Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/384

 PROMINENT PERSONS

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Lawson, Robert. On February 13. 1776, he was commissioned major in the Fourth Virginia Regiment, and he was promoted to colonel the following year. He is said to have commanded a brigade of Virginia militia under Gen. Greene at the battle of Guilford Court House. He died at Rich- mond in April, 1805.

Riley, Bennett, born at Alexandria, Vir- ginia, November 27, 1787. He received an ordinary English education, and after en- gaging for a time in clerical pursuits in Maryland was on January i. 1813, appointed b\ President Madison an ensign of rifles in the regular army. He was promoted to be lieutenant on March 12, 1813, and served with great gallantry during the war of 18 12. He was raised to the rank of captain on Au- gust 6. 18 18. He was engaged in the oper- ations against the Arickaree Indians in 1823 ; was promoted to be major on Septem- ber 26. 1837, and lieutenant-colonel on De- cember I. 1839, and was brevet ted colonel, for his services against the Seminoles in Ilorida. on June 2, 1840. During the Mex- ican war in 1846-47 he commanded the Sec- ond Infantry under Gen. Winfield Scott, and later the Second Brigade of Gen. D. E. Twiggs' division in the operations against the City of Mexico. He participated with conspicuous bravery in all of the most im- portant battles of the war and was repeat- edly commended by Gen. Scott. He was hrevetted brigadier-general .\pril 16, 1847. and major-general August 20. 1847. I" 1^4^ he was assigned to the command of the de- partment of the Pacific and served as mili- tary governor of California, until the organ- ization of the state government, which he hastened by all the means in his power. On

January 31, 1850, he was promoted to be colonel and commanded the First Infantry until his death. General Riley was a splen- did soldier, and his firmness and discretion proved of the greatest value in the most turbulent period of the history of California. He died at ButTalo, New York, June 9, 1853.

Hoge, John Blair, born in Jefferson coun- ty, \'irginia, in 1790, son of Rev. Moses Hoge, president of Hampden-Sidney Col- lege. He was educated in part in his father's private school at Shephcrdstown, and in p.'.rt at Hampden-Sidney College, under the presidency of his father. He was for a time a tutor in the college, and then studied law under Henry E. Watkins, of Prince Edward cc»unty. He, however, came to prefer theol- ogy before the law, was pre])ared by his fiither for the ministry, and in 1810 was licensed as a preacher by the Hanover pres- bytery. The next year he was transferred to Winchester presbytery, was ordained at Tuscarora meeting house, and became pas- tor of the churches there and at Falling Waters. His preaching was impressive, both in matter and manner. In 1814 he went to Europe to restore his failing health, and n turned in 18 16. much improved. He re- moved to Richmond, where he performed ministerial labors, and compiled a volume or his father's sermons, and when his health finally failed he was compiling a memoir of his father. He was active in establishing the theological seminar}' in Prince Edward, holding a foremost place in the synod. He married Ann K. Hunter, of Martinsburg, Virginia. He died March 31, 1826.

Jameson, William, born in Virginia in 1 791. died in Alexandria. Virginia, October 7» 1873 ; was appointed midshipman in the

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