EUSTIS
EUSTIS
EUSTIS, Henry Lawrence, military engineer,
was born in Fort Independence, Boston harbor,
Mas.s. , Feb. 1, 1819; son of Col. Abraham Eustis,
U.S.A. He was graduated at Harvard in 1838,
and at the U.S. military academy in 1842. He
was assistant to the U.S. engineer-in-chief, Wash-
ington, D.C., in 1843, and aided in harbor defence
construction in Boston, 1843-4.1, and Newport
liarbor. 184.5—17. He was assistant professor of
engineering at the U.S. military academy, 1847-
411 ; resigned from the arm}- in the latter year and
was professor of engineering in Lawrence scien-
tific school of Harvard college, 1849-85. He was
dean of the Lawrence scientific school, 1862-85.
He joined the volunteer army in 1861 as colonel
of the 10th Massachusetts infantry, and was
brevetted brigadier -general of volunteers, Sept.
12. 1863, for services which included Williams-
iwrt, Fredericksburg. Marye's Heights, Salem,
and Gett.vsburg. Owing to impaired health he
resigned his commission June 27, 1864, after
taking part in the battles of the Wilderness and
Spottsylvauia and Cold Harbor, and resumed his
college duties. He was a fellow of the American
academy of arts and sciences, and rec^eived his
A.M. degree from Harvard in 1850. He died in
Cambridge, Mass., Jan. 11, 1885.
EUSTIS, James Biddle, senator, was born in New Orleans. La.. Aug. 27, 1834; son of Chief Jus- tice George and Clarissa (Allain) Eustis; grand son of Jacob and Elizabeth (May) Eustis; great grandson of Dr. Benjamin Eustis of Boston, Ma.ss., and grandnephew of Dr. William Eustis, secretary of war in President Madison's cabinet, 1809-13. He was liberally edu- cated in his native city and was gradu- ated in law at Har- vard college in 18.54. He practised at the New Orleans bar from 1856 to the outbreak of the civil war in 1861, when he joined the Confederate army as judge-advocate on the staff of General Magruder. In 1862 he was transferred to the staff of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and served under that officer until his surrender in 1805. Returning to New Orleans he resumed the practice of law and was a represent- ative in the state legislature, 1872-74, and a state senator, 1874-77. Prior to 1872 he was elected to the state legislature but was not seated. He took part in the reconstruction of the state, visiting President Johnson at Washington as a member
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of a committee sent to represent the interests of
the white residents of the state, asking for pro-
tection from " carpet-baggers " and ignorant
blacks then in political power through the opera-
tion of military rule. The legislature of the state
in January, 1876, elected him a U.S. .senator to
fill the term to which P.B. S. Pinchback claimed
to have been elected in 1873, but had been re-
fused the seat. At this election the Repuljlic.an
party was represented by only three legislators,
the remainder claiming that no vacancy existed
and therefore refusing to act. The matter was
not decided in the U.S. senate until Dec. 10,
1877, when Mr. Eustis was accorded the vacant
seat and served to the close of the term, March
3, 1879. He was then elected to the professorship
of civil law in the University of Louisiana, serv-
ing until 1884 when he was again elected a U.S.
senator. At the close of his second term, March
3, 1891, he engaged in the practice of law in
Washington, D.C. He severely and openly criti-
cised President Cleveland's first administration,
but supported him in the campaigns of 1888 and
1892 ; and when Mr. Cleveland was elected in 1892
he appointed Mr. Eustis U.S. ambassador to
France. The most noteworthy diplomatic act of
his ambassadorshij], was the obtaining of a par-
don and release in February, 1896, for John L.
Waller, ex-U.S. consul, sentenced to twenty years'
imprisonment, as an act of comity on the part of
the French government toward that of the
United States. On returning to America in 1897
he established himself in the practice of law in
New York city, making his summer home at
Newport, R.I., where he died Sept. 9, 1899.
EUSTIS, William, statesman, was born in Cambridge, Mass., June 10, 17.53; son of Dr. Ben- jamin Eustis. He studied at the Boston Latin school, was graduated at Harvard in 1773, and then entered the office of Dr. Joseph Warren as a student of medicine and surgery. He was with the doctor in the battle of Bunker HiU, was near the gallant soldier when he fell, and began his practice as a surgeon on that field. In 1776 he was appointed hospital surgeon in charge of the Colonel Robinson house opposite West Point. N.Y. He was promoted senior surgeon and con- tinued in that service till the end of the war. He then practised in Boston and accompanied the expedition sent out to suppress Shays's rebellion, as surgeon, 1786-87. He was a representative in the state legislature of Ma.ssachusetts, 1788-94. He represented his district in the 7th and 8th congresses, 1801-05, and in 1809 President Madi- son entrusted to him the portfolio of war. Be- fore leaving Boston for Washington, he was married to Caroline, daughter of John Langdon, governor of New Hampshire, and they made their bridal tour in a coach, the journey to Wash-
