For several years Powers Freene was an associate judge with E. B. Chamberlain, of Goshen, who at one time occupied the Bench of the Circuit Court. He also served as County Commissioner, and in other ways has been identified with public life in St. Joseph county. He was a man of strong, positive mind and more than ordinary intellect; a wide and deep reader and thinker, and a fine conversationalist on almost any subject. Naturally enough, with so strong and positive a nature, considerable eccentricity was interwoven with it. Powerful in mind, his physical development was in fine proportion, presenting a rare and beautiful combination. A short time before his death he visited his old homes in Oneida and Rensselaer counties, New York, and spent a number of happy days in living over again a very happy period of his life. While visiting a cousin in Canada, he caught cold while sitting on the verandah, exposed to the evening air. He at once returned to his home in South Bend, and in forty-eight hours after his arrival his spirit returned to God who gave it. His remains wer taken back to New York State and placed beside that of his first wife, who years before had precede him to that “better land.”
History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
St. Joseph County’s Illustrious Dead
In 1848 Mr. Studebaker, seeing no prospect in the future for the advancement of his sons in the quiet precincts of Wayne county, set out on horseback to prospect the Western country. He traveled over a large portion of Indiana, but finally settled on South Bend as the most advantageous location, the excellent water-power being the main attraction. He returned to Ohio, and having arranged his business and disposed of his property, again fitted himself out with wagons, and in 1851 moved to that place, bringing with him two sets of tools, with which Henry and Clement went to work on the present site of the Studebaker Carriage Factory and formed the nucleus of the present extensive works. Mr. Studebaker engaged in no business, except to aid all in his power his two sons. He located his residence on the lot where he resided at the time of his death, though a new and handsome building has taken the place of the old one.
Mr. Studebaker and his wife, who survives him, had lived together fifty-seven years. Thirteen children had been born to them, nine of whom are living, five sons and four daughters. At the time of his death there were also forty-three grand-children, and eighteen great-grand-children, of this aged couple. They united with the German Baptist Church, 1829, and for nearly half a century had lived consistent Christian lives together, beloved by all who knew them. On leaving the home of his father, when a young man, his father gave him this injunction: “John, remember the poor.” And he always obeyed, remembering them often, even when it took that of which the need was felt by himself. He was public-spirited in his nature, the friend of the young man struggling for a place in life, the benefactor of the widow, the fatherless, and all in need. He leaves a name rich in the memory of good deeds, and an example the emulation of which all would lead the world to better things.
History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
St. Joseph County’s Illustrious Dead
Mr. Mack spoke the language of the Seneca Indians quite fluently, and was frequently called upon by the Government to act as an interpreter and as an arbiter between the Indians themselves. He was Adjutant of the 162d Regiment and 43d Brigade of New York militia, and in 1824 was appointed Adjutant General of the militia detailed for the reception of the Marquis de Lafayette, on his visit to this country, and escorted that distinguished ally of our country from Fredonia to Dunkirk, where he took shop for Buffalo. In 1814 he was appointed postmaster at Cattaraugus. In 1828 he was engaged in filling a Government contract for timber for harbor improvements on Lake Erie. After that he was agent of the Erie Railroad in the settlement of claims with property owners of the Holland purchase. He was made a Mason, at Buffalo, shortly after reaching his majority, and was consequently one of the oldest members of the order in the United States at the time of his death. He became a member of St. Joseph Lodge, No. 45, at South Bend, Dec. 20, 1844, and in 1862 demitted to become one of the charter members of South Bend Lodge, No. 294. He was twice married: First, in 1819, to Clarissa W. Hanford, who died in 1841, leaving four children. He was married in the second time, in 1843, to Achsah M. Leland, who died April 6, 1875, leaving one child.
Having lost all his property in New York, he emigrated to South Bend at an early day, in the hope of recuperating his shattered fortune, and at first engaged in hard labor, doing whatever his hands found to do. By the second or third year, however, of his stay in that place, he entered the service of the pioneer Indian agent, Alexis Coquillard, acting as bookkeeper and general secretary. He accompanied Coquillard to the western reservation when he removed the Indians under authority of the general Government, in 1851, and during his life related many interesting incidents of the trip. He during his life related many interesting incidents of the trip. He was with the Indians when the cholera broke out among them, and was unceasing in his efforts to relieve their sufferings. He was afterward engaged in the mail service on the Lake Shore railroad, and during his later years acted as bookkeeper and accountant for a number of persons and filled the office of Assessor. He erected the first house on the east side of the river, after the platting of Lowell, and aided materially in building up that part of the present city of South Bend. He joined the Baptist Church in 1846, and during the remainder of his life lived a consistent Christian.
