Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/246

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HITCHCOCK
HITCHCOCK

ion. In October, 1855, he resigned his commission in consequence of the refusal of Jefferson Davis, secretary of war, to confirm a leave of absence that had been granted him by Gen. Scott, and re- sided in St. Louis until 1861, devoting himself to literary pursuits. At the beginning of the civil war he re-entered the army, was made major-gen- eral of volunteers, and stationed in Washington, serving on the commission for exchange of pris- oners and that for revising the military code. He was the warm personal friend and the military adviser of President Lincoln. Gen. Hitchcock was a disciple of Emanuel Swedenborg, and at- tempted to prove in his works that a subtle and elevated theology is taught in the hermetical sys- tem of philosophy. He published " Remarks on Alchemy and the Alchemists " (Boston, 1857) ; " Swedenborg a Hermetic Philosopher" (New York, 1858) ; " Christ the Spirit," in which he at- tempted to show that the gospels were symbolic books, written by members of a Jewish secret society (1860) ; " The Sonnets of Shakespeare " (1865) ; " Spenser's ' Colin Clout ' Explained " (1865) ; and " Notes on the Vita Nuova of Dante " (1866).


HITCHCOCK, Peter, jurist, b. in Cheshire, Conn., 19 Oct., 1781; d. in Painesville, Ohio, 11 May, 1853. He was graduated at Yale in 1801, admitted to the bar at Cheshire, Conn., in 1804, and in the spring of 1806 removed to Geauga county, Ohio, settled on a farm, and for several years divided his time between clearing the wilderness, teaching, and practising his profession. He was elected to the Ohio legislature in 1810, served in the state senate in 1812-'16, and was its president for one term. In 1816 he was elected to congress, and before the expiration of his term was appointed by the legislature judge of the supreme court of Ohio, was re-elected for three successive terms, and retired in 1852, after a judicial service of twenty-eight years, during part of which he had been chief justice. In 1850 he was a delegate to the State constitutional convention. Throughout his career he was a generous benefactor of benevolent enterprises.


HITCHCOCK, Phineas Warrener, senator, b. in New Lebanon, N. Y., 30 Nov., 1831 ; d. in Omaha, Neb., 10 July, 1881. He was graduated at Williams in 1855, studied law, was admitted to the bar, and settled in Omaha, Neb., in 1857. He was a member of the National Republican conven- tion that nominated Lincoln for president in 1860. In 1861 lie was appointed marshal of the terri- tory, holding office until his election as delegate to congress, as a Republican, in 1864. He was a member of the national committee appointed to accompany the remains of President Lincoln to Illinois. On the organization of Nebraska as a state in March, 1867, he was appointed surveyor- general, held office two years, and in 1870 was elected to the United States senate, serving till 1877, and, failing of re-election, retired to private life. Mr. Hitchcock was the author of the timber-, culture laws, which have done so much to put forest-trees on western prairies.


HITCHCOCK, Robert Bradley, naval officer, b. in Cheshire, Conn., 25 Sept., 1803; d. in New York city, 24 March, 1888. He was appointed midshipman in the U. S. navy in 1825, promoted lieutenant in 1835, commander in 1855, captain in 1861, and commodore in 1862. He commanded the steam sloop "Susquehanna" in 1862-'3, and was senior officer of the blockading fleet off Mobile. He was on ordnance duty in 1864-'5, was com- mandant of the Norfolk navy-yard in 1866, and was retired from the service in 1867.


HITCHCOCK, Roswell Dwight, educator, b. in East Machias, Me., 15 Aug., 1817; d. in Som- erset, Mass., 16 June, 1887. He was graduated at Amherst in 1836, and, after a year or more spent in teaching, entered Andover theological seminary in 1838. He was a tutor at Amherst from 1839 till 1842, preached for a year at Waterville, Me., and on 19 Nov., 1845, was ordained pastorofthe 1st Con- gregational church of Exeter, N. II. Soon after this he spent a year in Ger- many, studying at the universities of Halle and Berlin. In 1852 Dr. Hitch- cock resigned his pastorate to accept the Collins profes-

sorship of natural

and revealed religion in Bowdoin, and three years plater he was called to the professorship of church history in Union theological seminary, New York city. He visited Italy and Greece in 1866, and Egypt, Sinai, and Palestine in 1869. In 1871 he was elected president of the American Palestine exploration society, and in 1880 president of Union theological seminary, still continuing his lectures. Those on the " Life of Christ " and on " Apostolic Church History " were made extremely interesting from his personal acquaintance with the Holy Land. He also proved himself, while president, to be an efficient man of business, and assured the success of the seminary from a financial point of view. Undi his administration land was purchased in the upper part of New York city, and through his efforts new buildings were erected which were dedicated on 9 Dec, 1884. He received the degree of D. D. from Bowdoin, and from the University of Edin- burgh in 1885, and that of LL. D. from Williams in 1873, and from Harvard in 1886. In 1880 Dr. Hitchcock was elected vice-president of the Ameri- can geographical society. He was also a trustee of Amherst college from 1869 until his death. He published numerous orations, addresses, and ser- mons, and contributed many articles to the relig- ious press. From 1863 till 1870 he was one of the editors of the "American Theological Review." He is the author of a " Life of Edward Robinson " (New York, 1863) ; " Complete Analysis of the Bi- ble " (1869) ; " Hymns and Songs of Praise," with Dr. Philip Scha'ff and Dr. Zachary Eddy (1874); " Hymns and Songs for Social and Sabbath Wor- ship" (1875); "Socialism" (1879); and "Carmina Sanctorum," with Dr. Zachary Eddy and Rev. Lewis W. Mudge (1885). He translated and edited, with Dr. Francis Brown, "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" (1884; revised ed., 1885); and soon after the publication of the revised New T tament, in 1881, he prepared a volume giving th American revisers' preferences in the text and those of the English committee in an appendix.


HITCHCOCK, Samuel Austin, benefactor, b. in Brimfield, Mass., in 1784 ; d. there, 24 Nov., 1873. He was a poor boy, and from small begin-nings amassed a fortune of $3,000,000. Throughout his career he was a generous contributor to public enterprises and charities, his benefactions reaching the amount of $650,000. His gifts to