The Biographical record of Knox County, Ohio : to which is added an elaborate compendium of national biography, Part 52

Author:
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 652

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D ANIEL 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, a fort at Boonesborough,

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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.

H ENRY 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 1835 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 1851, "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.

P DETER 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

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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 rather 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 1812 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. 6 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.

G ENERAL ROBERT EDWARD LEE, I 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-

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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 1860, 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. Meanwhile 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 campaigns 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 member 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 tlie provincial assembly of his own state, and

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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 Washington 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 1, 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 the Potomac. During the campaign of 1864 the cavalry covered the front and flanks ol the infantry until May 8, when it was with

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drawn and General Sheridan started on a raid against the Confederate lines 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 thence 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- 1

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 1, 1883, which post he held until his death, August 5, 1888.

P HINEAS T. BARNUM, the greatest showman the world has ever seen, was born at Danbury, Connecticut, July 5, 1810. At the age of eighteen years he began busi- 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

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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 inimediately 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 1891.

JAMES MADISON, the fourth president of the United States, 1809-17, was born at Port Conway, Prince George coun- ty, Virginia, March 16, 1751. 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 1771, 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

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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 1787, 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 1815, and in April, 1816, a national bank was in- corporated by congress. Mr. Madison was succeeded, March 4, 1817, by James Monroe, and retired into private life on his estate at Montpelier, where he died June 28, 1836.

F 'REDERICK 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 Experience in Slavery." Mr. Doug- lass went to England in 1845 and lectured on slavery to large and enthusiastic andi- 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.

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The Biographical record of Knox County, Ohio : to which is added an elaborate compendium of national biography, Part 52

Author: Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 652

Author:
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 652