USA > Indiana > Decatur County > A Genealogical and biographical record of Decatur County, Indiana : compendium of national biography > Part 20
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C OTTON MATHER, a celebrated minis- ter in the "Puritan times " of New England, was born at Boston, Massachu- setts, February 12, 1663, being a son of Rev. Increase Mather, and a grandson of John Cotton. A biography of his father will be found elsewhere in this volume. Cotton Mather received his early education in his native city, was trained by Ezekiel Cheever, and graduated at Harvard College in 1678; became a teaclier, and in 1684 was ordained as associate pastor of North church, Boston, with his father, having by persistent effort overcome an impediment in his speech. He labored with great zeal as a pastor, endeavoring also, to establish the ascendancy of the church and ministry in civil affairs, and in the putting down of witchcraft by legal sentences, a work in which he took an active part and through which he is best known in history. He re- ceived the degree of D. D. in 1710, con- ferred by the University of Glasgow, and F. R. S. in 1713. His death occurred at Boston, February 13, 1728. He was the author of many publications, among which were " Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcraft," "Wonders of the Invisible World," "Essays to Do Good," "Mag- 'nalia Christi Americana," and " Illustra- tions .of the Sacred Scriptures." Some of
these works are quaint and curious, full of learning, piety and prejudice. A well- known writer, in summing up the life and character of Cotton Matlier, says: " Mather, with all the faults of his early years, was a man of great excellence of character. He labored zealously for the benefit of the poor, for mariners, slaves, criminals and Indians. His cruelty and credulity were the faults of his age, while his philanthro- phy was far more rare in that age than in the present."
W ILLIAM A. PEFFER, who won a national reputation during the time he was in the United States senate, was born on a farm in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, September 10, 1831. He drew his education from the public schools of his native state and at the age of fifteen taught school in winter, working on a farm in the summer. In June, 1853, while yet a young man, he removed to Indiana, and opened up a farm in St. Joseph county. In 1859 he made his way to Missouri and settled on a farm in Morgan county, but on account of the war and the unsettled state of the country, he moved to Illinois in Feb- ruary, 1862, and enlisted as a private in Company F, Eighty-third Illinois Infantry, the following August. He was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant in March, 1863, and served successively as quartermaster, adjutant, post adjutant, judge advocate of a military commission, and depot quartermaster in the engineer department at Nashville. He was mustered out of the service June 26, 1865. He had, during his leisure hours while in the army, studied law, and in August, 1865, he com- menced the practice of that profession at Clarksville, Tennessee. He removed to Kansas in 1870 and practiced there until
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1878, in the meantime establishing and conducting two newspapers, the "Fredonia Journal " and "Coffeyville Journal."
Mr. Peffer was elected to the state senate in 1874 and was a prominent and influential member of several important committees. He served as a presidential elector in 1880. The year following he became editor of the " Kansas Farmer," which he made a promi- nent and useful paper. In 1890 Mr. Peffer was elected to the United States senate as a member of the People's party and took his seat March 4, 1891. After six years of service Senator Peffer was succeeded in March, 1897, by William A. Harris.
R OBERT MORRIS .-- The name of this financier, statesman and patriot is closely connected with the early history of the United States. He was a native of England, born January 20, 1734, and came to America with his father when thirteen years old. Until 1754 he served in the counting house of Charles Willing, then formed a partnership with that gentleman's son, which continued with great success until 1793. In 1776 Mr. Morris was a delegate to the Continental congress, and, although once voting against the Declaration of Inde- pendence, signed that paper on its adop- tion, and was several times thereafter re- elected to congress. During the Revolu- tionary war the services of Robert Morris in aiding the government during its finan- cial difficulties were of incalculable value; he freely pledged his personal credit for sup- plies for the army, at one time to the amount of about one and a half million dollars, with- out which the campaign of 1781 would have been · almost impossible. Mr. Morris was appointed superintendent of finance in 1781 and served until 1784, continuing to employ his personal credit to facilitate the needs of
his department. He also served as mem- ber of the Pennsylvania legislature, and from 1786 to 1795 was United States sena- tor, declining meanwhile the position of sec- retary of the treasury, and suggesting the name of Alexander Hamilton, who was ap- pointed to that post. During the latter part of his life Mr. Morris was engaged ex- tensively in the China trade, and later be- came involved in land speculations, which ruined him, so that the remaining days of this noble man and patriot were passed in confinement for debt. His death occurred at Philadelphia, May 8, 1806.
