son, in one of the most famous raids of the early history of the civil war, and is best known as the " locomotive chase." See " Daring and Suffering : a History of the Andrews Railroad Raid into Geor- gia in 1862," by William Pittenger (New York, 1887). These services gained for him the rank of major-general of volunteers on 11 April, 1862; and anxious to advance into the heart of the south, he was restrained by his superior officer until finally he asked to be relieved. Returning to Washing- ton, he was selected by the president for the com- mand of an expedition to the Mississippi ; but the necessary order was refused by Gen. Henry W. Hal- leek, and he remained inactive until September, when he was placed in command of the Department of the South, in South Carolina, at Hilton Head, where he was stricken with yellow fever and died. He was popularly known in the army as " Old Stars." Prof. Mitchel lectured extensively during the years 1842-'8 in the principal cities of the United States. He received the degree of A. M. from Harvard in 1851, and that of LL. D. from Washington in 1853 and from Hamilton in 1856, and was also a member of various scientific societies, both in the United States and Europe. He pub- lished a popular astronomical journal, entitled " The Sidereal Messenger," in 1846-'8, and also a revised edition of Elijah H. Burritt's '" Geography of the Heavens." His own works include "The Planetary and Stellar Worlds " (New York. 1848) ; " The Orbs of Heaven" (1851) ; "A Concise Element- ary Treatise of the Sun, Planets, Satellites, and Comets " (1860) ; and " The Astronomy of the Bible " (1863). See " Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel," by his son, Frederick A. Mitchel (Boston, 1887).
MITCHELL, Alexander, financier, b. near El-
lon, Scotland, 18 Oct., 1817 ; d. in New York city, 19
April, 1887. He was educated at the parish-schools
of Alserdeenshire, and subsequently studied law,
but after two years entered a banking-house in
Peterhead. In 1839 he came to the United States
and settled in Milwaukee, under an engagement to
act as secretary of the Wisconsin marine and fire
insurance company, which had just been organized
under the presidency of George Smith, and which,
though nominally an insurance company, did a
large banking business. In 1858 the company was
reorganized under the state law as a bank. Dur-
ing the financial difficulties of 1861 which were
caused by the repudiation of the southern bonds,
Mr. Mitchell's judicious recommendations resulted
in saving many of the western banks from ruin.
In 1861 he became the first commissioner of the
board of the Milwaukee debt commission, which
office he held until his death. That city's credit
was restored largely through his influence, and its
present high financial standing has resulted there-
from. He became largely interested in the devel-
opment of the railroad systems that centre around
Milwaukee, and after the consolidation of the va-
rious lines that form the Milwaukee and St. Paul
railway he was made its president. Later, by fur-
ther consolidations and enlargements, this corpora-
tion became the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul
railway company, and it now owns more miles of
track than any other railroad company in the world.
Mr. Mitchell was elected to congress as a Democrat,
and served from 4 March, 1871, to 3 March, 1875.
He was president of the Chicago and Northwestern
railway company in 1869. of the Western Union
railroad company, and of the Northwestern national
insurance company, and president, director, or trus-
tee of many local institutions. He was the richest
man in the northwest, and his residence in Milwau-
kee was among the finest in the state.
MITCHELL, David, soldier, b. in Cumberland
county, 17 July, 1742 ; d. in Juniata, Pa., 25 May,
1818. He seryed under Gens. Henry Bouquet and
John Forbes in the campaign against the Ohio
Indians in 1764, and altogether was engaged in
twenty-seven actions with the Indians, becoming
also a friend of the Indian chief Logan. He fought
throughout the entire Revolutionary war, serving
as a major in Col. John Watts's battalion in the
battle of Long Island. He represented his county
in the Pennsylvania legislature from 1786 till 1805,
and served as a presidential elector in 1813 and in
1817. In May, 1800, he was appointed brigadier-
general of the militia of Cumberland and Franklin
counties, Pennsylvania.
Mitchell; David Bradie, lawyer, b. in
Scotland, 22 Oct., 1766 ; d. in Milledgeville, Ga.,
22 April, 1837. He came to Savannah, Ga., in
1783, to take possession of property that had been
left him by his uncle, David Bradie, who died from
close confinement in a prison-ship. After studying
law with William Stephens, he was admitted to the
bar, and in 1795 elected solicitor-general of Georgia.
In 1796 he became a member of the legislature, and
in 1804 was appointed major-general of militia.
Subsequently he was elected governor of the state,
and held that office in 18(J9-'13 and again in
1815-'17. During the war of 1812 he was vigilant
in protecting the state against invasion. On the
completion of his term of office as governor he was
appointed U. S. agent to the Creek Indians, with
whom, on 22 Jan., 1818, he concluded a treaty.
Gov. Mitchell was much interested in the cause of
public education. — His grandson, Edward Copp6e,
lawyer, b. in Savannah, Ga., 24 July, 1836 ; d. in
Philadelphia, Pa., 25 Jan., 1887. He was educated
at Trinity and at the University of Pennsylvania,
where he was graduated in 1855, after which he
studied law and was admitted in 1858 to the Phil-
adelphia bar. In 1873 he was chosen professor of
the law of real estate, conveyancing, and equity
jurisprudence in the University of Pennsylvania,
and from 1874 until his death he was dean of its
law department. From 1877 he was also a vice-
provost of the Law academy of Philadelphia. In
his knowledge of the law of real estate he stood at
the head of his profession in Pennsylvania. He
was a member of the state board of charities, and
from 1884 till 1887 of the Fairraount park com-
mission. In 1876 he received the degree of LL. D.
from Hobart college. He was the author of " Sepa-
rate Use in Pennsylvania" (Philadelphia, 1875);
" Contracts for the Sale of Lands in Pennsylvania"
(1877) ; and " The Equitable Relation of the Buyer
and Seller of Land under Contract and before
Conveyance," two lectures delivered before the
Law academy (1877). Also, he edited " Tudor's
Leading Cases " (1884).
MITCHELL, Elisha, educator, b. in Washington, Conn., 19 Aug., 1793 ; d. on Black mountain, N. C., 27 June, 1857. He was graduated at Yale in 1813, and after teaching on Long Island returned to Yale as a tutor. In 1817 he was called to the chair of mathematics and natural philosophy in the University of North Carolina, but first spent
some months in Andover theological seminary, and after being licensed to preach entered on his work at Chapel Hill in January, 1818. He was ordained by the presbytery of Hillsborough, N. C, in August, 1821, and in 1825 was transferred to the professorship of chemistry, mineralogy, and geology, which he filled until his death. During many years he held the office of state surveyor, and in that capacity visited the principal mountains of that state. His observations showed that the highest moun-
