Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-03-10
COL. S. B. WELLS.
Death OF n Wndham County Man of
Prominent and Useful Public Service.

Death of n Wndham County Man of
Prominent and Useful Public Service.
Last Sunday, at Wilmington, Mass,
funeral services were held over the remains
of Col Samuel b. Wells, for many years
an official in the national house of repre-
sentatives and well-remembered Wind
ham county man, having formerly lived at
Athens and at Brattleboro.
Col. Wells's death, which occurred Feb.
26, at Richmond, Va, where he had lived
for the past five years, was the result of a
severe cold contracted about month ago.
The funeral services, at the home of his
son-in-law, Mr.. c. f. Hudson, in Whining
ton, were conducted by Rev. G. +. Har-
mon of the Congregational church. and
Rev. l.. O. Powers, formerly of Athens,
and a lifelong friend of Col. Wells. The
internent was at Brattleboro.
Col. Wells was born in Athens, April 10,
1920, and was educated at the Norwich
military college. After leaving college he
studied law in the offices of Justices KEEL
logg and Bradley at Westminster.
Early in life he became identified with
the state militia of Vermont and rose to
the rank of colonel.
During the gold fever days he went to
California and remained there two years.
After his return from the gold fields he
represented Athens in the Vermont legisla-
ture in the years 1858, 1859 and 1866. In
1862 he was appointed an officer of the
house of representatives at Washington.
Probably one of the most interesting of
his many experiences in that capacity was
at the time when it was thought that the
capital was in danger of invasion by the
rebel army, and he was selected as the most
trustworthy man to guard the United
States capitol. During one night of par
ticular anxiety Col. Wells walked about
the capitol all night armed with a pair of
revolvers.
During the days of the war, while in
Washington, he spent much of his leisure
time in the hospitals, and carried gladness
to the heart of many wounded and dying
soldier.
Col. Wells held office in the national
house of representatives for IA years,
during Lincoln's, Johnson's, Grants, and
part of Hayes's administration, and In
addition served as the clerk of the COM
mittee on patents for six years.
He was great friend of Tad Lincoln
the Presidents favOrite son, and was OF
terms of intimacy with such men as Sena'
tors Foote, Wilson, Sumner, Collamer, Da
| Wis anu DeCTtJdiy NllaSc3 lnuNcu1 TIC hhON
and was known by all of the great men o.
the time.
During the impeachment trial of Presi-
| dent johnson Col. Wells was selected from
among all the officers of Congress to TAXI
charge of the Senate chamber, for he wal
a man who could be trusted, as the grea
men who conducted that trial had learned
Col. Wells once saved the life of Senato
| Dawes of Massachusetts, in New Yorl
city. Very early one wintry morning
many years ago, while on the way from
the ferry to the Aston House, the senator
tainted and fell. Col. Wells, who was alsC
on his way to hotel from the ferry, rushed
to the senator's assistance and carried hin
to the hotel. The senator was very crate
full and always insisted that Col. Wells ha'
saved his life.
Col. Wells was man of whom it can b.
truthfully said that he was universally es
teemed. He made many warm, loya
friends, and he kept them all. He was
man of strict integrity, of genial, char
table nature, and his life from his boyhoO
up was absolutely correct and upright. Fl
was a man, too, of broad ideas and origina
thought, and above all was a Christian
gentleman of the noblest type.
He leaves two children, Mr.. Lucien K
Wells, who has lived with his father a
Richmond during the past five years, an
a daughter, Mary, the wife of Mr.. Charlie
K. Hudson of Wilmington, Mass.