W ILLIAM SHARON, a senator and capitalist, and mine owner of na- tional reputation, was born at Smithfield, Ohio, January 9, 1821. He was reared upon a farm and in his boyhood given excel- lent educational advantages and in 1842 entered Athens College. He remained in that institution about two years, after which he studied law with Edwin M. Stanton, and was admitted to the bar at St. Louis and commenced practice. His health failing, however, he abandoned his profession and engaged in mercantile pursuits at Carrollton, Greene county, Illinois. During the time of the gold excitement of 1849, Mr. Sharon went to California, whither so many went, and engaged in business at Sacramento. The next year he removed to San Francisco, where he operated in real estate. Being largely interested in its silver mines, he re- moved to Nevada, locating at Virginia City, and acquired an immense fortune. He be- came one of the trustees of the Bank of California, and during the troubles that arose on the death of William Ralston, the president of that institution, was largely in- strumental in bringing its affairs into a satis- factory shape.
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Mr. Sharon was elected to represent the state of Nevada in the United States senate in 1875, and remained a member of that body until 1881. He was always distin- guished for close application to business. Senator Sharon died November 13, 1885.
H ENRY W. SHAW, an American hu- morist who became celebrated under the non-de-plume of " Josh Billings, " gained his fame from the witticism of his writing, and peculiar eccentricity of style and spell- ing. He was born at Lanesborough, Mas- sachusetts, in 1818. For twenty-five years he lived in different parts of the western states, following various lines of business, including farming and auctioneering, and in the latter capacity settled at Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1858. In 1863 he began writing humorous sketches for the news- papers over the signature of "Josh Bill- ings," and became immediately popular both as a writer and lecturer. He pub- lished a number of volumes of comic sketches and edited an " Annual Allminax " for a number of years, which had a wide cir- culation. His death occurred October 14, 1885, at Monterey, California.
JOHN M. THURSTON, well known throughout this country as a senator and political leader, was born at Mont- pelier, Vermont, August 21, 1847, of an old Puritan family which dated back their ancestry in this country to 1636, and among whom were soldiers of the Revolution and of the war of 1812-15.
Young Thurston was brought west by the family in 1854, they settling at Madison, Wisconsin, and two years later at Beaver Dam, where John M. received his schooling in the public schools and at Wayland Uni- versity. His father enlisted as a private in
the First Wisconsin Cavalry and died while in the service, in the spring of 1863.
Young Thurston, thrown on his own resources while attaining an education, sup- ported himself by farm work, driving team and at other manual labor. He studied law and was admitted to the bar May 21, 1869, and in October of the same year located in Omaha, Nebraska. He was elected a member of the city council in 1872, city attorney in 1874 and a member of the Ne- braska legislature in 1874. He was a mem- ber of the Republican national convention of 1884 and temporary chairman of that of 1888. Taking quite an interest in the younger members of his party he was instru- mental in forming the Republican League of the United States, of which he was presi- dent for two years. He was then elected a member of the United States senate, in 1895, to represent the state of Nebraska.
As an attorney John M. Thurston occu- pied a very prominent place, and for a num- ber of years held the position of general solicitor of the Union Pacific railroad sys- tem.
JOHN JAMES AUDUBON, a celebrated J American naturalist, was born in Louis- iana, May 4, 1780, and was the son of an opulent French naval officer who owned a plantation in the then French colony. In his childhood he became deeply interested in the study of birds and their habits. About 1794 he was sent to Paris, France, where he was partially educated, and studied de- signing under the famous painter, Jacques Louis David. He returned to the Unit- ed States about 1798, and settled on a farm his father gave him, on the Perkiomen creek in eastern Pennsylvania. He mar- ried Lucy Bakewell in 1808, and, disposing of liis property, removed to Louisville, Ken-
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tucky, where he engaged in mercantile pur- suits. About two years later. he began to make extensive excursions through the pri- meval forests of the southern and south- western states, in the exploration of which he passed many years. He made colored drawings of all the species of birds that he found. For several years he made his home with his wife and children at Henderson, on the Ohio river. It is said that about this time he had failed in business and was re- duced to poverty, but kept the wolf from the door by giving dancing lessons and in portrait painting. In 1824, at Philadelphia, he met Charles Lucien Bonaparte, who encouraged him to publish a work on ornithology. Two years later he went to England and com- menced the publication of his great work, " The Birds of America." He obtained a large number of subscribers at one thousand dollars a copy. This work, embracing five volumes of letterpress and five volumes of beautifully colored plates, was pronounced by Cuvier " the most magnificent monument that art ever raised to ornithology."
