Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/268

 VAN RENSSELAER

VAN RENSSELAER

charpre of St. Paul's. Wliitehall. He was rector of Grace cliurch. Albany, 1845-47 ; St. Jolm"s, Mount Morris. 1847-53 ; of St. Paul's. Oxford. lS.W-54 ; aiul St. Paul's. Rochester, 1854-59. He was president of DeVeaux college, N.Y., 1859-C9 ; professor of ethics at Hobart college. 1870-7*.2, and its president, 1872-76 ; rector of Emmanuel church, Gen- eva, Switzerland, 1877-78. He received from Hobart the honorary degrees, A.M., 1850, and D.D., 1859, and from Union that of LL.D., 1874. He was a member of the New York Historical society ; the Society of the Sons of the Revolution : the Society of Colonial Wars ; the St. Nicholas society ; the Holland society, and warden of the Sisters of the Annunciation. B.V.M., New York. 1893-1900. He was chaplain of the House of the Holy Com- forter in New York city, 1886, and is tlie author of: Sister Louise: the Stor-y of her Life Work (1S83) : and Annals of the Va7i Rensselaei-s in tJie United States. He died at Lakewood, N.J., Feb. 17, 1900.

VAN RENSSELAER, Solomon, soldier, was born in Rensselaer county. N.Y., Aug. 6, 1774 ; son of Henry Kiliaen Van Rensselaer. His father (1774-1816) commanded a New York regiment during the Revolution, becoming a general of militia. Solomon entered the U.S. army as a cornet of cavalry, March 14, 1792, and was pro- moted captain of a volunteer company in the Miami campaign, serving under Gen. Anthony "Wayne at the battle of Maumee Rapids, August, 1794. He W.1S married in 1797. to Harriet, daugh- ter of Col. Philip Van Rensselaer. In 1812 he joined Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer in northern New York, and was appointed adjutant-general of state militia. He negotiated the agreement whereby Lake Ontario was granted by England as a public highway during the war. He com- manded the attacking party at the assault of Queenston Heights, Ontario, Oct. 13, 1812, and led the advance in person. He was several times wounded, and receiving no support from General Van Rensselaer, was taken prisoner. He was a Federalist representative in the 16th and 17th con- gresses, 1819-23; postmaster at Albany, N.Y., 1823-39, and was a delegate from the state of New York, at the opening of the Erie canal, Nov. 4. 1825. He is the author of a Narrative of the Affair at Qneniston (1836), and "A Legacy of Historical Gleanings" was Nvritten by his daugh- ter, Mrs. Catharine Van Rensselaer Bonney, in 187.5. Hediod in Alb.-iny. N.Y.. April 23. 1852.

VAN RENSSELAER, Stephen, soldier, was born in New York ritv. Nov. 1, 1765; son of

Stephen and Catharine (Livingston) Van Rens- .selaer ; grandson of Philip and Maria (Sanders) Livingston ; great-grandson of Kiliaen and Areoantie (Schuyler) Van Rensselaer: great-- grandson of Jeremias, the immigrant, and Maria (Van Cortlandt) Van Rensselaer, and great'- grandson of Kiliaen, the first patroon. He was a student at the College of New Jerse.v, and was graduated from Harvard in 1782, returning to the new manor house which his father had built in 1765. His lands had become greatly depre- ciated by the Revolutionary war, but he devoted himself to the improvement of the vast tract re- maining, offering to farmers the inducement of low rentals, in order to increase his tenantage. He was a Federal member of the state assembl}-, 1789-91 ; 1798, and 1809-10 ; state senator, 1791-96, and was elected lieutenant-governor of New York in 1795. He was appointed major in the state militia in 1786; colonel in 1788. and major-general in 1801, and was a commissioner to report to the state assembly on the advisability of establishing a canal between the Hudson river and the great lakes. At the outbreak of tlie war of 1812, he was given command of the U.S. forces on the northern frontier ; mustered a force of militia, numbering 6.000 men, near Lewiston, and on Oct. 13, 1812, detailed 1000 men under Lieut. Col. Solomon Van Rensselaer (q.v.) and Lieut. Col. John Clirystie, to attack Queenston Heiglits, Ontario, preparatory to a further invasion of Canada. Colonel Van Rensselaer was wounded early in the engagement, andCapt. John E. Wool assumed command and captured the heights. On October 14, British reinforcements arrived, and when General Van Rensselaer attempted to move his remaining force across the river to relieve Captain Wool, the men refused to cross, and Wool, overpowered by numbers, was compelled to surrender; the American loss being 190 in killed and wounded, and 900 prisoners, against a British loss of 130 in killed, wounded and missing. General Van Rensselaer was severely critici-sed for his tardiness in making the attack, and re- signed his commission in the armj', Oct. 24. 1814. He was again appointed a member of the canal commission, and subsequently made chairman, and when the Erie and Champlain canals were completed in 1825, he was chosen their president, serving till 1839. He was re-elected to the .state assembly in 1818 ; was a member of the .state con- stitutional convention of 1821 ; elected a repre- sentative in the 18th congress in 1823, to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Solomon Van Rensselaer, and re-elected to the 19th and 20th congresses, serving, 1823-29. He was a regent of the University of New York, 1819-39, and chancellor at the time of his death ; was pres- ident of the State Agricultural societv in 1820,