Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/41

Rh rie." and. with Henry C. DeMille. " The Wife," "The Heart of Maryland," "Men and Women," "The Charity Ball," and "Lord Chumley."  BELDEN, James Jerome, oongressman, b. in Fabiiis, Onondaga eo., N. Y., 30 Sept., 1825. He received a eonimon-school education, and has been actively engaged in busiue.ss pursuits for fifty years, having been interested in and director of several banks. Mr. Belden is president and prin- cipal owner of the Robert Gere bank of Syracuse, wnich he founded. He was elected mayor of that city in 1877. and was re-elected without opiwsi- tion; was a delegate to the Republican national convention which met in Chicago in 1880. and was elected to the 50th congress. He has since been re-elected four times, having declined an election to the 54th congress. Mr. Belden has been a trus- tee of the .Syra<'Usc universitv since it was founded. He is a direct descendant of Kicharil Bayldon, of England, who setlle<l in Weatliersfield, Conn., in 1836, and is an active member of the order of the Founders and [lat riots of America. He has re- cently enlarged the Manhattan hotel, which will rank among the largest in New York city. BELL, Isaac, merchant. I), in New S ork city, 4 Aug., 1814 : d. there, 30 Sept.. 18U7. He entered the employ of a banking-hous* in New York when he was twelve years of age, and from 18:16 till 18.55 he engaged in the cotton business in Charleston, S. C, and Mobile, Ala., from which stale he was in 1848 elet-ted to congress. From 1858lill 18«0hewas a member of the New York l>oaid of supervisors, and in the latter year he l)ecame one of the orig- inal commissioners of the department of public charities and correction. He was a commissioner of education in 1S7-"H!», and also for some time a commissioner of immigration. In 1866 he was an organizer of the <.>ld Dominion steamship company, and he served as its vice-president till his resigna- tion in 181)0. He founded the ambulance system in connection with the charities dc|>artmeiit. Mr. Bell, who married a daughter of Dr. Valentine Mott, was prominent in New York .society. One of his sons was U. S. minister tn The Hague, another was a CenlrMJ park cr)rntnissioner. BELL, William Hemphill, soldier. b. in West Chester, Pa.. 'iS .Ian.. IXiA. He was grn- 8ist«nccdei>artnient. After the close of the war, his service was chiefly west of the Mississippi, in Alaska, and on the frontiers. Hav- ing f>as.sed through the intemioliate grwles, he Iwcame, in November. 181(7, commissary-gcneral of the C S. army, with the rank of brigadier - general. He was retired 28 Jan.. 18fl8. after forty years' service. BELLAMY, Edward, author, b. in Chicopee Falls, Mass., 26 March, 1850; d. there, 22 May, 1898. He was educated at Union college, but was not graduated. In 1871, after studying law, he was admitted to practice. For

several years he was assistant editor of &ldquo;The Union,&rdquo; Springfield, Mass.; an editorial writer of the &ldquo;New York Evening Post,&rdquo; and with his brother Charles established the Springfield &ldquo;Daily News.&rdquo; He was a frequent contributor to the magazines. Failing health led him in time to seek the aid of the Colorado climate, but without substantial benefit. His principal works are &ldquo;Six to One, a Nantucket Idyl&rdquo; (New York, 1877); &ldquo;Dr. Heidenhoff's Process&rdquo; (1879); &ldquo;Miss Ludington's Sister, a Romance of Immortality&rdquo; (Boston, 1885); &ldquo;Looking Backward, or 2000-1887&rdquo; (1888); and &ldquo;Equality,&rdquo; a sequel to &ldquo;Looking Backward&rdquo; (1897). These last two works had a wide circulation, and the first was translated into Arabic, French, German, and Russian, awakening almost as much interest in the Old world as in the New. BELMONT, August, banker, b. in New York city, 18 Feb., 1853. He is a son of the late banker of the same name (q. v.), and was graduated from Harvard in 1875, immediately entering his father's banking-house, of which he is now the head &mdash; August Belmont & Co., American representatives of the Rothschilds. He is chairman of the board of directors of the Louisville and Nashville railway, and connected with various financial enterprises. &mdash; His younger, brother, Oliver Hazard Perry, was graduated from the U. S. naval academy in 1879, and for several years has taken an active part, as a Democrat, in the politics of his native city and state of New York. '''BENHAM. Andrew KIHrott Kennedy''', naval ofllcer, b. on Slaten island, 10 .pril, 1832. Heen- tered the luivy as a midshipman, 24 Nov., 1847, and l>ecaine a pa.ssoil midshipman, 10 June, 1853. He was ordered to the " Princeton " in .Inly, 18.53, transferred to the ".St. Jiary's." Pacific squadron, and served on her till 1857, and was commissioned a master, 15 Seiit., and lieutenant, 16 Sept., 1855. Fie was attacheil to the " Crusader," on the home station, in 1860-'l, and when the civil war began he was made executive officer of the "Bienville," on the South Atlantic blockade, where he partici- pate<l in the capture of Port Royal, S. ('., and in 18<K1 serveil in the "Sacramento." lieidiani was promoted to lieutenant-commander, 16.1uly, 1862, and given the " Penobscot" in the Western Gulf blockailing s<)Uadron, until the close of the war in 180.5. He was on duty at the Brooklyn navy-yard in 1866. and on si)ocial service in the "Susfiuc- hanna " in 1867. He was promote<l to commander, 25 July, 1806, serveil at the Brooklyn navy-vanl in 18<)8-'!t. as lighthous<' inspector in 1870-' 1. and commanded the monitors "S«iugus" in 1871-'2 and "Canonicus" in 1872-'8, on the North At- lantic station. He then served us lighthouse in- spector in 1874-'8, wa-s promoted to captain. 12 March. 1870. and commanded tliefiag-ship " Uich- mond." on the Asiatic station, in 187H-'81. Ho was on duty at Portsmouth navy-yard from 8 Dee.. 1881. until 15 Nov., 1884. when he wils appointed lighthouse inspector, anil served until January, 1888. He was promoted to the rank of commo- dore, 4 March, 1886. and to rear-admiral, 28 Feb.. 1890. He was in command of one of the naval divisions that took part in the great display in Now York waters in .pril. 1893. and was retired in the following spring, after forty years' service. BENNING, Henry Lewis, jurist, b. in Colum- bia county. Ga.. 2 Aoril. 1814: d. in Columbus, Ga.. 10 July, 1875. He was graduated at the uni- versity of 'his native state in 1834, winning the highest honors of his class. He was admitted to the bar in Columbus, in which city he afterward resided. In 1838 he was elected solicitor-general