Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/301

 WAITE

WALCOT

judge of the supreme court of errors of Connecti- cut, 1834-54, and chief-justice of the state, 1854- 57. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by Yale in 1855. He was married, in 1816, to Maria, daughter of Col. Richard Selden of Lyme, Conn., and granddaughter of Col. Samuel Selden. Their son, Morrison Remick Waite (q.v.) became chief-justice of tbe United States. Judge Waite died in Lyme, Conn., Dec. 14, 1869. WAITE, Morrison Remick, jurist, was born in Lyme. Conn., Nov. 29, 1816; son of Chief- Justice Henry Matson (q.v.) and Maria (Selden) "Waite, and grandson of Col. Richard Selden. He was graduated from Yale college, A.B., 1837, A.M., 1840 ; studied law in his father's of- fice and with Samuel M. Y'oung of Maumee City, Ohio, with whom he went into partnership after his admission to the bar in 1839. He was married, Sept. 21, 1840, to Amelia C. Warner of Lyme, Conn. In 1850 he removed to Toledo, Ohio, where he was joined in 1852 by his partner, the firm of Y'oung & Waite continuing until he established a partnership with his youngest brother Richard. He was elected a AVhig representative to the Ohio legislature, 1849, and defeated as a Re- publican candidate for the 38tli congress in 1862. He subsequently declined an appointment on the supreme bench of Ohio, and with Caleb Cushing and William M. Evarts, acted as counsel for the United States in the arbitration at Geneva, Switzerland, 1872-73,- submitting an argument on t!ie question of the liability of Great Britain for permitting the Anglo-Confederate steamer to take supplies of coal in her ports, the argument being subsequently published. He was admitted to practice in the U.S. supreme court in January, 1873 ; was a delegate from Lucas county, by nom- ination of both parties, to the state constitutional convention in May, 1873, being chosen president of that body, and in January, 1874, was nomi- nated by President Grant and unanimously elected by the senate, chief-justice of the United States supreme court, succeeding Chief-Justice S. P. Chase, and serving until his death. In 1876 he refused the urgent demands of his friends to be- come the Republican candidate for the Presi- dency. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Yale, 1872 ; fromKenyon, 1874 ; Ohio State university, 1879, and Columbia, 1887. He

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was a trustee of the Peabody Education fund, 1874-88, serving on the standing committee of southern education and on the special committee of three appointed to request aid from congress, and was a fellow of Yale, 1882-88. He died in Washington, D.C., March 23, 1888.

WAITIE, Stand, soldier, was born in Georgia, near the present site of Rome, about 1795 ; a full blooded Cherokee Indian. He was sent to school about 1810 at Cornwall, Conn., with his brother, Kille-kee-nah (Elias Boudinot), his cousin, Major Ridge and his nephew, John Ridge, and on return- ing to the Cherokee nation in Georgia, the four boys resumed their tribal relations. In 1835, hav- ing favored the exchange of their Georgia lands for lands in the Indian Territory, they influenced the removal of the tribe, their position giving rise to the enmity of John Ross, the principal chief of the Cherokees, and resulting in the division of the nation into Northern and Southern, followed by one of the bitterest feuds known in Indian history. In June, 1839, Boudinot, Major Ridge and John Ridge were murdered by the Ross party and Stand Waitie was left the sole survivor and leader of the Southern Cherokees. He subse- quently met five of the Ross party, and, armed only with a Bowie knife, he killed three of his assailants and mortally wounded the other tw( >. His trial, where he was defended by Alfred W. Arrington and Wilbur D. Reagan, with the s<>ii of his nephew. Col. Elias V. Boudinot (q.v.) as junior counsel, resulted in his acquittal with the subsequent approval of the verdict by the counsel for the government. In 1861 he raised a regi- ment of Indians for McCuUoch's division in the Confederate service and was elected colonel of the 1st Cherokee infantry in October, 1861, and on May 10, 1864, was promoted brigadier-general in the Confederate States army. At Elk Horn Tavern, March 7, 1862, where he fought under Gen. Albert Pike, the Indians were charged with scalping the Federal dead on the field, but only one instance was produced, and General Pike issued an order against that method of warfare. Colonel Waitie joined the force of Van Dorn at night, and the next day retired to Benton ville and subsequently confined the services of his brigade to the Indian Territory. He died at Tahlequah, Indian Territory, in August, 1877.

WALCOT, Charles Meiton, actor and play- wright, was born in London, England, Sept. 20. 1815 ; sou of Thomas B. 3Ielton. He attended Eton college, 1832-37, and subsequently studied architecture, which he abandoned to become an actor, immigrating to the United States in 1839. in which year he made his debut in the role of Steady in "The Quaker" at Charleston. S.C, reversing his family name of Charles Walcot Melton. His success as a comedian was almost