THAYER
THAYER
in July. 1N.")1. ami l;ir;j;o numbers, aggregating
5000 men and women, followed and during the
civil war that resulted between these settlers and
the pro-slavery immigrants, Mr. Thaj'er gave
freely of his strength, time and money to the
saving of Kansas until its freedom was insured.
He soon after extended his colonization plan
into "Western Virginia, where he founded the
town of Cereilo, settled by colonists from the free
states, and secured that section of Virginia to the
Union. He was a Republican representative
from the Worcester district, Mass., in the 35th
and 30th congresses, 1857-61, serving as chair-
man of the committee on public lands. While in
congress he became famous for his speeches on
Central America Colonization, Suicide of Slavery
and the Admission of Oregon. He was a dele-
gate to the Republican national convention at
Chicago in 1800. During the civil war, Mr.
Thayer proposed to Frederick Perry Stanton,
secretary of Kansas, a plan for the military
colonization of Florida, which was approved by
Presid<'nt Lincoln and the majority of congress,
and supported by great meetings held in New
York and Brooklyn, but which did not material-
ize. In addition to manufacturing interests, in-
cluding the erection of the Adriatic mills in
Worcester, he invented a sectional safety steam-
boiler; an automatic boiler cleaner, and a
hydraulic elevator. He was an honorary mem-
ber of the Worcester Society of Antiquity, and
besides his congressional speeches (1860), he is
the author of: Lectures (1886); History of the
Kansas Crusade (1889). and various contribu-
tions to magazines and to the press. He was
married, Aug. 6, 1845, to Caroline Maria, daughter
of Collins and Caroline (Silsby) Capron, and they
hud seven children, of whom Clara married
Charles H. Perry, M.D., of Worcester, and John
Alden Th.ayer, Harvard, A.B., 1879, Columbia,
LL.B., 1889, practised law in Worcester. Eli
Thayer died in Worcester.:Mass., April 15, 1899.
THAYER, Emma Homan, author and artist, was born in N.-\v York city, Feb. 13, 1842; daughter of George W. and Emma Homan. She attended Rutgers Female college, New York city, and studied art in the National Academy of De- sign, exhibiting many figure paintings at the Academy, She was married, first in 1860, to George A. Graves, who died in 1864; and secondly in 1877, to Elmer A. Thayer, removing to Den- ver, Col., in 1882, where she made paintings of the flora of that region. She was one of the original members of the Art league of New York, and is the author of: Wild flowers of Colorado (1885); irjVrf Flowers of the Pacific Coast (1887); The English American (1889); Pctronilla, the Sister (1898); A Legriid of Glenwood Springs (1900); Dorothy Scudder'a Science (1901).
THAYER, James Bradley, educator and
author, was born in Haverhill, Mass., Jan. 15,
1831; son of Abijah Wyman and Susan (Brad-
ley) Tliayer; grandson of William Tiiayer and
Jonathan Bradley. His father was editor of the
Essex Gazette, 1835; resided in Piiiladelpliia, Pa.,
1835-40; in Amherst, Mass., 1840-41, and subse-
quently in Northampton, Mass. James B. Thayer
attended the common schools; was graduated
from Harvard, A.B., 1852, LL.B., 1856, mean-
while teaching a private school in Milton, Mass.,
1852-54; was admitted to the Suffolk county bar
in December, 1856; practised law in partnership
with William J. Hubbard from 1857 until the
latter's death in 1862; continued independently
until 1865, and as partner of P. W. Cliandler until
1874. He was also master in chancery for Suf-
folk county, 1864-74. He was married, April 24,
1861, to Sophia Bradford, daughter of the Rev.
Samuel Rii)ley of Concord, Mass. He was Royall
professor of law at the Harvard Law school,
1873-93, and Weld professor of the same, 1893-
1902. The honorary degree of LL.D, was con-
ferred upon him by Iowa State university in 1891,
by Harvard in 1894, and by Y'ale in 1901. Dr.
Thayer was secretary of the Loyal Publication
society of Boston, 1861-65; a fellow of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a
member of the Massachusetts Historical society.
He is the author of: Letters of Chauncey Wright
(1877); A Western Journey icifh Mr. Emerson
(1884); Cases on Evidence (1892); The Origin
and Scoj)e of the American Doctrine in Constitu-
tional Laic (1893); The Teaching of English Laio
in Universities (1895); Cases on Constitutional
Late (2 vols., 1895); The Development of Trial by
Jury (1896); A Preliminary Treatise on Evidence
at the Common Law (1898), and contributions to
scientific publications. He died in Cambridge,
Mass., Feb. 14, 1902.
THAYER, John Milton, senator, was born in Bellingliam, Mass., Jan. 24, 1820; son of Elias and Ruth T. (Staples) Thayer, and grandson of William and Hannah Thayer. He was graduated from Brown university in 1841; was married in 1843, to Mary Torrey Allen of Sterling, Mass.; was admitted to the Nebraska bar in 1855, and engaged in practice in Omaha. He was appointed brigadier-general of the territorial forces opera- ting against the Indians, and was major-general, 1855-61. He commanded the troops in the Pawnee war of 1859, and captured the whole tribe; was a member of the territorial legislature in 1860, and on the outbreak of the civil war was commis- sioned colonel, 1st Nebraska volunteers. He com- manded the 3d brigade, 3d division, under Gen. Lew Wallace at Fort Donelson, Tcnn., and the 2d brigade, 3d division. Army of Tennessee, at Shiloh. He was promoted brigadier-general, U.S.A., Oct.
