The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-16
General w. w. Dudley of
Washington, D. c.. Form-
erly of Richmond, Died Yes
terday After a Long illness.
CREATED THE FAMOUS
BLOCKS OF FIVE PLAN
He Came to This City in 1860
And at the Outbreak of the
War Was Made Captain of
Local Company.

Washington, Dec. l6.-General W. ".
Dudley, OF Indiana, formerly commits.
sioner OF pensions. died yesterday.
General Dudley had been i'll several
weeks.
William Wade Dudley was born at
Weathersfield Bow. VT. August -,
1872. His father was a graduate Of
Yale. and Congregational preacher.
ana MS ancestry on both sides traced
back to the original Puritan stock of
New England. One OF his ancestors
on MS mothers side. Colonel Wade.
was one OF the minute men at Con.
cord. was afterward on General Wash.
ington's staff. and was placed In COM
mand at West Point after Arnold.s de-
sertion. Young Dudley's early edu-
cation was at the Phillips academy,
and his later at a mixed classical
and military school in New Haven. He
was fitted for Yale, but did not take
a college course.
Moves to Richmond.
III ISV he came with his fathers
family to Richmond. Ind. and engaged
in the grain and milling business.
when the war began he was captain
OF the Richmond Greys, and under his
leadership almost the entire company
enlisted. At this time he was not
nineteen years old. but his military
training at school qualified him for
captain. His company became Com
pany A in the Nineteenth Indiana reg
iment, Of which Solomon Meredith, OF
Wayne county. was colonel The reg
iment left Indianapolis August ). 1861.
and Joined the Army Of the Potomac
at Washington on August ., about two
weeks before Captain Dudley's twen-
tieth birthday.
Saw Hard Service.
The subsequent history of the regi-
ment was one of hard and active ser.
vice. in all Of which Captain Dudley
| showed himself a good soldier. The
Nineteenth was brigaded with the
Sixth. Second and Seventh Wisconsin
| regiments. known as "the Iron Brig.
ade." and distinguished in many bat
ties
Colonel Dudley was always proud OF
his war record and he had a right to
be. At Antietam. September 16, 1852,
| ten days before his twenty-first BIRTH
day. the higher officers being disabled.
he commanded the regiment. In De-
| cember. 1862. when Colonel Meredith
was made brigadier general. Captain
Dudley was recommended for colonel.
but generously declined in favor OF a
| brother officer.
Wounded At csttysbuep.
| At the battle Of Gettysburg, July I.
1853. when the regiment lost ~ per
cent. OF its men. he received q wound
which caused the amputation OF his
right leg. He had previously BEEN
promoted to lieutenant-colonel and
for Gettysburg he was brevetted briga-
dier. After the war he served for a
few months as clerk In the pension Of
flee at Washington. then a short time
in the regular army. and finally resign
ed to engage in business at Richmond
He served two terms N clerk OF
| Wayne county. then as cashier of a
| bank In 1879 he was appointed
United States marshal for Indiana and
in 1881 commissioner Of pensions At
this time and for several years after
ward, Colonel Dudley was active n q
political manager in Indiana and had
the reputation Of being q very efficient
one. In 1888. when General Harrison
ran for President, Colonel Dudley was
treasurer Of the republican national
committee. although Colonel John C.
New was the Indiana member Of the
committee
8Ioeks-of-Five Letter.
| It was in this campaign that Colonel
Dudley's name became connected with
the so-called 'blocks-of-fiye" letter
The campaign was q closely contested
one. and on the last day Of October the
Indianapolis Sentinel printed with
sensational headlines what purported
to be a confidential letter from Colo
mel Dudley to local republican mana
gers giving instructions what to do to
insure success.
Among other things # said: Divide
the floaters into blocks Of five, and
put trusted man with necessary
] funds in charge Of those five, and make
him responsible that none get away
and that all vote our ticket"
The letter was printed ON what pur-
ported to be republican national COM
mittee letterhead and was signed,
w. W. Dudley The date line and
superscription were torn of % thers