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BIOGRAPHIES 


OF 


TWO  IiraDRED  AND  TIFTY 


DISTINGUISHED  NATIONAL  MEN. 


BY 

HORATIO    BATEMAN. 


FIRST    EDITION       VOLUME    I. 


NEW   YORK: 
JOHN  T.  GILES  &  CO,  PUBLISHERS,   104  BROADWAY. 

1871. 


p^E  KiJtT  YORK 
PUBLIC  LliillAKY 

49441B 


B  i-y 


L 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870,  by 

JOHN  T.  GILES   &  CO., 

in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


TO  THE 


2 

o 


SOVEREIGN     PEOPLE 


OF  THE 


UNITED    STATES 


AMERICA, 


Q^hisYolumz  is  respectfully  dedicated. 


PREFACE 


Thk  unprecedented  rapidity  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  TInHed  States 
Government  has  called  into  active  service  a  multitude  of  men  whose  names  are 
identified  with  its  formation  and  history,  and  whose  biographies  will  always  excite 
public  interest,  owing  to  the  eminent  services  which  they  have  rendered  to  their 
country. 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  there  exists  a  great  demand  for  such  biographies 
in  a  condensed  form.  To  supply  this  demand,  we  have,  in  this  volume,  given,  on 
a  single  page  each,  a  full  and  correct  outline  of  the  public  services  and  general 
characteristics  of  250  distinguished  national  men  ;  thus  compressing  into  a  very 
small  space  a  large  amount  of  valuable  information. 

We  have  taken  an  unusual  degree  of  pains  to  have  these  biographies  full  and 
correct  in  dates  and  facts,  so  that  this  book  may  be  relied  upon  for  biographical 
information  and  for  reference. 

We  have  submitted  them  to  the  men  now  living,  and  they  have  pronounced 
them  substantially  correct  in  dates  and/ac/«. 

Upon  the  opposite  page,  we  have  given  a  few  of  the  most  prominent  names 
who  have  individually  indorsed,  by  letter,  their  biographies. 

We  have  in  preparation  a  second  volume  of  biographies  of  250  other  "  Dis- 
tinguished National  Men,"  which  we  shall  issue  as  a  serial  volume  ;  and  we  shall 
continue  to  issue  them  in  volumes  of  250  each  until  we  shall  have  put  upon  record 
the  biogriiphies  of  all  our  Distinguished  National  Men. 

In  this  volume,  we  have  also  given  a  condensed  history  of  tlie  rise  and  pro- 
gress of  the  United  States  Government,  until  it  culminated  in  that  matchless  in- 
strument, the  Constitution,  and  we  became  a  free  and  independent  nation  with  the 
People  Sovereign  I 


The  following  are  a  few  of  the  gentlemen  who  have  pronounced  their  bio 
graphies  correct  in  dates  and  in  facts  : 

President  Ulysses  S.  Grant, 
Vice-President  Schuyler  Colfax, 
Chief-Justice  Salmon  P.  Chase, 
Senator  Charles  Scmner, 

"        Henry  Wilson, 

"        Simon  Cameron, 

*'        Lyman  Trumbull, 

"        William  G.  Brownlow, 

**        Samuel  C.  Pomeroy, 

"         Carl  Schurz, 

**        Oliver  P.  Morton, 

"         Hannibal  Hamlin, 
Governor  John  T.  Hoffman, 
General  William  T.  Sherman, 
Major-General  George  G.  Meade, 
"  Joseph  Hooker, 

"  George  B.  McClellan, 

"  John  C.  Fremont, 

"  Frank  P.  Blair, 

"  Peter  G.  T.  Beauregard, 

"  S.  P.  Heintzelman, 

"  James  Longstreet, 

"  John  B.  Hood, 

"  Oliver  0.  Howard, 

Nathaniel  P.  Banks, 
Fernando  Wood, 
Benjamin  F.  Wade, 
Horace  Greeley, 
Peverdy  Johnson, 
Peter  Cooper, 
George  H.  Pendleton, 
Montgomery  Blair, 
Charles  F.  Adams, 
Gideon  Welles, 
Horatio  Seymour, 
Joseph  Holt, 
Cassius  M.  Clay, 
Edwin  D.  Morgan, 
John  A.  Dix, 
Millard  Fillmore, 
Jefferson  Davis, 
George  Wilkes, 
Henry  A.  Wise, 
Wendell  Phillips, 
James  Gordon  Bennett, 
William  Lloyd  Garrison, 
Roger  A.  Pkyor, 
John  Mosby, 
Frederick  Douglas^i, 
Cornelius  Vanderbilt, 
Robert  Toombs, 
Marcus  L.  Ward, 
And  others. 


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HISTORY 

OF   THE 

EiSE  a:n^d  peogeess 

OF    THE 

UNITED    STATES    GOVERNMENT, 


The  discovery  of  America  by  Christopher  Columbus,  in  1492,  may  be 
considered  the  most  important  event  that  has  ever  resulted  from  individual 
genius  and  enterprise.  It  was  the  result  of  a  theory  matured  by  long  re- 
flection and  experience,  opposed  to  the  learning  and  bigotry  of  the  age,  and 
brouo-ht  to  a  successful  demonstration,  after  years  of  toil  against  opposing 
difficulties.  His  first  landing  was  at  San  Salvador,  on  the  12th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1492 ;  and  it  was  not  until  August,  1498,  that  he  discovered  the 
main  land,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Oronoco,  in  South  America.  Fired 
with  |the  accounts  of  the  discoveries  made  by  Columbus,  Americus  Vespu- 
cius  became  desirous  of  seeing  the  New  World  for  himself,  and  accordingly, 
sailed  from  Cadiz,  May  20,  1497,  as  a  merchant,  with  a  squadron  of  four 
ships,  which  he  placed  in  command  of  the  valiant  Ojedo. 

During  this  voyage  Americus  pretends  to  have  seen  the  Continent, 
he  may  have  done  so,  but  much  doubt  envelopes  the  matter.  In  1507,  after 
the  death  of  Columbus,  he  published  a  history  of  all  his  voyages,  and  a  chart 
of  the  American  coast,  in  which  lie  claimed  to  be  the  true  discoverer  of  the 
country. 

This  work  was  read  all  over  Europe  with  great  delight,  and  the  New 
"World  was  named  "  America"  in  his  honor  as  the  discoverer,  when,  of  right, 
it  should  have  been  "  Columbia,"  in  honor  of  "  Columbus,"  whom  all  the 
world  now  concede  to  be  the  true  discoverer. 

Shortly  after  the  return  of  Columbus  from  his  first  voyage,  John  C.ibot, 
a  Venetian  by  birth,  but  then  residing  in  England,  sailed  from  the  port  of 
Bristol,  with  his  son  Sebastian,  in  the  spring  of  1497,  under  a  commission  of 
discovery  from  Henry  VII,  King  of  England.  Ho  discovered  the  coast  of 
Labrador,  July  3,  1497,  sailed  north  and  south  along  the  coast  of  the  main- 
land ;  and,  being  the  first  to  discover  that  part  of  the  Continent  now  called 
North  America,  claimed  for  the  English  King  the  territory  from  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  to  an  iudefiuite  extent  north,  Avithout  however  attempting  either 
settlement  or  conquest.  From  this  discovery  by  Cabot,  ovh 
by  which  England  claimed  North  America. 


II 

• 

That  title  depended  upon  the  first  discovery  of  that  portion  of  the  Conti- 
nent, and  was  called  the  "  Right  of  Discovery." 

It  was  a  principle  adopted  in  the  practice  of  the  nations  of  Europe,  that 
the  first  discovery  of  unknown  countries,  gave  to  tlie  government  whose  sub- 
jects had  made  the  discovery,  a  title  to  the  possession  of  such  new  found 
land.  Under  tills  title,  the  original  inhabitants  were  permitted  to  remain 
in  the  territory,  but  they  were  restrained  from  selling  or  granting  its  soil, 
except  to  the  sovereign  by  whose  subjects  it  had  been  discovered,  and  who 
claimed  for  himself  the  sole  riglit  to  dispose  of  it;  consequently,  no  other 
person  could  acquire  a  title  from  the  natives,  either  by  purchase  or  conquest. 

Although  the  titles  derived  from  discovery  may  not  originally  have  been 
just,  their  validity,  after  a  lapse  of  centuries,  cannot  now  be  overthroAvn. 
By  successive  transfers,  they  have  become  vested  in  the  several  States,  and 
in  the  UnitediStates;  and  they  have  been  recognized  and  acceded  to  by  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 

We  still  hold  this  country  under  the  title  by  which  it  was  originally  ac- 
quired, and  we  claim  that  that  title  has,  by  treaties  or  by  grants,  decended 
to  us. 

Notwithstanding  North  America  was  inhabited  at  the  time,  it  was  colo- 
nized, the  colonists  disregarded  the  occupancy  and  claims  of  the  Indian 
tribes,  and  considered  themselves  as  settling  an  unoccupied  country.  Hence, 
therefore,  the  colonists  must  be  regarded  as  bringing  with  them  to  the  New 
World  the  laws  of  England,  so  far  as  they  were  applicable  to  their  situa- 
tion ;  and  it  was  so  declared  by  the  Continental  Congress,  in  the  Declara- 
tion of  Rights. 

For  a  century  or  more  after  its  discovery,  nothing  was  done  toward  a 
permanent  settlement  of  the  country  by  the  English.  During  the  seven- 
teenth century  however,  the  thirteen  original  states  or  colonies  were  settled. 
These  thirteen  colonies  have,  with  reference  to  their  form  of  government, 
been  divided  into  three  classes,  as  follows: 

1.  Provincial  or  Royal  Governments. 

2.  Proprietary  Governments. 

3.  Charter  Governments. 

Under  the  Provincial  Governments,  a  Governor  was  appointed  by  the 
King  as  his  deputy,  to  rule  according  to  his  instructions.  The  King  also 
appointed  a  counsel  to  assist  the  Governor  and  aid  in  making  the  laws. 
The  Governor  established  courts  and  raised  militaiy  forces.  He  had  power 
to  call  together  legislative  assemblies  of  freeholders  and  others,  in  which  the 
counsel  formed  an  Upper  House ;  he  himself  exercising  a  negative  upon 
their  proceedings,  as  well  as  the  right  to  adjourn  them  for  a  time,  or  to 
dissolve  them.  These  assemblies  made  local  laws  which  had  to  be  submit- 
ted to  the  King  for  his  approval  or  disapproval.  New  Hampshire,  New 
York,  New  Jersey,  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and  Georgia, 
were  Provincial  Colonies. 

In  Proprietary  Governments,  the  King  granted  his  rights  and  privileges 
to  certain  individuals,  who  became  proprietaries  of  the  colony,  and  held  it 
as  if  it  were  a  feudal  principality.  These  proprietaries  appointed  the  Gov- 
ernor, directed  the  calling  together  of  the  legislative  assemblies,  and  exer- 
cised all  those  acts  of  authority  which,  in  the  Provincial  Governments,  were 
exercised  by  the  king. 

At  the  time  of  the  "  Revolution,"  there  were  but  two  colonies  of  this  des- 
cription— Maryland,  under  Lord  Baltimore,  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware, 
under  William  Pcnn. 

In  the  Charter  Governments,  the  j^owers  and  rights  were  vested  by  a 
charter  from  the  King  in  the  colonists  generally,  and  were  placed  upon  a 


m 

more  free  and  democratic  foundation.  In  Connecticut  and  Ehode  Island, 
the  Governor,  Counsel,  and  Assembly  were  chosen  every  year  by  the  free- 
men of  tlie  colony.  But  by  the  charter  granted  by  William  and  Mary,  in 
1G91,  to  the  colony  of  Massachusetts,  the  Governor  was  appointed  by  the 
King,  the  Coun>el  cho^>eu  annually  by  the  General  Assembly,  and  the 
Hou^e  of  Representatives  chosen  by  the  people ;  though  in  other  respects 
the  charter  was  quite  liberal  in  its  provisions.  At  the  commencement  of 
the  Revolution,  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  Connecticut,  were  the 
only  Charter  Governments  existing. 

Notwithstanding  these  diversities  in  the  form  of  their  governments, 
the  situation  and  c.rcumstances  of  the  colonists  were  similar  in  several  very 
important  particulars.  They  were  entitled  to  the  rights  and  liberties  ot 
English  subjects,  and  to  the  advantages  of  the  laws  of  England.  They 
were  mostly  a  sober,  industrious,  and  persevering  people.  They  established 
Provincial  Legislatures  to  I'egulate  their  local  affairs.  They  did  not  hold 
their  lands  by  any  burdensome  feudal  tenures.  The  Governments  were 
administered  upon  popular  principles,  and  generally  marked  by  a  liberal 
policy.  Many  of  the  settlers  in  the  colonies  emigrated  from  England,  at  a 
time  of  great  religious  and  political  excitement,  and  were  filled  with  the 
"  Spirit  of  Libert}',"  of  free  inquiry,  and  of  opposition  to  the  prerogatives 
of  the  crown,  and  to  an  established  church,  which  such  excitement  had 
produced.  Schools  and  Colleges  were  founded  ;  religion,  education,  and 
printing  encouraged.  The  great  distance  of  the  colonies  from  the  mother 
country,  so  weakened  the  power  over  them,  that  a  love  of  freedom  gradually 
grew  up  almost  imperceptibly  by  the  English  Government. 

In  Pennsylvania  (soon  after  its  settlement),  in  Maryland,  and  in  Xew 
England  (except  Rhode  Island),  the  English  law  of  primogeniture  (that  is 
the  right  of  the  eldest  son  and  his  descendants  to  succeed  to  the  inheritance 
of  the  ancestor)  was  abolished,  and  the  estates  of  the  decedant  were  divided 
among  all  his  descendants  ;  which  tended  to  equalize  property,  increase  the 
number  of  land  holders  and  encourage  habits  of  industry.  The  Colonies 
nevertheless  had  no  political  connection  with  each  other:  they  had  no  right 
to  form  treaties  or  alliances  among  themselves,  or  enter  into  any  connection 
with  foreign  powers.  The  law  of  nations  did  not  recognise  them  as  sov- 
ereign states,  but  only  as  dependencies  of  the  crown  of  England.  They 
could  not  make  treaties,  declare  war,  or  receive  ambassadors.  Each  colonist, 
however,  had  the  full  rights  of  a  British  subject  in  every  other  colony. 

Notwithstanding  the  absence  of  any  recognized  right  on  the  part  of  the 
colonies  to  form  alliances  among  themselves,  yet,  in  consequence  of  the  sim- 
ilarity of  their  laws,  religion,  institutions,  interests,  situation  and  wants 
generally,  they  were  frequently  led  to  unite  together  for  the  purpose  of  ad- 
vancing their  common  welfare,  and  for  defence  against  the  hostilities  of  the 
Indian  tribes.  The  eastern  colonies,  so  early  as  the  year  1G43,  entered  into 
a  compact  under  the  style  of  the  "  United  Colonies  of  New  England  "  for 
the  purpose  of  protection  against  the  Indians  and  Dutch.  This  transaction 
of  the  colonies  was  an  assumption  of  sovereignty,  and  doubtless  contributed 
to  the  formation  of  that  public  sentiment,  which  prepared  the  way  for  Amer- 
ican Independence. 

Even  at  this  early  period  these  Colonies  assumed  the  character  of  inde- 
pendent states  ;  the  attention  of  the  mother  country  being  drawn  from  them, 
and  absorbed  by  the  civil  war  with  which  it  wus  then  so  fearfully  agitated. 
Their  articles  of  confederation  were  marked  by  that  jealousy  for  f>tnt6 
eovereigiiiy  which  characterized  alloursub^cqxu^nt  Confederacies,  but  which, 
"WO  h  ivo  no  reason  to  regret,  was  not  included  in  our  present  Constitution, 
which  transferred  the  Sovereignty  to  tho  "  National  Guvernmont  ". 


IV 

The  New  Eaglaad  Confederacy  existed  until  1686,  when  the  charters  o 
the  colonies  wji-e  vac  ited  uy  c.>iu.nis->i>ja  Iroin  Jaiuej  II.  After  the  dissolu- 
tion oftuis  le  igiii,  ueii'iy  a  cenr.uiy  elap-^wd  beloie  a  ly  g-iueral  associaton 
of  ihe  colonies  was  to  nied.  Bathtill  tUese,  as  we. I  as  ocUer  colonies,  con- 
tinued to  give  ucoasioii . I  evideaces  of  ttie  great  necessity  they  felt  f  ir,  and 
t;ie  jigh  imp  irt  mce  w.tli  which  they  regarded  a  Union.  Now  and  tnen  a 
Congress  of  Governors  anl  (Joinraissioners,  was  held  to  adopt  more  effectual 
measures  for  their  nuitiial  protection  against  their  savage  enemies  One  of  this 
character  was  held  at  Albany,  in  the  year  17^:2;  but  another,  of  hg  jer  impor- 
tance, Was  couven  d  theie  in  17J4,  consisting  of  delegates  from  seven 
colonies,  and  called  at  the  instance  of  the  English  Admiuistr  lion  to  cmsalt 
as  to  the  best  means  of  defending  *'  America''  in  the  event  of  a  war  witli 
France. 

Tais  Congress  published  some  important  doctrines  which,  operating  with 
a  hippy  effc-ct  on  the  minds  of  the  colonists,  served  to  give  them  a  JSiational 
direction,  and  guided  tliera  on  the  road  to  our  present  high  station. 

The  Conveuiion  unanimously  resolved,  "  that  a  union  of  the  colonies  is 
necessary  for  their  preservation,  and  Parliament  must  be  applied  to  to 
establish  it."  The  celebrated  "  Plan,"  drawn  up  by  Dr  Franklin  (which  is 
of  the  greatest  interest  to  the  American  student)  dev^eloped  a  National  spirit 
throughout.  Power  was  given  to  the  "General  Government"  to  raise  and 
pay  soldiers,  build  forts,  and  equip  vessels  of  force,  etc.  The  colonies  were 
to  be  represented  in  proportion  to  population.  This  was  the  first  occasion  upon 
which  this  idea  had  been  suggested,  the  New  England  colonies  in  their  con- 
federacy hiving  been  equaily  represented  as  colonies,  not  in  p  oportion  to 
population.  In  this  respect  the  "  Albany  Plan"  w,ts  in  advance  of  the 
"  Articles  of  Confederation"  in  its  National  spirit,  and  served  as  the  proto- 
type of  the  •'  Constitution"  itself.  The  sectional  jealou-y  and  colonial  pride 
of  the  colonies  continued  so  strong  that  the  ''  Albany  Plan"  was  reject.-d  by 
every  one  of  t!ie  Provincial  A-serablies,  and  we  were  destined  to  remain 
sometime  longerseparate,  and  in  a  considerable  degree  alien  comm-nwealths, 
jealous  of  each  other's  prosperity,  and  divided  by  policy,  institutions,  pre- 
jud  ce  and  m mners. 

W  len.  however,  England  began  to  oppress  the  colonies,  they  were  led 
agiin  to  form  a  union  for  their  common  protection.  On  the  passage  of  the 
'•Stamp  Act"  in  1765,  upon  the  rec  >mmendation  of  Massachusetts,  the 
"First  Cb/o?iia/ Congress"  assembled  at  New  York,  October  7,  of  that  year,  at 
which  nine  colonies  were  represented  by  twenty-eigiit  delegates,  and  they 
published  a  bill  of  rights,  in  which  they  boldly  declared  that,  "the  sole 
power  of  taxation  resided  in  the  colonies  "  The  bold  stand  taken  by  the 
p-^ople  of  Bvston  against  British  tax  ition  in  1768,  called  forth  resolutions  of 
approval  and  support  from  almost  every  Colonial  Legislature,  and  the  events 
succeeding  served  to  heighten  the  National  feeling  in  proportion,  as  the 
hatred  to  the  m  'ther  country  was  increased. 

A  C  mtinental  Congress  was  simultaneously  proposed  by  meetings  held 
at  New  York  and  Philadelphii  and  by  the  Legislature  of  Connectieut.  On 
the  5th  of  September,  1774.  the  colonies,  sti  I  urged  on  by  the  monstrous 
claims  of  the  British  Pa-ii  iment  and  the  df^spitic  usurpations  of  power  by 
George  III.,  united  in  sending  delegates  to  Philadelphia,  "  roith  anlhority  and 
discretion,  to  rwet  and  cow^ult  tnj ether  for  the  common  welfare. ^^  Eleven  of  the 
cilonies  were  represented  in  this  Cmgres^,  and  by  m?n  illustrious  for 
talent,  in* eg  -ity  and  p  itriotism,  and  whose  memories  are  yet,  and  ever  will 
be.  embalmed  by  tie  heartfe  t  gratitu  le  of  their  c  •untrvnien.  They  sty'ed 
themselves  ''  the  delegates  appointed  by  the  good  pe>ple  of  the=e  colonies." 
and  continued  in  session  until  October  26  of  the  same  y.^ar.  This  Congress, 
among  several  otlier  valuable  State  papers,  published  a  "Declaration  of 


Rights,"  which  is  important,  a-?  fully  settino:  forth  the  natural  and  constitu- 
tional rights  to  which  the  colonists  believed  themselves  entitled. 

Events  now  crowded  iipuu  each  other.  Jiefore  the  Congress  met  again, 
hostilities  had  commenced  in  Massachusetts,  and  at  Lexington  the  blood  oj 
the  first  martyrs  to  the  cause  had  been  shed  to  cement  the  National  Unity." 
Hencefotth  the  Union  was  continued  by  successive  conventions  of  Congress. 
On  the  loth  of  May,  1775,  a  Congress  was  again  as.-e.nbled  at  Philadelphi-a, 
and  vestei  with /u//j9oioer6' <o  conctri,  a<jree  upon,  direct,  order  and  prosecrde 
sucti  measures,  as  they  should  must  approve,  to  obtain  redress  of  grievances. 
Having  published  a  declaration  of  the  caust-s  which  impelled  them  to  resolute 
resistance,  gradually  assuming  to  themselves  tne  poweis  of  tbe  States  ihey, 
on  the  4;h  day  of  July,  i77(j,  gave  to  the  world  that  g  orious  instrument, 
which  marked  the  dawning  of  a  brij,hter  era,  and  the  birthday  of  a  happy 
Nation  which  was  eve^dwuiy  to  be  truly  free  and  independent 

The  National  sentiment  had.  now  reached  its  height.  Flushed  wi;«h 
thoughts  of  independence,  and  of  boundless  prosperity,  no  ideas  of  jealousy 
or  of 'State  sovereignty  entered  the  minds  of  toe  people,  but  as  -'one  people'^ 
they  dissolved  the  political  bands  which  connected  them  with  the  mother 
country;  and  "  in  the  name,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  good  people  of  these 
colonies,"  declared  themselves  •'  Free  and  Independent,"  which  declaration 
was  fin  illy  engrossed  and  signed  by  order  of  Congress. 

Throughout  the  wliole  of  this  immoital  instrument  the  ideas  of  Equality- 
Liberty,  and  Union  are  closely  blended.  It  was  never  referred  to  the  separate 
States  for  ratification,  nor  did  any  State  declare  its  Independence.  The  Inde- 
pendence declared  was  for  the  "United  States,"  not  "Confederate  States," 
and  was  then  for  the  first  time  styled  "  United  States  of  America." 

On  the  11th  of  June,  177G,  the  same  day  on  which  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed by  Congress  for  preparing  a  Declaration  of  Independence,  it  resolved 
to  appoint  another  committee,  to  prepare  and  digest  the  form  of  alliance  to 
be  entered  into  between  the  colonies.  This  committee,  on  the  12th  of  July 
following,  reported  a  plan  of  a  confederacy  consisting  of  twenly  artic'es,  but 
the  lofty  National  sentiment  which  prevailed  in  the  Declara  ion  of  Independ- 
ence did  not  exhibit  itself  so  fully  in  the  "  Articles."  So  many  were  the 
rival  inte -ests  developed  that  the  local  jealousie-  and  sectional  differences 
which  had  been  forgotten  during  the  fervour  of  the  patriotic  ouibutst,  at  the 
commencement,  left  their  impre.-s  on  the  '•  Articles  "  and  prevented  their 
adoption  by  Congress  until  November  15,  1777.  Hence  we  find  the  doctrine 
of  "  State  Sovereignty"  plainly  set  forth  in  that  instrument,  in  evident  conflct 
with  the  National  spirit,  which  also  makes  itself  apparent.  ''T^ese  articles 
of  confederation"  were  ratified  in  July,  1778,  by  the  delegates  from  all  the 
States  but  three,  and  were  subsequently  signed  on  the  part  of  New  Jersey, 
Nov'r  25,  1778;  Delaware. Feb'y  22,  1779  ;  and  Maryland.  March  L  1781. 

The  ratificition  of  the  Articles  was,  therefore,  completed  March  1,  17S1, 
and  on  the  2d  of  March,  1781,  Congress  first  assembled  under  the  "Con- 
federation." 

These  Articles  formed  the  thirteen  States,  by  the  style  of  "  The  Ignited 
States  of  America,"  into  a  firm  league  of  friendship  with  each  other  for  their 
defence,  the  security  of  their  liberties,  and  their  mutual  and  general  welfare. 
Each  State  retained  its  own  sov^-^irpity,  and  all  powers  not  expre-sly  dele- 
gated to  the  United  States  in  Conn  ess  assembled.  Delegatts  weic  to  be 
chosen  every  year  by  each  Sta  e,n  >t  less  than  three,  nor  more  than  s<'ven  in 
number,  to  meet  in  Congress.  L  ich  State  was  to  support  the  expenses  ot  its 
own  delegates.  In  deciding  questions,  the  votes  were  taken  by  S;ates,  each 
>;tate  having  a  sing'e  i:o'e.  A  1  liio  e.xpensf^s  of  the  war,  and  for  the  geneial 
welfare,  were  to  be  supplit'd  ))y  liio  several  States  in  proportion  to  the  value 
of  the  settled  lands  and  improvcmonts-iUci-oon. 


VI 

After  the  Declaration  of  Peace,  and  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  it 
was  soon  found  tti.it  the  phm  detailed  in  the  •' Ailicles  of  Conledeialion''  was 
impraclicable.  It  gave  to  (Jongies:^  no  means  of  enforcing  its  laws  upon  the 
States,  and  the  Siate^  disregarded  the  rccou.mendaiions  of  Congress  with  im- 
punity, Congre^b  had  no  p<.wer  to  levy  taxes  or  collect  rtV(;nue  lor  the 
public  service  ;  nor  could  it  rt-gulate  commerce  either  with  loreign  nations 
or  among  the  several  Slates.  Forif.gn  nations  refused  to  hold  iutercourte  with 
a  Government  which  was  only  such  in  name,  ai.d  possessed  no  real  power 
even  to  carry  out  its  m.ost  oidinary  decrees.  The  public  debt  incurred  by 
tlie  war  was  veiy  gieat,  and  the  "Ai  tides  of  Confederation"  in  no  way  pro- 
vided ( ffectual  means  for  its  payment.  The  aciministration  of  governm*  nt 
under  all  such  confederacies  has  ever  been  marked  with  weaknes-s.  and  de- 
generated into  anarchy,  or  increased  to  a  mcst  galling  and  unbound<d 
despotism.  It  became  evident  in  a  short  time  that  distress  and  ruin  would 
overspread  the  country  unless  some  different  and  more  vigorous  form  of 
governmt-nt  were  adopted. 

Delegates  were,  therefore,  appointed  from  the  different  States  to  meet  in 
Philadelphia  on  the  14th  day  of  iMay,  1787,  for  the  put  pose  of  devising  some 
plan  for  a  viore  'perfect  Union  of  the  States.  The  first  practical  suggestion  of 
a  met'iodof  investing  the  Government  with  the  requisiie  power,  and  at  the 
same  time  not  destroy  the  State  organizations,  was  in  the  winter  of  1784-85, 
when  Noah  Webster  struck  the  key-note  in  proposing  a  neio  sysicrn  of  Govern- 
ment, which  should  act, '-^loi  on  the  Slates,  but  direcMy  on  individuals,  and 
vest  in  '  Congress''  full  power  to  cany  its  laws  into  effect." 

The  Convention  metl^Iay  25,  1787,  andafter  much  discussion  these  views 
were  embodied  in  the  present  "Constitution,"  which  was  finally  adopted, 
as  the  result,  of  their  labors  on  the  17ih  of  September,  1787,  and,  according 
to  the  recommendation  of  the  Convention,  Congress  transmitted  the  plan  of 
the  Constitution  to  the  several  Legislatures  of  the  States,  in  order  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  a  convention  of  delegates  cho>-en  in  each  State  by  the  peojyle 
thereof  Conventions  assembled  in  the  different  States,  and  the  new  syskm 
^Yas  di-cusi-ed  with  great  learning  and  zeal,  and  with  many  conflicting 
opinions,  but  w.is  at  last  adopted,  thongh  not  without  much  opposition;. 

On  the  17th  of  September,  17b'8,  Congress  havirg  received  the 
ratifications  ct  the  Constitution  from  all  the  Conventions  of  all  the  States, 
except  North  Carolina  and  Khode  Island,  resolved  that  the  first  Wednes- 
day of  January.  1789,  should  be  the  day  for  appointing  electors  in  the 
several  States,  which  may  have  ratified  the  Constitution  before  that  day. 
Accordingly,  elections  were  held  in  the  several  States  for  electors,  and 
the  electors,  thus  appointed,  met  and  voted  for  President  and  Vice- 
Pi  esident,  when  Geoige  Washington  was  unanimously  elected  the  first 
President  and  John  Adams,  Vice-1'resident.  The  States  having  also  elected 
their  Senators  and  I^epresentatives,  the  first  "Constitutional  Congress," 
composed  of  Representatives  from  eleven  States  which  had  then  ratified  the 
Constitution,  as-embled  on  Wednesday,  March  4,  1789,  in  New  York,  and 
on  that  d  ly  the  new  "  Constitution"  went  into  legal  operation  as  the  supreme 
and  funda'ponfal  h  wrf  the  land,  thereby  establishing  a  ICaiion. 

The  Constitution  commences  with  the  declaration  that  We,  THE  PEOPLE 
of  the  United  States,  in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect  mvon,  establish  justice, 
insure  domestic  tranquility,  provide  for  the  common  defence,  promote  the 
gen--al  welfare,  and  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty  to  ourselves,  and  our  pos- 
terity, DO  OKDAiN  and  establish  this  constitution  for  the  United  States 
of  America. 

Its  first  article  vests  all  LegMathe  power  in  a  Congress  of  tlie  United 
States  to  consist  of  a  Sekate,  as  the  rcpresentalive  of  the  State  ;  and  a 
House  OP  KipREsrcvTATiA'-LS,  as  the  dirc<;t  representatives  of  the  P^OPLi: 


The  duty  of  this  Conprress  being-  to  enact  all  laics  for  the  GENERAL  TTELFAKE 
of  the  whole  United  tstates. 

Its  second  article  places  the  executive  or  administrative  power  in  a  "Pres- 
ident," whose  duty  it  is,  to  '^  take  care  that  the  laics  be  faiiltf  ally  executed. ''^ 
The  administrative  business  of  the  Government  is  not  all  managed  directly 
by  the  President  himself,  but,  has  by  rarious  acts  of  Congress,  been  distrib- 
uted among  several  executive  departments,  called  the  Cabinet,  who  are  the 
constitutiunal  advisers  of  the  President,  and  whose  opinions  he  is  authorised 
to  require  in  w^riting  upon  any  subject  relating  to  the  duties  of  their  res- 
pective offices. 

The  third  article  vests  the  judicial  poice?'  in  one  "  Supreme  Court,"  and 
such  inferior  Courts  as  the  Congress  may  from  time  to  time  ordain  and  es- 
tablish, whose  province  it  is  to  tnterpiet  and  apply  the  laws. 

Plaving  given  a  condensed  history  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  United 
States  Government  to  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  I  w411 
endeavor  to  trace  its  history  from  that  period  to  the  present  day. 

The  State  Governments,  under  the  Confederation,  alone  supported  the  United 
States  Government,  and,  as  has  ah-eady  been  shown,  made  ii  dependent  upon  ihem 
for  its  existence  ;  but,  on  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  a  more  perfect  uido7i 
was  established,  adding  anothtr  and  more  substantial  support,  emanating  directly 
from  the  people  through  their  "  Representatives  in  Congress,"  which  transferred 
the  "  Sovereignty  "  from  the  States  to  the  United  Stares,  and  cemented  the  States 
firmly  into  one  nation,  so  as  to  prevent  their  ever  effectually  dissolving  their  re- 
lations with  each  other  without  the  consent  of  a  majority  of  iV^Q  people,  not  only 
of  each  State,  but  of  the  ivhole  United  States. 

Although  the  "  Declaration  of  Independence  "  declared  ALL  MEN  TO  BE 
CREATED  EQUAL,  and  endowed  with  certain  inalienable  rights,  among  wdiich 
were  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  and  although  the  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States  was  adopted  to  secure  the  Blessings  of  Liberty  to 
all,  there  yet  remained  slavery  for  a  portion  of  the  PEOPLE  of  the  country. 
Why  was  Slavery  left  in  the  Union  after  the  declaration  of  independence 
and  why  was  the  constitution  adopted  with  no  clause  expressly  prohibiting 
it  ■?  At  that  time  a  large  portion  of  the  white  people  had  property ^  in  slaves, 
and  many  had  a  large  interest  in  their  importation.  These  considerations 
made  it  difficult  to  destroy  the  institution  at  once.  It  was  expected,  how- 
ever, that  it  would  gradually  diminish,  and  after  a  short  time  entirely  cease 
to  exist. 

That  such  was  the  expectation  of  the  men  most  prominent  in  drawing 
up  those  instruments,  such  as  Thomas  Jefferson,  John  Adams,  Eichard  II, 
Lee,  Patrick  Henry,  John  Randolph,  John  Jay,  Alexander  Hamilton.  Ben- 
jamin Franklin,  James  Madison  and  others,  is  evident  from  their  speeches 
and  writings  as  well  as  from  their  studied  failure  to  expressly  rccogiiizc  it 
in  either  ;  also  by  the  law  which  was  passed  by  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States  in  session  at  the  time  tlie  Constitution  was  adopted  by  the  Conven- 
tion, "forever  prohibiting  slavery  in  the  North  Western  Territory"  which 
was  ceded  to  the  United  States  by  different  States  about  that  time.  A  fact 
to  be  borne  in  mind  in  this  connection  is,  that  a  number  of  the  States  did 


VIII 

abolish  Slavery  -within  their  limits  a  fe^  jearB  afterwards,  and  the  intent 
was  evident  that  it  should  be  done  in  all  u  .til  the  Cotton  Gin  miide  Slavery 
so  very  profitable,  that  the  love  of  yain  overcame  the  moral  fueling-  that  had 
been  eng-endered  till  then,  and  some  of  the  States  continued,  fostered,  and 
encouraged  it. 

The  States  that  abolished  slavery,  admitted  Justice  in  its  stead  as  an  as- 
sociate with  Liberty,  and  Education  was  their  legitimate  offspring,  therefore 
tlie  "Free  States"  represented  Justice,  Liberty,  and  Education,  and  the  "  Slave 
States  "  Liberty  and  Slavery  combined. 

The  incompatibility  of  Slavery  with  Liberty  becoming  more  and  more 
apparent,  and  the  peojple  of  tlu  se  States  that  had  abolished  Slavery,  per- 
ceiving that  it  was  bringing  contempt  upon  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
and  the  principles  of  the  Constitution,  endeavored  to  persuade  their  brethren 
in  the  States  that  had  not,  to  adhere  to  the  original  understanding,  and 
to  make  some  provision  for  its  eventual  abolition,  if  they  could  not  be  pre- 
vailed upon  to  give  it  up  at  once.  They  showed  them  its  antagonism  to 
the  principles  and  interests  of  a  Free  and  Independent  Republic,  that  it  was 
a  foe  to  education  and  progress,  that  it  was  undermining  the  morals  and 
degrading  the  labor  of  the  country,  that  it  pandered  to  the  worst  passions, 
and  tended  to  reduce  the  country  to  barbarism. 

These  simple  truths  laid  before  them  in  candor,  for  their  own  good,  as 
well  as  for  the  good  of  the  country,  did  not  have  the  desired  effect  of  awak- 
ening them  to  a  sense  of  Justice.  But,  feeling  the  debasing  influ<;nce  of  sla- 
very, and  finding  it  could  not  be  sustained  by  free  discussion,  also  perceiving 
the  slender  thread  which  held  it  (on  sufferance)  in  the  United  States  under 
the  Constitution,  raised  the  cry  of  persecution,  and  charged  the  free  States 
with  interfering  with  their  domestic  affairs.  Fearing  that  the  progress  of 
liberal  views  among  the  people  of  the  free  States  would  soon  have  such  in- 
fluence in  the  councils  of  the  nation  as  to  curtail  the  privileges  of  slavery, 
they  attempted  to  revive  the  old  jealousies  that  had  formerly  existed  be- 
tween the  States,  and  establish  the  doctrine  of  States  Rights  Supremacy  ; 
contending  that  the  Constitution  did  not  transfer  the  Sovereignty  from  the 
State?  to  the  United  States  ;  but  that  they  were  still,  as  under  the  Confed- 
eracy, Sovereign  and  Independent  States,  joined  together,  as  then,  by  a  com- 
pact or  league,  and  that  the  States  could  nullify  any  law  passed  by  Congress, 
and  had  the  right  to  withdraw  from  the  Union  at   pleasure. 

Not  deeming  it  expedient  to  appear  to  sustain  that  doctrine  in  order  to 
uphold  and  protect  slavery,  they  first  directed  their  attention  to  the  Tariff 
law  passed  by  Congress,  when  the  State  of  South  Carolina  denied  the  r:ght 
of  the  United  States  Government  to  collect  the  Tariff  Duty  in  that  State, 
and  threatened  to  resist  its  enforcement,  and  to  withdraw  from  the  Union. 
But  this  threat  was  promptly  met  by  a  proclamation  from  President  "  Jack- 
son," Avho  declared  that  the  "  laws  must  be  executed,"  and  that  any  oppo- 
sition to  their  execution  would  be  met  by  force,  if  necessary.  South  Caro- 
lina receded  from  her  hostile  position,  although  she  still  boldly  advanced 
her  favorite  doctrine  of  the  Supremacy  of  States  Rights,  and,  in  the  person 
of  her  distinguished  Senator  "  John  C.  Calhoun  ",  asserted  it  even  in  the 
halls  of  Congress.  Calhoun  became  its  foremost  Champion,  and  endeavored 
with  all  the  powers  of  his  analytical  mind  to  convince  the  country  that  the 
doctrine  was  correct.  But  "  Daniel  Webster,"  the  Champion  of  National 
Supremacy,  net  h's  arguments  step  by  step,  and  so  successfully  refuted 
them,  and  so  fir  nly  established  the  Sovereignty  of  the  *'  LT'nited  States 
Government  "  taat  few  afterwards  openly  attempted  to  dispute  it.  Finding 
they  could  not  establish  States  Rights  Supremacy  openly,  and  throutih  that 


protect  the  institution  of  slavery  from  tlie  encroachments'of  education  and 
prog-ressivo  ideas,  they  proceeded  by  intrigue  and  compromise  to  induce  the 
National  Government  to  acknowledg-o  its  obliu-ation  to  protect  it.  First  by 
admitting-  new  States  with  slavery  into  the  Union,  thereby  strengthening" 
the  slave  power  in  the  Nation,  next  by  the  ['assige  of  the  "  Fugitive  Slave 
Law,"  which  they  claimed  was  only  to  carry  into  effect  a  provision  of  the 
Constitution,  but  which  was  so  drawn  as  to  make  every  man  a  Fugitive 
Slave  hunter. 

Then  by  endeavoring  to  force  the  United  States  to  protect  slavery  in  the 
Territories  under  the  name  of  "  Squatter  Sovereignty"  and  finally  to  protect 
it  in  the  free  States,  when  taken  there  by  its  master,  thus  seeking  to  force 
the  Free  States  to  become  Slave  States. 

The  freedom  loving  people  of  the  Country  became  aroused  to  a  sense  of 
their  danger,  opposed  the  two  last  propositions  at  the  ballot  box,  and  sig- 
nally defeated  them  by  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln  as  President  of  the 
United  States.  Their  secret  organizations  ot  "  States  Ilights  "  under  the 
name  of  "  Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle  "  now  made  their  object  manifest 
in  the  threatened  resistance  to  the  Avill  of  the  people,  by  secession. 

Most  of  the  ofiices  of  the  National  Government  were  in  the  hands  of  the 
Conspirators,  a  conniving  or  imbecile  President,  (James  Buchanan,)  was  in 
the  Chair  at  "Washington,  the  fleet  despatched  to  distant  waters,  the  army 
scattered  along  the  western  borders,  the  arsenals  at  the  North  stripped,  and 
the  arms  sent  South,  the  Treasury  depleted,  and  the  National  Credit  pur- 
posely destroyed  by  the  tre;icherous  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

All  things  being  thus  prepared,  the  Conspirators  appealed  to  what  they 
termed  the  reserved  rights  of  the  States,  and  sought  to  withdraw  from  the 
Union.  Before  the  inauguration  of  Abraham  Lincoln  as  President  of  the 
United  States,  seven  of  the  States  had  seceded,  and  formed  themselves  into 
a  "  Southern  Confederacy"  the  foundations  of  -which  were  Slavery  alone.  Four 
other  States  afterward  joined  the  Confederacy,  making  eleven  in  all  which  se- 
ceded from  the  Union.  These  were,  South-Carolina,  Mississippi,  Alabama,  Florida, 
Georgia,  Louisiana,  Texas,  Virginia,  Arkansas,  Tennessee,  and  North-Carolina. 

The  position  of  these  States  after  seceding  has  been  a  question  of  consid- 
erable interest  to  the  country.  Lender  the  Old  Articles  of  Confederation, 
any  State  had  the  right  to  withdraw  fron  the  Union,  or  League  at  any  time, 
as  each  State  was  Sovereign  and  Independent  of  each  other,  but,  on  the 
adoption  of  the  Constitution,  that  Sovereignty  was  transferred  to  the  Na- 
tional Government,  thus  giving  the  citizens  of  every  State  a  joint  interest 
in  every  other  State.  Therefore,  no  State,  nor  the  people  of  any  State,  had 
the  right  to  secede  or  withdraw  from  the  L'nion,  without  the  consent  of  a 
m'ljor.li^  of  the  ichole  peonle.  of  the  United  States. 

These  eleven  States  did,  however,  as  States,  withdraw  their  practical  re- 
lations with  the  rest  of  the  Union.  They  also  attempted  by  force  of  arms  t )  com- 
pel the  National  Government  to  allow  them  to  take  with  them  the  people  of  those 
States,  whicli  Avould  complete  their  separation,  and  establish  their  independence. 

Biit  the  National  Government,  now  under  the  administration  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  prevented  the  accomplishment  of  their  object,  by  calling  on 
the  Loyal  People  of  the  Nation  to  aid  in  the  restoration  of  the  Union ;  who 
immediately  responded  to  the  call  in  sufficient  numbers  to  arrest  their 
progress- 


AH  are  farailliar  with,  the  different  phases  of  the  Rebellion,  of  the  nu- 
merous obstacles  to  the  progress  of  Tiestoration,  of  the  various  prejudices 
to  overcome,  and  the  complete  change  in  the  morale  of  the  war  before  it 
could  be  successful. 

When  thj  war  commenced,  it  was  conducted  on  the  part  of  the  National 
Grovernment  for  the  restoration  of  the  Union  onlj/. 

Slavery, //(ccawsf^  of  the  Rebellion,  and  the  (/real  obstacle  to  its  suppres- 
sion was  left  as  before,  and  the  slaves  who  fled  to  the  Union  Armies,  were 
returned  to  their  masters.  The  National  Government  studiously  avoided 
all  interference  with  the  "  peculiar  institution  "  in  order  to  convince  the 
Southern  People  that  they  were  not  fighting  against  slavery,  but  to  restore 
the  Union  to  its  former  position,  and,  to  give  them  the  opportunity  and  all 
the  inducements  possible  to  give  up  the  struggle,  and  return  to  their  duty. 

The  necessity  of  freeing  the  slaves  of  Rebels,  in  order  to  take  from  them 
a  great  part  of  their  strenglh,  and  thereby  destroy  the  cause  of  the  rebel- 
lion, was  foreseen  by  Gen.  Fremont,  when  in  command  of  the  Department 
of  the  Missouri,  who  issued  a  proclamation,  liberating  the  slaves  of  Rebels 
within  his  command.  Deeming  it  premature.  President  Lincoln  counter- 
manded the  proclamation,  giving  them  more  time  for  consideration.  But 
all  the  inducements  held  out  to  them  were  rejected,  and  the  rebels  continued 
the  struggle,  determined  to  compel  the  National  Government  to  recognize 
their  independence,  and  relinquish  its  control  over  any  property  in  the  Se- 
ceding States.  Atter  nearly  two  years  of  bloody  strife,  the  Administration 
saw  that  the  slave  was  an  aid  to  the  Rebellion,  (though  an  unwilling  one,) 
and  that  the  institution  of  slavery  was  the  great  obstacle  to  the  success  of 
the  Union  Arms.  Then,  and  then  only,  and  as  a  military  necessity,  did 
President  Lincoln  issue  his  celebrated  "Emancipation  Proclamation" 

A  large  portion  of  the  slaves  finding  they  would  be  protected,  fled  to  the 
Union  Armies,  and  afterwards,  being  allowed  to  enlist  as  Soldiers,  aided  us 
to  overcome  and  conquer  Rebellion. 

ihe  rebellion,  alter  lastin.):  four  years,  was  suddenly  brought  to  a  close 
by  the  surrender  of  Lee  to  Grant,  April  9,  18G5;  the  supremacy  of  the 
National  Government  was  vindicated,  and  the  "  Constituliou"  stood  firm 
under  the  shock. 

The  collapse  of  the  rebellion,  and  the  radical  change  which  it  had  made 
in  the  iniernal  affairs  of  the  seceding  States,  lelt  them  wiihout  civil  govern- 
ments, and  made  it  incumbent  upon  the  •'  National  Congress''  to  make  some 
rules  or  regulations  for  their  "  lieconstruction." 

Before  Congress  came  together,  Abraham  Lincoln,  who,  as  its  Chief 
Executive,  had  guided  the  Nation  through  its  greatstruggle,  was  on  the  14th 
day  of  April,  IKoS,  (the  anniversary  of  the  surrender  of  Fort  Sumpter), 
stricken  down  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin,  inspired  by  that  "  Slave  Spirit'' 
which  had  trained  its  votaries  in  the  uncontrolled  indulgence  of  Iheir  pas- 
sion> ;  and  Andrew  Johnson,  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  by  virtue 
of  the  Constitution,  became  President,  and  assumed  the  task  of  initiating 
measures  for  restoring  the  Rebel  States  to  their  practical  relations  to  the 
Union,  instead  of  leaving  the  whole  matter  to  "Congress,"  in  whom  the 
Constitution  vests  all  le(;islative  powers.  Besides  this,  Mr.  Johnson's 
"  policy"  disregarded  the  f.ict  that  ••  New  State  Constitutions"  must  be  made 
before  they  could  with  safety  be  again  restored  to  the  Union,  and  tended  to 
deliver  the  reins  of  Governmont  into  the  h  uuls  of  the  very  men  by  whom  that 
Governmonthad  been  betrayed,  and  to  nla.e  the  loyaJ. citizens  beneath  the  feet 
of  the  rebels. 


XI 

His  conduct  re-aroused  the  slave  spirit,  rendering  the  work  of  reconstruc- 
tion more  difficult  than  before. 

Congress,  when  they  met  in  December,  1S65,  justly  considering  that  the 
power  to  initiate  proceedings  for  the  restoration  of  civil  g(jvernn!ents  in  the 
rebellious  States  was  vested  in  the  Legislative  and  not  in  thu  Executive,  Depart- 
ment of  the  Government,  and  that  the  results  of  the  J  resident's  policy  en- 
dangered the  rights  of  the  people  and  the  authority  of  the  Nation,  entered 
upon  a  series  of  K'gislative  me  sures,  intended  to  secure  the  rights  and  privil- 
ege-^ of  the  freedmen,  protect  those  who  hadr-^^maiM  d  f.uth'ul  to  tlie  Govern- 
ment, preserve  order,  and  put  the  late  Rebel  States  under  the  control  of  men 
loyal  to  the  country,  to  Liberty  and  Justice, 

The  amenduient  to  the  Constitution,  securing  the  emancipation  of  the 
slave  thriuighout  the  National  Jurisdiction,  was  <  fficially  announced  as 
having  been  ratified  by  a  sufficient  number  of  States  on  the  ISth  of  De- 
cember. 181)5. 

Secession  and  this  amendment  to  the  Constitution  rendered  null  and  void 
the  "Old  State  Constitutions"  which  recognized  slavery. 

On  the  9th  of  April,  1666,  the  "  Civil  Rights"  bill  became  a  law  by 
being  passed  over  tlie  President's  veto,  giving  the  colored  man,  through  its  pro- 
visions, the  same  right  to  acquire  and  hold  property  as  the  white  man,  and 
the  "Freedmeu's  Bureau,    secured  and  protected  him  in  those  rights. 

On  the  loth  of  June,  1866,  the  Fourteeuth  Amendment  to  the  Consti- 
tution was  passed  by  Congress,  which  makes  colored  as  well  as  white  men 
"  Citizens"  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  State  wherein  they  reside,  and 
forbids  any  State  to  make  or  enforce  any  law  wh  cli  shall  abridge  the 
privileges  or  immunities  of  citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  deny  tUera  the 
equal  protection  of  the  law.  The  amendment  also  foibids  the  United 
States,  or  any  State  t  o  assume  or  pay  any  debt  or  obligation  incurred  in  aid  of 
insurrection  or  rebellion  against  the  United  States,  or  any  claim  for  the  loss 
or  emancipation  of  any  slave,  and  declares  all  sucb  debts,  obligations  and 
claims  to  be  illegal  and  void. 

The  people  of  the  Seceding  States,  who  had  engaged  in  insurrection  or 
rebellion,  forfeited  their  political  rights  by  their  treason  ;  and  the  State 
Constitutions  having  become  null  and  void  by  Secession  and  the  Amendment 
to  the  United  States  Constitution  emancipating  the  shives,  they  were  left 
without  any  lawful  civil  governments.  Tue  rebel  spirit  having  also  been 
revived,  these  States  were,  by  the  Reconstruction  Acts  of  Congress,  placed 
under  the  military  authority  of  the  United  States,  until  they  should  make 
new  Co}istUufio7is  iu  accoidance  with  the  rules  and  regulations  made  by 
Congress.  These  rules  and  regulations  gave  to  the  freedmen  the  right  of 
svfficuje,  which  made  him  a  check  \;pon,  and  insured  the  loyalty  of  the 
rebels,  most  of  whom  were  restored  to  their  former  political  privileges. 

Having  restored  the  rebels  to  their  civil  and  political  i^rivileges,  and 
made  citizens  of  the  colored  men,  and  secured  to  them  the  right  of  suffrage, 
together,  they  were  authorized  to  make  "New  Coubtitution  ,"  republican  in 
form,  organize  State  Governments,  and  elect  their  representatives  to  Con- 
gress. Havii'g  done  this,  they  are  "  Re  -.oxsteucted,"  and  again  members 
of  the  ■*'  National  Union." 

Tlie  Fifteenth  Amendment  having  been  added  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States    in  1869,  giving  the  Sulfrage  to  all  citizens  without  regard  to  race   or 


XII 

color.  Reconstruction  having  taken  place,  and  firmly  established  on  the 
bfisis  of  the  Declaration  of  Independeuce,  and  the  seceding  States  again  re- 
presented in  the  Councilsof  the  Nation— slavery  having  been  abolished— the 
great  obstacle  to  pi'ogress  and  cause  of  contention  will  have  been  removed, 
the  prejudice  of  color  and  jealousy  of  sections  will  pass  away,  and  the 
People  of  all  parts  of  the  country  that  have  been  divided  on  the  question 
of  Equa  ity  and  Sovereignty  will  congratulate  each  other  on  the  happy  re- 
sults of  Reconstruction,  and  become  strongly  United  as  One  Countey 
and  One  People  in  interest  and  feeling.  PKiEE  infant  as  well  as  in  ihnory, 
and  work  together  mqi'e  earnestly  for  the  prosperity  of  the  Whole  Country, 
which  will  i^rogress  wBth  rapid  strides  in  wealth,  morals  and  happiness, 
exhibiting  to  the  world  the  stability  and  tenacity  of  a  Government  wnose 
' '  SovEEEiGNTY  is  in  the  People.  " 


1.   GEOEGE   WASHINGTON. 

George  Washingtox,  the  1st  President  of  the  United  States,  was  lorn 
in  Virginia,  in  the  year  17u8. 

The  common  schools  of  that  State  afforded  the  only  opportunity  for  his 
education.  The  study  of  mathematics  was  his  principal  delight.  At  the 
ago  of  nineteen  he  received  an  appointment  in  the  army  with  the  title  of 
Major,  was  advanced  to  Colonel  in  17o4,  and  took  charge  of  a  campaign, 
against  the  French  at  Fort  Du  Quesne,  now  Pittsburg,  Pa.  Erected  Fort 
Necessity  near  that  place,  where  he  was  attacked  by  four  times  his  number 
of  French  and  Indians,  and,  after  ten  hours  severe  fighting,  was  forced  to 
surrender,  but  with  the  honorable  terms  of  being  allowed  to  return  to 
Virginia  unmolested  with  his  command.  "We  next  find  him  covering  the 
retreat  of  Braddock,  where,  by  his  cool  bravery,  he  saved  the  army  from, 
destruction. 

He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  of  Virginia,  in 
1759,  and  a  delegate  to  the  first  Continental  Congress  in  1774.  In  that  day 
of  great  peril,  when  Congress  had  done  what  it  could  to  raise  "  That 
glorious  old  Continental  Army"  all  eyes  were  turned  to  Washington  as  its 
leader,  and  ho  was  unanimously  ax)pointed  its  Commander-in-Chief  ;  which 
he  (with  modesty  and  dig-nity)  accepted,  but  declined  all  compensation  for 
his  services,  asking  only  for  the  remuneration  of  his  expenses. 

During  the  seven  years  of  the  war  of  the  Hevolution,  his  prudence  and 
firmness,  and  his  bravery  and  wisdom,  were  the  admiration  of  all  calm  and 
wise  men.  He  brought  order  out  of  discord,  and  triumph  out  of  difficulty. 
In  1787,  he  was  called  to  preside  over  the  Convention  which  met  in  Phila- 
delphia for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  Constitution,  the  result  of  which  was 
that  admirable  instrument  which  has  ever  since  been  the  guide  of  the 
nation;  and,  after  its  adoption  by  the  States  in  1789,  he  was  unanimously 
chosen  1st  President  of  the  United  States  for  four  years,  and  in  1793  was 
called  by  the  same  unanimous  voice  of  his  country  to  serve  a  second  term; 
on  the  expiration  of  which  he  resigned,  and,  delivering  his  celebrated  fare- 
well address,  retired  to  the  peaceful  shades  of  Mount  Vernon,  to  enjoy  the 
c^uiet  of  domestic  life.  He  did  not,  however,  live  long  to  realize  his  ardent 
desire,  for,  after  a  short  illness  of  only  a  few  hours,  he  died,  December  14, 
1799,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight,  and  was  buried  at  Mount  Vernon,  amid  the 
grateful  tears  of  his  countrymen. 

AVashington  was  above  the  common  size,  with  a  robust  and  vigorous 
constitution,  fine  person,  easy,  erect,  and  noble  deportment,  exhibiting  a 
natural  dignity  unmingled  with  haughtiness. 

His  manners  were  reserved,  his  temper  highly  sensitive,  but  always 
controlled  by  his  judgment  and  prudence.  His  mind  was  strong  ;  and, 
though  slow  in  its  operation,  was  sure  in  its  conclusions.  His  patriotism 
was  as  incorruptible  as  it  was  ardent,  and  a  lofty  recitude  marked  every 
small,  as  well  as  every  great  action  of  his  life. 

He  devoted  a  long  Lie  to  the  welfare  of  his  country,  and  while  the  love 
of  liberty  is  cherished,  every  true  American  will  delight  to  accord  to  him 
the  proud  title  of  "  Tiie  Father  of  his  Country." 


2.   JOHN   ADAMS. 

JoTlS  Adams,  the  2d  President  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Quincy, 
Massachusetts,  October  19,  17o5.  He  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in 
1755,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  175S.  About  this  time  he  wrote  his 
celebrated  "Essay  on  the  Common  and  Federal  Law."  In  1706,  he  removed 
to  Boston,  was  chosen  Councellor  in  177i),  and  elected  to  the  first  Continen- 
tal Congress  in  1774,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  most  efficient  members, 
and  was  associated  with  Jefferson,  Franklin,  Sherman,  and  Livingston,  as 
a  committee  to  draft  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  was  the  colossus 
of  support  to  that  immortal  instrument  in  that  august  body.  The  same 
year,  he  was  placed  on  a  committee  to  wait  on  Lord  Howe  in  reference  to 
the  condition  of  the  country,  who,  receiving  them  with  imposing  military 
display,  told  them  that  he  could  not  receive  them  as  a  committee  of  Con- 
gress, but  only  as  private  citizens.  Adams  replied  :  "  You  may  view  us  in 
whatever  light  you  please,  sir,  except  that  of  British  subjects." 

While  in  Congress  he  served  as  a  member  of  ninety-five  different  com- 
mittees, and  was  chairman  of  twenty-five. 

In  1778,  lie  was  appointed  Commissioner  to  France,  returned  the  next 
year,  and  was  chosen  member  of  the  Convention  called  to  frame  the  Consti- 
tution of  Massachusetts,  and  drew  up  the  report  of  the  committee,  which 
was  adopted. 

The  same  year  he  was  appointed  Minister  to  negotiate  peace  with  Great 
Britain,  and  the  following  year  to  Holland,  from  which  he  was  summoned 
to  Paris  to  consult  on  the  general  peace  with  the  Commissioners  of  Austria, 
Russia,  and  France,  which,  after  many  difficulties  was  affected  in  1783. 

In  1785,  he  was  appointed  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  the  Court  of  St. 
James,  where  he  secured  to  his  country  many  important  advantages. 

At  his  own  request  he  was  permitted  to  resign  his  charge  in  1788,  and 
in  the  same  year  was  elected  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  ;  which 
office  he  held  during  Washington's  administration,  and  on  his  retirement 
was  chosen  President,  which  position  he  held  for  four  years.  In  1820,  at  the 
great  age  of  eighty-five,  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Convention  to 
revise  the  Constitution  of  his  native  State,  "The  instrument  which  was  the 
work  of  his  own  mind  and  pen." 

Mr.  Adams  was  among  the  few  of  that  brave  band,  who  cast  their  lives, 
their  fortunes,  and  their  sacred  honors,  on  the  die  of  the  Revolution,  who 
was  permitted  to  live  to  witness  the  permanent  establishment  of  the  insti- 
tutions they  had  bequeathed  to  their  children  and  posterit3^  He  lived  tc 
see  his  son  succeed  to  the  honors,  which  a  grateful  country  had  bestowed 
on  himself,  until,  "as  if  Heaven  appointed,"  on  the  4th  of  July,  1820,  th& 
fiftierh  anniversary  of  his  country's  independence,  with  the  glorious  words 
trembling  on  his  dying  lips,  "Independence  forever,"  hand  in  hand  with 
his  old  compatriot,  Thomao  Jefferson,  he  passed  away  amid  the  firing  of 
guns,  the  ringing  of  bells,  and  the  rejoicings  of  an  emancipated  people. 


3.   THOMAS  JEFFEESON. 

Thomas  Jefferson,  the  3d  President  of  the  United  States,  -was  born 
at  Shadwell,  Virginia,  on  the  2d  day  of  April,  1743.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen he  entered  William  and  Mary  College,  -u-here  his  early  education  was 
completed,  and  his  mind  and  body  were  equally  nourished  and  developed 

He  was  one  of  the  best  riders  in  the  State,  an  accomplished  performer 
on  the  violin,  a  proficient  in  the  science  of  mathematics,  and  a  diligent 
student  of  Greek,  Latin,  French,  and  Spanish.  Pie  is  said  to  have  been  one 
of  the  best  educated  men  in  America. 

Upon  the  completion  of  his  college  course  he  studied  law  for  five  years 
with  an  unusual  assiduity,  was  admitted  to  practice  in  17G7,  and  soon 
acquired  an  extensive  business. 

He  strongly  sympathized  with  the  spirit  of  freedom  in  the  Colonies,  and 
in  1709,  signed  a  resolution  not  to  import  any  article  from  the  mother 
country.  After  taking  a  leading  part  in  organizing  resistance  in  Virginia 
to  British  aggressions,  he  was  elected  to  the  Colonial  Congress  in  1775,  and 
became  one  of  the  most  prominent  m.embers. 

In  the  following  year  he  was  appointed  Chairman  of  that  immortal 
Committee,  chosen  to  draw  up  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

This  instrument  was  the  work  of  his  pen,  and  was  adopted  on  the  4th 
of  July,  177G. 

In  1779,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  in  1783,  a  member  of 
Congress.  While  a  member  of  this  body,  Washington  resigned  his  com- 
mand of  the  army,  and  Jefferson  was  the  author  of  the  elegant  address  to 
the  "  Father  of  his  Country,"  voted  on  that  occasion. 

In  1784,  he  went  as  Minister  to  France  (to  succeed  Franklin,  who  had 
won  unbounded  popularity),  and  satisfactorily  accomplished  the  arduous 
task  of  filling  his  place.  In  1789,  he  returned  to  the  United  States,  and 
Washington  called  him  into  his  council  by  appointing  him  Secretary  of 
State. 

He  immediately  set  himself  to  lay  down  maxims  and  rules  of  foreign 
intercourse,  which  have  governed  all  our  subsequent  administrations. 

In  1795,  he  was  called  to  the  Chair  of  the  Philosophical  Societ}^,  and  in 
March,  1801,  was  inaugurated  President  of  the  United  States,  and  was  re- 
elected in  1805. 

Eetiring  from  the  Presidency  in  1809,  in  the  sixty-sixth  year  of  his  age, 
Mr.  Jefferson  passed  the  rest  of  his  days  upon  his  plantation  at  Monticello, 
beloved  and  venerated  by  his  countrymen. 

His  last  care  was  to  perfect  the  organization  of  the  University  of  Vir- 
ginia, of  which  he  was  the  founder. 

At  the  age  of  eighty-three  he  retained  his  intellectual  powers  little 
diminished,  and  died^of  old  age  rather  than  disease,  on  the  ever-glorious 
anniversary  of  that  Declaration  of  Independence  of  which  he  was  the 
author,  nearly  at  the  same  hour  with  John  Adams,  his  associate,  July  4th, 
1826,  just  fifty  years  after  its  adoption. 


4.  JAMES    MADISON. 

James  Madisox,  tho  4th  PrGsident  of  the  United  States,  was  bom  in 
Orange  County,  Virginia,  March  IG,  1751.  In  his  youth  he  was  favored 
with  the  instruction  of  a  Scotchman  by  the  name  of  Robertson,  under  whose 
faithful  care  that  taste  for  elegant  and  classical  literature  was  developed, 
which  marked  his  official  career. 

He  graduated  at  Princeton  College,  in  1771,  and  remained  in  college  a 
year  after,  that  he  might  pursue  his  studies  under  the  charge  of  Dr.  Wither- 
spoon,  between  whom  and  himself  a  lasting  friendship  had  sprung  up. 
He  commenced  the  study  of  law,  but  in  the  memorable  year,  1776,  he  was 
elected  to  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia,  and  for  forty  years,  he  was 
continually  in  office  either  for  his  State  or  the  United  States.  In  1778,  he 
was  elected  by  the  Legislature  to  the  Executive  Council  of  the  State,  where 
he  rendered  important  aid  to  Henry  and  Jefferson,  Governors  of  Virginia, 
during  the  time  he  held  a  seat  in  the  Council.  In  the  winter  of  1779  and 
1780,  he  took  a  seat  in  the  Continental  Congress,  and  became  immediately 
an  active  and  leading  member,  and  continued  to  hold  a  seat  in  that  distin- 
guished assembly  of  patriots  until  1788. 

In  1784,  '85,  and  '86,  Mr,  Madison  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of 
Virginia. 

In  1787,  he  became  a  member  of  the  Convention,  held  in  Philadelphia, 
for  the  purpose  of  preparing  a  Constitution  for  the  Government  of  the 
United  States. 

Perhaps  no  member  of  that  body  had  more  to  do  with  the  formation  of 
that  noble  instrument,  the  "  Constitution  of  the  United  States  of  America," 
than  Mr.  Midison.  It  was  during  the  recess,  between  the  proposition  of 
the  Constitution  by  the  Convention  of  1787,  and  its  adoption  by  the  States, 
that  that  celebrated  work,  "  The  Federalist,"  made  its  appearance.  This  is 
known  to  have  been  the  joint  production  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  John 
Jay,  and  James  Madison,  This  same  year  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  and 
held  his  seat  until  the  Continental  Congress  passed  away  among  the  things 
that  were.  He  was  a  member  of  the  State  Convention  of  Virginia,  which 
met  to  adopt  the  Constitution,  and  on  the  establishment  of  the  new  Con- 
gress, under  the  Constitution,  he  was  chosen  a  member ;  retaining  his  seat 
until  the  close  of  "Washington's  administration  in  1797. 

On  the  accession  of  Jefferson  to  the  Presidency,  he  immediately  offered 
Mr.  Madison  a  place  in  his  cabinet,  and  he  accordingly  entered  on  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties  as  Secretary  of  State;  which  duties  he  continued  to 
perform  during  the  whole  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  administration ;  and  on  the 
retirement  of  that  great  statesman,  he  succeeded  to  his  seat  in  1809.  He 
held  the  position  of  President  diiring  the  war  of  1812,  and  brought  it 
safely  to  a  glorious  conclusion.  Mr.  Madison  retired,  in  1817,  to  his  peace- 
ful home  in  Virginia,  where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days,  loved  by 
the  many  and  respected  by  all,  until,  on  the  28th  day  of  June,  1836,  the  last 
survivor  of  the  framers  of  the  Constitution,  and  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished champions  of  American  freedom,  he  gathered  his  mantle  about 
him,  and  laid  down  of  pleasant  dreams,  in  the  eighty-sixth  year  of  his  age. 


5.    JAMES    MONEOE. 

James  Moxroe,  the  5th  President  of  the  United  States,  Tfas  born  in 
"Westmoreland  County,  Virginia,  April  28,  1758. 

His  early  education  was  acquired  at  AVilliam  and  Mary's  College,  from 
which  institution  he  graduated  in  17TG,  when  he  commenced  the  study  of 
the  law.  The  sound  of  war  and  battle,  however,  did  not  allow  him  to 
proceed.  Fired  with  a  desire  to  do  something  for  his  country  in  its  deep 
hour  of  need,  he  enlisted,  and  was  speedily  honored  with  a  Lieutenant's 
commission,  and  marched  forthwith  to  the  headquarters  of  the  Anierican 
army.  He  met  the  foe  at  Harlem  Heights  and  White  Plains,  and  shared 
the  perils  and  fatigue  of  the  distressing  retreat  of  the  American  army 
through  New  Jersey  in  177G.  He  crossed  the  Delaware  with  Washington, 
and  with  him  made  a  successful  attack  on  the  Hessians'  came,  at  Trenton, 
on  the  morning  of  the  2Gth  of  December,  177G. 

This  successful  bloAV  was  soon  followed  by  the  victory  our  soldiers  gained 
at  the  battle  of  Princeton,  by  which  courage  and  hope  were  once  more 
infused  into  the  spirit  of  our  soldiers,  and  all  classes  of  society.  In  the 
battle  of  Trenton,  young  Monroe  received  a  musket-ball  in  the  shoulder, 
notwithstanding  which,  he  fought  out  the  fight  gallantly  and  valiantly. 
At  Brandywine,  as  aid  to  Lord  Stirling,  he  took  an  active  share,  and 
rendered  conspicuous  service  in  the  bloody  battle  of  Germantown. 

At  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  he  was  also  engaged,  and  displayed  great 
gallantry  and  cool  daring.  Dissatisfied  with  his  inferior  position,  he 
received  permission  to  raise  a  regiment  in  his  native  State  ;  but,  being  dis- 
appointed in  accomplishing  it,  he  entered  the  ofhce  of  Mr.  Jeiferson,  and 
resumed  the  study  of  law.  In  1780,  Mr.  Jefferson,  being  Governor  of 
Virginia,  sent  him  on  a  special  mission  to  the  Southern  army  to  ascertain 
its  condition,  which  he  performed  to  the  satisfaction  of  that  eminent 
man. 

On  his  return  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  and  in  17S3,  was  elected 
to  the  Continental  Congress,  and  in  1786,  was  again  elected  t  >  the  State 
Legislature.  In  1788,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Convention  called  to  decide 
on  the  adoption  of  the  new  Constitution,  and  voted  against  its  adoption. 
In  1790,  he  was  elevated  to  the  L'nited  States  Senate,  and  in  1794,  he  was 
sent  Envoy  Extraordinary  to  to  the  Court  of  Versailles,  where  he  arrived  in 
the  nick  of  time  to  consummate  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  from  Napoleon, 
who,  being  in  pressing  need  of  funds,  ceded  that  vast  tract  of  land,  com- 
prising Louisiana,  Arkansas,  and  Missouri,  to  the  United  States,  for  fifteen 
million  dollars.  After  settling  this  purchase,  he  went  to  England  to  suc- 
ceed Mr.  King  as  Minister  to  the  Court  of  St.  James;  but  the  affair  of  the 
frigate  Chesapeake  placing  him  in  an  uncomfortable  position,  he  returned 
to  the  United  States.  In  1810,  he  was  elected  to  the  Virginia  Legislature, 
and  soon  after  was  chosen  Governor,  which  office  he  held  until  Mr.  ]VLidi- 
son  called  him  to  assume  the  duties  of  Secretary  of  State  in  his  cabinet 

In  1817,  he  was  elected  President  of  the  United  States,  and  re-elected  in 
1821,  with  great  unanimity.  His  administration  was  a  prosperous  and 
quiet  one. 

Mr.  Monroe  retired  from  the  office  of  President  more  than  impoverished, 
for  he  was  in  debt ;  and,  in  his  old  age  being  harrassed  by  his  creditors,  he 
removed  to  New  York,  where  he  found  an  asylum  and  home  with  his 
daughter,  and  where  he  died  on  the  4th  of  July,  1831,  being  the  third 
President  who  had  died  on  the  anniversary  of  their  country's  inde- 
pendence. 


^■' 


^ 


6.    JOHN   Q.   ADAMS. 

John  Quixcy  Adams,  the  sixth  President  of  tlie  United  States,  son  of 
John  Adam?,  the  second  President,  was  born  in  Quincy,  Massachusetts} 
July  11th,  1767. 

When  ten  years  of  age  he  accompanied  his  father  to  France,  and  resided 
abroad  mostly  until  after  the  scenes  ot  therevolution  were  brought  to  a  close, 
and  when  fifteen  was  privatesecretary  to  the  American  minister  to  Russia. 
Wishing  to  avail  himself  of  a  classical  education  he  returned  to  his  native 
land,  and  in  1786  entered  Harvard  College  as  ajuniorat  the  age  of  eighteen, 
and  on  graduating  entered  the  law  office  of  Tiieophilus  Parsons,  after- 
wards Chief-Justice  of  Massachusetts  for  many  years.  Mr.  Adams  was 
more  a  statesman  than  a  lawyer,  and  during  the  bitter  controversy  of 
Washington's  Administration  wrote  several  series  of  political  articles, 
which  won  for  him  the  esteem  of  the  President  and  the  applause  of  some 
of  the  greatest  minds  in  both  this  country  and  England.  In  1794  he  was 
appointed  minister  to  the  Hague,  and  in  1797  was  transferred  to  Berlin, 
whence  he  was  recalled  in  1801. 

Mr.  Adams  now  entered  upon  the  career  which  terminated  only  with 
his  life.  HcM'as  elected  to  the  Senate  of  Massachusetts  in  1802,  and  ap- 
pointed United  States  Senator  in  1803,  which  position  he  held  until  1808. 

Was  made  Professor  of  Rhetoric  aad  Belles  Lettres  in  Harvard  College 
in  180-5  ;  sent  minister  to  Russia  in  1809;  assisted  in  negotiating  the  Treaty 
of  Glient  in  1815,  and  appointed  minister  to  England  the  same  year. 

He  was  Secretary  of  State  under  President  Munroe  in  1817,  and  was 
chosen  President  of  the  United  States  by  the  U.  S.  House  of  Representa- 
tives (there  being  no  choice  by  the  people),  which  position  he  held  for  four 
years. 

In  1831  he  was  elected  a  Representative  to  Congress  and  continued  in 
that  position  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  speaker's  room,  Feb. 
23,  1848,  two  days  after  falling  from  his  chair  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives from  a  stroke  of  paralysis.  His  last  words  were :  "  This  is  the  end 
of  earth;  "  "  I  am  content." 

Few  men  have  passed  so  large  a  portion  of  their  lives  in  active  public 
employment  as  John  Quincy  Adams. 

For  more  than  sixty  years  he  was  in  the  service  of  his  country,  from 
secretary  of  legation  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  to  the  Chief  Magistracy  of 
the  Union. 

Mr.  Adams  was  a  man  of  rare  gifts  and  rich  acquisitions.  He  was  one 
of  the  finest  classical  and  belles  lettres  scholars  of  his  time,  and  even 
in  his  old  age  ofien  astonished  his  hearers  with  the  elegant  classical  allu- 
sions and  rhetorical  tropes  with  which  he  embellished  his  own  produc- 
tions ;  and  which  earned  him  the  title  of  the  "  Old  Man  Eloquent." 

He  was  a  bold  champion  of  freedom,  free  speech,  and  the  right  of  peti- 
tion, and  a  fearless  defender  of  the  oppressed  wherever  they  were  to  be 
found,  and  in  whatever  clmie.  He  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six, 
February  23,  1848. 


1,   AXDEEW    JACKSON. 

AtsDRp:w  Jacksox,  the  7th  President,  was  born  March  15,  1707,  in.' 
Union  County,  North  Carolina.  His  father  was  a  poor  emigrant  from  the 
North  of  Ireland,  who  died  before  Andrew  saw  the  light  of  day.  His  early 
education  was  received  at  the  old  field-schools  of  that  region,  and  from, 
wandering-  school-teachers,  during'  a  few  weeks  in  winter. 

He  commenced  his  military  ca:cer  in  1781,  at  the  ag'e  of  fourteen,  in  the 
Revolutionary  Army ;  but  was  soon  taken  pi'isoner.  While  prisoner  he 
was  ordered  by  a  British  officer  to  do  some  menial  work ;  he  refused, 
saying-,  "  I  am  a  prisoner  of  war,  and  claim  to  be  treated  as  such,"  for  which 
he  received  a  severe  wound  on  the  head  and  arm  by  the  sword  of  the  en- 
raged Englishman. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolution  he  studied  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1786,  and  removed  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  commenced  practice  in  1788, 
where  he  soon  obtained  a  very  successful  business,  and  for  twenty  years 
continued  to  practice  at  the  bar,  except  when  interrupted  by  public 
employment.  ^ 

He  was  elected  to  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives,  from 
which  he  was  transfered  to  the  Senate,  and  for  six  years  served  as  Judge  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  Tennessee.  When  the  war  of  1812  commenced, 
President  Madison  gave  him  a  commission  in  the  Regular  Army,  and  com- 
mand of  the  Southern  troops,  which  he  led  against  the  Creek  Indians ;  and 
after  two  most  vigorous  and  perilous  campaigns,  conquered  and  made  a 
treaty  with  them  on  the  "  Hickory  Ground,"  by  which  he  received  the 
familiar  sobriquet  of  "  Old  Hickory."  He  afterward  led  hie  victorious 
troops  to  the  defense  of  New  Orleans,  where  he  fought,  behind  the  cotton 
bags,  his  victorious  battle  with  General  Packenham  ;  for  which  he  was  hon- 
ored with  the  title  of  the  "  Hero  of  New  Orleans."  The  rejoicings  of  that 
victory  was  soon  followed  by  the  welcome  tidings  of  peace  between  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain. 

In  1818,  he  was  again  called  upon  to  render  his  military  services  in  the 
expulsion  of  the  Seminoles,  and  in  1821  was  made  Governor  of  Florida. 
In  1828,  and  again  in  1832,  he  was  elected  President  of  the  United 
States. 

During  his  adminstration.  Nullification  raised  its  menacing  head  in 
South  Carolina,  threatening  resistance  to  the  execution  of  the  laws  of  the 
United  States.  But  Jackson  issued  his  celebrated  proclamation,  saying: 
*'  By  the  Eternal  the  laws  must  and  shall  be  executed,"  and  South  Carolina 
teceded  from  her  position.  His  antagonism  to  the  United  States  Bank 
caused  him  to  order  the  removal  of  the  United  States  deposits  from  that 
institution,  and  transfer  them  to  certain  State  Banks.  His  opponents 
censured  this  measure  as  an  unauthorized  and  dangerous  assumption  of 
power  by  the  executive. 

His  reply  was,  "I  take  the  responsibility,"  and  defended  his  course,  by 
asserting  the  Bank  to  be  unsound.  He  retired  from  the  Presidenc}'-,  March 
4,  1837,  and  spent  the  close  of  his  life  at  his  "  Hermitage,"  near  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  cultivating  his  plantation,  where  he  died  June  8, 184:5,  aged  seventy- 
eight. 

General  Jackson  was  headstrong,  but  always  honest;  rash,  but  ever 
patriotic.  Fear  he  knew  not  either  on  the  battle-iield  or  before  that  terrible 
T^ovrev— -public  apinion.  His  purpose  once  taken,  no  threats  of  his  ene- 
mies, no  persuation  of  his  friends,  and  no  personal  considerations  could 

§h^ke  it. 


I 


8.   MARTIN  VAN  BUEEN. 

Martin  Van  Bueen,  the  8fh  President  of  the  United  States,  was  bom 
at  Kinderhook,  ZS'cw  York,  December  5,  1782.  He  obtained  his  education 
at  the  common  school  and  academy  of  his  native  village. 

In  1790,  while  yet  in  his  fourteenth  year,  he  commenced  the  study  of 
law.  Wliile  a  student,  he  was  an  active  politician  ;  and,  when  only  eighteen, 
represented  the  Republicans  in  the  Congressional  Convention  of  hisdisti'ict. 
In  1802-3  he  studied  in  New  York  City,  and,  in  the  latter  year,  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar.  His  business  soon  became  lucrative,  and  his  clients 
numerous- 

The  first  official  distinction  he  received  was  his  appointment,  by  Governor 
Thompkins,  as  Surrogate  of  Columbia  County,  in  1808. 

In  1812  he  was  elected  State  Senator.  He  at  once  assumed  a  prominent 
position  in  the  Senate,  and  continvied  a  member  of  that  body  until  1820, 
having  been,  during  that  period,  a  zealous  supporter  of  the  war,  and  of  the 
canal  project.  A  portion  of  the  time  he  was  Attorney -General  of  the 
State. 

In  1821  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate,  and  re-elected  in 
1827.  The  following  year  he  was  elected  Governor  of  New  York  by  the 
Democratic  party. 

His  career  as  Governor,  however,  was  brief.  Scarcely  had  his  adminis- 
tration commenced,  when  President  Jackson  offered  him  the  office  of  Secre- 
tary of  State,  which  he  at  once  accepted,  and  resigned  his  Gubernatorial 
office. 

In  the  Cabinet  he  became  the  real,  or  apparent,  rival  of  Mr.  Calhoun ; 
and,  probably  finding  his  position  therein  an  unpleasant  one,  resigned  in 
April,  1831.  The  President  appointed  him  ambassador  to  England  ;  but  the 
Senate,  by  the  casting  vote  of  Mr.  Calhoun,  the  Vice-President,  refused  to 
confirm  the  nomination,  which  step,  it  was  generally  thought,  secured  him 
the  nominal  ion  for  Vice-President  in  1832. 

He  received  a  large  majority  of  the  electoral  votes  for  that  office,  which 
he  continued  to  fill  during  President  Jackson's  second  term,  and  in  1836  was 
elected  President  of  the  United  States. 

The  principal  measure  of  his  administration  was  the  establishment  of 
the  independent  Treasury.  In  the  spring  of  1837  commenced  the  greatest 
commercial  revulsion  ever  known  in  this  country. 

Extravagant  speculations  had  for  some  years  prevailed.  Since  the 
withdrawal  of  the  deposits  from  the  United  States  Bank,  numerous  State 
Banks  had  been  chartered,  a  multitude  of  public  works  were  undertaken, 
immense  importations  of  foreign  goods  were  made,  and  real  estate  rose  far 
above  its  intrinsic  value.  At  length  the  crisis  came  with  tremendous  effect. 
The  banks  suspended  specie  payment,  and  failures  were  numerous. 

The  National  Government  became  involved  in  the  general  embarrass- 
ment, as  the  banks  containing  the  public  deposits  f-tispended  with  the  rest. 
In  1838  the  banks  resumed  specie  payment,  and,  after  repeated  trials,  the 
Sub-Treasury  Bill  was  passed. 

Mr.  Van  Buren  was  again  nominated  for  President  in  1840,  but  was 
defeated  by  General  Harrison,  the  Whig  candidate.  Since  then  he  lived  in 
retirement  in  Kinderhook.  on  the  estate  called  Lindenwald,  until  his  death, 
July  24,  1862, 


9.    WM.   HEXP.Y  HAEEISON.^ 

"William  Henry  H.AiirasoN,  the  9th  rresident  of  the  United  States, 
■was  born  in  Charles  City  County,  Virginia,  February  9,  1TT3.  He  was 
educated  at  Hampton  Sidney  Colleg-e,  and  prepared  himself  for  the  practice 
of  medicine.  At  this  time,  the  hostilities  of  the  Indians  excited  his  atten- 
tion, and,  having  received  an  Ensign's  commission  from  "Washingti  n,  he 
joined  the  Northwestern  Army  in  1702,  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  He  was  in 
several  actions,  under  General  Wayne,  who  spoke  in  the  highest  terms  of 
his  bravery  and  skill.  For  his  coolness  and  courage  at  the  bloody  battle  of 
Miami  Rapids,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Captain. 

In  1797  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of  the  Northwestern  Territory,  and, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-six,  was  elected  Delegate  to  Congress  from  that  Terri- 
tory. He  was  appointed  first  Territorial  Governor  of  Indiana,  and,  in 
addition  to  his  duties  as  Civil  and  Military  Governor,  he  was  Commissioner 
of  Indian  Affairs,  and  concluded  eighteen  treaties. 

On  the  7th  of  November,  1811,  he  gained  over  the  Indians  the  celebrated 
battle  of  Tippecanoe.  During  the  war  of  1812,  he  was  made  commander  of 
the  Northwestern  Army,  and  distinguished  himself  in  the  defense  of  Fort 
Meigs,  and  the  victory  of  the  Thames.  In  181G  he  was  elected  a  Member 
of  Congress  from  Ohio,  where  he  took  an  active  part  in  legislation,  and 
delivered  his  elociuent  eulogies  on  the  character  of  Thaddeus  Kosciusco  and 
General  Washington. 

In  1828  he  was  sent  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  the  Eepublic  of  Colum- 
bia, South  America,  and  on  his  return,  retired  to  his  farm  at  North  Bend, 
Ohio,  from  which  retirement  he  was  called  by  the  people  of  the  United 
States  to  preside  over  the  coujitry  as  its  Chief  Magistrate,  March  4,  1841. 
Perhaps  no  man  since  Washington  has  received  such  an  enthusiastic  and 
spontaneous  welcome  throughout  the  Union  as  the  "  Hero  of  Tippecanoe ;" 
and  certainly  no  President  has  gone  into  the  office  with  so  little  opposition. 

In  one  short  month  after  his  inauguration,  the  country  resounded  to 
deep  and  heartfelt  lamentations  ;  and  all  sections  of  the  land  bore  signs  of 
grief.  He,  in  whom  his  party  had  trusted  as  the  saviour  of  their  principles, 
died  at  the  city  of  Washington,  on  the  4th  day  of  April,  1841,  in  the  sixty- 
ninth  year  of  his  age. 

He  was  an  honest  man,  a  brave  general,  an  intelligent  statesman,  a 
shrewd  and  calm  diplomatist,  a  kind  neighbor  and  friend,  and  a  firm  and 
constant  lover  of  his  country.  His  death  was  calm  and  resigned,  as  his  life 
had  been  patriotic,  useful,  and  distinguished  ;  and  the  last  utterance  of  his 
lips  expressed  a  fervent  desire  for  the  perpetuity  of  the  Constitution,  and 
the  preservation  of  its  true  principles. 

In  death,  as  in  life,  the  happiness  of  his  country  was  uppermost  in  his 
thoughts. 


10.  JOHN   TYLER. 

John  Tyler,  Vice-Prosident,  and  succes.sor  to  General  Harrison  as 
President  of  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  March 
29,  17U0.  At  the  age  of  twelve  he  entered  William  and  Mary's  College, 
where  he  graduated,  with  distinguished  merit,  five  years  after.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  when  nineteen  years  of  age,  and  elected  to  the  Virginia 
Legislature  when  twenty-one. 

In  1816  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  and  in  1826  was  elevated  to  the 
station  of  Governor  of  his  native  State. 

In  1827  the  Legislature  selected  him  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  United  States 
Senate.  lie  served  in  this  capacity  until  1830,  when  a  diiTerence  of  opinion 
having  arisen  between  President  Jackson  and  himself,  he  resigned  his  seat 
in  that  body,  and  went  into  retirement. 

Mr.  Tyler  did  not  again  make  his  appearance  in  public  life  until  1840, 
when  he  was  selected  by  the  Whig  party  as  their  candidate  for  Vice-Presi- 
dent, in  connection  with  General  Harrison,  as  candidate  for  President ;  and, 
under  the  rallying  cry  of  '•  Tippecanoe  and  TijUv,  too^''  he  was  elected  to  that 
office  by  a  large  majority,  and  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  its  duties 
March  4,  1841. 

The  death  of  General  Harrison,  one  month  later,  raised  him  to  the  Chief 
Magistracy  of  the  Republic. 

The  course  he  pursued  in  vetoing  two  sepai'ate  bills,  chartering  a  United 
States  Bank,  besides  opposing  the  measures  of  the  party  that  elected  him, 
in  various  other  ways,  caused  him  to  be  denounced  by  them  in  unmeasured 
terms,  and  occasioned  the  resignation,  in  1842,  of  the  whole  of  the  cabinet, 
except  Daniel  Webster,  who,  as  Secretary  of  State,  had  important  negotia- 
tions with  England  ;  and  he  continued  in  office  until  the  consummation  of 
the  famous  "  Ashburton  Treaty,"  when,  in  the  spring  of  1843,  he  also  re- 
signed. 

Mr.  Tyler's  term  of  office  expired  in  1845,  after  which  he  lived  in  retire- 
m^ent  until  the  winter  of  1860  and  '61,  when  he  took  an  active  part  in  the 
calling  and  organization  of  the  Peace  Congress  which  met  in  Washington  in 
February,  1861,  and  of  which  he  was  the  presiding  officer.  On  his  return 
to  Virginia,  he  became  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Convention  which  passed 
the  ordinance  of  secession,  April  17,  1861,  and  was  afterward  a  member  of 
the  Rebel  Congress.     He  died  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  January  17,  1862. 


11.  JAMES  K.  POLK 

James  K  Polk,  the  10th  President  of  the  United  States,  was  born, 
November  2,  1795,  in  Mecklenburg  County,  North  Carolina,  and  there  re- 
ceived his  early  education.  In  18U(J  he  removed  with  his  fatlier  to  Tennes- 
see, and  lived  in  the  valley  of  Duck  Kiver,  a  branch  of  the  Cumberland. 

He  graduated  at  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  in  lbl5,  .'studied  law 
with  Felix  Grundy,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1820.  He  commenced 
his  political  career  in  1828,  as  Representative  to  the  Legislature  of  Ten- 
nessee. 

In  1825  he  was  elected  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  in  which 
position  he  continued  until  18o9  ;  and  was  Speaker  of  that  body  from  1835 
to  18o7. 

In  1839  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Tennessee  for  two  years,  and  was 
again  a  candidate,  but  was  defeated. 

In  1844:  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democratic  Convention  at  Baltimore 
as  a  candidate  for  President  of  the  United  States,  against  Henry  C  ay,  the 
Whig  candidate,  and  was  elected.  The  annexation  of  Texas  being  the  prin- 
cipal question  of  the  canvass,  Congress  parsed  a  bill  for  its  immediate 
admii-siun.  This  act  involved  the  United  States  in  a  war  with  Mexico. 
That  country  refusing  to  accept  the  proposition  to  fix  the  boundary  line 
between  it  and  Texas  by  negotiation,  General  Taylor  was  ordered  to  take 
possession  of  the  disputed  territory,  and  a  short  and  decisive  contest  fol- 
lowed, wliich  resulted  iu  the  acquisition  of  important  and  valuable  territory 
to  the  United  States. 

The  discovery  of  gold  in  California  (a  part  of  the  acquired  territory),  the 
June  following,  produced  momentous  changes  in  the  condition  of  that  coun- 
try, and  made  itself  felt  throughout  the  world.  Thousands  of  men  left 
their  homes  (forsaking  farms,  and  closing  up  business)  and  flocked  to  the 
fortunate  spot,  and  California  soon  became  populated  with  people  of  all 
nations. 

Notwithstanding  the  advantages  derived  from  the  war,  and  the  vast 
amount  and  value  of  the  territory  acquired,  Mr.  Polk  was  not  nominated 
for  a  second  term.  He  retired  from  the  Presidency  in  1840,  and  soon  after 
reaching  his  home,  in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  his  health  began  to  decline,  and 
he  died  June  15,  1849. 


12.  ZACHARY  TAYLOE. 

Zacttary  TatloPv,  tho  13th  President  of  the  United  States,  Tvas  bom 
in  the  County  of  Oranore,  Virginia,  in  the  year  1790. 

Alter  recoiving  such  an  education  as  the  times  permitted,  he  entered  the 
army  with  a  commission  of  Lieutenant  in  the  Seventh  Infantry,  at  the  age 
of  eighteen,  under  the  administration  of  Jefferson,  in  1808. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  1812,  when  war  was  declared  with  England,  Tay- 
lor— who  had  previously  received  a  Captain's  commission — held  command  of 
Fort  Harrison  ;  and,  with  a  handful  of  men,  defended  himself  against  the 
attack  of  a  large  body  of  Indians  with  such  skill  and  bravery,  that  Madison 
bestowed  upon  him  the  brevet  of  Major. 

From  this  period  until  1840,  Taylor  passed  his  life  in  almost  incessant 
warfare  with  the  various  savage  tribes  in  the  West,  where  he  signalized 
himself  by  repeated  acts  of  bravery  and  by  the  exhibition  of  a  sagacious 
forecast,  which  won  for  him  the  approval  of  the  nation.  Meanwhile,  he  had 
passed  through  tho  grades  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  and  Colonel,  and  held,  at 
this  date,  a  Brigadier-General's  commission. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Mexican  War,  he  had  charge  of  the  Army  of 
the  Rio  Grande  ;  and,  when  hostilities  commenced,  he  caused  the  erection 
of  Fort  Brown,  at  Point  Isabel,  where  lie  deposited  his  stores,  and  then 
moved  with  his  army  to  Corpus  Christi. 

Hearing  the  Mexicans  were  about  to  attack  Fort  Brown,  he  determined 
to  succor  and  relieve  the  place.  But  there  was  a  Mexican  army  of  not  less 
than  five  thousand  strong  between  him  and  the  fort,  ready  to  dispute  every 
inch  of  the  gx'ound.  With  only  two  thousand  men.  General  Taylor  cut  his 
way  through  to  Fort  Brown,  during  which  he  fought  the  glorious  battles  of 
Palo  Alto  and  Rosaca  de  la  Palma,  in  which  fell  so  many  brave  and  gallant 
men. 

The  attack  on  Matamoras,  the  storming  of  Monterey,  the  sanguinary 
battle  of  Bueiia  Vist;i,  and  the  hundred  skirmishes  which  took  place  in  that 
year,  form  a  jiage  in  history  which  will  bear  comparison  with  any  other 
that  has  been  written. 

With  one-third — and  often  less — of  tho  forces  of  tho  Mexicans,  General 
Taylor  met;  them  on  their  own  ground,  and  always  conquered. 

I£is  perfect  coolness,  his  majestic  courage,  his  keen  sagacity,  his  admira- 
ble generalship — true  constituents  of  a  military  hero — have  Avon  for  him 
undying  laurels,  while  his  kind  and  dignified  demeanor  ingratiated  him 
with  his  olficers  and  soldiers. 

When  peace  was  conquered.  General  Taylor  retired  to  his  farm  at  Baton 
Rouge,  La.,  full  of  honors  as  of  years. 

In  184S  he  w^as  drawn  from  his  retirement,  elected  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  inaugurated  March  4,  1849. 

Ho  survived  his  inauguration  but  little  more  than  a  year,  when  he  yielded 
up  his  spirit  on  the  9th  of  July,  1850 ;  and^  for  a  second  time,  a  Vice-Presi- 
dent succeeded  to  the  Presidency. 


13.    MILLARD    FILLMORE. 

Millard  Fillmore  was  bom  January  7, 1800,  at  Summer  Hill,  Cayuga  County, 
New-York. 

At  an  early  age  he  was  sent  to  Livingston  County,  at  that  time  a  wild  region, 
to  learn  the  clothier's  trade  ;  and,  about  four  months  later,  he  was  apprenticed  to 
a  wool-carder  and  cloth-dresser  in  the  town  in  which  his  father  lived. 

During  the  four  years  that  he  worked  at  his  trade,  he  did  what  he  could  to 
supply  the  defect  of  his  early  education. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen,  Mr.  Fillmore  bought  his  time,  thereby  ending  his  ap- 
prenticeship ;  and  about  this  time,  Judge  Wood,  of  Cayuga,  discovering  the  latent 
talent  of  the  youthful  wool-carder  and  cloth-dresser,  offered  to  take  him  into  his 
office  and  defray  his  expenses  while  he  went  through  a  regular  course  of  legal 
study.  Mr.  Fillmore  accepted  the  proposal;  but,  that  he  might  not  incur  too 
large  a  debt  to  his  benefactor,  he  devoted  a  portion  of  his  time  to  teaching 
scliool.  In  1821,  he  removed  to  Erie  County,  and  pursued  his  legal  studies  in  the 
city  of  Buffalo.  Two  years  later,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Common  Pleas,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  law  at  Aurora,  in  the  same  county.  In  1827,  he  v/as 
admitted  as  an  attorney,  and  in  1829,  as  a  counselor  in  the  Supreme  Court,  and 
in  the  following  year,  he  removed  to  Bufialo  and  entered  into  a  much  more 
extensive  practice  of  his  profession. 

His  political  life  commenced  with  his  election  to  the  State  Assembly,  in  which 
he  took  his  scat,  in  1829,  as  a  member  from  the  county  of  Erie,  and  he  was  re- 
elected the  two  succeeding  years.  Being  a  member  of  the  Anti-Masonic  party,  he 
was  at  that  time  in  opposition,  and  had  little  opportunity  to  distinguish  himself; 
but  he  took  a  prominent  part  in  assisting  to  abolish  imprisonment  for  debt  in  the 
State.  In  1832,  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  and  took  his  seat  the  following  year. 
In  1835,  at  the  close  of  his  term  of  office,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  the  law,  until 
he  once  more  consented  to  be  a  candidate  for  Congress,  and  took  his  seat  again  in 
1837. 

During  this  term,  he  took  a  more  prominent  part  in  the  business  of  the  House 
than  during  his  former  term,  and  was  assigned  a  place  on  the  Committee  on  Elec- 
tions. He  was  successively  elected  to  the  Twenty-sixth  and  Twenty-seventh  Con- 
gresses, and  ill  both  of  them  distinguished  himself  as  a  man  of  talents  and  jrreat 
business  capacity,  being  chairman  in  the  Twenty-seventh  of  the  Committee  of  AVa3'3 
and  Means.  At  the  close  of  the  first  session  of  the  Twenty-seventh  Congress,  he  sig- 
nified to  his  constituents  his  intention  not  to  be  a  candidate  for  reelection,  returned 
to  Buffalo,  and  again  devoted  himself  to  his  profession,  of  which  he  had  become 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  members  in  the  State.  In  1844,  he  was  prevailed 
upon  to  accept  the  nomination,  by  the  Whig  Party,  for  Governor  of  the  State  of 
New  York  ;  but  he  shared  in  the  general  defeat  of  his  party.  In  1847,  however,  he 
was  consoled  for  his  defeat  by  his  election  to  the  office  of  Compttoller  of  the  State 
by  an  exceedingly  large  majority.  In  1848,  he  was  nominated  by  the  AVhig  Party, 
as  their  candidate  for  Vice-President,  on  the  ticket  with  Zachary  Tavlor  for  Pre- 
sident, and  was  elected  to  that  office  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  In  March,  1849, 
he  resigned  his  office  of  comptroller  to  assume  the  duties  of  his  new  position,  and 
in  the  discharge  of  these  high  and  delicate  duties,  he  acquitted  himself  with 
courtesy,  ciignity,  and  abilit}-,  until  the  death  of  General  Taylor,  in  July,  1850, 
elevated  him  to  the  pre-idential  chair.  He  promptly  selected  a  cabinet  distin- 
guished for  its  ability,  patriotism,  and  devotion  to  the  Union,  and  possessing 
in  an  eminent  degree  the  confidence  of  the  country.  His  term  of  office  expired 
March  4,  1853.  Mr.  Fillmore  filled  the  distinguished  station  which  he  occupied 
Avith  dignity  and  ability.  He  retired  from  office  with  the  respect  of  all  parties. 
After  his  retirement  from  office,  he  visited  Europe,  and  while  there,  received 
the  nomination  of  the  American  or  Know-Xothing  Party  for  the  Presidency,  for 
which  he  received  a  large  minority  vote,  but  a  majority  only  of  the  State  of 
Marvlaud. 


14.     FRANKLIN    PIERCE. 

Franklin  Pierce  -was  born  November  23,  1804,  at  Hillsboro,  New  Hamp- 
ehire.  His  father,  who  had  experienced  the  disadvantages  of  a  defective  educa- 
tion,  determined  to  secure  the  advantages  of  a  liberal  education  to  his  son. 

He  was  first  sent  to  the  academy  at  Hancock,  and  afterward  to  that  of  Fran- 
cestown,  N.  H.  In  the  year  1820,  being  then  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  entered 
Bowdoin  College,  at  Brunswick,  Maine.  His  progress  at  school  was  steady;  and 
his  attention  to  college  discipline  and  the  routine  of  college  regulations  won  for 
him  the  favorable  attention  of  the  professors  of  the  institution.  He  advanced  in 
his  studies,  and  graduated  creditably.  Having  chosen  the  law  as  a  profession,  he 
became  a  student  in  the  office  of  Judge  Woodbury,  of  Portsmouth.  The  last  two 
years  of  Mr.  Pierce's  preparatory  studies  were  Sfient  at  the  law-school  at  Northamp- 
ton, Mass.,  and  in  the  office  of  Judge  Parker,  at  Amherst.  In  1827,  being  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  he  began  the  practice  of  his  prolession  at  Hillsboro.  Success 
did  not  at  first  attend  his  efforts ;  but  he  rose  by  degrees,  and  attained  a  high 
rank  as  a  lawyer  and  an  advocate.  He  early  in  life  entered  into  politics;  and  in 
the  year  1829,  at  the  age  of  twenty  five  years,  he  was  elected  to  his  first  political 
public  honor,  as  representative  from  his  nal-ive  town  to  the  Legislature  of  the 
State.  He  served  in  that  body  four  years,  in  the  two  latter  of  which  he  was 
elected  speaker  by  a  large  majority.  In  1833,  ho  was  elected  to  Congress, 
and  in  1837,  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  United  States  Senate,  he  having  barely 
attaint d  the  age  necessary  to  a  seat  in  that  bony.  He  served  through  one  period 
of  four  years,  and  was  reelected  in  1841.  Tlie  following  year  he  re^ign»■d  his 
scat,  and  returned  to  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Concord,  N.  H.,  where  he 
had  removed  when  first  elected  to  the  Senate,  and  soon  gave  evidence  of  the  high 
stand  he  was  dt  stined  to  occupy  at  the  bar. 

In  1846,  President  Polk  offered  him  the  office  of  Attorney-General — an  honor 
which  he,  however,  declined. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  tlie  Mexican  war,  Mr.  Pierce  enrolled  himself  a  as  private 
soldier  in  the  New  England  Regiment;  but  President  Polk  sent  him  a  colonel's 
commission,  and  subsequently  raised  him  to  the  rank  of  a  brigadier  general  in 
March,  1847.  He  took  his  departure  for  the  seat  of  war  on  the  27th  of  May, 
1847,  where,  after  seeing  a  good  deal  of  hard  service,  and  making  one  ot  a  band 
of  heroes  in  several  hard-fought  buttles  where  victory  always  rested  on  the  Ameri- 
can arms,  he  returned  home,  where  he  was  received  with  much  distinction  and 
many  honors. 

He  resigned  his  commission  and  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and 
remained  comparatively  unobserved  until  the  action  of  the  Baltiinore  Democratic 
Convention  gave  him  a  new  importance  throughout  the  Union.  He  was  nomi- 
nated by  that  body  as  the  Democratic  candidate  for  the  presidency,  and  was 
elected  President  of  the  United  States  in  November.  1852  ;  was  inaugurated 
March  4,  1853,  and  served  to  the  end  of  his  term.  He  returned  to  his  home  in 
New  Hampshire,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  remained  in  pri- 
vate life  until  his  death,  on  October  8, 1869,  at  Concord. 

As  a  member  of  society,  Franklin  Pierce  was  a  nniversal  favorite ;  and  by  his 
good-natured  and  unaffected  urbanity,  ingiatiated  every  one  \vhose  good  fortune 
it  was  to  make  his  acquaintance.  As  a  publ  c  speaker,  he  was  remarkably  suc- 
cessful. He  was  not  only  remarkably  fluent  in  his  elocution,  but  remai  kably 
correct.  His  style  was  not  overladen  with  ornament,  and  yet  he  drew  liberally 
upon  the  treasury  of  rhetoric. 


15.   JAMES  BUCHANAN. 

James  Euchanan  ^ras  bom  on  the  loth  day  of  April,  1701,  in  the 
County  of  Franklin,  Pennsylvania. 

After  having-  passed  through  a  regular  classical  and  academical  course 
of  instruction,  ho  studied  and  adopted  the  hnv  as  a  in'ofession. 

Having  inherited  a  predilection  for  politics,  ho  v/as  elected  in  1314  to 
the  House  of  Representatives  of  his  native  State,  and  re-elected  in  181G. 
After  having  served  two  sessions,  he  declined  another  re-election. 

In  1820  he  Avas  elected  to  the  United  States  Congress,  and  took  his  seat 
in  that  body  in  December,  1821.  He  remained  a  member  until  March  4, 
1831,  -when  he  declined  further  service,  and  retired  to  private  life. 

In  May,  1831,  he  was  offered  the  mission  to  Russia,  by  President  Jack- 
son, and  accepted  the  proffered  honor. 

Immediately  after  his  return,  in  1834,  he  was  elected  to  the  United 
States  Senate,  to  fill  an  unexpired  term,  and  in  183G  was  elected  for  a  full 
term,  and  re-elected  in  1842. 

In  1845  ho  was  appointed  Secretary  of  State,  by  President  Polk,  which 
office  he  held  during  his  administration. 

In  1803  he  was  appointed,  by  President  Pierce,  Minister  to  England,  in 
which  capacity  he  resided  in  London  until  1850,  when  he  was  elected  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States. 

His  administration  was  signalized  by  the  great  financial  revulsion  of 
1857 ;  the  difficulties  with  the  Mormons,  which  led  to  sending  two  thousand 
five  hundred  soldiers  to  bring  them  to  subjection  ;  the  arrival  of  the  mag- 
nificent embassy  from  Japan,  to  deliver  the  treaty  which  had  been  negotiated 
between  the  two  countries  ;  the  struggle  for  freedom  in  Kansas ;  the  admis- 
sion of  three  new  States  into  the  Union,  viz. :  Minnesota,  in  1858  ;  Oregon, 
in  1859  ;  and  Kansas,  in  January,  18G1  ;  and  the  inauguration  of  the  Rebel- 
lion. Mr.  Buchanan  was  surrounded,  mostly,  by  advisers  who  sympathized 
with  the  South  ;  and  he  allowed  events  to  take  their  course.  The  army  of 
the  United  States  was  scattered  along  the  Western  borders — the  navy  sent 
to  distant  ports ;  the  arsenals  at  the  North  were  stripped,  and  the  arms 
sent  to  the  South  ;  State  after  State  seceded  ;  the  Confederate  Government 
organized  at  Montgomery ;  Senators  from  the  Rebel  States  uttered  the 
boldest  treason  in  the  debates  at  the  capitol ;  and,  during  all  this  time, 
President  Buchanan  did  nothing  to  counteract  the  efforts  of  the  Rebels,  or 
to  avert  the  threatened  danger,  denying,  in  his  message  to  Congress,  any 
powers  of  *'  coercion"  to  exist,  constitutionally,  in  the  National  Government. 
Such  Y,'a3  the  melancholy  state  of  affairs  when  his  administration  drew  to  a 
close,  March  4,  ISGl,  and  Abraham  Lincoln  took  his  place. 

