Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-06-29
Hon. Ephraim S. StOddard.

A DummerstOn Boy Identified with the
Cause of Education in Louisiana, and
is Now II Prominent Citizen of New
Orleans.
The writer of this sketch recently re-
ceiyed a letter from +. S. Stoddard, a
classmate of his in Prof l.. F. Wards
seminary at Westminster, and Powers in
stitute, Bernardston Mass, asking for in
formation relative to his ancestors who
lived in Dummerston during its early set
Element. Two copies of a New Orleans
daily newspaper contain portraits of Mr.
Stoddard and speeches which he made at
public gatherings last winter. Having read
these speeches and interviewed his brother,
Horace r. Stoddard, now living in West
Brattleboro, and formerly prominent cit
izen of Dummerston, we decided to pre-
pare for publication brief sketch of our
old classmate and brother educator. Mr..
Stoddard taught district school several
winters away back in the fifties and was a
teacher in the school at Slab Hollow in
Dummerston soon after it was taught by
Hoyt H. Wheeler, now Judge Wheeler,
who taught the first school which was
kept in the present schoOlhouse at Slab
Hollow, during the winter of lSj5-1S56.
Soon after his school days at the seminary
ended Mr.. Stoddard went to Missouri and
became the principal of a large seminary
and remained until the beginning of the
war of the Rebellion. He and his broth
er, Alonzo d. Stoddard, enlisted in Compa-
ny f of the nth Regiment, Illinois Vol
unteers, I'd Brigade, 4th Division of the
18th army corps, commanded by Brigadier-
General Ransom. They were under Gen.
Grant during his campaign down the Mis-
sissippi when Nicksburg was captured,
and were transferred to Gen. Banks's eN-
petition that sailed up Red river. At the
battle of Mansfield, La, April $, 1864,
they were in the thickest of the fight.
The nth Illinois lost many killed and
wounded, and Col Webb commanding
was among the killed. Mr.. Stoddard and
his brother were taken with other prison.
ers to Camp Ford, near Tyler in Texas,
and confined in a stockade fort, where they
remained as prisoners nearly II months,
! living in holes dug in the ground to pro-
tect them from the scorching rays of the
sun. The stOckade enclosed less than
seven acres of land and contained about
5000 prisoners. They were released when
the war ended
After the close of the war Mr.. Stodlard
was connected with the freedman's bureau
and went South at the solicitation of VIM
Stickney, an old classmate living in New
| Orleans He was superintendent of edu
cation for a time, and then secretary o.
the board of education for several years
After President Hayes withdrew the troop
from the South Mr.. Stoddard ceased worl
as an educator and engaged in business a.
a commission merchant. The produce eX
change of the city of New Orleans was re
Gently organized and was formally opened
Dec. 2, 1898, at its rooms, number 2
Poydras street, by a splendid banquet
Mr.. Stoddard, who was elected presiden
of the exchange on account of his indefat
igable efforts in working it up and his eX
perience and knowledge in the business
presided. He has a family of three son
and one daughter. His wife was Mis-
Dencie Crafts of Whately, Mass, and wa
schoolmate of his at Powers Institute
The following paragraph, clipped from
New Orleans paper, will be of interestin thi
connection. zone of the cleverest young re
citers in the city is Miss Ella Stoddard, tn
beautiful young daughter of that prom
nent merchant, Mr.. L. S. Stoddard. Mis-
Stoddard is tall, commanding, and yer
beautiful. Her voice is well modulate
and finely cultivated, and her recitation
are characterized by an intellectually tina
has not been spoiled by technical cours
of training"
d. L. MANSFIELD.
Dummerston Nav 1894.