William H. Sumner
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William Hyslop Sumner was born on July 4 1780 in Roxbury Massachusetts. He was the son of Increase Sumner who sat on the Supreme Court of Massachusetts and acted as the Governor of Massachusetts. W H Sumner graduated from Harvard University in 1799. He served as a General in the US army.
[edit] War of 1812
In the summer of 1814 Lieutenant Colonel William J. Sumner was set to defend Portland which had been burned by the British in 1775. His task was to maintaining 1900 militia. There were many problems with the early American militia
“Some of the men where deserting and had to be brought back by force and some officers where protesting against serving under regulars. The militia in Oxford county where even more troublesome……….its militia showed little interest in making sacrifices for war. According to Sumner, they were “undisciplined, badly armed, miserably provided and worse commanded.” ,,,,,, Sumner could see no way of implementing a command agreement except by using force, which meant using militia against militia.” [1]
In 1826 he served on a board with a young Zachary Taylor to consider improvements in the militia. They recommended that “a complete system of tactics and exercise for cavalry and artillery of the militia” be created. This would organize the US militia who where so disjointed during the war of 1812. Congress however did not approve this plan. [2]
[edit] East Boston
William Sumner’s largest accomplishment was his ceaseless efforts to develop the several islands that sat within Boston Harbor. This massive undertaking created, what is now known as, East Boston. In the process of this achievement he was the founder of several companies the East Boston Company and The East Boston Lumber Company.
The East Boston Lumber company was well renowned for having the best Lumber in Massachusetts and supplied a building boom in Boston. It also fueled the ship building trade that employed much of East Boston at the turn of the Century. The East Boston Company under the presidency of Sumner laid out the first planned neighborhood in the city of Boston by utilizing the Lumber from the East Boston Lumber Company. They also undertook one of the largest landfill projects the city had seen. It was this foresight of Sumner that made him such a powerful figure in the early development of Boston
William H Sumner is also known for being the founder of the Massachusetts Horticultural society. In tribute to his tireless work for East Boston the Sumner Tunnel that runs under the Boston Harbor from East Boston to Boston was named for him. In Jamaica Plain Sumner Hill and in Cambridge Mass Sumner Street near Harvard University is also named for this prestigious figure.
[edit] References
- ^ the war of 1812: A forgotten conflict, Donald R. Hickey, published by University of Illinois Press 1990,Pg265, ISBN 0252060598
- ^ Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest(Southern Biography), Jack K. Bauer, Louisiana State University Press; Reprint 1993, Pg 46
