Chapter IX: Part 9

Mr. Goodwin's academic education consisted of several years of study at the academy at South Berwick, an institution having at that time a good deal of local importance, and then, as now, the only school in the vicinity of his birthplace where a fitting for college could be obtained. Shortly after leaving that academy he entered the counting-house of Samuel Lord, Esq., then a very prominent merchant and ship-owner of Portsmouth, N. H., and he became a member of Mr. Lord's family. He here displayed qualities which had been quite conspicuous in his earlier boyhood,--those of energy and assiduity and a very marked capacity for affairs. These qualities, which at the early age of twelve had made him quite a competent and satisfactory manager of the farm of his widowed step-grandmother, who was the grandmother of Mr. Lord, showed later in his conduct as a clerk in the commercial business of the then very thriving shipping port of Portsmouth. Mr. Lord, finding that Mr. Goodwin's business abilities were more comprehensive than the mere duties of a clerk required, placed him as a supercargo in charge of the business of what was then the largest ship owned in the port, the "Elizabeth Wilson." In the present days of railroads, sea-going steamers, oceanic cables, and the commercial complement of these foreign correspondents or agents, it may seem a trivial sign of a young man's capacities to name the fact of his being made the business manager of a ship, especially as ships then went in regard to size; but it is the introduction of these very modern appliances for conducting business which has rendered the responsibility of the delegated management of this species of property comparatively easy. In the days of Mr. Goodwin's early voyaging, the whole discretion as to the conduct of the ship's affairs was vested in the supercargo, except in the brief period of her being in the home port, when the owner resumed his authority and control. In foreign places, among strangers, beyond the reach of opportunity for consultation with his owner, the young man must rely upon himself; must decide upon what voyage his ship shall go, and must be ready to account to his principal upon his return for the results of a prosperous enterprise or a disastrous adventure. It was not long before Mr. Goodwin had learned enough of seamanship to enable him to add to the duties of the supercargo the further business of navigating his ship, so that for several years he was both ship-master and business manager, offices then, as now, rarely combined in one person; for the ship-master is to-day chiefly the navigator and head seaman of his ship, while the business, involving the chartering and the rest, is attended to by a merchant in the port of destination, who is in ready communication with the owner, both by the fast-going mail of the steamship and the quicker method of the ocean cable. Mr. Goodwin's sea life lasted for about twelve years. During that time he had been so far successful as to become a part owner, and to be enabled to begin business at home.

In the year 1832 he established himself as a merchant at Portsmouth. Portsmouth has been his home ever since that time; and there he for many years conducted an extensive mercantile business, his chief business interests lying in the direction of the foreign carrying-trade. Upon leaving the sea he soon became foremost in matters that were of public concern. He was one of the early projectors of the railroad interests of New England; and, until within a few years, he has taken a large part in all the enterprises of public import in the vicinity of his home, including, besides railroads, the enterprises of manufacturing and banking; and he has been vested always with a large share of the local trusts, both public and private, which devolve upon the public-spirited and trusted citizen. He has of late years been inclined to withdraw from these responsibilities; but of those which he still retains, the presidency of the Howard Benevolent Society, a position he has held for over thirty years, and the presidency of the Portsmouth Bridge Company may be mentioned. He has, however, within the last two years, assumed the presidency of the First National Bank of Portsmouth, in which he is largely interested as a stockholder, and in which institution he had been a director from its incorporation as a state bank. He was for many years and at different periods a director in the Eastern Railroad Company, and was the first president of the Eastern Railroad in New Hampshire, which position he held for twenty-five years. He was also of the first board of direction of the Portland, Saco, & Portsmouth Railroad Company, and was the president of that corporation from the year 1847 to the year 1871. But it is unnecessary to mention all the public trusts of a corporate nature which have been confided to his care. His chief claim to public esteem, and that which will secure to him its most enduring recognition, is derived from his services as the first "war governor" of New Hampshire.

Upon Mr. Goodwin's settling as a business man in Portsmouth, he did not confine his energies to his private business and to corporate enterprises, but soon acquired a large interest and influence as a member of the Whig party. He served in the legislature of New Hampshire, as a member of that party, in the years 1838, 1843, 1844, 1850, 1854, and 1856. He was also a delegate-at-large from that state to the conventions at which Clay, Taylor, and Scott were nominated by the Whigs for the presidency, and was a vice-president at the first two named conventions; and he has twice served in the constitutional conventions of New Hampshire. He was the candidate of the Whigs for congress at several elections before the state was divided into congressional districts. New Hampshire was in those days one of the most powerful strongholds of the Democratic party in the country; and a Whig nomination for any office, determined by the suffrages of the whole state, was merely a tribute of esteem by that party to one of its most honored members. Upon the establishment of congressional districts, Mr. Goodwin received a unanimous nomination of the Whig party for congress at the first convention held in his district. This nomination bid fair to be followed by an election, but the circumstances of his private business prevented his acceptance of the candidateship. In the great political convulsions which preceded the war of the rebellion, the power of the Democratic party in New Hampshire began to decline, while the ties which through years of almost steady defeat in the state at large had been sufficient to hold together the Whig party, now came to be loosened, and out of the decadence of the former and the extinction of the latter party there was built up the Republican party, which gained the supremacy in the state, and which has ever since, with a brief exception, maintained that supremacy. Mr. Goodwin, while in full sympathy with the cause of the Union, which he believed the politicians of the South were striving to dismember, yet felt that perhaps the impending crisis could be arrested through the means of the old political organizations; and he remained steadfast to the organization of the Whig party until he saw that its usefulness, both as a state and as a national party, was gone. He was the last candidate of the Whigs for the office of governor of New Hampshire, and received in the whole state the meager amount of about two thousand votes. This lesson did not require to be repeated. He immediately did all in his power to aid in the establishment of the Republican party in this state; for, although the old-time issues between the Democrats and Whigs had gone by, and new questions had arisen involving the very integrity of the nation, he did not regard the Democratic party as one capable of solving or disposed to solve those questions in a patriotic and statesmanlike way. He was chosen the governor of New Hampshire, as the Republican candidate, in the year 1859, and was re-elected in the following year, his second term of office having expired on June 5, 1861.

