Isthmus of Tehuantepec. In 1853 he visited Mexi- co, and in 1855 he was surveyor of the city of New York. He was constructing engineer of the Brooklyn navy-yard in 1856-'7, and in 1860-'l was a member of the New York state senate. In the lat- ter year he was commissioned colonel of New York engineers, and took part in the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac until the close of 1863. when he returned to the navy as acting lieutenant and was in command of the " Carondelet " during the Vicksburg campaign. On 30 July, 1864, he again resigned and resumed his profession as a civil en- gineer. Lieut. Murphy was a frequent contributor to the newspaper and periodical press on subjects connected with his specialty.
MURPHY, Thomas, clergyman, b. in Randals-
town, County Antrim, Ireland, 6 Feb., 1823. He
came to the United States in 1834 and was gradu-
ated at Princeton in 1845. He subsequently com-
pleted a three years' course in the theological semi-
nary, was licensed to preach, and ordained pastor
of the Frankford Presbyterian church of Philadel-
phia in 1849. He was a member of the board of
publication of his denomination for fourteen years,
and was instrumental in originating the Sabbath-
school work of that organization. In 1873, as
delegate to the general assembly of the Church of
Ireland, he addressed that body on the subject of
" One Federate Council for all the Presbyterian
Churches of the World." The resolution that was
subsequently adopted by the assembly was the
first in the series of public movements to this end.
He has taken a conspicuous part in organizing sev-
enteen churches, all of which, with one exception,
have been successful. In 1872 Mr. Murphy re-
ceived the degree of D. D. from Princeton. Be-
sides fifteen occasional sermons he has published
" A History of the Frankford Presbyterian Church "
(Philadelphia, 1870) ; " Pastoral Theology " (1877) ;
"Pastor and People" (1886); a widely circulated
tract on " Duties of Church - Members " and
" Sketches of Pastoral Experience," which appeared in "The Presbyterian."
MURRAY, Alexander, naval officer, b. in
Chestertown. Md., in 1755 ; d. near Philadelphia,
Pa., 6 Oct., 1821. His grandfather, an adherent of
the Pretender, settled in Barbadoes, and his father
was a physician of Chestertown, Md. The son
went to sea at an early age, commanded a vessel
in the European trade when eighteen years old,
and in 1776 was appointed lieutenant in the
American navy ; but, having no vessel, served in
the 1st Maryland regiment in the battles of White
Plains and Flalbush, and was promoted captain.
About the time of the evacuation of New York he
was severely wounded by the bursting of a piece
of ordnance in a battery at which he was stationed.
He was placed in command of a privateer at the
close of 1777, was captured by a British squadron,
and after his exchange volunteered as lieutenant
on the frigate " Trumbull " and was again taken
prisoner after an engagement off the capes of
Delaware, in which he was wounded. On his ex-
change and recovery a second time he was ap-
pointed 1st lieutenant of the frigate " Alliance,"
and at the termination of the war had participated
in thirteen engagements on sea and shore. On the
organization of the American navy in 1798 he was
commissioned captain, commanded the corvette
" Montezuma," of twenty guns, and subsequently
the frigates " Insurgent " and " Constellation."
In 1820 he was sent with a squadron to the Medi-
terranean, where with his ship alone he fought a
flotilla of seventeen Tripolitan gun-boats and drove
them into their harbor. His last appointment was
the command of the Philadelphia navy-yard, and
at his death he was the senior officer of the U. S.
navy. — His son, Alexander, naval officer, b. in
Philadelphia, Pa., in 1816 ; d. in Washington, D. C,
10 Nov., 1884, entered the U. S. navy in 1835, be-
came lieutenant in 1847, commander in 1862, cap-
tain in 1866, commodore in 1871, and rear-admiral
on the retired list in 1876. He was in service on the
east coast of Mexico in 1846-"7, participated in the
capture of Alvarado, where he was wounded, and
fought at Tampico, Tobasco, Tuspan, and Vera
Cruz. He commanded the steamer " Louisiana,"
of the North Atlantic squadron, in 1861-'2, de-
feated the Confederate steamer " Yorktown " off
Newport News, fought the battle of Roanoke Isl-
and, destroyed the Confederate fleet under Capt.
William F. Lynch, was in charge of the naval
forces at Kingston, N. C, and the expedition up
York and Pamunkey rivers, destroying twenty-
seven vessels in May, 1862. He was on duty in the
North Carolina sounds in 1863, and on special ser-
vice in 1866-7, was light-house inspector in 1873-'6,
and after retirement served on the naval board.
MURRAY, Alexander, Canadian geologist, b.
in Perthshire, Scotland, 2 June, 1811 ; d. in Janu-
ary, 1885. He was the son of Anthony Murray, of
Crieff, a landed gentleman, was educated at the
Royal naval college, Portsmouth, and served in
the navy from 1825 till 1835, when he resigned. In
1837 he came to Canada, served during the rebel-
lion, and in 1842 was appointed to aid Sir William
Logan in his geological survey of that country.
Mr. Murray's labors in connection with demon-
strating the relations of the Huron series of rocks
to the formations of the lower Silurian age at-
tracted attention. He subsequently conducted a
geological survey of Newfoundland and wrote the
geologv and mineralogv of that island.
MURRAY, David, educator, b. in Bovina. N. Y.,
15 Oct., 1830. His parents came to this country
from Scotland in 1818. The son was graduated at
Union college in 1852, became tutor and subse-
quently professor of mathematics, and in 1857
was made principal of Albany academy. From
1863 till 1873 he was professor of mathematics and
astronomy in Rutgers college. By appointment
of the Japanese government he was superintend-
ent of schools and colleges in Tokio from 1873 till
1879, and under his oversight the present elabo-
rate system of public education was established.
In the interests of the department of education he
visited the Centennial exposition at Philadelphia,
and collected materials for the museums of Japan.
On his return from the East by way of Asia and
Europe he was appointed secretary of the board
of regents of the University of New York in Al-
bany, which post he still (1888) holds. He was
active in .laying before congress in 1875-'6 the
facts in regard to the Japanese indemnity, which
was ultimately returned. He received the degree
of Ph. D. from the board of regents in 1863 and
that of LL. D. from Rutgers in 1873, and the
decoration of the Rising Sun from the emperor
of Japan in 1878. He has published in pamphlet-
form various antiquarian, historical, and educa-
tional addresses, edited a volume on " Japanese
Education " (New York, 1876), and is the author
of a " Manual of Land-Surveying " (1869).
MURRAY, Eli Houston, governor of Utah, b. in Breckinridge county, Ky., 12 Sept., 1844; d. in Bowling Green, 18 Nov., 1896. He volunteered at seventeen years of age, commanded a brigade in
Kentucky, and in 1865 received the brevet of brigadier-general of volunteers for services during the civil war. He was appointed U. S. marshal
