The Newtown bee., 1889-03-29
FRIDAY, MARCH aS, isse.
Col L. J. Wright.

Col Leonard J. Wright was born, Sep tember l5, 1881, at Norwich, Vt. His father, Lieut. John Wright, Engineer Corps, U. s. A., was professor of mathe- matics at West Point and afterward lawyer at Norwich, where Leonard J. was born. He came of a distinguished military ancestry, some of his ancestors having been in every American war. Leonard J. began his education at the private school of Dr Curtis at Haddam, Mass. From there he went to the Nor wich University, q military school of which his uncle, Capt Partridge, was proprietor. In the Spring of 1852, he graduated with the diploma of civil en- gineer and in the Fall began work on the Northern Central railroad of Pennsyl- vania as division engineer. MT Wright was afterward in partnership with Maj keepsie bridge, on railroad work between Quakake and Catawissa, Penn. He fin ally went into business at Niles, Mich, but enlisted early in the war, in the 9th Michigan, with the commission of second lietenant. This regiment was the trust ed body guard of Gen Thomas. In his report of the engagement and capture of Co.B, 9th Michigan regiment, by the reb- els under command of Gen N. B. Forrest, July 13, 1862, Cat Murfreesboro, Tenn, when Col Wright was taken prisoner and carried off on q mule, though so sick that h., La tSh hs, \, st,h h., ,l, ,;nl, he was paroled and exchanged) Col Duff field says I am reliably informed that Co. E, 9th Michigan volunteers, under command of 1st Lieut. Wright, held the Court House against an incessant attack by a greatly superior force for four hours and did not surrender until the enemy had possession of the lower story of the building and had started a fire with the evident intention of burning them out. At the close of the war, Mir Wright was mustered out as captain. After the war, Capt Leonard J. Wright and his brother, T. K. G. Wright, were division engineers on the Alleganey Val ley railroad, of which Franklin Wright was chief engineer. While on this work, Col Wright made his home at Franklin, Penn. To distinguish between the three, T. K. G. Wright was dubbed captain, Leonard J. colonel and Franklin Wright general, titles which ever after clung to them.
 Col Wright came to Newtown ill the Winter of lS6S-69 to work on the Boston, Hartford and Erie line. When that col lapsed, he was in partnership with MT William Hoy on the Connecticut Valley railroad. He helped finish the New Y ork and New England and has carried through many large and costly engineer ing contracts on both railroad and reser- voir work. Col Wright has recently been in partnership with MT John l.. Hughes of Taunton. In 1858, Col Wright married Mary J., daughter of Charles and Eliza Weaver of Sunbury, Penn., who survives, with seven children: Mrs George Allen of Steelton, Penn., Mrs l.. F. Jones of Hawleyville, Frank, Jennie, John, Leonard Benton and Alden Part ridge. A sister, Mrs c. c. Benton of Ieb- anon, N. H., and brother, Capt T. K, G. Wright of Mobile, Ala, also survive him. Col Wright was 8 member oi Hiram lodge, F. & A. M.; a gentleman every inch of him; true as steel to his friends; of a remarkably pure mind and gentle disposition; unusually fond ot home, where his faithful wife and child. ren ministered to his wants in his hours of wasting pain. The funeral was at tended from the house on Saturday, Rev Mir Wilkins officiating.