Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/703

 Rh ABBETT, Leon, governor of New Jersey, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 8 Oct., 1836. He was educated in his native city, studied law, and settled in Phil- adelphia, but subsequently removed to New York city, entered into partnership with William J. A. Fuller, and took high rank at the bar. He settled in Hoboken, N. J., in 1862, and served in the New Jersey legislature in 1865-6 and 1869-70, being twice speaker. He was chairman of the Demo- cratic state convention in 1868, president of the state board of education in 1869, a member of the state senate in 1875-'7, and governor of New Jersey in 1884-'6. He was chairman of the state delega- tion to the National Democratic conventions in 1872, 1876, and 1880, and in 1888-'9 he was a can- didate for the U. S. senate.

ABBOTT, Josiah Gardner, lawyer, b. in Chelmsford, Mass., 1 Nov., 1815. He was prepared for college by Ralph Waldo Emerson, was gradu- ated at Harvard in 1832, and admitted to the bar in 1835. Mr. Abbott served in the legislature in 1836-'7, became state senator in 1841, and from 1864 until 1888 was a delegate-at-large to every Na- tional Democratic convention. He was a judge of the superior court of Suffolk county, Mass., in 1855-'8 removed to Boston, where he resumed his profession, and in 1874 was a Democratic candidate for congress. After successfully contesting the election of his opponent, he served from 28 July, 1876, till 3 March, 1877, but declined renomination, and resumed practice. In 1876 he was a member of the electoral commission. Williams gave him the degree of LL. D. in 1863.

ACTON, Thomas Coxon, banker, b. in New York city, 23 Feb., 1823. He was educated in his native city, was assistant deputy county clerk for three years, and then clerk in the surrogate's office, afterward deputy register for six years, in 1860 became commissioner of the New York metropoli- tan police, and two years later was president of that board, where he remained for seven years, in which office he did good service in suppressing the draft riots. In 1870 he was appointed superintendent of the U. S. assay-office, which post he held for twelve years. He became U. S. assistant treasurer at New York in 1882, and since 1887 he has been president of the bank of New Amsterdam in that city.

AGNEW, David Hayes, surgeon, b. in Lan- caster county, Pa., 24 Nov., 1818. His education was received at Jefferson college, Pa., and at New- ark college, Del. He was graduated in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1838, and began to practise in Chester county, but removed to Phila- delphia and became a lecturer in the School of anatomy, also establishing the Philadelphia school of operative surgery. In 1854 he was elected one of the surgeons of the Philadelphia hospital, where he founded a pathological museum, and was also surgeon to the Pennsylvania hospital. In 1863 he was appointed demonstrator of anatomy and assist- ant lecturer on clinical surgery in the medical de- partment of the University of Pennsylvania, in 1870 he was chosen to the chair of clinical surgery, and in 1871 he became professor of the principles and practice of surgery there, and of clinical surgery, in the University hospital. For several years he was one of the surgeons at Wills ophthalmic hospi- tal, and also one of the surgeons to the orthopedic surgery. He has at- tained wide reputa- tion as a surgeon, and is a rapid and skilful operator in every department. In his capacity of efficient surgeon, as well as of consult- ing physician, he has had many cases of great public and scientific im- portance, the best known being that of President Gar- field. He has made many valuable con- tributions to the literature of his profession, among which are works on " Practical Anatomy " (Philadelphia, 1867) and " Lacerations of the Female Perinasum and Vesico- vaginal Fistula" (1867) ; a series of sixty papers on " Anatomy and its Relation to Medicine and Surgery " ; and an exhaustive work on the " Principles and Practice of Surgery" (3 vols., 1878), which has been translated into the Japanese language, and is the great work of his life. AGNUS, Felix, soldier, b. in Lyons, France, 4 July, 1839. He was educated at College Jolie Clair, near Paris, and in 1852 set out on a voyage around the world, spending four years in that manner. In 1860 he came to the United States, and at the beginning of the civil war enlisted in Duryea's 5th New York zouaves. At the battle of Big Bethel he saved the life of Gen. Judson Kilpatrick, and was promoted to 2d lieutenant. He aided in raising the 165th New York volunteers, in which he was given the color company. In the autumn of 1862 his regiment was sent to Louisiana, and he took part in the siege of Port Hudson, where he was promoted major and for a time had command of his regiment. Subsequently he served in Texas, and, after attaining the rank of lieutenant-colonel, was ordered to the 19th corps, and served under Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, taking part in the battles of Opequan, Fisher's Hill, Winchester, and