Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/570

540 When captain of the " Sea," he took over the last presidential message ever carried by a sailing vessel. He was afterward commander of the steamers " Colorado " and " Minnesota." The latter took fire in mid-ocean, and after twelve houi's' heroic exertion, in which Capt. Freeman distinguished himself, the flames were subdued.

FREEMAN, George Washington, P.E. bishop, b. in Sandwich, Mass., 13 June, 1789 ; d. in Little Rock, Ark., 29 April, 1858. His early manhood was spent in secular occupation, but he afterward went to North Carolina and studied for the ministry of the Protestant Episcopal church. He was or- dained deacon in Christ church, Raleigh, N. C, by Bishop Ravenscroft, 8 Oct., 1826, and priest in Christ church, Newbern, N. C, 20 May, 1827, by the same bishop. For two years he served as mis- sionary in the diocese of North Carolina. In 1829 he was elected rector of Christ church, Raleigh, which office he filled until 1840. He then removed to Columbia, Tenn., and thence, a year later, to Swedesborough, N. J. After a short stay in the latter place, he accepted a call to become rector of Immanuel church, Newcastle, Del. He was soon afterward elected missionary bishop of Arkansas and the Indian territorv, and was consecrated in St. Peter's church, Philadelphia, 26 Oct., 1844. He received the degree of D. D. from the University of North Carolina in 1839.

FREEMAN, James, clergyman, b. in Charles- town, Mass., 22 April, 1759 ; d. in Newton, Mass., 14 Nov., 1835. He received his first education in the public Latin-school of Boston, and was gradu- ated at Harvard in 1777, after which he visited Cape Cod and drilled a company about to join the colonial troops. In 1780 he went to Quebec, whei'e he was captured and detained till 1782, when he went to Boston and became lay-reader of King's chapel. This was originally an Episcopal church, founded in 1686. He became a Unitarian in his views, and induced the Episcopal society of this church to alter its liturgy in 1785, and, as the bishop refused to ordain him, he was consecrated with a peculiar service Vjy his own wardens and people, 18 Nov., 1787. He was the first minister in the United States to avow the name of Uni- tarian, and through his means the first Episcopal church in New England became the first Unitarian church in this country. He continued sole minister of King's chapel until 1809, when the Rev. Samuel Cary was given him as a colleague. After the death of Mr. Cary in 1815 Dr. Freeman served alone till 1824, when Rev. Francis W. P. (Green- wood was associated with him. In 1826 Dr. Free- man gave up his duties to his colleague, owing to failing health, and retired to a country residence near Boston, where he spent the rest of his life. Dr. Freeman printed no controversial sermons, and seldom preached them. Pie was thoroughly liberal and intimate with the best men of all denomina- tions, though he disliked what he called " the cant of liberality." He was a member of the first school committee of Boston, chosen in 1792, the schools previous to this time having been man- aged by the selectmen of the town. He was a member of the Academy of arts and sciences, and one of the founders of the Massachusetts histori- cal society, to which he rendered valuable service. He received the degree of D. D. from Harvard in 1811. He was an accomplished scholar, and his style was a model of pure English. Besides many contributions to periodical literature, he published a " Description of Boston " (" Boston Magazine," 1784) ; a " Sermon on the Death of Rev. John Eliot, D. D." (1813) ; and a volume of " Sermons and Charges " (1832), which were criticised by Robert Southey in a letter to the Lord Bishop of Limerick, 6 March, 1833.

FREEMAN, James Edward, artist, b. in Nova Scotia in 1808: d. in London, England, 21 Nov., 1884. His parents removed to Otsego, N. Y., where his early life was spent. After many hardships and difficulties he made his way to New York, where he entered the National academy of design. He became an associate in 1831 and was elected an academician in 1833. For a while he painted in western New York, and removed to Rome in 1836, where he resided until his death. He was a painter of genre pictures and porti'aits. Among his works are " The Beggars," " The Flower Girl," " The Savoyard Boy in London." " Young Italy." " The Bad Shoe," " The Crusaders' Return." " Stixdy of an Angel," " Studv of a Head of Judith," " The Mother and Child"' (1868), and "The Lucchese Peasants on the Sands of the Sezchio " (1883). He published " Gatherings from an Artist's Portfolio " (New York, 1877). — His wife, Horatia Aug-nsta Latilla, sculptor, b. in London, England, 28 Aug., 1826, was of Italian and English parentage. She was married in 1847, and, devoting her life to sculpture, has executed several works that show artistic talent. Among these are " The Princes in the Tower," "The Triumph of Bacchus," and "Tiie Culprit Fay." which is the most ideal of her pro- ductions. She has also made fonts, chimney-pieces, and vases, both in marble and wood.

FREEMAN, Nathaniel, physician, b. in Den- nis, Mass., 8 April. 1741 ; d. in Sandwich, Mass., 20 Sept., 1827. He studied medicine and in 1765 settled in Sandwich, where he studied law with his relative. Col. James Otis. He was an active patriot during the Revolution, held command of a regi- ment of militia in the expedition to Rhode Island, and served as brigadier-general of militia from 1781 till 1793. He performed various services in the legislature, was judge of probate for forty- seven years, judge of the common pleas for thirty years, and a member of congress from Massachu- setts from 1795 till 1799. He was one of the best extempore speakers of the day, and was distin- guished as a physician and surgeon. He was the author of " A Charge to the Grand Jury at Barn- stable" (Barnstable, 1802). — Ilis son, Frederick, clergyman, b. in Sandwich, Mass., in 1800 ; d. there, in 1883, was engaged as a school-teacher and for a time studied law. Subsequently he taught in the academy at Newbern, N. C., and was finally made its principal. In 1823 he began to preach, and in the next year was ordained pastor of the Presbyterian chui'ch in Plymouth, Mass., where he remained ten years. He afterward took orders in the Protestant Episcopal church, and held charges in Philadelphia, Bangor, and Augusta. He then returned to Sandwich, where he established a col- legiate institute in 1834. He was the author of a " History of Cape Cod " ; " Annals of Barnstalile County '"' (1858-62) ; " Genealogy of the Freeman Family" (1875); and " Civilization and Barbarism illustrated by Especial Reference to Metacomet and tlie Extinction of his Race" (1878).

FREEMAN, Samuel, jurist, b. in Falmouth (now Portland), Me., 15 June, 1743; d. there, 2 Sept., 1831. He was an active patriot during the Revolutionary struggle, was secretary of the Cumberland county convention in 1774, a member of the provincial congress in 1775, and of the Massachusetts house of representatives in 1776 and 1778. When the courts were reorganized in 1775 he was appointed clerk, which office he held for forty-five years. He was register of probate until commis-