Valk, William W
congressman, was born in South Carolina. He removed to New York; and was a representative in congress from that state from 1855 to 1857.
VALLANDIGHAM, CLEMENT LAIRD, lawyer, state legislator, congressman, was born July 29, 1820, in New Lisbon, Ohio.
He was elected to the Ohio state legislature in 1845 and 1846; and was the editor of the Dayton Empire from 1847 to 1849. He was elected to the thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth congresses; and was reelected to the thirtyseventh congress. In 1863 he was arrested, by military authority, for expressing his opinions against the war, and was banished to the southern states, and, by way of Bermuda, went to Canada. During his exile he was nominated for governor of Ohio, and was defeated. He died June 17, 1871, in Lebanon, Ohio.
VALLENTINE, BENJAMIN BENNA- TON, journalist, author, was born in 1843 in England. He was a journalist of New York city, dramatic critic of The Herald; and the author of The Fitznoodle Papers; Fitznoodle in America; and The Lost Train.
VAN AERNAM, HENRY, surgeon, state legislator, congressman, was born March 11, 1819, in Marcellus, N. Y. He was a member of the New York state legislature in 1858; and in 1862 was appointed surgeon of the one hundred and fifty-fourth New York volunteers, which position he resigned in 1864. He was elected a representative from New York to the thirtyninth congress; and was re-elected to the fortieth congress. He was commissioner of pensions at Washington from 1869 to 1871; and was again a representative in the forty-sixth and forty-seventh congresses as a republican.
VAN ALLEN, GEORGE C., pioneer, lawyer, author, was born July 6, 1830, in Jefferson county, N. Y. He has attained success in real estate law at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; and is the author of Abstracts of Title for Henry County.
VAN ALLEN, JAMES Q., state legislator, congressman. He was a member of the New York state assembly in 1804; and was a representative in congress from New York from 1807 to 1809.
VAN ALLEN, JOHN E., state legislator, congressman. He was a representative in congress from New York from 1793 to 1799; and was a member of the state assembly from Rensselaer county in 1800 and 1801.
VAN ALLEN, MARTIN, civil engineer, was born July 9, 1832, in Pillar Point, N. Y. He has filled important positions in the engineering corps in the construction of various railroads; in the United States land survey; and in the land department of the Illinois Central railroad. He was one of the first to advocate a system for securing pure water for Chicago. He is also a successful real estate dealer.
VAN ALSTYNE, FRANCES JANE, poet, hymn writer, was born March 24, 1820, in South East, N. Y. She is a blind poet, and is the author of Monterey, and Other Poems; and Hazel Dell; and some of her hymns are Safe in the Arms of Jesus; Close to Thee; and I Am Thine, O Lord. Her pen-name is Fanny G.
Crosby.
VAN ALSTYNE, THOMAS J., congressman, was born July 25, 1827, in Richmondville, N. Y. In 1849 he was admitted to the bar in Albany, N. Y., where he has since resided. For twelve years he was county judge of Albany county; and was elected to the forty-eighth congress as a democrat.
VAN-ANDERSON, MRS. HELEN [VAN METRE], minister, author, was born in 1859 in Iowa. She is a minister and lecturer of Boston; and the author of The Right Knock; It Is Possible; The Story of Teddy; and Journal of a Live Woman.
VAN AUKEN, DENNIS M., lawyer, congressman, was born Jan. 15, 1826, in Pennsylvania. He was elected a prosecuting attorney in 1855; and was frequently appointed to the same office. He was elected a representative from Pennsylvania to the fortieth and forty-first congresses as a democrat.
VAN BRUNT, GERSHOM JAQUES, naval officer, was born Aug. 28, 1798, in Monmouth county, N. J. He was commissioned as commodore in 1862, and was retired because of his age in 1863. died Dec. 17, 1863, in Dedham, Mass.
He VAN BRUNT, HENRY, architect, author, was born Sept. 5, 1832, in Boston, Mass. He is an architect of note, the designer of Memorial hall at Cambridge; and the author of Greek Lines, and Other Architectural Essays.
