of Trade, and of the American Society of Mechani- cal Engineers. He has also for many years been a mem- ber of, and taken an active interest in the Providence Franklin Society, and of the Association of Mechanics and Manufacturers. He has travelled extensively in this coun-

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try and Europe in the interests of his business, and is one of the most prominent and best informed of American manufacturers. He married, October 14, 1857, Elizabeth Dexter Gardner, daughter of Samuel and Alice (Mowry) Gardner, of Limerock, Rhode Island. They have had five children,-Stephen, who is superintendent of the File Works, Samuel Mowry, who is secretary of the same com- pany, William Thomas, Jr., who is a student at Mowry & Goff's classical school, Eva, and Elizabeth.

ec CONROE, COLONEL JOHN ALBERT, son of John S. and Louisa ( Hunter) Monroe, was born in Swan- sey Village, Massachusetts, October 25, 1836. Of the Monroes, Thomas, John and James, sons of John Monroe, came to this country in 1652. James settled in Virginia, and his grandson James became President of the United States. John went to Connecticut and after ward to Vermont. Thomas settled in Rehoboth, Massa- chusetts, and had thirteen children ; the sons were Nathan, Stephen, Rosbotham, John, Benjamin, Thomas, and Joseph. Stephen had fourteen children, twelve sons and two daugh- ters. His son James married Betsey Ripley, a descendant of Governor Bradford, of Massachusetts, and had four sons and four daughters. The eldest son, John Sheldon, was the father of the subject of this sketch. The mother of John A. was the daughter of Rufus and Patience (Carter) Hunter. John A. attended the schools in Fall River, Mas- sachusetts, and at the age of thirteen engaged in a silk office in Boston. At the age of fifteen he went to Provi- dence, Rhode Island, where his parents had removed ; and after attending the High School learned the trade of a jeweller with his uncle, William Monroe. On com- pleting his apprenticeship he worked as a journeyman until he had accumulated a little money, when he resumed his course of study, attending alternately the East Greenwich Academy and the University Grammar School in Provi- dence. He worked at his trade in vacations to replenish his purse, and taught one winter at Fruit Hill, suffering meanwhile from inflammation of the eyes from over-study. In 1860 he entered Brown University, and held a high rank in his class. As a help to defray his expenses, he served as Librarian of the Franklin Lyceum. At the com- mencement of the Civil War in 1861, he gave himself to the service of his country, entering from the Marine Corps of Artillery of Providence, which he had joined in 1854, and was commissioned June 6, 1861, second lieutenant Battery A, First Rhode Island Light Artillery ; was soon promoted to first lieutenant; then, September 7, 1861, to captain of Battery D. On the 21st of October, 1862, he attained the rank of major; and December 4, 1862, that of lieutenant-colonel. He participated in thirty-one en- gagements, beginning with the scenes of Bull Run, and closing with the actions around Richmond. He had four

