Browsing named entities in Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing). You can also browse the collection for George Washington or search for George Washington in all documents.

Your search returned 531 results in 247 document sections:

... 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Vail, Alfred 1807-1859 (search)
rristown, N. J., Sept. 25, 1807; graduated at the University of the City of New York in 1836; became interested in the experiments of Prof. Samuel F. B. Morse (q. v.), whom he greatly aided in the perfection of the telegraph. In 1837 he constructed a miniature telegraph line on the plan of Morse's invention, which was examined and pronounced practicable by a committee of Congress. Subsequently he built the first Morse machine, and became the assistant superintendent of the telegraph line constructed between Baltimore and Washington. On May 24, 1844, he received from Washington the first message sent over telegraph wires. His inventions include the lever and grooved roller; the alphabetical application of the Morse dot-and-dash system; the first combination of the horizontal lever to move a pencil, pen, or style; a telegraphic alphabet of dots, spaces, and dashes; and the finger-key. He published The American electro-magnetic Telegraph. He died in Morristown, N. J., Jan. 18, 1859.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Valley Forge (search)
otism was fully tested. The British under Howe had full possession of Philadelphia and of the Delaware below, and Pennsylvania was divided among its people and in its legislature by political factions. General uneasiness prevailed; and when Washington sought refuge at Valley Forge, the Pennsylvania legislature adopted a remonstrance against that measure. To this cruel missive Washington replied, after censuring the quartermaster-general (Mifflin), a Pennsylvanian, for neglect of duty: For. Washington and his wife, and other officers and their wives, attended the religious services of the New Jersey brigade. Then the commander-in-chief dined in public with all the officers. Patriotic toasts were given, and loud huzzas greeted Washington when he left the table. As the season advanced comforts abounded at Valley Forge, the army increased, and on June 18 the encampment broke up and the army began a chase of the British across New Jersey when the latter had evacuated Philadelphia
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Van Schaick, Gozen 1737-1787 (search)
Van Schaick, Gozen 1737-1787 Military officer; born in Albany,. N. Y., in January, 1737; served in the French and Indian War, taking part in the expeditions against Ticonderoga, Crown Point, Fort Frontenac, and Niagara (1756-59), and was major in Colonel Johnson's regiment in 1759. On the breaking-out of the Revolutionary War, he was made colonel of the 2d New York Regiment, and late in 1776 was in command of a battalion sent to the vicinity of Cherry Valley to protect the inhabitants against Brant and his followers, in which work he was vigilant and active. In the battle of Monmouth he was a brigadier-general under Lord Stirling. In the spring of 1779 he was sent by Washington to destroy the settlement of the Onondaga Indians, for the performance of which service Congress gave him its thanks. He was made brigadier-general by brevet, Oct. 10, 1783. Van Schaick was a rigid disciplinarian, and his regiment one of the best in the service. He died in Albany, N. Y., July 4, 1787.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Vanderlyn, John 1776-1852 (search)
Vanderlyn, John 1776-1852 Painter; born in Kingston, N. Y., Oct. 15, 1776; received instructions in painting from Gilbert Stuart at the age of sixteen years, and in 1796, through the aid of Aaron Burr, went to Paris, and studied there five years. He returned, but went to Europe again, where he resided from 1803 to 1815. There he painted a large picture of Marius seated amid the ruins of Carthage, for which he was awarded the gold medal at the Louvre in 1808, and was the recipient of high commendation from Napoleon. On his return to the United States he painted portraits of distinguished citizens, and introduced the panoramic method of exhibiting pictures. In 1832 he received a commission to paint a full-length portrait of Washington for the House of Representatives; and in 1839 he painted for one of the panels of the rotunda of the Capitol The Landing of Columbus. He died in Kingston, N. Y., Sept. 24, 1852.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), State of Vermont, (search)
, in a letter to a member of Congress, that New York might be compelled to use all her resources for the defence of that State. He also called the attention of Washington to the subject; and he especially condemned the conduct of Ethan Allen, whose motives he suspected. General Schuyler, who had been ordered by Washington to arrWashington to arrest Allen, wrote to Governor Clinton at the close of October, saying, The conduct of some of the people to the eastward is alarmingly mysterious. A flag, under pretext of settling a cartel with Vermont, has been on the Grants. Allen has disbanded his militia, and the enemy, in number upwards of 1,600, are rapidly advancing towards us. . . . Entreat General Washington for more Continental troops; and let me beg of your excellency to hasten up here. There was general alarm concerning the perplexing movements of the Vermonters, which, in the light of subsequent history, was only a piece of coquetry for their benefit. The shrewd diplomats of Vermont were w