The military spirit of the people of New Hampshire had become dormant, and the militia system of the state had fallen pretty much to decay long before the election of Mr. Goodwin to the office of governor. A slight revival of that spirit, perhaps, is marked by the organization in his honor, in January, 1860, of the "Governor's Horse-Guards,"--a regiment of cavalry in brilliant uniform, designed to do escort duty to the governor,--as well as by a field muster of several voluntary organizations of troops which went into camp at Nashua in the same year. But when the call of President Lincoln for troops was made, in the spring of 1861, the very foundation of a military system required to be formed. The legislature was not in session, and would not convene, except under a special call, until the following June. There were no funds in the treasury which could be devoted to the expense of the organization and equipment of troops, as all the available funds were needed to meet the ordinary state expenditures. The great confidence of the people of New Hampshire in the wisdom and integrity of Mr. Goodwin found in this emergency full expression. Without requiring time to convene the legislature so as to obtain the security of the state for the loan, the banking institutions and citizens of the state tendered him the sum of $680,000, for the purpose of enabling him to raise and equip for the field New Hampshire's quota of troops. This offer he gladly accepted; and averting delay in the proceedings by refraining from convening the legislature, he, upon his own responsibility, proceeded to organize and equip troops for the field; and in less than two months he had dispatched to the army, near Washington, two well equipped and well officered regiments. Of this sum of $680,000, only about $100,000 was expended. On the assembling of the legislature, that body unanimously passed the "enabling act," under which all of his proceedings as governor were ratified, and the state made to assume the responsibility.

During the period of this gubernatorial service, there was a reconstruction of the bench of the highest judicial tribunal of the state; and during that time nearly every position upon that court was filled by his appointment. It is sufficient to say that the exalted rank which that tribunal has ever held among the courts of last resort of the states of the nation, suffered no diminution from his appointments to its bench, such was the good sense and discernment of Mr. Goodwin in making the selections, although himself not versed in the law.

"Waite's History of New Hampshire in the Rebellion" says of him:--

"His administration of state affairs met with universal
approval, and he left the office (that of governor) with the
respect of all parties. As a member of the legislature and of
the constitutional convention, he took a leading part on
committees and in debate. His speeches were never made for show.
He spoke only when there seemed to be occasion for it, and then
always to the point, and was listened to with great respect and
attention; for his conservatism and practical wisdom in all
matters of public policy were well known. In all public
positions he has discharged his duties with fidelity, industry,
and marked ability. As a citizen and business man he is
public-spirited, liberal, high-minded, and enjoys the unbounded
confidence and respect of all."

Mr. Goodwin has always been noted for his kindness to young men, aiding them without stint, both with his purse and his advice in their business difficulties; and he has ever been ready to extend to all his townsmen who needed aid the assistance of his influence, his counsel, and his pecuniary means.

In 1827, Mr. Goodwin married Miss Sarah Parker Rice, a daughter of Mr. William Rice, a wealthy and prosperous merchant of Portsmouth. Of seven children, one son and two daughters survive.

REV. WILLIAM COGSWELL, D. D.

By Rev. E. O. Jameson.

WILLIAM COGSWELL, the oldest of the four Cogswell brothers whose distinguished lives are briefly sketched in this volume, was born June 5, 1787, in Atkinson, N. H. His ancestors were among the earliest settlers of Massachusetts, and persons of quality, piety, and distinction.

His descent is from John Cogswell, who settled in Ipswich, Mass., in 1635, and Giles Badger, who settled in Newbury, Mass., the same year.

His parents were Dr. William and Judith (Badger) Cogswell, of Atkinson.

His grandparents were Nathaniel and Judith (Badger) Cogswell, of Haverhill, Mass., and Gen. Joseph and Hannah (Pearson) Badger, of Gilmanton.

His grandfather, Nathaniel Cogswell, was the son of Lieut. John and Hannah (Goodhue) Cogswell, of Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, Mass. Lieut. John Cogswell was the son of William and Susannah Cogswell of the same place, and William Cogswell was the son of[3]John and Elizabeth (Thompson) Cogswell, who emigrated from Westbury, Wilts county, England, in 1635, and settled in Ipswich, Mass.

