Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/348

 BLAND.

BLASHFIELD.

of Rollii. Mo. In 1{<72 he was elected a repre- sentative from the JSth Missouri district to tho 4;kl Conj^es-s ami was re-elected to the 44tli, and each siu-ceeding Congre.s.s to the 53d, inclu- sive. He was defeateil in the election of 185)4, by Joel D. Hubbard, Republican, by seventy votes and was elected in 1896 to the 55th Con>?re.ss. He was an advocate of free silver, and in the 45th Congress introduced a bill pro- viding for the purchase of the silver bullion sufficient to coin at lea.st two million dollars a montii in silver dollars of 4r2-J grains each, mak- ing such coinage leg-al tender. The bill became known as the " Bland Silver Bill." He opposed monopolies and corporations; took a decided stand against U. S. troops at the polls; was in favor of freedom and equality of the states; in opposition to protective tarififs, and in opposition to national Kxnks; in favor of the restoration of bimetallism as it existed prior to 1878, and the issuing of all money by the government. He was before the Democratic convention of 1896 as candidate for President and received 235 votes. He died at Lebanon. Mo.. .Time 15, 1899.

BLAND, Theodoric, soldier, was born in Prince (ieorge county, Va., in 1742. He was fourth in line of descent from Pocahontas, his mother l>eing Jane Rolfe. At the age of eleven he was sent to England to be educated, pursuing his preliminary studies at Wakefield, and obtain- ing his A.M. and M.D. degrees at Edinburgh uni- versity. He returned to the United States in 1764 and engaged in the practice of his profession. He led the band of volunteers who reclaimed by force the arms and ammunition which Governor Dunmore had removed from the public arsenal to his palace, and, under the pseudonj'm " Ca.ssius," he published several letters denouncing the action of the governor. He took an active part in the enrollment of troops and when, in 1777. he joined the main Continental army he was ap- pointed lieutenant-colonel. He later rose to the rank of colonel, and gained the friendship and resfiect of the commander-in-chief by his wi.se and gallant action. He fought in the battle of the Bnindywine and Saratoga, and was given command of the prisoners in their long march to Charlottesville, Va. He sat for one term in the Virginia senate during the war period, and in the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1783. He opfKised the adoption of the Federal con.stitution, but n'j.rpsented Virginia in the 1st Congre.s.s. His deatlj was the first to be publicly announced in the hoiLse of representatives. The " Bland Papers.*' collected and edited by Charles Camp- bell (1840-'43), contain many valuable memorials of the revolution, and are accompanied by a memoir of Theodoric Bland. He died in New York city. June 1, 1790.

BLANTON, Lindsay Hughes, educator, was born ill Cinnbcrlaiid county. \"a., Jan. 29, 1834; son of Jo.si'pli and Susannali (Walker) Blantoii; graiuLson of David Blanton and of Jolm William Walki-r, and great-grandson of William Walker, a soldier of the Revolution. He was educated at Hampden-Sidney college, Virginia, and at the Union and Danville theological seminaries. He was ordained by the Presbytery of West Lexington 1858, and was i)astor at Versailles, Va., 1857-61; Salem, Va.. 18l-'68. and at Paris, Ky., 1868-'80. He was a chaplain of the 54th and 26th Virginia regiments of infantry in the Confederate army, 1861-65, and ciiancellor of Central university. Riciimond, Ky., 1880-1902. He added ,$300,000 to the endowment of the university and increased the attendance from 120 to 978 students. He re- ceived the degree D.D. from Hampden-Sidney in 18S0. and was vice iiresideiit of Centre College.

BLASHFIELD, Edwin Howland, artist, was born in New York city, Dec. 15, 1848. He was prepared for college, and pursued his art studies in Paris, under Leon Bonnat, with the advan- tage of criticism from Gerome and Chopee. He exiiibited in the Paris salon continuously from 1875 to 1880 and again in 1887, 1891 and 1892. also at times in the Royal academy, London, and other foreign exhibitions. His achievements include the following: " Tiie Emperor Conimodus " (salon. 1877); " Tiie Roman Ladies' Fencing Lesson" (salon, 1878); "The Siege" (salon, 1879); "In- spiration " (Royal academy, 1887); ceiling can- vases for the house of H. McK. Twombly, N.Y., decoration of a dome in the Liberal Arts and Manufactures building. World's fair, Chicago, "Christmas Bells" (.salon. 1892) and (World's Columbian exposition); "The Angel with the Flaming Sword " (salon, 1891) and (Worlds Columbian exposition); "The Choir Boys'" (salon, 1891); decoration of drawing-room for Collis P. Huntington, N.Y.; panel decoration, lawj'ers' club, N.Y.; decoration of the great dome, main rotunda of Congressional library, Wash- ington, D.C.. (1895); design for United States two-dollar treasury note (1890), and decoration of a grand piano for ]\Irs. George W. Childs Drexel. His paintings for the dome of the Con- gressional library in Washington, " The Human Understanding" and the "Knowledge of the Ages," including the preliminary sketches, oc- cupied him for an entire year. In addition to his larger works, Mr. Blashfleld painted a number of portraits, gave a .series of lectures on art at Harvard college, and lectured at Yale college. He was elected a member of the National acad- emy of design; of the Society of American artists; of the Architectural league; of the Society of mural painters, and an honorary member of the American institute of architects.