Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/337

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PROMINENT PERSONS


293


and at the Virginia Union Theological Semi- nary in 1832. He was then tutor in Hebrew and introductory studies until- 1836, and was successively pastor of Presbyterian churches in Danville and Augusta county, Virginia, from 1840 till his appointment in 1854 to the chair of Oriental and biblical literature in


the sloop-of-war Hornet, and he was in serv- ice until the Texan war of independence of 1836, when the new government of Texas cr.lled him to the command of its navy, with the rank of commodore. Resigning his com- mission in the United States service, partly

. fiom the credit of the republic and partly

Union Semmary. From 18 1;8 to 1874 he was t u- 111

J :, ^yj o/^ lie waa £,.Qj^ jjjg Q^j^ resources, he purchased two

pastor of Hampden-Sidney College Church, ,^^11 ^u;^^ u- u i, • j r

^ ■' ^ ' small ships, which he equipped for war.

and he was moderator of the general assem- wnt-u tu^^ u -i 1 r xt r^ ^

=• With these he sailed from New Orleans


bly of the Presbyterian church in 1876. Hampden-Sidney College gave him the de- gree of Doctor of Divinity in 1845.

Phillips, Dinwiddle Brazier, son of Col. William Foulke Phillips and Edith Harrison Ashmore Cannon, his wife, was born in P'auquier county, Virginia. He entered the United States navy as assistant surgeon in 1847; was surgeon of the J'irginia or Mcrri- tiwc during her entire existence ; medical director of the Wise Legion and command- ed the post at White Sulphur Springs as


early in 1843, the Mexicans awaiting him in the Gulf with a fleet of eight or ten ves- sels, including two steamers, the Guadalupe and Montezuma, which had been built in England at an expense of $1,000,000. Fear- ing the destruction of his two ships. Presi- dent Houston repeatedly ordered Commo- dore Moore to take shelter in Galveston bay ; but, disregarding these orders, or failing to receive them, Moore put out in search of the ti.emy. A series of hot engagements en- sued, in which the enemy were routed with major of that legion. After the war he ^'^'-^'^J losses. Commodore Moore, however,


resided at Madison Run Station, Orange county, Virginia. He wrote a paper entitled "The Career of the Iron-Clad Virginia (for- merly the Merrimac), Confederate States Navy," which was published in "Virginia Historical Collections," vol. vi., new series, miscellaneous papers. He married Nannie F., daughter of William Walden, of Rappa- hannock county, Virginia. He was de-


was dismissed from the service by President Houston for disobedience of orders, but the Texan congress indemnified him for his pecuniary losses, granting him a large tract of land. After the annexation of Texas, Moore and his associate Texan naval offi- cers applied to congress to be reinstated in the United States navy, with the rank they had held in that of Texas. A compromise


scended from John Dinwiddle, brother of ^^^® finally passed in the shape of an appro- Robert Dinwiddle, governor (1751-1758) priation of leave-pay from the time of annex- (q. v.). ^t'on to the passage of the bill. Of this ap- propriation in 1855, the share accruing to Moore, Edwin Ward, born in Alexandria, Commodore Moore was about $17,000. He Virginia, in 181 1 ; entered the United States subsequently resided in New York City, en- navy as a midshipman in 1825, and became gaged in mechanical experiments and in- heutenant in 1835. His first cruise was in ventions, and died there, October 5, 1865.