RANDOLPH, EDMUND, governor of Virginia, was educated to the law. After seeing a little military service in the suite of Washington, he applied himself to his professional pursuits. He succeeded Patrick Henry to the gubernatorial chair of Virginia, and occupied it from 1786 to 1788. In 1790, he received from Washington the appointment of attorney-general of the United States; and in 1794, he succeededMr.Jefferson as secretary of state. In consequence of some difficulties with the administration, he resigned in August, 1795. He died in Frederic county, Virginia, in September, 1813.REED, JOSEPH, a patriot of the revolution, was graduated at the college in New Jersey, in 1757. While a member of congress, in 1778, the British commissioner endeavored to procure his influence to bring about a reconciliation between the colonies and the mother country; he rejected their offers with the reply,—‘That he was not worth purchasing; but such as he was, the king of Great Britain was not rich enough to buy him.’ In 1778, he was chosen president of Pennsylvania, and retained that office till his death, in 1781.REEVE, TAPPING, an eminent lawyer, was born at Brook-Haven, in 1744, and was graduated at Princeton college. He established himself as a lawyer in Litchfield, Connecticut, where he founded the law school, of which, for nearly thirty years, he was the principal instructer. He was for many years judge of the supreme court of that state, and some time chief justice. His legal attainments were of a high order, and as a man he possessed the esteem and respect of the community.RITTENHOUSE, DAVID, a celebrated mathematician, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1732. During his early life he was employed in agriculture, but as his constitution was feeble, he became a clock and mathematical instrument maker. In 1770, he removed to Philadelphia, and practised his trade. He was elected a member, and for some time president of the Philosophical society, and one of the commissioners employed to determine the boundary line between Pennsylvania and Virginia, and between New York and Massachusetts. He was treasurer of Pennsylvania from 1777 to 1789, and from 1792 to 1795, director of the United States mint. His death took place in 1796. His mathematical talents were of the highest order.RUSH, BENJAMIN, an eminent physician, was born, in 1745, at Bristol, in Pennsylvania; was educated at Princeton college, and took his degreeat Edinburgh, was chosen, in 1776, a member of congress, and signed the declaration of independence; was professor of medicine and clinical practice at the Pennsylvanian university; and died in 1813. He was one of the greatest and best men who have adorned his country. Among his works are Essays, literary, moral, and philosophical; Medical Inquiries and Observations; and a History of the Yellow Fever.RUTLEDGE, EDWARD, an eminent lawyer, and a signer of the declaration of independence, was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1749. His legal education was completed in England, and in 1773 he returned to his native country, and entered upon the duties of his profession. In 1774, he was appointed a delegate to the congress at Philadelphia, and took an active part in the discussions of the day. After a successful practice of his profession for seventeen years, in 1798 he relinquished his station at the bar, and was elected chief magistrate of South Carolina. He died in 1800.SAINT CLAIR, ARTHUR, born at Edinburgh, was a lieutenant under general Wolfe, and afterwards settled in Pennsylvania, and became a naturalized citizen. On the commencement of the revolution, he embraced the cause of the American army, and in February, 1777, was appointed major-general. He served with distinction, and in 1783, was elected president of the Cincinnati society of his adopted state. In 1785, he was elected a delegate to congress, and in 1787, was chosen president of that body. He was afterwards governor of the North-west territory, and in 1790, commanded an army against the Miami Indians. He resigned his commission of major-general in 1792. His latter years were passed in poverty. He died in 1818.SANDS, ROBERTC., a man of letters, was born in the city of New York, on the eleventh of May, 1799. He was graduated at Columbia college, in 1815, and soon after commenced the study of law, in the office of David B. Ogden, a distinguished advocate of New York. In 1817, he published the Bridal of Vaumond, an irregular metrical romance, after the fashion which Scott had made so popular. Subsequently, in conjunction with his friend theRev.J. W. Eastburn, he wrote the poem Yamoyden, which appeared in New York in 1820, and acquired for the authors a high reputation. In the same year he was admitted to the bar, and opened an office in the city of New York. In 1822 and 1823, he wrote many articles for the Literary Review, a monthly periodical, then published in New York, which received great increase of reputation from his contributions. Shortly after this he was engaged in a burlesque publication, entitled theSt.Tammany Magazine. In May, 1824, the Atlantic Magazine was established in New York, and placed under his care; at the end of six months he gave up this work, but subsequently resumed its charge, when it changed its name and character, and appeared as the New York Review. During the same period, he assisted in editing various compilations on legal subjects. Having now become an author by profession, and looking to his pen for support, he became the assistant editor of the New York Commercial Advertiser, and remained in this situation to the close of his life. While engaged in the laborious and incessant duties of a daily journal,Mr.Sands prosecuted various other literary undertakings with much success. He was one of the chief contributors to the Talisman, in which he was assisted by his friends Bryant and Verplanck.He edited a new Life of Paul Jones, and wrote two stories in the Tales of Glauber Spa. His death occurred suddenly, in the thirty-fourth year of his age. His collected works have been recently published, in two volumes octavo.SCHUYLER, PHILIP, an officer in the revolutionary army, was appointed major-general in 1775, and was dispatched to the fortifications in the north of New York, to prepare for the invasion of Canada. He afterwards fell under some suspicion, and was superseded in the chief command by general Gates. He was a member of congress before the adoption of the present constitution, and afterwards twice a senator. He died in 1804, in the seventy-third year of his age.SEDGWICK, THEODORE, was born at Hartford, in 1746, was educated at Yale college, and removing to Massachusetts, pursued the study of the law. He embarked with spirit in the cause of the popular party before the revolution, held a seat several years in the state legislature, and was a member of congress under the old confederation. He was a member of the Massachusetts convention to decide on the adoption of the federal constitution, was a representative and senator to congress, and in 1802 was appointed judge of the supreme judicial court of Massachusetts. In this office he remained till his death, in 1813.SEWALL, SAMUEL, chief justice of Massachusetts, was born at Boston, in 1757, and, after graduating at Harvard college, entered on the profession of the law. He soon became eminent; in 1797, was elected a member of congress, and in 1800, was placed on the bench of the supreme judicial court. In 1813, he was appointed chief justice, but died suddenly in the following year. He was a lawyer of ability and learning, and highly popular.SHERMAN, ROGER, a signer of the declaration of independence, was born at Newton, Massachusetts, in 1721, and with only a common school education, rose to distinction as a lawyer and statesman. His early life was passed in the occupation of a shoemaker. Removing to Connecticut, in 1743, he was admitted to the bar in 1754, and soon became distinguished as a counsellor. In 1761, he removed to New Haven, four years after was appointed a judge of the county court, and in 1776, advanced to the bench of the superior court. He was a delegate to the celebrated congress of 1774, and was a member of that body for the space of nineteen years. He was a member of the convention that formed the constitution of the United States. He died in 1793.SHIPPEN, WILLIAM, an eminent physician, was born in Pennsylvania, and was graduated at Princeton college in 1754. His medical studies were completed at Edinburgh, and on his return, in 