His grandfather, Gen. Joseph Badger, was the son of Joseph and Hannah (Peaslee) Badger, of Haverhill, Mass. Joseph Badger was the son of John, Jr., and Rebecca (Browne) Badger, of Newbury, Mass. John Badger, Jr., was the son of John and Elizabeth Badger of the same place; and John Badger was the only son of Giles and Elizabeth (Greenleaf) Badger, immigrants to Newbury, Mass., in 1635.

It may be said of his ancestry, in general, that they were a religious, intelligent, liberty-loving, and an enterprising people. By reason of ability, integrity, piety, and attainments, many of them have been called to positions of municipal, military, political, and ecclesiastical duty and eminence, and have excelled in the learned professions, in the halls of legislature, on the field of battle, and in the Christian pulpit.

From such choice Puritan stock, having in his veins the blood of the Thompsons, the Greenleafs, the Brownes, the Goodhues, the Peaslees, and the Pearsons, as well as of the Cogswells and the Badgers, it is not strange that he and his no less eminent brothers should be found among the distinguished men whose portraits adorn and whose biographies fill the pages of this volume.

William Cogswell was born only a few years after the victory of our great struggle for national existence and independence. His rural home was far up the side of one of New Hampshire's grand old hills, sloping southward and crowned with a New England meeting-house. He was born where he could breathe to heart's content the pure air of heaven, look off upon scenery of landscape wide, varied, and grand. His early life was beneath the shadow of the best religious and educational institutions, which his father had been the prime mover in establishing. In full sight of his early boyhoood's home was the academy which said to country boys of those days. The door is open to you here to enter a college course and find your way into the learned professions. The lad heard the invitation, seized the opportunity, and eagerly pursued his preparatory studies at Atkinson Academy, then under the charge of John Vose, Esq. He entered the sophomore class of Dartmouth College in 1808, maintained a high rank of scholarship during his course, and was honorably graduated in the class of 1811.

Before entering college, William Cogswell received deep and abiding religious impressions which ripened into a personal religious experience, and during the vacation of his junior year, September 23, 1810, he made a public confession of faith and united with the Congregational church of his native town. After graduation from college he taught in the academy of his own town, in Essex, Mass., and was one year principal of the Hampton Academy. While teaching in Essex, Mass., he had, for a pupil in the classics, a lad some ten years of age, whose name was Rufus Choate. This Rufus Choate was heard of in later years.

Meanwhile, occupied with teaching, Mr. Cogswell pursued somewhat his theological studies, having his eye on the Christian ministry. At the end of two years, he found that his labors in school and studies out of school had told seriously upon his health. Acting upon the advice of his physician and of his minister, he procured a good saddle-horse and a license to preach the gospel in destitute parts, and galloped off toward the northern wilderness of his native state, in eager pursuit of health and men's souls. In both these objects he was successful. He regained his health, and under his earnest presentation of the gospel a large number of persons were hopefully converted to Christ, and Christian institutions planted in the then spiritual wastes, which have since blossomed as the rose and borne fruit to the glory of God. Upon his return, Mr. Cogswell completed his professional studies under the instruction of Rev. Daniel Dana, D. D., of Newburyport, and Rev. Samuel Worcester, D. D., of Salem, Mass. After preaching a few Sabbaths, he received a unanimous call to become the pastor of the South church in Dedham (now Norwood), Mass., which he accepted, and was ordained and installed over that church, April 26, 1815.

At this time, Mr. Cogswell was twenty-seven years of age, a man of fine personal bearing and manners; his warm christian spirit and deep religious experience spoke in the very lineaments and expression of his open, intelligent, and winning countenance. His qualities of mind were the best, his education thorough, his grasp of truth vigorous, his views scriptural and discriminating, and his faith in God and Revelation implicit.

His ministry in South Dedham lasted fourteen years, and was of unmeasured benefit to that church, at once stimulating to its religious life, educating to its members in scriptural doctrine, and successful in bringing men to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

Mr. Cogswell was a preacher whose clear-cut statements, whose logical order, conclusiveness of argument, and persuasiveness of appeal made him a power in the Christian pulpit. Quite a number of his sermons were requested for publication by his congregation; and in those days when the printing of a sermon meant that it was something of rare merit. He had been settled in South Dedham some three years, when he married, Nov. 11, 1818, Miss Joanna Strong, the youngest daughter of the then late Rev. Jonathan Strong, D. D., of Randolph, Mass.

In 1829, being urgently called to important services in connection with the American Education Society, to the regret of his people and with personal reluctance, he resigned his pastorate to enter upon these new duties; and, accordingly, was dismissed December 15, 1829, and removed to Boston, where he resided for some years. So important were his labors and so successful in this new field of effort, that January 25, 1832, he was chosen, with great enthusiasm, to succeed Dr. Cornelius to the secretaryship of the society, which office he filled with fidelity and acceptance until he resigned in 1841 to accept a professorship in Dartmouth College. In 1833, Mr. Cogswell received from Williams College the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and in 1837 was chosen one of the trustees of Andover Theological Seminary. He removed to Hanover, N. H., and entered upon his duties as professor of National Education and History in Dartmouth College. This position he resigned in 1844 to accept the presidency and professorship of Christian Theology in the Gilmanton Theological Seminary.

