Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/509

Rh ing officer of the Hartford light-guard. He then stmlii'd law, and was admitted to the bar in Hart- ford about 1833. He soon attained to a fair prac- tice, but never aspired to a high position in his profession. In 1837-'8 he became editor of a Democratic paper, ' The JefEersonian," and about tin' same time was judge of probate for the dis- t rirt. His popular manners and address soon threw him into politics, and in 1843 he was elected to congress from the Hartford district. At the expi- ration of his term he declined a renomination. In March, 1846, he was commissioned major of the 9th or New England regiment of volunteers in the Mexican war. On 13 Oct., 1847, Col. Ransom, its commander, having fallen in the assault on Cha- ultepec, Maj. Seymour led the troops, scaled the _eight, and with his command was the first to en- ter that fortress. He was promoted to the com- mand of the regiment, and took part in the capture of Mexico. In 1849 he was nominated for gover- nor, but. though gaining largely over the vote of the preceding year, he was not elected. The next year he was again a candidate, and was chosen by a handsome majority, and re-elected in 1851, 1852, and 1853. In 1852 he was presidential elector. In the autumn of 1853 President Pierce appointed him U. S. minister to Russia, and. resigning the governorship, he filled the office for four years. He formed a warm personal friendship for both the Czar Nicholas and his son, and received from them many costly tokens of their regard. After nearly a ye'ar of ' European travel he returned to the United States in 1858. When the civil war began, his sympathies were largely with the south, and he continued his opposition to the war until its close as the leader of the Connecticut Peace Democrats. In 1S62 the state senate voted that his portrait, with that of Isaac Toucey, should be removed from the chamber till the comptroller should be satisfied of his loyalty. In 1863 he was again a candidate for gove'rnor, but was defeated by William A. Buckingham, after an exciting contest.

SEYMOUR, Truman, soldier, b. in Burlington, Vt., 25 Sept., 1824: d. in Florence, Italy. 30 Oct., 1891. He was a kinsman of Moses, was gradu- ated at the U. S. military academy in 1846, as- signed to the 1st artillery, and in the war with Mexico won the brevet of 1st lieutenant for gal- lantry at Cerro Gordo, and that of captain for Con- treras and Churubusco. He was promoted 1st lieutenant, 26 Aug., 1847, and in 1850-'3 was as- sistant professor of drawing at West Point. He served against the Seminoles in Florida in 1856-'8, was made captain, 22 Nov., 1860, and took part in the defence of Fort Sumter in 1861, for which he received the brevet of major. He commanded the 5th artillery and the U. S. camp of instruction at Harrisbiirg, Pa., from December, 1861, till March. 1862, and was then chief of artillery of Gen. George A. McCall's division till 28 April, 1862, when he was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers. He served in the various campaigns in Virginia and Maryland in 1862, commanding the left wing at Mech'anicsville, 2(5 June, leading a division at Malvern Hill, 1 July, and gaining the brevets of lieutenant-colonel and colonel for South Mountain and Antietam respectively. After 18 Nov.. 1862, he was in the Department of the South, serving as chief of staff to the commanding general from 8 Jan. till 23 April, 1863. leading a division on Folly island, S. C., on 4 July, taking part in the attack on Morris island on 10 July, and commanding the unsuccessful assault on 'Fort Wagner on 18 July, when he was severely wounded. He was in charge of an expedition to Florida in February., and took possession of Jacksonville on 7 Feb. He left that town with 5.000 men on the 18th, and on the 20th met the enemy under Gen. Joseph Finegan near Olustee. After a three-hours' battle, Gen. Seymour was forced to retire to Jacksonville. He returned to Virginia after commanding the district of Florida till 28 March, 1864, led a brigade in the 6th corps of the Army of the Potomac, and was taken prisoner in the battle of the Wilderness, 6 May, 1864. After being taken to Charleston, S. C., where he was exposed, by order of Gen. Samuel Jones, to the fire of the National batteries on Morris island, he was exchanged on 9 Aug., and led a division in the Shenandoah valley md the Richmond campaign, being engaged in the assault on the Confederate picket -lines at Petersburg, on 26 March, 1865, and the general attack of 2 April, which ended the siege of that place. He was brevetted major-general of volun- teers "for ability and energy in handling his divis- ion, and for gallantly and valuable services in action," and brigadier-general. U. S. army, for gal- lantry at the capture of Petersburg, both commis- sions" to date from 13 March, 1865. He was present at Lee's surrender, was mustered out of volunteer service, 24 Aug.. 1865, and became major of the 5th artillery, 13 Aug.. 1866. After the war he commanded forts in Florida. Fort Warren, Mass., in 1869-'70, and Fort Preble, Me., in 1870-'5. and on 1 Nov., 1876, he was retired from active service. Since his retirement he had resided in Europe, chiefly in Florence. Williams college gave him the degree of A. M. in 1865.

SHACKELFORD, James M. soldier, b. in Lincoln county. Ky.. 7 July, 1827. After receiving an education in private schools, he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1854, and practised in Kentucky. He served in the war with Mexico as a lieutenant. During the civil war he was colonel of the 25th Kentucky volunteers, and subsequently of the 8th Kentucky cavalry, and was appointed brigadier-general of' volunteers on 2 Jan., 1863. His command captured Gen. John H. Morgan in Columbiana county. Ohio, in July. 1863. Since the war he has practised his profession in Evans- ville, Ind. In 1880 he was a Republican presi- dential elector for Indiana.

SHAFER, Helen Almira, educator, b. in Newark, N. J., 23 Sept., 1839. After graduation at Oberlin college in 1863, she was a teacher of mathematics in the Central high-school in St. Louis, Mo., from 1865 till 1875, and in 1877 became professor of mathematics at Wellesley college, near Boston, Mass. She was made president of this institution in January, 1888, and died there, 20 Jan., 1894.

SHAFFNER, Taliaferro Preston, inventor, b. in Smithfield, Fauquier co., Va., in 1818 ; d. in Troy, N. Y., 11 Dec., 1881. He was chiefly self-educated, studied law, and was admitted to the bar, but gave much time to invention. He was an associate of Samuel F. B. Morse in the introduction of the telegraph, built the line from Louisville, Ky., to New Orleans, and that from St. Louis to Jefferson City in 1851, and held office in various telegraph companies. He was a projector of a North Atlantic cable via Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe islands, and Scotland, and was the inventor of several methods of blasting with nitroglycerine and other high explosives, for which twelve patents were issued. In 1864 he was in the service of Denmark during the Dano-Prussian war. He was a member of various scientific societies of Europe. Mr. Shaffner published the " Telegraph Companion : devoted to the Science and Art of the Morse American Telegraph " (2 vols., New York,