Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/234

208 dication of the Argument a priori in Proof of the Being and Attributes of God, from the Objection of Dr. Waterland " (1825); "Review of Brown's Philosophy of the Human Mind" (1825); "A Vindication of the Fundamental Principles of Truth and Order in the Church of Christ," a reply to the views of Dr. Manning (1830); "An Examination of No. 90 of the Tracts for the Times " (1841). He also contributed to periodical literature on moral and metaphysical sciences.

BEASELEY, Nathaniel, pioneer, b. in 1751; d. in Knox co., Ohio, 27 March, 1835. He was a large and powerful man, a noted Indian fighter, and performed valuable services in the and  campaigns. He afterward settled in Chillicothe, Ohio, was a member of the general assembly in 1819-20 from Adams co., and senator from Brown in 1820-'2. He was also canal commissioner and major-general of militia.

BEATTY, Charles, clergyman, b. in county Antrim, Ireland, about 1715; d. in Bridgeton, Barbadoes, 13 Aug., 1772. While very young he sailed for America, and, with other passengers, was landed on Cape Cod in a nearly famished condition, the ship having run short of provisions. Making his way to the neighborhood of Philadelphia, he began peddling in the vicinity. On one of his excursions, he stopped at the “Log College” near Neshaminy, and fell into conversation with its founder, the Rev. William Tennent, who discovering that the young peddler had a classical education, and possessed the true missionary spirit, persuaded him to study for the ministery, and he was ordained on 13 Oct., 1742. He became pastor of the Presbyterian church at the forks of Neshaminy, Pa., 26 May, 1743. The Presbyterians were at that time divided into two factions, the “Strict” or “Old Side” and the “New Side,” and Mr. Beatty joined the former. He was associated with David Brainerd in some of his missionary labors among the Indians, and accompanied Franklin as chaplain on a military expedition to establish frontier posts in the northwest, in 1755. Franklin relates, in his account of the expedition, that, noting the punctual attendance of the soldiers when the daily allowance of grog was served out, and contrasting it with their dilatory attendance at the regular religious services, he suggested to the chaplain the expediency of serving this popular ration immediately after prayers. The chaplain thought the idea good, accepted the task, and, adds Franklin, “never were prayers more generally and punctually attended, so that I think this method preferable to punishment inflicted by severe military laws for non-attendance on divine services.” In 1766 Mr. Beatty made a prolonged missionary tour through the frontier settlements of Pennsylvania. Some of his sermons were printed, and he published the “Journal of a Two Months' Tour among the Frontier Inhabitants of Pennsylvania” (London, 1768), also a letter to the Rev. John Erskine, advocating the theory that the American Indians are the descendants of the lost Hebrew tribes. He was much interested in raising money for the struggling college of New Jersey (Princeton), and died of yellow fever while on a visit to Barbados with this object in view.

BEATTY, or BEATTIE, Erkuries, soldier, b. 9 Oct., 1759; d. in Princeton, N.J., 23 Feb., 1823. He was the son of, chaplain, to whom he owed his singular name, compounded from the Greek (Ε and κυρίος “from the Lord”). He was apprenticed to a resident of Elizabethtown, N.J., when the war for independence began, and enlisted at once. He served at the battle of Long Island under Lord Stirling, was acting sergeant at White Plains, and ensign of the 4th regiment of Pennsylvania line, 3 Jan., 1777. He was promoted 1st lieutenant 2 May, and was in battles of Brandywine, Germantown (where he was wounded), Monmouth, and Newtown, besides participating in the hardships of Valley Forge and the campaigns of Van Schaick and Sullivan. When the Pennsylvania line was reorganized after the mutiny of 1781, he went south with Gen. , joined Lafayette on the Rappahannock, fought at Jamestown (6 July, 1781), and was present at Yorktown and the surrender of Cornwalis. Until 3 Nov., 1783, he was on duty guarding prisoners at Lancaster, Pa., and was then mustered out of the service. After serving for a time as clerk in the war department, he was appointed 1st lieutenant in the regular army, 24 July, 1784. From 1786 until 1788 he was acting paymaster of the western army, and during the two years succeeding was in command at Fort St. Vincent (now Vincennes, Ind.). He was a major under Gen., but escaped the defeat of that officer 4 Nov., 1791, having been sent to Fort Jefferson with a detachment. He resigned from the army during Wayne's western campaign in 1793, and went to Princeton, N.J. His journal as paymaster of the western army was published in the “Magazine of American History,” vol. i., from the original manuscript in the possession of the New York Historical Society. Maj. Beatty had three brothers, all of whom were officers in the revolutionary army. - His son Charles Clinton Beatty, D.D., was the founder of the Steubenville, Ohio, female seminary, and president of the board of trustees of the Western Theological Seminary of Allegheny, Pa.

BEATTY, John, physician, b. in Bucks co., Pa., 19 Dec., 1749; d. in Trenton, N.J., 30 April, 1826. He was a son of Charles Beatty, was graduated at Princeton in 1769, studied medicine with the celebrated Dr. Rush, of Philadelphia, joined the army early in the war for independence, and in September, 1776, held the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Pennsylvania contingent. He was taken prisoner by the British at the capture of Fort Washington, N.Y., 17 Nov., 1776, and during his confinement suffered greatly in health, owing to harsh treatment. Having been exchanged early in 1778, he was appointed, 28 May, commissary-general of prisoners, with the rank of colonel, On 31 March, 1780, he resigned and settled as a physician at Princeton, N.J. He was a delegate to the continental congress in 1783-'5, served in both branches of the state legislature, was a delegate to the constitutional convention, and a member of congress in 1793-'5. From 1795 till 1805 he was secretary of state for New Jersey, and he was president of the Trenton bank in 1815-'26.

BEATTY, John, soldier, b. near Sandusky, Ohio, 16 Sept., 1828. He received a common-school education and entered on a business career in a banking-house at an early age. He took an active part in public affairs, and was identified with the free-soil party until it was merged with the republicans. In 1860 he was a republican presidential elector. In 1861 he enlisted as a private in the 3d Ohio infantry, and was appointed successively captain and lieutenant-colonel. He took part in the early western Virginia campaigns, became colonel in 1862, and commanded a brigade in the three days' fight at Stone river, 31 Dec., 1862, to 2 Jan., 1863. In 1863 he was commissioned brigadier-general and served through the Tennessee and Chattanooga campaigns. He was elected to the fortieth congress for the unexpired term of a