History of Danville, (Boyle County) Kentucky United States of America

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Biographies:

John David Jackson, surgeon, was born in Danville, Ky., Dec. 12, 1834; son of John and Margaret (Spears) Jackson. He was graduated at Centre college, Ky., in 1854; studied medicine at Louisville, and was graduated M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania in 1857. He was commissioned surgeon in the Confederate army, Sept. 29, 1862; was with the Army of Tennessee, 1862-63, and division surgeon in the Army of Northern Virginia attached to Gen. Bushrod Johnson's corps, 1864-65. He visited the medical centers of Europe for professional knowledge; was a member of the state medical society; corresponding member of the Obstetrical society of Boston; honorary member of the California Medical society; first vice-president of the American Medical association and the author of numerous articles on the advanced theories in medical science and of translations from French writers. He died in Danville, Ky., Dec. 8, 1875.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Theodore O'Hara, poet, was born in Danville, Ky., Feb. 11, 1820; son of Kane O'Hara, the distinguished teacher, who was exiled from Ireland and cains to Kentucky with his father and brothers late in the eighteenth century. He prepared for college under his father and was graduated at St. Joseph's college, Bardstown, Ky., with first honors. He was professor of Greek in St. Joseph's college during his senior year; studied law; was admitted to the bar, and settled in practice, but soon abandoned it for journalism. He was assistant editor of the Kentucky Yeoman at Frankfort and editor of the Tocsin or Democratic Rally, a campaign paper of 1844. He served in the U.S. treasury department at Washington, D.C., 1845-46 and enlisted in the Mexican war as a volunteer. He was commissioned captain in the U.S. army and appointed assistant quartermaster of volunteers, June 26, 1846. He served on the staff of General Franklin Pierce, and was brevetted major, Aug. 20, 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Churubusco. He was honorably discharged, Oct. 15, 1848; practiced law in Washington, D.C., for a time, and edited the Times and Sun in Louisville, Ky., 1854-55. He was employed by the Tehuantepec railroad company and met Narcisso Lopez, the Cuban liberator, in Mexico, from whom he accepted the commission of colonel. He joined the first Cuban expedition in 1851, and commanded a regiment at the battle of Cardenas, where he was severely wounded and compelled to return to the United States. He assisted Col. William Walker in the organization of his expedition to Central America, and while trying to escape the vigilance of the U.S. authorities, was arrested and indicted with General Henderson at New Orleans, charged with violating the neutrality laws, but the government failed in the prosecution. He entered the U.S. army as captain in the 2d cavalry, March 8, 1855, an d served on the Texas frontier until he resigned, Dec. 1, 1856. He was editor of the Mobile Register, 1856-61, during the absence of John Forsyth as U.S. Minister to Mexico. He entered the Confederate army in 1861, and was soon after commissioned captain and placed in command of Fort McRea, at the entrance of Mobile Bay, which he defended until ordered to evacuate. He became colonel of the 12th Alabama regiment, and served at Shiloh on the staff of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, and then on the staff of Gen. John C. Breckinridge. He engaged in the cotton business in Columbia, Ga., after the war, but lost everything by fire and retired to a plantation in Alabama. His two poems, The Bivouac of the Dead and A Dirge for the Brave Old Pioneer, established his fame as a poet. He died near Guerryton, Ala, June 6, 1867. By direction of the legislature of Kentucky, his body was re-interred in the state military cemetery in Frankfort, Ky., Sept. 15, 1874, and a monument erected to his memory.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Lewis Warner Green, educator, was born near Danville, Ky., Jan. 28, 1806; son of Willis and Sarah (Reed) Green. His parents both emigrated from Virginia. He entered Transylvania university in 1820, and having completed his junior year entered Centre college with its first class in 1823 and was graduated in 1824. He then studied law with his brother, pursued a course in medicine which he relinquished for theology, strolled Hebrew in Yale college in 1830, and in 1831 entered the theological seminary at Princeton, N.J. The same year he declined the Greek professorship at Centre college but held the chair of rhetoric and political economy there, 1832-36. He was licensed to preach by the Transylvania presbytery, Oct. 4, 1833; studied in the German universities; 1834-35; was professor of Oriental and Biblical literature at Hanover seminary, Ind., 1838-39, vice-president and professor of English literature, rhetoric and political economy at Centre college, 1839-40. While at Danville he was also co-pastor in the church. He was professor of Oriental literature and Biblical criticism in the Western theological seminary, Allegheny, Pa., 1839-47; was pastor of the 2d Presbyterian church, Baltimore, Md., 1847; president of Hampden-Sidney college, 1848-56; president of the reorganized Transylvania university, 1856-57; and president of Centre college, as successor to Dr. John C. Young, deceased, 1857-63. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from Centre college in 1840. See "Life of Dr. Lewis W. Green" by Dr. L. J. Halsey (1871). He died at Danville, Ky., May 6, 1863.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Samuel McDowell, jurist, was born in Pennsylvania, Oct. 27, 1735; son of Ephraim and Margaret (Irvine) McDowell. In the French and Indian war he was a member of Captain Lewis's Virginia militia, and took part in the skirmish which led to Braddock's defeat, July 9, 1755, and he was a witness of Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown, Oct. 17, 1781. He was a member of the Virginia house of burgesses; commissioner in 1782 to settle the Kentucky claims; removed to Danville, Ky., the next year, where he organized the first civil court in the territory, holding the court in a log house in Danville; was president of the first state constitutional convention held in Danville, April 19, 1792; was judge of the circuit court of Kentucky, 1792-1812, and a representative in the Kentucky legislature. He died in Danville, Ky., Oct. 25, 1817.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor