Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/193

mitted in 1771 to the Maryland bar. In 1775 be was a delegate from his county to the Maryland convention. aml continued active in the American cause. becoming in 17715 captain in the first bat— talion that was raised in the state. He reached the army in time to take part in the battle of Long Island. and continued under \Vasliingtoii. attaining the rank of lieutenant-eolonel commandant of the 3d regiment of the Maryland line. When Gen. Charles Lee's- command retired before the British troops at Monmouth. Washington called to him Col. Charles Stewart aml t‘ol. Ramsay. and. taking the latter by the hand. said: “I shall depend on your immediate exertions to check with your two regiments the progress of the enemy till I can form the. main army." Col. Ramsay maintained the ground he had taken till he was left without troops. In this situation he engaged in single combat with some British dragOons. and was cut down and left for dead on the field. This important service arrested the progress of the British army. and time to the connnander-in-chief to bring up and assign proper positions to the main army. ('01. Ramsay was then captured. and subsequently saw ' no active service. A long period was passed on parole or in imprisonment. and when exchange brought release his place had been filled. After the war he resumed the practice of his profession. and represented Maryland in congress during 1786—‘7. He was made marshal of the district of Maryland in 1790. and again in 1794. in addition to which he received the appointment of naval officer for the district. of Baltimore in 1794. which he held during five administrations.

RAMSAY. George Douglas. soldier. b. in Dum- fries. Va.. ‘21 Feb.. 1802: d. in Washington. D. C., 23 May. IHH‘S. His father. a merchant of Alexan- dria. Va.. removed to Washington early in the 19th century. The son was graduated at the l'. S. mili- tary academy in 1820. assigned to the artillery. and served on garrison and topographical duty till 25 Feb.. 1835. when he was made captain of ordnance. He then had charge of various arsenals till the Mexican war. when he was engaged at Monterey and brevetted major for gallantry there. He was chief of ordnance of Gen. Taylor's army in 1H47—‘8. and again Commanded arsenals till 1863. when he was a member of the ordnance board. He was made lieutenant-colonel. 3 Aug.. 18131. and was in charge of \Vashington arsenal from that time till lb‘lii‘t. (tn 15 Sept. of that year he was made chief of ordnance of the I'. S. army with the rank of brigadier-gencral. and he was at. the head of the ordnance bureau in \Vasliington till 1‘2 Sept“ 1864. when he was retired from :ttive service. being over sixty-two years of age. He continued to serve as inspector of arsenals till 1866. then in command of the arsenal at Washington till 1870. and afterward as member of an examining board. He was brevetted major-general. U. S. army. 13 March. 1865. for long and faithful serviees." Gen. Ramsay was an active member of the Protestant Episcopal chureh. and for many years served as senior warden of St. John‘s church. Washington—His son. Francis Munroe. naval officer. b. in the District of Columbia 5 April. 1935. entered the navy as a midshipman in 1H5". He became lieutenant in 1858. lieutenant-commander in 186?. participated in the engagementsat llaines‘s bluff. Yazoo river. 30 April I Gen. George B. Anderson. and was attached to Gen.and 1 May. 1MB. in the expedition up the Yazoo river. destroying the Confederate navy-yard and vessels. and in the fight at Liverpools landing. He commanded a battery of three heavy guns in front of Vicksburg from 19 June till 4 July. 1MB. and the 3d division of the Mississippi Squadron from the latter date till September. 1964. He was in charge of the expedition up Black and Uua— chita rivers in March. 1964. and of that into Ateha— falaya river in June of that year. and engaged the enemy at Simmsport. La. Hecomnianded the gun- boat “ Unadilla." of the North Atlantic squadmn. in 1464-15. participated in the attacks on Fort Fisher. for which he was commended in the official report for "skill. conduct.judgment.and bravery." and in the several engagements with Fort Ander- son and other forts on Cape Fear river. Ile became commander in 1mm. fleet-captain and chief of staff of the South Atlantic squadron in 1867—1). captain in 1H77. and was in command of the torpedo station in lSTB—‘SO. He was superintendent of the U. S. naval academy. commanded the “ Boston." was promoted commodore in 1889. rear-admiral in 1H94. and retired in 1R97.

RAMSAY, Thomas Kennedy. Canadian jurist. b. in Ayr. Scotland? Sept.. 1826: d. in St. Hugues. gave Quebec. 23 Dec., 1886. He was educated at St. Andrews. came to Canada early in life. studied law. and was admitted to the bar in 185:3. He received the degree of M. A. from Lennoxville university in 1355. was secretary of the commission for codifying the laws in 1839. and was appointed queen‘s counsel in 1867._He became asststant judge of the supreme court of Quebec in 1870.and puisne judge of the court of queen's bench in 1:473. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Dominion parliament in 1867. Judge Ramsay founded the "Lower Canada Jurist." and early in his career was editor of the “Journal de jurisprudence " of Mentreal. lie is also the author of various law-books.

RAMSEUR. Stephen Dodson. soldier. b. in Lincolnton. N. C., 31 May. 1537: d. in Winehester, Va.. 20 Oct. INF—1. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1860. assigned to the 4th artillery. and placed on garrison duty at Fortress Monroe. In 1861 he was trans- ferred to Washington. but he resigned on 6 April and entered the Confeder- ate service as captain of the light artillery. Late in 1%] he proceeded to Virginia and was stationed on the south side of the James. and in the spring of 1-362 he was ordered to report with his battery to (ion. John 1%. Magruder. During Gen.

McClellan‘s advance

up the peninsula he had command of the artillery of the right wing with the rank of major. Soon afterward he was promoted colonel, assigned to the 49th North Carolina infantry. and with this regiment participated in the latter part of the peninsular campaign. He received the ap- pointment of brigadier—general on 1 Nov“ 1862. succeeded to the brigade. composed of North t‘aro— lina regiments. that was formerly commanded by Thomas J. Jackson’s corps. serving with credit at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Subsequently he served in the Wilderness. and on 1 June. ISG—l. was given the temporary rank of major—general and assigned a division that had been commanded by Gen. Jubal A. Early. Gen. Ramseur followed the