Rev. Dr. Cogswell for many years had been engaged in editorial work, and was much interested in historical and genealogical researches. In 1846 he retired from his connection with the seminary, about to be discontinued, and gave himself exclusively to literary pursuits, except that he usually preached on the Sabbath. In the few remaining years of his life he performed a vast amount of literary labor, and became known very widely, and was honored with a membership in nearly all the historical societies in this country and in Europe.

Rev. Dr. Cogswell published several works, viz.: a Catechism on the Doctrines and Duties of Religion; a Manual of Theology and Devotions; the Theological Class Book; the Christian Philanthropist; and Letters to Young Men Preparing for the Christian Ministry. All these works passed through several editions. His published editorial works were: Four vols. of the American Quarterly Register, 1837-1841; New Hampshire Repository, 2 vols.; the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. I.; New Hampshire Historical Collections, vol. VI. He published, also, various miscellaneous writings.

Rev. Dr. William and Joanna (Strong) Cogswell had four children.

The eldest, a daughter, died in infancy.

William Strong Cogswell was born in South Dedham, April 11, 1828, and died April 6, 1848, at the age of twenty years. He was a young man of rare ability and brilliant promise. At the time of his death he was a member of the senior class in Dartmouth College.

Mary Joanna Cogswell was born June 6, 1832, in Boston, Mass. She graduated at Gilmanton Academy in 1851; married, September 20, 1858, Rev. E. O. Jameson, who is now (1882) pastor of the First Church of Christ, in Medway, Mass.

Caroline Strong Cogswell, the youngest child of Rev. Dr. Cogswell, was born June 3, 1840, in Boston, Mass. She was educated at Gilmanton Academy and Holyoke Female Seminary, and has been a successful teacher in the public schools.

Rev. Dr. Cogswell, at length, under the taxing pressure of a busy editorial service, and crushed by the great loss of his only and very promising son, found his health giving way, his usual vigor forsaking him, and it became only too evident that the end of his earthly life was approaching. He continued, however to accomplish more or less literary work, even up to the last few days before his death, which occurred April 18, 1850. The funeral service was on the following Sabbath, conducted by Rev. Daniel Lancaster, who preached a memorial discourse which was subsequently published.

Rev. Dr. Cogswell's life was eminently busy, laborious, self-sacrificing, and honored. His earthly work was faithfully and nobly done; his death triumphant, and heavenly reward sure.

FOOTNOTES:

[3] For full account of John Cogswell, whom tradition calls "a prosperous London merchant," see "Cogswells in America," soon to be published.

JEREMIAH W. WHITE, ESQ.

BY HON. JOHN H. GOODALE.

On the head-waters of Suncook river, in the central region of New Hampshire, is the town of Pittsfield. It is limited in extent, undulating in surface, rich in the quality of its soil. Its earliest settlers were sturdy farmers, men and women who from infancy had been accustomed to the hardships and privations of pioneer life.

Among these settlers was Josiah White, who, with his wife of Scottish origin, in the spring of 1775 took up his abode in the outskirts of an unbroken forest. Years of hard labor followed, which at length brought to him and his family the comforts of a rural home. Of his sons, Jeremiah White, the father of the subject of this sketch, succeeded to the homestead. He was born March 4, 1775, and, passing his life amid the scenes of his earlier days, died December 5, 1848. He is still remembered by the older residents of Pittsfield as a citizen who was useful, influential, and respected. Of great personal activity and tact in business, genial and generous, an enterprising farmer of the old school, a safe and sagacious adviser, his departure left a place difficult to fill in the business affairs of the vicinity.

JEREMIAH WILSON WHITE was born in Pittsfield, September 16, 1821. The active habits and pure atmosphere of his early rural life laid the foundation of a sound physical constitution. His opportunities for education during childhood were limited to a few months at a distant district school. At the age of fifteen he entered the Pittsfield academy, under the instruction of James F. Joy, a graduate of Dartmouth, and in later years well known as president of the Michigan Central Railroad. Pittsfield village had a thrifty and vigorous population, and among her ambitious and talented young men were several who have since been conspicuous in public life. One became United States senator; three, judges of the supreme court in their respective states; and one, founder of the system of public instruction now in successful operation on the Pacific coast. Remaining at the academy two and a half years, Mr. White, then in his seventeenth year, decided to prepare himself for mercantile and active business life. Adopting the plan which appeared most feasible, he went to Boston, and entered upon an apprenticeship in a drug-store. Forty years ago a mercantile apprenticeship in that city was not a sinecure position. But the young man was not averse to toil, and by assiduous and systematic attention to his duties was preparing the way for future success. Added to his other duties he began the study of medicine in all its branches, and continued it for several years after, until he was qualified for, and, if occasion had required, could have entered upon, professional service.

Finishing his engagement at Boston, he engaged as clerk to Luther Angier, postmaster and druggist at Medford, Mass., with the agreement that with proper notice he could leave to engage in business for himself. Early in the summer of 1845, Mr. White believed that that time had arrived. He had never visited Nashua, but had heard of its reputation as a growing manufacturing town. A few hours' inspection settled the question, and before leaving he hired the store which he afterwards occupied for nearly thirty years.

