Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/572

538 ered '" (1846). Another brother, .Emilins, a lieu- tenant in the royal navy, who died in 1831 on the Pacific coast of British North America, was also engaged in the work of exploration, and was super- intendent of the Hudson bay company's marine department on the Pacific from 1826 till 1831.

SIMPSON, George Semmes, pioneer, b. in St. Louis, h... 7 May, 1818; d. in Trinidad. Col., 4 Sept., 1SS5. He received a college education and studied law, but on the completion of his studies set out for the far west. After various experiences iu Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico, he built the old fort in 1842 where the city of Pueblo, Col., now stands. In November of that year he married a Spanish beauty, Juana Suaso, travelling with her on horseback through a wild country infested by hostile Indians to Taos, N. M., where the services of a priest were secured. Their daughter, Isabel, now Mrs. Jacob Beard, of Trinidad, was the first white rliiM that was born in the Rooky mountain region of Colorado. Indians came in large num- bers I'nun tin 1 plains and mountains to see tln> white child. They brought her presents and held a great war-dance in her honor. Subsequently Mr. Simpson lived in various parts of New Mexico until lS4ii. when In- went to California, but he re- turned to Colorado by way of the isthmus in 1X52. In 1866 he settled i'n Trinidad, Col., and there -pent the l.'i-t years of his life. He contributed both prose and verse to magazines and journals, and the first information that gold was found in I hr -.-uids of Cherry creek, Col., was sent to news- paper- in tlie east by him. He left a compilation of his contributions, reviewing the events of his life, with the request that they be published. He va- buried in a tomb cut out of the solid rm-k on the summit of a mountain known as Simpson's Nest, where he had once found shelter from the Indians. A monument marks the spot.

SIMPSON, Henry, author, b. in 1790; d. in Philadelphia. Pa.. 25 March, 1868. He was a member of the legislature of Pennsylvania, an ap- of the port of Philadelphia, and at one time an alderman of the city. He was a member of the Historical society of Pennsylvania and published "The Lives of Eminent Philadelphians" (Philadelphia, 1859).

SIMPSON, James Henry. soldier, b. in New Jersey, 9 March, 1813 ; d. in St. Paul, Minn., 2 March, 1883. He was graduated at the IT. S. mili- tary academy in 1832, and assigned to the artillery. During the Florida war he was aide to Gen. Abra- ham Eustis. He was made 1st lieutenant in the corps of topographical engineers on 7 July, 1838, engaged in surveying the northern lakes and the western plains, was promoted captain on 3 March, 1853, served as chief topographical engineer with the army in Utah, and in 1859 explored a new route from Salt Lake City to the Pacific coast, the reports of which he was busy in preparing till the begin- ning of the civil war. He served as chief topo- graphical engineer of the Department of the Shen- andoah, was promoted major on 6 Aug., 1861, was made colonel of the 4th New Jersey volunteers on 12 Aug., 1861, and took part in the peninsular cam- paign, being engaged at West I'ciini ami at liaille-'- MilK where he was taken prisoner. After his ex- i-hauvv in August, 18(i'~. he resigned his volunteer commission in order to act a- ehief topographical engineer, and afterward as chief engineer of the Department of the Ohio, where he was eni| in making and repairing railroads ami en temporary fortifications. He a- promoted lieu- tenant-colonel of ' n ineers on 1 June, l*><-'>. had general charge of fortifications in Kentucky from that time till the close of the war, was brevetted colonel and brigadier-general in March, 1865, and was chief engineer of the interior department, hav- ing charge of the inspection of the Union Pacific railroad, till 1867. He afterward superintended defensive works at Key West, Mobile, and other places, surveys of rivers and harbors, the improve- ment of navigation in the Mississippi and other western rivers, and the construction of bridges at Little Rock, Ark., St. Louis, Mo., Clinton. Iowa, and other places. Gen. Simpson was the author of " Shortest Route to California across the Great Basin of Utah" (Philadelphia. 1869), and " Essay on Coronado's March in Search of the Seven Cities of Cibola" (1869). He was retired in March, 1880.

SIMPSON, John, Canadian senator, b. in Rothes, Scotland, in May, 1812 : d. in Bowman- ville, Ont.. 21 March. 1885. He came in childhood with his parents to Upper Canada, where they set- tled at Perth. He entered mercantile life in" 1825 as a clerk at Darlington, rose to be his employer's partner, and was for many years engaged in mill- ing and as a general merchant. In 1848 he opened a branch of the Bank of Montreal at Bowmanville, and later he established one at Whitby. He was one of the most active of the founders of the On- tario bank in 1857, and was its president until a few years before his death. In 1856 Mr. Simpson was elected to the legislative council of Canada for Queen's division, and he represented it in that body till 1867, when he became a member of the Dominion senate. He was a Liberal in politics.

SIMPSON, Josiah, surgeon, b. in New Bruns- wick, N. J., 27 Feb., 1815; d. in Baltimore, Md.. 3 March. 1874. He was graduated at Princeton in 1833, and in medicine at the University of Penn- sylvania in 1836. The following year, being made assistant surgeon, U. S. army, he served through the Florida war, receiving honorable mention by Gen. Zachary Taylor for his services at the battle of Okeechobee. He was also commended by Gen. Winfield Scott and Gen. William J. Worth, under whom he served in the Mexican war at Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Churubuseo. ami Cliapultepec. In 1848-'55 he was attending surgeon with headquar- ters at New York, acting also as post-surgeon at Bedlow's island. He was then promoted surgeon and was medical director of the Department of the Pacific till 1858, of the middle department in 1862 '6, and of the Department of the Tennessee till 18(i7, when he was transferred to Baltimore.

SIMPSON, Marcus de Lafayette, soldier, b. in Esperance, Schoharie co., N. Y., 28 Aug.. 1*04. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1846, and, serving the same year in the war with Mexico, was brevetted 1st lieutenant in 1X47 for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle- ot Contreras and Churubuseo, and captain for the battle of fhapidtepee. From 1848 till 1861 he quartermaster at various posts, and a.--i-taut in the office of the commissary-general, acting as ehief commissary of the I >eparl merit of the Pacific in 1859-'61. During the civil war he served in the commissary-general's office, and he was brevetted colonel, brigadier-general, and major-general on 13 March, 1865. In lxii7-'7:) he was chief commission -nil- i-ii'iice of the Division of the Pacific, till 1879 of that of the Atlantic, and in 1879 he as- sumed charge of the same office in the Division of I hi- Mis-miri. at Chicago.

SIMPSON, Matthew, M. E. bishop, b. in i .1-dix. Ohio, 20 June. 1811; d. in Philadelphia, Pa.. 18 June. 1884. lie received the best education that the town afforded, and his father living when the boy was two years old, he was instructed and