Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/238

 GAINES

GALBERKY

elector on the Cleveland ticket in 1893, anJ was a Democratic representative from the sixth district of Tennessee in the 55tli and 56tli congresses, 1897-1901.

GAINES, Myra Clark Whitney, claimant, was born in New Orleans, La., in 1805; daughter of Daniel Clark, a native of Ireland, who emi- grated to New Orleans, La., about 1766, and in- herited his uncle's property in that city in 1799. He was a delegate to the Oth ani.1 luth congresses from the territory of Orleans, 1800-09. A will dated May 30, 1811, made his mother, Mary Clark, then a resident of Germantown, Pa., his legatee. He died in New Orleans, Aug. 16, 1813. Myra"s mother was Zulime des Granges, and two daughters were born to lier during the absence of her reputed husband in Europe. Myra, one of these children, was brought up in the family of Colonel Davis, a friend of Daniel Clark, and in 1813 weut with the Davis family to reside in Philadelphia, wliere she was known as Myra Davis. In 1830 she discovered among her foster- father's papers letters partly revealing the story of her birth. In 1833 she was married to W. W. Whitney of New York city, who aided her in tracing the history of her ancestry. A letter in the possession of Mr. Davis mentioned a will made by Daniel Clark in 1813 acknowledging the legitimacy of Myra and giving to lier his entire estate. In course of time witnesses were pro- cured who proved the existence of a will and the legal marriage of Mr. Clark with Zulime des Gran- ges. The evidence was accepted as the last will of Daniel Clark by the supreme court of Louisiana, and bj the testimony tlie U.S. supreme court es tal>lished the legitimacy of the legatee. In 1839 Mrs. Whitney, then a widow, was married to Gen. Edmund Pendleton Gaines, U.S.A., and after his death in 18-19, she continued to reside in New Orleans. In 1856 she filed a bill in equity in the U.S. supreme court to recover the real estate of her father in possession of the city of New Orleans, valued at §35,000,000, and received a de- cision in her favor in December, 1867. Up to 1874 she had received possession, by ejectment, of a portion amounting to §6,000,000. The U.S. cir- cuit court of New Orleans recognized the probate of Daniel Clark's will of 1813, and commanded a repeal from the city and other holders of the jiroperty to be made to a master in cliancery of all incomes therefrom, and deprived them of their titles. An appeal was taken from the mas- ter's report by Mrs. Gaines, and in May, 1883, a judgment given her for $3,493,374. In June, an appeal was taken to the U.S. supreme court by Mrs. Gaines. She refused to dispossess the four hundred families- occupying lands and holding titles from the city awaiting the collection of the judgment against the city. She had spent her

entire fortune in these efforts to gain her ac- knowledged rights anil died awaiting the slow process of the law to right her wrongs. This was done many years after her death, which occurred at New Orleans, La., Jan. 9, 1885.

GAINES, Wesley John, A.M.E. bishop, was born in Wilkes county, Ga., Oct. 4, 1840. His parents, William and Louisa Gaines, were slaves, and he was himself brought up a slave. He was licensed to preach in 1865, was admitted to the South Carolina conference in 1866, was ordained a deacon and then elder in 1867, and was assigned to the Florence Mission, Ga. He was stationed at various places in Georgia, and on May 19, 1888, was elected bishop, being ordained May 34, at Indianapolis, Ind. He was book steward of the North Georgia conference; a member of the A.M.E. financial board for which he raised over §500,000; the founder, a trustee, superintendent and treasurer of Morris Brown college, Atlanta, Ga. ; and vice-president of the board of trustees of Payne theological seminary. Augusta, Ga., and of Wilberforce university. Wilberforce conferred upon him the honorary degree of D.D. in 1883. He published : African Methodism in the South (1890), and The Negro and the White Man (1897).

QAITHER, Burgess Sidney, representative, was born in Iredell county, N.C., March 16, 1807. He attendeil the University of North Carolina, was admitted to the bar, and subsequently be- came clerk of the Burke county court. He was a member of the North Carolina constitutional convention iu 1835, a delegate to the Wliig na- tional convention in 1839, and an adherent of Henry Clay. He was in cliarge of the U.S. mint at Charlotte, N.C., 1841-43, and President Fill- more ajjpointed him superintendent of the mint at San Francisco, which position he declined. He served as president of the North Carolina senate, 1840-44; as state solicitor, 1844-53; was the unsuccessful Whig candidate for i-epresentative in the 33d and 33d congi'esses; and was a repre- sentative in the Confederate congress, 1863-65. He died in Morgantown, N.C., Feb. 33, 1893.

GALBERRY, Thomas, R.C. bishop, was born in Naas, county Kildare, Ii'eland, in 1833. He was brought to America in 1836 by his parents, who settled in Philadelphia, Pa. He was j^laced under charge of the Augustinian Fathers at Villa- nova, Delaware coimtj'. Pa., where he was edu- cated at the College of St. Thomas. He was ordained to the priesthood Dec. 30, 1856, at Phila- delphia, Pa., by Bishop Neiunann. He was as- signed to the diocese of Albany, N.Y"., where his first mission was Lansingburgh. There he built St. Augustine's church and a school for the sisters of St. Joseph. On Nov. 30, 1866, he was appointed superior of the Commissariat of Our