Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/471

 WISTER

WITHERS

subsequently a division of the 18th army corps, distinguishing himself at the attack on Drewi-y's Bluff, May 16, 1864, when his brigade and that of Gen. Hiram Burn ham withstood a furious storm from the enemy's works, and enabled Butler's army to retreat in a leisurely manner, avoiding a complete rout. He declined a commission in the regular army, and after being mustered out of the volunteer service, engaged in the coal busi- ness in Pennsylvania, becoming president of the canals and anthracite interests of the Pennsyl- vania Railroad company in 1867. He was a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and its president, 1891-95 ; member of the American Philosophical society, councilor in same and its president in 1901 ; president of the Biological association ; and of board of charities of the state of Pennsylvania, 1899 ; manager of the Library Company of Pliiladelphia ; founder and secretary of the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology in Philadelphia ; inspector of the State Penitentiary of Pennsylvania, and author of numerous papers on geology and on penology. He received the honorary degree of Sc. D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1893.

WISTAR, Owen, author, was born in Philadel- phia, Pa., July 14, 1860; son of Owen Jones and Sarah (Butler) Wistar; grandson of Charles and Mary (Whitesides) Wistar and of Pierce and Frances (Kemble) Butler, and a descendant of Owen Jones, and of Thomas Wynne, his first ancestor in America, who came over with Wil- liam Penn. He attended St. Paul's school. Con- cord, N.H., 1873-78, and was graduated from Harvard, A.B., 1882, and LL.B. and A.M., 1888. He was admitted to the Philadelphia bar in 1889, and in 1891 abandoned the legal profession to en- gage in literary work. He was married in 1898, to Mary, daughter of William and Mary (Eustis) Wister of Philadelphia, Pa. He is the author of: The Dragon of Wantley : His Tail (1893) ; Red Men and Mhite (1890) ; Lin McLean (1898) ; The Jimmy John Boss (1900) ; U. S. Grant, a Biography (1900) ; Tlie Virginian (1902) ; Phil- osophy Four (1903) ; and magazine contributions in both prose and verse.

WITHERS, Jones flitchell, soldier, was born in Madison county, Ala., Jan. 12, 1814. He was graduated at the U.S. Military academy in 1835, and resigned a brevet 2d lieutenantcy, Dec. 5, 1835. In 1836, he served as aide-de-camp to Gen- eral Patterson, commanding the Alabama volun- teers in the campaign against the Creek Indians ; opened a law office in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in 1837, and was secretary of the Alabama senate, 1838- 39. He was captain in the Alabama militia, 1838- 39 and 1841-46, and at the beginning of the war with Mexico w-as commissioned colonel of the 1st Alabama volunteers, a regiment which was

disbanded soon after being mustered in. He was reappointed in the U.S. army with rank of lieu- tenant-colonel, April 9, 1847 ; promoted colonel, Sept. 13, 1847 ; served in the war with Mexico, and resigned from the service. May 23, 1848. He became a merchant in Mobile ; was a member of the Alabama legislature in 1855, and was mayor of Mobile, 1858-61. He.was'commissioned colonel of the 3d Alabama regiment, C.S.A.; was pro- moted brigadier-general in July, 1861, and was in command of the defences of Mobile, Ala. He was engaged at Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862, commanding the 2d division of the 2d corps under Braxton Bragg, and with him retreated to Corinth and thence to Tupelo. When Bragg succeeded Beauregard in command of the army, Withers was given command of the 2d division of the 1st corps under Polk. On Oct. 7, 1863, he was de- tached from Bragg's army and sent to reinforce Gen. Kirby Smith near Salvisa, Ky. Later he rejoined Polk's corps and commanded his division at Stone's River ; and was subsequently stationed in Alabama. After the war he edited the M(jbile Tribune and died in Mobile, Ala., March 20, 1890. WITHERS, Robert Enoch, senator, was born in Campbell county, Va., Sept. 18, 1821 ; son of Robert Walter and Susan Dabney (Alexander) Witliers ; grandson of Enoch Keane and Jennet (Chinn) Withers and of Robert and Ann (Austin) Alexander, and a descendant of William Withers of Lancaster, England, who came to Virginia about 1730 to take possession of a landed estate left him by the will of John Withers of Stafford county, Ya., bearing date, Aug. 29, 1698. He was graduated from the medical department of the University of Virginia in 1841 ; was married, Feb. 3, 1846, to Mary Virginia, daughter of Joseph ' Edwin and Elizabeth (Gwatkin) Royall of Lynch- burg, Va., and practised medicine in Campbell county until 1858, when he removed to Danville, Va. He was opposed to secession, but when Vir- ginia decided to secede, he entered the Confeder- ate army and was commissioned major in A]n-il, 1861. He was soon after promoted colonel of the 18th Virginia infantry, which he commanded at the first Bull Run, in the 5th brigade of Beaure- gard's army. During the Peninsular campaign, his regiment was in Pickett's brigade of Long- street's division, but at Gaines's Mills Witliers was four times wounded, and incapacitated for active service. He later commanded the prison and hospital post at Danville, Va., until the close of the war. In January, 1866, Colonel Witliers removed to Lynchburg, Va., where he established a daily political paper. He was nominated for governor by the Conservative party in 1868, and canvassed the state to secure the defeat of the Underwood constitution, but in 1869 withdrew in favor of the Liberal Republican candidate, Gil-