Y.. to which his father, Daniel, son of Edmonds Wells, had emi-

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

grated from Hebron, Tolland County, Conn., about the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Edmonds Wells was one of six patentees of the tract twelve miles square now embraced in the townships of Cambridge, White Creek and Jackson, Washington County. On his mother's side Alexander H. was descended frem Rev. Elijah Lothrop, a stern Whig, who was the Congregationalist minister at Gilead, Tolland County, Conn., during the Revolution. Gilead was also the residence of Rev. Dr. Peters, the historian, who was roughly treated by his patriotic neighbors and finally driven out of the town, whence he escaped to England. Hannah, the daughter of Dr. Lothrop, married Daniel Wells. When a girl, she saw the people riding Peters on a rail, and when he returned to this country the reminiscence was renewed in conversation between them. Alexander H. was the youngest son and sixteenth child of his parents. He graduated at Cambridge Academy and devoted his life to politics and journalism. In 1840 Governor Seward appointed him surrogate of Westchester County, and in 1848 he was appointed warden of Sing Sing prison by David D. Spencer, Isaac N. Comstock and John B. Gedney, the first inspectors under the constitution of 1847. In the fall of 1848 he was himself elected to Gedney's place in the board. He was editorof the Weekly T'/z/jcs, Haverstraw, Rockland County, four years ; of the Hudson Hirer Chronicle, Sing Sing, three years; and of the Daihj Times, Troy, three years. As a journalist he possessed much force and facility, but his headstrong disposition carried him into frequent situations from which he was forced to retreat. As usual with men of his combative temperament -- for he was happiest in a controversy -- he had warm friends and bitter enemies.