Book J:^3G 3> / GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF DECATUR COUNTY NDIANA COMPENDIUM OF NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY CHICAC.O THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1900 Fssz I N 13 E PART BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF NATIONAL CELEBRITIES. Abbott, Lyman, 144. Adams, Charles Komlill, i4,v Adams,' John, 25. Adams, John Quincy, 61. Agassiz. Louis J. R., 137. Alger, Russfll A., 17.V Allison, William B., 131. Allston, Washington, igo. •Altgeld, John Peter, 140. Andrews. Elisha B., 184. .'Xnthony, Susan B., 62. Armour. Philip D., 62. Arnold. Benedict. 84. Arthur. Chester Allen, 168. Astor. John Jacob, 139. Au^ il f^^ .=^fg^^ (g^^=j=ba*- !f3«r "^^ ''^f SLSUULSiSLSUiSUiJiSiSiXSLSLSLSiSJiSUiSLZSLS^^ <^^ IRTR0DWeT0RY [ |HE greatest of English historians, Macaulay, and one of the most brilliant writers and profound thinkers of the present centurj', has said: "The history of a country is best told in a record of the lives of its people." This is a fact which is becoming more and more recognized as our people advance in education and intelli- gence, and our own great Emerson, whose name stands at the head of American writers of his day, in carrying forward and emphasizing the great fact expressed by Macaulay, says: "Biog- raphy is the only true history." It was for the purpose of gathering and preserving this biographical matter in enduring form that the design for this volume originated. COMPENDIUM OF NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY. Regarding the fore part of this volume, "Part I," which is devoted to a "Com- pendium OF National Biography," but little need be said. The lives of the great men and celebrities of America are so inaccessible to the general public, and are so often in demand without being accessible, that it has been deemed wise to gather together a vast number of the biographies of our nation's greatest men and include them in this work as a fitting preface to the life histories and biographies of the local parties which follow and embrace the latter part of the volume. It is not given to all men to become great in a national sense, but the life history of those who do, makes up the history of our nation, and as such the history of their lives should be in every home and library as a means of reference and education. compendium of local biography. That portion of the volume devoted to a "Compendium of Local Biography," or "Part II," is of the greatest value, and its value will increase as the years go by. In this department of local biography is carried out the object which led to the com- pilation of this work, in gathering together and placing in enduring form, before it becomes too late, the life history of those who have helped to build up this region and who have taken part in the progress and development in business, political, social, and agricultural affairs. The rank that any county holds among its sister counties depends largely upon the achievements of its citizens. Some add to its rep- utation by efficient public service, some by increasing its manufacturing or commercial 12 INTRODUCTORY. interests, and some by adding to the general wealth and prosperity in cultivating and improving its lands. To give a faithful account of the lives of old settlers and rep- resentative citizens of this region is to write its history in the truest sense. Each year, as it rolls its endless way along the mighty pathway of time, is thinning the ranks of those hardy pioneers and old settlers whose lives are so thoroughly identi- fied with this region. The relentless hand of death, pursuing its remorseless and unceasing avocation, is cutting down, one by one, those whose life histories should be preserved as a part of the history of the growth and development of this region. The necessity for the collection and preservation of this matter, before it becomes too late, is the object of this work. Instead of going to musty records and taking therefrom dry statistical matter and official generalities, which can be appreciated by but few, our corps of writers have gone direct to the people, to the men and women who have by their enterprise and industry, brought about the development found in this region, and from their lips have written the story of their life struggles. No more interesting or instructive mat- ter could be presented to an intelligent public. In this department, devoted to Local Biography, will be found a record of many whose lives are worthy the imitation of coming generations. It tells how some, commencing life in poverty, by industry and economy have accumulated wealth. It tells how others, with limited advantages for securing an education, have become learned men and women, with an influence widely extended. It tells of men who have risen from the lower walks of life to eminence, and whose names have become famous. It tells of those in every walk in life who have striven to succeed, and records how success has usually crowned their efforts. It tells, also, of many, very many, who, not seeking the applause of the world, have pursued "the even tenor of their way," content to have it said of them as Christ said of the woman performing a deed of mercy, — "they have done what they could." It tells how many, in the pride and strength of young manhood, left the plow and the anvil, the lawyer's office and the counting room, left every trade and profession, and at their country's call went forth valiantly "to do or die," for the cause and principles they held so dear. In the life of every man and of every woman is a lesson that should not be lost upon those who follow after. Coming generations will appreciate this volume and preserve it as a sacred treas- ure, from the fact that it contains so much that would never find its way into pub- lic records, and which would otherwise be inaccessible and lost forever. Great care has been taken in the compilation of this work, and every opportunity for revision possible given to those represented to insure correctness in what has been written, and the publishers feel warranted in saying that they give to their readers a work with very few, if any, errors of consequence. In closing this brief introductory the memorable words of Carlyle fittingly express the hope, aim, and desire of the publishers in the compilation of this volume: "Let the record be made of the men and things of to-day, lest they pass out of memory to-morrow and are lost. Then perpetuate them, not upon wood or stone that crum- bles to dust, but chronicled in picture and in words that endure forever." f .. Part I .. | I ^ ^COMFENDIUMg :w I i* ....o:f.... 4 I ^— NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY --^ | * ^Vs ^K J'- ^ t T 4 f f * f ^ # t * t * I * I t ■^>* C<.pTHrtt 19»T, bj (!«. A. 0.1. t Ci. ife ^^ ^A^ ^^^ ;g2^£^;J^£g^ COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY Celebrated Americans 'W^'^tl^'^a^ ior *1- ■ ^ RORGE WASHINGTON the first president of the Unit- ed States, called the "Father •nirmn^mmm^ of his Country," was one of the most celebrated characters in history. He was born Feb- ruary 22, 1732, in Washing- ton Parish, Westmoreland county, Virginia. His father, Augustine Washington, first married Jane Butler, who bore him four children, and March fc, 1730, he ■ married Mary Ball. Of six children by his second marriage, George was the eldest. Little is known of the early years of Washington, beyond the fact that the house in which he was born was burned during his early childhood, and that his father there- upon moved to another farm, inherited from hii paternal ancestors, situated in Stafford county, on the north bank of the Rappahan- nock, and died there in 1743. From earliest childhood George developed a noble charac- ter. His education was somewhat defective, being confined to the elementary branches taught him by his mother and at a neighbor- ing school. On leaving school he resided some time at Mount Vernon with his half brother, Lawrence, who acted as his guar dian. George's inclinations were for a sea- faring career, and a midshipman's warrant was procured for him; but through the oppo- sition of his mother the project was aban- doned, and at the age of sixteen he was appointed survejor to the immense estates of the eccentric Lord Fairfax. Three years were passed by Washington in a rough fron- tier life, gaining experience which afterwards proved very essential to him. In 175 1, when the Virginia militia were put under training with a view to active service against France, Washington, though only nineteen years of age, was appointed adjutant, with the rank of major. In 1752 Lawrence Washington died, leaving his large property to an infant daughter. In his will George was named one of the executors and as an eventual heir to Mount Vernon, and by the death of the infant niece, soon succeeded to that estate. In 1753 George was commis- sioned adjutant-general of the Virginia militia, and performed important work at the outbreak of the French and Indian war, was rapidly promoted, and at the close of that war we find him commander-in-chief of 18 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. all the forces raised in Virginia. A cessation of Indian hostilities on the frontier having followed the expulsion of the French from the Ohio, he resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Virginia forces, and then proceeded to Williamsburg to take his seat in the Virginia Assembly, of which he had been elected a member. January 17, 1759, Washington married Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Curtis, a young and beautiful widow of great wealth, and devoted himself for the ensuing fifteen years to the quiet pursuits of agriculture, inter- rupted only by the annual attendance in winter upon the colonial legislature at Williamsburg, until summoned by his coun- try to enter upon that other arena in which his fame was to become world-wide. The war for independence called Washington into service again, and he was made com- mander-in-chief of the colonial forces, and was the most gallant and conspicuous figure in that bloody struggle, serving until Eng- land acknowledged the independence of each of the thirteen States, and negotiated with them jointly, as separate sovereignties. December 4, 1783, the great commander took leave of his officers in most affection- ate and patriotic terms, and went to An- napolis, Maryland, where the congress of the States was in session, and to that body, when peace and order prevailed everywhere, resigned his commission and retired to Mount Vernon. It was in 1789 that Washington was called to the chief magistracy of the na- tion. The inauguration took place April 30, in the presence of an immense multi- tude which had assembled to witness the new and imposing ceremony. In the manifold de- tails of his civil administration Washington proved himself fully equal to the requirements of his position. In 1792, at the second presi- dential election, Washington was desirous to retire; but he yielded to the general wish of the country, and was again chosen presi- dent. At the third election, in 1796, he was again most urgently entreated to con- sent to remain in the executive chair. This he positively refused, and after March 4, 1797, he again retired to Mount Vernon for peace, quiet, and repose. Of the call again made on this illustrious chief to quit his repose at Mount Ver- non and take command of all the United States forces, with rank of lieutenant-gen- eral, when war was threatened with France in 1798, nothing need here be stated, ex- cept to note the fact as an unmistakable testimonial of the high regard in which he was still held by his countrymen of all shades of political opinion. He patriotic- ally accepted this trust, but a treaty of peace put a stop to all action under it. He again retired to Mount Vernon, where he died December 14, 1799, in the sixty-eighth year of his age. His remains were depos- ited in a family vault on the banks of the Potomac, at Mount Vernon, where they still lie entombed. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, an eminent American statesman and scientist, was born of poor parentage, January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was appren- ticed to his brother James to learn the print- er's trade to prevent his running away and going to sea, and also because of the numer- ous family his parents had to support (there being seventeen children, Benjamin being the fifteenth). He was a great reader, and soon developed a taste for writing, and pre- pared a number of articles and had them published in the paper without his brother's knowledge, and when the authorship be- came known it resulted in difficulty for the LOMPHNDIUM OF BIOGRAr H7. young apprentice, although his articles had been received with favor by the public. James was afterwards thrown into prison for political reasons, and young Benjamin con- ducted the paper alone during the time. In 1823, however, he determined to endure his bonds no longer, and ran away, going to Philadelphia, where he arrived with only three pence as his store of wealth. With these he purchased three rolls, and ate them as he walked along the streets. He soon found employment as a journeyman printer. Two years later he was sent to -England by the governor of Pennsylvania, and was promised the public printing, but did not get it. On his return to Philadelphia he estab- lished the "Pennsylvania Gazette," and soon found himself a person of great popu- larity in the province, his ability as a writer, philosopher, and politician having reached the neighboring colonies. He rapidly grew in prominence, founded the Philadelphia Li- brary in 1842, and two years later the American Philosophical Society and the University of Pennsylvania. He was made Fellow of the Royal Society in London in 1775. His world-famous investigations in electricity and lightning began in 1746. He became postmaster-general of the colonies in 1753, having devised an inter-colonial postal system. He advocated the rights of the colonies at all times, and procured the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766. He was elected to the Continental congress of 1775, and in 1776 was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, being one of the commit- tee appointed to draft that paper. He rep- resented the new nation in the courts of Europe, especially at Paris, where his simple dignity and homely wisdom won him the admiration of the court and the favor of the people. He was governor of Pennsylvania four years; was also a member of the con- vention in 1787 that drafted the constitution of the United States. His writings upon political topics, anti- slavery, finance, and economics, stamp him as one of the greatest statesmen of his time, while his "Autobiography" and "Poor Richard's Almanac " give him precedence in the literary field. In early life he was an avowed skeptic in religious matters, but later in life his utterances on this subject were less extreme, though he never ex- pressed approval of any sect or creed. He died in Philadelphia April 17, 1790. DANIEL WEBSTER.— Of world wide reputation for statesmanship, diplo- macy, and oratory, there is perhaps no more prominent figure in the history of our coun- try in the interval between 181 5 and 1861, than Daniel Webster. He was born at Salisbury (now Franklin), New Hampshire. January 18, 1782, and was the second son of Ebenezer and Abigail (Eastman) Webster. He enjoyed but limited educational advan- tages in childhood, but spent a few months in 1797, at Phillip Exeter Academy. He completed his preparation for college in the family of Rev. Samuel Wood, at Boscawen, and entered Dartmouth College in the fall of 1797. He supported himself most of the time during these years by teaching school and graduated in 1801, having the credit of being the foremost scholar of his class. He entered the law office of Hon. Thomas W. Thompson, at Salisbury. In 1802 he con- tinued his legal studies at Fryeburg, Maine, where he was principal of the academy and copyist in the office of the register of deeds. In the office of Christopher Gore, at Boston, he completed his studies in 1804-5, ^"'l W3S admitted to the bar in the latter year, and at Boscawen and at Ports- mouth soon rose to eminence in his profes- 20 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. sion. He became known as a federalist but did not court political honors; but, at- tracting attention by his eloquence in oppos- ing the war with England, he was elected to congress in 1812. During the special session of May, 18 13, he was appointed on the committee on foreign affairs and made his maiden speech June 10, 1813. Through- out this session (as afterwards) he showed his mastery of the great economic questions of the day. He was re-elected in 18 14. In 1 8 16 he removed to Boston and for seven years devoted himself to his profession, earning by his arguments in the celebrated "Dartmouth College Case" rank among the most distinguished jurists of the country. In 1820 Mr. Webster was chosen a member of the state convention of Massachusetts, to revise the constitution. The same year he delivered the famous discourse on the " Pil- grim fathers," which laid the foundation for his fame as an orator. Declining a nomi- nation for United States senator, in 1822 he was elected to the lower house of congress and was re-elected in 1824 and 1826, but in 1827 was transferred to the senate. He retained his seat in the latter chamber until 1 841. During this time his voice was ever lifted in defence of the national life and honor and although politically opposed to him he gave his support to the administra- tion of President Jackson in the latter's con- test with nullification. Through all these years he was ever found upon the side of right and justice and his speeches upon all the great questions of the day have be- come household words in almost every family. In 1841 Mr. Webster was appointed secretary of state by President Harrison and was continued in the same office by President Tyler. While an incumbent of this office he showed consummate ability as a diplomat in the negotiation of the " Ash- burton treaty " of August 9, 1849, which settled many points of dispute between the United States and England. In May, 1843, he resigned his post and resumed his pro- fession, and in December, 1845, took his place again in the senate. He contributed in an unofficial way to the solution of the Oregon question with Great Britain in 1847. He was disappointed in 1848 in not receiv- ing the nomination for the presidency. He became secretary of state under President Fillmore in 1850 and in dealing with all the complicated questions of the day showed a wonderful mastery of the arts of diplomacy. Being hurt in an accident he retired to his home at Marshfield, where he died Octo- ber 24, 1852. HORACE GREELEY.— As journalist, author, statesman and political leader, there is none more widely known than the man whose name heads this article. He was born in Amherst, New Hampshire, Feb- ruary 3, 181 1, and was reared upon a farm. At an early age he evinced a remarkable intelligence and love of learning, and at the age of ten had read every book he could borrow for miles around. About 1821 the family removed to Westhaven, Vermont, and for some years young Greeley assisted in carrying on the farm. In 1826 he entered the office of a weekly newspaper at East Poultney, Vermont, where he remained about four years. On the discontinuance of this paper he followed his father's family to Erie county, Pennsylvania, whither they had moved, and for a time worked at the printer's trade in that neigh- borhood. In 1 83 1 Horace went to New York City, and for a time found employ- ment as journeyman printer. January, 1833, in partnership with Francis Story, he published the Moniing Post, the first penny compel: DiLwr of biographt. paper ever printed. This proved a failure and was discontinued after three weeks. The business of job printing was carried on, however, until the death of Mr. Story in July following. In company with Jonas Winchester, March 22, 1834, Mr. Greeley commenced the publication of the New Yorker, a weekly paper of a high character. For financial reasons, at the same time, Greeley wrote leaders for other papers, and, in 1838, took editorial charge of the Jeffer- soiiian, a Whig paper published at Albany. In 1840, on the discontinuance of that sheet, he devoted iiis energies to the Log- Cabin, a campaign paper in the interests of the Whig party. In the fall of 1841 the latter paper was consolidated with the Nezu Yorker, un- der the name of the Tribune, the first num- ber of which was issued April 10, 1841. At the head of this paper Mr. Greeley remained until the day of his death. In 1848 Horace Greeley was elected to the national house of representatives to fill a vacancy, and was a member of that body until March 4, 1849. In 1851 he went to Europe and served as a juror at the World's Fair at the Crystal Palace, Lon- don. In 1855, he made a second visit to the old world. In 1859 he crossed the plains and received a public reception at San Francisco and Sacramento. He was a member of the Republican national con- vention, at Chicago in i860, and assisted in the nomination of Abraham Lincoln for President. The same year he was a presi- dential elector for the state of New York, and a delegate to the Loyalist convention at Philadelphia. At the close of the war, in 1865, Mr. Greeley became a strong advocate of uni- versal amnesty and complete pacification, and in pursuance of this consented to be- come one of the bondsmen for Jefferson Davis, who was imprisoned for treason. In 1867 he was a delegate to the New York state convention for the revision of the constitution. In 1870 he was defeated for congress in the Si.xth New York district. At the Liberal convention, which met in Cincinnati, in May, 1872, on the fifth ballot Horace Greeley was nominated for presi- dent and July following was nominated for the same office by the Democratic conven- tion at Baltimore. He was defeated by a large majority. The large amount of work done by him during the campaign, together with the loss of his wife about the same time, undermined his strong constitution, and he was seized with inflammation of the brain, and died November 29, 1872. In addition to his journalistic work, Mr. Greeley was the author of several meritori- ous works, among which were: "Hints toward reform," "Glances at Europe," " History of the struggle for slavery exten sion," "Overland journey to San Francis- co," "The American conflict," and " Rec- ollections of a busy life." HENRY CLAY. — In writing of this em- inent American, Horace Greeley once said: "He was a matchless party chief, an admirable orator, a skillful legislator, wield- ing unequaled influence, not only over his friends, but even over those of his political antagonists who were subjected to the magic of his conversation and manners. " A law- yer, legislator, orator, and statesman, few men in history have wielded greater influ- ence, or occupied so prominent a place in the hearts of the generation in which they lived. Henry Clay was born near Richmond, in Hanover county, \'irginia, April 12, 1777, the son of a poor Baptist preacher who died when Henry was but five years 22 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. old. The mother married again about ten years later and removed to Kentucky leav- ing Henry a clerk in a store at Richmond. Soon afterward Henry Clay secured a posi- tion as copyist in the office of the clerk of the high court of chancery, and four years later entered the law office of Robert Brooke, then attorney general and later governor of his native state. In 1797 Henry Clay was licensed as a lawyer and followed his mother to Kentucky^ opening an office at Lexington and soon built up a profitable practice. Soon afterward Kentucky, in separating from Virginia, called a state convention for the purpose of framing a constitution, and Clay at that time took a prominent part, publicly urging the adoption of a clause providing for the abolition of slavery, but in this he was overruled, as he was fifty years later, when in the height of his fame he again ad- vised the same course when the state con- stitution was revised in 1850. Young Clay took a very active and conspicuous part in the presidential campaign in 1800, favoring the election of Jefferson; and in 1803 was chosen to represent Fayette county in the state 'egislature. In 1806 General John Adair, then United States senator from Kentucky, resigned and Henry Clay was elected to fill the vacancy by the legislature and served through one session in which he at once assumed a prominent place. In 1807 he was again a representative in the legislature and was elected speaker of the house. At this time originated his trouble with Humphrey Marshall. Clay proposed that each member clothe himself and family wholly in American fabrics, which Afarshall characterized as the " language of a dema- gogue." This led to a duel in which both parties were slightly injured. In 1809 Henry Clay was again elected to fill a va- cancy in the United States senate, and two years later elected representative in tne low- er house of congress, being chosen speaker of the house. About this time war was de- clared against Great Britain, and Clay took a prominent public place during this strug- gle and was later one of the commissioners sent to Europe by President Madison to ne- gotiate peace, returning in September, 181 5, having been re-elected speaker of the house during his absence, and was re-elect- ed unanimously. He was afterward re- elected to congress and then became secre- tary of state und^r John Quincy Adams. In 1 83 1 he was again elected senator from Kentucky and remained in the senate most of the time until his death. Henry Clay was three times a candidate for the presidency, and once very nearly elected. He was the unanimous choice of the Whig party in 1844 for the presidency, and a great effort was made to elect him but without success, his opponent, James K. Polk, carrying both Pennsylvania and New York by a very slender margin, while either of them alone would have elected Clay. Henry Clay died at Washington Juije 29, 1852. JAMES GILLESPIE BLAINE was one of the most distinguished of American statesmen and legislators. He was born January 31, 1830, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and received a thorough edu- cation, graduating at Washington College in 1847. In early life he removed to Maine and engaged in newspaper work, becoming editor of the Portland "Advertiser." While yet a young man he gained distinction as a debater and became a conspicuous figure in political and public affairs. In 1862 he was elected to congress on the Republican ticket in Maine and was re-elected five times. Iti March, 1869, he was chosen speaker of the COMPENDIUM OF BIOGIiAPJ/r. house ot representatives and was re-elected in 1 87 1 and again in 1 873. In 1 876 he was a representative in the lower house of con- gress and during that year was appointed United States senator by the Governor to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Morrill, who had been appointed secretary of the treasury. Mr. Blaine served in the senate until March 5, 1881, when President Garfield appointed him sec- retary of state, which position he resigned in December, i88i. Mr. Blaine was nom- inated for the presidency by the Republic- ans, at Chicago in June, 1884, but was de- feated by Grover Cleveland after an exciting and spirited campaign. During the later years of his life Mr. Blaine devoted most of his time to the completion of his work "Twenty Years in Congress," which had a remarkably large sale throughout the United States. Blaine was a man of great mental ability and force of character and during the latter part of his life was one of the most noted men of his time. He was the origina- torof what is termed the " reciprocity idea" in tariff matters, and outlined the plan of carrying it into practical effect. In 1876 Robert G. Ingersoll in making a nominating speech placing Blaine's name as a candidate for president before the national Republican convention at Cincinnati, referred to Blaine as the " Plumed Knight " and this title clung to him during the remainder of his life. His death occurred at Washington, January 27, >893- JOHN CALDWELL CALHOUN, a dis- tinguished American statesman, was a native of South Carolina, born in Abbeville district, March i8, 1782. He was given the advantages of a thorough education, graduating at Yale College in 1804, and adopted the calling of a lawyer. A Demo- crat politically, at that time, he took a fore- most part in the councils of his party and was elected to congress in 18 1 1, supporting the tariff of 18 16 and the establishing of the United States Bank. In 18 17 he be- came secretary of war in President Monroe's cabinet, and in 1824 waselected vice-president of the United States, on the ticket with John Quincy Adams, and re-elected in 1 828, on the ticket with General Jackson. Shortly after this Mr. Calhoun became one of the strongest advocates of free trade and the principle of sovereignty of the states and was one of the originators of the doctrine that "any state could nullify unconstitutional laws of congress." Meanwhile Calhoun had be- come an aspirant for the presidency, and the fact that General Jackson advanced the interests of his opponent. Van Buren, led to a quarrel, and Calhoun resigned the vice- presidency in 1832 and was elected United States senator from South Carolina. It was during the same year that a convention was held in South Carolina at which the " Nul- lification ordinance " was adopted, the ob- ject of which was to test the constitution- ality of the protective tariff measures, and to prevent if possible the collection of im- port duties in that state which had been levied more for the purpose of ' ' protection " than revenue. This ordinance was to go into effect in February, 1833, and created a great deal of uneasiness throughout the country as it was feared there would be a clash between the state and federal authori- ties. It was in this serious condition of public affairs that Henry Clay came forward with the the famous "tariff compromise" of 1833, to which measure Calhoun and most of his followers gave their support and the crisis was averted. In 1843 Mr. Cal- houn was appointed secretary ot state in President Tyler's cabinet, and it was under 24 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. his administration that the treaty concern- ing the annexation of Texas was negotiated. In 1845 he was re-elected to the United States senate and continued in the senate until his death, which occurred in March, 1850. He occupied a high rank as a scholar, student and orator, and it is conceded that he was one of the greatest debaters America has produced. The famous debate between Calhoun and Webster, in 1833, is regarded as the most noted for ability and eloquence in the history of the country. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BUTLER, one of America's most brilliant and pro- found lawyers and noted public men, was a native of New England, born at Deer- field, New Hampshire, November 5, 18 18. His father. Captain John Butler, was a prominent man in his day, commanded a company during the war of 181 2, and served under Jackson at New Orleans. Benjamin F. Butler was given an excellent education, graduated at Waterville College, Maine, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1840, at Lowell, Massachusetts, where he commenced the practice of his profession and gained a wide reputation for his ability at the bar, acquiring an extensive practice and a fortune. Early in life he began taking an active interest in military affairs and served in the state militia through all grades from private to brigadier-general. In 1853 he was elected to the state legisla- ture on the Democratic ticket in Lowell, and took a prominent part in the passage of legislation in the interests of labor. Dur- ing the same year he was a member of the constitutional convention, and in 1859 rep- resented his district in the Massachusetts senate. When the Civil war broke out General Butler took the field and remained at the front most of the time during that bloody struggle. Fart of the time he had charge of Fortress Monroe, and in Febru- ary, 1862, took command of troops forming part of the expedition against New Orleans, and later had charge of the department of the Gulf. He was a conspicuous figure dur- ing the continuance of the war. After the close of hostilities General Butler resumed his law practice in Massachusetts and in 1 866 was elected to congress from the Es- sex district. In 1882 he was elected gov- ernor of Massachusetts, and in 1884 was the nominee of the " Greenback" party for president of the United States. He con- tinued his legal practice, and maintained his place as one of the most prominent men in New England until the time of his death, which occurred January 10, 1893. JEFFERSON DAVIS, an officer, states- man and legislator of prominence in America, gained the greater part of his fame from the fact that he was president of the southern confederacy. Mr. Davis was born in Christian county, Kentucky, June 3, 1808, and his early education and surround- ings were such that his sympathies and in- clinations were wholly with the southern people. He received a thorough education, graduated at West Point in 1828, and for a number of years served in the army at west- ern posts and in frontier service, first as lieutenant and later as adjutant. In 1835 he resigned and became a cotton planter in Warren county, Mississippi, where he took an active interest in public affairs and be- came a conspicuous figure in politics. In 1844 he was a presidential elector from Mississippi and during the two following years served as congressman from his dis- trict. He then became colonel of a iviissis- sippi regiment in the war with Mexico ana participated in some of the most severe cai- COMPEXDIUM or BIOGRAPlir. 25 ties, being seriously wounded at Buena Vista. Upon his return to private life he again took a prominent part in political af- fairs and represented his state in the United States senate from 1847 to 185 1. He then entered President Pierce's cabinet as secre- tary of war, after which he again entered the United States senate, remaining until the outbreak of the Civil war. He then be- came president of the southern confederacy and served as such until captured in May, 1865, at Irwinville, Georgia. He was held as prisoner of war at Fortress Monroe, until 1867, when he was released on bail and finally set free in 1868. His death occurred December 6, 1889. Jefferson Davis was a man of excellent abilities and was recognized as one of the best organizers of his day. He was a forceful and fluent speaker and a ready writer. He wrote and published the " Rise and Fall of the Southern Confederacy," a work which is considered as authority by the southern people. JOHN ADAMS, the second president of the United States, and one of the most conspicuous figures in the early struggles of his country for independence, was born in the present town of Quincy, then a portion of Braintree, Massachusetts, October 30, 1735. He received a thorough education, graduating at Harvard College in 1755, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1758. He was well adapted for this profes- sion and after opening an office in his native town rapidly grew in prominence and public favor and soon was regarded as one of the leading lawyers of the country. His atten- tion was called to political affairs by the passage of the Stamp Act, in 1765, and he drew up a set of resolutions on the subject which were very popular. In 1768 he re- moved to Boston and became one of the most courageous and prominent advocates of the popular cause and was chosen a member of the Colonial legislature from Boston. He was one of the delegates that represented Massachusetts in the first Con- tinental congress, which met in September, 1774. In a letter written at this crisis he uttered the famous words: "The die is now cast; I have passed the Rubicon. Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish with my country, is my unalterable determination." He was a prominent figure in congress and advocated the movement for independence when a majority of the members were in- clined to temporize and to petition the King. In May, 1776, he presented a resolution in congress that the colonies should assume the duty of self-government, which was passed. In June, of the same year, a reso- lution that the United States "are, and of right ought to be, free and independent," was moved by Richard H. Lee, seconded by Mr. Adams and adopted by a small majority. Mr. Adams was a member of the committee of five appointed June 1 1 to prepare a declaration of independence, in support of which he made an eloquent speech. He was chairman of the Board of War in 1776 and in 1778 was sent as commissioner to France, but returned the following year. In 1780 he went to Europe, having been appointed as minister to negotiate a treaty of peace and commerce with Great Britain. Con- jointly with Franklin and Jay he negotiated a treaty in 1782. He was employed as a minister to the Court of St. James from 1785 to 1788, and during that period wrote his famous " Defence of the American Con- stitutions." In 1789 he became vice-presi- dent of the United States and was re-elected in 1792. In 1796 Mr. Adams was chosen presi- 26 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. dent of the United States, his competitor being Thomas Jefferson, who became vice- president. In 1800 he was the Federal candidate for president, but he was not cordially supported by Gen. Hamilton, the favorite leader of his party, and was de- feated by Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Adams then retired from public life to his large estate at Quincy, Mass. , where he died July 4, 1826, on the same day that witnessed the death of Thomas Jefferson. Though his physical frame began to give way many years before his death, his mental powers retained their strength and vigor to the last. In his ninetieth year he was glad- dened by .the elevation of his son, John Quincy Adams, to the presidential office. HENRY WARD BEECHER, one of the most celebrated American preachers and authors, was born at Litchfield, Connec- ticut, June 24,1813. His father was Dr. Ly- man Beecher, also an eminent divine. At an early age Henry Ward Beecher had a strong predilection for a sea-faring life, and it was practically decided that he would fol- low this inclination, but about this time, in consequence of deep religious impressions which he e.xperienced during a revival, he renounced his former intention and decided to enter the ministry. After having grad- uated at Amherst College, in 1834, he stud- ied theology at Lane Seminary under the tuition of his father, who was then president of that institution. In 1847 he became pas- tor of the Plymouth Congregational church in Brooklyn, where his oratorical ability and original eloquence attracted one of the larg- est congregations in the country. He con- tinued to served this church until the time of his death, March 8, 1887. Mr. Beecher also found time for a great amount of liter- ary work For a number of years he was editor of the "Independent" and also the ' ' Christian Union. " He also produced many works which are widely known. Among his principal productions are ' 'Lectures to Young Men," " Star Papers, " "Life of Christ," "Life Thoughts," "Royal Truths" (a novel), "Norwood," " Evolution and Rev- olution," and " Sermons on Evolution and Religion. " Mr. Beecher was also long a prominent advocate of anti-slavery princi- ples and temperance reform, and, at a later period, of the rights of women. JOHN A. LOGAN, the illustrious states- man and general, was born in Jackson county, Illinois, February 9, 1824. In his boyhood days he received but a limited edu- cation in the schools of his native county. On the breaking out of the war with Mexico he enlisted in the First Illinois Volunteers and became its quartermaster. At the close of hostilities he returned home and was elected clerk of the courts of Jackson county in 1849. Determining to supplement his education Logan entered the Louisville Uni- versity, from which he graduated in 1852 and taking up the study of law was admitted to the bar. He attained popularity and suc- cess in his chosen profession and was elected to the legislature in 1852, 1853, 1856 and 1857. He was prosecuting attorney from 1853 to 1S57. He was elected to congress in 1858 to fill a vacancy and again in i860. At the outbreak of the Rebellion, Logan re- signed his office and entered the army, and in September, 1861, was appointed colonel of the Thirty-first Illinois Infantry, which he led in the battles of Belmont and Fort Don- elson. In the latter engagement he was wounded. In March, 1862, he was pro- moted to be brigadier-general and in the following month participated in the battles of Pittsburg Landing. In November, 1862, COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPHr. 29 f )r gallant conduct he was made major-gen- eral. Throughout the Vicksburg campaign he was in command of a division of the Sev- enteenth Corps and was distinguished at Port Gibson, Champion Hills and in the siege and capture cf Vicksburg. In October, 1S63, he was placed in command of the Fifteenth Corps, which he led with great credit. During the terrible conflict before Atlanta, July 22, 1864, on the death of General McPherson, Logan, assuming com- mand of the Army of the Tennessee, led it on to victory, saving the day by his energy and ability. He was shortly after succeeded by General O. O. Howard and returned to the command of his corps. He remained in coinmand until the presidential election, when, feeling that his influence was needed at home he returned thither and there re- mained until the arrival of Sherman at Sa- vannah, when General Logan rejoined his coinmand. In May, 1865, he succeeded General Howard at the head of the Army of the Tennessee. He resigned from the army in August, the same year, and in November was appointed minister to Mexico, but de- clined the honor. He served in the lower house of the fortieth and forty-first con- gresses, and was elected United States sena- tor from his native state in 1870, 1878 and 1885. He was nominated for the vice-presi- dency in 1884 on the ticiiet with Blaine, but was defeated. General Logan was the author of "The Great Conspiracy, its origin and history," published in 1885. He died at Washington, December 26, 1886. JOHN CHARLES FREMONT, the first Republican candidate for president, was born in Savannah, Georgia, January 21^ 18 1 3. He graduated from Charleston Col- lege (South Carolina^ in 1830, and turned his attention to civil engineering. He was shortly 2 afterward employed in the department of government surveys on the Mississippi, and constructing maps of that region. He was made lieutenant of engineers, and laid be- fore the war department a plan for pene- trating the Rocky Mountain regions, which was accepted, and in 1842 he set out upon his first famous exploring expedition and ex- plored the South Pass. He also planned an expedition to Oregon by a new route further south, but afterward joined his expedition with that of Wilkes in the region of the Great Salt Lake. He made a later expedi- tion which penetrated the Sierra Nevadas, and the San Joaquin and Sacramento river valleys, making maps of all regions explored. In 1845 he conducted the great expedi- tion which resulted in the acquisition of California, which it was believed the Mexi- can government was about to dispose of to England. Learning that the Mexican gov- ernor was preparing to attack tne American settlements in his dominion, Fremont deter- mined to forestall him. The settlers rallied to his camp, and in June, 1846, he defeated the Mexican forces at Sonoma Pass, and a month later completely routed the governor and his entire army. The Americans at once declared their independence of Mexico, and Fremont was elected governor of Cali- fornia. By this time Commodore Stockton had reached the coast with instructions from Washington to conquer California. Fre- mont at once joined him in that effort, which resulted in the annexation of California with its untold mineral wealth. Later Fremont became involved in a difficulty with fellow officers which resulted in a court martial, and the surrender of his commission. He declined to accept reinstatement. He af- terward laid out a great road from the Mis- sissippi river to San Francisco, and became the first United States senator from Califor- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY nia, in 1849. In 1856 he was nominated by the new RepubHcan party as its first can- didate for president against Buchanan, and received 114 electoral votes, out of 296. In 1 86 1 he was made major-general and placed in charge of the western department. He planned the reclaiming of the entire Mississippi valley, and gathered an army of thirty thousand men, with plenty of artil- lery, and was ready to move upon the con- federate General Price, when he was de- prived of his command. He was nominated for the presidency at Cincinnati in 1864, but withdrew. He was governor of Arizona in 1878, holding the position four years. He was interested in an engineering enterprise looking toward a great southern trans-con- tinental railroad, and in his later years also practiced law in New York. He died July 1 3, WENDELL PHILLIPS, the orator and abolitionist, and a conspicuous figure in American history, was born November 29, 181 1, at Boston, Massachusetts. He received a good education at Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1831, and then entered the Cambridge Law School . After completing his course in that institu- tion, in 1833, he was admitted to the bar, in 1834, at Suffolk. He entered the arena of life at the time when the forces of lib- erty and slavery had already begun their struggle that was to culminate in the Civil war. William Lloyd Garrison, by his clear- headed, courageous declafations of the anti- slavery principles, had done much to bring about this struggle. Mr. Phillips was not a man that could stand aside and see a great struggle being carried on in the interest of humanity and look passively on. He first attracted attention as an orator in 1837, at a meeting that was called to protest against the murder of the Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy. The meeting would have ended in a few perfunctory resolutions had not Mr. Phillips by his manly eloquence taken the meeting out of the hands of the few that were in- clined to temporize and avoid radical utter- ances. Having once started out in this ca- reer as an abolitionist Phillips never swerved from what he deemed his duty, and never turned back. He gave up his legal practice and launched himself heart and soul in the movement for the liberation of the slaves. He was an orator of very great ability and by his earnest efforts and eloquence he did much in arousing public sentiment in behalf of the anti-slavery cause — possibly more than any one man of his time. After the abolition of slavery Mr. Phillips was, if pos- sible, even busier than before m the literary and lecture field. Besides temperance and women's rights, he lectured often and wrote much on finance, and the relations of labor and capital, and his utterances on whatever subject always bore the stamp of having emanated from a master mind. Eminent critics have stated that it might fairly be questioned whether there has ever spoken in America an orator superior to Phillips. The death of this great man occurred Feb- ruary 4, 1884. WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN was one of the greatest generals that the world has ever produced and won im- mortal fame by that strategic and famous " march to the sea," in the war of the Re- bellion. He was born February 8, 1820, at Lancaster, Ohio, and was reared in the family of the Hon. Thomas Ewing, as his father died when he was but nine years of age. He entered West Point in 1836, wa? graduated from the same in 1840, and ap- pointed a second lieutenant in the Third COMPEXDIUM OF HIOGRAPHT. Artillery. He passed through the various grades of the service and at the outbreak of the Civil war was appointed colonel of the Thirteenth Ref^ular Infantry. A full history of General Sherman's conspicuous services would be to repeat a history of the army. He commanded a division at Shiloh, and was instrumental in the winning of that bat- tle, and was also present at the siege of Vicks- burg. On July 4, 1863, he was appointed brigadier-general of the regular army, and shared with Hooker the victory of Mission- ary Ridge. He was commander of the De- parvment of the Tennessee from October 27th until the appointment of General Grant as lieutenant-general, by whom he was appointed to the command of the De- partment of the Mississippi, which he as- sumed in March, 1864. He at once began organizing the army and enlarging his com- nuinications preparatory to his march upon Atlanta, which he started the same time of the beginning of the Richmond campaign by Grant. He started on May 6, and was op- posed by Johnston, who had fifty thousand men, but by consummate generalship, he captured Atlanta, on September 2, after several months of hard fighting and a severe loss of men. General Sherman started on his famous march to the sea November 15, 1864, and by December 10 he was before Savannah, which he took on December 23. This campaign is a monument to the genius of General Sherman as he only lost 567 men from Atlanta to the sea. After rest- ing his army he moved northward and occu- pied the following places: Columbia, Cheraw, Fayetteville, Ayersboro, Benton- ville, Goldsboro, Raleigh, and April 18, he accepted the surrender of Johnston's army on a basis of agreement that was not re- ceived by the Government with favor, but finally accorded Johnston the same terms as Lee was given by General Grant. He was present at the grand review at Washington, and after the close of the war was appointed to the command of the military division of the Mississippi; later was appointed lieu- tenant-general, and assigned to the military division of the Missouri. When General Grant was elected president Sherman became general, March 4, 1869, and succeeded to the command of the army. His death oc- curred February 14, 1891, at Washington. ALEXANDER HAMILTON, one of the most prominent of the early American statesmen and financiers, was born in Nevis, an island of the West Indies, January 11, 1757, his father being a Scotchman and his mother of Huguenot descent. Owing to the death of his mother and business reverses which came to his father, young Hamilton was sent to his mother's relatives in Santa Cruz; a few years later was sent to a gram- mar school at Elizabethtown, Nevv Jersey, and in 1773 entered what is now known as Columbia College. Even at that time he began taking an active part in public affairs and his speeches, pamphlets, and newspaper articles on political affairs of the day at- tracted considerable attention. In 1776 he received a captain's commission and served in Washington's army with credit, becoming aide-de-camp to Washington with rank of lieutenant-colonel. In 1781 he resigned his commission because of a rebuke from Gen- eral Washington. He next received com- mand of a New York battalion and partici- pated in the battle of Yorktown. After this Hamilton studied law, served several terms in congress and was a member of the convention at which the Federal Constitu- tion was drawn up. His work connected with " The Federalist " at about this time attracted much attention. Mr. Hamilton COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. was chosen as the first secretary of the United States treasury and as such was the author of the funding system and founder of the United States Bank. In 1798 he was made inspector-general of the army with the rank of major-general and was also for a short time commander-in-chief. In 1 804 Aaron Burr, then candidate for governor of New York, challenged Alexander Hamilton to fight a duel, Burr attributing his defeat to Hamilton's opposition, and Hamilton, though declaring the code as a relic of bar- barism, accepted the challenge. They met at Weehawken, New Jersey, July 11, 1804. Hamilton declined to fire at his adversary, but at Burr's first fire was fatally wounded and died July 12, 1804. ALEXANDER HAMILTON STEPH- ENS, vice-president of the southern confederacy, a former United States senator and governor of Georgia, ranks among the great men of American history. He was born February 11, 1812, near Crawfordsviile, Georgia. He was a graduate of the Uni- versity of Georgia, and admitted to the bar in 1834. In 1837 he made his debut in political life as a member of the state house of representatives, and in 1 841 declined the nomination for the same office; but in 1842 he was chosen by the same constituency as state senator. Mr. Stephens was one of the promoters of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. In 1843 he was sent by his dis- trict to the national house of representatives, which office he held for sixteen consec- utive years. He was a member of the house during the passing of the Compromise Bill, and was one of its ablest and most active supporters. The same year (1850) Mr. Stephens was a delegate to the state convention that framed the celebrated " Georgia Platform," and was also a dele- gate to the convention that passed the ordi- nance of secession, though he bitterly op- posed that bill by voice and vote, yet he readily acquiesced in their decision after it received the votes of the majority of the convention. He was chosen vice-president of the confederacy without opposition, and in 1865 he was the head of the commis- sion sent by the south to the Hampton Roads conference. He was arrested after the fall of the confederacy and was con- fined in Fort Warren as a prisoner of state but was released on his own parole. Mr. Stephens was elected to the forty-third, forty-fourth, forty-fifth, forty-sixth and for- ty-seventh congresses, with hardly more than nominal opposition. He was one of the Jeffersonian school of American politics. He wrote a number of works, principal among which are: "Constitutional View of the War between the States," and a " Compendium of the History of the United States." He was inaugurated as governor of Georgia November 4th, 1882, but died March 4, 1883, before the completion of his term. ROSCOE CONKLING was one of the most noted and famous of American statesmen. He was among the most fin- ished, fluent and eloquent orators that have ever graced the halls of the American con- gress; ever ready, witty and bitter in de- bate he was at once admired and feared by his political opponents and revered by his followers. True to his friends, loyal to the last degree to those with whom his inter- ests were associated, he was unsparing to his foes and it is said "never forgot an injury." Roscoe Conkling was born at Albany, New York, on the 30th of October, 1829, being a son of Alfred Conkling. Alfred Conkling was also a native of New York, CO.VPEADICM OF BIOGRAPHl- 3R born at East Hampton, October 12, 1789, ami became one of the most eminent law- yers in the Empire state; pubhshed several legal works; served a term in congress; aft- erw.ird as United States district judge for Northern New York, and in 1S52 was min- ister to Mexico. Alfred Conkling died in 1874. Roscoe Conkling, whose name heads this article, at an early age took up the study of law and soon became successful and prominent at the bar. About 1846 he re- moved to Utica and in 1858 was elected mayor of that city. He was elected repre- sentative in congress from this district and was re-elected three times. In 1867 he was elected United States senator from the state of New York and was re-elected in 1873 and 1879. In May, 1881, he resigned on account of differences with the president. In March, 1882, he was appointed and con- firmed as associate justice of the United States supreme court but declined to serve. His death occurred April 18, 1888. WASHINGTON IRVING, one of the most eminent, talented and popu- lar of American authors, was born in New York City, April 3, 1783. His father was William Irving, a merchant and a native of Scotland, who had married an English lady and emigrated to America some twenty years prior to the birth of Washington. Two of the older sons, William and Peter, were partially occupied with newspaper work and literary pursuits, and this fact naturally inclined Washington to follow their example. Washington Irving was given the advantages afforded by the common schools until about sixteen years of age when he began studying law, but continued to acquire his literary training by diligent perusal at home of the older English writers. When nineteen he made his first literary venture by printing in the ' ' Morning Chroni- cle," then edited by his brother, Dr. Peter Irving, a series of local sketches under the nom-dc-plumc oi " Jonathan Oldstyle." In 1804 he began an extensive trip through Europe, returned in 1806, quickly com- pleted his legal studies and was admitted to the bar, but never practiced the profession. In 1807 he began the amusing serial "Sal- magundi," which had an immediate suc- cess, and not only decided his future career but long determined the charac- ter of his writings. In 1808, assisted by his brother Peter, he wrote " Knickerbock- er's History of New York," and in 18 10 an excellent biography of Campbell, the poet. After this, for some time, Irving's attention was occupied by mercantile interests, but the commercial house in which he was a partner failed in 1817. In 1814 he was editor of the Philadelphia "Analectic Maga- zine. " About 1 81 8 appeared his "Sketch- Book, " over the nom-de-plumc of ' 'Geoffrey Crayon," which laid the foundation of Ir- ving's fortune and permanent fame. This was soon followed by the legends of "Sleepy Hollow," and " Rip Van Winkle," which at once took high rank as literary productions, and Irving's reputation was firmly established in both the old and new worlds. After this the path of Irving was smooth, and his subsequent writings ap- peared with rapidity, including "Brace- bridge Hall," "The Tales of a Traveler," " History of the Life and \'oyages of Chris- topher Columbus," "The Conquest of Granada," "The Alhambra," " Tour on the Prairies," "Astoria," "Adventures of Captain Bonneville," "Wolfert's Roost." " Mahomet and his Successors," and "Life of Washington," besides other works. Washington Irving was never married. 84 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. He resided during the closing years of his hfe at Sunnyside (Tarrytown) on the Hud- son, where he died November 28, 1859. CHARLES SUMNER.— Boldly outlined on the pages of our history stands out the rugged figure of Charles Sumner, states- man, lawyer and writer. A man of unim- peachable integrity, indomitable will and with the power of tireless toil, he was a fit leader in troublous times. First in rank as an anti-slavery leader in the halls of con- gress, he has stamped his image upon the annals of his time. As an orator he took front rank and, in wealth of illustration, rhetoric and lofty tone his eloquence equals anything to be found in history. Charles Sumner was born in Boston, Massachusetts, January 6, 181 1, and was the son of Charles P. and Relief J. Sumner. The family had long been prominent in that state. Charles was educated at the Boston Public Latin School; entered Harvard Col- lege in 1826, and graduated therefrom in 1830. In 1 83 1 he joined the Harvard Law School, then under charge of Judge Story, and gave himself up to the study of law with enthusiasm. His leisure was devoted to contributing to the American Jurist. Ad- mitted to the bar in 1834 he was appointed reporter to the circuit court by Judge Story. He published several works about this time, and from 1835 to 1837 and again in 1843 was lecturer in the law school. He had planned a lawyer's life, but in 1845 he gave his attention to politics, speaking and working against the admission of Te.xas to the Union and subsequently against the Mexican war. In 1848 he was defeated for congress on the Free Soil ticket. His stand on the anti- slavery question at that time alienated both friends and clients, but he never swerved from his convictions. In 1851 he was elected to the United States senate and took his seat therein December i of that year. From this time his life became the history of the anti-slavery cause in congress. In August, 1852, he began his attacks on slavery by a masterly argument for the repeal of the fugitive slave law. On May 22, 1856, Pres- ton Brooks, nephew of Senator Butler, of South Carolina, made an attack upon Mr. Sumner, at his desk in the senate, striking him over the head with a heavy cane. The attack was quite serious in its effects and kept Mr. Sumner absent from his seat in the senate for about four years. In 1857, 1863 and 1869 he was re-elected to the office of senator, passing some twenty-three years in that position, always advocating the rights of freedom and equity. He died March 11, 1874- THOMAS JEFFERSON, the third pres- ident of the United States, was born near Charlottesville, Albemarle county, Vir- ginia, April 13, 1743, and was the son of Peter and Jane (Randolph) Jefferson. He received the elements of a good education, and in 1760 entered William and Mary Col- lege. After remaining in that institution for two years he took up the study of law with George Wythe, of Williamsburg, Virginia, one of the foremost lawyers of his day, and was admitted to practice in 1767. He ob- tained a large and profitable practice, which he held for eight years. The conflict be- tween Great Britain and the Colonies then drew him into public life, he having for some time given his attention to the study of the sources of law, the origin of liberty and equal rights. Mr. Jefferson was elected to the Virginia house of burgesses in 1769, and served in that body several years, a firm supporter of liberal measures, and, although a slave- COMPEXDir.