Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/483

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BURGES
BURGESS
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Pennsylvania in 1863, and for his services he received the brevet of brigadier-general. In 1865 he was elected brigadier-general of the 2d brigade, 1st division of the State national guard. He was twice president of the “Liederkranz,” a German musical society in New York, and was a director of the Bowery national bank and German savings bank.


BURGES, Tristam, jurist, b. in Rochester, Mass., 36 Feb., 1770 ; d. in Providence, R. I., 13 Oct.. 1853. He was graduated at Brown in 1796. and, while teaching school in Providence, studied law with Judge Barnes, in 1799 he was admitted to the Rhode Island bar, and soon rose to the head of his profession. He became a prominent leader of the federal party, and in 1811 entered the state legislature. In 1815 he was appointed chief jus- tice of the supreme court of Rhode Island, and from 1815 till 1828 was professor of oratory and belles-lettres in Brown university. He was elected in 1825 representative in congress, and served con- tinuously until 3 March, 1835. In 1836 he was de- feated as whig candidate for governor, and then retired from public life, resuming his practice. His famous retort to John Randolph, of Virginia — " Moral monsters can not propagate ; we rejoice that the father of lies can never become the fa- ther of liars " — made while a member of congress, is historical. He published orations and speeches, and also wrote the " Battle of Lake Erie, with No- tices of Com. Elliott's Conduct " (Philadelphia, 1839). See "Memoirs of Tristam Burges," by H. L. Bowen (Providence, 1835).


BURGESS, Alexander Mackinnon, Canadian journalist, b. in Strathspey, Inverness-shire, Scotland, 21 Oct., 1850. He was educated at the University of Aberdeen, emigrated to Canada in 1871, and was editor and chief reporter of the debates of the Senate and House of Commons in 1876. In 1882 he was appointed secretary of the department of the interior, and on 1 July, 1883, was created deputy minister of the interior. Mr. Bur- gess was at one time a member of the staff of the Toronto " Globe," became editor of the Ottawa " Times " on 1 July, 1874, and subsequently owner of that paper, which he retained until 1876.


BURGESS, Ebenezer, clergyman, b. in Ware- ham, Mass., 1 April, 1790 ; d. in Dedham, 5 Dec, 1870. He was graduated at Brown in 1809, and was a tutor there from 1811 till 1813. He then entered Andover theological seminary, was graduated there in 1815, and was professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in the Univer- sity of Vermont from 1815 till 1817. He was the agent of the American colonization society in Africa from 1817-'18, assisted in founding the colony of Liberia, and in 1818-'19 was the society's agent in the United States. He was acting pastor of the first Congregational church in Dedham, Mass., in 1820-'l, was ordained its pastor in March of the latter year, and remained there till his death. He published " The Dedham Pulpit " (1846), and "The Burgess Genealogy " (1865).


BURGESS, Ebenezer, missionary, b. in Graf- ton, Vt., 25 June, 1805 ; d. in Newton Centre, Mass., 1 Jan., 1870. He was graduated at Amherst in 1831, and became a tutor there from 1833 till 1835. He then entered Andover theological semi- nary, was graduated in 1837, and taught Hebrew and Greek in Union theological seminary. New York city, for a year. After another year, spent at Andover in advanced study, he was ordained on 19 March, 1839, and went as a missionary to the Mahrattas, in western India. He was stationed at Ahmednuggertill 1851, then at Satara, and in 1854 returned to the United States. He was acting pas- tor at Centreville, Mass., from 1857 till 1859, at Lanesville from 1861 till 1863, and at South Franklin from 1864 till 1867. He afterward en- gaged in lecturing and literary work until his death. He had nearly completed an elaborate work on the antiquity of man, on which he had been engaged since his" return from India.


BURGESS, Edward, naval architect, b. in West Sandwich, Mass., 30 June, 1848; d. in Boston, 12 July, 1891. Graduating at Harvard in 1871, he became secretary of the Boston society of natural history, edited its publications, and published several memoirs on anatomical subjects. From 1879 till 1883 he was instructor in entomology in Harvard. He travelled in Europe, and, in an amateur way, studied the principles of naval architecture, bringing his knowledge and judgment to the practical test of designing and building vessels for his own use. His success in this line was so marked that when, in 1883, a reverse of fortune threw him upon his own resources for a livelihood, he naturally turned to the designing of sailing-yachts. Several of his boats won fame in eastern waters, and when, in 1884, it became necessary to build a large sloop-yacht to represent the United States in a series of international races, he was selected by a committee of Boston gentlemen to draw plans for a suitable vessel. The famous sloop “Puritan” was the result, and in the contest for the “America's” cup in 1885 she defeated all competitors, including the fine English cutter “Genesta,” which had crossed the ocean to enter the contest. This was a remarkable triumph in view of the fact that it was the first attempt of an American designer to solve certain ship-building problems to which Englishmen had given their attention for a score of years. In the following season Mr. Burgess brought out the “Mayflower,” a sloop slightly larger than the “Puritan,” and the “Sachem,” a large schooner-yacht that has shown remarkable sea-going qualities. During the season of 1886 the “Mayflower” easily defeated, not only all American vessels of her class, but distanced the English cutter “Galatea ” which had come over in the hope of redeeming the “Genesta's” defeat of the preceding year.


BURGESS, George, P. E. bishop, b. in Providence, R. I., 31 Oct., 1809 ; d. at sea, near Port au Prince, W. I., 23 April, 1866. His father, Thomas Burgess, who died in 1856, was for many years a judge in Rhode Island. He was graduated at Brown in 1826, with the highest honors, and spent some time abroad in 1831-'4, of which an interest- ing journal remains. He was admitted to deacon's orders, by Bishop Griswold, in Providence, 10 June, 1834, and ordained priest, 2 Nov., 1834. He thereupon became rector of Christ church, Hart- ford, Conn., was married in October, 1846, and be- came actively engaged in literary as well as profes- sional work. He was elected first bishop of Maine, early in October, 1847, and consecrated in Christ church, Hartford, 31 Oct. On removing to Maine he took the rectorship of the church in Gardiner, which place he retained until his death. Bishop Burgess joined the Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg in what is known as the " Memorial Movement " in 1853. He was active in parochial as well as episcopal la- bors, in missions of the church, in the house of bishops, and as a teacher. His churchmanship was of the style of Muhlenberg, Alonzo Potter, and Bishop Griswold. sometimes designated as high church evangelicals. Bishop Burgess was one of the presenters of Bishop G. W. Doane, of New Jersey, on charges affecting that prelate's financial integ- rity. He was attacked with severe hasmorrhage in