Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/567

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WILLIAMS
WILLIAMS

1676). A copy of this book is in Harvard college library. His last written document bears the date 16 Jan., 1683, and relates to the dispute about the Pawtuxet lands. In a letter written, 10 May, 1683, by John Thorndike, of Providence, to the Rev. Samuel Hubbard, he says : " The Lord hath ar- rested by death our ancient and approved friend, Mr. Roger Williams, with divers others here." His death must have occurred between 16 Jan. and 10 May, probably at Providence, as he was buried there. He was a man of wonderful strength and activity. In private life he was as gentle and kind as he was undaunted and pugnacious in contro- versy. His opinions and conduct in regard to tol- eration entitle him to a place among the foremost men of the world in the 17th century, and this is fully recognized in Prof. David Masson's work on Milton, where the history of modern liberalism is discussed with profound learning. See James D. Knowles's " Memoir of Williams " (Boston, 1834) ; William Gammell's "Life of Roger Williams" (1845) ; Romeo Elton's " Life of Roger Williams " (London, 1852): and Henry M. Dexter's "As to Roger Williams" (Boston. 1876). Dr. Dexter has recovered a lost tract by Williams, " Christenings make not Christians" (London, 1645), which he found in the British museum, and edited for Rider's historical tracts, No. 14, 1881. — A de- scendant, Betsey, b. in Cranston (now a part of Providence), R. I., in 1789 ; d. there, 27 Nov., 1871, inherited a farm of one hundred acres, by direct succession through five generations, from Roger Williams, and bequeathed it to the city of Provi- dence to form the park that bears his name. The statue lately erected is shown in the illustration. WILLIAMS, Samuel, pioneer, b. in Carlisle, Pa., 16 Oct., 1786 ; d. in Cincinnati, Ohio, 3 Feb., 1859. In his youth he learned the trade of a hatter, and removed with his parents to Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1807. He served in the war of 1812, and was with a detachment at River Raisin, Mich., when Gen. William Hull surrendered Detroit. An ac- count of this military expedition, written by him, was published in 1870, entitled "Two Western Campaigns." In 1815 he was appointed by the surveyor-general of Ohio chief clerk of that office, which post he filled for thirty years. His familiar- ity with the public surveys was of great value to the service, and he compiled for the general land- office the " Instructions to Surveyors-General of Public Lands," which is still used, and of which several editions have been issued. He was one of the founders in 1845 of the Ohio Wesleyan uni- versity, and in 1843 of the Wesleyan female col- lege at Cincinnati, of both of which he was for many years a trustee and patron, bequeathing to the former a valuable private library. He left in manuscript copious memoirs of his own life and times, and a genealogy of his family.


WILLIAMS, Thomas, clergyman, b. in Pom- fret, Conn., 5 Nov., 1779; d. in Providence. R. I., 29 Sept., 1876. He studied for two years at Will- iams, then entered Yale, was graduated in 1800, and taught at Beverly, Mass., and Woodstock and Norwich, Conn., till 1803, when he opened a school for colored pupils in Boston, Mass. He was there licensed in order to act as chaplain of the alms- house, was sent to New York state as a missionary in the same year, and repeated his tour in 1804 and 1805, after being ordained as an evangelist on 16 May, 1804. From 1807 till his death, except while officiating as pastor at Foxborough, Mass., in 1816-'21, at Attleborough in 1823-7, at Hebron- ville in 1827-30, and at Barrington, R. I., in 1835, he resided mainly at Providence, and, while hold- ing no charge, preached to colored people and others through the state of Rhode Island. He drafted the articles of faith and the rules of the Rhode Island evangelical consociation, and was its first scribe. Of his many printed sermons, some of which were signed by the pen-name " Demens Egomet," one was called " An Explicit Avowal of Nothingarianism," another had the title " Jehovah, or Uni-trini-tarianism," and others commemorated the first settlement of Rhode Island and the re- vival of religion in 1740. Several volumes of col- lected sermons were issued at various times.


WILLIAMS, Thomas, lawyer, b. in Greensburgh, Westmoreland co., Pa., 28 Aug., 1806. He was graduated at Dickinson college in 1825, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1828, and entered into practice at Pittsburg. He served in the state senate from 1838 till 1841. In 1861 he entered the state house of representatives, and after serving two years was elected to congress as a Republican, taking his seat on 7 Dec, 1863. He was twice re-elected, was a member of the committee on the judiciary during his entire period of service, and in March, 1868, acted as one of the managers of the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. WILLIAMS, Thomas, soldier, b. in New York state in 1815; d. in Baton Rouge, La., 5 Aug., 1862. He was appointed a cadet in the U. S. military academy from Michigan, graduated in 1837, and immediately commissioned as 2d lieutenant of infantry. He served in the Florida wars and during the Canadian rebellion on the northern frontier, was assistant professor of mathematics at the military academy in 1840-1, being promoted 1st lieutenant on 5 Oct., 1840, and from 1844 till 1850 was aide-de-camp to Gen. Winfield Scott. During the Mexican war he was present at Vera Cruz and the other principal engagements of the war, receiving the brevet of captain for bravery at Contreras and Churubusco, and that of major for taking a gallant part in the battle of Chapultepec. He became a captain on 12 Sept., 1850, was engaged in operations against the Seminoles in Florida in 1856-7 and in the Utah expedition in 1858, was promoted major on 14 May, 1861, and made a brigadier-general of volunteers on 28 Sept., 1861. He took part in the North Carolina expedition, and remained in command of Fort Hatteras till March, 1862, then took command of a brigade in the Ship island expedition, was engaged in opening the lower Mississippi in April and May,