Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/362

 MERCER

MERCER

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surveying expedition, 1874-75. He was appoint- ed to the U.S. navy from New York as a civil en- gineer with the relative rank of commander, July 15, 1874, and was attached to the navy-yard at Washington, D.C., 1875-88. He made extensive

surveys in Nicaragua on improving the navigation of the riv- er San Juan, the harbor of Greytown and for connecting Lakes Nicaragua and Managua by a naviga- ble canal. He was a delegate to the Paris canal congress of 1879, where he urg- ed the Nicaragua naval route, and on July 23, 1879, he was decorated chevalier of the Legion of Honor. He was also consulting engineer to the bureau of yards and docks in the navy de- partment, 1881-88. He had charge of a survey- ing party sent to Nicaragua by the navy depart- ment in 1884, and in 1885 submitted his report, and in 1887 he was made chief engineer of the Nicaragua canal company, organized to build the canal on his plans. He was retired, Sept. 1, 1898, having reached the age of sixty-two years. In 1898- 99 he was on duty at Havana, Cuba, and San Juan,* Porto Rico, in connection with the naval stations in those islands. In 1900 he was appointed a member of a commission to select a site for the principal naval station in the Philip- pine Islands, and on the completion of his duty was made a member of a board appointed to pre- pare plans for a navy -yard at Olongapo, P. I., the site selected by the commission, and also plans for a new navy-yard at Charleston, S.C. He was made a member of several American scientific societies and of the Qeographical Society of Antwerp.

MERCER, Charles Fenton, representative, was born in Fredericksburg, Va., June 6, 1778 ; son of James and Eleanor (Dick) Mercer ; grand- son of John Mercer, of Marlborough, Stafford county, Va., and a descendant of John Mercer, of Dublin. Ireland. He was graduated at the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1797, A.M., 1800. He ten- dered his services to General Washington in 1798, at the time of the threatened invasion by the French, and served as lieutenant and captain of cavalry, 1798-1800. He was admitted to the bar in 1802 ; travelled in Europe, 1802-03. and on his return to America settled in practice at Aldie, Loudoun county, Va. He was a representative in the Virginia legislature, 1810-17, being chair-

man of the committee on finance of the house of delegates, 1816, and the original projector of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, of which he was presi- dent under the original charter. During the session of 1816-17 he was the author of a bill for the organization of education in Virginia, which provided for a university, colleges, academies and primary schools. This bill passed the house of delegates on Feb. 18, 1817 (ayes 66, noes 49), and was defeated in the senate on February 20, by a tie vote (ayes 7, noes 7). Had this bill passed the senate, it would have preceded by one year Jefferson's bill for the establishment of the Uni- versity of Virginia. At the session of 1815-16, Mr. Mercer had reported a measure, which was adopted, that largely increased the literary fund of the state and so made possible a larger appro- priation from this fund to the University of Vir- ginia. While in congress his name was con- nected with many important measures, especially those relating to the Chesapeake and Ohio canal. He served through the war of 1812, being aide to the governor, with the rank of brigadier-general,, and was in command of the forces at Norfolk, Va. He was a Federalist representative in the 15th-26th congresses, 1817-41, supported the ad- ministration of James Monroe and John Quincy Adams and advocated the protection of home in- dustry. He visited Europe in 1853, to confer with the chief public men on the abolition of the slave trade. He was a supporter, and for many years one of the directors, of the American Co- lonization society. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the College of New Jersey in 1826, on which occasion he delivered an address on ♦' Popular Education," which was printed in pamphlet form, and as an appendix, his bill of 1817, for the organization of education in Vir- ginia, which embraced a systematic plan and would materially have advanced the cause of education in the state. This bill will also be found in '* Sundry Documents on the Subject of a System of Public Education for the State of Virginia. Published by tlie President and Di- rectors of the Literary Fund in obedience to a Resolution of the General Assembly. Richmond, Printed by Ritchie, Trueheart and Du Val, 1817," a very rare and valuable pamphlet. Mr. Mercer was never married. He died at Howard, Va., May 4, 1858. and is buried at Leesburg, Va.

MERCER, David Henry, representative, wa» born in Benton county, Iowa, July 9, 1857 ; son of John J. and Elizabeth Mercer, and grandson of Amos Mercer. He was taken by his parents to Adams county. III., in 1858, nnd to Brownville, Neb., in 1867. He was graduated from Nebraska State university in 1880 and from the law depart- ment of the University of Michigan in 18^2. and settled in practice at Brownville. He was twi^e