Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/476

448 SEARS, Edward I., editor, b. in County Mayo, Ireland, in 1819 : d. in New York city. 7 Dec.. 1876. He was graduated at Trinity college, Dub- lin, in 1839, came to this country in 1848, and for many years was professor of languages in Manhattan college. He became editor and pro- prietor of the " National Quarterly," a literary magazine, in 1860, and conducted it until his deal li. He was a writerof cultivated taste and pure and expressive style, and contributed regularly to English and American reviews. He published, un- der the pen-name of " H. E. Chevalier," " Legends of the Sea " (New York, 1863).

SEARS, Isaac, patriot, b. in Norwalk, Conn., in 1729; d. in Canton, China. 28 Oct., 1786. His ancestor. Richard, emigrated to this country from Colehester. England, in 1630. Isaac commanded a privateer against the French in 1758-'61, but lost his vessel in "the latter year, and then engaged in the West Indian and European trade, making New York city his home. On the passage of the Mamp- act he ardently engaged in the patriot cause and became an active member of the Sons of liberty. In November, 1775, with a troop of horse, he went to the printing establishment of James Rivington, editor of the " Royal Gazette.'' destroyed his pres-.es. and carried off his type, which was afterward converted into bullets. He was a member of the Provincial congress of New York in 1783 and of the assembly in the same year. He lost his fortune by the war, and in 1785 became supercargo on a merchant ship, contracting the fever from which he died on his first passage to China.

SEARS, Robert, publisher, b. in St. John, New Brunswick, 28 June, 1810; d. 17 Feb., 1892. His father was one of the loyalists of the Revolution. He served an apprenticeship in the printing busi- ness at St. John, and in 1832 emigrated to New York city, where he opened a small printing-office in Park row. In 1839 he began the publication of illustrated works, which were sold almost en- tirely by subscription. He was a liberal patron and friend of the earlier wood-engravers, did much to develop that art, then in its infancy, and was one of the earliest pioneers in arousing and foster- ing that taste for pictorial representation which has grown to such large dimensions. He was also one of the first to recognize the value of judicious advertising. He expended many thousands of dol- lars in making his publications known throughout the United States, and in 1847 procured an exten- sive recognition of the merits of American wood- engraving from the British public by presenting a complete set of his publications to Queen Victoria and receiving her personal thanks for the same. Among his publications are " Illustrations of the Bible" (New York, 1840); "Bible Biography" (1843); "Wonders of the World " (1847); "Picto- rial History of the United States," his most im- portant work (1847); and "Description of tin- Russian Empire" (1854.)

SEATON, William Winston, journalist, b. in King William county, Va., 11 Jan.. 1785; d. in Washington, D. (,'., 16 June, 1866. He was a de- scendant of Henry Seaton (of the Scottish family of that name), an adherent of the fortunes of the Stu- arts, who came as a political exile to Virginia at tin- end of the 17th century. His mother, whose maid- en name was Winston, was a cousin of Patrick Hen- ry. He was taught by a brother of the Earl of Fin- later, a Scotchman, who for several years kept an academy at liielmiond. When eighteen years of age he engaged ardently in politics, and became assist- ant editor of a Richmond paper. He next edited i he Petersburg " Republican," but, soon purchased the "North Carolina Journal," published at Halifax, which was then the capital of the state. When Raleigh became the capital, he removed thither and connected himself with the " Register," edited by Joseph Gales, Sr., whose daughter he married. In 1812 he removed to Washington and joined the " National Intelligencer." in company with his brother-in-law, Joseph Gales. Jr., which partner- ship lasted till the death of the latter in 1860. From 1812 till 1820 Messrs. Seaton and Gales were the exclusive congressional reporters as well as edi- tors of their journal, one taking charge of the pro- ceedings in the senate and the other in the house of representatives. Their " Register of Debates " was considered a standard authority. After the death of Mr. Gales. Mr. Seaton was sole editor and manager of the "National Intelligencer" until it was sold a short time before his death. In 1840 he was elected mayor of Washington, and he held that office for twelve successive years. Together with Mr. Gales, he published " Annals of Con- gre; : Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States from 3 March, 1798, till 27 May, 1824 " (42 vols.. Washington, 1834-'56) ; " Reg- ister of Debates in Congress from 1824 to 1837 " 14 vols. in 29, 1827-'37) ; and " American State Papers, selected and edited by Walter Lowne and M. St. Clair Clarke" (21 vols., 1832-'4). See his " Life." by his daughter (Boston, 1871). SEA WELL. Washington, soldier, b. in Vir- ginia in 1802 ; d. in San Francisco. Cal., 9 Jan., 1888. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1825. assigned to the 7th infantry, and from 1832 till 1834 was disbursing agent of Indian affairs, from which post he was transferred to that of adjutant-general and aide-de-camp on Gen. Mat- thew Arbuekle's staff. He was promoted captain in July. 1836, saw service against hostile Indians and in the war with Mexico, and was promoted major of the 2d infantry, 3 Starch, 1847. He be- came lieutenant-colonel of the 8th infantry, 23 Feb., 1852, colonel of the 6th infantry, 17 Oct., 1860, and was retired from active service, 20 Feb., 1862, in consequence of disability resulting from expo- sure while in the line of duty. He was chief mus- tering and disbursing officer of the state of Ken- tucky from March. 1862. till September, 1863. and of the Department of the Pacific from October, 1863, till January, 1864, and was appointed com- missary of musters and superintendent of recruit- ing service of the Department of the Pacific in . He was acting assistant provost-marshal at San Francisco from November, 1865, till June, 1866, and was brevetted brigadier-general, U. S. army. 13 .March, isu.'i. for long and faithful ser- vices. Gen. Seawell was with the 2d infantry at Monterey, Cal., in ixi'.i. ami was consequently one of the California pioneers. At the time of his death he was next to the eldest general on the re- tired list. He had lived on the Pacific coast since , and owned one of the largest ranches in Cali- fornia, in Sonoma county.

SEBASTIAN, William King, senator, b. in Vernon, Tenn., in 1814; d. in Memphis Term., 20 May, 1865. lie was graduated at Columbia college, Tenn., studied law. was admitted to the bar. and practised his profession at Helena, Ark. He was prosecuting attorney in !*!"> '7. circuit judge in 1840-2, and in the latter year was appointed a Ol the stale supreme court. He was president of ill,, stale senate in is Hi. a presidential in ! S K and was elected a U. S. senator from Arkansas as a Democrat in place of Chester A-hle, d> a-ed. >erinir from 1S47 till 1S.">3. He was re-elected for the term that ended in 1859, and