1764, he began at Philadelphia the first course of lectures on anatomy ever delivered in the country. He assisted in establishing the medical school of that city, and was appointed one of its professors. In 1777, he was appointed director general of the medical department in the army. He died in 1808.SMITH, JOHN, one of the early settlers of Virginia, was born in Lincolnshire, in 1579. After passing through a variety of wonderful adventures, he resolved to visit North America; and having, with a number of other persons, procured a charter of South Virginia, he came over thither in 1607. Being taken prisoner by the Indians, and condemned to death, his life was saved by the daughter of the savage chief, the celebratedPocahontas. He published an account of several of his voyages to Virginia, a history of that colony, and an account of his own life. He died at London, in 1631.SMITH, JAMES, a signer of the declaration of independence, was a native of Ireland, removed with his father to this country at an early age, and established himself in the practice of law at York, in Pennsylvania. He was a delegate from York county to the continental congress. His death took place in 1806.STANDISH, MILES, the first captain at Plymouth, New England, was born at Lancashire, in 1584, and accompaniedMr.Robinson’s congregation to Plymouth, in 1620. His services in the wars with the Indians were highly useful, and many of his exploits were daring and extraordinary. He died in 1656.STARK, JOHN, a general in the army of the revolution, was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire, in 1728. During the French war, he was captain of a company of rangers in the provincial service, in 1755, and was with lord Howe when that general was killed, in storming the French lines at Ticonderoga, in 1758. On receiving the report of the battle of Lexington, he was engaged at work in his saw-mill; and, fired with indignation, seized his musket, and immediately proceeded to Cambridge. He was at the battles of Bunker’s hill and of Trenton, and achieved a glorious victory at Bennington. He rose to the rank of brigadier-general, and was distinguished throughout the war for enterprise and courage. He died in 1822.STEUBEN, FREDERICKWILLIAMAUGUSTUS,BARON DE,was a Prussian officer, aid-de-camp to Frederick the Great, and lieutenant-general in the army of that distinguished commander. He arrived in America in 1777, and immediately offered his services to the continental congress. In 1778, he was appointed inspector general, with the rank of major-general, and rendered the most efficient services in the establishment of a regular system of discipline. During the war he was exceedingly active and useful, and after the peace he retired to a farm in the vicinity of New York, where, with the assistance of books and friends, he passed his time as agreeably as a frequent want of funds would permit. The state of New York afterwards gave him a tract of sixteen thousand acres in the county of Oneida, and the general government made him a grant of two thousand five hundred dollars per annum. He died in 1795, and at his own request was wrapped in his cloak, placed in a plain coffin, and hid in the earth, without a stone to tell where he was laid.STRONG, CALEB, governor of Massachusetts, was born at Northampton, in 1744, and graduated at Harvard college. He pursued the profession of the law, and established himself in his native town. Taking an early and active part in the revolutionary movements, he was appointed, in 1775, one of the committee of safety, and in the following year a member of the state legislature. He was a member of the convention which formed the constitution of the state, and of that which formed the constitution of the United States. Subsequently he was senator to congress, and for eleven years, at different periods, chief magistrate of Massachusetts. He died in 1820.STUART, GILBERT, a celebrated painter, was born in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1755. Soon after becoming of age, he went to England, wherehe became the pupil ofMr.West. He soon rose to eminence as a portrait painter, and obtained a high reputation both in England and Ireland. In 1794, he returned to his native country, chiefly residing in Philadelphia and Washington, in the practice of his profession, till about the year 1801, when he removed to Boston. Here he remained till his death, in 1828.Mr.Stuart was not only one of the first painters of his time, but was also a very extraordinary man out of his profession.SULLIVAN, JOHN, an officer in the army of the revolution, was born in Maine, and established himself in the profession of law in New Hampshire. Turning his attention to military affairs, he received, in 1772, the commission of major, and, in 1775, that of brigadier-general. The next year he was sent to Canada, and on the death of general Thomas, the command of the army devolved on him. In this year he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and was soon after captured by the British, in the battle on Long island. He commanded a division of the army at the battles of Trenton, Brandywine, and Germantown; and was the sole commander of an expedition to the island of Newport, which failed through want of co-operation from the French fleet. In 1779, he commanded an expedition against the Indians. He was afterwards a member of congress, and for three years president of New Hampshire. In 1789, he was appointed a judge of the district court, and continued in that office till his death, in 1795.SULLIVAN, JAMES, was born at Berwick, Maine, in 1744, and after passing the early part of his life in agricultural pursuits, adopted the profession of the law. He took an early part in the revolutionary struggle, and in 1775, was chosen a member of the provincial congress. In 1776, he was appointed a judge of the superior court. He was subsequently a member of congress, a member of the executive council, judge of probate, and in 1790, was appointed attorney-general. In 1807, he was elected governor of Massachusetts, and again in the following year, in the December of which he died. He was the author of a History of Land Titles, a History of the District of Maine, and an Essay on Banks. His rank at the bar was in the very first class, and in his private character he was distinguished for piety, patriotism, and integrity.THOMAS, ISAIAH, a distinguished printer, was born in Boston, in 1749, and at a very early age was bound apprentice to the craft, in which he afterwards became so famous. In 1770, he published the Massachusetts Spy in Boston. Five years afterwards he was obliged to remove it to Worcester. He afterwards entered extensively into the publishing and bookselling business, having at one time sixteen presses in operation, and eight bookstores at different places. He was the founder and president of the American Antiquarian society, and the author of a valuable History of Printing. He died in 1831.THORNTON, MATTHEW, was born in Ireland, in 1714, and when about two or three years old his father emigrated to America, and finally settled in Worcester, Massachusetts. Young Thornton pursued the study of medicine, and commenced the practice of his profession in Londonderry, New Hampshire. In 1776, he was chosen a delegate to the continental congress, and affixed his name to the declaration of independence. He was afterwards chief justice of the court of common pleas, and judge of the superior court of his adopted state. He died in 1803.TILGHMAN, WILLIAM, an eminent jurist, was born, in 1756, in Talbot county, on the eastern shore of Maryland. In 1772, he began the study of law in Philadelphia, but was not admitted to the practice of the profession till 1783. In 1788, and for some successive years, he was elected a representative to the legislature of Maryland. In 1793, he returned to Philadelphia, and pursued the practice of the law in that city till 1801, when he was appointed chief judge of the circuit court of the United States for the third circuit. After the abolition of this court, he resumed his profession, and continued it till 1805, when he was appointed president of the courts of common pleas in the first district of Pennsylvania. In the following year he was commissioned as chief justice of the supreme court of that state. He died in 1827.TOMPKINS, DANIELD., vice-president of the United States, was born in June, 1774, graduated at Columbia college, in 1795, and settled in New York in the profession of the law. He distinguished himself in the