WILSON. 551 WIMBLE. served in the Confederate Army; was professor of Latin in Columbian College in ISfiS-Tl; and then practiced law until 1882. In the following year he l)ecanie president of the University of West Virginia, and from 1883 to 1895 was a Democratic member of Congress from West Virginia. In 1893-95 he was chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means, and he carried through the House the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Law, and also framed the well- known Wilson Tariff Bill, which with some modilications became a law in August, 1894. (See Tariff.) During his Congressional career he won a high reputation as an eloquent and forceful speaker and as an authority on the tariff and other financial subjects. In 1892 he was chairman of the Democratic National Con- vention. In 1895 he became Postmaster-General in the Cabinet of President Cleveland, and held that office until 1897, when he became president of Washington and Lee University. . WILSON, WooDROw ( 1836 — ) . An American educator and historian, born at Staunton, Va. He graduated at Princeton in 1879, then studied law at the University of Virginia, and for two years, in 1882-83, practiced in Atlanta, Ga. In 1883-85 he .studied jurisprudence, history, and political science at the newly opened Johns Hop- kins University, from which in 1885 he received the degree of Ph.D., presenting as his thesis a study of Congressional Government (1885), which won for him a reputation as a scholar and a clear and original thinker — a reputation that was enhanced by his subsequent works. He was an associate professor of history at Bryn Mawr in 1885-86, and associate professor of history and political science there in 1886-88; filled a simi- lar chair at Wesleyan University in 1888-90, and in 1890 became professor of jurispru- dence and politics at Princeton, where he became exceedingly popular among the stu- dents and was remarkably successful as a teacher. Upon the resignation of President Pat- ton in June, 1902, Wilson was elected president of Princeton University by the unanimous vote of the trustees, and on October 25th he was formally inaugurated. His election was regarded as particularly significant from the fact of his being the first layman to be chosen president of the imiversity. In addition to Conf/yensional (lorernment and magazine articles and published addresses, his writings include: The State: Elements of Historical and Practical Polities (1889), a standard work on the subject; An Old Master, and 'Other Political Essays' dSd^] ; Di- vision and Pevnion, 1820-lSSO '(1893), in the "Epoclis of American History Series;" Mere Literature, and Other Essays (1893); Oeorgg Washington (1896); and A History of the American People (5 vols., 1902), his most im- portant work, and in some respects the best compendious account yet published of American political history. WILSON'S CREEK, Battle of. A battle fought near Wilson's Creek, .about ten miles south of Springfield. Mo., on August 10, 1861, between a Federal force of about 5400 men under General Lyon and a Confederate force of about 10,000 under General McCulloch. McCulloch had advanced to Wilson's Creek, ten miles from Springfield. Having resolved to attack him, Lyon on the evening of the 9th sent a column of 1200 men and six pieces of artillery under Col- onel Kranz Sigel with orders to strike the Confederate right flank next morning; while he himself, vvilli about 4200 men, including eight companies of regulars and ten pieces of artillery, prepared to fall upon the Confederate left wing. The two attacks were delivered as planned, but Sigel's column was completely routed, and ihe Confederates were then able to concentrate su- perior numbers against Lyon. While leading a charge that General was killed; but his troops under Major Sturgis continued to fight with great determination, repulsed all the a.ssanlts ma<le against their position, and succeeded in etTeeting a retreat to Springfield and from there (o Kolla. The Federal losses in the liattle were about 1235; tho.se of the Confederates about 1095. As a result of the battle the Confederates were able to capture Lexington, Mo. Consult Johnson and Buel (eds.). Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, vol. i. (New York, 1887). WILT, vilt, Marie (1833-91). An Austrian singer, born in Vienna. Soon after her marriage to the architect Wilt she took tip singing with Giinsbaeher and Wolf, and in 1865 made her debut at Gratz, as Donna Anna. The two following .years she sang in Vienna, Berlin, and London, where she appeared as Norma. For ten years she sang in bolli opera and concert in Vienna and again in London, from 1874 to 1875. She went to Leipzig in 1877, and later to Briinn, Budapest, and other cities, finallj' return- ing to Vienna. Her voice, a soprano, was rich and of wonderful compass. She was unrivaled in her bravura singing. She committed suicide in Vienna by jumping out of a window. WIL'TON, .Joseph (1722-1803). An English sculptor, born in London. He studied under Delvaux in Brabant, then in Paris, and after- wards in Rome, where in 17.50 he received the jubilee gold medal of Pope Benedict XIV. He returned to England in 1755, and was appointed director of the Duke of Richmond's art gallery in Spring Gardens. He was one of the founders of the Ro3'al Academy, and befriended and assisted the painter Richard Wilson. Anions his works are busts of Bacon. Cromwell. Swift. Wolfe, Newton, Chatham, and Chesterfield, and monuments of Stephen Hales and Admiral Holmes. WILTON, Marie Effie. An English actress. See Bancroft, JIarie Effie Wiltojst, Lady. WILT'SHIRE, or WILTS. A southern in- land county of England, bounded by Gloucester, Berkshire, Hampshire, Dorsetshire, and Somer- set (Map: England, E 5). Area, 1375 square miles. The surface features are ehiefl.y those of a rolling open country with some stretches of woodland, and the count.y is watered by the lower and southern Avon. The gi"eater portion is in pasture land, though wheat, oats, turnips, and cabbage are raised. The mechanical indus- tries are chiefly centred around the great rail- road shops at Swindon, and there are iron mines and blast furnaces in several places. Wiltshire is very rich in archaeological remains, among which is the famous Stonehenge (q.v.). Popu- lation, in 1891, 264,997; in 1901, 273,845. County town. Salisbury. WIMBLE, Will. A character in Addison's Spectator. He is a younger son, an idler and a
