The biographical encyclopaedia of New Jersey of the nineteenth century, Part 95

Author: Robson, Charles, ed; Galaxy Publishing Company, publisher
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, Galaxy publishing company
Number of Pages: 924

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OSSELL, HON. WILLIAM, Judge of the Dis- trict Court of the United States for New Jersey, late of New Jersey, was born in 1755-65. " He was an honest, industrious judge, of excellent character and good judgment, who was elected by the Republicans, as he once said to me himself, because they had no good lawyer of the party in the western part of the State, willing and fit to take the office, and be- cause, being an active and influential politician in Burlington county, where he rcsided, he had been for that reason per- secuted by some of the Federalists."-Hon. L. Q. C. Elmer. For many years after he became Judge he was one of the most prominent leaders of the Democratic party in the State, but was never accused of allowing his political views and sentiments to influence his conduct on the bench. " His good sense led him generally to concur with the chief-justice, and some of his reported opinions read very well. But his total lack of legal knowledge, especially in matters of prac- tice and pleading, was so much complained of by the law- yers of the circuit which he attended," that, in 1820, an act was passed, requiring the justices of the Supreme Court so to arrange the several circuits in the State, there being no judicial districts established by law, as now, that no justice should hold the Circuit Court in the same county two terms in succession, unless in the opinion of the court there should be a necessity therefor. This stringent law continued in force and was complied with, to the scrious inconvenience of the judges, until 1846. When it was passed, there were two Circuit Courts held each year in all the counties, thir- teen in number, except Cape May, in which there was but one. The other courts had four terms in each year until'

1855, when a reduction to three was effected, and the Circuit Courts in all the counties were required to have three terms yearly. Upon the death of Judge Peunington, in 1826, he was strongly recommended for, and received the appoint- ment of, Judge of the District Court of the United States for New Jersey, a place at that time of great respectability and very little labor, " like the common bench in England at the same period," to which judges were glad to retire from more arduous duties. When he relinquished his seat on the bench of the Supreme Court, a meeting of the bar, under the lead of Hon. Mr. Frelinghuysen, adopted resolutions highly complimentary of his faithful performance of the duties of his office. He died in 1840, at an advanced age.

cLENAHAN, ROBERT MILLS, M. D., late of New Hampton, was born at Pennington, New Jersey, October 19th, 1817, and was the son of Rev. Mr. McLenahan, a preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His early education was ob- tained in his native place, where he also com- menced the study of medicine with Dr. Joseph Welling. He afterward graduated at the New York Medical College in 1836. Soon after receiving his degree he commenced practice at New Hampton, New Jersey. His genial and winning manners, combined with professional abilities of a high order, soon won him a reputation and a practice of proportions seldom reached by a country physician. Indeed, so extended did his responsibilities become that, about 1860, he invited Dr. Howard Service to come to New Hampton, and render him the relief that his failing health rendered it absolutely essential that he should have. After entering into this arrangement he gradually withdrew from practice. His health continued to fail, and on April 28th, 1864, he died, being then in his forty-seventh year. He was greatly missed by a large circle of friends and acquaintances, to whom a lifetime association had endeared him. He was twice married, his first wife being Christiana, daughter of the late Aaron Van Syckel, Esq., who died March 8th, 1856; and his second a Miss Johnston, who survives him.

OUTHARD, HENRY, M. D., late of Somerville, son of the Hon. Isaac Southard, and a grandson of the Hon. Henry Southard, of revolutionary fame, was born in Somerset county, New Jersey, March 27th, 1811. Having studied medicine, he was duly licensed by the State Board of Censors, and after practising successively at Flemington, Asbury Danville, Belvidere, and Phillipsburg, he finally established himself in Somerville, Hunterdon county, where he re- maincd in active practice for a number of years. He was a

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member of the IIunterdon County Medical Society, of | favorably. He visited several places for the purpose of which he was for a time Secretary; was a member of the New Jersey Medical Society, and in 1847 was a member of the State Board of Censors. During his residence in Phillipsburg he married Louisa Maxwell. He died October 13th, 1859.