party struggles of 1799–1801, and in 1807 was elected governor of the state. During the late war, he was active and efficient in the cause of the administration and the dominant party. In 1817, he was elected vice-president. He died at Staten island, in June, 1825.TRUMBULL, JOHN, the author of McFingal, was born in Connecticut, in 1750, and was educated at Yale college, where he entered at a very early age. In 1772, he published the first part of his poem, The Progress of Dullness. In the following year, he was admitted to the bar in Connecticut, and, removing to Boston, continued his legal studies in the office of John Adams. He returned to his native state in 1774, and commenced practice at New Haven. The first part of McFingal was published at Philadelphia, in 1775; the poem was completed and published in 1782, at Hartford, where the author at that time lived. More than thirty editions of this work have been printed. In 1789, he was appointed state attorney for the county of Hartford, and in 1801, was appointed a judge of the superior court of errors, and held this appointment till 1819. In 1820, a collection of his poems was published in two volumes 8vo. In 1825, he removed to Detroit, where he died, in May, 1831.TRUXTON, THOMAS, a naval officer, was born on Long island, in 1755. In 1775, he commanded a vessel, and distinguished himself by his depredations on British commerce during the revolution. He subsequently engaged in commerce, till the year 1794, when he was appointed to the frigate Constitution. In 1799, he captured the French frigate L’Insurgente; and in the following year he obtained a victory over the La Vengeance. On the close of the French war he retired from the navy, and died at Philadelphia, in 1822.TUDOR, WILLIAM, a man of letters, was born in the state of Massachusetts, and was graduated at Harvard college in 1796. He soon after visited Europe, and passed several years there. After having been some time a member of the legislature of his native state, he was appointed, in 1823, consul at Lima, and for the ports of Peru. In 1827, he was appointed charge d’affaires of the United States at the court of Brazil. He died at Rio de Janeiro, in 1830.Mr.Tudor was the founder, and for two years the sole editor of the North American Review. He was the author of Letters on the Eastern States, and a Life of James Otis, and left a number of volumes in manuscript, nearly prepared for the press.TYLER, ROYAL, a lawyer and miscellaneous writer, was born in Boston, and graduated at Harvard college, in 1776. In 1790, he removed his residence to Vermont, and soon distinguished himself in his profession of law. For six years he was an associate judge of the supreme court of that state, and for six years more chief justice. He was the author of several dramatic pieces of considerable merit; a novel called The Algerine Captive; and numerous pieces in prose and verse published in the Farmer’s Museum, when edited by Dennie. In addition to these, he published two volumes, entitled Vermont Reports. He died at Brattleboro’, in 1825.WALN, ROBERT, a miscellaneous writer, was born in Philadelphia, and was liberally educated, but adopted no profession. He was the author of The Hermit in Philadelphia, a satire; The American Bards, a satire; Sisyphi Opus, or Touches at the Times; a History of China; some of the lives in the Biography of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence; a Life of Lafayette; and an account of the Quaker hospital at Frankford, near Philadelphia. He died in 1824, at the age of thirty-one.WARREN, JOSEPH, a patriot of the revolution, was born in Roxbury, near Boston, in 1741, and was graduated at Harvard college, in 1759. He pursued the profession of medicine, and soon after commencing the practice, distinguished himself by his successful treatment of the small pox. Early engaging in politics, he obtained great influence, and rendered efficient service by his writings and addresses. He was twice elected to deliver the oration in commemoration of the massacre on the fifth of March. In June, 1775, the provincial congress of Massachusetts, of which he was at this time president, made him a major-general of their forces. At the battle of Bunker’s hill he fought as a volunteer, and was slain within a few yards of the breast-work, as he was among the last slowly retiring from it. He was a man of the most generous and intrepid spirit, much elegance of manners, and of commanding eloquence. His loss was deeply felt and regretted. In 1776, his remains were removed from the battle ground, and interred in Boston.WARREN, JAMES, was born at Plymouth, in 1726, and was graduated at Harvard college, in 1745. He took an early and active part in the cause of the colonies against the aggressions of the mother country, was a member of the general court, proposed the establishment of committees of correspondence, and, after the death of general Warren, was appointed president of the provincial congress. He was afterwards appointed a major-general of the militia. On the adoption of the constitution of Massachusetts, he was for many years speaker of the house of representatives. He died at Plymouth, in 1808.WASHINGTON, GEORGE, was born in 1732, in the county of Fairfax, in Virginia, where his father was possessed of great landed property. He was educated under the care of a private tutor, and paid much attention to the study of mathematics and engineering. He was first employed officially by general Dinwiddie, in 1753, in remonstrating to the French commander on the Ohio, for the infraction of the treaty between the two nations. He subsequently negotiated a treaty of amity with the Indians on the back settlements, and for his honorable services received the thanks of the British government. In the unfortunate expedition of general Braddock, he served as aid-de-camp; and on the fall of that brave but rash commander,he conducted the retreat to the corps under colonel Dunbar, in a manner that displayed great military talent. He retired from the service with the rank of colonel; but while engaged in agriculture at his favorite seat of Mount Vernon, he was elected senator in the national council for Frederic county, and afterwards for Fairfax. At the commencement of the revolutionary war, he was selected as the most proper person to take the chief command of the provincial troops. From the moment of taking upon himself this important office, in June 1775, he employed the great powers of his mind to his favorite object, and by his prudence, his valor, and presence of mind, he deserved and obtained the confidence and gratitude of his country, and finally triumphed over all opposition. The record of his services is the history of the whole war. He joined the army at Cambridge in July, 1775. On the evacuation of Boston, in March, 1776, he proceeded to New York. The battle of Long island was fought on the27thof August, and the battle of White Plains on the28thof October. On the25thof December he crossed the Delaware, and soon gained the victories at Trenton and Princeton. The battle of Brandywine was fought on September11th, 1777; of Germantown, October4th; of Monmouth, February28th, 1778. In 1779 and 1780, he continued in the vicinity of New York, and closed the important military operations of the war by the capture of Cornwallis, at Yorktown, in 1781. When the independence of his country was established by the treaty of peace, Washington resigned his high office to the congress, and, followed by the applause and the grateful admiration of his fellow-citizens, retired into private life. His high character and services naturally entitled him to the highest gifts his country could bestow, and on the organization of the government he was called upon to be the first president of the states which he had preserved and established. It was a period of great difficulty and danger. The unsubdued spirit of liberty had been roused and kindled by the revolution of France, and many Americans were eager that the freedom and equality which they themselves enjoyed, should be extended to the subjects of the French monarch. Washington anticipated the plans of the factious, and by prudence and firmness subdued insurrection, and silenced discontent, till the parties which the intrigues of Genet, the French envoy, had roused to rebellion, were convinced of the wildness of their measures and of the wisdom of their governor. The president completed, in 1796, the business of his office, by signing a commercial treaty with Great Britain, and then