WEBB, James Watson, American journal ist and author: b. Claverack. N. Y., 8 Fed. 181T2; d. New York, 7 June 18114. He entered the United States army as second lieutenant and be came adjutant in 1825; served in the West un der General Scott. and resigned from the army in 1827. In that year he became editor of the Courier in New York; this was united with the Enquirer as the Courier and Enquirer, which be edited until 1861, when it was merged in the New York World. At first he supported Jackson but later as vigorously opposed Jack son's measures, and made the Courier mod En gineer one of the leading Whig papers. In 1851 he was appointed engineer-in-chief of New York State and given the rank of mak yigen cal After refusing an appointment as Minister to Turkey, he was appointed Minister to Brasil in 1861, which office be held mill 1869. In 1865 when be was in France for a time, be negotiated a secret treaty with the emperor providing for the removal of the French troops from Mexico. He wrote 'Altowan, or incidents of Life and Adventure in the Rocky Mountains' (1846); 'Slavery and its Tendencies' (1856), and 'Na tional Currency' ( 1875).
Samuel Blatchley, American sol dier: b. Wethersfield, Conn., 15 Dec. 1753; d. Oaverack, N. Y., 3 Dec. 1807. He joined the keNolutionary army immediately after the battle of Lexington, was engaged at Bunker Hill, be came aide to General Putnam and in lune 1776 was appointed private secretary and aide-do camp to Washington. receiving rank as lieuten ant-colonel He was engaged at the battles of Long Island, White Plains, Trenton and Prince ton, and in 1777 took command of the Third Connecticut regiment which he had organized, equipping it almost entirely from his own funds. He accompanied General Parsons' expedition to Long Island in 1777 and on 10 December was captured with his command. He remained a prisoner until 1780. when he was appointed to succeed Baron Steuben in command of the light infantry, with brevet rank of brigadier-general. Hr .as one of the 16 founders of the Society of the Cincinnati in 1783, and in 1789 held the Bible, on which Washington took the oath as first President of the United States.