of his horses shot by shell and bullets, and received a wound in his scalp. He was Chief of Artillery in Mc- Dowell's and Doubleday's Divisions, and Hooker's Corps; Commanding Officer for more than a year of Artillery Camp of Instruction (Camp Barry), Washington, D. C., "the largest military post, up to that time, ever organized in the United States," where his services received the highest commendations; was Chief of Artillery, Second Corps, Commanding Artillery Brigade; Inspector and Chief of Staff, Artillery Reserve, A. P .; Commanding Officer First Division, Artillery Brigade, Sixth Corps; and Chief of Artillery, Ninth Corps, Commanding Artillery Brigade, and had charge of the entire artillery at the battle of the Mine. For his skill, gallantry and efficiency he received from Gen- erals McDowell, King, Patrick, Doubleday, Hooker, Burn- side, Gibbon, and Heintzleman, in orders and reports, the highest expressions of confidence and praise, his command being spoken of as a model for drill and attainments. His services are fittingly mentioned in the report of the Adju- tant-General of the State, in the papers of the Soldiers and Sailors Historical Society of Rhode Island, and our mil- itary histories. Returning from the war, he adopted the profession of civil engineering; in the winter of 1866-7 run the lines of flowage and assessed land damages for the reservoir of the Quidnick Reservoir Co., Kent County, Rhode Island; in July, 1867, superintended the construc- tion of the India Point Bridge for the B. & P. Railroad; in 1868 took charge of the building of the Shore Line Bridge over the Connecticut River ; since September 24, 1869, he has been a member of the American Society of Civil En- gineers, and has contributed important papers to the Trans- actions of the Society ; was called West to counsel respect- ing bridges over the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers; called South to advise relative to bridges over the Mobile and Tensas Rivers ; in 1872 was on the commission of bound- aries between Smithfield, Glocester, and Burrillville, Rhode Island ; originated the bill for the inspection of dams, that was substantially adopted by Massachusetts and Connecti- cut ; frequently appointed by the Supreme Court as master in questions of hydraulics and tide-waters; made surveys of Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Maine, and planned the sewerage of the town; in October, 1879, was appointed United States Assistant Engineer under the Mississippi Commission, and made complete hydrographic, topograph- ical and geodetic survey of the river from Cairo to Memphis. Politically he is a Republican. In 1854 he united with the Young Men's Christian Association. He has been a mem- ber of the Grand Army of the Republic from its origin, and in 1878-9, was Commander of Rodman Post, No. 12, G. A. R. In 1869-70 he was the Commanding Officer of the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery. Of the Rhode Island Soldiers and Sailors Historical Society he was a charter member, and has contributed five valuable papers on the war,-Rhode Island Artillery at Battle of Bull Run ; Reminiscences, two papers; Letters from the Army, and

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Battery D, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, at Battle of Antietam. In 1870 he became a member of the Rhode Island Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Indus- try, and at all exhibitions has served on the committee on new machinery. His scientific judgments are in constant demand. He married, July 1, 1863, Mary Catharine Buclkin, daughter of Washington Lee Buclkin, of Alex- andria, Virginia, a leading citizen, who died prior to the war, and whose wife was of the distinguished family of Harpers of Virginia. He has four children, Mary, Albert, Blanche Annette, and Josephine Amelia. Colonel Mon- roe's talents, patriotism, bravery and fidelity, combined with his genial manners and cheerful disposition, have won for him a host of friends.

AWRENCE, GENERAL ALBERT GALLATIN, son of Hon. William Beach Lawrence, of Newport, was born in New York city, April 14, 1836. His an- cestry may be traced in the sketch of his father in this volume, and in Holgate's Genealogy of New York Families. He enjoyed superior educational advan- tages, and before entering college spent three years in Germany and Switzerland. In 1856 he was graduated at Harvard University, and two years thereafter received the degree of LL.B. from the Dane Law School at Cambridge. He subsequently continued his legal studies for one year in the office of David Dudley Field in New York, where he was admitted to the bar. Soon after his admission to the bar he accompanied Mr. J. Glancey Jones, United States Minister to Vienna. On his return Mr. Lawrence found his country involved in the war of the Rebellion, and promptly identified himself in the struggle for the Union. As captain he served on General Stahl's staff from September, 1862, to July, 1863, after which he was active in raising a cavalry regiment in New York, and sub- sequently in drilling colored troops. He was staff officer with General W. H. Smith at Cold Harbor, with General Martindale at Petersburg, and with General Ames in front of Richmond and at Fort Fisher, where he led the assault of January 15, 1865, and while planting his flag upon the ramparts, received four wounds, one of which deprived him of an arm. The country was thrilled by his bravery in capturing one of the strongholds of the enemy on the coast of North Carolina, immediately after the capture of which his services were thus referred to in the report of General Ames to the Secretary of War : " He has dis- played, in the various engagements in which we have taken part, great gallantry, coolness, and judgment. So prominent have been these qualities that I have given him charge of commands greater than a regiment in most im- portant movements. In October last, when one of iny brigades was to assault the enemy's position near Rich- mond, I sent him with it, having more confidence in him