Audubon returned to America in 1829, and explored the forests, lakes and coast from Canada to Florida, collecting material for another work. This was his " Ornitho- logical Biography; or, An Account of the Habits of the Birds of the United States, Etc." He revisited England in 1831, and returned in 1839, after which he resided on the Hudson, near New York City, in which place he died January 27, 1851. During his life he issued a cheaper edition of his great work, and was, in association with Dr. Bachman, preparing a work on the quadrupeds of North America.
C OMMODORE THOMAS McDON- OUGH gained his principal fame from he celebrated victory which he gained over
the superior British squadron, under Com- . modore Downie, September 11, 1814. Com- modore McDonough was born in Newcastle county, Delaware, December 23, 1783, and when seventeen years old entered the United States navy as midshipman, serving in the expedition to Tripoli, under Decatur, in 1803-4. In 1807 he was promoted to lieutenant, and in July, 1813, was made a commander. The following year, on Lake . Champlain, he gained the celebrated victory above referred to, for which he was again promoted; also received a gold medal from congress, and from the state of Vermont an estate on Cumberland Head, in view of the scene of the engagement. His death oc- curred at sea, November 16, 1825, while he was returning from the command of the Mediterranean squadron.
C HARLES FRANCIS HALL, one of America's most celebrated arctic ex- plorers, was born in Rochester, New Hamp- shire, in 1821. He was a blacksmith by trade, and located in Cincinnati, where later he became a journalist. For several years he devoted a great deal of attention to cal- orics. Becoming interested in the fate of the explorer, Sir John Franklin, he joined the expedition fitted out by Henry Grinnell and sailed in the ship "George Henry," under Captain Buddington, which left New Lon- don, Connecticut, in 1860. He returned in 1862, and two years later published his " Arctic Researches." He again joined the expedition fitted out by Mr. Grinnell, and sailed in the ship, " Monticello," under Captain Buddington, this time remaining in the arctic region over four years. On his return he brought back many evidences of having found trace of Franklin.
In 1871 the " Polaris " was fitted out by the United States government, and Captain
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Hall again sailed for the polar regions. He died in Greenland in October, 1871, and the "Polaris" was finally abandoned by the crew, a portion of which, under Captain Tyson, drifted with the icebergs for one hundred and ninety-five days, until picked up by the " Tigress," on the 30th of April, 1873. The other portion of the crew built boats, and, after a perilous voyage, were picked up in June, 1873, by a whaling vessel.
LIVER ELLSWORTH, the third chief justice of the United States, was born at Windsor, Connecticut, April 29, 1745. After graduating from Princeton, he took up the study of law, and was licensed to practice in 1771. In 1777 he was elected as a delegate to the Continental congress. He was judge of the superior court of his state in 1784, and was chosen as a delegate to the constitutional convention in 1787. He sided with the Federalists, was elected to the United States senate in 1789, and was a firm supporter of Washington's policy. He won great distinction in that body, and was appointed chief justice of the supreme court of the United States by Washington in 1796. The relations between this coun- try and France having become violently strained, he was sent to Paris as envoy ex- traordinary in 1799, and was instrumental in negotiating the treaty that averted war. He resigned the following year, and was suc- ceeded by Chief Justice Marshall. His death occurred November 26, 1807.
