Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/173

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McLAWS
MACLAY

ate array ' he was appointed colonel of the 10th Georgia regiment, and on 25 Sept., 1801, was com- missioned as a brigadier-general. He brought himself to notice by his conduct in an action at Lee's Mill, was afterward engaged in the retreat to Rich- mond and the bat- tle of Williamsburg, and, on the arrival of the army at Rich- mond was promot- ed major-general, 23 May, 1862. His di- vision was engaged at Savage's Station and Malvern Hill, and when Gen. John Pope's army retreat- ed it remained for a time to watch the movements of the National troops at Harrison's Landing,

but afterward joined

the rest of the army near Warrenton, and marched with it into Maryland. Gen. McLaws was placed in command of a corps, and ordered to march on Harper's Ferry and capture Maryland Heights. A road was built up the side of the mountain, by which cannon were got to the summit, and when they opened fire Harper's Ferry at once surren- dered. The troops, who had been for sixty hours under fire and without water on Elk Ridge, halted a few hours in Harper's Ferry, and then marched all night, and reached Sharpsburg when the troops of Jackson and Hood were retiring in disorder, and, driving back the National troops, restored the Confederate line. At Fredericksburg his men were posted along the bank of the Rappahannock, opposite the city, and on Marye's Hill, where, from a sunken road, they drove back tlie National troops. At Chanceliorsville his division formed the right wing of the Confederate force. At Get- tysburg his division formed part of Gen. James Longstreet's corps, which assaulted and drove back Gen. Daniel E. Sickles's corps and other troops in the second day's fight. At the siege of Knoxville he reluctantly carried out Gen. Longstreet's order to assault Fort Saunders, and desisted from the attack when he perceived that success was impos- sible. He was subsequently summoned before a court-martial, which justified his conduct. He was chief in command at Salem Church, where he de- feated Gen. Sedgwick's assault. During Gen. Will- iam T. Sherman's invasion, McLaws commanded the military district of Georgia, conducting the defence of Savannah, and afterward falling back on the line of the Salkehatchie, where he at- tempted to check Gen. Sherman's northward march and resisted the crossing of the army over the three bridges successively. He commanded a division at the battle of Avei-ysborough, N. C, 16 March, 1865, and at that of Goldsborough, on 21 March, and then was sent back to Augusta to re- sume command of the district of Georgia, but before he reached that place Gen. Lee had surrendered, and the surrender of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, which followed, included his command. After the close of the war Gen. McLaws engaged in business, and was appointed collector of internal revenue at Savannah, Ga., in 1875, and postmaster of that city in 1876. In November, 1886, he opened a se- ries of lectures by northern and southern military leaders, that was instituted by the Grand army of the republic, in Boston, his subject being "The Maryland Campaign."


MACLAY, Archibald, clergyman, b. at Kil- learn, Scotland, 14 May, 1776; d. in New York city, 2 May, 1860. tie was only nine years old when his father died, and when twelve years old was thrown upon his own resources, and became the support of the family. He was educated in the University of Edinburgh, began to preach be- fore he left, had calls to seven different churches, and became pastor in Kirkcaldy in 1802. In 1804 he was appointed missionary to India, but insuper- able obstacles prevented his acceptance. He emi- grated in 1805 with his wife and children to New York, where he was soon in charge of a Congrega- tional church, but in 1809 his views on the scrip- tural mode and subjects of baptism underwent a change, and he became pastor of a Baptist church in New York city, with which he continued for thirty years. When sixty-one years of age he re- tired from the pastorate, became general agent of the American and foreign Bible society, and trav- elled extensively throughout the United States, Great Britain, and the British provinces. He was instrumental in organizing the Bible translation society of England, and in 1850 in forming the American Bible union, becoming general agent of this organization. His views of revision were not at first generally accepted even by his own denomi- nation, but he was successful in overcoming oppo- sition and winning co-operation. He procured the subscription of large sums for this purpose, and obtained also an endowment for a Baptist liter- ary institution in Canada, called Maclay college, of which he was offered the presidency, but declined. He was elected president of the Bible union, but soon resigned. Dr. Maclay compiled a "Hymn-Book" supplemental to Watts's " Rsalms and Hymns," and preached a sermon on the " Im- portance of the Bible,'" which was published in English and Welsh. — His son, WilHam Brown, memljer of congress, b. in New York citv, 20 March, 1812; d. there, 19 Feb., 1882, was graduated at the University of the city of New York in 1836, filled temporarily the chair of Latin in that insti- tution, and was afterward associate editor of the " New York Quarterly Review." He studied law, was admitted to the bar, began practice in New York city, and was elected to the legislature in 1839, and re-elected for the two succeeding terms. He introduced and procured the passage against a powerful opposition of the act that established the present system of public schools in New York city. He was elected to congress as a Democrat in 1842, and re-elected for the two following terms, serving from 4 Dec, 1843, till 3 March. 1849. In congress he was instrumental in securing the reduction of letter-postage. In 1856 and in the succeeding elec- tion he was again returned, serving from 7 Dec, 1857, till 3 March, 1861.— Archibald's grandson, William Walter, civil engineer, b. in New York city, 27 March, 1846, was graduated at the U. S. naval academy, and commissioned ensign, 28 May, 1863. He was attached to the steam sloop " Ti- conderoga," and participated in both attacks on Fort Fisher. After the war he made a cruise of four years with Com. Louis M. Goldsborough as his navigating officer, being promoted lieutenant on 10 Nov., 1866. He was commissioned as lieutenant-commander on 12 March, 1868. and, while acting as fleet-captain of the Asiatic squadron, was selected by the Japanese government to survey and designate sites for light-houses. He was subsequently appointed assistant professor of mathematics in the naval academy, but resigned in order to pursue the study of civil engineering, and re- ceived the degree of C. E. from the University of