Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/425

 COTTON

COTTON

officer ou the Brazil station, 1871-74; on duty at the New York navy yard, 1876-80 ; commanded the U.S.S. Monocacy and Alert, Asiatic station, 1880-83; was inspector of ordnance, Norfolk, Va., 1884-87; lighthouse inspector loth district, 1887- 90; commanded the Mohican, 1891-92; com- manded the receiving ship Independence, Mare Island, Cal., from May, 1892, to August, 1894, and commanded the U.S.S. Philadelphia, flagship of the Pacific station, from August, 1894, to Septem- ber, 1897. He commanded the U.S. auxiliary cruLser Harvard from April 25 to Sept. 12, 1898, in scouting to ascertain the whereabouts of the Spanish squadron under Admiral Cervera and in prosecuting the war with Spain. On May 11, 1898, the Harvard reached Martinique, W.I., a few- hours before the arrival there of Admiral Cervera's squadron. Captain Cotton at once cabled the information to the navj- department. This was the first official cablegram to that de- partment indicating the movements and location of the Spanish squadron after its departure from the Cape Verde islands on April 29, 1898. On June 26 the Harvard left Newport News with the 9th Massachusetts and two battalions of the 34th Michigan regiments and successfully landed the troops at Siboney, Cuba, July 1, in time to rein- force General Shafter in his attack on Santiago. On July 3, 1898, after the destruction of Cer- vera's sqiiadron the officers and crew of the Har- vard rescued nearly 700 of the officers and crews of the Maria Teresa and the Almirante Oquendo, many of the rescued liaving been wounded, some of them mortally, and on July 10, the Harvard left Guantanamo. Cuba, with more than 1000 jirisoners of war, landing the enlisted men at Portsmouth navy yard, N.H., and the officers at the Naval academy, Annapolis. In August the Harvard arrived from Santiago, Cuba, with the 33d Michigan regiment, at Montauk Point, N.Y. Captain Cotton reported Oct. 4, 1898, for duty as captain of the United States navy yard, Mare Island, Cal.

COTTON, John, Puritan, was born in Derby, England, Dec. 4, 1585; son of Roland Cotton, a lawyer. He studied at Trinity college and ob- tained a fellowship at Emmanuel, where he be- came head lecturer, dean, and catechist, and while there was urged to join the Puritans. He Avas a minister of the Established cliurch at Bos- ton, England, 1612, where he was suspended by the bishop for refusing to conform to some of the ceremonies of the church, but as the majority of his people sustained him he was restored. For twenty years he educated young men for the ministry and carried on numerous reforms. Upon the accession of Bishop Laud dissensions again arose and lie fled to London, not wisliing tt) ap- pear before tiie court, and finally embarked for

America, arriving in Boston, Mass., in 1633. He was almost immeuiatel}- chosen teacher in the first church in Boston unaer John Wilson, pastor, and he retained connection with that church until his death. He at first encouraged Anne Hutch- inson in her Antinomian doctrines but afterward opposed her. In 1642, with Hooker and Daven- port, he was invited to assist the a.ssenibly of divines at Westminster in organizing a church government for New England, but was dissuaded from going by Hooker, who sought to frame a system himself. He maintained the right of civil authority over religious matters and was the clerical head of the Puritan commonwealth with the Bible as its basis and the meeting-house as its court room. He had a famous controversy with Roger Williams on the rights of the civil author- ities. He introduced in New England the cus- tom of making the Sabbath observances extend from evening to evening, and was largeh' instru- mental in securing Boston Common to posterity. His descendants in Boston caused to be erected in St. Botolph's church, Boston, England, in 1857 a tablet to his memory, with a Latin inscription written by Edward Everett. He published : Set Forms of Prayer (1642) ; TJie Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Poiver Tliereof (1644) ; The Bloody Tenent Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb (1647) ; and Milk for Babes Drairn out of the Breasts of both Testaments chiefly for the Spiritual Nourishment of Boston Babes in Either Engl and, but may be of use for any Children (1646). See Mather's Magnalia and Norton's Life and Death of Mr. John Cotton (London, 1648, Boston, 1834). He died in Boston, Mass., Dec. 23, 1652.

COTTON, John, clergyman, was born in Bos- ton, Mass., March 15, 1640; son of the Rev. John and Sarah (Hankredge) Story Cotton, and brother of Seaborn Cotton, Harvard, 1651. He was graduated from Harvard in 1657, studied theology with the Rev. Samuel Stone of Hart- ford, Conn., and from 1659 to 1663 preached at Wethersfield, Conn. In 1664 he learned the In- dian tongue, and preached to the Indians at j\Iartha"s Vineyard for two years. In September, 1666, he was invited to become pastor of the clmrch at Plymouth, Mass., and the following year removed thither, being ordained June 30, 1669. He preached at Plymouth until 1697, when a dissension arose between him and his congre- gation, and on Sept. 30, 1097, after unsuccessful efforts to effect a reconciliation the council " ad- vised the pastor to ask a dismission and the church to grant it." He was dismissed Oct. 5, 1697, and after remaining about a year at Ply- mouth, accepted in November, 1698. a call to Ciiarleston, S.C., where he preached with great success until he died. He was married at Weth- ersfield, Conn., Nov. 7, 1660, to Joanna, daughter