1809, went to Dover, Del., with his father in 1740, and studied under Dr. Allison in Philadelphia. He then went to live on his farm near Trenton, N. J., and, though possessed of an ample fortune, hazarded it by embracing the patriot cause. He entered the army as colonel of the Hunterdon county battalion in July, 1775, and was commis- sioned brigadier-general on 19 Oct. In 1776 he was a delegate to the provincial congress of New Jer- sey and member of a committee that drafted a constitution with a clause affirming the independ- ence of New Jersey, which was adopted on 2 July, 177G. On 20 Jan., 1777, with about 400 raw troops, who had to wade waist-deep through a river to make the attack, he surprised and defeated a large foraging party near Somerset Court-IIouse, N. J., capturing a few prisoners, forty wagons, and about a hundred English draught-horses. He was made major-general of the New Jersey forces on 6 June, 1777, and on 27 Nov. made an attack on Staten Island, for which he was thanked by Washington. During the occupation of Trenton by the Hessians, Gen. Dickinson's estate was plundered by the ene- my. He led the New Jersey troops at the battle of Monmouth, where he displayed great bravery, and was specially mentioned by Washington in his report to congress. In 1778-'9 he was chief signal otheer for the middle department. On 4 July, 1778, he was second to Gen. Cadwalader in his duel with Gen. Conway. He was a delegate to congress in 1782-8 from Delaware, where he owned prop- erty, and in 1783-'4 was vice-president of the New Jersey state council. He was a member of the commission appointed by congress in December, 1784, to select a site for the national capital, and, on the resignation of William Patterson as IT. S. senator from New Jersey, was chosen to fill his place, serving from G Dec, 1790, till 2 March, 1793. From this time till his death he lived quietly at his country-seat, " The Hermitage," which was the resort of all the distinguished men who passed through Trenton.
DICKINSON, Jonathan, clergyman, b. in Hat-
field, Mass., 22 April, 1G88; d. in Elizabethtown,
N. J., 7 Oct., 1747. He was graduated at Yale in
1706, and in 1709 was installed pastor of the church
at Elizabethtown, where he had gone the year pre-
vious, and in charge of which he remained nearly
forty years, or until his death. The adjoining
townships of Rahway, Westfield, Union, Spring-
field, and a part of Chatham, were included in his
parish, to which he ministered not only in spiritual
things, but also in things temporal, as he was a
practising physician. After the separation of the
New Jersey churches from the synod of Philadel-
phia in 1741, a charter was obtained for the Col-
lege of New Jersey (originally known as Nassau
hall), the first classes were opened in Elizabeth-
town, and Dr. Dickinson was chosen president, 22
Oct., 174G. In assuming this office he did not
change his habits, as he had been accustomed dur-
ing a portion of his ministry to receive young men
for instruction in different branches preparatory to
their entering on the study of some profession.
He died the year following, but lived long enough
to leave upon the institution the permanent im-
press of his character. His works are largely con-
troversial, being written in defence of what he con-
sidered fundamental truths. Among them are
"Reasonableness of Christianity: Four Sermons"
(1732); "The True Scripture Doctrine Concerning
some Important Points of Christian Faith," etc.
(1741); and "Familiar Letters to a Gentleman"
(1745 ; 3d ed., Edinburgh, 1757). A collection of
many of his writings was published in 1793.
DICKINSON, Mary Clare, superior of Carmel-
ites, b. in London, England, in 1755 ; d. in Balti-
more, Md., in 1830. She was educated in France,
where she joined the order of the Carmelites, was
afterward a member of that order in Antwerp, and
was one of the four Carmelites that left Europe to
establish a branch of the community in the United
States in 1790. They landed at Port Tobacco, Md.,
and took possession of their house, which was the
first conventual establishment in the United States.
In 1800 Sister Mary Clare Dickinson was elected
superior, which office she held for thirty years.
DICKINSON, Moss Kent, Canadian capitalist,
b. in Denmark, Lewis co., N. Y.. 1 .luiie. 1822. He
is the son of the late Barnabas Dickinson, who re-
moved from the United States to Canada about
1812, and was the founder of Dickinson's Landing
on the St. Lawrence, and the first contractor for
the conveyance of the mails, then cari'ied on men's
backs, from Montreal westward. His son was edu-
cated at the schools of Cornwall and Prescott. and
at the academies of Lowville and Denmark, N. Y.
lie began the business of forwarding in 1844 be-
tween Montreal and Kingston, and subsequently
extended his line to Quebec and Lake Champlain,
with bi'anch offices at Kingston, Ottawa, Montreal,
Quebec, Burlington, and Whitehall. His fieet now
consists of sixteen steamers and sixty barges.
From 1850 till 1857 he was associated with J.' U.
Currier in the manufacture of lumber at Ottawa.
In 1869 he retired from the forwarding business.
In 1864 he was elected mayor of Ottawa, and was
re-elected by acclamation the two succeeding years.
At the general election of 1882 he was elected to
the Dominion parliament.
DICKINSON, Richard William, b. in New
York city, 21 Nov., 1804; d. in Fordham, N. Y.,
16 Aug., 1874. He was graduated at Yale in 1823,
and, after studying for two years at Princeton semi-
narv, was ordained as a Presbyterian minister on
24 Oct., 1828. He held pastorates in Philadelphia,
New York city, and Brooklyn till 1845. when he
retired on account of failing health, and devoted
himself to literary work. From 1859 till 1872 he
was pastor of a church at Inwood, New York city.
The University of New York gave him the degree
of D. D. in 1842. Besides articles in periodicals.
Dr. Dickinson published " Scenes from Sacred His-
tory " (New York, 1849) ; " Responses from the
Sacred Oracles" (1850); "Religion Teaching by
Example " ; " Life and Times of Howard " ; and
" Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Historically and
Logically Viewed" (Philadelphia, 1865).
DICKINSON, Rodolphus, clergyman, b. in Deerfield, Mass., in 1787; d. there in 1863. He was graduated at Yale in 1805, studied law in Northampton, was admitted to the bar in 1808, and practised his profession in Springfield, Mass., till 1811, acting as clerk of the courts in his native county for eight years. On leaving this office
he was ordained deacon by Bishop Griswold, of the Protestant Episcopal church, and removed to South Carolina, where he founded the parishes of Greenville and Pendleton. During the first eighteen months he travelled more than 7,000 miles on horseback. He was advanced to the priesthood in 1822, and returned the following year to Deerfield, which residence he retained till the close of his life. For six years he preached at Montague, Mass., after which, in 1839, he was an unsuccessful candidate for congress. He published his own translation of the New Testament, with
notes (Boston, 1833). and several law, geographical, and other text-books, including a "Geographical and Statistical View of Massachusetts Proper."