^r OF B/OGRAPH}'. holder himself, an opponent of slavery. With others, he was a leader among the op- position to the king. He took his place as a member of the Continental congress June 21, 1775, and after serving on several com- mittees was appointed to draught a Declara- tion of Independence, which he did, some corrections being suggested by Dr. Franklin and John Adams. This document was pre- sented to congress June 28, 1776, and after si.x days' debate was passed and was signed. In the following September Mr. Jefferson resumed his seat in the Virginia legislature, and gave much time to the adapting of laws of that state to the new condition of things. He drew up the law, the first ever passed by a legislature or adopted by a government, which secured perfect religious freedom. June I, 1779, he succeeded Patrick Henry as governor of Virginia, an office which, after co-operating with Washington in de- fending the country, he resigned two years later. One of his own estates was ravaged by the British, and his house at Monticello was held by Tarleton for several days, and Jefferson narrowly escaped capture. After the death of his wife, in 1782, he accepted the position of plenipotentiary to France, which he had declined in 1776. Before leaving he served a short time in congress at Annapolis, and succeeded in carrying a bill for establishing our present decimal sys- tem of currency, one of his most useful pub- lic services. He remained in an official ca- pacity until October, 1789, and was a most active and vigilant minister. Besides the onerous duties of his office, during this time, he published "Notes on Virginia," sent to the United States seeds, shrubs and plants, forwarded literary and scientific news and gave useful advice to some of the leaders of the French Revolution. Mr. Jefferson landed in Virginia Novem- ber 18, 1789, having obtained a leave of absence from his post, and shortly after ac- cepted Washington's offer of the portfolio of the department of state in his cabinet. He entered upon the duties of his office in March, 1791, and held it until January i, 1794, when he tendered his resignation. About this time he and Alexander Hamilton became decided and aggressive political op- ponents, Jefferson being in warm sympathy with the people in the French revolution and strongly democratic in his feelings, while Hamilton took the opposite side. In 1796 Jefferson was elected vice-president of the United States. In 1800 he was elected to the presidency and was inaugurated March 4, 1801. During his administration, which lasted for eight years, he having been re-elected in 1804, he waged a successful war against the Tripolitan pirates; purchased Louisiana of Napoleon; reduced the public debt, and was the originator of many wise measures. Declining a nomination for a third term he returned to Monticello, where he died July 4, 1826, but a few hours before the death of his friend, John Adams. Mr. Jefferson was married January i, 1772, to Mrs. Martha Skelton, a young, beautiful, and wealthy widow, who died September 6, 1782, leaving three children, three more having died previous to her demise. COI^NELIUS VANDERBILT,known as ' ' Commodore " Vanderbilt, was the founder of what constitutes the present im- mense fortune of the Vanderbilt family. He was born May 27, 1794, at Port Richmond, Staten Island, Richmond county, New York, and we find him at sixteen years run- ning a small vessel between his home and New York City. The fortifications of Sta- ten and Long Islands were just in course of 36 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. construction, and he carried the laborers from New York to the fortifications in his " perianger, " as it was called, in the day, and at night carried supplies to the fort on the Hudson. Later he removed to New York, where he added to his little fleet. At the age of twenty-three he was free from debt and was worth $9,000, and in 18 17, with a partner he built the first steamboat that was run between New York and New Brunswick, New Jersey, and became her captain at a salary of $1,000 a year. The next year he took command of a larger and better boat and by 1824 he was in complete control of the Gibbon's Line, as it was called, which he had brought up to a point where it paid $40,000 a year. Commodore Vanderbilt acquired the ferry between New York and Elizabethport, New Jersey, on a fourteen years' lease and conducted this on a paying basis. He severed his connections with Gibbons in 1829 and engaged in business alone and for twenty years he was the leading steamboat man in the country, building and operating steamboats on the Hudson River, Long Island Sound, on the Delaware River and the route to Boston, and he had the monopoly of trade on these routes. In 1850 he determined to broaden his field of operation and accordingly built the steamship Prometheus and sailed for the Isthmus of Darien, where he desired to make a personal investigation of the pros- pects of the American Atlantic and Pacific Ship Canal Company, in which he had pur- chased a controlling interest. Commodore Vanderbilt planned, as a result of this visit, a transit route from Greytown on the At- lantic coast to San Juan del Sud on the Pa- cific coast, which was a saving of 700 miles over the old route. In 1851 he placed three steamers on the Atlantic side and four on the Pacific side to accommodate the enor- mous traffic occasioned by the discovery of gold in California. The following year three more vessels were added to his fleet and a branch line established from New Orleans to Greytown. In 1853 the Com- modore sold out hisNicarauguaTransit Com- pany, which had netted him $1,000,000 and built the renowned steam yacht, the "North Star." He continued in the ship- ping business nine years longer and accu- mulated some $10,000,000. In 1861 he presented to the government his magnifi- cent steamer " Vanderbilt, " which had cost him $800,000 and for which he received the thanks of congress. In 1844 he became interested in the railroad business which he followed in later years and became one of the greatest railroad magnates of his time. He founded the Vanderbilt University at a cost of $1,000,000. He died January 4, 1877, leaving a fortune estimated at over $ 1 00, 000, 000 to his children. DANIEL BOONE was one of the most famous of the many American scouts, pioneers and hunters which the early settle- ment of the western states brought into prominence. Daniel Boone was born Feb- ruary II, 1735, in Bucks county, Pennsyl- vania, but while yet a young man removed to North Carolina, where he was married. In 1769, with five companions, he pene- trated into the forests and wilds of Kentucky — then uninhabited by white men. He had frequent conflicts with the Indians and was captured by them but escaped and continued to hunt in and explore that region for over a year, when, in 1771, he returned to his home. In the summer of 1773, he removed with his own and five other families into what was then the wilderness of Kentucky, and to defend his colony against the savages, he built, in 1775, ^ ^^^'^ ^^ Boonesborough, co^rrExnn■^^ of BTOcRArnr. on the Kentucky river. This fort was at- tacked by the Indians several times in 1777, but they were repulsed. The following year, however, Boone was surprised and captured by them. They took him to De- troit and treated him with leniency, but he soon escaped and returned to his fort which he defended with success against four hun- dred and fifty Indians in August, 1778. His son, Enoch Boone, was the first white male child born in the state of Kentucky. In 1795 Daniel Boone removed with his family to Missouri, locating about forty-five miles west of the present site of St. Louis, where he found fresh fields for his favorite pursuits — adventure, hunting, and pioneer life. His death occurred September 20, 1820. HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFEL- LOW, said to have been America's greatest "poet of the people," was born at Portland, Maine, February 27, 1807. He entered Bowdoin College at the age of four- teen, and graduated in 1825. During his college days he distinguished himself in mod- ern languages, and wrote several short poems, one of the best known of which was the " Hymn of the Moravian Nuns." After his graduation he entered the law office of his father, but the following year was offered the professorship of modern languages at Bowdoin, with the privilege of three years study in Europe to perfect himself in French, Spanish, Italian and German. After the three years were passed he returned to the United States and entered upon his profes- sorship in 1829. His first volume was a small essay on the "Moral and Devotional Poetry of Spain" in 1833. In 1835 he pub- lished some prose sketches of travel under the title of "Outre Mer, a Pilgrimage be- yond the Sea." In 1S35 he was elected to the chair of modern languages and literature at Harvard University and spent a year in Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland, culti- vating a knowledge of early Scandinavian literature and entered upon his professor- ship in 1836. Mr. Longfellow published in 1839 " Hyperion, a Romance," and "Voices of the Night, " and his first volume of original verse comprising the selected poems of twenty years work, procured him immediate recognition as a poet. " Ballads and other poems" appeared in 1842, the "Spanish Student " a drama in three acts, in 1843, "The Belfry of Bruges " in 1846, "Evan- geline, a Tale of Acadia," in 1847, which was considered his master piece. In 1845 he published a large volume of the "Poets and Poetry of Europe," 1849 " Kavanagh, a Tale," ''The Seaside and Fireside" in 1850, "The Golden Legend" in 185 1, "The Song of Hiawatha " in 1855, "The Court- ship of Miles Standish " in 1858, " Tales of a Wayside Inn " in 1863; " Flower de Luce" in 1866;" "New England Tragedies" in 1869; "The Divine Tragedy" in 1871; "Three Books of Song" in 1872; "The Hanging of the Crane " in 1874. He also published a masterly translation of Dante in 1867-70 and the " Morituri Salutamus," a poem read at the fiftieth anniversary of his class at Bowdoin College. Prof. Long- fellow resigned his chair at Harvard Univer- sity in 1854, but continued to reside at Cam- bridge. Some of his poetical works have been translated into many languages, and their popularity rivals that of the best mod- ern English poetry. He died March 24, 1882, but has left an imperishable fame as one of the foremost of American poets. PETER COOPER was in three partic- ulars — as a capitalist and manufacturer, as an inventor, and as a philanthropist — connected intimately with some of the most COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. important and useful accessions to the in- dustrial arts of America, its progress in in- vention and the promotion of educational and benevolent institutions intended for the benefit of people at large. He was born in New York city, February 12, 1791. His life was one of labor and struggle, as it was with most of America's successful men. In early boyhood he commenced to help his father as a manufacturer of hats. He at- tended school only for half of each day for a single year, and beyond this his acquisi- tions were all his own. When seventeen years old he was placed with John Wood- ward to learn the trade of coach-making and served his apprenticeship so satisfactorily that his master offered to set him up in busi- ness, but this he declined because of the debt and obligation it would involve. The foundation of Mr. Cooper's fortune was laid in the invention of an improvement in machines for shearing cloth. This was largely called into use during the war of 18 1 2 with England when all importations of cloth from that country were stopped. The machines lost their value, however, on the declaration of peace. Mr. Cooper then turned his shop into the manufacture of cabinet ware. He afterwards went into the grocery business in New York and finally he engaged in the manufacture of glue and isin- glass which he carried on for more than fifty years. In 1830 he erected iron works in Canton, near Baltimore. Subsequently he erected a rolling and a wire mill in the city of New York, in which he first success- fully applied anthracite to the puddling of iron. In these works, he was the first to roll wrought-iron beams for fire-proof build- ings. These works grew to be very exten- sive, including mines, blast furnaces, etc. While in Baltimore Mr. Cooper built in 1830, after his own designs, the first loco- motive engine ever constructed on this con- tinent and it was successfully operated on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. He also took a great interest and invested large cap- ital in the extension of the electric telegraph, also in the laying of the first Atlantic cable; besides interesting himself largely in the New York state canals. But the most cherished object of Mr. Cooper's life was the establishment of an institution for the instruction of the industrial classes, which he carried out on a magnificent scale in New York city, where the "Cooper Union" ranks among the most important institu- tions. In May, 1876, the Independent party nominated Mr. Cooper for president of the United States, and at the election following he received nearly 100,000 votes. His death occurred April 4, 1883. GENERAL ROBERT EDWARD LEE, one of the most conspicuous Confeder- ate generals during the Civil war, and one of the ablest military commanders of mod- ern times, was born at Stratford House. Westmoreland county, Virginia, January 19, 1807. In 1825 he entered the West Point academy and was graduated second in his class in 1829, and attached to the army as second lieutenant of engineers. For a number of years he was thus engaged in en- gineering work, aiding in establishing the boundary line between Ohio and Michigan, and superintended various river and harbor improvements, becoming captain of engi- neers in 1838. He first saw field service in the Mexican war, and under General Scott performed valuable and efficient service. In that brilliant campaign he was conspicu- ous for professional ability as well as gallant and meritorious conduct, winning in quick succession the brevets of major, lieutenant- COMPEXOn'M OF lUOGRAPirr. m colonel, and colonel for his part in the bat- tles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Cherubusco, Chapultepec, and in the capture of the city Mexico. At the close of that war he re- sumed his engineering work in connection with defences along the Atlantic coast, and from 1852 to 1855 was superintendent of the Military Academy, a position which he gave up to become lieutenant-colonel of the Second Cavalry. For several years there- after he served on the Texas border, but happening to be near Washington at the time of John Brown's raid, October 17 to 25, 1859, Colonel Lee was placed in com- mand of the Federal forces employed in its repression. He soon returned to his regi- ment in Texas where he remained the greater part of i860, and March 16, 1861, became colonel of his regiment by regular promotion. Three weeks later, April 25, he resigned upon the secession of Virginia, went at once to Richmond and tendered his services to the governor of that state, being by acclamation appointed commander-in- chief of its military and naval forces, with the rank of major-general. He at once set to work to organize and develop the defensive resources of his state and within a month directed the occupation in force of Manassas Junction, ^^eanwhile Virginia having entered the confederacy and Richmond become the capitol, Lee became one of the foremost of its military officers and was closely connected with Jefferson Davis in planning the moves of that tragic time. Lee participated in many of the hardest fought battles of the war among which were Fair Oaks, White Lake Swamps, Cold Harbor, and the Chickahominy, Ma- nassas, Cedar Run, Antietam, Fredericks- burg, Chancellorsville, Malvern Hill, Get- tysburg, the battles of the Wilderness cam- paign, all the campaifjns about Richmond, Petersburg, Five Forks, and others. Lee's surrender at Appomatox brought the war to a close. It is said of General Lee that but few commanders in history have been so quick to detect the purposes of an opponent or so quick to act upon it. Never surpassed, if ever equaled, in the art of winning the passionate, personal love and admiration of his troops, he acquired and held an influ- ence over his army to the very last, founded upon a supreme trust in his judgment, pre- science and skill, coupled with his cool, stable, equable courage. A great writer has said of him: "As regards the proper meas- ure of General Lee's rank among the sol- diers of history, seeing what he wrought with such resources as he had, under all the disadvantages that ever attended his oper- ations, it is impossible to measure what he might have achieved in campaigns and bat- tles with resources at his own disposition equal to those against which he invariably contended." Left at the close of the war without es- tate or profession, he accepted the presi- dency of Washington College at Lexington, Virginia, where he died October 12, 1870. JOHN JAY, first chief-justice of the United States, was born in New York, December 12, 1745. He took up the study of law, graduated from King's College (Columbia College), and was admitted to the bar in 1768. He was chosen a membei of the committee of New York citizens to protest against the enforcement by the British government of the Boston Port Bill, was elected to the Continental congress which met in 1774, and was author of the addresses to the people of Great Britian and of Canada adopted by that and the suc- ceeding congress. He was chosen to the provincial assembly of his own state, and 40 COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. resigned from the Continental congress to serve in that body, wrote most of its public papers, including the constitution of the new state, and was then made chief-justice. He was again chosen as a member of the Con- tinental congress in 1778, and became presi- dent of that body. He was sent to Spain as minister in 1780, and his services there resulted in substantial and moral aid for the struggling colonists. Jay, Franklin, and Adams negotiated the treaty of peace with Great Britain in 1782, and Jay was ap- pointed secretary of foreign affairs in 1784, and held the position until the adoption of the Federal constitution. During this time he had "contributed strong articles to the "Federalist" in favor of the adoption of the constitution, and was largely instru- mental in securing the ratification of that instrument by his state. He was appointed by \\'ashington as first chief-justice of the United States in 1789. In this high capac- ity the great interstate and international questions that arose for immediate settle- ment came before him for treatment. In 1794, at a time when the people in gratitude for the aid that France had ex- tended to us, were clamoring for the privilege of going to the aid of that nation in her struggle with Great Britain and her own op- pressors, John Jay was sent to England as special envoy to negotiate a treaty with that power. The instrument known as "Jay's Treaty " was the result, and while in many of its features it favored our nation, yet the neutrality clause in it so angered the masses that it was denounced throughout the entire country, and John Jay was burned in effigy in the city of New York. The treaty was finally ratified by Washington, and approved, in August, 1795. Having been elected governor of his state for three consecutive terms, he then retired from active life, declining an appointment as chief-justice of the supreme court, made by John Adams and confirmed by the senate. He died in New York in 1829. PHILLIP HENRY SHERIDAN was one of the greatest American cavalry generals. He was born March 6, 1831, at Somerset, Perry county, Ohio, and was ap- pointed to the United States Military Acad- emy at West Point, from which he graduat- ed and was assigned to the First Infantry as brevet second lieutenant July i, 1853. After serving in Texas, on the Pacific coast, in Washington and Oregon territories until the fall of 1861, he was recalled to the states and assigned to the army of south- west Missouri as chief quartermaster from the duties of which he was soon relieved. After the battle of Pea Ridge, he was quar- termaster in the Corinth campaign, and on May 25 he was appointed colonel of the Second Michigan Cavalry. On July i, in command of a cavalry brigade, he defeated a superior force of the enemy and was com- missioned brigadier-general of volunteers. General Sheridan was then transferred to the army of the Ohio, and commanded a division in the battle of Perrysville and also did good service at the battle of Murfrees- boro, where he was commissioned major- general of volunteers. He fought with great gallantry at Chickamauga, after which Rosecrans was succeeded by General Grant, under whom Sheridan fought the battle of Chattanooga and won additional renown. Upon the promotion of Grant to lieutenant- general, he applied for the transfer of Gen- eral Sheridan to the east, and appointed him chief of cavalry in the army of rtie Potomac. During the campaign of 1864 the cavalry covered the front and flanks of the infantry until May 8, when it was wiiv, COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPHV 41 drawn and General Sheridan started on a raid against the Confederate Hnes of com- munication with Richmond and on May 25 he rejoined the army, having destroyed con- siderable of the confederate stores and de- feated their cavalry under General Stuart at Yellow Tavern. The outer line of defences around Richmond were taken, but the sec- ond line was too strong to be taken by as- sault, and accordingly Sheridan crossed the Chickahominy at Meadow Bridge, reaching James River May 14, and ther.ce by White House and Hanover Court House back to the army. The cavalry occupied Cold Harbor May 31, which they held until the arrival of the infantry. On General Sheri- dan's next raid he routed Wade Hampton's cavalry, and August 7 was assigned to the command of the Middle Military division, and during the campaign of the Shenan- doah Valley he performed the unheard of feat of " destroying an entire army." He was appointed brigadier-general of the reg- ular army and for his victory at Cedar Creek he was promoted to the rank of major-gen- eral. General Sheridan started out Febru- ary 27, 1865, with ten thousand cavalry and destroyed the Virginia Central Railroad and the James River Canal and joined the army again at Petersburg March 27. He commanded at the battle of Five Forks, the decisive victory which compelled Lee to evacuate Petersburg. On April 9, Lee tried to break through Sheridan's dismounted command but when the General drew aside his cavalry and disclosed the deep lines of infantry the attempt was abandoned. Gen- eral Sheridan mounted his men and was about to charge when a white flag was flown at the head of Lee's column which betokened the surrender of the army. After the war Gen- eral Sheridan had command of the army of the southwest, of the gulf and the depart- ment of Missouri until he was appointed lieutenant-general and assigned to the di- vision of Missouri with headquarters at Chi- cago, and assumed supreme command of the army November i, 1883, which post he held until his death, August 5, 1888. PHINEAS T. BARXUM, the greatest showman the world has ever seen, was born at Danbury, Connecticut, July 5, 1810. At the age of eighteen years he began buii- ness on his own account. He opened a re- tail fruit and confectionery house, including a barrel of ale, in one part of an old car- riage house. He spent fifty dollars in fitting up the store and the stock cost him seventy dollars. Three years later he put in a full stock, such as is generally carried in a country store, and the same year he started a Democratic newspaper, known as the "Herald of Freedom." He soon found himself in jail under a sixty days' sentence for libel. During the winter of 1834-5 he went to New York and began soliciting busi- ness for several Chatham street houses. In 1835 he embarked in the show business at Niblo's Garden, having purchased the cele- brated "Joice Heth" for one thousand dol- lars. He afterward engaged the celebrated athlete, Sig. Vivalia, and Barnum made his ' ' first appearance on any stage, " acting as a "super" to Sig. Vivalia on his opening night. He became ticket seller, secretary and treasurer of Aaron Turner's circus in 1836 and traveled with it about the country. His next venture was the purchase of a steamboat on the Mississippi, and engaged a theatrical company to show in the princi- pal towns along that river. In 1840 he opened Vaux Hall Garden, New York, with variety performances, and introduced the celebrated jig dancer, John Diamond, to the public. The next year he quit the show 42 COMPEXDJUM OF BIOGRAPHY business and settled down in New York as agent of Sear's Pictorial Illustration of the Bible, but a few months later again leased Vaux Hall. In September of the same year he again left the business, and became ' ' puff " writer for the Bowery Amphitheater. In December he bought the Scudder Museum, and a year later introduced the celebrated Tom Thumb to the world, taking him to England in 1844, and remaining there three years. He then returned to New York, and in 1849, through James Hall Wilson, he en- gaged the "Swedish Nightingale," Jenny Lind, to come to this country and make a tour under his management. He also had sent the Swiss Bell Ringers to America in 1844. He became owner of the Baltimore Museum and the Lyceum and Museum at Philadelphia. In 1850 he brought a dozen elephants from Ceylon to make a tour of this country, and in 1851 sent the " Bateman Children " to London. During 1851 and 1852 he traveled as a temperance lecturer, and became president of a bank at Pequon- nock, Connecticut. In 1852 he started a weekly pictorial paper known as the " Illus- trated News." In 1865 his Museum was destroyed by fire, and he immediately leased the Winter Garden Theatre, where he played his company until he opened his own Museum. This was destroyed by fire in 1868, and he then purchased an interest in the George Wood Museum. After dipping into politics to some ex- tent, he began his career as a really great showman in 1871. Three years later he erected an immense circular building in New York, in which he produced his panoramas. He has frequently appeared as a lecturer, some times on temperance, and some times on other topics, among which were "Hum- bugs of the World," "Struggles and Triumphs," etc. He was owner of the im- | mense menagerie and circus known as the "Greatest Show on Earth," and his fame extended throughout Europe and America. He died in i8qi. JAMES MADISON, the fourth president of the United States, 1809-17, was born at Port Conway, Prince George coun- ty, Virginia, March 16, 17 51. He was the son of a wealthy planter, who lived on a fine estate called " Montpelier," which was but twenty-five miles from Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Madison was the eldest of a family of seven children, all of whom attained maturity. He received his early education at home under a private tutor, and consecrated himself with unusual vigor to study. At a very early age he was a proficient scholar in Latin, Greek, French and Spanish, and in 1769 he entered Prince- ton College, New Jersey. He graduated in 1 77 1, but remained for several months after his graduation to pursue a course of study under the guidance of Dr. Witherspoon. He permanently injured his health at this time and returned to Virginia in 1772, and for two years he was immersed in the study of law, and at the same time made extend- ed researches in theology, general literature, and philosophical studies. He then directed his full attention to the impending struggle of the colonies for independence, and also took a prominent part in the religious con- troversy at that time regarding so called persecution of other religious denominations by the Church of England. Mr. Madison was elected to the Virginia assembly in 1776 and in November, 1777, he was chosen a member of the council of state. He took his seat in the continental congress in March, 1780. He was made chairman of the committee on foreign relations, and drafted an able memoranda for the use of COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. the American ministers to the French and Spanish governments, that established the claims of the republic to the territories be- tween the Alleghany Mountains and the Mississippi River. He acted as chairman of the ways and means committee in 1783 and as a member of the Virginia legislature in 1784-86 he rendered important services to the state. Mr. Madison represented Vir- giana in the national constitutional conven- tion at Philadelphia in 17S7, and was one of the chief framers of the constitution. He was a member of the first four congresses, 1789-97, and gradually became identified with the anti-federalist or republican party of which he eventually became the leader. He remained in private life during the ad- ministration of John Adams, and was secre- tary of state under President Jefferson. Mr. Madison administered the affairs of that post with such great ability that he was the natural successor of the chief magistrate and was chosen president by an electoral vote of 122 to 53. He was inaugurated March 4, 1809, at that critical period in our history when the feelings of the people were embittered with those of England, and his first term was passed in diplomatic quarrels, which finally resulted in the declaration of war, June 18, 1812. In the autumn of that year President Madison was re-elected by a vote of 128 to 89, and conducted the war for three years with varying success and defeat in Canada, by glorious victories at sea, and by the battle of New Orleans that was fought after the treaty of peace had been signed at Ghent, December 24, 1814. During this war the national capitol at Washington was burned, and many valuable papers were destroyed, but the declaration of independence was saved to the country by the bravery and courage of Mr. Madi- son's illustrious wife. A commercial treaty was negotiated with Great Britain in 181 5, and in April, 18 16, a national bank was in- corporated by congress. Mr. Madison was succeeded, March 4, 1 817, by James Monroe, and retired into private life on his estate at Montpelier, where he died June 28, 1836. FREDERICK DOUGLASS, a noted American character, was a protege of the great abolitionist, William Lloyd Garri- son, by whom he was aided in gaining his education. Mr. Douglass was born in Tuck- ahoe county, Maryland, in February, 1817, his mother being a negro woman and his father a white man. He was born in slav- ery and belonged to a man by the name of Lloyd, under which name he went until he ran away from his master and changed it to Douglass. At the age of ten years he was sent to Baltimore where he learned to read and write, and later his owner allowed him to hire out his own time for three dollars a week in a shipyard. In September, 1838, he fled from Baltimore and made his way to New York, and from thence went to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Here he was mar- ried and supported himself and family by working at the wharves and in various work- shops. In the summer of 1841 he attended an anti-slavery convention at Nantucket, and made a speech which was so well re- ceived that he was offered the agency of the Massachusetts Anti-slavery Society. In this capacity he traveled through the New En- gland states, and about the same time he published his first book called " Narrative of my E.xperience in Slavery." Mr. Doug- lass went to England in 1845 and lectured on slavery to large and enthusiastic audi- ences in all the large towns of the country, and his friends made up a purse of seven hundred and fifty dollars and purchased his freedom in due form of law. COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. Mr. Douglass applied himself to the de- livery of lyceum lectures after the abolition of slavery, and in 1870 he became the editor of the " New National Era " in Washington. In 1 87 1 he was appointed assistant secretary of the commission to San Domingo and on his return he was appointed one of the ter- ritorial council for the District of Colorado by President Grant. He was elected presi- dential elector-at-large for the state of New York and was appointed to carry the elect- oral vote to Washington. He was also United States marshal for the District of Columbia in 1876, and later was recorder of deeds for the same, from which position he was removed by President Cleveland in 1886. In the fall of that year he visited England to inform the friends that he had made while there, of the progress of the colored race in America, and on his return he was appointed minister to Hayti, by President Harrison in 1889. His career as a benefactor of his race was closed by his death in February, 1895, near Washington. WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.— The ear for rhythm and the talent for graceful expression are the gifts of nature, and they were plentifully endowed on the above named poet. The principal charac- teristic of his poetry is the thoughtfulness and intellectual process by which his ideas ripened in his mind, as all his poems are bright, clear and sweet. Mr. Bryant was born November 3, 1794, at Cummington, Hampshire county, Massachusetts, and was educated at Williams College, from which he graduated, having entered it in 18 10. He took up the study of law, and in 181 5 was admitted to the bar, but after practicing successfully for ten years at Plainfield and Great Barrington, he removed to New York in 1825. The following year he became the editor of the "Evening Post," which he edited until his death, and under his di- rection this paper maintained, through a long series of years, a high standing by the boldness of its protests against slavery be- fore the war, by its vigorous support of the government during the war, and by the fidelity and ability of its advocacy of the Democratic freedom in trade. Mr. Bry- ant visited Europe in 1834, 1845, 1849 and 1857, and presented to the literary world the fruit of his travels in the series of "Let- ters of a Traveler," and "Letters from Spain and Other Countries." In the world of literature he is known chiefly as a poet, and here Mr. Bryant's name is illustrious, both at home and abroad. He contributed verses to the "Country Gazette " before he was ten years of age, and at the age of nine- teen he wrote " Thanatopsis, " the most im- pressive and widely known of his poems. The later outgrowth of his genius was his translation of Homer's "Iliad" in 1870 and the "Odyssey" in 1871. He also made several speeches and addresses which have been collected in a comprehensive vol- ume called " Orations and Addresses." He was honored in many ways by his fellow citizens, who delighted to pay tributes of respect to his literary eminence, the breadth of his public spirit, the faithfulness of his service, and the worth of his private char- acter. Mr. Bryant died in New York City June 12, 1878. WILLIAM HENRY SEWARD, the secretary of state during one of the most critical times in the histoiy of our country, and the right hand man of Presi- dent Lincoln, ranks among the greatest statesmen America has produced. Mr. Seward was born May 16, 1 801, at Florida, Orange county, New York, and with such COMPEXD/L.U OF BIOGRAPHY facilities as the place afforded he fitted him- self for a college course. He attended Union College at Schenectady, New York, at the age of fifteen, and took his degree in the regular course, with signs of promise in 1820, after which he diligently addressed himself to the study of law under competent instructors, and started in the practice of his profession in 1823. Mr. Seward entered the political arena and in 1828 we find him presiding over a convention in New York, its purpose being the nomination of John Quincy Adams for a second term. He was married in 1824 and in 1830 was elected to the state senate. From 1838 to 1842 he was governor of the state of New York. Mr. Seward's ne.xt im- portant position was that of United States senator from New York. W. H. Seward was chosen by President Lincoln to fill the important office of the secretary of state, and by his firmness and diplomacy in the face of difficulties, he aided in piloting the Union through that period of strife, and won an everlasting fame. This great statesman died at Auburn, New York, October 10, 1872, in the seventy-second year of his eventful life. TOSEPH JEFFERSON, a name as dear »J as it is familiar to the theater-going world in America, suggests first of all a fun- loving, drink-loving, mellow voiced, good- natured Dutchman, and the name of "Rip Van Winkle " suggests the pleasant features of Joe Jefferson, so intimately are play and player associated in the minds of those who have had the good fortune to shed tears of laughter and sympathy as a tribute to the greatness of his art. Joseph Jefferson was born in Philadelphia, February 20, 1829. His genius was an inheritance, if there be such, as his great-grandfather, Thomas Jefferson, was a manager and actor in Eng- land. His grandfather, Joseph Jefferson, was the most popular comedian of the New York stage in his time, and his father, Jos- eph Jefferson, the second, was a good actor also, but the third Joseph Jefferson out- shone them all. At the age of three years Joseph Jeffer- son came on the stage as the child in "Pi- zarro," and his training was upon the stage from childhood. Later on he lived and acted in Chicago, Mobile, and Texas. After repeated misfortunes he returned to New Orleans from Texas, and his brother-in-law, Charles Burke, gave him money to reach Philadelphia, where he joined the Burton theater company. Here his genius soon as- serted itself, and his future became promis- ing and brilliant. His engagements through- out the United States and Australia were generally successful, and when he went to England in 1865 Mr. Boucicault consented to make some important changes in his dramatization of Irving's story of Rip Van Winkle, and Mr. Jefferson at once placed it in the front rank as a comedy. He made a fortune out of it, and played nothing else for many years. In later years, however, Mr. Jefferson acquitted himself of the charge of being a one-part actor, and the parts of "Bob Acres," "Caleb Plummer" and "Golightly " all testify to the versatility of his genius. GEORGE BRINTON McCLELLAN, a noted American general, was born in Philadelphia, December 3, 1826. He graduated from the University of Pennsyl- vania, and in 1S46 from West Point, and was breveted second lieutenant of engineers. He was with Scott in the Mexican war, taking part in all the engagements from Vera Cruz to the final capture of the Mexi- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. can capital, and was breveted first lieuten- ant and captain for gallantry displayed on various occasions. In 1857 he resigned his commission and accepted the position of chief engineer in the construction of the Illinois Central Railroad, and became presi- dent of the St. Louis & Cincinnati Railroad Company. He was commissioned major- general by the state of Ohio in 1861, placed in command of the department of the Ohio, and organized the first volunteers called for from that state. In May he was appointed major-general in the United States army, and ordered to disperse the confederates overrunning West Virginia. He accomplished this task promptly, and received the thanks of congress. After the first disaster at Bull Run he was placed in command of the department of Wash- ington, and a few weeks later of the Army of the Potomac. Upon retirement of General Scott the command of the en- tire United States army devolved upon Mc- Clellan, but he was relieved of it within a few months. In March, 1862, after elabor- ate preparation, he moved upon Manassas, only to find it deserted by the Confederate army, which had been withdrawn to im- pregnable defenses prepared nearer Rich- mond. He then embarked his armies for Fortress Monroe and after a long delay at Yorktown, began the disastrous Peninsular campaign, which resulted in the Army of the Potomac being cooped up on the James River below Richmond. His forces were then called to the support of General Pope, near Washington, and he was left without an army. After Pope's defeat McClellan was placed in command of the troops for the de- fense of the capital, and after a thorough or- ganization he followed Lee into Maryland and the battles of Antietam and South Moun- tain ensued. The delay which followed caused general dissatisfaction, and he was re- lieved of his command, and retired from active service. In 1864 McClellan was nominated for the presidency by the Democrats, and over- whelmingly defeated by Lincoln, three states only casting their electoral votes for McClellan. On election day he resigned his commission and a few months later went to Europe where he spent several years. He wrote a number of military text- books and reports. His death occurred October 29, 1885. SAMUEL J. TILDEN.— Among the great statesmen whose names adorn the pages of American history may be found that of the subject of this sketch. Known as a lawyer of highest ability, his greatest claim to immortality will ever lie in his successful battle against the corrupt rings of his native state and the elevation of the standard of official life. Samuel J. Tilden was born in New Leb- anon, New York, February 9, 18 14. He pursued his academic studies at Yale Col- lege and the University of New York, tak- ing the course of law at the latter. He was admitted to the bar in 1841. His rare ability as a thinker and writer upon public topics attracted the attention of President Van Buren, of whose policy and adminis- tration he became an active and efficient champion. He made for himself a high place in his profession and amassed quite a fortune as the result of his industry and judgment. During the days of his greatest professional labor he was ever one of the leaders and trusted counsellors of the Demo- cratic party. He was a member of the conventions to revise the state constitution, both in 1846 and 1867, and served two terms in the lower branch of the state leg- COMI'EXDIL M OJ- n/Oa HA /'//)'. 49 islature. He was one of the controlling spirits in the overthrow of the notorious "Tweed rin;; " and the reformation of the government of the city of New York. In 1874 he was elected governor of the state of New York. While in this position he assailed corruption in high places, success- fully battling with the iniquitous "canal ring " and crushed its sway over all depart- ments of the government. Recognizing his character and e.xecutive ability Mr. Tilden was nominated for president by the na- tional Democratic convention in 1876. At the election he received a much larger popu- lar vote than his opponent, and 184 uncon- tested electoral votes. There being some electoral votes contested, a commission ap- pointed by congress decided in favor of the Republican electors and Mr. Hayes, the can- didate of that party was declared elected. In 1880, the Democratic party, feeling that Mr. Tilden had been lawfully elected to the presidency tendered the nomination for the same office to Mr. Tilden, but he declined, retiring from all public functions, owing to failing health. He died August 4, 1886. By will he bequeathed several millions of dollars toward the founding of public libra- ries in New York City, Yonkers, etc. NOAH WEBSTER.— As a scholar, law- yer, author and journalist, there is no one who stands on a higher plane, or whose reputation is better established than the honored gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He was a native of West Hartford, Connecticut, and was born October 17, 1758. He came of an old New England family, his mother being a descendant of Governor William Bradford, of the Ply- mouth colony. After acquiring a solid edu- cation in early life Dr. Webster entered Yale College, from which he graduated in 1778. For a while he taught school in Hartford, at the same time studying law, and was admitted to the bar in 1781. He taught a classical school at Goshen, Orange county. New York, in 1782-83, and while there prepared his spelling book, grammar and reader, which was issued under the title of "A Grammatical Institute of the English Language," in three parts, — so successful a work that up to 1876 something like forty million of the spelling books had been sold. In 1786 he delivered a course of lec- tures on the English language in the seaboard cities and the following year taught an academy at Philadelphia. From December 17, 1787, until November, 1788, he edited the "American Magazine, "a periodical that proved unsuccessful. In 1789-93 he prac- ticed law in Hartford having in the former year married the daughter of William Green- leaf, of Boston. He returned to New York and November, 1793, founded a daily paper, the "Minerva," to which was soon added a semi-weekly edition under the name of the " Herald." The former is still in e.xistence under the name of the "Commercial Adver- tiser." In this paper, over the signature of "Curtius," he published a lengthy and schol- arly defense of "John Jay's treaty." In 1798, Dr. Webster moved to New Haven and in 1807 commenced the prepar- ation of his great work, the ' ' American Dic- tionary of the English Language," which was not completed and published until 1828. He made his home in Amherst, Massachu- setts, for the ten years succeeding 1812, and was instrumental in the establishment of Amherst College, of which institution he was the first president of the board of trustees. During 1824-5 he resided in Europe, pursu- ing his philological studies in Paris. He completed his dictionary from the libraries of Cambridge University in 1825, and de- 50 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. voted his leisure for the remainder of his life to the revision of that and his school books. Dr. Webster was a member of the legis- latures of both Connecticut and Massachu- setts, was judge of one of the courts of the former state and was identified with nearly all the literary and scientific societies in the neighborhood of Amherst College. He died in New Haven, May 28, 1843. Among the more prominent works ema- nating from the fecund pen of Dr. Noah Webster besides those mentioned above are the following: "Sketches of American Policy," " Winthrop's Journal," " A Brief History of Epidemics," " Rights of Neutral Nations in time of War," "A Philosophical and Practical Grammar of the English Lan- guage," "Dissertations on the English Language," "A Collection of Essays," "The Revolution in France," "Political Progress of Britain," "Origin, History, and Connection of the Languages of Western Asia and of Europe ," and many others. WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, the great anti-slavery pioneer and leader, was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, December 12, 1804. He was apprenticed to the printing business, and in 1828 was in- duced to take charge of the "Journal of the Times" at Bennington, Vermont. While supporting John Quincy Adams for the presi- dency he took occasion in that paper to give expression of his views on slavery. These articles attracted notice, and a Quaker named Lundy, editor of the "Genius of Emancipation," published in Baltimore, in- duced him to enter a partnership with him for the conduct of his paper. It soon transpired that the views of the partners were not in harmony, Lundy favoring grad- ual emancipation, while Garrison favored immediate freedom. In 1850 Mr. Garrison was thrown into prison for libel, not being able to pay a fine of fifty dollars and costs. In his cell he wrote a number of poems which stirred the entire north, and a mer- chant, Mr. Tappan, of New York, paid his fine and liberated him, after seven weeks of confinement. He at once began a lecture tour of the northern cities, denouncing slavery as a sin before God, and demanding its immediate abolition in the name of re- ligion and humanity. He opposed the col- onization scheme of President Monroe and other leaders, and declared the right of every slave to immediate freedom. In 1 83 1 he formed a partnership with Isaac Knapp, and began the publication of the "Liberator" at Boston. The "imme- diate abolition " idea began to gather power in the north, while the south became alarmed at the bold utterance of this jour- nal. The mayor of Boston was besought by southern influence to interfere, and upon investigation, reported upon the insignifi- cance, obscurity, and poverty of the editor and his staff, which report was widely published throughout the country. Re- wards were offered by the southern states for his arrest and conviction. Later Garri- son brought from England, where an eman- cipation measure had just been passed, some of the great advocates to work for the cause in this country. In 1835 a mob broke into his office, broke up a meeting of women, dragged Garrison through the street with a rope around his body, and his life was saved only by the interference of the police, who lodged him in jail. Garrison declined to sit in the World's Anti-Slavery convention at London in 1S40, because that body had refused women representa- tion. He opposed the formation of a po- litical party with emancipation as its basis. COMPEXDn-M np BIOGRAPHr. 51 He favored a dissolution of the union, and declared the constitution which bound the free states to the slave states " A covenant with death and an agreement with hell." In 1843 he became president of the Amer- ican Anti-Slavery society, which position he held until 1S65, when slavery was no more. During all this time the " Liberator " had continued to promulgate anti-slavery doc- trines, but in 1865 Garrison resigned his position, and declared his work was com- pleted. He died May 24, 1879. JOHN BROWN ("Brown of Ossawato- mie"), a noted character in American history, wasbornatTorrington, Connecticut, May 9, 1800. In his childhood he removed to Ohio, where he learned the tanner's trade. He married there, and in 1855 set- tled in Kansas. He lived at the village of Ossawatomie in that state, and there began his fight against slavery. He advocated im- mediate emancipation, and held that the negroes of the slave states merely waited for a leader in an insurrection that would re- sult in their freedom. He attended the convention called at Chatham, Canada, in 1 8 59, and was the leading spirit in organiz- ing a raid upon the United States arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. His plans were well laid, and carried out in great secrecy. He rented a farm house near Harper's'Terry in the summer of 1859, and on October i6th of that year, with about twenty follow- ers, he surprised and captured the United States arsenal, with all its supplies and arms. To his surprise, the negroes did not come to his support, and the next day he was attacked by the Virginia state militia, wounded and captured. He was tried in the courts of the state, convicted, and was hanged at Charlestown, Decembers, 1859. The raid and its results had a tremendous effect, and hastened the culmination of the troubles between the north and south. The south had the advantage in discussing this event, claiming that the sentiment which inspired this act of violence was shared by the anti-slavery element of the country. EDWIN BOOTH had no peer upon the American stage during his long career as a star actor. He was the son of a famous actor, Junius Brutus Booth, and was born in 1833 at his father's home at Belair, near Baltimore. At the age of si.xteen he made hi.«i first appearance on the stage, at the Boston Museum, in a minor part in "Richard III.'' It was while playing in California in 1851 that an eminent critic called general atten- tion to the young actor's unusual talent. However, it was not until 1863, at the great Shakspearian revival at the Winter Garden Theatre, New York, that the brilliancy ol his career began. His Hamlet held the boards for 100 nights in succession, and from that time forth Booth's reputation was established. In 1S68 he opened his own theatre (Booth's Theater) in New York. Mr. Booth never succeeded as a manager, however, but as an actor he was undoubted- ly the most popular man on the American stage, and perhaps the most eminent one in the world. In England he also won the greatest applause. Mr. Booth's work was confined mostly to Shakspearean roles, and his art was characterized by intellectual acuteness, fervor, and poetic feeling. His Hamlet, Richard II, Richard III, and Richelieu gave play to his greatest powers. In 1865, when his brother, John Wilkes Booth, enacted his great crime, Edwin Booth re- solved to retire from the stage, but waspur- suaded to reconsider that decision. The odium did not in any way attach to the 52 COMPENDIiTM OF BIOGRAPHY. great actor, and his popularity was not affected. In all his work Mr. Booth clung closely to the legitimate and the traditional in drama, making no experiments, and offer- ing little encouragement to new dramatic authors. His death occurred in New York, June 7, 1894. JOSEPH HOOKER, a noted American officer, was born at Hadley, Massachu- setts, November 13, 1814. He graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1837, and was appointed lieutenant of artillery. He served in Florida in the Seminole war, and in garrison until the outbreak of the Mexican war. During the latter he saw service as a staff officer and was breveted captain, major and lieutenant-colonel for gallantry at Monterey, National Bridge and Chapultepec. Resigning his commission in 1833 he took up farming in California, which he followed until 1861. During this time he acted as superintendent of military roads in Oregon. At the outbreak of the Rebel- lion Hooker tendered his services to the government, and, May 17, i86r, was ap- pointed brigadier-general of volunteers. He served in the defence of Washington and on the lower Potomac until his appointment to the command of a division in the Third Corps, in March, 1862. For gallant con- duct at the siege of Yorktown and in the battles of Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Fra- zier's Farm and Malvern Hill he was made major-general. At the head of his division he participated in the battles of Manassas and Chantilly. September 6, 1862, he was placed at the head of the First Corps, and in the battles of South Mountain and An- tietam acted with his usual gallantry, being wounded in the latter engagement. On re- joining the army in November he was made brigadier-general in the regular army. On General Burnside attaining the command of the Army of the Potomac General Hooker was placed in command of the center grand division, consisting of the Second and Fifth Corps. At the head of these gallant men he participated in the battle of Fred- ericksburg, December 13, 1862. In Janu- ary, 1863, General Hooker assumed com- mand of the Army of the Potomac, and in May following fought the battle of Chan- cellorsville. At the time of the invasion of Pennsylvania, owing to a dispute with Gen- eral Halleck, Hooker requested to be re- lieved of his command, and June 28 was succeeded by George G. Meade. In Sep- tember, 1863, General Hooker was given command of the Twentieth Corps and trans- ferred to the Army of the Cumberland, and distinguished himself at the battles of Look- out Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and Ring- gold. In the Atlanta campaign he saw almost daily service and merited his well- known nickname of "Fighting Joe." July 30, 1864, at his own request, he was re- lieved of his command. He subsequently was in command of several military depart- ments in the north, and in October, 1868, was retired with the full rank of major-gen- eral. He died October 31, 1879. JAY GOULD, one of the greatest finan- ciers that the world has ever produced, was born May 27, 1836, at Roxbury, Dela- ware county. New York. He spent his early years on his father's farm and at the age of fourteen entered Hobart Academy, New York, and kept books for the village black- smith. He acquired a taste for mathematics and surveying and on leaving school found employment in making the surveyor's map of Ulster county. He surveyed very exten- sively in the state and accumulated five thou- sand dollars as the fruits of his labor. He coyrrExniiM oj- luoGRArnr. 53 was then stricken with typhoid fever but re- covered and made the acquaintance of one Zadock Pratt, who sent him into the west- ern part of the state to locate a site for a tannery. He chose a fine hemlock grove, built a sawmill and blacksmith shop and was soon doing a large lumber business with Mr. Pratt. Mr. Gould soon secured control of the entire plant, which he sold out just before the panic of 1857 and in this j'ear he became the largest stockholderintheStrouds- burg, Pennsylvania, bank. Shortly after the crisis he bought the bonds of the Rutland & Washington Railroad at ten cents on the dollar, and put all his money into railroad securities. For a long time he conducted this road which he consolidated with the Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad. In 1859 he removed to New York and became a heavy investor in Erie Railroad stocks, en- tered that company and was president until its reorganization in 1872. In December, 1880, Mr. Gould was in control of ten thou- sand miles of railroad. In 18S7 he pur- chased the controlling interest in the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Co., and was a joint owner with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Co. of the western portion of the Southern Pacific line. Other lines soon came under his control, aggregat- ing thousand of miles, and he soon was rec- ognized as one of the world's greatest rail- road magnates. He continued to hold his place as one of the master financiers of the century until the time of his death which occurred December 2, 1892. TIIOM.\S HART BENTON, a very prominent United States senator and | statesman, was born at Hillsborough, North Carolina, March 14, 1782. He removed to Tennessee in early life, studied law, and be- gan to practice at Nashville about 18 10. During the war of 1812-1S15 he served as colonel of a Tennessee regiment underGen- eral Andrew Jackson. In 18 15 he removed to St. Louis, Missouri, and in 1820 was chosen United States senator for that state. Having been re-elected in 1826, he sup- ported President Jackson in his opposition to the United States bank and advocated a gold and silver currency, thus gaining the name of " Old Bullion," by which he was familiarly known. For many years he was the most prominent man in Missouri, and took rank among the greatest statesmen of his day. He was a member of the senate for thirty years and opposed the extreme states' rights policy of John C. Calhoun. In 1852 he was elected to the house of rep- resentatives in which he opposed the repeal of the Missouri compromise. He was op- posed by a powerful party of States' Rights Democrats in Missouri, who defeated him as a candidate for governor of that state in 1856. Colonel Benton published a considerable work in two volumes in 1854-56, entitled "Thirty Years' View, or a History of the Working of the American Government for Thirty Years, 1820-50." He died April 10, 1858. STEPHEN ARNOLD DOUGLAS.— One of the most prominent figures in politic- al circles during the intensely e.xciting days that preceded the war, and a leader of the Union branch of the Democratic part}' was the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He was born at Brandon, Rutland coun- ty, Vermont, April 23, 181 3, of poor but respectable parentage. His father, a prac- ticing physician, died while our subject was but an infant, and his mother, with two small children and but small means, could give him but the rudiments of an education. 54 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY At the age of fifteen young Douglas engaged at work in the cabinet making business to raise funds to carry him through college. After a few years of labor he was enabled to pursue an academical course, first at Bran- don, and later at Canandaigua, New York. In the latter place he remained until 1833, taking up the study of law. Before he was twenty, however, his funds running low, he abandoned all further attempts at educa- tion, determining to enter at once the battle of life. After some wanderings through the western states he took up his residence at Jacksonville, Illinois, where, after teaching school for three months, he was admitted to the bar, and opened an office in 1834. Within a year from that time, so rapidly had he risen in his profession, he was chosen attorney general of the state, and warmly espoused the principles of the Democratic party. He soon became one of the most popular orators in Illinois. It was at this time he gained the name of the "Little Giant." In 1835 he resigned the position of attorney general having been elected to the legislature. In 1841 he was chosen judge of the supreme court of Illinois which he resigned two years later to take a seat in congress. It was during this period of his life, while a member of the lower house, that he established his reputation and took the side of those who contended that con- gress had no constitutional right to restrict the extension of slavery further than the agreement between the states made in 1820. This, in spite of his being opposed to slav- ery, and only on grounds which he believed to be right, favored what was called the Missouri compromise. In 1847 Mr. Doug- las was chosen United States senator for six years, and greatly distinguished himself. In 1852 he was re-elected to the same office. During this latter term, under his leader- ship, the " Kansas-Nebraska bill " was car- ried in the senate. In 1858, nothwith- standing the fierce contest made by his able competitor for the position, Abraham Lin- coln, and with the administration of Bu- chanan arrayed against him, Mr. Douglas was re-elected senator. After the trouble in the Charleston convention, when by the withdrawal of several state delegates with- out a nomination, the Union Democrats, in convention at Baltimore, in i860, nomi- nated Mr. Douglas as their candidate for presidency. The results of this election are well known and the great events of 1861 coming on, Mr. Douglas was spared their full development, dying at Chicago, Illinois, June 3, 1 861, after a short illness. His last words to his children were, " to obey the laws and support the constitution of the United States." JAMES MONROE, fifth president of the United States, was born in Westmore- land county, Virginia, April 28, 1758. At the age of sixteen he entered William and Mary College, but two years later the Declaration of Independence having been adopted, he left college and hastened to New York where he joined Washington's army as a military cadet. At the battle of Trenton Monroe per- formed gallant service and received a wound in the shoulder, and was promoted to a captaincy. He acted as aide to Lord Ster- ling at the battles of Brandywine, German- town and Monmouth. Washington then sent him to Virginia to raise a new regiment of which he was to be colonel. The ex- hausted condition of Virginia made this im- possible, but he received his commission. He next entered the law office of Thomas Jefferson to study law, as there was no open- ing for him as an officer in the army. In COMPENDTCM OF BIOGRArnT. 55 1782 he was elected to the Virginia assem- bly, and the next year he was elected to the Continental congress. Realizing the inade- quacy of the old articles of confederation, he advocated the calling of a convention to consider their revision, and introduced in congress a resolution empowering congress to regulate trade, lay import duties, etc. This resolution was referred to a committee, of which he was chairman, and the report led to the Annapolis convention, which called a general convention to meet at Phila- delphia in 1787, when the constitution was drafted. Mr. Monroe began the practice of law at Fredericksburg, Virginia, and was soon after elected to the legislature, and ap- pointed as one of the committee to pass upon the adoption of the constitution. He opposed it, as giving too much power to the central government. He was elected to the United States senate in 1789, where he allied himself with the Anti-Federalists or "Republicans," as they were sometimes called. Although his views as to neutrality between France and England were directly opposed to those of the president, yet Wash- ington appointed him minister to France. His popularity in France was so great that the antagonism of England and her friends in this country brought about his recall. He then became governor of Virginia. He was sent as envoy to France in 1802; minister to England in 1803; and envoy to Spain in 1805. The next year he returned to his estate in Virginia, and with an ample in- heritance enjoyed a few years of repose. He was again called to be governor of Virginia, and was then appointed secretary of state by President Madison. The war with Eng- land soon resulted, and when the capital was burned by the British, Mr. Monroe be- came secretary of war also, and planned the measures for the defense of New Orleans. The treasury being exhausted and credit gone, he pledged his own estate, and thereby made possible the victory of Jackson at New Orleans. In 1 817 Mr. Monroe became president of the United States, having been a candi- date of the "Republican" party, which at that time had begun to be called the ' ' Demo- cratic" party. In 1820 he was re-elected, having two hundred and thirty-one electoral votes out of two hundred and thirty-two. His administration is known as the "Era of good-feeling, " and party lines were almost wiped out. The slavery question began to assume importance at this time, and the Missouri Compromise was passed. The famous "Monroe Doctrine" originated in a great state paper of President Monroe upon the rumored interference of the Holy Alli- ance to prevent the formation of free repub- lics in South America. President Monroe acknowledged their independence, and pro- mulgated his great "Doctrine," which has been held in reverence since. Mr. Monroe's death occurred in New York on July 4, 1831. THOMAS ALVA EDISON, the master wizard of electrical science and whose name is synonymous with the subjugation of electricity to the service of man, was born in 1847 at Milan, Ohio, and it was at Port Huron, Michigan, whither his parents had moved in 1854, that his self-education began — for he never attended school for more than two months. He eagerly de- voured every book he could lay his hands on and is said to have read through an encyclo- pedia without missing a word. At thirteen he began his working life as a trainboy upon the Grand Trunk Railway between Port Huron and Detroit. Much of his time was now spent in Detroit, where he found increased facilities for reading at the public libraries. 