Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/276

 SCilOONMAKER

SCHOONMAKER

Indians (1850); Personal Memoirs of a Residerice of TJiirtij Years with the ludian Tribes on the American Frontier, ISIC-J^ (\>i:A); Historical and Statistical Infornuition, respecting the History, Condition and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States (6 vols., 18r)l-57): Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River in ISJO, resumed and Completed by the Discovery of its Origin in Itasca Lake in JSJ? (18.")4); Hcldcrbergi a, poem (1855); and The Myth of Hiawatha and notes for Tlie Indian Fairy Book from Original Legends (1855). lie ilk-.l in Washington, Dec. 10, 18G4.

SCHOONMAKER, Cornelius C, representa- tive, w;is born in bliawangunk, Ulster county, N.Y., in June, 1745; a descendant of Henry Schoonmaker, who emigrated from Germany, and settled in Albany prior to 1653, subsequently removing to Ulster county. He was a surveyor by profession; was an active member of the committees of vigilance and safety during the Revoluti(.)n; and upon the adoption of the New York state constitution in 1777 he was elected a member of the assembly, and continued to serve in that body until 1791. He was a member of the state convention to decide ujion the adoption of tiie U.S. constitution; was a representative in the 2d congress, 1791-93, and was again a member of the New York assembly, 1795-96. He died in Shawangunk, Ulster county, N.Y., early in 1796.

SCHOONMAKER, Cornelius Marius, naval ofhcer, was born in Kingston, N.Y., Feb. 2, 1839; .'^on of the Hon. Marius (q.v.) and Elizabeth Van Wyck (West brook) Schoonmaker. He was grad- uated from the U.S. Naval academy in 1859; was promoted passed midshipman, Jan. 19, 1861, and master, Feb. 23, 1861; and was ordered to the Minnesota, the flagship of Flag-OfficerStringham, of which he was appointed acting-master, and participated in the capture of Forts Hatteras and Clark. He was commissioned lieutenant, Aug. 31, 1861, and appointed executive officer on the gun-boat Wyandotte, South Atlantic blockading squadron, being transferred to the Octorora, Oct. 1, 1862, in Rear-Admiral Wilkes's flying squadron, where he remained until February, 1864. He was later executive officer of the iron-clad Mayi- hattan, with wiiich he participated in the battle of Mobile Bay and the destruction of Fort Morgan; executive officer of the U.S.S. Augusta and of the monitor Catskill successively until June, 1865, when he was ordered to the Juniata and joined th^ Brazil squadron, lie was commis- sioned lieutenant-commander, Dec. 24, 1865; was detached from the Juniata in July, 1867, and was on duty first as navigator and later as executive officer of the U.S.S. Delaware. He was engaged in torpedo instruction at Newport, 1872; com- manded the Frolic, 1872-73; was promoted cuin-

VAAIOAI-I A

mander, Feb. 14, 1873; and in May, 1873, went on the Frolic to St. John's, Newfoundland, and brought to Washington the survivors of the crew of the Polaris. He was on duty at the New York navy yard, 1873-74; inspector of the eighth light- house district. New Orleans, 1874-78; was in com- mand of the U.S.S. Nijjsic, 1879-81. on which he executed a special mission for the government to South America; was at the Norfolk navy yard, 1882-86, and was commissioned captain, Oct. 7, 1886. In February, 1888, he was ordered to Hon- olulu to take com- mand of the U.S.S. Vandal ia, attached to the Pacific squad- ron. Upon the break- ing out of the .r troubles at Samoa he '] w^as ordered there with his vessel, which,

with every other vessel in the harbor of Apia, was wrecked, and Captain Schoonmaker. with 4 other officers and 39 men of the Vandalia, was drowned, during the cyclone of March 15, 1889.

SCHOONMAKER, Marius, representative, was born in Kingston, N.Y., April 24, 1811; son of Zachariah, grandson of Cornelius C. (q.v.), and a descendant of Henry Schoonmaker, the im- migrant, 1653. His father was a lawyer. He prepared for college at Kingston academy; was graduated from Yale in 1830, and was admitted to the bar in 1833. He was married in 1837 tO' Elizabeth Van Wyck, eldest daughter of the Rev. Dr. Cornelius D. Westbrook, a clergyman of tiie Reformed Dutch clmrch. Mrs. Schoonmaker died in December, 1S87. In 1849 he was elected as a Whig to the state senate, and was chairman of the committee on claims; and at the extra session in 1850 he was cliairman of the joint com- mittee on the revision of the code. He was a representative from the tenth New York district in the 32d congress, 1851-53; auditor of the canal department, 1854-55, resigning early in 1855 to accept the superintendency of the banking depart- ment; delegate to the state constitutional con- vention of 1867, and president of the board of directors of Kingston for several years. He was president of the board of trustees of Kingston academy, 1842-54, and of the Kingston board of education, 1863-72. During his service in the latter office the graded system of free schools was put into operation. He compiled and prepared a History of Kingston from its First Settlement to the Year 1S.70 (1888). He died in Kingston, N.Y., Jan. 5, 1894.