Whisky Ring-Continued. enter the combination were trapped into technical violations of the revenue laws, and when made liable to seizure they were given their choice between ruin and surrender to the ring. The combination became so powerful that when Secretary Bristow ordered a transfer of supervisors, which would have thrown the ring into confusion, their agents at Washington procured a countermand of the order from President Grant. After diligent effort evidence was obtained against the distillers and revenue agents. Upon this evidence the Government seized $3,500,000 worth of property and procured indictments against 238 persons. It was shown that the Treasury had been defrauded of $1,650,000 between July 1, 1874, and May 1, 1875. When the papers were laid before President Grant he indorsed them with orders to "let no guilty man escape." The most important convictions were those of John A. Joyce, special revenue agent; John McDonald, supervisor, and William O. Avery, chief clerk in the Treasury Department. Whitaker, William R., defalcation of, VII, 484. Whitby, Henry, British officer, proclamation for arrest of, for murder of American citizen, I, 402. White, Alexander, commissioner of Washington City, I, 314. White, James C., act granting pension to, vetoed, VIII, 704. White, Joseph L., counsel of ship canal company, V, 140. White, Joseph M., employment of, to compile land laws in Florida, II, 428. White, Rollin, act for relief of, vetoed, VII, 80. White, William, imprisonment of, in Buenos Ayres, II, 63. White House. (See Executive Mansion.) White Leagues referred to, VII, 297. (See also Ku-Klux Klan.) White Plains (N. Y.), Battle of.-After the battle of Harlem Heights, in which Washington was enabled to maintain his ground in the face of the British attack, Gen. Howe's war ships advanced up the East River and landed troops at Frogs Point (now Throggs Neck). His purpose was to gain a position in Washington's rear and thus cut him off from communication with his army outside of New York. About 4,000 British were sent to dislodge some 1,400 Americans who were intrenched on Chatterton Hill. After a short and sharp skirmish the Americans fell back in good order to the main body of the army, having lost but little more than half as many as their opponents. The American loss is variously stated at from 125 to 200, while the lowest official estimate of the British loss places it at 231. The following night Washington retired to a much stronger position about 5 miles north and Howe withdrew to Dobbs Ferry. Whitehall, N. Y., proclamation granting privileges of other ports to, IV, 690. Whitely, Simeon, treaty with Indians concluded by, VI, 192. Whiting, Joseph B., member of Chippewa Commission, IX, 65. Whittlesey, Elisha, commissioner to adjudicate claims of David Taylor, V, 142. Wichita Indians: Agreement between Cherokee Comm.ssion and, IX, 203, 213, 236. Lands of, title to, referred to, VIII, 191. Wilbur, James M., act authorizing settlement of account of, vetoed, VIII, 728. Wilder, W. C., member of commission concluding treaty of annexation of Hawaiian Islands, IX, 348. Wilderness (Va.), Battle of.-The rank of lieutenant-general was revived on Mar. 2, 1864, and on the 9th of that month it was conferred upon Gen. Grant, who was given the command, under the President, of all the armies of the United States. The plan of campaign agreed upon between Grant and Sherman was to make a simultaneous advance against Lee's army in Virginia and that of Johnston in Georgia. Meade was left in control of the Army of the Potomac and Sheridan placed in command of the cav. alry in Virginia. Gen. B. F. Butler was made commander of the Army of the James, consisting of 38,648 men and 90 guns. May 4, 1864, Grant crossed the Rapidan with the Army of the Potomac, aggregating on May according to the report of the Secretary of War, 120,380 men and 316 guns. The Ninth Corps, 20.780 in number, was subsequently added. Lee lay on the south bank of the Rapidan with 63,984 men. The Confederate position was in the midst of a wilderness of scraggy oak, sassafras, hazel, and pine. It is a region of worn-out tobacco field's, and lies directly west of the battle fieldof Chancellorsville. It was not Grant's intention to fight Lee there, but the Confederate attack early on the 5th compelled it. Lee gained ground in the two days' fighting. The battle was a bloody bush fight. More than 200,000 men fought in a vast jungle. Grant's loss amounted to over 20,000, of whom 5,000 were made prisoners. The Confederate loss was about 10,000. Grant now resolved to turn Lee's left flank and put his army between the latter and Richmond. On the night of the 7th the Federal army took up the march toward Spottsylvania Court-House. On