perance tracts Bishop William Meade says in his “Old Churches and Old Families of Virginia”: “They would be most admirable in their effects but for the fact that you know not what to believe of the narrative. There are passages of deep pathos and great eloquence in them.” This charge of a want of veracity is brought against all Weems's writings, for it is probable he would have accounted it excusable to tell any good story to the credit of his heroes. Several of the most widely circulated anecdotes of the youth of Washington, especially the famous one of the hatchet, rest on his questionable authority. He obtained his material for the life of Gen. Francis Marion from Gen. Peter Horry, who disavowed all responsibility for the manner in which the narrative is told. An entertaining sketch of Weems's early pastorate is given in the “Travels in America” of John Davis (London, 1802). In this narrative he figures as a pious and devout preacher, devoted to good works. One of his pamphlets, “The Philanthropist,” was somewhat mildly commended by Washington in an autograph letter to the author, who prefixed it to subsequent editions of the tract. His principal works are “Life of George Washington,” which is still largely sold in the rural districts of many parts of this country, and is the most popular biography of that general in existence (Philadelphia, Pa., 1800; llth ed., with additions, 1811); “Life of Gen. Francis Marion” (1805); “Life of Benjamin Franklin, with Essays” (1817); and “Life of William Penn” (1819).
WEIDEMEYER, John William, author, b. in
Fredericksburg, Va., 26 April, 1819. His father
was an officer in the life-guards of Jerome Bonapart,
king of Westphalia, with whom at an early
age he came to New York city. Among the son's
first teachers was Alexander T. Stewart, and he
completed his education at the Columbia college
grammar-school. For several years he taught at
various seminaries in Ohio, but subsequently
settled in New York city, where he entered on a
business career. He made collections of lepidoptera,
and discovered several important species, among
which was the Limenitis Weidemeyerii of the
Adirondack mountains. His large collection was
purchased by the museum in Ratisbon, Germany.
In connection with the study of entomology, he
published “Catalogue of North-American Butterflies”
(Philadelphia, 1864). He contributed to the
“Christian Inquirer” and the “Atlantic Monthly,”
and prepared political articles for various journals.
In 1841 he wrote a play entitled “The Vagabonds,”
which was produced at the Franklin theatre in New
York city and the Arch street theatre in Philadelphia,
and he has in preparation “Cæsar and
Cleopatra,” an acting drama. Mr. Weidemeyer has also
published “Real and Ideal: a Collection of Metrical
Compositions by John W. Montclair” (Philadelphia,
1865); “Themes and Translations” (New York,
1867); “American Fish, and how to catch Them”
(1885); and “From Alpha to Omega” (1889).
WEIDNER, Revere Franklin, clergyman, b.
in Centre Valley, Lehigh co., Pa., 22 Nov., 1851.
He was graduated at Muhlenberg college, Allentown, Pa., in 1869, at the Lutheran theological seminary at Philadelphia in 1873, and was ordained
to the ministry in the latter year. In 1887 he received the degree of D. D. from Carthage college, 111. He was tutor in Muhlenberg college in 1868-'9,
pastor at Phillipsburg, N. J., in 1873-'8, professor
of the English language and history at Muhlenberg
college in 1875-'7, and pastor in Philadelphia in
1878-'82. He was director of the Theological seminary in Philadelphia in 1882, and has been a frequent delegate to the general council. Dr. Weidner
was on the staff of " The Lutheran," in Philadelphia, in 1878-80, and one of the editors of the "Lutheran Church Review" in 1882-'5. Since
1885 he has been professor of systematic theology
and exegesis at Augustana Swedish-English theological seminary, Rock Island, 111. He is a member of the American philological association, che
American oriental society, the Society of biblical
literature and exegesis, and other learned bodies.
He has for several years been one of the instructors
in the summer schools of Hebrew, under the directorship of Prof. William R. Harper, of Yale, and he has devoted much time to a careful and critical
study of the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible, as well as to Sanskrit and other languages. He is a frequent contributor to theological and philologi-
cal periodicals, and has published a critically revised translation of the book of Daniel in Dr. Joseph A. Seiss's " Voices from Babylon " (Philadelphia, 1879) ; " Luther's Small Catechism," with proof-
texts, additions, and appendixes (1882); "Theological Encyclopaedia," including " Part I., Exegetical Theology" (1885) and "Part II.. Historical
Theology" (Chicago, 1888); "Biblical Theology of
the Old Testament " (Chicago, 1886); "System of
the Dogmatic Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Part I., Prolegomena " (Philadelphia. 1888); "Grammar of the New Testament Greek "
(New York, 1888) ; " The Greek Text of St. John, according to the Critical Texts of Westcott and Ilort, Tischendorf and Tregelles " (1888) ; " Method
for the Study of the New Testament Greek " (1888); and " Commentary on the Hebrew Text of Obadiah " (Philadelphia, 1888).
WEIGHTMAN, Richard Hanson, soldier, b.
in Maryland in 1818 ; d. near Wilson's creek, Mo.,
10 Aug., 1861. He entered the U. S. military
academy in 1837, but was expelled in the same year
for cutting a comrade in the face in a personal encounter. With the same knife he afterward killed
a Santa Fe trader in a quarrel. He was a captain
in the Missouri light 'infantry volunteers in the
Mexican war. He became an additional paymaster in the U. S. army in 1848, was honorably discharged in 1849, settled in New Mexico, and was
chosen provisionally a senator, when in 1850 the
territory unsuccessfully applied for admission into
the Union. In 1851— '3 he served in congress, having been elected as a Democrat. At the beginning
of the civil war he became colonel of a regiment
of the Missouri state guard, participated in the
battle of Carthage, 5 July, 1861. and was killed
while commanding a brigade at Wilson's creek.
WEIGHTMAN, Roger C., librarian, b. in Alexandria, Va., in 1786; d. in Washington, D. C., 2 Feb., 1876. He adopted the printing business, settled in Washington, D. C., and at one time was congressional printer. During the second war with Great Britain he was an officer of cavalry, and sub-
sequently he became a general of District of Columbia militia. He was mayor of Washington in 1824-'7, became cashier of the Washington bank,
and was for many years librarian of the patent-office. He commanded the troops that were quartered in that building during the civil war.
WEIR, Robert Walter, artist, b. in New Rochelle, N. Y., 18 June, 1803; d. in New York city, 1 May, 1889. He engaged in business until the age of nineteen, when he decided to. adopt art as a profession and had some instruction from John Wesley Jarvis. After painting for several years in New
York he went in 1824 to Florence, where he executed his " Christ and Nicodemus " and " The Angel relieving Peter," and thence, in 1825, to Rome.
