Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/51

 LOVELL

LOVERING

LOVELL, John Prince, manufacturer, was born in East Braintree, Mass., July 25, 1820 ; son of John Prince and Esther (Derby) Lovell. His ancestors, John and Jane (Hatch) Lovell, were residents of Weymouth, Mass., previous to 1678, in which year they removed to Barnstable, Mass. His father died in 1821, and he was obliged to leave school and work in a cotton factory. He removed to Boston with his mother in 1832 and attended the Hawkins grammar school one year. He was employed by Aaron B. Fairbanks in his gunsmith shop for three months, and was subse- quently an apprentice to Mr. Fairbanks, gun- smith, until his majority. In 1839 he was made foreman of the shop, and in 1840 was offered a partnership in the business. Mr. Fairbanks agree- ing to give him lialf-interest and to furnish the amount of capital required. Upon Mr. Fair- ban ks's death, Aug. 27, 1841, with Leonard Grover, a fellow-workman in the shop, Mr. Lovell ac- quired the entire plant, and the firm became Lovell & Grover. In 1844 Lovell bought out his partner's interest, and with his sons built up the John P. Lovell Arms Co., of which he was presi- dent and which became one of the most impor- tant business enterprises in Boston. He was the first president of the East Weymouth Savings bank for ten years and a director of the Wey- mouth National bank for twenty years. He was a representative in the state legislature in 1864, and refused the nomination for state senator. He was married, Aug. 17, 1841, to Lydia D. Whiton, of Weymouth, Mass. To this union was born five sons — John Whiton, Benjamin S. (1845- 1900); Thomas P., Warren D., and George A. Lovell. His second marriage was to Lucinda W. Rice, who had one son, Henry L. Lovell. Mr. Lovell died at Cottage City, Mass., July 29, 1897.

LOVELL, Mansfield, soldier, was born in Washington, D.C., Oct. 20, 1822; son of Dr. Jo- seph Lovell. He was graduated from the U.S. Military academy in 1842 and was commissioned 2d lieutenant in the 4th artillery. He served in garrison until the beginning of the war with Mexico ; was promoted first lieutenant Feb. 16, 1847, and served on the staff of Gen. John A. Quitman as assistant adjutant-general of his division. He participated in the principal battles of the war, was severely wounded at the Belen Gate, Sept. 14, 1847, and was brevetted captain for gallant and meritorious conduct at Chapulte- pec, Sept. 13, 1847. He was on garrison duty in various places, 1849-54. He was married to Emily M.. daughter of Col. Joseph Plympton, U.S.A. ; resigned his commission in the army in 1854, and engaged in mercantile business in New York city, 1854-58. He was elected superintend- ent of street improvements in New York in 1858, and was deputy street commissioner, 1858-61.

He was appointed major-general in the Confed- erate army in 1861, and was in command at Sew Orleans, La. On June 15, 1862, he impressed fourteen river steamboats for the public service and converted them into a flotilla of rams for the defence of the Mis- sissippi. Lovell af- terward designated them: "too much steamboat and too little man-of-war to be effective." After the evacuation of New Orleans he mov- ed his troops to Vicks- burg, where he com- manded the district of the Mississippi until superseded by General Van Dorn in July, 1862. He was second in com- mand at the battle of Corinth, Oct. 3-4, 1862, his division holding the right of the line of battle, and he commanded the rear guard in the retreat. He was then relieved from duty in the field, and to justify his action in the capitulation of New Orleans he applied for a court of inquiry, and was acquitted. He afterward served as a volun- teer staff oflScer to Gen. J. E. Johnston, in com- mand before Atlanta, Ga., and at the close of the war he retired to New York city, where he en- gaged as a civil engineer and surveyor until his death. He died in New York city, June 1, 1884.

LOVERINQ, Henry Bacon, representative^ was born in Portsmouth, N.H., April 8, 1841 ; son of John G. and Mary A. (Martin) Lovering ; grandson of John and Abigail Bronifield (Gil- man) Lovering, of Exeter, N.H., and a descend- ant of John Rogers, burned at the stake, 1555. His mother dying in 1844, his father removed to Lynn, Mass., and he was educated in the public schools there, and in 1855 learned the trade of shoemaking. He was color-corporal in Company D, 8tli Massachusetts volunteers, 1862-63, and a private and company clerk in Company C, 3d Massachusetts cavalry, 1864-65, losing a leg at Winchester, Va., Sept. 19, 1864. He was married, Dec. 25, 1865, to Abby J., daughter of Harrison and Eliza J. (Brown) Clifford, of Lynn, Mass. He engaged in manufacturing shoes in Lynn ; represented Essex county in the Massachusetts legislature in 1872 and 1874 ; was a member of the board of assessors of Lynn, 1879-80, and mayor of Lynn, 1881-82. He was a representative from the 6th Massachusetts district in the 48th and 49th congresses, 1883-87 ; was chairman of the Demo- cratic state convention in 1886, and the Demo- cratic nominee for governor of Maasachuaetts in