Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/88

 NICHOLSON

NICHOLSON

squadron, 18G3-64, and the monitor Manhattan, under Admiral Farragut, in the battle of Mobile Bay, where he engaged the Confederate ram Tennessee, Aug. 5, 1864. He bombarded Fort Powell for twelve days and after a siege of six weeks captureii Fi>rt Morgan. He commanded che U.S. steamer -T/b/i/'oa « of the Pacific squadron, 180.>-CG; was promoted captain in July, 1SG6; commanded the L^.S. ttag-sliip Lancaster, of the Brazil squadron. 1871-T'2, and was promoted com- modore in 1873. He was commandant of the U.S. navy yard at Brooklyn, N. Y., 1876-80; was appointed to the command of the European station, Sept. 1, 1881, and was commissioned rear- admiral, Oct. 1, 1881. He was present at the bom- bardment of Alexandria, Egypt, by the British fleet, July 11. 1882, and on July 14th he landed 100 marines to protect the U.S. consulate, thus incidentally affording protection to many other refugees, and a gold medal was presented him by the king of Sweden in recognition of his services. He was retired, March 10, 1883. He died in Npw York city. Oct. 28, 1887.

NICHOLSON, John Anthony, representative, was born in Laurel, Del., Nov. 17, 1827; son of Jacob Cannon and Susan Fauntleroy (Quarles) Nicholson; grandson of Francis West and Lucy Dangerfield (Smith) Quarles, and a descendant of ^Moore Fauntleroy of Naylor's Hole, who came to Virginia in 1643, and of Col. William Danger- field, and Merriwether Smith, both of Virginia. He attended an academy in Nelson county, Va., matriculated at Dickinson college in the class of 1817, but left in 1845 to study law in Dover, Del., with Martin W. Bates. He began practice in 1850, having married Angelica K. Reed of Dover in 1848. He was appointed superintendent of the free schools for Kent county, Del., in 1851, and was made brigadier-general of Kent county militia in 1861. He was a member of the Demo- cratic national committee, 1864-68, a representa- tive in the 39tii and 40th congresses from the state- at-large, 180.5-69, and oi)posed the impeachment mea-sures. In l!t02 he resided in Kent county, Del.

NICHOLSON, John B., naval officer, was born in Richmond, Va., in 1783. He was appointed a midshipman in the U.S. navy, July 4, 1800; was jiromoted lieutenant. May 20, 1812, and was 4th lieutenant on the frigate United States, when that vessel captured the British frigate Macedonian, near the Island of Madeira, Oct. 25, 1812. He was 1st lieutenant of the Peacock, under Captain Warrington, in the engagement with the brig Epervier, April 29, 1814, and was given command of the captured Epervier, taking her safely into port. He commanded the brig Flambeau, under Commodore Decatur, on the declaration of war with the Barbary powers, Feb. 23, 1815. He was promoted commander, Marcli

5, 1817; captain, April 24, 1828, and was subse- quently commissioned a commodore. He died in W;ishiii;:t.)n. D.C., Nov. 9. 1846.

NICHOLSON, John Reed, chancellor, was born in Dover, Del., May 19, 1849; son of John Anthony (q.v.) and Angelica Killen (Reed) Nicholson, and a descendant of William Killen, the first chancellor of the state. He was gradu- ated from Yale, A.B., 1870, and from Columbia, LL.B., 1873. In 1870 he accompanied Prof. Ithniel C. Marsh (q.v.) on a paleontological ex- pedition through the Rockj' Mountains and the great plains. He practised law in New York, 1873-76, and in Dover, Del., after 1876. He was married, June 3, 1884. to Isabella Ilaj-es Hager of Lancaster. Pa. He was attorney-general of Dela- ware, 1892-95; and became chancellor of the state, Nov. 23, 1895. He was a member of the board of electors for the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, New York university, October, 1900.

NICHOLSON, Joseph Hopper, representative, was born in Marjland in 1770, He was admitted to the bar and practised in his native state, where he was the Anti-Federalist leader and a repre- sentative in the legislature. In 1792 he intro- duced a bill to remove from the statutes of the state the property qualification for voters. He was a representative from Maryland in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th congresses, 1799-1806. He resigned, March 1, 1806, to accept the chief judgeship of the sixth judicial district to which he had been appointed in 1805, and he was succeeded by Edward Lloyd (q.v.). He subse- quently became judge of the court of appeals of Maryland. He died in Anne Arundel county, Md.i March 4, 1871.

NICHOLSON, Samuel, naval officer, was born in Maryland in 1743. His father was proprietor of Nicholson Manor, Virginia, and his brothers James (q.v.) and John were officers in the Con- tinental navy. Samuel served under John Paul Jones, as a lieutenant on the Bon Homme Rich-

BATTLf or

ard; was promoted captain, Sept. 17. 1779. and engaged in the celebrated sea fight with the Serapis, Sept. 23, 1779. He commanded the frigate Deane, 32 guns, in 1782, and cruised with great