Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/376

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352
EMORY
EMOTT

college, Md. He began to study law in 1805, and was admitted to the bar in 1808, but his attention was turned to the pulpit, and he entered the min- istry of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1810. He became well known, and his services were much ni demand throughout the middle states. He was chosen to the general conference of 1816, and to each succeeding conference with a single exception till 1832, when he was elected and ordained bishop. He was sent as a delegate to the British Wesleyan conference in 1820, and in 1824 was appointed book agent and editor for his denomination at New Yoi-k. His episcopal appointment did not take him away from the book concern, and during his management he was successful in paying all its debts and putting it on a solid and satisfactory foundation. He was active in promoting the im- provement of the literature of his church. The " Methodist Quarterly Review " was founded by him, and nearly all the original articles in the first two volumes are from his pen. His services and experience were made available in the founding of the University of New York and Wesleyan uni- versity, and he was one of the principal organizers of Dickinson college. In his day he was an able debater, and in 1817, in a pamphlet controversy, he used literary weapons, not unsuccessfully, with Bishop White, of Pennsylvania. In the contro- versy of 1828 he was the chief defender of the existing church government. He was of a logical turn of mind, and had command of a pure, clear, and vigorous style. After his election to the epis- copacy he was largely influential in giving to the church code known as the Methodist discipline its present form. He met his death by being thrown from his carriage. He left several works, includ- ing "The Divinity of Christ Vindicated," and "Defence of Our Fathers," in which he upholds Wesley's policy. — His son, Robert, educator, b. in Philadelphia, 29 July, 1814 ; d. in Baltimore, Md., 18 May, 1848, was graduated at Columbia in 1831, and studied law. He was appointed profes- sor of ancient languages in Dickinson college in 1834, but resigned in 1839, and entered the Balti- more annual conference of the Methodist Episco- pal church. In 1842 he was recalled to Dickinson college and made president pro tempore, and after the retirement of Dr. Durbin became president, holding the office the rest of his life. Columbia gave him the degree of D. D. in 1846. He pub- lished a "Life of Bishop Emory," with a collection of his writings (New York, 1841), and " History of the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church" (1843) ; and left behind him an unfinished "Analy- sis of Butler's Analogy," which was afterward com- pleted and published hy Dr. Crooks (1850). — Bishop Emory's first cousin, William Hemsley, soldier, b. in Queen Anne county, Md., 9 Sept., 1811 ; d. in Washington. D.C., 1 Dec, 1887, was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1831, and appointed lieu- tenant of artillery. He was chiefly at sea-ports in 1831-'6, and was in Charleston harbor during the nullification trouble in South Carolina. He was in the Creek nation in 1836-"8, was appointed 1st lieutenant of topographical engineers in the latter year, and employed successively on the improve- ments of Delaware river, and on the northeast boundary survey. He went with Gen. Stejahen W. Kearny to California in 1846, and was on his staff during the Mexican war, when he was successively made captain and brevet-major. He was on the Mexican and Californian border in 1848-'53, and in those years was commissioner and astronomer to run the boundary between Mexico and the United States, especially under the Gadsden treaty of 1853. He was in Kansas in 1854, in Utah in 1858, and remained on border duty till 9 May, 1861, when he resigned. lie was reappointed as lieutenant-colonel of the 6th cavalry on 14 May, and he took part in the peninsular campaign, being engaged at Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Han- over Court - House. He was made brigadier-general of volunteers, 17 March, 1862, commanded a division under Banks in Louisiana in 1863, and, having been raised to the command of the 19th corps, was with the same commander in 1864 in the Red river expedition, in which he displayed unwonted bravery and skill, winning distinction especially at Sa- bine Cross - Roads,

at Pleasant Hill, and

at Cane River. Later m the same year, at the head of the 19th corps, he offered a splendid and successful resistance to Early in the Shenandoah valley, especially at Opequan Creek, 19 Sept., at Fisher's Hill, 22 Sept., and at Cedar Creek in Octo- ber. He received the successive brevets of major- general of volunteers, 23 July, 1864, and brigadier- general and major-general in the regular army, 13 March, 1865, and on 25 Sept., 1865, was commis- sioned full major-general of volunteers. After the war he was successively in command of the Depart- ment of West Virginia in 1865-'6, of the Depart- ment of Washington in 1869-'71, and of the Depart- ment of the Gulf in 1871-'5. He retired in 1876 with the rank of brigadier-general. Gen. Emory has published " Notes of a Military Reconnoissance in Missouri and California " (New York, 1848) ; and " Report of the United States and Mexican Bound- ary Commission " (Washington). — His son. Will- iam Hemsley, naval officer, was graduated at the U. S. naval academy in 1866, became master in 1869, and lieutenant in 1870, and in 1884 command- ed the " Bear," of the Greely relief expedition.


EMOTT, James, jurist, b. in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., 14 March, 1771 ; d. there, 7 April, 1850. He did not receive a collegiate education, but the degree of A. M. was conferred on him by Union in 1800. He studied law, began to practise at Ballston Centre, and soon became a distinguished member of the bar. He was a commissioner to settle disputes concerning titles to lands in the military tract of Onondaga county in 1797. and about 1800 removed to Albany, which he represented in the legislature of 1804. He was a leader of the Federalist party in congress from 1809 till 1813 ; a member of the New York assembly from 1814 till 1817, and its speaker in 1814; first judge of the court of common pleas of Dutchess county from 1817 till 1823, and judge of the second judicial circuit court from 1827 till his resignation, about 1831. He received the degree of LL. D. from Columbia in 1833. — His son, James, jurist, b. in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., 23 April. 1823; d. there, 11 Sept., 1884, received his early education in Poughkeepsie, and in 1838 was graduated at the head of his class at Columbia. He then studied law in Poughkeepsie, was admitted to the V)ar there, and at once began active practice in his native place,