The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-10-29
VETERAN NEWSPAPER MAN.
Death of Samuel Barrett Pettengill at
Home in Saxtons River.

/ Samuel Barrett Pettenglll, 10, veteran
4 journalist and clergyman, died at his hom
in Saxtons River, Oct. %, of apoplexy
He was the survivor of four sons of Dea
con Jonathan S. and Sally (Barrett) Pet
tengll, and was born at Grafton, Feb. 7
1889
Mr.. Pettengill had good ancestry. On
his paternal side it went back to a signe
of the Declaration of independence ant
still further to dissenting minister O
the west of England His maternal great
grandfather was Col. John Barrett, who
served under General Gates in the Revo
luton and who was also a member anC
clerk of the first legislative assembly OF
| Vermont and founder of the Congrega
tional church in Springfield.
While a school boy he helped feed and
keep over night runaway slave AT that
time the thrilling events which led to the
Civil war occurred. He participated in a
meeting of students to express Indignation
at the assault on Charles Sumner in the
United States senate. The Representative
Potter who answered the brow beating of
the south in congress with proposition
for duel with Pryor was his relative.
With such heritage and surroundings it
is not strange that he early developed and
maintained throughout life deep inter-
est in all civic affairs and sober sense of
the obligations due from citizen to the
state. This idea, which was thoroughly
characteristic, is well expressed in the
freeman's oath of the older states, "to as
sist and be helpful in all the affairs of this
jurisdiction, and by all means promote the
public welfare of the same according to
your place, ability, and opportunity"
Mr.. Pettengill fitted for college at Burr
and Burton seminary at Manchester. He
attended Middlebury and Amherst col
1ara ,lNn, &c L u
high stand man. In 1876 Middlebury gave
him the masters degree and throughout
life he held warm interest in all the &C.
Invites of his alma mater.
In 1862 he left the campus" for the
camp and became a member of Company
B, 18th squadron, Rhode Island cavalry.
This was the only company in the Civil
war composed of college students and
maintaining its esprit de corps as such
during the time of enlistment. After a
brief but worthy campaign in the Shenan-
doah valley, in which they participated in
the memorable flight from Harper's Ferry,
they were mustered out and received in
later years the concentrations of their
commander General White, and General
Longstreet of the Confederate army. Of
this service Mr.. Pettengill has written a
book entitled The College Cavaliers.
Returning from the war. Mr.. Pettengill
studied for the Congregational ministry at
Princeton and Andover theological semin-
aries. From the latter he was graduated
in 1866 and preached for a few years at
Royalton. His voice falling he turned his
attention to journalism and became editor
Of the Rutland Daily Herald, a position
he held for number of years. Here, as
elsewhere, he worked for civic betterment
and served for some time as member of
the city school board. In 1879 he became
editor and publisher of the st. Adams
Messenger and four years later he went to |
Portland, Oregon, and became editor OF
he Oregonian. In 1890 he left for Ia |
,oma where he edited the Daily News and |
he Ledger.
In 1880. at Louisville, KY, Mr.. Petten-
ill married Miss Sue Harry Clagett. a
southern woman and gifted writer. Their
Inion was happy and her early death in
800 was a blow from which he never re-
covered
In 1895, broken in health and fortune,
he returned to Vermont and had since
ived in retirement. He was an able
writer and scholar. public speaker who
eller, and a good neighbor and citizen.
lis personal qualities were such that the
hings which should accompany old age.
5 honor, love, obedience, troops of
riends," were his in heaping measure. He
vas ever loyal to church and state and
maintained cordial relations toward his
rother journalists and the ministry. Al
hough he suffered many disappointments,
e never lost hope or faith. He received
is hurts before, and so Gods soldier be
e."
He Is survived by two sons, Harry C.,
rho had an engineers training at the uni