History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
St. Joseph County’s Illustrious Dead
In 1845 he compiled the “Elements of Swift Writing, after Taylor and Gould” – E. Morgan & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio; Morton & Griswold, Louisville, Kentucky, Publishers – adapting movable types to the short-hand symbols. In 1846-‘7 he wrote for the Ohio Statesman, in that State Legislature. In 1847 he was engaged in the Tennessee Legislature. Then for two years he was in the first effort made by the Washington press to establish verbatim reports in Congress, which resulted in giving the contract to John C. Rives. In 1850-’51 he wrote in the Ohio and Indiana Constitutional Conventions. In 1852 he was again in the corps of reporters for the Daily and Congressional Globe. In 1853 he established the St. Joseph County Forum, a Democratic weekly newspaper, in South Bend. In 1855-’56 and in 1857-’58 he was engaged in the Tennessee Legislature, for the Legislative Union and American, two volumes of which were authorized as the authentic records of that body. He also reported the proceedings and debates in the Soutern Methodist General Conference, at Nashville, in May o that year. He wrote in the Minnesota Constitutional Convention that year. He wrote in the Minnesota Constitutional Convention in 1857, and was official reporter to the Kansas Constitutional Convention in 1859. In 1858-’59 he instituted the first professional reporting for the Indiana Legislature, under the title of the “Brevier Legislative Reports.”
As a citizen Mr. Drapier was very modest and retiring. Had he pushed himself forward, a very prominent position in public life might have been his, but he was too pure a man to stoop to the arts of a politician, and too dignified a man to be popular with the rabble. Twice he was the nominee, against his own wishes, of the Democratic party for the Legislature, but was defeated with this party, which was in a hopeless minority. He had a most commanding presence, being over six feet in height, and shapely as an Adonis. He was very frank and cordial in his greeting to friends, and courteous to all. He was grave and dignified in manner, and to some many have seemed stiff and cold, but his heart was always warm; it was the dignity of an old style gentleman. He was all his life a Christian, and and was one of the founders of the Christian, or Disciple Church in South Bend, and at times, in its early days, officiated as a lay preacher. Editor or politician, preacher or citizen, he was always the same quiet, unostentatious man, whose real worth was not justly estimated by the stranger, but which had a warm appreciation by the many who knew him well. Death called him home Saturday, May 26, 1877. His remains were interred in the South Bend cemetery, there to await the resurrection morn. His last days were full of pain, for his affliction was one of the most painful the human system can bear; but under all he bore himself with courage and Christian resignation. He heard the summons and he answered the call:
History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
St. Joseph County’s Illustrious Dead
History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
St. Joseph County’s Illustrious Dead
In the terrible fight at Stone River, Adjutant Wade’s regiment took a prominent part. It was the first of the whole army to cross Stone river under the enemy’s fire on the event of the first day’s battle. Its brigade there encountered Breckinridge’s whole division and was obliged to recross. The next day it passed in skirmishing, and then on the 31st of December, 1862, it participated in the most terrific fighting that occurred during the whole war. When the right wing of our army was beaten back two miles, the 73d was double-quicked a mile and a half to reinforce it, and taking a position on the extreme right engaged two rebel brigades. In 20 minutes, fighting at close range, the regiment lost one-third of its entire number engaged, but checked the enemy’s advance and saved the right wing of the army. After the fight Gen. Rosecrans complimented the regiment in person for its bravery. Through all this fighting Adjutant Wade was with the regiment as cool and collected as on dress parade. His horse was shot from under him and he fought on foot. In one of the attacks, when the storm of rebel bullets became so thick that no force could withstand them, and a retreat was ordered, Adjutant Wade tripped twice on his sword and fell. “The second time he feel,” said an eye witness, “he got up, stopped, unbuckled his sword and walked after the retreating regiment as collectedly as if he were going out to drill.”
