Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/393

 SIMPSON

SIMPSON

SIMPSON, Edward, naval officer, was born in New York city, March 3, 1824. He was war- ranted midshipman in the U.S. navy, Feb. 11, 1840, and was graduated from the U.S. Naval academy in 1846. He served during the Mexican war on the steamer Vixen; was transferred to the U.S. coast survey, serving 1848-50; was act- ing master of the Congress, on the Brazil sta- tion, 1850-53; was assistant instructor in naval gunnery at the U.S. Naval academy, 1853-54, and was commissioned master, July 10, 1854; and lieutenant, April 18, 1855. He was attached to the sloop Portsmouth, of the East India squadi'on, 1856-58, and took part in the bombardment and capture of the Barrier forts in Canton river, China. He was instructor in naval gunnery and commandant of midshipmen at the U.S. Naval academy, 1858-63; was commissioned lieutenant- commander, July 16, 1863, and was given charge of the monitor Passaic, 1863-64, taking part in the attacks on Forts Wagner, Sumter and Moul- trie. He was promoted commander, March 3, 1865, and was fleet captain of the gulf squadron, receiving the surrender of the Confederate fleet before Mobile; was promoted captain, Aug. 15, 1870; was detailed on a special mission to Eu- rope, 1870-72; had charge of the Newport, R. I., torpedo station, 1873-75; was in charge of the naval station at New London, Conn., 1878-80, and ■of the League Island navy yard, 1880-84. He was proiujted commodore, April 20, 1878, and rear-admiral, Feb. 9, 1834, and was retired from active duty by age limit, March 3, 1886. He was president of the U.S. Naval institute, 1886-88, and is the author of: Ordnance and Naval Gunnery <1863); The Xaval Mission to Europe (2 vols., 1873), and Report of the Gun Foundry Board (1885). He died in Washington, Dec. 2, 1888.

SIMPSON, Jerry, representative, was born in New Brunswick, March 31. 1843; son of Joseph and Paulina Simpson. He attended the public schools in Oneida county, N.Y., whither his family moved, 1846. He became a sailor in 1856 and commanded many large vessels on the Great Lakes until 1879. He served for a time in the 12th Illinois infantry during the civil war; left the army on account of illness; was married, Oct. 12. 1870, to Jane, daughter of James and Mary Cape, of Porter county, Ind., and settled in Barber county, Kansas, 1878, where he took up the business of stock-raising on a ranch near Medicine Lodge. He was originally a Repub- lican, then Greenback, and later, Populist; was twice defeated for the state legislature on an In- dependent ticket and was one of the first to or- ganize the People's party. He was the Populist representative from the 7th Kansas district to the 52nd, 53rd, and 55th congresses, but was de- feated in the election for the 54th congress, serv-

ing, 1891-95 and 1897-99. In November, 1898, he was defeated for the 56th congress, by Chester H. Long.

SIMPSON, Marcus de Lafayette, soldier, was born in Esperance, N.Y., Aug. 28, 1824; son or William and Lydia (McKonkey) Simpson , grandson of John and Mary (Schenck) Simpson, and grandson of John McKonkey, who owned the ferry on the Delaware River, over which Wash- ington's army crossed the night of Dec. 25-26. 1776. He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy in 1846, and for his service in the Mexi- can war was bre vetted 1st lieutenant and cap- tain, 1847. He was quarter-nuister and commis- sary at various points, 1848-61; chief commissary in the department of the Pacific, 1859-61; com- missary-general's assistant, 1861-67, and was brevetted colonel, brigadier-general and major- general, March 13, 1865. He was chief commis- sary of subsistence of the division of the Pacific, 1867-73; of the division of the Atlantic, 1873-79, and of the division of the Missouri, 1879-88. He was retired with the rank of colonel in 1888. He was married, Sept. 29, 1892, to Clara B., daugli- ter of William H. and Clara (Hyde) Barnum, of" Chicago, 111., and in 1903, was residing at River- side, 111.

SIMPSON, Matthew, M. E. bishop, was born in Cadiz, Ohio, June 20, 1811; son of James and Sarah (Tingley) Simpson. His father died in 1813, and he lived with his uncle, Matthew Simp- son, until 1827. He attended Madison college, an academy at Uniontown, Pa., 1828-30; was a tutor there in 1830; studied medicine. 1830-33, and practiced, 1833-34, but abandoned it for the ministry, joining the Pittsburg conference of the M. E. church in 1834. He was a preacher in the St. Clairsville circuit, Ohio, 1834-35; at Pitts- burg, Pa., 1835-37, and was vice-president and professor of natural science at Allegheny college, 1837-39. He was the first president of Indiana Asbury (De Pauw) vmiversity, 1839-48, and also served as professor of mental and moral philo- sophy, 1839-48, and professor of mathematics and natural science, 1839-40. He was a member of the general conference of the M. E. church, 1844- 53, and was elected and consecrated bishop in 1852. He was a delegate to the World's Evan- gelical alliance held at Berlin, Germany, in 1857; travelled abroad till 1859, when he removed to Evanston, 111., and became president of the Gar- rett Biblical Institute. He delivered a series of addresses before the students of the Yale theo- logical department in 1879, and was president of the general conference in Philadelphia, in 1884. He is the author of: ^4 Hundred Years of Method- ism (1876); Cyclopaedia of Methodism (\S78); Lec- tures on Preach ing (1879), and Sermons (1885). He died in Philadelphia, Pa., June 18, 1884.