ELSEY, ENOS, Merchant, Revolutionary Patriot, Treasurer of Princeton College, late of Prince- ton, was a native of New Jersey, and was born in the middle of the last century. After his graduation from Princeton College he settled as a merchant in the city of his Alma Mater, and there resided, engaged in business pursuits, until the time of his decease. During the troublous days of the Revolu- tion he held a responsible office in the Clothier-General's office, under the State government. There is a letter of his preserved in the " Revolutionary Correspondence of New Jersey," addressed to the Speaker of the Assembly, dated October 4th, 1779, in which he makes an estimate of the cost of clothing the Jersey troops. " He proposes to go himself to Boston and make the purchases, and thinks that by the proposed scheme he can save the State ten thousand pounds in the purchase." He was intimately identified with Princeton College, and for many years officiated as Treasurer of that institution. He died in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1809 or 1810.

ALHOUN, JAMES THEODORE, Physician and Surgeon, late of Rahway, New Jersey, was born there, September 17th, 1838, and commenced the study of medicine at the age of sixteen, in the office of Dr. Samuel Abernethy, also of Rahway, who always evinced a warm interest in him. March 17th, 1859, he graduated at the University of Penn- sylvania, Philadelphia, and at once entered upon the active practice of his profession at Rahway, where he was engaged during the ensuing two years. In June, 1861, he entered the Union army, as Assistant-Surgeon of the (5th Excelsior) 74th New York Volunteer Regiment; in May, 1863, re- ceived an appointment as Assistant-Surgeon in the regular army; and, September 24th, 1864, was assigned to duty as Surgeon in charge of the Ward United States Army Gen- eral Hospital. In September, 1865, the hospital at Newark was discontinued, and he superintended the sales of the government hospitals in the Department of the East, after which he became Medical Director of Transportation at New York city, where he remained from December, 1865, until the middle of May, 1866, when he was placed on the board of officers appointed by the government to examine and decide upon cholera disinfectants, more particularly the " Phoenix Disinfectant," upon which he did not report

trying it, including David's Island, New York harbor, where he tried it upon spoiled eggs. He was about to be ordered to Augusta, Maine, when an exchange was made between Assistant-Surgeon Harvey Brown and himself, and he was ordered, on the 4th of June, 1866, to Hart's Island, as Post Surgeon, relieving Dr. Brown. He took an active part with his regiment at the siege of Yorktown; also in the battles of Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, and those of the Seven Days' Fight ; and was present at the siege of Rich- mond and the action known as Hooker's Malvern; also at the battles of Bristow's Station, second Bull Run, and Chantilly, of Pope's campaign. " I was present with my regiment at the battle of Fredericksburg, and, under the new regulations of the Medical Department, was detailed as ' operating surgeon ' of my brigade. I passed a satisfac- tory examination before the Regular Army Medical Board, and immediately thereafter, without solicitation on my part, I was appointed Surgeon-in-Chief of the Second Division, Third Corps, commanded by Major-General Berry." While in command at Newark he planned and constructed a new hospital, its enclosure containing twenty-four acres of ground; and he served respectively upon the staffs of Major-Generals Berry, Binney, Sickles, Humphrey, Mott, Prince, Carr, Hancock, French and Graham. While at Gettysburg the medical director of the corps, Dr. Thomas Sims, was called upon to accompany General Sickles to Washington, and this occasioned his placing on duty as Acting Medical Director of the corps. How well he ac- quitted himself of the heavy responsibilities then thrown upon him is best told by the fact that, although at this time almost the junior Assistant-Surgeon of the regular army, he was continued on duty as Acting Medical Director of the corps through its subsequent marches in pursuit of the Con- federate army, including the affair at " Wapping Heights," and until it went into camp at the Rappahannock, when he rejoined his division. Dr. Dougherty also bears ample testimony to his activity, his faithfulness and his executive ability : " While at Brandy Station we had a Division Medical Society, which was probably the most vigorous and useful of any in the army. Its efficacy was mainly due to his earnest endeavors and professional prelections. . . .. During General Grant's campaign to Petersburg he dis- played admirable qualities! The wounded had implicit confidence in him, and preferred his attentions to those of any other; while his superior energy and activity caused him to be selected for the charge of the colored hospital at City Point. He raised it from a despicable position to the first rank, eliciting the warm commendation of the chief medical officers. . . . . " At Gettysburg, also, where he assisted in the amputation of the leg of General Sickles, Dr. Dougherty says of him : " In this bloody fight his en- ergies and resources were taxed to the utmost, but he was never found wanting; " while the same able physician de- clares that "he not only systematized and improvised his

