Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/175

Rh in charge of the work. After making surveys for railroads in various parts of the country, he became interested in the manufacture of iron, and introduced several improvements, including the utilization of the waste gases from blast and other furnaces. In 1845-'52 he engaged in this manufacture in Maryland, and then built the New York &ldquo;Crystal Palace.&rdquo; He afterward became president of the New Jersey zinc company, built their works at Newark, and originated and successfully developed the manufacture of &ldquo;spiegel&rdquo; iron from the residue of the zinc ore. He then engaged in coal-mining, but failing health forced him to go to Europe, where he lived, most of the time in Paris, till his return to New York in 1885. He published a translation of the principal historical, political, and diplomatic writings of Machiavelli (4 vols., Boston, 1882).

DETRE, William, missionary, b. in France in 1664 ; d. in South America. He entered the Jesuit order, and obtained permission from his superiors to devote himself to the Indian missions. He was sent to South America either in 1701 or 1700, where his zeal and ability attracted attention, and he was made superior-general and visitor of all the mis- sions on the Amazon for over an extent of more than 3,000 miles. As soon as he had made himself thoroughly familiar with the Inca, or Quichua, the most common language in that country, he suc- ceeded in translating the catechism into eighteen languages spoken by the tribes under his jurisdic- tion. He was appointed rector of the College of Cuenga in 1727. He is said to have died at an ad- vanced age, but the date is not given. He sent to Europe the celebrated map of the Amazon, drawn by Father Fritz, who died in his arms. He left an interesting " Uelation," written in 1731, giving curious details about the savage tribes that dwell on Ihe banks of the Amazon. It is inserted in the 23d volume of the " Lettres edifiantes."

DE TROBRIAND, Philippe Regis, soldier, b. near Tours, France, 4 June, 1816 : d. in Bayport. L. I., 15 July, 181)7. His full name and title were Philippe Regis Denis de Keredern, Baron de Trobriand ; but, on becoming an American citizen, he modified the name and dropped the title. His early education was for a military career.' He studied at the Col- lege Saint Louis in Paris, the college of Rouen, where his father was in command, and the college of Tours ; but the revolution of 1830 changed his pi'ospects, and he was graduated at the University of Orleans as bachelier-es-lettres in 1834, and at Poitiers as licencie-en-droit in 1888. He came to the United States in 1841, edited and published the " Revue du nouveau monde " in New York in 1.849-'50, and was joint editor of the " Courrier des Etats-Unis " in 1854-'61. On 28 Aug. of the last- named year he entered the National army as colonel of the 55th New York regiment. Pie was engaged at Yorktown and Williamsburg, commanded a bri- gade of the 3d army corps in 1862-'3, and was at Fredericksburg. Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. He was made brigadier-general of volunteers in January, 1864, and commanded the defences of New York city from May till June of that year. As commander of a brigade in the 2d army corps he was at Deep Bottom, Petersburg, Hatcher's Run, and Five Forks, and was at tlie head of a division in the operations that ended in Lee's sur- render. For his services in this campaign he was brevetted major-general of volunteers on 9 April, 1865. He entered the regular army as colonel of the 31st infantry on 28 July, 1866, was brevetted brigadier-general, U. S. army, 2 March, 1867, and commanded the district of Dakota in August of that year. He was transferred to the 13th infantry on 15 March, 1869, and commanded the district of Montana, and afterward that of Green River. He was retired at his own recjuest, on account of age, on 20 Marcli, 1879, and thereafter resided in New Orleans, La. He published " Les gentilshommes de I'ouest," a novel (Paris, 1841), and " Quatre ans de campagnes a I'armee du Potomac " (2 vols., Paris et Bruxelles, 1867).

DEUXPONTS, Christian, Comte de Forbach des, b. in Deuxponts, Bavaria. 20 Oct., 1752. He became colonel of the Royal Deux-Ponts French regiment in 1775, served with Rochambeau in this country in 1780-'3, and was distinguished at York- town. He afterward commanded the Bavarian corps at Hohenlinden in 1800, and received the grand cross of the order of .Maximilian Joseph for his gallantry. — His bi-other, William, b. 18 June, 1754 ; d. sixteen years before his lirother, became lieutenant-colonel of his brother's regiment, 2 Oct., 1779, and was wounded in the attack on the re- doubt at Yorktown, on the night of 14 Oct., 1781. For his services there he was made by the king of France a chevalier of the military order of St. Louis, and was mentioned particularly in Baron Viomesnil's report to Rochambeau. He afterward held the honorable post of commander of the pal- ace guard at the Bavarian court. Col. Trumbull's painting of the surrender of Cornwallis, in the ro- tunda of the capitol at Washington, contains a portrait of Count des Deuxponts. He left in manu- script " Mes campagnes d'Amerique," whicii was found on a Paris book-stall in 1867 by Dr. Samuel Abbott Green, and published by him, with an Eng- lish translation and notes (Boston, 1868).

DE YACA, Cabeza. See Cabeza de Vaca.

DEVENS, Charles, jurist, b. in Charlestown, Mass., 4 April. 1820; d. in Boston. 7 Jan., 1891. He was graduated at Harvard in 1838, studied in the law-school at Cambridge, and practised from 1841 till 1849. He was a member of the state senate from that county in 1848 and 1849. From 1849 till 1853 he held the office of U. S. marshal for the district of Massachusetts. During this period Thomas Sims was remanded as a fugitive slave, and Mr. Devens, in obedience to what he considered the exigencies of his office, caused the process to be executed. After the rendition he endeavored, through the Rev. L. A. Grimes, in 1855, to obtain the freedom of Sims, offering to pay whatever sum was necessary for the purpose, but the effort was fruitless. At a later period, hearing that Mrs. Lydia Maria Child was making applications for money to purchase the freedom of Sims, Mr. Devens addressed her a letter requesting the return of the sums she had collected for this purpose, and that she allow him the privilege of paying the whole sum. To this Mrs. Child assented ; but, before the affair could be arranged, the war rendered negotiation impossible. Sims was eventually liberated by the progress of the National armies, was pecuniarily aided by Mr. Devens in establishing himself in civil life, and at a later period appointed by him, while attorney-general of the United States, to an appropriate place in the department of justice. In 1854 Mr. Devens resumed the practice of law in Worcester. On 19 April, 1861, he accepted the office of major, commanding an independent battalion of rifles, with which he served three months, and in July was appointed colonel of the 15th Massachusetts volunteers. With this regiment he served until April, 1862. and was wounded in the battle of Ball's Bluff. He was made brigadier-general in 1862, commanded a brigade during the Peninsular campaign, was disabled by a wound at