Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/415

Rh Erastus, journalist, b. in Portland, Me., 31 Jan., 1815 : d. in West New Brighton. Staten island. 25 Nov, 1886. When eight years old he was clerk for a Boston grocer, who taught him to sand the sugar and water the milk. He afterward became a printer, and edited and published a newspaper, called the " Yankee," at Wiscasset, Me., acting as his own compositor, press-boy, and carrier. Leading arti- cles, essays, and stories were composed as he set the types, without the intervention of manuscript. In addition to this work he began to prepare him- self for college, teaching school at the same time. After studying for some time at Brown, he took charge of a grammar school at Haverhill, Mass., and at the same time became editor and part proprietor of the Haverhill " Gazette," which he finaly sold to John G. Whittier. In 1830 he was engaged as Washington correspondent of the New York " Daily Advertiser," and of several New Eng- land papers, and in the same year became joint editor and proprietor, with his brother, of the New York " Express," retaining the place until 1877. He acted as Washington correspondent of the " Express " during sixteen successive sessions of congress, and in 1843 went abroad as one of its foreign correspondents. He was elected to the New York state senate in 1853, and again in 1855. His support of the bill divesting Roman Catholic bishops of the title to church property in real es- tate involved him in a controversy with Arch- bishop Hughes, which was afterward published in two rival volumes (New York, 1855). In 1856 he was nominated for governor of New York by the American party, but was not elected, though lead- ing his party vote by several thousand. He sub- sequently joined the democratic party. He was a delegate to the State constitutional convention in 18(>7, and in 1871 was a}ipointed a member of the constitutional commission. In 1878, 1879, and 1881 he was elected to the assembly, and in each of these years was the democratic candidate for speaker, and the leading democratic member on the committee of ways and means. In May, 1880, Mr. Brooks became a member of the State board of health. In April, 1886, he delivered before the New York legislature, by its invitation, a eulogy on his friend Horatio Seymour.

BROOKS, John, governor of Massachusetts, b. in Medford, Mass., 31 May, 1752 ; d. 1 March, 1825. His early life was spent on his father's farm, and at the age of fourteen he was api^renticed to Dr. Simon Tufts, under whose tuition he remained seven years. At this time he formed an intimacy with his fellow-student Benjamin Thompson, afterward Count Rumford, and they continued friends through life. After settling at Reading as a physician, he undertook to drill a company of minute-men, was present with them at the battle of Lexington, and received, soon afterward, the commission of major. He assisted in fortifying Breed's Hill on the evening of 16 June, 1775, but was not present at the battle on the 17th, being sent on foot with a despatch from Col. Prescott to Gen. Ward. In 1777 he was made lieutenant- colonel of the 8th Massachusetts regiment, which was chiefly raised by himself, and in the expedition for the relief of Fort Stanwix, in August of that year, suggested a successful stratagem for dispers- ing the Indians. In the battle of Saratoga he stormed and carried the German intrenchments at the head of his regiment. Becoming colonel in 1778, he was associated with Baron Steuben in the introduction of a system of tactics, and acted as adjutant-general at the battle of Monmouth. During the Newburg conspiracy of 1783 Col. Brooks was a faithful adherent of Washington, After the war he returned to the practice of his profession in Medford, and was for many years major-general of militia. In 1788 he was a mem- ber of the state convention that ratified the fed- eral constitution. Washington ap- pointed him mai"- shal of the district and inspector of the revenue in 1795, and from 1812 till 1815 he was adjutant-gen- eral of the state. He was elected governor in 1816, and re-elected sev- en years in suc- cession, finally de- clining to be again a candidate. In 1816 Harvard gave him the degrees of LL. D, and M. D. He bequeathed his library to the State medical so- ciety, of which he was president from 1817 till his death. Gov. Brooks published aif oration deliv- ered before the Society of the Cincinnati (1787), a discourse before the humane society (1795), a eulogy on Washington (1800), and a discourse on pneumonia (1808).

BROOKS, Joseph, clergyman, b. in Buthr co., Ohio, 1 Nov., 1821 ; d. in Little Rock, Ark., 30 April, 1877. He was graduated at Indiana Asbury university, and in 1840 entered the Methodist min- istry. He removed to Iowa in 1846, and in 1856 became editor of the St. Louis " Central Christian Advocate," the only anti-slavery paper published on slave soil west of the Mississippi. When the civil war began, he became chaplain of the Isfc Missouri artillery. Col. Frank P. Blair's regiment. He afterward aided in raising the 11th and 33d Missouri regiments, and was transferred to the latter as chaplain. Early in the war Mr. Brooks urged the enlistment of colored troops, and, when it was decided to employ them, he was ofl:ered a major-general's commission if he would raise a division, but he declined. He afterward became chaplain of the 3d Arkansas colored infantry. After the war Mr. Brooks became a planter in Ar- kansas, and was a leader in the State constitutional convention of 1868. During the presidential can- vass of that year an attempt was made to assas- sinate Mr. Brooks and Congressman C. C. Hines, which resulted in the death of the latter and the wounding of Mr. Brooks. He removed to Little Rock in the autumn of 1868, and was elected state senator in 1870. In 1872 he was a candidate for governor, and, when his opponent was declared to be elected by the legislature, he claimed that the election was fraudulent, and, relying on the de- cision of a state court in his favor, took forcible Possession of the state-house, 13 April, 1874, and eld it till dispossessed by proclamation of Presi- dent Grant, 23 May, 1874. (See Baxter, Elisha.) Mr. Brooks was appointed postmaster at Little Rock in March, 1875, and held the office till his death. He was a man of great will-power and a strong speaker.

BROOKS, Kendall, educator, b. in Roxbury, Mass., 3 Sept., 1821. He was graduated at Brown in 1841, and was tutor in Columbian university,