Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/590

550 erary connection was with " Harper's Magazine," and beginning in February, 1858, with " The Two Skulls," he contributed more than sixty articles in prose and verse to that periodical. He likewise wrote for the " New York Saturday Press," " Put- nam's Magazine," " Vanity Fair,'' and the '• Atlan- tic Monthly." To the latter he sent " The Diamond Lens " and " The Wonder Smith," which are un- surpassed as creations of the imagination, and are unique among short magazine stories. His pen was also employed in writing plays. For James W. Wallack he" made " A Gentleman from Ire- land," which still keeps the stage, and he also wrote and adapted other pieces for the theatres, but they had a shorter existence. In 1861 he joined the 7th regiment of the New York national guard, hoping to be sent to the front, and he was in Camp Cameron before Washington for six weeks. When his regiment returned to New York he received an appointment on the staff of Gen. Frederick W. Lander. He was severely wounded in a skirmish on 26 Feb., 1862, and lin- gered until April, when he died. In New York he at once associated with the bi'illiant set of Bohemians of that day, among whom he was ranked as the most able. " At the weekly dinners that were given by John Brougham, or at the nightly suppers at Pfaff's on Broadway, he was the soul of the enter- tainment. His friend, William Winter, collected " The Poems and Stories of Fitz James O'Brien," to which are added personal recollections of this gifted writer by those of his old associates that survived him (Boston, 1881).

O'BRIEN, Hugh, journalist, b. in Ireland, 13 July, 1827. He was brought to the United States when he was five years of age, received a common- school education in Boston, Mass., was apprenticed to a printer at the age of twelve, and became fore- man of an office when he was only fifteen years old. Several years later he founded the " Shipping and Commercial List," of which he was long the editor. He was an alderman of Boston in 1875-83, and for four years chairman of the board. In December, 1884, he was elected mayor for the following year. He carried out various reforms, and was re-elected at the two succeeding elections.

O'BRIEN, Jeremiah, patriot, b. in Scarborough, jMe., in 1740 ; d. in Machias, Me., 5 Oct.. 1818. His father, Morris, a native of Cork, Ireland, settled in Scarborough, was a volunteer in the expedition against Louisburg, and removed in 1765 to Ma- chias, where he was engaged with his six sons in the lumber business when the Revolutionary war be- gan. When the news came of the collision at Lex- ington the people of Machias erected a liberty- pole. A few days afterward a British armed schooner, the " Margaretta," entered the harbor, convoying two sloops that were to be freighted with lumber for the British defensive works in Boston. Capt. Jloore, of the " Margaretta," ordered the pole to be taken down, threatening to fire on the town if it were not done. The citizens con- certed a plan to seize the British officers while they were at meeting on Sunday, but they saw the band approaching, and, hastening on board their vessel, dropped down the river. A company of sixty vol- unteers, which included the O'Brien brothers, gave chase on the following morning in one of the lum- ber sloops. Jeremiah O'Brien was chosen captain. While the " Margaretta " lay becalmed in the bay, the sloop was towed up by boats, the English com- mander allowing her to come alongside, although he had sixteen swivel-guns and four-pounders. Some o' the Americans had muskets, but only three rounds of ammunition; some were armed merely with pitchforks ; yet after a sharp hand-to- hand combat they were victorious, having mortally wounded the English captain and killed the helms- man in the first fire. Their loss was four men killed and nine wounded, and that of the enemy ten killed and ten wounded. This was the first sea-fight of the Revolution. The armament of the "Margaretta " was transferred to the sloop, which was reehristened the " Machias Liberty." O'Brien took command, and captured the "Diligence," a British coast-survey vessel, and her tender, which had been sent out from Halifax to retake the " Margaretta." The " Liberty," with Jeremiah O'Brien as captain and his brother William as lieutenant, and the " Diligence," on which his brother John was lieutenant, were commissioned by the provincial government, and ordered to in- tercept supplies for the British troops. Capt. O'Brien cruised on the coast for a year and a half, taking several prizes. He then assumed command of a privateer called the " Hannibal," that his brother John and others had built at Newburyport, but shortly afterward, while cruising off New York, his vessel was chased by two frigates and captured. He was confined for six months in the " Jersey " guard-ship, and then sent to England and detained in Mill prison, from which, after a few months, he succeeded in escaping. He resided for some time at Brunswick, Me., and at the time of his death was collector of the port of Machias. His daughter was the mother of John P. Hale. His brother, John, while in command of a privateer called the " Hibernia," captured an English armed vessel, the " General Pattison," having on board a number of officers of the British army who were returning from New York to England.

O'BRIEN, John, Canadian R. C. bishop, b. in Loughboro, Canada, in 1829 ; d. in Quebec, 1 Aug., 1879. He studied philosophy and theology in the seminary of Quebec, and after his ordination was made president of Regiopolis college. He was afterward sent to Brockville, where he built the church of St. Francis Xavier, and was appointed its pastor. He was made coadjutor to Bishop Horan. of Kingston, 18 April, 1875.

O'BRIEN, Lucius Richard, Canadian artist, b. at Shanty Bay, Lake Simcoe, 15 Aug., 1832. He was educated at Upper Canada college, in 1847 entered an architect's office, and subsequently studied and practised as a civil engineer. From early years Mr. O'Brien displayed a love for art. In 1872 he took an active part in founding the art-school of the Ontario society of artists, and he was vice-president of this society in 1874-'80. When the Royal Canadian academy of arts was founded he was" appointed its president by the Marquis of Lome, and he has since held this office by election. In 1880 Mr. O'Brien was appointed art editor of " Picturesque Canada " (2 vols., Toronto, 1884), to which he contributed a large number of drawings. His pictures have been of landscape or marine subjects exclusively, and of late years he has painted altogether in water-colors. His principal works are two pictures of Quebec, painted for the Queen (1881) ; a view of " Cape Diamond," Quebec, painted for the Marquis of Lome as a wedding present for Prince Leopold in 1882 ; " Cape Trinity " ; " September on the Saguenay," owned by the Marquis of Lansdowne ; " The Outlet of Lake St. John " ; "A Portage on the Peribonea," owned by the Canadian club of New York ; " Under the Cliffs of Devon after a Storm " ; and " Footprints of an Avalanche," exhibited in May, 1887, at the Royal academy, London. He has also painted views in the Rocky mountains.