of the Episcopal church. My mother was reared in that
faith and practice from infancy, and was a member of that church
at the time of her marriage. When she emigrated to Lancaster she
found there no church of that denomination, and, therefore, joined
the Presbyterian church under the pastorage of Rev. John Wright,
who baptized all her children. At a later period, perhaps about
1840, when an Episcopal church was established in Lancaster, she
resumed her attendance and worship in that church. When she removed
to Mansfield she attended the Episcopal church at that place,
partook of its sacraments and usages, and died in that faith and
worship. All her living children and their families recognized
and supported the Episcopal church as their church, except the
children of General Sherman, who followed their mother and her
maternal ancestors in the faith and worship of the Catholic church.

The writer of this has a firm belief in the Bible as the only creed
of religious faith and duty, and willingly accords to every human
being the right to choose his form of worship according to his
judgment, but in case of doubt it is best to follow the teachings
of his mother.

With this, the sketch of my ancestors closes. Many will think it
is not part of my life, and that I have given too much space and
importance to it. If so, I hope they will pass it over without
reading. Each individual life is molded by one's ancestry, by the
incidents of his childhood, the training he receives in the family
and the school and the conditions and surroundings of his early
days. The boy is father to the man. It is difficult for one in
advanced age to recall or to measure the influence of each of these
in forming his character, but a statement of them is a necessary
preface to a history of his later life. My information as to my
ancestry is chiefly derived from the admirable local histories of
Connecticut, and, especially, from "Cothron's History of Ancient
Woodbury," "Hutchinson's History of Connecticut," and the local
records and traditions of Essex and Sussex counties in England.

I cannot claim for my ancestors superior rank, wealth or ability.
They were not specially distinguished for any of these, but they
were men of useful and honorable lives, of untarnished reputation,
highly esteemed by their contemporaries, thorough republicans in
the broad sense of that word, always for their country in any
contest for the right, and willing t