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hospitals, but he was the best operator in them." While quite young in the profession he wrote an excellent article on the " Influences of Mill-Dams" in Rahway, which con- tributed greatly to accomplish their removal, and conse- quently a notable change in the healthfulness of the town; while in a series of articles, published in the Philadelphia Medical Reporter, he gave to the profession some of the results of his observations and experience during the war. May 3d, 1865, he was married to Nora C. Orr, by whom he had one child, which died at Newark, New Jersey, of cholera infantum, July 28th, 1866. He died July 19th, 1866, at Hart's Island, New York, of Asiatic cholera. His remains were ultimately removed, in accordance with a re- quest made by him before death, to Rahway, New Jersey ; and, February 22d, 1867, the funeral services were held at the Second Presbyterian Church, of which he had been a member. After the service the regulars, escorted hy the New Jersey Veteran Volunteers and the New Jersey Rifle Corps, marched to the cemetery of Hazelwood, where they met the remains. The coffin was enveloped in the United States flag, and on it were laid his sword, sash and cap; a crown of immortelles, and an anchor and cross of white flowers. His deceased son, Charles, was placed in the same tomb with him, after which Rev. Mr. Hodges read the conclusion of the burial service, and the permanent party from Governor's Island fired the military salute. Many distinguished characters, public and private, attended the funcral, and the people of Rahway united their efforts to testify their respect to his memory; the houscs were draped with mourning, and the flags placed at half-mast throughout the place. He received two brevets for faithful and meritorious services during the war, dating from the 13th of March, 1865; and since his death the President has brevetted him Lieutenant-Colonel in the regular army, "for distinguished and meritorious services at Hart's Island, New York, where cholera prevailed, to date from the 19th of July, 1866."

ARCLAY, REV. DAVID, Clergyman, late of Punxatawny, Pennsylvania, was born in New Jersey, in the last quarter of the past century, and studicd at Princeton College, graduating in 1790-92 from that institution. After leaving Princeton he applied his time and attention to the study of theology; and, December 3d, 1794, was or- dained by the Presbytery of New Brunswick, and installed as pastor of the church at Bound Brook, where he remained until April, 1805. At this date, on account of some troubles, he abandoned his charge there, and in June became pastor of Knowlton, Oxford and Lower Mount Bethel churches, New Jersey, there continuing his labors until 1811. IIe was a man of decided ability; quick, earnest and energetic in his motions and his speech ; of stout, athletic frame, but

of an impetuous and imprudent temperament. He was constantly involved in troubles and disputes with his con- gregations, and one of his elders, Jacob Ker, published a volume of more than 400 pages, entitled "The Several Trials of David Barclay before the Presbytery of New Brunswick and Synod of New York and New Jersey." Qn the 25th of April, 1819, he was dismissed to the Presbytery of Redstone, and took up his residence in Punxatawny, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1846.

ART, JOHN SEELY, LL. D., Scholar and Au- thor, late .of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was born in Old Stockbridge, Berkshire county, Mas- sachusetts, on January 28th, 1810; but when he was only two years old his father, with some other families, removed into Pennsylvania, and settled in Providence township, on the Lackawanna, which was then a wilderness. Here he continued until 1823, when his father acquired a mill-privilege at Laurel run, then about two miles above Wilkesbarre, in the valley of Wyoming. When a boy he was very sickly, and adjudged unfit for any employment requiring physical strength; so arrangements were made to get him educated for a teacher, and in his fifteenth year he entered the Wilkesbarre Acad- emy. By diligent use of the opportunities afforded him

here, in three years he was well fitted for college. In the fall of 1827 he entered the sophomore class of the College of New Jersey, and graduated in 1830, with the first honors of his class. IIe then went South, and was for one year Principal of the academy at Natchez, Mississippi. Return- ing to New Jersey, in the fall of 1831 he entered the Theo- logical Seminary at Princeton. During the last two years of his attendance at the seminary he acted as tutor in the college, and in 1834 he was appointed Adjunct Professor of Ancient Languages. During this period he paid much attention to the study of Hebrew and Arabic, studying the latter under Addison Alexander. He was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of New Brunswick in 1835, but in the following year he was induced to become Principal of the Edgehill Fitting School, at Princeton, and, regarding it as a permanent field of usefulness, requested the presby- tery to take back his license, which was formally cancelled. Ile continued in the management of the Edgehill for five years. In September, 1842, he was elected Principal of the Central High School, of Philadelphia. It was here that he became best known to the citizens of Philadelphia, and under his management the High School flourished and became extremely popular. This position he occupied until 1859, receiving during his incumbency, in the year 1848, the degree of L.L. D. from the University of Miami, Some time after his retirement from the High School, in the year 1860, he became connected with the American Sunday.

