WOODWORTH, Samuel, poet, born in Scituate, Massachusetts, 13 January, 1785; died in New York city, 9 December, 1842. He was the youngest son of a farmer and Revolutionary soldier, whose poverty prevented him from educating his children, but Samuel's verses attracted the attention of Reverend Nehemiah Thomas, who taught him the classics for. He was apprenticed to Benjamin Russell, editor of the "Columbian Centinel," when he was seventeen years of age, and a year after the expiration of his term removed to New Haven, Connecticut, where he issued a weekly paper called the " Belles-Lettres Repository," of which he was "editor, publisher, printer, and more than once carrier," but the enterprise failed at the end of its second month. He removed to New York in 1809, and during the second war with Great Britain conducted a weekly paper called "The War," and a monthly Swedenborgian magazine entitled the "Halcyon Luminary and Theological Repository," both of which were unsuccessful, His next literary undertaking was a contract in 1816 to write a history of the second war with Great Britain in the style of a romance, entitled the "Champions of Freedom," which was published (2 vols., New York, 1816), but possesses little merit either as history or as a novel. With George P. Norris he began, in 1823, the publication of the "New York Mirror," but he withdrew from the partnership within a year. He edited the " Parthenon" in 1827, afterward contributed frequently to the press, and was the author of several operettas that were produced with success, of which the "Forest Rose" is still occasionally performed. During his later life he was paralyzed, and his resources were meagre. Of his numerous lyrics the "Old Oaken Bucket" is the only one that will probably live. George Perkins Marsh says of this poem in his " Lectures on the English Language" (New York, 1861): "Wood-worth's fine song, the' Old Oaken Bucket, ' which has embalmed in undying verse so many of the most touching recollections of rural childhood, will preserve the more poetic form oaken, together with the memory of the almost obsolete implement it celebrates, through all dialect changes, as long as English shall be a spoken tongue." His poetical works were collected and edited by his son, with a memoir of him by George P. Morris (2 vols., New York, 1861).--His son, Selim E., naval officer, born in New York city. 27 November, 1815 ; died in San Francisco, California, 29 January, 1871, when twelve years old set out with a rifle to cross the continent to the Pacific, but was met by friends and sent home after walking 300 miles. In 1834 he sailed as captain's clerk in the ship "Margaret Oakley," in which he was shipwrecked off Madagascar. He lived on the island with the natives, but eventually reached Mauritius, whence he returned home after an absence of four years. He was appointed a midshipman in the navy, 16 June, 1838, became a passed midshipman, 20 May, 1844, and, obtaining special leave of absence in 1846, made the journey to the Pacific overland, travelling from St. Louis to Columbia river in sixty days. He then went down the coast to the site of San Francisco, where he reported for duty as a master on board the sloop " Warren." and subsequently served in command of the transport "Anita" until the close of the Mexican war. He resigned from the navy, 11 February, 1850, and was elected to the first state senate of California. He engaged in mercantile pursuits, but at the opening of the civil war he volunteered and was commissioned acting lieutenant, 10 September, 1861. He served under Farragut at New Orleans and in Mississippi river, and was promoted two grades to commander, 16 July, 1862, for gallant conduct. He commanded the steamer "Narragansett," which he took out to the Pacific coast in 1865-'6, and upon his return resigned from the navy, 31 May, 1866.--Samuel's nephew, Francis 13., author, born in Colchester, Connecticut, in 1812: died at sea, 5 June, 1859, was a printer by trade, and afterward preached, but withdrew from the ministry on account of failing health. He then devoted himself to juvenile literature, in which he was remarkably successful. He died during a voyage between Savannah and New York. His numerous publications include " Our own Fields" (New York, 1850) ; "Youth's Book of Gems" (1851) ; "Uncle Frank's Home Stories" (6 vols., 1851): "Uncle Frank's Picture Gallery" (2 vols., 1852); "Wonders of the Insect World" (1853); " The World as it is, era Miniature Sketch of the Earth and its Inhabitants" (Philadelphia, 1.854) ; "Theodore Tinker's Stories for Little Folks" (12 vols., New York, 1854-'8); " Young American's Life of Fremont" (1856)and "Uncle Frank's Pleasant Pages for the Fireside" (1857). He edited "Wood-worth's American Miscellany" (12 vols., 1853 et seq.), and "Woodworth's Youth's Cabinet," which was continued after his death (15 vols., 1854 et seq.).