Military officer; born in
Columbus, O., Oct. 15, 1818.
Educated partly at a military school in
France, he graduated at
West Point in 1838, and was assistant instructor of tactics there in 1841.
He was adjutant of the post until 1845.
In 1846 he accompanied
General Wool to
Mexico as aide-de-camp, winning the brevet of captain at
Buena Vista.
In 1856 he became assistant adjutant-general, and brigadier-general United States army in May, 1861.
General McDowell had command of the first army gathered at
Washington, and commanded at the
battle of Bull Run.
After
McClellan took command of the Army of the Potomac,
McDowell led a division under him. In March, 1862, he took command of a corps, and was appointed major-general of volunteers.
In April his corps was detached from the Army of the Potomac, and he was placed in command of the Department of the Rappahannock.
He co-operated with the forces of
Banks in the Shenandoah Valley, and was of great assistance to
General Pope in the operations of the Army of Virginia.
He was relieved, at his own request, Sept. 5, 1862, and subsequently commanded the Department of the Pacific.
He received the brevet of
[
19]
majorgeneral United States army in March, 1865.
In September, 1866, he was mustered out of the volunteer service, and afterwards commanded the Departments of the
East, the
South, and the
Pacific till his retirement, Oct. 15, 1882.
He died in
San Francisco, May 4, 1885.
