Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/657

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GEIGER
GELDEREN
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unpopular in 1858, he began to be suspicious of Geffrard's popularity, and deprived him of his com- mand. Gelfrard, fearing imprisonment, escaped to Gonaives. When this became known, the people of the two northern departments rose in arms, proclaiming the deposition of Soulouque, and the republic under Geffrard's presidency, 22 Dec, 1858. GefErard soon collected a large force, and trium- phantly entered Port au Prince, 15 Jan., 1859; but he protected the flight of the fallen emperor and his family. Under his presidency, Hayti entered upon a new era of progress. He retrenched the public expenses and reduced the taxes, especially •on rural property. But on 8 Sept., 1859, the min- ister of the interior, Guerrier Prophete, headed a revolt. An attempt on Geffrard's life was frustrated, but one of his daughters was assassinated. He concluded treaties of commerce with France, Eng- land, and Spain. In 1861 his government became very unpopular, he being accused of subserviency to Spain, for not opposing the occupation of Santo Domingo by that power, and in 18G2 there was a revolt under Gen. Legros at Gonaives, and in 1864 another under Salnave in the north. In June, 1866, Salnave made a new attempt at Gonaives, and was again defeated. Geffrard now pi-omulgated liberal laws and abolished capital punishment for political offences. But the revolt continued to increase in the interior, and on 22 Feb.. 1867, was seconded by a pronunciamento in favor of Salnave at Port au Prince ; and, although Geffrard put the capital in a state of defence, he soon saw that resistance was useless, and, taking refuge with his family on board a French vessel, 13 March, he went to Jamaica, where he died.


GEIGER, Emily, Revolutionary heroine, b. about 1760. At the period when Gen. Greene retreated before Lord Rawdon from Ninety-Six, S. C., during the Revolutionary war, and had passed Broad river, he was anxious to send an order to Gen. Sumter, who was then encamped on the Wateree, to join him and attack Rawdon, who had divided his forces. But no one could be found willing to run the risk of traversing a section of country that was infested by revengeful Tories. At length a young girl, Emily Geiger by name, offered her services, greatly to the surprise of the American officer, who at once accepted them. He accordingly wrote a letter, which he gave to the girl, but at the same time informed her of its contents, that she might be able to deliver the message orally in case of accident. Emily set out on horseback, and met with no adventures until the second day, when she was intercepted by Lord Rawdon's scouts. Not being skilled in the art of telling falsehoods, she was suspected and placed in confinement, and an old Tory matron was sent for, that she might be searched. Emily utilized the interval by eating the letter, and, nothing suspicious being afterward found on her, she was allowed to proceed. By taking a circuitous route, she succeeded in reaching her destination and discharging her mission. In consequence, Sumter soon joined the main army at Orangeburg. Emily Geiger married a wealthy planter named Threrwits, who lived on the Congaree river, S. C.


GEIKIE, Cunningham, Scottish clergyman, b. in Edinburgh, 26 Oct., 1826. He was educated at the High school and at the University of Edin- burgh. Following his father to (^anada, he became pastor of a church near Toronto, and subsequently was called to one in Halifax. In 1862 he accepted a pastorate in Sunderland, England, and in 1876 took orders in the Church of England, and has held rectorships at Paris and at Barnstable, Eng- land. He is a prominent " Low church " lead(;r, and is the author of the following among other works : " The Backwoods of Canada " (1864) ; " Great and Precious Promises " (1872) ; " Life and Words of Christ" (1877); "Old Testament Por- traits" (1878) ; and " Hours with the Bible " (1881, et seq.). Nearly all his works have been republished in the United States. The " Life of Christ " has passed through twenty-five editions in Great Brit- ain, and has been reproduced in four separate editions in the United States.


GEISINIGER, David, naval officer, b. in Mary- land in 1790; died in Philadelphia, 5 March, 1860, He was appointed midshipman in the U. S. navy, 15 Nov., 1809 ; lieutenant, 9 Dec, 1814 ; command- er, 11 March, 1829 ; and captain, 24 May, 1838, being placed on the reserved list, 13 Sept., 1855. During the war of 1812 he saw much active ser- vice, and was on board the •' Wasp " in her brilliant cruise ofE the English coast in 1814. He had the good fortune to be sent to Savannah, Ga., in com- mand of the prize brig " Atalanta," and escaped the fate of the " Wasp," which was lost with all on board. Capt. Geisinger was for several years in command of the naval asvlum in Philadelphia.


GEISSENHAINER, Frederick Wilbono, clergyman, b. in Miilheim, Germany, 26 June, 177i : d. in New York city, 27 May, 1838. In early life he gave evidence of great intellectual pre- cocity, and, having studied at the universities of Giessen and Gottingen, he served for a while as "professor extraordinarius " in the latter institu- tion. So unusual were his attainments that he was ordained when only twenty years old, although five years younger than the age at which candidates were usually allowed to enter the ministry. Emi- grating to this country in 1793, he labored for fif- teen years in the Groschenhoppen and associated Lutheran churches in Pennsylvania, and in 1808 removed to New York city as the successor of Dr. Kunze, at the old Swamp church. He was absent for a time on account of failing health, but re- turned to New Y^ork in 1822, and remained there until his death. He possessed a powerful intellect, which had been brought under the influence of the most thorough culture. Latin and Greek were as familiar to him as his native tongue. He was made D. D. by the University of Pennsylvania in 1826. flis literary remains include lectures on church history and on the gospels, epistles, and portions of the Old Testament.


GELDEREN, Adolphus Van, educator, b. in Rotterdam, Holland, in 1835. He was educated in his native city, emigrated to South America, and in 1856 was appointed professor of languages in the University of Sucre, Bolivia. He afterward went to the Argentine Republic, in 1860 established in Buenos Ayres the first graded public school, and was appointed principal of the National college of Parana. In 1874, under Sarmiento's administration, a normal school was established in Buenos Ayres, and Van Gelderen was appointed principal. When in 1880 the city of Buenos Ayres was erected into a federal district, the normal college passed also under the National government, and Van Gelderen soon made it the foremost establishment of its class in the republic. Prof. Van Gelderen speaks and writes fluently ^Spanish, English, Dutch, German, French, Italian, and Portuguese, and is also proficient in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. He has published valuable works on education, and his text-books prepared for the Argentine schools have won high praise. In 1885 he was named an officer of the French academy, and decorated with the special medal awarded to meritorious educators.