Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/210

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DEAKING


DE BAR


when his father was appointed senior major- general in the U.S. army, lie succeeded him as collector of the port of Boston and remained in the office until 18"2D, when he was removed by President Jackson, lie commanded the defences of Boston harbor in 1812, having been appointed brigadier-general of the Massachusetts militia. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1820: a member of the lower house of the state legislature in 1829; a member of the executive council the same year, and a state senator in 1830. He was a representative from Massachusetts in the 22d congress and ad- jutant-general of the stiite. 1834-43. In 1842 he loaned the state arms to Rhode Island to be used in suppressing the Dorr rebellion, and for this breach of the law he was removed from office. He was mayor of Roxbury, Mass., 1847-51. He largely facilitated the building of the Great western railroad of Massachusetts, the tunnelling of the Hoosac mountain, and the adornment of the cemeteries of Roxburj- and Mount Auburn. He published, besides many addresses: jLi/e of Henry Dearborn; Life of Commodore Bainbridge; Commerce of the Black Sea (3 vols., 1819); An Epit- ome of Entomology (1825); Internal Improvements and Commerce of the West (1839); Sketch oj the Life of the Apostle Eliot (1850); History of Navigation and Xaval Architecture (2 vols.;; and Life of Christ. He died in Portland, Me., July 29, 1851.

DEARINQ, James, soldier, was born in Camp- bell county, Va., April 25, 1840. He was edu- cated at Hanover academy and was appointed a cadet at the U.S. military academy, but left in 1861 to join the arm}' of northern Virginia under General Lee. His first service was as lieutenant in the Washington artillery of New Orleans, La. He was promoted captain in Colonel Latham's N.C. battery, major and commander of Denny's artillery battalion, and colonel of North Carolina cavalry. For gallantry at the capture of Ply- mouth, N.C., April, 1804, he was promoted briga- dier-general. He was conspicuous in the defence of Drewry's Bluflf, May 15, 1864. On the retreat from Petersburg to Appomattox, April 5, 1805, he received a mortal wound in an encounter with Col. Theodore Read of General Ord's staff. The two officers, leading opposing forces, were sepa- rated by the Appomattox creek at High Bridge. April 6, 1865, and they exchanged pistol sliots across the creek until both fell, Colonel Read shot dead and General Dearing mortally wounded. He died at a hotel in Lynchburg, Va. , a few days after the surrender of the Confederate army under Getifral Lee. April 0, 1865.

DE ARMOND, David A., representative, was born in Blair county, Pa., Marcli 18. 1844. He attended the common schools and Williamsport Dickinson seminary. He removed to Butler


^lo., from which state he was a Democratic pre- sidential elector in 1884. He was state senator, circuit judge and Mis.souri supreme court com- missioner. He was a Democratic representative in the 52d, 53d, 54th, 55th and 5Gth congresses, 1891-niOl.

DEAS, Zachariah Cantey, soldier, was born in Camden, S.C, Oct. 25, 1819; son of Col. James Sutherland and IMorgood (Chesnut) Deas. His father was a state senator of South Carolina. His mother was a sister of James Chesnut, Jr. , U.S. senator. In 1836 he removed to IMobile, Ala., and engaged in business. In 1847 he served in the Mexican war, and in 1861 joined the Confederate army as aide-de-camp to Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, and was on his staff during the battle of Manassas, July 21, 1861. He re- cruited and was elected colonel of the 22d Ala- bama volunteers. The government having no means of equipping the regiment for service, he purchased 800 Enfield rifles, paying $28,000 in gold therefor. He was reimbursed in 1862, the govern- ment paying him the amount in Confederate bonds. He led the regiment at Shiloh and suc- ceeded during the fight to the command of the brigade. He had two horses shot under him and was severely wounded the second day of the fight. With his regiment he participated in the battles of Munfordville and Salt River, Ky. At Mur- freesboro, Tenn., his regiment was engaged the second day of the battle of Stone's River, Dec. 31, 1862-Jan. 3, 1803, and he superseded General Gardner as brigade commander, Dec. 31, 1862. His promotion to the rank of brigadier-general was signed Dec. 13, 1862, before this battle was fought. He led the brigade at Chickamauga, routed Sheridan's division and captured seven- teen pieces of artilleiy. In this engagement the Federal general, W. H. Lytle, was killed, and General Deas lost fortj^ per cent of his brigade. He also led the brigade at Missionary Ridge, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta and Jonesboro. In the engagements in Tennessee in 1865 he was wounded at Franklin and before Nashville, when he succeeded Gen. Edward Johnston in the command of a division. On the last day of this battle he had in his brig- ade only 244 men, altiiough he left Dalton 2075 strong and had received 2(»0 recruits. When the retreat was ordered his division numbered only 750 men. With these men he opposed Sherman's marcli through South Carolina, and wlien he reached Raleigli, N.C., he fell .sick and was obliged to resign. After the war he lived in New York city. uIhmc he died. March 6, 1882.

DE BAR, Benedict, actor, was born in Lon- don. England, Nov. 5, 1812, of French descent. His lirst appearance was at Margate, England, in 1832. Two years later he came to the United