560 



OBITUARIES, UNITED STATES. 



few years he was a vice-president of the 

 New England Historical and Genealogical So- 

 ciety. 



March 12. SCHMIDT, FREDERICK, a sculptor, 

 died suddenly at Washington, D. 0. He was a 

 native of Germany, but an old resident of "Wash- 

 ington. He had made busts for several of the 

 Presidents. 



March 13. CUERIE, Eev. R. ORMISTON, D. D., 

 a clergyman of the Protestant Reformed Dutch 

 Church, died at New Utrecht, L. L, aged 61 

 years. He was a native of Claverack, Columbia 

 County, N. Y., graduated at Rutgers' College, 

 N. J., and completed his studies at the Dutch Re- 

 formed Theological College. After a short time 

 he was called to the church in New Utrecht, 

 which was the only pastorate he filled daring 

 the space of his valuable life. 



March 13. WRIGHT, WILLIAM, an American 

 editor and author, died in Paterson, N .J., aged 

 42 years. He was a native of Ireland, and came 

 to this country about seventeen years ago, and 

 settling near Paterson, engaged in teaching 

 school. About ten years ago he moved into 

 Paterson, and started a Republican journal 

 at that time the only organ of the party, with 

 a single exception, in the State of New Jersey. 

 He took an active part in the campaign for the 

 Presidency in 1856, advocating the election of 

 Gen. Fremont ; and, chiefly through his exer- 

 tions, Paterson, for the first time in its history, 

 gave a majority against the Democratic party. 

 After conducting his paper with marked suc- 

 cess for several years in Paterson, Mr. Wright 

 sold out and removed to New York. He was 

 connected for a short time with the " Evening 

 Post," and afterward for several years with the 

 " Commercial Advertiser." He contributed 

 also largely to other daily and weekly papers in 

 New York. About two years ago he returned 

 to Paterson, and started the "Paterson Press." 

 A few months ago he started the "Monthly 

 Review," and was succeeding beyond his expec- 

 tations, when an attack of dropsy terminated 

 his career. Among his published works may 

 be mentioned " The Oil Regions of Pennsyl- 

 vania." 



March 17. WILLARD, Rev. FREDERICK AU- 

 GUSTUS, a Baptist clergyman, died in Philadel- 

 phia, aged 58 years. He was a native of Mas- 

 sachusetts, graduated at Amherst College in 

 1826, and studied theology at Newton. He was 

 at one time lecturer in Waterville College, and 

 subsequently was a pastor in Massachusetts and 

 Kentucky. A few years since he removed to 

 Philadelphia. 



March 18. PETRIKEN, B. RUSH, a leading 

 politician of Pennsylvania, died at Lock Haven, 

 Pa., aged 51 years. He was born in Dan- 

 ville, Columbia County, educated at Milton, 

 studied law, and was admitted to the bar at the 

 age of 21. He then emigrated to Burlington, 

 Iowa, and had but just commenced the prac- 

 tice when he was appointed by President Van 

 Buren, register of the land office at Dubuque. 

 In 1841 he was removed by Gen. Harrison, and 



returned to Pennsylvania, resuming the prac- 

 tice of his profession at Bellefonte. In 1854, 

 having purchased an interest in some coal lands 

 near Farrandsville, he organized a company for 

 the purpose of mining. In his coal operations, 

 however, he was not successful, and in 1859 he 

 removed to Lock Haven, where he has ever 

 since resided. He was a man of radical views 

 in politics, and after the formation of the Re- 

 publican party he become a leading man in its 

 ranks. In 1859 he was a candidate for the 

 lower House of the Legislature, but was unsuc- 

 cessful. In 1862 he was presented by Clinton 

 County in the district conference for the nomi- 

 nation for Congress, and in this also he was un- 

 successful. In 1864 he was chosen a member 

 of the Union State central committee, .and as 

 a member of the executive committee, per- 

 formed most of the labor of that campaign. 



March 19. ROBINSON, Capt. HENRY, a well- 

 known sea-captain, died at Newburg, N. Y., 

 aged 84 years. He commanded a ship many 

 years before the first steamer crossed the ocean, 

 and was from time to time in charge of various 

 vessels. On his retirement he took great inter- 

 est in yacht-building, and built the Victoria, 

 which he used as a pleasure-boat. When Mr. 

 Hall was about leaving for the Arctic regions 

 in search of the lost explorers, Capt. Robinson 

 took a deep interest in the project, and pre- 

 sented him with his yacht, the Victoria, to be 

 used in the service, or, if unfitted for the voy- 

 age, to be sold, and the proceeda appropriated in 

 the manner most available. 



March 19. RUSSEL, ISRAEL, a philanthropic 

 merchant of New York City, died of paralysis, 

 aged V6 years. He was a native of Morris- 

 town, N. J., and removed to New York at the 

 age of seventeen, where, for many years, he was 

 engaged in the seed business. Retiring from 

 business some twelve years since, he devoted his 

 time and attention to the public benevolent in- 

 stitutions of the city, and was an active mem- 

 ber of the Deaf and Dumb Institute, House of 

 Refuge, Prison Association, Historical Society, 

 and others. 



March 20. VREELAND, BENJAMIN, surgeon 

 U. S. N., died at Lisbon, Portugal, of yellow 

 fever, contracted in attending the crew of the 

 Kearsarge, on board which the disease was 

 raging. He was a native of the State of New 

 York, and received his appointment from it. 

 He entered the service on the 9th of May, 1850, 

 and since that time has served on board the 

 United States ships Vandalia and North Caro- 

 lina, remaining on each for a number of years. 

 In 1860 he was ordered to the sloop-of-war 

 Iroquois, and remained attached to that vessel 

 during her cruise of three years, participating 

 in all the engagements through which the Iro- 

 quois passed. On the return to New York of 

 the Iroquois in 1863, Surgeon Vreeland was 

 ordered to the Brooklyn Navy Hospital, and 

 remained there until ordered to the Kearsarge in 

 the early part of August, 1865. Surgeon Vree- 

 land was ever remarkable for his thorough cow 