56 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. He was not content to be a newsboy, so he got together three hundred pounds of type and started the issue of the " Grand Trunk Herald." It was only a small amateur weekly, printed on one side, the impression being made from the type by hand. Chemi- cal research was his next undertaking and a laboratory was added to his movable pub- lishing house, which, by the way, was an old freight car. One day, however, as he was experimenting with some phosphorus, it ignited and the irate conductor threw the young seeker after the truth, chemicals and all, from the train. His office and laboratory were then removed to the cellar of his fa- ther's house. As he grew to manhood he decided to become an operator. He won his opportunity by saving the life of a child, whose father was an old operator, and out of gratitude he gave Mr. Edison lessons in teleg- raphy. Five months later he was compe- tent to fill a position in the railroad office at Port Huron. Hence he peregrinated to Stratford, Ontario, and thence successively to Adrian, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Cin- cmnati, Memphis, Louisville and Boston, gradually becoming an expert operator and gaming experience that enabled him to evolve many ingenious ideas for the im- provement of telegraphic appliances. At Memphis he constructed an automatic re- peater, which enabled Louisville and New Orleans to communicate direct, and received nothing more than the thanks of his em- ployers. Mr. Edison came to New York in 1870 in search of an opening more suitable to his capabilities and ambitions. He hap- pened to be in the office of the Laws Gold Reporting Company when one of the in- struments got out of order, and even the inventor of the system could not make it work. Edison requested to be allowed to attempt the task, and in a few minutes he had overcome the difficulty and secured an advantageous engagement. For several years he had a contract with the Western Union and the Gold Stock companies, whereby he received a large salary, besides a special price for all telegraphic improve- ments he cojuld suggest. Later, as the head of the Edison General Electric com- pany, with its numerous subordinate organ- izations and connections all over the civil- ized world, he became several times a millionaire. Mr. Edison invented the pho- nograph and kinetograph which bear his name, the carbon telephone, the tasimeter, and the duplex and quadruplex systems of telegraphy. JAMES LONGSTREET, one of the most conspicuous of the Confederate generals during the Civil war, was born in 1820, in South Carolina, but was early taken by his parents to Alabama where he grew to man- hood and received his early education. He graduated at the United States military academy in 1842, entering the army as lieutenant and spent a few years in the fron- tier service. When the Mexican war broke out he was called to the front and partici- pated in all the principal battles of that war up to the storming of Chapultepec, where he received severe wounds. For gallant conduct at Contreras, Cherubusco, and Mo- lino del Rey he received the brevets of cap- tain and major. After the close of the Mexican war Longstreet served as adjutant and captain on frontier service in Texas un- til 1858 when he was transferred to the staff as paymaster with rank of major. In June, 1 86 1, he resigned to join the Confederacy and immediately went to the front, com- manding a brigade at Bull Run the follow- ing month. Promoted to be major-general in 1862 he thereafter bore a conspicuous coMPEXDnwr of nioGRArHr. part and rendered valuable service to the Confederate cause. He participated in many of the most severe battles of the Civil war including Bull Run (first and second), Seven Pines, Gainei,' Mill, Fraziers Farm, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Frederickburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, the Wilderness, Petersburg and most of the fighting about Richmond. When the war closed General Long- street accepted the result, renewed his alle- giance to the government, and thereafter labored earnestly to obliterate all traces of war and promote an era of good feeling be- tween all sections of the country. He took up his residence in New Orleans, and took an active interest and prominent part in public affairs, served as surveyor of that port for several years; was commissioner of engineers for Louisiana, served four years as school commissioner, etc. In 1875 he was appointed supervisor of internal revenue and settled in Georgia. After that time he served four years as United States minister to Turkey, and also for a number of 3'ears was United States marshal of Georgia, be- sides having held other important official positions. JOHN RUTLEDGE, the second chief- justice of the United States, was born at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1739. He was a son of John Rutledge, who had left Ireland for America about five years prior to the birth of our subject, and a brother of Edward Rutledge, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. John Rut- ledge received his legal education at the Temple, London, after which he returned to Charleston and soon won distinction at the bar. He was elected to the old Colonial congress in 1765 to protest against the " Stamp Act," and was a member of the South Carolina convention of 1774, and of the Continental congress of that and the succeeding year. In 1776 he was chairman of the committee that draughted the con- stitution of his state, and was president of the congress of that state. He was not pleased with the state constitution, how- ever, and resigned. In 1779 he was again chosen governor of the state, and granted e.xtraordinary powers, and he at once took the field to repel the British. He joined the army of General Gates in 1782, and the same year was elected to congress. He was a member of the constitutional con- vention which framed our present constitu- tion. In 1 789 he was appointed an associate justice of the first supreme court of the United States. He resigned to accept the position of chief-justice of his own state. Upon the resignation of Judge Jay, he was appointed chief-justice of the United States in 1795. The appointment was never con- firmed, for, after presiding at one session, his mind became deranged, and he was suc- ceeded by Judge Ellsworth. He died at Charleston, July 23, 1800. RALPH WALDO EMERSON was one of the most noted literary men of his time. He was born in Boston, Massachu- setts, May 25, 1803. He had a minister for an ancestor, either on the paternal or ma- ternal side, in every generation for eight generations back. His father. Rev. Will- iam Emerson, was a native of Concord, Massachusetts, born May 6, 1769, graduated at Harvard, in 1789, became a Unitarian minister; was a fine writer and one of the best orators of his day; died in 181 1. Ralph Waldo Emerson was fitted for college at the public schools of Boston, and graduated at Harvard College in 1821, win- ning about this time several prizes for es- 58 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. says. For five years he taught school in Boston; in 1826 was Hcensed to preach, and in 1S29 was ordained as a colleague to Rev. Henry Ware of the Second Unitarian church in Boston. In 1832 he resigned, making the announcement in a sermon of his un- ;villingness longer to administer the rite of .he Lord's Supper, after which he spent about a year in Europe. Upon his return he began his career as a lecturer before the Boston Mechanics Institute, his subject be- ing "Water. " His early lectures on "Italy" and "Relation of Man to the Globe" also attracted considerable attention; as did also his biographical lectures on Michael Angelo, Milton, Luther, George Fox, and Edmund Burke. After that time he gave many courses of lectures in Boston and became one of the best known lecturers in America. But very few men have rendered such con- tinued service in this field. He lectured for forty successive seasons before the Salem, Massachusetts, Lyceum and also made re- peated lecturing tours in this country and in England. In 1835 Mr. Emerson took up his residence at Concord, Massachusetts, where he continued to make his home until his death which occurred April 27, 1882. Mr. Emerson's literary work covered a wide scope. He wrote and published many works, essays and poems, which rank high among the works of American literary men. A few of the many which he produced are the following: "Nature;" "The Method of Nature;" " Man Thinking;" "The Dial;" "Essays;" "Poems;" "English Traits;" "The Conduct of Life;" "May-Day and other Poems " and " Society and Solitude;" besides many others. He was a prominent member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of the American Philosophical Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society and other kindred associations. ALEXANDER T. STEWART, one of the famous merchant princes of New York, was born near the city of Belfast, Ire- land, in 1803, and before he was eight years of age was left an orphan without any near relatives, save an aged grandfather. The grandfather being a pious Methodist wanted to make a minister of young Stewart, and accordingly put him in a school with that end in view and he graduated at Trinity Col- lege, in Dublin. When scarcely twenty years of age he came to New York. His first employment was that of a teacher, but accident soon made him a merchant. En- tering into business relations with an ex- perienced man of his acquaintance he soon found himself with the rent of a store on his hands and alone in a new enterprise. Mr. Stewart's business grew rapidly in all directions, but its founder had executive ability sufficient for any and all emergencies, and in time his house became one of the greatest mercantile establishments of mod- ern times, and the name of Stewart famous. Mr. Stewart's death occurred April 10, 1876. JAMES FENIMORE COOPER. — In speaking of this noted American nov- elist, William Cullen Bryant said: " He wrote for mankind at large, hence it is that he has earned a fame wider than any Amer- ican author of modern times. The crea- tions of his genius shall survive through centuries to come, and only perish with our language." Another eminent writer (Pres- cott) said of Cooper: " In his productions every American must take an honest pride; for surely no one has succeeded like Cooper in the portraiture of American character, or has given such glowing and eminently truth- ful pictures of American scenery." I James Fenimore Cooper was born Sep- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. tember 15, 1789, at Burlington, New Jer- sey, and was a son of Judge William Cooper. About a year after the birth of our subject the family removed to Otsego county, New York, and founded the town called " Coop- erstown." James Fenimore Cooper spent his childhood there and in 1802 entered Yale College, and four years later became a midshipman in the United States navy. In 181 1 he was married, quit the seafaring life, and began devoting more or less time to lit- erary pursuits. His first work was " Pre- caution," a novel published in 18 19, and three years later he produced "The Spy, a Tale of Neutral Ground," which met with great favor and was a universal success. This was followed by many other works, among which may be mentioned the follow- ing: "The Pioneers," "The Pilot," "Last of the Mohicans," "The Prairie, "" The Red Rover," "The Manikins," "Home- ward Bound," "Home as Found," "History of the United States Navy," "The Path- finder," "Wing and Wing," "Afloat and Ashore," "The Chain-Bearer," "Oak- Openings," etc. J. Fenimore Cooper died at Cooperstown, New York, September 14, 1851. MARSHALL FIELD, one of the mer- chant princes of America, ranks among the most successful business men of the cen- tury. He was born in 1835 at Conway, Massachusetts. He spent his early life on a farm and secured a fair education in the common schools, supplementing this with a course at the Conway Academy. His natural bent ran in the channels of commer- cial life, and at the age of seventeen he was given a position in a store at Pittsfie'.d, Massachusetts. Mr. Field remained there four years and removed to Chicago in 1856. He began his career in Chicago as a clerk in the wholesale dry goods house of Cooley, Wadsworth & Company, which later be- came Cooley, Farwell & Company, and still later John V. Farwell & Company. He remained with them four years and exhibit- ed marked ability, in recognition of which he was given a partnership. In 1865 Mr. Field and L. Z. Leiter, who was also a member of the firm, withdrew and formed the firm of Field, Palmer & Leiter, the third partner being Potter Palmer, and they continued in business until 1867, when Mr. Palmer retired and the firm became Field, Leiter & Company. They ran under the latter name until 1881, when Mr. Leiter re- tired and the house has since continued un- der the name of Marshall Field & Company. The phenomenal success accredited to the house is largely due to the marked ability of Mr. Field, the house had become one of the foremost in the west, with an annual sale of $8,000,000 in 1870. The total loss of the firm during the Chicago fire was $3,500,000 of which $2,500,000 was re- covered through the insurance companies. It rapidly recovered from the effects of this and to-day the annual sales amount to over $40,000,000. Mr. Field's real estate hold- ings amounted to $10,000,000. He was one of the heaviest subscribers to the Bap- tist University fund although he is a Presby- terian, and gave $1,000,000 for the endow- ment of the Field Columbian Museum — one of the greatest institutions of the kind in the world. EDGAR WILSON NYE. who won an im- mense popularity under the pen name of " Bill Nye," was one of the most eccen- tric humorists of his day. He was born Au- gust 25, 1850, at Shirley, Piscataqua coun- ty, Maine, "at a very early age " as he e.\- presses it. He took an academic course in 60 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. River Falls, Wisconsin, from whence, after his graduation, he removed to Wyoming Territory. He studied law and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1876. He began when quite young to contribute humorous sketches to the newspapers, became connected with various western journals and achieved a brilliant success as a humorist. Mr. Nye settled later in New York City where he devoted his time to writing funny articles for the big newspaper syndicates. He wrote for publication in book form the following : "Bill Nye and the Boomerang," "The Forty Liars," "Baled Hay," "Bill Nye's Blossom Rock," "Remarks," etc. His death occurred February 21, 1896, at Ashe- ville, North Carolina. ' THOMAS DE WITT TALMAGE, one of the most celebrated American preach- ers, was born January 7, 1832, and was the youngest of twelve children. He made his preliminary studies at the grammar school in New Brunswick, New Jersey. At the age of eighteen he joined the church and entered the University of the City of New York, and graduated in May, 1853. The exercises were held in Niblo's Garden and his speech aroused the audience to a high pitch of en- thusiasm. At the close of his college duties he imagined himself interested in the law and for three years studied law. Dr. Tal- mage then perceived his mistake and pre- pared himself for the ministry at the Reformed Dutch Church Theological Semi- nary at New Brunswick, New Jersey. Just after his ordination the young minister re- ceived two calls, one from Piermont, New York, and the other from Belleville, New Jersey. Dr. Talmage accepted the latter and for three years filled that charge, when he was called to Syracuse, New York. Here it was that his sermons first drew large crowds of people to his church, and from thence dates his popularity. Afterward he became the pastor of the Second Reformed Dutch church, of Philadelphia, remaining seven years, during which period he first entered upon the lecture platform and laid the foundation for his future reputation. At the end of this time he received three calls, one from Chicago, one from San Francisco, and one from the Central Presbyterian church of Brooklyn, which latter at that time consisted of only nineteen members with a congregation of about thirty-five. This church offered him a salary of seven thousand dollars and he accepted the call. He soon induced the trustees to sell the old church and build a new one. They did so and erected the Brooklyn Tabernacle, but it burned down shortly after it was finished. By prompt sympathy and general liberality a new church was built and formally opened in February, 1874. It contained seats for four thousand, six hundred and fifty, but if necessary seven thousand could be accom- modated. In October, 1878, his salary was raised from seven thousand dollars to twelve thousand dollars, and in the autumn of 1889 the second tabernacle was destroyed by fire. A third tabernacle was built and it was for- mally dedicated on Easter Sunday, 1891. JOHN PHILIP SOUSA, conceded as being one of the greatest band leaders in the world, won his fame while leader of the United States Marine Band at Washing- ton, District of Columbia. He was not originally a band player but was a violinist, and at the age of seventeen he was conduc- tor of an opera company, a profession which he followed for several years, until he was offered the leadership of the Marine Band at Washington. The proposition was re- pugnant to him at first but he accepted the COMrEXniLM OF BIOGRAPHY. offer and then ensued ten years of brilliant success with that organization. When he first took the Marine Band he began to gather the national airs of all the nations that have representatives in Washington, and compiled a comprehensive volume in- cluding nearly all the national songs of the different nations. He composed a number of marches, waltzes and two-steps, promi- nent among which are the "Washington Post," "Directorate," "King Cotton," "High School Cadets," "Belle of Chica- go," "Liberty Bell March," "Manhattan Beach," "On Parade March," "Thunderer March," "Gladiator March," " El Capitan March," etc. He became a very extensive composer of this class of music. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, sixth president of the United States, was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, July ii, 1767, the son of John Adams. At the age of eleven he was sent to school at Paris, and two years later to Leyden, where he entered that great university. He returned to the United States in 1785, and graduated from Harvard in 1788. He then studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1791. His practice brought no income the first two years, but he won distinction in literary fields, and was appointed minister to The Hague in 1794. He married in 1797, and went as minister to Berlin the same year, serving until 1801, when Jefferson became president. He was elected to the senate in 1803 by the Federalists, but was condemned by that party for advocating the Embargo Act and other Anti-Federalist measures. He was appointed as professor of rhetoric at Harvard in 1805, and in 1809 was sent as minister to Russia. He assisted in negotiat- ing the treaty of peace with England in 1814, and became minister to that power the next year. He served during Monroe's administration two terms as secretary of state, during which time party lines were obliterated, and in 1824 four candidates for president appeared, all of whom were iden- tified to some extent with the new " Demo- cratic" party. Mr. Adams received 84 elec- toral votes, Jackson 99, Crawford 41, and Clay 37. As no candidate had a majority of all votes, the election went to the house of representatives, which elected Mr. Adams. As Clay had thrown his influence to Mr. Adams, Clay became secretary of state, and this caused bitter feeling on the part of the Jackson Democrats, who were joined by Mr. Crawford and his following, and op- posed every measure of the administration. In the election of 1828 Jackson was elected over Mr. Adams by a great majority. Mr. Adams entered the lower house of congress in 1830, elected from the district in which he was born and continued to rep- resent it for seventeen years. He was known as " the old man eloquent," and his work in congress was independent of party. He opposed slavery extension and insisted upon presenting to congress, one at a time, the hundreds of petitions against the slave power. One of these petitions, presented in 1842, was signed by forty-five citizens of Massachusetts, and prayed congress for a peaceful dissolution of the Union. His enemies seized upon this as an opportunity to crush their powerful foe, and in a caucus meeting determined upon his expulsion from congress. Finding they would not be able to command enough votes for this, they de- cided upon a course that would bring equal disgrace. They formulated a resolution to the effect that while he merited expulsion, the house would, in great mercy, substitute its severest censure. When it was read in the house the old man, then in his seventy-fifth 62 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. year, arose and demanded that the first para- graph of the Declaration of Independence be read as his defense. It embraced the famous sentence, "that whenever any form of government becomes destructive to those ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, etc., etc." After eleven days of hard fight- ing his opponents were defeated. On Febru- ary 2 1, 1848, he rose to address the speaker on the Oregon question, when he suddenly fell from a stroke of paralysis. He died soon after in the rotunda of the capitol, where he had been conveyed by his col- leagues. SUSAN B. ANTHONY was one of the most famous women of America. She was born at South Adams, Massachusetts, February 15, 1820, the daughter of a Quaker. She received a good education and became a school teacher, following that profession for fifteen years in New York. Beginning with about 1852 she became the active leader of the woman's rights move- ment and won a wide reputation for her zeal and ability. She also distinguished herself for her zeal and eloquence in the temperance, and anti-slavery causes, and became a conspicuous figure during the war. After the close of the war she gave most of her labors to the cause of woman's suffrage. PHILIP D. ARMOUR, one of the most conspicuous figures in the mercantile history of America, was born May 16, 1832, on a farm at Stockbridge, Madison county. New York, and received his early education in the common schools of that county. He was apprenticed to a farmer and worked faithfully and well, being very ambitious and desiring to start out for himself. At the age of twenty he secured a release from his indentures and set out overland for the gold fields of California. After a great deal of hard work he accumulated a little money and then came east and settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He went into the grain receiving and warehouse busi- ness and was fairly successful, and later on he formed a partnership with John Flankin- ton in the pork packing line, the style of the firm being Plankinton & Armour. Mr. Ar- mour made his first great "deal " in selling pork "short" on the New York market in the anticipation of the fall of the Confed- eracy, and Mr. Armour is said to have made through this deal a million dollars. He then established packing houses in Chicago and Kansas City, and in 1875 he removed to Chicago. He increased his business by add- ing to it the shipment of dressed beef to the European markets, and many other lines of trade and manufacturing, and it rapidly assumed vast proportions, employing an army of men in different lines of the busi- ness. Mr. Armour successfully conducted a great many speculative deals in pork and grain of immense proportions and also erected many large warehouses for the storage of grain. He became one of the representative business men of Chicago, where he became closely identified with all enterprises of a public nature, but his fame as a great busi- ness man extended to all parts of the world. He founded the "Armour Institute " at Chi- cago and also contributed largely to benevo- lent and charitable institutions. ROBERT FULTON.— Although Fulton is best known as the inventor of the first successful steamboat, yet his claims to distinction do not rest alone upon that, for he was an inventor along other lines, a painter and an author. He was born at Little Britain, Lancaster county, Pennsyl- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAnir. 65 vania, in 1765, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. At the age of seventeen he removed to Phila- delphia, and there and in New York en- gaged in miniature painting with success both from a pecuniary and artistic point of view. With the results of his labors he pur- :hased a farm for the support of his mother. He went to London and studied under the great painter, Benjamin West, and all through life retained his fondness for art and gave evidence of much ability in that line. While in England he was brought in contact with the Duke of Bridgewater, the father of the English canal system; Lord Stanhope, an eminent mechanician, and James Watt, the inventor of the steam en- gine. Their influence turned his mind to its true field of labor, that of mechanical in- vention. Machines for flax spinning, marble sawing, rope making, and for remov- ing earth from excavations, are among his earliest ventures. His "Treatise on the Improvement of Canal Navigation," issued in 1796, and a series of essays on canals were soon followed by an English patent for canal improvements. In 1797 he went to Paris, where he resided until 1806, and there invented a submarine torpedo boat for maritime defense, but which was rejected by the governments of France, England and the United States. In 1803 he offered to con- struct for the Emperor Napoleon a steam- boat that would assist in carrying out the plan of invading Great Britain then medi- tated by that great captain. In pursuance he constructed his first steamboat on the Seine, but it did not prove a full success and the idea was abandoned by the French government. By the aid of Livingston, then United States minister to France, Fulton purchased, in 1806, an engine which he brought to this country. After studying the defects of his own and other attempts in this line he built and launched in 1807 the Clermont, the first successful steamboat. This craft only attained a speed of five miles an hour while going up North river. His first patent not fully covering his in- vention, Fulton was engaged in many law suits for infringement. He constructed many steamboats, ferryboats, etc., among these being the United States steamer " Fulton the First," built in 18 14, the first war steamer ever built. This craft never attained any great speed owing to some de- fects in construction and accidentally blew up in 1829. Fulton died in New York, Feb- ruary 21, 181 5. SALMON PORTLAND CHASE, sixth chief-justice of the United States, and one of the most eminent of American jurists, was born in Cornish, New Hampshire, Jan- uary 13, 1808. At the age of nine he was left in poverty by the death of his father, but means were found to educate him. He was sent to his uncle, a bishop, who con- ducted an academy near Columbus, Ohio, and here young Chase worked on the farm and attended school. At the age of fifteen he returned to his native state and entered Dartmouth College, from which he gradu- ated in 1 826. He then went to Washington, and engaged in teaching school, and study- ing law under the instruction of William Wirt. He was licensed to practice in 1829, and went to Cincinnati, where he had a hard struggle for several years following. He had in the meantime prepared notes on the statutes of Ohio, which, when published, brought him into prominence locally. He was soon after appointed solicitor of the United States Bank. In 1837 he appeared as counsel for a fugitive slave woman, Ma- tilda, and sought by all the powers of his learning and eloquence to prevent her owner COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. from reclaiming her. He acted in many other cases, and devolved the trite expres- ?;ion, "Slavery is sectional, freedom is na- tional." He was employed to defend Van Zandt before the supreme court of the United States in 1846, which was one of the most noted cases connected with the great strug- gle against slavery. By this time Mr. Chase had become the recognized leader of that element known as " free-soilers." He was elected to the United States senate in 1849, and was chosen governor of Ohio in 1855 and re-elected in 1857. He was chosen to the United States senate from Ohio in 1861, but was made secretary of the treasur}' by Lincoln and accepted. He inaugurated a financial system to replenish the exhausted treasury and meet the demands of the great- est war in history and at the same time to revive the industries of the country. One of the measures which afterward called for his judicial attention was the issuance of currency notes which were made a legal tender in payment of debts. When this question came before him as chief-justice of the United States he reversed his former action and declared the measure unconstitu- tional. The national banking system, by which all notes issued were to be based on funded government bonds of equal or greater amounts, had its direct origin with Mr. Chase. Mr. Chase resigned the treasury port- folio in 1864, and was appointed the same year as chief-justice of the United States supreme court. The great questions that came up before him at this crisis in the life of the nation were no less than those which confronted the first chief-justice at the for- mation of our government. Reconstruction, private, state and national interests, the constitutionality of the acts of congress passed in times of great excitement, the construction and interpretation to be placed upon the several amendments to the national constitution, —these were among the vital questions requiring prompt decision. He received a paralytic stroke in 1870, which impaired his health, though his mental powers were not affected. He continued to preside at the opening terms for two years following and died May 7, 1873. HARRIET ELIZABETH BEECHER STOWE, a celebrated American writ- er, was born June 14, 18 12, at Litchfield, Connecticut. She was a daughter of Lyman Beecher and asisterof Henry Ward Beecher, two noted divines; was carefully educated, and taught school for several years at Hart- ford, Connecticut. In 1832 Miss Beecher married Professor Stowe, then of Lane Semi- nary, Cincinnati, Ohio, and afterwards at Bowdoin College and Andover Seminary. Mrs. Stowe published in 1849 "The May- flower, or sketches of the descendants of the Pilgrims," and in 1851 commenced in the ' ' National Era " of Washington, a serial story which was published separately in 1852 under the title of "Uncle Tom's Cabin." This book attained almost unparalleled success both at home and abroad, and within ten years it had been translated in almost every lan- guage of the civilized world. Mrs. Stowe pub- lished in 1853 a "Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin" in which the data that she used was published and its truthfulness was corroborated. In 1853 she accompanied her husband and brother to Europe, and on her return pub- lished "Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands " in 1854. Mrs. Stowe was for some time one of the editors of the ' ' Atlantic Monthly " and the " Hearth and Home," for which she had written a number of articles. Among these, also published separately, are " Dred, a tale of the Great Dismal Swamp " (later published under the title of "Nina COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. Gordon"); "The Minister's Wooing;" "The Pearl of Orr's Island;" "Agnes of Sorrento;" • 'Oldtown Folks;" " My Wife and I;" "Bible Heroines," and "A Dof;;'s Mission." Mrs. Stovve's death occurred July i, 1896, at Hartford, Connecticut. THOMAS JONATHAN JACKSON, bet- ter known as "Stonewall" Jackson, was one of the most noted of the Confeder- ate generals of the Civil war. He was a soldier by nature, an incomparable lieuten- ant, sure to execute any operation entrusted to him with marvellous precision, judgment and courage, and all his individual cam- paigns and combats bore the stamp of a masterly capacity for war. He was born January 21, 1824, at Clarksburg, Harrison county, West Virginia. He was early in life imbued with the desire to be a soldier and it is said walked from the mountains of Virginia to Washington, secured the aid of his congressman, and was appointed cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point from which he was graduated in 1846. Attached to the army as brevet sec- ond lieutenant of the First Artillery, his Rrst service was as a subaltern with Magruder's battery of light artillery in the Mexican war. He participated at the reduction of Vera Cruz, and was noticed for gallantry in the battles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Moline del Rey, Chapultepcc, and the capture of the city of Mexico, receiving the brevets of captain for conduct at Contreras and Cher- ubusco and of major at Chapultepec. In the meantime he had been advanced by regular promotion to be first lieutenant in 1847. In 1852, the war having closed, he resigned and became professor of natural and experimental philosophy and artillery instructor at the Virginia State Military Institute at Lexington, Virginia, where he remained until Virginia declared for seces- sion, he becoming chiefly noted for intense religious sentiment coupled with personal eccentricities. Upon the breaking out of the war he was made colonel and placed in command of a force sent to sieze Harper's Ferry, which he accomplished May 3, 1861. Relieved by General J. E. Johnston, May 23, he took command of the brigade of Valley Virginians, whom he moulded into that brave corps, baptized at the first Manassas, and ever after famous as the " Stonewall Brigade. " After this ' ' Stone- wall " Jackson was made a major-general, in 1861, and participated until his death in all the famous campaigns about Richmond and in Virginia, and was a conspicuous fig- ure in the memorable battles of that time. May 2, 1863, at Chancellorsville, he was wounded severely by his own troops, two balls shattering his left arm and another passing through the palm of his right hand. The left arm was amputated, but pneumonia intervened, and, weakened by the great loss of blood, he died May 10, 1863. The more his operations in the Shenandoah valley in 1862 are studied the more striking must the merits of this great soldier appear. JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER.— kJ Near to the heart of the people of the Anglo-Saxon race will ever lie the verses of this, the "Quaker Poet." The author of "Barclay of Ury," "Maud Muller" and "Barbara Frietchie," always pure, fervid and direct, will be remembered when many a more ambitious writer has been forgotten. John G. Whittier was born at Haver- hill, Massachusetts, December 7, 1807, of Quaker parentage. He had but a common- school education and passed his boyhood days upon a farm. In early life he learned the trade of shoemaker. At the age of 68 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. eighteen he began to write verses for the Haverhill '' Gazette." He spent two years after that at the Haverhill academy, after which, in 1829, he became editor of the "American Manufacturer," at Boston. In 1830 he succeeded George D. Prentice as editor of the "New England Weekly Re- view," but the following year returned to Haverhill and engaged in farming. In 1832 and in 1836 he edited the " Gazette." In 1835 he was elected a member of the legis- lature, serving two years. In 1 836 he became secretary of the Anti-slavery Society of Phil- adelphia. In 1838 and 1839 he edited the " Pennsylvania Freeman," but in the latter year the office was sacked and burned by a mob. In 1840 Whittier settled at Ames- bury, Massachusetts. In 1847 he became corresponding editor of the "National Era," an anti-slavery paper published at Washing- ton, and contributed to its columns many of his anti-slavery and other favorite lyrics. Mr. Whittier lived for many years in retire- ment of Quaker simplicity, publishing several volumes of poetry which have raised him to a high place among American authors and brought to him the love and admiration of his countrymen. In the electoral colleges of 1 860 and 1 864 Whittier was a member. Much of his time after 1876 was spent at Oak Knoll, Danvers, Massachusetts, but still retained his residence at Amesbury. He never married. His death occurred Sep- tember 7, 1892. The more prominent prose writings of John G. Whittier are as follows: "Legends of New England," "Justice and Expediency, or Slavery Considered with a View to Its Abo- lition," " The Stranger in Lowell," "Super- naturalism in New England," " Leaves from Margaret Smith's Journal," "Old Portraits and Modern Sketches" and "Literary Sketches." DAVID DIXON PORTER, illustrious as admiral of the United States navy, and famous as one of the most able naval offi- cers of America, was born in Pennsylvania, June 8, 1814. His father was also a naval officer of distinction, who left the service of the United States to become commander of the naval forces of Mexico during the war between that country and Spain, and through this fact David Dixon Porter was appointed a midshipman in the Mexican navy. Two years later David D. Porter joined the United States navy as midship- man, rose in rank and eighteen years later as a lieutenant he is found actively engaged in all the operations of our navy along the east coast of Mexico. When the Civil war broke out Porter, then a commander, was dispatched in the Powhattan to the relief of Fort Pickens, Florida. This duty accom- plished, he fitted out a mortar flotilla for the reduction of the forts guarding the ap- proaches to New Orleans, which it was con- sidered of vital importance for the govern- ment to get possession of. After the fall of New Orleans the mortar flotilla was actively engaged at Vicksburg, and in the fall of 1862 Porter was made a rear-admiral and placed in command of all the naval forces on the western rivers above New Orleans. The ability of the man was now con- spicuously manifested, not only in the bat- tles in which he was engaged, but also in the creation of a formidable fleet out of river steamboats, which he covered with such plating as they would bear. In 1864 he was transferred to the Atlantic coast to command the naval forces destined to oper- ate against the defences of Wilmington, North Carolina, and on Jan. 15, 1865, the fall of Fort Fisher was hailed by the country as a glorious termination of his arduous war service. In 1866 he was made vice-admiral COMPENDIUAf OF BIOGRAPnr. 69 and appointed superintendent of the Naval Academy. On the death of Farragut, in 1870, he succeeded that able man as ad- miral of the navy. His death occurred at Washington, February 13, 1891. NATHANIEL GREENE was one of the best known of the distinguished gen- erals who led the Continental soldiery against the hosts of Great Britain during the Revolutionary war. He was the son of Quaker parents, and was born at War- wick, Rhode Island, May 27, 1742. In youth he acquired a good education, chiefiy by his own efforts, as he was a tireless reader. In 1770 he was elected a member of the Assembly of his native state. The news of the battle of Lexington stirred his blood, and he offered his services to the government of the colonies, receiving the rank of brigadier-general and the com- mand of the troops from Rhode Island. He led them to the camp at Cambridge, and for thus violating the tenets of their faith, he was cast out of the Society of Friends, or Quakers. He soon won the es- teem of -General Washington. In August, 1776, Congress promoted Greene to the rank of major-general, and in the battles of Trenton and Princeton he led a division. At the battle of Brandy wine, September 11, 1777, he greatly distinguished himself, pro- tecting the retreat of the Continentals by his firm stand. At the battle of German- town, October 4, the same year, he com- manded the left wing of the army with credit. In March, 1778, he reluctantly ac- cepted the office of quartermaster-general, but only with the understanding that his rank m the army would not be affected and that in action he should retain his command. On the bloody field of Monmouth, June 28, 1778, he commanded the right wing, as he did at the battle of Tiverton Heights. He was in command of the army in 1780, dur- ing the absence of Washington, and was president of the court-martial that tried and condemned Major Andre. After General Gates' defeat at Camden, North Carolina, in the summer of 1780, General Greene was ap- pointed to the command of the southern army. He sent out a force under General Morgan who defeated General Tarleton at Cowpens, January 17, 1781. On joining his lieuten- ant, in February, he found himself out num- bered by the British and retreated in good order to Virginia, but being reinforced re- turned to North Carolina where he fought the battle of Guilford, and a few days later compelled the retreat of Lord Cornwallis. The British were followed by Greene part of the way, when the American army marched into South Carolina. After vary- ing success he fought the battle of Eutaw Springs, September 8, 1781. For the latter battle and its glorious consequences, which virtually closed the war in the Carolinas, Greene received a medal from Congress and many valuable grants of land from the colonies of North and South Carolina and Georgia. On the return of peace, after a year spent in Rhode Island, General Greene took up his residence on his estate near Savannah, Georgia, where he died June 19, 1786. EDGAR ALLEN POE.— Among the many great literary men whom this country has produced, there is perhaps no name more widely known than that of Ed- gar Allen Poe. He was born at Boston, Massachusetts, February 19, 1809. His parents were David and Elizabeth (Arnold) Poe, both actors, the mother said to have been the natural daughter of Benedict Ar- nold. The parents died while Edgar was JO COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRATHr. still a child and he was adopted by John Allen, a wealthy and influential resident of Richmond, Virginia. Edgar was sent to school at Stoke, Newington, England, where he remained until he was thirteen years old; was prepared for college by pri- vate tutors, and in 1826 entered the Virginia University at Charlottesville. He made rapid progress in his studies, and was dis- tinguished for his scholarship, but was ex- pelled within a year for gambling, after which for several years he resided with his benefactor at Richmond. He then went to Baltimore, and in 1829 published a 71 -page pamphlet called "Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems," which, however, at- tracted no attention and contained nothing of particular merit. In 1830 he was ad- mitted as a cadet at West Point, but was expelled about a year later for irregulari- ties. Returning to the home of Mr. Allen he remained for some time, and finally quarrelled with his benefactor and enlisted as a private soldier in the U. S. army, but remained only a short time. Soon after this, in 1833, Poe won several prizes for literary work, and as a result secured the position of editor of 1»he ' ' Southern Liter- ary Messenger," at Richmond, Virginia. Here he married his cousin, Virginia Clemm, who clung to him with fond devo- tion through all the many trials that came to them until her death in January, 1848. Poe remained with the "Messenger" for several years, writing meanwhile many tales, reviews, essays and poems. He aft- erward earned a precarious living by his pen in New York for a time; in 1839 be- came editor of "Burton's Gentleman's Magazine" ; in 1840 to 1842 was editor of " Graham's Magazine," and drifted around from one place to another, returning to New York in 1844. In i845 his .best known production, "The Raven," appeared in the "Whig Review, " and gained him a reputation which is now almost world-wide. He then acted as editor and contributor on various magazines and periodicals until the death of his faithful wife in 1848. In the summer of 1849 he Was engaged to be mar- ried to a lady of fortune in Richmond, Vir- ginia, and the day set for the wedding. He started for New York to make prepara- tions for the event, but, it is said, began drinking, was attacked with dilirium tre- mens in Baltimore and was removed to a hospital, where he died, October 7, 1849. The works of Edgar Allen Poe have been repeatedly published since his death, both in Europe and America, and have attained an immense popularity. HORATIO GATES, one of the prom- inent figures in the American war for Independence, was not a native of the col- onies but was born in England in 1728. In early life he entered the British army and attained the rank of major. At the capture of Martinico he was aide to General Monk- ton and after the peace of Aix la Chapelle, in 1748, he was among the first troops that landed at Halifax. He was with Braddock at his defeat in 1755, and was there severe- ly wounded. At the conclusion of the French and Indian war Gates purchased an estate in Virginia, and, resigning from the British army, settled down to life as a planter. On the breaking out of the Rev- olutionary war he entered the service of the colonies and was made adjutant-general of the Continental forces with the rank of brigadier-general. He accompanied Wash- ington when he assumed the command ol the army. In June, 1776, he was appoint- ed to the command of the army of Canada, but was superseded in May of the following C OMP/iXDI [ 'M or BIO GRA P/ir 71 year by General Schuyler. In August, 1777, however, the command of that army was restored to General Gates and Septem- ber 19 he fought the battle of Bemis Heights. October 7, the same year, he won the battle of Stillwater, or Saratoga, and October 17 received the surrender of General Burgoyne and his army, the pivotal point of the war. This gave him a brilliant reputation. June 13, 17S0, General Gates was appointed to the command of the southern military division, and August 16 of that year suffered defeat at the hands of Lord Cornwallis, at Camden, North Car- olina. In December following he was superseded in the command by General Nathaniel Greene. On the signing of the peace treaty Gen- eral Gates retired to his plantation in Berkeley county, Virginia, where he lived until 1790, when, emancipating all his slaves, he removed to New York City, where he resided until his death, April 10, 1806. LYMAN J. GAGE.— When President Mc- Kinley selected Lyman J. Gage as sec- retary of the treasury he chose one of the most eminent financiers of the century. Mr. Gage was born June 28, 1836, at De Ruy- ter, Madison county. New York, and was of English descent. He went to Rome, New York, with his parents when he was ten years old, and received his early education in the Rome Academy. Mr. Gage gradu- ated from the same, and his first position was that of a clerk in the post office. When he was fifteen years of age he was detailed as mail agent on the Rome & Watertown R. R. until the postmaster-general appointed regular agents for the route. In 1854, when lie was in his eighteenth year, he entered the Oneida Central Bank at Rome as a junior clerk at a salary of one hundred dol- lars per year. Being unable at the end of one year and a half's service to obtain an increase in salary he determined to seek a wider field of labor. Mr. Gage set out in the fall of 1855 and arrived in Chicago, Illinois, on October 3, and soon obtained a situation in Nathan Cobb's lumber yard and planing mill. He remained there three years as a bookkeeper, teamster, etc., and left on account of change in the management. But not being able to find anything else to do he accepted the position of night watchman in the place for a period of six weeks. He then became a bookkeeper for the Mer- chants Saving, Loan and Trust Company at a salary of five hundred dollars per year. He rapidly advanced in the service of this company and in 1868 he was made cashier. Mr. Gage was next offered the position of cashier of the First National Bank and ac- cepted the offer. He became the president of the First National Bank of Chicago Jan- uary 24, 1891, and in 1 897 he was appointed secretary of the treasury. His ability as a financier and the prominent part he took in the discussion of financial affairs while presi- dent of the great Chicago bank gave him a national reputation. ANDREW JACKSON, the seventh pres- ident of the United States, was born at the Waxhaw settlement. Union county, North Carolina, March 15, 1767. His parents were Scotch-Irish, natives of Carr- ickfergus, who came to this country in 1665 and settled on Twelve-Mile creek, a trib- utary of the Catawba. His father, who was a poor farm laborer, died shortly be- fore Andrew's birth, when the mother re- moved to Waxhaw, where some relatives lived. Andrew's education was very limited, he showing no aptitude for studj'. In 1780 when but thirteen years of age, he and his 72 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPH7'. brother Robert volunteered to serve in the American partisan troops under General Sumter, and witnessed the defeat at Hang- ing Rock. The following year the boys were both taken prisoners by the enemy and endured brutal treatment from the British officers while confined at Camden. They both took the small pox, when the mother procured their exchange but Robert died shortly after. The mother died in Charleston of ship fever, the same year. Young Jackson, now in destitute cir- cumstances, worked for about six months in a saddler's shop, and then turned school master, although but little fitted for the position. He now began to think of a pro- fession and at Salisbury, North Carolina, entered upon the study of law, but from all accounts gave but little attention to his books, being one of the most roistering, rollicking fellows in that town, indulging in many of the vices of his time. In 1786 he was admitted to the bar and in 1788 re- moved to Nashville, then in North Carolina, with the appointment of public prosecutor, then an office of little honor or emolument, but requiring much nerve, for which young Jackson was already noted. Two years later, when Tennessee became a territory he was appointed by Washington to the position of United States attorney for that district. In 1791 he married Mrs. Rachel Robards, a daughter of Colonel John Don- elson, who was supposed at the time to have been divorced from her former hus- band that year by act of legislature of Vir- ginia, but two years later, on finding that this divorce was not legal, and a new bill of separation being granted by the courts of Kentucky, they were remarried in 1793. This was used as a handle by his oppo- nents in the political campaign afterwards. Jackson was untiring in his efforts as United States attorney and obtained much influence. He was chosen a member of the Constitu- tional Convention of 1796, when Tennessee became a state and was its first represent- ative in congress. In 1797 he was chosen United States senator, but resigned the fol- lowing year to accept a seat on the supreme court of Tennessee which he held until 1804. He was elected major-general of the militia of that state in 1801. In 1804, being unsuccessful in obtaining the govern- orship of Louisiana, the new territory, he retired from public life to the Hermitage, his plantation. On the outbreak of the war with Great Britain in 1812 he tendered his services to the government and went to New Orleans with the Tennessee troops in January, 181 3. In March of that year he was ordered to disband his troops, but later marched against the Cherokee Indians, de- feating them at Talladega, Emuckfaw and Tallapoosa. Having now a national reputation, he was appointed major-general in the United States army and was sent against the British in Florida. He con- ducted the defence of Mobile and seized Pensacola. He then went with his troops to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he gained the famous victory of January 8, 181 5. In 1817-18 he conducted a war against the Seminoles, and in 1821 was made governor of the new territory of Florida. In 1823 he was elected United States senator, but in 1824 was the contestant with J. Q. Adams for the presidency. Four years later he was elected president, and served two terms. In 1832 he took vigorous action against the nullifiers of South Carolina, and the next year removed the public money from the United States bank. During his second term the national debt was extinguished. At the close of his administration he retired to the Hermitage, where he died June 8, 1845. COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 78 ANDREW CARNEGIE, the largest manu- facturer of pig-iron, steel rails and coke in the world, well deserves a place among America's celebrated men. He was born November 25, 1835, at Dunfermline, Scotland, and emigrated to the United States with his father in 1845, settling in Pittsburg. Two years later Mr. Carnegie began his business career by attending a small station- ary engine. This work did not suit him and he became a telegraph messenger with the Atlantic and Ohio Co., and later he became an operator, and was one of the first to read telegraphic signals by sound. Mr. Carnegie was afterward sent to the Pittsburg office of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., as clerk to the superintendent and manager of the telegraph lines. While in this position he made the acquaintance of Mr. Woodruff, the inventor of the sleeping-car. Mr. Carnegie immediately became interested and was one of the organizers of the company for its con- struction after the railroad had adopted it, and the success of this venture gave him the nucleus of his wealth. He was promoted to the superintendency of the Pittsburg division of the Pennsylvania Railroad and about this time was one of the syndicate that purchased the Storey farm on Oil Creek which cost forty thousand dollars and in one year it yielded over one million dollars in cash dividends. Mr. Carnegie later was as- sociated with others in establishing a rolling- mill, and from this has grown the most ex- tensive and complete system of iron and steel industries ever controlled by one indi- vidual, embracing the Edgar Thomson Steel Works; Pittsburg Bessemer Steel Works; Lucy Furnaces; Union Iron Mills; Union Mill; Keystone Bridge Works; Hart- man Steel Works; Prick Coke Co.; Scotia Ore Mines. Besides directing his immense iron industries he owned eighteen English newspapers which he ran in the interest of the Radicals. He has also devoted large sums of money to benevolent and educational purposes. In 1879 he erected commodious swimming baths for the people of Dunferm- line, Scotland, and in the following year gave forty thousand dollars for a free librar}'. Mr. Carnegie gave fifty thousand dollars to Bellevue Hospital Medical College in 1884 to found what is now called " Carnegie Lab- oratory, " and in 1885 gave five hundred thousand dollars to Pittsburg for a public library. He also gave two hundred and fiftj' thousand dollars for a music hall and library in Allegheny City in 1886, and two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to Edinburgh, Scot- land, for a free library. He also established free libraries at Braddock, Pennsylvania, and other places for the benefit of his em- ployes. He also published the following works, "An American Four-in-hand in Britain;" "Round the World;" "Trium- phant Democracy; or Fifty Years' March of the Republic." GEORGE H. THOMAS, the " Rock of Chickamauga," one of the best known commanders during the late Civil war, was born in Southampton county, Virginia, July 31, 1 8 16, his parents being of Welsh and French origin respectively. In 1836 young Thomas was appointed a cadet at the Mili- tary Academy, at West Point, from which he graduated in 1840, and was promoted to the office of second lieutenant in the Third Artillery. Shortly after, with his company, he went to Florida, where he served for two years against the Seminole Indians. In 1 84 1 he was brevetted first lieutenant for gallant conduct. He remained in garrison in the south and southwest until 1845, at which date with the regiment he joined the army under General Taylor, and participat 74 COMPENDIUM OF BI0GRAPH2'. ed in the defense of Fort Brown, the storm- ing of Monterey and the battle of Buena Vista. After the latter event he remained in garrison, now brevetted major, until the close of the Mexican war. After a year spent in Florida. Captain Thomas was or- dered to West Point, where he served as in- structor until 1854. He then was trans- ferred to California. In May, 1855, Thom- as was appointed major of the Second Cav- alry, with whom he spent five years inTe.xas. Although a southern man, and surrounded by brother officers who all were afterwards in the Confederate service, Major Thomas never swerved from his allegiance to the government. A. S. Johnston was the col- onel of the regiment, R. E. Lee the lieuten- ant-colonel, and W. J. Hardee, senior ma- jor, while among the younger officers were Hood, Fitz Hugh Lee, Van Dorn and Kirby Smith. When these officers left the regi- ment to take up arms for the Confederate cause he remained with it, and April 17th, 1 86 1, crossed the Potomac into his native state, at its head. After taking an active part in the opening scenes of the war on the Poto- mac and Shenandoah, in August, 1861, he was promoted to be brigadier-general and transferred to the Army of the Cumberland. January 19—20, 1862, Thomas defeated Crittenden at Mill Springs, and this brought him into notice and laid the foundation of his fame. He continued in command of his division until September 20, 1862, except during the Corinth campaign when he com- manded the right wing of the Army of the Tennessee. He was in command of the latter at the battle of Perryville, also, Octo- ber 8, 1862. On the division of the Army of the Cum- berland into corps, January 9, 1863, Gen- eral Thomas was assigned to the command of the Fourteenth, and at the battle of Chick- amauga, after the retreat of Rosecrans, firmly held his own against the hosts of Gen- eral Bragg. A history of his services from that on would be a history of the war in the southwest. On September 27, 1864, Gen- eral Thomas was given command in Ten- nessee, and after organizing his army, de- feated General Hood in the battle of Nash- ville, December 15 and 16, 1864. Much complaint was made before this on account of what they termed Thomas' slowness, and he was about to be superseded because he would not strike until he got ready, but when the blow was struck General Grant was the first to place on record this vindica- tion of Thomas' judgment. He received a vote of thanks from Congress, and from the legislature of Tennessee a gold medal. Af- ter the close of the war General Thomas had command of several of the military di- visions, and died at San Francisco, Cali- fornia, March 28, 1870. GEORGE BANCROFT, one of the most eminent American historians, was a nativeof Massachusetts, born at Worcester, October 3, 1800, and a son of Aaron Bancroft, D. D. The father, Aaron Ban- croft, was born at Reading, Massachusetts,- November 10, 1755. He graduated at Harvard in 1778, became a minister, and for half a century was rated as one of the ablest preachers in New England. He was also a prolific writer and published a number of works among which was " Life of George Washington." Aaron Bancroft died August 19. 1839- The subject of our present biography, George Bancroft, graduated at Harvard in 1817, and the following year entered the University of Gottingen, where he studied history and philology under the most emi- nent teachers, and in 1820 received the de- COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPin'. 75 gree of doctor of philosophy at Gottingen. Upon his return home he published a volume of poems, and later a translation of Heeren's " Reflections on the Politics of Ancient Greece." In 1834 he produced the first volume of his "History of the United States," this being followed by other vol- umes at different intervals later. This was bis greatest work and ranks as the highest authority, taking its place among the great- est of American productions. George Bancroft was appointed secretary of the navy by President Polk in 1845, but resigned in 1846 and became minister pleni- potentiary to England. In 1849 he retired from public life and took up his residence at Washington, D. C. In 1867 he was ap- pointed United States minister to the court of Berlin and negotiated the treaty by which Ger- mans coming to the United States were re- leased from their allegiance to the govern- ment of their native land. In 1871 he was minister plenipotentiary to the German em- pire and served until 1874. The death of George Bancroft occurred January 17, 1891. GEORGE GORDON MEADE, a fa- mous Union general, was born at Cadiz, Spain, December 30, 181 5, his father being United States naval agent at that port. After receiving a good education he entered the West Point Military Academy in 1 83 1. From here he was graduated June 30, 1835, and received the rank of second lieutenant of artillery. He par- ticipated in the Seminole war, but resigned from the army in October, 1836. He en- tered upon the profession of civil engineer, which he followed for several years, part of the time in the service of the government in making surveys of the mouth of the Missis- sippi river. His report and results of some experiments made by him in this service gained Meade much credit. He also was employed in surveying the boundary line of Texas and the northeastern boundary line between the United States and Canada. In 1842 he was reappointed in the army to the position of second lieutenant of engineers. During the Mexican war he served with dis- tinction on the staff of General Taylor in the battles of Palo Alto. Resaca de la Palma and the storming of Monterey. He received his brevet of first lieutenant for the latter action. In 1851 he was made full first lieutenant in his corps; a captain in 1856, and major soon after. At the close of the war with Mexico he was employed in light- house construction and in geodetic surveys until the breaking out of the Rebellion, in which he gained great reputation. In August, 1 86 1, he was made brigadier-general of volunteers and placed in command of the second brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserves, a division of the First Corps in the Army of the Potomac. In the campaign of 1862, under McClellan, Meade took an active part, being present at the battles of Mechan- icsville, Gaines' Mill and Glendale, in the latter of which he was severely wounded. On rejoining his command he was given a division and distinguished himself at its head in the battles of South Mountain and Antie- tam. During the latter, on the wounding of General Hooker, Meade was placed in command of the corps and was himself slightly wounded. For services he was promoted, November, 1862, to the rank of major-general of volunteers. On the recovery of General Hooker General Meade returned to his division and in December, 1862, at Fredericksburg, led an attack which penetrated Lee's right line and swept to his rear. Being outnumbered and un- supported, he finally was driven back. The same month Meade was assigned to the COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. command of the Fifth Corps, and at Chan- cellorsville in May, 1863, his sagacity and ability so struck General Hooker that when the latter asked to be relieved of the com- mand, in June of the same year, he nomi- nated Meade as his successor. June 28, 1863, President Lincoln commissioned Gen- eral Meade commander-in-chief of the Army of the Potomac, then scattered and moving hastily through Pennsylvania to the great and decisive battlefield at Gettysburg, at which he was in full command. With the victory on those July days the name of Meade will ever be associated. From that time until the close of the war he com- manded the Army of the Potomac. In 1864 General Grant, being placed at the head of all the armies, took up his quarters with the Army of the Potomac. From that time until the surrender of Lee at Appo- matox Meade's ability shone conspicuously, and his tact in the delicate position in lead- ing his army under the eye of his superior officer commanded the respect and esteem of General Grant. For services Meade was promoted to the rank of major-general, and on the close of hostilities, in July, 1S65, was assigned to the command of the military division of the Atlantic, with headquarters at Philadelphia. This post he held, with the exception of a short period on detached duty in Georgia, until his death, which took place November 6, 1872. DAVID CROCKETT was a noted hunter and scout, and also one of the earliest of American humorists. He was born Au- gust 17, 1786, in Tennessee, and was one of the most prominent men of his locality, serving as representative in congress from 1827 until 1 83 1. He attracted consider- able notice while a member of congress and was closely associated with General Jack- son, of whom he was a personal friend. He went to Texas and enlisted in the Texan army at the time of the revolt of Texas against Mexico and gained a wide reputa- tion as a scout. He was one of the famous one hundred and forty men under Colonel W. B. Travis who were besieged in Fort Alamo, near San Antonio, Texas, by Gen- eral Santa Anna with some five thousand Mexicans on February 23, 1836. The fort was defended for ten days, frequent assaults being repelled with great slaughter, over one thousand Mexicans being killed or wounded, while not a man in the fort was injured. Finally, on March 6, three as- saults were made, and in the hand-to-hand fight that followed the last, the Texans were wofully outnumbered and overpowered. They fought desperately with clubbed mus- kets till only six were left alive, including W. B. Travis, David Crockett and James Bowie. These surrendered under promise of protection; but when they were brought before Santa Anna he ordered them all to be cut to pieces. HENRY WATTERSON, one of the most conspicuous figures in the history of American journalism, was born at Wash- ington, District of Columbia, February 16, 1 840. His boyhood days were mostly spent in the city of his birth, where his father, Harvey M. Watterson, was editor of the "Union," a well known journal. Owing to a weakness of the eyes, which interfered with a systematic course of study, young Watterson was educated almost en- tirely at home. A successful college career was out of the question, but he acquired a good knowledge of music, literature and art from private tutors, but the most valuable part of the training he received was by as- sociating with his father and the throng of COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. public men whom he met in Washington in the stirring days immediately preceding the Civil war. He began his journalistic career at an early age as dramatic and musical critic, and in 1858, became editor of the "Democratic Review" and at the same time contributed to the "States," a journal of hberal opinions published in Washington. In this he remained until the breaking out of the war, when the "States," opposing the administration, was suppressed, and young Watterson removed to Tennessee. He next appears as editor of the Nashville "Republican Banner," the most influential paper in the state at that time. After the occupation of Nashville by the Federal troops, Watterson served as a volunteer staff officer in the Confederate service until the close of the war, with the exception of a year spent in editing the Chattanooga "Rebel." On the close of the war he returned to Nashville and re- sumed his connection with the "Banner." After a trip to Europe he assumed control of the Louisville "Journal," which he soon combined with the "Courier" and the "Democrat" of that place, founding the well-known "Courier-Journal," the first number of which appeared November 8, 1868. Mr. Watterson also represented his district in congress for several years. PATRICK SARSFIELD GILMORE. one of the most successful and widely known bandmasters and musicians of the last half century in America, was born in Ballygar, Ireland, on Christmas day, 1829. He attended a public school until appren- ticed to a wholesale merchant at Athlone, of the brass band of which town he soon became a member. His passion for music conflicting with the duties of a mercantile life, his position as clerk was exchanged for that of musical instructor to the young sons of his employer. At the age of nineteen he sailed for America and two days after his arrival in Boston was put in charge of the band instrument department of a prominent music house. In the interests of the pub- lications of this house he organized a minstrel company known as " Ord way's Eolians," with which he first achieved success as a cornet soloist. Later on he was called the best E-flat cornetist in the United States. He became leader, successively, of the Suf- folk, Boston Brigade and Salem bands. During his connection with the latter he inaugurated the famous Fourth of July con- certs on Boston Common, since adopted as a regular programme for the celebration of Independence Day. In 1858 Mr. Gilmore founded the organization famous thereafter as Gilmore's Band. At the outbreak of the Civil war this band was attached to the Twenty-Fourth .Massachusetts Infantry. Later, when the economical policy of dis- pensing with music had proved a mistake, Gilmore was entrusted with the re-organiza- tion of state military bands, and upon his arrival at New Orleans with his own band was made bandmaster-general by General Banks. On the inauguration of Governor Hahn, later on, in Lafayette square, New Orleans, ten thousand children, mostly of Confederate parents, rose to the baton of Gilmore and, accompanied by six hundred instruments, thirty-six guns and the united fire of three regiments of infantry, sang the Star-Spangled Banner, America and othe'' patriotic Union airs. In June, 1867, Mr. Gilmore conceived a national musical festi- val, which was denounced as a chimeric&l undertaking, but he succeeded and June 15. 