SEVIER, JOIIN (1745-1315). An American pioneer and political leader, born in Rockingham County, Va. Leaving school when sixteen years of age, he married in the following year, and in 1764 founded the village of New :Market in the Shenandoah Valley. Here lie became cele brated as an Indian fighter, and in 1772 removed beyond the Alleghanies to the Watauga settle ments. He served as captain in Lord Dunmore's War, participating in the battle of Point Pleas ant (q.v.), was a delegate for several years from Watauga to the North Carolina Legisla ture, conducted many expeditions against the Indians, gained a victory over them at Boyd's Creek (1779), and served with great gallantry at Kings Mountain (1780). lie took part in the battle of Nusgrove's Mills, and in 1781 fought under Marion, and was made brigadier-general. He was Governor of the "State of Franklin" in 1785-88, on the breaking up of which by North Carolina he was imprisoned, but soon escaped. In 1790 he was sent as a Representative to Con gress. In 1793 he conducted the Etowah cam paign against the Indians. and in 1796 became the first Governor of Tennessee, serving until 1801. Ile was again Governor from 1803 to 1809. and was a member of Congress from 1811 to ISIS. He died on a mission to the Creek Indians. For his life, consult J. R. Gilmore (New York, 1887).
sti'vt:liyh', MARIE DE RAnUTIN CHANTAL, :Marquise de (1626-06). A French epistolary writer. She was born in Paris, February 6, 1626. of a military family known in Burgundy as early as the twelfth century. Her father, Baron de Chantal. was killed at the Isle of Rile in 1627. Her mother, Marie de Coulanges, died in 1633. The little heiress was then cared for by her mother's parents, both of whom died within three years. Her uncle. Christophe de Con langes, Abbe de Livry, was now chosen guardian. Ile lived till 1686, always her close friend and business adviser, and was frequently visited by her at his abbey. He gave his niece an excellent. education; among her tutors were Chapelain and Menage. Her earliest letters are in response to Menage's professions of love. Among the close friends of her youth was the future Madame de la Fayette. The careful management of her guardian left her relatively rich at eighteen, when she married Henri, Marquis de Sevigne, a Breton gentleman, whom she loved better than he seems to have deserved. The Chevalier d'Albret mortally wounded him in a duel over Madame de Gondran and he died in 1651, leaving a son, Charles, who died childless, and a daughter, Francoige, who married, in 1669, Francois Ad hemar, Count de Grig,nan, and had two children. who died without issue. To her children Madame de Sevigne devoted the rest of her life, especially to the daughter, who did not worthily requite her affection.
Her social tact, good looks, vivacity, and charm made her very popular and brought her the homage of many distinguished friends, among them Turenne and the Prince de Conti. It was
not till her daughter's marriage (1669) that her letters became numerous. Count de Grignan was practically Governor of Provence, and Madame de Sevigne divided her time between Paris, Les Rochers, and visits, not always welcome, to her daughter. In 1676 she visited Vichy. From 1677 to 1678 Madame de Grignan was chiefly in Paris and the correspondence lagged. it was after wards resumed ill quite its early volume. Mother and daughter were together also at Paris from 1691 to 1694, but it was at Grignan that Madame de Sevigne died, April 17, 1696. The disease was smallpox and she was unattended by her daughter at the last. But Madame de Grignan, by a certain poetic justice, died nine years later of the very malady whose infection she had ap parently sacrificed her filial instinct to escape.
The letters of Madame de SOvigne are un rivaled for their fresh charm, shrewd wit, and easy gaiety of heart. They form an almost com plete and familiar chroniele of the Court and high society of the time (1669-1695). Their Vi vacity scarcely ever flags, whether she is telling of Court life, of scenes at the baths of Vichy, or of emmtry society and diversions. She writes spontaneously, sketches vivid pictures in a few rapid strokes, o• gives in sparkling narrative the social happenings of the day, meanwhile unwit tingly revealing her own character. Madame de SOvigne enjoyed some literary fame during her lifetime. Her letters, as edited by Iiegnier and others (Paris, 1862-68, 2d ed. 1387 et seq.) , fill, with some other correspondence, fourteen vol umes, of which the first contains a Life, and two others (vols. xiii., xiv.) a lexicon. This is sup plemented by Capmas, Let lees inedites de Ma dame dr Serigne (Paris, 1376). There are many other editions complete and partial, the first in 1726, the most noteworthy, by MonmerquO, in 10 vols. ( ib., 1318-19 ) . Consult : Walekenaer, Memoires tonchants In rie et lcs eerits de Hadaine de serigne; 1842-52) ; Madame de Soigne: Her Correspondents and Her Contemporaries (London. 1873) ; Miss Thackerav (Mrs. Ritchie), Madame de serigne in "Foreign Classics" (Edinburgh, 1881) ; Bois sieur, "Madame in Les grands eeri rains franrais (Paris, 1S57) Mason, of the French Salons (New York, 1891) ; LOon Ile la Briere, Madame de Serigne rw Bretagne (Paris, 1882) ; Saporta, La famine de Madame de Se a•igncc en prorinee 1839) ; Sainte-Retve, traits de femmes (ib., 1856) ; id., Causeries, vol. i. (ib., 1557-62) : id., Nous-callr midis, vol.
1863-72) ; Scherer, Etudes, vole. ii. and iii. (ib., 1363-74) ; Beynand, Les defants de la Coetesxs dc• arignan (ib., 1895).