OBITUARIES, AMERICAN. (MARVIN MKNUKNIIAU..J 



ud to his numerous pastoral duties, and vet de- 

 . irrciit deal of time to theological study. In 

 iv, i. when tin- theological seminary was established 

 in l'liilaili>l])liia, lie was elected as one of the profess 

 ors, which place In- held until his death, having un- 

 <liT his special charge Hebrew, ethics, symbolic.--, und 

 German hoinileties. In 1856 came the opportunity 

 fur a most valuable service to the Lutheran Church 

 in America. The so-called " Definite Platform" had 

 appeared, the purpose of which was to revise the 

 Aiiu'sl'iir-r Confession in such a way as to erase from 

 it all distinctively Lutheran doctrines, and teach pure 

 an<l simple " undenominutionalism." As a reply to it 

 lie published "A Plea for the Augsburg Confes.Mon," 

 which was soon followed by his "Lutheranism in 

 America." These two books were important agencies 

 to check infidelity to the principles of the Church, and 

 to aid in preparing the way for the higher confes- 

 sional position of the minister! um of Pennsylvania, 

 and afterward of the general council. They were fol- 

 lowed by " Luther's Small Catechism explained " 

 with Dr. Krotel (1863) ; " System of Christian Ethics " 

 (1872) ; " Vergangene Tagen, aus den Zeiten Miih- 

 lenberg's" (1879); "The Lutheran Church and its 

 Confessions' 1 (1880); " Heilsbotschaft," a volume .of 

 sermons (1881); "Das Buch der Bucher und seine 

 Geschichte" (1885); "Life and Times of Henry Mel- 

 cliior Muhlenberg" (1887) ; " Hallesche Nachrichten" 

 (1886); " Miihlenberg's Leben und Wirken" (1892). 

 He also wrote biographies of William Penn and Co- 

 lumbus, besides numerous contributions to German 

 and English periodicals of the Church. But his great- 

 est literary achievements were in connection with the 

 publication of the new edition of the " Hallesche 

 Nachrichten " and the " Life and Times of Muhlen- 

 berg." Few books have been edited with the minute 

 care of the former. The plan is carried out of ex- 

 plaining every historical, biographical, and geograph- 

 ical allusion, thus furnishing a rich storehouse for 

 all time concerning the historical foundations of the 

 Lutheran Church along the Atlantic coast. It is a 

 permanent and well-arranged record of the character 

 of the men, the doctrines, and Church life of the first 

 period of the Church's history in this country. He 

 spoke with fluency and earnestness. He esteemed it 

 the highest privilege to preach, and never declined an 

 invitation, whether for German or English services, 

 unless absolutely prevented. 



Marvin, Bichard Pratt, jurist, born in New York 

 about 1815; died in Jamestown, N. Y., Jan. 11, 1892. 

 He entered political life immediately after reaching 

 hi-, majority; was a member of the Legislature from 

 Chautauqua in 1836, and member of Congress from 

 1837 till 1841; was a delegate to the State Constitu- 

 tional Convention in 1846; and was elected a justice 

 of the Supreme Court of New York for the 8th Ju- 

 dicial District in 1847. In January, 1855, he was ap- 

 pointed a justice of the Supreme Court sitting in the 

 Court of Appeals ; in January, 1863, was reappointed ; 

 and in November following was again elected Su- 

 premo Court justice. Since 1872 Judge Marvin had 

 lived iii retirement at Jamestown. 



Hears, Frederick, military officer, born in New York 

 city, Jan. 1, 1835 ; died in Fort Spokane, Wash., Jan. 

 2, 1892. Prior to the civil war he was a sergeant in 

 the 7th Regiment of New York, and in the early days 

 of the war he was employed in drilling recruits in 

 Washington, D. C. He was appointed 2d lieuten- 

 ant 9th United States Infantry, April 26, 1861 ; was 

 promoted 1st lieutenant May 17 following; captain, 

 Aiiir. '27, 18M ; major 25th Infantry, April 2, 18s:; ; and 

 lieutenant-colonel 4th Infantry, April 24, 1888. In 

 the volunteer army he was appointed lieutenant- 

 colonel of the 1st United States Sharpshooters, Oct 1, 

 1861, and was mustered out of the service Nov. 30 

 following. He was brevetted major United States 

 army March 13, 1865, for faithful and meritorious 

 services during the war. After the war he was en- 

 gaged chiefly in Indian campaigns, and in the dis- 

 astrous campaign of 1876 he was one of the officers 

 who were to co-operate with Gen. Custer on the Little 



Big Horn. In 1886-'88 he was in command of the re- 

 cruiting station at David's Inland, Now York, and at 

 the time of his death was commandant at Fort Spo- 

 kane, Wash. 



