History of Vincennes, (Knox County) Indiana United States of America

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Biographies:

Simon Gabriel Brut?, R. C. bishop, was born at Rennes, capital of Brittany, in France, in 1779. He was educated in the schools and colleges of his native town, and at the Seminary of St. Sulpice at Paris, and at the close of his theological course, in 1808, was ordained to the priesthood. He refused the position of assistant chaplain to the Emperor Napoleon, and a canonicate in the cathedral at Ronnes, preferring to enter the Sulpitian order. He was made professor of theology in the Sulpitian seminary at Rennes and in 1810 accompanied Bishop Flaget to America. He became professor of philosophy at St. Mary's college, Baltimore; was transferred to Emmittsburg in 1812, and visited France 1815-17. He brought his library of nearly 5000 volumes for the use of St. Mary's college, of which he was made president on his return. He was consecrated first bishop of the new see of Vincennes in 1834; visited France in the interests of his diocese and returned with twenty priests. He established twenty-three churches, twenty-eight missions, two religious communities, one theological seminary, a college for men, a female academy and two free schools in his diocese. He died at Vincennes, Ind., June 26, 1839.

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

Pitt L. McCreary, educator, was born at Fairview, Erie county, Pa., April 6, 1851. He was graduated at Pennsylvania State college, B.S., 1871, and became a civil engineer in Erie. He surveyed and planned the Akron, Ohio, waterworks, 1874-75; was landscape engineer at Cleveland, Ohio, 1876; Willoughby, Ohio, and Nashville, Tenn., 1877; and Evansville, Ind., 1878; teacher at the Evansville High school, 1879; professor of mathematics, Vincennes university, 1880-82, and president of the university, 1882-85. He died at Vincennes, Ind., Jan. 27, 1885.

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

George Wallace Jones, senator, was born in Vincennes, Ind., April 12, 1804; son of Judge John Rice and Mary (Barger) Jones. He attended Bishop Dubourg's Roman Catholic college in St. Louis, and was graduated at Transylvania university in 1825. He then took up the study of law, and was appointed clerk of the U.S. district court for Missouri, holding the position until his removal to Sinsinawa Mound, Michigan Territory, in March, 1827, where he kept a store and also engaged in mining and smelting. He was married, Jan. 7, 1829, to Josephine, daughter of Cyrul Gregoire, of Ste. Genevieve, Mo. They had eight children, and when Mrs. Jones died, April 29, 1888, there were two sons and two daughters surviving. In 1832 he was appointed on the staff of Gen. Henry Dodge as aide-de-camp and served throughout the Black Hawk war, and he was immediately afterward elected colonel of the militia of Michigan, his opponent being Capt. W. H. Hamilton, son of Gen. Alexander Hamilton. Soon after he was appointed chief justice of the territorial court, although not yet admitted to practice as a lawyer. He was delegate from Michigan Territory to the 24th congress, 1835, and drew up the act for the erection of the territory of Wisconsin out of Michigan Territory. He was a delegate to the 25th congress from Wisconsin Territory, 1837-39; and was defeated for reelection in 1838 on account of his part as second to Representative Jonathan Cilley, of Maine, in his duel with Representative William J. Graves, February, 1838. He drew up the bill for the establishment of Iowa Territory, which, through his efforts, was created, July 4, 1838, and in December, 1840, President Van Buren appointed him surveyor-general of the territory, and he was removed from the office, July 4, 1841, by President Tyler, but restored by President Polk, March, 1845. He made his residence in Dubuque, and in December, 1848, he was elected with Augustus C. Dodge as U.S. senator from the new state. He served in the U.S. senate, 1848-59, and on March 8, 1859, he was appointed by President Buchanan U.S. minister to Bogota, S.A. He accepted the appointment, April 30, 1859, and was succeeded on Nov. 5, 1861, by Allan A. Burton. On arriving in Washington he was entertained by Secretary Seward and renewed his acquaintance with Abraham Lincoln. On his arrival in New York city he was arrested by order of Secretary Seward on the charge of disloyalty, based on a friendly letter to his old college mate, Jefferson Davis, which fell into the hands of the state department, and he was imprisoned in Fort Lafayette, New York harbor, for sixty-four days, when he was released by President Lincoln, who believed him innocent of the charge. He returned to Dubuque, Iowa, where he died, July 22, 1896.

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