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Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Chesapeake, (search)
Chesapeake, The name of a famous United States frigate that will always be memorable because of her interest-absorbing career. In the spring of 1807 a small British squadron lay (as they had lately) in American waters, near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, watching some French frigates blockaded at Annapolis. Three of the crew of one of the British vessels, Melampus, and one of another, Halifax, had deserted, and enlisted on board the Chesapeake, lying at the Washington navy-yard. The British minister made a formal demand for their surrender. The United States government refused compliance, because it was ascertained that two of them (colored) were natives of the United States, and there was strong presumptive evidence that the third one was, likewise. The commodore of the British squadron took the matter into his own hands. the Chesapeake, going to sea on the morning of June 22, 1807, bearing the pennant of Commodore Barron, was intercepted by the British frigate Leopard, whose
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Clay, Henry 1777-1852 (search)
education in a log-cabin school-house; labored on a farm until he was fifteen years of age, when he entered the office of the High Court of Chancery, in Richmond, at which time his mother, who had married a second time, emigrated to Kentucky. He studied law under the direction of Chancellor Wythe, and was admitted to the bar in 1797, when he opened a law-office in Lexington, Ky., where he obtained an extensive practice. In 1803 he was elected to the Kentucky legislature, and was speaker in 1807-8. He became United States Senator in 1808, and member of Congress and Speaker in 1811-14. In 1814 he was a Henry Clay at 40. commissioner to treat for peace with Great Britain, and afterwards, in Congress, was five times elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mr. Clay was Secretary of State in the cabinet of John Quincy Adams (1825-29), and again a member of the United States Senate from 1831 till 1842. He was twice defeated as a candidate for the Presidency (1832 and 1844);
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Coast and Geodetic survey, United States (search)
merce upon the very extended and often dangerous coasts of the United States. It is believed that to Professor Patterson, of Philadelphia, is due the honor of having first suggested to President Jefferson the idea of a geodetic survey of the coast. Mr. Gallatin was then Secretary of the Treasury, and warmly approved the measure. The first attempt to organize a national coast survey, for the purpose of making complete charts of our coasts, with the adjacent shoals and soundings, was made in 1807. Congress authorized such a survey, and appropriated $50,000 for the purpose. Mr. Gallatin, with great assiduity, gathered information for scientific uses. A plan proposed by F. R. Hassler (q. v.) was adopted, but, on account of political disturbances in Europe and America, nothing was done in the matter until 1811, when Mr. Hassler was sent to Europe for instruments and standards of measure. The War of 1812-15 detained him abroad. On his return, in 1815, he was formally appointed superi
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Cochran, John 1730-1807 (search)
Cochran, John 1730-1807 Surgeon; born in Sudsbury, Pa., Sept. 1, 1730; was a surgeon's mate in the French and Indian War; appointed surgeon-general in the army in 1776; and commissioned director-general of hospitals by Congress in 1781. When peace was concluded he settled in New York, and was appointed commissioner of loans for that State. He died in Palatine, N. Y., April 6, 1807.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Coles, Edward 1786-1868 (search)
Coles, Edward 1786-1868 Governor; born in Albemarle county, Va., Dec. 15, 1786; graduated at William and Mary College in 1807; went to Russia on a confidential diplomatic mission for the United States government in 1817. He removed to Edwardsville, Ill., in 1819, and freed all the slaves which he had inherited, giving to the head of each family 160 acres of land. He was governor of Illinois from 1823 to 1826, and during his term of office he prevented the slavery party from obtaining control of the State. Later he settled in Philadelphia, Pa., and in 1856 read a History of the ordinance of 1787 before the Pennsylvania Historical Society. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., July 7, 1868.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Connecticut (search)
