Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/168

144 schools ; some of them appeared under her own name or initials, some under that of " Aunt Hat- tie," but most of them under her pen-name. They include the " Home Life," " Silver Lake," " Golden Spring," " Leslie Stories," " Brookside," and " Tim " series, the latter containing the popular tale of " Tim, the Scissors-Grinder."

BAKER, Benjafnin Franklin, musician, b. in Weuham, Mass., 10 July, 1811; d. in Boston, 11 March, 1889. He studied music, for eight years was musical director in Dr. Channing's church in Boston, and in 1841 he inaugurated a series of suc- cessful musical conventions. From 1842 to 1848 he was superintendent of musical instruction in the grammar schools, and met 8,000 pupils a week. He introduced music into the public schools of Lowell and Lawrence, became editor of the Boston " Musical Journal," and, from its foundation in 1857, was principal of the Boston music school.

BAKER, Daniel, soldier, b. about 1775 ; d. in Detroit, Mich., 10 Oct., 1886. He was appointed ensign of the IGth infantry 8 Jan., 1799, was made adjutant in 1802, captain in 1812, and the same year was brevetted major for gallantry in the dis- astrous affair at Brownstown, Mich. (5 Aug., 1812), known as Van Home's defeat. Recovering from the wounds received at that time, he was promoted to be major 15 Ajiril, 1814, and was in the engage- ment at Lyon's Creek, 19 Oct., 1814. After the war of 1812 he was promoted lieutenant-colonel of the 6th infantry, and commanded that regiment at the battle of the Bad Axe river, in the Black Hawk war, 1 Aug., 1832.

BAKER, Daniel, clergyman, b. in Midway, Liberty co., Ga., 17 Aug., 1791 ; d. in Austin, Texas, 10 Dec, 1857. He was graduated at Prince- ton in 1815, studied theology in Winchester, and on 5 March, 1818, was ordained pastor of the Pres- byterian church in Harrisburg, Va. This charge he resigned in 1821, and soon afterward went to Washington, D. C, where he remained until 1828. He gained such a reputation as an effective preacher that his services were in demand as a revivalist. After 1830 he continued as an evangelist, travel- ling in the south, and at last settled in Austin, Texas, where he founded a college and became its first president. Among his published works are " A Scriptural View of Baptism " ; '• An Affectionate Address to Mothers," and one to " Fathers " ; " Bap- tism in a Nutshell," and " Revival Sermons." His memoirs, prepared by his son, were published in Philadelphia in 1859.

BAKER, David Jewett, lawyer, b. in East Haddam. Conn., 7 Sept., 1792; d.'in Alton, HI., 6 Aug., 1869. In his boyhood he worked on a farm, but secured a classical education, was graduated at Hamilton college in 1816, and was admitted to the bar in 1819. He began practice in Kaskaskia, 111., attained a high position in the state bar, and was made probate judge of Randolph co., although he so strenuously opposed the introduction of slavery into the state that his life was threatened. In 1830-'l he was U. S. senator, and carried through congress the important measure of selling the public lands to actual settlers m tracts of forty acres. He was U. S. district attorney for Illinois from 1833 to 1841, and afterward resumed the practice of law.

BAKER, Edward Dickenson, soldier, b. in London, England, 24 Feb., 1811 ; killed at the bat- tle of Ball's "Bluff, 21 Oct., 1861. He came to the United States at the age of five with his father, who died in Philadelphia while Edward was yet a youth. The boy supported himself and his younger brother by working as a weaver, and occuijied his leisure hours in study. Impelled to seek his for- tune in the far west, he removed with his brother to Springfield, 111., where he studied and soon be- gan the practice of law. His genius for oratory rai^idly gained hini distinction and popularity, and. entering the political field as a whig, he was elected a member of the legislature in 1837, of the state sen- ate in 1840, and representative in congress in 1844. When the Mexican war began he raised a regiment in Illinois and marched to the Rio Grande. Tak- ing a furlough to s})eak and vote in favor oi the war in the house of rep- resentatives, he returned and overtook his regiment on the march from Ve- ra Cruz. He fought with dis- tinction in ev- ery action on the route to Mex- ico, and after the wounding of Gen. Shields at Cerro Gordo commanded the brigade and led it during the rest of the war.

On his return to Galena, 111., he was again elected to congress, serving from 3 Dec. 1849, fill 3 March, 1851 ; but, becoming intei'ested in the Panama rail- road, he declined a renomination in 1850. In 1851 he settled in San Francisco, where he took rank as the leader of the California bar and the most eloquent orator in the state. The death of Sena- tor Broderick, who fell in a duel in 1859, was the occasion of a fiery oration in the public square of San Francisco. He received a republican nomi- nation to congress, but failed of election. Remov- ing to Oregon, he was elected to the U. S. senate in 1860 by a coalition of republicans and Douglas democrats. The firing upon Fort Sumter prompt- ed him to deliver a passionate address in Union square. New York, in which he pledged his life and his declining strength to the service of the union. He raised the California regiment in New York and Philadelphia, but declined a commission as general of brigade. In the disastrous assault at Ball's Bluff he commanded a brigade, and, exposing" himself to the hottest fire, fell mortally wounded while leading a charge.

BAKER, George Augustus, painter, b. in New York city in 1821; d. there, 2 April, 1880. His artistic education was begun by his father, an artist of merit, and his first professional years were devoted to the then popular miniatures on ivory; but he soon became a portrait painter of rare excellence, his favorite subjects being women and children. In 1844 he went to Europe and spent two years in study. Returning to New York, he opened a studio, and soon ranked among the best portrait painters of the time. He was elected a member of the national academy of design in 1851. During the last twenty-five years of his life he had few rivals. His portraits are characterized by a wonderful richness of coloring and a life-like rendering of flesh-tints. They are chiefly in private collections. The best known of his ideal works are "Love at First Sight," "Wild Flowers," "Children of the Wood," "Faith," and "The May Queen." — His son, George.