FLETCHER, James Cooley, clergyman, born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1823. He was graduated at Brown in 1846. After studying theology two years at Princeton, he went to Europe to complete his theological course and perfect himself in the French language, in order to become a missionary in Haiti. He returned to the United States in 1850, and in 1851 abandoned the mission to Haiti, and went to Rio de Janeiro as chaplain missionary of the American and foreign Christian union, and of the American seamen's friend society. He returned to the United States in 1854, but during 1855'6 traveled 3,000 miles in Brazil distributing Bibles as the agent of the American Sunday School union. In 1862 he traveled 2,000 miles" up the Amazon, and made a collection of rare objects in natural history for Professor Agassiz. The result of his labor was Agassiz's exploration of Brazil in 1865.

In 1864'5 Mr. Fletcher was the means of inducing the Brazilian government to join the United States in establishing a line of steamships between New York and Rio de Janeiro. He was agent of the American tract society in 1868'9, U. S. consul at Oporto, Portugal, in 1869'73, and missionary at Naples in 1873'7, after which he again returned to the United States and made his home in Indianapolis. He has been a constant contributor to the periodical press, and has published, in connection with Rev. D. P. Kidder, " Brazil and the Brazilians" (Philadelphia, 1857 ; 8th ed., 1868).His daughter, Julia Constance, author, born about 1850, is a resident of Rome, and a favorite in the literary society of that City. Her novels, written under the pen name of "George Fleming," include "Kismet" (Boston, 1877); " Mirage" (1878); "The Head of Medusa" (1880); "Sonnets of Gaspara Stampa" (1881); "Vestigia" (1884); and "Andromeda" (1885).