1869, stepped upon the stage of the Boston Colosseum, a vast structure erected for the occasion, and in the presence of over fifty COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. thousand people lifted his baton over an orchestra of one thousand and a chorus of ten thousand. On the 17th of June, 1872, he opened a still greater festival in Boston, when, in addition to an orchestra of two thousand and a chorus of twenty thousand, were present the Band of the Grenadier Guards, of London, of the Garde R'epub- licaine, of Paris, of Kaiser Franz, of Berlin, and one from Dublin, Ireland, together with Johann Strauss, Franz Abt and many other soloists, vocal and instrumental. Gilmore's death occurred September 24, 1892. MARTIN VAN BUREN was the eighth president of the United States, 1837 to 1 84 1. He was of Dutch extraction, and his ancestors were among the earliest set- tlers on the banks of the Hudson. He was born December 5, 1782, at Kinderhook, New York. Mr. Van Buren took up the study of law at the age of fourteen and took an active part in political matters before he had attained his majority. He commenced the practice of law in 1803 at his native town, and in 1809 he removed to Hudson, Columbia county. New York, where he spent seven years gaining strength and wis- dom from his contentions at the bar with some of the ablest men of the profession. Mr. Van Buren was elected to the state senate, and from 18 15 until 18 19 he was at- torney-general of the state. He was re- elected to the senate in 18 16, and in 18 18 he was one of the famous clique of politi- cians known as the "Albany regency." Mr. Van Buren was a member of the con- vention for the revision of the state consti- tution, in 1821. In the same year he was elected to the United States senate and served his term in a manner that caused his re-election to that body in 1827, but re- signed the following year as he had been elected governor of New York. Mr. Van Buren was appointed by President Jackson as secretary ofstatein March, 1829, but resigned in 1 83 1, and during the recess of congress, he was appointed minister to England. The senate, however, when it convened in December refused to ratify the appointment. In May, 1832, he was nominated by the Democrats as their candidate for vice-presi- dent on the ticket with Andrew Jackson, and he was elected in the following Novem- ber. He received the nomination to suc- ceed President Jackson in 1836, as the Democratic candidate, and in the electoral college he received one hundred and seventy votes out of two hundred and eighty-three, and was inaugurated March 4, 1837. His administration was begun at a time of great business depression, and unparalled financial distress, which caused the suspension of specie payments by the banks. Nearly every bank in the country was forced to suspend specie payment, and no less than two hundred and fifty-four business houses failed in New York in one week. The President urged the adoption of the inde- pendent treasury idea, which passed through the senate twice but each time it was de- feated in the house. However the measure ultimately became a law near the close of President Van Buren's term of office. An- other important measure that was passed was the pre-emption law that gave the act- ual settlers preference in the purchase of public lands. The question of slavery had begun to assume great preponderance dur- ing this administration, and a great conflict was tided over by the passage of a resolu- tion that prohibited petitions or papers that in any way related to slavery to be acted upon. In the Democratic convention of 1840 President Van Buren secured the nomination for re-election on that ticket COMrEXDIC.V OF BIOGRAPIIT. without opposition, but in the election he only received the votes of seven states, his opponent, ^^^ H. Harrison, being elected president. In 1848 Mr. Van Buren was the candidate of the " Free-Soilers," but was unsuccessful. After this he retired from public life and spent the remainder of his life on his estate at Kinderhook, where he died July 24, 1862. W INFIELD SCOTT, a distinguished American general, was born June 13, 1786, near Petersburg, Dinwiddie county, Virginia, and was educated at the William and Mary College. He studied law and was admitted to the bar, and in 1808 he accepted an appointment as captain of light artillery, and was ordered to New Orleans. In June, 1 81 2, he was promoted to be lieutenant- colonel, and on application was sent to the frontier, and reported to General Smyth, near Buffalo. He was made adjutant-gen- eral with the rank of a colonel, in March, 1 8 1 3, and the same month attained the colo- nelcy of his regiment. He participated in the principal battles of the war and was wounded many times, and at the close of the war he was voted a gold medal by con- gress for his services. He was a writer of considerable merit on military topics, and he gave to the military science, "General Regulations of the Army " and " System of Infantry and Rifle Practice. " He took a prominent part in the Black Hawk war, and at the beginning of the Mexican war he was appointed to take the command of the army. Gen. Scott immediately assembled his troops at Lobos Island from which he moved by transports to Vera Cruz, which he took March 29, 1847, and rapidly fol- lowed up his first success. He fought the battles of Cerro Gordo and Jalapa, both of which he won, and proceeded to Pueblo where he was preceded by Worth's division which had taken the town and waited for the coming of Scott. The army was forced to wait here for supplies, and August 7th, General Scott started on his victorious march to the city of Mexico with ten thou- sand, seven hundred and thirty-eight men. The battles of Contreras, Cherubusco and San Antonio were fought August 19-20, and on the 24th an armistice was agreed upon, but as the commissioners could not agree on the terms of settlement, the fight- ing was renewed at Molino Del Rey, and the Heights of Chapultepec were carried by the victorious army of General Scott. He gave the enemy no respite, however, and vigorously followed up his advantages. On September 14, he entered the City of Mexico and dictated the terms of surrender in the very heart of the Mexican Republic. General Scott was offered the presidency of the Mexican Republic, but declined. Con- gress extended him a vote of thanks and ordered a gold medal be struck in honor of his generalship and bravery. He was can- didate for the presidency on the Whig plat- form but was defeated. He was honored by having the title of lieutenant-general con- ferred upon him in 1 8 5 5 . At the beginning of the Civil war he was too infirm to take charge of the army, but did signal service in be- half of the government. He retired from the service November i, 1861, and in 1864 he published his "Autobiography." Gen- eral Scott died at West Point, May 29, 1866 EDWARD EVERETT HALE for many years occupied a high place among the most honored of America's citizens. As a preacher he ranks among the foremost in the New England states, but to the gen- eral public he is best known through his writings. Born in Boston, Mass., April 3, so COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPHl'. 1S22, a descendant of one of the most prominent New England families, he enjoyed in his youth many of the advantages denied the majority of boys. He received his pre- paratory schooling at the Boston Latin School, after which he finished his studies at Harvard where he was graduated with high honors in 1839. Having studied theology at home, Mr. Hale embraced the ministry and in 1846 became pastor of a Unitarian church in Worcester, Massachusetts, a post which he occupied about ten years. He then, in 1856, became pastor of the South Congregational church in Boston, over which he presided many years. Mr. Hale also found time to write a great many literary works of a high class. ,\mong many other well-known productions 7f his are " The Rosary," " Margaret Per- :ival in America." "Sketches of Christian iistory," "Kansas and Nebraska," "Let- ters on Irish Emigration," " Ninety Days' Worth of Europe," " If , Yes, and Perhaps," "Ingham Papers," "Reformation," "Level 3est and Other Stories, " ' ' Ups and Downs, " "Christmas Eve and Christmas Day," " In His Name," "Our New Crusade," "Work- ingmen's Homes," " Boys' Heroes," etc., etc., besides many others which might be mentioned. One of his works, "In His Name," has earned itself enduring fame by the good deeds it has called forth. The numerous associations known as ' 'The King's Daughters," which has accomplished much good, owe their existence to the story men- tioned. DAVID GLASCOE FARRAGUT stands pre-eminent as one of the greatest na- val officers of the world. He was born at Campbell's Station, East Tennessee, July 5, 1 801, and entered the navy of the United States as a midshipman. He had the good fortune to serve under Captain David Por- ter, who commanded the " Essex," and by whom he was taught the ideas of devotion to duty from which he never swerved dur- ing all his career. In 1823 Mr. Farragut took part in a severe fight, the result of which was the suppression of piracy in the West Indies. He then entered upon the regular duties of his profession which was only broken into by a year's residence with Charles Folsom, our consul at Tunis, who was afterwards a distinguished professor at Harvard. Mr. Farragut was one of the best linguists in the navy. He had risen through the different grades of the service until the war of 1861-65 found him a captain resid- ing at Norfolk, Virginia. He removed with his family to Hastings, on the Hudson, and hastened to offer his services to the Federal government, and as the capture of New Orleans had been resolved upon, Farragut was chosen to command the expedition. His force consisted of the West Gulf block- ading squadron and Porter's mortar flotilla. In January, 1862, he hoisted his pennant at the mizzen peak of the "Hartford" at Hampton roads, set sail from thence on the 3rd of February and reached Ship Island on the 20th of the same month. A council of war was held on the 20th of April, in which it was decided that whatever was to be done must be done quickly. The signal was made from the flagship and accordingly the fleet weighed anchor at 1:55 on the morning of April 24th, and at 3:30 the whole force was under way. The history of this brilliant strug- gle is well known, and the glory of it made Far- ragut a hero and also made him rear admir- al. In the summer of 1 862 he ran the batteries at Vicksburg, and on March 14, 1863, he passed through the fearful and destructive fire from Port Hudson, and opened up com- munication with Flag-officer Porter, who COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. had control of the upper Mississippi. On May 24th he commenced active operations aj,'ainst that fort in conjunction with the army and it fell on July 9th. Mr. Farragut filled the measure of his fame on the 5th of Au- gust, 1864, by his great victory, the capture of Mobile Bay and the destruction of the Confederate fleet, including the formidable ram Tennessee. For this victory the rank of admiral was given to Mr. Farragut. He died at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Au- gust 4, 1870. GEORGE W. CHILDS. a philanthropist whose remarkable personality stood for the best and highest type of American citizenship, and whose whole life was an object lesson in noble living, was born in 1829 at Baltimore, Maryland, of humble ]iarents, and spent his early life in unremit- ting toil. He was a self-made man in the fullest sense of the word, and gained his great wealth by his own efforts. He was a man of very great influence, and this, in conjunction with his wealth, would have been, in the hands of other men, a means of getting them political preferment, but Mr. Childs steadily declined any suggestions that would bring him to figure prominently in public affairs. He did not choose to found a financial dynasty, but devoted all his powers to the helping of others, with the most enlightened beneficence and broadest sympathy. Mr. Childs once remarked that his greatest pleasure in life was in doing good to others. He always despised mean- ness, and one of his objects of life was to prove that a man could be liberal and suc- cessful at the same time. Upon these lines Mr. Childs made a name for himself as the director of one of the representative news- papers of America, "The Philadelphia Pub- lic Ledger," which was owned jointly by himself and the Drexel estate, and which he edited for thirty years. He acquired con- trol of the paper at a time when it was be- ing published at a heavy loss, set it upon a firm basis of prosperity, and he made it more than a money- making machine — he made it respected as an exponent of the best side of journalism, and it stands as a monument to his sound judgment and up- right business principles. Mr. Childs' char- itable repute brought him many applications for assistance, and he never refused to help any one that was deserving of aid; and not only did he help those who asked, but he would by careful inquiry find those who needed aid but were too proud to solicit it. He was a considerable employer of labor and his liberality was almost unparalleled. The death of this great and good man oc- curred February 3d, 1894. PATRICK HENRY won his way to un- dying fame in the annals of the early history of the United States by introducing into the house of burgesses his famous reso- lution against the Stamp Act, which he car- ried through, after a stormy debate, by a majority of one. At this time he exclaimed " Caesar had his Brutus, Charles I his Crom- well and George HI " (here he was inter- rupted by cries of " treason ") " may profit by their example. If this be treason make the most of it." Patrick Henry was born at Studley, Hanover county, Virginia, May 29, 1736, and was a son of Colonel John Henry, a magistrate and school teacher of Aberdeen, Scotland, and a nephew of Robertson, the historian. He received his education from his father, and was married at the age of eighteen. He was twice bankrupted before he had reached his twenty-fourth year, when after six weeks of study he was admitted to 84 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. the bar. He worked for three years with- out a case and finally was applauded for his plea lor the people's rights and gained im- mense popularity. After his famous Stamp Act resolution he was the leader of the pa- triots in Virginia. In 1769 he was admitted to practice in the general courts and speed- ily won a fortune by his distinguished ability as a speaker. He was the first speaker of the General Congress at Philadelphia in 1774. He was for a time a colonel of militiain 1775, and from 1776 to 1779 and 1 78 1 to 1786 he was governor of Virginia. For a number of years he retired from pub- lic life and was tendered and declined a number of important political offices, and in March, 1789, he was elected state senator but aid not take his seat on account of his death which occurred at Red Hill, Charlotte county, Virginia, June 6, 1799. BENEDICT ARNOLD, an American general and traitor of the Revolution- ary war, is one of the noted characters in Amei'ican history. He was born in Nor- wich, Connecticut, January 3, 1740. He ran away and enlisted in the army when young, but deserted in a short time. He then became a merchant at New Haven, Connecticut, but failed. In 1775 ^^ was commissioned colonel in the Massachusetts militia, and in the autumn of that year was placed in command of one thousand men for the invasion of Canada. He marched his army through the forests of Maine and joined General Montgomery before Quebec. Their combined forces attacked that city on December 31, 1775, and Montgomery was killed, and Arnold, severely wounded, was compelled to retreat and endure a rigorous winter a few miles from the city, where they were at the mercy of the Canadian troops had they cared to attack them. On his re- turn he was raised to the rank of brigadier- general. He was given command of a small flotilla on Lake Champlain, with which he encountered an immense force, and though defeated, performed many deeds of valor. He resented the action of congress in pro- moting a number of his fellow officers and neglecting himself. In 1777 he was made major-general, and under General Gates at Bemis Heights fought valiantly. For some reason General Gates found fault with his conduct and ordered him under arrest, and he was kept in his tent until the battle of Stillwater was waxing hot, when Arnold mounted his horse and rode to the front of his old troop, gave command to charge, and rode like a mad man into the thickest of the fight and was not overtaken by Gates' courier until he had routed the enemy and fell wounded. Upon his recovery he was made general, and was placed in command at Philadelphia. Here he married, and his acts of rapacity soon resulted in a court- martial. He was sentenced to be repri- manded by the commander-in-chief, and though Washington performed this duty with utmost delicacy and consideration, it was never forgiven. Arnold obtained com- mand at West Point, the most important post held by the Americans, in 1780, and immediately offered to surrender it to Sir Henry Clinton, British commander at New York. Major Andre was sent to arrange details with Arnold, but on his return trip to New York he was captured by Americans, the plot was detected, and Andre suffered the death penalty as a spy. Arnold es- caped, and was paid about $40,000 by the British for his treason and was made briga- dier-general. He afterward commanded an expedition that plundered a portion of Vir- ginia, and another that burned New Lon- don, Connecticut, and captured Fort Trum- coMrEXDiiM or BlOGRAriir. 86 bull, the commandant of which Arnold mur- dered with the sword he had just surren- dered. He passed the latter part of his life in Enj^land, universally despised, and died in London June 14, 1801. ROBERT G. INGERSOLL, one of the most brilliant orators that America has produced, also a lawyer of considerable merit, won most of his fame as a lecturer. Mr. Ingersoll was born August 24, 1833, at Dryden, Gates county. New York, and received his education in the common schools. He went west at the age of twelve, and for a short time he attended an academy in Tennessee, and also taught school in that state. He began the practice of law in the southern part of Illinois in 1854. Colonel Ingersoll's principal fame was made in the lecture room by his lectures in which he ridiculed religious faith and creeds and criti- cised the Bible and the Christian religion. He was the orator of the day in the Decora- tion Day celebration in the city of New York in 1882 and his oration was widely com- mended. He first attracted political notice in the convention at Cincinnati in 1876 by his brilliant eulogy on James G. Blaine. He practiced law in Peoria, Illinois, for a num- ber of years, but later located in the city of New York. He published the follow- ing: "The Gods and other Lectures;" "The Ghosts;" "Some Mistakes of Moses;" "What Shall I Do To Be Saved;" "Inter- views on Talmage and Presbyterian Cate- chism ;" The " North American Review Controversy;" "Prose Poems;" " A Vision of War ; ' etc. JOSEPH ECCLESTON JOHNSTON, a noted general in the Confederate army, was born in Prince Edward county. Virginia, in 1807. He graduated from West Point and entered the army in 1829. For a num- ber of years his chief service was garrison duty. He saw active service, however, in the Seminole war in Florida, part of the time as a staff officer of General Scott. He resigned his commission in 1837, but re- turned to the army a year later, and was brevetted captain for gallant services in Florida. He was made first lieutenant of topographical engineers, and was engaged in river and harbor improvements and also in the survey of the Texas boundary and the northern boundary of the United States until the beginning of the war with Mexico. He was at the siege of Vera Cruz, and at the battle of Cerro Gordo was wounded while reconnoitering the enemy's position, after which he was brevetted major and colonel. He was in all the battles about the city of Mexico, and was again wounded in the final assault upon that city. After the Mexican war closed he returned to duty as captain of topographical engineers, but in 1855 he was made lieutenant-colonel of cavalry and did frontier duty, and was ap- pointed inspector-general of the expedition to Utah. In i860 he was appointed quar- termaster-general with rank of brigadier- general. At the outbreak of hostilities in 1 86 1 he resigned his commission and re- ceived the appointment of major-general of the Confederate army. He held Harper's Ferry, and later fought General Patterson about Winchester. At the battle of Bull Run he declined command in favor of Beau- regard, and acted under that general's direc- tions. He commanded the Confederates in the famous Peninsular campaign, and was severely wounded at Fair Oaks and was succeeded in command by General Lee. Upon his recovery he was made lieutenant- general and assigned to the command of the southwestern department. He attempted COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. to raise the siege of Vicksburg, and was finally defeated at Jackson, Mississippi. Having been made a general he succeeded General Bragg in command of the army of Tennessee and was ordered to check General Sherman's advance upon Atlanta. Not daring to risk a battle with the overwhelm- ing forces of Sherman, he slowly retreated toward Atlanta, and was relieved of com- mand by President Davis and succeeded by General Hood. Hood utterly destroyed his own army by three furious attacks upon Sherman. Johnston was restored to com- mand in the Carolinas, and again faced Sherman, but was defeated in several en- gagements and continued a slow retreat toward Richmond. Hearing of Lee's sur- render, he communicated with General Sherman, and finally surrendered his army at Durham, North Carolina, April 26, 1865. General Johnston was elected a member of the forty-sixth congress and was ap- pointed United States railroad commis- sioner in 1885. His death occurred March 21, 1891. SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS, known throughout the civilized world as "Mark Twain," is recognized as one of the greatest humorists America has pro- duced. He was born in Monroe county, Missouri, November 30, 1835. Hespenthis boyhood days in his native state and many of his earlier experiences are related in vari- ous forms in his later writings. One of his early acquaintances, Capt. Isaiah Sellers, at an early day furnished river news for the New Orleans " Picayune," using the noin- dc-plume of "Mark Twain." Sellers died in 1863 and Clemens took up his noni-de- pliiiiie and made it famous throughout the world by his literary work. In 1862 Mr. Clemens became a journalist at Virginia, Nevada, and afterward followed the same pro- fession at San Francisco and Buffalo, New York. He accumulated a fortune from the sale of his many publications, but in later years engaged in business enterprises, partic- ularly the manufacture of a typesetting ma- chine, which dissipated his fortune and re- duced him almost to poverty, but with resolute heart he at once again took up his pen and engaged in literary work in the effort to regain his lost ground. Among the best known of his works may be mentioned the fol- lowing: ' ' The Jumping Frog, " ' ' Tom Saw- yer," " Roughingit," " Innocents Abroad," "Huckleberry Finn," "Gilded Age," "Prince and Pauper," "Million Pound Bank Note," "A Yankee in King Arthur's Court," etc. CHRISTOPHER CARSON, better known as "Kit Carson;" was an Amer- ican trapper and scout who gained a wide reputation for his frontier work. He was a native of Kentucky, born December 24th, 1809. He grew to manhood there, devel- oping a natural inclination for adventure in the pioneer experiences in his native state. When yet a young man he became quite well known on the frontier. He served as a guide to Gen. Fremont in his Rocky Mountain explorations and enlisted in the army. He was an officer in the United States service in both the Mexican war and the great Civil war, and in the latter received a brevet of brigadier-general for meritorious service. His death occurred May 23, JOHN SHERMAN.— Statesman, politi- cian, cabinet officer and senator, the name of the gentleman who heads this sketch is al- most a household word throughout this country. Identified with some of the most COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 87 important measures adopted by our Govern- ment since the close of the Civil war, he may well be called one of the leading men of his day. John Sherman was born at Lancaster, Fairfield county, Ohio, May loth, 1823, the son of Charles R. Sherman, an emi- nent lawyer and judge of the supreme court of Ohio and who died in 1829. The subject of this article received an academic educa- tion and was admitted to the bar in 1844. In the Whig conventions of 1844 and 1848 he sat as a delegate. He was a member of the National house of representatives, from 1855 to 1861. In i860 he was re- elected to the same position but was chosen United States senator before he took his seat in the lower house. He was re-elected senator in 1866 and 1872 and was long chairman of the committee on finance and on agriculture. He took a prominent part in debates on finance and on the conduct of the war, and was one of the authors of the reconstruction measures in 1 866 and 1867, and was appointed secretary of the treas- ury March 7th, 1877. Mr. Sherman was re-elected United States senator from Ohio January i8th, 1881, and again in 1886 and 1892, during which time he was regarded as one of the most promi- nent leaders of the Republican party, both in the senate and in the country. He was several times the favorite of his state for the nomination for president. On the formation of his cabinet in March, 1897, President McKinley tendered the posi- tion of secretary of state to Mr. Sherman, which was accepted. WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, ninth president of the United States, was born in Charles county, Virginia, February 9, 1773, the son of Governor Benjamin Harrison. He took a course in Hampden- Sidney College with a view to the practice of medicine, and then went to Philadelphia to study under Dr. Rush, but in 1791 he entered the army, and obtained the commis- sion of ensign, was soon promoted to the lieutenancy, and was with General Wayne in his war against the Indians. For his valuable service he was promoted to the rank of captain and given command of Fort Washington, now Cincinnati. He was ap- pointed secretary of the Northwest Territory in 1797, and in 1799 became its representa- tive in congress. In 1801 he was appointed governor of Indiana Territory, and held the position for twelve years, during which time he negotiated important treaties with the In- dians, causing them to relinquish millions of acres of land, and also won the battle of Tippecanoe in 181 1. He succeeded in obtaining a change in the law which did not permit purchase of public lands in less tracts than four thousand acres, reducing the limit to three hundred and twenty acres. He became major-general of , Kentucky militia and brigadier-general in the United States army in 181 2, and won great renown in the defense of Fort Meigs, and his victory over the British and Indians under Proctor and Tecumseh at the Thames river, October 5. 1813- In 1 8 16 General Harrison was elected to congress from Ohio, and during the canvass was accused of corrupt methods in regard to the commissariat of the army. He demanded an investigation after the election and was exonerated. In 1819 he was elected to the Ohio state senate, and in 1824 he gave his vote as a presidential elector to Henry Clay. He became a member of the United States senate the same year. During the last year of Adams' administration he was sent as minister to Colombia, but was re- 88 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. called by President Jackson the following year. He then retired to his estate at North Bend, Ohio, a few miles below Cincinnati. In 1836 he was a candidate for the presidency, but as there were three other candidates the votes were divided, he receiving seventy- three electoral votes, a majority going to Mr. Van Buren, the Democratic candidate. Four years later General Harrison was again nominated by the Whigs, and elected by a tremendous majority. The campaign was noted for its novel features, many of which have found a permanent place in subsequent campaigns. Those peculiar to that cam- paign, however, were the " log-cabin " and " hard cider" watchwords, which produced great enthusiasm among his followers. One month after his inauguration he died from an attack of pleurisy, April 4, 1841. CHARLES A. DANA, the well-known and widely-read journalist of New York City, a native of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, was born August 8, 18 19. He received the elements of a good education in his youth and studied for two years at Harvard University. Owing to some disease of the eyes he was unable to complete his course and graduate, but was granted the degree of A. M. notwithstanding. For some time he was editor of the " Harbinger," and was a regular contributor to the Boston " Chrono- type." In 1847 he became connected with the New York " Tribune, "and continued on the staff of that journal until 1858. In the latter year he edited and compiled "The Household Book of Poetry," and later, in connection with George Ripley, edited the "New American Cyclopaedia." Mr. Dana, on severing his connection with the " Tribune " in 1867, became editor of the New York "Sun," a paper with which he was identified for many years, and which he made one of the leaders of thought in the eastern part of the United States. He wielded a forceful pen and fearlessly attacked whatever was corrupt and unworthy in politics, state or national. The same year, 1867, Mr. Dana organized the New York "Sun" Company. During the troublous days of the war, when the fate of the Nation depended upon the armies in the field, Mr. Dana accepted the arduous and responsible position of assistant secretary of war, and held the position during the greater part of 1863 and 1864. He died October 17, 1897. ASA GRAY was recognized throughout the scientific world as one of the ablest and most eminent of botanists. He was born at Paris, Oneida county, New York, November 18, 1810. He received his medi- cal degree at the Fairfield College of Physi- cians and Surgeons, in Herkimer county, New York, and studied botany with the late Professor Torrey, of New York. He was appointed botanist to the Wilkes expedition in 1834, but declined the offer and became professor of natural history in Harvard Uni- versity in 1842. He retired from the active duties of this post in 1873, and in 1874 he was the regent of the Smithsonian Institu- tion at Washington, District of Columbia. Dr. Gray wrote several books on the sub- ject of the many sciences of which he was master. In 1836 he published his "Ele- ments of Botany," "Manual of Botany" in 1848; the unfinished "Flora of North America," by himself and Dr. Torrey, the publication of which commenced in 1838. There is another of his unfinished works called "Genera Boreali-Americana," pub- lished in 1848, and the "Botany of the United States Pacific Exploring Expedition in 1854. " He wrote many elaborate papers COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. 89 on the botany of the west and southwest that were pubUshed in the Smithsonian Con- tributions, Memoirs, etc., of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of which in- stitution he was president for ten years. He was also the author of many of the government reports. " How Plants Grow," " Lessons in Botany," " Structural and Sys- tematic Botany," are also works from his ready pen. Dr. Gray published in 1861 his "Free Examination of Darwin's Treatise " and his " Darwiniana," in 1876. Mr. Gray was elected July 29, 1878, to a membership in the Institute of France, Academy of Sciences. His death occurred at Cambridge, Massa- chusetts, January 30, 1889. WILLIAM MAXWELL EVARTS was one of the greatest leaders of the American bar. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, February 6, 18 18, and grad- uated from Yale College in 1837. He took up the study of law, which he practiced in the city of New York and won great renown as an orator and advocate. He affiliated with the Republican party, which he joined soon after its organization. He was the leading counsel employed for the defense of President Johnson in his trial for impeach- ment before the senate in April and May of 1868. In July, 1868, Mr. Evarts was appointed attorney-general of the United States, and served until March 4, 1869. • He was one of the three lawyers who were selected by President Grant in 1871 to defend the inter- ests of the citizens of the United States be- fore the tribunal of arbitration which met at Geneva in Switzerland to settle the con- troversy over the " Alabama Claims." He was one of the most eloquent advo- cates in the United States, and many of his public addresses have been preserved and published. He was appointed secretary of state March 7, 1877, by President Hayes, and served during the Hayes administration. He was elected senator from the state of New York January 21, 1885, and at once took rank among the ablest statesmen in Congress, and the prominent part he took in the discussion of public questions gave him a national reputation. JOHN WANAMAKER.— The life of this great merchant demonstrates the fact that the great secret of rising from the ranks is, to-day, as in the past ages, not so much the ability to make money, as to save it, or in other words, the ability to live well within one's income. Mr. Wanamaker was born in Philadelphia in 1838. He started out in life working in a brickyard for a mere pit- tance, and left that position to work in a book store as a clerk, where he earned the sum of $5.00 per month, and later on was in the employ of a clothier where he received twenty-five cents a week more. He was only fifteen years of age at that time, but was a " money-getter " by instinct, and laid by a small sum for a possible rainy day. By strict attention to business, com- bined with natural ability, he was promoted many times, and at the age of twenty he had saved $2,000. After several months vacation in the south, he returned to Phila- delphia and became a master brick mason, but this was too tiresome to the young man, and he opened up the " Oak Hall " clothing store in April, 1861, at Philadelphia. The capital of the firm was rather limited, but finally, after many discouragements, they laid the foundations of one of the largest business houses in the world. The estab- lishment covers at the present writing some fourteen acres of floor space, and furnishes 90 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. employment for five thousand persons. Mr. Wanamaker was also a great church worker, and built a church that cost him $60,000, and he was superintendent of the Sunday- school, which had a membership of over three thousand children. He steadily re- fused to run for mayor or congress and the only public office that he ever held was that of postmaster-general, under the Harrison administration, and here he exhibited his extraordinary aptitude for comprehending the details of public business. DAVID BENNETT HILL, a Demo- cratic politician who gained a na- tional reputation, was born August 29, 1843, at Havana, New York. He was educated at the academy of his native town, and removed to Elmira, New York, in 1862, where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1864, in which year he was ap- pointed city attorney. Mr. Hill soon gained a considerable practice, becoming prominent in his profession. He developed a taste for politics in which he began to take an active part in the different campaigns and became the recognized leader of the local Democ- racy. In 1870 he was elected a member of the assembly and was re-elected in 1872. While a member of this assembly he formed the acquaintance of Samuel J. Tilden, after- ward governor of the state, who appointed Mr. Hill, W. M. Evarts and Judge Hand as a committee to provide a uniform charter for the different cities of the state. The pressure of professional engagements com- pelled him to decline to serve. In 1877 Mr. Hill was made chairman of the Demo- cratic state convention at Albany, his elec- tion being due to the Tilden wing of the party, and he held the same position again in 1 88 1. He served one term as alderman in Elmira, at the expiration of which term, in 1882, he was elected mayor of Elmira, and in September of the same year was nominated for lieutenant-governor on the Democratic state ticket. He was success- ful in the campaign and two years later, when Grover Cleveland was elected to the presidency, Mr. Hill succeeded to the gov- ernorship for the unexpired term. In 1885 he was elected governor for a full term of three years, at the end of which he was re- elected, his term expiring in 1891, in which year he was elected United States senator. In the senate he became a conspicuous figure and gained a national reputation. ALLEN G. THURMAN.—" The noblest Roman of them all " was the title by which Mr. Thurman was called by his com- patriots of the Democracy. He was the greatest leader of the Democratic party in his day and held the esteem of all the people, regardless of their political creeds. Mr. Thurman was born November 13, 18 13, at Lynchburg, Virginia, where he remained until he had attained the age of six years, when he moved to Ohio. He received an academic education and after graduating, took up the study of law, was admitted to the bar in 1835, and achieved a brilliant success in that line. In political life he was very successful, and his first office was that of representative of the state of Ohio in the twenty-ninth congress. He was elected judge of the supreme court of Ohio in 1851, and was chief justice of the same from 1854 to 1856. In 1867 he was the choice of the Democratic party of his state for governor, and was elected to the United States senate in 1869 to succeed Benjamin F. Wade, and was re-elected to the same position in 1874. He was a prominent figure in the senate, until the expiration of his service in 1 88 1. Mr. Thurman was also one of the COMPEXDIUM OF BIOGRAPIir. principal presidental possibilities in the Democratic convention held at St. Louis in 1876. In 1888 he was the Democratic nominee for vice-president on the ticket with Grover Cleveland, but was defeated. Allen Cranberry Thurman died December 12, 1895, ^t Columbus, Ohio. CHARLES FARRAR BROWNE, better known as •' Artemus Ward," was born April 26, 1834, in the village of Waterford, Maine. He was thirteen years old at the time of his father's death, and about a year later he was apprenticed to John M. Rix, who published the "Coos County Dem- ocrat " at Lancaster, New Hampshire. Mr. Browne remained with him one year, when, hearing that his brother Cyrus was starting a paper at Norway, Maine, he left Mr. Rix and determined to get work on the new paper. He worked for his brother until the failure of the newspaper, and then went to Augusta, Maine, where he remained a few weeks and then removed to Skowhegan, and secured a position on the "Clarion." But either the climate or the work was not satisfactory to him, for one night he silently left the town and astonished his good mother by appearing unexpectedly at home. Mr. Browne then received some letters of recom- mendation to Messrs. Snow and Wilder, of Boston, at whose office Mrs. Partington's (B. P. Shillaber) " Carpet Bag " was printed, and he was engaged and remained there for three years. He then traveled westward in search of employment and got as far as Tif- fin, Ohio, where he found employment in the office of the "Advertiser," and remained there some months when he proceeded to Toledo, Ohio, where he became one of the staff of the "Commercial," which position he held until 1857. Mr. Browne next went to Cleveland, Ohio, and became the local editor of the "Plain Dealer," and it was m the columns of this paper that he published his first articles and signed them "Artemus Ward." In i860 he went to New York and became the editor of " Vanity Fair," but the idea of lecturing here seized him, and he was fully determined to make the trial. Mr. Browne brought out his lecture, "Babes in the Woods "at Clinton Hall, December 23, 1861, and in 1862 he published his first book entitled, " Artemus Ward; His Book." He attained great fame as a lecturer and his lectures were not confined to America, for he went to England in 1866, and became exceedingly popular, both as a lecturer and a contributor to "Punch." Mr. Browne lectured for the last time January 23, 1867. He died in Southampton, England, March 6, 1867. THURLOW WEED, a noted journalist and politician, was born in Cairo, New York, November 15, 1797. He learned the printer's trade at the age of twelve years, and worked at this calling for several years in various villages in central New York. He served as quartermaster-sergeant during the war of 18 1 2. In 1818 he established the "Agriculturist," at Norwich, New York, and became editor of the "Anti-Masonic Enquirer," at Rochester, in 1826. In the same year he was elected to the legislature and re-elected in 1830, when he located in Albany, New York, and there started the " Evening Journal," and conducted it in op- position to the Jackson administration and the nullification doctrines of Calhoun. He became an adroit party manager, and was instrumental in promoting the nominations of Harrison, Taylor and Scott for the pres- idency. In 1856 and in i860 he threw his support to W. H. Seward, but when defeat- ed in his object, he gave cordial support to 92 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHT. Fremont and Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln pre- VE'led upon him to visit the various capitals of Europe, where he proved a valuable aid to the administration in moulding the opin- ions of the statesmen of that continent favorable to the cause of the Union. Mr. Weed's connection with the ' ' Even- ing Journal " was severed in 1862, when he settled in New York, and for a time edited the " Commercial Advertiser." In 1868 he retired from active life. His " Letters from Europe and the West Indies," published in 1866, together with some interesting " Rem- iniscences," published in the "Atlantic Monthly," in 1870, an autobiography, and portions of an extensive correspondence will be of great value to writers of the political history of the United States. Mr. Weed died in New York, November 22, 1882. WILLIAM COLLINS WHITNEY, one of the prominent Democratic politicians of the country and ex-secretary of the navy, was born July 5th, 1841, at Con- way, Massachusetts, and received his edu- cation at Williston Seminary, East Hamp- ton, Massachusetts, Later he attended Yale College, where he graduated in 1863, and entered the Harvard Law School, which he left in 1864. Beginning practice in New York city, he soon gained a reputation as an able lawyer. He made his first appear- ance in public affairs in 1871, when he was active in organizing a young men's Demo- cratic club. In 1872 he was the recognized leader of the county Democracy and in 1875 was appointed corporation counsel for the city of New York. He resigned the office, 1882, to attend to personal interests and on March 5, 1885, he was appointed secretary of the navy by President Cleveland. Under his administration the navy of the United States rapidly rose in rank among the navies of the world. When he retired from office in 1889, the vessels of the United States navy designed and contracted for by him were five double-turreted monitors, two new armor-clads, the dynamite cruiser "Ve- suvius," and five unarmored steel and iron cruisers. Mr. Whitney was the leader of the Cleveland forces in the national Democratic convention of 1892. EDWIN FORREST, the first and great- est American tragedian, was born in Philadelphia in 1806. His father was a tradesman, and some accounts state that he had marked out a mercantile career for his son, Edwin, while others claim that he had intended him for the ministry. His wonder- ful memory, his powers of mimicry and his strong musical voice, however, attracted at- tention before he was eleven years old, and at that age he made his first appearance on the stage. The costume in which he appeared was so ridiculous that he left the stage in a fit of anger amid a roar of laughter from the audience. This did not discourage him, however, and at the age of fourteen, after some preliminary training in elocution, he appeared again, this time as Young Norvel, and gave indications of future greatness. Up to 1826 he played entirely with strolling companies through the south and west, but at that time he obtained an engagement at the Bowery Theater in New York. From that time his fortune was made. His man- ager paid him $40 per night, and it is stated that he loaned Forrest to other houses from time to time at $200 per night. His great successes were Virginius, Damon, Othello. Coriolanus, William Tell, Spartacus and Lear. He made his first appearance in London in 1836, and his success was un- questioned from the start. In 1845, on his COMPEXDTU^r OF BfOGRAriir. second appearance in London, he became involved in a bitter rivalry with the great English actor. Macready, who had visited America two years before. The result was that Forrest was hissed from the stage, and it was charged that Macready had instigated the plot. Forrest's resentment was so bitter that he himself openly hissed Macready from his box a few nights later. In 1848 Macready again visited America at a time when American admiration and enthusiasm for Forrest had reached its height. Macready undertook to play at Astor Place Opera House in May, 1849, but was hooted off the stage. A few nights later Macready made a second attempt to play at the same house, thistime under police protection. The house was filled with Macready'sfriends, butthe vio- olence of the mob outside stopped the play, and the actor barely escaped with his life. Upon reading the riot act the police and troops were assaulted with stones. The troops replied, first with blank cartridges, and then a volley of lead dispersed the mob, leaving thirty men dead or seriously wounded. After this incident Forrest's popularity waned, until in 1855 he retired from the stage. He re-appeared in i860, however, and probably the most remunerative period of his life was between that date and the close of the Civil war. His last appearance on the stage was at the Globe Theatre, Boston, in Richelieu, in April, 1872, his death occurring December 12 of that year. NOAH PORTER, D. D., LL. D., was one of the most noted educators, au- thors and scientific writers of the United States. He was born December 14, 181 1, at Farmington, Connecticut, graduated at Yale College in 1831, and was master of Hopkins Grammar School at New Haven in 1831-33. During 1833-35 he was a tutor at Yale, and at the same time was pursuing his theological studies, and became pastor of the Congregational church at New Mil- ford, Connecticut, in April, 1836. Dr. Porter removed to Springfield, Massachu- setts, in 1843, and was chosen professor of metaphysics and moral philosophy at Yale in 1846. He spent a year in Germany in the study of modern metaphysics in 1853- 54, and in 1871 he was elected president of Yale College. He resigned the presidency in 1885, but still remained professor of met- aphysics and moral philosophy. He was the author of a number of works, among which are the following: "Historical Es- say," written in commemorationof the 200th aniversary of the settlement of the town of Farmington; " Educational System of the Jesuits Compared;" "The Human Intel- lect," with an introduction upon psychology and the soul; " Books and Reading;" "American Colleges and the American Pub- lic;" " Elementsof Intellectual Philosophy;" " The Science of Nature versus the Science of Man;" "Science and Sentiment;" "Ele- ments of Moral Science." Dr. Porter was the principal editor of the revised edition of Webster's Dictionary in 1864, and con- tributed largely to religious reviews and periodicals. Dr. Porter's death occurred March 4, 1892, at New Haven, Connecticut. JOHN TYLER, tenth president of the United States, was born in Charles City county, Virginia, March 29, 1790, and was the son of Judge John Tyler, one of the most distinguished men of his day. When but twelve years of age young John Tyler entered William and Mary Col- lege, graduating from there in 1806. He took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1809, when but nineteen years 94 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. of age. On attaining his majority in 1811 he was elected a member of the state legis- lature, and for five years held that position by the almost unanimous vote of his county. He was elected to congress in 18 16, and served in that body for four years, after which for two years he represented his dis- trict again in the legislature of the state. While in congress, he opposed the United States bank, the protective policy and in- ternal improvements by the United States governmont. 1825 saw Mr. Tyler governor of Virginia, but in 1827 he was chosen member of the United States senate, and held that office for nine years. He therein opposed the administration of Adams and the tariff bill of 1828, sympathized with the nullii?ers of South Carolina and was the only senator who voted against the Force bill lor the suppression of that state's insip- ient rebellion. He resigned his position as senator on account of a disagreement with the legislature of his state in relation to his censuring President Jackson. He retired to Williamsburg, Virginia, but being regarded as a martyr by the Whigs, whom, hereto- fore, he had always opposed, was supported by many of that party for the vice-presi- dency in 1836. He sat in the Virginia leg- islature as a Whig in 1839-40, and was a delegate to the convention of that party in i8;9. This national convention nominated him for the second place on the ticket with General William H. H. Harrison, and he was elected vice-president in November, 1840. President Harrison dying one month after his inauguration, he was succeeded by John Tyler. He retained the cabinet chosen by his predecessor, and for a time moved in harmony with the Whig party. He finally instructed the secretary of the treasury, Thomas Ewing, to submit to congress a bill for the incorporation of a fiscal bank of the United States, which was passed by con- gress, but vetoed by the president on ac- count of some amendments he considered unconstitutional. For this and other meas- ures he was accused of treachery to his party, and deserted by his whole cabinet, except Daniel Webster. Things grew worse until he was abandoned by the Whig party formally, when Mr. Webster resigned. He was nominated at Baltimore, in May, 1844, at the Democratic convention, as their pres- idential candidate, but withdrew from the canvass, as he saw he had not succeed- ed in gaining the confidence of his old party. He then retired from politics until February, 1861, when he was made presi- dent of the abortive peace congress, which met in Washington. He shortly after re- nounced his allegiance to the United States and was elected a member of the Confeder- ate congress. He died at Richmond, Janu- ary 17, 1862. Mr. Tyler married, in 18 13, Miss Letitia Christian, who died in 1842 at Washington. June 26, 1844, he contracted a second mar- riage, with Miss Julia Gardner, of New York. COLLIS POTTER HUNTINGTON, one of the great men of his time and who has left his impress upon the history of our national development, was born October 22, 1 82 1, at Harwinton, Connecticut. He received a common-school education and at the age of fourteen his spirit of get- ting along in the world mastered his educa- tional propensities and his father's objec- tions and he left school. He went to Cali- fornia in the early days and had opportunities which he handled masterfully. Others had the same opportunities but they did not have his brains nor his energy, and it was he who overcame obstacles and reaped the reward of his genius. Transcontinental railways COMPEXniLM OF BIOGRAPHr. 95 were inevitable, but the realization of this masterful achievement would have been de- layed to a much later day if there had been no Huntington. He associated himself with Messrs. Mark Hopkins, Leland Stanford, and Charles Crocker, and they furnished the money necessary for a survey across the Sierra Nevadas, secured a charter for the road, and raised, with the government's aid, money enough to construct and equip that railway, which at the time of its completion was a marvel of engineering and one of the wonders of the world. Mr. Huntington be- came president of the Southern Pacific rail- road, vice-president of the Central Pacific; trustee of the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company, and a director of the Occidental and Oriental Steamship Company, besides being identified with many other business enterprises of vast importance. GEORGE A. CUSTER, a famous In- dian fighter, was born in Ohio in 1840. He graduated at West Point in 1861, an- served in the Civil war; was at Bull Run id 1861, and was in the Peninsular campaign, being one of General McClellan's aides-de, camp. He fought in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam in 1863, and was with General Stoneman on his famous cavalry raid. He was engaged in the battle of Gettysburg, and was there made brevet- major. In 1863 was appointed brigadier- general of volunteers. General Custer was in many skirmishes in central Virginia in 1863-64, and was present at the following battles of the Richmond campaign: Wil- derness, Todd's Tavern, Yellow Tavern, where hewasbrevetted lieutenant-colonel; Meadow Bridge, Haw's Shop, Cold Harbor, Trevil- lian Station. In the Shenandoah Valley 1 864-65 he was brevetted colonel at Opequan Creek, and at Cedar Creek he was made brevet major-general for gallant conduct during the engagement. General Custer was in command of a cavalry division in the pursuit of Lee's army in 1865, and fought at Dinwiddle Court House, Five Forks, where he was made brevet brigadier-general ; Sailors Creek and Appomattox, where he gained additional honors and was made brevet major-general, and was given the command of the cavalry in the military division of the southwest and Gulf, in 1865. After the establishment of peace he Went west on frontier duty and performed gallant and valuable service in the troubles with the Indians. He was killed in the massacre on the Little Big Horn river. South Dakota, Jime 25, 1876. DANIEL WOLSEY VOORHEES, cel- brated as " The Tall Sycamore of the Wabash," was born September 26, 1827, in Butler county, Ohio. When he was two months old his parents removed to Fount- ain county, Indiana. He grew to manhood on a farm, engaged in all the arduous work pertaining to rural life. In 1845 he entered the Indiana Asbury University, now the De Pauw, from which he graduated in 1849. He took up the study of law at Crawfords- ville, and in 1851 began the practice of his profession at Covington, Fountain county, Indiana. He became a law partner of United States Senator Hannegan, of Indi- ana, in 1852, and in 1856 he was an unsuc- cessful candidate for congress. In the fol- lowing year he took up his residence in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was United States district attorney for Indiana from 1857 until 1 86 1, and he had during this period been elected to congress, in i860. Mr. Voorhees was re-elected to congress in 1862 and 1864. but he was unsuccessful in the election of 1866. However, he was returned to con- 96 COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY. gress in 1868, where he remained until 1874, having been re-elected twice. In 1877 he was appointed United States senator from Indiana to fill a vacancy caused by the death of O. P. Morton, and at the end of the term was elected for the ensuing term, being re- elected in 1885 and in 1891 to the same of- fice. He served with distinction on many of the committees, and took a very prom- inent part in the discussion of all the im- portant legislation of his time. His death occurred in August, 189 . ALEXANDER GRAHAM B"ELL, fa- mous as one of the inventors of the tele- phone, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, March 3rd, 1847. He received his early education in the high school and later he attended the university, and was specially trained to follow his grandfather's profes- sion, that of removing impediments of speech. He emigrated to the United States in 1872, and introduced into this country his father's invention of visible speech in the institutions for deaf-mutes. Later he was appointed professor of vocal physiology in the Boston University. He worked for many years during his leisure hours on his telephonic discovery, and finally perfected it and exhibited it publicly, before it had reached the high state of perfection to which he brought it. His first exhibition of it was at the Centennial Exhibition that was held in Philadelphia in 1876. Its success is now established throughout the civilized world. In 1882 Prof. Bell received a diploma and the decoration of the Legion of Honor from the Academy of Sciences of France. WILLIAM HICKLING PRESCOTT, the justly celebrated historian and author, was a native of Salem, Massachu- setts, and was born May 4, 1796. He was the son of Judge William Prescott and the grandson of the hero of Bunker Hill, Colonel William Prescott. Our subject in 1808 removed with the family to Boston, in the schools of which city he received his early education. He entered Harvard College as a sophomore in 181 1, having been prepared at the private classical college of Rev. Dr. J. S. J. Gardi- jner. The following year he received an in- ury in his left eye which made study through life a matter of difficulty. He graduated in 18 14 with high honors in the classics and belle lettres. He spent several months on the Azores Islands, and later visited England, France and Italy, return- ing home in 1817. In June, 1818, he founded a social and literary club at Boston for which he edited "The Club Room," a periodical doomed to but a short life. May 4, 1820, he married Miss Susan Amory. He devoted several years after that event to a thorough study of ancient and modern history and literature. As the fruits of his labors he published several well written essays upon French and Italian poetry and romance in the " North American Review." January 19, 1826, he decided to take up his first great historical work, the " History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella." To this he gave the labor of ten years, publish- ing the same December 25, 1837. Although placed at the head of all American authors, so diffident was Prescott of his literary merit that although he had four copies of this work printed for his own convenience, he hesitated a long time before giving it to the public, and it was only by the solicitation of friends, especially of that talented Spanish scholar, George Ticknor, that he was in- duced to do so. Soon the volumes were translated into French, Italian, Dutch and German, and the work was recognized COMPENDIUM OF B/OGR A /'//}: 97 throughout the world as one of the most meritorious of historical compositions. In 1843 he published the "Conquest of Mexi- co," and in 1847 the "Conquest of Peru." Two years later there came from his pen a volume of " Biographical and Critical Mis- cellanies." Going abroad in the summer of 1S50, he was received with great distinction in the literary circles of London, Edinburgh, Paris, Antwerp and Brussels. O.xford Uni- versity conferred the degree of D. C. L. upon him. In 1855 he issued two volumes of his "History of the Reign of Philip the Second," and a third in 1858. In the meantime he edited Robertson's "Charles the Fifth," adding a history of the life of that monarch after his abdication. Death cut short his work on the remaining volumes oi' " Philip the Second," coming to him at Boston, Massachusetts, May 28, 1859. OLIVER HAZARD PERRY, a noted American commodore, was born in South Kingston, Rhode Island, August 23, 1785. He saw his first service as a mid- shipman in the United States navy in April, 1799. He cruised with his father. Captain Christopher Raymond Perry, in the West In- dies for about two years. In 1804 he was in the war against Tripoli, and was made lieutenant in 1807. At the opening of hostili- ties with Great Britain in 1812 he was given command of a fleet of gunboats on the At- lantic coast. At his request he was trans- ferred, a year later, to Lake Ontario, where he served under Commodore Chauncey, and took an active part in the attack on Fort George. He was ordered to fit out a squad- ron on Lake Erie, vyhich he did, building most of his vessels from the forests along the shore, and by the summer of 1 8 1 3 he had a fleet of nine vessels at Presque Isle, now Erie, Pennsylvania September loth he attacked and captured the British fleet near Put-in-Bay, thus clearing the lake of hostile ships. His famous dispatch is part of his fame, " We have met the enemy, and they are ours. " He co-operated with Gen. Har- rison, and the success of the campaign in the northwest was largely due to his victory. The next year he was transferred to the Po- tomac, and assisted in the defense of Balti- more. After the war he was in constant service with the various squadrons in cruising in all parts of the world. He died of yellow fever on the Island of Trinidad, August 23, 1 8 19. His remains were conveyed to New- port, and buried there, and an imposing obelisk was erected to his memory by the State of Rhode Island. A bronze statue was also erected in his honor, the unveiling taking place in 1885. JOHN PAUL JONES, though a native - of the DECATUR COUNTY. church. Thus, along almost every avenue of modern human endeavor, the Judge has played an important part, and played it hon- estly, in the love of God and of mankind. Needless to say that he has friends unnum- bered, and that his enemies, if perchance he has any, must concede that his life has been upright, just and beneficial, — a power for good in his community. The first marriage of Judge Bonner was to Ella M. Carter, of Salem county, Indiana, and was solemnized September i, 1852. She departed this life in 1861, leaving two daughters: Lizzie C. is the wife of Dr. J. M. Wampler, of Richmond, Indiana, and Min- nie E. is the wife of William L. Dechant, a prominent citizen and able lawyer of Mid- dletown, Ohio. On the 2d of August, 1867, Mr. Bonner married Miss Abbie A. Snell, of Holbrook, Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Maplewood Institute, of Pitts- field, that state, and for years was a suc- cessful teacher in local schools and in Mis- sissippi and Greensburg. Of late years she has been a great and valued worker in the cause of home and foreign missions, and has been president of the Presbyterian or- ganization of that name for a long period. Like her husband, she is a sincere, practical philanthropist, devoted to noble Christian work. ISAIAH McCOY. The traveler or historian passing through Decatur county should not fail to call upon Isaiah McCoy, of Adams township, as un- questionably he is one of the oldest inhabit- ants, in years of continuous residence; and perhaps to him should be awarded the honor of having dwelt in this county longer than any other person. At any rate he has dwelt here for four-score years, and well remembers the long years of hardship and toil which he, in common with other mem- bers of his family, endured prior to the arrival of settlers in this locality. He is an exceedingly interesting converser. and one is held spellbound by the narration of the experiences of the venerable man, whose life began during the first war of the United States in this century and whose life is draw- ing to a close in these last days of the cen- tury, when another war for humanity has just rounded out this memorable cycle. William McCoy, father of our subject, was a native of Virginia, and as he was born about 1762 he was not old enough to be admitted to the continental army when the Declaration of Independence was pro- claimed. The youth possessed the true patriotic spirit, however, and in 1777 he enlisted and served in the ranks for five years, or until the colonists were triumph- ant. He participated in numerous hotly contested battles, and at Cowpens a bullet grazed his head, cutting a swath through his hair, while another bullet lodged in his hip. He continued to carry the British lead with him throughout life, and death did not claim him until he was eighty-four years old. Plucky and daring, he would not enter a hospital for treatment, but bore his suf- ferings with fortitude, and a splendid consti- tution carried him through the trouble. Having a strong love of adventure, which his army life had fostered, he shipped on board a sailing vessel, at the close of the war, and went to Africa, for the ship was engaged in the slave trade. One day, while he and a companion were on shore, the ship weighed anchor and sailed without them, DECATUR COUNTY. 