important works, but subsequently was a large ex- porter of tobacco and flour. When Virginia se- ceded from the Union in April, 1861, he became a captain of engineers in the state forces. He was the first to reconnoitre the line of Bull Run, and when the position at Manassas Junction was occu- pied in force toward the end of May, 1861, he planned and constructed the works for its defence. He was attached to the staff of Gen. Philip St. George Cocke at the battle of Bull Run, ac- companied Beauregard to the west early in 1862, and there planned and constructed the works at Island No. 10 and Fort Pillow, and the river-de- fences at Vicksburg. In October, 1862, he was transferred to Charleston, and took charge of the defensive engineering operations at that place. In 1864, as colonel of engineers, he went with Gen. Beauregard to Virginia, and was employed on the defences of Petersburg. A short time before his death he was commissioned a brigadier-general.
HARRIS, Elisha, physician, b. in Westminster,
Vt., 4 March, 1824 ; d. in Albany, N. Y., 31 Jan.,
1884. He was graduated at the College of physi-
cians and surgeons of New York in 1849, and
entered on the practice of his profession in that
city. In 1855 he was appointed superintendent
and physician-in-chief of the quarantine hospital
on Staten Island, and at that time constructed a
floating hospital for the lower quarantine station.
During the civil war he was instrumental in the
organization of the U. S. sanitary commission in
New York city, and was actively concerned in its
work. On the organization of the Metropolitan
board of health in 1866 he was made registrar of
vital statistics, and also corresponding secretary,
and in 1868 he was appointed sanitary superintend-
ent of New York city. While holding this office
he made a systematic inspection of tenement-houses,
and so vigorously enforced the law providing for
their ventilation and lighting that he secured,
among other reforms, the putting in of nearly
40,000 windows and about 2,000 roof-ventilators
during the year 1869. He also organized the first
free public vaccination service, and the system of
house-to-house visitation. In 1873 he was again
made registrar of vital statistics, and held that
office until the reorganization of this bureau in 1876.
When the New York state board of health was cre-
ated in 1880, Dr. Harris was appointed one of its
members, and then became its secretary, which place
he continued to hold until his death. The railway
ambulance that has been adopted and used by the
Prussian army was invented by him. Dr. Harris
was connected with many medical and sanitary as-
sociations in the United States, was a delegate in
1876 to the International medical congress of the
American public health association, and in 1878
was elected president of that association. He was
the author of numerous articles on sanitary topics,
and edited several valuable reports on these subjects.
HARRIS, George, Lord, British soldier, b. 18
March, 1746; d. at his estate of Belmont, Kent,
England, 19 May, 1829. He was educated at
Westminster, entered the army in 1759, became
captain in 1771, came to this country with his regi-
ment, and was engaged at Lexington and Bun-
ker Hill. In the latter action he was severely
wounded in the head, and in consequence was tre-
panned and went home, but returned in time to
take the field previous to the landing of the army
on Long Island in July, 1776. Capt. Harris was
present at the affair of Flatbush. in the skirmishes
on the island of New York, and in the engagement
at White Plains. At Iron Hill he was shot through
the leg, but, notwithstanding the severity of his
wound, he mounted a horse and went in pursuit of
the enemy. He was afterward present in every
action up to 3 Nov., 1778, except that of German-
town. In the latter year he was appointed to a ma-
jority in his regiment, and in that rank served under
Brig.-Gen. Meadows at St. Lucie. He afterward
served in India, and in February, 1798, was made
governor of Madras. In December, 1798, he was
placed at the head of the army, and captured Ser-
mgapatam, for which service he received the thanks
of both houses of parliament. He was promoted
to the colonelcy of the 73d foot, 4 Feb., 1800 ; be-
came lieutenant-general, 1 Jan., 1801 ; general, 1
Jan., 1812, and was raised to the peerage by the
title of Lord Harris, 11 Aug.. 1815.
HARRIS, George Washington, humorist, b.
in what is now Alleghenv City, Pa., 20 March,
1814; d. near Knoxville, Tenn., 11 Dec, 1869. He
was taken to Knoxville, Tenn., when four years
old, was apprenticed to a jeweller, and afterward
commanded a Tennessee - river steamboat. He
wrote able political articles during the Harrison
campaign, and in 1843 began to contribute humor-
ous stories to the New York " Spirit of the Times,"
under the pen-name of "S — 1." In 1858-'61 he
wrote for Nashville journals the " Sut Lovengood
Papers," some of which afterward appeared in
book -form as "Sut Lovengood's Yarns" (New
York, 1867). Capt. Harris made several inven-
tions, which he described in the " Scientific Ameri-
can." He died suddenly, and it was thought by
some that he was poisoned.
HARRIS, Ira, jurist, b. in Charleston, Montgomery co., N. Y., 31 May, 1802 ; d. in Albany, N. Y., 2 Dec, 1875. He was brought up on a farm, was graduated at Union college in 1824, studied law in Albany, and was admitted to the bar in 1828. During the succeeding seventeen years he attained a high rank in his profession. He was a member of the assembly in 1844 and 1845. having been chosen as a Whig, and in 1846 was state senator and a delegate to the Constitutional convention. In 1848 he became judge of the supreme court, and held that office for twelve years. In February, 1861, Judge Harris was elected U. S. senator from New York, as a Republican, serving from 4 July, 1861, to 3 March, 1867. In the senate Mr. Harris served on the committee on foreign relations and judiciary, and the select joint committee on the southern states. Although he supported the administration in the main, he did not fear to express his opposition to all measures, however popular at the time, that did not appear to him either wise or just. Judge Harris was for more than twenty years professor of equity, jurisprudence, and practice in the Albany law-school, and during his senatorial term delivered a course of lectures at the law-school of Columbian university, Washington, D. C. He was for many years president of the board of trustees of Union college, was one of the founders of Rochester university, of which he was the chancellor, and was president of the American Baptist missionary* union and other religious bodies. — His brother, Hamilton, lawyer, b. in Preble, Cortland co., N. Y.. 1 May, 1820, was graduated at Union college in 1841, admitted to the Albany bar in 1845, and was soon distinguished as a successful advocate. He was elected to the legislature in 1850, and was a member of the Whig joint legislative committee of six that was appointed to frame the platform, and call state conventions, of what has since become the Republican party. He was district attorney in 1853, a member of the Republican state committee in 1863, and from 1864 till 1870 its chairman. In
