Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

McHenry, James

(Encyclopedia)McHenry, James, 1753–1816, American political leader, b. Ireland. He emigrated to Philadelphia in 1771 and, after studying medicine under Benjamin Rush, served as a surgeon in the Continental Army i...

Meigs, Return Jonathan

(Encyclopedia)Meigs, Return Jonathan mĕgz [key], 1740–1823, American Revolutionary army officer, b. Middletown, Conn. He accompanied Benedict Arnold on the Quebec expedition, where he was taken prisoner and late...

Mercer, Hugh

(Encyclopedia)Mercer, Hugh mûrˈsər [key], c.1725–1777, American Revolutionary general, b. Aberdeen, Scotland. A physician, he was a surgeon in the forces of Charles Edward Stuart (the Young Pretender) and afte...

Lafayette Escadrille

(Encyclopedia)Lafayette Escadrille ĕskədrĭlˈ [key], small group of American volunteer aviators in World War I, created (Apr., 1916) as Escadrille Américaine in the French air service. It was renamed the Lafaye...

Kaskaskia

(Encyclopedia)Kaskaskia kăskăsˈkēə [key], small village, Randolph co., SE Ill., on Kaskaskia island in the Mississippi River where it is joined by the Kaskaskia River. The settlement was established (1703) by ...

Butler, Walter

(Encyclopedia)Butler, Walter, 1752?–1781, Loyalist officer in the American Revolution, b. New York State; son of John Butler. He was an officer in his father's Loyalist troop, Butler's Rangers. He was captured (1...

Bowie, James

(Encyclopedia)Bowie, James bo͞oˈē, bōˈē [key], c.1796–1836, American frontiersman, b. Logan co., Ky. With his brother, Rezin, he engaged in land speculation in Louisiana and Arkansas. In Texas from 1828, Bo...

Zane, Ebenezer

(Encyclopedia)Zane, Ebenezer, 1747–1811, American pioneer and land speculator, b. near what is now Moorefield, W.Va. (then Virginia). With his brothers Silas and Jonathan, he went west in 1769 and established the...

Simcoe, John Graves

(Encyclopedia)Simcoe, John Graves sĭmˈkō [key], 1752–1806, British army officer, first governor of Upper Canada (Ontario). He served with the British in the American Revolution. Upon the division of Quebec int...

Putnam, Israel

(Encyclopedia)Putnam, Israel, 1718–90, American Revolutionary general, b. Salem (now Danvers), Mass. A farmer at Pomfret, Conn., he fought in the French and Indian Wars, seeing action at Montreal (1760) and at Ha...