Plymouth County, Massachusetts - Biographical sketches (4 of 6 so headed), 1884 (part 2 of 2)

Thomas Smith was one of the earliest settlers of Gloucester, and a proprietor. He was a man of more than ordinary ability, and was, in 1645, one of the king'.s commissioners. From him and hia three sons (one of whom, Thomas, settled in Ipswich) descended the most of the Smiths in Northeastern Massachusetts. A direct descendant from him in the fifth generation was Isaiah Smith, who was born about 177-1, married Mary Chapman, of one of the early families of Ipswich, Mass., aud in 1S03 drove his own team of oxen from Ipswich to his new home in a forest wilderness (now Bridgeton), in the then district of Maine. Hardy, resolute, and energetic, he was well calculated to endure the toils and privations of pioneer life, and by his exertions aud industry transformed the wilduess of the woods into a pleasant and productive farm. He built a large house and barns, which are yet standing. He had mucli to do with public affairs in the new settlement, and was captain of the militia. Of his eleven children eight were born in Muiac. He died in 1845, aged seventy-one years. He, in common with his neighbors, was imbued largely with the importance of education, and even during the first years of their Settlement they had established an academy. Perley, his sou, was born May 1, 1805, received an academic education, " aud was distinguished as a mathematician." He married, in November, 1832, Louisa, daughter of Joshua Burgess, of Oneida County, N. Y., where she was born, April 25, 1813. Mr. Smith settled on a farm near his lather's, and united the avocations of laud-surveyor and farmer. His death occurred Nov. 16, 184G, at the age of fortyone. He had four children, - Isaiah P., Henry S. B., Andrew 11. G., and Joshua V. The eldest was ten yeai-s aud the youngest only fourteen months old at tin; time of their father's death. The mother developed qualities of more than ordinary ability. Her strong maternal love kept the children together in aa unbroken iiomecircle, and by her care, diligence, and energy she brought from the new, rough, and slightly-improved farm the means to carry her children through college. How this was done only she and the All-Seeing One could tell. She worked early and late, planned, managed, and contrived. Per.sonal comfort and luxuries were things not even to be dreamed of, and she infused her spirit into her children, and also the dauntless Christian faith and strength which sustained her under all her deprivations atid exhausting labors, so that they cheerfully aided her in all ways. She lived to see them well educated and college graduates, her death occurring in 1872. They all graduated at Bowdoin College, - Isaiah in 1858, Henry in ISGl, Andrew in lSti3, and Joshua in 1867. Isaiah became a Congregationalist clergyman, and settled in Worcester. Andrew received the degree of M.D. from Dartmouth College in 1866, and located at Whitesville, Mo. He has held prominent public positions, served one term as State senator, was re-elected, but was "counted out" on technicalities, the certificate of election being given to another. He brought suit against the Secretary of State, and the Supreme Court reversed the deci.^ion of the board, and he served a second term as senator. Joshua graduated at Maine Medical ScIiodI in 1871, became a resident of Richmond, Me., where he practiced medicine until 1875, when he moved to Melrose, Mass., where he now resides.

His older brother, while a youth, was I'eeblf, and Henry early became the active helper of his mother and leader in the farm work. Winter aud summer he was engaged in either cutting the massive hemlock-trees into saw-logs, stripping the bark fur sale to tanneries, hauling the logs to mill, or putting in or gathering the crops. Before he was tlfteen years old he had many a day done a man's work, laboring from early dawn till long past sunset. In such circuoistances and with such a mother it is not strange that he should improve to the utmost his educational advantages. He entered Bowdoin College in 1857, aud was graduated therefrom in 1861. After graduation he became a teacher in Brunswick, Me., and was principal of both the grammar and high schools. While teaching he studied medicine. aud in 1864 had attained so much kuuwicdge of that profession that, after passing an examination fur that purpose, he was commissioned, April 20, 1804, assistant-surgeon Thirty-second llegiment Maine Volunteers, aud at once accompanied his regiment tu Virginia. They immediately went to the I'roiit, and participated in the bloody battles on the James, i Petersburg, Cold Harbor, and the Wilderness. At i the close of the war, July 26, 1865, he was mustered out of service, and returned to Maine, where he attended a course of lectures at Berkshire Medical College, and received his diploma of M.D. from that institution Nov. 8, 1865. Siiortly after beginning the practice of medicine he located at Bowdoinham, Me., whore he built up a large and successful practice, and remained until Nov. 1, 1878.

