Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/162

 THOMPSON

THOMPSON

by the house. anJ served as cliainnan of the com- mittee on military affairs. In 1841 he retired from public life, but in 002 was appointed U.S. minister to Mexico by President Tyler. He subsequently became an extensive cotton '/^ ^^ planter in Madison,

jO-J^F Florida, and was ai>-

poiuted solicitor-gen- "/^ eral of a Florida cir-

cuit in November, 1868. He was twice married, first to Em- mala, daughter of / I ' Gen. William Butler;

and secondly to Cor-

J / ^ol. David Jones

of Wilmington, N.C. She was burned to death in the great conflagra- tion at Jacksonville, Fla., May 3, 1901. He is the author of Recollections of Mexico (1846). He died in Tallahassee, Fla., Nov. 23, 1868.

THOMPSON, William, soldier, was born in Ireland, about 1T".2j; immigrated to America, and settled in Carlisle, Pa. He was captain of a troop of cavalry during the French war in Canada, and later made his home at Pittsburgh, Pa., being one of the purchasers of old Fort Pitt, when it was abandoned by the Britisli. After the battle of Concord in 1775. at the call of the Continental congress for troops, Pennsylvania raised eight companies of riflemen and made Thompson colonel of the regiment. He served under Wash- ington at the siege of Boston, skirmishing at Leohmere Point; was commissioned brig- adier-general in the Continental service, March 1.

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177G, uiid iu the

same month re-

lieved General

Cliarles Lee in

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New York; but on April 22. was

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ordered by Wasli-

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ington, who ar-

~iw yo«n /Ml VT

rived April 13, to

march with four

battalions to reinforce Gen. John Thomas (q.v.) in Canada. He went to Albany by water. and marching thence overland to Canada, mot Thomas while making his skilful retreat from

Quebec. On the death of Thomas, June 2, 1776, the command of the army fell to Thompson, who, on June 5, despatched Colonel St. Clair (q.v.), at the latter's suggestion, to surprise and capture the British post at Three Rivers. Gen. John Sullivan (q.v.), who had left New York tliree days later tiian Thompson, arrivedin camp, with six battalions on June 6, assumed command, and sent Thompson to Nicolet to assist St. Clair. The attempt was unsuccessful, and Thompson was captured. He was paroled in August, 1776, and returned to Pennsylvania, but was not exchanged until 1778, and took no further active part in the war. He died at Car- lisle, Pa.. Sept. 4, 1781.

THOMPSON, WiUiam, educator, was born in Goshen, Conn., Feb. 18, 1806; son of Augustus and Kezia (Hopkins) Thompson; grandson of James and Ruth (Benton) Thompson, and of Ehud and Chloe(King) Hopkins; great-grandson of Gideon Thompson, who removed, about 1740, from New Haven to Goshen, Conn., which town he repeat- edly represented in the general assembly, and died in Hartford, Conn., in 1759; and a descend- ant of Anthony Thompson, who came from England to Boston, June 26, 1637, and became one of the first settlers of New Haven colony; and of John Hopkins, Cambridge, Mass., 1633. William Thompson studied under the Rev. Dr. Joseph Harvey; was graduated from Union col- lege, A.B., 1826; served as principal of Amherst academy, 1827-29, and was graduated from An- dover Theological seminary in 1832, remaining as a post-graduate student for one year. He was pastor of the Congregational church in Bridge- water (Brockton), Mass., 1833-34; was married, Sept. 25, 1834, to Eliza Wells, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Simpkins) Butler of Northampton, Mass., and was associated with the Theological Institute of Connecticut as Nettlcton professor of the Hebrew language and literature, 1834-81, and as head of the institution, 1858-88. During his administration as president, the Institute was moved from East Windsor to Hartford, Conn., and through his ceaseless and fruitful efforts to secure its prosperity. Dr. Thompson won the title of " father of the Institution." He received the lionorary degree of D.D. from Union in 1848, and was a corporate member of the Amer- ican Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. He died in Hartford, Conn., Feb. 27, 1889.

THOMPSON, William, educator, was l)orn in Edinburgh, Scotland, Sept. 10, 1821. He immi- grated with liis parents to the United States in 1836, settling near Washington. D.C. He was prepared for college in Washington; was grad- uated from the University of Edinburgh, 1845; w.as admitted to the bar, and began practice in Illinois, subsequently abandoning the profession