Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/193

Rh sought to elevate and dignify his profession. On his retirement Tennyson addressed to him these grateful lines:

McREE, Griffith John, soldier, b. in Bladen county, N. C, in 1758 ; d. in Smithville. N. C, 30 Oct., 1801. He was the son of Samuel McRee, who emigrated in 1740 from County Down, Ireland, to North Carolina, and became a magistrate in Bladen county. The son became major and brevet lieutenant-colonel in the Revolutionary army, was appointed captain of artillery and engineers, 2 June, 1794, and resigned on 24 April, 1798, being appointed in that year collector of revenue for the district of Wilmington, N. C. — His son, William, soldier, b. in Wilmington, N. C, 13 Dec, 1787; d. in St. Louis, Mo., in May, 1833, was appointed to the array as a cadet on 14 April, 1803. He became 2d lieutenant of engineers, 1 July, 1805, 1st lieutenant in October, 1806, captain in 1808. and major, 31 July, 1812, and participated in the war with Great Britain, being engaged on the northern border. He became chief engineer of the army under Gen. Jacob Brown in 1814, was brevetted lieutenant-colonel for gallant conduct in the battle of Niagara, 25 July, 1814, and colonel for distinguished and meritorious service in defence of Fort Erie, 15 Aug., 1814, and became lieutenant- colonel on 12 Nov., 1818. In 1815 he was sent to Europe by the government to examine military schools and fortifications, and on his return made an able report. Indignant that a foreigner. Gen. Simon Bernard, should be appointed to an office in the engineer corps, he resigned on 31 March, 1819, and from 1825 till 1832 he was U. S. surveyor- general of public lands in Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas territories. Fort McRee, Pensacola, Fla., was named in his honor. — Another son, Samuel, soldier, b. in Wilmington, N. C., 6 Oct., 1801 ; d. in St. Louis, Mo., 15 July, 1849, was ap- pointed a cadet in 1815. He became 2d lieutenant in the 8th infantry, 1 July, 1820, assistant instruc- tor of infantry tactics in the military academy in 1820, 1st lieutenant, September, 1823, and captain in December, 1831. He served in the Black Hawk war, was assistant quartermaster with the rank of captain in July, 1838, and relinquished rank in line in November, 1839. Pie was made quartermaster with the rank of major on 8 Nov., 1839, and bre- vetted lieutenant-colonel for meritorious conduct while serving in the enemy's country, 30 May, 1848.— Samuel's nephew, (xi'ifflth John, lawyer, b. in Wilmington, N. C, 20 Sept., 1820 ; d. there 29 April, 1872, was the son of James Fergus McRee. He was educated at Princeton, admitted to the bar of Wilmington in 1841, and practised there until his death. He was a member of the New York and Massachusetts and other historical societies. He married Penelope, daughter of Gov. James Iredell, and was the author of the " Life of James Iredell " (2 vols.. New York, 1857).

McROBERTS, Samuel, senator, b. in Illinois about 1800 ; d. in Cincinnati, Ohio, 27 March, 1843. He was graduated at Transylvania, studied law, was admitted to the bar, began practice in Danville, Ky., and afterward removing to Illinois became judge of one of the higher courts of that state. He was also a member of the state senate and became J. S. district attorney for Illinois. At the time of his death he was a U. S. senator, having been elected from Illinois as a Democrat, from 31 Mny. 1841.

McSHERRY, James, author, b. in Frederick county, Md.,29 July, 1819; d. there, 13 July, 1869. His father, James) 1776-1849). was member of con- gress in 1821-'3, having been chosen a Federalist. The son was graduated at St. Mary's college. Em- mettsburg. Md., in 1828, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1840, and began practice in Gettys- burg, Pa. In 1841 he removed to Frederick City, Md., where he practised his profession until his death. He was an active member of the Roman Catholic church, a regular contributor to the " United States Catholic Magazine" and other pe- riodicals, and was the author of •' History of Mary- land, 1634-1848" (Baltimore. 1849; smaller ed., 1852) ; " Pere Jean, or the Jesuit Missionary " (1849) ; and •• Willitoft, or the Days of James the First, a Tale "(1851; republished in German, Frankfort- on-the-Main. 1858).

McSHERRY, Richard, physician, b. in Martinsburg, W. Va., 21 Nov., 1817 ; d. in Baltimore, Md., 7 Oct., 1885. His father was a physician of high repute in Martinsburg, Va., where he prac- tised medicine and surgery for nearly sixty years. On his mother's side he was descended from the early colonial settlers of Maryland and from the first Lord Baltimore. He was educated at George- town college, D. C, and at the University of Mary- land, and was graduated in medicine at the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania in 1841. Entering the medical corps of the army, he served under Gen. Zachary Taylor in the Seminole war, but resigned his commission in 1843, became assistant surgeon in the navy, and made a cruise around the world in the U. S. frigate " Constitution " in 1844-'6. He served in Gen. Winfield Scott's campaign in JMexi- co as surgeon to a battalion of marines, and in 1851 retired fi-om the navv and began practice in Baltimore. Md. From 1863 till 1865 he was professor of materia medica and therapeutics in the University of iIaryland, and then succeeded Dr. Samuel Chew as professor of the principals and practice of medicine. In 1883 he became president of the medical and chirurgieal faculty of Maryland, and he was a founder and first presi- dent of the Baltimore academy of medicine. At the time of his death he was president of the Mary- land state board of health. In his early life he wrote much on surgical subjects, and in his later life contributed largely to sanitary science. He was the author of " El Puchero, or a Mixed Dish from Jlexico " (Philadelphia, 1850) ; and a volume of miscellaneous " Essavs " (Baltimore, 1869) ; and " Health and How to Promote it " (New York, 1883).

McSPARRAN, James, clergyman, b. in Ireland about 1680 ; d. in South Kingston, R. I., 1 Dec, 1757. He was educated at the University of Glasgow, and received the degree of M. A. in 1709. He was made deacon, 21 Aug., 1720, by the bishop of London, and priest, 25 Sept., 1720, by the arch- bishop of Canterbury. The next year he was sent by the Society for propagating the gospel as a missionary to Bristol, R. I., and neighboring towns. He received the degree of D. D. from Oxford in 1731. He visited England twice in 1736 and 1754,