Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/650

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GATES
GATES

several years. He was elected to congress in 1838, and re-elected in 1840. On the expiration of his congressional service, he removed to Warsaw, and continued his law-practice. On account of his hostility to slavery, a reward of $500 was offered by a southern planter for his " delivery in Savan- nah, dead or alive." In 1848 he was the Free-soil candidate for lieutenant-governor of New York, but was defeated. He drew up the protest of the Whig members of congress in 1843 against the an- nexation of Texas, erroneously attributed in sev- eral histories to Mr. Adams's pen; and the corre- spondence between Mr. Gates and ex-President John Quincy Adams, who signed the protest, is still in the possession of his son. — His son, Mer- rill Edwards, educator, b. in Warsaw, N. Y., G April, 1848, was graduated at the University of Rochester in 1870. He became principal of the Albany academy in 1870, president of Rutgers

college (shown in the engraving). New Brunswick, N. J., in 1882, and in 1884 a member of the U. S. board of Indian commissioners. He has lectured in the cities of New Jersey and New York on educational topics. The degree of Ph. D. was con- ferred upon him by the University of New York in 1880, and LL. D." by Princeton in 1882.


GATES, Sir Thomas, governor of Virginia, lived in the 17th century. The second charter of Virginia, which bears the date of 23 May, 1609, in- trusted the colonization of that land to a numerous body of adventurers. Among those, who were to execute Raleigh's design, were Robert Cecil, earl of Salisbury, Sir Francis Bacon, Capt. John Smith, Sir Oliver Cromwell, uncle to the protector, and others, besides a number of public companies of London, which represented the nobility, army, bar, and industry of England. This new charter trans- ferred to the company the power that had before been reserved for the king and contained a com- mand that allegiance and obedience should be ren- dered to such governors as should be appointed by the council in England. The officers were Sir Thomas West, Lord De la Warr, captain-general of Virginia ; Sir Thomas Gates, lieutenant-general ; Sir George Somers. admiral ; Capt. Newport, vice- admiral ; Sir Thomas Dale, high-marshal ; and Sir Ferdinand Wainman, general of horse. Coloniza- tion had taken such hold of the public mind that large sums of money were freely contributed, and so many persons desired to be transported that nine ships, with more than five hundred emigrants, were despatched in charge of Capt. Newport, Sir George Somers, and Sir Thomas Gates. They sailed from England in May, 1609, but only seven ships arrived in Virginia. The ship of the three com- missioners, the " Sea Venture," was separated from the rest of the fleet by a hurricane, and stranded on the rocks of Bermuda, and a small ketch also perished. Sir Thomas Gates and his passengers remained nine months in Bermuda, where they constructed two vessels, partly from the wreck of the " Sea Venture " and partly from cedars, which they felled. On reaching Virginia, on 24 May, 1610, they found the colony in a state of misery and desolation ; for, after the departure of Smith, the old and new colonists, no longer controlled by a recognized authority, had abandoned themselves to indolence and vice. Famine had reduced their numbers to sixty, and only four pinnaces remained in the river. The settlers desired to burn the town, but were prevented by Gates, who resolved to sail for Newfoundland with the remaining colonists, in order to seek a passage for England. As they de- scended the river, they met Lord De la Warr, bring- ing colonists and supplies, 9 June, 1610, and re- turned with him to Jamestown. The council were eager for some immediate profit, and, in order to give them a full account of the state of affairs, Lord De laWarr sent Sir Thomas Gates to England. Becoming discouraged by his report, many of the organization withdrew their aid, and the return of Lord De la Warr confirmed their suspicions. Sir Thomas Gates succeeded, however, in collecting new recruits, and in August, 1611, arrived in Vir- ginia with six ships, three hundred men, one hun- dred cattle, and all manner of provisions. He as- sumed the office of governor, and endeavored to make religion the foundation of law and order. During his rule, new settlements were made in Henrico (1611), and the third patent for Virginia was signed (March, 1612), which granted to the share-holders in England the Bermudas and all islands within three hundred leagues of the Virginia shore. This acquisition was subsequently transferred to a separate company. Sir Thomas Gates returned to England in 1614, and endeavored to revive and strengthen the fallen hopes of the London company of share-holders. Sir Thomas Dale succeeded him as governor of Virginia. It is supposed that the wreck of the " Sea Venture " furnished Shakespeare the groundwork for his comedy of " The Tempest."


GATES, William, general, b. in Massachusetts in 1788; d. in New York, 7 Oct., 1868. He was a son of Lemuel Gates, an officer in the Revolution, who died in 1806. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1806, receiving the appoint- ment of 2d lieutenant in the regiment of artillerists, and served in garrison until 1812. When the war with Great Britain began, he was appointed acting adjutant of light artillery and aide to Gen. Porter, and in 1813 he was promoted to captain. He was engaged in the capture of York (now Toronto), Canada West, and in the bombardment and capture of Fort George. In May, 1814, he was transferred to the corps of artillery, and served in garrison and frontier duty for several years. Pie was appointed captain of the 2d artillery upon the reorganization of the army in June, 1821, and two years later was brevetted major. He served on garrison duty until 1832, when he was stationed at Fort Moultrie, Charleston harbor, during the nullification troubles. He took part in the Florida war, personally captured Osceola, and escorted the Cherokees to "the Indian territory. He served in the war with Mexico as colonel of the 3d artillery, and from 1846 till 1848 acted as governor of Tampico, Mexico. Subsequently he served on garrison duty, and retired from active service in 1863. He was brevetted brigadier-general in 1865 for long and faithful service.— His son, Collinson Eeed, b. in New York in 1816; d. in Fredericksburg,