Mosby, John Singleton, 1833-1916, Confederate partisan leader in the American Civil War, b. Edgemont, Va. He was practicing law in Bristol, Va., when the Civil War broke out. Mosby served brilliantly in the cavalry under J. E. B. Stuart until Jan., 1863, when he began his partisan operations in N Virginia—soon called "Mosby's Confederacy." Moving swiftly and secretly, Mosby's men (who never numbered more than 200) continually routed Union cavalry, destroyed communications, appropriated supplies, and were, in general, a great nuisance to the Army of the Potomac. Perhaps Mosby's most famous exploit was the capture of a Union general, caught asleep in his bed, at Fairfax Courthouse in Mar., 1863. Protected by the people of the region, Mosby's partisan rangers eluded the strong forces sent to capture them and were active until Robert E. Lee surrendered. Mosby secured his parole only through the intercession of Ulysses S. Grant, of whom he became a great admirer. He joined the Republican party and later held various minor government positions. He wrote Mosby's War Reminiscences and Stuart's Cavalry Campaigns (1887) and Stuart's Cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign (1908).

Copley, John Singleton, 1738-1815, American portrait painter, b. Boston. Copley is considered the greatest of the American old masters. He studied with his stepfather, Peter Pelham, and undoubtedly frequented the studios of Smibert and Feke. At 20 he was already a successful portrait painter with a mature style remarkable for its brilliance, clarity, and forthright characterization. In 1766 his Boy with the Squirrel was exhibited in London and won the admiration of Benjamin West, who urged him to come to England. However, he remained in America for eight years longer and worked in New York City and Philadelphia as well as in Boston.

In 1774 Copley visited Italy and then settled in London, where he spent the remainder of his life, enjoying many honors and the patronage of a distinguished clientele. In England his style gained in subtlety and polish but lost most of the vigor and individuality of his early work. He continued to paint portraits but enlarged his repertoire to include the enormous historical paintings that constituted the chief basis of his fame abroad. His large historical painting The Death of Lord Chatham (Tate Gall., London) gained him admittance to the Royal Academy. His rendering of a contemporary disaster, Brook Watson and the Shark (Mus. of Fine Arts, Boston), stands as a unique forerunner of romantic horror painting.

Today Copley's reputation rests largely upon his early American portraits, which are treasured not only for their splendid pictorial qualities but also as the most powerful graphic record of their time and place. Portraits such as those of Nicholas Boylston and Mrs. Thomas Boylston (Harvard), Daniel Hubbard (Art Inst., Chicago), Governor Mifflin and Mrs. Mifflin (Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia), and Paul Revere (Mus. of Fine Arts, Boston) are priceless documents in which the life of a whole society seems mirrored. Among his finest later portraits are the curiously distorted image of Samuel Adams (Mus. of Fine Arts, Boston) and the group portrait of the Copley family (privately owned). The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has an excellent collection of his works. Copley's son was Baron Lyndhurst.

Copley, John Singleton, 1772-1863, British jurist: see Lyndhurst, John Singleton Copley, Baron.

(born Dec. 6, 1833, Edgemont, Va., U.S.—died May 30, 1916, Washington, D.C.) U.S. guerrilla leader. He joined the Confederate cavalry in the American Civil War and was a scout with Jeb Stuart's troops. He led guerrilla units, called Mosby's Rangers, on raids on Union outposts in northern Virginia and Maryland, disrupting supply and communication lines. His capture of a Union general and 100 of his men behind federal lines (1863) earned him promotion to colonel. After the war he resumed his law practice, and he later served as U.S. consul to Hong Kong (1878–85) and as assistant attorney in the U.S. Justice Department (1904–10).

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(born Dec. 6, 1833, Edgemont, Va., U.S.—died May 30, 1916, Washington, D.C.) U.S. guerrilla leader. He joined the Confederate cavalry in the American Civil War and was a scout with Jeb Stuart's troops. He led guerrilla units, called Mosby's Rangers, on raids on Union outposts in northern Virginia and Maryland, disrupting supply and communication lines. His capture of a Union general and 100 of his men behind federal lines (1863) earned him promotion to colonel. After the war he resumed his law practice, and he later served as U.S. consul to Hong Kong (1878–85) and as assistant attorney in the U.S. Justice Department (1904–10).

