Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/413

 ^YHITFIELD

WHITING

Baltimore cathedral and Episcopal mansion. He convened the first and second provincial councils at Baltnnore in 1829 and 1833. He received the degree of D.D. in 1825 by special dispensation from Rome. He died in Baltimore, Oct. 19, 1834.

WHITFIELD, Robert Parr, geologist, was born in New Hartford, Oneida county, N.Y., May 27, "1828 ; son of William Fenton and Margaret (Parr) Whitfield; grandson of Robert Whitfield, and of Thomas Parr, He attended the public schools, and in 1835 went to England with his parents, but returned in 1841. He was married, July 28, 1847, to Mary, daughter of William and Elizabeth Henry of Manchester, England. He entered the employ of Samuel Chubbuck, an instrument maker in Utica, in 1848, and was manager of the factory, 1849-56. He spent his leisure time in the study of natural history and geology, and in 1856 obtained the appointment of assistant to James Hall, state geologist of New York. In 1870 he was appointed first assistant curator in the New York state museum at Albany ; was a teacher of geology and palaeonto- logy at Rensselaer Polytechnic institute, 1873-75, and professor of the same, 1875-78. In 1877 he was appointed curator of the geological department of the American Museum of Natural History, New York city. He received the honorary degree of A.M. from Wesleyan university in 1882. He was a member and fellow of the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science ; and a fellow of the Geological Society of America, He is the author of reports and descriptions of speci- mens of fossils from the geological surveys of Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, New Jersey and other states, and papers in the Bulletins of the Ameri- can Museum of Natural History, from 1881,

WHITING, Henry, soldier, was born in Lancaster, Mass., about 1790; son of Col. John Whiting (1759-1810) of the patriot army. In 1808 he joined the U,S. army as cornet of light dragoons ; was aide-de-ca^np to Gen. John P. Boyd, with the rank of lieutenant ; took a dis- tinguished part in the capture of Fort George, Canada, May 27, 1813, and was aide to Gen. Alexander Macombs in 1815. He was promoted captain in 1817 ; transferred to the 1st artillery in 1821 ; served in the quartermaster's department, 1835-46 ; and was chief-quartermaster of General Taylor's army of occupation in the war with Mexico, being brevetted brigadier-general, U.S.A., Feb, 23, 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct at the battle of Buena Vista. He was a regent of the University of Michigan, 1848-51. He is the author of : Ontioay, the Son of the Forest (1822) ; Sannillac ; a Poem (1831) ; co-author of Historical and Scientific Sketches of Michigan (1884), and editor of George AVashington's "Rev- olutionary orders selected from the MSS. of

John Wliiting" (1844), He died in St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 16, 1851.

WHITING, Williani Danforth, naval officer, was born in Boston. Mass., May 27, 1823 ; son of Gen. Henry Wliiting. He was appointed a mid- shipman, U.S.N., March 1, 1841 ; advanced to passed midshipman, Aug. 10, 1847, and served on the U.S.S, Levant at Monterey, Cal., July 7, 1846. He was a cadet at the U,S. Naval academy, 1847-48 ; on duty at the Naval observatory, Washington, D.C, in 1853, and on coast survey duty, 1854-57. He was commissioned master. May 1, 1855 ; promoted lieutenant, Sept. 14, 1885, and served on the frigate Niagara at the laying of the Atlantic cable, in 1857. He was ex- ecutive officer of the Vandalia at the capture of Port Royal, S.C, in 1861 ; was promoted lieu- tenant, commander, July 16, 1862 ; commanded the Wyandotte, South Atlantic squadron and Potomac flotilla, 1862 ; the Ottawa in the attack on Mor- ris Island, S.C, and the bombardment of Fort Wagner and Battery Gregg in 1863, and the Savannah, Eastern Gulf blockading squadron, 1864. On July 25, 1866, he was promoted com- mander ; commanded the steamer Tioga on the coast of Maine and in the Gulf ; was at the New York navy yard, 1867-69 and 1871-72 ; com- manded the double-turret ironclad Miantonomah in 1870; was promoted captain. Aug. 19, 1872, and commanded the flagship Worcester, of the North Atlantic squadron, 1872-75, taking Ameri- can contributions to the French sufferers, of the Franco-Prussian war. He was chief of the bureau of navigation, 1878-81, and was retired Oct, 12, 1881, by special act of congress, with the rank of commodore, because of total blindness, resulting from exposures in the service. He died in New York city, March 19, 1894.

WHITING, William Henry, naval officer, was born in New York city, July 8, 1843, son of William Henry and Marj^ Jane (Christian) AVhitiug. He was appointed to the U.S, navy from Wisconsin, Sept, 21, 1860; was a cadet at the Naval Academy, 1860-63; ensign, 1863-66; and served during the civil war on the flagship Hartford, West Gulf squadron, 1863-65, receiving honorable mention from Admiral Farragut for gallant conduct in burning the blockade runner Ivanhoe under the guns of Fort Morgan. July 5, 1864, He also served in the battle of Mobile Bay, and hauled down the Confederate flag from Fort Gaines. He took part in the bombardment of Fort Morgan that led to its surrender, Aug. 24, 1864 ; was commissioned master Nov, 10, 1866 ; lieutenant, Feb, 21, 1867 ; lieutenant-commander, March 12, 1868 ; commander. July, 1882, and cap- tain, June 19, 1897. In 1898 he commanded the monitor Monadnock on the voyage from Sap Franscisco to Manila, and commanded the Char-