Hotchkiss

zines, and the sessions of various societies. His
separate pamphlets and volumes include The Pio-
neers of Western New-York (Geneva, 1838);
The Prospects of the Age (Burlington, Vt, 1841) ;
Themes of Song (Rochester, 1842); Yonnondio,
or Warriors of the Genesee: A Tale of the Sev-
enteenth Century (New York, 1844); "Genun-
dewah," in Henry Schoolcraft's Address Deliv-
ered Before the Was-Ah Ho-De-No-Son-Ne
(Rochester, 1846) ; The Months (Boston, 1847) ;
"Lament for Sa-sa-na," in A Memorial for
Sa-sa-na, the Mohawk Maiden, Who Perished
in the Rail Road Disaster at Deposit, N. Y.9
Feb. 18, 1852 (Hamilton, N. Y., 1852); The
Poetical Works of WiUiam H. C. Hosmer (2
vols., New York, 1854); Agricultural Ode
(Lansing, Mich,, 1864); and Later Lays and
Lyrics (Rochester, 1873). His originality lay
in his enthusiastic attempt to embody in his verse
the legends, traditions, and spirit of the Seneca
Indians; the seven cantos of Yonnondio contain
some good narrative, and the "Legends of the
Senecas" and the "Indian Traditions and Songs"
can be read with interest He is at his best, how-
ever, in the poems descriptive of his native
region, particularly in "Bird-Notes" and "The
Months," in which his affectionate observation
of nature overcomes a clumsy, rhetorical style.
He died at Avon at the close of his sixty-third
year.

[Geneal. Records of the Pioneer Families of Avon,
N. Y. (1871) ; E. M. and C. H, T. Avery, The Groton
Avery Clan (1912), p. 362; R. W. Griswold, The Poets
and Poetry of America (i6th ed., 1855); L. R. Doty,
Hist, of Livingston Countyf N. 7. (1905); Hobart
Coll Gen. Cat. of Officers, Grads., and Students, 1825-
97 (1897); Ann. Report of the Adjutant-Gen, of the
State of N. Y. for the year 1897. Serial No. 15 (1898);
N. Y. Tribune, May 24, 1877.] G.H.G.

HOTCHKISS, BENJAMIN BERKELEY

(Oct i, i826-Feb. 14, 1885), inventor, manu-
facturer, was born in Watertown, Conn., the son
of Asahel A. and Althea (Guernsey) Hotch-
kiss and a descendant of Samuel Hotchkiss who
settled in New Haven about 1641. When Ben-
jamin was three years old his parents moved to
Sharon, Conn., where the elder Hotchkiss en-
gaged in hardware manufacture, Benjamin early
displayed an unusual aptitude in mechanics, and
after completing the common school curricula he
entered a machine shop and learned the ma-
chinist's trade. During that time an older broth-
er, Andrew, was experimenting with a new form
of cannon projectile, and after completing his
apprenticeship Benjamin joined with him in
perfecting it. Their experiments were conducted
more or less as a side issue to their regular occu-
pations in the hardware factory, and it was not
until around 1855 that they had progressed far

Hotchkiss

enough with their new projectile to try to inter-
est possible purchasers. In that year they gave
an exhibition at the Navy Yard, Washington,
D. C., but failed to arouse the interest they ex-
pected. Although somewhat discouraged they
continued experimenting and finally in 1859,
after staging a demonstration of the accuracy of
their product, they deliberately made a present
of a supply of projectiles to the Liberal govern-
ment of Mexico. The following year they fur-
nished several hundred to the Japanese govern-
ment, and then, toward the close of 1860, suc-
ceeded in obtaining a small order from the
United States. Thereafter, Hotchkiss devoted
his energy chiefly to improvements in ordnance.
With the outbreak of the Civil War large orders
for projectiles and other ordnance were received
from the Federal government and to fill these
Hotchkiss established a manufactory in New
York City. During the war he supplied a larger
number of cannon projectiles than all other mak-
ers combined. Besides managing the factory he
carried on extensive experiments and secured
many patents. His inventions included an im-
proved percussion fuse; a punch projectile for
use against ironclads; improvements in time
fuses; an improved rifling for guns; and a new
projectile superior to the earlier one. He even
found time to devise new products for the hard-
ware factory, such as a machine for riveting
curry combs. After the war, he continued his
inventive work, patenting among other things
an explosive shell and a packing for projectiles,
as well as an improved snap hook for harnesses.
He also became interested in street-railways
and devised a railway track and pavement. With
the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, he
contracted with the French government to man-
ufacture his patented metallic cartridge cases
for small arms. While engaged in this work in
France, his attention was called to the defects
of the machine gun then used by the French
army and he set about designing a more practi-
cal one. This he completed and patented in 1872.
It was distinguished by having five rifled bar-
rels grouped around a common axis which re-
volved in front of a solid breech-block having in
one part an opening to introduce the cartridge
and another through which to extract the empty
shells. Immediately adopted by France and sub-
sequently by the larger nations of the world, it
entirely altered the sphere of action of the ma-
chine gun from a defensive to an offensive
weapon. Following this war Hotchkiss con-
tinued his residence and factory branch in
France so as to be in a better position to intro-
duce his machine guns and projectiles into Eu-

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