He  then  retired  to  his  farm  at  Wheatland,  near  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania, 
where  his  remaining  years  were  spent  in  quiet  retirement. 

In  1SG5  he  published  a  defense  of  his  course  as  President,  with  the  title: 
*^Mr.  Buchanan's  Administration  on  the  Eve  of  tho  Pk^ebellion." 
.    Ho  died  at  Wheatland,  June  1,  18G8.' 


16.  abiiaiia:m  Lincoln. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  the  IGtli  Tresident  of  the  United  States,  under 
•whose  wise  administration  the  country,  in  its  hour  of  peril,  was  enabled  to 
combat  successfully  with  treason  and  rebellion,  was  born  February  12, 
1809,  in  Harden  County,  Kentucky. 

His  father  removed  to  Indiana  in  181G,  where  for  ten  years  Abraham 
was  employed  upon  the  farm,  during  which  time,  the  schooling  ho  re- 
ceived did  not  amount  to  more  than  one  year ;  but  by  close  application  he 
mastered  the  rudiments,  and  learned  to  write. 

In  1830,  he  removed  with  his  father  to  Illinois,  where  he  was  variously 
employed  in  splitting  rails,  as  flat-boatman,  and  clerk,  and  where,  by  his 
honest  and  upright  intercourse  with  his  neighbors,  he  acquired  the  sobri- 
quet of  "Honest  Abe."  In  1832,  he  served  as  Captain  in  the  Black  Hawk 
War. 

He  did  not,  however,  have  the  opportunity  to  display  his  great  military 
skill  by  a  conflict  with  the  Indians,  but,  as  he  himself  averred,  had  many  a 
bloody  fight  with  the  mosquitoes. 

After  a  brief  attempt  to  keep  a  store,  he  studied  surveying,  afterward 
the  law,  and  commenced  practice  in  183G,  settled  in  Springfield  in  1837,  and 
rose  rapidly  in  his  profession.  Ho  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  in 
183G  and  1838,  and  in  1846  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  being  the 
only  Whig  elected  from  Illinois  that  year.  On  his  return  from  Congress 
he  devoted  several  years  to  his  profession,  until  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri 
Compromise  in  1854,  when  he  again  entered  the  field  as  a  Republican,  and 
battled  indefatigably  in  that  celebrated  campaign  which  resulted  in  victory 
for  the  first  time  against  the  Democratic  party  in  Illsnois,  and  elected  a 
Legislature  which  sent  Mr.  Trumbull  to  the  United  States  Senate.  In 
1858  he  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  United  States  Senator,  in  opposi- 
tion to  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  with  whom  he  conducted  an  active  canvass 
throughout  the  State,  both  candidates  speaking  at  the  same  place,  on  the 
same  day.  Face  to  face  they  argued  the  important  points  of  their  political 
beliefs,  and  contended  nobly  for  the  mastery.  In  18G0  he  was  elected 
President  of  the  United  States,  receiving  all  the  electoral  votes  of  the  free 
States,  except  three  ;  and  was  re-elected  in  1864. 

The  history  of  his  administration  is  a  history  of  the  rebellion.  It 
was  especially  illustrious  by  his  "Emancipation  Proclamation,"  issued  Janu- 
ary 1,  1863,  which  gave  freedom  to  four  millions  of  people,  and  imme- 
diately changed  the  character  and  purpose  of  the  war,  bringing  it  in 
unison  with  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

The  difficulties  with  which  the  war  on  our  hands  was  complicated  were 
almost  interminable,  but  with  each  new-found  difficulty  he  found  new 
strength,  hope,  and  energy,  until  all  obstacles  were  overcome  and  the  war 
end.ed.  But  at  the  very  dawn  of  the  nations'  new  birth,  resting  from  his 
labors,  and  contemplating  that  peace  that  was  then  breaking  through  the 
dark,  angry  clouds  of  war,  he  fell,  by  the  hands  of  an  assassin,  on  the  14th 
day  of  April,  1865. 

Mr.  Lincoln  was  endowed  with  a  most  genial  soul,  powerful  intellect, 
and  sound  judgment.  He  met  the  critical  hour  of  duty  to  his  country  like 
a  '  tatcsman  and  a  man.  He  sustained  loyalty,  and  gave  all  his  strength  in 
crushing  treason.  Ho  consulted  and  advised  with  Congress  for  the  good  of 
his  country,  assisted  in  giving  forco  to  the  laws  of  tho^Iand,  and  dxecut^d 
ihcm  faithfully. 


17.   ANDREW   JOHNSON. 

Andkkw  Johnson,  the  17th  President,  was  born  in  Ealeigh,  North 
Carolina,  Decenaber  29,  1808.  At  the  age  of  ten  years,  he  was  apprenticed 
to  a  tailor,  in  his  native  town,  with  whom  he  remained  seven  years.  He 
never  attended  school ;  but,  by  his  own  exertions,  he  learned  to  read  while 
he  was  yet  an  apprentice. 

A  fewyeaia  later,  his  wife  instructed  him  in  arithmetic  and  writing-. 
In  1826  he  emigrated  to  Tennessee,  and  settled  in  Greenville,  as  a  tailor.  At 
twenty  years  of  a!;-e,  he  was  elected  an  Alderman  of  that  town  ;  was  re- 
elected in  the  two  following  years ;  and  from  18o0  to  1834,  he  held  the  office 
of  Mayor. 

In  18o5  he  entered  political  life  as  a  Democratic  Member  of  the  State 
Legislature ;  was  re-elected  in  18;J0  ;  and  during  the  Presidential  canvass  of 
1840,  was  an  effective  speaker  in  favor  of  the  Democratic  candidate.  In 
1841  he  was  elected  a  Member  of  the  State  Senate  ;  and,  from  1843  to  1853, 
lield  a  seat  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  In  1853  he  was  elected 
Governor  of  Tennessee,  which  office  he  held  until  1857,  when  he  was  elected 
by  the  Legislature  a  United  States  Senator. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Kebellion,  he  pronounced  strongly  in  favor  of  the 
Union,  and  denounced,  in  severe  language,  those  who  favored  secession. 

\V  hen  the  conflict  commenced,  he  was  appointed  Brigadier-General  of 
Volunteers.  In  1802  he  was  appointed,  by  President  Lincoln,  Military 
Governor  of  Tennessee,  which  position  he  held  until  his  election  as  Vice- 
Presideiit  of  the  United  States,  in  1S(J4. 

_He  was  inaugurated  March  4,  18G5,  at  which  time  he  delivered  his  ever- 
to-be-remembered  inaugural  address  which  caused  so  much  comment  at  the 
time,  especially  in  England. 

On  the  ever-memorable  14th  of  April,  of  the  same  3"ear,  the  assassin's 
bullet  deprived  the  nation  of  the  lamented  President  Lincoln,  and  put  Mi-. 
Johnson  in  his  chair,  which  he  has  since  occupied.  Rebellion  having  been 
conquered,  the  work  of  restoration  and  reconstruction  became  the  problem 
to  be  solved.  Having  a  policy  of  his  own,  entirely  different  from  that  of  a 
large  majority  of  the  Members  of  Congress,  which  he  was  determined  to 
carry  out,  his  administration  has  been  an  eventful  one. 

There  having  been  a  change  in  the  fundamental  condition  of  the  seceding 
States,  caused  by  rebellion  and  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves,  Congress 
deemed  it  expedient  to  pass  Keconstruction  laws,  which  he  vetoed  ;  but 
they  were  again  passed,  over  his  veto.  His  neglecting  to  execute  those  laws 
according  to  their  letter  and  spirit,  together  with  alleged  violation  of  the 
Tenure  of  Office  Law,  S:c,  caused  the  House  of  Eeprcsentatives  to  bi-ing 
articles  of  impeachment  against  him,  in  Februarj',  1868,  which  they  pre- 
sented to  the  Senate.  That  body  resolved  itself  into  a  "  High  Court  of 
Impeachment ;"  and,  after  a  protracted  trial,  the  votes  of  the  Court  were 
taken  in  May,  ISGS,  on  three  of  the  eleven  articles,  which  resulted  in  thirty- 
five  for  conviction,  and  nineteen  against.  As  two-thirds  were  required  to 
convict,  ho  was  acquitted  on  these,  and  tho  vote  on  the  remainder  was  iu- 
definitfcly  pbstponerl 


18.  ULYSSES  S.   GBANT. 

General  Ulysses  S.  Grant  was  bom  at  Point  Pleasant,  Ohio,  April 
27,  1823.  His  early  opportunities  for  acquiring  an  education  were  limited, 
having  the  benefit  only  of  a  school  during  the  winter  months,  the  summer 
being  devoted  to  labor  on  a  farm  or  in  his  father's  tannery. 

He  early  evinced  a  particular  fondness  for  mathematics,  and,  at  the  age 
of  seventeen,  received  the  appointment  of  cadet  in  the  military  academy  at 
West  Point,  -v\-here  he  graduated  in  1843,  and  entered  the  United  States 
army  as  a  Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  of  Infantry.  He  served  in  the 
Mexican  "War  as  Second  Lieutenant  and  Regimental  Quartermaster  of  the 
Fourth  Infantry,  and,  for  gallant  conduct  at  Molina  del  Rey  and  Chapulte- 
pec,  he  was  breveted  First  Lieutenant,  and,  in  18o3,  was  promoted  to  full 
Captaincy. 

On  the  31st  of  July,  1854,  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  army,  took 
up  his  residence  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  engaged  in  farming  for  four  years, 
when,  finding  it  unprofitable,  he  removed  to  Galena,  IlL,and  entered  into 
the  leather  business  with  his  brother,  in  which  he  continued  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  when,  remembering  what  he  owed  his  country, 
he  said  to  a  friend  :  "  The  Government  has  educated  me  for  the  army ;  what 
I  am,  I  owe  to  my  country ;  I  have  served  her  through  one  war,  and,  live  or 
die,  I  will  serve  her  through  this."' 

He  offered  his  services  to  Governor  Yates,  who  appointed  him  Asst.  Adjt, 
General  of  the  State  ;  but,  desiring  active  service,  he  was  appointed  Colonel 
of  the  Twenty-First  Illinois  Volunteers,  June  15,  18G1,  and,  August  7,  was 
commissioned  Brigadier-General,  with  rank  from  May  17,  1861,  and  took 
command  of  Southeast  Missouri,  with  headquarters  at  Cairo.  He  occupied 
Paducah  on  the  Cth  of  September,  and  fought  the  Confederates  at  Belmont 
on  the  7th  of  November. 

He  commanded  at  the  capture  of  Fort  Henry,  on  the  Tennessee  River, 
February  C,  18()2 ;  then  marching  across  the  country  to  the  Cumberland, 
he  invested  Fort  Donaldson  on  the  12th,  in  conjunction  with  Admiral 
Foote,  with  the  gunboats,  commenced  the  attack  on  the  l3th,  and,  on  the 
l(jth,  received  an  "unconditional  surrender "  from  General  Buckner.  For 
this  victory  he  was  maae  Majdf-General.  After  the  capture  of  iNashville, 
and  fighting  the  severe  battle  of  Shiloh,  April  G,  1802,  he  was  appointed 
to  command  of  the  Department  of  Tennessee,  with  headquarters  at  Jackson, 
Miss.  Early  in  January,  1863,  General  Grant  assumed  the  principal  direc- 
tion of  the  land  forces  before  Vicksburg,  and,  after  gaining  the  victories 
of  Grand  Gulf,  Port  Gibson,  Raymond,  Jackson,  Champion  Hills,  and  Big 
Black  River  Bridge,  invested  that  city,  which  he  captured  July  4,  1863. 
For  this  victory  he  was  made  Major-General  in  the  Regular  Army.  In 
October,  1863,  he  was  directed  to  assume  command  of  the  troops  at  Chat- 
tanooga, and,  on  the  24th  and  25th,  gained  an  important  victory  over  General 
Bragg,  which  secured  him  a  permanent  base  of  operations  at  that  point. 

In  Mj,rch,  1864.  he  was  appointed  Lieutenant-General,  with  command 
of  all  the  araiiesof  the  Union,  and,  May  4,  comm  meed  his  campaign  against 
Richmond.  Having  marked  out  his  course,  he  "  fought  it  out  on  that  line," 
until  victory  crowned  his  efforts,  and  Lee  surrendered  at  Appomattox,  April 
9,  1865.  He  seems  to  have  planned  all  his  campaigns  so  as  to  insure  suc- 
cess, and  the  territory  he  conquered  ever  after  remained  in  the  possession  of 
the  Federal  arms. 

In  May,  18G8,  ho  received  the  unanimoits  nomination  for  President  of 
the  Ujftited  States  by  the  RejniWican  party,  aad  was  ekcrte'd  iNCfv.  'd,  IS'O^S 


19.  C5EIST0PHEH  COLUMBUS. 

Christopher  Columbus  was  bom  at  Genoa,  Italy,  about  tbe  year  U35. 
He  commenced  his  maritime  career  while  yet  a  mere  youth,  his  first  voyage 
being  with  a  naval  expedition  fitted  out  at  Genoa,  in  1459,  by  John  of 
Anjou,  Duke  of  Calabria,  to  recover  the  Kingdom  of  Naples  for  his  father, 
Rene,  Count  de  Provence. 

For  many  years  after  this,  the  traces  of  his  career  are  faint  His  saga- 
cious mind  led  him  to  believe  that  there  were  other  lands  afar  off,  toward 
the  setting  sun ;  and  he  resolved  to  convince  the  world  that  his  views  were 
correct. 

Poor  and  friendless  as  he  was,  he  conceived  the  bold  idea  which  led  to 
the  discovery  of  the  "Western  Continent.  Pull  of  this  purpose,  he  sought 
the  aid  of  powerful  courts,  first  applying  to  the  throne  of  Portugal,  and 
then  to, that  of  Spain.  But  here  he  encountered  the  fiercest  opposition  ;  and 
not  till  after  many  years  of  struggle  and  disappointment  did  he  succeed  in 
securing  the  patronage  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  who  fitted  him  out  with 
a  squadron  of  three  small  vessels,  carrying  only  one  hundred  and  twenty 
persons. 

"With  this  little  fleet,  full  of  hope  and  the  solemn  purpose  he  had  so  long 
and  ardently  cherished,  he  set  sail  from  Huelva,  on  the  8d  of  August,  1492. 
After  a  long  and  perilous  voyage,  in  which  the  terrors  of  the  Atlantic  were 
among  the  smallest  difficulties  he  had  to  encounter,  his  officers,  crew,  and 
passengers  being  in  constant  fear  and  mutiny,  his  heart  Avas  made  glad,  and 
the  fears  of  all  dissipated,  by  the  joyous  cry  of  ^'  Land  Ho  .'"  on  the  morn- 
ing on  the  r2th  of  October,  1493. 

Columbus  speedily  landed,  and  took  possession,  in  the  name  of  their 
Catholic  Majesties,  amidst  a  wondering  crowd  of  naked  savages,  who  re- 
ceived him  with  simple  sincerity. 

He  cruised  among  the  Islands  for  several  months,  and  gave  them  the 
general  name  of  "  West  Indies." 

January  4,  1493,  he  set  sail  for  Spain,  where  his  return  was  hailed  as  a 
triumph,  and  he  was  treated  with  all  the  pomp  and  ceremony  of  a  mighty 
conqueror. 

He  soon  sailed  with  a  larger  and  better-provisioned  squadron,  bearing 
the  title  of  Admiral,  "^"iceroy,  and  Governor  of  all  the  lands  he  had,  or 
might  discover;  with  unlimited  powers  to  make  laws  for  their  government, 
erect  cities,  &c. 

He  reached  his  place  of  destination,  and  immediately  commenced  to 
can-y  into  execution  the  plans  ho  had  so  long  cherished  ;  but  intrigue  and 
treachery  at  Court  made  his  lot  a  continual  strife,  and  he,  at  length,  re- 
turned to  Spain,  rather  as  a  prisoner  than  a  conqueror. 

He  again  returned  to  the  New  AVorld  ;  and,  after  a  futile  effort  to  regain 
his  wonted  sway,  he  again  sought  redress  at  the  foot  of  the  throne ;  but 
Isabella  being  dead,  Ferdinand  treated  him  with  such  duplicity  and  base 
ingratitude,  that  the  old  mariner  died,  broken-hearted,  and  carried  his 
cause  to  a  higher  Court. 

The  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus,  may  be  regarded  as  the  most 
important  event  that  has  ever  resulted  from  individual  genius  and  enter- 
prise Although  another  has  received  the  honor  of  giving  a  name  to  this 
contiaeut,  yet  the  world  auoorda  to  Columbus  the  honor  of^  its  discoveiy. 


20.  AMEEICUS  YESPUCIUS. 

A^vfETlTCUS  Yespucius  was  born  at  Florence,  Italy,  in  1451.  From  him 
this  continent  derives  its  name,  as  its  first  discoverer,  although  it  is  gener- 
ally conceded  that  Christopher  Columbus  first  set  foot  upon  its  soil  and 
occupied  the  country. 

He  descended  from  a  very  ancient  house,  and  belonged  to  one  of  the 
proudest  families  of  that  celebrated  city.  His  education  was  respectable, 
and  he  was  possessed  of  a  bold  and  enterprising  spirit.  Fired  with  the 
accounts  of  the  discoveries  of  Columbus,  he  became  desirous  of  seeing  the 
New  World  for  himself;  and,  accordingly,  on  the  20th  of  May,  1497,  he 
sailed  from  Cadiz,  as  a  merchant,  Avith  a  squadron  of  four  small  ships,  under 
command  of  the  celebrated  and  valiant  Ojeda. 

During  this  voyage,  Americus  claims  to  have  seen  the  continent.  He 
may  have  done  so,  but  much  doubt  envelops  the  matter-  At  all  events,  his 
success  -was  such  as  to  induce  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  to  place  a  fleet  of  six 
ships  under  his  command,  when  he  made  his  second  voyage. 

On  his  return  in  1500,  he  received  the  same  ungracious  treatment  from 
the  contemptible  Ferdinand  which  had  been  visited  on  Columbus,  and  he 
r(,'turned  to  Seville,  mortified  and  disgusted  at  the  ingratitude  of  princes. 

Emanuel,  King  of  Portugal,  hearing  of  his  humiliation,  offered  to  fit 
out  a  fleet  of  three  ships  and  give  him  command,  which  he  accepted,  and 
sailed  from  Lisbon  in  May,  1501. 

Ho  explored  the  coast  of  South  America  from  Brazil  to  Patagonia,  and 
returned,  laden  with  riches  and  honors,  in  September,  1502,  to  Lisbon. 

He  again  set  sail,  with  six  larger  vessels,  in  May,  1503,  for  the  purpose 
of  finding  a  western  passage  to  the  Moluccas  Islands,  but,  falling  short  of 
provisions,  he  "w  as  foiled  in  the  attempt. 

Loading  his  vessels  with  specimens  of  the  valuable  wood  of  Brazil,  and 
other  precious  products,  he  returned  to  Portugal  after  an  absence  of  a  little 
over  a  year,  and  was  received  with  every  demonstration  of  joy  and  respect. 

He  now  retired,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  preparation  of  the  history  of 
his  adventures. 

He  drew  and  published  the  first  chart  of  the  American  coast,  in  which 
he  laid  claim  to  be  the  discoverer  of  the  country. 

In  1507  he  published  a  historj^  of  all  his  voyages.  It  was  filled  with 
glowing  accounts  of  the  New  World,  mixed  up  with  the  most  splendid 
fictions,  and  was  read  all  over  Europe  with  great  delight.  It  was  published 
just  after  the  death  of  Columbus,  and  was  thus  placed  beyond  the  reach  of 
that  eminent  navigator,  who,  had  he  lived,  would  doubtless  have  exposed 
the  pretensions  of  its  author. 

He  died,  at  Terceira  ,in  the  sixty-third  year  of  his  age,  in  1514 


21.   HENDEICK   HUDSON. 

Hendrick  or  PIexky  Hudson,  an  eminent  discoverex-  and  explorer  of 
the  American  coast,  was  born  in  England,  and  devoted  his  early  life  to  the 
seas.  Bat  little  is  known  of  him  prior  to  1G07-8,  when  we  find  him  on  a 
voyage  of  discovery  along  the  coast  of  Greenland,  his  object  being  to  find  a 
northwest  passage  to  Japan  or  China. 

On  the  2oth  of  March,  1609,  he  sailed  from  Holland  on  that  adventurous 
voyage,  which,  although  it  nearly  cost  him  his  life,  resulted  so  conspicuously 
to  the  interests  of  mankind,  and  added  much  to  his  renown  and  to  the  com- 
mercial strength  of  his  employers,  "The  Dutch  East  India  Company." 

After  running  along  the  coast  of  Lapland,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  ;  and, 
after  a  voyage  of  immense  peril,  discovered  and  landed  on  Cape  Cod,  in 
Massachusetts  Bay.  He  then  pursued  his  course  southerly,  examining'  all 
the  principal  rivers,  to  the  Chesapeake,  and  ascended  the  great  river  which 
bears  his  name  as  far  as  where  Albany  now  stands,  expecting  to  find  a  pas- 
sage to  the  Pacific  Ocean  by  that  way ;  but,  being  disappointed,  he  turned 
his  prow  towards  Holland,  stopped,  a-nd  left  a  few  settlers  at  Manhattan,  now 
iNew  York,  and  arrived  home  in  IGIO. 

Ho  started  again,  under  a  new  patron,  to  discover  "  the  Northwest  Pas- 
sage," which  was  destined  never  to  be  found. 

But,  although  he  failed  in  this,  he  'discovered  the  great  northern  bay, 
which  bears  his  name,  and  where  he  was  destined  to  find  a  violent  grave. 
Alter  exploring  the  inlets  and  promonitories  of  this  remarkable  bay,  he 
drove  his  ship  into  a  small  inlet,  where  the  ice  closed  around  it,  on  the  3d  of 
November,  IGll. 

The  prospects  of  a  long  and  dreary  winter  was  much  relieved  by  enor- 
mous flacks  of  wild  fowl,  which  not  only  afforded  abundance  of  food  for 
present  use  and  future  prospect,  but  diverted  the  attention  of  his  crew  from 
their  uncomfortable  condition.  Already  some  of  the  men  had  become 
troublesome,  and  hints  of  revolt  and  threats  of  vengeance  occasionally 
reached  the  ears  of  their  commander.  But  the  mild  influence  of  an  early 
spring  softened,  at  once,  the  stony  hearts  of  the  desperadoes  and  the  icy 
fetters  which  held  them  in  their  prison-house  for  more  than  half  a  year. 

As  soon  as  he  was  clear  of  the  ice,  he  started  for  home,  but  suddenly 
found  that  his  supplies  were  nearly  exhausted.  The  discovery  broke  his 
spirit,  and  infuriated  the  crew.  He  divided  the  provisions  among  the  men 
equally,  which  was  but  a  few  pounds  to  each  ;  yet  some  of  them  became 
riotous,  and  in  his  despair  he  threatened  to  set  them  on  shore :  whei'eupon 
several  of  the  strongest  wretches  entered  his  cabin  at  night,  seized  and 
bound  his  hands  behind  him,  and  then  set  him  adrift,  with  his  son  and 
seven,  of  his  men,  who  were  sick,  in  a  small  shallop,  and  proceeded  on  their 
way  home,  arriving  at  Plymouth  after  a  voyage  of  terrible  suffering  and  the 
loss  of  seven  men  at  tho  hands  of  the  savages. 

Hudson  was  never  heard  of  more.  He  sleeps  among  the  sands  of  that 
ice-girfc  soa  and  that  noble  bay  to  which  he  gavo  his  name  as  his  perpetual 
monument. 


22.  JOSIAH  WINSLOW 

JosiATi  "WiNSLOAV  Tvas  bom  in  wlmt  is  now  Marshfield,  Massachusetts, 
in  \G2d,  just  nine  years  after  the  arrival  of  the  Pilg-rims. 

lie  -was  son  of  Edward  Winslow,  -wh^  came  over  in  the  May-Flower, 
and  who  was  the  third  Governor  of  tl:o  Colony.  Josiah  was  horn  of  brave 
stock,  of  which  he  proved  no  degenerate  scion. 

He  commenced  his  public  life  very  early.  No  sooner  had  he  arrived  at 
the  age  eligible  to  office  than  he  was  chosen  Deputy  to  the  General  Court, 
from  his  native  town,  and  was  constantly  employed  in  public  business,  until 
he  was  elected  Governor.  He  was  a  man  of  charming  address,  a  well-cul- 
tivated mind,  and  an  amiable  disposition.  The>e  traits,  added  to  his  fear- 
less courage  and  military  bearing,  all  resting  on  a  high h^-re fined  piety  for 
their  base,  eminently  fitted  him  for  the  then  highly-important  office  of  Gov- 
ernor, and  gave  him  great  popularity. 

His  first  public  act  after  he  was  chosen  Governor,  was  the  restoration  to 
their  civil  rights  of  Isaac  Robinson  and  Mr.  Cadworth,  of  which  they  had 
been  deprived  on  account  of  their  religious  opinions. 

He  was  mild  and  tolerant  himself,  and  could  not  endure  the  persecutions 
which  Avere  practiced  against  non-conformists  of  whatever  name.  His  moral 
character  was  fully  equal  to  his  physical  courage.  He  encountered  public 
prejudice  with  the  same  unblenching  resolution  with  which  he  exposed 
himself  to  the  bullets  and  ambush  of  the  Indians. 

King  Philip's  war  was  coincident  with  his  administration,  and  in  it  he 
did  eminent  service,  and  proved  himself  a  sagacious  leader  and  brave  war- 
rior. 

In  1G57,  soon  after  the  death  of  his  father,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  military  forces  of  the  Colonies.  For  many  years 
he  was  one  of  the  Commissioners  of  the  Confederated  Colonies. 

Of  highly-polished  manners,  greatly  gifted  in  conversation,  fond  of 
society,  and  blessed  with  the  means  to  gratify  himself  in  all  these  respects, 
the  social  and  festive  scenes  of  "  Careswell "  were  of  the  most  delightful, 
refined,  and  instructive  kind.  Here,  with  his  beautiful  wife  presiding,  he 
won  for  himself  the  proud  distinction  of  being  *'  the  most  accomplished 
gentleman  and  the  most  agreeable  companion  in  New  England."  Governor 
Winslow  never  enjoyed  very  robust  health,  and  his  exposures  and  hardships 
in  King  Philip's  war  doubtless  aggravated  his  disease,  and  accelerated  his 
death,  which  took  place  on  the  18th  day  of  December.  1G80,  in  the  fifty- 
second  year  of  his  age. 

Josiah  "Winslow  was  the  first  naiivc-born  Governor  of  the  Plymouth 
Colony. 


23.  PETEUS    STUYYESANT. 

Petrus  Stuyvesant  -was  born  in  Holland,  near  the  beginning  of  tbo 
sixteenth  century. 

In  1G02  the  Dutch  East  India  Company  received  its  charter,  under 
whose  auspices  Hendrick  Hudson  discovered  and  explored  the  great  North 
Hiver,  of  New  Netherlands,  as  far  as  Albany,  in  1G09. 

Colonies  were  soon  after  formed  in  Albany  and  New  York,  then  called 
New  Amsterdam. 

In  1G21  the  Dutch  "West  India  Company  was  formed ;  and,  tinder  the 
patronage  of  this  mighty  corporation,  with  its  almost  exhaustless  resources 
of  wealth  and  power,  New  Netherlands  at  once  received  an  impetus  of 
growth  which  has  gone  on  increasing  tmtil  the  present  day.  Various  men 
had  been  appointed  to  the  Director-Generalship,  who  had  governed,  or 
misgovernecl,  its  affairs,  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  century,  when  Petrus 
Stuyvesant,  who  had  been  Director-General  in  the  Dutch  colony  at  Curacoa, 
and  from  which  port  he  had  returned  to  Holland,  on  account  of  ill  health, 
received  the  appointment  in  lG4o. 

Pour  ships  comprised  the  squadron  which  bore  the  Governor-General  to 
the  new  sphere  of  his  authority,  filled  Avith  newly-appointed  officers,  farmers, 
tradesmen,  artisans,  speculators,  and  gentlemen  of  leisure,  seeking  a  home 
and  livelihood  in  the  New  World. 

General  Sttiyvesant's  ''strong  points  of  character"  began  at  once  to  ap- 
pear in  the  rigid  di>oip]ine  of  the  ships,  and  the  general  good  order  prevalent 
throughout  the  squadron. 

On  his  arrival  at  New  Amsterdam,  he  found  things  in  a  sad  condition. 
Misrule  had  complete  ascendency,  and  riot,  murder,  theft,  and  injustice  of 
all  kinds,  bore  sway. 

With  a  wise  energy  lie  strove  to  correct  these  evils,  and  at  length  re- 
duced the  chaos  to  crder.  He  was  at  once  a  thorough  reformer  of  abuses, 
while  he  consolidated  the  Government,  and  became  thoroughly  conservative 
in  its  administration.  Stern  and  uncompromisiug,  and  possessed  withal  of' 
an  unsuspected  character  for  morality  and  truth,  the  affairs  of  the  colony 
prospered  under  his  administration. 

But  he  had  to  encounter  the  machinations  of  jealous,  mean-minded  men 
at  home,  and  envious  and  selfish  ones  in  the  colony.  After  twenty  years  of 
troubled  reign,  he  was  recalled,  to  defend  himself  before  his  superiors,  and 
was  deprived  of  his  commission. 

He  was  the  last  of  the  ancient  regime,  for  New  Netherlands  was  shortly 
afterward  wrested  from  the  hands  of  the  Dutch,  by  the  Englisli,  under 
whose  rule  it  remained  until  17TG,  when  the  United  States  declared  their 
Independence. 

Stuyvesant  returned  to  this  country  in  1GG8,  and  died  in  1GT2.  There 
are  landmarks  of  his  farm  still  in  existence  in  the  city  of  New  York. 


2i.  ALEXANDER  HAMILTON. 

Alexaxdeh  Hamilton  was  born  on  the  Island  of  Nevis,  in  the  British 
West  Indies,  on  the  11th  of  January,  1757.  At  twelve  years  of  age  he  was 
pkiccd  in  the  counting-room  of  a  mcrcliant  of  the  Island  of  St.  Croix,  where 
his  talents  and  ambition  soon  displayed  themselves.  In  a  letter  to  a  fellow- 
clerk,  before  he  Avas  thirteen,  he  said :  "  I  mean  to  prepare  the  way  for 
futurity."  In  1772  he  came  to  New  York,  and  in  1773  entered  Columbia 
College,  where  he  made  "extraordinary  display  of  richness  of  genius  and 
energy  of  mind."  It  was  during  his  college  life  that  the  country  was 
roused  to  the  consideration  of  British  aggressions  and  American  Independ- 
ence, 

Pie  took  strong  and  decided  revolutionary  grounds,  and  wrote  and  spoke 
in  so  clear  and  forcible  a  manner  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  wisest 
minds  engaged  in  that  controversy. 

Dr.  Cooper,  Principal  of  the  College,  and  several  others  of  the  ablest 
Tory  writers,  were  confounded  by  the  profound  principles,  able  reasoning, 
and  sound  policy  of  his  essays,  and  would  not  believe  they  were  the  produc- 
tions of  a  youth  of  seventeen.  He  also  joined  a  volunteer  company  of  militia, 
while  in  college,  and  made  himself  familiar  with  all  the  tactics  and  theory 
of  war. 

In  1776  he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  artillery,  and  from  that 
time  until  1781  he  was  in  constant  and  active  service,  mostly  as  aid  to  the 
Commander-in-Chief,  and  became  Washington's  principal  and  confidential 
aid. 

General  Washington  intrusted  him  with  the  most  delicate  and  difficult 
diplomatic  duties,  and  with  nearly  all  his  important  correspondence. 

In  1782  he  took  his  seat  in  Congress,  where  his  genius  and  sound 
judgment  was  speedily  felt. 

He  retired  from  Congress  in  1783  to  the  practice  of  law  in  New  York, 
where  his  clear  mind  and  lucid  eloquence  won  for  him  the  admiration  of 
all,  and  raised  him  to  the  head  of  the  New  York  bar. 

He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Convention  which  framed  the  United  States 
Constitution  ;  and,  while  before  the  people  for  their  ratification,  he,  in  con- 
junction with  Mr.  Jay  and  Mr.  Madison,  wrote  that  series  of  essays  com- 
posing the  tAvo  volumes  of  the  Federalist.  Of  those  eighty-five  papers,  Jay- 
wrote  five  ;  Madison,  twenty ;  and  Hamilton,  sixty.  On  the  adoption  of  the 
Constitution,  he  was  called  by  AVashington  to  the  head  of  the  Treasury 
Department,  v^liich,  for  five  years,  he  filled  with  marked  ability.  Indeed, 
there  was  scarcely  a  plan  adopted  by  Congress  during  Washington's  admin- 
istration which  does  not  bear  the  mark  of  his  mighty  genius.  From  this 
period  until  his  untimely  death,  he  divided  his  time  between  the  duties  of 
his  profession  and  those  of  public  life,  awakening  general  admiration  by  the 
brilliancy  of  his  talents,  and  winning  the  esteem  of  all,  by  his  many  amiable 
virtues.  On  the  12th  of  July,  1804,  he  fell  in  mortal  combat  by  the  hand 
of  Aaron  Burr;  and  "all  America  and  Europe  mourned  his  untimely  fate." 


25.  BENJAMIN  FBANKLIN. 

Benjamin  Franklin,  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  seventeen,  -was  born 
in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  January  G,  170G.  He  was  destined  for  the  church 
by  his  father,  and  was  sent  to  the  grammar-school  for  two  years,  during 
which  time  he  made  rapid  progi^ess.  His  father,  being  no  longer  able  to 
keej)  him  at  school,  took  him  home  to  assist  in  his  occupation  of  soap-boikr 
and  tallow-chandler,  where  he  continued  for  two  years,  when  his  extravagant 
fondness  for  books  determined  his  father  to  make  a  printer  of  him.  He  was 
accordingly  apprenticed  to  his  brother,  who  published  the  Ntic  England 
Coiirant,  the  second  paper  that  made  its  appearance  \\\  America.  Here  he 
had  access  to  books,  which  he  read  without  stint,  and  soon  commenced  to 
write  anonymous  pieces  on  the  topics  of  the  day,  which  were  published  in 
his  brother's  paper,  and  which  attracted  the  attention  of  prominent  men, 
who  spoke  very  highly  of  them.  He  then  made  himself  known  to  his 
brother  as  the  author,  who  afterward  treated  him  with  more  consideration. 
He  continued  to  write  for  the  paper,  and  sometimes  criticised  the  acta  of 
the  Government  so  severely  as  to  incur  its  censure  of  the  j)aper,  and,  after 
a  while,  his  brother  was  forbidddcn  to  publish  it,  when  it  was  turned  over 
to  Benjamin,  and  conducted  in  his  name  ;  and,  in  order  to  make  it  legal,  his 
apprentice  papers  were  canceled.  Having  some  dispute  with  his  brother 
soon  after,  he  took  advantage  of  his  freedom  thus  gained,  and  left  him.  He 
then  went  to  New  York  to  find  business,  but,  being  unsuccessful,  continued 
on  to  Philadelphia,  where,  with  a  loaf  of  bread  under  each  arm,  and  one  in 
his  hand  from  which  he  ate,  and  a  few  pennies  in  his  pocket,  he  traveled 
the  streets  of  that  city,  in  search  of  employment,  which  he  soon  found  ;  and, 
by  persevering  industry,  he  ascended  the  ladder  of  greatness,  round  by 
round,  until  he  reached  the  highest  pinnacle  of  fame  in  his  country's  his- 
tory. 

He  was  prominent  among  those  distinguished  patriots  who  threw  their 
whole  influence  and  energies  in  favor  of  the  great  struggle  for  human  free- 
dom, vras  on  the  committee  with  those  who  drew  up  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  and  was  one  of  the  signers  of  that  immortal  document.  In 
1778  he  was  sent  as  ambassador  to  the  brilliant  Court  of  the  King  of  France, 
where,  amidst  the  gay  and  richly-dressed  courtiers,  ministers,  and  ambassa- 
dors, the  venerable  Franklin,  Avith  unpowdered  hair,  a  round  hat,  and  plain 
brown  coat,  commanded  the  respect  of  all  around  him  ;  and  his  acquaint- 
ance was  sought  with  eagerness  by  all,  as  a  man  whose  fame  as  "  the  great 
philosopher  and  statesman  of  the  ago,"  had  preceded  him. 

His  researches  in  philosophy  were  extensive,  and  his  experiments  in 
electricity  revolutionized  the  world  on  that  subject. 

Ho  brought  from  the  clouds  the  lightning  with  his  kite,  and  showed 
that  it  could  be  controlled  by  man,  to  his  advantage. 

His  wise  sayings  and  practical  advice  to  the  young,  have  become  house- 
hold words,  and  have  done  much  toward  stimulating  them  to  honesty, 
economy,  and  industry. 

Mr.  "^ Franklin  was  the  first  President  of  the  American  Philosophical 
Society,  which  he  did  much  to  build  up  and  make  memorable.  He  died  in 
Philadelphia,  on  the  17th  day  of  April,  1790,  being  eighty-four  years  of  age. 


26.   ISRAEL    PUTKAM. 

Major-general  Israel  Putna^.i  was  born  in  Salem,  Massachusetts, 
January  7,  1718. 

Among  the  brave  men,  -^vho  fought  the  early  battles  of  our  country, 
none  were  braver  than  Putnam. 

He  was  of  a  kind  and  peaceful  nature ;  but  when  roused  by  insult,  or 
injustice,  his  iron  heart  leaped  to  his  hand,  and  his  blows  on  tlie  heads  of 
w^rong-docrs  fell  fast  and  furious.  When  yet  a  mere  boy,  he  was  insulted 
by  a  much  larger  and  older  boy,  on  account  of  his  rustic  appearance,  to 
w^honi  he  gave  a  sound  thrashing,  to  tlie  deliglit  of  the  lookers-on.  What 
schoolboy  has  not  read  the  thrilling  story  of  "  Old  Put  and  the  Wolf?" 

He  served  in  the  old  French  and  Indian  war,  in  which  his  whole  ca- 
reer teemed  with  acts  of  romantic  chivalry.  All  his  hardships,  hair- 
breadtli  escapes,  and  w^ondrous  feats,  would  require  volumes  to  narrate. 
In  1757,  while  Putnam  bore  the  rank  of  major,  he  was  ordered,  in  com- 
pany with  tlie  intrepid  Rogers,  with  a  detachment  of  several  picked 
men,  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  enemy,  Avho  w^ere  encamped  near 
Ticonderoga.  Being  discovered,  he  was  compelled  to  retreat  on  Fort 
Edward,  w^hen  he  fell  upon  an  ambush  of  French  and  Indians.  Taken 
by  surprise,  he  halted  his  men  and  returned  the  fire  of  the  enemy ;  and 
the  battle  soon  became  general  and  waxed  hot.  Putnam  became  sepa- 
rated from  the  body  of  his  army,  and  was  compelled  to  defend  himself 
against  several  Indians.  Three  of  them  he  slew,  Avlicn  the  fourth  rushed - 
on  him  (as  his  gun  missed  fire)  with  uplifted  tomalla^s'k,  and  Putnam  sur-; 
rendered.  The  Indian  immediately  bound  him  to  a  tree,  and  joined  the. 
melee  once  more.  While  bound,  he  was  between  the  fire  of  both  par- 
ties, at  one  time  ;  and  the  bullets  pierced  his  clothes,  and  the  tree  beside 
him.  A  young  Indian  also  amused  himself  by  throwing  a  tomahawk- 
into  the  tree  beside  of  his  head.  At  the  close  of  the  fight,  he  was  un- 
bound, led  into  captivity,  and  treated  with  great  cruelty. 

He  was  tied  to  a  sapling,  and  a  fire  kindled  to  roast  him  alive;  but 
just  as  the  fire  began  to  scorch  his  limbs,  a  shov/er  of  rain  came  and  put 
out  the  flames;  and  before  they  could  again  be  kindled,  the  savage  who 
captured  him  came  and  claimed  him  as  his ;  and  having  some  spark  of 
humanity  in  his  savage  breast,  dressed  his  wounds  and  protected  him 
from  insult  and  cruelty  during  the  remainder  of  the  march.  He  was  at 
length  exchanged,  and  lived  to  fight  other  battles. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  ^Var,  he  was  at  work  upon 
his  farm,  and  when  a  messenger  arrived  informing  him  of  the  contem- 
plated attack  on  Bunker  Hill,  he  w^as  in  the  field  plowing.  He  immedi- 
ately left  his  plow,  took  his  gun  and  jumped  upon  his  horse,  arriving  in 
season  to  do  eminent  service  in  that  memorable  battle. 

He  served  his  country  fiiithfully,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  retired  to 
his  farm;  where  he  enjoyed  the  blessings  of  the  free  institutions  for 
which  he  fought,  to  the  age  of  seventy-two,  when  he  died,  at  Brooklyn, 
Connecticut,  May  29,  171)6. 


27.  HENEY  KNOX. 

General  Henry  Knox  was  born  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  July  25, 
1750. 

He  married  the  daughter  of  a  staunch  loyalist,  and  was  an  officer  in  the 
Britisih  army  when  the  struggle  of  the  Kevolution  commenced.  His  whole 
Boul  was  fii'ed  with  the  cause  of  freedom,  and  he  contrived  his  escape  from 
Boston,  and,  presenting  himself  at  the  camp  of  "Washington,  offered  his  ser- 
vices to  his  country.  His  wife,  who,  notwithstanding  her  Tory  origin, 
fully  sympathized  with  the  patriots,  accompanied  her  husband  in  his  flight, 
secreting  his  sword  in  the  folds  of  her  petticoat.  The  noble  woman  adhered 
to  his  fortune  through  the  trials  and  privations  of  the  campaign,  and  had 
the  holy  satisfaction  of  sharing  her  husband's  joys  in  the  established  Inde- 
pendence of  their  country. 

"When  young  Knox  presented  himself  at  "Washington's  headquarters, 
our  army  was  destitute  of  cannon,  without  which  he  felt  that  it  was  impos- 
sible to  cope  with  the  British  forces.  There  was  no  way  of  obtaining  the 
needed  supply  but  by  transporting  it  from  the  dilapidated  forts  of  the  Can- 
adian frontier.  This  dangerous  and  almost  Herculean  labor  was  triumph- 
antly performed  by  that  gallant  young  officer,  and  an  artillery  department 
of  respectable  force  was  added  to  our  army,  the  command  of  which  was 
bestowed  upon  Knox,  with  a  Brigadier-General's  commission.  These  guns 
were  planted  on  Dorchester  Heights,  and  the  British  army  speedily  com- 
pelled to  evacuate  Boston.  General  Knox,  at  the  head  of  the  artillery,  was 
in  constant  service  during  the  entire  contest  which  succeeded,  and  generally 
under  the  immediate  eye  of  Washington,  between  whom  and  himself  a 
strong  attachment  existed,  which  lasted  until  the  death  of  his  distinguished 
and  beloved  commander.  At  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  Trenton,  Prince- 
ton, Brandywine,  Germantown,  and  Monmouth,  as  also  at  the  seige  of 
Yorktown,  Knox  and  his  artillery  rendered  most  valuable  aid.  He  was  one 
of  the  commissioners  to  negotiate  the  terms  of  capitulation  of  Cornwallis. 
In  1785,  under  the  old  regime.  General  Knox  was  Secretary  of  War,  until 
the  new  organization,  when  Washington  immediately  appointed  him  to  the 
same  office,  which  he  continued  to  hold  until  1704,  at  which  time 
Washington  reluctantly  consented  to  accept  his  resignation,  and  he  retired 
to  his  farm,  in  Thomaston,  Maine,  where  he  lived  in  hospitable  retircnient, 
until  the  25th  of  October,  1806,  when  he  died  suddenly  from  accidental  stran- 
gulation. 

Pew  men  contributed  more  largely  to  the  success  of  our  Pevolutionary 
struggle  than  General  Knox. 

As  the  projector,  author,  and  first  commander  of  artillery,  with  the  entire 
confidence  of  Washington,  his  opportunities  were  Cf^ual  to  his  desires,  and 
his  success  tantamount  to  his  genius  and  bravery. 


28.    WILLIAM  PENN. 

"William  Pexn,  the  founder  of  the  State  which  bears  his  name,  -was 
born  in  London,  October  14,  1G44.  Before  he  was  fifteen  he  entered  Oxford, 
and  was  converted  to  Quakerism  by  the  eloquence  of  an  itinerant  preacher 
of  that  sect,  and  was  expelled  from  college  for  non-conformity  before  he 
was  sixteen. 

Honest  in  his  convictions  and  sturdy  in  adhering  to  them,  neither  the 
expostulation  of  his  friends,  the  discipline  of  his  father,  nor  the  threats  of 
the  church,  could  shake  his  faith  in  his  purpose. 

He  studied  law  in  Lincoln's  Inn  until  the  year  1665,  when,  the  plague 
breaking  out  in  his  native  city,  he  went  to  Ireland,  to  manage  his  father's 
estate.  Here  he  joined  a  fraternity  of  Quakers,  in  consequence  of  which  he 
was  recalled. 

He  was  so  persistent  in  his  adherence  to  the  habits  and  dogmas  of  his 
sect,  that  his  father  banished  him  from  his  house.  He  then  commenced 
preaching,  and  was  very  successful  in  gaining  proselytes  to  his  sect. 

He  was  exceedingly  obnoxious  to  the  Government,  and  was  several  times 
fined  and  imprisoned.  But  nothing  intimidated  him.  Even  in  prison  he 
wrote  and  published  books,  and  sent  them  forth  to  the  world. 

On  the  death  of  his  father,  a  large  estate  fell  into  his  possession  ;  but  he 
continued  to  write,  travel,  and  preach,  as  before. 

The  Crown  owing  large  debts  to  the  estate,  Penn  asked  and  obtained,  in 
1681,  a  charter  of  Pennsylvania,  where  a  colony  was  soon  planted,  and  he 
himself  arrived  the  next  year. 

Feeling  that  he  had  no  moral  claim  on  the  soil,  he  negotiated  with  the 
Indians  who  occupied  it,  and  purchased  it  of  them  at  a  price  perfectly  satis- 
factory to  both  parties. 

He  established  the  capital,  and  named  it  Philadelphia,  drew  up  a  code  of 
laws  for  his  growing  colony,  ordaining  perfect  toleration  for  religious  opin- 
ion, and  returned  to  England,  in  1684,  to  exert  his  influence  in  favor  of  his 
persecuted  brethren  there.  He  was  instrumental  in  the  deliverance  of  more 
than  thirteen  hundred  who  had  been  cast  into  prison  for  heresy.  So  malig- 
nant were  his  enemies,  that  they  effected  his  imprisonment  on  the  charge  of 
Papacy  ;  but  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  his  freedom,  and  returned  once 
more  to  America,  where  he  revised  his  code  of  laws,  and  made  some  altera- 
tions in  the  form  of  government,  at  the  same  time  traveling  through  the 
country,  preaching  and  writing  on  the  subject  nearest  his  heart. 

In  1700  he  again  returned  to  England,  where  he  resumed  his  favorite 
pursuit,  until  1712,  when  paralysis  put  a  stop  to  his  active  life,  and  caused 
his  death  in  1718. 

The  character  of  "William  Penn,  alone,  sheds  a  never-fading  lustre  upon 
our  history.  He  established  his  commonwealth  on  the  basis  of  religion, 
morality,  and  universal  love,  and  he  won  the  confidence  of  the  Indians  by 
his  strict  justice. 

Few  men  have  lived  whose  efforts  have  been  so  productive  of  good,  and 
80  free  from  evil. 


29.   BENJAMIN  RUSH. 

BEXJA>nx  Rush  -was  born  in  Byberry,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  24th  of 
December,  1745.  His  father  dying  when  he  was  quite  young,  his  mother 
assumed  the  charge  of  his  education ;  and  so  faithfully  did  she  execute  the 
important  trust,  that  he  Avas  able  to  enter  Princeton  College  at  the  age  of 
thirteen  ;  and  such  had  been  his  progress  in  his  studies,  that  he  obtained 
his  degree  before  he  was  fifteen  years  old.  After  studying  five  years  with 
a  celebrated  physician  here,  he  went  to  Scotland,  and  studied  two  years, 
spending  a  few  months  in  England  and  France. 

On  his  return,  in  1769,  he  was  elected  Professor  of  Chemistry  in  the 
College  of  Philadelphia.  In  1791,  the  College  being  merged  into  the  Uni- 
versity, Dr.  Kush  was  appointed  Professor  of  the  Institute  in  the  practice 
of  medicine,  and  of  clinical  practice. 

His  lectures  were  popular,  -and  very  fully  attended.  In  his  treatment  of 
yellow-fever,  which  about  this  time  desolated  Philadelphia,  he  seems  to 
to  have  been  eminently  successful.  He  remained  at  his  post  constantly 
during  the  three  months  of  its  ravages,  and  gave  his  services  freely  to  the 
poor,  rejecting  enormous  offers  from  the  rich,  that  the  children  of  poverty 
might  not  suffer  from  want  of  care.  Once  he  came  near  falling  a  victim  to 
the  disease.  He  took  no  rest,  and  visited,  on  an  average,  one  hundred  pa- 
tients daily.  He  adopted  for  his  motto  :  "  The  poor  are  my  best  patients, 
for  God  is  their  paymaster." 

Dr.  Push  was  an  ardent  patriot,  and  took  a  decided  stand  with  the 
friends  of  his  country. 

By  his  counsels  and  his  pen  he  did  eminent  service  to  the  cause  of  his 
country,  and  filled  several  important  offices.  In  1776  he  signed  that  im- 
mortal instrument,  "  The  Declaration  of  Independence." 

In  1777  he  was  appointed  head  of  the  medical  staff  of  the  Continental 
Army,  and  was  assiduous  in  his  duties  in  that  department. 

Dr.  Rush  was  a  great  student  and  writer,  and  it  is  through  his  many 
printed  works  that  his  memory  is  kept  fragrant  in  the  hearts  of  his  country- 
men. From  his  nineteenth  to  his  sixty-fourth  year  he  was  a  public  writer. 
His  productions  exhibit  extensive  learning,  profound  medical  science,  deep 
piety,  a  zealous  patriotism,  and  unboimded  benevolence.  His  moral  quali- 
ties were  such  as  naturally  spring  from  an  elevated  mind,  and  a  heart  that 
had  been  cultivated  by  an  intelligent  mother. 

From  the  age  of  twenty-four  until  his  death,  he  was  in  constant  and  ex- 
tensive practice.  He  was  cut  off  suddenly  by  a  prevailing  typhus-fever,  in 
the  midst  of  his  usefulness,  April  19,  1813,  being  sixty-eight  years  of  age. 
He  saved  others  :  himself  he  could  not  save. 


30.  PATEICK   HENEY. 

Patrick  Henry  was  bom  in  Virginia,  May  29,  1736.  His  boyhood  was 
as  unpromising  as  could  well  be  imagined.  He  was  a  great  truant,  hating 
bis  books,  and  delighting  in  nothing  so  much  as  his  angle-rod  and  gun. 

In  these  sports  he  would  spend  weeks  at  a  time  ;  and  while  Avatching 
the  cork  of  his  fishing-rod,  he  would  sit  for  hours  absorbed  in  reflection. 
In  the  midst  of  his  companions,  he  often  sat  silent,  appearing  to  be 
occupied  with  his  own  thoughts,  cr  reflecting  deeply  on  the  character  of  his 
playmates.  At  sixteen  his  father  set  him  up  in  trade,  but  he  did  not  suc- 
ceed. During  that  time  he  acquired  a  taste  for  reading,  but  his  chief  em- 
ployment was  in  studying  the  character  of  his  customers,  as  they  became 
excited  in  controversy,  or  interested  in  relating  anecdotes. 

Not  succeeding  in  the  store,  he  determined  to  study  law.  After  six 
weeks'  study,  he  applied  for  a  license  to  practice,  and  passed  his  examina- 
tion, astounding  his  examiners,  not  by  his  knowledge  of  law,  but  by  the 
strength  of  his  intellect,  and  brilliancy  of  his  genius.  For  three  years  his 
success  was  small,  when  an  event  brought  him  bef  to  the  court,  and  gave 
him  a  chance  to  display  his  ability  as  a  pleader  and  an  orator.  It  was  a 
case  between  the  people  and  the  clergy  of  the  English  Church,  in  regard  to 
the  payment  of  their  salaries  in  tobacco,  at  a  price  fixed  by  the  Legislature. 

Patrick  Henry  was  employed  by  the  people,  as  no  one  else  could  be 
found  to  espouse  their  cause. 

When  he  rose  to  make  his  plea,  he  faltered,  and  appeared  very  awkward, 
and  the  people  hung  their  heads  at  so  unpropitious  a  commencement,  the 
clergy,  at  the  same  time,  exchanging  sly  glances  with  each  other.  In  a  few 
moments,  however,  as  he  warmed  with  the  subject,  those  wonderful  facul- 
ties which  he  possessed  were,  for  the  first  time,  developed,  and  now  was  wit- 
nessed that  mysterious  transformation  of  appearance  which  the  fire  of  his 
own  eloquence  never  failed  tt)  work  in  him.  His  attitude,  by  degrees,  be- 
came erect  and  lofty ;  th^  spirit  of  his  genius  awakened  all  his  features ; 
his  countenance  shone  with  a  grandeur  which  it  never  before  exhibited ; 
there  was  a  lightning  in  his  eye  that  seemed  to  rive  the  spectators.  His 
actions  became  graceful,  bold,  and  commanding ;  and  in  the  tones  of  his 
voice,  more  especially  in  his  emphasis,  there  was  a  peculiar  charm,  "  a 
magic,"  of  which  all  who  ever  heard  him,  speak,  but  of  which  no  one  could 
give  any  adequate  description.  His  triumph  was  complete.  The  Jury  gave 
him  a  verdict  without  deliberation,  and  the  people  carried  him  from  the 
Court-House  on  their  shoulders. 

From  this  time,  Patrick  Henry  was  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  Virginia, 
and  his  life  was  brilliantly  connected  with  the  history  of  his  country. 

After  a  saccessful  career  at  the  bar,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, where  his  well-known  speeches,  familiar  to  every  school-boy,  gave  Vir- 
ginia to  the  Revolution.  He  served  conspicuously  in  the  First  Congress, 
and  was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia. 

He  died  on  the  6th  day  of  June,  1799,  in  the  sixty-fourth  year  of  his 
age. 


31.    JOHN    HANCOCK. 

John  HaxCOCK  was  born  in  Quincj',  Massachusetts,  in  1737.  He 
graduated  at  Harvard  College,  in  1754,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  with  no  par- 
ticular marks  of  distinction. 

On  leaving'  college,  he  entered  the  counting-room  of  his  uncle,  one  of 
the  wealthiest  merchants  of  Boston,  where  he  remained  six  years. 

He  then  went  to  Europe,  and  returned,  after  four  years'  absence,  to  enter 
upon  the  immense  fortune  of  his  uncle,  who,  dying,  had  made  him  his  heir. 

In  17G'5,  at  a  political  meeting  to  nominate  a  candidate  to  the  Legisla- 
ture of  Massachusetts,  Samuel  Adams,  desirous  of  enlisting  in  the  cause  of 
the  people,  the  great  estate  and  influential  name  of  John  Hancock,  nomi- 
nated him  to  represent  his  district,  and  he  was  elected.  Ever  after,  he  was 
an  ardent  and  conspicuous  friend  of  his  country.  Indeed,  he  made  himself 
so  prominent  in  the  politics  of  the  day,  that  he  was  in  danger  of  prosecution 
for  treason. 

In  1768,  one  of  his  sloops,  laden  with  wine,  from  Madeira,  was  seized  by 
the  Government,  on  a  pretext  of  false  entry.  A  mob  collected,  and  pelted 
the  officers  with  stones,  broke  the  windows  of  their  residences,  and  seized  a 
boat  belonging  to  the  collector  of  the  port,  which  they  dragged  to  the  Com- 
m,on,  and  burned. 

This  was  the  first  serious  disturbance  which  had  occurred  in  America 
growing  out  of  the  events  preceding  the  Kevolution. 

It  made  a  prodigious  noise  in  the  world,  and  gave  a  great  prominence  to 
the  name  of  John  Hancock. 

In  1774  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress,  and  was 
chosen  President  of  that  body.  That  year  he  delivered  an  oration,  on  the 
anniversary  of  the  Boston  massacre,  which  established  his  reputation  as  a. 
true  friend  of  the  country. 

In  1776,  as  President  of  Congress,  he  placed  his  name  at  the  head  of  that 
immortal  paper  which  declaimed  to  the  world  our  Independence,  where  it 
stands  in  that  round,  striking  hand,  which  exhibits  a  bold  and  fearless 
spirit,  and  a  resolution  never  to  subscribe  to  any  compromise  with  tyranny 
or  oppression. 

Mr,  Hancock  was  blessed  with  a  pleasing  person,  winning  address,  and 
possessed  great  wealth.  Staking  everything  on  the  die  of  the  Revolution, 
he  became  one  of  the  most  popular  leaders  of  that  glorious  struggle,  and  one 
of  the  most  obnoxious  to  the  Tory  authorities. 

In  1780  he  was  chosen  first  Governor,  under  the  new  Constitution,  of  his 
native  State,  which  office  he  continued  to  hold  (with  the  exception  of  two 
years)  until  his  death,  in  October,  1793,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five. 

Possessed  of  ample  means,  Governor  Hancock  lived  in  a  stylo  of  princely 
magnificence,  and  Ids  abode  was  the  ne  plus  ultra  of  a  noble  and  brilliant 
hospitality.  His  door  was  never  shut  on  the  people,  and  the  poor  were 
never  sent  empty-handed  or  in  sorrow  from  his  door. 

At  his  table  might  be  seen  all  classes,  from  grave  and  dignified  clergy 
down  to  the  gifted  in  song,  narrative,  anecdote,  and  wit. 


32.   JOHN  JAY. 

John  Jay  was  bom  in  New  York,  December  13,  1745,  He  graduated 
at  Columbia  College,  in  1764,  with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class ;  and  in 
17G8  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  with  the  most  brilliant  prospects,  in  which 
he  would  undoubtedly  have  risen  to  great  eminence,  had  he  not  been  called 
to  the  political  arena,  and  joined  that  noble  brotherhood  who  leagued  for 
the  overthrow  of  tyranny,  and  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  the  Adamses, 
Jefferson,  Henry,  Hamilton,  and  the  whole  host  of  patriots  who  took  their 
lives  in  their  hands,  and  determined  to  sink  or  swim  with  their  country. 
He  was  elected  one  of  the  delegates  to  the  First  Congress,  in  1774,  and 
when  he  took  his  seat  was  the  youngest  member  on  the  floor  of  that  House ; 
yet  such  was  the  gravity  of  his  manner,  the  jprofoundness  of  his  knowledge, 
and  the  ripeness  of  his  judgment,  that  he  was  appointed  to  some  of  the 
most  important  committees  of  that  august  body.  He  wrote  that  address  to 
the  people  of  Great  Britain,  which  the  gifted  Jefferson  pronounced  the  pro- 
duction of  the  finest  pen  in  America.  He  also  wrote  several  other  addi*esses 
adopted  by  Congress,  all  of  which  bear  the  stamp  of  true  genius,  burning 
patriotism,  and  great  comprehensiveness. 

In  1777  he  was  appointed  Chief- Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
State  of  New  York ;  in  1779,  Minister  to  Spain  ;  and,  in  1782,  Commissioner, 
in  company  with  Dr.  Franklin,  John  Adams,  and  Mr.  Laurens,  to  negotiate 
a  peace  with  England. 

It  was  mainly  owing  to  his  firmness  that  the  recognition  of  the  Inde- 
pendence of  the  United  States  was  extorted  from  Great  Britain. 

He  wrote  a  number  of  essays  in  the  Federalist,  was  chosen  Secretary  of 
Foreign  Affairs,  which  position  he  held  until  the  adoption  of  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States,  when  he  was  appointed  Chief-Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  and  in  1794  was  appointed  Envoy  Extraordinary  to  Great 
Britain,  to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  commerce,  which  he  effected  with  great 
skill  and  fidelity  to  his  country. 

On  his  return  he  was  elected  Governor  of  New  York,  and  served  in  that 
capacity  until  1801,  when  he  retired  to  private  life. 

Like  all  great  men  of  that  day,  like  Washington,  Jefferson,  Franklin, 
Hamilton,  Patrick  Henry,  and  John  Randolph,  and  all  others  of  like  grade, 
John  Jay  was  an  abolitionist. 

He  brought  home  with  him,  from  abroad,  one  negro  slave,  to  whom  he 
gave  his  freedom,  when  he  had  served  long  enough  to  pay  the  expense  in- 
curred in  bringing"  him  here. 

Mr.  Jay  died  in  May,  1829,  having  lived  to  the  great  ago  of  eighty-four. 


33.   LAFAYETTE. 

Marquis  de  Lafayette  was  born  in  France,  in  the  year  1757.  At  the 
age  of  twenty,  refusing  preferment  and  distinction  at  home,  he  fitted  out  an 
armament,  at  his  own  expense,  for  the  relief  of  the  American  colonies,  when 
their  cause  seemed  most  gloomy  and  despairing,  and  came  to  assist  with  i.is 
counsel,  purse,  and  troops.  Arriving  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in  1777, 
he  soon  joined  the  arm.y,  with  a  Major-General's  commission,  which  he  ac- 
cepted on  the  condition  that  he  should  be  allowed  to  serve  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, and  enter  the  army  as  a  volunteer. 

His  judgment  was  so  profound,  and  his  courage  so  cool,  that  the  prudent 
and  sagacious  Washington  confided  to  him  the  post  of  difficulty  and  danger, 
and  never  found  his  confidence  misplaced. 

He  remained  in  America  two  years,  sharing  freely  in  all  the  hardships 
of  our  suffering  army,  and  returned  to  Paris,  bearing  honorable  scars,  and 
the  grateful  thanks  of  all  the  colonies.  He  remained  in  France  two  years, 
actively  engaged  in  the  affairs  of  his  Government,  and  using  all  his  influ- 
ence, in  conjunction  with  Franklin,  then  American  Minister  to  the  Court  of 
Versailles,  in  behalf  of  the  American  colonies.  He  soon  returned  to  the 
field  of  strife  in  America,  and,  after  a  brilliant  campaign,  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  the  British  forces  compelled  to  surrender  at  Yorktown,  and 
the  boastful  Cornwallis  give  up  his  sword  to  the  hero,  Washington. 

Lafayette  again  received  the  thanks  of  Congress,  and  was  conveyed  home 
in  triumph  in  an  American  frigate. 

The  following  year  he  paid  a  visit  to  the  United  States,  and  was  received 
amidst  the  grateful  and  expressive  manifestations  of  the  jJ^ople,  his  progress 
through  the  States  being  a  continued  fete.  On  his  return  to  France,  he 
entered  the  arena  of  political  strife,  already  open  in  that  country,  in  which 
his  patriotism  and  love  of  liberty  doomed  him  to  confiscation  and  prison, 
and  nearly  to  lose  his  life.  Many  of  his  family  laid  their  necks  beneath  the 
keen  edge  of  the  guillotine  ;  others,  his  wife  among  them,  were  shut  up  in 
gloomy  dungeons.  At  length  he  was  set  free,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  known 
in  America,  the  most  urgent  invitations  were  sent  him  to  visit  the  L'nited 
States — "  that  country  dear  to  his  heart."  Congress  seconded  the  voice  of 
the  people,  and  placed  the  gunboat  "  North  Carolina"  at  his  disposal.  De- 
clining the  honor,  he  embarked,  with  his  son,  in  one  of  the  regular  packets, 
the  "  Cadmus,"  and  reached  New  York,  August  24,  1824. 

Never  was  a  reception  so  imposing  and  spontaneous.  One  general  shout 
of  "  Welcome  I  Welcome  ! ! "  burst  from  all  lips,  prompted  by  every  heart. 
From  city  to  city,  and  from  town  to  town,  through  the  entire  borders  of  the 
land,  for  the  space  of  one  year,  he  journeyed,  amidst  continued  enthusiasm. 
Valley  and  hill  echoed  his  beloved  name,  joy  and  thanksgiving  rang  from 
every  spire,  and  boomed  from  every  piece  of  ordnance  in  the  land. 

On  returning  home,  he  did  what  lay  in  his  power  to  establish  liberty  in 
the  bosom  of  his  native  France,  until  June,  1834,  when  his  earthly  struggle 
closed. 


84.    SAMUEL  ADAMS. 

Samuel  Adams  was  born  in  Quincy,  Massacliusotts,  September  27, 1723, 
and  graduated  at  Harvard  College  at  eighteen  years  of  age. 

At  that  early  age  he  wrote  several  able  articles  in  favor  of  resisting  the 
magistrates,  if  the  liberties  of  the  commonwealth  could  not  otherwise  bo 
preserved. 

He  commenced  life  as  a  merchant,  but  the  force  of  circumstances,  to- 
gether with  his  unconquerable  love  of  liberty,  soon  convinced  him  and  the 
world  that  the  arena  of  politics  was  his  natural  sphere. 

In  1705  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  from  Boston,  of  which  he  was 
a  member  for  ten  years.  In  1774  he  was  sent  to  the  General  Congress, 
where,  by  his  eloquence  and  burning  patriotism,  he  exerted  a  mighty  influ- 
ence in  behalf  of  Independence. 

On  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  Massachusetts,  he  was  elected  to 
the  Senate,  over  which  he  was  called  to  preside.  In  1789  ho  was  elected 
Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State ;  and  on  the  death  of  John  Hancock,  in 
1794,  he  succeeded  him  as  Governor,  which  office  he  held  for  three  years, 
when  he  retired  to  private  life,  but  did  not  live  long  to  enjoy  it. 

Among  the  names  of  the  brave  band  of  patriots  who  first  offered  resist- 
ance to  the  encroachments  of  British  power  on  the  liberties  of  the  English 
colonies  in  America,  none  is  more  reverently  and  affectionately  cherished  in 
the  American  heart  than  that  of  the  '*  Patriarch,"  Samuel  Adams.  For 
stern,  unbending  republicanism,  and  unflinching  devotion  to  the  cause  of 
freedom,  none  exceeded  him. 

No  seductions  or  bribes  could  reach  his  integrity,  as  was  evinced  by  his 
reply  to  Colonel  Fenton,  the  emissary  of  General  Gage,  sent  expressly  to 
buy  up  the  "  obstinate  rebel."  After  offering  every  tempting  bribe,  in  the 
shape  of  gold  and  office,  and  more  than  intimating  that  his  liberty,  if  not 
his  life,  hung  on  his  reply :  "  Go,"  said  he,  raising  himself  to  his  full 
height,  and  putting  himself  in  an  attitude  of  proud,  heroic  defiance  ;  "go 
tell  Governor  Gage  that  my  peace  has  long  been  made  with  the  King  of 
Kings,  and  that  it  is  the  advice  of  Samuel  Adams  to  him,  no  lonr/er  to  insult 
the  feelings  of  an  already  exasperated  people.^^ 

Samuel  Adams,  more  than  any  other  man, induced  the  people  of  America 
to  resist  the  Stamp  Act.  He  was  the  man  chiefly  instrumental  in  destroy- 
ing the  tea  in  Boston  harbor.  Above  all,  he  was  the  originator  of  the 
Congress  of  the  Colonies,  which  met  at  Philadelphia.  It  was  he,  also,  who, 
more  than  any  other  in  Massachusetts,  created  the  public  opinion  that  sus- 
tained these  measures. 

As  each  new  measure  of  arbitrary  power  was  announced  from  across  the 
Atlantic,  or  each  new  menace  and  violence  on  the  part  of  the  officers  of 
the  Government  or  the  army,  occurred  in  Boston,  its  citizens  rallied  to  the 
sound  of  his  voice  in  Faneuil  Hall,  and  there,  in  the  "  Cradle  of  Liberty,"  as 
from  the  gallery  or  from  the  chair,  he  animated,  enlightened,  fortified,  and 
roused  the  admiring  throng,  he  seemed  to  gather  them  together  under 
the  fegis  of  his  indomitable  spirit,  as  a  hen  gathers  her  chickens  under  her 
wings. 

Samuel  Adams  died,  at  the  great  age  of  eighty-one,  October  2,  1803. 


35.  riSHEE  AMES. 

Fisher  Ames,  so  widciy  Jmov.-n  as  an  eloquent  orator  and  distinguished 
statesman,  was  born  in  Dctlham,  Massachusetts,  April  9,  1758.  In  1774 
he  graduated  at  Harvard  College,  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  and,  having 
completed  his  studies,  with  great  credit  to  himself,  he  opened  a  law  office  in 
his  native  village,  in  the  autumn  of  1781.  Although  young  Ames  took  a 
deep  interest  in  the  stirring  scenes  of  the  lievolution,  and  sympathized, 
with  his  whole  heart,  with  the  patriots,  he  was  too  young  to  take  any  active 
part  with  them. 

He  published  many  striking  articles  in  the  journals  of  the  day,  in  which 
the  affairs  of  the  nation  Avcre  so  skillfully  discussed  as  to  give  evidence  of  a 
very  thorough  knowledge  of  the  science  of  government  and  politics ;  and  he 
was  chosen  a  Member  of  the  Convention  for  the  Katification  of  the  Federal 
Constitution. 

The  speeches  he  delivered  in  this  convention  took  his  friends  and  the 
world  by  surprise,  and  at  once  established  his  reputation  as  one  of  the  ablest 
and  most  eloquent  debaters  of  that  day. 

In  1789,  Mr.  Ames  was  elected  a  Member  of  Congress,  retaining  his  seat 
throughout  the  whole  of  "Washington's  administration,  of  which  he  was 
an  able  and  efficient  supporter. 

With  a  comprehensive  insight  of  the  subject  in  hand,  his  eloquent  rea- 
soning made  the  rough  places  smooth,  and  carried  conviction  to  the  hearts 
and  judgment  of  those  who  listened  to  him.  When,  towards  the  close  of 
his  last  term,  the  question  relative  to  the  appropriation  necessary  to  carry 
into  effect  the  British  Treaty  was  the  subject  of  debate  before  the  Hou.se, 
Mr.  Ames,  although  in  feeble  health,  made  such  an  overwhelming  argument 
that  the  opposition  begged  that  the  vote  might  not  then  be  taken,  as  the 
cfFect  of  his  speech  was  siich  as  to  unfit  the  Members  to  vote  dispaesionately. 
Such  was  the  tribute  paid  to  his  eloquence  and  reasoning  powers. 

This  was  his  last  and  greatest  effort ;  and,  feeling  that  it  would  be,  he 
:nade  such  a  touching  allusion  "  to  his  own  slender  and  almost-broken  thread 
of  life,  as  to  visibly  affect  his  audience.  Declining  to  be  a  candidate  for 
re-election,  he  retired  to  his  paternal  acres,  where,  with  the  exception  of 
serving  a  few  years  as  a  Member  of  the  Council,  he  remained  a  private  citi- 
zen to  the  close  of  his  life.  The  New  Jersey  College  conferred  on  him  the 
title  of  Doctor  of  Laws;  and  sereral years  before  his  death  he  was  chosen 
President  of  Harvard  College,  Avhich  honor  he  declined  on  account  of  ill 
health,  and  Avhich  eventually  compelled  him  to  give  up  his  profession,  and 
solace  himself  with  the  oversight  of  his  farm.  Here  he  awaited  the  Heavenly 
summons,  and  passed  away  at  last,  like  one  who  "  Avraps  the  drapery  of  his 
couch  about  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 


3G.  ELBEIDGE   GEEEY 

Elbridge  Gerry  was  bom  in  Marblehead,  Massachusetts..  July  17, 
1744.  Nothing  is  known  of  the  childhood  of  this  distinguishe-d  man,  until 
we  find  him  a  member  of  Harvard  College,  at  the  early  age  of  fourteen, 
from  which  institution  lie  graduated  in  1702. 

He  had  chosen  the  medical  profession,  but  his  father  was  desirous  that 
he  should  assist  him  in  the  mercantile  business  ;  and  so  he  became  a  partner 
with  his  father,  and  for  many  years  was  a  successful  merchant  in  his  native 
town. 

In  1772  he  was  elected  to  the  General  Court  of  the  Province  of  Massa- 
chusetts. Already  that  body  had  taken  strong  grounds  against  the 
measures  of  the  Crown,  and  Mr.  Gerry  sustained  the  doings  of  the  patriots. 
In  1773,  Samuel  Adams  introduced  his  celebrated  motion  for  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  "  Standing  Committee  of  Correspondence  and  Inquiry,"  and, 
although  one  of  the  youngest  Members,  Mr.  Gerry  was  placed  upon  that 
committee. 

The  same  year,  Mr.  Adams  laid  before  the  House  the  foreig-n  corres- 
pondence of  Governor  Hutchinson.  This  was  like  throwing  a  fire-brand  into 
a  magazine,  and  roused  the  indignation  of  the  citizens  to  the  highest  pitch. 
Mr.  Gerry  was  among  the  foremost  to  denounce  the  treason  of  the  Governor, 
and  greatly  distinguished  himself  in  his  efforts  to  forward  the  energetic 
resolutions  with  respect  to  the  tea-trade,  the  port-bill,  and  non-intercourse. 
Mr.  Gerry  was  elected  to  the  Provincial  Congress  of  Massachusetts,  which 
met  at  Salem,  in  October,  1774,  and  then  adjourned  to  Concord,  where  he 
came  near  being  arrested  by  the  British  troops  sent  there  to  break  up  the 
Congress,  and  arrest  its  Members. 

They  reassembled  at  Cambridge,  and  Mr.  Gerry  threw  himself,  with  all 
the  energy  of  his  enthusiastic  nature,  into  all  their  measures,  and  was  one 
of  the  foremost  of  that  "  Rebel  crew"  who  cast  defiance  into  the  teeth  of  the 
British  Ministry. 

He  was  elected  a  Member  of  the  H'irst  Continental  Congress,  and  took  his 
seat  February  9,  177G.  He  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  doings  of  that 
patriotic  body,  of  which  he  remained  a  Member  until  1785. 

His  name  makes  one  of  that  glorious  band  who  signed  the  Declaration 
of  Independence.  He  was  also  a  Member  of  the  Convention  that  framed  the 
Constitution  ;  yet  he  did  not  like  it,  and  voted  against  its  acceptance  ;  but 
when  it  was  accepted,  he  used  his  best  influence  in  its  support,  conceiving 
that  the  best  interests  of  the  country  depended  on  its  being  carried  heartily 
into  eifect,  now  that  it  had  become  a  law.  He  was  chosen  a  Member  of  the 
First  Congress,  under  it,  for  four  years. 

He  was  sent  to  Paris  in  1797,  with  Pinckney  and  Marshall,  to  adjust  the 
difficulties  with  France ;  was  elected  Governor  of  Massachusetts  in  1805, 
and  again  in  1810 ;  and,  in  1812,  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  with 
Madison.  While  occupying  that  x^sition,  he  died  suddenly,  November  23, 
1814,  aged  seventy. 


37.  JOSEPH  WAEEEN. 

G-eneral  Joseph  "Warrex,  the  brave  Revolutionary  patriot,  whose  blood 
stains  the  soil  of  Bunker  Hill,  was  born  in  Eoxbuiy,  Massachusetts,  inl  741, 
entered  college  in  1755,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  in  1702. 

In  1775  he  received  the  appointment  of  Major-General  in  the  Continental 
Army,  and  in  the  same  year,  on  the  ever- glorious  17Th  day  of  June,  sealed 
with  his  blood  the  protest  of  freemen  against  the  usurpations  of  tyranny. 

Had  Warren  lived,  it  is  easy  to  perceive  that  he  would  have  been  among 
the  most  conspicuous  of  that  holy  band,  who  pledged  their  lives,  their  for- 
tunes, and  their  sacred  honor,  to  the  cause  of  freedom  in  the  Xew  World. 

He  not  only  knew  no  fear,  but  seemed  to  court  danger,  for  the  very  love 
of  it,  as  the  following  anecdote  will  show  : 

The  Boston  Massacre  took  place  on  the  5th  of  March,  1770,  and  its  anniver- 
sary had  been  celebrated  for  three  years.  The  British  residents  of  Boston 
had  become  incensed  at  the  free  spirit  in  which  that  bloody  act  was  dis- 
cussed in  these  orations,  and  in  1775  several  British  officers  declared  that  it 
would  be  at  the  peril  of  his  life,  should  any  patriot  attempt  to  pronounce 
an  oration  on  the  coming  anniversary. 

This  threat  aroused  the  fiery  spirit  of  Warren,  and,  although  he  had 
officiated  only  the  year  before,  he  requested  permission  to  assume  the  peril 
and  the  honor.  On  the  day  appointed,  the  old  South  Church  was  crammed 
to  its  utmost  capacity.  A  large  number  of  British  officers  were  present, 
some  occupying  the  pulpit  and  pulpit-stairs.  The  doorway  and  aisles  were 
so  densely  packed,  that  Warren  and  his  friends  were  obliged  to  enter  the 
pulpit- window  by  a  ladder.  %. 

The  officers  were  struck  by  his  cool  intrepidity,  and  involuntarily 
yielded  up  the  pulpit,  and  suffered  him  to  assume  his  proper  place.  As  he 
came  forward,  with  a  calm  brow  and  flashing  eye,  he  appeared  the  very 
impersonation  of  moral  courage  and  personal  bravery.  It  was  a  moment  of 
intense  excitement.  Stillness,  that  was  palpable,  rested  on  every  lip ;  many 
a  heart  palpitated  with  the  wildest  enthusiasm. 

When  he  opened  his  lips,  his  voice  was  firm  and  unfaltering, 
while  its  deep  and  almost  unearthly  tones  told  how  fully  the  spirit  was 
stirred  within  him.  Soon  his  voice  rose,  and,  warming  with  his  theme,  in 
tones  of  thunder  he  poured  out  the  vials  of  his  wrath  upon  the  actors  in  the 
bloody  tragedy  of  March  5,  1770,  and  hurled  defiance  in  the  very  teeth  of 
those  who,  but  a  few  hours  before,  had  threatened  his  life,  but  who  were 
aow  awed  before  the  majesty  of  his  sublime  courage. 

He  declined  Prescott's  proposal  to  command  at  Bunker  Hill,  and  entered 
the  ranks,  where  he  fought  with  unflinching  bravery,  being  among  the  last 
to  quit  the  breast-works,  and  fell  only  a  few  yards  from  them,  fighting  to 
the  last. 


\ 


38.   BENJAMIN  LINCOLN. 

Benjamin  Lincoln,  an  heroic  officer  of  the  Kevolution,  a  skillful  dip- 
lomatist, and  ready  debater  in  the  councils  of  the  nation,  was  born  at 
Hing'ham,  Massachusetts,  June  23,  1733.  "When  the  Revolutionary  Avar 
commenced,  Lincoln  was  Lieutenant,  under  commission  of  Governor  Hut- 
chinson. 

,  He  unhesitatingly  threw  himself  into  the  cause  of  the  Colonists,  and,  in 
1775,  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Congress,  and  by  that  body 
appointed  one  of  its  Secretaries,  and  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Corres- 
pondence. 

In  177G  he  receiA^ed  the  appointment  of  Brigadier-General,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  entered  the  Continental  Army  as  Major-General;  and  in  the 
autumn  of  the  same  year  joined  the  Northern  Army  under  Schuyler.  He 
rendered  valuble  service  in  that  trying  campaign,  and  signalized  himself 
in  both  the  battles  on  the  plains  of  Saratoga,  which  proved  so  disastrous  to 
General  Burgoyne. 

He  was  so  severely  wounded  in  the  fight  of  the  7th  of  October,  as  to  be 
obliged  to  leave  the  army,  and  return  home.  He  rejoined  the  army  (to  the 
great  joy  of  "Washington,  who  duly  appreciated  his  valuable  services)  in 
the  following  August. 

He  was  immediately  sent  to  the  South  to  assume  command  of  the  army 
in  that  quarter,  which  he  found,  on  his  arrival  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  in 
December,  1778,  in  the  most  destitute  and  disorderly  condition  ;  but,  by 
indefatigable  industry  and  energy,  he  was  enabled  to  take  the  field,  and 
commence  offensive  operations  in  the  June  following,  when  he  attacked  the 
garrison  at  Stono  Ferry,  and,  in  conjunction  with  the  impetuous  De  Estaing, 
made  a  chivalrous  attack  on  Savannah,  both  of  which  were  unsuccessful. 

He  then  undertook  to  defend  Charleston  against  the  siege  and  blockade 
of  Sir  Henry  Clinton's  army  of  nine  thousand  men,  and,  after  a  brave  resist- 
ance of  more  than  two  months,  was  obliged  to  surrender. 

Such  was  his  popularity  with  the  army  and  the  whole  country,  that 
their  confidence  in  him  was  not  abated  by  this  disaster,  for,  on  being  ex- 
changed in  1781,  he  rejoined  the  army,  and  was  sent  once  more  to  co-operate 
with  the  Southern  forces,  where  he  had  the  high  satisfaction  of  aiding  in 
the  reduction  of  Yorktown,  and  of  conducting  the  defeated  army  to  the 
field  where  they  were  to  lay  down  their  arms  at  the  feet  of  Washington. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  chosen  Secretary 
of  War.  He  resigned  in  1783,  and  received  the  thanks  of  Congress  for  his 
patriotic  military  and  civil  services,  Avhen  he  retired  to  his  farm,  and  passed 
his  time  iu  agricultural  and  literary  pursuits,  until  1780-7,  when  he  took 
the  field  again  to  quell  the  famous  Shay's  insurrection. 

Having  triumphantly  accomplished  this,  he  again  sought  the  seclusion 
of  home  ;  but  he  could  not  keep  entirely  from  public  service,  for  the  people 
called  him  to  various  posts  of  honor,  such  as  Lieutenant-Governor,  Collector 
of  the  port  of  Boston,  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  and  Presi- 
dent of  the  Society  of  Cincinnati,  from  its  organization  to  the  day  of  his 
death,  in  all  of  which  ho  Avas  trusted,  respected,  and  beloved. 

He  died  at  Hingham,  Mass.,  May  9,  l8iO» 


30.   CHABLES  CAEBOLL, 

CnAiiLES  Carroll,  of  Carrollton,  -was  bora  at  Annapolis,  Maryland, 
September  8,  17 o7. 

At  eight  years  of  age  he  -vras  sent  to  France  to  be  educated,  -v\'here  he 
remained  until  1757,  when  he  went  to  London,  and  entered  the  Temple,  as 
a  student  of  law.  To  this  study  he  brought  a  strong  and  refined  intellect, 
cultivated  by  a  highly-finished  education;  and  when,  in  1704,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-seven,  he  returned  to  Maryland,  he  took  a  high  stand  among  his 
countrymen,  from  whom  he  had  been  separated  for  nearly  twenty  years. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  year,  after  the  return  of  Carroll,  the  odious 
Stamp  Act  was  passed.  Amongst  the  foremost  of  those  who  boldly  pro- 
tested against  this  piece  of  tyranny,  and  pledged  themselves  to  resist  the 
execution  of  the  infamous  law,  was  "  Charles  Carroll,  of  Carrollton." 

In  1774,  the  Delegates  to  the  Maryland  Assembly  voted  that  no  more 
tea  should  be  imported  into  their  territory.  Nevertheless,  the  same  year  a 
brig-load  of  the  obnoxious  article  arrived  in  port,  which  produced  im- 
mense excitement;  and  personal  violence  was  threatened  to  the  owners 
of  the  vessel  and  consig-nees.  In  this  state  of  things,  Mr.  Carroll's  advice 
was  sought  by  the  owners.  "  If  you  would  allay  the  people's  rage,"  was 
his  reply,  "  burn  the  vessel,  together  with  its  contents."  Complying  with 
his  advice,  they  took  the  brig  into  the  stream,  set  it  on  fire,  and  burned  it 
to  the  water's  edge,  amidst  the  hearty  acclamations  of  the  patriotic  multi- 
tude. 

In  177G,  Mr.  Carroll  was  appointed  a  Commissioner,  in  conjunction  with 
Franklin,  Samuel  Chase,  and  John  Carroll,  to  induce  the  Canadians  to  join 
in  resistance  to  English  oppression.  Unforeseen  events,  together  with  the 
unlimited  power  of  the  priests,  prevented  its  success. 

On  his  return  to  Philadelphia,  he  found  the  subject  of  the  Declaration 
oi  Independence  under  discussion  in  Congress,  and  learned  that  the  Mary- 
land Delegates  had  been  instructed  to  vote  against  it.  Flying  to  Annapolis, 
while  the°Convention,  to  which  he  had  been  elected  a  Member,  Avas  yet  in 
session,  such  was  the  effect  of  his  eloquence,  and  the  force  of  his  reasoning, 
that,  on  the  28th  of  June,  a  new  set  of  instructions  Avere  sent  to  Philadel- 
phia, abrogating  the  old  ones,  and  directing  the  Delegates  to  vote  for  the 
Declaration. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  177G,  he  was  appointed  a  Delegate  to  Congress,  and 
arriving  too  late  to  cast  his  vote  in  favor  of  the  Declaration,  the  President 
asked  him  if  he  would  sign  it.  "  Most  willingly  !"  was  his  hearty  reply  ; 
and  his  name  Avas  at  once  affixed  to  that  record  of  patriotism  and  freedom. 
As  there  Avere  other  Carrolls,  he  wrote  it,  "  Charles  Carroll,  of  Carrollton;^ 
that  the  British  King  might  know  Avhere  to  find  him,  "  to  ansAver  for  his 
treason." 

He  continued  in  Congress  until  1778,  served  in  the  State  Legislature  for 
several  years  after,  and  from  1788  to  1791  Avas  a  member  of  the  United 
States  Senate,  after  Avhich,  for  ten  years,  he  was  in  the  Senate  of  Maryland. 
For  the  remainder  of  his  glorious  life,  he  lived  in  retirement,  in  tiie  enjoy- 
ment of  friends,  fortune,  and  h'^alth,  in  the  most  perfect  tranquility  ;  and, 
on  the  14th  day  of  November,  1832,  he  gently  passed  aAvay,  m  the  ninety- 
sixth  year  of  his  mortal  life. 


40.  Tn.VDDEUS  KOSCIUSCO. 

TirADDP:us  Kosciusco  was  bom  in  Lithupdiia,  Poland,  in  1746.  He 
belong-cd  to  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  noble  families  of  that  ill-fated 
King-dom. 

He  commenced  his  studies  at  the  military  school  in  "Warsaw,  and  com- 
pleted his  education  at  Paris.  Here  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Dr. 
Franklin,  from  whom  he  learned  the  history  of  our  struggle  for  Independ- 
ence. 

Fired  with  the  stor}',  his  heart  yearned  to  strike  a  blow  for  fx"eedom,  and 
he  proposed  to  Franklin  to  oifer  his  services  to  Washington.  Fi^anklin, 
struck  with  the  noble  bearing  of  the  young  Pole,  gave  him  a  letter  to 
"Washington,  with  which  he  immediately  embarked  for  America. 

Presenting  himself,  without  ceremony,  at  headquarters,  he  handed  the 
letter  of  Franklin  to  Washington,  who,  after  reading  it,  demanded  of 
the  patriotic  Pole :  "  What  do  you  seek  here  ?''  "  I  came,"  was  his  brave 
reply,  *' to  fight  as  a  volunteer  for  American  Independence."  "What  can 
3'ou  dor"  asked  his  Excellency.  "Try  me,"  was  the  laconic  reply.  Charmed 
with  his  frank  and  noble  spirit,  Washington  immediately  took  him  into  his 
family,  and  made  him  his  aid. 

The  services  of  Kosciusco  were  invaluable  to  the  American  army,  on 
account  of  his  great  scientific  attainments,  and  thorough  knowledge  of  en- 
gineering, which  were  put  into  instant  requisition,  Congress  appointing 
him  engineer,  with  the  rank  of  ColoneL 

He  superintended  the  erection  of  works  of  defense  at  West  Point,  where 
a  beautiful  moniiment  has  been  erected  by  the  students  of  the  military 
academy  afterward  established  at  that  place. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  Kosciusco  returned,  to  fight  the  battles  of  Lib- 
erty in  his  native  land,  where  his  bravery  and  judgment  won  him  much 
credit.  In  1794,  a  second  revolution  swept  over  ill-fated  Poland,  and  Kos- 
ciusco was  called  to  assume  the  helm  of  State,  and  was  appointed  Dictator, 
with  full  and  unrestricted  powers. 

He  verified  the  confidence  of  his  friends,  although  he  failed  to  secure 
liberty  to  his  country.  Russian  power  was  too  great  to  be  successfully  re- 
sisted, and  the  chain  was  once  more  riveted  on  poor,  bleeding  Poland. 
Kosciusco  himself,  severely  wounded,  overpowered  by  numbers,  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  shut  up  in  a  Kussiau  dungeon,  while — 
"Hope,  for  a  season,  bade  theTvorld  farewell, 
And  Freedom  shrieked  as  Kosciusco  fell." 

After  suffering  long  the  horrors  of  a  Russian  prison,  he  was  at  length  re- 
leased, on  the  accession  of  the  Emperor  Paul,  loaded  with  honors,  and  offered 
a  commission  in  the  Russian  army,  which  honor  he  gracefully,  but  firmly, 
declined,  although  the  Emperor  earnestly  entreated  him  to  accept,  and 
offered  him,  his  own  sword.  "  What  need  have  I  of  a  sword,"  he  bitterly 
and  mournfully  replied,  "  since  I  have  no  longer  a  country  to  defend  r" 

In  1797  he  visited  the  United  States,  when  high  honors  were  conferred 
on  liim,  and  a  large  grant  of  land  donated  to  him  by  Congress,  in  considera- 
ation  of  his  eminent  services. 

He  remained  in  America  many  years  ;  but,  toward  the  close  of  his  life, 
he  went  to  Switzerland,  and  died  there,  October  10,  1817,  in  the  seventy- 
second  year  of  his  age. 


41.  ARTHUE   MIDDLETON. 

Arthur  T.Iiddleton  -^as  born  at  Middleton  Place,  a  delightful  seat  on 
tlic  Ashley  River,  South  Carolina,  in  1748. 

At  the  age  of  twelve,  he  "was  sent  to  England  to  school,  and  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  entered  the  University  of  Cambridge,  from  which  he  graduated, 
in  1764,  an  accomplished  scholar. 

After  traveling  extensively  in  Europe,  he  returned  to  South  Carolina, 
married,  and  settled  on  his  own  pleasant  homestead,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Ashley,  in  1773. 

He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  discussions  previous  to  the  Declaration  of 
Independence.  Careless  of  personal  consequences,  he  put  his  name,  proudly 
and  without  hesitation,  to  that  noble  Declaration,  which  consecrated  life, 
honor,  and  fortune,  to  Liberty,  and  flung  defiance  into  the  teeth  of  the  op- 
pressor. 

He  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1776,  and  remained  in  that  body  until 
the  close  of  1777,  where  he  acquired  a  character  for  great  clearness  of  intel- 
lect, pure  patriotism,  and  unfaltering  devotion  to  the  holy  cause  in  which 
he  and  his  compeers  had  embarked. 

When,  in  1779,  South  Carolina  became  the  theatre  of  war,  Mr.  Middle- 
ton's  estate  became  the  prey  of  the  invaders.  His  buildings  were  spared ; 
but  everything  movable,  and  of  any  value,  was  carried  away,  or  destroyed. 
His  valuable  library  and  elegant  paintings  were  remorselessly  appropriated 
by  the  vandals.  Eortunately,  he  and  his  family  escaped  the  ruthless  hands 
of  the  marauders. 

During  the  investment  of  Charleston,  Mr.  Middleton  was  there,  and  ren- 
dered very  essential  aid  in  its  defense.  On  its  surrender,  he  was  carried  to 
St.  Augustine,  a  prisoner  of  war. 

On  being  exchanged,  in  1781,  he  was  immediately  appointed  a  Delegate 
to  Congress ;  and  again  elected  to  the  same  honorable  post  in  1782.  He 
then  returned  to  his  beloved  home ;  and,  on  the  establishment  of  peace,  de- 
clined to  be  elected  to  Congress  any  more,  preferring  to  be  with  his  family, 
from  whom  he  had  been  so  long  separated. 

He  consented  to  be  elected,  occasionally,  to  a  seat  in  the  Legislature  of 
his  State,  in  which  he  rendered  good  aid  to  the  cause  of  education  and  wise 
legislation  among  his  fellow-citizens. 

In  November,  1786,  he  imprudently  exposed  himself  to  the  inclement 
weather  usual  at  that  season,  when  he  took  a  severe  cold,  which  resulted  in 
an  intermittent-fever,  and  terminated  his  valuable  life  on  the  1st  of  Janu- 
ary, 1787,  being  only  forty-four  years  of  age. 


42.   TIMOTHY   PICKEEING. 

Timothy  Pickering  was  born  in  Salem,  Massachusetts,  July  17,  1745. 
At  the  ago  of  sixteen  he  entered  Harvard  College,  and  graduated  in  17Go. 

While  in  College,  and  after  leaving  it,  he  entered,  heart  and  soul,  into 
the  discussion  of  those  great  political  questions  which,  at  that  time,  were 
agitating  his  countrymen ;  and  the  results  of  his  labors  are  among  the 
rarest  and  finest  specimens  of  political  literature  which  that  fertile  age 
produced. 

Previous  to  the  commencement  of  hostilities,  he  held  several  important 
civil  offices  ;  but  when  the  sound  of  war  echoed  from  Lexington  and  Con- 
cord through  the  land,  he  gave  up  those  duties,  and  entered  the  camp.  He 
was  elected  Colonel  of  the  Essex  militia,  and  took  much  pains  to  instruct 
his  officers  and  soldiers  in  the  art  of  their  calling. 

To  Colonel  Pickering  it  fell  to  head  the  first  armed  force  against  English 
oppression. 

On  Sunday,  February  26,  1775,  while  the  people  were  at  church,  news 
came  that  a  British  regiment  was  landing  at  Marblehead,  and  that  they 
intended  to  march  through  Salem,  in  search  of  military  stores,  said  to  be 
secreted  somewhere  in  the  vicinity. 

The  churches  were  instantly  closed,  and,  with  their  ministers  at  their 
head,  the  congregations  pi-oceeded  to  the  draw-bridge,  raised  the  draw,  and 
awaited  the  approach  of  Colonel  Leslie  and  his  regiment. 

Colonel  Pickering,  at  the  head  of  what  militia  he  could  hastily  summon, 
appeared  as  their  leader  on  the  occasion.  On  the  arrival  of  Leslie,  he  told 
him  that  the  stores  belonged  to  the  people,  and  would  not  be  surrendered 
without  a  struggle.  Leslie  then  attempted  to  seize  on  a  gondola,  to  enable 
him  to  cross  the  stream,  when  the  owner  of  it,  Joseph  Sprague,  Esq., 
jumped  into  the  boat,  knocked  a  hole  in  her  bottom,  and  she  sunk.  While 
doing  this,  he  received  several  slight  bayonet-wounds,  thus  shedding  the 
first  blood  of  the  Revolution. 

By  the  interference  of  Rev,  Mr.  Barnard,  Colonel  Leslie  was  induced  to 
abandon  the  project,  by  their  allowing  him  to  cross  the  draw,  so  that  it 
might  seem  to  be  voluntary  on  his  part.  So  the  draw  was  let  down,  the 
valiant  Colonel  and  his  regiment  crossed,  between  the  lines  of  the  American 
militia,  countermarched,  retreated  to  Marblehead,  and  set  sail  the  same 
evening.     On  the  lOth  of  April  following  occurred  the  fight  at  Lexington. 

In  1776,  Colonel  Pickering  was  elected  by  Congress  a  member  of  the 
"  Continental  Board  of  War ;"  and  the  same  year  he  received  the  highly- 
important  appointment  of  Quartermaster-General,  on  the  resignation  of  that 
offi.ce  by  General  Greene. 

On  the  close  of  the  war,  he  removed  to  Philadelphia,  and  was  a  Member 
of  the  Convention  called  in  1790,  to  revise  the  Constitution  of  Pennsylvania. 
From  1791  to  1794,  he  was  Postmaster-General,  under  Washington ;  and 
during  the  latter  year  was  made  Secretary  of  War.  In  1795  he  was  ap- 
pointed Secretary  of  State,  which  office  he  held  until  the  election  of  John 
Adams  to  the  Presidency. 

Removing  to  Massachusetts  in  1802,  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  180o,  and  again  in  1805.  In  1814  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  and 
finally  retired  from  public  life  altogether  in  1817.  He  died  at  Salem,  on 
the  S9th  of  January,  1829,  in  the  eighty-fourth  }xar  of  his  age. 


43.  mCHAKD   H.  LEE.  f 

Richard  Henry  Lev.  was  born  in  Virginia,  in  1733.  Of  his  childhood 
and  youth  there  is  nothing  special  to  record,  except  that  he  was  sent  to 
England  to  acquire  an  education. 

In  early  manhood  he  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  x^olitical  agitations  of 
those  troublous  times.  His  strong  and  patriotic  heart-,  aided  by  a  thorough 
classical  education,  gave  him  the  position  of  a  leader. 

To  him  has  been  ascribed  the  first  regular  attempt  at  resistance  to 
British  aggression  ;  though  that  point  is  not  clear.  In  1773,  as  a  Member 
of  the  House  of  Burgesses  of  Virginia,  he  proposed  the  formation  of  that 
famous  "  Committee  of  Correspondence,"  whose  investigations  and  appeals 
roused,  not  only  the  hearts  of  Virgiuia,  but  of  the  whole  country. 

On  the  assembling  of  the  first  Congress,  Richard  Henry  Lee  was  there 
to  represent  the  burghers  of  his  own  Virginia,  to  act  and  to  work  in  the 
glorious  cause  to  which  he  and  his  coadjutors  "  pledged  their  lives,  their 
fortunes,  and  their  sacred  honors." 

He  was  among  the  foremost  who  went  for  an  open  and  explicit  declara- 
tion of  independence ;  and  the  clear,  strong,  and  patriotic  views  he  so 
vehemently  urg*d  before  that  body,  did  much  to  strengthen  the  timid  and 
irresolute,  and  to  confirm  the  doubtful  in  their  patriotism.  He  introduced 
that  immortal  resolution,  "  That  these  L'nited  Colonies  are,  and  of  right 
ought  to  be,  free  and  independent  States  ;  that  they  are  absolved  from  all 
allegiance  to  the  British  crown  ;  and  that  all  political  connection  between 
them  and  Great  Britain  is,  and  ought  to  be,  totally  dissolved." 

"When  the  committee  formed  to  draft  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
was  appointed,  Mr.  Lee  was  in  Virginia  on  account  of  sickness  in  his  family, 
and  thus  Mr.  JeflFerson  was  placed  at  the  head  of  that  committee,  which 
honor  belonged,  of  right,  to  him,  as  the  mover  of  the  resolution.  His  name, 
however,  stands  among  the  signers  of  that  immortal  instrument. 

Mr.  Lee  resumed  his  seat  in  Congrress  the  next  month,  and  continued  to 
occupy  it  until  1779,  when  ill  health  compelled  him  to  decline  the  honor, 
till  1784,  when  he  reluctantly  consented  to  serve  again. 

On  taking  his  seat,  he  was  unanimously  called  upon  to  preside,  which  he 
did  with  great  dignity  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  that  body. 

In  1792  Mr.  Lee  retired  altogether  from  public  life,  and  two  j-ears  after, 
his  exhausted  powers  sank  into  the  repose  of  death  on  the  19th  of  June, 
1794. 

The  name  of  Richard  Henry  Lee  stands  among  the  highest  on  the  scroll 
of  his  country's  fame.  As  a  patriot,  as  a  man,  as  a  friend,  and  as  an  orator, 
he  had  few  equals. 

His  enemies  were  few,  while  his  friends  were  many  ;  and  he  went  to  his 
rest  with  the  blessinocs  of  the  multitude  resting  on  his  monument. 


J 


44.   FEANCIS  HOPKINSON. 

Francis  Hopkinson  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1738.  Having  gradu- 
ated with  the  highest  honors  at  the  College  of  Philadelphia,  he  entered  at 
once  upon  the  study  of  the  law,  in  the  office  of  the  eminent  j  urist,  Benjamin 
Cheever,  then  Attorney-General  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  under  whose 
care  he  went  through  the  regular  course  of  study  for  the  practice  of  his 
profession. 

Instead  of  entering  at  once  into  the  practice  of  law,  he  devoted  himself 
to  the  acquaintance  of  elegant  literature,  and  spent  two  years  in  England, 
storing  his  mind  with  scientific  and  classical  knowledge.  He  used  his  pen 
in  verse  and  prose,  in  which  he  manifested  wit,  taste,  and  a  pure  morality. 
His  power  of  satire  was  very  great,  never  letting  any  subject  escape  him 
that  afforded  scope  for  his  pungent  wit,  which  was  elegant  and  refined. 
Pie  never  spoke  or  wrote  a  word  that  would  give  pain  to  the  most  sensitive 
fastidiousness.  He  was  a  Member  of  the  Continental  Congress  which 
passed  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  his  name  may  be  found  on  that 
immortal  document. 

When  the  Independence  of  the  Colonies  was  at  length  achieved,  it  was 
found  that  the  people  were  free,  indeed,  but  with  none  of  the  necessary  ele- 
ments of  a  nation.  Without  a  currency  or  commerce,  having  no  manufac- 
tures, agriculture  almost  wholly  neglected,  our  desolate  and  deplorable  condi- 
tion appalled  even  the  hearts  of  those  who  had  never  yet  quailed  before  the 
awful  storm  of  war,  which  had  desolated  the  fair  face  of  our  country. 
Francis  Hopkinson  was  among  those  few  brave  spirits  who  saw  the  end  from 
the  beginning,  and  had  never  faltered,  never  doubted.  Under  their  power- 
ful and  patriotic  guidance,  order  began  to  appear,  and  one  after  another  of 
those  glorious  institutions,  which  are  our  boast  and  the  admiration  of  the 
world,  were  founded. 

He  was  an  active  Member  of  the  Convention  of  1787,  which  met  in 
Philadelphia  to  draft  the  United  States  Constitution,  and  also  of  the  Con- 
vention that  ratified  it. 

He  was  appointed,  by  Washington,  Judge  of  the  District  Court  of  Penn- 
Bylvania  in,  1790,  but  did  not  live  long  to  enjoy  the  honor  or  perform  the 
duty,  for  he  was  stricken  with  epilepsy,  and  died,  May  9, 1791,  in  the  fifty- 
third  year  of  his  age. 

During  the  sittings  of  the  Continental  Congress  he  was  appointed  Judge 
of  the  Admiralty  of  the  State  of  Permsylvania,  and  his  decisions,  while  in 
that  office,  give  evidence  of  an  acute  judgment  and  a  profound  acquaintance 
with  the  law  pertaining  to  that  branch  of  legal  jurisprudence,  as  well  as 
the  nicest  literary  acquisitions  and  general  knowledge. 


45.   EOBEET  FULTON. 

Egbert  Fulton  -was  born  in  an  obscure  town  of  Pennsylvania  in 
tlie  year  1765.  His  father  died  when  he  was  quite  young,  leaving-  hiia 
without  the  means  of  education,  and  scarcely  those  of  subsistence. 

The  genius  of  Fulton  first  manifested  itself  in  drawing  and  painting, 
and  at  seventeen  we  find  him  in  Philadelphia,  not  only  earning  his  own  live- 
lihood, but  supporting  his  wddowed  mother  and  several  sisters. 

He  spent  ail  his  leisure  hours  in  the  cultivation  of  his  intellect,  and 
stored  up,  during  this  time,  no  inconsiderable  amount  of  solid  learning. 

In  1786,  just  as  he  was  twenty-one,  he  went  to  England,  and  soon  found 
a  home  beneath  the  roof  of  his  countr^Tuan,  Benjamin  "West,  between  whom 
and  himself  a  warm  friendship  sprang  up,  which  death  alone  interrupted. 

In  1796,  he  went  to  France,  where  he  resided  seven  years,  studying  with 
great  success  the  French,  German,  and  Italian  languages,  together  with 
natural  philosophy,  and  the  higher  branches  of  mathematics. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  he  determined  to  carry  his  long-cherished  plan 
of  applying  steam  for  the  purposes  of  navigation  into  practical  and  useful 
effect. 

For  many  years  steam  had  been  used  as  a  motive  power  ;  but  to  Fulton 
belongs  the  credit  of  having  made  the  first  successful  application  of  steam 
to  this  end. 

He  returned  to  his  native  country  in  1806,  after  having  invented  and 
made  many  successful  experiments  Avith  his  celebrated  Mautilus,  or  sub- 
marine boat. 

Chancellor  Livingston  had  made  some  unsuccessful  experiments  in  steam 
navigation  previous  to  Fulton's  return,  and  had  secured  to  himself  the 
exclusive  right,  from  the  New  York  Legislature,  to  navigation  "  by  steam  or 
fire,"  in  all  the  waters  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State.  Having  formed 
the  acquaintance  of  Fulton  in  France,  he  felt  certain  that  he  could  accom- 
plish the  desired  results. 

