Edward F. Jones

    A LEADING FIGURE IN THE CIVIL WAR.
GEN. EDWARD F. JONES, WHO DIED IN BINGHAMTON THURSDAY, AGED 85.

      The death of Gen. Edward J.F.   
      Jones, which occurred at his      
      home in Binghamton Thurs-         
      day morning., removed a dis-      
tinguished soldier of the civil war,
prominent business man and former
lieutenant governor of New York State.
  Gen. Jones had been critically ill for
several days and his death had been
expected hourly.
  Gen. Jones was a native of Utica and
had reached the advanced age of 85. He
was the son of Lorenz Baldwin and
Sophronia Chapman Jones. He moved
to Massachusetts at an early age and
his schooling was received at Leices-
ter, in that State. When the civil war
broke out he was made colonel of the
famous Sixth Massachusetts Regi-
ment. He commanded that regiment
when it was attacked by a mob in
Baltimore on its way to Washington
in 1861. When Col. Jones reached the
national capital with his soldiers he
was met by President Lincoln, who
said: "Thank God, you are here. If
you had not arrived to-night we
should have been in the hands of the
rebels before morning." Later he was
made colonel of the Twenty-sixth
Massachusetts Infantry. He served
with distinction throughout the civil
war and was made a brigadier gen-
eral in 1865.
  Gen. Jones served as a member of
the Massachusetts Legislature in 1865.
He took up his residence in Bingham-
ton subsequently and became the head
of the Jones Scale Works. He was the
originator of the phrase "Jones - He
Pays the Freight." which made his 
name known throughout the country.
In 1885 Gen. Jones was chosen Lieuten-
ant governor of New York State and
was re-elected for a second term, serv-
ing under Gov. Hill. Several years ago
he became totally blind and his large
business interests have since been
looked after by his son, Gerry Jones.
  Gen. Jones organized a number of
benevolent and patriotic societies
which have since been crystallized into
national associations. he also gained
considerable fame as an author. He
was deeply beloved by all of his em-
ployes. In his death one of the last of
the prominent figures in the great
drama of the civil war passes from this
life.