Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/486

454 T. Sherman's army toward Atlanta, he opposed every movement and fought almost daily, often with his men dismounted. During July 27-30 he fought the raiding force of Gen. George Stoneman, Gen. Kenner Garrard, and Gen. Edward M. McCook, and captured many prisoners, including Gen. Stone- man, and all the artillery and transportation. On 9 Aug., 1864, he was sent by Gen. John B. Hood to capture the National supplies, burn bridges, and break up railways in the rear of Gen. Sherman's army. Passing through northern Georgia, he went into eastern Tennessee as far as the Kentucky line, and thence through middle Tennessee back into northern Alabama. During this raid, which lasted one month, he was continuously engaged and ruined much property. He was unsuccessful in destroying Sherman's communications, and was finally driven back by the National cavalry. When the Confed- erate commander became convinced of the impossi- bility of arresting Sherman's advance, Wheeler was sent in front of the army to prevent the National troops from raiding and foraging. Pie then en- gaged in the defence of Savannah, and for his defence of Aiken received the thanks of the legis- lature of South Carolina. Gen. Wheeler received his promotion to the rank of lieutenant-general on 28 Feb., 1865, and continued in charge of the cav- alry under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston until the sur- render in April, 1865. The death of Gen. James E. B. Stuart, on 11 May, 1864, made him senior cavalry general of the Confederate armies. After the war, he studied law, which profession and the occupation of cotton-planting he followed until 1880, when he was elected to congress as a Demo- crat, and took his seat on 5 Dec, 1881 ; but his place was successfully contested by William M. Lowe, and he was unseated, 3 June, 1882. He was re-elected to the same congress on the death of Mr. Lowe, a few months later, and has served since 4 March, 1885. In January, 1888, he was appointed a regent of the Smithsonian institution.

WHEELER, Nathaniel, inventor, b. in Water- town, Conn., 7 Sept., 1820. He was educated in the public schools, began life as a carriage manu- facturer, and continued in that business till about 1848. In 1850 he made the acquaintance of Allan B. Wilson, who was engaged in perfecting a sewing- machine, but needed aid in patenting his invention and introducing it to the public. Wilson induced Mr. Wheeler to join in that enterprise, and in 1852 the machine was patented in the firm-name of Wheeler and Wilson. In 1853 the Wheeler and Wilson manufacturing company was founded. Mr. Wheeler's knowledge of machinery and his ability as an organizer enabled him to expand the sewing- machine manufacture from the little factory that could make but one machine a day to an establish- ment that has facilities for producing 600 machines a day. Since 1850, as president of the Wheeler and Wilson sewing-machine company, he has created a market for more than 1,200,000 sewing-machines. He has served six sessions in the senate and house of the Connecticut legislature, and has taken out patents for various inventions in sewing-machines, railway-cars, heating and ventilation of buildings, and wood finishing.

WHEELER, Orlando Belina, civil engineer, b. in Lodi, Mich., 29 Nov., 1835. He was gradu- ated at the University of Michigan in 1862, after taking both the scientific and classical courses, and in 1801-'2 was acting assistant in the astronomical observatory of that institution under Dr. Francis Brilnnow. After his graduation he entered the service of the U. S. lake survey as assistant engi- neer, which office he held until 1882. Meanwhile he was detailed to serve as assistant astronomer under Prof. Asaph Hall in 1874, on the expedition to Siberia to observe the transit of Venus, and in 1878 he served similarly with the total eclipse ex- pedition in Colorado, and in 1882 he accompanied the party under Lieut. Samuel M. Very, U. S. navy, that was sent to Patagonia to observe the transit of Venus. The degree of C. E. was conferred on him by the University of Michigan in 1879, and he is a member of scientific societies. Since 1884 he has been U. S. assistant engineer under the Mis- souri river commission. His writings, principally reports, have appeared in the annual volumes of the chief of engineers of the U. S. army, and of the superintendent of the U. S. naval observatory.

WHEELER, Samuel, blacksmith, b. in Wecca- co, Philadelphia co., Pa., in 1742 ; d. in Philadel- phia, Pa., 10 May, 1820. During the Revolution he served in the American army. His reputation as a blacksmith reached Gen. Washington, who one day sent for him and told him he wished a chain made to place across Hudson river at West Point, to arrest the British ships. Wheeler said he could make it, but not away from his forge. " Then," said Washington, -" I cheerfully give you dismissal from the army. Badly as we want men, we cannot afford to keep such a man as you." Wheeler made the chain ; it was moved in links through New Jersey, hung across the river, and did good service. He made a cannon out of bars of iron, by welding, which was used at the battle of the Brandywine, and was the wonder and admira- tion of the American officers. It was without hoops, lighter than brass ordnance, had a longer range, and was more accurate in its effect. Napo- leon I. took it as a model, and had cannon for his flying artillery manufactured after its pattern, it having been captured at the Brandywine, and sent to London, where it was exhibited in the Tower. Wheeler also made many improvements in me- chanics, among which were scale-beams that would weigh a ton, and could be turned by a 12^-cent piece ; hay-scales, hoisting-machines, screws, and lanterns for light-houses. He also adopted a suc- cessful mode for laying the stone for light-houses, and superintended the building of that at Cape Henlopen, Del., and that at Castle Williams, Gov- ernor's island, New York harbor.

WHEELER, Thomas, soldier, b. in England about 1620; d. in Concord, Mass., 16 Dec., 1686. He emigrated to this country in 1642, settled in Concord, Mass., and participated in King Philip's war, in which he was wounded. In July, 1675, he was appointed a military escort to Capt. Edward Hutchinson, of Boston, who was commissioned by the council to treat with the sachems in the Nipmuck country. His &ldquo;Narrative&rdquo; of this expedition, a pious and quaintly worded document, is preserved in the &ldquo;Collections&rdquo; of the New Hampshire historical society.

WHEELER, William Adolphus, philologist, b. in Leicester, Mass., 14 Nov., 1833; d. in Roxbury, Mass., 28 Oct., 1874. He was graduated at Bowdoin in 1853, taught for several years, and, removing to Cambridge, Mass., assisted Dr. Joseph E. Worcester in the preparation of his Dictionary. For several years afterward he engaged in similar work, contributed to the quarto edition of Noah Webster's Dictionary (Springfield, Mass., 1864), and prepared for it an “Explanatory and Pronouncing Vocabulary of the Names of Noted Fictitious Persons and Places, including Familiar Pseudonyms, Surnames, etc.,” which was also issued separately (Boston, 1865). He became connected with the Boston public library in 1866, and afterward