Meigs, Montgomery Cunningham, military officer, born 

 in A ugusta, Ga., May 3, 1816; died in Washington, 

 D. C., Jan. 2, 1892. He was graduated at the United 

 States Military Acad- 

 emv, July 1, 1836, but 

 resigned July 31, 1837. 

 He was appointed brevet 

 2d lieutenant of engi- 

 neers i to rank from July 

 1, 1836) in August, 1837 ; 

 promoted 1st lieutenant, 

 July 7, 1838; captain, 

 March 8, 1853; colonel 

 llth United States In- 

 fantry, May 14, 1861; 

 and brigadier - general 

 and quartermaster-gen- 

 eral on the following 

 day; and was retired 

 Feb. 6, 1882, on account 

 of age. He was bre- 

 vetted major - general 

 United States army, July 5, 1864, for distinguished 

 and meritorious services during the war. Gen. Meigs 

 was considered the foremost scientific soldier in the 

 United States army, and was practically its quarter- 

 master-general during the entire civil war. While 

 serving in the engineer corps he was engaged in the 

 construction of Forts Delaware, Wayne, Porter, Niag- 

 ara, Ontario, and Madison, and superintended the con- 

 struction of the Potomac Aqueduct, of the new wing^s 

 and iron dome of the extension of the national Capi- 

 tol, and of the extension of the post-office department. 

 In 1875-'76 he was sent to Europe to study the or- 

 ganization and government of the principal European 

 armies, and was made a member of the commission to 

 reform and reorganize the United States army. Sub- 

 sequently he was employed in preparing the plans for 

 the new State, War, and Navy Department Building, 

 and the National Museum in Washington, D. C., and 

 after his retirement he was the architect of the new 

 Pension Building' in Washington. He was a regent of 

 the Smithsonian Institution and a member of numer- 

 ous scientific societies. He bequeathed to the United 

 States Government, to be deposited in the National 

 Museum, the following articles of historic interest: A 

 seal ring with intaglio portrait of Julius Caesar; an 

 antique slone, a large signet of bronze, with stone en- 

 graved in intaglio antique of Chiron and Achilles or 

 JEnea8 ; cabinet and collection of coins and medals, 

 some of them antiques, including Alexander the 

 Great, Philip of Macedon, Julius Caesar, Augustus, and 

 other Roman and Greek heads, and Napoleon, Wash- 

 ington, and other medals; a large silver tureen or 

 vase, given by the citizens of Baltimore to Commo- 

 dore Rodgers after his defense of Baltimore from the 

 attack of the British fleet, and a silver tea-kettle and 

 lamp, presented to him by the city of Washington on 

 the occasion of the adoption of his project and report 

 upon which the Washington Aqueduct was built 



Mendenhall, James W., clergyman, born in Ohio, 

 Nov. 1, 1844 ; died in Colorado Springs, Col., June 

 18, 1892. He was graduated at Ohio Wesleyan Uni- 

 versity, and studied and practiced medicine some 

 years before entering the ministry. He was author 

 of " Echoes of Palestine " and " Plato and Paul ; or, 

 Philosophy and Christianity," and since 1888 had 

 been editor of the " Methodist Review." At the Gen- 

 eral Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church 

 in 1892 he was re-elected editor by a practically unani- 

 mous vote. 



Mendenhall, John, military officer, born in Indiana, 

 July 12, 1829; died in Newport, R. I., July 1, 1892. 

 He was graduated at the United States Military 

 Academy, and brevetted 2d lieutenant 1st United 

 States Dragoons, July 1, 1851 ; was transferred to 4th 

 Artillery, Feb. 20, 1852 ; promoted 2d lieutenant, Oct 



