Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/393

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

bis \v*II-known signal, using as a hammer a great hickory cane with a spike in the end. When expecting a party of fugitives, mes- sengers were despatched along the line of the underground road, to put all men on the alert, and as the fugitives landed they were spirited on to their sought-for haven. He was over six feet high, and a man of great strength. He died February lo, 1890.

Irvin, William W., born in Albemarle county, Virginia, in 1778, son of Rev. Wil- liam Irv'in, a Presbyterian minister, and Elizabeth Holt, his wife. He studied law rnd after admission to the bar located in Lancaster. Ohio. He held various local offices — member of the state general assem- bly, 1806-08; justice of the state supreme court. 1808-15; representative in the state general assembly. 1825-28, and served as speaker, 1825-26 ; elected as -a Democrat to the twenty-first and twenty-second con- gresses (March 4, !829-March 3, 1833) ; de- feated for re-election to the twenty-third congress. He died in Lancaster, Ohio, April 19, 1842.

Page, Hugh Nelson, was born at ** North End," Gloucester (now Mathews) county, \'irginia. in September, 1788, youngest child of John Page, of Caroline county, Virginia, and Elizabeth (called Betty) Burwell, his wife. In September, 181 1, he entered the United States navy as midshipman. In June, 1812, he was ordered to the gunboat squadron at Norfolk, Virginia, stationed there for harbor protection. In August of the same year he was assigned to Commo- dore Chauncey's squadron on Lake Ontario. Later, when volunteers were called for to serve under Commodore Perry, on Lake Erie, he proferred his services, and was

placed on duty under Lieut. Calkin, on the schooner Tigress, He behaved with gal- lantry in the famous battle of Lake Erie, and was wounded in the hand. He was placed in charge of the prisoners taken, and had the distinguished honor of bearing to Gen. Harrison, who was posted at the mouth ot the Sandusky river. Commodore Perry's immortal message, "We have met the enemy, and they are ours." For his con- duct in the engagement, Page was presented with two beautiful swords— one from the United States congress, and one from the state of \'irginia. Ordered to the Siaijara, he aided in conveying Gen. Harrison's army to Maiden, to attack the British general Proctor, who, however, retreated before the arrival of the fleet. In 1814, Page served under Commodore Sinclair in the expedition to Detroit, to convey Maj. Crogan's troops to Mackinaw, and where Crogan was de- feated, his men again going aboard the ships of the fleet. Page served in the subsequent operations — the destruction of a British fort on the Saginaw river, and the winterquarter- iiig at Erie. He was then given leave of absence for three years, and in 1818 was made lieutenant, and assigned to the John Adants, the flagship of Commodore Perry, under whom he sailed to South .\merica, and an incident of this voyage was the death of Commodore Perry, during a stay at Trinidad. In 1834, Lieut. Page, in command of the Boxer, conveyed the United States ehargc d'affaires to Valparaiso, Chile. In 1838 he was promoted to commander. In 1843 ^^ was ordered to the Lez*an!, and con- veyed Hon. Henry .A. Wise. L'nited States minister to Brazil, from Norfolk, Vir- ginia, to Rio. Thereafter Commander Page crui.-ed in the Pacific until the breaking

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