329 and three long, dreadful months dragged by ere they were taken away by another vessel which stopped at that port. His ex- periences by that time had been sufficient to last him for the remainder of his life, and he returned to Virginia, where he settled down to the quiet routine of a farmer. He married and had seven children, and some time subsequent to the death of his first wife he wedded Nancy \\'ai)le. She de- parted this life in 1835, leaving six children. I^ater Mr. McCoy removed with his family to Kentucky, and in 18 19 came to Decatur county. Taking up a tract of wild land, he procecdcil to clear and improve it, and for a number of years he operated the Shell- horn mill, which was the first mill Iniilt in this county and which received the patron- age of the pioneers from quite distant places. While visiting his son in Louis- ville, Kentucky, he died quite suddenly, but his life-work had been well rounded and he was ready to receive the summons. Isaiah McCoy, who was born in Gallatin county, Kentucky, February 23, 1814, was five years of age when he came to this county, and now, eighty years afterward, he is living upon the same farm which has been the scene of his life work during this long period. Of his father's family of thirteen children he is now the only survivor, and with a sigh which cannot be restrained he often recalls the large and happy group that used to assemble around the table, which was frequently quite bare of provisions in the early days, but which, upon the other hand, sometimes groaned under the weight of wild turkeys, venison and other game, together with such delicacies as the thrifty housekeeper skillfully concocted. Corn cakes were used to a great extent, and sev- eral years passed after the arrival of the family in this county ere they enjoyed the luxury of white wheat bread. Needless to say, Isaiah McCoy had no educational advantages whatever, and years rolled away before there were enough chil- dren in this section of the township to con- stitute a small school. He was a strong lad, and at a very early age he was set to work at splitting rails for fences, and other tasks which required great strength and endur- ance. Probably there is no man living to- day in Decatur county who has made one- half as many rails as he. and the usual work of clearing also fell to his share. An important step in life was taken by Mr. McCoy when, on the 8th of November, 1837, he married Mary Short, whose birth had occurred near Madison, Indiana. Janu- ary 8, 1816. The young couple were poor, but they energetically began farming on a rented place, and at the end of five or six years had saved about four hundred dollars, which they invested in eight)' acres of the place now owned by our subject. As he could afford it, he bought more ])roperty until he now has in the home ])lace some three hundred acres of valuable and well improved land. For fifty-four years Mr. and Mrs. McCoy pursued the journey of life together, and then the devoted wife and mother was sum- moned to the better land, her death occurr- ing May 6, 1 89 1. Of their seven children, all but one, Nancy V., survive. John Nel- son, born July 30, 1839, and Benjamin Franklin, born in April, 1842, were of great assistance to their father for years on the old homestead. Eliza Ellen, born July 12. 1844; Julia F.. born November 22, 1847; Courtney Ann, born in September, 1850, DECATUR COUNTY. and Amanda Jane, born June lo, 1854, were the younger members of the family. In his poHtical behef Mr. McCoy is a Re- publican, and prior to the organization of this party he was affiliated with the Whigs, as was his father before him. His cheerful disposition and way of looking upon. the bright side of things are, in part, reasons for his popularity, and doubtless have con- duced to his length of days. HON. JAMES K. EWING. This able lawyer, who has often been called the Nestor of the Decatur county bar, has a widespread reputation throughout the state as a man thoroughly familiar with every detail of his profession, careful and just in the treatment of his clients, and one in whom the people have unbounded con- fidence. He was born in Decatur county, Indiana, November 23, 1843, and is a son of Patrick and Lydia (Morgan) Ewing. The history of the Ewing family will be found in the sketch of Putnam Ewing, on another page of this volume. Judge Ewing studied law under his brother, Cortez Ewing, and was admitted to the bar in November, 1867. In the same year he formed a partnership with his brother Cortez, now deceased, under the firm name of C. & J. K. Ewing, the first case of the firm being reported in volume 32 of the supreme-court records. This partnership continued until 1883, when the senior member retired and Cortez, Jr.. the son of Abel Ewing, succeeded to his place. The latter is a leading attorney and ex-state .senator. His wife is the daughter of the late Governor Matthews of Indiana. The firm was known as Ewing & Ewing, and had a large and valuable practice until its dissolution, in 1893. In that year James K. Ewing was appointed judge of the eighth judicial district, holding that office until 1895, when he resumed his private practice, associated with his nephew, Charles H. Ew- ing, the firm name again becoming Ewing & Ewing. Judge Ewing was a delegate to the na- tional Democratic convention in 1888, and usually attends all the state and national conventions. He is a member of the Deca- tur Lodge, No. 103, I. O. O. F. In Janu- ary. 1S90, he was married to Ida, daugh- ter of the late Dr. Samuel Maguire, a promi- nent physician of Greensburg. The family are prominent in all worthy enterprises and are most highly esteemed by their fellow citizens. Cortez Ewing, brother of our subject, and his former partner, was born in Decatur county, April 15, 1837. When only thir- teen years old he entered the office of Henry H. Talbott, clerk and ex-officio recorder, and filled the position of deputy clerk and recorder from 1850 to 1857. From 1857 to 1858 he was a clerk in the general land office at Washington, D. C, under Thomas A. Hendricks, then commissioner of that office. He was admitted to the bar in 1858, in the Decatur circuit court, and in 1861-2 was in the law office of Gavin & Hord, where, during the absence of Colonel James Gavin in the army, he assisted O. B. Hord in completing the revision of the laws of Indiana, the compilation being known as Gavin & Hord's Indiana Statutes. Later he became the partner of Oscar B. Hord, and the firm of Hord & Ewing continued until about 1868. In 1867 the firm of C. & DECATUR COUNTY. 231 J. K. Ewing was established, with which he was connected until 1883, when he aided in organizing the Third National Bank of Greensburg and was made its cashier, which office he held until his death, February 28, 1887. He was married December 27, i860, to Elizabeth H. Matthews, and two children were born to them, Maggie, wife of George B. Stockman; and Oscar liord. Like all his family Mr. Ewing was a life- long Democrat and an active worker in the interest of his party, although not a poli- tician in the sense of being an office-seeker, the only official position he ever held being that of trustee of the Institute for the Edu- cation of the Blind, his term of service comprising four years, from 1874 to 1878. He was a man of superior ability and of a legal turn of mind, and was one of the lead- ing attorneys of the county. BENJAMIN GOSNELL. As is well known, the Gosnell family, which is represented in Clinton township, Decatur county, by the subject of this arti- cle, is one of the foremost of the pioneer families to whose heroism and indefatigable toil the present generation owes the major share of the prosperity it enjoys. The Gos- nells have been noted for patriotism and devotion to duty as citizens of this great republic, their personal interests being rele- gated to a secondary place when the wel- fare of their country demanded. Peter Gosnell, the founder of the family in the United States, came to America from England in colonial days, and his son Benja- min, in whose honor our subject was named, was a soldier in the war of the Revolution. Many a tale of valor and hardship has he related to his namesake, and in the course of time the memory of those heroic deeds of his ancestor impelled the younger man to follow in his illustrious footsteps. Prior to 1826 the family settled in Kentucky, and in the year named came to Indiana. The grandfather that year settled in Decatur county, and on Little Flat Rock creek, in what is now Adams township, and contin- ued to dwell there during the remainder of his life. In the meantime he cleared a good farm in the dense woods, and by his general conduct won the love of everyone who had any dealings whatever with him. ?Ie was married four times and was survived by his last wife, who, after his death, in 1846, went to Illinois to make her home with one of her sons, and died many years ago. Benja- min Gosnell. Sr., was the father of thirteen children, all of whom he lived to see com- fortably settled in life and happily married. Seven of the number are now deceased. Thomas Gosnell, father of our subject, w-as born in Virginia, February 5, 1798, and in 1826 came to this county with his father. The following year he married Hettie Porter, whose birth had occurred in Kentucky, in 1809, and who had come to this state with her parents about the same time as did the Gosnells. The young cou- ple commenced keeping house in Orange tow-nship. Rush county, but their happiness was of short duration, for upon the 15th of June. 1829, the husband was killed by light- ning, as he stood under a sheltering tree, whither he had gone for protection from a violent rain-stonn. Thus ended a life which was singularly full of promise, for he was endowed with natural talents and possessed a good education for those days. He had DECATUR COUNTY. chosen the occupation of teacher, and was especially well grounded in mathematics, besides being an exceptionally fine penman, as specimens of his work abundantly testify. His young wife, who was left with one child, our subject, afterward married Solomon Turpin. To them a daughter, Susan, was born, and when she had grown to woman- hood she became the wife of George Samp- son, and died in 1856. Born March 2, 1828, Benjamin Gosnell, of course, remembers nothing of his father, whose death occurred when the former was but fifteen months old. He was reared in Rush county, his birthplace, and on reach- ing man's estate chose for his wife a neigh- bor's daughter, Jane Farlow. She was a native of the same county, born October 7, 1827, and her marriage to Mr. Gosnell took place on the 30th of September, 1849. To- gether they journeyed through life for al- most half a century, when, on the 9th of September, 1897, death claimed the loving wife and mother. Their son, Benjamin F., died at the age of twenty-six years, and two other children died in infancy. Four daughters survive, namely: Mrs. Lucinda Selby, Mrs. Louisa Wood, Mrs. Adeline Finley and Mrs. Sally Milligan. An important chapter in the life history of Benjamin Gosnell was his valiant service on behalf of the Union. In 1863 he en- listed as a private in Company D, One Hundred and Twenty-third Regiment of In- diana Volunteer Infantry. With his com- rades he took part in many of the important battles and campaigns of the war; was act- ing under the leadership of General Thomas at Nashville, when the Confederate army, under General Hood, was defeated by the Union forces, and later went with Sherman on the famous march to the sea. He was on the way to Washington, following the Atlantic coast, and had proceeded on the weary march as far as Raleigh, North Caro- lina, when the news came that Lee had surrendered. Since the war Mr. Gosnell has been an honored member of "Pap" Thomas Post, No. 5, G. A. R., of Greens- burg. MARINE D. ROSS. The name of Ross is inseparably inter- woven with the early history of Indiana, for its .representatives took an active part in molding the development and prosperity of the state through the pioneer days. The subject of this review was born in Ripley county, Indiana, April 21, 181 7, and was a son of John Ross, a native of Kentucky, who removed to Ripley county in the days of its early settlement. He was there em- ployed in the government service, guarding the frontier against the Indians, who were about to encroach upon the settlers. These brave and loyal men thus engaged were known as rangers. During this time Deca- tur county was opened for settlement, and Mr. Ross entered a tract of land three miles east of Greensburg, in 1821. He trans- formed the wild prairie into richly cultivated fields and made his home upon that farm for twenty years, but ultimately removed to Greensburg, where he conducted one of the old-time taverns, on the Michigan road. This was before the advent of railroads, and his hotel was a popular place of entertain- ment in this section of the county. To- ward the last of his life he removed to Rip- ley county, Indiana, where his last days were passed. Mr. Ross was three times DECATUR COUNTY. 233 married. He first wedded Mrs. De Vaul, and they became the parents of five daugh- ters and one son, the latter being our sub- ject. For his second wife the father chose Miss Cole, and they had one son, William Ross, who is living in Westport, Indiana. His third wife bore the name of Cynthia Mills, and after the death of her husband she was granted a pension by the govern- ment, in recognition of his services in guarding the western frontier against the Indians. Marine D. Ross was only four months old when his parents removed to the old family homestead east of Greensburg, and there he was reared to manhood. He ex- perienced all the hardships and trials that fail to the lot of the pioneer settlers and was early inured to the labors of the farm. After attaining his majority he began busi- ness on his own account, and was engaged in teaming l)etween Greensburg and Cin- cinnati. He was also one of the contract- ors on the Big Four Railroad, which was being constructed between Lawrenceburg and Indianapolis. In 1852 he resumed farming, which he followed in connection with stock dealing and the butchering liusiness. He became connected with the pork-packing industry and was the owner of a packing house, in which he em- ployed a large force of workmen. He con- ducted the last named enterprise for a num- ber of years, with marked success, and in 1883, having acquired a handsome compe- tence, he put aside business cares and re- tired to private life. On the i8th of July. 1848, Mr. Ross was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda Moore, of Greensburg, a daughter of Ouartes Moore, a native of Pennsvhania, who took up his abode in College Corner, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Ross became the parents of six children: Lamartine and Mary, both de- ceased; Lou, a resident of Greensburg; Janette, wife of George M. Ewing, of Greensburg; Inez, deceased; and Manie E., wife of James E. Mendenhall. For a half century Mr. Ross was a deacon in the Presbyterian church and one of its most faithful and consi-Stent members. His political support was given to Democracy until 1856, when he joined the ranks of the Republican party. He never sought office, yet at the solicitation of his friends he served as township trustee and in other local posi- tions. In 1882 he took up his abode in Greensburg, and was one of its honored and respected citizens until his death, which oc- curred December 11, 1892. He belonged to that class of representative Americans whose enterprise and industry add to the general prosperity and whose public spirit is manifested by substantial encouragement given to all movements and measures calcu- lated to prove of benefit to the community. HOX. JOHN W. HOLCOMB. Not often is it given to a young man who has seen only a quarter of a century to occupy such an important place before the public as does the Hon. John W. Hol- comb, of Greensburg. He possesses un- usual ability and foresight, wisdom far be- yond his years, and in furthering the cause which he believes to be right manifests the enthusiasm and zeal that carry conviction to the minds of the doubtful and wavering, while, at the same time, a feeling of respect is aroused even in his political antagonists. 234 DECATUR COUNTY. He is not schooled in political methods, is not merely a mouth-piece of any party or- ganization, but makes up his mind inde- pendently upon the right or justice of a question, and acts accordingly. It is to be earnestly hoped that all representatives of the people in the future will thus act in harmony with the dictates of their con- science, and for the good of the public. Daniel W. Holcomb, father of our sub- ject, was born in the vicinity of Moore's Hill, Dearborn county, Indiana, in 1852. He removed thence to Jennings county, this state, and in 1870 became a resident of Decatur county. For almost three decades he has been numbered among the enterpris- ing agriculturists of Marion township, his fine homestead there, comprising two hun- dred acres, being one of the best in that locality. He has given his active support to the Republican party and is a true and patriotic citizen, highly respected by all who know him. Religiously he is a mem- l)er of the Freewill Baptist church, and is a liberal contributor to righteous causes. He chose Man.-, daughter of John Evans, for his companion and helpmate through life's journey. Her father, formerly a resident of Sand Creek township, this county, is now making his home on a farm in Jennings county. The birth of John W. Holcomb occurred in Marion township, Decatur county, Feb- ruary 27, 1874, and his boyhood was that of the average farmer's son. Such education as he obtained in his early years was af- forded him by the district school, but, not content with this, he later attended the Central Normal College, at Danville, Indi- ana. In that institution he was graduated, in 1896, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, and was granted a diploma as a teacher, for he had pursued both the legal and pedagogic courses. During a period of eight years, commencing in 1890, he was successfully engaged in teaching, for a por- tion of each year, but since the spring of 1899 he has devoted his time exclusively to the law, his office being in Greensburg. He thoroughly deserves the success which he enjoys, for he is a worthy type of the Ameri- can self-made man, — one who owes the major portion of his education to his own diligent efforts and determination, and has fought his way, inch by inch, to a position of honor in the community. That his acquaintances recognized in him a young man of exceptional ability and proiuise was shown by his election, in No- vember, 1898, to the house of representa- tives of this state, where he acted for the people during the winter of 1898-9. He introduced several bills, including one pro- viding for the reorganization of the state board of education (three members being added to that body), and, after a hot con- test, this bill was passed. He served ac- ceptably upon several committees, compris- ing those on education, labor and federal relations, and was the chairman of the com- mittee on the state library. For a young man he is rated as an unusually good speaker, his ideas being stated in a clear, concise, logical and convincing manner, while his poise and self-possession are truly remarkable. It is safe to predict for him a brilliant future, and his numerous friends ha\-e reason for the ]iride which they ha\'e in him. From his boyhood Mr. Holcomb re- ceived training in the Baptist tenets, and is now an active member of the Greensburg DECATUR COUNTY. 235 church. In the fraternities he belongs to the I. O. O. F., having joined that order at Westport, where he was a member of West- port Lodge, No. 68 1. He represented that lodge in the grand lodge of the state, and at present he is associated with Greensburg Lodge, No. 103. He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias, his membership being in Greensburg Lodge, No. 148, of Greens- burg. His popularity in professional, po- litical and social circles is beyond question, yet he is unostentatious and bears his hon- ors in the proper spirit, — that of an honest, straightforward American. His marriage took place September 27, 1899, when he was united to Miss Maggie Owens, of Deca- tur county. MILTON G. MOOR. In America, w-here the liberty of the peo- l)ie has been obtained by force of arms and made permanent by wise statesmanship, the soldier occupies the first place in the public mind, however high may be the popular re- gard for able and honest legislators. With a few prominent exceptions, among whom Lincoln must have the first place, no statesmen have left a brighter mark on our history than the soldier statesmen. From the field of national politics to the townshij) and its leaders in thought and in action, this is true. Since the civil war until recent years, when most of the old soldiers have found a resting place in the village ceme- teries, the veterans of the fight for the pres- ervation of the Union have been in the van in local affairs. This has been true in Jack- son township. Decatur county. Indiana, as elsewhere, and among the old soldiers of Jackson township none has been more high- ly regarded than the man whose name heads this article. Mr. Moor is not only an ex-soldier but was also an early settler, en- joying the distinction also of having been ' born in Jackson township, and is a repre- sentative farmer. .\s to public relations, he has held the office of county commis- sioner. Milton G. Moor was born April 13, 1840, a son of Calvin and Helen (Longcnecker) Moor. His parents, both natives of New York, came west and for a time lived in Franklin county. They came to Decatur county about 1830 and located in an un- broken forest, remote from civilization and inhabited for the most part by wild beasts which made the days dreadful and the nights hideous. They bought land and im- proved it and Mr. Moor became a success- ful farmer. He died in January, 1842, aged about forty years. His wife survived him until 1880, dying at the age of seventy. One of her sisters, Mar\' Longenecker, came to Indiana and was twice married, first to a man named Tiner and after his death to a Mr. Reed. The children of Cal- vin and Fllen (Longenecker) Moor were: Q. C, a farmer of Bartholomew county. Indiana; Mary, Mrs. Dillman; Emeline.Mrs. Patrick. (lccea.sed; John, a farmer; Sarah 1... Mrs. Heard; Martin, who lives on the family homestead; and Milton G.. the sub- ject of this sketch. Three of their sons — Q. C. Martin and Milton G. — served their country gallantly in her hour of direst need. — that long, dark hour, 186 1-5. Milton G. Moor attained his majority about the time of the first call for troops to put down the slave-holders' rebellion in 1861. Until that time he remained home with his widowed mother, and he had mas- DECATUR COUNTY. tered all the mysteries and practicalities of farming- and in the public schools had ob- tained a good rudimentar}' education. Fired with patriotism, he enlisted in the United States service, "for three years or during the war," in Company H, Thirty- seventh Infantry, mustered in at Lawrence- burg, Indiana, and with his regiment was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. His first experience in battle was at the bat- tle of Stone River, or Murfreesboro, and he was in active service continuously for three years, ending with forty days' fighting which terminated in the capture of Atlanta, July 28, 1864. Though he was in numer- ous hotly contested battles he was never wounded and has no hospital record, though his health was impaired to such an extent that he has never fully recovered his physical losses. He was mustered out of the service at Indianapolis and received an honorable discharge with full pay. After his return home from his army ca- reer, Mr. Moor resumed work on the home- stead, which he continued until he married, in 1871. He rented land for a time and soon bought a small tract which he im- proved and to which he has added until he now owns four hundred acres. He has built a large two-story brick house and am- ple barns and other out-buildings, and has all of his large agricultural property in a high state of cultivation. In politics Mr. Moor is an uncompromising Republican, always anxious for the success of his party and always a willing and efificient worker for its success. Never an ofifice-seeker, he has permitted himself to accept only one of- ficial trust, that of county commissioner, the duties of which he has discharged with extraordinary ability and entirely to the sat- isfaction of his fellow citizens irrespective of party affiliation. Mr. Moor married Miss Mary A. Gant, a daughter of John and Margaret (Palmer) Gant. Mrs. Moor was born in Franklin county, Indiana, December 8, 1842, and is a lady of much moral worth and many intel- lectual accomplishments. She is a grand- daughter of Judge Giles Gant, of Franklin count}', a pioneer and long a prominent man of that part of the state, who died at Rochester, Indiana, full of years and of hon- ors. Judge Gant was a leader in the De- mocracy, a well known Universalist and a citizen of the highest influence and useful- ness. His children numbered fourteen: Lewis, who lives at Sardinia, Indiana: Anna Jackmon; Matilda, Mrs. Mulholland; John, father of Mrs. Moor; Giles; Rachel, Mrs. Marshall; Lucinda, Mrs. Mulholland; Jeremiah: Silas; Sarah, Mrs. Seals; Brit- ton; Reuben: Caroline; and Mar}', Mrs. Hines. John and Margaret fPowner) Gant had four children: Mary, who married Mr. Moor; John, a well known resident of St. Louis: and Charlotte and Louisa, who died young. Mr. Gant bought land in Decatur county, but died just before it was his intention to move out from Franklin county. His wife, almost broken-hearted at the thought that the career of her husband, who was a man of more than ordinary intelligence and abil- ity, had been thus early terminated, brought the family to Decatur county and entered upon a pioneer life which was full of hard- ship and self-denial but which she made successful from e\ery point of view. Un- der her direction the land which her hus- band had purchased was cleared and im- proved and advanced to a good state of cul- DECATUR COUNTY. 237 tivation. After a time slie niarrieil Jolin Falkard-, wliom slie l)cjre two cliildren. named Sarah and Laura. At the advanced age of seventy-seven years, this estimable woman is still Hving, at Beloit, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Moor had three daughters, all of whom are dead. Edith, the eldest, died at the age of one year; Bessie died at the age of nine years; and Inez at the age of two years. The loss of these children has cast a cloud of loneliness about the home of Mr. and Mrs. Moor which they have never been able to banish. But they are rearing two motherless children, who, at the ages of eight and four respectively, were entrusted to them by their dying mother. l''.valecn, the elder, is now eigh- teen; her brother lunmons is fourteen. They have been carefully and lovingly reared and educated and fully appreciate the kindness of their foster parents, which they reward with such an afiection as they might have given their own parents had they been left to their care. Mrs. Moor, formerly a successful teacher, is a lady of refinement and culture. Mr. and Mrs. Moor are both members of the Presbyterian church, of Forest Mill, in which Mr. Moor is an elder. REV. PAUL STIAWXKT. Rev. Paul Stewart is the able and be- loved ])astor of the S])ring Tlill I'nited Presbyterian church, one of the pioneer churches of Decatur county. Thoroughly consecrated to the noble work of uplifting humanity to a higher plane of living and purpose, he possesses the enthusiasm and spirit of a man in his early prime, while, at the same time practical experience and a rare pow er of insight and observation keep him from falling into the errors of judg- ment and the mistaken zeal with which too many young ministers are animated. He is eloquent in his presentation of the truth, and is fearless in the denouncement of evil, thus commanding the respect of every one. regardless of doctrinal dififerences. Fugit township is fortunate in having two such efificient workers in the cause of Christianity as the Rev. Paul Stewart and the Rev. Robert A. Bartlett, both of whom were born in the closing year of the great war of the Rebellion, and both of whom are natives of the proud state of Ohio. Our subject's birthplace was in Xenia, his father. Dr. Robert Stewart, being a well known and very successful physician of that thriv- ing town for many years. The boyhood of Rev. Paul Stewart was quietly spent in his native town, where he was a pupil in the public schools and laid the foundations of the broad education which he later acquired. It was then his privilege to pursue higher branches of learn- ing in Westminster College, at \cw Wil- mington, Penn.sylvania, where he was graduated in 1889, and finally to take a course at the Xenia Theological Seminary. In the latter well known institution he was graduated in the class of 1892, and thus, after much preparation, found himself at last on the threshhold of his chosen voca- tion. The first charge of the young minister was at Washburn, Illinois, where he re- mained for a period of four years, from the time of his graduation until 1896. His earnestness and true manliness of character were felt in the community, and it was a matter of deep regret to the members of his 238 DECATUR COUNTY. devoted congregation there when he an- nounced his decision to leave them for another pastorate. Three years ago, in 1896, he assumed the charge which he now holds, and, needless to say, he has won the love not only of the people whom he serves, but also of the general public. He possess- es that liberal, loving spirit of the times, which is as far removed from the old sectar- ian dogmatism of, say, even a half-century ago, as is the true spirit of Christianity from Pharaseeism. His genial, sunny nature, and his ready sympathy for the unfortu- nate and sorrowing, make his presence a joy to every one ; and when he beholds the power for good which he is enabled to see in this community he must, indeed, feel that "his lines are cast in pleasant places," and that his efforts are being blessed. The happy home of the young pastor is presided over by his amiable, helpful wife, formerly Miss Anna Mary Currie, of Xenia, Ohio. Tlieir marriage was solemnized im- mediately after his graduation. May 10, 1892. They have two children, named re- spectively, Robert Currie and Martha. A brief sketch of the Spring Hill United Presbyterian church, over which Mr. Stew- art presides as pastor, will prove of interest to many. Organized July 30, 1825, under the guidance of the Rev. David McDill, D. D., and the jurisdiction of the Associate Reformed church, it assumed the present title after the union of the Associate and the Associate Reformed churches, in 1858. Its difference in principle from the regular Presbyterian churches of to-day is very slight, opposition to secret societies, and the exclusive use of a metrical version of the Psalms of David being the chief points of variance. The first pastor of the church was the Rev. James Worth, a native of New Jersey. He was ordained to the ministry here in June, 1830, and for twenty-two years served this church. Then, going to Ore- gon, he spent the remainder of his life there, his ministerial labors being finished by his death, in July, 1881. From May, 1852, until September, 1867, the Rev. J. R. Walk- er, a native of Dublin, Ireland, occupied this pulpit, and under his ministry, the member- ship was greatly increased and every depart- ment of the church work flourished. The next pastor. Rev. S. Taggart. a brilliant and highly gifted man. remained but five months, when he was forced to resign on account of poor health. His successor, the Rev. William Johnson, now deceased, made an efficient pastor during the six years of his stay as shepherd of this people. The next pastor. Rev. William M. Ritchie, re- mained here only two years, and was fol- lowed by the Rev. A. S. Vincent. D. D., a man of sterling Christian character, who labored in this field for a period of nine years. His work was substantial. Much beloved by all, he accomplished a great deal for his Master. He is now the pastor of the First United Presbyterian church of Emporia, Kansas. The Rev. T. H. McMichael took charge of the congregation in 1890. A brilliant and attractive preacher, a man of great power, it was his privilege to do much for those who came in touch with him. Dur- ing his brief pastorate an impetus was given to all branches of church w'ork. Tlie beau- tiful church in which the congregation wor- ships was built during this time, at a cost of twelve thousand dollars. The Lord called him to a larger work, and in September, 1892. he resigned to take charge of the First DECATUR COUNTY. 239 United Presbyterian church of Cleveland, Ohio. The Rev. H. H. Crawford was the next pastor. A man of very great ability, stu- dious, attractive in the presentation of truth, he labored to the edification of the people. Ill health caused him to resign, in April, 1895. after serving the people most accepta- bly for a period of a year and a half; and he in turn was followed by the subject of this sketch, whose work is opening out before him with greater promise than ever before. HON. JAMES B. FOLEY. This distinguished citizen of Greensburg. whose death took place December 5, 1886, was born in Mason county, Kentucky, Oc- tober 18, 1807. His mother. Mary (Brad- ford) Foley, was a daughter of Benjamin Bradford, superintendent of the arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, during the Rev- olutionary war. \\'hen only seven years of age our subject had the great misfortune to lose his father, the latter leaving a widow with eight children to support. To add to her affliction, the mother became blind, and as early as possible the boys were obliged to go out into the world and make their own living. At sixteen years of age James Foley was a hired hand on a flatboat on the Mississipi)i river; when twenty-one years old he commanded a credit of twenty thou- sand dollars, a remarkable showing for a poor, friendless boy thrown upon his own resources and a striking illustration of the proverb. "Labor omnia vincit." On June 15, 1834. Mr. Foley returned to Greens- burg and opened a dry-goods store, which he carried on for two years, and in 1837 purchased a farm two miles from the city. In 1880 he sold this property and bought his late residence, one mile out of town. For a period, ending with 1877, he was ex- tensively engaged in pork-packing in Cin- cinnati and in Lawrenceburg, his tran.sac- tions frequently amounting to eighty thou- sand dollars in a single year. Mr. Foley was honored by his fellow cit- izens with many marks of their esteem and appreciation of his good qualities. In 1841 he was elected treasurer of Dearborn coun- ty, serving one term. In 1850 he was made a delegate to the state constitutional con- vention held at Indianapolis, and in 1852 was appointed by Governor \\'^right as brigadier general of militia for the fourth district. In 1856 he was nominated on the Democratic ticket for congress, and was elected by a majority of fifteen hundred over his opponent, William Cumback, who later had a prominent political career. In 1874 he was again offered a nomination for congress, but declined, feeling that his days of active life were al)out over, and from that time until his death, in 1886, he lived a quiet retired life, surrounded by loving chil- dren and grandchildren, and happy in the consciousness of duties fulfilled, a clear conscience and a heart filled with love to- ward God and man. Mr. Foley was married .\pril 2. 1829, to Martha Carter, of Mason county, Ken- tucky, and six children were born to them, of whom three are living: John J., of Greensburg, whose sketch will he found following this; Alexander .\.. of Cincin- nati. Ohio; and Mrs. Josephine Mansfield, of Greensburg. The mother of these chil- dren died, and Mr. Foley was again mar- rie.l on March 4. 1848. to Mrs. Mary Hark- 240 DECATUR COUNTY. leman, of Decatur county, who bore him three children: William O., of Conners- ville, Fayette county, Pennsylvania: Alary, wife of Louis ZoUer, of Greensburg: and Mrs. Elizabeth Payne, of Franklin, Indiana. In the year 1827 Mr. Foley professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and through- out his long life was a consistent Christian, giving liberally of his time and money to advance the cause of his Master. Among his last gifts was that of five hundred dol- lars to the Christian church of Greensburg. of which he had long been an honored member. He also gave liberally toward the endowment of Bethany College, Vir- ginia, and Butler University, Indiana. He was a man of fine character, cjuiet and un- assuming, and throughout his entire busi- ness career was never a defendant in a law- suit. His memory will long be cherished bv all who knew him. JOHN J. FOLEY. This esteemed resident of Greensburg is a son of Hon. James B. Foley, and was born in Mason county, Kentucky, June 21. 1830. He came with his father's family to Deca- tur county when a child of three years and has always made it his home. His early life was spent on his father's farm and in 1863 he came to Greensburg, and with Put- , nam Ewing established the firm of Ewing & Foley, dealers in grain, coal, feed and general merchandise. This connection con- tinued for al)out twenty-eight years, when Mr. Foley retired and since that time he has been engaged in no active business. He, however, owns a valuable farm of five hundred acres near the city, which is under fine cultivation and yields him a handsome income, and resides in a pleasant home in the city. In 1853 Mr. Foley was married to Miss Margaret Hillis, of Greensburg, and two children were born to them, both of whom are deceased. Mr. Foley has always been a stanch Democrat and interested in the success of his party, but has never been an office-seeker, his time being fully occupied in attending to his business affairs. So- cially he is a member of Greensburg Lodge, 103, I. O. O. F., to which he has belonged for nearly half a century. ALEXANDER GOSNELL. The history of Decatur county, its devel- opment from a wild prairie to a condition of rare productiveness, thriving villages and beautiful, well cultivated homesteads, could not be accurately written if, for any reason, the part taken in this transformation by the Gosnell family should be omitted. For more than three-score and ten years they have toiled and labored unceasingly, active- ly supporting all public improvements, maintaining schools and churches and advo- cating progress in every direction. In fact the Gosnells have been a family of pioneers from the early colonial days of America's history. Originally of England, the paternal great-grandfather and the grandfather of the subject of this review came to the United States long prior to the war of the Revolution, and it is stated upon good authority that the former built the first house erected upon the site of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Benjamin, father of Alexander Gosnell, was born in Balti- DECATUR COUNTY. 241 more in 1760, and when he was about seven years of age his mother died, and the father removed with his children to Virginia, set- tling upon the Staunton river. There the lad grew to manhood, strong and brave, and when the war for independence came on he enlisted in the cause of the colonies and assisted in obtaining the victory which came to us, after many years of struggling. He served under the leadership of the gal- lant general, Nathaniel Greene, participat- ing in numerous important battles and be- ing present at the surrender of Cornwallis. Subsequently Mr. Gosnell followed the tide of emigration which was rapidly drifting westward, and for some years he made his home in Harrison county, Kentucky. In 1826 he located in the neighborhood of Lit- tle P'lat Rock, in Adams township, Decatur county, Indiana, and there the remainder of his life was passed, his age at death being eighty-six years. He was married three times, his last wife, Dorcas Furinash, a na- tive of Virginia, being the mother of our subject. She was much younger than her husband, and survived him a number of years, dying in Illinois at the home of one of her five children. Benjamin Gosnell had children by each of his marriages, but all of tiie once large family are now deceased. He was a native of Kentucky, his birth having occurred in Harrison county, Au- gust 30, 1820, and though he was a child of but six years when the family came away he distinctly remembered his birthplace and the scenes of those early years. His recollections of pioneer days in this county also were vivid, and, though he and his rel- atives and neighbors, for the most part, led a life of arduous toil, they had their com- pensations, after all, and many a merry gathering and Thanksgiving feast stood out in his memory. Receiving a one-third portion of the old homestead, which comprised a quarter sec- tion of land, Alexander Gosnell soon sold it and bought the fine property, in Adams township, which he owned until his death. He dwelt here uninterruptedly, and the en- ergy which he expended, year by year, is now plainly shown in the fertile, well im- proved fields, neat home and air of thrift which prevails everywhere about the place. In 1842 Mr. Gosnell married Maria Dog- gett, of Kentucky, and twelve years after- ward death entered the household and took the devoted wife and mother. Their two sons were named respectively Sylvester and Sebastian, and the first mentioned son re- sides on the old homestead, relieving his father, during the life-time of the latter, of nnich of the care and responsibility which would otherwise rest upon him in his de- clining days. Mr. Gosnell, senior, chose for a second wife Caroline C. Miner, who was a true helpmeet to him. Alexander Gosnell died October 19, 1899, highly re- spected, as he deserved to be. and, without exception, his neighbors and acquaintances held him in genuine esteem. The remain- iiit; members of the family also are held in high regard. dvi-:r c. elder. A prominent citizen and an honored ofticial of Decatur county, Mr. Elder was also a loyal soldier in the civil war and has every reason to be proud of his military record, for which he is deserving of as much credit as for his successful business career in later vears. He was born near Greens- DECATUR COUNTY. burg, in which city he makes his home, October 30, 1842, and is the son of John H. and Ella (Cobb) Elder. His grandfather, James Elder, was born in Virginia, and in his early boyhood days removed with his parents to Kentucky, where he grew to manhood. In 1824 the family came to De- catur county and located near Greensburg. The grandfather became a large land-owner and extensive farmer, and accumulated a handsome fortune. In early life he was a Whig, later joining the Republican party, and for some years he served as associate judge of the county. He was a member of the Baptist church, in which denomination his brother Mathew was a minister, labor- ing for some time in the interest of the church in this county. James Elder was twice married, and of his first union seven children — four sons and three daughters — were born. The father of our subject was the eldest of this family and was born in Lincoln coun- ty, Kentucky, in August, 1816. He w^as only eight years of age when he accom- panied his parents to Decatur county, spending the remainder of his life in Marion township, four miles southeast of Greens- burg, where he owned a farm, upon which his death occurred January 7, 1876. He was an enterprising and progressive farmer, was a stanch Republican in his political af- filiations, a Universahst in his religious faith, and in all things a consistent and hon- orable gentleman. John H. Elder and Ella Cobb were united in marriage in 1842. The lady was a daughter of Joshua Cobb, and was born in Worcester, Pennsylvania. Her father was a native of Vermont, but re- sided for some time in the Keystone state, and in 18 19, with his family, came to the west, floating down the Ohio river on a flat-boat. He spent one year in Dearborn county, at what is now the town of Aurora, and in 1820 came to the present site of the city of Greensburg. It was then only a tract of government land, with little indication that a prosperous and populous place would one day be builded upon it. Mr. Cobb en- tered land four miles from where the city was afterward laid out, and there followed farming until his death, which occurred in August, i860, in the eighty-sixth year of his age. In his family were six children — three sons and three daughters. Of the latter, two died in infancy, and of the remaining children only two survive. Dyer C. and John P., bot4i residents of Greensburg. Dyer C. Elder pursued his education in an old log school-house, such as was com- mon at that day, with its puncheon floor, rough slab seats and rude desks. He gained a good practical education, to which he has since added by reading and observa- tion. When not in school he assisted his father on the farm, and became a rugged, industrious youth, who, when the tocsin of war sounded, was ready to respond to the call and give of his strength and courage in defense of the government. He was not quite nineteen years of age when he en- listed, on the 19th of August, 1861, joining Company E, Seventh Indiana Infantry, as a private. He served until September 20, 1864, at which time he was mustered out. He took part in many of the most noted en- gagements of, the civil war and can relate most interesting details of those celebrated battles. He was under fire at Greenbriar, October 3, 1861; Winchester, March 23, 1862; Port Republic, June 8-9, 1862; Slaughter Mountain, August 13, 1862; Sec- DECATUR COUNTY. 243 oncl Bull Run, August 28-30, 1862; South Mountain, September 15, 1862; Antietam, September 17, 1862; Uniontown, Novem- ber, 1862; Fredericksburg, December 12- 13, 1862; Chancellorsville, May 2-4, 1863, and Gettysburg, July 1-4, 1863, at which place his corps, division and brigade opened the fight, and Mr. Elder was near General Reynolds when the latter was killed. He also participated in the battles of Mine Run and the battle of the Wilderness, May 5, 1864, and in the latter engagement was wounded in the right shoulder, which ended his military career. He was sent to the army hospital and sul^sequently to the hos- pital in Philadelphia. After recovering from his wound Mr. Elder opened a blacksmith shop, at Greens- burg, which he conducted for twenty-six years. In Novenil>er, 1898, he was elected county treasurer, his term ex])iring in Jan- uary, 1906. He has held other offices of trust, being trustee of Washington town- ship from 1882 until 1886, chief of the fire department for twelve years and a member of the city council for four years. He is a member and trustee of the Christian church, and is a charter member of George H. Thomas Post, No. 5, G. A. R., in which he served for two terms as commander and was representative to the national encamp- ment, at St. Louis, in 1886. He also be- longs to Decatur Lodge, No. 103. L O. O. P., and to Greensburg Lodge. No. 148. K. P. In all of the offices which he has filled Mr. Elder has acquitted himself with honor and has earned the esteem and re- spect of those with whom he has been as- sociated. Mr. Elder was married, January i, 1876, to Miss Joanna Maston, daughter of John and Louisa (Montgomery) Maston, of Rip- ley county, Indiana. They are the parents of five children, as follows: Louella, now the wife of Enos Porter, a resident of Shel- ley ville, Intliana; John C, who is engaged in the machine and implement business in Greensburg; Ada, who died at the age of twelve years; and Pearl and Mary C, at home. REV. DANIEL R. VAN BUSKIRK. Endowed by nature with the qualities of a statesman and leader of the people, the Rev. Daniel R. Van Buskirk, of Greens- burg, early in life consecrated his talents to the service of the Lord, cheerfully re- nouncing the glories and honors which, be- yond a doubt, awaited him had he chosen to continue in a public career. He has never regretted his decision, and has been en- abled, by the blessing of God, to do a great and imperishable work for humanity. In tracing the histor}' of this venerable and beloved minister of the gospel it may be noted that, as his surname plainly indi- cates, he is of Holland-Dutch extraction. Three brothers bearing the name came to this country, settling in New York city when that place was known as New Am- sterdam, and from them are descended the several branches of the family in America. The ancestor of our subject was one of the hardy pioneers of Kentucky, somewhat more than a century ago, and thence, in 1813. George \'an Buskirk. grandfather of Daniel R.. removed to Wayne county, Ind- iana, becoming one of the founders of this state. He dwelt here for one year prior to its admission to statehood, and spent the remainder of his davs on the farm which 244 DECATUR COUNTY. he had located, about three-quarters of a mile from the present town of Cambridge City. He died during the '20s, faithful to his strong belief in the Baptist creed. George Van Buskirk, father of our sub- ject, was born in 1802 in Estill county, Kentucky, and to him was fulfilled the promise of long life, for at the time of his death, in January, 1898, he was in his ninety-sixth year. He was reared from his eleventh year in the vicinity of Cambridge City, but after his marriage he made his home in Fayette county, devoting his en- tire attention to farming, in which pursuit he met with marked success. Conscien- tious regard for right and duty was the strongest phase of his character, and when the great slavery issue forced itself upon the minds of men, he gave up his long-contin- ued allegiance to the Democratic party, through which was offered no hope for the enslaved race, and from 1854 until the or- ganization of the Republican party he stood aloof from all political bodies; then, with a hearty will, joined the party pledged to the upholding of freedom and justice to all mankind. He was in no sense a politician, but was a true patriot, his first thought be- ing the welfare of his loved country. He associated himself with the Disciples or Christian church, in his early manhood, and was a zealous worker thenceforth for the church which has no other creed "than Christ, and Him crucified." To the mar- riage of George and Rachel (Helm) Van Buskirk twelve children were born, and all but one of the number grew to maturity and were married. The birth of the Rev. Daniel R. Van Bus- kirk occurred in the vicinity of Benton- ville, Fayette county, Indiana, July 27, 1831. Until he was over eighteen years of age he remained on the old homestead, in the meantime laying the rudiments of an edu- cation in the schools of that district. After teaching for one term, he spent two terms in Fairview Academy, and subsequently at- tended Bethany College for a short time. Then, going to Butler University (formerly known as the Northwestern Christian Uni- versity), at Indianapolis, he spent the open- ing year (1856) in that celebrated institu- tion's history, engaged in theological studies. He had been ordained to preach in the Christian church, at Fairview, in 1854, and in 1858 was placed in charge of the academy there. During that year and the one ensuing he not only managed the col- lege in a masterly way, but also occupied the pulpit and carried on general minis- terial work. In the autumn of i860, the Christian church at Greensburg, for which he always had a special love, called him to its pas- torate, and for just a decade he faithfully labored in this field. The period was one which tried men's souls, as it covered the darkest years of our nation's history, and through it all the young minister never wavered in his zeal for the abolition of slavery, nor in his belief that the cause of right was bound to triumph, and in 1864 he became the chaplain of the One Hun- dred and Thirty-fourth Indiana Volunteers. He had been an earnest Democrat until 1852, when he decided that he could no longer endorse the course of that party, and he was one of the most influential foimders of the Republican party in 1856. Those were days in which, as it has been said, "men fought for God and the right, with the Bible in one hand, and the sword DECATUR COUNTY. 245 in the other," and the strong' and well founded convictions, necessarily expressed in public upon many an occasion, brought l\lr. Van Buskirk into widespread notice. In 1862 lie was elected to be the representa- tive of the people of his county in the legis- lature of the state, and two years later he was further honored by being elected to the senate, serving one session in each body, and in the meanwhile occupying the Greens- l)urg pulpit every Sunday. At the close of the war, when the great issues of that strife had been settled, there was "a parting of the ways" for Mr. Van lUiskirk. On one hand were the allure- ments of a political career, into which he had been drawn by his zeal in the cause of the oppressed and downtrodden — by his love for the Union, — and on the other side appeared, in somewhat sober colors, the humble pathway on which he had started a few years earlier. He manfully fought the battle with his inclinations, and the result was that be resigned his place in the sen- ate — a place which was tendered to Will- iam Cumback, who later won high and well deserved honors as president of the senate and in a l)rilliant political career. (See his sketch, ijrinted on another page of this work.) For a period of seven and one-half years the Rev. Daniel R. Van Buskirk was pastor of a church at Bioomington, Illinois; for two years was engaged in ministerial labors in Rushville, Indiana, and for five years held the charge of the church of the Dis- ciples of Christ near the center of New York city. Then, going to Indianapolis, he was greatly blessed in his work as min- ister of tiie Third Christian church of that city, one of the most flourishing churches in this country. He remained there for twelve years, or until 1896, when he re- signed his pastorate, with a view to retir- ing, after almost half a century of work in the Master's vineyard. Coming to Greens- bnrg, he was urged so strenuously to again become ]iastor of the church to which he had devotetl ten years of his early prime that he at length consented, and thus he bids fair to "be in the harness" when the summons comes to him to lay aside his earthly cares and to "enter into the rest which remains for the people of God." The Greensburg Christian church edifice was built during the former pastorate of our subject, and among the members are many of the foremost citizens of this thriv- ing town. To those who have not had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Van Buskirk personally, and there are many who know him by name and who are familiar with his merits and accomplishments in the spreading of Chris- tianity, it may be of interest to learn that he is gentle and unassuming in manner, a fit servant of the meek and lowly Master. Cheerfulness and hopefulness are pro- nounced qualities in his makeup, and sun- shine seems to be engendered by his pres- ence in any gathering. He is a strong, forcible speaker, logical and convincing in argument, and at the same time fair and tolerant of those who honestly differ with him in opinion. He enjoys the love and high esteem of old and young, rich and poor, and it is hard to believe that he has an enemy in the world. In all his joys and sorrows Mr. Van Bus- kirk has been aided and cheered by his loved wife, whose maiden name was M. B. Kemmer. They were married April 13, 246 DECATUR COUNTY. 1852, and became the parents of two sons and three daughters, namely: William, of Cambridge City; Emma, who resides at home; Laura, wife of H. C. Hodges, of Morgan county, Indiana; Grace, who was educated at Butler University, and is a teacher; -and Walter Scott, who carries on the old family homestead, in Fayette coun- ty. Mrs. Van Buskirk is a daughter of Daniel Kemmer and granddaughter of John Nicholas, who was a soldier in Wash- ington's army during the Revolutionary war. HON. J. B. ROBISON. The agricultural class of Decatur county has no better or more progressive repre- sentative than the Hon. J. B. Robison, who is now living retired in Greensburg, after a very busy, and useful career. His family has been actively associated with the devel- opment of this county for almost four-score years, during which period they have strongly upheld all measures for improve- ment and advancement, and from a wilder- ness they witnessed the transformation of the country into a fertile farmland, aiding materially in the grand work. The father of our subject, Andrew Robi- son, of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, came to this state in 182 1, a young man, and took up his abode in Fugit township. There he improved a farm and devoted him- self to its cultivation until his death, in 1853. In his youth he had learned the trade of a tanner, and he followed that call- ing for a year or two after his arrival in this county. Politically he was a man of strong convictions, and, as a stanch Whig, was one of the first men in this section to agitate the suppression of slavery. For many years he was a ruling elder in the Presbyterian church, and his daily life was in full accord with the noble faith which was his anchor in the storms and trials which he encountered. He married Mary Donnell and two of their children grew to maturity: Mrs. Hanna McCoy and J. B., subject of this review. The birth of the Hon. J. B. Robison took place on the old family homestead in Fugit township, July 11, 1834. There he lived as boy and man, and this property, comprising two hundred and forty acres, now belongs to him. He continued to carry on the farm, long ago considered one of the best in the county, until 1896, when he retired to enjoy a well earned rest. To the original homestead he added other land until it now comprises five hundred acres. For years he was an extensive dealer in and shipper of live stock, and in this branch of business made a snug little fortune. Mr. Robison was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion for a short time. As a citi- zen he has been known as a true patriot, eager to promote the interests of the people. He has given his political allegiance to the Republican party, and in 1880 was honored by being elected to the state legislature. Again, in 1888, and in the sessions of 1889- 90 and 1891-2, he represented this county in the general assembly. He has been a member of the Presbyterian church for many years and has long acted as an elder in the congregation. The marriage of Mr. Robison and Mar- garet Meek, of this county, was solemnized May 19, 1863. A son and two daughters bless this union, namely: William E., an enterprising young farmer, now managing the family homestead; Stella, who is the DECATUR COUNTY. 247 wife of A. M. Reed, of Sandusky, Indiana; Clara, who is living at home with her par- ents. THEOPHILUS E. F. MILLER. M. D. The family physician sustains an intimate relation with all members of families in which, in his professional work, he is estab- lished more or less permanently, and gains an influence in the connnunity second to that of no other man. To be markedly successful, he must be able professionally and tactful and syni])athctic beyond most men; and. for the reason that he is made the confidant of his town's-people in mat- ters of delicacy and privacy, he must needs be a man of honor not given to gossiping with one about the doings of the other. All that the good family physician may be to his people Dr. T. E. F. Miller, of West- port, Decatur county, Indiana, has become to the large number of families who consti- tute his following. Dr. Miller, who was the first homeopathic practitioner in Westport, is a native of Buf- falo, New York, and was born February 4, 1852, a son of J. J. and E. E. (Diedrick) Miller. His father was a native of Wurt- temberg, Germany, and his mother was born near Barenwalde, Prussia. They came to America while yet young and be- came acquainted and married in Bulifalo, New York. The father of J. J. Miller was a manufacturer of cloth at Metzingen, Stuttgart, and died at Stuttgart nearly a hundred years old. All of his family re- mained in Germany but his sons J. J. and Charles. The latter came to the United States and soon afterward entered the United States army and served all through the civil war, and he is at this time an in- mate of a soldiers' home at Milwaukee, Wis- consin. Forty or forty-five years ago J. J. Miller removed with his family from BufYalo, New York, to Chicago, Illinois, and there he en- gaged in the manufacture of snufT and ci- gars. Later he made gliie and was inter- ested in other manufacturing enterprises until after the great fire of 1871. He then went to New Orleans, Louisiana, and gave his attention for a time to the improvement of processes for the refining of sugar. After some years of success in this work he re- turned to Chicago, where he is living in retirement, aged seventy-three. Follow- ing are the names of the children of J. J. and E. E. (Diedrick) Miller: Charles, de- ceased, who was identified with e.xpress in- terests as a local agent; Emil, who is living in the west; Paul, who is an employe of a leading German newspaper of Chicago, Illinois; Dr. Miller, of Westport, Indiana; and Madaline, who is now Mrs. Louis Car- ciotto. The father of these children is a German Lutheran, and the mother, de- ceased, was a Lutheran. Dr. Miller was reared in Chicago and in his day was a boy about town and knew the city pretty thoroughly. He acquired a good education and studied veterinarj- med- icine and surger>-. But he did not like the career that he had mapped out for himself, and gave up veterinary practice and went to New York and engaged in the laundry business. He saved money and after a time returned to Chicago, where he took up the study of homoeopathic medicine under the j preceptorship of Dr. Hobart. Later he studied under the direction of Professor Chas. V. Pusheck. In 1879 he attended 248 DECATUR COUNTY. lectures at Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, at Chicago. After four courses of lectures at that institution he located at Clifty, Decatur county, Indiana, where he practiced his profession success- fully two years as the pioneer homoeopath- ic physician of that town. After a post- graduate course at Hahnemann Medical College, Chicago, he came in 1886 to West- port, where he has built up a large practice which extends into all the country sur- rounding the town. In January, 1895, Dr. Miller married Mrs. Nannie Cann, daughter of Jacob and Gabriella (Hamilton) Back, of Decatur county, Indiana. Jacob Back is a son of John Back, of German descent, a native of the state of Kentucky, who settled in Deca- tur county, where he was for a time a hotel- keeper and later a farmer. The Backs were a Baptist family devoted to the church and all its interests. James and Judy (Owens) Hamilton came out from Pennsylvania to Indiana, at an early date, and settled on land in Decatur county which they im- proved and where Mr. Hamilton died, aged seventy-eight. His wife died in Tipton county, Indiana, at the ripe old age of ninety-nine. They were active Baptists all their lives. The children of John Back were Elizabeth (Mrs. Griffy, of Shelbyville, Indiana), Nancy (Mrs. Lloyd, of Iowa), Jacob (father of Mrs. Miller), Jane (Mrs. Holmes, dead), Wallace (who died at twen- ty-one), and Sarah (Mrs. Pavey). The children of James and Judy (Owens) Ham- ilton were: Rebecca J. (Mrs. Armstrong), John Henry (of Oregon), Nancy (Mrs. Williamson), Jane (Mrs. Robbins, of Ore- gon), Margaret (Mrs. Tyner, of Tipton, In- diana), George (dead), Melinda (Mrs. Pike), Gabriella (mother of Mrs. Miller), and W. T. (a farmer in Tipton county, Indi- ana). The children of Jacob and Gabriella (Hamilton) Back were: Nannie (Mrs. Miller), John W. (a tinner living at Tipton, Indiana), Era (Mrs. Pike, dead), Abie (Mrs. Suite, of Tipton, Indiana), and Jacob (who died leaving a widow). Dr. and Mrs. Miller have no children. Dr. Miller is a charter member of Westport Lodge, No. 317, Knights of Pythias, which was organ- ized in 1892, and he is a popular and public- spirited citizen. Mrs. Miller is a member of the Christian church and the Doctor is helpful to all its interests. REV. ROBERT A. BARTLETT. Among the most popular ministers of the gospel in Decatur county is the Rev. Robert Alexander Bartlett, pastor of the Presbyterian church at Kingston. Gifted with natural talents and an earnest love for the noble vocation to which he has chosen to devote his life, he further prepared him- self for work in the Master's vineyard by years of careful study and training, and though yet in his early prime has beheld gratifying results from his labors. A native of the grand old Buckeye state, Mr. Bartlett was born in the village of Aus- tinburg, Ashtabula county, January 6, 1865. His father was the Rev. Alexander Bart- lett, who was well and favorably known in the Presbyterian denomination, in whose ranks he nobly labored for several decades. He was a man of profound learning and good judgment, and was revered and loved by every one who knew him. He was a graduate of Oberlin College and Theologi- DECATUR COUNTY. 