Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/434

 ELHERT

ELDER

a brigade uiulor (len. John Asiie, at Brier Creek, he wiuj taken captive and after liis exchange he joined General Wasliington, was with him at Yorktown and was promoted brigiulier-general in 17!S;J. Uo succeeded John Houston as governor of Georgia in ITSo and was succeeded in 1788 l>y liis nepliew-in-law, George Haudley. EUiert county, Ga.. was named in liis honor. He died in Savan- nali. (ia.. Nov. 2, 1788.

ELBERT, Samuel Hitt, governor of Colorado, was lK)rn in Logan coimty, Ohio, April S, 1833; son of Dr. John Downs and Achsa (Uitt) Elbert; grandson of John Downs Elbert. M.D. ; and a descendant of Hugh Elbert who purchased a plantation of 3d Lord Bjiltimore in Talbot county. Md., in 1683. He was graduated from the Ohio Wesleyan university in 1854 and was admitted to the bar in 185(3 at Da}i:on, Ohio, practising at Plattsmouth, Neb., 1856-62. He was a delegate to the Republican national con- vention in 1860. In 1862 lie was appointed secre- tary of the territorj- of Colorado and thereafter made liis home in Denver. He was a member of the territorial legislature in 1869. and held numeroas political offices. In 1873 he was ap- pointed by President Grant governor of the territory and served one term. In 1876 he was elected justice of the supreme bench of Colorado and was advanced to the chief jasticeship in IHSO. serving until 1883. He was re elected in 18S5. but resigned in 1888 on account of failing health and went abroad. He received the degree of LL.D. from Ohio Wesleyan university in 1880. He married a daughter of Gov. John Evans, q.v. He <lied at Galveston, Tex., Nov. 27, 1899.

ELDER, Susan Blanchard, author, was born in Fort Jessup, Li.. Aj.ril 19, 1835; daughter of Alliert Gallatin and Sussm (Tliompson) Blanch- ard. Her father was a captain in the U.S. army stationed at Fort Jessup. She attended St. Miciiael's convent and Academy of the Sacred He.irt <jf Jesas, near New Orleans, from 1850 to 1852, and in 1855 was married to Charles D. Elder of that city. When New Orleans was captured bj- the Federal army she removed to Selma, Ala., where she made the cottage in which she lived a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers. After tliH war she returned to New Orleans, where she was i)rofes.sor of natural sciences in the high school from 1878 to 1884. and assi.stant editor of the Morniny Star from 1882 to 1890. She pub- lished: JnnvH the Sprnnd (1874) ; Savonarola (1875) ; EUpii Fitzfjfirfihl (1876) ; and Thfi Leo.4 of the Pnponj (1M79); bf>sides devotional poems and contribu- tions to Catholic pnblica,tions.

ELDER, William, educator, was born in HantsjK.rt. N.S.. Aug. 3. 1840; son of Samuel and Sarah (Sliaw) Elder. His father's ancestors were Scotch and his mother's were early settlers f)f

Rhode Island. He prepared for college at Horton academy, AV'olfville, N.S., was graduated at the Normal school, Truro, in 1859, and engaged in teaching, 1859-63. He matriculated at Acadia college in 183 and studied chemistry and natural iiistory at Harvard, 1867-68, receiving the degree of A.M. in the latter year. He was a teacher of physics, chemistrj-, geology and astronomy at Acadia college, 1868- 71; was a student and assistant at Harvard in the laboratory of Prof. Josiah P. Cooke, 1872-73; professor of chemistry and nat- ural history at Colby university, Water- ville, Maine, 1873-85, and of chemistry after 1885. He was mar- ried in 1877 to Caroline L. Scammon and had one daughter, Marjorie Louise (Colby, 1902). He received the degree of Sc.D. from Acadia in 1888. He published: Ideas from JVature (1898) ; an interesting paper on The Aborigines of Xova Scotia in the North American lievieic, Vol. CXII., and delivered, at various times, lectures on education ami a series of five lectures on The Be- lation of Sciciitin'c Truth to I^eligious Belief.

ELDER, William Henry, R.C. bishop, was born in Baltimore, 3Id., March 22, 1819; son of Basil Spalding and Elizabeth Miles (Snowden) Elder; and gi-andsoa of Thomas and Elizabeth (Spalding) Elder. His first American ancestor was his great-grand- father, William Elder. William Henry re- ceived his secular education at a private school in his native city and at Mount St. Mary's, Emmittsburg, ]\Id. , where upon grad- uating he remained to pursue a theological coui^se which he com- pleted. He then went to liome, where he took a course in the College of the Propaganda. He was ordained a priest March 29, 1846, and returned to America where he was professor of theology at ]\Iount St. ]\Iary's college, 1847-57. He was chosen liishop of the diocese of Natchez to sue-