Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/366

 MERCUR

MEREDITH

MERCUR, James, soldier, was born in Towanda, Pa., Nov, 25, 1842. He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy and promoted 2d lieutenant in the corps of engineers, June 18, 1866 ; was promoted Ist lieutenant, March 7, 1867 ; was assistant professor of natural and ex- perimental philosophy at the U.S. Military academy, 1867-70, and principal assistant, 1870-72. He was promoted captain, Dec. 9, 1875; served as assistant engineer to Lieut.-Col. Jolm Newton, in improving navigation at Hell Gate, N.Y., 1876-81, and during Newton's absence in Europe, April to August, 1877, had charge of all military and civil works under his supervision. He was the recorder of the board of engineers on the im- provement of Charleston harbor, S.C, 1878-81, and was charged with river, harbor and channel improvements, defensive works and surveys in Virginia, North and South Carolina and New York, 1881-84. He was professor of civil and military engineering in the U.S. Military academy from Sept. 29, 1884, until his death. He served as advisory engineer to the health board in June, 1881, and to the harbor commissioners of the James river in Virginia, 1881-84. He re- vised and enlarged Mahan's " Permanent Fortifi- cations " (1887). and is the author of : Elements of the Art of War (1888), and Military Mines, Blasting and Demolition (1892). He died at West Point, N.Y., April 22, 1896.

MERCUR, Ulysses, jurist, was born in Towanda, Pa., Aug. 12, 1818; son of Henry and Mary (Watts) Mercur. He was graduated at Jefferson college, Canonsburg, Pa., in 1842, was admitted to the bar in 1843, and practised in Towanda. He was married, Jan. 12, 1850, to Sarah S., daughter of John Davis. He was a Lincoln and Hamlin presidential elector in 1860, an«i was appointed president judge of the thir- teenth judicial district of Pennsylvania in March, 1861, on the resignation of David Wilmot, elected to the U.S. senate. He was elected in December, 1861. for a term of ten years, but resigned, March 4, 1865. He was a Republican representative in the 39th, 40th, 41st, and 42d congresses, 1865- 72, resigning Dec. 2, 1872, to return to the bench, where he served as associate justice of the supreme court, 1871^-83, and as chief-justice, 1883-87. He married a daughter of Gen. John Davis, and his sons Rodney, James Watts and Ulysses became lawyers, and John D. a phy- sician. His judicial opinions were published in the Pennsylvania reports (1873-87). He died in Wallingford, Pa., June 6, 1887.

MEREDITH, Samuel, delegate, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1741 : son of Riese and Martha (Carpenter) Meredith ; grandson of John Carpenter, and great grandson of Samuel Car- penter, provincial treasurer of Pennsylvania.

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Riese Meredith, a native of Radnorshire, Wales,, settled in Philadelphia and became an influential merchant. Samuel attended Dr. Allison's acade- my in Philadelphia, and became a partner in business with his father and his brother-in-law, George Clymer (q.v.). In 1776 he enlisted in the 3d battal- ion of Associa- tors as major 4ff and was pro- moted lieuten- ant-colonel in December, 1776. He took part in the battle of Princeton, was promoted brigadier- general of Pennsylvania militia, April 5, 1777, for gallant services, and served as such in the battles of Bran- dy wine and Germantown. He resigned from the army in 1778, and was exiled from Philadelphia during its occupation by the British. He and George Clymer, the signer, contributed £10,000 each, in silver, to carry on the war. He was a member of the Pennsylvania assembly for several years, and was a delegate from Philadelphia to the Continental congress, 1787-88. He was appointed U.S. treasurer by President Washington, on the organization of the Federal government in 1789, and held the office until 1801, when he resigned and retired to his country seat "Belmont,'" near Mt. Pleasant, Wayne county, Pa., where he owned 75,000 acres of land in Wayne and con- tiguous counties. The first money paid into the U.S. treasury was $20,000 loaned by him to the government. He afterward advanced $120,000 to the treasury, and was never reimbursed. With his brother-in-law, George Clymer, he owned nearly 1,000,000 acres of land in Penn- sylvania, New York, Virginia and Kentucky. He was married to Margaret, daughter of Dr. Thomas Cad walader (q.v. ). He died at Belmont, Wayne county. Pa., March 10, 1817.

MEREDITH, Solomon, soldier, was born in Guilford county, N.C., May 29, 1810. He re- moved to Wayne county, Ind., in 1829, where he engaged as a farm laborer, and at intervals at- tended the district school. He was sheriff of Wayne county, 1834-38, and engaged in mercan- tile business in Milton and in Cambridge City, Ind., 1838-43. He removed to Oakland Farm in 1843, and engaged in farming and in importing and raising live stock. He represented Wayne county in the Indiana legislature, 1846-48 and 1854-56 ; was U.S. marshal for the district of Indiana, 1849-53: a director and financial agent of the Indiana Central railroad, 1854-59, and sub- sequently president of the Cincinnati and Chicago railroad company. He was clerk of the courts of Wayne county, 1859-61, was colonel of the 19th