Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/385

Rh structions to the Navigation of Hudson's River " (Albany, 1866); "History of the Flags of the Vol- unteer Regiments of the State of New York " (1865) ; - History of the Indian Tribes of Hudson's Rivrr" (IMiTi ; and a History of Orange County" (1875).

RUXTON, George Frederick Augustus, English traveller, b. in Kent. England, in 1820: d. in St. Louis, Mo.. 29 Sept., 1848. He was educated at Sandhurst military college, which he left at the age of seventeen, and volunteered in the Span- ish service during the Carlist war of 1833-'9. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the British army after returning home, went with his regi- ment to Canada, resigned soon afterward, and >|ieiit -everal years ammigthe Indians and trappers of the west. "He subsequently travelled in Africa, and just before the Mexican war made a tour through all the provinces of Mexico, and spent the following winter in the region of the Rocky moun- tains, returning to England in August, 1847. He set out on a second trip to the far west, but died on the way. He was the author of " Adventures in Mexico" and the Rocky Mountains" (London, 1847), " Life in the Par West " (1849) ; a pamphlet on the Oregon question, and papers in the " Trans- act inns" of the British ethnological society.

RUZ, Joaquin (rooth), Mexican linguist, b. in Merida in 1773; d. there, 15 Sept., 1850. He en- tered the order of St. Francis in his native city in 1794, studied philosophy in the convent of his order in 1805, was graduated there, and in 1810 became a priest. He was immediately assigned to the missions of the Maya Indians, of whose lan- guage he possessed a_ thorough knowledge. Be- sides numerous religious works, he wrote in the Maya language " Catecismo historico y Doctrina Cristiana (Merida, 1822); "Gramatica Yucateca" (1844); "Cartilla 6 Silabario de la lengua Maya. para la ensenanza de los niilos indijenas " (1845) ; " Analisis del idioma Yucateco " (1851) ; and " Leti u cilich Evangelio Jesucristo hebix San Lucas," edited by W. M. Watts (London, 1865).

RYAN, Abram Joseph, poet, b. in Norfolk, Va,, 15 Aug., 1839 : d. in Louisville, Ky., 22 April, 1880. At an early age he decided to enter the Roman Catholic p'riesthood, and, after the usual classical and theological studies, he was ordained, and shortly afterward became a chaplain in the Confederate army, serving until the close of the war. He wrote "The Conquered Banner" soon after Lee's surrender. In 1865 he removed to New Orleans, where, in addition to his clerical duties, he edited the "Star," a weekly Roman Catholic paper. From New Orleans he went to Knoxville, Tenn., after a few months to Augusta, Ga., and founded the " Banner of the South," a religious and political weekly. This he soon relin- quished, and for several years was pastor of St. Mary's church, Mobile, Ala., but in 1880 his old rest- lessness returned, and he went to the north for the twofold object of publishing his poems and lectur- ing. He spent the month of December in Balti- more, where his " Poems. Patriotic. Religious, and Miscellaneous," were published. There also, about the same time, he delivered his first lecture, the subject being " Some Aspects of Modern Civiliza- tion." During this visit he made his home at Loyola college, and in return for the hospitality of the Jesuit fathers he gave a public reading from his poems, and devoted the proceeds. $300. to found a medal for poetry at the college. His lecturing tour was not succe-.ful. and in a few months he returned to the south, where he contin- ued to lead the same restless mode of life. Father Ryan was engaged on a " Life of Christ " at the
 * ime of his death. His most popular poems, besides
 * hat mentioned above, are " The Lost Cause," " The

Sword of Lee," " The Flag of Erin," and the epic ' Their Story runneth Thus."

RYAN, Edward George, jurist, b. at Newcastle House, County Meath, Ireland, 13 Nov., 1810; d. in Milwaukee, Wis., 19 Oct., 1880. He had been intended for the priesthood, but began the study of law, came to the United States in 1830. and subsequently was a member of the Episcopal church. He taught and continued his law studies in New York, was admitted to the bar in 1830, and in that year removed to Chicago, where he edited a paper called the "Tribune" from 1839 till its discontinuance in 1841. He went to Racine, Wis., in 1842, and to Milwaukee in 1848, and be- came one of the most powerful advocates at the Wisconsin bar. Among the cases in which he won reputation were the impeachment trial of .Judge Levi Hubbell in 1853, the Joshua Glover fugitive- s-lave ease in 1854, and the case of Bashford vs. Barstow in 1856 to determine the title to the office of governor of the state, in which Coles Bashford, Mr. Ryan's client, was successful. He was a dele- gate to the State constitutional convention of 1846, and to the Democratic national convention in 1848. In 1862 Mr. Ryan, as chairman of a committee of the Democratic state convention, drew up an ad- dress to the people of Wisconsin that became known as the " Ryan Address." He was city attorney of Milwaukee" in 1870-'2, and on 17 June. 1874. was appointed chief justice of the state to fill a vacancy. He was elected to the office in the following April, and served until his death.

RYAN, George Parker, naval officer, b. in Boston, Mass.. 8 May, 1842; d. at sea, 24 Nov., 1877. He was appointed a midshipman, 30 Sept.. 1857, and graduated at the naval academy second in his class in 1860. He was commissioned lieu- tenant, 16 July, 1862, and was navigator of the steamer " Sacramento " on special service in chase of the " Alabama" and " Florida" in 1862-'4. He was promoted to lieutenant-commander, 16 July, 1866, and attached to the U. S. naval academy as assistant professor of astronomy and navigation in 1866-'9. He was again on duty at the naval acad- emy in 1871-'4, and was promoted to commander, 3 Oct., 1874. He organized parties for the obser- vation of the transit of Venus of 1874, and was se- lected to take charge of the expedition to Kergue- len islands. He was ordered to take command of the iron steamer " Huron " in 1876, and on 23 Nov., 1877, he sailed for Havana. The vessel was wrecked on Body island. N. C., and Ryan, with most of his officers and crew, was drowned. At the time of his death he was one of the most sci- entific navigators of the service.

RYAN, James, R. C. bishop, b. in Thurles, Coun- ty Tipperary, Ireland, in 1848. He came to the United States when a child, and studied for the priesthood in the seminaries of St. Thomas and St. Joseph, Bardstown. Ky. He was subsequently professor in St. Joseph's seminary. After his ordi- nation he was on the Kentucky mission for seven years, principally at St. Martin's, Meade co., and at Elizabethtown, Hardin co. He removed to the Peoria diocese in Illinois in 1878, and was ap- pointed pastor at Wataga. He was afterward transferred to Danville, and in 1881 he was made rector of Ottawa, where his administration was very successful. In 1888 he was nominated to the bishopric of Alton.

RYAN, Patrick John, R. C. archbishop, b. in Cloneyharp, near Thurles. Ireland, 20 Feb., 1831. He was educated at Thurles and Dublin, and en-