Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/619

Rh lar schools in Pennsylvania and Maryland. He received the degree of I). D. from Princeton in 1760, was an overseer of that college from 1772 till his death, and in 17111 was second moderator of the general assembly of the Presbyterian church in the United States. In 1749 he married Eliza- beth. sister of Rev. Samuel Blair. Their son, Samuel Stanhope, clergyman, b. in Pequea. Pa., l(i March, 1750; d. in Princeton, N. J., 21 Aug.. , was graduated at Princeton in 1769, became an as- sistant in his fa- ther's school, was tutor at Princeton in 1770-'3, while studying theology there, and in 1774 was ordained to the ministry of the Presbyterian church. He labored as a missionary in western Virginia for the next year, became first presi- dent of Hampden Sidney college in 1775, and held office till 1779, when he accepted the chair of moral philoso- phy at Princeton. At that date the college was in a deplorable, condi- tion from the ravages of the Revolution ; the stu- dents were dispersed and the buildings were burned. Dr. Smith made great exertions and many pecu- niary sacrifices to restore it to prosperity. He ac- cepted in 1783 the additional chair of theology, and in 1786 the office of vice-president of the col- lege. He was a member of the committee to draw up a system of government for the Presbyterian church in 1786, and in 1795 succeeded Dr. John Witherspoon (one of whose daughters he had mar- ried) as president of the college, holding office till 1812. Yale gave him the degree of D. D. in 1783, and Harvard that of LL. D. in 1810. As a preach- er Dr. Smith was popular and eloquent. He published " Essay on the Causes of the Variety of Complexion and Figure of the Human Species" (Philadelphia, 1787): " Sermons" (Newark, 1799); " Lectures on the Evidences of Christian Religion " (Philadelphia, 1809) ; " Lectures on Moral and Political Philosophy" (2 vols., Trenton, N. J., 1812) ; and " Comprehensive Views of Natural and Revealed Religion " (New Brunswick, N. J., 1815). After his death appeared six of his sermons with a brief memoir (2 vols.. Philadelphia, 1821). Another son of Robert, John Blair, clergyman, b. in Pequea, Pa., 12 June, 1756; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 22 Aug., 1799, was graduated at Princeton in 1773, studied theology under his brother, Samuel S., at Hampden Sidney, Va., and in 1779 succeeded him as president of that college. He soon became celebrated for his pulpit oratory. Dr. Addison Alexander sa^-s of him: "In person he was about the middle size, his hair was uncommonly black, divided at the top and fell on each side of his face. His large blue eye, of open expression, was so piercing that it was common to say, ' Dr. Smith looked you through.' " He was called to the 3d Presbyterian church of Philadelphia in 1791, and thence to the presidency of Union college upon its foundation in 1795. but in 1799 returned to his former charge in Philadelphia, where he died of the epidemic that was then raging. lie pub- lished "The- Knlargcmcnt "f Christ's Kingdom," a sermon (Albanv. N. Y., 1797). John Blair's grand- son, Charles Ferguson, soldier, b. in Philadel- phia. PH., 21 April, 1807; d. in Savannah, Trim., 25 April, 1862, was the son of Dr. Samuel Blair Smith, assistant surgeon, U. S. army. Hismaternal grandfather, Ebenezer Ferguson, of Pennsylvania, was a i olonel in the Continental army. lie was graduated at the U. S. military academy in . Became 2d lieutenant in the 2d artillery, and was promoted 1st lieutenant, 30 May, 1832, and captain, 7 July, 1838, in the same regiment. He served at the military academy from 1829 till 1842, as assist- ant instructor of infantry tactics in 1829-'31, ad- jutant in 1831-'8, and as commandant of cadets and instructor of infantry tactics till 1 Sept., 1842. He was with the army of Gen. Zachary Taylor in the military occupation of Texas in 1845-'6, and was placed in command of four companies of artil- lery, acting as infantry, which throughout the war that followed was famous as "Smith's light bat- talion." When in March, 1846, Gen. Taylor crossed Colorado river, the passage of which, it was be- lieved, would be disputed by the Mexicans, this battalion formed the advance. He was present at the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, and for "gallant and distinguished conduct" in these two affairs he received the brevet of major. At the battle of Monterey, Maj. Smith was in com- mand of the storming party on Federation hill, which, in the words of Gen. Worth, was "most gallantly carried." For his conduct, in the several conflicts at Monterey he received the brevet of lieutenant-colonel. He was present at Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, San Antonio, and Churubusco, and in these operations he commanded and directed his light battalion with characteristic gallantry and ability. For his conduct in the battles of Con- treras and Chu- rubusco he re- ceived the bre- vet of colonel, 20 Aug., 1847. He was present at the storming of Chapultepec and the assault and capture of the city of Mexi- co, and was again honorably mentioned in despatches. In 1849-'51 he was a member of a board of officers to devise a com- plete system of instruction for siege, garrison, sea-coast, and mountain artillery, which was adopted, 10 May, 1851, for the service of the United States. He was promoted major of the 1st artillery, 25 Nov., 1854, and in 1855, on the organization of the new 10th regiment of infantry, he was made its first lieutenant-colonel. He commanded the Red river expedition in 1856, engaged in the Utah expedition in 1857-'61, and for a time was in command of the Department of Utah. At the beginning of the disturbances that preceded the civil war he was placed in charge of the city and department of Washington, D. C. On 1 Aug., 1861, he was appointed brigadier-gen-