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Pardon Almy.
Second Lieutenant 18th Mass. Vols. (Infantry), August 20, 1861; killed at Bull Run, Va., August 30, 1862.the following is extracted from the autobiography of Pardon Almy, given in the Class-Book:—
I was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island, at nine o'clock, P. M., on Monday, July 4, 1836. I am the son of Mary and Pardon, son of Sanford, son of John, son of Job, son of Job, son of William, who came from England and settled in the southern part of Tiverton, Rhode Island. There, and in the northern part of the adjoining town of Little Compton, the line of his descendants from whom I come have ever since resided, and have all been farmers. The old homestead is still in the Almy family. My mother's maiden name was Mary Cook. . . . . The first sixteen years of my life were spent on a farm. I began to go to school when five years old, attending only the summer term for the first two years, then for three years both the summer and winter terms; then, until I was sixteen, only the winter term, working on the farm in the summer. In September, 1852, I went to Pierce Academy, Middleborough, Massachusetts, where I stayed three terms, until May, 1853. During the summer I worked on the farm. In September I went back to school, and stayed one term. In the winter 1853-54 I taught school in the southeastern part of my native town. The summer was again spent on the farm; and in September I again went back to school, and remained two terms, until February, 1855. I then went into the office of Dr. M. B. Roche, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. With him I studied medicine a little, but was not very attentive to my studies, as I had no fancy for being a physician, having gone there at the solicitation of my brother rather than from any wish of my own. I was there about seven months. Then I was for a time out of employ, quite undecided what to do next. I had an excellent offer to go into business, if I would wait until the next March, which I should probably have accepted if it had been immediate. I had for some time desired to go to college, but had not the means. I consulted my father, and was promised such assistance as he could render.
