Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/34

 LONGSTREET

LOOMIS

was sent with part of his corps and Wheeler's cavalry against Bumside's army in Blast Tennes- see, in November, with orders to recover posses- sion of that imrt of the state. He drove Burnside back into his works aroimd Knoxville and held him there under siege from Nov. 17 to Dec. 4, 1863, when Sherman approached with twenty thousand of Grant's arnxy, near Chattanooga, for relief of the besieged army. Bragg ordered pre- cipitate attack of the fortifications but they proved too strong to be carried by assault. Just then orders came from President Davis for Long- street to return to Bragg's army in distress at Chattanooga. Longstreet held liis army in pos- session of Eiast Tennessee, keeping the Federal forces close about their works, until January, 1864, when he was ordered to withdraw toward General Lee's army in Virginia, and he participated in the battle of the Wilderness, May 5-6, 1864, where he commanded the two divisions of the first corps forming the right of Lee's army and was severely wounded. After convalescing he participated in all the engagements of the Army of Northern Virginia in 1864, and surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Va., April 9. 1865. He removed to New Orleans and engaged in commerce. He was surveyor of customs of the port of New Orleans, 1860; supervinor of internal revenue, 1878; post- master of Gainesville, Ga., 1879, and was ap- pointed by President Hayes U.S. minister to Tur- key, serving 1880. He was U.S. marshal for the district of Georgia, 1881, and was appointed U.S. commissioner of railroads in October, 1897, by President McKinley. He was married March 8, 1848, to Maria Louise Garland of Lyncliburg, Va. She died Dec. 29, 1889 and he was married secondly Sept. 8, 1897, to Helen Dortch of Atlanta, Ga. He is the author of: The Seven Days, In- cluding FrnifHcra Farm; Our Ma rch Against Pope; Tlie Invasion of Maryland; The Battle of Fred- ricksburg; I^e's luvagion of Peuusylvauia in "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War" (1887- 88); and From MimassnH to Appomattox (1896).

LONQSTREET, William, inventor, was born in New Jersey, Oct. 6, 1759. He removed to Augusta, Ga., in early life, devoted himself to invention, and about 1788 had planned the ma- chinery for moving paddle-wheels to propel boats by steam jKjwer. On Sept. 26, 1790, being con- vinced of the practicability of his invention he sent to Governor Edward Telfair an appeal for assistance and patronage. The government of Georgia took no action in the matter, and he was compelled to work without money among people who ridiculed his plans. It was not until 1807 that he succeeded in i)erfecting a steamboat, and putting it in practical operation. It was launched a few days after Fulton had shown the Clermont on the Hudson river, and Longstreet's boat moved

against the swift current of the Savannah river at the rate of five miles an hour, and carried about twenty-five persons. He also invented and patented the horse power breast-roller cotton gin, and subsequently built two steams gins in Augusta, Ga., which about 1801 were destroyed by fire. He then erected steam gins at St. Mary's, Ga., which were destroyed by the British in 1812. He died in Augusta, Ga., Sept. 1, 1814.

LONQYEAR, John Wesley, representative, was born in Shandaken, N.Y., Oct. 22, 1820; son of Peter and Jerusha (Stevens) Longyear; grand- son of Jonn and Annatje (Winne) Longyear, and a descendant of Jacob and Maria (Cox) Langjahr. He attended the academy in Lima, N.Y., taught school for several years, and settled in Mason, Ingham county, Mich., in 1844, where he taught school. He was admitted to the bar in 1846; re- moved to Lansing in 1847 and engaged in the practice of law. In 1852 he formed a partnership with his brother, Ephraim Longyear. He was married in 1849 to Harriet Monroe of Eagle, Mich. He was a Republican representative in the 38th and 39th congresses, 1863-67. He was chairman of the committee on expenditures on the public buildings, and a member of the com- mittee on commerce. He was a delegate to the Loyalist convention in Philadelphia in 1866, to the Michigan constitutional convention of 1867 and judge of the U.S. district court for the east- ern district of Michigan, 1870-75. He died in Detroit, Mich., March 11, 1875.

LOOMIS, Alfred Lebbeus, physician, w uis born in Bennington, Vt., Oct. 16, 1831; son of Daniel and Eliza (Beach) Loomis; grandson of Russell and Lydia (Huntington) Loomis; great grand- son of Daniel and Alice (Chamberlain) Loomis and a descendant of Joseph Loomis of Bristol, England, who sailed for America on the ship Susan and Ellen, in July, 1638, landed at Nantas- ket, Mass., the same year, and in 1839 settled in Windsor, Conn. His father was an extensive cotton manufacturer and merchant of Benning- ton, Vt. Alfred was graduated from Union col- lege, A.B., 1850, A.M., 1856. He studied medi- cine with Dr. Willard Parker of New York and was graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, M.D., in 1852. After giving two years to hospital work, he engaged as a practis- ing physician in New Y''ork city and made a specialty of the diseases of the heart, lungs and kidneys. He was appointed visiting physician to Bellevue hospital in 1859; was consulting physician to the Charity hospital on Blackwell's Island, 1860-75, and visiting physician to the Mount Sinai hospital, 1874-80. He was a lecturer on physical diagnosis in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1862-65; an adjutant professor of the theory and practice of medicine in the Uni-