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School Union, as the editor of its publications. During this | He was also a large contributor to the periodical press. A engagement he projected the Sunday-School Times, of day or two after the accident which resulted in his death, which he remained the senior editor until the spring of he said to his publisher that he should probably be confined 1871. From 1862 to 1871 he was connected with the New to his room for several months, and that during that time he proposed to prepare for the press a work which should be the masterpiece of his life-a grammar of grammars- the materials for which he had been collecting for many years. This accident occurred on January 17th, 1877. Ile had consented to read and criticise a manuscript submitted ¡to him by a young lady of literary aspirations, and, having completed his self-imposed task, started on that evening to return the manuscript to its author. On the way he slipped and fell on the icy sidewalk, breaking his hip, and sustain- ing severe internal injuries. A few days later he fell into a comatose condition, in which he remained almost con- stantly until his death, on March 26th, 1877. The accident interrupted a course of noon day lectures on Shakspearc, being delivered at the Girls' Normal School. He was for many years a leading member of the Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, and was Superintendent of the Sun- day-school up to the time of his accident. He left a widow and one son, Professor J. Morgan Hart, of the University of Cincinnati, Ohio. His scholarship was extensive and varied, and he was an excellent teacher. He had the art of exciting an interest in the topics of which he wrote or spoke, and he personally commanded the affectionate re- spect of his pupils, so that the many hundreds of young men who have been under his care will acknowledge their indebtedness to him for much of their literary training. With all his amiability of character, he was a man of great firinness, a good disciplinarian and a good business man, and his long career as a teacher and a writer was both usc- ful and successful. He made many friends and kept them, and left behind a justly honored name. Respecting the man and his influence in the cause of education, the Even- ing Telegraph, of Philadelphia, on the day following his death, said : " It seems proper to say that Mr. Hart was one of the strongest and most devoted workers in that cause that this country has produced. He was an enthu- siast-and this notwithstanding the fact that he had an indrawn and undemonstrative nature. Again, he made serious sacrifices in devoting himself to teaching. Though a good teacher, he would have made a better lawyer; he had the real analytic legal brain, and all who knew him well made no secret of their belief that he might have ranked among the luminaries of the Philadelphia bar if he had so chosen; but he looked at life as involving some- thing more than personal ambition and success. The educational cause was a profound matter of conscience with him, and the whole labor of a long life, with the exception of various literary relaxations, was given to what may be called, in opposition to a more brilliant career which he might have chosen, humble and self-sacrificing toil. There are not many such instances in our school history, and when they occur they should be noted with especial honor. Jersey State Normal School, at Trenton-one year as head of the model department, and the remainder of the time as principal of the institution. After much solicitation on the part of Dr. McCosh and the faculty at Princeton, and much hesitation and many refusals on the part of Professor Hart, he was in 1872 induced to take the Professorship of Rhet- oric and of the English Language and Literature in that institution, agreeing to remain only until a successor could be found. He occupied this chair about two years, having bcen a teacher over forty years and having had over 7,000 pupils confided to his direct care and training. His literary works are exceedingly numerous and valuable, and several of them are used as text-books in the public schools of Philadelphia. He commenced to write for publication as early as his twenty-fifth year, contributing to the Princeton Review a series of articles on "Jenkyn on the Atonement; " "The English Bible ; " " Tyndale's New Testament ; " " The Revised Webster ; " "An Argument for Common Schools; " " Normal Schools; " and "The English Lan- guage." In 1844 he edited the Common School Journal, " Hart's Class Book of Poetry " and " Hart's Class Book of Prose." In 1845 he edited the philological volume of the " United States Exploring Expedition," during the ab- sence of Mr. Hale, its author, in Europe. In the same year he published "An Exposition of the Constitution of the United States for the Use of Schools," and an " English Grammar." In 1847 he published his first original volume, "An Essay on Spenser, and the Fairy Queen." From Janu- ary, 1849, to July, 1851, he edited Sartain's Magazine. In 185 I he published " The Female Prose Writers of America," an enlarged edition of which was issued in 1856. In 1853 he published "A Greek and Roman Mythology." About this time he was also engaged in editing some eight or ten literary annuals. From 1862 to 1870 he published a series of pamphlets and minor writings. " The Bible as an Edu- cational Power Among the Nations; " " Mistakes of Edu- cated Men; " " Pennsylvania Coal and its Carriers; " "Thoughts on Sabbath-Schools;" "Counsels for the School Room;" "The Golden Censer ; " and " Thoughts on the Lord's Prayer." These were succeeded by several works on practical piety, the " Sunday-School Idea, its Objects, Organization, etc." In 1870 he published two such works, viz. : " Removing Mountains," and " Life Lessons from the Gospels." His latest publications have been of an educa- tional character, such as "A Manual of Composition and Rhetoric," and " First Lessons in Composition," 1870; "A Manual of English Literature," 1872; "A Manual of Amer- ican Literature," 1873; "A Short Course in Literature, English and American," 1873; and since then "An Analy- sis of English Grammar," and " Language Lessons." The two latter were published after he returned from Princeton.

