Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/484

This page needs to be proofread.

LIVINGSTON


LIVINGSTON


LIVINGSTON, James, soldier, was born in lower Canada, March 27, 1747 ; son of John and Catharine (Ten Broeck) Livingston and grandson of Robert Livingston and of Gen. Abraham Ten Broeck. James inherited from his father a large landed estate in Canada, He attended Kings (Columbia) college. New York city, and was col- onel of the regiment of Canadian refugees who originally went from the United States to Canada but returned upon the outbreak of the Revolu- tion. They were organized into a regiment at the time of the invasion of Canada by General Montgomery, and his brothers Abraham and Richard served respectively as captain and lieu- tenant-colonel. He participated in the battle of Quebec ; in the capture of Fort Chambly, St. John's and Montreal. The night before the at- tack on Quebec, Dec. 30, 1775, General Mont- gomery spent at Colonel Livingston's house near by, and at ^le time of Montgomery's death, Colonel Livingston was so near him that the blood from the general's wound fell on his arm. He subsequently participated in the battle of Stillwater, Sept. 19, 1777 and at the surrender of Burgoyne, Oct. 17, 1777. He was stationed on the Hudson to defend the passes, protect King's Ferry and strengthen "West Point, and on Aug. 3, 1780, was ordered by General Washington to garrison the redoubts at Stony Point and Ver- plank's Point, thus leaving Arnold alone at West Point. On Sept. 21, 1780, Colonel Livingston, by obtaining from John Lamb a four jjounder and ammunition, and with his first shot cutting the anchor rope of the Vulture causing her to drop down stream to Tarrytown, prevented the meet- ing between Arnold and Andre, his action result- ing in Andre's capture. When W^ashington re- turned from his visit to Count Rochambeau at Hartford, he sent for Colonel Livingston, Sept. 25, 1780, and first heard from him the details of Arnold's treason and escape on the Vulture. Colonel Livingston was retired on half pay at the close of the war, and as his property in Canada had been confiscated by the British government he removed to Johnstown, N.Y., where he en- gaged in farming and subsequently kept a store. He was a member of the state assembly, from Schuylerville, N.Y., 1784-91. Colonel Livingston was married to Elizabeth Simi)son of Montreal. He died at Schuylerville, N.Y., Nov. 29, 1832.

LIVINGSTON, John Henry, educator, was liuin in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., May 30, 174G ; son of Henry and Susan (Conklin) Livingston ; grandson of Gilbert and Cornelia (Beekman) Livingston and of John Conklin, and great-grand- son of Robert Livingston, the immigrant. He was graduated from Yale, A. B., 1762, A.M., 1765, and commenced the study of law, which he aban- doned for the ministry. He was graduated from


the University of Utrecht, Holland, in 1767, and with the degree of D.D. in 1770 ; was invited to take charge of one of tlie Reformed Dutcli cliurches in New York, and was ordained by the classis of


Q.u6t/vJS COLLEGE.

Amsterdam June 5, 1769. Upon his return to New York city in September, 1769, he was made pastor of the Fulton Street Reformed Dutch church, and was instrumental in settling the dispute in the church between the Coetus and Conferentic par- ties. He was chaplain of the provincial congress held in New York in 1775 and upon the occu- pancy of New York by the British army in Sept- ember, 1776, he removed to Livingston Manor, N.Y., serving as pastor at Kingston, in 1776 ; Albany, 1776-79 ; Lithgow, 1779-81, and Pough- keepsie, 1781-83, resuming his pastorate in New York city in 1783. He was at that time the only active Dutch Reformed clergyman in New York city, the three other collegiate churches being without pastors. In 1784 he was ajjpointed pro- fessor of theology for the church by the general sj'nod upon the recommendation of the theological faculty of Utrecht, Holland, and upon the open- ing of a theological seminary at Flatbush, L.I., in 1795, he assumed charge, but closed the doors in 1797 for want of support. He was president of Queen's college. New Brunswick, N.J., and pro- fessor of theology, 1807-25. He was vice-president of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the American Indians and was a regent of the University of the State of New York, 1784-87. He was married to Sarah, daughter of Philip and Christiana (Ten Broeck) Livingston. He is the author of : Funeral Service ; or Medita- tions Adapted to Funeral Addresses (1812); and A Dissertation on the Marriage of a Man with Jiis Sister- in- Law (1816). He was chairman of a committee appointed in 1787 to compile " Selec- tion of Psalms for Use in Public Worsliip." He died in New Brunswick, N.J., Jan. 20, 1825.

LIVINGSTON, John William, naval officer, was born in New York cily. May 22, 1804 ; sou of William and Eliza (Livingston) Turk, and grand- son of John and Ann (Saunders) Livingston. He obtained laermission in 1843 by act of legislature