Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/96

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
76
McCALLA
McCANN

st lieutenant in May, 1798, deputy paymaster- general, 81 Jan., 1800, and captain in August of that year. On the reorganization of the army in 1802 he was retained in the 2d infantry, brevetted major, 10 July, 1812, and mustered out, 15 July, 1815. He was made military storekeeper at Savan- nah, Ga., 31 March, 1818. and at Charleston, S. C, in May, 1821. Major McCall published a " History of Georgia" (3 vols.. Savannah, 1811-16), a work that, as Jared Sparks said, had "its merits, but the author labored under disadvantages, and his materials were scanty."


McCALLA, Daniel, clergyman, b. in Nesham- iny. Pa., in 1748 ; d. in Wappetaw, S. C, 6 April, 1809. He was graduated at Princeton in 1766, and then taught in Philadelphia, at the same time studying theology. He was licensed to preach as a Presbyterian in 1772, and two years later ordained pastor of the churches at New Providence and Charleston, Pa., where he preached till the Revo- lution. He was then appointed a chaplain in the Continental army, and served in Canada till the battle of Trois Rivieres in 1776, where he was cap- tured. After confinement in a prison-ship he was released on parole in the latter part of the year, and returned to his congregation, but was accused of violating his parole by his patriotic prayers, and forced to flee to Virginia, where he was soon after- ward exchanged. He there established a school in Hanover county, Va., but in 1788 went to Wappe- taw, S. C, where he was pastor of the Congrega- tional church till his death. South Carolina col- lege gave him the degree of D. D. Dr. McCalla possessed much learning and eloquence. His " Ser- mons and Essavs " were edited with a memoir bv William Hollingshead (2 vols., 1810).


McCALLA, William Latta, clergyman, b. near Lexington, Ky., 25 Nov., 1788; d. in Louisiana, 12 Oct., 1859. He was graduated at Transylvania university, studied theology privately, was licensed to preach in 1816, and was a chaplain in the U. S. army in 1816-'18. He was settled over Presbyte- rian churches in Augusta, Ky., in 1819, and in Philadelphia, Pa., much of the time from 1823 to 1854. During part of this period he was in Texas on account of failing health, serving as an itinerant missionary, and also as an army chaplain. He af- terward preached in St. Louis, was connected with a seminary at St. Charles, Mo., and in the year of his death removed to Louisiana. He also engaged in missionary work among the boatmen of St. Louis and tlie slaves of the south. Mr. McCalla was a fine linguist and a notable pulpit orator. He was an active and forcible controversialist, and held many public debates including discussions with Alexander Campbell on Baptism, with Abner Kneeland on Universalism, and with Joseph Barker on Infidelity. His self-control and polite manner of saying cutting things led to the remark that " he was smooth as oil, but it was the oil of vit- riol." He published many sermons and essays, " The Doctorate of Divinity " ; " Adventures in Texas, chiefly in 1840 " (Philadelphia) ; and a col- lection of psalms and hymns in French.


McCALLUM, Daniel Craig, engineer, b. in Johnston, Renfrewshire, Scotland, 21 Jan., 1815 ; d. in Brooklyn, N. Y., 27 Dec., 1878. He came to Rochester, N. Y., with his parents in his youth, became an architect and builder, and in 1855 was general superintendent of the Erie railway. On 11 Feb., 1862, he was appointed director of all the military railroads in the United States, with the staff rank of colonel, and to him was due much of the efficiency of the railroad service during the civil war. He was brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers " for faithful and meritorious services," 24 Sept. 1864, and major-general, 13 March, 1865, and on 31 July, 1866, was mustered out of the service. In the same year he published a valuable report on the military railroads during the war.


McCALLUM, Lachlan, Canadian member of parliament, b. in Tiree, Argyleshire, Scotland, 15 March, 1823. He came to Canada in 1842 and set- tled in Haldimand county, where he engaged ex- tensively in contracting and ship-building. During the Fenian raid in June, 1866, he commanded the Dunnville naval company at Fort Erie. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Haldimand in the Canada assembly in 1863, first elected to the Do- minion parliament in 1867, and was a member till his defeat in 1872. He was a member of the legis- lative assembly of Ontario from 1871 till 1872, when he resigned in consequence of the act abol- ishing dual representation. He was re-elected to the Dominion parliament in 1874, unseated on pe- tition in May. 1875, re-elected in June, 1875, in 1878, and in 1882, and sat until the dissolution of parliament in 1887. On 5 Feb. of that year he be- came a Dominion senator.


McCALMONT, Alfred Brunsen, soldier, b. in Franklin, Venango co.. Pa., 28 April, 1825 : d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 7 May, 1874. He was admitted to the bar and practised in Franklin, and afterward in Pittsburg, where he became city solicitor in 1858. He was assistant attorney-general of the United States during Buchanan's administration, and afterward returned to his native town. He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the 142d Penn- sylvania regiment in September, 1862, and in 1864 became colonel of the 208th Pennsylvania, taking part in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellors- ville, Gettysburg, and others. He was brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers on 13 March, 1865, and after the war resumed his profession.


McCANDLESS, Wilson, jurist, b. in Pitts- burg, Pa., 19 June, 1810 ; d. there, 30 June. 1882. He was graduated at the Western university of Pennsylvania, studied law, and admitted to the bar in 1831. After practising successfully for more than twenty-five years, he was appointed by Presi- dent Buchanan U. S. judge for the western dis- trict of Pennsylvania.


McCANN, William Penn, naval offlcer, b. in Paris, Ky., 4 May, 1830. He was appointed mid- shipman in the U. S. na'j', 1 Nov., 1848, and, hav- ing been promoted through the various grades, became lieutenant-commander, 16 July. 1862. He was stationed at Vera Cruz on the first hostile demonstrations at Pensacola, Fla., and re-en- forced Fort Pickens with sailors and marines on 14 and 15 April. 1861. He remained off the fort 127 days, and in June assisted in landing addi- tional re-enforcements under Col. Harvey Brown. In 1862 he operated on York, Pamunkey, and James rivers in co-operation with the Army of the Poto- mac, and captured, on 4 July of that year, the Confederate gun-boat " Teazer," with plans of bat- teries, torpedoes, and defences of Richmond. Having been ordered to the command of the " Plunchback " in the following October, he was present at New Berne, 14 March, 1863, when the Confederate forces, with eighteen guns and several thousand infantry, attacked that vessel and Camp Anderson. After an action of an hour and a half he silenced the enemy's guns and compelled him to withdraw. After further service on the North Carolina coast, McCann was ordered to the " Kennebec," and had thirteen months' active blockade service before Mobile, participating in several engagements with the batteries and Fort Morgan