M ELLVILLE WESTON FULLER, an eminent American jurist and chief justice of the United States supreme court, was born in Augusta, Maine, in 1833. His education was looked after in boyhood, and at the age of sixteen lie entered Bowdoin College, and on graduation entered the law
department of Harvard University. He then entered the law office of his uncle at Ban- gor, Maine, and soon after opened an office for the practice of law at Augusta. He was an alderman from his ward, city attorney. and editor of the " Age," a rival newspaper of the "Journal," which was conducted by James G. Blaine. He soon decided to re- move to Chicago, then springing into notice as a western metropolis. He at once iden- tified himself with the interests of the new city, and by this means acquired an experience that fitted him for his future work. He devoted himself assiduously to his profession, and had the good fortune to connect himself with the many suits grow- ing out of the prorogation of the Illinois legislature in 1863. It was not long before he became one of the foremost lawyers in Chicago. He made a three days' speech in the heresy trial of Dr. Cheney, which added to his fame. He was appointed chief jus- tice of the United States by President Cleve- land in 1888, the youngest man who ever held that exalted position. His income from his practice had for many years reached thirty thousand dollars annually.
C HESTER ALLEN ARTHUR, twenty- first president of the United States, was born in Franklin county, Vermont, Octo- ber 5, 1830. He was educated at Union College, Schenectady, New York, from which he graduated with honor, and en- gaged in teaching school. After two years he entered the law office of Judge E. D. Culver, of New York, as a student. He was admitted to the bar, and formned a partner - ship with an old room-mate, Henry D. Gar- diner, with the intention of practicing law in the west, but after a few months' search for a location, they returned to New York and opened an office, and at once entered
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upon a profitable practice. He was shortly afterwards married to a daughter of Lieu- tenant Herndon, of the United States navy. Mrs. Arthur died shortly before his nomina- tion for the vice-presidency. In 1856 a colored woman in New York was ejected from a street car and retained Mr. Arthur in a suit against the company, and obtained a verdict of five hundred dollars. It result- ed in a general order by all superintendents of street railways in the city to admit col- ored people to the cars.
Mr. Arthur was a delegate to the first Republican national convention, and was appointed judge-advocate for the Second Brigade of New York, and then chief engi- neer of Governor Morgan's staff. At the close of his term he resumed the practice of jaw in New York. In 1872 he was made collector of the port of New York, which position he held four years. At the Chi- cago convention in ISSo Mr. Arthur was nominated for the vice-presidency with Garfield, and after an exciting campaign was elected. Four months after the inau- guration President Garfield was assassinated, and Mr. Arthur was called to take the reins of government. His administration of affairs was generally satisfactory. At its close he resumed the practice of law in New York. His death occurred November 18, 1886.
ISAAC HULL was one of the most con- I spicuous and prominent naval officers in the early history of America. He was born at Derby, Connecticut, March 9, 1775, be- ing the son of a Revolutionary officer. Isaac Hull early in life became a mariner, and when nineteen years of age became master of a merchant ship in the London trade. In 1798 he became a lieutenant in the United States navy, and three years later was inade 10
first lieutenant of the frigate "Constitution." He distinguished himself by skill and valor against the French on the coast of Hayti, and served with distinction in the Barbary expe- ditions. July 12, 1812, he sailed from Annapolis, in command of the "Constitu- tion," and for three days was pursued by a British squadron of five ships, from which he escaped by bold and ingenious seaman- ship. In August of the same year he cap- tured the frigate "Guerriere," one of his late pursuers and for this, the first naval advantage of that war, he received a gold medal from congress. Isaac Hull was later made naval commissioner and had command of various navy yards. His death occurred February 13, 1843, at Philadelphia.
M ARCUS ALONZO HANNA, famous as a prominent business man, political manager and senator, was born in New Lis- bon, Columbiana county, Ohio, September 24, 1837. He removed with his father's family to Cleveland, in the same state, in 1852, and in the latter city, and in the Western Reserve College, at Hudson, Ohio, received his education. He became an ein- ploye of the wholesale grocery house of Hanna, Garrettson & Co., his father being the senior member of the firm. The latter died in 1862, and Marcus represented his interest until 1867, when the business was closed up.
Our subject then became a member of the firm of Rhodes & Co., engaged in the iron and coal business, but at the expira- tion of ten years this firm was changed to that of M. A. Hanna & Co. Mr. Hanna was long identified with the lake carrying business, being interested in vessels on the lakes and in the construction of them. As a director of the Globe Ship Manufacturing Company, of Cleveland, president of the
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Union Nationai Bank, of Cleveland, president of the Cleveland City Railway Company, and president of the Chapin Mining Com- pany, of Lake Superior, he became promi- nently identified with the business world. He was one of the government directors of the Union Pacific Railroad, being appointed to that position in 1885 by President Cleve- land.
