Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/330

 LAHEE

LAIRD

LAHEE, Henry Charles, author, was born in London, England, July 2, 1856 ; son of Henry and Georgiana (Grainger) Laliee. His father was a musician and composer. He attended private scliools and colleges in England, including St. Michael's college, Tenbury, Worcestershire, and was soprano soloist in St. Michael's church for several years. He was graduated from the Nau- tical Training college near London in 1873. He travelled in India, Burmah, Mauritius, the Phil- ippines, Australia, and the United States, 1873- 79 ; engaged in business near Boston, Mass., 1880- 91 ; was secretary of the New England Conserva- tory of Music, Boston, 1891-99, and during and after that period devoted much of his time to literaiy work. He was married, Sept. 10, 1883, to Sehna I.M., daughter of Frederick Long of Hing- ham, Mass. He is the author of : Famous Singers of Yesterday and To-day (18d8) ; Famous Violinists of Yesterday and To-day (1899) ; Famous Pianists of Yesterday and To-day (1900) ; Opera in America (1901), and numei'ous magazine articles and stories.

LAHfl, Samuel, representative, was born in Leitersburg, Md., April 22, 1812; son of John Lahm, a native of Germany, a mechanic, inn- keeper and farmer. Samuel left home in 1830, and went to Franklin county. Pa., where he be- came a clerk, but returned home on condition that his father should allow him to attend school. In two years he acquired a good English educa- tion and taught school. He attended Gettysburg academy and Washington college, Pa., for a short time, and in October, 1835, he settled in tlie prac- tice of law at Canton, Ohio. He was master of chancery, 1837-41 ; prosecuting attorney for Stark county, 1841-45 ; state senator, 1842-44 ; brigadier-general in the state militia ; an unsuc- cessful candidate for representative in the 29th congress and a representative in the 30th congress, 1847-49. He was married in 1838 to Almira Webster, daughter of Daniel Brown of Portsmouth, N.H. After his service in congress he retired from active politics, gave up his law practice on account of a failure in his voice, and devoted the remainder of his life to farming and sheep raising. He died in Canton, Ohio, June 16, 1876.

LAIDLAW, William Grant, representative, was born near Jedburgh, Roxburghshire. Scotland, Jan. 1, 1840 ; son of Gilbert and Margaret (Lamb) Laidlaw. He emigrated from Scotland with his parents and the other members of the family in 1852, and settled in Franklinville. N.Y., where he worked on his father's farm and received an aca- demic education at a private school. He served in the U.S. navy on board the Montgomery, Tawa and Cincinnati, 1862-64. He was admitted to the bar in 1866 ; was school commissioner of Cat-

taraugus county, 1867-1870 ; removed to Ellicott- ville in 1870 ; was assessor of internal revenue for the 31st collection district of New York, 1871-77 ; district attorney of Cattaraugus county, 1877-83, and a representative in the 50th and 51st congresses, 1887-1891. He was married, Sept. 1, 1864, to Elizabeth, daughter of William and Mar- garet (Dow) McVey ; and of their three sons, Gilbert William became an Episcopal clergj'man in Middleboro, Mass., Archibald McVey entered upon the practice of law in partnership with his father, and Clarence Scott engaged in business.

LAIDLEY, Theodore Thaddeus Sobieski, soldier, was born in Guyandotte, Va., April 14, 1822. He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy in 1842, sixth in his class, and was com- missioned 2d lieutenant and assigned to the ordnance corps. He was commissioned 1st lieu- tenant in March, 1847, and was engaged in the siege of Vera Cruz, the battle of Cerro Gordo Pass, April 18, 1847, and in the siege of Puebla. He was brevetted captain and major for gallant and meritorious services during the war with Mexico. He served on ordnance duty in the ar- senals at Watervliet, Fort Monroe and Charles- town, was in command of the North Carolina arsenal, 1854-58, and was promoted captain in July, 1856. During the civil war he served as inspector of powder, 1861-62 ; in command of the Frankfort arsenal, 1862-64, and inspector of ordnance and in cliarge of the Springfield ar- mory, 1864-66. He was commandant of the New York arsenal, on Governor's Island, and subse- quently of the arsenal at Watertown, Mass., and was promoted colonel in 1875. He was a mem- ber of several committees to make scientific tests and experiments, and was president of the com- mission appointed to test the strength and value of various kinds of metal in tlie Watertown ar- senal, 1875-81. He was retired, at his own re- quest, in December, 1882, having attained the rank of senior colonel in the ordnance depart- ment. He invented a number of appliances used in the ordnance department, and is the author of: Ordnance Manual (1861), which was the standard manual for many years, and of Instruc- tions in Rifle Practice (1879), besides government reports. He died in Palatka, Fla., April 4, 1886.

LAIRD, James, representative, was born in Fowlerville, N.Y., June 20, 1845. He removed to Michigan with his parents when a child. He served in the Army of the Potomac as a private, 1862-65 ; was graduated at the University of Michigan, LL.B., 1871, and removed to Hastings, Neb. He was a member of the state constitu- tional convention of 1875 ; a presidential elector in 1880, and a Republican representative from the second district of Nebraska in the 48th, 49th and 50th congresses, 1883-89. He was re-elected