voluntarily resigned his power, at a moment when all hands and all hearts were united, again to confer upon him the sovereignty of the country. Restored to the peaceful retirement of Mount Vernon, he devoted himself to the pursuits of agriculture; and though he accepted the command of the army in 1798, it was merely to unite the affections of his fellow-citizens to the general good, and was one more sacrifice to his high sense of duty. He died after a short illness, on the14thof December, 1799. He was buried with the honors due to the noble founder of a happy and prosperous republic. History furnishes no parallel to the character of Washington. He stands on an unapproached eminence; distinguished almost beyond humanity for self-command, intrepidity, soundness of judgment, rectitude of purpose, and deep, ever-active piety.WASHINGTON, BUSHROD, an eminent judge, was born in Westmoreland county, Virginia, and was educated at William and Mary’s college.He pursued the study of the law in the office ofMr.Wilson, of Philadelphia, and commenced its practice with great success in his native county. In 1781, he was a member of the house of delegates of Virginia. He afterwards removed to Alexandria, and thence to Richmond, where he published two volumes of the decisions of the supreme court of Virginia. In 1798, he was appointed an associate justice of the supreme court of the United States, and continued to hold this situation till his death, in November, 1829. He was the favorite nephew of president Washington, and was the devisee of Mount Vernon.WAYNE, ANTHONY, major-general, was born, in 1745, in Chester county, Pennsylvania. He entered the army as colonel, in 1775, served under Gates at Ticonderoga, and was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. He was engaged in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth; in 1779, captured the fortress at Stony Point, and rendered other important services during the war. In 1787, he was a member of the Pennsylvanian convention which ratified the constitution of the United States. In 1792, he succeededSt.Clair in the command of the western army, and gained a complete victory at the battle of the Miamis, in 1794. He died at Presque isle, in 1796.WEST, BENJAMIN, an eminent painter, was born, in 1738, at Springfield, near Philadelphia, of Quaker parents. At the age of seven years he began to manifest his pictorial talents, by sketching with pen and ink an infant sleeping in a cradle. From some Indians he obtained red and yellow, and his mother gave him a piece of indigo; and as camel’s hair pencils were wanting, he supplied the want by clipping the fur of the cat. Improving as he advanced in years, he became a portrait painter of considerable repute, and produced some meritorious historical pictures. In his twenty-second year he visited Italy, where he remained for some time. In 1763 he settled in England, where he soon acquired reputation. Among his patrons was archbishop Drummond, of York, by whose means he was introduced to George the Third, who immediately gave him a commission to paint the Death of Regulus, and continued ever afterwards to employ him. In 1791, he was chosen president of the Royal academy. Among his last, and perhaps his best works, are, Death on the Pale Horse, and Christ healing the Sick. He died March 18, 1820.WHITNEY, ELI, inventor of the cotton-gin, was born at Westborough Massachusetts, in 1765. He received a liberal education, and displayed at an early age great mechanical genius. While a student of law, he invented the cotton-gin, a machine for separating the seed from the cotton, an invention of vast importance to the cotton growing states. It has been worth to them a hundred millions of dollars. In 1798, he commenced the manufacture of firearms, for the United States. In perseverance and inventive power, he has scarcely a parallel among mechanicians. He died in 1825.WILKINSON, JEMIMA, a bold and artful religious impostor, was born in Cumberland, Rhode Island, about the year 1753. Recovering suddenly from an apparent suspension of life, in 1773, she gave out that she had been raised from the dead, and laid claim to supernatural power and authority. Making a few proselytes, she removed with them to the neighborhood of Crooked lake, in New York, where she died in 1819.WILLIAMS, ROGER, one of the founders of Rhode Island, was born inWales, in 1599, and received his education at Oxford. He was, for some time, a minister of the established church, but dissenting, he removed, in 1631, to New England, and preached till 1636, at Salem and Plymouth. Being banished from the colony on account of his religious opinions, he removed with several others to Rhode Island, and laid the foundation of Providence. They there established the first society in which was enjoyed perfect liberty of conscience. For several years, Williams was president of the colony. He died in 1683.WILLIAMS, OTHOHOLLAND, an officer in the American army, was born in Maryland, in 1748, served in various capacities during the revolutionary war, and fought at the battles of Guilford, Hobkirk’s hill, and the Eutaws. Before the disbanding of the army, he was made brigadier-general. For several years he was collector at Baltimore. He died in 1794.WILSON, JAMES, a signer of the declaration of American independence, was born in Scotland, about the year 1742. He was well educated, and after completing his studies, emigrated to America. Settling at Philadelphia, he received an offer to enter the office ofMr.John Dickinson, and pursue the study of the law. He soon distinguished himself, and was appointed a delegate to the continental congress, where he continued from 1775 to 1777. He was a member of the conventions which framed the constitution of Pennsylvania, and that of the United States, and in 1789, was appointed one of the judges of the supreme court of the United States. In 1797, he was made professor of law in the university of Pennsylvania, and in this capacity delivered a course of lectures, afterwards published in three volumes 8vo. He died in 1798.WINDER, WILLIAMH., an officer in the army, was born in Maryland, in 1775, was educated for the bar, and pursued his profession in Baltimore with great success. In 1812, he received a colonel’s commission, was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, and served with reputation during the war with Great Britain. He commanded the troops at the battle of Bladensburg. On the declaration of peace, he resumed the practice of his profession. He died in 1824.WISTAR, CASPAR, a celebrated physician, was born in Philadelphia, in 1761. He studied medicine underDr.John Redman, and completed his professional course at the schools in London and Edinburgh. Returning in 1787 to his native city, he soon distinguished himself in his profession, and in 1789, was elected professor of chemistry in the college of Philadelphia. In 1792, he became adjunct professor of anatomy, mid-wifery, and surgery, withDr.Shippen; and on the decease of that gentleman, in 1808, sole professor. His acquirements in professional knowledge were very extensive, and he obtained much popularity as a lecturer. He died in 1818. His chief work is a valuable System of Anatomy, in two volumes.WOLCOTT, OLIVER, governor of Connecticut, was born in 1727, and received his education at Yale college. He served as captain in the French war, and studied medicine, though he never practised. He was a delegate to the congress of 1776, signed the declaration of independence, and the articles of confederation, and remained a member till 1785. In 1785, he was elected deputy-governor, and was re-elected till 1796, when he was made governor. He died in 1797.WYTHE, GEORGE, a signer of the declaration of independence, was born in Virginia, in 1726. His early course was dissipated, but at the age of thirty he reformed, turned his attention to literature, studied law, and commenced its practice. At the breaking out of the revolution, he was a distinguished leader of the popular party. He was for some time speaker of the house of burgesses, and in 1775, was elected a member of congress. He was one of the committee to revise the laws of Virginia, in 1776, and had a principal share in preparing the code adopted in 1779. Soon after, he was appointed one of the three judges of the high court of chancery, and subsequently, sole counsellor. He was a member of the convention of Virginia to consider the constitution of the United States. His death, which was attributed to poison, took place in 1806.
