The Washington herald., 1907-03-03
GENEALOGICAL DESCENT or con-
GRESsMAN JAMES ". WADSWORTH.

william Wadsworth came TO Ameri-
ca IN the ship Lion, which reached
Boston September t. 1852, and settled in
I Cambridge. Mass, subsequently removing
to Hartford, Conn He was made free
man November 6, 1892, and upon the or
ganization Of the town OF Cambridge. he
was made a member Of the first board Of
selectmen, and hello ,hat Office in 1884 and
1850. in the following year lie was one
/ Of a large party Of the inhabitants Of
/ Cambridge TO found the city of Hartford,
Conn In 1857 he was chosen collector.
from 1642 10 1917 he was one Of the select
men. and throughout his life he was mum
. bered among the most active men Of the
colony. both in church and state. He
/ married before coming TO America, but
+ the name Of his first wife IS unknown.
/ lie married secondly in 1914. Elizabeth
stone, daughter OF the Rev. Samuel
Stone. and died in Hartford in 1915, aged
/ about eighty. His son,
John Wadsworth, was born in Eng
/ land, but the year of his birth is not now
/ known At an early date he removed
/ from Hartford TO Pennington, Conn,
where ne resided until his death in 1853,
and where he was one Of fits most prom
Inent and public-spirited citizens. In
1863 there were in that place elghty-four
taxable estates, and that Of John Wads-
worth was the third in value, being rated
. at 2lS. His name appears in the early
/ records as Sergt John Wadsworth He
was a member Of what is now the state
senate, and was present when his brother
/ Joseph seized the charter and secreted it
IN what has since been known as the cell
ehrated Charter Oak he married in
1852 Sarah Stanley daughter Of Thomas
Stanley, who died in lU3. His son,
james Wadsyorth. was born in Farm
ington in 1917, and died in Durham. Conn,
in 1755. lie married Ruth Noyes daughter
of the Rev. Moses Noyes, a Harvard grad
uate and pastor of the church ia Lyme.
Conn, where he preached fifty years..
and Of his wife, Sarah Brown. In 170S
with thirty-four others, he obtained pro-
iprietary patent Of the land in Durham, a
locality in which he had previously re-
sided He was Familiarity known as
major and colonel, and was by profession
a lawyer. who enjoyed through his abili-
ties and varied qualifications. as many Of
the responsible Offices Of Durham as he
desired, and received several appointments
Of trust and honor from the colony. He
was the first military captain, the first
F. Justice of the peace, a judge Of the court,
/ and q Representative ia HOLLIS His son,
James WadswOrfh, Of Durham. was
born about leo, married Abigail Penfeld,
and died In l1U He was Familiarity known
as squire James, and held many impor-
Jant positions. He was Representative
for about twenty years 10 the General
Court colonial legislature), beginning with
lI20. and in 1903 he and his son James were
/ representatives from Durham. His son.
John Noyes Wadsworth, of Durham.
a farmer. was born IN 1872 and died in
I17S5 In l757 he married Esther Parsons
His son,
james WadswOrth, was born in Dur
/ ham. April %. 1865, and died in Geneseo.
y. Y, June s. 1914. He was graduated
from Yale College in 17S7, and in 1920 re-
moved with his brother TO the Genesee
country, I'm the state of New York, pur-
chased an enormous tract Of land In what
is now the town Of Geneseo, and eventu-
ally became one Of the richest landed pro-
prietors in the State He was largely
/ interested in the cause Of education and
/ public libraries. and as early as 1911
proposed the establishment OF normal
schools He procured the enactment of
the school library law OF 1898, founded
and endowed. at a cost Of $1,000, a library
at Geneseo, and IN his sales of lands
always stipulated that a tract of 12J acres
. 10 each township should be granted free
fer church. and another of the same
size for a school 1t is said that his dona-
tons to the cause of education exceeded
$4,000. an exceptionally large sum for
those days. His son,
james samuel wadSworth. was born
I'm Geneseo. October 50, 1867. and was
killed at the battle OF the Wilderness.
May S. 1854. He was educated at Hamil-
ton and Harvard colleges. studied law at
Yale aid in Daniel Webster's Office. and
was admitted TO the bar in 1880. but never
practiced his profession. finding ample
occupation I'm the care of his fathers
estate which. by the death Of his uncle
IN 1888, was Increased to 1900 acres. He
inherited his fathers zeal for the cause
of education. whose activities in that
department he continued. He was also
especially interested i'm the State Agri-
cultural Society, Of which he was presi-
dent in 1872. He was active i'm the free
tial elector on the Republican ticket in
1896 and 1850, and delegate to the Peace
/ Conference Of February. 1861 In the
early part Of the civil war, when Wash
ingtou was threatened with isolation he
chartered and provisioned two vessels at
New York, and took them 10 Annapolis
FOR the relief Of the government He
was present at the battle OF Bull Run as
volunteer aid TO Gen. Mcdowell. and was
commended for bravery and humanity in
that enga cement. and was made a briga-
dier general of volunteers. August ., 1851.
In March 1862. he was the military gov
ernor of Washington. and the same year
was the Republican nominee for governor
OF New York. but was defeated by Ho-
ratio Seymour. In December, 1852, he
/ WAS in command Of a division under Gen
Burnside. and was engaged at FrederiCks-
burg. His troops lost more than half
their number at Gettysburg, and distin-
guished themselves by their dash and
courage. In 1854 he was placed IN COM
mand of the Fourth division of the Fifth
army corps, which on the 5th Of May
crossed the Rapidan and lost heavily in
the battle Of the Wilderness. His men
gave way before an attack by an IN
/ creased force Of the Confederates. and
while attempting to rally them he received
q mortal wound. He died unconscious OF
the fact that two days previously he had
been brevetted major general Horace
Greeley said OF him in his American
Conflict: THE cOuntry's salvation
claimed no nobler sacrifice than that OF
James s. Wadsworth, of New York
No one surrendered more for his
country'5 sake or gave his life more joy
fully for her deliverance." He married.
May II. 1884. Mary Craig Wharton (daugh-
ter OF John Wharton and his wife Nancy
Craig. who was born August q, 1914, and
died June 80. 1874. His son.
Jauoes XXaIcotf NudSx~ortb Of Gene