The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-08-16

town once or twice in the legisla
ture. He was born and reared on tn,
old homestead on what was known "a.
'Stoddard Hill and attended spe
\ cia course of study at Westminster
and Bernardston. Mass, under thai
( old veteran teacher, Prof l.. F. Ward,
with view of making teaching his
profession. just prior to the breaking
out of the rebellion he was employed
as principal of Spring Dale Semin-
aay. in southern Missouri. where
he was engaged until the be
ginning of actual hostilities in that
section. He then retreated up into
Illinois, where he had brother and
other relatives residing. and soon after
with his brother. Alonzo ID. Stoddard,
enlisted in the nth Reg't of Ill. Vols.
Infantry. and served during the war.
Mr.. Stoddard and his brother were
among the unfortunate troops who
were captured in the battle of Mans
field Sabin Cross roads,, and held as
prisoners till the close of the war.
After being mustered out, Mr.. Stod
dard returned to Whately. Mass,
where he married Miss Deucy l..
Crafts. who is daughter of Widow
Eunice b. Crafts and sister of Dwight
l.. and Warren p. Crafts. prominent
and we'll known citizens of Whately.
Having honorable employment offer
ed him in the United States service in
New Orleans. Mr.. and Mrs. Stoddard
removed to that city in November,
1868. where they have ever since made
their home. For two years or until the
reconstruction of the state government
in 1868 he was superintendent of edu
cation in the Freedmen Bureau.
On the establishment of the new
state government Mr. Stoddard was
made secretary of the first state board
of education and drafted the law that
established the first system of public
education in the state of Louisiana.
After this for a period of nearly
twelve years he served as superintend-
ent and "a member of the state board of
education and to him more than any
other living man is due the credit for
the excellent system of education pre-
vailing in Louisiana to day.
Since severing his connection with
work, Mr.. Stoddard has
been engaged in mercantile pursuits
in which line he has been equally
being now at the head of
one of the largest produce commission
houses in the south.
An evidence of his popularity in the
community is the fact that
he is now serving his second term as
president of the New Orleans Produce
Exchange. having been at the second |
time elected unanimously and without !
IN opposing candidate
Mr.. Stoddard is a prominent and en-
thusiastic Grand Army man. being at !
The present time Senior Vice Com
nander of Joseph A. Mower Post, No. |
of the department of Louis
ANA and Mississippi, and assist
mt quartermaster General of the De
,artment. He is a staunch Republican
n his politics. but that in no way in
erferes with his prominence and sue
'ess socially. or in business or in any
'ther relation of life, and he has only
he kindest words for the southern
people and their treatment of him.
lis testimony is emphatic that in
ase of future trouble for our country
here would be no more loyal or true
defenders of the flag than the ey-con-
ederate veterans. The bitterness and
ectionaism at the south. as at the
WI th- iuiiN btlltNtS. Is tDnllileU al
most wholly to the men that didn't
lght from 81 to 90. He was fully J
onvinced at the time that the recon
truction policy adopted by our govern.
lent after the war was a great mistake
nd he labored earnestly with voice
nd pen at the time to have a different :
curse pursued. such course as the
reat -hearted and great minded Lin
DIN would have led had he lived. Mr..
Goddard is actively identified with !
lovements for good in his city and is '
member of the committee of 20 prose- I
uting the scouDdrels of the city GOV. )
and by whose labors four |
have been convicted and q
sveral more are under indictment SO (
nat he expects. as he humorouslv n, I
larks, that their next session will be I
the renitentiary with quorum |
resent. @
Mrs. Stoddard is likewise much loved [
nd esteemed and very popular in the Il
resent City. 1t was through her in t
that the first movement s
n the promotion of women's work was Il
-ganized in the south and her untir-
ig labor in that field has contributed {
uch to the great success that work I
As attained. and thousands of women o