Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/26

 HAINES

RAIXS

ventions and specimens, equally to his sister, his daughter and the establishment of an orphan school for girls, but the terms were never carried out, as he died in absolute poverty, and his pos- sessions were sold to cancel debts. His body was buried stealthily by a few of his friends in Ronaldson's cemetery, Philadelphia, but his grave was not marked. The date of his death is Sept. 18. 1842.

RAINES, John, representative, was born in Canandaigua, N.Y., May 6, 1840; son of John and Mary (Remington) Rjiines ; grandson of John and Mary (Sadler) Raines, and of Thaddeus and Betsy (Root) Remington, and a descendant of William Raines of Ryton, Yorkshire, England. He attended the public schools and taught for three years, and was graduated from the Albany Law school in 1861. He established himself in practice in Geneva, N.Y., and in 1861 raised a company for the 85th New York volunteers ; was made captain of tlie company, and served until July, 1863. He was married, Sept. 18, 1862, to Catherine A., daughter of Anson and Fanny (Havens) Wheeler of Geneva, N.Y. He was a Republican member of the state assembly, 1881- 82 and 1885 : state senator, 1886-89 ; representa- tive from the twenty-ninth district of New York in the 51st and 52d congresses, 1889-93, and a state senator, 1S94-1903. He was largely instru- mental in securing the passage by the New York legislature of a law which he drew regulating the sale of liquors, and imposing a high license, which during its operation paid into the state treasury nearly .$4,000,000 annually and to locali- ties about $8,000,000 annually ; the law becom- ing known by his name.

RAINEV, Joseph H., representative, was born in Georgetown, S.C, June 21. 1832 ; son of slave parents, who subsequently obtained freedom by their industry. Although legally debarred from attending school, he was well educated, and re- moved to Charleston, S.C, where he followed the occupation of a barber until 1862, when, forced to work on the Confederate fortifications, he escaped to the West Indies, and remained there until the close of the war. He returned to Georgetown ; was elected a delegate to the state constitutional convention, 1868, and was a state senator in 1870, resigning to take his seat in the 41st congress, June 21, having been elected a Republican representative in place of Benjamin T. Whittemore. who was elected but not allowed to take his seat. Mr. Rainey was re-elected to the 42d-45th congresses, serving. 1870-79, his seat in the 44th congress being contested by Samuel Lee. He died in Georgetown, D.C., Aug. 1, 1887.

RAINS, Gabriel James, .soldier, was born in Craven county, N.C.. in June, 1803 ; son of Gabriel M. and Hester (Ambrose) Rains. He

was a brother of George Washington Rains (q.v.) and of John Rains (1804-1834), who graduated from University of North Carolina. A.B., 1823, A.M., 1826 ; was a member of the general assembly, and a lawyer in Alabama. Gabriel was graduated at the U.S. military academy. West Point, in 1827 ; was promoted 2d lieutenant. 7th infantry ; served in the West on garrison, commissary, frontier, and recruiting duty, 1827-39 ; was promoted 1st lieutenant, Jan. 28, 1834, and captain, Dec. 25, 1837, and engaged in the Seminole war, 1839-42, being severely wounded in the skirmish near Fort King, April 28, 1840, and brevetted major for gallantry in that action. He served in garrison in Louisiana and Florida, 1842-45 ; in the military occupation of Texas, 184.5-46, and was engaged in the defense of Fort Brown, May 3-9, 1846, and in the battle of Resaca de la Palma, May 9, 1846. He was engaged in recruiting for General Scott's cam- paign, 1846-48 ; served in garrison at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., 1848 and 1851 ; in the Seminole war, 1849-50, and in garrison duty, 1850-52. He was promoted major and transferred to the 4th infan- try. March 9, 1851 ; served on frontier duty on the Pacific coast, 1853-60, and took part in the expedition against the Yakama Indians in 1855. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel and trans- ferred to the 5th infantry, June 5, 1860 ; was on a leave of absence, 1860-61, and resigned from the U.S. army. July 31, 1861, and joined the Confed- erate States army, receiving the commission of brigadier-general, Sept. 23, 1861. He commanded a brigade in D. H. Hill's division at Williams- burg, May 5, 1862, and was severely wounded at the battle of Seven Pines, May 31-June 1, 1862, where he received special commendation from his division commander for his rai)id and suc- cessful flank movement that turned tiie tide of the battle in favor of the Confederates. He was placed in charge of the bureau of conscription of Richmond, Va., in December, 1862. He in- vented a peculiar friction primer to explode sub- terranean shells, which was used effectively in the retreat from Williamsburg ; also organized the system of torpedo protection for southern harbors ; was made chief of the torpedo service, June 17, 1864, and demonstrated that weak maritime nations could be protected against the most powerful. He was married to Mary Jane, daughter of Maj. William (U.S.A.) and Eliza Conway (Sevier) McClellan. and granddaughter of Governor John and Catherine (Sherrill) Sevier. Their daughter. Mrs. W. W. Smythe, gave data for tliis sketch in 1903. After the war General Rains resided first in Augusta. Ga., and subse- quently in Aiken, S.C. where he died, Aug. 6, 1881, from wounds received in Florida in 1840, and considered fatal at the time.