History of Brimfield, (Hampden County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Biographies:

Samuel Guthrie, chemist, was born in Brimfield, Mass., in 1782. He studied medicine and directed his research to practical chemistry. He was married and settled in Chenango county, N.Y., removing in 1817 to Sacket Harbor, N.Y. He was the inventor of percussion pills, an appliance that superseded the flint lock in firearms and the forerunner of the percussion cap. He was permanently crippled and nearly lost his life in prosecuting his investigation of percussion material. In 1830 he invented the process by which potato starch could be rapidly converted into molasses. He was the original discoverer in America of a "spirituous solution of chloric ether," the chloroform of Damas. His product was exhibited to Professor Silliman of Yale in 1831, who repeated the process by which it was produced a year before it was made public by Soubeiran and three years before Dumas published his results and named the product chloroform. The Medico-chirurgical society of Edinburgh appointed a committee to investigate the claims of the respective claimants to the right of discovery and the committee awarded to Dr. Guthrie the merit of having in 1832 first published an account of its therapeutic effects as a diffusible stimulant. He died in Sacket Harbor, N.Y., Oct. 19, 1848.

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

Erasmus Darwin Keyes, soldier, was born at Brimfield, Mass., May 29, 1810; son of Dr. Justas and Elizabeth (Corey) Keyes; grandson of Edward Keyes of Ashford, Conn.; a descendant, in the seventh generation, of Solomon Keyes, who came to Massachusetts Bay colony from England, prior to 1653; and also a descendant of Giles Corey, tbe hero of one of Longfellow's poems, who was killed for witchcraft in Salem, Mass., about 1692. He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy in 1832; served the 3d artillery in Charleston Harbor, S.C., during the nullification troubles, 1832-33; and was promoted 2d lieutenant Aug. 31, 1833. He served on staff duty at the headquarters of the Eastern department, 1833-37; was promoted 1st lieutenant, Sept. 16, 1836; and was aide-de-camp to General Scott, 1837-41, assisting in removing the Indians of the Cherokee nation beyond the Mississippi in 1838. He was promoted captain, Nov. 30, 1841, was on duty in Florida, 1842, in garrison at New Orleans, La., in 1842, and at Fort Moultrie, S.C., 1842-44. He was a member of the board of visitors to the U.S. Military academy in 1844; was an instructor in artillery and cavalry practice, 1844-48; was in garrison at San Francisco, Cal., 1849-51, and in the latter year escorted the Indian commissioners in California. He was again in garrison at San Francisco, Cal., 1851-55; on frontier duty during the Indian hostilities in Washington Territory, 1855-56; in garrison at San Francisco, Cal., 1856-58, and served on the Spokane expedition,Washington Territory, 1858, being engaged in the combats of Four Lakes, Sept. 1, 1858, Spokane Plain, Sept. 5, 1858, and the skirmish on Spokane river, Sept. 8, 1858. He was promoted major of the 1st artillery, Oct. 12, 1858; was in garrison at San Francis, 188-59; and was lieutenant-colonel of the staff and military secretary to General Scott, 1860-61. He assisted in organizing the expedition to relieve Fort Pick-ens, Fla., in April, 1861; was promoted colonel of the 11th infantry, May 14, 1861; and commissioned brigadier-general of U.S. volunteers, May 17, 1861. He served on the staff of Governor Morgan of New York, assisting in forwarding the state quota of volunteers to the front, April to June, 1861, and recruited his regiment at Boston, Mass., June and July, 1861. He was ordered to the front and commanded the 1st brigade in Tyler's 1st division, McDowell's army, at the first battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861; was in command of defences of Washington, D.C., July 22, 1861 to March 10, 1862; was assigned to McClellan's Army of the Potomac and placed in command of the 4th corps, made up of Couch's and Caeey's division, and including the brigades of Peck, Abercrombie, Derins, Naglee, Wessells and Palmer, engaged in the action at Lee's Mills, April 5, 1862; and the siege of Yorktown, with station near New Kent court-house, April 5 to May 4, 1862. He was promoted major-general of volunteers, May 5, 1862; was engaged in the skirmish at Bottom's Bridge, May 22, 1862; in the action near Savage's Station, May 24, 1862; the battles of Seven Pines, May 31,1862, Charles City Cross-roads, June 29, 1862, Malvern Hill, July 1-2, 1862; and the skirmish at Harrison's Landing, July 2, 1862, his corps constituting the rear guard of McClellan's army in its transfer from the York to the James river, and he was brevetted brigadier-general in the U.S. army May 31, 1862, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Fair Oaks, Va. He continued in command of his corps as part of the Army of the James, Aug. 25, 1862, to July, 1863, being engaged in the raid to the White House, Va., Jan. 7, 1803; in command of an expedition to West Point, Va., May 7,1863, and in an expedition under Major-General Dix toward Richmond, June and July, 1863. He was accused by General Dix of causing the failure of the expedition, and he made repeated applications for a court-martial to defend himself against the charges made, which were all denied. He served on the board for retiring disabled officers from July 15, 1863, until May 6, 1864, when he resigned from the army and removed to San Francisco, Cal. He was president of the Mexican Gold Mining company, 1867-69, and vice-president of the California Vine Culture society, 1868-72. He was married to Caroline M., daughter of Judge James B. and Eleanor (Fisher) Clarke. He is the author of: Fifty Years' Observations of Men and Events (1884), and The Rear Guard at Malvern Hill in "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War" (Vol. II., pp. 43-45). He died at Nice, France, Oct. 15, 1895, and was buried at West Point, N.Y., in 1897.

