Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/64

 NELSON

NETTLETON

face and Nelson thereupon slapped Davis's face with the back of liis hand. Wlien they next met General Davis drew a pistol and shot Nelson, who died within half an hour. General Davis was arrested, but had no trial. General Nelson died in Gait House. Louisville, Ky., Sept. 29, 18G2.

NELSON, William, author, was born in Newark, N.J.. Feb. 10, 1847 ; son of William and Susan (Cherry) Nelson, and grandson of Tiiomas Nelson. He was educated in the public sclu>ols of Newark, and engaged in journalism in New- ark, and Paterson, N.J. He was admitted to the bar in 1878. and settled in practice in Pater- son. He was elected secretary of the New Jer- sey historical society in 1880 ; a member of the board of managers of the Societj' of American Authors, and an honorary and corresponding member of many historical, literary and scien- tific societies in Europe and tiie United States. He received the honorary degree of A.M. from Princeton university in 18'J6. He was married, July 25, 1889, to Salome W., daughter of Henry C. Doremus of Paterson, N.J. He edited the Xeti' Jersey Archives, 1885-1901, and is the author of : The Inflhtns of Xew Jerseij (1894) ; The Dore- mus Family in America (1897) ; History of the City of Paterson (1901), and numerous legal, biographical and scientific monographs.

NERAZ, John Claude, R.C. bisliop, was born in Anse, Rhone. France, Jan. 12, 1828, He was educated in the college of St. Godard and in the seminary of St. Jodard at Alix, and completed his theological studies in the Sulpitian seminary at Lyons, France, in 1852. He was ordained sub- deacon and deacon by Bishop Odin, at Galveston, in September, 1852, and engaged in missionary work at Nacogdoches, Texas. He was ordained priest at Galveston, Feb. 19, 1853, by Bishop Odin ; engaged in missionary work in Liberty county, Texas, 1854-66 ; served as an assistant priest in San Antonio, Texas, 1866-68 ; engaged in mission- ary work at Laredo, 1868-73, where he completed a church and convent, and was rector of the church of San Fernando, San Antonio. Texas, 1873-75. He was vicar-general anil cliancellor of the diocese of San Antonio, 1874-80; administra- tor of the diocese of San Antonio, after the death of Bishop Pellicer, April 14, 1880, and was con- .secrated bishop of San Antonio, May 8, 1881, by Bishop Fitzgerald. He also .served as administra- tor of the vicariate-apostolic of Brownsville, on the promotion of Bishop Manucy in 1884, and as acting vicar-apostolic after the death of the bishop, Dec. 4, 1885, until the appointment of Bishop Verdaguer, July 3. 1890. He attended the third plenary council of Baltimore in 1884. He was influential in founding a college in Travis county and a spminary at Hallettsville. He died at San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 15, 1894.

NES, Henry, represcnlative, was born in York, Pa., in 17'J'J. lie studied medicine and settled in practice in his native place. He filled many local oftices, and was an Independent Whig represent- ative in the 28th congress, 1843-45, and a Whig representative in the 30th and 31st congresses, 1847-50. He attended the venerable John Quincy Adams, when he fell in the hall of the House of Representatives, in 1848, stricken with apoph-xy. He was married to Elizabeth Weiser of York countj', Pa., and their son, Dr. Charles Martin Nes, in conjunction with other scientific men, dis- covered the steel-making properties of magnetic silicate of iron ore when combined witii pig and scrap iron, patented this product as silicon steel, and formed a company to develop the discovery. Henry Nes dii'd in York, Pa.. Sept. 10, 1850.

NESMITH, James Willis, senator, was born in Wasliington county, Maine. July 23, 1820; son of William Morrison and Harriet (Willis) Nes- mith, and was of Irish and Scotch ancestry. His parents removed to New Hampshire, where he attended school. In 1838 he went to the Western Reserve and made his home with his uncle Joseph G. Willis, near Cincinnati, Ohio. He started for Oregon in 1842, joined the Applegate party at Fort Scott, and settled in Salem, Oregon, in 1843, where he was influential in forming the provi- sional government. He studied law, 1843-45, and was appointed judge in 1845. He married Pauline Goff in 1846. He commanded a company on ex- peditions against the Indians, 1848 and 1853, was U. S. marshal for Oregon territory, 1853-55; super- intendent of Indian affairs, 1857-61, and was elected senator by the Republican legislature as successor to Joseph Lane, serving, 1861-67. He was a mem- ber of the committee on militaiw affairs, Indian affairs and of the special committees on commerce and Revolutionary claims, and of a committee ap- pointed to visit the Indian tribes of the west. He also served as a visitor to the U.S. military academy and as an attendant on the funeral of General Scott. He was a delegate to the National Union convention at Pliiladelphia, in 1866, and was appointed by President Johnson, U.S. minis- ter to Austria in 1867, but his appointment was not confirmed by the senate. He settled in Rick- reall, Polk count}', Oregon, as a farmer and stock raiser; and was Democratic representative in the 43d congress, 1873-75. He died at Rickreall, Oregon. June 17. 18S5.

NETTLETON, Alured Bayard, soldier, was born in BtMiiii. Delaware county, Ohio, Nov. 14, 1838; son of Iliram and Lavina (James) Nettle- ton, who were among the earliest settlers in cen- tral Ohio. His first anc(>stor in America, John Nettleton, came from Kenilworth. England, and was one of the founders of Killingworth. Conn., 1663. His immediate paternal ancestors lived in