Pittsburg, Pa., 14 Feb., 1821, entered the navy from Ohio as a midshipman, 14 Sept., 1838, and was in the “Concord,” of the Brazil squadron, when she was wrecked on the eastern coast of Africa in 1843. He became passed midshipman, 20 May, 1844, and lieutenant, 30 April, 1853. He was on the “Germantown,” of the East India squadron, in 1858-'60, and on the sloop “Savannah” in 1861, and on 11 Aug., 1862, was commissioned commander, and assigned to the steamer “Kanawha,” of the Western gulf blockading squadron. After commanding various vessels in that and the Mississippi squadron, he was given the “Mattabeset,” of the North Atlantic squadron, in 1864, and in that steamer took part, on 5 May, 1864, in the fight between the little fleet of wooden vessels, under Capt. Melancton Smith, and the Confederate ram “Albemarle,” in Albemarle sound, N. C. In this engagement the ram was defeated, and her tender, the “Bombshell,” captured, and Febiger was commended for his “gallantry and skill” by Capt. Smith and Rear-Admiral Samuel P. Lee. He commanded the “Ashuelot,” of the Asiatic squadron, in 1866-'8, and on May of the latter year was promoted to captain. He was inspector of naval reserve lands in 1869-'72, was made commodore, 9 Aug., 1874, was a member of the board of examiners in 1874-'6, and commandant of the Washington navy-yard in 1876-'80. He was promoted to rear-admiral, 4 Feb., 1882, and on 1 July, 1882, was retired on his own application, having been in the service over forty years.
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FECHTER, Charles Albert, actor, b. in London, England, 23 Oct., 1824; d. near Quakertown, Pa., 5 Aug., 1879. His father was of German parentage, but born in France. His mother was an Englishwoman. Charles was taken to France at an early age and there educated. He gave himself for a time to the study and practice of the sculptor's art, but had a natural inclination for the stage, and made his début at the Salle Molière in 1840 in a piece called “Le Mari de la Veuve.” After a tour of the principal cities and visiting Italy, he went in 1844 to Berlin, where he had great success as Duval in “La dame aux Camelias.” After performing in London in French, he appeared in an English version of “Ruy Blas” at the Princess theatre, 27 Oct., 1860. In the following year, 20 March, at the same house, he astonished and perplexed London playgoers by his marvellous impersonation of Hamlet in English. It was not the Hamlet to which they had been accustomed, but was nevertheless a grand conception well carried out. In the following October he appeared as Othello, producing a similar effect. He became lessee of the Lyceum in January, 1863, and brought out in succession “The Duke's Motto,” “Bell Demonio,” and “The Long Strike.” Claude Melnotte, in the “Lady of Lyons,” became one of his favorite characters. He came to the United States at the close of 1869, and appeared at Niblo's in the character of Hamlet. A few nights before he had seen Edwin Booth in the same character, and had been singularly demonstrative in his approval. His own impersonation of the character was very different, but it was well received. The large audience was enthusiastic, and the critics sought for merits rather than faults. After a tour through the states he returned to Europe. He again visited the United States in 1872, having determined to make this country his home. Wherever he appeared he commanded large audiences and almost fabulous prices; but his American career was not a success in the full sense of the word. As a manager in Boston he failed. As a place of retreat, when not on starring engagements, he purchased a farm in the village of Richmond, Bucks co., three miles from Quakertown, Pa., and in the company of Lizzie Price, whom he had married, he there spent most of his time. He became very corpulent, which unfitted him for some of his favorite characters. He contracted an incurable malady, and, after considerable suffering, died on his farm. As an actor he despised all stage conventionalities, but was sympathetic and realistic. If he had had more restraining, more self-governing power, he would have been greater as an actor and as a man.
FEDERMANN, Nicholas, traveller, b. in Ulm,
Swabia, in 1501; d. in Vienna, Austria, in 1550.
He early started on a military career, and was
engaged in the service of the Welsers, wealthy
merchants of Augsburg, to whom Charles V. had
granted the province of Venezuela in payment of
the sums they had lent him. They were to conquer
the country at their own expense, enlist Spanish
troops, fit out four vessels, build two cities and
three forts within two years after they took
possession, and send out 150 German miners. Federmann
was appointed captain of one of the companies
of the Spanish soldiers, and, accompanied by the
miners, embarked at San Lucar de Barrameda, 2
Oct., 1529. His ship was driven on one of the
Canary Islands, and afterward attacked by pirates,
who made him prisoner; but after paying a heavy
ransom was released again, set sail, and reached
Santo Domingo in 1530. He then went to Coro,
where he was left in order to acclimate the troops,
and received the title of captain-general lieutenant.
Having many soldiers for whom he could
find no employment, he determined to make a
journey into the interior or along the southern
coast. “My preparations being complete,” he
says, “on the 12th of September I set out with
a hundred men on foot and sixteen on horseback,
accompanied by a hundred Indians, who carried
our provisions and all that was necessary for our
subsistence or defence.” It is difficult to determine
the point that Federmann and his companions
reached, or to identify the tribes through
which they passed. It is conjectured that they
travelled southwesterly as far as the lesser chains
of the Andes, a distance of 500 miles. In some
cases the Indians defended themselves fiercely.
Federmann lost several of his men, and was seriously
wounded. These checks were cruelly avenged
on the unfortunate Indians. The Spaniards then
turned toward the coast, following it to Coro,
which they reached on 17 March, 1531. Here
Federmann was detained by a fever until 9 Dec.,
when he sailed for Santo Domingo and thence to
Spain. He reached Seville on 10 Jan., 1532. After
an audience with the emperor he returned to Augsburg,
where he wrote a narrative of his travels.
Ambrosius Alfinger, captain-general of Venezuela,
under whom he had served, having died, Feder-