249 cal Seminary, at Oberlin, Ohio, and was a clergyman who kept abreast of the times, preaching the word of God fearlessly. After the cessation of hostilities between the luirtli and south in the civil war, he received a call to become the pastor of the New Providence church, at Maryville, Tennessee, in the eastern part of that state, and, accept- ing it, continued to make his home in that locality until his death, in 1883. For a long- period he not only occupied the jndpit of the Presbyterian church in Maryville, but also held the chair of Latin in Maryville College. His wife, the mother of the sub- ject of this sketch, bore the name of Laura S. Merrill in her girlhood. She died in 1892, at Dayton, Tennessee, and was buried in the college cemetery at Maryville. Both led lives which were above reproach and in- finitely helpful and inspiring to all who came within the reach of their inthiencc. Reared in such an ideal home atmo.s- phere, where love toward God and mankind was held as the mainspring and object of life, it is not strange that the youthful Rob- ert decided that he could do no better than to follow in the footsteps of his beloved par- ents, consecrating his talents to the uplift- ing of humanity. It was his privilege to re- ceive an excellent education, and in 1884 he was graduated with honors at Maryville College. He then pursued a thorough course of study at Lane Theological Semi- nary, in which well known institution he was graduated in 1887. The first charge of the young minister was at Dayton, Tennessee, to which ])]ace he was sent by the New York Hoard of Missions. From the first he was blessed in his endeavors and his enthusiasm and earn- estness were the means of awakening the people to renewed enterprise and activity in all of the lines of their church work. Ere he left he had succeeded in getting his con- gregation to build a new church, of which they were in great need, and the same thing is true of his next pastorate, for, during the two years which he passed in charge of the Presbyterian church at Harriman. Tennes- see, a new house of worship was erected by his people. In 1893 he was elected moder- ator of the synod of Tennessee. The energy and general ability of Mr. Bartlett made many friends for him, both outside and inside his own denomination, while he was in the south, and in 1894 he received an urgent call to the pulpit of the Presbyterian church at Kingston, which, as it is well known, is one of the largest and most important churches in this section of the state. The same devotion to his work which he has shown ever since he entered u])on his noble vocation, is meeting with deserved success, and a most promising fu- ture may safely be predicted for him. He possesses the true missionary spirit and his devotion and self-sacrifice are matters of wonder to those who know him. In addi- tion to his regular work in his home church, he now preaches in the afternoon at Clarks- burg, where also he is greatly esteemed. He is also chairman of the home mission committee of Whitewater i^resbytery. In all his efforts to uplift and benefit hu- manity. Mr. Bartlett finds a true helpmate in his estimable wife, a lady of lovable Christian character and superior attain- ments. In her girlhood she bore the name of Minnie Dobson, and it was in Washing- ton College that she obtained her educa- tion. Her marriage to Mr. Bartlett was solemnized December 18, 1895. "They have 250 DECATUR COUNTY. two little ones, namely: IMiriam, born Jan- uary 30. 1897; and Robert Merrill, born December 23, 1898. WILLIAM T. HOOD. The history of pioneer development is always of interest, for progress and develop- ment ever form the theme of which the American citizen never tires. A region wild, unimproved, with barren prairies and unbroken forests as framed by the hand of nature affords ample opportunity to the early settler who would establish a home on the frontier. The arduous task of clearing away the trees that fields of grain may take their place is one demanding great energy and determination. In many other lines also the work of advancement and civiliza- tion must be carried forward in order that the new locality may rank with the older- settled districts. Mr. Hood is one who has always been an active factor in bringing about the great transformation in Decatur county, Indiana, and is not only numbered among the pioneers but is also one of the oldest native sons of the county. He was born in Washington township, November 7, 183 1, and is a son of William and Isa- bella (Blair) Hood, both of whom were natives of Kentucky, in which state their marriage was celebrated. The paternal grandfather was a native of Scotland, and with his parents removed to Ireland and then came to America, prior to the war of the Revolution, .\fter residing in several localities he took u]) his residence in Pennsylvania, at an early day, and subse- quently went to Kentucky, where his last years were spent. There he reared his family and cultivated his farm, with the aid of negro labor. His children were Samuel, Stewart, John, \\'illiam, Adam, Ann, Man' and Jane. The parents were both members of the Presbyterian church. William Hood, the father of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania in 1791, but was reared to manhood and married in Ken- tucky. His wedding occurred in 181 5, after which he located on the farm, making his home there until 1824. when he came to Decatur county, Indiana, and entered from the government two hundred and forty acres of wild land. In the midst of an unbroken forest he developed a good farm, upon which he made his home for many years. Subsequently he removed to Greens- burg, but after a few years purchased an- other farm, near Clarksburg, Indiana. He was a successful agriculturist, and in con- nection with general farming he carries on stock-raising. His political support was originally given to the Whig party; later he became an advocate of the Free-soil party, and when the Republican party was formed he joined its ranks; but though he was deeply interested in political issues he never sought office. He served in the war of 1812 and was with General W. H. Harrison in the Indian campaign in Indiana. He was an active factor in the material and moral development of this section of the Hoosier state and aided in organizing the L^nited Presbyterian church at Springhill, then known as the Associate Reformed church. This was established in 1825 and he was the last sur\'ivor who took part in its organization. He held the ofifice of elder of the church at one time and was acti\-e in promoting its work among the people of this locality. He was a man of strong con- DECATUR COUNTY. 251 victions and neither fear nor favor could turn him from a course which he believed to he right. He occupied an advanced posi- tion in regard to slavery and temperance reform and was distinguished for his high standard of integrity and honor and for his charity. His first wife died in 1840, and the following year he wedded Jane Doug- lass. He died November 16. 1879, and four of his children survived him. Nellie A. died at the home of her brother Will- iam, in April, 1899; John died ^larch 20, i860, leaving a son, who is now a noted Presbyterian minister: Samuel, born in 1823, died November 20, 1855: Mary J. became the wife of John Wiseman and died in 1858. leaving four children; Almira, born in 1827, is now the wife of Mr. Foley, a farmer; William T. is the sixth of the fam- ily; and Sarah K. is the widow of Dr. W. F. Riley, who served as senator. She now resides in Colorado. William Thomas Hood was born and reared on the old family homestead in Decatur county and yet owns a portion of this farm. He was educated in the com- mon schools and was early trained to habits of industry and economy. At the time of his marriage in 1859 his father gave him eighty acres of land, the greater part of which was cleared. He has built u])on the place commodious barns and outbuildings, has a pleasant home, and his farm is under a high state of cultivation, the fields in their dress of tender green in early spring giving promise of the golden harvests of autumn. Mr. Hood has been twice married. He wedded S. A. Ardery. a native of Decatur county and a daughter of James .\rder>', who belonged to a prominent family of Kentucky. Her death occurred September 19, 1863. She was a member of the Pres- byterian church and had many friends in the community. In 1866 Mr. Hood wedded Martha A. liarnett, who was bom in Belmont county, Ohio, in August, 1840, a daughter of Jacob H. and Elizabeth (Grimes) Barnett. Her father died in 1842, and in 1844 the mother removed with her family to Iowa where her death occurred. One sister married and came to Decatur county to live, and not long afterward Mrs. Hood took up her residence in the home of this sister. There were nine children in the Barnett family, namely: Mrs. Eliza Mc- Cully; Mrs. Mary Reed; Milton, a resident of Iowa; Catharine, deceased; Caroline, wife of J. Antrobus; Rachel, wife of J. Cameron, who was a soldier in the civil war; Franklin, a fanner; Amy, wife of C. Mc- Cully; and Mrs. Martha Hood. The par- ents were both members of the ^Methodist church. Mr. and Mrs. Hood belong to the United Presbyterian church, and in his po- litical affiliations he is a stanch Republican, yet has never asi)ired to office, preferring to give his time and energy to his business af- fairs. PUTNAM EWING. The Ewing family is one of the oldest and most prominent in Decatur county, and a brief history of its origin in this country is worthy of presentation in a volume of this nature. Some time during the Revolu- tionary war, Patrick Ewing. who was of Scotch-Irish parentage, emigrated with his family to America. On the voyage a son was born to him who. in remembrance of a kindness shown to the father bv General Putnam, of Continental fame, was afterward 352 DECATUR COUNTY. named for that distinguished patriot. Pat- rick settled at Baltimore, Maryland, where he died, leaving four sons, — Samuel, Josh- ua, Nat and Putnam. The last mentioned remained in Maryland until some time after his marriage with Miss Jennie McLelland, and in 1806 removed to Bourbon county, Kentucky, where he died, in 1848, at the age of seventy-one years. A son of this Putnam Ewing was Patrick, who was the father of the Decatur county Ewings. He was born in Cecil county, Maryland, July 28, 1803, and was only three years old when his parents removed to Ken- tucky. He remained on his father's farm there until his marriage, September 5, 1826, to Miss Lydia Morgan, a daughter of Abel Morgan, a pioneer of Montgomery county. In October, 1828, he removed to Decatur county and settled in Clay township, four and one-half miles from Greensburg, where he entered a farm of eighty acres. He was very successful in his operations, became an extensive stock-raiser and at the time of his death was the owner of a section of land. His family numbered fifteen children, in- cluding triplets, of whom the subject of our sketch is one. All grew to manhood and womanhood and have been influential and worthy citizens. Patrick Ewing was a man of iron consti- tution and indomitable will, and was well fitted to become a pioneer. He had good judgment in business affairs, and this, com- bined with his great energy and untiring in- dustry, won him not only a handsome for- tune but a standing among his neighbors. He was a stanch Democrat and very de- cided in his political views, but never as- pired to office. He played an active part in the settlement of Decatur countv and will long be remembered, with his estimable wife, as among the most worthy of its pio- neers. Mr. Ewing died June 17, 1884, his wife surviving him until December 24, 1889. Putnam Ewing, son of Patrick, was one of triplets, bom near Greensburg, September 8, 1833. Of the other two Joshua is de- ceased and Abel lives in Greensburg. Put- nam was reared on his father's farm and attended the common school of his district. He was unusually bright and intelligent, and was so popular in his community that he was elected recorder of the county be- fore he was twenty-one years old and was obliged to wait until he had attained his majority before he could qualify for the of- fice. He was the first recorder under the new court rules, the two offices of clerk and recorder being previously combined in one. He served for four years, from March, 1855. to March. 1859. In November of the lat- ter year, in conjunction with Squire Joslin, the sheriiY of the county, he bought prop- erty on Railroad street, in Greensburg. and engaged in the grain business. Later he added a grocery, and in 1861 the firm of Ewing & Foley was established, which for thirty years ranked as one of the most sub- stantial and reliable business houses in Greensburg. They had a large trade and were well and favorably known throughout the county. In 1891 the firm was dis- solved. Messrs. Hart and Froman buying out the interests of the two partners. In addition to his other business Mr. Ew- ing was from 1871 to 1892 agent for the railroad company at Greensburg. In the latter year he was made assistant cashier in the Third National Bank of that city, which l^ositinn he is now occupying. He also su- perintends a fine farm of three hundred and DECATUR COUNTY. 253 twenty acres, uhicli includes tlie old lumie- stead of eighty acres on wiiicli he was liorn. Mr. Ewing lias held many positions of honor and trust, and in every relation in life has shown himself a man of strong character and unimpeachable integrity. He served in the city council for nine or ten years and on the school hoard for three or four years. In 1899 he was ajjpointed by the judge of the circuit court as one of the members of the comity council, a new otitice created by the legislature. He is a mem- ber of the Christian church, to which his wife and mother also belonged, and takes an active interest in its affairs. Mr. Ewing was married in iSf)0 to .Mary De Ormond, of Decatur county, by whom he had one son, Patrick, who carries on farming on the old homestead. Mrs. Ew- ing died in February. 1861. and in the fall of 1863 Mr. Ewing again married, his sec- ond wife being Sarah .\. Hacklenian. of Kushvillc. Indiana, and a niece of Cieneral Fole\- of Greensburg. They have had two children, Mary who died when seventeen years old. and Charles H. The latter grad- nated from high school and entered the law department of the Michigan University, at .Ann .\rbor, graduating from there in 1897. Since that time he has been practicing his profession as a member of the firm of Ewing & Ewing. of which his uncle J. K. Ewing is the senior jiartncr. lie is a young man of iiiuch promise and bids f;iir to ni;untain the higli stan. lie was prin- cipal of the high school in Lireenshurg for ten years, and on the death of the former superinten.dent, W. P. Shannon, he was made superintendent of the city schools, on January i, 1898. Mr. Roberts has done a great deal of institute work in the several counties of the state, and for years has at- tended all the sessions of the State Teach- ers' Association, of which organization he is a member. He has also been a member of the executive committee, and at this writ- ing is president of the mathematical section of the association. During the prosecution of his course at the university he was in- structor in botany. He is a leading mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, and has been superintendent of the Sabbath- school and is now a member of the Ijoard of stewards. For the ])ast five years Professor Rob- erts has, in conjunction with Charles T. Powner, conducted a summer normal school for the training of teachers, review work and methods of teaching, he having special charge of the science work. The school has been well attended, and has ac- complished much good in its various lines. Socially he is a charter member of Greens- burg Lodge, No. 148, Knights of Pythias, in which he has filled all the chairs. He served for two years as district deputy grand chancellor, and for the past two years has been chairman of the committee on foreign correspondence in the grand lodge. On November 19, 1884, Professor Rob- erts was married to Miss Olive Linch, of Adams, and two children, Paul and Miriam, have been born to them. The family is held in high esteem in the community. Personally Professor Roberts is a highly cultured, scholarly man, genial in his man- ners and a fine con\-ersationalist. He is in the prime of life, and has a bright future before him. HON. WILLIAM CUM BACK, A. M. In the life history of the Hon. William Cumback, a prominent and loved citizen of Greensburg, there is much of interest and inspiration, both to the old and young. Temperance and sound common-sense hav- ing guided him in his daily habits since his boyhood, he now finds himself, though just across the border line of "three-score and ten," in the enjoyment of unimpaired vigor of mind and body, and with promise of many years of usefulness. Probably no citizen of the great state of Indiana has been more widely known for the past forty _\ears or more, and certain it is that there are few of her native-born sons of whom she has more reason to be proud. His parents, John and Elsie Cumback, who came to this state from New Jersey, about 1820, were among the pioneers of Franklin county, where they cleared and improved a small farm. They were up- right, industrious people, respected by every one, but their means were small and they could do but little in the way of giv- ing their children educational opportuni- ties or financial assistance. William Cum- back was born in this humble though happy home, March 24, 1829, and as soon as he J^l^C^ ^^ DECATUR COUNTY. 257 was old enough he aided his father in the laborious task of preparing the land for cultivation. As may be inferred, the pub- lic schools at that early day in this region were nothing of which to boast, but young Cumback was ambitious, and determined to have an education. One season he rented some land, raised a crop, and hauled it thirty miles in wagons, to Cincinnati. The money he thus obtained he then invested in books, tuition and living expenses, while he attended Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio, twelve miles distant from his father's iiomcstead. During the six nionlhs spent in this institution he cooked his own meals in his own room, rang the college bell and performed other services to eke out his slender capital, and actually expended only fourteen dollars and seventy-five cents! How many of the youth of to-day can point to a similar record?' It needs no ])roi)hetic gift to predict ultimate success to a young- man of such pluck and perseverance, and the lessons of economy, industry and patience then mastered by him must have had a last- ing intluence for good ujjon his character. Sui)sec|uently he taught school, after which he returned to the university and spent sev- eral terms there, standing at the head of his classes. In 1853 Mr. Cund)ack started ui)on the work to which he has since given his chief energy, — the law. .\fter some preparation, he entered the Cincinnati Law School, where he remained for a term, then coming to Greensburg. where, in 1833. he estab- lished an office and entered upon a jiractice which was large and remunerative almost from the first. Sunnning up his legal ca- reer in a few words, it mav bo justlv sai been noted for bis absolute integrity and fairness. As early as 1854 Mr. Cund)ack was hon- ored by being nominated and elected as a representative of the F'ourth congressional district of Indiana in congress, his opponent being the well known Hon. William S. Hol- man, later called the "watch-dog of the treasury." Having barely attained the requisite age to admit him to .serve as a member of the house of representatives, our subject had the further distinction of being the youngest member of the thirty-fourth congress. Nevertheless, he was so faithful to the interests of his constituents, and made so excellent a record in every respect, several of his speeches in congress attract- ing widespread attention, that his constitu- ents felt entirely .satisfied as to the wisdom of their choice. Many and substantial have been the hon- ors bestowed upon Mr. Cumback, but above them all, in his estimation, was that of being elected on the Republican ticket, in i860, as elector-at-large, whereby he was in a position to cast the first Republican 358 DECATUR COUNTY. electoral vote of this state for Abraham Lincoln as president of the United States. His special adaptation as a stnmp speaker led to his being in great demand in all political campaigns for years, his fine pres- ence, strong and well modnlated voice, and stirring oratory and sonnd argument car- rying immense weight with the people. During the campaign of i860, above men- tioned, he stumped the entire state of Indi- ana, and thus came into direct contact with the masses, who gave him an enthusiastic welcome wherever he went. As might have lieen expected of so ard- ent a patriot, so strong an advocate of anti- slavery, Mr. Cumback enlisted at the first tap of the drum, after Fort Sumter was fired upon, becoming a private of the Seventh Indiana \'olunteers. To his surprise, he was soon called to the post of paymaster, by appointment of the president, and so efficiently discharged his duties that he was assigned as superintendent of one of the largest divisions of the army. At the close of the war, he was brevetted for faithful ser- vice, and Edwin M. Stanton, on behalf of the war department, offered him a position for life in the regular army. This was de- clined by Mr. Cumback, who was mustered out of the service at his urgent request, in order to once more devote himself to his loved profession. As an unanswerable proof of his accuracy and general ability, it may be stated that, though over sixty mil- lion dollars were disbursed by him during the stormy war period, he made all of his final settlement with the government within three days, a thing that no other official in like position has even been able to do. Though he resumed his accustomed practice in Greensburg in 1865, Mr. Cum- back was not long permitted to lead a pri- \-ate life, for the ensuing year he was nomi- nated and elected to the Indiana senate. During the first session thereafter, Gov- ernor Morton laeing elected to the United States senate and the lieutenant governor becoming go\-.ernor, Mr. Cumback was chosen to preside as president of the senate, which he did with dignity. While in the senate he drew up the bill for the establish- ment of a reform school for boys, and as a result of this wise measure the Plainfield school, now one of the finest and most suc- cessful institutions of the state, came into existence. In 1868, after a hotly contested election, he was installed as lieutenant gov- ernor of Indiana. He had made a vigorous campaign and received the highest vote of any one on his ticket. The popularity of Mr. Cumback was steadily in the ascendant, and it was no surprise to anybody when he was the overwhelming choice for the United States senatorship in 1869, being the "caucus" nominee on the first ballot (having fifty-two out of se\^enty-six votes), but a few chagrined politicians organized a "bolt," the result of which was that he was defeated by only two votes. His Repub- lican friends were so justly indignant at this underhand measure, that they ostracized from the party every man who had partici- pated in it. Without any solicitation on the part of Mr. Cumback, President Grant appointed him minister to Portugal, in 1870; the sen- ate promptly confirmed the choice, and the commission was sent to him, but it was declined. The following year, the president offered him an oiTice as collector of internal re\enue, which he concluded to accept, and during the twelve years of his service in DECATUR COl-NTV. this important place he collected over thirty-seven million dollars, without having one dollar lost to the government by mis- take or fraud. During the administration of President Harrison he was chosen to serve as one of the commissioners having in charge the treaty with the Puyallup In- dians, but he was obliged to decline to act, on account of private business affairs. Re- cently. ex-Secretary John Sherman wished to appoint him as an arbitrator in the trouble between this country and the I'nited States of Colombia. South America. imt Mr. Cumback deemed it best to refuse the hnnur, owing to the fact that all of the evidence submitted to the commission must necessarily be in Spanish, and he did not think it wise to trust to an interpreter in an affair of such importance. yuite naturally, as the outcome of his long years of experience. — as a servant of the people, as a jirofessional man, and as a keen observer of men and events, — Mr. Cumback has drifted into the lecture held of late years. He has delivered lectures on a variety of subjects, in nearly every state in the Union, and he as well as the large audiences which always assembled to hear him thoroughly enjoyed the open discus- sion of the topics engaging their attention. .\ true friend to humanity, he has had as his chief aim in life a genuine desire to amdior- ate the wrongs and evils that oppress us as a race, and to make war upon the factors that destroy the hapi)iness of multitudes. Many of his lectures have been of an ethical nature, and he has published a book on "Society and Life."' which has met with much favor. His interest in education for the masses has been unwavering, and for a long period he has been one of the trus- tees of DePauw University. The Miami University conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts, and subsequently De- Pauw University bestowed ujKjn him the degree of Doctor of Laws. More than two-score years have rolled away since he became connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he served as grand master of the state, and for three years was a representative in the sovereign grand lodge of Indiana. Religiously, Mr. Cumback is a Methodist, and on three occasions has been a lay dele- gate to the general Methodist Episcopal conference. In 1S7S he was ap])ointed as a fraternal delegate to the general confer- ence of the Methodist Kpiscojjal church, south, and made an address to that assem- blage, at Atlanta. Georgia. To him more than to almost anyone else is attributed the fact that, in 1898. equal repre.sentation from the laity of the church was conceded by the general conference of Methodist bodies. In this, as in all avenues of usefulness, he believes that the mass of the people should be actively represented, and that distinc- tions of class and capital should not be made. In 1852 the marriage of Mr. Cumback .ind Martha Ilurlbut was solemnized. She was a lady of excellent attainments, her higher studies having been pursued in the Western Female College, where she was graduated. The only daughter born to this worthy couple is Ella, wife of John \V. Lovett. one of the leading members of the .\nderson (Indiana) bar. Louis and Clar- ence died many years ago. and William is a member of the wholesale hardware firm of H. T. Conde & Company, of Indianapolis. Mrs. Cumback, who was a lady beloved by DECATUR COUNTY. all who knew her, died February 9, 1899, leaving a multitude of sincere friends who deeply mourn her loss. MRS. MARY E. McMILLEN HARPER. Among the honored citizens of Sardinia none holds a higher place in the esteem of the people than the lady whose name heads this sketch, and whose husband, the late James S. Harper, was so closely allied with all the interests of Decatur county. Death loves a shining mark, and in this instance his victim was one whose loss was irrepara- ble in his home, in the social circles, and in the community in whose business affairs he had played such a prominent part. A brief sketch of his career in connection with that of his wife will prove of value in an histori- cal work of this description. James S. Harper was born April 24, 1830, near Riley, Butler county, Ohio, where he was reared on a farm. He learned the trade of shoemaker, but, making a visit to Decatur county, Indiana, in 1854, his at- tention was called to the opportunities for a good investment, and before his return home he purchased an interest with John McCormick in the dry-goods and general merchandising business at Sardinia. Two years later he bought out his partner, and also established a branch store at Burns- ville, in connection with John Cunningham, which he carried on for over two years. He then enlarged his building and increased his stock at Sardinia, at the same time opening a store at Sardinia Crossing, where he be- came interested in a stone quarry. These ventures were all successful, and he became the most extensive merchant and prominent business man in that section of the state. In 1 86 1 he remodeled his store in order to accommodate the largely increasing pro- portions of his trade, making of it a con- venient and commodious building, two stories in height and fifty by one hundred feet in size. In addition to the interests already mentioned he owned a number of farms in Decatur county, as well as in Kan- sas and other states, and a large amount of property in Sardinia. Mr. Harper was a man of unusual execu- tive ability, farseeing and almost unfailing in his judgment of men and things, fearless in the magnitude and scope of his opera- tions, and, indeed, a prince of financiers. Perhaps the greatest enterprise of his life was when, in 1888, he joined a syndicate composed of seven other men besides him- self, from New York, Boston and Chicago, for the purpose of awakening interest in southern property. They purchased three thousand acres of land in northern Georgia, on which they selected a beautiful site for a town, over one thousand feet above sea level. There they platted the ground, made an artificial lake fed from a creek and mountain springs, and founded the well- known health resort of Demorest, so called in honor of J. Demorest, the publisher of the popular Democratic magazine in New York city. In less than two years it was a thriving place of five hundred inhabitants, with hotels, banks, three or four factories, foundries, machine works. — the Southern Novelty Works, — and is now a flourishing city and an important station on the Rich- mond & Danville Railroad. Doubtless one cause of its prosperity, aside from its de- lightful climate and invigorating air, is the fact that no saloon has ever been allowed DECATUR COUNTY. 261 within its limits. Mr. Harper invested over twenty thousand dollars in this project, and lived to see his hopes reti:arding it realized. In 1855, a year after settling in business in Decatur county, Mr. Harjjer returned to Ohio, and was there married to Miss Maria Munson, bringing his bride to his new home in Indiana. Their wedded happiness was of short duration, for less than a year later she was laid to rest in the cemetery. On July 10, 1856, Mr. Harper was married to Mary E. McMillen, who was his loving and faithful companion until they were sepa- rated by his death. May 12, 1896. In 1876 Mr. Harper built an elegant and commodious residence at Sardinia, costing over eighteen thousand dollars, and here he spent his last years in hapi)y leisure, surrounded by every comfort and luxury, and the reci])ient of such universal honor and friendship as seldom falls to the lot of man. In his personal attributes he had many conunendable traits. He was a man of most genial disposition, full of humor, fond of social intercourse, a great lover of children, and was never so happy as when surrounded in his home by those he loved. Although so deeply immersed in business he never forgot the claims of religion, and faithfully performed his duties as a Chris- tian, not the least of which is to visit the fatherless and the widmv. His heart and hand were ever open to the needy and suf- fering, and when a certain sum of money was needed for church or benevolent ])ur- poses it was his custom to tell those in charge of the matter to raise what they could and he would supply the deficiency, — this in many cases being almost the entire amount. A devoted member of the Pres- byterian church, he gave not only financial aid but .sym])athy and encouragement, and his house was always made the home of traveling ministers. He was broad-minded and charitable in the fullest meaning of the words, never refusing help to the worthy poor, and often allowing them to take goods when he knew that there was no prospect of payment. In matters pertain- ing to the community be was public- spirited, and always ready to assist in any enterprise which had for its object the up- building of his town and county. In busi- ness relations his integrity was never doubted and his character was beyond re- proach. For se\-eral years ])re\ious to his death Mr. Harper found rest and recreation from his business cares in travel, and visited Col- orado, the Pacific coast and New Mexico, also spending much time in Florida, where he had important interests, and in other southern states. Politicallv Mr. Harper was a Democrat, and though fre(|uently urged to accept a nomination for ofiice would never allow his name to be used. Mr. Harper comes of a prominent and influential family of Ohio, his father, Joseph Harper, being an influential and wealthy farmer of P)Utler county, and his mother an eastern lady of culture and refinement. They had four children: Joseph, who re- sides in Indianapolis, Indiana; James S. ; Francis, who died in Boone county, Indi- ana: and Mary, Mrs. M. DeCamp, who died in Reilly, Ohio, Mrs. James S. Harper was born in Mount X'ernon, Ohio. March 28, 1835, and was the daughter of James H. and Mary (Richard- -son) McMillen. Her father was a native of Ohio, and was the son of John and Mar- 263 DECATUR COUNTY. garet (Hopkins) McMillen, the former of Scotch descent. Her mother was born in Pennsylvania. John McMillen was a school-teacher in early life, and died in Ohio; and his wife died in Iowa. They were consistent members of the Presbyte- rian church. On the Richardson side of the family there were eight children, as follows: Mary, the mother of Mrs. Harper; Jacob; Rachel, Mrs. Valley; Margret, Mrs. Julian; Catharine, twin of Margret, became Mrs. Reed ; William, the operator of a coal mine ; Hannah. Mrs. \V. Moore: and Eliza, Mrs. Evans. The family are all meml^ers of the Methodist church. Mrs. Harper's father removed to Cincin- nati when she was only two years old. He was there engaged in the manufacture of sash and blinds, which business he followed for some years, becoming a well-to-do and popular citizen. He served several terms as sheriff of Hamilton county, and later was postmaster and justice of the peace. In 1852 he removed to Columbus, Indiana, then to Burnsville, and finally settled in Sardinia, where he died. During this time he was a contractor, a school-teacher and a clerk in Mr. Harper's store. After his death, August 19, 1870, his wife made her home with Mrs. Harper, where her last days were peacefully spent, she passing away in May, 1883. This worthy couple were members of the Presbyterian church. They had three children: Eliza J., Mrs. T. M. Thompson, of Cincinnati: Mary E., the subject of this sketch: and Matilda A., who died in childhood. Mrs. Harper has shared with her honored husband the love and esteem of the com- munity in which they so long made their home. Like him, she has been active in all good works, sympathizing with him in his ei^orts to follow the golden rule. Con- genial in their tastes and habits, they great- ly enjoyed each other's companionship, not only in the domestic circle, but also in the many pleasant journeys they took together. None but those who have been left alone, as is Mrs. Harper, can realize her lonely condition, for the only child born to this union, Ella May, born May 15, 1857, lived but a brief eight years and nine months, dying Fel)ruary 27, 1866; and since her beloved husband and revered mother have passed away she is without any near rela- tive. However, she finds consolation in the thought that there is a life beyond, where she will be reunited, and fills up her time in doing what her hands find to do for the happiness of others. ROBERT ALEXANDER HAMILTON. More than a century ago Washington said: "Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful and most noble employment of man; " and the remark is as true to-day as when spoken. There is no employment which on an average is more profitable than agriculture when well understood: yet not ever)- man may make a success of this call- ing, which demands intelligence and thor- ough preparation as much as any other vo- cation. Mr. Hamilton, however, who was well trained in the business methods of the farm and in the conduct of liis agricultural interests, has met with creditable prosperity. He is a representative of one of the oldest and most honored families of Decatur county, and no history of this section of the state would be complete without the record of his life. DECATUR COUNTY. A native of Kentucky, he was born in Nicholas county, July 22. 1821, and the fol- lowing year was brought by his parents to Indiana. He is a son of James ICward Hamilton, and his grandfather. Robert Hamilton, was a son of William Hamilton. The last named came to this country from the north of Ireland about the middle of the eighteenth century and took up his abode in Pennsylvania. The Hamiltons were of Scotch-Irish lineage, and of the Presbyterian faith. Tradition says that long years ago they were driven from Scot- land to Ireland at the time when the Pro- testants were bitterly persecuted by the Catholics in the land of hills and heather. William Hamilton married Isabella Thomp- son. Some years afterward he took up his abode in Pennsylvania. The work of set- tlement began in Kentucky, and with his wife and three sons, Robert, Thomas and Samuel, he removed to the latter state, lo- cating at McBride's Creek, in Bourbon county, where he died a few years later. Mr. Hamilton, whose name heads this sketch, was also a descendant of the Eward family. James Eward and his wife Eliza- beth, with their two daughters, Nancy and Jane, emigrated from Ireland about the same time the Hamiltons came to this coun- try, and after spending a few years in Pennsylvania removed to \'irginia, locating near Augusta. There the family was in- creased by the birth of four children. — Mary, Jane, Sarah and Ellen, .\bout 1780 the parents started with their little ones for Kentucky, but while on the journey through the wilderness the father died. The wife and mother, a woman of resolute pur- pose, continued until she reached her des- tination and after living for a short period in Lexington, Kentucky, removed to Taylor's Creek, in Bourbon county. It was there that the two Scotch-Irish families, the Ham- iltons and Ewards, were connected through the marriage of Robert Hamilton and Mary Eward, which event occurred June 9, 1794. Their descendants came to Indiana and es- tablished here one of the most prominent families of Decatur county. Robert Hamilton was born in Pennsyl- vania, June 17, 1768, before the state gov- ernment of Kentucky was formed, and while the Indians were yet causing great trouble with the white settlers "on the dark and bloody ground" he went to Kentucky and became identified with its agricultural interests. He never sought or desired po- litical office, but was often called upon to aid in settling disputed land claims. When the war of 1812 broke out he recruited a company of Kentucky riflemen, of which he was elected captain, and on the 20th of Sep- tember of that year he wrote to his wife from \'incenncs. in the territory of Indiana, giving an account of the march of his com- pany to that post and their muster into the United States service, under command of Major General Samuel Hopkins. From Vincennes they marched against Shawnee, Prophetstown and other Indian villages on the Illinois ri\er. and on the expiration of their term of service the members of this compan\- were discharged and sent home. Robert Hamilton was not only a loyal sol- dier and an enterprising farmer, but was also a consistent Christian gentleman, and died firm in his faith in the Creator and the future destiny of man. He died June 17. 18 1 7. and was buried in the Concord churchyard in Nicholas county. Kentucky. His wife, Marv Eward Hamilton, was 264 DECATUR COUNTY. born in Virginia, in 1774, and died at the home of her son, R. M. Hamilton, four miles east of Greensburg, Indiana, March 15, 1848, after living a widow nearly thirty- one years. She was buried in the Kingston cemetery. She was perhaps the best known of all the pioneer women of Decatur county, and greatly esteemed for her kindliness and her many noble qualities. In early life she was a member of the Baptist church, but after her marriage she became a member of the Presbyterian church, and was always careful to instruct her children in Christian teachings and principles. She also trained them to habits of industry and economy, and in her family of eleven sons and daugh- ters were displayed many of the strong characteristics which made herself and her husband prominent and honored people of the localities in which they resided. All of the children grew to maturity, the youngest being thirty-two years old at the time of death, and the eldest, eighty-six. The rec- ord of thisfamily is as follows: James Eward, born March 30, 1795, married Jane McCoy November 5, 1818, and died January 13. 1 881; Fidelia, born September 18, 1796, was married in 1816, to Elijah Mitchell, and died in Iowa, in July, i860; Thomas, born August 25, 1798, died June 16, 1880; Cy- rus, born July 14, 1800, died August 19, 1879; Spicy G., born October 12, 1802, became the wife of John Thompson, and died December 22, 1838; Eliza E., born November 11, 1804, died December 20, 1880; Ellen E., born September 12, 1806, became the wife of 13arton Stone McCoy, and died September 26, 1832; Sarah, bom April 14. 1809, married Thomas Donnell. and died Januar}- 5, 1891 ; Robert Marshall, born November 17, 181 1, is now Hving in Washington township, Decatur county; Mary Jane, born November 15, 1814, mar- ried Jackson Lowe, and died in December, 1890; Minerva, born January 2, 1817, be- came the wife of P. J. Bartholomew, and after his death wedded J. C. Donnell. She is still living. After the death of Robert Hamilton, the father of this family, the management of the Kentucky farm and the care of the family fell largely upon James E. Hamilton, the eldest son, and he continued to manage the place until after his marriage, when his brothers, Cyrus and Thomas, took charge of the old homestead and carried on the work until Cyrus was married. In March, 1822, James E. and Cyrus Hamilton, with their wives, who were sisters, and the two children of James (Philander and Robert A.) left Kentucky and came to Indiana. On the iith of March they unloaded their goods by the side of a large poplar log, in the then unbroken forest, near the site of the residence of the late James E. Hamilton. There they erected a l)ark shel- ter, which served as a protection for these people until a cabin could be erected. Into this the Hamilton families moved, and in a short time a log cabin was also built for Cy- rus Hamilton, the neighbors for miles arovuid coming to assist in this work. In 1823 the mother and the other members of the family also arrived in Decatur county, the son Thomas preceding them in order to prepare a home for them. Since that time representatives of the family have been actively and honorably identified with var- ious business interests, but have been par- ticularly prominent in agricultural cir- cles. James Eward Hamilton, the eldest of the DECATUR COUNTY. family, married Jane McCoy, and in addi- tion to the two children. Philander and Robert A., who were bom to them in Ken- tucky, they became the parents of five other children, namely: Margaret, who was bom October ii, 1823, married William M. Mc- Coy, w^ho died December 8, 1881, and she May 9, 1897; Nancy, born March 19, 1828, became the wife of Jacob C. Adams, who died February 15, 1881; Mary E. was born March 9, 1828; James M., bom December 24, 1833, died in July. 1834; and Fidelia, bom August I, 1837, became the w'ife of Michael Sefton, who died in June. 1869, after which she married Charles Buchanan, now of Boone county, Indiana. James E. Ham- ilton, the father of this family, took great pride in his vocation of farming, and not only won success for himself but also aided his children in getting a start in life, and left at his death a large estate. He never speculated or earned a dollar in an illegiti- mate way, but through the avenue of hon- orable business methods he gained a hand- some competence. He was also deeply interested in whatever he believed would prove a benefit to the community, and gave his support liberally to such measures. In •835. when the first effort was made to build the railroad from Lawrenceburg to Indian- apolis, he was a liberal subscriber to its stock, and again in 1848. when the scheme was revived, he purchased considerable stock, advanced money on its bonds, also canvassed the country in its interests, and for a number of years serxed as a director of the road. He was a broad-minded, en- terprising and public-spirited man, in whom the poor and needy always found a friend. His integrity was proverbial, and his hon- esty in all business transactions made his reputation in commercial circles an unas- sailable one. His wife was a daughter of Alexander and Nancy Cami)bell McCoy, who were descended from the famous Campbell family of Scotland, so illustrious in history. Mrs. Hamilton devoted her life to her home and the interests of her husljand and children. Her Christian ex- ample, as well as teachings, had a marked influence upon the lives of her sons and daughters. She died in 1851, and her death was deeply mounied throughout the community. In 1854 Mr. Hamilton was again married, his second union being with Rosanna Mc- Coy, a cousin of his first wife. He died January 13, 1881. and his wife survived him several years, during which time she re- mained on the old family homestead. His eldest son. Philander, was born in Nicholas county, Kentucky, September 20, 1819, and when a lad suffered an injury whereby he was crippled for life. He pursued his edu- cation under the instruction of J. (i. May. in the old Decatur County Seminary, and there prepared for entrance into Hanover College, in which institution he was gradu- ated with the honors of his class. He then taught school for a short time in Bloom- field, Kentucky, and in 1S41 was ])rincipal of the Decatur County Seminary. The following year he edited the Decatur Senti- nel, and during that time studied law under the instruction of Judge Davidson, of Greensburg, and was admitted to the bar at the spring term of the circuit court in 1843, on a certificate of examination and legal qualifications made by Judge M. E. Eggles- ton and James Perry. Immediately there- after he began practice, and before his death had attained honorable distinction in the DECATUR COUNTY. legal profession. In politics he was a Whig and an anti-slavery man of the Horace Greeley type. He represented his county in the legislature in 1846-7, and 1847-8, and was one of the most efficient members ever sent to the house from this locality, his arguments always winning support for the measure he advocated. He died at his father's home March 5, 1849, i" the midst of a prominent career. Robert A. Hamilton, whose name begins this review, though born in Kentucky, was reared in Decatur county, and since 1822 has made his home on the land given by his father. He experienced all the hardships and difficulties of pioneer life, learned to clear land, make rails, and did all kinds of farm work. He has always carried on agri- cultural pursuits and stock-raising, and his efforts have been crowned with a high and merited degree of success. His educational privileges were only such as the pioneer schools of the time afforded, and he pursued his studies only through the winter season, his services being needed on the home farm in the summer months. He assisted his father until twenty-seven years of age, when he married Miss Susan Saunders, who was born in this county, April 5, 1828, a daugh- ter of James and Cynthia (Hall) Saunders, both natives of Nicholas county, Kentucky, where their marriage occurred. In 1821 they came to Indiana, and the father entered land where the town of Clarksburg now stands. He made good improvements on the place, and after twelve years sold the property and purchased a tract of land southwest of Greensburg, where he devel- oped a good farm. In 1855, however, he removed to Iowa, where his death occurred, July 7, 1864. His wife passed away in De- catur county, at the home of her daughter Susan, April 28, 1873. In politics he was a stanch Whig, and his influence in political matters was very marked. He filled many positions of trust and honor, represented his county in the state legislature, served as county treasurer, and was also justice of the peace. He was a captain of militia during the days of gen- eral muster, and was long a recognized lead- er in public thought and action. He pos- sessed more than ordinary intelligence, and was a gentleman of many social qualities, of genial manner and kindly disposition, and won the friendship and regard of all with whom he came in contact. He possessed excellent business ability, and not only suc- cessfully conducted his farm but also at- tended to much legal business for his neigh- bors, writing wills, etc., and had much con- fidential work. He was a member of the Christian church, although the others of his family were Presbyterians. His children were nine in number. James Newton, who was highly educated, became a Presbyte- rian minister, his first charge being at Evansville. Indiana. Later he was pastor of a church in Louisville, Kentucky, and subse- quently he served in the Bloomfield (Ken- tucky) church for more than thirty years, his noble Christian example having marked influence in the affairs of that community. Henry, who served in the civil war as a captain in an Iowa regiment, died in Iowa. William, who was a student in college at the time of the Mexican war, entered the army, and was killed at the storming of the city of Mexico. Robert is now an agricul- turist of Iowa. Susan is the wife of our subject. Miles, who was educated in Ken- tucky, was pastor of the Presbyterian DECATUR COUNTY. 267 church in Springfield, that state, for thirty- five years, and is now servint;- as a mission- ary among the nimnitainoors of Kentncky. He is a man of hrilliaiit mind, oi a de\'oted Christian cliaracter anil labors earnestly to uplift his fellowmen. Eliza is the wife of Paschal T. Lambert. Hughes died at the age of twenty-one years; and Mary was the wife of Calvin Kelsey. who also was a cap- lain in .in Iowa regiment in the civil war, and died of cholera in Cairo, Illinois. She afterward married Mr. llendrix, a fanner, liy tiiis marriage of Mr, and -Mrs. K. .\. ilainihon six children were born, four of wlioni died in infancy, the others being Inez and James Henry. The former is the wife of Judge Daniel Wait Howe, who was a captain in an Ituliana regiment during I be ei\il war. and i> the autlior (jf "The I'liriian Republic." The ciiildren of this union were Ruth. Lucy and Susan. James Henry graduated at Hanover College in 1885, and after studying in the L'niversity of Halle and Berlin took the degree of Ph. D. from the University of Wisconsin. He' was married in i8yo to IMaud Hume, and has one daughter, Hildegard. Ho is now the professor of political science in Syracuse University. Largely through his efi'orts and those of his father, James E. Hamilton, an endow- ment of five thousand dollars was raised for the Presbyterian church at Kingston, the first Presbyterian churcii organized in the county, of which .\lr. Hamilton, though never a member, was for more than fortv years one of the trustees. In his political affiliations he is a Repub- lican, but has never as])ired to oftice. His time and interests have been closelv given to his farming and stock-raising interests.' He has now a large tract of land under a high state of cultivation, the same farm on which he locatetl at the time of his mar- riage. There, in a little brick house, one of the first brick structures in the county, he and his wife began their domestic life: and this little home is still standing in the rear of their present residence, a constant reminder of the early days. It is sur- rounded by a beautiful grove, which Mr. Hamilton himself planted. The now large trees add to the attractiveness of the i)lace. while the walks and drives and well kc\>l lawn are the indication of the prosperity and enterprise of the owner. The home is sup- plied with all the modern conveniences, and natural gas is flowing from one of the wells on the place. .\t this comfortable home Mr. Hamilton and his wife are spending their declining years after a happy married life covering a half century. Their friends are many, and throughout the community they are held in the highest esteem. MRS. S-\RA11 .\. MONTGOMER^■, The success wdiich lias been made by Mrs. Sarah A. Montgomery forms a theme which should be interesting to all readers and val- uable to all women. An account of it is presented here, because it is properly a part of this work, and in the hope that its ])er- usal may encourage other bereft and lonely women to enter paths perhaps hitherto un- trodden by them but certainly leading to security and pros])erity. Since 1874, dur- ing a period of twenty-five years, which is also the period of her widowhood, Mrs. Montgomery has managed a fine farm of one hundred and fifty-eight acres, a mile DECATUR COUNTY. and a half northeast of Greensburg, Indi- ana, and has. l^esides this, shown herself possessed of business capacity of a high order. When, after her husband's burial, she took account of her situation in life, she found herself possessed of the farm and one dollar and fifty cents cash. The prospect was certainly not one likely to reassure a weak woman, and such an one would have been very likely to sell the farm and live on its price; but with a true woman's prompt- ings Mrs. ]\Iontgomery faced the situation bravely and planned to take advantage of it to every extent possible. She accepted every duty and shirked no responsibility, for she had been brought up to believe that g'ood fortune is destined for stout hearts and that success will crown the efforts of willing workers in any worthy field of hu- man endeavor. She believed that "the dili- gent hand maketh rich in culture, growth in wisdom and in business," and results have demonstrated how substantial was the foundation of her faith. Progressive in her ideas and methods, everything about her betokens a woman's attention to minor de- tails. She set al)out imprt>\-ing the productive- ness of the place and during the first ten years of her management she cleared seven thousand dollars in excess of expenses. In 1894 she erected a modern two-story house of thirteen rooms, heated with natural gas from a gas well on her farm, and provided with other up-to-date conveniences. Her enx'ironments are attracti\-e in the extreme, her house being surrounded by a well kept lawn, ornamented with beautiful plants and flowers. Close by on the north is a lakelet, fed by springs and partially obscured liy pond lilies, in which are large numbers of white and red fish. One of the chambers of the house she has given up to relics. Among her curios are a bedstead about seventy-five years old, a large spinning- wheel which was once used by one of her aunts, a dining table and a washstand and other furniture of ancient pattern, brass candlesticks and other interesting objects which recall memories of the pioneer days of our country. Mrs. Montgomery is childless, her only son having died at six- teen years of age. She reared and educated two nephews, however, both of whom are married and one of whom has a home with her and conducts her farm under her able direction. She is a Presbyterian and much given to church and benevolent work. Her offerings of flowers and choice fruits bring delight at the bedside of many a helpless invalid. She reads much and travels as op- portunity presents, and is in every wa\' a woman of culture fully up to the times. Mrs. Montgomery was born near Greens- burg, Indiana, June 18, 1831, a daughter of John and Sarah (Trimble) Gageby, both na- tives of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, who were married after their settlement in Deca- tur county. Her father was a son of James Gageby, a native of Ireland who, with a brother, came early to America and fought for .American independence in the Revolu- tionary army, and after the war located in Pennsylvania. There he became a suc- cessful farmer and reared a worth)' family. His children were: .Mien, who settled in Virginia; John, father of Mrs. Montgom- ery; David, who also came to Indiana; Neill. who came to Indiana and later went to Iowa, where he died; Jane (Mrs. Elder. of Pennsylvania); Robert, who died in Pennsylvania, and whose son, James, was a DECATUR COUNTY. S«9 colonel in the Union service in the civil war and was long confined in Lihliy prison; and James, who had tlie lirst cal)inet shop in Greensliurg. James ('.a>;ehy, the emi- grant and patriot, was a man of good ability j and of high moral character, who was I reared in the Presliyterian faith and lived a goodly life that connnended him to the , respect oi all who knew him. John and David Gagehy came to Indiana in iHji. in company with Colonel Thomas llemlricks. who was appointed by the United States I government to snrvey the lands in Indiana { and whom they assisted in that work. Tlic country in all directions was then an un- broken forest. Colonel Hendricks and these men entered land, the former :\ con- ; siderable tract where Greensburg has since grown U]), and Mrs. Montgomery states that her mother made nia])!e sugar from sap yielded by a grove of maples which former- ly stood on the site of the Decatur county court-honse. Colonel Hendricks came from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and they named the settlement which gave the first chapter in the history of Greensburg, Indi- ana, in honor of that old eastern town. John Gageby married Sarah Trimble and settled on his land and improved a farm where he reared a family, lived out his days and made an enviable rei)utation as a good farmer and an honest man, and died in 1836, aged forty-four years, as the result of hard- ship and exjiosure incident to |Moneer life in a country to which he had never become full*' acclimated. He erected a hewn-log house, which he occupied in 1SJ3 and which he later weather-boarded and which is yet in use as a residence. He was the first out- spoken temperance man in Decatur county and his attitude on that question attracted nuich attention. It was the custom among liie iMoneers to i)rovide whisky for those who made up "bees" to l)uild their primitive houses, roll their logs or harvest their crops. Mr. Gageby refused to supply drinks, on the high moral ground that by so doing he would wickedly jjut temptation in the way of his brother men; but his more or less remote neigljbors did not make any differ- ence in their treatment of him on that ac- count, and his log-rolling and liar\esting were done in good time and in good order. His manly character won the admiration of all who knew him and led to his being chosen to fill several township otifices. He was a Whig in ]iolitics and a Presbyterian in religion. Sarah Trimble, wlm became his wife, was ;i daughter of Thomas and l^lizabcth (Crow) Trimble and a native of (irecnsburg. Pennsylvania. Her father was of Scotch, her mother of Welsh, descent, and they both died in Pennsylvania, where Thomas Trimble was a farmer. John and Elizabeth (Crow) Trimble had children as follows: Jane (Mrs. Stewart); Elizabeth (Mrs. Thom- as Hendricks); Ann (Mrs. Seabury); Susan (Mrs. Robinson); Polly (Mrs. Odon); Sarah (mother of Mrs. Montgomery); Thomas, who died in Pennsylvania; James, who also died in Pennsylvania; and Nancy (Mrs. Matthews). The children of John and Sarah (Trimble) Gageby were Eliza- beth (Mrs. J. Montgomery); Susan (Mrs. McKee), who died in Iowa; James, who died in Decatur county. Indiana: and Sarah .