Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/321

 268

VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

tion, but afterward studied at Hampden- Sidney College, and was licensed as a preacher of the Presbyterian church, Octo- ber 22, 1814, at Fredericksburg. He after- ward preached at Smithfield and r.err}ville, \'irginia, at Washington, D. C, for a short period in 1821. and in February, 1823, be- cr.me pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church, Daltimore. In May, 1827, he wa? installed as pastor of the Second Presby- terian Church at Alexandria, which charge h<: retained till 1832. In November, 1830. he was deputed by the Presbytery of the District of Columbia to attend the annual meeting of the synod of Virginia, and in 1832 he was chosen missionary agent and evangelist for the Presbyteries of East and West Hanover. Subsequently he became pastor of the Free church, Hartford, Con- necticut. He was remarkably successful as an evangelist, and contributed in a consider- able degree to the revival of religion in the Presbyterian, Congregational, and other churches during 1861, whereby more than 100,000 persons were brought into church communion. He published a small volume of sermons, besides separate discourses, and a sketch of the life of his daughter Mar- garet Ann. A poem commemorative of him was written by Mrs. Lydia H. Sigourney after his death, and his life was published by Joshua N. Danforth (New York, 1837). He died in Hartford, Connecticut. February 18, 1834.

Dabney, Charles William, born at Alex- andria. Virginia, March 19, 1794. He be- came United States consul at Fayal, Azores, in 1826, and won the affection of the Island- ers in a remarkable degree by his efforts for their welfare. In the famines that visited

the island from time to time during his residence, some of which were very severe, he furnished the inhabitants with food, as- sisted them to replant their fields, advised €ind suggested the culture of new and more varied crops, encouraged the despondent, and restrained the over-sanguine. During the whole of his residence in the island he acted the part of a wise and judicious father to the people, and wherever he went, their blessings and gratitude were manifested. He died in Fayal, March 12, 1871.

Ellis, Powhatan, son of Josiah Ellis and Jane Shelton, his wife, born in Amherst county. \'irginia, about 1794. and graduated from William and Mary College in 1813. Mississippi was a territory when he set- tled in it: he obtained a high reputation there as a lawyer, and in 181 8 was elevated to the supreme court of the state, being one Gi the first judges to be so distinguished. He remained in oflSce until 1825, when he was appointed by the governor to serve out the unexpired term of David Holmes in the United States senate. The legislature elected Thomas B. Reed for this office, who displaced Mr. Ellis after he had served four months. At the next election, however, he was chosen senator for the full term, but only ser\'ed from December 3, 1827. to July 16. 1832, when he resigned to take his seat on the bench as United States judge for the district of Mississippi. While in the senate he joined Thomas H. Benton and William Smith in opposing the ratification of the treaty of 1828 with Mexico, which estab- lished a boundary line intersecting the Red and Arkansas rivers, thus leaving only Florida and Arkansas for the expansion of slavery. While on the bench he delivered

Digitized by

Google