Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/222

 CHURCHILL

CHURCHILL

of Ezra and Myra (Bos%vortli) Churchill ; grandson of Isaac Churchill, and a descendant of Jolm Churchill, who landed in Plymouth, Mass., in 1648. He was graduated from Amherst college in 1889 and taught Greek, Latin and English in the Worcester, Mass., high school until 1892. He was teacher of English at the Penn charter school, Philadelphia, Pa., 1892-94, and then went abroad to studj- at the German universities, taking his Ph.D. degree in English at the Uni- versity of Berlin in 1897. He returned to the United States in August, 1897, and accepted the professorship of English in the Cosmopolitan university, Irvington, N.Y., but exchanged it in Januarj', 1898, for the position of assistant editor of the Cosmopolitan magazine. Here he remained till the following April, when he accepted the chair of logic, rhetoric and public speaking at Amherst college. He was married Aug. 24, 1893, to Mabelle Ellen Whittier of "Worcester.

CHURCHILL, John Charles, representative, WHS born at Mooers, Clinton county, N.Y., Jan. IV, 1821 ; son of Samuel and Martha (Bosworth) 'Jhurcliill; grandson of John Churchill of New Salem, and of John Bosworth of Sandisfield, Mass. , and a descendant of John Churchill, who settled at Plymouth, Mass., in 1640. He was pre- pared for college at Plattsburg academy and Burr seminary, Man- chester, Vt., and was graduated from Mid- dlebury college in 1843. He was profes- sor of languages at Castleton seminary, 1843-45, and a tutor at Middlebury college, 1845-46. He studied law at Harvard and elsewhere, was ad- mitted to the bar in x^ - 1847, and practised at

JM^^^^d/^.^ Oswego, KY. He was district attorney of Oswego county, 1857-59, and county judge, 1860^63. He was representative in the 40th and 41st congresses, 1867-71; a delegate to the Republican national convention at Cincin- nati, 1876 ; a presidential elector at large for New York on the Republican ticket, 1880. He was ap- pointed justice of the supreme court of New York to fill a vacancy, Jan. 17, 1881, and in November, 1881, was elected for the full term, which expired by the constitutional limit for age, Dec. 31, 1891. He was a trustee of Middlebury college, 1869-75. He received the degree of LL.D. from Middlebury in 1874 and from Ham- ilton in 1882. He was married Sept. 11. 1849, to

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Catharine, daughter of Dr. Lawson Sprague, surgeon U.S. army, and had children: Catharine Sprague; Eliot M., widow of Dr. W. R. R. Fisher, assistant surgeon U.S. army; John Charles, as- sistant U.S. engineer, and Lawrence William, a lawyer; all of Oswego, N.Y.

CHURCHILL, Sylvester, soldier, was born at Woodstock, Vt., Aug. 2, 1783; son of Joseph and Sarah (Cobb) Churchill. He was educated in the Vermont schools and began life as a carpenter. From 1808 to 1812 he was one of the editors of The Vermont Bepublican, a Democi-atic newsi:)aper pubished at Windsor. He was appointed 1st lieutenant of artillery- in March, 1812 ; was elected in August, 1813, captain of a company which he raised ; was made assistant inspector-general with rank of major, Aug. 29, 1813, and served under Gen. AVade Hampton until the treaty of peace was signed ; major of 3d artillery April 6, 1835 ; and inspector-general with rank of colonel, June 25, 1841. From 1815 to 1836 he was on garrison and special duty, serving at one time on the staff of General Izard, and later as acting adjutant- general to General Macomb at Plattsburg. He served in the Florida Indian war 1836-41, and with General Wool in the Mexican war, 1846-48. For distinguished services at Buena Vista he was brevetted brigadier-general Feb. 23, 1847. He was i-etired from active service Sept. 25, 1861. He was married Aug. 30, 1812, to Lucy, daughter of Hon. AVilliam Hunter of Windsor, Vt., and had three children. His daughter became the wife of Professor Baird of Carlisle, Pa. ; one son became a lawj^er and the other a soldier. He died in Washington, D.C., Dec. 7, 1862.

CHURCHILL, Winston, author, was born in St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 10, 1871; son of Edward Spalding and Emma Bell (Blaine) Churchill; grandson of Edwin Churchill, merchant, of Portland, Me. : a descendant on his father's side from William Churchill, who settled in the Plymouth, Mass., colony about 1640; and a de- scendant on his mother's side from Jonathan Edwards. His preparatory education was ac- quired at Smith academy, St. Louis. He was graduated from the U.S. naval academy in 1894, but resigned Sept. 11, 1894, and was naval editor of the Army and Navy Journal until January, 1895. He was assistant and then managing editor of the Cosmopolitan magazine from February to Decem- ber, 1895. He was married Oct. 22, 1895, to Mabel Harlakenden, daughter of George D. Hall of St. Louis, Mo. He published, besides numerous con- tributions to periodical literature. The Celebrity (1898) ; Richard Carvel (1899), the latter being an American liistorical novel of the Revolutionary period; The Crisis (1900). a novel of the civil war, winch had a phenomenal sale, and short stories.