170
VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
was a distinguishing trait and often served
to relieve the tedium of lengthy and serious
discourse. As a writer, his style was plain
and unaffected, simple and lucid. He
wrote no volume, but his contributions to
the "Religious Herald" would, if gathered
up, make many volumes of charming mis-
cellany. He was the author of a number of
monographs, one of which attained a cir-
culation of over a million and has been re-
printed in several foreign tongues. Dr.
Dickinson was married three times. His
first wife was the daughter of James B.
Taylor, Sr., D. D., for many years a promi-
nent and useful Virginia Baptist minister.
His second wife was Miss Craddock, of
Halifax county, Virginia. His third wife
was Miss Bagby, of King and Queen county.
Furman University. Greenville, South Caro-
lina, conferred on him the degree of Doctor
o' Divinity.
Gildersleeve, Basil Lanneau, born at Charleston, South Carolina, October 23, 1831, son of the Rev. Benjamin Gildersleeve, D. D., and Emma Louisa (Lanneau) Gilder- sleeve, the former of English descent, and the latter of French and German descent. Rev. Benjamin Gildersleeve was a Presby- terian clergyman, a teacher, and for many )ears editor of religious periodicals ; his father and grandfather served in the revolu- tionary war, the family being among the tarly setlers of Connecticut and Long Island, and the father and grandfather of his wife also served in the same struggle. P.asil L. Gildersleeve acquired his early edu- cation in his home and in the private school of W. E. Bailey, in Charleston, and this was supplemented by study at the College of Charleston, at JeflFerson College, Pennsyl-
vania, and at Princeton College, New Jer-
sey, from which he graduated in 1849, with
the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and received
the degree of Master of Arts in course. In
1850 he taught the classics in Dr. Maupin's
private school in Richmond, Virginia, and
then went abroad, studying in the univer-
sities of Berlin, Bonn, Gottingen for three
years, obtaining the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy from Gottingen in 1853. Upon
his return to the United States, he engaged
in teaching as private tutor for two years,
and in 1856 was elected professor of Greek
in the University of Virginia, which chair
he held until 1876. in the meantime, from
1861 to 1866, having the additional subject
of Latin. Upon his return from service in
the war between the states, in which he
served as aide-de-camp on the staff of (Con-
federate) Gen. Gilham, and later on that
ot Gen. J. P>. Gordon, he returned to his chair
at the University of Virginia, where he re-
mained until he was called to the professor-
ship of Greek in Johns Hopkins Univer-
sit)', upon its establishment in 1876. He
has published a number of text-books and
editions of the Greek and Latin classics,
served as editor of the "American Journal of
Philology," which was established in Balti-
more in 1880, and is a frequent contributor
to the magazines. William and Mary Col-
lege conferred upon him the degree of Doc-
tor of Laws in 1869, received the same honor
from Plarvard in 1886, and the degree of
Doctor of Civil Law from the University of
the South in 1884. He is president of the
University Club of Baltimore, and a member
of various learned societies. He married
September 18, 1866, Elisa Colston.
Henry, William Wirt, son of John Henry, the voungest son of Patrick Henrv. was born
