Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/301

Rh came lieutenant in the 1st artillerists and engineers, 22 Feb., 1799, and district paymaster, 16 March, 1802. He was made captain, 1 Nov., 1805, and on 3 March, 1813, became lieutenant-colonel of the 3d artillery. He was made colonel of the 1st artillery, 8 May, 1822, and brevetted brigadier-general, 8 May, 1832. for ten years' faithful service in one grade.

HOUSE, James Alford, inventor, b. in New York city, 6 April, 1838. He was educated as an architect, but his taste was for invention, and in 1864 he became the mechanical engineer of the Wheeler and Wilson manufacturing company. The button-hole machine made by this corporation was invented by him in 1862, and the button-hole attachment for their family sewing-machine was {atented by him in 1866. He has also invented an ndia-rubber trunk shield and several sewing- machine improvements, including an ingenious adaptation of the variable motion by means of a steel pin moving over unequal distances in equal times in a slotted disk.

HOUSE, Royal Earl, inventor, b. in Rocking- ham, Vt., 9 Sept.. 1814. He early became inter- ested in mechanics, chemistry, and magnetism, and devoted much time to their study. The prac- ticability of the printing-telegraph became manifest to him, and he invented a keyboard, a single line of insulated electric conductors, magnets, type- w*heels, automatic platens, and paper-carriers, for several stations, adapted for transmitting and printing messages in Roman characters. This in- " vention was first put in operation and exhibited at the Mechanics' institute. New York, in 1844. Although the first of its kind, it attained a speed of transmission of over fifty words a minute. Sub- sequently efforts were made by the representatives of the Morse patents to enjoin the use of the print- ing-telegraph ; but after much litigation Mr. House was sustained. He has since made other impor- tant inventions in the art of telegraphy.

HOUSTON, David Crawford, engineer, b. in New York city, 5 Dec, 1835. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1856. and was retained at the academy as assistant professor of natural and experimental philosophy until September, 1857, when he was placed on construction of fortifica- tions at Hampton Roads, Va. From 1856 till 1860 he commanded a detachment of engineer troops in Oregon, after which he was assistant engineer in the construction of a fort on Sandy Hook, N. J. During the civil war, as 1st lieutenant of the engi- neer corps, he aided in constructing the defences of Washington. D. C. He was at Blackburn's Ford and Bull Run as engineer of Gen. Tyler's division, and as chief engineer 1st army corps, department of the Rappahannock. He was with the 3d army corps in the second battle of Bull Run and of Cedar Mountain, after which he was brevetted captain. He became chief engineer of the 1st corps, Army of the Potomac, in the Maryland campaign, and was engaged in the battles of South Mountain and I Antietam, where he was brevetted major, 17 Sept., 1862. He was in charge of the defences of Har- Ser's Ferry, Va., and of the Department of the Gidf uring the siege of Port Hudson, La., in March, 1863, for which service he was brevetted lieutenant- colonel, 17 June, 1863. He took part in the expe- dition to the mouth of the Rio Grande, 1863, and in the Red River campaign in April, 1864. He was a member of the special board of engineers for the defences of San Francisco, Cal., in 1864-'5. On 13 March, 1865, he was brevetted colonel for " gallant and meritorious services during the rebellion." He served on the board for defences of Willet's Point, N. Y., in 1865, and from 1865 till 1867 on the board to carry out in detail the modifications of the defences near Boston, as proposed by the board of 27 Jan., 1864. He was also superintend- ing engineer of the construction of the defences of Narragansett bay. R. I., in 1865 ; of the river and harbor improvements in Rhode Island and Con- necticut from 1866 till 1870 : and of surveys and improvements of various rivers in Wisconsin since July, 1870. In 1868 he was a member of the board of engineers on Block Island breakwater, on the wreck of the steamer " Scotland,'' and on the im- frovement of Ogdensburg and Oswego harbors, n 1869 he served on the Wallabout channel and in the New York navy yard. In 1871 he was charged with the plans for docks in Chicago break- water, and from 1872 till December, 1875, was en- gaged in constructing harbors in the northwest. He was also superintending engineer on modifica- tions proposed for Michigan city harbor, Ind.. in July, and on the improvement of Fox and Wis- consin rivers in August, 1878. He became major of the corps of engineers on 7 March, 1867, lieu- tenant-colonel, 30 June, 1882, and since 1886 has been a member of the board of engineers for forti- fications and river and harbor improvements.

HOUSTON, George Smith, governor of Ala- bama, b. in Williamson county, Tenn., 17 Jan., 1811 ; d. in Athens, Limestone co., Ala., 17 Jan., 1879. At an early age he removed to Limestone county, Ala., where he studied law, and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1831. He practised with suc- cess, and served in the state legislature for two sessions. In 1836 he became state's attorney for the Florence judicial district, after which he served a second time in the legislature. He was elected as a Democrat to congress in 1841. and was so con- tinued by successive elections till 1849, when he resumed his law practice. In 1851 he was again elected to congress, serving on several important committees, and officiating as chairman of the committee on the judiciary and on that of ways and means. He was also a member of the special com- mittee of thirty-three. He retired in 1861, when Alabama seceded. He was a delegate to the Phila- delphia national union convention of 1866. In 1874 he was governor of Alabama.

HOUSTON, John, governor of Georgia, b. in Waynesboro, Ga., 31 Aug., 1744 ; d. at White Bluff, near Savannah, Ga., 20 July, 1796. He was a son of Sir Patrick Houston, and early distinguished in the revolutionary movement. In 1774 he was one of four citizens who called the first meeting of the Sons of Liberty in Savannah. This meeting, of which he was chairman, was held at the watch-house, where letters from the northern committees were read, and a committee to draft resolutions was appointed. On 15 June, 1775, he was sent as a representative to congress, where he was a member of the first naval committee. He was again a delegate to congress in 1776, and would have signed the Declaration of Independence had he not been called to Georgia in order to counteract the influence of Dr. Zubly, a delegate from that state, who had left his seat in congress to oppose the movement. On 8 May, 1777, he was made a member of the state executive council. While holding this office he co-operated with Gen. Robert Howe in an invasion of eastern Florida. When they arrived at the St. Mary's river, farther progress was prevented, and, as he was unwilling to relinquish the command of the Georgia militia to Gen. Howe, a misunderstanding arose, which was one of the causes of the failure of the expedition. On 8 Jan., 1778, he was elected governor of Georgia, which office he held again in 1784. In