The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOP-EDIA.
leaving the common school he was familiar with a wide
range of English literature. IHe entered the volunteer service in 1862, and served in the 79th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Early in I864 he entered the Ohio Wesleyan
University, at Delaware, from which institution he graduated in the classical course of I868. While in college, although in all things a good student, he was especially
marked for his literary attainments, and was considered as,
the best debater in the university. After graduation he was
elected a tutor in the institution, which position he resigned
to enter upon the practice of the law. Mr. McVey is also a
graduate from the law school of the Cincinnati College. He
open-e(d his law office in I869, at Wilmington, Ohio, and
immediately took rank among those who had been long in
practice, and evinced unusual ability both in presenting his
cause to the jury or in arguments addressed to the bench.
In February, 1872, he opened an office in Toledo, where he
soon after removed and has since continued to reside, and
where, in addition to having a good practice in the local
courts, he has more particularly devoted himself to professional duties in the courts of the United States. In addition
to his forensic efforts, he has for some years devoted the
time usually termed leisure to authorship. He has given to
the profession "McVey's Ohio Digest," published in I875,
consisting of two large octavo volumes. This work has
been highly commended by the press, and is considered by
the legal profession a standard work. As a proof of its
superior excellence, it may be stated that within seven
months after its first appearance it had reached a third
edition. He has also prepared a digest of the cases decided
by the New York Court of Appeals, which is now in press.
Hle is now engaged in the preparation of a work, requiring
great research and learning, entitled "Christianity before
the Law," in which he traces the relation of Christianity to
the law under the governments of continental Europe, and
also Christianity as a part of the common law of England,
preliminary to the discussion of the relations which Christianity sustains to the common and statute law of the United
States. Personally, he is tall and well proportioned; while
his countenance betrays the man of thought and great
capacity for mental work. He was maTried, January, I869,
to Anna, daughter of the Rev. William Holmes
(g- liITTSTEIN, GUSTAV C. F., was born in the city
l llof Hanover, February 29th, I829; studied at
preparatory schools until nine years of age, when
1 i he entered the Lyceum of Hanover, which he
attended to his sixteenth year as a pupil, at which
time his parents removed to Nieuburg, on the
river Weser, which place wmas, by the then king of Hanover, Ernest Augustus, made the place of residence for his
father, an-engineer in the service of the government. For
the two years during which he stayed there he received
private lessons in languages, history, drawing, etc., from
good teachers. When seventeen years old he entered a
syb LEVIN, PATRICKi S., Lawyer, was born on April
I5th, I8l5, in county Donegal, Ireland, his pa ~~ 9X) rents belonging to the upper middle class and
~ ~~ being comfortably circumstanced in life. While
~ he was quite young he was brought by them to
America. They settled in Adams county, Pennsylvania, and there he received his education. Later he
removed with his parents to Perry county, Ohio, and there
he read law with Hon. John B. Orton. In November,
I840, he was admitted to the bar, and very soon afterwards
I
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be began to practise law in the city of Dayton. li-i Noveni'
ber, i852, he removed to Defiance, Defiance county, Ohio,
where he again entered upon the practice of his profession,
and where he continued in successful practice for several
years. In the fall of i86o be removed from Defiance to
Perrysville, Wood county, Ohio, and there entered into a
partnership with Hon. James Murray, Attot-ney-General of
the State, which continued until August 8th, i862. At that
time he entered the army as Lieut enaiit-Coloiiel of the iooth
Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. For about a year thereafter be was engaged with' his regiment in campaigning
throughout the State of Kentucky., Then, attached to the
23d Army Corps, be went into Tennessee, and eventually
joined General Sherman in his march upon Atlanta,
Geor,,ia. Lon before this be bad been promoted to the
9
rank of Colonel, through the resignation of the original
colonel of the regiment. He remained actively engaged in
the Atlanta campaign until the 6th of August, i 864, when,
.in a charge on the eneiiiy's works near Atlanta, lie was
very dangerously wounded, and disabled for life. In this
same charge he lost over one-third of his command in killed
and wounded; and for his own meritorious'conduct in the
affair be was brevetted a Bi-igadier-General. This engagement, however, terminated his military service, for, in coiisequence of his wound, be was obliged to resign and leave
the army. While with his regiment be was engaged in the
following battles: Lenoir Stati(,n, Knoxville, Rocky Face
Ridge, Resaca, Dallas, Etowah Creel,., Atlanta and many
others of less importance. Returning to Ohio after leaving
the. army, be resumed the practice of his profession. In
April, i867, lie was appointed Collector of Customs for the
District of Miami, port of Toledo. In 187i be was real-)pointed to the same position, which be held until November, 1874. In December of that year be was appointed
General Secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association of Toledo, the duties of which position he continued to
fulfil for a year, at the end of which time he became a city
missionary in Toledo and the work of that calling -be still
continues to perform. For twenty-three'ye ars past he has
been a local preacher'in the Methodist Episcopal Church. -
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