Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/292

 CLIFFORD

CLINEDINST

a lineal descendant of Capt. Myles Standish, the Puritan. He was overseer of Harvard col- lege, 1854-59 and 1865-68, and president of the board of overseers, 1868-74; trustee of the Pea- body education fund from its foundation, and a member of the U.S. commission on the fish- eries under the arbitration treaty v^uth Great Britain. He ^vas a member of the American academy of arts and sciences and of the Massa- chusetts historical society. He officiated at Harvard on the occasion of the induction of President Walker, May 24, 1853, and of Presi- dent Eliot, Oct. 19, 1869, on each occasion deliv- ering an impressive address. In 1877 he declined appointments as U.S. minister to Tur- key and to Eussia, severally tendered him by President Grant. His sons Charles Warren and Walter became prominent members of the legal profession. Brown university conferred upon him the degree of A.M. in 1830 and thatof LL.D. in 1849, and Harvard and Amherst gave him the degree of LL.D. in 1853. He died in New Bedford, Mass., Jan. 2, 1876.

CLIFFORD, Nathan, jurist, was born in Rumney, N.H., Aug. 18, 1803; son of Nathan and Lydia (Simpson) Clifford, and a lineal descendant in the eighth generation of George and Elizabeth Clifford, who emigrated from England to New England in 1644. He supported himself while attending Haverhill academy and New Hampton literary institution, and in 1827 located in Cor- nish, York county, Maine, in the practice of law. He was elected to the state legislature as a Democrat in 1830 and was re-elected for the three succeeding terms, serving as speaker in 1833-34. He was attorney -general of the state, 1834-38 ?,nd a representative in the 26th and 27th congresses, 1839^3. President Polk appointed him attorney-general, Dec. 23, 1846, to succeed John T. Mason, wlio had been transferred to the navy department. He was sent to Mexico in March, 1848, with Assistant Secretary of State Trist, and arranged the treaty of peace between that country and the United States, having the powers of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipoteritiarj'. He remained in Mexico until Sei^tember, 1849, when he resumed the practice of law in Portland, Maine. On Jan. 28, 1858, President Buchanan appointed him associate jus tice of the supreme court. President Polk gave to Maine her first cabinet officer and President Buchanan gave to her her first repre.sentative in the supreme court, in the person of Mr. Clifford. He was president of the electoral commission which decided the presidential election of 1876, by virtue of his seniority on the supreme bench. He was married to Hannah, daughter of Capt. James Ayer of Newfield, Mass., and of their children, William Henry was graduated from

Dartmouth in 1858, was admitted to the bar in 1861, was U.S. commissioner for the U.S. circuit court for the district of Maine, 1865-76, and the author of four volumes of "Clifford's reports." Justice Clifford received the honorary degree of LL.D., from Bowdoin college in 1860, from Dart- mouth college in 1862, from Brown university in 1868, and from Harvard in 1878. He published " United States Circuit Court Reports"' (2 vols., 1869). He died in Cornish, Maine, July 25, 1881.

CLIFFORD, Walter, lawyer, was born in New Bedford, Mass., Aug. 11, 1849; son of Gov. John H. and Sarah Parker (Allen) Clifford. His preparatory education was acquired at private schools, at the Friends' academy, New Bedford, and at Phillips Exeter academy, 1865-67, and he was graduated from Harvard college in 1871, and from the Harvard law school in 1875. He was admitted to the bar at Worcester in 1874, and in. 1878 became a partner in the law firm of Crapo, Clifford and Clifford of New Bedford, Mass. In 1889 and 1890 he was mayor of New Bedford and in 1892 was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Minneapolis. In 1897 he was ap- pointed a commissioner of the United States circuit court.

CLINCH, Duncan Lamont, representative, was born in Edgecombe county, N.C., April 6,. 1787. He entered the U.S. army as first lieuten- ant in the 3d U.S. infantry, July 1, 1808; was made captain of the 3d infantry, Dec. 31, 1810; Ifeutenant-colonel of the 43d infantry, Aug. 4, 1813, and transferred to the 4th infantry, May 7, 1815. He reached the rank of colonel in the 8th infantry, April 20, 1819, and was made brigadier- general by brevet, April 20, 1829. He commanded the military district of Florida during tlie Semi- nole war and distinguished himself at the battle of Ouithlacoochee, Dec. 31, 1835. He resigned from the army Sept. 21, 1836, and engaged in planting near St. Mary's, Ga. He Avas a repre- sentative from Georgia in the 28th congress, serv- ing from Feb. 15, 1844, to March 3, 1845, and was the defeated candidate for governor of the state in 1847. His daughter was married to Robert Anderson, the hero of Fort Sumter. He died in Macon, Ga., Nov. 27, 1849.

CLINEDINST, Benjamin West, artist, was born at Woodstock, Va., Oct. 14, 1860; son of Barnett M. and Mary C. (South) Clinedinst, and grandson of John and Mary (Brady) Clinedinst, and of Joseph and Jane South. He was educated at the Staunton, Va., academy, at the Maryland institute, Baltimore, and at the Virginia military institute, Lexington. In 1881 he entered the Ecole nationale des beaux arts, Paris, where he studied until 1880, when he returned to Balti- more. Md., and opened a studio as a portrait painter. He removed to New York city in 1888,