VAN BUREN, ABRAHAM, soldier, was born Nov. 27, 1807, in Kinderhook, N. Y.
He served with distinction in the Mexican and civil wars; and attained the rank of brigadier-general.
He died March 15, 1873, in New York city.
VAN BUREN, JAMES LYMAN, soldier, was born June 21, 1837, in Dunkirk, N. Y.
In 1864 he served with credit in Gen.
Grant's campaign against Richmond, receiving the brevet of lieutenant-colonel for his bravery, and subsequently that of colonel for his services in the Knoxville campaign. In the assault on the works at Petersburg he gained the brevet rank of brigadier-general. He died April 13, 1866, in New York city.
VAN BUREN, JOHN, lawyer, congressman. He was one of the ablest lawyers of the Ulster county bar, in New York.
He was a representative in congress from 1841 to 1843. He died Jan. 16, 1855, in Kingston, N. Y.
VAN BUREN, JOHN, lawyer, was born Feb. 18, 1810, in Hudson, N. Y. In 1845 he was elected attorney-general of the state of New York, serving till 1846. He died Oct. 13, 1866, at sea.
VAN BUREN, JOHN DESH, civil engineer, author, was born Aug. 8, 1838, in New York city. He is a civil engineer of New York city; and the author of Investigation of Formulas for the Strength of Iron Parts of Steam Machinery; and Quay and Other Retaining Walls.
VAN BUREN, LAWRENCE, soldier, was born in 1783 in Kinderhook, N. Y.
He served in the war of 1812-15, in which he attained the rank of major. He died July 1, 1868, in Kinderhook, N. Y.
VAN BUREN, MARTIN, eighth president of the United States, was born Dec. 5, 1782, in the town of Kinderhook, Columbia county, N. Y. He received a common English education, and at the age of fourteen years began the study of law, and, according to the New York rule, after studying seven years, he was admitted to the bar. In 1806 he married Miss Hannah Hoes, who was a distant relative. In 1808 he was appointed surrogate of Columbia county, and in 1812 was elected to the state senate, and re-elected in 1816.
In 1821 he was elected United States senator, and re-elected in 1827. In 1828 he was elected governor of New York, and entered upon the duties of that office the 1st of January, 1829, having resigned his seat in the senate. He filled the gubernatorial chair but little over two months, being appointed secretary of state by Mr.
Jackson in March. At the expiration of two years he resigned his seat in the cabinet, and was appointed minister to England. The appointment was not confirmed by the senate, and he was recalled. He was elected vice-president of the United States in 1832. Mr. Van Buren was nominated for president by the national democratic convention held at Baltimore in February, 1836. Being duly elected he took the oath of office March 4, 1837.
He was the first president ever nominated by a regular national convention. Prior to this time it had been the custom of congress and the state legislatures to nominate the candidates for president and vice-president. He was defeated for a re-election in 1840, and at the close of his term, March 4, 1841, he returned to his estate at Kinderhook. He was nominated by the free soil party for the presidency in 1848, but did not receive an electoral vote. He died July 24, 1862. Van Buren held office thirty years. He was the only man who ever held the four highest political offices in the United States-president, vice-president, secretary of state and United States senator. He died worth some $300,000. It is said that during his entire administration he never drew any portion of his salary, but on leaving took the whole $100,000 in a lump. He wrote An Inquiry into the Origin and Causes of Political Parties in the United States, his only writing of importance, except state papers.
VAN BUREN, WILLIAM HOLME, surgeon, author, was born April 5, 1819, in Philadelphia, Pa. He was an eminent surgeon of New York city; and the author of Contributions to Practical Surgery; Diseases of the Rectum; Diseases of the Genito-Urinary Organs (with Keyes); and The Principles of Surgery.
He died March 25, 1883, in New York city.
VAN BURG, LIZZIE, author, poet, was born Sept. 29, 1859, in Bernadotte, Ill. She is a writer of Holbrook, Neb.; and the author of a volume of poems.