History of Mobile, (Mobile County) Alabama United States of America

James Osgood Andrew, M. E. bishop, was born in Wilkes county, Ga., May 3, 1794. In 1812 he entered the South Carolina conference; in 1814 was ordained a deacon in the Methodist Episcopal church and was admitted to the ministry in 1816. He preached on various circuits in Georgia and South Carolina, and was afterwards in pastoral charge of churches at Savannah, Ga., Charleston, S.C., Greensboro, Ga., and Athens, Ga. In 1829 he became presiding elder, and in 1832 was made bishop. In 1844 at the general conference in New York he was asked to resign his bishopric, or to give freedom to his slaves, of whom he owned several. He decided to give in his resignation, but the southern delegates requested him to reserve his decision for a season, and in a body protested against the action of the general conference and repudiated its jurisdiction. Later at the conference meeting at Petersburg, Va., May, 1846, the Methodist church, south, was formed, which severed all connection with the parent body. Bishop Andrew was selected as its senior bishop. In 1866 he was retired from active duty at his own request. He was the author of "Family Government," and a volume of "Miscellanies." He died at Mobile, Ala., March l, 1871.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Horace Wolcott Robbins, artist and lawyer, was born in Mobile, Ala., Oct. 21, 1842; son of Horace W. and Mary Eldredge (Hyde) Robbins; grandson of Frederick and Eunice (Ames) Robbins of Wethersfield, Conn., and of Erastus and Fannie (Bell) Hyde of Norwich, Conn., and eighth in descent from John Robbins of Wethersfield, Conn., 1638. He removed to Baltimore, Md., with his parents in 1848; was graduated at Newton university, Baltimore, in 1860, and studied landscape painting under James M. Hart in New York city in 1861. He enlisted in the 22d New York regiment, and served three months at Harper's Ferry in 1862; visited the West Indies with Frederic E. Church in 1865, and completed his art studies in Europe, 1865?67. He was married in Paris, France, Sept. 27, 1865, to Mary A., daughter of George D. and Mary (Ayres) Phelps of New York city, granddaughter of Gen. Noah Phelps of Simsbury, Conn., and eleventh in descent from Edward Fuller of the Mayflower. He devoted himself to landscape painting in New York city until 1890; attended the Columbia Law school in 1890; was admitted to the New York bar in 1892, and engaged in practice in New York. He was elected all associate of the National Academy of Design in 1864; an academician in 1878; was recording secretary of the Academy, 1882?92, and vice-president, 1894?95; was made a member of the Watercolor society, the American Fine Arts society, the New York Etching club, and was president of the Artists' Fund society, 1885?87. He was also elected a trustee of the New York School of Applied Design for Women; a life member of the New York Historical society; a fellow in perpetuity of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; a member of the Century association (1863); the University climb (1879); the Association of the Bar of New York city, and a trustee of the New York Dispensary. As a manager (after 1885) he devoted considerable time to the work of the New York House of Refuge. His oil paintings include: Blue Hills of Jamaica (1874); Passing Shower, Jamaica (1875); Roadside Elms (1878); Harbor Islands, Lake George (1878); Lake Katahdin, Maine (1882); Early Autumn, Adirondacks (1883); Sunset on the Tunxis (1885); Darkening in the Evening Glory (1885). Among his water-colors are: After the Rain, New England Elms, and New England Homestead, purchased by the French government at the exhibition of 1878.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Ethan Allen Hitchcock, cabinet officer, was born in Mobile, Ala., Sept. 19, 1835; son of Judge Henry and Anne (Erwin) Hitchcock; grandson of Judge Samuel and Lucy (Allen) Hitchcock, and great grandson of Noah and Abigail (Lombard) Hitchcock and of Gen. Ethan Allen. He spent his boyhood in New Orleans, La., and in Nashville, Tenn., and completed his course of study at the military academyy in New Haven, Conn., in 1855. He then resided with his parents in St. Louis, Mo., where he engaged in mercantile pursuits, 1855-60. He was employed by the commission house of Olyphant & Co., in China, 1860-66; became a partner in the house in 1866, and retired from business and left China in 1872. He was in Europe, 1872-74, and was interested in mining manufacturing and railways in the United States as a promoter and president, 1874-97. On Aug. 16, 1897, President McKinley appointed him envoy-extraordinary and minister-plenipotentiary to Russia, and he reached St. Petersburg in December, 1897. On Feb. 11, 1898, be was appointed to be ambassador extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, the first American ambassador accredited to the Russian court. On Dec. 21, 1898, he was named by the President and confirmed by the senate as secretary of the interior as successor to Cornelius N. Bliss, resigned, and he left St. Petersburg for the United States and on Feb. 20, 1899, assumed his position in President McKinley's cabinet.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Mobile, (Mobile County) Alabama

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