Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/214

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TRUXTUN

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twice re-elected, his last term of service expirinj; March 3. 1873. "While in the senate he was cliairman fur twelve years of the judiciary com- mittees before and during the war and in the reconstruction period, acting with the Republican party; was the author of the civil rights bill; framed the 13th and 14th amendments to the constitution, and voted against the im- peachment of Presi- dent Johnson, which last course cost him re-election to the senate. He estab- lished a law prac- tice in Chicago; was a candidate for the nom- ination for President before the Republican na- tional convention at Cliicago, in 1860, and sup- ported Abraliam Lincoln's administration. In 1872 he supported Horace Greeley for President, and afterward acted with the Democratic party, being the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for governor of Illinois in 1880. He was twice mar- ried: first, in 1843, to Julia Maria, daughter of Dr. Gershom and Sybil (Slater) Jayne of Spring- field, 111. She died in Washington, D.C., in 1868, and he was married, secondly, in 1877, to Mary, daughter of John Dickinson and Almira (Mather) Ingraham of Saybrook, Conn. He died in Cliicago. 111., June '^•"i. 1896.

TRUXTUN, Thomas, naval officer, was born at Jamaica. L.I., N.Y., Feb. 17, 1755. His father died when he was very young, and his guardian, John Troup, allowed him to go to sea when only twelve years old. He served on a trading-vessel, on a British man-of-war, and again on a trading- vessel, rising to the position of captain in the merchant marine in 1775. In that year he was seized, while transporting powder to the colonies, and his vessel and cargo were condemned. He reached Philadelphia as the first private ships of war were being fitted out, and was commis- sioned lieutenant of the Congress. His ship hailed to the West Indies, and off Havannah cap- tured several valuable Jamaica ships, one of which Lieutenant Truxtun took to New Bedford, Mass. In June. 1777, he took command of the Independence, which he had helped to fit out in New York harbor. Admiral Howe's fleet blocked the Narrows, and Truxtun navigated the Phila- delphia through Hell Gate and Long Island sound, sailing to the Azores, where he took sev- eral prizes, and cayitured three valuable ships of the Windward Island convov. He returned to

the colonies, fitted out the Mars, and sailed to the English channel, capturing some prizes. He next engaged in fitting out privateers from Phila- delphia, and gave great assistance to the Ameri- can cause by bringing supplies to the army. He carried Consul-General Thomas Barclay to France in the St. James, and on the way met and whipped a British privateer carrying twice as many men as he had. On his return, he brought to the colonies the most valuable cargo received at any American port during the war. One of the significant features of his service is that it was all outside the general naval establishment, and when war was over, he continued his inter- rupted commerce, trading with Europe, China and East Indies. Captain Truxtun was one of the six captains appointed by Washington, in 1794. upon the reorganization of the naval estab- lishment, and to hiiii was entrusted the super- intending of the building of the frigate Constel- lation. He guarded the interests of American commerce in the West Indies, and on Feb. 9, 1799, after a long chase, he overtook and cap- tured the French frigate Insurgent. European naval authorities warmly commended the gal- lantry of Captain Truxtun, who received a<l- dresses from all quarters, the merchants of Lloyd's Coffee House presenting him with a pres- ent of plate valued at 600 guineas, bearing an en- graving of the action between the frigates Con- stellation and Insurgent. The Constellation put to sea again in a short time, and aided in clearing the sea of privateers and buccaneers. In Jan- uary, 1800, learning that the French frigate Ven- geance, a vessel in every way superior to the Con- stellation, was at Guadaloupe. Truxtun boldly set out to engage her, and on Feb. 1, after a chase of twelve hours, he overhauled the Frenchman, and after an engagement lasting four hours, the enemy struck her colors after midnight, but Truxtun's mainmast going by the board at this time, the French vessel was allowed to escape. Congress voted Truxtun a gold medal, and passed complimentary resolu- tions. Captain Truxtun was transferred to the President, promoted commodore and put in command of the West Indian squadron, and in 1802 was designated for the command of the ex- pedition against Tripoli. In his preparations, lie asked for a captain for his flagship, and Jefferson, fearing that this tended toward an aristocratic establishment in the navy, accepted a resignation that had not been offered, and dropped Truxtun's name from the navy list. Commodore Truxtun retired to his farm in New