Ho  immediately  associated  him  in  the  undertaking,  and  procured  the 
renewal  of  the  Act  for  himself  and  Fulton  for  twenty  years. 

After  several  unsuccessful  experiments,  which  subjected  them  to  the  ridi- 
cule of  the  press  and  people,  they  at  length  succeeded  in  bringing  their  boat 
to  such  a  degree  of  perfection  as  to  advertise  her  to  make  an  experimental 
trip  to  Albany. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  wharf  and  shipping  were  lined  with  anxious 
spectators.  Some  jeered,others  laughed,while  few  were  sanguine  of  success. 
But  when  at  length  Fulton  cast  "off  the  fasts  of  The  Clarcmont,  and  she 
stemmed  the  current  of  the  noble  Hudson  at  the  rate  of  five  miles  an  hour, 
a  sudden  change  took  place  in  the  anxious  throng,  and  one  universal  and 
prolonged  shout  announced  to  the  world  "  the  triumph  of  Fulton:* 

Fulton  died  February  24,  1815,  after  a  short  illness,  in  the  fifty-first 
year  of  his  age,  and  was  buiied  w-ith  civic  and  military  honors. 


4G.  WILLLIAM  PINICNEY. 

William  Pinkxey  was  born  in.  Anapolis,  Maryland,  March  17,  1765. 

AVith  an  extremely  deficient  early  education,  his  personal  application, 
and  strong  and  quick  natural  perceptions,  made  up  for  the  deficiency,  and 
placed  him  among-  the  foremost  of  his  acquaintances  and  friends.  He  first 
studied  medicine  ;  but,  feeling  that  it  did  not  chime  with  his  inclinations, 
he  turned  to  the  law,  and  having  prepared  himself  for  the  bar  under  the 
instruction  of  Judge  Chase,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  1780.  He 
removed  to  Harford  County,  where  he  opened  an  otfice,  and  immediately 
gave  promise  of  high  distinction.  He  was  a  Member  of  the  Convention 
which  ratified  the  Federal  Constitution ;  and  from  1789  to  1792,  was  a 
Representative  in  Congress.  He  was  then  elected  a  Member  of  the  Execu- 
tive Council  of  the  State  of  Maryland ;  and,  in  1795,  was  a  Member  of  the 
State  Legislature. 

In  1796,  he  was  appointed  by  President  "Washington  a  Commissioner  of 
the  United  States,  under  the  seventh  article  of  Jay's  Treaty,  in  conjunction 
with  Mr.  Gore,  and  remained  in  England  eight  years. 

During  his  residence  abroad,  questions  of  vital  importance  on  interna- 
tional law  and  reciprocity,  came  before  the  Commission,  on  which  he  gave 
his  written  opinion,  exhibiting  a  profound  knowledge  and  clear  appreliension 
of  the  subject  discussed.  He  recovered  for  Maryland  a  claim  on  the  Bank 
of  England  for  $800,000. 

In  1805  he  removed  to  Baltimore,  and  was  appointed  Attorney-General 
of  Maryland. 

In  1806  he  was  Envoy  Extraordinary  to  England ;  and,  in  1808,  on  the 
return  of  Mr.  Monroe,  was  made  Minister  Plenipotentiary.  He  returned 
in  1811,  and,  the  same  year,  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  Maryland.  In 
December  following,  he  was  appointed,  by  President  Madison,  Attorney- 
General  of  the  United  States,  remaining  in  that  position  until  1814. 

Mr.  Pinkney  entered  with  great  spirit  into  the  controversy  that  grew 
out  of  the  War  of  1812  :  and,  during  the  war,  commanded  a  battalion,  fight- 
ing with  great  bravery  at  the  battle  of  Bladensburg,  whei'e  he  was  severely 
wounded. 

He  was  a  Pepresentative  to  Congress  from  1815  to  1816,  and  then  made 
Minister  to  Russia,  and  Envoy  to  Naples.  On  his  return,  in  1819,  he  was 
elected  to  the  P'nited  States  Senate,  where  he  exhibited  his  great 
knowledge,  and  political  as  well  as  legal  acumen,  in  the  discussions  Avhich 
took  place  in  that  body  on  the  admission  of  Missouri  into  the  Union. 

While  in  the  Senate,  several  very  important  trials  came  before  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  in  which  he  was  retained  as  counsel. 
These  demanded  of  him  almost  superhuman  exertions,  under  the  pressure 
of  which  his  health  yielded,  and  he  fell  a  prey  to  an  acute  disease,  on  the 
2oth  of  February,  1822. 

Mr.  Pinkney  possessed  splendid  talents,  was  one  of  the  brightest  orna- 
ments of  the  American  bar,  and  one  of  the  most  accomplished  orators  and 
statesmen  of  his  time. 


47.  BENJAMIN  WEST. 

Benjamin  "West,  the  celebrated  Painter,  was  bom  in  Chester  County, 
Pennsylvania,  October  10,  17o8. 

His  parents  were  Quakers.  His  genius  in  the  art  in  which  he  became 
so  distinguished,  manifested  itself  at  the  early  age  of  six,  when  he  drew  the 
likeness  of  a  little  niece  of  his,  who  had  been  left  in  his  charge  in  a  cradle, 
which  was  instantly  recognized  by  his  delighted  mother.  She  eagerly  and 
fondly  kissed  her  little  boy ;  and  he,  encouraged  by  such  a  reward,  made 
rapid  progress.  In  speaking  of  this  incident,  Mr.  West  used  to  say  :  "  That 
kiss  made  me  a  Painter." 

Soon  after,  he  was  put  to  school,  and  furnished  with  pens  and  paper  to 
amuse  himself  with  drawing,  none  of  his  friends  dreaming  of  any  other  ma- 
terial being  necessary.  Here  he  became  acquainted  with  some  Indians, 
who,  being  struck  with  the  accuracy  of  his  drawings  of  birds  and  animals, 
furnished  him  with  the  pigment  with  which  they  bedaubed  their  faces,  and 
taught  him  how  to  use  it.  To  this  his  mother  added  indigo,  and  his  studio 
was  finished. 

Hearing  of  camel's-hair  pencils,  he  substituted  the  hair  from  his  favorite 
cat,  until  a  fortunate  circumstance  put  him  in  possession  of  a  regular  pallet, 
pencils,  and  box  of  colors. 

At  eight  years  of  age,  young  West  removed  to  Philadelphia,  and  in  a 
few  years  attained  great  proficiency,  under  the  tutelage  of  Provost  Smith. 
His  first  historical  piece,  the  "  Death  of  Socrates,"  was  produced  about  this 
time. 

In  1759,  Mr.  West,  then  just  twenty-one,  embarked  for  Italy,  arriving  at 
Leghorn,  and  thence  to  Rome.  The  journey  was  enjoyed  by  him  with  the 
greatest  zest ;  and  the  wonderful  works  of  art,  and  the  rich  exhibitions  of 
nature,  filled  his  soul  with  tumultuous  wonder  and  delight. 

He  soon  made  himself  respected  among  the  best  artists  of  Rome,  and 
established  his  reputation  as  a  Painter  of  great  excellence.  He  visited 
Florence,  Bologna,  and  Venice,  meeting  with  favor  everywhere. 

After  a  brief  sojourn  in  Rome,  he  went  to  England.  He  did  not  intend 
to  remain  there  ;  but  circumstances  induced  him  to  change  his  plans,  and  he 
set  up  his  easel  in  London.  Here  he  was  introduced  to  the  j'outhful  mon- 
arch, Avho  immediately  took  him  under  his  patronage. 

While  painting  his  "  Departure  of  Regulus,"  the  plan  of  the  "  Royal 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts  "  was  adopted.  Reynolds  wns  its  first  President,  and 
on  his  death,  in  1791,  West  succeeded  to  the  chair,  and  presided  over  the 
institution,  with  the  exception  of  a  brief  interval,  until  his  death,  in  1820. 

Mr.  West  was  a  man  of  great  simplicity  of  manners,  credulous  and  con- 
fiding, diligent  and  temperate  in  his  habits,  and  of  a  decidedly  religious 
turn  of  mind. 

At  the  age  of  eighty-one,  he  closed  his  eyes  on  mortality,  with  his  accu*;- 
tomed  cheerfulness,  and  with  all  his  mental  faculties  uneclipsed. 


48.  WILLIAM  .WIET. 

"William  "Wirt  was  born  at  Bladensburg,  Maryland^  on  tlio  8th  of  No- 
vember, 1772. 

He  lost  his  parents  before  he  -was  eight  years  old,  and  his  uncle,  Jasper 
Wirt,  took  him  under  his  protection,  and  placed  him  at  a  flourishing-  school 
in  Montgomery  County.  Here  he  continued  four  years ;  and,  being  a  boy 
of  brilliant  mind,  he  made  rapid  progress  in  the  rudiments  of  the  Latin, 
Greek,  and  his  mother  tongue.  Here  he  also  acquired  a  taste  for  general 
literature,  which  afterward  proved  of  such  great  advantage,  and  gave  such 
a  charm  to  everything  which  emanated  from  his  fertile  pen. 

Too  poor  to  procure  a  classical  course,  at  fifteen  he  became  a  Tutor,  and 
afterward  studied  law,  and  commenced  practice  at  Culpepper  Court-House, 
Virginia,  in  1792. 

At  this  time  he  possessed  a  vigorous  constitution,  and  was  blessed  with 
a  fine  person,  and  an  address  winning  in  the  extreme.  His  conversational 
powers  were  of  the  highest  order. 

His  first  case  in  Court  was  successfully  carried  through,  against  con- 
siderable difficulty,  and  immediately  established  his  reputation  as  a  lawyer, 
which  grew  fairer  and  broader  as  long  as  he  lived. 

In  1795  he  married  the  daughter  of  Dr.  George  Gilman,  whose  house  was 
the  resort  of  all  the  celebrated  men  ;  and  he  became  acquainted  with  Jeffer- 
son, Madison,  Monroe,  and  other  men  of  learning  and  eminence. 

Being  brought  into  gay  society,  and  possessing  a  convivial  disposition, 
he  soon  became  dissipated,  and  Avas  fast  falling  into  the  slough  of  infamy, 
when  he  was  arrested  in  his  downward  course  by  the  subduing  eloquence 
of  a  blind  preacher,  whose  manner  and  appearance  he  has  so  graphically 
described  in  his  "British  Spy."  From  this  time,  he  devoted  himself  more 
untiringly  to  the  duties  of  his  profession. 

In  1799  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Delegates,  and,  in  1802, 
Chancellor  of  the  Eastern  District  of  Virginia. 

In  180G  he  removed  to  Richmond,  and  greatly  distinguished  himself  in 
the  trial  of  Aaron  Burr. 

In  1812  he  Avrote  the  greater  part  of  a  series  of  essays,  under  the  title  of 
"The  Old  Bachelor."  The  "Life  of  Patrick  Henry,"  his  largest  literary 
production,  was  first  published  in  1817. 

In  181(i  he  was  appointed  United  States  Attorney  for  the  District  of 
Virginia,  and,  in  1817,  Attorney-General  of  the  United  States,  which  posi- 
tion he  filled  with  distinguished  ability  and  success,  through  the  adminis- 
trations of  Monroe  and  J.  Q.  Adams. 

In  1830  he  retired,  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days,  in  the  beautiful 
city  of  Baltimore.  Here  he  lived,  the  object  of  affection,  and  almost  venera- 
tion, in  all  the  wide  circle  of  his  acquaintance,  until  near  his  death,  which 
occurred  at  the  capital,  February  18,  1835. 

As  a  writer,  Mr.  Wirt  ranked  among  the  first  of  his  time  ;  and  the  pro- 
ductions of  his  pen  sparkled  with  the  most  brilliant  effusions  of  wit,  at 
times  melting  into  inexpressible  pathos  and  tenderness. 


49.  JAMES   KENT. 

Chancellor  James  Kent  was  born  on  tlie  31st  day  of  July,  1763,  in  Put- 
nam County,  New  York.  At  the  age  of  five  he  was  sent  to  an  English 
school  at  Norwalk,  residing"  with  his  maternal  grandfather  for  several  years, 
and  in  1773  attended  a  Latin  school. 

In  1777  he  entered  Yale  College,  where  he  had  hardly  become  domiciled, 
when  the  troubles  of  that  stormy  period  broke  up  the  College,  and  dispersed 
the  students. 

During  the  recess  he  fell  in  with  "  Blackstone's  Commentaries,"  with 
which  he  was  so  pleased  that  he  determined  to  devote  himself  to  the  pro- 
fession of  the  law.  Accordingly,  on  leaving  college,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated with  a  high  reputation,  he  commenced  the  study  of  the  law,  under  the 
Attorney-General  of  the  State.  His  natural  thirst  for  knowledge,  his  great 
love  of  the  profession,  and  his  habits  of  severe  application,  could  not  fail  to 
insure  success,  and  in  April,  1785,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  as  Attorney 
to  the  Supreme  Court. 

He  married,  and  removed  to  Poughkeepsie,  where  he  commenced  prac- 
tice. Methodical  in  all  his  arrangements,  he  divided  the  day  into  six  por- 
tions, devoting  two  hciurs  to  each  of  the  following :  Latin,  Greek,  Law, 
French,  and  English;  and  the  evening  to  friendship  and  recreation. 

Mr.  Kent  did  not  escape  the  entanglements  of  politics,  but  entered 
heartily  into  the  great  political  discussions  of  the  day,  joining  the  Federal 
party,  and  acting  with  Hamilton  and  his  compeers,  who  always  entertained 
for  him  the  utmost  respect. 

In  1790,  and  again  in  179.2,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature.  In 
the  following  year  he  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York,  and,  in  December, 
was  appointed  Professor  of  Law  in  Columbia  College.  While  occupying 
this  chair,  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  which  he  displayed  those  vast 
stores  of  legal  lore  which  he  had  been  accumulating  for  years,  he  was  hon- 
ored by  the  College  with  the  degree  of  LL.  D.,  and  he  afterward  received 
the  same  honor,  from  Harvard  and  Dartmouth. 

In  1796  he  was  made  Master  in  Chancery,  and  in  1797  he  was  appointed, 
by  Governor  Jay,  to  a  vacancy  on  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

In  1800,  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Justice  EadclifF,  he  was  appointed  to 
revise  the  Legal  Code  of  the  State ;  and  in  1804  was  made  Chief-Justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  which  seat  he  tilled  most  honorably  until  1814,  when 
he  was  appointed  Chancellor.  In  this  high  office  he  remained  until  1823, 
when,  having  attained  the  age  of  sixty,  the  Constitutional  limit,  he  re- 
signed. 

Being  now  more  at  leisure,  he  revised  his  lectures,  and  gave  them  to  the 
world,  in  four  volumes,  under  the  title  of  "  Commentaries  on  American 
Law'' — a  work  which  has  become  a  text-book.  From  this  time  until  his 
death,  he  kept  up  the  same  industrious  and  temperate  habits  which  had 
marked  his  whole  career,  receiving  the  spontaneous  respect  of  the  intelli- 
gent and  virtuous  in  the  community  in  which  he  lived. 

The  name  of  Chancellor  Kent  is  the  pride  and  boast  of  the  whole  race  of 
Knickerbockers.  It  forms  one  part  of  the  great  Judicial  triune — Marshall, 
Story,  and  Kent — which  reflects  so  much  honor  on  the  legal  history  of  our 
country. 


50.  JOHN  MAESHALL. 

Clrlef- Justice  John  Marshall  was  born  in  Fauquier  County,  Virginia, 
on  tlio  24  til  of  September,  1755,     He  was  a  self-educated  man. 

"When  the  question  of  American  Independence  was  reaching  its  culmin- 
ating point,  young  Marshall  was  about  eighteen,  and  entered  into  its  dis- 
cussion with  great  zeal  and  devotion. 

He  joined  a  volunteer  company  in  order  to  learn  the  art  of  war,  and 
made  the  best  use  of  his  knowledge  by  the  training  of  a  company  of  raw 
militia  in  his  neighborhood.  In  1775  he  received  the  appointment  of  First 
Lieutenant  in  a  company  of  Minute  Men,  and  entered  immediately  into 
active  service,  where  he  rendered  important  aid  in  the  defeat  of  Lord  Dun- 
more,  at  Great  Bridge,  and  subsequently  in  driving  the  English  troops  from 
Norfolk. 

In  1777  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Captain,  and  figured  in  the 
memorable  battles  of  Brandy  wine,  Germantown,  and  Monmouth. 

On  the  capitulation  of  Cornwallis,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  which 
he  had  commenced  in  1780.  He  soon  rose  to  distinction  as  a  lawyer,  and 
was  called  upon  to  devote  his  acute  mind  to  political  affairs. 

In  17S2  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  a  Memoer  of  the 
Executive  Council  the  same  year. 

During  the  agitation  of  the  momentous  questions  of  State  and  National 
policy,  which  lasted  from  the  close  of  the  war  to  the  year  1800,  Mr.  Marshall 
was  among  the  foremost  and  mightiest  champions  of  "  Liberty,  with  Order," 
and  was  always  found  on  the  side  of  Washington,  Hamilton,  and  Madison. 

He  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1799.  Pending  his  election  he  was  offered 
a  place  on  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court,  but  declined  the  honor. 

Among  the  bright  stars  of  that  Congressional  galaxy,  Mr.  Marshall's 
name  shines  as  one  of  the  most  brilliant.  His  acute  and  discriminating 
reason,  his  calm  and  sober  judgment,  his  fearless  decision  in  favor  of  what 
he  deemed  to  be  right,  and  which  so  conspicuously  marked  his  career  while 
he  was  Chief-Justice  of  the  United  States,  were  felt  and  confessed  by  all 
his  noble  compeers. 

In  1800  he  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  Secretary  of  "War  by  President 
Adams,  and,  notwithstanding  his  most  vehement  protestation,  the  nomina- 
tion was  unanimously  ratified  by  the  Senate.  But  the  rupture  between 
Adams  and  Colonel  Pickering  occurring  about  this  time,  Mr.  Marshall  Avas 
offered  and  accepted  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State,  vacated  by  the  resigna- 
tion of  that  gentleman.  He  filled  this  important  station  but  a  short  time, 
for  in  January,  1801,  he  became  Chief-Justice  of  the  United  States,  which 
office  he  adorned  for  a  period  of  thirty-five  years.  Hia  death  occurred  in 
183(),  at  the  age  of  eighty-one. 


51.    JOSEPH    STORY. 

Joseph  Story  was  bom  in  Marbleliead,  Massachnsetts,  September  18, 
1TT9;  graduated  at  Harvard  College,  with  marked  distinction,  ia  1798; 
and  studied  law  with  Judge  Putnam,  of  Salem.  He  entered  early  into 
political  life,  and  was  sent  to  the  General  Court  for  several  years  as  rep- 
resentative from  Salem,  and  presided  over  that  body  for  a  length  of  time. 
In  1808  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  to  fill  a  vacancy,  and  served  with  dis- 
tinction, but  declined  a  re-election. 

In  1811  he  was  appointed  by  President  M-adison  a  Judge  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  United  States,  which  office  he  held  until  his  death. 

For  sound  legal  learning;  for  deep,  discriminating  sagacity;  for  un- 
swerving rectitude — those  important  prerequisites  in  a  Judge — no  one 
was  his  superior.  The  wisdom  of  the  selection  Avas  immediately  indi- 
cated by  the  distinguished  ability  which  he  displayed,  and  each  succeed- 
ing year  added  to  the  splendor  and  extent  of  his  judicial  fame.^  He 
moved  with  familiar  steps  over  every  province  and  department  of  juris- 
prudence. 

All  branches  of  the  law  have  been  enlarged  by  his  learning,  acute- 
ness,  and  sagacity  ;  and  of  some  he  has  been  the  creator. 

His  immortal  judgments  contain  copious  stores  of  ripe  and  sound 
learning,  which  w'iil  bs  of  inestimable  value  in  all  future  times — alike  to 
Iho  judge,  the  practitioner  and  the  student. 

in  1829  he  was  appointed  Dane  Professor  of  Law,  in  the  Law  School 
of  Harvard  University ;  and  removed  from  Salem  to  Cambridge,  where 
lie  resided  until  his  death,  September  10,  1845. 

Both  in  his  professorship,  and  in  his  office  of  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  Mr.  Story  was  a  diligent  student  and  laborious  writer.  His  ex- 
tended reputation  drew  multitudes  from  all  parts  of  the  country  to  the 
school;  and  to  his  untiring  energy  is  to  be  attributed  its  great  success. 
As  a  teacher  of  jurisprudence,  he  brought  to  the  important  duties  of  the 
professor's  chair  the  most  unwearied  patience,  a  native  delight  in  the 
great  subjects  which  he  expounded,  a  copious  and  i:)ersuasive  eloquence, 
and  a  contagious  enthusiasm,  which  filled  his  pupils  with  love  for  the 
law,  and  for  the  master  who  taught  it  so  well. 

He  was  always  instructive  and  interesting;  and  rarely  without  pro- 
ducing an  instantaneous  conviction. 

He  published  many  valuable  works  on  questions  of  law  and  equity, 
delivered  addresses  before  various  societies,  eulogies  on  eminent  men,  and 
contributed  to  some  of  the  best  literary  and  scientific  journals  of  the  day. 
Wliaievcr  subject  he  touched  was  touched  with  a  master's  hand  and 
spirit 


52.   WILLIAM   MOULTRIE 

General  'Willta:m  Moultrie,  one  of  the  bravest  of  Soutli  Carolina's 
sons,  was  born  in  r7;J0. 

At  the  age  of  thirty  he  entered  the  service  of  his  country  as  a  volunteer 
against  the  Cherokee  Indians,  whose  niai'auding  parties  had  inspired  the 
Southern  settlements  with  terror.  Men,  women,  and  children  were  savagely 
murdered  and  carried  into  captivity,  to  be  barbarously  tormented  for  a  sea- 
son, and  then  dispatched  at  the  stake,  or  by  the  edge  of  the  tomahawk. 

This  campaign  was  unsuccessful,  as  was  the  second  under  Colonel  Mont- 
gomery, in  which  Moultrie  again  served  as  a  volunteer.  The  Indians,  flying 
to  their  impenetrable  fastnesses,  eluded  pursuit,  and  were  ready,  at  a 
moment's  warning,  to  sally  forth  again  on  their  work  of  devastation  and 
death. 

In  1761,  a  third  expedition,  in  which  he  serA^ed  as  Captain,  was  more  suc- 
cessful.    The  Indians  were  humbled,  and  glad  to  sue  for  peace. 

Captain  Moultrie  Avas  among  the  first  and  foremost  of  those  who  asserted 
the  rights  of  the  Colonists  against  the  aggressions  of  the  parent  country, 
and  who  *'  stirred  up  the  people  to  mutiny."  On  the  commencement  of 
hostilities  he  was  already  engaged  in  active  service,  having  been  appointed 
by  the  Provincial  Congress,  on  the  ever-memorable  17th  of  Jvme,  1775,  a 
Colonel  in  the  second  of  the  two  regiments  voted  to  be  raised  by  that  body. 

To  him  belongs  the  honor  of  raising  the  first  American  flag — a  device  of 
his  own — being  "  blue,  with  a  white  crescent  in  the  dexter  corner." 

His  first  service  was  his  gallant  defense  of  Sullivan's  Island,  on  which  a 
fort  had  been  erected,  and  to  which  was  given,  subsequently,  the  name  of 
its  heroic  defender,  "  Fort  Moultrie." 

From  this  time  until  1780,  he  served  in  the  Southern  army  under  General 
Lincoln,  during  which  he  rose  to  the  grade  of  Major-General. 

He  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  fall  of  Charleston,  where  he  fought  against 
fearful  odds  for  more  than  a  month. 

While  a  prisoner  of  war,  the  British  attempted  to  bribe  him  through 
Lord  Charles  Montague.  "When  I  entered  into  this  contest,"  was  his  patriotic 
reply,  "  I  did  it  with,  the  most  mature  deliberation  and  a  determined  resolu- 
tion to  risk  my  life  and  fortune  in  the  cause.  I  shall  continue  to  go  on  as  I 
have  begun,  that  my  example  may  encourage  the  youths  of  America  to 
stand  forth  in  the  defense  of  their  rights  and  liberties.  You  tell  me  I  have 
a  fair  opening  of  quitting  that  service  by  going  to  Jamaica.  Good  God ! 
Is  it2')ossible  that  such  a  sentiment  could  find  place  in  the  breast  of  a  man  of 
honor  ?  You  tell  me  that  by  quitting  the  country  for  a  season  I  might  avoid 
disagreeable  conversations,  and  return  again  at  leisure  to  regain  my  estates ; 
but  you  forget  to  tell  me  how  I  am  to  get  rid  of  the  feelings  of  an  injured, 
honest  heart.  Where  am  I  to  hide  from  myself  ?  Could  I  be  guilty  of  sucli 
baseness,  I  should  shun  mankind,  and  hate  myself!  " 

He  was  exchanged  in  1782  ;  and,  after  the  war,  retired  to  his  estates  in 
South  Carolina,  and  was  elected  Governor  of  that  State  in  1785-6,  and  again 
in  1794-5.  He  died  on  the  27th  of  September,  1805,  in  the  seventy-fifth 
year  of  his  age. 

Several  years  before  his  death.  General  Moultrie  wrote  and  published  the 
memoirs  of  the  war  in  the  South  during  the  revolution,  in  nearly  all  of 
which  scenes  he  took  an  active  and  glorious  par^ 


53.   ANTHONY    WAYNE. 

General  Anthony  Wayne — "Mad  Anthony,"  as  he  was  familiarly 
called  in  the  army,  on  account  of  his  reckless  and  headlong'  courage — was 
born  in  Chester  County,  Pennsylvania,  January  1,  1745. 

He  never  had  much  taste  tor  severe  study,  although  he  took  kindly  to 
mathematics ;  and,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  entered  upon  the  business  of  sur- 
veying. 

In  1775  the  first  wish  of  his  heart  was  gratified  by  a  military  commission. 
He  then  raised  a  regiment  of  volunteers,  and  was  chosen  its  Colonel.  Join- 
ing the  Northern  army,  in  1777,  he  was  appointed  to  the  comna.andof  Ticon- 
deroga,  afterward  joined  "Washington  in  K ew  Jersey. 

While  the  winter  quarters  were  at  Valley  Forge,  he  was  sent  on  a  forag- 
ing expedition,  which  duty  he  performed  to  the  delight  of  his  commander 
and  the  surprise  of  the  enemy,  from  under  whose  very  nose  he  succeeded  in 
carrying  off  large  supplies  of  cattle  and  forage. 

It  was  on  this  expedition  and  its  leader  that  the  witty  Andre  employed 
the  satii-e  of  his  pen  in  a  song  set  to  the  music  of  Yankee  Doodle,  the 
last  stanzas  of  which  ran  thus  : 

"  But  now  I  end  my  lyric  strain, 
I  tremble  as  I  show  it, 
Lest  this  same  warrior-drover  Wayne 
Should  ever  catch  the  poet." 

Singular  enough,  when  Andre  was  taken,  he  was  delivered  into  the  hands 
of  this  same  "  warrior-drover." 

The  next  we  find  of  Wayne  was  at  Stony  Point,  which  ho  assaulted  and 
carried.  In  the  assault  he  received  a  shot  in  the  knee,  and  fell.  Rising 
instantly  on  one  knee  he  exclaimed :  "Forward,  my  brave  iellows—foincardl" 

In  1781,  the  Pennsylvania  army  revolted  and  determined  to  march  to 
Congress  and  present  their  grievances.  Wayne,  finding  he  could  not  pro- 
duce any  effect  by  kind  words,  drew  his  pistol  and  swore  he  would  shoot 
the  first  man  who  moved.  The  soldiers  presented  their  muskets  and  said : 
*'  We  respect  and  love  you.  You  have  often  led  us  to  the  battle-field ;  but 
you  are  our  leader  no  longer.  Dare  but  to  discharge  your  pistol  and  you  are 
a  dead  man.  We  are  still  attached  to  the  cause,  and  are  ready  to  meet  the 
enemy  in  the  breach ;  but  we  will  have  redress."  They  were  dismissed 
with  disgrace  for  their  insubordination. 

Wayne  then  went  to  Virginia  and  was  at  the  capture  of  Cornwallis. 
After  ^:ome  unimportant  service  rendered  at  the  South,  he  retired  to  private 
life. 

The  Indians  on  our  Northwestern  frontier,  aided  by  the  British  and  tories, 
soon  became  insolent  and  committed  the  most  wanton  ravages  and  cruelties 
on  that  border ;  Harmer,  St-  Clair,  and  other  brave  officers  yielding  to 
their  savage  prowess. 

In  17'J2  Wayne  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Northwestern 
army.  After  much  maneuvering,  he  succeeded  in  bringing  the  enemy  to  bat- 
tle, and  routed  them  with  immense  slaughter,  the  Indian  force  being  twice 
that  of  his  own.  This  brought  the  savages  to  their  senses,  and  they  soon 
after — August  8,  1795 — signed  a  treaty  of  peace. 

In  the  winter  of  179G,  in  a  small  hut  at  Presque  Isle,  this  veteran  war- 
rior breathed  his  last  in  the  arms  of  his  officers,  and  was  buried  on  the  shores 
of  Lake  Erie. 


54.  JOHM   STARK. 

General  John  Stark,  the  hero  of  Bennington,  was  bom  in  Londonderry, 
now  Manchester,  New  Hampshire,  on  the  2yth  of  August,  1728. 

At  a  ver)"-  early  age,  he,  together  with  his  three  brothers,  became  quite 
fnmous  as  trappers  and  hunters.  On  one  occasion  in  1752,  having  followed 
his  vocation  far  into  the  wilderness,  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians, 
with  whom  he  suffered  incredible  hardships.  He  was  after  a  while  redeemed 
at  a  great  price,  and  returned  home. 

In  1756  he  was  chosen  Captain  under  the  famous  Major  Robert  Rogers. 
This  was  the  school  in  which  not  only  John  Stark  learned  the  practice  of 
war,  but  many  others  on  the  borders  of  New  Hampshire  were  thus  prex)ared 
to  dare  and  overcome  the  power  of  England. 

When  the  first  blood  was  spilt  at  Concord  and  Lexington,  he  hastened 
with  his  trained  baftd  to  Cambridge,  and  was  commissioned  Colonel.  The 
same  day  eight  hundred  men  enlisted  to  serve  under  him.  He  was  at  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hili,  and  occupied  the  bloodiest  position  on  that  memorable 
occasion.  He  was  afterward  ordered  to  New  York,  and  was  at  the  battles 
of  Trenton  and  Princeton,  where  he  manifested  that  heroism,  courage,  and 
prudence  which  were  so  conspicuous  afterward  at  Bennington. 

He  threw  up  his  commission  for  some  slight  of  Congress,  and  returned 
to  his  native  State,  whose  Legislature  voted  him  thanks  for  his  services,  and 
sent  him  to  oppose  the  progress  of  Burgoyne,  with  the  command  of  a  brigade. 
He  soon  found  himself  at  the  head  of  a  considerable  army,  and  forthwith 
commenced  operations  by  marching  to  Bennington,  Vt.,  where  he  met  the 
enemy  ;  and,  after  some  sharp  skirmishing,  on  the  16th  day  of  August,  1777, 
he  gained  that  splendid  victory  which  made  his  name  and  Bennington 
famous. 

As  they  were  about  to  commence  the  attack,  Ceneral  Stark  called  his 
"Green  Mountain  Boys  "into  a  hollow-square,  and  thus  addressed  them: 
"  Boys  !  There's  the  enemy.  They  must  be  heal,  or  Molly  Stark  must  sleep 
a  widow  this  night !  Forward,  boys — March  !"  With  an  enthusiasm  sel- 
dom equaled,  they  went  into  the  fight,  determined  to  win,  and  they  came  off 
victorious. 

For  these  important  services,  Congress  voted  General  Stark  their  grateful 
thanks,  and  commissioned  him  Brigadier-General  in  the  Continental  army  ; 
and,  joining  Gates,  he  rendered  efficient  aid  in  the  destruction  of  that 
splendid  army  which  laid  down  its  arms  to  the  American  commander,  at 
Saratoga. 

In  1779  he  served  in  Rhode  Island.  In  1780  he  was  with  Washington 
at  Morristown,  and  fought  in  the  battle  of  Springfield.  He  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  court-martial  that  sentenced  Major  Andre  to  be  hanged. 

He  continued  in  the  service  till  1783,  when  he  carried  the  news  of  peace 
to  his  native  colony,  now  a  State.  Henceforth  he  declined  public  employ- 
ment, and  retired  to  private  life,  enjoying  the  blessings  of  peace  and  quiet 
to  the  great  age  of  ninety-three,  dying  May  8,  1822. 

A  granite  shaft  marks  the  place  of  his  interment,  on  the  cast  bank  of  the 
Merrimac,  at  Manchester,  N.  H.,  bearing  the  simple  inscription,  ^'Major- 
General  Stark." 


55.     RICHARD  MONTGOMERY. 

General  Richatid  Montgo^iery  was  bom  iu  the  north  of  Ireland,  in 
1737.  Possessed  of  a  brilliant  genius  and  cultivated  mind,  he  entered  the 
English  service  at  tlie  age  of  twenty,  vrith  considerable  eclat.  He  fought 
side  by  side  with  Wolf,  at  the  taking  of  Quebec — a  place  so  singularly 
destined  to  witness  his  first  and  last  battle. 

On  his  return  to  England  he  decided  to  make  his  home  in  America; 
and,  marrj'ing  a  daug liter  of  Robert  R.  Livingston,  he  settled  on  the 
banks  of  the  Hudson,  as  an  American  citizen.  On  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Revolution  he  took  sides  with  his  adopted  country,  and  became  a  de- 
voted patriot. 

With  a  brigadier's  commission  he  joined  the  expedition  against  Que- 
bec, in  the  winter  of  1775,  under  Gen.  Schuyler,  where  he  soon  took  com- 
mand, in  consequence  of  the  illness  of  his  superior,  and  was  honored  with 
a  major-general's  commission.  In  this  arduous  campaign  his  brilliant 
military  talents  fully  developed  themselves.  With  an  army  half-clad, 
half-fed,  shoeless,  and  nearly  destitute  of  artillery ;  in  midwinter,  in  the 
severest  weather,  it  required  the  geniiR,  the  prompt  and  noble  daring,  of 
Montgomer}^  to  lead  such  a  forlorn  hope  to  victory.  Thrice — at  St. 
Johns,  atChambly,  and  at  Montreal — had  his  undisciplined  and  mutinous 
troops  achieved  a  victory  through  the  genius  of  their  leader ;  and  it  only 
wanted  that  Quebec  should  be  added  to  make  the  list  of  his  conquests 
complete. 

E\xiy  thing  combined  to  oppose  his  success.  Whole  companies  de- 
serted ;  others  became  mutinous  and  difficult  to  control.  The  snow  had 
been  piled  in  large  drifts,  and  the  cold  intense.  Yet  nothing  cooled  the 
ardor  of  Montgomery.  On  the  last  day  of  the  year,  between  the  hours 
of  four  and  five  in  the  morning,  in  the  midst  of  a  heavy  snow  storm,  he 
caused  the  attack  to  commence;  encouraging  his  men  with  the  memora- 
ble words :  "  Men  of  New  York,  you  will  not  fear  to  follow  your  general ! 
March!"  He  had  already  passed  the  first  barrier,  when  the  single  dis- 
charge of  a  cannon,  loaded  with  grape,  proved  fatal  to  him,  killing  at  the 
same  time  several  of  his  officers,  who  stood  near  him.  The  death  of 
Montgomery  was  the  token  of  defeat,  and  shortly  afterward  the  army 
surrendered.  A  monument  was  erected  by  Congress,  in  front  of  St.  Pauls 
Church,  New  1  ork  city,  with  the  following  inscription : 

THIS 

MONUMENT  WAS  ERECTED   BY  ORDER  OF  CONGRESS, 

TWENTY-FIFTH  OF  JANUABY,  1776, 

To  transmit  to  posterity  a  grateful  remembrance  of  the  patriotic 
conduct,  enterprise,  and  perseverance,  of 

Major-General  RICHARD  MONTGOMERY, 

Who,  after  a  series  of  successes  amidst  the  most  discouraging 
difficulties, 

Fdi  in  the  attach  on  Quebec,  ZUt  Deceniber,  1775, 

Aged  37  years. 


56.  FEANCIS  MAEION. 

General  Francis  Marion — the  brave,  chivalrous,  glorious  old  Marion, 
■whose  feats  of  arms  remind  one  of  the  gallant  old  chevaliers  in  the  times  of 
the  Crusade — was  born  at  "VVingam,  near  Georgetown,  South  Carolina,  in 
1782 — the  natal  year  of  Washington. 

His  father  was  poor;  hence  his  education  was  sadly  neglected.  Having 
acquired  a  passion  for  the  sea,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  cured  himself  of  it, 
by  making  a  trip  to  the  West  Indies,  in  which  he  suffered  shipwreck,  and 
barely  escaped  with  his  life,  in  a  state  of  starvation. 

In  1759  he  entered  the  service  of  the  State  against  the  Indians,  in  Cap- 
tain Moultrie's  company  of  horse,  where  he  is  described  as  an  active,  brave, 
and  hardy  soldier,  and  an  excellent  officer. 

In  1775  he  was  chosen  to  the  Provincial  Congress  of  South  Carolina, 
from  St.  John's.  While  a  Member  of  that  body,  the  news  of  the  battle  of 
Lexington  arrested  their  proceedings,  as  it  was  like  a  flake  of  lire  thrown 
into  a  magazine. 

Instantly,  with  that  prompt  patriotism  which  ever  distinguished  this 
chivalrous  State,  it  was  resolved  to  raise  two  regiments  of  infantry  and  one 
of  cavalry,  Marion  receiving  the  commission  of  Captain  in  the  cavalry, 
under  the  command  of  General  Moultrie. 

At  the  affair  at  Sullivan's  Island,  he  acted  as  Major,  and  for  his  bravery 
and  coolness  on  that  occasion,  he  was  raised  to  a  Colonelcy. 

He  was  with  Lincoln  and  D'Estang  in  Georgia,  and  retired  with  Lin- 
coln to  South  Carolina,  after  their  defeat. 

At  the  siege  and  capture  of  Charleston,  he  was  prevented  from  taking 
part  in  the  operations  by  an  injury  received  in  his  leg.  Before  he  had 
quite  recovered,  he  made  his  way  to  Virginia,  joined  General  Gates'  army, 
and  became  aid  to  General  De  Kalb. 

The  fatal  battle  of  Camden  soon  followed,  and  Marion,  with  a  handful 
of  thirty  men,  escaped.  With  these  brave  companions  he  determined  to 
commence  a  partisan  warfare,  which  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and 
romantic  ever  recorded  by  the  pen  of  the  historian. 

His  first  exploit  was  to  capture  a  British  guard  of  ninety  men,  which 
had  charge  of  two  hundred  American  prisoners,  whom  he  set  at  liberty. 
He  then  cut  up  a  party  of  tories  of  forty-nine  men,  and  took  their  ammuni- 
tion, baggage,  arms,  and  horses,  without  the  loss  of  a  man. 

During  the  bloody  and  disgraceful  march  of  Cornwallis,  whose  track 
bore  such  horrible  marks  of  cruelty,  he  and  his  braves  did  the  country  great 
service,  in  cutting  off  supplies  and  harrassing  the  enemy's  operations,  until 
Cornwallis  was  shut  up  in  Yorktown,  and  afterward  captured. 

In  1782  he  was  chosen  S  nator  to  the  State  Legislature,  but  soon  retired 
to  his  plantation  at  St.  John's,  married,  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  days  in 
domestic  peace.     He  died  February  27,  1795. 


57.  NATHANIEL   GEEENE. 

General  Nathaniel  Greene  -was  bom  in  Warwick,  Rhode  Island,  In 
1742,  of  Quaker  parents. 

He  early  manifested  a  love  of  learning  ;  and,  by  his  own  unaided  efforts, 
he  laid  in  a  good  stock  of  general  and  scientific  knowledge,  and  acquired  a 
tolerable  acquaintance  with  Latin,  while  he  was  yet  a  mere  stripling;  and 
a  strong  military  taste  was  awakened  in  him  by  the  stories  of  war,  which 
fired  his  youthful  imagination. 

At  a  very  early  age  he  was  sent  to  the  Legislature  of  his  native  State. 
When  the  battle  of  Lexington  sent  the  electric  spark  of  freedom  through 
the  country,  Greene,  at  the  head  of  three  regiments  of  soldiers,  over  whom 
he  had  been  chosen  Major-General,  hastened  to  Cambridge,  where  he  was 
speedily  joined  by  Washington,  Gates,  Reed,  and  others,  ready  "  to  do  and 
die  "  for  the  just  and  holy  cause. 

Accepting  from  Congress  a  commission  of  Brigadier-General,  he  accom- 
panied the  army  to  New  York,  and  in  the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton 
greatly  distinguished  himself. 

He  was,  in  this  part  of  the  country,  acting  with  Washington  and  Sulli- 
van, until  he  superceded  General  Gates  in  command  of  the  Southern  army. 
Here,  for  the  first  time,  he  was  in  supremo  command,  and  here  his  genius 
became  manifest,  leading  him  through  weakness  to  strength,  through  defeat 
to  victory,  and  through  disaster  to  glorj^. 

Having  recruited  his  oft-defeated,  worn-out,  and  dispirited  army,  he 
commenced  operations. 

The  brilliant  affair  of  the  Cowpens,  where  the  lion-hearted  Morgan  first 
broke  the  English  prestige,  was  the  auspicious  entree  to  this  last  glorious 
campaign. 

On  the  15th  of  March,  1781,  he  met  the  foe,  and  fought  the  battle  of 
Guilford  with  Cornwallis.  Although  defeated,  the  victory  was  a  dear  one 
to  the  English. 

After  several  unsuccessful  fights,  he  was  compelled  once  more  to  retire, 
recruit,  and  march  once  more  to  victory,  with  that  noble  resolve  on  his  liijs 
and  in  his  bosom  :  "■  I  icill  recover  Soutli  Carolina,  or  die  in  the  attempt  P' 

After  declining  to  meet  General  Greene  at  Orangeburg,  the  enemy  was 
compelled  to  fight  at  Eutaw  Springs,  where  they  were  defeated,  with  the  loss 
of  eleven  hundred  men,  while  our  own  loss  was  only  half  that  number. 

This  broke  the  power  of  George  III  in  South  Carolina,  and  Cornwallis 
was  soon  after  compelled  to  surrender. 

After  the  war,  General  Greene  removed  to  Georgia,  having  an  estate 
near  Savannah.  Here  he  died  of  coup-de-soleil,  on  the  19th  day  of  June, 
1786,  in  the  forty-fourth  year  of  his  age. 


58.   ALEXANDER  CLAXTON. 

Commodore  Alexandeii  Claxton  was  born  in  PhiladelpTiia,  in  1792. 
His  father  removed  to  Washington  when  that  city  became  the  seat  of 
government,  in  1800. 

In  1800  young  Claxton  received  an  appointment  as  Midshipman  in  the 
navy,  and  was  forthwith  ordered  to  tlie  frigate  Chesapeaite,  and  was  on  that 
vessel  when  it  was  overhauled  by  the  Leopard.  The  only  gun  fired  from  the 
Chesapeake  in  the  encounter,  was  the  one  at  which  young  Claxton  was 
stationed. 

On  the  declaration  of  war,  in  IS  12,  Claxton  was  commissioned  Lieutenant, 
and  ordered  to  the  Wasp,  Captain  Jacob  Jones,  and  Avas  in  the  action  which 
resulted  in  the  capture  of  H.  B.  M.  sloop-of-war  FroUc,  Captain  Wingate. 
The  gallantry  of  the  young  Lieutenant  was  particularly  commended  by 
Captain  Jones. 

The  Wasp  and  her  prize  were  captured  by  the  British  seventy-four  gun 
ship  Poietiers,  and  carried  into  Bermuda. 

After  the  exchange  of  prisoners,  which  was  soon  effected.  Captain  Jones 
and  his  officers  were  ordered  to  the  frigate  Macedonian  ;  but,  being  block- 
aded in  New  London,  the  entire  crew  and  officers  were  transferred  to  Perry's 
squadron  on  Lake  Erie. 

We  next  hear  of  Lieutenant  Claxton  as  second  in  command,  under  Com- 
modore Porter,  at  the  "  Battle  of  the  White  House,"  ten  miles  below  Wash- 
ington, where  an  ineffectual  attempt  was  made  to  stop  the  return  of  the 
English  squadron  down  the  Potomac,  after  the  burning  of  the  city  of 
Washington. 

For  his  gallantry  in  the  action  between  the  Wasp  and  Frolic,  Lieutenant 
Claxton  was  voted  the  thanks  of  Congress,  the  privilege  of  the  floor  of  both 
Houses,  and  a  silver  medal. 

In  I8i(>  he  was  ordered  to  the  command  of  the  schooner  Nonesuch.  From 
that  time  until  18o9  he  served  in  commaiid  of  various  vessels,  in  different 
parts  of  the  world;  and,  on  the  12th  of  March  of  that  year,  he  hoisted  his 
broad  pennant  on  board  the  frigate  Constitution,  the  flag-ship  of  the  squadron 
then  ordered  to  the  Pacific  coast. 

He  remained  in  command  of  that  squadron  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred at  Talcahuana,  on  the  8th  of  March,  1841,  at  the  early  age  of  forty- 
nine  5^  ears. 

In  private  life.  Commodore  Claxton  was  most  esteemed.  His  frank  and 
open  manner  was  a  passport  to  all  hearts,  while  his  many  virtues  endeared 
him  to  a  host  of  warm  and  devoted  friends. 

A  fitting  tribute  to  the  memory  of  this  gallant  officer  is  embodied  in  a 
work,  entitled  "  Old  Ironsides,"  the  author  of  which,  sailed  under  him. 


59,    STEPHEN   DECATUE. 

Commodore  Stethen  Decatur  was  bom  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Mary 
land,  on  the  5th  day  of  January,  1779.  He  entered  the  navy  as  a  Midship- 
man ;  and,  after  passing  through  the  several  grades,  we  find  him,  in  1803,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-four,  a  Lieutenant  in  Commodore  Preble's  squadron,  then 
acting  against  Tripoli.  On  the  31st  of  October,  1803,  the  frigate  Philadel' 
liliia,  under  Captain  Bainbridge,  having  ran  upon  a  reef  of  rocks,  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Tripolitans;  and  early  in  February  following.  Lieutenant 
Decatur,  in  command  of  the  schooner  Intrepid,  with  seventy-six  men, 
enteied  the  harbor  of  Tripoli,  ran  alongside  the  Philadelphia,  leaped 
aboard,  killed  twenty  men,  drove  the  rest  into  the  sea,  set  it  on  fire  under 
the  very  muzzle  of  the  guns  of  the  Turkish  batteries,  and  succeeded  in 
getting  out  of  the  harbor  without  losing  a  single  man. 

He  afterward  caj)tured,  in  a  gallant  fight,  the  British  frigate  Macedonian, 
October  25,  1812 ;  and,  when  subsequently  cooped  up  in  the  Thames 
River,  in  Connecticut,  sent  a  challenge  to  the  commander  of  the  British 
squadron,  to  pit  the  two  frigates.  United  States  and  Macedonian,  with  any 
two  frigates  in  the  English  fleet,  which  honor,  however,  was  declined. 

His  subsequent  negotiations  with  Tripoli,  where  he  had  been  sent  to 
adjust  some  important  matters,  resulted  gloriously  to  the  Government  under 
whose  orders  he  had  sailed,  and  whose  flag  he  went  to  vindicate. 

In  all  the  leading  acts  of  his  gallant  life,  as  well  as  many  of  minor 
account,  Decatur  exhibited  the  greatest  talents  for  a  naval  leader,  and 
wreathed  for  his  brow  a  chaplet  of  renown  which  the  world  shall  honor,  and 
his  countrymen  glory  in,  until  "  the  sword  shall  be  beaten  into  ploughshares, 
and  the  spear  into  a  pruning  hook." 

A  nobler  or  a  braver  man  never  trod  the  planks  of  a  man-of-war's  decks 
than  Stephen  Decatur,  while  his  cool  sagacity  and  clear-headedness  were 
fully  equal  to  his  courage. 

It  would  be  well  if  we  could  here  drop  the  pen  of  record,  and  draw  the 
veil  of  oblivion  over  his  tragic  end. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1807,  Commodore  Barron,  who  was  in  command  of 
the  Chesapeake,  having  refused  to  give  up  four  men,  claimed  by  the  Eng- 
lish as  deserters,  his  vessel  was  fired  into  by  the  British  ship  Leopard.  Being 
unconscious  of  danger  at  the  time,  and  unprepared  for  the  attack,  the 
Chesapeake  struck  her  colors,  and  the  four  men  were  transferred  to  the 
British  vessel.  Commodore  Barron  was  court-martialed,  and  suspended  for 
several  years.  Decatur  superseded  him  in  the  command  of  the  Chesapeake, 
and  five  years  later,  Avhen  the  War  of  1812  broke  out,  he  decidedly  and 
openly  opposed  the  reinstatement  of  Barron.  From  that  moment  an  enmity 
was  established  between  them,  which  time  only  served  to  strengthen,  and 
which  led  to  many  hard  words  on  either  side,  and,  in  1819,  to  a  correspon- 
dence between  them,  which  only  precipitated  mattei'S,  and  ended  in  a  chal- 
lenge. Both  gentlemen  prof essed  to  reprobate  dueling ;  yet  such  was  their 
mutual  hatred,  that  neither  would  offer  conciliation,  although  the  friends 
of  both  did  what  was  in  their  power  to  prevent  the  dreadful  result.  On  a 
raw,  chilly  morning,  in  March,  1820,  these  brave  men,  who  had  fought  side 
by  side  for  glory  and  their  country,  met  in  mortal  combat  on  the  field  of 
Bladensburg,  so  famous  for  its  unholy  and  bloody  sacrifices  to  false  honoi\ 
The  combatants  took  their  ground,  each  fired  at  the  same  instant,  and  each 
received  the  ball  of  his  antagonist.  Barron  was  very  dangerously,  and 
Decatur  mortally,  wounded.  The  latter  was  carried  to  AVashington.  and 
borne  to  his  home.  Until  then,  his  wife  was  ignorant  of  the  matter.  Her 
distractions  were  heart-rendin<r,  and  the  whole  city  was  shrouded  in  gloom. 
He  died  of  his  wound,  March  22,  1820. 


60.  J.  PAUL  JONES. 

Commodore  JoHN  Paul  Jones  was  born  in  the  South,  of  Scotland,  near 
the  Frith  of  Solway,  on  the  6th  of  July,  1747. 

At  the  early  ag-e  of  six  or  eight  he  used  to  be  seen  rigging  out  his  mimic 
fleet  of  chips,  and  giving  imperious  commands  to  imaginary  sailors  engaged 
in  bloody  naval  fights. 

At  twelve  he  entered  the  merchant  marine  service ;  and,  purchasing  his 
indentures  at  eighteen,  he  became  master  of  a  brig  engaged  in  the  Ameri- 
can slave  trade,  which  he  soon  left  in  disgust. 

In  his  voyages  young  Paul  had  made  several  visits  to  the  American  con- 
tinent ;  and,  in  177o,  having  occasion  to  reside  in  Virginia  while  the  estate 
of  an  elder  brother,  recently  deceased,  was  being  settled,  he  became 
enamored  of  the  country,  and  resolved  to  make  it  his  own. 

The  stirring  times  of  the  Revolution  roused  him  from  his  repose,  and 
decided  him  to  engage  in  the  contest  for  Freedom  with  the  Colonists. 

In  1775  we  find  him  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  first-class  Lieutenants. 

As  subordinate  in  the  Alfred  and  commander  in  the  Froi'idence  he  sig- 
nalized himself  as  a  brave  and  sagacious  officer.  He  is  said  to  have  been  "  the 
first  man  that  ever  ran  up  the  Stars  and  Stripes  to  masthead." 

As  commander  of  the  Ranger'  he  sailed  to  Brest,  and  obtained  a  salute  to 
his  flag  from  ^he  French — the  first  that  was  ever  accorded  to  it. 

By  superhuman  effort  he  obtained  an  old  ship  from  the  French,  which 
he  named  the  Boji  Homme  Richard,  in  compliment  to  Dr.  Franklin,  whose 
assistance  had  largely  contributed  to  his  success. 

As  Capt'^in,  he  put  to  sea  with  a  fleet  of  ueven  vessels,  hoisting  the  flag 
upon  the  Bon  Homme  Richard.  To  the  terror  of  the  English,  he  cruised 
along  their  coasts,  entering  their  rivers  and  harbors,  taking  prizes  and  men, 
and  burning  ships. 

On  the  28d  of  September,  1779,  he  fought  by  moonlight  his  celebrated, 
and  by  f^r  his  most  bloody  and  successful,  battle  with  the  British  frigate 
Serapis,  in  size,  men,  and  metal,  greatly  superior  to  his  own  ship.  This 
splendid  victory  gave  the  crowning  eclat  to  one  of  the  most  brilliant  cruises 
that  the  world  had  ever  witnessed,  and  dazzled  all  Europe,  filling  America 
with  joy  and  pride. 

After  many  sharp  conflicts  with  the  enemy,  daring  exploits,  and  hair- 
breadth escapes,  he  reached  Philadelphia  in  the  winter  of  1781,  vhere  he  was 
received  with  many  marks  of  distinction,  and  Congress  voted  him  thanks. 

Or  the  close  of  the  war.  Commodore  Jones  passed  the  rest  of  his  life  in 
important  public  service  abroad,  and  died,  at  Paris,  on  the  18th  of  July,  1793. 


61.  WILLIAM  BAINBEIDGE. 

Commodore  "WrLLlAM  Baestbridge  Avas  born  at  Princeton,  New  Jersey, 
May  7,  1774.  He  received  his  education  in  a  common  school.  At  sixteen 
he  entered  the  mercantile  business,  and  ■went  to  sea  in  the  employment  of  a 
house  in  Philadelphia.  He  was  in  the  merchant  service  till  179S,  when,  on 
the  commencement  of  hostilities  with  France,  our  Government  appointed 
him  to  the  command  of  the  United  States  schooner  Betaliation,  of  fourteen 
g-uns,  with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  in  the  navy. 

In  1800  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Captain,  and  sailed  in  the  frigate 
George  Wasltingioii  with  presents  to  the  Dey  of  Algiers. 

War  being  declared,  while  he  was  at  Algiers,  against  France,  and  all  the 
citizens  of  France  ordered  to  quit  the  country,  Captain  Bainbridge  received 
them  all  on  board  his  frigate ;  and,  having  landed  them  at  Alicante,  sailed 
for  Philadelphia,  where  he  arrived  in  April,  1801. 

In  June  following,  he  took  command  of  the  frigate  Essex,  and  proceeded 
to  the  Mediteranean  to  protect  our  commerce  against  Tripolitan  depreda- 
tions. 

In  1803  he  was  placed  in  command  of  the  frigate  PMladeljJlda,  and  joined 
Commodore  Preble's  squadron.  While  chasing  a  strange  vessel  he  ran  upon 
a  reef  of  rocks,  where  his  vessel  was  captured  by  the  enemy  and  carried  into 
the  harbor,  and  where  she  laid,  until  recaptured  and  burned,  by  Decatur, 
in  February,  1804. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  with  England,  in  1812,  he  held  command 
of  the  CoiistellatiGn;  but  on  the  arrival  of  the  Const/^^^^wn.,  he  took  charge  of 
that  frigate,  and,  in  a  short  time,  made  his  name  and  his  ship  famous  in 
the  bloody  conflict  with  the  British  frigate  Jaca,  Captain  Lambert,  which 
he  captured  with  the  loss  of  only  nine  men.  Finding  it  was  impossible  to 
bring  the  Java  to  the  United  States,  she  was  blown  up,  and  her  crew  set 
ashore  at  St.  Salvador,  on  parole. 

This  was  the  second  frigate  this  noble  ship  had  destroyed  in  a  short  time; 
and,  from  the  little  damage  she  had  sustained  in  her  numerous  conflicts 
with  the  enemy,  she  received  the  subriquet  of  "  Old  Ironsides"  a  name 
which  awakens  a  thrill  of  national  pride  in  the  bosom  of  every  American 
sailor  who  loves  to  see  the  "  Stars  and  Stripes"  floating  at  his  masthead. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  Commodore  Bainbridge  sailed  once  more  to  the 
Mediterranean,  in  command  of  the  Coh/mbus,  seventy-four  guns.  This  was 
the  last  cruise  of  this  gallant  naval  officer,  after  which  he  retired  from  the 
sea  altogether. 

On  his  return  home  he  commanded  for  several  years,  at  different  naval 
stations,  and  was  also  one  of  the  Board  of  Naval  Commissioners. 

He  died  in  Philadelphia,  July  27,  1833. 


62.  ISAAC   HULL. 

Commodore  Isaac  Hull,  the  glorious  commander  of  "  Old  Ironsides," 
whose  name  will  be  forever  associated  with  one  of  the  grandest  naval  ex- 
ploits in  the  War  of  1812,  was  born  in  Derby,  Connecticut,  in  1775, 

While  yet  a  boy,  he  left  his  school  and  went  to  sea,  shipping  on  board  a 
merchant-vessel  employed  in  the  London  trade. 

In  1800  he  was  appointed  as  Fir^t  Lieutenant  to  the  frigate  Constitution. 
While  on  his  first  voyage,  he  cut  out  a  French  lettev-of-marque  at  one  of 
the  St.  Domingo  Islands,  and  bore  off  his  prize  triumphantly,  without  the 
loss  of  a  single  man. 

In  1804  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Captain,  and  appointed  to  the 
Argus,  one  of  the  vessels  belonging  to  the  squadron  under  Decatur,  destined 
to  act  against  the  Barbary  States. 

At  the  storming  of  Tripoli  and  the  reduction  of  Deccan,  he  distinguished 
himself. 

In  1812  a  new  field  of  action  opened  itself  to  American  glory,  and  Cap- 
tain Hull  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  "  Old  Ironsides,"  and  imme- 
diately putting  to  sea,  he  shortly  after  fell  in  with  a  British  squadron,  from 
which  he  succeeded  in  making  his  escape,  exciting  the  wonder  of  his 
enemies  by  his  superior  seamanship,  and  the  admiration  and  gratitude  of 
the  American  nation. 

Not  long  after,  he  fell  in  with  the  British  frigate  Guerriere,  Captain 
Dacres,  and,  after  several  hours'  hard  fighting,  captured  her,  although  she 
was  of  greatly  superior  size,  force,  and  metal,  to  his  own  ship.  The  prize 
was  in  a  sinking  condition,  and  Hull  received  all  the  prisoners  on  the  Con- 
stitution, and  set  sail  for  Boston,  where  he  arrived  in  safety. 

The  moral  effect  of  this  victory  can  hardly  be  conceived.  It  gave  the 
nation  hope,  and  inspired  confidence  in  our  navy.  The  Constitution  was 
severely  handled,  but  through  the  energy  of  her  officers,  she  was  in  a  few 
days  prepared  to  give  battle  to  another  frigate. 

After  the  war,  he  commanded  in  the  Pacific  and  Mediterranean,  and 
enjoyed  the  rank  of  Captain  for  thirty-seven  years. 

The  deep  gratitude  of  his  countrymen  has  never  been  withdrawn ;  and 
the  modesty  with  which  he  bore  his  clustering  honors  became  him  as  well 
as  those  honors  themselves. 

*'  He  did  not,  in  the  midst  of  the  continuous  praise  that  followed  him, 
yield  to  a  single  suggestion  of  wrong,  nor  presume,  for  a  moment,  upon  the 
hold  which  he  had  on  the  affections  of  the  nation.  Every  day  of  his  life 
seemed  to  be  spent  as  if  he  felt  that  that  day  had  its  special  duty,  which,  if 
not  performed,  would  leave  incomplete  his  honors,  and,  perhaps,  tai'uish  the 
laurels  he  had  already  acquired.  Hence,  day  by  day,  he  earned  new  titles 
to  public  affection  ;  and,  as  a  man,  a  patriot,  and  an  officer,  ho  grew  in  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow-countrymen.  And  the  last  days  of  his  life  saw  his 
laurels  as  fresh  as  when  they  were  first  woven  into  a  chaplet  for  his  brow." 

He  died,  at  his  residence  in  Philadelphia,  on  the  13th  of  February,  18-13, 
in  the  sixty-ninth  year  of  his  age. 


63.    OLIVER   H.'PEEEY. 

Commodore  Olfver'  Hazard  Perry,  the  "  Hero  of  Lake  Erie,"  vra.5 
bom  in  Xewport,  Rhode  Island,  in  August,  1785. 

He  was  entered  as  a  Midshipman  in  the  United  States  Navy  when  he 
■was  twelve  years  old,  and  accompanied  his  squadron  to  the  Mediterranean 
during-  the  Tripolite  AVar,  where  his  urbanity  and  a  quick  apprehension  of 
his  duties  secured  the  decided  approval  of  his  superiors. 

At  the  beginning-  of  the  War  of  1812,  young  Perry  was  ordered  to  the 
command  of  a  flotilla  of  gun-boats,  in  the  harbor  of  New  York,  with  the 
grade  of  Lieutenant.  Disgusted  with  this  dull  service,  he  was,  at  his  own 
request,  transferred  to  the  Lakes,  and  soon  stationed,  by  Commodore 
Chauncey,  on  Lake  Erie.  Here  his  free  and  active  spirit  had  full  scope; 
and,  as  commander  of  a  squadron,  which  he  was  instrumental  in  creating, 
he  fought  one  of  the  most  brilliant  naval  battles  on  record,  and  won  for 
himself  a  renown  deathless  as  the  name  of  the  inland  sea  whose  shores 
echoed  to  the  booming  of  his  victorious  cannon.  For  this  action,  Congress 
voted  him  thanks. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  fight,  the  fire  of  the  enemy  was  directed,  prin- 
cipally, against  his  flag-ship,  the  Lairrence,  which,  in  a  short  time,  became 
an  unmanageable  wreck,  having  ail  her  men,  except  four  or  five,  killed  or 
wounded.  He  then  left  her,  and  transferred  his  flag  to  the  Niagara,  which, 
passing  through  the  enemy's  line,  poured  successive  broadsides  into  five  of 
their  vessels,  at  half  pistol-shot,  and  at  4  o'clock  every  vessel  of  the  enemy 
had  surrendered. 

Intelligence  of  the  victory  was  conveyed  to  General  Harrison  in  the  fol- 
lowing laconic  epistle  :  "  We  have  met  the  enemy,  and  they  are  ours  I" 

The  British  having  been  driven  from  the  Lakes,  Commodore  Perry  was 
ordered  to  the  command  of  a  small  naval  force  on  the  Potomac,  to  aid  in 
the  defense  of  the  capitol. 

In  Iblo  he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  frigate  Java,  and  sailed 
with  Decatur's  squadron  to  the  Mediterranean,  to  humble  the  Dey  of  Al- 
giers, which  was  successfully  accomplished. 

On  his  return,  and  while  his  ship  was  lying  at  Newport,  information 
was  brought  that  a  merchant-ship  was  in  a  perilous  position  on  the  reef,  six 
miles  below.  It  was  mid-winter  ;  but,  immediately  manning  his  boat,  and 
cheering  his  men  with,  "  Come,  boys,  we  go  to  rescue  the  shipwrecked 
mariner  !"  he  succeeded  in  rescuing  eleven  of  his  fellow-beings  from  a 
watery  grave. 

In  1819  he  sailed  for  the  West  Indies,  under  sealed  orders,  to  take  com- 
mand of  that  station,  where  he  early  f«dl  a  victim  to  the  ravages  of  the 
yellow-fever.     His  death  occurred  August  2o,  1820. 

In  person,  Commodore  Perrj^  was  elegant  and  imposing,  with  an  easy 
address,  which  made  him  a  favorite  with  all  classes.  He  rarely  failed  of 
success  in  his  plans,  so  carefully  did  he  calculate  beforehand  all  chances  and 
mischances. 


64.  JAMES  LAWEENCE. 

Captain  James  Lawrence,  the  •*  Hero  of  the  Chesapeaice,"  and  tlie 
**  Pet  of  the  Navy,"  as  he  was  sometiiaes  called,  was  born  in  Burlington,  New- 
Jersey,  October  1,  1781. 

When  quite  young-,  he  studied  law;  but  his  predilection  for  the  sea, 
induced  him.  to  leave  it,  and  study  navigation  preparatory  to  entering  the 
navy.  He  received  a  Midshipman's  commission  at  the  age  of  seventeen ; 
after  which,  he  joined  the  ship  Ganges,  and  made  his  first  eventful  cruise  to 
the  West  Indies. 

On  his  return  he  was  promoted  to  a  Lieutenantcy,  and  assigned  to  the 
John  Adams,  and  afterwards  as  first  officer  of  the  Enteriorise,  in  the  squadron 
under  Decatur,  destined  to  act  against  Tripoli,  where  he  exhibited  great 
nautical  skill. 

In  1808  he  was  appointed  First  Lieutenant  of  the  Constitution,  after 
which  he  succeeded,  consecutively,  to  the  command  of  the  Vixen,  Wasp, 
Argus,  and  Hornet. 

In  1812,  on  the  opening  of  hostilities,  he  took  command  of  the  sloop-of-war 
Hornet,  in  the  squadron  under  Commodore  Bainbridge,  which  sailed  for 
the  East  Indies.  When  off  the  coast  of  Brazil,  the  Hornet  got  separated 
from  the  squadron,  and  fell  in  with  the  English  brig  Resolution,  which  he 
captured.     Twenty-five  thousand  dollars  were  found  on  the  prize. 

Soon  after,  occurred  that  terrible  action  of  the  Hornet  with  the  ship  Pea- 
cock, in  Avhich  the  loss  of  the  English  was  enormous,  while  the  Hornet  lost 
but  one  man. 

In  1813,  Captain  Lawrence  was  ordered  by  Congress  to  join  the  frigate 
Chesa'peake,  then  lying  in  Boston  harbor.  AVith  a  crew  of  newly-enlisted 
men,  partly  foreigners,  he  hastily  put  to  sea  on  the  1st  day  of  June,  in 
search  of  the  British  frigate  Shannon,  which,  with  a  select  crew,  had 
recently  appeared  upon  the  coast,  challenging  any  American  frigate  of  equal 
size  to  meet  her. 

On  the  same  day,  the  two  vessels  met,  and  engaged  with  great  fury.  On 
the  discharge  of  the  first  broadside,  our  hero  received  a  severe  wound,  but 
insisted  on  remaining  on  the  quarter-deck. 

A  few  moments  after,  he  received  a  ball  from  the  main-top  of  the  enemy's 
ship,  and  was  obliged  to  be  carried  below.  As  he  was  being  taken  away,  he 
issued  his  last  heroic  order,  "Don't  give  up  the  ship !" — words  that  have  been 
consecrated  to  his  memory,  and  which  have  become  the  motto  of  the  Ameri- 
can navy. 

When  he  arrived  at  the  cock-pit,  the  surgeon  hastened  to  help  him; 
but,  motioning  him  away,  he  exclaimed,  in  a  noble  spirit  of  unselfishness: 
"No!  Serve  those,  who  came  before  me,  first;  I  can  wait  my  turn."  He 
lingered  until  the  5th  of  the  month,  when  he  expired  in  the  thirty-third 
year  of  his  age. 


65.  JOHN  KANDOLPH. 

John  Randolph,  '•'  of  Roanoke,"  as  he  used  to  write  his  own  name, 
and  distinguished  for  his  genius  and  talents,  as  for  his  eccentricities,  was  born 
in  Virginia,  June  2,  1773. 

He  was  descended  in  a  direct  line  from  the  celebrated  Indian  King  Pow- 
hattan,  and  was  ever  proud  of  the  Indian  blood  that  flowed  in  his  veins. 

At  two  years  of  age  he  lost  his  father,  from  which  time  forward  he  led  a 
vagrant  life,  and  reached  his  raajority  a  wild,  untamed,  unlettered,  and  un- 
tutored youth. 

He  spent  a  short  time  at  Princeton  Colles-e,  part  of  a  year  at  Columbia 
College,  and  a  few  months  at  ^Yilliam  and  Mary's  College,  winding  up  his 
educational  career  with  some  six  month's  residence  in  the  law  office  of 
Edmund  Randolph,  in  all  of  which  places  he  says  he  never  learned  a  thing. 
Such  was  the  preparatory  education  of  a  man  who  afterward  rose  to  the 
first  position  as  a  debater  in  the  National  Council. 

He  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1799,  and  continued  a  Member  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  most  of  the  time,  till  1829,  and  afterward  was 
arppointed  Minister  to  Russia. 

He  ever  remained  a  bachelor ;  and  his  naturally  unamiable  temper  often 
became  intolerable  through  his  excessively  abusive  language  in  debate.  He 
provoked  a  duel  with  Henry  Clay,  but  afterward  became  his  best  friend. 

No  man  was  listened  to  with  more  attentive  silence  in  the  House  or 
Senate  than  he.  He  never  spoke,  without  commanding  the  most  intense 
interest.  At  his  first  gesture  or  word,  the  House  and  galleries  were  hushed 
into  silence  and  attention.  His  voice  was  shrill  and  pipe-like,  but  under 
perfect  command  ;  and,  in  its  lower  tones,  it  was  music.  His  tall  person, 
firm  eyes,  and  peculiarly  expressive  fingers,  assisted  very  much  in  giving 
effect  to  his  delivery.  His  eloquence  was  generally  exerted  in  satire  and 
invective  ;  but  he  never  attempted  pathos  without  entire  success. 

In  quickness  of  perception,  accuracy  of  memory,  liveliness  of  imagina- 
tion, and  sharpness  of  wit,  he  surpassed  most  men  of  his  day ;  but  his  judg- 
ment was  feeble,  and  rarely  consulted. 

One  of  his  most  striking  characteristics  was,  perhaps,  his  economy,  which 
he  rigidly  practiced;  and,  both  in  public  and  private  affairs,  diligently  incul- 
cated. 

His  inheritance  was  inconsiderable,  and  heavily  incumbered  with  a 
British  debt ;  but,  by  a  long  course  of  economy,  he  relieved  his  estate,  and 
acquired  wealth. 

With  all  his  moroseness,  Mr.  Randolph  was  a  kind  master,  a  good  neigh- 
bor, and  a  steadfast  friend.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  possessed  of  a 
large  and  valuable  estate,  on  the  Roanoke,  and  had  three  hundred  and 
eighteen  slaves  and  one  hundred  and  eighty  horses,  one  hundred  and  twenty 
of  which  were  blood  horses. 

He  died  at  Philadelphia  on  the  24th  day  of  May,  1834,  in  the  sixty-first 
year  of  his  age,  while  on  his  way  to  Europe,  in  hopes  of  a  partial  restoration 
to  health. 


66.   AAEON   BUEE. 

Aaron  Burr  -was  bom  in  Newark,  New  Jersey,  February  5,  1756.  He 
lost  both  his  parents  before  three  years  of  his  adventurous  life  had  passed. 

Young  Burr  entered  New  Jersey  College  before  he  was  twelve  years  old, 
and  graduated  in  1772,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  quite  ripe  in  scholarship  for 
one  of  his  years. 

In  177<)  he  was  led  to  join  the  army  raised  for  the  defense  of  the  Colonies, 
and  served  under  Arnold,  and  shared  with  him  the  perilous  march  through 
the  wilderness  to  Canada.  On  his  arrival.  General  Montgomery  made  him 
his  Aid,  and  he  was  at  the  General's  side  when  he  fell. 

On  his  return,  Burr  was  joined  to  the  family  of  the  Commander-in- 
Chief,  but,  for  some  reason,  which  does  not  appear,  left  the  headquarters 
soon  after,  having,  by  his  acts,  lost  forever  the  confidence  of  Washington. 
From  this  period,  the  hostility  of  Burr  to  his  former  patron  was  bitter  and 
unceasing. 

In  1777  he  was  appointed  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and  won  the  character  of 
a  brave  and  sagacious  officer.  In  1779,  his  health  failing  him,  he  was 
obliged  to  throw  up  his  commission,  and  retire  from  the  army. 

He  then  devoted  himself  to  the  study  of  the  law,  and  commenced  prac- 
tice at  Albany  in  1782,  but  soon  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York.  He 
became  distinguished  in  his  profession,  and  was  appointed  Attorney-Gen- 
eral of  New  York  m  1789. 

From  1791  to  1797  he  was  a  member  of  the  United  States  Senate,  and 
bore  a  conspicuous  part,  as  a  leader  of  the  democratic,  or  republican,  party. 

At  the  fourth  Presidential  election,  Thomas  Jefferson  and  Aart)n  Burr 
had  each  seventy-three  votes ;  and  the  choice  was  decided  by  Congress,  by 
the  election  of  Mr.  Jefferson  for  President,  and  Mr.  Burr  for  Vice-President, 
on  the  thirty-sixth  ballot. 

Colonel  Burr  was  the  mortal  enemy  of  nearly  all  the  leading  Federalists, 
and  a  bitter  opponent  to  the  measures  of  Washington's  administration. 
Perhaps  he  hated  nobody  with  such  cordial  hostility  as  Colonel  Hamilton, 
whom  he  challenged  to  the  "  fight  of  honor,"  in  which  Hamilton  fell,  and 
Burr  was  driven  from  his  home  and  society  for  a  while,  by  the  indignant 
scorn  of  the  community. 

Not  long  after  this,  he  conceived  his  mad  enterprise  in  the  Western 
country  of  the  United  States ;  for  which  he  was  at  length  apprehended, 
and  brought  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  in  August,  1807,  on  a  charge  of  treason ; 
and,  after  a  long  trial,  was  acquitted. 

He  afterward  returned  to  the  city  of  New  York,  and  practiced  law  to 
some  extent,  but  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  comparative  obscurity 
and  neglect. 

With  the  most  brilliant  talents  and  most  insinuating  address,  and  a  tact 
in  conversation  and  debate  rarely  equaled.  Colonel  Burr  might  have  filled 
a  high  post  of  honor,  with  credit  to  himself  and  advantage  to  his  country, 
but  that  he  was  destitute  of  true  honor,  or  common  honesty.  A  profligate, 
with  a  corrupt  heart,  who  scrupled  at  nothing  which  would  satisfy  his  lust 
or  his  ambition,  he  sank  lower  and  lower  in  the  scale  of  humanity,  until, 
on  the  14th  of  September,  1830,  at  the  age  of  eighty,  he  died,  leaving  no 
fragrant  memoricB  behind. 


67.   EDM:UND   p.    GAINES. 

General  E.  P.  G-AINES  was  born  in  Culpepper  County,  Virginia,  March 
20,  1777. 

At  the  ago  of  fifteen  lie  removed  with  his  father  to  Sullivan  County, 
afterward  the  eastern  part  of  Tennessee,  which  portion  of  the  State  was 
then  invested  by  the  Cherokee  Indians,  who  were  very  hostile  to  the  whites, 
and  kept  the  border  families  in  a  constant  state  of  terror  and  alarm. 

He  had  heard  of  the  cruel  assaults  of  the  savage  foe,  and  longed  to  be 
led  to  their  attack  in  the  deep  fastnesses  where  they  dwelt.  A  rifle  company 
being  raised  in  his  neighborhood,  he  was  elected  Lieutenant  at  the  age  of 
eighteen;  and,  in  January,  1799,  was  appointed  Ensign  of  the  Sixth  Regi- 
ment of  Infantry  in  the  United  States  arm.y. 

In  1801  he  was  selected  by  the  Government  to  command  a  company  of 
Topographical  Engineers  for  the  survey  of  a  military  road  from  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  to  Natchez,  on  the  Mississippi  River,  in  which  service  he  was  engaged 
until  1804,  when  he  was  appointed  Military  Collector  for  the  District  of 
Mobile.  Here  he  served  live  years,  and  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Cap- 
tain, when  he  retired  from  the  army,  and  commenced  practicing  law  in  the 
then  Territory  of  Mississippi.  _ 

On  the  declaration  of  war  in  1812,  Captain  Gaines  hastened  to  offer  his 
services  once  more  to  his  country.  Raised  to  the  rank  of  Colonel,  he  was 
ordered  to  the  Northern  frontier.  Here,  his  superior  discipline  and  knoAvl- 
edge  of  military  tactics  began  early  to  be  seen.  After  the  battle  of  Christ- 
ler's  Fields,  in  which  he  took  a  prominent  part,  he  was  taken  sick,  and  was 
prevented  sharing  the  fruits  of  victory  in  the  campaign  of  General  Harrison 
and  its  glorious  termination  at  the  Thames  River. 

Early  in  xVugust,  1814,  Colonel  Gaines  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Brigadier-General,  and  ordered  to  Fort  Erie,  to  assume  command  of  the 
Army  of  the  North.  He  was  immediately  engaged  in  a  sharp  conflict  with 
the  enemy,  which  was  continued  almost  every  day  for  some  time,  and  in 
which,  victory  ultimately  perched  upon  his  standard. 

Congress,  deeply  sensible  of  the  service  he  had  rendered  his  country, 
voted  him  their  thanks  and  a  gold  medal.  He  also  received  an  elegant 
sword  from  each  of  the  States  of  New  York,  Virginia,  and  Tennessee  ;  many 
other  testimonials  were  also  tendered  him  from  various  parts  of  the  Union. 

He  was  with  Jackson  in  the  Creek  War,  and  afterward  commanded  in 
the  Southern  Military  District,  until  the  reduction  of  the  army  in  1821, 
when  he  was  retained  as  a  Brigadier-General,  and  the  "Western  Division 
assigned  to  him.  _ 

General  Gaines  was  the  senior 'officer  during  the  Sauk  (Indian)  dis- 
turbances in  l8ol-'33,  and  was,  for  a  time,  engaged  in  the  Seminole  War  of 
1836.  He  was  soon  after  transferred  to  the  Eastern  Division,  with  his  head- 
quarters at  New  York.  Afterward,  returning  to  New  Orleans,  he  became 
acquainted  with  the  accomplished  widow  of  General  Whitney,  and  daughter 
of  the  late  Daniel  Clark,  whom  he  married,  and  who  has  since  become 
Celebrated  as  "  Mrs.  General  Gaines,"  in  her  almost  superhuman  efforts  for 
conducting  to  a  successful  issue  a  law-suit  against  the  city  of  New  Orleans 
for  the  recovery  of  her  father's  property  in  that  city,  which  involved  several 
millions  of  dollars.  With  her  he  lived  in  uninterrupted  domestic  peace  and 
happiness  until  his  death  in  the  spring  of  1849. 

General  Gaines  was  a  man  of  superior  knowledge  of  military  tactics  and 
discipline,  of  extreme  simplicity  of  character-^ very  decidedly  "  one  of  tho 
pdo'plc" — an^  of  unqUEGtioncd  intogrity. 


68.  HENEY   E.    SCHOOLCEAFT. 

Henry  H.  Schoolcraft  was  bom  at  the  manor  of  Renssalaerwich, 
Guilderland,  New  York,  March  28,  1798. 

He  early  displayed  an  ardent  love  of  knowledge  ;  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen he  began  to  contribute  pieces  in  prose  and  verse  to  newspapers ;  and 
for  several  years  after,  he  pursued,  without-  aid,  the  study  of  natural  history, 
English  literature,  with  the  Hebrew,  German,  and  French  languages,  and 
pursued  advanced  studies  at  Union  College,  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  and  after- 
ward at  Middlebury,  Vt. 

His  first  work,  published  in  1817,  was  "  Vitriology  :  An  elaborate  Treatise 
on  the  Application  of  chemistry  to  the  manufactiire  of  Glass." 

In  1818  he  made  a  geological  survey  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  to  the 
spur  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Returning  home,  he  published  two  treatises,  which  greatly  stimulated 
emigration  to  the  West,  and  brought  his  peculiar  capabilities  as  a  scientific 
explorer  before  the  public. 

In  1820  he  was  commissioned  to  visit  the  copper  regions  of  Lake  Supe- 
rior, and  the  head  waters  of  the  Mississippi  River.  He  arrived  at  the  actual 
source  of  the  *'  Great  Father  of  "Waters  "  July  23,  1822,  and  christened  the 
lake  in  which  it  rises,  "Itaska."  From  this  period,  his  attention  was  prin- 
cipally devoted  to  the  Indian  race,  and  he  commenced  his  long  series  of 
investigations  as  to  their  habits,  language,  and  ancient  traditions.  About 
this  time,  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Johnson  (the  grand-daughter 
of  a  celebrated  Indian  Chief),  who  had  just  returned  from  Europe — an 
accomplished  yoimg  lady — where  her  father  (a  gentleman  from  the  north  of 
Ireland),  had  sent  her  to  receive  every  advantage  of  education ;  and,  being 
acquainted  with  the  Indian,  as  well  as  other  languages,  she  seemed  to  Mr. 
Schoolcraft  especially  fitted  to  assist  him  in  the  mission  to  which  he  had 
devoted  his  life. 

They  were,  therefore,  united  in  marriage  in  1823,  and  lived  togethe? 
until  her  death,  in  1842.  With  her  aid  and  influence,  he  gained  access 
to  our  aborigines,  and  an  insight  into  their  secrets  and  private  life,  as  well 
as  the  peculiar  mode  of  thought  of  the  red  man,  which  would  otherwise 
have  been  impossible. 

Numerous  successive  treatises  came  from  his  pen — descriptive,  historical, 
and  scientific  :  some  legendary,  as  that  of  Hiawatha  ;  others  philosophical, 
as  that  relating  to  the  peculiarities  of  grammatical  structure  in  the  Indian 
nouns,  which  make  all  animate  beings  masculine,  and  all  inanimate  objects 
feminine. 

In  1847  Mr.  Schoolcraft  was  employed  by  Congress  to  X5ublish  his  great 
work  on  the  "  History  and  Condition  of  the  Indian  Tribes  in  the  United 
States,"  and  settled  down  to  quiet  study,  in  Washington.  The  same  year 
he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Sliss  Mary  Howard,  a  lady  pre-eminently  en- 
dowed by  nature  and  culture  to  be  his  associate  in  the  higher  mission  of 
giving  a  scientific  form  and  literary  finish  to  the  results  of  his  former  ex- 
plorations, consisting  of  six  volumes,  with  material  for  two  more,  left  unfin- 
ished at  his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  10th  of  December,  1864,  in  the 
seventy -second  j^ear  of  his  age. 

Not  long  after  he  settled  in  Washington,  Mr.  Schoolcraft  was  crippled 
with  rheumatic  affections,  and  for  tlie  last  years  of  his  life  confined  to  his 
bed,  with  his  limbs  bent  completely  under  him.  Yet,  with  all  his  suffering, 
his  high,  open  brow  grew  more  majestic,  and  his  noble  mind  still  triumphed 
till  tho  very  last  moment  of  his  existence. 


69.   BLACK   HAWK. 

Black  Hawk,  the  most  relentless  foe  to  the  -whites,  and  one  of  the  very 
last  to  smoke  with  them  the  calumet  of  peace,  was  boru  at  the  Sac  village 
on  Kock  River,  in  Illinois,  in  1767. 

At  fifteen  years  of  age,  having  wounded  an  enemy,  he  was  permitted  to 
paint,  wear  feathers,  and  to  join  the  braves  in  their  war-dances  and  on  the 
war-path.  Shortly  after,  ho  succeeded  in  *'  killing  his  man"  in  battle,  and 
then  he  was  accounted  a  brave,  and  permitted  to  join  in  the  "  scalp-dance," 
an  honor  of  which  he  was  extremely  proud. 

Not  long  after,  the  Northwestern  Territory  came  into  the  possession  of 
the  United  States,  and  the  fears  of  the  Indians  were  aroused  with  the  belief 
that  the  white  men  were  determined  to  wrest  their  territory  from  their 
possession — a  fear  which  history  shows  was  too  well-founded. 

There  were  a  few  brave  and  patriotic  spirits  who  resolved  to  stain  the 
graves  of  their  forefathers  with  their  own  blood,  before  they  would  yield 
their  burial  and  hunting  grounds  to  the  ruthless  invaders  and  spoilers. 
Among  the  foremost  of  these  was  the  Prophet  and  Black  Hawk,  who  trav- 
eled and  visited  all  the  "Western  tribes,  stirring  them  up  to  mortal  hate  and 
strife  against  the  whole  race  of  white  men. 

From  this  time  until  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  he  pursued 
them  with  the  most  determined  and  savage  barbarity.  This  conflict  has 
been  designated  as  the  " Black  Hawk  War." 

Conquered  at  length,  a  treaty  of  peace  was  negotiated,  and  five  million 
acres  of  land  purchased  of  the  Indians  by  the  Government,  for  twenty- 
three  cents  per  acre. 

Thus  parting  with  his  old  hunting-grounds,  Black  Hawk  turned,  with 
a  mournful  spirit,  to  those  remote  prairies  whither  civilization  compelled 
the  reluctant  steps  of  the  "poor  Indian." 

While  traveling  through  the  cities  of  the  Union,  at  a  ball  given  in  honor 
of  Washington's  birth-day,  he  was  complimented,  to  which  he  replied  as 
follows : 

"  It  has  pleased  the  Great  Spirit  that  I  am  here  to-day.  The  earth  is 
our  mother,"  and  we  are  permitted  upon  it.  A  few  snows  ago,  I  was  fight- 
ing against  the  white  people  :  perhaps  I  was  wrong.  But  that  is  past — it  is 
buried ;  let  it  be  forgotten.  I  love  my  towns  and  corn-fields  on  the  Rock 
River ;  it  was  a  beautiful  country.  I  fought  for  it,  but  now  it  is  yours  ; 
keep  it  as  the  Sacs  did.  I  was  once  a  warrior,  but  now  I  am  poor.  Keo- 
Ivuk  has  been  the  cause  of  what  I  am  ;  do  not  blame  him.  I  love  to  look 
upon  the  Mississippi ;  I  have  looked  upon  it  from  a  child  ;  I  love  that  beau- 
tiful river ;  my  home  has  always  been  upon  its  banks.  I  thank  you  for 
your  friendship.     I  will  say  no  more." 

Not  long  after,  this  famous  old  Chief,  worn  out  with  sorrow  and  ex- 
posure to  the  chill  winds  of  tlie  Western  States,  ended  his  checkered  life  at 
the  camp  on  the  Des  Moines  River,  Iowa,  on  the  od  of  October,  183b,  in  the 
seventy-fourth  year  of  his  age. 


VO.    OSCEOLA. 

Osceola,  sometimes  called  "  Powell,"  was  born  in  the  Everglades  of 
Florida,  somewhere  about  the  year  1804.  His  father  was  Chief  of  the  tribe, 
and  his  early  life  was  spent  as  a  vagabond,  in  most  inglorious  barbarism. 

He  was  famous  for  his  sagacity  in  hunting,  his  agility  and  strength  in 
the  athletic  sports  practiced  among  his  tribe,  such  as  dancing,  racing,  shoot- 
ing, wrestling,  &c.  As  he  grew  up,  he  entered  fully  into  the  grievances  of 
his  tribe  with  the  whites,  and  when  the  "  "War  of  Title"  (otherwise  called 
the  "  Seminole  War)"  commenced,  he  at  once  took  the  field  in  defense  of  his 
fatherland. 

A  treaty  was  made  with  them  by  the  United  States  Government,  stipu- 
lating the  conditions  on  which  they  should  relinquish  their  title  to  the 
hunting-grounds,  but  in  which  the  Seminoles  declared  they  had  been 
deceived  ;  and  therefore,  the  treaty  was  vitiated. 

The  Government  insisted  on  its  fuliillment ;  but  the  Indians  resisted, 
and  one  of  the  most  bloody  and  merciless  struggles  followed,  Osceola  being 
chosen,  by  the  universal  consent  of  his  people,  to  the  Chieftaincy  of  the 
Seminole  vrarriors. 

With  almost  superhuman  strength  and  energy,  he  traveled  through  the 
length  and  breadth  of  his  tribe,  encouraging  resistance  and  slaughter  to  the 
whites. 

With  the  most  consummate  skill  he  would  evade  detachments  of  the 
American  army,  and  beguile  them  into  fatal  ambuscades,  where  they  would 
fall  a  prey  to  savage  cruelty.  He  would  never  hesitate  in  taking  the  field, 
as  his  presence  inspired  his  brethren,  and  his  wonderful  feats  in  arms  gave 
heart  to  the  timid,  and  fired  each  brave  with  a  more  determined  will.  He 
was  foremost  in  every  fray,  and  his  place  was  sure  to  be  where  the  blows 
fell  fastest  and  hardest. 

The  unerring  aim  of  his  splendid  rifle,  and  the  exact  and  deadly  force  of 
his  keen-edged  and  glittering  tomahawk,  told  fearfully  on  the  ranks  of  the 
whites,  while  he  seemed  to  bear  a  charmed  mail,  through  which  no  Ameri- 
can bullet  could  penetrate. 

His  name  became  a  terror  to  his  enemies,  and  to  his  fellow-braves  a 
countersign  to  victory  and  glory. 

Tims  for  years  he  kept  at  bay  the  soldiers  of  the  United  States,  when  at 
length,  in  1828,  he  fell  into  a  snare,  and  became  a  captive.  He  was  taken  to 
Fort  Moultrie,  in  South  Carolina,  where  his  mighty  spirit  chafed  itself  in 
chains,  and  where  poor  Osceola  died  of  a  broken  heart  on  the  31st  of  Janu- 
ary, 1839. 

Thus  perished  the  "  Master-Spirit "  of  a  long  and  desperate  war ;  and 
Osceola  will  be  long  remembered  as  the  man  that,  with  the  feeblest  means, 
produced  the  most  terrible  effects. 


Tl.  TECUMSEH. 

Tecumseh,  an  Indian  Brigadier-General  in  the  British,  army,  was  born 
about  the  year  ]  770. 

Erom  his  childhood  he  -was  distinguished  for  his  bravery  and  intrigue. 
Civilization  has  produced  few  minds  that  exceed  the  mind  of  the  "  great 
leader  of  the  Shawnees." 

With  real  savage  abhorrence  of  the  whites,  whom  he  hated  as  the 
invaders  of  the  ashes  ot  his  sires  and  the  peace  of  his  wigwam  and  hunting- 
grounds,  he  spared  no  white  man  who  came  within  the  reach  of  his  riiie  or 
tomahawk. 

For  years  he  cherished,  and  at  length  matured,  a  plan  for  the  utter 
expulsion  of  the  whites  from  the  territory  of  his  own  and  the  neighboring 
tribes. 

In  his  negotiations  with  the  Chiefs  of  the  various  tribes  from  the  northern 
extremes  of  the  lakes  to  the  confluence  of  the  Mississippi  with  the  Gulf,  he 
exhibited  a  sagacity  and  shrewdness,  a  knowledge  of  human  nature,  and  an 
untiring  perseverance  worthy  the  great  diplomatists  of  the  world  ;  and  his 
success  was  equal  to  his  efforts. 

He  appears  to  no  less  advantage  as  a  negotiator  with  the  whites.  General 
Harrison  was  often  ptlt  to  fault  with  the  shrewdness  of  his  reasoning,  and 
could  never  succeed  in  bringing  the  sturdy  warrior  to  terms,  save  at  the 
muzzle  of  his  cannon. 

At  the  close  of  a  fruitless  negotiation.  General  Harrison  said  the  matter 
in  hand  would  be  referred  to  the  President.  "  Well,"  was  his  characteristic 
reply,  "  as  the  Great  Chief  is  to  determine  the  matter,  I  hope  the  Great  Spirit 
will  put  sense  enough  into  his  head  to  comply  with  the  demands  of  my 
tribe  ;"  that  such  was  his  sense  of  wrong  done  to  his  brethren,  that,  unless 
his  demands  were  complied  with,  he  would  fight  it  out ;  and  he  "  Avould  give 
no  rest  to  his  feet,  until  he  had  united  all  the  red  men  in  a  like  determina- 
tion." 

On  another  occasion,  when  Tecumseh  had  closed  his  speech,  and  was  about 
to  be  seated,  he  discovered  that  no  chair  had  been  provided  for  him.  The 
chair  was  soon  provided,  and  the  of&cer  who  brought  it,  observed :  "  General, 
your  Father's  request  is  that  you  take  a  chair."  ''My  FatJier  !'"  exclaimed 
the  indignant  Chief,  assuming  his  most  majestic  attitude  ;  "  the  sun  is  my 
father,  and  the  earth  my  mother  ;  I tcill  repose  iqwn  her  bosom,''''  and  immedi- 
ately threw  himself,  with  inimitable  grace,  upon  the  ground,  after  the  fash- 
ion of  the  Indians. 

At  length  the  negotiations  terminated,  and  an  appeal  was  had  to  arms. 
The  battle  of  Tippecanoe  followed,  and  then  the  battle  of  the  Thames, 
where,  after  fighting  like  a  lion  at  bay — with  a  fury  which  he  alone  could 
assume — against  the  most  fearful  odds,  and  heaping  a  barrier  of  human 
bodies  all  arounl  him,  a  shot  through  the  head  laid  him  low  with  his  foes 
who  had  fallen  by  his  hand. 

Thus  terminated,  in  the  forty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  the  life  of  as  brave 
a  warrior  as  ever  fought  for  his  fatherland. 


'72.  EED  JACKET. 

Red  Jacket,  or  Sa-goy-e-tva-tha,  his  Indian  name,  a  Chief  of  the 
Senecas,  was  unquestionably  the  most  remarkable  orator,  excepting  **  the 
good  Logan,  the  white  man's  friend."  that  ever  came  of  Indian  stock. 

He  was  born  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  near  where  the  city 
of  Buffalo  now  stands,  and  which  was  the  residence  of  the  Senecas.  He 
was  of  a  brave  but  generous  nature,  and  had  small  delight  in  the  ferocities 
of  Indian  warfare.  He  was  sagacious  and  prudent,  very  thoughtful,  and 
possessed  of  a  most  determined  spirit. 

He  could  neither  be  terrified  nor  cajoled  into  any  measure.  His  hut  was 
for  years  the  resort  of  the  learned  and  curious,  who  went  thither  to  hear 
"  the  old  man  eloquent"  discourse  on  the  traditions  of  his  race,  or  on  the 
abstruse  sciences  of  philosophy  and  theology. 

His  dwelling  stood  on  a  spot  which  was  secured  to  the  Seneca  tribe,  and 
called  the  "  lleservation". 

In  his  better  days,  many  were  the  fruitless  attempts  to  convert  him  to 
Christianity.  He  resisted  all  intercession,  hurling  back  the  argumentum 
ad  liominem :  "  Your  religion  does  not  make  good  men  of  the  whites;  what 
can  it  do  more  for  the  red  man  r" 

Red  Jacket,  like  some  of  his  white  brethren,  could  not  understand  the 
mysteries  of  the  vicarious  sacrifice — how  he  and  his  tribe  could,  by  any 
method  of  reasoning,  in  justice  be  made  participators  in  the  guilt  of  the 
crucifixion. 

He  observed  to  a  clergyman,  who  was  trying  to  enlighten  his  benighted 
soul  on  the  abstruse  subject :  "  Brother,  if  you  white  men  murdered  the  Son 
of  the  Great  Spirit,  as  Indians  we  had  nothing  to  do  with  it,  and  it  is  none 
of  our  affairs.  If  he  had  come  to  us  we  would  not  have  killed  him ;  we 
would  have  treated  him  well.  You  must  make  amends  for  that  crime  your- 
selves." 

In  1805,  he  held  a  solemn  council  with  his  tribe  on  the  proposition  of  a 
missionary,  Rev.  Mr.  Cram,  and  declined  it  in  one  of  the  most  masterly 
speeches  ever  delivered  into  the  ears  of  men. 

His  meeting  with  Lafayette,  when  he  was  last  in  the  United  States,  was 
affecting  in  the  extreme. 

He  preserved  the  utmost  decorum  and  dignity  of  manner  at  all  times, 
until,  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  when  he  fell  a  victim  to  the  accursed 
"  fire-water,"  which  destroyed  so  many  of  his  race.  On  the  20th  of  June, 
1830,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years,  he  left  the  world,  to  join  those 
who  had  gone  before  him  to  the  happy  hunting-gTounds  of  the  spirit  land. 


13.  keo-kuk:. 

Keo-Kuk,  or  the  "  Running  Fox,"  a  powerful  Chief  of  the  Sac  and  Fox 
Indians,  was  born  at  the  very  commencement  of  the  present  century. 

He  early  gave  indications  of  his  shrewdness  and  courage — the  ti-aits  of 
Indian  character  most  in  esteem  with  his  tribe  ;  and  while  he  was  a  mere 
youth,  he  was  admitted  to  the  more  manly  sports  and  dances,  for  which  no 
mere  pappoose  is  esteemed  fit. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  Black  Hawk's  war,  he  was  a  subordinate  Chief 
under  that  renowned  warrior,  and  showed  himself  a  brave  and  careful  sol- 
dier. He  aided,  both  by  his  counsels  and  prowess  in  battle,  to  shorten  that 
cruel  and  bloody  struggle. 

He  was  among  the  earliest  to  acknowledge  his  error,  and  afterward  be- 
came a  friend  of  the  white  man,  and  did  all  he  could  to  bring  about  a  fair 
and  lionorable  peace. 

When  Black  Hawk  and  the  Prophet  were  taken  prisoners.  General  Har- 
rison, who  had  exj)erienced  the  duplicity  and  treachery  of  these  malignant 
Chiefs  in  many  ways,  and  had  lost  all  confidence  in  their  promises,  desirous 
of  negotiating  terms  of  reconciliation  with  some  comxjetent  person  among 
the  tribes  of  hostile  Indians,  at  once  deposed  Black  Hawk,  and  raised  Keo- 
Kuk  to  his  place  ;  and  it  is  but  justice  to  this  Chief  to  say,  that  he  main- 
tained the  terms  of  the  convention  inviolate  himself,  and  did  what  he  could 
to  enforce  it  among  the  warriors  of  his  tribe. 

The  negotiation  of  that  important  treaty  was  a  scene  of  great  interest. 
Keo-Kuk  was  the  principal  speaker  on  the  occasion,  while  the  dethroned 
Black  Hawk  stood  upon  the  outside  of  the  circle,  not  alloAved  to  speak  or 
sign  the  treaty,  with  the  Prophet  and  his  principal  aid,  Isah-Pope,  standing 
by  his  side,  in  scowling  silence  and  painful  submission. 

After  peace  Avas  made  with  the  Indians,  Keo-Kuk,  together  with  Black 
Hawk,  the  Prophet,  and  some  twenty  others  of  the  most  powerful  Chiefs 
among  them,  visited  the  principal  cities  of  the  Union. 

On  the  return  of  Keo-Kuk  to  his  native  wilds,  he,  in  company  with  his 
tribe,  migrated  to  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  established  a  vil- 
lage on  the  Des  Moines  River,  about  seventy  miles  from  its  mouth.  Here 
he  held  his  court.  Ho  sustained  his  rank  among  his  fallen  braves  with  the 
same  ceremony  and  grandeur  as  ever,  but  still  under  the  restraint  and 
power  of  his  white  foes. 

"I  found  Keo-Kuk,"  says  Catlin,  who  visited  his  village  in  1835,  "to  be 
a  Chief  of  fine  and  portly  figure,  with  a  good  countenance,  and  great  dignity 
and  grace  in  his  manners.  He  is  a  man  of  a  great  deal  of  pride,  and  makes 
truly  a  splendid  appearance  when  mounted  on  his  beautiful  black  war- 
horse."  Catlin  painted  his  portrait  in  this  guise,  as  well  as  full  length  on 
foot.  lie  was  proud  of  the  ]_.-ctures,  and  excessively  vain  of  his  own  appear- 
unce. 


74.   INDIAN   ''PEOPHET." 

The  **  Prophet,"  or  Wah-pe-kee-suit,  signifying  "  "White  Cloud,  was  a 
brother  of  the  celebrated  Black  Hawk,  and  the  prime  instigator  of  the  war 
that  bears  the  name  of  this  chief. 

He  was  born  on  the  Rock  River,  in  Illinois,  about  the  year  1780.  The 
blood  of  two  races  runs  in  his  veins — the  AVinnebago  and  the  Sac,  or  Sauk, 
tribes. 

All  that  can  be  learned  of  his  early  life  is,  that  he  was  an  unmitigated 
savage. 

A  relentless  foe  to  the  whites,  he  pursued  them  with  the  most  untiring 
zeal,  forgetting  to  eat  or  sleep  in  his  eager  thirst  for  their  blood.  The  bul- 
let or  the  tomahawk  was  the  only  mercy  he  was  known  to  show  to  those 
who  fell  into  his  hands. 

Like  his  brother-prophets,  of  the  Shawnees  and  the  Seminoles,  he  laid 
claim  to  supernatural  powers,  and  pretended  to  have  revelations  from  the 
Great  Spirit, 

He  gained  such  complete  ascendency  over  the  mind  of  Black  Hawk,  as 
to  make  that  credulous  Chief  believe  that  he  would  become  the  glorious  in- 
strument in  the  hands  of  the  Great  Spirit  of  relieving  the  whole  country  of 
their  white-faced  enemies,  who  were  so  fast  encroaching  upon  their  hunt- 
ing-grounds. In  the  same  manner  was  the  shrewd  Tecumseh  imposed  upon 
by  the  Shawnees'  prophet. 

The  Prophet  trareled  the  country  through,  from  the  Gulf  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  stirring  up  the  various  tribes  to  mutiny  and  massacre ;  and 
when  the  hour  came  for  the  stroke  of  war,  his  hand  was  the  readiest  among 
the  savage  hordes. 

At  the  final  treaty  with  the  Sacs  and  Poxes,  in  1833,  the  Prophet  and 
Black  Hawk  were  in  disgrace,  and  the  Americans  would  not  treat  with 
them.  They  were  deposed,  and  Keo-Kuk  was  made  Chief  of  this  double 
tribe,  with  whom  all  the  subsequent  negotiations  were  conducted. 

After  the  convention,  the  tribe  removed  west  of  the  Mississippi ;  and  the 
Prophet,  after  making  a  tour  of  the  Union  with  his  brethren,  took  up  his 
residence  in  the  same  village  with  Keo-Kuk,  on  the  Des  Moines  River, 
about  seventy  miles  from  its  confluence  with  the  Mississippi,  where  he 
spent  the  rest  of  his  days  in  peace. 

He  is  described  as  having  a  large,  broad  face ;  short,  blunt  nose ;  large, 
full  eyes  ;  wide  mouth,  and  thick  lips,  with  a  full  head  of  hair — the  whole 
man  exhibiting  a  savage  nature,  and  marking  him  as  the  very  high^-priest 
of  assassination  and  murder. 


15.  JOHN   SMITH. 

Captain  JoKN  Smith  was  born  in  England  in  the  year  1579.  'Fe^7  men 
have  exhibited  such  a  love  for  the  romance  of  life,  and  few  have  been  more 
gratified  in  this  respect  than  the  brave  and  gallant  John  Smith.  He 
exhibited  this  trait  in  early  life,  engaging  in  the  most  reckless  and  danger- 
ous exploits. 

At  thirteen  years  of  age  he  sold  his  school-books  and  satchel,  to  raise 
money  to  run  away,  it  being  his  purpose  to  go  to  sea,  but  was  afterwards 
apprenticed  to  a  mei'chant. 

At  fifteen  he  left  his  master,  and  went  into  France  and  the  low  countries. 
At  seventeen  he  embarked  once  more  to  carve  out  his  own  fortune  in  com- 
pany with  some  pilgrims  to  Italy.  A  violent  storm  arose,  and  Smith,  being 
a  "  heretic,"  was  deemed  the  cause  of  the  misfortune,  and  was  thrown  over- 
board, but  saved  his  life  by  swimming  to  the  shore. 

After  this,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  and  so  won 
his  confidence  as  to  get  an  important  command. 

At  the  siege  of  St.  Eugal  he  accepted  the  challenge  of  a  Turkish  Lord, 
and  smote  off  his  head,  fighting  on  horseback.  A  second  and  third  shared 
the  same  fate.  He  Vv^as  finally  taken  prisoner,  and  sold  into  slavery,  but 
escaped  by  slaying  his  master.  After  visiting  Russia  he  returned  to  Eng- 
land, and  immediately  turned  his  attention  to  the  colonization  of  North 
America 

Smith  arrived  on  the  coast  of  Virginia  in  1607,  with  a  small  colony, 
and  located  on  the  left  bank  of  the  James  River,  about  fifty  miles  from  i:.s 
mouth,  and  called  it  Jamestown. 

He  was  the  leading  spirit  of  the  company;  and,  wei'e  it  not  for  his 
sagacity  and  wisdom,  they  would  have  perished  within  a  twelvemonth. 

The  savages  regarded  him  with  awe  and  hatred — now  compassing  his 
life  by  every  ingenious  artifice,  and  now  reverencing  him  as  a  god.  All  are 
familiar  with  the  story  of  his  capture  by  Powhattan,  of  his  being  led  forth 
for  execution,  and  his  head  laid  upon  a  large  stone  to  receive  the  fatal  blow, 
when  Pocahontas,  the  Chief's  daughter,  rushed  in  between  the  victim  and 
the  uplifted  axe  of  the  executioner,  and,  with  tears  and  entreaties,  besought 
her  father  to  save  his  life.  The  savage  Chief  relented,  and  John  Smith  was 
set  free. 

He  explored  the  coast  from  Cape  Cod  to  the  Penobscot,  while  on  one  of 
his  expeditions,  and  named  it  New  England,  which  name  it  has  ever  since 
retained. 

