Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/197

 TOWLE

TOWNSEND

bor improvement, 1866-74, and was promoted colonel of engineers, and retired from tlie army, Jan. 13, 1874. After that, he interested himself in several important engineering undertakings. He was never married. He died in Cohasset, Mass., March 21, 1900.

TOWLE, Qeorge Makepeace, author, was born in Washington, D.C., Aug. 27, 1841; son of Dr. Nathaniel C. and E. M. Towle. He attended the Boston public schools, Lawrence academy, Gro- ton, and Day's academy, Wrentham, Mass., and was graduated fi-om Yale, A.B., 1861, winning the Townseud premium for the best composition, and from Harvard Law school, LL.B., 1863. He practised law in Boston, 1863-65 ; was associate editor of the Boston Post, 1865-66 ; U.S. consul at Nantes. France, 1866-68, and at Bradford, Eng- land, 1868-70. He was married, Sept. 16. 1866, at Paris, France, to Nellie Lane of Boston. He was managing editor of the Boston Commercial Bulle- tin, 1870-71 ; foreign editor of the Boston Post, and contributor of "American Notes" to the London Graphic, 1871-76, and associate editor of the Youth's Companion. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Chicago, 1888 ; a presidential elector, voting for Harrison and Morton in 1889, and a state senator, 1890 and 1891. He made his home in Brookline, Mass., where he served as a trustee of the public library. He edited Harvey's " Reminiscences of Daniel Webster " (1877) ; translated Gaboriau's " Mystery of Orcival" (1874); Jules Verne's " Tour of the World in Eighty Days," " Doctor Ox" and " The Wreck of the Chancellor ; " Viollet Le Due's " Story of a House " (1875-76), and in addition to his lectures, which were very popular, he is the author of : Glimpses of History (1865) ; History of Henry V.,King of England (1866) ; American So- ciety (2 vols., London, 1869); Modern Greece, Romania and Servia, Bulgaria aud Montenegro (a series of brochures, 1877); Heroes of History (6 vols., 1878-82); Life of Disraeli and Modern France, 1S51-79 (1879); Certain Men of Mark (1880): England and Russia in .4s/a(1885); Eng- land in Egypt (1885); Young People's History of England (1886) ; The Nation in a Nutshell (1886); Young Peoples History of Ireland (1887); Heroes and Martyrs of Invention (1890), and had com- pleted two volumes of The Literature of the Eng- lish Language and a part of a third volume at the time of his death, which occurred at Brookline, Mass., Aug. 9. 1893.

TOWNE, Charles Arnette, politician, was born in Oakland county, Mich., Nov. 21, 1858. He attended the district schools ; worked on his father's farm, and by his own efforts earned a collegiate education, being graduated from the University of Michigan, Ph.B., 1881. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1886 ; practised in Michigan,

1886-90, and afterward in Duluth, Minn. He took part in evei-y congressional campaign from 1876, acquiring a local reputation as an orator ; was a Republican representative from the sixth Minnesota district in the 54th congress, 1895-97, where he won the sobriquet of the " boy orator "' by his famous speech on bi-metallism, Feb. 28, 1896 ; left the Republican party because of the gold-standard plank, in 1896 ; was a Fusion candi- date for the U.S. senate, 1899 ; declined the nomi- nation for Vice-President by the People's national convention in 1900, and by the Silver Republican national convention of the same year, and was appointed by Governor Ladd, Dec. 5, 1900, U.S. senator to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Cushman K. Davis, serving from 1900 until Jan. 28, 1901, when he was succeeded by Moses Edwin Clapp. Mr. Towne was practising law in Du- luth, Minn., in 1903.

TOWNS, Qeorge Washington (Bonaparte), governor of Georgia, was born in Wilkes county, Ga., May 4, 1801 ; son of John Towns, a Revolu- tionary soldier, who fought at the battles of Cow- pens and Eutaw Springs. He was brought up on a farm, devoting his leisure to study, and in 1822 began merchandizing in Alabama, but gave it up for the study of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1824, and in connection with his law practice in Montgomery, was probably employed in edit- ing a public journal. He returned to Georgia in 1826, settling in Talboton ; was a representative in the state legislature, 1829-30 ; a state senator, 1832-34 ; was elected a Union Democratic repre- sentative from Georgia to the 24th congress, serving from Dec. 7, 1835, to Sept. 1, 1836, when he resigned, aud was succeeded by Julius C. Alford ; re-elected to the 25th congress, serving, 1837-39, and to the 29th congress, to fill the unex- pired term of Washington Poe, resigned, serving from Jan. 27, 1846, to March 3, 1847. He was de- feated for re-election to the 30th congress bj- John W. Jones, and served as governor of Georgia, 1847-51, issuing a proclamation, Sept. 23, 1850. which called for a state convention the following December. After retiring from the office of governor, he resumed the practice of law. He was twice married ; secondly to a daughter of John W. Jones, a native of Virginia. He died in Macon, Ga.. July 15, 1854.

TOWNSEND, Edward Davis, soldier, wa.s born in Boston, Mass.. Aug. 22, 1817. He was gradu- ated from the U.S. Military academy in 1837. and commissioned 2d lieutenant, 2d artillery ; served in the Seminole Indian war, 1837-38 ; was pro- moted 1st lieutenant, Sept. 16. 1838 ; was engaged in removing the Cherokee Indians to the west of the Mississippi, and was adjutant of the 2d artil- lery at the regimental headquarters, 1838-46. He was brevetted captain of staff, and became assist-