Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/332

 LAMAR

LAMB

plantation in Lafayette county. He was a repre- sentative in the 35tli and BGth congresses, 1857- 61, resigning in December, 1860, and was a dele- gate to the state secession convention of Jan. 9, 1801. He was professor of metaphysics and ethics in the University of Mississippi, 1860-61, and in 1861 joined the Confederate States army as lieutenant-colonel of the 19th Mississippi regi- ment, and was soon after promoted colonel. He served in the Army of Nortjiern Virginia in Featherston's brigade, Wilcox's division. Long- street's corps. He was granted leave of absence from the army in 1863 on account of failing health, and was sent by President Davis on a diplomatic mission to Russia, France and Eng- land. He assisted in negotiating the southern loap and sought to secure a cessation of hostili- ties for six months through the friendly media- tions of the three powers. He failed to secure mediation or recognition of the Confederate States as an independent power, but his presence in England added to the friendliness of that power toward the southern states. He returned in 1864 fully convinced of the hopelessness of the Con- federate cause. Being phj-sically unable to take the field, he was attached to Longstreet's corps as judge-advocate. At the close of the war he returned to Mississippi and resumed the chair of metapliysics and ethics, serving 1866-67, and as professor of governmental science and law, 1867- 70. He resumed the practice of his profession in 1888, and was a representative in the 43d and 44th congresses, 1873-77. On April 27, 1874, he de- livered a eulogy on Charles Sumner, which fixed upon liim the attention of tlie nation and the dis- pleasure of his constituents, and nearly cost him his re-election. He was elected U.S. senator in 1877 and re-elected in 1883, serving until 1885, when he resigned to become secretary of the in- terior in President Cleveland's cabinet. In the senate he had a notable debate with Senator Conkling, and refused to vote for the silver bill, although instructed to do so by the Mississippi legislature. It was generally expected tliat this action would cost him his re-election, but he was re-elected by a large majority of both houses. In conducting the business of the department of the interior, he was a fi-iend of the Indians, and proposed that they be speedily fitted for citizen- ship, and was also a friend of the pensioners seeking relief for services in the civil war. He was appointed a justice of the supreme court by President Cleveland, and took his seat, Jan. 18, 1888. He received the degree of LL.D. from the University of Mississippi in 1869, from the Uni- versity of Georgia in 1870 and from Harvard in

1886. His wife died during liis term in the 44th congress, and he was married secondly, Jan. 5,

1887, to Mrs. Henrietta Dean Holt, of Macon, Ga.,

whose hand he had been denied in 1849. In De- cember, 1892, failing health compelled him to seek rest, and he went vrith his wife to Macon, Ga., where he died suddenly, Jan. 23, 1893.

LAMAR, Mirabeau Buonaparte, president of Texas, was born in Louisville, Ga., Aug. 16, 1798; son of John Lamar. He attended school at Milledgeville, and also at Eatonton, under Alonzo Church (q.v.), 1816-19. He became a merchant and planter, and in 1828 established the Columbus Independent, a States' rights newspaper. In 1835 he removed to Texas, where he joined the revolu- tionists. He led the charge of cavalry that broke the Mexican line in the battle of San Jacinto, April 21, 1836. This decided the combat, and he was commissioned major-general by General Houston. He was appointed attorney-general in the cabinet of Provisional President Burnet, then secretary of war, and was elected the first vice- president of the republic in 1836, with Gen. Sam Houston as president. He was elected president of Texas in 1838, with David G. Burnet as vice- president, held the office until 1841, and during his term Texas was recognized by the leading foreign powers as an independent republic. His administration was disastrous to the growth of the new republic. His extravagance, his vision- ary schemes, his bitter spirit of retaliation toward the Indians, his opposition to annexation to the United States, and his many intentional acts of neglect and disrespect toward General Houston made him unpopular. In 1846 he joined Gen. Zachary Taylor's army at Matamoras. He dis- tinguished himself at Monterey, was appointed division inspector with the rank of lieutenant- colonel, and commanded a company of Texan rangers until the close of the war. He served a term in the Texas legislature after its admission as a state, and then retired to a farm. He was appointed U.S. minister to the Argentine Repub- lic in July, 1857, by President Buchanan, but did not serve. He was commissioned U.S. min- ister to Nicaragua, Dec. 23, 1857, and minister resident to Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Jan. 20, 1858, and lie returned to the United States in 1859. His first wife was a Miss Jordan, who died, leav- ing him a daughter. His second wife was a daughter of the Rev. John Newland Maffitt, of Philadelphia, Pa. Lamar county, Texas, bears his name. He is the author of : Verse 3Iemorials (1857). He died in Richmond, Texas, Dec. 19, 1859.

LAflB, Daniel Smith, physician, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., May 20, 1843 ; son of Jacob and Delilah (Rose) Lamb ; grandson of William and Priscilla (Matlack) Lamb, and of Seymour and Mary (Devinney) Rose, and a descendant of William Matlack, born in England about 1648, who arrived, October, 1677, at what is now Bur- lington, N.J. He was graduated from the Phila-