Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/85

 GUMMING

CUMMIN GS

of occupation, and in 1861 resigned from tlie U.S. army to accept a commission as lieutenant- colonel in the Confederate service. He was rapidly advanced to the rank of brigadier-general and at the battle of Jonesboro, Ga., Aug. 31, 1864, he was wounded and disabled from further service and settled on a plantation near Rome, Ga. He subsequently made liis home in Augusta, Ga., where lie was living in 1899.

CUMMING, William, soldier, was born in Savannah, Ga., July 27, 1788; son of Thomas and Ann (Clay) Cummiug; and grandson of Joseph and Ann (Lagardare) Clay. He was educated at the Litchfield (Conn.) law school, but did not practise, having inherited a large fortune. He was a soldier in the war of 1812 ; was promoted major of the 8th infantry, March 25, 1813; was wounded in the battle of Chrysler's Field, Canada, Nov. 11, 1813; was made adjutant- general with the rank of colonel, Feb. 16, 1814; was severely wounded at Lundj^'s Lane, July 25, 1814; and resigned from the armj% March 31, 1815. In April, 1818, he declined the commission as quartermaster-general in the ai'mj' with the rank of brigadier-general, and in 1847 he refused tiie commission of major general from President Polk. He opposed the nullification measures advanced by the statesmen of South Carolina and his opposition led to two duels with George McDufFee, afterward governor of South Carolina, in one of which McDuffee was wounded. Colonel Cumming died in Augusta, Ga., Feb. 18, 1863.

CUMMINQS, Amos Jay, representative, was born in Conkling, Broome county. N.Y., May 15, 1841 ; son of the Rev. Moses Cummings, editor of the Christian Herald and Messenger. Amos became a printer, and as an itinerant compo.sitor, visited the principal cities of the United. States east of the Missouri river. When in Mobile, Ala., he joined the Walker expedition in Octo- ber, 1858, and was captured on board the Quaker City. On reaching New York he found employ- ment on the New York Tribune. In 1862 he joined the 26th New Jersey volunteers and be- came sergeant-major of the regiment. He was officiallj^ mentioned for gallantry at Fredericks- burg, Va. In 1864 lie was placed in charge of the Weekly Tribune and in 1866 was made night editor of the daily edition. Subsequently he was city editor and political editor. In January, 1869, he became managing editor of the New York Sun, which position he resigned in 1873, going to Florida for his health. He remained there five winters writing newspaper letters over the signature of " Ziska." In March, 1876, he be- came managing editor of the New York Express, having charge of the paper five months and still retaining his connection with the Sun. He reported several notable murder trials between

the j^ears 1877 and 1886. He also reported the national presidential conventions of 1880, 1884 and 1888. He was elected in November, 1886, a representative from the 6th New York district in the 50th congress and on March 17, 1887, began the editing of the Evening Sun, which before December had reached a circulation of 100,000 copies. He declined renomination in 1888 for pecuniary reasons, went to the Black Hills to investigate tin mines recently discovered, and on the death of Representative S. S. Cox he was elected almost unanimously to fill the vacancy in the 51st congress. He supported a shipping bounty bill and an international copy- right bill and opposed the force bill in a notable speech. He was re-elected to the 52d and 53d congresses. In the 52d congress Speaker Crisp appointed him chairman of the committee on the library and third on the committee on naval affairs. In November, 1894, he was appointed subway commissioner. He was elected to the 54th congre.ss to fill a vacancy cau.sed in tiie lOtli N.Y. district and was re-elected to tlie 55th, 56th and 57tli congresses. He publisiied : Horace Greeley Canipaign Snngster (1872) ; Sai/ings of Uncle Riifii.s (18S0) ; and Zi.<tka Letters. He died in Baltimore. Md., May 2. 1902.

CUMMINQS, Anson Watson, educator, was born in Trenton, N.Y., Feb. 23, 1815; son of John Dean and Mary Dorothy Cummings. His father was born in Connecticut and his mother was a native of Ireland. He was principal of Gouver- neur Wesleyan seminary, NY., 1842-44; minister in the Black River conference of the M.E. church, 1844^6; professor of mathematics at McKendree college, Lebanon, 111., 1846-50; president of McKendree college, 1850-53; president of Holston conference female college, 1854-64 ; a minister in the Holston conference, 1864-66; president of South Carolina female college, 1866-70: a minister in South Carolina conference, 1870-71 ; professor of mathematics. University of South Carolina, Columbia, 1872-75; president of the university, 1875-77; and principal of Riverside seminary, Wellsville, N.Y.. 1877-82. He received the hon- orary degree of A.M. from Wesleyan in 1843, that of D.D. fi-om Indiana Asbury in 1850 and that of LL. D. from Rutherford college. N.C., in 1878. He died at Wellsville. N.Y., Dec. 7, 1894.

CUMMINQS, Harry Sythe, lawyer, was born in Baltimore, Md., May 19, 1866; son of Henry and Eliza J. (Davage) Cummings. He prepared for co"ege in the public schools of his native city and was graduated at Lincoln university in 1886, with the second honors of the class. He studied law in the office of Joseph S. Davis and in the University of Maryland, was admitted to the bar by the supreme bench of Maryland in 1889, and practised in Baltimore. He was elected to the