the morning of the 8th of May the men of the opposing forces arrived almost at the same moment at the Court-House. Then occurred the great battle of Spottsylvania (q. v.). Wildfire, The, capture of, by the Mohawk, V, 593. Wilkes, Charles: Commander of exploring expedition, report of, on Oregon Territory referred to, IV, 160. Removal of Mason and Slidell from British vessel. (See Mason and Slidell.) Wilkes's Exploring Expedition, expenditures of publication of, referred to, V, 537. Wilkinson, James: Aaron Burr's insurrection, troops sent to suppress, commanded by, 1, 413. Conduct and commercial transactions of, investigated, I, 435. No intimation found of corrupt receipt of money by, I, 439. Expeditions against Wabash Indians commanded by, I, 112. Mentioned, 1, 417. Willamette Valley, etc., Wagon Road Co., lands granted to Oregon for, referred to, VIII, 78. Willcox, Orlando B., negotiations for and cor- William I, Emperor of Germany, death of, William, The, captured with African negroes William and Francis, The, satisfaction to be Williams, Eleazer, mentioned, II, 398. Williams, George H., member of commission Williams, Jonathan, death of Gen. Washing- Williams, Stephen, act for relief of, vetoed, Williamsburg (Va.), Battle of.-As soon as it Willman, Henry, act for relief of, vetoed, VII, Wilmington, The, attempts of, to silence bat- Wilmot Proviso.-President Polk, in a special tary servitude shall ever exist in any part of Wilson, Alfred M., member of Cherokee Com- Wilson, Andrew J., act granting pension to, Wilson, C. B., act for relief of, vetoed, VIII, Wilson, H. B. (administrator), act for relief of, Wilson, Henry, Vice-President, death of, an- Wilson, John M., Puerto Rican expedition Wilsons Creek (Mo.), Battle of.-During the Winchester (Va.), Battles at-Continued. Index. erals under Averell was attacked by the (See Shoshone Windom, William, Secretary of Treasury, Wines, E. C., commissioner to International Wines, duty on, discussed, II, 568; III, 102; Winnebago Indians.-A tribe of the Siouan Agent for, recommended, VIII, 374. Winslow, Ezra D., refusal of Great Britain to Winslow, The, disabled in conflict in Carde- Thanks of Congress to officers and men of, Winthrop, Robert C., correspondence re- States; nick- name, "The Badger State;" motto, "For- Act for continuing certain works in, reasons Constitution adopted by, transmitted, IV, Volunteers from, thanks of President ten- Wisconsin River, act regarding improvement Correspondence of, referred to, IV, 576, Dispatches from, regarding slave trade, IV, France, nomination of, and reasons therefor, Fees of, referred to, VIII, 143, 183, 249. IX, 42. Witt, William P., act granting pension to, Wolcott, Oliver, commissioner of United Wolford, Frank, Presidential elector of Ken- tucky, arrest and imprisonment of, VI, 259. Woman Suffrage-Continued. claims it is held that “suffrage is not a natural right; that in all ages and countries it has been conditioned upon qualifications of expediency; that representation of tax-paying women practically exists; that the interests of the family and of the State will be best preserved by continuing the division of labor which hitherto has exempted women from military and political duty; that the interests of women are not so distinct from those of men as to make their representation as a class necessary, and that their interests can be adequately protected without their voting." The agitation has resulted in a partial enfranchisement of women, in elections involving property taxes and schools, in about half of the States and Territories. In four States women possess suffrage on equal terms with men, namely, in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. In Kansas women can vote in school and municipal elections. Women possess school suffrage in 17 States; namely, in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. In addition to school suffrage Montana and Iowa permit women to vote upon the issuance of municipal bonds; while Louisiana gives to women tax-payers the right to vote on all questions concerning the expenditure of public money. A modified and restricted form of suffrage is also granted in Kentucky and Texas, so that women have either full or partial franchise in 27 States of the Union. Woman's Rights. The first woman's rights convention was held at Seneca Falls, N. Y., July 19, 1848. It demanded for women equal rights with men. The women based their claims on the Declaration of Independence. The first national woman's rights convention was held at Worcester, Mass., Oct. 23, 1850. In 1866 the American Equal Rights Association presented the first petition ever laid before Congress for woman suffrage. The New England Woman's Suffrage Associa tion was formed in 