Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/161

 ROE

ROE

Governor Black on Feb. 9, 1898. He was com- missioned brigadier-general of volunteers by- President McKinley, June 10, 1898, and after service in the war with Spain, resigned his com- mission in t!ie volunteer service on Sept. 10, 1898. He was elected a member of many clubs.

ROE, Edward Payson, author, was born in Moodna, New Windsor, Orange county, N.Y., March 7, 1888; son of Peter, grandson of James, great-grandson of Nathaniel, greats-grandson of Natlianiel Roe, and greats-grandson of John Rowe, who settled in Setauket, L.I., in 1660. He attended Williams college, but did not gradu- ate; studied at tiie Auburn Theological semi- nary, 1861-6-3, and was ordained at Somers, N.Y., by the North River presbytery in 1862. He joined the Federal army as chaplain of Harris's light cavalry, in which he served, 1862- 64; was hospital chaplain at Fort Monroe, 1864- tio, and was pastor of the Highland Falls Presby- terian church, 1866-74. He was married, Nov. 24, 1863, to Anna Paula Sands of New York. He visited the ruins of the great Chicago fire, and there collected the material for his first novel, Barriers Burned Atvay (1873), which first appeared as a serial in the New York Evan- gelist. On resigning his pastorate at Highland Falls in 1874, he retired to Cornwall-on-the-Hud- son, and gave his attention chiefly to writing novels, which were widely circulated. The titles of his books include: Play and Profit in my Garden (1873); What Can She Do f (1873); Open- ing of a Chestnut Burr (1874); From Jest to Earnest (1875); Near to Nature's Heart (1876); A Knight of the Nineteenth Century (1877); A Face Illumined (1878); A Day of Fate (1880); Success with Small Fruits (1880); Withotit a Home (1881); His Sombre Rivals (1883); A Young GirVs Wooing (1884); Nature's Serial Story (1884); An Original Belle (1885); Driven Back to Eden (1885); He Fell in Love with His Wife (1886); The Earth Trembled (1887), and Miss Low, a story of southern life after the war, which was completed after his death from his diary. He died in Cornwall, N.Y.. July 19, 1888.

ROE, Francis Asbury, naval officer, was born in Elmira, N.Y., Oct. 4, 1823. He attended Elmira academy; was appointed acting mid- sliipman, Oct. 19, 1841; warranted midshipman, Feb. 3, 1842; was made warrant officer on the Yovktoion, Sept. 3, 1844; was attached to the Boston of the Gulf squadron during the Mexican war, 1846-47, and when she was wrecked in the Bahamas; served on the Alleghany in 1847; was promoted passsed midshipman, Aug. 10, 1847; graduated at the U.S. Naval academy, July 12,

1848, and was detached from the Albany, Aug. 13,

1849. He was married in the following Septem- ber to Eliza J. Snyder. He was executive and

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watch officer on the mail steamer Georgia, New York and West India line, 1850-52; on duty in Bering sea, and was executive officer on the brig Porpoise in the North Pacific exploring expedi- tion, 1852-54, serving with distinction in a suc- cessful battle with thirteen heavily armored pirate junks in Koulan Bay, China. He was commanding and executive officer of the flag- ship Vincennes, Arctic exploring expedition, 1855; was promoted master, Aug. 8, 1855, and lieuten- ant, Sept. 14, 1855. He served in the coast sur- vey of Georgia, 1856; cruised in the Macedonian, Mediterranean station, 1858-59, and again until July 14, 1860, wlien he became assistant inspector of ordnance at the New York navy yard, serving until July 14, 1861, when lie was assigned as executive offi- cer to the Pen- sacola, the second vessel in the first di- vision under Capt. Theodo- rus Bailey; and on Aug.

24, 1862, led the starboard column of the fleet past Forts Jackson and St. Philip. For his conduct on this occasion he was especially commended by Com. Henry Morris, and recommended for promotion. He was pro- moted lieutenant-commander, and assigned to the gunboat Katahdin, Aug. 5, 1862, and the same day was present at the battle of Baton Rouge, commanding as senior officer three of Farragut's gunboats, the shots from which were directed by signals from the tower of the Loui- siana state capitol. Lieutenant-Commander Roe was ordered north on account of ill health in February, 1863, and on Sept. 4, 1863, was assigned to the command of the " double ender '' Sassaciis, North Atlantic blockading squadron, destroying two English blockade runners during the Wil- mington blockade, and was engaged in the defeat of the rebel ram Albemarle and her con- sort Bombshell in the North Carolina sounds, May 5, 1864, receiving the thanks of the secre- tary of the navy and an advancement of "five numbers in his grade for gallant and meritorious conduct before the enemy." He was detached from the Sassacus, July 20, 1864, on account of illness; took command of the steamer Michigan on the lakes, Nov. 11, 1864, suppressing an insur- rection of miners at Marquette and at Houghton, and causing the privateer Georgian to be cap- tured by English authorities at CoUingwood, Canada. He was promoted commander, July

25, 1866; and commanded the Madawaska; and subsequently the Tacony, as commander of the