Obituary of Charles Hutchins Doolittle:

To-day, while busy hands were preparing floral offerings for the graves of our fallen heroes, a painful rumor spread swiftly through the streets to the effect that Judge DOOLITTLE was dead. The rumor was too soon resolved into knowledge of the terrible fact. Nine days ago, shortly after the Abyssinia left New York on his way to England, via Queenstown, Ireland, for a vacation, bearing Judge DOOLITTLE as a passenger, he was lost overboard and drowned. In the meantime a loving family and countless friends were congratulating themselves on having induced him to take some needed rest, and were waiting in hopeful expectancy of a dispatch announcing his safe arrival at Queenstown. A cable telegram came to-day. But it bore no good news. It was signed by a friend who had accompanied the Judge, and it carried the awful tidings which we have already recorded.
In the immediate presence of a grief which the whole community shares, we turn sadly to the duty of sketching the life that is lost to us forever. CHARLES H. DOOLITTLE was born in Herkimer in 1816. He came of a family known and honored in the earlier annals of New England. The rudiments of his education were obtained at the Fairfield Seminary. He subsequently entered Amherst College, where he graduated with distinction. He immediately entered upon the study of his chosen profession, the law. He passed his preparatory years first, in the office of Mr. FORD at Little Falls, and afterward with DENIO & HUNT in this city. He was admitted to practice in 1839, and rose by slow but satisfactory degrees to the highest rank in a calling where legitimate distinction is gained only by the severest exercise of the best faculties of the mind.
In 1869, after thirty years of active duty as a practitioner at the bar, CHARLES H. DOOLITTLE was chosen to be a Justice of the Supreme Court of our State. Many who thought they knew him well questioned the wisdom of his choice. He possessed a nervous, active temperament which made him vigorous in his new office. But from the day that he took his seat upon the bench he proved himself an excellent Judge. If he was not always considerate towards stupidity, he was at least careful and cautious in his judgments. His sense of justice was keen, his learning was so liberal and his impulses were so pure that he seldom erred in his decisions. The rapid movements of his mind spurred slow counselors to exertion and accelerated the business of the Courts. Idleness was so foreign to his nature that it was impossible for him to rest unless he tore himself away from the duties surrounding him.
In politics Judge DOOLITTLE was educated to the Democratic faith. He left the party on the issue of slavery, and was always after counted among the Republicans. But in his last years, when time had ripened his wisdom, the political faith of his earlier life reasserted itself and brought him into substantial sympathy with those from whom he had separated himself so long ago. His fine sense of the requirements of his judicial position kept him aloof from any participation in partisan strife, however, and perhaps it ought to be added that he was too good a lawyer to be much of a politician at any time.
He was an active and practical Christian. His religion possessed his soul and was not paraded for the admiration of men. He was discriminating in his charities, kindly in all the relations of life, loyal in his friendships, and passionately devoted to the family that mourns his untimely death.
It is not many months ago that we were called upon to record the death, by an accident at sea, of RUFUS W. PECKHAM, a Judge of the Court of Appeals. He and DOOLITTLE were friends and comrades in other years. Both had won their way to judicial eminence, and now both slumber together in the great winding sheet of waters, in unmarked graves, whose place none shall know till the sea gives up its dead.
We cannot describe the heavy sorrow which has fallen upon our city to-day. The shadow of this grief shuts out the sunshine of May and brings tears to the eyes of men unaccustomed to weep. The community loses a man whose life seemed necessary to its welfare. In this hour the sympathy of all will flow freely out to the sorely afflicted family, who have parted with all that was most dear to them on earth. May He who holds the sea in the hollow of His hand calm the tempest of sorrow in these wounded hearts.

On December 1, 1847, in Rochester, New York, Charles married Julia Tyler Shearman, daughter of William Pitt and Maryette (Andrews) Shearman. Julia Tyler Shearman was born in Rochester, New York, April 7, 1823. They had five children:
1. Charles Andrews 2. Maryette Andrews 3. William Shearman 4. Julius Tyler Andrews and 5. Mary Isabel.

