Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/65

Rh of the Presbyterian church in 1838, and of the southern branch of that body in 1871. He received the degree of I). D. from Princeton. Lafayette, and Washington colleges in 1888, ami that of LL. 1 1. from the University of Mississippi in 1857. Dr. Plumer was an interesting figure in the history of the Presbyterian church. Hi' was not an orator, but he exercised a strong personal influence over extreme stance of an Argument against the Indiscriminate Incorporation of Churches and Religious Societies " (New York, 1847): "The Bible True, and Infidelity Wicked" (1848); "Plain Thoughts for Children" (Philadelphia, 1849); "Short Sermons to Little Children" (1850); "Thoughts Worth Remember- ing" (New York, 1850); "The Saint and the Sin- ner" (Philadelphia, 1851); "The Grace of Christ" (1853); "Rome against the Bible, and the Bible iiirainst Rome" (1854): "Christ our Theme and Glory" (Is.Vi); "The Church and her Enemies" (1856); "The Law of (tod as contained in the Ten Commandments" (1864); "Vital Godliness" (New York, 1865) ; " Jehovah Jireh " (Philadelphia, 186(i) ; "Studies in the Book of Psalms" (1866); "The Rock of Our Salvation " (1867) ; " Words of Truth and Love "(1868); "Commentaries on the Epistle to the Romans" (1870); "Commentaries on the Epistle to the Hebrews" (1870) ; more than fifty tracts that were published by religious societies ; and many occasional sermons.

PLUMIER, Charles, French botanist, b. in Marseilles, Fnince, in 1046; d. in Santa Maria, near Cadiz, Spain, in 1704. He entered the order of Minimes in 1662, and devoted himself to the phys- ical sciences, mathematics, and painting. He at- tended botanical lectures in Rome, and was selected by the government in 1689 to accompany Surian to the French possessions in the Antilles. The two botanists quarrelled at the end of eighteen months, and Plumier published his results sepa- rately on his return to France. Owing to the inter- est that was excited among scientists, the king sent him on a second mission to the same colonies. Its success induced him to make a third voyage, on which he visited Guadeloupe and Santo Domingo, as well as Martinique. He also went to the neigh- boring coast of the main-land, where he made many valuable collections. He sailed for Santa Maria, intending to embark at that port for Peru, but was attacked by pleurisy shortly after landing. Plumier rendered great services to the natural sciences, and particularly to botany. His works are " Descrip- tion des plantes de 1'Amerique" (Paris. 1693); " Nova plantarum Arnericanarum genera " (1703) ; and"Traite des fougeres de 1'Ameriques" (1705). Plumier also published some other works, and left an immense collection of manuscripts, which are in the library of Paris and in that of the Jardin des Plantes. Among them are ' Botanographia Ameri- cana," " Descriptiones plantarum ex America," "De natnralibus Antillarura," " Solum, salum Americanum, sen plantarum. piscium, volucrum- que insulis Antillis et San-Dominicana naturalium icones et descriptiones," " Poissons de 1'Ame- riiiue." mid " Ornithographia Americana, quadru- pedia et volatilia continens." There are altogether more than 4,300 designs of plants and more than 1.200 of other objects in natural history, drawn by Plumier. probably a larger number than were exe- cuted by any other artist. Several dissertations by Plumier were published in scientific periodicals. In the "Journal des savants" of 1694, and in the "Memoires de Trevoux" of September, 1703, he gave the first correct accounts of the origin of cochineal. The name Plumeria was given by Tournet'ort to a da>s of trees in the West Indies.

PLUMLEY, Benjamin Rush, author, b. in Newton, Bucks co.. Pa,. 10 March, 1816 ; d. in Gal- vrston. Tex., 9 Dec., 1887. He was early associated with William Lloyd Garrison in abolition move- ments, subsequently engaged in literary pursuits, and contributed prose and poetical sketches to the magazines. During the civil war he served on the star! of Gen. John C. Fremont, and subsequently he was on that of Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks. He afterward settled in Galveston, Tex. His works in manuscript, to be issued in book -form, include Kalhaleen McKinley, the Kerry Girl," "Rachel Lockwood," " Lays of the Quakers," which ap- peared in the " Knickerbocker " ; and " Oriental Ballads," in the " Atlantic Monthly."

PLUMMER, Joseph Bennett, soldier, b. in Barre, Mass., 10 Aug., 1820; d. near Corinth. Miss., 9 Aug.. 1862. He was graduated at the U. S. mili- tary academy in 1841, served in Florida, on the western frontier, and in the Mexican war, became lieutenant in 1848, and captain in 1852. He ren- dered important service to Gen. Nathaniel Lyon in the capture of Camp Jackson, Mo., and was severely wounded at Wilson's Creek in August, 1861. "He became colonel of the llth Missouri vol- unteers in September of that year, defeated the Confederates at Fredericktown, Mo., on 12 Oct., and was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers, 22 Oct., 1801. He subsequently participated in the battles of New Madrid and Island No. 10. He be- came major of infantry in April, 1802, served in the Mississippi campaign, at the siege and battle of Corinth, and in pursuit of the enemy to Boon- ville from 1 till 11 June. His death was the re- sult of exposure ill camp.

PLUMSTED, Clement, mayor of Philadelphia, b. in 1680; d. in Philadelphia. 26 May. 1745. He is believed to have been a native of Norfolk. England, and this belief is supported by the fact that his son William had marked on his silver the crest that was granted to Nathaniel Plnmsted. of ihat county, in the 15th year of Queen Elizabeth. He was no doubt a kinsman, perhaps a son, of Clement Plumsted, citizen and draper of London, who was among the proprietors of East Jersey, associated with William Penn. He came to Philadelphia about the time he attained his majority, became a merchant, and was nearly all his life one of the wealthiest citizens. He was made a common councilman in 1712. afterward became an alderman, and in 1723 succeeded James Logan as mayor, to which office he was again chosen in 1736 and in 1741. He was commissioned in 1717 one of the justices of the court of common pleas, quarter sessions, and orphans' court, and was continued by subsequent appointments until his death. From 1727 till his death he was an active member of the provincial council, and in 1730 became a master in chancery. In company with David French and two gentlemen from Maryland, he was commissioned by the English court of chancery in 1740 to examine witnesses in Pennsylvania and the Lower counties in the case of Penn rs. Lord Baltimore. He was the intimate friend of Andrew Hamilton, and was concerned with him in extensive and profitable land speculations, and, no donbt, through Hamilton's influence, Plumsted, although a Quaker, came to show little sympathy with the " Norris party." as (lie stricter Friends came to be called, in the bitter contests between this party ami the governor. In 1727 he was one of those that purchased the Durham tract in Bucks county, Pa.,