New England mind. It is ideal, intense in feeling, and luxuriant in expression. In her descriptions and fancies she revels in sensuous delights and every variety of splendor. In 1865 she married Richard S. Spofford, a lawyer of Boston, cousin of Henry M. Spofford, mentioned below. Their home is now on Deer island, in Merrimack river, in the suburbs of Newburyport. Mrs. Spofford's books are “Sir Rohan's Ghost” (Boston, 1859); “The Amber Gods, and other Stories” (Boston, 1863); “Azarian” (1864); “New England Legends ” (1871); “The Thief in the Night” (1872); “Art Decoration applied to Furniture” (New York, 1881); “Marquis of Carabas” (Boston, 1882); “Poems” (1882); “Hester Stanley at St. Mark's” (1883); “The Servant-Girl Question” (1884); and “Ballads about Authors” (1888).
SPOFFORD, Henry Martyn. jurist, b. in
Gilmanton. N. H., 8 Sept., 1821; d. in Red Sul-
phur Springs, W. Va., 20 Aug., 1880. He was
graduated at Amherst, at the head of his class, in
1840, was tutor there in 1842-'4, and after remov-
ing to Louisiana, where he taught and at the same
time studied law, was admitted to the bar of that
state at Monroe in 1846, and practised in Shreve-
port. He rose rapidly in his profession, was
elected a district judge in 1852, and from 1854 till
his resignation in 1858 sat on the supreme bench
of the state. He then practised in New Orleans,
herc, after the civil war, he was in partnership
with John A. Campbell. After 1S70 he spent much
of his time in Pulaski, Tenn., engaged in adminis-
tering the estate of his father-in-law. In 1877 he
was elected U. S. senator from Louisiana by the
" Nieholls " legislature, but the senate admitted
William P. Kellogg, who had been chosen by the
rival, or "Packard" legislature. Judge Spofford
was seeking to recover health at Red Sulphur
Springs at the time of his death. Amherst gave
him the degree of LL. D. in 1ST7. His judicial
decisions are contained in vols. ix.-xiii. of the
Louisiana reports. He was co-author of "The
Louisiana Magistrate and Parish Official Guide"
(1847). His brother, Ainsworth Rand, librarian.
b. in Gilmanton. N. H., 12 Sept., 1825. received a
classical education by private tuition, but when he
was about to enter college his health failed, and he
emigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he established
himself as a bookseller and publisher. In 1859 he
became associate editor of the Cincinnati " Daily
Commercial," and in 1861 he was appointed first
assistant librarian in the library of congress at
Washington. Three years later he was made libra-
rian-in-chief. During his administration the Na-
i ional library has grown from 70,000 to about 800.-
000 volumes. The change in the law of copyright
'that was I'HVrti'd in 1870 has made the position of
the librarian an onerous and important one, as all
American copyrights are issued from his office, and
all copyright publications are required to lie de-
posited in the Congressional library. As a libra-
rian. Mr. Spofford is widely known for his compre-
hensive knowledge of books and their contents. He
is a member of many historical and philosophical
societies, and received the degree of LL. D. from
Amherst in 1SS4. lie has written largely for the
periodical press on historical, economic, and literary
topics, and has published. In -ides catalogues of the
liln-ary uf congress. The American Almanai- and
Treasury of Facts, Statistical, Financial, and Po-
litical " (annually sinr.- 1S7S); and has edited wit li
others a " Library of Choice Literature " (10 vols.,
Philadelphia, 1881-'8) ; "Library of Wit ami Hu-
mor " (5 vols., 1884) ; and " A Practical Manual of
Parliamentary Rules " (1884).
SPOONER. Alden Jeremiah, historian, b. in
Sag Harbor. Long Island. N. Y., 2 Feb., 1810: d.
in Heinpstead. Long Island. 2 Aug., 1881. His fa-
ther, Alden, was the founder of the " Long Island
City Star," which the son and his brother carried
on for many years afterward. He studied law and
practised in Brooklyn, but devoted himself largely
to local history, and wrote many articles on that
subject for periodicals. He was the originator in
1863 of the Long Island historical society, and
gave more than 1,000 books and pamphlets as a
nucleus for its library. Mr. Spooner edited, with
notes and memoirs of the authors, Gabriel Furman's
" Notes, Geographical and Historical, relating to
the Town of Brooklyn " (Brooklyn, 1865), and Silas
Wood's "Sketch of the First Settlement of the
Several Towns on Long Island" (1865).
SPOONER, Benjamin F., soldier, b. in Mans-
field, Ohio. 27 Oct., 1828 ; d. in Lawrencebnrg,
Ind., 3 April, 1881. At the beginning of the
Mexican war he enlisted in the 3d Indiana regi-
ment, and was chosen 2d lieutenant. After serving
in Gen. Zachary Taylor's campaign he returned
home, studied law, and practised in Lawrenceburg,
holding the office of prosecuting attorney of Dear-
born county for several years. At the beginning
of the civil war he became lieutenant-colonel of the
7th Indiana regiment, with which he fought at
Philippi and Laurel Hill, and he afterward held
the same commission in the 51st Indiana, with
which he was present at Shiloh and the siege of
Corinth. He then resigned and returned home,
but was soon made colonel of the 83d Indiana, and
took part in the engagements around Vicksburg,
the battle of Mission Ridge, and the Atlanta cam-
paign, receiving a wound at Kenesaw mountain
that necessitated the amputation of his left arm.
He then served on a military commission till his
resignation in April, 1865, and on 13 March of
that year was brevetted brigadier-general and
major-general of volunteers. He was TJ. S. mar-
shal of the district of Indiana till 1879, when fail-
ing health compelled him to resign.
SPOONER, John Coit, senator, b. in Law-
renceburg. Ind.. 6 Jan., 1843. His father, Judge
Philip L. Spooner, was an authority on the law of
real estate. The family removed to Madison, Wis.,
in June, 1859, and the son was graduated at the state
university in 1864, when he enlisted as a private in
the 40th Wisconsin infantry. He subsequently re-
turned and served as assistant state librarian, but
entered the army again as captain in the 50th
Wisconsin regiment. After he was mustered out
in July, 1866, with the brevet of major, he studied
law with his father, was admitted to the bar in
1867, became Gov. Lucius Fairchild's private sec-
retary, and was then assistant in the attorney-gen-
eral's office till 1870, when he removed to Hudson,
Wis., and began the general practice of his profes-
sion. He was elected a member of the legislature
in 1872, and was active in his support of the state
university, on whose board of regents he served in
1882-'5. In 1885 he took his seat in the Tinted
States senate, and in 1S!)7 was re-elected as a lie-
publican. In 1892 he wa^ nominated lor governor.
SPOONER, Lysander. lawyer, b. in At hoi. Mass., 19 Jan., 1808: d. in Boston, Mass.. 14 May. 1887. He studied law in Worcester. .Mass., but on completing his course of reading found that admission to the bar wa> permitted only to those who
had studied for three years, except in the case of college graduates. This obnoxious condition at once engaged his attention and he succeeded in having it removed from the statute-hunks. In
1844 the letter postage from Boston to New York
