Hiester

lieved in military force only as a last resort.
Mixed though his motives may have been, how-
ever, he forefended any official steps toward se-
cession until the presence of Union troops ren-
dered the disunionists powerless.

Shortly after Hicks's gubernatorial term had
expired, he was selected to fill the vacancy in the
United States Senate created by the death of
James Pearce, and in 1864 he was returned by
election. His senatorial career was not brilliant,
for he was too ill during the next two years to
manifest leadership in committee work, and he
was never an able speaker. During 1863 he suf-
fered an injury to his ankle which necessitated
the amputation of the foot. He never recovered
from the shock and quickly succumbed to an
attack of paralysis in 1865. After a state funeral
he was temporarily interred in the congressional
cemetery to be later removed to Cambridge, Md.
He was married three times: first to Anne
Thompson, then to Leah Raleigh, and finally to
Mrs. Jane Wilcox, who survived him. He was
regarded as having natural sagacity and a steady
sense of justice. Though slow to reach decisions,
he adhered to them with tenacity, a trait indi-
cated by his square jaw and firmly closed lips.

[G. L. P. Radcliffe, Gov. Thos. H. Hicks of Md. and
the Civil War (1901); H. E. Buchholz, Govs. of Md.
(1908); J. T. Scharf, Hist, of Md. (1879), vol. Ill; L,
F. Schmeckebier, Hist, of the Know Nothing Party in
Md. (1899) J Private and Official Correspondence of
Gen. Benj. F. Butler (1917), vol. I; Elias Jones, Re-
vised Hist, of Dorchester County, Md. (1925); G. W,
Brown, Baltimore and the Nineteenth of Apr., 1861
(1887) ; W. L. W, Seabrook, Maryland's Great Part in
Saving the Union (1913) ; Correspondence Between 5.
Teakle Wallis . . . and the Hon. John Sherman . . .
Concerning the Arrest of Members of the Md. Legisla-
ture (1863) ; Cong. Globe, 38 Cong., 2 Sess., pp. 805-
ii; Evening Star (Washington), Feb. 13, 1865; Sun
(Baltimore), Feb. 14, 1865.] E.L.

HIESTER, DANIEL (June 25, i747-Mar. 7,
1804), farmer, business man, congressman, son
of Daniel and Catharine (Schuler) Hiester, was
born in Upper Salford Township, Philadelphia
(now Montgomery) County, Pa., of German
and Dutch extraction. Joseph Hiester [g.z>.]
was his cousin. His father, remotely descended
from Silesian origins, emigrated to Pennsyl-
vania from Elsofif, province of Westphalia, Ger-
many, in 1737, owned a farm and tannery at
Gosenhoppen, and became an outstanding man in
his community. Daniel received a good educa-
tion and was trained to succeed his father in the
management of the farm and tannery. An ambi-
tion to travel prompted him to take a journey to
the Carolinas which pleased him so well that he
planned to repeat it and to extend his trip to
the West Indies. At one time he thought seri-
ously of settling in the South as a merchant, but
his marriage about 1770 to Rosanna, daughter of

Hiester
Jonathan Hager, founder of Hagerstown, and
Elizabeth (Krischner) Hager, changed any such
plans. After their marriage they made their
home at the Hiester homestead. In 1774, upon
his father's moving to Reading, Daniel acquired
possession of the farm and tannery. These re-
sponsibilities, added to that of managing the
large estate of his father-in-law, who was killed
in an accident in 1775, afforded him abundant
opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities as a
business man.
At first only lukewarm to the Revolution,
Hiester later (1777) became colonel of the 4th
Battalion of Philadelphia County militia and on
May 23,1782, a brigadier-general of militia. His
unit was called for duty in May and September
1777, *n the latter month having rendezvoused at
Swede's Ford below Norristown. During the
war he was also engaged in various other duties.
He was appointed a commissioner for Philadel-
phia County to seize the personal effects of trai-
tors on Oct. 21, 1777; agent of forfeited estates
on May 6, 1778; and chairman of the committee
of public accounts of Pennsylvania on Oct 7,
1779. In 1778 he visited Nova Scotia in an effort
to obtain the release of his brother-in-law who
was held prisoner by the British. He was elected
to the Pennsylvania Assembly annually from
1778 to 1781; to the Supreme Executive Coun-
cil from the newly created Montgomery County
in 1784; and a commissioner of the Connecticut
land claims in 1787.
In 1788 Hiester was elected to Congress from
Berks County, where he had moved in the mean-
time, on the Anti-Federalist ticket, though he re-
ceived the support of German Federalists. He
served continuously until his resignation in De-
cember 1796. He was opposed to Hamilton's
scheme for the assumption of state debts, but he
favored the national bank and advocated import
duties for protective purposes. He also used his
influence to make Harrisburg on the Susque-
hanna the permanent seat of government. He
spoke seldom in Congress, but invariably from
conviction, giving evidence of practicality and
sound judgment In 1796 he sold his property
in Upper Salford and moved to Hagerstown,
Md., from which state he was elected to Congress
in 1800. His service on this occasion was ter-
minated by his death in 1804. Hiester was tall,
of handsome features, and possessed a charming
personality. Enterprising son of one of the
wealthiest colonists, he was remarkably success-
ful in his business and real-estate operations,
and was the owner of gristmills, sawmills, and
much valuable land in Pennsylvania and Mary-
land.