Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/472

 SPOONER

SPOTS WOOD

He received the honoruiy dei^ree of LL.D., from Amherst college iu 1877. He is the author of many judicial opinions published in vols. 10 to 13 of the Louisiumi Annual Rejjorts. and co-author of: The Louisaiia Magistrate and Parish Official Guide (1847). He died at Red Sulphur Springs, W. Va., wherfi he had gone for the benefit of his health. A 11 u'. -n. 1880.

SPOON EK, Henry Joshua, representative, was born in Provitlence, R.I., Aug. 6, 1839; son of Josiiua (1803-1 809), and Ann Crawford (Noyes) Spooner; grandson of James and Sally (Luther) Spooner and of Captain John Miller and Abijah (Updike) Noyes. He was graduated from Brown university, 1860; from the Albany Law school, LL.B., 1861: and admitted to the New York bar. He was appointed 2d lieutenant, in the 4th Rhode Island volunteers in 1862; was in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam: promoted 1st lieutenant and adjutant in September, 1862, and was mustered out of service in February, 1865. He was admitted to the Rhode Island bar in June, 1865; and was justice and clerk of the court of magistrates of Providence, 1866-09. He was mar- ried, Nov. 16, 1868, to Mary S., daughter of David A. and Abby E. Brown. He was a representa- tive in the state legislature, 1875-81, serving as speaker, 1879-81, and was a member of the judiciary committee, 1876-79. He was elected a Republican representative from the first Rhode Is- land district to the 47th congress to complete the term of Nelson W. Aldrich, who took his seat as senator, Dec. 5, 1881, and was re-elected to the 48th, 49th, 50th and olst congresses, serving, 1883- 91, and during the last term as chairman of the committee on accounts and a member of that on military affairs and irrigation of arid lauds. He was defeated in 1890 as a candidate to the 52d con- gress by Oscar Lapham, and in 1891 resumed his law practice in Providence, R.I.

SPOO.NER, John Coit, senator, was born in Lawrenceburg. Ind., Jan. 6, 1843; son of Judge Philip L. Spooner. His father removed to Madi- son, Wis., in June, 1859, and he was graduated from the University of Wisconsin, A.B., 1864, A.M.. 1867. During the civil war, he served as private in the 40th regiment, Wisconsin volunteers: was appointed captain in the 50th regiment, and was mustered out of service, July, 1866. with the brevet rank of major. He returned to Madison, studied law under his fatlier, and was admitted to the bar in 1867. He was private and military .secretary to Gov. Lucius Fairchild; assistant attorney-general of W- i.sconsin, 1867-70; removed to Hudson, Wis., and practi-sed law, 1870-84, serving as general solicitor for the Chicago and Northwestern railway company. He was married to Annie Main, of Madison, Wis. He was a member of the state legislature

from St. Croix county in 1872, and was elected U.S. senator, as a Republican, serving, leS8.')-91, being defeated in 1891 for re-election by William F. Vilas, Democrat. He was chairman of the Wisconsin delegation to the Republican national conventions of 1888 and 1892; was unanimously nominated as the Republican candidate for gover- nor of Wisconsin in 1892, but was defeated, and removed from Hudson to ^ladison in 1893, where he was actively engaged in the practice of law. He was re-elected U.S. senator in 1897 and again iu 1903, the term to expire March 3, 1909. He received the honorary degree of Ph.B. from Wisconsin university in 1864, and was regent of the university, 1882-85. He was offered the sec- retaryship of the interior in President McKinley's cabinet in December, 1898, which he declined, as he did a position on the Joint High Commission the same year. On Jan. 3. 1901, when President McKinley was making up his cabinet for his second term. Senator Spooner declined the posi- tion of attorney-general.

SPOTSWOOD, Alexander, governor of Vir- ginia, was born iu Tangier. Africa, in 1676. He became a soldier early in life, and served under the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim, attaining the rank of quartermaster-general in the British army. He was appointed governor of Virginia in 1710; and became extremely popular, intro- ducing constitutional reforms and receiving the co-operation of the general assemblj-. He was instrumental in the restoration of William and Mary college; and established a school for the education of Indian children. In 1716 he formed the first exploration partj- to venture iiito the Appalachian mountains. This party consisted of his personal friends, Indian guides and servants, each gentleman wearing a small golden horse- shoe, and being afterwards called the '• Knights of the golden horseshoe." He named Mounts George and Spotswood and took possession of the Valley of the Virginia in the name of King George I. He instituted the order of " Tramon- tane " to encourage further explorations, secured a treaty with the Six Nations in 1772; and in- troduced the i)lan to extend the Virginian settle- ments, to interrupt the means of communication between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. He was removed in 1772 on account of a controver.'jy arising as to his right of appointment of church livings. He was deputy-postmaster-general of the colonies, 1730-39, and postina.ster of Pennsyl- vania. He established the finst iron smelting furnace in Virginia, and uuiintained courtly es- tablishments on the Rapidan and at Yorktown. He was appointed major-general in 1740, and given command of the expedition to the West Indies, but became mortally ill before embark- ing. His Official Letters were published (3 vols.,