Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/216

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190
RAWLIXGS
RAWLINS

Pennsylvania in 1863, and immediately afterward entered the army as lieutenant in the 3d Pennsyl- vania cavalry. He was promoted captain and bre- vi'tu-d major and lieutenant-colonel, at the close of the war. studied law, and in ISIIT was admitted to the Philadelphia liar. He is secretary of the Historical society of Pennsylvania, treasurer of the Law association of Philadelphia, and agent for the Penn estates in Pennsylvania. Col. Brooke-Rawle has published " The Right Flank at Gettysburg" (Philadelphia. 1878); "With Gregg in the" Gettys- burg Campaign" (1884); and "Gregg's Cavalry Fight at Gettysburg," an address delivered at the unveiling of the monument on the site of the cav- alry engagement (1884). The first William Rawle's grandson, Henry, iron-master, b. in Mifflin coun- ty, Pa., 21 Aug.. '1833, is the son of Francis Will- iam Rawle. a graduate of the University of Penn- sylvania, who served in the war of 1812. became a civil engineer, was largely engaged in the manu- facture of iron, and was for some time judge of Clearfield county. The son studied civil engineer- ing, and as a young man engaged in constructing the Pennsylvania railroad, and became principal assistant engineer of the western division of the Sunbury and Erie railroad. He subsequently en- gaged extensively in the coal and iron business in Krir. Pa., and established the Erie blast-furnace ami Erie rolling-mill. In 1874-'6 he was mayor of Erie, and from 1876 till 1878 he was treasurer of Pennsylvania. Henry's brother, Francis, lawyer, b. in Mifflin county, Pa., 7 Aug.. 1846. was gradu- ated at Harvard in 1869 and at the law-school in 1871, and in the latter year was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia. He has published two revised editions of Bouvier's " Law Dictionary," in which are given over seven hundred subjects not named in the original work (Philadelphia, 1883-'o).


RAWLINGS, Moses, soldier, b. in Anne Arun- del county, Md., about 1740; d. in Hampshire county, Va., in 1808. His ancestor, Henry, was among the first settlers of Maryland, having emi- grated to the colony in 1635. In 1650 his son. Anthony, was a member of Gov. Calvert's colonial council. Moses Rawlings was educated in the parish school of his native county and afterward by private tutors. His father was a wealthy to- bacco-planter, and the son engaged in the same occupation. He was a zealous patriot, and when in June, 1775, Maryland was called upon to fur- nish two companies of riflemen, he was amoni; the first to volunteer for the service. He received a lieutenant's commission, and afterward joined Washington at Boston. In 1776 congress ordered four companies from Virginia and two more from Maryland, which, with the two companies that had been already raised, were formed into a regiment, of which Rawlings was commissioned lieutenant- colonel. At the storming of Fort Washington, 16 Kov., 1776, the Maryland riflemen withstood the attack of 5.000 Hessians for several hours, but, being unsupported by other troops, were at last obliged to retire under the guns of the fort, which was soon afterward surrendered to the enemy. In this action Rawlings commanded the Maryland riflemen with skill and bravery. He received the warmest praise from Washington for his conduct on this occasion. After his exchange he was made colonel of the riflemen, and fought in all the bat- tles where the Maryland troops viv engaged. At the close of the war he retired to Virginia.


RAWLINS. John Aaron, soldier. b. in F.a<t Galena, 111., 13 Feb., 1831; d. in Washington. D. C., 9 Sept.. 1869. He was of Srotdi-IrMi ex- trac '11011. His father, James D. Rawlins, from Kentucky to Missouri and then to Illinois. John passed his early years on the family farm, and attended the district school in winter. He also assisted at burning charcoal and hauling it to market ; but this work became dis- agreeable to him as he approached man- hood, and. after read- ing all the books within his reach, he attended the Mount Morris seminary in Ogle county, 111., in 1852 '3. His money having given out, he resumed his occu- pation of charcoal- burnerthat he might earn more ; but. in- stead of returning to the seminary, as he had intended, he studied law with

Isaac P. Stevens at

Galena, and in October, 1854, was admitted to the bar and taken into partnership by his preceptor. In 1855 Mr. Stevens retired, leaving the business to be conducted by Rawlins. In 1857 he was elected attorney for the city of Galena, and in 1860 he was nominated for the electoral college on the Douglas ticket. During the contest that followed he held a series of joint discussions with Allen C. Fuller, the Republican candidate, and added greatly to his reputation as a public speaker. He held closely to the doctrines of Judge Douglas, but was, of course, defeated with his party. His own opinions were strongly opposed to human slavery, and yet he looked upon it as an evil protected within certain limits by the constitution of the United States. His love for the Union was. however, the master sentiment of his soul, and while he had followed his party in all peaceful advocacy of its claims, when the South Carolinians fired upon Fort Sumter, April 12. 1861, he did not hesitate for a moment to declare for coercion by force of arms. He was outspoken for the Union and for the war to maintain it, and at a mass-meeting at Galena on 16 April, 1861, Rawlins was called on to speak ; but, instead of deprecating the war, as had been expected, he made a speech of an hour, in which he upheld it with signal ability and eloquence. Among those of the audience that had acted with the Democrats was Capt. Uly^.-s S. Grant. He was deeply impressed by the speech, and thereupon offered his services to the country, and from that time forth was the warm friend of Rawlins. The first act of Grant after he had been assigned to the command of a brigade. 7 Aug.. 1861, was to offer Rawlins the post of aide-de-camp on his staff, and almost immediately afterward, when Grant was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers, he offered Rawlins the position of captain and assistant adjutant-general, to date from 30 Aug.. 1861. He joined Grant at Cairo, 111., 15 Sept., 1861. and from that time was constantly ii h the latter till the end of the war. except from i Aug. to 1 Oct., 1864, when he was absent on sick-leave. He was promoted major. 14 April, 1862. lieuU-ii-ant-coloiifl, 1 Nov.. isii2. brigadier-general of volunteers. II .iiL r .. l s i! ; >. bri'vrt major-general of volunti'. ix .'I Feb., 1865, chief-of-stafi to Lieut.-Gen. Grant, with the rank of brigadier-general, U. S. army. 3 March. 1865. and brevet major-gen- eral, U. S.' army. i:J March. 1865. Finally he was