History of Brownsville, (Fayette County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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Biographies:

Henry Francis Clarke, soldier, was born in Brownsville. Pa., Nov. 9, 1820. He was graduated from the U.S. military academy, West Point, in 1843, and was commissioned 2nd lieutenant of the 2nd artillery. He served on garrison duty, 1845-46; participated in the Mexican war; and was wounded at Chapultepec, where he was brevetted captain for his gallantry, Sept. 13, 1847, and was promoted 1st lieutenant. He acted as assistant instructor of artillery at the Military academy, 1848-49, and as assistant professor of mathematics, 1850-51; served in the Seminole war, 1851-52; as adjutant 2nd artillery, Fort Monroe, 1852-53; Pensacola, 1853-55; as instructor of artillery at the Military academy, 1855-56; and was stationed at Fort Hamilton, 1856-57. He was promoted captain Jan. 12, 1857; served as chief of commissariat on the Utah expedition, 1857-60; and assistant in the commissary department in Washington, 1860-61. He was chief of commissariat of the department of Florida, April and May, 1861; and chief of commissariat of the Army of the Potomac, 1861-64. He participated in the campaigns of the Peninsula, Maryland, the Rappahannock, Pennsylvania, and the Rapidan, and was brevetted colonel Sept. 11, 1863, for gallant and meritorious services in the Maryland campaign. He received the brevet of brigadier-general, March 18, 1865, for services at Gettysburg; and was at the same time brevetted major-general of the United States army for faithful and meritorious services in the subsistence department during the war. He was in charge of the subsistence department in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, 1864-67; division of Missouri, 1867-75; and of the division of the Atlantic, 1879-84. He was promoted colonel May 20, 1882, and was retired Nov. 9, 1884. He died in Washington, D C., May 10, 1887.

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

Philander Chase Knox, cabinet officer, was born in Brownsville, Pa., May 6, 1853; son of David S. and Rebekah (Page) Knox. His father was a banker in Brownsville. He matriculated at the University of West Virginia in the class of 1872, and was graduated at Mount Union college, Alliance, Ohio, in 1872; entered the law office of H. B. Swope, Pittsburg, Pa., and was admitted to the bar in 1875. He was assistant United States district attorney for the western district of Pennsylvania, 1876, and in 1877 formed a law partnership with James H. Reed, as Knox & Reed, and became counsel for many large interests, including the Carnegie company. He was elected president of the Allegheny bar association in 1897. He is said to have been considered by President McKinley for attorney-general in his cabinet in 1897, but would not encourage the appointment at that time on account of his unwillingness to relinquish the practice of law. He was married, in 1880, to Lillie, daughter of Andrew D. Smith, of Pittsburg. He was elected to membership in the Duquesne, Pittsburg, and Pittsburg County clubs, of his home city; the Castalia Angling club, Sandusky, Ohio; the Union League and Lawyers' clubs, New York city, and the Lawyers' club, Philadelphia, Pa. He was made attorney-general in the cabinet of President McKinley in 1901, as successor to John William Griggs, resigned, and was sworn into office, April 9, 1901.

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