Through Their Eyes...
Franklin House Guests
Peter Thatcher Washburn
(1814 - 1870)
33rd Governor of Vermont -
Elected Adjutant General and Inspector General of Vermont with the rank of Brigadier General, October 1861 - Elected to these posts every year until 1866
Commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st Vermont Infantry, May 9, 1861; Led 5 companies of the 1st Vermont Infantry and 5 from the 4th Massachusetts Infantry at the battle of Big Bethel, June 10, 1861; Chairman of the Vermont delegation to the Republican National Convention, 1860;
Served in the Vermont House of Representatives, 1853 & 1854; Elected as reporter of decisions for the Vermont Supreme Court, 1844 – 1852; Dartmouth Graduate, Class of 1835; Admitted to the Vermont Bar 1838
William Young Warren Ripley
(1832 - 1905)
1861 Ripley entered the Union Army for the Civil War as Captain and commander of the Rutland Light Guards, which was mustered in as Company K, 1st Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He served with the regiment in Washington, D.C. and Virginia during the entire three months of its service, including taking part in the Battle of Big Bethel.
In the Fall of 1861 Ripley joined the 1st United States Sharpshooters as Lieutenant Colonel and second in command. He took part in several battles, including the Battle of Malvern Hill in July, 1862, at which he was seriously wounded. Ripley’s wounds proved serious enough to prevent him from returning to the field. In August, 1862 he was appointed commander of the 10th Vermont Infantry with the rank of Colonel, but declined because of the physical disability caused by his wounds.[9] In 1864 he was appointed to command the 1st Division of the Vermont Militia with the rank of Major General. The Militia had an active role providing patrols and security within the state and along the border with Canada, particularly following the October, 1864 St. Albans Raid. He served until a post-Civil War reorganization of the militia eliminated the division headquarters.
At the Battle of Malvern Hill Ripley was commended for returning to the rear at a critical juncture in the fight to bring up two regiments that had been in reserve, which he then led into battle himself. He continued to fight until a bullet struck his leg and he had to be carried from the field. In 1893 Ripley was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism at the Battle of Malvern Hill.The citation reads:The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Lieutenant Colonel William Young Warren Ripley, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 1 July 1862, while serving with 1st U.S. Sharpshooters, in action at Malvern Hill, Virginia. At a critical moment Lieutenant Colonel Ripley brought up two regiments, which he led against the enemy himself, being severely wounded.General Orders:Date of Issue: March 11, 1893 Action Date: July 1, 1862 Service: Army Rank: Lieutenant Colonel Division: 1st U.S. Sharpshooters
The above information came from Wikipedia:
General Ripley was a regular guest at the hotel during this time period and has signed the register MANY times.
Redfield Proctor
John Sargent Pillsbury
(1831 – 1908)
37th US Secretary of War, March 5, 1889 – November 5, 1891
US Senator from Vermont, November 2, 1891 – March 4, 1908
37th Governor of Vermont, October 3, 1878 – October 7, 1880
30th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, October 5, 1876 – October 3, 1878
(1827 - 1901)
Co-founder of C. A. Pillsbury and Co.
8th Governor of Minnesota, January 7, 1876 – January 10, 1882
Minnesota State Senator
During the Grasshopper Plague of 1877, Governor Pillsbury called for a day of prayer on April 26, 1877. A subsequent sleet storm killed all the grasshoppers. In Cold Spring, Minnesota, a chapel was built to honor the miracle
Pillsbury was born in Suttun, New Hampshire. In 1851, he opened a store in Warner, New Hampshire, in partnership with Walter Harriman, a Civil War general and future Governor of New Hampshire. In early 1855 Pillsbury migrated west. It was on the trip west that he stayed at the Franklin House for 2 nights. He signed twice.
Thomas Haig Palmer
1782 - 1861
Born in Kelso, Scotland, Thomas was a Printer, Publisher, and Education reformer.
He moved with 2 older sisters and 2 younger brothers to Philidelphia, PA in 1804. Thomas and brothers George and
James Watt published in 1812-14 The U.S. Historical Register, an early description of U.S. geo-poliical definition.
During the War of 1812, Thomas would take the two-day coach ride down to Washington to get the latest from the Secretary of War, himself, spending $36 each time to do so. (The Pentagon then had only two men, the Sec'y of War and his assistant). The White House was across the street, and if you desired you could go over to talk with the President, crossing the unpaved street. The brothers broke up following the financial panic of 1817, George going to New Orleans to die of tuberculosis, James Watt to Lexington, and later Louisville, Kentucky to sell books, printing and publishing early Kentucky almanacs.
In 1822 he was married and soon returned to Philidelphia where he started in the publishing business again. After retiring from publishing he moved at his wife's behest to Pitsfield, Vermont.
He served as Vermont State Superintendent of Education.
Thomas H. Palmer is perhaps best remembered for coining the phrase "If at first you don't succeed try, try, try again"
Marcus P. Norton
(1829 - 1894)
Born in Tinmouth, VT and died in New York, NY
Practiced law in Troy, NY, New York City & Washington, DC
Patent attorney and inventor who had all of his patents revoked in 1871 and was disbarred as a patent attorney. He is believed to have stolen them from the actual inventors. One of the inventions he is known for is a postage canceling machine.
