Sketches of Successful New Hampshire Men Part 16

Mr. Goodwin's academic education consisted of several years of study at the academy at South Berwick, an inst.i.tution having at that time a good deal of local importance, and then, as now, the only school in the vicinity of his birthplace where a fitting for college could be obtained. Shortly after leaving that academy he entered the counting-house of Samuel Lord, Esq., then a very prominent merchant and s.h.i.+p-owner of Portsmouth, N. H., and he became a member of Mr. Lord's family. He here displayed qualities which had been quite conspicuous in his earlier boyhood,--those of energy and a.s.siduity and a very marked capacity for affairs. These qualities, which at the early age of twelve had made him quite a competent and satisfactory manager of the farm of his widowed step-grandmother, who was the grandmother of Mr. Lord, showed later in his conduct as a clerk in the commercial business of the then very thriving s.h.i.+pping port of Portsmouth. Mr. Lord, finding that Mr. Goodwin's business abilities were more comprehensive than the mere duties of a clerk required, placed him as a supercargo in charge of the business of what was then the largest s.h.i.+p owned in the port, the "Elizabeth Wilson." In the present days of railroads, sea-going steamers, oceanic cables, and the commercial complement of these foreign correspondents or agents, it may seem a trivial sign of a young man's capacities to name the fact of his being made the business manager of a s.h.i.+p, especially as s.h.i.+ps then went in regard to size; but it is the introduction of these very modern appliances for conducting business which has rendered the responsibility of the delegated management of this species of property comparatively easy. In the days of Mr.

Goodwin's early voyaging, the whole discretion as to the conduct of the s.h.i.+p's affairs was vested in the supercargo, except in the brief period of her being in the home port, when the owner resumed his authority and control. In foreign places, among strangers, beyond the reach of opportunity for consultation with his owner, the young man must rely upon himself; must decide upon what voyage his s.h.i.+p shall go, and must be ready to account to his princ.i.p.al upon his return for the results of a prosperous enterprise or a disastrous adventure. It was not long before Mr. Goodwin had learned enough of seamans.h.i.+p to enable him to add to the duties of the supercargo the further business of navigating his s.h.i.+p, so that for several years he was both s.h.i.+p-master and business manager, offices then, as now, rarely combined in one person; for the s.h.i.+p-master is to-day chiefly the navigator and head seaman of his s.h.i.+p, while the business, involving the chartering and the rest, is attended to by a merchant in the port of destination, who is in ready communication with the owner, both by the fast-going mail of the steams.h.i.+p and the quicker method of the ocean cable. Mr. Goodwin's sea life lasted for about twelve years. During that time he had been so far successful as to become a part owner, and to be enabled to begin business at home.

In the year 1832 he established himself as a merchant at Portsmouth.

Portsmouth has been his home ever since that time; and there he for many years conducted an extensive mercantile business, his chief business interests lying in the direction of the foreign carrying-trade. Upon leaving the sea he soon became foremost in matters that were of public concern. He was one of the early projectors of the railroad interests of New England; and, until within a few years, he has taken a large part in all the enterprises of public import in the vicinity of his home, including, besides railroads, the enterprises of manufacturing and banking; and he has been vested always with a large share of the local trusts, both public and private, which devolve upon the public-spirited and trusted citizen. He has of late years been inclined to withdraw from these responsibilities; but of those which he still retains, the presidency of the Howard Benevolent Society, a position he has held for over thirty years, and the presidency of the Portsmouth Bridge Company may be mentioned. He has, however, within the last two years, a.s.sumed the presidency of the First National Bank of Portsmouth, in which he is largely interested as a stockholder, and in which inst.i.tution he had been a director from its incorporation as a state bank. He was for many years and at different periods a director in the Eastern Railroad Company, and was the first president of the Eastern Railroad in New Hamps.h.i.+re, which position he held for twenty-five years. He was also of the first board of direction of the Portland, Saco, & Portsmouth Railroad Company, and was the president of that corporation from the year 1847 to the year 1871. But it is unnecessary to mention all the public trusts of a corporate nature which have been confided to his care. His chief claim to public esteem, and that which will secure to him its most enduring recognition, is derived from his services as the first "war governor" of New Hamps.h.i.+re.

