Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/71

This page needs to be proofread.
HALLETT
HALLOCK
51

constantly having to thwart the purposes of selfish schemers, and always constrained to be reticent upon public affairs, which many desired to have divulged, Halleck, like all men in high station in times of trial, became a target for the shafts of the envious, the disloyal, and the disappointed. Doubt- less, with scant time for the most mature reflec- tion, he made errors ; but, says Turenne, the great marshal of an age of warriors, "Show me the commander who has never made mistakes, and you will show me one who has never made war." Congress, in recognition of Gen. Grant's glorious campaigns of Vicksburg and Chattanooga, revived the grade of lieutenant-general. Though a desire was manifested in high places in some way to re- tain Halleck in the performance of his functions, he at once insisted that compliance should be made with the obvious intentions of the law, and that, being senior in rank, Grant must necessarily be the general-in-chief. Halleck, however, remained at Washington from 12 March, 1864, till 19 April, 1865, as chief-of-staff of the army, under the or- ders of the secretary of war and the general-in- chief, performing much of the same duties that had before devolved upon him ; and from 22 April till 1 July, 1865, was in command of the military division of the James, with headquarters at Rich- mond. On the termination of hostilities, and the disbandment of the volunteer forces, Halleck was ordered to the military division of the Pacific, of which he took command 30 Aug., 1865, and on 16 March, 1869, was transferred to that of the south, which he retained while he lived. Since his death, when he can no longer defend himself, much un- just criticism has assailed his reputation. The chief charge was " Halleck's injustice to Grant," which Gen. James B. Fry, by a forcible article in the " Magazine of American History," has proved to be nothing more than "misunderstandings" be- tween these distinguished soldiers. A more serious charge, almost of treason, was made by Gen. Lew Wallace, but has been triumphantly refuted by official documents. Halleck, with few advantages in early life, and hardly the rudiments of a classi- cal education, overcame all obstacles by the power of mind and character. He took at once a promi- nent place at the United States military academy, was a conspicuous officer of engineers, became a youthful statesman in the creation of a state, rose to the direction of various public trusts, established an enviable reputation for authorship, and held command of great armies in the tremendous strug- gle for a nation's existence.


HALLETT, Benjamin, ship-master, b. in Barn- stable, Mass., 18 Jan., 1760; d. there, 31 Dec, 1849. As a young man he served by sea and land in the Revolutionary war. He established the coasting trade between Boston and Albany in 1788. and in 1808 had built the sloop " Ten Sisters," which was long the favorite packet sailing between New York and Boston. On her decks the sailors' meetings were held, which resulted in the opening of the first Bethel chapel in New York, and subsequently in Boston. Capt. Hallett was an earnest Chris- tian, but found it difficult to engage the clergy in holding religious meetings on board of ships in port, Dr. Gardiner Spring, of New York, being

  • ie first to join. In Boston he experienced still

reater difficulty. After several refusals, Capt. lallett found a large vessel lying near his own, the swner of which consented to have a meeting on her Seek the Sunday evening following his arrival in the city. With the exception of the owner of the vessel, there was no professing Christian present besides Capt. Hallett, who was obliged to lead the services. He also sang his " Sailor's Song," which he subsequently found most effective in attracting the attention of seafaring men. The Bethel movement did not thrive as well in Boston as in other cities, being discouraged by ship-owners on the ground that too much religion would make sailors idle. When Capt. Hallett retired from the sea to reside on his farm, he transferred his Bethel flag, which he had brought from New York, to the Seaman's chapel, Central Wharf, Boston, from which it floated for many years. — His son, Benjamin Franklin, statesman, b. in Barnstable, Mass., 2 Dec, 1797 ; d. in Boston, Mass., 30 Sept., 1862, was; graduated at Brown in 1816, studied law, and w{B_ '. admitted to the bar. He then became cqnWctJff , with the press in Providence, R. I., but soon weac> to Boston, where, on the organization of the anu? ;/* ;. masonic party, he became editor-in-chief of itisV ",•'•< mouth-piece, " The Boston Advocate." In 1827 he ; transferred his services to the " Boston Daily Ad- vertiser," in which journal he enunciated anti-ma- sonic and temperance principles with great ear- nestness, besides setting forth the views of the emancipationists. His uncompromising attitude made him many enemies, and finally the " Adver- tiser" became so unpopular that he resigned the editorial chair in 1831. Failing to obtain from Henry Clay the pledges that would have given the latter the anti-masonic vote, he became and con- tinued one of the bitterest opponents of that states- man. After the anti-masonic excitement had sub- sided, Mr. Hallett joined the Democratic party, on which, although seldom in office, he exerted a pow- erful influence. He was a delegate at most of its national conventions, and the chairman for many years of its national committee. He was instru- mental in bringing about the nomination of Pierce and Buchanan, and was the author of the Cincin- nati platform of 1856. President Pierce appointed him IT. S. district attorney in 1853.


HALLOCK, Jeremiah, clergyman, b. in Brook Haven, Suffolk co., N. Y., 13 March, 1758 ; d. in West Simsbury, Conn., 23 June, 1826. His father removed to Goshen, Mass., in 1766, and the son worked for him on a farm until he was of age. He afterward at tended President Timothy D wight's school at Northampton, Mass., and in April, 1784, was ordained to the ministry. In October of the year following he was installed as pastor over the Congregational church at West Simsbury, where he remained until his death. During that period his church enjoyed no less than five distinct " revivals." Although not a college graduate, Mr. Hallock received the degree of A. M. from Yale in 1788. His biographer speaks of him as " a model Christian " and "a model pastor."

See his life by Rev. Cyrus Hale (Hartford, 1838). — His brother, Moses, educator, b. in Brook Haven, Suffolk co.