LYNCH, WILLIAM F. 



MAGIE, DAVID. 



517 



direction. Among the twenty-two synods not 

 ' silent ' was that of Kentucky (lately disband- 

 ed), which adopted the strong resolutions on 

 the state of the country passed by the General 

 Synod in 1862. One of the remaining two 

 bodies is the little Synod of Minnesota, which 

 came into the General Synod at the last meet- 

 ing of the latter. Of this body, I have before 

 me only the minutes of 1864 ; but I find therein 

 presumptive evidence that all is right. A com- 

 mittee was appointed to prepare a report on 

 the war; but, as the minutes were presented 

 in the briefest space possible, the report is not 

 printed. The Melancthon Synod in Maryland 

 is the only one left to be noticed. In glancing 

 the eye over the minutes, I have met with 

 nothing of a patriotic character." 



In 1865 many of the synods passed resolu- 

 tions for appointing missionaries for the freed- 

 men, and for calling the attention of the next 

 General Synod (which meets in 1866) to this 

 work. The Pittsburg Synod also passed the 

 following resolution on the state of the coun- 

 try : " We pledge ourselves to use our influence 

 in every proper way, that full justice be done 

 to our colored brethren, who have so long been 

 the victims of this most unchristian oppression." 

 The Philadelphia Synod unanimously expressed 

 the hope that " all classes and conditions of 

 men may, in accordance with the spirit of the 

 blessed Gospel, and the fundamental principles 

 of our land, as expressed by the fathers and 

 founders of the same, come fully to the enjoy- 

 ment of certain inalienable rights, among which 

 are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." 

 Similar resolutions were passed by other synods. 



LYNCH, WILLIAM F., formerly a captain in 

 the U. S. Navy, and afterwards a commander in 

 the Confederate navy ; an author and explorer, 

 born in Virginia in 1801, and died at Baltimore, 

 Md., October 17, 1865. He entered the United 

 States Navy in 1819, his warrant as midship- 

 man dating January 26th of that year. He was 

 promoted a lieutenant in May, 1828, and as 

 such made his famous expedition to the Dead 

 Sea and near Jordan in 1848. The plan of this 

 expedition originated with Lynch, and, on re- 

 ceiving the sanction of the Government, was 

 carried out by him with much success and 



credit. He sailed from this country for Smyrna 

 in the naval storeship Supply in November. 

 1847. He visited Constantinople to obtain the 

 requisite authority and protection from the 

 Turkish Government to pass through Palestine. 

 He made this necessary overland journey on 

 camels, and by the aid of Arabs and others. 

 His party was landed in the Bay of Acre in 

 March, 1848, and in the following April began 

 the work of navigating the Jordan to the Dead 

 Sea. A thorough exploration and sounding 

 of the sea were made. Among other curious 

 features of the labor was the establishment by 

 a series of levels of the depression of the Dead 

 Sea below the level of the Mediterranean, a for- 

 mer survey by Lieut. Symonds, of the British 

 navy, being fully corroborated as correct, and 

 the depression established as one thousand 

 three hundred and twelve feet. On his return 

 Lieut. Lynch published a narrative of his expe- 

 dition, which has passed through several edi- 

 tions and attained a position among standard 

 works. On his return he was promoted a com- 

 mander. He prepared to engage in an expe- 

 dition into Africa, but the exploration was 

 abandoned. In 1851 he published a volume 

 entitled " Naval Life ; or, Observations Afloat 

 and on Shore." In 1856 he was promoted cap- 

 tain, and this position he retained until his 

 resignation in 1861 to join the South. His com- 

 mission as flag officer, as the Confederate Navy 

 Department designated the rank of commodore, 

 was dated June 10, 1861. He was immediately 

 assigned to duty as commander of the defences 

 of North Carolina. He commanded the naval 

 squadron which resisted Gen. Burnside's attack 

 on Eoanoke Island on the 7th and 8th of Feb- 

 ruary, 1862, and subsequently commanded the 

 remainder of the fleet, which was surprised two 

 days after by a portion of Commodore Eowan's 

 fleet, which pursued to Elizabeth City. Lynch 

 was on shore at the time and escaped. He 

 remained in the interior of North Carolina for 

 a long time, and did not make his appearance 

 again until Porter's attack on Fort Fisher de- 

 veloped him as the commander at Smithville. 

 When Fort Fisher fell Lynch dismantled the 

 Smithville defences and retired with his ma- 

 rines to Wilmington, and thence into the interior. 



M 



MAGIE, DAVID, D.D., a Presbyterian clergy- 

 man, born near Elizabeth, N. J., March 13, 1795, 

 died at Elizabeth, May 10, 1865. His ancestors 

 were of Scotch origin, men of deep piety, and 

 strongly attached to the principles of the Pres- 

 byterian order. When in his eighteenth year, 

 during a revival of religion, he was converted, 

 and in June, 1813, made a public profession of 

 his faith. From this time his whole desire was 

 toward the ministry ; but being the eldest of 

 five children, and his mother a widow in some- 

 what straitened circumstances, he had at first 



some struggles concerning the path of duty. 

 Having decided to enter the ministry, he com- 

 menced a course of study under the direction 

 of Dr. John McDowell, entered the junior class 

 in the college of New Jersey in 1815, and, after 

 graduating with honor, entered the theological 

 seminary of that place in the fall of 1817. 

 After spending one year in the seminary he 

 was solicited by the Faculty of the college to 

 accept the office of tutor, which he held for 

 two years. Subsequently lie was licensed to 

 preach by the Presbytery of New Jersey, and 