1868, and the first systematic effort was then begun for memorializing legislatures and Congress. The Massachusetts Republican convention of 1868 admitted Lucy Stone and Mary A. Livermore as delegates. The following year the convention of the party in that State indorsed woman suffrage. In 1872 and again in 1876 the Republican National Convention resolved "that the matter of woman's rights should have respectful consideration." Besides the women mentioned above some of the more prominent leaders in the woman's rights movement have been Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Virginia L. Minor, Matilda Jocelyn Gage, Julia Ward Howe, Carrie C. Catt, and Anna H. Shaw. (See also Woman Suffrage.) Wood, John E., correspondence of, referred to, V, 483. Wood, Lafayette B., brevet second lieutenant, promotion of, to second lieutenant recommended, IV, 446. Woodbridge, Sarah A., act granting restoration of pension to, vetoed, VIII, 727. Woodbury, Harriet, act to pension, vetoed, IX, 756. Woodbury, Levi, Secretary of Treasury in 1836 issued an order regarding the circulation of small bank notes and certain rules to reduce the number of by payment in specie. Correspondence respecting interference in elections and pay of soldiers, III, 96. Woodcock, Amanda, act granting pension to, vetoed, IX, 681. Woodford, Stewart L., minister to Spain mentioned, X, 32, 59, 61. Withdrawal of, X, 87. Woodruff, Wilford, letter of, advising Mormons to refrain from contracting marriages forbidden by law referred to, IX, 118. Woodson, Mary S., act granting pension to, vetoed, VIII, 449. Woodworth, Mary, act granting pension to, vetoed, VIII, 732. Woodworth, Selim E., thanks of Congress to, recommended, VI, 76. Wool, John E.: Correspondence regarding Department of Pacific, V, 296, 298, 483. Inquiry in case of, III, 372. Thanks of President tendered to, and the forces under his command in bringing about the surrender of Norfolk, and the evacuation of batteries, VI, 112. Wool and Woolens, import duty on, discussed, III, 28; VII, 293. Woolley, Abram R., mentioned, II, 112. Wooster, David, monument to memory of, information regarding, II, 232. Worcester, Dean C., member of commission to Philippine Islands, X, 359. Worcester, Frank D., act granting pension to, Worcester vs. Georgia. An important Suvetoed, VIII, 826. preme Court case involving the right of individual States to make laws at variance with treaties made by the Government of the United States. Samuel A. Worcester was a missionary among the Cherokees. In 1831 he was arrested by officers of the State of Georgia, tried, and sentenced to 4 years' imprisonment for living among the Indians in violation of an act of the State legislature which forbade any white person to reside among the Indians without a license from the governor of the State or some one else authorized to issue it. Worcester pleaded authorization by the President and by the Cherokees, also the unconstitutionality of the act itself. By a writ of error the case was brought before the United States Supreme Court. That tribunal reversed the decision of the State court and rendered judgment in favor of Worcester on the ground that the Georgia act, being repugnant to the Constitution, to the treaties made by the United States with the Cherokees, and to the laws of Congress in execution thereof, was unconstitutional and void. It was held that the treaties and laws of the United States contemplate the Indian ferritory as completely separated from that of the States, and provide that all intercourse with the Indians shall be carried on by the Government of the Union. Worden, L. J., act for relief of, vetoed, VIII, Consideration and return of, discussed, VIII, World's Columbian Commission: Reports of, deposited in State Department, Reports of, transmitted, IX, 132, 234, 334. Chinese artisans, admission of, to, tempora- Proclamation respecting opening of, IX, 140. Referred to, IX, 187. Reports of- Deposited in State Department, IX, 749. Discussed and recommendations regard- World's Fair. (See World's Columbian Ex- World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Board on behalf of Executive Departments Also placed in charge of Cincinnati and Worrell, Edward, consul at Matanzas, cor- Worthington, Nicholas E., member of Strike Wright, Anna, act granting pension to, ve- Wright, Carroll D., member of Strike Com- Wright, Isaac H., naval agent, appointment Wright, J. C., correspondence regarding re- Wright, John V., member of Indian commis- Wright, Joseph A., compensation to, for at- Wright, Laura A., act granting pension to, Wright, Obed, arrest and prosecution of, for Würtemberg: Convention with, IV, 316. Naturalization treaty with, VII, 43. Wyandotte, The, capture of the William by, |