Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/278

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throp, of Massachusetts, and their letters to one another are the prized possession of the Virginia Historical Society.

Jacobs, John Adamson, born in i-eesburg, Virginia, August 19, 1806; he was reared and educated in Kentucky, whither he was taken by his parents in infancy, being a stu- dent in Centre College, after which he en- tered the deafmute institution in Hartford, Connecticut, and there pursued a course for eighteen months in order to qualify himself for the position offered him, that of superin- tendent and teacher of the deaf and mute in the institution that had been recently established under state auspices in Danville, and for the long period of forty-five years was connected with that institution; until the year 1854 he was allowed any profits that might accrue on the boarding .depart- ment proceeds, but in that year he volun- tarily gave it up, thus saving $2,500 per annum to the state; he published a manual of lessons for his pupils (1834) and "Pri- mary Lessons for Deaf-Mutes*' (2 vols., 1859). which received many commendations on both sides of the Atlantic; he died in Danville, Kentucky. November 27, 1869.

Alexander, William C, was born in Vir- ginia, January 4, 1806, second son of Archi- bald and Janetta (Waddel) Alexander. He was educated at Philadelphia and at Prince- ton College, where he was graduated in 1824. He then studied law and was admit- ted to the bar on arriving at his majority in 1827. He gained distinction as an advocate and orator, and took active part in political life. As lieutenant-governor of the state of X'ew Jersey, he presided over the state senate for several years. In 185 1 he was a candidate for governor, but was defeated

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by a few votes. He was a member of the peace congress in 1861 and presided over many of its sessions. In 1859 he helped to organize the Equitable Life Assurance Society and was its first president, which office he held until his death, which occurred in Xew York City, August 23, 1874.

Campbell, Charles, was born in Peters- burg, Virginia. May i, 1807, son of John Wilson Campbell, the historian, who, in 1813. published a "History of Virginia to 1781.'' He was educated at Princeton, and upon his graduation in 1825, commenced teaching. From 1842 to 1855 ^^ conducted a classical school, which he had established at Petersburg, and in the latter year became principal of the Anderson Seminary in that city. He was the editor of the famous •* Bland Papers'* (1840-43), and of the "Orderly Book of Gen. Andrew Lewis'* (Richmond, i860); and he was the author of **An Introduction to the History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of Virginia" (Richmond. 1847; Philadelphia. 1859); Burke" (Albany, 1868). He was a contrib- utor to the "Historical Register" and to the "Southern Literary Messenger." He died in Staunton. Virginia, July 11, 1876.
 * Some Materials for a Memoir of John Daly

Harrison, Gessner, born at Harrisonburg, Virginia, June 26. 1807, died April 7, 1862. He was one of the very first students to enter the newly founded University of Vir- ginia, where he pursued a medical course, and in 1828 graduated from that institution, and at the same time was one of three graduates in Greek, having pursued his lan- guage studies under Professor George Long, who was shortly afterward recalled to Eng- land, and was asked to name his successor

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