Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/563

Rh good education, entered a counting-house in Boston, and then made several voyages to the West Indies and to England. He was in the latter country in 1770 and 1773, and was intrusted by his grand- uncle, Benjamin Franklin, with political despatches to this country. Pie was also Franklin's secretary during the latter's residence in France as U. S. ambassador, and for part of the time served as U. S. commercial agent. While in France he studied military science, especially fortification. After his return to this country in 1785 he was for several years a judge of the court of common pleas in Philadelphia, but on 6 Feb., 1801, he was appointed major of the 2d regiment of artillerists and engineers in the regular army, and on 4 Dec. he was made inspector of fortifications, and took command of the post at West Point, with the duties of instruction in his branches. On the establish- ment of the present military academy in 1802 he became its superintendent, but on 20 June, 1803, he resigned his commission on a question of rank. On 19 April, 1805, he returned to the army, at President Jefferson's request, as lieutenant-colonel and chief engineer, resuming also the superintend- ence of the academy. He planned and built most of the inner forts in New York harbor, including Fort Columbus, Fort Clinton (now Castle Garden), and Castle Williams, which was named for him. At the beginning of the war of 1812 Col. Williams claimed the command of the last-named work, and on being refused it by the secretary of war, resigned, 31 July, 1812. He {hen returned to Philadelphia, and was for several years vice-president and cor- responding secretary of the American philosophical society. He was elected to congress in 1814, but died without taking his seat. Col. Williams has been called " father of the corps of engineers." His full-length portrait is in the library of the U. S. military acad- emy, among those of other superintendents and professors. He was the au- thor of a me- moir on "The Use of the Ther- mometer in Nav- igation " (Phila- delphia, 1799), and translat- ed " Elements of Fortifica- tion " (1801) and Koscius- ko's " Manoeu- vres for Horse Artillery " (1808), besides contributing to the " Transactions " of the American philosophical so- ciety. — His son, Alexander John, soldier, b. in Philadelphia in 1790; d. in Fort Erie, Upper Canada, 15 Aug., 1814, was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1811, and assigned to the engineers, but was made captain of artillery, 17 March, 1813. He commanded Fort Mifflin, Pa., in 1812-'14, and then engaged in the campaign on the Niagara frontier. During the defence of Fort Erie, while he was repelling the fourth assault of the enemy in a hand-to-hand encounter, a lighted port-fire in front of the British enabled them to direct their volleys on his company. He sprang forward, cut it off with his sword, and fell mor- tally wounded by a musket-ball.

WILLIAMS, Mary Bushnell, author, b. in Baton Rouge, La., in 1826. Her father, Judge Charles Bushnell, was a native of Boston, Mass. She was educated by Prof. Alexander Dimitry, married Josiah P. Williams, a planter of Rapides parish, and resided near Alexandria, on Red river, till 1869, when she removed to Opelousas. Her husband died, and their residence, "The Oaks," was destroyed during the Red river expedition in 1864. For some time during the civil war she was a refugee in Texas. She has contributed to periodical literature, and her poetry has been much admired, notably the verses entitled " The Serfs of Chateney." She has in preparation a vol- ume of " Tales and Legends of Louisiana."

WILLIAMS, Nelson Grosvenor, soldier, b. in Bainbridge, Chenango co., N. Y., 4 May, 1823. He was educated at Utica academy, and spent one year at the U. S. military academy. At the be- ginning of the civil war he was appointed colonel of the 3d Iowa volunteers, and served in Missouri until March, 1862. He commanded the 1st brigade of the 4th division of the Army of the Tennessee at the battle of Shiloh, where a horse was killed un- der him, and was at the siege of Corinth. He was made brigadier-general on 29 Nov., 1862, but re- signed soon afterward, owing to injuries received at Shiloh. In 1869 he entered the U. S. custom service in New York city.

WILLIAMS, Otho Holland, soldier, b. in Prince George county, Md., in March, 1749 ; d. about 1800. His ancestors were among the earliest settlers in Maryland from England after Lord Baltimore became proprietor of the province. Otho was left an orphan at twelve years of age, and a few years later placed in the clerk's office of Frederick, Md., whence he was transferred to the clerk's office at Baltimore. In 1775 he was appointed a lieutenant in a rifle corps that was raised in Frederick county. The company to which he was attached marched to Boston, and the captain having been promoted, young Williams succeeded to the command. When Fort Washington was attacked he was a major. He was severely wounded, taken prisoner, and carried to New York, where he was released on his parole. On suspicion that he would open a secret correspondence with Washington, he was reapprehended and placed in confinement, where he suffered great indignities and cruelty. He was exchanged after fifteen months of imprisonment. During his captivity he was promoted to the command of the 6th regiment of the Maryland line, and after his exchange he participated in all the battles of that command. He acted as deputy adjutant-general of the southern army under Gen. Horatio Gates ; and Gen. Nathanael Greene, on assuming command of that army, appointed Col. Williams adjutant-general. During Greene's celebrated retreat he led the light corps that acted as a rear-guard, and did efficient service. At a critical moment in the battle of Eutaw, Gen. Greene issued the order "Let Williams advance and sweep the field with his bayonets." He led a charge that gained him the highest honors of the day. Near the close of the war Williams was sent by Gen. Greene with despatches to congress, and he was promoted by that body to the rank of brigadier-general. On the cessation of hostilities, Gen. Williams settled in Baltimore, and was appointed by the governor collector of the port. He held that office under the governor's appointment until the adoption of the Federal constitution, and was then reappointed by Washington, retaining the office till his death. See memoir by Osmond Tiffany (Baltimore, 1851).