Photo courtesy of the N.Y.S Division of Military & Naval Affairs.

      COLONEL SUITOR
           DEAD IN HERKIMER
    A VETERAN OF THE MEXICAN
        AND CIVIL WARS.
     HONORED IN THE VILLAGE
The End Came This Morning After a
 General Wearng Out of the System
--President of Helmer Post and a 
Prominent G.A.R. Man.
  Herkimer, Jan. 12--Col. James A.
Suiter, Herkimer's respected citizen
and the veteran of the Mexican and
Civil Wars, died at 5:15 o'clock this
morning at his home in North Wash-
ington street. His death removes one
of the best residents of this village and
one of the best loved soldiers of the
country. Death was due to failing
health brought on by old age.
 James Anthon Suiter was born in
Herkimer, April 29, 1818. He had al-
ways resided in this village where he
received his education in the common
schools and took up the trade of saddle
and harness making at an early age,
having been an apprentice in the shop
of the late John D. Spinner. In 1840
he engaged in business which he con-
tinued alone for over fifty years with
the exception of a few years when his
brother, the late Augustus W. Suiter
was associated with him. His first
shop was located in rooms over a gro-
cery store of which the proprietor was
the late Charles Spinner. It was lo-
cated in a building now occupied by
the present Palmer House.
 Twice did he interrupt his business to
go to war, once in 1847, at the age of
31 when he became second lieutenant
of Company E, First Regiment, in the
Mexican War, in which he served un-
til its close, having been mustered out
at Fort Hamilton, New York Harbor.
His appointment as second lieutenant
was secured largely through the in-
fluence of Congressman George Petrie,
in whose election the young lieutenant
had an active part.
 Colonel Suiter was a member of the
LaFayette Guards commanded by the
late Gen. Francis E. Spinner. In 1851
he was elected captain of Company G,
Thirty-eighth Regiment, New York
State Militia, and later was made
lieutenant colonel of the same regi-
ment.
 At the first call for troops in April
1861, sent out by President Lincoln,
the lieutenant colonel of the Thirty-
eighth Regiment was the first man to 
enlist in Company G, of the new
Thirty-fourth Regiment, which during
the was came to be known as
the Herkimer County Regi-
ment, and the members of which were
characterized because of their bravery
and courage. He was elected captain
of Company G, then promoted to the
lieutenant colonelship, and was com-
missioned colonel on March 10, 1862.
 At the head of his regiment he lead
his men successfully in the battles of
Fair Oaks, Glendale, Antietam and
Fredericksburg. His men participated
in fourteen other engagements, and at
all times their leader was at their head
and in the thickest of the fight. His
horse, "Old Billy," was wounded at
Fair Oaks, Antietam and Frederticks-
burg, but the colonel escaped injury
and in 1863 returned home.
 At all times, as an officer, he com-
manded the respect and esteem of his
men in a marked degree. Though firm
and commanding, a main characteris-
tic, his men fairly idolized him, and
this esteem he rewarded by obtaing
many favors for them.
 Suiter Post, named in his honor, was
the first Grand Army Post organised
in Herkimer. Its name was changed
afterwards to Aaron Helmer Post, be-
cause of an order from headquarters
that all posts should be named for
some hero who had fallen on the bat-
tlefield. Colonel Suiter was given the
post of honor at the organisation of the
Thirty-fourth Regiment Association,
and was elected unanimously its presi-
dent, such honor to continue during
life.
 Active in Whig politics he led
the party in Herkimer in many poli-
tical engagements. He was appointed
postmaster by President Zachary Tay-
lor in the early fifties. His deputy was
Warren Mack, grandfather of Orange
W. Mack of this village. Colonel
Suiter cast his first vote for William
Henry Harrison in 1840. He support-
ed John C. Fremont for the Presidency
in 1856. He was Supervisor of the
Town of Herkimer in 18_0 and 1872.
He also held the office of Trustee,
Treasurer and Assessor in the village, 
and was a Justice of the Peace for four
years. 
 In a paper read before the County
Historical Society a few years ago,
Colonel Suiter gave an accurate de-
scription of the village and the loca-
tion of buildings as they were in 1840.
His knowledge concerning early events
in town, county, State and Nation was
considerable and he loved to relate
stories of earlier times.
 Colonel Suiter is survived by two
sons, James A. Suiter, Jr., and Dr. A.
Walter Suiter and a daughter, Miss
Mary A. Suiter, all of this village, and
a brother, Dr. William F. Suiter of Salt
Lake City.