Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/640

Rh SOMERVILLE, William Clarke, author, b. in St. Mary's county, Md., 25 March, 1790: d. in Auxerre, France, 5 Jan., 1826. In early life he took part in the struggle of the South American states for independence, attaining the rank of major, and receiving a grant of three square leagues of land from the Venezuelan government for his ser- vices. He travelled in Europe in 1817-'18, and on his return to this country took an active part in politics as a Whig and a personal friend of John Quincy Adams. He purchased Stratford House, the former seat of Gen. Henry Lee (see LEE, RICHARD), and lived with great elegance. Mr. Somerville was appointed minister to Sweden by John Quincy Adams, and sailed on the ship that carried Lafayette to Europe after his visit to this country, but he died shortly afterward, and, in ac- cordance with his own wishes, was buried at La Grange. Lafayette's residence. He provided in his will for the ultimate emancipation of all his slaves. Mr. Somerville possessed varied accomplishments, and was striking in personal appearance. At the time of his death he was engaged to be married to Cora, daughter of Edward Living-ton. He was the author of " Letters from Paris on the Causes and Consequences of the French Revolution" (Baltimore, 1822); "Extracts of a Letter on the Mode of choosing the President " (1825) ; and sev- eral poetical pieces.

SOMMERS, Charles George, clergyman, b. in London. England, 4 March. 1793 : d. in New York city, 19 Dec., 1868. His father was a Norwegian, and the early part of the son's life was spent in Denmark, where, after attending school, he entered a mercantile house at Elsinore. He came to this country in 1808, and in 1811 entered the employ of John Jacob Astor, for whom he went to Canada on a difficult mission during the war of 1812. but he abandoned business soon afterward for the Bap- tist ministry. After a six years' pastorate in Troy, N. Y., he was called to the charge of the South Baptist church in Xew York city, where he re- mained till his retirement in 1856. He was an ac- tive worker in connection with the tract and Bible societies, and a founder of the American Baptist home mission society. In 1852 he received the de- gree of D. D. from Madison university. Dr. Som- mers published numerous controversial articles in defence of Baptist doctrines, edited a volume of "Psalms and Hymns" (Philadelphia, 1835) and " The Baptist Library " (3 vols., Prattsville, N. Y., 1843), and was the author of a " Memoir of John M.inford, D. D., with Selections from his Corre- spondence" (New York. 18o5).

SONNINI DE MAXOXCOURT, Charles Nicolas Sigisbert, French traveller, b. in Luneville, France, 1 Feb., 1751 ; d. in Paris, France, 9 May, 1812. Although, from deference to his father's wishes, he studied law, his fondness for natural history and his passion for travel led him to enter the navy in 1772, shortly after he had been called to the bar at Nancy. He went to Cayenne in 1773, and soon acquired reputation for his daring journeys into the interior. The government employed him several times in expeditions that were of the greatest advantage to the colony. In 1774 he traversed Guiana in its entire breadth as far as Peru. In another expedition he discovered, after wandering through immense marshes, a watiT route through which he reached the Gabrielle mountain. He made a valuable collection of rare birds, which he presented to the Paris cabinet of natural history. An attack of fever obliged him to return to France, and he -eln -ie.| Montbard as his residence, near the home of ButT'Hi, by whose direction he described twenty-six species of Ameri- can birds, comprising those belonging to the gal- linaceous order, and the water-fowl. He after- ward served in the French navy, travelled exten- sively in Asia and Africa, and wrote numerous books of travel and agriculture and natural his- tory, among others " Histoire naturelle des rep- tiles " (4 vols., Paris, 1803-'26), and " Histoire na- turelle des poissons et des cetaces " (14 vols., 1804). See " Eloge historique de Sonnini." by Arsene Thiebaud de Berneaud (1812).

'''SONNTAG. George''', soldier, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1786; d. in Odessa, Russia. 2:5 March. 1S41. His father. William Louis Sonntag, a French officer, came to this country during the Revolu- tion, and at its close established a mercantile house in Philadelphia. The son went to Russia in 1815, entered the military service, and with the allied army entered Paris. He became a general in the Russian army and an admiral in the navy.

SONNTAG, William Louis, painter, b. near Pittsburg, Pa., 2 March, 1822 ; d. in New York city, 22 Jan., 1900. He began in Cincinnati to study art as a profession in 1848. Six years later he settled permanently in New York. During 1853-'4, 1855-'7, and 1861 he was abroad, spending most of the time in Italy. He has devoted himself to the delinea- tion of American landscape, strongly idealized. His principal works are " view on Licking River, Ky." (184ii); four pictures on the "Progress of Civilization," illustrating William Cullen Bryant's poem (1848); "Spirit of Solitude" (1851); " Ean- geline " (1852) ; " A Dream of Italy " (1860) ; " A Morning in the Alleghanies" (1865); "Sunset i" the Wilderness"; "Spirit of the Alleghanies' ' Mo and " Fog rising off Mount Adams " (about 1885). He was elected an associate of the National acade- my in 1860, and an academician the following year, and is also a member of the Water-color society and the Artists' fund society.

SONTAG, Heuriette, German singer, b. in Coblentz, 13 May, 1805; d. in Vera Cruz, Mexico, 18 June, 1854. Her parents belonged to the theatrical profession, and carefully cultivated her vocal and dramatic powers, which were naturally great. Before she was six years old she sang on the stage in children's parts at Darmstadt, Berlin, and Prague. She studied for four years at the conservatory of Prague, where, in her fifteenth year, with marked success, she took the leading part in Boieldieu's " Jean de Paris." She then went to Vienna, and before she was nineteen she was prima donna of the Berlin stage. Shortly afterward she left for Paris, where she competed successfully with Malibran, Pasta, and Catalan!. In 1828 she made her debut in London, but at the close of the season she married Count Rossi, a Piedmontese nobleman, and after a triumphant operatic career in the great capitals of Europe retired to private life. She still retained her great love of art for its own sake, and continued to study while mingling in the highest circles of society. In 1848 her husband became involved in political troubles, and lost his fortune. For his sake and for that of their children she resolved to resort again to her art, and accepted an engagement at London for the season of 1849. In 1853, encouraged by the successful career of Jenny Lind, she decided to visit the United States, and in the autumn of that year arrived in New York. Her tour through the chief cities of the Union was brilliant, remunerative, and exceeded her expectations. In is". | -he accepted an engagement from the manager of the principal theatre of Mexico, at Vera Cruz : but she was suddenly stricken down by cholera while preparing for her first appearance.