COWEN, Benjamin S., physician, born in Washington county, New York, in 1793; died in St. Clairsville, Ohio, 27 September, 1869. He was educated in his native place and studied medicine. In 1820 he removed to Moorefield, Harrison County, Ohio, subsequently studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1829. He removed to St. Clairsville in 1832, and after a time edited the Belmont "Chronicle," of which he was proprietor and principal editor until 1852, when he relinquished it to his son, now Brig.-General born R. Cowen. In 1839 he was a delegate to the convention that nominated General Harrison for president, and in 1840 was elected to congress by the Whigs, where he succeeded Joshua R. Giddings as chairman of the committee on claims. He took strong ground in favor of the tariff of 1842, and throughout his congressional career was looked upon as a consistent anti-slavery man. During 1845-'6 he was a member of the Ohio legislature, and from 1847 till 1852 was presiding judge of the court of common pleas. At the beginning of. the war he was active in raising men and money, and during its continuance his efforts to aid the government never relaxed.

--BEGIN-Edward COWLES

COWLES, Edward Pitkin, jurist, born in Canaan, Connecticut, in 1815; died in Chicago, Illinois, 2 December, 1874. He was graduated at Yale in 1836, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1839, and entered into practice at Hudson, New York, with his brother, Col. Cowles, of the 128th New York volunteers, who was killed at Port Hudson. In 1853 he removed to New York, and was soon afterward appointed judge of the Supreme Court by Governor Clark, and, at the end of his first term, was reappointed to fill a vacancy created by the death of Judge Morris. On leaving the Supreme Court, he engaged in practice with Chief-Justice Barbour, afterward of the superior court. While on his way homeward from California, he died at Chicago, from gangrene, resulting from a slight injury of the foot.