RAMSAY, James Andrew Brown. See Dal- HOUSIE, tenth Earl and first Marquis of.
RAMSAY, Nathaniel ( 17.')1-1S17). An
American soldier. He was born in Lancaster
County, Pa.; graduated at Princeton in 1767;
Avas admitted to the Maryland bar in 1771; and
in December, 1770, became lieutenant-colonel in
the Continental Army. At Monmouth (q.v.),
Juno 28, 1778. he, together with Colonel Stewart,
checked the advance of the English until Wash-
ington could rally the main army, but was badly
wounded and ^xas taken prisoner. He was ex-
cliangcd in December, 1780, but retired on Jan-
uary 1. 1781. He was a member of Congress in
1786-87.
RAMSAY, William (1852—). A British
chemist, nephew of the geologist Andrew Crom-
bie Kamsay. He was born in Glasgow, studied
there and at Tubingen, where he received his
doctor's degree at the age of twenty, was pro-
fessor of chemistry at University College, Bris-
tol (1880-87), and in 1887 became professor in
University College, London. Ramsay made a
special study of the less knowii gases.. With
Lord Rayleigh he discovered argon, a new
constituent of the atmosphere. His other dis-
coveries are helium and the atmospheric gases,
neon, .xenon, and kryjiton. He wrote several
text-books of general chemistry, translated Beil-
stein's Qualitative Analt/sis, and in 1890 pub-
lished The Gases of the Atmosphere, the Tlistorij
of Their Diseoiery.
RAMSAY, William Mitchell (1851 — ). A
distinguished Scotch classical scholar and Church
historian, born in Glasgow. He was educated at
the universities of Aberdeen, Oxford, and Giittin-
gen, and was elected fellow of Exeter College,
Oxford, in 1882. and of Lincoln College three
years later. In 1880 he was appointed professor of
humanity (Latin) in Aberdeen University. Pro-
fessor Ramsay l)eeame widely known for his re-
searches in the history of the Church, especially
in Asia Jlinor. His published works include:
The Uistorieal Geoffraiihi/ of Asia Minor ( 18;)0) ;
The Church in the Roman Empire (4th ed.,
18fl.5) ; The Cities and Bishoprics of Phryf/ia
(180.5-07) : and Uistorieal Commentary on Gala-
tians (1800).
RAMS'BOTTOM. A town in Lancashire,
England, on the Irwell. four miles northwest of
Bury (Map: England, D 3). Its industries com-
prise cotton mills, bleaching fields, calico print-
ing establishments, iron fonn<lries, and stone
quirries. Its growth dates from the installation
of calico printing by Sir Rol)crt Peel. Popula-
tion, in 1891, 10.700': in 1001, 15,900.
RAMS'DEN, Jesse (1735-1800). An English
optician and mcclianician, born at Salterhelible,
a suburb of Halifax in Yorkshire. He received
a good education, and. after having first been
engaged as a cloth-worker, became an apprentice
in the workshop of an instrument-maker (1758).
In 1702 he had gained such great skill that he
was employed by the best artists. In 17 (id he
married Dollond's (q.v.) daughter and received,
as her dowry, a shai-e of his father-in-law's
patent for achromatic telescopes. The sextants
of his time were very imperfect, being untrust-
worthy within 5' of a degree, and Ramsden suc-
ceeded in reducing the possible error to within
30". He also invented a dividing-machine, which
could graduate instruments much more rapidly
and accurately than could be done by hand. For
this imention he received a reward from the
Board of Longitude. He constructed the theodo-
lite used by (General Roy (q.v.). and also tele-
scopes for the observatories of Blenheim, Jlann-
heim, Dublin. Paris, and Gotha, and mural quad-
rants for those of Padua and Vilna. He was
one of those who strongly recommended the in-
troduction of the mural circle in place of the
((uadrant (q.v.), and he constructed also two
of the former instruments for the observatories
of Palermo and Dublin. The minor scientific
instruments invented or inipioved by him are
also numerous. Riimsden published : Description
of an Enyinc for Diridiny Mathi inatical Instru-
ments (1777), also the following memoirs read
before the Royal Society> "Description of two
new Micrometers" ( 1777) ; "A New Construction
of Eye-glasses" (1782).
RAM'SEUR. Stephen DoDsox (1837-64). An
American soldier, born at Lincolnton, North
Carolina. He graduated at West Point in 1860,
and was assigned to artillery duty at Fortress
Monroe. The next year, while serving in Wash-
ington, he resigned from the army. April 0th, and
was made major of Xorth Carolina State troops.
With this rank he commanded a battery of artil-
lery at the siege of Yorktown, but was soon
elected colonel of the Forty-ninth Xorth Carolina
Infantry. He was engaged in the Seven Days'
battles and was severely wounded at ilalvern
Hill, .July 1, 1802. During his convalescence he
was promoted brigadier-general October 27, 1862,
and took tlu^ field soon after Fredericksburg. At
Chancellorsville he led the advance of Rodes's
division and won special commendation from
both Lee and Jackson. On July 1, 1803. at
Gettysburg, by a flank attack on the Federal
right he helped to take possession of the town.
He was engaged in the battles around Spottsyl-
vania Court House, and after Hancock took the
Confederate works on the morning of ^lay 12,
1804, was sent to drive him out. In this he was
successful, but was again severely wounded. On
May 27th he was assigned to connnand of Early's
division with rank of major-general. He took
part in Early's raiil and was engaged at Harper's
Ferry and at the ilonocacy. In the battle at
Winchester, September 10th, his division was the
first to be attacked, but retreated in good order.
While covering the retreat at Cedar (I'reek Octo-
ber 10th he was mortally wounded and captured.
RAMSEY, ram'zl, Alexander (1815-1003).
An .morican administrator, 'war Governor' of
ilinnesota. born near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
and educated at Lafayette College. He took a
prominent part in politics as a member of the
Whig Party, and in 1849 was appointed Terri-
torial (Jovernor of ^linnesota. In that capacity
he made treaties with the Sioux and Chippewas
by which much valuable land was opened to set-
tlers. From 1850 to 1803 he was Governor of
the State of Jlinnesota. He became United
States Senator in 1803, was reelected in 1860,
was Secretary of War under President Hayes,
and from 1882 to 1880 was chairman of the Ed-
nuniils Utah connnission on polygamy.
RAMS'GATE. A seaport and favorite watering place on the Isle of Thanet. County of Kent, England, 05 miles southeast of London (^lap: England, H 5). The town consists of well-ar-
