Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/486

 STAPLES

STARK

eleventh and twelfth census to collect statistics of cotton manufactures, and prepared a report on the cotton manufactures of the United States, and for the twelfth census a report on the textile manufactures in general. He was elected an overseer of Bowdoin college in ISSG, which in- stitution conferred the honorary degree of Litt. D. on him in 1S'J4. He is the author of: History of Pre.-iiilcntial Elcctioiis (1SS4); Histonj of the Class of IStJl of Bowdoin College (1897); History of the Presidency (1898); and American Tariff Controi'ersies iu the Nineteenth Century (1903).

STAPLES, Waller Redd, jurist, was born in Patrick court-liouse, Va., Feb. 24, 1826. He was grailuated at William and ]Mary college in 1846; •was admitted to the bar in 1S48; was a represen- tative in the Virginia legislature, 1853-54; was one of the four commissioners sent to represent Virginia in the Provisional congress of the Con- federate States held at Montgomery, Ala., in 1861, and was a representative from Virginia in the 1st and 2d C.S. congresses, 1862-65. He was a judge of the supreme court of Virginia, 1870-82, and was a presidential elector on the Democratic ticket, 1884. He was one of three commissioners chosen to revise the Virginia statutes, 1884-86. He died in Richmond, Va., Aug. 20, 1897.

STAPLES, William Read, jurist, was born in Providence. R.I.. Oct. 10, 1798; son of Samuel and Rutli (Read) Staples. He was graduated at Brown university, A.B., 1817, A.M., 1820, and was admitted to the bar in 1819. He was associate justice of the Rhode Island supreme court, 1845- 54, and chief -justice, 1854-56. He was one of the founders and was first secretary and librarian of the Rhode Island Historical society, and was secretary and treasurer of the Rhode Island society for the encouragement of domestic in- dustry, 1856-69. He was twice married, first, in 1821, to Rebecca M., daughter of Nicholas and Anna (Marsh) Power, who died, Sept. 14. 1825; and secondly, in October, 1826, to Evilina, daughter of Levi and Susan (Howe) Eaton of Framingham, Mass. He received from Brown the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1862. He edited " Collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society " (Vol. V.) and Gorton's "Simplicity's Defence against Seven-Headed Policy" (1855); and is the author of: Annals of I^ovidence to 1S33 (1843); Docu- mentary History of the Destntction to the Gaspee (1845); Proceedings of the First General Assem- bly of the Incorporation of Providence Plantation in 1G47 (1847); Rhode Island Farm Book (1859); History of the Criminal Laiv of Rhode Island; Rhode Island in the Continental Congress and Report on the Coal Lands in Providence. He died in Providence. R.I., Oct. 19, 1868.

STARK, Benjamin, senator, was born in New Orleans, La., June 26, 1820. He was graduated

at Union school, New London, Conn., in 1835, and engaged in business. He moved to Oregon in 1845, and in 1850 was admitted to the bar. He was one of the founders of the city of Portland, was a representative in the territorial legislature in 1852 and in the state legislature in 1860. He was appointed U.S. senator from Oregon to fill the vacanc}' caused b}' the death of Edward D. Baker, and served from Feb. 27, 1862, until July 17, 1862, when Benjamin F. Harding was elected to complete the term. He was a delegate from Oregon to the Democratic national convention at Chicago in 1864, and from Connecticut to the Democratic national convention, New York, 1868. He died in New London, Conn.. Oct. 10, 1878.

STARK, John, soldier, was born in London- derry, N.H., Aug. 28, 1728; son of Archibald Stark, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, who was an original proprietor of Dunbarton, N.H. John became an excellent hunter and trapper. In 1753 he was taken prisoner by the In- dians, and held cap- tive until ransomed by the Massachusetts colony. He was ap- pointed a lieutenant in Robert Rogers' corps of rangers, and served throughout the campaign around lakes George and Champlain, rising to the rank of captain. On the close of the war he resigned his commission and en- gaged in farming in Manchester, N.H. He was married, Aug. 20, 1759, to Elizabeth, daughter of Capt. Caleb Page, one of the original grantees of Starkstown, now Dunbarton, N.H. When news was brought of the battle of Lexington, he or- ganized a body of one hundred farmers, and at their head he joined the army at Cambridge. He was promoted colonel, organized a regiment of 800 backwoodsmen, and took part in the battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775, where he gave his famous order: " Boys, aim at their waistbands." He assisted in fortifying New York, and later commanded a brigade of General Gates's army in Canada, but rejoined Washington in New Jersey and commanded the van of the right wing at Trenton and Princeton. He resigned his com- mission, owing to some ill feeling as to promo- tions, and retired to his farm, but on receiving news of the capture of Ticonderoga, he led an in- dependent force of New Hampshire troops, and attacked Col. Frederick Baum's army of 500 men at Bennington, Aug. 16, 1777, completely routing

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