Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/167

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O'SULLIVAN


OTEY


O'SULLIVAN, John Louis, diplomatist, was born on a British man-of-war in the Bay of Gibraltar, during the outbreak of the plague in November, 1813; son of the U.S. consul to the Barbary states. He was a student at the Military school of Soreze, France, and at the Westminster scliool, London, where he received a gold medal; was graduated at Columbia college, A.B. 1831, A.M. 1834, and was tutor there, 1881-33. In 1841- 43 he was a member of the New York state assem- bly, where he labored to secure a bill abolishing capital punishment; was a regent of the Univer- sity of the State of New York, 1846-54: and charge d'affaires and U.S. minister resident to Portugal, 1854-63. At the unveiling of Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty in New York harbor, Oct. 28, 1886, he addressed the French visitors. He died in New York city. March 24, 1895.

OSWALD, Eleazer, soldier, was born in Eng- land about 1755, and immigrated to America in i770. At the outbreak of the Revolution he entered the Continental army; became secretary to Benedict Arnold, serving under him at Ticon- deroga, and commanded the patriot force at Quebec after Arnold was wounded. He was com- missioned lieutenant-colonel, Jan. 1, 1777, and served with Col. John Lamb's regiment of artil- lery, distinguishing liimself at Compo, where he fought under Arnold, and at the battle of Mon- mouth, where he was honorably mentioned in the official report. He left the service in July, 1778, and became connected with the Maryland Jour- nal, Baltimore, where he was uni^opular on account of publishing an article by Gen. Charles Lee re- flecting on the military ability of Washington. He removed to Philadelphia, where he established the Independent Gazetteer, or the Chronicle of Freedom in 1782, began the publication of the Price Current in 1783, the first commercial jour- nal in the United States, and published the Independent Gazette, or the New York Journal Revived, in New York city, 1782-87. In 1792 he joined the Revolutionary army in France as colonel of artillery, served at Jemmapes and was sent by the Republican government on a secret mission to Ireland. He returned to the United States in 1795, and died of yellow fever in New York city, Sept. 30, 1795.

OTERO, Miguel Antonio, delegate, was born in Valencia, N.M., June 21, 1829; son of Vicente and Maria Gertrudes (Chavez) Otero. His brother, Antonio Jose Otero, was appointed by Gen. Stephen Kearny one of the three district judges, on the acquisition of the territory in 1846. He was educated in St. Louis, Mo., and Fishkill, N.Y.; studied law in New York city and in Missouri under Gov Trusten Polk, and was ad- mitted to the bar in St. Louis in 1852. He was private secretary to W, C. Lane, governor of New


Mexico, 1852-53; was elected to the territorial legislature from Valencia county in 1852; de- clined the appointment of U.S. attorney for the territory by President Pierce in 1853; was a del- egate to the 34th, 35th and 36th congresses, 1855- 61, and delegate to the Democratic national con- vention at Charleston in 1860, where he supported Stephen A. Douglas for the presidency. He served as territorial secretary from June to Sep- tember, 1861, under appointment of President Lincoln, but his nomination was not confirmed by the senate. In 1864 he went to Leavenworth, Kansas, where he engaged in merchandising, and later removed with the progress of the Kansas Pacific railroad to Hays city. When the Atchi- son, Topeka and Santa Fe road was building he followed its progressive steps to Granada, La Junta, El Mora, Otero and Las Vegas. He helped to organize the New Mexico and Southern Pacific railroad and was its first vice-president. He also organized and was the first president of the San Miguel National bank at Las Vegas in 1880; was president of the Jamez Hot Springs company, and the unsuccessful candidate for delegate to the 47th congress in 1880. He was married in St. Louis, Mo., April 2, 1857, to Mary J. Blackwood, and had four children; Page Blackwood, Miguel Antonio, Gertrude V. and Mary J. He died at Las Vegas, N.M., May 30, 1882.

OTERO, Miguel Antonio, governor of New Mexico, was born in St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 17, 1859; son of Miguel Antonio and Mary J. (Blackwood) Otero. He received his classical education at the University of St. Louis, Mo., and the University of Notre Dame, Ind., and was married, Dec. 19, 1888, to Caroline V., daughter of Lafayette Emmett, chief-justice of Minnesota, 1858-65. He was cashier in his father's bank at Las Vegas, 1880-85; city treasurer, 1883-84; clerk of San Miguel county, 1889-90; clerk of the U.S. district court, 1890-93; delegate to the Republican national convention, 1892; and on June 7, 1897, became by appointment of President McKiniey governor of the territory of New Mexico for a four years' term; was reappointed by President McKiniey, June 15, 1901, during the vacation of congress, and by President Roosevelt, Dec. 18, 1901, being confirmed, Jan. 22, 1902, for a second four year term. He was chairman of the New Mexico delegation to the Republican national convention at Philadelphia, 1900.

OTEY, James Hervy, first bishop of Tennessee, and 30th in succession in the American episco- pate, was born at Liberty, Bedford county, Va., Jan. 27, 1800; son of Isaac Otey, and a descend- ant of John Otey, a soldier of the American Rev- olution. His father served for thirty years in the Virginia senate. He received an excellent pre- paratory education and was graduated with