 |
| Orlin includes a short biography of Farwell F. Fay:
|
 He was a successful teacher in the Athol schools, and was the second principal of the High School, which position he reliquished to engage in the study of law in the Harvard Law School, entering the school at Cambridge in 1857. He was admitted to the bar in 1859, appointed Justice of the Peace for Worcester County, and for many years had a large and lucrative practice in Athol.
|
|
In August, 1862, he recruited Co. E of the 53rd Regiment, of which he was chosen Captain September 13, 1862, and was commissioned by Gov. Andrew of Massachusetts five days later. At the time of the surrender of Port Hudson he was in command of the regiment. In July, 1864, he was commissioned as Assistant Adjutant General of Massachusetts to recruit for the commonwealth in the Department of Mississippi, in which he did successful work.
|
|
In 1862 he represented his district in the Legislature, was president of the Worcester Northwest Agricultural Society in 1868, and also represented that society for three years as its delegate on the state Board of Agriculture.
|
|
The last years of his life were spent in Boston, where he was engaged in the practice of the law, and where he died in 1888.
|
|
| One of the histories of Athol, Massachusetts, has a few more details about this service:
|
|
Farwell F. Fay, 53. Reg. (See page 131), recruited in Aug. 1862 Company E of the 53. Reg. in Athol and vicinity; was chosen Captain of said Company Sept. 13. 1862 and Commissioned by the Governor of the Commonwealth five days later; went into Camp with his Company at Groton Junction Oct. 1 and to New York Nov. 30.; sailed for Louisiana Jan. 1863 and went into Camp at Carrollton; was at the head of his Company at the capture of Fort Bisland and durihg all the marches to Opelousas and Alexandria and to the rear of Port Hudson; led his Company in the assault upon Port Hudson of June 14, which failed through no fault of the 53d Regiment or of any of its Officers; two days later, viz. June 16. was appointed Acting Major of the Reg. and two days later still was placed in Command of the same, in which capacity he acted till after the surrender of Port Hudso, viz. till July 12. at which time he was taken sick and removed to the Officers Hospital at Baton Rouge. He was sick at Baton Rouge fifteen days when he entered St. Louis Hospital New Orleans where he remained till orders came to collect the sick and prepare to leave for the North. Capt. Fay rejoined the Reg. Aug. 10. 1863 and returned to Massachusetts at the head of his Company Aug. 24. of the same year, with health somewhat impaired but gradually improving.
|
|
In July 1864, Capt. Fay was commissioned as Assistant Adjutant General of Massachusetts, to recruit for the Commonwealth in the Department of Mississippi and by Special Orders No. 12. bearing date July 23. 1864 was assigned to the Staff of Lieut. Col. Eli C. Kinsley and directed to proceed with him to Vicksburg Miss. Capt. Fay entered upon this difficult service and was eminently successful; but in Nov. 1864 he tendered his resignation on account of sickness in his family; and this being accepted he was honorably discharged Dec. 8. 1864.
|
| --The record of Athol, Massachusetts in suppressing the Great Rebellion, pp. 176-177. |
|
| The Babbitt family history, 1643-1900, by William Bradford Browne (Taunton, Mass.: C.A. Hack & Son, 1912), contains essentially the same information as Orlin:
|
| Harriet Augusta Babbitt was the daughter of Thomas Babbitt and Nancy Williams Cobb. Nancy bore two children, the first dying in infancy, the second marrying Farwell. Nancy died February 11, 1873, and in 1878, Thomas married Celestina Miransa Fay, Farwell's older sister. Thomas and Celestina had no children (The Babbitt family history, page 354.)
|
| Farwell and Harriet had three children, only one of whom married, William E. Fay. (Orlin names him William L., but the listings in the vital records and census name him William E. It has not been possible to establish what his middle name was, but probably Emerson, after his grandfather.)
|
|
|