J. M. White]

Mr. White, in engaging in trade for himself in Nashua, was aware that a young man and a stranger must encounter severe difficulties in entering upon mercantile life. Many before him had succumbed to the obstacles which he was now to encounter. He did not hesitate. Laying out his plan of business, he examined into the most minute details of its management. He was never idle. No man was more thorough and painstaking in the discharge of obligations to his customers. His labors often extended far into the night. In fact, he lived in labor, and thought no plan complete till its execution was secured. With these habits added to sound business judgment and foresight and a rare knowledge of men, the record of the business life of Mr. White has been an uninterrupted success; and it is in this department of consistent and persistent effort that his example is worthy of imitation.

In many of the business enterprises of Nashua, Mr. White has taken an active, and in some of them a prominent, part. Engaging in the transportation and sale of coal on his arrival, he has always been the leading dealer in the trade. After the close of the war he originated the project of, and gave his attention to, the construction of the large block of stores on Main street, known as the "Merchants' Exchange," retaining for himself and son the corner store, which he still occupies. Early in 1875 he conceived the idea of establishing a new national bank, and in the April following obtained a charter. The people of Nashua and vicinity believing in his financial ability immediately subscribed for the stock and elected him president, a position he continues to hold to the satisfaction of the stockholders, and the advantage of the institution.

In addition to the presidency of the Second National Bank. Mr. White is now recognized by the public as a sagacious and influential railroad manager. Since 1876 he has been prominently connected with the affairs of the Nashua & Lowell Railroad as a director and large stockholder. For many years this road had been connected with and used by the Boston & Lowell Railroad corporation, and, as Mr. White clearly saw, on terms greatly disadvantageous to the stockholders of the Nashua & Lowell company. The stock had gradually declined much below par. To resist so great and powerful a corporation required pluck and energy. To be successful against such odds demanded a leader daring, prompt, aggressive. Mr. White was the man for the emergency. How well his measures succeeded is realized not only by every stockholder, but in all railroad circles throughout New England.

In the transaction of business, Mr. White is not only methodical but positive. He reaches his conclusions quickly and acts upon them with the utmost directness. Having decided upon a measure he engages in it with all his might, bending all his efforts to make sure of the desired end. Selecting his agents, he accomplishes the whole work while many would be halting to determine whether the project was feasible. A man of so pronounced opinions and prompt action naturally makes some enemies; but he has no opponents who do not accord to him the credit of an open and honorable warfare. In a word, he is essentially a business man in the full sense of that term. Not only in occupation, but in taste and aptitude, he is a representative of that class of American citizens who have won a world-wide reputation for practical sagacity, enterprise, and thrift.

Mr. White is in no sense of the word a party politician. Of Whig antecedents, his first vote was cast for Henry Clay, in 1844, for president. Before leaving his native town his liberal tendencies had been quickened by witnessing the unwarranted arrest, in the pulpit, of Rev. George Storrs, who was about to deliver the first anti-slavery lecture in Pittsfield. The event justly occasioned an unusual excitement, and was the beginning of that agitation which reached every town and hamlet in the Union.

Since the organization of the Republican party, Mr. White has supported it in all national issues; but is one of the independent thinkers who does not hesitate to exercise "the divine right of bolting" when unfit men are put in nomination.

In the winter of 1861, Mr. White and his family left on a southern trip, and reached Charleston, S. C., the last of February, not long after the United States troops under Maj. Anderson were shut up in Fort Sumter by the rebel forces. Mr. White had letters of introduction to several citizens of the city high in authority, who received him kindly, and, learning that he was a business man and not a politician, were anxious to learn from him the state of feeling among the business men and the middle class of citizens at the North. While the statements of Mr. White were far from gratifying, they continued their friendly relations. Previously he had written to his friend, Capt. John G. Foster, second in command at Fort Sumter, of his intended tarry at Charleston. He was now desirous of an interview with him. Applying to the Confederate authorities for a pass to Fort Sumter, it was granted him,--a privilege not allowed to any other civilian during the siege.

On the following day, March 5, he went on the steamer Clinch to Fort Johnson, to which point Maj. Anderson was allowed to send his boat under a flag of truce for the daily mail. Here a new obstacle was encountered, for the boat was forbidden by Maj. Anderson to bring any person to the fort. But, with the restriction that he should remain outside with the boat till Captain Foster could be notified, he was permitted to go. The interview was a great surprise as well as gratification.

Reaching Washington before the bombardment of Fort Sumter and the beginning of actual hostilities, Mr. White was taken to the war department and interviewed by Gen. Scott as to the determination and strength of the Confederate force at Charleston. Mr. White thought it would require a force of ten thousand men to relieve Fort Sumter, and said so. Gen. Scott laughed heartily, and told him that two thousand men would be ample for the purpose. In common with the most of the leading men at the capital, Gen. Scott underestimated the pluck and strength of the rebels. Soon after, when Jay Cooke was appointed government agent to negotiate the war loans, Mr. White received the appointment of agent for Nashua and vicinity.

In 1846, the year after coming to Nashua, Mr. White was united in marriage with Miss Caroline G. Merrill, oldest daughter of Caleb Merrill, Esq., of his native town. The marriage was a fortunate and happy one. The young wife was endowed with scholarly and refined attainments, qualifying her for the enjoyment of social and domestic life. Added to this, she possessed a sound and discriminating judgment on which her husband could safely rely. No transaction of any magnitude was entered upon without securing her approval. Many of his best and most sagacious moves in business were made at her suggestion. Of their two children, the eldest, Caroline Wilson, died in infancy. The son, James Wilson White, born June 10, 1849, fell a victim to the prevailing disease of this climate, and died in Florida, January 27, 1876. Mrs. White, having survived her children, died suddenly of apoplexy in 1880. Her memory is cherished by many who knew her worth.

