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OBITUARIES, UNITED STATES. 



of Sessions. In the autumn of 1868 his mind 

 gave way, and he was committed to the Insane 

 Hospital at Flatbush, where he died. His abili- 

 ties in other relations than those of politics 

 were of a high order, and in the Board of Edu- 

 cation and elsewhere he did the community 

 good service. 



April . WISE, Captain HENEY AUGUSTUS, 

 United States Navy, an accomplished naval 

 officer, chief of the Bureau of Ordnance from 

 1863 to 1867, and author; died at Naples, 

 Italy, aged 50 years. He was born in Brook- 

 lyn, N. Y., May 12, 1819, entered the Navy as 

 midshipman in 1833, served on the coast of 

 Florida during the Seminole "War, became a lieu- 

 tenant in 1845, served in the Pacific squadron, 

 in California, and in Mexico during the Mexican 

 War, was flag-lieutenant of the Mediterrane- 

 an squadron from 1852-'55, accompanied the 

 Japanese ambassadors on their return home 

 in 1860, was promoted to be commander in 

 1862, and made assistant-chief of the Bureau 

 of Ordnance and Hydrography. In 1863 he 

 was promoted to be chief of the Bureau of 

 Ordnance, which was then made a separate 

 bureau, and in January, 1867, attained the 

 rank of captain. He resigned his connection 

 with the Ordnance Bureau in January, 1869, 

 in consequence of his health, and went abroad, 

 but died at Naples. Captain Wise was the 

 author of "Los Gringos " (the Yankees), a book 

 of sketches of travel in Mexico, California, 

 South America, etc. (New York, 1849) ; " Tales 

 for the Marines " (New York, 1855) ; " Scam- 

 pavias " (New York, 1857) ; " Captain Brand, 

 of the Schooner Centipede," a novel of sea- 

 life (1860) ; and other works, usually of nautical 

 life. Captain Wise was twice married, his first 

 wife being a daughter of Edward Everett, his 

 second the widow of the late Baron Bodisco, 

 Eussian minister to the United States. 



May 2. SEYMOUE, CHABLES C. B., musical 

 and dramatic critic and author; died in New 

 York City, of inflammation of the brain, aged 

 40 years. He was a native of London, England, 

 but, in 1849, took up his residence in New 

 York, where he engaged in teaching. When 

 the New York Times was established in 1850, 

 he became connected with the editorial staff, 

 and continued to occupy that position until his 

 death. He was a brilliant and able writer, 

 clear and terse in style, and peculiarly happy 

 in expression. Among his literary produc- 

 tions may be mentioned a volume of biography 

 published by the Harpers, about 1860. Mr. 

 Seymour was the Times correspondent at the 

 Paris Exposition, where his services, as one of 

 the American commission, were recognized by 

 the presentation of a medal from the Emperor 

 of the French. From January to July, 1865, 

 he was associated with Mr. Hagen, in the New 

 York Weekly Review, which paper he edited 

 with marked discretion and taste. 



May 10. ADKINS, Rev. JOSEPH, an honored 

 and patriotic citizen of Georgia, a Baptist cler- 

 gyman, and State Senator from the 19th Sena- 



torial District, was murdered in Warren Coun- 

 ty, Ga., aged about 67 years. He was a native of 

 Warren County, and had resided there through 

 life. He had been for many years a Baptist 

 minister, and had long preached acceptably in 

 his own county. His private character was irre- 

 proachable, and he had been through the war 

 a stanch Republican and Unionist, and on the 

 reconstruction of Georgia had been elected a 

 State Senator. He was one of a delegation 

 sent by the Legislature to Washington, to urge 

 the complete legal reconstruction of the State. 

 The sending of this delegation had roused the 

 hostility of a considerable class in the State, 

 and one of their papers had openly recom- 

 mended that every member of it " should per- 

 ish by the wayside." 



May 10. MAJOB, Rev. JOHN W., a Presby- 

 terian clergyman, editor, and teacher ; died in 

 Palmyra, Wayne County, N. Y., aged 44 

 years. He was a descendant of the Scotch 

 Covenanters, was born at Galway, Saratoga 

 County, N. Y., graduated with high honors 

 at Union College in 1845, completed his theolo- 

 gical course at Princeton, and was licensed to 

 preach June 12, 1850, by the Baltimore 

 Presbytery. His first settlement was in Berke- 

 ley County, Ya., where in the exercise of his 

 duties he contracted a severe cold, which so 

 seriously affected his health as to compel him 

 to resign his pastorate and accept the position 

 of principal of the Clarksville Female Semi- 

 nary. In 1854, finding his health somewhat 

 improved, he accepted a call to the charge of 

 the First Presbyterian Church in Caledonia, 

 N. Y. ; but, finding the winters too severe, 

 he was induced to remove to Georgetown, 

 D. C., and assume the duties of principal of 

 the female seminary in that town. Here, as 

 elsewhere, he was a successful teacher. Sub- 

 sequently he held a pastorate in Laurinburg, 

 N. C., taking charge at the same time of the high 

 school. Upon his return North, he was for a time 

 editor of the Herald of Truth, and for four 

 years was pastor of the Reformed Dutch 

 Church at the Boght, near Cohoes, N. Y. 

 In 1862 he was appointed chaplain to the Pa- 

 nama Railroad Company, and sailed for Pana- 

 ma. Upon his return-passage he was attacked 

 with the Chagres fever, which so completely 

 prostrated him, that he was compelled to re- 

 sign the pastorate altogether. Subsequently 

 he removed to Brooklyn, and engaged in lit- 

 erary labor, so far as his health permitted, 

 among other engagements, contributing occa- 

 sional articles to the ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA of 

 1867 and 1868. The spring of 1869, however, 

 indicated his end near at hand, and it was 

 thought best to remove him to a quiet home in 

 the country, which he reached only to die. A 

 man of great firmness, conscientiousness, and 

 decided piety, he was also an able, clear, and 

 vigorous writer, a successful teacher, and pos- 

 sessed that wide and generous culture which 

 made him a most agreeable and genial associate 

 and friend. 



