Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/557

Rh at the battle of Stono, 20 June, 1779, and defeated the British and Tories at Musgrove's Mills, 18 Aug., 1780. He led one of the attacking columns at the battle of King's Mountain, where he was killed.

WILLIAMS, James Douglas, governor of In- diana, b. in Pickaway county, Ohio, 16 Jan.. 1808; d. in Indianapolis, Ind., 20 Nov., 1880. His par- ents were emigrants from Europe, and moved with him to Knox county, Ind., in 1818, and at the death of his father in 1828 the support of the fam- ily devolved on him. James was almost entirely self-taught. In 1843 he became a member of the legislature, and from that time till 1874 sat almost continuously in this body, either in the house of representatives or in the senate. He was a dele- fate to the National Democratic convention at laltimore in 1872, was the Democratic nominee for U. S. senator from Indiana in 1873 against Oliver P. Morton, who was elected, and was then chosen to congress, serving from 6 Dec, 1875, till 1 Dec, 1876, when he resigned, having been elect- ed governor of his state. He held this office till his death. Gov. Williams was a farmer, and his foremost object was the development of the agri- cultural interests of his state. He was one of the incorporators and president of the state board of agriculture, originated many of the laws that have perfected school and college facilities in Indiana, and was instrumental in establishing as law the right of widows in that state to hold their deceased husband's estates, when not in excess of $300, with- out administration. He was a man of the strictest integrity, plain and simple in his manner and at- tire, and was known as Blue-Jeans Williams, owing to his wearing trousers of that material.

WILLIAMS, James William, Canadian An- glican bishop, b. in Overton, Hampshire, England, 15 Sept., 1825. His father, Rev. David Williams, was for many years rector of Banghurst, Hamp- shire. The son's pre- liminary education was received under his fa- ther. For a time he attended the grammar- school at Crewkerne, Somersetshire, whence he went to Pembroke college, Oxford. In 1851 he was graduated, taking high honors in classics. The bishop of Oxford admitted him to deacon's orders, and in 1856 the bishop of . Bath and Wells ordained him priest. He held curacies in Buckinghamshire and Somersetshire, and for two years occupied the post of assistant master in Leamington college. In 1857 he accepted an invitation to organize a school in connection with Bishop's college, Len- noxville, province of Quebec. He went to Can- ada, became rector of the school, and shortly after- ward succeeded to the chair of classics and belles- lettres in the college, which post he continued to hold until his elevation to the episcopate. Un- der his direction both school and college took a high place. In 1863 Bishop Mountain, of Quebec, died, and the synod promptly selected Mr. Will- iams to succeed him in the see. At that time the jurisdiction of the bishop was very extensive. In 1793 it had extended over the whole of Upper and Lower Canada. From time to time its limits have been curtailed, and it is now confined to that part of the province of Quebec which extends from Three Rivers to the Straits of Bellisle and New Brunswick, on the shores of the St. Lawrence and east of a line drawn from Three Rivers to Lake Memphremagog. The new bishop of the diocese was consecrated at Quebec on 11 June, 1863. Bish- op Williams is a close student of literature. As a pulpit orator he occupies a high place. The charges that he delivered to the clergy of the dio- cese of Quebec at the visitation held in Bishop's college, Lennoxville, in 1864, and in June, 1888, in Quebec city, at the close of his twenty-fifth year as bishop, attracted attention. His lecture on" Self- Education " (Quebec, 1865) and several papers be- fore the Literary and historical society of that city have also been much admired. Dr. Williams, dur- ing the twenty-five years of his episcopacy, confirmed 11,176 persons, ordained 47 deacons and 43 priests, and consecrated 37 churches.

WILLIAMS, Jared Warner, senator, b. in West Woodstock, Conn., 22 Dec, 1796 ; d. in Lan- caster, N. H., 29 Sept., 1864. He was graduated at Brown in 1818, studied law, was admitted to the bar, and in 1822 began to practise at Lancaster. He was a member of the state house of representa- tives in 1830-'l and 1835-'6, and a member of the state senate in 1832-'4. Mr. Williams was elected to congress from New Hampshire as a Democrat for two successive terms, and served from 4 Sept., 1837, till 3 March, 1841. He was governor of New Hampshire in 1847-'9, and was appointed a United States senator from that state in place of Charles G-. Atherton, deceased, serving from 12 Dec, 1853, till 3 March, 1855.

WILLIAMS, Jesse Lynch, civil engineer, b. in Westfield, Stokes co., N. C, 6 May, i807; d. in Fort Wayne, Ind., 9 Oct., 1886. His ancestors, English Quakers, came to Maryland about 1700. His parents, who adhered to the same faith, re- moved to Cincinnati in 1814, and subsequently to a place near Richmond, Ind. The son was first a rod-man and then an engineer on the preliminary survey for the Miami and Erie canal, and contin- ued in the service of the state of Ohio from 1824 till 1832, when he was appointed by Indiana chief engineer of the Wabash and Erie canal. In 1837 he became chief engineer of all the internal im- provements of the state, including about 1,300 miles of canals, railroads, and other works. In 1853 he became chief engineer of the Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad, and in 1856, after its consoli- dation with other roads to form the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago road, he became a direc- tor. From 1864 till his resignation in 1869 he was appointed annually a government director of the Union Pacific railroad and devoted himself to se- curing the best location through the Rocky moun- tains. He was chief engineer and receiver of the Grand Rapids and Indiana railroad in 1869-'71, and was connected with other roads. Mr. Williams was active in the councils of the Presbyterian church, and served as a director of the Theological seminary of the northwest from its organization till his death. A discourse on his life by the Rev. David W. Moffat, D. D., was printed privately (Fort Wayne. Ind., 1886).

WILLIAMS, John, clergvman, b. in Roxbury, Mass., 10 Dec, 1644; d. in Deerfield, Mass., 12 June, 1729. His grandfather, Robert, came to this country about 1638, settling in Roxbury, Mass. John was graduated at Harvard in 1683, ordained to the ministry in 1688, and settled as pastor in Deerfield, which, being a frontier town, was constantly exposed to the attacks of the Indians. On the night of 28 Feb., 1704, 300 French and Indians