Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/485

Rh colony. During his administration the French possessions attained great prosperity. La Motte founded the city of Jereinie, and built, both in Cape Pranyais and Port an Prince, navy- yards that soon rivalled that of Martinique, also opening high- roads, erecting bridges, draining marshes, import- ing from Europe many useful trees and seeds, founding public libraries in all the principal cities, and establishing schools everywhere for the negroes. He was succeeded in 1753 by the Marquis de Vau- dreuil, to the great regret of all the inhabitants, and was sent to command a fleet in Canada. In 1757 he received orders to relieve Louisburg, and gained a decisive victory over a superior English force, which has been often celebrated by marine painters. He was promoted vice-admiral in 1762, and was employed till the conclusion of peace in Canada and the West Indies, retiring after the treaty of Paris in 1763. His statue was erected afterward in Port au Prince, but it was destroyed during the troubles of 1792.

MOTTE, Guillaume Toussaint, Conite Picqiiet de la, generally called Motte Picquet, French naval officer, b. in Rennes in 1720; d. in Brest, 11 July, 1791. He entered the navy as mid- shipman in 1735, and in 1745-'50 served in Canada. During the war of 175G-'63 he was employed there and in the West Indies, with the rank of commodore, and was promoted rear-admiral at the beginning of the war of 1778, and charged with escorting to the United States a fleet of eighty vessels. In the fol- lowing year he brought re-enforcements to Marti- nique, and, joining d'Estaing, contributed to the capture of Grenada in 1779, and the victoi'ies over Admiral Byron in June of that year, being after- ward sent with a division to Savannah. On 18 Dec, 1779, he defeated Admiral Parker off Martinique. In the following January he made a successful cruise around the Bahama islands, capturing many Eng- lish merchant ships, and escorted a convoy safely to Cape Haytian, after a successful engagement with the English. He then joined de Guichen, but returned a few months later to Europe, captur- ing on his arrival a fleet of twenty vessels that car- ried booty that had been taken in the Dutch colony of St. Eustatius. He was promoted vice-admiral in 1782, but retired from active command after the conclusion of peace in 1783.

MOTTE, Isaac, soldier, b. in South Carolina, 8 Dec, 1738; d. there, 8 May, 1795. His father, Jacob, who was Dutch consul at Dublin, Ireland, and after he emigrated to this country for many years treasurer of the province of South Carolina, was the son of a Huguenot named De la Motte, who fled from France into Holland in 1685. He received a military education, and served in Canada in 1756. In July, 1775, by order of the committee of safety, he landed on James island with three companies of William Moultrie's regiment, of which he was lieutenant-colonel, and took posses- sion of Fort Johnson in sight of the British fleet in Charleston harbor. He bore a conspicuous part in the defence of Fort Moultrie, where he was sec- ond in command. In 1780-'2 he represented South Carolina in the Continental congress. He was a member of the State convention that ratifled the U. S. constitution, and was appointed by President Washington naval officer of the poi't of Charleston, holding that office till his death. — His sister-in- law, Rebecca Brewton, heroine, b. in South Caro- lina in 1739 ; d. there in 1815, was the daughter of an Englishman who settled in South Carolina, and married Jacob Motte in 1758. Her husband died during the Revolution, lerving his large estate en- cumbered beyond its value by debts that he had incurred by giving security for friends. During the occupation of South Carolina by the British, her mansion in Orangeburg county, on Congaree river, was seized by the invaders, who built around it a high parapet, while she retired with her family to a farm-house on the plantation. Francis Marion and Heiuw Lee laid siege to Fort Motte, as the post was called, and, when informed of the approach of British re-enforcements, deliberated over the plan of setting fire to the house, but were reluctant to destroy Mrs. Motte's property. She dispelled their scruples, and brought out an African bow and arrows specially adapted for the purpose, with which the roof was ignited, causing the garrison to surrender speedily. Mrs. Motte then provided a banquet for the officers on both sides. Assuming all her husband's liabilities, after the war of inde- pendence she purchased on ci'edit a tract of rice land on Santee river, and by her energy and econo- my paid all the debts that he had incurred and accumulated a large property. Her two eldest daughters married in succession Thomas Pinckney. MOULAC, Vincent Marie (moo-lack). French mariner, b. in Lorient, 12 March, 1780 ; d. in Callao, Peru, 6 April, 1836. He entered the navy as mid- shipman in 1796, became lieutenant in 1802, and served in Santo Domingo, but resigned in 1803 to become a corsair. He re-entei'ed the navy in 1808, became 1st lieutenant in 1812, and was sent to cruise in the West Indies from 1815 till 1822. He had occasion to protect the white population in Santo Domingo against the excited negroes, and in 1821 saved many citizens in Port au Prince, re- ceiving them on board his vessel, and threatening to bombard the city. He became a commodore in 1828, and, after the usurpation of Don Miguel, forced the entrance of the harbor of Lisbon, which had been considered impregnable. In 1832 he was sent to command the station of the South sea, and during an insurrection in Peru he defended the European inhabitants against mobs in Callao and saved the lives and pi'operty of many citizens. For his services the foreign residents voted him a sword of honor. When he died of yellow fever in 1836, the Peruvian government ordered a magnificent funeral, and his remains were placed in the pan- theon of Lima.

MOULD, Jacob Wrey, architect, b. in Chiselhurst, Kent, England, in 1825 ; d. in New York city, 14 June, 1886. He was graduated at King's college, London, in 1842, and studied under Owen Jones, the celebrated architect, with whom he spent two years in Spain in studying the Alhambra. The impression that was made on him by the Moorish style of architecture had much influence on his subsequent work. With Mr. Jones he designed the Moi'esque-Turkish divan of Buckingham palace, and the decorations of the exposition building of the World's fair of 1851. He came to New York in 1853, by invitation of Moses H. Grinnell, to design and build All Souls' church. In 1857 he was appointed assistant architect of public works, in which capacity he furnished designs for the terrace, bridges, and other architectural structures in Central park. In 1870 he became chief architect. In 1874 Mr. INLould went to Lima, Peru, but he returned after a few years and continued his work in Central park until his death. Mr. Mould was an able and enthusiastic musician, and a good performer on the piano and organ. He was a fluent linguist, and successful in the adaptation of English words to foreign operas, and his services were in frequent demand by music-publishers, both in England and the United States. His last work was the design for the temporary tomb of Gen.