Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/237

Rh siege operations at Vera Cruz (9 to 29 March, 1847), Cerro Gordo (April 17, 18), Contreras (Aug. 19, 20), Chapul tepee (Sept. 13), and city of Mexico (Sept. 13, 14), where he was twice wounded. Shortly afterward he was brevetted major. He attained the full rank of captain of engineers, 3 March, 1853, for fourteen years of continuous service as lieutenant. Returning to the United States, he was assigned to duty in the vicinity of New Orleans, superintending the construction and repair of fortifications in Mobile harbor and on the Mississippi river, also of harbor construction in Lake Pontchartrain, and as constructing engineer of the custom-house in New Orleans. His supervisory duties extended over the gulf coast from Florida to the Rio Grande. On 23 Jan., 1801, he was detailed as superintendent of the military academy at West Point, but held the place only a few days, resigning his commission 20 Feb., 18(31. This ends his record as a military officer of the United States. He at once offered his services to the southern confederacy, then organizing to resist the authority of the federal government, and was placed in command of the defences of Charleston, S. C. On the refusal of Maj. Robert Anderson to evacuate Fort Sumter, he opened fire soon after daylight on the morning of 12 April, 1861. After a cannonade of several hours, during which, according to the official reports, not a single life was lost on either side, Fort Sumter, with ammunition and provisions nearly exhausted, capitulated to Gen. Beauregard, and the garrison marched out with the honors of war. Beauregard was almost immediately ordered to Virginia, where he was practically in command at the battle of Bull Run (July 21), though superseded at the last moment by Gen. J. E. Johnston. Here he was again victorious. In the spring of 1862 he was ordered to Tennessee, as second in command to Gen. A. S. Johnston, and when that officer was killed at the battle of Shiloh, April G, Beauregard took command and nearly succeeded in routing the northern army. The next day, however, the federals having been re-enforced, he was compelled to retreat by Gen. Grant, falling back in good order to Corinth, Miss., where he made a successful defence until 29 May, when he evacuated the place, destroying all his stores, and retreating southward along the Mobile and Ohio railroad. Gen. Beauregard's health failed after this campaign, and he was on leave of absence until August, when, with the full rank of general, he was again placed in command at Charleston, which for a year and a half (Sept., 1862, till April, 1864) he defended against the formidable siege operations under Gen. Gillmore and Admirals Dupont and Dahlgren. In May, 1864, when Gen. Grant was closing in upon the approaches to Richmond, Beauregard re-enforced Lee, defeated Butler at Drury's Bluff, and held Petersburg against the federal advance. In October he was appointed commander of the military division of the west, and sent to Georgia to resist the march of the federals under Sherman. The attempt proved futile, and, joining forces with Gen. J. E. Johnston in North Carolina," he surrendered with that officer to Gen. Sherman in April, 1865. After the war he became president of the New Orleans, Jackson, and Mississippi railroad, adjutant-general of the state, and manager of the Louisiana state lottery. See "Military Operations of Gen. Beauregard in the War between the States, 1861-'5," by Col. Alfred Roman (New York, 1884). Gen. Beauregard is the author of "Principles and Maxims of the Art of War" (Charleston, 1863), and "Report of the Defence of Charleston" (Richmond, 1864).

BEAUREPAIRE-ROHAN, Henry de (bo-re-pair-ro-on′), Brazilian traveller, b. in Piauhy, Brazil, about 1818. He explored Paraguay in 1845-'6, visited Bonpland at Borja, and published &ldquo;Descripçâo de uma viagem de Cuyaba ao Rio de Janeiro&rdquo; (Rio, 1846). He was promoted in 1850 to the rank of major of engineers, and charged by the government with the exploration of central Brazil, and has since published several works on the geography and history of parts of that empire.

BEAVER, James Addams, soldier, b. in Millerstown, Perry co., Pa., 21 Oct., 1837. The founders of the family came from Alsace in 1740 &mdash; Huguenots seeking religious liberty in America. They settled in Chester co., Pa., and became leaders in the affairs of the infant commonwealth. They have furnished soldiers for every American war since the middle of the last century, and in times of peace have been among the most highly respected and influential families of the state. James was educated by his mother (his father having died in 1840) until 1846, when the family removed to Belleville, Mifflin co., and he was sent to school. In 1852 he entered Pine Grove academy, and in 1854 joined the junior class in Jefferson college, Cannonsburg, Pa. After graduation in 1856 he read law in the office of H. N. McAllister, at Bellefonte, Pa., and was taken into partnership by him almost as soon as he was of age. During this period of his life he joined a local military company &mdash; the &ldquo;Bellefonte Fencibles,&rdquo; under Capt. Andrew G. Curtin, afterward war governor of Pennsylvania. He made a thorough study of tactics, and, when the president called for volunteers to suppress the rebellion in 1861, he was second lieutenant of the company, which promptly marched for the defence of the national capital. On the organization of the 45th Pennsylvania volunteers, he became its lieutenant-colonel, and first saw active service in the neighborhood of Hilton Head and Port Royal, S. C. A new call for volunteers was issued in 1862, and Lieut-Col. Beaver was commissioned colonel of the 148th Pennsylvania volunteers, recruited in the vicinity of his home. He had by this time developed high qualities as a disciplinarian, and his men made it their boast that they were often mistaken for regulars. The regiment joined the army of the Potomac just after the battle of Fredericksburg, was assigned to Hancock's corps, and first met the enemy at the battle of Chancellorsville (2 and 3 May, 1863), where it held an advanced position, and lost very heavily, Col. Beaver being among the wounded. He had not recovered when the third call for troops was issued; but, at his own request, he was placed on recruiting service, in command of Camp Curtin. He was able to rejoin his regiment just before the battle of Gettysburg, but, still weak from his wound, was not permitted to take command during the fight. He led his regiment throughout the Wilderness campaign in May, 1864, and took part in the successful assault upon the confederate works at Spottsylvania Court-House, his regiment being among the first to scale the earthworks. At the battle of Cold Harbor (3 June, 1864) he was left in command of the brigade, Gen. Brooke being wounded, and later he was himself slightly wounded, but not disabled, and remained at his post during the rest of the day, holding an advanced position close to the enemy's works, and constantly under fire. On 16 June, 1864, he was again wounded while leading his brigade in the first assault upon the works at Petersburg. Returning to duty before his wound was fairly healed, he rode to the battle-field of Ream's Station in an ambulance, and