He was also involved in the Lincoln assassination investigation:
From Wikipedia article about Silas H. Hodges
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_H._Hodges
"Norton had testified that in March, 1865 a man he later recognized as Samuel Mudd had burst into his room at the National Hotel. Norton claimed the man apologized, saying that he thought the room belonged to a man named Booth. John Wilkes Booth had actually rented the room directly above Norton's. A pre-assassination connection, if proved, would undercut Mudd's claim not to have known who Booth was when he set Booth's broken leg after Booth shot Lincoln." Norton's testimony was the only testimony showing a pre-assassination connection between Dr. Mudd and John Wilkes Booth. The testimony was largely discredited but allowed to stand resulting in Dr. Mudd's conviction.
Some conspiracy theorists believe Norton himself, may have been more involved in Lincoln's assassination.
William Jesse Cain
(1835 – 1879)
From the Rutland Daily Herald & Globe, Jan. 18, 1879:
The subject of this notice, Capt. Wm. J. Cain, son of John and Mary B. Cain, of this town, was born March 26, 1835. Aside from a common school education, he pursued his studies at the academies in Rutland and Poultney, in this State, and at Andover, Massachusetts, at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and other places.
At the breaking out of the civil war he studied law in the office of Messrs. Prout & Dunton, in this place. He accompanied the Second Vermont regiment to the field as quartermaster-sergeant in 1861; was in the battles of the first "Bull Run"; resigned his position and enlisted as a private in the United States Light Artillery in 1862; was with General Pleasanton's advance just after the battle of Antietam; participated in the battle of Fredericksburg, after which he received a commission as second lieutenant in the Third Regular Cavalry in February, 1863; was promoted to first lieutenant October 9, 1865; served on General Sherman's staff, and later on the staff of both General Logan and General Harrow; was in the battle of Chattanooga, South Mountain, Missionary Ridge and Atlanta; was at the side of the gallant General McPherson, in advance of our army, when the General was shot down by a rebel sharp shooter, and was promoted to Captain by brevet, for meritorious services, March 18, 1865.
Since the termination of the war he was stationed at Memphis, Tenn., Little Rock and Fort Smith, Ark., and Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1867 he had command of a cavalry escort to General Wright's surveying party from Ft. Logan, Colorado, through New Mexico and Arizona to the Pacific coast; left the army and was engaged in surveying lands on the Northern Pacific railroad. Later still he had charge of the freight department of 700 [illegible] of the Missouri and Texas railroad, with headquarters at [illegible], Mo. Two years ago his health began to fail, as his physicians say, from exposure in the [illegible] and a few weeks ago he had a stroke of paralysis, from which he partially recovered. A few days ago he had a second attack which terminated in his death. His wife, a daughter of the late Judge Kittridge, of Fairhaven, Vt., and a son, two years of age, are, from sickness, unable to accompany the remains to Vermont. Captain Cain has many friends in Rutland and in the army, who will mourn the loss of a generous and [illegible] companion, who had not an enemy in the world.
Dr. George E. E. Sparhawk MD
(1829 - 1906)
World renowned Pioneer in Homeopathic
Medicine; Founding member of the Vermont
Homeopathic Society in 1854. Served as it's
President, Vice President, Treasurer, and
secretary at different times; Superintendent
of common schools in Rochester, VT for several years; Founder of the Sparhawk Sanitarium in Burlington, VT for the diagnosis and treatment of gynecological and obstetrical conditions;
Colonel William T. Nichols
(1829 -1882)
Attorney; Founder of Maywood, Illinois; assistant clerk of Vermont’s House of Representatives; Vermont States Attorney, 1858 and 1859
In 1855, traveled to Topeka KS and became embroiled in the Kansas-Missouri border wars, the fight to influence whether Kansas Territory would enter the Union as a slave or free state.
Colonel Nichols encountered a group of “Slaver” raiders who intended to destroy the town of Lawrence KS, He attempted to learn as much of their plans as possible and warn the people of Lawrence. Along the way Nichols met New York Times Correspondent W. A. Phillips. Phillips wanted to send dispatches to Governor Robinson. Colonel Nichols, at great danger to himself and knowing that if he were caught he would be hung, agreed to deliver them for him. For his act of bravery, Colonel Nichols was appointed to the territorial governor's staff with the rank of Colonel. Colonel Nichols returned to Rutland in January 1856.
In 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil War, Colonel Nichols enlisted as a private. He saw action at the battle of Bethel with the 14th Vermont Regiment. He was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in September 1861. Soon after he reenlisted, rejoined his regiment and was elected colonel, at first refusing but finally accepting the commission. At Gettysburg, Colonel Nichol's 14th, along with the 13th and 16th Vermont Regiments, are credited by some accounts with blocking Lee's final charge. This led to the confederate surrender.
From a Monument at the Gettysburg Battlefield:
“Fourteenth Vermont-Col. William T. Nichols, July 2, 3, 1863-19 killed-76 wounded- General Stannard’s Vermont Brigade.”
Colonel Nichols mustered out after Gettysburg. At 34, he was elected to the Vermont Senate, the youngest man to ever serve as a Vermont State Senator.
In 1865 while on a trip to explore business opportunities in the south, he sailed on the SS. Republic. This was her fateful final voyage. The ship was struck by a hurricane and Colonel Nichols, along with the rest of the passengers, were shipwrecked 300 miles off the coast of the Carolinas. The survivors spent 3 days in lifeboats before being rescued by the steamer General Hooker and taken to Charleston, South Carolina. At the same time he was fighting for his life, his beloved wife and daughter May lay dying from typhoid fever.
The Town, Maywood, Illinois a suburb of Chicago, which Colonel Nichols founded along with 6 other Vermont businessmen, is named for his daughter May.