the Ladies' home U. S. hospital in 1861, and gave her gratuitous services, for four years and a half, as a nurse to the Union soldiers, her labors being recognized by the government, especially by President Lincoln, who sent her an engraved certificate as a memorial of her work. In July, , during the draft riots in New York city, she saved Mayor George Opdyke's house from fire and pillage by driving in an open carriage from Fourth street to Mulberry street, where the police office was situated, and sending a company of soldiers to his aid. To reach, the office she exposed her life by breaking through a dense mob. She has been called the Florence Nightingale of New York.
VAN DER VEER, Albert, surgeon, b. in Root,
N. Y., 10 July, 1841. He studied at Albany medical college, was graduated in 1862 at the National
medical college, Washington, D. C, and served
through the civil war as a surgeon. He then settled in Albany, where in 1869 he became professor of the principles and practice of surgery in the
Medical college. In 1882 he was given the chair
of surgery and clinical surgery. During this time
he was also connected with Albany and St. Peter's
hospitals. Dr. Van der Veer has achieved success
in abdominal surgery. He has been president of
the New York state medical society, and is a member of various other medical societies at home and
abroad. Albany medical college gave him the degree of M. D. in 1869, Williams that of A. M. in
, and Union and Hamilton that of Ph. D. in
1883. He has contributed to "Wood's Reference
Handbook of Medicine and Surgery," and to several medical journals.
VAN DERVEER, Ferdinand, soldier, b. in
Butler county, Ohio, 27 Feb., 1823. He was educated at Farmer's college, Ohio, enlisted as a private in an Ohio regiment during the Mexican war,
rose to the rank of captain, and headed one of the
assaulting columns at the capture of Monterey.
He subsequently practised law, and became sheriff
of Butler county, Ohio. At the beginning of the
civil war he became colonel of the 35th Ohio volunteers, succeeded to the command of Gen. Robert
L. McCook's brigade, and led it till the autumn of
, when he was made brigadier-general of volunteers, and assigned to the 4th corps. Gen. Van
Derveer saw much active service, and, among many
other engagements, participated in the battles of
Mill Springs, Chickamauga, and Mission Ridge.
Since 1870 he has been judge of the court of common pleas of Butler county, Ohio.
VAN DE VELDE, James Oliver, R. C. bishop,
b. near Termonde, Belgium, 3 April, 1795; d. in
Natchez, Miss., 13 Nov., 1855. He received his
early training from a refugee French priest who
had been sheltered by his family, was afterward
placed in a boarding-school near Ghent, and was
professor of French and Flemish in Puers when he
was eighteen years old. He afterward entered the
Seminary of Mechlin, where he taught Latin, while
studying logic and theology. In 1817 he came to
the United States and became a student in the
Jesuit novitiate at Georgetown. After two years
he was appointed professor of belles-lettres in St.
Mary's college, and he was ordained a priest in
1827. He was chaplain of the Convent of the Visitation till 1829, when ke was given charge of the
missions of Rockville and Rock Creek, Md. In 1831
he was sent to St. Louis, and named professor of
rhetoric in the Jesuit college. In 1833, when this
college was made a university, he was appointed
vice-president and procurator. He was vice-provincial of Missouri in 1837, and in 1840 became
president of St. Louis university. He set out for
Rome the same year, to attend the congregation of
Procurators, as representative of his province. On
his return he resumed the presidency of his college, and he was named vice-provincial again in
1843. Under his administration the Jesuit institutions in the west became very prosperous. He
built several churches and novitiates, and created
new Indian missions. In 1848 he became socius of
the provincial, and in this capacity attended the
council of Baltimore. He was nominated for the
see of Chicago, and was consecrated bishop on 11
Feb., 1849. He at once made a thorough visitation
of his diocese, and founded two orphan asylums ;
but his health soon gave way, and this, added to
the opposition he encountered from part of his
diocese, induced him to. implore the pope to accept
his resignation. Not succeeding, he set out for
Rome in 1852, bearing the decrees of the plenary
council that was held in that year in Baltimore.
He was well received by Pius IX., who decided to
transfer him to a milder climate. While making a
circuit of his diocese after his return, he received
his brief of nomination to the vacant see of Nat-
chez on 29 July, 1853. During- his administration
of the diocese of Chicago seventy churches had
been begun and the greater number of them were
completed, and he erected several other religious
and charitable institutions. On arriving in the
state of Mississippi, he visited the different congregations, made efforts to procure additional priests,
founded schools, and took measures for completing
the cathedral and erecting a college. On 13 Oct.,
1855, he sustained an injury from a fall which
eventually led to his death.
VANDEWATER, George Roe, clergyman, b.
in Flushing, L. I., 25 April, 1854. He was graduated at Cornell in 1874, at the General theological
seminary, New York city, in 1879, ordained to the
priesthood in the latter year, and was rector of the
Protestant Episcopal church at Oyster Bay, Long
Island, in 1878-'80, where he was instrumental in
building a church and founding a library. He
then became rector of St. Luke's church, Brooklyn,
N. Y., organized the church and congregation of
St. Bartholomew, was active in what is known as
the advent mission revival in 1885, and instrumental in organizing the Parochial mission society, of
which he became general secretary. He subsequently conducted missions in various parts of the
country with success, and on 1 June, 1887, was appointed general missioner of the Parochial mission
society of the Episcopal church for one year, still
retaining his pastorate. In 1888 he became rector
of St. Andrew's church, New York city. He is
identified with the cathedral and the cathedral
schools in Garden City, Long Island, and is a trustee of Cornell, and of the General theological semi-
nary. Nashotah seminary gave him the degree of
D. D. in 1886. He has published "Manual of
Church Music" (Brooklyn, 1886); "The Hymn-Book for Missions " (New York, 1887) ; and " Manual of Church Prayer " (Brooklyn, 1888).
VAN DORN, Earl, soldier, b. near Port Gibson, Miss., 17 Sept., 1820: d. in Spring Hill, Tenn., 8 May, 1863. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1842, assigned to the 7th infantry, and served in garrisons. After his promotion to 2d lieutenant, 30 Nov., 1844, he took part in the military occupation of Texas in 1845-'6, was made 1st lieutenant, 3 March, 1847, and brevetted captain on 18 April for "gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Cerro Gordo." He was at Contreras and Churubusco, and was brevetted major, 20 Aug., 1847, for gallantry in those actions. He also took part in the assault and capture of the
