Civil war was renewed in consequence, and Chris- tophe invaded Petion's dominions, but without suc- cess. From the beginning of his presidency Petion opened his ports to all nations and granted security and protection to Frenchmen engaged in commer- cial pursuits. The civil war- and the administration of Dessalines had exhausted the finances, but Petion paid all debts, and the commercial and agri- cultural prosperity that ensued gained for him the title of the father of his country. In 1815 he was re-elected president for life, with power to nominate his successor. In the following year the govern- ment of Louis XVIII. opened certain negotiations with him, but he refused all arrangements to which the recognition of the independence of Hayti was not a preliminary. In the same year he assisted the expedition of Simon Bolivar to Venezuela, which brought about the liberation of that country, and in return only asked for the abolition of slavery. In the latter part of his administration the finances again became involved, and the government was compelled to debase the coinage. Petion fell into hypochondria, fancying that he was in danger of assassination, and finally, refusing nourishment, died. His funeral took place amid imposing relig- ious solemnities, and the senate ordered a mau- soleum to be erected to his memory, but his remains were later transported to Pere la Chaise cemetery in Paris, where a magnificent monument now marks his resting-place.
PETIT, Louis Le, French missionary, lived
in the first part of the 18th century. He was a
Jesuit missionary in Louisiana, founded the Choc-
taw mission in 1727, and remained there till about
1730. He wrote "Lettre du P. le Petit au P.
d'Avaucour, procureur des missions de I'Amerique
Septentrionale — colonic frangaise des Natchez sur
les bords du Mississippi," published in the " Lettres
edifiantes " (Paris, 1839). There is a German
translation in Stocklein's "Welt -Bote"' (Gratz,
1725-50), and it is also given in English in Kip's
" Early Jesuit Missions in North America " (1846).
PETO, Sir Samuel Morton, bart., English en-
gineer, b. in Woking, Surrey, 4 Aug., 1809 ; d. in
Tunbridge Wells, 13 Nov., 1889. He served an ap-
prenticeship with his uncle, who was a builder, be-
came a partner, and was subsequently engaged in
the construction of a large number of railroads in
England, on the continent, and in Canada. He
was made a baronet in 1855 for building a railroad
from Balaklava to Sebastopol at his own expense.
His most important work in Canada was the con-
struction of the Grand Trunk railway, with the
tubular bridge near Montreal. He subsequently
served several terms in parliament, but retired in
1868 in consequence of the failure of his firm,
Peto, Betts and Crampton, with liabilities of more
than £4,000,000. He published " Taxation, its
Levy and Expenditure" (London, 1863), and, after
visiting the United States in 1865, " Resources and
Prospects of America " (1866).
PETTEE, Otis, inventor, b. in Foxborough,
Mass., 5 March, 1795; d. in Newton Upper Falls,
Mass., 12 Feb., 1853. He was a manufacturer in
Newton Upper Falls, and made several inventions
in cotton-machinery, notably in roving frames or
double speeders, by introducing a geared cone,
with gears arranged in a hyperbolic series. This
invention, according to Prof. Daniel Treadwell,
was “absolutely perfect and founded upon principles
that are eternal.” Mr. Pettee was postmaster
of Newton Upper Falls in 1828-'33, and selectman
for several years. In 1848 he became president of
the Charles River railroad, which place he filled
until his death, and he was also director of the
Newton bank. — His son, William Henry, mining
engineer, b. in Newton Upper Falls, Mass., 13 Jan.,
1838, was graduated at Harvard in 1861, and
continued there in 1863-'5 as assistant in chemistry.
During 1865-'8 he studied at the Freiberg, Saxony,
mining-school, and was appointed in 1869
instructor in mining, and in 1871 assistant
professor in that subject at Harvard, also serving as
assistant in 1870-'1 to Prof. Josiah D. Whitney on
the geological survey of California. In 1875 he
was called to the University of Michigan, where he
has since remained, and now fills the chair of
mineralogy, economic geology, and mining
engineering. Prof. Pettee is a member of various
scientific societies, was vice-president of the American
institute of mining engineers in 1880-'2, and
in 1887 was general secretary of the American
association for the advancement of science. Besides
his scientific papers, he prepared the “Contributions
to Barometric Hypsometry,” issued by the
survey of California in 1874, a supplementary chapter
in 1878, and appendices A and C of Josiah D.
Whitney's “Auriferous Gravels of the Sierra
Nevada” (Cambridge, 1880).
PETTIGREW, Charles, clergyman, b. in Penn-
sylvania in 1748 ; d. on Bonarva plantation, Tyrrel
CO., N. C, 7 April, 1807. The family was origi-
nally French, but his father was settled in County
Tyrone, Ireland, whence he emigrated to this coun-
try in 1740. The family emigrated to South Caro-
lina in 1768. Charles was educated in North Caro-
lina, and in June, 1773, appointed principal of the
public school in Edenton. Soon afterward he be-
gan to study for the ministry in the Church of
England, and in the winter of 1774-'5 he made a
voyage across the ocean to obtain orders. He was
ordained deacon by the Bishop of London, and
priest by the Bishop of Rochester in 1775. He re-
turned to the United States in the last ship that
sailed before the war of the Revolution began.
His parish church was in Edenton, but in addi-
tion he had chapels of ease in adjoining counties,
and was very zealous and active in the discharge
of his duties. He was also noted for his sincere
loyalty to his country and her rights in the strug-
gle with England. Although invited several times
to accept posts in Virginia, he preferred to remain
where he was in Carolina. In 1790 he took some
steps toward organizing the Episcopal church in
North Carolina. A meeting of the clergy was
held in Tarboro in June, 1790, but nothing of mo-
ment was done for three or four years. In May,
1794, a convention was held in Tarboro. a consti-
tution was framed and adopted, and Mr. Petti-
grew was elected bishop. He accepted the post
with reluctance, owing to feeble health and increas-
ing infirmities, and he never received consecration.
He gave cordial help toward establishing the Uni-
versity of North Carolina, and was one of its over-
seers from 1790 till 1793. About 1794 he took up
his residence at the plantations of Bonarva and
Begrod, near Lake Scuppernong, and built there
Pettigrew's chapel, which he presented to the
church. Ever after this he declined all compensa-
tion for clerical services. Mr. Pettigrew was a
man of excellent attainments. He published seV"
eral tracts on infant baptism for local circulation
without his name, and in 1797 he addressed a let-
ter to his sons in college. This was subsequently
printed, and is spoken of as portraying the charac-
ter of a Christian gentleman in a very felicitous
manner. — His son, Ebenezer, congressman, b. near
Edenton, N. C, 10 March, 1783 ; d. in Magnolia,
Tyrrel co., N. C, 8 July, 1848; devoted himself en-
tirely to agriculture for many years, but was chosen
