USA > Indiana > Decatur County > A Genealogical and biographical record of Decatur County, Indiana : compendium of national biography > Part 11
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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.
E 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
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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, this time under police protection. The house was filled with Macready's friends, but the 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 1860, 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.
JOAH PORTER, D. D., LL. D., was N · 1
one of the most noted educators, au- thors and scientific writers of the United States. He was born December 14, ISII, 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 commemoration of 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;" "Elements of 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 J 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, wlien but nineteen years
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of age. On attaining his majority in 18II 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 1816, 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 government. 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 nullifters of South Carolina and was the only senator who voted against the Force bill for 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 1839. 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 inet 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 1813, 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.
C OLLIS 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, 1821, 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
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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.
G EORGE 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 he was brevetted lieutenant-colonel; Meadow Bridge, Haw's Shop, Cold Harbor, Trevil- lian Station. In the Shenandoah Valley 1864-65 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 Dinwiddie 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, June 25, 1876.
D ANIEL 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 1861, and he had during this period been elected to congress, in 1860. Mr. Voorhees was re-elected to congress in 1862 and 1 864. but he was unsuccessful in the election of 1866. However, he was returned to con-
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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 .
A1 LEXANDER GRAHAM BELL, 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.
W ILLIAM 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 18II, 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 1814 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
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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 1850, he was received with great distinction in the literary circles of London, Edinburgh, Paris, Antwerp and Brussels. Oxford 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 of " Philip the Second," coming to him at Boston, Massachusetts, May 28, 1859.
O LIVER 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, which he did, building most of his vessels from the forests along the shore, and by the summer of 1813 he had a fleet of nine vessels at Presque Isle, now Erie, Pennsylvania. September 10th 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, 1819. 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.
OHN PAUL JONES, though a native of Scotland, was one of America's most noted fighters during the Revolutionary war. He was born July 6, 1747. His father was a gardener, but the young man soon be- came interested in a seafaring life and at the age of twelve he was apprenticed to a sea captain engaged in the American trade. His first voyage landed him in Virginia, where he had a brother who had settled there several years prior. The failure of the captain released young Jones from his apprenticeship bonds, and he was engaged as third mate of a vessel engaged in the slave trade. He abandoned this trade after a few years, from his own sense of disgrace. He took passage from Jamaica for Scotland in 1768, and on the voyage both the captain and the mate died and he was compelled to take command of the vessel for the re- inainder of the voyage. He soon after became master of the vessel. He returned to Virginia about 1773 to settle up the estate
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of his brother, and at this time added the name "Jones," having previously been known as John Paul. He settled down in Virginia, but when the war broke out in 1775 he offered his services to congress and was appointed senior lieutenant of the flag- ship "Alfred," on which he hoisted the American flag with his own hands, the first vessel that had ever carried a flag of the new nation. He was afterward appointed to the command of the " Alfred," and later of the " Providence," in each of which ves- sels he did good service, as also in the " Ranger," to the command of which he was later appointed. The fight that inade him famous, however, was that in which he captured the "Serapis," off the coast of Scotland. He was then in command of the "Bon Homme Richard," which had been fitted out for him by the French government and named by Jones in honor of Benjamin Franklin, or "Good Man Richard," Frank- lin being author of the publication known · as " Poor Richard's Almanac." The fight between the " Richard " and the "Serapis " lasted three hours, all of which time the vessels were at close range, and most of the time in actual contact. Jones' vessel was on fire several times, and early in the en- gagement two of his guns bursted, rendering the battery useless. Also an envious officer of the Alliance, one of Jones' own fleet, opened fire upon the "Richard " at a crit- ical time, completely disabling the vessel. Jones continued the fight, in spite of coun- sels to surrender, and after dark the "Ser- apis" struck her colors, and was hastily boarded by Jones and his crew, while the "Richard " sank, bows first, after the wounded had been taken on board the "Serapis." Most of the other vessels of the fleet of which the " Serapis " was con- voy, surrendered, and were taken with the
"Serapis" to France, where Jones was received with greatest honors, and the king presented him with an elegant sword and the cross of the Order of Military Merit. Congress gave himn a vote of thanks and made him commander of a new ship, the " America," but the vessel was afterward given to France and Jones never saw active sea service again. He came to America again, in 1787, after the close of the war, and was voted a gold medal by congress. He went to Russia and was appointed rear-admiral and rendered service of value against the Turks, but on account of personal enmity of the fav- orites of the emperor he was retired on a pen- sion. Failing to collect this, he returned to France, where he. died, July 18, 1792.
T HOMAS MORAN, the well - known painter of Rocky Mountain scenery, was born in Lancashire, England, in 1837. He came to America when a child, and showing artistic tastes, he was apprenticed to a wood engraver in Philadelphia. Three years later he began landscape painting, and hisstyle soon began to exhibit signs of genius. His first works were water-colors, and though without an instructor he began the use of oils, he soon found it necessary to visit Europe, where he gave particular at- tention to the works of Turner. He joined the Yellowstone Park exploring expedition and visited the Rocky Mountains in 1871 and again in 1873, making numerous sketches of the scenery. The most note- worthy results were his "Grand Canon of the Yellowstone," and " The Chasm of the . Colorado," which were purchased by con- gress at $10,000 each, the first of which is undoubtedly the finest landscape painting produced in this country. Mr. Moran has subordinated art to nature, and the subjects he has chosen leave little ground for fault
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finding on that account. "The Mountain , of the Holy Cross," " The Groves Were God's First Temples," " The Cliffs of Green River," " The Children of the Mountain," "The Ripening of the Leaf," and others have given him additional fame, and while they do not equal in grandeur the first mentioned, in many respects from an artis- tic standpoint they are superior.
L' ELAND STANFORD was one of the greatest men of the Pacific coast and also had a national reputation. He was born March 9, 1824, in Albany county, New York, and passed his early life on his father's farm. He attended the local schools of the county and at the age of twenty began the study of law. He entered the law office of Wheaton, Doolittle and Hadley, at Albany, in 1845, and a few years later he moved to Port Washington, Wisconsin, where he practiced law four years with moderate success. In 1852 Mr. Stanford determined to push further west, and, accordingly went to California, where three of his brothers were established in business in the mining towns. They took Leland into partnership, giving him charge of a branch store at Michigan Bluff, in Placer county. There he developed great business ability and four years later started a mercantile house of his own in San Fran- cisco, which soon became one of the most substantial houses on the coast. On the formation of the Republican party he inter- ested himself in politics, and in r860 was sent as a delegate to the convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln. In the autumn of 1861 he was elected, by an im- inense majority, governor of California. Prior to his election as governor he had been chosen president of the newly-orga- nized Central Pacific Railroad Company, 9.
and after leaving the executive chair he de- voted all of his time to the construction of the Pacific end of the transcontinental rail- way. May 10, 1869, Mr. Stanford drove the last spike of the Central Pacific road, thus completing the route across the conti- nent. He was also president of the Occi- dental and Oriental Steamship Company. He had but one son, who died of typhoid fever, and as a monument to his child he founded the university which bears his son's name, Leland Stanford, Junior, University. Mr. Stanford gave to this university eighty- three thousand acres of land, the estimated value of which is $8,000,000, and the entire endowment is $20,000,000. In 1885 Mr. Stanford was elected United States senator as a Republican, to succeed J. T. Farley, a Democrat, and was re-elected in 1891. His death occurred June 20, 1894, at Palo Alto, California.
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