BIENVILLE.
BIERSTADT.
Yale dirinitv scliool. His first pastorate was
over the Congregational church in Medlield.
Mass., where he remained from 1S38 until 1838,
when he was forced to abandon the ministry on
account of the loss of his voice. In 1841 he
assumed editorial charge of the American Na-
tional Preacher, a Philadelphia journal, and
while engaged in this work also became editor
and proprietor of the New York Evangelist, the
Eclectic Magazine and the American Biblical
Kepositon/. For a short time he had charge of
the American Theological Review. In 1867 he
received from Secretary Seward the appointment
of special United States commissioner to western
Asia, and he spent several months in travelling
througli that part of the old world. He died
Sept. 11. 1881.
BIENVILLE, Jean Baptiste le Moyne, Sieur de. ( See Le Moyne, Jean Baptiste, Sieur de Bien- ville.)
BIERMAN, E. Benjamin, educator, was born near Reading, Pa., Dec. 1, 1839, son of Benjamin and Anna (Bertram) Bierman. He was educated in the public schools of his native county, and in the Reading classical academy, ' where he was prepared for the junior class in college. During the last year of his connection with the academy, he was an associate instructor. In 18(54 he was elected principal of the pub- lic high school of Hamburg, Pa., which position he held for three successive years. In 1867 he was given the degree of M.A. by Lafayette college, and the same year the trustees o f Lebanon Valley college, Ann- Tille, Pa., unani- mously called him to the chair of English language and literature. This professorship he held for five years, when, on the re-organization of the faculty, he was transferred to the depart- ment of mathematics and astronomy, which place he filled during the following eight years. In 1880 he severed his connection with the college, and removed to Philadelphia for the purpose of attend- ing lectures in its professional schools and the Uni- versity of Penn.sylvania, and during a residence of nearly ten years he attended upwards of nearly twenty different courses in philosophy, history, lit- erature, medicine, political economy, etluc-s, etc. In 1890, he was elected president of Lebanon Val- ley college. In 1892, Ursinus college conferred upon liim the degree of Ph.D.
C^^S^ <^Uh<.cuJ
BIERSTADT, Albert, painter, was born at
Dusseldorf. Germany, Jan. 7, 1830. When he
was about two years old his parents removed to
the United States and settled in New Bedford,
Mass., where he received his early education.
While yet very young he occasionally amused
himself by making crayon sketches, and sliowed
not a little talent. In 1851 he began to paint
in oils, and two years later returned to Diis-
seldorf, where he remained four years, studying
in the academy, where lie acquired technical
skill, but exhibited no striking proof of talent.
During his first summer he made a sketching
tour, and painted the "Old Mill," which gave a
hint of his ability. On his next sketching trip he
painted "Sunshine and Shadow," which was
several times exliibited and was for many years
ranked as his best work. A winter in Rome
followed his study at Dusseldorf; tlien came
sketching tours through the Apennines, and in
Switzerland. In 1857 he returned to New York
city, and in 1858 set out with an expedition to
sketch in the Rocky mountains. That his trip
was successful is shown by the quality of the
paintings he produced from the sketches then
made. Of these "In the Rocky Mountains."
" Great Trees of California," and the " Valley of
the Kern River," are in the Hermitage of St.
Petersburg. In 1860 lie was elected to the National
academy; in 1867 he was sent to Europe upon a
government commission to make studies for a
painting of the " Discovery of the North River by
Hendrick Hudson," and was then and on his sub-
sequent visits given high honors. He was made
chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1867; and
was given the crosses of St. Stanislaus in 1869 and
1870. The following year he was elected to the
academy of fine arts in St. Petersburg, and won
medals from Bavaria, Belgium, Austria, and
Germany. Among his principal works are:
Laramie Peak" (1861); "Rocky Mountains,
Lander's Peak " (1863), a 6x10 canvas sold to Mr.
JamesMcHenry for S25,000; "North Fork of the
Platte" (1864); "Looking Down the Yosemite"
(1865); "El Capitan on Merced River" (1866);
" Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mount Rosalie"
(1866). owned by Mr. T. W. Kennard, valued at
§35,000; "Valley of the Yosemite" (1866);
"Settlement of California" and "Discovery of
the North River by Hendrick Hudson" in the
capitol at Washington, D. C.; "Emerald Pool on
Mt. Whitney" (1870); "Mount Hood" (1870);
"Valley of Kern River, California " (1875); " Estes
Park, Colorado." sold to the Earl of Dunraven
for $15,000. and exhibited at the Royal academy
in 1878; "Mountain Lake" (1877); "Geysers"
(1883); "Storm on the Matterhom" (1884);
"Valley of Zermatt, Switzerland" (1885), and
"On the Saco, New Hampshire" (1886). He
