History of Winchester, (Cheshire County) New Hampshire United States of America

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Biographies:

Leonard Wood, soldier, was born in Winchester, N.H., Oct. 9, 1860; son of Charles Jewett and Caroline E. (Hagar) Wood. He attended the public school and Pierce academy, Middleboro, Mass., and was graduated from Harvard college, M.D., 1884. He was house surgeon at the Boston city hospital, 1883-84, commencing regular practice in Boston, 1884; was appointed assistant surgeon, U.S.A., Jan. 5, 1886, and accepted the office Aug. 11, 1886. He participated as a line officer in Captain Lawton's successful expedition of 1886 against the Apaches under Geronimo, receiving a congressional medal of honor for his distinguished services. He resumed his medical practice in Boston, and was married, Nov. 18, 1890, to Louise A. Condit, daughter of John Condit Smith of Washington, D.C. He was promoted captain and assistant surgeon, U.S.A., Jan. 5, 1891, and at the outbreak of the war with Spain, recruited at San Antonio, Tex., the 1st U.S. volunteer cavalry (subsequently known as the "Rough Riders "), of which he was appointed colonel, May 8, 1898, and Theodore Roosevelt lieutenant-colonel. For his gallant services at Las Guasimas, June 24, and San Juan Hill, July 1-3 (where he commanded two brigades of General Wheeler's cavalry division) Colonel Wood was promoted brigadier-general, July 8, 1898, accepting the commission July 18, 1898. After the surrender of Santiago, July 19, 1898, General Wood served as military governor of the city until Dec. 13, 1899, being officially appointed to the command of the department of Santiago, Oct. 9, 1898. He was promoted major-general of volunteers, Dec. 9, 1898, and was honorably discharged from the volunteer service April 13, 1899. He was reappointed the same day; was made military governor of Cuba, Dec. 13, 1899, and in his official position restored order and prepared the inhabitants for civil rule, which was inaugurated on the island at noon on May 20, 1902, when the Cuban flag took the place of the Stars and Stripes over the capitol building and the military forts. Governor Wood withdrew the U.S. troops from the island the same day, and himself took passage on board the U.S.S.C. Brooklyn for the United States. His commission as brigadier-general, U.S.A., was dated Feb. 4, 1901, and he was subsequently nominated to the rank of major-general, U.S.A.

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

Harvey Jewell, lawyer, was born in Winchester, N.H., May 26, 1820; son of Pliny Jewell. He was a brother of Marshall, Pliny and Charles Jewell, all of whom were associated with their father in the business of tanning leather, which trade he also learned. He was graduated at Dartmouth in 1844; taught school in Boston, Mass.; studied law, 1844-47, and was admitted to the bar, Oct. 1, 1847. He made a specialty of maritime law and corporations. He was actively engaged in the politics of Massachusetts, first as an old line Whig and later as a Republican; was a member of the Boston municipal council, 1851-52; was a representative in the Massachusetts legislature, 1861-71, and speaker four terms. He was a candidate for governor in 1871, but with drew in favor of W. B. Washburn for the purpose of defeating Gen. B. F. Butler. He was judge of the court of commissioners of Alabama claims. 1875-77. Dartmouth college conferred on him the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1875. He died in Boston, Mass., Dec. 8, 1881.

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

Marshall Jewell, cabinet officer, was born in Winchester, N.H., Oct. 20, 1825; son of Pliny Jewell, a tanner and currier, who in 1845 removed to Hartford, Conn., and established a leather-belting business; and a descendant of Thomas Jewell, who emigrated from England in 1639, having received a grant of land at North Wollaston, Massachusetts Bay colony. Marshall Jewell obtained a common school education, entered his father's tannery and learned the trade, the fourth generation to follow that vocation. He studied electricity as applied to telegraphy in Boston, Mass., and was telegraph operator at Rochester, N.Y., Akron, Ohio, Columbia, Tenn., and Jackson, Miss., and in 1848 he superintended the construction of telegraph lines between Louisville and New Orleans. He was general superintendent of the New York and Boston telegraph lines in 1849, and was recalled to Hartford in 1850 to become a partner in the belting factory, and upon his father's death he became head of the firm. He was married in 1852 to Esther, daughter of William Dickinson, of Newburgh, N.Y. He visited Europe in 1859 and made a careful inspection of the tanneries in England and France, and by purchasing quantities of leather before the outbreak of the civil war he greatly increased the importance of his firm. He was a Republican candidate for state senator in 1868, and the same year was a candidate for governor of Connecticut, being defeated by James E. English. He was elected in 1869 for a term of one year, and in 1870 was again defeated by English. He was elected in 1871, and re-elected in 1872. During his administration the erection of the new state house at Hartford was begun. He was appointed U.S. minister to Rubin in 1873, and negotiated with the Russian government a trade-mark treaty, carrying it to completion. Through his investigations while in Russia, aided by his knowledge of tanning leather, the process of tanning what was known as Russia leather, which process had been a secret, was introduced into the United States. He was recalled in 1874 and made postmaster-general in the cabinet of President Grant. He supported Benjamin H. Bristow, secretary of the treasury, in his prosecution of the whisky ring. He also detected the Star Route irregularities and the overthrow of the combination was largely due to him. When Bristow resigned from President Grant's cabinet, Mr. Jewell also resigned, returning to Hartford, where he devoted himself to his tanning interests. He was a candidate before the Republican caucus for U.S. senator in 1876, but was defeated by two votes; was chairman of the Republican national committee and conducted the campaign resulting in the election of James A. Garfield in 1882. He died in Hartford, Conn., Feb. 10, 1883.

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