Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/127

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PRAT
PRATT

on the 26th declared himself dictator. He signed at once a treaty of alliance with Chili, and In n. after the bombardment of Valparaiso, the Spanish tleei appeared before Callao, Prarto directed the de- fence of 2 May. ISfili. At the beginning of 1867 he assembled congress, which elected him constitution- al president, but his rule was not approved by the country. Castilla rose in arms shortly afterward in Tarapaca, but died on the march to Lima, and on 27 Sept.. 1867, the vice-president, Canseco, put himself at the head of a rising in Arequipa, and Col. Jose Balta (q. v.) pronounced against Pradi i at Chiclayo. Prado attempted to take Arequipa by assault on 7 Jan., 1868, but was repelled, and re- tired to Chili. Under Pardo's government he returned, and was elected president, 2 Aug., 1876. He made several ineffectual attempts to come to an arrangement with foreign bond-holders, and when the quarrel between Bolivia and Chili began, according to the secret defensive treaty with the former republic, he espoused its cause, and war was declared by Chili, 5 April, 1879. Prado took active measures to prepare, for defence, and on 16 May left Callao to take command of the army then assembling at Tacna. He proceeded at once to in-pert the allied army at Tarapaca. where he was joined by the Bolivian president, Hilarion Daza (q. i:). After the battles of Jermania, San Fran- cisco, and Tarapaca. Prado seemed to despair of success, and on 26 Nov. left for Lima, ostensibly to prepare and hurry forward new re-enforcements, but on IN Dee. left the vice-president, La Puerta. in charge of the executive, and embarked secretly on a British mail-steamer, according to a manifesto that was published the day after his departure, in obtain help in money and material from Europe or the United States. He returned in 1888.


PRAT, Agiistin Arturo, Chilian naval of- ficer, b. near Quirihue, Itata, 3 April. 1848; d. at sea. 21 May, 1879. He received his education in the College of Santiago, and in August, 1858, en- tered the naval academy of Valparaiso. In Janu- ary, I860, he shipped as apprentice on board the "Esmeralda." pas-ing his examination as midship- man. 15 June. 1862, and he served on the same ves- sel as sub - lieutenant during the capture of the Spanish gun-boat " Covadonga." 26 Nov., 1805, and the engagement of Abtao in February, 1866. After serving in Valdivia. the Chiloe sound, and the Strait of Magellan, he studied law. and in 1878 was admitted to the bar of the supreme court. Soon afterward he was sent by the government on a mission to Uruguay and the Argentine Republic, but, on hearing of the war against Peru and I!c>- livia, returned to his country, and during April. 1879, in command of the ' Covadonga," assist ed in the blockade of Iquique. When Admiral Juan Williams Rebolledo (q. v.) left with the fleet for Callao on 16 May, Prat was promoted to the com- mand of the " Esmeralda," and with the ' Cova- donda." also under his orders, left to sustain the blockade of Iquique. On this cruise he was at- taeked early on 21 May by the Peruvian iron-dads Huascar" and Independencia" under Admiral Miguel Grau (q. v.). During the engagement one. of his boilers burst, and he fell an easy prey to the " Huascar," the " Independencia," in chase of the " Covadonga." having struck on a reef. The turret- ship, to bring matters to an issue, rammed the " Esmeralda," and as the latter was struck behind the mizzen-mast, Capt. Prat, with sword and re- volver in hand, jumped on board the " Huascar," calling on his men to follow him, but the two ves- sels immediately separated, leaving all but one man behind. As Prat refused to obev Grau's summons to surrender, and killed the signal officer on deck, he was shot down from the turret. Grau, who had highly esteemed Prat for his courage, collected his personal effects and sent them to the widow with a letter of regret. Prat's country has honored his memory by erecting a granite pyramid with his bust at Atacama in October. 1S7!I. and bronze stat- ues at his native town of Quirihue in 1880, and in Valparaiso, 21 May, 1886.


PRATT, Benjamin, jurist, b. in Cohasset, Mas-.. K! March. 1710; d. 5 Jan., 1763. The loss of a limb in early life led him to study. He was graduated at Harvard in 17'!7. .-tudied law, and soon became known for his learning and eloquence. He was a representative of Boston in 1787 '50, and was a zealous lover of freedom. The friendship of Gov. Thomas Pownall procured him the appoint- ment of chief justice of New York. He was a man of great research and learning, wrote some fugi- tive verses, and had made extensive collections with the intention of writing a history of New England, but his death prevented the execution of his design. His wife was the daughter of Judge Robert Auchmuty.


PRATT, Calvin Edward, soldier, b. in Prince- ton, Worcester Co.. Mass.. 23 Jan., 1828 ; d. in Roch- ester, Mass., 3 Aug., 1896. He studied law, and practised for several years in Worcester. He was a member of the Cincinnati convention which nominated James Buchanan for president. In 1859 he removed to New York city and practised till 1861, when he raised the 31st regiment of New York volunteers, and commanded it at the first battle of Bull Bun. With his regiment he after- ward took part in tin- battles on the peninsula, the second battle of Bull Run. and the battle of Anti- etam. On 10 Sept.. 1862. he was appointed briga- dier-general of volunteers, and he resigned. 25 April. 1863. After the war he held the post of collector of internal revenue in the Brooklyn dis- trict, which he resigned to resume his law-practice. In the autumn of 1869 he was elected a jud^e t' the supreme court of the state of New York, and he was re-elected in 1877 for fourteen years.


PRATT, Charles, philanthropist, b. in Water- town, Mass.. 2 Oct., 1830; d. in Xcw York. 4 May, 1891. He was educated at the Wilbraham acad- emy, and in 1850 came to New York city, where he engaged in the oil and paint business. In 1867 he established the firm of Charles Pratt and Co., which was merged into the Standard oil company, of which he was an officer. Mr. Pratt displayed n'lvai interest in educational matters, and founded in Brooklyn the Pratt industrial institute. This receives its support from the Astral flats, which were built by him, and conveyed to the institute. PRATT, 'Daniel, vagrant, b. in Prattville, Chelsea, Mass., about 1809; d. in Boston, Mass.. 21 June, 1887. He was a carpenter, but did little work, and. his mind becoming affected, he spent his time in wandering about the country.' living on charity. He was widely known as the "great American traveller," which was the name by which he called himself. For many years he made the tour of the New England colleges annually, until his visits came to be regarded almost as a regular feature of college life. His addresses, which were sometimes delivered to hundreds of students, and received with great applatise, were remarkable for their long words, bombastic phrases, and curious figures of speech; and the same was true of his " proclamations " and other contributions that oc- casionally found their way into print. One of his delusions was that he had been elected president of the United States but defrauded of the office.