Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/331

Rh WILLIAMSON, Joseph, lawyer, b. in Belfast, Mc. a Oct., 1S28. He eiiiered Bowiloin, where he was graduated in 1849. He was admitted to the bar. and in 1853 became judge of the municipal court at Belfast, which position he held until 1860. He has published '• History of the City of Belfast, in the State of Maine, from its p'irst Settlement In 1770 to 1875 " (Portland, 1877), and also " A Bib- liography of the State of Maine from the Earliest Period to 1891 " ('J vols., 1896).

WILLIS, Albert Sydney, diplomatist, b. in Shelby ville, Ky.. 23 Jan., 1843; d. in Honolulu, 6 Jan!. 1897. lie was graduated at the Louisville law-school, was later, for four years, attorney for Jefferson county, and in 1876 he was elected to congress as a Democrat. He was defeated for re- election in 1886, after a fierce political struggle, and in September, 1893, he was appointed by President Cleveland minister to Hawaii, succeed- ing Commissioner Blunt. He was conveyed to Honolulu in a naval vessel, was received by Presi- dent Dole, and during his residence there his sur- roundings were far from agreeable. Mr. Willis died at his post, after an illness of several months.

'''WILSON. Francis Uisliop,''' actor and author, b. in Philailelphia, Pa., 7 Feb., 1854. His success in life has fieen due entirely to his own exertions, all his education having been" in thes<-hool of adver- sity and wide experience." He has acted in many plays and operas, also playing the rule of actor- manager for many others. The Little Corporal is one of his popular characters. HisbiH)ksare"Some Attentions" (privately printed in New York): " Recollections of a Player" (printed on the Marion press, Jamaica. N. Y.. by Frank E. Hopkins, 1897) : and •• The Kugene Field I knew " (New York, 1898).

WILSON, James, cabinet olTicer, b. in Ayrshire, Scotliind, 1(1 .ug., 18:15. He removed with his family to Connecticut in 1852: three years later he went to Tama county, Iowa, and engaged in farming. He was a representative in the 12th, 13th. and 14th general assemblies of his state, serving as speaker of the house in the 14th. He was elected a national representative for the 43d, 44th. and 48th congresses. He served as a regent of the state university from 1870 to 1874. as a rail- way coiiuiiissioner iti l879-"84, and as director of the agricultural exm-riment station and profes,sor of agriculture at the Iowa agricultural college at Ames, 1890-'7. He was confirmed by the senate as secretary of agriculture, 5 March, 1897, and has filled the posiliou with general satisfaction. WILSON, John Loek wootl. senator, b. in Craw- forilsville, Iiid., 7 Aug., ]H.-)0. He studied at Wabash college, where he was graduated in 1874. In 1880 he was elected a representative to the state legislature from Montgomery county. President Arthur appointed him receiver of public moneys at Spokane, Washington Territory, which position he held four years. In 1884 he wa-s a delegate from the territory to the Republican national con- vention. He was the first member of congress electeil from the state of Washington, and served in the 51sl, 52il. and 53d congresses. On 1 Feb., 1895, he was elected by the legislature to the U. S. senate to fill a vacancy caused by the failure of the [ireceding legislature to elect a senator. On 19 Feb.. 1895, Mr. Wilson took his seat for the term, which was completed in March, 1899.

WILSON, John Moulder, soldier, b. in Wa.sh- ingtoii. D. ('.,8(»ct., 18;i7. He was graduated from the U. S. military m-ademy in July, 1860, and com- missioned brevet 2d lieutenant of artillery. He was transferred to the ordnance department, serv- ing at Fort .Monroe and at Washington until 1861, when he was commissioned 2d lieutenant in the 2d artillery. He served through the rebellion, being promoted 1st lieutenant, and taking part in the battle of Bull Run and the peninsular cam- paign of 1862 : he was brevetted captain, 27 June, 1862, for his services at the battle of Gaines's Mill, Va., and major, 1 July following, at Malvern Hill, Va., for gallantry, in which battle he received also the medal of honor. He was transferred to the topographical engineers, 24 July, 1862, and to the corps of engineers on 3 March, 1863. He served in all the engagements of the Army of the Poto- mac, and was promoted captain of the corps of engineers in June, 1863. After the war he was engaged in various engineering works on the Mis- sissippi, Missouri, and Hudson rivers and Lake Ontario. He was appointed major, corps of engi- neers, 3 June, 1867, and was engaged both in the east and the west. On 17 March. 1884, he was pro- moted lieutenant-colonel. He was superintendent at West Point from 17 Aug., 1889, until 31 March, 1893; on 31 March, 1895, he was rommissioncd colonel of engineers, and in Febuary, 1897, briga- dier-general and chief of engineers. He was a member of the war department investigating com- mittee appointed tiy the president, and has received the degree of LL. t). from Columbian university.

WILSON, William Powell, director, b. in Ox- ford, Oakland co., Mich., 17 Oct., 1844. He was educated at the Agricultural college of Michigan and at Harvard, where he was an instructor in Ixitany for several years, subsequently professor of botany and director of school of biology in the University of Pennsylvania. In 1893 he founded the Philailelphia commercial museum, of which he is the director, and in 1899 he was elected director- general of the national exposition of American manufactures suitable for export, which was opened by President McKin ley in September, 1899, and con- tinued for two months. The commercial con- gress, held under its auspices in October, was an interesting feature of the exposition. Dr. Wilson received degrees from Harvard and Tubingen universities, Germany, where he was a student.

WINDER, Charles Sidney, soldier, b. in Tal- bot county, Md., 18 Oct., 1829; d. at Cellar Mountain, '9 Aug., 1862. He entered the U. S. mili- tary academy in July, 1846: was brevet 2d lieu- tenant, 4lli artillery, July, 1850; 2d lieutenant, 3U artillery, July. 18.")!; 1st lieutenant, April. 1854; regimental adjutant, April, 1854, to March. 1855; and captain, 9th infantry, March, 1853. He re- signed from the army in April, 1861. When cap- tain of the 9th infantry he was ordered, with his regiment, to California on the "San Francisco," which was wrecked, 24 Dec, 185.3. and his conduct on that occiision was so heroic as to receive uni- versal commendation. He entered the artillery as major of the corps of artillery, and in July. 1861, became colonel of the 6th regiment, ."^oiilli Caro- lina infantry, and brigadier-general in theCcmfeil- erate army in .March, 1862. His brigade wiis com- posed of the 2d, 4th, 5th, 27th. and 33d Virginia regiments of infantry. Army of northern Virginia. He was killed at thebattle "of Cedar ^Mountain.

WINFIELD, Charles Hardenburg. lawyer, b. near Port Jervis. N. V.. 8 Nov.. 1829; d. in Jersey City, 9 March. 1898. He was graduated at Rutgers college, studied law in Jersey City, where he was admitted to the bar, anil practised for more than twosttore years. He was elected to the New Jersey senate in 186,5, serving for a single term; was appointed prosecutor of the pleas for Hudson county in 1883. reappointed five years later, and again in 1893, resigning the office in 1898. Mr.