than in the brigade commander. At Fort Fisher he led the assault, with authority to direct in my name the movements of the leading regiments, and was the first to gain the fort, where he was wounded." Similar testimonials were given by General A. II. Terry, and by the Rhode Island General Assembly in resolutions of thanks to General Lawrence. After the war he was Minister Resident in the Republic of Costa Rica, which position he filled with honor to himself and his country. In 1875 he was sent by President Grant as commissioner to treat with the Sioux Indians, and met in council more than three thousand warriors. In 1878 he was sent by President Hayes to confer with Sitting Bull and his eight thousand followers, this conference having been authorized in compliance with a request from the Canadian government, which was in doubt as to the proper course to be pursued with the Indians then in the Canadian territory. General Lawrence now resides in Newport, and continues to take an active interest in public affairs.

HACE, GENERAL THOMAS W., son of Isaac and Emily (Littlefield) Chace, was born in the town of Charleston, Rhode Island, June 22, 1834. He is a descendant of William Chace, who settled in this country at an early day, and a grandson of Maxon Chace, a soldier in the War of 1812. His father was a na- tive of Westerly, Rhode Island, and died at New Shore- ham, in 1845, in the thirty-eighth year of his age. His mother was a daughter of Captain Nathanael Littlefield, of New Shoreham. Soon after the death of his father, Mr. Chace's mother removed to Newport, and for several years he lived with his uncle, T. W. Foley, of Providence, with whom, after receiving a good common-school education, he learned the business of a merchant tailor. On at- taining his majority he purchased the stock and good- will of the business of Mr. Foley, and opened an estab- lishment of the same kind on North Main Street. Since 1870 he has carried on business successfully on Westmin- ster Street. He was for several years prominently iden- tified with the military organizations of the city and State.' In 1857 he enlisted as a private in the First Light Infantry Company of Providence; in 1861 assisted in the formation of the organization now known as the United Train of Ar- tillery, and served as adjutant and major of that command. At the May session of the General Assembly, in 1872, he was elected Brigadier-General of the Fourth Brigade Rhode Island Militia, and in 1873 and 1875 was chosen to com- mand the Third and First Brigades, respectively. In 1874 he was elected a member of the Republican State Central Committee, and has served as treasurer of that committee since 1877. Hle was elected an alternate to the National Republican Convention in 1876, and was a delegate to the National Republican Convention at Chicago in 1880. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1859,

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in which order he has filled several important offices. In 1857 he became a member of the Franklin Lyceum, and has held the office of secretary and vice-president of that society. He is a member of the Rhode Island Historical Society, and of the Rhode Island Society for the Encour- agement of Domestic Industry. In 1857 he united with the Central Baptist Church in Providence, with which he is still connected. He assisted in the formation of the Rhode Island Baptist Social Union, in 1871, of which he was for several years treasurer, and is now vice-president. From 1863 to 1872 he served as vice-president of the Young Men's Christian Association, of which he was pres- ident from 1872 to 1875. He married, in February, 1865, Emily S. Starkweather, of Windham, Connecticut.

