Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/271

 DICKINSON

DICKSON

admitted to tlie bar in Boston in 1868. He was assistant United States attorney, 1869-71, and then became junior member of the law firm of Hillard, Hyde & Dickinson, subsequently Hyde, Dickinson & Howe. He was a member of the Boston common council, 1871-73, being its presi- dent in the latter year. He was elected a trustee of Williston seminary in 1873, an overseer of tiie charity fund of Amherst college in 1877, and was a trustee ex officio of Boston public library in 1873. He delivered lectures in the Massachusetts agri- cultural college at Amherst on law as applied to rural affairs, 1873-80. His youngest brother, Capt. Walter M. Dickinson, 17th U.S. infantry, was killed in the battle of El Caney, July 1, 1898 ; and his only other brother, Col. Asa W. Dickin- son, a well known lawyer of Jersey City, N.J., died at Easton, Pa., Jan. 8, 1899. Marquis F. Dickinson was married in 1864 to Cecilia R., adopted daughter of Samuel and Emily (Graves) Williston of Easthampton. He published : Lec/- islation on the Hoiirs of Labor (1871) ; and Am- herst Centennial Address (1876).

DICKINSON, Philemon, senator, was born in Crosia-dore, Talbot countj', Md., April 5, 1739; son of Chief Justice Samuel and Marj- (Cadwala- der) Dickinson, and brother of John Dickinson, president of Pennsylvania. These Dickinsons were descendants from Charles Dickinson, who died in London, England, in 1653, and left two sons, Quakers, who settled in Virginia in 1654, and removed to Maryland. Philemon removed to Dover, Del., in 1740 with his father and was edu- cated in Philadelphia under Dr. Allison. He then engaged in farming on a large estate near Trenton, N.J. In 1767 he was married to Marj^" daughter of Dr. Thomas (1708-1779) and Hannah (Lam- bert) Cadwalader. He joined the Continental army as colonel of the Hunterdon county battal- ion, July, 1775, receiving a commission as briga- dier-general in October of the same year. He was a delegate to the New Jersey provincial congress in 1776, and a member of the committee to draw up the constitution of the new state, declaring its independence from British rule as adopted July 2, 1776. With 400 men recruited from the farmers and mechanics of the neighborhood, he attacked a foraging party from the British army and secured their plunder loaded in forty wagons drawn by about 100 English draught horses. This affair occurred near Somerset Court House, N.J., Jan. 20, 1777. On June 6, 1777. he was made major- general of the New Jersey forces, and on Novem- ber 27 he made an attack on Staten Island, receiving for his action the thanks of General Washington. His estate was plundered by the British and Hessian soldiers at the time of their occupation of Trenton. His bravery at the battle of Monmouth received acknowledgment from

tlie commander-in-chief in his i-eport to congress. He was chief signal officer of the middle depart- ment, 1778-79, and on July 4, 1778, he acted as second to General Cadwalader in his duel with General Conway. He was a delegate to the Con- tinental congress from Delaware, 1783-83, being eligible as a property holder there, and was vice- president of the New Jersey state council, 1783- 84. In December, 1784, he was a member of the commission selected by congress to determine a site for the national capitol. In March, 1790, when William Paterson resigned his seat in the U.S. senate, General Dickinson was chosen to succeed him, and served during the remainder of the 1st and throughout the 2d congresses, completing the term March 3, 1793. He then retired to "The Hermitage," his estate near Trenton, N. J., where he died, Feb. 4, 1809.

DICKSON, Andrew Flinn, clergyman, was born in Charleston, S.C., Nov. 9, 1835. He was graduated from Yale in 1845, and prepared him- self for the ministry by studying at Lane and Yale theological seminaries. In 1853 he was or- dained to the Presbyterian ministry and became pastor of a church at Jolm's Island, S.C. He sub- sequently held other charges in South Carolina and also in Wilmington, N.C., and New Orleans, La. In 1855-57 he was district secretary of the American Sunday-scliool union. At the outbreak of the civil war he joined the Confederate army as chaplain and served as such throughout the contest. In 1876 he was given sole charge of the Southern general assembly's theological institute for colored men at Tuscaloosa, Ala. Among his published writings are: Plantation Sermons (1856-60); The Temptation in the Desert (1873); and The Light; is it Waning? (1878). He died in Tuscaloosa. Ala., in 1879.

DICKSON, John, representative, was born in Keene, N.H., in 1783. He was graduated at Mid- dlebury college in 1808. was admitted to the bar in 1813 and settled in West Blopmfield, N. Y. He removed to Rochester in 1835, but returned to West Bloomfield in 1838. He was a member of the New York assembly, 1830-31, and a represent- ative in the 33d and 33d congresses, 1831-35. He published: Remarks on the Presentation of Several Petitions for the Abolition of Slavery and the Slave- trade in the District of Columbia (1835). He died in West Bloomfield, N.Y., Feb. 33, 18.53.

DICKSON, Samuel Henry, educator, was born in Charleston, S.C, Sept. 20, 1798. He was graduated at Yale in 1814 and from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1819, establishing himself in practice in his native city. He was instrumental in founding the Charleston medical college in 1834, and was elected to the chair of the institutes and practice of medicine. In 1833 he resigned his position and