Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/477

 LITTLE.

LITTLEFIELU

LITTLE, John Sebastian, repieseiitntive, was biiiu III Jenny Lind, Aik., Murcli 15. ItjoS ; son of Jesse and Mary Elizabeth Little ; grandson of William Little of Greenville, N.C., and of Eaton Tohnan. He attended the conunon schools and Cone Hill college, Arkansas, and was admitted to the bar in 1874. He was elected district at- torney for the twelfth circuit of Arkansas in 187T and re-elected for four successive terms ; was a representative in the state legishiture in 1884 ; circuit judge, 1886-90 ; chairman of the state judicial convention ; and was elected a rep- resentative in the 53d congress to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of C. R. Breckinridge, and re-elected to the 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th and 58tli congresses, serving, 1893-1905.

LITTLE, Lewis Henry, soldier, was born in Baltimore, Md., in 1818 ; son of Col. Peter Little (q.v.). He entered the U.S. army as 2d lieu- tenant, 5th Infantry, July 1, 1839 ; was trans- ferred to the 7th infantrj^ in May, 1843, and was promoted ■ 1st lieutenant, April 18, 1845. He served during the Mexican war ; was brevetted captain for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Monterey, Sept. 23, 1846, and be- came regimental qviartermaster in March, 1847. He also distinguished himself in the battle of Cerro Gordo, April 18, 1847, and was promoted captain, Aug. 20, 1847. He resigned from the U.S. army. May 7, 1861, to join the Confederate forces. He was colonel in the 1st brigade, Mis- souri state guard, commanded by Gen. Sterling Price, and was assigned to Van Dorn's army, Trans-Mississippi dei^artment. He was promoted brigadier-general for bravery at the battle of Pea Ridge, March 7-8, 1862 ; commanded the 1st di- vision in the Armj' of the West, east of the Mississippi, commanded by General Price, and was killed at the battle of luka, Sept. 19, 1862.

LITTLE, Moses, soldier, was born in New- bury, Mass., May 8, 1724 ; son of Jloses and Sarah (J icques) Little ; grandson of Moses and Lj'dia (Coffin) Little, and of Sergt. Stephen and De- borah (Plumer) Jacques and great-grandson of George and Alice (Poor) Little, and of Henry and Anna (Knight) Jacques. He was for several years a surveyor and obtained grants of unoc- cupied crown lands Ij'ing within the present limits of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. He was married in 1743 to Abigail, daughter of Jtishua and Sarah (Coffin) Bailey of Newbury, Mass. He commanded the Newbury militia in the expedition ag<ainst Louisburg in 1758, and ' upon the first tidings from Lexington in April, 1775, marched with his company to Cambridge and was placed in command of the regiment raised from the northern part of Essex county. At the battle of Bunker Hill he led three of his companies across Charlestowu Neck under a

severe fire from the British batteries and ships of war, reached the scene of action before the lirst charge of the enemy, and remained throughout the engagement. After the evacuation of Bos- ton he was present with Washington's army on Long Island, where he commanded Fort Greene, and was stationed at Flatbush Pass during the battle, Aug. 27, 1776. He also took part in the battle at Harlem Heights, but did not accompany his men in the retreat through New Jersey, being during the winter in command of an encamp- ment at Peekskill, N.Y., but in the spring of 1777 he was forced to return home on account of ill health. In 1779 he declined the commission of brigadier-general and the command of an ex- pedition raised by the Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts to dislodge the British on the Penobscot. He served in the general court of Massachusetts before and after the Revolution. He died in Newbury, Mass., May 27, 1798.

LITTLE, Peter, representative, was born in Petersburg, Pa., in 1775. He attended the public schools of his native place and was apprenticed to a trade. In early manhood he settled at Freedom, Baltimore county, Md. He was Demo- cratic representative in the 12th congress, 1811- 13, defeating Nicholas R. Moore, Federalist. He was commissioned colonel of the 38th Maryland infantry by President Jladison and served as such from May 19, 1813, till June 15, 1815. He was a representative in the 14th congress as successor to William Pinkney, resigned, serving from Dec. 2, 1816, to March 3, 1817 ; and was re- elected to the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th congresses, 1817-29. He died in Freedom, Md., Feb. 5, 1830.

LITTLE, Robbins, lawyer, was born in New- port, R.I., Feb. 15, 1832; son of William and Sophia Louisa (Robbins) Little ; grandson of William and Frances (Boj'd) Little of Boston,, and of Senator Asher and Mary (Ellery) Rt)bbins of Rhode Island, and a descendant of Thomas Little, who came to Plymouth about 1632, and married Anne, daughter of Richard Warren. He was graduated from Yale, A.B., 1851, A.M., 1854, and was tutor in Greek there in 1854. He was instructor in international law at the U.S. naval ac^ademy, 1865-69 ; was graduated from Harvard, LL.B., 1870, and practised law in New- York city, 1870-73. He was examiner of claims in the U.S. war department at Washington, D.C., 1873-78, and superintendent and a trustee of the Astor library, New York city, 1878-96, when it was merged in the New York Public library.

LITTLEFIELD, Alfred Henry, governor of Rhode Island, was born in Scituate, R.I., April 2, 1829 ; son of John and Deborah (Himes) Little- field, and a descendant of Caleb and Nathaniel