Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/175

 McKEAN

McKEE

the northeast district of Missouri, January to June, 1863 ; the district of Nebraska, June, 1863, to March, 1864, and the district of South Kansas, March to August, 1864. He served as chief of cavalry. Department of the Gulf, September to October, 1864 ; was on court-martial duty, October to December, 1864 ; in command of the district of West Florida, December, 1864, to Feb- uary, 1865, the district of Morganiza, La., March to April, 1865, and the district of southwest Missouri, June to August, 1865. He was brevet- ted major-general of volunteers, March 13, 1865, for gallant and meritorious services during the war, and was mustered out of the volunteer ■service, Aug. 24, 1865. He settled as a farmer near Marion, Iowa, in 1865, was mayor of Marion in 1865 and was appointed pension agent for the eastern district of the state in 1869, which office he declined. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Chicago, 111., May 20, 1868. He died in Marion, Iowa, April 19, 1870.

McKEAN, William Vincent, editor, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 15, 1820 ; son of William and Helen McKean, and grandson of Donald and Anne (Maguire) McKean of Enniskillen. He at- tended school until 1833, and in 1836 apprenticed himself as a type founder, where he was employed for ten years. He was married, Feb. 1, 1841, to Hannah Rudolph, daughter of Joseph Rudolph and Susan (Pastorius) Tull. He held a govern- ment position in Philadelphia, 1846-50, studied law under James C. Vandyke, and was associate -editor with John W. Forney (q.v.) of the Penn- sylvanian, 1850-53. He was chief clerk and dis- bursing officer of the national house of represent- atives, 1853-56, was appointed examiner in the patent office by President Pierce, but resigned upon being appointed secretary to James Bucha- nan, Democratic Presidential candidate. He was editor-in-chief of the Inquirer, 1860-64, and editor- in-chief of the Public Ledger, 1864-91 ; and in 1891 he retired from active life. He was the founder of the children's free excursions in 1872 and chairman of the executive committee for three years; a member and manager of the Franklin Institute and of the Moyamensing Liter- ary institute, and a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences, the American Philosophical society and tiie Pennsylvania Historical society.

McKEAN, William Wister, naval officer, w^as born in Huntingdon county. Pa., Sept. 19, 1800; son of Judge Joseph Borden and Hannah (Miles) McKean, and grandson of Thomas and Mary (Borden) McKean. His grandfather was the signer. He entered the U. S. navy as a midship- man, Nov. 30, 1814, and was promoted lieutenant, Jan. 13, 1825. He commanded a schooner in Com. David D. Porter's squadron in 1823-24, and aided in suppressing piracy along the Cuban coast VII.- 11

and among the West India islands. He was pro- moted commander, Sept. 18, 1841 ; captain, Sept. 14, 1855, and in 1860 conveyed the Japanese em- bassy to Japan. He was appointed to the command of the Western Gulf blockading .squadron in 1861, and was retired Dec. 27, 1861. He was promoted commodore on the retired list July 16, 1862, and died near Binghamton, N.Y., April 22, 1865.

McKEE, George Colin, representative, was born in Joliet, 111., Oct. 2, 1836 or 1837. He at- tended the academic department of Knox college and took a partial collegiate course at the Illinois Liberal institute, 1852-54. He was admitted to the bar in 1858, practised in Central ia, 111., where he also held the office of city attorney, 1858-61. He enlisted in April, 1861, in the 11th Illinois infantry for three months, and upon the re- organization of the regiment for three years' service he became captain of a company. He was wounded at Fort Donelson, at Shiloh and at Vicksburg. At Vicksburg, his regiment in Reed's brigade, McArthur's division, McPherson's corps, lost heavily, Lieut. -Col. Garrett Nevins, in com- mand, being killed. In the Red River campaign he was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers and enrolled and equipped the 1st brigade, corps d'Afrique, composed of the 1st, 3d, 12th and 22d colored infantry attached to Banks's army. At the close of the war he settled in Vicksburg, Miss., where he practised law, and engaged in planting in Madison county, Miss. He was a member of the Mississippi constitutional conven- tion in 1867, was register in bankruptcy and was elected a representative to the 40th congress, 1867-69, but the state was refused representation. He was a representative from the fifth Mississippi district is the 41st, 42d and 43d congresses, serv- ing from Feb. 23, 1870, to March 4, 1875. He subse- quently removed to Jackson, Miss., where he practised law and was postmaster. He died in Jackson. Miss., Nov. 17, 1890.

McKEE, James, educator, was born in Raleigh, N.C., Jan. 5, 1844; son of Dr. William Henry and Susan E. (Battle) McKee. He was prepared for college at the Lovejoy school, Raleigh, and matriculated at the University of North Carolina. The civil war closed the university and he enlisted in the Confederate army, joining the 1st North Carolina volunteers. He was lieutenant and drill master in camps of instruction at Raleigh and Morgantown, 1862 : participated in the action at Kinston and Jones Farm, N.C., was assigned to the 7th N.C. regiment and took part in the defence of Petersburg, Va., 1864 ; returning with the regiment in January, 1865, to North Carolina to intercept deserters. After the fall of Richmond his regiment escorted President Davis and his family from Danville. Va., to Greensboro, N.C. After the war he studied medicine, was graduated