Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/95

 RICE

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pendent Neivs Letter, changed the name to the Cleveland Plam Dealer, and edited the paper, 1828-29. He was a Democratic representative from Cuyahoga county in the state legislature, 1830-31 ; agent at Millersburg for the sale of "Western Reserve school lands in the Virginia military district, completing in three years (1833- 36) the sale of 50,000 acres, and paying nearly $150,000 to the state treasury, as a school fund for the exclusive benefit of the children of the Western Reserve. He was clerk of the court of common pleas at Cleveland, and of the supreme court, 1833- 40 ; the unsuccessful candidate for the 25th and 26th congresses, 1836 and 1838; state senator, 1852-54, and introduced the bill for a new system for the public schools of Ohio, and the establishment of school libraries. He was a member of the city council in 1857, serving as chairman of the committee that establislied the Cleveland Industrial school, and the same year projected the Perry monument for the public park. In 1862 he was a commissioner to conduct the first draft made in the country. In 1807 lie erected, at his own expense, a monu- ment at Mission park, Williamstovvn, Mass., com- memorative of the origination by Samuel J. Mills in 1806 of the American Board of Foreign Mis- sions ; and on July 22, 1898, the citizens of Cleve- land unveiled a bronze statue to the memory of Dr. Rice as the " Father of the Ohio School System." The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Williams college in 1871. He was i)resi- dent of the Early Settlers' association of Cuya- hoga county at the time of his death. He is the author of : Mount Vernon and Other Poems (1858); Nature and Culture (1875); Pioneers of the Western Reserve (1S82): Select Poems (1885), and Sketches of Westetm Life (1888). He died in Cleveland, Ohio, Nov. 7. 1891.

RICE, Henry Mower, senator, was born in Waitsfield, Vt., Nov. 29, 1816; son of Edmund and Ellen (Durkee) Rice ; grandson of Jedediah and Jemima (Hastings) Rice and of Sylvanus and Jemima (Willard) Hastings, and a descendant of Edmund Rice, born in Berkhampstead. Hertford- shire, England, 1594, settled at Sudbury. Mass., 1639 ; and died at Marlboro. 1663. Henry M. Rice removed to Michigan in 1835, and was employed on the survey of tlie Kalamazoo and Grand rivers, and of the Sault Sainte Marie canal in 1837. In

1839 he went to Fort Snelling, Iowa Territory, and was employed as post-sutler at Fort Atkin- son, 1840-42. He became agent among the Win- nebago Indians for P. Chouteau, Jr., & Company, of St. Louis, in 1843, and besides establishing trad- ing posts from Lake Superior to the Red River of the North, procured the removal of the Chippewas from Lake Superior to the Mississippi. He re- moved to Upper Town, Minn., and continued fur- trading. He married, March 29, 1849. Matilda, daugliter of Gilbert and Rachel (Newbold)Whitall, of Richmond, Va. He succeeded Henry H. Sibley as a delegate in the 33d congress in 1853, and was re-elected in 1854 to the 34tli congress, serving from Dec. 5, 1853, to March 3, \-i:,7. During his first term he secured the passage of an act authoi'iz- ing the people of Minnesota to form a state con- stitution. He was elected with James Shields, the first U.S. senator from the state of Minnesota, and drew the long term, serving from May 12, 1858, to March 8, 1863. During his senatorial term he secured to the state an extensive grant of lands which formed the basis of the railroad system of Minnesota. He was treasurer of Ram- say co.unty in 1878 ; was the founder of Bayfield, Wis., and of Munising, Mich., and presented a tract of land (Rice Park) to the city of St. Paul. He died in San Antonio. Texas, Jan. 15, 1894.

RICE, James Clay, soldier, was born in Worth- ington, Mass., Dec. 27, 1829. He was graduated at Yale, A.B., 1854, A.M., 1857; engaged in teach- ing in Natchez, Miss., 1854-55; was admitted to the Mississippi bar in 1855 ; prepared for admis- sion to the New York bar in the office of Thomas Sedgwick in New York city in 1856, and in which city he practised, 1857-61. He enlisted as a private in the 39th New York volunteers (Garibaldi Guards) and was promoted lieutenant and captain, serving in the reserve division in the first battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861. On the organization of the 44th New York volunteers he became its lieutenant-colonel, and subsequently colonel. In the seven days' battles before Richmond, under McClellan. in the second battle of Bull Run. Aug. 16-Sept. 2, 1862, and at Chancellorsville, lie commanded his regiment in the 3d brigade, 1st division, 5th Army corps. He succeeded Col. Strong Vincent in the command of 3d brigade, 1st division. 5th Array corps, at Gettysburg, where on the second day he performed an im- portant service, by holding the extreme left ui the line against repeated attacks in the defence of Round Top against a flank movement. For his services at the battle of Gettysburg he was pro- moted brigadier-general of volunteers, Aug. 17, 1863. He served in the advance on Mine Run in November, 1863, and in the Wilderness cam])aign. May, 1864. He was killed in AVarren's assault at Spottsylvania. Va., May 11, 1864.