Luzon B. Morris1893 to 1895 O Vincent Coffin 1895 to 1897 Lorrin A. Cooke 1897 to 1899 George E. Lounsbury 1899 to 1901 George P. McLean 1901 to 1903 United States Senators. Name.No. of Congress.Date. Oliver Ellsworth 1st to 4th1789 to 1797 William S. Johnson 1st1789 to 1791 Roger Sherman 2d1791 to 1793 Stephen Nix Mitchell 3d1793 to 1795 James Hillhouse 4th to 11th1796 to 1811 Jonathan Trumbull4th1795 to 1796 Uriah Tracy 4th to 9th1796 to 1807 Chauncey Goodrich 10th to 12th1807 to 1813 Samuel W. Dana 11th to 16th1810 to 1821 David Daggett 13th to 15th1813 to 1819 James Lanman16th to 18th1819 to 1825 Elijah Boardman17th1821 to 1823 Henry W. Edwards 18th to 19th1823 to 1827 Calvin Willey 19th to 21st1825 to 1831 Samuel A. Foote 20th to 22d1827 to 1833 Gideon Tomlinson 22d to 24th1831 to 1837 Nathan Smith23d 1833 to 1835 John M. Niles 24th to 25th1835 to 1839 Perry Smith25th to 27th1837 to 1843 Thaddeus Betts 26th1839 to 1840 Jabez W. Huntington26th to 29
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Cornell, Ezra 1807-1874 (search)
Cornell, Ezra 1807-1874 Philanthropist; born at Westchester Landing, N. Y., Jan. 11, 1807, of Quaker parents; settled in Ithaca in 1828, and accumulated a large fortune in the development of the electric telegraph. In 1865 he founded Cornell University, with an original endowment of $500,000, subsequently increased by $400,000, and by his profits (more than $3,000,000) in purchasing and locating public lands for the benefit of the university. He died in Ithaca, Dec. 9, 1874.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Covington, Leonard 1768- (search)
Covington, Leonard 1768- Military officer; born in Aquasco, Prince George co., Md., Oct. 30, 1768; was commissioned lieutenant of dragoons March 14, 1792; joined the army under General Wayne, and behaved so gallantly in the war with the Indians in 1794 that his general made honorable mention of his services. He was promoted to captain, and soon afterwards retired from the military service. After occupying a seat in the legislature of Maryland, he was a member of Congress from 1805 to 1807. In the latter year he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of cavalry, and was made a brigadier in 1813, and ordered to the northern frontier. In the battle at Chrysler's Field (Nov. 11, 1813) he was mortally wounded, and died three days afterwards, Nov. 14, 1813.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Craig, Sir James Henry 1749- (search)
Craig, Sir James Henry 1749- Military officer; born in Gibraltar in 1749; entered the British army as ensign in 1763, was aide-de-camp to General Boyd at Gibraltar in 1770, and came to America in 1774. He remained in service here from the battle of Bunker Hill until the evacuation of Charleston, in 1781, when he held the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was made a major-general in 1794, lieutenant-general in 1801, and governorgeneral and commander-in-chief of Canada in 1807. Totally unfit for civil rule, he was a petty oppressor as governor; his administration was short, and he returned to England in 1811, where he died Jan. 12, 1812.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Crawford, William Harris 1772- (search)
county, Va., Feb. 24, 1772; taught school several years and became a lawyer, beginning practice in Lexington, Ga., in 1799. He compiled the first digest of the laws of Georgia, published in 1802: was a member of his State legislature from 1803 to 1807; was United States Senator from 1807 to 1813, in which body he was regarded as its ablest member. In 1813 he was sent as United States minister to France, and on his return (1815) was appointed Secretary of War; but in October, 1816, he was trans1807 to 1813, in which body he was regarded as its ablest member. In 1813 he was sent as United States minister to France, and on his return (1815) was appointed Secretary of War; but in October, 1816, he was transferred to the Treasury Department, which post he held until 1825, when he was defeated as Democratic candidate for the Presidency, having been nominated the previous year by a congressional caucus. He had four other candidates to oppose— Adams, Calhoun, Jackson, and Clay. At about that time his health failed, and he never fully recovered it. He became a circuit judge in Georgia, and was warmly opposed to nullification. He died near Elberton, Ga., Sept. 18, 183
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