Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/33

Rh to ge-wo-haw, just at his pleasure." After the in- creasing iniluence of Jackson in Tennessee, which made it impossible for Crockett to be re-elected to congress, he joined the Texans in their struggle for independence, and, having performed various exploits, ended his adventurous life in the famous defence of the Alamo, where, as one of the six sur- vivors of a band of 140 Texans, he surrendered to Santa Anna, only to be massacred by that othcer's orders. An unauthorized account of Crockett's life, entitled " Sketches and Eccentricities of Colo- nel David Crockett " (Philadelphia, 1833), drew from him a characteristic autobiography (1834), and he also published a burlesque " Life of Van Buren, Heir- Apparent to the Government " (1835) ; and a " Tour to the North and Down East " (New York, 1835). See, also, " Crockett's Exploits in Texas " (New York, 1848) ; and " Life of Colonel David Crockett," by Edward S. Ellis (Philadel- phia). — His son, John W., b. in Trenton, Tenn. ; d. in Memphis, Tenn., 24 Nov., 1852, was a mem- ber of congress in 1837-'41. He was elected by the legislature attorney-general for the 9th dis- trict of Tennessee on 1 Nov., 1841, and afterward removed to New Orleans, where, on 22 May, 1848, he became associate editor of the " National."

CROES, John, P. E. bishop, b. in Elizabeth- town, N. J., 1 June, 1762; d. in New Brunswick, N. J., 26 July, 1832. His early years were occu- pied partly in mechanical pursuits and partly in efforts to acquire a classical education. During the Revolution he served as a sergeant and quarter- master, and after the war he opened a school in Newark, N. J., and studied for the ministry of the Episcopal church. He was ordained deacon by Bishop White in Philadelphia, 28 Eeb., 1790, and priest in March, 1792. He then became rector of Trinity church, Swedesborough, N. J., which place he held for twelve years. He was uniformly active and zealous in the service of the church, in both diocesan and general conventions. Dr. Croes be- came rector of Christ church. New Brunswick, in 1801, having in charge also a neighboring cliurch and an academy. He was elected bishop of New Jersey in the summer, and consecrated in Philadel- phia, 19 Nov., 1815. During the remainder of his life he gave himself to the duties of his high ofRce with conscientious devotion and fidelity. Bishop Croes published a few sermons and addresses.

CROFFUT, William Augustus, author, b. in Redding, Conn., 29 Jan., 1835. He received his education in the public schools of Orange, Conn. In 1861 he enlisted as a private in the U. S. army, and with a certain pride records that the warrant of a corporal is the highest military appointment he has ever held. He was a journalist before join- ing the army, and has been successively engaged upon the New Haven, Conn., " Palladium," the Rochester, N. Y., "Democrat," the St. Paul. Minn.. "Times," the Minneapolis "Tribune," the Chicago "Post," the New York " Graphic," "Tribune," and "World," and the Washington, D. C, "Post." He has twice visited Europe, and travelled through Mexico, Yucatan, Cuba, and Nova Scotia, and has been a voluminous correspondent of papers in most of the large cities of the west. He wrote the libretto of a comic opera entitled " Deseret." brought out in New York in 1882, for which Dud- ley Buck composed the music. The motive for this opera was drawn from life among the Mor- mons. He is the author of " The History of Con- necticut in the Rebellion " (New York, 1867) ; " A Helping Hand " (Cincinnati, 1868) ; " Bourbon Bal- lads," a popular series of political rhymes (New York, 1880) ; " A Midsummer Lark " (1882) ; and "The Vanderbilts" (1880). The "Midsummer Lark " is a humorous account of a tour through Europe, written in rhyme, but jjrinted for the most part in the form of prose.

CROGHAN, George, Indian agent, b. in Ire- land; d. in Passayunk, Pa., about August, 1782. He was educated in Dublin, and coming to this country settled near Harrisburg, Pa., and was an Indian trader there as early as 1746. Having ac- quired the confidence of the Indians and a knowl- edge of their languages, he became agent for the colony among them. He was a captain in Brad- dock's expedition in 1755, engaged in the defence of the western frontier in 1756, and in November was made deputy Indian agent for the Pennsylva- nia and Ohio Indians by Sir William Johnson, who, in 1763, sent him to England to confer with the ministry relative to an Indian boundary-line. While on a mission, in 1765, to pacify the Illinois Indians, he was attacked, wounded, and taken to Vincennes, but was soon released, and succeeded in accomplishing his mission. In May, 1766, he made a settlement four miles from Fort Pitt, and he continued thereafter to render valuable service in i)a(ifying the Indians and conciliating them to British interests until 1776.

CROGHAN, George, soldier, b. near Louis- ville, Ky., 15 Nov., 1791 ; d. in New Orleans, 8 Jan., 1849. His father was Maj. William Cro- ghan, of the Revolution, and his mother a sister of Gen. George Rogers Clark. He was graduated at William and Mary college in 1810, and, entering the army, was aide to Col. Boyd at the battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, and made captain in the 17th infantry, 12 March, 1812. He distinguished him- self under Harrison in the sortie from Fort Meigs, became his aide-de-camp, with the rank of major, 30 March, 1813, and, on the 1st and 2d of August following, conducted the memorable de- fence of Fort Stephenson, at Lower Sandusky, against Gen. Proctor, with an army of 500 regulars and 700 Indians. Maj. Croghan was brevetted lieu- tenant-colonelfor his gallantry on this occasion, and subsequently re- ceived from con- gress a gold med- al. He was made a lieutenant-colo- nel 21 Feb., 1814; upon the reduc- tion of the army at the close of the war, he was transferred to the 1st infantry. He resigned in 1817, was postmaster at New Orleans in 1824, and was ap- pointed inspect- or-general, with the rank of colo- nel, 21 Dec, 1825. In 1846 he joined

Taylor's army in Mexico, and served with credit at the battle of Monterey.—His son, George St. John, a Confederate officer, was fatally wounded at McCoy's Mills, W. Va., during Floyd's retreat from Cotton Hill, in December, 1861. Before his death he admitted to Gen. Benham, by whose soldiers he had been wounded, that he had fought on the wrong side. He invented a peculiar pack-saddle for mules, which had been successfully used