He  published  several  volumes  of  his  adventures,  and  a  map  of  the  whole 
coast  from  the  Penobscot  to  the  James  River,  giving  both  the  Indian  and 
English  names  of  the  principal  places. 

He  was  seriously  injured  by  the  premature  explosion  of  a  powder-flask, 
and  returned  to  England  for  medical  advice ;  but  never  recovered  from  its 
effects. 

After  various  adventures,  he  died  in  London  in  1631,  in  the  fifty-second 
year  of  his  age. 


76.  JOHN  0.   CALHOUN.' 

John  C.  Calhoun  -was  born  in  Abbeville  District,  South  Carolina, 
March  18,  1782,  of  Irish  parents. 

Although  he  had  a  great  passion  for  books  which  fell  in  his  "way,  yet, 
until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  his  education  was  limited. 

It  was  at  this  period  (1800)  that  he  entered  the  academy  of  his  brother- 
in-law,  Dr.  Waddel,  in  Columbia  County,  Georgia. 

Here  his  progress  was  so  rapid  that  in  two  years  he  entered  the  Junior 
class  of  Yale  College,  and  graduated,  in  1804,  with  the  highest  honors,  just 
four  years  from  the  time  of  commencing  Latin  grammar.  During  his  col- 
lege life  he  gave  brilliant  signs  of  his  coming  greatness. 

He  was  a  particular  favorite  of  President  Dwight,  who,  on  account  of 
his  extraordinary  talents,  predicted  that  he  would  become  President  of  the 
United  States. 

He  studied  law  at  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  and  in  1807  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  South  Carolina.  The  next  year  he  entered  the  Legislature  of 
that  State,  where  he  served  two  sessions  with  ability  and  distinction,  and 
in  1811  was  elected  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  where  he  continued 
until  1817,  when  he  became  Secretary  of  "War  under  President  Monroe. 
He  conducted  the  affairs  of  that  department  with  energy  and  ability  for 
seven  years. 

In  1825  he  was  elected  Vice-President,  with  John  Q.  Adams,  and  again, 
1829,  with  Andrew  Jackson.  In  1831,  upon  General  Hayne's  leaving  the 
Senate  to  become  Governor  of  South  Carolina,  Mr.  Calhoun  resigned  the 
Vice-Presidency,  and  was  elected  a  member  of  the  United  States  Senate  by 
the  Legislature  of  South  Carolina.  After  the  expiration  of  this  term,  he 
went,  voluntarily,  into  retirement. 

Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Upshur,  he  assumed  the  conduct  of  the  State 
Department,  which  he  held  during  Tyler's  administration. 

In  1845  he  was  again  elected  Senator,  which  office  he  held  until  his 
decease. 

As  a  presiding  officer  of  the  Senate,  he  was  punctual,  methodical,  and 
accurate,  and  had  a  high  regard  for  the  dignity  of  that  body,  which  he 
endeavored  to  preserve  and  maintain.  During  his  early  life  he  was,  "like 
most  of  the  educated  Southerners  of  that  day,  an  abolitionist,  looking  upon 
slavery  as  a  mere  temporary  expedient,  necessary  to  the  South  for  a  time, 
but  which  would  pass  away  ere  long."  But  in  after-life  his  views  under- 
went a  change. 

His  connection  with  Nullification,  his  views  of  the  Tariff  and  States 
Rights  Supremacy,  are  familiar  to  all.  He  shaped  the  course,  and  moulded 
the  opinions,  of  the  people  of  his  own  States,-and  of  some  of  the  other  States, 
upon  hU  these  subjects.  Amid  all  the  strifes  of  party  politics,  there  always 
existed  between  him  and  his  political  opponents  a  great  degree  of  personal 
kindness.  He  died  at  Washington,  March  31,  1850,  leaving  behind  him 
the  reputation  of  one  of  the  greatest  of  American  statesmen. 


77.   DANIEL  WEBSTEE. 

Daniel  Webster,  the  "  Hercules"  of  American  orators,  vras  born  in 
Salisbury,  N.  H.,  January  18,  1783.  He  received  his  early  education  from 
his  mother  and  the  common  school.  He  entered  Dartmouth  College  in 
1797,  and  graduated,  without  any  special  promise  of  future  greatness,  in 
1801.  He  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  his  native  village,  and  finished 
in  Boston,  where  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1805.  He  removed  to  Bos- 
cowan,  N.  H.,  and  afterwards  to  Portsmouth,  where  he  practiced  nine  years, 
and  established  a  reputation  as  a  sound  lawyer  and  able  advocate.  In 
1813  he  was  elected  Representative  to  Congress  from  New  Hampshire,  and 
was  re-elected  in  1814.  He  removed  to  Boston  in  1816,  and  the  next  year, 
by  his  brilliant  argument  in  the  "Dartmouth  College  case,"  took  rank 
among  the  most  distinguished  jurists  in  the  country. 

In  1820  he  was  chosen  a  member  for  revising  the  Constitution  of  Massa- 
chusetts, where  he  received  the  eulogy  of  the  venerable  John  Adams.  In 
1823  he  was  elected  Representative  to  Congress  from  Massachusetts,  and 
early  in  the  session  made  his  memorable  speech  on  the  Greek  Revolution, 
which  at  once  established  his  reputation  as  one  of  the  greatest  statesmen  of 
the  age.  In  1834  he  was  re-elected,  and  in  1836  was  elected  to  the  United 
States  Senate,  in  which  he  continued  for  twelve  years. 

In  1830  he  made  his  celebrated  speech  in  reply  to  Robert  Y.  Hayne,  of 
South  Carolina,  in  vindication  of  Massachusetts  history,  and  United  States 
Supremacy,  which  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest  parliamentary  efforts 
ever  made  in  Congress.  In  1839  he  visited  Europe,  where  his  fame  had 
preceded  him;  and  he  received  the  attention  due  to  his  talents,  at  the 
French  and  English  Courts. 

In  1841  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of  State  by  President  Harrison,  and 
continued  under  Tyler  until  1843,  during  which  time  he  negotiated  the 
famous  Ashburton  Treaty.  He  was  again  chosen  Senator  in  1845,  and 
appointed  Secretary  of  State  by  President  Filmore  in  1850,  In  December 
of  that  year  he  wrote  the  "  immortal  Hulseman  letter." 

Mr.  Webster's  discourses  upon  historical  and  patriotic  anniversaries,  his 
speeches  in  Congress,  and  his  efforts  at  the  bar,  are  among  the  brightest 
gems  of  modern  eloquence,  and  show  an  extraordinary  power  of  clothing 
most  beautiful  ideas  in  the  plainest  language.  He  had  a  wonderful  faculty 
of  bringing  into  his  speeches  short  and  expressive  sentences,  which  produced 
a  powerful  and  lasting  effect.  Most  of  them,  such  as  "  Union  and  Liberty 
— Now  and  Forever — One  and  Inseparable,^^  are  familiar  to  all.  But  one  of 
the  most  effective  (at  the  time  of  its  delivery),  I  have  never  seen  in  print; 
it  was  delivered  in  the  United  States  Court  in  Boston,  when,  being  corrected 
by  Judge  Story,  who  said,  "  I  believe  you  are  wrong,  Mr.  Webster,"  which 
was  echoed  by  the  oj)posing  counsel,  he  paused  for  a  moment,  surveyed 
the  counsel  and  Judge  with  his  eagle  eye,  and,  in  Herculean  tones,  replied: 
•'  I'm  right;  I  know  I'm  right ;  and  V\\ prove  I'm  right!"  As  by  an  electric 
shock,  all  in  the  room  rose  involuntarily  from  their  seats,  such  was  the 
power  of  those  few  words. 

Mr.  Webster  was  the  champion  of  the  swpremacy  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  expounder  of  the  Constitution.  In  defining  the  latter,  he  said  :  "It 
certainly  is  not  a  league,  compact,  or  confederacy;  but  a  fundamental  law, 
ordained  and  established  by  the  people  :  it  is  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  1" 

Mr.  Webster  died  at  his  farm  in  Marshfield,  Mass.,  October  24,  1852, 
with  these  expressive  words  upon  his  lips  :  "  I  still  live  !"  And  Daniel  Web- 
ster will  ever  live  in  the  hearts  and  memory  of  his  countrymen. 


Vs.    HENRY    CLAY. 

Henry  Clay  was  born  April  13, 1777,  in  Hanover  county,  Virginia, 
in  the  region  known  as  "  the  Slashes;"  from  wliich  he  afterward  received 
the  appellation  of  "  the  Mill-boy  of  the  Slashes."  He  received  his  educa- 
tion at  the  field  schools  of  that  day,  and  when  fourteen  years  of  age  was 
employed  as  copyist  in  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  the  Court  of  Chancery, 
at  Richmond,  where  his  delicate  handwriting  attracted  the  attention  of 
Chancellor  Wythe,  who  employed  him  for  four  years  to  copy  his  elabo- 
rate and  learned  decisions,  imparted  to  him  his  own  sound  opinions,  and 
assisted  him  to  study  law.  He  joined  a  debating  club  in  Richmond, 
where  he  first  became  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  he  had  talents  for 
oratory.  At  twenty  he  was  licensed  to  practice  law,  and  soon  afterward 
moved  to  Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  opened  an  office. 

"  I  remember,"  says  he,  "  with  what  delight  I  received  my  first  fifteen- 
shilling  fee.  My  hopes  were  more  than  realized,  and  I  rushed  at  once 
into  a  successful  and  lucrative  practice." 

He  had  but  fairly  to  get  before  a  jury  to  convince  a  client  that  "  Henry 
Clay"  was  the  man  to  carry  a  case  triumphantly  through  a  Kentucky 
Court.  His  first  political  act  was  to  write  a  series  of  letters  urging  the 
people  of  Kentucky  to  abolish  slavery. 

In  1803  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  of  Kentucky,  and  in  1808 
was  appointed  to  fill  an  unexpired  term  in  the  LTnited  States  Senate.  In 
1807  he  was  again  elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  was  chosen 
Speaker.  In  the  following  year  occurred  his  duel  with  Humphrey  Mar- 
shall. 

In  1809  he  was  again  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate,  to  fill  an  un- 
expired term;  and  In  1811  he  was  elected  Representative  to  Congress. 
He  was  immediately  chosen  Speaker,  and  five  times  re-elected  to  this  office. 

During  this  session,  his  eloquence  aroused  the  country  to  resist  the 
aggression  of  Great  Britain,  and  awakened  a  "  National"  spirit.  In  1814 
he  was  appointed  one  of  the  Commissioners  to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace 
with  Great  Britain. 

Returning  with  great  credit,  he  was  again  elected  Representative  to 
Congress,  where  his  eloquent  voice  was  heard  in  favor  of  recognizing  the 
independence  of  the  South  American  Republics,  and  he  put  forth  his 
strength  in  behalf  of  a  National  S3^stem  of  Internal  Improvements,  and 
for  the  establishment  of  Protection  to  American  Industry. 

In  1823,  after  a  short  recess  to  attend  to  his  private  affau's,  he  was  re- 
turned to  Congress  and  re-elected  Speaker,  and  at  this  session  he  exerted 
himself  in  support  of  the  independence  of  Greece.  In  1825  he  was  ap- 
pointed Secretary  of  State,  under  John  Quincy  Adams;  during  which  he 
fought  the  duel  with  John  Randolph.  In  1831  he  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  where  he  commenced  his  labors  in  favor  of  the 
Tariff,  and  the  same  year  was  nominated  for  President  of  the  United 
States.  He  was  again  nominated  in  1844,  but  was  defeated  in  both  cases. 
He  resigned  his  seat  in  the  Senate,  in  1842,  and  remained  in  retirement 
until  1849,  when  he  was  again  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States. 

Here  he  devoted  all  his  energies  to  the  measures  known  as  the  Com- 
promise Measures.  His  efforts  impaired  his  health,  and  he  died  June  29, 
1852. 

Mr.  Clay  was  a  powerful  debater,  and  eloquent  orator.  America  has 
produced  a'  few  men,  each  of  whom  is  a  tower  of  strength,  and  whose 
memories,  as  they  pass  away,  are  fragrant  iu  all  the  land.  Henry  Ciay 
is  among  the  foremost  of  those  few. 


VG.  SOLOMON  FOOTE. 

Solomon  Foote  was  born  in  Cornwall,  Yerniont,  November  19,  1802, 
He  graduated  at  Middlebury  College,  with  distinguished  honor,  in  182G, 
and  the  same  year  became  Principal  of  the  Seminary  at  Castleton.  He  was 
Tutor  of  the  University  of  Vermont  in  1827;  and  again,  from  1828  to  1831, 
Principal  of  Castleton  Seminary,  during  which  he  studied  law,  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  and  commenced  practice  at  Rutland,  in  18ol,  where  he  ever  after 
resided.  For  five  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  Vermont, 
and  for  three  years  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  From  18o6 
to  1842  he  was  Prosecuting- Attorney  for  the  County  of  Rutland,  and  from 
1843  to  1847  was  a  member  of  the  Ilouse  of  Representatives  of  the  United 
States,  but  declined  a  third  election. 

In  1850  he  was  elected  United  States  Senator,  and  occupied  that  position 
until  his  death,  in  18G0.  at  which  time  he  was  the  oldest  member  in  con- 
tinuous service  in  that  body. 

It  was  as  Speaker  of  the  Vermont  House  of  Representatives  that  Mr. 
Foote  first  displayed  that  almost  wondrous  aptitude  and  capacity  as  the 
presiding  officer  of  a  deliberative  assembly,  and  which  afterward  made  him 
so  celebrated  throughout  the  nation,  when  he  became  the  presiding  officer 
of  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  as,  perhaps,  the  best  presiding  officer  in 
the  whole  country. 

He  seemed  almost  to  have  been  made  for  the  position.  His  fine,  majestic 
person,  his  dignified  deportment,  his  full  and  rich  voice,  his  easy  and  grace- 
ful manners,  all  conspired  to  make  him  a  most  useful  and  acceptable  presi- 
dent over  any  assembly.  His  knowledge  of  parlianxentary  law  and  usage 
was  very  thorough.  His  superiority  in  this  respect  appeared  bom  in  him. 
His  look  preserved  order ;  his  slightest  word  allayed  confusion. 

The  same  grace  of  person  and  dignity  of  manner  attended  him  always 
and  everywhere,  and  was  equally  pleasing  and  agreeable  in  private  society 
and  on  the  Senate  floor.  He  had  nothing  of  haughtiness  or  arrogance,  but 
was  kindly  and  benignant.  All  this  had,  doubtless,  much  to  do  with  the 
universal  personal  love  and  reverence  felt  for  him  by  all  who  knew  him.  Mr. 
Foote  was  a  great  man,  by  reason  of  his  great  heart.  Not  a  single  act,  or 
several  acts,  of  great  statesmanship,  but  a  lifetime  of  good  and  generous  and 
unselfish  deeds,  made  him  great,  and  gave  him  such  a  hold  upon  the  hearts 
of  the  people  of  his  own  State,  and  all  others  who  knew  him. 

Senator  Foote  was  a  patriotic  man.  He  cherished  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  ;  and  when,  by  the  force  of  law,  "  all  men  became  absolutely 
frc^,"  he  was  tho  earnest  and  fearless  advocate  of  those  measures  designed 
to  protect  the  freedman  in  all  his  civil  rights. 

He  soldom  spoke,  but  when  ho  did,  he  spoke  wisely  and  well.  He  loved 
and  honored  Vermont,  and  was  proud  that  it  was  the  place  of  his  birth.  He 
died  at  the  city  of  Washington,  March  2G,  18GG. 


80.  THOMAS  COEWIN.  ^ 

Thomas  Corwin  was  born  in  Bourbon  County,  Kentucky,  July  29, 1794. 
"When  he  was  four  years  old,  liis  father  removed  to  Warren  County,  Ohio. 
His  early  education  was  neglected,  but  when  he  found  himself  approaching' 
manhood,  he  made  great  exertions  to  remedy  the  deficiency ;  and,  being 
possessed  of  a  quick  and  intuitive  perception  of  the  fitness  of  things,  he  drew 
such  lessons  from  his  experience  as  admirably  fitted  him  for  the  prominent 
part  he  was  destined  to  act  in  the  great  drama  of  life.  He  studied  dili- 
gently, and  soon  acquired  a  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  classics  to  warrant 
his  decision  to  acquire  a  profession.  Selecting  the  law,  he  underwent  the 
ordinary  preparation  of  a  clerkship,  and  opened  an  office  in  Warren  County, 
where  he  found  plenty  of  work,  and  made  many  friends. 

The  strong  points  of  Mr.  Corwin's  character  were  courage,  honesty, 
energy,  and  great  perseverance ;  and  his  fellow-citizens  could  not  fail  to 
perceive  his  fitness  to  manage  the  affairs  of  the  neighborhood  in  which  he 
resided.  Accordingly,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature.  He  served 
in  this  capacity  but  a  short  time,  however,  when  he  was  called  to  a  higher 
sphere  of  labor,  having  been  elected  to  the  United  States  Congress  in  1831. 
He  continued  to  hold  his  seat  in  this  body  for  nine  years,  during  which 
time  he  was  found  to  be  a  ready  and  powerful  debater,  a  steady  friend  of 
the  Whig  party,  and  an  able  advocate  of  all  its  measures  in  the  House. 

In  1840  he  was  chosen  Governor  of  the  State  of  Ohio  for  two  years,  and 
in  1845  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate.  He  continued  to  hold  his 
seat  in  that  body  until  the  accession  of  Mr.  Filmore  to  the  Presidency,  when 
that  gentleman  called  him  to  aid  the  executive  administration  by  his  counsel 
and  advice,  and  appointed  him  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  which  position 
he  held  until  the  accession  of  Mr.  Buchanan  to  the  Presidency. 

He  then  retired  to  Ohio,  to  attend  to  the  duties  of  his  profession.  In 
1861  Mr.  Corwin  was  appointed  Minister  to  Mexico.  This  position  he  held 
through  the  trying  period  of  the  civil  war  of  that  country,  as  well  as  of  his 
own,  and  until  his  death,  December  18, 18G5. 

Mr.  Corwin  was  one  of  the  most  popular  and  effective  stump  orators  in 
the  country  ;  his  speeches  abounded  in  witty  anecdotes  and  scathing  satire, 
in  delivering  which,  his  gestures  and  facial  contortions  would  act  out  the 
full  meaning  of  what  he  said,  and  keep  his  hearers  in  a  continuous  roar  of 
laughter,  or  riveted  to  his  argument. 

There  have  been  but  few  men  who  could  keep  his  audience  so  long  in 
good  humor  as  "  Tom  Corwin." 

Mr.  Corwin  was  a  short  and  rather  stout-built  man,  with  a  mild,  roguish 
black  eye,  tery  dark  comple?:ion,  and  was  familiarly  known  as  "  Black  Tom 
Corwin.'** 


81.  EOGEE  B.   TAKEY. 

Roger  B.  Taney  -nras  born  in  Calvert  County,  Maryland,  March.  17, 
1777.  He  was  educated  at  Dickenson  College,  Carlisle,  where  he  graduated 
in  1795.  In  the  spring  of  179G  he  commenced  the  study  of  the  law,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1799,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  Avas  elected  to 
the  State  Legislature.  He  removed  to  Frederickstown  in  1801,  it  being  a 
more  eligible  point  for  the  pursuit  of  his  profession,  and  continued  in  its 
practice  until  ISIG,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  Maryland,  which 
was  composed  of  fifteen  members,  chosen  for  five  years.  After  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  service  in  the  Senate,  Mr.  Taney  returned  to  private  life, 
and  continued  the  practice  of  law  in  Frederick  until  1823,  when  he  removed 
to  Baltimore,  where  he  ever  after  resided. 

In  1827  he  was  appointed  Attorney-General  of  Maryland  by  the  Governor 
and  Council,  who  were,  at  the  time,  his  political  opponents.  Mr.  Taney 
continued  to  hold  the  office  of  Attorney-General  of  Maryland  until  1831, 
when  he  resigned  upon  receiving  the  appointment  of  Attorney-General  of 
the  United  States  by  President  Jackson. 

Upon  the  refusal  of  Secretary  Duane,  of  the  Treasury,  to  remove  the 
United  States  deposits  from  the  United  States  Bank,  as  requested  to  do  by 
General  Jackson,  and  who  resigned  in  consequence,  Mr.  Taney  was  tendered 
the  office  of  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  by  President  Jackson,  which  he 
accepted,  resigning  the  office  of  Attorney-General ;  and,  before  hia  con- 
firmation was  acted  upon  by  the  Senate,  he  removed  the  deposits,  and 
placed  them  in  several  State  banks,  created  for  that  purpose,  being  informed 
by  General  Jackson  that  he  would  "  take  the  responsibility."  Mr.  Taney's 
nomination  was  rejected  by  the  Senate,  and  he  returned  to  Baltimore,  and 
resumed  the  practice  of  the  law.  In  1835,  a  vacancy  occurring  in  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court,  Jackson  nominated  Mr.  Taney  as  Associate- 
Justice  of  that  Court,  to  fill  the  vacancy.  A  majority  of  the  Senate,  how- 
ever, refused  to  act  upon  his  nomination  until  the  last  moment  of  the  session, 
when  it  was  indefinitely  postponed  by  a  vote  which  was  intended  to  be,  and 
was,  equivalent  to  a  rejection. 

Before  the  next  session,  Chief-Justice  Marshall  died,  and  Mr.  Taney  was 
thereupon  nominated  for  the  office  of  Chief-Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court; 
and,  the  political  complexion  of  the  Senate  having  changed,  his  nomination 
was  confirmed  in  March,  18oG.  He  took  his  se;it  on  the  bench  in  the  Circuit 
Court,  for  the  District  of  Maryland,  in  May,  183G,  and  on  the  bench  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  in  January,  1837. 

Mr.  Taney's  administration  as  Chief-Justice  was  particularly  memorable 
for  the  Dred  Scott  decision,  in  which  he  gave  his  opinion  that  a  black  man, 
although  free,  was  not  a  citizen. 

During  the  term  of  his  service,  he  administered  the  oath  of  office  to  nine 
Presidents. 

He  died  October  12,  18G4. 


82.  STEPHEN  A.  DOUGLAS. 

Stephen  A.  Douglas  was  born  at  Brandon,  Vermont,  April  23,  1813. 
His  father,  a  physician,  died  while  he  was  an  infant,  and  his  mother,  being 
in  straitened  circumstances,  apprenticed  him,  when  quite  young,  to  a  cabinet- 
maker at  Middlebury,  where  he  worked  for  eighteen  months,  when  his 
health  obliged  him  to  abandon  it,  and  he  studied  for  a  year  at  the  academy 
at  Brandon, 

His  mother  having  married  again,  he  followed  her  to  Canandaigua,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  studied  law  until  1831,  when  he  went  West,  and,  after  various 
vicissitudes,  finally  settled  in  Jacksonville,  111.  After  earning  a  few  dollars 
as  clerk  to  an  auctioneer,  he  opened  a  school,  devoting  all  his  spare  momenta 
to  the  study  of  the  law. 

In  1834  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  soon  acquired  a  profitable  busi- 
ness, and  rose  rapidly  to  distinction,  being  appointed  Attorney-General  of 
the  State  before  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age.  In  December,  1835,  he 
resigned,  having  been  elected  to  the  Legislature  by  the  Democrats  of  Mor- 
gan County. 

In  1837  he  was  appointed  Hegister  of  the  Land  Office  at  Springfield, 
111.,  by  President  Van  Buren. 

In  1840  he  stumped  the  State  for  Mr.  Van  Buren,  and  the  same  year  was 
appointed  Secretary  of  State  of  Illinois.  The  following  year  he  was  made 
Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

This  office  he  resigned,  after  sitting  upon  the  bench  for  two  years,  when, 
in  1843,  he  was  elected  Representative  to  Congress.  He  was  re-elected  in 
1844  and  '46,  and  in  1847  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

Here  he  took  a  prominent  position  as  an  able  and  ready  debater,  and  one 
of  the  most  active  members. 

He  was  an  early  advocate  of  the  annexation  of  Texas,  and  a  firm  sup- 
porter of  the  Mexican  wai'.  He  boldly  stood  forward  as  an  advocate  of  what 
were  called  "  extreme  measures,"  on  the  "  Oregon  Question,"  and  was  the 
"  master  spirit"  in  procuring  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise.  From 
this  important  event  dates  the  most  notable  agitation  which  has  swept  over 
the  country  since  the  American  Hevolution.  The  history  of  our  progress 
and  civilization  are  involved  in  it. 

In  1858  Mr.  Douglas  canvassed  the  State  of  Illinois,  in  opposition  to 
Abraham  Lincoln,  for  the  United  States  Senatorship  ;  and,  after  a  most 
interesting  and  exciting  campaign,  a  Legislature  was  elected  which  returned 
Mr.  Douglas  to  Congress. 

In  1859  Mr.  Douglas  published  an  elaborate  paper  on  the  "Dividing 
Line  between  Federal  and  Local  Authority." 

In  1800  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  by  the  conservative 
Democrats  ;  but  the  great  question  of  freedom  had  become  the  issue,  and 
Abraham  Lincoln,  the  liepublican  candidate,  was  elected. 

On  the  seceding  of  a  portion  of  the  States,  Mr.  Douglas  wrote  an  able 
letter  on  public  affairs,  giving  his  "  giant"  influence  in  support  of  the 
Union.  He  did  not  live  to  see  the  Rebellion  fairly  inaugurated,  but  died 
June  3d,  1801,  at  Chicago,  Illinois. 


83.  FRANCIS   GRANGER. 

Francis  Granger  T\-as  born  in  Suffield,  Hartford  County,  Connecticut, 
in  ITS?,  and  was  educated  at  Yale  Coileg-e,  where  he  grad"aated  in  1811, 
and  commenced  the  practice  of  the  law  in  the  beautiful  villaire  of  Canan- 
daigua,  N.  Y.,  to  which  his  father  had  removed  about  1814.  His  entry  into 
political  life  was  in  1825,  in  which  year  he  was  elected  Representative  to 
the  State  Legislature. 

He  was  prominent  in  the  anti-Masonic  movement,  which  created  such 
excitement  in  the  State  of  New  York ;  and  was  the  confrere  of  Wm.  H. 
Seward,  Thurlow  Weed,  Millard  Filmore,  and  other  young  men  who,  at 
that  time,  were  aspirants  for  fame,  and  who  joined  the  political  crusade 
against  the  J\Iasons,  after  the  alleged  abduction  of  William  Morgan. 

In  1820  Mr.  Granger  was  re-elected  to  the  Legislature,  and  in  1828  was 
put  in  nomination  by  the  anti-Masons  as  a  candidate  for  Governor,  and  by 
the  Adams  Republicans  as  Lieutenant-Governor,  but  was  defeated. 

The  following  ye.ir  he  was  re-elected  to  the  Legislature,  and  in  1830  was 
again  the  anti-Masonic  candidate  for  Governor,  and  again  unsucceasful.  In 
1831  he  was  again  sent  to  the  State  Legislature,  but  for  the  last  time. 

In  1832,  when  the  Clay  Republicans  and  anti-Masons  coalesced,  Mr. 
Granger  was  again  nominated  for  Governor,  but  was  defeated  by  "VV.  L. 
Marcy. 

In  1834  the  Whig  party — made  up  of  anti-Jackson  Democrats  and  Clay 
Republicans — came  upon  the  political  stage,  and  Mr.  Granger  was  recog- 
nized as  one  of  its  ablest  leaders.  His  name  was  that  year  before  the  con- 
vention as  a  candidate  for  Governor,  but  Wm.  H.  Seward  carried  off  the 
honor  of  the  nomination. 

In  the  fall  of  that  year,  however,  the  Whigs  of  the  26th  Congressional 
District  made  Mr.  Granger  their  candidate  for  Congress,  and  elected  him. 

In  1836  he  was  nominated  by  the  anti-Masons  for  Vice-President,  but, 
being  obnoxious  on  account  of  his  anti-Slavery  proclivities,  failed  to  secure 
the  votes  of  the  Electoral  College.  In  1838  Mr.  Granger  was  elected  to  Con- 
gress, and  re-elected  in  1840,  and,  in  1841,  was  nominated  by  President 
Harrison  as  Postmaster-General ;  but  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  his 
nomination  was  conlirmed  by  the  Senate.  After  the  death  of  General 
Harrison,  he  resigned  his  position  in  July,  1841,  at  the  request  of  the  New 
York  delegation,  in  consequence  of  President  Tyler's  action  on  the  question 
of  the  United  States  Bank,  and  was  elected  to  Congress,  and  served  in  the 
session  of  1841  and  '42.  Ho  Avas  tendered  a  renomination,  but  declined,  and 
never  afterward  held  public  oiace.  He  was  President  of  the  Whig  State 
Convention  in  1850,  and  a  member  of  the  Peace  Conference  in  18G1. 

Francis  Granger  was  a  gentleman  of  noble  and  commanding  person, 
united  to  remarkable  energy  and  activity,  and  was  a  good  judge  of  charac- 
ter, rejecting  the  base  and  unworthy  ways  of  demagogism,  and  deeply  sym- 
pathizing with  all  the  higher  and  better  impulses  of  humanity  and  progress. 
He  died  August  28,  1868. 


84.  SAMUEL  HOUSTON. 

Samuel  Houston  was  bom  in  Eockbridge  County,  Virg-inla,  Marcli  2, 
1793.  At  a  very  early  age  he  lost  liis  father,  and  ho,  -with  his  mother, 
removed  to  the  banks  of  the  Tennessee  River,  then  the  outermost  border  of 
civilization.  Here  he  grew  up  a  wild  youth,  and  very  much  attached  to  the 
Indian  mode  of  living — a  liking  which  seems  never  to  have  deserted  him. 

He  tried  his  hand  at  book-keeping,  but,  not  liking  a  mercantile  life,  com- 
menced teaching  school.  At  length,  becoming  disgusted  with  the  ferule,  he 
enlisted  in  the  army  in  1813,  and  served  under  the  immediate  eye  of  General 
Jackson  to  the  close  of  the  war ;  receiving  an  honorable  discharge,  with  the 
commission  of  Lieutenant,  having  distinguished  himself  for  his  bravery  and 
good  soldiership  on  several  occasions. 

On  leaving  the  army  he  studied  law,  and  soon  entered  the  political  arena 
of  his  country,  where  he  figured  until  his  death.  His  Congressional  career 
commenced  in  1823,  when  he  became  a  member  of  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives, and  continued  a  member  of  that  body  until  1828,  v^-hen  he  was 
elected  Governor  of  Tennessee, 

In  1829,  before  the  expiration  of  his  Gubernatorial  term,  he  resigned  his 
office,  and  went  to  take  up  his  abode  among  the  Cherokees,  in  Arkansas. 

During  his  residence  among  them,  he  undertook  a  mission  to  Washing- 
ton, for  the  purpose  of  exposing  the  frauds  practiced  upon  the  Indians;  but 
he  met  with  little  success,  and  returned  in  disgust  to  his  savage  friends. 

During  a  visit  to  Texas,  he  was  requested  to  allow  his  name  to  be  used 
in  the  canvass  for  a  convention  which  was  to  meet  to  form  a  constitution 
for  Texas,  prior  to  its  admission  into  the  Mexican  Union. 

He  consented,  and  was  unanimously  elected.  The  constitution  framed  by 
the  convention  being  too  liberal,  was  rejected  by  Santa  Anna,  who  ordered 
them  to  give  up  their  arms,  and  acknowledge  fealty  to  the  Mexican  Republic. 

The  Texans  determined  on  resistance,  and  General  Austin,  the  com- 
mander of  the  Texan  forces,  was  soon  succeeded  by  General  Houston,  who, 
by  his  indomitable  courage  and  unsurpassed  military  sagacity,  carried  on 
the  war  with  vigor  and  ability,  and  brought  it  to  a  successful  termination 
by  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto,  which  he  fought  in  April,  1836  ;  and,  in  May, 
Santa  Anna  signed  a  treaty  of  peace,  acknowledging  the  independence  of 
Texas.  General  Houston  was  then  inaugurated  first  President  in  October 
of  the  same  year,  and  again  elected  in  1841.  In  1846  Texas  was  admitted 
into  the  American  Union,  and  General  Houston  was  elected  United  States 
Senator,  serving  until  the  close  of  the  Thirty-Fifth  Congress,  and  was  elected 
Governor  of  Texas  in  1859.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  General 
Houston  took  neutral  grounds,  and  endeavored  to  prevent  Texas  joining  the 
Southern  Confederacy,  preferring  to  establish  a  separate  government  by 
itself;  but  he  was  overruled;  Texas  joined  the  Confederacy,  and  the  hero 
of  San  Jacinto  retired  to  his  plantation  in  Huntsville,  where  he  died,  July 
25,  18G3. 


85.    ROBERT    Y.   IIAYXE. 


Robert  Y.  Hatke  was  born  near  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  on  the  10th  day 
of  Xovember,  1791.  His  early  education  was  obtained  at  a  grammar-school  at 
Charleston  ;  his  later  training  was  in  the  school  of  life.  At  the  age  of  seventeen, 
he  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  began  to  practice 
at  Charleston.  He  enlisted  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  entered  the  army  as  lieute- 
nant, and  served  in  various  grades  to  the  termination  of  his  enlistment,  when  he 
returned  to  Charleston,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  which  lie 
soon  became  prominent. 

His  remarkable  powers  as  an  orator  soon  brought  him  into  political  notoriety  ; 
and  as  early  as  1814  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature,  and  in 
1818  was  chosen  speaker  of  that  body,  which  office  he  filled  with  dignity  and 
promptitude. 

During  the  session,  he  was  chosen  Attorney-General  of  the  State.  In  1822, 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  United  States  Senate,  which  office  he  retained  ten 
years.  It  was  during  his  second  term  that  the  Nullification  difficulties  arose  be- 
tween South  Carolina  and  the  United  States,  in  which  General  Hayne  took  a  pro- 
minent and  conspicuous  position.  In  1832,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  fa- 
mous "  Union  and  States  Rights  Convention,"  and,  as  Chairman  of  the  "  Commit- 
tee of  Twenty-one,"  he  reported  the  "  Ordinance  of  Xullification,''  which  was  adopt- 
ed by  the  Convention.  He  was  immediately  chosen  Governor  of  the  State,  and, 
on  the  receipt  of  President  Jackson's  famous  proclamation  against  the  Xullifiers 
of  South  Carolina,  Governor  Hayne  sent  forth  a  counter  proclamation  "full  of 
lofty  defiance  and  determined  resolution."  After  much  plotting  and  counter- 
plotting. South  Carolina  repealed  her  ordinance  of  Xullification,  and  the  United 
States  modified  the  tariff. 

In  1834,  General  Hayne  was  elected  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Charleston,  and  in 
1837  was  chosen  President  of  the  Charleston,  Louisville,  and  Cincinnati  Railroad 
Company.  This  office  he  held  until  his  death,  which  took  place  at  Asheville, 
North  Carolina,  September  24,  1841,  in  the  fiftieth  year  of  his  age. 

The  celebrated  passage  at  arms,  in  1830,  between  him  and  the  Senator  from 
Massachusetts  (Daniel  Webster)  will  long  be  remembered  by  those  who  witness- 
ed it  as  one  of  the  most  gallant  and  interesting  conflicts  ever  fought  on  the  field  of  • 
senatori  il  debate  ;  and  furnished  examples  of  powerful  eloquence  which  will  be 
quoted  for  centuries  to  come.  A  very  large  aud  elaborate  painting,  by  Healey, 
representing  Webster's  reply  to  Hayne,  giving  life-size  portraits  of  all  the  sena- 
tors then  in  the  Senate  Chamber,  as  well  as  other  distinguished  men  who  listened 
to  that  master  piece  of  eloquence,  was  presented  to  the  city  of  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  placed  on  exhibition  in  Faneuil  Hall,  where  it  can  be  seen  by  the 
public  at  all  times. 


86.   THOMAS    II.    BENTON. 

Thomas  H.  Benton  -was  bom  in  North  Carolina,  in  the  year  17S3,  and 
was  educated  at  Chapel  Hill  College. 

He  left  that  institution  without  receiving  a  degree,  and  forthwith  com- 
menced the  study  of  the  law,  in  William  and  Mary's  College,  Virginia, 
under  Mr.  St.  George  Tucker.  In  1810  he  entered  the  United  States  Army, 
and  in  1811  was  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  he  commenced  the  practice 
of  law,  and  became  one  of  General  Jackson's  staff  in  the  militia,  with  the 
rank  of  Colonel. 

He  soon  after  went  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  to  reside,  where  he  connected 
himself  with  the  press,  as  editor  of  a  newspaper.  He  thoroughly  identified 
himself  with  the  interests  of  the  West,  and  became  their  leading  and  most 
prominent  advocate. 

In  1620  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate,  and  remained  in 
that  body  until  the  session  of  1851,  at  which  time  he  failed  of  re-election. 
As  Missouri  was  not  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  State  until  August  10, 
1821,  more  than  a  year  of  Mr.  Benton's  term  of  service  expii'ed  before  he 
took  his  seat.  He  employed  himself,  during  this  interval,  in  acquiring  a 
knowledge  of  the  language  and  literature  of  Spain.  Immediately  after  he 
appeared  in  the  Senate,  he  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  deliberations  of 
that  body,  and  rapidly  rose  to  eminence  and  distinction.  Few  public 
measures  were  discussed  between  the  years  1821  and  1851,  that  he  did  not 
participate  in  largely ;  and  the  influence  he  wielded  was  always  felt  and 
confessed  by  the  country. 

Ho  was  one  of  the  chief  props  and  supporters  of  the  administrations  of 
General  Jackson  and  Martin  Van  Buren.  The  Democrats  of  Missouri  long 
clung  to  him  as  their  apostle  and  leader,  and  it  required  a  Herculean  effort 
to  defeat  him.  He  had  served  thirty  years,  when  others  aspired  to  the 
honors  he  enjoyed,  and  he  was,  consequently,  defeated. 

In  1852  he  was  a  candidate  from  St.  Louis  for  Representative  to  Congress, 
and  was  elected.  He  held  his  seat  in  that  body  for  two  years,  when  he 
retired,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  production  and  publication  of  two  great 
works :  "  Thirty  Years  in  the  LTnited  States  Senate,"  and  "  An  Abridge- 
ment of  the  Debates  in  Congress."  The  latter  he  had  hardly  finished,  when 
he  died,  at  Washington,  April  10,  1858. 

Mr.  Benton  was  distinguished  for  great  learning,  an  iron  will,  practical 
mind,  and  strong  memory.  His  speeches,  when  written,  were  firmly  fixed 
in  his  mind,  so  that  he  could  repeat  them  accurately  in  public,  without  the 
manuscript,  which  might  be,  at  the  time,  in  the  printer's  hands. 

As  a  public  speaker,  he  was  not  interesting,  or  calculated  to  produce  an 
effect  on  the  passions  of  an  audience.  His  parliamentary  efforts  were  in- 
tended for  flie  closet  rather  than  for  the  forum,  and,  when  published,  were 
read  with  avidity,  always  producing  a  decided  influence.  e  was  indus- 
trious, determined,  and  unyielding,  with  pockets  overflowin  th  statistics, 
and  his  head  full  of  historical  lore. 


87.  JOSHUA  U.   GIDDINGS 

Joshua  R.  Gjddings  -was  bom  in  Athens,  Bradford  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, October  G,  1705.  When  he  ^vas  ten  years  old,  his  parents  removed 
to  Ohio,  and  settled  on  the  *'  Western  Reserve,"  at  Ashtabula.  When 
seventeen  years  of  age,  he  entered  the  army,  as  a  substitute  for  his  brother, 
and  saw  service  against  the  Indians.  He  afterward  taught  school,  studied 
law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1820. 

In  182G  Mr.  Giddings  commenced  his  political  career,  as  a  Representa- 
tive to  the  State  Legislature  ;  but  declining  a  re-election,  he  pursued  his 
profession  until  1888,  when  he  Avas  chosen  a  member  of  Congress,  as  a  suc- 
cessor to  his  instructor,  Mr.  Whittelsey. 

Henceforward  his  career  became  identified  with  anti-Slavery. 

By  the  side  of  John  Q.  Adams,  he  defended  the  right  of  petition,  declared 
for  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  espoused  the 
cause  of  territorial  freedom.  The  slave  power  in  Congress  repressed  his 
efforts  in  1S39,  and  in  1841  he  got  leave  to  speak  against  the  Florida  war,  as 
a  pro-Slavery  measure. 

In  1843  the  celebrated  Creole  case  occurred, in  which  the  slaves  onboard 
a  vessel  of  that  name,  sailing  from  Virginia  for  New  Orleans,  rose,  and  car- 
ried that  vessel  into  a  British  port. 

Indemnification  being  demanded  of  the  British  Government,  Mr.  Gid- 
dings offered  a  series  of  resolutions,  utterly  denying  the  jurisdiction  of  our 
Government  in  the  case,  or  the  violation  of  any  law  by  the  persons  seeking 
to  obtain  their  freedom. 

These  resolutions  created  great  excitement  in  the  House.  Mr.  Botts,  of 
Virginia,  offered  a  resolution  of  censure  ;  but  objection  being  made  to  Mr. 
Botts,  as  a  slave-State  man,  Mr.  Weller,  of  Ohio,  renewed  the  censure, 
which  was  passed,  without  waiting  to  hear  Mr.  Giddings,  by  a  vote  of  125 
to  6'J.  Mr.  Giddings  thereupon  resigned,  and  returned  home ;  but  was 
immediately  re-elected  by  the  people  of  his  district,  and  he  returned  in  a 
few  weeks  to  resume  his  duties  in  Congress. 

He  was  re-elected  to  each  successive  Congress  till  1801,  when  he  declined 
a  nomination,  and  was  appointed,  by  Mr.  Lincoln,  Consul-General  for  Can- 
ada, the  duties  of  Avhich  oifice  he  discharged  at  Montreal  until  his  death, 
from  heart  disease.  May  27,  18G4. 

Mr.  Giddings  was  twenty-one  years  in  Congress,  and  was  always  fore- 
most as  a  leader  in  opposition  to  slavery  ;  in  fact,  every  measure,  whether  of 
compromise  with,  or  recognition  of  the  extension  of  slavery,  met  with  his 
strenuous  opposition. 

In  addition  to  his  forensic  labors,  he  published  essays  enforcing  his 
arguments  for  freedom.  He  also  published,  "  A  History  of  the  Rebellion, 
its  Authors,  and  Causes.'' 

Mr.  Giddings  was  a  man  of  ardent  temperament,  and,  like  all  the  lca.ders 
in  the  great  reform  which  led  to  the  abolition  of  slavery,  was  so  persistently 
held  up  to  obloquy,  that  it  is  difficult,  even  yet,  to  credit  them  with  tbo 
impartial  verdict  which  truth  and  history  will  award.  ■ 


88.    WILLLUI  L.  MAIICY. 

William  L.  Marcy  was  born  in  Sturbridge  (now  Soutbbridge),  MaS' 
eachusetts,  December  12,  1786. 

He  received  bis  academical  education  at  Leicester,  and  entered  Brown 
University,  Providence,  Rbode  Island,  wbere  be  graduated  in  1808. 

He  taugbt  scbool  for  a  wbile  in  Newport,  studied  law  and  commenced 
pracice  in  Troy,  New  York.  He  beartily  approved  tbe  policy  of  Jeffer- 
son and  Madison,  and  tbe  principles  of  tbe  Republican  party. 

On  tbe  breaking  out  ot  tbe  war  of  1812  be  enlisted,  was  appointed 
lieutenant  and  marcbed  to  tbe  nortbern  frontier,  wbere  be  took  tbe  first 
prisoners  (on  land)  during  tbe  war,  wbicb  were  retained.  Gen.  Cass  hav- 
ing previously  captured  some,  and  lost  tbem  again. 

During  tbe  war,  be  brougbt  bimself  into  general  notice  by  a  series  of 
articles  wbicb  be  wrote  and  publisbcd  (in  tbe  Albany  Argus)  over  tbe  sig- 
nature of  "Vindex,"  in  justification  of  tbe  war,  wliicb  were  cbaracterized 
by  great  researcb  and  unusual  force  of  argument.  He  early  formed  tbe 
acquaintance  of  Martin  Van  Buren,  wbicb  ripened  into  intimacy.  He 
was  appointed  Recorder  o*'  Troy  in  1816,  and  m  1821  was  appointed  Adju- 
tant General  of  tlie  State  of  New  York.  In  1823  be  was  chosen  Comp- 
troller, and  removed  to  Albany. 

He  was  api^ointed  Associate  Justice  of  tbe  Supreme  Court  of  tbe 
State  in  1829,  and  in  1831  was  elected  United  States  Senator,  wbere  al- 
most tbe  first  act  of  bis  senatorial  career  was  to  defend  bis  friend  Yan 
Buren,  wbo  bad  been  appointed  to  tbe  English  Mission. 

In  1832  be  was  elected  Governor  of  New  York,  and  re-elected  in  1834. 
He  was  again  nominated  for  that  office  in  1838,  but  was  defeated  by  Wm. 
H.  Seward,  tbe  Whig  candidate.  He  was  appointed  by  President  Van 
Buren  one  of  the  Commissioners  to  decide  upon  the  claims  against  the 
Mexican  government.  In  1845  be  was  appointed  Secretary  of  War,  by 
President  Polk,  wbicb  be  held  during  bis  administration.  His  services 
during  tbe  Mexican  war  were  of  great  value  to  the  President  and  the  na- 
tion. From  1853  to  1857  he  was  Secretary  of  State  under  President 
Pierce. 

He  was  a  member  of  tbe  "Albany  Regency,"  and  had  the  reputation 
of  being  a  shrewd  political  tactician,  and  probably  has  never  been  sur- 
passed in  this  respect,  by  any  of  the  politicians  of  New  York,  except 
Martin  Van  Buren.  He  was  not  a  graceful  speaker,  but  as  a  writer  he 
ranked  high.  His  style  was  strong  clear  and  perspicuous,  flowina:  with 
ease  and  elegance.    He  died  at  Ballston  Spa,  New  York,  July  4,  1857. 


89.    DAVID   CEOCKET. 

David  CkocKET,  the  eccentric,  laughter-loving",  fun-making  backwoods- 
man, of  whom  more  amusing  stories  have  been  told  than  of  any  other  man 
in  our  country,  was  born  at  the  mouth  of  Limestone  River,  Green  County, 
Tennessee,  August  17,  178G.  He  was  of  Irish  descent,  and  the  natural 
humor  of  that  race  appears  in  every  passage  of  our  hero's  life. 

At  the  time  of  his  birth,  East  Tennessee  was  a  mere  wildei'ness,  and 
David  grew  up  without  the  means  of  education,  save  such  as  an  occasional 
month  at  some  rustic  school,  or  the  lessons  taught  him  in  his  own  rude 
home,  afforded.  When  he  was  seven  years  of  age,  his  father  became  sud- 
denly banki'upt,  by  a  conflagration,  when  ho  removed  to  Jefferson  County, 
and  opened  a  small  public  house.  Here  the  boy  remained,  helping  his 
father,  until  about  twelve  years  of  age,  when  he  was  hired  out  to  a  Dutch- 
man, as  a  drover-boy,  of  whom  he  soon  became  tired,  and  ran  away.  After 
v/andering  about  for  some  time,  and  getting  much  rough  usage,  he  reached 
his  father's  house,  where  he  remained  for  one  year,  when  he  ran  away  from 
home,  and  joined  another  cattle-drover,  bound  for  Western  Virginia,  who 
turned  him  loose  at  the  end  of  his  journey,  with  only  fovir  dollars  in  his 
pocket. 

Now  (to  use  his  own  language)  he  commenced  "  knocking  about  for  him- 
self ;"  and  for  three  years  did  young  Crocket  *'  knock  about,"  when  he 
returned  home,  went  to  school  a  few  weeks,  fell  in  love  several  times,  unsuc- 
cessfully, and  at  length  was  married  in  1810,  and  became  a  father.  He 
lived  at  first  with  his  wife's  mother,  working  a  little,  and  hunting  a  great 
deal,  for  his  subsistence. 

After  two  years  he  set  up  his  own  cabin  on  Elk  River,  whei'e  he  culti- 
vated a  few  acres  for  his  bread,  and  ranged  the  forest  for  his  meat. 

In  1818  he  enlisted  as  a  volunteer  under  General  Jackson,  and  was  in 
several  hard-fought  battles,  the  foremost  among  the  brave.  His  merriment, 
his  Dutch  anecdotes,  and  bear  stories,  his  wonderful  shooting,  his  fortitude, 
and  his  courage,  made  him  a  universal  favorite,  and  the  very  life  of  the 
camp. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  honored  with  the  title  of  Colonel,  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  afterward  sent  to  the  Legislature,  where  he  be- 
came celebrated  as  the  "Member  from  the  Cane." 

He  soon  removed  to  Western  Tennessee,  where  he  became  the  "  crack 
shot  of  all  those  diggins." 

In  1828  he  was  elected  Representative  to  Congress,  and  re-elected  in 
1830.  At  Washington  he  was  a  conspicuous  perfconage,  and  became  very 
popular  with  the  members,  being  the  only  genuine  backwoodsman  ever  in 
Congress. 

He  afterward  enlisted  in  the  Texan  cause,  and  died  fighting  for  its  in- 
dependence. After  defending  a  fort  for  ten  hours  against  tremendous  odds, 
he  surrendei-ed  to  Santa  Anna,  who  ordered  him  to  be  murdered,  and  he 
fell,  pierced  by  ten  swords. 

Colonel  Crocket  was  brave  and  generous  to  a  fault.  At  a  time  of  great 
scarcity,  he  took  a  load  of  corn  to  hia  "  old  stumping-ground."  When  a 
man  came  to  buy  his  corn,  the  first  question  he  asked  was :  *'Havo  yo^i  the 
money  to  pay  for  it  r"  If  answered,  *'  yes,"  Davy's  reply  was :  "  You  can't 
have  a  kernel .  I  brought  it  to  sell  to  p(?oplo  who  haVc  no  mblicy  !" 


90.  "WILLIAM  K.  KING. 

"William  R.  King  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  in  1780.  He  was  not  a 
brilliant  boy  ;  but,  by  constant  application,  he  was  enabled  to  surmount 
difficulties  at  which  many  a  genius  would  have  stumbled  and  fallen.  At  a 
very  early  age  he  entered  into  political  life,  and  his  fellow-citizens  showed 
their  estimation  of  his  abilities  and  honesty,  by  intrusting  him  with  several 
minor  offices,  the  faithful  discharge  of  the  duties  of  which  led  them  to  select 
him  to  represent  their  interests  in  Congress,  before  he  was  twenty-five 
years  of  age. 

In  1811  Mr.  King  went  to  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives, 
and  served  acceptably  to  his  constituents  for  two  terms.  Not  long  after  the 
close  of  this  service,  he  removed  into  the  Territory  of  Alabama,  then  about 
to  become  a  State.  "When  it  was  admitted  into  the  Union,  he  was  chosen 
United  States  Senator  from  the  new  State,  and  continued  for  twenty-five 
years,  without  intermission,  a  most  faithful,  diligent,  and  consistent  member 
of  that  body. 

In  1844,  President  Tyler  appointed  him  Minister  to  France,  where  he 
represented  his  country  with  great  credit  and  satisfaction,  and  was  received 
by  Louis  Phillippe  with  marked  distinction.  He  returned  to  the  United 
States  in  1847,  and  was  called  again  to  the  National  Senate,  by  the 
citizens  of  Alabama,  in  1849.  This  was  the  commencement  of  the  adminis- 
tration of  President  Taylor,  as  President  of  the  United  States,  by  whose 
untimely  death  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  rilmore.  Mr.  King  was 
chosen  to  succeed  Mr.  Filmore,  as  President  Jjro  tern,  of  the  Senate,  and, 
consequently,  acting  Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 

At  the  Democratic  Convention  which  met  at  Baltimore  in  1852,  Mr. 
King  was  nominated  for  Vice-President,  with  Franklin  Pierce,  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, for  President,  and  was  elected.  But  he  was  not  permitted  to  enjoy 
his  new  and  well-deserved  honor.  His  health,  which  had  long  been  pre- 
carious, now  failed  him  altogether,  and  his  disease  assumed  the  most  alarm- 
ing symptoms. 

He  soon  found  himself  the  doomed  victim  of  that  scourge  of  our  climate, 
consumption.  After  trying  the  usual  remedies,  without  success,  he  was 
sent  to  Cuba,  at  the  expense  of  the  Government,  to  try  the  effect  of  change 
of  climate.  But  death  had  marked  him  for  his  own,  and  he  returned  just 
in  season  to  expire  in  the  bosom  of  his  family,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven,  in 
the  year  1853. 


91.   DE  WITT   CLINTON. 

De  Witt  Clinton  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  March  2, 1769. 
He  entered  Columbia  College  in  1784,  as  a  junior,  and  graduated,  in  1786, 
the  first  scholar  in  his  class. 

He  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1789,  opening  his  office 
in  New  York  City.  Scarcely,  however,  had  he  commenced,  practice  when 
he  received  an  appointment  as  Private  Secretary  to  his  uncle.  Governor 
Clinton.     Thus  introduced  to  political  life,  he  pursued  it  until  death. 

In  1797  he  was  elected  a  Member  of  the  Assembly,  from  New  York  City, 
and  the  next  year  was  sent  to  the  State  Senate.  "While  in  this  office  he 
signalized  himself  as  a  ready  and  forcible  debater. 

In  1802  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate.  He  held  this  office 
during  two  sessions,  when  he  resigned,  having  been  elected  Mayor  of  New 
York  City.  While  in  the  Senate  he  gave  his  support  to  Mr.  Jefferson  and 
his  party. 

Mr.  Clinton  continued  in  the  office  of  Mayor  until  1815,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  two  years.  During  this  time  he  was  repeatedly  sent  to  the  Senate 
of  his  native  State,  where  he  introduced  a  number  of  important  laws,  and 
developed  his  plan  of  internal  improvement. 

In  1811  he  was  elected  Lieutenant-Governor,  and  while  an  incumbent 
of  that  office  he  ran  as  candidate  for  President  of  the  United  States,  in 
opposition  to  Mr.  Madison,  but  was  unsuccessful. 

In  1818  he  Avas  elected  Governor  of  New  York  almost  without  opposition, 
and  Avas  re-elected  in  1820.  On  the  adoption  of  the  new  Constitution,  he 
retired  from  office,  but  was  again  elected  Governor  in  1824,  and  retained  the 
office  until  his  death. 

Meanwhile  the  great  project  of  Mr.  Clinton  had  been  carried  forward  to 
its  grand  consummation,  and  the  autumn  of  1825  witnessed  the  triumphant 
completion  of  "  The  Great  Erie  Canal,"  when  a  current  of  joy  ran  through 
the  entire  length  of  the  land. 

Mr.  Clinton  was  the  patron  and  friend  of  popular  education,  agriculture, 
commerce,  internal  improvements,  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  for  j)rovisions 
for  the  insane,  for  the  sick,  for  the  blind,  and  the  convict.  His  was  a  most 
versatile  mind,  and  he  seemed  proficient  in  whatever  department  of  civil  or 
political  life  he  happened  to  be  placed.  He  had  a  word  for  all  occasions, 
and  a  hand  for  every  good  work. 

On  the  Uth  of  February,  1828,  while  conversing  with  his  family  in  his 
study,  he  expired  instantly  of  disease  of  the  heart. 

The  name  of  De  Witt  Clinton  is  forever  associated  with  progress.  His 
enduring  monument  is  the  great  Erie  Canal,  a  work,  for  its  time,  never 
excelled  in  this  country ;  and  whether  it  may  be  destined  to  fall  more  and 
more  into  desuetude,  or  become  a  sovirce  of  more  extended  use— by  being 
enlarged,  so  as  to  admit  of  shipping  to  pass  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
lakes — it  will  forever  stand  out  as  one  of  the  giant  creations  of  a  colossal 
mind. 


92.  EUFUS  CHOATE. 

RUFUS  Choate  was  bom  in  Ipswich,  Massachusetts,  October  1,  1799. 

He  entered  Dartmouth  College  in  1815,  and  graduated,  with  much  eclat, 
in  1819.  After  leaving  college,  he  was  chosen  Tutor,  which  he  shortly  after 
resigned,  and  entered  the  Law  School  at  Cambridge. 

Aftcmvard  he  studied  a  year  with  Mr.  Wirt,  and  completed  his  studies 
with  Judge  Cummins,  of  Salem.  He  commenced  practice  in  the  town  of 
Dan  vers,  in  1824,  and  distinguished  himself  as  an  advocate. 

His  legal  arguments,  replete  with  knowledge,  conducted  with  admirable 
skill,  evincing  uncommon  power  in  the  analysis  and  application  of  evidence, 
blazing  with  the  blended  fii'es  of  imagination  and  sensibility,  and  delivered 
with  a  rapidity  and  animation  of  manner  which  swept  along  the  minds  of 
his  hearers  on  the  torrent  of  his  eloquence,  made  him  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful advocates  in  the  country.  His  manner  was  now  impetuous,  violent ; 
anon,  soft  as  a  woman's  ;  now  stirring  the  intellect  and  the  passions;  then 
touching  with  the  sweetest  pathos  the  seals  of  the  heart's  deepest  wells, 
until  they  melt  away,  and  suffer  all  the  waters  of  tenderness  to  come  gush- 
ing up  into  the  eyes  of  the  listener.  All  this  was  aided  by  a  voice  sometimes 
sweeter  than  any  flute,  and  presently  as  stirring  as  the  blast  of  a  trumpet. 
When  he  addi'essed  a  jury,  or  a  popular  assembly,  he  bi'ought  to  his  aid  the 
entire  anatomy  of  his  frame — lips,  eyes,  arms,  and  legs;  even  the  veiy  gar- 
ments which  he  wore. 

His  political  life  commenced  in  1825,  when  he  was  chosen  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  in  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts.  In 
1827  he  was  sent  to  the  Senate,  where  he  soon  took  a  prominent  part  in  the 
debates,  and  the  energy  and  sagacity  which  he  displayed  gave  him  a  wide 
reputation. 

In  18-32  he  was  elected  a  member  of  Congress  from  the  Essex  district. 
He  declined  a  re-election,  and  in  1834  removed  to  Boston,  to  devote  himself 
to  his  profession.  He  soon  took  a  position  among  the  most  eminent  lawyers 
at  the  Suffolk  bar  ;  and  for  seven  years  his  legal  services  were  in  continual 
demand. 

In  1841,  on  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Webster  from  the  United  States 
Senate,  he  was  elected  to  fill  his  place  by  a  large  majority  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Legislature.  After  he  resigned  his  seat  in  the  Senate,  he  gave 
himself  up  wholly  to  his  profession. 

He  was,  for  a  time,  Eegentof  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  but  resigned  the 
position. 

The  country  has  produced  but  few  men  who  ranked  higher  as  an  oratoi', 
and  a  close,  logical  reasoner,  than  the  Hon.  Ilufua  Choate,  ''the  great 
MassHchusetts  lawyer." 

He  died  at  Halifax,  Xova  Scotia,  while  on  his  "«ay  to  Europe  for  his 
health,  July  12,  1859. 


93.  SAMUEL  APPLETON. 

Samuel  Appleton,  one  of  the  mercnant  princes  of  Boston,  who  for 
many  years  commanded  the  respect  of  all  the  citizens  of  that  busy  city,  and 
■whose  charities,  by  thousands,  have  fallen,  like  refreshing  rain,  on  many  a 
blighted  heart,  was  bom  in  New  Ipswich,  New  Hampshire,  June  22,  17o6. 
His  early  education  was  acquired  at  a  district  school,  and  completed  at  six- 
teen years  of  age.  He  worked  on  the  farm  with  his  father  until  he  was 
twenty-two. 

Believing  that  a  mercantile  life  would  be  more  congenial  to  his  tastes, 
he  decided  to  become  a  merchant.  After  trying  the  country  a  few  years, 
he  removed  to  Boston,  where  he  was  remarkably  successful. 

He  began  business  on  the  principle  that  a  straightforward,  open,  and 
honest  course  was  the  best,  nay,  the  only  one,  and  he  never  forsook  it. 

No  man  ever  lived  a  life  of  trade  in  a  more  honorable  manner.  His  con- 
fidence in  man  was  almost  unlimited. 

Rev.  Mr.  Peabody  once  said  to  him  :  ''  Mr.  Appleton,  what  is  j'our 
opinion  of  the  honesty  of  mankind  r"'  "  Very  favorable,"  he  replied  ;  *'  very 
generally,  I  think,  they  mean  to  be  honest.  I  have  never  in  my  life  met 
with  more  than  three  or  four  cases  in  which  I  thought  a  man  intended  to 
be  dishonest  in  dealing  with  me." 

As  early  as  1823,  feeling  that  his  wealth  was  sufficient,  he  resolved  that 
his  fortune  should  no  longer  be  increased,  and  he  devoted  his  whole  income 
to  charity.  Keserving  a  fair  amount  to  support  the  expenses  of  his  house- 
hold, and  to  gratify  a  ta^te  for  travel,  he  consecrated  the  balance  sacredly 
to  the  purpose  of  making  glad  the  hearts  of  the  widow  and  fatherless,  and 
aiding  the  destitute.  Thus  his  charities  amounted  in  the  last  years  of  his 
life  to  tens  of  thousands  annually.  The  poor  wore  sought  out  and  relieved. 
None  ever  left  his  door  empty-handed,  who  could  show  that  they  really  re- 
quired assistance. 

The  following  anecdote  illustrates  the  nice  sense  of  justice  always  cher- 
ished by  Mr.  Appleton : 

A  favorite  nephew,  to  whom  he  had  bequeathed  in  his  will  a  large  pro- 
portional amount  of  his  estate,  died  before  him ;  and,  by  the  terms  of  the 
will,  a  half-sister,  between  whom  and  Mr.  Appleton  there  was  no  blood- 
relationship,  became  entitled  to  these  bequests. 

The  executor  called  Mr.  Appleton's  attention  to  the  fact,  thinking  that 
he  might  wish  to  make  some  change  in  the  disposition  of  his  property. 
After  taking  the  subject  into  full  consideration,  his  reply  was:  "  If,  in  the 
other  world,  there  is  any  knowledge  of  what  is  done  in  this,  I  should  not 
like  to  have  my  nephew,  Avhom  I  loved  and  trusted,  find  that  my  first  act, 
on  learning  his  death,  is  the  revocation,  or  curtailment,  of  a  bequest  made 
in  his  favor,  and  which,  if  ho  had  survived  me,  would  have  eventually  bene- 
fited her  who  was  nearest  and  dearest  to  him." 

Mr.  Appleton's  death  occurred  on  the  12th  of  July,  1853,  in  the  eighty- 
eighth  year  of  his  age. 


94,  DANIEL  S.   DICKINSON. 

Daniel  S.  Dickinson  was  born,  September  11,  1800,  at  Goshen,  Litch- 
field County,  Connecticut. 

In  1807  his  father's  family  removed  to  Chenango  County,  New  York, 
when,  with  no  better  advantages  than  those  offered  by  the  common  school, 
Daniel  educated  himself,  not  only  as  a  school-teacher,  but,  by  the  time  he 
was  of  age,  had  mastered  the  Latin  language,  and  the  higher  branches  of 
mathematics,  and  other  sciences. 

In  1822  he  married  a  lady  of  fine  intellectual  attainments,  and  turning 
his  attention  to  the  study  of  the  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1828,  ani 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Binghampton,  N.  Y.,  success- 
fully competing  with  the  ablest  lawyers  of  the  State. 

In  183(5  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  for  four  years,  and,  though 
one  of  the  youngest  members,  he  speedily  became  the  leader  of  his  party — 
the  Democratic.  He  was,  also,  President  of  the  Court  for  the  Correction  of 
Errors. 

In  1842  he  was  elected,  by  a  large  majority,  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the 
State  of  New  York  ;  and  in  that  capacity,  as  i?resident  of  the  Senate,  then 
constituting  the  above  Court,  gave  frequent  opinions  of  importance. 

In  1844  he  was  chosen  an  Elector  of  President  of  the  United  States, 
casting  his  vote  for  Polk  and  Dallas.  The  same  year  he  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  and  took  an  important  part  in  the  debates  of  that 
body,  and  was  Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee. 

In  1852  he  received  the  vote  of  Virginia  for  the  Presidency,  at  the  Bal- 
timore Convention,  but  declined  in  favor  of  General  Cass,  in  a  speech  re- 
markable for  its  classic  taste  and  style. 

President  Pierce  nominated  him  as  Collector  of  the  Port  of  New  York, 
but  this  lucrative  post  he  also  declined.  ^ 

At  the  close  of  his  Senatorial  term,  he  resumed  with  energy  the  practice 
of  his  profession  ;  and,  on  the  commencement  of  the  Rebellion,  he  arrayed 
himself  with  alacrity  on  the  side  of  the  Union.  It  was  now  that  his  voice 
was  heard  arousing  his  countrymen  to  the  defense  of  the  Government ;  and 
some  estimation  may  be  formed  of  his  labors  when  it  is  known  that  he  de- 
livered, for  the  Union  cause,  no  less  than  one  hundred  addresses,  each  pre- 
senting distinct  and  eloquent  features. 

In  18G1  he  was  nominated  by  the  Republican  party  for  Attorney-General 
of  the  State,  and  was  elected  by  about  one  hundred  thousand  majority  votes. 
President  Lincoln  nominated  him  to  settle  the  Oregon  question,  which 
honor  he  declined  ;  and  Governor  Fenton  tendered  him  the  Judgeship  of  the 
Court  of  Appeals,  which  he  also  declined. 

One  of  the  last  acts  of  President  Lincoln  was  to  offer  him  the  office  of 
United  States  District  Attorney  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York, 
which  he  accepted,  and  the  duties  of  which  he  continued  to  perform  almost 
up  t-)  the  day  of  his  death. 

As  a  debater,  Mr.  Dickinson  was  among  the  first — being  clear,  profound, 
and  logical  in  argument.  His  speeches  were  frequently  enriched  by  classical 
and  Scriptural  quotations,  evincing  the  great  extent  of  his  reading.  Socially, 
he  was  one  of  the  most  entertaining  of  companions.  His  chief  characteris- 
tic, brought  out  by  the  great  events  of  the  close  of  his  life,  was  his  honest 
and  exalted  patriotism.    He  died  in  the  City  of  New  York,  April  12,  18GG. 


95.  DANIEL   BOONE. 

Daniel  Boone,  the  hardy  and  bravo  pioneer,  and  founder  of  Kentucky, 
-was  born  in  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  1748. 

"While  yet  a  mere  boy,  his  father  moved  with  him  to  North  Carolina. 
The  wild  and  daring  spirit,  love  of  adventure,  and  fearless  intrepidity 
which  characterized  his  anaturer  life,  were  displayed  very  early. 

On  the  1st  day  of  May,  17(39,  Boone,  with  a  few  neighbors,  started  for 
the  Western  wilderness,  and  at  length  located  on.  the  banks  of  the  Red 
River,  in  Kentucky. 

He  was  several  times  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians,  but  he  had  the  tact 
to  conciliate  them,  and  the  ingenuity  to  contrive  his  escape. 

Enduring  much  by  reason  of  hunger  and  privation,  toiling  early  and 
late  to  reduce  the  savage  waste  to  a  condition  of  cultivation,  he  acquired 
such  a  passion  for  his  wild  and  adventurous  life,  that  when,  in  1792,  Ken- 
tucky was  admitted  into  the  Union,  he  struck  out  further  into  the  wilder- 
ness, and  settled  in  St.  Charles,  Missouri,  forty-five  miles  above  St.  Louis. 

Being  asked  why  he  left  the  comforts  of  a  home  he  had  redeemed  from 
savage  life,  for  the  renewed  trials  of  a  wilderness  home,  he  replied  :  "  Oh,  I 
am  too  ci'owded  ;  I  must  have  more  elbow-room  !" 

He  was  often  employed  by  the  Government  on  missions  of  hostile  and 
friendly  intent  among  the  Indians,  in  all  of  which  he  exhibited  a  statesman- 
ship and  courage  which  won  for  him  the  approval  of  his  employers  and  the 
admiration  of  his  savage  foes.  He  resided  in  his  last  home  about  fifteen 
years,  when,  losing  his  wife,  who  had  shared  with  him  all  his  perilous  life, 
he  went  to  spend  the  remnant  of  his  days  with  his  son,  Major  Nathan 
Bo.>nn,  where  he  died  in  1822. 

While  residing  in  North  Carolina,  being  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  he, 
in  company  with  another  youth,  got  up  a  "  fii'e-hunt,"  vv^iich  is  conducted 
as  follows  :  One  of  the  party  rides  through  the  forest,  with  a  lighted  torch 
swinging  above  his  head,  while  the  other  lies  in  covert,  and  gives  a  signal 
when  he  descries  a  deer  for  the  other  to  hold  the  torch  stationary,  which 
fixes  the  eyes  of  the  wondering  animal  upon  it,  when  he  plants  a  ball  be- 
tween them,  and  the  deer  falls  a  victim  to  its  own  curiosity.  On  this  occa- 
sion, Boone  was  in  covert,  when  he  saAv  a  pair  of  eyes  through  the  dim 
shade  of  the  trees,  leveled  his  rifle,  and  gave  the  signal,  when,  to  his  aston- 
ishment, the  animal  turned  and  fled,  and  the  brave  hunter  sprung  from  his 
hiding-place,  and  pursued  the  game  over  hill  and  valley,  brake  and  thicket, 
until,  at  length,  the  affrighted  and  pursued  object  rushed  into  the  house  of 
his  newly-settled  neighbor,  Ryan,  followed  by  Boone,  of  whose  confusion 
we  may  judge  when  he  saw  the  object  of  his  pursuit  fainting  with  terror  in 
the  old  man's  arms,  for  it  was  his  beautiful  and  only  daughter. 

"We  need  not  relate  how  he  wooed  and  won  the  fair  Rebecca,  who  came 
so  near  being  the  victim  of  his  bullet. 

Boone's  life  was  full  of  romantic  and  adventurous  exploits.  "While  away 
from  his  home  in  Kentucky,  three  Indians  took  his  daughter  and  two  other 
young  ladies  prisoners.  Returning  home,  he  commenced  the  pursuit  alone, 
overtook  the  party  the  following  day,  and,  slaying  two  of  the  Indians,  re- 
turned to  the  fort,  bringing  the  fair  captives  with  him. 


96.   SILAS  WEIGHT. 

Silas  "Wright,  the  12th  Grovernor  of  the  State  of  New  York,  was  born 
111  Amherst,  Massachusetts,  May  24,  1795. 

His  father  removed  to  Waybridge,  Vermont,  when  he  was  but  a  year  old, 
where  he  was  brought  up  on  a  farm.  Plis  rare  natural  endowments,  pru- 
dence, discernment,  and  good  judgment,  early  attracted  his  father's  notice, 
and  he  determined  to  give  him  a  liberal  education.  Accordingly,  he  entered 
an  academy  when  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  graduated  at  Middle- 
bury  College  in  1815. 

Self-reliance  was  early  taught  him,  and  it  became  one  of  the  brightest 
traits  of  his  character. 

He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  political  questions  that  excited  the  public 
mind  during  the  War  of  1812,  and  took  sides  with  the  republican  party. 

He  studied  law  in  Albany,  and  commenced  its  practice  in  Canton,  New 
York,  where  he  always  resided. 

Law,  with  him,  was  common  sense.  He  always  gave  a  plain,  sensible 
reason  for  his  opinion  on  any  subject. 

lu  State  p :)iitios,  he  was  an  ardent  anti-Clinton  man,  or  Bucktail,  and  a 
warm  admirer  of  Mr.  Van  Buren. 

He  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  Surrogate  for  St.  Lawrence  County, 
February  24,  1821 ;  elected  State  Senator  in  1824,  and  Member  of  Congress 
in  1827. 

Upon  matters  of  finance  he  was  always  at  home.  He  was  placed  upon 
the  Committee  of  Manufactures,  and  reported  the  Tariff  bill  of  1828,  and 
supported  it  in  several  able  speeches.  His  ablest  effort  was  made  on  the 
6th  of  March,  and  commanded  great  attention.  He  afterward  regretted  his 
vote,  and  pronounced  it  a  great  error. 

He  was  a  cordial  and  influential  supporter  of  Andrew  Jackson  in  1828. 
In  1829  he  filled  the  office  of  Comptroller  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
January  4,  ISSii,  was  elected  United  States  Senator,  to  fill  the  place  of  Gov- 
ernor Marcy. 

He  sustained  President  Jackson  in  his  removal  of  the  United  States  de- 
posits from  the  United  States  Bank  to  the  State  Banks,  and  recommended 
the  Independent  Treasury  system  to  Mr.  Van  Buren  in  1837. 

He  continued  United  States  Senator  until  1844,  when  he  was  elected 
Governor  of  New  York  by  the  Democratic  party. 

He  vras  offered  the  nomination  of  Vice-President  with  Mr.  Polk,  but  re- 
fused to  accept  it. 

He  retired  from  the  Gubernatorial  chair  in  1846  to  his  furm^  where  he 
died,  August  27,  1847,  of  disease  of  the  heart. 


97.   LEWIS   CASS. 

Lktv'IS  Cass  -was  Lorn  in  Exeter,  2>cw  Hampshire,  October  9,  1782. 
Having'  received  his  education  at  the  far-famed  academy  of  his  native  vil- 
I'dge,  at  the  early  age  of  seventeen,  he  crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains  on 
foot  to  seek  a  home  in  "  the  land  of  promise" — the  '*  great  West,"  then  an 
almost  unexplored  wilderness. 

He  settled  in  Marietta,  Ohio,  in  1799,  studied  law  with  Governor  Meigs, 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1802,  and  became  successful  and  distinguished. 
Elected  to  the  Legislature  of  Ohio  in  1800,  he  was  active  and  prominent  in  that 
body,  and  originated  the  bill  which  arrested  the  proceedings  of  Aaron  Burr  ; 
and,  as  stated  by  Mr.  Jefferson,  was  the  first  blow  given  to  what  is  known 
as  "Burrs  Conspiracy."  In  1807  he  was  appointed,  by  Mr.  Jefferson,  Marshal 
of  the  State,  and  held  this  office  till  the  later  part  of  1811,  when  he  volun- 
teered to  repel  Indian  aggressions  on  the  frontier. 

He  was  elected  Colonel  of  the  Third  Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteers,  and 
entered  the  military  service  of  the  United  States  at  the  commencement  of 
the  War  of  1812.  Having,  by  a  difficult  march,  reached  Detroit,  he  was  dis- 
dinguished  for  energy,  activity,  and  courage.  He  urged  the  immediate 
invasion  of  Canada,  and  was  the  author  of  the  proclamation  of  that  event. 
He  was  the  first  to  land  in  arms  on  the  enemj^'s  shore,  and,  with  a  detach- 
ment of  troops,  fought  and  won  the  first  battle — that  of  Toronto.  At  the 
subsequent  capitulation  of  Detroit  he  was  absent  on  important  service ;  but, 
though  not  present,  he  was  involved  in  it,  and  became,  with  the  rest,  a 
prisoner  of  war.  This  greatly  mortified  him,  and,  for  a  time,  terminated 
his  activity.  On  being  exchanged  or  released  from  parole,  he  was  promoted 
to  Brigadier  in  the  Regular  Army,  and  Major-General  of  the  Ohio  Volunteers, 
when  he  again  repaired  to  the  frontier  and  joined  the  army  for  the  recovery 
of  Michigan.  Being  at  that  time  without  a  command,  he  served  and  dis- 
tinguished himself  as  a  Volunteer  Aid  to  General  Harrison  at  the  battle  of 
the  Thames,  which  retrieved  the  previous  reverses  of  the  American  arms  on 
the  frontier.  In  18lo  he  was  appointed,  by  President  Madison,  Military 
Governor  of  Michigan,  which  position  he  held  until  1831,  establishing  law 
and  order,  preserving  peace  between  the  whites  and  the  Indians,  and  advanc- 
ing the  resources  and  prosperity  of  the  country. 

Few  Americans  have  been  more  extensively  and  successfully  engaged 
in  that  delicate  and  difficult  kind  of  diplomacy,  "  negotiations  with  Indian 
tribes,"  than  Mr.  Cass,  he  having  assisted  at  no  less  than  ten  councils  with 
the  red  men  of  the  wilderness.  In  1831  he  was  called  by  President  Jackson 
to  his  Cabinet,  as  Secretary  of  War.  In  1830  he  was  appointed  Minister  to 
Erance,  in  which  capacity  he  rendered  eminent  and  valuable  service  by  his 
celebrated  protest  against  the  "  Quintuple  Treaty,"  which,  under  the  pretext 
of  breaking  up  the  slave  trade,  provided  for  an  indiscriminate  search  on  the 
high  seas.  Pie  resigned  in  1842,  and  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate 
in  1845,  which  place  he  resigned  on  being  nominated  by  the  Democratic 
party  for  President,  in  1848.  ^ 

Being  defeated,  he  was  again  elected  to  the  Senate,  in  1849.  In  this  posi- 
tion he  greatly  distinguished  himself  as  an  able,  eloquent,  and  ready 
debater.  In  1857  he  was  appointed,  by  President  Buchanan,  Sccretarj'  of 
State,  which  position  he  held  until  December,  1800,  when  he  resigned,  be- 
cause Mr.  Buchanan  refused  to  reinforce  Eort  IMoultrie,  and  retired  to 
Detroit,  never  afterward  taking  active  part  in  public  affairs.  ^ 

Mr.  Cass  was  extremely  temperate  in  his  habits,  never,  in  the  slightest 
degree,  indulging  in  the  use  of  ardent  spirits.  .  He  died,  June  17,  18GG./ 


98.   CHAELES  G.  ATHEETON. 

Charles  G-.  Athertox  was  bom  in  Amherst,  Ne-w  Hampsliire,  in  1804. 
His  early  education  was  received  at  Lome.  His  mother,  a  woman  of  uncom- 
mon g-ift  and  piety,  assumed  the  whole  charge  of  her  son's  education,  and 
taught  him  the  rudiments  of  the  English  as  well  as  the  Latin  tongue. 

When  of  a  suitable  age  to  be  sent  from  home,  he  Avent  to  the  Academy 
at  Lancaster,  Massachusetts,  at  that  time  a  school  of  much  celebrity,  and 
under  the  charge  of  Jared  Sparks,  the  remowned  biographical  historian. 

Here  he  remained  until  1817,  when,  losing  his  mother,  he  returned  home ; 
and,  finishing  his  preparations  for  college  in  his  father's  office,  entered  Har- 
vard University,  in  1818,  and  graduated  in  1822.  He  immediately  began  the 
study  of  law  in  his  father's  office  ;  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1825  ;  and 
opened  an  office  in  Dunstable,  N.  H.  (In  1836  the  name  of  this  town  was 
changed  to  Nashua.) 

Here,  for  the  space  of  four  years,  he  assiduously  applied  himself  to  the 
duties  of  his  profession,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  finding  his  business 
widely  extending,  and  his  fame  as  a  lawyer  rapidly  rising  at  the  bar  of  his 
native  State. 

In  1829  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democratic  party  as  a  candidate  for 
State  Representative,  but  failed  to  be  elected. 

The  next  year,  however,  he  was  elected  ;  and  the  two  following  suffered 
defeat ;  but  was  chosen  Clerk  of  the  Senate  for  both  those  years.  In  1833 
he  was  re-elected  to  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  was  called  upon  to 
preside  over  the  deliberations  of  that  body. 

He  was  re-elected  in  1834,  '35,  and  '36,  and  in  each  year  was  chosen  Speaker 
— an  office  he  filled  with  great  dignity  and  impartiality,  as  well  as  with  the 
entire  approbation  of  the  House.  In  1837,  Mr.  Atherton  was  transferred  to 
the  United  States  House  of  Representatives,  holding  his  seat  until  1842, 
when  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  for  six  years. 

Having  served  out  his  term  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituency 
in  the  Granite  State,  as  well  as  to  the  party  generally,  in  the  country,  he 
retired  to  Nashua  in  1849,  and  engaged  in  the  active  duties  of  his  profes- 
sion, where  he  acquired  considerable  celebrity  as  a  sound  lawyer  and  an 
able  advocate. 

In  1852  he  was  elected  once  m.ore  to  the  upper  branch  of  Congress,  and 
took  his  seat  on  the  4th  of  March  following. 

He  did  not  live,  however,  to  serve  out  his  term,  for  on  the  15th  day  of 
November  of  that  year  he  died,  in  the  fiftieth  year  of  his  age. 


99.  JOHN   DAVIS. 

JoKX  Davis  was  bom  in  Nortliboro',  Massachusetts,  January  13,  1787. 

He  Avent  through  the  ordinary  preparation,  and  entered  Yale  College  in 
18C8,  and  graduated  with  much  credit  to  himself  in  1812.  After  a  duo 
course  of  legal  reading,  he  opened  a  la\y  office  in  "Worcester,  Mass.,  in  IS  15. 

Rising  steadily  in  his  profession,  his  unselfish  and  honest  course  of  life 
elevated  him  to  a  high  position  in  the  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him. 

He  took  a  deep  and  lively  interest  in  all  the  institutions  of  his  adjpted 
town,  and  his  voice,  his  influence,  and  his  example,  were  ever  on  the  side  of 
all  great  reforms. 

Education  received  his  fostering  care,  while  the  Asylum  for  the  Insane 
and  the  Antiquarian  Society,  which  had  been  established  in  Worcester, 
became  the  objects  of  his  patronage  and  practical  solicitude. 

He  commenced  his  political  career  in  1825  as  Representative  to  the  Con- 
gress of  the  United  States,  which  position  he  held  eight  years. 

Here  he  soon  experienced  the  proud  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  the 
weight  of  moral  character  is  more  than  that  of  mere  political  influence. 
He  commanded  the  entire  resj:)ect  of  both  parties,  and  when  he  rose  to 
address  the  Chair,  he  received  the  silent  and  respectful  attention  of  all 
parts  of  the  House. 

In  1884,  he  was  chosen  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  re-elected  in 
1835.  In  1836  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate,  and  in  1841  was 
again  chosen  Governor,  which  office  he  held  for  three  successive  terms. 

On  the  death  of  Senator  Bates,  he  was  elected  to  fill  the  unexpired  term 
of  that  gentleman  in  the  United  States  Senate,  and  was  re-elected  for  a 
second  term  to  the  same  body  for  six  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time 
he  retired  to  the  bosom  of  his  family  to  spend  the  evening  of  his  days,  free 
from  the  entanglements  of  politics  and  the  labors  and  vexations  of  public 
office,  and  to  repose  on  his  well-earned  laurels.  He  did  not  live  long  to  en- 
joy that  repose,  for  he  died  suddenly,  at  Worcester,  April  19,  1854,  aged 
sixty-seven. 

The  name  of  John  Davis  was  a  sjnionym  of  all  that  was  noble  and  manly 
in  life.  It  passed  into  a  by- word  and  a  proverb,  until  he  was  known  every- 
where in  the  whole  land  as  "  Honest  John  Davis."  He  attained  this  fame 
by  a  long  and  uninterrupted  course  of  single,  straightforward,  honest  deal- 
ing in  all  the  actions  of  his  life. 

He  was,  for  thirty  years,  mixed  up  with  the  principal  political  actors  of 
our  country,  without  a  soil  or  stain,  nor  even  a  mark  of  the  fire  on  his  moral 
robes. 


404ltR 


100.  EDWAED   EVEEETT. 

Edward  Evekett  was  born  in  Dorchester,  Massachusetts,  in  April, 
1794. 

He  entered  Harvard  College  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  and  graduated  at 
seventeen,  with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class.  Having  studied  divinity, 
he  was  ordained  pastor  of  Brattle  Square  Unitarian  Society,  in  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  where  he  officiated  for  two  years,  with  great  popularity. 
Here  he  acquired  the  habit  of  "  memoritor"  speaking,  for  which  he  was 
always  after  so  remarkable — not  having  been  known,  in  a  single  instance, 
to  consult  his  notes  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

In  1814,  having  accepted  the  office  of  Greek  Professorship  of  Harvard 
College,  he  traveled  in  Europe  four  years,  spending  more  than  two  years  at 
the  famous  University  of  Gottingen.  On  his  return,  in  1819,  he  entered 
at  once  upon  the  duties  of  his  Professorship,  in  the  discharge  of  which  he 
won  the  reputation  of  being  the  first  Greek  scholar  of  the  ago. 

He  soon  after  became  editor  of  the  North  Americnn  lleview,  and  infused 
into  its  dying  pages  new  life,  elevating  its  literary  tone  and  character,  and 
vindicating  ..American  principles  and  institutions  against  British  travelers 
and  critics. 

In  1824  he  delivered  the  annual  oration  before  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  So- 
ciety, at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts.  The  peroration  (being  dedicated 
to  Lafayette,  who  was  present)  touched  a  chord  of  sympathy  which  brought 
the  whole  audience  rising  to  their  feet,  and,  with  tears  of  gratitude,  gave 
the  veteran  hero  such  a  welcome  shout  as  none  but  patriot  hearts  ever  feel, 
and  patriot  lips  express. 

In  1825  he  was  sent  to  Congress  from  the  Middlesex  district,  and  con- 
tinued to  occupy  his  seat  for  ten  years.  In  1885  he  retired  from  Congress, 
and  was  elected  Governor  of  Massachusetts  for  four  successive  years.  In 
1841  he  was  appointed  Minister  to  England,  for  which  position  he  was  pre- 
eminently qualified. 

On  his  return,  in  1845,  he  was  elected  President  of  Harvard  College, 
which  position  he  resigned  in  1849.  On  the  death  of  Daniel  Webster,  in 
1852,  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of  State,  by  President  Eilmore,  which 
office  he  resigned  for  a  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate.  This  position  he 
also  resigned  in  1855.  He  afterward  added  to  his  reputation  by  delivering 
orations  on  the  Life  of  Washington,  and  other  topics,  all  being  for  charita- 
ble purposes. 

He  was  the  intimate  friend  of  Daniel  Webster,  and  wrote  the  best  life 
extant  of  that  distinguished  man. 

In  18G0  he  was  nominated  for  Vice-President,  by  the  L^nion  party,  but 
was  defeated.  Mr.  Everett's  greatest  days  were  his  last.  He  then  broke 
away  from  his  own  traditions  and  associations,  and  mounted  to  that  wise, 
large  patriotism  which  has  guided  twenty  loyal  millions  to  life  and  glory. 
He  waited  not  till  victory  crowned  our  arms,  but  in  those  first  days  his 
clarion  voice  sounded  over  the  land  for  the  victory  of  our  arms. 

His  voice  was  last  heard  January  12,  18G5,  for  the  relief  of  the  Savannah 
sufferers,  where  he  caught  a  cold  that  terminated  his  life,  January  15, 1865. 


101.  JOHN  J.   CEITTENDEN. 

John  J.  Crittenden  \\ras  born  in  September,  1786,  in  Yroodford 
County,  Kentucky.  When  quite  young  he  entered  the  army,  and  during 
the  war  of  1812  he  served  as  Major,  under  General  Hopkins,  and  as  aid-de- 
camp to  Grovernor  Shelby,  at  the  battle  of  the  Thames.  After  studying 
law,  he  opened  an  office  in  Frankfort,  Kentucky,  where  he  speedily  rose  to 
a  high  position  in  his  profession.  He  served  a  number  of  years  in  the 
State  Legislature,  and  was  chosen  Speaker. 

His  uncommon  talents,  combined  with  the  ease  and  fluency  of  his  public 
address,  made  him  a  popular  man  with  his  party ;  while  his  sound  judg- 
ment, and  powers  of  close,  cogent  argument,  marked  him  as  a  growing 
lawyer  and  budding  statesman. 

In  1817  he  was  elected  by  the  Whig  party  to  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States. 

After  two  years'  service  he  returned  to  Frankfort,  and  for  the  space  of 
sixteen  years  devoted  himself  to  the  duties  of  his  profession,  and  rose  to 
the  highest  rank  as  a  lawyer,  being  retained  in  all  the  most  difficult  and 
abstruse  legal  questions  which  came  befoi'e  the  courts  of  Kentucky.  During 
this  period  he  occasionally  served  in  the  Legislature. 

In  1835  he  was  once  more  called  into  public  life  by  an  election  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  from  which  time  he  continued  to  serve  his  country  in 
various  capacities  until  his  death.  He  occupied  his  seat  in  the  Senate  for 
six  years,  and  in  1841  was  appointed,  by  President  Harrison,  Attorney- 
General  of  the  United  States;  but,  in  September,  1841,  Mr.  Tyler  having 
succeeded  General  Harrison  to  the  Presidency,  he  resigned,  with  other 
members  of  the  Cabinet,  and  retired  to  private  life. 

He  was  soon,  however,  called,  by  the  Legislature,  to  resume  his  seat  in 
the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  in  1842,  to  fill  an  unexpired  term  ;  and  waa 
again  elected,  to  serve  for  six  years  from  1848  ;  but,  in  1848,  having  received 
the  Whig  nomination  for  Governor  of  Kentucky,  he  retired  from  the  Senate, 
and  was  elected  to  that  office,  which  he  held  until  his  appointment  as  Attor- 
ney-General by  President  Filmore. 

This  position  he  held  throughout  that  administration,  discharging  its 
duties  with  a  fidelity  and  ability  alike  honorable  to  himself  and  the  Govern- 
ment he  helped  to  administer.  He  was  again  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1855,  for  the  term  ending  March  4,  18G1,  and  was,  when  he  re- 
tired, the  oldest  member  of  that  body. 

He  was  elected,  in  1860,  a  Representative  from  Kentucky  to  the  Thirty- 
seventh  Congress. 

Daring  the  excitement  in  Congress  preceding  the  seceding  of  the  South- 
ern States,  Mr.  Crittenden  brought  forward  his  plan  of  adjusting  the  diffi- 
culty, which  were  designated  as  "The  Crittenden  Compromise  Measures." 
They  were  not  accepted,  and  when  the  Rebellion  commenced,  Mr.  Crittenden 
was  found  on  the  side  of  the  L^nion.     He  died  July  25,  1863. 


102.   ALBEET  S.  JOHNSTON. 

General  Ai>bert  Sidney  Johnston  was  born  in  the  year  1803,  in  Macon 
County,  Kentucky,  and  received  liis  early  education  atjbhe  Transylvania 
University,  in  that  State. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  entered  the  West  Point "  academy  as  a  cadet, 
and  graduated  on  the  30th  of  June,  182(j.  He  was  breveted  Second  Lieu.- 
tcnant  in  the  Second  Infantry,  but  "was  subsequently  transferred,  in  1827, 
to  the  Sixth  Infantry,  and  served  as  Adjutant  of  his  regiment  from  1828  to 
1832.  From  May  8  to  the  year  1833,  he  was  Aid  to  Brigadier-General  At- 
kinson. .-^ 

On  the  31st  of  May,  1834,  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  Keguiar 
Army,  and  went  to  reside  in  Missouri. 

In  1830  he  emigrated  to  Texas,  arriving  there  shortly  after  the  battle  of 
San  Jacinto.  There,  alone,  and  perfectly  unknown,  he  determined  to  begin 
a  new  career. .  At  the  time  he  entered  Texas,  an  intestine  war  was  raging, 
and,  without  hesitation,  he  entered  the  Republican  army,  in  General  Rusk's 
division,  as  a  private  soldier.  The  General  speedily  discovered  his  abilities, 
and  made  him  Adjutant-General  of  his  command.  Subsequently,  he  was 
made  senior  Brigadier-General  of  the  Texan  ai'my,  and  was  appointed  to 
succeed  General  Felix  Houston  in  the  chief  command. 

In  1838  he  was  chosen  Secretary  of  War  of  the  new  Republic,  Under 
President  Lamar ;  and  the  following  year  ho  organized  an  expedition  against 
the  Cherokees,  seven  hundred  strong,  who  were  defeated  at  a  battle  on  the 
Neuches.  ~' 

In  1840  he  retired  from  the  service,  and  settled  on  a  plantation  in  Bra- 
zonia  County,  near  Galveston.  Here  he  remained,  qxxietly  attending  to  his 
new  home,  until  the  Mexican  War  broke  out,  in  184G,  when,  at  the  request 
of  General  Taylor,  he  allowed  his  daring  spirit  to  again  find  vent  in  the 
battle-field,  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  the  First  Texas  Regiment,  serving 
as  such  from  June  18,  to  August  24, 1840,  when  he  was  appointed  Aid  and 
Inspector-General  to  General  Butler,  and  in  that  capacity  he  was  in  the 
famous  battle  of  Monterey ;  where,  during  the  fight,  his  horse  was  three 
times  shot  under  him. 

On  the  declaration  of  peace,  he  retired  to  his  farm ;  but,  on  the  31st  of  Oc- 
tober, 1849  he  was  appointed,  by  President  Taylor,  Paymaster  of  the  Regular 
Army,  with  rank  of  Major.  In  the  fall  of  1857,  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Buchanan  to  the  command  of  the  Utah  Expedition,  sent  to  quell  the  Mor- 
mons, who  had  shown  much  disturbance,  where,  for  his  ability,  zeal,  and 
energy,  he  was  breveted  Brigadier-General  (dating  from  November,  1847), 
and  full  Commander  of  the  Military  District  of  Utah,  and  was  afterward 
sent  to  California,. 

When  Texas  seceded,  he  resigned  his  commission,  joined  the  Confederate 
army,  and  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Department  of  Kentucky, 
with  headquarters  at  Bowling  Green. 

The  fall  of  Fort  Donaldson  made  the  evacuation  of  Bowling  Green  imper- 
ative, and  he  joined  General  Beauregard  at  Corinth,  where  their  united 
forces  were  prepared,  early  in  April,  to  strike  a  heavy  blow  at  the  enemy, 
Vv'hich  was  attempted  on  the  field  of  Shiloh. 

General  Johnston  was  in  the  advance,  driving  the  enemy  before  him, 
when,  at  two  o'clock  of  April  0, 18G2,  a  minnic-ball  cut  the  artery  of  his  leg. 
Stiil  he  rode  on,  until,  from  loss  of  blood,  he  fell  exhausted,  and,  at  half-past 
two,  quietly  breathed  his  last.  Thus,  early  in  the  war,  died  one  of  the  most 
fearless  soldiers  and  ablest  e-enerals  of  the  Rebel  arm  v. 


103.  GEX.  JOHN  SEDGWICK. 

Gen.  John  Sedgwick  Tvas  born  at  Cornwall,  Connecticut,  in  1815, 
graduated  at  West  Point,  in  1837  ;  was  breveted  Major  and  Captain  for  gal- 
lant conduct  in  the  Mexican  War  ;  and  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion 
held  the  position  of  Lieutenant  in  the  United  States  Cavalry  ;  soon  promoted 
to  Colonel  of  the  4th  Cavalry;  and,  in  August,  ISGl,  was  commissioned 
Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers.  As  commander  of  the  3d  Division  of 
Sumner's  Corps  he  participated  in  the  Peninsular  campaign,  and  particularly 
distinguished  himself  at  Fair  Oaks. 

fie  was  wounded  at  Antietam,  promoted  to  Major-General  of  Volunteers 
in  December,  1862,  and  to  the  command  of  the  6th  Army  Corps  in  February, 
1863.  During  the  Chancellorsville  campaign  he  stormed  and  captured  St. 
Marie  Heights  in  the  rear  of  Fredericksburg  ;  and,  subsequently,  after  hard 
fighting  against  overwhelming  numbers,  succeeded  in  crossing  the  Rap- 
pahannock with  his  command.  He  had  an  honorable  share  in  the  Gettys- 
burg campaign;  and,  in  November,  1863,  was  publicly  thanked  by  General 
Meade  for  a  well-executed  movement  on  the  Rapidan,  by  which  he  captured 
a  whole  Rebel  division,  with  several  guns  and  colors,  and  compelled  Leo  to 
retreat  beyond  the  river. 

Pie  took  an  active  and  important  share  in  the  battles  of  the  "Wilderness, 
with  which  General  Grant  began  his  advance  upon  Richmond,  in  May,  1864. 
On  Friday,  the  6th,  the  second  day  of  the  fight,  his  corps  was  suddenly  and 
fiercely  assailed,  and  nearly  two  brigades  under  his  command  were  swept 
away.  The  whole  right  wing,  and,  indeed,  the  whole  army  was  in  imminent 
peril,  but  Sedgwick,  by  incessant  exertion  and  personal  exposure,  rallied  his 
troops,  and  finally  repulsed  the  enemy.  On  Saturday  and  Sunday  the  fight- 
ing was  frequent  and  less  severe. 

On  Monday,  there  was  comparative  quiet.  The  army  was  entrenched 
near  Spottsylvania  Court-House,  and  General  Sedgwick  walked  out  to  the 
advance  of  his  breast-works  to  superintend  the  placing  of  his  artillery. 
A  constant  humming  of  bullets  from  the  Rebel  sharp-shooters  about  this 
place,  caused  the  soldiers  in  the  works  to  dodge  and  duck  their  heads. 
The  General  smiled  at  them  good-naturedly,  and  said,  "Who  ever  heard  of 
a  soldier  dodging  a  bullet  ?  AVhy,  they  could  not  hit  an  elephant  at  this 
distance."  There  was  a  laugh  at  this,  and  the  General  was  still  smiling  at 
the  banter,  when  one  of  his  staff  heard  the  buzz  of  a  bullet  culminate  in 
what  seemed  an  explosion,  close  by  his  side.  "That  must  have  been  an 
explosive  bu  let.  General,"  he  said.  Xo  answer.  But  as  the  General  turned 
his  face  toward  the  offifcr,  a  sad  smile  was  upon  it ;  in  another  instant  he 
fell  backward,  lifeless — the  bullet  had  entered  his  brain  !  Thus  died.  May 
9,  1864,  one  of  the  best  examples  of  a.  practical  soldier  this  war  has  pro- 
duced. 

General  Sedgwick  was  a  bachelor ;  and  probably  on  account  of  the  ab- 
sence of  marital  ties,  he  attached  himself  more  strongly  to  those  with  whom 
he  was  connected  in  the  intimate  relations  of  the  camp.  He  lived  among 
his  staff  like  a  father  among  children.  He  was  exceedingly  quiet  in  his 
deportment,  and  in  matters  pertaining  to  his  profession  he  was  fully  posted. 

Ho  thoroughly  understood  all  the  duties  of  a  soldier,  and  could  handle 
his  corps  with  a  prompitude  and  decision  not  excelled  by  any  other  com- 
mander. His  faithful  performance  of  duty  was  instigated  by  a  love  of  the 
profession,  uot  from  ambition  for  renown  or  position :  for  both  had  been 
offered,  hipi, 


104.  GENEEAL  \V.  J.  WOETH. 

W.  J.  Worth  was  born  in  Ne-w  York  in  1794.  His  early  education  wa3 
plain  and  limited.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  commenced  his  career  as  clerk 
to  a  merchant  in  Hudson,  New  York.  Three  years  later,  on  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war  of  1812,  he  enlisted  in  the  ranks  as  a  private  soldier.  He 
did  not  long  remain  in  that  humble  station.  His  skill  and  energy,  as  well 
as  his  invincible  courage,  which  even  then  began  to  appear,  did  not  go 
unnoticed  by  his  superiors,  and  he  was,  in  a  short  time,  promoted  to  a 
Lieutenancy  in  the  Twenty-Third  Regiment. 

His  military  career  fairly  commenced  at  the  battle  of  Chippewa,  where 
his  valor  was  rewarded  by  the  brevet  of  Captain ;  and  at  the  sanguinary 
battle  of  Lundy's  Lane,  his  sword  won  for  him  a  Major's  commission.  So 
rapidly  did  he  rise,  that  in  two  years  after  he  entered  the  ranks  as  a  private, 
we  find  him  spurring  his  charger  across  the  field  as  a  commissioned  officer. 

On  the  promulgation  of  peace,  Colonel  "Worth  was  appointed  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Military  School  at  West  Point,  which  office  he  held  until  he 
was  sent  to  Florida  to  succeed  General  Armistead,  in  1841. 

On  assuming  command  in  Florida,  Colonel  Worth  immediately  com- 
menced the  most  active  and  energetic  measures  ;  and  on  the  17th  of  April, 
1842,  he  forced  the  Indians  to  battle  at  Polaklaklaba,  and  so  thoroughly 
whipped  them  that  they  could  not  afterwards  be  induced  to  meet  him  in 
anything  like  a  fair  fight.  For  his  gallantry  on  this  occasion  he  was  bre- 
vetted  Brigadier-General. 

On  the  commencement  of  hostilities  in  Mexico,  General  Worth  was 
detached  to  Corpus  Christ!  to  join  General  Taylor.  Dissatisfied  with  his 
relative  position,  he  hastened  to  Washington,  and  resigned  his  commission. 
In  the  meantime,  the  gallant  actions  of  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma 
had  been  telegraphed  to  the  capital.  Stung  by  remorse,  that  he  should 
have  suffered  such  fair  fields  whereon  to  gather  laurels  to  escape  him,  ho 
canceled  his  resignation,  and,  flying  back  to  Mexico,  reached  the  army 
while  it  was  investing  Monterey, 

Dividing  his  army  into  nearly  two  equal  divisions,  General  Taylor  lead- 
ing one,  gave  the  other  to  the  gallant  Worth.  They  led  their  forces  against 
the  town  in  opposite  directions.  Worth  carried  all  the  forts  on  the  Saltillo 
Road,  and  entered  the  streets  just  as  the  town  capitulated  to  General  Taylor, 
who  had  reached  the  Plaza  on  the  other  side.  For  his  exploits  here.  Worth 
was  made  Brevet  Major-General.  At  Molina  Del  Rey,  by  almost  superhu- 
man efforts,  he  assaulted  and  successfully  carried  that  nearly  impregnable 
fortress.  He  also  fought  with  distinction  at  Cerro  Gordo,  Cherubusco, 
and  at  the  storming  of  the  gates  of  Mexico. 

After  facing  death  on  so  many  battle-fields,  he  fell  a  victim  to  cholera, 
at  San  Antonia  de  Bexar,  Texas,  May  7,  1849. 

After  Taylor  and  Scott,  he  was,  perhaps,  the  most  efficient — certainly, 
the  most  popular — of  the  Generals  in  the  war  with  Mexico. 


105.  JAMES   S.   WAEDSWOETH. 

James  S.  Wardswortii  was  born  in  Geneseo,  Isevr  York,  October  30, 
1S07.  He  was  educated  at  Harvard  and  Yale  Colleges,  and  studied  law 
with  McKeon  &  Denniston,  at  Albany,  and  afterward  with  Daniel  "Webster. 

He  Avas  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1838,  to  which  profession,  however,  he 
did  not  give  much  of  his  time,  for,  having  inherited  an  immense  estate  in 
one  of  the  finest  regions  of  Western  New  York,  he  devoted  himself  chiefly 
to  its  improvement. 

Although  he  never  held  office,  he  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  political 
questions  of  the  day,  and  became  a  prominent  member  of  the  Republican 
party. 

On  the  withdrawal  of  the  seceding  States  from  the  Union,  he  was 
appointed  one  of  the  Commissioners  to  the  Peace  Conference  which  met  in 
Washington,  February  4,  1801. 

He  afterward,  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  embarked  heartily 
in  the  cause  of  the  Union,  and  was  proposed  by  Governor  Morgan  for  a 
Major-Generalship,  but  he  waived  the  honor  in  favor  of  General  Dix. 

He  served  as  volunteer  aid  to  General  McDowell  at  the  first  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  displaying  great  gallantry  and  coolness,  and,  after  having  his 
horse  shot  under  him,  seized  the  colors  of  a  panic-stricken  regiment,  and 
called  upon  the  men  to  "  rally  -jnce  more  for  the  glorious  Old  Fl(ig"  August 
9,  1861,  he  was  commissioned  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers,  and  in 
March,  1862,  was  appointed  Military  Governor  of  the  District  of  Columbia, 
and  commander  of  the  forces  for  the  defense  of  Washington. 

That  year  he  was  nominated  for  Governor  of  Xew  York,  but  was  defeated 
by  Horatio  Seymour. 

In  December,  1862,  he  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Eleventh 
Army  Corps,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  under  General 
Hooker.  At  Gettysburg  he  commanded  the  First  Division  of  the  First 
Corp-,  and  distinguished  himself  by  personal  daring,  and  skillful  manage- 
ment of  his  troops. 

On  the  first  day  of  Grant's  battles  in  the  Wilderness,  May  5,  1864,  his 
division  lost  nearly  a  third  of  its  numbei's.  On  the  next  day,  the  0th,  he 
was  ordered  to  attack  A.  P.  Hill. 

For  more  than  an  hour  the  conflict  raged  fearfully ;  success  appeared  to 
waver ;  and,  finally.  General  Wardsworth  ordered  his  men  to  charge.  He 
was  answered  by  cheer  upon  cheer,  for  his  men  knew  that  when  gray- 
headed  "Pap  Wardsworth"  rode  into  the  fight,  there  was  fighting  to  be 
done. 

Spurring  his  horse  to  the  front,  he  was  in  the  act  of  leading  his  troops, 
hat  in  hand,  when  a  bullet  struck  him  in  the  forehead,  killing  him  instantly, 
Mav  0,  1804. 


106.  JESSE   L.   HENO. 

Jesse  L.  Reno,  IMajor-General  of  Volunteers  iu  the  United  States 
Army,  was  born  in  Virginia,  in  18.2o.  He  was  appointed  a  cadet  in  the 
Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  from  Pennsylvania,  and  graduated  in 
1840,  and  commissioned  Brevet  >Second  Lieutenant  in  the  Ordnance  Depart- 
ment. 

