the then new application of mathematics to the motions of the heavenly bodies. He subsequently gave up his pupils, owing to a disagreement with their father, and returned to Scotland, where he became a teacher of mathematics at Edinburgh. He came to the United States in 178(5, and in 1787 became professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in Princeton, which post he held till his death. He received the degree of LL. D. from the University of Aberdeen, about 1787. Dr. Minto published " Demonstration of the Path of the New Planet"; "Researches into Some Parts of the Theory of Planets" (London, 1783); "An Account of the Life, Writings, and Inventions of Napier of Merchiston," with Lord Buchan (Edinburgh, 1787); and his "Inaugural Oration on the Progress and Importance of the Mathematical Sciences" (1788).
MINTURN, Robert Bowne, merchant, b. in New York city, 16 Nov., 1805; d. there, 9 Jan., 1866. He received an English education, and,
though compelled by the death of his father to leave school at the age of fourteen and enter a counting-house, spent his leisure in study, so that
he gained an extensive acquaintance with general literature. He was received into partnership in 1825 with Charles Green, whose clerk he had been,
and in 1830 entered the firm of Fish and Grinnell, which was afterward known as Grinnell, Minturn and Co. He declined all public office except the
post of commissioner of emigration, which he accepted from a wish to secure the rights of emigrants. He was an active manager of many charitable associations in New York city, aided in establishing the Association for improving the condition of the poor, and was a founder of St. Luke's hospital. He was the first president of the Union League club. — His son, Robert Bowne, b. in New York city, 21 Feb., 1836; d. there, 15 Dec,
1889, was graduated at Columbia in 1856. He is the author of " New York to Delhi " (New York, 1858).
MINTY, Robert Horatio George, soldier, b.
in County Mayo, Ireland, 4 Dec;., 1831. He entered
the British army as ensign in 1849, and served in the West Indies and Honduras and on the African coast, but retired from the service in 1853, and, coming to the United States, settled in Michigan. He became major of the 2d Michigan cavalry and then lieutenant-colonel of the 3d at the beginning of the civil war, was made colonel of the 4th in 1862, and in 1863-'5 commanded a cavalry brigade that was known as the " Sabre brigade," capturing Shelbyville, Tenn., on 27 June, 1863. He commanded the cavalry on the left at Chickamauga, and afterward covered Gen. Thomas's retreat to Chattanooga. He also did good service at New Madrid, Farmington, the pursuit of Bragg, Stone River, and the Atlanta campaign, and led a division in Kilpatrick's raid around that city. At the close of the war he received the brevets of brigadier-general and major-general of volunteers, and declined a major's commission in the regular army. Five horses were killed under him during the war.
MINUIT, or MINNEWIT, Peter, colonist,
b. in Wesel, Rhenish Prussia, about 1580; d. in
Fort Christiana, New Sweden (now Delaware), in
1641. He was of a good family, and had been
a deacon in the Walloon church in his native
town, but removed to Holland and had
resided there several years, when, on 19 Dec., 1625,
he was appointed by the Dutch West India
company its director in New Netherlands. This office
had been held first by Cornelis Mey, and then by
William Van Hulst, but the company now
ordained a more formal government, with enlarged
powers, so that Minuit may be called the first
governor
of New Netherlands. He sailed from
Amsterdam in the “Sea Mew,” landed on Manhattan
island, 4 May, 1626, and purchased it from the
Indians for trinkets that were valued at about twenty-four
dollars. The ship that bore the news of this
purchase to Holland carried back 8,250 beaver, otter,
mink, and wild-cat skins, and much oak and
hickory timber. Minuit built Fort Amsterdam
and a warehouse and mill, and by the arrival of
new vessels the population of the island was soon
increased to about 200. In 1627 the director
exchanged several letters with Gov. William Bradford,
of Plymouth, which resulted in the establishment
of commercial relations between the two
colonies. Minuit governed with energy and skill
till August, 1631, when he was recalled, the West
India company holding him responsible for the
accumulation of land in the hands of the patroons.
He sailed for home in March, 1632, and in April put
into Plymouth, England, where his ship was
attached by the council of New England on a charge
of illegally trading in the English dominions.
This led to a brisk diplomatic correspondence, and
on 27 May the vessel was quietly released, though
the English did not abandon their claims. Minuit,
after unsuccessful endeavors to regain his office,
offered his services to the Swedish government, and
the chancellor, Oxenstiern, renewed in 1633 the
charter of the Swedish West India company, which
had been formed in 1626. Under its auspices
Minuit set sail from Gothenburg in 1637 with a
body of Swedish and Finnish colonists in two
vessels, the “Key of Calmar” and the “Griffin.”
They ascended Delaware bay, purchased from the
natives the land from the southern cape to the falls
near Trenton, and in March, 1638, began to build
Fort Christiana, near the present city of Wilmington.
This was the first permanent European settlement
on Delaware river. Gov. Kieft, of New
Netherlands, protested in a letter to Minuit that
the land bordering on the Delaware “has been our
property for many years, occupied with forts and
sealed by our blood, which also was done when
thou wast in the service of New Netherland, and
is therefore well known to thee.” This protest
was disregarded, and the colony remained a Swedish
possession till it was captured by the Dutch
fourteen years after Minuit's death. In 1640 it
narrowly escaped abandonment. It had been more
than a year since the colonists had heard from
home, and their necessities had become so pressing
that they applied to the authorities at Manhattan
for permission to remove thither, but, on the day
before the one that had been fixed upon for the
change, a ship laden with provisions arrived in
Delaware river. Minuit displayed much skill in
keeping the settlers together and in avoiding
hostilities with the Indians and the Dutch, and the
success of the colony was undoubtedly due to his
energy. He is described as robust, with somewhat
dull black eyes and brusque manners.
MIRABEAU, Boniface Riquetti, Vicomte de,
French soldier, b. in 1754; d. in Friburg in October,
1792. He was a younger brother of the
celebrated orator. He entered the French army, and
served under Rochambeau in the war of American
independence as colonel of the Touraine regiment.
On his return he opposed the French revolution,
emigrated in 1790, and joined the Royalist army
on the Rhine. He was a man of wit and courage,
but so addicted to drink that he was given the
name of “Barrel Mirabeau.”
MIRAMON, Miguel (me-rah-mong), Mexican soldier, b. in the city of Mexico, 29 Sept., 1832 ; d. in Queretaro, 19 June, 1867. He was of French.
