Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1909-10-29
STATIONS RIVER
Death Of Samuel B. PsttsngiII
Journalist and Clergyman
Was Member Of only Company in Civil
War Composed Of college Students
Edited Several Newspapers.

Was Member Of only Company in Civil
War Composed Of college Students
Edited Several Newspapers.
Samuel Barrett Pettenglll, 70, a vet
eran journalist and clergyman, died at
his home in Saxtons River Friday of
apoplexy. He was the survivor of four
sons of Deacon Jonathan s. and Sally
(BarretD Pettengill, and was born In
Grafton, Feb. q 1889
Mr.. Pettengill had a good ancestry.
On his paternal side It went back to
signer of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence and still further to dissenting
minister of the west of England. His
maternal great-grandfather was Col
John Barrett, who served under General
Gates in the Revolution and who also
was a member and clerk of the first
legislative assembly of Vermont and
founder of the Congregational church In
Springfield.
While a school boy he helped feed
and keep over night a runaway slave.
At that time the thrilling events which
led to the Civil war occurred. He par
ticipated in a meeting of students to ex-
press indignation at the assault on
Charles Sumner in the United States
senate. Representative Potter, who an
swered the browbeating of the South in
Congress with a proposition for duel
with Pryor, was his relative. With such
a heritage and surroundings it is not
strange that he early developed and main
tanned throughout life a deep interest in
all civic affairs and sober sense of the
obligations due from citizen to the
state.
Mr.. Pettengill fitted for college at Burr
and Burton seminary at Manchester. He
attended Middlebury and Amherst col
leges, was a member of d. X. E., and
4 HAIKU 40
him the masters degree and throughout
life he held a warm interest in all the
activities of his alma mater.
In 1862 he left the campus" for the
camp and became a member of Com
pany 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 Shenandoah valley, in
which they participated in the me-
morable. flight from Harper's Ferry,
they were mustered out and received
in later years the Communications of
their commander, General White, and
General Longstreet of the Confeder-
ate army. OF this service Mr.. Petten-
gill has written a book entitled, THE
College Cavaliers"
Returning from the war, Mr.. Pet
tengill studied for the Congregational
ministry at Princeton and Andover
theological seminaries. From the lat
ter he graduated in 1865, and he preach
ed a few years at Royalton. His voice
falling, he turned his attention to journ-
alism and became editor of the Rutland
Daily Herald, a position he held a num-
Der of years. Here as elsewhere he
worked for civic betterment and served
for some time as a member of the city
Tn 10
and publisher of the st. Adams Mes
senger and four years later he went to
Portland, Oregon, and became editor Of
the Oregonian. In 1890 he left for Ia
| coma, where he edited the Daily News
and the Ledger.
| In 1880, at Louisville, KY, Mr.. Pet
| tengill married Miss Sue Harry Clagett
a southern woman and gifted writer
Their union was happy and her death in
| 1890 was a blow from which he never re-
| covered.
In 1895, broken in health and fortune
| he returned to Vermont and had since
| lived in retirement. He was an able
writer and scholar, public speaker who
commanded attention, charming story
| teller, and a good neighbor and citizen.
| His personal qualities were such that the
| things (which should accompany old age,
as honor, love, obedience, troops of
friends" were his in heaping measure.
| ne was ever iOydi 10 CnuTCn anu Sldlc
| and maintained cordial relations toward
his brother journalists and the ministry.
Although he suffered many disappoint-
ments, he never lost hope or faith
He leaves two sons, Harry c., OF Wash
ington, D. c., who had an engineer
training at the University of Vermont.
Burlington, and Samuel B., jr., who grad
uated from Middlebury college last year
and is now a student in the Yale law
school.
The funeral was held Sunday afternoon
at the home of his nieces, Miss Fanny
and Miss Helen Pettengill. The services
were conducted by Rev. George F. Cha
pin, pastor of the Congregational church,
assisted by Rev. P. B. Pennock of Graf
ton. F. o. Merrifeld sang waiting al
the Gate" and Nearer, My God to
Thee" The bearers were Charles Frost
H. A. Davis, John II. Allbee of Saxtons
River and Adm Culver of Grafton. The
burial was in the Saxtons River GENE
terry.