Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/18

 CO WEN

COWLES

Cowen (1?2C-1884), was a lawyer, lieutenant- colonel of volunteers in the civil war. and judge of common plea.s in 1865. Benjamin S. Cowen died in St. Clairsville. Ohio, Sept. 27, 1869.

COWEN, Esek, jurist, was born in Rhode Island, Feb. 24, ITsT; son of Josepli and Piuebe (Sprague) Cowen. He was a brother of Benjamin Sprague Cowen. His first American ancestor. John Cowen, came from Scotland and settled in Scituate, Mass., in 1656. His father removed his family to Saratoga county, X.Y., in 1790, and to Hartford. Washington county, in 1794. E.sek taught school and studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1810 and practised for a time at Northumberland, removing to Saratoga, N.Y., in 1812. He was a reporter for the New York court of errors, 1823-28; judge of the 4th circuit, 1828-36, and a justice of the supreme court. 1836-44. He acquired a wide reputation by reason of the character and importance of his judicial rulings. He was one of the founders of the first temi>erance society in the United States, the meeting taking place at Northumberland, Saratoga county, N.Y., in 1812. He prepared Ciril Jurisdiction of Justices of the Peace of Xcic York (2 vols., 1844) : New York Jieports, 1S23-28 (9 vols.. 1824-30) ; Digested Index of Reports (1831) ; and PhiUipps on Evidence (5 vols., 1850). which he edited. He died in Albany, N.Y., Feb. 11, 1844.

COWEN, John K., representative, was born at Miller.shurg, Holmes count}-, Ohio, Oct. 28, 1844. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1866; studied in the law school of the University of Michigan, 1867-68; was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1868 and began the practice of his profession at Mansfield, Ohio. In February, 1872, he removed to Baltimore, Md., where he became general counsel for the Balti- more & Ohio railroad, and in 1896 was the receiver of the company. He was a Democratic repre- sentative from the 4th district of Maryland in the •54th congress, 1805-97.

COWHERD, William Strother, representa- tive, was born in Jackson county. Mo., Sept. 1, 1860; son of Charles J. and Emilie (Strother; Cowherd, and grandson of Francis K. Cowherd. He was graduated from Missouri state university', in arts in 1881, and in law in 1882, and i)ractised in Kansas City, Mo. He was prosecuting attor- ne}- of Jackson county, 1885-89, and mayor of Kansas City, 1892-93, and a Democratic repre- sentative from Missouri in the 55th and 58Lh con^'re.sses, 1^07-100.5.

COWLES, Augustus Woodruff, educator, was born in Reading, N.Y., July 12, 1819. He was graduated at Union college in 1841, and from Union theological seminary. New York city, in 1846. He was ordained to the Presby terian ministry Feb. 16 1847, an<l was pastor at

Br(X*ki)ort, N.Y., 1847-56, when he was elected presiileut of the Elmira female college, the first college chartered expressly for the collegiate education of women, with a coui-se of study equivalent to that pursued by men. He received the degree of D.D. from Ingham university in 1858, and that of LL.D. from Hamilton in 1887. He wjis an arti.st of considerable repute and in- troduced the special study of art criticism as a imrt of a regular college curriculum.

COWLES, Edward Pitkin, jurist, was born in Canaan, Conn., in January, 1815. He was graduated at Yale in 1836 and was admitted to the bar in 1839. He practi-sed law in Hudson, N.Y., in partnership with his brother, David S. Cowles, afterward colonel of the 128th N.Y. volunteers, who was killed at Port Hudson, Miss., in 1863. He removed to New York city in 1853 and was appointed a justice of the supreme court by Governor Clarke, and at the close of his term was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Justice Morris, deceased. After the close of his second judicial term he practised law in New York city. He died in Chicago, 111., Dec. 2, 1874.

COWLES, Edwin, journalist, was born in Austinburg. Oliio, Sept. 18, 1825; son of Dr. E. W. Cowles, and a descendant of one of three Cowles brothers, who settled in New England in 1635, and of the Rev. Thomas Hooker, the pioneer of Wethersfield, Conn. He learned the printers' craft and carried on the business in Cleveland, 'Ohio, 1844-53. In 1853 he became one of the firm of Medill, Cowles & Co., pub- lishers of the Forest City Democrat. He changed the name of the paper to the Leader ujjon the departure of his partners to Chicago in 1855. In his office the initiatory plan for the organization of the Republican party of Ohio was made in 1855. He was an early abolitionist and an earnest reformer. He held the office of postmaster of Cleveland, 1861-66, and continued as editor and proprietor of the Leader until the formation of a stock company in 1866, of which he was made business manager, suksequently becoming editor- in-chief. He was vigorously denounced through- out the nortli in 1861 for an article in his pai)er entitled ' Now is the Time to Abolish Slavery," and President Lincoln was petitioned to remove him from the post-oflice. He dietl in Cleveland, Ohio, Marcli 4, 1800.

COWLES, William Henry Harrison, repre sentative. was born at Hampton villc, N.C.. April 22, 1840; son of Josiah and Nancy Caroline (Carson) Cowles. His grandfather, Andrew Carson, was captain of jmrtisan rangers during the Revolutionary war and tiie brother of Lindsay Carson, the father of " Kit "' Carson, the famous explorer, scout and pioneer. He attende«l the common schools and acafleniies of Surrv. aftez"-