Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/485

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JOHNSON
JOHNSON
449

Rev. Dr. Thomas B. Chandler (1805 ; London, 1824), and "Life and Correspondence," by Rev. E. Edwards Beardsley, D. D. (New York, 1874). — His son, William Samuel, jurist, b. in Strat- ford, Conn., 7 Oct., 1727 ; d. there, 14 Nov., 1819, was graduated at Yale in 1744, studied law, and, when admitted to the bar, took high rank in his profession. In 1761, and again during two ses- sions in 1765, he rep- resented Stratford in the general as- sembly, and in the latter year was sent as a delegate to the Stamp-act congress in New York. In May, 1766, he was chosen to the upper house, or governor's council, and at the ensuing October ses- sion of the assembly was appointed a spe- cial agent at the court of Great Brit-

ain, to present the

defence of the colony with regard to its title to the territory that was occupied by the remnant of the Mohegan tribe of Indians. He accepted the mis- sion, but so many were the delays interposed by his opponents that he was unable to return to this country until the autumn of 1771. In the follow- ing year, after resuming his seat in the council, he was appointed one of the judges of the superior court of the colony, but retained the office for only a few months. After the battle of Lexington he and another colonist were deputed to wait on Gen. Gage, with a letter from the governor of Connecti- cut, the object of which was to stav hostilities and to inquire if means could not be adopted to secure peace ; but the embassy was unsuccessful. He re- tired from the governor's council before the Dec- laration of Independence, and, not being able con- scientiously to join in a war against England, lived in retirement in Stratford until the conclusion of peace. He then resumed the practice of his pro- fession, and from November, 1784, till May, 1787, served as a member of the. Continental congress. In the latter year he was placed at the head of the Connecticut delegation to the convention for the formation of a Federal constitution, and was chairman of the committee of five appointed to revise the wording of the instrument and ar- range its articles. Among other suggestions he proposed the organization of the senate as a sepa- rate body. In the same year he resumed his place in the upper house of the Connecticut assembly, and he held it until 1789, when he was elected the first U. S. senator from that state. He rendered important service in drawing up the bill for the judiciary system, but resigned in March, 1791, in order to devote his entire time to the discharge of the duties of president of Columbia college, to which office he had been elected in May, 1787. Re- signing this office also, in 1800, on account of fail- ing health, he retired to Stratford, where he re- mained until his death. When in England he made the acquaintance of many eminent men, in- cluding Dr. Samuel Johnson, whose correspondent he became on his return to the United States. He received the degree of D. C. L. from Oxford in 1776, and that of LL. D. from Y'ale in 1788. He was the earliest graduate of the latter college to receive an honorary degree in laws, as his father had been the first to receive a similar degree in divinity. Dr. Johnson added to superior mental endowments a fine personal presence and a musical voice. His oratory was deemed by his contempo- raries as well-nigh perfect. Forty-three of his let- ters, written during his sojourn in Great Britain, have been published by the Massachusetts historical society in the " Trumbull Papers." See a " Sketch " by John T. Irving (1830), and " Life and Times of W. S. Johnson," bv Rev. E. Edwards Beardsley, D.D. (Boston, 1876). — William Samuel's great- grandson, Woolsey, physician, b. in New York city. 8 Feb., 1842 ; d. there, 21 June, 1887, was graduated at Princeton in 1860, and studied medi- cine for a year at the Albany medical school, and subsequently at the New York college of physi- cians and surgeons, where he was graduated in 1863. He then spent three years in the further study of his profession in Paris, London, Berlin, and Vienna, and on his return began to practise in New York city. He was surgeon of the Eye and ear infirmary, and consulting physician at the New York hospital. In 1881 he was appointed by Mayor Grace health-commissioner of the city of. New York, his term expiring 1 May, 1887. Dur- ing this period Dr. Johnson did effective work.


JOHNSON, Samuel, clergyman, b. in Salem, Mass.. 10 Oct., 1822: d. in North Andover, Miss., 19 Feb , 1882. He was graduated at Harvard in 1842, and at the divinity-school in Cambridge in 1846. He entered the ministry without ordina- tion, and his first charge was the Unitarian church in Harrison square. Dorchester, where he remained one year. His political preaching and anti-slavery sentiments gave offence, and his engagement was not renewed. About 1851-'2 he became pastor of a free church in Lynn, Mass., where he remained until 1870, lecturing often upon anti-slavery topics. About 1852-'3 he delivered a course of lectures in Salem, which was the germ of his subsequent works. He compiled with Rev. Samuel Longfel- low " Hymns for Public and Private Devotion " (Boston, 1846) : and was the author of " Oriental Religions," comprising " India " (Boston, 1872), " China " (1877), and " Persia " (1885). See a me- moir of him by Samuel Longfellow (Boston, 1883).


JOHNSON, Samuel Frost, artist, b. in New York city, 9 Nov., 1835. He began the study of art in Milwaukee, Wis., and continued it in the antique and life schools of the National academy of design in New York, in the Art academy of Diisseldorf in 1859-61, and afterward in the Acad- emy of Saint Luke at Antwerp, and the Ecole des beaux-arts in Paris. In 1865-'9 he was a pupil of Edward Frere at Ecouen. After painting for some time in London he returned to New York, and was a professor in the art-schools of the Metropolitan museum in 1883-'5, also teaching science and art classes at St. John's college, Fordham, in 1884-'5. His representations of still-life, and his studies of heads, mostly taken abroad, have been highly praised. His works include "Les Pommes," shown at the Paris salon of 1869 ; " Good Night " (1876) ; " Love Me, Love Me Not " ; " Does Your Mother Know You're Out ? " ; " Stitch in Time " ; " Young Ornithologist " (1879) ; " After Rain " (1880) ; •• Moorland Landscape " (1881) ; a portrait of Car- dinal McCloskey, and one of Lady Helen Black- wood, daughter of Lord Dufferin, the color effects in which have been highly praised. He is now (1887) engaged in painting a large altar-piece, rep- resenting " The Last Supper," on the walls of St. Cecilia's church, New York city.


JOHNSON, Samuel William, chemist, b. in Kingsborough, N. Y„ 3 July, 1830. He studied at the Yale (now Sheffield) scientific school, and then