to Farragut, for which he was brevetted major, and also brevetted major and lieutenant-colonel in the regular army for his services at Sabine Cross- Roads and Pleasant Hill. In August, 18(54, he was com- missioned colonel of the 7th New York hea\^ artil- lery, but declined the appointment, becoming as- sistant adjutant-genera] on the staff of Gen. Canby in the Department of the Gulf, and being after- ward transferred to Sheridan's staff. In 1866 he served in the campaigns of Sheridan and Custer against the Indians. He resigned in 1872, and was appointed consul to Florence, Italy, in 1876. He became governor of Montana on 4 Aug., 1882, took an active part in preventing the Yellowstone park from failing into the hands of a cattle syndicate, and in November, 1884, was appointed first assistant postmaster-general, but resigned 4 March, 1886.
CROSBY, Enoch, patriot, b. in Harwich, Mass.,
4 Jan., 1750 ; d. in Brewsters, N. Y.. 26 June, 1885.
He was supposed to be the original of " Harvey
Birch " in Cooper's " Spy." In his infancy his par-
ents removed to Southeast, Dutchess co., N. Y., and
by a series of disasters were reduced to poverty.
At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to a cord-
wainer. At the beginning of the Revolutionary
war he joined the Continentals, and served in the
Lake Champlain campaign for several months,
then became ill and was sent home. On his recov-
ery he shouldered his musket and set out on foot
for the American camp. On his journey an inci^
dent, of which he took advantage, revealed a deep-
laid conspiracy, upon which he successfully studied
and acted. The result was the prompt arrest of a
band of tories, and his own appointment to a place
in the Secret Service Department. He became a
most successful worker, and by his shrewdness pre-
vented various catastrophes to the patriot cause.
After many hair-breadth escapes he finally joined
the command of Lafayette, under whom he served
till the end of the war, when he purchased a farm
and devoted himself to agriculture for the rest of
his life. The story of his secret-service life, which
was thought to be incorporated in Cooper's " Spy "
(though Cooper had never heard of him), was
dramatized, and Mr. Crosby was on one occasion
present at a representation of the play in New York
city, and, as the hero, received the plaudits of the
multitude. His narrative, taken from his own lips
bv Capt. H. L. Barnum, was published under the
title of " The Spy Unmasked " (New York. 1828).
CROSBY, Peirce, naval officer, b. near Chester.
Delaware co.. Pa., 16 Jan., 1823. He was educated
at a private school, and was appointed in 1888 mid-
shipman from Pennsylvania. He sailed in 1842 on
the frigate " Congress " to the Mediterranean, serv-
ing on her six months, when he returned to the
United States. In May, 1844, he was promoted to
passed midshipman, and served on the coast survey
in 1844-'6. He was six months on the " Decatur,"
in the gulf of Mexico during the Mexican war, par-
ticipated in the attack and capture of Tuxpan and
Tobasco, and then served a year on the '• Petrel."
Peace being declared in 1848, he was transferred to
other duties, and commissioned lieutenant, 3 Sept.,
1858. At the beginning of the civil war Lieut.
Crosby served in Chesapeake bay, keeping the com-
munications open between Annapolis and Havre de
Grace, was detailed, on the night prior to the battle
of Big Bethel, to transport troops across Hampton
creek, and also upon their return from their unsuc-
cessful expedition. In the attack on Forts Hat-
teras and Clark he commanded the " Fannie," a
light-draught steamer, and superintended the land-
ing of troops, until the surf swamped and broke his
boats. He then took a ship's heavy launch and
landed two more boat-loads of men ; but the sea
became so heavy that the launch was dashed upon
the shore and the crew hurled out. He succeeded
in landing 300 men, but, on accoimt of the bad
weather, the squadron stood off seaward, leaving
him and his companions upon shore. Lieut. Cros-
by put out a strong picket in front of the enemy's
batteries, thus preventing their making a recon-
noisance and ascertaining his weakness. On the
following day the squadron returned and captured
the forts. In the winter of 1861-'2 he took com-
mand of the gun-boat " Pinola," and joined the
Gulf s(|ua(lron under Farragut. On his way he
captured tlie " Cora," loaded with cotton. On ar-
riving at the mouth of the Mississippi, he co-oper-
ated with the " Itasca " in breaking the chain bar-
rier across the river below Forts Jackson and St.
Philip, and participated in the capture of New Or-
leans, and also at the passage and repassage of the
batteries at Vicksl)urg. 30 .lune and 15 July. He
was promoted to commander, 3 Sept., 1862, and ap-
pointed fleet-captain of the North Atlantic squad-
ron, and did good service in various expeditions.
In the winter of 1863 he took command of the
'• Florida," destroyed two blockade-runners at Ma-
sonboro inlet, was transferred to the " Keystone
State " in 1864, and captured five blockade-runners,
causing many others to throw overboard their car-
goes in order to escape. In 1864-'5 he was in com-
mand of the " Metacomet," and planned and super-
intended the removal, by the use of drag-nets, of
140 torpedoes which interfered with the approaches
to Mobile, successfully clearing the track so that
vessels passed up the river and forced the surren-
der of the city. In 1865 he was transferred to the
command of the " Shamokin," and sailed in her for
the coast of Brazil, where he remained until 1868.
On 27 May, 1868, while yet in Brazilian waters, he
was promoted to a captaincy, and returned to the
United States, becoming inspector of ordnance at
Norfolk navy-yard. He was promoted to commo-
dore, 8 Oct., 1874, made rear-admiral, 10 March,
1882, and assigned to the command of the Asiatic
squadron. In 1883 he was placed on the retired
list. He had been in active service more than forty-
eight years, over twentv-three of which were at sea.
CROSBY, William George, lawyer, b. in Belfast, Me., in 1806 ; d. there in 1881. He was graduated at Bowdoin in 1828, and studied and practised law in his native town. Gov. Crosby was one of the two whigs that held the office of governor, Edward Kent being the other. In 1853 the Maine law and the pro-slavery tendencies of the democracy lost that party the control of both branches of the legislature, which elected Mr.
Crosby governor, and he was re-elected by the legislature in 1854. After the close of his term he took no active part in politics. During the civil war
his sympathies were with the Union, but at its close
he affiliated with Andrew Johnson and was a
democratic candidate for congress, but was defeat-
ed. He was prominent in promoting the public-
school system of Maine. While in college he
published a small volume of poems. He was a
contributor to the " Token," a Boston annual,
edited by N. P. Willis ; " The Legendary," which
illustrated the scenes, romances, and legends of
our own country ; and the " Bowdoin Poets," and
was the author of " Poetical Illustrations of the
Athenaeum Gallery."
CROSBY, William Otis, geologist, b. in Decatur, Ohio, 14 Jan., 1850. He was graduated at the Massachusetts institute of technology in 1876, where he was an assistant in 1876-'80, instructor in 1880-8, and assistant professor of
