History of Erie County New York United States of America

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Porter Cornelius Bliss, journalist, was born in Erie county. N.Y., Dec. 28, 1838; son of Asher Bliss, an Indian missionary. He received an academic education, and was a student at Yale college. When a young man he travelled among the Indian tribes to study their manners and customs. He was private secretary to guinea Watson Webb, U.S. minister to Brazil, in 1861, and afterwards entered into journalism at Buenos Ayres as editor of the River Plate Magazine. In 1865 President Lopez of Paraguay appointed him historiographer for that country. In 1866 he became private secretary of Mr. Washburn, the United States minister to Paraguay. During the war between Paraguay and Brazil the authorities, believing Bliss to be a spy employed by Brazil, confined him in prison for three months, until rescued by the United States government. He then engaged in journalism in Washington, D.C. From 1870 to 1874 he served as secretary of legation in Mexico, and upon his return to New York was employed for three years as an editor on "Johnson's Cyclop?dia," and in 1877 became editor of "The Library Table." Two years later he was sent to South America by the New York Herald, as special correspondent. He wrote numerous papers of historical value, and is the author of a History of the Russo-Turkish war, published in 1877. He died in New York, Feb. 2, 1885.

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

Eugene A. Carr, soldier, was born in Erie county, N. Y., March 20, 1830. He was graduated at West Point in 1850. In March, 1855, he was made 1st lieutenant in the 1st cavalry, and in 1858 received his commission as captain. The 1st, became the 4th cavalry in 1861. During the civil war he was actively engaged in many important operations and battles, and was rewarded with several brevets in the regular service "for gallant and meritorious service" in the field, and in some notable engagements in the southwest. He was made major of the 5th cavalry, U. S. army, in 1862, and received numerous brevet ranks in the volunteer service, being mustered out of the volunteers in 1865 as brevet major-general. In 1873 he was made lieutenant-colonel in the 4th cavalry, being transferred later to the 5th cavalry, and in 1879 he was promoted to be colonel of the 6th cavalry. He was actively concerned in many of the Indian wars of the west, and proved himself an able and efficient soldier. The commission of brigadier-general was given him in July, 1892, and he was retired Feb. 15, 1893. He was awarded a congressional medal of honor for "having most distinguished himself in action" at the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, March 7, 1862.

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

Charles N. Felton, senator, was born in Erie county, New York, in 1832. He attended the public schools and in 1849 went to the California gold fields. He was paid $500 for watching a haystack for a month, shotgun in hand, to repel marauders, and with this sum he established a mining-camp store in San Francisco. In a few months he made $3000 from the sale of pickles to the miners as a palliative for scurvy. At one time he owned a part of the famous Comstock lode and sold his share and that of his partners for $190,000. He was under sheriff of Yuba county 1857, first assistant U.S. treasurer, and then treasurer of the mint at San Francisco six years, served three years in the California legislature, and represented the 5th district of California in the 49th and 50th congresses, 1885-89. He was elected U.S. senator as a Republican, March 19, 1891, for the unexpired term of Senator George Hearst, deceased, his term of service ending March 3, 1893.

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

History of Erie County New York

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