RANDOLPH, EDMUND, governor of Virginia, was educated to the law. After seeing a little military service in the suite of Washington, he applied himself to his professional pursuits. He succeeded Patrick Henry to the gubernatorial chair of Virginia, and occupied it from 1786 to 1788. In 1790, he received from Washington the appointment of attorney-general of the United States; and in 1794, he succeededMr.Jefferson as secretary of state. In consequence of some difficulties with the administration, he resigned in August, 1795. He died in Frederic county, Virginia, in September, 1813.
REED, JOSEPH, a patriot of the revolution, was graduated at the college in New Jersey, in 1757. While a member of congress, in 1778, the British commissioner endeavored to procure his influence to bring about a reconciliation between the colonies and the mother country; he rejected their offers with the reply,—‘That he was not worth purchasing; but such as he was, the king of Great Britain was not rich enough to buy him.’ In 1778, he was chosen president of Pennsylvania, and retained that office till his death, in 1781.
REEVE, TAPPING, an eminent lawyer, was born at Brook-Haven, in 1744, and was graduated at Princeton college. He established himself as a lawyer in Litchfield, Connecticut, where he founded the law school, of which, for nearly thirty years, he was the principal instructer. He was for many years judge of the supreme court of that state, and some time chief justice. His legal attainments were of a high order, and as a man he possessed the esteem and respect of the community.
RITTENHOUSE, DAVID, a celebrated mathematician, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1732. During his early life he was employed in agriculture, but as his constitution was feeble, he became a clock and mathematical instrument maker. In 1770, he removed to Philadelphia, and practised his trade. He was elected a member, and for some time president of the Philosophical society, and one of the commissioners employed to determine the boundary line between Pennsylvania and Virginia, and between New York and Massachusetts. He was treasurer of Pennsylvania from 1777 to 1789, and from 1792 to 1795, director of the United States mint. His death took place in 1796. His mathematical talents were of the highest order.
RUSH, BENJAMIN, an eminent physician, was born, in 1745, at Bristol, in Pennsylvania; was educated at Princeton college, and took his degreeat Edinburgh, was chosen, in 1776, a member of congress, and signed the declaration of independence; was professor of medicine and clinical practice at the Pennsylvanian university; and died in 1813. He was one of the greatest and best men who have adorned his country. Among his works are Essays, literary, moral, and philosophical; Medical Inquiries and Observations; and a History of the Yellow Fever.
RUTLEDGE, EDWARD, an eminent lawyer, and a signer of the declaration of independence, was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1749. His legal education was completed in England, and in 1773 he returned to his native country, and entered upon the duties of his profession. In 1774, he was appointed a delegate to the congress at Philadelphia, and took an active part in the discussions of the day. After a successful practice of his profession for seventeen years, in 1798 he relinquished his station at the bar, and was elected chief magistrate of South Carolina. He died in 1800.
SAINT CLAIR, ARTHUR, born at Edinburgh, was a lieutenant under general Wolfe, and afterwards settled in Pennsylvania, and became a naturalized citizen. On the commencement of the revolution, he embraced the cause of the American army, and in February, 1777, was appointed major-general. He served with distinction, and in 1783, was elected president of the Cincinnati society of his adopted state. In 1785, he was elected a delegate to congress, and in 1787, was chosen president of that body. He was afterwards governor of the North-west territory, and in 1790, commanded an army against the Miami Indians. He resigned his commission of major-general in 1792. His latter years were passed in poverty. He died in 1818.
SANDS, ROBERTC., a man of letters, was born in the city of New York, on the eleventh of May, 1799. He was graduated at Columbia college, in 1815, and soon after commenced the study of law, in the office of David B. Ogden, a distinguished advocate of New York. In 1817, he published the Bridal of Vaumond, an irregular metrical romance, after the fashion which Scott had made so popular. Subsequently, in conjunction with his friend theRev.J. W. Eastburn, he wrote the poem Yamoyden, which appeared in New York in 1820, and acquired for the authors a high reputation. In the same year he was admitted to the bar, and opened an office in the city of New York. In 1822 and 1823, he wrote many articles for the Literary Review, a monthly periodical, then published in New York, which received great increase of reputation from his contributions. Shortly after this he was engaged in a burlesque publication, entitled theSt.Tammany Magazine. In May, 1824, the Atlantic Magazine was established in New York, and placed under his care; at the end of six months he gave up this work, but subsequently resumed its charge, when it changed its name and character, and appeared as the New York Review. During the same period, he assisted in editing various compilations on legal subjects. Having now become an author by profession, and looking to his pen for support, he became the assistant editor of the New York Commercial Advertiser, and remained in this situation to the close of his life. While engaged in the laborious and incessant duties of a daily journal,Mr.Sands prosecuted various other literary undertakings with much success. He was one of the chief contributors to the Talisman, in which he was assisted by his friends Bryant and Verplanck.He edited a new Life of Paul Jones, and wrote two stories in the Tales of Glauber Spa. His death occurred suddenly, in the thirty-fourth year of his age. His collected works have been recently published, in two volumes octavo.
SCHUYLER, PHILIP, an officer in the revolutionary army, was appointed major-general in 1775, and was dispatched to the fortifications in the north of New York, to prepare for the invasion of Canada. He afterwards fell under some suspicion, and was superseded in the chief command by general Gates. He was a member of congress before the adoption of the present constitution, and afterwards twice a senator. He died in 1804, in the seventy-third year of his age.
SEDGWICK, THEODORE, was born at Hartford, in 1746, was educated at Yale college, and removing to Massachusetts, pursued the study of the law. He embarked with spirit in the cause of the popular party before the revolution, held a seat several years in the state legislature, and was a member of congress under the old confederation. He was a member of the Massachusetts convention to decide on the adoption of the federal constitution, was a representative and senator to congress, and in 1802 was appointed judge of the supreme judicial court of Massachusetts. In this office he remained till his death, in 1813.
SEWALL, SAMUEL, chief justice of Massachusetts, was born at Boston, in 1757, and, after graduating at Harvard college, entered on the profession of the law. He soon became eminent; in 1797, was elected a member of congress, and in 1800, was placed on the bench of the supreme judicial court. In 1813, he was appointed chief justice, but died suddenly in the following year. He was a lawyer of ability and learning, and highly popular.
SHERMAN, ROGER, a signer of the declaration of independence, was born at Newton, Massachusetts, in 1721, and with only a common school education, rose to distinction as a lawyer and statesman. His early life was passed in the occupation of a shoemaker. Removing to Connecticut, in 1743, he was admitted to the bar in 1754, and soon became distinguished as a counsellor. In 1761, he removed to New Haven, four years after was appointed a judge of the county court, and in 1776, advanced to the bench of the superior court. He was a delegate to the celebrated congress of 1774, and was a member of that body for the space of nineteen years. He was a member of the convention that formed the constitution of the United States. He died in 1793.