When Colonel Streight organized his Independent Provisional Brigade to penetrate the enemy’s country and cut his communications, the 73d, which seemed to be doomed to do hard fighting, was assigned to it. Two days after it left Tuscumbia, Alabama, 1,500 strong, it was attacked by 4,000 rebel cavalry under Forrest and Roddy. The 73d was on the left flank, where it gallantly repulsed a fierce charge of the cavalry within 20 feet of its colors, and the enemy was eventually repulsed with the loss of two pieces of artillery. In another fight the same day the enemy fared no better. On the 2d of May the 73d bore the brunt of the fight at Blount’s farm, and there lost its commander, Colonel Hathaway. On the next day, out of ammunition, exhausted by incessant traveling and fighting, and surrounded by superior forces, the brigade surrendered, and Adjutant Wade, with the rest of the officers, was taken to Libby prison, where he was confined for nearly two years, and received such injuries from close confinement that his naturally strong constitution never recovered from them. His exchange was finally secured through the influence of Schuyler Colfax, who had been his Sabbath-school teacher for many years, and who had always taken a general interest in him. He was promoted to Major and sent to take command of the 73d at Nashville, and with it picket a portion of the Tennessee river. As usual there was a great deal of fighting to do, and General Granger several times complimented Major Wade and his boys for their bravery and efficiency, and he was made Lieutenant-Colonel. In the latter part of 1864 the 73d was sent to Athens, Alabama, which Forrest had captured a few days before with 600 men, and then abandoned it. Colonel Wade’s orders were to hold the place, and he did it most successfully. He constructed a bomb-proof of his own invention inside the fort. On the 1st of October Gen. Buford, with 4,000 cavalry and a few pieces of artillery, appeared before Athens, and a skirmish was kept up all that day, Col. Wade having but 500 men and two pieces of artillery. At six o’clock the next morning Gen. Buford opened fire, but owing to the bomb-proof Col. Wade sustained no loss, though he managed to inflict a serious one on the enemy. After two hours’ hard fighting Gen. Buford sent in a flag of truce and demanded a surrender, “to stop the effusion of blood,” and wound up by saying that he would not be responsible for the action of his men if Wade did not surrender. Col. Wade replied that he had been ordered to hold the fort and intended to do it, and as to stopping the effusion of blood, there had been none among his men top stop. As soon as the bearer of the flag of truce reached Buford’s lines, and before the rebel general had time to recover from his surprise at the audacity of a Yankee boy who was not afraid to fight 4,000 trained cavalry with a handful of men, Col. Wade opened a fierce fire among the enemy’s ranks and Buford and his men precipitately retreated with great loss. The loss to Colonel Wade’s men was so slight as to attract special mention. For his gallantry at Athens Lieutenant-Col. Wade was promoted to the Colonelcy of the 73d, which was the only Indiana regiment which went through the war with but two Colonels. On his muster out with the regiment, he went to Ann Arbor and graduated; then returned to South Bend and opened a law office and practiced his profession until the accession of Grant to the Presidency, when he was appointed postmaster. He was re-appointed in 1873.
Colonel Wade was a member of the Presbyterian Church. His mother, who was a member of that Church from its organization, named him after the first minister, Rev. Alfred Bryant.
In the fall of the same year that he was mustered out of the service (1865) he was married to Miss Jennie Bond, of Niles, Michigan. The union was a very happy one, and was blessed by four children.
On Tuesday morning, Feb. 27, 1877, Colonel Wade left South Bend for Crum’s Point, about ten miles distant, to hunt ducks. He went alone, taking with him his dog, gun, sachel, pail of provisions, and a light metal boat built in two sections. On arriving at the Point he left his horse and wagon in charge of Christian Haller, launched his boat and started on the hunt. About four or five o’clock the same afternoon the dog returned to Haller’s, but nothing strange was thought of the matter. On Wednesday, while two men who were trapping along the river were examining their traps, they came across Col. Wade’s boat, opposite the farm of Henry Burden. It had apparently drifted down stream until it lodged in the grass and bulrushes a short distance from the shore. They pulled it in, and also secured a buffalo robe a short distance below, floating on the water. On the seat of the boat lay the Colonel’s gun case; close beside it was his breech-loading gun. The alarm was immediately given, and some fifteen or twenty men engaged in the search for the body and continued until compelled to abandon it on account of darkness. Early the next morning the search was resumed, and the body of the Colonel was found about three-fourths of a mile above where the boat was found. The theory of the drowning was that he was sitting in the boat eating his dinner, when he was seized with one of his dizzy spells, which had been troubling him for some time, and falling to one side, careened the boar sufficiently to throw him out into the river; that the water revived him and he struck out for the shore, but failed to reach it, though an excellent swimmer, on account of the icy coldness of the water chilling him into a state of numbness. His body was at once taken to South Bend, where an inquest was held with the verdict of “accidental drowning.” His funeral was conducted under the auspices of the South Bend Commandery, No. 13, K. T. and Crusade Lodge No. 14, K. of P.
History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
St. Joseph County’s Illustrious Dead
Mr. Chapin was a man of considerable culture, being more or less thoroughly acquainted with several branches of knowledge, such as medicine, theology, finance, horticulture and natural science. He was a man of great strength and decision of character. With Puritan firmness he stood fast by his convictions and principles. In his character was illustrated the rugged strength of the oak. From the day he came to South Bend his influence was continuously exerted on behalf of morality, intelligence and religion. In his long career as a business man, those who knew him most thoroughly testify to his life-long integrity. During the last years of his life, he seemed to ripen fast for the kingdom of heaven. Unceasingly he gave his dying testimony as to the preciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ as his only and all-sufficient Savior, in whom alone he trusted for salvation, or acceptance with God. He was called to his final home on the thirteenth day of May, 1871.
History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
St. Joseph County’s Illustrious Dead