Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/161

 McGOWAN

McGRAW

commanding oflScer of the revenue cutter Forward during the war with Mexico, participating in the attack on Tobasco. He resigned his commission in the navy in 1853 and commanded one of George Law's merchant vessels trading between Panama

and San Fran- cisco. Upon the outbreak of the civil war he commanded the ,U.S. merchant !^ steamer Star of the West and was

^THt SJAR Of THE WEST.

detailed to land provisions for Major Anderson's command at Fort Sumter. He arrived at Charleston bar, Jan. 9, 1861, at 1.30 a.m., but was unable to make a landing on account of the extreme darkness. Confeder- ate vessels were sent against him at day- break and he continued his course up the channel. "When opposite Fort Moultrie a masked battery on Morris Island under Capt. George D. James opened fire, and as he received no support from Fort Sumter he was obliged to head to sea to avoid capture. This was the first shot fired in the civil war. He re-entered the U.S. naval service with his former rank of captain, Aug. 21, 1861, held several important commands and organized and directed the Mosquito fleet in Chesapeake bay. After the war he was connected with the treasury department until his retirement in 1871. He died in Elizabeth, N.J., Jan, 18, 1891.

McQOWAN, Jonas Hartzell, representative, was born in Smithtown, Ohio, April 2, 1837 ; son of Samuel and Susan (Hartzell) McGowan. His paternal ancestors were Scotch-Irish and his mother was of German descent. His father was an early abolitionist, and his house was for several years a depot on the ' ' underground rail- road." He removed with his parents to Orland, Ind., in 1854, and was graduated from the Uni- versity of Michigan, B.S., 1861, M.S., 1865. He was married in 1862 to Josephine Pruden. He taught school at Coldwater, Mich., 1861-62, and then enlisted in the 5th Michigan cavalry volun- teers as a private, subsequently transferred to the 9th Michigan cavalry, in which regiment he rose to the rank of captain. He was severely injured at the first engagement of that regiment in the capture of the Confederate raider, John Morgan, at Salineville, Ohio, In February, 1864, he re- signed his commission and returned to Coldwater, where he studied law with the Hon. C. D. Ran- dall. He was graduated from the University of Michigan, LL.B., 'in 1868, and was admitted to the bar. He was director of the school board of Coldwater for six years ; justice of the peace, 1865-67 ; state senator, 1873-74 ; a regent of the

University of Michigan, 1870-77, and a represent- ative in the 45th and 46th congresses, 1877-81. He then settled in the practice of law in Wash- ington, D.C. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Michigan in 1901.

McQOWAN, Samuel, soldier, was born in Laurens district^ S.C, Aug. 9, 1819. He joined the U.S. army as a private in 1846 to take part in the war with Mexico, and he gained the rank of captain for his services, 1846-47. He was a law- yer in Abbeville, and represented the district in the state legislature, 1848-60. When Soutli Caro- lina seceded in 1860 he joined the provisional army of the state, and was given the rank of brigadier-general by Governor Pickens. He joined the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862 as colonel of the 14th S.C. regiment,* and was attached to Gen. Maxcy Gregg's brigade, A. P. Hill's light division, Jackson's corps, at the battle of Manassas, Aug. 29-30, 1862, where he was badly wounded. He rejoined his regiment in December, and was present at the battle of Fredericksburg, Dec. 13, 1862. In the battle of .Chancellorville, May 2-4, 1863, where he commanded a brigade in Gen. A. P. Hill's light division, Jackson's corps, he was severely wounded a second time. In the battles at Spottsylvania, May 8-21, 1864, he commanded his brigade in Wilcox's division, A. P. Hill's 3d army corps, and took part in the hand-to-hand fight at the bloody angle. He fought at Cold Harbor, May 31-June 12, 1864 ; at Petersburg, June 16, 1864-April 3, 1865, and surrendered at Appomattox, April 9, 1865. He was a member of the state recon- struction convention, and was elected a repre- sentative to the 39th congress, but was denied admission. He was justice of the supreme court of South Carolina, 1879-92. He died in Abbe- ville, S.C, Aug. 9, 1897.

McQRAW, John, philanthropist, was born in Dryden, N. Y., May 22, 1815. He removed to New Hudson, Mich., in 1840, and was a lumber mer- chant in Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. He re- moved to New York city in 1850 and to Ithaca, N.Y., in 1861. He was a trustee of Cornell uni- versity, 1865-77, and in 1869-70 caused to be erected at a cost of $150,000 a building for a library and museum, which he presented to the university, and it became the McGraw Building. He was married to Rhoda Charlotte, daughter of John Southworth, and after her death to her sis- ter, Nancy Amelia Southworth. His daughter Jennie was married to Prof. Daniel Willard Fiske (q.v.), and at her death in 1881 she be- queathed to Cornell as a library fund the bulk of her property amounting to about $1,300,000. Her will was contested by her husband, who re- covered most of the bequest. John McGraw died in Ithaca, N.Y., May 4, 1877.