CHAPLAIN WINFIELD SCOTT
History of Arizona, 1896

Much has been written of the sunny skies of far-off Italy, of 
its gorgeous landscapes, its beautiful scenery and its numerous 
places of great historical interest; much too, has been said of 
the great Pacific Slope of America, of the versatility of the 
soil and variable climate of California, where within an hour's 
ride, one can travel from a land of everlasting snow to perpetual 
summer and where in the northern part, is to be found the great 
wheat producing belt, while in the southern part is the land of 
fruit and wine.  There is one place on the face of the globe 
that is equal to all this, that health-giving, health restoring 
garden spot, the famous Valley of Salt River in Arizona.

Winfield Scott, generally known as Chaplain Winfield Scott, 
from his long association with army life, is one of the foremost 
advocates of Arizona, and is an enthusiastic believer in a 
glorious future for the Territory.  A native of Oakland County, 
Michigan, Mr. Scott was born February 26, 1837, a son of James 
B. and Margaret E. (Covert) Scott.  When eight years old his 
parents moved to Seneca County, New York, and being a graduate 
from both the Rochester University and the Rochester Theological 
Seminary, he was thus exceptionably well provided for in the 
way of an education. In 1861 he accepted a call to the pastorate 
of the Second Baptist Church, now Central of Syracuse, but 
resigned his charge when President Lincoln issued his first 
call for 300,000 men to put down the rebellion and recruited 
Company C, 126th New York Volunteer Infantry of which he was 
elected captain and Thomas R. Lonsberry, now professor in Yale, 
first lieutenant.  After two years of meritorious service he 
was recommended for the colonel of his regiment by his brigade 
and division commanders, but September 23, 1864 he was mustered 
out of service on account of wounds, incapacitating him from 
active service. In action at Maryland Heights he received a 
gun shot wound in the right leg, was twice wounded at Gettysburg 
and twice at Spotsylvania Courthouse.  The explosion of a shell, 
in the last named battle, resulted to Mr. Scott, in the loss of 
the muscle of inside of thigh of his right leg and was the 
effectual ending of his military career in the War of the 
Rebellion.  During the battle of the Wilderness and until 
his last wound Mr. Scott commanded the 125th and the 126th 
regiments and his own regiment is No. 11 of the 400 fighting 
regiments of the Civil War.

In January 1865 he became pastor of the First Baptist Church of 
Leavenworth, Kansas, continuing as such for seven years, during 
which time a church edifice, costing $65,000 was built.

In 1872 he went to Denver, Colorado, as pastor of the First 
Baptist Church, where he remained four years, installing the 
first pipe organ in the city and superintending the erection 
of a new church building.  Succeeding this his field of Christian 
labor was at San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Los Angeles, 
California.  July 27, 1882 he was appointed a chaplain in the 
regular army and at different times, was stationed at Fort 
Canby, Fort Stephens, at Angel Island, in San Francisco harbor 
and Fort Huachuca, Arizona.  While at the latter place Chaplain 
Scott was placed on permanent waiting orders to be retired on 
account of the wounds he had received while in active service.  
Believing in the great future of Arizona, he took up a section 
of land five miles north of Tempe, under the Desert Act, the 
spring of 1889 and now is the owner of a fine ranch of 220 
acres of the best land in the Territory.  Here Chaplain Scott 
has demonstrated the great value of Arizona lands as a fruit 
producing section. He devotes 60 acres to oranges, 40 to 
raising and shipping grapes, 20 to apricots and mixed fruits, 
20 to almonds, 10 to figs, 14 to pears and the greater part 
of the remainder of the ranch is utilized in the cultivation 
of plums, peaches, etc.  For four years Chaplain Scott has 
been shipping fruit and is one of the most extensive growers 
and shippers in the valley.

In 1861 he married Miss Helen L. Brown of Spencerport, New York 
by whom he is the father of three living children--Minnie L., 
the wife of Lt. F.H. Albright of the 25th Regiment, U.S. Army; 
Helen Lemire, now Mrs. E.D. Flint of Oakland, Cal., and Florence 
M., now attending the high school at Alameda California.

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