The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-11-15


scented to the Blue Earth County
Bar association by Attorney Jean A.
Flittie, representing the committee
appointed to draft it.
May it Please the Court: The COM
mittee of members OF this bar, beg
leave to present the following mem
orial upon the life and services of
the late Hon. Martin J. Severance, a
pioneer lawyer of this state, SOL
der and officer of the Union army
during the war of the Rebellion, and
for nineteen years learned and just
of the state, and we ask that the
same be accepted by the court and
incorporated into its minutes.
Carrier of New England Stock.
Martin Juan Severance was born at
Shelbun Falls, Franklin county, Mas
sachusetts, on Christmas eve, 1926,
and died in this city on July 10, 1907,
having rounded out his full four score
of years. He came OF good New Eng
land stock and was the son of Asa
and Calista (BOyden) Severance. His
first raternal ancestor came from Eng
land to the colony of Massachusetts
in 1886. His great grandfather, Mar
tin Severance, served through the
French and Indian Wars-l756 to 1853
and was also soldier of the revo.
lutionary war, receiving his discharge
from the Patriot army at the age
of seventy-three years.
Judge Severance was one of a
family of ten children, five sons and
five daughters. Three of his brothers
during the Civil War. One was Kill
led in battle at Fair Oaks, Virginia,
in 1862, and another, at Port Hudson,
Louisiana, in 1868. A third brother
was severely wounded at the bat
tie of Arkansas Post, but recovered
and is still living.
His education was acquired in the
Franklin Academy at Shelburn Falls
and in the Williston Seminary-now
Williston college at East Hampton,
Mass. He was admitted to the bar
in 1854, having previously studied law
in the office of Hon. John Wells,
later a justice of the supreme court
of his state; and in the offices of
Beach & Bond of Springfield, Mass.
He practiced at Chicopee for two
years before coming west.
His Coming to Minnesota.
He came to st. Paul on May 81.
1856, and soon thereafter located at
the little frontier town of Henderson
in Sibley county. He was elected
county attorney there and served as
such for two years. In 1858 he was
elected to serve in the legislature
which, however, for certain reasons
did not convene. He was again elected
in 1861 and served one term. On Au-
gust IA, 1862, he enlisted in Company
/, Tenth Minnesota Infantry. Four
days later came the great Sioux out
break and, together with General Sib-
ly, Mr.. Severance went to the relief
of Fort Ridgely. While still serving
as private soldier, he attended an
extra session of the legislature. In
1868 he was sent south with his regi-
ment and was for time stationed
at st. Louis. He rose to the rank
of captain and was mustered out of
military service at Fort Smelling on
August 10, 1865, having made an ex-'
cellent record for hard and faithful
service and good conduct as soldier
generally. During his long and active
military career, he spent only twenty
days in the hospital.
He took part in the battles of
Tupelo in 1864 and was a participant
in the Oxford raid from Memphis
south. He was with General A. j.
Smith in the long chase after General
Price. through the south and west.
At the battle of Nashville he was
slightly wounded but not so as to
unfit him for duty. Here he took part
in the grand and victorious assault
on the Confederate lines and the
subsequent pursuit of Hoods shattered
army. He helped capture Mobile-t
last important battle of the war
which was fought on the same day
that Lee surrendered his entire COM