Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/431

Rh WEARE, Meshech, jurist, b. in Hampton, N. H., 16 June, 1713 ; d. in Hampton Falls, N. H., 15 Jan., 1786. He was graduated at Harvard in 1735, admitted to the bar, and practised law, also sitting in the legislature for several years, and serving as speaker in 1752. In 1754 he was a com- missioner to the colonial congress at Albany, and he was afterward a justice of the supreme court, and in 1777 became chief justice. He was also a member of the executive council, and chairman of the committee of safety at the outset of the Revo- lution. He was elected president of the state in 1776, and was annually re-elected during the war, and in 1784 under the new constitution. He was made fellow of the American academy of arts and sciences in 1782. During the Revolution he ren- dered great services in raising and equipping the forces that were sent to the northern frontier of New Hampshire under Gen. John Stark to oppose the progress of Gen. John Burgoyne.

WEATHERSFORD, William, Indian chief, b. in the Creek settlement, Ala., about 1770; d. in Monroe county, Ala., in 1824. His father was a white trader, and his mother a Seminole Indian. William was a skilful hunter and warrior, and in the second war with Great Britain commanded the Creeks against the U. S. forces. On 14 April, 1814, he surrendered voluntarily to Gen. Andrew Jack- son, and he afterward lived peaceably on his plan- tation at Little River, Monroe county, Ala.

WEAVER, George Sumner, author, b. in Rockingham, Vt., 24 Dec, 1818. He studied law and was admitted to the bar, but, relinquishing law for theology, was ordained as a Universalist min- ister in 1848. He has published "Lectures on Mental Science according to the Philosophy of Phrenology " (New York, 1852) ; " Hopes and Helps for the Young of Both Sexes " (1853) ; " Aims and Aids for Girls" (1854); "The Ways of Life" (1855); " The Christian Household" (1855); "The Open Way " (1873) ; " Moses and Modern Science " (1874) ; " The Heart of the World " (1883) ; and " Lives and Graves of our Presidents " (1884).

WEAVER, James B., candidate for the presi- dency, b. in Dayton, Ohio, 12 June, 1833. He was graduated at the law-school of Ohio university. Cincinnati, in 1854. In April, 1861, he enlisted as a private in the 2d Iowa infantry, was elected a lieutenant, rose to be major on 3 Oct., 1861, and after the senior field-officers had fallen at Corinth was commissioned colonel. 12 Oct., 1862. He was brevetted brigadier-general on 13 March, 1865, for f gallantry in action. After the war he resumed egal practice, was elected district attorney of the 2d judicial district of Iowa in 1866, and was ap- pointed assessor of internal revenue for the 5th district of the state in 1867, serving six years. He became editor of the " Iowa Tribune," published at Des Moines, and was elected to congress, taking his seat on 18 March, 1879. In June, 1880, he was nominated for the presidency by the convention of the National Greenback-Labor party, and in the November election he received 307,740 votes. He was returned to congress after an interval of two terms by the vote of the Greenback - Labor and Democratic parties, taking his seat on 7 Dec, 1885, and in 1886 was re-elected.

WEAVER, Jonathan, bishop of the United Brethren in Christ, b. in Carroll county, Ohio, 23 Feb., 1824. He was brought up on a farm, educated at the common schools and at Hagerstown academy, and in 1845 began to preach. He was a pastor in 1847-'52, presiding elder in 1852-'57, and general agent for Otterbein university in 1857-'65. He was elected in 1865 a bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, has been re-elected five times, and was in the Ohio diocese in 1887. He received the degree of D.D. from Otterbein university in 1873. He has published “Discourses on the Resurrection” (Dayton, Ohio, 1871); “Ministerial Salary” (1872); “Divine Providence” (1873); and “Universal Restoration not sustained by the Word of God” (1878). He has written much for his church organ, the “Religious Telescope,” published at Dayton, and is now preparing for the press a volume of sermons by different ministers of his denomination.

WEAVER, William Augustus, naval officer, b. in Dumfries, Va., in 1797; d. there in 1846. He entered the navy as a midshipman, 4 Feb., 1811, and made his first cruise in the "Chesapeake," which was captured by the frigate " Shannon " after a short engagement off Boston, 1 June, 1813. Midshipman Weaver was severely wounded in this battle and was taken to Halifax as a prisoner with the rest of the officers and crew who survived. He was promoted to lieutenant after the war and commanded the schooner " Tom Bowlin" in 1816 and the schooner "Spark" in 1817, in the Mediterranean squadron. He served in the ship " Franklin " in 1818-'24 in the Mediterranean and the Pacific squadrons. By a misunderstanding as to his leave of absence, he was obliged to abandon the naval service, 27 Nov., 1824, after which he was employed by the government in the state department, where his knowledge of modern languages made his services specially valuable. He was secretary of the commission to adjust the claims of the Spanish citizens, was commissioner to Mexico in 1834, and superintendent of the census of 1840. — His son, Aaron Ward, naval officer, b. in the District of Columbia, 1 July. 1832, was appointed a midshipman in the navy, 10 May, 1848, attended the naval academy in 1853-'4, was graduated, and became a passed midshipman, 15 June, 1854. He was commissioned lieutenant, 16 Sept., 1855. He cruised in the sloop " Marion," on the coast of Africa, in 1858-'9, and came home in the prize slaver "Ardennes" in command. When the civil war opened he was assigned to the steamer "Susquehanna" on the blockade, in which he participated in the bombardment and capture of Fort Hatteras and Fort Clarke at Hatteras inlet, in the battle of Port Royal and capture of Fort Beauregard and Fort Walker, and in operations on the coast in command of the armed boats before the fall of Fort Pulaski. He was present at the engagements with batteries on Sewall's point and at the capture of Norfolk, Va. He was commissioned lieutenant-commander, 16 July, 1862, and commanded the steam gun-boat "Winona," in the Western Gulf squadron, in 1862-'3. He participated in the engagements at Port Hudson in December, 1862, at Plaquemine, La., at the defeat of the Confederates when they attacked Donaldsonville, and in the engagements below that place after the capture of Port Hudson. He was highly commended by Admiral Farragut for his services. He had the gunboat - "Chippewa," in the North Atlantic blockading squadron, in 1864. in which he took part in the first attack on Fort Fisher. He was transferred to command the monitor "Mahopac," in which he participated in the final attack and capture of Fort Fisher in January, 1865, and was recommended for promotion. He went to Charleston, S. ft, and was in the advanced picket when the city surrendered and its forts were captured. He next took the "Mahopac" up James river, and was present at the fall of Richmond. After the war he served at the Boston navy-yard. He was promoted and ad-