Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/462

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436
SCOTT
SCOTT

to the family of Calvin C. Chaffee, a member of congress from Massachusetts, and on 26 May, 1857, they were emancipated in St. Louis by Taylor Blow, to whom Mr. Chaffee had conveyed them for that purpose. See Benjamin C. Howard's “Report of the Decision of the Supreme Court, and the Opinions of the Judges thereof, in the Case of Dred Scott” (Washington, 1857); Thomas H. Benton's “Historical and Legal Examination of the Decision in the Dred Scott Case” (New York, 1860); Joel Parker's “Personal Liberty Laws and Slavery in the Territories: Case of Dred Scott” (Boston, 1861); and “Abraham Lincoln, a History,” by John Hay and John G. Nicolay. A portrait of Dred Scott, probably the only one in existence, painted from an old photograph, is in the possession of the Missouri historical society.


SCOTT, Gustavus. lawyer, b. in Prince William county, Va. ; d. in Washington, D. C., in 1801. His father, Rev. James Scott, a Scotchman, became a minister of the Episcopal church and came to this country about 1730. Gustavus was educated at King's college, Aberdeen, Scotland, and after his friend. Sir Robert Eden, was made governor of Maryland, removed to that province and practised law "successfully in Somerset county. When the people of Maryland decided to send deputies from all the counties to a convention to be held in Annapolis, 32 June, 1774, he was sent as a delegate from Somerset, and participated in all its subse- quent deliberations down to the adoption of the first constitution and the organization of the state government in 1777. He was a member of the Association of the freemen of Maryland, which decided in July. 1775, to throw off the proprietary power and assume a provisional government, and his signature is attached to the original pledge that now (1898) hangs in the state-house at Annapolis. He was a member of the convention that framed the first constitution of Maryland. After the for- mation of the state government he removed to Dorchester county, and represented it in the as- sembly in 1780 and again in 1784, when he was elected a delegate to the Continental congress and served till 1785. He was one of the originators of the Potomac canal company in 1784, and one of the committee of the Maryland legislature, to whom was referred the claim of James Rumsey (q. v.), for the exclusive privilege of making and selling his boats in Maryland. He reported in favor of Rumsey's claim, and the bill was passed. He was also one of the original commissioners ap- pointed to superintend the erection of the capitol buildings at Washington, and when the state of Maryland lent the government several thousand dollars for the purpose, the credit of the general government was so low that the state required Scott and two others to give to it their individual bonds as security.


SCOTT, Oustavus Hall, naval officer, b. in Fair- fax county, Va., 13 June, 1812 ; d. in Washington, D. C., 23 March, 1882. He entered the navy as midshipman, 1 Aug., 1828, became passed mid- shipman, 14 June, 1834, and made two cruises in the West Indies in the " Vandalia" in 1835-'6 and 1839-'40, in which he participated in the Seminole war. He was also present off Charleston, S. C., during the nullification excitement. He was com- missioned lieutenant, 25 Feb., 1841, and was flag lieutenant of the Pacific squadron in the frigate "St. Lawrence" in 1852-'3. He wa- commissioned commander, 27 Dec., 1856. and served as light-house inspector in 1858-'60. When the civil war began he resisted the efforts of partisans in his nathe state to make him join the Confederates. In June, 1861, he commanded the steamer " Keystone State," went in pursuit of the Confederate priva- teer "Sumter." and capturing the steamer "Sal- vor" off Tampico, towed her to Philadelphia. He commanded the steamer Marantanza" in the operations with the army in James river, rendered valuable service in saving stores that were left by the army at Acquia creek, was on the blockade, and had numerous engagements with Confederate bartrrirs in the sounds of North Carolina in IMj^-'fci. He was commissioned captain. 4 Nov., , and commanded the steamer " De Soto," in which he captured several blockade - runners in . Subsequently he took charge of the steam sloop " Canandaigua " on the blockade, and was senior officer at the surrender of Charleston, S. C., in 1865. He was a member of the examining board for the admission of volunteer officers to the regular navy in 1868,served as light-house inspector in 1869-'71, and was promoted to commodore, 10 Feb., 1869, and to rear-admiral. 14 Feb., 1873. He was then commander-in-chief of the North Atlantic squadron until 13 June, 1874, when he was retired, having reached the age of sixty-two years.


SCOTT, Irving Murray, mechanical engineer, b. in Hebron Mills, Baltimore co., Md., 25 Dec., 1837. He was educated at Milton academy, Md., and the Baltimore mechanics' institute, and in ls">4 entered the manufactory of Obed Hussey. the inventor of reaping-machines, where he made rapid progress in the machinist's art, and perfected himself in the different methods of working in iron and wood. In 1857 he gained admittance to the iron-works of a Baltimore firm. There he soon became an expert draughtsman, and was placed in charge of the construction of stationary and fire engines. He also devoted all his leisure moments to reading and study. In 1858 he was engaged as draughtsman at the Union iron-works, San Fran- cisco, Cal., where he remained until 1862. About that time the construction of improved quartz- j mining machinery became one of the most im- portant branches of mechanical industry in that state. Desiring to become practically acquainted with it, he spent a year at the Miners' foundry in the same city, returning to the Union works in 1863, when he was made superintendent. In 1865 he became a partner, and in 1875 the business was reorganized under the title of Prescott, Scott and Co. Soon afterward the new firm erected ex- tensive works at Potrevo. These were constructed under the immediate supervision of Mr. Scott, and he designed the machinery by means of which the treasures of the Comstock mines have been ex- tracted, including that used in the pumping, mill- ing, reducing, and refining works, in connection with James G. Fair and William H. Patten, a mining engineer. He has also invented the Scott and Eckart and Scott and O'Neil cut-off engines, a Union heater, a safety-valve chock, and an air- valve for compressor. Mr.' Scott has been president of the Mechanics' institute and of the Art association of San Francisco during three terms each. He is a regent of the University of California and a trus- tee of the Leland Stanford, Jr., university.


SCOTT. James, poet, b. in Langside. Scotland, in isoti; d. in Newark. N. J.. in 1S57. lie studied at Glasgow and Belfast, emigrated to this country in I 1 -::-. 1 , became a licentiate in 1^!4, ami wa- pastor at German Valley and Newark. N. J. He was given the degree of D. D. by Lafayette in I s ' 1 Dr. Scott published a di ertation <>n the genius of Robert Pollok in his "Life "(New York. !S4si. and I" fore his death completed a narrative' [poem called "The Guardian Angel" |1859).