\. (Mrs. Thomas Montgomery), the imme- diate subject of this sketch. Mrs. Montgomery passed her .school days at Greensburg and at X'ernon, Indiana, and after having finished her education 270 DECATUR COUNTY taught school eight years with good suc- cess. She uiarried Thomas Montgomery, a nati\e of Inchana and a son of Tliomas and EHzalieth (Bingham) Alontgomery. Thomas Montgomery, Sr., was a son of Hugh and Eva (Hartman) Montgomery, and on his father's side was of Irish descent. Hugh Montgomery came to America in colonial days and saw ser\ice as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Three of his sons, Thomas, Michael and William, served their country in the war of 1812-14, and William was killed in battle. Thomas came early to Ohio and thence in 1824 to Indiana, where he entered large tracts of land, improved a good farm and reared a family and died in 1846. He was one of the most prominent pioneers in his locality and lived a Christian life which was a worthy example to his fel- low men. His children were named as fol- lows, in the order of their birth: Henry, Thomas, Hugh, George, Michael, Robert, Mary (Mrs. Alexander Grant): Elizabeth (Mrs. Thompson); Sarah (Mrs. Martin); Nancy (Mrs. Hineman); and Margaret (Mrs. Crutchwell). After his marriage Thomas, son of Thomas and grandson of Hugh Montgomer)-, settled on one piece of the land entered i)y his father and made a good farm, upon which he passed the re- mainder of his life and died about 1857. He married Miss Lizzie Bingham, whose father. John Bingham, had died in Pennsyl- \ania, leaxing her doubly orphaned and without brother or sister or other near rela- tive. Miss Bingham joined some friends who w ere a jiart of a small colony bound for the west. They went down the Ohio river as far as Cincinnati and from there they made their way to Butler county, Ohio, where they located, whence some of them. Miss Bingham among the number, came to Decatur county, Indiana. The children of Thomas and Lizzie (Bingham) Montgom- ery were as follows: Rebecca, who died unmarried: Sarah, who also died unmalr- ried, agetl seventy-two; Eva, who married A. J. Draper: John B., who is dead; Hugh, who died in 185 1; George, who died in 1831; Martha, who married a Mr. Craig; Thomas, who married Sarah Gageby and died November 24, 1874; and Robert, who lives on the old family homestead. After their marriage, Thomas and Sarah A. (Gagel)y) Montgomery moved upon a poor- ly improved farm which I\Ir. Montgomery purchased and part of which he put under a good state of cultivation and provided with better buildings and appointments. This property, as has been stated, has been brought up to a fine degree of excellence by his widow, he having been taken away in the midst of his planning and working. He was a man of a high order of intelli- gence, well read and well informed in pub- lic matters, an abolitionist and a Repub- lican, influential in his part}-, but ne\-er an office-seeker. Of independent thought and action, he braved prejudice and was the first man in his vicinity to give employment to negroes. He was a good husband and a lover of home, generous to the deserving poor, devoted to the Presbyterian church and all its interests, a consistent Christian gentleman who left the impress of a high moral character and a pure life ujion all with whom he came in contact. Earlier in this article it has been at- tempted to give some account of Mrs. Montgomery's busy, good and useful life since she has been a widow. The death of her son, just in the flower of his youth, was DECATUR COUNTY. another blow which w t)ul(l Iia\ c l)een crush- ing to most women, ilcr (Christian faith has sustained her, for she is a member of the Preshyterian churcli, liciijful to all its good works, and she has found relief from her own sorrows in ministering to the woes of others: and she has demonstrated that she possesses great executive ability and re- markable capacity for business: and she is going forward with her work and her chari- ties, firm in the belief that she will at last rccei\c the reward of the good and the faithful. TliOM.VS JOHXSOX. M. D. r>y his ability, energy and strict attention to his [)rofcssional duties. Dr. Thomas John- son has become one of the wealthiest and most successful practitioners of Decatur county, and he is a highly respected citizen of Greensburg. He was born in Oswego county. New York. January 14, 1827. His parents. Lucas and Rachel (Betson) John- son, were natives of Xew York, but came west about 1838. They located in Fayette county. Indiana, about four miles north of Laurel, where they lived for a great many years. They finally took up their residence in Laurel, where Mrs. Johnson died in 1879, at the age of fifty-nine years. The father of our subject was engaged in agricultural pursuits the greater part of his life, and suc- ceeded in accumulating a large amount of ])ropcrty. He was a ]ironiinent member of the Metluidist clnnch. in which he was a steward and also clas.s-leader. His death took place at Greensburg. Indiana, January -3- •^^93- when he was eighty-nine years old. In the Johnson family were fi\e chil- dren, three of whom are living, — Mrs. Jane Shera, of Connersville, Indiana; John B., who lives near Noblesville, Indiana, and who, like his father, is a farmer; and Thom- as, the subject of this sketch. Dr. Johnson was eleven years old when his parents removed to Fayette county, and he there spent his boyhood days. Me en- tered the old Asbury (now the De Pauw) University, and was a member of the sopho- more class when he decided to leave college and take up the study of medicine. He be- gan reading in the oftice and under the in- struction of Dr. J. 1'. Kiiehen, of Laurel, and later studied at the Cincinnati Medical College, at which he graduated in i8'')5. Prior to this, however, as was often the case in those days, he had practised for eleven years. — one of which he spent in Dalton (1854) and two in Columbia, Indiana, In 1857 he went to Clarksburg, where he re- mained for twenty-four years. In 1882 Dr. Johnson removed to (ireens- burg, where he has since made his home. Here he has a large practice, the .second in length of time in the county, and has won the confidence of his patrons by his thor- ough knowledge of his profession, his genial manners and his sympathetic treatment of the sick and suffering. In addition to his income from his profession Dr. Johnson owns three hundred and eighty-nine acres of land, in Rush and Franklin counties, near Laurel, which is under g' army. The children of William, the patriot, were born in ^'irginia, where he settled after the war. and he took them all to Kentucky with him when he located there, early in the pio- neer days of that part of the country. Work- ing as a gunsmith, blacksmith and farmer, he reared his children to maturity, and as they grew up they located, one after an- other, in Indiana, where their father joined them about 1828. He took up eighty acres of land and improved it. This was his home during the balance of his life, and he lies buried not far from the John Robbins homestead. This i)atriot pioneer was a plain, honest man, blunt and straightforward, with a high standard of inorality and integrity; in religion he was a Baptist, and in politics a Whig. He married Bethiah Robbins, a widow, not even indirectly related to him. who was born December i, 1760, and w^ho had two sons, Abel and Benjamin, who were reared by their stepfather. The fol- lowing facts concerning his own children will be found interesting: Elizabeth be- came Mrs. J. Watkins; Marmaduke and Jacob were twins; Mary became Mrs. Kirkjiatrick; Nathaniel, John and Will- iam were younger sons; Charlotte be- came Mrs. Anderson; Dosia married J. Herron. All of the children of the pioneer and his worthy wife came to Indiana. Abel and Benjamin Robbins, Mrs. Robbins' sons by her former marriage, remained be- hind, and Abel lived and died in Kentucky, while Benjamin moved to Tennessee and there lived out his allotted time. John Robbins was the first of all to come to Iiidi- ana. He came in 1821. and Marmaduke in 1823. William Robbins. who was six years old when his father moved from \':rginia to Kentucky, was reared and began his active life there. He entered land in Indiana in 1 82 1 and in 1823 was married and moved onto it. He had borrowed money to enter his land, and at the time he came to I'ndiana had paid half of the amount and had no money in hand for present needs. He had a team and wagon, however, and brought along a few cattle, hogs and sheep. He was a true pioneer and overcame numerous obstacles, not the least of which was his moving, for he was obliged at times to cut his way throug-h the forest and to make long detours to cross streams. He first made a comfortable camp, then erected a log cabin, and he lost no time in jiutting under cultivation as much land as possible. It was not long before his pioneer home was self-supporting. He grew w'ool and DECATUR COUNTY. 273 raised flax and his wife spun and wove and made clothing. He became successful as a general farmer and stock-raiser. He was not of a speculative turn of mind and had no thought of accumulating money except in- honest labor and safe and wise manage- ment of his affairs. He formed a definite plan to buy land, but made a rule that he would never buy until he could i)ay. .\s lie was al)le to do so he Iwught land from time to time and ga\c to each of his chil- dren at marriage a home farm of eighty acres. At the same time lie rescr\'ed a JKinu'stoad of one huiidred and twenty acres for tiio one who should care for him and his wife ill their declining years. He was born .\ugusi 5, 1797. and died September 11, 1S54. He was a Whig and an abolitionist, and had he lived he would unmistakably have affiliated with the Republican i)arty. It was because he abhorred slavery that he left Kentucky and took up his residence in a free state. He was a charitable and help- ful man who won the gratitude of many of his fellows. He despised all dishonesty, and held liars in the most profound con- tempt. Eleanor .\nderson, who became William Kobbins' wife, was a daughter of James .\nderson and was born in X'irginia. July 3, 1797. Her father and his family removed to Kentucky at an early day, making the journey down the Ohio by flat-boat to a point on the Kentucky shore below Cincin- nati. He located in Henry county, Ken- tucky, near the Robbinses, and there farmed during the balance of his life. His children were as follows: Isaac, James, Ruth (who married John Robbins). Eleanor who mar- ried William Robbins), Ntmcy (who became Mrs. White). Weslev and Sarah. .Ml ex- cept Wesley and Sarah removed to Indiana. The children of William and Eleanor (.Vn- derson) Robbins were horn in the following order: Sarelda R. in;n-ried W. Stires: John E. will be referred to more at length further on; William .M. died young; James N. is a prominent f;iniicr and breeder of fine cattle in Decatur county. Indiana; Merrill H. is dead. John E. Kobbins, father of William H. Robbins. son of William l\obl>iiis the ])io- neer and grandson, of William Kolibins the patriot, was born in Decatur county, Indi- ana, and was a member of his father's fam- ily until his marriage, which occurred .\o vember 7. 1844. He then settled on a small tract of land given him by his father, but was without means to improve it or to begin fanning. He found employment during the succeeding winter at school- teaching, at ten dollars a month, and was thus enabled to put in some crops the fol- lowing spring. This circumstance is given as an index to his character. He was a de- termined, resourceful man, and he not only ])rospered but became one of the most prominent financiers of eastern Indiana. Far-sighted beyond most men and with an unerring business instinct, he made a suc- cess of every enter])rise he undertook and in k)cal history made for himself a name and place which reflect the greatest credit upon his euterpri.se and his business meth- ods. From the time of his school-teaching venture he accumulated constantly, and more and more rapidly as the vears went on. He lived on his original farm until 185S, when he was enabled to buy one hundred and sixty acres a mile south of (Ireens- burg, which was his homestead during the 274 DECATUR COUNTY. remainder of his life. He added to this place by subsequent purchases until it com- prised eight hundred and sixty-three acres and bought about three thousand acres in other tracts. His landed possessions con- stituted only a portion of his wealth. Early in his career he began to raise and feed stock, and his operations grew so extensive that he handled more hogs than all other dealers in the county combined, with feed- ing and stock yards at Lawrenceburg and elsewhere and extensive slaughter houses at Greensburg. He looked carefully after his own large interests and was public-spirited to a marked degree, his interest in the de- velopment of the county inducing him to take a foremost place in the promotion of such public enterprises as turnpikes, rail- roads and banks. He was first to agitate pike roads in Decatur county, and was president of the \'ernon. Greensburg & Rushville Pike Road Compan_\- and was largely instrumental in making the road a success. He originated the Third National Bank of Greensburg, which began business January, 1883, with John E. Robbins as president and C. Ewing as cashier; was a director in other Greensburg banks and was. from time to time, identified promi- nently and helpfully with other important enterprises. His sound judgment was sought in matters of moment to the people, and in order to secure to Decatur county the benefits of his eminent financial ability he was called to the office of commissioner, in which he served with the greatest credit. He loved his home and improved and beau- tified it in many ways, continuing this work until the time of his death, July 22. 1896. Xancy Hunter, his wife, was born in Ohio, December 8, 1826, a daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Fares) Hunter. Her par- ents were natives of Germany, liut were married in (3hio and bought their liouse- keeping outfit at Cincinnati. In 1827 they removed to Franklin county, Indiana, where Mr. Hunter took up and improved land, which he sold to good advantage ten years later. At that time (1837) he entered a large tract of land in Decatur county and began the improvement of what turned out to be a fine farm. Late in life he retired to Greensburg, where he died at the age of ninety-seven, his wife surviving him and dving at the age of ninety-eight. He was a man of much enterprise, and several times built flat-boats and loaded them with prod- uce, which he sold in the markets of Xew Orleans, making the return journey on foot. He also helped to construct the White- water canal. In politics he was a strong Democrat, but never acceptcil oflice. His children were named as follows: Ann E. (Mrs. Shaw), Rebecca (^Irs. Wallace), Stephenson (deceased), Nathan (who lives in Greensburg), Nancy (mother of the sub- ject of this sketch), and Peter (deceased). Following are the names of the children of John E. Robbins: Sarelda B. (Mrs. Smiley), Minerva J. (Mrs. Gilchrist). Ella (Mrs. Kitchin), William, a farmer near Greensburg, Clara (Mrs. Kitchin), John E., Olive (Mrs. McCoy), Frank R. and Eliza (Mrs. Elder). Nancy (Hunter) Robbins, now in her seventieth year, is living on the homestead, near Greensburg. William H. Robbins remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-one, meantime acquiring a practical education in the schools near his father's home. He then went to Bartholomew county, Indiana, and there for two years had charge of a DECATUR COUNTY. 275 farm which belonged to his father. Re- turning to Decatur county, he assumed the management of the farm of five hundred and thirty-two acres, two miles southeast of Greensburg, where he has since lived. He has remodeled the house, a sightly and commodious brick structure, and built large barns and other outbuildings and has brought the place to a high state of im- provement and cultivation. He gives his attention to breeding fine stock and to gen- eral farming, and he has been so successful as to demonstrate not only his skill as a farmer and stockman but his ability as a business man. The worthy and accomi)lished woman who is the wife of William H. Robbins was Miss Cora Sefton. a daughter of Isaac and Mary (Myers) Sefton. Her grandfather, William Sefton, was one of the pioneers and leading citizens of Decatur county. Wil- liam Sefton was a son of Henry Sefton. an e.x-officer of the English army, who came to Ohio from Ireland and died of cholera in 1834. The children of Henry Sefton were named as follows, in the order of their birth: William (born February 2, 1806), Henry (died in Ohio). Maria (Mrs. Scott), Jane (Mrs. Hughes). Ellen (Mrs. Hunger- ford), Sarah (Mrs. I'.revoort). William married Catherine Shuck and settled as a farmer in Ohio, where he had fwe children born. In 1838 he came to Indiana and located in Decatur county, on land entered by his father, and cleared up and improved a farm, which he operated successfully until his death, October 29, 1868. He was sue- j cessful in a business way and added mate- | rially to his landed possessions by subse- quent purchases. He was a Democrat and was elected and served as one of the trus- tees of the township. He was not a church member, but "kept the commandments" and was a liberal sui)i)orter of churches without question as to denomination. His wife, who was born in April, 1806, and who died October 5, 1869, was a daughter of Michael Shuck, of German descent, from Pennsylvania, who located early in Butler county, Ohio, but came in his old age to the home of his daughter, in Indiana, where he died at the age of eighty-eight. Their children were Sarah (Mrs. Governor Bibbs of Ohio), Eliza (Mrs. .\. Lawrence), Peggy (Mrs. Mulholland). Hannah (Mrs. Shaw). Polly (Mrs. Hall), and Catherine (Mrs. Sefton), whose children were named as fol- lows: Henry (born January 25. 1833): Eliza (Mrs. Scott, of Ohio, born .\pril 2. 1834): Elizabeth (l)orn June 22. 1835. died unmarried August 19, 1880): Michael (born April 9, 1836: died January 15, 1869); Isaac (born September 28, 1837, is the father of Mrs. Robbins); Edward (born January 31, 1839): Mary (born .April 19. 1840, married Mr. Willey); Sarah (born October 13, 1844, became Mrs. .Anderson), and William W. (born .August 11. 1846). The father was born February 22. 1806. and died of pneumonia. They were mar- ried in 1830. Isaac Sefton was reared in Decatur county. Indiana, and learned farm- ing on his father's homestead, where he re- mained until he was twenty-eight years old. He married in 1865 and began farming on his own account. Upon the death of his father he inherited a part of his father's es- tate, to which he has added by judicious jnirchases until, from one hundred and si.xty acres, his landed possessions now aggregate six hundred and five 'acres. He now owns three improveil farms in this countv and 276 DECATUR COUNTY. one in Boone county and two houses in Greensburg, where he now Hves retired from active life, wealthy and influential and respected for the uprightness of his character. Mr. and Mrs. Sefton are con- sistent members of the Methodist church, and ]\Ir. Sefton has served as steward and in other official capacities. Mrs. Sefton was Miss Mary E. Myers, a daughter of Thomas S. and Mahala (Braden) Myers. Mr. Myers was of Pennsylvania Dutch ex- traction and was born in Rush county, Indiana. Mrs. Myers was born in Decatur county, Indiana, and they were married in 1843. Thomas S. Myers, who was a son of Thomas Myers (who died in 1845), passed away at Greensburg, Indiana, October 18. 1887, aged sixty-two years. Other children of Thomas Myers were Anderson, Vienna, Margaret, John and Edith. Thomas Myers was a native of Pennsylvania, a pioneer farmer in Indiana and a Primitive Baptist in his religious faith. The wife of Thomas S. Myers survives her husband, and has many interesting recollections of him. Like his father he was a Primitive Baptist, devoted to the advancement of Christianity. He was an invalid for some years before his death and gave much of his time to good and charitable works. Mrs. Myers, who is now seventy-two, was a daughter of Walter Braden, of Irish descent, who was born in 1797, being reared in the United States. He married in Kentucky and brought his wife, on horseback, to Indiana, where he became prominent as a farmer, a Methodist and public-spirited citizen. Here he died in 1876, and his wife passed away in 1855. Their house was the scene of more than one religious awakening among the pio- neers, and was the home of all the preachers who came through that part of the country. They had children who were named Mi- chael, John, Richard, Jane (Mrs. Russell), Linda and James. The children of Thomas S. and Mary E. (Braden) Myers were: Mary E. (wife of Isaac Sefton), Robert W.. Emma (Mrs. Gilmour), Morgan, Willard, Nevada (Mrs. W. S. Moore), and Maggie B. (Mrs. Scott). The children of Isaac and Mary (Myers) Sefton were: Kate, who was born November 11, 1868, and who married Frank B. Robbins; and Cora, who was born March 26, 1878, and who married W. H. Robbins. The union of William H. and Cora (Sef- ton) Robbins has been blest with one daughter, Willa, born Easter Sunday (April 2), 1899. Mr. and Mrs. Robbins are Bap- tists, and Mr. Robbins is a Republican and a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In all things Mr. Robbins is patriotic, always casting his influence on the side of progress and aiding it Ijy liber- ality in a financial way. He is one of the rising young men of the county and many influential friends rejoice in his sul)Stantial success. ANDREW S. GILMOUR. .'\merica has reason for pride in tlie Scotch element of its po]nilation. The Scotch are a hardy, thrifty, honest race who give a stimulus to worthy endeavor and present an example worth emulating wher- ever their lots may be cast. The subject of this notice is descended in all lines from this good stock and is a worthy American rep- resentative of "the land of the thistle," with its traditions, its history, its poetry and its rugged, living love of men for men. DECATUR COUNTY. Andrew S. Gilmour was horn at N«w Haven, Connecticut, April 30, 1833, a son of Gabriel and Janet (Craig) Gilmour. His parents were natives of Scotland, were mar- ried tliere and came to America in 1832, after having saved money for the venture for some years as occasion presented. From New York they went to Connecticut and Mr. Gilmour engaged in weaving in New Haven. At the expiration of two years, how- ever, lie turned his attention to farming, and in 1835 he came west to Indiana and lived in Franklin county in 1835-6. Next he removed to Union county, where he re- mained until 1839, and then came to Deca- tur county and bought a small ])artially im- proved place near Greensburg, where his son, Andrew S. Gilmour, now lives. He be- gan the improvement of this property and his son has added to it until he owned eighty acres. Not long after his arrival his health failed and he was an invalid until his death, which occurred on Christmas. 1843. His widow and their family survived him. Mrs. Gilmour kept the family together by a brave effort and reared her children to re- spectability and to usefulness. This worthy pioneer woman was a daughter of James Craig, prominent in Scotland as a rnanu- facturer of carpets. .\fter his death this business was continued in his family and one of his sons became noted as a manufac- turer of Paisley shawls. John Craig, an- other of Mrs. Gilmour's brothers, was a Baptist clergyman, and Archibald Craig, another of her brothers, was a popular Presbyterian minister at Mount Carmel. Indiana, where he died. Her brother, Wil- liam Craig, w^as prominent as a farmer near Mount Carmel for some years and later lived until his death in Decatur countv. where he was a farmer and coverlet-weaver. Her sister Mary became Mrs. Gilchrist and lived and died in Franklin county. Joseph Gilmour, a brother of Gabriel Gilmour and an uncle of Andrew S. Gilmour. located at Dunlapsville, Union county, Indiana, and after farming there for some time removed to Missouri, where he died. Thomas, a brother, and Agnes, a sister, of Gabriel Gil- mour. came to tlie United States. Thomas was for a time a grocer in Cincinnati, then a cabinet-maker, but finally located in Deca- tur county, where he lived out his vears. .\gnes (Mrs. Robert Muir) located in Mis- souri and died there. Following are the names of the children of Gabriel and Janet (Craig) Gilmour: .\ndrew S., of whom particular mention will be made further on; Elizabeth M., who married Hugh Gilchrist, a ranchman of Colorado; and Agnes B.. who is a member of the household of her brother on the old family homestead near Greensburg. Mr. and Mrs. Gilmour were stanch Presbyte- rians. Mrs. Gilmour died June 26, 1885. .\i the time of his father's death. Andrew S. Gilmour was scarcely ten years old, and he possesses a vivid recollection of the ter- rible dispensation of providence which made their isolated pioneer home the home of the widow and the fatherless. With his boyish hands he did what came in his wa\' to do to koc]) his mother and her children all under one roof. .\t twelve, when most boys would be at school and at play, he a.s- sumed charge of the farm. In his case the task was not merely nominal; for he di- rected the management of the place and did most of the hard work. He erected the present buildings on the farm and by judi- cious invest luent has added greatly to the DECATUR COUNTY. acreage of the estate. In time he bought his married sister's interest in the place. As its sole owner he still further improved it and he has made it a home to which he is bound by many memories and associations and which he will doubtless cling to during life. As a farmer he has a high reputation for the timeliness and the excellence of his products, and in many respects his home- stead and its management are commended by all farmers round about. In 1863 Mr. Gilmour married Miss Mar- garet Blaine, a native of Scotland, who came over to .\merica with her parents. Thomas Blaine and wife, who settled with their children in Indianapolis, where Mr. Blaine was engineer 'in a large factory and where he and his wife ijoth died. Their children were, besides Mrs. Gilmour, Isa- belle (Mrs. C. Pottage, of Indianapolis); Thomas (who died leaving a wife and two children), and William (who died unmar- ried). Mr. and Mrs. Blaine were lifelong Presbyterians and reared their children in that faith. Mrs. ("iilmour bore her husljand six chil- dren and died May 27, 1880. The children were named as follows, in the order of their nativity: Maggie M. (Mrs. L. B. Coch- ran), Gabriel (assi.sting his father in the management of the farm), Nettie C, Belle B. (Mrs. E. D. Hamilton of Julesburg, Col- orado); James \V.: and Charles, married September 13, 1899, to Cora L. Christy. The family are all identified with the Pres- byterian church. Mr. Gilmour is a Repub- lican, influential in local affairs, but has never sought or accepted public ofifice, and is a member of the great brotherhood of Freemasons. For years he has given at- tention to scientific fanning and to improv- ing the grade of hogs. He has been suc- cessful in breeding thoroughbred Poland- China hogs which have been awarded premiums at many state and county fairs and ha\-e found a ready market in different states. In all ways he has been public- spirited and helpful to the community, and he is regarded as a model farmer, a good neighbor, a just man in all his dealings and a patriotic citizen who loves the country of his father's adoption and has the utmost faith in its future greatness. His career has been one which reflects upon him the greatest credit. He has been self- reliant, industrious, frugal and honest, never seeking to better his own for- tunes at the expense of those of another. He has made his neighbor's cause his own and in all ways been helpful to those about him whom he saw struggling manfully against adverse circumstances. He has made his word as good in a financial way as any bond, and he enjoys in a marked degree the confidence of all who know him. ARCHIBALD C. GILCHRIST. Archibald C. Gilchrist, a prominent rep- resentative farmer of Washington town- slii]). Decatur county, Indiana, comes of families who were pioneer settlers. A son of Hugh and IVIehitable (Walker) Gilchrist, he was born in Franklin county, Indiana, July 16, 1846. His father was a native of Kilmarnock,' Scotland, born October 4, 1804; his mother was born in Maine, July 6, 18 1 2. They were married in Connecti- cut, where Hugh Gilchrist located at the age of twenty-four, having passed his life to that time at his native place. He came DECATUR COUNTY. 279 west soon after his marriage and while still a young man and bought a farm in Franklin county. Indiana, where he made a home and where his children were mostly reared. He had learned the weaver's trade in Scot- land and worked at it in New England and after coming to Indiana, though he was obliged, in the pioneer days, to go to Ken- tucky for wool. After a time he disposed of his farm in Franklin county and came to Decatur county and bought another farm in Clay township, where he died September 29. 1857. His wife survived him until October 5, 1892, and her declining years were passed in Greensburg. He was a strong Republican, but never aspired to public office and usually declined it peremp- torily when it was otifered to him. He was in all things a true Scottish-American, a patriotic supporter of the flag under which he has found protection and prosperity. His wife, a daughter of old and representa- tive families of New England, was a wo- man of education and exceptional intellec- tuaf ability. Many members of her imme- diate family were professional men of note and the family intermarried with the .\dams family, of which John. John Quincy and Charles Francis Adams have been consi)icu- ous representatives in different genera- tions. One of Mrs. Gilchrist's sisters mar- ried a son of President John (Juincy Adams and lived in Ohio. The cliildren of Hugh and Meiiitable (Walker) Gilchrist were named as follows, in the order of their birth: Sarah (Mrs. Appleton), who was born in New Haven, Connecticut. August 17. 1832. and died March 15. 1853; Mary, born at Mount Carniel. May 2. 1835. died in infancy; Jean- ette. born at Steubenville. Ohio, June 25. 1837, became the wife of H. Robbins, of Decatur county; George E., born at Mount Carniel. December 10, 1843. is now a resi- dent of Brightwood. Marion county, Indi- ana; Archibald C, born at Mount Car- mel, July 16, 1846; Elizabeth, born Oc- tober 4. 1848. died July 7, 1865; Adaline, born November 2, 1850, died October 4, 1851; and Lavina, who was born Septem- ber 7, 1852, and married Joseph Burney. George E. Gilchrist enlisted in the Seventh Regiment. Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for j three years, and served with the Army of the Potomac. particii)ating in many impor- tant battles. At the wilderness tight he was made a prisoner and confined in Libby prison and later at .Andersonville. where he sufYered all the tortures of sickness and hun- ger. At length one thou.sand prisoners were transferred from .Andersonville to Charleston and confined in a stockade. George was one of tlie number, and when they were being transferred to another stockade he. with a few others, escaped. Hugh Gilchrist and his wife were consistent members of the Presbyterian church and. so far as was possible, reared their family in that faith. A. C. Gilchrist was brought up to farm- ing and knows the busine.ss from .A to Z. When he was twenty-four years old he married and bought and settled on his fath- er's homestead. He made several advan- tageous changes in location and finally lo- cated on his present farm of four hundred acres. He owns another farm of two hun- dred and fifty acres and is largely engaged in general farming and in raising, grading and dealing in stock. He married Miss Minerva J. Robbins, a lady of much intelli- gence, high culture and many accomplish- 280 DECATUR COUNTY. ments, who has borne him children as fol- lows: Charles S., born January 30, 1872, secured a thorough English, classical and scientific education and is a reputable and successful physician at Bennett, Nebraska. He was some time since commissioned a surgeon in the United States army and as- signed to service in the Philippines. John E., born February 25, 1874, lives at In- dianapolis, Indiana. Frank H., born Sep- tember 18, 1876, is a member of his father's household, as is also Luna L., born Septem- ber II, 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Gilchrist are Presbyterians and active and liberal sup- porters of their church and all its interests. Mrs. Gilchrist is a daughter of the late John E. Robbins, one of Indiana's most promi- nent farmers, business men and financiers, and his wife Nancy (Hunter) Rolibins, a representative of an honored pioneer family. John E. Robbins was a son of William Rob- bins and a grandson of William Robbins, who came from England and settled in Pennsylvania, .\fter serving the cause of the colonies in the Revolutionary war, he removed to Virginia and later to Kentucky, His children were born in Virginia, and his son William was six years old when the family went to Kentucky. Much other matter of interest concerning this patriot pioneer will be found in the biographical sketches of his great-grandsons, Mrs. Gil- christ's brothers, who are among the prom- inent residents of Decatur county, wdiere the first William Robbins died in 1834. For further detailed information concerninp^ William Robbins, the son of the emigrant, and John E. Robbins, son of the second William Robbins, the reader is referred to the articles above mentioned, in which the genealogical history of the Decatur county family of Robbins, in its different branches, is fully set forth. John E. Robbins, who was the pioneer agitator for pike roads in this part of the state aivd was president of the Vernon, Greensburg & Rushville Rail- road Company, and was the founder and president of the Third National Bank of Greensburg, until his death, married Nancy, daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Fares) Hunter, November 7, 1844. He died July 22, 1896. His widow is still liv- ing near Greensburg, aged sixty-nine. Their children were: Sarelda B, (Mrs. Smi- ley), Minerva J. (Mrs. Gilchrist), Ella (Mrs. Kitchin), William H. (a farmer near Greens- burg), Clara (Mrs. Kitchin), John E., Olive (Mrs. McCoy), Frank B. and Lida (Mrs. Elder). Mr. Gilchrist is an enterprising and pub- lic-spirited man, alive to all local interests and active and generous in their promo- tion. His success in life has been won by the exercise of all those virtues which con- stitute the honest, upright man of worthy ambition, push and perseverance. Patriot- ic to a marked degree, he is influential in his party and alwavs solicitous for the prev- alence of its principles. He is liberal in his views of all questions of public moment, and his liberality extends to his dealing with all his fellow men, many of whom have found him a true "friend in need." SAMUEL ADDISON DONNELL. Fugit township, Decatur county, was ex- ceptionally fortunate in the class of men who became permanent residents here in the . days when the country was wild and its possibilities an unknown quantity. These DECATUR COUNTY 281 pioneers, mostly from the southern and southeastern states, were, almost to a man, of the ijest type of the frontiersman, for they not only possessed the will, bravery and strength to overcome obstacles, but, above all, they were patriots of high char- acter and lofty principle. The Donnells, who were of Scotch an- cestry, have been prominent members of this community for about three-quarters of a century. James Donnell, the great-grand- father of our subject, removed from his Vir- ginia home to Westmoreland county, Penn- sylvania, in 1775. and in 17S4 took his family to Kentucky, 'riicro, in comiiany with a few other settlers, he founded liinkston Station, one of the oldest in that portion of the state. There, in an old burial ground on the bank of the Lick- ing river, repose the mortal remains of our subject's great-grandparents, both, it is said, buried in the same grave. They left three sons. Thomas, who was born in Vir- ginia in 1765; Samuel, who was born in the same state in 1769; and James, whose death occurred in Kentucky, in 1813. Samuel Donnell and Hannah Quiet were married on the 8th of August, 1793, and their son James, father of our subject, was born in Nicholas comity. KciUucky, in 1795. Sanuicl Donnell and his elder broth- er. Thomas, emigrated to Decatur county, in Se])tember, 1823. and located upon a tract of land which had been entered for them, July 21, 1821. Undoubtedly one of the strongest motives in their emigration was the fact that they desired to dwell in a state where slavery was not tolerated. Samuel, especially, had been a strong oppo- nent of the hated system and never ceased to wage war on it, assisting in the organiza- tion of abolition societies, and, during his residence in Kentucky, preached the doc- trine of gradual emancipation, with the ob- ject of eventually making the state a free one. True to the training and bias of his Scottish ancestry, he was a zealous Presby- terian, and. needless to say, when the great division in that denomination on the subject of slavery came, he sided with the ]:)rogres- sive branch. After his death the Rev. Mr. Montfort, D. D., pastor of the Presbyterian church at Kingston, Decatur county, said of him: "Though he was not an educated man. in the connnon acceptation of the term, yet tlict)logians and tloctors of divin- ity could sit at his feet and gain knowl- edge." An incident may be given, showing the power which he possessed and the man- ner in which his natural eloquence and stanchness to right principles inlluenced people. He was an ardent temperance man and upon one occasion he went to Clarks- burg, where a man by the name of Sanders kept a tavern or hotel, and. as was cus- tomary in those days, he maintained a bar. Mr. Donnell asked permission to address the men assembled in the bar-room, and, being granted his request, he forthwith' de- livered one of the most powerful temperance speeches ever made in this county. The wife of the landlord, who felt convicted, though she could not entirely overcome the economical Scotch tendency in her nature, forthwith remarked to her husband that, when the contents of the barrel of whisky which they were then dispensing were gone, that should be the last drop that should ever be sold over their counter: and so it proved. Though the wife of Sanuicl Donnell died in 1 817. long before he came to this county. 282 DECATUR COUNTY. he remained faithful to her memory for a third of a century. Their children tenderly laid him away to rest, after his death on the 29th of September, 1850, and later they had the remains of the wife and mother brought here from Kentucky and placed by his side. Of their four sons and five daugh- ters not one survives, but all of them came to this county with the father, and all save Thomas left descendants. They were named as follows: James; Thomas; Cath- erine, wife of Andrew Robinson, Sr.; Julia, wife of Thomas Hamilton; Polly, who mar- ried Andrew Robinson, Jr.; Eliza, wife of Preston E. Hopkins; Samuel A., John C. and Fidelia, Mrs. Harvey Anbrobus. James Donnell, father of our subject, born in 1795, as previously mentioned, had very limited advantages for an education, but he inherited the talent for public speak- ing which his father before him possessed, and the same desire for the triumph of the right animated him. He was fearless in the expression of his strong anti-slavery views, at a time when it was dangerous in the ex- treme to breathe such sentiments in this locality, and though threats of personal vio- lence were often received by him. On one occasion he engaged in a debate with Judge Hopkins, at Clarksburg, and, though the judge was considered a man of great learn- ing and intelligence, as well as of much experience in public speaking, it was generally conceded that Mr. Donnell more than held his own ground in the argu- ment. He was as true to his con- victions on the subjects of temperance and religion as was his esteemed father, and all who knew him reverenced his opinions. He chose for his wife Sophia, daughter of Thomas Meek. She was born in Lexing- ton and came to this county with her par- ents at an early day. Six children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Donnell, namely: Samuel A.; Thomas N.; Zerilda, wife of John Lawson, of Kansas; Sophia, wife of Henry Morgan, of Decatur county; Mar- tha, wife of George Hargit; and Fidelia, wife of John \V. Miller. Mrs. Hargit and Mrs. Miller are both deceased, and both left several children. Samuel A. Donnell, who resides at the old homestead where he was born, was or- phaned when he was about ten years old, both of his parents dying in 1838. He then dwelt with his paternal grandfather and Uncle John C. for about ten years, and at his majority returned to the old farm near Spring Hill, where he has continued to live until the present time. He maintains the same high principles of conduct which char- acterized his ancestors, and is held in the same measure of regard by his friends and neighbors. He is a practical farmer, every- thing about his homestead giving evidence of the constant care and wisdom which he exercises in the management of his afifairs. He is confidently relied upon to do every- thing within his power to advance the wel- fare of the community in which his lot is cast. Following in the footsteps of his pre- decessors, he is a member of the Presby- terian church. The marriage of Samuel -\. Donnell and Miss Hadassah M. Foster, a daughter of Robert C. and Nancy A. (Rankin) Foster, was celebrated on the loth of February, 1857. .\ son and two daughters bless their union, named respectively Robert Foster, Jennie M. and Nettie May. The elder daughter, Jennie, is the wife of Robert S. Lowe, and the vounger one is the wife of DECATUR COUNTY. Adam R. Meek, both well-to-do and re- spected citizens of this county. The entire family of Mr. Donnell are identified with the Presbyterian church and are liberal sup- porters of all worthy educational, religious and philanthropic work. [SA.\C SRFTOX. Mr. Sefton is one of the substantial men of Decatur county and an honored citizen of Grecnsburg. where he has resided for the i)ast three _\ears. since t;i\ing up the active management of the farm. He was born in I'.utlcr county. Ohio. September 28, 1S37. llis father. William .Sefton. was a son of Henry Sefton. a native of Ireland and the son of an army officer. Henry Sef- ton came to this country and was a pioneer of Butler county. Ohio, where he carried on farming, and there died of cholera in 1834. His children were: William, father of our subject: Henry, who died in Ohio: Mana, Afrs. .\. Scott: Jane. Mrs. Hughes: Ellen. Mrs. Hungerford: and Sarah, Mrs. Brevoort. William Sefton was born in But- ler county, Ohio. February 22. 1806, and after his marriage, and the birth of five children, he removed to In. She was a daughter of Michael Shuck, of Pennsylvania-Dutch descent, who was a prosperous farmer in Butler county, where he lived until he be- came quite old. .After his family had mar- ried and scattered he came to Decatur county, and spent his last days with his daughter, and here he died October 19. 1855, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. He was a conscientious, religious man, and lived an upright life. His children were si.x in nmnber: Sarah became the wife of Governor \\'illiam Bebb. of Ohio: Eliza (Mrs. .\. Lawrence), resides in Bartholo- mew comity. Indiana: Peggy (I\Irs. Mul- holland). resides in Butler county: Han- nah, who died near \'evay. Indiana, was the wife of John Shull: Polly (Mrs. Hall), is a resident of \'evay: and Catherine, the moth- er of our subject, died in Decatur comity. Mrs. Sefton was a woman of many admira- ble traits, being a devoted wife and mother, and was a consistent member of the Meth- odist church. To the parents of our sub- ject nine children were born, as follows: Henry, born January 25, 1833, lives in Col- orado; Eliza (Mrs. Scott) was born April 284 DECATUR COUNTY. 2, 1834, and makes her home in Ohio; Eliz- abeth, born June 22, 1835, never married, and died August 19, 1880; Michael, born April 9, 1836, died June 15. 1869, leaving a wife and one child, the wife being a daugh- ter of James Hamilton and a sister of R. A. Hamilton; Isaac is the subject of this sketch; Edward, born January 31, 1839, is a farmer in Decatur county; Mary, now Mrs. Louis Willie, was born April 19, 1840; Sarah, born October 13, 1844, is the widow of John Anderson and lives in Greensburg; and William W., was born August 11, 1846, and is a farmer in Howard county, Indiana. Isaac Sefton received only a limited com- mon-school education. He remained at home with his parents until he was twenty- eight years old. then married and settled on land which was owned by his father, and which, after the death of the latter, became his own property. The land is in Clinton township, Decatur county, one and a half miles south of Spring Hill, and comprises one hundred and sixty acres. There was only a log cabin on the place when he took possession of it, and he at once set to work to make improvements. A commodious frame house was built, timber was cleared away, fruit trees were planted and crops were sown, and by degrees he purchased more land, until at present he owns three farms in Decatur county, five hundred and thirty-four acres in all, and a farm of sev- enty-one acres in Boone county, Indiana. Mr. Sefton has carried on general farm- ing, and has raised cattle and hogs sufficient for his own use, but lias ne\er done much trading in stock. He has been careful in his investments, has never indulged in spec- ulation, and as a consequence has never met with anv reverses in fortune. In 1886 he bought a fine property in Greensburg, consisting of two lots, on which were two houses. — one a frame structure and the other a brick building. Ten years later, in 1896. he retired from active business and took up his residence in the city of Greens- burg. He has rented his farm and employs his time in looking after his various inter- ests. In his political views Mr. Sefton is in sympathy with the Democratic party, al- though he has never cared for office, finding his time fully taken up in attending to his personal affairs. Both he and his wife are consistent and worthy members of the First Methodist church at Greensburg, in which he is a steward. Mr. Sefton was married October 25, 1865. to Mary E. Myers, and the union has proved a most happy one, Mrs. Sefton being a lady of many excellent qualities, and one who has been a true helpmeet to her husliand and a devoted mother to her children, two in number, namely: Katie, born November 13, 1868. is the wife of Frank R. Robbins. and has two children, Lelia N. and William S.; and Cora, born March 26, 1878, mar- ried W. H. Robbins, and has one child. Willa, who was born on Easter Sunday, April 2, 1899. Mrs. Sefton is the daughter of Thomas S. and Mahala Myers, who were married, in Decatur county, in 1843. Mr. Myers was a son of Thomas Myers, who was of Penn- sylvania-Dutch descent, and settled in De- catur county in an early day. He was a leading member of the Baptist church. His family com]3rised six children, namely: .\nderson, \'iana, Thomas S., Margaret, John and Edith. Thomas S. was a pros^ perous farmer and was prominently identi- fied with the agricultural pursuits of Deca- DECATUR COUNTY. 285 tur county. In 1878. he unfortunately met with an accident, by which his spinal col- umn was injured and he was incapacitated for further labor. He removed to Greens- burg, where he was a constant invalid for nine years, and there died on October 18, 1887. at the age of sixty-two years. He was a consistent member of the Baptist church. His wife was a daughter of Walter Bradon. who was of Irish descent, but who was born in the United States in 1797. Twelve years after his marriage he 1)rought his wife on horseback to Indiana, settling on a farm in Decatur county. He prospered in his af- fairs and took an active interest in the work of the Methodist church, to which he was a most liberal contributor. In those pioneer days there were few if any churches, and his house was used as a place of worship and was the home of itinerant preachers who traveled from one place to the other, holding meetings wherever a few faithful souls could be gathered together. Mr. Bra- don died in 1879, his wife having passed away in 1855. Their children were: Maha- la, Robert. John. Richard. Jane (Mrs. Rus- sell). Landa and James. Mrs. Sefton's par- ents had seven children, as follows: Mary E.. Robert W., Emma {Mrs. Gilmore). Mor- gan. Willard. Nevada (Mrs. W. S. Minor) and il aggie B. (Mrs. Stapp). E. R. FORSYTH. The Forsyth family is of Scotch descent, its inmiediate ancestors emigrating from Edinburg to New Jersey during colonial days and making their home in Burlington comity, that state. There John, the grand- father of E. R. Forsvth. was born and there he was married to Elizabeth Antrim, of the same county, who was of Irish descent and one of the heirs of the famous Antrim es- tate. In 1829 the family removed to Indi- ana, settling near Milford. Decatur county, where Mr. Forsyth entered a tract of gov- ernment land. Here he followed farming until about i860, when, with other members of the family, he went to Iowa, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was reared in the Quaker faith, and was a quiet, unobtrusive man. industrious and e.xem- plary in his habits. He lived to the remark- able age of one hundred and one years, lack- ing seven days, at last falling asleep like a wearied child, without ])ain or illness of any kind. .■\. R. For.syth. the fatiicr of our subject. was the eldest of seven children, three daughters and four sons, born to John and Elizabeth (.\ntrim) Forsyth. He was born June 10, 1810, and was nineteen years old when his father's family took up their res- idence in Decatur county. He obtained his education -in the district schools, to which he has since added by extensive read- ing. He has always been fond of books, and as a boy took the first newspaper in his neighborhood, and later in life became the owner of one of the largest miscella- neous libraries in the county. Mr. Forsyth traveled extensively, having visited Europe and other countries in 1850-51. and again in 1867. and he brought from there many valuable paintings and art treasures. He was engaged in banking for many years j and was well and favorably known through- out the county as a man of strict integrity and upright life. For forty-seven years he was active in religious work in the Presby- terian church, in which he was an elder. 286 DECATUR COUNTY. Personally he was simple in his tastes and habits, a lover of books and of home, whose pleasures he preferred to any allurements of public life. In 1868 he was one of the organizers of the Roan County Iron Com- pany, which started with ten million dollars capital and for many years was a very pros- perous concern. The mother of our subject was by maiden name Elizaljeth Riggs. E. R. Forsyth was born in Greensburg. September i. 1844. and was educated in the schools of that place. In 1867 he accom- panied his father to Europe and on his re- turn became associated with General Wild- er for three years, until his impaired health compelled him to give up business for a time. In 1872 he was made cashier in the First National Bank of Greenslnn-g, which position he held until 1897, since which time he has Ijeen engaged in the life insur- ance business. Mr. Forsyth has always been actively interested in religious affairs and when only twenty-nine years of age was elected an elder in the Presbyterian church. He was married, in 1876, to Cath- arine Mills, of Middlefield, Connecticut, and they have one daughter, Elizabeth. OLIVER DEEM. One of tlie successful farmers of Decatur county is Oliver Deem, who has steadily worked his way upward till he is now ac- counted one of the substantial citizens of the community. His landed possessions are extensi\e and through the capable man- agement of his business interests he has ac- quired a very desirable capital. He was born in Washington township, April 19, 1640, a son of Thomas and Sarah (Rinear) Deem. But little is known of the early his- tory of the family, save that three brothers of the name of Deem, natives of Germany, came to America in colonial days and joined the army in the Revolutionary war. One was killed in that memorable struggle for independence and the other brothers were afterward separated. The parents of our subject were married in Ohio, but the moth- er was a nati\-e of Pennsylvania. At an early day they came to Indiana, where the father purchased land consisting of a wild tract, only a few acres having been placed under cultivation. A little cabin consti- tuted the improvements thereon and so the arduous task of developing the land and making a good home remained to the new- owner. With resolute purpose he began the work and energetically carried on farm- ing until his death in 1853. His wife long sur\i\ed him, passing away in 1896. Her last days were spent with her sister, who was the wife of Hon. Milton Sailor, a con- gressman. Mr. Deem was a supporter of the Whig party, but never sought or de- sired political preferment. A man of known probity, he was frequently called upon to settle estates, and his advice was often sought by his neighbors, for his judgment was unbiased and reliable. He was twice married and had four children by the first union, but all are now deceased. The chil- dren of the second marriage are Mrs. Mary Heaton; Mrs. Catharine Daily; John; Wil- liam, who is living in Greensbm-g; Mrs Eliza Stewart; Lemuel, who died leaving a wife and one child; Mrs. Elizabeth Whit- ton; ( )li\er; William, who died while serv ing his country in the civil war; Thomas H., who also (lied in the army; and Mrs Nora Cory. DECATUR COUNTY. 287 Oliver Deem, of tliis review, lost his fatlicr when lie was only citilit years of age, i)ul lie remained on the old homestead until he had attained his majority, being under the care of a guardian. When the estate was settled up he inherited eighteen acres of land and one hundred and eighty dollars. .At the age of twenty-five he was married and took up his abode at the old homestead farm, where he remained until 1888, when he remoNcd to Adams. .\ year later, how- ever, he purchased a farm near that town and has since engaged in it§ cultivation, lie is a man of great industry and energy and his success has not come through spec- ulation, I)ut as the result of earnest and consecutive labor. As his financial re- sources ha\e increased he has made judi- cious investments in real estate and is now the owner of four farms, comprising seven hundred acres of land. His property in- terests are valued at over sixty-three thou- sand dollars. When he came into the pos- session of the money from his father's es- tate he loaned it and has since engaged in loaning money on good security. He is con- servative and has met with few losses. He manifests keen discernment in his business affairs; and this, combined with his reso- lute purpose, has enabled him to gain a leading position among the substantial cit- izens of Decatur county. Each year his possessions are steadily augmented and his success is most creditable. Mr. Deem was united in marriage to Miss Lydia Shellhorn, who was born in Decatur county. December 22. 1846, a member of an honored old family of this locality. Her parents, Samuel and Elizabeth (Hewitt) Shellhorn. were natives of New Jersey, and during the pioneer epoch in the history of the state came to Indiana. The father fol- lowed farming and built the I'icayune. one of the first mills of this section of the coun- try. He also handled some stock and se- cured from his business investments a good income. His dealings were honorable and at all times his upright life connnanded the confidence and good will of his fellow men. Of the Baptist church he was a con- sistent member, and in his political faith he was a Republican. Both he anil his wife are now deceased. Their children are La- fayette; Lydia, wife of our subject; Lavira. who is married and lives in Indianapolis; Elizabeth, wife of Rev. Mr. Allen, a Pres- byterian minister of Kokomo, Indiana; Phoebe, wife of \\"illiam Roberts; and John L.. who is living on the old home- stead. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Deem were born two children: Addison, who was born De- cember 31, 1869, and died on the 22d of December, 1891; and Otis A., who was born November 26. 1874. Mrs. Deem was called to her final rest June 28, 1899. She was a faithful and devoted wife and mother and a lady whose many excellencies of char- acter endeared her to all. In early life she was a member of the Mount Moriah Bap- tist church and after her marriage she at- tended the Methodist church with her hus- band and was one of the most zealous workers. Mr. Deem has been a member of the Methodist church since the age of nineteen years and his upright life is in har- mony with his professions. He is an advo- cate of Republican principles, but at local elections, where no issue is involved, votes for the man rather than the party. His entire life has been passed in this county, and the many who have known him from boyhood are numbered among his staunch- DECATUR COUNTY est friends, a good indication of his honor- able career. WILLIAM JAMES ROBINSON. The Hfe of a good man is far-reaching in its influence, and when the biographer undertakes to trace the career of so good a man and true a citizen as was the late Wil- liam James Robinson, of Adams township, Decatur county, he feels that the task is a pleasant one. In many respects his life was not an easy one. especially in the pio- neer days, but he was a man of great force of character, and one by one he trampled all obstacles under his feet and rose to yet greater things. His father. John M. Robinson, was a na- tive of Harrison county, Virginia (now West Virginia). November 23. 1781. being the date of his birth. On the 7th of March, 182 1, he arrived, with his family, in Adams township, Decatur county. Indiana, then an unbroken wilderness, where he had lo- cated a homestead October 8, 1820, and this place, now a finely improved farm, has never since left the possession of the family. Not only was John M. Robinson a practi- cal, energetic business man and thrifty ag- riculturist, but he also inaugurated many of the early improvements in this section, thus materially aiding in the founding of the county's prosperity. For his day, he was a man of good education, and, there being no schools here for some years after his ar- rival, he established one himself, holding sessions in a log building situated just across the road from the present family residence. His own children and many of the neighbor's children were glad to avail themselves of the privileges of this school. and among his pupils there were several who later acquired fame in the professional and political world, as. for example, Thom- as A. Hendricks, Lafayette Freeman and Dr. Robbins. His life work well rounded, and his entire duty towards his family. neighbors and countrymen generally con- scientiously performed, he was summoned to his reward, April 4, 1843. To himself and wife four children were born, namely: Julia, May 31, 1813; William J., April 23. 1815; Enoch Ferris. IMarch 22. 1817, and Mary. December 17. 1818. Hon. William James Robinson and his sister Julia remained on the old homestead and never married, their lives being quietly and happily spent together for more than four-score years. Early in the '30s. after they had completed their elementary edu- cation under the instruction of their re- spected father, the brother and sister be- came students in the old Miami University at Oxford. Ohio. Later they both taught in Franklin College, Indiana, the sister ha\'ing charge of the preparatory course, while the brother taught the higher branches. In 1843, at the death of their father, they returned to their old home, where they passed the rest of their lives. engaged in the peaceful vocations of their forefathers. Loved and respected by all of his asso- ciates and acquaintances. Mr. Robinson oc- cupied a prominent place in this community, and was honored by being chosen to rep- resent the counties of Rush and Decatur in the state legislature, on several occasions. There he made a creditable record, doing w liate\er he might on behalf of the people whom he represented, and using his influ- ence for causes which he Ijelieved to be DECATUR COUNTY right and just. Tliough quiet and unas- suming in manner, he was a man of strong- convictions and performed his duty in ac- cordance witli those beliefs. He kept post- ed upon all of the great events afifecting the welfare of this country, and even the night before his death he read an article in the Journal relative to the president's mes- sage to congress and expressed his grati- fication at the chief executive's wisdom and conservatism in the Cuban matter. His long and useful life came to a peaceful close at his old home. December 7, 1898, about one year after the death of his faithful com- Ijanion. his sister Julia, who had entered tiie silent land September 7, 1897. William Robinson Pleak, the favorite ne])hew and namesake of our subject and heir to his property, is a son of Joseph D. and Mary Jane (Robinson) Pleak. He was born in this township, November 20, 1852, and, as his mother died when he was an infant of but three weeks, he was reared i)y his grandmother, who died January 5, 1868. Through the kindness and liberaUty of William J. Robinson, the uncle, the lad received a good education anlutinnary war. Me came from Kentucky to Indiana in iS_'i, and located near (Ireensburg. where he followed farming, ami there died at an advanced age. Eight children were born to Ezra Lathrop and his wife, but of these si.x died in infancy. Tiie two sons, Ja'nes B. and Levi, grew to manhood. Levi died in 1874. He was a merchant and banker, and a successful i)usiness man. The father accumulated a large property, and at his death, in 1885, was worth one luuidred thousand dollars. James B. Lathrop. the subject of this sketch, was educated in the schools of his native place and at the State University, at Bloomington, Indiana, at the latter insti- tution taking the scientific course, and he also graduated in the law department, in 1847. J" March of.that year he was licensed as a preacher of the Methodist church, and traveled on the Martinville circuit. He was admitted to the Indiana conference in the latter part of 1847, and from that time until 1861 filled eleven pulpits, namely: (ireenville, Vincennes, Point Commerce. Franklin. Connersville. Vevav, Madison, Brookville, Columbus. Rushville and Au- rora. In 1861 he removed to Greensburg, and that year organized a church at Adams, where he preached for two years. In the fall of 1864 he returned to Connersville. remaining there one year, when he was ap- pointed presiding elder of the Indianapolis district. This office he filled until 1867, when he was changed to the Lawrenceburg district, where he has served for six years. In 1873 Mr. Lathrop was appointed to the charge of Grace church. Indianapolis, resid- ing in that city until 1874, when he was called back to Greensburg on account of the death of his brother, and his appointment as guardian of his brother Levi's estate. 1 hiring the following five years he filled the pulpits of two churches near Greensburg and also that of Milroy, Rush county, for three years. In 1877 he retired from the ministry and settled in Greensburg, and for the following five years was associated with the Greensburg \\^oolen Mill Company, as business manager. Since that time he has been engaged in farming and banking. Mr. Lathrop has been vice-president of the Cit- izens' National Bank for six years, and a director in the same institution for a much longer time. He owns seven hundred and seventy-two acres of land in Decatur and Rush counties, and carries on farming quite extensively. He also owns some valuable real estate in the city of Greensburg. Socially our subject is a member of Greensburg Lodge, No. 36, F. & A. M., Shelbyville Commandery, K. T.. and of the chapter of Royal Arch Masons at Conner.s ville. Mr. Lathrop was married November 30. 1848. lo Miss Mary Butler, of Blooming- ton, Indiana, who died December 2, 1897. DECATUR COUNTY. Of their six cliildren, four are living: Ella, wife of Judge F. E. Gavin, of Indianapolis; Lizzie Butler, who resides with her father; Maggie, wife of John S. Shannon, a law- yer and the present mayor of Alexandria. Indiana; and Harry, who resides in Greens- burg, and who married Drusilla, daughter of John Browning, of Indianapolis. PASCHAL T. LAMBERT. Paschal T. Lambert, who stands alone in his special line of business in Greensburg and Decatur county, has continuously re- sided in this place ever since the centennial year, but was well known in this locality many years prior to the date of his becom- ing a permanent citizen here. On both sides of his family Mr. Lambert is of English extraction. His grandfather. Daniel Lamljert, a native of New Jersey, settled in Kentucky at an early day, becom- ing one of the pioneers of that now flour- ishing state. He carried on a large farm and continued to dwell there until his death. To himself and wife, formerly "a Miss Bourne, two daughters and a son were born. The latter, John Lambert, father of our subject, was born in Scott county, Ken- tucky, whence he removed to Marion coun- ty, Indiana, in 1830. He died at his home- stead in that county some twelve years later, when but thirty-seven years of age. Plis wife, whose maiden name had been Lucinda Turpin, departed this life the same year, 1842, aged thirty-five years, and two sons and two daughters were left to mourn their loss. Paschal T. Lambert, the eldest of his par- ents' children, was born in Marion countv. just west of the state capital, May 24, 183 1. Orphaned at less than twelve years of age, the boy went to live with his mother's brother, Robinson Turpin, in the neighbor- hood of his birthplace, but at the end of three years he entered the home of William Myres, a farmer of this county, remaining with him for some seven years. In the mean- time he attended the district schools, more or less, each year, and in 1853 obtained a position as a clerk in a dry-goods store, for John P. Hittle, of Greensburg. At the end of about nine months he went to Iowa, where he was engaged in the varied occu- pations of dry-goods merchant, grocer, and dealer in live stock. He also was book- keeper in a bank for some time, and filled a few offices in Monroe county. He served as a justice of the peace and as county com- missioner, overseeing some notable im- provements and at all times standing as a champion of progress. At length, after twenty-two years passed in active enter- prises in the great western state, he re- turned to Indiana, and for three or four years made his home upon a farm situated two miles west of Greensburg. Later he moved into the town, and devoted his earn- est attention to the making of a complete set of al)stracts of titles to real estate. His long, arduous labors resulted in his being the present possessor of the only complete set of abstract books in this coun- ty, this having cost him over three thou- sand dollars, to say nothing of the great strain there was upon his physical endur- ance. Because of his superior knowledge and facilities for obtaining the necessary facts in regard to the transfer of real estate, as well as for many other reasons, not the least of which are his sterling integrity and DECATUR COUNTY. 299 justice, he transacts a very extensive l)usi- ness in real estate. X(i\v, lia\in,ij arri\e(i at an age when the siiaijows of Hfe beg-in to lengtlien. Mr. Lam- bert is in possession of a competence, which he has earned in the strictly legitimate channels of business, and, looking back- ward, he has no just reason to feel that a high degree of success has not attended the major portion of his enterprises. As long ago as 1855 he became a member of the Masonic order, and has passed all the chairs in both the lodge and chapter. His mar- riage to Eliza H. Saunders, of Iowa, was celebrated in 1857, and three daughters were born to the worthy couple, namely: Susan. Lazcna. and Clara. Lazena became the wife of Edward M. White, now the prosecuting attorney at Muncie, Indiana; Clara is the wife of O. G. Miller, a success- ful attorney and real-estate dealer of Greens- burg; and Susan is now associated with her father in the abstract and real-estate busi- ness. H.\KRY O. M.\TTITE\VS. Few men arc more widely known in Decatur county than Harry O. Matthews, who is one of the young representatives of the journalistic profession, but his years are no measure as to his ability, for he has attained a jjosition that might well be en- vied by those whose connection with the "art preservative of all arts" greatly ante- dated his. He is now editor and proprietor of the Greensburg Daily and W'ceklv Xews, and in the conduct of these papers is meet- ing with excellent success. Mr. Matthews is a native of Green.sburg, his birth having occurred on the 21st of' October, 1875. His parents are James H. and Phoebe W. (Garver) Matthews. The paternal grandfather, James Dinilo]) Mat- thews, was of Irish descent, and was born May 10, 1823, near Greenfield, Ross coun- ty, Ohio, his parents being John and Han- nah Matthews. He remained under the ])arental roof until he had attained his ma- jority, and then removed to Indiana. He was married NoN'embcr 14, 1844, to Mary .