William Nutt
Encyclopedia
William Nutt was a colonel in the American Civil War
, a representative to the Massachusetts General Court
from 1871 to 1872 and again in 1901, he was also the chairman of the board
of the Natick Five Cents Savings Bank.
to Isaac Brewster Nutt and Sally Ann Munroe. His paternal grandparents were William Nutt and Mary Brewster. His grandfather's grandfather William Nutt was one of the first settlers of Londonderry, New Hampshire
. Both his grandfather and his great grandfather Samuel served in the revolution and his father in the War of 1812
. His early education was limited to a few terms in the district school of his native town. As soon as he was old enough he began to work on the farm of his father and for neighboring farmers.
In his sixteenth year, in 1852, he moved to Natick, Massachusetts
, where he began to work at the shoemaker's trade. He supplemented his schooling by much reading and study, and attended private schools when he had the opportunity. As a shoemaker, associated with Henry Wilson, who afterwards became vice-president of the United States, he became interested in the slavery question, and in 1857 took part in the Kansas movement, the result of which was to keep that state free from slavery. He 'squatted' at Lawrence, Kansas
.
His first vote was for the Free Soil
ticket, and he was one of the active organizers of the Republican party
. He returned from Kansas to his home in Natick, Massachusetts
and followed his trade as a shoemaker until the Civil War broke out. He was a member of the militia company at Natick, but left the organization to enlist in Co. I. Capt. A. B. Underwood, 2nd regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia on May 15, 1861. He was made a corporal, and on August 11, 1861, he was promoted to sergeant. He was a very successful drill master, and was detailed early in the service to instruct officers as well as men of the 27th Indiana Regiment.
, in which he was engaged, he was in the hospital sick for several weeks, and was, when convalescent, detailed, December 1861 to recruiting service in Springfield, Massachusetts
. He returned to his regiment in Martinsburg, Virginia, after being assigned to the 12th Massachusetts Regiment
, from April to June 1862. The regiment lost nearly half its mend and more than half its officers in an engagement August 9, 1862, and from that time until he left the regiment in March 1863, he was acting first sergeant with the special duty of drilling recruits.
At the Battle of Antietam
a third of the regiment was killed or wounded. He was commissioned March 5, 1863, second lieutenant, and May, 1863, first lieutenant, in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment under Colonel Robert Gould Shaw
. He was afterwards made a captain in the 55th Massachusetts Regiment.
He was the provost marshal
of Jacksonville, Florida
, in February, 1864; promoted major, November, 1864; lieutenant colonel June 1865, and brevet colonel at the close of the war. He was with the regiment at the Siege of Charleston
. He was mustered out in September, 1865.
Counties, Virginia. After six months of this service, and study of law, her returned to Natick and was admitted to the bar in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
, August 9, 1868. He opened an office in Natick, where Colonel Nutt was as prominent in political and public life as in military affairs.
He was always active in the Republican party
, serving for many years on the town committee, often as chairman; frequently being delegate to the state and other conventions of his party. He was first elected moderator of the Natick town meeting, after a sharp contest in 1870. He was particularly well fitted for this duty by parliamentary knowledge, experience in presiding, and knowledge of town business, and often served the town, the last occasion being 1896.
He was the tax collector
in 1870 and 1871; representative to the General Court of Massachusetts in 1871-1872, serving on the committee on labor in 1871 and on probate and insolvency and woman suffrage in 1872; chairman of the Natick board of selectmen
1874, 1876, and 1881; member of the board of health 1874; overseer of the poor for three years; member of the school committee 1873; on many important town committees; deputy sheriff 1877-1886 inclusive; trial justice of the Natick Court 1886 to 1892. He was elected state senator in 1901 by a vote of 7328 to 4204 for his opponent, in a district that had the previous year elected a democrat. He served on the committees on constitutional amendments, military affairs, and chairman of the committee on taxation. He was also on the important special committee which revised the public statutes. He was justice of the peace
from 1867 and notary public from 1874.
and first vice-president of the bank until his resignation, on account of ill-health, May 1, 1909, a period, of forty years. Nutt had been suffering from hardening of the arteries for a long time, his fatal illness having really begun many months ago, and when he retired from practice last December it was hoped that he might enjoy at least a few years of rest in his old age, but fate willed otherwise. His condition grew steadily worse and Saturday he became unconscious. The members of the family were summoned and were all at the homestead waiting for the end which came Monday without his having regained consciousness.