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Colony of Virginia, (search)
military posts along the western slope of the Alleghany Mountains, in the rear of Virginia, and at the head-waters of the Ohio. To one of these posts young George Washington was sent on a diplomatic mission towards the close of 1753, by Dinwiddie, governor of Virginia. That was Washington's first appearance in public service. ies and corporations of Virginia met for the first time. They assembled in St. John's Church in Richmond. Among the conspicuous members of the convention were Washington and Patrick Henry. Peyton Randolph was chosen president and John Tazewell clerk. A large portion of the members yearned for reconciliation with Great Britain,lutions to prepare for defence were passed, St. John's Church. and Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, Robert C. Nicholas, Benjamin Harrison, Lemuel Riddick, George Washington, Adam Stephen, Andrew Lewis, William Christian, Edmund Pendleton, Thomas Jefferson, and Isaac Lane were appointed a commitee to prepare a plan accordingly.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), State of Virginia, (search)
t in co-operation with the Army of the Potomac. One was in the Mountain Department, under General Fremont: a second in the Department of the Shenandoah, under General Banks; and a third in the newly created Department of the Rappahannock, under General McDowell. Fremont was at Franklin, in Pendleton county, early in April, with 15,000 men; Banks was at Strasburg, in the Shenandoah Valley, with about 16,000 men; and McDowell was at Fredericksburg, on the Rappahannock, with 30,000 men. When Washington was relieved by the departure of Johnson for the peninsula, McDowell was ordered forward to co-operate with McClellan, and Shields's division was added to his force, making it about 40,000. Arrangements had been made for the service of auxiliary or co-operating troops in western Virginia, before the Army of the Potomac started for Richmond in May, 1864. In that region Confederate cavalry. guerilla bands, and bushwhackers had been mischievously active for some time. Moseby was an acti
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Wakefield estate, (search)
Wakefield estate, In Virginia, the birthplace of George Washington; about half a mile from the junction of Pope's Creek with the Potomac, in Westmoreland county. The house was destroyed before the Revolution, but upon its site George W. P. Custis placed a slab of freestone, June, 1815, with the simple inscription: Here, the 11th of February (O. S.), 1732, George Washington was born. Wakefield estate, In Virginia, the birthplace of George Washington; about half a mile from the junction of Pope's Creek with the Potomac, in Westmoreland county. The house was destroyed before the Revolution, but upon its site George W. P. Custis placed a slab of freestone, June, 1815, with the simple inscription: Here, the 11th of February (O. S.), 1732, George Washington was born.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Walker, Thomas 1715-1794 (search)
n. 25, 1715; educated at William and Mary College; studied medicine and practised in Fredericksburg, Va. In 1750 he travelled west and was probably the first white man to pass the present boundaries of Kentucky. He was commissary-general under Washington in General Braddock's army, and was present at the latter's defeat. In 1775 he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, where he served on the second committee of safety; in 1777 was appointed with his son, Col. John Walker, to visit thdary between Virginia and North Carolina. Walker Mountains in southwestern Virginia were named after him. He died in Albemarle county, Va., Nov. 9, 1794. His son, John, legislator; born in Albemarle county, Va., Feb. 13, 1744, was an aide to Washington during the Revolutionary War, and was by him recommended to Patrick Henry on Feb. 24, 1777, for ability, honor, and prudence. He succeeded William Grayson in the United States Senate, where he served in May- December, 1790. He died in Orange
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing),
Wall Street
, (search)
Wall Street, A noted thoroughfare in the part of New York City extending from Broadway at Trinity Church to the East River, about half a mile long. This title, however, designates a region extending about a quarter of a mile on either side of the greater part of Wall Street proper. The locality is famous the world over for its financial institutions, which include a large number of banking houses, the United States Sub-Treasury, the Custom-house, the Stock Exchange, etc. The name is derived from a wall of palisades which was built in Dutch colonial days as a defence against the Indians. The location of great financial houses here is due to the fact that the principal early government buildings were erected on the street. After the adoption of the Constitution of the United States the First Congress met here in a building on the site of the present Sub- Treasury. On the porch of that building George Washington was inaugurated the first President of the republic.
... 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25