Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/704

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
670
STEVENS
STEVENS

After the close of the war he was sent to Canada to demand the surrender of the posts on the frontier, but, not succeeding, he returned to headquarters. He now retired to private life and resided in New York city, where he remained for several years. Congress refused to fulfil its contract with him to pay him for his services, but he was given grants of land in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The latter he declined to accept when he found it consisted of the confiscated estates of an old Tory who would be left destitute, and, in the kindness of his heart, interceded for him. He was given also a whole township near Utica, N. Y., and, after seven years' delay, congress at length allowed him a pension of $2,400. He now retired to this land, and, clearing off sixty acres, built a log-house, seen in the illustration, and settled down for life, though he returned every winter to New York city. On 22 Nov., 1794, as he was making preparations for this annual visit, he was struck with paralysis, and six days afterward he died. As he had requested, he was buried near his house, with his military cloak around him and the star of honor that he always wore on his breast. Only about thirty farmers attended his funeral. Col. North, his favorite aide, to whom he left all his property, erected a simple monument over his grave, to which many visitors annually resort. Numerous anecdotes are told of him, illustrating the tenderness and generosity of his nature. These traits were especially exhibited at the breaking up of the army at Newburg. His life has been written by Francis Bowen, in Sparks's “American Biography,” and by Friedrich Kapp (New York, 1860).


STEVENS, Aaron Fletcher, congressman, 1>. in Derry, N. H., 9 Aug., 1819 ; d. in Nashua, N. II., K) May. 1887. He was educated at Pinkerton academy. Derry, removed to Peterborough, after- ward studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1845, and gained a high reputation as a lawyer. He was a member of the legislature in 1849, a dele- gate to the Whig national convention in 1852, and a representative in the legislature again in 1854. He identified himself with the Republican party when it was first organized, and was again sent to the legislature in 1856 and the following years. He was one of the first to enlist in the civil war, and was made major of the 1st New Hampshire volunteers, subsequently appointed colonel of the loth regiment, and brevetted brigadier-general on 8 Dec., 1864, for gallantry at Fort Harrison, where he was wounded. On his return home he was elected to congress and re-elected for the follow- ing term, serving from 4 March, 1867, till 'A March, 1871. From 1876 till 1884 he was a member of the legislature, and took part in its debates.


STEVENS, Abel, author, b. in Philadelphia, 19 Jan., 1815 : d. in San Jose. Cal., 12 Sept.. 1897. He was educated lit Wcslcyan. and became pastor of a Methodist Episcopal church in Boston. He traveled in Europe, and on his return took charge of a church in Providence. R. I. He went to Boston in 1840, and edited "Zion's Herald" till 1852. In 1853-'4 he was the editor of the Na- tional Magazine" in New York city. In 1856, on his return from a second European journey, he was elected editor of the "Christian Advocate and Journal " in New York. He received in that year the degree of LL. D. from Indiana univer- sity. In 1860-'2 he was pastor of a church in New York city, and in 1862-'o of the one at Mamar- oneck. N! Y. From 1865 till 1874 he was one of the editors of the " Methodist." Subsequently he travelled extensively in the United States and Europe, and finally settled in Geneva, Switzer- land. a> pastor of the Union church there, and a correspondent of American newspapers. While editing church papers, he became interested in the history of Methodism, which he reduced to a con- nected narrative in a series of works that were the first of their kind and remain the standard au- thority on the. subject. His publications include " An Essay on Church Polity " (New York, 1S47) : " Memorials of the Introduction of Methodism into the Eastern States " (2 vols., Boston, 1847-'52) ; Preaching required by the Times " (New York, 1855) ; " The Great Reform," a prize essay (1856) ; " History of the Religious Movement of the Eight- eenth Century, called Methodism " (3 vols., 1858-'61); "Life and Times of Nathan Bangs" (1863) ; History of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America" (4 vols., 1864-7 ; German translation, Cincinnati, 1807) ; " The Centenary of American Methodism " (1865) ; " The Women of Methodism : its Three Found- iv<se>, ^n-aiiiia Wesley. tin 1 Countess of Hunting- don, and Barbara Heck " (1866) ; " A Compendious History of American Methodism " (1807) ; " Ma- dame de Stael : a Study of her Life and Times " (2 vols., 1881); "Character Sketches" (1882); and " Christian Work " (1882).


STEVENS, Charles Ellis, clergyman, b. in Boston, Mass., 5 July, 1853. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania and Y T ale. was gradu- ated in 1875 at Berkeley divinity-school, Middle- town, Conn., spent one year in study in Europe, and was ordained priest in the Protestant Episco- pal church in 1877. He became rector of a church in Brooklyn, N. Y., and in 1878 secretary of an auxiliary of the board of missions of his denomi- nation. For several years he was associate editor of the " Living Church." The degree of Ph. D. was given to him by Wooster university. He became an examining chaplain of the diocese of Long Island in 1886, and in 1887 was made archdeacon of Brooklyn. He is a member of the Royal geo- graphical society of London and of the Societ > of antiquaries of Edinburgh, among other learned so- cieties, and in 1SS8 received the degree of LL. D. from Wooster university, and that of D. C. L. from King's college, Nova Scotia. Dr. Stevens has published occasional pamphlets and frequent arti- cles in the press, also " Sources of the Constitution of the United States considered in Relation to Co- lonial and English History " (New York, 1894).


STEVENS, Ebenezer, soldier, b. in Boston, Mass., 22 Aug., 1751; d. in Rockaway, L. I., 2 Sept., 1823. He was a member of the artillery company of Boston, and participated in the destruction of the tea in Boston harbor in December, 1773. Soon afterward he removed to Rhode Island, where he raised two companies of artillery and one of artificers, was commissioned as lieutenant, 8 May, 1775, and took part in the expe-