Upon Mr. Goodwin's settling as a business man in Portsmouth, he did not confine his energies to his private business and to corporate enterprises, but soon acquired a large interest and influence as a member of the Whig party. He served in the legislature of New Hamps.h.i.+re, as a member of that party, in the years 1838, 1843, 1844, 1850, 1854, and 1856. He was also a delegate-at-large from that state to the conventions at which Clay, Taylor, and Scott were nominated by the Whigs for the presidency, and was a vice-president at the first two named conventions; and he has twice served in the const.i.tutional conventions of New Hamps.h.i.+re. He was the candidate of the Whigs for congress at several elections before the state was divided into congressional districts. New Hamps.h.i.+re was in those days one of the most powerful strongholds of the Democratic party in the country; and a Whig nomination for any office, determined by the suffrages of the whole state, was merely a tribute of esteem by that party to one of its most honored members. Upon the establishment of congressional districts, Mr.

Goodwin received a unanimous nomination of the Whig party for congress at the first convention held in his district. This nomination bid fair to be followed by an election, but the circ.u.mstances of his private business prevented his acceptance of the candidates.h.i.+p. In the great political convulsions which preceded the war of the rebellion, the power of the Democratic party in New Hamps.h.i.+re began to decline, while the ties which through years of almost steady defeat in the state at large had been sufficient to hold together the Whig party, now came to be loosened, and out of the decadence of the former and the extinction of the latter party there was built up the Republican party, which gained the supremacy in the state, and which has ever since, with a brief exception, maintained that supremacy. Mr. Goodwin, while in full sympathy with the cause of the Union, which he believed the politicians of the South were striving to dismember, yet felt that perhaps the impending crisis could be arrested through the means of the old political organizations; and he remained steadfast to the organization of the Whig party until he saw that its usefulness, both as a state and as a national party, was gone. He was the last candidate of the Whigs for the office of governor of New Hamps.h.i.+re, and received in the whole state the meager amount of about two thousand votes. This lesson did not require to be repeated. He immediately did all in his power to aid in the establishment of the Republican party in this state; for, although the old-time issues between the Democrats and Whigs had gone by, and new questions had arisen involving the very integrity of the nation, he did not regard the Democratic party as one capable of solving or disposed to solve those questions in a patriotic and statesmanlike way. He was chosen the governor of New Hamps.h.i.+re, as the Republican candidate, in the year 1859, and was re-elected in the following year, his second term of office having expired on June 5, 1861.

The military spirit of the people of New Hamps.h.i.+re had become dormant, and the militia system of the state had fallen pretty much to decay long before the election of Mr. Goodwin to the office of governor. A slight revival of that spirit, perhaps, is marked by the organization in his honor, in January, 1860, of the "Governor's Horse-Guards,"--a regiment of cavalry in brilliant uniform, designed to do escort duty to the governor,--as well as by a field muster of several voluntary organizations of troops which went into camp at Nashua in the same year.

But when the call of President Lincoln for troops was made, in the spring of 1861, the very foundation of a military system required to be formed. The legislature was not in session, and would not convene, except under a special call, until the following June. There were no funds in the treasury which could be devoted to the expense of the organization and equipment of troops, as all the available funds were needed to meet the ordinary state expenditures. The great confidence of the people of New Hamps.h.i.+re in the wisdom and integrity of Mr. Goodwin found in this emergency full expression. Without requiring time to convene the legislature so as to obtain the security of the state for the loan, the banking inst.i.tutions and citizens of the state tendered him the sum of $680,000, for the purpose of enabling him to raise and equip for the field New Hamps.h.i.+re's quota of troops. This offer he gladly accepted; and averting delay in the proceedings by refraining from convening the legislature, he, upon his own responsibility, proceeded to organize and equip troops for the field; and in less than two months he had dispatched to the army, near Was.h.i.+ngton, two well equipped and well officered regiments. Of this sum of $680,000, only about $100,000 was expended. On the a.s.sembling of the legislature, that body unanimously pa.s.sed the "enabling act," under which all of his proceedings as governor were ratified, and the state made to a.s.sume the responsibility.

