STRONG, James Hooker, naval officer, born in Canandaigua, New York, 26 April 1814; died in Columbia, South Carolina, 23 November, 1882. He was appointed a midshipman in the navy while he was a student in the Polytechnic college at Chittenango, New York, 2 February, 1829, but remained at the college until he was graduated in 1833. He made his first cruise on the Brazil station in 1833-'5, and, while attached to the sloop "Lexington," commanded a boat expedition that captured a piratical establishment in the Falkland islands, where he had a hand-to-hand conflict with the pirates, and won credit by his valor and ability. The vessels that had been captured were restored to their crews, and the pirates were taken to Buenos Ayres for trial by the Argentine government. He became passed midshipman, 4 June, 1836, and lieutenant, 8 September, 1841, and after various cruises commanded the store-ship "Relief " in 1859. He was commissioned commander, 24 April, 1861, and had the steamers "Mohawk" and " Flag," on the South Atlantic blockade in 1861-'2, and the steamer "Monongahela" on the Western Gulf blockade in 1863-'5, in which he rendered good service at Arkansas pass and especially at the battle of Mobile bay, where he was the first to ram the iron-clad "Tennessee," and was highly commended. After being commissioned captain, 5 August, 1865, he was on duty at the Brooklyn navy-yard in 1866-'7, and commanded the steamer "Canandaigua," of the Mediterranean squadron, in 1869-'70. He was commissioned commodore, 2 March, 1870, and served as light-house inspector for two years. He was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral, 10 September, 1873, was commander-in-chief of the South Atlantic squadron from 1873 till 1875, and was placed on the retired list, 25 April, 1876.

--BEGIN-Jedediah Strong

STRONG, Jedediah, politician, born in Litchfield, Connecticut, 7 November, 1738; died there, 21 August, 1802. His father, Supply Strong, was one of the first settlers of Litchfield in 1723, and is said to have owned one eighth of the township. The son was graduated at Yale, and began the study of divinity, but abandoned it for law. He was admitted to the bar, but devoted himself to politics, in which he long wielded great influence. He was elected to the legislative in 1771, and sat in that body for thirty regular sessions thereafter, during several of which he was clerk of the house. In 1774 he was chosen to the Continental congress, and declined, but he served in that body in 1782-'4, and in 1780-'91 he was a judge of the county court. In 1774-'5 he was a member of the committee of inspection, and in 1775 he was made a commissary of supplies in the army. In April, 1775, the legislature sent him to Albany to secure all "the arms belonging to this colony left there during the French war." In 1788 he was a member of the state convention that ratified the United States constitution. He became dissipated, and died in poverty and obscurity.