WARD, Aaron, congressman, born in Sing Sing, New York, 5 July, 1790; died in Georgetown, D. C., 2 March, 1867. He received a classical education, and began the study of law, which he relinquished to join the army at the age of eighteen. He served as a lieutenant under General Wade Hampton in the expedition against Montreal, and was promoted captain in 1814. After the close of the war with Great Britain he resumed his legal studies in Oxford, New York, was admitted to the bar, arid began practice in Sing Sing. He married in 1820 a daughter of Elkanah Watson, and shortly afterward was appointed district attorney for Westchester county, he entered congress on 5 December, 1825, and served till 3 March, 1829. After an intermission of one term he was again elected for three consecutive terms, serving from 5 December, 1831, till 3 March, 1837, and four years later returned for a single congress, which closed its sessions on 3 March, 1843. He was a supporter of the administrations of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, took an active part in commercial legislation and in all measures that affected the interests of New York, and also concerned himself with the framing of military bills, and was the special advocate of state education for soldiers' children. In 1846 he was a member of the State constitutional convention, and in 1855 he was defeated as a candidate for secretary of state of New York. He was a major-general of militia from 1835 till 1853. Gem Ward was the author of " Around the Pyramids," describing travels in Europe and the East (New York, 1863). He died at the home of his son-in-law, Samuel J. Randall. Another daughter married John R. Thompson, United States senator from New Jersey. --His nephew, Elijah, congressman, born in Sing Sing, New York, 16 September, 1816; died in Roslyn, L. I., 7 February, 1882, received a classical education, engaged in commercial pursuits in New York city, and was chosen president of the Mercantile library association in 1839. Afterward he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1843, and practised in New York city. He was judge-advocate-general of the state in 1853-'5, and was elected as a Democrat to congress, serving from 7 December, 1857, till 3 March, 1859. He was defeated at the next election, but was successful in the following two, serving front 4 July, 1861, till 3 March, 1865. On being again defeated, he spent two years in Europe, and was not again a candidate till 1874, when he defeated his Republican competitor, but he was beaten in the succeeding election by a rival Democrat. In congress he took part in the discussion of commercial questions, advocating an interoceanic canal, uniform bankruptcy laws, postal subsidies to steamships, and reciprocity with Canada, and opposing a paper currency. In March, 1861, he addressed commercial bodies in New York city in favor of free canals, and in 1871, in response to a request from members of congress for an expression of his views, proposed freedom of commercial intercourse between the United States and Canada, on which subject he published two reports. Besides single speeches on commercial relations with Canada, the Geneva award, the Hawaiian treaty, and the shipping act, there has been published a volume of his "Speeches on Commercial, Financial, and other Subjects" (New York, 1877).--His cousin, Horatio, banker, born in New York city about 1810 : died in London, England, in April, 1868, resided in London for many years before his death. He bequeathed $100,000 to the National soldiers' and sailors' home, Washington, D. C., and an equal sum for the education of soldiers' orphans.