Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/36

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PIERPONT
PIERRE

and began the study of natural history. After the independence of his country was established he resigned his post, returned to' Peru, and was elected in 1827 deputy to the national congress. In 1828 he was appointed director-general of mines, but he resigned in 1833 to become the founder of the sci- entific weekly " Kl Telegrafo." He was elected director of the National museum of Lima in 1845, and founded in 1847 another scientific and literary paper. "El Ateneo." He was appointed a member of the committee on public instruction, and in 1852 called by President Castilla to his cabinet as secre- tary of the treasury ; but in 1854 he resigned, and lived thenceforth entirely for science. He wrote. in conjunction with his friend and colleague. Ma- riano Eduardo Rivero, who contributed the matter on the mineral kingdom, " Memorial de oiencias naturales" (Lima, 1856). His name lias been given to a new species of violet found in the Amazon valley, the Viola Pierolana. His sun, Nicolas, b. in Camana, 5 Jan., 1839, was educated in the Col- lege of Sant 1 1 Toribio, in Lima, admitted to the bar in 1860, and founded a review. Kl Progreso Cato- lico." In 1804 he became editor of " El Tiempo," in which he defended the administration of Gen. Juan A. Pezet. When Prado's revolution was suc- cessful, he went to Europe, where he travelled ex- tensively, but in January, 1869, he was appointed by President Balta to the ministry of finance, and shared with his chief the credit of the great public works that were executed by the latter, and the discredit of the ruinous loans that were com to perform them. After the death of Balta, Pie- rola was impeached under Pardo's administration for misappropriation of public funds, and, although he was honorably acquitted" of dishonest practice, he came to the United States. In 1874 he prepared an expedition to Peru but was defeated by Admi- ral Lizardo Montero ., Cuesta de los Angeles. He continued to conspire, and in 1877 invaded Peru again, but was taken prisoner and banished to Chili. At the beginning of the war between Peru and Chili he offered his services to his country, and he was allowed by President Prado to return to Lima in 1879. After the flight of Prado several battalions of the garrison revolted, and Pierola, at the head of one of them, marched against the gov- ernment palace, but was defeated by the minister of war, and took possession of Callao on 22 Dec. The archbishop of Lima intervened, and on the next day Pierola made his entry into the capital, and was proclaimed by the masses supreme chief of the republic. He made strenuous efforts to hurry re-enforcements and arms to the front, and when the Chilian army appeared before Lima he organized the defence, and, assuming the com- mand-in-chief, fought at Chorrillos and Miraflores in January, 1881. When all was lost, Pierola ivt ired to the town of Canta, in the mountains, sending Montero to organize the resistance in the northern departments. He afterward established his head- quarter- al aeiicho. summoned a national assem- bly on 23 July, and was elected provisional presi- dent: but, as Chili refused to treat with him, lie re- signed on 28 Nov., 1881, and embarked for thr United States, where he has since resided. He mar- ried a granddaughter of the Emperor Iturbide.


PIERPONT, John, poet. b. in Litchlield, Conn., 6 April, 1785; d. in Medford, Mass., 2li Aug., 1866. lie wti* a great-grandson of James, who is ii"t iced below. He was graduated at Yale in 1M04. and after a~.-i>ting fora short time in the academy al lietli- lehem, Conn., in the autumn of 1805 went to South ( 'arolina. and pa.-scd nearly four years as a private tutor in the family of Col. William Allston. After his return in 1809 he studied law at Litchfield, was admitted to the bar in 1812. and practised for a time in Newbnryport, Mass. The profession proving injurious to his health, he relinquished it, and en- gaged in business as a merchant, first in Boston, and afterward in Baltimore. In 1816 he abandoned com- merce for theoluiry, which he studied, first at Baltimore, and af- terward at Cambridge divinity - school. In April. 1819, he was or- dained pastor of the Hollis street church, Boston. In 1835 he made a tour through Europe and Asia Mi- nor, and on his return he resumed his pas- toral charge in Bost on .

where he continued till

10 May. 1845. The freedom with which he ex- pressed his opinions, especially in regard to the temperance cause, had given rise to some feel- ing before his departure for Europe : and in 1838 there sprung up between himself and a part of his parish a controversy which lasted seven years, when, after triumphantly sustaining himself aii i list the charges of his adversaries, he requested a di.-,- missal. He then became for four years pastor of a Unitarian church in Troy, N. Y.. on 1 Aiig., 1849, was settled over the Congregational church in Medford, and resigned, 6 April, 1856. He was a zealous reformer, powerfully advocated the temper- ance and anti-slavery movements, was the candidate of the Liberty party for governor, and in 1850 of the Free-soil party for congress. After the civil war began, though seventy-six years of age, he went into the field as chaplain of a Massachusetts regi- ment, but, finding his strength unequal to the dis- charge of his duties, he soon afterward resigned, and was appointed to a clerkship in the treasury department at Washington, which he held till his di.iili. Mr. Pierpont was a thorough scholar, a graceful and facile speaker, and ranked deservedly high as a poet. He published "Airs of Palestine " (Baltimore, 1816); re-issued, with additions, under the title "Airs of Palestine, and other Poems" (Boston, 1840). One of his best-known poems is "Warren's Address at the Battle of I'.uukcr Hill." His long poem that he read at the Litchfield county centennial in 1851 contains a description of the " Yankee boy " and his ingenuity, which has often been quoted. He. also published several sermons and addresses. See Wilson's "Bryant and his Friends" (New York, 1886). His cousin, John, jurist, b. in Litchfield, Conn., 10 Sept., IM>5: d. in Vergennes, Vt., 6 Jan., 1882, received a common- school education, studied law in Litchfield law- school, and was graduated in 1827. lie began practice at Pittsford, Yt., and in 1832 removed to Vergennes. He was representative of his town in the legislature in lS41,und state senator in 1S.~).V7. In 1857 he was elected associate judge of the su- preme court of the state. In 1865 he became chief justice of Vermont, which office he held by con- tinuous elections till his death.


PIERRE, surnamed Le Pirard (pe-air), French buccaneer, b. in Abbeville, France, about the year Mi'J4: d. in Costa Rica. Central America, in 111711. lie followed the sea for several years, but in 16.V2, his vessel stopping at the island of Tortuga, he was