, April 25, 1863, Abigail Prentice Puffer, who died January 27, 1906. He leaves four sons; William Harrison of Everett, Massachusetts
; Charles of Worcester, Massachusetts
; George of Natick, Massachusetts
and Henry of Winthrop, Massachusetts
; three daughters, Nellie A. of Elwyn, Pennsylvania
; Mrs Ralph D. Sutherland and Matilda of Natick, Massachusetts
; two brothers, Isaac Brewster of Natick, Massachusetts
and Samuel of South Haven, Kansas
and one sister, Mrs. Nathan P. Rice, West Boylston, Massachusetts
.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a representative to the Massachusetts General Court
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
from 1871 to 1872 and again in 1901, he was also the chairman of the board
Chairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a seat of office in an organization, especially of corporations.Chairman of the Board may also refer to:*Chairman of the Board , a 1998 film*Chairmen of the Board , a 1970s American soul music group...
of the Natick Five Cents Savings Bank.
Biography
He was born on August 5, 1836 in Topsham, VermontTopsham, Vermont
Topsham is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,142 at the 2000 census. It contains four villages: East Topsham, Topsham Four Corners, Waits River and West Topsham.-Geography:...
to Isaac Brewster Nutt and Sally Ann Munroe. His paternal grandparents were William Nutt and Mary Brewster. His grandfather's grandfather William Nutt was one of the first settlers of Londonderry, New Hampshire
Londonderry, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,236 people, 7,623 households, and 6,319 families residing in the town. The population density was 555.8 people per square mile . There were 7,718 housing units at an average density of 184.6 per square mile...
. Both his grandfather and his great grandfather Samuel served in the revolution and his father in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. His early education was limited to a few terms in the district school of his native town. As soon as he was old enough he began to work on the farm of his father and for neighboring farmers.
In his sixteenth year, in 1852, he moved to Natick, Massachusetts
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
, where he began to work at the shoemaker's trade. He supplemented his schooling by much reading and study, and attended private schools when he had the opportunity. As a shoemaker, associated with Henry Wilson, who afterwards became vice-president of the United States, he became interested in the slavery question, and in 1857 took part in the Kansas movement, the result of which was to keep that state free from slavery. He 'squatted' at Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
.
His first vote was for the Free Soil
Free Soil Party
The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. It was a third party and a single-issue party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership...
ticket, and he was one of the active organizers of the Republican party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He returned from Kansas to his home in Natick, Massachusetts
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
and followed his trade as a shoemaker until the Civil War broke out. He was a member of the militia company at Natick, but left the organization to enlist in Co. I. Capt. A. B. Underwood, 2nd regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia on May 15, 1861. He was made a corporal, and on August 11, 1861, he was promoted to sergeant. He was a very successful drill master, and was detailed early in the service to instruct officers as well as men of the 27th Indiana Regiment.
Civil War
His first skirmish was October 22, 1861 at Conrad's Ferry, Virginia. After the battle of Battle of Ball's BluffBattle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of Union Maj. Gen. George B...
, in which he was engaged, he was in the hospital sick for several weeks, and was, when convalescent, detailed, December 1861 to recruiting service in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
. He returned to his regiment in Martinsburg, Virginia, after being assigned to the 12th Massachusetts Regiment
12th Massachusetts Regiment
The 12th Massachusetts Regiment, also known as 18th Continental Regiment, was raised on April 23, 1775 under Colonel Phinney outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Battle of Valcour Island, Battle of Saratoga and the Battle of Monmouth...
, from April to June 1862. The regiment lost nearly half its mend and more than half its officers in an engagement August 9, 1862, and from that time until he left the regiment in March 1863, he was acting first sergeant with the special duty of drilling recruits.
At the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
a third of the regiment was killed or wounded. He was commissioned March 5, 1863, second lieutenant, and May, 1863, first lieutenant, in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment under Colonel Robert Gould Shaw
Robert Gould Shaw
Robert Gould Shaw was an American officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. As colonel, he commanded the all-black 54th Regiment, which entered the war in 1863. He was killed in the Second Battle of Fort Wagner, near Charleston, South Carolina...
. He was afterwards made a captain in the 55th Massachusetts Regiment.
He was the provost marshal
Provost Marshal
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...
of Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, in February, 1864; promoted major, November, 1864; lieutenant colonel June 1865, and brevet colonel at the close of the war. He was with the regiment at the Siege of Charleston
Siege of Charleston
The Siege of Charleston was one of the major battles which took place towards the end of the American Revolutionary War, after the British began to shift their strategic focus towards the American Southern Colonies. After about six weeks of siege, Continental Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln...
