Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/376

 BOTELKR.

BOTTOME.

editor of the Litentri/ Di'ijeat ami was librarian of the Xeu- York freeoirculatiiifX library IS!)">-9. He was librarian of the Brooklyn iml)lic library 1899- 1901, ami superinteiulcnt of the circnlatiiif;: de- partment of the New York Pnblic library from 1901. He w;is a member of the Authors Club and of the American library association.

BOTELER, Alexander Robinson, represent- ative, was born at Shcphenlstown, Va., May 16, l^<ir». He was gratluated at Princeton in 1835; liecame a member of (lie Virginia assembly and was elected a representative in the 3Cth congress where he advocated tiie Crittenden compro- mise. He resigned his seat in the U. S. Con- gress in 1861 to become a member of the pro- visional and Confederate congresses. He served in thearmy of Virginia on "Stonewall "' Jackson's staff, and after Jackson's death as an aide to Gen. J. E. B. Stuart He was appointed by President Grant a commissioner for West Virginia to the Centennial exix)sitiou at Philadelphia. 1876, and by President Arthur one of the tariff commis- sioners, after which Attorney-General Brewster made him an attorney in the department of justice. He died at Shepherdstown, W. Va., May 8, 1S9-1.

BOTETOURT, Norborne Berkeley, colonial governor of Virginia, was born in England about 1717. In 1768 he succeeded Sir Jeffrey Amherst in the governorship of Virginia. The assembly pas.sed resolutions condemning the measures of government, and in consequence Governor Botetourt called the burgesses before him and said: " I have heard of your resolves, and augur ill of their effects. Y''ou have made it my duty to ilissolve you, and you are dissolved accord- ingly."' The members met at the Raleigh tavern, and formed a non-imi)ortation agreement. The governor used all hi.s influence to promote the interests and restore the peace of the colonies. His death, which was deeply regretted by the Virginians, occurred Oct. IT, 1770.

BOTTA, Anne Charlotte (Lynch), author, was Ixjrn at Bennington, Vt., Nov. 11, 1815. She was educated in Albany, N. Y., and at an early age began to contribute poems and stories to varir)us periodicals. She lived for a short time in Providence, R. I., but afterwards settled in New Y'ork, where, in 1855, she married Professor Botta of the New Y'ork university. She estab- lished a salon, where literary people, artists and mu.sicians came to meet the distinguished for- eigners who visited New Y'ork. She was promi- nently active in measures taken to relieve the women and children of Paris during the Franco- Prussian war. She prepared an album, designed t<) l)e sold for this cause, composed of contribu- tions from the pens and pencils of the most cele- brated artists of America, with photographs and

autographs. This was subsequently sold for five thousand dollars, and the sum constitutes an endowment to the French academy, the accumu- lated interest of which every five years is a prize for the best essay on the " Condition of Woman." A collection of her poems was published in 1848, illustrated by noted American artists, and "Leaves from the Diary of a Recluse" ap- peared first in The Gift in 1845. Besides in- numerable essays, sketches and stories she com- piled a " Han<lbook of Universal Literature " (1860), which holds high rank as an educational text-book. She was a prominent member of the Nineteenth century club, the Afternoon club, and other societies devoted to art and literature. She died in New York city, March 23, 1891.

BOTTA, Vincenzo, educator, was born at Cavalier, Maggiore, Piedmont, Nov. 11, 1818. He pursued his college course at the University of Turin, and afterwards held the chair of phU- osoph}^ at his ahua mater. He became a mem- ber of the Sardinian parliament in 1849, and in the ensuing year was commissioned with Dr. Parola to report to his government upon the sys- tem of education in Germany. In 1853 he re- moved to the United States and accepted the chair of Italian language and literature in the University of New York, and was married in 1855 to Anne Charlotte Lynch, a well-known autlior. Dr. Botta was a member of the Union league club for thirty years and was one of its vice-presidents. He was also a member of the Century association and several scientific and literary societies. The degree of Ph. D. was given to him by the University of Berlin, in recogni- tion of his services to Germany. His best known works are: " Account of the System of Educa- tion in Piedmont,"' " Discourse on the Life, Char- acter and Policy of Cavour '" (1862); " Dante as. a Philosopher, Patriot and Poet" (1865); "An Historical Account of Modern Philosophy in Italy," and " An Introduction to Dante." He died in New York city, Oct. 5, 1894.

BOTTOME, Margaret (McDonald), reformer, was born in New York city, but lived in Brooklyn from lier childhood. Slie became early interested in religious and charitable work in Brooklyn, N. Y., where her father held an official position. She accompanied him weekly to the almshouse and prison, and systematically visited the sick and poor of the Brooklyn districts. Her mar- riage to the Rev. Frank Bottome opened to her a wider field. About 1876 slie commenced giv- ing Bible talks in drawing-rooms to society women of New Y'ork city, and finally organized the great order of the King"s Daughters, of which she was annually chosen ] (resident. In 1896 she was elected and accepted the additional responsi- bility of the presidency of the Woman's branch.