Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/711

Rh ary, 1857, he enlisted as a private in the Second company of the 7th regiment ("National Guard"), N. Y. state militia ; was elected 1st sergeant, April. 1858 ; 2d lieutenant, September, 1859 ; 1st lieutenant, June, 1860; and captain in December of the same year ; and was in command of his com- pany in the three cam- paigns made by the regi- ment, in 1861, 1862,andl863, during the civil war, and in the draft riots of 1863. He command- ed the 7th regiment in the Orange riot of 1871 and in the labor riots of 1877. In 1864 he published a " His- tory of the Second Company of the Seventh Regi- ment, N. Y. State Militia." He was elected colo- nel of his regiment on 21 June, 1864, and still holds that command. To his energy and perseverance is due the successful completion by private subscrip- tion in 1880 of the armory (see illustration) now occupied by the 7th regiment, while his executive ability and untiring attention have not only main- tained, but increased, the superiority, efficiency. and prosperity of that celebrated military organi- zation. Col. Clark has in preparation a " History of the Seventh Regiment," to be published in 1889, during which year he has announced his intention of resigning on the completion of a quarter of a century's service as colonel of the regiment.

CLARKE, Rebecca Sophia, author, b. in Nor- ridgewock, Me., 22 Feb., 1833. She was carefully educated, has engaged in literary pursuits since her youth, and is the author, under the pen-name of " Sophie May," of " Little Prudy Stories " (Boston, 1864-'5); "Dotty Dimple Stories" (1868-'70) ; " Flyaway Stories " (1871-'4) ; " The Doctor's Daughter" (1873); "Our Helen" (1875); "The Asbury Twins" (1876) ; " Flaxie Frizzle Stories " (1877-'85); " Quinnebasset Girls " (1878) ; "Janet" (1883) ; and " Drones' Honey " (1887).

CLARKSON, Matthew, philanthropist, b. in New York, 17 Oct., 1758 ; d. there, 25 April, 1825. He was the great- grandson of Mat- thew Clarkson, who for thirteen years was secretary of the province, and his father and grand- father also held im- portant places in the colony. At the beginning of the Revolutionary war, in 1775, the son be- came a private in a company of fusi- leers under R udol ph Ritzema, and after- ward he served in Col. Josiah Smith's regiment of minute- men, which was raised for the purpose of protecting Long Island from invasion. He joined the northern army in 1777, was wounded at Fort Edward, and at Saratoga rendered effective service to Col. Daniel Morgan, also acted as aide-de-camp to Benedict Arnold, and was present at the surrender of Gen. John Burgoyne. In 1779 he was appointed aide to Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, under whom he participated in the siege of Savannah, and in the defence of Charleston he served as a major of infantry, and became a prisoner at the surrender. In 1781 he returned to his place as aide to Gen. Lincoln, and was with him at the reduction of Yorktown. He also served on the expedition of Com. Abraham Whipple during the siege of Charleston, and later in the "Jason." When Lincoln became secretary of war, Clarkson acted as his assistant, and on the conclusion of hostilities he received the brevet of lieutenant-colonel, and for more than fourteen years was major-general of the state militia. He served in both branches of the legislature, and was candidate of the Federal party for U. S. senator. For twenty-one years he was president of the Bank of New York, one of the first promoters of the free-school system, a regent of the Univer- sity of the state of New York in 1784-1825, gov- ernor of the New York hospital for thirty years, during twenty-three of which he was president, and one of the vice-presidents and founders of the American Bible society, and his name is associated with the foundation of nearly all the early philan- thropic societies of that city.

CLEVELAND, Cynthia Eloise, author, b. in Canton, N. Y., 13 Aug., 1845. She was educated in Michigan and Medina, N. Y., and engaged in business in that place and Pontiac, Mich. In 1880-'2, as president of the Women's Christian temperance union of Dakota, she organized unions with so great success as to influence the vote of the territory for constitutional prohibition. She then settled in Pierre, and was admitted to the bar in 1883. In 1884 she entered the presidential canvass in Michigan and Indiana, being the first woman that ever spoke in public for the Demo- cratic party. She removed to Washington, D. C, in 1885, and was appointed a law-clerk in the treas- ury department. She has written " See-Saw, or Civil Service in the Departments " (Detroit, 188?), a political novel, and " Is it Fate ? " (1888).

COFFEE, John, soldier, b. in Prince Edward county, Va., 2 June, 1772 ; d. near Florence, Ala., in July, 1834. He removed to Davidson county, Tenn., in 1798, and engaged in mercantile pursuits till 1807, when he began to survey public lands. . In October, 1809, he married Mary Donelson, a sis- ter of Andrew Jackson's wife. At the beginning of the war of 1812 he raised a cavalry regiment, and after the massacre at Fort Minns he organized two others, became brigadier-general of militia, and fought and won the battle of Tallushatchie. He participated also in the battles of Talladega, Emuckfaro, Ala., where he was severely wounded, Enotochopco, and the Horseshoe. He was subsequently at the battles of Pensacola and New Orleans, reaching the latter in time for the fight by a forced march from Baton Rouge in two days, and commanding Jackson's left wing. He was frequently commissioned to treat with the Indians, became surveyor-general of the Southwest territory in 1817, removed to Huntsville, Ala., and later to Florida. He was known as " brave Jack Coffee."

CONY, Daniel, jurist, b. in that part of Stoughton, Mass.. that is now Sharon, 3 Aug., 1752; d. in Augusta, Me., 21 Jan., 1842. His grandfather, Nathanael, came from England to Massachusetts in the latter part of the 17th century and settled in Boston, but in 1728 went to Stoughton. Daniel removed in 1778 to " Fort Western settlement " (now