Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/286

250 MASSIE, Nathaniel, pioneer, b. in Goochland county, Va., 28 Dec., 1763; d. in Paint Creek Falls, Ohio, 13 Nov., 1813. He entered the Revolutionary army at seventeen years of age, served for a short time and subsequently became a surveyor and locater of lands, gradually acquiring large tracts of uncultivated territory. He surveyed the first settlement within the Virginia military district of Ohio in 1791 between the Scioto and Little Miami rivers, and in 1793-'6 was engaged in an extensive survey of the same region, in the latter year laying out on his own land the town of Chillicothe. At the beginning of the 19th century he was one of the largest land-owners in Ohio. He was active in the early Indian wars, was state senator, and for a term speaker, major-general of militia for several years, and a member of the Ohio constitutional convention in 1802. He was a candidate for governor in 1807, and his opponent received the largest number of votes, but was declared ineligible. The office thus devolved on Mr. Massie, but he declined it.

MASSON, Louis Francois Roderique, Canadian statesman, b. in Terrebonne, Quebec, 7 Nov., 1833. He was educated at the Jesuit college, Georgetown, D. C, at Worcester, Mass., and at the College of St. Hyacinthe. Quebec, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in November, 1859. He represented Terrebonne in the Canadian parliament from 1867 till 30 Sept., 1882, when he became a member of the senate. Mr. Masson was minister of militia and defence from October, 1878, till 1880, when he resigned and accepted the portfolio of president of the council, which ill health compelled him to resign in November of the latter year. On the resignation of Joseph A. Mousseau, premier of Quebec, Mr. Masson was requested by the lieutenant-governor to form an administra- tion, but declined. He was appointed lieutenant- governor of Quebec in 1884, and has been mayor of Terrebonne. He has held a commission in the Canadian volunteers since October, 1862, was bri- gade major, 8th military district of Lower Canada, from 1863 till 1868, and" was promoted lieutenant- colonel in 1867. He served on the frontier during the first Fenian raid in March, 1866, and was in active service during the second raid that year.

MASSUE, Louis Huet, Canadian member of parliament, b. in Varennes, Lower Canada, 3 Nov., 1828. His father, Aime Massue, seigneur of St. Aime, repi'esented the county of Vercheres in the legislative council in 1810. The son was educated at St. Hyacinthe college, afterward became well known as a scientific agriculturist, and has done much to improve the system of farming through- out his native province. He has been for the last six years president of the Council of agriculture of the province of Quebec, is a director of the Provi- dent mutual association of Canada, and was vice- president of the Bank of Jacques Cartier. He was elected to the parliament of Canada in 1878, re- elected in 1882, and succeeded Sir Adolphe Caron as leader of the French Canadian conservatives.

MASTIN, Claudius Henry, surgeon, b. in Huntsville, Ala., 4 June, 1826. He received his collegiate education at the Univers'ity of Virginia, was graduated at the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1849, went abroad in 1850, studying in Edinburgh, Paris, and Lon- don. On his return he settled in Mobile, where he has since practised, chiefly as a surgeon. During the civil war he served in the latter capacity in the Confederate army. In 1885 he presented a memoir to the American surgical association, then in ses- sion in Washington, D. C, which resulted in unit- ing the various special American medical associa- tions into a common body, under the name and title of the " Congress of American physicians and surgeons," which organization was completed, 5 Oct., 1887. He was vice-president of the Ameri- can surgical association in 1883. He has invented several surgical instruments and contributed large- ly to medical journals, especially on genito-urinary surgery. The University of Pennsylvania gave him the degree of LL. D. in 1875.

MASTRILLl, Nicolas, clergyman, b. in Italy in 1570 ; d. in Lima, Peru, 14 Feb., 1653. He be- came a member of the Society of Jesus in 1587, and embarked several years afterward for Peru, where he took the name of Duran, and labored ar- dently for the conversion of the natives. Besides two volumes of sermons (Lima, 1632), he wrote " Litterte annuas (1626 et 1627) provinci* Para- quaric^ Societatis Jesu " (Antwerp, 1636). This was translated into French under the title " Relation des progres de la religion chrestienne faits au Para- guay dans les annees 1626 et 1627 " (Paris, 1638).

MATAMOROS, Mariano (mah - tah - mo' - ros), Mexican patriot, d. in Valladolid. 3 Feb., 1814, Nothing certain is known of the place and date of his birth nor of his early life. He is first men- tioned in the beginning of 1810 as substitute par- ish priest of Jantetelco, a small village south of Mexico. He was often molested by royalist troops, and after the rising of Hidalgo, as he was sus- pected of sympathy with the revolutionary move- ment, an order of arrest was issued against him. He now fled to Izucar, where, on 16 Dec, 1811, he joined Morelos (q. v.), who, recognizing militaiy genius in him, appointed him colonel. He justi- fied Morelos's good opinion by displaying talent and courage, and speedily acquired popularity among the troops and influence in the general council. He accompanied Morelos on his expedi- tion to Tasco and in the heroic defence of Cuaut- la, where, to obtain provisions, he broke through the besieging army on 21 April, 1812, with only 100 men ; but, on his return with supplies six days later, he was defeated. When Morelos evacuated Cuautla early in May, he was joined by Matamoros, who was ordered to reorganize his division in Izu- car, promoted brigadier, took part in the capture of Oajaca on 25 Nov., and was sent to the south, where he defeated the royalist Lambrini at Tonalo on 19 April, 1813. and was made lieutenant-gen- eral. In October he won the victory of San Agus- tin del Palmar, where the Spaniards lost 215 killed and 368 prisoners. He now established his quarters at Tehuicingo till he was ordered by Mo- relos to co-operate in the attack on Valladolid, where' the allied forces took position on 22 Dec, . On the next day their attack on the city was repulsed, during the night of the 24th their camp surprised by Iturbide, and their forces dis- persed. Matamoros reorganized some of the troops and took position in the estate of Puruaran, about sixty miles from Valladolid, where Morelos, against Matamoros's advice, resolved to wait for the ene- my. Matamoros, who had been intrusted with the command, organized his troops, and on 15 Jan., , they were attacked by overwhelming forces under Iturbide and Llano and totally routed, and Matamoros, defending the retreat of Morelos with great personal bravery, was captured. He was car- ried to Valladolid, and, after trial and degradation from holy orders, executed in the market-place. He was one of the most active and successful lead- ers of the insurrection, gifted with a military tal- ent, of pure and noble character, and his memory is highly honored in Mexico. His bones were