Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/228

 PARSONS

PARSONS

Sacramento. He was attorney-general of Missouri, 1853-57, represented Cole county in the state legislature in 1857, and was a state senator in 1859. He joined the Confederate army at ( lie out- break of the civil war, and was ai)i)ointed by Gov- ernor Claiborne F. Jackson brigadier-general in the Missouri state guards, commanding a brigade in Sterling Prices state guards in the action at Carthage, July 5, 1861, battle of Wilson's Creek, Aug. 10, 18G1, the siege of Lexington, Sept. 18- 20, 1861, and the action at Springfield, Oct. 25, 1861. After the engagement at Helena, July 4,

1863, he was promoted major-general, and com- manded a division in the detachment engaged in the Red River campaign, and the Missouri division in General Price's army in Arkansas after April 20,

1864. He took part in Price's raid in 1864; sur- rendered with the trans-Mississippi army May 26, 1865, and went to Mexico intending with other Confederate officers to found a colony there, but while camping at China near the San Juan river, and on the neutral ground between the French and Liberal forces, they were attacked by Mexicans and killed, and their bodies tlirown into the river, Aug. 14, 1865.

PARSONS, Samuel, landscape architect, was born in New Bedford, Mass., Feb. 7, 1844; son of Samuel Bowne and Susan (nowland)Parsons. He was a student in Haverford coUege.Pa., 1857-60. but did not graduate, and attended Slieffield Scientific school, Yale. 1860-62, receiving the Pli.B. degree in 1862. He wiis married, Oct. 25. 1865, to Martha E., daughter of William and Tliamsin (Butter- worth) Francis. He engaged in the nursery business with his father in Flusliing, L.I., N.Y.; became a member of the firm of Vaux & Co., landscape architects, and as superintendent of parks managed the construction and plant- ing of the parks of New York city, 1882-97, and in 1897 became a member of the landscape architect firm of Parsons & Pentecost, after- ward Samuel Parsons & Co., New York city. He founded the Society of American Landscape Architects, of which he became president, and designed an exten-sive system of parks for the city of Washington, D.C., under an act of con- gress, June 6, 1900. entitled: " Plans for Treatment of that portion of the District of Columbia, south of Pennsylvania avenue, and north of B Street, S.W., and for a connection between Potomac and Zoological Parks." He also designed and planted parks and gentlemen's country places in twenty-two states of the union. He contributed articles on landscape art to the leading magazines and newspapers, the article on " Parks " to Johnson's C\'clopedia, and is the author of: Landscape Gardening (1891): Homes in Citji and Conntnj in "Woman's Book" (1894), and How to Plant the Home Grounds (1899).

PARSONS, Samuel Holden, soldier, was born in Lyme, Conn., May 14, 1737; son of the Rev. Jonathan and Phoebe (Griswold) Parsons; grandson of Ebenezer and Margaret (Marslifield) Parsons; great-grandson of Dea. Benjamin and Sarah (Vose) Parsons, the immigrants, 1630, who settled in Springfield, Mass., 1636, and great-- grandson of Sir Thomas Parsons of Great Tor- rington, near Essex, England. The Rev. Jona- than Parsons was minister at Lyme, 1731-45; resigned his charge in 1745, removed to Newbury- port, Mass., and became the first pastor of the First Presbyterian church, serving, 1746-76. He was in- strumental through a sermon preached in 1775 in recruiting the first company of volunteers for the army of the American Revolution. Whitefield, who induced him to adopt the Presbyterian faith, died at his home in 1770, four years before Par- sons' demise, and the two divines, with their friend, the Rev. Joseph Prince, were given sepul- ture in a crypt under the pulpit of the Presbyte- rian church, Newburyport. Samuel Holden Par- sons was graduated at Harvard, A.B., 17.56, A.M., 1759; studied law with his uncle, Gov. Matthew Griswold (q. v. ); was a practicing lawyer in Lyme; deputy to the general assembly of Connecticut, 1762-74; king's attorney; member of the commit- tee of correspondence, and in 1773 wrote to Samuel Adams suggesting the calling of a Continental congress. He served in the Colonial militia, was elected major of the 3d regiment in 1770, lieuten- ant-colonel in 1774, and colonel of the 6th regi- ment in 1775. He marched with this regiment to Roxbury, Mass., and on the evacuation of Boston was ordered to New York. On the way he met Benedict Arnold at Hartford, April 27, 1775, who informed him of the extent of the armament at Ticonderoga, and with Col. Samuel Wyllys and Silas Dear»e he formed a plan for taking the fort and its large number of brass cannon, so much needed by the Continental army at Cam- bridge, Mass. These men with three others pledged their personal security for the money borrowed to fit out the expedition. Col. Parsons informed Ethan Allen of the project, and Allen met the Connecticut troop at Bennington, took command and captured the fort. May 10, 1775. Parsons took part in the battle of Long Island, and for his services was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. Aug. 9, 1776. He also .served at Harlem Heights. White Plains, and in the re- treat through New Jersej'. He projected the expedition from Connecticut to Sag Harbor, aided Col. Israel Putnam in the construction of the forts in and about West Point, and com- manded the operations during Colonel Putnam's absence in Connecticut from February 14 to June, 1778. General McDougall a.ssumed chief com- mand by order of General Washington, March