Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/59

 NEILL

NELSON

gallant and meritorious services during the war. and was mustered out of the Tolunteer serrice. Aag. 24. 18^5. He commanded Fort Indepen- dence, Boston. Mass., 1865-66 ; a battalion at Rich- nuHid, Va., 1866-67, and was transferred to the 20th infantry, Sept. 21, 1866. He was a member of the examining board of U.S. officers. 1867-69, and inspector general of the U.S. army stationed at New Orleans. He was promoted lieutenant-col- onel and transferred to the 1st infantry. Feb. 22, 1869 ; commanded the general recruiting station at OtOTcmor's Island., N.Y., 1869-71. and was as- signed to the 5th caraJry, Dec. 15. 1 870. He serred on the frontier and against the Cheyenne Indians in the west. 1871-75 ; was commandant of cadets at the U.S. military academy, 1875-79 ; was pro- moted colonel and transferred to the 8th caralry, April 2, 1879, and was retired from active service. April 2, 1883. He made two trips to Europe w^hile on leave of absence, and resided in Phila- delphia after his retirement. He was married, Nov. 30. 1873. to Eva D. Looney. He died in Pliiladelphia. Pa.. March 10, 18S5.

NEILL, \MIliain, educator, was born in Alle- gheny county. Pa., in 1778. His parents were massacred by the Indians when he was a child, and he was adopted in his sister s family. He attended Jefferson academy, Canonsburg. Pa. ; was gpraduate>d at the College of New Jersey. A.B., 1803. A.M., 1806 ; remained there as a student of theology and w^as a tutor, 1903-05 : was licensed by the presbytery of New Brunswick iu October. 1W5, and ordlained by the presbytery of Oneida in September. 1806. He was pastor at Cc>opersti">wn,N.Y., 1805-09 ; of the First church, Albany. N.T., 180^16: of the Sixth church, Philadelphia. Pa., 1816-24. and was moderator of the Oreneral Assembly in 1815. He was the sixth president of Dickinson col- lege, Carlisle, Pa., 1824-29 : secretary and general agent of the Presbyterian board of education. 1829-31, and y^astor at German town. Pa., "iS31-42. He resided in Phil- adelphia, Pa.. 1842-60. where he .it - :- ". : . :r.self to literary and city missionary work. He received the degree D.D. from Union college, N. Y. . in 1812. He edited the Presbyterian for several years, contributed to other reKgious periodicals and is the author of: Lectures on Bib] iea! History (1846); Epcposif ion of the Epistle to the Ephcsinms (1850): Divine Origin of tJie Christi.an Religion (1854). and Ministry of F^fty Tears fcjth Aneedotcs and Reminiscences (1857). He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 8, 1860.

NEILSON, John, delegate, wasbomatBaritaua Landing. N.Y.. M.irch 11. 1745; son of Dr. JisSxa., a native of Belfast, Ireland, and Joanna (Coey-

maus) Neilson. He was educated at the University of Pennsylvania and engaged as a shipping merchant at New Brunswick. N.J. He raised a company of militia in 1775. of which he was ap- pointed captain in July of that year. He was appointed colonel of a regiment of minute-men, Aug. 31. 1775 ; colonel of the 2d regiment of militia from Middlesex county, N.J., in August,

1776, and brigadier-general of militia, Feb. 21,

1777. He was engaged in repelling British inroads ; planned and surprised the British at Bennett's Island, and in 1779 commanded tlie New Jersey militia in the northern part of the state. He was a delegate from New Jersey to the Continental congress, 1778-79, and was deputy quartermaster-general for New Jersey, 1780-83. He was elected a delegate to the Federal constitu- tional convention in 1787, but failed to attend ; was a member of the state convention that ratified the Federal constitution in 1790. and represented New Brunswick in the New Jersey assembly. 1800-01. Lafayette presented him with a sword in 1824. He was president of the board of trustees, Rutgers college. 1783-1833. He was mar- ried to Catharine, daughter of John Toorhees. He died in New Brunswick, N.J., March 3, 1833.

NELSON, Charles Alexander, librarian, was born in Calais. Maine. April 14, 1839: son c.f Israel Potter and Jane (Capen) Nelson : grandson of Jonathan and Lydia (Potter) Nelson, and a descendant of Bernard Capen of Dorchester, Mass., admitted freeman. May 16, 1636. Ee was a student and librarian at Gorham academy, Maine, 1854-55, and librarian of the ■VTashington Irving Literary association, Cambridge, Mass., 1856-61. He was graduated at Harvard, A.B., 1860. A.M., 1863; studied civil engineering at the Lawrence scientific school, 1861-62. and li- brary science at Harvard college library, 1857-64. He taught school, 1861-64 ; was a civil engineer in the quartermasters department of the U.S. army at New Berne. N.C., 1864-65. and a delegate to the Republican state convention at Raleigh, N.C., 1865. He engaged in business in New Berne, 1865-74 ; was in the book business in Boston. Mass.. 1874-79. and also occupied himself with library, literary and editorial work. He was professor of Greek and librarian in Drury college, Springfield, Mo., 1877-80; manager of the Old South book-st.ore, Boston, Mass.. and editor of its publication, 1878-81 ; catalogue libra- rian of the Astor library. New York city. 1881- SS : librarian of the Howard Memorial library. New Orleans, La., 1888-91 ; assistant librarian of the Newberry library, Chicago. IlL, 1891-93. and in 1893 became deputy librarian at Columbia university, New York city. He made a special study of library enconomy ; was elected a mem- ber and secretary of the American Library asso-