He  served  with  distinction  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  was  promoted  for 
gallantry  at  Cerro  Gordo.  He  commanded  a  howitzer  battery  at  the  storm- 
ing of  Chcpultepec,  in  which  engagement  he  was  severely  wounded,  and 
breveted  Captain.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  appointed  Assistant-Pro- 
fessor of  Mathematics  at  West  Point,  where  he  remained  but  a  short  time, 
and  was  then  appointed  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Artillery. 

He  was  subsequently  connected  with  the  coast  survey,  and,  upon  with- 
drawing from  that  service,  assisted  in  the  construction  of  a  military  road 
from  Big  Sioux  to  St.  Paul. 

He  was  promoted  to  be  First  Lieutenant  of  Ordnance,  March  3,  1853. 
In  1854  he  was  stationed  at  the  Frankford  Arsenal,  at  Bridesburg,  Penn., 
where  he  remained  about  three  years  ;  and  then  accompanied  General  John- 
ston to  Utah,  as  Ordnance  Officer.  He  was  stationed  at  the  Mount  Vernon 
arsenal  in  1859,  and,  afterward,  at  Fort  Leavenworth. 

In  July,  1860,  he  was  made  Captain  of  Ordnance,  and,  in  November, 
1861,  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers.  He  commanded  the  Second  Brigade 
in  Burnside's  expedition  to  North  Carolina;  was  distinguished  at  the  battle 
of  Roanoke  Island  for  the  gallantry  with  which  he  led  the  attack  against 
Fort  Barton;  participated  in  the  capture  of  Newbern,  and  other  important 
military  operations,  and  in  July,  1802,  was  ordered  to  reinforce  General 
McClellan,  on  the  Peninsula,  About  this  time  he  was  promoted  to  be 
Major-General  of  Volunteers,  his  commission  dating  frum  April  20.  Sub- 
sequently, he  was  sent  to  Fredericksburg,  whence  he  joined  General 
Pope,  then  commanding  the  Army  of  Virginia,  and  took  part  in  the  actions 
near  Manassas,  at  the  closo  of  August,  1862. 

At  the  battle  of  South  Mountain,  his  division  was  in  advance,  and  was 
engaged  during  the  whole  day.  General  Reno  was  conspicuous  for  his  gal- 
lantry and  activity,  and  the  success  of  the  day  was  greatly  owing  to  his 
efforts.  He  was  shot,  w^hile  giving  orders,  early  in  the  evening  of  Septem- 
ber. 14,  1802.  He  was  engaged  at  the  moment  in  observing  the  enemy's 
movements,  by  the  aid  of  a  glass,  and  was  struck  in  the  spine  by  a  musket- 
ball,  lodging  in  his  breast. 

Thus  closed  the  career  of  one  of  the  bravest  and  most  useful  officers  of 
the  Union  army,  who,  to  his  honor  be  it  noted,  though  born  a  Virginian, 
like  many  other  Southerners,  rose  superior  to  sectional  feelings,  and  felt  the 
fire  of  a  higher  patriotism  in  their  devotion  to  their  whole  country. 


107.  EDWIN   y.    SUMNEE. 

j\Iajor-Genei-al  Edwix  V.  Su.mner  was  born  in  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
in  the  year  1T9G.  He  was  educated  at  the  academy  at  Milton,  and,  without 
<rraduating-  at  West  Point,  entered  the  army,  under  tlie  patronapre  of  tlie 
Commander-iu-Cliief,  General  Jacob  Brown,  in  1819,  as  Second  Lieutenant 
of  Iuf^ontry. 

He  served  in  the  Black  HaAvk  war  with  credit,  and  was  transferred  to 
the  Second  Dragoons,  with  the  rank  of  Captain.  This  brought  him  into 
active  service  on  the  Western  frontier,  as  an  Indian  fighter,  where  he 
acquired  a  high  reputation.  In  1838,  Sumner  was  appointed  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  Cavalry  School  of  Practice  at  Carlisle  Barracks,  Pennsylvania. 
H-sre  his  previous  experience  and  energetic  character  made  him  an  efficient 
officer. 

It  was  not  until  after  twenty-seven,  years  of  military  service,  in  184G, 
that  he  attained  the  rank  of  Major. 

The  Mexican  war  now  offered  him  an  opportunity  for  exhibiting  his 
abilities.  He  was  with  Scott's  army  fi'om  its  landing  till  the  conquest  of 
the  capitol,  and  highly  distinguished  himself  wherever  an  opportunity 
offered — at  the  bridge  of  Medelin.  near  Vera  Cruz ;  in  the  assault  on  Cerro 
Gordo,  where  he  was  wounded,  and  for  his  gallantry  breveted  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  ;  at  Molino  del  Key,  where  he  held  his  position  and  kept  five  thousand 
Mexican  Lancers  in  check,  under  a  constant  fire,  and  contributed  greatly  to 
the  success  of  the  American  array,  and  was  breveted  Colonel.  In  J  851,  '52, 
and  '53  he  was  in  command  of  New  Mexico. 

Ii  1854  he  visited  Europe,  on  official  business,  to  report  on  improve- 
ments in  the  Cavalry  service. 

Again  employed  on  the  frontier,  he  conducted  a  successful  expedition 
against  the  Cheyenne  warriors  in  Kansas,  and  was  appointed  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  Western  Department,  rendering  efficient  service  by  his  energy 
and  moderation  during  the  Kansas  troubles. 

The  Rebellion  brought  this  able  and  well-tried  officer  to  a  position  more 
worthy  of  his  claims.  He  was  appointed  to  the  vacancy  made  by  the 
treason  of  Twiggs,  and  sent  to  the  Department  of  the  Pacific ;  but  Avas  re- 
called, in  1863,  to  active  service  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

In  the  campaign  of  the  Peninsula,  he  was  actively  employed,  and  turned 
the  fortunes  of  the  day,  in  the  repulse  of  the  Confederates,  at  Fair  Oaks. 
He  was  highly  distinguished  in  the  Seven  Days'  Battles,  and  was  there 
again  wounded. 

Having  received  the  rank  of  Major-General  of  Volunteers,  and  Brevet 
Major-General  in  the  Regular  army,  he  took  command  of  the  Second  Ci)rps 
in  the  brief  campaign  in  Maryland,  in  September,  18G2,  when,  at  the  bloody 
battle  of  Antietam,  he  Avas  again  wounded. 

He  was  with  Burnside  at  Fredericksburg,  his  division  being  the  first  to 
cross  the  Rappahannock.  Its  attacks  upon  the  enemy's  position  were  m.ido 
with  the  greatest  gallantry,  and  reported  the  heaviest  losses.  He  was  next 
appointed  to  the  Department  of  Missouri,  but  was  suddenly  taken  ill,  at 
Svracuso,  New  York,  where  he  had  been  sojourning  for  a  short  time,  and 
died  on  the  21st  of  March,  18G3. 


108.  WINFIELD  SCOTT. 

General  WiNFiELD  Scott  was  born  in  Petersburg-,  Virginia,  June  13, 
1786.  He  chose  the  legal  profession,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1806, 
at  the  age  of  twenty. 

When  the  war  of  1812  broke  out,  he  applied  for,  and  received,  a  com- 
mission of  Captain  of  Artillery,  and  accompanied  General  Hull  in  his  in- 
glorious campaign.  His  first  fight  was  at  Queenstown  Heights,  with  four 
hundred  men  against  thirteen  hundred ;  and,  although  defeated  and  taken 
prisoner,  he  fought  with  desperate  valor.  After  being  exchanged,  he  re- 
turned to  the  ground  of  his  former  exploits,  took  Fort  Erie,  and  fought  the 
bloody  battles  of  Chippewa  and  Lundy's  Lane,  in  which  he  exhibited  rare 
and  mature  military  knowledge.  In  the  latter  engagement  he  was  severely 
wounded. 

Congress  voted  him  a  large  medal,  inscribed  with  the  names  of  **  Chip- 
pewa and  Niagara,"  and  bearing  his  likeness.  After  the  war,  he  served  his 
country  in  various  capacities,  as  a  soldier  and  a  civilian. 

In  1841,  on  the  death  of  General  Malcolm,  he  became  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  Army. 

His  military  career  in  the  late  Mexican  War  reflects  the  highest  credit 
on  his  nunc.  The  taking  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa,  the  storming  of  Cerro 
Gordo,  the  capture  of  Jalapa,  the  taking  of  Parote,  the  occupation  of 
Peubla,  the  negotiations  carried  on  while  the  army  rested  a  while  at  this 
place,  the  fight  at  Contreras,  the  fall  of  San  Antonio,  the  bloody  action  of 
Cherubuseo.  the  fight  at  Molino  del  Rey,  the  bombardment  and  storming  of 
the  almost  inaccessible  Chepultepec,  and  the  final  triumphant  entrance  into 
the  c.ipital  of  Mexico,  are  masterpieces  of  military  execution,  and  placed 
him.  at  once,  among  the  great  iriilitary  heroes  oi  modern  times. 

In  1852  he  was  the  regular  nominee  of  the  Whig  party  for  the  office  of 
President  of  the  United  States,  but  was  defeated  by  General  Pierce,  the 
Democratic  candidate. 

On  the  creation  of  the  office  of  Lieutenant-General  he  was  assigned  to 
that  position,  and  held  it  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Eebellion,  when  he 
organized  the  army,  and  projected  extended  plans  of  operations  against  the 
advance  of  the  Confederate  army  upon  Washington,  and  to  protect  the  loyal 
people  of  all  parts  of  the  Union.  He  continued  in  command  until  Novem- 
ber 1,  1861,  when  his  greatly  advanced  age  and  increasing  infirmities,  led 
him  to  proffer  his  resignation,  which  was  accepted  ;  and  he  was  placed  upon 
the  retir^'d  list,  without  reduction  of  pay  and  emoluments. 

Ho  did  not  cease,  however,  to  take  an  active  interest  in  the  Union  cause 
and  army,  but  freely  consulted  and  advised  with  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  used  his 
powerful  influence  for  its  success. 

Ho  died,  May  29,  1866,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years.  ^ 


109.   THOMAS  J.   JACKSON. 

General  Thomas  J.  Jackson — more  familiarly  known  as  *'  Stonewall 
Jackson'' — "was  born,  January  21,  1824,  in  Harrison  County,  Virginia.  His 
fa  her  died  when  he  was  three  years  old,  leaving*  his  children  penniless.  He 
lived  with  his  uncle,  and  worked  upon  a  farm,  until  he  was  seventeen. 

At  sixteen  ho  was  elected  Constable  of  the  County.  At  seventeen  he 
manag-ed  to  get  into  West  Point  as  a  cadet,  and  graduated,  in  1846,  with 
distinction  ;  was  appointed  Brevet  Lieutenant,  and  immediately  ordered  to 
duty  in  Mexico,  where  he  was  breveted  Captain  and  Major,  for  meritorious 
conduct. 

He  resigned  his  comtaission  in  1852,  and  obtained  a  Professorship  in  the 
Virginia  Military  Academy,  and  continued  in  that  position  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Kebellion. 

On  the  secession  of  Virginia,  he  was  commissioned  Colonel,  and  subse- 
quently Brigadier-G-eneral,  of  Volunteers,  in  the  Confederate  army,  and 
fought  his  first  battle  at  Falling  Waters,  while  acting  as  General  J.  E. 
Johnston's  rear-guard,  in  his  retreat  to  Winchester. 

It  was  while  in  the  Valley,  under  Johnston,  that  he  organized  his  first 
brigade,  which,  at  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  gained  the  sobriquet,  from  its 
leader,  of  the  "  Stonewall  Brigade." 

General  Bee,  when  the  fortunes  of  the  day  seemed  wavering,  and  it  was 
feared  all  would  be  lost,  met  Jackson,  and  said,  bitterly :  "  General,  they 
are  beating  us  !"     Jackson  replied :  "  We  will  give  them  the  bayonet !" 

Bee  galloped  back  to  his  command,  and  called  out  to  his  men,  pointing 
to  Jackson :  "  There  stands  Jackson,  like  a  stone-wall !  Let  us  determine 
to  die  here,  and  we  shall  conquer.     Follow  rae  !" 

The  charge  was  made,  and  was  successful.  General  Jackson  was  ever 
after  knov>-n  as  "Stonewall  Jackson." 

He  was  advanced  to  Major-General,  in  September,  1861,  and  assigned  to 
the  command  of  the  troops  around  Winchester.  General  Jackson,  being 
born  in  the  Valley,  knew  all  its  passes.  He  saw,  from  the  first,  the  im- 
portance that  region  bore  to  the  success  of  the  Rebel  cause,  and  strove  his 
best  to  preserve  it  from  the  possession  of  the  L^nion  forces.  He  expressed 
his  military  opinion,  that  "if  the  Valley  was  lost,  Virginia  would  be  lost." 
All  his  plans  were  laid  with  a  view  of  securing  this  important  region.  He 
alternately  pursued,  and  retreated  before,  the  National  forces,  under  Banks 
and  Fremont. 

June  17,  1862,  he  crossed  over  to  the  Chickahominy,  and  was  engaged  in 
the  seven  days'  battle  and  Malvern  Hill,  and,  afterward,  at  Manassas,  Chan- 
tilly,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg,  and  Chancellorsville,  where  he  was  mor- 
tally wounded,  May  2,  1863,  by  his  own  men,  who  mistook  him  for  the 
enemy,  as  he  was  returning,  after  dusk,  from  the  advance,  Avhere  he  had 
gone  to  view  the  line  of  battle.     He  died  May  10,  1863. 

To  the  South  his  loss  was  irreparable,  and  the  North  had  learned  to  re- 
vspect  him  for  his  indomitable  courage. 


no.   EDWARD  D.  BAUER. 

General  Edwaed  D.  Baker  was  born  in  London,  England,  February 
24,  1811.  His  fother,  a  Quaker,  removed  to  Belleville,  St.  Clair  county, 
Illinois,  wbere  Edward  received  his  early  education;  giving  even  then 
indications  of  the  brilliant  talents  afterward  displayed. 

To  great  industry,  energy,  and  perseverance,  he  uniled  a  memory  al- 
most superhuman;  being  able  to  repeat  whole  pages,  after  a  hasty  peru- 
sal. Hence  the  ready  and  almost  inexhaustible  fund  of  varied  knowl- 
edge, which  in  after  years  astonished  those  who  knew  the  circumstances 
of  his  childhood;  and  which  contributed,  in  no  slight  degree,  to  his  suc- 
cess as  a  public  speaker.  At  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  removed  to  Car- 
roltoa,  Greene  count}-,  where  he  obtained  a  deputy  clerkship  in  the  Coun- 
ty Court;  and,  in  the  interval,  applied  himself  to"  the  study  of  the  law, 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  before  lie  was  of  age,  and  became  fjimous  as  an 
advocate.  In  1838  he  removed  to  Springfield,  where  he  came  in  compe- 
tition with  Douglas,  Lincoln  and  others -"not  one  of  whom  equalled  him 
in  the'ready  flow,  the  brilliancy,  or  the  pathos  of  his  eloquence.  He  was 
elected  Representative  to  Congress  in  1849,  having  previously  held  a  seat 
in  both  Houses  of  the  State  Legislature.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  war 
with  Mexico  he  raised  a  regiment,  as  colonel  of  which  he  was  the  first  to 
embark,  north  of  the  Ohio.  He  rendered  valuable  service  under  Scott, 
and  elicited  warm  commendation  for  his  gallantry  at  Cerro  Gordo. 

He  took  an  active  part  in  building  the  Panama  Railroad,  and  in  1852 
settled  in  San  Francisco,  California,  \vhither  his  reputation  had  preceded 
him,  and  he  soon  built  up  a  large  prictice. 

In  1859  he  removed  to  Oregon,  and  Avas  elected  United  States  Senator, 
for  the  term  expiring  IMarch  4,  18G5. 

He  stumped  the  State  for  Lincoln,  and  secured  for  him  its  electoral 
vote,  in  1860.  In  Congress  his  eloquent  voice— first  heard  in  reply  to 
Senator  Benjamin — showed  the  quality  of  his  genius. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  he  threw  himself,  heart  and  soul,  into  the 
contest  for  the  Union.  He  immediatelv  recruited  a  regiment  in  Philadel- 
phia, called  the  California  Redment,  and  took  the  field  in  the  summer  of 
1861.  On  the  twenty-first  of  ^October  he  led  a  battalion  across  the  Poto- 
mac, at  Ball's  Bluff";  and  whle  gallantly  leading  his  men  against  a  supe- 
rior force,  he  was  shot  from  his  horse  and  killed,  October  21, 1861. 


111.  ANDREW  n/FOOTE 

Admiral  Andrew  H.  Foote,  son  of  the  late  Governor  Foote,  Mras  bom 
in  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  September  12,  180G. 

Yonng-  Foote  was  intended  for  one  of  the  learned  professions,  but  having 
exhibited  a  strong-  inclination  for  the  sea,  he  was  allowed  to  enter  the  Navy, 
as  Acting-Midshipman,  in  1822,  and  made  his  first  cruise  in  the  Grampus, 
under  Commodore  Porter,  against  the  pirates  who  then  infested  the  waters 
of  the  West  Indies.  He  participated  in  this  service  with  credit,  obtained 
his  Midshipman's  warrant  in  1824,  Passed-Midshipman  in  1827,  and  in  18o0 
was  commissioned  a  Lieutenant. 

In  1833  he  joined  the  Delaware,  as  Flag-Lieutenant  of  the  Mediterranean 
Squadron. 

From  1841  to  1843,  Lieutenant  Foote  was  stationed  at  the  l^aval  Asylum 
at  Philadelphia,  where  his  efforts  were  beneficially  directed  toward  amelior- 
ating and  elevating  the  condition  of  the  inmates.  He  prevailed  upon  many 
of  the  "  old  salts"  to  sign  the  temperance-pledge ;  and  on  his  next  cruise,  in 
the  Cumberland,  persuaded  his  whole  crew  to  give  up  their  grog. 

In  1849  he  joined  the  American  squadron  on  the  African  coast,  to  sup- 
press the  slave-trade. 

In  185G  he  was  placed  in  command  of  the  sloop-of-war  Portsmouth,  and 
ordered  to  proceed  to  the  China  station,  arriving  at  Canton  in  October,  just 
previous  to  the  commencement  of  hostilities  between  the  English  and 
Chinese.  He  landed  an  armed  force,  to  protect  American  residents,  when 
his  boat  was  fired  upon  from  the  Barrier  forts.  He  received  permission 
from  Commodore  Armstrong  to  vindicate  the  honor  of  his  flag,  by  an  attack 
upon  the  forts,  which  he  commenced  on  the  21st,  and  on  the  24th  the  Ameri- 
can flag  waved  over  them  all. 

The  outbreak  of  the  recent  Rebellion  found  Commander  Foote  stationed 
at  the  Brooklyn  Navy-Yard. 

In  July,  18G1,  he  received  his  Captain's  commission,  and  in  September 
was  appointed  Flag-Officer  of  the  flotilla  fitting  out  on  the  Western  waters 
to  co-operate  wiih  the  land  forces ;  and  superintended  the  building  and 
equipping  of  the  Government  gunboats  on  the  Mississippi  River  for  that  ex- 
pedition. This  arduous  and  difficult  task  was  completed  before  military 
operations  commenced. 

He  opened  the  campaign  by  co-operating  with  Grant's  armj'  in  the  cap- 
ture of  Fort  Henry,  on  the  Tennessee  River,  and  Fort  Donaldson,  on  the 
Cumberland,  where  he  greatly  distinguished  himself.  He  afterward  con- 
ducted the  naval  attack  on  Island  No.  10,  but  after  its  reduction  was  obliged 
to  relinquish  his  command,  in  consequence  of  a  wound  received  at  Fort 
Donaldson. 

He  returned  to  New  Haven  to  recruit  his  health,  receiving  one  continu- 
ous ovation  from  the  enthusiastic  crowds,  who  greeted  him  with  shouts  of 
approval. 

He  was  subsequently  appointed  Rear-Admiral,  and  Chief  of  the  Bureau 
of  Recruiting  and  Equipment. 

After  regaining  his  health,  he  was  detailed  to  relieve  Admiral  Dupont, 
in  the  South  Atlantic  Squadron,  in  May,  1863,  and  started  on  his  way  to 
assume  the  duties  of  his  new  command,  when,  on  aiTiving  at  New  York,  he 
Avas  attacked  by  a  painful  disease  whibb,  in  two  wteks,  tcrminatetl  his  life. 
He  dkd  da  the  2ii\k  o'f  June,  18G3. 


112.  NATHANIEL   LYON. 

General  Nathaniel  Lyon,  one  of  the  first  Generals  of  the  Union  who 
fell  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  was  born  at  Ashford,  Connecticut,  in  June, 
1819. 

He  was  educated  at  AYest  Point,  graduated  in  1841,  and  was  appointed 
Second  Lieutenant.  He  served  in  Florida  *n  the  Seminole  war,  was  subse- 
quently stationed  on  the  Western  frontier,  and  was  promoted  to  First  Lieu- 
tenant in  1847.  He  served  in  the  Mexican  War,  under  Taylor  and  Scott, 
and  was  promoted,  for  "  meritorious  conduct"  at  Contreras  and  Cherubusco, 
to  Brevet  Captain.  • 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  he  was  in  command  of  the  arsenal 
at  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  The  Government  of  the  L^nited  States  sent  a  re- 
quisition to  Governor  Jackson,  of  Missouri,  for  troops,  with  which  he  refused 
to  comply ;  but,  on  the  25th  of  April,  assembled,  under  General  Frost,  about 
eight  hundred  men,  on  the  outskirts  of  St.  Louis,  ostensibly  to  preserve 
order  in  the  State.  General  Lyon,  in  command  of  the  Union  forces,  on  the 
10th  of  May,  surrounded  them,  and  summoned  them  to  surrender.  General 
Frost,  finding  i-esistance  useless,  surrendered  as  prisoners  of  war. 

On  the  ]  2th  of  June,  Governor  Jackson  issued  a  proclamation  against 
the  L'nited  States,  and  General  Lyon  left  St.  Louis,  on  the  13th,  for  Jeffer- 
son City,  when  Jackson  fled.  General  Lyon,  after  issuing  a  proclamation  to 
the  people  of  the  State,  assuring  them  of  his  intention  to  protect  their  liber- 
ties, persons,  and  property,  and  uphold  the  United  States  Government, 
pursued  Jackson,  who  was  reinforced  by  General  Price,  at  Booneville. 

Here  General  Lyon  attacked  them,  but  they,  under  the  cover  of  a  wood 
kept  up  a  brisk  fire,  which  harrassed  him.  In  order  to  draw  them  out  from 
their  cover,  General  Lyon  ordered  a  hasty  retreat.  The  ruse  siicceeded ; 
the  Rebels  ran  out  into  the  wheat-fields,  when  General  Lyon  halted,  faced 
about,  and  poured  in  such  a  fixe  of  grape  and  musketry  that  they  dropped 
their  arms,  and  fled. 

General  Seigel,  who  was  acting  against  the  Rebels  further  south,  being 
outnumbered,  retreated  toward  Springfield,  where  he  was  reinforced  by 
General  Lyon,  who  assumed  command.  August  2d,  he  met  a  portion  of 
Price's  army,  with  that  of  Ben.  McCulloch.  By  feigning  a  retreat,  he  en- 
ticed them  to  advance,  when  he  suddenly  turned  upon  them,  and,  by  a  few 
well-directed  volleys,  drove  them  away  in  confusion  ;  Price  advancing  with 
a  much  larger  force,  he  fell  back  to  Springfield. 

On  the  9th,  General  Price  made  an  attack  upon  him,  and  was  repulsed 
three  successive  times.  Although  the  Rebels  were  repeatedly  driven  back  in 
confusion,  in  consequence  of  their  great  prepor;  dei'ance  in  numbers,  they 
were  enabled  to  return,  again  and  again,  to  the  charge. 

Several  hours  of  this  sort  of  work  continiied,  when  General  Lyon  had 
his  horse  shot  from  under  him,  and  himself  wounded.  Pie  procured  another 
horse,  and,  swinging  his  hat  in  the  air,  called  the  troops  nearest  him  to 
follow.  The  Second  Kansas,  under  Colonel  Mitchel,  gallantly  rallied 
around  him ;  but  in  a  few  moments  a  fatal  shot  lodged  in  the  General's 
breast,  and  he  was  carried  from  the  field  a  corpse. 

Thus  gloriously  fell,  August  9,  18G1,  as  bravo  a  man  and  noble  patriot 
as  ever  drew  a  swotd. 


113.  JAMES   B.   McPHEESON. 

General  James  B.  McPherson  was  born  in  Sandusky  County,  Ohio,  in 
November,  1828,  and  graduated  at  "West  Point  in  1853,  joining  the  Engineer 
Corps  as  Brevet  Second  Lieutenant,  and  until  September,  1S34,  he  -was 
Assistant-Instructor  of  Practical  Engineering  at  the  Military  Academy. 

From  that  time  until  August,  1861,  he  was  engaged,  first,  on  the  de- 
fenses of  New  York  harbor ;  next,  in  facilitating  the  navigation  of  the 
Hudson  River ;  next,  in  constructing  Fort  Delaware ;  and,  finally,  in  for- 
tifying Alcatraces  P4and,  in  San  Francisco  Bay. 

He  became  full  Second  Lieutenant  in  1854,  and  First  Lieutenant  in 
Decejnber,  1858. 

In  August,  18G1,  he  was  ordered  from  California  to  attend  to  the  de- 
fenses of  Boston  harbor.  Soon  after  he  received  his  Captain's  commission, 
dating  from  August,  1861. 

In  November,  1861,  he  became  aid  to  General  Halleck,  with  the  rank  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  and  was  Chief-Engineer  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee, 
undea-  General  Grant,  in  the  reduction  of  Forts  Henry  and  Donaldson,  re- 
ceiving for  his  services  a  nominatitm  of  Brevet  Major  of  Engineers,  to  date 
from  February  16,  1862  ;  and  for  services  rendered  at  Shiloh,  he  was 
breveted  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  Engineers,  to  date  from  April  7,  1862. 

He  had,  as  Colonel  on  Halleck's  staff,  the  Chief-Engineering  charge  of 
the  approaches  to  Corinth,  which  ended  in  its  evacuation. 

On  the  15th  day  of  May,  1862,  he  became  Brigadier-General  of  Volun- 
teers, and  the  next  nionth  superintended,  with  great  skill,  all  the  military 
railroads  in  General  Grant's  department. 

He  was  at  luka,  and  again  at  Corinth,  in  October,  1862,  acting  with  so 
much  gallantry  as  to  be  promoted  to  Major-General  of  Volunteers,  to  date 
from  October  3,  1862. 

From  that  time  to  the  close  of  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  when  his  engineer- 
ing powers  came  into  full  play,  his  career  was  a  source  of  triumph.  At  the 
recommendation  of  General  Grant,  he  was  made  a  Brigadier-General  of  the 
Regular  army,  with  rank  to  date  from  August  1,  1863. 

Two  months  later,  he  conducted  a  column  into  Mississippi,  and  repulsed 
the  enemy  at  Canton. 

In  February,  1864,  he  was  second  in  Sherman's  command  in  the  famous 
march  from  Vicksburg  to  Meridian. 

In  the  first  Atlanta  campaign,  his  command  was  the  Department  of 
Tennessee,  including  the  Fifteenth,  Sixteenth,  and  Seventeenth  Corps,  con- 
stituting the  flanking  force,  which,  moving  rapidly  on  one  or  the  other 
wing,  was  employed  to  force  the  enemy  back  to  Atlanta. 

He  fought  at  Resaca;  and  the  battle  near  Dallas  was  wholly  his.  He 
distinguished  himself  at  Altoona  and  Chip  Farm,  and  was  actively  engaged 
at  Kenesaw. 

On  the  17th  of  July  he  cut  the  lines  between  Leo  and  Johnston  by  occu- 
pying Decatiir,  on  the  Augusta  Railroad.  Nine  days  later  he  fought  the 
severe  battle,  from  which  he  came  out  only  to  fall,  shot  through  the  lungs, 
early  in  the  day,  on  Friday,  July  22,  1804,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-six 
years. 


114.    THOMAS   FEANCIS   MEAGHEB. 

General  Thomas  Francis  Meagher  was  bom  in  "Waterford,  Ireland, 
August  3,  1823,  of  wealthy  and  respectable  parents. 

He  was  educated  at  the  Jesuit  College  ot"  Clongowe's  Wood,  and  Stony- 
hurst  Colleg-c,  Lancashire,  England.  He  was  a  close  and  attentive  student 
of  the  English  classics,  and,  in  1842,  was  awarded  the  silver  medal  for  En- 
glish composition,  to  the  defeat  of  over  fifty  English  competitors. 

His  first  idea,  after  completing  his  studies,  was  to  accept  a  commission 
in  the  British  army  ;  but  his  Irish  spirit  revolted  at  the  idea  of  serving  in 
the  army  of  his  country's  traditional  enemy. 

Feeling  a  great  interest  in  the  political  questions  of  the  day,  and  not 
being  satisfied  with  the  policy  of  O'Connell,  he  became  one  of  the  leaders  of 
the  "  Young  Ireland"  party,  and  greatly  aided  in  organizing  the  Irish  con- 
federation. So  great  were  his  oratorical  poAvers,  that  he  was  soon  regarded 
by  his  party  as  their  principal  leader,  and  the  only  man  Avho  could  free 
Ireland  from  her  bonclTge. 

When  the  French  Revolution  broke  out,  he  was  sent,  with  others,  to 
congratulate  the  French  Republican  leaders  on  their  success  ;  and,  upon  his 
return  to  Ireland,  was  arrested  on  a  charge  of  sedition,  held  to  bail,  after- 
ward tried  for  high  treason,  found  guilty,  and  sentenced  to  death  ;  but, 
subsequently,  the  sentence  was  altered  to  banishment  for  life  to  Van  Die- 
man's  Land.  Here  he  remained  until  1852,  when  he  escaped,  and  arrived 
in  New  York  during  the  month  of  May  of  the  same  year,  where  he  met  with 
an  enthusiastic  reception  from  his  countrymen  and  the  citizens,  generally. 
For  two  years  after,  he  followed  the  profession  of  lecturer,  meeting  with 
marked  success.  Returning  to  New  York  in  1855,  he  engaged  in  the  study 
of  law,  and  was  subsequently  admitted  to  the  bar.  In  1850  he  became 
Editor  of  the  Irish  News. 

On  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  in  1861,  he  organized  a  company  of 
Zouaves,  and  joined  the  Sixty-ninth  Regiment  of  New  York  Volunteers, 
under  Colonel  Corcoran,  and  served  during  the  first  campaign  in  Virginia. 
U[)on  the  expiration  of  his  three  months'  term,  he  returned  to  New  York, 
and  organized  the  celebrated  "  Irish  Brigade,"  and  was  appointed  its  per- 
manent commander,  with  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General,  his  commission 
bearing  date  February  3,  1863. 

At  the  head  of  his  men,  he  participated  in  the  Seven  Days'  battles,  win- 
ning general  praise  for  the  heroism  and  skill  with  which  he  led  his  brigade  to 
action.  He  fought  Avith  great  desperation  at  Manassas;  and  at  Antietam, 
September  27,  1802,  won  a  groat  reputation,  and  was  specially  noticed  in 
the  official  report  of  General  McClellan.  At  the  disastrous  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, the  charge  after  chitrge,  headed  by  him,  up  to  the  very  crest  of 
the  enemy's  breastworks,  added  fresh  laurels  to  the  reputation  of  General 
Meagher  and  his  men.  In  this  engagement  he  received  a  bullet-wound 
through  the  leg,  which  incapacitated  him  from  active  service. 

On  May  8,  1:0  tendered  his  resignatidn,  and  temporarily  retired  from  the 
service.  He  was  recommissioned  in  1804,  and  held  command  in  Tennessee 
and  Georgia,  where  he  was  signally  successful. 

In  1805  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of  Montana  Territory;  and,  in 
September  of  that  year.  Governor  Edgerton,  leaA-ing  the  Territory  for  a 
short  time,  appointed  him  Governor,  'j^ro  tern.  While  engaged  in  the  duty 
of  protecting  the  white  settlers  of  that  region,  on  the  Upper  Missouri,  he 
fell  from  the  deck  of  a  steamboat,  and  was  drowned. 

His  life  was  full  of  stirring  events,  interwovea  "with  the  liistox'ies  of  Ire- 
I'jsaAi  hi  Great  Brituin,  and  oflhe  United  Stated. 


115.  OEMSBY  M.   MITCHELL. 

General  Ormscy  21.  ]\Iitciiell  was  born  in  Union  County,  Kentucky, 
August  28,  1810. 

He  received  his  early  education  at  Lebanon,  Warren  County,  Ohio.  He 
soon  manifested  a  taste  for  study,  and  at  twelve  had  acquired  a  good 
elementary  English  education,  considerable  progress  in  mathematics,  and 
mastered  the  rudiments  of  Latin. 

lu  1825  he  was  appointed  cadet  in  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point, 
and  graduated  in  1829,  ranking  above  Generals  Kobert  £.  Lee  and  J.  E, 
Johnston,  both  of  whom  were  in  his  class.  He  was  immediately  appointed 
Assistant-Professor  of  Mathematics,  though  but  nineteen  years  old,  which 
position  lie  held  for  two  years. 

In  18o2  he  resigned,  and,  having  studied  law  during  his  leisure  mo- 
ments, was  admitted  to  the  Cincinnati  bar,  and  continued  in  practice  until 
18o4,  when  he  was  elected  Professor  of  Mathematics,  Philosophy,  and  As- 
ti'onomy,  in  tlie  Cincinnati  College,  and  filled  the  chair  Avith  great  ability 
for  ten  years. 

In  18o0  and  '37,  while  performing  the  duties  oi  Professor,  he  was  chosen 
Chief-Engineer  of  the  Little  Miami  Railroad,  which  he  laid  out  in  a  most 
skillful  manner,  and  caused  it  to  be  built  in  a  substantial  style,  which  added 
greatly  to  his  reputation. 

In  1842  he  commenced  a  course  of  lectures  on  Astronomy — the  first  at- 
tempt of  the  kind  ever  made  in  the  West.  He  originated  and  raised  the 
subscription  for  the  stock  to  erect  a  first-class  Observatory  m  Cincinnati, 
was  sent  to  Europe  to  purchase  the  instruments,  which  were  mounted  in 
1844,  and  Mr.  Mitchell  was  appointed  Director  cf  the  Observatory.  A 
large  debt  was  still  due  upon  it,  from  which  he  resolved  to  relieve  it,  by  de- 
livering lectures  in  the  Eastern  cities.  His  elof[uence  and  fame  as  a  lec- 
turer brought  him  large  audiences,  and  ho  soon  extinguished  the  debt. 

In  184G  he  published  the  Sidereal  Messenger,  but  continued  it  only  two 
years,  for  want  of  patronage. 

In  1848  he  was  appointed  Chief-Engineer  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Railroad;  and  in  1859  was  oftered,  and  accepted,  the  Directorship  of  the 
Dudley  Observatory,  at  Albany,  still  retaining  that  of  the  Observatory  at 
Cincinnati. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  he  immediately  responded  to  the 
call  for  his  country's  defense,  was  appointed  Brigadier-General  of  Volun- 
teers, and  ordered  to  report  to  the  new  Department  of  the  Ohio,  where 
his  exploits  at  Huntsville,  Alabama,  procured  for  him  the  commission  of 
Major-General.  Soon  after,  incurring  the  displeasure  of  General  Bucll,  he 
asked  to  be  relieved,  and  was  transferred  to  the  command  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  South,  where  he  arrived  in  September,  1802,  and  where  he  dis- 
played the  same  energy  Avhich  characterized  him  at  the  W^est. 

'Ou  the  2Gth  of  October,  1803,  General  Mitchell  was  attacked  with  the 
yellow-fever,  at  Hilton  Head,  S.  C,  and  died  oil  the  oOth,  in  the  midst  of 
his  usefulness. 


116.  JAMES  H.   LANE. 

General  J.  H.  Lane — familiarly  known  as  "Jim  Lane*^* — United  States 
Senator  from  Kansas,  was  born  in  Lawrenceburg,  Indiana,  June  22,  1814. 

He  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  but,  in  1846,  abandoned 
his  profession,  to  enlist  as  a  private  in  the  Third  Indiana  Volunteers,  then 
organizing  for  the  Mexican  War.  He  was  chosen  Colonel,  and  at  the  battle 
of  Buena  Vista  commanded  a  brigade,  and  highly  distinguished  himself. 
When  the  year's  term  of  service  of  his  regiment  expired,  he  returned  home, 
and  raised  tlie  Fifth  Indiana  Volunteers. 

In  1848  he  was  chosen  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Indiana,  and,  in  1^52, 
Member  of  Congress  and  Elector-at-Large  on  the  Democratic  ticket. 

In  1855  he  w^ent  to  Kansas,  and  was  chosen  Chairman  of  the  Executive 
Committee  of  the  Topeka  Convention,  which  instituted  the  first  State  Gov- 
ernment of  Kansas,  He  was  subsequently  President  of  the  Topeka  Consti- 
tutional Convention,  and  was  elected  by  the  peoj)le,  Major-General  of  the 
Free-State  troops. 

In  1856  he  w^as  elected  to  the  L^nited  States  Senate  by  the  Legislature, 
w^hich  met  under  the  Topeka  Constitution  ;  but  the  election  was  not  recog- 
nized by  Congress.  About  the  same  time,  he  was  indicted  by  the  Grand 
Jury  of  Douglas  County  for  treason,  on  account  of  his  taking  part  in  the 
Topeka  Government,  and  was  forced  to  fly. 

In  1857  he  was  President  of  the  Leavenworth  Convention,  and  appointed 
Major-General  of  the  Kansas  troops,  by  the  Legislature. 

In  1858  he  shot  a  man  named  Jenkins,  in  consequence  of  a  dispute  of  a 
local  nature,  and  was  tried  on  a  charge  of  murder,  but  acquitted. 

In  1861  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  by  the  Legislature  of 
the  newly-admitted  State  of  Kansas. 

On  the  opening  of  the  war  for  the  Union,  Lane  commanded  the  "  Front- 
ier Guards,"  enlisted  for  the  defense  of  Washington.  In  June,  1861,  he  was 
nominated  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers,  and  commanded  the  Kansas 
Brigade.  He  soon  after  projected  an  expedition  to  the  Southwest,  which 
was,  however,  abandoned. 

After  the  adjournment  of  Congress,  in  July,  1862,  he  was  appointed  Com- 
missioner to  superintend  the  enlistment  of  ti'oops  in  the  West. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Senatorial  Committee  on  Indian  Affairs  and 
Agriculture  ;  and,  also,  on  that  of  Territories. 

While  suffering  from  a  violent  nervous  disorder,  and  on  his  way  home 
from  Washington,  he  was  attacked  by  paralj^sis  in  St.  Louis,  when  the 
extreme  prostration  of  his  system  offered  so  little  hope  of  recovery,  that  his 
mind  gave  way  under  its  depression,  and  he  ended  his  life  in  despair  and 
suicide. 

General  Lane  was  a  character  to  be  leniently  judged.  He  had  a  high 
sense  of  the  right,  and  was  true  to  freedom  ;  but  the  rough  life  oi  the 
frontier  had  wrought  out  for  him  a  melancholy  end. 


117.    FELIX  K.   ZOLICOFFER, 

Felix  E..  Zolicoffer  -was  born  May  19,  1812.  He  received  an  aca- 
demical education  ;  became  Printer,  and  Editor  of  a  newspaper  in  Paris, 
Tennessee,  in  1829  ;  and  was  elected  State  Printer  in  1835. 

He  removed  to  Nashville  in  1842,  and  became  Editor  of  the  Banner,  a 
Whig  journal. 

In  1845  he  was  chosen  Comptroller  of  the  Treasury,  and  in  1849  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate. 

He  received  the  contract  to  build  the  suspension-bridge  over  the  Cum- 
berland River,  at  Nashville;  after  which,  in  1852,  he  was  sent  to  the  United 
States  Congress,  and  again  in  1859,  w^hen  he  joined  the  Democratic  party, 
on  account  of  its  sympathy  with  the  institiition  of  Slavery. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  he  joined  the  Southern  Confed- 
eracy, and  was  commissioned  Bi'igadier-General  in  the  Rebel  army,  July  21, 
1861,  when  he  took  command  of  a  large  body  of  Rebel  troops,  and  marched 
into  Kentucky. 

He  telegraphed  Governor  Magoffin,  September  14,  1861,  that  the  safety 
of  Tennessee  demanded  the  occupation  of  Cumberland  Gap,  and  the  three 
long  ranges  of  mountains  in  Kentucky,  and  that  he  should  hold  them  until 
the  Union  forces  Avere  withdrawn.  But  the  Kentucky  Legislature  issued 
an  address  to  the  people,  in  which  it  was  declared  that,  as  the  Confederates 
had  violated  the  neutrality  of  Kentucky,  it  left  them  no  alternative  but  "  to 
drive  the  invaders  out ;"  and  General  Anderson  assumed  command  of  the 
United  States  forces  in  that  State. 

Zolicoifer  had  a  slight  skirmish  at  Bai-boursville  with  the  Home  Guards 
of  that  place,  September  18, 1861 ;  but  on  the  arrival  of  an  Indiana  regiment, 
they  (the  Rebel>),  shouting  that  they  were  Union  men,  approached  within  a 
short  distance,  and,  taking  deliberate  aim,  fired  upon  them  before  the  false- 
hood was  discovered.  The  Indiana  regiment  returned  the  fire  with  vigor, 
and  the  enemy  precipitately  retired.  Zolicoffer  afterward  attacked  them 
twice,  but  was  forced,  at  last,  to  retreat  to  Barboursville. 

About  the  middle  of  November  he  made  his  camp  at  Mill  Spring,  on  the 
southern  bank  of  the  Cumberland,  and  at  Buck's  Grove,  on  the  northern 
bank. 

At  the  same  time  the  Union  forces  were  about  twenty-five  miles  north- 
west of  Beech  Grove,  at  the  cross-roads  ;  and,  as  the  roads  were  bad,  and  rivers 
swollen,  Zolicoffer  determined  to  attack  them  before  they  could  get  any 
reinforcements.  Accordingly,  on  the  19th  of  January,  1862,  he  advanced, 
encountered,  and  drove  in,  the  Federal  cavalry  ;  and,  moving  rapidly  up  the 
road,  met  the  main  body  of  the  Unicm  troops,  with  whom  he  commenced  a 
sharp  engagement. 

General  Zolicofter,  surrounded  by  his  body-guard,  was  leading  his  men 
to  the  charge,  w^hen  Colonel  Fry,  of  the  Fourth  Kentucky,  shot  him  dead 
with  a  pistol. 

His  death  had  such  a  depressing  effect  upon  his  troops,  that,  in  the  con- 
fusion, being  charged  with  the  bayonet  by  the  Ninth  Ohio,  they  were  driven 
from  the  field,  and  at  night  they  fled  to  the  Cumberland. 

His  death  occurred  on  the  l'9th  of  January,  18G2, 


118.  EPHEAIM   E.   ELLSWORTH. 

Colonel  Epttkaim  E.  Ellswoiitii,  the  well-known  early  Union  martyr, 
was  born  tit  Mechanicsville,  Saratog-a  County,  New  York,  April  23,  18o7. 

The  youthful  Ellsworth  early  aspired  to  military  fame.  He  was  desirous 
of  an  education  at  the  Military  Academy,  at  West  JPoint,  but  failing  in  this, 
he  persisted  in  acquiring-  as  good  an  education  as  circumstances  permitted. 

After  a  brief  experience  in  New  York,  he  went  "West,  and  sought  to 
make  an  occupation  as  Patent  Agent ;  was  deceived  and  despoiled  of  his 
earnings,  but  persevered  in  renewed  efforts. 

His  military  bent  continuing  predondnant,  he  studied  and  practiced  the 
French  Zouave  drill,  and  formed  a  corps  in  Chicago,  adapting  it  to  the  Ameri- 
can idea.  His  discipline  was  rigid  in  abstinence  from  all  stimulants,  and 
was  strictly  enforced.  In  a  year  he  was  enabled  to  exhibit  his  corps  at  the 
State  Fair,  whei'c  success  and  admiration  awaited  him.  The  corps  visited 
the  East,  and  won  the  greatest  applause.  Returning  to  Chicago,  EUsAvorth 
organized  a  regimcTit  on  the  same  plan,  and  offered  it  to  the  Governor  for  the 
defense  of  the  State. 

In  18G0  he  entered  heartily  into  the  canvass  in  favor  of  Mr.  Lincoln  for 
President  of  the  United  States,  organizing  and  drilling  "  AYide-Awake" 
clubs,  and  afterward  accompanied  him  to  Washington. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  Ellsworth  hastened  to  New  York, 
and  organized  a  Zouave  regiment,  recruited  mostly  from  the  Fire  Depart- 
ment, and,  soon  after,  marched  to  Washington.  His  siiccess  in  disciplining 
and  controling  his  men  was  remarkable,  and  their  attachment  to  him  was 
equally  so. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1861,  his  regiment  was  ordered  to  Alexandria, 
reaching  there  early  on  the  next  morning,  and  the  town  was  occupied  with 
scarcely  any  resistance. 

The  secession  flag  was  flying  from  a  hotel,  called  the  "Marshall  House," 
kept  by  a  violent  secessionist,  named  Jackson.  Colonel  Ellsworth,  with  a 
rashness  characteristic  of  a  brave  and  enthusiastic,  but  inexperienced  officer, 
entered,  with  his  chaplain  and  a  single  private,  and  demanded  whose  flag  it 
was.  The  proprietor  denied  its  ownership,  Avhereupon  Ellsworth,  with  his 
two  companions,  ascended  to  the  roof,  took  it  down,  and  wrapped  it  around 
him,  saying,  as  he  descended,  "  This  is  my  trophy  !''  "  And  you  are  mine  !  " 
exclaimed  Jackson,  the  proprietor,  at  the  same  moment  discharging  the 
contents  of  a  shot-gun  into  the  breast  of  the  Colonel,  killing  him  instantly. 
But  Jackson  instantly  fell  dead  himself,  from  a  musket-ball  through  the 
liead,  and  a  bayonet-thrust,  from  Francis  E.  Brownell,  the  private  accom- 
panying Ellsworth. 

The  event  caused  much  regret,  Ellsworth  being  considered  a  young 
officer  of  unusual  promise,  and  of  approved  loyalty;  and,  had  he  deputed  to 
another  to  perform,  what  was,  after  all,  a  duty  too  trivial  to  devolve  upon 
an  officer  of  rank,  he  might  have  lived  to  render  important  services  to  his 
country. 

Colonel  Ellsworth  was  buried  with  all  the  tributes  of  a  grateful  and  ad- 
miring country,  and  his  name  is  forever  enshrined  in  the  popular  heart. 


119.   THILIP   KEAPvXEY. 

General  Philip  Keakxey  wtis  born  in  New  York  City,  June  2,  1816, 
From  boyhood  he  manifested  a  strong  preference  to  a  military  career  ;  but, 
in  obedience  to  the  wishes  of  his  family,  he  passed  through  Columbia  Col- 
lege, and  began  to  study  law 

In  1837  his  soldierly  propensities  got  the  better  of  him  ;  and,  on  the  8th 
of  March,  he  received  a  commission  as  Second  Lieutenant  of  the  First  Dra- 
goons, then  commanded  by  his  uncle,  Colonel  S.  W.  Kearney.  He  saw 
much  hard  service  on  the  Western  frontier,  chiefly  fighting  the  Indians,  and 
acquired  such  a  reputation  as  a  cavalry  officer  that,  in  1838,  he  was  sent  to 
Europe  by  the  Government  to  study  and  report  upon  the  French  cavalry 
tactics.  While  there  he  became  attached  to  the  Chasseins  de  Afrique.  He 
gained  distinction  during  the  campaign  of  1838-40,  and  was  decorated 
with  the  Legion  of  Honor.  Returning  home  in  1840,  he  was  appointed,  in 
November,  Aid  to  General  Macomb,  and  in  December,  1841,  Aid  to  General 
Scott.  In  December,  1846,  he  was  promoted  to  Captain  ;  and,  at  the  out- 
break of  the  Mexican  war,  his  dragoons  formed  the  body-guard  to  General 
Scott.  In  the  valley  of  Mexico,  Captain  Kearney  commanded  a  regiment, 
and  for  his  gallantry  at  Contreras  and  Cherubusco,  received  the  brevet  of 
Major.  After  the  latter  engagement,  he  pursued  the  flying  Mexicans  as  far 
as  the  gates  of  the  city  of  Mexico.  Here  his  troops,  checked  by  a  heavy 
fire  of  artillery,  began  to  waver,  whereupon  Kearney  dashed  forward  alone, 
the  soldiers  following  him,  and  the  battery  was  taken.  In  this  aflPair  he 
lost  his  left  arm.  He  resigned  his  commission  in  1851,  after  having  served 
some  time  in  California,  and  went  again  to  Europe  to  resume  his  military 
studies.  In  1859,  he  served  as  Volunteer  Aid  to  the  French  General  Morris 
in  the  Italian  campaign. 

When  the  Rebellion  broke  out  in  this  country,  he  immediately  returned 
home,  and  offered  his  services  to  the  Government.  He  was  appointed  to  the 
command  of  a  New  Jersey  brigade  soon  after  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  in 
General  Franklin's  division,  his  commission  dating  May  17,  1861.  In  March, 
1862,  on  the  organization  of  army  corps,  he  was  attached  to  the  First  (Gen- 
eral McDowell's),  but  was  soon  afterward  promoted  to  the  command  of  a 
division  in  the  Third  (General  Heintzelman's',  with  Avhich  he  served 
throughout  the  Chickahominj'  campaign.  In  the  battle  of  Williamsburg, 
after  Hooker  had  been  for  an  liour  or  two  struggling  against  an  overwhelm- 
ing force  in  front  of  Fort  Magruder,  Kearney  was  ordered  to  his  relief, 
when  he  gallantly  attacked  the  enemy,  and  drove  them  back  at  every  point, 
enabling  Gent  ral  Hooker  to  extricate  himself  from  the  position,  and  with- 
draw his  wearied  troops.  In  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks  and  the  famous  "  Seven 
Days'  Fight"  his  gallantry  was  universally  admired,  and  soon  after,  he  was 
commissioned  Major-General,  dating  from  July  4,  1802.  On  the  23d  of 
August  he  j(jined  General  Pope  at  "^.^'^arrenton  Junction  ;  and,  on  the  29th, 
the  battle  of  Centreville  began.  Kearney  fought  with  the  greatest  despera- 
tion for  two  days,  when  the  army  fell  back  to  Fairfax  Court-House.  The 
battle  of  Chantilly  began  on  the  1st  of  September,  1862.  Kearney  was 
sent  to  the  support  of  General  Reno,  whose  troops  had  given  way,  leaving  a 
gap,  which  the  Rebels  were  hastening  to  occupy.  Telling  his  orderly  and 
aids  to  keep  back,  Kearney  rode  forward,  alone,  to  examine  the  position 
himself.  He  never  came  back  alive ;  a  musket-ball  having  pierced  his 
body. 


120.  AMBEOSE  P.  HILL. 

General  Ambrose  P.  Hill,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  leaders  of 
the  Confederate  army  against  the  forces  of  the  Union,  -v\'as  horn  in  Cul- 
pepper Count}',  Virginia,  in  1824,  of  highly  i-espectable  parentage. 

He  entered  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point  in  ISA'S,  and  graduated 
in  the  same  class  with  General  Burnside. 

In  1855  he  "was  appointed  an  Assistant  of  the  United  States  Coast  Survey, 
continuing  until  18G1,  -when  he  resigned  his  position  in  the  United  States 
army,  and  was  appointed  by  Governor  Letcher,  Colonel  of  Virginia  Volun- 
teers. 

He  was  attached  to  General  J.  E.  Johnston's  army  of  the  Confederacy, 
and  came  in  with  him.  at  Bull  Run,  assisting  to  change  the  issues  of  that 
battle. 

He  was  made  Major-General  for  his  bravery,  and  took  part  in  the  battle 
of  Mechanicsville ;  and,  in  the  "  Seven  Days"  fight,  was  a  prominent  leader, 
where  he  gained  a  brilliant  reputation. 

He  was  actively  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Cedar  Run,  Second  Bull  Run. 
Centreville,  Chantilly,  and  in  the  campaign  before  Washington  against 
General  Pope. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  1802,  he  captured  Harper's  Ferry,  and  made 
a  forced  march  to  Antietam  Creek,  where  he  took  part  in  that  severe  battle. 
and  repulsed  the  Pideral  troops,  who  crossed  the  river  in  pursuit  of  the 
Rebels,  with  heavy  loss. 

In  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  December  13,  1862,  his  division  formed 
the  right  of  Jackson's  force,  and  fought  desperately,  finally  repulsing  the 
Federal  troops.  At  Chancellorsville,  May,  18G-3,  his  division  formed  the 
centre  of  Jackson's  command,  and  participated  in  that  flank  movement  by 
which  Hooker's  right  was  crushed. 

"When  ''Stonewall"  Jackson  received  his  death-wound,  the  command 
devolved  on  General  Hill,  who  was  himself  severely  wounded  soon  after. 
For  his  gallantry  in  this  battle  he  was  made  a  Lieutenant-General,  and 
placed  in  command  of  the  Third  Corps  in  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

In  July,  180o,  he  took  part  in  the  great  battle  of  Gettysburg.  In  the 
autumn  of  1803,  he  was  in  the  affair  of  Bristow's  Station,  but  was  repulsed 
with  serious  loss. 

In  the  great  battles  of  the  spring  of  1864,  he  was,  next  to  General  Lee, 
the  most  prominent  officer  of  the  Rebel  army  in  Virginia,  and  took  part 
in  the  severest  fighting  of  that  period.  On  the  22d  of  June  his  corps  and 
Longstreet's  repulsed  the  attempt  of  the  Federal  troops  to  gain  possession  of 
the  \Veldon  Railroad.  At  the  explosion  of  the  mine  at  Petersburg,  at  Ream's 
Station,  and  the  bloody  fight  of  Hatcher's  Run,  and  the  subsequent  move- 
ments in  that  vicinity.  General  Hill  led  his  corps  with  great  ability. 

When  the  final  attack  upon  the  Southside  Railroad  and  the  defenses  of 
Petersburg  came,  he  was  active  in  his  exertions  ;  and,  on  the  2d  of  April,  his 
corps  was  opposed  to  the  Sixth,  Ninth,  and  part  of  the  Twenty-fifth  Federal 
Corps,  almost  unsupported ;  and  then,  as  always,  exposing  himself  to  fire 
without  hesitation,  he  was  instantly  killed  by  a  rifle-shot.  Thus  closed  the 
career  of  one  whose  accomplishments  as  a  military  officer,  acquired  at  the 
expense  of  his  country,  was,  like  many  of  his  confederates,  devoted  to 
the  destruction  of  the  bosom  that  nourished  him. 


121.    JAMES  E.   B.    STUAET. 

General  J.  E.  B.  Sti'AIit  was  born  in  Patrick  Henry  County,  Virginia, 
about  the  year  l(io2. 

In  his  youth  he  grave  evidence  of  many  qualities  that  fitted  him  for  the 
position  he  afterward  occupied.  He  received  a  good  education,  and  entered 
the  West  Point  academy  in  1850.  Graduating  in  1854,  he  received  a  com- 
mission as  Second  Lieutenant  in  a  Mounted  Rifle  regiment,  in  the  United 
States  army. 

Under  E.  V.  Sumner  as  Colonel,  and  J.  E.  Johnston  as  Lieutenant- 
Colonel,  Stuart  fought  in  the  wilds  of  New  Mexico  :  now  engaging  tribes  of 
hostile  Indians,  anon  hunting  up  hordes  of  lawless  banditti,  and  ever  per- 
forming some  dashing  and  fearless  exploit.  Soon  he  became  noted  among 
his  compeers  for  these  bold  and  skillful  charges  upon  a  wily  and  dangerous 
foe. 

On  the  29th  of  July,  1857,  he  was  wounded  in  a  severe  fight  with  three 
hundred  braves  of  the  Cheyenne  tribe,  who  Avere,  however,  defeated. 

In  May,  1861,  President  Lincoln  appointed  him  Captain  in  the  L'nited 
States  Cavalry,  but  he  declined  the  appointment,  and  went  over  to  the  Rebel 
army,  where  he  was  made  Colonel  of  a  Virginia  cavalry  regiment. 

In  July,  18G1,  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  he  commanded  all  the 
cavalry  attached  to  Beauregard's  and  Johnston's  armies,  and  greatly  assisted 
the  Confederate  cause. 

In  September,  18G1,  he  was  made  Brigadier-General,  and  in  the  ensuing 
winter  organized  the  Virginia  cavalry,  of  which  he  took  command.  In  the 
beginning  of  the  Peninsula  campaign,  Stuart  made  several  cavalry  expedi- 
tions, culminating  in  that  famous  raid,  in  June,  through  and  around  Gen- 
eral McClellan's  army,  which  was  the  precursor  of  that  General's  change  of 
base  to  the  James  River,  and  the  seven  days'  fighting  which  accompanied 
the  movement.  For  this  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major-General  in 
the  Rebel  army,  and  placed  in  command  of  a  division  of  cavalry. 

On  the  22d  August,  18G2,  he  dashed  in  upon  the  right  flank  of  General 
Pope,  at  Catlett's  Station,  during  a  heavy  storm,  penetrated  to  headquar- 
ters, and  succeeded  in  capturing  important  papers,  besides  taking  the 
private  effects  and  dress  uniform  of  General  Pope,  and  several  of  his  officers. 

He  commanded  the  cavalry  during  the  succeeding  invasion  of  Maryland, 
and,  a  few  Aveeks  after  the  battle  of  Antietam,  again  rode  around  the  Union 
lines,  carrying  off  a  considerable  amount  of  spoils. 

In  the  Chancellorsville  campaign,  and  Lee's  second  invasion  of  the 
North,  his  cavalry  was  active ;  and,  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  effectu- 
ally covered  the  Rebel  retreat. 

During  the  battles  in  the  Wilderness,  he  encountered  Sheridan's  cavalry 
on  the  Cth  of  May,  18G4,  and  was  driven  back  ;  but  on  the  12th,  he  again 
encountered  them,  at  Yellow  Tavern,  seven  miles  from  Richmond,  Avhere  he 
was  mortally  wounded.  He  was  conve3^ed  to  Richmond,  where,  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening  of  May  12,  18G4,  ho  died. 

General  Stuart  was  a  short,  thick-set,  athletic  man ;  a  bold  and  expert 
rider,  always  joyous  and  gay,  singing  songs  as  he  went  into  battle.  He  was 
very  fond  of  display  in  dress,  and  his  fighting-jacket  shone  with  double 
rows  of  gilt  buttons,  and  was  covered  with  gold  braid.  Many  regarded 
him  as  a  military  fop,  but  lie  was  looked  upon  by  the  rank  and  file  of  the 
army,  and  by  the  Southern  people  generally,  as  a  brave  and  gallant  soldier. 


122.   HIEAM  G.  BEEEY 

General  HiRAM  G.  Bekry  Avas  born  in  Thomaston,  Maine,  August  27, 
1824.  He  learned  the  trade  of  Carpenter,  at  which  occupation  he  worked 
for  several  years,  and  afterward  engaged  in  navigation.  He  was  elected  to 
the  office  of  Mayor  in  the  city  of  Eockland,  and  filled  various  offices  in  the 
Maine  militia.  'Under  the  call  for  troops  by  the  United  States  Government 
to  protect  the  national  life  and  honor,  in  the  spring  of  180 1,  he  offered  his 
services,  and  was  commissioned  Colonel  of  the  Fourth  Maine  VolunteerSj 
marched  for  the  protection  of  Washington,  and  participated  in  the  first 
battle  of  Bull  Run,  where  he  fought  in  General  Howard's  brigade.  The 
regiment  was  afterwai'd  transferred  to  one  of  General  Sedgwick's  brigades, 
and  subsequently  to  that  of  General  Birney's,  Hamilton's  division,  and 
participated  in  the  siege  of  Yorktown.  Upon  General  Kearney  taking 
command  of  the  division,  Colonel  Berry,  who  had  been  made  Brigadier- 
General  of  Volunteers,  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  brigade  of  Heintzelman's 
army  corps,  which  separated  him  from  his  regiment. 

He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  June  1,  1802,  and  in  the 
"  Seven  Days' ''  battle,  previous  to  the  change  of  base  from  the  Chickahominy 
to  the  James  River. 

On  the  loth  of  August  General  Berry  moved  with  his  brigade  to  York- 
town,  from  whence  he  was  transferred  to  Pope's  command  at  \Yarrenton 
Junction,  from  which  point  they  marched  to  the  Rappahannock,  and,  on  the 
29th  and  30th,  participated  with  General  Kearney's  division  in  the  battle  of 
Manassas,  or  Second  Bull  Run,  at  Centreville.  On  the  1st  of  September  he 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Chantilly,  where  General  Kearney  lost  his  life. 
At  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  December  13,  1802,  Berry's  brigade  drove 
back  a  Rebel  force,  thereby  saving  a  great  portion  of  Birney's  division  from 
harm.  He  was  made  Major-General  of  Volunteers,  March  9,  1803,  to  rank 
from  November  29,  1802. 

At  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  General  Berry  was  placed  in  command 
of  the  Second  Division  of  the  Third  Army  Corps,  under  General  Sickles. 
On  the  2d  day  of  May,  when  the  enemy  had  defeated  Schurz's  division  of 
the  Eleventh  Corps,  and,  with  wild  yells,  were  rushing  into  the  opening 
made  by  the  retreating  Germans,  General  Berry's  division  threw  itself  into 
the  gap,  and,  with  the  aid  of  Captain  Best's  battery,  stayed  the  torrent 
which  hid  threatened  to  roll  up  the  line  m  disastrous  confusion.  Manfully 
the  small  band  bore  up  against  the  fierce  assault  of  the  desperate  foe,  and, 
by  dint  of  endurance,  succeeded  in  keeping  them  at  bay  until  support 
arrived.  The  enemy's  force  comprised  three  strong  divisions — A.  P.  Hill's, 
Trimble's,  and  Rhodes's — of  Jackson's  corps,  and  greatly  outnumbered  the 
Federal  troops  to  whom  they  were  opposed. 

The  next  day  General  Berry's  division  engaged  the  enemy  again ;  and, 
although  they  advanced  in  overwhelming  numbers,  his  brave  men  fought 
with  desperate  gallantry,  and  held  them  in  check.  General  Berry  fell  in 
this  assault,  while  gallantly  fighting  at  the  head  of  his  command,  May  3, 
1863. 


123.  DAYID   HUNTER. 

General  David  Hunter  was  born  in  the  District  of  Columbia  about  tlie 
year  1800.  He  entered  the  academy  at  Wjst  Point  as  a  Cadet  in  1818,  from 
■which  he  graduated  in  1822,  and  was  made  Second  Lieutenant  of  the  Fifth 
Infantry  on  the  1st  day  of  July  of  that  year. 

In  1828  he  was  appointed  First  Lieutenant,  and,  two  years  after,  a  Cap- 
tain of  the  First  Dragoons.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1880,  he  resigned,  but 
returned  to  the  army  in  1841  as  temporary  Paymaster. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  Rebellion  he  was  appointed  Colonel  of  the 
Sixth  Regiment,  May  14, 1861 ;  and,  at  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  as  a  Brigadier- 
General,  commanded  the  Second  Division  under  McDowell.  He  took  position 
at  Ludley  Springs,  entered  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  and  was  severely 
wounded  early  in  the  action. 

He  was  made  Major-General  of  Volunteers,  August  13,  and  took  charge 
of  the  forces  at  Rolla,  Mo.,  in  September,  and  was  second  to  General  Fre- 
mont, on  whose  removal,  in  November,  he  became  temporary  commander, 
until  General  Halleck  took  command,  when  he  was  appointed  to  the  Military 
Division  of  Kansas. 

In  March,  1862,  he  superseded  General  T.  "W.  Sherman  in  the  Department 
of  the  South,  because  his  views  harmonized  more  witli  the  Freedman's  Relief 
Association.  He  immediately  demanded  the  surrended  of  Fort  Pulaski, 
which  was  defended  by  Colonel  Ormstead,  who  replied,  "  that  he  was  there 
to  defend,  not  to  surrender."  General  Hunter  imniediately  commenced  a 
bombardment,  and  in  thirty  hours  the  fort  surrendered. 

On  the  9th  of  May,  1862,  he  issued  an  order,  stating  that  the  States  of 
South  Carolina,  Georgia,  and  Florida  were  under  martial  law,  and  added, 
"  that  slavery  and  martial  law  being  incompatible  in  a  free  country,  tl  e 
persons  in  these  States  heretofore  held  as  slaves  are,  therefore,  declared  itv- 
ever  free."  President  Lincoln,  however,  disapproved  the  order,  and  General 
Hunter  resigned  his  command.  But  he  was  reappointed  to  the  same  depart- 
ment in  January,  1863.  He  then  caused  the  able-bodied  negroes  of  the 
neighborhood  to  be  formed  into  regiments,  and  drilled.  In  a  short  time  he 
was  convinced  they  would  make  good  soldiers,  and  they  were  afterward 
employed  as  such  in  the  army,  and  done  good  service  to  the  country. 

June  12,  1863,  he  was  relieved  of  his  command;  and,  on  the  14th  of 
Novembei',  was  sent  on  a  tour  of  inspection  through  the  Military  District 
of  the  Mississippi. 

On  the  20th  of  May,  1864,  ho  was  appointed  to  relieve  General  Sigel  in 
"West  Virginia;  and,  taking  up  his  headquarters  in  the  field,  at  Cumberland, 
marched  to  Harrisonburg,  which  was  occupied  without  difficulty. 

On  the  5th  of  June  lie  met  the  Rebels  under  General  Jones,  near  Staun- 
ton, whom  he  engaged  and  completely  routed,  killing  Jones,  capturing 
twenty  guns  and  a  large  quantity  of  stores,  and  en  ered  Staunton  without 
opposition.  From  Staunton  he  proceeded  to  Lynch' )urg,  driving  the  enemy 
before  him;  but  the  Rebels  being  reinforced  from  Richmond,  he  retreated, 
having  run  short  of  ammunition  and  buppliu.^.  Being  cut  off  from  the  val- 
ley, he  retreated  over  the  mountains  to  Parkersburi^-,  where  he  first  learned 
of  the  Rebel  raid  into  Maryland.  August  7,  ib64,  he  was  superseded  by 
General  Sheridan. 


124.  WILLIA\[   L.   YANCEY. 

William  L.  Yancey  was  born  at  Og-eechco  Shoals,  Georgia,  August  10, 
1814.  He  received  liis  educatiou  in  the  Northern  States,  first  entering  a 
private  school,  and  subsequently  Williams  College  ;  but,  on  account  of  a 
disagreement,  completed  his  education  elsewhere. 

Ho  studied  law,  and  commenced  its  practice  in  South  Carolina ; 
but,  in  lSu7,  he  removed  to  Montgomery,  Ala.,  where  he  soon  became  suc- 
cessful, and  united  to  his  vocation  the  position  of  editor  of  the  Cahawba 
Democrat,  and  Wetumpka  Argus. 

In  1840  he  v>'as  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  as  Representative,  and 
subsequently  to  the  Senate.  He  was  chosen,  in  1S44,  to  succeed  Dixon  H. 
Lewis,  as  Hepresentative  to  Congress,  and  was  re-elected  for  the  next  term, 
occupying  his  seat  in  the  Twenty-Eighth  and  Twenty-Xinth  Congress. 

In  1845  he  voted  for  the  admission  of  Texas  into  the  Union,  and  approved 
the  bill  on  the  Oregon  question.  Supporting  every  measure  in  the  interest 
of  the  South,  he  voted  for  the  extension  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  line  to 
the  Pacific. 

L'pon  the  completion  of  his  Congressional  term,  he  returned  to  Alabama, 
and  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  ;  and,  in  1848,  was  a  member  of 
the  Democratic  Convention  which  met  at  Baltimore,  May  22,  to  nominate 
General  Cass  for  the  Presidency. 

Chosen,  in  1850,  the  leader  of  the  extremest  of  the  Southern  ultra  senti- 
ment, he  was  regarded  throughout  the  North  as  its  great  exponent.  Con- 
sistent with  his  principles,  he  took  an  active  part,  in  1854-'oG,  to  make 
Kansas  a  Slave  State.  More  violent  in  the  year  1859,  he  urged  upon  the 
Legislature  of  Alabama  to  pass  an  Act  to  require  the  Governor,  in  the  case 
of  the  election  of  a  Republican  President  in  18G0,  to  call  a  convention  of 
Alabamians  to  oppose  it  at  all  hazards. 

He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Democratic  Convention  which  met  at 
Charleston,  S.  C,  in  April,  18G0.  The  Convention  refusing  to  adopt  the 
ultra  Southern  platform,  he  withdrew,  with  his  colleagues,  joining  the  Con- 
vention at  Baltimore,  which  nominated  John  C.  Breckenridge  for  President, 
and  espoused  his  election  vrith  all  the  ardor  of  his  nature,  and  vehemence  of 
his  oratory. 

Visiting  New  York  during  the  Presidential  canvass  of  1860,  he  advocated 
the  policy  of  a  fusion  party,  as  the  only  practicable  one  to  defeat  Mr.  Lincoln. 
AVhen  the  Southern  States  began  to  secede,  Mr. Yancey  was  chosen,  December 
24,  1860,  a  member  of  the  Montg'omery  Convention.  The  ordinance  of 
secession  adopted  by  this  Convention,  was  reported  by  Mr.  Yancey. 

February  27,  1861,  he  was  selected  to  visit  Europe  as  a  Commissioner 
from  the  Southern  States,  where  he  used  all  his  eloquence  to  persuade  the 
Continental  powers  to  recognize  their  independence.  Being  unsuccessful  in 
his  efforts,  he  returned  to  the  South,  where  he  held  several  other  appoint- 
ments, and  was  elected  to  the  Confederate  Congress,  in  which  service  he 
died,  in  July,  18G3,  before  realizing  the  hopelessness  of  his  dreams,  and  the 
defeat  of  his  people. 


125.  THEODOEE   PAEKER. 

Tfteodore  Parketi,  the  celebrated  Massachusetts  cleroryman  and 
scholar,  was  born  in  Lexington,  Massachusetts,  August  24,  1810.  He  was 
one  of  the  old  stock  whose  grandfathers  fought  in  the  first  battles  of  free- 
dom ;  for  the  very  musket  captured  at  Lexington  Green,  in  April,  1T75,  was 
preserved  by  Theodore,  and  left  to  the  State.  He  worked  as  a  farmer  and 
mechanic,  like  other  country  lads,  and  went  to  the  district  school  in  winter, 
became,  in  his  turn,  teacher,  bought  books,  and  fitted  himself  for  college. 

He  entered  Harvard  College  in  1830,  studying  at  home,  and  compressing 
three  years  into  one ;  taught  school,  and  studied  languages,  ancient  and 
modern,  edited  periodicals,  graduated  as  a  clergyman,  and  settled  in  West 
Hoxbviry,  in  1837.  He  formed  views  upon  the  authority  and  inspiration  of 
the  Bible,  which  were  not  in  harmony  with  the  New  England  pulpit.  In 
short,  he  denied  the  supernatural  in  the  Scriptures,  and  aroused  an  excited 
controversy,  which  exhausted  so  much  of  his  physical  and  naental  energies, 
that  he  was  obliged  to  seek  relief  in  foreign  travel,  sx^ending  the  years  184.3-4 
in  Europe. 

The  controversy  was  renewed  on  his  return,  when  he  organized  a  new 
parish,  in  the  Melodeon,  Boston,  in  1845. 

Mr.  Parker's  contributions  to  periodical  literature,  his  translations  from 
the  German,  and  other  productions  of  his  pen,  were  marked  by  a  vigor  and 
independence  of  thought  which  ranked  him  among  the  leading  minds  of 
the  age.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  advocates  of  Temperance  and  anti- 
Slavery.  After  the  passage  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law,  in  1850,  he  took  an 
active  part  in  opposing  rendition. 

In  1852  his  congregation  occupied  the  great  Music  Hall  in  Boston, 
which  was  crowded  by  many,  anxious  to  hear  one  whose  fame  had  become 
so  great,  and  whose  views  of  theology  created  such  a  vivid  sensation  when 
uttered.  His  ideas  about  the  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  weve  too  in- 
dependent to  escape  the  denunciations  of  orthodoxy.  He  believed  that  they 
are  interwoven  with  human  error  and  superstition,  while  embodying  in- 
spired truth.  Though  his  labors  as  a  minister  were  extraordinar}^,  he 
traveled  and  lectured  extensively,  always  carrying  his  bag  full  of  books, 
and  studying  as  he  went.  He,  like  many  of  our  independent  clergy,  ex- 
pressed decided  views  on  questions  of  public  policy.  His  denunciations  of 
Slavery,  and  those  who  either  advocated  or  compromised  with  it,  was  some- 
thing more  than  ordinary  objurgation. 

Mr.  Parker's  health  began  to  fail,  till,  in  1859,  an  attack  of  bleeding  of 
the  lungs  compelled  him  to  cease  his  public  services.  He  sought,  in  the 
"West  Indies,  and  in  another  European  tour,  relief  from  his  maladies.  Set- 
ting out  from  Home,  where  he  had  passed  the  winter,  he  reached  Florence 
in  the  spring  of  18G0,  very  much  enfeebled,  and  died  there  on  the  10th  of 
May  of  that  year.  He  was  buried  in  the  cemetery,  outside  the  wall,  where 
a  stone,  bearing  the  simplest  record,  marks  the  spot. 

He  bequeathed  his  library,  of  over  thirteen  thousand  volumes,  to  the 
Free  Library,  of  Boston ;  leaving,  besides,  numerous  printed  works — one,  in 
a  fragmentary  form,  on  the  development  of  religion. 


,;:  128.   OWEN  LOYEJOY. 

Owen  Love.TOY  was  bom  in  Albion,  Kendall  County,  Maine,  January 
G,  1811. 

His  father  was  a  clergyman  and  farmer.  Owen  worked  upon  the  farm 
until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  entered  Bowdoin  College.  He 
graduated  in  1885,  and  emigrated  to  Alton,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in 
theological  studies,  his  brother,  Rev.  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy,  being,  at  the  time, 
the  editor  of  the  paper  there  which  advocated  anti-Slavery  views.  In  1837, 
the  pro-Slavery  citizens  of  Alton  and  the  neighboring  counties  in  Missouri, 
taking  offense  at  the  denunciations  of  Slavery  contained  in  Rev.  Mr.  Love- 
joy's  paper,  a  mob,  consisting  mostly  of  Missourians,  crossed  the  river  to 
Alton,  and,  after  destroying  his  press,  murdered  him. 

Owen  Lovejoy  was  present,  and  his  life  was  sought  by  the  mob  ;  but, 
notwithstanding  his  utter  fearlessness  of  danger,  he  escaped  death  at  their 
hands  ;  and  from  that  day  he  devoted  himself,  not  to  revenging  his  brother's 
death,  biit  to  seek  the  overthrow  of  Slavery,  as  having  been  the  cause  of  it. 
At  that  time,  the  laws  of  Illinois  forbade  the  holding  of  anti-Slavery  meet- 
ings, and  subjected  offenders  to  fines. 

Mr.  Owen  Lovejoy,  who  was  then  pastor  of  a  Congregational  church  in 
Princeton,  Bureau  County,  Illinois,  was  in  the  habit  of  holding  such  meet- 
ings at  various  places  in  the  State ;  and,  when  arrested,  as  he  often  was, 
and  convicted  and  fined,  he  always  announced  at  what  time  and  place  his 
next  meeting  would  be  held. 

He  was  often  threatened  with  violence  at  these  meetings ;  but  his  firm- 
ness of  purpose  and  determined  zeal  were  unshaken,  while  his  eloquence 
won  many  to  his  support. 

The  authorities  soon  found  it  a  vain  pursuit  to  punish  a  reformer  of 
such  a  spirit,  for  advocating  a  cause  which  he  so  conscientiously  held ;  and, 
eventually,  those  tyrannical  laws  were  repealed. 

In  1854  Mr.  Lovejoy  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  in  185G 
his  district  sent  him  to  Congress,  where  he  continued,  by  re-election,  until 
his  death.^  In  Congress  he  was  an  active,  useful  member,  and  eloquent 
speaker.^  ,  ,      -^      ,, 

Only  a  month  before  his  death,  he  wrote  to  his  friend,  "Wm.  Lloyd  Gar- 
rison, the  great  and  early  apostle  of  anti-Slavery,  his  views  with  regard  to 
the  re-election  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  expressing  the  sentiments  which  filled 
the  hearts  of  the  large  majority  of  Union  men,  and  adding:  "It  seems  to 
me  certain  that  the  Providence  of  God,  during  another  term,  will  grind 
Slavery  to  powder."  i 

Owen  Lovejoy  was  ranked  among  the  leading  reformers  of  the  Abolition 
school.  .  He  died  at  Brooklyn,  New  York,  March  25,  18G4. 


129.   DAYID  G.  FAREAGUT.  . 

Admiral  David  G.  Farragut  was.  born  about  the  year  1801,  near 
Knoxviile,  Tennessee. 

His  early  years  were  passed  amid  the  dangers  and  vicissitudes  of  a  bor- 
der life,  so  that,  while  yet  a  boy,  he  became  inured  to  peril  and  strife.  On 
one  occasion  he  was  rescued  from  the  cruel  mercies  of  an  Indian  tomahawk 
only  by  the  heroic  bearing  of  his  mother,  who  kept  the  red-faced  enemy  at 
bay  until  her  husband,  with  a  squadron  of  cavalry,  caused  tnem  to  take  to 
their  heels. 

A  short  time  prerious  to  the  breaking-  out  of  the  "War  of  1812,  his  father 
was  called  to  the  command  of  a  gunboat  at  New  Orleans.  Here  was  first 
formed  young  David's  taste  for  the  navy.  His  youthful  ambition  was  soon 
gratified  by  Commodore  D.  D.  Porter,  who,  pleased  with  the  boy's  appear- 
ance, took  him  on  board  his  own  ship,  the  far-famed  Esf;ex. 

In  a  bloody  engagement  off  Valparaiso,  between  the  Essex  and  the  two 
British  sloops,  Phtbe  and  Chenib,  he  distinguished  himself  by  his  gallant 
l>chavior  ;  but  when  he  saw  the  American  flag  hauled  down,  he  burst  into 
tears.  Nor  did  he  willingly  surrender  himself  a  prisoner  until,  after  a 
pugilistic  encounter  with  an  English  *'  Middy,"  he  had  secured  a  favorite 
pig,  the  pet  of  himself  and  fellow-sailors. 

At  thirteen  he  was  appointed  Master  of  a  British  prize  vessel  from  Guay- 
aquil to  Valparaiso. 

He  served  on  board  various  vessels  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  until 
18G1,  during  which  he  had  risen  to  the  position  of  Captain. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  he  resisted  all  the  flattering  induce- 
ments of  his  many  Southern  friends  to  desert  the  old  flag ;  and,  after  estab- 
lishing his  family  at  Hastings,  on  the  Hudson,  he  remained  ready  for  action 
at  his  country's  call. 

His  name  was  quickly  suggested  when  the  expedition  against  New 
Orleans  was  fixed  upon,  early  in  1862.  He  was  appointed  Flag-Officer  of 
the  fleet,  and  sailed  in  the  flag-ship  Hartford  for  the  *'  Crescent  City," 
which  surrendered  after  a  desperate  defense  from  Forts  Jackson  and 
St.  Philip.  The  courage  and  skill  displayed  by  Commodore  Farragut  in 
this  memorable  engagement  won  for  him  the  gratitude  and  admiration  of  a 
generous  people. 

In  July,  1862,  he  was  promoted  to  Rear- Admiral,  and  continued  in  com- 
mand of  the  Gulf  blockading  squadron  ;  passed  the  batteries  of  Port  Hudson 
in  March,  1863,  and  rendered  valuable  aid  to  General  Grant,  then  besieging 
Vicksburg. 

In  August,  1864,  he  succeeded  in  effecting  the  passage  of  Forts  Morgan 
and  Gaines,  in  Mobile  Bay,  with  his  fleet,  destroying  the  Rebel  ram  Ten- 
nessee, and  compelling  the  forts  to  surrender  by  the  23d  of  the  month ;  for 
which  achievement  he  was  promoted  to  Vice-Admiral,  which,  grade  was 
specially  created  for  him  by  Congress ;  and,  July  )ib-,  1866,  he  was  made 
Admiral.  He  died  August  1.3,  18*70,  in  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  His  remains  were 
brought  to  New  York,  October  7,  where  tiie  obsequies  of  the  great  American  ad- 
miral were  celebrated  on  a  scale  of  splendor  amply  testifying  the  respect  and 
esteem  in  which  the  name  of  the  dead  hero  is  held  by  all  Americans,  previous  to 
being  deposited  in  the  Woodlawn  Cemetery. 


,;:  128.   OWEN  LOYEJOY. 

Owen  Love.TOY  was  born  in  Albion,  Kendall  County,  Maine,  January 
G.  1811. 

His  father  -was  a  clerg-yman  and  farmer,  Owen  worked  upon  the  farm 
until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  entered  Bowdoin  College.  He 
graduated  in  1885,  and  emigrated  to  Alton,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in 
theological  studies,  his  brother.  Rev.  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy,  being,  at  the  time, 
the  editor  of  the  paper  there  which  advocated  anti-Slavery  views.  In  1837, 
the  pro-Slavery  citizens  of  Alton  and  the  neighboring  counties  in  Missouri, 
taking  offense  at  the  denunciations  of  Slavery  contained  in  Rev.  Mr.  Love- 
joy's  paper,  a  mob,  consisting  mostly  of  Missourians,  crossed  the  river  to 
Alton,  and,  after  destroying  his  press,  murdered  him. 

Owen  Lovejoy  was  present,  and  his  life  was  sought  by  the  mob ;  but, 
notwithstanding  his  utter  fearlessness  of  danger,  he  escaped  death  at  their 
hands  ;  and  from  that  day  he  devoted  himself,  not  to  revenging  his  brother's 
death,  but  to  seek  the  overthrow  of  Slavery,  as  having  been  the  cause  of  it. 
At  that  time,  the  laws  of  Illinois  forbade  the  holding  of  anti-Slavery  meet- 
ings, and  subjected  offenders  to  fines. 

Mr.  Owen  Lovejoy,  who  was  then  pastor  of  a  Congregational  church  in 
Princeton,  Bureau  County,  Illinois,  was  in  the  habit  of  holding  such  meet- 
ings at  various  places  in  the  State ;  and,  when  arrested,  as  he  often  was, 
and  convicted  and  fined,  he  always  announced  at  what  time  and  x^lace  his 
next  meeting  would  be  held. 

He  was  often  threatened  with  violence  at  these  meetings  ;  but  his  firm- 
ness of  purpose  and  determined  zeal  were  unshaken,  while  his  eloquence 
won  many  to  his  support. 

The  authorities  soon  found  it  a  vain  pursuit  to  punish  a  reformer  of 
such  a  spirit,  for  advocating  a  cause  which  he  so  conscientiously  held ;  and, 
eventually,  those  tyrannical  laws  were  repealed. 

In  1854  Mr.  Lovejoy  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  in  185G 
his  district  sent  him  to  Congress,  where  he  continued,  by  re-election,  until 
his  death.  ^  In  Congress  he  was  an  active,  useful  member,  and  eloquent 
speaker..^  ^  *   ,    .  — .     _^. 

Only  a  month  before  his  death,  he  wrote  to  his  friend,  Wm.  Lloyd  Gar- 
rison, the  great  and  early  apostle  of  anti-Slavery,  his  views  with  regard  to 
the  re-election  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  expressing  the  sentiments  which  filled 
the  hearts  of  the  large  majority  of  Union  men,  and  adding:  "It  seems  to 
me  certain  that  the  Providence  of  God,  during  another  term,  will  grind 
Slavery  to  powder."  i 

Owen  Lovejoy  was  ranked  among  the  leading  reformers  of  the  Abolition 
school.  .  He  died  at  Brooklyn,  New  York,  March  25,  1804. 


129.   DAYID  G.  FARRAGUT.  . 

Admiral  David  G.  Farragut  was.  boru  about  the  year  1801,  near 
Knoxviile,  Tennessee. 

His  early  years  were  passed  amid  the  dangers  and  vicissitudes  of  a  bor- 
der life,  so  that,  while  yet  a  boy,  lie  became  inured  to  peril  and  strife.  On 
one  occasion  he  was  rescued  from  the  cruel  mercies  of  an  Indian  tomahawk 
only  by  the  heroic  bearing  of  his  mother,  who  kept  the  red-faced  enemy  at 
bay  until  her  husband,  with  a  squadron  of  cavalry,  caused  tnem  to  take  to 
their  heels. 

A  short  time  previous  to  the  breaking-  out  of  the  "War  of  1812,  his  father 
was  called  to  the  command  of  a  gunboat  at  New  Orleans.  Here  was  first 
formed  young  David's  taste  for  the  navy.  His  youthful  ambition  was  soon 
gratified  by  Commodore  D.  D.  Porter,  who,  pleased  with  the  boy's  appear- 
ance, took  him  on  board  his.  own  ship,  the  far-famed  Es.sex. 

In  a  bloody  engagement  off  Valparaiso,  between  the  Essex  and  the  two 
British  sloops,  Phebe  and  Chemb,  he  distinguished  himself  by  his  gallant 
behavior;  but  when  he  saw  the  American  flag  hauled  down,  he  burst  into 
tears.  Nor  did  he  willingly  surrender  himself  a  prisoner  until,  after  a 
pugilistic  encounter  with  an  English  **  Middy,"  he  had  secured  a  favorite 
pig,  the  pet  of  himself  and  fellow-sailors. 

At  thirteen  he  was  appointed  Master  of  a  British  prize  vessel  from  Guay- 
aquil to  Valparaiso. 

He  served  on  board  various  vessels  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  until 
18G1,  during  which  he  had  risen  to  the  position  of  Captain. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  he  resisted  all  the  flattering  induce- 
ments of  his  many  Southern  friends  to  dosert  the  old  flag ;  and,  after  estab- 
lishing his  family  at  Hastings,  on  the  Hudson,  he  remained  ready  for  action 
at  his  country's  call. 

His  name  was  quickly  suggested  when  the  expedition  against  New 
Orleans  was  fixed  upon,  early  in  1862.  He  was  appointed  Flag-Officer  of 
the  fleet,  and  sailed  in  the  flag-ship  Hartford  for  the  "  Crescent  City," 
which  surrendered  after  a  desperate  defense  from  Forts  Jackson  and 
St.  Philip.  The  courage  and  skill  displayed  by  Commodore  Farragut  iii 
this  memorable  engagement  won  for  him  the  gratitude  and  admiration  of  a 
generous  people. 

In  July,  1862,  he  was  promoted  to  Rear- Admiral,  and  continued  in  com- 
mand of  the  Gulf  blockading  squadron  ;  passed  the  batteries  of  Port  Hudson 
in  March,  1863,  and  rendered  valuable  aid  to  General  Grant,  then  besieging 
Vicksburg. 

In  August,  1864,  he  succeeded  in  effecting  the  passage  of  Forts  Morgan 
and  Gaines,  in  Mobile  Bay,  with  his  fleet,  destroying  the  Rebel  ram  I'en- 
nessee,  and  compelling  the  forts  to  surrender  by  the  23d  of  the  month  ;  for 
which  achievement  he  was  promoted  to  Vice-Admiral,  which  grade  was 
specially  created  for  him  by  Congress ;  and,  July  wiO,  1866,  he  was  made 
Admiral.  He  died  August  LS,  1870,  in  Portsmouth,  N.  H,  His  remains  were 
brought  to  New  York,  October  7,  where  tue  obsequies  of  the  great  American  ad- 
miral were  celebrated  on  a  scale  of  splendor  amply  testifving  the  respect  and 
esteem  in  which  the  name  of  tlie  dead  hero  is  held  by  all  Americans,  previous  to 
being  deposited  in  the  Woodlawn  Cemetery. 


130.  PEESTON   S.   BEOOKS. 

Preston  S.  Brooks  -was  born  in  Edg-cfield  District,  South  Carolina, 
in  August,  1819.  Graduatin<j  at  the  South  Carolina  Culltge,  in  1839,  he 
adopted  the  profession  of  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1843. 

He  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  of  South  Carolina,  in  1844;  and,  on 
the  breaking-  out  of  the  Mexican  War,  in  1846,  raised  a  company  of  vol- 
unteers, of  which  he  was  made  Captain,  serving  in  the  Palmetto  Regiment 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  campaign.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
returned  to  South  Carolina,  and  settled  down  as  a  planter. 

He  was  elected  Representative  to  Congress  in  1853,  and  re-elected  in 
1855.  The  fiery  debates  in  Congress  on  the  Kansas  difficulties — the  electric 
spark  that  presaged  the  thunderbolt  of  war  that  was  preparing  to  burst  upon 
the  country — aroused  every  feeling  of  passion  that  was  smothered,  and  lay 
smouldering,  in  both  the  Northern  and  Southern  heart.  In  the  midst  of  all 
this  dense  passion,  this  pent-up  feeling  found  its  vent  in  two  opposite 
natures, — one  sedate,  classical,  and  confident  in  the  justice  of  its  cause  ;  the 
other  passionate,  impulsive,  and  reckless,  acting  under  imaginary  wrongs- 
Charles  Sumner  had  made  one  of  his  most  memorable  speeches  against  the 
South,  and  her  institution,  in  which  he  particularly  criticised  Senator 
Butler,  of  South  Carolina,  a  near  relative  of  Mr.  Brooks.  Chafing  under 
this  severe  attack  upon  th-  peculiar  institution  of  his  State,  and  the  personal 
criticism  of  his  relative,  the  *'  chivalrous  spirit"  of  Mr.  Brooks  was  aroused, 
and  he  determined  to  be  avenged.  Entering  the  Senate  Chamber,  he  com- 
mitted a  personal  and  almost  deadly  assault  upon  the  Massachusetts  Senator. 

This  event  caused  great  excitement  in  the  North,  and  a  spirit  of  indig- 
nation pervaded  every  breast.  A  Senator  from  Massachusetts  had  been 
brutally  assaulted  in  his  chair  by  a  Representative  from  South  Carolina! 
Henry  Wilson,  the  colleague  of  Mr.  Sumner,  in  the  Senate,  pronounced  the 
assault  "murderous,  brutal,  and  cowardly ; ''  whereupon,  Mr.  Brooks  chal- 
lenged him  to  a  deadly  conflict.  Mr.  Wilson  replied  that,  while  he 
religiously  believed  in  the  right  of  self-defense,  he  must  decline  to  accept 
the  challenge,  believing  dueling  to  be,  not  only  a  violation  of  the  law  of 
the  land,  but  the  relic  of  a  barbarous  age.  Although  denounced  by  the 
North,  Mr.  Brooks  was  sustained  by  his  constituents. 

The  fiery  spirit  of  Mr.  Brooks  was  again  displayed  in  the  Presidential  can- 
vass of  185(3,  when  he  threatened  that,  in  the  event  of  the  election  of  John 
C.  Fremont,  he  would  *'  march  upon  Washington,  seize  the  archives  of  the 
Government,  and  take  possession  of  the  capital." 

Disappointed  in  the  opportunity,  this  threat  was  a  foreshadowing  of  the 
events  which  occurred  on  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  as  President  ot 
the  United  States,  in  1860. 

Dying  in  Washington,  D.  C,  January  27, 1857,  he  left  behind  him  many 
Avarin  personal  friends. 


131.   CORNELIUS  YAXDERBILT. 

CoRN*ELTTTS  Yandejibilt,  popularly  known  as  the  "  Commodore,''  was 
born  on  Staten  Island  N.  Y.,  May  'i7.  1791.  His  father  having  established 
a  ferry  between  New-York  and  Staten  Island,  young  Cornelius  had  much 
to  do  with  its  management.  For  some  five  years  he  was  engaged  as  boat- 
man, carrying  pleasui-e  parties  to  pic-nics,  boarding  ships  &.c  ;  no  matter 
how  it  blew,  or  sto  med,  or  froze,  if  ■'  Cornell"  had  agreed  to  boaid  a  ship 
or  deliver  a  dispatch,  he  did  it.  When  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  be- 
came the  owner  of  a  boat  and  commenced  an  independent  career  and  by 
the  time  he  was  eighteen  he  found  himself  part  owner  and  Captain  of  one 
of  the  largest  periaugers  in  the  harbor.  Duriug  the  war  of  J^^2.  he  ren- 
dered material  service  in  furnishing  supplies,  by  night,  to  the  forts  about 
New-York.  In  fact,  his  energy,  skill  and  daring  became  so  well  known,  and 
his  word,  when  he  gave  it,  could  be  relied  upon  so  implicitly  that  '•  Cor- 
nell, the  boatman,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  was  sought  after  far  and 
near  when  an  expedition  particularly  hazardous  or  important  was  to  be 
undertaken.  As  boatman  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  he  was  making  $4,000 
a  year,  but  perceiving  steam  would  ere  long  become  the  great  agent  of 
navigation,  he  in  1817  entered  the  sen'ice  of  I  homas  Gibbons,  then  pro- 
prietor of  a  Line  of  Steamboats  runjiing  between  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia, remaiting  in  his  employ  twelve  years. 

Having  made  himself  thoroughly  f.cquainted  with  the  details  and 
practical  managem'^nt  of  Steam  Navigation,  he  in  1829,  left  the  employ  of 
Mr.  Gibbons  and  set  himself  to  work  establishing  Steamboat  Lines  on  the 
Hudson  Elver,  the  Sound  and  elsewhere,  in  opposition  to  Corporations  and 
Companies,  who,  having  a  monopoly  of  trade,  made  travel  too  expensive 
to  be  enjoyed  by  the  many.  His  plan  was  always  to  build  better  and  faster 
boats  than  his  competitors,  to  run  them  at  their  lowest  paying  rates,  and 
thus  furnish  passengers  with  the  best  and  cheapest  accommodations. 

For  the  next  twenty  years  he  applied  himself  to  the  work  before  him, 
with  the  same  wisdom,  and  that  earnest,  steadfast  zeal  he  had  ever  shown, 
and  was  eminently  successful. 

In  184:9  he  obtained  a  grant  from  the  Nicarauguan  Government  to  con- 
struct a  Ship  Canal  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  by  the  San  Juan 
Kiver  end  Lake  iSicaraugua.  but  after  spending  considerable  money  in  this 
enterprise  it  was  abandoned  and  the  Nicaraugua  Transit  Company  was 
organized  and  Mr.  Vanderbilt  was  chosen  President.  Under  his  manage- 
ment this  route  to  California  became  a  favorite  one,  and  the  price  of  passage 
was  reduced  from  SGOO  to  S300.  In  1853  he  sold  out  his  interest,  and  in 
185.)  established  an  independent  line  to  Ha%Te.  The  famous  Steamboat 
"Vanderbilt"  was  built  for  this  line  and  made  the  quickest  time  on 
record.  Mr.  Vanderbilt  made  a  free  gift  of  this  splendid  vessel  to  the 
TJ.  S,  Government  m  I8ii2.  at  a  time  when  the  Administration  needed  im- 
mediately a  large  addition  to  the  Navy. 

In  186.5  he  sold  out  all  his  vessels  and  transfered  the  greater  part  of 
of  his  wealth  to  Railroads,  and  is  now  the  largest  Railroad  proprietor  in  the 
United  States,  and  one  of  the  two  or  three  richest  men  in  the  Empire 
City.  It  was  never  his  plan  to  put  away^  money  in  a  chest,  nor  yet  to 
simply  invest  it,  but  rather,  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word,  to  use  it. 
Consequently,  it  is  said,  he  employs  more  men  to-day.  directly  and  indi- 
rectly, than  any  other  man  in  the  land. 


132.  JOHN  A.   ANDEEW. 

JoHT^'  A.  Andrew,  tho  21st  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  was  born  at 
Windham,  Maine,  May  SI,  1818. 

In  his  boyhood  he  was  marked  for  his  freedom  from  vicious  habits,  and 
for  his  cheerful,  sprightly,  and  studious  disposition. 

He  graduated  at  Bowdoin  Colleg-e,  Brunswick,  Maine,  in  1837,  when  he 
removed  to  Boston,  studied  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1840,  and  soon 
became  eminent  in  his  pi'ofession. 

Thoroughly  anti-Slavery,  he  met  the  aggressions  of  the  slave-x^ower  at 
every  step  by  his  protest,  when  his  voice  could  speak  for  freedom. 

In  1850  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  called  forth  his  warmest  opposition  to  its 
enactment,  and  its  enforcement  in  Massachusetts. 

In  1858  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts,  and,  in  18G0, 
a  Delegate  to  the  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago  which  nominated 
Abraham  Lincoln  for  President  of  the  United  States.  The  same  year  he 
was  elected  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  which  position  he  held  throughout 
the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  until  1806,  when  he  declined  to  be  again  a 
candidate. 

He  foresaw  in  the  agitation  at  the  South,  during  the  Presidential  can- 
vass of  1800,  the  beginning  of  a  fearful  conflict,  and  prepared  the  militia  of 
his  State,  beforehand,  to  meet  the  impending  storm.  So  thoroughly  had 
tho  militia  been  organized,  that,  on  the  call  of  President  Lincoln  for  troops, 
in  less  than  twenty-four  hours  after  its  reception,  a  regiment  was  on  the 
march  for  Washington.  He  had  given  himself  with  untiring  energy  to  the 
work  of  making  the  commonwealth  ever  ready,  as  she  was  always  willing, 
to  st;ind  in  the  front  ranks  against  treason,  and  in  the  support  of  the  United 
States  Government. 

In  the  Conference  of  Governors  at  Altoona,  Pennsylvania,  in  September, 
1862,  he  was  conspicuous  in  hopeful,  ardent  patriotism,  and  prepared  tho 
address  to  the  Prt  sident,  urging  the  issue  of  a  call  for  three  hundred 
thousand  new  troops  to  the  field. 

His  message  of  January,  1861,  read  like  a  prophetic  oracle.  He  showed 
the  constant  loyalty  of  Massachusetts,  and  her  willingness  to  defend,  at  any 
cost,  the  Kational  life. 

In  h:s  message  of  May  1,  he  opens  with  these  laconic  words:  "The 
occasion  demands  action^  and  it  shall  not  be  delayed  by  speech."  He  then 
points  out  what  is  to  be  done,  and  Iww  it  is  to  be  done,  in  the  tersest  lan- 
guage. 

Governor  Andrew's  valedictory  address  of  January,  1866,  was  closely 
argumentative,  severely  logical,  with  no  superfluous  words  ;  and  it  will 
stand  as  one  of  the  ablest  papers  on  Reeonstructiou  ever  placed  before  the 
people. 

His  message  of  April  17,  1865,  on  the  death  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  was, 
perhaps,  one  of  his  best  efforts  In  it  he  says :  "  Let  the  Government  and 
the  people  resolve  to  be  brave,  faithful,  impartial,  and  just.  With  the 
blessing  of  God,  let  us  determine  to  have  a  Country,  tho  Home  of  Liberty 
and  civilization." 

He  died  suddenly,  of  apoplexy,  October  30,  1807. 


133.  JOHN   VAN   BUEEN. 

John  Van  Buiien,  a  gentleman  of  mark  and  prominence,  botli  as  a 
lawyer  and  a  politician,  was  the  son  of  Martin  Van  Buren,  the  8th  President 
of  the  United  States,  and  was  born  at  Hudson,  New  York,  in  February, 
1810. 

He  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1828,  studied  law  with  Benjamin  F. 
Butler,  at  Albany,  and  the  Hon.  Aaron  Vanderpool,  at  Kinderhook.  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1880.  Though  an  abld  lawyer  and  an  eloquent 
advocate,  he  was  less  distinguished  at  the  bar  than  in  political  life. 

Mr.  Van  Buren  accompanied  his  father  while  Minister  to  England,  in 
18o2,  which  gave  him  an  opportunity  of  becoming  familiar  with  the  higher 
classes  of  British  society. 

In  1845  he  was  chosen  as  Attorney-G-eneral  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  at  the  termination  of  his  service  settled  in  the  city  of  New  York,  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  frequently  taking  part  in  the  political  attairs  of 
the  day. 

During  the  Presidential  canvass  of  1848,  he  distinguished  himself  as  a 
popular  advocate  of  the  Free-Soil  party,  and  of  the  exclusion  of  Slavery 
from  the  Federal  Territories.  He  did  not,  however,  adhere  to  the  princi- 
ples which  were  subsequently  developed  by  that  party ;  but,  during  the 
latter  years  of  his  life,  acted  with  the  Democratic  i^arty,  often  taking  an 
active  interest  in  the  canvass. 

In  May,  18(56,  he  left  New  York  for  an  European  tour,  traveling  exten- 
sively, during  the  summer,  in  Sweden,  Norway,  and  Russia,  and  spending 
a  few  weeks,  previous  to  his  embarkation  for  home,  in  the  Highlands  of 
Scotland. 

Mr.  Van  Buren's  health  had  previously  been  impaired,  but  on  his  returii 
voyage  the  symptoms  of  his  disorder  gave  evidence  of  sudden  aggravation. 
After  a  brief  period  of  suffering,  he  expired,  on  board  the  steamer  Scotia, 
on  the  13th  of  October,  18GG. 

As  an  advocate,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  distinguished  by  an  overwhelming 
oratory,  which  irresistibly  carried  the  jviry  with  him.  Ho  was  always  an 
eloquent  and  interesting  speaker,  but  it  was  chiefly  as  a  stump-orator,  ad- 
dressing a  popular  audience,  that  John  Van  Buren  was  celebrated.  He 
possessed  an  easy,  but  graceful  manner,  with  a  happy  flow  of  wit,  which 
delighted  the  Democratic  crowds,  whom  he  held  enchained,  or  roused  to 
loud  and  boisterous  mirth. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  he  placed  himself  on  the  side  of 
the  Union,  as  a  War  Democrat,  and  was  one  of  the  speakers  at  the  great 
Union  meeting  which  assembled  at  Union  Square,  New  York,  in  ISGl. 

Mr.  Van  Buren,  though  frequently  solicited,  never  sought  office,  and 
died  with  unsullied  patriotism,  predominant  in  death. 

i 


134.  WM.   H    CHANNING, 

Wm.  H.  CnANNiNG,  a  celebrated  divine,  the  champion  of  free  thought 
and  free  limbs,  was  born  at  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  April  7,  1778.  As  a 
boy,  ho  was  thoughtful  and  amiable,  winning  the  love  of  his  schoolmates 
aiid  teachers. 

At  a  very  early  age  he  was  imbued  with  religious  reverence ;  and  thought, 
with  an  unusual  degree  of  mental  vigor,  upon  the  abstract  dogmas  of  theol- 
ogy. He  was  the  soul  of  honor,  and  ever  ready  to  take  the  part  of  the  op- 
pressed among  his  playmates.  Washington  AUston,  the  poet-painter, 
describes  him  as  an  "  open,  bi'ave,  and  generous  boy." 

He  entered  Harvard  College  in  171)4,  and  graduated  in  1798,  with  the 
highest  honors  of  his  class. 

In  1801  he  was  made  Regent  in  Harvard  University,  and  the  following 
year,  having  been  licensed  by  the  "  Cambridge  Ministerial  Association,"  he 
commenced  preaching,  and  Avas  settled  over  the  Federal-Street  Society,  Jvme 
1,  1803.  He  retained  the  offioo  of  Pastor  of  this  chiirch  and  Society  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  at  Bennington,  Vermont,  on  the  2d  of  October, 
1842,  while  on  a  journey  for  his  health. 

Dr.  Channing  was  small  in  stature,  and  always  had  the  appearance  of 
being  in  a  very  depressed  condition  of  health.  When  he  rose  to  speak,  his 
voice,  scarcely  rising  above  a  tremulous  whisper,  caused  a  strong  feeling  of 
disappointment  and  regn-t;  but,  as  he  warmed  with  his  theme,  his  form 
seemed  to  dilate  until  you  forgot  his  diminutiveness,  and  his  voice  rose  to 
such  a  clear,  sonorous  note,  that  every  vibration  thrilled  to  the  very  soul. 

Few  men  were  so  eloquent  as  he ;  but  it  was  not  the  eloquence  of  the 
schools.  It  was  the  manly  earnestness,  with  which  he  impressed  upon  his 
audience  the  greatness  of  his  subject  and  the  solemnity  of  his  mission,  and 
enchained  the  souls  of  his  hearers,  and  melted  them  into  tenderness  and 
humility. 

Dr.  Channing  was  an  uncompromising  advocate  of  human  freedom.  He 
sought,  with  all  his  might,  t)  take  away  the  irons  from  the  limbs  of  the 
enslaved,  and  to  disinthrall  the  human  mind  from,  the  fetters  of  l->arty,  and 
the  debasing  creeds  of  sects. 

He  was  an  ardent  patriot,  and  his  heart  bled  for  every  stain  that  fell 
upon  the  escutcheon  of  his  country's  glory. 

