History of Haddam, (Middlesex County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Stephen Johnson Field, jurist, was born in Haddam, Conn., Nov. 4, 1816; son of the Rev. David Dudley and Submit (Dickinson) Field. His paternal and maternal grandfathers were captains in the American Revolutionary army. He went to Smyrna with his sister Emilia, wife of the Rev. Josiah Brewer, in 1829, and there had a varied experience, including shipwreck and ministering to the sufferers from the plague and cholera. He became familiar with the oriental languages, spent three years in study and observation, visiting Turkey, Greece, Armenia, and the principal cities of Asia Minor, and acquired a knowledge of the spoken languages and religions of the countries visited. He was graduated at Williams college in 1837, at the head of the class. He studied law in Albany, N.Y., and in New York city, in the office of his brother David Dudley, and was admitted to the bar in 1841. While pursuing his law course in Albany he had as an instructor John Van Buren, attorney-general of New York, and for a time he was an instructor in the Albany Female academy. He was a law partner with his brother, 1841-48. He spent 1849 in Europe, accompanied by his venerable father, and went to California at the close of that year. He reached the embryo city of San Francisco with ten dollars and at the end of his first day that sum was reduced to a single dollar, when he presented a letter of introduction to a real estate agent, who advised him to go to Vernon, and sold him several town lots there on credit. To reach it he took passage on a Sacramento river steamboat to the head of navigation, near the spot where Captain Sutter discovered gold. When the steamer reached that "town," finding it wholly submerged by a great flood, with the exception of a solitary house, he decided to go further on, and the following day arrived at a landing known as Nye's Ranch, near the junction of Feather and Yuba rivers. This place was called "Yubaville." It had 1000 people and one adobe house, and had been settled about eight days. They rechristened the town Marysville in honor of the only woman in the settlement and on the third day Mr. Field was elected its first magistrate under the Spanish title of alcalde. He held the office and administered justice with supreme authority until the organized state government provided a substitute in the person of Judge Turner, from Texas. The new judge denounced Mr. Field as an abolitionist, disbarred him from practice in the courts and swore to drive him from the state. Mr. Field notified the judge that he would defend himself if attacked, and that he did not propose to leave Marysville. He was elected a representative in the first state legislature from Yuba county, and as a member of the judiciary committee he moulded the laws of the state, fixing the legality of land titles and establishing a liberal civil and criminal code after the models submitted by his brother, David Dudley, to the legislature of the state of New York. He served but one term, when he returned to the practice of his profession at Marysville. In 1857 he was elected a judge of the supreme court of California for six years. In 1859, upon the resignation of Chief Justice Terry, he succeeded to the head of the bench. He established the doctrine that gold and silver belonged to the owners of the soil and not to the state, which reversed the doctrine previously laid down that, as in England the minerals of the soft belong to the crown, so in the United States they must by virtue of its sovereignty belong to the state. He was married in 1860 to Miss Swearingen and they had no children. In 1863 he was appointed by President Lincoln associate justice of the supreme court of the United States, upon the unanimous recommendation of the congressional delegates from the Pacific coast, five Democrats and three Republicans. He held the office until Dec. 1, 1897, when after a continuous service of nearly forty-four years, President McKinley accepted his resignation. Judge Field was a member of the commission appointed by Governor Booth in 1873 to prepare amendments to the code for legislative action. In 1877 he was a member of the electoral commission and voted with the minority. In 1880, at the National Democratic convention at Cincinnati, Ohio, he received 65 votes on the first ballot for President of the United States. In 1881 he visited Smyrna and the scenes of his boyhood days on the shores of the Mediterranean. In the early days of his life in California he twice escaped assassination, once at the bands of land-squatters dispossessed by his decision, and next at the hands of David S. Terry, a former chief-justice. A United States marshal detailed to protect Judge Field from threatened assault, shot and killed Terry as he was in the act of attempting to assassinate the judge. Judge Field was professor of law in the University of California, 1869-85, and a trustee of Leland Stanford Junior university, 1891-99. Williams college conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1864. On Feb. 4, 1890, on the occasion of the centennial anniversary of the organization of the U.S. supreme court, celebrated in New York city, he delivered an address. He died in Washington, D.C., April 9, 1899.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

