Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/338

 DUANE

DUAXE

He is the aiit hor of: Provevbufroiii riyiiKHifh Pulpit (.sele<-ti(>ns from the writinj^s Jiiul sayiiiK^of Henry Waril Beeclier) (1887); In Snuuy Lauds (188.")); T/u' Princess of Moiitscrrat {mm; The Mi/sten/of Abel ForeJiiiger{\Sd:i}; Tlic Yuioig Reporter (\S'.)'>); Tlie Fast Moil (18!K)); TJic Beaeh Patrol (1897); Tlte Yonug Siipereanjo (1898); Cadet Stand ish of the St. Louis ( ISJIH); ami IleljiS for A mhitions Boys (ISO'.t). He (lie.l in Cninford, N. J. Sept. 'JO. 1901. DUANE, James, jnri.st. was born in New York city, Feb. G, 17:J3; third son of Anthony and Altliea (Ketaltas) Duane. Anthony Dnane, a native of County Galway, Irehuul. and an officer in the British uavy, resigned after being stationed in New York, and returned there to make the city l»is lionie. He married as his second wife Althea Ketaltas, the daughter of a leatling merchant of the city. She died in 1730 and he was married in 1741 to the widow of Thomas Lynch of Flusliing, N.Y'. He died Aug. 14, 1747. His son James was educated for the law Ib the office of James Alex- ander and wa.s admitted an attorney, Aug. 3, 1754. He was married Oct. 21, 1759, to Maiy, eldest daughter of Robert Livingston, proprietor of the Livingston manor on the Hudson river. He in- herited from his father valuable property, includ- iBg a tract of 6000 acres of land in the wilderness west of Albany, N.Y''., afterward Duanesburg, Schenectady covmty. He also purchased 64,000 acres of land in the New Hampshire grant, now a part of Vermont, which he supposed to be a por- tion of the province of New Y'ork, and of which he could never gain possession. In 1774 he was a member of the active committees organized in New Y''ork city to oppose British encroachments and he was elected to the Continental congress of that year. In April, 1775, he was a delegate to the New York provincial congress and again from Jvme, 1776, to April, 1777. He was again chosen by that body to the Continental congress and con- tinued a delegate in regular attendance, 1774-84, meanwhile removing his family from New Y^ork city to Livingston manor for safety. He at first favored the uniting of the colonies vmder a presi- dent appointed by the king, with congress bound by the acts of parliament. He also opposed the Declaration of Independence, and sought to defer its adoption, hoping to avoid final separation. With Joim Jay and Peter Van Schaeck he was in favor of conciliation. He however signed the arti- cles of confederation for New Y^ork with Francis Lewis, William Duer and Gouvemeur Morris in 1771. He took posse.s.sion of his large estates in New York city upon the evacuation of the place by the British troops, Nov. 25, 1783, and made his home on liis farm of twenty acres, after- wanl Gramercy Park. The same year he was elected a state senator, serving 1782-85, and again, 1789-90. On Feb. 5, 1784, he was appointed by

Governor Clinton mayor of New York and held the office for nearly six years. He was a member of the council and of the convention of 1788. Presi- dent Waslihigton appointed him U.S.district judge of New Y'ork in 1789 and he continued on the bench for five years. His failing health compelled him to resign in 1794, and he erected a house at Duanesburg, but did not live to see it completed. He died in ScIuMiectady, N.Y., Feb. 1, 1797.

DUANE, James Chatham, soldier, was born in Schenectady, N.Y., June 30, 1824; son of James Duane; grandson of James C. Duane; and great- grandson of Judge James Duane, the fir.st mayor of New York city, and Mary Livingston, his wife. He was graduated from Union college in 1844 and from the U.S. mili- tary academy in 1848, standing third in a class of thirty-eight. W.^T<^

He served there with a company of sappers, '^

miners and pon-

toniers, 1848-54; and. '

as assistant instructor >% i

of practical militai engineering, 1852-51 was assistant engineer \ ^:

in building Fort \ Trumbull, Conn., in ' 1849,and Fort Carroll, ,

Md., 1854-56; light- C^.^)lC0OU^, house engineer of the '

New Y^ork district, 1856-58; on the Utah expe- dition in command of the engineering company in 1858; and as insjiector of practical military engi- neering and in command of the sappers, miners and pontoniers at the Military^ academy, 1858-61. He commanded an engineer company guarding the national capitol, 1861, and later in the same year was at Fort Pickens, Fla. He was ])romoted cap- tain Aug. 6, 1861; organized the engineer battalion and engineer eeiuipage, armj- of the Potomac, 1861-63; was detached to bridge the Potomac at Harper's Ferry in February, 1862; commantled the engineer battalion in the siege of Y'orktown, April, 1862; took part in the battle of Gaines's Mill, June 27, 1862, and in the subsequent opera- tions of the campaign in the construction of roads, field works and bridges, particularly in building the bridge 2000 feet long over the Cliickaliominy, Aug. 12-14, 1862. As chief engineer of the army of the Potomac, he took part in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. He was promoted major March 3, 1863, was chief engineer of the depart- ment of the South, and engaged in the attack on Fort. McAllister, Ga., and in the operations against Charle.strn, S.C. From July, 1H63, to June, 1865, he was chief engineer of the army of the Potomac. On July 6, 1864, he was brevetted lieutenant-colo-