Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/438

 WILLIAMS

WILLIAMS

Iiiin hy Allegliany college in 1S63. He died in M-.rgaMt.'un. W.Va.. May '2. 1900.

WILLIAMS, Abram Hease, senator, was born in New Portlaml, Maine, Feb. 3. 1832; son of Joseph and Betsey (Pease) Williams; grand- son of Joshua and Ruth (Philbrook) Williams, and of Abram and Betsey (Parker) Pease, and great-ffraudson of Capt. Josiah Parker. He at- tended tiie academies at North Anson and Farm- ington ; taught school until 1854, when he ob- tained employment as a clerk in a general store in Fairfield. Maine. In 1858 he was married to Bethania. daughter of Lewis and Ruth (Smith) Dunbar of Fairfield. Maine. He went to Cali- fornia, where he engaged in farming and mining, and as a merchant in San Francisco. He founded and \v;is first president of the San Francisco board of trade ; was vice-president of the eliamber of commerce, and chairman of the Re- publican state central committee, 1884-88. He wivs elected U.S. senator to fill the unexpired term of John F. Miller, deceased, the latter having been elected by the California legislature to succeed George Hearst, who hail been appointed by Gov- ernor Stoneman to fill the vacancy, and he served from Dec. G, 188G, to March 3, 1887. He retired from active business in 1893, and devoted him- self to his banking and mining interests in Cal- ifornia.

WILLIAMS, Alpheus Starkey, soldier, was born in Saybrook. Conn., Sept. 10, 1810. He was graduated" from Yale, A.-B., 1831, A.M., 1834, studied law and established a practice in Detroit, Mich.., in 1836. He was judge of probate of Wayne county, Mich., 1840-44 ; was proprietor and editor of the Detroit DaUy Advertiser, 1843-48 ; city re- corder of Detroit, 1844—49, and was appointed post- master of Detroit by President Taylor in 1849. He served tlnoughout the war with Mexico as lieu- tenant colonel of the 1st Michigan volunteer in- fantry. In 18G1. he enlisted his services in support of the government ; was appointed brigadier-general, U.S.V., May 17, and com- manded the 1st division in the corps of Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks, in the Shenandoah valley campaign. May 23-25, 1862. He commanded the 1st division, 2d army corps. Army of Virginia, under General Pope in the Manassas campaign, Aug. 16-Sei)t. 2, 1862 ;• succeeded Gen. Joseph K. F. Mansfield to the command of the 12th army C(jrps. Army of the Potomac, in the battle of Antietam, Sept. 17, 1862, and had only time to take the most general orders from General Hooker, when the latter was severely wounded. He commanded the 1st division of the 12th corps under Slocum at Chancellorsville, and at Gettys- burg succeeded to the command of the corps, while Slocum was in temporary command of the right wing of the army. When the government

learned of Rosecrans's defeat at Chickamauga, and of his unfortunate position at Chattanooga, the 11 th corps under Howard and the 12tli corps under Slocum were transported to Tennessee. General Williams i)articipated in the march from Bridge- port to Chattanooga and in the battle of Lookout Mountain, Nov. 24. 1863. When tlie 11th and 12th corps were united as the 20th, under Hooker, Williams was placed in command of the 1st divi- sion, and between the time of Hooker's resignation and Slocum's arrival, was in command of the corps. After Slocum assumed command of the left wing, Williams again commanded the 20th corps, being superseded by Mower, shortly be- fore the battle of Bentonville, where he com- manded tlie 1st division. He was promoted brevet major-general, U.S. v., to rank from Jan. 12, 1865, being 39th on the list of appointments, and served in Kentucky and Arkansas until Jan- uary, 18GG, when he was nuistered out of service. He was appointed in August, 1866, one of the commissioners to adjust the military claims of Missouri ; was U.S. minister resident to San Salvador, 1866-G9 ; an unsuccessful candidate for governor of Michigan in 1870, and Democratic representative in the 44th-45th congresses 1875- 78. He died in Wasliington. D.C., Dec. 21, 1878.

WILLIAMS, Arthur Llewellyn, bishop coad- jutor of Nebraska, and 193d in succession in the American episcopate, was born in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, Jan. 30, 1856 ; son of the Rev. Richard Jones, and Elizabeth (Johnston)Williams. His fatlier was a PresbNterian clergyman, but Arthur was confirmed in the Ei)iscoi)al church. He attended the high scliool at ShuUsburg, Wis., and Greenwich academy, R.I., and was graduated from the Western Theological seminary, Chicago, in 1888. He was married, Oct. 18, 1879, to Adelaide L., daughter of Salmon and Charlotte Makinster of Middletown, Conn. He was or- dained deacon in 1W88, and priest in 1889 ; was a missionary in White River valley, Colorado, 1888-89 ; rector of St. Paul's, Denver, 1891-92, and of Christ Church, Woodlawn Park, Chicago, 1892-99. He was elected bishop coadjutor to Bishop Worthington of Nebraska, Oct. 18, 1899, and was consecrated, Oct. 18, 1899, by Bishops Worthington, Spalding and Graves, assisted by Bishops Atwell, Nicholson, Millspaugh, Edsall and Morrison. He received the degree of D.D. from Western Theological seminary in 1899.

WILLIAMS, Benjamin, governor of North Carolina, was born in 1754. He served as a captain in the Revolutionary army, winning promotion to the rank of colonel for gallantry atGuilford, March 15, 1781 ; was for several years a representative in the state legislature ; a representative from North Carolina in the 3d congress, 1793-95 ; governor of North Carolina, 1799-1802, and 1807-08, and a