Mcdowell
Mcdowell
and was brevette<l captain for Buena Vista, Feb.
23, 1847. He was assistant adjutant-general to
General Wool's division, " Army of Occupation,"
1847-48, and assistant adjutant-general in the war
department at New York city, Washington and
Texas, 1848-61. He was married in 1849 to Helen
Burden, of Troy. N.Y. He was bre vetted major of
staff and assistant-adjutant-general, March 31,
1856, and in 1861 he organized and mustered
volunteers into service at Washington, D.C.,
was in command of the military district of Wash-
ington, was promoted brigadier-general, U.S.A.,
May 14, 1861, and commanded the department of
N.E. Virginia, and the defences of Washington,
south of the Potomac. He commanded the
Federal army at the first battle of Bull Run, July
21, 1861 ; was in command of the army of the
Potomac in the defence of Washington, 1861-62 ;
was transferred to the command of the 1st corps,
Army of the Potomac in 1862, and was promoted
major-general of U.S. volunteers, March 14, 1862.
He commanded the army of the Rappahannock,
April 4 to Aug. 12, 1862 ; the 3d corps. Pope's
Army of Virginia, Aug. 12 to Sept. 6, 1862, taking
part in the battles of Cedar Mountain, Aug. 9,
Rappahannock Station, Aug. 25, and Manassas,
Aug. 29. He was retired from active duty, Sept. 6,
1862. He was president of the court for investi-
gating alleged cotton frauds. May to July, 1863,
and president of the board for retiring disabled
officers at Wilmington, Del., 1863-64. He was in
command of the Department of the Pacific, 1864-
65; the Department of California, 1865-68; the
Department of the East, 1868-72. and of the Divi-
sion of the South in 1872. He was promoted
major-general, U.S.A., Nov. 25, 1872. having re-
ceived that rank by brevet, March 13, 1865, for
Cedar Mountain, Va., Aug. 9, 1862. He was re-
tired from active service, Oct. 15, 1882, and resided
in Sail Francisco, Cal., where he died. May 5, 1885.
McDowell, James, governor of Virginia,
x\ as born in Cherry Grove, Rockbridge county,
Va., Oct. 11, 1795 ; .son of James and Sarah (Pres-
ton) McDowell and grandson of John McDowell,
who, with his brother Ephraim, emigrated from
Ireland to America about 1730, and settled in
Pennsylvania ; removed to Rockbridge county,
Va., in 1737, and was killed by the Indians. Dec.
25, 1742. He attended Yale college and was gradu-
ated from the College of New^ Jersey, A.B., 1816,
A.M., 1819. He studied law under Chapman
Johnson, at Staunton, Va. He was elected a
representative in the state legislature in 1831,
where he advocated state rights, the gradual
abolition of slavery and legislative appropriations
for internal improvement and for public schools.
He was governor of Virginia, 1843-45 ; was a
Democratic representative in the 29th, 30th and
81st congresses, 1845-51, and his speech in con-
gress in favor of the admission of California as a
free state, Sept. 3, 1850, gained him recognition
in the house as an able anti-slavery advocate.
He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from
the College of New Jersey in 1846. He died on
his plantation near Lexington, Va., Aug. 24, 1851.
McDowell, John, educator, was born in
Monaghan, Pa., in 1751 ; son of William and
Mary (Maxwell) McDowell. He was graduated
from the University of Pennsylvania in 1771;
was a tutor therej 1769-82 ; professor of mathe-
matics at St.
John's col-
lege, Anna-
polis, Md.,
in 1789, and
was princi-
pal of the
college, 1790
-1806. Mc-
Dowell Hall,
the principal
building of
St. John's
college, was
named in his
honor. He
was profes-
sor of nat-
ural phil-
osophy at
the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania. 1806-10, and provost of the
university, 1807-10. He resigned both his offices in
1810 on account of ill health. The honorary degree
of LL.D. was conferred on him by the University
of Pennsylvania in 1807. He was a meml)er of the
American Philosophical society. He presented to
the University of Pennsylvania his large lib-
rary, each volume containing his autograph. He
died in Franklin county, Va., Dec. 18, 1820.
McDowell, John, clergyman, was born in Bedminster, N.J., Sept. 10, 1780. He was grad- uated from the College of New Jei-sey, A.B., 1801, A.M., 1804; studied theology under Dr. John Woodhull, at Freehold, N.J.; was installed pastor of the Presbyterian church, at Elizabeth- town, N.J., Dec. 26, 1804, and during his pas- torate the first Sunday school in the town was estal)Iished in 1814, and he prepared for it the first Bible-class question-book used. He remained at Elizabethtown till 1833, when he removed to Philadelphia, Pa., on account of ill health and was in charge of the New Central church, 1833- 45. He established the Spring Garden church, Philadelphia, and was installed its pastor, Feb. 3, 1846. where he remained until his death. During his ministry, 1317 persons joined the churches over which he was pastor on confession of faith,
ST. JOHN'S COU-MK.
