Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/422

DRECKINRIDGE.

BREED.

Cincinnati convention, in 1S30, he was one of the le^i.lins minds in the Presbyterian cluirch and in liis hiter, as well as his earlier, years he took an active interest in civil alTairs. He was a voluminous writer; imblished "Papism in the Nineteenth Centuiy in the United States " (1841); "Travels in France and Germany" (1841) ; " Memoranda of Foreign Travel "' (1845) ; '• Internal Evidence of Christianity " (1852) ; "The Knowledge of God Objectively Consid- ered" (1857); and "The Knowledge of God Subjectively Considered'" (1859), and innumer- able pamphlets on slavery, temperance, poi^ery, Uuiversalisui, Presbyterianism, education, agri- culture, politics. The value of his six years of service as superintendent of public Instruction of Kentucky was gratefully acknowledged by his suc- cessors in that office. While opposed to slavery, lie sought to remove it bj- peaceful methods ; yet when the war came he sided zealouslj- with the Union, though one of his sons, his nephew and others of his kindred gave their support to the Confederacy. He was chairman of the Repub- lican national convention of 1864; received the degrees of D.D. from Union in 1839; and LL.D. from Jefferson in 1817. and from Harvard in 1862. He died at Cabell's Dale, Ky., Dec. 27, 1871.

BRECKINRIDGE, Samuel Miller, jurist, was born in Baltimore, Md., Nov. 3, 1828; son of John and Margaret (Miller) Breckinridge. He received a clas-sical education at Centre college, Ky., Princeton, N. J., and Union college, N. Y. ; was graduated at the law school of the Transylvania college, and in 1850 removed to St. Louis, Mo., where he engaged in the practice of hisprofes.sion. He occupied a seat in the Missouri legislature in 18.54 and 1855, and on the circuit bench in 1859. He was a strong Republican, and his wise coun- sels were of inestimable value to his party. He was a leader in the Presbyterian chtirch, and was a member of the committee which was occupied from 1878 to 1882 in revising the " Book of Dis- cipline," and was frequently a delegate to tlie general assemblies. In the first Detroit assembly of 1891 lie took a conspicuous part in supporting the report of President Ration's committee against the Rev. Cliarles A. Briggs, D.D., and being pres.sed to give a legal opinion on the controversy delivered a most able speech on the subject. Feeling ran high, and the passionate excitement in that body of divines was most intense when Judge Breckinridge reached his concluding .sen- tence: " Now, gentlemen, I feel that I have dis- charged my duty, and wish to be excused from further speaking." With the concluding word he fell to the floor, expiring instantly, the tragic event producing the most intense excitement in the as.sembly. The death occurred at Detroit, Mich., May 28, 1891.

BRECKINRIDGE, William Campbell Preston,

representative, was born near Baltimore, Md.. Aug. 28, 1837 ; son of Robert J. and Ann Sophronia (Preston) Breckinridge. He was graduated from Centre college, Ky., April 26, 1855, and from the law department of the University of Louisville, Feb. 27, 1857. He entered the Confederate service in 1861, as a captain of cavalry, was soon jiromoted to a colonelc}', and was in command of the 9th Kentucky cavaliy up to the close of the civil war. Then for two years he edited the Observer and Reporter of Le.xington, Ky., when he was ap- pointed professor in the law department of the Kentucky univer.sity. He received the degree of LL.D. from Cuml)erland university in 1870. In 1884 he was elected a representative to the 49th Congress and was re-elected to the four succeed- ing congresses, but was defeated in his can- didacy for the 54th and 55th congresses, by rea- son of a revulsion of public opinion growing out of a breach of promise of marriage suit.

BRECKINRIDGE, William Lewis, educator, was born at Cabell's Dale. Ky.. July 22. 1803, son of John and Mary Hopkins (Cabell) Breckinridge. He was educated at the University of Transyl- vania, and began life as a farmer, but afterwards entered the ministry of the Presbyterian church, his first pastoral charge being at Maysville, Ky . , from 1831 to 1832, during which time he also held the professor- ship of ancient lan- guages at Centre college, Kentucky, declining a call ' to the Second church at Baltimore. He was pastor of the First c li u r c h in Lovdsville from 1836 to 1859, and in the latter year served as moderator of the 2d general assembly of the Presbyterian council. He was president of Oakland college, Miss., from 1860 to 1863, and of Centre college, Danville, Ky., from 1863 to 1868. He received the degree of D.D. For some years before his death he was a min- ister-at-large in Cass county, Mo. He married, in 1824, Frances C, daughter of Judge Prevost. His second wife was Mrs. Sarah A. Garnett, a daughter of Judge Christopher Tompkins. He died in Cass Cduuty. Mo.. Doc. 26. 1876.

BREED, David Riddle, clergyman, was born at Pittsburgh, Pa., June 10, 1848. He was graduated at Hamilton college in 1867, and from Auburn theological Seminary in 1870. From 1870 to 1885 he was pastor of a Presbyterian church in St.