History - The First Generation of United States Marshals The First
Marshal of Kentucky: Samuel McDowell

At the age of 17, Samuel McDowell, Jr., ran away from his birthplace in
Rockbridge, Va., to enlist in the army commanded by General Lafayette.
Although he never rose beyond the rank of private, McDowell saw action
in the
final campaign against the British General Cornwallis and was an eager
participant in the final battle of the war at Yorktown. "His service was
brief,"
the family's biographer noted, "he made good use of the time at his
disposal, and
was 'in at the death.'" Returning home at the end of the war, he and his
family
moved to Kentucky in 1784. His military career did not end,
however, for throughout the 1780s, Kentucky experienced continuing
trouble with Indians.
McDowell fought alongside many of the other settlers, and joined General
Charles Scott's expedition against the Indians in the Northwest
Territory. On left, Samuel McDowell, Jr. - Source: The Wilson Club,
Louisville, Kentucky
With the establishment of the federal government, Washington appointed
Samuel McDowell, Sr., a federal judge and Samuel McDowell, Jr., Marshal
of the District of Kentucky, which at that time was a territory.
McDowell was the
youngest man whom Washington appointed Marshal. He was 25 when he
received his commission. Keenly loyal to his large family, McDowell
hired many
of his brothers, cousins, and brothers-in-law as his deputies. A
committed
Federalist, McDowell served three terms as Marshal. According to the
historian
of the Kentucky district court, he owed his reappointments not to his
job performance, which was not particularly noteworthy, but to his
political affiliations
within the Federalist party. When Jefferson came to power in 1801, he
replaced McDowell with "a decided Republican. "
The family biographer described McDowell as a "well-informed, thoughtful
man of sense. A deeply religious man, without parade or austerity, his
character was as attractive as his temper was amiable." Little is known
of McDoweIls' life after he was replaced as Marshal, other than that he
was a strong supporter of the War of 1812, encouraging his sons and
other relatives to join the fight against the British. He died in August
1834 at the age of 70. His grandson, General Irvine McDowell, took a
prominent part in the, Civil War, at onetime commanding the Army of the
Potomac.
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