Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/318

 SERGEANT

SERRELL

SERGEANT, Thomas, jurist, was born in Pliilaaolpliia. Pa.. J:iii. 14, 1782; son of Jonathan Dickinson aiul Mar;,'are.t (Spencer) Sergeant. He w;is gratiuated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., IT'JS. with his twin brother Henry, A M., 18JI: entered the law office of Jared IngersoU, and catne to the bar in 180'3. He practised in Philadelpliia; was married, Sept. 14, 1812, to S irah. daugliter of Richard and Sarah (Franklin) B:iche, and granddaiigliter of Benjamin Frank- lin. He was a representative in the state legisla- ture, 1812-14; associate-justice of the district court of the city, 1814-16; secretary of the state, 1S17-18: attorney-general, 1819-20; postmaster of Piiiladelphia, 1828-32; associate- justice of the supreme c >urt of the state, 1834—16; resumed the practice of law in 1847; was provost of the Law Academy of Piiiladelphia. 1844:-55, and a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania. 1842-54. He was president of the Pennsylvania Historical society; a member of the American Philosophical society, an 1 the founder of the State Law Library at Harrisburg, Pa. Besides being a frequent contributor to the press, he was the author of: Treatise upon the Law of Pennsylvania relative to the Proceedings by Foreign Attachment (1811); R ' pi rt of Cases adjudged in the Supreme Court of Pemusylvania, with William Rawle, Jr. (17 vols., 1814-29); Constitutional Law (1822); Sketch of the Xational Judiciary Powers, Exercised in the United States Prior to the Adoption of the Present Federal Constitution (1824), and View of the Land Laics of Pennsylvania (1838). He died in Philadelphia. Pa.. May 8. 1860.

SERRELL, Edward Wellman, soldier and civil engineer, was born abroad, a citizen of the United States by birthright, Nov. 5, 1826; son of William and Anne (Boorn) Serrell of New York city; grandson of William, and great-grandson of Peter Serrell and Anne Footner, his wife, and a descend- ant of John Serrell who served under Howard of Effingham at the defeat of the Spanish Armada (Queen Elizabeth's '^ ' reign). The family

were French Hugue- v^ nots, and served in the navy, from the -' ^ time of Elizabeth un-

t^^crrC/ir J^i<^<^- til the breaking outof the American Revo- lution. He was edu- cated at home, and then attended the academy of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, and was graduated from Leggett and Guillaur-

deau's collegiate school in 1841, entering his father's civil engineering office. In 1846-47 he was assistant engineer to the commissioners of the Erie railroad, and in 1848 commanded one of the exploring parties for the Panama railway, under the orders of Colonel Hughes, Chief of Topographical Engineers, U.S.A.. receiving great credit for his manner of ma'.iiug the surveys. He was married, April 6, 1848. to Jane, daughter of the Rev. Jesse and .Sophi.i Pound, wh> died, Aug. 30, 1896. In 18.j0 he built the bridge across the Niagara river at Queenstown. which was then the longest single sp.in in the world, and in 1852 he built the bridge over the upper part of the harbor of St. John, N.B. He took charge of the Hoosac tunnel in 1854; the following year planned th© bridge across the river Avon, the longest span in England, and was chief engineer of the first rail- road from the Mississippi to the Missouri river. He projected fortifications for the protection of the city of Washington. D.C., in 1861; recruited a volunteer artillery regiment in New Jersey, and organized the first battalion of volunteer engin- eers ever mustered into the U..S. service. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of engineers and accompanied Gen. T. W. Sherman's ex- pedition to Port Royal. His command was sub- sequently increased to three battalions by act of congress, and he was promoted colonel. He built the works at Wales's Cut; in front of Fort Pulaski; on Morris island, and on Folly island. At Port Royal he built a gun-boat in five days, which cruised with a battery of six guns and made a successful ex])edition up the inland sounds. After the reduction of Fort Pulaski he rebuilt it, making many improvements in its construction. He was assistant engineer of the Department of the South, and subsequently was chief engi- neer of the 10th army corps, and of the De- partment of the South. During the siege of Charleston, he fi^

constructed on ^V

Morris island

a marsh battery. 7 ~£tZLif^Q;;^" j?^< 7900 yards dis- ' "^"^ -=^~- tant from the a;?'^ city on a plat- form of pine logs bolted to getheronwhic a fort of 13,000 Tuc 'o.vamp a/^icel*.

sand bags weighing 800 tons was built anrf pronounced a masterpiece of engineering skill. Behind this, he placed an 8-inch Parrott rifle gun christened by the soldiers the "Swamp Angel." which, after discharging 36 shells of Greek fire into the city with disastrous effect, was ruined, bursting from its own fire. When the 10th corps was ordered to join the