Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/492

 WRIGHT

AVYLIE

manders Series " (1894). adopted as a textbook for the U.S. War College ; Memoirs of Gen. R.E. Lee with Gen. A.L. Long (189G); and co-author of American Reference Library (C vols. 1900). He prepared and printed. privattdy.SA-i'^c7t of Edward Augustns. Duke of Kent, for which he received the thanks of Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales, and the Princess Louisji. He also con- tribute.l many biograpliical sketches of Confed- erate army otru'crs to various reference works.

WRIGHT, Silas, governor of New York, was born in Amherst, Mass., May 24, 1795 ; son of Silas Wright, and a descendant of Samuel Wright of Northampton, Mass. His father, a mechanic and farmer, removed to Weybridge. Vt., in Feb- ruary. 1790. Silas was graduated from ^Middle- bury academy in 1815: taught school, 1815-10, and removed to Sandy Hill, Washington county, N.Y.. where he studied law under Henry C. Mar- tindale, and later under Judge Roger Skinner. He was admitted to tiie bar in January, 1819, and esUvblished himself in practice in Canton, N.Y. He wtis surrogate of the county of St. Lawrence. 1820-21 ; town clerk and inspector of common schools. 1821-23. and justice of the peace, 1821- 24. He raised a company of riflemen in 1822 ; was commissioned its captain, and rose through the various ranks to that of brigadier-general in 1827. He was state senator, 1823-27, and as such opix)sed DeWitt Clinton, voting in favor of his re- moval from the office of canal commissioner. He was a representative in the 20th congress, 1827- 29; and was re-elected to the 21st congress, but after successfully contesting the seat given to George Fisher of Oswego, he declined to take the seat, and accepted the appointment of comp- troller of the state. He was a member of the Democratic state convention of 1830 and 1832 and national convention of 1832. He was elected U.S. senator to fill the unexpired term of Will- iam L. Marcy, and took his seat, Jan. 14, 1833, seving by re-election until December, 1844. W^hile in the senate, he supported the " force bill" and Henry Clay's compromise bill, and op- posed the distribution of the proceeds from the sales of public lands among the several states, and the re-chartering of the Bank of the United States. He was married, Sept. 11, 1833, to Clar- issa, daughter of Capt. Medad Moody. He was a member of the finance committee of the senate in 1M35. and at the extra session held Sept. 4, 1837. reported a bill on tiie establishment of an independent treasury, which was eventually passeil. July 4, 1840. He also reported a bill au- tliorizing the issue of treasury notes to the amount of $10,000,000, which was passed after vig- orous opposition in botli houses. He opposed the interference of citizens of other states with the District of Columbia regarding slavery, but voted

against the resolution granting slavery to other territories. He declined the appointment made by President Tyler in 1841 as justice of the U.S. supreme court. In December, 1844, he resigned his seat in the senate to accept the office of gov- ernor of New York. During the anti-rent riots of 1845-40, he felt obliged as governor to declare Delaware county in a state of insurrection, and to call out the militia. The middle course which he pursued caused his defeat for re-election as governor in 1846, by John Young (q.v.). On the outbreak of the war with Mexico, he approved the Wilmot proviso. In 1847 he returned to Can- ton, N.Y.. where he died, Aug. 27, 1848.

WRIGHT, William, senator, was born in Clarkstown, N.Y"., in 1794 ; son of Dr. W^illiam Wright. He served as a volunteer in the war of 1812, and engaged in business as a saddler in Bridgeport, Conn. He removed to Newark, N.J., in 1821 ; was mayor of Newark, 1840-43 ; a Henry Clay Whig representative in the 28th and 29th congresses, 1843-47 ; was defeated for governor of the state in 1847, by Daniel Haines, and was elected U.S. senator as a Democrat, taking his seat, March 4. 1853. In 1858 he was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Robert F. Stockton, serving until the end of the term, March 3, 1859. He was re-elected in 1863 for a full term to end March 3, 1869. Wliile in the senate he served as chairman of the commit- tee on manufactures and contingent expenses. He died in Newark. N.J., Nov. 1, 1866.

WVLIE, Andrew, educator, was born in Washington, Pa., April 12, 1789; son of Adam Wylie, a native of county Antrim, north of Ire- land, who immigrated to America about 1770, and settled in Fayette county, Pa. Andrew Wy- lie worked on a farm and attended the common schools, and was graduated from Jefferson col- lege, Canonsburg, Pa., A.B., 1810, remaining as tutor in the college, 1811. He subsequently studied theology ; was licensed to preach, Oct. 21, 1812 ; ordained by the presbytery of Ohio, June 23, 1813, and waspastorat Miller's Run, Pa., 1813-16. He was married, in May, 1813, to Mar- garet, daughter of Craig and Mary Ritchie of Canonsburg. He succeeded the Rev. Dr. James Dunlap, resigned, as president of Jefferson col- lege, serving, 1812-16 ; was president of Wash- ington (Pa.) college, 1817-28, serving also as act- ing pastor at Ten Mile and West Liberty, Pa., 1817-28. and flrst president of Indiana college (now university) from 1829 until his death. He was ordained deacon of the Episcopal church in December, 1841, and priest in ]May, 1842, by Bishop Kemper. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by Union college in 1825. He is the autlior of: Englifih Grammar (1822) ; Eulogy on General Lafayrftp. (1834) : Sectarianism