NICHOLS
NICHOLS
R.I., in 1660, and of John Fostei* of Salem, Mass.,
who settled in Rhode Island early in the seven-
teenth centuiy. He attended the public schools
of Brooklj-n, N. Y.; was apprenticed to a ma-
chinist in 1862, and was graduated from the
Rensselaer Polytechnic institute, C.E., 1868. He
was employed on the laying out of Prospect park,
Brooklyn, N.Y.: on the first elevated railway in
New York city, and was a teacher of mathe-
matics at the Cooper institute, N.Y. He was as-
sistant engineer in the office of Cooper & Hewitt,
1870-71, and was engaged in constructing the
tunnel divisions of the Lima and Oroza and of
the Chimbote railroad, Peru, 1871-76. He was
married, Nov. 21, 1876, to Jennie Swasey, daugh-
ter of Judge Samuel Sterne of Newport, R.I.
He was in Brazil as resident engineer of an Eng-
lish railway enterprise, 1878-79, and was em-
ployed by Cooper & Hewitt in the New Jersey
Steel and Iron company at Trenton, 1879-81, and
by the Peter Cooper glue factory in Brooklyn,
in 1882. He was resident engineer of the Hen-
derson bridge over the Ohio river, 1882-86, and
chief engineer of the Westerly, R.I. water works,
1886. He was principal assistant engineer of the
Suburban Rapid Transit company in New York,
1887-88 ; city and chief engineer of the Brook-
lyn elevated railroad company, 1888-92, and was
elected general manager and chief engineer of
tlie latter, 1892. He was chosen principal assist-
ant engineer of tiie new East River bridge in
February, 1896. He was elected a member of
the American Society of Civil Engineers ; the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers ; the
Institution of Civil Engineers ; a fellow of the
American Geographical society, and a trustee of
the Engineers' club of New York city.
NICHOLS, William Augustus, soldier, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., May 12, 1818 ; grand- son of Gen. Francis Nichols (q.v.). He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy, July 1, 1838, and assigned to the 2d artillery. He was promoted 2d lieutenant, July 7, 1838, 1st lieuten- ant, June 1, 1844, and engaged in the battle of Monterey, Sept. 21-23, 1846. He was brevetted captain for gallant conduct in the several con- flicts at Monterey, Mexico ; served as aide-de- camp to General Quitman, Aug. 19 to Oct. 6, 1846 ; as adjutant of 2d artillery, 1846-47, and at the same time as actingassistant adjutant-general of the 5th military department. He was acting assistant adjutant-general of Garland's brigade. Worth's division, and took part in the siege of Vera Cruz ; the battle of Cerro Gordo ; the skirmish of Amazoque ; the capture of San Antonio, and battle of Churubusco. He was brevetted major, Sept. 8, 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Molino Del Rey, and took part in the storming of Chapultepec and in the assault
and capture of the city of Mexico. He was
brevetted captain of staff and assistant adjutant-
general, July 29, 1852, and served in the 4th
military department ; in the adjutant-general's
office at Washington, D.C., and in the depart-
ments of Texas and New Mexico. He was
brevetted major of the staff, March 7, 1861, and
was captured by the Texas secessionist and
paroled. He served as adjutant-general of the
Department of the East and of the Department
of New York ; was mustering and disbursing
officer in New York city, 1801-62, and assistant in
the adjutant-general's office at Washington, D.C.,
1862-66. He was promoted colonel of staff,
June 1, 1864, and was brevetted brigadier-general,
Sept. 24, 1864, and major-general, March 13, 1865,
for " meritorious and faithful services during the
rebellion." He was adjutant-general of the
military division of the Missouri and chief of
staff to Lieut. -Gen. W. T. Sherman, 1868-69. He
died in St. Louis, Mo., April 8, 1869.
NICHOLS, William Ford, second bishop of California and 154th in succession in the Ameri- can episcopate, was born at Lloyd, N.Y., June 9, 1849 ; son of Charles Hubert and Margaret Emilia (Grant) Nichols ; grandson of Josiali Morse and Delilah (Duncombe) Nichols and of Sweton and Hannah (Whitele}') Grant, and a descend- ant of Francis Nich- ols, an original settler and proprietor of Stratford, Connecti- cut, 1639. He was grad- uated from Trinity college, A.B., 1870, A.M., 1873, and from Berkeley' divinity school in 1873. He was admitted to the diaconate by Bishop
AVilliams of Connecticut in 1873 and to the priest- hood, in 1874, and was private secretary to Bishop Williams, 1871-76. He was married, May 18, 1876, to Clara, daughter of Edward Augustus and Mary (Gillespie) Quintard. He was assistant at Holy Trinity, Middletown, Conn., 1873-75, rector of St. James, West Hartford, Conn., and Grace church, Newington, Conn., 1875-77 ; rector of Christ church, Hartford, 1877-87, and of St. James, Philadelphia, Pa., 1887-90. He was a delegate to the Seabury centenary at Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1884, and in behalf of the clergy and laity of Connecticut presented a paten and chalice to the Scottish church. He was professor of church history at the Berkeley divinity school, 18S5-87, and was assistant secretary of the House
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