Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/369

 PLUMB

PLUMER

university, Columbus, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His published writings include : Bio- graphical Directory of American Agricultural Scie7itists (1889); Indian Corn Culture (1895); and numerous monographs and contributions to periodicals.

PLUMB, Preston B., senator, was born in Delaware county, Ohio, Oct. 13, 1837. He received a limited education, served an apprenticeship to a printer, 1849-52, and was editor of the Xenia Neivs, 1852-56. He removed in 1856 to Emporia, Kan., where in 1857 he founded the Weekly News, which he conducted alone ; and he became a prominent member of the free soil party in Kansas. He was secretaiy of the Free State convention of 1857; a member of the state constitu- tional convention of 1859 ; was admitted to the bar in 1861, and was a representative in the Kansas state legislature in 1862. He served as reporter of the state supreme court, and in August, 1862, enlisted in the Federal army, and was appointed 2nd lieutenant in the 11th Kansas infantry. He served throughout the civil war, receiving the promotions of captain, major, and lieutenant- colonel. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1867-68 ; speaker of the house in 1868 ; prosecuting attornej^ for Lyon county, Kansas, and was president of the First National Bank of Emporia, 1873-77. He was a member of the Republican state convention in 1876 ; was elected U.S. senator by the Republican legisla- ture of Kansas in 1877, to succeed James M. Harvey, and was re-elected in 1883 and 1889, his third term expiring March 3, 1895. He was married to Carrie Southwick, of Ashtabula, Ohio. He edited and adapted Practice before Justice Courts in Kansas (1875). He died in Washington, D.C., Dec. 20, 1891.

PLUME, Joseph WilHatn, soldier, was born in Troy, N.Y., Aug. 23, 1839; son of William and Eliza (Turk) Plume ; grandson of Joseph and Lucetta (Plum) Plume and of William and Eliza (Livingston) Turk, and a descendant of Robert Livingston on one side, and of Captain Bastian Visscher on the other. He attended the public school, became a bank clerk in Newark, N.J. ; enlisted in the 2d New Jersey volunteers, and was commissioned adjutant. May 29. 1861 ; was made aide-de-camp to Gen. W. H. French, Feb. 15, 1862 ; acting assistant adjutant -general, 3d brigade, Sumner's division, June 1, 1862, and acting as- sistant adjutant-general, 3d division, 2d corps, Sept. 8, 1862. He served in the battles of First Bull Run, Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Seven Pines, Gaines's Mill, Peach Orchard, Saratoga Station, White Oaks Bridge, Malvern Hill, Second Bull Run, Antietam and Fredericksburg. At the end of two years' service he was mustered out and

returned to his bank in Newark, where he was made cashier in 1870 and subsequently vice-presi- dent. He was married, Dec. 4, 1883, to Eleanor, daughter of John A. and Sarah J. (Davies) Miller of Newark, N.J. He joined the National Guard of New Jersey as a private in 1859 and rose to the rank of major-general, resigning, Feb. 6, 1899. He was commissioned brigadier-general of volun- teers, June 24, 1898, commanded the first brigade, first division, 2d corps in tlie war with Spain, and was mustered out Oct. 31, 1898. He then re- sumed his banking business in Newark.

PLUMER, William, senator, was born in Newburyport, Mass., June 25, 1759 ; son of Samuel and Mary (Dole) Plumer, and a descend- ant of Francis Plumer, who came from the west of England, and settled in Newbury, Mass., in 1635. He attended school at Epping, N.H. ; was mar- ried, Feb. 12, 1788, to Sally, a daughter of Philip Fowler of Newmarket, and was a successful at- torney-at-law in Epping, 1787-1820. He was county solicitor ; a representative in the state legislature for eight terms, speaker of the house for two terms, and state senator, 1810-11. He was a member of the state constitutional convention, 1792; U.S. senator, 1802-07, elected to fill a va- cancy' caused by the resignation of James Sheafe ; governor of New Hampshire, 1812-16 and 1817-18 ; was a presidential elector in 1820, and voted for John Quincy Adams, being the only opposing voice in the re-election of President Monroe. He retired from public service in 1820, and devoted himself to literaiy pursuits. He is the author of : Appeal to the Old Whigs (1805) ; Address to the Clergy (1814), and many contributions to the press under the pen name " Cincinnatus." He died in Epping, N. H., Dec. 22, 1850.

PLUMER, William, representative, was born in Epping, N. H., Feb. 9, 1789, son of William (q. v.) and Sally (Fowler) Plumer. He was graduated from Harvard, A.B., 1809, AM., 1812 ; studied law with his father, and was admitted to the bar in 1812. He was U.S. commissioner of loans, 1816-17 ; representative in tlie state legis- lature in 1818, and a Democratic representative in the 16th, 17th and 18th congresses, 1819-25. He was married, Sept. 13, 1820, to Margaret F. Mead. He was state senator, 1827-28 ; declined the ap- pointment of district attorney in 1830 ; was a member of the state constitutional convention in 1850, and in that year retired from active par- ticipation in public affairs, devoting himself to literary work. He was a member of the New England Historic-Genealogical society ; the au- thor of two volumes of poems (1841-43) ; Lyrica Sacra (1845); Pastoral on the Story of Ruth (1847), and was a co-editor with Andrew P. Peabody of the Life of William Plumer (1857). He died in Epping, N. H., Sept. 18, 1854.