Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/257

 SAWYER

SAWYER

Col. James Sawyer, and grandson of Colonel Ephraim Sawyer, who removed from Lancaster, Mass., to Grand Isle county, Vt., in 1786. He was appointed midshipman in the U.S. navy, June 4, 1812, and served on Lake Champlain under Lieut. Sidney Smith in 1812, where he was taken prisoner and held as a hostage at Halifax, N.S. He served on the Constitution under Commodore Stewart in 1815, and fought in the battle result- ing in the capture of the Cyane and Levant. He shipped before the mast on a merchant ship for India, 1816-17: was promoted lieutenant in the U.S. navy, April 1, 1818 ; served on board the Dolphin on a cruise to South America, 1818-21 ; on the Spark in the West Indies, and on the Warren in the Mediterranean. During the Canadian rebellion he commanded the northern frontier of Vermont. He was promoted com- mander in December, 1839 ; captain, April 12, 1853, and was retired, Sept. 13, 1855, and in 1856 was presented with a sword by the legislature of Vermont, for his services in the war of 1813-15. He removed to Plattsburgh, N.Y. He was mar- ried, first, to Miss Shaler of Middletown, Conn., and secondly, to Miss Wadsworth of Burlington, Vt. He died in W^ashington. D.C.. Feb. 14, 1860,

SAWYER, Leicester Ambrose, educator, was born in Pinckney, N.Y., July 28, 1807; son of Jotham and Lucy (Harper) Sawyer ; grandson of Thomas and Susannah (Wilder) Sawyer ; great- grandson of Elisha and Mary (Hart) Sawyer, and a descendant of Thomas Sawyer, who came from Kent, England, in 1636. and married Mary Pres- cott. He was graduated from Hamilton college, N.Y., in 1828: attended Princeton Theological seminary, 1828-29, and was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry at Watertown, N.Y., Feb. 23, 1832. He supplied pulpits at Adams, Smith- ville and North Adams, N.Y., 1831-32 ; was pastor at Martinsburg, N.Y., 1832-35; New Haven, Conn., 183.5-40, and Columbus, Ohio, 1840-47, being president of Central college, Ohio, 1842-47. He was pastor at Sackett's Harbor, N.Y., 1850-54 ; of the Congregational church at Westmoreland, 18.54-59, and of the Unitarian church at South Hingham, Mass., 1859-60. In 1860 he settled in Whitesboro, N.Y., where he engaged in literary woi-k, and was connected with the XJtica, 2Iorning Herald. He made a translation of the New Testament (1858), and is the author of : Elements of Biblical Interpretation (1836); JWenfaZ Philoso- phy (1839) ; Moral Philosophy (1845) ; Critical Exposition of Baptism (1845) ; Organic Christi- anity (1854) ; Reconstruction of Biblical Theories (1862) ; and The Arnerican Bible (1860-1888). He died in Whitesboro, N.Y., Dec. 29, 1898.

SAWYER, Lemuel, representative, was born in Camden county, N.C., in 1777 ; son of Lemuel Sawyer. He prepared for college at Flatbusli

academy. Long Island, N.Y., matriculated at the University of North Carolina, class of 1799 ; studied mathematics at the University of Pennsyl- vania, and on returning to North Carolina ser%-ed in the house of commons, 1800-01. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1804 ; was a presidential elec- tor on the Democratic ticket in 1805, and a representative from North Carolina in the lOtli, 11th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 19th and 20th con- gresses, serving 1807-13, 1817-23 and 1825-29. He resided for several years in Elizabeth City, N.C., and was a department clerk in Washington, D.C., 1850-52. He is the author of : Life of John Raii- c?o/p?i. (1844) ; Autobiogran^iy(\8-iA)\ and he wrote several dramas, which were not successful as they were considered at the time immoral. He died in Washington, D.C., Jan. 9, 1852.

SAWYER, Lorenzo, jurist, was born in Le- roy, N.Y., May 23, 1820. He removed to Penn- sylvania and later to Ohio, and attended Western Reserve university. He practised law in Illinois and Wisconsin, and in 1850 went to California where he engaged in mining. He was elected city attorney of San Francisco in 1854 ; was judge of the district court of California, 1862-63 ; justice of the supreme court, 186.3-68, and chief-justice, 1868-69. He was U.S. circuit judge for the 9th circuit that embraced the whole of the Pacific States, 1869-91. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Hamilton college in 1877, and was president of the board of trustees of Leland Stanford Junior university, 1887-91. He died in Washington, D.C.. Jan. 9, 1891.

SAWYER, Philetus, senator, was born in Whiting, Rutland county. Vt. . Sept. 22, 1816. His father, a farmer and blacksmith, removed in 1817 to Crown Point, N.Y., where Philetus at- tended the district schools. He obtained em- ployment in a saw- mill, which he subse- quently operated, and was married in 1841, to Melvina M. Had- ley. who died in 1888. He removed with his family to Fond du Lac county. Wis., in 1847 ; engaged in farming, and then entered the lumber business at Algoma and at Fond du Lac, accumulating an estate valued at $3,000,000. He was

repeatedly elected to the city council : was a representative in the state legislature. 1857-63 : mayor of Oshkosh, 1863-64. and a Republican representative from the fifth district of Wiscon-