Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/549

Rh accordance with these requirements, Mayor Will- iam R. Grace, on 31 Aug.. 1887, appointed Gen. Newton to that office, which he filled until Nov., 1888. His services as consulting engineer were re- peatedly sought, and he invented steam-drilling apparatus that have been used in removing rocks in New York harbor. He was elected to member- ship in the National academy ol sciences in 1876, and to honorary membership in the American society of civil engineers in 1884.

NEWTON, John Thomas, naval officer, b. in Alexandria, Va., 20 May, 1798; d. in Washington, D. C, 28 July, 1857. He entered the navy as mid- shipman, 16 Jan., 1809, and was promoted lieuten- ant, 24 July, 1813; commander, 3 March, 1827; and captain, 9 Feb., 1837. He was acting lieuten- ant of the " Hornet " in her engagement with the "Peacock," 24 Feb., 1813, and was 1st lieutenant during her action with the " Penguin," on 23 March, 1815. After commanding the steamers " Fulton " and " Missouri," he was in charge of Pensacola navy-yard from 1848 till 1852. From July of the latter year till March, 1855, he was flag-officer of the home squadron, which gave him the title of commodore. The last two years of his life he was in command of the navy-yard at Portsmouth, N. H.

NEWTON, Richard, clergyman, b. in Liverpool, England, 25 July, 1813 ; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 25 May, 1887. He came with his parents to the United States at the age of ten years, and obtained his early education and training in Phila- delphia and Wilmington, Del. He was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1836, and at the General theological seminary. New York city, in 1839. He was ordained in West Chester, Pa., in the latter year, by Bishop Henry U. Onderdonk, in the Church of the Holy Trinity, and received a call directly to the rectorship of the same church. A year later he became rector of St. Paul's church, Philadelphia, which post he held for twenty-two years. In 1862 he was called to the Church of the Epiphany, Philadelphia, where he labored until 1881, when he accepted the rectorship of the Church of the Covenant. Philadelphia, where he remained during the rest of his life. He received the degi'ee of D. D. from Kenyon college, Ohio, in 1862, and was for many years a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Newton was distinguished for his contributions to juvenile literature. He was very successful in preparing sermons for children. These have been translated into French, German, Arabic, and other languages, and are highly es- teemed. His books include " Rills from the Foun- tain of Life" (Philadelphia, 1856); '-The King's Highway'" (New York, 1858); "Bible Jewels" (1867); "Nature's Wonders" (1872); "The King in His Beauty"; "Bible Promises"; "Natural History of the Bible " ; and " Covenant Names and Privileges." Dr. Newton had two sons, both of whom entered the ministry. — His son, Richard Heher, clergyman, b. in Philadelphia, 31 Oct., 1840, obtained his education at home and in the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania, and prepared for the ministry in the Episcopal divinity-school, Philadelphia. He was made deacon in St. Paul's church, Philadel- phia, in June, 1860, by Bishop Alonzo Potter, and ordained priest in the same church in 1866 by Bish- op Odenheimer. He was assistant to his father for four years, became minister in charge of Trinity church, Sharon Springs, N. Y., in 1864, was rector of St. Paul's church, Philadelphia, in 1866, and of All Souls' church. New York city, known also as the Anthon memorial church, in 1869. He received the degree of D. D. from Union college in 1881. He has attracted notice by the radical religious views that he has expressed from his pulpit. Dr. Newton's publications are a Sunday-school hynm- book and service-book entitled " Children's Church " (New York, 1872) ; " The Morals of Trade " (1876) ; " Womanhood " (1879) ; " Studies of Jesus " (1881) ; "Right and Wrong Uses of the Bible" (1883); " Book of the Beginnings " (1884) ; " Philistinism " (1885) ; and " Social Studies " (1886). Some of these have been republished in England. — Another son, William Wilberforce, clergyman, b. in Philadel- phia, Pa., 4 Nov., 1843, was graduated at the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania in 1865, and prepared for orders in the Episcopal divinity-school, Philadel- phia. He was made deacon in the Church of the Epiphany, Philadelphia, 18 June, 1868, by Bishop Stevens, and ordained priest in St. Luke's church, Philadelphia, 19 June, 1869, by the same bishop. He was assistant to his father for two years during the latter's absence in Eur-op(». He has been rector of St. Paul's church, Brookline, Mass., in 1870-"5, of Trinity church, Newark, N. J., till 1877, of St. Paul's church, Boston, till 1881, of St. Stephen's church, Pittsfield, and of All Souls', New York. He organized the " American congress of churches," meetings of which were held in Hartford, Conn., in 1885, and in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1886. Mr. New- ton's publications, besides contributions to cantata music, are "Little and Wise" and "New Tracts for New Times " (New York, 1877) ; " Essays of To- Day " (Boston, 1879) ; " The Interpreter's House " (New York, 1879) ; " The Palace Beautiful " (1880) ; " The Voice of St. John " (1881) ; " The Legend of St. Telemachus " (1882) : " Priest and Man " (Bos- ton, 1883) ; " Summer Sermons " (Pittsfield, 1885) ; "Paradise" (1885); "The Vine out of Egypt" (New York, 1887) ; " Prayers of the Ages " (1887) ; and " A Father's Blessing to Children " and " Rag- nar, the Sea-King " (1888).

NEWTON, Robert Crittenden, lawyer, b. in Little Rock, Ark., 2 June, 1840 ; d. there, 2 June, 1887. He was a descendant of Jared Newton, an Englishman, who emigrated to Westmoreland county, Va., in the 17th century. He was educated partly at the Western military institute, Tenn., af- terward studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1860, and began to practise in his native city. En- listing in the Confederate army as a private, he was successively commissioned lieutenant and as- sistant adjutant-general on the staff of Gen. Thomas C. Hindman. Subsequently he was made major in the adjutant-general's department, and colonel of the 5th regiment of Arkansas cavalry. After the war he took an active part in the work of recon- struction. In 1866 he served as one of the com- missioners that were sent by the Arkansas legisla- ture to Washington, D. C, to ascertain from the Federal authorities on what terms congressmen from that state would be admitted to seats. In 1868 he canvassed the state against the constitution of that year, and in 1874 he was state treasurer /jro tempore from 23 May till 12 November. In May, 1873, when Gov. Elisha Baxter decided to reorgan- ize the militia of the state, he appointed Gen. New- ton one of two major-generals to carry out the work ; but, on the advice of President Grant, he de- termined to disband all the military forces of the state. The following year, on the outbreak of the " Brooks-Baxter war " (see Baxter, Elisha), New- ton was reappointed major-general in command of the state troops. On 19 May, 1874, the Brooks forces having evacuated the capitol under the proclamation of President Gi-ant, Gen. Newton oc- cupied the yard and grounds, and the next day re- instated Gov. Baxter in possession of the public buildings, property, and archives.