Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/622

590 cousin, Leonard, b. in 1754; d. in 1834, was first judge of Albany county in 1794-'7. — Peter's grandson, Guert, naval officer, b. in Gansevoort, Sara- toga CO., N. Y., 7 June, 1812; d. in Schenectady, N. Y., 15 July, 1868, was the son of Leonard H. Gansevoort. He was appointed midshipman in 1823 ; lieutenant in 1837 ; commander, 14 Sept., 1855 ; captain, 16 July, 1862 ; and commodore in 1866. He was lieutenant on the brig " Somers " when Commander Alexander S. Mackenzie exe- cuted Midshipman Spencer for mutiny (see Mac- kenzie), and was one of the council of officers that approved and sustained the act. He rose to promi- nence during the Mexican war, in which he distin- guished liimself in command of the " John Adams." He was engaged in the Indian war of 1856, and did honorable service in tlie battle of Sitka on the Pacific coast. For some time after the beginning of the civil war he was chief of the ordnance de- partment at the Brooklyn navy-yard, but subse- quently was in command of tlie iron-clad " Roan- oke." His last cruise ended in September, 1864, and he retired as commodore on 28 Jan., 1867. His service in the navy covered a period of forty- five years, eighteen being spent at sea.

GANTT, Edward, clergyman, b. in Prince George county, Md., in 1746; d. near Loiiisville, Ky., about 1837. He studied medicine, received the degree of M. D., and entered on the practice of his profession in Somerset county, Md. His atten- tion was next turned to the ministry, for which he made due preparation. He then went to England, where he obtained orders in 1770. Returning home, he officiated for a time in his native parish, and in 1776 went to All Plallow's parish, Worcester coun- ty. Four years later he became rector of his na- tive parish, and sustained himself on his estate by the practice of medicine. In 1795 he removed to Georgetown, D. C, and occupied himself in the du- ties of the ministry. After 1800 he was repeatedly chosen chaplain to the U. S. senate. About 1807, under the auspices of Bishop CJaggett, he went to Kentucky, in the interests of the Protestant Epis- copal clnirch, and died there at an advanced age.

GARAKONTHIE, Daniel, chief of Onondaga Indians, d. in Onondaga, N. Y., in 1676. After the flight of the French missionaries from Onondaga in 1658, Garakonthie, who, although not yet a Christian, had examined with care the customs of the French colonists, and the doctrines of the missionaries, became openly the protector of the Christians and an earnest advocate for peace. In 1661 he persuaded the Onondagas to send an embassy to Quebec, and to restore some of their captives as a preliminary to peace. Father Le Moyne accompanied the embassy on its return, and was received with great honor by Garakonthie, who converted his cabin into a chapel for the missionary. The chief then set out on an embassy to Montreal with nine of the French prisoners. He was well received, restored his captives, and obtained the liberation of several of his countrymen. On his return he baffled the efforts of the chiefs who wished to make war on the French, frustrated a plot against Le Moyne's life, and prepared to conduct the missionary and the remaining captives to the St. Lawrence in 1662. During the war that followed the departure of Le Moyne, Garakonthie endeavored to procure the release of French captives, and protected the little body of Christians at Onondaga as far as his authority extended. In the spring of 1664 he succeeded in obtaining a decree of the council for another embassy, the object of which was to restore the French' prisoners and solicit peace; but the French, while expressing their

gratitude for the efforts of Garakonthie, avoided making terms. In August, however, an agreement was made for an exchange of prisoners, and he set out with the French captives, but his party was attacked by the Algonquins, and, after severe loss, compelled to return. Although always friendly to the French, and feeling the truth of Christianity, he did not show any desire to become a Christian until 1669. Then, at a conference with the French governor in Quebec, he declared his love for Christianity, and that he renounced &ldquo;polygamy, the vanity of dreams, and every kind of sin.&rdquo; He was baptized with great pomp in the cathedral of Quebec by Bishop Laval, the governor being his godfather, and Mlle. Bouteroue, the daughter of the intendant, his godmother. He received the name of Daniel at the font, and was then entertained with honor in the castle. His conversion produced a great effect, not only at Onondaga, but in the other settlements. Some of the sachems endeavored to diminish his influence, declaring that he was no longer a man, and that the black robes had disordered his intellect; but when any embassy was to be sent, or an eloquent speaker was desired for any occasion, Garakonthie quickly recovered all his power. His influence was recognized even by the English governors of New York, who asked his mediation to effect a peace between the Mohawks and Mohegans. He was frequently engaged on embassies to New York and Albany, as well as to Quebec and Montreal. He opposed the superstitions and dances of the tribes, and did much to check them. When he found his end approaching he gave his last counsels to his family, and ordering the funeral banquet to be prepared, he invited to it the chiefs of Onondaga, and sang his death-song. Then he exhorted the sachems to become Christians and to banish liquor from the cantons. In order to induce his countrymen to follow his precepts, Garakonthie had adopted many European customs, and had learned to read and write, although advanced in years.

GARAY, Francisco de, Spanish explorer, d. in Mexico in 1523. He was a companion of Colum- bus on his second voyage, was afterward famed for his opulence, and became governor of Jamaica. In 1519 Alvaro Alonso de Pineda commanded a fleet of four ships which were sent out by Garay to Yucatan. The ostensible object of the voyage was to search for a strait west of Florida, but pecuniary gain was the real purpose. The strait was not found, and the ships, turning toward the west, explored rivers and ports, and communicated with the inhabitants. They finally reached Yera Cruz, and a pillar was set up between that place and Tampico to commemorate the discoveries of Garay. After 'eight months of exploration, the navigators took possession of the region for 300 leagues along the coast in the name of the crown of Castile. The j\lississi]ipi. then called " Espiritu Santo," was shown distinctly on the maps of Garay's pilots. When Charles V. examined the account of the explorer, a royal edict was issued in 1521 granting Garay the privilege of colonizing at his own cost the region he had discovered, the limits of the grant being to a point south of Tampico and the extreme discovery of Ponce de Leon, near the Alabama coast. This did not satisfy Garay, and in 1523 he lost fortune and life in a personal dispute with Cortes for the control of the region on the river Panuco.

GARAY, Juan de, Spanish soldier, b. in the Basque provinces in 1541; d. in South America in 1584. He was born of an illustrious but poor family, and, in the hope of bettering his fortunes, embarked with other adventurers for America.