to the family of Calvin C. Chaffee, a member of congress from Massachusetts, and on 26 May, 1857, they were emancipated in St. Louis by Taylor Blow, to whom Mr. Chaffee had conveyed them for that purpose. See Benjamin C. Howard's “Report of the Decision of the Supreme Court, and the Opinions of the Judges thereof, in the Case of Dred Scott” (Washington, 1857); Thomas H. Benton's “Historical and Legal Examination of the Decision in the Dred Scott Case” (New York, 1860); Joel Parker's “Personal Liberty Laws and Slavery in the Territories: Case of Dred Scott” (Boston, 1861); and “Abraham Lincoln, a History,” by John Hay and John G. Nicolay. A portrait of Dred Scott, probably the only one in existence, painted from an old photograph, is in the possession of the Missouri historical society.
SCOTT, Gustavus. lawyer, b. in Prince William
county, Va. ; d. in Washington, D. C., in 1801. His
father, Rev. James Scott, a Scotchman, became a
minister of the Episcopal church and came to this
country about 1730. Gustavus was educated at
King's college, Aberdeen, Scotland, and after his
friend. Sir Robert Eden, was made governor of
Maryland, removed to that province and practised
law "successfully in Somerset county. When the
people of Maryland decided to send deputies from
all the counties to a convention to be held in
Annapolis, 32 June, 1774, he was sent as a delegate
from Somerset, and participated in all its subse-
quent deliberations down to the adoption of the
first constitution and the organization of the state
government in 1777. He was a member of the
Association of the freemen of Maryland, which
decided in July. 1775, to throw off the proprietary
power and assume a provisional government, and
his signature is attached to the original pledge that
now (1898) hangs in the state-house at Annapolis.
He was a member of the convention that framed
the first constitution of Maryland. After the for-
mation of the state government he removed to
Dorchester county, and represented it in the as-
sembly in 1780 and again in 1784, when he was
elected a delegate to the Continental congress and
served till 1785. He was one of the originators
of the Potomac canal company in 1784, and one
of the committee of the Maryland legislature, to
whom was referred the claim of James Rumsey
(q. v.), for the exclusive privilege of making and
selling his boats in Maryland. He reported in
favor of Rumsey's claim, and the bill was passed.
He was also one of the original commissioners ap-
pointed to superintend the erection of the capitol
buildings at Washington, and when the state of
Maryland lent the government several thousand
dollars for the purpose, the credit of the general
government was so low that the state required
Scott and two others to give to it their individual
bonds as security.
SCOTT, Oustavus Hall, naval officer, b. in Fair-
fax county, Va., 13 June, 1812 ; d. in Washington,
D. C., 23 March, 1882. He entered the navy as
midshipman, 1 Aug., 1828, became passed mid-
shipman, 14 June, 1834, and made two cruises in
the West Indies in the " Vandalia" in 1835-'6 and
1839-'40, in which he participated in the Seminole
war. He was also present off Charleston, S. C.,
during the nullification excitement. He was com-
missioned lieutenant, 25 Feb., 1841, and was flag
lieutenant of the Pacific squadron in the frigate
"St. Lawrence" in 1852-'3. He wa- commissioned
commander, 27 Dec., 1856. and served as light-house
inspector in 1858-'60. When the civil war began
he resisted the efforts of partisans in his nathe
state to make him join the Confederates. In
June, 1861, he commanded the steamer " Keystone
State," went in pursuit of the Confederate priva-
teer "Sumter." and capturing the steamer "Sal-
vor" off Tampico, towed her to Philadelphia. He
commanded the steamer Marantanza" in the
operations with the army in James river, rendered
valuable service in saving stores that were left by
the army at Acquia creek, was on the blockade,
and had numerous engagements with Confederate
bartrrirs in the sounds of North Carolina in
IMj^-'fci. He was commissioned captain. 4 Nov.,
, and commanded the steamer " De Soto," in
which he captured several blockade - runners in
. Subsequently he took charge of the steam
sloop " Canandaigua " on the blockade, and was
senior officer at the surrender of Charleston, S. C.,
in 1865. He was a member of the examining
board for the admission of volunteer officers to the
regular navy in 1868,served as light-house inspector
in 1869-'71, and was promoted to commodore, 10
Feb., 1869, and to rear-admiral. 14 Feb., 1873. He
was then commander-in-chief of the North Atlantic
squadron until 13 June, 1874, when he was retired,
having reached the age of sixty-two years.
SCOTT, Irving Murray, mechanical engineer,
b. in Hebron Mills, Baltimore co., Md., 25 Dec.,
1837. He was educated at Milton academy, Md.,
and the Baltimore mechanics' institute, and in
ls">4 entered the manufactory of Obed Hussey. the
inventor of reaping-machines, where he made
rapid progress in the machinist's art, and perfected
himself in the different methods of working in
iron and wood. In 1857 he gained admittance to
the iron-works of a Baltimore firm. There he soon
became an expert draughtsman, and was placed in
charge of the construction of stationary and fire
engines. He also devoted all his leisure moments
to reading and study. In 1858 he was engaged as
draughtsman at the Union iron-works, San Fran-
cisco, Cal., where he remained until 1862. About
that time the construction of improved quartz-
j mining machinery became one of the most im-
portant branches of mechanical industry in that
state. Desiring to become practically acquainted
with it, he spent a year at the Miners' foundry in
the same city, returning to the Union works in
1863, when he was made superintendent. In 1865
he became a partner, and in 1875 the business
was reorganized under the title of Prescott, Scott
and Co. Soon afterward the new firm erected ex-
tensive works at Potrevo. These were constructed
under the immediate supervision of Mr. Scott, and
he designed the machinery by means of which the
treasures of the Comstock mines have been ex-
tracted, including that used in the pumping, mill-
ing, reducing, and refining works, in connection
with James G. Fair and William H. Patten, a
mining engineer. He has also invented the Scott
and Eckart and Scott and O'Neil cut-off engines, a
Union heater, a safety-valve chock, and an air- valve
for compressor. Mr.' Scott has been president of the
Mechanics' institute and of the Art association of
San Francisco during three terms each. He is a
regent of the University of California and a trus-
tee of the Leland Stanford, Jr., university.
SCOTT. James, poet, b. in Langside. Scotland, in isoti; d. in Newark. N. J.. in 1S57. lie studied at Glasgow and Belfast, emigrated to this country in I 1 -::-. 1 , became a licentiate in 1^!4, ami wa- pastor at German Valley and Newark. N. J. He was given the degree of D. D. by Lafayette in I s ' 1 Dr. Scott published a di ertation <>n the genius of Robert Pollok in his "Life "(New York. !S4si. and I" fore his death completed a narrative' [poem called "The Guardian Angel" |1859).
