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Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/236

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REED
REED

the allies from the Chinese. Mr. Reed for a long time was the most brilliant and effective of the an- tagonists of the Democratic party in Pennsylvania, but on the nomination of James Buchanan he be- came his firm friend and supporter, even entering heartily into the extreme views of those who sympa- thized with the south, and on his return to this coun- try in 1860 he continued to act with the Democratic party. Subsequent^ he settled in New York, be- came a regular contributor to the press of that city, and for a time was American correspondent of the London " Times." Mr. Reed was a prolific writer, and, besides contributions to " The American Quar- terly Review '" and " The North American Review," he was the author of numerous orations, addresses, and controversial pamphlets on historical subjects. Among the latter were several relating to his grand- father, President Joseph Reed, whose reputation was assailed by George Bancroft. These included " President Reed of Pennsylvania, a Reply to George Bancroft and Others " (Philadelphia, 1867), to which Mr. Bancroft responded with " Joseph Reed, an Historical Essay " (New York, 1867) ; and " A Rejoinder to Mr. Bancroft's Historical Essay " (Philadelphia, 1867). Besides editing the posthu- mous works of his brother, Henry (q. r.), he pub- lished " Life and Correspondence of Joseph Reed," which, according to Chancellor Kent, is " a most in- teresting and admirable history of one of the ablest and purest patriots of the Revolution" (2 vols., Philadelphia, 1847), and " Life of Esther De Berdt, afterward Esther Reed "(1853). William Bradford's brother, Henry, author, b. in Philadelphia, 11 July, 1808 ; d. at sea. 27 Sept., 1851, was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1825, read law, and in 1829 was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia. In 1831 he wac elected assistant professor of English literature in the University of Pennsylvania and abandoned the legal profession. The same year he became assistant professor of moral philosophy, and in ls:{5 he was made professor of rhetoric and Eng- lish literature. He served the university until 1854, when he visited Europe. In September he embarked from Liverpool for home in the steamship " Arctic," in which he was lost at sea. He was a member of the American philosophical society and a vice-pro- vost of the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1846 received the degree of LL. D. from the University of Vermont. He was early brought into communi- cation with the poet Wordsworth, and assisted in the supervision and arrangement of an American edition of his poems (Philadelphia, 1837). He was the author of the preface to this work, and an elabo- rate article on Wordsworth in the " New York Review " (1839). After the death of the poet he superintended the publication of the American edi- tion of the memoirs by Dr. Christopher Words- worth (2 vols., Boston, 1851). He prepared an edi- tion of Alexander Reid's " Dictionary of the Eng- lish Language " (New York, 1845), and George P. Graham's " English Synonyms," with an introduc- tion and illustrative authorities (1847), and edited American reprints of Thomas Arnold's " Lectures on Modern History " (1845) ; Lord Mahon's " His- tory of England from the Peace of Utrecht to the Peace of Paris" (2 vols., 1849); and the poetical works of Thomas Gray, for which he prepared a in'v memoir (Philadelphia, 1850). He delivered two " Lectures upon the American Union " before the Smithsonian institution (1857), and several ad- div--esat various times before other bodies. He wrote a life of his grandfather, Joseph Reed, in Sparks's " American Biography." His chief com- 'ins were several courses of lectures at the University of Pennsylvania, of which collect ion> have been published since his death by his broth- er, William B. Reed, with the titles "'Lectures of English Literature, from Chaucer to Tennyson" (Philadelphia, 1855); "Lectures on English His- tory and Tragic Poetry, as Illustrated by Shake- speare," to which is prefixed a biographical sketch (1855) ; " Lectures on the History of the American Union" (1856); and "Lectures on the British Poets" (2 vols., 1857). Henry's son, Henry, au- thor, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 22 Sept., 1846, was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1865, read law, and was admitted to the Philadel- phia liar in 1869. In November, 1886, he was ap- pointed a judge of the court of common pleas in Philadelphia, and in 1887 was elected to the office for a term of years. He is the author of a work on the " Statute of Frauds " (3 vols., 1884), and has published numerous articles on legal subjects. He translated " The Daughter of an Egyptian King," by George Ebers (Philadelphia, 1875).


REED, Philip, senator, b. in Kent county, Md., about 1760; d. in Kent county, Md., 2 Nov.", 1829. He received an academical education, and served as a captain in the Revolutionary army. After- ward he was elected to the U. S. senate in place of Robert Wright, resigned, and held the seat from 29 Dec., 1806, till 3' March, 1813. On his return home he commanded, as colonel of militia, the regiment of home-guards that met and defeated at Moorefields, Md.. 30 Aug., 1814, a superior British force under Sir Peter Parker (q. '.), who was killed in the engagement. Col. Reed was elected to the 15th congress, serving from 1 Dec., 1817, till 3 March, 1819, and re-elected to the 17th, having contested the election of Jeremiah Causden, serv- ing from 20 March. 1822, till 3 March, 1823.


REED, Rebecca Theresa, proselyte, b. in East Cambridge, Mass., about 1813. Her father was a farmer in straitened circumstances, who gave his three daughters the best education within his reach. The eldest, Rebecca, was sent to a neighborhood school for three years, and displayed an unusual aptitude for making lace and other ornamental work. She was a serious, well-behaved girl, and thoughtful, according to the testimony of her teachers, beyond her years. Her attention was first called to nuns and nunneries in the summer of 1826, about which time an Ursuline convent had been established on Mount Benedict, Charlestown, Mass. In 1830, on the death of her mother, she again became interested in the subject, and was anxious to enter the institution with the intention of consecrating herself to a religious life. Through the influence of Roman Catholic friends, and notwithstanding the opposition of her family, she was admitted to the convent on 7 Aug., 1831. Although she remained within its walls nearly six months, she soon became dissatisfied with the continual repression of youthful impulses, the strict discipline, the physical discomforts, and the apparent want of sympathy of those in charge. Having accidentally overheard a conversation between the convent authorities, from which she learned that she was to be removed to Canada, she made her escape, and returned to her family. At this time her health had been seriously impaired by the austerities of her conventual life. Miss Reed's escape, and the statements that she made of what had occurred during her stay in the convent, gave rise to an acrimonious controversy. Two years later the excitement was increased < i In' escape of Sister Mary John on 28 June, ls:!4. and on the llth of the following August the convent, a large three-story building, was sacked and burned I iv a. mob. The foregoing statements are gathered