Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/94

 NISBET

NITSCIIMANN

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"Wesleyan university in 1874, and that of LL.D. liy Nortlnvestern university in 1892. He died in Detroit.:\Iicli.. Jan. 3, 1901.

NISBET, Charles, educator, was born in Ilad- diiigtoM, Scotland, Jan. 21,173G; son of William and Alison Nesbit. He was graduated from the University of Edinburgli in 1754, liaving sustained the entire expense of his collegiate course by teaching. He studied theology in the Divinity H.iU of Edinburgh, 1754-60, and was licensed to preach by the presbytery of Edinburgh, Sept. 24, 1760. He was pastor of the Presbyterian church at Montrose. Scotland, and during the Revolu- tionary war sympathized with the colonists, which caused dissatisfaction in his parish. He was married in June, 1700. to Ann, daughter of Thomas Sweedie of Quarter, Sc-otland. In 1783, upon the establishment of Dickinson college. Car- lisle, Pa., he was chosen its first president. He arrived in Philadelphia, Pa., in June, 17s5. and took charge of the college, July 5, 1785' He resigned the office, Oct. 18, 1785, on account of a severe illness which had himself and his family. Recovering, he was re-elected, May 10, 1786, and immediately resumed his duties. The financial state of Dickinson college, which had been but slenderly endowed, became greatly impaired and the attendance grew less and less. The plans of the president were not supported by the trustees of the college, and his salary was cut down from $1200 to §800. Even that sum was not paid in full and at the time of his decease the arrears amounted to four or five years' salary. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred on him by the College of New Jersey in 1783, to wiiich institution he bequeathed his valuable library. He died in Carlisle, Pa., Jan. 18, 1804.

NISBET, Eugenius Aristides, jurist, was born near Union Point, Greene county, Ga., Dec. 7, 1803; son of Dr. James and Penelope (Cooper) Nisbet. His father was a member of the con- stitutional convention of 1798 and arepre.sentative in the state legislature, having moved to Georgia from Iredell, N.C., about 1791. His parents set- tled in Alliens, Ga., and he attended Powellton academy, Hancock county, Ga., 1815-17, and South Carolina college. Columbia. S.C., 1817-18, and was graduated from the University of Georgia in 1821, with the first honor. He studied law in the office of Judge Augustin S. Clayton, Athens, 1821-22, and under Judge Gould. Litchfield. Conn., 1822-23. He was admitted to the bar of Greene county by special act of the legislature in 1823. and practised in Madison, Ga., where he was a representative in the state assembly for

three years; state .senator for one term, and a Whig representative in the 26th and 27th con- gresses, 1839—43, resigning his seat in congress to meet obligations of $30,000, as surety for a relative. He moved from Madison to Macon, Ga., in 1837. He resumed his law practice in Macon, and upon the organization of the supreme court in 1845 was appointed one of its judges and served, 1845- 53. He supported Harrison in 1840; Clay in 1844, and Bell and Everett in 1860. He was a member of the state secession convention of 1861 and of the Confederate provisional congress. In the .secession convention he was chairman of the committee of eighteen which reported the ordinance of secession, and was the author of that ordinance. He practised law in Macon with a brother and son, 1865-71. He was a trustee of the University of Georgia, 1864-71, and received from there the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1868. He was married in 1824 to Amanda M. F. Battle of Powellton, Ga.,and they had twelve children. Mrs. Nisbet died in 1865. Judge Nisbet was the author of tiie first fourteen volumes of Georgia Bepoi'ts, and his decisions are frequently- quoted as authority on the law, both in the United States and England. He died in Macon, Ga., March 18, 1871.

NITSCHMANN, David, Moravian bishop, was born in Zauchtenthal, Moravia, Dec. 27, 1696. His parents were members of the church of the Ancient Brethren, and David, in May, 1724, fled from persecution to Herrnhvit, Saxony, became an evangelist and was consecrated first bishop of the renewed Moravian church at Berlin, March 13, 1735, by Bishop Jablousky, with the concurrence of Bishop Sitkovius of Poland. He led a colony of Moravians to Savannah, Ga., in 1735, and on Feb. 28, 1736, ordained Augustus G. Spangen- berg and Anthony Seifferth, presbyters of the church, probably the first ordinations bj- a Prot- estant bishop in the United States; John Wesley, who was his fellow voyager to America, being present. In 1740 he again visited America and in 1741 purchased a tract of land on the Lehigh river in Pennsylvania, where he formed a small colony from the abandoned settlement in Geor- gia, which he named Bethelem. He returned to Saxony in 1744, but extended his labors to New York and North Carolina, and during his lifetime visited the chief countries of northern Europe and the West Indies, making probably fifty sea voyages. In 1755 he returned to Penn- sylvania. He resided in Weis-sport, Pa., 1755-56, atLititz, Pa., 17.56-61, and at Bethelem, 1761-72. He died in Betlilehem. Pa., Oct. 8. 1772.

NITSCHMANN, John, Moravian bishop, was born in Schoenaii. Moravia, in 1703. He was a descendant of the Ancient Brethren's church, and in 1724, through religious persecutions, he