History of Hackensack, (Bergen County) New Jersey United States of America

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Biographies:

Thomas Seir Cummings, artist, was born in Bath, England, Aug. 26, 1804. His father engaged in mercantile business in New York city soon after the birth of the son. He attended the New York public schools and in 1828 was employed in a mercantile house. He devoted his leisure to art and in 1831 abandoned business to study drawing under Henry Inman. His specialty was miniatures in water colors. In 1825 he met with other artists in the studio of S. F. B. Morse to form the New York drawing association, which early in 1826 became the National academy of the arts of design, and of which Mr. Cummings was treasurer for forty years and in 1849 was elected vice-president. He was superintendent of the schools of the academy and chairman of the building committee of two which carried out the erection of the $250,000 building. He organized, about 1828, the Sketch club, which became the Artist's sketch club in 1844, and the Century association in 1846. In 1838 he was appointed by Governor Seward brigadier-general in the N.Y. state militia, having served as a private and officer and attained the rank of colonel. He was professer of the arts of design in the University of the city of New York, 1844-67. He is the author of Historical Annals of the National Academy of Design (1865). He died at Hackensack, N.J., Sept. 24, 1894.

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

Enoch Poor, soldier, was born in Andover, Mass., June 21, 1736. He attended school at An-dover, and removed to Exeter, N. H., about 1765, where he was actively engaged in shipbuilding and mercantile pursuits until the outbreak of the Revolution, when he organized the troops furnished by the general assembly into three regiments, of one of which he was elected colonel, May 23, 1775. He was sent to New York after the evacuation of Boston by the British, was transferred to the 8th Continental infantry, Jan. 1, 1776. and joined Arnold's expedition into Canada. He was at Crown Point after the American army returned from Canada, and when General Schuyler determined to evacuate, Colonel Poor with other officers appealed to General Washington. In his reply the commander-in-chief acknowledged the military judgment of the appellants, but ,declined to countermand the order. Colonel Poor was returned to the command of the 2d New Hampshire regiment, Nov. 8, 1776, and was promoted brigadier-general in the Continental army, Feb. 21, 1777. At the battle of Stillwater his command bore the brunt of the British attack and the greater part of the American loss, and at the battle of Saratoga he led the advance. He went to Pennsylvania after Burgoyne's surrender, joined Washington in the Jersey campaign, and was with him at Valley Forge, from which place he appealed for aid to the New Hampshire legislature. In the pursuit of the British across New Jersey he distinguished himself at Monmouth, where he fought under Lafayette; commanded his brigade. in Sullivan's expedition in New York in 1779, and in August, 1780, was appointed to the command of a corps of light infantry. General Poor was a close personal friend of Generals Washington and Lafayette, and was toasted by the latter at a banquet in New Hampshire in 1824. He died at Hackensack, N.J., Sept. 8, 1780.

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

Samuel Cooper, soldier, was born in Hackensack, N. J., June 12, 1798; son of Samuel and Mary (Horton) Cooper. His father, a soldier of the American Revolution, fought at Lexington, Bunker Hill, Monmouth and Germantown, gained the rank of major, and after the war settled in Dutchess county, N.Y. The son was graduated at the U.S. military academy in 1815 and served in the artillery and on garrison duty at Washington, D. C., for several years. He was married in 1827 to a granddaughter of George Mason, U.S. senator from Virginia. He was promoted first lieutenant and was aid to Gen. Alexander Macomb, 1828-36. He was then promoted captain and was on staff duty as assistant adjutant-general until 1841, serving as chief of staff to Col. W. J. Worth in the Seminole war in Florida, 1836-37. He was in Washington on special duty at the war department, 1842-52, was brevetted colonel and served as adjutant-general of the U.S. army, 1852-61, with the rank of colonel of staff, and for a time was secretary of war ad interim. The outbreak of civil war in 1861 determined him to join his fortunes to the seceding states and he resigned his commission in the U.S. army in March, 186l, and was appointed by Jefferson Davis adjutant and inspector-general of the Confederat'e army, and ranking officer of the new army. He wrote A Concise System of Instructions and Regulations for the Militia and Volunteers of the United States (1836). He died in Cameron, Va., Dec. 3, 1876.

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