Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/800

756 odist church. He labored chiefly in New York and Vermont, and from 1888 till 1841 was princi- pal of the Troy conference academy, West Poult- ney, Vt. He published a " Dictionary of the Bible " (New York).

COVERNTON, Charles William, Canadian physician, b. in Penton Place, Walworth, London, England, 13 Aug., 1813. He was educated in London and at the Abbe Haffrangue's college, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. After studying medi- cine for two years, in 1832 he went to Edinburgh university, in 1835 was graduated at the Univer- sity of St, Andrews, and in the same year obtained the diploma of London college of surgeons. He arrived in Canada in June, 1836, and accompanied the militia as surgeon during the rebellion in the following year. In 1878 he was appointed to a chair in the faculty of medicine. Trinity college, Toronto, Li 1882 he was appointed by the gov- ernment of Ontario a member of the Provincial board of health, in 1884 became its chairman, and was present as a delegate of the board at the 4th international congress of hygiene at Geneva, Switzerland, in 1882, and in October, 1884, at the convention from state boards at St. Louis, and in the following December at Washington, D. C.

COVERT, John M., physician, b. in St. Augus- tine, Fla., 25 July, 1832; d. in Brooklyn, N. Y., 18 Feb., 1872, He was graduated at Charleston col- lege, S. C, in 1853, and at South Carolina medical college in 1855. Soon after taking his medical de- gree he went to Portsmouth, Va., as a volunteer in a yellow-fever epidemic, and settled there in the practice of his profession. He became surgeon of the 1st Louisiana volunteers m 1861, and was sub- sequently medical director on Gen. Lee's staff. He returned to Norfolk after the war, and in 1867 volunteered to go to Galveston, Texas, to combat the yellow fever. He removed to Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1869, and at the time of his death was known in literary circles there as an excellent belles-lettres scholar, and the possessor of much poetical talent,

COVINGTON, Leonard, soldier, b. in Aquasco, Md., 30 Oct., 1768 ; d, in French Mills, N, Y., 14 Nov., 1813. He was commissioned as lieutenant of cavalry in October, 1792, and joined the army un- der Gen. Wayne. He distinguished himself at Fort Recovery, 30 June, 1794, and was honorably mentioned by his commanding officer in the ac- count of the battle of the Miami. He was made captain in July following, but in September, 1795, resigned his commission, and devoted himself to agriculture. He served for several years in the Maryland legislature, and as a member of con- gress in 1805-'7. In 1809 he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of cavalry, colonel a month later, and brigadier-general in 1813, when he was ordered to duty on the northern frontier. He was mortally wounded in the battle of Chrystler's Field, 11 Nov., 1813, and died two days later.

COVODE, John, congressman, b. in Westmore- land county, Pa., 17 March, 1808; d. in Harris- burg, Pa., 11 Jan., 1871. He was of Dutch descent, spent his early years on a farm, and, after serving a short apprenticeship to a blacksmith, engaged in the coal trade. He afterward became a large woollen manufacturer, and a stockholder and di- rector in several railroad lines. After two terms in the legislature, he was elected to congress as an anti-masonic whig in 1854, and re-elected as a re- publican in 1856, serving four terms, from 1855 till 1863. In his second term he made a national repu- tation by his vigor and penetration as chairman of the special committee appointed to investigate charges against President Buchanan. His report, published by order of congress (Washington, 1860), attracted much attention. He earnestly supported President Lincoln's administration, being an act- ive member of the joint committee on the conduct of the war. President Johnson sent Mr. Covode south to aid in the reconstruction of the disaffected states ; but he did not see matters as the president desired, and was recalled. Mr. Covode was again elected to congress in 1868, his seat being unsuc- cessfully contested by his opponent, and was active in opposing the president. He was chairman of the republican state committee of Pennsylvania in 1869, and declined a renomination to congress in 1870. He was recognized in his state as a strong political power. His unthinking impetuosity made him many bitter enemies, but his honesty and geniality won him innumerable friends. He was known as " Honest John Covode."

COWAN, Edgar, senator, b. in Sewickley, Westmoreland co., Pa., 19 Sept., 1815 ; d. in Greensburg, Pa., 29 Aug., 1885. He was early thrown on his own resources, becoming by turns clerk, boat-builder, school-teacher, and medical student, but finally entered Franklin college, Ohio, where he was graduated in 1839. He then stud- ied law in Greensburg, Pa., and was admitted to the bar in 1842. In 1861 he was elected to the U. S. senate by the people's party, and served till 1867, distinguishing himself as a ready and fearless debater. He was chairman of the committees on patents, finance, and agriculture, and a member of that on the judiciary. He was a delegate to the Union convention at Philadelphia in 1866, and in January, 1867. was appointed minister to Austria, but was not confirmed by the senate. At the close of his term he resumed the practice of law in Greensburg, Senator Cowan was a man of lai'ge proportions and great physical strength, being six feet four inches in height. He published various speeches and addresses in pamphlet form. — His son, Frank, author, b. in Greensburg, Pa., 11 Dec, 1844, was educated at Mount Pleasant and Jefferson colleges, but never graduated. He be- came secretary of the senate committee on patents in 1862, read law with his father during the vaca- tions of congress, and was admitted to the bar in 1865. President Johnson made him one of his secretaries in 1866, and in 1867 he began the study of medicine, receiving his degree from George- town medical college in 1869. He then practised medicine in Greensburg till 1872, when he estab- lished a journal called " Frank Cowan's Paper," which continued till 1875. He was district attor- ney of his county in 1878, and in 1880-'81 made a tour of the globe, entering Corea before the mak- ing of any of the treaties between that country and civilized nations, and sent to the U. S. govern- ment much information about its exports and im- ports, also making a A^aluable ethnological collec- tion. He resumed the practice of law in 1882, and in 1884-'5 made a second tour of the world. Dr. Cowan is a member of several scientific societies. He has lectured in various parts of the world on his travels, and has published " Curious Facts in the flistory of Insects" (Philadelphia, 1865); " Zomara ; a Romance of Spain " (Pittsburg, 1873) ; " Southwestern Pennsylvania in Song and Story" (Greensburg, Pa., 1881); "The City of the Royal Palm, and other Poems " (Rio de Janerio, 1884) ; besides pamphlets and magazine articles, including " The Hvidsaerk Inscription of the Falls of the Potomac " (1866), a hoax, which, although immediately explained by its author, has found its way into European books of reference. Dr. Cowaa has also published musical compositions.