History of Moorefield, (Harrison County) Ohio United States of America

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Biographies:

Benjamin Rush Cowen Biography

Benjamin Rush Cowen, soldier, was born in Moorfield, Ohio, Aug. 15, 1831; son of Benjamin Sprague and Anne (Wood) Cowen; grandson of Josiah Cowen, a Revolutionary soldier; great-grandson of Ebenezer Sprague of Johnstown, R.I., a deputy in the general assembly, 1775-79; and a descendant of John Cowen of Edinburgh, Scotland, who came to Scituate, Mass., in 1656. He was educated at St. Clairsville classical institute, studied medicine, was editor of the Belmont Chronicle, 1848-57; delegate to the Republican national conventions of 1856 and 1868, and chief clerk of the Ohio assembly, 1860-62. He joined the volunteer army in April 1861, was paymaster, U.S.A., 1861-65, and adjutant-general of Ohio, 1864-68. He was made brigadier-general of volunteers by brevet March 13, 1865, and was inspector of military prisons. He was a delegate to the Union loyalists' national convention of 1866, assistant secretary of the interior under Secretaries Delano and Chandler, 1871-77, and clerk of the U.S. circuit and district courts of the southern district of Ohio from 1884.

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