SHIPPEN, WILLIAM, an eminent physician, was born in Pennsylvania, and was graduated at Princeton college in 1754. His medical studies were completed at Edinburgh, and on his return, in 1764, he began at Philadelphia the first course of lectures on anatomy ever delivered in the country. He assisted in establishing the medical school of that city, and was appointed one of its professors. In 1777, he was appointed director general of the medical department in the army. He died in 1808.
SMITH, JOHN, one of the early settlers of Virginia, was born in Lincolnshire, in 1579. After passing through a variety of wonderful adventures, he resolved to visit North America; and having, with a number of other persons, procured a charter of South Virginia, he came over thither in 1607. Being taken prisoner by the Indians, and condemned to death, his life was saved by the daughter of the savage chief, the celebratedPocahontas. He published an account of several of his voyages to Virginia, a history of that colony, and an account of his own life. He died at London, in 1631.
SMITH, JAMES, a signer of the declaration of independence, was a native of Ireland, removed with his father to this country at an early age, and established himself in the practice of law at York, in Pennsylvania. He was a delegate from York county to the continental congress. His death took place in 1806.
STANDISH, MILES, the first captain at Plymouth, New England, was born at Lancashire, in 1584, and accompaniedMr.Robinson’s congregation to Plymouth, in 1620. His services in the wars with the Indians were highly useful, and many of his exploits were daring and extraordinary. He died in 1656.
STARK, JOHN, a general in the army of the revolution, was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire, in 1728. During the French war, he was captain of a company of rangers in the provincial service, in 1755, and was with lord Howe when that general was killed, in storming the French lines at Ticonderoga, in 1758. On receiving the report of the battle of Lexington, he was engaged at work in his saw-mill; and, fired with indignation, seized his musket, and immediately proceeded to Cambridge. He was at the battles of Bunker’s hill and of Trenton, and achieved a glorious victory at Bennington. He rose to the rank of brigadier-general, and was distinguished throughout the war for enterprise and courage. He died in 1822.
STEUBEN, FREDERICKWILLIAMAUGUSTUS,BARON DE,was a Prussian officer, aid-de-camp to Frederick the Great, and lieutenant-general in the army of that distinguished commander. He arrived in America in 1777, and immediately offered his services to the continental congress. In 1778, he was appointed inspector general, with the rank of major-general, and rendered the most efficient services in the establishment of a regular system of discipline. During the war he was exceedingly active and useful, and after the peace he retired to a farm in the vicinity of New York, where, with the assistance of books and friends, he passed his time as agreeably as a frequent want of funds would permit. The state of New York afterwards gave him a tract of sixteen thousand acres in the county of Oneida, and the general government made him a grant of two thousand five hundred dollars per annum. He died in 1795, and at his own request was wrapped in his cloak, placed in a plain coffin, and hid in the earth, without a stone to tell where he was laid.
STRONG, CALEB, governor of Massachusetts, was born at Northampton, in 1744, and graduated at Harvard college. He pursued the profession of the law, and established himself in his native town. Taking an early and active part in the revolutionary movements, he was appointed, in 1775, one of the committee of safety, and in the following year a member of the state legislature. He was a member of the convention which formed the constitution of the state, and of that which formed the constitution of the United States. Subsequently he was senator to congress, and for eleven years, at different periods, chief magistrate of Massachusetts. He died in 1820.
STUART, GILBERT, a celebrated painter, was born in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1755. Soon after becoming of age, he went to England, wherehe became the pupil ofMr.West. He soon rose to eminence as a portrait painter, and obtained a high reputation both in England and Ireland. In 1794, he returned to his native country, chiefly residing in Philadelphia and Washington, in the practice of his profession, till about the year 1801, when he removed to Boston. Here he remained till his death, in 1828.Mr.Stuart was not only one of the first painters of his time, but was also a very extraordinary man out of his profession.
SULLIVAN, JOHN, an officer in the army of the revolution, was born in Maine, and established himself in the profession of law in New Hampshire. Turning his attention to military affairs, he received, in 1772, the commission of major, and, in 1775, that of brigadier-general. The next year he was sent to Canada, and on the death of general Thomas, the command of the army devolved on him. In this year he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and was soon after captured by the British, in the battle on Long island. He commanded a division of the army at the battles of Trenton, Brandywine, and Germantown; and was the sole commander of an expedition to the island of Newport, which failed through want of co-operation from the French fleet. In 1779, he commanded an expedition against the Indians. He was afterwards a member of congress, and for three years president of New Hampshire. In 1789, he was appointed a judge of the district court, and continued in that office till his death, in 1795.
SULLIVAN, JAMES, was born at Berwick, Maine, in 1744, and after passing the early part of his life in agricultural pursuits, adopted the profession of the law. He took an early part in the revolutionary struggle, and in 1775, was chosen a member of the provincial congress. In 1776, he was appointed a judge of the superior court. He was subsequently a member of congress, a member of the executive council, judge of probate, and in 1790, was appointed attorney-general. In 1807, he was elected governor of Massachusetts, and again in the following year, in the December of which he died. He was the author of a History of Land Titles, a History of the District of Maine, and an Essay on Banks. His rank at the bar was in the very first class, and in his private character he was distinguished for piety, patriotism, and integrity.
THOMAS, ISAIAH, a distinguished printer, was born in Boston, in 1749, and at a very early age was bound apprentice to the craft, in which he afterwards became so famous. In 1770, he published the Massachusetts Spy in Boston. Five years afterwards he was obliged to remove it to Worcester. He afterwards entered extensively into the publishing and bookselling business, having at one time sixteen presses in operation, and eight bookstores at different places. He was the founder and president of the American Antiquarian society, and the author of a valuable History of Printing. He died in 1831.
THORNTON, MATTHEW, was born in Ireland, in 1714, and when about two or three years old his father emigrated to America, and finally settled in Worcester, Massachusetts. Young Thornton pursued the study of medicine, and commenced the practice of his profession in Londonderry, New Hampshire. In 1776, he was chosen a delegate to the continental congress, and affixed his name to the declaration of independence. He was afterwards chief justice of the court of common pleas, and judge of the superior court of his adopted state. He died in 1803.
TILGHMAN, WILLIAM, an eminent jurist, was born, in 1756, in Talbot county, on the eastern shore of Maryland. In 1772, he began the study of law in Philadelphia, but was not admitted to the practice of the profession till 1783. In 1788, and for some successive years, he was elected a representative to the legislature of Maryland. In 1793, he returned to Philadelphia, and pursued the practice of the law in that city till 1801, when he was appointed chief judge of the circuit court of the United States for the third circuit. After the abolition of this court, he resumed his profession, and continued it till 1805, when he was appointed president of the courts of common pleas in the first district of Pennsylvania. In the following year he was commissioned as chief justice of the supreme court of that state. He died in 1827.
TOMPKINS, DANIELD., vice-president of the United States, was born in June, 1774, graduated at Columbia college, in 1795, and settled in New York in the profession of the law. He distinguished himself in the party struggles of 1799–1801, and in 1807 was elected governor of the state. During the late war, he was active and efficient in the cause of the administration and the dominant party. In 1817, he was elected vice-president. He died at Staten island, in June, 1825.