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

Erastus Fairbanks, governor of Vermont, was born in Brimfield, Mass., Oct. 28, 1792; son of Joseph and Phoebe (Paddock) Fairbanks. His father was a farmer, carpenter and mill owner, who settled in St. Johnsbury, Vt., in 1815. His first American ancestors, Jonathan and Grace Fairbanks or Ffayerbanke, were natives of Sowerby, near Halifax, Yorkshire, England, and came to America about 1630, settling in Contentment, afterward Dedham, Mass., in 1633, where they erected a house, the timbers and brick for which they brought from England on the ship Speedwell. This house was standing and contained the original furniture in 1899. Erastus attended the district school, taught a similar school two terms and in 1812 became a student of law in the office of his uncle, Judge Ephraim Paddock, at St. Johnsbury, Vt. Failing health compelled him to relinquish study and he entered mercantile life as a country store-keeper. He joined his younger brother, Thaddeus, in establishing a manufactory of plows, stoves, etc., about 1824, and in 1829 they added to the business that of dealers in hemp. This led to the invention of the platform scales for their own use. The demand from the public for similar scales suggested their manufacture and this business soon superseded their other interests. In 1828 they met their first financial reverse through a fire and flood and for two years they were at the mercy of their creditors, who, however, gave them the time asked, during which they fully liquidated all debts. Erastus represented his town in the state legislature, 1836-38. He was a Whig presidential elector, 1844 and 1848; was governor of the state, 1852, but was defeated at the next election by reason of having signed the bill passed by the legislature prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors in the state. In 1854 he declined a renomination urged upon him by the Whig party, but in 1860 was prevailed upon by the Republican party to accept a unanimous nomination, and he defeated Jolm G. Saxe, the Democratic candidate. He was Vermont's "war governor," 1860-61, and the state voted $1,000,000, which was placed at his disposal to arm and forward troops for the defence of the Union. He sent out six regiments constituting the famous Vermont brigade, and a company of sharpshooters, and at the expiration of his term refused to draw out of the state treasury his authorized salary. He was a promoter and president of the Passumpsic railroad and a member of the company that constructed the Sault Ste. Marie canal. With his brothers he founded the academy at St. Johnsbury in 1842, and a fund left by him for that purpose assisted in maintaining the Atheneum, the Museum of natural science and the North church. He was president of the Vermont domestic missionary society, 1849-64, and for many years a corporate member of the American board of foreign missions. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Vermont in 1860. He was married, May 30, 1815, to Lois Crossman of Peacham, Vt. Two of their sons, Horace and Franklin, were brought up in the business of their father and uncle and succeeded to the management of the concern. He died in St. Johnsbury, Vt., Nov. 20, 1864.

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

Abner Morgan, soldier, was born in Brimfield, Mass., Jan. 9, 1746; son of Jonathan and Ruth (Miller) Morgan; grandson of David and Deborah (Cotton) Morgan; great grandson of Joseph and Tryphenia (Smith) Morgan, and a descendant of Capt. Mills and Prudence (Gilbert) Morgan. He was graduated at Harvard, A.B., 1773; and practised law at Brimfield, being the first lawyer there; and also practised in Worcester. He represented Brimfield in the general court that met at Watertown, Mass., from July 19, 1775, to Jan. 21, 1776, and voted to raise a regiment from Berkshire and Hampshire counties to serve in the expedition to Canada. He became major of the first regiment of Continental troops raised in Massachusetts, and under Col. Elisha Porter marched with General Arnold to Quebec to join General Montgomery. After the death of Montgomery, Arnold being disabled, Major Morgan led the final attack on Quebec, Jan. 1, 1776, when they were driven off by overpowering numbers, and retreated to Crown Point, N.Y., where on July 8, 1776, Major Morgan drew up an address of the field officers to Gen John Sullivan on the latter's withdrawing from the command of the army of Canada. He served in the army until Aug. 29, 1778, when he was appointed brigade major for Hampden county, Mass. He was commissioned justice of the peace of Massachusetts by General Hancock in 1781; was chairman of the committee for taking up persons dangerous to the commonwealth in 1782; served as selectman of Brimfield for twenty-two years, and was the assessor for Hampden district to collect direct the U.S. tax levied on the state by congress in 1798. He represented Brimfield in the Massachusetts legislature, 1798-1801. He received from the government a pension and a bounty of 20,000 acres in Livingston county, N.Y., on the banks of the Genesee river. He was married March 31, 1796, to Persis, daughter of David and Tabitha (Collins) Morgan, and in 1826 removed to Lima, N.Y., and from there to Avon, N.Y., where he died Nov. 7, 1887.

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