Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/288

 (tERRY

GHERARDI

QERRY, Elbridge Thomas, philanthropist, ■was born in New York city, Dec. 35, 1837; son of Thomas Russell and Hannah (Goelet) Gerry; grandson of Elbridge and Ann (Thompson) Gerry, and great-grandson of Thomas Gerry of Newton- Abbot, England, who settled in Marbleliead, Mass., in 1730. His father was a lieutenant in the U.S. navy, and his mother a descendant from a celebrated Huguenot family who immigrated to the United States in 1697. Elbridge Thomas graduated at Columbia in 1857, German salutato- rian, received his A.M. degree in course, and studied and practised law with success in New York city. During his practice he accumulated a law library of over 20,000 volumes, and became an authority on canon and ecclesiastical law and on wills. He was made counsel for the Ameri- can society for the prevention of cruelty to ani- mals, in 1870, and of the New York society for the prevention of cruelty to children in 1875. The laws under which both of these societies were originated and conducted, as well as the laws on the subject enforced in all the states of the Union, were framed by him. He was president of the Society for the prevention of cruelty to children in 1879-1900. He was a member of the New York state constitutional convention of 1867; chairman of the New Y'ork state commission on capital punishment, 1886-87; vice-president of the American society for the prevention of cruelty to animals and of the Hu- mane association, and was commodore of the New York yacht club, 1886-93. He was married in 1867 to Louisa M., daughter of Robert J. Living- ston.

GETTY, George Washington, soldier, was born in Georgetown, D.C., Oct. 3, 1819; son of Robert (of Philadelphia, Pa.) and Margaret (Wilmot) Getty, and grandson of John AVilmot of Annapoli'i. Md He was graduated at the U.S. militarj' academy in 1840, served as 2d lieutenant in the 4th U.S. artillery at De- troit, Mich., diu'ing the border troubles, 1840-41, and was on A garrison duty at va- K^ rious posts, 1841-46. He was promoted 1st lieutenant, Oct. 31, 1845, served in the Mexican war, and was brevetted captain for Contreras and Churu- busco, Aug. 20, 1847. He was also at Molino del Rey, Chapultepec, and at the taking of the Mexican capital. He served in the Seminole wars of 1849-50 and 1856-57, was pro-

moted captain, Nov. 4, 1853, and was in Kansas during the troubles incident to the organization of a state government in 1857-58. At the outbreak of the civil war he was transferred to the 5th artillery, was appointed lieutenant-colonel and acting aide-de-camp, Sept. 28, 1861, and joined the army of the Potomac. He was promoted brigadier-general, Sept. 25, 1862, and brevetted lieutenant-colonel in the regular army, April 19, 1863, for services while commanding batteries at the siege of Suffolk, Va. ; colonel. May 5, 1864, for gallant and meritorious services in the battle of the Wilderness, Va., where he was severely wounded; brigadier-general, March 13, 1865, for services at the battle of Petersburg, Va., and major-general, March 13, 1865, for services in the field during the war. He was also brevetted major-general of volunteers, Aug. 1, 1864. for services in tlie battles of Winchester and Fisher's Hill, Va. In the regular army he was promoted major, Aug. 1, 1863; colonel of the 37th infantry, July 38, 1866; was transferred to the 3d infantry, March 15, 1869 ; to the 3d artillery, Jan. 1. 1871 : to the 4th artillery. July 17, 1882, and retired Oct. 2, 1883. He died in Forest Glen, Md., Oct. 1, 1901.

QEYER, Henry Sheffie, senator, was born in Fredericktowii, Md., Dec. 0, 1790. He was ad- mitted to the Maryland bar in 1811 and practised in Fredericktown till May 2, 1813, when he be- came 1st lieutenant in the 38th regiment of in- fantry. From December, 1813, to June, 1815, he served as regimental paymaster. In 1815, after being mustered out of the army, he removed to St. Louis, Mo., and became a member of the ter- ritorial legislature in 1818. In 1820 he was a dele- gate to the constitutional convention of Missouri and was a member of the general assembly of the state, 1821-25, being speaker of that body, 1821- 23. He assisted in revising the statutes of the state in 1825, and contributed to the adoption of a code. In 1850 he declined the portfolio of war offered him by President Fillmore ; and he was elected to the U.S. senate, serving, 1851-57. In 1856 he was one of the counsel of the Dred Scott case. He published Statutes of 3Iissoun (1817). He died in St. Louis, Mo., March 5, 1859.

GHERARDI, Bancroft, naval officer, was born in Jackson, La., Nov. 10, 1833. He was appointed midshipman from Massachusetts June 29, 1846, and after four years' service on the Ohio with the Pacific squadron, lie served on the Saranac of the home squadron and at the U.S. naval academy where he was graduated June 8, 1853, passed midshipman. He cruised in the Mediterranean and was promoted master and lieutenant in 1855.- He was detailed as navigating officer on board the yiar/ara, while that vessel was engaged in laying the first submarine cable in 1858. In 1861 he was attached to the Pacific squadron on the.