Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/271

 VAN VLIET

VAN ZANDT

law in Albany. He served as a regent of the University of the State of New York, 1797-1823, and was a member of the Dutch Reformed churcli. He died in Albany, N.Y., Jan. 6, 1837.

VAN VLIET, Stewart, soldier, was born in Ferrisburg, Vt., July 21, 1815, son of Christian and Rachel Van Vliet. He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy in 1840, ninth in a class of 42 ; commissioned 2d lieutenant, 3d artillery, July 1, 1840; served in the Seminole Indian war, 1840-41 ; was assistant professor of mathematics at the U.S. Military academy in 1841 ; served in the Florida war of 1841-42, and was on garrison duty, 1843-43. He was promoted 1st lieutenant, Nov. 19, 1843 ; served during the war with Mexico in the^ battle of Monterey and in the siege of Vera Cruz, 1846-47 ; was quarter- master of the 3d artillery in 1847 ; promoted captain of staif and assistant-quartermaster, June 4, 1847. and served on frontier duty, 1847- 61. He was married, March 6, 1851, to Sarah Jane, daughter of Maj. Jacob Brown of Fort Lar- amie. On the outbreak of the civil war he was promoted major of staff and assistant-quarter- master, Aug. 3, 1861, for fourteen years' service as captain ; served as cliief-quartermaster of the Army of the Potomac at Washington, D.C., 1861- 62 ; in the Virginia Peninsular campaign in 1862, and at New York city, 1862-67, furnishing sup- plies and transportation to the armies in the field. He was brevetted lieutenant-colonel, colonel and brigadier-general, U.S.A., Oct. 28, 1864 ; promoted brigadier-general, U.S.V., March 13, 1865 ; bre- vetted major-general, U.S.V., March 13, 1865, for faithful and meritorious services during the war, and promoted lieutenant-colonel and deputy- quartermaster general, July 29, 1866. He was mustered ovit of the volunteer service, Sei^t. 1, 1866 ; was chief-quarter-master, Division of the Atlantic, 1873, and Department of he Missouri, 1872-75, and was retired from active service, Jan. 22,1881. He died iii Washington, D.C., March 29, 1901.

VAN WINKLE, Peter Q., senator, was born in New York city, Sept. 7, 1808. He was liber- ally educated ; was admitted to the bar, and be- gan practice in Parkersburg, Va., in 1835, aban- doning his profession in 1852, to become treasurer of a railroad company. He was a member of the Virginia state constitutional convention, 1850 ; of the Wheeling reorganizing convention, 1861 ; a delegate to the convention which framed the constitution of West Virginia ; a representa- tive in the legislature of the latter state until June, 1863, and U.S. senator from West Virginia, serving, 1863-69, and chairman of the committee on pensions. He was a delegate to the Loyalists' convention at Philadelphia, Pa.. 1866. He died at Parkersburg, W. Va., April 15, 1872.

VAN WYCK, Charles Henry, senator, was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., May 10.1824. He was graduated from Rutgers college. New Bruns- wick, N.J., A.B., 1843, A.M., 1846, and admitted to the bar in 1847. He removed to Sullivan county, N.Y.; was district attorney, 1850-56, and a Republican representative in the 36th and 37th congresses, 1859-63. He was appointed colonel of the 56th N.Y. volunteer regiment in 1861, served in the Peninsular campaign and was bre- vetted brigadier-general in 1865 for services dur- ing the war. He was a Repviblican representa- tive in the 40th and 41st congresses, 1867-71 ; re- moved to Nebraska in 1871, and engaged in farm- ing. He was a state senator, 1876-80 ; a delegate to the state constitutional convention, and elected to the U.S. senate from Nebraska to succeed Al- gernon S. Paddock in 1881, being defeated for re- election by Mr. Paddock in 1887. While in the senate he distinguished himself by his persistency . in the attempt to secure the abolishment of se- crecy from the executive sessions. He was the unsuccessful Populist candidate for governor of Nebraska in 1893, and was one of the organizers of the Farmers' Alliance in Nebraska. He died in Washington, D.C., Oct. 34, 1895.

VAN WYCK, Robert Anderson, mayor and jurist, was born in New York city, July 20. 1849 ; son of William and Lydia (Maverick) Van Wyck ; grandson of Abraham and Zeruah E. Van Wyck, and of Samuel and Mary A. (Anderson) Maverick, and a descendant of Cornelius Barents Van Wyck, who emigrated from Wyck, Holland, in 1650, and was married in 1660 to Ann, daughter of the Rev. Johannes Theodorous Polhemusof Flatbush, Kings county, N.Y. Robert left scliool when a boy, and obtained employment in 1862. as an errand boy in New York city. He was giaduated from the Columbia college law school at the head of his class in 1872 ; practised law in New York city, and was chief-justice of the city court, 1889-97. He was elected first mayor of Greater New York by the Democratic party, Nov. 3, 1897, and served till Jan. 1. 1902, when he resumed the practice of law. It was under his executive direction that the borough government of the largest city on the Western continent was or- ganized on broad and liberal lines and saw tlie first four years of its phenomenal growth. He was a founder and president of the Holland so- ciety and a member of the leading historical and social associations of the city.

VAN ZANDT, Charles Collins, governor of Rhode Island, was born in Newport. R.I., Aug. 10, 1830 : son of Edward and Lydia Bradford (Collins) Van Zandt of Brooklyn, N.Y.; grandson of Wynant and Maria (Underbill) Van Zandt of New York and of Lieut.-Gov. Charles Collins of Newport, R.I.; maternal great-grandson of Will-