Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/185

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community, and proceeded to build a church and a home for himself and his followers. The religious community founded by Father Hecker differs in one respect from other similar Roman Catholic associations. The members take no special vows, and any priest can leave the order when he chooses. It is known as the congregation of St. Paul, and the members, who are nearly all of American birth and converts from Protestantism, are called the Paulist fathers. It was the intention of its founder that its tendencies, rule, and discipline should be entirely appropriated to the usages and needs of American life. Father Hecker took part in the Catholic congress of Malines in September, 1869, and his views of the relations that ought to exist between the Roman Catholic church and democracies, and which did exist in the United States, were expressed in an article in the “Revue générale” of Brussels. He was present at the council of the Vatican as theologian to Archbishop Spalding, and on his return to the United States fell sick and was obliged to visit Europe again, this time travelling also through Egypt and the Holy Land. He came back in October, 1875, and on 29 Dec. was re-elected superior of the congregation of St. Paul for the full term of nine years. Father Hecker was the founder, and was till lately the director, of the Catholic publication society of New York. He also founded in 1865 the “Catholic World,” the chief Roman Catholic magazine on the American continent, and he continued to edit it. His works include “Questions of the Soul” (New York, 1855); “Aspirations of Nature” (1857); “Catholicity in the United States” (1879); and “Catholics and Protestants Agreeing on the School Question” (1881). His last writings are a series of papers on Orestes A. Brownson, in the “Catholic World.”


HECKEWELDER, John Gottlieb Ernestus, missionary, b. in Bedford, England, 12 March, 1743; d. in Bethlehem, Pa., 21 Jan., 1823. He came to Pennsylvania in 1754, and, after finishing his education, was apprenticed to a cooper. After a visit to Ohio with Christian F. Post, a colonial agent, in 1762, and temporary employment in the Moravian missions at Friedenshuetten and Sheshequin, Pa., in 1765-'71, he entered, in the latter year, upon his actual career as an evangelist to the Indians, being appointed assistant to David Zeisberger, in Ohio, where he remained fifteen years. In 1792, at the request of the secretary of war, he accompanied Gen. Rufus Putnam to Post Vincennes to treat with the Indians. In 1793 he was a second time commissioned to assist at a treaty with the Indians of the lakes. Between 1797 and 1800 he remained mainly in Ohio, and was for a time in the civil service, being a post-master, a justice of the peace, and an associate justice of the court of common pleas. He settled at Gnadenhütten, Ohio, in 1801, and devoted himself to the duties of his agency, but resigned in 1810 and engaged in literary pursuits in Bethlehem, Pa., till his death. He studied carefully the languages, manners, and customs of the Indians, particularly the Delawares, and after he had become a member of the American philosophical society, at Philadelphia, several of his contributions of Indian archaeology were published in their transactions. He also published “Account of the History, Manners, and Customs of the Indian Nations who once inhabited Pennsylvania and the Neighboring States” (Philadelphia, 1818; German translation, Göttingen, 1821; French translation, Paris. 1822); “Narrative of the Mission of the United Brethren among the Delawares and Mohegan Indians” (Philadelphia, 1820); and a collection of “Names which the Lenni Lenape or Delaware Indians gave to Rivers, Streams, and Localities within the States of Pennsylvania. New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, with their Signification” (1822). Many of his manuscripts are in the collections of the Pennsylvania historical society. See “Life of Heckewelder,” by the Rev. Edward Rondthaler (Philadelphia, 1847).


HECKMAN, Charles Adam, soldier, b. in Easton, Pa., 3 Dec, 1822. He was graduated at Minerva seminary, in his native town, in 1837. In the war with Mexico he served as sergeant in the 1st U. S. voltigeurs. He was commissioned cap- tain in the 1st Pennsylvania regiment, 20 April, 1861, became major of the 9th New Jersey on 3 Oct., lieutenant-colonel on 3 Dec, and colonel on 10 Feb., 1862. On 29 Nov., 1862, he was made brigadier-general of volunteers. He served in Burnside's expedition to North Carolina, and after- ward in the Army of the James, being wounded at Newbern and Young's Cross Roads, N. C, and Port Walthall, Va. He commanded the defences of Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., in the winter of 1863-4, and at Drewry's Bluff, Va., on 16 May, 1864, he was captured, after his brigade had five times repelled a superior force of Confederates. He was taken to Libby prison, and afterward to Macon, Ga., and Charleston, S. C, where he was one of the fifty-one officers that were placed under fire of the National guns. He was exchanged on 25 Aug., commanded the 18th corps at the capture of Fort Harrison, Chapin's Bluff, and the 25th corps in January and February, 1865. He resigned when the war was over, 25 May, 1865, and now (1887) resides in Phillipsburg, N. J., where he has served as a member of the board of education.


HEDDING, Elijah, M. E. bishop, b. in Pine Plains, Dutchess county, N. Y., 7 June, 1780 ; d. in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., 9 April, 1852. In 1789 Rev. Benjamin Abbott, a pioneer of Method- ism, preached in his neighborhood, and the mother and grand- mother of young Hed- ding united with the Methodist church. With these the lad also soon became asso- ciated. A few years later the family re- moved and settled on a farm at Starksbor- ough, Vt., a region where schools were as yet almost wholly un- known. Young Red-

ding became skeptical

somewhat and irreligious, but was sometimes called on to read one of Wesley's sermons in the absence of a regular preacher. He was impressed with them, studied various doctrinal works, adopted Methodist views, and in the latter part of 1799, though not even licensed to preach, was drafted as a supply. He was admitted to the New York conference in 1801, and in 1807 was appointed presiding elder of New Hampshire district. In 1811 he was sent to Boston, and in 1817 to Maine, as presiding elder of Portland district. Later on he was pastor at Lynn common, and afterward presiding elder of Boston district. At the general conference held in Baltimore in May, 1824, after about twenty-five years of itinerant labors, he was elected and ordained bishop, and for nearly twen-