Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/204

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

was a distinguishing trait and often served to relieve the tedium of lengthy and serious discourse. As a writer, his style was plain and unaffected, simple and lucid. He wrote no volume, but his contributions to the "Religious Herald" would, if gathered up, make many volumes of charming mis- cellany. He was the author of a number of monographs, one of which attained a cir- culation of over a million and has been re- printed in several foreign tongues. Dr. Dickinson was married three times. His first wife was the daughter of James B. Taylor, Sr., D. D., for many years a promi- nent and useful Virginia Baptist minister. His second wife was Miss Craddock, of Halifax county, Virginia. His third wife was Miss Bagby, of King and Queen county. Furman University. Greenville, South Caro- lina, conferred on him the degree of Doctor o' Divinity.

Gildersleeve, Basil Lanneau, born at Charleston, South Carolina, October 23, 1831, son of the Rev. Benjamin Gildersleeve, D. D., and Emma Louisa (Lanneau) Gilder- sleeve, the former of English descent, and the latter of French and German descent. Rev. Benjamin Gildersleeve was a Presby- terian clergyman, a teacher, and for many )ears editor of religious periodicals ; his father and grandfather served in the revolu- tionary war, the family being among the tarly setlers of Connecticut and Long Island, and the father and grandfather of his wife also served in the same struggle. P.asil L. Gildersleeve acquired his early edu- cation in his home and in the private school of W. E. Bailey, in Charleston, and this was supplemented by study at the College of Charleston, at JeflFerson College, Pennsyl-

vania, and at Princeton College, New Jer- sey, from which he graduated in 1849, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and received the degree of Master of Arts in course. In 1850 he taught the classics in Dr. Maupin's private school in Richmond, Virginia, and then went abroad, studying in the univer- sities of Berlin, Bonn, Gottingen for three years, obtaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Gottingen in 1853. Upon his return to the United States, he engaged in teaching as private tutor for two years, and in 1856 was elected professor of Greek in the University of Virginia, which chair he held until 1876. in the meantime, from 1861 to 1866, having the additional subject of Latin. Upon his return from service in the war between the states, in which he served as aide-de-camp on the staff of (Con- federate) Gen. Gilham, and later on that ot Gen. J. P>. Gordon, he returned to his chair at the University of Virginia, where he re- mained until he was called to the professor- ship of Greek in Johns Hopkins Univer- sit)', upon its establishment in 1876. He has published a number of text-books and editions of the Greek and Latin classics, served as editor of the "American Journal of Philology," which was established in Balti- more in 1880, and is a frequent contributor to the magazines. William and Mary Col- lege conferred upon him the degree of Doc- tor of Laws in 1869, received the same honor from Plarvard in 1886, and the degree of Doctor of Civil Law from the University of the South in 1884. He is president of the University Club of Baltimore, and a member of various learned societies. He married September 18, 1866, Elisa Colston.

Henry, William Wirt, son of John Henry, the voungest son of Patrick Henrv. was born