Mr. Hanna was a delegate to the na- tional Republican convention of 1884, which was his first appearance in the political world. He was a delegate to the con- ventions of 1888 and 1896, and was elect- ed chairman of the Republican national committee the latter year, and practically managed the campaign of William McKin- ley for the presidency. In 1897 Mr. Hanna was appointed senator by Governor Bush- nell, of Ohio, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Sherman.
G EORGE PEABODY was one of the best known and esteemed of all philan- thropists, whose munificent gifts to Ameri- can institutions have proven of so much benefit to the cause of humanity. He was born February 18, 1795, at South Danvers, Massachusetts, which is now called Pea- body in honor of him. He received but a meager education, and during his early life he was a mercantile clerk at Thetford, Ver- mont, and Newburyport, Massachusetts. In 1814 he became a partner with Elisha Riggs, at Georgetown, District of Columbia, and in 1815 they moved to Baltimore, Mary- land. The business grew to great propor- tions, and they opened branch houses at New York and Philadelphia. Mr. Peabody made several voyages to Europe of com- mercial importance, and in 1829 became the head of the firm, which was then called Peabody, Riggs & Co., and in 1838 he re-
moved to London, England. He retired from the firm, and established the cele- brated banking house, in which he accumu- lated a large fortune. He aided Mr. Grin- nell in fitting out Dr. Kane's Arctic expedi- tion, in 1852, and founded in the same year the Peabody Institute, in his native town, which he afterwards endowed with two hun- dred thousand dollars. Mr. Peabody visited the United States in 1857, and gave three hundred thousand dollars for the establish- ment at Baltimore of an institute of science, literature and fine arts. In 1862 he gave two million five hundred thousand dollars for the erecting of lodging houses for the poor in London, and on another visit to the United States he gave one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to establish at Harvard a museum and professorship of American archæology and ethnology, an equal suin for the endowment of a department of physical science at Yale, and gave the "Southern Educational Fund " two million one hundred thousand dollars, besides devoting two hun- dred thousand dollars to various objects of public utility. Mr. Peabody made a final visit to the United States in 1869, and on this occasion he raised the endowment of the Baltimore Institute one million dollars, created the Peabody Museum, at Salem, Massachusetts, with a fund of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, gave sixty thou- sand dollars to Washington College, Vir- ginia; fifty thousand dollars for a " Peabody Museum, " at North Danvers, thirty thousand dollars to Phillips Academy, Andover; twen- ty-five thousand dollars to Kenyon College, Ohio, and twenty thousand dollars to the Maryland Historical Society. Mr. Peabody also endowed an art school at Rome, in 1868. He died in London, November 4, 1869, less then a month after he had re- turned from the United States, 'and his
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remains were brought to the United States and interred in his native town. He made several other bequests in his will, and left his family about five million dollars.
M ATTHEW S. QUAY, a celebrated public man and senator, was born at Dillsburgh, York county, Pennsylvania, September 30, 1833, of an old Scotch-Irish family, some of whom had settled in the Keystone state in 1715. Matthew received a good, education, graduating from the Jef- ferson College at Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at the age of seventeen. He then traveled, taught school, lectured, and studied law under Judge Sterrett. He was admitted to the bar in 1854, was appointed a prothon- otary in 1855 and elected to the same office in 1856 and 1859. Later he was made lieutenant of the Pennsylvania Re serves, lieutenant-colonel and assistant com- missary-general of the state, private secre- tary of the famous war governor of Pennsyl- vania, Andrew G. Curtin, colonel of the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Pennsylva- nia Infantry (nine months men), military state agent and held other offices at different times.
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Mr. Quay was a member of the house of representatives of the state of Pennsylvania from 1865 to 1868. He filled the office of secretary of the commonwealth from 1872 to 1878, and the position of delegate-at- large to the Republican national conventions of 1872, 1876, 1880 and ISSS. He was the editor of the "Beaver Radical" and the "Philadelphia Record " for a time, and held many offices in the state conventions and on their committees. He was elected secre- tary of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1869, and served three years, and in ISS5 was chosen state treasurer. In 1886 his great abilities pointed him out as the
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