. He was mustered out in September, 1865.
Natick
He became a partner in the firm of David & Plummer, shoe manufacturers of Natick, but finding that business uncongenial, began to study law in December, 1866, in the office of Walter N. Mason, Natick. In February 1868 he was appointed agent of the Freedmen's Bureau, and located at Halifax and LunenburgLunenburg County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,146 people, 4,998 households, and 3,383 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile . There were 5,736 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
Counties, Virginia. After six months of this service, and study of law, her returned to Natick and was admitted to the bar in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...
, August 9, 1868. He opened an office in Natick, where Colonel Nutt was as prominent in political and public life as in military affairs.
He was always active in the Republican party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, serving for many years on the town committee, often as chairman; frequently being delegate to the state and other conventions of his party. He was first elected moderator of the Natick town meeting, after a sharp contest in 1870. He was particularly well fitted for this duty by parliamentary knowledge, experience in presiding, and knowledge of town business, and often served the town, the last occasion being 1896.
He was the tax collector
Tax collector
A tax collector is a person who collects unpaid taxes from other people or corporations. Tax collectors are often portrayed in fiction as being evil, and in the modern world share a somewhat similar stereotype to that of lawyers....
in 1870 and 1871; representative to the General Court of Massachusetts in 1871-1872, serving on the committee on labor in 1871 and on probate and insolvency and woman suffrage in 1872; chairman of the Natick board of selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
1874, 1876, and 1881; member of the board of health 1874; overseer of the poor for three years; member of the school committee 1873; on many important town committees; deputy sheriff 1877-1886 inclusive; trial justice of the Natick Court 1886 to 1892. He was elected state senator in 1901 by a vote of 7328 to 4204 for his opponent, in a district that had the previous year elected a democrat. He served on the committees on constitutional amendments, military affairs, and chairman of the committee on taxation. He was also on the important special committee which revised the public statutes. He was justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
from 1867 and notary public from 1874.
Death
Colonel Nutt made a specialty of probate court practice, and has had the settlement of many important estates and trusts. He did most of the pension business for his locality. In his later years most of his practice was as attorney for the Natick Five Cents Savings Bank a very prosperous institution. He was a member of the investing board from 1869 until 1909, and chairman of the boardChairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a seat of office in an organization, especially of corporations.Chairman of the Board may also refer to:*Chairman of the Board , a 1998 film*Chairmen of the Board , a 1970s American soul music group...
and first vice-president of the bank until his resignation, on account of ill-health, May 1, 1909, a period, of forty years. Nutt had been suffering from hardening of the arteries for a long time, his fatal illness having really begun many months ago, and when he retired from practice last December it was hoped that he might enjoy at least a few years of rest in his old age, but fate willed otherwise. His condition grew steadily worse and Saturday he became unconscious. The members of the family were summoned and were all at the homestead waiting for the end which came Monday without his having regained consciousness.
Legacy
He married at Framingham, MassachusettsFramingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
, April 25, 1863, Abigail Prentice Puffer, who died January 27, 1906. He leaves four sons; William Harrison of Everett, Massachusetts
Everett, Massachusetts
Everett is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, near Boston. The population was 41,667 at the 2010 census.Everett is the last city in the United States with a bicameral legislature, which is composed of a seven-member Board of Aldermen and an 18-member Common Council...
; Charles of Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
; George of Natick, Massachusetts
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
and Henry of Winthrop, Massachusetts
Winthrop, Massachusetts
The Town of Winthrop is a municipality in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population of Winthrop was 17,497 at the 2010 U.S. Census. It is an oceanside suburban community in Greater Boston situated at the north entrance to Boston Harbor and is very close to Logan International...
; three daughters, Nellie A. of Elwyn, Pennsylvania
Elwyn, Pennsylvania
Elwyn is a town in the Philadelphia-Camden metropolitan area. Elwyn is in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA. Middletown Township had a population of 16,000 in the 2000 census...
; Mrs Ralph D. Sutherland and Matilda of Natick, Massachusetts
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
; two brothers, Isaac Brewster of Natick, Massachusetts
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
and Samuel of South Haven, Kansas
South Haven, Kansas
South Haven is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 363.-Geography:South Haven is located at...
and one sister, Mrs. Nathan P. Rice, West Boylston, Massachusetts
West Boylston, Massachusetts
-Library:The West Boylston public library was established in 1878. In fiscal year 2008, the town of West Boylston spent 1.6% of its budget on its public library—some $37 per person.-External links:******...
.