Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/447

 WILLIAMS

WILLIAMS

tinned to hold until his death, the chair being then discontinued. He received the honorary degree of M.A, frona Yale in 1877 and that of LL.D. from Union in 1848, and served as presi- dent of the American Bible and Oriental societies. His son, Frederick Wells Williams, A.B., Yale, 1879, professor of modern Oriental history at Yale, 1800, is the author of " Life and Letters of S. Wells Williams, LL.D." (1888), and of con- tributions on Cliinese and Russian questions to scientific periodicals. Dr. Williams published, in addition to the work already mentioned, The Middle Kingdom, lectures (2 vols., 1848) revised in collaboration with his son, 1883. The histori- cal portion of this was brought down to date by the latter with the title The History of China (1897). His most important literary and scholarly work, the labor of twelve years, was the Syllabic Dictionary of the Chinese Language (Shanghai, 1874). He died in New Haven, Feb. 16, 1884.

WILLIAMS, Seth, soldier, was born in Au- gusta, Maine, March 22, 1822; son of Judge Daniel and Mary (Sawtelle) Williams; grandson of Capt. Seth and Zilpha (Ingraham) Williams and a descendant of Richard Williams, who came from Glamorganshire, Wales, and settled at Taunton, Mass. , as early as 1637. Judge Williams served as state treasurer, 1837-40, and as judge of probate, 1848-55. Setli Williams was "grad- uated from the U.S. Military academy and brevetted 2d lieutenant, 2d artillery, July 1, 1842; served in garrison in Rhode Island, New York and Maine, 1842-45, being promoted 2d lieutenant, 1st artillery, Aug. 31, 1844; was engaged in the military occupation of Texas, 1845, and served as aide-de-camp to Major-General Patterson in the war with Mexico, participating in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, in the siege of Vera Cruz and the battle of Cerro Gordo. He was promoted 1st lieutenant, 1st artillery, March 3, 1847; brevetted captain for Cerro Gordo, April 18, 1847: was in garrison in Maryland and Penn- sylvania, 1848-50; served as adjutant at the Mili- tary academy, 1850-53, being brevetted captain of staff and assistant adjutant-general. Aug. 16. 1853, and served in the latter capacity in the eastern division at Troy, N. Y.; in the adjutant-general's office, Washington, D.C., and in the departments of the west and the Ohio, 1853-61. He was brevetted major of staff and assistant adjutant- general, May 11, 1861; promoted to the same rank, Aug. 3, 1861, and served on the staff of General McClellan, 1861-62, being commissioned brigadier-general, U.S.V., Sept. 23, 1861. He was inspector-general of the adjutant-general's depart- ment, 1862-64, was promoted lieutenant-colonel of staff and assistant adjutant-general, Jul}' 17, 1862; brevetted colonel for gallantry at Gettysburg. July 3, 1863; served as acting inspector-general on the

staff of the general-in-chief, March 10, 1864-Feb. 9, 1866, being present during the entire Richmond campaign, and was brevetted major-general, U.S. v., Aug. 1, 1864, for "highly meritorious and faithful services in the field, on the several campaigns from Gettysburg, Pa., to Petersburg, Va. He was also brevetted brigadier-general, U.S.A., March 13, 1865, for " gallant and meri- torious services in the campaign terminating with the surrender of the insurgent army under Gen. Robert E. Lee," and major-general, U.S.A., on the same day, for " gallant and meritorious services in the field during the rebellion." Gen- eral Williams served as adjutant-general of the military division of the Atlantic, Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 9 to March 1, 1866, He never married. He died in Boston. Mass., March 23, 1866.

WILLIAMS, Thomas, representative, was born in Greensburg, Pa., Aug. 28, 1806; son of Robert and Agnes (Singer) Williams, and grandson of Robert and Esther (Meek) Williams of Cecil county, Md. He was graduated at Dickinson college, A.B., 1825, A. M., 1828, and was admitted to the Pittsburg bar in 1828. He practised in Greensburg, 1828-31, and was married in 1831 to Sarah Donaldson, daughter of Dr. William and Ann (Donaldson) Reynolds of Wilmington, Del. He settled in Pittsburg, Pa., in the practice of law in 1832. He was a state senator, 1838-41; the candidate of the Whig members of the Penn- sylvania legislature for U.S. senator in 1853; a delegate from the state-at-large to the Republican National convention of 1856, serving as a member of the national executive committee; a repre- sentative in the state legislature. 1861-62; and a representative from the twenty-third district of Pennsylvania in the 38th, 39th, and 40th con- gresses, 1863-69; while in congress he served continuously on the committee on the judiciary, and was one of the managers of the impeachment trial of President Johnson. He was an orator of national repute and his orations: The Xegro in American Politics (1860); llie Restoration of the Union (1864); The Reconstruction Policy of Presi- dent Johnson (1866), and Abraham Lincoln (1865) were published and extensively circulated. He is also the author of the song: Hurrah for the Union Flag (1861). He died in Allegheny City, Pa.. June 6. 1872.

WILLIAMS, Thomas, soldier, was born in New York state in 1815. He was graduated at the U.S. Military academy, 1837; commissioned 2d lieutenant, July 1; served in the Florida war; was assistant professor of mathematics at the Military academy, 1840-41, and was promoted 1st lieutenant, Oct. 5. 1840. He was aide-de-camp to General Scott, 1844-50; participated in the war with Mexico, being brevetted captain for Con- treras and Cherubusoo, and major for Chapul-