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ary, 1761. In 1773 he published "at his ever open and uninfluenced press " the first number of a newspaper entitled " The New York Gazetteer ; or the Connecticut. New Jersey, Hudson's River, and Quebec Weekly Advertiser." He advocated the measures of theBritishgovern- ment with great zeal, and attacked the patriots so se- verely that in 1775 the Whigs of New- port resolved to hold no communi- cation with him. In consequence of his repeated at- tacks upon the Sons of Liberty, and especially ('apt. Isaac Scars, that officer eame to New York from Connecticut with seventy-five horse- men, and, enter-

ing Rivington's

office, destroyed his press and converted the types into bullets. Rivington's conduct was examined by the Provincial congress, which referred the case to the Continental congress, and while the latter was considering it the publisher wrote a remonstrance, declaring " that however wrong and mistaken he may have been in his opinions, he has always meant honestly and openly to do his duty as a servant of the public." He then made his peace with the Whigs, and was permitted to return to his house, but, having incurred suspicion he afterward went to England, where he was appointed king's printer for New York. In 1777, after the British occupa- tion of that city, he returned with a new press, and resumed the publication of his paper under the title of " Rivington's New York Loyal Gazette." which he changed on 13 Dec., 1777. to "The Royal Gazette." On the day when Maj. John Andre was taken prisoner his " Cow Chase " was published by Rivington. About 1781, when the success of the British was becoming doubtful. Rivington played the part of a spy, furnishing Washington with im- portant information. His communications were written on thin paper, bound in the covers of books, and conveyed to the American camp by agents that were ignorant of their service. When New York- was evacuated, Rivington remained in the city, much to the general surprise, removed the royal arms from his paper, and changed its title to " Rivington's New York Gazette and Universal Advertiser." But his business rapidly declined, his paper ceased to exist in 1783, and he passed the re- mainder of his life in comparative poverty. There is a complete set of his journal in the library of the New York historical society. Rivington of- fended his readers by the false statements that ap- peared in his paper, which was called by the peo- ple " The Lying Gazette," and which was even cen- sured by the royalists for its utter disregard of truth. The journal was well supplied with news from abroad, and replenished with squibs and poems against the leaders of the Revolution and their French allies. Gov. William Livingston in particular was attacked, and he wrote about 1780: " If Rivington is taken, I must have one of his ears; Governor Clinton is entitled to the other ; and Gcn- eral Washington, if he pleases, may take his head." Rivington provoked many clever satires from Fran- cis Hopkinson, Philip Freneau, and John Wither- spoon. Freneau wrote several epigrams at his ex- pense, the best of which was "Rivington's Last Will and Testament," including the stanza :

Shall remain to the Tories, to have and to hold." Alexander Graydon, in his Memoirs," says of Rivington: "This gentleman's manners anil ap- pearance were sufficiently dignified; and he kept the best company. He was an everlasting dabbler in theatrical heroics. Othello was the character in which he liked best to appear." Ashbel Green speaks of Rivington as " the greatest sycophant imaginable; very little under the influence of any principle but self-interest, yet of the most courteous manners to all with whom he had intercourse." The accompanying portrait is from the original painting by Gilbert Stuart, in the possession of William H. Appleton, of New York. His son, JOHN, a lieutenant in the 83d regiment, died in England in 1809.

ROACH, Isaac, soldier, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 24 Feb., 1786; d. there, 29 Dec., 1848. He was commissioned 3d lieutenant in the 2d artillery, 2 July, 1812, and served in the detachment under Capt. Towson in cutting out the British brigs " Caledonia " and " Detroit," lying under the guns of Fort Erie, 8 Oct., 1812. Lieut. Roach was among the first to board the captured brig^, the " Detroit," and, in the words of Winfield bcott, "certainly no one surpassed him in intrepidity and efficiency." He was wounded in the assault on Queenstown heights, 13 Oct., 1812, promoted cap- tain, 13 April, 1813, and in this capacity had com- mand of a piece of artillery, and formed a part of the advance-guard in the capture of Fort George, 37 May. 1813, when he was again wounded. On 24 June following, at the Beaver dam, he held his position for hours against a greatly superior force, which he repeatedly drove back, but toward the close of the day, through the misconduct of his commanding officer, he was obliged to surrender. He was held prisoner until the close of the war, when, after escaping and being recaptured, he was liberated. On the reduction of the army upon the peace establishment, he was transferred with his full rank to the corps of artillery. He was bre-_ vetted major for ten years' service. 13 April, 1823, and resigned, 1 April, 1824. In 1838 he was elected mayor of the city of Philadelphia, and he was treasurer of the mint in that city in 1844-'7.

ROACH, John, ship-builder, b. in Mitchellstown, County Cork, Ireland, in 18 15 ; d. in New York city, 10 Jan., 1887. At the age of fourteen he came penniless to New York, and obtained work from John Allaire, in the Howell iron-works. New Jersey. In 1840 he went to Illinois to buy land, but he returned to New York, and worked as a machinist for several years, and then established a foundry with three fellow-workmen. The explosion of a boiler nearly ruined him financially, but he rebuilt his works, which were known it- tlf .Ktna iron-works. Here he constructed the largest engines that had been built in the United States itt that time, and also the first compound engines. In 1868 he bought the Morgan iron-works in New York city, and also the Neptune, Franklin Forge, and Allaire works, and in 1871 the ship-yards in Chester, Pa., that were owned by Rainerand Sons. He established a ship-building plant that covered 120 acres, and was valued at $2,000,000. under the name of the Delaware river iron ship-building and engine works, of which he was the sole owner, and