Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/324

 Dl^VKE

DRAKE

at Marks's Mill, warued liim of need of rest, and he retired from ottic-e, Jan. 1, 1898. He wa.s married in 18j.") to Mary Jane Lord. His son, Frank Ellsworth. tCHik eharj,'e of his father's large interests at Centerville. Iowa, and his other son, John Adams. l)ei'ame a lawyer in Chicago, 111.

DRAKE, Francis Samuel, author, was born in Xorthwood, N.H., Feb. 22. 1828; son of Samuel Gardner Drake. He completed the public school course in his native city, entered his father's Ixxikstore in Boston, and was later employed in a counting house. In 186'2 he followed his brother, Samuel Adams Drake, to Leavenworth, Kan., and for five years engaged in book-selling, returning to Boston at the end of that time. He published: A Dictionary of American Biography (1872); Memorial of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati (1873); Life of General Henry Knox (1873); Tfie Toirn of Boxhury (1873); Tea Leaves (1884) ; and Indian History for Young Folks (1885). He died in Washington, D.C., Feb. 22, 1885.

DRAKE, James Madison, journalist, was Ijorn in Somerset county, X.J., March 25, 1837. At an early age he learned the printer's trade in his father's office in Elizabeth, X.J., and in 1852 was employed on a Trenton newspaper. In 1853 he established the Mercer Standard and in 1857 the Evening Xeics. In 1860 he issued 'flte ]Vide Aicake, a Republican campaign sheet. He was an alderman of Trenton, 1860-61. In April, 1861, he organized the first company of volunteers raised in New Jersey, declined the captaincy and accepted the rank of ensign. After serving three months he re-enlisted in the 9th N.J. volunteers with which regiment he remained until the close of the war, being promoted through the several ranks to captain. He was wounded at Winton, N.C., in 1863. while leading liis company in a charge. In the battle of Drewrv-'s Bluflf, Va., May 16, 1864, he, with most of his command, was captured and confined in Libby and other prisons. While being transferred from Charleston to Columbia, S.C, on Oct. 6, 1864. Captain Drake with three comrades escaped from the train, and after forty-seven days' wander- ing reached the Union lines at Knoxville, Tenn. He was presented with a congressional medal, accomfKinied by a complimentary letter from the secretary of war, by recommendation of General Grant. After the close of the war he returned to Elizal>eth, N.J., where he puldished The Daily Monitor. In 1889 he established the Sunday r^ridf-r and the Daily Under. He was the organ- izer and cr>mmander of the Veteran zouaves of Elizabeth, and was brevetted brigadier general by special act of the state legislature. He is the author of: Ilistorf/ of the 0th Xeir; Jersey Volunteers; Fast and Loose in Dixie, and Across the Conti- nent.

DRAKE, Joseph Rodman, poet, was born in New York city. Aug. 7, 17'J5. He was left an orphan at an early age and entered a mercantile hou.se. He displayed exceptional talent as a writer of poetry from his childhood. Business life proving very imcongenial, he decided to study medicine and in 1813 began a course of study in a physician's office. In that year began his friendship with Fitz-Greene Halleck. In 1816 he was admitted to practise medicine and in the .same year was married to Sarah, daughter of Henry Eckford, the naval architect. His best known poem, " The Culprit Fay," was written in August, 1817, and gained for the young jioet a world-wide reputation. In March, 1819, in con- jxmction with Mr. Halleck, he began anonymous daily contributions to the New York Evening Post under the pen-name "Croakers." His poetical works, collected by his daughter Halleck, were published in one volume in 1836, and included The American Flag and The Culprit Fay. An illus- trated edition of the latter appeared in after years. Fitz-Greene Halleck 's poem beginning " Green be the turf above thee " was written upon being apprised of Drake's death. He died in New Y^ork city, Sept. 21, 1820.

DRAKE, Samuel Adams, author, was born in Bo.ston. Mass., Dec. 20, 1833; son of Samuel Gard- ner and Louisa Maria (Elmes) Drake. He was educated in the Bos- ton schools and in 1858 removed to Leav- enworth, Kan., where he was a journalist and merchant until the breaking out of the civil war. He joined the Kansas militia as captain in 1861, and was pro- moted brigadier-gen- eral of militia in 1863 and colonel of the 17th Kan.sas voltm- teers in 1864. He re- turned to Boston in

1871 and devoted his time to literary work. He published: Uints for Emigrants to Pike's Peak (1860); Old Landmarks and Historic Personages of Boston {\Sld; new ed., 1895); Historic Fields and Mansions of Middlesex (1874); Xooks and Corners of the Xeio England Coast (1875; new ed., 1897); General Israel Putnam (1875); Bunker Hill (elite J, 1875); Captain Xehnn (1879); Histoivj of Middlesex county, Mass., to the Present Time (2 vols., edited, 1880) ; Around the Hub (1881) ; The Heart of the White Mountains (1882); A Book of Xew Eng- land Legends and the Folk Lore in Prose and Poetry a884) ; Our Great Benefactors (edited, 1884) ; The