Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/314

 BIENVILLE.

BIERSTADT.

Yale dirinitv scliool. His first pastorate was over the Congregational church in Medlield. Mass., where he remained from 1S38 until 1838, when he was forced to abandon the ministry on account of the loss of his voice. In 1841 he assumed editorial charge of the American Na- tional Preacher, a Philadelphia journal, and while engaged in this work also became editor and proprietor of the New York Evangelist, the Eclectic Magazine and the American Biblical Kepositon/. For a short time he had charge of the American Theological Review. In 1867 he received from Secretary Seward the appointment of special United States commissioner to western Asia, and he spent several months in travelling througli that part of the old world. He died Sept. 11. 1881.

BIENVILLE, Jean Baptiste le Moyne, Sieur de. ( See Le Moyne, Jean Baptiste, Sieur de Bien- ville.)

BIERMAN, E. Benjamin, educator, was born near Reading, Pa., Dec. 1, 1839, son of Benjamin and Anna (Bertram) Bierman. He was educated in the public schools of his native county, and in the Reading classical academy, ' where he was prepared for the junior class in college. During the last year of his connection with the academy, he was an associate instructor. In 18(54 he was elected principal of the pub- lic high school of Hamburg, Pa., which position he held for three successive years. In 1867 he was given the degree of M.A. by Lafayette college, and the same year the trustees o f Lebanon Valley college, Ann- Tille, Pa., unani- mously called him to the chair of English language and literature. This professorship he held for five years, when, on the re-organization of the faculty, he was transferred to the depart- ment of mathematics and astronomy, which place he filled during the following eight years. In 1880 he severed his connection with the college, and removed to Philadelphia for the purpose of attend- ing lectures in its professional schools and the Uni- versity of Penn.sylvania, and during a residence of nearly ten years he attended upwards of nearly twenty different courses in philosophy, history, lit- erature, medicine, political economy, etluc-s, etc. In 1890, he was elected president of Lebanon Val- ley college. In 1892, Ursinus college conferred upon liim the degree of Ph.D.

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BIERSTADT, Albert, painter, was born at Dusseldorf. Germany, Jan. 7, 1830. When he was about two years old his parents removed to the United States and settled in New Bedford, Mass., where he received his early education. While yet very young he occasionally amused himself by making crayon sketches, and sliowed not a little talent. In 1851 he began to paint in oils, and two years later returned to Diis- seldorf, where he remained four years, studying in the academy, where lie acquired technical skill, but exhibited no striking proof of talent. During his first summer he made a sketching tour, and painted the "Old Mill," which gave a hint of his ability. On his next sketching trip he painted "Sunshine and Shadow," which was several times exliibited and was for many years ranked as his best work. A winter in Rome followed his study at Dusseldorf; tlien came sketching tours through the Apennines, and in Switzerland. In 1857 he returned to New York city, and in 1858 set out with an expedition to sketch in the Rocky mountains. That his trip was successful is shown by the quality of the paintings he produced from the sketches then made. Of these "In the Rocky Mountains." " Great Trees of California," and the " Valley of the Kern River," are in the Hermitage of St. Petersburg. In 1860 lie was elected to the National academy; in 1867 he was sent to Europe upon a government commission to make studies for a painting of the " Discovery of the North River by Hendrick Hudson," and was then and on his sub- sequent visits given high honors. He was made chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1867; and was given the crosses of St. Stanislaus in 1869 and 1870. The following year he was elected to the academy of fine arts in St. Petersburg, and won medals from Bavaria, Belgium, Austria, and Germany. Among his principal works are: Laramie Peak" (1861); "Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak " (1863), a 6x10 canvas sold to Mr. JamesMcHenry for S25,000; "North Fork of the Platte" (1864); "Looking Down the Yosemite" (1865); "El Capitan on Merced River" (1866); " Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mount Rosalie" (1866). owned by Mr. T. W. Kennard, valued at §35,000; "Valley of the Yosemite" (1866); "Settlement of California" and "Discovery of the North River by Hendrick Hudson" in the capitol at Washington, D. C.; "Emerald Pool on Mt. Whitney" (1870); "Mount Hood" (1870); "Valley of Kern River, California " (1875); " Estes Park, Colorado." sold to the Earl of Dunraven for $15,000. and exhibited at the Royal academy in 1878; "Mountain Lake" (1877); "Geysers" (1883); "Storm on the Matterhom" (1884); "Valley of Zermatt, Switzerland" (1885), and "On the Saco, New Hampshire" (1886). He