of a rude tower sufficiently tall to overlook the stockade. This was accomplished by night, and on the following morning the garrison was awak- ened by a shower of balls from a company of marksmen on the tower, in consequence of which it soon surrendered. Later he participated in the engagement of Quimby Bridge Creek, and became lieiitenant-colonel of an independent corps of cav- alry, performing many daring exploits in the low country of the Carolinas. Illness compelled his retirement at the close of the campaign of 1781, and while at home he was made a prisoner and paroled, in consequence of which he was unable to enter the army again during the war. A monu- ment was erected to his memory in 1845 in the cemetery near his home.
MAHAN, Asa, clergyman, b. in Vernon, N. Y.,
9 Nov., 1800; d. in Eastbourne. Eng., 4 April, 1889.
He was graduated at Andover theological semi-
nary in 1827. On 10 Nov., 1829, he was ordained
pastor of the Congregational church in Pittsford,
N. Y., and in 1831 he was called to the ptistorate
of a Presbyterian church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He
accepted the presidency of Oberlin in 1835, with
the chair of intellectual and moral philosophy, and
the assistant professorship of theology, but after
fifteen yeai's was chosen president of Cleveland uni-
versity, Cleveland, Ohio, and professor of mental
and moral philosophy there. In 1855 he resumed
pastoral work, and had charge of Congregational
parishes at Jackson in 1855-'7 and at Adrian in
1857-'60. He was president of Adrian college,
Mich., in 1860-'71, and afterward he resided in
England. President Mahan received the degree
of b. D. from Hillsdale in 1858, and that of LL. D.
from Adrian in 1877. He was an active advo-
cate of the religious views that are known as Per-
fectionist, and published " Scripture Doctrine of
Christian Perfection " (Boston. 1839). His other
works include " Svstem of Intellectual Philosophv "
(New York, 184o) : " The Doctrine of the Will "
(Oberlin, 1846) ; "The True Believer : his Charac-
ter, Duties, and Privileges" (New York, 1847);
"The Science of Moral Philosophy" (Oberlin, 1848) ;
"Election and the Influence of the Holy Spirit"
(New York, 1851) ; " Modern Mj'steries Explained
and Exposed " (Boston, 1855) ; " The Science of
Logic " (New York, 1857) ; " Science of Natural
Theology " (Boston, 1867) ; " Theism and Anti-
Theism in their Relations to Science " (Cleveland,
1872) ; " The Phenomena of Spiritualism scientifi-
cally Explained and Exposed " (New York, 1876) ;
"Critical History of the late American War"
(1877); "A System of Mental Philosophy" (Chi-
cago, 1882) ; and " Critical History of Philosophv "
(New York, 1883).
MAHAN, Dennis Hart, engineer, b. in New
York city, 2 April, 1802 ; d. near Stony Point,
N. Y., 16 Sept., 1871. He spent his boyhood in
Norfolk, Va., and was appointed from that state to
the U. S. military academy, where he was gradu-
ated in 1824, at the head of his class. During his
third year he was appointed acting assistant pro-
fessor of mathematics at the academy, and he
continued as such after his promotion as 2d lieu-
tenant into the corps of engineers until 1825, when
he became principal assistant professor of engi-
neering. In 1826 he was sent abroad, by order
of the war department, to study public engineering
works and military institutions, and he spent some
time, by special favor of the French government, at
the Military school of ajiplication for engineers
and artillerists in Metz. While in Paris he was
frequently the guest of Lafayette. He returned
to West Point in 1830. and re'sumed his duties as
acting professor of engineering, which chair he
accepted permanently in 1832, vacating his com-
mission in the corps of engineers. This office he
continued to hold, with that of dean, after 1838,
until his death, which was by suicide during a
fit of insanity that resulted from his distress on
learning that the Board of visitors had recommend-
ed that he be put on the retired list, although as-
sured by the president that he should be retained.
Prof. Mahan was appointed in 1850 by the gover-
nor of Virginia a member of the board of engi-
neers to decide the controversy between the city
of Wheeling and the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
company as to the proper route of the railroad
to Wheeling. He received the degree of LL. D.
from William and Mary in 1852, from Brown in
1852, and from Dartmouth in 1867, and, besides
being a member of many scientific societies in the
United States, was one of the corporate members
of the National academy of sciences in 1863. As
an engineer he acquired a world-wide reputation
by his text-books, which were used in the military
academy and in many universities. They include
" Treatise on Field Fortifications " (New York,
1836) ; "Elementary Course of Civil Engineering "
(1837 ; rewritten in 1868) ; " Elementary Treatise on
Advanced Guard, Outposts, and Detachment Ser-
vice of Troops" (1847; improved ed., 1862); "Ele-
mentary Treatise on Industrial Drawing " (1853) :
" Descriptive Geometry, as applied to the Drawing
of Fortifications and Stereometry " (1864) ; and
" Military Engineering," including " Field Forti-
fications. Military Mining, and Siege Operations "
(1865) ; and " Permanent Fortifications " (1867).
He also edited, with additions, an American re-
print of Mosely's " Mechanical Principles of Engi-
neering and Architecture " (1856). See the sketch
by Gen. Henry L. Abbot in vol. ii. of the " Bio-
graphical Memoirs " of National academy of sci-
ences (Washington, 1886). His portrait, painted by
Robert W. Weir, is included in the collection of
professors to be seen in the library of the U. S. military academy. — His son, Frederick Augustus,
engineer, b. in West Point. N. Y., 28 March, 1847,
was graduated at the U. S. military academy in
1867. and promoted into the corps of engineers as
2d lieutenant, becoming 1st lieutenant in 1869 and
captain in 1881. He has served principally on en-
gineering work and on duty as instructor at the
military academy. Capt. Mahan was associated
in the editorship of the latest edition of his
father's " Civil Engineering " (1880), and has
translated from the French Krantz's " Studv on
Reservoir- Walls" (New York, 1882).— Dennis Hart's
brother, Milo, clergyman, b. in Suffolk, Va., 24
May, 1819 ; d. in Baltimore. Md.. 3 Sept., 1870, was
educated at St. Paul's college. Flushing, L. I., and
took orders in the Protestant Episcopal church in
1845. He became rector of Grace church, Jersey
City, N. J., in 1848. and two years later assistant in
St. Mark's church, Philadelphia. He was professor
of ecclesiastical history in the General theological
seminary. New York city, from 1857 till 1864, and
was then called to the rectorship of St. Paul's church, Baltimore, Md., where he remained until his death. He received the degree of D. D. from William and Mary in 1852. Dr. Mahan published "The Exercise of Faith" (Philadelphia, 1851); " History of the Church during the First Three Centuries " (New York. 1800 ; new ed., enlarged to include seven centuries, 1872) ; " Reply to Colenso " (1863) ; " Palmoni, a Free Inquiry " (1864); and " Comedy of Canonization " (1868). His works have been collected, with a memoir, by the Rev. John H. Hopkins. Jr. (3 vols., New York, 1872-'5).
