Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/102

National museum. He has had charge of several botanical expeditions, notably that to the Death valley in 1890-'91. Mr. Coville is a fellow of the American association for the advancement of sci- ence, to the proceedings of which he has contributed numerous papers, and in addition many papers to other sources. He is the author of the " Botany of the Death Valley Expedition " (Washington, 1893). COWEN, Esek, jurist, b. in Rhode Island, 24 Feb., 1787 ; d. in Albany, N. Y., 11 Feb., 1844. He was descended from John Cowen, a native of Scot- land, who settled in Scituate, Mass., in 1656. His father's family re- moved in 1790 to Greenfield, Saratoga CO. Four years after- ward he went to Hartford, Washing- ton CO., N. Y., and at sixteen began the study of law, at the same time teaching during the winters. He was admitted to the bar in 1810, and began practice. In 1812 he removed to Saratoga Springs, which was afterward his residence. lie was reporter of the supreme court in

1821-'8, and was

then appointed judge of the 4th circuit. In 1835 he -was appointed to fill a vacancy in the supreme court, and continued in that office until his decease. Judge Cowen's opinion in the celebrated McLeod case, in connection with the Canadian rebellion, in which were discussed the question of perfect and imperfect war and other great national principles, attracted wide attention. Of his opinions in gen- eral it has been said that " in their depth and breadth of research, and their strength and reason of bearing, they are not excelled by any judge in England or America. He has frequently been com- pared to Lord Mansfield. Judge Cowen was more than six feet in height, and possessed great dignity of presence and unassuming manners. In 1812 he was one of the founders of the first temperance society in the United States. He was the author of "Civil Jurisdiction of Justices of the Peace in New York " (2 vols., 1844) ; " New York Reports, 1823-'8 " (9 vols., 1824-',<J0) : and a " Digested Index of Reports" (1831) ; and edited " Phillipps on Evi- dence " (5 vols.. New York, 1850).

COWEN, John King, railroad president, b. in Millersburg, Holmes co., Ohio, 28 Oct., 1844. He is the son of Washington Cowen, a native of Oxford, Pa., who had settled in Ohio at an early age. The son entered the Vermilion institute at Hayesville at the age of sixteen, and two years later began teaching at Millersburg. By this work and otlier occupations he earned enough to enable him to enter Princeton in 1863; he was graduated at the head of his class in 1866. He returned to Millersburg, where he taught in the high-school, and later he became principal of the academy at Shreve, Ohio. He studied at the law-school of Michigan university, took his examination at Can- ton, where William McKinley was one of his ex- aminers, and on his admission to the bar settled at Mansfield. In 1872 he was offered a position in the legal department of the Baltimore and Oliio railroad by Robert Garrett, son of John W. Gar- rett, president of the road and a classmate of Cowen's at Princeton. The ability of Cowen was recognized and he secured rapid advancement, eventually becoming general counsel of tlie com- pany. He held this position until he was elected president of the road, to succeed Charles P. Mayer. He has taken a prominent part in Maryland poli- tics since 1883 as an Independent Democrat. In 1884 he was elected to congress as a free-trader, in opposition to the Gorman wing of the party. In 1887 he worked in co-operation with the Republi- can party in support of Walter B. Brooks for gov- ernor, ile was an active supporter of Mr. Cleve- land at the Chicago convention in 1892, and in 1894 was nominated to congress by the 4lh con- gressional district, although he was a resident of the 2d. After a campaign of strong opposition from many Democrats he was elected.

COWLES, Augustus Woodruff, educator, b. in Reading, N. Y., 12 July, 1819. After gradua- tion at Union college in 1841, he taught, studied theology in New York city, and in 1847-'56 was pastor of the Presbyterian church in Brockport. lie was then made president of Elmira college, where he still remains. The degree of I). D. was given to him by Ingham university in 1858, and that of LL. D. by Hamilton college in 1886. Dr. Cowles was the first president of a college that was fully chartered expressly for the collegiate education of women, with a course of study honor- ably equivalent to the courses in colleges for men. He has gained considerable reputation as an artist, first introduced the special study of art criticism into a college curriculum, and has delivered there freehand illustrated lectures on art.

COWLEY, Charles, lawyer, b. in Eastington, England, 9 Jan., 1832. He came with his parents to Lowell, Mass., in 1842, and has since resided in that town, where he also received his education, and has held many local offices. In 1864-'5 he served as acting assistant paymaster in the U. S. navy, and was also on the staff of Admiral John A. Dahlgren as judge-advocate of the South At- lantic blockading squadron. After the war he re- sumed his law practice, having been admitted to the bar of Massachusetts in 1856. In 1870 he was the candidate for assistant attorney-general of the state on the labor reform ticket that was headed by Wendell Phillips. He was instrumental in pro- curing from the legislature the ten-hour law and the charter of the grand lodge of the Knights of St. Crispin. During the civil war he acted as na- val correspondent for the New York " Herald " and for the Charlestown '• Courier " and " Mer- cury," and has since written for the press of New England. Norwich university, Vermont, gave him the degree of LL. D. in 1885. Mr. Cowley is the author of a " History of Lowell" (Lowell, 1868); "Historical Sketch of Middlesex Countv, Vt." (1878); "Famous Divorces of All Ages"'(1878); " Leaves from a Lawyer's Life Afloat and Ashore " (1879); "Our Divorce Courts" (1879); "Reminis- cences of James C. Ayer" (1879); and edited "The Revised Charter and Ordinances of the City of Lowell, with Appendix " (1876): Admiral Dahlgren's " Maritime International Law." with memoir by his widow (Boston. 1877): "The Ro- mance of History in ' the Black County," and of War in the Career of Gen. Robert Smalls, 'the Hero of the Planters'" (Lowell, 1882); and " Lowell in the Navy during the War" (1894).

COX, William Ruffin. soldier, b. in Scotland Neck. Halifax co.. N. C., 11 March, 1832. He was graduated fit Franklin college, Tennessee, and at Lebanon law-school, in the same state. He served in the Confederate army in the various grades from