During the period of this gubernatorial service, there was a reconstruction of the bench of the highest judicial tribunal of the state; and during that time nearly every position upon that court was filled by his appointment. It is sufficient to say that the exalted rank which that tribunal has ever held among the courts of last resort of the states of the nation, suffered no diminution from his appointments to its bench, such was the good sense and discernment of Mr. Goodwin in making the selections, although himself not versed in the law.

"Waite's History of New Hamps.h.i.+re in the Rebellion" says of him:--

"His administration of state affairs met with universal approval, and he left the office (that of governor) with the respect of all parties. As a member of the legislature and of the const.i.tutional convention, he took a leading part on committees and in debate. His speeches were never made for show.

He spoke only when there seemed to be occasion for it, and then always to the point, and was listened to with great respect and attention; for his conservatism and practical wisdom in all matters of public policy were well known. In all public positions he has discharged his duties with fidelity, industry, and marked ability. As a citizen and business man he is public-spirited, liberal, high-minded, and enjoys the unbounded confidence and respect of all."

Mr. Goodwin has always been noted for his kindness to young men, aiding them without stint, both with his purse and his advice in their business difficulties; and he has ever been ready to extend to all his townsmen who needed aid the a.s.sistance of his influence, his counsel, and his pecuniary means.

In 1827, Mr. Goodwin married Miss Sarah Parker Rice, a daughter of Mr.

William Rice, a wealthy and prosperous merchant of Portsmouth. Of seven children, one son and two daughters survive.

[Ill.u.s.tration: William Cogswell]

REV. WILLIAM COGSWELL, D. D.

By Rev. E. O. Jameson.

WILLIAM COGSWELL, the oldest of the four Cogswell brothers whose distinguished lives are briefly sketched in this volume, was born June 5, 1787, in Atkinson, N. H. His ancestors were among the earliest settlers of Ma.s.sachusetts, and persons of quality, piety, and distinction.

His descent is from John Cogswell, who settled in Ipswich, Ma.s.s., in 1635, and Giles Badger, who settled in Newbury, Ma.s.s., the same year.

His parents were Dr. William and Judith (Badger) Cogswell, of Atkinson.

His grandparents were Nathaniel and Judith (Badger) Cogswell, of Haverhill, Ma.s.s., and Gen. Joseph and Hannah (Pearson) Badger, of Gilmanton.

His grandfather, Nathaniel Cogswell, was the son of Lieut. John and Hannah (Goodhue) Cogswell, of Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, Ma.s.s. Lieut.

John Cogswell was the son of William and Susannah Cogswell of the same place, and William Cogswell was the son of[3]John and Elizabeth (Thompson) Cogswell, who emigrated from Westbury, Wilts county, England, in 1635, and settled in Ipswich, Ma.s.s.

His grandfather, Gen. Joseph Badger, was the son of Joseph and Hannah (Peaslee) Badger, of Haverhill, Ma.s.s. Joseph Badger was the son of John, Jr., and Rebecca (Browne) Badger, of Newbury, Ma.s.s. John Badger, Jr., was the son of John and Elizabeth Badger of the same place; and John Badger was the only son of Giles and Elizabeth (Greenleaf) Badger, immigrants to Newbury, Ma.s.s., in 1635.

It may be said of his ancestry, in general, that they were a religious, intelligent, liberty-loving, and an enterprising people. By reason of ability, integrity, piety, and attainments, many of them have been called to positions of munic.i.p.al, military, political, and ecclesiastical duty and eminence, and have excelled in the learned professions, in the halls of legislature, on the field of battle, and in the Christian pulpit.

From such choice Puritan stock, having in his veins the blood of the Thompsons, the Greenleafs, the Brownes, the Goodhues, the Peaslees, and the Pearsons, as well as of the Cogswells and the Badgers, it is not strange that he and his no less eminent brothers should be found among the distinguished men whose portraits adorn and whose biographies fill the pages of this volume.

