Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/70

 HA>riLTOX

HAMILTON

HAMILTON, Hamilton, artist, was born in England, April 1, 1847. He removed to the United States with his parents and settled in Cowlesville, N.Y., where lie was eihicated. He did not receive an art education but liiinself culti- vated his natural talent. In 1872 he opened a studio in ButTalo. X. Y., as a jM^rtrait painter; later travelled in the west and in France, and in 1881 removed to New York city, where he became well known as a landscape and genre painter and as an etcher. He was elected an associate National academician in 188(3, and an academician in 1889; and also became a member of the American water color society and the New Y'ork etching club. Among his not:il>le i)aintings are: The Sisters (18S-2: IJilh' Stnih.mn: iin<\ Tlic Messenger.

HAMILTON, James, governor of Pennsylvania, was l)orn in Pliiladel|ihia, Pa., in 1710; son of Andrew H uuilton. attorney-general of Pennsyl- vania, 1717-'21 He succeeded his father as pro - thonotary of the supreme court; was a member of the assembly, 1735-40: mayor of Pliiladelphia, 174o-4; a member of the provincial coun- cil, 1746-47; visited London, England, in 1748; was lieutenant- governor of the province and territo- ries of Pennsj-lvania by appointment of the sons of William Penn, 1748-.j4; en- gaged in defending I Wil" "f-'V the state against the

'iv.W^^^ Indians, 1755: was

again deputy-gov- ernor, 1759-68; gov- ernor of the prov- ince and president of the council, 'Shiy 4 to Oct. 16, 1771; acting governor for the fourth time, July 19 to Aug. 80, 1778; and a prisoner on parole during the occupation of Philadelpliia by the British. He was a trastee of Philadelpliia college, 1755-83, and president of the board, 1764 and 1771-73; and president of the Philosophical .society when it united with the Society for promoting iLseful knowledge. In the first election of the combined .societies he was the unsuccessful candi- date for president against Benjamin Franklin. He died in New York city, Aug. 14, 1783.

HAMILTON, James, statesman, was born in Charleston, S.C., May 8, 1786; son of Maj. James Hamilton, an aide of General Washington. He was educated as a lawyer and practised in Charleston. He was a major in the war of 1812 and saw service on the Canadian frontier. He was for several terms mayor of Charleston, and de- tected and put down the Denmark Vesey negro

conspiracy of 1823. He was a representative in the state legislature and in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th congresses, 1821-29. He advocated free trade, state-rigiits, and direct taxation in con- gress, actively supported Andrew Jackson, and declined the portfolio of war and the mission to Mexico. Upon the passage of the tariff act of 1828 he counselled armed resistance. He was governor of South Carolina, 1830-32, and in his message to the state legislature recommended the passage of the nullification act. In 1829 he was appointed by Governor Hayne to the com- mand of the troops raised to sustain the nullifica- tion act. He removed to Texas, where he used his influence for the republic and secured its recogni- tion by Great Britain and France and represented the new republic abroad as minister plenipoten- tiary in 1841. He then advocated its admission into the Union, was prominent in state councils, and was elected U.S. senator to succeed James Pinckney Henderson, who died June 4, 1857, and when en route to Washington to take his seat was lost at sea in a collision between the steamers Gal- veston and OjyJousas, in the latter of which he was a passenger, he having surrendered his seat in the life boat to a lady. He was one of the founders of the Bank of Charleston, was interested in transportation enterprises and in extending southern commerce, and helped to found the Southern Quarterly Beview. He died at sea near the coast of Texas, Nov. 15, 1857.

HAMILTON, John, governor of "New Jer.sey, was born probably in East Jersej' about 1692; son of Andrew Hamilton, governor of East and West Jersey, 1692-97. and again. 1699-1701, and deputy-governor of Pennsylvania, 1701-03, who is credited with the first organization of a postal service and received a patent from the crown for its establishment in 1694. John was a member of the council of Governor Hunter in 1713 and retained his seat under Governors Barnet, Mont- gomerie and Crosby, and on the death of Governor Crosby, March 31, 1786. Hamilton became acting governor and served till the ai)pointment of Lewis Morris in 1738. After the death of Governor Morris in 1746 Hamilton was again acting gov- ernor up to the date of his death, which occurred in Perth Amboy, N.J.. June 17, 1747.

HAMILTON, John B., surgeon, was born at Otter Creek, Jersey county. III., Dec 1, 1847. He attended Hamilton grammar school and was graduated from the Rush medical college, M.D. in 1869. He was engaged in general practice, 1869-74; was married in 1871 to Mary L. Fro.st; was assistant surgeon with the rank of first lieu- tenant in the U.S. army, 1874-76. and served at St. Louis barracks in the department of the Columbia at Fort Colville. He resigned from the army in September, 1876, to enter the U.S.