The hard labor which had devolved upon him in his youth hud undermined his constitution, and the extreme changes of the harsh climate of Maine developed pulmonic disease, which necessitated a change of rcsiJunce. The death of Dr. W. W. Comstock afforded an opportunity for a change by opening a field in Middleboro', and Dr. Smith established himself here Nov. 1, 1878. He married, Aug. 2l), 1862, Ophelia, daughter of Jason and Mary J. (Cheney) Ripley, born in Hillsboro', N. H. Their surviving children are Owin Ripley and Arthur Vincent. During his residence in Middleboro', Dr. Smith has built up a large and lucrative practice. He devotes his time entirely to his profession, is a diligent student, and keeps pace with the rapid progress of medical science. He was formerly a member of Sagadahoc County (Maine) Medical Society and always in some official position connected therewith, and for some years was its president. He is now a member of South Bristol Medical Society, Masssachusetts Medical Society, and American Medical Society, and attends their meetings.

Dr. Smith is congregational in religious belief and Republican in politics. He holds membership in Village Lodge, F. and A. M., Bowdoinham, Me., and St. Paul's Royal Arch Chapter, Brunswick, Me. Popular in his profession, of kind and winning manners, and of strong sociality. Dr. Smith holds a high place in the regards of a large circle of friends.

1838. On leaving college he went to Georgia, where I he taught nearly four years. In 1842 he became the I principal of Peirce Academy, and continued in that relation twenty-nine years. From an attendance of over a hundred students during his connection with the institution as a pupil, in 1833, he found the number reduced to twelve or fifteen, and tlie building in I a dilapidated condition, without blackboards or appa- ! ratus, and the entire expense of carrying on the institution dependent solely upon the income derived ! from the tuition of its pupils. About the same time high schools, confessedly designed by their advocates I to do away with all denominational acadcniios, were beginning to be established in all the cities and larger ! towns in the State, as well as normal schools, one of which was located within ten miles. Notwithstand- I ing these unfavorable circumstances, Peirce Academy rose during the administration of Professor Jenks to j a high rank among the best institutions of it.s kind j in New England, averaging for some years over two j hundred tuition-paying pupils, at an average age of I eighteen years, and often furnishing forty or more I teachers of district schools at the close of a fall or spring term, pupils from almost every State east of the MLssiasippi and from the British provinces being frequently represented in its annual catalogues.

Resigning his position, Professor Jenks was elected, in 1872, Professor of Agricultural Zoology and Curator of the Museum of Natural History in Brown University, which position he still holds, having, by his untiring efforts and personal sacrifices, brought his special department into a condition far in advance of what it was when he entered the duties of his professorship.

Professor John W. P. Jenks

Professor John W. P. Jenks, principal of Peirce Academy, Middleboro', was born in West Boylston, Mass., May 1, 1819. At thirteen years of age he commenced the study of Latin and Greek in special preparation for college under the private tuition of his pastor. Rev. Addison Parker, in Southbridge, Mass., depending mainly upon his manual labor for support. In three months Rev. J. W. Parker, D.D., | cousin of his pastor, tendered him the opportunity of i spending a year under his tuition in a plantation school in Virginia. Returning north in the spring of 1833, he entered Peirce Academy for a year, and was graduated at Brown University in the class of

Ebenezer Weaver Peirce

Ebenezcr Weaver Peirce, the writer of what in this publication appears concerning the towns of Carver, Lakeville, and Middleboro', was born at what still continues to be his residence in the southerly part of Assonet village in Freetown, April 5, 1822, and is a lineal descendant in the sixth generation from Abraham Peirce, who emigrated to America, and settled at Plymouth as early as 1623, and died at Duxbury in or near 1673.

Isaac Peirce, a son of Abraham Peirce, served as a soldier in King Philip's war, and was among those who played " the man and took the Indian fort" in what is now Kingston, R. I., Dec. 19, 1675, for which act of daring and bravery he received a grant of land in addition to his stipulated wages. Isaac

Ebenezer Peirce, the oldest son of Isaac, Jr., was born in Duxbury, that part afterwards Pembroke, in ur near 1704, and died iu what was then MiddlebonV, but now Lakeville, Aug. 14, 179G. Ebenezer Peirce was the father of six sons, three of whom were soldiers iu the French and ladiaa war; one attaining to the position of captain, and all six served in the patriot army in the war of the American llevolucion, four of the six therein were captains. Among these six sons was Capt. Job Peirce, who had one son that served iu both the army and navy in the Revolutionary war, and one son who was a major, and another a captain in the coast guard, in the last war with England, sometimes called the war of 1812.