Obituary of Charles Hutchins Doolittle:

To-day, while busy hands were preparing floral offerings for the graves of our fallen heroes, a painful rumor spread swiftly through the streets to the effect that Judge DOOLITTLE was dead. The rumor was too soon resolved into knowledge of the terrible fact. Nine days ago, shortly after the Abyssinia left New York on his way to England, via Queenstown, Ireland, for a vacation, bearing Judge DOOLITTLE as a passenger, he was lost overboard and drowned. In the meantime a loving family and countless friends were congratulating themselves on having induced him to take some needed rest, and were waiting in hopeful expectancy of a dispatch announcing his safe arrival at Queenstown. A cable telegram came to-day. But it bore no good news. It was signed by a friend who had accompanied the Judge, and it carried the awful tidings which we have already recorded.
In the immediate presence of a grief which the whole community shares, we turn sadly to the duty of sketching the life that is lost to us forever. CHARLES H. DOOLITTLE was born in Herkimer in 1816. He came of a family known and honored in the earlier annals of New England. The rudiments of his education were obtained at the Fairfield Seminary. He subsequently entered Amherst College, where he graduated with distinction. He immediately entered upon the study of his chosen profession, the law. He passed his preparatory years first, in the office of Mr. FORD at Little Falls, and afterward with DENIO & HUNT in this city. He was admitted to practice in 1839, and rose by slow but satisfactory degrees to the highest rank in a calling where legitimate distinction is gained only by the severest exercise of the best faculties of the mind.
In 1869, after thirty years of active duty as a practitioner at the bar, CHARLES H. DOOLITTLE was chosen to be a Justice of the Supreme Court of our State. Many who thought they knew him well questioned the wisdom of his choice. He possessed a nervous, active temperament which made him vigorous in his new office. But from the day that he took his seat upon the bench he proved himself an excellent Judge. If he was not always considerate towards stupidity, he was at least careful and cautious in his judgments. His sense of justice was keen, his learning was so liberal and his impulses were so pure that he seldom erred in his decisions. The rapid movements of his mind spurred slow counselors to exertion and accelerated the business of the Courts. Idleness was so foreign to his nature that it was impossible for him to rest unless he tore himself away from the duties surrounding him.
In politics Judge DOOLITTLE was educated to the Democratic faith. He left the party on the issue of slavery, and was always after counted among the Republicans. But in his last years, when time had ripened his wisdom, the political faith of his earlier life reasserted itself and brought him into substantial sympathy with those from whom he had separated himself so long ago. His fine sense of the requirements of his judicial position kept him aloof from any participation in partisan strife, however, and perhaps it ought to be added that he was too good a lawyer to be much of a politician at any time.
He was an active and practical Christian. His religion possessed his soul and was not paraded for the admiration of men. He was discriminating in his charities, kindly in all the relations of life, loyal in his friendships, and passionately devoted to the family that mourns his untimely death.
It is not many months ago that we were called upon to record the death, by an accident at sea, of RUFUS W. PECKHAM, a Judge of the Court of Appeals. He and DOOLITTLE were friends and comrades in other years. Both had won their way to judicial eminence, and now both slumber together in the great winding sheet of waters, in unmarked graves, whose place none shall know till the sea gives up its dead.
We cannot describe the heavy sorrow which has fallen upon our city to-day. The shadow of this grief shuts out the sunshine of May and brings tears to the eyes of men unaccustomed to weep. The community loses a man whose life seemed necessary to its welfare. In this hour the sympathy of all will flow freely out to the sorely afflicted family, who have parted with all that was most dear to them on earth. May He who holds the sea in the hollow of His hand calm the tempest of sorrow in these wounded hearts.

On December 1, 1847, in Rochester, New York, Charles married Julia Tyler Shearman, daughter of William Pitt and Maryette (Andrews) Shearman. Julia Tyler Shearman was born in Rochester, New York, April 7, 1823. They had five children:
1. Charles Andrews 2. Maryette Andrews 3. William Shearman 4. Julius Tyler Andrews and 5. Mary Isabel.