TRUMBULL, JOHN, the author of McFingal, was born in Connecticut, in 1750, and was educated at Yale college, where he entered at a very early age. In 1772, he published the first part of his poem, The Progress of Dullness. In the following year, he was admitted to the bar in Connecticut, and, removing to Boston, continued his legal studies in the office of John Adams. He returned to his native state in 1774, and commenced practice at New Haven. The first part of McFingal was published at Philadelphia, in 1775; the poem was completed and published in 1782, at Hartford, where the author at that time lived. More than thirty editions of this work have been printed. In 1789, he was appointed state attorney for the county of Hartford, and in 1801, was appointed a judge of the superior court of errors, and held this appointment till 1819. In 1820, a collection of his poems was published in two volumes 8vo. In 1825, he removed to Detroit, where he died, in May, 1831.
TRUXTON, THOMAS, a naval officer, was born on Long island, in 1755. In 1775, he commanded a vessel, and distinguished himself by his depredations on British commerce during the revolution. He subsequently engaged in commerce, till the year 1794, when he was appointed to the frigate Constitution. In 1799, he captured the French frigate L’Insurgente; and in the following year he obtained a victory over the La Vengeance. On the close of the French war he retired from the navy, and died at Philadelphia, in 1822.
TUDOR, WILLIAM, a man of letters, was born in the state of Massachusetts, and was graduated at Harvard college in 1796. He soon after visited Europe, and passed several years there. After having been some time a member of the legislature of his native state, he was appointed, in 1823, consul at Lima, and for the ports of Peru. In 1827, he was appointed charge d’affaires of the United States at the court of Brazil. He died at Rio de Janeiro, in 1830.Mr.Tudor was the founder, and for two years the sole editor of the North American Review. He was the author of Letters on the Eastern States, and a Life of James Otis, and left a number of volumes in manuscript, nearly prepared for the press.
TYLER, ROYAL, a lawyer and miscellaneous writer, was born in Boston, and graduated at Harvard college, in 1776. In 1790, he removed his residence to Vermont, and soon distinguished himself in his profession of law. For six years he was an associate judge of the supreme court of that state, and for six years more chief justice. He was the author of several dramatic pieces of considerable merit; a novel called The Algerine Captive; and numerous pieces in prose and verse published in the Farmer’s Museum, when edited by Dennie. In addition to these, he published two volumes, entitled Vermont Reports. He died at Brattleboro’, in 1825.
WALN, ROBERT, a miscellaneous writer, was born in Philadelphia, and was liberally educated, but adopted no profession. He was the author of The Hermit in Philadelphia, a satire; The American Bards, a satire; Sisyphi Opus, or Touches at the Times; a History of China; some of the lives in the Biography of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence; a Life of Lafayette; and an account of the Quaker hospital at Frankford, near Philadelphia. He died in 1824, at the age of thirty-one.
WARREN, JOSEPH, a patriot of the revolution, was born in Roxbury, near Boston, in 1741, and was graduated at Harvard college, in 1759. He pursued the profession of medicine, and soon after commencing the practice, distinguished himself by his successful treatment of the small pox. Early engaging in politics, he obtained great influence, and rendered efficient service by his writings and addresses. He was twice elected to deliver the oration in commemoration of the massacre on the fifth of March. In June, 1775, the provincial congress of Massachusetts, of which he was at this time president, made him a major-general of their forces. At the battle of Bunker’s hill he fought as a volunteer, and was slain within a few yards of the breast-work, as he was among the last slowly retiring from it. He was a man of the most generous and intrepid spirit, much elegance of manners, and of commanding eloquence. His loss was deeply felt and regretted. In 1776, his remains were removed from the battle ground, and interred in Boston.
WARREN, JAMES, was born at Plymouth, in 1726, and was graduated at Harvard college, in 1745. He took an early and active part in the cause of the colonies against the aggressions of the mother country, was a member of the general court, proposed the establishment of committees of correspondence, and, after the death of general Warren, was appointed president of the provincial congress. He was afterwards appointed a major-general of the militia. On the adoption of the constitution of Massachusetts, he was for many years speaker of the house of representatives. He died at Plymouth, in 1808.
WASHINGTON, GEORGE, was born in 1732, in the county of Fairfax, in Virginia, where his father was possessed of great landed property. He was educated under the care of a private tutor, and paid much attention to the study of mathematics and engineering. He was first employed officially by general Dinwiddie, in 1753, in remonstrating to the French commander on the Ohio, for the infraction of the treaty between the two nations. He subsequently negotiated a treaty of amity with the Indians on the back settlements, and for his honorable services received the thanks of the British government. In the unfortunate expedition of general Braddock, he served as aid-de-camp; and on the fall of that brave but rash commander,he conducted the retreat to the corps under colonel Dunbar, in a manner that displayed great military talent. He retired from the service with the rank of colonel; but while engaged in agriculture at his favorite seat of Mount Vernon, he was elected senator in the national council for Frederic county, and afterwards for Fairfax. At the commencement of the revolutionary war, he was selected as the most proper person to take the chief command of the provincial troops. From the moment of taking upon himself this important office, in June 1775, he employed the great powers of his mind to his favorite object, and by his prudence, his valor, and presence of mind, he deserved and obtained the confidence and gratitude of his country, and finally triumphed over all opposition. The record of his services is the history of the whole war. He joined the army at Cambridge in July, 1775. On the evacuation of Boston, in March, 1776, he proceeded to New York. The battle of Long island was fought on the27thof August, and the battle of White Plains on the28thof October. On the25thof December he crossed the Delaware, and soon gained the victories at Trenton and Princeton. The battle of Brandywine was fought on September11th, 1777; of Germantown, October4th; of Monmouth, February28th, 1778. In 1779 and 1780, he continued in the vicinity of New York, and closed the important military operations of the war by the capture of Cornwallis, at Yorktown, in 1781. When the independence of his country was established by the treaty of peace, Washington resigned his high office to the congress, and, followed by the applause and the grateful admiration of his fellow-citizens, retired into private life. His high character and services naturally entitled him to the highest gifts his country could bestow, and on the organization of the government he was called upon to be the first president of the states which he had preserved and established. It was a period of great difficulty and danger. The unsubdued spirit of liberty had been roused and kindled by the revolution of France, and many Americans were eager that the freedom and equality which they themselves enjoyed, should be extended to the subjects of the French monarch. Washington anticipated the plans of the factious, and by prudence and firmness subdued insurrection, and silenced discontent, till the parties which the intrigues of Genet, the French envoy, had roused to rebellion, were convinced of the wildness of their measures and of the wisdom of their governor. The president completed, in 1796, the business of his office, by signing a commercial treaty with Great Britain, and then voluntarily resigned his power, at a moment when all hands and all hearts were united, again to confer upon him the sovereignty of the country. Restored to the peaceful retirement of Mount Vernon, he devoted himself to the pursuits of agriculture; and though he accepted the command of the army in 1798, it was merely to unite the affections of his fellow-citizens to the general good, and was one more sacrifice to his high sense of duty. He died after a short illness, on the14thof December, 1799. He was buried with the honors due to the noble founder of a happy and prosperous republic. History furnishes no parallel to the character of Washington. He stands on an unapproached eminence; distinguished almost beyond humanity for self-command, intrepidity, soundness of judgment, rectitude of purpose, and deep, ever-active piety.