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Professor Hart's name is associated with Princeton College, | he was licensed he married the sister of General Bloom- with the New Jersey Normal School, and with other large educational interests, but in this locality he is chiefly known through his long direction of the Boys' High School. In point of fact, he placed that now representative American school on a solid foundation-of discipline and accomplish- ment, and of popular confidence. He found it in a state of feebleness, and at a time when it was highly unlikely that the scheme of so advanced a shoot of the public school system could flourish-and in his term of office he demon- strated very clearly that this mingling of school and college could be made a reality. He had many pupils in this lo- cality who, from under his wise and careful ruling, passed into the working world to take places of honor and trust, and few men could be followed to the grave with a larger respect than will be offered him, and with greater sympathy and sense of personal obligation."

field, and took up his residence in his native city, where he was admitted to the bar. " In the first ' Directory' of that city, published in 1786, in the list of lawyers is found the name, 'James Giles, Esq., 65 Maiden lane.'" In 1788 he removed with his family to Bridgeton, where he resided during the remainder of his life. In the ensuing ycar he was appointed by the Legislature, in joint meeting, Clerk of the county; and, being twice reappointed, held that office during a period of fifteen years. Being at that time entitled also to practise law, he had quite an extensive and, for that day, lucrative business. In 1793 he built for his own occu - pation a mansion, which, with its ornamental grounds and rich furniture, was the finest residence in the place; and also accumulated the largest library, both of law and mis- cellaneous books, in South Jersey. He was a well-read lawyer and safe counsellor, and excellent, though not bril- liant, as an advocate. " He was a small man, precise in his dress, and remarkably erect and graceful, but very slow in his movements and in all he did. At the circuits he was one of the most genial and delightful companions. The legal documents he drew were marked by great neatness and precision." About 1805 his friends confidently ex- pected that he would be elected one of the justices of the Supreme Court, although a majority of the joint meeting was politically opposed to him; but the result was that the law authorizing three associate judges was repealed. Dur- ing the latter years of his life he held the position of Presi- dent of tlie Cumberland Bank ; and died at Bridgeton, New Jersey, in 1825. He had a large family of children, most of whom died young. James G. Hampton, educated for the bar, who graduated at Princeton in 1835, and represented the First District in Congress two terms, and who died in 1863, was a grandson. "Now all have passed away ; not a single individual of kin to General Giles, and only remote kindred on the side of Mrs. Giles, remain in the State. Ilis name will be found a few times as counsel in the early reports; but his business was nearly all confined to the counties of Cumberland and Cape May. A beautiful daugh- ter, who married Mr. Inskeep, of Philadelphia, of the firm of Bradford & Inskeep, booksellers, removed many years ago to New Orleans, and had several daughters, who in- herited some of their mother's beauty, whose descendants are still living there, and occupy respectable positions in society."

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The biographical encyclopaedia of New Jersey of the nineteenth century, Part 95

Author: Robson, Charles, ed; Galaxy Publishing Company, publisher Publication date: 1877 Publisher: Philadelphia, Galaxy publishing company Number of Pages: 924

Author: Robson, Charles, ed; Galaxy Publishing Company, publisher
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, Galaxy publishing company
Number of Pages: 924