In April, 1881, Mr. White was married the second time to Mrs. Ann M. Prichard, of Bradford, Vt., an educated and accomplished lady and the sister of his first wife. His residence, at the corner of Pearl and Cottage streets, combines the elements of modesty, taste, and comfort, and is the abode of a happy home circle.

HON. EDWARD ASHTON ROLLINS.

BY PROF. E. D. SANBORN.

The early settlers of New Hampshire were of pure English origin. They possessed that "large, roundabout common sense" which John Locke ascribes to the English people. A few leading families planted the first colonies, founded the state, and ruled it for more than a century. The Rollins family held a prominent place among the settlers of southern New Hampshire. James Rollins, the ancestor of most of the men who have borne that name in the state, came to this country as early as 1632, and finally settled in Dover.

The name Rollins, or Rawlings, is very ancient and honorable in England. Its origin is variously explained by antiquarians, but it can very naturally be traced to Rollo, who conquered Normandy and made it a kingdom, A. D. 912. William the Conqueror was the seventh in descent from the brave hero of Scandinavia. The descendants of Rollo followed in the train of the Conqueror, and were afterwards found in all parts of the United Kingdom. All the different families had nearly the same coat of arms, each indicative of their martial origin. The escutcheon is a shield with three swords in the center, and above it a human arm holding a fourth. The history of the race reveals their heroism, energy, and perseverance. The name we have chosen to illustrate represents a genuine scion of the old tree which for nine hundred years has drawn its vitality from the Scandinavian stock. Having said enough to show that Rollins is composed of the Northman name "Rollo," and the Saxon "ing," meaning child or descendant, we will speak briefly of the early life of the subject of this sketch.

EDWARD ASHTON ROLLINS was born in Wakefield, December 8, 1828. At the age of seven, his father, Hon. Daniel G. Rollins, removed to Great Falls, a village of Somersworth, and during much of his life was in public office. He was repeatedly elected to the legislature of New Hampshire, was for many years judge of probate for Strafford county, till he reached the age of seventy years, which, by law, terminated that office; he was also, for many years, president of the Great Falls & Conway Railroad Company. In all his official relations he acquitted himself with unsullied integrity. His son, Edward Ashton, was, therefore, trained to know the relations and duties of a business man. His father's example was his pole star. With his eye fixed on that, and with the inherited virtues of industry, energy, and prudence, he could scarcely go astray. He studied both books and men. The common school promoted his native love of learning, and occupied his youthful days. For a higher class of studies, he attended the academies of Rochester and Gilmanton. In 1847, at the age of nineteen, he entered Dartmouth College. He immediately received the place for which he was fitted by nature and culture. His character for sobriety, earnestness, and devotion to duty was already formed, and, as the poet hath it, "character is destiny." The best men in the class sought him as a companion. His teachers saw and aided his love of learning. None made greater progress; none were more highly esteemed; none ranked above him. Those kindred virtues, industry, economy, integrity, and devotion, always attract watchful eyes and win loving hearts. The path of duty and honor often lies hid even to the wise and prudent. Cromwell said, in the height of his fame, "No man often advanceth higher than he who knoweth not whither he goeth." The threads that run through the web of our life are carried by shuttles driven by an invisible but unerring hand. A little incident in the college life of Mr. Rollins illustrates this assertion. Walking one day with some college friends, he was met by President Lord, who, beckoning him to him, desired him to call at his study at a particular hour. This was the good doctor's usual method in summoning delinquents for discipline. The companions of Mr. Rollins rallied him upon his approaching interview; but hear the result. With no little anxiety, he met the president at the hour named, who said to him: "I have received a request from a distinguished gentleman in Baltimore, desiring me to send to him a young gentleman of the first rank in scholarship and character to be the private tutor of his sons. I have concluded to offer the place to you." After consultation with father and mother, at home, he decided to go. He found a delightful home, and formed friendships which have lasted till this day, and essentially modified his whole public life and determined his occupations. In his friendships, he follows Shakespeare's advice:--

"The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel."

Classmates, teachers, preachers, and neighbors are remembered and reverenced according to their worth. They not only enjoy his hospitality, but, if overtaken by want or misfortune, share his purse. Old and faithful servants, too, are not forgotten.

Mr. Rollins enjoys society; and in every social circle he gives more than he takes. He is the life of company; conversation never flags when he is present. His humor plays like sunshine over the surface of society. If any one fails to make his contribution to the wants of the occasion, he is roused to duty by a merry sally of humor from Mr. Rollins; and he is more likely to make himself than his neighbors the subject of his wit or satire. Like Charles Lamb, he holds the wires while others draw the sparks, which always move but never shock their feelings. Nobody is wounded, but all are animated. He can deliver an appropriate speech at any meeting in church or state, after dinner or after a session. The young and the old seek his company. Some of his warmest friends have been very aged men. The venerable Horace Binney lived to be ninety-six years of age, and he corresponded with Mr. Rollins till the last days of his long and useful life. Some of his letters deserve to be written in letters of gold, to be read and enjoyed by all lovers of truth, virtue, and religion. Rev. Dr. Barnes, also, kept up a neighborly intercourse with Mr. Rollins, by calls and letters, as long as he lived. Mr. Rollins's religious life was nourished by the notes and discourses of Albert Barnes, whom he loved as a spiritual father. Every Christmas was sure to bring to the good doctor a reminder of this relation.