Capt. Job Peirce was the founder or donor of Peirce Academy, in Middleboro', and his son, Ebenezer Peirce, Esq., and wife, Joanna Weaver, were the parents of the subject of this sketch, who upon the maternal side is a lineal descendant iu the sixth generation from Lieut. Samuel Gardiner, who greatly distinguished himself in King William's war (1689 to 1692), the earliest town-clerk and treasurer of Freetown of whom there remains a record, also selectman, assessor, and representative to both the Colonial and Provincial Court, and one of the Council of War. Lieut. Gardiner subsequently became the principal proprietor of what is now known as Gardiner's Neck, ill Swansea, where he died Dec. 8, 1C96.

The mother of Ebenezer W. Peirce was Joanna, the oldest daughter of Col. Benjamin Weaver, of Freetown, an officer in the patriot army in the war of the American Revolution, and also in the loyal forces iu Shay's rebellion (1786); a man who wa.s intrusted with both the sword and purse, he having by annual elections been chosen treasurer of Freetown for the long term of twenty-nine years, and as judge of a police court served thirty years.

Ebenezer W. Peirce received such benefits as were afforded by the common scliools in Freetown, and passed one term each in Peirce Academy, Middleboro', Mass., Bacon Academy, Colchester, Codu., and Durham Academy, at Durham, N. H., and has received appointments to the offices of trial justice, coroner, notary public, public administrator, and commissioner to qualify civil officers I'rom the Governor of the State, and from the President of the United States that of collector of internal revenue for the Firat Congressional District in Massachusetts. He has

interested in the militia, into which he voluntarily en- I listed at the age of nineteen, attaining to the jio.sition I of major of the Fourth Regiment of artillerj' at ; twenty-two, lieutenant-colonel at twenty-four, and ; was lionorably discharged at his own request at the age of twenty-six. Two years later, being earnestly j solicited, he accepted the command of the A=souet i Light Infantry Company, and taking the same to a I brigade muster about two months after its organizaj tion, secured the second honors in a hotly-contested j prize-drill, only one company being regarded as its superior in attainment, and throwing all otheis that had been for several years competing for these honois far into the shade, and thus securing to himself the claim of an excellent drill-officer. In August, 1851, he was made major of Third Regimeut of Light Infantry, promoted to lieutenant-colonel iu April, 1852, and raised to brigadier-general of the Second Brigade in First DiviKiou Nov. 7, 1855, commanding that brigade until the commencement of the war of the great Rebellion in which, in the first three months of that conflict, he led it in Virginia. Dec. 13, 1861, he was commissioned colonel of a newly-raised, and then for the first time organized, three years' regiment (the Twenty-ninth Massachusetts Infantry), and wheu leading the same at the battle of White-Oak Swamp, in Virginia, June 30, 1862, his right arm near the shoulder was torn off by a cannon-ball, of which wound he was off duty only thirty days, and participated in the second battle of Bull Run iu a little less than two months.

He was soon after promoted to the command of the Second Brigade iu the First Division of the Ninth Corps, which brigade he led in the States of Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and for a time in Tennessee commanded the division. From youth his habits have been studious, and he has given much time to a careful perusal of the Bible, that while in liis minority he used to read through once in every twelve months for several consecutive years, and as a result of which he has become a thorough-going free-thinker and a confirmed materialist, in whose mind reason takes the place of revelation and science has demolished superstition. Both before and since the war lie has written extensively for newspapers and other publications, and during the last ten years devoted much labor to historical and genealogical researches, writing and publishing several books concerning each. Although having attained to more than threescore jears, and suffered the hardships incident to several years' aimy life, after losing his right arm, he enjoys almost unalloyed and uninterrupted good health, which he ascrihes to his life-long regular and abstemious habits, ignoring the use of spirituous liquors, tobaccochewing, smoking, and snuffing, and all forms of gambling, having never so much as once played a game uf cards in his life; thus, as he says, keeping the head clear, heart pure, and stomach clean, added to which he has not allowed himself to be encumbered with or burdened by the troubles and cares of more than one world at the same time. He seeks to do and do well the duties of that state of existence in which he finds himself to be, as this he considers his whole duty here and the best preparation for a hereafter, provided there be any hereafter, and says there is enough to do in the world that he knows about, and hence no call to do for that he knows nothing.