4o8 MERRILL. MERRILL. volunteers, and was with General Banks in Louisiana, including the siege and capture of Port Hudson. To enter the service, he tendered his resignation as postmaster, but this was de- clined, and leave of absence granted by the post-office department. He was adju- tant of the 6th regiment, Massachusetts militia, from 1866 to '69, then three years captain of a light battery in Lawrence, and since 1873 has been major of the 1st bat- talion of light artillery. He was for seven years president of the Massachusetts Press Association, and for a like period secretary of the Republican state central committee. He was one of the char- ter members and first commander of Post 39, G. A. R., in Lawrence ; was commander of the department of Massachusetts in 1875, and commander-in-chief of United States in 1881 ; has been senior vice-com- mander of the Massachusetts Commandery H m «- GEORGE S MERRILL. of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion. In 1883 he was commander of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. For years he has been chairman of the national pension committee of the G. A. R. He was appointed by Governor Ames to the office of insurance commissioner of Massachusetts, June 1, 1S87, which position he now holds. Mr. Merrill was married in Concord, N. H., December 29, 1855, to Sarah J., daughter of Elbridge and Ruth A. (Felch) Weston. Of this union are two children : VVinfield G. and Genevieve Merrill (now Mrs. Magee). His present residence is Lawrence. MERRILL, MOODY, son of VVinthrop and Martha N. Merrill, was born in Camp- ton. Grafton county, N. H., June 27, 1836, and educated in the district schools of that town and at the Thetford (Vt.) Academy. During the summer he was occupied with farming, and in the winter attended school. In the winter of 1856 he taught school at Ellsworth, N. H., and in 1857 at Thornton, N. H. Ill health prevented his entering college, and in 1859 he went to Boston and entered the law office of the Hon. William Minot. He was admitted to the Suffolk bar in February, 1863. He served on the school board from 1865 to '74, and for seven years was chairman of the Roxbury high school committee. In 1868 he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he served three years, and was a member of the state Senate in 1873 and '74, where his energy and ability won for him the influential position which he held among the leaders in that body. In 1874 he was chairman of the committee in charge of the memorial services on the death of Charles Sumner, and compiled the memorial history of that occasion. From 1872 to '86 he devoted himself to the Highland Street Railway, of which corporation he was president during the entire term of its existence. This position was one well qualified to test the nerve and ability of anyone who had the courage to inaugurate a new scheme against the com- bined opposition of what have always been considered the most powerful monopolies in the metropolis. Subsequently, in 1886, he secured the passage by the Legisla- ture of the bill authorizing all street rail- ways of the city of Boston to consolidate, and it was due to him that the general consolidation was finally effected. Mr. Merrill put his whole heart into the work of establishing this new road upon a popular and paying basis, and his energy and perseverance were amply rewarded by the most brilliant success. It was also largely due to Mr. Merrill's influence that the system of public parks in the city of Boston was established, more especially that portion of the system which includes the now Franklin Park, containing nearly
