History of Frederick, (Frederick County) Maryland United States of America

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Biographies:

Emily Nelson (Ritchie) McLean, regent, D.A.R., was born in Prospect Hall, Frederick, Md., Jan. 28, 1859; daughter of Judge John and Bettie (Maulsby) Ritehie; granddaughter of Dr. Albert and Katharine Lackland (Davis) Ritchie and of Judge William, Pinkney and Emily (Nelson) Maulsby; great-granddaughter of General Roger and Betsy (Harrison) Nelson, and a descendant on the paternnl side froin William Burgess, deputy governor of Maryland, who immigrated in 1650 and settled on South River, Md. She was graduated from Frederick seminary (now Woman's college) in 1873, and took a post-graduate course in language, history and mathematics. She was married, April 24, 1883, at Frederick, to Donald McLean of New York. She was one of the charter members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and was chosen regent of the New York city chapter in 1894. During the Cotton States and International exposition of 1895-96 she served as commissioner from New York, and she was appointed commissioner to the South Carolina exposition of 1901-02. She delivered public addresses throughout the country on educational and patriotic subjects. In 1901 she was appointed head of the Victorian International society. A scholarship in Barnard college, a woman's college connected with Columbia university, New York, bears her name.

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

Nellie Blessing Eyster, author, was born in Frederick, Md., Dec. 7, 1831; daughter of Abraham and Mary (Ent) Blessing; and granddaughter of George and Julia (Easterday) Blessing and of Capt. George W. and Margaret (Woltz) Ent. Her first American ancestor was Jacob Blessing, whose parents came from Saxony. She was married in 1847 to her tutor, David A. S. Eyster, a lawyer of Harrisburg, Pa. She was active in bringing about the purchase of Mt. Vernon, the home of Washington, and during the civil war was an officer of the sanitary commission. She removed to San Jose, Cal., in 1876, where she became president of the California branch of the National Woman's Indian association and of the Pacific Coast Woman's press association. In 1886, on the death of her husband, she removed to San Francisco and became a prominent state officer of the Woman's Christian temperance union, lecturing upon scientific temperance in every public school in the state. Her published works include: Sunny Hour Library (4 vols., 1865-69); Chincapin Charlie (1866); On the Wing (1867); Tom Harding and his Friends (1869); Robert Brent's Three Christmas Days (1870); Have You Thought About lt? a treatise on Opium and Alcohol published in Shanghai, China (1886); A Colonial Boy (1893); The Bright Side of Chinese Life (1899). In 1896 she became editor of The Pacific Ensign, the official organ of the California W.C.T.U.

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

Emanuel Greenwald, clergyman, was born near Frederick, Md., Jan. 13, 1811. He studied theology and the classics under the Rev. David F. Shaeffer, and was licensed to preach by the synod of Maryland, Oct. 18, 1831. He was assigned to missionary work in the west and settled at New Philadelphia, Pa., a settlement of Pennsylvanian Lutherans, and in 1842 established the Lutheran Standard of which he was editor until he removed to Columbus, Ohio, in 1851. In 1854 he removed to Easton, Pa., and in 1867 to Lancaster, Pa., his last charge. He was a director of the Lutheran theological seminary, Philadelphia, 1867-85; president of the ministerium of Pennsylvania, 1873-77, and president of the second Lutheran diet, Philadelphia, 1878. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from Pennsylvania college, Gettysburg, in 1859. He published about twenty books on subjects connected with the work of the Lutheran church, besides a large number of articles for current periodicals. He died in Lancaster, Pa., Dec. 21, 1885.

