Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Greenleaf, Richard O 1828 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 8, 2007, 11:59 pm Author: Portrait & Bio Album, 1890 RICHARD O. GREENLEAF, Cashier and bookkeeper for the Bates Manufacturing Company, assumed the duties of his present disposition soon after the organization of that company in Joliet. He has been a resident of this county since June, 1881, and first engaged in mercantile business. In 1881 he was proffered his present position and arranged his private affairs so that he could conveniently accept. A native of South Burwick, Me., the subject of this notice was born January 31, 1828, and was the son of Richard and Eliza (Akerman) Greenleaf, the former of whom removed from Newburyport, Mass., the old home of the family, to Charlestown, that State, where he engaged in the mercantile business. A few years later he died, leaving his widow with one child, the latter, Richard O., our subject, with whom the mother now makes her home. She was a native of Massachusetts, born in 1805, and has consequently now arrived at the advanced age of eighty-five years. Mr. Greenleaf grew to mature years in Newburyport, Mass., where he completed his education and soon afterward engaged in mercantile pursuits, remaining in the Bay State until 1857. He then removed to Nashua, N. H., where he sojourned until 1861. The Civil War now having broken out, he on the 19th of April, that year, immediately after the firing upon Ft. Sumter, raised a company under the call for one hundred days' men and this being assigned to the Army of the Potomac, they repaired thither and remained in the service until the 9th of August. Being then mustered out Mr. Greenleaf returned to New Hampshire and immediately raised Company B, which was assigned to the Fourth New Hampshire Infantry, and of which he was made Captain. Soon after repairing to the South, they encountered the enemy at various points and saw considerable active service including the siege of Morris Island, near Charlestown. Returning North soon afterward with his regiment, Capt. Greenleaf with his company was assigned to the Tenth Corps, Army of the James, and he thereafter followed the fortunes of his regiment until the expiration of his term of enlistment in September, 1864. He had in the meantime been promoted to the rank of Major, with which title he was mustered out. We next find Mr. Greenleaf in Hillsborough County, N. H., where he remained until 1872, and then came to Illinois engaging in mercantile business until 1878. In October of that year he returned to Nashua, N. H., where he remained until 1881, and that year became a resident of Joliet. Mr. Greenleaf was married September 16, 1861, in Nashua, N. H., to Miss Martha A., daughter of Samuel Flinn. Of this union there are no children. Mr. Flinn was a native of Ireland and one of the organizers of a large cotton manufactory in New England; he and his wife are now deceased. Mr. Greenleaf, politically votes the Democratic ticket. About 1858 he indentified himself with the Masonic fraternity in Nashua, N. H., and is now a member of Rising Sun Lodge. He also belongs to John G. Foster Post, at his old home in New Hampshire, in which he is Post Commander. Socially, and in business circles Mr. Greenleaf bears an excellent reputation, and is well worthy of representation in a work of this kind. Additional Comments: Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/greenlea1473nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb