Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/797

Rh power of the civil authority in religious matters, and carried on a famous controversy on the sub- ject with Roger Williams. Mr. Cotton introduced into New England the custom of keeping the Sab- bath, from evening to evening. A tablet to his memory, with a Latin inscription by Edward Ever- ett, was erected in 1857 in St. Botolph's church, Boston, England, chiefly by contributions from his descendants in Boston, Mass. Cotton was a volu- minous writer, being the author of nearly fifty books, all of which were sent to London for pub- lication. Soon after reaching New England he drew up, by request of the general court, an ab- stract of the laws of Moses for use in the colony. This was published, though not adopted; but "a revision of the abstract, supposed to be the joint work of Cotton and Sir Henry Vane, was adopted and printed (London, 1641), Of his other works, some of the most important are " Set Forms of Prayer" (1042); "The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Power Thereof," giving his theo- cratic ideas of government (1644) ; " The Bloody Tenent Washed and made White in the Blood of the Lamb," one of his letters to Roger Williams, who had charged him with holding a '• bloody tenent of persecution" (1647); and the famous catechism whose full title reads, " Milk for Babes, drawn out of the Breasts of both Testaments, chiefly for tlie Spiritual Nourishment of Boston Babes in either England, but may be of use for any Children " (London, 1046). Two of his tracts relating to Roger Williams, edited by Reuben A. Guild, were published by the Narragansett club (1800). See Mather's " Magnalia " and Norton's "Life and Death of Mr. John Cotton" (London, 1648 ; new ed., with notes by Prof. Enoch Pond, Boston, 1834). — His son, Seaborn, b. at sea in August, 1633 ; d. 19 April, 1080, was graduated at Harvard in 1651, and was minister at Hamjaton, N. H., from 1660 till his death.— Another son, John, b. in Boston, 13 March, 1640 ; d. in Charles- ton, S. C, 18 Sept, 1699, was graduated at Harvard in 1657. He was minister for thirty years in Plym- outh, Mass., and afterward in Charleston, S. C. He was eminent for his acquaintance with the Lidian language, frequently preached to the abo- rigines at Martha's Vineyard and Plymouth, and revised and corrected the whole of Eliot's Indian Bible (Cambridge, 1685). — Josiah, son of the second John, b. 8 Jan., 1680; d. 19 Aug., 1756, was gradu- ated at Harvard in 1698. He studied theology, taught in Marblehead and Plymouth, and, though not ordained over any church, preached occasion- ally for several years. He also gave his attention to agriculture, having a good farm in Plymouth. Having acquired considerable knowledge of the Indian language, he visited various tribes in Plym- outh colony as a missionary during nearly forty years, receiving a salary of £20 from the commis- sioners for propagating the gospel. He was also clerk of the county court, and register of probate. He prepared a vocabulaiy of the language of the Massachusetts Indians (" Massachusetts Historical Collections," vol. ii.. 3d series).

COUCH, Darins Nash, soldier, b. in South East, N. Y., 23 July, 1822 ; d. in Norwalk, Conn., 12 Feb., 1897. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy, and assigned to the artillery, with which he served in the Mexican war, gaining the brevet of first lieutenant, 23 Feb., 1847, for gallant conduct at Buena Vista. He received his full commission on 4 Dec, served against the Seminoles in 1849-'50, and in 1853, when on leave of absence, made an exploring expedition into Mexico, which is thus mentioned in the U. S. senate reports of "Explorations and Surveys for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean " (1853-'6), vol. ix.: "Should there be two species, and the smaller not named, I shall propose to call it C. Couchii, in honor of its indefatigable discoverer, Lieut. D. M. Couch, who, at his own risk and cost, undertook a journey into northern Mexico, when the country was swarming with bands of marauders, and made large collections in all branches of zoology, which have furnished a great amount of information re- specting the natural history of our borders, and the geographical distribution of vertebrata gener- ally." Lieut. Couch wrote an account of his expe- dition, entitled " Notes of Travel," but it is still in manuscript. He resigned on 30 April, 1855, was a merchant in New York city in 1855-'7, and en- gaged in manufacturing at Norton, Mass., from 1858 till 15 June, 1861, when he became colonel of the 7th Massachusetts volunteers. He was made brigadier-general of volunteers in August, his com- mission dating from 17 May, and on the reorgani- zation of the Army of the Potomac was assigned a division in Gen. Keyes's corps, with which he distinguished himself at Fair Oaks, Williamsburg, and Malvern Hill. He was promoted to major- general on 4 July, 1862, commanded a division in the retreat from Manassas to Washington, 30 Aug. to 2 Sept., and took part in the battle of Antietam in Franklin's corps. He was soon after- ward in command of the 2d army corjDS, and took a prominent part in Burnside's operations at Fredericksburg, and Hooker's at Chancellorsville. From 11 June, 1863, till 1 Dec, 1864, he command- ed the Department of the Susquehanna, and was engaged in organizing Pennsylvania militia to re- sist Lee's invasion of July, 1863. He was at the head of the 2d division of the 23d army corps from December, 1864, till May, 1865, was at the battle of Nashville, and took part in the opera- tions in North Carolina, in February, 1865, to ef- fect a junction with Schofield, He resigned on 26 May, 1865, and was the unsuccessful democratic candidate for governor of Massachusetts. He was collector of the port of Boston from 1 Oct., 1866, till 4 March, 1807, when the failure of the senate to confirm his appointment forced him to vacate the office. He became president of a Virginia mining and manufacturing company in 1807, but subsequently removed to Norwalk, Conn., was quartermaster-general of the state of Connecticut in 1877-'8. and adjutant-general in 1883-'4.

COUDIN, Robert, soldier, b. in Jamaica, Vt., 18 Sept., 1805 ; d. in Boston, Mass., 9 July, 1874, His grandfather, Thomas Coudin, held a military commission imder George II. Robert was educated in his native town, and in 1825 came to Boston, where he engaged in the lumber business. Before the civil war he was colonel of the old 2d Massachusetts militia regiment. He was commissioned colonel of the 1st Massachusetts volunteers on 25 May, 1861, and left for the seat of war on 15 June. His was the first regiment that volunteered " for three years or the war." Among the battles in which Col. Coudin took part were Bull Run, Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Glendale, Malvern Hill, and Chantilly. At the battle of Bull Run, his horse being shot under him, he marched at the head of his men, loading and firing with them. For bravery at Williamsburg he was recommended for promotion by Gen. Hooker, and received his brigadier-general's commission on 26 Sept., 1862. His appointment expired on 4 March, 1803. At the close of the war he became captain of the "Ancient and honorable artillery company" of Boston, and was director of various public insti-