Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/729

Rh in Trinidad, and was cultivating his plantation, when the expedition of Cortes, which left San- tiago de Cuba in November, 1518, touched at that port. Leon then enlisted under Cortes and acted as one of his adjutants, and was greatly esteemed by him. When Diego Velazquez tried to take the command from Cortes, Leon declared in favor of the latter, and when Panfllo de Narvaez landed in Mexico in 1520, to depose Cortes, Leon was sent to arrange the matter, but the latter re- fused to enter into any settlement. Leon rendered valuable service in the assault on the position of Narvaez, 26 May, 1520, and after the victory of Cortes did all in his power to alleviate the suffer- ings of the wounded and the prisoners, inducing nearly all of the latter to join Cortes. On their return to Mexico they found that the Indians had revolted and besieged the Spanish quarter. Leon took part in the fighting from 20 June till 1 July, and when Cortes at last resolved to evacuate the city, during the night, Leon commanded the last division of the rear-guard, which was cut off be- fore accomplishing the retreat, and fell overpow- ered by superior numbers.

LEONARD, Agnes, author, b. in Louisville, Ky., 20 Jan., 1842. She was educated at Henry female college, Newcastle, Ky., of which her father, Dr. Oliver L. Leonard, was president. At the begin- ning of the civil war the family removed to Chicago, as the father favored the national cause, while the daughter remained a warm friend of the south. Miss Leonard married Dr. Simson E. Scanland, in 1868, and subsequently Samuel II. Hill. She began writing verses for the " Louisville Journal " at the age of thirteen, has contributed editorials to Chi- cago daily papers, edited the Chicago " Sorosis " in 1868, and" the " Chaffee Countv Times," Col., from 1880 till 1882, and has been associate editor of the " Dispatch," at Leadville, Col., in 1886-'?. She has gained note as a lecturer, and is the author of " Myrtle Blossoms " (Chicago, 1863) ; "Vanquished," a novel (New York, 1866) ; and " Heights and Depths " (Chicago, 1871).

LEONARD, George, jurist, b. in Massachusetts in 1698; d. there in 1778. He was descended from Henry Leonard, who, with his brother James, came from England and settled at Raynham, Mass.. in 1652. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and became a judge of the court of common pleas and probate. He was a member of the council in 1741, and chief justice in 1746. — His son, George, jurist, b. in Norton, Mass., 4 July, 1729 ; d. in Rayn- ham, Mass., 26 July, 1819, was graduated at Harvard in 1748, and the same year was appointed register of probate. He then studied law, was admitted to the bar, began practice in his native town, and be- came a member of the provincial house of represent- atives, a provincial councillor, and a judge of pro- bate. He was elected from Massachusetts to the 1st congress, and served from 4 March, 1789, till 3 March, 1791, and was again elected, serving from 7 Dec, 1795, till 3 March, 1797. He was afterward a judge of the court of common pleas, again a member of the state house of representatives, and was also a state senator. — The second George's cousin, Daniel, jurist, b. in Norton, Mass., 29 May, 1740; d. in London. England, 27 June, 1829. was the son of Col. Ephraim Leonard, a zealous Whig. Daniel was graduated at Harvard in 1760, became a member of the assembly, and at first supported the Whig cause with great eloquence and energy. But in 1774 he was one of the barristers and attor- neys that, in an address to Gov. Thomas Hutchin- son, approved the latter's course, and in the same year was appointed a " mandamus " councillor, but was not sworn into office. A mob having fired into his house, he took refuge in Boston, but left that city with his family in 1776, and accompanied the British army to Halifax. He was included in the banishment act of 1778 and in the conspiracy act of 1779. From Halifax he went to England, was afterward for many years chief justice of Bermuda, and finally resided ih London. He had a passion for cards, was fond of dress, and was the original of " Beau Trumps " in Mrs. Mercy Warren's politi- cal satire " The Group." He was the author of a series of papers signed " Massachusettensis," which present the best defence of the measures of the British government that appeared in this country. They were replied to by John Adams under the signature of " Novanglus." Both were reprinted, with a preface by Mr. Adams (Boston, 1819).

LEONARD, John Edwards, lawyer, b. in Ches- ter county, Pa., 22 Sept., 1845 ; d. in llavana, Cuba, 15 March, 1878. He was graduated at Harvard in 1867, and after a two years' course of study re- ceived the degree of LL. I), at Heidelberg. He be- gan the practice of law in Louisiana, soon became l district attorney, and was afterward a judge of the state supreme court. In 1876 he was elected to congress as a Republican, and in that body was made a member of the committee on the revision of the laws of the United States.

LEONARD, Levi Washburn, clergyman, b. in Bridgewater, Mass., 16 Jan., 1773; d." in Exeter, X. H„ 12 Dec, 1864. He was graduated at Har- vard in 1815, studied theology at Cambridge, and in 1820 was ordained pastor of the 1st Congrega- tional church in Dublin, N. II., where he remained thirty years. He contributed extensively to the secular and religious press, superintended the com- pilation of the " History of Dublin," and wrote a " Literary and Scientific Class-Book " (Keene, N. H.); "North American Spelling Book"; and "Sequel to Easy Lessons."

LEONARD, Nicholas Germain (lay-6-nar), au- thor, b. in Guadeloupe, W. I., in 1744; d. in Nantes, France, 26 Jan., 1793. He went to France at an early age, and was educated there. He displayed poetic talent, and published verses that had some reputation in their day. They brought him to the notice of the French minister Chauvelin, who ap- pointed him charge d'affaires at Liege. Here he composed the " Lettres de deux amans de Lyon," a romance which was very popular, and was trans- lated into English and Italian. He abandoned diplomacy, and returned to Guadeloupe, where he stayed several years, but went back to France in 1787, and published the fourth and best edition of his works (3 vols., Paris, 1787). This edition con- tains his " Voyage aux Antilles." A short time afterward he set out again for Guadeloupe with the title of lieutenant-general of the admiralty and vice-seneschal of the colony. He returned to France in 1792, and died on the day when he was about to embark again for his native island. Leo- nard was of an amiable character, but his melan- choly and listless temperament, though sometimes giving a certain charm to his works, exercised an unfortunate influence over his whole life. His nephew, Campenon, published a complete edition of his works (3 vols., Paris, 1798).

LEONARD, Richard, Canadian soldier, b. in England in 1780; d. near Niagara, Upper Canada, 31 Oct., 1833. He entered the British army as an ensign in 1796, became a lieutenant in 1797, and after serving in Ireland during the rebellion of 1798, joined Sir Ralph Abercrombie in the Mediterranean. He served during the campaign of 1801 in Egypt, and in 1803 in New Brunswick. In