AVhen  the  New  England  church  divided  on  what  were  called  the  Unita- 
rian and  Calvanistic  doctrines,  he  took  tlie  liberal  side,  only  as  choosing  the 
least  of  two  evils,  and  labored  while  he  lived  to  do  away  with  sectarian 
names  and  badges,  and  to  bring  all  real  and  sincere  believers  together,  under 
the  broad  and  single  name  of  Christians. 

Dr.  Channing  was  a  man  of  the  purest  life  and  spirit.  The  sins  which 
so  easily  beset  and  contaminate  many  great  and  good  men,  were  shed  by  the 
immaculate  mantle  of  his  life  without  leaving  a  trace  behind.  In  Jiira  there 
was  no  guile./ 


135.  HOSEA  BALLOU. 

HosEA  Ballott  was  'borii  in  Richmond,  New  Hampshire,  April  30, 
1771.  His  father  was  a  Baptist  minister,  and,  at  quite  an  early  age,  Hosea 
received  deep  religious  impressions,  and  joined  his  father's  church.  When 
he  was  about  fourteen  years  old,  considerable  stir  was  made  by  che  presence 
of  several  Universalist  ministers  in  his  native  place,  some  of  whom  he  heard. 
Their  discourses  led  him  to  inquire  if  their  doctrine  was  consistent  with  the 
Bible,  and  he  resolved  to  give  the  subject  a  thorough  investigation.  In  this 
labor  he  had  no  other  book  than  the  Bible,  to  the  study  of  which  he  applied 
an  honest  mind  and  a  sturdy  purpose  to  adopt  such  views  as  might  oe 
derived  from  its  teachings.  The  result  was,  that  he  embraced  the  views  of 
those  preachers,  and  openly  avowed  his  change ;  in  consequence  of  which  he 
was  excommunicated  from  the  Baptist  church,  when  his  thoughts  were 
turned  to  the  subject  of  preaching. 

In  1791,  Mr.  Ballou  preached  his  first  sennon  in  a  private  house. 

He  was  first  ordained  in  Oxford,  in  1794,  and  in  1803,  in  Barnard,  Vt., 
where  he  wrote  and  published  two  works:  "  Notes  on  the  Parables,"  and  a 
"  Treatise  on  the  Atonement." 

These  volumes  he  compiled  without  the  aid  of  any  other  books  than  the 
Bible ;  and,  although  there  is  little  scholastic  polish  to  be  found  in  them, 
the  marks  of  his  keen  logic  and  biting  satire  are  to  be  seen  on  nearly  every 
page.  On  the  8th  of  November,  1809,  he  was  installed  over  the  Universalist 
Society  in  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  where  he  remained  until  1815,  when  he 
removed  to  Salem,  Mass.,  and  remained  two  years,  and  then  accepted  the 
call  of  the  Second  Universalist  Society  in  Boston,  where  he  was  installed 
December  25, 1817,  as  its  first  Pastor.  Here  he  continued  during  the  remain- 
der of  his  life,  living  in  great  harmony  with  his  people,  and  laboring  inces- 
santly, both  at  home  and  abroad,  in  the  various  duties  of  his  profession. 

He  fell  quietly  asleep  on  the  7th  of  June,  1852,  in  the  eighty-first  year 
of  his  age. 

The  labors  of  Mr.  Ballou  were  arduous  and  extensive.  He  traveled 
widely  throughout  the  United  States,  visiting  the  churches  and  establishing 
new  ones. 

Although  he  seldom  wrote  his  sermons,  few  clergymen  have  written 
more  than  he.  His  controversial  writings  would  make  many  large  tomes  of 
theological  lore.  Few  preachers  have  produced  a  stronger  sensation,  or  left 
upon  the  circle  of  their  mission  a  more  enduring  effect  than  he.  Without 
education,  without  patronage,  with  nothing  but  his  own  strong  powers  ot 
intellect,  amidst  the  bitterest  opposition,  he  succeeded  in  building  up  the 
cause  to  which  he  devoted  his  life.  For  his  attentions  to  the  wants  of  his 
people  in  sickness  and  in  sorrow,  he  won  their  love ;  and,  quite  early  in  life, 
he  passed  among  thera  as  "  Father  Ballou." 


136.  LYMAN  BEECHEPv. 

Rev.  Lyman  Beeciter,  a  distinguished  Clergyman,  was  boru  in  New 
Haven,  Connecticut,  September  12,  1775. 

He  prepared  for  college  under  the  immediate  supervision  of  the  village 
pastor,  and  in  due  time  graduated  at  Yale  College,  where  he  afterv/ard 
remained  two  or  three  years,  studying  divinity  under  Dr.  Dwight,  then 
President  of  that  institution. 

In  1708  he  received  his  license  for  the  ministry,  and  was  soon  called  to 
take  charge  of  the  First  Congregationnl  Society  in  East  Hampton,  Long 
Island,  where  he  labored  with  marked  fidelity  for  more  than  two  years.  In 
1810  he  removed  to  Litchfield,  Conn.,  where  he  settled  as  Pastor  over  the 
First  Congregational  Society  of  that  place.  He  remained  in  charge  of  this 
Christian  flock  for  sixteen  years,  and  preached  with  great  success.  Having 
married,  he  found  himself,  ere  long,  surrounded  Avith  a  numerous  family — 
"  The  Clergyman's  Blessing'" — and  he  set  himself  to  work  to  improve  the 
condition  of  the  community  in  which  his  children  were  to  be  reared.  He 
raised  the  standard  of  education  in  the  schools,  and  became  an  efficient  and 
successful  laborer  in  the  cause  of  Temperance,  to  which  he  devoted  his  sin- 
gular energies  throughout  a  long  life,  and  to  which  he  was  to  the  last  as 
freshly  devoted  as  in  the  palmy  days  of  his  youth. 

He  also  entered,  heart  and  soul,  into  all  the  great  questions  of  moral 
reforms  which  then  began  to  agitate  the  churches  ;  and,  during  this  period, 
assisted  in  the  establishment  of  the  Connecticut  Edvication  Society,  the 
American  Bible  Society,  the  Connecticut  Missionary  Society,  and  other 
associations  of  a  similar  character. 

In  182G  great  defection  had  taken  place  in  Boston  and  neighboring 
parts  of  New  England  into  Unitarianism,  following  the  lead  of  I)r.  Chan- 
ning,  and  others  in  sympathy  with  him,  and  Dr.  Beecher  was  chosen,  out  of 
all  the  other  clergy  in  New  England,  to  uphold  the  standard  of  the  ancient 
Puritan  faith  against  their  desertion,  and  he  took  charge  of  the  Hanover 
Street  Calvanistic  Society  in  Boston,  where  he  labored  for  six  or  seven 
years  with  great  zeal  and  considerable  success.  His  ministry  partook 
largely  of  the  controversial,  and  he  flung  himself  into  the  thickest  of  the 
battle. 

In  1832  he  was  appointed  to  the  Presidency  of  the  Lane  Theological 
Seminary  at  Cincinnati;  and,  at  the  same  time,  he  took  charge  of  the  Second 
Presbyterian  Society  in  that  city,  which  double  charge  he  performed  with 
great  vigor  of  intellect  and  body  until  about  the  j^ear  1852,  when  he  resigned 
all  public  and  official  relations,  and  removed  to  Boston,  where  he  afterward 
resided,  enjoying  the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him  and  the  proud  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  his  children  "  a  numerous  bx'otherhood,"  occupying  command- 
ing positions  in  society,  and  rendering  themselves  famous  by  their  labors  in 
the  cause  of  truth  and  humanity. 

Dr.  Beecher  published  much  during  his  life,  consisting,  principally,  of 
sermons  delivered  on  various  occasions.  He  is  also  author  of  a  volume  on 
"  Political  Atheism,"  and  was  always  a  zealous  advocate  of  the  Temperance 
movement,  and  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  chief  founders  of  the  "  Tern- 
X^erance  Reform." 

Ho  died  at  the  residence  o|  his  son,  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  in  Brooklyn, 
in  1862. 


137.  WILLIAM  D.   PORTER 

Commodore  William  D.  Portek  was  born  in  New  Orleans,  Louisiana, 
in  1809,  but  was  educated  in  Pennsylvania,  and  appointed  to  the  navy  from 
Massachusetts.  He  was  the  son  of  Commodore  David  Porter,  who  distin- 
guished himself  in  the  AVar  of  1812,  and  a  brother  of  Admiral  David  D. 
Porter,  who  also  distinguished  himself  on  many  occasions  in  the  late  war. 
"When  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  W.  D.  Porter  was  cruising  in  the  sloop-of- 
war  St.  Mary's.  Being  a  Southern  man  by  birth,  his  loyalty  was  suspected; 
hearing  which,  he  wrote  a  characteristic  letter  to  the  Government,  defending 
himself  from  the  aspersion. 

He  was  afterward  sent  to  the  "Western  waters  under  Commodore  Foote, 
who  was  preparing  a  fleet  to  open  the  Mississippi.  The  vessel  selected  for 
him  to  command  was  the  iSt.  Louis  (ferry-boat),  which  he  converted  into  a 
formidable  iron-clad  gun-boat  in  eighteen  days,  fighting  the  enemy  while 
constructing  it.  He  named  it  the  "  Essex,^^  after  the  ship  in  which  his  gal- 
lant father  fought  his  desperate  battle  with  the  ^^  Alert, ^^  near  the  port  of 
Valparaiso,  in  1812. 

Although  it  had  an  ignominious  birth,  it  was  destined  to  win  a  great 
reputation. 

He  accompanied  Commodore  Foote  up  the  Tennessee  River,  and  took  part 
in  the  attack  on  Fort  Henry. 

As  Foote  with  his  flag-ship  moved  up  to  the  fort,  the  Essex  hugged  him 
close,  and,  when  fire  was  opened,  lay  alongside.  The  heavy  shot  from  the 
batteries  pounded  her  mailed  sides,  and  made  her  quiver  from  stem  to  stern. 
Yet  Porter  kept  creeping  nearer  to  them,  pushing  into  the  very  vortex  of  the 
fire.  Amid  the  crashing  of  shot  and  bursting  of  shell,  above,  around,  and 
against  the  sides  of  the  ship,  his  bearing  was  grand  and  heroic.  When 
within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  fort,  as  he  was  watching  the  effect  of 
the  fire,  a  32-pound  shot  struck  his  vessel,  just  above  the  port-holes,  killed 
a  man  by  his  side,  and  landing  in  the  boiler,  sent  the  stream  through  the 
vessel,  and  fatally  scalded  many  of  the  sailors ;  Porter  himself  was  also 
scalded,  and  became  temporarily  blinded  from  the  effects. 

While  recruiting,  he  had  the  Essex  repaired,  and  on  the  9th  of  July 
started  down  the  Mississippi  River  to  join  the  fleet  at  Vicksburg,  his  brother 
and  Admiral  Fari'agut  coming  up  from  below. 

Here  the  formidable  Rebel  ram  Arkansas  made  its  appearance,  passing 
through  the  fleet  without  being  affested  by  their  broadsides,  and  placing  her- 
self under  the  batteries  of  the  fort.  Such  a  formidable  vessel  could  not  be 
trusted  on  the  river,  and  Porter  volunteered,  alone  and  unaided,  to  destroy 
her.  He  went  down  under  the  fire  of  the  batteries  of  the  fort  and  the  ram, 
where  he  attacked  and  partially  disabled  her.  He  intended  to  have  struck 
her  with  his  armed  bow,  but  she  avoided  him.  The  ram  afterwai'd 
withdrew  for  repairs,  when  Porter  attacked  and  set  fire  to  her  magazine, 
causing  it  to  explode. 

Thus  by  his  daring,  one  of  the  most  dangerous  impediments  to  our  suc- 
cess on  the  river  was  destroyed.  He  then  started  down  the  river,  passing 
Port  Hudson  under  a  galling  fire,  unharmed,  destroying  one  of  the  batteries, 
and  arrived  at  New  Orleans,  where  a  Commodore's  commission  awaited  him; 
but  ho  did  not  live  to  enjoy  it,  for  disease  had  set  in,  and  ho  was  obliged  to 
return  to  the  North  for  his  health,  where  ho  soon  after  died,  at  St.  Luke's 
Hospital,  in  New  York,  in  16G2,  in  the  fifty-third  year  of  hitj  ago. 


13S.  J.   FENIMOEE   COOPER 

J.  Fenimore  Cooper  was  born  in  Bordcntown,  New  Jersey,  September 
15,  1789.  At  the  age  of  ten,  his  father  removed  to  Cooperstown,  New  York. 
He  was  fitted  for  college  under  the  training  of  Rev.  Mr.  Ellison,  Rector  of 
St.  Paul's  Church,  Albany. 

.  After  spending  a  few  years  m  studying  the  classics,  he  entered  the  navy 
at  a  still  very  early  age  ;  and,  during  a  few  years  of  service,  gave  such  evi- 
dence of  his  fitness  for  a  naval  leader  that  a  commission  was  about  to  be 
tendered  to  him,  when  he  fell  a  victim  to  Cupid,  and  surrendered  himself  to 
the  bands  of  Hymen, 

After  his  marriage,  he  gave  himself  up  to  pleasure,  travel,  and  litera- 
ture, for  some  years,  during  which  time  he  stored  his  mind  with  the  rich 
m.aterials  which  he  has  since  wrought  into  such  delightful  fabrics. 

His  first  serious  attempt  at  novel-writing  (after  various  contributions  to 
the  literary  journals)  came  before  the  world  under  the  title  of  *•  Precaution." 
Then  came  the  "  Spy,"  and  '*  Pioneers,"  and  "  Pilot,"  and  a  whole  brood  of 
flattering  successors,  the  very  enumeration  of  which  we  have  no  room  for, 
each  adding  to  the  fame  of  the  author,  as  each  was  xoerused  by  the  enthusi- 
astic and  expectant  readers. 

His  last  work  was  published  in  1849,  and  Mr.  Cooper's  mortal  remains 
were  committed  to  the  dust  in  ISol.  But  he  still  lives  in  the  hearts  of 
grateful  millions,  whose  spirits  have  been  stirred  Avithin  them,  by  his  touch- 
ing pathos,  and  whose  love  of  country  has  been  warmed  into  now  life  by  the 
patriotism  of  his  eloquent  pen. 

Cooper,  like  Scott,  has  bound  his  phantasms  so  fast  by  history  that  one 
forgets  while  reading,  that  he  is  not  dealing  with  sober  facts.  Whether  we 
sit  with  him  on  the  sunny  slope,  and  gaze  over  the  rich  landscapes  his 
wizard  wand  has  enchanted  from  the  depth  of  his  OAvn  rich  imagination,  or 
prowl  with  "  Leather  Stockings "  through  the  dusky  and  savage-begirt 
forest,  or  scud  under  bare  poles  over  the  frightened  and  laboring  sea,  or 
mingle  in  the  ensanguined  fray  on  the  slippery  decks  of  the  "  Red 
Rover,"  there  is  a  freshness  and  reality  about  them  that  makes  us  forget 
that  our  sympathies  are  excited  f;)r  ideal  beings,  or  that  we  are  feasting 
our  mental  eye  on  painted  emptiness.  His  writings  may  not  have  the 
finish  of  Irving,  or  the  severe  correctness  of  style  to  be  found  in  Scott ; 
but  there  is  a  life-likeness  about  what  he  has  written  that  gushes  out  like 
some  bubbling  spring  on  the  mountain  side,  and^sends  a  refreshing  coolness 
to  the  lips. 


139.   JOHN   PIEEPONT. 

Rev.  Jo  JIN  PlERPONT  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  April  6, 17S5. 
He  graduated  at  Yale  College,  at  the  age  ot  nineteen. 

He  then  became  a  Private  Tutor  in  the  family  of  Col.  William  Allston, 
in  South  Carolina,  where  he  remained  four  years. 

From  lb09  to  1812  he  studied  law  at  Litchfield,  and  settled  at  New- 
buryport,  Massachusetts.  The  War  of  1812  interfered  with  his  practice, 
and  he  then  attempted  business  pursuits,  with  indifferent  success. 

In  1818  he  entered  the  Cambridge  Divinity  School.  He  was  soon  after 
installed  as  Pastor  of  the  HoUis-Street  Unitarian  Church,  at  Boston.  For 
twenty-five  years  he  remained  in  that  Pastorate,  which  connection,  however, 
became  clouded  with  troubles  and  dissensions,  growing  out.  of  his  strong 
advocacy  of  Temperance  and  anti-Slavery,  with  other  philanthropic  meas- 
ures, which  he  warmly  upheld. 

In  1805  he  visited  Europe  and  Asia.  In  1845  he  became  Pastor  of  the 
First  Unitarian  Church  in  Troy,  New  York,  where  he  remained  four  years, 
and  then  accepted  a  call  to  the  First  Congregational  Church  at  Medford, 
Massachusetts. 

When  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  Mr.  Pierpont  was  deeply  in- 
terested, and  instantly  sought  an  active  position,  although  then  seventy -five 
years  of  age. 

He  was  appointed  Chaplain  of  the  Twenty-Second  Massachusetts 
Regiment,  by  Governor  Andrew.  The  exposure  of  camp-life,  and  the  severe 
duties  of  the  field,  compelled  him,  much  to  his  regret,  to  resign. 

Secretai-y  Chase  then  appointed  him  to  a  Clerkship  in  the  Treasury  De- 
partment, which  he  held  until  his  sudden  death,  at  Medford,  August  20, 
18G6,  being  eighty-one  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Pierpont  was  a  thorough  scholar,  a  graceful  and  facile  speaker,  and 
a  poet  of  no  ordinary  power. 

His  devotion  to  the  humane  and  philanthropic  reforms  of  his  time, 
sprung  from  the  highest  influences  of  intelligence  and  truthfulness,  and 
were  carried  out  with  the  strong  conscientiousness  of  duty. 

The  era  in  which  such  men  lived  was,  in  our  country,  one  calling  for 
fearless  and  energetic  character 

The  demand  was  supplied  by  such  a  host  as  history  seldom  records,  and 
many  of  the  heroic  spirits  called  forth  in  that  holy  warfare,  have  already 
passed  away  from  the  scenes  of  their  earthly  toils  and  triumphs. 


140.  JOHN   HUDSON. 

John  Hudson  v.-as  boi^n  in  Concord,  Massachusetts,  Api'il  5,  1802. 

He  received  a  common-school  education,  and  learned  the  trade  of  black- 
smith, after  which  emigrated  to  the  State  of  Ohio,  then  the  *'  far  "West," 
and  settled  on  the  "Western  Reserve. 

Here  he  set  up  his  forge  and  anvil,  and  soon  acquired  a  p>roiitable  busi- 
ness. 

His  shrewdness  and  persistent  perseverance  in  overcoming  all  obstacles, 
and  a  determination  to  accomplish  everything  he  undertook,  brought  him 
prominently  before  the  people  of  his  county,  and  they  elected  him  Sheriff, 
which  position  he  held  for  a  number  of  years. 

He  soon  became  noted  for  his  success  in  hunting  up  fugitives  from  jus- 
tice, and  the  horse-thieves  of  that  vicinity  quickly  scattered  to  distant  parts. 

In  all  his  professional  term  he  never  failed  to  arrest  any  culprit  he  was 
summoned  to  take  into  custody.  __ 

At  one  time,  when  the  rivers  were  swollen,  and  many  bridges  were 
washed  away,  he  was  called  upon  about  dusk  to  go  in  search  of  a  fugitive 
from  justice,  who  had  two  days  the  start  of  him,  and  no  one  knew  the 
direction  he  had  taken.  _ 

He  was  at  work  in  his  shop,  had  on  his  paper  hat  and  leather  apron,  and 
in  his  shirt  sleeves.  "Without  stopping  to  make  any  preparation,  he  jumped 
upon  his  famous  horse  "  Yankee  "  (railroads  were  not  then  in  operation),  and, 
utter  making  a  few  inquiries  of  those  who  had  seen  him  last,  started  for 
the  East,  and  was  two  hundred  miles  away  before  he  stopped  to  purchase 
a  hat  and  coat.  Having,  as  if  by  instinct,  got  upon  his  track  the  first  day, 
he,  by  changing  horses,  rode  night  and  day,  until  he  caught  his  man  in  the 
farthest  corner  of  the  State  of  Maine,  two  thousand  miles  away.  ^ 

Pie  deeply  sympathized  with  those  oppressed  by  reason  of  their  poverty  ; 
and,  when  called  upon  to  arrest  them  for  debt,  rather  than  take  them  to 
jail,  would  often  pay  the  debt  himself,  or  go  their  security. 

He  was  a  Democrat,  and  upheld  the  system  of  slavery  ;  but  if  a  fugitive 
slave  came  to  him  (as  they  often  did)  for  protection,  his  political  views  gave 
way  to  the  voice  of  humanity,  and  he  would  give  them  shelter,  food,  and 
money  to  speed  them  on  to  freedom. 

He  was  very  eccentric  in  his  ways,  persistent  and  generous  to  a  fault. 
As  an  instance  of  his  perseverance  :  "While  in  a  boat  fishing  for  bass  in  a 
deep  pond,  he  had  drawn  up  a  large  one  some  three  feet  from  the  water,- 
when  it  dropped  from  the  hook.  ,  Determined  not  to  lose  the  bass,  he 
dropped  his  line,  jumped  from  the  boat,  and  caught  the  fish  in  his  hands 
just  as  it  struck  the  water's  edge,  and  brought  it  safe  to  the  boat. 

He  was  always  ready  to  assist  at  the  bed-side  of  the  sick,  and  his  services 
were  often  brought  into  requisition  by  his  neighbors,  for  he  was  cm  excellent 
nui'se. 

Having  no  children  of  his  own,  he  adopted  and  brought  up  a  number  of 
orphan  relatives.  _ 

He  was  a  favorite  in  the  village  in  which  ho  lived,""and  all  the  villagera 
claimed  the  privilege  of  calling  him  "  "Uncle  John." 

He  died  Tebruary  2,  18G3. 


lii.  JONAS  butricb:. 

Colonel  Jonas  Butrick  was  born  in  Middlesex  County,  Massachusetts, 
May  28,  1791. 

He  ^yas  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  Pilgrims  of  the  May-Floicei\  and  a 
relative  of  Colonel  Butrick,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  His  early  life  v/as 
spent  upon  a  farm,  attending  the  village  school  during  the  -winter  months. 

In  his  youth  he  was  fond  of  hunting  ;  but  being  too  poor  to  own  a  gun, 
he  made  himself  a  bow  and  arrows,  with  which  he  became  so  expert,  that, 
at  "  Election  Huntings,"  whichever  side  chose  young  Jonas,  was  sure  to 
come  off  victorious.  At  an  annual  celebration  of  the  "  taking  of  Corn- 
wallis,"  he  led  the  Indian  regiment  in  the  "  sham-fight."  It  was  at  this 
time  he  received  the  title  of  Colonel. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  saddle  and  harness 
trade ;  and  when  he  became  of  age,  he  had  saved  enough  from  overwork  and 
wages  to  set  up  in  business  for  himself,  soon  after  which  his  natural  inclina- 
tion to  invent  was  brought  into  exercise  by  his  own  necessities,  and  he  in- 
vented a  truss,  which,  from  a  singular  circumstance,  became  somewhat 
celebrated  : 

A  gentleman  of  a  neighboring  village  had,  apparently,  died  suddenly, 
caused  by  a  strain.  Learning  the  circumstances,  Colonel  Butrick  did  not 
believe  tha  man  was  dead  ;  and,  meeting  the  funeral  at  the  grave-yard,  ho 
stated  his  doubts  to  his  relatives,  and  they  allowed  him  to  open  the  coffin 
and  examine  the  body.  Atter  adjusting  the  rupture,  and  applying  the 
truss,  the  man  showed  signs  of  life,  and  in  a  few  days  he  was  walking 
about,  and  lived  many  years  to  bless  the  day  that  truss  was  invented. 

Colonel  Butrick  was  afterward  continually  inventing  some  labor-saving 
machine  ;  but,  like  most  inventors,  he  did  not  reap  the  benefit  of  his  invi3n- 
tions — others,  by  some  means,  getting  the  advantage  of  his  "new  ideas," 

He,  at  one  time,  before  the  days  of  railroads,  went  with  his  own  horse 
and  carriage  to  Washington,  to  take  out  a  patent,  which  took  him  near  two 
months  to  accomplish. 

While  on  a  visit  to  Boston,  he  first  heard  a  total  abstinence  temperance 
lecture.  He  joined  the  Society,  and  brought  the  pledge  to  his  country 
home,  where  he  established  the  first  Temperance  Society  of  that  town.  He 
was  ever  after  unceasing  in  his  efforts  to  extend  and  build  up  the  cause, 
until  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  "  New  England  rum"  banished  from 
all  the  public  places  of  the  village. 

When  the  Abolition  question  first  began  to  be  agitated  at  the  North, 
Colonel  Butrick  was  one  of  its  earliest  champions  ;  and  he  took  a  special 
interest  in  the  right  of  petition  and  free  discussion.  He  invited  a  noted 
speaker  to  lecture  in  his  village  on  the  subject,  obtaining  the  use  of  the 
Town- Hall  of  the  Selectmen  for  that  purpose.  When  the  speaker  began  to 
address  the  audience,  a  number  of  riotous  spirits  began  to  hiss,  determined 
he  should  not  speak,  and  one,  more  bold  than  the  rest,  came  toward  the 
platform,  saying  to  his  comrades:  "Come  on  ;  let  us  drive  the  d — n  Abolition- 
ist from  the  hall ;"  whereupon  Colonel  Butrick,  with  the  "  fire  of  the  Kcvolu- 
tion"  in  his  eye,  sprang  from  the  platform,  seized  the  intruder  by  the  collar, 
and  before  he  could  make  any  resistance,  hurled  him  headlong  into  the 
Bti'cet.     Quiet  was  then  restored,  and  the  lecturer  proceeded. 

He  continued  t-o  lead  in  all  tho  reforms  of  the  day,  in  that  part  cf  the 
country,  until  his  death,  which  occurred  ^larch  15,  Ib'oS, 


142.    GEORGE   P.    MORRIS. 

George  P.  Morkis  vras  born  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  the  year  1802. 
He  commenced  his  literary  career  at  an  early  age. 

Before  he  had  attained  his  majority  he  conti'ibiitcd  to  various  publica- 
tions, and  in  the  year  1822  became  the  editor  of  The  JS'cw  York  Mirror, 
•which  remained  under  his  control  till  the  year  184o,  when  financial  embar- 
rassments compelled  him  to  discontinue  its  publication. 

During-  this  long  period,  the  Mirror  served  efficiently  the  cause  of  litera- 
ture in  America;  and,  through  its  pages,  Willis,  Fay,  Cox,  Legget,  and  a 
host  of  excellent  writers  were  introduced  to  the  reading  public. 

Mr.  Morris  also  became  connected  with  the  military  organization  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  held  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General. 

General  Morris  acquired  his  chief  reputation  as  a  song-writer  rather 
than  as  a  journalist,  one  of  which  has  gained  an  extensive  popularity — the 
ballad  of  *'  "Woodman,  Spare  that  Tree," — having  become  as  well  known  in 
England  as  in  the  United  States. 

In  1825  General  Morris  wrote  the  drama  of  "  Brier  Cliff,"  a  play  in  five 
acts,  founded  upon  events  of  the  American  Revolution.  It  was  performed 
forty  nights  in  succession. 

In  1842  he  wrote  an  opera,  called  "  The  Maid  of  Saxony,"  which  was 
performed  with  success. 

In  1840,  Messrs.  Appleton  &  Company  published  an  edition  of  his  poems, 
and  in  1842  Paine  &  Burgess  published  his  song-s  and  ballads. 

A  volume,  under  the  title  of  "  The  Little  Frenchman  and  his  "Water- 
Lots,"  was  soon  after  issued  by  Lea  &  Blanchard,  at  Philadelphia. 

In  1844,  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Willis,  he  established  a  weekly  paper, 
called  the  New  Mirror,  which  was  discontinued  after  an  existence  of  a  year 
and  a  half. 

The  Evening  Mirror  was  next  started ;  and,  after  being  conducted  by 
Morris  &  Willis  for  a  year  was  sold  out. 

A  few  months  after.  General  Morris  began  the  publication  of  The 
National  Press  and  Home  Journal.  In  November,  1846,  he  was  joined  by 
Mr.  Willis,  and  the  first  number  of  the  Home  Journal  was  issued,  the  first 
part  of  the  name  used  having  given  rise  to  a  mistake  on  the  part  of  many 
as  to  the  objects  of  the  paper. 

General  Morris  continued  his  association  with  the  Home  Journal  and 
Mr.  Willis,  until  his  death,  July  4,  1804. 

He  resided  at  Under  Cliff,  opposite  West  Point,  and  was  buried  in  the 
cemetery  at  Cold  Spring,  with  "William  Cullen  Bryant,  General  Dix,  Pro- 
fessor Bartlett,  General  Sandford,  Professor  Weir,  and  Governeur  Kemble,  as 
his  pall-bearers  ;  and  it  was  by  such  "  bright  spirits  "  that  he  was  beloved. 
Mr.  Morris  was  always  sincere,  affectionate,  generous,  appreciative  of  others, 
and  modest  of  himself.  He  passionately  loved  and  enjoyed  music,  and  was 
that  natural-born  musician  to  whom  all  melody  comes  easy.  Never  singing 
a  song,  nor  playing  upon  any  manner  of  instrument,  he  could  tell  what  waa 
true  in  tune  or  in  verse  by  a  kind  of  instinct.  With  the  musically  inspired, 
as  performers  or  composers,  he  had  a  natural  and  instinctive  friendship,  and 
all  who  were  honored  with  his  acquaintance  loved  him. 


143.  NATHANIEL  P.  WILLIS. 

Nathaniel  P.  Willis  was  bom  in  Portland,  Maine,  January  20,  1807. 
"While  11  child,  he  was  sent  to  Boston,  to  attend  the  Latin  School  of  that  city. 
He  afterward  studied  at  Phillips's  Academy,  at  Andover,  and  entered  Yale 
College  in  the  seventeenth  year  of  his  age.  About  that  time  he  produced  a, 
series  of  poems  on  sacred  subjects,  which  obtained  for  him  some  reputation. 

Immediately  after  he  graduated,  in  1827,  he  was  engaged  by  Mr.  Good-^ 
rich  ("  Peter  Parley  ")  to  edit  The  Legendary  and  lite  Token.  In  1828  ho 
established  the  American  MoniJdy  Magazine,  which  he  conducted  two  years 
and  a  half,  when  it  was  merged  into  the  New  York  Mirror,  and  Willis  went 
to  Europe.  On  his  arrival  in  France,  he  was  attached  to  the  American 
Legation  by  Mr.  Rives,  then  Minister  to  the  Court  of  Versailles,  and  with  a 
diplomatic  passport  he  traveled  in  that  counti'y,  Italy,  Greece,  Asia  Minor, 
Turkey,  and,  last  of  all,  England,  where  he  married. 

The  letters  he  wrote  while  abroad,  under  the  title  of  "  Pencilings  by 
the  Way,"  were  first  published  by  the  New  York  Mirror.  In  l8o5  he  pub- 
lished "  Inklings  of  Adventure,"  a  series  of  tales,  which  appeared  orig- 
inally in  a  London  magazine  under  the  signature  of  '*  Peter  Slingsby."  In 
1837  he  returned  to  the  United  States,  and  retired  to  "  Glenmary,"  a 
pleasant  seat  on  the  Susquehanna,  where  he  resided  four  years.  Early 
in  1839  he  became  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Corscar,  a  literary  gazette  in 
New  York,  and  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  he  went  to  London,  where 
he  published  a  number  of  volumes  of  poems  and  tragedies,  and  wrote  the 
descriptive  portions  of  some  pictorial  works  on  American  scenery  and 
Ireland.  In  18-13,  with  George  P.  Morris,  he  revived  the  New  York  Mirror, 
which  had  been  disL-ontinued  for  several  years,  iirst  as  a  weekly  and  then 
as  a  daily  gazette,  but  withdrew  from  it  on  the  death  of  his  wife,  in  1844, 
and  made  another  visit  to  England,  where  he  published  "  Dashes  at  Life 
with  a  Free  Pencil,"  consisting  of  stories  and  sketches  of  European  and 
American  society. 

On  his  return  to  New  York,  in  1845,  he  published  his  complete  works, 
which  filled  a  closelj'-printed  imperial  octavo  volume  of  eight  hundred 
pages.  In  October  of  the  same  year  he  married  a  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
Joseph  Grinnell,  of  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  and  selected  for  his  home  the  pleasant 
"Idlewild,"  which  has  been  made  memorable  by  his  "  Out-Dooi's  of  Idle- 
wild,"  and  later  laboi's.  About  the  same  time  he  became  associated  with 
Mr.  George  P.  Morris,  as  Editor  of  the  Home  Journal,  a  weekly,  which 
rapidly  won  a  large  share  of  the  public  favor,  and  has  continued,  from  that 
to  the  present  time,  a  popular  organ  of  literature,  society,  fashionable  life, 
and  the  news  of  the  day.  The  extent  of  Mr.  Willis's  works  comprise  almost 
a  library  of  volumes,  which  are  doubtless  too  well  known  to  demand  a 
repetition  in  this  place. 

Twenty  or  thirty  years  ago  Mr.  Willis  was  the  recognized  leading  Poet 
of  America;  and  at  that  time  he  deserved  the  reputation.  His  earlier 
poems  are  marked  by  elegant  diction,  real  grace,  and  genuine  pathos. 
Several  of  them  were  at  once  adopted  by  compilei's  of  school-books,  and  thus 
a  large  portion  of  the  youth  of  the  country  have  become  familiar  with 
Willis's  best  productions.  His  elegy  on  the  death  of  President  Harrison, 
and  his  "  Baptism  in  Jordan,"  are  among  his  most  widely-known  poems. 

Mr,  Willis  enjoyed  a  personal  acquaintance  of  unusual  extent,  and  both 
here  and  abroad  he  had  hosts  of  friends.  He  died  of  paralysis,  January  20, 
1867,  the  sixtieth  anniversary  of  his  birth-day. 


144.    WASHINGTON   ALLSTON 

"WASniNGTON  ALLSTON,  the  eminent  Poet  and  Painter,  was  born" in 
South  Carolina,  in  1780,  and  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1800. 

The  year  following,  he  embarked  for  Europe,  and  remained  abroad  for 
eight  years,  studying  the  works  of  the  great  masters,  and  enjoying  the 
friendship  of  the  most  distinguished  poets  and  painters  of  England  and 
Italy.  Among  those  with  whom  he  lived  on  terms  of  familiar  intimacy, 
were  Wordsworth,  Southey,  and  Coleridge,  each  of  whom  enshrined  in  verse 
their  affectionate  remembrance  of  his  genius  and  virtues.  He  had  the  in- 
struction and  friendship  of  West,  Fuzeli,  and  Reynolds. 

While  in  Europe,  he  was  not  only  ingratiated  to  every  one  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact,  but  his  talents  and  genius  commanded  the  respect  and 
consideration  of  the  masters  of  his  ai't. 

"In  painting,  the  genius  of  AUston  was  adapted  to  the  creation  of  both 
the  beautiful  and  the  sublime  ;  although  it  may  be  inferred  from  the  nature 
of  his  works,  that  the  tendencies  of  his  mind  were  to  subjects  of  stern 
grandeur,  and  of  strong,  deep  feeling.  His  conceptions,  taken  from  the 
highest  departments  of  art,  were  always  bold  and  original.  He  possessed  a 
powerful,  as  well  as  bi'illiant,  imagination ;  while  the  execution  of  his  pic- 
tures was  marked  by  a  rare  combination  of  strength,  freedom,  and  grace. 
As  a  colorist,  his  qualities  are  best  described  by  the  name  apx^lied  to  him 
by  the  artists  of  Italy,  and  by  which  alone  he  was  known  to  many,  that  of 
the  '  American  Titian.'  " 

Among  his  principal  works  were  :  "  The  Dead  Man  Ecstored  to  Life  by 
Elijah,"  "The  Angel  Liberating  Peter  from  Prison,"  "Jacob's  Dream," 
"Elijah  in  the  Desert,"  "The  Angel  Uriel  in  the  Sun,"  "Saul  and  the 
Witch  of  Endor,"  "  Spalatro's  Vision  of  the  Bloody  Hand,"  "  Gabriel  Setting 
the  G-uard  of  the  Heavenly  Host,"  "  Anne  Page  and  Slender,"  "Beatrice," 
and  other  exquisite  productions. 

During  the  last  years  of  his  life,  Mr.  Allston  was  engaged  upon  a  chef- 
d'oeuvre,  called  "  Belshazzar's  Feast,"  which,  most  unfortunately  for  the 
honor  of  his  name  and  the  credit  of  the  art,  he  was  not  permitted  to  com- 
plete. Enough  was  accomplished,  however,  to  show  that  the  ripened  mind 
ot  the  great  artist  was  not  m.arred  nor  weakened  by  any  manifestation  of 
physical  decay.     It  is  the  production  of  a  great  mind  and  heart. 

Mr.  Allston  also  cultivated  the  muses  with  considerable  success,  A 
small  volume  of  his  poems  were  published  in  London,  in  1813  ;  and  his  poems 
afterward  contributed  to  the  press,  rank  him  among  the  first  American 
poets. 

He  published  a  tale  called  "  Monaldi,"  a  work  of  great  power  and  beauty. 
It  is  full  of  delicate  touches  in  its  coloring,  and  shows  him  to  have  been 
possessed  of  a  soul  keenly  alive  to  all  that  is  beautiful  and  pure  in  nature 
and  in  humanity. 

In  the  classic  vshades  of  Cambridge,  Mr.  Washington  Allston,  the  Painter, 
Poet,  and  Poet-Painter,  bade  adieu  to  the  scenes  of  earih,  on  the  9th  of  July, 
1843,  in  the  sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age. 


145.  WASHINGTON   IBVING. 

"Washington  Irving  was  born  April  o,  1782,  in  the  city^of  New  York. 
He  was  the  young-est  son  of  a  numerous  family,  and  received  his  academic 
honors  at  Columbia  College.  _ 

About  this  time  he  commenced  his  career  as  a  public^writer  by  contribu- 
ting a  series  of  letters  to  the  Morning  Chronicle,  under  the  signature  of 
"  Jonathan  Old-Style."  These  juvenile  essays  attracted  much  notice  at  the 
time  ;  and,  in  182o  or  1824,  were  collected  and  published  without  the  sanc- 
tion of  the  author.  _^___ ^     

On  leaving  college,  he  commenced  the  study  of  the  law  ;  and,  after  read- 
ing the  allotted  time,  duly  installed  himself  in  that  profession,  and 
opened  an  office  in  New  York  City.  It  is  said  that  he  never  was  so  unfortunate 
as  to  have  but  one  client,  and  his  cause  he  was  altogether  too  diffident  to' 
manage  ;  so,  turning  over  both  client  and  cause  to  one  of  his  brethem  who 
had  less  modesty,  ho  left  the  profession  in  disgust,  and  decided  to  pursue 
the  more  flowery  path  of  literature.  In  this  choice  he  evinced  a  rare  judg-' 
ment;  some  say  he  committed  a  happy  blunder.j|^Itjyas_to_him_the_  only 
sure  one  to  fame. 

In  1804  Mr.  Irving  visited  Europe  for  his  health^ and  returned  in  180G. 
In  December,  1809,  he  published  his  "  Knickerbocker  History  of  New  York." 
In  1810,  his  two  brothers,  who  were  engaged  in  commercial  business,  gave 
him  an  interest  in  the  concern,  with  the  understanding  that  he  was  to 
pursue  his  literary  avocation.  ._  , 

On  the  close  of  the  war,  in  May,  1815,  he  embarked  for  Liverpool,  with 
the  intention  of  making  a  second  tour  of  Europe,  but  was  prevented  by  the 
sudden  reverses  which  follov\-ed  the  return  of  peace,  overwhelming  the  house 
in  which  he  had  an  interest,  and  involving  him  in  its  ruin. 

In  1818,  while  residing  m  London,  he  wrote  and  published  his  "  Sketch- 
Book ;"  and,  after  seventeen  years'  residence  in  Europe,  during  which  he 
wrote  various  works,  and  held,  for  several  years,  the  office  of  Secretary  of 
Legation  to  the  American  Embassy  in  London,  he  returned  to  New  York  in 
1832,  and  was  greeted  everywhere  with  the  warmest  enthusiasm. 

In  1842  he  was  appointed  Minister  to  Spain,  in  which  capacity  he  had 
evidence  enough  of  his  unfitness  for  the  drudgery  of  official  detail.  He  was 
better  adapted  to  pour  into  the  living  souls  of  millions  of  his  race  the 
refreshing  and  strengthening  waters  of  a  benevolent,  holy,  and  highly  inten- 
sified intelligence.  He  returned  in  184G ;  and,  in  1850,  commenced  his  "  Life 
of  Washington,"  completing  his  last  and  fifth  volume  in  April,  1859. 
The  versatility  of  Mr.  Irving's  pen  is  wonderful,  and  its  power  to  create  a 
laugh  "  beneath  the  ribs  of  deatli,"  or  wring  a  tear  of  genuine  sympathy 
from  the  eye  of  cold  philosophy,  all  have  been  compelled  to  confess.  There 
is,  too,  a  freshness  and  raciness  in  all  he  wrote  that  smacks  of  nothing  but 
his  own  high  genius  and  all-embracing  heart.  Pick  up  a  stray  leaf  from 
any  of  his  many  books,  and  though  it  liave  no  mark  or  signature  to  identify 
it,  yet  you  will  know  it  by  the  faithful  daguerreotyped  lineament  of  his 
beautiful  and  harmonious  mind.  L^nlike  some  whose  charter  of  nobility 
lies  in  their  pen,  Mr.  Irving  was  the  personation  of  his  best  fictions — a  true 
gentleman,  and  kind  neighbour. 

His  beautiful  "  Sunnyside"  residence  was  as  quiet  and  sheltered  as  the 
heart  of  man  could  desire,  ia  wliich  to  take  refuge  from  the  troubles  and 
cares  of  the  v/orld.     He  died,  November  28,  1859. 


146.    LYMAN    TRUMBL^LL. 

Lyman  Trhmbcll  was  born  at  Colchester,  Connecticut,  in  1813,  and  received 
his  education  at  Bacon  Academy  in  that  town.  IIis  lather,  Benjamin  Trumbull, 
was  a  lawyer,  and  his  grandfather  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  Trumbull,  who  wrote  a 
history  of 'Connecticut.  The  subject  of  this  sketch,  after  teaching  a  district 
school  for  several  seasons  in  Connecticut,  went  to  Georgia,  in  1833,  where  he 
taught  school  for  three  years  in  the  Greenville  Academy,  and,  in  the  mean  time, 
studied  law.  In  1837,  he  removed  to  Illinois,  and  settled  at  Belleville,  where  he 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1840,  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  from  St.  Clair  County  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  In  1841,  he  was 
appointed  Secretary  of  State,  which  position  he  held  for  two  years.  In  1848,  he 
was  elected  one  of  the  three  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  and,  draw- 
ing the  short  term  of  three  years,  he  was  reelected,  in  1851,  for  nine  years. 

In  1853,  he  resigned  the  judgeship,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession 
at  Alton,  where  he  then  resided.  On  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise,  in 
May,  1854,  Judge  Trumbull  took  issue  with  his  political  friends  who  advocated 
that  measure,  and  was  largely  instrumental  in  the  organization  of  what  was  known 
in  Illinois  as  the  Anti-Xebraska  Democrats,  being  Democrats  who  opposed  the 
opening  of  the  territories  to  slavery,  from  which,  by  the  Missouri  Compromise, 
it  had  been  excluded. 

In  the  fall  of  1854,  he  became  the  Anti-Nebraska  candidate  for  Congress 
in  the  Eighth  District,  then  the  strongest  Democratic  District  in  Illinois,  and  was 
elected  over  the  regular  Democratic  candidate  by  2611  majority.  The  Legislature, 
chosen  at  the  same  time,  consisted  of  one  hundred  members,  and  was  made  up  of 
Democrats,  Whigs,  Americans,  and  Anti  Nebraska  Democrats. 

When  the  election  of  United  States  Senator,  to  succeed  James  Shields,  took  place 
in  the  following  February,  no  one  party  had  a  majority.  After  eight  ineffectual 
ballotings,  on  one  of  which  Abraham  Lincoln  received  forty-five  votes,  Judge 
Trumbull  was,  on  the  ninth  ballot,  elected,  receiving  51  out  of  99  votes  cast. 

On  the  expiration  of  his  term,  in  1861,  he  was  reelected  without  opposition; 
and  again,  in  1867,  he  was  reelected  for  a  third  term,  which  will  expire  in  1873. 

When  the  Republicans  came  into  power  in  the  United  States  Senate,  in  1861, 
Judge  Trumbull  was  made  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  the  Judiciary,  which 
position  he  has  held  ever  since.  Being  at  the  head  of  that  committee,  most  of 
the  important  legislation  relating  to  reconstruction  has  passed  through  his  hands. 

The  first  act  ever  passed  by  Congress  for  freeing  slaves  emanated  from  him, 
and  was  approved  by  Mr.  liincoln,  August  6,  1861.  lie  reported  and  had  charge  in 
its  passage  through  the  Senate  of  the  Thirteenth  Amendment  to  the  Constituiioa, 
abolishing  slavery,  and  was  the  Author  of  the  Civil  Rights  Ad. 


147.  FLETCHER  WEBSTEE. 

Colonel  Pletciier  Webster,  of  the  12th  IMassachusetts^  Voltmteers, 
■was  the  last  surviving  child  of  the  late  Daniel  "Webster,  and  was  born  at 
Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  July  23,  181-3. 

Commencing-  his  education  in  Boston,  lie  graduated  at  Harvard  Uni- 
versity in  18oo,  and  entered  upon  the  study  of  the  law  at  Hopkinton, 
iST.  H.,  and  began  the  practice  in  1836.  Marrying  in  that  year,  he 
removed  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  and  remained  there  one  year,  when  he  re- 
moved to  La  Salle,  111.  Residing  there  four  years,  he  became  an  active 
member  of  a  sporting  club,  and  proved  his  efficiency  as  a  good  shot,  and 
daring  rider,  in  the  chase  of  the  wolf  and  the  deer. 

During  the  period  of  his  father's  administration  of  the  State  Depart- 
ment, he  was  appointed  Chief  Clerk,  and  filled  it  creditably.  He  subse- 
quently accompanied  Caleb  Cushing,  as  Secretary  of  Legation,  to  China ; 
and,  on  his  return,  in  1845,  delivered  several  lectures  on  China  and  the 
Chinese. 

Elected  to  the  Massachusetts  Legislature  in  184.7,  as  a  Kepresentative 
from  Boston,  he  distinguished  himself  in  a  very  able  speech  in  support  of  a 
resolution  appropriating  »?20,000  in  aid  of  the  Massachusetts  regiment 
raised  for  the  Mexican  War. 

In  1S50  President  Taylor  appointed  Colonel  Webster  to  the  office  of 
Surveyor  of  the  port  of  Boston,  an  office  which  he  continued  to  hold  undi^^r 
the  subsequent  administrations  of  Presidents  Pierce  and  Buchanan.     .^^ 

In  1855,  he  edited  a  valuable  edition  of  his  father's  correspondence.  '  lie 
subsequently  published,  anonymously,  several  humorous  poems;  and  had 
he  cultivated  literature  as  a  profession,  he  might  have  taken  high  rank  as 
a  man  of  letters. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Rebellion,  Colonel  Webster  raised  the  12th 
Regiment  of  Massachusetts  Volunteers.  Mustered  into  service  at  Fort 
Warren,  June  20,  180 1,  it  left  Boston  on  the  23d  of  July,  and  arrived  at 
Sandy  Hook,  Md.,  on  the  27th.  Marching  next  to  the  Monocacy  River, 
Hyattstown,  Darnestown,  Muddy  Branch,  Edwards'  Ferry,  Poolsville,  and 
Seneca  Mills,  they  finally  wintered  near  Frederick,  Md.  Moving  into 
the  Shenandoah  Valley  on  the  22d  of  January,  1802,  they  were  in  active 
operations  at  Charlestown,  Winchester,  Berryville,  Snicker's  Gap,  Aldie,  and 
Grove  Creek.  Leaving,  on  the  2Sth,  for  Cub  Run,  they  marched  the  next 
day  for  Bull  Run,  and  from  this  time  till  August  they  operated  in  the  Shen- 
andoah Valley,  their  activity  of  service  confining  them  but  briefly  to  one 
point.  They  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Cedar  Mountain  on  the  9th  of  August, 
and,  on  the  20th,  in  the  battle  of  the  Rappahannock.  Continually  on  the 
move  from  that  time  until  the  end  of  the  month,  lliey  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Grovetown,  August  30,  1802,  where^  Colonel  Webster  was 
mortally  wounded. 


148.   HENEY   WINTEE  DAYIS. 

Henry  "Winter  Davis  was  born  at  Annapolis,  Maryland,  August  16, 
1817.  His  education  beg-an  early,  at  home,  under  the  care  ot  his  aunt,  Eliza- 
beth Brown  Winter,  who  taught  him  to  read  before  he  was  lour  years  old, 
though  much  against  his  will. 

>  His  father  removed  to  Wilmington,  Del.,  where  Henry  was  instructed 
under  his  own  supervision  ;  but,  in  1827,  he  returned  to  Maryland,  and 
settled  in  Anne  Arundel  County,  where  Henry  became  very  much  devoted 
to  out-door  life,  roaming  the  fields  with  his  gun,  accompanied  by  one  of  his 
fathsr's  slaves. 

While  here  he  saw  much  of  slaves  and  Slavery  which  impressed  him 
profoundly,  and  laid  the  foundation  for  those  opinions  which  he  so  heroically 
and  constantly  defended  iu  after-life.  Referring  to  this  period,  he  said  : 
"  Being  a  boy,  the  slaves  spoke  with  more  freedom  before  me  than  they 
would  before  a  man.  They  felt  wronged,  and  sighed  for  Freedom.  They 
were  attached  to  my  father,  and  loved  me;  yet  they  habitually  spoke  of  the 
day  when  God  would  deliver  them." 

He  subsequently  attended  school  at  Harvard,  and  afterward  entered 
Kenyon  College,  in  Ohio,  in  1833,  where  he  graduated  in  1837. 

His  father  dying,  left  him  a  number  of  slaves ;  but  he  never  held  any  of 
them  under  his  authority,  nor  would  he  accept  any  of  their  wages,  and  ten- 
dered each  and  all  a  deed  of  absolute  manumission,  whenever  the  law  would 
allow. 

He  entered  the  University  of  Virginia  in  1839 ;  and,  after  a  thorough 
course  at  that  institution,  entered  upon  the  practice  of  the  law  in  Alexan- 
dria, Virginia.  His  ability  and  industry  attracted  'attention,  and  he  soon 
acquired  a  respectable  practice.  His  natural  aptitude  for  public  affairs 
made  itself  manifest  in  due  time,  and  some  articles  which  he  prepared  on 
municipal  and  State  politics  gave  him  a  great  reputation. 

He  also  published  a  series  of  newspaper  essays,  wherein  he  dai-ed  to 
question  the  divinity  of  Slavery. 

In  1850  he  removed  to  Baltimore,  and  immediately  a  high  professional, 
social,  and  political  position  was  awarded  him.  He  became  prominent  in 
the  Whig  party  ;  and,  in  1852,  in  the  Scott  campaign,  was  everywhere 
known  as  the  "  brilliant  orator  and  successful  controversialist."  He  after- 
ward led  off  in  the  American  movement,  and  was  elected  to  the  Thirty-Fourth, 
Thirty-Fifth,  and  Thirty-Sixth  Congress,  by  the  American  party,  and  to  the 
Thirty-Eighth  by  the  Unconditional  Union  party  of  the  Fourth  District  of 
Maryland.  Mr.  Davis's  most  striking  characteristics  were  his  devotion  to 
principle  and  his  indomitable  courage.  He  hated  Slavery,  and  he  did  not 
attempt  to  conceal  it.  It  was  through  his  persevering  energy  that  Maryland 
was  redeemed  from  the  leprous  stain  of  this  institution. 

He  lived  to  witness  the  triumph  of  his  country  in  its  desperate  struggle 
with  treason — to  see  it  rescued  from  the  grasp  of  despotism,  and  rise  vic- 
torious, with  her  garments  purified,  and  her  brow  radiant  with  the  unsullied 
light  of  Liberty.  He  lived  to  greet  the  return  of  Peace,  and  then  he  gentl)^ 
laid  his  head  upon  her  bosom,  and  breathed  out  his  noble  spirit,  Decem- 
ber 30,  1865,  so  quietly,  that  no  one  knew  the  moment  of  his  departure. 


U9.  JOHN  A.  DIX. 

General  JonN  A.  Dix  was  born  in  Bosccwan,  New  Ilampsliire,  July  24, 
1798.  At  aa  early  ag"a  ho  was  sent  to  thia  academy  at  Salisbury  ;  afterward 
at  Exeter;  aud,  in  1811,  when  fourteen  yeari  old,  ho  was  transferred  to  a 
college  at  Montreal  under  ths  direction  of  tha  Fathers  of  the  Sulpician 
Order,  wher^i  lie  diligently  x^'ursueu  hiy  studies,  until  hostilities  commenced 
between  tho  L'nited  IState.-i  and  Great  Britain,  when  ho  was  compelled  to 
return.  After  a  short  study  at  Boston,  ha  was  appointed  a  Cadet  in  the 
United  States  army,  and  was  ordered  to  Baltimore,  where  his  father  was 
then  in  command. 

In  March,  1813,  the  Secretary  of  "War  offered  him,  without  solicitation, 
the  choice  of  a  scholarship  at  "West  Point  or  an  Ensigncy  in  the  army.  He 
choose  the  latter,  and  entered  the  Fourteenth  Infantry,  of  which  his  father 
was  Lieutenant-Colonel,.and  immediately  marched  to  Sackett's  Harbor,  N.  Y. 

In  June,  1813,  while  only  in  his  fifteenth  year,  he  was  appointed  Adjutant 
of  an  independent  battalion,  with  which  he  descended  the  St.  Lawrence,  and 
participated  in  the  perils  and  hardships  of  that  unfortunate  expedition.  The 
same  year,  his  father  having-  died,  he  obtained  leave  of  absence  to  settle 
his  father's  estate,  which  had  become  embarrassed. 

In  1814,  he  was  transferred  to  the  corps  of  artillery,  under  Colonel  Walbach, 
with  whom  he  continued  several  years. 

In  1819  he  was  appointed  Aid  to  General  Brown,  and  passed  his  leisure 
hours  in  studying  law,  with  a  view  of  leaving  the  army  at  an  early  day. 

In  1825  he  was  promoted  to  a  captaiicy  in  the  Third  Artillery,  and  the 
same  year,  his  health  failing  him,  he  traveled  in  Cuba  and  Europe. 

In  December,  1828,  he  retired  from  the  army,  and  commenced  the  practice 
of  law  in  Cooperstown,  N.  Y.  He  also  entered  political  life,  and  became 
an  active  member  of  the  Democratic  party.  In  1830  he  was  appointed 
Adjutant-General  of  the  State.  In  January,  1833,  he  was  chosen  Secretary 
of  State  of  New  York.  In  1841  he  was  elected  Member  of  Assembly;  went 
to  Europe  again  a  second  time  in  1S42  ;  and,  on  his  return,  in  January,  1845, 
elected  a  Senator  to  Congress,  to  fill  the  place  of  Silas  "Wright,  who  was 
made  Governor  of  New  York.  Ho  represented  the  "  Barn-Burners,''  or 
Free-Soil  Democrats  of  New  York. 

In  1848  he  was  a  candidate  for  Governor  of  Ncav  York  ;  but,  not  being 
successful,  he  retired  to  private  life.  In  1853  ho  was  appointed  Assistant 
^Treasurer  of  the  "United  States  at  New  York  City.  In  May,  1800,  he  was 
appointed  Post-Master  of  New  York  ;  and,  in  January,  1861,  was  made  Sec- 
retary of  the  Treasury  by  President  Buchanan. 

On  the  29th  of  January,  he  sent  that  celebrated  telegraphic  dispatcli  to 
Mr.  "W.  H.  Jones,  whom  he  had  previously  sent  to  New  Orleans,  with  orders 
to  save,  if  possible,  the  revenue  cutters  McClellan  and  Cass  :  "If  any  one 
attempts  to  haul  down  the  American  Flag,  shoot  him  on  the  spot."  He 
retired  from  the  Treasury  in  March,  1861  ;  and,  on  the  20th  of  May,  presided 
at  the  immense  meeting  at  Union  Square,  N.  Y.,  which  organized  "  Tho 
Union  Defense  Committee,"  and  elected  him  Chairman. 

He  was  appointed  Major-General  of  Volunteers,  May  G,  ISGl ;  and,  on  the 
14th  of  June,  the  President  appointed  him  to  a  similar  position  in  tho  Kegu- 
larArmy.  July  20,  having  been  appointed  to  command  of  tho  Department 
of  Maryland,  he  was  ordered  to  Baltimore,  where  he  established  his  liead- 
quarters.  In  1862  he  was  transferred  to  Eastern  Virginia,  with  headquarters 
at  Fortress  Monroe ;  and,  from  1SG3  to  1866,  he  commanded  the  Department 
of  ihe  North,  with  lieadquarters  at  New  York.  In  1868  he  was  appointed 
Minister  to  France.       '      


150.  OLIYEE  P.   MOETON. 

Oliver  P.  Morton  was  born  in  Wayne  Ci)unty,  Indiana,  August  4,  1823; 
graduated  at  the  Miami  University,  studied  and  practiced  law.  He  was  elected 
Circuit  Judge  of  the  Fifih  Judicial  Circuit  of  Indiana,  in  1852. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Morton  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  Governor  of  Indiana, 
and  made  considerable  reputation  for  himself  during  the  canvass,  but  was  defeated 
by  a  small  majority.  In  I860,  he  was  elected  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State  of 
Indiana  on  the  same  ticket  with  Governor  Lane.  The  election  of  Mr.  Lane  to  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States  elevated  Mr.  Morton,  according  to  the  provisions  of 
the  State  Constitution,  to  the  office  of  Governor.  In  that  position,  not  only 
from  its  prominence  and  importance,  but  from  the  ability  in  its  discharge 
displayed  by  Governor  Morton,  he  became  the  leading-  man  in,  as  well  as  the 
head  of,  the  State. 

The  war,  breaking  like  a  thunderbolt  suddenly  upon  the  country,  Indiana, 
like  most  of  the  States,  was  divided  in  sentiment,  and  the  Indiana  Legis- 
lature, which  was  overwhelmingly  loyal  at  that  time,  voted  over  $2,000,000  to  as- 
sist the  National  Government.  The  Legislature  of  1862  and  1863  was,  however, 
disloyal,  and  Governor  Morton,  as  a  zealous  advocate  of  the  war  to  suppress  the  re- 
bellion, found  himself  hampered  in  his  efforts  to  adopt  measures  in  aid  of  its  vigo- 
rous prosecution.  To  surround  him  with  these  difficulties,  one  of  the  most  effectual 
methods  to  do  so,  was  for  his  opponents  to  adjourn  the  Legislature  without  making 
provisions  to  pay  the  State  debt.  Such  a  movement,  in  the  event  of  its  suc- 
cess, would  have  resulted  in  the  destruction  of  the  credit  of  the  State ;  and 
to  avert  such  a  calamity,  at  such  a  time.  Governor  Morton  set  vigorously  to 
work  to  procure  the  means  wherewith  to  liquidate  the  liability. 

Receiving  his  unfaltering  aid,  though  surrounded  by  his  enemies,  vigilant 
for  his  defeat,  the  United  States  Government  could,  at  all  times,  depend 
upon  Governor  Morton  for  co-operation  and  support  in  conducting  the  war. 

Re-elected  Governor  in  1864,  he  received  a  majority  of  twenty-one 
thousand  of  the  popular  vote. 

In  political  sentiments.  Governor  Morton  belongs  to  the  Republican  side 
of  politics  denominated  Radical;  and,  in  18G7,  was  elected  to  the  United 
States  Senate.  Basing  his  opinions  upon  no  one  contracted  idea,  he  possesses 
a  grasp  of  mind  which  places  him,  as  a  public  man,  in  the  first  rank  of 
statesmen.  Of  great  ability,  he  is  a  ready  and  fluent  speaker,  and  has,  as 
was  predicted,  made  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  distinguished  members  of 
the  United  States  Senate. 

Previous  to  the  trial  of  the  impeachment  of  President  Johnson,  Governor 
Morton  was  prominently  spoken  of  as  the  probable  President  of  the  Senate, 
in  order  to  succeed  the  President  of  the  United  States  in  the  event  of  con- 
viction following  his  impeachment.  Considering  the  brief  time  he  had 
been  a  member  of  that  body,  this  testimonial  in  his  favor  shows  how  deep 
an  impression  his  commanding  talents  and  statesmanlike  bearing  made  upon 
the  Senate. 

The  great  reputation  which  Governor  Morton  gained  during  the  financial 
embarrassments  of  his  State  serves  him  now,  with  his  experience,  in  the 
Senate.  He  is  one  of  the  foremost  men  upon  the  Reconstruction  and 
financial  questions  now  in  that  body. 

A  recent  controversy,  involving  the  public  finances,  has  recently  taken 
place  between  him  and  IIoi'sco  Greeley,  which  has  attracted  wide  attention. 


151.  ROBERT  ANDERSON. 

General  Roceiit  Anderson,  the  hero  of  Fort  Sumter,  was  bom  in 
Kentucky,  in  18U5.  He  entered  West  Point  Academy  in  1831,  irraduatcd  in 
1625,  and  was  made  Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  Third  Artillery, 
During-  the  Black  Hawk  War  be  acted  as  Inspector-General  of  the  Illinois 
Volunteers,  and  in  June,  1833.  he  was  promoted  to  a  First  Lieutenancy. 
From  1835  to  1837  he  was  Assistant  Instructor  at  the  United  States  Military 
Academy  ;  but  was  assigned  to  the  staff  of  General  Winfield  Scott,  as  Aid- 
de-camp,  in  1838.  In  1839  he  published  his  "Instructions  for  Field 
Artillery,  Horse  and  Foot ;  Arranged  for  the  Service  of  the  L'nited  States," 
a  hand-book  of  groat  practical  value. 

His  services  in  the  Indian  troubles  were  acknowledged  by  a  Brevet  Cap- 
taincy, April  2,  1838.  In  July  of  the  same  year  he  was  made  Assistant 
J^djutant-General,  with  the  r;ink  of  Captain,  and  full  Captain  in  1841. 

In  March,  1847,  he  was  with  his  regiment  in  the  army  of  General  Scott, 
and  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz,  being  one  of  the  officers  to  whom 
was  intrusted  the  command  of  the  batteries.  This  duty  he  accomplished 
with  signal  skill  and  gallantry.  He  remained  with  the  army  until  its  tri- 
umphant entry  into  the  Mexican  capital,  the  following  September,  when  he 
was  appointed  Brevet  M'.jor  and  Acting  Major  of  his  brigade  for  gallantry 
at  Molino  del  Rey,  Avhere  he  was  severely  wounded.  In  1851  he  was 
promoted  to  full  rank  of  Major  in  the  first  brigade.  It  was  while  holding 
this  I'ank,  and  in  command  of  the  garrison  at  Fort  Moultrie,  that 
on  the  20th  of  December,  18G0,  the  State  of  South  Carolina  seceded,  and 
declared  itself  out  of  the  L'nion.  The  event  was  celebrated  throughout  the 
Southern  cities,  and  the  plague  of  disloyalty  overspread  the  entire  South. 
Finding  himself  shut  up  in  an  untenable  fort,  with  less  than  one  hundred 
men,  liis  own  Government  fearing  to  send  him  reinforcements,  and  being 
menaced  on  ever}-  side,  cut  off  from  supplies,  with  the  deep  murmurs  of  war 
growing  h)uder  and  more  threatening,  General  Anderson  determined  to 
evacuate  Fort  Moultrie.  Accordingly,  he  destroyed  all  that  was  of  use  to 
the  fort,  and  removed  his  men  to  Fort  Sumter,  the  strongest  of  the  Charles- 
ton fortifications. 

The  rage  of  the  South  at  this  strategic  movement  was  intense,  and  only 
equaled  by  the  thrill  of  joy  which  i-an  through  the  North.  Before  the  burst 
of  indiguiition  had  subsided,  Fort  Moultrie  was  taken  possession  of  by  the 
South  Carolinians,  and  put  in  a  state  of  defense.  Strong  redoubts  were 
thrown  up  on  Morris  and  James  Islands,  Fort  Johnson,  and  Castle  Pinckney 
were  also  occupied,  and  Sumter  was  invested.  No  ships  could  approach 
it  in  the  teeth  of  these  sullen  batteries.  On  the  8th  of  April,  the  United 
States  Government  informed  the  insurgents  that  they  wished  to  send  sup- 
plies to  Fort  Sumter  on  an  unarmed  transport,  but  were  denied  the  permis- 
sion. The  Government  then  officially  informed  them  that  supplies  would 
be  sent  to  Major  Anderson,  peaceably,  if  possible,  otherwise  by  force. 
On  the  11th  of  April,  General  Beauregard,  who  had  command  of  the  Rebels, 
demanded  of  General  Anderson  the  surrender  of  Fort  Sumter,  which, 
being  refused,  General  Beauregard  opened  fire  upon  the  fort  at  4;30,  A.  M., 
and  on  the  l4th,  the  fort,  having  caught  fire,  and,  being  out  of  provisions, 
General  Anderson  surrendered.  AYith  their  tattered  flag  liying,  these  seventy 
men  marched  out  of  Fort  Sumter,  the  band  playing  national  airs. 

General  Anderson  was  made  a  Brigadier-General,  and  sent  to  Kentucky 
to  take  command  in  that  State  ;  but  his  health  unfitted  him  for  the  duties, 
and  he  retired  from  the  army.  Ho  has  since  resided  in  the  city  of  New 
Ygrk, 


152.  JOHN  POPE. 

General  JoilN  PoPE  -was  born  in  Kentucky,  March  16,  1823,  and,  during- 
his  infancy,  iiis  father  removed  with  him  to  Kaskaskia,  III,  After  receiving- 
a  careful  preliminary  education,  lie  was  admitted,  in  1^38,  a  cadet  in  the 
West  Point  Military  Academy,  where  he  graduated  in  1842,  standing  high 
in  his  class.  In  July  of  the  game  year  he  was  commissioned  Brevet  Second 
Lieutenant  in  the  corps  of  Topographical  Engineers. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  with  Mexico,  he  was  attached  to  the 
army  under  General  Taylor,  and,  "  for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct"  at 
the  battle  of  Monterey,  was  breveted  a  First  Lieutenant,  his  commission 
bearing  date  September  S3,  1846.  For  "  highly  gallant  and  meritorious 
conduct "  on  the  hard-fought  iield  of  Buena  Vista,  he  was  breveted  a  Cap- 
tain, his  commission  being  dated  February  23,  1847. 

In  1840  he  conducted  the  Minnesota  Exploring  Expedition,  which  demon- 
strated the  practicability  of  navigating  the  Red  River  of  the  North  with 
steamers,  after  which  he  acted  as  Topographical  Engineer  in  New  Mexico 
until  1853,  when  he  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  one  of  the  expeditions 
to  survey  the  route  of  the  Pacific  Railroad.  From  1854  to  1859  he  was 
engaged  in  this  work,  during  which  time  (July  1,  1856)  he  was  promoted  to 
a  Captaincy  in  the  corps  of  Topographical  Engineers. 

On  the  17th  day  of  May,  1861,  he  was  commissioned  a  Brigadier-General 
of  Volunteers  in  the  Union  army,  and  assigned  to  a  command  in  Northern 
Missouri. 

In  December  he  served  in  Central  Missouri,  under  General  Halleck,  and, 
on  the  17th  of  that  month,  he  scattered  the  Rebel  camp  at  Shawnee  Mound. 

On  the  18th  he  surprised  another  camp,  near  Milford,  and  took  some 
thirteen  hundred  prisoners.  This  campaign  cleared  this  district  of  the 
Rebels. 

On  the  14th  of  March,  1862,  he  captured  New  Madrid,  and,  on  the  7th 
of  April,  the  Rebel  garrison  of  Island  No.  10,  amounting  to  nearly  seven 
thousand  men — for  which  services  he  was  made  a  Major-General.  He  was 
next  commander  of  a  corps  of  the  army  to  co-operate  with  Halleck  in  the 
reduction  of  Corinth. 

In  June,  1862,  he  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Army  of  Virginia, 
over  Fremont,  Banks,  and  McDowell,  and,  on  July  14,  was  commissioned 
a  Brigadier-General  in  the  Retj-ular  Army. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  Second  Bull  Run  campaign,  September  3,  1862, 
he  was  relieved  at  his  own  request,  and  assigned  to  the  Department  of  the 
Northwest,  from  whence,  in  the  spring  of  1865,  he  was  transferred  to  that  of 
Missouri.  In  March,  1867,  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Third  Military 
District,  under  the  Reconstruction  Acts  ;  and  relieved  l>y  President  Johnson  in 
January  of  1868.  He  was  then  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Department  of 
the  Lakes;  and  in  April  of  1870,  he  was  reassigned  to  the  command  of  the  De- 
paitmcnt  of  the  Missouri,  where  he  now  is, 


153.  PHILIP  H.  SHEEIDAiSr. 

General  PniLii'  II.  SriEiUDAX,  the  "  Hero  of  the  Shenandoah,''' ^vas  born 
in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  in  183j,  and  graduated  at  West  Point  in  1808.  He 
saw  considerable  service  in  the  West,  and,  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, was  commissioned  a  Captain  in  the  United  States  Infantry.  For  nearly 
a  \'ear  he  acted  as  Chief  Quartermaster  in  the  trans-Mississippi  Department, 
and  in  May,  1862,  was  appointed  Cohjnel  of  the  Second  Michig-un  C.ivalry. 

In  June  he  was  put  in  command  of  a  cavalry  briurade,  and  for  a  brilliant 
victory  over  the  Ptebcl  General  Chalmers,  at  Booneville,  Mississippi,  July  1, 
he  was  promoted,  on  General  Grant's  recommendation,  to  bo  a  Brigadier- 
General  of  Volunteers.  During-  the  invasion  of  Kentucky  by  Bragg,  in 
1802,  he  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  a  division  in  Buell's  army,  and 
subsequently  fought  at  Perryviile  and  Murfreesboro',  eariiing,  by  his  valor 
in  the  latter  engagement,  his  promotion  to   Major-General  of  Volunteers. 

He  participated  i-n  the  campaign  against  Chattanooga,  and  again  distin- 
guished himself  at  Chickamauga  and  the  succeeding  battle  on  Missionary 
Ridge. 

In  the  spring  of  18G4  he  was  summoned  Eastward  to  assume  command 
of  the  cavalrj'  of  the  Potomac,  in  which  capacity  he  led  several  daring- 
expeditions  against  the  enemy's  communications. 

In  August  he  took  charge  of  tlie  military  division  of  the  Shenandoah, 
gained  the  brilliant  victories  of  September  19  and  21,  over  Early,  when 
he  sent  him  "  whirling  through  Winchester,"  and,  on  the  19th  of  October, 
won  the  hard-fought  battle  of  Cedar  Creek,  changing,  by  his  opportune 
arrival,  a  Union  defeat  into  a  signal  victory.  Having  driven  Early  up  the 
valley  to  Browne's  Gap,  Sheridan  returned  to  Cedar  Creek,  where  he 
encamped  in  a  position  which  was  thought  to  be  impregnable.  On  the 
morning  of  the  19th,  before  daylight,  Early,  having  been  reinforced,  and, 
taking  advantage  of  the  absence  of  Sheridan,  who  had  gone  to  Washington, 
made  an  attack  upon  the  Union  army,  which  he  took  by  surprise  during  a 
thick  fog. 

Sheridan  had  reached  Winchester — "  twenty  miles  away  " — the  night 
before,  and  started  for  his  command  at  eight  o'clock  that  morning.  He  soon 
heard  the  rumbling  of  cannon,  and  putting  spurs  to  his  famous  charger, 
arrived  just  as  the  army  was  in  full  retreat.  Dashing  up  to  the  front,  his 
charger  reeking  with  foam,  he  ordered  his  men  to  halt.  His  voice  and 
presence  infused  new  courage  and  confidence  into  the  disheartened  troops, 
and  they  soon  reformed.  The  cavalry  dashed  forward  on  the  charge,  followed 
by  tlie  infantry,  and,  after  a  desperate  fight,  turned  the  tide  of  battle,  and 
completely  routed  the  enemy. 

In  March,  1865,  he  moved  his  cavalry  to  the  James  River,  and  in  the 
flanking  movement,  by  which  General  Lee  was  driven  out  of  Petersburg 
and  eventually  captured,  Sheridan  held  the  chief  command,  defeating  the 
Rebels,  with  severe  loss,  at  the  battle  of  Five  Forks. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  went  to  New  Orleans  as  commander  of  the 
Military  Division  of  the  Gulf,  and  was  promoted  to  Major-Goneral  of  the 
Regular  Army. 

His  faithful  performance  of  duty  in  carrying  out  the  Reconstruction 
laws  of  Congress  made  him  obnoxious  to  President  Johnson,  Avho  removed 
him  from  that  Department,  against  the  protest  of  General  Grant,  and  trans- 
ferred him  to  the  Western  frontier,  where  he  is  now  engaged  against  the 
hostile  Indians. 


154.  DANIEL  E.   SICKLES. 

General  Daniel  E.  Sickles  -was  born  in  iSTew  York  City,  October  20, 
1828.  He  acquired  the  printei's'  trade,  which  he  followed  for  some  years, 
when  he  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1843. 

He  commenced  his  political  career  in  1847,  when  he  was  elected  to  the 
Assembly  of  New  York,  and,  in  1856,  to  the  State  Senate.  For  a  short  time, 
when  Mr.  Buchanan  Avas  American  Minister  to  England,  Mr.  Sickles  was 
the  Secretary  of  that  Legation. 

In  1857  he  was  elected  a  Representative  from  New  York  to  the  Thirty- 
Fifth  Congress,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Aifairs. 
He  was  re-elected  to  the  Thirty-Sixth  Congress.  His  first  term  in  Congress 
was  made  painfully  memorable  by  his  shooting  of  Philip  Barton  Key,  in 
Febru  try,  1859,  an  occurrence  which  grew  out  of  a  sad  domestic  difficulty. 
His  trial  lasted  twenty  days,  and  he  was  acquitted. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  in  1861,  Mr.  Sickles  raised  a 
brigade  of  five  thousand  men,  and  was  appointed  Brigadier-General  of  Vol- 
unteers, his  commission  bearing  date,  September  3, 1861.  During  the  winter 
of  that  year  and  1862,  he  operated  in  Lower  Maryland,  his  brigade  forming 
the  second  in  Hooker's  division.  Crossing  into  Virginia  in  April,  1862,  they 
gained  eminent  distinction  for  their  bravery  at  the  battle  of  Williamsburg, 
May  5 ;  were  again  distinguished  at  Fair  Oaks,  June  1  ;  and  won  new 
laurels  in  the  Seven  Days'  light.  Sent  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to 
the  relief  of  General  Pope,  at  the  end  of  August,  the  Sickles  Brigade  con- 
tinued in  active  service  throughout  the  Maryland  campaign,  and  distin- 
guished itself  at  the  battle  of  Antietam,  September  17,  1862. 

Succeeding  General  Hooker  in  the  command  of  the  Second  Division  of 
the  Third  Army  Corps,  General  Sickles  participated  in  the  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, December  13,  1862. 

Upon  the  reorganization  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  February  5,  1863, 
he  was  placed  in  temporary  command ;  and,  on  March  7,  was  appointed 
Major-General,  dating  from  November  29,  1862.  He  took  command  of  the 
Third  Army  Coi'ps,  and  was  especially  distinguished  for  his  valor  at  the 
battle  of  Chancellorsville,  May  1  to  3,  1863,  where  he  gained  the  reputation 
of  being  instrumental  in  saving  the  whole  army  from  destruction.  At  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg,  where  he  lost  a  leg,  he  gained  additional  distinction, 
and  is  hailed  by  many  as  the  "  hero"  of  that  conflict. 

General  Sickles  continued  to  serve,  establishing  a  reputation  for  distin- 
guished valor  and  skill,  until  early  in  1865,  when  he  Avas  sent  by  President 
Lincoln  on  a  confidential  mission  to  Bogota,  and  other  South  American 
capitals  ;  and  for  the  success  of  these  negotiations,  he  received  an  autograph 
letter  of  thanks  from  the  President. 

Receiving  the  appointment  of  Minister  to  Holland  in  1866,  he  declined 
it,  preferring  to  proceed  with  the  work  of  Reconstruction  in  the  Carolinas. 
He  was  relieved  of  his  command  by  President  Johnson,  on  account  of  a  dif- 
ference of  views  en  Reconstruction,  and  General  Schofield  appointed  in  his 
place. 

In  18C3  he  entered  heartily  into  the  canvass  in  support  of  the  Congres- 
sional policy  of  reconstruction,  and  for  the  election  of  Grant  and  Colfax,  and 
was  afterwards  appointed  Minister  to  Spain. 


155.  SIMON   CAMEEON. 

Simon  Cameron  was  bom  in  Lancaster  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  1799. 
Left  an  orphan  when  only  nine  years  of  age,  he  was  employed  in  a  printing 
office,  and  learned  the  trade  of  printer.  Laboring  in  this  vocation  in  Harris- 
Lurg,  Pa.,  and  Washington,  D.  C,  he  devoted  his  leisure  time  to  study. 
Working  his  way  up  by  energy,  talent,  and  industry,  in  1820  he  became 
editor  of  a  newspaper  at  Doyiestown,  Pa. 

In  1821  he  remuved  to  Harrisburg,  and  there  established  a  journal,  in 
which  he  espoused  the  cause  of  General  Jackson  for  the  Pi^esidency,  and 
advocated  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party  generally.  Prospering 
rapidly  in  his  personal  and  political  enterprises,  in  18o2,  his  financial  suc- 
cesses found  him  at  the  liead  of  the  Middletown  Bank,  of  Pennsylvania. 

Devoting  himself  at  this  time  more  especially  to  the  railroad  intei'ests  of 
his  native  State,  he  became  the  President  of  two  railroad  companies,  the 
Cashier  of  a  bank,  and  filled  the  office  of  Adjutant-General  of  the  State, 
an  office  the  duties  of  which  were  not  then  very  burdensome. 

On  the  inauguration  of  President  Polk  in  1845,  Mr.  Buchanan  resigning 
his  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate  to  accept  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State, 
General  Cameron  was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

Pie  voted  in  the  Senate,  in  184(5,  in  favor  of  the  notice  to  England  to  ter- 
minate the  joint  occupancy  of  Oregon  ;  against  settling  the  Oregon  contro- 
versy by  ceding  to  England  the  region  between  lat.  54'''-40  and  49*^  N.;  and 
advoted  the  war  with  Mexico  on  the  ground  that  war  existed  with  that 
power  by  the  act  of  Mexico  itself. 

His  term  expiring  in  the  Senate,  March  4,  1849,  he  returned  for  a  time 
to  private  life.  Hepudiating  violent  partisan  feelings,  and  numbering  his 
friends  among  the  Whig,  the  Democratic,  and  the  American  parties,  after 
the  Act  to  repeal  the  Missouri  Compromise  in  1854,  and  the  attempt  to  estab- 
lish slavery  in  Kansas  against  the  Avishes  of  the  majority,  he  identified 
himself  with  the  "  People's  Party  "  in  Pennsylvania;  and,  in  185G,  voted  for 
General  Fremont  for  the  Presidency.  His  party,  defeated  in  the  State,  did 
not  defeat  General  Cameron  for  re-election  to  the  United  States  Senate, 
through  the  support  of  the  Kepublican,  the  American,  and  a  portion  of  the 
Democratic  party.  Uniformly  acting  during  this  term  of  service  with  the 
Kepublican  party,  he  was  regarded  as  a  prominent  candidate  of  that  party 
for  the  Presidency  at  the  next  election ;  and  was  proposed  at  the  Pepub- 
lican  National  Convention  held  at  Chicago,  May  10  and  17,  ISGO,  as  a  can- 
didate for  the  Presidency. 

Mr.  Lincoln  becoming  President,  he  selected  General  Cameron  for  Sec- 
retary of  War.  On  taking  charge  of  that  department,  he  found  the  arsenals 
depleted,  and  the  facilities  of  the  Government  armories  vastl}-  insufficient 
to  supply  the  army  then  waiting  to  be  sent  forward  to  the  field.  Reliable 
foreign  guns  could  be  obtained  only  in  limited  quantities.  Secretary  Cam- 
eron, with  admirable  forethought,  sought  to  establish  private  manufactories 
for  the  Springfield  rifle — a  gun  superior  to  any  in  use — and  to  facilitate 
which,  he  gave  out  favorable  contracts  to  indlviduals,which,if  they  had  after- 
ward been  strictly  adhered  to  by  the  War  Department,  would  have  given  to 
the  Government  thousands  of  reliable  guns  much  sooner  and  cheaper  than 
poorer  ones  that  were  afterward  received.  Resigning  this  post,  January 
14,  18G2,  he  was  appointed  Envoy  Extraordinary  to  Russia,  and  returned  in 
November  of  the  same  ycLir.  He  was  afterward  elected  to  the  United 
States  Senate,  which  position  he  now  holds. 


156.    MARCUS    L.    WARD. 

Marcus  L.  Ward  was  born  in  the  year  1812,  and  is  of  Puritan  extraction. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Chicago  Convention  of  1860,  and  of  the  Baltimore  Con- 
vention of  1864.  In  1860,  he  was  a  presidential  elector  on  the  Republican  ticket 
in  New  Jersey.  He  was  for  several  yc-irs  Chairman  of  the  National  Execui  ive  Com- 
mittee of  the  Republican  Party; 'and  in  1865,  was  elected  Governor  of  New 
Jersey,  retiring  fiom  office  with  the  respect  and  esteem  of  both  parties. 

An  aciive  and  zealous  parlizan,  he  maintained  with  characteristic  zeal 
his  political  views,  and  against  the  tide  of  disloyal  opposition,  as  he  re- 
garded it,  he  struggled  with  the  Hepublican  party  to  bring  back  the  ancient 
State  of  New  Jersey  to  its  fealty  to  the  Union.  "Out  of  the  United 
States,"  as  New  Jersey  was  very  often  humorously  regarded  by  many, 
Governor  Ward  thought  she  was  literally  about  to  be  classed  with  the  se- 
ceding States,  that  is,  if  the  Democrats  could  possibly  tffcct  that  end. 
Regarded  always  as  a  stronghold  cf  the  Democratic  partj^ — a  political  for- 
tification between  the  States  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvnnia — that  paity 
could  not  yield  it  without  a  desperate  struggle,  and  the  Ward  pnriy  could 
not  secure  it  without  an  equal  effort;  and  after  a  second  attemjn,  ]Mr.  Ward 
brought  the  State  triumphantly  into  the  Union,  being  elected  its  Governor 
for  three  3'cars. 

Whatis  said  of  the  slowness  of  the  movements  of  large  bodies,  applies 
relatively  to  the  actions  of  small  States.  The  great  seal  of  the  State  of 
New  Jersey  is  a  matter  of  the  national  legislative  histor}-;  and  the  Dorr 
rebellion  of  Rhode  Island  will  live  in  history  as  the  prototype  of  the  Great 
Rebellion. 

Governor  Ward  is  a  man  of  wide  and  tender  sympathies,  and  is  intensely  pa- 
triotic. His  devotion  to  the  soldiers  and  their  families,  us  well  as  his  unfaltering 
support  of  the  Government,  won  for  him,  during  rhe  late  civil  war.  the  well-merit- 
ed title  of  the  Soldikr's  Friend.  He  it  was  that  took  the  initiation  in  calling  the 
first  meeting  held  in  New  Jersey,  (April  16,  1861,)  in  support  of  the  national  au- 
thorities. On  April  17,  in  the  same  year,  he  established  a  private  Bureau  of  Sob 
diers'  Relief,  employing  therein  a  corps  of  clerks  at  his  own  expense,  and  under 
his  personal  supervision.  He  introduced  the  system  by  which  soldiers  were  able, 
through  the  State  bunks,  to  forward  theiv  pay  promptly  to  those  dependent  upon 
them  at  home. 

He  was  among  those  who  established  the  New  Jersey  Branch  of  the  United 
States  Sanitary  Commission.  He  was  made  Treasurer  of  this  branch  ;  and  while 
in  this  office,  he  advanced,  from  his  own  resources,  tens  of  thousands  of  dollars 
for  the  relief  of  soldiers'  families.  He  gave  his  entire  time  to  the  work  at  home 
and  in  the  army.  During  four  years,  not  less  than  seventy  thousand  letters  were 
mailed  from  his  bureau,  and  at  least  one  hundred  thousand  persons  visited  his 
office  in  the  interest  of  soldiers  and  sailors. 

He  procured  the  establishment  and  advanced  the  money  to  fit  up  the  great 
"  Ward  *'  United  States  General  Hospital  in  Newark,  and  obtained  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Governmental  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home  in  the  same  city.  Never, 
during  his  entire  career,  did  he  receive  from  any  quarter  a  single  cent  for  costs 
incurred  or  services  rendered. 


157.   DAVID   C.    BRODERICK. 

DwiD  C.  Bkoderick  -was  boru  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  in  Decem- 
ber, J  8 18. 

When  a  boy  of  five  years  of  age,  his  father  removed  to  'N'ew  York  City ; 
and,  in  process  of  time,  David  was  apprenticed  to  the  trade  of  stone-cutter, 
•which  was  his  father's  occupation.  The  son,  like  many  2sew  York  boys, 
became  a  fireman,  and  was  for  many  years  Foreman  of  an  Engine  Company, 
and  an  active  politician. 

In  18-4'.),  Broderick,  following  the  excitement  of  the  day,  went  to  Cali- 
fornia, and  engaged  in  the  business  of  smelting  and  assaying  gold.  He  was 
a  Member  of  the  Convention  which  drafted  the  Constitution  of  that  State, 
served  two  years  in  the  California  Senate,  and  was  President  of  that  body 
in  1851. 

In  185G  he  was  elected  a  Senator  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
for  the  long  term. 

He  died  in  San  Francisco,  September  16,  1859,  from  a  wound  received 
in  a  duel  with  David  S.  Terry,  Chief-Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  that 
State,  on  the  13th  of  the  same  month. 

He  was  the  first  member  of  the  United  States  Senate  ever  killed  in  a 
duel,  and  it  produced  a  great  sensation  all  over  the  countr}-,  as  it  was 
th'^.uglit  that  his  political  opponents  had  arranged  the  duel,  in  order  to  put 
him  out  of  the  way,  on  account  of  his  political  proclivities — he  being  op- 
posed to  the  extension  of  Slavery,  and  was  using  his  influence  against  tho 
Southern  wing  of  the  Democracy.  He,  also,  advocated  the  claims  of  Stephen 
A.  Douglas  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency. 

The  duel  grew  out  of  language  used  by  Broderick,  in  the  political  can- 
vass for  the  State,  that  year.  Broderick  and  the  notorious  Dr.  G-win  were 
both  in  the  habit  of  using  the  most  vituperative  language  in  their  public 
declamations;  and  when  they  disagreed,  the  rhetoric  of  their  diatribes  is 
described  as  something  stronger  than  even  stump-oratory  acknowledges  in 
its  ethics. 

Gwin,  who  appears  to  have  been  a  cautious  sort  of  warrior,  subsided, 
while  tho  prominent  figure  of  one  D.  \V.  Perley  appears,  chara-ing  Mr. 
Broderick  with  having  insulted  him,  by  using  offensive  language  in  regard 
to  his  friend,  Judge  Terry,  an  individual  who  had  previously  made  himself 
obnoxiovis  to  the  well-remembered  Vigilance  Committee  of  San  Francisco. 
Perley  challenged  Broderick,  who  refused  to  fight  him  ;  but  when,  after  the 
electi')n,  Judge  Terry  came  forward,  and  demanded  satisfaction,  he  accepted 
the  challenge,  and  the  result  was  that  Broderick  was  killed  by  the  first  fire. 

The  funeral  oration  was  delivered  by  Colonel  E.  D.  Baker,  afterward  the 
hero  of  Ball's  Bluff.  Father  Gallagher,  the  priest  who  officiated,  passed  a 
high  eulogium  on  his  personal  character,  but  condemned  the  duel. 


158.   ISAAC  TOUCEY. 

Isaac  ToucEY  was  born  in  Connecticut  in  1798.  Like  miiny  of  our 
eminent  public  men,  he  received  the  benefits  only  of  a  common-school  edu- 
cation ;  but,  by  force  of  character  and  rare  natural  abilities,  he  rose  to  the 
highest  positions  in  the  land.  The  profession,  which  is  the  leading  one  to 
public  distinction  in  this  country — that  of  the  law — Mr.  Touccy  adopted  for 
his  career  ;  and,  at  an  early  age,  he  was  api:)ointed  States  Attorney  for  his 
native  county. 

He  was  elected  a  Kcpresentative  to  Congress  in  1835,  and  re-elected  in 
1837.  Retiring  to  private  life  in  1839,  he  returned  to  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  and  became  distinguished. 

His  prominence  and  ability  as  a  lawyer  recommending  him  to  President 
Polk  as  a  member  of  his  Cabinet,  he  accepted  the  position  of  Attorney- 
General  in  1848,  and  continued  in  that  office  during  the  remainder  of 
Polk's  administration. 

In  1850  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  of  Connecticut :  and  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  in  1852,  which  position  he  filled  with  marked  ability 
until  1857,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  the  appointment  of  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  tendered  him  by  President  Buchanan.  This  office  he  held  to  the 
close  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration. 

Senator  in  the  United  States  Congress,  Attorney-G-eneral  of  the  United 
States,  and  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Mr.  Toucey  filled  all  these  distinguished 
national  positions  with  marked  ability,  besides  holding,  with  honor,  various 
offices  of  distinction  in  his  native  State.  Terminating  his  official  career 
with  the  close  of  President  Buchanan's  administration,  he  retired  to  pri- 
vate life. 

Whoever  saw  this  venerable  statesman  during  the  period  he  held  the 
office  of  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  could  not  fail  to  have  been  impressed  with 
his  dignified  and  courtly  demeanor  and  his  urbanity  of  manner.  Added  to 
these  external  accomplishments,  he  has  shown  great  ability  throughout  a 
most  active  and  successful  political  and  professional  career.  Associated,  as 
Mr.  Toucey  was,  in  the  Cabinet  of  Mr.  Buchanan,  with  Cobb,  Floyd,  and 
Thompson,  who  were  conspicuous  in  their  endeavors  to  place  the  United 
States  Government  in  such  a  position  as  to  render  it  powerless  to  prevent 
the  withdrawal  of  the  Slave  States  from  the  Union  and  oblige  it  to  acknowl- 
edge their  independence,  it  is  not  strange  that  the  people  of  the  North 
should  look  upon  the  fact  that  tlie  navy  was  scattered  to  distant  waters  on 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  as  an  evidence  of  his  sympathy  with 
secession;  and  it  will  be  difficult  to  remove  that  impression  from  their 
minds,  notwithstanding  his  distinguished  ability  as  a  statesman  and  tho 
high  positions  he  has  held. 


159.  GEOBGE   EYAXS. 

George  Evans,  one  of  the  profoundest  statesmen  Maine  has  ever  pro- 
duced, was  born  in  that  State,  January  12,  17ii7.  After  a  thorough 
academical  preparation,  he  entered  Bowdoin  College,  and  graduated,  -with 
distinction,  in  lb  15. 

On  leaving  College,  he  at  once  commenced  the  study  of  law  ;  and,  after 
a  most  thorough  apprenticeship,  he  removed  to  Gardiner,  Maine,  and  opened 
an  of&ce  He  soon  rose  to  eminence,  and  enjoyed  a  widely-extended  prac- 
tice. 

He  had  already  begun  to 'be  talked  of  as  a  suitable  person  to  be  clothed 
with  "legal  ermine,"  when  it  was  discovered  that  he  Avas  peculiarly  fitted 
for  the  business  of  legislation,  and  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature 
in  1825,  and  was  re-elected  for  four  successive  years.  In  his  fourth  year,  he 
was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House,  in  which  position  his  rare  abilities  were 
exhibited  to  advantage,  and  he  commanded  the  entire  approbation  of  both 
sides  of  the  House. 

In  1S29  he  was  elected  a  Kepresentative  to  the  United  States  Congress, 
where  he  at  once  assumed  a  high  rank  as  a  statesman,  and  entered  upon  the 
business  in  hand  with  an  aptitude  that  indicated  a  large  experience  in 
legislation. 

His  maiden  speech  made  a  decided  impression  in  his  favor  ;  and  from 
that  time  to  the  close  of  his  long  and  arduous  service  in  that  Hou.se,  he 
never  receded  a  step  in  the  estimation  of  his  colleagues.  After  serving  his 
constituents  faithfully  and  acceptably  in  the  lower  House  for  twelve  years, 
Mr.  Evans  was  transferred  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

His  complete  knowledge  of  financial  matters  led  him  to  be  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  Finance  Committee  during  the  protracted  debate  vrhich  arose 
on  the  adjustment  of  the  Tariff  question.  Mr.  Clay,  who  had  been  offei'cd 
the  position,  declined,  saying :  "  Mr.  Evans  knows  more  about  the  Tariff 
question  than  any  other  public  man  in  the  United  States  ;"  and  a  leading 
political  joui-nal  of  that  day  declared  that  "  there  probably  was  no  man 
living  better  acquainted  with  the  financial  afiiairs  of  this  country  than  Mr. 
Evans." 

On  the  occasion  of  his  retirement  from  the  Senate,  Mr.  Webster  took 
occasion  to  speak  of  him  in  the  most  flattering  terms:  *' And  now,  Mr. 
President,"  said  Mr.  Webster,  "since  the  honorable  member  has  reminded 
us  that  the  period  of  his  service  within  these  walls  is  about  to  expire,  I  take 
this  occasion,  even  in  the  Senate,  and  in  his  own  presence,  to  say,  that  his 
retirement  will  be  a  serious  loss  to  this  Government  and  this  countr}-." 

Mr.  Evans  occupied  an  enviable  position  before  the  American  people, 
not  only  as  a  statesman,  but  as  a  patron  of  education  and  litei-ature  ;  and 
liis  fame  will  go  down  to  posterity  as  a  profound  legislator,  a  critical 
scholar,  and  a  public  benefactor.  > 


160,  JOHN   SLIDELL. 

John  Sltdell  -was  bom  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1793.  His  father 
•was  a  highly  respectable  gentleman,  and  largely  engaged  in  the  manvifacture 
of  soap  and  candles  ;  was  also  prominent  as  President  of  the  Mechanics' 
Bank,  and  as  a  Commissioner  for  the  Public  Improvement  of  the  City.  The 
son  received  the  best  education  afforded  at  the  time,  and  became  a  promi- 
nent young  Lawyer. 

He  sought  in  New  Orleans  a  more  congenial  field  of  ambition,  where  he 
speedily  rose  to  eminence.  President  Jackson  appointed  him  United  States 
District-Attorney,  and  Mr.  Slidell  took  the  initiative  in  urging  the  remis- 
sion of  the  fine  on  General  Jackson  for  alleged  violations  of  law  during  the 
defense  of  New  Orleans. 

After  frequent  service  in  the  Legislature,  he  was  sent  to  Congress  in 
1843,  when  Mr.  Polk  selected  him  as  Minister  to  Mexico.  This  mission  being 
unsuccessful,  he  returned,  and  the  Mexican  "War  followed. 

In  1853  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  to  fill  the  vmexpired 
term  of  Mr.  Soule,  and  was  re-elected  for  six  years.  He  was  Chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  the  Condition  of  the  Banks  and  a  member  of  the  Com- 
mittees on  Naval  Affairs  and  Foreign  Relations.  He  was  distinguished  for 
his  zeal  in  promoting  the  interests  of  Louisiana,  particularly  in  the  groAvth 
of  her  great  staple,  the  sugar-cane,  and  in  providing  military  defenses  and 
improving  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi. 

In  1854  Mr.  Slidell  made  efforts  adverse  to  relaxing  our  laws  for  the  sup- 
pression of  the  slave  trade ;  but,  on  the  Kansas  question,  he  avowed  the 
most  decided  opposition  to  the  interference  of  Congress  with  slavery ;  and, 
in  1859,  introduced  the  famous  bill  for  the  acquisition  of  Cuba  by  purchase. 

On  the  commencement  of  the  Hebellion  he  resigned  his  position  in  the 
Senate,  and  joined  the  Southern  Confederacy  ;  was  sent  to  France  to  nego- 
tiate for  the  recognition  of  its  independence  ;  and,  with  James  M.  Mason, 
was  taken  from  the  British  mail-steamer  Trent  by  the  United  States  man- 
of-war  San  Jacinto,  Commodore  Wilkes,  and  imprisoned  in  Fort  Warren, 
until  released  by  the  United  States  Government,  when  he  i)roceeded  to 
France,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Paris. 

On  the  8th  of  November,  180 1,  the  San  Jacinto  descried  the  JV'^ni  when  in 
the  narrow  passage  of  the  Old  Bahama  channel.  A  shot  from  the  pivot-gun 
Avas  fired  across  her  bow.  She  hoisted  English  colors,  and  soon  after,  a  shell 
brought  her  to.  A  boat  was  sent  alongside  the  steamer  ;  Messrs.  Slidell  and 
Mason  were  requested  to  come  on  board  the  San  Jacinto,  but  declined. 
Another  boat  was  sent  from  the  San  Jacinto  ;  and,  after  "  a  gentle  applica- 
tio7i  of  force,"  the  commissioners  and  two  friends  in  their  company  Avere 
taken,  and  placed  on  board  tlie  United  States  vessel. 

A  most  intense  excitement  was  aroused  in  England  upon  the  arrival  of 
the  news.  Preparations  for  war  were  commenced.  Troops  were  sent  to 
Canada,  and  a  formal  demand  of  surrendex',  and  an  apology  for  the  act,  made. 
A  vote  of  thanks  to  Captain  Wilkes  passed  the  House  of  Representatives 
subsequently ;  but  Ihs  authorities  at  AVashington  sent  instructions  to 
deliver  them  up  to  the  representatives  of  the  British  Government.  They 
were  quietly  x>laced  on  board  a  small  steamer,  and  taken  to  an  English 
steamer,  which  conveyed  them  to  St.  Thomas,  where  they  took  passage  for 
England,  and  landed  without  any  special  official  attention. 

Many  Americans  considered  it  an  act  discreditable  to  our  national  spirit 
to  relinquish  thcEe  emissaries  of  treason,  but  the  circiunstances  demanded 
the  cotirfiic  taken. 


131.   CHAELES    SUMNEE. 

CnARLES  SUMNEK  "u-as  born  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  January  G,  1811. 

At  ten  years  of  age  ho  was  phiced  in  the  Public  Latin  School  of  Boston, 
and  during"  the  five  years  that  he  remained  there,  gave  abundant  evidence 
of  industry  and  ability. 

Passionately  fond  of  history,  he  devoted  much  of.  his  leisure  time  to  its 
reading. 

At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  entered  Harvard  College,  graduated  in  1830, 
and  entered  the  Law  School  at  Cambi-idge  in  1831,  where  he  acquired  a 
profound  knowledge  of  judicial  science,  and  neglected  no  opportunity  to 
trace  the  principles  of  law  to  their  soui'ces.  While  still  a  student,  ho  con- 
tributed articles  to  the  American  Jurist,  which  attracted  attention  by 
their  marked  ability  and  learning.  In  183-4  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  at 
Worcester,  and  commenced  practice  in  Boston,  where  he  soon  gained  an 
extensive  business.  He  was  appointed  Ileporter  to  the  Circuit  Court,  and 
published  three  volumes,  known  as  "  Sumner's  Reports."  During  Judge 
Story's  absence  in  ^Yashington,  Mr.  Sumner  filled  his  place  for  three  winters 
at  the  Cambridge  Law  School.  At  this  tune,  he  was  tendered  a  permanent  pro- 
fessorship in  the  Law  School,  and  also  in  the  collef^e ;  but  he  declined  them.  In 
ISSY,  he  visited  Europe,  where  he  remained  until  1840,  storing  his  mind  with  use- 
ful information  in  law,  literature,  and  art,  which  has  since  made  itself  manifest  on 
many  occasions. 

In  1844-46  he  produced  an  edition  of  "  Vesey's  Reports,"  in  twenty 
volumes,  enriched  with  numerous  notes  and  biographical  illustrations  of  the 
text.  In  1845,  on  the  death  of  Judge  Story,  Mr.  Sumner  was  offered  the  ap- 
pointment to  the  chair  ho  occupied,  but  declined  the  honor.  Plis  oration, 
delivered  in  Boston,  July  4,  1845,  on  the  "True  Grandeur  of  Xations," 
elicited  encomiums  from  noted  men  of  this  country  and  England  ;  and  that 
delivered  before  the  "  Phi-Beta-Kappa  Society,*'  of  Harvard  University,  in 
August,  1840,  excited  equal  admiration. 

Previous  to  1845,  he  had  kept  aloof  from  politics ;  but  in  that  yerr  he  op- 
posed the  annexation  of  Texas,  and  his  speech  on  that  subject  in  Faneuil 
Hall  is  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  pointed  he  ever  delivered.  He  worked 
with  the  Whigs  until  the  organization  of  the  Free  Soil  Party,  to  which  he 
attached  himself,  and,  in  1851,  was  elected  to  the  LTnited  States  Senate, 
as  successor  to  Daniel  Webster,  which  position  he  has  ever  since  held. 
His  first  speech  was  directed  against  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law,  which  he  de- 
nounced as  unconstitutional,  tyrannical,  and  cruel ;  on  Avhich  occasion  he 
laid  down  the  well-known  formula,  that  "  Freedom  is  National,  and  Slavery 
Sectional,"  and  on  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  in  1856,  he  became 
identified  with  it.  On  the  19th  and  20th  of  May,  1850,  Mr.  Sumner  delivered 
in  the  Senate  his  celebrated  speech,  called  "  The  Crime  against  Kansas," 
which  being  unanswerable  by  argument,  Preston  S.  Brooks,  attempted  to 
silence  him  by  force  ;  and,  entering  the  Senate  chamber,  struck  him  over  the 
head  with  a  heavy  cane,  which  so  disabled  him  that  he  was  prevented  from 
taking  any  part  in  public  affairs  for  over  three  years. 

In  the  winter  of  1859  he  again  entered  the  Senate  in  comparative  vigor; 
and  his  first  speech,  on  his  return,  was  entitled,  "The  Barbarism  of  Slavery," 
which  was  a  clear  and  eloquent  exposition  of  its  demoralizing  influence. 
At  the  commencement  of  the  war,  he  maintained  a  stern  oppo'^ition  to  all 
compromises  with  slavery  as  a  meann  of  restoring  the  seceding  States  to  the 
Union  ;  and  was  in  favor,  from  the  first,  of  making  Emancipation  an  element 
in  the  contest,  as  the  speediest,  if  not  the  only  method  of  bringing  the  war 
to  a  close.  Since  the  surrender  of  Leo,  ho  has  endeavored,  by  the  most  co- 
gent arguments,  to  impress  upon  the  Senate  and  tho  country  the  necessity  of 
r.voastructing  the  Stated,  KoTth  and  Sotith,  on  a  Natioruit  and  LripaikiOA, 
hasifj. 


162.  MATHEW    F.   MAUBY. 

Mathew  F-  Maury,  Astronomer  and  Ilydrog-rapher,  -vras  born  in  Spot- 
sylvania County,  Vii-g-inia,  January  14,  1S06. 

His  parents  removed  to  Tennes.seo  whcnhe  -was  but  three  or  four  3-enrs  oi 
ago.  Possessed  of  moderate  circumstances,  and  being"  in  a  newly-settled 
country  with  a  family  of  nine  children,  they  could  afford  to  each  one  the 
means  for  only  a  limited  education.  In  1825  Mathew  obtained  a  Mid- 
shipman's appointment  in  the  navy,  and  was  ordered  to  the  Jjrandf/icme, 
then  fitting  out  in  Washington  to  convey  General  Lafayette  to  France. 
Returning  in  that  vessel  to  the  United  States  in  the  spring  of  1826,  he 
again  sailed  in  her  to  the  Pacific.  There  he  joined  the  Vlrtceiines  (sloop), 
and,  having  circumnavigated  the  globe,  returned  in  her  to  his  native  land, 
after  an  absence  of  about  four  years. 

After  passing  his  examination,  he  was  again  ordered  to  the  Pacific 
Station,  as  Master  of  the  FalmoidJt. 

He  commenced  his  work  on  "  Navigation"  in  the  steerage  of  the  Vincen- 
nes,  and  completed  it  in  the  frigate  Potomac,  to  Avhich  he  was  ordered  as 
Acting  Lieutenant,  when  the  Falmouth  was  about  to  return  to  the  United 
States.  From  the  time  of  his  first  entering  the  navy  up  to  this  period,  he 
had  been  a  close  student  Proceeding  upon  the  principle  of  making  every- 
thing bend  to  his  profession,  he  made  himself  master  of  the  Spanish 
language  by  studying  a  course  of  mathematics  and  navigation  in  that 
tongue.  On  liis  return  to  the  L^nited  States,  he  was  regularly  promoted  to 
a  Lieutenancy,  and  received  the  appointment  of  Astronomer  to  the  South 
Sea  Exploring  Expedition,  under  Commander  Thomas  Ap  C.itesby  Jones. 
Soon  utter  that  officer  gave  up  the  command  of  this  exi>edition.  Lieutenant 
Maury  retired  from  it  also,  and  was  afterward  put  in  charge  of  the  Depot 
of  Charts  and  Instruments,  which  has  served  as  a  nucleus  for  the  National 
Observatory  and  Hydrographical  Office  of  the  United  States  ;  of  both  of 
which  he  had  charge  until  IbGl. 

