ton, D. C, in 1827. He was educated as a physi- cian, and lived for many years in Philadelphia, where he was well known in the circle of scientific men, being chosen a member of the American philosophical society on 19 Jan., 1787. He was a skilled architect, and designed the Philadelphia library building, which was completed in 1790. He removed to Washington, D. C, when the seat of government was transferred to that place, and drew the plans and superintended the erection of the first capitol building in its early stages. He was one of the first to act as commissioner of pub- lic buildings, and was the first head of the patent- office, being appointed superintendent in 1802, and serving till the time of his death. He published " Cadmus, or the Elements of Written Language " (Philadelphia, 1793).
THORNTON, Sir William, English soldier, b.
in England about 1775 ; d. near Han well, Eng-
land, 6 April, 1840. He was commissioned as
ensign in the British army on 21 March, 1796,
and had risen to the rank of major in August,
1807, when he was appointed military secretary to
Sir James H. Craig, lieutenant-governor of Lower
Canada. He returned to England in 1811, and in
1813 was assigned to the command of the 85th
regiment. He served in Spain and southern France,
took part in the battle of the Nive, was afterward
sent to this country, in May, 1814, commanded the
brigade of light infantry that formed the advance-
guard of Gen. Robert Ross's expedition up the
Chesapeake, and was seriously wounded and made
prisoner at Bladensburg. Being exchanged for
Com. Joshua Barney, he went with the army that
was sent against New Orleans in the following
October, commanded the advance on the landing
of the troops, took part in the chief operations, and
in the general attack on the American lines com-
manded a detached force on the west bank of the
Mississippi, and was severely wounded. He at-
tained the rank of lieutenant-general in 1838.
THORNTON, William A., soldier, b. in New
York state in 1803 ; d. on Governor's island, New
York harbor, 6 April, 1866. He was graduated at
the U. S. military academy in 1825, and assigned
to the artillery. He was made captain of ordnance
on 7 July, 1838, commanded the ordnance depot in
New York and the Watervliet and St. Louis ar-
senals, served on boards for the trial of small arms
and cannon, and was inspector of contract arms in
1858-'61. He was promoted major on 28 May, 1861,
and was commander of Watervliet arsenal till 1863,
and subsequently inspector of contract arms and
ordnance till his death, being promoted lieutenant-
colonel of ordnance on 3 March, 1863, colonel on
15 Sept., 1863, and brigadier-general by brevet on
13 March, 1865. During the last year of his life
he was commandant of the New York arsenal on
Governor's island.
THORNWELL, James Henley, clergyman, b.
in Marlborough district, S. C, in 1812 ; d. in Char-
lotte, N. C, 1 Aug., 1862. He was graduated at
South Carolina college in 1829, and entered upon
the study of the law. which he soon abandoned to
devote himself to the ministry in the Presbyterian
church. He was chosen, in 1836, professor of logic
and belles-lettres in South Carolina college, in
1842 professor of the evidences of Christianity and
chaplain, and in 1852 its president. In 1856 he
became a professor in the Presbyterian theological
seminary at Columbia. For a short time he was
pastor of the Globe street Presbyterian church in
Charleston. Dr. Thornwell was one of the ablest
men that the south has ever produced. To logical
and metaphysical faculties of a high order he
added a fine literary style, and an easy and effect-
ive address. He was an uncompromising cham-
pion of the old-school Presbyterian theology, and
in politics advocated extreme southern views. He
was the author of several published sermons and
addresses, "Arguments of Romanists Discussed
and Refuted " (New York, 1845) ; " Discourses on
Truth " (1854) ; " Rights and Duties of Masters "
(1861) ; " The State of the Country " (1861) ; and
numerous articles in defence of slavery and seces-
sion in the " Southern Presbyterian Review." His
collected works were edited by Rev. John B. Adger
(2 vols., Richmond, 1874).
THORPE, Rose Hartwick, poet. b. in Misha-
waka, Ind., 18 July, 1850. When she was ten
years old her parents settled in Litchfield, Mich.,
where she received a common-school education.
Her most popular poem, the ballad entitled " Cur-
few Must not Ring To-Night," was written while
she was a school-girl. When it was published in
a Detroit paper in 1870 it obtained a wide cir-
culation. An illustrated edition has been issued
(Boston, 1882). She married Edmund C. Thorpe
in September, 1871. In 1881 she edited three Sun-
day-school papers in Chicago, 111. Subsequently
she settled with her family in Pacific Beach, San
Diego co., Cal. Mrs. Thorpe has been a contribu-
tor to journals and magazines since 1880. She has
written " The Station-Agent's Story," " Remember
the Alamo," and other popular poems. Her pub-
lications include " Fred's Dark Days," a story for
children (Chicago, 1881) ; " The Yule Log," a book
of poems (1881) ; " The Fenton Family " (Philadel-
phia, 1884) ; " Nina Bruce " (1886) ; " The Chester
Girls " (1887) ; " Temperance Poems " (Pent Water,
Mich., 1887) ; and " Ringing Ballads " (Boston, 1887).
THORPE, Thomas Bangs, author, b. in West-
field, Mass., 1 March, 1815 ; d. in New York city in
October, 1878. He was for three years at Wesley-
an university, and
while at college
gave evidence of
literary and artistic talent. One of
his earlv paint-
ings, "The Bold
Dragoon ."adapted
from Washington
lrving's story, was
highly commended. After leaving
college on account
of his health, Mr.
Thorpe made a
tour of the south-
west, and finally
settled in Louisiana in 1836. His
An image should appear at this position in the text. To use the entire page scan as a placeholder, edit this page and replace "{{missing image}}" with "{{raw image|Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/129}}". Otherwise, if you are able to provide the image then please do so. For guidance, see Wikisource:Image guidelines and Help:Adding images. |
first literary production of note, "Tom Owen, the Bee-Hunter," was widely quoted, and his next contribution to periodical literature — the mirth-provoking sketch entitled " The Big Bear of Arkansas "—placed him in the foremost rank of early American humorists. He was for a time editor of a Whig newspaper in New Orleans. In 1844 he edited the " Concordia Intelligencer," and in 1846 established " The Conservator " at Baton Rouge, but sold the paper a few years later, and in 1859 became the editor and publisher of the New York "Spirit of the Times." Mr. Thorpe served in the Mexican war, and attained the rank of colonel. His contributions to periodical literature, particularly " Blackwood's.' the " Knickerbocker," and " Harper's Magazine," show versatile talent of a high order, and several of his