Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/44

24 he has been president of the Philadelphia agricultural society, and has written on agriculture and on a variety of other subjects. He is a member of the Historical society of Pennsylvania, and has been one of its vice-presidents. — Another kinsman, Chapman, lawyer, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 33 Jan., 1833; d. there, 9 Dec. 1880, was the son of Clement C. Biddle (1784-1855), who organized and was first captain of the State fencibles, and had command of the 1st volunteer light infantry in the war of 1813. The son was educated at St. Mary's college, in Baltimore, and was admitted to the Pliiladelphia bar in 1848. He soon attained a lucrative practice, and was solicitor of the Pennsylvania railroad company, and subsequently coun- sel for that corporation. In April, 1861, he formed a company of artillery to aid in protecting Philadelphia, and was made its captain. During the summer of 1863 he undertook the raising of a regiment of infantry, which on 1 Sept., 1863. as the 131st Pennsylvania volunteers, took the field with him as its colonel. He took part in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chaneellorsville, and at Gettysburg had command of a brigade in the 1st corps. In December. 1863, he resigned from the army and resumed the practice of his profession. Col. Biddle was connected with the Pairmount park art association, and through his counsel numerous beautiful fountains and ornamental groups were placed in the park. — Another kinsman, Alexander, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 39 April, 1819; d. there, 3 May, 1899. He was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania, commanded a regiment at Gettysburg, was identified with various Philadelphia corporations, and at the time of his death, at his residence on Chestnut hill, was a di- rector of the Pennsylvania railway company.

BIERCE, Ambrose, journalist, b. in Meigs county, Ohio, 24 June, 1842. He served in the civil war as a lieutenant of volunteers, and later became a journalist, having been for many years connected with the California press, his present residence being at Los Galos, in that state. Mr. Bierce has published &ldquo;Cobwebs from an Empty Skull&rdquo; (London, 1874); &ldquo;Tales of Soldiers and Civilians&rdquo; (San Francisco, 1891); &ldquo;Black Beetles in Amber&rdquo; (1892); &ldquo;Can such Things be?&rdquo; (New York, 1893); and in collaboration with Dr. G. A. Danziger &ldquo;The Monk and the Hungarian's Daughter,&rdquo; an adaptation (Chicago, 1892). &ldquo;The Tales of Soldiers and Civilians,&rdquo; his most popular work, was republished in London and New York in 1898, under the title of &ldquo;In the Midst of Life.&rdquo;

BIGELOW, Frank Hagar, scientist, b. in Concord, Mass., 28 Aug., 1851. He was educated in the Boston Latin school of Harvard and at the Episcopal theological school in Cambridge, Mass., and has entered orders. For some years he was assistant astronomer in the Argentine national observatory in Cordoba, and afterward professor of mathematics in Racine college, Wisconsin, assistant in the National almanac office in Washington, and in 1891 he became professor of meteorology in the U. S. weather bureau in Washington, which post he now (1899) holds. He is also an assistant rector of St. John's church in that city. His name is especially associated with an instrument for the photographic record of the transit of stars and with some novel studies by which the solar corona, the aurora, and terrestrial magnetism are shown to be associated. The theory has met with a favorable reception in scientific circles. He has published many articles on these subjects and a monograph on the &ldquo;Solar Corona,&rdquo; published by the Smithsonian institution (1889).

BINGHAM, Edmund Franklin, jurist, b. in West Concord, Vt., 13 Aug. 1828. He was graduated from Marietta college, and admitted to the Ohio bar in 1850. After practising in Columbus and elsewhere, he became judge of the fifth judicial district of Ohio in 1873, continuing in that office for fourteen years. He was defeated as a Democratic candidate for the supreme court of the state in 1881, and since 1887 he has been chief justice of the supreme court of the District of Columbia.

BINGHAM, Henry Harrison, congressman, b. in Philadelphia. Pa., 10 July, 1841. He was graduated at Jefferson college in 1863, became a lieutenant in the 140th Pennsylvania volunteers, was wounded at Gettysburg, Spottsylvania, and Farmville, and in July, 1866, was mustered out as judge-advocate, with the rank of major and brevet brigadier-general of volunteers. He was postmaster at Philadelphia in 1867-'73, but resigned to become clerk of the courts of over and terminer and quarter .sessions of Philadelphia, to which office he was re-elected in 1875, and served till 1878, when he was chosen to congress as a Republican, since occupying a seat in the latter body by re-election. He was a delegate-at-large from Pennsylvania to the national Republican convention in 1873, and a delegate from the first district to the conventions of 1876, 1884, 1888. 1893, and 1896.

BINKEN, Jacobus, Dutch admiral, b. in Dordrecht in 1633; d. in Tobago, West Indies, 7 Dec., 1677. He was employed principally in the Caribbean sea and gulf of Mexico, where he secureil rich prizes. In 1675 he was given the command of a fleet and appointed governor-general of the ishmds of Tobago and Cura(oa, which were threatened with invasion by the French. He was attacked by Count d'Estrees at Tobago, 3 March, 1677; but after a hot engagement he compelled d'Estrees to withdraw. The latter returned in December, 1677. and after a brave resistance Binkcn was killed by the explosion of a powder-magazine.

BISHOP, Judson Wade, soldier, b. in Evansville, Jefferson co., N. Y., 34 June, 1831. He received his education at Fredonia academy. N. Y., where his father was settled as pastor of the Baptist church for several years, and later at Belleville, Jefferson eo. Having served as a clerk and bookkeeper, he taught for two winters, then studied civil engineering, and in 18.53 entered the office of the Grand Trunk railway at Kingston, Ontario. After serving as an assistant enjiineer there and in Minnesota, he settled in Chatfield. Minn., as a surveyor, publishing a map and pamphlet history of that country. He also taught there, and then purchased the "Democrat" in 1859. which he published until 1861, when he sold it and recruited a company of volunteers. He was mustered as a captain of the 3d Minnesota regiment on 26 June, 1861, and served through the war in the west. He rose to be colonel. 14 July. 1864, and was brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers on 7 June. 1865. Since the war he has been engaged in building and operating railroads in Minnesota, and is president of the St. Paul trust company.

BISHOP, Richard Moore, merchant, b. in Fleming co., Ky., 4 Nov., 1812; d. in Jacksonville, Fla., 2 March, 1893. He received a limited education, became a clerk when he was seventeen years old, and was admitted to partnership with his employer when he was twenty-one. Later he removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, and established himself as a wholesale grocer. He was elected a member of the city council, 1857, its presiding officer, 1858, and mayor on a citizens' ticket, 1859. During the latter service he rigidly enforced the