Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/409

Rh "Temperament and Phrenology of Mixed Races" (Trenton, 1884); "Jolly People"(Hampton, 1886); and "Illustrations in theology" (1888).

SAMPSON, William, author, b. in Londonderry. Ireland, 17 Jan., 1764; d. in New York city. 17 Dec., 1836. He was the son of a Presbyterian minister, and held a commission in the Irish volunteers, but afterward entered Dublin university, and became a barrister. He acted frequently as counsel for members of the Society of United Irishmen, thereby exciting the suspicions of the government, and after the failure of the rebellion of 1708 fled, but was brought back as a prisoner to Dublin. Me was released on condition that he should go to Portugal. While there he was again imprisoned at the instance of the English government, which was anxious to obtain papers that had been in his possession. He was finally set free, and came to this country. He established himself as a lawyer in New York city, obtained a large practice, and through his writings, which contain severe invectives against the common law, was influential in bringing about amendments and consolidations of the laws of the state. He published "Sampson against the Philistines, or the Reformation of Law-Suits" (Philadelphia, 1805); "Memoirs of William Sampson " (New York, 1807; London, 1832); "Catholic Question in America" (1813); "Discourse before the New York Historical Society on the Common Law" (1824): "Discourse and Correspondence with Learned Jurists upon the History of the Law" (Washington, 1826); and the "History of Ireland," in part a reprint of Dr. W. Cooke Taylor's "Civil Wars of Ireland" (New York, 1833); also reports of various trials.

SAMPSON, William Thomas, naval officer, b. in Palmyra, N. Y.. 9 Feb.. 1840. He was gradu- ated at the U. S. naval academy in 1861, and at- tached to the frigate Potomac" with the rank of mii-ier. In July, 1862, he was commissioned as lieutenant, and in 1802-'3 he served in the practice- sloop " John Adams." During 1864 he was stationed at the naval academy, and he then served in the "Patapsro" with the South Atlantic blockading squadron in 1864-'5, and was in that vessel when she was destroyed in Charleston harbor in January. 1865. He served in the flag-ship "Colorado," of the European squadron, in 1865-'7, and was at the naval academy in 1868-'71. Meanwhile he had been commissioned lieutenant-commander on 25 July, 1866. His next service was in the "Congress" on special duty in 1872, and on the European station in 1873, after which, in 1875, he had the "Alert," and was commissioned commander on 9 Aug., 1874. During 1876-'9 he was at the naval academy, and in 1880 was given command of the "Swatara," of the Asiatic squadron. He was assistant superintendent of the U. S. naval observatory in Washington in 1882-'3, and in September, 1886, was appointed superintendent of the U. S. naval academy. He was promoted captain in March, 1889, made chief of the bureau of ordnance in January, 1893, and assigned to command of the "Iowa" in June, 1897. In May, 1898, he was appointed acting rear-admiral, and in July he destroyed Cervera's squadron off Santiago.

SAMSON, George Whitefleld, clergyman, b. in Harvard, Mass., 29 Sept., 1819. He was graduated at Brown in 1839 and at Newton theological seminary in 1843. In the same year he was called to the charge of the E street Baptist church, Washington, D. C., of which, with the exception of two years in Jamaica Plains. Mass., and some time in foreign travel, he remained pastor until 1858. In that year he was called to the presidency of Columbian college, which office he held until 1871. Soon afterward he was elected president of Rutgers female college, New York city, and continued in this relation until 1875. While president of the female college Dr. Samson was also. for part of the time, pastor of the 1st Baptist church in Harlem. In 1886 he resumed the duties of president of Rutgers, and was at the same time engaged in conducting a training-school designed to prepare young men for evangelistic work. Besides numerous articles in periodicals, he is the author of "To Daimonion, or the Spiritual Medium" (Boston, 1852; 2d ed., entitled "Spiritualism Tested," 1860); a "Memoir of Mary J. Graham." prefixed to her "Test of Truth" (1859); " Outlines of the History of Ethics" (1860); " Elements of Art Criticism" (Philadelphia. 1867; abridged ed., 1868) ; " Physical Media in Spiritual Manifestations " (1869) ; "'The Atonement, " (1878) ; "Divine Law as to Wines" (New York, 1880); " English Revisers' Greek Text shown to be Unauthorized " (1882) ; " Guide to Self-Education " (1880) ; "Guide to Bible Interpretation" (1887); and " Idols of Fashion and Culture" (1888).

SAMUELS, Edward Augustus, naturalist, b. in Boston, Mass., 4 July, 1836. He received a common-school education, began early to write for the press, and from 1860 till 1880 was assistant to the secretary of the Massachusetts state board of agriculture. For several years he has been president of the Massachusetts fish and game protective association, besides following the business of a publisher of musical works. He has given attention to invention, and is the originator of a process for engraving by photography directly from nature or from a photographic print. Mr. Samuels has contributed long essays to the U. S. and the Massachusetts agricultural reports, and has published, among other works, &ldquo;Ornithology and Oölogy of New England&rdquo; (Boston, 1867); &ldquo;Among the Birds&rdquo; (1867); &ldquo;Mammalogy of New England&rdquo; (1868); and, with Augustus C. L. Arnold, &ldquo;The Living World&rdquo; (2 vols., 1868-'70). His latest illustrated work is entitled &ldquo;With Fly-rod and Camera&rdquo; (New York, 1890).—His wife, Susan Blagge Caldwell, author, b. in Dedham, Mass., 21 Oct., 1848, is a daughter of Com. Charles H. B. Caldwell. She was a teacher in Waltham and Boston, Mass., before her marriage, and in 1885 was a member of the school committee of Waltham. Mrs. Samuels is the author of numerous stories that have appeared in juvenile magazines and religious weeklies and of a series of books called &ldquo;Springdale Stories&rdquo; (6 vols., Boston, 1871), which were re-issued as &ldquo;Golden Rule Stories&rdquo; (1886).—His sister, Adelaide Florence, author, b. in Boston, Mass., 24 Sept., 1845, was educated in a district school at Milton, Mass., and became a teacher and ultimately a writer. Her publications in book-form include &ldquo;Adrift in the World&rdquo; (Boston, 1872); &ldquo;Little Cricket&rdquo; (1873); &ldquo;Daisy Travers, or the Girls of Hive Hall&rdquo; (1876); and other stories for youth.

SAMUELS, Samuel, seaman, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 14 March, 1825. He shipped as cabin-boy on a coasting- vessel at the age of eleven, studied navigation on shipboard, and after many voyages became at twenty-one captain of a merchantman. He commanded for several years the "Dreadnaught," the fastest of the sailing-packets. In 1863-'4 he was captain of the U. S. steamship "John Rice." In 1864 he was general superintendent of the quartermaster's department in New York city, having charge of the repairing, victualling, and despatching of vessels. In 1865 he commanded the "McClellan" at the taking of Fort