Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/64

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BURNHAM
BURRAGE

to intellectual pursuits. He has published "Anti- Slavery Hymns" (New London, Conn., 1842); "The Maniac, and other Poems" (Philadelphia, 1849) ; and " Signal Fires, or the Trail of the Pathfinder" (New York, 1856); and translated into English verse Victor Hugo's " La legende des sieoles" (printe<l privately, 1867).


BURNHAM, Benjamin Franklin, lawyer, b. in (iroton. Vt., 30 Nov., 1830: d. in Boston, Mass., 21 May, 1898. He was graduated from Wesleyan university in 1853, and then took up the stmiy of law. securing his admission to the bar of Illinois in 1857. At the outbreak of the civil war he was practising law at Newbury. Vt. He eidisted at once in the 8th Vermont volunteer infantry. In 1864 he was detailed as assistant superintendent of education of freedinen in Louisiana, and in 1865 he was put in command of a company of U. S. colored infantry at Palmetto ranch. He was then assigned to the frcedman's bureau, and was charged with the task of establishing schools among the negroes. While engaged on this duty he was at one time wounded severely by a mob at Monroe, La., opposed to the innovation. He re- turned north, and took up his residence at Boston in 1867. LTntil 1873 he was an associate justice of the South Boston court. He published at Boston in 1870 two volumes of the "Digest of Decisions of the United States Courts of Common Law and Admiralty," covering the years 1868 and 1869. Judge Burnhaui was also the author of "A Voice from the Pews, or a Tabernacle Supplement " (Boston, 1877), and, in conjunction with Celeste S. Burnham, of "The Life of Lives: being the Records of Jesus reviewed by Recent Biblical Scholars" (Boston, 1885).


BURNHAM, Daniel Hudson, architect, b. in Henderson, Jefferson eo., N. Y., 4 Sept., 1846. His great-grandfather was an oflRcer in the Revolution- ary army. Young Burnham went to Chicago with his parents when nine years old, and was educated there in various schools and afterward under pri- vate instruction in Massachusetts. He then stud- ied architecture in Chicago, and has since prac- tised his profession in that city, planning, among other buildings, the Montauk block, the Rookery, the Insurance exchange, the Calumet club, the Women's building, the Masonic temple, the North- ern hotel, and numerous churches, all in Chicago, besides noteworthy buildings in other western cities, including the Mills office building in San Francisco. In 1890 he became chief of construc- tion and supervising architect of the World's Co- lumbian exposition, and in this capacity he su- pervised tlie construction of the great group of exposition buildings, besides having much to do with planning the arrangement of the whole.


BURNHAM, Horace Blois, lawyer, b. in Co- lumbia county, N. Y., 10 Sept., 1834 ; d. in Aspen Shade, Henrico co., Va., 10 April, 1894. He received a common-school education, and then studied law, securing his admission to the Pennsylvania bar at Wilkesbarre in 1844. lie practised his profes- sion until the outbreak of the civil war. when, in October, 1861, he was commissione<l lieutenant- colonel of the 67th Pennsylvania infantry. With his regiment he took part in the principal cam- paigns of the Army of the Potomac in Jiarvland and Virginia in l'863-'3, and during the draft riots in New York city he was temporarily as- signed to duty there. In October. 1864, he was honorably mustered out under his commission, and was appointed on the same day major and judge-advocate of volunteers. He was brevetted lieutenant-colonel and colonel of volunteers in March, 1865, for faithful and meritorious ser- vices during the war. From October, 1864, until May, 1866, he was judge-advocate of general courts-martial. He then served a year in the bureau of military justice at Washington. In February, 1867. he had been transferred to the regular ariny with the rank of major and judge-advocate. During 1867-70 he was chief judge-advocate of the first military district, the headquarters of which were at Richmond. At the same time he served also as additional judge of the hustings court of Richmond, and as a judge and president of the supreme court of appeals for Virginia. For the next two years he was assigned to the department of the South. In 1873 he was sent on temporary duty to the department of Texas, and from 1873 until 1886 was judge-advocate in the department of the Platte. In July, 1884, he was promoted lieutenant-colonel, and was made deputy judge-advocate-general. From the department of the Platte he went to the military division of California at San Francisco, and here he completed his active service, being retired in September, 1888. His fidelity to duty had been commended by Gen. Crook in general orders, and on the eve of his retirement Gen. Howard gave warm testimony of his fidelity and zeal.


BURNHAM, Sherburne Wesley, astronomer, b. in Thetford, Vt., 12 June, 1838. He was edu- cated at Thetford academy, and became a stenog- rapher, following that profession until he was ap- pointed in 1865 clerk of the U. S. circuit court for the northern district of Illinois, which position he still occupies. He began the study of astron- omy, making many discoveries, and is now {)ro- fessor of practical astronomy in the University of Chicago. In 1874 he became a fellow of the Royal astronomical society of England, receiving in 1894 its gold medal for his discovery and measurement of many double stars. Prof. Burnham has pub- lished numerous catalogues of more than a thou- sand stars discovered by him.


BURR, William Hubert, engineer, b. in Watertown, Conn., 14 July, 1851. He was graduated at the Rensselaer polytechnic institute, and began practice as a civil engineer in 1872. He became in 1884 general manager. Phcpiiix bridge company, in 1892 professor of engineering in Harvard, and in the following year accepted the same position in Columbia, which he continues to occupy. Prof. Burr has also been very frequently employed as consulting engineer. New York city parks, docks, and more recently in the department of bridges. He has published several works of & professional character, and is a member of the American society of civil engineers.


BURRAGE, Henry Sweetzer, clergyman, b. in Fitchburg, Mass., 7 Jan., 1827. He was graduated at Brown in 1861, entered the 36th Massachusetts regiment as a private, rose to the rank of captain, was wounded at Cold Harbor and brevetted major of volunteers, and became an assistant adjutant-general on the staff. He was captured in November, 1864, and held as a prisoner till 22 Feb., 1865. He resumed his studies at the close of the civil war, was graduated at Newton theological seminary in 1867, spent a year abroad, and in 1869-'73 was pastor of a Baptist church in Waterville, Me. Since 1873 he has edited the “Zion Advocate,” a Baptist religious journal in Portland, Me., and since 1876 he has been recording secretary of the American Baptist union. He is chancellor of the Maine commandery of the military order of the Loyal legion of the United States. Brown gave him the degree of D. D. in 1883. Dr.