Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Andrew, John Albion

(Encyclopedia)Andrew, John Albion, 1818–67, Civil War governor of Massachusetts (1861–66), b. Windham, Maine. He practiced law in Boston, but his antislavery sympathies drew him into politics. He was one of the...

De Forest, John William

(Encyclopedia)De Forest, John William də fôrˈəst, fŏrˈ– [key], 1826–1906, American author, b. Seymour, Conn. He served in the Civil War, chiefly as a captain. His vivid accounts of battle scenes in Louisi...

Alger, Russell Alexander

(Encyclopedia)Alger, Russell Alexander, 1836–1907, U.S. secretary of war (1897–99), b. near Medina, Ohio. After moving to Michigan he engaged in the lumber business, in which he made a fortune. During the Civil...

Dartmoor Prison

(Encyclopedia)Dartmoor Prison, English prison, at Princetown, Devonshire, built (1806–9) to house French captives during the Napoleonic Wars. During the War of 1812 many American prisoners were confined there, an...

corvette

(Encyclopedia)corvette, small warship, classed between a frigate and a sloop-of-war. Corvettes usually were flush-decked and carried fewer than 28 guns. They were widely employed in escorting convoys and attacking ...

Seely, John Edward Bernard, 1st baron of Mottistone

(Encyclopedia)Seely, John Edward Bernard, 1st baron of Mottistone, 1868–1947, British politician. He served in the South African War and entered Parliament as a Conservative in 1900. Having switched to the Libera...

Shelby, Joseph Orville

(Encyclopedia)Shelby, Joseph Orville, 1830–97, Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War, b. Lexington, Ky. He made a considerable fortune in rope manufacturing in Kentucky and Missouri. While in Mi...

Popović, Koča

(Encyclopedia)Popović, Koča kōˈchä pōˈpōvĭˈtyə [key], 1908–80, Yugoslav soldier and political leader. He early joined (1933) the Yugoslav Communist party and fought (1937–39) in the Spanish Civil War...

Proctor, Redfield

(Encyclopedia)Proctor, Redfield, 1831–1908, American industrialist and political leader, b. Proctorsville, Vt. He studied law, practiced in Boston, and served in the Union army in the Civil War. After he returned...

Reno, Jesse Lee

(Encyclopedia)Reno, Jesse Lee rēˈnō [key], 1823–62, Union general in the American Civil War, b. Wheeling, Va. (now W.Va.). He was twice brevetted for his service in the Mexican War. In the Civil War, Reno was ...