Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/351

Rh BORRE, Prudhomme de, general in the con- tinental army, b. in France. He was a French nobleman who volunteered, with other officers, to fight in the cause of American independence, and on 1 Dec, 177G, was commissioned by congress a brigadier-general, but resigned on 14 Dec, 1777.

BORRERO, Eusebio (bor-ray'-ro). South American soldier, b. in Cali, Colombia, in 1790; d. there in 1853. He entered the revolutionary army of New Granada in 1811, fought in the battle of Palace, which was the first in the campaign against Spain, and served during the whole war, being gradually promoted to the rank of general. After the establishment of the republic in New Granada, Borrero was several times a member of congress, where he distinguished himself as a parliamentary orator. In 1845 he was a candidate for the olfice of president of the republic.

BOSCAWEN, Edward, British admiral, b. in Cornwall, England, 19 Aug., 1711; d. near Guildford, 10 Jan., 1761. Pie was the third son of Hugh Boscawen, first Lord Falmouth, his mother being daughter of a sister of Marlborough. He entered the navy 3 April, 1726, became a lieutenant on 25 May, 1732, and was promoted to the rank of captain 12 March, 1737. Having specially distinguished himself at Portobello and Carthagena, he was promoted, in 1744, to the "Dreadnought," sixty guns, in which he took the "Medee" in the channel, 28 April, 1744. He signalized himself under Anson, at the battle off Cape Finisterre in 1747, where he was severely wounded, and. being made a rear-admiral, was despatched, in 1748, with a squadron to the East Indies. He failed in an attempt upon Pondicherry, but took Madras, and, on his return to England, became a member of the admiralty board in 1751. He sailed for North America in 1755, and in an action with a French squadron captured two ships of the line. In 1756 he became vice-admiral of the blue, and in 1758, in conjunction with Gen. Amherst, who commanded the land forces, reduced Louisburg and Cape Breton. In 1759, having charge of the Mediterranean fleet, he pursued the Toulon fleet under De la Clue through the straits of Gibraltar, and, overtaking it in Lagos bay, defeated it, taking three ships and burning two. He received the thanks of parliament, a pension of £3,000 a year, and the rank of general of marines. On his return to Spithead with 2,000 prisoners and his prizes, he received the freedom of the Scottish capital, and had many other marks of public regard conferred upon him. He was elected to parliament in 1741 for Truro, and served in that capacity until 1761. Lord Chatham said of him : " When I apply to other officers respecting any expedition I may chance to project, they always raise difficulties; Boscawen always finds expedients."

BOSOMWORTH, Thomas, clergyman. He came to America with Gen. Oglethorpe's regiment of Highlanders in 1736. About 1749 he married Mary Musgrove, or Mathews, a woman of the Creek nation, who had been twice widowed of white husbands. When the English first arrived, she had no especial influence with the Indians, but gradually came to be recognized by them as their queen. Gov. Oglethorpe gave her a yearly allowance of $500, in payment for her services as interpreter, and in order to retain her good-will. Bosoraworth and his wife settled upon a tract of land granted him by the crown, and ran heavily in debt to the surrounding planters for live stock and supplies. In the hope, apparently, of retrieving his fortunes, he persuaded his wife to assert her right at first to some of the coast islands, and afterward as hereditary sovereign to a large part of the Creek territory. The ambition of the claimants seemingly grew with their demands, and the "queen," prompted no doubt by her husband, assumed the title of an independent empress, disavowing all relations with Great Britain save such as might subsist between two sovereigns. She incited the powerful Creek nation to revolt, sent a messenger to Gov. Oglethorpe to notify him that she was coming to reclaim her own, and marched toward Savannah with a large body of armed Indians. The authorities could muster fewer than two hundred men in the town, but sent with haste for all available re-enforcements. A troop of horse, under Capt. Jones, met the savages outside the town and made them lay down their arms before entering the place. Then Bosomworth, in his canonical robes, with his queen by his side, marched to the parade, followed by the chiefs in order of rank, and a great number of warriors. They were received with distinguished courtesy, the militia firing a salute, and a long consultation was held by the authorities and the chiefs, the Bosomworths being excluded. By some means the Indians regained possession of their arms, and for a time the settlement was in imminent peril. But the authorities were able to seize and confine the Bosomworths, and employed agents to spread rumors among the Indians that the whole affair was a plot on the chaplain's part to secure means to pay his own personal debts. This course was for a time successfiU, and the watch upon the queen and her husband was imprudently relaxed, whereupon the mercurial savages were again stirred up to revolt, and seemingly a massacre of the whites might have begun at any moment. In this manner several days passed, and the English settlers were well-nigh worn out with constant guard-duty, while their women were in a state of distraction with the ceaseless terror of Indians yelling through the streets. More than once both sides grasped their arms, but some trifle turned the tide, and at last diplomacy and presents prevailed, and Mary was locked up under strict guard. Bosomworth was brought before the council, with a view to appealing to his reason, but he seized the opportunity to make an abusive speech, and had in turn to be removed by force. When the leaders were thus disposed of, the Indians were with difficulty persuaded to leave the town. After a period of confinement, Bosomworth perceived the folly of attempting to enforce his wife's claim, and, having made suitable apologies, he was liberated.

BOSSU N., French traveller, b. in Baigneux-les-Juifs about 1725. He was captain in the navy, and one of the first travellers to explore Louisiana. He made three journeys to this country, by order of his government, and published an account of his explorations, in two works, entitled "Nouveaux voyages aux Indes occidentales," etc. (Paris, 1768), which was translated into English by J. R. Foster, with the title, " Travels through that Part of North America formerly called Louisiana "(London, 1771), and translated also into Dutch and German: and "Nouveaux vovages dans l'Amerique septentrionale" (Paris. 1777).

BOSTWICK, David, clergyman, b. in New Milford, Conn.. 8 Jan., 1721; d. in New York city, 12 Nov., 1763. His ancestor, Arthur, emigrated from Cheshire, England, in 1668. David became a teacher in Newark academy, entered the ministry of the Presbyterian church, was first settled over a congregation in Jamaica, L. I., 9 Oct., 1745, and in May, 1756, transferred by the synod to the Presbyterian church in New York. His sermon on "Self disclaimed and Christ exalted" was pub-