bishop. Dr. Stephens, though an excellent scholar and teacher, published only a few occasional sermons. His son, Abednegro, clergyman, b. in Centreville, Md.. 24 July, 1812; d. in Nashville. Tenn., 27 Feb., 1841, was ordained deacon in October, 1837, by Bishop Otey, and priest soon afterward by the same bishop. His record is thus summed up by his bishop: "At the age of seventeen he was the acting principal of a large academy, at twenty-two professor of languages in a university, at twenty-seven the president of a college, and when, in his twenty-ninth year, his brilliant career was arrested by the hand of death, he stood in the front rank of scholars and orators." His published address (1838), delivered before the alumni of the university, on "The Duty of the State to Endow Institutions for the Promotion of High Letters," is marked by felicity of style and great research.
STEPHENS, Harriet Marion, author, b. in 1823; d. in East Hampden, Me., in 1858. She appeared on the stage under the name of "Mrs. Rosalie Somers," but abandoned it in 1851 for literature. She wrote "Home Scenes and Home Sounds" (Boston, 1853) and a novel, "Hagar, the Martyr" (1854), and also edited magazines, in which many of her productions appeared.
STEPHENS, Henry Louis, book-illustrator, b. in Philadelphia, 11 Feb., 1824; d. in Bayonne, N.J., 13 Dec., 1882. About 1859 he went to New York under an engagement with Frank Leslie, and after a year or so transferred his services to Harper Brothers. Mr. Stephens was a prolific artist, and accomplished a great amount of work for book and magazine illustration. He was well known as a caricaturist, excelling especially in the humorous delineation of animals, and drew cartoons and sketches for "Vanity Fair" (1859-63), "Mrs. Grundy" (1868), "Punchinello" (1870). and other periodicals. He gave some attention also to painting in water-colors, but rarely exhibited his works.
STEPHENS, John Lloyd, traveller, b. in Shrewsbury, Monmouth co., N. J., 28 Nov., 1805; d. in New York city, 10 Oct., 1852. He was graduated at Columbia in 1822, and, after studying law at Litchfleld, Conn., and New York, was called to the bar. He practised his profession during eight years in the latter city, at the same time figuring occasionally as a public speaker at meetings of the Democratic party, of which he was a warm supporter. His health becoming impaired, he undertook a journey to Europe for recuperation in 1834, and extended his travels to some parts of Asia and Africa along the Mediterranean. He wrote a series of letters describing his journey, which appeared in Hoffman's "American Monthly Magazine." When he returned to New York in 1836 he found that these letters had been the most popular feature in the periodical. This fact induced him to give a more detailed account of his travels, and he published " Incidents of Travel in Egypt, Arabia Petraja, and the Holy Land" (2 vols.. New York. 1837). This was followed by "Incidents of Travel in Greece, Turkey, Russia, and Poland" (1838). These works achieved success in England as well as in the United States, and repeated editions of them appeared in London. In 1839 he was sent by President Van Buren to negotiate a treaty with the government of Central America; but the confederation was falling to pieces when he arrived there and he did not succeed in the object of his mission. He resolved, however, to explore the country to which he had been accredited. Accompanied by an English artist, Frederick Catherwood, he made himself familiar with the most important cities of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, San Salvador, and Guatemala, and was the first to irive nn accurate account of the antiquities of Central America, He published after his return to New York "Incidents of Travel in Central America. Chiapas, and Yucatan" (2 vols., 1841). It contained graphic accounts of the social and political condition of Central America, but its chief title to the celebrity that it at once attained was its revelation of a new and rich field for archaeological research. The illustrations, taken on the spot by Mr. Catherwood, added to the interest of the work. He returned to Central America, making Yucatan the principal scene of his next investigations, which were carried on in a more thorough manner. The fruits of his labors appeared in his "Incidents of Travel in Yucatan," with 120 engravings from drawings by Frederick Catherwood (2 vols., 1843). He was^elected delegate to the New York constitutional convention in 1846, and he also took an active part in organizing the first line of ocean steamships between New York and Bremen. He went to the latter city on board the "Washington" as an officer in the company and paid a visit to Baron Humboldt. In 1849 he became a member of the company that was formed for building a railroad across the Isthmus of Panama, and the rest of his life was devoted to the prosecution of this enterprise. He was successively vice-president and president of the company and negotiated with the government of New Granada, and the constant and personal supervision that he gave to the work planted the seeds of the disease of which he died. A monument to him has been erected on the highest point overlooking the railroad.
STEPHENS, William, president of the colony of Georgia, b. in the Isle of Wight, England, 28 Jan., 1671; d. in Georgia in August. 1753. He was educated at Winchester school and King's college, Cambridge, and studied law, but. abandoning it for public affairs, was a member of parliament and held several important offices. About 1730 he went to South Carolina for the purpose of surveying a barony of land. He was well pleased with his reception in the colony, became intimate with Gen. James Oglethorpe, and, on the recommendation of the latter, was appointed secretary to the trustees in Georgia in 1837. His duty in this office consisted in supervising the affairs of the colony. He was made president of the county of Savannah in 1741, and of the entire colony in 1743. He held this post up to 1750, when he gave such evidence of mental and physical decline that he was requested to resign. He wrote "A Journal of the Proceedings in Georgia, beginning October 20, 1737" (3 vols., London, 1742). This work includes "State of the Province," which brings the narrative down to 28 Oct., 1741. The latter was also published separately (London, 1742). The work, which is exceedingly rare, especially the third volume, is believed to be of great importance in connection with the early history of Georgia, His son, Thomas, was the author of "The Castle-Builder, or the History of William Stephens, of the Isle of Wight" (2d ed., London. 1759).
STEPHENSON, Mathew. statesman, b. in Buckingham county, Va., about 1770; d. after 1834. He removed to Washington county, Tenn., and engaged in farming. The constitution of Tennessee, adopted in 1797, gave the right of suffrage to all free men. Under it free colored men voted until 1834, when a convention was called and a new constitution adopted, which deprived them of the right. In that convention the party in favor of restricting the suffrage was boldly opposed by twenty members; thirty-eight voted for the re-
