American Biography

Dudley G. Stone was a merchant, of Negaunee, Michigan. He was born in New York City, May 9, 1840. His parents were Isaac D. Stone and Elizabeth G. Stone. His father, while young, was a merchant in New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama, and in Richmond, Virginia. At the time of his marriage, teh elder Stone was with Arthur Tappen, in New York City.

When Dudley Stone was very young, he moved with his parents to Richmond, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. He received a district school and academic education, and, at the age of fifteen years, finished his studies at the Fort Plain Seminary. Two years later he went from home and engaged, first as clerk and then as book-keeper, in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where he remained about two years.

In 1860 Dudley G. Stone moved to Michigan and settled in the Lake Superior Country. The first two years and a half he was engaged as bookkeeper at the Collinsville Furnace, near Marquette; and the next year, was with Peter White, at that time a private banker of Marquette.

In April, 1864, Mr. Stone moved to Negaunee, bought out a general store, and began business for himself. Since then, he has continued dealing in merchandise. In 1873, in connection with his other business, he opened the Miner’s Bank, and conducted it two years.

In the fall of 1865, Dudley G. Stone received the appointment of Postmaster of Negaunee; but when Andrew Johnson became President of the United States and changed the politics, Mr. Stone was removed. He is a member of the Republican party, but is not a politician; and has never allowed his name to be used as that of a candidate for office. September 24, 1864, he married, in Richmond, Massachusetts, Mary Cook Dewey; they have two children,–one son and one daughter.

James Abbott, a life-long resident of Detroit, was born there in 1775; and died March 12, 1858. At the time of his birth, the war of the Revolution was beginning; and Detroit, then in the possession of the British, was but a small settlement of Indians and fur-traders. Born within the space enclosed as the fortified station, he lived to see his native place become a great commercial city.

It seems difficult to realize that a single life should have witnessed such changes. At the time of his birth, the entire State of Michigan, except a few little ports along the lakes and rivers, was a dense wilderness. The Indians occupied the forests, and their canoes dotted the lakes and rivers, while the wolf and the wild-cat roamed unchallenged through the forest. Once an important actor in all the interests of the place, Mr. Abbott, at the age of eighty-three, had become a unit in its vast population, and was almost lost sight of in the whirl of enterprise.

James Abbott lived in Detroit under two national sovereignties; and was old enough, at its evacuation by the British, to stand upon the bank of the river, swing his hat, and send a boyish shout of triumph after them. His father was a dealer in furs, and agent for one of the great fur trading companies of those days; and Mr. Abbott grew up in training for that occupation. This was the business of his life; he spent part of the time as agent for the North-western Fur Company, and afterwards worked on his own account. He was closely connected, in his business relations, with John Jacob Astor, and Pierre Chouteau & Co., of St. Louis.

Mr. Abbott was appointed Postmaster of Detroit about 1808, which office he held until 1832, with some little interruption during the War of 1812. The office of Justice of the Peace was, at that time, an important one, involving varied and comprehensive duties, and extended territorial jurisdiction. This office he held for many years, and from it derived his title of Judge.

Judge Abbott was appointed a Major of militia by General Hull; and performed the duties of Quarter master-General during the war, also adding to the duties of these positions those of Receiver of the Land-office, fur-trader, auctioneer, grocer, and numerous other minor matters. He married a daughter of Major Whistler, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, while that gentleman was stationed at Chicago, and brought his bride home to Detroit; making the entire journey from Chicago on horseback. Judge Abbott was distinguished for his close attention to business. He accumulated a handsome property, which he left mainly in the form of real estate, in Detroit. He was scrupulous in his dealings, giving to every one the full measure of his dues, and requiring the same in return.

During the last few years of his life, Judge Abbott lived in retirement, his infirmities precluding any out-door exercise. He died, without suffering, from a gradual prostration and wearing away, as the ripened fruit drops from its stem.

Henry Martin Duffield was a lawyer and soldier, born in Detroit, Michigan on May 15th 1842. He was the son of Rev. George Duffield and Isabella Graham (Bethune) Duffield. He graduated at Williams in 1861, enlisted in the 9th Michigan infantry that same year, as the Civil War broke out.

In 1862 Duffield was promoted to adjutant of his regiment and served as assistant adjutant of U.S. troops in Kentucky. In 1863 he was made post adjutant at Chattanooga, where he served on the staff of Gen. George H. Thomas. Duffield was wounded in the battle of Chickamauga, but quickly recovered and resumed his duties. He served as assistant provost marshal-general on the staff of General Thomas commanding the army of the Cumberland from 1863 until the war’s end in 1865.

At the close of the war Duffield returned to Detroit, where he engaged in the practice of law. He was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for representative in the 42d congress in 1870. In 1876 he was made corporation counsel for the city of Detroit, and was a member of the state military board and its president.

Henry Martin Duffield was orator of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland at the unveiling of the Garfield memorial statue in Washington, D.C., in May of 1887. He was president of the Michigan state bar association for several years. In fraternal organizations he was department commander G.A.R., Michigan, and commander of the Michigan commandery, Military order of the Loyal Legion.

On May 27, 1898, Duffield was appointed brigadier-general of U.S. volunteers. He served in the Santiago campaign during the Spanish-American War, and was later brevetted major-general U.S. volunteers for distinguished services in the presence of the enemy at Aquadores, Cuba, 1898. Duffield was honorably discharged on November 30th 1898.

Henry Martin Duffield died in Detroit Michigan on July 13th, 1912 and was buried at Elmwood Cemetery.

Alexander Wadleigh Buel was born at Castleton, Vermont in 1813. He received a classical education, graduating at Middlebury College in 1830. Buel taught school while he studied law.

When he was admitted to the bar, Alexander Buel commenced practice at Detroit, Michigan, in 1834. He was city attorney of Detroit in 1830, and a member of the State legislature of Michigan in 1837, and again in 1847. Buel was prosecuting attorney for Wayne County in 1843 and 1844, and was elected a representative from Michigan in the Thirty-first Congress, as a Democrat, serving from December 3, 1849, to March 3, 1851.

The following term he ran for Congress but was defeated as the Democratic candidate for the Thirty-second Congress, receiving 8,909 votes against 10,741 votes for Penniman, a Free-soil Whig.

Alexander Wadleigh Buel died at Detroit, Michigan, April 17th 1868.