His  labors  in  organizing  the  Observatory,  and  placing  it  at  once  upon 
the  most  respectable  footing,  as  well  as  his  investigations  with  regard  to  the 
winds  and  currents  of  the  sea,  are  familiar  to  all.  In  1851  Mr.  Maury  X3\ib- 
lished  *'  Letters  ou  the  Amazon  and  Atlantic  Slopes  of  South  America,"  and 
the  "  Relation  Between  Magnetism  and  the  Circulation  of  the  Atmosphere ;" 
in  1858,  "Astronomical  Observations  ;"'  and,  in  1854,  "  Letters  Concerning 
Lanes  for  Steamers  Crossing  the  Atlantic  Ocean." 

In  18G1,  on  the  secession  of  Virginia  from  the  Union,  Mr.  Maiiry  joined 
the  Southern  Confederacy,  and  gave  all  his  scientific  experience  and  efforts 
for  the  overthrow  of  that  Government  under  whose  auspices  bo  had  been 
enabled  to  obtaiu  his  education. 


163.  EOBEET  TOOMBS. 

BoBEiiT  Toombs  Tvas  born  in  "Washington,  Wilkes  County,  Georgia, 
July  2,  1810.  The  first  three  years  of  his  collegiate  life  were  spent  at  llie 
University  of  Georgia,  but  he  kft  it  at  the  close  of  the  latter  year,  went  to 
Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  and  graduated  at  Union  College  in  1828. 

He  read  law  at  the  University  of  Virginia,  under  Judge  Lomas ;  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  of  Georgia,  in  1830,  and  practiced  regularly  until  his 
election  to  Congress,  in  1845. 

His  first  public  service  was  as  Captain  of  Volunteers  in  the  Creek  War, 
under  General  V/infield  Scott.  In  1837  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature 
of  Georgia  from  his  native  county,  where  he  now  resides  ;  and,  with  the 
exception  of  1841,  continued  a  Member  of  the  lower  branch,  until  his  elec- 
tion to  the  Federal  House  of  Representatives,  where  he  served  for  eight 
years  with  marked  ability. 

He  entered  the  United  States  Senate  in  1853,  during  the  Thirty-Third 
Congress,  for  six  years,  and  was  re-elected,  in  1859,  for  a  second  terra,  end- 
ing March  4,  1805.  In  the  House,  and  also  in  the  Senate,  he  always  served 
upon  important  committees. 

In  1856  he  delivered  his  celebrated  lecture  in  Tremont  Temple,  Boston, 
Mass.,  in  "  Vindication  of  Slavery  ;  its  Constitutional  Status  ;  the  Duties  of 
the  Federal  Government  in  Relation  to  it ;  and  the  Influence  of  Slavery,  as  it 
Existed  in  the  United  States,  upon  the  Slave  and  Society;"  in  which  he 
endeawred  to  show  that  Congress  had  no  power  to  limit,  restrain,  or  in  any 
manner  impair,  slavery  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  was  bound  to  protect  and 
maintain  it  wherever  its  flag  floated,  or  its  jurisdiction  extended — a  doctrine 
which,  a  few  years  later,  was  engrafted  into  the  platform  of  the  Southern 
wing  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  on  which  they  lost  the  election  of  their 
candidate  for  the  Presidency,  in  1800.  The  failure  of  that  was  the  imme- 
diate cause  of  the  secession  ot  a  number  of  the  Slave  States.  On  the 
withdrawal  of  Georgia  from  the  Union,  Mr.  Toombs  resigned  his  seat  in 
the  Senate,  January  23,  18G1,  and  became  Secretary  of  State  of  the  Confed- 
erate Government,  Februai'y  21,  of  the  same  year. 

In  the  following  July,  he  resigned,  and  was  soon  after  commissioned  a 
Brigadier-General  in  the  Rebel  army,  in  which  capacity  he  never  rose  above 
mediocrity. 

Since  the  surrender  of  Lee,  and  the  passage  of  the  Reconstruction  Acts 
of  Congress,  he  has  been  using  his  utmost  endeavors  to  induce  the  people 
of  Georgia  not  to  accept  the  terms  on  which  they  are  allowed  to  resume  their 
former  position  in  the  Union. 


164  HENRY  WILSON. 

Henry  "Wilsont  was  born  at  Farmington,  New  Hampshire,  February 
16,  1812.  At  ten  years  of  ago  ho  was  apprenticed  to  a  farmer  till  he  was 
twenty-one.  Here  he  had  the  usual  lot  of  a  farm-boy,  receiving  but  a  few 
weeks'  schooling  in  winter;  but,  during  that  time,  he  read  over  one  thou- 
sand volumes  of  history,  biography,  and  general  literature,  borrowed  from 
school-libraries  and  individuals. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  went  to  Natick,  Mass.,  to  learn  the  trade  of 
shoemakmg;  and,  after  working  two  years,  had  saved  money  enough  to 
attend  the  academy  at  Concord,  N.  H. ;  but  the  person  with  whom  he 
had  deposited  his  money,  failed,  and  Wilson  was  obliged  to  return  to 
Natick,  and  resume  shoemaking.  Undiscourag«^d,  he  resolved  to  still 
pursue  his  object,  uniting  it  with  his  daily  toil.  He  then  formed  a  debating 
society  among  the  mechanics  of  the  place,  where  he  investigated  subjects, 
read,  wrote,  and  spoke  on  all  the  themes  of  the  day. 

In  1840  he  came  forward  as  a  public  speaker  in  the  Harrison  campaign, 
and  soon  distinguished  himself  as  the  "  Natick  Shoemaker,"  making  over 
sixty  speeches  during  the  canvass. 

He  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  that  >ear,  and  served  four  yt^ars  in  the 
House  and  four  in  the  Senate.  While  there,  he  made  one  of  the  most  elaborate 
speeches  against  the  extension  of  slavery  ever  made,  and  went  to  Washington  with 
the  remoustrance  of  Massachusetts  against  the  admission  of  Texas  as  a  Slave 
State. 

In  1848,  on  the  rejection  of  the  anti-slavery  resolution  by  the  Whig 
Convention,  ho  left  that  organization,  and  took  an  important  part  in  origi- 
nating and  building  up  the  Free  Soil  party,  for  which  services  he  was  nomi- 
nated by  them  in  1852,  as  their  candidate  for  Congress,  but  was  defeated. 

In  lS~i'd  he  was  sent  to  the  Constitutional  Convention,  and  was  the  Free 
Soil  candidate  for  Governor,  but  was  again  defeated.  In  1855  he  was 
elected  United  States  Senator,  in  place  of  Edward  Everett,  and  was  re- 
elected in  1859  and  1865,  in  which  position  he  has  greatly  distinguished 
himself. 

From  1842  to  1851,  he  was  actively  engaged  in  the  Militia  of  Massa- 
chusetts, as  an  officer.  In  1861  he  raised  the  Twenty-Second  Regiment 
of  Volunteers  in  that  State,  and  was  made  its  Colonel.  After  joining 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  he  was  made  a  member  of  General  McCiellan's 
Staff,  on  which  he  served  until  after  the  meeting  of  Congress. 

Daring  the  war  he  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Military  Committee 
of  the  ^^enate,  which  had  to  pass  upon  thousands  of  appointments,  and 
devise  important  measui-es  of  legislation  ;  and,  for  the  manner  in  which  the 
duties  of  the  position  Avere  performed,  Mr.  Wilson  received  the  highest 
commendations  from  General  Scott.  Even  the  salvation  of  Washington  in 
the  early  days  of  the  war  was  partially  attributed  to  his  energy. 

Mr.  Wilson's  career  since  the  war  has  been  marked  by  the  same  practical 
usefulness  which  has  distinguished  him  throughout  life.  He  has  written  a 
history  of  the  Anti-Slavery  measures  and  the  Reconstruction  measures  of  Con- 
gress, giving  a  brief  and  impartial  narrative  of  the  legislation  since  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  is  now  writing  a  "  History  of  the  Slave  Power,"  in  three  volumes.  Mr. 
Wilson  is  one  whose  character  and  position  is  the  result  of  the  developments  of 
social  life,  in  the  education  and  elevation  of  the  laboring  class.  Born  in  an 
liumble  station,  he  has,  by  his  own  exertions  and  the  equality  inculcated  by 
GUI'  insututionr-,  risen  to  one  of  the  highest  pOL^tions  of  the  land. 


165.  EOBEET  E.  LEE. 

General  Bobert  E.  Lee,  son  of  Harry  Lcc,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  was 
born  at  the  family  seat  of  Strafford,  Virginia,  in  IGOG. 

He  received  a  liberal  education,  was  admitted  to  the  military  academy 
at  "West  Point  in  1825,  and,  on  the  SOth  of  June,  1829,  graduated  second 
in  his  class..  He  entered  the  Engineer  Corps  as  Second  Lieutenant,  in  July 
of  that  year  ;  "vvas  promoted  to  First  Lieutenancy,  September  21  183() ;  and 
to  Captaincy,  July  7,  ISoS.  He  served  in  the  Mexican  "War  as  Chief-Engi- 
neer in  Gencr.il  "Wool's  command,  and  was  breveted  Major,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel,  and  Colonel,  for  gallant  conduct  at  Cerro  Gordo,  Contreras,  Churu- 
busco,  and  Chapultepec. 

In  July,  1848,  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Engineers  at 
"West  Point,  and,  September  1,  1852,  was  made  Superintendent  of  the  mili- 
tary academy,  which  position  he  held  until  March  8,  1855,  when  ho  received 
his  full  commission  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  Second  Cavalry. 

In  1859  lie  commanded  the  company  of  marines  that  captured  John 
Brown  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and,  on  the  10th  of  March,  1861,  was  promoted 
to  the  Colonelcy  of  the  First  Cavalry. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1861,  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  United 
Slates  army,  and  was  appointed  Major-General  by  the  State  of  Virginia, 
and  afterward  General  in  the  Confederate  army.  In  Aug.ust,  1861,  he  was 
assigned  to  a  command  in  "West  Virginia.  His  first  engagement  was  at 
Cheat  Mountain,  where  he  was  defeated  by  General  Reynolds.  He  then 
proceeded  to  the  Kanawha  region  for  the  purpose  of  relieving  Floyd  and 
Wise.  In  December  he  was  transferred  to  the  defenses  of  South  Carolina 
and  Georgia. 

"When  General  J.  E.  Johnston  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines, 
June  1,  1862,  General  Lee  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the  Rebel  army  in 
Virginia,  and,  after  being  reinforced  by  General  "Stonewall"  Jackson's 
corps,  took  the  offensive.  The  initial  movement  to  the  seven  days'  battles 
were  planned  by  him,  and  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill  was  fought  under  his 
personal  direction.  "When  he  was  satisfied  that  General  McCiellan's  army 
had  been  withdrawn  from  the  Peninsula,  he  transferred  the  main  body  of  tho 
Rebel  army  to  act  against  Pope,  which  resulted  in  the  battles  of  Manassas, 
August  29,  1862,  and  that  of  Chantilly,  which  was  fought  Avhile  the  Jsational 
forces  were  in  retreat  for  the  defenses  of  "Washington. 

General  Lee  then  prepared  for  the  invasion  of  Maryland,  which  resulted 
in  his  defeat  at  Antictam.  He  was  afterward  engaged  in  the  battles  of 
Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville,  in  which  he  defeated  or  repulsed  the 
Union  forces.  In  June,  1863,  he  made  a  second  invasion  of  the  Korth,  when, 
after  destroying  much  public  property,  and  obtaining  immense  stores  of  goods, 
he  concentrated  his  forces  at  Gettysburg,  and  fought  the  bloody  battle  at 
that  place,  which  ended  in  his  defeat,  July  8,  1863.  Thus  both  his  invasions 
of  the  North  proved  failures.  In  both  cases,  however,  he  extricated  himself 
from  these  critical  situations  with  extraordinarv  skill  and  dexterity. 

In  1864,  when  General  Grant  took  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
Leo  concentrated  his  forces  around  Richmond,  and,  acting  on  tiie  defensive, 
contested  every  inch  of  ground  as  ho  retreated  toward  that  city,  until  he 
was  at  last  forced  to  surrender  at  Appomattox  Oourt-House  to  General 
Grant,  April  9,  18G5.  General  Lee  was  appointed  Generahin-Cliicf  of  the 
Rebel  forces,  January  31,  1865,  and  attained  a  military  reputation  second  to 
none  in  tho  Southern  array.  On  tho  close  of  the  war  he  was  elected  to  tho 
position  of  Presideut  of  Washington  College,  Lexington,  Va.,  where  ho 
rt-siilcd  until  his  death,  which  oc'currcd  Octoboi'  12.  1S70. 


166.  HOEACE  GEEELEY. 

Horace  Gheeley,  Editor  and  Founder  of  the  New  York  Tribune,  was 
born  in  Amherst,  New  Hampshire,  February  8,  1811.  Until  the  age  of 
fifteen,  he  Avorked  upon  a  farm,  having  no  other  opportunity  of  acquiring 
an  education  than  such  as  the  district  schools  of  his  neighborhood  afforded. 
He  early  manifested  a  fondness  for  reading,  especially  newspapers,  which  he 
would  devour  with  the  greatest  relish,  and  which  decided  him  to  become  a 
Printer,  whenever  the  time  should  arrive  to  choose  an  occupation  for  him- 
self. He  alsi-^,  at  a  very  early  age,  exhibited  a  remarkably  retentive  mem- 
ory, and  correctness  in  spelling,  which  especially  adapted  him  to  the 
business  he  has  since  followed. 

When  about  twelve  years  old,  his  father  having  removed  to  Vermont, 
Horace  endeavored  to  find  employment  in  a  printing  office  in  Whitehall, 
but  without  success.  Nothing  daunted  by  the  first  rebuff,  "for  he  was 
made  of  sterner  stuff  than  to  bend  before  the  first  puff  of  ill-success,"  he 
applied  at  the  office  of  the  Northern  Spectator,  Poultney,  Vt.,  where  his 
services  were  accepted,  and  where  he  remained  till  1830,  when  the  paper 
was  discontinued,  and  he  returned  to  work  upon  his  father's  farm.  Here  he 
continued  for  a  year,  when  he  started,  on  foot,  with  his  baggage  slung  across 
his  shoulder,  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  great  city  of  New  Yoi'k,  where  ho 
arrived  on  the  31st  of  August,  1831.  After  persevering  efforts,  he  obtained 
work  as  a  Journeyman  I'rinter,  and  Avas  employed  in  various  offices,  at 
occasional  intervals,  for  eighteen  months. 

In  1834,  in  connection  with  Jonas  Winchester,  he  started  The  New  Yorker, 
a  weekly  journal,  and  became  its  Editor.  After  struggling  on  for  several 
years,  with  poor  success,  it  was  finally  abandoned.  During  its  existence, 
Mr.  Greeley  published  the  following  campaign  papers :  The  Constitution,  2 he 
Jeffersonian,  and  the  Log  Cabin. 

In  1841  he  commenced  the  publication  of  the  New  York  Tribune,  with 
which  he  is  still  connected,  and  of  which  he  is  now  the  principal  Editor.  In 
1848  Mr.  Greeley  was  chosen  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  United  States  Congress, 
and  served  through  the  short  term  preceding  General  Taylor's  inauguration, 
with  manifest  ability. 

In  1851  he  visited  Europe,  and  rendered  valuable  service  to  the  Ameri- 
can exhibiters  at  the  World's  Fair,  in  England.  He  again  visited  Europe 
in  1855 ;  and,  in  1859,  took  a  trip  across  the  plains  and  mountains  to  Cali- 
fornia. He  gave  an  accoimt  of  each  in  letters  to  the  Tribune,  which  have 
since  been  published  in  volumes.  He  has  also  published  a  collection  of  his 
addresses,  essays,  &c.,  under  the  title  of  "Hints  toward  Reforms." 

During  and  since  the  Rebellion,  Mr.  Greeley  has  published  a  history  of 
that  struggle,  in  a  book,  entitled  "  The  American  Conflict,"  which  has  had 
a  very  extensive  sale.  He  has  also  published  his  autobiography,  entitled 
"  Recollections  of  a  Busy  Life." 

Mr.  Greeley's  fame  as  a  Journalist  and  Lecturer,  arc  world-wide. 
Wherever  the  Tribune  is  read  (and  where  is  it  not  ?),  there  the  name 
of  Horace  Greeley  is  familiar.  During  his  whole  life,  his  pen  and  his  efforts 
have  been  in  constant  service  for  the  weak,  against  the  strong.  Ho  early 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  slave;  and,  at  a  period  in  the  history  of  the 
slavery  question,  Avhen  to  speak  out  boldly  against  that  institution  was  to 
risk  one's  life,  there  was  no  temporizing  policy  in  Mr.  Greeley's  course.  He 
wields  a  fearless,  vigorous,  and  ever-ready  pen,  in  favor  of  all  reforms- 
political,  social,  and  financial — and  exhibits  a  clear  understanding  of  all 
these  subjects. 


167.  JEFFEESON  DAVIS. 

Jefferson  Davis  -was  born  in  Christian  Count}-,  Kentucky^  June"  3, 
1808.  Shortly  after  his  birth,  his  father  removed  -n'ith  his  family  to  Wil- 
kinson County,  j\Iiss.  He  received  a  good  academical  education,  and  en- 
tered Transylvania  University,  Lexington,  Ky.,  in  1823,  which  he  left  in 
1824,  to  enter  the  Military  Academy  at  AVest  Point,  from  vrhich  he  gradu- 
ated in  1S28.  lie  was  appointed  Second  Lieutenant  of  Infantry,  and 
served  on  the  Northwestern  frontier  during  the  Black  Hawk  War  of 
18ai-'32. 

In  1831  he  was  appointed  First  Lieutenant  of  Dragoons,  and  was  em-' 
ployed  in  operations  against  the  Pawnees,  Camanches,  and  other  Indian 
tribes.  In  June,  1835,  he  resigned  his  commission,  and  retired  to  a  cotton 
plantation  in  Mississippi. 

He  continued  in  retirement  until  1843,  when  he  began  to  take  an  interest 
in  politics  upon  the  Democratic  side  ;  and,  in  1844,  was  chosen  a  Presiden- 
tial Elector. 

In  1845  he  was  elected  a  Kepresentative  to  Congi'ess ;  but  resigned  iii 
1846,  having  been  elected  Colonel  of  the  First  Mississippi  Volunteer  Kegiraent, 
and  server!  in  the  Mexican  War.  He  distinauislied  himself  at  Monterey  and 
Buena  Vista,  and  was  severely  wounded  in  the  latter  battle. 

He  was  appointed  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers  by  Ptesident  Polkr 
in  1847,  but  he  declined  the  commission  on  the  ground  that,  by  the  Consti- 
tution, the  Militia  appointments  were  reserved  to  the  States,  and  that  such 
appointments  by  the  President  were  in  violation  of  State  Rights.  He  was 
chosen,  the  same  year,  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  United  States  Senate,  and  I 
was  re-elected,  in  1850,  for  a  full  term. 

In  1853  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of  War  by  President  Pierce," and,  in 
1857,  was  again  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate,  when  he  took  a  prom- 
inent position  among  the  Southern  leaders,  and  was  among  the  keenest  and 
most  sag;icious  of  them  all  in  his  assertion  of  the  rights  of  the  States  under  the 
Constitution,  and  of  the  right  of  secession.  On  the  21st  of  January,  1861,  he  took 
his  leave  of  the  Senate  in  a  speech,  in  which  he  gave  his  ooinion  that,  by  the  se- 
cession of  his  State,  his  connection  with  th  it  body  was  terminated,  and  reaffirmed 
the  doctrine  of  the  right  of  secession,  which  he  had  long  niainta  ned.  The  Confe- 
derate Congress,  at  Montgomery,  Alabama,  chose  him  President,  under  ihe  Pro- 
visional Constitution,  on  the  9th  of  February,  1861,  and  he  accepted  the  office  on 
the  16th  in  .  brief  address,  in  which  he  expressed  his  desire  for  the  maintenance 
of  peaceful  relations  with  tlie  States  which  remained  in  the  Union.  He  asserted 
that  all  that  the  seceding  States  desired  was  to  be  ''  let  alone,"  but  announced 
that,  if  war  should  be  forced  upon  them,  the^'  would  make  the  enemies  of  the 
South  "smell  Southern  powder  and  feel  Southern  steel." 

On  the  17th  of  April,  two  days  after  the  first  proclamation  of  President 
Lincoln,  he  responded  by  a  proclamation  authorizing  privateering  ;  and,  on 
the  14th  of  August,  issued  a  proclamation  warning  all  persons  of  fourteen 
years  and  ujnvard,  owing  allcgience  to  the  United  States,  to  leave  the  Con- 
federacy within  forty  days,  or  be  treated  as  alien  enemies.  On  the  Gth  of 
November  he  was  chosen  permanent  President,  and  was  inaugurated  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1862.  On  the  21st  of  May,  ne  appiovea  an  ac  providing  that  all 
persons  owing  debts  to  parties  in  the  North,  should  pay  the  same  into  the 
Confederate  Treasury, 

Mr.  Davis  continvied  "President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  until  his 
capture  at  Irwinsville,  Ga.,  May  10, 1865,  having  left  Richmond  a  few  hours  before 
General  Lee  withdrew  his  troops.  He  was  conveyed  to  Fortress  Monroe,  and 
indicted  by  the  Grand  Jury  of  the  District  of  Columbia  for  treason.  He  was  never 
brought  to  trial ;  but,  after  two  years'  imprisonment,  was  released  on  bail,  Horace 
Greeley  magnanimously  becoming  one  of  his  sureties. 


1G8.  PIEERE   SOULE. 

Pierre  Soule  was  born  at  Castillon  about  1802,  in  the  Pyrenees,  during 
the  first  consulate  of  Napoleon.  His  father  had  risen  to  the  rank  of  Lieu- 
tenant-General  in  the  Republican  armies,  but  afterward  returned  to  his 
native  mountains  and  exercised  the  office  of  Judge,  which  w;is  hereditary 
in  his  family.  Pierre  was  destined  for  the  church  ;  and,  in  1816,  was  sent  to 
the  Jesuits'  College  at  Toulouse,  where  his  abilities  were  soon  remarked  and 
appreciated.  Young  Soule,  however,  became  dissatisfied  with  his  situation, 
and  left  the  college.  He  was  afterward  sent  to  complete  his  studies  at  Bor- 
deaux. 

At  fifteen  he  took  part  in  the  conspiracy  against  the  Bourbons,  and  the 
plot  having  been  discovered,  he  was  obliged  to  take  refuge  in  a  little  vil- 
lage of  Navarre,  where  he  remained  for  more  than  a  year,  following  the 
occupation  of  a  shepherd.  He  was  permitted  to  return  to  Bordeaux ;  but  he 
longed  for  a  more  exciting  scene  of  action,  and,  accordingly,  repaired  to 
Paris.  Here,  in  conjunction  with  Bartholeray  and  Mery,  he  established  a 
paper,  advocating  liberal  republican  sentiments.  This,  of  course,  soon 
brought  him  under  the  eye  of  the  authorities,  and  he  was  put  upon  his  trial. 
His  advocate  on  that  occasion  was  a  friend  named  Ledru,  who  appealed  to 
the  clemency  of  the  court  in  behalf  of  the  prisoner  on  the  score  of  his  youth. 
This  line  of  defense  did  not  suit  the  prisoner,  who  rose  from  his  seat,  and 
addressed  the  court  in  an  impassioned  strain,  denying  the  criminalty  of  his 
opinions,  and  defending  the  rectitude  of  his  conduct.  His  elocjuence  did 
not  save  him  from  St.  Pelagie,  whence  he  succeeded,  with  the  aid  of  Bar- 
tholemy,  in  making  his  escape  to  England,  and  then  to  Chili. 

Disappointed  in  his  expectations  of  obtaining  a  situation  in  Chili,  which 
had  been  promised  him,  and  finding  himself  alone  in  a  strange  country, 
wholly  ignorant  of  the  language,  he  I'eturned  to  France. 

At  Havre  he  met  a  friend,  a  Captain  in  the  French  navy,  who  advised 
him  to  seek  an  asylum  in  the  United  States,  and  offered  him  a  passage  in 
his  ship  as  far  as  St.  Domingo.  Soule  accepted  the  proposition,  and  arrived 
at  Port-au-Prince  in  September,  1825.  From  this  place  he  took  passage  to 
Baltimore,  and  finally  removed  to  New  Orleans  a  few  months  later. 

Having  determined  to  make  the  law  his  profession,  he  applied  himself 
assiduously  to  the  study  of  English,  and  passed  his  examination  for  the 
bar  in  that  language,  and  was  admitted,  when  he  soon  rose  to  distinction  by 
his  talents  and  eloquence. 

In  1847  Mr.  Soule  was  elected  a  Senator  in  Congress  from  Louisiana  to 
fill  a  vacancy,  and  was  re-elected  in  1849  for  a  term  of  six  years.  He  took 
an  active  part  in  the  stormy  session  that  followed;  and,  after  the  death  of 
Mr.  Calhoun,  was  regarded  for  some  years  as  the  leader  of  the  ultra-Southern 
party.  In  the  Senate  he  preserved  his  reputation  as  a  speaker,  and  his 
oratory  is  said  to  be  rendered  only  the  more  pleasing  by  a  slight  French 
accent. 

In  1853  ho  was  appointed,  by  President  Pierce,  Minister  to  Spain.  In 
18G2  he  was  arrested  in  New  Orleans  for  disloyalty  to  the  Government;  and, 
after  an  imprisonment  of  some  months  in  Fort  Lafayette,  he  was  released 
on  condition  that  he  would  not  return  to  Louisiana  until  the  end  of  the 
Rebellion. 


169.  BENJAMIN  F.'WADE 

t  ^ 

X  BEN-rAME^r'  F.  Wade,'  the  distinguished  United  States  Senator  from 
Ohio,  was  born  in  Sijfiugfield,  MuissacTmsetts,  October  27,  1800.  His  father, 
a  Revolutionary  soldier,  was  too  poor  to  afford  the  son  the  advantages  of  more 
than  the  ordinary  education  obtained  in  the  common  schools.  In  his  youth 
the  future  statesman  labored  as  a  Furmer  or  Husbandman,  but,  by  diligent 
application  had  acquired  sufficient  knowledge  to  become  a  Teacher  during 
the  winter. 

In  182G  we  find  him  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  law  in  Ohio,  Com- 
mencing the  practice  in  Ashtabula  County  a  few  years  after,  in  1835  he 
was  chosen  as  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  that  county,  and,  in  1837,  was  elected 
to  the  State  Senate,  and  was  re-elected  in  1841.  In  1847,  he  was  elected  by  the 
Leojislature  presiding  Jud^e  of  the  Third  Judicial  District  of  the  State,  and,  in 
1851,  a  United  States  Senator,  to  which  body  he  was  again  returned  in  1857  and 
186.'^ _  _  _ 

In  the  Senate  Mr.  Wade  has  been  prominent  as  a  leader  of  the  anti- 
slavery  party,  and  continued  unrelenting  in  his  hostility  during  the  most 
rampant  period  of  the  pro-slavery  ascendancy.  He  opposed  Mr.  Douarlas's 
bill  to  abrogate  the  Missouri  Compromise,  the  Lecompton  Constitution  in 
1838,  Slidell's  bill  for  the  acquisition  of  Cuba,  and  was  against  all  compromise 
with  the  South  after  1800.  He  advocated  the  Homestead  bill,  the  Agricul- 
tural College  and  the  Pacific  Railroad  bills,  and  every  measure  for  the  pro- 
tection of  American  industry. 

On  the  opening  of  the  Thirty-Seventh  Congress,  Mr.  Wade  became 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  the  Conduct  of  the  War,  and  took  an  active 
part  in  urging  the  enactment  of  a  law  to  confiscate  the  property  of  leading 
Rebels  and  to  emancipate  their  slaves. 

Ultra  democratic  in  his  views,  and  radically  Republican  in  his  princi- 
ples, Mr.  Wade  has  consistently  carried  out  his  policy  with  an  independence 
characteristic  of  his  origin,  education,  and  early  associations  and  impres- 
sions. He  has  been  an  opponent  of  West  Point,  because  he  thinks  it  fosters 
an  aristocratic  and  exclusive  class,  and  because  it  numbered  among  many  of 
its  graduates  prominent  military  leaders  of  the  Rebel  army.  He  has  also 
opposed  the  increase  of  the  standing  army.  The  bill  making  Treasury 
Notes  a  legal  tender  he  advocated  and  voted  for,  and  for  the  bill  abolishing 
slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia. 

In  1862,  as  Chairman  of  the  Territorial  Committee,  he  reported  a  bill 
abolishing  slavery  in  all  the  Territories  of  the  Government,  and  anticipated 
the  future  policy  of  the  Government  growing  out  of  a  successful  termina- 
tion of  the  war  by  prohibiting  it  in  any  that  may  hereafter  be  acquired. 

Mr.  Wade,  as  President  of  the  Senate,  attracted  renewed  attention 
throughout  the  country  as  the  likely  successor  to  the  Presidency  in  the 
event'of  the  impeachment  of  President  Johnson.  He  is  distinguished  as 
presiding  officer  of  the  Senate  by  a  certain  degree  of  brusqucness,but  at  the 
same  time  possesses  a  knowledge  of  parliamentary  law  which  his  long 
experience  in  that  body  has  enabled  him  to  acquire. 

A  long  debate  ensued  at  the  beginning  of  the  impeachment  trial  as  to 
the  propriety,  considering  his  contingent  relations  to  the  Presidency,  of  his 
sitting  in  judgment  upon  the  arraigned  President.  The  suspicion  of  his 
interested  motives  in  influencing  his  sense  of  public  duty  was  repudiated 
by  the  Hon.  Reverdy  Johnson  in  a  very  eloquent  tribute  to  the  public  and 
private  honor  and  integrity  of  Mr.  Wade. 


170.  JOHN   C.   BRECKENEIDGE. 

John  C.  Breckenridge  was  born  near  Lexington,  Kentucky,  Januar;*' 
16,  1^21.  He  was  educated  at  Centre  College,  Kentucky;  spent  a  few- 
months  at  Princeton,  N.  J. ;  studied  law  at  Transylvania  Institute,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  Lexington.  He  emigrated  to  Burlington,  Iowa, 
where  he  remained  for  a  time,  but  returned  to  Lexington,  ■vrhere  he  prac- 
ticed his  profession  with  success. 

He  served  as  a  Major  of  Infantry  during  the  Mexican  "War ;  and,  while 
in  that  country,  distinguished  himself  as  Counsel  for  General  Pillow,  during 
the  famous  court-martial. 

On  his  return  from  Mexico,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  and 
afterward  Representative  in  Congress  from  the  Ashland  District,  from  1851 
to  1855.  During  his  administration.  President  Pierce  tendered  to  him  the 
mission  to  Spain,  but  family  affairs  compelled  him  to  decline  the  honor. 

He  was  elected  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  in  185(),  on  the  ticket 
with  James  Buchanan,  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  in  March, 
1857,  as  President  of  the  United  States  Senate.  In  18G1  he  succeeded  Mr. 
Crittenden  as  United  States  Senator  from  Kentucky,  having  been  defeated 
as  candidate  for  President  on  the  nomination  of  the  Southern  Democracy,  in 
1860. 

In  the  summer  of  18G1,  as  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  progressed,  and 
the  debates  in  the  Senate  grew  warmer,  Mr.  Breckenridge  became  more 
demonstrative,  charging  the  Government  with  the  intent  to  make  it  a  "  war 
of  extermination,"  and,  in  October,  joined  the  Confederate  army,  when 
the  United  States  Senate  expelled  him  from  that  body,  by  a  iinanimous 
A'ote.  We  next  find  him  as  a  Confederate  General  at  the  battles  of  Mur- 
freesboro',  Baton  Rouge,  and  Chickamauga ;  defeating  Sigel  in  the  West ; 
joining  Lee's  army,  at  Cold  Harbor  ;  commanding  under  Early  in  the 
attack  on  AVashington,  and  in  the  Shenandoah  valley,  in  1864;  defeating 
Gillem  in  East  Tennessee;  and  joining  the  councils  of  the  Confederate 
Government  at  Richmond,  early  in  1865,  as  Secretary  of  War,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  until  the  war  was  brought  to  a  close.  He  then  fled  to  Eng- 
land, and  has  since  resided  there  and  in  Canada. 

Mr,  Breckenridge  was  a  great  favorite  with  the  Democratic  party,  and 
evinced  the  same  deep-seated  tenacity  for  "  State  Rights,"  which  formed 
part  of  the  nature  of  men  accustomed  to  the  state  of  society  prevailing  in 
the  slaveholding  sections  of  the  country.  His  early  rise  to  positions  of  im- 
portance, evince  the  force  of  his  talents  ;  and  the  continuance  of  his  progress 
attest  his  superior  abilities.  His  conduct  in  public  life  showed  a  character, 
in  many  respects,  suited  to  such  a  sphere. 

As  a  military  man,  he  filled  the  station  of  commander  with  more  credit 
than  many  civilians,  on  either  side,  during  the  conflict. 


IVI.    BENJAMIN   F.    BUTLEE. 

Benjamin  F.  Butler  -was  born  in  Deerfield,  New  Hampshire,  Novem- 
ber 5,  iyi8.  He  passed  his  boyhood  in  Lowell,  where  he  attended  the 
High  School,  preparatory  to  becoming  a  student  at  Exeter  Academy.  He 
graduated  -with  honor  at  "VYaterville  College,  Me.,  in  I808,  studied  law,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  1  ar  in  1841. 

Mr.  Butler  at  once  plunged  into  law  and  politics,  pursuing  both  with 
equal  ardor,  and  displaying  the  adroitness  and  energy  which  have  always 
characterized  him.  He  espoused  the  most  desperate  causes,  and  became,  in 
court,  the  leader  of  "  forlorn  hopes."  His  singular  feraiity  in  expedients, 
and  success  in  defending  rather  awkward  suits,  soon  won.  for  him  the  repu- 
tation of  being  the  ablest  criminal  lawyer  in  the  State.  In  1853  he  was 
elected  to  the  State  legislature,  and,  in  I80S,  to  IJie  fsenate. 

In  1800  we  find  him  playing  a  prominent  Tole  as  Delegate  to  the  Demo- 
cratic Convention  at  Charleston  and  Baltimore.  During  all  these  years,  he 
hiid  been  taking  lessons  in  the  "  School  of  the  Soldier  ;"  and,  in  1857,  was 
appointed  Brigudier-Gcneral  in  the  State  Militia.  In  the  month  of  April, 
18G1,  he  responded  to  the  call  of  President  Lincoln  for  volunteers  to  defend 
the  Union  against  the  Bebels,  and,  with  a  single  regiment,  marched  into 
Maryland,  made  a  descent  upon  Annapolis  (then  the  enemy's  country),  which 
he  held  until  the  Department  of  Annapolis  was  created,  when  he  was  in- 
stalled commander,  with  rank  of  Major-General. 

Soon  after,  he  look  command  at  Fortress  Monroe.  "While  occupying 
this  post,  the  disastrous  battles  of  Little  and  Big  Bethel  occurred. 
Here,  also,  he  originated  and  applied  the  term  "  Contraband  of  war  "  to  the 
captured  slave,  which  settled  the  vexed  question  of  the  status  of  the  slaves 
of  Bebels. 

On  the  20th  of  February,  1862,  General  Butler  left  Boston  for  Ship 
Island,  in  Mississippi  Sound,  where  he  arrived  March  23,  with  a  force  of 
ilfteen  thousand  men,  to  attack  I'^'ew  Orleans.  After  the  surrender  of  ForU 
Jackson  and  St.  Phillips  to  Admiral  Farragut,  he  v/ent  up  the  Mississippi 
v/ith  a  portion  of  his  command,  and  entered  the  city  of  New  Orleans 
Vv'ith  two  thousand  fiA'C  hundred  men  on  the  evening  of  May  1,  18G2. 

Ho  found  the  city  much  demoralized,  but  shaped  order  out  of  chaos ;  and 
he  saved  the  city,  not  only  from  its  own  suicidal  madness,  but  from  that  ma- 
lignant epidemic,  Avhich  had  annually  visited  it.  The  yellow-fever  raged 
at  Havana,  Nassau,  and  other  unhealthy  ports  ;  but  New  Orleans  escaped 
untouched;  and  the  hopes  of  those  who  wished  it  to  lay  the  invading  Yan- 
kees at  the  mercy  of  their  enemies,  were  frustrated.  General  Butler's 
course  in  New  Orleans  was,  from  the  first,  necessarily  a  stringent  one.  He 
arrested  several  British  subjects,  for  affording  aid  to  the  Rebels ;  seized  a 
large  amount  of  specie  belonging  to  the  enemy  in  tlie  office  of  the  Consul 
for  the  Netherlands  ;  distributed  among  the  suffering  poor  the  provisions 
intended  for  the  Southern  army ;  laid  a  tax  on  E,L'bel  sympathizers  ;  and: 
issued  that  celebrated  and  characteristic  proclamation  respecting  active 
female  traitors  who  insulted  his  soldiers,  which  extirpated  at  once  a  most 
annoying  nuisance.  It  was  a  fortunate  day  for  New  Orleans  when  "Butler 
came  to  town."  He  was  superseded  by  General  Banks  in  November,  18G2. 
In  the  latter  part  of  18G3  he  was  assigned  to  the  Department  of  Virginia 
and  North  Carolina;  and,  in  18G4,  participated  in  o;>erations  before  Peters- 
burg and  Kichmoiid,  as  commander  of  the  Army  of  ;  ae  James. 

In  the  spring  of  18G5,  he  resigned  his  commissi'-n,  and  was  elected  to 
Congress,  where  he  particularly  distinguished  himself  in  the  impeachment 
trial  of  President  Johnson,  in  the  spring  of  18GS  ;  and  in  November  was 
again  elected  to  Congress. 


172.     SALMON   P.    CHASE. 

Salmon  P.  Chase,  Chief  Justice  of  tlic  United  States  Supreme  Court, 
was  born  in  Cornisli,  New  Ilampsliirc,  January  13,  1808,  At  twelve  3^ears 
of  age  he  was  sent  to  Worthington,  (3hio,  to  be  educated,  under  the  care 
of  his  uncle,  PJiilander  Chase,  who  was  then  Bishop  of  that  State.  He 
entered  Cincinnati  College,  but  at  the  end  of  a  year  he  returned  to  Xew 
I-Iampshire  and  entered  the  junior  class  at  Dartmouth  College,  in  1824, 
and  graduated  in  1026. 

Provided  with  a  few  letters  of  introduction,  with  no  other  means  but 
his  education,  he  made  his  way  to  Washington,  D.  C,  where,  after  teach- 
ing a  boys'  school  for  three  years,  during  which  he  studied  law,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  District  of  Columbia  in  1829.  In  the  spring  of 
1830  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  where  his  practice  as  a  lawj^er  soon  be- 
came extensive  and  valuable.  Almost  at  the  outset  of  his  professional 
career,  he  entered  upon  a  course  of  constant  and  earnest  anti-slavery 
action,  which  has  made  his  name  widely  known. 

In  1834  he  became  counsellor  of  the  "United  States  Bank  at  Cincinnati. 
In  1837  he  defended  a  woman  claimed  as  a  fugitive  slave,  and  James  G. 
Barney  for  harboring  a  fugitive  slave.  From  1838  to  1840  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  "Wm.  H.  Seward  as  defendants'  counsel,  in  the  famous  Van 
Zanelt  case.  These  and  other  cases,  gave  jMr.  Chase  a  national  reputation, 
both  as  a  lawj^er  and  an  anti-slavery  man. 

In  1841  he  united  in  organizing  a  Liberty  party ;  in  1843  was  a  member 
of  the  National  Liberty  Convention, -which  Avas  held  at  Cincinnati;  and 
was  a  delegate  to  the  Free-Soil  Convention,  held  at  Bulfalo  in  1848. 

In  polidcs,  Mr.  Chase  sympathized  with  the  Democrats,  but  voted  for 
General  Harrison  in  1840. 

His  formal  entrance  into  political  life  was  in  1849,  when  he  was  elected 
United  States  Senator  from  Ohio.  In  the  Senate  he  continued  his  hos- 
tility to  slaver}^  and  formally  withdrew  from  the  Democratic  party  in 
1852.  He  joined  the  Republican  party  in  1854,  was  elected  Governor  of 
Ohio  in  1855,  and  re-elected  in  1857. 

He  was  again  chosen  United  States  Senator  in  1860 ;  but  on  the  day  he 
took  his  seat — March  5,  1861 — he  was  appointed  by  Mr.  Lincoln  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury.  He  found  the  national  treasury  exhausted  and  the  credit 
of  the  United  States  Government  paralyzed. 

The  task  imposed  on  him  was  gigantic,  and  failure  in  it  would  have 
ruined  the  country  at  the  outset.  JBut  his  well-known  financial  ability 
enabled  him  to  obtain  a  temporarA^loan  of  the  banks,  when  he  immediately 
set  to  work  to  negotiate  the  national  bonds  authorized  by  Congress,  and 
establish  a  greenback  and  national  banking  system,  which  has  given  us  a 
uniform  currency  throughout  the  Union.  His  success  in  changing  the 
various  State  banks  into  national  banks,  without  any  perceptible  incon- 
venience, will  distinguish  him  as  one  of  the  greatest  financial  minds  in  the 
country. 

He  resigned,  as  Secretar}'-  of  the  Treasury,  in  June,  1864,  and  was  ap- 
pointed Chief-Justice  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  December  6, 
1864,  which  office  he  now  holds. 


173.  JAMES   M.   MASON. 

James  Murray  Mason,  formerly  United  States  Senator  from  Virginia, 
and  more  recently  a  Commissioner  from  the  States  in  rebellion  to  England, 
vas  born  in  Fairfax  County,  Virginia,  on  December  3,  1798.  (One  of  his 
ancestors  was  George  Mason,  a  famous  Parliamentarian  of  the  reign  o| 
Charles  I,  and  a  strong  supporter  of  the  Eoyal  cause.  Subsequently  joining 
the  Cavaliers,  under  Charles  II,  he  fought  against  Cromwell ;  but  when 
Charles  was  defeated,  near  Worcester,  in  1651,  Mason  emigrated  to 
America,  and  settled  in  Virginia.) 

Educated  in  Virginia  and  the  District  of  Columbia,  Mr.  Mason  graduated 
in  1813,  in  the  University  at  Philadelphia,  and  subsequently  studied  law 
at  William  and  Mary  College,  AVilliamsburg,  Va.,  completing  his  studies 
in  the  office  of  the  celebrated  Benjamin  Watkins  Leigh,  of  Richmond. 

Commencing  practice  in  1820,  he  was,  six  years  thereafter,  elected  to  the 
Virginia  House  of  Delegates,  and  re-elected  for  two  subsequent  terms.  He 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Convention  to  revise  the  State  Constitution,  in 
1829,  and  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1837. 

Returned  to  the  United  States  Senate  in  1846,  he  continued  to  occupy 
his  seat  for  fourteen  years.  A  strong  pro-slavery  Democrat,  he  vehemently 
opposed  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill,  and  all  other  anti-slavery  measures.  The 
author  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  law,  his  arguments  in  support  of  it  constitute 
much  of  the  bitter  and  vindictive  sectional  feelings  and  eloquence  of  the 
debates  in  the  Senate  of  that  day. 

Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs  for  ten  years,  his  position 
made  him  eminently  conversant  with  that  branch  of  the  Government,  and 
qualified  him  for  the  subsequent  position  he  held  as  Commissioner  of  the 
Rebel  States. 

In  1850  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  discussion  which  led  to  the  admis- 
sion of  California,  as  a  Free  State,  in  the  Union. 

Still  holding  his  position  at  the  head  of  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Rela- 
tions, in  the  Senate,  he  left  his  seat  in  1861,  to  take  sides  with  the  Rebellion, 
his  term  not  expiring  until  March  4,  1863.  Chosen  as  Commissioner  to 
England,  in  conjunction  with  Slidell,  he  set  sail  from  Charleston,  S.  C,  on 
October  12,  1861.  Arriving  at  Havana,  Cuba,  October  24,  they  were  for- 
mally received  by  the  Captain-General.  Remaining  for  a  few  days,  they 
took  passage  on  board  of  the  British  mail-steamer  Trent,  for  Europe.  On 
November  8,  they  were  captured  by  Admiral  Wilkes,  in  the  Bahama  Chan- 
nels, and  brought  to  the  United  States,  and  subsequently  confined  in  Fort 
Warren.  Surrendered  on  January  2,  1862,  to  the  British  authorities,  Mr. 
Mason,  with  his  colleague,  sailed  for  England,  where,  during  the  civil  con- 
flict, they  urged  the  recognition  of  the  Southern  States,  biit  without  suc- 
cess. Mr.  Mason  has  continued  to  reside  abroad  ever  since  the  Rebellion. 
The  controversy  betAveen  the  United  States  Government  and  Great  Britain, 
growing  out  of  their  forcible  seizure  on  the  high  seas,  involved  a  great 
many  questions  of  international  law,  conducted  Avith  more  or  less  ability, 
and  no  little  acrimony,  by  Lord  John  Russell  and  Mr.  Seward,  in  support  of 
their  respective  Governments. 

Mr.  Mason  was  distinguished  in  the  Senate  as  an  austere  man  ;  and 
though  of  acknowledged  ability  and  character,  he  was  not  a  man  to  win 
upon  the  affections  of  a  stranger  or  his  opponents,  as  are  some  of  tho  pablic 
men  who  afford  a  fair  representation  of  the  Southern  aristocracy. 


174.  REVEEDY   JOHNSON. 

Eeverdy  Johnson  was  born  in  Annapolis,  Maryland,  May  21,  1796. 
His  parents  sent  him  to  St.  John'-  CoUei^e,  where  he  obtained  an  excellent  educa- 
tion. He  left  coUefre  when  about  sixteen  years  of  aire,  and  immediately  coni- 
hie'  c<-d  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  his  father,  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals 
of  Maryland.  Two  years  after,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  commenced  prac- 
tice under  the  most  favorable  auspices. 

He  moved  to  Baltimore  in  1817,  where  his  legal  residence  has  ever  since 
been,  and  rose  rapidly  to  prominence  as  one  of  the  ablest  legal  minds  of  his 
State. 

In  1819  he  was  appointed  States  Attorney,  and,  in  1820,  Chief  Commis- 
sioner of  Insolvent  Debtors.  This  office  he  held  for  over  a  year,  when  he 
resigned  to  take  a  seat  in  the  State  Senate  ;  was  elected  for  a  second  term, 
but,  after  retaining  his  seat  one  year,  he  resigned  in  consequence  of  his 
extensive  professional  duties. 

For  nearly  twenty  years  Mr.  Johnson  kept  aloof  from  politics,  devoting 
his  time  to  the  law,  and  winning  a  reputation  for  legal  ability  such  as  few 
men  in  this  country  have  obtained. 

In  1845  he  was  elected  United  States  Senator,  but  resigned  in  1849  to 
accept  the  position  of  Attorney-General  in  President  Taylor's  Cabinet.  On 
the  death  of  G3neral  Taylor,  and  the  accession  of  Mr.  Fillmore  to  the 
Presidency,  he  resigned,  and  again  resumed  the  piJictice  of  liis  profi-ssion,  it  being 
now  almost  wholly  confined  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 

In  1861  he  was  a  Delegate  to  the  Peace  Convention  ;  and,  in  1862,  was 
again  el 'Cted  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

Throughout  the  war  he  sustained  the  Union  cause  and  gave  his  hearty 
support  to  the  suppression  of  the  Rebellion.  When  the  war  had  ceased,  he 
urged  the  readmission  of  the  South  without  delay,  at  the  same  time 
favoring  such  guarantees  as  would  hereafter  prevent  the  recurrence  of  the 
causes  which  had  opera-ted  to  keep  the  two  sections  of  the  country  in  con- 
tinual antagonism.  Mr.  Johnson  voted  for  the  first  Reconstruction  bill,  and 
also  voted  in  favor  of  its  passage  over  the  President's  veto ;  but  when  the 
second  Reconstruction  bill  was  introduced,  he  withdrew  his  support,  and 
voted  against  it. 

Although  connected  with  the  Democratic  party,  he  has  frequently 
opposed  its  measures  and  policies.  He  was  appointetl  Minister  to  England 
by  President  Johnson,  and  was  unanimously  confirmed  by  the  Senate,  June 
12,  1868. 

Mr.  Johnson's  legal  ability,  moderate  party  affinity,  and  purity  of  char- 
acter, combined  with  unusual  suavity  of  manners  and  conversational 
powers,  made  him  an  acceptable  Minister  to  the  English  Government  and  an 
honor  to  the  United  States  at  the  Coun  of  St.  James.  He  returned  from  England 
in  June,  1869,  and  resumed  his  practice  in  the  courts  of  Maryland  and  tlie  Su- 
preme  Court  of  the  United  States. 


175.   EDWAED   BATES. 

Edward  Bates  was  born  at  Belmont,  Goochland  County,  Virginia, 
September  4,  1793.  His  education,  commenced  by  his  father,  was  succeeded 
by  several  years  of  academic  instruction,  mostly  at  Charlotte  Hall,  Mary- 
land, and  finished  by  an  accomplished  jurist  tutor.  Declining,  in  early 
youth,  a  naval  career,  afforded  by  the  offer  of  a  Midshipman's  warrant,  he 
afterward,  in  1818,  exhibited  his  patriotic  ardor  by  serving  as  a  volunteer 
in  the  Virginia  militia,  in  the  Avar  against  Great  Britain. 

In  1814  he  removed  to  Missouri,  where,  at  that  time,  many  of  the  enter- 
prising and  ambitious  young  Virginians  migTated,  to  seek  their  fortunes, 
and  grow  up  with  that  then  infant,  but  now  powerful,  State.  He  there  con- 
tinued his  study  of  the  law ;  and,  in  1816,  began  to  practice  in  St.  Louis. 

Rising  rapidly  into  practice,  in  the  year  1818  he  was  appointed  Prosecu- 
ting Attorney  for  that  circuit.  Advancing  with  the  growing  interests  of  the 
State,  he  was,  in  1820,  appointed  a  Delegate  to  the  State  Constitutional  Con- 
vention. The  satisfaction  with  which  he  discharged  the  duties  of  this  im- 
portant trust  recommended  him,  in  the  same  year,  to  his  constituents,  as 
Attorney-General  of  the  new  State  of  Missouri.  He  resigned  the  office  in 
1822,  and  was  elected  to  the  lower  branch  of  the  State  Legislature.  The 
confidence  which  he  inspired  in  his  previous  public  trusts,  was  abundantly 
secured  in  this,  his  first  legislative  position.  Becoming  now  prominent  as 
one  of  the  rising  young  men  of  the  rising  young  State,  he  was  selected,  in 
1824,  by  President  Monroe,  United  States  Attorney  for  the  Missouri  Dis- 
trict. He  held  this  position  until  182G,  when  he  resigned,  and  was  elected 
Representative  to  Congress  from  Missouri,  serving  from  1827  to  1829  with 
distinction. 

In  1880  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate;  and,  in  1834,  was  again 
elected  to  the  Lower  House  of  the  Legislature.  In  1830,  being  enfeebled  by 
sedentary  labor,  he  moved  to  the  country,  where  he  continued  in  the  active 
practice  of  his  profession  for  seven  years,  and  varied  his  professional  occu- 
pation with  horseback-riding  around  the  prairies,  and  other  vigorous  exer- 
cise in  the  open  air. 

In  1842  he  returned  to  St.  Louis,  in  invigorated  health,  and  renewed  in 
that  city  the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1850  he  was  appointed,^by  Presi- 
dent Filmore,  Secretary  of  War,  but  declined  the  office.  In  1853  he  was 
elected  Judge  of  the  St.  Louis  Land  Court,  which  office  he  resigned  in  1856. 
His  prominence  as  a  Whig  politician  secured  him,  the  same  year,  the  posi- 
tion of  President  of  the  Whig  National  Convention,  which  assembled  in 
Baltimore  ;  and  his  accomplishments  and  learning  induced  the  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, in  1858,  to  confer  upon  him  the  degree  of  LL.  D. 

Again  brought  prominently  before  the  public,  he  was  appointed,  in  1861, 
Attorney-General  in  Mr.  Lincoln's  Cabinet,  which  position  he  held  until 
1865,  when  he  resigned,  having  performed  the  duties  of  the  office  with 
marked  ability  and  fidelity.  Mr.  Bates,  on  the  5th  of  July,  1861,  rendered 
an  elaborate  opinion,  justifying  President  Lincoln  in  arresting  persons  on 
suspicion  of  intercourse  with  the  insurgents,  and  refusing  to  obey  a  writ  of 
Habeas  Corpus,  sued  out  to  ascertain  whether  the  alleged  suspicions  Avere 
just, 


116.   HENEY   WAED   BEECHER. 

Heney  Ward  Beecher,  son  of  the  celebrated  Rev.  Lyman  Beecher, 
was  born  at  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  June  24,  1813.  His  mother  died  when 
he  was  three  years  old ;  and  his  father,  marrying  again,  removed  to  Boston, 
where  Plenry  was  placed  in  the  Latin  School,  and  pursued  his  studies  with- 
out the  inspiration  of  zeal. 

The  sea  became  the  object  of  his  ambition.  His  father,  apparently 
acquiescing,  suggested  his  preparing  himself  for  the  navy  ;  but,  as  he  went 
to  school  at  Amherst,  the  Dr.  said,  "I  shall  have  that  boy  in  the  ministry 
yet."  Here  he  was  placed  under  the  care  of  a  bright,  attractive  young  man, 
and  labored  perseveringly,  with  his  face  toward  the  navy.  Here,  also,  ho 
was  put  through  a  strict  drill  in  elocution  by  Professor  John  E.  Lowell. 
At  the  close  of  the  year,  a  revival  of  religion  occurred,  and  Henry,  with 
others,  was  powerfully  impressed.  The  naval  scheme  vanished,  and  the 
pulpit  opened  before  him,  as  his  natural  sphere. 

He  entered  Amherst  College,  where  he  surrounded  himself  with  the  best 
English  writings,  which  he  read  and  pondered  with  never-cea.sing  delight ; 
but  was  not  attracted  by  Greek  and  Latin  classics. 

The  stand  he  took  in  college  was,  from  the  first,  that  of  a  reformer.  He 
and  his  associates  opposed  all  the  customary  irregularities  and  dissipations 
of  students.  In  no  part  of  his  life  did  he  ever  use  tobacco,  or  ardent  spirits, 
in  any  shape.  He  graduated  in  18-J4,  and  studied  theology  at  Lane 
Seminary,  in  Cincinnati,  of  which  his  father  was  President.  Previous  to 
cempleting  his  studies,  he  edited,  for  some  months,  the  organ  of  the  New 
School  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  absence  of  Dr.  Brainard.  His  editorials 
condemning  the  pro-slavery  rioters  who  destroyed  Dr.  Burney's  press  at 
that  time,  were  stamped  with  the  most  fearless  spirit  of  reform. 

On  finishing  his  studies,  Mr.  Beecher  married,  and  was  settled  at  Law- 
renceburg,  Ind.,  but  was  soon  after  invited  to  Indianapolis,  where  he  labored 
for  eight  years,  performing  a  great  amount  of  professional  labor,  and  causing 
a  remarkable  revival.  August  24,  1847,  Mr.  Beecher  was  called  to  take 
charge  of  Plymouth  Church,  Brooklyn,  N,  Y.  On  the  19th  of  September,  he 
bade  farewell  to  his  Western  charge  ;  and,  on  assuming  his  duties  at  Ply- 
mouth Church,  he  informed  "  all  whom  it  might  concern,"  that  he  considered 
Temperance  and  Anti-Slavery  a  part  of  the  Gospel,  which  he  was  deter- 
mined to  preach. 

He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  settlement  of  Kansas  by  freemen;  and, 
during  the  Rebellion,  was  unceasing  in  his  labors  for  the  Union  cause. 
Plymouth  Church  raised  a  regiment,  and  Mi'.  Beecher's  eldest  son  was  an. 
officer  in  it. 

Mr.  Beecher  is  the  author  of  numerous  volumes,  replete  with  original 
and  earnest  thought,  and  deeply  imbued  with  Christian  faith,  and  symx^athy 
with  the  beautiful  in  nature  and  art.  His  mind  is  a  development  charac- 
teristic of  our  nationality.  It  may  be  compared  to  a  column,  based  with 
Eastern  granite  ;  a  shaft  of  Western  marble ;  and  a  capital,  crowned  with,  the 
flowers  and  fruitage  of  cultured  graces. 


117.  CLEIIEXT   L.  YALLANDIGHAM. 

Clement  L.  Vallandigham  -was  born  in  New  Lisbon,  Columbia  County, 
Ohio,  in  1822.  He  descended  from  a  Huguenot  family,  and  received  a  good 
early  education,  spending  one  year  at  Jefferson  College,  Ohio.  He  afterward 
remoyed  to  Sno^y  Hill,  Maryland,  where  he  spent  two  years  as  Principal  of 
an  academy. 

Returning  to  Ohio  in  1840,  he  studied  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1842,  and  entered  upon  its  practice  in  New  Lisbon.  He  was  elected  to  the  Srate 
Legislature  in  1845,  and  re-elected  in  1816.  He  removed  to  Dayton  in  1847. 
From  1847  to  1849,  he  was  editor  of  the  Western  Empire  ;  and,  for  some  years 
subsequent  to  that  date,  had  devoted  himself  wholly  to  his  profession  and  politics. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  National  Democratic  Convention  held  at  Cin- 
cinnati in  1856,  and  ran  for  Eepresentative  to  the  Thirty-Fifth  Congress 
against  L.  C.  Campbell,  whose  seat  he  successfully  contested,  and  was 
re-elected  in  1850. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  second  session  of  the  Thirty^-Fifth  Congress, 
and  during  the  Thirty-Sixth,  he  was  placed  on  the  Committee  on  Territories. 

Elected  to  the  Thirty^-Seventh  Congress  in  18(51 ,  he  took  an  ultra-Southern 
view  of  politics  ;  during  the  most  important  session  opposed  the  Republican 
party  in  all  their  plans  for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebellion,  exercising  his 
legislative  abilities  to  thwart  the  Government  in  carrA^ng  on  the  war,  and 
addressing  the  people  of  Baltimore  and  other  cities  in  favor  of  secession. 
Returning  to  Day^ton,  he  was  received  with  mingled  feelings  of  coldness 
and  confidence  by  his  former  constituents ;  and,  in  the  fall  of  1SG2,  the 
election  resulted  in  the  deleat  of  Mr,  Yallandigham.  Having  the  remainder  of 
his  term  to  complete,  he  continued  his  opposition  in  Congress  to  the  measures  of 
the  Government. 

Rejected  for  Congress,  he  continued  his  political  activity  in  addressing 
the  people  throughout  the  State,  indulging  in  expressions  which  were  con- 
sidered disloyal ;  and,  for  expressing  his  opinions  against  the  war,  he  was 
arrested  at  Dayton,  May  5, 1863,  by  military  authority,  and  tried  at  Cincin- 
nati on  the  6th  and  7th  of  that  month.  He  was  sentenced  to  be  confined  in 
a  military  prison  during  the  war,  which  sentence  was  changed  by  the  Presi- 
dent to  banishment  to  the  Southern  States.  He  was  taken  to  Murfreesboro', 
where,  on  the  24th,  he  was  sent  over  the  Confederate  lines.  F>om  there  he 
went,  by  way^  of  Bermuda,  to  Canada. 

While  in  Canada  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democratic  party  of  Ohio  as 
their  candidate  for  Governor,  but  was  defeated. 

He  subsequently  returned,  and  was  a  Delegate  to  the  Democratic  Con- 
vention held  at  Chicago  in  1864.  He  was  also  a  Delegate  to  the  Convention 
held  at  New  York,  July  4,  1868,  which  nominated  Horatio  Seymour  and 
Frank  P.  Blair,  Jr.,  as  candidates  for  President  and  Vice-President  of  the 
United  States. 


178.   GEOEGE  BANCEOFT. 

Geokge  Bancroft,  a  distinguished  American  Author  and  Historian, 
was  born  in  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  in  the  year  1800.  He  graduated 
With  honor  at  Harvard  College,  before  he  ..  as  seventeen  years  of  age,  and 
.«oon  entered  iipon  a  course  of  literary  pursuits,  having,  as  their  ultimate 
end,  the  professi(<n  of  an  Historian. 

In  1818  he  went  to  Europe,  and  there  studied  at  Gottenburg  and  Berlin, 
enjoying  the  high  advantages  of  the  most  thorough  system  of  instruction. 

After  an  absence  of  four  years,  during  Avhich  he  traveled  in  England, 
Switzerland,  Germany,  and  Italy,  he  returned  to  the  United  States,  when  he 
Was  appointed  Tutor  of  Greek,  in  Harviird  University.  During  the  interval 
of  severe  labors,  lie  made  many  contributions  to  American  literature, 
especially  from  the  stores  of  German  thought  and  intellect,  then  compari- 
tively  sealed,  even  to  educated  men  in  the  United  States.  He  early  attached 
himself  to  the  Democratic  party,  in  whose  behalf  his  first  vote  was  cast. 

In  1826,  in  a  public  oration,  afterward  published,  he  announced  as  his 
creed,  "  Universal  Suffrage  and  Uncompromising  Democracy." 

In  I80I:  Mr.  Bancroft  published  his  first  volume  of  his  "  History  of  the 
United  States,"  a  work  to  which  he  had  long  devoted  his  thoughts  and 
researches,  and  in  which  he  laid  the  foundation  of  a  rej^utation  at  once 
permanent  and  universal. 

The  first  two  volumes,  comprising  the  Colonial  history  of  the  country, 
were  hailed  with  the  highest  satisfaction,  as  exhibiting,  not  only  the  facts, 
but  the  ideas  of  American  history. 

In  1838  he  was  appointed  Collector  of  the  Port  of  Boston,  which  he  held 
until  1841.  In  1841  he  was  the  candidate  of  the  Democracy  of  Massachusetts 
for  Governor.  In  1845  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of  the  Nav}--,  and,  in 
184G,  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  England,  which  position  he  held  until 
1849. 

In  England  the  prestige  of  Mr.  Bancroft's  literary  reputation  and  his 
high  social  qualities  contributed  to  enhance  the  popularity  and  respect  which 
attached  to  him  during  his  entire  diplomatic  career. 

On  his  return,  he  fixed  his  residence  in  New  York  City,  and  resumed 
more  actively  the  prosecution  of  his  historical  labors,  the  fourth  volume  of 
which  appeared  early  in  1852,  portraying  the  opening  scenes  of  the  great 
drama  of  the  American  Independence.  He  has  since  issued  a  volume  at 
intervals,  until  now  he  has  nine  volumes  published. 

In  18G7  Mr.  Bancroft  was  appointed  Minister  to  Prussia,  which  position 
he  now  holds. 

The  work  of  Mr.  Bancroft  may  be  considered  as  a  copious  philosophical 
treatise,  tracing  the  growth  of  the  idea  of  liberty  in  a  country  designed  by 
Providence  fur  its  development,  and  is  esteemed  as  one  of  the  noblest 
memories  of  American  literature. 

He  has  published  various  public  addresses,  and  has  coLected  a  volume  of 
"  Miscellanies,"  chiefly  upon  historical  and  philosophical  topics. 


179.  PETEE   COOPER 

Peter  Coopsr  was  born  in  the  city  of  Xew  York,  February  12,  lYGl. 
His  youtli  -was  employed  in  his  father's  hat  manufactory.  He  attended 
school  only  one-half  o±^  each  day  for  a  single  year,  and,  beyond  the  humble 
knowledge  thus  earned,  his  acquisitions  are  his  own. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  trade  of  coach-making, 
which  he  followed  for  a  short  time  after  he  had  served  out  his  apprentice- 
ship. He  next  manufactured  machines  for  shearing  cloth,  which  were  in 
great  demand  during  the  War  of  1812,  but  lost  all  value  on  the  declaration 
of  peace.  He  then  manufactured  cabinet  ware,  afterward  went  into  the 
grocery  business  in  New  York  City,  and  finally  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  glue  and  isinglass,  which  he  has  carried  on  for  more  than  fifty 
years. 

Mr.  Cooper's  attention  was  early  called  to  the  great  resources  of  the 
country  for  the  manufacture  of  iron ;  and,  in  1830,  he  erected  extensive 
works  at  Canton,  near  Baltimore. 

Disposing  of  them,  he  sut)sequently  erected  a  rolling-mill  in  the  city 
of  New  I'ork,  in  which  he  first  applied  anthracite  coal  to  the  puddling  of 
iron. 

In  1845  he  removed  the  machinery  to  Trenton,  X.  J.,  where  he  erected 
the  largest  rolling-mill  at  that  time  in  the  United  States  for  the  manufac- 
ture of" railroad  iron,  and  at  which  he  was  the  first  to  roll  wrought-iron 
beams  for  fire-proof  buildings.  These  works  have  grown  to  be  very  exten- 
sive, including  mines,  blast-furnaces,  and  water-power,  and  conducted  by  a 
company  of  which  Mr.  Cooper  is  President. 

While  in  Baltimore,  Mr.  Cooper  built,  after  his  own  designs,  the  first 
locomotive  engine  that  was  ever  turned  out  on  this  continent,  which  was 
successfully  operated  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  thus  identifying 
his  name  with  the  early  history  of  railroads.  He  has  taken  a  great  interest 
in  the  electric  telegraph,  in  which  he  has  invested  a  large  capital.  He  is 
President  and  Director  of  various  companies,  and  President  of  the  North 
American  Telegraph  Association,  which  represents  two-thirds  of  all  the 
lines  in  the  Unified  States.  Mr.  Cooper  has  served  in  both  branches  of  the 
New  York  Common  Council. 

His  great  object  in  life  has  been  to  educate  and  elevate  the  industrial 
classes  ot"  the  community,  rsnd  he  determined,  more  than  forty  years  ago,  if 
successful,  to  establish  in  his  native  city  an  institution  in  which  the  work- 
ing classes  could  secure  a  scientific  education.  Accordingly  the  "  Union 
for  the  Advancement  of  Scienc3  and  Art,"  commonly  c  died  the  "  Cooper 
Institute,"  has  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  over  six  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
and  devoted  by  a  deed  of  trust,  Avith  all  its  rents,  issues,  and  profits,  to  that 
purpose.  It  includes  a  school  of  design  for  females,  evening  courses  of 
instruction  to  mechanics  and  apprentices,  a  free  reading-room,_  a  gallery  of 
art,  a  polytechnic  school,  and  valuable  collections  of  models  of  inventions. 

Mr.  Cooper  is  still  engaged  in  active  business. 


180.  HEESCHEL  Y.   JOHNSON. 

Herschel  Y.  Johnson  was  born  in  Burke  County,  Georgia,  September 
18,  1812,  and  graduated  at  the  University  of  Georgia  in  1884.  He  adopted 
the  profession  of  the  law ;  and,  while  pursuing  its  practice,  entered  uponhia 
political  career,  advancing  rapidly  to  distinction. 

In  1844  he  was  a  Presidential  Elector,  and  was  appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy 
in  the  United  fetates  Senate  in  1848.  From  the  Senate  he  was  elected,  in 
1849,  a  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court. 

In  ISGO,  when  the  popularity  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas  was  at  its  highest 
point,  Herschel  V.  Johnson  was  selected  as  a  candidate  for  the  Vice-Presi- 
den<:y  upon  the  Dougl  is  ti'ket.  Defeated  by  Lincoln  and  Harnlin,  the  tide 
of  secession  overran  the  Southern  land,  and  with  the  political  landmarks 
which  had  defied  the  ultra-Southern  sentiment  in  times  gone  by,  were  swept 
away,  and  Herschel  Y.  Johnson  among  the  rest. 

Djuglas  died  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  in  the  very  prime  of  his  life 
and  in  the  zenith  of  an  unprecedented  popularity,  with  sentiments  of  loy- 
alty upon  liis  feverish  lips  ;  but  Johnson,  his  fellow-candidate,  went  with 
his  native  South,  though  in  principle  a  Union  man. 

While  the  one  terminated  his  career  on  the  death-bed,  the  other  con- 
tinued his  by  taking  part  in  the  stormy  proceedings  which  inaugurated 
the  Confederate  States  Government ;  and,  becoming  a  Member  of  the  Con- 
federate States  Senate,  lie  took  an  active  part  in  its  debates. 

The  rapidity  with  which  men  rise  to  public  distinction  in  the  United 
States,  and  then  f;ill  into  private  life  (though,  in  many  instances,  honorable 
obscurity),  is  illustrated  in  the  case  of  Herschel  Y.  Johnson.  At  one  time 
the  representative  Union  man  of  the  South,  he  was  the  choice  for  the  second 
office  in  the  gift  of  the  people  on  the  Presidential  ticket,  with  one  of  the 
most  popular  men  of  the  United  States — Stephen  A.  Douglas. 

Death  and  the  a^-tive  vitiated  public  life,  Avhich  that  political  career 
impelled,  laid  his  chief  in  the  grave ;  but  he  who  followed  next  upon  the 
banner  left  the  emblem  of  the  Union  to  die  with  his  chief,  lured  by  "  strange 
stars,"  *'  writin;r  stran<je  characters  from  right  to  left." 


181.    OLIYEE   0.    riOWAED. 

aenoral  Olivek  0.  IIOTrAiiD  \vas  born  in  Leeds,  Maine,  November  8, 
IBoO  He  o-raduated  at  Bowdoin  College  in  1850,  and,  four  years  later,^at 
vre4  Point  where  he  ^vas  appointed  Instructor  in  Mathematics,  in  18o7 ; 
but  re^io-ned  his  commission  in  18G1,  to  take  command  of  a  regiment  of 
M'aine  Volunteers.  He  commanded  a  brigade  at  Bull  Run  ;  and,  for  gallant 
conduct  in  that  battle,  was  commissioned  a  Brigadier-General  of  \  olunteers. 
He  was  at  Williamsburn:,  and  lost  an  arm  at  Fair  Oaks,  June  1,  1862.  VV  lien 
the  attack  was  made  on  General  Casey's  troops,  May  31,  Howard's  brigade  was 
brouf^ht  up  in  haste,  and  came  into  pjsition  just  at  mght-fall.  llie  next  mornnig 
one  ol-his  regiments  was  placed  in  tlie  front  line,  while  the  other  three  formed  the 
second.  Howard's  and  French's  Brigade  did  much  of  the  brave  and  steady  work 
which  repulsed  and  routed  the  two  obstinate  and  furious  attacks  of  the  enemy.  He 
was  hicrhly  complimented  by  General  Richardson,  in  his  report,  for  the  excellent 
disposition  of  his  forces,  the  direction  of  his  fire,  and  the  moral  effect  be  produced 
upon  his  men,  by  his  resolute  demeanor  in  cheering  and  urging  them  on. 

In  this  days  battle,  General  Howard  received  two  bullet-wounds  in  his 
rio-ht  arm,  which  had  to  be  amputated.  Scarcely  waiting  for  his  wound  to 
he-il,  he  rejoined  the  army,  and  commanded  the  Third  Brigade  of  Sedg- 
w-ick's  division,  in  Sumner's  corps,  at  the  battle  of  Antietam. 

On  the  nth  of  December,  18G2,  he  led  the  advance  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  over  the  Rappahannock,  at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg. 

Early  in  1863,  he  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Eleventh  Corps. 
He  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg,  in  both  of 
which  he  bore  a  conspicuous  and  noble  part ;  and,  in  the  autumn,  accom- 
panied his  corps  to  Chattanooga,  participating  in  the  victory  of  November 
"^o,  in  the  front  of  that  place. 

Soon  afterward,  he  received  command  of  the  Fourth  Corps,  and  made  the 
campaign  from  Chattanooga  to  Atlanta.  He  succeeded  General  McPherson 
as  comm.and^r  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  ;  and,  in  the  expedition  from 
Atlanta  to  Savannah,  he  commanded  the  right  wing  of  Sherman's  army. 

He  also  commanded  a  wing  in  the  march  northward  from  Savannah, 
which  terminated  in  the  surrender  of  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  and  all 
the  Bebel  forces  under  his  command. 

Since  the  conclusion  of  the  war,  he  has  held  the  office  of  Commissioner 
of  the  Freedmen's  Bureau,  which  he  has  conducted  with  ability  and  discre- 
tion. Besides  his  professional  abilities  as  a  soldier,  General  Howard  is  a 
man  of  deep  religious  principles,  and  has  been  called  the  "  Havelock  of 
America." 


182.   GEOBGE   WILKES. 

George  Wilkes  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1822.  Receiving 
the  benefit  of  a  liberal  education,  he  early  identified  himself  with  the  press, 
and  has  become  celebrated  as  one  of  the  first  journalists  of  the  country. 

Establishing,  at  a  time  when  such  a  journal  was  much  needed,  Tlie 
National  Police  Gazette,  he  made  that  paper  a  power  in  the  land.  Retiring- 
from  this  journal,  he  traveled  extensively  in  Europe,  and,  returning,  wrote 
"  Europe  in  a  Hurry."  Subsequently  associated  with  the  late  lamented 
William  T.  Porter,  he  established  Porters  Spirit  of  the  Times.  Abandoning 
this  venture,  he  established  another  journal,  identifying  with  its  character 
more  of  the  personality  of  its  Editor,  called  Withes'  Spent  of  the  Times.  Osten- 
sibly a  sporting  paper  of  the  better  class,  it  contains,  from  time  to  time, 
remarkable  articles  or  essays  upon  public  men  and  measures,  written  with  all 
the  masterly  vigor  and  ability  for  which  George  Wilkes  is  distinguished. 

Were  it  not  for  the  versatility  of  talent  for  which  journnlistic  literature 
in  Amei'ica  is  distinguished,  one  would  be  surprised  to  find  in  a  journal 
ostensibly  devoted  to  horses,  so  much  talk  upon  men.  The  theme,  however, 
alternates  between  blooded  horses  and  noted  men,  and  Wilkes^  >Spiri^  descants 
upon  the  merits  of  both  with  equal  knowledge  and  spirit. 

Revisiting  Europe,  in  1860,  Mr.  Wilkes  wns  presented  at  the  Court  of  St. 
James  by  Mr.  Dallas,  then  our  minister  to  England. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  Mr.  Wilkes  accom- 
panied McDowell's  army  into  Virginia,  and  was  present  at  the  battle  of 
Bull  Run.  Writing  a  description  of  this  battle,  it  was  extensively  recopied 
throughout  the  country,  and  was  remarkable  for  its  graphic  and  picturesque 
power  of  descriptive  writing. 

More  comprehensive  and  generalizing  in  his  political  style  of  writing 
than  descending  to  detail,  Mr.  Wilkes  is  more  successful  as  a  weekly  jovir- 
nalist,  perhaps,  than  he  would  bo  as  a  daily  journalist.  This  is  no  disparage- 
ment to  him,  or  his  mode  of  dealing  with,  men  and  measures.  The  daily 
press  exacts  too  much  upon  the  brain  of  a  writer  to  enable  him  always  to  do 
justice  to  his  subject. 

George  Wilkes,  after  years  of  unceasing  labor  and  activity,  has  built  up 
a  powerful  press,  and  caused  himself  to  be  respected  as  a  powerful  journalist. 
Having  accumulated  a  handsome  fortune,  ho  is  enabled  to  extend  his  enter- 
prises with  proportionate  energy  and  success. 

A  strong  and  warm  personal  friend  of  General  Grant,  he  adrocated  his 
claims  to  the  Presidency  with  characteristic  ability. 

Relieved  again  from  arduous  journalistic  duties,  Mr.  Wilkes  traveled  for  the 
fourth  time  in  Europe  in  1868.  In  1870  he  ran  for  Congress  against  James 
Brooks,  under  a  united  Republican  nomination,  and  was  defeated. 


183.  JAMES  LONGSTBEET 

General  JAilES  Loxgstreet  -was  born  in  South  Carolina  m  the  year 
1821,  and  graduated  at  West  Point  in  1842,  as  Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  of 
the  Fourth  Regiment  of  Infantry. 

In  Marcli,  1845,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Eighth  Regiment,  and  was  at 
the  storming  of  Monterey,  in  Mexico.  In  February,  1847,  he  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  First  Lieutenant ;  and,  August  2U,  was  breveted  Captain, 
for  gallant  and  meritorioiis  conduct  in  the  battles  of  Contreras  and  Churu- 
"busco,  and  Major,  for  gallantry  in  the  battle  of  Molino  del  Rey,  September 
8,  1847.  In  the  assault  at  Chapultepec,  September  13,  he  greatly  distin- 
guished himself,  and  was  severely  wounded. 

In  December,  1852,  he  became  full  Captain ;  and,  in  July,  1858,  was  made 
Paymaster,  with  the  rank  of  Major. 

On  the  secession  of  South  Carolina,  he  resigned,  offered  his  services  to 
the  Rebels,  received  an  appointment  of  Brigadier-General,  and  soon  after 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  where  his  brigade  covered  Black- 
burn's Ford.  He  was  afterward  made  Major-General,  under  Jo.  Johnston, 
and  remained  with  the  army  in  its  winter-quarters,  skirmishing,  until 
March,  18G2,  when  Manassas  was  evacuated.  He  then  went  to  the  Penin- 
sula, and  from  the  evacuation  of  Yorktown  to  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  he 
was  in  almost  every  action,  where  he  was  conspicuous  foi  ooolncss,  bravery, 
and  skill.  In  the  second  Bull  Run  and  in  the  invasion  of  Maryland,  ter- 
minating with  the  battle  of  Antietam,  he  commanded  a  corps,  and  rendered 
valuable  service.  General  Longstreet  also  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  battle 
of  Fredericksburg ;  and,  in  February,  18G3,  was  sent  to  invest  Suffolk, 
Va.,  from  which  place  he  was  recalled,  after  a  fruitless  campaign,  to  rein- 
force General  Lee  at  Chancellorsville. 

General  Longstreet  commanded  one  of  the  three  corps  of  Lee's  army,  which 
invaded  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  in  the  summer  of  1808 ;  and  at  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg,  in  July,  he  was  on  the  right  of  the  Rebel  army,  and 
opposed  to  General  Sickles.  In  September  he  was  sent  to  reinforce  Gen- 
eral Bragg,  and  greatly  contributed  to  the  Rebel  victory  at  Chickamauga. 
After  this  he  was  detached  to  capture  KnoxviUe,  and  drive  Burnside  out 
of  East  Tennessee,  which  he  failed  to  accomplish.  In  January,  1864,  he  again 
made  a  movement  on  Knoxville,  and  was  enabled  to  advance  within  a  few  miles 
of  the  city;  but,  after  a  short  stay,  was  obHged  to  retreat  to  his  old  position  at 
Bull's  Gap  for  want  of  provisions  and  supplies. 

In  April,  18G4,  he  united  his  troops  with  General  Lee's,  and  took  an 
active  part  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  where  he  was  so  severely 
wounded.  May  G,  as  to  be  incapacitated  for  service  until  the  following 
Octob(!r.  He  held  command  of  his  corps  during  the  winters  of  18G4  and 
18G5,  in  the  defense  of  Richmond,  and  was  included  in  the  capitulation  of 
General  Lee  to  General  Grant,  April  9,  of  the  latter  year. 

Since  the  close  of  the  war  he  has  devoted  himself  to  the  pursuits  of  civil 
life,  and  is  using  his  influence  to  unite  in  friendship  the  two  sections  so 
lately  opposed  to  each  other  in  deadly  conflict,  by  counselling  his  Southern 
brethera  to  accept  the  Congressional  terms  of  Reconstruction. 


184.   JOSEPH  HOLT. 

Judge  Advocate  General  Holt,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  was  born  in  Brecken- 
ridge  County,  in    1807.     Educatod  at  St.  Joseph's   College,  Bardstown,  and  at 
Centre  College,  Danville,  in  1828,  he  commenced  the  Practice  of  the  Law  in 
Eiizabethtown,  Kentucky.     Eemoving  to  Louisville  in  lfe3i,he  was  ap^ 
pointed  Commonwealth's  Attorney  for  the  Jefferson  Circuit  which  included 
in  its  jurisdiction  Louisville.     From  Louisville  he  removed^    in  18;i5,   to 
Port  Gibson,  Mississippi,  and  after  practicing  his  profession  successfully  in  that 
State,  he  returned  to  the  former  city.     Appointed  Commissioner  of  Patents,  in 
the  September  following  the  accession  of  Mr.  Buchanan  to  the  Presidency,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  March,  1859,  to  the  office  of  Postmaster-General  on  the  death  of  the 
Hon.  A.  V.  Brown.     Upon  the  withdrawal  of  John  B.  Floyd  from  the  Cabinet,  in 
December,  1860,  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of  War,  and  is  regarded  as  having 
been  active  in  labori.  g  to  restore  order  and  public  confidence,  which  had  been 
Bkaken  by  the  defection  of  Floyd  and  other  officials  at  this  time. 

In  co-operation  with  General  hcott,  by  the  precautions  which  he  exer- 
cised, Mr.  Holt  contributed  largely  to  ch  ck  treasonable  demonstrations  in 
Washington  during  the  Inauguration  of  President  Lincoln.     Retiring  from 
office  in  the  Spring  of  ISol,  he  was  earnestly  employed  in  advocating  the 
Union  cause  in  Kentucky  and  elsewhere  ;  denouncing  neutrality  as  a  pol- 
icy, then  advocated  extensively  in  the  border  States.     At  this  time,  in  a 
letter  addressed  to  Mr.  Speed,  of  Kentucky,  he  declared  that  the  expendi- 
ture of  not  merely  hundreds  of  millions,  but  billions  of  treasure  would  be 
well  made,  if  the  result  should  be  the  preservation  of  our  republican  institutions. 
Appointed  one  of  a  commission  to  examine  and  decide   upon  c'aims,  involved  in 
the  administration  of  General  Fremont's  Department  of  the  West,  after  the  re- 
moval of  that  officer  from  his  command,  he  continued  in  that  capacity  until  March, 
1862.     In  September  of  the  same  year,  he  was  appointed  Judge  Advocate  General 
of  the  Army,  and  in  that  capacity  was  engaged  'u\  many  celebrated  trials  growing 
out  of  the  war ;  among  them  the  great  Conspiracy  Case,  involving  the  assassina- 
tion of  President  Lincoln.     Though  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Holt  was  an  earnest  supporter 
of  President  Lincoln's  administration  throughout,  and  emphatically  approved  of 
the  Emancipation  Proclamation  of  September,  1862,  and  all  other  measures  hav- 
ing for  their  object  a  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war.     On  the  retirement  of 
Judge  Bates,  he  was  offered,  by  the  President,  the  position  of  Attorney-General, 
which  he  declined. 


185.  AMBEOSE  E.  BUENSIDE. 

General  A]MBR0SE  E.  Bl'RNSIDE  was  born,  in  Liberty,  Union  County, 
Indiana,  May  2o,  1824,  and  graduated  at  West  Point  in  1847,  the  fifteenth 
in  rank  of  a  class  numbering  forty-seven.  The  foil  wing-  year  he  received  a 
full  Second  Lieutenancy  and  was  attached  to  the  Third  Artillery. 

He  served  with  credit  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  afterward  on  the  Mexi- 
can frontier,  where  he  was  Quartermaster  of  the  Boundary  Commission.  In 
1851  he  left  with  important  dispatches  for  "Washington,  and  traveled  twelve 
hundred  miles  through  a  hostile  Indian  country  in  seventeen  days,  meeting 
with  many  hair-breadth  escapes. 

He  was  subsequently  stationed  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  but  resigned  his  com- 
mission to  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  a  breech-loading  rifle  of  his  own 
invention;  failing  in  which,  he  entered  the  sei'vice  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Bailroad  in  1858,  as  Cashier,  and  afterward  as  Treasurer. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  theKebellion  he  was  appointed  Colonel  of  a  Rhode 
Island  regiment  by  Governor  Sprague  ;  and,  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull 
Run,  commanded  a  brigade,  showing  great  gallantry,  coolness,  and  skill  in 
its  management  throughout  the  engagement  and  retreat.  On  the  6th  of 
August  he  was  made  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers,  and  soon  after  took 
charge  of  the  expedition  to  Roanoke  Island,  where  he  captured  six  forts 
and  batteries,  forty  cannon,  and  over  two  thousand  prisoners,  which  he 
exchanged  for  those  taken  at  Bull  Run.  This  was  one  of  the  first  suc- 
cesses of  the  Union  army,  for  which  he  was  made  Major-General,  and  con- 
firmed, March  18,  18G2.  He  afterward  captured  Newborn,  Fort  Macon, 
and  other  important  points  in  North  Carolina. 

After  the  disaster  on  the  Peninsula  in  18G2,  he  was  ordered  North  with 
a  great  part  of  his  army,  and  commanded  the  left  wing  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  at  the  battle  of  Antietam. 

November  7,  1862,  General  Burnside  succeeded  General  McClellan  in 
command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  when,  at  his  suggestion,  the  i)lan  of 
operations  underwent  a  material  change.  Instead  of  moving  on  Richmond 
by  the  Gordonsville  route,  his  plan  was  to  make  a  feint  in  that  direction, 
and  then  make  a  rapid  movement  of  the  whole  army  on  Fredericksburg ; 
but  the  failure  to  get  the  pontoons  in  season  prevented  the  carrying  out  of 
his  plan.  After  waiting  nearly  four  weeks  for  them,  he  made  an  attack  on 
Fredericksburg,  which  was  unsuccessful. 

In  January,  I860,  he  was  relieved  by  General  Hooker,  and,  March  26, 
was  appointed  to  command  the  Department  of  Ohio,  captured  Knoxville, 
Tenn.,  and  afterward  held  it  against  the  besieging  army  of  General  Long- 
street.     At  his  own  request,  he  was  relieved  by  General  Foster. 

On  the  reorganization  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  under  Grant,  ho  par- 
ticipated in  the  campaign  against  Richmond,  and  shared  in  all  the  severe 
battles  that  followed,  meeting  with  several  narrow  escapes,  and  accompanied 
the  array  in  its  movements  to  Petersburg. 

He  resigned  his  commission  in  May,  1805,  and  was  elected  Governor  of 
Rhode  Island  in  1866,  and  re-elected  in  1867. 


186.  EICHAED  S.  EWELL. 

General  RicnAliD  S.  Ewell  was  born  in  the  District  of  Columbia  about 
the  year  1820.  In  183G  he  entered  the  military  academy  at  West  Point, 
and  graduated  on  the  30th  of  June,  1840,  receiving  an  appointment  as 
Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  of  Cavalry  on  the  1st  of  July.  On  the  10th  of 
September,  1845,  he  was  made  Fir.st  Lieutenant,  and  with  that  rank  went 
into  the  Mexican  "War,  serving  in  Colonel  Mason's  dragoons.  Ho  won  his 
promotion  to  Captain  in  the  field,  having  received  it  for  gallant  conduct  in 
the  battles  of  Contreras  and  Churubusco. 

In  June,  1847,  Captain  Ewell  was  in  New  Mexico,  greatly  distinguishing 
himself  against  the  Indians ;  and  during  the  year  1858  he  took  charge  of 
and  commanded  the  troops  that  garrisoned  Fort  Buchanan  in  that  territory. 
Pie  was,  however,  suspended  in  1859. 

"When  Virginia  seceded.  Captain  EavcII  resigned  his  commission  in  the 
Regular  Army,  and  took  sides  with  the  South,  entering  the  Hebel  army  as  a 
Brigadier-General,  and,  at  the  battle  of  Blackburn's  Ford,  July  18,  18G1, 
was  stationed  on  the  extreme  right,  at  Union  Mills. 

In  Beauregard's  official  report,  he  says  :  "  Thanks  are  due  to  Brigadier- 
Generals  Bonham  and  Ewell  for  the  ability  shown  in  conducting  and 
executing  the  retrogade  movements  on  Bull  Hun,  directed  in  my  orders — 
movements  on  which  hung  the  fortunes  of  the  army." 

Until  April,  1802,  no  movements  of  any  importance  brought  General 
Ewell  prominently  forward,  but  in  that  month  he  was  directed  to  join 
*'  Stonewall  "  Jackson  in  the  Shenandoah  valley  ;  and  then  commenced  the 
brilliant  career  that  has  since  marked  his  name. 

General  Ewell  took  the  advance  of  Jackson's  army  in  the  valley,  and 
was  engaged  in  several  battles  with  Banks  and  Fremont,  and  afterward 
accompanied  it  with  his  command  to  the  battle-fields  around  Richmond, 
where  he  shared  in  the  heaviest  of  the  engagements. 

After  the  series  of  battles  around  that  city  had  freed  it  from  danger. 
General  Ewell  was  sent  against  Pope,  and  met  him  on  the  old  battle-field  of 
Bull  Run,  where  a  fierce  engagement  ensued  on  the  29th  of  August,  18G2, 
in  which  General  Ewell  was  bauly  wounded  in  the  knee,  and  his  valuable 
services  were,  therefore,  lost  in  the  momentous  battle  which  took  place  the 
next  day.  For  several  months  after,  he  was  unfit  for  any  active  duty  in 
the  field,  having  been  obliged  to  have  his  leg  amputated.  At  length,  on 
the  29th  of  May,  1803,  he  rejoined  his  old  corps  as  Lieutenant-General,  and 
led  the  advance  of  Lee's  second  Maryland  campaign,  which  ended  in  the 
memorable  battle  of  Gettysburg,  July  1,  2,  and  3,  1803. 

In  November  he  was  obliged  to  absent  himself  on  sick  leave,  in  conse- 
quence of  renewed  trouble  from  his  dismembered  limb.  In  the  following 
April  he  again  rejoined  the  army,  and  participated  in  the  various  battles  of 
1804,  in  which  he  acted  a  conspicuous  part. 

On  the  Cth  of  April,  1805,  his  corps  was  disastrously  routed  by  General 
Sheridan  west  of  Burkesville,  and  he  himself  captured.  He  was  subsequently 
confined  in  Fort  AVarren,  but  after  some  months  was  released. 


187.  GEOEGE  G.  MEADE. 

G-enerrd  George   G.   Meade   was  born  December  31,'  1815,"at  Cadiz, 

Spain,  where  his  piirents  were  temporarily  residing. 

While  yet  an  infant  ho  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Philadelphia  on 
their  return  ;  and,  at  an  early  age,  was  sent  to  tlie  boys'  school  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  at  that  time  kept  by  the  present  Chief-Justice  of  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court,  Mr.  Chase.  He  afterward  attended  a  military 
school  at  Mount  Airy ;  and,  in  September,  1831,  entered  the  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point.  Graduating  in  the  summer  of  1835,  ho  entered 
the  army  as  Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  of  the  Third  Artillery ;  and,  at  the 
end  of  the  y^ear  he  became  a  full  Second  Lieutenant ;  but,  in  the  October 
following,  resigned  his  position,  and  retired  from  the  service,  becoming  a 
Civil  Engineer.    His  principal  survey  was  the  Northeastern  boundary  line. 

In  lb4"3  ho  Avas  reappointed  to  the  army,  with  the  rank  of  Second 
Lieutenant  of  Topographical  Engineers. 

Shortly^  afterward,  he  was  ordered  to  Mexico,  and  took  part  in  that  war, 
in  which  he  distinguished  himself,  and  was  breveted  First  Lieutenant  for 
gallantry  at  the  siege  of  Monterey,  in  1846.  On  the  return  of  peace  ho 
employ'ed  himself  in  river  and  hai-bor  improveraants,  and  in  constructing 
light-houses  on  Delaware  Bay  and  off  the  coast  of  Florida.  He  became 
First  Lieutenant  in  18.")1  and  Captain  in  185G. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  he  vv^as  at  Detroit,  Mich.,  engaged 
in  the  national  survey  of  the  lakes.  He  was  ordered  to  report  at  Washing- 
ton ;  and,  on  the  olst  of  August,  1861,  he  received  an  appointment  of  Briga- 
dier-General of  Volunteers,  with  command  of  the  Second  Brigade  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Reserve  Corps.  He  served  throughout  the  Peninsular  cam- 
paign in  McCall's  Division,  and  was  severely  wounded  at  the  battle  of  W^hite 
Oak  Swamp. 

In  September,  1862,  he  took  command  of  a  division  in  Reynolds's  First 
Army  Corps,  which  he  conducted  with  great  skill  and  bravery,  and  through- 
out the  day  of  the  famous  battle  of  Antietam,  his  Reserves  were  in  the 
hottest  and  thickest  of  the  fight. 

On  the  29th  of  November  he  received  the  appointment  of  Major-General 
of  Volunteers,  and  was  a  participant  with  the  Reserves  in  the  battle  of 
Fredericksburg,  in  December,  1802 ;  and,  on  the  2.'3th  of  the  month,  was 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Fifth  Corps.  After  fighting  throughout 
the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  on  its  defeat,  his  corps  covered  the  retreat, 
and  guarded  the  crossings  until  the  whole  army  was  safely  over  the  river. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1863,  he  was  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  called  to 
assume  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  soon  fought  the  great 
battle  of  Gettysburg,  which  resulted  in  victory  to  the  Union  army,  July  3, 
1863.     He  pursued  Lee's  army  for  some  day^s,  but  it  escaped. 

General  Meade  continued  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  until 
the  surrender  of  Lee  in  1865.  He  now  holcis  the  rank  of  Major-General  in 
the  Regular  Army,  and  is  in  command  of  the  Atlantic  Military  Division. 


188.    PETER   G.    T.    BEAUEEGAED. 

General  Peter  G.  T.  Beauuegakd  was  bom  on  his  father's  planta- 
tion, in  the  parish  of  St.  Bernard,  Louisiana,  near  New  Orleans,  May  2S, 
1818.  .... 

He  was  educated  in  New  York  City,  and  appointed  to  the  military 
academy  at  West  Toint,  in  1834:,  from  which  he  graduated  in  18o8,  holding 
the  position  of  second  in  his  class,  and  was  soon  after  made  Second 
Lieutenant  cf  the  First  Artillery,  from  whence  he  was  transferred  to  the 
Corps  of  Engineers,  and  made  First  Lieutenant  in  ]839. 

He  served  with  distinction  in  the  Mexican  War,  was  breveted  Cap- 
tain, in  August,  1847,  for  gallant  conduct  at  Contreras  and  Churubusco, 
and  Major,  in  September  of  the  same  year,  for  services  at  Chapultepec.  In 
the  assault  on  the  City  of  Mexico,  Major  Beaurcgtird  was  wounded.  Subse- 
quently, ho  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  construction  of  the  Mint  and  Custom- 
House  at  New  Orleans,  as  well  as  the  fortifications  on  and  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi  River. 

In  the  autumn  of  1860,  he  was  appointed  Superhitendent  of  the  United  States 
Military  Academy  at  We^st  Point ;  but  the  War  Department  soon  after  ordered 
hira  back  to  his  former  command  at  New  Orleans.  On  arriving  there,  he  resign 
ed,  to  follow  (according  to  his  principle  of  State  Riglits)  the  fate  of  his  State,  which 
had  just  seceded  from  the  Union,  and  enlisted  as  a  private  in  one  of  the  com 
panies  of  the  New  Orleans  Guards 

February  26,  1801,  he  was  appointed  Brigadier-General  in  the  Confed- 
erate army,  and  ordered  by  Jefferson  Davis  to  take  command  of  the  forces  at 
Charleston,  South  Carolina.  Here  he  employed  his  engineering  skill, 
obtained  at  West  Point,  in  surrounding  Fort  Sumter  with  batteries,  on  the 
construction  of  which,  the  little  peaceful  garrison  looked,  without  offering 
resistance :  for  the  policy  of  the  United  States  Government  was  not  to  com- 
mence  the  assault,  but  to  act  on  the  defensive.  The  steamer  Star  of  the 
West,  which  brought  provisions  for  Fort  Sumter,  was  fired  upon,  and  driven 
off;  after  which.  General  Beauregard,  by  orders  from  the  Confederate  Secre- 
tary of  War,  sent  a  special  message  to  General  Anderson  (who  had  been 
supplied  with  provisions  from  Charleston),  stating  that  no  further  inter- 
course with  that  city  would  be  permitted,  and  demanded  of  him  to  evacuate 
the  fort,  which  being  refused,  he  opened  fire  from  Fort  Johnson  at  4:30, 
A.  M.,  April  12,  and  continued  the  bombardment  from  all  the  forts  for 
thirty  hours,  when  the  ofticers'  quarters  of  Fort  Sumter  caught  fire,  and 
General  Anderson  surrendered,  April  14,  1861. 

General  Beauregard  retired  from  the  command  at  Charleston,  May  28, 
to  assume  command  of  the  army  at  Manassas  Junction,  June  1 ;  and  July  21, 
1801,  fought  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  which  proved  so  disastrous  to  the 
Union  army.  For  gallant  and  meritorious  service  on  that  occasion,  he  was  made 
one  of  the  five  full  generals  Pro:«ident  Davis  was  authorized  to  appoint.  He  con- 
tinued with  the  army  in  Virginia  until  January,  1862,  when  he  was  transferred 
to  the  array  of  the  Mississippi  ;  and  on  the  6th  of  April,  seconded  Gen.  Johnston 
at  Shiloh. 

In  September,  1802,  he  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  South  Carolina 
and  Georgia,  where  he  was  principally  employed  in  the  defense  of  Charleston, 
until  Ibtr^r,  when  he  was  stationed  at  Petersburg,  from  whence  he  went,  in 
October  of  the  same  year,  to  oppose  Sherman  in  the  Southwest,  where  his  posi- 
tion was  more  that  of  a  military  director  than  as  a  General  in  the  field. 

At  the  close  of  the  Rebellion,  he  was  acting  under  J.  E.  Johnston,  and 
was  included  in  his  surrender  to  Sherman.  Since  the  close  ot  the  war, 
Beauregard  has  had  charge  of  a  railroad  i^  Louisiana. 


189.   JOSEPH   HOOKER. 

General  Joseph  Hooker  ■vs'as  born  in  Hadley,  Massachusetts,  in  1813. 
He  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Thomas  Hooker,  the  Puritan  pioneer,  who  led 
the  band  of  one  hundred  settlers,  through  the  wilderness,  to  found  the  city 
of  Hartford,  and  colony  of  Connecticut ;  hence  his  son's  iron  will  and  love  of 
danger,  which  have  given  him  the  name  of  "  Fighting  Joe." 

He  early  manifested  a  fondness  for  study,  which  he  first  cultivated  at 
Hopkins's  Academy,  in  his  native  town,  and  afterward  at  AVest  Point,  Avhere 
he  graduated  in  IboT.  He  was  at  once  appointed  Second  Lieutenant  of  the 
First  Artillery  ;  and,  in  November,  1838,  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant 
in  the  same  regiment.  He  was  successively  breveted  Captain,  Major,  and 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  for  gallant  conduct  in  the  Mexican  War  ;  and,  in  1848, 
became  full  Captain.  He  resigned  his  commission  in  1853,  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  C-ilifornia.  While  in  that  State  he  superintended  the  construction 
of  the  national  road  from  California  to  Oregon. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Kebellion,  Colonel  Hooker  sailed  for  the 
Atlantic  coast,  reaching  .New  York  early  in  May,  1861 ,  and  immediately 
offered  his  services  to  the  Government,  Avas  commissioned  Brigadier-Gene- 
ral of  Volunteers  on  the  ]7th  day  of  May,  and  eaipioyetl  in  tiie  defenses  of  Wash- 
ington, and  afterward  from  December,  1861,  to  March,  1862,  in  guarding  the 
Lower  Potomac. 

He  served  conspicuously  in  the  Peninsular  campaign,  in  operations  before 
Yorktown,  at  Williamsburg,  Seven  Pines,  Gaines'  Mills,  Glendale,  Malveru 
Hill,  Seven  Days'  contest,  and  second  Bull  Run. 

On  the  oth  of  May,  1862,  lie  was  commissioned  Major- General  of  Volunteers 
Tie  afterward  participated  in  the  battles  of  Centreville  and  Gainesville,  and  on  the 
1st  of  September,  in  the  short  and  decisive  battle  of  Chantilly.  September  14,  in 
the  battle  of  South  Mountain,  he  drove  the  enemy  from  their  position,  over  the 
summit  of  the  mountain,  in  confusion,  and  fought  with  great  bravery  at  the  battle 
of  Antietam,  where  he  was  wounded.  For  the  distinguished  skill  he  displayed  on 
this  occasion,  he  was  appointed  Brigadier-General  in  the  Regular  Army.  He 
commanded  the  Centre  Grand  Division,  under  Burnside,  at  Fredericksburg  ; 
and,  on  the  resignation  of  that  officer,  in  January,  18G3,  General  Hooker  suc- 
ceeded him  in  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  fought  the 
battle  of  Chancellorsville  in  the  May  following,  and  was  relieved  by  General 
Meade,  June  27.  Subsequently,  he  was  sent  to  relieve  Rosecrans,  at  Chat- 
tanooga, and  distinguished  himself  at  Lookout  Mountain,  fighting  "  above 
the  clouds,"  where  he  captured  a  strong  position,  thereby  causing  the  defeat 
of  Bragg,  in  November. 

As  commander  of  the  Twentieth  Corps,  he  participated  in  Sherman's 
Atlanta  campaign.  He  was  in  command  of  the  Department  of"  the  North,  with 
headquarters  at  Cincinnati,  from  September  24,  1864,  to  July  5,  1865,  and  after- 
ward, the  Department  of  the  East,  with  headquarters  -at  New  York,  from  July 
8,  1865,  to  August  6,  1866,  and  in  the  Department  of  the  Lakes,  with  headquar- 
ters at  De-roit.  from  August  2-3,  1866,  to  June  1,  1867. 

General  Hooker  was  mustered  out  of  the  volunteer  service,  September  1, 
1866,  and  retired  from  active  service  at  his  own  request,  October  15,  1868. 

He  received  the  thanks  of  Congi-ess,  January  28,  1864,  for  the  skill,  energy,  and 
endurance  which  first  covered  Washington  and  Baltimore  from  the  meditated 
blow  of  the  advancing  and  powerful  army  of  rebels  led  by  General  Robert  E.  Loe  ; 
and  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  at  the  battle  of  Chattanooga,  was  made 
Brevet  Major-Gcncral  of  the  United  Slates  Army,  March  13,  1805. 


190.   ''PAESON"   BROWNLOW. 

William  Ganx away  Brownlow  was  born  in  "Wythe  County,  Virginia, 
August  20,  1805.  Being  left  an  orphan  at  eleven  years  of  age,  he  was 
obliged  to  work  in  the  humblest  capacity  until  he  arrived  at  his  eighteenth 
year,  when,  through  natural  force  of  character,  he  set  about  learning  the 
carpenters'  trade,  at  which  he  worked  till  he  had  obtained  means  to  procure 
a  better  education. 

He  entered  the  Methodist  ministry  in  1826,  and  became  an  itinerant 
Preacher.  In  18o2  he  was  a  Delegate  to  the  General  Conference  in  Philadel- 
phia, butaftcrward  traveled  a  circuit  in  South  Carolina,  the  home  of  Calhoun, 
where  the  Nullification  excitement  led  him  into  the  controversy,  by  his  ex- 
pressions of  attachment  for  the  Union,  and  where  he  was  subsequently 
compelled  to  publish  a  pamphlet  in  his  own  defense,  in  consequence  of  the 
fierce  opposition  soon  excited  against  him.  He  also  published  a  pamphlet 
against  the  position  of  the  Methodist  Church  South,  in  regard  to  slavery,  in 
which  he  predicted  the  troubles  of  the  country  on  the  slave  question,  and 
avowed  his  determination  to  stand  by  the  Union. 

Mr.  Brownlow  commenced  his  political  career  in  Tennessee,  in  1828,  as 
an  advocate  of  the  election  of  John  Quincy  Adams  to  the  Presidency,  having 
always  been,  as  he  says,  "a  Federal  Whig,  of  the  AVashington  and  Alexan- 
der Hamilton  school."  About  1839  he  became  Editor  of  the  Knoxvillc,  Ten- 
nessee, Whiff,  a  political  newspaper,  Avhich  attained  a  large  circulation  ;  and 
it  was  under  the  bold  and  defiant  tone  of  this  paper  that  he  obtained  the 
tioubriquet  of  the  "Fighting  Parson." 

From  the  commencement  of  the  secession  movement,  he  boldly  main- 
tained an  unconditional  adherence  to  the  Union,  which  course  subjected  him 
to  much  persecution.  On  October  24, 18G1 ,  he  published  the  last  number  of  the 
y/hiff,  and  was  obliged  to  conceal  himself  from  the  violence  of  his  enemies  ; 
but  was  induced,  by  false  promises  of  protection,  to  report  himself  to  the 
Confederate  General  at  Knoxville,  where  he  was  arrested  for  treason,  and 
sent  to  jdiL  Here  he  was  detained,  in  constant  expectation  of  death,  suffer- 
ing from  severe  illness,  and  kept  under  military  authority  until  March, 
18G2.  Ho  was  then  released  and  forwarded  to  the  Union  lines,  at  Nsah- 
ville.  He  published,  about  this  time,  his  sketches  of  the  "  Pise,  Progress, 
and  Decline,  of  Secession,  Avith  a  Narrative  of  Personal  Adventures  among 
the  Pebels." 