WASHINGTON, BUSHROD, an eminent judge, was born in Westmoreland county, Virginia, and was educated at William and Mary’s college.He pursued the study of the law in the office ofMr.Wilson, of Philadelphia, and commenced its practice with great success in his native county. In 1781, he was a member of the house of delegates of Virginia. He afterwards removed to Alexandria, and thence to Richmond, where he published two volumes of the decisions of the supreme court of Virginia. In 1798, he was appointed an associate justice of the supreme court of the United States, and continued to hold this situation till his death, in November, 1829. He was the favorite nephew of president Washington, and was the devisee of Mount Vernon.
WAYNE, ANTHONY, major-general, was born, in 1745, in Chester county, Pennsylvania. He entered the army as colonel, in 1775, served under Gates at Ticonderoga, and was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. He was engaged in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth; in 1779, captured the fortress at Stony Point, and rendered other important services during the war. In 1787, he was a member of the Pennsylvanian convention which ratified the constitution of the United States. In 1792, he succeededSt.Clair in the command of the western army, and gained a complete victory at the battle of the Miamis, in 1794. He died at Presque isle, in 1796.
WEST, BENJAMIN, an eminent painter, was born, in 1738, at Springfield, near Philadelphia, of Quaker parents. At the age of seven years he began to manifest his pictorial talents, by sketching with pen and ink an infant sleeping in a cradle. From some Indians he obtained red and yellow, and his mother gave him a piece of indigo; and as camel’s hair pencils were wanting, he supplied the want by clipping the fur of the cat. Improving as he advanced in years, he became a portrait painter of considerable repute, and produced some meritorious historical pictures. In his twenty-second year he visited Italy, where he remained for some time. In 1763 he settled in England, where he soon acquired reputation. Among his patrons was archbishop Drummond, of York, by whose means he was introduced to George the Third, who immediately gave him a commission to paint the Death of Regulus, and continued ever afterwards to employ him. In 1791, he was chosen president of the Royal academy. Among his last, and perhaps his best works, are, Death on the Pale Horse, and Christ healing the Sick. He died March 18, 1820.
WHITNEY, ELI, inventor of the cotton-gin, was born at Westborough Massachusetts, in 1765. He received a liberal education, and displayed at an early age great mechanical genius. While a student of law, he invented the cotton-gin, a machine for separating the seed from the cotton, an invention of vast importance to the cotton growing states. It has been worth to them a hundred millions of dollars. In 1798, he commenced the manufacture of firearms, for the United States. In perseverance and inventive power, he has scarcely a parallel among mechanicians. He died in 1825.
WILKINSON, JEMIMA, a bold and artful religious impostor, was born in Cumberland, Rhode Island, about the year 1753. Recovering suddenly from an apparent suspension of life, in 1773, she gave out that she had been raised from the dead, and laid claim to supernatural power and authority. Making a few proselytes, she removed with them to the neighborhood of Crooked lake, in New York, where she died in 1819.
WILLIAMS, ROGER, one of the founders of Rhode Island, was born inWales, in 1599, and received his education at Oxford. He was, for some time, a minister of the established church, but dissenting, he removed, in 1631, to New England, and preached till 1636, at Salem and Plymouth. Being banished from the colony on account of his religious opinions, he removed with several others to Rhode Island, and laid the foundation of Providence. They there established the first society in which was enjoyed perfect liberty of conscience. For several years, Williams was president of the colony. He died in 1683.
WILLIAMS, OTHOHOLLAND, an officer in the American army, was born in Maryland, in 1748, served in various capacities during the revolutionary war, and fought at the battles of Guilford, Hobkirk’s hill, and the Eutaws. Before the disbanding of the army, he was made brigadier-general. For several years he was collector at Baltimore. He died in 1794.
WILSON, JAMES, a signer of the declaration of American independence, was born in Scotland, about the year 1742. He was well educated, and after completing his studies, emigrated to America. Settling at Philadelphia, he received an offer to enter the office ofMr.John Dickinson, and pursue the study of the law. He soon distinguished himself, and was appointed a delegate to the continental congress, where he continued from 1775 to 1777. He was a member of the conventions which framed the constitution of Pennsylvania, and that of the United States, and in 1789, was appointed one of the judges of the supreme court of the United States. In 1797, he was made professor of law in the university of Pennsylvania, and in this capacity delivered a course of lectures, afterwards published in three volumes 8vo. He died in 1798.
WINDER, WILLIAMH., an officer in the army, was born in Maryland, in 1775, was educated for the bar, and pursued his profession in Baltimore with great success. In 1812, he received a colonel’s commission, was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, and served with reputation during the war with Great Britain. He commanded the troops at the battle of Bladensburg. On the declaration of peace, he resumed the practice of his profession. He died in 1824.
WISTAR, CASPAR, a celebrated physician, was born in Philadelphia, in 1761. He studied medicine underDr.John Redman, and completed his professional course at the schools in London and Edinburgh. Returning in 1787 to his native city, he soon distinguished himself in his profession, and in 1789, was elected professor of chemistry in the college of Philadelphia. In 1792, he became adjunct professor of anatomy, mid-wifery, and surgery, withDr.Shippen; and on the decease of that gentleman, in 1808, sole professor. His acquirements in professional knowledge were very extensive, and he obtained much popularity as a lecturer. He died in 1818. His chief work is a valuable System of Anatomy, in two volumes.
WOLCOTT, OLIVER, governor of Connecticut, was born in 1727, and received his education at Yale college. He served as captain in the French war, and studied medicine, though he never practised. He was a delegate to the congress of 1776, signed the declaration of independence, and the articles of confederation, and remained a member till 1785. In 1785, he was elected deputy-governor, and was re-elected till 1796, when he was made governor. He died in 1797.
WYTHE, GEORGE, a signer of the declaration of independence, was born in Virginia, in 1726. His early course was dissipated, but at the age of thirty he reformed, turned his attention to literature, studied law, and commenced its practice. At the breaking out of the revolution, he was a distinguished leader of the popular party. He was for some time speaker of the house of burgesses, and in 1775, was elected a member of congress. He was one of the committee to revise the laws of Virginia, in 1776, and had a principal share in preparing the code adopted in 1779. Soon after, he was appointed one of the three judges of the high court of chancery, and subsequently, sole counsellor. He was a member of the convention of Virginia to consider the constitution of the United States. His death, which was attributed to poison, took place in 1806.