LOSSINO, 16s'ing, Benson John, Amer ican historian and engraver: b. Beekman, Dutchess County, N. Y., 12 Feb. 1813; d. near Dover Plains, N. J., 3 June 1891. In 1826 he was apprenticed to a watchmaker in Pough keepsie and subsequently entered into partner ship with his employer, but in 1835 relinquished the business and became joint owner and edi tor of the Poughkeepsie Telegraph. He soon after settled in New York as an engraver on wood, and at the same time edited and illus trated the Family Magazine. His connection with his newspaper enterprises in Poughkeepsie; however, continued until 1841. That year ap peared his 'Outline History of the Fine Arts,) followed in 1847 by an illustrated work, 'Seven teen Hundred and and in 1848 by 'Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence) His 'Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution> was issued in numbers in 1850 52, with more than 1,000 illustrations by him self. In the preparation of this work, which is remarkable for the minute and accurate in formation which it conveys, the author traveled at different times upward of 9,000 miles. visit
ing every important battlefield of the Revolu tion and making sketches on the spot. Among other works are 'Illustrated History of the United States for Schools and (1854); 'Our Countrymen, or Brief Memoirs of Eminent Americans' (1855); 'Primary His tory of the United States' (1857); 'Mount Vernon and its Associations,' illustrated by himself (1859) ; 'Life and Times of Philip Schuyler' (1860); 'Life of Washington' (3 vols., 1860) ; 'Lives of the Presidents' ; 'Pic torial Field Book of the War of 1812' (1868); 'The Civil War in America' (1866-68); 'The American Centenary> (1876) ; 'Cyclopedia of United States History' (1881); 'History of New York (1884); 'Compendious His tory of the Commonwealth of New York' (1887).