William Cogswell was born only a few years after the victory of our great struggle for national existence and independence. His rural home was far up the side of one of New Hamps.h.i.+re's grand old hills, sloping southward and crowned with a New England meeting-house. He was born where he could breathe to heart's content the pure air of heaven, look off upon scenery of landscape wide, varied, and grand. His early life was beneath the shadow of the best religious and educational inst.i.tutions, which his father had been the prime mover in establis.h.i.+ng. In full sight of his early boyhoood's home was the academy which said to country boys of those days. The door is open to you here to enter a college course and find your way into the learned professions. The lad heard the invitation, seized the opportunity, and eagerly pursued his preparatory studies at Atkinson Academy, then under the charge of John Vose, Esq. He entered the soph.o.m.ore cla.s.s of Dartmouth College in 1808, maintained a high rank of scholars.h.i.+p during his course, and was honorably graduated in the cla.s.s of 1811.

Before entering college, William Cogswell received deep and abiding religious impressions which ripened into a personal religious experience, and during the vacation of his junior year, September 23, 1810, he made a public confession of faith and united with the Congregational church of his native town. After graduation from college he taught in the academy of his own town, in Ess.e.x, Ma.s.s., and was one year princ.i.p.al of the Hampton Academy. While teaching in Ess.e.x, Ma.s.s., he had, for a pupil in the cla.s.sics, a lad some ten years of age, whose name was Rufus Choate. This Rufus Choate was heard of in later years.

Meanwhile, occupied with teaching, Mr. Cogswell pursued somewhat his theological studies, having his eye on the Christian ministry. At the end of two years, he found that his labors in school and studies out of school had told seriously upon his health. Acting upon the advice of his physician and of his minister, he procured a good saddle-horse and a license to preach the gospel in dest.i.tute parts, and galloped off toward the northern wilderness of his native state, in eager pursuit of health and men's souls. In both these objects he was successful. He regained his health, and under his earnest presentation of the gospel a large number of persons were hopefully converted to Christ, and Christian inst.i.tutions planted in the then spiritual wastes, which have since blossomed as the rose and borne fruit to the glory of G.o.d. Upon his return, Mr. Cogswell completed his professional studies under the instruction of Rev. Daniel Dana, D. D., of Newburyport, and Rev. Samuel Worcester, D. D., of Salem, Ma.s.s. After preaching a few Sabbaths, he received a unanimous call to become the pastor of the South church in Dedham (now Norwood), Ma.s.s., which he accepted, and was ordained and installed over that church, April 26, 1815.

At this time, Mr. Cogswell was twenty-seven years of age, a man of fine personal bearing and manners; his warm christian spirit and deep religious experience spoke in the very lineaments and expression of his open, intelligent, and winning countenance. His qualities of mind were the best, his education thorough, his grasp of truth vigorous, his views scriptural and discriminating, and his faith in G.o.d and Revelation implicit.

His ministry in South Dedham lasted fourteen years, and was of unmeasured benefit to that church, at once stimulating to its religious life, educating to its members in scriptural doctrine, and successful in bringing men to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

Mr. Cogswell was a preacher whose clear-cut statements, whose logical order, conclusiveness of argument, and persuasiveness of appeal made him a power in the Christian pulpit. Quite a number of his sermons were requested for publication by his congregation; and in those days when the printing of a sermon meant that it was something of rare merit. He had been settled in South Dedham some three years, when he married, Nov.

11, 1818, Miss Joanna Strong, the youngest daughter of the then late Rev. Jonathan Strong, D. D., of Randolph, Ma.s.s.

In 1829, being urgently called to important services in connection with the American Education Society, to the regret of his people and with personal reluctance, he resigned his pastorate to enter upon these new duties; and, accordingly, was dismissed December 15, 1829, and removed to Boston, where he resided for some years. So important were his labors and so successful in this new field of effort, that January 25, 1832, he was chosen, with great enthusiasm, to succeed Dr. Cornelius to the secretarys.h.i.+p of the society, which office he filled with fidelity and acceptance until he resigned in 1841 to accept a professors.h.i.+p in Dartmouth College. In 1833, Mr. Cogswell received from Williams College the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and in 1837 was chosen one of the trustees of Andover Theological Seminary. He removed to Hanover, N. H., and entered upon his duties as professor of National Education and History in Dartmouth College. This position he resigned in 1844 to accept the presidency and professors.h.i.+p of Christian Theology in the Gilmanton Theological Seminary.

