Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/80

 RENWICK

RENWICK

commanded the arsenal at Leavenworth, Kan., February to December, 1861; was ai)pointed brigadier-general of volunteers. Nov. 12, 1861; commanded a brigade in General Burnside's ex- pedition to Nortli Carolina from December, 1861, to April 1862, and participated in the capture of Roanoke island with its garrison and armament, Feb. 8. 186-3, the combat at Newbern, N.C., Marcii 4. 1862. and the action at Camden, April 19, 1863. He commanded a division in the department of North Carolina, April to August, 1862; was en- gaged in the movement to Newport News and the Rappahannock in August, 1862, and was promoted majur-general of volunteers, July 18, 1862. He commanded the 9th corps in the Northern Vir- ginia campaign, August to September, 1862, being engaged in the battles of Manassas and Chantilly and in the battle of South Mountain in the Maryland campaign, where he was killed while leading his men. On Sept. 13, 1862, the day after the Confederates forces evacuated Frederick. Md., General Reno called upon Barbara Fritchie, and received from her hands the large cotton flag which she had frequently waved from lier attic window. This flag was brought to Boston with General Reno's body a few days afterward by his brother, Col. B. F. Reno, a member of his staff, and delivered to General Reno's widow, remaining in the possession of the family until it was loaned for safe keeping to the ^lassachusetts Commandary of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He died on South Moun- tain. Md.. Sept.. 14, 1862.

RENWICK, Edward Sabine, patent expert, was born in New York city, Jan. 3, 1823; son of James (q.v.) and Margaret Anne (Brevoort) Ren- wick. He was gradated at Columbia, A.B., 1839, A.M., 1842; engaged in civil and mechanical en- gineering and became superintendent of large iron works in Wilkesbarre, Pa. He was married, June 4, 1862, to Alice, daughter of Henry and Bridget (Seley) Brevoort of Lenox, Mass. He engaged as an expert in the trials of patent cases

in the U.S. courts 1S^:V.M>7. In 1)^63. in consulta- tion with his brotlier, Henry B. Renwick, lie re- paired the Great Eastern while afloat, replatinga

fracture in the bilge eiglity-two feet long and ten feet wide in the greate.st widtii,and twenty-seven feet under water, which feat had been pronounced impossible by other experts. He invented many machines and meclianical devices, among them a wroughl-iron railway-chair for connecting the ends of rails (18.")0); a steam cut-off for beam engines (1856); a system of side propulsion for steamers (1862), and many improvements in in- cubators and brooders (1877-86), besides being the principal joint inventor of the original self- binding reaping-machine (1851-53). Hewaselect- ed a member of many scientiflc societies and of several New York clubs. He is the author of: The ThermoHtatic Incubator (1883), a,n.d Practical Invention (1893).

RENWICK, Henry Brevoort, engineer, was born in New York city. Sept. 4, 1817; son of Prof. James and Margaret Anne (Brevoort) Renwick. He was graduated from Columbia college in 1833; followed commercial pursuits for a time, and then practised civil and mechanical engineering. He entered the service of the U.S. government as an assistant engineer in 1837, served as first assistant astronomer of the U.S. boundary com- mission, 1840-42; was appointed examiner in the U.S. patent office in 1848, and the first U.S. in- spector of steam ve.ssels at the port of New York in 1853. He was married in June. 1852. to Mar- garet, daughter of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Mc- Pherson) Janney of Alexandria, Va. While civil engineer in the government service he was en- gaged in many important works, including the breakwaters at Sandy Hook and Egg harljor, and the survey that settled the boundary line between Maine and Ne%v Brunswick. He devoted himself to consultation practice in the specialty of me- chanical engineering in which he ranked as an authority, and was engaged to testify in the suits growing out of the invention of sewing machines, the McCormick reaper and the Bell telephone. He wrote with his father, The Life of John Bay (1841). He died in New York city. Jan. 27. 1895. RENWICK, James, physicist, was born in Liver- pool, Eng., May 30, 1790; son of William and Jen- nie (Jeffrey) Renwick, and grandson of James Ren- wick, who settled in New York city in 1783. and of the Rev. Dr. Andrew Jeffrey, a Scotch clergy- man. He was graduated at Columbia college, New York city, A.B., 1807, A.M., 1810; was an instructor in natural and experimental philosophy and chemistry in Columbia college, 1812, and was married, Oct. 10, 1816, to Margaret Anne, daugh- ter of Henry and Sarah (Whetten) Brevoort. He was professor of philosoi)hy and cliemistry at Columbia, 1820-53, and professor emeritus. 1853- 63. He entered the service of the United States as topographical engineer with the rank of major in 1814, devoting his summers to this work, and