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

Elwell Stephen Otis, soldier, was born in Frederick, Md., March 25, 1838; son of William and Mary Ann Catharine (Late) Otis; grandson of Elwell and Sallie (Evans) Otis, and of Michael and Maria Late, and descendant of John Otis, born at Barnstaple, Devonshire, England, 1581, who came to this country in 1635 and settled in Hingham, Mass. He was graduated from the University of Rochester in 1858, and from the Harvard Law school in 1861; practiced law in Rochester, N.Y., 1860-62, and joined the Federal army, Sept. 13, 1862, as captain in the 140th New York volunteer infantry attached to Warren's brigade, Sykes's division, and afterward to Ayres's brigade, Griffin's division, 5th army corps. He participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Rappahannock Station, Mine Run, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, North Anna, Tolopotomy and Bethesda Church: was promoted lieutenant-colonel, Dec. 23, 1863, and upon the death of Col. George Ryan at Spottsylvania, succeeded to the command of the regiment. He commanded the 1st brigade, 2d division, 5th army corps, during the early operations against Petersburg, Va., in 1864, but later in the year was severely wounded, and afar a sick leave of absence was honorably discharged, Jan. 24, 1865. The brevets of colonel and brigadier-general of volunteers were conferred on him, March 13, 1865, for "gallant and meritorious services in the battle of Spottsylvania and the battle of Chapel House, Va." He was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the 22d U.S. infantry, July 28, 1866, which commission he accepted, Feb. 7, 1867, and was brevetted colonel, U.S. army, March 2, 1867, "for gallant and meritorious services in the battle of Spottsylvania, Virginia." He served on frontier duty, 1867-74; was inspector-general of the Department of Dakota, 1874-75, and took part in the campaign against the Sioux Indians, 1876-77. During the labor riots of 1877 he commanded his regiment, together with other troops, in Pennsylvania; upon the death of Col. George Sykes, succeeded him as colonel of the 20th U.S. infantry, Feb. 8, 1880, and organized and conducted the U.S. Infantry and Cavalry school, Leavenworth, Kansas, 1881-85. He returned to the command of the 20th infantry at Fort Assiniboine, Montana, in 1885. He was detailed as superintendent of the recruiting service, Oct. 1, 1890, which position he held until Jan. 21, 1893, and was commissioned brigadier-general, U.S.A., Nov. 28, 1893. He was placed in command of the Department of the Columbia, including the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho and the territory of Alaska, with headquarters at Vancouver barracks, Dec. 1, 1893, and remained there till 1896, when he was engaged in revising the "Army Regulations" at Washington, D.C. He was assigned to the command of the Department of the Colorado, including the state of Colorado and the territories of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, in May, 1897. Upon the outbreak of the Spanish-American war he was engaged as president of a court-martial held at Savannah, Ga., and was delayed in entering active service until May 4, 1898, when he was commissioned major-general of volunteers and sent to San Francisco to organize troops destined for the Philippines. He sailed from San Francisco to Manila, July 23, 1898, with re-inforcements for Gen. Wesley Merritt, then commanding the U.S. army in the Philippines. In August, 1898, he succeeded General Merritt as commanding general of the Philippine army and governor-general of the province. Orders were issued prohibiting any acts of retaliation on the part of the troops to the annoyances of the insurgent forces, and on Feb. 1. 1899, a detachment of U.S. troops was arrested and imprisoned at Malolos for examining, as was alleged, the Filipino intrenchments. On the same date the insurgents succeeded in drawing the fire of the outposts by attempting to break through the lines, and the ensuing battle lasted twenty-one hours, resulting in the utter rout of the Filipinos. On Feb. 4, 1899, he was brevetted major-general, U.S. army, for "military skill and most distinguished services in the Philippine Islands." On Feb. 23, 1899, on the occurrence of another demonstration the insurgents were defeated. Otis now followed up these engagements with the battles of Caloocan, Luzon, Iloilo, Island of Panay, and thereupon pressed Aguinaldo's Luzon army north, captured his capital of Malolos and drove the insurgent forces beyond the Rio Grande De Pampanga. Later, by combined operations of U.S. forces lasting from September to January, he took possession of all important points in the Philippines, scattered and disintegrated the army of the insurgents, Aguinaldo being among the fugitives. At the same time he inaugurated municipal governments, the supreme and some of the minor courts of the islands, and re-established trade and commerce throughout that archipelago. By his request he was relieved of the commuted of the U.S. forces in the Philippines, May 5, 1900, and was succeeded by General MacArthur, who also exercised the authority of military governor. He returned to San Francisco, May 25, 1900; on June 15, 1900, was publicly entertained at a celebration held in his honor at the city of Rochester, N.Y., and on June 16, 1900, his commission in the volunteer army was vacated. He was promoted major-general, U.S. army, June 16, 1900, to succeed Gen. Wesley Merritt, retired for age; was given command of the Department of the Lakes with headquarters at Chicago, Ill., and on March 25, 1902, was retired, the war department, which issued a general order, reciting his distinguished services not only through the civil war, but in his conduct of the campaign in the Philippines. He was twice married, first in 1870 to Louise, daughter of Henry R. Selden of Rochester, N.Y., and secondly in 1879 to Louise Bowman, widow of Gen. Miles Daniel McAlester, U.S. army. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Rochester in 1900. He is the author of: The Indian Question (1878), and contributions to periodicals.

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