History of Clifton, (Richmond County) New York United States of America

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Biographies:

Edward Griffin Beckwith, soldier, was born at Cazenovia, N.Y., June 25, 1818. After graduating from West Point, in 1842, he served in garrison at Savannah, as 2d lieutenant of 3d artillery, until 1846, when he was appointed for recruiting service. He was promoted 1st lieutenant June 18, 1846, and took an active part in the Mexican war; was present at Tampico and Vera Cruz, and was engaged in the Pacific railroad survey from 1853 to 1857, and in constructing military roads in Nebraska and Kansas, 1857-'59. He was promoted captain May 12, 1855, and during the civil war served in the commissary department from 1861 to 1865, with the exception of a few weeks (Sept. 16 to Nov. 16, 1863), when he acted as provost-marshal-general of the department of the Gulf, and again when placed for a short time (from August, 1863, to January, 1864) in command of the defences of New Orleans. On Feb. 8, 1864, he was promoted major, and on March 13, 1865, was brevetted lieutenant-colonel, colonel, and brigadier-general of volunteers. He was continued in the service of the commissary department and was mustered out May 31, 1866. He died at Clifton, N.Y., June 22, 1881.

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

Henry Augustus Mott, chemist, was born at Clifton, Staten Island, N.Y., Oct. 22, 1852; son of Henry Augustus Mort, and grandson of Dr. Valentine and Louisa (Dunmore) Munns Motte. He was graduated at Columbia college, M.E. and Ph.B., 1873, and Ph.D., 1875. Devoting himself to technical chemistry, he was consulting chemist to the manufacturers of various food preparations, and invented a process to prevent the crystallization of butter, which made the manufacture of artificial butter successful. He also exposed the adulteration of baking powders with alum. He was chemist and examiner of the food purchased for the Indian bureau by the U.S, government and was often called into court to testify as an expert, notably in the Fleming murder trial and in the defence in the Shakespeare case, under instructions from the French government. He was professor of chemistry in the New York Medical college and hospital for women, 1681-86; chemist to the New York Medico-Legal society, 1890-96, and was employed by the government to examine the food supplied to the Indian department. Under the auspices of the board of education he delivered an annual course of free lectures on chemistry in the public schools of New York city, 1890-96. He was the first to claim that the wave theory of sound is incorrect and he also upheld the theory of the entitative nature of force. His writings include: The Chemist's Manual (1878); Was Man Created? (1880); The Air we Breathe and Ventilation (1881); The Fallacy of the Present Theory of Sound (1885); Matter, Ether and Energy, and Yachts and Yachtsmen o! America. He died in New York city, Nov. 8, 1896.

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