entered upon the Armenian mission at Trebizond, but returned to the United States in 1845. Subse- quently he was summoned to a new mission, and arrived at Smyrna, 7 Dec, 1847, where he devoted his attention to the printing of the Bible and tracts in the Armenian language. In 1852 this work was transferred to Constantinople, where he also preached steadily in the Greek and English languages. He translated numerous works into Greek and Armenian, including "Pilgrim's Progress" and Daubigny's "Reformation," and also established the first newspaper ever published in the Armenian tongue, " The Morning Star," which is still issued.—His wife, Mary Gladding' Wheeler, b. in Providence, R. I., 1 March, 1814; d. in Medford, Mass., 8 March, 1871, translated several small works into Greek, and contributed poems to periodicals. She also published "The Missionary Sisters" (New York, 1859).—Their son, Samuel Grreene Wheeler, author, b. in Argos, Greece, 18 Feb., 1887, was graduated at Williams in 1859. Shortly afterward he became the assistant librarian in the state library, Albany, N. Y., where he remained from 1861 till 1864. In February, 1888, he was appointed U. S. minister at the court of Persia, and established the legation at Teheran, lie resigned in July, 1885. Mr. Benjamin's contributions to periodical literature have been very numerous. For some time he was the art editor of the New York "Evening Mail" and the "Magazine of Art." Among his books are "Constantinople, Isle of Pearls, and other Poems " (Boston, 1860); "Ode on the Death of Abraham Lincoln" (1865); "The Turk and the Greek " (1867); "Tom Roper" (Philadelphia, 1868); "Muretus's Advice to his Son," a metrical translation from the Latin (Albany, 1870); "The Choice of Paris ; a Romance of the Troad" (Boston, 1870); "What is Art?" (1875); "Contemporary Art in Europe " (New York, 1877); "The Atlantic Islands" (1869); "Art in America" (1879); "The Multitudinous Seas" (1879); "Our American Artists" (Boston, 1st series, 1879; 2d series, 1881); "The World's Paradises" (New York, 1880); "Troy, its Legend, Literature, and Topography " (1880); "A Group of Etchers" (1882); "Cruise of the Alice May" (1888); "The Story of Persia" (1886) ; and "Persia and the Persians " (Boston, 1886). He has drawn many illustrations for magazines, an illustrated edition of Longfellow's poems, and other books. His paintings include "Home of the Sea Birds" (1875); "Porta da Cruz, Madeira " (1876) ; "The Corbière, or Sailor's Dread" (1876); "The Wide, Wide Sea " (1877); "Yachts Struck by a Squall" (1879); "Among the Breakers " (1879) ; and "In the Roaring Forties" (1882).
BENJAMIN, Park, journalist, b. in Demerara,
British Guiana, 18 Aug., 1809 ; d. in New York city, 12 Sept., 1864. His father was born in Connecticut, but removed to Demerara, and there carried on business. At an early age Park was sent to New England for medical advice and to be educated. He studied for two years at Harvard, and then at Trinity, where he was graduated in 1829, after which he studied law and was admitted to the bar in Boston in 1882. His tastes inclined
more toward literature than to law, and he became
one of the original editors of the " New England
Magazine." In 1887 he removed to New York and
edited, in connection with Charles Fenno Hoffman,
the "American Monthly Magazine." Later he was
associated with Horace Greeley as editor of the
"New-Yorker," and for a short time had charge of
the "Brother Jonathan." a literary weekly paper.
In 1840 he established the "New World," and edited it nearly five years, in connection with Epes Sargent and Rufus W. Griswold. He afterward
edited and published, for a short time only, "The Western Continent" and "The American Mail"; but these periodicals were not altogether successful, and he withdrew from all publication. The remainder of his life was spent in New York, devoted to literary pursuits. He contributed, both
in prose and verse, to various periodicals, and delivered lectures and read poems in public. "The Meditation of Nature" (1882), "Poetry, a Satire"
(1882), and "Infatuation" (1844), are the best known of his longer poems, and "The Tired Hunter," "The Nautilus," "To One Beloved," "The
Departed," and "The Old Sexton," are the most successful of his shorter poems. No collected edition of his writings has been published. Mr. Benjamin was in person a man of full chest and powerful arms, but was completely lame below the hips.—His son, Park, patent expert, b. in New York city, 11 May, 1849, was graduated at the U. S. naval academy in 1867. He was ordered to the " Franklin," Admiral Farragut's flag-ship,
and with it spent two years in Europe. In 18(59 he was advanced to the grade of ensign, but he soon resigned, and studied law at the Albany Law
School, where he was graduated in 1870. From 1872 till 1878 he was associate editor of the "Scientific American," and since that time has been
occupied as scientific expert or expert counsel in patent cases. Among his short stories are "The End of New York" and "The Story of the Telegust." His books include "Shakings—Etchings for the Naval Academy" (Boston, 1867); "Wrinkles and Receipts " (New York, 1875); "Appletons'
Cyclopaedia of Applied Mechanics," edited (1880); and "The Age of Electricity" (1886).
BENJAMIN, Samuel Nicoll, soldier, b. in
New York city, 13 Jan., 1889; d. on Governor's island. New York harbor, 15 May, 1886. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1861,
and became a 2d lieutenant in the 2d artillery. He served continuously throughout the civil war, was at Bull Run. Malvern Hill, and Fredericksburg, in command of a battery at Covington, in command
of the reserve artillery of the 9th army corps, 14 Aug. till 24 Oct., 1863, and was chief of artillery, 9th army corps, in the East Tennessee and Richmond campaigns; was at the battle of the Wilderness and also at Spottsylvania, where he was severely wounded. He was brevetted lieutenant-colonel 18 May, 1865, and major 8 March, 1875, On recovery from his wounds he became assistant professor of mathematics at the U. S. military
academy, and from 1869 till 1875 he was at the artillery school for practice. Fort Monroe, Va. Then, having been transferred to the staff, he was
made assistant adjutant-general, and was on duty first at Washington, and later became adjutant-general of the department of Arizona. In June,
1885, he was made assistant adjutant-general of the division of the Atlantic, and assigned to army headquarters on Governor's island. Col. Benjamin
was one of the very few officers that held the congressional medal for conspicuous bravery in the field. He married a daughter of Hamilton Fish.
BENNER, Philip, iron-maker, b. in Chester co., Pa., 19 May, 1762; d. in Centre co., Pa., 27 July, 1882. He served in the revolutionary war, and it is said that his mother quilted money into the back of his vest, for use in case he was captured. After the war he engaged in the iron business in Coventry, and in 1792 he purchased the "Rock Forge lands," where he established works. In 1794 he erected a forge, the first in that
