Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/299

Rh fair at Lyons Creek, U. C, 19 Oct., 1814; in May, 1815, became colonel of the 1st infantry, with the brevet of brigadier-general, and was transferred to the 2d artillery on 16 Jan., 1826.

BISSELL, Josiah Wolcott, engineer, b. in Rochester, N. Y., 12 May, 1818. He was the son of Josiah Bissell, an early settler of Rochester, N. Y., who employed his wealth, derived from land speculations, for benevolent objects, and who established a line of stage-coaches that did not run on Sundays. He was engaged before the civil war in banking, and in architectural and engineering work. During the war he was colonel of an engineer regiment attached to Gen. Pope's army, and superintended the construction of the canal that enabled the national gun-boats to approach the confederate works on Island No. 10 in Mississippi river. After his return to civil life he took a prominent part in the enterprise of collecting and indexing records of real estate titles, so as to simplify searches, and was engaged in that work in Cincinnati, and afterward in Boston.

BISSELL, Simon B.„ naval officer, b. in Vermont, 28 Oct.. 1808; d. in Paris, France, 18 Feb., 1883. He became a midshipman in the U. S. navy 6 Nov., 1824, and was promoted to be a lieutenant 9 Dec, 1887; commander, 14 Sept., 1855; captain, 16 July, 1862: commodore, 10 Oct., 1866. He was attached to the sloop "Albany" during the war with Mexico, and was present at the siege of Vera Cruz. He commanded the sloop "Cyane," Pacific squadron, in 1861-'2; was on duty in the navy-yard at Mare island. Cal., in 1863-'4; commanded the sloop-of-war "Monongahela" in 1866-'7; was on special service in 1869; and was placed on the retired list on 1 March, 1870.

BISSELL, William H., statesman, b. in Hartwick, near Cooperstown, N. Y., 25 April, 1811; d. in Springfield, Ill., 18 March, 1860. Pie was self-educated, attending school in summer and teaching in the winter; was graduated at Philadelphia medical college in 1835, and practised medicine two years in Steuben co., N. Y., and three years in Monroe co., Ill. He was elected to the Illinois legislature in 1840, and distinguished himself as a forcible and ready debater. He studied law, and practised successfully in Belleville, St. Clair co., and became prosecuting attorney in 1844. He was a captain in the 2d Illinois volunteers in the Mexican war, and distinguished himself at Buena Vista. He was a representative in congress from Illinois as an independent democrat, serving from 2 Dec, 1839, till 3 March, 1845. He separated from the democratic party on the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and was chosen governor as a republican in 1856. He was re-elected, and died in office. While he was in congress his resistance of the Missouri compromise involved him in a controversy with the southern democrats, and hot words passed between him and Jefferson Davis on the subject of the bravery of the northern as compared with the southern soldiers, which led to a challenge from Mr. Davis. In accepting the challenge to a duel, Mr. Bissell chose as the weapons muskets, at thirty paces, whereupon the friends of Mr. Davis interfered.

BISSELL, William Henry Augustus, P. E. bishop, b. in Randolph, Vt.. 14 Nov., 1814; d. in Burlington, Vt., 14 May, 1893. He was graduated at Vermont university in 1836, and was ordained deacon 29 Sept., 1839, and priest in August, 1840. He was rector of Trinity church, West Troy, N. Y., in 1841-0; of Grace church. Lyons, N. Y., in 1845- '8; and of Trinity church, Geneva, N. Y., in 1848-'68. He was elected bishop of Vermont, and consecrated in Christ's church, Montpelier, in 1868.

BIXBY, John Munson, lawyer, b. at Fairfield, Conn., in February, 1800 ; d. in New York, 22 Nov., 1876. He studied law in Wilkesbarre, Pa., and began practice in New York city. After nearly thirty years' practice in New York city, he retired in 1849. He married a cousin of Edgar Allan Poe, and was the author of two novels, "Standish, the Puritan" (New York, 1850), and "Overing, or the Heir of Wycherly" (1852), both of which were published under the pen-name of E. Grayson. After his retirement he invested in real estate on Fifth avenue, Thirty-ninth street, and Broadway, which increased greatly in value. His estate was estimated after his death at $1,800,000.—His only son, Robert F., receives an annual ground-rent" from the union league club of a larger amount than his father paid for the property on which the edifice is erected, on Fifth avenue.

BLACK, James, candidate for president of the U. S., b. in Lewisburg, Pa., 23 Sept., 1823 ; d. 16 Dec, 1893. He was educated at Lewisburg academy, was admitted to the bar in 1846, and practised in Lancaster. He joined a temperance society in 1840, aided in organizing the sons of temperance in Lancaster city in 1846, and in 1852 was chairman of a county committee appointed to secure the election of members of the legislature favorable to the enactment of a prohibitory liquor-law in Pennsylvania. He took a leading part in the organization of the good templars, was the delegate that presented to President Lincoln in 1864 the memorial praying for the abolition of the whiskey ration, and was the author of the " cider tract." In February. 1867, as chairman of the committee on resolutions in a temperance convention held in Harrisburg, he first advanced the proposition to form a distinct temperance party. He became president of the Pennsylvania state temperance union, organized at the same convention, was one of the committee that called a national convention to organize a prohibition party, and was elected president of the convention, which met in Chicago, 1 Sept., 1869. The nominating convention that was held in Columbus, Ohio, on 22 Feb., 1872, made him the first nominee of the party for president of the United States, the Rev. John Russell, of Michigan, receiving the nomination for vice-president. The ticket received 5,608 votes at the polls. In 1876 he was chairman of the executive committee of the party, then called the national prohibition reform party. Mr. Black was originator of the scheme to establish a temperance publication society, and drew up the constitution of the national temperance society and publication house. He is the author of "Is there a Necessity for a Prohibition Party?" (Philadelphia, 1876); "A History of the Prohibition Party" (1880); and "The Prohibition Party" (1885).

BLACK, James Rush, physician, b. near Glasgow, Scotland, 3 March. 1827. His education was received at Granville College (now Dennison University), Ohio Medical College, and the medical department of the University of New York, where he received hie degree in 1849. He resided first in Milwaukee, Wis., and then in Ohio, at Linville and Cambridge, settling in Newark, Ohio, in 1863. During the civil war he was surgeon of the 113th Ohio infantry, and afterward medical director on Gen. Gilbert's staff. He has since devoted his attention chiefly to tetiology and hygiene, and in 1876 was called to fill the chair of hygiene at Columbus Medical College. He is a member of numerous medical societies, including the American Medical Association and the Ohio State Medical Society. Dr. Black has written for the medical and scientific journals, and is the author of " Ten Laws of