Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/322

 SEVEKEXS

SEVIER

daughter of Theophilus Hamlin ; represented Augusta in the state legislature 1830, 1839-40, 1842 and 1847 ; was a state senator, 1835-36, and a Whig representative in the 28th and 29th con- gresses. 1843-47. He was vice-president of the Whig national convention, which met at Phila- delphia. June 7. 1848, and was appointed U.S. minister to the Sandwich Islands bj- President Taylor, serving. 1849-53. See " Memoir of Luther Siiverance " by James G. Blaine (1850). He died in Auf^Msta. Main.-. Jan. 5, is:,.").

SEVERENS, Henry Franklin, jurist, was boru in Rockingham. Vt.. M.ay 11, 1835; son of Franklin an.l Elizabeth (Pulsipher) Severens; grandson of Isaac and Abigail (Dean) Severens and of Samuel and Sarah (Weaver) Pulsipher, and a descendant through the first Severens, who came from England in 1636, and settled in An- dover. Massachusetts Bay Colony, and of Sergeant Hinraan, who defended Charles I. when on trial for his life. He attended Saxton's River seminary ; was graduated from Middlel)ury college, Ver- mont, A.B., 1857; was admitted to the bar in 1859 ; commenced practice in Bellows Falls, Vt. ; removed to Three Rivers, Mich., in 1860, serving as state's attorney of St. Joseph county in 1863- 65. and in the latter year settled in Kalamazoo, Mich. He was married, Dec. 1, 1863, to Sarah Clarissa, daughter of Austin and Agnes (Lee) Whittlesey of Medina, N.Y. He served as U.S. district judge of Western Michigan from May 25, 1886, until his appointment as U.S. circuit judge of the 6tii judicial circuit, March 16, 1900. By virtue of his office he was (1903) one of the judges of the U.S. circuit court of appeals for the 6th circuit. Judge Severens received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Michigan in 1897, and the same degree from Middlebury college in 1901.

SEVIER, Ambrose Hundley, senator, was born in Greene c<niiity, Tenn., Nov. 4, 1801 ; son of John and Susan (Conway) Sevier ; grandson of Valentine Sevier and of Thomas and Ann (Rec- tor) Conway. He received a good education ; studied law under his father (who had been ad- mitted to the bar. May 6, 1793, by Governor Blount); removed to :\Iissouri in 1820, and to Little Rock, Arkansas Territory, in 1821, becom- ing in that year a clerk of the territorial house of representatives. He was admitted to the bar in 1823; served as a representative in the terri- torial legislature. 182;j-27 and as speaker in 1827, He was married in .September, 1827, to Juliet, daughter of Judge Benjamin Johnson ; their daughter. Annie. marrie<l Gov. Thomjis J. Church- ill, and their son. .\mbrose HundU-y. married :\Iis3 Wright. gran.Maughter of Gov. William D. Ful- ton (q.v.). In August, 1828, Mr. Sevier was elected a delegate to the 20th congress to com-

plete the term of his uncle, Henry W. Conway, killed in a duel with Robert Crittenden, and was reelected to the 21st-24th congresses, serving, 1828-37. He was elected to the U.S. .senate upon the admission of the state, June 15, 1836, with William S. Fulton, and drew the short term ex- piring, March 3, 1837, and was re-elected in 1837 and again in 1843, resigning in 1848, having been delegated by President Polk as U.S. minister plenipotentiary to Mexico to negotiate the treaty of peace between that republic and the United States in 1848. He returned home, June 4, 1848, and died in Little Rock, Ark., Dec. 31, 1848. His state erected a monument to his memory.

SEVIER, John, pioneer, was born in Rocking- ham county, Va., Sept. 23, 1745 ; son of Valentine Sevier, who emigrated from London in 1740, with two brothers, married a celebrated belle of Bal- timore, Md., and settled in Virginia. The name was originally Xavier, and on leaving France after embracing the Protestant faith, the family found asylum in London and the name was writ- ten Sevier. John attended the academy at Fred- ericksburg, Va., and was married in 1761, to Catherine Sherrill. He founded Newmarket village in the Shenandoah valley and took part in many fights with the Indians. He removed with his two brothers to the Watauga county beyond the Alleghanies in 1773, and was appointed cap- tain of colonial militia, serving with his brothers, Valentine and Robert, under Washington in Governor Dunmore's war against the Indians, 1773-74. He drew up the petition of the citizens of Watauga district for annexation to the colony of Virginia, the combination to form the Wash- ington district, and he was sent as a delegate to the convention of 1776-77 ; was county clerk and district judge, 1777-80. and was chosen colonel of militia, commanding his company in many Indian fights, 1779-80. With Col. Isaac Shelby he com- manded the militia in the battle of Boyd's creek in 1780 ; was appointed to the command of 500 men, and at the battle of King's Mountain, Oct. 7, 1780, he led his force under Col. William Camj)- bell in a brilliant attack which had been planned by Col. Isaac Shelby (q.v.) and which annihilated Ferguson's army and saved the day for the patriots. For this service both he and Colonel Shelby received the thanks of the North Carolina legislature, besides a sword and pistols. His brothers, Valentine and Robert, commanded com- panies under him in this battle, Robert being mortally wounded while leading his charging column. In 1781 he conducted several expedi- tions against the Chickamauga Indians with whom he made a treaty, and was appointed briga- dier-general of the Watauga brigade. In 1874, when North Carolina proposed to transfer the territory west of the Alleghanies to the United