File:New York State's prominent and progressive men - an encyclopaedia of contemporaneous biography (1900) (14763261354).jpg

Identifier: newyorkstatesprov2harr (find matches)
Title: New York State's prominent and progressive men : an encyclopaedia of contemporaneous biography
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Harrison, Mitchell Charles, 1870-
Subjects: Civic leaders
Publisher: (New York) : New York Tribune
Contributing Library: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Digitizing Sponsor: Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center

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enry Bur-nett, grew up as a farmer, and also a contractor and builder.The latter married Nancy Jones, a member of an old Virginiafamily, and to them was born, at Youngstown, Ohio, on December26, 1836, the subject of this sketch. Henry L. Burnett rebelled, at the age of fifteen, against amere district-school education, and so stole away from homewith a bundle of clothes, forty-six dollars, and two books— TheLady of Lyons and Thaddeus of Warsaw. He walked a hun-dred miles to Chester Academy, where James A. Garfield wasthen a student. There he worked at odd jobs to pay his way.Then he went to Hiram Institute, where Garfield was one of histeachers. Finally he entered the Ohio State and National LawSchool, and was graduated in 1859. The next year he wasadmitted to the bar and began law practice at Warren. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the cavalry.Each recruit was to bring his own horse and be paid for it.When the men found they were not to get cash, but certificates, 40
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HENRY L. BURNETT 41 they demurred. But Burnett cried out, All who go into thewar to fight, and not to sell horses, follow me! The companyfollowed him to a man. In the army he had a distinguished career,both in cavalry service and as a judge advocate. He was ap-pointed by Secretary Stanton to take charge of the investigationof the facts relating to the assassination of President Lincoln,and to prepare the testimony for the trial, and was subsequentlyassigned as one of the judge advocates on the trial of theassassins. He resigned in December, 1865, and returned to thepractice of the law. After some years of successful practice at Cincinnati and atWashington, General Burnett came to New York, in 1872, andquickly took leading rank at the metropolitan bar. He has beencounsel for the Erie Eailroad Company, counsel for the Englishstock-holders of the Emma Mine, and in the great case of theRutland Railway Company against Governor Paige of Vermont.In the last-named case his masterly defense of

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