Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/195

BALCH.BALDWIN. captured Tybee Island. He was promoted commander, July 16, 1863, and did gallant and efficient service on various occasions; notably upon the Black river, in repelling an attack by two Confederate forts in which his ship, the Pawnee, was struck forty-six times, and in an engagement with the Confederate forts on the Stono river and later on Tagoda creek, S. C., when he silenced the batteries and drove the Confederates from their breastworks. He was promoted captain July 26, 1886; was made commodore in 1872, and in 1878 was promoted rear-admiral. He was stationed at the navy yard at Washington from 1865 to 1868, commanded the flag-ship Albany during 1868 to 1869; employed on various shore services from 1870 to 1878; superintendent of the naval academy from 1879 to 1881, and commander of the Pacific squadron from 1881 until 1883, when he was placed on the retired list. BALCH, Thomas, author, was born at Leesburg, Loudon county, Va., July 23, 1821. He studied at Columbia college, read law in the office of Stephen Cambreleng, New York, and was admitted to the bar in 1850. In 1852 he removed to Philadelphia, served in the city councils and presided over some of its most important committees. At the request of the Historical society of Pennsylvania, he edited "The Shippen Papers," "Letters and Papers relating to the Provincial history of Pennsylvania," the "Maryland Papers," and "The Examination of Joseph Galloway for the Seventy-sixth Society." In 1859 he went to Europe, and remained upwards of ten years, making Paris his headquarters, collecting material for his work, entitled "Les Français en Amerique pendant la Guerre de L'Independence des Etats Unis, 1773-1783." In 1865 he proposed in a letter to Horace Greeley, published in the New York Tribune, a court of international arbitration as a measure of averting war, which is believed to have been the first step in this direction. In it was laid down the code of rules observed by the Geneva tribunal. Returning to the United States he devoted himself to literary labor. In September, 1876, he read before the Social science association at Saratoga, a paper in favor of a double standard in coinage, and a paper before a similar association in Philadelphia on "Free Coinage and a Self-adjusting Ratio." An account of many of his writings may be found in an obituary, by John Austin Stevens, in the Magazine of American History for June, 1877. He died in Philadelphia, March 29, 1876. BALDWIN, Abraham, statesman, was born at Guilford, Conn., Nov. 6, 1754. In 1772 he was graduated from Yale college, and in 1775 was appointed tutor, which position he held until 1779. In 1777 he was made chaplain in the army, serving throughout the remainder of the war in this capacity. In 1784, through the influence of General Greene, he removed to Savannah, Ga., where he was admitted to the bar and was elected to the state legislature. He founded the University of Georgia, secured for it a grant of 40,000 acres of land, drew up the charter, and was its president for a number of years. In 1787 he was a member of the convention which framed the constitution of the United States. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1785 to 1788. From 1789 to 1792 served as a representative in the United States Congress, in 1799 was elected to the senate, and re-elected in 1805, retaining his seat until the time of his death, and serving as president pro tempore 1801 and 1802. He educated and supported his six fatherless half-brothers and sisters, and assisted several poor young men to obtain an education. He died in Washington, D. C., March 4, 1807. BALDWIN, Ashbel, clergyman, was born in Litchfield, Conn., March 7, 1757. He was graduated from Yale college in 1776, and served as a quartermaster in the revolutionary army. He was ordained a deacon by Bishop Seabury, Aug. 3, 1785. This is memorable as being the first Protestant Episcopal ordination which took place in the United States. In 1786, he was priested and appointed rector of St. Michael's church, Litchfield, Conn., a position which he held until 1793, leaving it to take charge of Christ's church, Stratford, where he remained until 1824. He also held parishes in Wallingford, Meriden, North Haven and Oxford, until the infirmities of age obliged him to retire in 1832. He acted as secretary of the general convention and of the diocesan convention of Connecticut. He died at Rochester, N. Y., Feb. 8, 1846. BALDWIN, Augustus Carpenter, jurist, was born at Salina, Onondaga county, N. Y., Dec. 24, 1817. He removed to Michigan when that state was admitted to the union in 1837, and went immediately to Oakland county, where for the next five years he taught school and studied law, history and general literature. He was admitted to the bar in 1842 and established himself in his profession at Milford, Oakland county, but his growing practice required his presence at the county seat, and in 1849 he removed to Pontiac, where he afterwards resided. He was elected to the house of representatives of the state in 1843 and 1845, serving as speaker pro tempore in 1846. In 1862 he was chosen a representative to the 38th Congress as a Democrat and favored the adoption of the Thirteenth amendment to the constitution abolishing slavery. He was mayor of Pontiac in 1874, and from 1868 to 1886, was a member of the board of education of that city. In 1875 he was elected judge of the sixth judicial circuit of Michigan for the full term of six years. He pre