To perpetuate home affections and keep alive a love of New England institutions, in the winter of 1881, Mr. Rollins, with a few friends, formed a New England society in Philadelphia. Their first meeting was a distinguished success. The proceedings were published in pamphlet form and were widely read. The speeches were wise and witty; that of Mr. Rollins, the first president, was full of pertinent allusions and patriotic sentiments. It was received with enthusiastic applause. His remarks, in the introduction of other orators, were beautifully adapted to the men and the occasion.

The extent and variety of Mr. Rollins's business relations make it impossible to characterize them with brevity. Integrity and fair dealing have marked his whole career as lawyer, commissioner, banker, and railroad manager. His motto is, "Live and let live." The pecuniary interests of friend, neighbor, client, trader, relative, or stranger are never prejudiced by partisan opinions. An opponent and friend stand, in business relations, on the same foundations. His large experience in money matters creates the impression that he is a safe adviser in the purchase of stocks; he is, therefore, often importuned to decide for others questions of investment. Where men are known to be honest and faithful in handling money, even strangers ask no other security for their property.

Such is the law of association that binds together honest and honorable business men. Large pecuniary enterprises prosper in their hands, because they fear God and love justice and truth. Of every such man it is said, "Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." So God ordains.

This title, "_in office_," covers nearly the whole professional life of Mr. Rollins. After six years of successful practice of the law, he was elected to the legislature of New Hampshire from Somersworth. He held this relation for three years; during the last two, 1861 and 1862, he was chosen speaker of the house. It was a period of great excitement, the very outbreak of the civil war. Though young and inexperienced, he acquitted himself with the highest credit to himself and honor to the state. At the close of this responsible and difficult work, he was appointed, by President Lincoln, cashier of the bureau of internal revenue; and the next year, deputy commissioner of the same department. In 1865 he was made commissioner of internal revenue, one of the most responsible positions that any citizen of our country has ever been called to fill. The office was new, important, and burdensome. No finite mind could comprehend and control at once its multitudinous relations. Its net-work covered the whole territory of the United States. The property of the entire country was subject to its inspection and taxation. More than a million of dollars, every day, were received into the treasury from six thousand agents, for whose official integrity the head of the department was responsible. In new cases, the commissioner was often obliged to act as law-maker, judge, and executive. The cases admitted of no delay. The safety of the state required prompt decisions. These sprung up as intuitions. In his official report, made to congress in November, 1865, the commissioner says: "When it is recollected that the present generation only know by tradition or obsolete statutes that taxes have ever been imposed in this country on articles of their own manufacture, and the objects of internal traffic, or upon the various crafts and professions in which they were employed; and when, too, it is considered that the revenue collected for a single year ending June 30, 1865, amounts to a sum nearly or quite equal to all the receipts of this government, from whatever sources, from its organization to the year 1812; and when it is further considered that this amount was contributed at a time when the commercial marine of the country had been nearly destroyed and more than a million of men had been withdrawn from the productive pursuits of life,--we may not only be justly proud that the material strength of the country has been fully equal to the burden, but that it has been borne so quietly and so willingly." This office was administered wisely and well, by Mr. Rollins, till March 8, 1869, when President Grant assumed the reins of government. Failing health then admonished him to retire from the distracting cares of the office of commissioner. At the time of its resignation, as many of his subordinate officials as could come together adopted resolutions of respect and confidence in honor of their head. The first resolution expresses the opinions of the whole country, including cabinet officers and senators, as well as their own. It is thus written:--

"_Resolved_, that the integrity, fidelity, ability, and untiring
devotion to the duties of his office which Mr. Rollins has
exhibited, have inspired in us feelings of profound respect for
his sterling qualities as a man and an officer; and that we
especially admire the genial disposition which he has uniformly
manifested toward us, amid all the cares and perplexities of a
difficult and a burdensome office, held, much of the time, under
peculiarly trying circumstances."

The remaining resolutions are cumulative of these expressions of confidence and esteem. No testimony could be more honorable to a well spent official life.

The religious life of Mr. Rollins, from boyhood to age, has been as strongly marked as his official career. He believes in doing, not in seeming; in practice, not in profession. He can speak as well as work for the truth. When the pastor needs help, he addresses the people. When the poor of the church or congregation need aid, he heads and carries the subscription paper. He has never lived in a place where he has not taught a Bible class; and worthy young men who have learned in his classes have often received promotion in business through his influence. He is always present at the stated meetings of the church. "Punctuality," says the old maxim, "is the essence of virtue." Mr. Rollins believed in the importance of punctuality; therefore he was never missed from the place of duty. In college he was never absent or unprepared; in office, in the bank, in public assemblies, the hours of business are promptly observed. In church, too, the times and places of worship are conscientiously observed, and if a delinquent neighbor, who has failed to be present when church affairs, temporal or spiritual, were discussed, meets him on a subsequent day, he is carefully questioned with regard to his health!

