Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/319

Rh Fenelon's " Telemaque " into Latin verse, and pub-, lished " Miscellanea Latino-Gallica " (1816) and French translations of the "A-rs Poetica" of Hor- ace and of some of his epistles.

VIELE, Arnaud Cornelius, colonist, b. in Brabant, Netherlands, about 1620 ; d. in New York city about 1700. He came to this country with his" father about 1630, and the latter erected an Indian trading-house at Fort Orange (now Albany, N. Y.). Arnaud grew up with the young Indians that accompanied their chiefs on the trading expe- ditions, and the friendships that he formed with them continued for half a century, and proved a lasting benefit to the colonists. His familiarity with the dialect and character of the Indians led to his becoming an interpreter between the govern- ment and the natives, and nearly all the treaties with the Indians for many years bear his signature. Gov. Thomas Dongan sent 'Viele as a special envoy to the Iroquois, and Gov. Jacob Leisler made him governor of the Six Nations. He was at the coun- cil of Onondaga when, at the instigation of the Canadian authorities, the Iroquois tribes were as- sembled to decide whether the English or French should have their allegiance. Upon the decision depended the fate of the colony, and had it not been for the long friendship of the Indians with Viele, they would have transferred their support to the French. — His kinsman, John Lndovickus, lawyer, b. in Washington county, N. Y., 6 June. 1788 ; d. in Albany, N. Y., 19 Oct., 1832. entered Union, but left to serve in the war of 1812, then studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1812, and practised in Washington, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Albany counties. He was elected to the state sen- ate, and was associated with De Witt Clinton in the legislation concerning the Erie canal. In 1821 he was made judge of the court of errors, and in the case of the Dutch church of Albany against John M. Bradford, Ihen its minister, Samuel Jones, president of the court, whose decisions had never before been questioned, delivered an elaborate opinion with the confident expectation that, as usual, it would be concurred in. Several other judges gave long opinions to the same effect. Judge Viele, the youngest member of the court, differed from them and the chancellor, and, much to the surprise of the latter, who often referred to the case as his only legal defeat, the court decided with Judge Viele. He was appointed inspector of the New York state militia in 1819, and regent of the University of the state of New York in 1832. On the visit of Lafayette to America, Judge Viele was chosen as the orator to receive him on his visit to the battle-field of Saratoga. His judicial opin- ions are published in Cowan's reports. — John L.'s son, Egbert Lndovickus, engineer, b. in Water- ford, N. Y., 17 June, 1825, was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1847, assigned to the 2d infantry, and, joining his regiment in Mexico, served under Gen. Winfield Scott. He was then given duty on lower Rio Grande river, and was stationed at Ringgold barracks and afterward at Fort Mcin- tosh. In 1853 he resigned, after attaining the rank of 1st lieutenant on 26 Oct., 1850. Pie then settled in New York city, where he entered on the practice of civil engineering, and in 1854'-6 was state engi- neer of New Jersey. In 1856 he was appointed chief engineer of Central park, New York, and pre- pared the original plan that was adopted. Jour years later he became chief engineer of Prospect park. Brooklyn, for which he prepared the original plan, but resigned at the beginning of the civil war. He responded to the first call for volunteers, and conducted an expedition from New Yoik to Washington, forcing a passage up Potomac river. After serving in the defences of Washington as captain of engineers in the 7th New York regiment, he was commissioned brigadier-general of volun- teers on 17 Aug., 1861, and directed to form a camp of instruction in Scarsdale, N. Y. In April, 1862, he joined the South Atlantic expedi- tion and had charge of the forces in Savan- nah river. Gen. Viele command- ed the movement that resulted in the capture of Fort Pulaski, and also took Norfolk and its navy-yard, becoming military governor of that city from its capture in May, 1862, until October, 1863. After superintending the draft in northern Ohio, he resigned on 20 Oct., 1863, and resumed his engineering practice. In 1883 he was appointed commissioner of parks for New York city, and in 1884 he was president of the department. He was elected as a Democrat to congress in 1884, but he was defeated in his canvass for re-election in 1886. Gen. Viele is president of the Equitable home building association, for building nouses in the vicinity of Prospect park, Brooklyn, to be sold to tenants who agree to use them as "homes only. Be- sides papers on engineering, sanitation, and physi- cal geography, he has published a " Hand-Book for Active Service " (New York, 1861), and a " Topo- graphical Atlas of the City of New York" (1865).

VIGER, Denis Benjamin, Canadian member of parliament, b. in Montreal, 19 Aug., 1774; d. there, 13 Feb., 1861. He was a lawyer of good standing, was elected to the legislative chamber in 1808, took an active part in the controversy that led to the insurrection of 1837, and had been a delegate to London in 1828 and 1831 to lay the grievances of his countrymen before the imperial parliament. At the opening of the rebellion he was arrested on the charge of sedition, and im- prisoned, but soon afterward was liberated without trial, and elected to parliament. After the dismis- sal of the Lafontaine-Baldwin cabinet in 1843, Lord Metcalfe asked Mr. Viger to become a mem- ber of the new cabinet, which he did, assuming the post of premier. He was afterward for several years a member of the legislative council of Can- ada. Mr. Viger gave the city of Montreal a piece of land now known as Viger square and garden.

'''VIGER. James,''' Canadian archaeologist, b. in Montreal, Canada, in 1787; d. there in 1858. He was educated in the College of St. Raphael. Montreal, and served as an officer under De Salaberry in the war of 1812. In 1832 he was elected first mayor of Montreal, and recommended by Lord Gosford, the governor-general, for a seat in the executive council. As an antiquarian and archaeologist he was devoted to the investigation of early Canadian history. He wrote twenty-eight volumes, entitled the " Sabertache," and formed an invaluable collection of manuscripts, having given years to the examination of historic monuments, the clearing up of obscure points, verifying dates, and restoring the correct orthography of names,