Ethan Allen Hitchcock, an American author, born at Vergennes, Vt., May 18, 1798, died at Hancock, Ga., Aug. 5, 1870. His mother was a daughter of Ethan Allen. He graduated at West Point in 1817, became assistant instructor in tactics there in 1824, and from 1829 to 1833 was commandant of cadets and instructor in infantry tactics. During the war with Mexico he took part in all of Gen. Scott's battles, and served a part of the time as inspector general, receiving brevets as colonel and brigadier general. From 1851 to 1853 he was in command of the Pacific division, and in 1854-'5 at Carlisle barracks. In October, 1855, he resigned his commission in consequence of the refusal of Jefferson Davis, then secretary of war, to confirm a leave of absence granted by Gen. Scott, and afterward resided in St. Louis, devoting himself mainly to literary pursuits. On the breaking out of the civil war he reentered the army, and was appointed major general of volunteers, Feb. 10, 1862, and acted as military adviser to President Lincoln, on the commission for the exchange of prisoners, and on that for revising the military code.

He published "Remarks upon the Alchemists" (1857); "Swedenborg a Hermetic Philosopher " (1858); "Christ the Spirit" (I860); "Red Book of Appin, and other Fairy Tales" (1863); "Remarks on the Sonnets of Shakespeare" (1865); "Spenser's Colin Clout explained" (1865); and "Notes on the Vita Nuova of Dante" (1866). All his works are intended to enforce the notion that a very subtle and elevated theology and philosophy were taught hermetically by a great variety of writers.