Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/219

 MACOMB

MACOMB

married, Nov. 27, 1855, to Louisa S. Slavens. He was principal of Danville seminary, 1855-58 ; joined the Illinois conference in 1858 ; was a professor in the Illinois Wesleyan university, 1858-59, and principal of the Georgetown semi- nary, 1859-62. He joined the army as captain ■of the 73rd Illinois volunteers, serving 1862-64. He was president of Marshall college, 111., 1864- 68 ; president of Baker university, 1869-70 ; and professor of mathematics, Indiana Asbury univer- sity, 1872-83. He was transferred to the St. Louis conference and held pastorates at Warrensburg, Mo., 1883-85, and at Del Norte, Col., 1885-86. The degree of D.D. was conferred on him by the Illi- nois Wesleyan university in 1880. He died at Del Norte, Col., Feb. 9, 1886.

MACOMB, Alexander, soldier, was born in Detroit, Mich., April 3, 1782 ; son of Alexander (1748-1832) and Catherine (Navarre) Macomb ; grandson of John Macomb, who emigrated from Ireland in 1742, settled in New York city and

held oflSce under the colonial government, and of Robert de Na- varre, an officer of the French govern- ment who come to America in 1745, and was notaire royal and sub-delegue for the king of France on the early establish- ment of Detroit. Alexander Macomb, Sr,, was a wealthy fur merchant in Detroit, the owner of large tracts of land in Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky and New York and also a ship-owner in New York, 1785-91. Alexander Macomb, Jr., was a student in the Newark, N. J., academy. He was elected a member of the New York rangers, a volunteer company, in May, 1798, and entered the regular army, Jan. 10, 1799, as a cornet in the light dragoons. He was attached to the staff of Gen- eral Worth as assistant adjutant-general and when the army was reduced, he was retained and promoted 2d lieutenant of dragoons, Feb. 10, 1801. He served as aide-de-camp to General Wilkinson and as secretary of the commission to treat with the Indians, 1801-02 ; was promoted 1st lieutenant of engineers, Oct. 12, 1802, on the disbandment of the dragoons, and was ordered to the Military Academy at West Point, which liad just been established, where he was appointed adjutant and instructor in military exercise. He was promoted captain of engineers, June 11, 1805, was superintendent of public works in the Caro-

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linas and Georgia until 1812, and was promoted major of engineers, Feb. 3, 1808, and lieutenant- colonel, Feb. 25, 1811. He assisted in organizing the new army, was appointed adjutant-general, April 28, 1812, and became commander of the engineer corps in that year. He resigned so as to engage in field service, and was commissioned colonel of the 3d regiment of artillery, July 6, 1812. He took part in the capture of Forts Ni- agara and George in May, 1813 ; served in the in- vasion of Canada under Gen. Wilkinson in that year, and was promoted brigadier-general, Jan. 24, 1814. When Wilkinson was recalled in April, 1814, Macomb assumed command of the army at Plattsburg, N.Y., until General Izard arrived. At Plattsburg, Sept. 11, 1814, with his force of 1500 regulars and a few detachments of state militia and Vermont volunteers, he met the British force of over 14,000 men under Sir George Provost, defeated them and forced them to re- treat into Canada. He was brevetted major- general, Sept. 11, 1814, for his conduct in this battle, received the thanks of congress, a gold medal presented by the President, a sword from the state of New York, and the freedom of New York city in a gold box. He served as a mem- ber of the board to organize the peace establish- ment in 1815, and was assigned to the 3d military department of the northern division with head- quarters in New York city and later to the 5th military department with headquarters in Detroit Mich., where he remained until June, 1821, when he was appointed chief of the engineering depart- ment at Washington, D.C. He became major- general and general-in-chief of the U.S. army in 1828 as successor to Gen. Jacob Brown, deceased. He served actively in the field for the last time in the Seminole war in 1835. He was married, July 23, 1803, to his cousin Catherine Macomb, of Belleville, N.J. She died in 1821 and he was mar- ried secondly in May, 1826, to Harriet (Balch) Wilson, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Balch, of Georgetown, D.C. He edited Samuel Cooper's Tactics and Regulations for the Militia (1836) and is the author of treatises : On Martial Lata and Courts Martial in the United States (1809) , and On the Practice of Courts Martial (1840). He died in Washington, D.C, June 25, 1841.

MACOMB, William Henry, naval officer, was born in Detroit, Mich., June 16, 1818 ; son of Alexander and Catlierine (Macomb) Macomb. He was appointed midshipman in the U.S. navy, April 10, 1834 ; was promoted passed midship- man, July 16, 1840, and lieutenant, Feb. 27, 1847. He commanded the sloop Portsmouth, of the East India squadron, 1856-58, and aided Flag- Officer A. H. Foote in the capture of the barrier forts on the Canton river, China. He took part in the Paraguay expedition in 1859 where he