Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/799

Rh representative to the general court of Connecticut in 1744-'5, and a large landholder. His father, John, was a soldier of the Revolution and a wealthy citizen of Litchfield. The son was graduated at Yale in 1811, studied law in Litchfield, and in 1812 settled in Middlebury, Vt., and began the practice of his profession. During the war with Great Britain he warmly espoused the cause of the government, was drafted to serve on the Canadian frontier, and subsequently became a paymaster. He resumed practice in 1814, was in the legislature in 1821-'83, by which body he was elected to the supreme court in the latter year, and held office until he was chosen to the U. S. senate as a Demo- crat in 1838, servmg by re-election in 1839-'51, and by appointment in 1853-4 to succeed William Up- ham, deceased. He opposed the abolition move- ments in his state, favored slavery in able speeches on the Clayton compromise and on the anti-slavery resolutions of Vermont, and when he was a mem- ber of the congressional committee of 1850 that was appointed to discuss the slavery question, dis- sented from the report that was presented by Henry Clay. At the end of his senatorial career he returned to practice, and continued to hold the first rank at the bar until his death. He published an "Address on the Council of Censors" (Middle- bury, Vt., 1827) ; " Speech on the Tarifl: Bill " (Washington, D. C, 1844) ; and " Speech on the Oregon Question" (1848). His published judicial decisions, in the Vermont reports, are much es- teemed. — His son, Edward John, lawyer, b. in Middlebury, Vt., 11 July, 1822, was graduated at Middlebury college in 1840, studied law with Hora- tio Seymour after spending a year at Yale law- school, and was ad- mitted to the bar at Middlebury in 1843. He began practice there, but in 1845 removed to Bur- lington, Vt. From 30 Sept., 1851, tni the close of Presi- dent Fillmore's ad- ministration he was the 2d comptroller of the treasury. He was a delegate to the Vermont con- stitutional conven- tion of 1870. In 1877 he presided over the ceremonies for the centennial celebration of the battle of Ben- nington. In 1880 he delivered before the students of the medical department of the University of Vermont a course of lectures on medical jurispru- dence that were published in book-form. He was president of the American bar association in 1880, and in the same year he was the unsuccessful can- didate of the Democratic party for governor of Vermont. In 1881 he became professor of law at Yale, which chair he still (1888) holds, and in 1882 he lectured to the law students of Boston univer- sity on constitutional law. He was appointed by President Cleveland, in April, 1885, minister to Great Britain. Middlebury college conferred on him the degree of LL. D. in 1870. Among Prof. Phelps's published addresses is one that he made before the American bar association on " Chief- Justice Marshall and the Constitutional Law of his Time " (Philadelphia, 1879). In 1888 he contributed to the " Nineteenth Century " a series of articles on " The Constitution of the United States."

PHELPS, Sylvanus Dryden, clergyman, b. in Sullield, Conn., 15 May, 181(i; d. in New Haven, 23 Nov., 1895. He was graduated at Brown and the Yale theological seminary, and he became pas- tor of the 1st Baptist claircli in N'ew Haven. Conn., in which relation he remained for twenty-eight years. After 1876 he was editor of the "Clirisliaa Secretary " at Hartford, Conn. In 1854 he received from Madison university tiie liotiorary degree of D. D. He publisiied several works : "Eloquence of Nature, and other Poems" (Hartford, 1842); '"Sunlight and Hearthligiit." poems (New York. 1855): "The Holy Land" (1803; republished as " Bible Lands," Chicago, 1809) ; " The Poet's Song for the Heart and House " (1809) : and '•Sermons in the Four Quarters of the Globe" (1H80).

PHELPS, Thomas Stowell. naval officer, b. in Buckfield, Me., 2 Nov., 1822. He was graduated at the U. S. naval academy in 1840, became lieu- tenant in 1855, served in the Indian war in Wash- ington territory in that year and in 1850. an<l in the Paraguay expedition in 1858-'9. At the be- ginning of the civil war he was attached to the expedition that was sent to the relief of Fort Sum- ter, and in June, 1801, was selected to co-operate with the army arul navy in preparing a survey of Potomac river. He was transferred in September to the steamer " Corwin " for secret service, ex- amined five of the inlets of North Carolina, sur- veyed and buoyed Ilatteras inlet for the introduc- tion of expeditions into the interior waters of that state, skirmished with Confederate gun-boats in Pamlico sound, and engaged the giui-boat '"Curlew " in Platteras inlet on 14 Nov. He was in three en- gagements with Yorktown and Gloucester point batteries, caused the destruction of two of the enemy's vessels, and thwarted that of ^^'hite House bridge in April and May, 1862. At the battle of West Point he prevented the conjunction of a large force of Confederates with the main army. He became lieutenant-commander in July. 1802, was subsequently engaged chiefly in surveying ami examining dangers in the way of blockailes and transports, and commanded the "Juniata" in the Fort Fisher fights in 1805. He was commissioned commander in that year, captain in 1871, commo- dore in 1879, and rear-admiral in 1884, and retired in 1885. He has published " Keminisceuces of Washington Territorv" (New York. 18S2).

PHELPS, William, colonist, b. in Tewkesbury. England, 19 Aug.. 1599; d. in Windsor. Conn.. 14 July, 1072. He emigrated to this country in 1030, and founded the town of Windsor in 1035. lie was a respected and important member (»f the colony, a justice of the first court tiuit was held in Connecticut, foreman of tiie first graiul jury, and a magistrate for many years. He was also a devout and rigid Puritan, and active in the affairs of the church. Dr. Henry H. Stiles says of liim : " He helped to lay broad and deep the fouiulalions of the Republic." — His descendant of the sixth generation, Noah, patriot, b. in Simsbury. Coiui.. 22 Jan., 1740; d. there. 4 March, 1809. was a iandliolder, and captain of militia previous to the IJevohition. He early engaged in the patriot cause, and with Gen. Samuel II. Parsons (</. r.) projt'cted, and sub- sequently partici]Kited in, the secret expedition to cajiture Fort Ticonderoga in April, 1775. Wlien the volunteers composing the expedition had reached Lake Champhvin, Cajit. Phelps crossed it in a boat, and entered the fort as a spy. He as- certained the construction antl strength of the defences and number of the garrison, and left the next day in an open boat, under full fire of the guns, but without awakening suspicion. By this