daily work, carried on a voluminous correspondence
with prominent Christians in all parts of the
world. He travelled extensively in connection
with his laboi's, his last long journey being a
solitary horseback ride of thousands of miles
through Asia Minor, in 1859-'60. He revisited the
United States for the sixth time in November,
1861, and was killed in a railroad accident in
Vermont while on his way to attend a missionary
anniversary in Canada. Hamilton gave him the
degree of D. D. in 1852. Dr. Dwight wrote books
and tracts in the languages of the east, translated
portions of the Bible, and published " Researches
of Smith and Dwight in Armenia" (Boston, 1833);
" Memoir of Mrs. Elizabeth B. Dwight," his wife
(New York, 1840) ; and " Christianity Revived in the
East" (1850; London, 1854). He also contributed
to the journal of the American oriental society
a " Complete Catalogue of Literature in Armenia,"
and left many unpublished manuscripts. — His son,
WlUiam Buck, scientist, b. in Constantinople,
Turkey, 22 May, 1833, came to the United States
in 1850, and was graduated at Yale in 1854, at
Union theological seminary. New York, in 1857,
and at the Y^ale scientific school in 1859. He took
part in founding the village of Englewood, N. J.,
in 1859, and established a young ladies' schpol
there, of which he was principal till 18G5. He
was occupied in mining explorations in Virginia
and Missouri in 1865-7, taught at West Point in
1867-'70, and in 1870-8 was assistant principal and
professor of natural science in the State normal
school at New Britain, Conn., also editing the
Connecticut " School Journal " in 1872-'5. He
was chosen professor of natural history and cura-
tor of the museum at Vassar college in 1878, and in
1882 was also made curator of the museum of the
Vassar Brothers' institute, Poughkeepsie. N. Y.
In 1885 he invented a machine for making thin
slices and other sections of rocks and fossils. Mr.
Dwight has given special attention to the geology
and [)alo()nt<)l()gy of the lower Silurian rocks.
Since 1879 he has carried on an extended investi-
gation in the Wappinger valley limestones of
Dutchess county, N. Y., developing a new group
of fossils for which he proposes the name " Roch-
dale group." He has also investigated the Taconic
limestones of Canaan, N. Y. Many of his results
have been published in the proceedings of the
National academy and the American association,
and in scientific periodicals, and when complete
they are to be issued in book-form, illustrated. —
Mary Ann, author, granddaughter of Gen. Joseph's
brother Josiah. b. in Northampton, Mass., 17 Sept.,
1800 ; d. in Morrisania, N. Y., 4 Nov., 1858. Her
taste was formed in her father's excellent library,
and she became a teacher of drawing and painting.
She published " Grecian and Roman Mythology "
(New York, 1849) ; " Introduction to the Study of
Art " (1856) ; an elementary astronomy ; " Poetry
for the Young ; " and an edition, with notes, of
Cowper's translation of the " Iliad." She had also
prepared for publication an abridgment of Lanzi's
"History of Painting." — Edmund, merchant,
grandson of Gen. Joseph's brother Edmund, b. in
Springfield, Mass., 28 Nov., 1780; d. in Boston,
Mass.. 1 April, 1849, was graduated at Yale
in 1799, and studied law with Fisher Ames,
but never practised. After travelling in Europe in
1802-'4 he became a merchant in Springfield, and
in 1815 established the house of William H. & J.
W. Dwight, which founded the manufacturing
villages of Chicopee Fails in 1822, Chicopee in
1831, and Ho) yoke in 1847. His firm had for
several years the direction of factories in which
3,000 persons were constantly employed. Mr.
Dwight took an early and active part in the con-
struction of the Western railroad from Worcester
to Albany, and was one of its directors for many
years, becoming president in the year of his death.
He made a liberal use of his large fortune for
objects of public importance, rendering especially
great service to the cause of popular education.
It was chiefly through his exertions that the Mas-
sachusetts state board of education was established,
and he was the first to propose the present normal-
school system. In 1838 he pledged' $10,000 for
its establishment, on condition that the legislature
should appropriate an equal amount, which was
promptly done. Mr. Dwight was for many years
a member of the Massachusetts legislature, and
one of the founders of the American antiquarian
society in 1812. — His son, Edmund, merchant, b.
in Boston, 3 Sept., 1824, was graduated at Harvard
in 1844. In 1871 he went abroad to superintend
the distribution of the fund raised by subscription
in Boston for the relief of the suffering caused in
France by the war with Germany, and on his re-
turn he published an interesting " Report to the
Executive Committee of the French Relief Fund"
(Boston, 1872). — The elder Edmund's nephew,
Francis, educator, son of James Scutt Dwight, b.
in Springfield, Mass., 14 March, 1808 ; d. in Albany,
N. Y., 15 Dec, 1845, was graduated at Harvard in
1827, and at the law-school in 1830. After a tour
in Europe he was admitted to the bar in 1834,
and practised in the states of Massachusetts, Michi-
gan, and New York, but gave up his profession
in 1838, and established at Albany, in 1840, the
District School Journal," under state patronage,
which he conducted until his death. He was
active in devising and establishing the present code
of public instruction in the state of New York. —
WilHam, soldier, grandson of Edmund's brother
Jonathan, b. in Springfield, Mass., 14 July, 1831 ;
d. in Boston, Mass., 21 April, 1888, was at the
United States military academy. West Point, in
1849-'53, but resigned before he was graduated and
became a manufacturer in Boston, and afterward
in Philadelphia. He was commissioned captain in
the 13th U. S. infantry on 14 May, 1861, and in June
of that year became lieutenant-colonel of the 70th
New York volunteers, of which Daniel E. Sickles
was colonel. At the battle of Williamsburg half
the regiment were killed or wounded. Col. Dwight
being wounded three times and left for dead on the
field. For his gallantry on this occasion he was
promoted to brigadier-general of volunteers on 29
Nov., 1862, and assigned to the 1st brigade of
Grover's division, which he led in the attack on
Port Hudson. He also served on the commission
to settle the terms of surrender of that place. In
May, 1864, he was Gen. Banks's chief of staif in the
Red river expedition, succeeding Charles P. Stone,
and in July of that year was put in command of
the 1st division of the 19th army corps, under
Sheridan, with which he rendered important ser-
vice at Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek.
He remained in the army till 15 Jan., 1866, and
subsequently removed to Cincinnati, Ohio. — His
brother. Wilder, soldier, b. in Springfield, Mass.,
23 April, 1833 ; d. in Boonsborough, Md., 19 Sept..
1862, was graduated at Harvard in 1853, and at
the law-school in 1855. He practised in Boston
from 1857 till 24 May, 1861, when he became major
of the 2d Massachusetts infantry. He distinguished
himself in Gen. Banks's retreat through the
Shenandoah valley, and was taken prisoner at
Winchester on 25- May, 1862. He was made lieu-
tenant-colonel on 18 June, 1862, was mortally
Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/302
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DWIGHT
DWIGHT