Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/368

 LAURENS

LAURIE

in mercantile business in Cliarleston and formed a partnership with Mr. Austin which was emi- nently successful. He served as major in the Clierokee war, 1757-61. He bitterly opposed the action of the British ministry in the colonies and published notable articles protesting against the decisions of the crown judges as affecting maritime law. He went abroad in 1771 to superin- tend the education of his sons, and while in London he was one of the thirty- nine citizens of the American colonies who signed the pe- j^ /7 tition addressed to

ment protesting

against the passage of the Boston port bill. He was appointed president of the council of safety on his return in 1774; was a member of the first pro- Tincial congress in 1775; vice-president of South Carolina in 1776; a delegate to the Continental congress, 1777-80, and was elected president of congress upon the resignation of Jolui Hancock, Nov. 1, 1777, serving until Dec. 10, 1778, when he resigned and was succeeded by John Jay. He was appointed by congress minister plenipotentiary to Holland in 1779 to negotiate a treaty with that country; was captured during his voj'age on the Mercury by the British frigate Vestal, and was confined for fifteen months in the Tower of Lon- don on the "suspicion of high treason." His capture led to a war between Great Britain and Holland. His health was greatly impaired by long and close confinement, during which he was deprived of medical attendance and forbidden to write to America for money. His sufferings at- tracted general sympathy, and in 1781 he was ex- changed for Lord Cornwallis. He was commis- sioned by congress one of the ministers to nego- tiate for peace wnth England, and wnth Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and John Adams, on Nov. 30, 1782, signed the preliminaries for i^eace, acknowl- edging the independence of the United States, He returned to Charleston, S.C, where he lived in retirement until his death, Dec. 8, 1793.

LAURENS, John, soldier, was born in South Carolina in 1758; son of Henry Laurens, presi- dent of congress. He was educated in England under the direction of his father, and upon the outbreak of the Revolution he returned to South Carolina and joined the Continental army. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel and became aide-de-camp and secretary to General Washing-

ton. He participated in the battle of Brandy- wine, Sept. 11, 1777, and in all the subsequent battles in which the army was commanded by Washington. During the battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778, he behaved with conspicuous gal- lantry, and after the battle he challenged Gen. Charles Lee for disrespectful language to his commander. He was severely wounded at Ger- mantown during the attack on the Chew house. He was attached to General Moultrie's force at Charleston, S.C, in 1779, and was conspicuous for his intrepidity there and at the pass of Coosawhatchie, where he was wounded, and at Savannah, where he led the infantry and gained the parapet of the enemy's fortifications. After the fall of Charleston, in 1780, he rejoined Gen- eral Washington, who sent him to France to obtain supplies and money for the colonies. Becoming annoyed by the delay of the French government, he demanded and received an audience with the king, who ordered immediate compliance with the request of Washington. He arranged the plan of campaign for 1781 wdiile in France, and on his i-eturn received a vote of thanks from congress and rejoined the army. He participated in the siege of Yorktown, captured one of the redoubts, and received Lord Cornwallis's sword, Oct. 17, 1781. He was attached to General Greene's army, and while in command of a brig- ade during a skirmish along the Combahee river. South Carolina, he was mortally wounded. He died in Charleston, S.C, Aug. 27, 1782.

LAURIE, Thomas, missionarj^ and author, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, May 19, 1821. He was brought to the United States by his parents who settled near Jacksonville, 111., in 1830. He was graduated at Illinois college in 1838, and at Andover Theological seminary in 1841; was or- dained by the Illinois presbytery, March 6, 1842; served as a missionary in the Kurdistan region, Asia, 1842-44, and after the massacre of the Nes- torians he served among the Syrians, 1844-46, He was pastor of the Congregational church ^t Charlestown, Mass., 1847-48, of the First church. South Hadley, Mass., 1848-51, and of the South church at West Roxbury, Mass. , 1851-67. He was married twice: first, July 21, 1842, to Martha Fletcher Osgood, of Chelsea, Mass., and secondly. May 25, 1848, to Ellen Amanda Ellis, of Chelsea, Mass. He travelled in Europe in 1867; was pastor in Arlington, Mass., and Providence, R.I., 1867-69; of the Pilgrim church. Providence, R.I., 1809-85, and pastor emeritus thei'e, 1885-97. He received the degree of D.D. from Williams college in 1865. He is the author of: Dr. Grant and the 3Iountain Nestorians (185^); Woman and her Saviour in Persia (1863): GWiipses of Christ (1869); The Ely Vohfnie: or the Contributions of Foreign ]\[issions to Science (1883); Assyrian Echoes of the Word