Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/41

 EWING

EWING

EWINQ, Presley Underwood, representative, was born in Rnssellville, Ky., Sejit. 1, 1822; son of Ephraim M. and Jane Tope (Molntyre) Ewing He was graduateil A.B. at Centre college in 1840, and LL.B. at Transylvania university in 1843. He studied theology at the Baptist seminary at Kewton, Mass., 184.5-16. and travelled in Ger- many, where liis theological views underwent a change and he abandoned his purpose to become a preacher. Returning to Kentuekj- he became a lawj-er and was a representative in the state leg- islature, 1849-50. He was a representative in the 32d and 33d congresses. 18r)l-.')4. He died while on a visit to Mammoth Cave, Ky., Sept. 27, 18.'54. EWINQ, Thomas, senator, was born at West Liberty, Va., Dec. 28, 1789; son of George and Rachel (Harris) Ewing: and grandson of Thomas and Phcebe (Sayre) Ewing and of Nathaniel and Abigail (Padgett) Harris. His father, a native of New Jersey, who settled in Virginia, was a soldier in the American Revolution, was at Brandy wineand Valley Forge, and removed to "VVaterford, Ohio, in 1792, afterward settling in what was set off as Ames township, Athens county. He ■was educated at home, and after 1808 he jjur- sued his studies at night while working in the Kanawha salt works. He used his earnings in paj-ing his tuition at college. He was graduated at the Ohio imiversity, Athens, in 1815. the first college man in western America to receive the degree of A.B., and he was admitted to the bar in 1816. He practised law at Lancas- ter, Ohio, 1816-31, and served as a Whig in the U.S. senate, 1831-37. In congi-ess he supported the Claj' protective tariff, advocated lower postr age rates, and framed the recharter of the U.S. banks and the force bill. He was a chief instru- ment in the settlement of the Ohio boundary question in 1836 and the reorganization of the general land office. He opposed the ' specie circular '■ of the U.S. treasury and denied the right of the department to discriminate as to the kinds of money receivable for jjublic lauds. In 1841 President Harrison appointed him secretary of the treasury- in his cabinet, which portfolio he resigned soon after the accession of President Tyler and was succeeded, Sept. 13, 1841, by Walter Forward. He was selected by President Taylor to organize the "home department," and thus became .secretary of the interior in 1849.

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He advised in his first report the construction of a railroad to the Pacific and the establishment ofaU.Smint in California. Upon the death of President Taylor in 1850 he resigned his caliinet position and was appointed by Governor Wood to the seat in the U.S. senate made vacant by the resignation of Thomas Corwin to become sec- retary of the treasury in

President Fill- more's cabinet. Upon the exjjiration of this term, March 3, 1851, he resmned the practice of law at Lancas- ter, Ohio. He was a delegate to the peace con- vention of 1861 and gave his support to the Union cause during the civil war. On Feb. 22, 1868, President Jolmson nominated him as secretary of war in his cabinet, but the senate refused to confirm the nomination on the groundthat luider the tenure of office act the removal of Secretaiy Stanton was illegal. He received the degree of A.M. from Ohio university in 1825 and was a trustee of that institution, 1834-32. He was married in 1820 to Maria Wills, daughter of Hugh Boyle, an Irish political refugee of 1791, and their daughter, Ellen Boyle, was married, May 1, 1850, to Lieut. William Tecumseh Sher- man, U.S.A., a ward of her father who was after- ward the great military hero and the leader in Sherman's march to the sea. Senator Ewing died in Lancaster, Ohio, Oct. 26, 1871.

EWING, Thomas, representative, was born in Lancaster, Ohio, Aug. 7, 1829; son of the Hon. Thomas and Maria Wills (Boyle) Ewing; grand- son of George and Rachel (Harris) Ewing and of Hugh and Eleanor (Gillespie) Boyle; and a de- scendant of Thomas Ewing, who emigrated from Londonderry and settled in Greenwich, N.J., in 1715. Thomas was educated at Brown university, leaving college to act as private sec- retary to President Taylor, 1849-50. He then studied law and practised in Cincinnati, Ohio, 18.53-56. He was married. Jan. 18, 1856. to Ellen Ewing, daughter of the Rev. William Cox of Piqua, Ohio. He removed to Leavenworth, Kan., in 18.56, was a member of the Leavenworth constitutional convention of 1.8.58, and was elected chief justice of the state in 1861. He was a dele- gate to the peace congress of 1860, and resigned his judgeship in 1862 to recruit the 11th Kansas vokmteers of which he was elected colonel, and with his regiment fousrht in the battles of Fort Wayne, Cane Hill and Prairie Grove. For gal- lantry at Prairie Grove he was made brigadier- general, March 13, 1863. He checked the invasion of Missouri by General Price in September-Octo- ber, 1864, by holding Fort Davidson, at Pilot