to Peru in 1863, and in 1864 was elected to congress. He was president of the lower house, afterward senator, and twice president of the latter body. On May 2, 1866, he took part in the combat of Callao against the Spanish squadron. Gen. Echenique was decorated with several foreign orders. — His son, Juan Martin, b. in Lima in 1841, was educated in Spain, and since 1859 he has taken active part in the politics of Peru. When in 1864 the Spanish fleet took the Chinchas islands, although seriously ill, he sailed from Europe to offer his services to his country, and at his request was placed on board of a Peruvian shijj, where he remained till the Vivanco-Pareja treaty. When Gen. Pezet's government was overthrown and war against Spain declared, Echenique again entered the service as captain, embarking in the sloop-of-war "Union," and took part in the campaign of Chiloe and the combat of Abtao. Soon afterward he was sent to Europe to witness the Austro-Prussian war. He was one of the principal authors of the project to abolish the sale of guano on consignment, and was sent as an agent by his government to Europe in 1869, where he negotiated the Dreyfus treaty. He has lately dedicated himself exclusively to economic studies, and holds a prominent place among the statesmen of his country.
ECHEVERRIA, Esteban (ay-tche-ver-re'-ah),
South American poet, b. in Buenos Ayres, Argentine Republic, in 1809; d. in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1851. He began publishing poems at the age of twenty, spent some time in study in France, and,
on his return to his native land, issued "Elvira ó la novia del Plata," which was unworthy of his talent and not well received. He afterward published a volume of short poems entitled "Consuelos" (1834), which established his reputation as a poet. He wrote several poems narrating the heroic deeds of those who risked their lives in defending their country against the tyrant Rosas, and in consequence was obliged to go into exile. His best-known works are "La Cautiva," containing exquisite descriptions of the pampas and the Argentine people, and "Rimas" (1837); "La Guitarra," "Angel caido," "Avellaneda," and "La insurreccion del-Sud " (Montevideo, 1849).
ECHEVERRIA, Manuel Mariano, South
American missionary, b. at Quito about 1730; d.
there in the latter part of the 18th century. In
1767 he was appointed superior of the missions of
Mainas and those on the banks of the Maranon,
and on 3 Jan., 1768, at the head of twenty-
eight priests, he set out for his post. He worked
with ardor, and did much to improve the moral
and material condition of the wild Indian tribes.
On his return from the missions he was appointed prebendary to the Cathedral of Quito, but died soon after. Echeverria wrote " Descripcion de Mainas" (1784), a work which has remained un-
edited, but is valuable for the information it contains about the villages of the province of Mainas, including Napo and Canelos, the number of their inhabitants, their exact positions, and their natural and industrial products.
ECKARD, James Read, missionary, b. in
Philadelphia, Pa., 33 Nov., 1805 ; d. in Abington,
Pa., 13 March, 1887. He was graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania in 1833, and practised
law, was a director of public schools in Philadel-
phia, studied for the ministry and was ordained as
a Presbyterian evangelist on 31 July, 1833. He
was a missionary in the island of Ceylon, residence
in Jaffna, 1833-5, in Madura, Hindostan. 1835-6,
again in Jaffna from 1836 till 1843, agent of the
American board in Georgia in 1844, missionary
and principal of the Chatham acadeiny. Savannah,
Ga., in 1844-'6. pastor of a Presljyterian church in
Washington, D. C, in 1848-"5(S, and at Asbury,
N. J., in 1860-'7. From 1858 till 1872 he was pro-
fessor of rhetoric and history in Lafayette college,
Pennsylvania. When in Ceylon, Dr. Eckard pub-
lished, in the Tamil language, an essay on " Faith
and Justification" (Jaffna, Ceylon, 1834), also, in
English and Tamil, the "Hindoo Traveller" (Jaff-
na, 1836), designed for natives educated to read
English. On his return he issued a narrative of
some of the missionary operations in India (Phila-
delphia, 1844), and " An Outline of English Law
from Blackstone." He received the degree of
D. D. from Lafayette college, Easton, Pa. — His
wife, Margaret Esther Bayard, b. on Cumber-
land Island, Ga., 18 Oct., 1810; d. in Sumter
county, S. C, 29 Feb., 1872. She was second di-
rectress of the Washington, D. C, Protestant or-
phan asylum in 1858, and gave her husband much
assistance in his missionary work in Ceylon and
Madura, Hindostan.
ECKERT, Thomas Thompson, telegrapher, b.
in St. Clairsville, Ohio, 23 April, 1825. In 1849 he
was appointed postmaster at Wooster, Ohio, and
as he had learned telegraphy, the wires were
brought into his office. In 1852 he supervised the
construction of the telegraph line between Pittsburg
and Chicago, over the Fort Wayne route, and
was offered the superintendency. When the lines
under his management were made a part of the
Western Union telegraph company, his jurisdiction
became largely extended. In 1859 he left this to
superintend the affairs of a gold-mining company
in Montgomery county, N. C., where he remained
until the civil war began, when he removed to
Cincinnati. He was called to take charge of the
military telegraph office at the headquarters of
Gen. McClellan, and in 1862 accompanied that
officer to the peninsula as superintendent of the
military telegraph, Department of the Potomac,
with the rank of captain and assistant quartermaster.
In September he was called to Washington
to establish the military telegraph headquarters
in the war department buildings, and was
promoted to the rank of major. From this time
till the close of the war he was on intimate terms
with President Lincoln and Sec. Stanton. In 1864
he was brevetted lieutenant-colonel, and afterward
brigadier-general. The same year he was appointed
assistant secretary of war, retaining the office
till 1866, when he resigned and became general
superintendent of the eastern division of the lines
of the Western Union telegraph company. In 1875
he became president of the Atlantic and Pacific
telegraph company, and in 1880 president of the
American Union telegraph company. On the
consolidation of these companies with the Western
Union telegraph company, in 1881, he returned
to the service of the latter company as vice-president
and manager, later becoming president.
ECKFELDT, Jacob Reese, assayer, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., in March, 1803; d. there, 9 Aug., 1872. He early entered the U. S. mint, where his father was chief coiner, and by his capabilities
rapidly rose until he was made chief assayer. During his term of office some English sovereigns were sent to the mint for recoinage, and they were reported by him as below the standard claimed. This was confidently denied by the English authorities, who said, “It is impossible; the London mint makes no mistakes.” Mr. Eckfeldt maintained that he was right, and subsequently an investigation showed that he was. The excitement in monetary circles that followed resulted in a parliamen-
