Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/395

 BOYNTON.

BOYTON.

of A.M. was conferred upon him by Brown uni- versity in 1856. He was an honorary member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and president of the Historical Society of Newburg Bay and the Highlands 1883-'88. He is the author of : " History of West Point, and Origin and Progress of the U. S. Military Academy" (1863); "Guide to West Point and the U.S. Academy"; "Greek Fire and other Inflammables " ; " Explosive Substitutes for Gun- powder"; "Photography as applied to Military Purposes " ; " Quantitative and Qualitative Chemical Analysis of Hydraulic Limestone " ; ••Manual on Blowpipe Anal3'sis"; and compiled the military and naval terms in Webster's army and navy dictionary, and the most complete col- lection of Washington's orders at Newburg. He died at Newburg, N. Y., May 13, 1893.

BOVNTON, Henry Van Ness, soldier was born in West Stockbridge, Mass., July 2',\ 1835 ; son of the Rev. Charles Brandon Boynton. He was graduated at the Kentucky military institute in 1858, became professor of mechanics and astron- omy there, and major of the 35th Ohio infantry in July, 1861, and lieutenant colonel in July, 1862. He was brevetted brigadier general for conduct at Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge ; served as Washington correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette and Commercial Tribune, and originated the project for establishing the Chickamauga and Chattanooga national military park, becoming general assistant and historian. He also aided in establishing Rock Creek park, D. C. He served as brigadier general of volunteers in the war with Spain 1898, and as president of the board of educa- tion of the District of Columbia. He is the author ' of: ••Sherman's Historical Raid" (1875); "The Cliickamauga National Military Park" (1895).

BOYNTON, James Stoddard, governor of Georgia, was born in Henry county Ga., May 7, 1833, son of Elijah S. Boynton of Vermont. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1852. and engaged in practice in Monticello. He re- moved to Jackson, Ga., in 1858 ; served through the Civil war, attaining the rank of colonel in the 30th Georgia infantry, and resumed the practice of law in Griffin, Ga., 1865. He was judge of the county court, 1866 ; was elected mayor of Griffin, serving 1869-72, and was presi- dent of the Georgia senate in 1880 and 1882. He became governor of Georgia on the death of Gov- ernor Stephens and filled the office during March and April 1883. He was elected judge of the superior court of Georgia in 1886 and 1890. He was married to Fanny Loyal of Monticello. Ga., and a second time, April 30, 1883, to Susie T., daughter of James W. Harris, a Georgia planter. He died at Griffin, Ga., Dec. 23, 1902.

BOVNTON, Nathan S., soldier, was born at Port Huron, Mich., June 23, 1837. He enlisted in 1862 as a private in the 8th Michigan cavalry. He cut off the retreat of Gen. John Morgan in Kentucky, and served under Burnside in the east Tennessee campaign. At Athens, Tenn., he took possession of a Confederate printing-office, and he issued therefrom the first number of the Athens Union Post; the second number was ready for the press when the town fell into the hands of the enemy, the printers were captured and sent to Andersonville, and the types pied, but the editor, who was on duty at headquarters, escaped. Lieutenant Boynton was at the siege of Knox- ville, and served during the Georgia campaign, two-thirds of his regiment being killed, wounded or captured in Stoneman's raid at Macon, Ga. After a service of three years, Major Boynton was commissioned major in 1865, and was mus- tered out of service at the close of the war. He established himself at Marine City, Mich., where he for several years was deputy assessor of inter- nal revenue. In 1868 he was elected to the lower house of the state legislature. In 1869 he re- moved to Port Huron, where for three years he edited and published the Port Huron Press. He was twice elected mayor of Port Huron, and served for two years as president of the board of education, and as superintendent of the water works. He invented the Boynton fire-escape, and hook-and-ladder truck, and the Boynton sys- tem of wire rope trussing for ladders. In 1883 he retired from business.

BOYTON, Paul, swimmer, was born in Dub- lin, Ireland, June 29, 1848. From his youth he was an expert swimmer, and by the time he was twenty-five had saved seventy people from drowning. He came to America prior to the civil war, and served with distinction in the United States navy until 1865. In 1867 he en- gaged in the life-saving service on the Atlantic coast. He organized a life-saving brigade to operate during the bathing season at Atlantic City, N. J., where twenty had been the average number of persons drowned during the bathing seasons, but not a single casualty occurred dur- ing the superintendence of Captain Boyton. He invented a rubber life-saving dress, which was inflated by the mouth, and which had a propel- ling paddle capable of making one hundred strokes a minute. To test its efficacy, he had himself lowered from the steamship Queen, off the Irish coast during a severe storm, in Octo- ber, 1874. After being seven hours at sea, buf- feted by the strong waves, he landed on the coast of Ireland, forty miles from his point of starting. With this dress he gave exhibitions in England before the Queen, and subsequently in various parts of Europe and America. In May, 1875, he