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492 province. At the third convention, which met in the following July, he was elected colonel of the 2d Virginia regiment, but resigned on being chosen to the Continental congress. In a letter to his kins- man, John Page, afterward governor of Virginia, dated Philadelphia, 13 Feb., 1776, he says : " We are carrying on a war and no war ; they seize our prop- erty on land and sea, and we hesitate to retaliate because we have a few friends in England. Away with such squeamishness, say I ! One of our rev- erend fathers in God refused to ordain a young gentleman who went from this country because he was a ' rebellious American,' so that unless we submit to parliamentary oppression we shall not have the gospel of Christ preached among us. But let every man worship under his own vine and fig-tree." He was an active member of the State constitutional convention in May, 1776, and on 4 July signed the Declaration of Independence. He was compelled by a sudden and violent illness to resign his seat in congress in May, 1777. On returning to Virginia he became county lieutenant, and in August of that year, on the approach of the British fleet, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the state forces. In obedience to the call of congress for volunteer troops, to be equipped at the individual expense of men of property, he raised a troop of cavalry, became their banker, and accompanied them to Philadelphia. On resuming his duties in the legis- lature, he strong- ly opposed the proposition to se- questrate British property, on the ground that it would be an un- just retaliation of public wrongs on private individu- als. He was again in congress in 1779, but was again compelled to resign by sudden indisposition, and in May was called upon to organize the militia to repel a marauding expedition of the enemv. In June, 1780, the state of Virginia called for $2,000- 000 to be placed in the Continental treasury to en- able congress to make provision for the French fleet. By his personal exertions Nelson endeav- ored to raise the money, but to his appeals he con- stantly received the reply : " We will not lend the government a shilling, but we will lend you, Thomas Nelson, all we possibly can." He there- fore, on his personal security, raised the greater part of the loan, which he subsequently was obliged to redeem at a great sacriflce, and for which he re- ceived no compensation from the government. He also advanced money to pay two Virginia regi- ments that had been ordered to the south, but had refused to march until their arrears were dis- charged. He became governor in June, 1781, and opposed the ravages of the enemy with all the militia he was able to muster. At the siege at Yorktown he commanded the Virginia militia, and again displayed his disinterested patriotism by ordering that the artillery fire be directed on his own mansion, which he supposed was the headquarters of Cornwallis. When the siege ter- minated, Gen. Washington in his general orders thus spoke of his conduct : " The general would be guilty of the highest ingratitude if he forgot to return his sincere acknowledgments to his excel- lency. Gov. Nelson, for the succors which he re- ceived from him, to whose activity, emulation, and bravery the highest praises are due." The remain- der of Nelson's life was passed in retirement. His vast estate went for his public debts, and no rec- ompense was ever made to his family for what he had expended. He is buried at Yorktown, in an unmarked grave, but during the administration of Gov. Henry A. Wise his statue, by Crawford, was placed, with those of five other patriots, on the Washington monument in Richmond, Va. The earliest portrait, painted in London by Chamber- lin, in 1754, represents him as a youth of sixteen ; the later portrait is from a drawing in the posses- sion of Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet. — Another son of William. Robert, patriot, b. in Yorktown. Va., in 1743 ; d. in Malvern Hill, Va., 4 Aug., 1818, was graduated at William and Mary in 1769, served in the Revolutionary army, and was captured by Col. Tarleton in June, 1781. He was an ardent patriot, and, with all his brothers, sacrificed his property in the cause of his country. He was professor of law in William and Mary college in 1813-18. — Another son, William, patriot, b. in Yorktown, Va., in 1760 ; d. at his residence, Malvern Hill, Va., 8 March, 1813, was graduated at William and Mary in 1776, in February of that year was commissioned major of the 7th Virginia regiment, and was cap- tured by Tarleton with his brother Robert. He was professor of law at William and Mary college from 1803 until ills death. — Thomas the signer's son, Hugll, diplomatist, b. in Virginia, 30 Sept., 1768; d. in Albemarle county, Va., 18 March, 1836, was graduated at William and Mary in 1790, was a member of the state house of representatives, and its speaker, and also a judge of the general court. He was a presidential elector on the Pinckney ticket in 1809, was elected to congress from Virginia, and served by successive re-elections from 4 Nov., 1811, till 14 Jan., 1823, when he resigned. He was then appointed United States minister to Spain, and served from 15 Jan., 1823. till 23 Nov., 1824.

NELSON, Thomas Amos Rogers, congressman, b. in Roane county, Tenn., 19 March, 1812 ; d. in Knoxville, Tenn., 24 Aug., 1873. He was graduated at East Tennessee college in 1828, admitted to the bar in 1832, and appointed U. S. district attorney for the 1st district of Tennessee the next year. He canvassed this district as a candidate for elector on the Clay ticket in 1844 and for Gen. Taylor in 1848. Mr. Nelson was appointed U. S. minister to China in 1851, but declined, and in 1858 was elected to congress as a Democrat, serving in 1859-'61. During the civil war he adhered to the Union, and at its close he did much to conciliate conflicting factions. He was one of the counsel that defended President Johnson on his impeachment in 1868, and in 1870 was elected a judge of the state supreme court, but resigned after one year's service.

NELSON, Thomas Henry, diplomatist, b. in Mason county, Ky.. 12 Aug., 1824. He studied law in Maysville, Ky., and removed to Rockville and subsequently to Terre Haute, Ind., where he was a leader of the Whig party and afterward a founder of the Republican party. He served several times in state and national conventions and was a candidate for congress, but was defeated. In 1861-'6 he was U. S. minister to Chili, and won great personal popularity by his bravery in the rescue of numerous persons at the burning of the Santiago cathedral, 6 Dec, 1864. He also took an active part as mediator in the war between Chili