Washington County New York Biographies - Surnames S-U

Transcribed by Lynn Tooley

Washington County New York Biographies - Surnames S-U, extracted from the Washington county, New York; its history to the close of the nineteenth century by Stone, William Leete, 1835-1908.

SAVAGE, Hon. John, Biography

Hon. John Savage was one of the notable jurists whose history carries us back to the early days of Washington County, and who became not only a state, but a national figure. He was born at Salem, N. Y., in 1779; graduated from Union College in 1799; took up the study of law and soon became a leader of the county bar. In 1814 he was in the state legislature and was a representative in Congress from December 4, 1815, to March 3, 1819. He next held the office of United States District Attorney and was State Comptroller from February 12, 1821, to February 13, 1823, when he became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. This high office he graced for four years, or until 1827. He also served for some time as United States Assistant Treasurer in New York. In 1829 Union College conferred upon him the degree of L.L. D. He died at Utica, N. Y., October 19, 1863.

SAWYER, W. L. Biography

W. L. Sawyer, a talented and rising young lawyer of Sandy Hill, was born in this place and after a preparatory education in the local schools he entered Union College from which he was graduated in the class of '95, after a highly creditable course.

Having decided to enter the legal profession Mr. Sawyer read law in the office of A. D. Arnold and also with L. H. Northup and was admitted to the bar July 6, 1897.

Immediately after being admitted Mr. Sawyer began the practice of his profession in the old offices, long ago rendered notable through the occupancy of Hughes & Northup, and here he has already achieved a reputation that would do credit to many an older man. He was elected Justice of the Peace in March, 1896, and was re-elected in March, 1899. Besides his college societies he is a member of the New York State Historical Society.

W. L. Sawyer is a son of the Rev. E. R. Sawyer, D.D., Baptist minister at Sandy Hill since 1870, and one of the most highly appreciated divines of the county. His grandfather. Rev. Reuben Sawyer, was also a Baptist minister.

SCOTT, George Biography

George Scott, Town Clerk of Fort Edward, was born near Hook, in the town of Argyle, June 19, 1838, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His father, John Scott, owned a farm in that vicinity, on which George spent his youthful days.

His mother's name was Nancy Brown a daughter of James and Hannah Brown, all of whom were Presbyterians and members of the Rev. George Mairs' Church in the village of Argyle.

His brothers are James, John, Robert and William. George attended the Hook school, Fort Edward Institute and the Argyle Academy, and at the breaking out of the Civil War he went to the front.

He served in the Argyle Company of the 123d N. Y. Regiment and in the 16th United States Infantry. In the Argyle Company he was Orderly, or First Sergeant under Capt. Duncan Robertson, and near the close of the war he was transferred to the 16th United States Infantry.

Always on duty, he participated in all the marches of the 123d Regiment, and took part in all of its skirmiishes and battles, including Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Resaca, Cassville, New Hope Church, Lost Mountain, Pine Hill, Kenesaw, Kolb's Farm, Chattahoochee River, Peach Tree Creek and Atlanta.

Before Atlanta had fallen Sergeant Scott was transferred to the 16th United States Infantry and took part in the battles in the rear of Atlanta, assisted in tearing up the railroad at East Point, and was in the battle of Jonesboro, where a decisive victory for the Union sealed the fate of Atlanta.

After the fall of Atlanta the i6th United States Infantry was ordered back to Lookout. Mountain, where, on the 4th of October, 1864, he received an honorable discharge from the United States service, with honorable mention in his discharge for his services in the battle of Jonesboro.

After his discharge, instead of returning home, he started for the front again, and left Chattanooga as a passenger on top of a freight car, in order to reach Sherman's men at Atlanta. But at this time Hood's army was beginning to march north and the freight train on which Mr. Scott was a passenger, had soon to face burning culverts and bridges, and the conductor ran it back to Chattanooga. Mr. Scott, with three other soldiers, however, did not return. Each volunteered to go on, and after experiencing tnany hardships and privations on their long march in endeavoring to avoid Hood's men, instead of trying to find any of them, they succeeded in joining the Union forces at Atlanta.

George Scott was captured on October 19, 1864, at Vinings Station, near Atlanta, by Wheeler's Cavalry, and was sent to Cahaba prison and soon after to the prison pen at Millen, and was subsequently transferred to Andersonville, where he remained a prisoner through the winter of 1864-5, and was among the last released in the spring, reaching the Union lines at Jacksonville, Fla., on April 28, 1865, after the war closed, and he arrived on the steamer "Daniel Webster" at Parole Camp, Annapolis, Md., May 10. 1865.

A few years after the war was over Mr. Scott married Elizabeth, a daughter of Peter Tierce Finn and Mary (Cozzens) Finn.. He has one daughter, Mary E.

Peter Tierce Finn was a son of William Finn, one of the early settlers of Fort Edward. William Finn married Mary, or Polly Tierce, who was a daughtei of Major Peter Bailey Tierce, a Major in Colonel Willett's Regiment in the Revolutionary War. The wife of Major Tierce was Polly Hunter, a daughter of Robert Hunter, who was a son of the Colonial Governor of that name. Polly Hunter's mother was Catherine Campbell, a name that is linked with Jane McCrea history.

Catherine Campbell was the daughter of Sarah (Gordon) Eraser and Archibald Campbell, who was a son of Major Duncan Campbell, of the "Black Watch," or 42d Highland Regiment, and who fell mortally wounded at Ticonderoga, July 8, 1758. His remains are interred in the Union Cemetery at Fort Edward.

Mr. Scott was admitted to practice law at the February General Term of the Supreme Court at Albany in 1871. He was a member of the Assembly in 1885, when he was made Chairman of the Committee on Petitions of Aliens, and was a member of the Committee on General Laws.

At present he is practicing law, and a member of the vestry of St. James Church, and Commander of C. E. Mills Post No. 491, Department of New York, G. A. R.

SEELEY, Jurden E. Biography

Jurden E. Seeley, the well known lawyer of Granville, is a son of John I. and Avis A. (Oatman) Seeley, and was born in Hartford,, Washington County, July 30, 1858. He studied law in the law offices of Pond, French & Brackett at Saratoga Springs, and was admitted to the bar May 4, 1881, and the same year located in Granville, where he formed a partnership with Levi D. Temple. In about a year Mr. Seeley purchased his partner's interest and continued his legal business alone until September, 1892, when he admitted John Gilroy of Richfield Springs, N. Y. This firm was dissolved in 1896.

SULLIVAN, Dennis J. Biography

Dennis J. Sullivan is a son of John and Catharine (O'Brien) Sullivan, and was born in the town of Horicon, Warren County, N. Y., April 2, 1857. In 1875 he entered the law office of the late Hon. U. G. Paris, and was admitted to the bar of the State of New York, at the November term, 1878. Since his admission to the bar Mr. Sullivan has been engaged in the general practice of law at Sandy Hill and has held different public offices.

[ Surnames V ]