vols., New York, 1874); and "The Moral System" (1875); besides minor works, including "Life Les- sons," "Ancient Cities and Empires," and "Eng- land Two Hundred Years Ago."
GILLETTE, Francis, senator, b. in Windsor,
now Bloomfield, Hartfoi-d co.. Conn., 14 Lee,
1807; d. in Hartford, Conn., 30 Sept., 1879. He
was graduated at Yale in 1829 with the valedic-
tory, and then studied, law with Gov. William W.
Ellsworth. Failing health compelled him to re-
linquish this pursuit, and he settled in Bloomfield
as a farmer. In 1832 and again in 1880 he was
sent to the legislature, where he gained notice in
1838 by his anti-slavery speech advocating the
striking out of the word " white " from the state
constitution. In 1841 he was nominated against
his own will for the office of governor by the Lib-
erty party, and during the twelve following years
frequently received a similar nomination from the
Liberty and Free-soil parties. He was elected by
a coalition between the Whigs, temperance men,
and Free-soilers, in 1854, to fill the vacancy in the
LI. S. senate caused by the resignation of Truman
Smith, and served from 25 May, 1854, till 3 March,
1855. Mr. Gillette was active in the formation of
the Republican party, and was for several years a
silent partner in the '• Evening Press," the first
distinctive organ of that party. He was active in
the cause of education throughout his life, was a
coadjutor of Dr. Henry Barnard from 1838 till
1843, one of the first trustees of the State normal
school, and for many years its president. Mr. Gil-
lette took interest in agricultural matters, was an
advocate of total abstinence, and delivei'ed lectures
and addresses on both subjects. He moved to
Hartford in 1852, and passed the latter part of his
life in that city. — His son, Edward Hooker, con-
gressman, b. in Bloomfield. Conn., 1 Oct., 1840, was
educated at the Hartford high-school, and the New
York state agricultural college at Ovid. In 1803 he
removed to Iowa and settled in Des Moines, where
he has since been occupied in farming, in manu-
facturing, and in editing the " Iowa Tribune." He
has held the office of chairman of the National
committee of the National greenback party for
several years, and was a delegate to the conventions
that nominated Peter Cooper, James B. Weaver,
and Benjamin F. Butler for the presidency. In
1879 he was elected to congress as a National
greenbacker from Iowa, and served from 4 March,
1879, till 3 March, 1881.— Another son, WilHam
Hooker, actor, b. in Hartford, Conn., 24 July,
1853, was graduated at the Hartford high-school
in 1873, and studied at the University of the city
of New York during 1875-'6. He obtained an appointment in one of the New York theatres, and is evenings were spent on the stage. During 1870-'7 he studied at the Boston university, and also attended the lectures of Prof. Lewis B. Monroe, still acting during the evenings. Subsequent-
ly he devoted himself entirely to the stage, and
played in various roles in the principal cities of the
United States. His greatest success was in the
character of the Private Secretary, in the play of
that name. He has also acted leading parts in
plays written by him. These include " The Pro-
fessor," first produced at the Madison square the-
atre. New York, in June, 1881 ; with Mrs. Frances
H. Burnett, " Esmeralda," introduced at the same
theatre in October, 1881, and " Held by the Ene-
my," originally played at the Madison square in
February, 1886, and in London in April, 1887.
GILLETTE, Abram Dunn, clergyman, b. in
Cambridge, Washington co., N. Y., 8 Sept., 1807 ;
d. in Lake George, N. Y., 24 Aug., 1882. He was
chiefly self-educated, but was for a time a student
in Granville academy, and attended occasional lec-
tures in Union college. After teaching for a time,
he entered the Baptist ministry in 1832, and held
pastorates in Schenectady, Philadelphia, New York,
and Washington, D. C. He was a manager of the
American Baptist publication society in 1836-'48.
In 1869 illness compelled him to retire from the
ministry. In 1887 a memorial window was placed
in Calvary Baptist church. New York, in his mem-
ory. He published a " History of the Eleventh
Baptist Church, Philadelphia," " Memoir of the
Rev. Daniel H. Gillette," and " Pastor's Last Gift,"
and edited " Social Hymns " and the minutes of
the Philadelphia Baptist association from 1707 till
1807. He also contributed largely to journals.
" Ren^iniscences of the Life and Labor of A. D.
Gillette, D. D.," by four of his friends and associ-
ates, was published in New York, 1883.
GILLI, Filippo Salvatore, clergyman, b. in
the Papal States ; d. there after 1764. He was a
member of the .Jesuit order, and went as mission-
ary to South America about 1740. He travelled
seventeen years through the country watered by
the Orinoco and lived for seven years in Santa Fe
de Bogota. He returned to Europe when his
order was suppressed. He wrote in Italian " Essay
on the History of America, or Natural, Civil, and
Sacred History of the Spanish Kingdoms and
Provinces of Terra Firma in South America " (Rome,
4 vols., 1780-'4). The work of Gilli is still con-
sidered valuable for the information it gives on
the vast regions watered by the Orinoco. It was
for a long time the only one to be consulted on
the subject, and many writers liave drawn from it
without acknowledgment. Gilli refutes the inac-
curate views that then prevailed regarding the
source of the river, and tries to demonstrate its
communication with the Amazon. Unfortunately,
his ignorance of natural history and his credulity
prevented him from reaping all the advantages
due to his zeal. He gives vocabularies of most of
the languages spoken by the natives, and attempts
to compare them, but the value of his comparison
is lessened by his lack of the cintical faculty. A
part of Gilli's work was translated into German by
Sprengel (Hamburg, 1785). The whole of the 3d
book of vol. iii., which comprises his observations
on the languages of the tribes of the Orinoco, was
translated into German with notes by Father Xa-
vier Veigl, an ex-Jesuit, who had travelled in the
same regions. This part of the work is contained
in the collection of the travels of missionaries of
the Society of Jesus in America, published by Von
Murr (Nuremberg, 1785).
GILLIAMS, Jacob, physician. b. in Philadel-
phia, Pa., in 1784; d. there, 4 Feb., 1808. After
his graduation in medicine he entered on a long
and successful practice in Philadelphia, which he
did not relinquish until within a few years of his
death. He was proficient in the natural sciences,
especially iii ornithology, and was brought into
contact with Audubon, Wilson, and Ruslienberger.
In connection with Charles Lueien Bonaparte and
others he established in Philadelphia in 1816 the
short-lived Maclurian lyceum, and afterward as-
sisted in founding the Academy of natural sciences.
The hall that it occupied was built at his expense.
GILLIS, John Pritchet, naval officer, b. in Wilmington, Del., 6 Sept., 1803 ; d. there, 25 Feb., 1873. Pie was appointed a midshipman from Illinois on 12 Dec, 1825, his mother having removed to that state after the death of his father. He was commissioned as lieutenant on 9 Feb., 1837. During the Mexican war he had charge of the boats of
