fence of Monterey, 15 July, 1846, was transferred to command the marines in the frigate “Congress,” and took part with Com. Robert F. Stockton in the conquest of California. He was brevetted major for gallantry in the action at crossing San Gabriel river, 9 Jan., 1847, and took part in the capture of Los Angeles and in the battle of La Mesa. He was military commandant at San Diego in 1847, and participated in the capture of Guaymas in September, 1847, and in the action at San Jose, 30 Sept., 1847. During October, 1847, and till the end of the war, he was at Mazatlan, where he took part in frequent skirmishes with the Mexicans, who had been obliged to evacuate the city. He was commissioned captain, 14 Sept., 1847, and served at New York in 1849, and in Norfolk, Va., in 1849-'52. He was fleet marine-officer in the flag-ship “Mississippi,” in Com. Matthew C. Perry's expedition to Japan in 1852-'4, and commanded the battalion of marines at the landing on 14 July, 1853. He was stationed at Norfolk in 1854-'7, and at Washington in 1857, and there commanded the first company of marines which quelled the riot of Baltimore roughs, 1 June, 1857. When the civil war began he took command of the right company in the marine battalion in co-operation with the army in 1861, participated in the battle of Bull Run on 21 July, and was slightly wounded. He was commissioned major in the marine corps, 26 July, 1861, was commandant at New York barracks in 1862-'3, and in August, 1863, had command of the marine battalion that sailed from New York and landed on Morris island, Charleston harbor, to participate in the operations of the South Atlantic blockading squadron under Admiral Dahlgren. In March, 1864, he returned to the north and took command of the marine barracks at Portsmouth, N. H. He was appointed colonel commandant of the marine corps, 10 June, 1864, and assumed control at headquarters at Washington, D. C. He was commissioned brigadier-general commandant, 2 March, 1867. Gen. Zeilin was retired on account of age and long and faithful service, 1 Nov., 1876.
ZEISBERGER, David, missionary, b. in
Zauchtenthal, Moravia, 11 April, 1721; d. in Goshen,
Ohio, 17 Nov., 1808. In 1740 he emigrated to
Georgia, where his church was organizing a
mission among the Creeks. Thence he was sent to
Pennsylvania, where he assisted in the building of
Nazareth and Bethlehem. Preparatory to entering
the mission service in 1743, he became a
student in the Indian school at Bethlehem, where
he was instructed in the Delaware and Onondaga
languages. Later, he continued the study
of the latter at the capital of the Five Nations.
In addition to these languages he was conversant
with Mohican, Monsey-Delaware, and Chippewa.
From 1745 till 1750 he was employed at Shamokin
and Onondaga, and in the latter year he
visited Europe in behalf of the mission. In 1752
he returned to Onondaga, but was compelled to
retire to Bethlehem at the opening of the French
and Indian war. Between 1755 and 1762 he
visited North Carolina and the New England
provinces, labored among the Indians of Connecticut,
and also acted as interpreter for Pennsylvania
in their treaty with Teedyuscung and his allies.
During the Pontiac war he took charge of the
Moravian Indians, and after the peace
accompanied them to Wyalusing, Bradford co., Pa. In
1767 he established a mission among the
Monsey-Delawares on Alleghany river, and three years
later he began Friedenstadt, on the Beaver. His
first visit to Ohio was made in 1771, and a year
later he organized the mission on the Muskingum,
where he was joined by the converts from Pennsylvania.
Early in the Revolution the Delawares
were accused of favoring the American side, and
the converts were forced to leave their towns and
come within the British lines. After being moved
from place to place they were finally settled on
Thames river in Canada. In 1798, Zeisberger,
with a few converts, left Canada and founded
Goshen, Ohio, where he passed the remaining ten
years of his life. He published a “Delaware and
English Spelling-Book” (Philadelphia, 1776); “A
Collection of Hymns for the Christian Indians”
(1803); and “Sermons for Children” (1803). Of his
voluminous manuscripts there has been published
“Dictionary in German and Delaware” (Cambridge,
1887), and “Essay toward an Onondaga Grammar”
(Philadelphia, 1888). The most important
unpublished manuscripts are “German and Onondaga
Lexicon” (7 vols.), two Delaware Indian grammars,
and collections of hymns and sermons. See “Life
and Times of David Zeisberger,” by Bishop Edmund de Schweinitz (Philadelphia, 1870), and “Diary of
David Zeisberger, 1781-'98” (Cincinnati, 1888).
ZELL, Bernhard (thell), Flemish explorer, b.
in Luxemburg in 1715 ; d. there in 1779. He was
apprenticed at Bremen, and lived in New Orleans
from 1740 till 1759, where he founded a German
mercantile house, and, having acquired a for-
tune, he visited Florida. After the cession of
Louisiana to Spain he obtained permission to
travel through Mexico, and made an explora-
tion of California and Texas among difficulties
of all kinds. In studying the geology of Califor-
nia he came to the conclusion that the country
possessed gold-mines, and addressed a memoir to
the Marquis de Croix, viceroy of Mexico; but little
attention was paid to it, as explorations sent in
former centuries to search for gold in California
had utterly failed. The viceroy gave him permis-
sion to organize an expedition ; but, as he refused
further support, Zell returned in 1770 to his native
city, where he died. He wrote " Reisen im Innern
von Neu Spanien und Californien," containing an
analysis of the soil of several districts of Mexico
and California, from which the author concluded
that California is a mining country (2 vols., Lux-
emburg, 1771-'2), and " Land und Leutc der Span-
isch-Amerikanischen Colonien" (2 vols., 1778).
ZENDEJAS, Miguel Ger6nimo (thaynday-has), Mexican artist, b. in Puebla in 1724 ; d. there in 1816. He came of a poor family, and probably would have died in obscurity and ignorance notwithstanding his natural talent for drawing; but Bishop Antonio J. Perez, at that time secretary of Bishop Bienpica, saw a rough painting by Zendejas, and, discovering an extraordinary gift in the poor artist, caused him to receive lessons by well-known masters. He was then too old to acquire the rudimentary principles of drawing, ana always adhered to his former custom of not making any outline sketch of his figures, but, unrolling the
