History of Peacham, (Caledonia County) Vermont United States of America

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Biographies:

Oliver Johnson, reformer, was born at Peacham, Vt., Dec. 27, 1809. He was brought up on a farm, learned the trade of a printer at the office of The Watchman and Gazette in Montpelier, Vt., and in 1829 went to Boston, where in 1831 he established with Leonard W. Kimball The Christian Soldier, in opposition to the doctrine of Universalism. Mr. Johnson was among the earliest disciples of William Lloyd Garrison, and an active worker in the anti-slavery cause. He was one of the twelve men who organized in Boston in 1832 the New England Anti-Slavery society, having for its fundamental principle the duty of immediate emancipation. When Mr. Garrison was sent to England in 1833 as an agent of this society, Mr. Johnson took his place as temporary editor of the Liberator. On several occasions in subsequent years, including 1838 in Mr. Garrison's absence, he occupied the same post. In 1836 he was appointed a travelling agent of the American Anti-Slavery society, and on his lecturing tours he met much opposition and personal abuse, notably in being mobbed at Greenville, R.I. He served as corresponding secretary and lecturer of the Rhode Island Anti-Slavery society, 1837-38. In 1840 when the National Anti-Slavery Standard was founded in New York city he took editorial charge until a permanent editor could be found, and in the spring of 1841 Lydia Maria Child assumed the editorship. He then resumed the work of an anti-slavery lecturer, and in 1842 returned to Boston as correspondent of the New York Tribune. He was an assistant to Horace Greeley on the Tribune, 1844-48, but was obliged to relinquish his place on account of ill-health. In 1848 he established the Republican, a free-soil paper, in Philadelphia, Pa., and he edited the Practical Christian, Milford, Mass., 1848-65; the Anti-Slavery Bugle at Salem, Ohio, 1848-51, and the Pennsylvania Freeman in Philadelphia, 1851-53, when he assumed charge of the National Anti-Slavery Standard in New York. Here he remained until slavery was abolished. He was married, in 1863, to Jane, daughter of John S. C. Abbott. Mrs. Johnson was born at Worcester, Mass., in 1833, and died at Binghamton, N.Y., Dec. 5, 1900. Mr. Johnson was managing editor of the Independent, 1865-70, resigning that post to take charge of the Weekly Tribune at the request of Horace Greeley. He was managing editor of the Christian Union, 1873-76, under the direction of Henry Ward Beecher. Subsequently he was editor of the Orange, N.J., Journal for several years, and was an assistant editor of the New York Evening Post, 1881-89. He is the author of: Consider This, Ye that forget God (1832); An Address on Slavery (1835); Correspondence with George F. White, With an Appendix (1841); Life of William Lloyd Garrison and His Times (1881). He died in Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 10, 1889.

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

John Mattocks, governor of Vermont, was born in Hartford, Conn., March 4, 1777, son of Samuel Mattocks, a captain in the Continental army, who removed to Tinmouth, Vt., in 1778; served in the state legislature; was chief-justice of the Rutland county court and state treasurer, 1786-1800. John studied law with his father; lived with his sister Rebecca, who had married Samuel Miller, a lawyer, who had an office at Middlebury, 1792-95, and with Judge Bates Turner at Fairfield, 1795-97; was admitted to the bar in 1797, and practised at Danville. He removed to Peacham, Vt., where he was a director of the Vermont State bank, and brigadier-general of the state militia in 1812. He was married, Sept. 4, 1810, to Esther Newell, who died July 21, 1844, leaving a son and three daughters. He was a representative in the state legislature in 1807, 1815-16 and 1823-24; a delegate to the constitutional convention of 1836, and was a representative in the 17th, 19th, and 27th congresses, 1821-23, 1825-27 and 1841-43. He was judge of the supreme court of Vermont in 1832: and was elected governor of the state by the Whig party in 1843 and served one term. He died at Peacham, Vt., Aug. 14, 1847.

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

Lewis Merrill, soldier, was born in New Berlin, Pa., Oct. 24, 1834: son of James and Sarah Bonde (Lewis) Merrill; grandson of Jesse and Priscilla (Kimball) Merrill and of Paschal Lewis, and a descendant of Nathaniel and Susannah (Wilterton) Merrill. Nathaniel Merrill was an original settler and proprietor of Newbury, Mass., 1635. James Merrill (1790-1841), born at Peacham, Vt., was graduated at Dartmouth, 1812; removed to York, Pa., and practised law at New Berlin, Pa., 1815-41. Lewis Merrill matriculated at Lewisburg university in 1848, but left before graduation to enter the U.S. Military academy. He was graduated and brevetted 2d lieutenant of dragoons, July 1, 1855. He was married, May 27, 1856, to Anna Rhoda Houston, of Columbia, Pa. He was promoted 2d lieutenant, Dec. 13, 1855; 1st lieutenant, April 24, 1861; transferred to the 2d Missouri volunteer cavalry as colonel, Aug. 23, 1861, and operated in Missouri and the southwest, 1861-62. He was promoted captain, Oct. 1, 1861; commanded the districts of St. Louis and North Missouri successively, 1862-63; commanded the cavalry brigade in the Arkansas campaign, 1863, and engaged in the capture of Little Rock and commanded two brigades of Steele's cavalry in the pursuit of General Marmaduke. He was brevetted major, Sept. 10, 1863, for gallantry at Little Rock, had charge of the West division of the cavalry bureau at St. Louis, 1864, and there organized a provisional brigade of cavalry which he commanded at the beginning of Price's invasion of Missouri. He was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland, and commanded a regiment on the march from Mississippi to Tennessee, and in Georgia and Alabama, 1865. He was brevetted lieutenant-colonel U.S.A. and brigadier-general of volunteers, March 13, 1865, for services during the war, and was mustered out of the volunteer service, Dec. 14, 1865. He was acting inspector-general of the department of the Platte, 1866-68; acting judge-advocate, 1866-69, and was promoted major and transferred to the 7th cavalry, Nov. 27, 1868. He served in Kansas and Mexico, commanded the artillery detachment of Custer's command, 1870, and was assigned to a military district in South Carolina, where he broke up the Ku Klux conspiracy, 1871-73. He received the thanks of the war department, of the legislature of South Carolina and of his commander for his services, and he was nominated for lieutenant-colonel, which was not confirmed by the senate until 1891. He commanded the district of the Upper Red River, La., 1874-76, where he rendered a similar service, and was on duty with the centennial commission at Philadelphia in 1876. He served in the west, 1876-83; was on sick leave of absence, 1883-86, and was retired from active service, May 21, 1886, for disability received in the line of duty. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 27, 1896.

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