Representative women of New England/Cora D. Young
CORA DAY YOUNG, the matron of the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home in Xenia, and Past National Senior Vice-President of the Woman's Relief Corps, is a New England woman by birth, parentage, and education. She was born in Springvale, Me., March 26, 1847, her parents soon after removing to Boston. She was graduated from the Bowdoin School in this city in July, 1863.
One of her great-great-grandfathers on the maternal side was Colonel Jeremiah Moulton, who was born in 1688 in York, Me. In 1692, when he was four years old, he and his mother were taken prisoners by the Indians, and she was scalped. In 1724 he was commander at the reduction of Norridgewock. Colonel Moulton was rewarded with a silver tankard from King George II. for valiant conduct at the siege of Louisburg in 1745-47. He was afterward High Sheriff of York County, Maine, one of the Governor's Councillors, also Judge of the Courts of Common Pleas and of Probate.
His son Jeremiah, Jr., was a Lieutenant Colonel at L(niisburg; and his grandson, Jotham Moulton, was a Colonel and later Brigadier-general in the war of the Re^olution. He died of camp fever at Ticonderoga.
The father of Mrs. Young was Albert Day, M.D., a native of Wells, Me., and a graduate from the Harvard Medical School. For many years he practised medicine in Boston as a specialist of nervous diseases. He was a lineal descendant of Anthony Day, who settled in Gloucester, Mass., in 1645; and on his mother's side was descended from the Storers of colonial military distinction in Maine. In 1857 Dr. Day was a member of the lower branch of the Massachusetts Legislature. He was always identified with philanthropic and patriotic movements. In Maine he was associated with General Samuel Fessenden in the early anti-slavery reform, and when a young man he was a candidate on that ticket for treasurer of York County. Dr. Day was likewise an early supporter of the Washingtonian move- ment, and probably was the first physician in this country to treat methomania as a disease. He was for thirty-six years (not consecutive) the superintendent of the Washingtonian Home in Boston. He died in April, 1894. This home, which has a national reputation, was organized in November, 1857, and in March, 1859, was incorporated by the State Legis- lature, receiving a grant of five thousand dol- lars. A new building on Waltham Street, erected for the home, was dedicated December 20, 1873. Many thousand patients were under the care of Dr. Day in the Washingtonian Home. It has been estimated that one-third of them were permanently cured, and more than half the remainder benefited. Dr. Day published a number of valuable works upon this subject.
During the war of the Rebellion, Dr. Day, as a member of the Boston School Board, as- sisted in establishing the first school for "con- trabands" or freedmen on this continent.
His son, Albert A. Day, in July, 1862, at the age of seventeen, enlisted in the Forty-third Regiment, Massachusetts ^^olunteers. He was First Sergeant of Company K, and served in the battle of Kinston and other engagements in North Carolina. At the expiration of nine months' term of service, " under an order is- sued July 7 rendering it optional with the men to go to the front or return home, two huntlred and three officers and men voted to go to the front" (Adjutant-general's report). Among these was Sergeant Day. When he came home at a later date, he brought with him a negro boy about twelve years old, who had escapetl from his master in North Carolina. The boy lived in the family of Dr. Day for many years, and was educated by the Doctor's daughter Cora, Mrs. Young. He is now in the service of Dr. Nichols, of Worcester. For several years he contributed to the support of his former mistress, a Mrs. Gregory, of ]']lizabeth City, N.C., who was aged and in destitute circum- stances.
At Wakefield, Mass., January 18, 1871, Cora Day was married to Charles L. Yomig, LL.D., of Buffalo, N.Y., a distinguished soldier of the Civil AVar. His first service after being a Zouave Cadet in April, 1861, was in the Ex- celsior Brigade of New York under General Daniel 10. Sickles. Throughout the Peninsu- lar Camjxiign, A'iiginia, he served on the staff of General Joseph Hooker. He was promoted, and commanded his regiment during the sec- ond Bull Run, Pope's campaign, including the battles of Bristoe Station, Groveton, Bull Run or Manassas, and Chantilly. At the battle of Chancellorsville he was on the staff of Gen- eral Sickles, in the Inspector-general's depart- ment, with the rank of Major, and was desper- ately wounded. With his wound unhealed, he returned to the front, and was with Gen- eral Sickles when the latter lost his leg at Get- tysl)urg. He was again wounded in the Wil- derness, then in the Inspector-general's de- partment of General Winfiekl Scott Hancock. He was the last in command of his regiment in line of battle in the presence of the enemy. After the war Major Young was brevetted Lieutenant Colonel of Volunteers for meritori- ous services during the Civil War.
After their marriage Colonel and Mrs. Young resided in Toledo, Ohio. The Governor of Ohio with the consent of the Senate appointed him Quartermaster-general and Commissary-gen- eral, with the rank of Brigadier-general. For several years he has been superintendent of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home at Xenia, Ohio. For nine years Mrs. Young has been the matron of the Orphans' Home, which is a State institution, and has nine hundred pupils.
Mrs. Young was first secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Home for Friendless Women in Toledo, Ohio. She is a member of the Ursula Wolcott Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, of Toledo, and of the Woman's Club, of Xenia, Ohio.
Mrs. Young was among the earliest supporters of the Woman's Relief Corps, auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic. She was secretary and also president of the first corps organized west of Massachusetts. As Department Senior Vice-President, she twice presided over the State Convention of Ohio, and was elected to the second place of honor in the national body, serving as National Sen
ior Vice-President in 1886. Her life has been devoted to benevolent work, either in private or public channels.
General Young is a Past National Senior Vice-Commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. He was for twelve years a director of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. General and Mrs. Young are not only appreciated for their ability and their great philanthropic work, but are popular in social life, and have many friends in all sections of the country. They have two children, a son and a daughter. The fonner, Dr. Nelson Holland Young, is assistant superintendent and physician at the Ohio State Hospital for the Insane, which is located at Toledo and has seventeen hundred patients. The daughter is Mrs. Eleanor M. Cunningham, of Brooklyn, N.Y.