Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/98

 HARDTN

HARDING

18.>4, and was state senator. lSfi2-fi;]. He prac- tised Liw at Little Falls, N.Y., until he was elected justice of the supreme court in 1S71. aiil re elected in 1880 for a term of fourteen years. He was appointed presiding justice of the supreme court !)>• (Governor Cleveland in 1^84. and l»y (iov- ernor Hill in issr,. and |)residin<x justice of the 4th depjtrtment of the appellate division of tlie su- preme court by Governor l^Iorton in 1895. He re^ ceivod the honorary dej^roe of LL.D. from Hamil- ton college in 1ST6, and from Colgate university in 1899. He died in Little Falls, N.Y. April G, llxil.

HARDIN, John, soldier, was born in Fau- quier county. Va.. Oct. 1, IToS. He removed with his father's family to the wilderness near the Pennsylvania line and- learned the art of the frontiersman. He volunteered as ensign in Lord Dunmore's expedition in 1774, serving as a scout. He joined the Continental army as lieutenant in Morgan's rifle corps and declined promotion to the rank of major, declaring that he could give better service as lieutenant. He removed to Kentucky in 1786, and joined Gen. Elisha Clarke's Wabasii expedition the .same year, serving as lieutenant-colonel of the volunteer militia. He continued in the service against the Kentucky Indians and in April, 1792, while bearing a flag of truce with overtures of peace from Gen. James Wilkinson to the Miami Indians he was shot by the chiefs of the tribe, his fine horse and equip- ments exciting their cupidity'. The county of Hardin was named in liis honor. He died near Sliawneetown, Ky., on the Ohio, in April, 1792.

HARDIN, John J., representative, was born in Frankfort, Ky., Jan. 6, 1810; son of Martin D. Hardin, U.S. senator. He was educated at Transylvania university and practised law in Jacksonville, 111. He was prosecuting attorney for his circuit ; representative in the state legis- lature, 1836—42; representative in the 28th con- gre.ss, 1843—15; and colonel of the 1st Illinois volunteers in the war with Mexico, where he joined the army of occupation under Gen. Zach- ary Taylor and took part in his campaign. He was killed at the battle of Buena Vista while leading his men in the final charge, Feb. 23, 1847.

HARDIN, Martin D., .senator, was born on Monongahela river, Pa., June 21, 1780; son of Lieut. John Hardin. He was educated at Tran- sylvania seminary and practised law in Frank- lin county, Ky., where he represented liis county in the state legislature for several terms and in 1812 was .secretary of the state. He was major of a Kentucky regiment in Gen. W. H. Harri- son's army, 1813. He served as U.S. senator, as succes.sor to William T. Barry, resigned, in the 14th congress, 1816-17. He published Boport of Cases in the Tunlurl-n Court of Appeals (1810). He died in Frankfort, Ky., Oct. 8, 1823.

HARDING, Abner Clark, reiireseutative. was born in East Hampton, Couu., teb. 10, J«07. He spent the greater part of his boyhood in central New York where he attended Hamilton academy Subsetjuently he was admitted to the bar and after practising for awliile in Oneida county remov3d to Warren county. 111., where he con- tinued active in his profession for about fifteen years. He was a member of the Illinois con- stitutional convention of 1848, and also of the state legislature, 1848-50. In 1862 he enlisted in the 83d Illinois volunteers, arose to the rank of colonel; for his action at Fort Donelson in Februai'y, 1862, was promoted brigadier-general, and in 1863 he was in command of a brigade at Murfreesboro, Tenn. He was a representative in the 39th and 40th congresses, 1865-69, and after that j'ear gave much of his time to the promotion of railroad enterprises in Illinois. He endowed a professorship in Monmouth college, Monmoutii, 111., and also gave generously to other educational institutions. He died in Monmouth, 111.. July 19, 1874,

HARDING, Benjamin Franklin, senator, was born in Wyoming county, Pa,, Jan. 4. 1823; son of Elisha and Amy TJenkins) Harding. He at- tended the schools of his native county, came to the bar in 1847, the following year removed to Illi- nois, and in 1849 crossed the plains to the Pacific coast. In 1850 he was chosen a member of the legislative assembly of the territory of Oregon; and was again a member and also speaker of the house in 1852. In 1853 he was appointed by President Pierce U.S. district attorney for the territory and in 1854 was made its secretary, which office he held till Feb. 14, 1859, when Ore- gon was admitted as a state. He was a repre- sentative in the state legislature, 1859-62, being speaker the last two years. He was then elected as a Union or Douglas Democrat to the U.S. sen- ate to complete the unexpired term of Edward D. Baker, who was killed at the battle of Ball's Bluff He took his seat Dec. 1, 1862, during the third session of the 37th congress and served to March 3, 1865, when he returned to Oregon and engaged in the practice of law. He died at Cot- tage Grove. Oregon, June 16, 1899.

HARDING, Chester, painter, was born in Conway, Mass., Sept. 1, 1792. He removed to Caledonia, N.Y. in 1806, and worked at house- painting there and in Pittsburg, Pa., until the war of 1812 when he enlisted in the army. He afterward began to paint portraits and finally, without instruction, became very successful. After painting in St. Louis he went to London where he studied and painted portraits, 1823-26. In the latter j'ear he opened a studio in Boston where he remained until his second visit to Eng- land in 1843. On his return to the United States