\nu Wilson, daughter of John II. Wilson, of South Salem, Ohio. They became the parents of four children, including James H.. the father of our subject. .As a means of livelihood, the grandfather engaged in farming and stock-raising, making a spe- cialty of the breeding of Clydesdale horses. He carrieil on business on an extensive scale, and in connection with agricultural pursuits he engaged in merchandising -About 1844 he united with the Associate Reformed Presbyterian church, in Hebron, Indiana, and in December, 1865, was elect- ed one of its ruling elders, continuing his connection with the denomination until his death, which occurred in Greenfield, Ohio, March 18, 1895, in the seventy-second year of his age. James H. Matthews, the father of our subject, was born in western Indiana, March 5, 1847, and died in Indianapolis, April 23, 1898. When seventeen years of age he be- gan the study of photography in Green- field. Ohio, and followed that art in the Buckeye state until twenty-three years of age, when he came to Green.sl)urg, Indiana. He carried on the i)hotographing business in this and various other locations in dif- ferent states, for twenty-eight years, and then removed to Indianapolis, where he spent his last davs. He was one of the lead- 300 DECATUR COUNTY. ing photographers of the state, his artistic talent and skiU in his profession winning him prestige. On the 14th of October, 1874. occurred the marriage of James H. Mat- thews and Phoebe W. Garver, who resided in Gre&nsburg, Indiana, and to them was born a son, Harry O. The weh known editor of the Greensburg Daily and Weekly News spent the first four years of his life in the city of his nativity and then accompanied his parents to other parts of this and otlier states. The educa- tional privileges which he enjoyed were those afforded by the common schools, but at the early age of ten years he entered a printing office in Seymour, Indiana, to learn the printing trade, to w-hich he has since devoted his energies. He removed to Illi- nois, and was employed for two years in a l)rinting ofifice in Wilmington, returning to Green.sburg on the 7th of March. 1888. where he has mastered the business in every detail. After acting as compositor on va- rious papers of the city he began business on his own account, in Milroy, Rush coun- ty, founding the Milroy Press, in Novem- ber, 1895. He published that journal for a year, as an independent paper, and in No- vember, 1896, he returned to Greensburg. The following April he purchased a half in- terest in the Greensburg Daily News, and on the 1st of August, 1898, he became sole proprietor. This paper was established in 1894, by Frank Trimble and Ed Line, but on the 1st of May of that year the latter retired, Mr. Trimble continuing the enter- prise until it was purchased by ]\Ir. Mat- thews, who is now sole owner. The paper is independent in politics and is devoted to the business interests of Greensburg and Decatur county. It is a seven-column, four- page journal, neat in appearance, fully meriting the liberal patronage which it re- ceives. Its large circulation makes it an excellent advertising medium, and it re- ceives a liberal support in this direction. On the 28th of April, 1899, Mr. Matthews also began to publish the Greensburg \Veekly News, a five-column sheet of eight pages, issued every Friday. On the 9th of January, 1895, was cele- brated the marriage of Mr. Matthews and Miss Cora E. Patterson, of Greensburg, but after a short married life of three and one-half years the wife was called to her final rest. May 10, 1898. Socially Mr. Matthews is a Mason, having become a member of Greensburg Lodge, No. 36, F. and A. M., August 12, 1897. On the i6th of June of the following year he became a member of Greensburg Lodge, No. 148, K. P. He is a young man of marked energy, enter- prise and executive ability, and his close application to his business interests has brought him a success w'hich he well de- serves. He exemplifies the western spirit of progress and is known as a public-spirited citizen who not only gives his influence through his papers to all movements calcu- lated to prove a public benefit, but also lends them his substantial support. BENJAMIN F. GASTON. This leading and representative farmer of Jackson township. Decatur county, was born in Butler county, Ohio, October 15, 1849. His parents, Francis M. and Mar- garet (Gray) Gaston, were also born in Butler county, Ohio, where they were mar- ried. His father was a son of Joseph and DECATUR COUNTY. 301 Ann (Minor) Gaston, who were both of Pennsylvania Dntcli descent. Tlic)' came to Ohio at a very early date, and were well and favorably known in this locality. Jo- seph Gaston was a farmer by occnpation, and was also a local preacher in the Mission- ary Baptist church. He was a Democrat, but very strimo- in his anti-slavery views, and affiliated with the iiirney abolitionists. There were seven children in their family. Besides Benjamin F.. there were Margaret, Francis M., father of our subject; .'\biah ^^^, living in Iowa; John, who went to Cal- ifomia, and from there to the Sandwich Islands, where he was a missionary, and since then nothing has been heard from him; Joseph K., who enlisted in the Eighty- third Ohio Volunteers during the civil war and gave his life a sacrifice to his patriot- ism; and Samuel, who is a contractor and lives at Albia. Towa. Francis M. came with his family to Deca- tur county in 185 1. He purchased land, on which there were some improvements, and also bought a store at Sardinia, which he conducted for one year. At the end of that time he decided to give his undivided atten- tion to farming, which i)roved to be a w'ise resolve. He engaged in general farming and stock-raising, and was very successful in all his enterprises. He was a consistent member of the Baptist church and a leading man in iiis community, where he com- manded undivided esteem. He died May 26, 1894, at the rii)e age of eighty-one years. His wife, who survives him. makes her home with her children in Sardinia, where she is surrounded with tender love and care in her old age. Mrs. Gaston's father died when she was a child, and she was reared by an uncle. Jacob Schuff, a prominent citizen and county commissioner of Hamilton county. ( )hi(). The others of the family remained with the mother in Ohio. Benjamin Gray and Mrs. Gaston are the only ones now liv- ing. Mr. and Jilrs. Gray had each been previously married, and had children by each marriage. James T. Gray was a lead- ing politician of Butler county, Ohio, and was elected the treasurer of the county, but died before qualifying for the office. .Abra- ham and John McMeans were large farmers in Elkhart county, Indiana, and both are deceased. To Francis M. Gaston and wife si.\ children were born; Benjamin F., the subject of this sketch: Jessie M.. who live-; on the old homestead; James S.. a farmer in Jackson township: Julia .\.. Mrs. John R. Shaw, living in Chicago. Illinois; Eliza J., Mrs. L. E. Newsome, a resident of In- dianapolis: and William G., a prominent merchant in Sardinia. Benjamin F. Gaston obtained a good education in the common schools, and sub- sequently took a course in the Commercial College at Lebanon, Ohio, after which he taught school for five years. Until he was twenty-six years old Mr. Gaston remained with his parents. In 1875 he married Miss Ruth Smith and settled on a farm of his father's, which he rented and which five years later he purchased. He remained on this place a number of years, then sold it and bought the property where he now re- sifles. Mr. Gaston has been very success- ful in his busine.ss enterprises, and is now the owner of three well improved farms. He has devoted his entire time to agricul- tural ])ursuits, and although he studied law and is a competent attorney he has never practiced his profession to any greater ex- tent than in the way of giving advice to his DECATUR COUNTY. neighbors. However, he has settled a good many estates, and has been guardian for a number of children. At the present time he is acting as assignee of the large business of James S. Harper, of Sardinia. In all his business relations his integrity has never been doubted, and he has shown himself to be a man of much executive ability. In politics Mr. Gaston is a strong and influential worker in the Republican party, although his township is largely Demo- cratic. He is a constant attendant at the state and county conventions, and works earnestly in advocating the principles of the party which he believes to be that of "law and order.*' He was elected county com- missioner in 1890, and served out his term with honor and credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his constituents. He is at present a member of the Decatur county council. He is also a director of the Farmers' Insurance Company. Socially he belongs to the Odd Fellows. On April 21, 1875, Mr. Gaston was united in marriage with Miss Ruth Smith, who was born in Wayne county. New York, April 7, 1854. and was a daughter of Thomas and Hannah Smith. Her parents were English by birth, and soon after their marriage emigrated to the United States and settled in New York, where they re- mained but a short time, and then came to Jennings county, Indiana. Her father was a miller by trade, and for a number of years operated the mill at Sardinia. He died June 30, 1875; his wife is still living and resides in Sardinia. In the Smith family there were seven children, namely: Ruth (Mrs. Gaston), William F., James, Charles, Louisa (Mrs. Falkner), Mary and Freder- ick. Mrs. Gaston died June 4, 1899, leav- ing three children, — Carl and Annie, who li\'e with their father; ind Margaret, Mrs. E. L. Irving, residing in Indianapolis. She was a woman of culture and refinement, and a consistent member of the Baptist church, to which organization all the family belong, and in which Mr. Gaston is a deacon at Westport, Indiana. HON. MARSHALL E. NEWHOUSE. One of the most popular and promineirt citizens of Fugit township, Decatur county, is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. In all measures having for their object the benefit of the people, he takes an active part, and consequ«ntly he is looked up to and considered an authority upon public matters in his own community. The secret of his popularity is to be found in the high and creditable record he has made, — a career which is noble and of which his children and posterity will have reason to be proud. The Newhouse family is one of the hon- ored pioneer families of the adjoining Rush county, and comes from stanch old Virginia stock. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Samuel Newhouse, emigrated from the Old Dominion to these Indiana wilds at a very early day, and proceeded to clear a farm in the midst of the forest. There, on the old homestead, the father of our sub- ject was born, in 1824, and for three-quar- ters of a century has dwelt, peacefully tilling the soil. Though now so advanced in age, he enjoys good health and attends to the same duties which have occupied his atten- tion during his mature life. The birth of Marshall E. Newhouse oc- DECATUR COUNTY. 305 ciirred on the old Rush county farm, in X()\enil)er. 1852, and there he mastered the various ilepartnients of agriculture. He was a studious youth, and supplemented his common-school education by a course at Hanover College, subsequent to leaving which institution he engaged in teaching for a number of years, with marked success. In 1878 Mr. Newhouse was united in marriage with Miss Ella Throp, a daughter of James B. Throp, and granddaughter of Thomas Throp, one of the early settlers of Fugit township. The latter, who settled here permanently in 1821, was born in New Jersey, October 17, 1776, and died in this locality, March 24, 1853. His wife, Ellen, l>om November 30, 1784, died August 12, '^39- James B. Throp was born in Mon- mouth county, New Jersey, December 28, 1815, and from the time that he was six years old he dwelt in this township on the land originally entered by his father. He was an industrious, highly respected citizen, and was deeply mourned when he was called to his reward, April 6. 1884. His widow, whose maiden name was Mary Kerrick, is yet living at the home which has sheltered her for so many decades. Her father, Thomas Kerrick, was a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, and he is numbered among the pioneers of this county. The present home of Marshall E. New- house is on section 24, Fugit township, this projierty being a portion of the old home- stead of James B. Throp. He has resided here ever since his marriage, and has made many desirable improvements, thus enhanc- ing the value of the homestead. He is a practical business man, and has the inter- ests of the agricultural class in particular sincerely at heart. In his ])()litical faith Mr. Newhouse is a stanch Republican, his lirst presidential ballot having been cast for Hayes. In 1893 he was the people's choice for repre- sentative of this district to the state legisla- ture, and again in 1895 he was elected as a representative. Once a member of the legislative body, Mr. Newhouse took a prominent place on many of the enactments and important bills, and during his first term he was the author of the Southern Prison bill, which really was the ground- work of the reform bill that was finally passed. During his last term in the legis- lature he was chairman of the committee on apportionment, which redistricted the state, and he also warmly championed the mort- gage exemption bill and other measures which he believed to be for the welfare of the people. Fraternally, Mr. Newhouse is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias. He resides in a very pleasant home, which is brightened by the presence of his estimable wife and their five children, who are named Mary, Winnie M., Lewis J., Ruby and Helen. The family are active members of the Christian church and lo\al in the support of education and all other worthy enterprises. H. C. MILLER. .\nythiiig like an ade(|uate presentation of the history of this worthy citizen and of his antecedents must possess many elements of interest. It comprehends the pioneer days of our country and is an indication of the advancement of civilization from the days of the block-house to the present time; antl it deals with the experiences of brave 30G DECATUR COUNTY. men and women in the new country, sur- rounded Ijy lieasts of prey, intimidated by red Indians and hampered and incon\-en- ienced by the conditions of primitive life. H. C. Miller had a part in reclaiming the Indiana forests and has a claim now on the honor due to a good and upright citizen. H. C. Miller, of Westport, Decatur coun- ty, Indiana, has been long identified with the development of his township and with the advancement of the farming interests of his county. He is a native of Clermont county, Ohio, and was born April 17, 1820, a son of John H. and Abigal (Witham) Mill- er. His father was a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and his mother was born in Massachusetts. His grandfather, James Witham, came out from Massachu- setts and about 1775 located at Cincinnati, then a mere village of five log cabins, where he bought of Judge Sims a tract of land extending along Deer creek to the Ohio river and including valuable land now nearly in the business center of the city. The place was then a mere settlement of log cabins, with a blockhouse in which the pio- neers would seek safety whenever an Indian alarm was sounded. The Withams, with four other families, floated down the Ohio river on flat boats and were frequently fired at by Indians from the shores; and it may be imagined that the journey was no less dangerous than tiresome. After improv- ing some of his land and farming on it for a comparatively short time, IMr. Witham sold it and went to Warren county. The chil- dren of James Witham were Robert, John, Morris. Gideon, Mehetable, Rachel and .\bigal (who became Mrs. John Miller and was the mother of H. C. Miller). John H. Miller and Abigal Witham were married in Hamilton county, Ohio, and they lived on a rented farm until 1830, when Mr. Miller settled on public lands in Deca- tur county, Indiana. When he moved here the country was an unbroken wilderness. There were no roads and but few settlers. The Millers found their way to their new. home by blaze marks on trees, cut there by some one who had gone over the ground before them. ]Mr. Miller erected a log cabin and made a ten-acre clearing, and then exchanged his improvements for forty acres of wild land. Then he went further into the wilderness, built another cabin, cleared and w'orked more land and died after having seen the work of improvement well advanced all about him. His expe- riences in this land of promise were the fa- miliar but arduous ones of all pioneers in this part of the country. The woods were full of game of the land and of game of the air, and it was to be had for the shooting. For some time there were no milling facili- ties beyond small hand-mills in which corn was ground to meal. The hardships and deprivations were many, but they were not discouraging, and opportunity to worship God was provided for by the formation of Methodist classes. After that the devoted settlers did not feel so lonely and so help- less, and they made strides more and more rapidly toward improvement, enlighten- ment and complete civilization. The men in the woods of Indiana had their politics. The politics of John H. Miller was of the Jacksonian Democratic stripe; and though the "stripe" was so deep and so wide that there could be no mistake about it he was content to study up political questions and to discuss them with his neighbors, and never sought or accepted ofifices that might DECATUR COUNTY. have been his for only tlie taking. He died in ia|)tist and Mrs. i'orter is a Presbyterian. CRETH J. LOYD. Creth J. Loyd. one of the enterprising young business men of Greensburg. was bom in that city December 4, 1872. He attended school in his native place until about thirteen years old. and from that time until 1893 was associated with his father in the poultry business. In that year the lat- ter sold a one-half interest to Charles Zoller, Jr., and the firm was known as Loyd &: Zoller. This partnership contin- ued until Creth J. purchased the interest of Mr. Zoller, his father having retired from the business. lie carried on the establishment alone until 1898. when he took a partner, William Brune, and the firm became C. J. Loyd & Company. The business of this company consists principally in the shipment of poultry to Xew York, Boston and Philadelphia, but they incidentally handle butter and eggs. They cni])loy from twenty-live to thirty men during the winter season, and own fourteen huckster wagons. which go through the couiUry and gather up the ]iroduce in which they deal. Their business amounts to about one hundred thousand dollars annually. Mr. Loyd is an expert in his line, being thoroughly posted in every- thing pertaining to it. Such extensive dealers as John Corell and George Brown, of New York city, and Prank Littlefield. of Boston, confer with him in regard to future crops of turkeys, ducks and chickens and their probable ])rices. Mr. Loyd has an enviable reptUation as a business man of strict integrit\- and fair dealing, and with his ]Hish and unlimited perseverance and industry is bound to suc- ceed in life. He is a Republican in politics, and takes an interest in local afifairs, though he is too busy to care for holding office. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias. With A. Goyert, he is joint manager of the Grand opera-house at Greensburg. Mr. Loyd was united in marriage. No- vember 14. 1894. to Miss Wilhelmina Brune, of Greensburg, and two chiltlrcn have been born to them. Lilian, deceased, and Frank L. 332 DECATUR COUNTY. The parents of our subject were Joseph H. and Margaret E. (Mowrer) Loyd. The former was born in Decatur county, Indi- ana, near Greensburg, December 25, 1841, a son of Creth J. and Phoebe Ann (EngHsh) Loyd. His grandfather, WilHam Loyd, came from Kentucky to Decatur county in 1820 and settled southeast of Greensburg, on a tract of gov- ernment land. He eventually became a large land-owner and accumulated a hand- some fortune. He was a member of the Baptist church, and prominent in his com- munity. He was twice married. His first wife was a Miss Polter, who bore him six children, five sons and one daughter. He was a second time married. The father of Joseph H. Loyd was born May 29, 1817, in Kentucky, and was only three years old when his father's family re- moved to Decatur county, Indiana, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was a plasterer by trade, but spent most of his time in farming. In the latter part of his life he became a dealer in poultry, shipping largely to New York and other eastern markets, and did an extensive business. His death took place in January, 1885. Mr. Loyd was an ardent Republican and took a great interest in local politics, but never ran for ofifice. He was brought up in the Baptist faith, Init afterward united with the Methodist church. He was three times married, his first wife being Phoel)e Ann English, who became the mother of two sons and four daughters, all of whom are deceased except Joseph H., and Mrs. Re- becca E. Straight, of Denver, Colorado. The wife and mother died in 1856. and Mr. Lovd then married Nancy Walker. Three children were born of this union, of whom ]Mrs. Delia Dille is the only survivor. His third wife was Mary English. Joseph H. Loyd was a lad of ten years when his father settled at Greensburg, and he has always made his home in that city. He learned the trade of a plasterer and fol- lowed it for several years. In 1885 he suc- ceeded his father in the poultry business, continuing in the same until 1893, when he in turn handed over the business to his son. In 1897 he was appointed street commis- sioner, and is now (1899) holding that of- fice. He was for ten years a member of the city council, representing the first ward, and is prominent in the Republican party of his county. He is a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Greens- i.)urg. Socially Mr. Loyd is a member of Greensburg Lodge, No. 103, I. O. O. F., and of the G. A. R. Mr. Loyd was married in 1861, to Mar- garet E. Mowrer, who was born in Cincin- nati, Ohio. Her parents were Philip and Sarah Mowrer, who were natives of Penn- sylvania and Maryland respectively. They came to Indiana in 1833, and settled in Salt Creek township, Decatur county, where they lived until 1861. then removing to Greensburg, where the mother died Janu- ary, 1891, and the father March 14, 1896. The latter was a Republican, and served two terms, from 1861 to 1864, as sheriff of De- catur county, and was assessor of Salt Creek township for four years and of Washington township for eight years. He was a promi- nent member of the First Methodist Epis- copal church at Greensburg, in which he was class-leader for a number of years. For fifty years Mr. Mowrer was a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities, hav- ing filled all the chairs in the latter order; DECATUR COUNTY 333 was a Royal Arch Mason, and belonged to other organizations. He held a high rank in the esteem of his fellow citizens, and was a man of tine ciiaracter. AUCiL'ST (iOVEKT. August Goyert. a well known citizen of Greensburg and an extensive dealer in poul- try, butter and eggs, was born at Batesville, Ripley county, Indiana, July 28, 1864. He is the son of John H. and Lena (Sitterding) Goyert, natives of Germany, the former be- ing born in the pro\incc of Hanover, near the city of Hamburg, and the latter at Os- nabruck. The father of Mr. Goyert came to the United States when a lad of fifteen and for a number of years made his home at New- Orleans, where he was employed on various steamboats. He afterward settled at Al- ton. Illinois, and was living there when the first railroad through that city was built. From Alton he went to St. Louis and was for several years engaged in the confection- ery business. His next location was in Cincinnati, where he bought and sold horses. In 1864 he removed to Batesville. Ripley county. Indiana, where he purchased land and also engaged in general merchan- dising. In 1891 he retired from active business and will spend the remainder of his days in the enjoyment of the fruits of his industry anfl good management. He is a leading member of the Lutheran church and is liberal in the support of its work. Seven children were born to this worthy couple, six sons and one daughter. August Goyert spent his younger days in Batesville and Cincimiati. and ct)mpleteil his education at Nelson's Business College, in the latter city, from which he was gradu- ated in 1884. During his summer vaca- tions he was employed in a i)roduce com- mission house in Cincinnati. In 1884 he started at Batesville a grocery and meat market, which he carried on for three years, and at the same time operated the Willow Springs Creamery. In 1887 he took charge of the Langtry Valley Flouring Mills, which he ran until 1890, when he started the Bates\ille Candy Company, owning a nice little plant. In 1893 he embarked in the produce business, under the firm name of Goyert & Vogel. continuing thus for four years, when he bought out his partner and has since conducted the business alone. He deals entirely in poultry, butter and eggs, employing a number of people in the store and on the road. He ships to Boston and New York, sending from one to two car- loads a week and doing an annual business of from seventy-five thousand to one hun- dred thousand dollars. Mr. Goyert was a member of the city council for two terms in Batesville. He is a member of Lodge No. 255, K. of P., and Greensburg Lodge, No. 475, B. P. O. E. In connection with C. J. Loyd, he is man- ager of the Grand opera-house. Mr. Goy- ert is an energetic, live business man. and l^opular with all who know him. He was married May 2. 1885. to Mi.ss Louise Bind- er, of Batesville, Indiana, and they have three children living. JAMES M. WOODFILL. I'or more than a half century James M. W'oodfill has been a resident of Greensburg. comiected with its conunercial. educational, DECATUR COUNTY. political and social advancement. He is distinctively American in thought and feel- ing, and has aided in developing at this place a typical American city, whose prog- ress and enterprise are worthy of the spirit of the west. For many years he was a prominent factor in the business life of the place, and when his consecutive and well directed labors had brought to him a hand- some competence he retired to private life, and is now enjoying the fruits of his former toil. y\r. ^^'oodfill was born in Greensburg, August 31, 1841, his parents being Gabriel and Elizabeth (Van Pelt) W^oodfill. The history of the ancestry of the family appears in connection with that of \\'. S. Woodfill on another page of this work. Under the parental roof James M. Woodfill passed his boyhood days, his time being occupied with various minor duties, with the work of the school-room and with the amusements which delighted the boys of that period. From an early age he was employed in his father's large general store and there be- came familiar with business methods, gain- ing a good practical experience which well fitted him for his own successful career as a merchant in later life. On the ist of Janu- ary, 1863, his father retired and was suc- ceeded by his three sons, John, \\'illiam and James, under the firm name of Woodfill Brothers. Our subject was then connected with the business until January i, 1883. when he sold his interest. He had been an active factor in securing the success which attended the enterprise, for he is a man of keen discrimination, of sound judgment and of indefatigable energy. For six vears Mr. Woodfill was connected with no active business interests, but in 1889 he again entered the field of merchan- dising, as a dealer in clothing and men's furnishing goods. Prosperity attended the new undertaking, and a liberal patronage was soon secured. Mr. Woodfill remained at the head of the business until 1897, when he retired, being succeeded by his sons, ^^'illiam C., Charles M. and James V., un- der the firm style of J. M. Woodfill's Sons. They are now conducting a first-class cloth- ing establishment and have a large trade, extending over a wide section of the county. They are very fair and reliable in all their dealings and are courteous and progressive business men, who well deserve the success which is attending their efforts. They occupy spacious and well appointed rooms on the south side of the public square, and the firm are ranked among the leading business representatives of the city. Mr. Woodfill exercises his right of fran- chise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party, of which he is a stalwart advocate. He does all in his power to promote the growth and insure the suc- cess of his party, nor has he sought of^cial preferment as a reward for his services. He belongs to the First Methodist Episcopal church, and is a member of its ofificial board. He has labored earnestly in behalf of the church, and his work has proved most beneficial. Socially he is a valued repre- sentative of Greensburg Lodge, I. O. O. F. April 6, 1869, Mr. Woodfill was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Cones, a daugh- ter of Robert Cones, of Greensburg, and to them have been born four sons: ^^'illianl C, who married Elizabeth Donnell and is the senior partner of the firm of J. M. Woodfill's Sons; Charles ]\I., who married Pearl Kitchin, and is a member of the firm; DECATUR COUNTY. 335 James V.. wIki is a i>artnor in the enterprise, and Rol)ert. a stiuient in ihe high school. Tlie family is one of prominence in the community, and its representatives enjoy the hospitality of the best homes in Greens- burg. James M. W'oodfill is a i)ublic-spirit- ed and progressive citizen, deeply interested in the welfare and improvement of his na- tive town, county and state, withholding his support from no movement whicii he be- lieves will ])rove of ])iil)Iic good. He earned for himself an enviable reputation as a care- ful man of business, and was always known for his prompt and honorable methods of dealing, which won him the deserved and unbounded confidence of his fellow men. He is pleasant and agreeable in manner, is popular with all whom he has met, and has the happy faculty of inspiring strong friend- ships. M.VKSIIAI.I. (ikdVER. Marshall Grover, a member of the firm of Grover & Bonner, of Greensburg, is one of the most popular and enterprising mer- chants of this flourishing town. About half a century has rolled away since he en- tered upon his successful business career here, and everyone with whom he has had dealings during this long period speaks of him in the highest terms. .\ son of Ira and Elizabeth (Glanton) Grover. our subject, was born in Union county, Indiana, in September, 1830. His parents were among the early settlers of .southeastern Indiana, and each lived to at- tain the age of over four-score years. When he was eight years old Marshall Grover removed with the family to Greens- burg, which he has since looked upon as his home. Such education as he accpiired was obtained in the connnon schools of his boy- hood, which, as everybody knows, were of a very poor character. .\ keen power of ob- servation and the benefits of private read- ing and the e.xperience which comes with advancing years, however, rendered him well qualified to meet the battles of life. In 1847 Mr. Grover accepted a position as a clerk in a dry-goods store in this place, and in 183O. having proved his ability, he was taken into the firm on a partnership basis. He continued to devote his whole attention to his cho.sen work until the war of the Rebellion came on. Entering the volunteer army, he was made paymaster's clerk, and so efificiently served that he was ajipointed paymaster, by President Lincoln, in 1863. He continued to serve at various stations and in the field until 1866, when he was honorably mustered out. with the bre- \et rank of lieutenant-colonel. Then, after a period, during which he was interested in the hardware business in this town, he was appointed, in 1871, to a position in the United States internal-revenue service. Since 1872 Mr. Grover has conducted a retail drug store in Greensburg, special lines of books, wall-paper, paint, oil, window- glass and similar articles also being kept in excellent variety. His store is centrally located, is modern in style and fitting, and is tastefully decorated. .\ large and re- munerative patronage is enjoyed by the ])artners, who spare neither pains nor ex- pense in their desire to please their custom- ers. Mr. Grover is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity, and always has taken an active part in public affairs. In June, 1871. Mr. Grover was united in marriage to Miss Anna Cook, then a resi- 336 DECATUR COUNTY. dent of this place, but formerly of New Jer- sey. Two children were born to them, but both have entered the silent land. Mr. and Mrs. Grover have a handsome residence, situated in the midst of beautiful, well kept grounds, at the corner of East street and Central avenue. The house, which is of modern architecture, is constructed of brick, and is two stories in height. Hon. Ira G. Grover, youngest brother of our subject, was born December 26, 1832, in Brownsville, Union county, and from 1838 until his death, in 1876, his home was almost continuously in Greensburg. From his youth up it was seen that he possessed unusual ability and talents, and in the wun- mer of 1856 he was graduated in Asbury University, at Greencastle, Indiana, with the highest honors of his class. Returning home, he became interested in teaching, and for a few years divided his attention be- tween that calling and the study of law. In i860 he was the Republican nominee for the lower house of the state legislature, and was elected by a large majority. He served in both the regular session of the following winter and in the special session called at the breaking out of the civil war, in the spring of 1861. When the Seventh Indi- ana Infantry responded to the three-months call for volunteers, Mr. Grover was elected first lieutenant of Company B, and when the regiment was ordered to the front, in May, he resigned his seat in the legislature, and for four years was found faithfully follow- ing the fortunes of his command. In 1866 he was the Republican nominee (against hopeless odds) for congress, but he was elected clerk of the Decatur circuit court in 1867 and re-elected in 1871. Soon after his second election his health began to fail, for the wounds, exposure and ill treatment which he had received while a prisoner in the hands of the enemy, had gradually un- dermined his strength. All that the tender care of friends could do was in vain, and his life came to a quiet and peaceful close. He had married Kate, daughter of Hiram Wall- ingford, December 26, 1871, and she sur- \ived him onlv a few months. EDGAR N. MENDENHALL. Prominent among the educators of Indi- ana is Professor Edgar Mendenhall, who is principal of th» high school in Greensburg. The importance of the different professions has been variously estimated, but all agree that that of the teacher ranks first among those to which men have directed their en- ergies. Not only must his own knowledge be extensive and exact, but he must have the power of imparting readily and clearly to others that which he has acquired, mak- ing his themes both interesting and instruc- tive. Upon the proper mental development in youth often depends the success of life. The ability of mental concentration, of keen discernment and close application then gained are important factors in the work-a- day world and, whether in commercial, in- dustrial or professional life, are indispensa- ble concomitants to a successful career. With a just appreciation and realization of the importance of the labors of the edu- cator, Professor Mendenhall has carefully prepared himself for his chosen life-work and to-day occupies a leading position among the educators of this section of Indi- ana. Edgar Nelson Mendenhall is one of the DECATUR COUNTY. native sons of the Hoosier state, his birth Iiaving occurred near Greensburg, on the lOth of September, 1872. His preliminary education was acquired in the ])nlilic schools near liis home, and later he pursued a course in the Franklin high school, in whicli institution he was graduated in 1890, when eighteen years of age. Later he con- tinued his studies in Franklin College, in the State University, at Bloomington, Indi- ana, and then within the classic walls of old Harvard. He began his career as a teacher in 1890, upon his graduation from the high school, and since that time has followed his chosen vocation through the winter months, spending the summer season in studying either at home or in some of the institutions of learning mentioned. He is a man of l)road and scholarly attainments, and his mental acquirements give him pres- tige in educational circles. .\fter teaching for tliree years in the dis- trict schools he spent two years as principal at Letts Corner, this country, and in 1895 came to Green.sburg as assistant professor in the high school. In 1897. when Profes- sor Shannon, city superintendent of schools, died. Professor Roberts, principal of the high school, was promoted to that position and Professor Mendenhall was appointed to the place which he now occupies. He makes a specialty of English and history and is the possessor of one of the best gen- eral libraries of the state. Socially he is connected with the Knights of Pythias fra- ternity, and in his religious belief is Pre.sby- teriaii. He is an entertaining conversa- tionalist and a gentleman of pleasing man- ners and courteous deportment, and is very popular, occupying a leading position in so- cial circles where true worth and intelli- gence are received as a passport into good society. He is a man of high intellectuality and imbued with fine sensibilities and clear- ly defined principles. Honor and integrity are synonymous with his name. Me enjoys the respect and esteeiii and confidence of all j who know him. and the future undoubtedly holds in store for him still higher honors. JOHN M. REDIXGTON. This has been often referred to as "the age of self-made men." All ages have presented opportunities to men who have had the ability to do something for others and make something of themselves; and doing something useful for others has al- ways been the surest way to personal suc- cess. The men who make themselves are, individually and in the aggregate, the builders up of enterprises which have ad- vanced the interests of the whole people, and every man who does something for himself is more of a factor in the general prosperity than he ever dreams. Indiana and Decatur county have had their self- made men in every decade since their iiis- tory began, and at this time there is not a more worthy representative of the class in the county than the man whose name is above. John M. Redington, assessor of Washing- ton township, Decatur county, Indiana, and one of the representative farmers of that county, was born at Greensburg, this coun- ty, September 8, 1854, a son of Alonzo and Catherine Doles Redington. His father was a native of JefTerson county, Indiana, and his mother was born in Decatur county. Alonzo Redington's father was John Red- DECATUR COUNTY. ington, wlio came to Indiana from New England at an early day and died there aged ninety-eight, after having lived the life of a plain, honest farmer, a man always ready to render unto any man his due and never seeking undue advantage in any deal, however trivial or however important. His children were named as follows, in the order of their birth: John, who is living in the west; Jacob (dead), Frank (dead), Alonzo, father of the subject of this sketch (who is a resident of Washington township), Dan- iel (dead), Jane (Mrs. P. Hart), Hattie (Mrs. J. Pemberton), Mary (Mrs. H. Ro- zelle) and Elizabeth (Mrs. M. Perry). Alonzo Redington, father of John M. Redington, was born in 1818 and grew to manhood in Jefferson county, Indiana, and there he received his education in the pub- lic schools. He came, while yet a young man, to Decatur county and worked at the stone-mason's trade, and later located on a farm. "His first wife (Catherine, nee Doles) died in 1866, and for a time his family was broken u]). He married his second wife in 1871. She died and he has since married again and his third wife is dead. He worked at his trade until too old to follow it longer and now has a home with a daugh- ter. He is a consistent member of the Bap- tist church and his influence has always been on the side of patriotism, morality and justice. Some interesting facts concerning his children follow: His daughter Sarah, his eldest child, married S. Graham. Henry, his oldest son, served in the cause of the Union in our civil war and lost an arm in battle. After he returned home he ac- c(uired a good education, his preparation for l)usiness life having lieen interrupted by his enlistment; and later he was elected to the ofifice of sherillf of Decatur county, but died before the beginning of the term of service for which he was chosen, leaving a widow and two children. Mary, deceased, was Mrs. W. Boyce. Marinda died unmar- ried. Melissa is Mrs. W. H. Perry. John M. is the immediate subject of this sketch. Isaac is. achieving success as a farmer. Anna married J. W. Doles. Ellen is Mrs. Will- iam Springer, and her home claims the aged father of this ver_\' respectable family as one of its most cherished inmates. Catherine (Doles) Redington, mother of John M. Redington, died when he was only twelve years old, and the boy was, through stress of circumstances, cast upon the world to look out for himself. E\-en at this ten- der age he was not found wanting in manly self-reliance. He found employment with a nurseryman for three years and from the time he was fifteen until he attained his ma- jority worked on a farm. His services had not been so well paid that he possessed any capital worth mentioning, Init he managed to possess himself of a team and now began the struggle of life independently at team- ing and farming. For ten years he was thus employed. Then he engaged in the manufacture of tile, a business which he continued for fourteen years. Pie made money and during the time purchased his present farm of one hundred and ninety-two acres, now mostly cleared and in a good state of cultivation. He came to this place in 1896 and has since done much to improve and beautify it and increase its value and productiveness. .\t this time he is remodel- ing his house, which when finished will be one of the best and most attractive in its vicinity. Mr. Redington is a self-made man who DECATUR COUNTY. 339 owes his success entirely to his own efforts. He has proven himself a capable business man, of good nioti\es and credital^le meth- ods, and those who know how he has won his success know that he deserves it because it has been achieved fairly and above board in the broadest sense of those sometimes abused terms. Politically he is a Republican, earnest and active in the sup- | port of Republican principles. He has been elected the assessor of Washing-ton town- ship, in which office he is now filling out his fourth year to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. The lady who became the wife of Mr. Redington was Miss Elizabeth Hopper, a member of one of the pioneer families of Ripley county. Indiana, and a wfinian of many attractions and graces of heart and mind. She is a daughter of Barnabas and Martha ("Bates) Hopper, natives of Jeffer- son county, Indiana. Her father served his country in our civil war until honorably dis- charged for disability. He was a successful farmer and an enthusiastic Republican who liked to think that he voted as he shot, and always tried to do so with what he believed was the truest aim. He never aspired to office, however. He was a consistent and helpful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His death occnrrc.l in i8Si. His widow survived until i8()5. Their children were: John (dead), Elizabeth (wife of John M. Redington). George (dead), Deborah (Mrs. T. Cook, now dead), Silas (dead) and Charles (dead). Mr. and Mrs. Redington have six children, none of whom have as yet left their roof-tree and whom they named as follows in the order of their nativity: Flora, Grover, Jessie. Charles. Ethel and Lillie. Mrs. Redington is a Methodist. alive to every interest of the church and lib- eral in support of all its work. Mr. Red- ington is a Mason and an Odd fellow. FR.VXK R. ROBBINS. The man whcjse name is above is a repre- sentative of the best .\merican stock. His family had its representative in the Revolu- tionary war and has been patriotic and pro- gressive in every generation since. He is of a family of pioneers which has made its impress on the civilization of the east, the south and the west. The sul)ject of this sketch is a son of John E. and Nancy (Hunter) Robbins. John E Robbins was a son of W^illiam and Eleanor (.Anderson) Robbins. The father of Will- iam Robbins came from England to Penn- sylvania at an early date, served the cause of the colonies as a soldier in the Revolu- tionary war and afterward located in Vir- ginia, where his children were born. Dur- ing the period of the early settlement of Kentucky he located there, where he was a gunsmith, blacksmith and farmer until his children were reared and ready to take up the battle of life on their own account. Some of them came to Indiana and there the father joined them about 1828. He took up eighty acres of land and improved it and lived on it until his death, which occurred in 1834. and he is buried near the John Rob- bins homestead. He was a plain, honest man, blunt and straightforward, with a high standard of morality and integrity, in religion a Baptist, in ])olitics a Whig. He married Rethiah Robbins. a widow not even indirectly related to him. who was born December i. 1760, and who had two 340 DECATUR COUNTY. sons, Ab and Benjamin, who were reared by their stepfather. The following facts concerning his own children will ht found interesting: Elizabeth became Mrs. J. Watkins. Alarmaduke and Jacob were twins. Mary became Mrs. Kirkpatrick. Nathaniel. John and William were younger sons. Charlotte became Mrs. Anderson. Dosia married J. Herron. All of the children of the pioneer and his worthy wife came to Indiana. Abel and Benjamin Robbins, Mrs. Robbins's sons by her former marriage, remained behind and Abel lived and died in Kentucky, and Benjamin removed to Tennessee and there lived out his allotted time. John Robbins was the first of all the fam- ily to come to Indiana. He came in 1821 and Marmaduke in 1823. William, who was six years old when his father moved from Virginia to Kentucky, was reared and began his active life there. He entered land in Indiana in 1821 and in 1823 married and moved upon it. He had borrowed money to enter his land and at the time he came to Indiana had paid half of the amount and had no money in hand for present needs. He had a team and wagon, how- ever, and brought along a few cattle, hogs and shee]). He was a true pioneer and overcame numerous obstacles, not the least of which was his moving, for he was obliged at times to cut his way through the forest and to make long detours to cross streams. He first made a comfortable camp, then erected a log cabin, and he lost no time in putting under cultivation as much land as possible. It was not long before his pio- neer home was self-supporting. He grew wool and raised flax, and his wife spun and wove and made clothing. He became suc- cessful as a general farmer and stock-raiser. He was not of a speculative turn of mind and had no thought of accumulating money except by honest labor and safe and wise management of his affairs. He foniied a definite plan to buy land, but made a rule that he would ne\er buy until he could pay. As he was able to do so he bought land from time to time and he gave to each of his children at marriage a home farm of eighty acres. At the same time he reserved a homestead of one hundred and twenty acres for the one who should care for him and his wife in their declining years. He was born .Vugust 5, 1797, and died Septem- ber II, 1854. He was a Whig and an abo- litionist and had he lived he would have af- filiated with the Republican party. It was because he abhorred slavery that he left Kentucky and took up his residence in a free state. He was a charitable and helpful man who won the gratitude of many of his fellows. He despised all dishonesty and held liars in the most profound contempt. Eleanor Anderson, who became his wife, was a daughter of James Anderson and was born in Virginia, July 5, 1797. Her father and his family removed to Kentucky at an early day, making the journey down the Ohio by a flat-boat to a jioint on the Ken- tucky shore below Cincinnati. Locating in Henry county, Kentucky, near the Rob- binses, he followed agricultural pursuits there during the remainder of his life. His children were as follows: Isaac, James, Ruth (who married John Robbins), Eleanor (who married William Robbins), Nancy Cwho became Mrs. W. White), Wesley and Sarah. All except Wesley and Sarah re- moved to Indiana. The children of Will- iam and Eleanor (Anderson) Robbins were DECATUR COUNTY. 341 l)orn in the following order: Sarelda R. j married W. Stires. John E. will be referred I to more at length further on. \\'illiam M. died young. James X. is a prominent farm- ! er and breeder of tine cattle in Decatur j county, Indiana. Merritt li. is dead. | John E. Robbins, grandson of the pio- neer, son of William Robbins and father of Frank R. Robbins, was born in Decatur county, Indiana, and was a member of his father's family until his marriage, which oc- curred November 7, 1844. He then settled on a small tract of land given him by his father, but was without means to improve it or to begin farming. He found employ- ment during the succeeding winter at school teaching, at ten dollars a month, and was thus enabled to put in some crops the following spring. This circumstance is given as an index to his character. He was a determined, resourceful man and he not only prospered but became one of the most prominent financiers of eastern Indiana. Far-sighted beyond most men anrl with an unerring business instinct, he made a suc- cess of every enterprise he undertook, and he made for himself a name and place in local history which reflects the greatest credit upon his enterprise and his business methods. From the time of his school- teaching venture he accumulated constant- ly and more and more rapidly as the years went on. He lived on his original small farm until 1858, when he was enabled to buy one hundred and sixty acres a mile south of Greensburg. which was his home- stead during the remainder of his life. He added to this place by subsequent pur- chases until it comprised eight hundred and si.xty-three acres and bought about three thousand acres in other tracts. His landed possessions constituted only a portion of his wealth. He began early in his career to raise and feed stock, and his operations grew so extensive that he handled more hogs than all other dealers in the county combined, with feeding and stock yards at Lawrenceburg and elsewhere and extensive slaughter houses at Greensburg. He looked carefully after his own large interests and was public-si)irited to a marked degree, his interest in the development of the county inducing him to take a foremost l)lace in the promotion of such public en- terprises as turnpikes, railroads and banks. He was first to agitate pike roads in Deca- tur county, and was president of the Ver- non, Greensburg & Rushville Pike Road Company, and was largely instrumental in making the road a success. As a means to this end he advocated and secured the assessment of a ta.x, of which he paid more than any other man in Decatur county. He originated the Third National Bank of Greensburg, which began business January, 1883, with John E. Robbins as president and C. Ewing as cashier. By his enterprise and great business ability this bank assumed the foremost place among the banking in- stitutions of this part of the state. It now has a capital of seventy-five thousand dollars and a surplus of eighteen thousand dollars, with de])osits amounting to four hundred and thirty thousand dollars. He was a di- rector in other Greensburg banks and was from time to time identified prominently and helpfully with other important enter- prises. His sound judgment was sought in matters of public moment, and in order to secure his eminent financial ability for De- catur county he was called to the office of commissioner, in which he served with the 342 DECATUR COUNTY. greatest credit. He loved his home and improved and beautified it in many ways, continuing this work to the time of his death, July 22, 1896. Nancy Hunter, his wife, was born in Ohio, December 8, 1826, a daughter of Na- thaniel and Elizabeth (Fares) Hunter. Her parents were natives of Germany, but were married in Ohio and bought their house- keeping outfit at Cincinnati, purchasing the entire stock of dishes of the only store in the town at that time which kept such goods. In 1827 they removed to Franklin county, Indiana, where Mr. Hunter took up and improved land which he sold to good advantage ten years later. At that time (1837) he entered a large tract of land in Decatur county and began the improvement of what turned out to be a fine farm. Late in life he retired to Greensburg, where he died at the age of ninety-seven, his wife sur- viving him and dying at the age of ninety- eight. He was a man of much enterprise and several times built flat-boats and loaded them with produce, which he sold in the markets of New Orleans, making the re- turn journey on foot. He also helped to construct the Whitewater canal. In poli- tics he was a strong Democrat of the old school, but he never sought or accepted of- fice. His children were named as follows: Ann E. (Mrs. Shaw), Rebecca (Mrs. Wal- lace), Stephenson (dead), Nathan, who lives in Greensburg, Nancy, mother of the sub- ject of this sketch, and Peter (dead). Fol- lowing are the names of the children of John E. Robbins: Sarelda B. (Mrs. Smiley), Min- erva J. (Mrs. Gilchrist), Nancy Ellen (Mrs. Kitchin), William, a farmer near Greens- burg: Clara (Mrs. Kitchin), John E., Olive (,Mrs. McCoy), Frank R. and Eliza (Mrs. Elder). Nancy (Hunter) Robbins, now in her seventieth year, is living on the home- stead, near Greensburg. Frank R. Robbins was born near where he now lives, October 29, 1866. He mar- ried in 1888 and settled on one of his fath- er's farms south of the homestead. Later he built his present large two-story brick house, a mile south of Greensburg, and is a successful farmer and stock-raiser. He married Miss Kate Sefton, daughter of Isaac and Mary (Myers) Sefton and a lady of high intelligence and culture, whose grandfather, William Sefton, was one of the pioneers and leading citizens of Decatur county. William Sefton was a son of Hen- ry Sefton, an ex-officer of the English army, who came to Ohio from Ireland and died of cholera in 1834. The children of Henry Sefton were named as follows, in the order of their birth: William, Henry, Maria (Mrs. Scott), Jane (Mrs. Hughes), Ellen (Mrs. Hungerford), and Sarah (Mrs. Bre- voort.) William married Catherine Shuck and settled as a farmer in Ohio, where five of his children were born. In 1838 he came to Indiana and located in Decatur county on land entered by his father and cleared up and improved a farm which he cultivated successfully until his death in 1868. He was successful in a busi- ness way and added materially to his landed possessions by subsequent purchases. His wife, who was born in April, 1806, and died October 3, 1869, was a daughter of Michael Shuck, of German descent, from Pennsyl- vania, who located early in Butler county, Ohio, but came in his old age to the home of his daughter, in Indiana, where he died at the age of eighty-eight. Their children were Sarah (Mrs. Governor Bibbs of Ohio), DECATUR COUNTY Z\i Eliza (Mrs.A.Lawrence), Peggy (Mrs. Mul- holland), Hannah (Mrs. Shaw), Polly (Mrs. Hall), and Catherine (Mrs. Sefton), whose children were named as follows: Henry, Eliza (Mrs. Scott), Elizabeth (who died un- married), Michael. Isaac (father of the wife of the subject of this sketch), Edward, Mary (Mrs. Willis), Sarah (Mrs. Anderson) and William W. Their father was born Febru- ary 22, 1806, and died October 3. 1869. They were married in 1830. Isaac Sefton was reared in Decatur coun- ty. Indiana, and learned farming on his father's homestead, where he remained un- til he was twenty-eight years old. He mar- ried in 1865 and began farming on his own account. Upon the death of his father he inherited a part of the latter's estate, to which he has added by judicious purchases. He now owns three improved farms in De- catur county and one in Boone county and two houses in Cjreensburg, where he now lives retired from active life, wealth\' and iniluential qnd respected for the up- rightness of his character. For his wife he married Miss Mary E. Myers, a daughter of Thomas and Mahala (Braden) Mvers. Mr. Myers was of Pennsylvania Dutch ex- traction and was born in Rush county. Indi- ana. Mrs. Myers was born in Decatur county, Indiana, and they were married in 1843. Thomas Myers died at Greensburg, Indiana, October 18. 1887. aged si.\ty-two. His wife, who survives him, aged seventy- two, was a daughter of Walter Braden. of Irish descent, who was born in 1797. reared in the United States, married in Kentucky and brought his wife, on horseback, to Indi- ana, where he died in 1876. she in 1855. i They had children who were named Mi- chael. John, Richard, lane (Mrs. RusscUV Linda and James. The children of Thomas and Mary E. (Braden) Myers were Mary E. (wife of Isaac Sefton), Robert W., Em- ma (Mrs. Gilmour), Morgan, Willard, Ne- vada (Mrs. W. S. Moore) and Maggie B. (Mrs. Scott). The children of Isaac and Mary (Myers) Sefton were Kate, born No- vember II, 1868, who married Frank R. Robbins; and Cora, born March 26, 1878, who married W'. H. Robbins. The children of Frank B. and Kate (Sefton) Robbins are Lelia, born June 18, 1889; and William, born December 17, 1890. Mrs. Robbins is a Methodist and a woman whose influence in the community is always for good. Mr. Robbins is an enterprising citizen, promi- nent in public affairs and personally very popular. He is a member of the Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks. PROF. WILUIAM P. SHANNON. A. M. Widely acknowledged as one of the fore- most educators and scientists of Indiana. Greensburg especially, of which place he was one of the leading citizens, feels that in the death of Professor William Pollock Shannon, an irreparable loss has been sus- tained. Heartfelt tributes to his personal worth and to his rare achievements came to his bereaved family from every part of the United States, leading educators and scientists uniting in praise of a career which was singularly jiure. earnest and progres- sive. The liirth of Professor ShaiuKni occurred upon his parents" homestead, near Spring Hill. Decatur county. October 31. 1847. and thus he had reached the half centurv DECATUR COUNTY. mark at the time of his demise, December 1 6, 1897. His father, Thomas H. Shannon, a successful farmer, is deceased, but his widowed mother, Mrs. Mary (Mayne) Shan- non, still resides on the old homestead. There it was that the boyhood days of our subject passed, and the love w-hich he then formed for nature in her various manifes- tations never left him. He attended the district schools and later pursued higher studies under the preceptorship of J. C. Gregg, then principal of Richland Acad- emy, but now superintendent of the city schools of Brazil, Indiana. At the end of three years the young man entered the junior year at Miami University, where he made such an exceptionally creditable rec- ord that it has been said that no graduate of the institution, save \\'hitelaw Reid, sur- passed him in scholarship. His alma mater conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts at the time of his graduation, June 10, 1873. Many positions were open to him, but he eventually decided to accept the principalship of the Glendale high school, near Cincinnati, Ohio. Having made a success of this, he accepted a call to Greensburg and became principal of the high school here. Needless to say that he more than fulfilled the expectations of his most confident friends, and that a higher and better system of management was car- ried into efifect than had ever prevailed here before. It was not a surprise, there- fore, that he was elected to serve as super- intendent of the schools of Greensburg, in 1882, after his return from Europe. As superintendent he continued to act until his useful career was untimely ended, and thus, in the two responsible of^ces named, he i:)la3'ed a noble, influential part for some twenty-three years. During that period our schools were rapidly advanced, until long ago they were ranked among the best in the state. But the grand work of Professor Shan- non was not narrowed to even this county, as he was a valued member of the State and National Teachers' Associations and was treasurer of the Indiana x\cademy of Sci- ence, and in innumerable ways came before the scientists and teachers of this land. Quotations from letters of a few of the emi- nent educators of the United States in re- gard to his standing will prove of interest to many of his old friends. David S. Jor- dan, president of Leland Stanford. Jr., Uni- versity (of California), said: "As a scientific man he had a high rank. His work was sound and accurate, and he had especial power in developing scientific methods in others. As a teacher he ranked with the best in the state. He was accurate and thorough on the one hand, and sympathet- ic and helpful on the other. As a man he was above reproach, and was to me one of the most valued of all my friends in Indi- ana." Francis M. Stalker, editor of the Inland Educator, wrote: "I regard Pro- fessor Shannon as one of the best men in the state. He certainly had some advanced ideas in regard to nature study in the schools. I ha\e thought many times that the boys and girls at Greensburg had a large opportunity in having Mr. Shannon to show them how to see things. His ideas were practical and full of common sense." Professor Shannon made for himself a lasting place in the domain of scientific re- search into the realm of nature in his native county. C. H. Eigenmann, the professor of zoology in the Indiana University (which DECATUR COUNTY. 345 institution conferred upon our subject the degree of Master of Arts), wrote to the be- reaved relatives, among other things, the following: "\V. P. Shannon was a genial, earnest man. The papers he read before the Indiana .Academy showed him to be a close and interested observer of the things about him. He was interested in many branches of natural history. He won the esteem of all of his associates in the academy, who made him a fellow of the academy, and elected him treasurer, a iiosition be filled for a number of years. The museum of the Indiana University received many spec- imens from him in past years, especially of fishes, and his work on the fishes of his own county has made him a lasting name among the naturalists of the state." .Another sin- cere friend, .A. \\'. Butler, secretary of the board of state charities, said: "I have known Professor Shannon for twelve years, and we had become fast friends. I found the longer I knew him, the closer became the ties of friendship. He was a close .stu- dent, a hard worker, and a good observer and teacher. He has done much good work in science and loved the study of na- ture. He has been an excellent interpreter of nature's language, and perhaps few in our state have done .so much to interest the youth of our public schools in nature stud- ies as he. He was deeply interested in the work of the Indiana .Academy of Science. Of that organization he was one of the charter members and was highly regarded by his associates. For several years he has been its treasurer." The high e.stimation in which our subject was held universally is expressed in the following lines from the pen of W. S. Blatchley, state geologist: "I consider it an honor to have known W . P. Shannon personally. There are few men in Indiana who loved nature more, or who came in closer touch with her than he. \\'ith his own mind he reasoned out her secrets. He sought with his own eyes and hands her objects. His life work stands for far more for his thus doing than it would if he had accepted the ideas and works of other men as portrayed in books. His knowledge of the habits, haunts and life histories of birds, insects and other living forms was thus first-hand and manifold in character. With it was cou])led an excel- lent knowledge of the fossil forms of the past ages, and of geology. He was thus enabled to understand much more fully than the average scientist the close rela- tionship and interdependence existing among the various classes of natural ob- jects, and he fully realized that each is not an isolated gnnip standing alone, but that each is kin to all the others, an essential part of one grand and perfect whole, — the universe. His papers on nature study, in the Inland Educator, show how fully he was imbued with the thing itself and not the book concerning it; and how much he could get from a simple object in which the ordinary teacher could .see nothing. These papers, if faithfully followed, will give a new impetus to nature .study in the common schools of Indiana, which will serve as the best and most lasting monument of his life's work. As a member of the Indiana .Academy of Science Professor Shannon stood high, and was always on the program with a paper embodying the result of val- uable original obser\'ation. He will be greatly missed at its meeting, and with one accord its members will say that a noble- hearte