URTIS, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOSEPH BRIDGHAM, the second son of George and Julia ( Bowen-Bridg- ham) Curtis, was born in Providence, October 25, 1836. After passing through the preliminary studies 35% of his education, he entered the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard University, and was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in the Department of En- gineering, in July, 1856. In the discharge of his duties as an engineer he went to Chicago immediately after finishing his studies at Cambridge, and from Chicago, in the spring of 1857, to a post upon the Allentown Railroad, in Penn- sylvania. It was a hard service which he was called upon to perform. All unknown to himself he was passing through an experience which was fitting him for the still rougher experience which was awaiting him in the future. In the fall of 1857 he was appointed an assistant architect with Mr. Frederic Law Olmstead and Mr. Calvert Vaux, who were superintendents of the work upon Central Park, New York. When the Civil War broke out all the enthu- siasm of his nature was aroused, and he was ready to enlist in the service of his country. He obtained a commission as an engineer with the rank of captain in the Ninth Regi- ment of the New York State Militia, and had a place on the colonel's staff. He remained an unpaid volunteer in this regiment for a few months, and then went to Washing- ton, and for a short time occupied a post in the working corps of the Sanitary Commission. When the Fourth Rhode Island Regiment was formed he was appointed first lieutenant, October 2, 1861. The regiment proceeded, as soon as its ranks were full, to Washington, and went into camp at Camp Casey, where it was placed under com- mand of Lieutenant-Colonel I. P. Rodman. In Novem- ber, 1861, the regiment, which was attached to General O. O. Howard's brigade, was ordered to join General Sum- ner's division. In a few weeks it joined Burnside's Ex- pedition, and was in the battle of Roanoke Island. On landing, the troops encountered obstacles which seemed almost insurmountable. " We turned into the vilest swamp

I ever saw," wrote Adjutant Curtis. "We sank from the ankle to the knees. It was full of trees and thorny bushes seven or eight feet high and growing close together. We were two hours in forcing our way through this swamp." " I marked Curtis from the first," said General Burnside, " and knew he would make a splendid field officer, as he did. I saw him often, but he was not a man to spend much time at headquarters, for he was always attending to his own duties." The hardships and fatigues to which he had been exposed had made severe drafts on the delicate constitution of the brave young soldier, and he yielded under the pressure of disease. A respite from his military duties was granted him, and he returned to Providence to recruit his wasted energies. As soon as his strength be- gan to return he was impatient again to be on duty, and several days before his furlough expired he was on his way to rejoin his regiment, and was most cordially welcomed back to his post by both officers and men. He was at the siege of Fort Macon, which, after a month's onset upon it by the Federal troops, surrendered April 26, 1862. When Colonel Rodman was promoted to the rank of brigadier, Curtis was commissioned his assistant adjutant-general, with the rank of captain ; and soon after he was made lieutenant-colonel. After a series of adventures in which the bravery of Colonel Curtis exhibited itself most strik- ingly, there came the great battle of Antietam, in which the Fourth Rhode Island Regiment performed so gallant a part. There have been given many descriptions of that famous conflict, upon the issue of which depended so much. None of these descriptions are more graphic than the one written by Lieutenant Curtis, in a letter dated September 22, 1862. It closes thus : " We were under fire almost all the time from six A.M., when the enemy shelled us out from behind a hill, until half-past five P.M., when we were broken in the corn-field. General Rodman is, I fear, mor- tally wounded. Our Colonel Steere is severely wounded -a ball in the thigh; and Lieutenant Ives has an ugly grape-wound. We lost a third of our regiment in the corn-field. Some of our wounded lay thirty-six hours, and the rebels would not give them water, calling them damned Yankees, and firing at those who went into the corn after them. I can arm their slaves now." Lieutenant-Colonel Curtis took command of the regiment in the place of the wounded Colonel Steere. The regiment was now in the Ninth Army Corps. On the IIth of December, 1862, be- gan the battle of Fredericksburg. Two days the bom- bardment and fighting had been going on. Towards sunset of the afternoon of the 13th their came an order to the Fourth Rhode Island Regiment to advance. It made its way up the banks of the Rappahannock, and marching through the city, reached the outskirts. There, halting for a moment, its commander quietly seated on his horse, a bullet struck him in the left cheek, penetrated his brain, and its deadly work was done almost in an instant. His body was brought to Providence, where it was laid in state

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The Biographical cyclopedia of representative men of Rhode Island, Part 124

Author: National biographical publishing co., pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Providence, National biographical publishing co. Number of Pages: 868

Author: National biographical publishing co., pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Providence, National biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 868