Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/129

 HARRISON

HARRISON

Fine Arts in Brooklyn in the History of Kings County (1884) ; and a number of dramas. He died in Brooklyn. N.Y., Dec. 15, 1902.

HARRISON, George Paul, representative, was born near Savannah, Ga., March 19, 1841; son of George Paul and Adeline (Guinn) Harri- son; grandson of William and Mary (Keller) Harrison; and a descendant of Benjamin Harri- son, signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was graduated from the Georgia military institute in 1861 with first honors and as captain of Company A, and entered the Confedei'ate army as 3d lieutenant of the 1st Georgia regulars. He was successively promoted 1st lieutenant, major, colonel and brigadier-general. He served in the defence of Charleston and was one of the commanders of Battery Wagner, sliaring that service in 1862-63 with Generals Colquitt, Cling- man, R. F. Graham, Hagood, L. M. Keitt and Taliaferro. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general and was under General Fine- gan in the battle of Olustee, Fla., in which engagement he commanded the 2d brigade com- posed of the B2d and 64tli Georgia volunteers, the 1st Georgia regvilars, the 1st Florida battalion, Bonaud's battalion of infantry and Guerand's light battery, Feb. 20, 1864. His action in this battle brought victory to the Confederate army. In the army of Tennessee, Gen. J. E. Johnston, he commanded a brigade in Walthall's (late McLaws's) division of Stewart's corps, opposed the advance of Sherman and surrendered with Johnston at Durham Station, N.C. He removed to Alabama in 1865 and was elected commandant of cadets at the University of Alabama, but declined. He subsequently held that position at the Agricultural and mechanical college of Alabama for one year. He was admitted to the bar in 1866 and engaged in the practice of law at Opelika. He was a member of the constitutional convention of Alabama in 1875 and was elected a state senator in 1876, being again elected in 1880 and serving as president of the senate. 1882-84. He was a delegate to the Democratic national convention in 1892, and on Nov. 6, 1894, was elected as a Democrat to fill the unexpired term of W. C. Gates, resigned, in the 53d congress. At the same time he was elected a representative from the 3d district of Alabama in the 54th con- gress, serving, 1894-97. He refused to stand for re-election, resumed his law practice and in 1900 was general counsel for the Western railway of Alabama. In 1899 he was elected major-general of the Alabama division, United Confederate veterans.

HARRISON, Gessner, educator, was born in Harrisonburg, Va., June 26, 1807. He was one of the first students entered at the University of Virginia and in 1828 was one of three graduates

in Greek and also one of three in medicine, these being the first regular graduates from the university. The same year he succeeded George Long as professor of ancient languages there and served till 1859. He then resigned and opened a classical boarding school at Belmont, Va. Be- sides a sketch of the University of Virginia in Duyckinck's Cydopmlia of American Literature he published Exposition of Some of the Lares of Latin Grammar (1852), and a treatise on Greek Prepo- sitions (1848). He died near Charlotte ville, Va., April 7, 1862.

HARRISON, Hall, clergyman, was born in Anne Arundel county, Md., Nov. 11, 1837; son of the Rev. Hugh T. and Eliza (Thompson) Harrison. He was graduated at the College of St. James. 1S54, and remained there as instructor till 1803. He was ordained priest in 1875, at Concord, N.H.. and served in St. Paul's school at that place, 186.5-79. In 1879 he removed to Ellicott City, Md., and became rector of St. John's church. He received the degree of D.D. from Trinity in 1889. He is the author of: Memoir of Hugh. Davey Evans (1870); Life of John B. Kerfoot, First Bishop of Pittsburg. (1886). He died at Ellicott City, Md., Feb. 5. 1900.

HARRISON, Henry Baldwin, governor of Con- necticut, was born in New Haven, Conn., Sept. 11, 1821. He was graduated at Yale college in 1846, and in 1848 v.-as admitted to the bar. He was one of the organizers of the Republican part}' in Con- necticut in 1856, and in 1885 was elected governor. He died in New Haven, Oct. 29, 1901.

HARRISON, James Albert, philologist, was born in Pass Christian, Miss., Aug. 21, 1848 ; .son of Jilson Payne and Sidney (Norton) Harrison ; and a descendant of Col. Charles Mynn Thruston of the Revolutionary army. He was graduated at the University of Virginia in 1866-68 and subsequently studied in Germany. He was professor of lan- guages at Randolph -Macon college, 1871-7G; declined the chair of English and modern languages in Vanderbilt vuiiversity to which he was ap- pointed in 1875; and held a similar chair, which also included modern history, in Washington and Lee university, 1876-95. Besides his duties in connection with Washington and Lee he delivered the lectures at Johns Hopkins on Anglo-Saxon poetry in 1883. He was called to Tulane univer- sity. New Orleans, La., on its organization in 1885. but declined. In 1895 he accepted the chair of Romance languages in the University of Virginia and was transferred to the chair of Teu- tonic languages in 1899. He was chairman of the editorial committee and vice-president of the Modern Language association and a member of the American philological association. Colum- bia college gaA'e him the degree of L.H.D. in 1887 and Washington and Lee that of LL.D. in 1896. He conceived and edited the Library of