Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/24

 STEPHENSON

STERNBERtjr

niatic editor of the Press, 1887-93, and also did general newspaper work. He was married. Nov, 6, 1889, tu Maud, daugliter of Cliarles and Annie (Cleland) Helfenstein of Brooklyn, N.Y.; was a theatrical agent in New York city and on the road, 1893, and subsequently, in 1899, went to England, where, after traveling about Europe, he was residing in 1903. His plays include: On the Botcery, The White Rat, An Enemy to the King and The Ragged Regiment, produced in 1S94, 1895. 1896 and 1898, respectively. He is author of the novels: An Enemy to the King (1897); The Continental Dragoon (1898); The Road to Paris (1898); A Gentleman Player (1899); Philip Wimi-ood (\900): Captain Raven- shaic (1901), and The Mystery of Murray Daven- port (1903).

STEPHENSON, James, representative, was born at Gettysburg. Pa..:March 20, 17G4. He removed at an early age to Martinsburg, Va.; served with General St. Clair in his Indian ex- pedition, as captain of the volunteer riflemen; was present at the quelling of the whisky insur- rection in western Pennsylvania, under General Lee. in October. 1794, and was subsequently pro- moted brigade-inspector. He was a member of the state legislature for several years, and was a Federalist representative from Virginia in the 8th, 11th, and 17th congresses, serving, 1803-05, 1809-11, and Dec. 2, 1822, to March 3, 1825, being elected to the 17th congress in place of Thomas Van Swearingen, deceased. He was re-elected to the 18th congress, serving, 1823-25. He died at Martinsburg. Va., Aug. 7, 1833.

STEPHENSON, John, manufacturer, was born in county Armagh, Ireland, July 4, 1809, of Scotch-Irish parentage. In 1811 his parents immi- grated to New York city, where he was educated in the Wesleyan seminary. Allowed to follow his mechanical turn of mind he was apprenticed to Andrew Wade, a coachmaker. He equipped a workshop at home, where he utilized his leisure in constructing ingenious wagons and sleighs, and through the suggestion of Abrani Brower, the pioneer of the Broadwaj- omnibus lines, then known as "accommodation vehicles," began business on his own account in May, 1831, design- ing the first "omnibus," so called, in New York city. His shop was destroyed by fire in March, 1832, but he was soon re-established at 264 Eliza- beth street, where he constructed the first street car for the newly chartered New York and Har- lem railroad. The car, for which he received a patent signed by President Andrew Jackson and by memV)er9 of his cabinet, and which was named " John Mason," in honor of the president of the road, made its first trip, Nov. 26, 1832. Mr. Stephenson was engaged in building cars for the street railway lines of Paterson, N.J.. Brooklvn

and Jam.aica, N.Y., Mantanzas, Cuba, and Flor- ida, 1832-35. He was married, Jan. 9, 1833, to Julia A., daughter of Anthony and Mary (Newell) Tieinan of New York city. His sons, Stuart A. (in 1869) and Joseph B. (about 1877) became ac- tively interested in the John Stephenson com- pany. In 1843, having met meanwhile with se- rious financial reverses, he established a large factor}', furnishing street-cars for other coun- tries as well as for America, and acquiring a large fortune. He was a performing member of New York Sacred Music society; a member of the Harmonic society, and was a school trustee for the city of New York. He died at his sum- mer home in New Rochelle, N.Y., July 31, 1893. STERNBERG, George Miller, surgeon-gen- eral, was born at Hartwick seminary, Otsego county, N.Y., June 8, 1838; son of the Rev. Dr. Levi and Margaret Laverny (Miller) Sternberg; grandson of John and Anna (Schafer) Sternberg and of the Rev. Dr. George B. (principal of Hartwick seminary, 1832-43) and Delia Bray (Snyder) Miller, and a descendant of Nicholas Sternberg, a member of the committee of safety of Schoharie county, N.Y., during the Revolu- tionary war. His father was principal of Hart- wick seminary, 1851-64, and first introduced co- education in that institution. George Miller Sternberg was graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York city, M.D., 1860; appointed assistant surgeon, U.S. army. May 28, 1861, and assigned to the Army of the Potomac, Gen. George Sykes; was taken pris- oner at the first battle of Bull Run, but soon effected his escape; served on hospital duty in Rhode Island, August to November, 1861; as as- sistant to the medical director in the expedition to New Orleans under Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks (q.v.) in 1862; was assistant medical director, department of the Gulf, August, 1862, to January, 1864, and was on duty in charge of the U.S. General hospital at Cleveland, Ohio, until April, 1866. He was married in 1866, to Maria Louisa, daughter of Robert Russell of Cooperstown, N.Y., who died of cholera at Fort Harker, Kansas, in 1867; and secondly in 1869, to Martha L., daughter of Thomas Thurston Nelson Pattison of Indian- apolis. He was commissionetl captain and as- sistant surgeon, May 28, 1866; served at Fort Harker, Kan., during the cholera epidemic of 1867, and at Fort Barrancas, Fla., during the yellow fever epidemics of 1873 and 1875, and was attending surgeon at headquarters, department of the Columbia, May to September, 1876. He was promoted major and surgeon, Dec. 1, 1876; brevetted lieutenant-colonol " for gallant service in the performance of his professional duty under fire in the action against the Indians at Clear- water, Idaho," July 12, 1877, and was post sur-