Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/377

 MERRILL

MERRILL

great-grandson of Peter and Priscilla (Annis) Merrill ; and a descendant of Nathaniel Merrill, who emigrated from Salisbury, England, in 1610, and was one of the original proprietors of New- bury, Mass., 1635. John Wesley Merrill attended Newmarket, Wilbraham and Maine Wesleyan academies, matriculated at Bowdoin college, in 1830, and wjis graduated from Wesleyan uni- versity, Middletown, Conn., in 1834. He gradu- ated from Andover Theological seminary in 1837 ; was president of McKendree college, Lebanon, 111., 1837-41 ; was itinerant minister of the M.E. church, New England conference, 1842-54 ; pro- fessor of natural theology and mental and moral philosophy in the Methodist General Biblical institute, Concord, N.H., 1854-68 ; resumed the work of itinerant minister, 1868-73, when Ije re- tired from the ministry and removed to Concord, N.H. The honorary degree of D.D. was con- ferred on him by McKendree college in 1844. He was married, Aug. 17, 1842, to Emily, daughter of Enoch Huse, of Newburyport, Mass. Of his children, Charles Amos and Edward A. became lawyers at Worcester, Mass., and Con- <;ord, N.H., respectively ; John Wesley became a physician at Boston, and Col. Elijah H. resided at San Francisco. Dr. Merrill is the author of Natural Theology and an analysis of Butler's Analogy. He died in Concord, N.H., Feb. 9, 1900. MERRILL, Lewis, soldier, was born in New BL^liii, Ph., Oct. 24, 1834; son of James and Sarah Bonde (Lewis) Merrill ; grandson of Jesse and Priscilla (Kimball) Merrill and of Paschal Lewis, and a descendant of Nathaniel and Su- sannah (Wilterton) Merrill. Nathaniel Merrill was an original settler and proprietor of New- bury, Mass., 16.35. James Merrill (1790-1841), born at Peacham, Vt., was graduated at Dart- mouth, 1812; removed to York, Pa., and prac- tised law at New Berlin, Pa., 1815-41. Lewis ]\Ierrill matriculated at Lewisburg university in 1848. but left before graduation to enter the U.S. Military academy. He was graduated and brevetted 2d lieutenant of dragoons, July 1, 1855. He was married. May 27, 1856, to Aima Rhoda Houston, of Columbia, Pa. He was pro- moted 2d lieutenant, Dec. 13, 1855 ; Ist lieutenant, April 24, 1861 ; transferred to the 2d Missouri volunteer cavalry as colonel, Aug. 23,1861. and operated in Missouri and the southwest, 1861-62. He was promoted captain, Oct. 1, 1861 : com- manded the districts of St. Jy^uis and North Mis- souri successively, 1862-63 ; commanded the cavalry brigade in the Arkansas campaign, 1863, and engaged in the capture of Little Rock and commanded two brigades of Steele's cavalrj' in the pursuit of General Marmaduke. He was brevetted major, Sept. 10, 1863. for gallantry at Little Rock, ha<l charge of the West division of

the cavalry bureau at St. Louis, 1864, and there organized a provisional brigade of cavalry which he commanded at the beginning of Price's in- vasion of Missouri. He was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland, and commanded a regiment on the march from MissiKsip])i to Ten- nessee, and in Georgia and Alabama, 1865. He was brevetted lieutenant-colonel U.S.A. and brigadier-general of volunteers, March 13, 1865, for services during the war, and was mustered out of the volunteer service, Dec. 14, 1865. He was acting insi)ector-general of the department of the Platte, 1866-68 ; acting judge-advocate, 1866-^9, and was promoted major and transferred to the 7th cavalry, Nov. 27, 1868. He served in Kansas and Mexico, commanded the artillery detachment of Custer's command, 1870, and was a.ssigned to a military district in South Carolina, where he broke up the Ku Klux conspiracy, 1871-73. He received the thanks of the war department, of the legislature of South Carolina and of his com- mander for his services, and he was nominated for lieutenant-colonel, which was not confirmed by the senate until 1891. He commanded the district of the Upper Red River, La., 1874-76, where he rendered a similar service, and was on duty with the centennial commission at Phila- delphia in 1876. He served in the west, 1876-83 ; was on sick leave of absence, 1883-86, and was retired from active service, May 21, 1886, for dis- ability received in the line of duty. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 27, 1896.

MERRILL, Samuel, governor of Iowa, was born in Turner, Maine, Aug. 7, 1822 ; son of Abel and Abigail (Hill) Merrill ; grandson of Abel and Elizabeth (Page) Merrill, who removed from Salis- bury, Mass., to Oxford county, Maine, in 1750 ; and a descendant of Nathaniel Merrill, Newbury, Mass., 1635. Samuel attended the public school, engaged in farming and school-teaching, was colonel of state militia, 1842-49, and in 1849 re- moved to New Hampshire where he was a mer- chant and a representative in the state legislature, 1854-55. He was married in January, 1851, to Elizabeth Dorothy, daughter of Daniel Hill, of Buxton, Maine. In 1856 he removed to Iowa, was a merchant at McGregor, a representative in the Iowa legislature, 1860-61 ; with his brother ad- vanced the money to equip the 1st, 2d and 8d Iowa volunteers, 1861 ; and in August, 1862, en- tered the Federal service as colonel of the 21st Iowa infantry, and commanded a brigade at the battle of Hartsville, Mo. He took part in the battle of Port Gibson, where his horse was shot under him, and at Black River Bridge where he was severely wounded in a charge for which he was complimented by General Carr. He subse- quently served in Texas and was honorably dis- charged, May 27, 1864. He was elected Republi-