History of West Berlin, (Delaware County) Ohio United States of America

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Alured Bayard Nettleton, soldier, was born in Berlin, Delaware county, Ohio, Nov. 14, 1838; son of Hiram and Lavina (James) Nettleton, who were among the earliest settlers in central Ohio. His first ancestor in America, John Nettleton, came from Kenilworth, England, and was one of the fonnders of Killingworth. Conn., 1663. His immediate paternal ancestors lived in Newport, N.H. On his mother's side he descended from Elijah Janes, an officer of dragoons and afterward paymaster in the Revolutionary army. Until 1852 he lived on his father's farm, and attended the district school and a local academy. While book-keeper for a lumber milling company in Michigan, 1853-56, he studied evenings, and was a student at Oberlin college, 1857-61, being meantime active in antislavery agitation. In April, 1861, on the fall of Fort Sumter, he volunteered in a company of students, but Ohio's quota being full they were not mustered. In August, 1861, he enlisted as a private in the 2d Ohio cavalry, was elected first lieutenant of his company, was promoted through the intermediate grades to colonel of the regiment, and served continuously in the field to the close of the war, being mastered out in June, 1865. His most active service was in Custer's division of the cavalry corps, Army of the Potomac, including Grant's battles of the Wilderness, Sheridan's several raids and his Shenandoah campaign and the siege of Richmond and Petersburg. His army record shows him to have served in fourteen states and one territory; to have participated in seventy-two battles and minor engagements; to have had three horses shot under him in action, and to have been brevetted brigadier-general by the President for gallant and meritorious services under Sheridan. He was married, in 1863, to Melissa, daughter of Dr. Luman Tenney of Ohio, and had two daughters and one son. He received his diploma in arts from Oberlin in 1863 and his A.M. degree in 1866; was a trustee of Oberlin college, 1870-92, and a trustee of Carleton college (Minn.), 1885-6. He studied law at Albany Law school, 1865-6; was editor and joint owner of the Sandusky Daily Register, 1867-9; published the Chicago Advance, 1869-70; was managing editor of the Philadelphia Enquirer, 1878, and founder, editor and proprietor of the Minneapolis Daily Tribune, 1880-85. He resided in Philadelphia and was associated with Jay Cooke in the projection and construction of the Northern Pacific railroad, 1870-76, and in mining and other enterprises, 1875-80; removed to Minnesota in 1880, and in 1890 was appointed assistant secretary of the treasury and served through President Harrison's administration. He was acting secretary of the treasury from the death of Secretary Windom, Jan. 29, 1891, until the accession of Charles Foster in March following. He was the financial member of the board of management of the government department, Columbian exposition, 1890-93. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention, 1868; a member of the anti-saloon Republican national committee, 1884-89, and in 1900 became joint owner of extensive sugar plantations in Sinaloa, Mexico. He was a contributor to magazines and author of: Trusts or Competition (1900).

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

History of West Berlin, (Delaware County) Ohio

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