History of Temple, (Hillsborough County) New Hampshire United States of America

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Biographies:

James Miller, soldier, was born in Peterborough, N.H., April 25, 1776; son of James and Catharine (Gregg) Miller and grandson of Samuel and Mary (Shearer) Miller, who came from the North of Ireland about 1720 and settled in Londonderry, N.H. James Miller attended the academy at Amherst, Mass., and Williams college; was admitted to the bar in 1808 and practised at Greenfield, N.H., 1803-08. He was captain of the Greenfield artillery attached to the 26th New Hampshire regiment and was commissioned major of the 4th U.S. infantry March 3, 1809 retake rank from July 8, 1808. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel and transferred to the 5th infantry, Nov. 30, 1810, and was ordered to the command of the regiment, on its journey to Vincennes, Ind., to join General Harrison in the war against the Indians in 1811. He joined Hull's army at Urbana, Ohio, in May, 1812; participated in the battle of Brownstown. Aug. 9, 1812, where he commanded a large force and was brevetted colonel for distinguished services. He was taken prisoner at Fort Detroit by the British, Aug. 16, 1812; was soon paroled and sent home, and was exchanged for Lord Dacres in 1813. He was transferred to the 6th infantry, Sept. 14, 1812, and was prominent in the unsuccessful campaign of 1813, including the battle of Fort George, May 27, 1813. He was promoted colonel, 21st infantry, March 9, 1814, and commanded his regiment at the battle of Bridgewater where he captured a battery at the command of General Brown. For his action at Chippewa he was made brigadier-general, July 25, 1814. He commanded a division at the battle of Fort Erie, Sept. 17, 1814, and continued in active service until the close of the war when he was presented with a sword by the state of New York, and awarded a medal by congress. He was transferred to the 5th infantry, May 17, 1815, and resigned from the U.S. army Jan. 1, 1819, and accepted the appointment of governor of Arkansas Territory, serving 1819-73. He was elected a representative in the 19th congress from New Hampshire in 1824, but resigned before taking his seat and was collector of customs at Salem, Mass., 1825-19. Nathaniel Hawthorne spoke of him as "New England's most distinguished soldier." He married, first, Martha, daughter of Henry Ferguson, and their son, James Forguson Miller (1805-1868), was commander, and commodore on the reserved list, U.S.N.; and he married secondly, Ruth Flint of Lincoln, Mass. He died at Temple, N.H., July 7, 1851.

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

Ada Lydia Howard, educator, was born in Temple, N.H., Dec. 19, 1829; daughter of William Hawkins and Lydia Adaline (Cowden) Howard; granddaughter of Col. William and Mary (Hawkins) Itoward; great granddaughter of Dea. Samuel and Elizabeth (Barrett) Howard, and of Thomas Cowden, Esq., the most prominent founder of Fitchburg, Mass. Three of her great grandfathers were officers in the American Revolution. Her ancestry was English and Scotch. She received her school training at New Ipswich academy, , Lowell high school, and Mount Holyoke seminary, and was graduated from the last named in 1853. She also received especially valuable instruction from her father, a progressive educator, who anticipated many of the modern methods. After post-graduate study under private teachers she adopted the profession of a teacher. She was at Mount Holyoke seminary, 1858-61; at the Western, Oxford, Ohio, 1861-62, and was principal of the woman's department, Knox college, Illinois, 1866-69, In 1870-75 she leased Ivy Hall, a private school in Bridgeton, N.J. In 1875 she was elected the first president of Wellesley college, Mass., the selection being made by Henry Fowle Durant, the founder of the college. In placing a woman at its head and conferring upon her the full powers of president of a corporate college, Mr. Durant was enthusiastic in his confidence and said: "I have been for four years looking for a president. She will be a target to be shot at and for the present the position will be one of severe trials. I have for some time been closely investigating Miss Howard. I look upon her as appointed for this work not by the trustees, but by God, for whom the college was built." This promotion made Miss Howard the first woman president of a college in the world. Here she worked in full harmony with Mr. and Mrs. Durant and her labors in furthering the plans of the founders were unremitting up to the time of the death of Mr. Durant in 1881. In that year her failure in health demanded immediate and complete rest and the trustees gave her leave of absence, but finding herself unable to resume her duties she resigned in 1882. In appreciation of her work at Wellesley, the alumnee in 1890 placed in the art gallery a life-size portrait of their first president, and a scholarship was established in her honor, known as the Ada L. Howard scholarship. Her subsequent life was passed in rest and travel, as her continued ill-health called for frequent change of climate. She was obliged to restrict her literary work to occasional articles for leading magazines. She received from Mount Holyoke college the honorary degree of Litt. D. in 1900.

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