Talavera, who had fled from Hispaniola, and when the latter learned where Ojeda was going, he secured him as a prisoner. The vessel was wrecked on the coast of Cuba, when the crew, being attacked by the Indians, set Ojeda free and gave him the command. After many difficulties he managed to send a message to the governor of Jamaica, who despatched Panfilo de Narvaez (q. v.) to Ojeda's rescue, and facilitated his return to Hispaniola, Meanwhile Enciso had sailed, and when the news of his deposition by Balboa arrived, Ojeda was persecuted by his creditors, who had provided means for his expedition, and passed his last years in great misery, dying finally in consequence of a wound from a poisoned arrow that he had received in San Sebastian. — His son, Alonso, b. either in Andalusia or Hispaniola about the end of the 15th century; d. in Mexico about 1550, served in Cuba from early youth, accompanied Hernan Cortes to the conquest of New Spain in 1519, and was the first of the conquerors to learn the Mexican language. He was specially beloved by the natives of Tlascala, and therefore appointed by Cortes commander of the auxiliary force from that republic, which accompanied him on his expedition against Panfilo de Narvaez (q. v.). For the siege of Mexico he carried with his Indians two heavy pieces of cannon from Vera Cruz to Texcoco. He was also sent to arrange a dispute between the inhabitants of Cholula and Topoyanco, which he did so effectively that he brought an auxiliary army of 200,000 men from those two states, and as commander of part of that army contributed efficaciously to the siege and capture of Mexico. He wrote “Memorias y Comentarios de la Conquista de Mexico,” a valuable manuscript which was used by Antonio de Herrera in his “Decadas” and Torquemada in his “Monarquia Indiana.”
OJEDA, Diego de, South American poet, b. in
Seville in 1560 ; d. in Huanuco, Peru, 24 Oct., 1619.
He came to Peru in early youth, became a Domini-
can friar, and was successively professor of the-
ology in the convent of Cuzco, and rector of the col-
leges of Cuzco, Lima, and Huanuco. He employed
his leisure in composing songs for the choir, and at
the solicitation of his friends he sent one of his
poems to his old master of philosophy in Seville,
who published it under the title of " Cristiada "
(Seville, 1611). It is a poem in twelve parts on the'
passion of Jesus Christ, and George Ticknor, in his
" History of Spanish Literature," commends the
author for its light versification and its brightness
and simplicity. The work is rare, and Nicolas
Antonio, in his " Bibliotheca Nova," asserts that a
copy could scarcely be found in the 18th century.
O'KELLY, James, clergyman, b. in 1735; d."l6
Oct., 1826. He is identified with the history of
Methodism, but nothing is known of his youth and
early manhood. He is first heard of at the " Christ-
mas Conference" at Baltimore in 1784. In 1789
the bishops proposed that a council of presiding
elders be convened, and it was held at Baltimore,
1 Dec, 1789. O'Kelly sat in this body, and subse-
quently, by strongly opposing certain of its meas-
ures, he did much to discredit councils. Notwith-
standing this. Bishop Asbury, who was in favor of
them, deemed it wise to call a second, but only
ten elders attended, and a third was never held.
O'Kelly labored heartily in favor of a general con-
ference, and to him the Methodist church owes
"that essential and valuable constituent of its
polity." He wrote letters to Thomas Coke, Wes-
ley's ambassador, securing his co-operation, and in
consequence brought these two fathers of American
Methodism to the verge of antagonism. Seeing
that a crisis had been reached, which he could not
prudently ignore, Asbury sacrificed his personal
wishes and consented to the holding of a general
conference. It was called for 1 Nov., 1792, and
O'Kelly introduced a resolution to modify the
bishop's power of appointment to the extent of al-
lowing to any preacher who should feel dissatisfied
with the place assigned him an appeal to the
conference. This was rejected by a large ma-
jority, and O'Kelly sent in his resignation and
withdrew. Several of O'Kelly's adherents also left
the conference, and he subsequently organized a
"Republican Methodist Church," afterward called
the " Christian Church." In 1829 it included sev-
eral thousands in its membership, most of them in
North Carolina and Virginia. From 1782 till 1792
O'Kelly was stationed almost constantly in Vir-
ginia, and presided over a large district of the best
circuits in the connection. It could, therefore, not
have been for personal reasons that he urged the
right of appeal from the bishop to the conference.
He was opposed to slavery, and denounced it.
Throughout southern Virginia and the adjoining
counties of North Carolina his influence was very
great, and " he scrupled not to use it in building
up his own cause."
OKEMOS, Indian chief, b. before 1780 ; d. near
Lansing, Mich., in December, 1886. He was a
nephew of Pontiae, and fought in the campaigns
of Arthur St. Clair and Anthony Wayne. In the
war of 1812-15 he was a war-chief, and at Fort
Meigs received wounds in the head. His later life
was spent near the village in Michigan bearing his
name and in the Indian settlements of that state.
OLANETA, Pedro Antonio de (o-lan-yay'-tah), Spanish soldier, b. in Biscay about 1770; d. in Tumusla, Bolivia, 2 April, 1825. He was the son of poor laborers, and emigi'ated when he was seventeen years old to South America, where he traded for some time in the provinces of Potosi, Juijui, and Salta, and, after acquiring a small fortune, obtained a commission in the local militia of Potosi. When in 1811 the army of the Argentine Independents marched against upper Peru, he offered his services to the authorities, and took part in the campaign under Gen. Jose Goyeneche as major. In 1818 he served under Pezuela as colonel, taking part in the battles of Villapujio and Ayohuma, and later he was commander of a brigade, with which he defeated Gen. Rondeau at Viluma. 29 Oct., 1814, and was promoted brigadier. In November, 1816, La Serna took the chief command, and, together with the officers of the regular army, began to annoy the provincial militia chiefs. When, by a military revolution in 1821, the former was appointed general-in-chief and viceroy, these hostilities led nearly to an open rupture, Olaiieta, as commander of Potosi, meeting La Serna's orders with resistance. But when Santa Cruz, with the independent forces from Peru, approached, Olaiieta effected a junction with La Serna, on 14 Sept., 1823, and obliged Santa Cruz to retii'e to the coast. He was then promoted major-general, and appointed president and commander-in-chief of upper Peru. His opposition to La Serna and his advisers continued, and when, toward the end of the year, they recognized and proclaimed the liberal constitution of Spain, Olaiieta disapproved the measure. When he heard later that Ferdinand VII. had declared the constitution abolished, 1 Oct., 1823, he did not wait for instructions from Spain, but pronounced in open rebellion against the viceroy in La Paz, 15 Jan., 1824. occupied Potosi, and on 4 Feb. issued a proclamation declaring the re-establishment of the absolute authority of Ferdi-
