the following summer, sustaining an important part in the battle of Monmouth, after which he was left to annoy the enemy's rear in their retreat toward Sandy Hook. In August, 1779, he was en- gaged in Sullivan's expedition against the Indians. Soon after the action of Springfield he resigned his commission, and his resignation was accepted by congress on 25 June, 1780. He is spoken of as a man of great bravery, and was much esteemed by Washington, who said : " I believe him to be an honest man, a warm friend to his country, and firmly attached to its interests."
MAXWELL, William, author, b. in Norfolk,
Va., 27 Feb., 1784 ; d. near Williamsburg, Va., 9
June, 1857. He was graduated at Yale in 1802,
studied law in Richmond, Va., was admitted to the
Norfolk bar in 1808, and attained to eminence as a
constitutional lawyer. He edited the literary de-
partment of the " New York Journal of Commerce "
in 1827, served in the Virginia legislature in 1830,
and in the state senate in 1832-'8, and from No-
vember of the latter year till 1844 was president of
Hampden Sidney college, Va. He then removed to
Richmond, was engaged in reviving the Virginia
historical and philosophical society, and in 1848
established the " Virginia Historical Register," of
which he edited six volumes (1848-'53). He was a
member of the Bible and colonization societies,
active in the cause of education, and in 1828
erected at his own expense in Norfolk, Va., a ly-
ceum for the diffusion of useful knowledge by
means of lectures and scientific experiments.
Hampden Sidney gave him the degree of LL. D.
He published a " Memoir of Rev. John H. Rice "
(Philadelphia, 1835).
MAXWELL, William Henry, educator, b.
near Stewartstown, County Tyrone, Ireland, 5
March, 1852. He was educated lay his father, who
was a Presbyterian clergyman, and was graduated
in 1872 at Queen's university, Ireland. In that year
he became one of the assistant masters in the Royal
Belfast academical institution, and professor of
English literature and history in the Ladies' col-
legiate institution in that city. He came to the
United States in 1874, and engaged in journalism,
at first on the New York " Tribune " and " Herald,"
and then as managing editor of the Brooklyn
" Times," which place he held for five years. While
so engaged, he took a deep interest in the education-
al welfare of the city, and was appointed lecturer on
history and civil government in the evening high-
schools. In 1882 he was elected associate superin-
tendent of public instruction of the city of Brook-
lyn, and in 1887 was advanced to the post of super-
intendent. Mr. Maxwell has patented a method
of extinguishing fires in warehouses, and has pub-
lished " Primary Lessons in Language and Compo-
sition " (New York, 1887).
MAY, Caroline, author, b. in England about
1820. Her father, Rev. Edward Harrison May, came
to this country from England in 1834, and was for
many years pastor of one of the Dutch Reformed
churches of New York city. She first wrote poems
under the pen-name of " Caromaia," and has pub-
lished "American Female Poets, with Biographical
and Critical Notices " (Philadelphia, 1848) ; "Treasured Thoughts from Favorite Authors " (1850) ;
" The Woodbine, a Holiday Gift " (1852) ; " Poems "
(New York, 1864) ; and "Hymns on the Collects "
(1872). She is also a painter and a musician, and
now (1888) has a collection of poems ready for
publication. — Her brother, Edward Harrison,
artist, b. in England in 1824; d. in Paris. France,
17 May, 1887. was brought to this country in child-
hood and studied civil engineering, which he aban-
doned for art. becoming a pupil of Daniel Hunt-
ington, and later, in 1851, of Couture, in Paris,
whose style is suggested in his later works. During
the Franco-Prussian war he was a captain of the
American ambulance, aided the surgeons in attend-
ing the wounded, and received a medal for his ser-
vices. He was elected an associate of the National
academy in 1876, and received a medal of the third
class at Paris in 1855. His works include " The
Dying Brigand" (in the Philadelphia academy of
fine arts) ; " Christopher Columbus signing his Will
in Prison " ; " Lady Jane Grey presenting her Tab-
lets to the Governor of the Tower " : " Franklin
playing at Chess with Lady Howe " ; " Moliere
Reading"; "Francis I. lamenting the Death of his
Son " ; " Ophelia " ; " L'Alsacienne " ; " Milton dic-
tating to his Daughters " ; " Lady Eliza Pelham-
Clinton as Marguerite " ; " Le Chanson " ; " By the
Rivers of Babylon, or the Captive Jews " (in the
Century club. New York) ; portraits of Laboulaye
and Count Gasparin (in Union club, New York);
" Mary Magdalene at the Sepulchre " (presented by
Caroline May to the Metropolitan museum. New
York) ; " Pursued " ; " Pandora " ; " Le lever de
Mademoiselle " ; and many other tableaux de genre
and portraits.
MAY, John, patriot, b. in Pomfret, Conn., 24
Nov., 1748 ; d. there, 16 July, 1812. He was a
wealthy mei'chant of Boston, and was one of the
party that threw the tea overboard. He was colonel
of the 1st regiment of Boston militia, and rendered
important services under the Count de Rochani-
beau in Rhode Island. He commanded his regi-
ment during the Shays rebellion in 1786-'7, made
two horseback journeys to the " Ohio country " in
1788-'9, bought large tracts of land there, and
built the first frame house on the present site of
Marietta. He was one of the selectmen of Boston,
for many years fire-warden, and exercised much influence in municipal affairs. — His son, Frederick,
physician, b. in Boston, Mass., 16 Nov., 1773 ; d. in Washington, D. C, 23 Jan., 1847, was graduated at Harvard in 1792, and studied medicine under Dr. John Warren, of Boston. He removed to Washington, D. C, in 1795, and was the family physician of Washington and of many other eminent persons in that neighborhood. He was professor of obstetrics in Columbian college in 1823-'39, and at the time of his death was president of the medical society of the District of Columbia and of the Washington medical association. — His son, Henry, congressman, b. in Washington, D. C, 13 Feb.' 1816; d. in Baltimore, Md., 25 Sept., 1866, received a classical education, subsequently studied law under Gen. Walter Jones, and rose to a high rank at the Washington bar. Among the important cases in which he appeared was the trial of John, Charles, and George Gardner for forging Mexican mine claims, in which he was employed for the government by Daniel Webster, then secretary of state. Mr. May removed to Baltimore in 1850, was elected to congress as a Democrat in 1854, and was re-elected in 1860. Although he was a Union man, he advocated compromise measures on the prospect of civil war, and in 1861, with the sanction of President Lincoln, left his seat in congress and visited Richmond to confer with the Confederate autliorities on peace measures. During his absence an effort was made to expel him on the charge of disloyalty, and on his return he was for several weeks imprisoned in Fort Lafayette. He was subsequently released on parole, and completed his term in the house of representatives. — Another son, Charles Augustus, soldier, b. in Washington, D. C, 9 Aug., 1817 ; d. in New York citv. 24 Dec,
