Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/318

 GILLIS

GILLIS

Wreck," Madison Square theatre, 1888; two adaptations from the German: "All the Com- forts of Home," Boston Museum, 1890, and " Mr. Williiuson's Widows,"' Proctor's tlieatre, New York city, 18!)!; a spectacular production, " Ninety Days," at the Broadway tlieatre. New York, 1893; an adaptation from the French, " Too Much Johnson," Standard theatre. New York, 1894, with Mr. Gillette in the part of Augustus Billings, and " The Secret Service, " Broad Street theatre, Philadelijhia, May 13, 1895, with Maurice Barryniore in the role of Captain Thorue. This last play was revised by Mr. Gillette, and under the title " Secret Service," with himself as Cap- tain Thorne, it was produced at the Garrick thea- tre, N.Y. city, Oct. 5, 1896. After remarkable runs in New York city and IJoston, he took the piece to London, where he opened at the Adelphi theatre, May 15, 1897, and made a hit such as had never before been made by a play of American motive from American hands. His remaining engagements for 1897 were at the Empire theatre, New York city, in September, and at the Renais- sance theatre, Paris, in October. His adaptation from the French entitled " Because She Loved Him So " was first performed at the Boston mu- seum, Nov. 33, 1898. In 1899-1900 his dramatiza- tion of Dr. Conan Doyle's detective stories was Iierformed at the Garrick theatre. New York, with himself in the part of Sherlock Holmes.

QILLIS, James Henry Lawrence, naval offi- cer, was born at Kulgeway, Pa., May 14, 1831; son of James Lyle and Cecelia Ann (Berray) Gillis; grandson of Robert Gillis, and a descendant of the MacPliei'sons of the clan MacPherson of Soot- land. He entered the U.S. navy as a midship- man in 1848, was graduated from the U.S.naval academy in 1854; promoted past- midshipman, June 15, 1854; master, Sept. 16, 1855; lieutenant, Sept. 17,18.55; lieuten- ant-commander, July 16, 1862; commander, July 25, 1866; cap- tain, Sept. 30, 1876; commodore, Jan. 29, 1887, and was ap- pointed acting rear- admiral in 1888. In 1859 while a lieutenant ou the U.S. steamer Supply. stationed at Montevideo, lie saved the lives of three men from a ship-wrecked Argentine schooner, and for the act was publicly crowned with laurels and thanked by the government of the country and thirty years afterward the offi- cers of the Argentine navy presented him with a

medal of steel and gold mounted in diamonds. He took part in the lirst naval battle of the civil war between the U.S. frigate St Lawrence and tne Confederate privateer Fetrel; was engaged in numerous skirmishes in the waters of Virginia and South Carolina, participated in the battle of James Island, S.C. and was sent to the relief of Admiral Porter at the time of the Red River expedition. He was in command of the monitor 3Iilwaukee when that vessel was blown up by torpedoes, while engaged with Spanish Fort, at the mouth of Blakely river, opposite Mobile, after which he volunteered for and was given command of a naval battery on shore. It is said that during the entire war he lost neither man nor officer from any of his com- mands. At the time of the tidal wave of 1868 he cx)mmanded the steamer Wateree, and this was the only vessel in the harbor of Arica that escaped destruction or loss of life, being carried half a mile inland and left by the receding waters lodged between the hillocks. In 1881 while com- manding the steamer Lnckawaiiiui he arbitrated a treaty of peace between Malietoa and Tamasese, the rival kings of Samoa. In 1888 he was act- ing rear admiral of the South Atlantic squadron and in 1892 was placed on the lighthouse board where he remained till his retirement, May 14, 1893.

GILLIS, John Pritchet, naval officer, was born in Wilmington, Del., Sejit. 6, 1803; son of James and Elizabeth (Starr) Gillis, and grandson of James Gillis, from Dublin, Ireland, who emi- grated to America before the Revolution, and Mar- garet Johnson, his wife; and of Isaac and Rachel (Prichitt) Starr. His early youth was spent in Illinois to which state his mother removed after the death of his father. He was appointed a miii- shipnian in the U.S. navy, Dec. 13, 1825, and wa.s advanced to the rank of lieutenant, Feb. 9, 1837. His service in the Mexican war included the command of the boats of the Decatur in the capt- ure of Tuxpan; the flotilla on the Alvarado river, and the governorship and collectorship of Alva- rado and Tlaeotalpan. He was made 1st lieu- tenant in 1851 and served on the Plymouth in China waters, where he conferred with the vice- roy in behalf of American missionaries. He was with the Perry expedition, 1853-54, was pro- moted commander, Sept. 14, 1855, and was in com- mand of the Pocahontas when ordered to Charles- ton harbor in 1861, to the support of Major Anderson, and he brought the garrison to New York upon the surrender of the fort, liaving ar- rived in the harbor one hour before the flag was lowered. He commanded the Monticello in the Burnside expedition; the Seminole at Shipping Point on the Potomac, and in the Du Pont expe- dition to Port Royal, S.C, and with his ship