Rev. Dr. Cogswell for many years had been engaged in editorial work, and was much interested in historical and genealogical researches. In 1846 he retired from his connection with the seminary, about to be discontinued, and gave himself exclusively to literary pursuits, except that he usually preached on the Sabbath. In the few remaining years of his life he performed a vast amount of literary labor, and became known very widely, and was honored with a members.h.i.+p in nearly all the historical societies in this country and in Europe.

Rev. Dr. Cogswell published several works, viz.: a Catechism on the Doctrines and Duties of Religion; a Manual of Theology and Devotions; the Theological Cla.s.s Book; the Christian Philanthropist; and Letters to Young Men Preparing for the Christian Ministry. All these works pa.s.sed through several editions. His published editorial works were: Four vols.

of the American Quarterly Register, 1837-1841; New Hamps.h.i.+re Repository, 2 vols.; the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. I.; New Hamps.h.i.+re Historical Collections, vol. VI. He published, also, various miscellaneous writings.

Rev. Dr. William and Joanna (Strong) Cogswell had four children.

The eldest, a daughter, died in infancy.

William Strong Cogswell was born in South Dedham, April 11, 1828, and died April 6, 1848, at the age of twenty years. He was a young man of rare ability and brilliant promise. At the time of his death he was a member of the senior cla.s.s in Dartmouth College.

Mary Joanna Cogswell was born June 6, 1832, in Boston, Ma.s.s. She graduated at Gilmanton Academy in 1851; married, September 20, 1858, Rev. E. O. Jameson, who is now (1882) pastor of the First Church of Christ, in Medway, Ma.s.s.

Caroline Strong Cogswell, the youngest child of Rev. Dr. Cogswell, was born June 3, 1840, in Boston, Ma.s.s. She was educated at Gilmanton Academy and Holyoke Female Seminary, and has been a successful teacher in the public schools.

Rev. Dr. Cogswell, at length, under the taxing pressure of a busy editorial service, and crushed by the great loss of his only and very promising son, found his health giving way, his usual vigor forsaking him, and it became only too evident that the end of his earthly life was approaching. He continued, however to accomplish more or less literary work, even up to the last few days before his death, which occurred April 18, 1850. The funeral service was on the following Sabbath, conducted by Rev. Daniel Lancaster, who preached a memorial discourse which was subsequently published.

Rev. Dr. Cogswell's life was eminently busy, laborious, self-sacrificing, and honored. His earthly work was faithfully and n.o.bly done; his death triumphant, and heavenly reward sure.

FOOTNOTES:

[3] For full account of John Cogswell, whom tradition calls "a prosperous London merchant," see "Cogswells in America," soon to be published.

JEREMIAH W. WHITE, ESQ.

BY HON. JOHN H. GOODALE.

On the head-waters of Suncook river, in the central region of New Hamps.h.i.+re, is the town of Pittsfield. It is limited in extent, undulating in surface, rich in the quality of its soil. Its earliest settlers were st.u.r.dy farmers, men and women who from infancy had been accustomed to the hards.h.i.+ps and privations of pioneer life.

Among these settlers was Josiah White, who, with his wife of Scottish origin, in the spring of 1775 took up his abode in the outskirts of an unbroken forest. Years of hard labor followed, which at length brought to him and his family the comforts of a rural home. Of his sons, Jeremiah White, the father of the subject of this sketch, succeeded to the homestead. He was born March 4, 1775, and, pa.s.sing his life amid the scenes of his earlier days, died December 5, 1848. He is still remembered by the older residents of Pittsfield as a citizen who was useful, influential, and respected. Of great personal activity and tact in business, genial and generous, an enterprising farmer of the old school, a safe and sagacious adviser, his departure left a place difficult to fill in the business affairs of the vicinity.