History of Bridgewater, (Plymouth County) Massachusetts United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Bridgewater, (Plymouth County) Massachusetts, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Biographies:

George Leonard Andrews, soldier, was born at Bridgewater, Mass., Aug. 31, 1828. In 1847 he entered the U. S. military academy at West Point, where he was graduated in 1851 at the head of his class. He was commissioned brevet 2d lieutenant in the U. S. engineer corps, and served three years as assistant to Col. Sylvanus Thayer, during which time he superintended the erection of fortifications in Boston harbor. In 1854 he served as instructor in the department of military engineering at the military academy. He resigned his commission in 1855 and became a civil engineer. On the breaking out of the civil war he entered the volunteer army as lieutenant-colonel of the 2d Massachusetts infantry, of which he was made colonel June 13, 1862. He commanded the regiment in the battles of Winchester and at Cedar Mountain. He fought at Second Bull Run, Chantilly, and Antietam, and was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers Nov. 10, 1862, for "distinguished bravery." In 1863 he joined the Red River expedition, served as a brigade commander, and was chief of staff to General Banks from March 6 to July 9, 1863. He took part in the Teche campaign, participating in the combat at Fort Bisland, the advance upon Opelousas and Alexandria, and the siege of Port Hudson, of which place he received the surrender. He took charge of the organization of the colored troops, at first known as the "Corps d' Afrique," having at one time under his command nineteen thousand colored soldiers. From Dec. 28, 1864, to Feb. 13, 1865, he commanded the military district including Port Hudson and Baton Rouge, and from Feb. 27 to June 6, 1865, he officiated as provost marshal-general of the army of the Gulf. He was present at the attacks on the city and defences of Mobile, and was brevetted major-general of volunteers for "faithful and meritorious services" during these engagements. In June, 1865, he was appointed chief of staff to Major-General Canby, serving in that capacity until Aug. 24, 1865, when he was honorably mustered out of service. From 1865 to 1867 he was a planter in Washington county, Miss., and from 1867 to 1871 he served as U. S. marshal for the district of Massachusetts. In 1871 he was appointed by President Grant professor of the French language in the U.S. military academy, and by the operation of law became the professor of modern languages in 1882. He was retired from active service Aug. 13, 1892. He died in Brookline, Mass., April 4, 1899.

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

Joshua Eddy Crane, librarian, was born in Bridgewater, Mass., Oct. 1, 1850; eldest son of Joshua Eddy and Lucy (Reed) Crane; and grandson of Barzillai and Lydia (Eddy) Crane of Berkley, Mass. He was fitted for college at Bridgewater academy, and was graduated at Brown university in 1872. He was preceptor of Bridgewater academy, 1873-75; principal of the English preparatory department of the Syrian Protestant college, at Beir?t, Syria, 1876-79; and travelled extensively in Europe and in the Levant. In 1882 he was associated with the Latin department of the Albany (N.Y.) academy, and in 1884 became the librarian of the Young men's association for mutual improvement, at Albany, N.Y. In 1887 he became associate principal of a preparatory school for boys, at Portland, Maine, but ultimately returned to the library at Albany, from which he withdrew in 1892. He was appointed librarian of the public library of Taunton, Mass., succeeding Ebenezer Cary Arnold, in 1895. Mr. Crane also engaged in historical and genealogical investigations, and became a member of the New England historic, genealogical society, historiographer of the Old Colony historical society, and corresponding secretary of the Old Bridgewater historical society.

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

Willard Phillips, editor and author, was born in Bridgewater, Mass., Dec. 19, 1784; son of Joseph Phillips, grandson of Thomas and Mary (Hatch) Phillips, and a descendant of the Rev. George Phillips, first minister of Watertown, Mass. He was graduated at Harvard, A.B., 1810, A.M., 1813; was tutor there, 1811-15; practised law in Boston, Mass., 1818-45; was a representative in the general court, 1825-26; judge of probate for Suffolk county, 1839-47, and president of the New England Mutual life insurance company, 1843-73. He received the degree LL.D. from Harvard in 1853, and was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was connected editorially with the General Repository and Review; the North American Review; the American Jurist; the first and second American editions of Collyer's Law of Partnership (1834-'9), and the first eight volumes of Pickering's Reports (1824); and is the author of: Treatise on the Law of Insurance (1823); Manual of Political Economy (1828); The Law of Patents for Inventions, including the Remedies and Legal Proceedings in Relation to Patent Rights (1837): The Inventor's Guide (1837), and Protection and Free Trade (1850). He died in Cambridge, Mass., Sept. 9, 1873.

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