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(born July 3, 1738, Boston, Mass.—died Sept. 9, 1815, London, Eng.) U.S. painter of portraits and historical subjects. The stepson of an engraver, he was an accomplished draftsman before age 20 and flourished as a portrait artist in his native Boston. He was famous for his portraits d'apparat, portrayals of his subjects with the objects associated with them in their daily lives or professions. In 1775 he settled in London and turned to the more fashionable history painting; he was elected to the Royal Academy in 1779. He revealed a gift for portraying heroic action in multifigure compositions. He is considered the greatest U.S. painter of the 18th century and the finest artist of the colonial era.

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(born July 3, 1738, Boston, Mass.—died Sept. 9, 1815, London, Eng.) U.S. painter of portraits and historical subjects. The stepson of an engraver, he was an accomplished draftsman before age 20 and flourished as a portrait artist in his native Boston. He was famous for his portraits d'apparat, portrayals of his subjects with the objects associated with them in their daily lives or professions. In 1775 he settled in London and turned to the more fashionable history painting; he was elected to the Royal Academy in 1779. He revealed a gift for portraying heroic action in multifigure compositions. He is considered the greatest U.S. painter of the 18th century and the finest artist of the colonial era.

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John Daniel Singleton (born January 6, 1968 in Los Angeles, California) is an American Academy Award-nominated film director, screenwriter, and producer. A native of South Los Angeles, many of his films consider the implications of inner-city violence like the critically acclaimed and popular Boyz N the Hood, Poetic Justice, Higher Learning and Baby Boy, and even branching out into mainstream territory, such as the blockbuster 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Biography

Singleton attended Pasadena City College and the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He graduated from USC in 1990.

His 1991 film debut Boyz N the Hood received Academy Award nods for Best Screenplay and Director. At age 23 he was the youngest person ever nominated for Best Director, and the only African-American to be nominated for the award.

Singleton also directed the video for Michael Jackson's 1991 single "Remember The Time," starring actor Eddie Murphy.

Around March of 1993, he began dating supermodel Tyra Banks, who later starred in "Higher Learning." They broke up a few months after the movie premiered in 1995. In 2006, Tyra Banks mentioned in an interview that a former boyfriend had beaten her, but she refused to identify him or note how many years ago the relationship occurred. Speculation has arisen that John Singleton was that boyfriend, especially since allegations have swirled around him that he had beaten previous girlfriends as well.

In 1996, he married Ghanaian princess and actress Akosua Cyamama Busia. They divorced the following year. They have daughter Hader together.

In 2006, he won USC's Mary Pickford Alumni Award.

Accident

On August 23, 2007, Singleton was involved in an automobile accident, in which he struck and killed a pedestrian, Constance Russell, 57, of Los Angeles Staying on the scene until police arrived, Singleton was not found to be under the influence of alcohol or other substances, and was released after being questioned.

The case was turned over to the District Attorney but no charges were filed

Filmography

Director

• Boyz N the Hood (1991) (Oscar nomination)
• Poetic Justice (1993)
• Higher Learning (1995)
• Rosewood (1997)
• Shaft (2000)
• Baby Boy (2001)
• 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
• Four Brothers (2005)
• The A-Team (2008)
• Tulia (2009)
• Luke Cage (2009)

Producer

• Higher Learning (1995)
• Shaft (2000)
• Baby Boy (2001)
• Hustle & Flow (2005)
• Black Snake Moan (2007)
• Illegal Tender (2007)

Screenwriter

• Boyz N the Hood (1991) (Oscar nomination)
• Poetic Justice (1993)
• Higher Learning (1994)
• Shaft (2000)
• Baby Boy (2001)

References

External links

• The Films of John Singleton
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