came lieutenant in the 1st artillerists and engineers, 22 Feb., 1799, and district paymaster, 16 March, 1802. He was made captain, 1 Nov., 1805, and on 3 March, 1813, became lieutenant-colonel of the 3d artillery. He was made colonel of the 1st artillery, 8 May, 1822, and brevetted brigadier-general, 8 May, 1832. for ten years' faithful service in one grade.
HOUSE, James Alford, inventor, b. in New
York city, 6 April, 1838. He was educated as an
architect, but his taste was for invention, and in
1864 he became the mechanical engineer of the
Wheeler and Wilson manufacturing company.
The button-hole machine made by this corporation
was invented by him in 1862, and the button-hole
attachment for their family sewing-machine was
{atented by him in 1866. He has also invented an
ndia-rubber trunk shield and several sewing-
machine improvements, including an ingenious
adaptation of the variable motion by means of a
steel pin moving over unequal distances in equal
times in a slotted disk.
HOUSE, Royal Earl, inventor, b. in Rocking-
ham, Vt., 9 Sept.. 1814. He early became inter-
ested in mechanics, chemistry, and magnetism,
and devoted much time to their study. The prac-
ticability of the printing-telegraph became manifest
to him, and he invented a keyboard, a single line
of insulated electric conductors, magnets, type-
w*heels, automatic platens, and paper-carriers, for
several stations, adapted for transmitting and
printing messages in Roman characters. This in-
" vention was first put in operation and exhibited
at the Mechanics' institute. New York, in 1844.
Although the first of its kind, it attained a speed
of transmission of over fifty words a minute. Sub-
sequently efforts were made by the representatives
of the Morse patents to enjoin the use of the print-
ing-telegraph ; but after much litigation Mr. House
was sustained. He has since made other impor-
tant inventions in the art of telegraphy.
HOUSTON, David Crawford, engineer, b. in
New York city, 5 Dec, 1835. He was graduated at
the U. S. military academy in 1856. and was retained
at the academy as assistant professor of natural
and experimental philosophy until September, 1857,
when he was placed on construction of fortifica-
tions at Hampton Roads, Va. From 1856 till 1860
he commanded a detachment of engineer troops in
Oregon, after which he was assistant engineer in
the construction of a fort on Sandy Hook, N. J.
During the civil war, as 1st lieutenant of the engi-
neer corps, he aided in constructing the defences of
Washington. D. C. He was at Blackburn's Ford
and Bull Run as engineer of Gen. Tyler's division,
and as chief engineer 1st army corps, department
of the Rappahannock. He was with the 3d army
corps in the second battle of Bull Run and of Cedar
Mountain, after which he was brevetted captain.
He became chief engineer of the 1st corps, Army
of the Potomac, in the Maryland campaign, and
was engaged in the battles of South Mountain and
I Antietam, where he was brevetted major, 17 Sept.,
1862. He was in charge of the defences of Har-
Ser's Ferry, Va., and of the Department of the Gidf
uring the siege of Port Hudson, La., in March,
1863, for which service he was brevetted lieutenant-
colonel, 17 June, 1863. He took part in the expe-
dition to the mouth of the Rio Grande, 1863, and
in the Red River campaign in April, 1864. He was
a member of the special board of engineers for the
defences of San Francisco, Cal., in 1864-'5. On 13
March, 1865, he was brevetted colonel for " gallant
and meritorious services during the rebellion."
He served on the board for defences of Willet's
Point, N. Y., in 1865, and from 1865 till 1867 on
the board to carry out in detail the modifications
of the defences near Boston, as proposed by the
board of 27 Jan., 1864. He was also superintend-
ing engineer of the construction of the defences of
Narragansett bay. R. I., in 1865 ; of the river and
harbor improvements in Rhode Island and Con-
necticut from 1866 till 1870 : and of surveys and
improvements of various rivers in Wisconsin since
July, 1870. In 1868 he was a member of the board
of engineers on Block Island breakwater, on the
wreck of the steamer " Scotland, and on the im-
frovement of Ogdensburg and Oswego harbors,
n 1869 he served on the Wallabout channel and
in the New York navy yard. In 1871 he was
charged with the plans for docks in Chicago break-
water, and from 1872 till December, 1875, was en-
gaged in constructing harbors in the northwest.
He was also superintending engineer on modifica-
tions proposed for Michigan city harbor, Ind.. in
July, and on the improvement of Fox and Wis-
consin rivers in August, 1878. He became major
of the corps of engineers on 7 March, 1867, lieu-
tenant-colonel, 30 June, 1882, and since 1886 has
been a member of the board of engineers for forti-
fications and river and harbor improvements.
HOUSTON, George Smith, governor of Ala-
bama, b. in Williamson county, Tenn., 17 Jan.,
1811 ; d. in Athens, Limestone co., Ala., 17 Jan.,
1879. At an early age he removed to Limestone
county, Ala., where he studied law, and was ad-
mitted to the bar in 1831. He practised with suc-
cess, and served in the state legislature for two
sessions. In 1836 he became state's attorney for
the Florence judicial district, after which he served
a second time in the legislature. He was elected
as a Democrat to congress in 1841. and was so con-
tinued by successive elections till 1849, when he
resumed his law practice. In 1851 he was again
elected to congress, serving on several important
committees, and officiating as chairman of the
committee on the judiciary and on that of ways and
means. He was also a member of the special com-
mittee of thirty-three. He retired in 1861, when
Alabama seceded. He was a delegate to the Phila-
delphia national union convention of 1866. In
1874 he was governor of Alabama.
HOUSTON, John, governor of Georgia, b. in Waynesboro, Ga., 31 Aug., 1744 ; d. at White Bluff, near Savannah, Ga., 20 July, 1796. He was a son of Sir Patrick Houston, and early distinguished in the revolutionary movement. In 1774
he was one of four citizens who called the first meeting of the Sons of Liberty in Savannah. This meeting, of which he was chairman, was held at the watch-house, where letters from the northern committees were read, and a committee to draft resolutions was appointed. On 15 June, 1775, he
was sent as a representative to congress, where he was a member of the first naval committee. He was again a delegate to congress in 1776, and would have signed the Declaration of Independence had he not been called to Georgia in order to counteract the influence of Dr. Zubly, a delegate from that state, who had left his seat in congress to oppose the movement. On 8 May, 1777, he was
made a member of the state executive council. While holding this office he co-operated with Gen. Robert Howe in an invasion of eastern Florida. When they arrived at the St. Mary's river, farther progress was prevented, and, as he was unwilling to relinquish the command of the Georgia militia to Gen. Howe, a misunderstanding arose, which
was one of the causes of the failure of the expedition. On 8 Jan., 1778, he was elected governor of Georgia, which office he held again in 1784. In
