Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/371

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WEBSTER


WEED


ried, Oct. 26, 1789, to Rebecca, daughter of William Greenleaf of Boston, and they had one son and six daughters. He served in the legisla- tures of Massachusetts and of Connecticut, was one of the founders of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, and during his residence in Amiierst was actively interested in founding Amhe]"st college, serving as first president of the board of trustees of Amherst academy at the time Amherst college was founded. He received from the College of New Jersey the honorary de- of A.M. in 1795, from Yale that of LL.D. in 1823, and from Middlebury that of LL.D. in 1830. Besides many pamphlets and monographs, Web- ster's books published during his life include : A Crrammatical Institute of the English Language (3 parts, 1783-85) : The Neiv York Directory (1786 ; reprinted, 1886); Dissertations on the English Language (1789); A Collection of Essays and Fugitive Writings on Moral, Historical, Political and Literary Subjects (1790) ; The Prompter, or a Commentary on Common Sayings and Subjects (1791 ; reprinted as The English Ship righting Herself after 20 years of Hard Fighting, 1806); The Revolution in France (\79i); Collection of Papers on Bilious Fevers (1796); A Brief History of Epidemic and Pestilential Diseases (2 vols., 1799) ; Miscellaneous Papers on Political and Com- mercial Subjects (1802 ; containing " Rights of Neutral Nations, " " An Address to the President of the United States on the Subject of his Ad- dress," and "The Origin and State of Banking Institutions and Insurance Offices"); A Philoso- phical and Practical Grammar of the English Language {1SQ7}; A Compendious Dictionary of the English iMnguage {iSOd); Elements of Useful Knoicledge (2 vols., 1809); History of Animals (1812); Letters to a Young Gentleman Commenc- ing his Education (1823); An American Diction- ary of the English Language {182S); Biography for the Use of Schools (1880); The Holy Bible, containing Old and Neio Testaments in the Com- mon Version, With Amendments of the Language (1838); History of the United States (1835); Family of John Webster (1886) ; Manual of Useful Studies (1889). See also " Websteriana, a Cata- logue of Books by Noah Webster, collected from the Library of Gordon L. Ford, by Paul Leicester Ford and Emily Ellsworth Ford (1882), A good life of Webster, by Horace E. Scudder was pub- lished in " American Men of Letters " series (1881). He died in New Haven, Conn., May 28, 1843.

WEBSTER, Pelatiah, political economist, was born in Lebanon, Conn., in 1725. He was graduated from Yale, A.B., 1746. A.M., 1749 ; studied theology, preached for a short time, and later engaged in business in Philadelphia, Pa. During the Revolution, in consequence of his outspoken patriotism, he was imprisoned for


four months by the British authorities, and de- spoiled of much of his property. He was deeply interested in the financial condition of the coun- try, and wrote a series of seven Essays on Free Trade and Finance (1776-1785) ; Dissertation on the Political Union and Constitution of the Thir- teen United States of North America (1783) ; Essay on Money as a Medium of Commerce (1786); Reasons for Repealing the Act of the Legislature that took away the Cluwter of the Bank of North America (1786) ; The Weakness of Brutus (1787), and Political Essays on the Nature and Opjeration of Money (1791). He died in Philadel- phia, Pa., in September, 1795.

WEED, Edwin Gardner, third bishop of Flor- ida and 140th in succession in the American episcopate, was born in Savannah, Ga., July 23, 1847 ; son of Henry Davis and Sarah Richards (Dunning) Weed. He matriculated at the Uni- versity of Georgia in 1862, but in February, 1864, entei'ed the Confederate army, serving under Hardee, pi-incipally in the campaign against Sherman. After the war he studied at Berlin uniA'ersity, and was graduated at the General Theological seminary, New York city, in 1870. He was admitted to the diaconate in 1870, traveled in Europe, Egypt and the Holy Land, and in 1871 was advanced to the priesthood. He was rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Summer ville, Ga., 1871-80, was elected third bishop of Florida in 1886, was consecrated, Aug. 11, 1886, by Bishops Quintard, Howe, and Elliot, assisted by Bishops Seymour and Galleher, in St. John's church, Jacksonville, Fla. He was mar- ried, April 23, 1874, at Summerville, Ga., to Julia McKinney, daughter of Col. Thomas F. Foster. Bishop Weed received from Racine and from the University of the South the degree of D.D.

WEED, Stephen Hinsdale, soldier, was born in New York city, in 1884, He was graduated from the United States Military academy in 1854 ; commissioned 2d lieutenant in the 4th artillerj', Dec. 18, 1854 ; participated in the Florida hos- tilities against the Seminole Indians, 1856-57 ; was promoted 1st lieutenant, Nov. 16, 1856, and in 1858 was stationed at Fort Leavenworth, to quell the Kansas disturbances. He took part in several campaigns against the Indians ; declined the position of assistant quartermaster with rank of captain, and on May 14, 1861, was promoted captain. He served at headquai-ters and on re- cruiting dvity until March, 1862, when he as- sumed command of battery I, 5th artillery, in the Peninsular campaign, fighting at the siege of Yorktown, April 5-May 4, 1862 ; the battle of Gaines's Mill, June 27, and Malvern Hill, June 30- July 1. He participated in the Northern Vir- ginia campaign, fought at the second battle of Bull Run, August 29-30, 1862, where he com-