Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-01
AT THE CITY POST OFFICE.
Mr.. Sherwood Becomes Postmaster and
Appoints Mr.. 8. III. Merrill as Assistant.

Postmaster Harry Sherwood duly qualified
and was sworn into his new Office last night.
but his only oficia! act was the delivery of q
pleasant little speech to Mr.. Ross, the retiring
postmaster, at the National Hotel.
The first thing he did this morning, however,
was to appoint his own successor, the assistant
postmaster. Capt. 8. H. Merrill was the lucky
man, and while his appointment was hardly in
the nature of surprise, as The STAR announced
several weeks ago that he would probably be
the man selected, it still gives general satisfac-
ton.
Capt. Merrill was at his desk bright and early
this morning, working as diligently as if he
we're quite used to being an assistant post
master. 1t was not long, though. before the
news Of his appointment got abroad and he
was bust all day shaking hands with any num-
Der Of lallers and receiving congratulations
from all quarters. great bunch of roses
from the city delivery division ornamented his
desk and later another big bunch came in from
friends outside.
THE NEW ASSISTANT POSTMASTER.
At the commencement of the war he resided
in Portland. Me-, and was one OF the first to re-
spond to the call Of President Lincoln fer
troops, and enlisting In the first regiment from
that state for three months, came to the de-
Tense OF the capital. At the expiration Of his
term OF service he returned to his native state
and was commissioned as second lieutenant in
the eleventh Maine volunteers for three years.
Two months later. at the age of nineteen, he
was promoted to the captaincy of his company.
He served in the Peninsula campaign, partici-
pating in the siege Of Yorktown. engagements
at Williamsburg. Seven Pines. Fair Oaks and
the seven days fighting before Richmond, and
in command of two companies burned the rail-
road bridge over the Chckahomny on the APP
proach of the confederate Gen. Jackson in the
rear, and on the retreat of the Union army to
the James river in the engagement at
White Oak swamps, supporting battery.
In 1856 ). with his regiment, Capt. Merrill was
in the expedition under Generals Foster,
Hunter and Gilmore at the bombardment of
Fort sumter and siege of Charleston. being
stationed on Morris Island and Block Island
adjacent to the famous swamp Angel"
In 1864 with his command he returned to
Virginia, serving in the expedition of Gen.
and at tho siege of Petersburg occupied the
trenches at the Burnside mine, durinl; which
time he was in command of his regiment.
Later. in command, he participated in several
engagements on the north bank of tn, James
river. At the close of the war he was APP
pointed to a clerkship in the Washington city
post office, and until 1877 was superintendent
Of tho money order and registry divisions OF
that Office. When the two divisions were sepa-
rated he became superintendent of the money
order division, continuing az such until his
removal from Office in 1888. having had a
service in the post Office for twenty-three years.
For the last two years he has been engaged i'll
the real estate business, first with NJ. NJ
Parker and later as senior partner of the firm
OF Merrill & Terry He is a member of Rey-
nolds Post G. A. r., the Union Soldiers Alliance
being member Of Columbia Commandery,
knights TamDlar