History of Bethany, (Wayne County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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

Biographies:

Marshall Henshaw, educator, was born in Bethany, Pa., Oct. 3, 1820; son of Eli and Abigail (Sanford) Henshaw, and grandson of Josiah and Sarah (Phipps)Henshaw. His grandfather, an uncommissioned officer in the Revolution, served throughout the war in Washington's army and participated in all the battles fought by that general. he was wounded in the battle of White Plains. After the war he settled at West Brookfield, Mass., and refused a pension from the government. Marshall Henshaw was graduated from Amherst college in 1845 and was a tutor there, 1847-49. He was principal of the academy at Derry, N.H., 1849-53; principal of the Byfield, Mass., academy, 1853-59; professor of natural philosophy and astronomy at Rutgers, 1859-63; principal of Williston seminary, East-hampton, Mass., 1863-76; and a lecturer on natural philosophy at Amherst, 1881-90. He gave up active work on account of defective learning. His only son, Arthur Williston, was graduated from Lehigb university in the department of electrical engineering in 1894, and became connected with the General Electric company, Schenectady, N.Y. Marshall Henshaw received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of the City of New York in 1863 and that of D.D. from Amherst in 1872. He is the author of The Greek Verb(1860). He died at Amherst, Dec. 12, 1900.

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

David Wilmot, senator, was born at Bethany, Pa., Jan. 20, 1814. He attended an academy at Aurora, N.Y.; in 1834 was admitted to the bar at Wilkesbarre, Pa., and practised in Towanda. He supported Van Buren in 1836, and was a Democratic representative from Pennsylvania in the 29th, 30th and 31st congresses, 1845-51. When on Aug. 8, 1846, a bill appropriating $2,000,000 for the purchase of Mexican territory outside of Texas was introduced in the house, Wilmot proposed as an amendment his famous proviso "that as an express and fundamental condition of the acquisition of any territory from the republic of Mexico by the United States neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of the said territory except for crime whereof the party should first be duly convicted." The bill as amended passed the house, but failed in the senate, and from that time until June 9, 1861, when slavery in all territories was prohibited, the proviso was brought up in connection with the admission of each new territory. He supported the free soil ticket in 1848, and in 1854 became a Republican; was president judge of the 13th district of Pennsylvania, 1853-61; a delegate to the Republican national conventions of 1856 and 1860, and in 1857 was the unsuccessful candidate for governor of Pennsylvania. In 1861 he was elected to the U.S. senate to succeed Simon Cameron, who had resigned to enter Lincoln's cabinet. He served until the expiration of Cameron's term, March 3, 1863, when he became judge of the U.S. court of claims by appointment of President Lincoln. He died in Towanda, Pa., March 16, 1868.

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

Edwin Sylvanus Osborne, representative, was born in Bethany, Wayne county, Pa., Aug. 7, 1839; son of Sylvanus and Lucy (Messinger) Osborne; grandson of Cooper and Hannah (Oakley) Osborne. His great-grandfather, Thomas Osborne, was a soldier in the Continental army during the Revolutionary war and was mortally wounded in the battle of Monmouth, and his first ancestor in America, John Osborne, emigrated from England and settled in East Windsor, Conn., in 1645. Edwin S. Osborne was graduated from the University of Northern Pennsylvania, Bethany, Pa., in 1858 and from the National Law school of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in 1860. He was admitted to the bar at Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Feb. 26, 1861, and in April joined the 8th regiment infantry, Pennsylvania volunteers. He served with General Patterson's division and was honorably mustered out, July 29, 1861. In August, 1862, he recruited a company and joined the 149th Pennsylvania volunteers, being commissioned captain, Aug. 30, 1862. In September he has appointed judge advocate and served as such for the command of General Wadsworth, 1st corps, Army of the Potomac, until February, 1863, when, at his own request, he rejoined his regiment and participated in the battle of Gettysburg. In the first day's battle this regiment, forming part of Stone's "Bucktail" brigade, 3d division, 1st corps, successfully held an advanced position for four hours against the repeated assaults of greatly superior numbers, meanwhile executing the movement of "changing front to rear" under heavy fire, and sustaining in the battle a loss of seventy-five per cent of its effective strength. Captain Osborne was appointed brigade inspector, Aug. 27, 1863, and assigned to duty in General Wadsworth's division. He distinguished himself in leading a charge in the Wilderness, May 6, 1864, and again in the assault on Petersburg, June 18, 1864. He was commissioned major of the 149th Pennsylvania, March 2, 1865, was several times mentioned in orders for gallantry and skillful handling of troops in battle and was three times brevetted for meritorious conduct. In April, 1865, Major Osborne was relieved from duty in the inspection department and appointed judge advocate at Washington. In June, 1865, he was sent to Andersonville and other Confederate prisons to investigate the charges of cruelty to prisoners on the part of those late in command. In July, 1865, he preferred charges of murder against Capt. Henry Wirz of Andersonville prison and drew the specifications of the indictment under which that officer was found guilty and executed. He was honorably mustered out, July 21, 1865, and returned to the practice of law. He was major-general of the 3d division, National Guard of Pennsylvania, 1870-78; was prominent in reorganizing the militia system of the state; commanded the forces that quelled the riots in Scranton, Pa., in 1871, and Susquehanna Depot, Pa., in 1874, and prevented a similar outbreak at Hazleton, Pa. He was commander of the Department of Pennsylvania, G.A.R., in 1883, and was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Chicago in 1888. He was representative-at-large from Pennsylvania in the 49th and 50th congresses, and from the 12th congressional district in the 51st congress, serving, 1885-91. During his service in congress he defended the policy of protection and advocated the subsidizing of American ships. He was married to Ruth Ball of Pittston, Pa., Oct. 12, 1865, and their son, John Ball Osborne, born June 24, 1868, Yale, A.B., 1889, was U.S. consul at Ghent, Belgium, 1889-94, and joint secretary of the reciprocity commission of the United States, Oct. 18, 1897. Their second son, William Headley Osborne, born in 1870, graduated from the U.S. Military academy in 1891, served in the campaign against Santiago in the war with Spain as lieutenant in the 1st U.S. cavalry, and died of typhoid fever in the military camp at Montauk Point, N.Y., Aug. 23, 1898. General Osborne died in Washington, D.C., Jan. 1, 1900.

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