Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/194

170 tion of William W. Ellsworth, and sat again in that body in 1839-43. In 1849-50 he was governor of Connecticut. Yale gave him the degree of LL. D. in 1849. He was active in fostering public inter- nal improvements, and in many educational enter- prises. During his later life he was president of a railroad company.

TRUSDELL, Charles Gregory, clergyman, b. in Montgomery, N. Y., 1 May, 1826. When he was eight years of age his father died, and the boy's educational advantages were limited to the com- mon school and academy. In 1857, after working in mechanical and commercial pursuits, he felt called to preach. He ministered to Methodist con- gregations in Iowa, and in 1865 was appointed pre- siding elder of the Iowa City district. He was subsequently appointed pastor of the Grant place Methodist church of Chicago, where he preached till he was selected to superintend the distribu- tion of money and other relief that was sent from all parts of the world for the sufferers of the great Chicago fire of October, 1871. That fund amounted to nearly $5,000,000. All of this and the many thousand dollars that are annually contributed by the people of Chicago for the relief of the deserv- ing poor have been distributed, and a detailed ac- count of the same kept under the direction of Mr. Trusdell as general superintendent of the Chicago relief and aid society. From 1 Oct., 1871, to 31 Oct.. 1887, this amount was $6,486,999.45. In 1885 he was appointed presiding elder of the Chicago district of the Methodist church, and at the same time tendered his resignation as general superin- tendent, but it was not accepted.

TRUTCH, Joseph William, Canadian states- man, b. in Bath, England, 18 Jan., 1826. He was educated at Exeter, England, studied civil engi- neering under Sir John Rennie, removed to the Pacific coast in 1849, and till 1856 practised as a civil engineer in California and Oregon. He was subsequently assistant engineer on the Illinois and Michigan canal, and on the Illinois river improve- ment. In 1859 he removed to Victoria, British Co- lumbia, and till 1864 was employed in the con- struction of public works for the colony. Chief among these were the section through the cafion of Praser river, and the Grand Trunk railroad from Yale to Cariboo, including the Alexandria suspen- sion-bridge over Fraser river. He was chief com- missioner of lands and works and surveyor-general of British Columbia, and a member ex officio of the executive and legislative councils from 1864 till 1871, when British Columbia entered the Do- minion. He was a delegate to Ottawa in 1870 to confer with the government of Canada as to the terms upon which British Columbia could enter the confederation, and in 1871 to Ottawa and Lon- don to settle finally the details of the arrangements for the union. Mr. Trutch was appointed, 5 July. 1871, lieutenant-governor of British Columbia, and on 9 Dec, 1879, he became resident agent of the Canadian government in British Columbia. In 1877 he was appointed a companion of the order of St. Michael and St. George.

TRUXTUN, Thomas, naval officer, b. on Long Island, N. Y, 17 Feb., 1755; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 5 May, 1822. He began a seafaring life when he was twelve years old, as an apprentice in the English packet " Pitt," and was impressed in Eng- land to serve in the frigate " Prudent," whence he obtained his discharge through friends. He de- clined the offer of a midshipman's warrant, served in the merchant marine, and quickly rose to com- mand. In 1775 he had charge of the "Andrew Caldwell," in which he brought large quantities of powder to Philadelphia. In the latter part of that year he was seized off St. Kitt's by the frigate " Argo," and his vessel was condemned under the restraining act. He made his way to Philadelphia, where he arrived in time to enter on board the " Congress "as a lieutenant. This was the first private armed ship that was fitted out by the colonies. In 1776 several prizes were taken off Ha- vana, one of which he took to New Bedford. In 1777 he aided in fitting out the ship " In- dependence." of which he took com- mand and cap- tured three large ships among other prizes off the Azores islands. One of these was much more pow- erfullyarmed than his own vessel. On his return he fitted out the ship " Mars," twenty guns, and made a cruise in the English channel, capturing many prizes, which he sent to France. He then com- manded the " Com merce " and other vessels, in which he brought needed cargoes of military stores for the army to Philadelphia. He had the ship "St. James" in 1781, and conveyed the U. S. consul-general to France, in this voyage disabling a British ship of thirty-two guns and returning with a valuable cargo. He was uniformly successful in all engagements with British vessels. After the war he commanded several East Indiamen. Upon the organization of the U. S. navy, he was selected as one of its six captains, 4 June, 1798, and assigned to command the frigate "Constellation," which was building at Baltimore. He was ordered with a squadron under his command to protect commerce in the West Indies, where he made numerous prizes. On 9 Feb., 1799, off Hen's island, he fell in with the French frigate "L'Insurgente," fifty guns, which was much more powerful than his own ship. An engagement ensued of more than an hour, when the enemy surrendered, a perfect wreck, after having twenty-nine of her crew killed and forty-four wounded. Truxtun lost one killed and two wounded. The prize was refitted and added to the navy. "For this brilliant victory the merchants of Lloyd's coffee-house, London, sent him a present of plate worth 600 guineas. In January, 1800, he had a severe encounter with the French frigate "La Vengeance," fifty guns, which surrendered after a long engagement ; but before Truxtun could secure the prize a squall came up and she escaped. For his gallantry in this action congress gave him a gold medal and a vote of thanks. .In the same year he commanded the frigate " President " and a squadron of ten vessels in the West Indies. In 1802 he was appointed to command the squadron that was fitting out for the Tripolitan war, and went to Norfolk to join the "Chesapeake." He then asked to have a captain appointed to command the flag-ship, which was declined, and Truxtun's letter was construed to mean his resignation, which was accepted contrary to his wishes. He resided in New Jersey on a farm after he left the service, and subsequently removed to Philadelphia, where he was sheriff of the county