Biddle.] 4 J J [Oct. 4, 



Obituary Notice of Caspar Wister, M.D. 



By Craig Biddle. 



{Read before the American Philosophical Society, October 4, 18S9. ) 



Caspar Wister was born on the 15th day of September, A.D. 1818, at 

 the old homestead in Germantown, built by liis great-grandfather in 1744, 

 and continuously occupied by the family from that date. 



He was the first child of Charles Jones Wister, by his second wife, who 

 w>s a Miss Sarah Whitesides. 



His first school-days were passed at a school in Germantown, kept by 

 Miss Rooker. This school, of course, he soon outgrew and was then sent 

 to Bolmar's celebrated academy, at West Chester, where he laid the 

 foundation for his subsequent familiarity with the modern languages. Sub- 

 sequently being desirous of qualifying himself as a civil engineer, he was 

 transferred to the school of Mr. John Gumniere, then a member of our 

 Society and a distinguished mathematician, residing at IJurlington, N. J. 

 The fame of both of these teachers yet lives in their well-known educa- 

 tional works — those of Mr. Bolmar being mainly confined to the teach- 

 ing of the modern languages, while those of Mr. Gummere concerned the 

 matliematics. His works on astronomj^ and surveying have held their own 

 to the present day, in spite of the great competition they have met with 

 from the works of subsequent teachers. 



After graduating, he became desirous of putting into practical use the 

 education he had received, and he determined to seek employment in some 

 new and growing country, where as a civil engineer his services would be 

 in reouest. 



At that time, Texas presented, bethought, the opening which he sought. 

 The Mexican government, as early as the year 1834, had passed coloniza- 

 tion laws and held out inducements to citizens of the United States to 

 settle within the limits of Texas, then one of its provinces. It soon 

 thereafter became a point of attraction for settlers from all parts of our 

 country. Their growing strength and steadfast adherence to republican 

 principles aroused, however, the jealousy of the Mexican authorities, and 

 in April, 1830, an arbitrary law was passed prohibiting any future immigra- 

 tions ot American settlers into Texas. The attempt to enforce this law, 

 added to other arbitrary acts of the central government, threw Texas 

 into revolt. In the attempt to suppress this revolt by force of arms, the 

 Mexicans met with a crushing defeat at San Jacinto, where their army was 

 routed by a very much interior force, under General Houston, and Santa 

 Anna, who called himself the Napoleon ot the West, was taken prisoner. 

 This battle secured the independence of Texas, which was subsequently 

 recognized in 18'd7 by the United States. 



General Houston was elected President of the new republic, and by his 

 wise administration all further difficulties both with Mexico and the Indian 