The family is the unit of the state. Good families make good communities, good cities, and good nations. A single good family is a light shining in a dark place. The history of the world is the united histories of illustrious families. The history of the church is the history of holy men. The Scriptures record the deeds and words of the best men our earth has known. Eliminate from the Bible the actions and opinions of kings, prophets, and apostles, and the records of our race become unintelligible. When we find a faultless and worthy Christian household, we do well to present it to the public for contemplation and imitation. One such household we venture to describe. Mr. Rollins's house is beautiful of situation, at the corner of Spruce and Fortieth streets, in West Philadelphia. Its liberal grounds, numerous trees, shrubs, and flowers make it very attractive to the eye of the stranger. When once introduced to the interior, every guest who has any music in his soul would be delighted to sing "Home, sweet Home" from early morn to dewy eve. Every room invites you to repose; every picture that looks upon you from the walls bids you welcome. It is impossible for one who has enjoyed the hospitality of the house to describe it fully without encroaching upon the sacred privacy of domestic life. This house was long the home of the now sainted mother, who only a few months ago was bidden to go up higher, and left the husband and children desolate. The house seems like the shrine of a departed divinity. The furniture was of her selection, the walls and mantels were adorned by her handiwork; and when changes or additions are now made to the internal conveniences of the home, the first question asked is, "What would mother choose if she could speak to us?" Her spirit seems still to hover over them.

Sidney Smith said, "There can be no handsomer furniture than books." Every room, every nook and corner of the house, is furnished with new books. The room specially devoted to library uses has a selection of books in every department of reading, sufficient for the instruction and pleasure of any man of refined taste and culture. Amid the thousands of volumes gathered, the most precious of them all to the family and their friends are two volumes written by Mrs. Rollins not long before her decease, entitled "New England Bygones" and "Old-Time Child Life." To one born in New England seventy years ago, the pictures of New England scenes are inimitable; they stir the blood of age like a trumpet. These books are the creations of true genius, and will live when all the contemporaries of this gifted woman are dead.

Enough has been said to reveal the attractions of this delightful home. Every word has been dictated by a life-long friendship. The sterling qualities of the subject of this sketch constrained me to portray them, and the half has not been said. When the elders of the Jews were sent to Jesus by the Roman centurion to intercede for his sick servant, the highest commendation they could name was this: "For he loveth our nation, and hath built us a synagogue." He was patriotic and religious; he feared God and loved his neighbor. No higher test of moral worth can be named. Let all public men be judged by this standard; and among them our good friend whom we have sketched, we doubt not, will hold a high rank. And if at any time the President of the United States should be seeking for a man for financial secretary who is honest, capable, and experienced, a multitude of voters would cry out,--Edward Ashton Rollins is the man!

VIRGIL C. GILMAN.

VIRGIL CHASE GILMAN was born in Unity, Sullivan county, New Hampshire, May 5, 1827, and was the third of a family of eight children born to Emerson and Delia (Way) Gilman.

Emerson Gilman was the oldest son and the first of twelve children born to Stephen and Dorothy (Clough) Gilman, who were married September 5, 1793. This was his second marriage, he having married Anna Huntoon, by whom he had nine children, some of whom died in infancy. Stephen Gilman was a native of Kingston, and served as a cavalry officer in the war of the Revolution. He was a descendant of Moses Gilman, who was one of three brothers,--Edward, John, and Moses,--who emigrated from Hingham, England, early in the sixteenth century.

In 1827, it was said:[4] "Edward Gilman's descendants are as
numerous as the sands on the seashore. There is hardly a state
in the Union where they may not be found. The family have been
in civil office from the time our colony became a royal province
to the present time. John Gilman was one of the first counselors
named in President Cutts's commission, and died in 1708. Col.
Peter Gilman was one of the royal counselors in 1772. Hon.
Nicholas Gilman was counselor in 1777 and 1778. Hon. John
Gilman, in 1787; while the present venerable John Taylor Gilman
was fourteen years, eleven in succession, our highly respected
chief magistrate. His brother, Nicholas Gilman, was a member of
the house of representatives in congress eight years, and in the
national senate nine years. Our ecclesiastical annals have,
also, Rev. Nicholas Gilman, Harvard College, 1724; and Rev.
Tristram Gilman, Harvard College, 1757, both respected clergymen
and useful men."

These words are quoted in substance from Mr. Lincoln's work. "If
he had written forty years later" says the author of "The Gilman
Family in England and America,"[5] "he would have found the
family still more numerous and many additions would have been
made to his list of prominent men bearing the Gilman name. The
family of Gilmans is not one furnishing a few brilliant
exceptions in a long list of commonplace names. Its members
appear generally to have been remarkable for the quiet home
virtues, and rather to have desired to be good citizens than men
of great name. To an eminent degree they appear to have obtained
the esteem and respect of those nearest to them, for sound
judgment and sterling traits of character."

Emerson Gilman followed the trade of clothier until the introduction of machinery supplanted the hand process, when he, after pursuing the business of farmer for a few years, removed to Lowell, Mass., in 1837, relying, upon his strong and willing hands to find support for his large family and give his children the advantages of education which that city signally afforded.