Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/288

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242
SCHUYLER
SCHWEINITZ


Chief Justice John Marshall, and the case created an unusual sensation, owing to the horrible nature of the crime. Subsequently he published “A Brief Sketch of the Occurrences on board the Brig Crawford” (Richmond, 1827). In 1829 he removed to New Orleans, La., where he was associated with Henry Clay as counsel for the heirs of Dubreuil Villars in their suit for the recovery of the land on which the U. S. mint stands. His knowledge of the Spanish language led to his selection by the merchants of New Orleans to look after their interests in Mexico, and subsequently he was sent to Havana to supervise the details of certain contracts between James Robb and the Spanish authorities. In 1842 he began a series of lectures on “civil law” in New Orleans, which he continued for three winters. He edited the “Louisiana Law Journal” in 1842-'3, and besides his weekly reviews of the decisions of the supreme court of Louisiana, published for years in the “True Delta,” and contributions to current periodicals, he wrote “The Civil Law of Spain and Mexico, with Notes and References” (New Orleans, 1851).


SCHUYLER. Johannes, or John, b. in Al- bany in 1668 ; d. there in 1747. He was the sixth son of Philip Schuyler and Margarita Van Slich- tenhorst. In 1690, at twenty-two, he proposed and led the first land attack on Canada, raiding Laprairie, opposite Montreal. Serving much on the frontier, he was several times British envoy to the governors of Canada, constantly warned New Eng- land of projected French attacks, ransomed many prisoners, attempting in particular that of Eunice Williams, of Deerfield, and was mayor of Albany, 1703-'6, and for eighteen years an Indian com- missioner. He was father of "The American Lady," and grandfather of Gen. Philip Schuyler. His devotion and courage and Indian influence were a contribution to tTie anti-French cause in America only second to that of his brother Peter, "the Washington of his times." Col. Schuyler married, in 1695, Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Samuel Staats, of the provincial council. — His eldest daughter, Margrarita (" The American Lady"), b. in Albany, 12 Jan., 1701 ; d. there, 28 Aug., 1782. She married, in 1730, Col. Philip Schuyler (b. 1696; d. 1758), second squire of "the Flats," and son of Peter Schuyler (Quidor). Combining remarkable natural ability with the political influence and anti-French military schemes of the Schuylers, she assisted appreciably in the statesmanship of the seventy years' French war. The military authorities sought her assist- ance and advice; Lord Howe followed it in his army reforms; upon her suggestion and that of her husband a superintendent of Indian affairs (Sir William Johnson) was appointed ; and she warned Gen. Amherst of the impending conspir- acy of Pontiac. Mrs. Grant, of Laggan, has em- balmed her memory in " The Memoirs of an American Lady," the principal source of informa- tion on the pre-revolutionary social life of New York, and a picture which suggested Paulding's "Dutchman's Fireside." The work has been re- printed in twelve varying e<litions since its first appearance in London in 1808. The latest of these, containing numerous notes and a memoir of the author by Jas. Grant Wilson, was issuc<l in Albany in 1876, an enlarged revision of this edition, appearing in 1900. She was buried in the family cemetery at the Flats, between the graves of her husband and her brother John. The house in which " Aunt Schnyler" was born, on the corner of State street and South Pearl, built in 1667, was for many years the oldest house in Albany.


SCHWAN, Theodore, soldier, b. in Germany in 1839. He came as a youth to this country, and enlisted in the regular army in June, 1857. In November. 1863, he was commissioned 3d lieuten- ant, in 1864 promoted, and in March, 1866, was advanced to the rank of captain. In July, 1886, he was made major and assigned to the adjutant- general's department, and in February, 1895, wjis promoted to lieutenant-colonel. During his hon- orable career he received several brevets for gal- lantry at Cold Harbor and elsewhere, and in 1898 he was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers, and was assigned to duty as president board of brevets and medals of honor. In the following year he saw much active service in the Philippine islands, commanding several expeditions that were sent against the enemy by his immediate superior. Gen. Lawton, in commaml of the division of which Gen. Schwan's column formed apart.


SCHWEBACH, James, R. C. bishop, b. at Platen, grand-duchy of Luxemburg, 15 Aug., 1847. After studying the classics at the College of Die- kirch for two years, he came to this country in the spring of 1864, having been destined from boy- hood for the priesthood. He entered the Seminary of St. Francis, near Milwaukee, where he con- tinued his classical studies and made a complete course of philosophy and theology. Being too young for ordination on the completion of his theological studies, he was about to go to Rome for a higher course when Bishop Heiss of Wis- consin, in 1869, called him to La Crosse to assist in the clerical work of that diocese, and there he was ordained a deacon and officiated as such in school and church. In 1870 he was ordained a priest by Archbishop Grace of St. Paul, and he was appointed by Bishop Heiss pastor of St. Mary's church at La Crosse, and here he labored successfully twenty-two years, building St. Mary's school and St. James's church. In 1882 Bishop Flasch, then bishop of La Crosse, made him vicar- general of the diocese, and on the death of that prelate he became administrator of the diocese. In 1891 he was appointed bishop of La Crosse.


SCHWEINITZ, Emil Alexander de, chem- ist, b. in Salem, N. C, 18 Jan., 1855. He is the son of Bishop E. A. de Schweinitz of the Mora- vian church, and was graduated at the University of North Carolina in 1882. Subsequently he be- came instructor in that institution, but electing chemistry as his profession he studied at Gottin- gen, where in 1886 he received the degree of Ph. D. On his return he entered the chemical division of the agricultural department in Washington, and became in 1890 director of the bioehemic labora- tory of the agricultural department. He is also professor of chemistry in the Columbian university medical school, of which faculty he is the dean. Dr. de Schweinitz is a member of a number of scientific societies both in this country and abroad, and in 1896 was president of the Washington chemical society. His scientific work has included numerous investigations in connection with his specialty, results of which have been published, and the more important of which are the foUow- lowing : "A Chemical Study of the Osage Orange as a Substitute for the JIulberry in rearing Silk- worms" (1889); "The Poisons "produced by the Hog Cholera Germ" (1890); "The Production of Immunity to Swine Plague bv Use of the Products of the Germ " (1891): "The Use of Mallein and its Active Principles" (1892); "A Preliminary Study of the Poisons of the Tuberculosis Bacillus and the Practical Value and Use of Tuberculin " (1892); " Artificial Media for Bacterial Cultures " (1893) ;