John Brainerd, missionary, was born at Haddam, Conn., Feb. 28, 1720, son of Hezekiah and Dorothy (Hobart) Brainerd. He was graduated at Yale college in 1746, and was licensed to preach April 11, 1747, by the New York presbytery. He began his labors at Bethel, near Cranberry, N.J., where his brother David had been preaching. In February, 1748, he was ordained, and was commissioned to take the place of David by the Society for the propagation of Christian knowledge. In September, 1749, he took the degree of A.M. from New Jersey college. He was enrolled as a member of the presbytery of New York in 1751. In his work among the Indians he was met by serious obstacles, and misunderstandings arose between him and the society. Although the troubles arose from the perturbed state of affairs and not through any fault of his, he was requested to relinquish the work. He was after-terwards, however, reinstated. He drew largely from his private resources to aid the Indians, advancing over two thousand dollars that should have been paid by the society. His impaired health forced him to give up the work, and he took charge of a church at Newark, N.J. He later preached at Mount Holly and in the country towns surrounding Egg harbor, N.J. From 1777 until the time of his death he was stationed at Deerfield N.J., where he died March 18, 1781.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Alexander Shaler, soldier, was born at Haddam, Conn., March 19, 1827; son of Ira and Jerusha (Arnold) Shaler; grandson of James and Olive (Tyler) Shaler and of David and Jerusha (Thomas) Arnold, and a descendant, in the seventh generation, of Thomas Shaylor, who emigrated from Stratford-on-Avon, England, to Boston, and with twenty-seven others went from Hartford, Conn., in 1662, and organized the town of Haddam, Conn. He was educated in the academy in his native town, and engaged in business in New York city. He was married, March 31, 1847, to Mary, daughter of James and Agnes (White) McMurray of New York city. In 1845 he enlisted in the 8th regiment, New York militia, "Washington Grays"; became captain in the 7th regiment, New York militia, March 18, 1850, was colonel of the 1st regiment, Hudson brigade New Jersey state militia, 1854?60, and was elected major of the 7th regiment, N.G.S.N.Y., Dec. 13, 1860, and his regiment marched to the defence of Washington, D.C., in April, 1861, for thirty days' service. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel, 65th N.Y. volunteers, June 11, 1861, and colonel, July 17, 1862; commanded the first brigade, Newton's 3d division, Sedgwick's 6th corps, Army of the Potomac, and took part in all the campaigns of that army until captured by the enemy. For his conduct in the assault on Marye's Heights, Fredericksburg, Va., May 3, 1863, he was promoted brigadier-general, U.S. volunteers, and subsequently received the congressional medal of honor for gallantry in that assault. His corps reached Gettysburg on the second day of that battle and his brigade won distinction, July 2?3. He commanded the military prison on Johnson's Island, Sandusky, Ohio, during the following winter; was captured with General Seymour and other officers at the battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864, and subsequently placed under fire of the Union batteries at Charleston, S.C. After being exchanged, he commanded a brigade in the 19th army corps, at Columbus, Ky.; was brevetted major-general of volunteers, July 27, 1865; commanded the 2d division. 7th corps, at Duval's Bluff, Ark., and was mustered out of the volunteer service, Aug. 24, 1865. He was appointed major-general, 1st division, N.G.S.N.Y., Jan. 23, 1867, and resigned, May 21, 1886. In 1861 he published a manual of arms for infantry doing duty as light infantry. He was president of the New York fire department, 1867?70, and fire commissioner, 1870?73, reorganizing the department; re-organized the fire department of Chicago after the great fire of 1874, serving as consulting engineer to the board of fire and police in the latter city, 1874?75, and was president of the health department of New York city, 1883?87. He was one of the founders and president of the National Rifle association and an incorporator of the Army and Navy club; commander of the New York Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. 1883?84; president of the Association of Union Ex-Prisoners of War, New York city, 1887?96, and a member of the Union League club, the G.A.R., the New York Historical society, the American Geographical society, the American Museum of Natural History, the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, anti the Society for the Preservation of Scenic and Historical Places and Objects. He made his home in later life in Ridgefield, N.J., where be was president of the board of health, of the board of education and of the Improvement association; and was mayor of the borough, 1899?1900. He took an active interest in the popular movement for "Good Roads", and in 1890 contributed a series of articles for the press, entitled How to Lay Out, Construct and keep in Repair Public Highways.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Asahel W. Hubbard, representative, was born in Haddam, Conn., Jan. 18, 1819. He was educated in the district school and removed to Indiana in 1888, where he was a school teacher and law student. He was admitted to the bar in 1841 and practised in the state, 1841-57. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1847-50, and in 1857 removed to Sioux City, Iowa, where he was judge of the fourth judicial district of the state. He was a representative from Iowa in the 38th, 39th and 40th congresses, 1863-69. He died in Sioux City, Iowa, Sept. 22, 1879.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor