Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/42

20 PILLING, James Constantino, philologist, b. in Washington, 1(5 Xov., 1S46 ; d. in Olney. Md., 26 July, 1895. He was educated at Gonzaga col- lege, and became connected with the geological survey of the Rocky mountain region under .Major Powell. In this relation he continued until 1879, and was constantly among the Indian tribes of the west, engaged in tabulating the vocabularies of their various dialects. He then became chief clerk of the bureau of ethnology, and in 1881 was appointed to a similar office in the L T . S. geological survey. Mr. Pilling was a member of numerous scientific societies, and, in addition to memoirs on ethnological subjects, is the author of " Bibliogra- phy of the Languages of the North American In- dians" (Vashington, 1885); " Bibliography of the Eskimoan Languages " (1887) ; and " Bibliography of the Siouan Languages " (1887). all of which ha < been issued under the auspices of the government.

PILLOW, Gideon Johnson, soldier, b. in Williamson county, Tenn., 8 June, 180(5 ; d. in Lee county. Ark.. 6 Oct., 1878. He was graduated at the University of Nashville, Tenn., in 1827, prac- tised law at Columbia, Tenn., was a delegate to the National Democratic convention in 1844, and aided largely in the nomination of his neighbor, James K. Polk, as the candidate for president. In July, 1846. he was appointed brigadier-general in command of Tennessee volunteers in the Mi i- can war. He served for some time with Gen. Zachary Taylor on the Mexican frontier, subse- quently joined Gen. Scott at Vera Cruz, and took an active part in the siege of that city, afterward being one of the commissioners that received its surrender from the Mexican authorities. At the battle of Cerro Gordo he commanded the right wing of the American army, and was severely wounded. He was promoted to major-general, 13 April. 1*47, was engaged in the battles of Churu- busco, Molino del Bey, and C'hapultepec, where he was wounded. He differed with Gen. Scott in regard to the convention of 'Tacubaya, and the differences led to such results that Gen. Pillow requested a court of inquiry to try him on charges of insubordination that were mad'e by Scott. The court was ordered, and he was honorably acquitted. After the Mexican war he resumed the practice of law in Tennessee, and was also largely engaged in planting. In the Nashville southern convention of 1850 Gen. Pillow took conservative ground, and opposed extreme measures. He received twenty- five votes for the nomination for the vice-presi- dency at the Democratic National convention in 1x52. On 9 May, 18(51, he was appointed by Gov. Isham G. Harris a major-general in the provisional army of the state of Tennessee, and aided largely in the organization of its forces. On 9 July, 1861, he was made a brigadier-general in the provisional Confederate army. He commanded under (leu. Leonidas Polk at the battle of Belraont, Missouri, 7 Nov., 1861, and was second in command under Gen. John B. Floyd at Fort Donelson in February. 1862. He declined to assume the chief command and to surrender the forces at this fort, -i '. I iirning the place over to Gen. Simon B. Buekner, he es- caped. He was now relieved from command, but subsequently led a detachment of cavalry, and served under Beauregard in the southwest. He was also chief of conscripts in the western department.

PILLSBURY, Amos, prison-reformer, b. in New Hampshire in 1805; d. in Albany, X. V.. 14 July, is;:!. His father was a soldier in the ai-"! 1X12, and was warden of state prisons in New 1 lamp-hire and Connecticut for many years. The son was appointed warden of the state prison of Connecticut at Wethersfield, and held the post for many years. After leaving Wethersfield he was warden of prisons in other states for several years, and for a short time superintendent of police in New York city. The new penitentiary at Albany was planned according to his suggestions, and he became its superintendent, and continued there till his death. He was severe and rigorous in his rule, but possessed great organizing ability, and caused prisons and penitentiaries under his superintend- ence to become sources of revenue to the state. He was considered a competent authority on questions of moderate prison-reform, and in the summer of 1*72 attended the prison congress in London and took part in its discussions.

P1LLSBURY, Parker, reformer, b. in Hamil- ton. Mass., 22 Sept., 1809; d. in Concord, N. H., 7 July, 1898. He was employed in farm-work at Hen- niker till 1835. when he entered Gilmanton theolog- ical seminary. He was graduated in 1838, studied a year at Andover, supplied the Congregational church at New London, N. H., for one year, and then abandoned the ministry in order to engage in anti- slavery work. He was a lecturing agent of the New Hampshire. Massachusetts, and American anti-sla- very -i iciet ies from 1840 till the abolition of slavery, and edited the " Herald of Freedom " at Concord, N. H., in 1*40 and 1845-'6, and the " National Anti- Slavery Standard " in New York city in 1866. In 1868-'7d he was the editor of the "Revolution," a woman suffrage paper in New York city. Afterward he was a preacher for Free religious societies in Salem and Toledo, Ohio, Battle Creek, Mich., and other western towns. Besides pamphlets on reform subjects, he has published "Acts of the Anti-Slavery Apostles" (Rochester, N. Y., 1883). His brother, Oliver, b. in Henniker, N. H., 16 Feb.. 1817; d. in Concord. N. H., 22 Feb., 1888, was educated at Hen- niker academy, taught in New Jersey in 1839-'47, occupying a prominent place among the educators of the state, returned to New Hampshire with im- paired health, and was a farmer for the next seven- teen years. He served three terms in the legislature, was a state councillor in 18(52 and 1863. displaying executive ability and energy in business connected with the New Hampshire quota of troops, and in 1869 was appointed the first insurance commissioner of the state, holding the office till his death.

PILMORE, Joseph, clergyman, b. in Tadmouth, Yorkshire. England, 31 Oct.; 1739; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 24 July, 1825. He obtained his education in John Wesley's school at Kingswood. and undertook the work of an itinerant or lay preacher under Wesley's direction. In 1769 he came to this country on a mission to establish Methodism in Philadelphia. He preached from the steps of the state-house on Chestnut street, from stands in rare-fields, and rode the circuit:- with his library in hissaddle-bags, holding the first Methodist meeting in Philadelphia in a pot-house in Loxley's court, and establishing the first church that was owned by the Methodists in Philadelphia. It is the present rhuivh of St. George, and was an unfinished building purchased from the Germans, which the British seized, when they were in possession of the city, ami u~ed as cavalry riding-school. After the war ot the Revolution. Mr. Pilnioiv sought for orders in the Protestant Kpisccipal church. He was ordained deacon, 2T Nov., 17X5. by Bishop Seabury. and |irir-i two dav- later, by the same lii-lmp, ;ind beeame rector of three united parishes in the vicinity of Philadelphia. From 17X9 till 17!4 he served a> as-iMant I" li'ev. Dr. Samuel Magaw. lie was then called to Christ church. N'ew York city, where he remained ten years. In 1*04 he succeeded Dr. Magaw in the