Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/417

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EWING
EWING
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"Catholicity in its Relations to Protestantism and Romanism " (1878) ; " The Operation of the Holy Spirit " (1880) : and " Grammar of Theolojry" (1880).


EWING, Andrew, Confederate soldier, b. in Nashville, Tenn. ; d. in Atlanta. Ga., 10 Jvme, 1864. He studied law and became eminent in his profession, and for years participated in the politi- cal controversies that distinguished the history of Tennessee at that time. He represented the Nash- ville district in congress from 3 Dec, 1849, to 3 March, 1851, having been elected as a Democrat. In February, 1861, he was elected as a Unionist to represent Davidson county in the proposed State •convention, which was voted down by the people. .Subsequently he was drawn away from his alle- giance to the Union, and took an active part against the gov- ennnent. After the fall of Fort Donel- son lie left his home, and until he died held an office in the Confederate army.


EWING, Charles, jurist, b. in Bui-ling- ton countv, N. J., 8 Julv. 1780; d. in Trenton. N. J., 5 Aug., 1832. He was the son of James Ewing, a Revolu- tionary patriot, and a commissioner of loans for New Jer-

sey. Charles was

graduated with honors at Princeton in 1798, studied law, was admitted to tiie bar in 1802, and practised successfully in Trenton. In 1812 he became a counsellor, and from 1824 till his death was chief-justice of New Jersey. His knowledge of law was profound, and he was justly regarded as one of the greatest jurists in the state. He was also prominent in religious matters, and was for many years an elder in the Presbyterian church.


EWING, Finis, clergyman, b. in Bedford coun- ty, Va., 10 June, 1773 ; d. in Lexington, Mo., 4 July, 1841. He was of Scotch-Irish descent, and both his parents were eminent for piety. His early education was neglected, but it is said that he studied for a time in college. After the death of his parents he settled near Nashville, Tenn., and in 1823 married a daughter of William Davidson, a Revolutionary general. Scon afterward he went, to Logan county, Ky., where he was licensed to preach, and in 1803 was ordained by the Cumber- land presbytery. He met with remarkable success as a revivalist, but his ordination was not recog- nized by the Kentucky synod, and the presbytery being dissolved, and the action of the synod having been sustained by the general assembly, he, with two others, organized in 1810 the new Cumberland Presbyterian church, which now numbers about 2,000 congregations. In doctrine they occupy a middle ground between Calvinism and Arminian- ism. A few years after originating the new de- nomination Mr. Ewing removed to Todd county, Ky., and became pastor of Lebanon congregation, near Ewingsville. In 1820 he proceeded to Mis- souri, settled in what is now Cooper county, and organized a congregation at New Lebanon, which still flourishes. In 1836 he removed to Lexing- ton, Lafayette county, where he preached till his death. He is the author of "Lectures on Divinity," which contains the germ of the peculiarities of the creed of the Cumberland Presbyterians.


EWING, James, soldier, b. in Lancaster county, Pa., 3 Aug., 1736: d. in Hellam, York co.. Pa., 1 March, 1806. He was of Scotch-Irish descent, his father having emigrated from the north of Ireland to Pennsylvania in 1734. The son received a good education. During Forbe's expedition to Fort Duquesne he entered the provincial service, and was commissioned lieutenant 10 May, 1758. He was a member of the general assembly from 1771 till 1775. At the outbreak of the Revolution he was on the committee of safety for York county, and was chosen one of the two brigadier-generals of the Pennsylvania associators, 4 July, 1776. He had a part assigned to him at the surprise of Trenton, but was prevented from crossing the Delaware as previoiisly arranged, owing to the ice and high wind. He served as vice-president of Pennsylvania from 7 Nov., 1782, till 6 Nov., 1784. In the latter year, and under the constitution of 1789-'90, he was a member of the assembly of Pennsylvania, and served as - state senator from 1795 till 1799. He was one of the original trus- tees of Dickinson college, Carlisle.


EWING, John, educator, b. in Nottingham, Md., 22 June. 1732; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 8 Sept., 1802. His ancestors emigrated from Ireland and settled in Pennsylvania. After attending the academy of Dr. Francis Alison in New London, he entered Princeton, where he was graduated in 1754, and served as tutor in 1756. He then studied theology with Dr. Alison, and was licensed by the presbytery of Newcastle. While employed in instructing the philosophical classes in the College of Philadelphia, during the absence of its provost, in 1759, he was called to the 1st Presbyterian church of that city. He was commissioned in 1773 to solicit contributions in Great Britain for the support of the academy of Newark, in Delaware, and was successful. He had frequent interviews with the prime minister. Lord North, and Dr. Johnson. The last affirmed that the Americans were as ignorant as they were rebellious, and said, " You never read. You have no books there." "Pardon me," was the reply, " we have read the ' Rambler.' " In 1775 he returned from Europe, and from 1779 till his death held, in conjunction with his pastorate, the office of provost of the University of Pennsylvania. He was a thorough mathematician and scientist, and assisted Rittenhouse in surveying the boundaries of several states. The University of Edinburgh gave him the degree of D. D. in 1773. He was vice-president of the American philosophical society, and made several contributions to its " Transactions," among which was an "Account of the Transit of Venus over the Sun." His collegiate lectures on natural philosophy, and a biography by Rev. R. Patterson, were published after his death (2 vols., 1809), and also a volume of his sermons, with a memoir (Philadelphia, 1812).


EWING, Thomas, statesman, b. near West Liberty, Ohio co., Va., 28 Dec, 1789 : d. in Lancaster, Ohio, 26 Oct., 1871. His father, George Ewing, served in the Revolutionary army, and removed with his family in 1792 to the Muskingum river, and then to what is now Athens county, Ohio. In this unsettled district young Ewing's education was necessarily imperfect. His sister taught him to read, and in the evenings he studied the few books at his command. In his twentieth year he left his home and worked in the Kanawha salt establishments, pursuing his studies at night by the light of the furnace-fires. He remained here till