Parson  Brownlow's  career  since  the  date  of  the  trying  events  of  the  war, 
is  one  belonging  to  the  history  of  the  State  of  Tennessee.  His  election  as 
Governor  of  the  State,  his  efforts  to  restore  public  order,  to  promote  free- 
dom of  opinion,  and  to  extend  the  rights  of  manhood  to  every  citizen,  have 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  whole  country  ;  and  while  Tennessee  contains 
unquestionably,  many  true  and  loyal  people,  "the  ineradicable  taint  of  sin" 
appears  to  be  so  deeply  ingrained,  that  not  even  the  sturdy  fidelity  of  the 
firmest  patriotism  can  prevent  the  savage  and  unnatural  outrages  which 
stain  her  soil  with  horror. 

Brownlow  has  proved  that  truth  and  loyalty  can  exist,  in  all  their  vigor, 
in  the  midst  of  perverted  and  baneful  influences.  His  record  will  outlive 
the  turbulent  hates  of  tho  time,  and  glow  with  brightness  on  the  pages  of 
history. 


191.    WILLIAM   H.    SEWAED. 

William  H.  Sewat{d  was  born  in  the  village  of  Florida,  New  York, 
May  10,  1801.  From  childhood  he  exhibited  a  love  of  knowledge,  and  an 
earnest  inclination  and  taste  for  study ;  and  when  yet  a  mere  child,  he  ran 
aAvay  to  school.  At  nine  years  of  age,  he  was  sent  to  Farmers'  Hall 
Academy,  at  G-oshon.  Here  books  were  his  favorite  companions ;  and  he 
always  read  with  pencil  in  hand,  lest  memory  should  drop  a  single  one  of 
the  pearls  he  gathered  in  his  literary  pilgrimage. 

A7hen  but  fifteen  he  entered  the  Sophomore  class  at  Union  College, 
Schenectady,  N.  Y.  His  favorite  studies  in  College  were  rhetoric,  moral 
philosophy,  and  the  ancient  classics. 

In  1819,  when  but  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  while  in  the  Senior  class, 
he  withdrew  from  College,  and  engaged  himself  as  a  teacher  at  the  South. 
He  graduated  in  1820,  and  soon  after  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  New 
York  City,  where  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  1822. 

In  January  of  the  next  year,  he  commenced  practice  in  Auburn,  N.  Y., 
where,  by  severe  industry,  he  soon  became  possessed  of  an  extensive  and 
successful  practice.  He,  at  the  same  time,  gave  considerable  attention  to 
politics,  and  avowed  his  opposition  to  the  extension  of  slavery. 

In  1824  he  drew  up  an  address,  which  exposed  the  origin  and  design  of 
the  Albany  Regency.  He  joined  the  anti-Masonic  organization  ;  and,  in 
18o0,  received  the  nomination  of  that  party  to  the  State  Senate,  for  the 
Seventh  District,  and  was  elected.  He  was  the  leading  spirit  of  the  State 
amon^-  the  advocates  for  the  election  of  John  Q.  Adams  as  President  of 
the  United  States,  in  opposition  to  the  Jackson  party  and  the  Albany 
Regency. 

In  1 834  he  was  nominated  by  the  Whig  party,  as  candidate  for  Governor, 
but  was  defeated  by  William  L.  Marcy.  In  1888  he  was  again  a  candidate, 
and  elected  by  ten  thousand  majority.  During  his  administration,  impris- 
onment for  debt  was  abolished,  and  every  vestige  of  slavery  removed  from 
the  statute-books.  He  upheld  the  system  of  internal  improvements,  and 
devoted  himself  to  reforming  the  mode  of  public  education. 

He  was  re-elected  in  1840  ;  and,  on  the  expiration  of  the  second  term, 
declined  a  renomination.  In  1849  he  was  elected  United  States  Senator, 
and  re-elected  in  185o,  at  the  expiration  of  which,  he  was  appointed,  by 
President  Lincoln,  Secretary  of  State,  which  oflSce  he  filled  with  eminent  abilitv 
throujih  the  trying  period  of  the  Rebellion,  and  during  Mr.  Johnson's  term  of  office 
as  President,  which  endp'l  in  18»i8. 

On  the  night  of  April  14,  18G5,  a  desperate  attempt  was  made  by  Rebel 
sympathizers  to  assassinate  him,  while  he  lay  upon  a  sick  bed.  He  was 
severely  and  dangerously  wounded,  but  survived  the  event. 

During  his  term  of  office  as  Secretary  of  State,  Mr.  Seward  negotiated  the  pur- 
chase of  Alaska  of  the  Russian  Government;  and,  in  1S69,  visited  that  country, 
stopping  at  California  and  Mexico  on  his  return,  meetini:  with  an  enthusiastic  re- 
ception^as  an  appreciation  of  his  eminent  ability  and  services  to  his  country. 


192.  ALEXANDER  II.  STEPHENS. 

Alexandeu  TI.  STErilE:>s  was  Lorn  in  Taliaferro  County,  Georgia, 
February  11,  1812,  and  graduated  at  Franklin  College,  Athens,  Ga.,  in  1832, 
at  the  head  of  his  class.  Choosing  and  studying  the  law,  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  Ib'o-l,  and  soon  obtained  a  lucrative  practice  in  the  town  of 
Crawfordville,  in  his  native  county. 

Alter  paying  his  debts,  which  ho  had  incurred  in  obtaining  his  educa- 
tion, his  first  earnings  were  devoted  to  redeeming  from  the  hands  of 
strangers  the  lionic  of  his  childhood,  which  had  been  sold  after  his  father's 
death. 

In  ISoG  lie  was  elected  to  the  Lower  House  of  the  State  Legislature, 
where  he  served  five  years,  devoting  himself  especially  to  the  internal 
interests  of  his  native  State. 

In  1839  he  Avas  chosen  a  Delegate  to  the  Commercial  Convention  at 
Charleston,  where  he  is  said  to  have  made  a  deej)  impression  by  his  peculiar 
eloquence.  In  1843  he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  his  State,  and  m  1843 
he  was  elected  a  Representative  in  Congress  from  Georgia,  as  a  "Whig, 
retaining  his  seat  imtil  1859,  when  he  voluntarily  retired.  He  served  on 
many  committees  while  in  Congress,  and  delivered  many  speeches  ;  and  it 
was  while  he  officiated  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Territories,  that 
the  Territories  of  Minnesota  and  Oregon  were  admitted  into  the  ITnion. 
After  the  first  Kansas  struggle  in  Congress,  Mr.  Stephens  became  a  Democrat : 
and,  in  18oS,  steadily  sustained  the  Lecompton  Constitution. 

The  disturbances  following  the  Presidential  election  of  18G0  called  him 
from  his  retirement,  and  he  made  several  speeches  defending  the  Union  and 
deprecating  secession.  The  subsequent  spring,  however,  having  been  chosen 
Vice-President  of  the  Confederate  Slates,  he  made  a  violent  Avar  speech  at 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  charging  the  responsibility  upon  the  North,  and  declaring  that 
the  South  would  call  out  million  after  million,  till  the  last  man  fell,  rather 
than  be  conquered.  In  a  speech  delivered  at  Savannah  in  the  spring  oi 
ISGI,  he  says,  "  that  slavery  was  the  cause  of  the  rupture  ;  that  the  prevail- 
ing idea  of  Jefferson  and  most  of  the  leading  statesmen,  at  the  time  of  the 
formation  of  the  Constitution,  was  that  the  enslavement  of  the  African  Avas 
in  violation  of  the  laws  of  nature  ;  that  it  Avas  wrong  in  principle — socially, 
morally,  and  politically  wrong;  that  it  would,  in  the  order  of  ProA-idence, 
soon  pass  aAvay.  "But,"  said  Mr.  Stephens,  "  those  ideas  were  fundamentally 
wrong.  We  propose  to  found  the  ?ieio  Confederate  Government  on  exactly 
opposite  ideas..  Its  '  corner-stone '  rests  upon  the  idea  that  slavery  is  the 
normal  condition  of  the  African  ;  and  this  stone,  which  was  rejected  by  the 
fii'st  builders,  has  become  the  chief  stone  of  the  corner  of  our  edifice."  Thus 
boldly  admitting  what  had  been  ahvays  claimed  by  the  North  respecting 
the  sentiments  of  the  founders  of  the  Republic. 

Mr.  Stephens's  political  life  becomes  consistent  by  remembering  that  he 
was  a  follower  of  Calhoun,  as  a  champion  of  Southern  interest  and  policy, 
throughout.  He  remained  Vice-President  of  the  Confederacy  during  the 
Rebellion  ;  and,in  May,  1865,after  the  surrender  of  General  Lee,  was  arrested 
and  imprisoned  in  Fort  "Warren,  but  soon  after  released.  He  has  since 
written  a  book,  entitled,  "  A  Constitutional  View  of  the  Late  War  between  the 
States,  its  Causes,  Conduct,  and  Results." 

Mr.  Stephens  is  a  shrewd  and  specious  writer  and  debater,  when  on  the 
wrong  side  of  the  question ;  and,  for  sagacity  and  devotion  to  the  Southern 
cause,  none  has  excelled  him  since  Calhoun. 


193.   THADDEUS   STEVENS. 

Thaddeus  Stevens,  "  The  Old  Commoner  "  of  the  United  States  House 
of  Representatives,  was  born  in  Danville,  Caledonia  County,  Vermont, 
April  4,  1792.  After  attending  the  common  school,  he  fitted  for  college  at 
Peacham.  Acadamy,  and  entex'ed  the  Vermont  University  in  18 10,  which 
suspended  operations  after  he  had  been  there  two  yeai's,  on  account  of  the 
war,  and  he  proceeded  to  Dartmouth  College,  where  he  graduated  in  1814. 

After  studying  law  at  Peacham,  he  left  his  native  State,  and  settled  in 
York,  Pa.,  where  he  taught  school,  and  pursued  his  legal  studies  for  a  year, 
when  he  removed  to  Gettysburg,  opened  an  office,  and  entered  upon  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  soon  in  the  possession  of  an  extensive 
and  lucrative  business,  to  which  he  gave  his  entire  attention  for  sixteen 
years,  during  which  he  was  employed  in  many  of  the  most  important  cases 
tried  in  the  Courts  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  v/as  one  of  the  most  acute 
lawyers  and  able  reasoners  in  the  State.  He  was  especially  pleased  to  be 
retained  in  causes  where  the  oppressed  and  weak  were  to  be  protected  from 
the  machinations  of  the  tyrannical  and  strong. 

In  18o3  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  ana  also  in  1834,  1835, 
1837,  and  1841.  In  ISoG  he  was  elected  a  Member  of  the  Convention  to 
revise  the  State  Constitution,  but  refused  to  sign  his  name  to  the  completed 
instrument,  because  it  contained  the  word  *'  white,"  as  a  qualification  of 
suffrage.     In  1838  he  was  appointed  a  Canal  Commissioner. 

While  in  the  Legislature,  his  efforts  saved  the  Common  School  system 
from  being  overthrown.  By  that  effort  he  established  the  principle  that  it 
is  the  duty  of  the  State  to  provide  the  facilities  for  education  to  all  the 
children  of  the  Commonwealth.  In  1842,  Mr.  Stevens,  finding  himself  in 
debt  from  losses  in  the  iron  business,  in  which  he  was  extensively  engaged 
«  at  Gettysburg,  and  from  liabilities  for  indorsements,  removed  to  Lancaster, 
Pa.,  where,  his  reputution  having  preceded  him,  his  income  from  his  profes- 
sion soon  became  the  largest  at  the  bar.  In  a  few  years  he  paid  his  debts, 
and  saved  the  bulk  of  his  estate. 

In  1848,  and  again  in  1850,  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Congress, 
when,  declining  to  be  re-elected,  he  returned  to  his  profession,  until  1858, 
when  he  was  again  sent  to  the  House  of  Representatives,  where  he  con- 
tinued to  serve  without  interruption  until  his  death.  His  course  in  Con- 
gress forms  an  important  part  in  the  history  of  a  mighty  people,  in  the 
greatest  crisis  of  their  existence. 

In  private  life,  among  his  friends,  Mr.  Stevens  was  ever  genial,  kind,  and 
considerate.  For  them  he  would  labor  and  sacrifice,  without  stint,  com- 
plaint, or  regret.  His  rare  conversational  powers,  fund  of  anecdotes,  bril- 
liant sallies  of  wit,  and  wise  sayings  upon  the  topics  of  the  hour,  made  his 
company  sought  and  enjoyed. 

Mr.  Stevens  Avas  an  honest  and  truthful  man  in  public  and  private  life. 
In  his  private  charities  he  was  lavish,  being  incapable  of  saying  "  No,"  in 
the  presence  of  want  or  misery.  His  charity,  like  his  political  cqjivictions, 
regarded  neither  creed,  race,  or  color.  He  was  a  good,  classical  scholar, 
well  read  on  subjects  of  philosophy  and  law,  and  a  bold,  determined,  and 
uncompromising  foe  to  oppression,  in  every  form.  He  died  August  11,  1868, 
and  his  remains  lie  in  a  private  cemetery,  for  reasons  stated  in  the  follow- 
ing epitaph,  prepared  by  himself : 

''X  repose  in  this  quiet  and  secluded  spot,  not  from  any  natural  prefer- 
ence for  solitude  ;  but,  findii;g  other  cemeteries  limited,  by  charter-rules,  to 
race,  I  have  chosen  it,  that  I  might  be  enabled  to  illustrate  in  my  death  the 
principles  which  I  have  advocated  through  a  long  life  :  EqiiaUiy  of  man 
before  h's  Creator." 


194.   THUELOW   WEED. 

TuuilLOW  Weed  was  bom  in  Catskill,  New  York,  in  1797.  The  loss  of 
his  parents,  who  were  in  poor  circnrastances,  threw  him  at  an  early  age 
upon  his  own  resources,  and  ho  engaged  as  a  Cabin-Boy  on  a  North  E,iver 
sloop. 

His  first  stop  towards  his  present  profession  was  in  the  character  of 
"  Dovil "  in  the  j^rinting  office  of  a  country  paper,  but  was  subsequently 
employed  as  an  itinerant  Journeyman  in  the  office  of  the  Jlerkimer  Ameri- 
can, edited  by  the  late  Colonel  Stone. 

During  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  he  enlisted  as  Drummer  in  the  United 
States  army,  and  served  on  the  Northern  frontier. 

On  leaving  the  army,  he  resumed  his  former  occupation  of  Printer  in 
New  York  City. 

Sometime  after,  he  returned  to  the  country,  married,  and  started  a 
country  paper,  which  ho  published  first  in  Onondaga,  and  afterwards  in 
Chenango  County,  New  York,  advocating  the  Canal  policy  of  Governor 
Clinton. 

Plis  palmer  not  proving  successful,  in  1824,  he  resumed  his  occupation  of 
Journeyman  Printer,  in  Albany.  Here  he  became  activtdy  engaged  in  poli- 
tics, especially  in  the  struggle  which  terminated  in  the  election  of  John 
Quincy  Adams  as  President  of  the  United  States. 

Soon  after  this,  he  removed  to  Rochester,  and  edited  a  daily  paper  in  that 
city.  During  the  excitement  caused  by  the  alleged  abduction  of  Morgan 
by'the  Free  Masons,  in  1826-27,  he  edited  the  Anti-Mason  Enquirer  in  that 
city,  and  was  three  times  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  by  the  Anti- 
Masonic  party. 

On  the  establishment  of  the  Albany  Evening  Journal,  in  1830,  Mr.  Weed 
returned  to  Albany,  and  became  its  Editor,  where  he  continued  until  18G6, 
when,  for  a  time,  he  was  connected  with  the  New  York  Times,  and,  in 
March,  1867,  associated  himself  with  the  Commercial  Advcriiser,  of  New 
York  City,  with  which  he  has,  until  recently,  been  connected. 

Mr.  Weed  took  a  prominent  part  in  procuring  the  nomination  of  General 
Harrison  for  President  in  1840,  General  Taylor  in  1848,  and  General  Scott 
in  1852,  in  each  instance  as  an  independent  adviser  rather  than  as  a  member 
of  the  respective  conventions — a  position  which  strict  regard  to  the  rule  of 
conduct  which  he  had  prescribed,  has  never  allowed  him  to  deviate  from. 

He  warmly  advocated  the  electitm  of  Fremont  and  Lincoln,  although  his 
influence  in  each  case  had  been  exerted  in  favor  of  the  nomination  of  Mr. 
Seward. 

In  1861  he  visited  Europe  at  the  suggestion  of  influential  friends  of  the 
administration  of  President  Lincoln,  who  thought  that,  in  a  "  semi-diplo- 
matic" capacity,  he  could  be  of  service  to  the  country  in  the  political  circles 
of  London  and  Paris,  in  respect  to  the  delicate  relations  of  the  Lmited  States 
with  foreign  powers,  arising  out  of  the  civil  war.  He  returned  in  June, 
1862,  receiving  the  freedom  of  the  city  from  the  Corporation  of  New  York 
on  his  arrival. 

For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Weed  was  the  acknowledged  leader  of  the 
Whig  and  Pepublican  parties  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  has  never  been 
excelled  as  a  shrewd  political  manager. 


195.    EDWIN  M.   STANTON. 

Edwin  M.  Staxton  was  born  at  Steiibenville,  Ohio,  about  the  year 
1817.  After  graduating  at  Kenyon  College,  1-e  applied  himself  diligently 
to  the  study  of  law,  commenced  practice  in  Steubenville,  and  rapidly  rose  to 
distinction  in  his  profession,  which  he  practiced  for  several  years  in  Ohio. 

In  1S4;8  he  removed  to  Pittsburg.  Here  he  conducted,  with  signal  suc- 
cess, the  case  involving  the  Wheeling  controversy,  wherein,  for  the  first 
time,  the  brilliancy  of  his  talents  received  a  national  recognition. 

He  early  turned  his  attention  to  politics ;  and,  although  educated  as  a 
"Whig,  he  began  his  career  as  an  ultra  Democrat, 

He  was  selected  at  the  commencement  of  Buchanan's  administration  to 
conduct  an  important  law  case  in  California,  in  which  lie  was  successful. 
He  then  commenced  practice  at  Washington,  and  shortly  afterward  I'eceived 
the  appointment  of  Attorney-General.  At  the  close  of  Buchanan's  adminis- 
tration, he  withdrew  to  private  life,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion in  Pennsylvania,  whence,  however,  at  the  opening  of  the  battle  year 
of  18G2,  he  was  appointed  Secretary  of  War,  by  Mr.  Lincoln,  to  suDer- 
sede  Mr.  Cameron. 

So  soon  as  his  appointment  was  confirined  by  the  Senate,  Mr.  Stanton 
grasped  the  reins  of  his  difficult  trust  with  characteristic  vigor.  One  of  his 
primary  measures  was  to  provide  for  the  wants  and  contribute  to  the  com- 
fort of  our  soldiers  who  were  confined  in  Southern  prisons.  In  his  "  Annual 
Report"  for  the  year  I8G0,  the  courage,  devotion,  patriotism,  and  brilliant 
achievements  of  the  national  armies,  are  feelingly  eulogized. 

At  the  opening  of  the  year  I8G4,  some  eflbrts  wei'e  made  to  have  him 
removed  from  the  stormy  helm  he  had  grasped  so  firm — probably  from  jeal- 
ousy or  partisan  motives — but  they  were  unsuccessful.  Mr.  Lincoln  had 
perfect  confidence  in  his  ability  and  patriotism,  and  few  of  his  opponents 
can  truthfuJy  withhold  from  him  that  respect  which  is  due  to  promptness 
of  decision,  vigor  of  deed,  and  probity  of  purpose. 

A  difference  of  views  in  regard  to  the  carrying  out  of  the  Heconstruction 
laws  of  Congress  through  the  officers  of  the  army  occurring  between  Mr. 
Johnson  and  himself,  he  was  requested  to  resign,  which  he  refused  to  do ; 
and,  August  12,  18G7,  President  Johnson  suspended  him  from  office,  and 
appointed  General  Grant,  Secretary  of  War  ad  interim ;  but  the  Senate, 
having  decided  that  he  was  legally  and  rightfully  Secretary  of  War,  and 
that  President  Johnson  had  no  right  to  suspend  him  under  the  Tenure  of 
Office  Law  without  the  consent  of  the  Senate,  General  Grant  surrendered 
the  office  to  him  again,  January  13,  18G8. 

February  21,  President  Johnson  again  attempted  to  remove  him  by 
appointing  General  Lorenzo  Thomas,  Secretary  of  War  ad  interim,  and 
ordered  Mr.  Stanton  to  transfer  the  office  to  him,  to  Avhich  he  refused  to 
accede.  For  this  and  other  causes,  articles  of  impt  achment  were  brought 
against  President  Johnson ;  but,  failing  to  convict  hir.-;,  Mr.  Stanton  resigned, 
and  retiring  again  to  private  life,  resumed  the  practice  of  the  law,  in  which  he 
continued  until  his  death,  December  24,  1869. 


19G.   JUDAH   P.    BEjNJAMIN. 

JuDAn  Peter  Benjamin  was  born  in  St.  Doming-o  in  1812,  of  Hebrew 
parents. 

In  181G  the  family  emigrated  to  Savannah,  Ga.  The  son  entered  Yale 
College  in  1825,  bnt  left  in  1827,  about  which  time  his  father  died.  In  1801 
he  went  to  New  Orleans  to  study  law,  with  very  limited  resovirces.  Obtain- 
ing a  situation  as  a  teacher,  he  applied  himself  with  commendable  industry 
to  his  legal  studies.  Among  his  fair  pupils  was  a  young  lady,  Miss  St. 
Martin,  Avhom  he  afterward  married. 

Admitted  to  the  bar  in  18D4,  he  soon  rose  to  eminence,  and  was  attached 
to  the  Whig  party.  In  the  Convention  to  revise  the  Constitution  of  Louis- 
iana, he  advocated  the  article  requiring  the  Governor  to  be  a  native-born 
citizen  of  the  United  States. 

In  1849  he  declined  the  office  of  Attorney-General  of  the  United  States, 
offered  him  by  President  Taylor. 

Mr.  Benjamin  then  engaged  in  sugar-planting,  and  published  several 
pamphlets  on  the  subject,  but  never  succeeded  in  realizing  profits  in  the 
business. 

In  1852  he  succeeded  the  Hon.  S.  N.  Downs  in  the  United  States  Senate, 
and  distinguished  himself ;  but,  having  been  led  by  the  developments  of  the 
slaverj^  question  to  ally  himself  with  the  Democrats,  he  rose  to  consider- 
able prominence  in  the  Southern  section  of  that  party.  A  sharp  controversy 
with  Jefferson  Davis  was  near  causing  a  duel,  but  Mr.  D.  openly  apologized 
for  his  harsh  language,  which  he  attributed  to  his  military  propinquities. 

Mr.  Benjamin  advocated  Mr.  Douglas's  Kansas-Nebraska  bill  in  1854, 
but  subsequently  insisted  that  the  principle  of  popular  sovereignty  was  set 
aside  by  the  Dred  Scott  case,  which,  ho  contended,  ought  to  be  considered 
decisive. 

He  was  re-elected  to  the  Senate  in  1859,  through  the  influence  of  his 
colleague,  Mr.  Slidell ;  and  went  to  California  in  1800  as  Counsel  in  the  Nevv' 
Almaden  Quicksilver  case.  Keturning  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  he 
announced  his  adhesion  to  the  Southern  cause  in  a  speech  of  considerable 
force,  wherein  he  declared  that  the  Soxith  could  never  be  subdued.  He 
withdrew  with  Mr.  Slidell,  February  4, 18G1,  and  was  immediately  appointed 
Attorney-General  in.  the  Provisional  Government  of  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy. 

In  August,  1861,  he  became  Acting  Secretary  of  "War  in  place  of  L.  P. 
Walker,  and  retained  the  office  till  after  the  capture  of  Roanoke  Island  by 
the  Union  forces  in  the  early  part  of  18G2,  which  was  attributed  to  incom- 
petency in  the  department  over  which  he  presided.  He  was  then  appointed 
Secretary  of  State  on  the  resignation  of  R.  M.  T.  Hunter. 

On  the  conquest  of  the  Rebellion,  Mr.  Benjamin,  who  had  figured  con- 
spicuously in  the  so-called  Confederacy,  betook  himself,  with  others  of  his 
confreres  in  the  "  lost  cause,"  to  the  more  congenial  atmosphere  of  Great 
Britain,  where,  with  the  easy  adaptability  of  his  race,  he  soon  familiarized 
himself  to  the  legal  profession  there,  and  is  occasionally  heard  of  through 
the  press. 

Among  the  remarkable  episodes  of  Mr.  Benjamin's  career,  the  notorious 
Tehuantepec  Railroad  speculation  formed  a  prominent  feature.  The  United 
States  Senate  Committee,  Mr.  R.  Toombs,  Chairman,  denounced  the  transac- 
tion with  severity  ;  and  the  clause  confirming  the  titles  of  Messrs.  Benjamin 
and  Slidell,  introduced  clandestinely  in  a  bill  to  settle  land  claims  in  Mit;- 
souri,  was  subsequently  repealed. 


197.   HOWELL    COBE. 

Howell  Cobb  vras  born  September  7,  IS  15,  ut  Cherry  Hill,  Jefferson 
County,  Georgia. 

He  graduated  in  1834,  at  the  Franklin  L'niversity,  Athens,  Ga.,  standing 
high  in  his  class.  In  1836  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  there  exhibited 
talents  -which  afterward  distinguished  him  in  more  prominent  positions. 

He  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature,  in  1837,  as  Solicitor-General  of  the 
Western  District  of  Georgia,  which  position  he  held  for  three  years,  and 
acquitted  himself  successfully. 

Being  popular  as  a  Jackson  or  Union  Democrat,  he  was  elected  to  Con- 
gress in  184;},  and  re-elected  in  1844,  '4o,  and  '48,  where  he  distinguished 
himself  by  his  familiarity  with  parliamentary  rules,  fair  skill  as  a  debater, 
strong  professions  of  love  for  the  Union,  and  of  admiration  for  the  course 
of  Andrew  Jackson  in  suppressing  nullification  in  South  Carolina,  and 
equally  vehement  pi-ofessions  of  fealty  to  "  States  Rights." 

He  became  the  leader  of  the  House  in  the  Thirtieth  Congress,  l)y  his 
efficient  support  of  President  Polk's  policy  of  war  against  Mexico.  In  1848 
he  supported  Cass  for  President. 

He  was  elected  Speaker  of  the  House  in  1849,  and  in  1850  distinguished 
himself  by  his  advocacy  of  the  Compromise  measures,  for  which  he  Avas  op- 
posed by  the  extreme  advocates  of  Southern  rights  in  Georgia.  He  defended 
Congress,  and,  as  the  champion  of  the  Uniun  party,  was  nominated  for 
Governor.  After  a  violent  contest,  he  was  elected  by  a  large  majority.  On 
his  retirement  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law  ;  but  in  the  Pierce  campaign 
was  again  called  into  active  political  life,  when  he  was  again  elected  to 
Congress,  in  1855. 

In  1850  he  made  a  prominent  tour  through  the  Northern  States,  advoca- 
ting the  election  of  James  Buchanan  for  President,  who,  immediately  on 
his  accession,  appointed  him  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  Mr  Cobb's  admin- 
istration of  this  office  was  disgraced  throughout,  in  the  prostitution  of  his 
official  power  over  the  finances  of  the  Government  to  the  one  base  purpose 
of  bankrupting  the  Treasury,  and  promoting  the  success  of  the  impending 
Rebellion,  by  buying  up  portions  of  the  outstanding  debt  at  a  premium  of 
twelve  to  sixteen  per  cent.,  and  then  going  into  the  market  to  borrow  money 
at  an  enormous  interest  to  meet  the  current  expenses. 

On  the  lOth  of  December,  1860,  he  resigned,  giving  as  a  reason,  that  the 
bankrupt  condition  of  the  Treasury  no  longer  needed  his  services. 

He  was  one  of  the  Delegates  to  the  Provisional  Congress,  over  which  he 
presided ;  but,  upon  the  formation  of  the  Confederate  Congress,  his  official 
relation  to  the  civil  affairs  of  the  Confederacy  ended.  He  then  took  part 
in  organizing  the  Militia  of  Georgia,  after  which,  he  raised  the  Sixteenth 
Georgia  Regiment,  served  under  M.igruder  on  the  Peninsula,  was  promoted 
to  Brigadier  General,  and  subsequently  to  Major  General;  but  made  no 
mark  during  the  Rebellion.  After  its  collapse,  he  was  amons  the  unrecon>triicte(l 
pouring  out  vials  of  wrath  on  Union  men  and  Rebels  who  advocate  the  Recon- 
struction measures  of  Congress. 

Mr.  Cobb  came  north  on  a  tour  of  pleasure  in  the  fall  of  1868  with  his  wife  and 
daughter;  and  after  a  short  stay  at  Niagara  Falls,  returned  to  New  York  City 
where  he  died  suddenly  at  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel,  October  8,  18G8. 


198.  SAMUEL   C.   POMEEOY. 

Samuel  C.  Pomehoy  was  born  in  Southampton,  Massachusetts,  January 
3,  181C,  and  spent  liis  boyhood  on  his  father's  farm.  After  receiving-  an 
academical  education,  he  entered  Amherst  College  in  1836.  He  spent  four  years 
in  Onot)da2;a  County,  New  York,  and,  in  1842,  returned  to  Southamp'on. 

While  in  New  York,  in  1840,  he  became  a  conTert  to  political  anti- 
slavery  through  the  eloquence  of  that  remarkable  man,  Alvin  Stewart.  Ho 
immediately  took  steps  to  organize  a  county  Liberty  party,  and  called  a 
meeting  to  be  held  at  Lyon,  the  county  seat.  Arriving  there  at  the  appointed 
time,  he  found  an  audience  of  just  two  persons.  Mr.  Pomeroy  called  the 
meeting  to  order,  and  delivered  the  speech,  while  one  of  the  gentlemen  took 
the  chair,  and  the  other  acted  as  secretary.  E-esolutions  were  then  adopted, 
and  a  county  ticket  nominated,  which  received  at  the  election  eleven  votes 
in  a  population  of  twenty  thousand  souls. 

On  his  return  to  Southampton,  he  worked  zealously  in  disseminating 
anti-slavery  truths,  lecturing  in  school-houses,  and  making  converts  every- 
where. 

After  eight  years  of  battle,  nominated  for  the  Massachusetts  Legislature 
upon  the  same  ticket  year  after  year,  Mr.  Pomeroy  at  lentgh  won,  triumph- 
ing over  both  Whigs  and  Democrats  in  1851.     This  was  a  great  victory. 

In  1854.  he  engaged  in  organizing  the  New  England  Emigrant  Aid 
Society,  and  became  its  financial  agent.  On  the  27Lh  of  Augubt  of  that 
year,  the  first  little  band  of  Kansas  emigrants  assembled  in  Boston  under 
the  lead  of  Mr.  Pomeroy,  bound  for  the  far  West,  a  land  by  their  efforts,  and, 
perhaps,  at  the  sacrifice  of  lives,  to  be  forever  consecrated  to  f x'eedom.  When 
the  historian  of  another  generation  shall  seek,  among  the  incidents  of  our 
brief  and  passing  hours,  to  find  the  pivot  upon  which,  at  one  moment  of  its 
life,  turned  the  nation's  destiny,  trembling  and  seeming  all  uncertain,  7ie 
icilljind  it  here. 

Arriving  in  Kansas  the  same  year,  Mr.  Pomeroy  participated  in  the 
affairs  of  that  territory,  and  worked  zealously  toward  organizing  its  society 
upon  the  model  of  New  England  thrift,  intelligence,  and  freedom. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Defense  Committee,  and  a  Delegate 
to  the  Pittsburg  and  Philadelphia  Conventions  of  185G.  It  was  in  opposition 
the  infamous  swindle  of  the  Lecompton  Constitution  that  commenced  the 
'political  career  of  Mr.  Pomeroy  in  Kansas.  Down  to  this  period  his  labors 
had  been  purely  those  of  the  philanthropist.  Prom  henceforward  we  find 
him  in  the  political  arena,  and  here,  if  anywhere,  we  firmly  expect  to  find 
the  true  record  of  a  man. 

In  1858  he  was  elected  the  first  Mayor  of  Atchison,  and  was  re-elected 
the  next  year.  The  first  free  school  was  instituted  by  him  while  filling  the 
Mayoralty.  He  was  a  Delegate  to  the  Chicago  Convention  in  18G0,  which 
nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  for  the  Presidency,  and,  during  the  famine  of 
that  3'ear  in  Kansas,  was  Chairman  of  the  Pelief  Committee. 

In  18G1  he  was  elected  United  States  Senator  from  Kansas,  and  re-elected 
in  1807.  Mr.  Pomeroy's  career  in  Congress  has  been  radical  in  the  best 
sense  of  the  word,  and  his  anti-slavery  record  stands  conspicuously  among 
the  proudest  of  his  peers  Upon  his  tombstone  let  the  motto  of  his  life  be 
written:^!  WAS  RIGHT  upo:^  this  question  in  1840." 


199.  SCHUYLER   COLFAX. 

Schuyler  Colfax  was  born  in  the  city  of  Xew  York,  March  23,  1823, 
and  is  a  lineal  descendant  from  General  Schuyler  and  Captain  Colfax,  both 
of  Revolutionary  celebrity. 

He  received  all  his  academical  instruction  before  he  was  ten  years  of  age. 
At  the  asre  of  thirteen,  he  went  to  Indiana,  where,  about  the  year  1845,  he  became 
editor  and  proprietor  of  the  South  Bend  Regider.  Mr.  Colfax  was  then  only 
twenty-two  years  of  age;  but,  by  his  energy  and  liis  sterling  integrity,  he  worked 
himself  into  a  position  of  influence  and  responsibility.  The  paper  he  published  was 
a  political  organ,  and  in  the  interest  of  the  Whig  Party.  Irs  circulation  was  large 
for  a  county  paper,  and  its  editor  strove  to  render  it  a  nseful  and  heaUhyjournal ; 
and  it  was  not  long-  before  he  obtained  considerable  reputation  for  his  bold 
avowal  of  honest  sentiments,  for  his  temperate  habits,  and  his  substantial 
abilities;  and  eventually  he  became  an  influential  leader  in  the  politics  of 
Indiana. 

In  1848  he  was  appointed  a  Delegate  to  the  AYhig  National  Cor.rention, 
and  elected  Secretary. 

In  IboO  he  was  elected  a  Member  of  the  Indiana  State  Convention,  having 
for  its  object  the  preparation  of  a  State  Con^ititution.  In  this  body  he 
proved  very  efficient  in  bringing  about  the  adoption  of  the  present  CorLsti- 
tution  of  that  State. 

In  1851  he  was  a  candidate  of  the  "Whig  party  for  Keprcsentative  to 
Congress,  but  Avas  unsuccessful. 

In  lbo2  he  was  again  sent  as  a  Delegate  to  the  "Whig  National  Conven- 
tion, and  elected  Secretary. 

In  lb54  Mr.  Colfax  was  elected  by  the  Kepublican  party  a  Keprcsenta" 
tive  to  Congress,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  has  occupied  a  seat  in 
the  House.  At  the  opening  of  the  Thirty-Fourth  Congress,  and  during  its 
session,  Mr.  Colfax  took  his  stand  as  one  of  the  most  promising  Congressional 
debaters.  His  speech  against  the  extension  of  slavery  was  a  masterly  effort, 
and  stamped  him  at  once  as  a  most  influential  orator. 

In  1850  i\rr.  Colfax  labored  zealously  for  the  election  of  John  C.  Fremont. 

In  the  Thirty-fifth  Congress  he  was  appointed  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Post-Ofnces  and  Post-Koads,  which  position  he  held  until  his  election  as 
Speaker  of  the  Thirty-Eighth  Congress,  to  which  responsible  position  he  has 
since  been  twice  re-elected — honors  awarded  before  only  to  Henry  Clay. 

As  a  speaker,  Mr.  Colfax  is  earnest,  frank,  pointed,  and  fluent.  His 
manner  is  pleasing,  and  his  language  well  chosen  and  refined.  He  always 
commands  the  respect  and  attention  of  both  sides  of  the  Hou?e. 

Mr.  Colfax  received  the  unanimous  nomination  of  the  Republican 
Convention  in  May,  18G8,  for  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  and  was 
elected. 


200.   WADE   HAMPTON. 

General  "Wade  Hampton  was  born  in  the  city  of  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  in  the  year  1818.  His  early  education  Avas  received  at  South 
Carolina  College,  where  he  gr;iduaied  with  much  distinction.  The  pursuits 
of  Hampton,  previous  to  the  Rebellion,  were  almost  exclusively  those  of  a 
planter,  though  he  served  in  both  branches  of  the  South  Carolina  Legisla- 
ture with  distinction. 

His  argument  against  the  opening  of  the  African  slave  trade  was  spoken 
of  as  a  masterpiece  of  elegant  and  statesmanlike  logic,  dictated  by  the 
noblest  sentiments  of  the  Christian  and  the  patriot. 

At  the  commencement  of  1801,  he  was  considered  one  of  the  richest 
planters  of  the  South,  and  owned  the  greatest  number  of  slaves.  When 
hostilities  commenced,  he  immediately  raised  a  splendid  legion  of  six  com- 
panies of  infantry,  himself  their  leader,  and  contributed  largely  toward 
their  equipment. 

He  joined  the  Confederate  Army  just  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  battle  of 
the  first  Bull  Run,  July  21,  18G1,  where  his  "soldierly  ability"  was  espe- 
cially noted  by  General  Beauregard,  who  said  that  "  veterans  could  not 
have  behaved  better  than  his  well-led  regiment."  Before  the  last  charge, 
however,  he  was  wounded  in  the  head,  and  obliged  to  retire  from  the  field. 

In  the  subsequent  battles  on  the  Peninsula,  Hampton's  Legion  was  ever 
conspicuous ;  and,  at  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines,  was  especially  noticed. 
During  the  battle  of  Gaines'  3Iill,  June  29,  the  Hampton  Legion  again 
displayed  great  valor. 

Hampton  was  now  promoted  to  Brigadier-General  of  Cavalry,  under 
Major-General  Stuart,  and  zealously  seconded  that  officer  in  all  his  daring 
exploits,  accompanying  him  on  his  successful  expedition  into  Maryland. 

At  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  General  Hampton  was  wounded  thrice, 
which  compelled  him  to  retire  a  while  from  his  command;  but  his  active 
spirit  would  not  brook  a  longer  absence  than  was  imperative.  Therefore, 
we  find  him  again  zealously  engaged  with  Stuart,  the  two  Lees,  and  his 
gallant  men,  in  many  other  raids  and  adventures.  On  the  death  of  General 
Stuart,  May  11,  1864,  having  been  made  a  Major-General,  he  took  command 
of  the  cavalry ;  and,  in  August,  was  made  Coiamander-in-Chief  of  all  the 
Cavalry  in  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  and  was  henceforth  considered 
as  General  Lee's  Master  of  Horse, — a  position  of  no  slight  dignity  in  such 
times.  One  of  his  raost  exciting  raids,  and  one  which  was  peculiarly  ser- 
viceable to  the  Confederate  army,  was  his  foray  upon  General  Grant's  com- 
missariat, in  which  he  captured  over  two  thousand  cattle. 

General  Hampton  continued  at  the  head  of  the  cavalry  until  the  surren- 
der of  Lee,  April  9, 1865,  having  previously  been  promoted  to  a  Lieutenant- 
General 

At  the  Democratic  Convention  which  met  in  New  York,  July  4,  18G8, 
for  the  purpose  of  nominating  candidates  for  President  and  Vice-President 
of  the  United  States,General  Hampton  was  a  Delegate  from  South  Carolina, 
and  was  one  of  its  most  prominent  and  influential  members. 

General  Hampton  is  said  to  be  a  man  of  immense  physical  strength  and 
activity,  of  wonderful  endurance,  and  of  inexhaustible  energy.  He  is  pas- 
sionately fond  of  horses,  a  splendid  rider,  a  practical  swordsman,  and  an 
excellent  shot. 


201.   HENRY   A.   WISE. 

Henhy  a.  Wise  was  born  DccGmber  3,  ISOG,  in  Drummond  To-wn,  Acre- 
mack  County,  Virginia.  He  became  an  orphan  at  an  early  ajie,  was  sent  to 
Wasliinj^'ton  College,  Pa.,  and  graduated,  in  1825,  with  honor.  He  stu  ded  law, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Winchester,  Va.,  in  1828.  The  same  year  lie 
removed  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  practiced  his  professinn  f.vo  years,  when,  from 
local  attachment,  he  returned  to  Accomack  County  in  1830.  He  became  one  of 
the  most  vigorous  expoiienfs  of  "State  Rights. 

In  1833  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  and  fougbt  a  duel  with  li.  C(jke,  liis 
political  opponent,  whose  right  arm  was  fractured.  He  was  re-elected  in 
lSo5,  and  continued  to  serve  until  1843.  In  the  famous  Graves  and  Cilley 
duel,  he  was  second  of  the  former,  but  tried  to  prevent  the  collision. 

Mr.  Wise  was  instrumental  in  the  nomination  of  John  Tyler ;  and,  on 
President  Plarrison's  death,  he  urged  Tyler  to  veto  the  United  States  Bank 
bill,  and  to  further  the  speedy  annexation  of  Texas.  In  1842  the  Senate 
rejected  him  as  Minister  to  France,  In  1843  he  resigned  his  seat  in  Con- 
gress for  the  m.ission  to  Brazil,  which  post  he  occupied  until  the  fall  of 
1847.  In  1848  he  was  one  of  the  Presidential  Electors  of  Virginia;  and  in  1850 
was  a  Member  of  the  Keform  Convention  of  that  State,  which  adopted  the 
late  Constitution.     In  1852  he  was  again  Presidential  Elector. 

In  1854  the  Know-Nothing  party  came  into  existence,  which  called  out 
Mr.  Wise,  with  all  the  ardor  of  his  temperament,  in  opposition  to  its 
principles  and  objects  ;  and,  in  1855,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia, 
which  office  he  held  until  18G0. 

In  185y,  lie  puuiished  an  elaborate  treatise  on  Territorial  Governments  and  the 
admission  of  new  States  into  the  Union.  That  year  commenced  those 
events  which  only  ended  when,  after  four  years  of  bloody  struggle,  the 
question  of  slavery  was  settled  by  its  ei-adication. 

Governor  AVise  took  a  very  active  part  in  the  troubles  of  the  times,  and 
was  called  upon,  as  Governor,  to  administer  the  laws  against  the  conspirators, 
headed  by  John  Brown,  at  Harper's  Ferry.  Pie  was  a  Member  of  the  State 
Convention  to  consider  the  relations  of  Virginia  to  the  Federal  Government. 
He  entered  with  his  wonted  enthusiasm  into  the  war  of  the  Hebelnon, 
and  advised  the  people  to  "  take  a  lesson  from.  John  Brown."  He  wxs 
appointed  Brigadier-General  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  occupied  the 
Kanawha  valley,  until  ordered  to  Richmond,  when  he  was  sent  to  defend  Ruaiioke 
Island,  N.  C. ;  but,  at  the  attack  by  Burnside.  he  was  sick  at  Nag's  Head.  "  The 
Wise  Legion"  took  part  in  the  action,  and  his  son,  Captain  0.  Jennings  Wise, 
was  among  the  killed.  His  Brigade  was  reorganized  in  the  spring  of  1862,  and 
participated  in  the  Peninsular  Campaign,  and,  in  1863,  was  with  General  Beaure- 
gard in  South  Carolina. 

In  May,  1864,  he  was  ordered  with  his  command  to  Petersburg,  where  he  was 
actively  engaged  and  continuously  under  fire  until  his  surrender,  with  General 
Lee,  at  Appomattox.  General  Wise's  Brigade  fired  the  last  infantry  guns  for  tlie 
Confederate  cause. 

Since  the  restoration  of  peace,  he  has  been  occasionally  heard  from,  and 
not  without  some  of  his  characteristic  vehemence.  But  he  is,  like  many 
who  have  played  theiff  parts  in  the  great  drama  of  our  national  strife, 
retired  into  the  shadowy  precincts  of  the  closing  scenes.  Henry  A.  Wis^ 
is  entitled  to  the  tribute  of  honest  and  earnest  purpose  in  a  "lost  cause." 


202.  WENDELL  THILLIPS. 

"We^^dell  Phillips  was  born  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  November  29, 
1811.  lie  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1831,  and  at  Cambridge  Law 
School  in  18oo,  Ho  Avas  admitted  to  the  Suffolk  bar  in  1834,  and  began  life 
with  every  advantage. 

But  at  the  very  outset  he  was  a  witness  of  the  mob  in  which  Garrisoa 
was  dragged  through  Boston  for  the  conscientious  expression  of  his  opinions. 
This  aroused  the  Puritan  spirit,  and  the  events  of  the  next  yeaf— 1836 — together 
with  his  marriage  to  a  devoted  AboUtionist,  made  Mr.  Phillips  give  himself  to  the 
anti- slavery  cause. 

When  Hev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy  was  murdered  at  Alton,  111.,  in  1837,  a  great 
public  meeting  was  held  in  Boston,  to  express  the  horror  felt  at  this  outrage 
on  the  freedom  of  the  press  and  the  rights  of  opinion.  The  conservative 
powers  strenuously  resisted  the  efforts  of  free  speech,  aud  the  Attorney- 
General  of  the  State  denounced  the  reformers,  and  declared  that  Lovejoy 
was  presumptuous  and  imprudent,  and  died  as  the  fool  dieth.  Dr.  Channing 
was  declared  equally  out  of  place.  This  speech  produced  a  sensation  in  the 
*'  Old  Cradle  of  Liberty,"  and  Phillips,  who  had  come,  without  expecting  to 
speak,  rose,  and,  amidst  the  boisterous  cries  of  the  mobocratic  party,  rebuked 
the  spirit  of  conservative  tyranny,  till  a  storm  of  applause  and  hisses  inter- 
rupted the  young  orator.  An  attempt  was  made  to  silence  him,  but  Phillips 
persisted  ;  and,  after  the  most  eloquent  and  scathing  speech,  took  his  position 
as  the  leading  orator  of  the  Abolitionists  and  progressive  Reformers  of  the 
age.     "  In  Wendell  Phillips  the  scornful  world  had  found  its  match." 

Henceforth  he  gave  himself  up  to  the  cause  of  reforms,  and  abandoned 
hia  legal  practice. 

''  The  little  band  of  Abolitionists  that  gathered  around  him  and  Garrison, 
men  and  women,  were  heroes."  The  career  of  the  leaders  of  this  despised 
band  was,  in  th  'se  days,  often  attended  with  danger  of  personal  violence. 
Assassination  was  held  up  to  them  as  the  penalty  of  the  utterance  of  their 
detested  truths.  Phillips's  house  was  threatened  by  mobs  ;  but  no  threats  of 
violence  could  prevent  him  from  giving  expression  to  his  sentiments. 

Far  from  limiting  his  labors  to  one  idea,  he  has  been  a  vigorous  advocate 
of  Temperance,  and  a  champion  of  the  political  rights  of  women. 

•'  A  drunken  people,"  he  says,  "  can  never  be  the  basis  of  a  free  govern- 
ment."    It  is  the  corner-stone  neither  of  virtue,  prosperity,  or  progress." 

In  our  recent  war  he  has  always  been  for  the  most  thorough  measures; 
and,  since  its  close,  seems  to  feel  that  the  whole  work  of  emancipation  is 
not  finished  ;  that  the  status  of  the  colored  man  is  not  fixed;  that  the  hates 
and  prejudices  of  the  past  incline  to  keep  him  an  outcast. 

Mr.  Phillips  is  one  of  the  most  fluent  and  eloquent  orators  of  the  day, 
and  his  fame  always  brought  him  a  large  and  attentive  audience  even  on 
the  unpopular  subjects  he  had  most  at  heart. 


203.    EEUBEN   E    FENTON. 

IlizUBEN  E.  Fenton  was  born  in  Carroll,  Chautaiiqiie  County,  Ne-w 
York,  July  1,  1819.  HeAvas  educated  at  Pleasant  Hill  andl'redonia  Acade- 
mies, and  adopted  the  profession  of  the  law,  but  soon  abandoned  its  prac- 
tice, to  engage  in  mercantile  pursuits,  and  in  which  he  was  eminently 
successful. 

In  1843  he  was  elected  Supervisor  of  the  town  of  Carroll;  and  held 
that  position  for  eight  successivo  years,  and  was  for  tlireoof  them  Chair- 
man of  the  F-oard  of  Supervisors.  The  fact  that  an  avowed  Democrat,  a.i 
ho  was  then,  remained  in  oilic*  for  such  a  loni^  period  in  a  stron.f  Whig  lo- 
cality, is  tho  most  unanswerable  evidence  ot  hi*  faithfulness  a*  ;i public  offi- 
cer, and  hi.-j  popularity  a.i  x  man.  In  1853  ho  wa^  elected  a  Representativo 
from  Now  York  to  tho  Thirty-Third  Congress,  and  was  ag.iiu  elected  to 
the  Thirty-Fifth  Congress,  serving  on  thij  Committee  on  Private  Land 
Claims.  In  1859  h.)  waj  re-elected  to  th<j  Thirty-Sixth  Cong- ess,  serving 
as  Chairman  ox  the  Committco  on  Invalid  Pensions.  He  waj  al.so  elected  ta 
the  Thirty-Seventh  Congress,  serving  a.i  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Claims,  and  re-elected  to  the.  Thirty -Eighth  Congress,  when  he  served  on 
tho  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means. 

Having  distinguished  himseil  for  high  executive  ability,  as  Chairman  of 
the  Congressional  Committees,  and  for  integrity  of  character,  and  devoted 
patriotism,  he  was  selected  by  th>2Kepublic..n  party  a;<  their  standard-bearer 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  elected  Governor  of  that  State. 

Fully  realizing  the  anticipation.j  or  tho  patriotic  men  of  the  State,  ho 
was  re-elected  in  1SG6.  Witli  amphj  experience  as  a  legislator — a  successful 
merchant,  like  his  j)redecessor,  Edwin  D.  Morgan — Covernor  Fenton  brought 
to  the  administration  of  th;j  Gubernatorial  office,  great  practical  knowledgo 
of  men  and  business,  and  executiva  ability. 

At  the  Republican  Convention  which  met  at  Chicago,  May,  1808,  hi» 
name  was  prominent  as  a  candidate  for  the  second  office  in  the  gift  of  th.'j 
people,  the  delegati.rn  from  New  York  sustaining  their  favorite  son  until  tho 
fifth  ballot,  when  -.  huyler  Colfax  received  the  unanimous  nomination  for 
Vice-President, 

Tho  position  of  Governor  of  the  Empire  State  of  the  Union,  is  one  now 
of  as  much  administrative  importance  as  Avas  once  that  of  President  of  tho 
United  States.  To  fill  this  position  with  honor,  if  not  always  with  cntiro 
satisfaction,  is  a  task  which  requires  experience,  ability,  and  firmness. 
Bringing  to  tho  discharge  of  his  official  duties  those  qualities.  Governor 
Fenton  i-etired  from  the  Gubernatorial  chair  with  the  approval  of  the  pub- 
lic voice. 

Still  in  tho  prime  of  life  and  a  gentleman  of  active  habits,  Mr.  Fcnton's 
public  career  is  far  from  being  closed,  and  bids  fair  of  attaining  a  yet 
more  distinguished  future  as  United  States  Senator,  to  which  position  ho 
was  elected  January  19,  1SG3. 


204.   ALEXANDEE  EAMSEY. 

A.LEXANDER  Ramsey  was  bom  in  Dauphin  County,  near  Harrisburg*, 
Pennsylvania,  September  8,  1815.  .He  w.is  eJucated  at  Lafayette  College, 
ami  was  Clerk  in  the  office  of  the  Register  of  his  native  county,  in  18o8. 

In  1840  he  Avas  appointed  Secretary  of  the  Electoral  College  of  Peunsyl- 
va^^ia ;  and,  in  1841,  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of 
that  State.  He  was  elected  a  Representative  to  Congress  in  1843,  and  re- 
elected in  1845. 

He  succeeded  to  the  Chairmanship  of  the  State  Central  Committee  of 
Pennsylvania,  in  1848,  and  was  appointed,  in  1849,  by  President  Taylor,  the 
first  Territorial  Governor  of  Minnesota,  serving  in  that  capacity  with  a  great 
deal  of  credit  to  himself,  and  benefit  to  the  country,  until  1853.  He  effected 
a  treaty  at  Mend<.ta,  in  1849,  for  the  extinction  of  the  title  of  the  Sioux 
(half-breeds)  to  the  lands  on  Lake  Pepin. 

In  1851  G-overnor  Ramsey  negotiated  another  treaty  with  the  Sioux 
nation,  by  which  the  Government  acquired  all  the  lands  in  Minnesota  west 
of  the  Mississippi  River.  This  achievement,  without  a  bloody  Indian  war, 
opened  that  State  to  the  large  emigration  which  now  peoples  't,  and  makes 
it  one  of  the  most  promising  and  pi'osperous  of  the  great  Northwest. 
Added  to  these,  Governor  Ramsey  made  a  treaty  with  the  Chippewa 
Indians,  on  Red  River,  which  he  followed  up  with  another,  in  18(Jo. 

He  was  elected  Mayor  of  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  in  1855  ;  and,  in  1860,  was 
elected  Governor  of  the  State  of  Minnesota,  which  had  been  admitted  into 
the  Union  as  a  State  in  1858. 

He  continued  in  the  official  position  of  Governor  until  18G3,  when  he  was 
elected  to  the  United  States  Senate,  for  the  terra  ending  1869,  and  served 
on  the  Committee  on  Naval  Affairs,  Post-0 ifices.  Post- Roads,  Patents  and 
the  Patent-Office,  Expenses  in  the  Senate,  Pacific  Railroad,  and  as  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Revolutionary  Pensions,  and  of  the  Committee  on 
Revolutionary  Claims. 

Governor  Ramsey  was  also  a  member  of  the  National  Committee 
appointed  to  accompany  the  remains  of  President  Lincoln  to  Illinois. 

Fortunate  in  being  the  first  Governor  of  Minnesota,  Mr.  Ramsey  was 
enabled  to  promote  j  udiciously  the  welfare  of  the  people  of  that  Territory 
and  State,  the  interests  of  the  Government,  and  advance  his  own  hcmorable 
career.  Acting  honestly  and  wisely  with  the  Indians,  he  effected  numer- 
ous treaties,  which  averted  the  too  frequent  and  bloody  Indian  wars,  and 
contributed  to  the  mutual  benefit  of  the  two  races. 


205.  GEOEGE   H.  PENDLETON. 

George  H.  Pendleton  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  July  19,  1825. 
He  studied  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  has  become  distinguished  in 
his  profession.  His  political  career  commenced  by  his  election  to  the  State 
Senate  of  Ohio  in  1854  and  1855. 

In  1856  he  was  elected  Repi-esentative  to  Congress  from  Ohio,  and  served 
successively  in  the  Thirty-Fifth,  Thirty-Sixth,  and  Thirty-Seventh  Con- 
gresses, and  was  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs  during 
each  term.  He  was  re-elected  to  the  Thirty-Eighth  Congress,  serving  on  the 
Committee  of  Ways  and  Means,  and  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  for 
Admitting  Cabinet  Officers  to  the  Floor  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

Identifying  himself  during  his  last  term  in  Congress  with  the  Anti-War 
Democrats,  Mr.  Pendleton  became  prominent  for  the  boldness  of  his  senti- 
ments against  the  policy  of  the  Administration  in  conducting  the  war, 
though  few  who  knew  his  honorable  character  doubted  his  patriotism. 

He  was  nominated  for  the  Vice-Px"esidency  in  18'i4  on  the  Democratic 
ticket,  with  G-eneral  McClellan  for  President,  and  was  defeated.  But  this 
did  not  damp  the  ardor  or  shake  the  faith  of  his  friends,  who  brought  his 
name  forward  for  the  Presidency  in  18G8. 

Defeated  in  his  nomination,  when  the  whole  Western  delegation  urged 
it,  he  submitted  Avith  good  grace,  and  went  to  work  strenuously  to  assist  in 
the  election  of  his  most  formidable  rival,  Horatio  Seymour ;  but,  although 
his  popularity  was  unbounded  in  the  West,  he  could  not  stem  the  tide  that 
had  set  in  against  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  Seymour  was 
defeated  in  all  the  Western  States,  except  Kentucky  and  Oregon. 

Eloquent,  popular,  and  young,  Mr.  Pendleton  is  an  admirable  representa- 
tive of  the  Northwest  in  its  truest  and  frankest  sense.  Blending  much  of 
the  Southern  ardor,  the  land  of  his  forefathers,  with  Western  independence, 
he  combines  those  elements  of  character  which  makes  a  man  irresistible  in 
the  free  Western  country. 

Mr.  Pendleton  has  been  brought  more  prominently  before  the  country  by 
the  discussions  of  the  financial  question.  Favoring  the  payment  of  the 
Government  bonds  in  '*  greenbacks,"  that  phase  of  the  financial  question 
received  new  significance  from  his  fearless  advocacy  of  it. 

Frank  and  bold  in  whatever  public  measure  he  advocates,  he  vindi- 
cated his  policy  in  this  respect  upon  grounds  of  public  necessity,  and  maintained 
that  it  was  in  accordance  with  the  contract  between  the  parties  and  the  strictest 
principles  of  lionesty  and  honor;  and  it  soon  came  to  be  designated  as  the  Pen- 
dletonian  policy,  though  the  same  views  were  advocated  by  other  prominent  pub- 
lic men  of  botli  parties. 

His  policy  was  thoroughly  ventilated  during  the  Presidential  canvass, 
and  stigmatized  by  its  opponents,  some  of  whom  were  counted  among  tho 
greatest  financial  minds  of  the  country,  as  tending  to  repudiation  and  want 
of  faith  in  the  Government  to  fulfill  its  oblii^-ations. 


206.   HANNIBAL  HAMLIN. 

Hannibal  Hamlin,  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  during  the 
first  term  of  President  Lincoln's  administration,  vras  born  in  Paris,  Oxford 
County,  Maine,  August  27,  ]809.  Like  many  of  our  noted  public  men,  he 
was  the  son  of  a  farmer,  and  prepared  himself  for  a  collegiii te  education ; 
but  the  death  of  his  father  obliged  him  to  take  charge  of  his  farm,  where  he 
remained  until  he  was  of  age. 

Following  a  career  frequently  adopted  by  aspiring  young  men  in  this 
country,  Hamlin  took  to  tbe  calling  of  a  printer,  and  spent  a  year  in  a 
printing  office  as  a  Compositor.  Then,  with  an  eye  still  bent  on  advance- 
ment, he  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  i83o,  continuing  in 
active  practice  until  1848. 

Mr.  Hamlin  was  a  Member  of  the  Maine  Legislature  from  183G  to  1840, 
and,  for  the  three  latter  years,  was  Speaker  of  the  House.  He  was  elected  to 
the  United  States  House  of  Representatives  in  1843,  and  re-elected  in  1845. 
He  was  again  elected  a  Member  of  the  State  Legislature  in  1847.  In  May, 
1848,  he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  for  four  j^ears,  to  fill 
a  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  decease  of  John  Fairfield,  and  was  re-elected 
for  six  years,  in  1851. 

January,  1857,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  the  State  of  Maine,  resigning 
his  seat  in  the  Senate,  and  being  inaugurated  on  the  same  day.  On  the 
IGth  of  the  same  month,  he  was  re-elected  to  the  United  States  Senate 
for  six  years,  and  resigned  the  office  of  Governor,  February  20,  1857. 

While  in  the  Senate,  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Com- 
merce, and  the  Committee  on  the  District  of  Columbia. 

In  18G0,  at  the  Hepublican  Convention  which  met  at  Chicago,  he  was 
nominated  as  candidate  for  Vice-President,  on  the  ticket  with  Abraham 
Lincoln,  and  was  elected.  He  presided  over  the  Senate  for  four  years  with 
marked  ability  and  impartiality  ;  but  the  asperity  of  party  feeling  was 
exhibited  with  extreme  bitterness  toward  h'm,  and  the  foulest  abuse  was 
heaped  upon  his  name  and  character,  animated,  however,  always  by  the 
inspirations  of  treason.  Mr.  Hamlin  never  sacrificed  the  dignity  of  his 
position  by  the  slightest  notice  of  these  absurd  calumnies.  There  are 
thousands  throughout  the  country  who  profoundly  feel  tiiat  it  was  a  dark 
day  for  the  Republic  when  a  convention,  largely  composed  of,  or  inspired 
by,  office-holders  and  contractors,  decreed  his  -displacement  as  Vice-Presi- 
dent, to  make  room  for  Andrew  Joh-ison,  and  who  would  like  to  see  some 
reparation  made  for  that  grave  error.* 

After  retiring  from  the  office  of  Vice-President,  Mr.  Ilamlin  was 
appointed  Collector  for  the  port  of  Boston,  the  most  desirable  post  in  New 
England ;  but,  when  Andrew  Johnson  commenced  his  course  on  the  recon- 
struction of  the  seceding  States,  instituting  a  ■policy  in  antagonism  to  Con- 
gress, and  the  party  which  elected  him,  Mr.  Hamlin  resigned  his  office,  and 
took  the  stump  for  liberty  and  loyalty,  and  has  done  yeoman  service  in 
the  ranks  ever  since.  Having  filled  every  post  in  the  gift  of  his  fellow- 
citizens,  from  State  Representative  to  Vice-President,  he  may  be  averse  to 
further  labor  and  responsibility  ;  but  his  integrity,  fidelity,  experience,  and 
well-earned  popularity,  render  it  highly  probable  that  he  may  Ix;  invited  to 
fill  some  important  post  again  in  the  public  service. 

He  was  again  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  in  1868,  to  fill  a  va- 
cancy occasioned  by  the  death  of  William  P.  Fessenden. 

*  Mr.  Hamlin  declines  to  indorse  this  statement  of  party  feeling  as  correct. 


207.   MONTGOMEEY   BLAIE. 

Montgomery  Blair,  son  of  Francis  P.  Blair,  Sr.,  the  fainous  editor,  and 
brother  of  Francis  P.  Blair,  Jr.,  late  candidate  for  Vice-President,  was  born 
in  Franklin  Coimty,  Kentucky,  May  10,  1813. 

He  graduated  at  West  Point  Military  Academy  in  1835,  and  was 
appointed  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  Second  Artillery,  in  .which  capacity  he 
served  in  the  Florida  War.  Resigning  on  May  20,  1830,  he  studied  law, 
and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1837. 

In  1S39  he  was  appointed  United  States  District- Attorney  for  Missouri, 
and  held  ttiat  position  until  1843,  when  he  was  appointed  Judge  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas.  He  continued  to  officiate  in  this  position  until  1849,  when  he 
resigned,  and,  in  1852,  removed  to  Maryland,  where  he  was  residing  when  ap- 
pointed, by  President  Lincoln,  Postmaster-General,  in  March,  1861. 

He  was  a  Democrat  previous  to  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise; 
but,  after  the  consummation  of  that  measure,  lie  identified  himself  with  the 
Republican  party,  with  which  organization  he  became  a  prominent  member. 
He  was  appointed  by  President  Pierce  to  the  office  of  Solicitor  to  the  Court 
of  claims,  altlioiigh  an  avowed  opponent  of  his  Kansas  policy;  but,  on  account  of 
his  change  in  political  sentiment,  was  removed  by  President  Buchanan.  He  pre- 
sided over  the  Republican  State  Convention  in  Maryland  in  1860,  and  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  Chicago  Convention,  where  he  took  an  active  part  in  securing  the  Re- 
publican nomination  for  Mr.  Lincoln  for  President  of  the  United  States. 

He  gave  his  earnest  support  to  the  first  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
and  in  the  formation  of  his  Cabinet  was  tendered  a  place  in  it  as  Postmas- 
ter-Ceneral,  which  he  accepted.  This  position  he  continued  to  hold  until 
1864.  when  he  resigned. 

He  was  very  active  in  securing  the  renomination  and  election  of  Mr.  Lincoln 
in  1 864.  But,  differing  with  the  Republican  party  on  the  reconstruction  measures, 
he  became  an  ardent  Democrat,  advocating  strenuously  the  election  of  Seymour 
and  Blair  to  the  Presidency  and  Vice-Presidency. 

Mr.  Blair's  name  was  made  prominent  to  the  country  as  Counsel  for  the 
plaintiff  in  the  celebrated  Dred  Scott  litigation  ;  and  the  active  part  he  took 
in  the  late  canvass  as  brother  of  the  candidate  for  Vice-President,  not  only 
brought  himself,  but  all  the  members  of  the  Blair  family  moTQ  conspicuously 
before  the  country.  The  founder  of  it,  Francis  P.  Blair,  Sr.,  the  most 
famous  political  journalist  of  his  day,  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  to  see  his 
eldest  son  a  prominent  politician  and  Cubinent  Minister,  and  his  younsrest 
son  an  aspirant  and  candidate  for  the  Vice-Presidency,  a  Member  of  Con- 
gress, and  a  distinguished  officer  of  the  army. 


208.  JAMES  GOEDON   BENNETT. 

James  Gordon  Bennett,  the  celebrated  Editor  of  The  New  York 
Herald,  was  born  near  the  town  of  Keith,  Banffshire,  Scotland,  in  Septem- 
ber,  1795.  The  son  of  sincere  Catholic,  his  father  intended  him  and  another 
brother  Cosmo,  for  the  priesthood,  and  educated  them  for  that  vocation. 
Cosmo,  qualified  for  the  Church,  held  an  ecclesiastical  office  up  to  the  time 
of  his  decease.  James,  with  ambition  and  energy  directed  to  a  more  active 
career,  sought  the  pursuit  of  journalism  and  letters  in  America. 

With  this  object  in  view  he  came  to  this  country,  and  landed  at  Halifax, 
N.  S.,  in  1819.  "His  good  education  qualified  him  for  the  position  of  a 
School-Teacher;  but  this  occupation  was  too  limited  for  his  energy  and 
ambition,  and  he  abandoned  it  for  the  more  congenial  vocation  of  journalism. 
Settling  for  a  while  in  Boston,  he  became  connected  with  the  press ;  but,  the 
field  of  journalism  not  offering  great  inducements  for  him  to  remain  in  that 
city,  he  removed  to  New  York.  Here  he  became  prominently  connected 
with  the  press. 

Inducements  having  been  held  out  to  him  by  the  proprietor  of  the 
Cliarlestoii  Courier,  to  connect  himself  with  that  journal,  Mr.  Bennett 
removed  to  Charleston,  S.  C,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  Returning  to 
New  York,  where  his  perception  and  judgment  inspired  him  to  lay  the 
foundation  of  a  powerful  journal,  he  connected  himself  with  various  papers 
before  he  established  llie  New  York  Herald.     This  he  started  in  1835. 

As  a  city  goes  through  many  gradations  before  it  is  established,  so  it 
was  with  the  building  up  of  The  New  York  Herald;  but  its  completion 
proves,  not  only  as  a  monument  of  the  enterprise,  energy,  and  talents  of 
James  Gordon  Bennett,  but  also  as  a  triumph  of  journalism  in  the  nineteenth 
century.  Our  space  is  too  limited  to  attempt  an  analysis,  even,  of  the  genius, 
enterprise,  and  liberality  which  were  necessary  to  be  expended  in  the  estab- 
lishment and  growth  of  such  a  journal. 

In  a  profession  which  unites  relentless  rivalry  and  daily  partisan  and 
professional  jealousy,  more  than  in  any  other,  it  is  conceded,  in  spite  of  it, 
that  Mr.  Bennett  has  infused  more  enterprise  into  the  American  press,  and, 
for  that  matter,  has  furnished  an  example  of  energy  to  the  European  press, 
which  no  other  journalist  of  his  age  has  inspired.  Associating  with  him 
the  best  journalistic  talent  in  the  country  in  the  reportorial,  editorial,  and 
corresponding  departments,  the  Herald  becomes  a  daily  index  of  the  active 
brain,  vitality,  and  movements  of  the  world.  With  all  this  diversity  of 
talent,  comprising  so  many  departments  of  mind,  there  is  one  controlling 
intellect  over  all,  and  that  is  James  Gordon  Bennett.  What  Richelieu  was 
to  the  State,  he  is  to  the  management  of  the  Herald.  What  the  elder 
Rothschild  was  in  building  vip  a  great  financial  power,  James  Gordon  Bennett 
is  in  building  up  a  great  journalistic  power. 

The  progress  in  the  mechanical  branch  of  printing  has  been  observed  by 
the  Herald  in  an  equal  ratio  with  its  intellectual  advancement.  The  mag- 
nificent marble  structure  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Ann  street  is  one 
of  the  most  thorough  and  extensive  printing  ofdces  in  the  world. 


209.  PHINEAS  T.  BAEXUM. 

PniNEAS  T.  Barnum  was  born  in  Danbury,  Connecticut,  July  5,  181Q 
Mr.  Barnum  is  literally  a  self-raade  man.  On  tlie  dcatli  of  his  father  in 
182(),  he  found  himself  without  a  cent,  and  compelled  to  strug-gle  alone 
through  the  world. 

He  commenced  life  as  a  clerk  in  a  country  store,  and  married  when  nine- 
teen years  of  age.  He  published  a  newspaper  in  his  native  town,  where  he 
was  fined  and  imprisoned  for  publishing  his  own  opinions  too  freely.  After- 
ward he  tried  mercantile  business  on  his  own  account,  in  both  Connecticut 
and  New  York,  with  indifferent  success. 

In  1835  ho  became  engaged  in  a  strolling  exhibition  ;  afterward  in  a 
circus ;  and,  in  1842,  bought  the  American  Museum  in  New  York.  This 
establishment  began  to  thrive  immensely  under  his  management.  In  1843 
he  picked  up  General  Tom  Thumb,  whom  he  exhibited  in  his  museum  for 
a  year,  when  he  took  him  to  Europe,  where  he  remained  three  years,  appear- 
ing before  all  the  principal  courts  and  monarchs  of  the  old  world,  and 
returned  with  a  fortune  to  his  native  countrj'-. 

In  1850  he  engaged  Jenny  Lind,  the  celebrated  songstress ;  and,  with  her, 
made  the  most  triumphant  and  successful  musical  tour  ever  known,  clearing 
some  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  nine  months,  after  paying  that  lady 
three  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Barnum  built  a  naagnificent  oriental 
villa,  called  "  Iranistan,"  in  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  where  he  resided  until  it  was 
burned  in  1855. 

Mr.  Barnum  was  connected  with  the  Jerome  Clock  Company,  in  v>-hich 
he  becanae  involved  to  a  large  amount,  bringing  him  to  the  verge  of  bank- 
ruptcy, but,  after  cod  siderable  litigation,  he  was  enabled  to  settle  with  his 
creditors,  leaving  him  yet  apparently  rich.  He  still  continued  to  carry  on 
the  museum,  occasionally  traveling  through  the  country  with  some  "special 
exhibition,"  such  as  "  The  Baby  Show,"  Tom  Thumb,  <S:c.  While  in  Boston, 
exhibiting  his  VihUe  Babies,  a  counter  exhibition  was  had  of  Colored  Babies, 
to  test  the  natural  ability  or  intelligence  of  the  races.  The  palm  was  carried 
by  the  colored  babies — there  being  one  who  could  talk  when  three  months 
old,  and  another  who  could  read  when  only  three  years  old.  Mr.  Barnum 
could  not  brook  being  outdone,  therefore  got  up  an  oijpositioii  "  Colored 
Baby  Show  ;"  but,  not  being  so  iiopular  with  the  colored  people  as  his  oppo- 
nent, together  with  their /ca?*  to  trust  their  children  with  him,  he  was  obliged 
to  abandon  it. 

In  18''5  he  lost  his  museum  by  fire,  but  sold  his  lease  of  the  ground 
to  the  editor  of  the  Herald,  James  G.  Bennett,  who  built  a  magnificent  mar- 
ble edifice  in  its  place.  Mr.  Barnum  then  started  a  temporary  museum  on 
Broadway,  which  was  burned  in  the  winter  of  1807-08. 

In  18G7  he  was  a  candidate  for  Representative  to  Congress  from  his  dis- 
trict in  Connecticut,  but  was  unsuccessful.  Mr.  Barnum,  by  common  con- 
sent, ranks  as  one  of  the  most  expert  and  successful  "  showmen  "  of  this  or 
any  other  age.  His  name  and  fame  as  a  shrewd  and  successful  business 
man  in  this  line  are  world-wide.  Apart  from  this  jicculiar  and  striking 
trait,  his  industry,  enterprise,  and  energy,  while  enabling  him  to  amuse, 
instruct,  and  hoa:^  mankind,  secured  to  him  a  fortune  and  prcocated  to  the 
rising  pdpulatiuti  an  example  ^vorthy  of  regard  and  admiration^ 


210.  JOHN  W.   FOENEY. 

John  "W.  Forney  was  born  at  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  September  30, 
1817.  In  1833  he  was  an  apprentice  in  the  office  of  the  Lancaster  Journal'^ 
and,  in  1837,  we  find  hira  joint  Editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Lancaster  Intel- 
ligence?'. 

Taking-  a  leading"  position  as  a  Democratic  partisan,  he  settled,  in  1845, 
in  Philadelphia,  in  the  Editorship  of  2he  Peniist/lvanian.  In  1851  he  was 
cho.sen  Clerk  of  the  United  States  House  of  Kepresentatives,  and  was  re- 
el cted  in  1853. 

In  the  long-  and  close  contest  for  Speaker  of  the  Thirty-Fifth  Congress, 
Mr.  ForiiGy  g-ained  great  credit  for  the  impartial  performance  of  his  duties. 
He  now  ceased  his  connection  Avith  The  Pennsylvonian,  and  became  Editor 
of  The  Union,  the  Democratic  organ  ut  Washington. 

In  1856  Mr.  Forney  devoted  himself  to  the  canvass  for  Mr.  Buchanan; 
and,  returning  to  Pennsylvania,  was  chosen  Chairman  of  the  Democratic 
State  Committee. 

In  1857  he  was  the  rival  of  Mr.  Cameron  for  the  position  of  United  States 
Senator,  but  was  defeated.  In  the  same  year  lie  commenced  the  publication 
of  l^he  Prcfis,  an  independent  Democratic  paper ;  but  in  a  shor#  time  there- 
after, the  division  between  the  Northei-nand  Southern  sections  of  the  party 
assuming  a  very  serious  character,  Mr.  Forney  took  sides  warmly  with 
Mr.  Douglas.  When  the  Kansas  troubles  developed  themselves,  he  took  a 
determined  attitude  against  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration,  and  wan  again 
chosen  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Representatives  in  the  Thirty-Si.xth  Congress. 
His  opposition  to  the  pro-slavery  power  has  since  been  thorouLihly  uncom- 
promising; and  he  now  publisher,  besidrs  The  Pf-HS  at  Piiiladelphia,  a 
weekly  paper  in  Washington,  The  Chnmicie,  began  in  October,  1862. 

In  1861  Mr.  Forney  was  chosen  Secretary  of  the  Senate,  which  position 
he  lias  continued  to  hold  up  to  this  time. 

Ever  since  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  and  the  accession  of 
Mr.  Johnson,  as  his  successor,  he  has  rendered  himself  very  conspicuous 
as  an  opponent  of  the  Johnsonian  policy,  provoking  a  very  UD-Presidential 
epithet  from  that  high  functionary,  in  one  of  the  numerous  addresses 
which  his  Excellency  has  been  in  the  habit  of  "getting  off,"  at  home  and 
abroad,  who  designated  him  as  a  "  Dead  Duck."  Late  events,  however,  indi- 
cate that  Mr.  Forney  "still  lives"  unh.irmed  ;  but,  since  the  smoke  has  cleared 
away,  his  opponent  has  been  found  crippled  for  life,  from  the  explosion  of 
the  overcharged  blunderbuss  with  which  he  was  celebrating  that  event. 

During  the  Presidential  canvass  of  1808,  Mr.  Forney  was  quite  "prom- 
inently and  actively  engaged  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  contributed 
much  toward  securing  that  State  to  the  Pepublican  party  in  the  October 
election,  and  to  General  Grant,  for  President,  in  the  November  following. 


211.  CHAELES   F.   ADAMS. 

Charles  F.  Adams  was  born  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  Augrust  18, 
1807.  He  spent  most  of  his  early  years  in  St,  Petersburg  and  London, 
whilst  his  father,  John  Quincy  Adams,  -was  Minister  to  Kussia  and  Eng- 
land. He  graduated  at  Harvard  University  in  1825,  studied  laV7,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  18:28. 

Entering  public  life  in  1841,  ho  served  three  years  in  tlie  House  of  Represen- 
tatives and  two  in  the  Senate  of  Massachusetts.  Not  satisfied  with  the  course  of 
the  Wnig  party  on  the  Slave  Questioi,  he  decUned  to  serve  longer,  and,  lor  a  time 
became  tlie  editor  of  a  paper  called  the  Boston  Whig,  as  an  organ  of  bolder  opin- 
ions on  that  subject.  This  led  to  his  election  as  a  delegate  to  the  Buffalo  Free 
Soil  Convention,  in  1848,  over  which  he  presided,  and  to  his  nomination  by  that 
body  as  a  candidate  for  Vice-Pi-e.-ident  on  the  ticket  with  Mr.  Van  Buren.  He 
was  elected  to  the  Tliirty-sixtli  Congress  from  Massachusetts,  and  served  as  an  ac- 
tive member  of  the  committee  of  thirty-three,  to  which  the  whole  subject  of  Se- 
cession, the  preliminary  step  to  t!ie  rebellion,  was  referred.  He  made  but  a  single 
speech  in  each  session,  and  each  was  confined  to  the  discussion  of  that  question. 

He  was  for  many  years  a  contributor  to  the  Xorth  American  Review,  was  the 
editor  of  the  well-known  Adams  Letters,  and  the  author  of  the  greater  portion 
of  the  standard  biography  of  John  Adams,  commenced  by  his  father. 

He  was  re-elected  to  the  Thirty-seventh  Congress,  and  was  subsequently, 
in  18G1,  appointed  by  President  Lincoln  Minister  to  England,  which  position 
he  resigned  in  1868. 

Early  initiated  into  diplomatic  training  under  the  experienced  tuition 
of  his  distinguished  father,  no  position  could  have  more  appropriately 
crowned  Mr.  Adams's  public  life  than  Minister  to  the  Court  of  St.  James  at 
the  most  critical  period  of  our  diplomatic  history  since  the  Revolution.  Tlio 
foreign  courts,  supposed  to  be  prepossessed  in  favor  of  the  seceding  States, 
an  American  Minister  abroad  at  that  time  had  to  exercise  more  than  ordi- 
nary energy  and  vigilance  to  counteract  the  agents  and  commissioners  of 
the  Soi.th,  as  well  as  the  sympathy  of  the  court.  More  than  any  other 
similarly  situated,  Mr.  A.dams  had  to  contend  against  these  combined 
influences.  The  fitting  out  of  Confederate  cruisers  by  English  shipbuilders, 
involving  the  neutrality  of  the  British  Government,  previously  declared  as 
between  the  Xorth  and  the  South,  led  to  the  most  serious  controversies, 
threatening  the  peace  of  the  two  countries.  Growing  out  of  these,  the 
Alabama  claims  loomed  up  the  most  threatening.  Correspondence  after 
correspondence  ensued.  Questions  of  international  law,  the  rights  of  bel- 
ligerents, and  the  duties  of  neutrals,  all  were  involved ;  and  throughout  all 
these  controversies,  sometimes  in  spite  of  diplomatic  decorum,  an  acrimoni- 
ous spirit  x^ervading  them,  Mr.  Adams  conducted  his  cause  with  masterly 
and  dignified  diplomatic  ability. 

Leaving  the  most  serious  c^uestion  in  a  fair  way  of  adjustment,  Mr. 
Adams  asked,  after  a  prolonged  residence  at  the  English  Court,  to  be 
relieved,  which  was,  accordingly,  granted  ;  and  in  ISGB,  he  returned  to  the 
L'nited  States. 

Added  to  his  public  honors.  Mr.  Adams  l;iis  had  conferred  upon  him  the 
degree  of  LL.  D.  by  Harvard  University. 


212.  WILLIAM  LLOYD  GAEEISON. 

"William  Lloyd  Gariiisox,  the  most  eminent  and  fearless  Icarler  of 
the  anti-slavery  reform  in  the  United  States,  was  born  in  Kewburyport, 
Massachusetts,  December  12, 1S04.  His  mother,  becoming  a  -widow,  "v^-as 
obliged  to  place  him  in  a  situation  of  usefulness,  and  he  "was,  at  the  early 
age  of  nine  years,  sent  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker ;  but,  longing  for 
educational  advantages,  he  was  sent  to  school  at  Newburyport,  Mass.,  paying 
for  his  board  and  school  by  his  own  labors  out  of  school  hours.  After  several 
experiments  he  found  a  congenial  occupation,  as  a  printer,  in  tlie  office  of  a 
local  newspaper  ;  and,  at  this  early  age,  he  was  distinguished  for  his  neat- 
ness and  accuracy  of  penmanship,  and  ever  after  remarkable  for  his  talents, 
both  as  a  typographer  and  free  and  easy  writer. 

After  sufficient  experience  as  an  assistant,  he  became,  in  1826,  the  editor 
of  a  paper  called  the  Free  Press.  Pie  toiled  with  unceasing  energy  and 
industry,  and  frequently  printed  his  editorials  without  previously  writing 
them. 

He  went  to  Boston,  and,  about  1827,  became  editor  of  The  JS'atioiial  Phil- 
anthropist^ the  first  journal  that  advocated  total  abstinence,  and,  in  1628, 
joined  a  friend  at  Bennington,  Yt.,  in  a  journal  devoted  to  Peace,  Temper- 
ance, and  Anti-Slavery. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1829,  he  delivered  an  address  in  Park-Street  Clmrch, 
Boston,  on  the  subject  of  slavery.  From  this  time  his  labors  in  the  cause 
to  which  he  has  devoted  his  life,  assumed  a  more  prominent  and  influ- 
ential character. 

Mr.  Garrison  then  went  to  Baltimore,  to  join  a  quiet,  persistent,  worthy 
Quaker,  Benjamin  Lundy,  who  was  laboring  for  the  cause. 

Garrison's  burning  denunciations  of  the  outrages  of  slavery  roused  the 
indignation  of  slaveholders,  and  he  was  indicted  for  libel,  found  guilty,  con- 
demned, and  imprisoned.  He  bore  his  cross  with  the  cheerfulness  of  a  true 
martyr,  until  he  Avas  finally  liberated  by  a  well-known  philanthropist  of  the 
day,  Arthur  Tappan,  a  New  York  merchant,  who  paid  the  fine. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1831,  Mr.  Garrison  issued  the  first  number  of 
The  Liberator,  Avhich,  through  over  thirty  years,  was  the  leading  organ  of 
the  Anti-Slavery  party  in  the  country. 

It  is  beyond  the  limits  of  this  brief  sketch  to  trace  the  various  labors 
and  trials  of  the  great  reform  of  which  Mr.  Garrison  was  the  dauntless 
leader ;  the  mob  in  Boston,  where  his  life  was  only  saved  by  the  author- 
ities hiding  him  in  a  prison ;  the  furious  violence  in  New  York,  where 
churches  were  sacked  and  negroes  murdered  ;  the  fierce  and  brutal  ruffian- 
ism which  exhibited  itself  in  various  country  places  where  he  lectured,  and, 
as  late  as  1851,  came  near  desolating  the  city  of  New  York  with  blood  and 
rapine,  because  a  steadfast  band  of  quiet  Quakers  and  others  from  the 
country  chose  to  protest  against  slaveholding. 

Suffice  it  to  say  that,  after  the  awful  retribution  had  seared  tho  land 
with  fire  and  blood,  and  liberated  the  slave,  Mr.  Garrison  finished  his  toils 
as  the  "  Liberator,"  by  discontinuing  his  paper  and  visiting  Europe,  to 
recruit,  at  sixty  years,  the  health  impaired  by  more  than  an  age  of  faithful 
devotion  to  the  cause  of  human  omancipation. 


213.  JOHN  T.   HOFFMAN. 

John  T.  Hoffman  vras  bom  in  the  village  of  Sing  Smg,  Kew  Yori, 
January  10,  18'2>5.  He  graduated  with  distinguished  honors  from  the  Col- 
lege of  Schenectady  in  lb'4G,  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  January,  lS-19. 

He  removed  to  New  York  city  in  October  of  the  same  year,  and  rapidly 
rose  in  his  profession,  acquiring  an  extensive  practice. 

Connecting  himself  with  Tammany  Hall  in  1854,  he  became  eminently 
successful,  for  so  young  a  man,  in  gaining  rapid  promotion  both  in  his  pro- 
fession and  politics. 

In  18G0  he  was  elected  Recorder  of  the  city  of  New  York,  and  adminis- 
tered justice  with  firmness,  and  rendered  himself  particularly  conspicuous 
for  the  rigid  manner  in  which  he  sentenced  the  July  rioters  of  1863.  He 
was  unanimously  re-elected  to  that  position  in  November,  18G3,  receiving 
the  vote  of  the  Republican  party  as  well  as  the  Democratic. 

He  was  elected  Mayor  of  New  York  City  in  18Go,  and  re-elected  in  1867. 

In  18G6  he  was  nominated  for  Governor  by  the  Democratic  party,  but 
was  defeated  by  Mr.  Fenton.  He  was  again  a  candidate  for  Governor  in 
1868,  was  elected  and  was  inauirurated  on  the  ls^•  of  January,  1869.  He  was 
nominated  for  the  third  time  for  Governor,  in  1870,  by  the  Democratic  party,  and 
again  elected. 

Scarcely  at  what  is  called  middle  age,  John  T.  Hoffman,  after  an  honor- 
able and  successful  professional  career,  has  filled  the  highest  judicial  and 
municipal  positions  with  distinction  and  ability,  and  now  occupies  the  first 
and  most  exalted  offtce  in  the  gift  of  the  people  of  the  State. 

Judging  from  the  record  of  his  past  political  and  private  life,  the  public 
have  a  guarantee  of  his  future  ability  and  fidelity  in  the  discharge  of  his 
important  trust.  Arriving  at  the  highest  honors  through  the  combinations 
of  political  power  more  or  less  subject  to  suspicion,  Governor  Hoffman  is  a 
remarkable  instance  of  a  public  man  who  has  passed  through  all  these 
ordeals  with  his  honor  unsullied  and  his  integrity  untarnished.  Surrounded 
by  temptations,  both  social  and  political,  which  have  wrecked  so  many  pub- 
lic men  of  promise,  and  even  those  who  have  gained  the  full  fruition  of  their 
hopes.  Governor  Hoffman  stands  an  example  of  personal  dignity  in  ail  the 
relations  of  life.  Yet  his  election  as  Governor  was  aided  by  the  most 
stupendous  frauds  upon  the  polls  through  the  lax  naturalization  and  regis- 
tration laws  of  the  State.* 

The  highest  honors  of  the  State  having  been  conferred  upon  him,  his 
friends  do  not  despair  of  even  higher  distinction  crowning  his  career.  The 
representative  of  a  party  that  has  had  to  contend  of  late  against  disastrous 
defeats  in  other  States,  his  name,  the  watchword  of  success,  may  be  hailed 
as  an  inspiration  to  triumph  in  future  political  contests. 

*  Governor  nolTman  says  this  "  statement  in  relation  to  his  election  is  not  true." 


214.   GIDEOX   WELLES. 

Gideon  Welles  was  born  in  Glastcnhury,  Connecticut,  February  1, 
1803,  und  descended  from  Thomas  Welles,  un  early  Governor  of  the  colony 
of  Connecticut.  He  received  his  early  education  at  the  Episcopal  Academy 
in  Cheshire,  Connecticut,  and  afterward  entered  the  Norwich  University, 
Vermont,  then  under  the  charge  of  Captain  Alden  Partridge. 

He  commcncod  the  study  of  the  law  in  the  office  of  Chief-Justice  Wil- 
liams ;  and,  in  182G,  became  E  litor  of  the  JJartfonl  Times,  which,  under  his 
char^'-e,  was  tho  organ  of  the  Democratic  party  in  the  State. 

His  journal  was  the  first  to  advocate  the  election  of  General  Jackson  to 
the  Presidency,  and  continued  his  steadfast  supporter.  Mr.  Welles  was  a 
Member  of  the  Connecticut  Legislature  from  1827  to  1835,  when  he  was 
appointed  Comptroller  of  Public  Accounts.  Ho  was  opposed  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  witnesses  who  denied  the  belief  in  a  future  state  of  rewards  and 
punishments,  and  endeavored  for  years,  and  with  final  success,  to  abolish 
imprisonment  for  debt.  He  also  instituted  other  measures  of  liberal  x^i-'Oo' 
ress. 

In  1836  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Hartford,  holding  that  office 
until  1841. 

In  1843  ho  was  again  elected  State  Comptroller;  and,  in  184G,  President 
Polk  tendered  to  him  the  office  of  Chief  of  one  of  the  bureaus  of  the  Mavy 
Department,  which  he  accepted,  and  retained  that  position  until  1849. 

Mr.  Welle.-i  was  0]iposed  to  the  extension  of  slavery  ;  and,  on  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Republican  party,  in  1855,  he  became  identified  with  it,  and 
was  its  candidate  for  Governor  of  Connecticut  in  1850.  Ho  was  Chairman 
of  the  Republican  delegation,  which  met  in  Convention  at  Chicago,  in  May, 
1360,  and  nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  for  President.  3Ir.  Welles  has 
been  a  contributor,  for  many  years,  to  numerous  leading  journals,  and 
was  prominently  known  throughout  the  country  ;  and  when  Mi'.  Lincoln 
was  inaugurated,  in  1861,  he  appointed  him  Secretary  of  tho  Navy.  His 
long  and  arduous  services  in  that  trying  position  are  too  well  known  to 
require  detail  here,  but  will  occupy  an  important  place  in  history.  Pew 
statesmen  liave  survived  the  fierce  torrent  of  obloquy  which  has  been  poured 
upon  the  head  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  "from  the  loud  roar  of  foaming 
calumny,  to  the  low  whisper  of  the  paltry  few." 

His  policy  has  not  only  elevated  the  national  character  with  the  brilliant 
career  of  our  naval  heroes,  but  has  tended  to  strengthen  the  bonds  of  amity 
and  respect  among  all  the  civilized  nations  of  the  earth. 

During  his  administration,  turretted  iron-clad  vessels  and  heavy  ordnance 
were  first  introduced;  and  no  greater  compliment  can  be  paid  to  his  judgement 
and  foresight  in  adopting  them  than  the  simple  fact  that  nearly  all  the  maritime 
nations  of  the  world  now  consider  them  essential  parts  of  an  efficient  fighting  navy. 
Add  to  this  the  marvelous  increase  of  the  naval  force  from  69  vessels  and  7,600 
men,  in  1861,  to  671  vessels  and  51,000  men  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  the 
successful  advancement  of  a  blockade  of  more  than  three  thousand  five  hundred 
miles  of  coast,  as  well  as  the  more  direct  and  legitimate  war  service,  and  there  is 
a  record  of  wliich  the  country  as  well  as  himself  may  be  justly  proud.  The  calm 
judgment  of  Mr.  Welles,  his  decision  of  character,  and  equanimity  of  temper,  with 
his  quiet  frankness,  were  appreciated  by  each  of  the  Presidents  with  whom  he  was 
associated,  and  whose  confidence  he  enjoyed  through  a  stormy  period  of  our  history. 

The  same  qualities,  with  a  correct  and  discriminating  mind,  enabled  him  to 
make  fortunate  selections  in  the  civil  and  naval  appointments,  and  rendered  his 
administration  of  the  Navy  Department,  extending  through  a  period  of  eight  years 
longer  than  that  of  any  of  his  predecessors,  and  in  the  most  trying  time  since 
the  foundatioQ  of  the  GoYcrnmeiit,  popular  in  the  service  and  highly  satisfucttJry 
to  the  country. 


215.   WILLIAM  P.   FESSENDEN. 

Willta:\I  F.  Fessexdex  was  born  in  Boscawon,  Merrimack  County, 
New  Ilampsliire,  October  16,  1800.  He  graduated  at  Bowdoin  Colleg-e  in 
1823.  studied  law,  and  commenced  its  practice  in  1827.  He  removed  to 
Portland  in  1829;  and,  in  1830,  was  electel  to  the  State  Loirislature. 
Although  the  youngest  member  of  that  body,  he  acquired  distinction  as  a 
ready  debater  and  skillful  legislator,  distinguishing  liimself  particularly 
in  a  debate  on  the  United  States  Bank,  which  was  remarkable  for  its  spirit 
and  ability. 

Devoting  himself,  from  1832  to  1837,  exclusively  to  his  profession,  he 
rapidly  rose  to  the  first  rank,  both  as  a  counselor  and  advocate.  His  prom- 
inence directed  public  attention  to  him  for  Congress,  and  in  1838  he  was 
invited  to  become  a  candidate,  but  declined.  He  was  again  chosen  to  the 
Legislature  from  Portland,  in  1830,  was  placed  upon  the  Judiciary  Commit- 
tee, and  was  made  Chairman  of  the  House  Committee  to  ilevise  the  Statutes 
oi  the  State, 

Nominated,  in  1840,  as  the  Whig  candidate  for  Congress,  he  was  elected 
by  acclamation.  Participating  in  the  general  debates,  he  made  speeches  on 
the  Loan  bill.  Bankrupt  Act,  Army  Appropriation  bill,  against  the  repeal 
Df  the  Bankrupt  law,  &c.  Nominated  for  re-election  in  18-13,  he  declined, 
but  received  the  support  of  the  Whig  party  for  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate. 

In  1845  and  1846  he  was  again  elected  to  the  Legislature,  and,  in  1850 
he  was  again  elected  to  Congress  ;  but,  through  an  error  in  the  returns,  his 
seat  was  successfully  contested  by  his  competitor.  He  was  a  Member  of  the 
Convention  which  nominated  General  Harrison,  in  lb40  ;  also,  of  that  which 
nominated  General  Taylor,  in  1848,  on  which  occasion  he  advocated  the 
claims  of  Mr  Webster,  and  served  in  the  Convention  which  nominated  Gen- 
eral Scott,  in  1852.  On  this  occasion  he  opposed  Mr.  Webstei-,  in  favor  of 
General  Scott. 

In  1853  he  was  again  elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  Avas  elected  by 
the  Senate  as  L'nited  States  Senator,  but  failed  in  the  Lower  House  by  four 
votes.  A<jain  a  member  of  the  Legislature  in  1854,  he  was  elected  to  the 
L'nited  States  Senate  on  the  first  ballot. 

The  Kansas-Nebraska  question  entering  larsrely  into  the  contest,  he 
was  elected  by  a  L'nion  of  the  Whigs  and  Free  Soil  Democrats,  He 
took  his  seat  in  the  Senate,  February  23,  1854  ;  and,  on  the  night  of  Mirch 
3,  at  the  time  that  the  Nebraska  bill  was  passed,  he  delivered  a  moei  power- 
ful speech  against  it.  This  effort  was  regarded  as  a  master  piece  of  eloquence, 
and  established  his  reputation  in  the  Senate.  He  subsequently  made 
speeches  on  a  bill  to  protect  United  St^^tes  officers  (185D),  on  our  relations 
with  England,  on  the  affairs  of  Kansas,  on  the  President's  Message  of  1356, 
and  on  the  Lccompton  Constitution  of  1858.  A  leading  member  of  the 
Finance  Committee,  Mr.  Fessenden  has  taken  a  conspicuous  part  in  the 
general  debates  and  kgiolation  of  that  body. 

Ro-elecied  to  the  L'ui^ed  States  Senate  in  1859,  for  six  years,  by  v.  unan- 
imous vote  of  his  party  in  the  Legislature,  without  undergr.ing  a  previous 
nomination,  it  distin:;;iiishes  his  Senatorial  career  as  the  first  instance  of 
the  kind  occurring  in  the  State. 

In  1864  lie  was  appointed,  by  President  Lincoln,  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  in  the  place  of  S.  P.  Chu^e,  resigned,  which  position  he  held  for 
one  year,  when  ne  resigned,  and  was  airain  elected  Senator.  The  degree  of 
LL.  D.  has  been  conferred  upon  Mr.  Fessenden  by  Bowdoin  and  Harvard 
Colleges.     He  died  September  8,  1869. 


21G.  GAEL    SCHURZ. 

Cakl  Schurz  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and  -was  born,  March  2,  1829, 
near  Cologne,  on  the  Ehine.  He  received  his  education  at  his  native  town 
and  at  the  University  of  Bonn,  from  vi'hich  he  graduated  a  thorough  classi- 
cal scholar. 

On  the  event  of  the  revolutionary  agitation  in  1848,  he  took  an  active 
interest,  and  joined  in  the  publication  of  a  liberal  newspaper  with  Professor 
Kinkel. 

In  1849  an  unsuccessful  attempt  at  insurrection  was  made,  and  the  two 
were  obliged  to  flee.  Joining  the  insurgents,  Schurz  became  an  Adjutant, 
and  participated  in  the  defense  of  Rutland.  On  the  surrender  of  that  place, 
Schurz  suffered  great  privations,  escaped  into  Switzerland,  attempted  to 
rescue  Kinkel,  who  had  been  condemned  to  twenty  years' imprisonment,  and 
finally  succeded,  November  6,  1850.  The  fugitives  then  escaped  into  Meck- 
lenburg, and  thence  to  Bostock,  and,  after  remaining  concealed  for  some 
time,  took  passage  for  Leith,  in  Scotland.  Schurz  went  from  there  to  Paris, 
where  he  remained  as  C  orx-e  spend  en  t  of  German  journals  till  June,  1851, 
when  he  went  to  London,  and  became  employed  as  Teacher,  till  July,  1853. 

He  then  married,  and  removed  to  America,  residing  in  Philadelphia  a 
short  time,  and  afterward  settling  at  Watertown,  Wis.  He  became  known  as  a 
German  orator  in  1856,  and  was  nominated  in  1857  by  the  Kepublican  State 
Convention  as  candidate  for  Lieutenant-Grovemor  of  Wisconsin,  but  was  not 
elected. 

Mr.  Schurz,  having  now  become  Americanized^  made  speeches  in  English, 
which  were  very  popular.  He  established  himself  in  the  practice  of  the 
law  at  Milwaukee,  where  the  very  numerous  Gennan  population  offered 
him  great  advantages.  He  continued  a  popular  orator  on  the  Republican 
side,  when,  on  jNIr.  Lincoln's  election,  he  was  appointed  Minister  to  Spain. 

On  the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war,  he  requested  to  be  allowed  to  join  the 
army,  but  the  Government  required  him  to  go  to  Madrid,  where  he  remained 
till  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  and  then  returned  to  the  L'nited  States. 

He  resigned  his  office  as  Minister,  was  appointed  a  Brigadier-General  oi 
Volunteers,  and,  on  June  IT,  1862,  took  command  of  a  division  in  the  corps 
of  General  Sig-el,  with  which  he  distinguished  himsedf  at  the  second  battle 
of  Bull  Run.  General  Schurz  also  commanded  a  division  of  General 
Howard's  corps  at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  which,  being  attacked  by 
"  Stonewall "  Jacksofi,  suffered  heavy  losses,  and  was  overwhelmed  by  superior 
forces 

At  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  he  commanded  the  Eleventh  Corps,  while 
General  Howard  took  a  higher  command.  On  the  close  of  the  war,  General 
Schurz  retired  to  private  professional  life,  since  when  he  has  been  heard  of 
occasionally  as  participating  in  public  affairs. 

He  was  chosen  Temporary  Chairman  of  the  Republican  Convention 
which  met  in  Chicago,  in  May,  18G8,  to  nominate  a  candidate  for  President, 
and  made  an  able  and  eloquent  address  on  taking  the  chair.  He  also  pre- 
sented two  important  resolutions,  which  were  adopted  as  part  of  the  plat- 
form of  principles  of  that  Convention. 

Mr.  Schurz  is  a  Liberal  in  the  highest  sense  ;  and  his  democracy  is  not 
limited  to  party  nor  confined  to  race,  but  embraces  universal  humanity,  and 
seeks  the  emancipation  of  man  from  the  shackles  of  tyranny  in  every  shape. 

On  the  19th  of  January,  1869,  Mr.  Schurz  was  elected  L^'nited  States 
Senator  from  Missouri 


217.   ROBERT   M.    T.    HUNTER. 

Robert  M.  T.  Hunter  was  born  April  21,  1809,  in  Essex  County, 
Virginia  ;  -svas  educated  at  the  University  of  liis  native  State,  and  graduated 
with  distinction.  He  studied  law  with  Judge  Tucker,  at  Winchester ;  and, 
in  1830,  was  admitted  lu  t»o  bar. 

Ho  was  elected  to  the  Virginia  Legislature,  in  1834,  in  which  he  served 
three  years,  and  attained  a  high  position. 

In  1837  ho  was  elected  to  the  United  States  House  of  Representatives, 
by  the  "States  Rights  Whigs,"  where  he  served  two  terms. 

On  Mr.  Hunter's  advent  to  public  office,  financial  questions  of  great 
importance  occupied  the  attention  of  Congress,  and  his  ability  in  the  dis- 
cussions placed  him  in  the  front  rank.  On  the  meeting  of  the  Twenty-Sixth 
Congress,  he  was  chosen  Speaker.  He  was  again  a  candidate  for  the  Twenty- 
Eighth  Congress,  but  was  defeated.  In  1844  he  took  an  active  part  in  the 
election  of  Mr.  Polk,  and  was  re-elected  to  Congress  in  1845.  At  this  session 
the  Oregon  question  occupied  the  attention  of  the  country,  and  he  distin- 
guished himself  by  a  high-toned  conservatism.  On  the  Mexican  question 
he  advocated  a  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war.  The  establishment  of  the 
Independent  Treasury,  the  Revenue  Tariff  of  1846,  and  the  Warehousing 
system,  are  much  indebted  to  Mr.  Hunter  for  their  success. 

The  second  session  of  the  Twenty-Xinth  Congress  was  marked  by  a 
renewal  of  the  Slavery  agitation  ;  and  his  opposition  to  all  the  measures  of 
the  Free  Soil  party  stamped  his  character  as  a  leader  of  the  Southern 
Democracy,  and  led  to  his  elevation  to  the  United  States  Senate  in  1847. 
To  this  body  he  was  elected  for  three  successive  terms,  serving  as  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Finance,  and  as  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  the 
Library,  and  on  the  Pacific  Railroad. 

Mr.  Hunter  was  one  of  the  ablest  advocates  of  the  policy  of  his  section  ; 
and  on  all  the  gTeat  questions  agitating  the  countrj',  whether  in  debate,  or 
as  Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee,  his  conduct  was  highly  approved, 
not  only  by  his  party,  but  by  numerous  leading  men  in  all  parts  of  the 
United  States.  Besides  his  efforts  in  the  Senate,  Mr.  Hunter  distinguished 
himself  by  various  discourses  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  One  eulogist 
says:  "He  adds  to  the  scholastic  learning  of  Everett,  the  cabinet  genius  of 
Hamilton,  and  the  philosophic  scope  of  Madison.'' 

In  1801  he  joined  his  Southern  friends  in  secession,  and  was  expelled 
from  the  Senate  in  July  of  that  year.  He  was  chosen  Secretary  of  State  in 
the  Southern  Confedei'acy  on  the  resignation  of  Robert  Toombs,  and  was 
afterward  a  Member  of  the  Confederate  Congress.  Mr.  Hunter  was  one  of 
the  Commissioners  appointed  to  confer  with  President  Lincoln  on  terms  of 
peace.  On  his  return  from  Fortress  Monroe,  where  the  Conference  had 
been  held,  he  addressed  a  public  meeting  in  Richmond,  and  gave  vent  to 
his  feelings  of  indignation  at  the  terms  demanded,  predicting  the  most  dire- 
ful evils  from  the  consequences  of  submission;  and,  expressing  real  Southern 
scorn  for  the  "  Yankee  Congress,"  he  evoked  the  strongest  spirit  of  resist- 
ence. 

Since  the  collapse  of  the  Rebellion,  Mr.  Hunter's  name  has  been  seldom 
heard  at  the  North,  for  such  seems  to  be  the  fate  of  the  most  prominent 
leaders, — men  who  figured  foremost  in  the  affairs  of  the  nation  under  the 
old  regime,  and  who  filled  the  trump  of  fame  during  the  short-lived  era  of 
secession, — that  the  historian  finds  it  difficult  to  save  their  subsequent 
career  from  total  oblivion.  Undoubtedly,  Mr.  Hunter  exhibited  the  talents 
of  a  statesman ;  but,  on  the  basis  of  slavery,  nothing  could  thrive. 


218.   FEANZ  SIGEL. 

General  Fhanz  Sigel  was  born  in  Zinsheim,  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of 
Baden,  November  18,  1824,  and  was  educated  at  the  military  school  of 
Carlsrhue.  He  became  Chief-Adjvitant  in  the  Baden  army,  in  1847,  and 
was  called  the  best  artillerist  in  Gei'many. 

In  the  Revolution  of  1848,  he  was  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary army ;  and,  being-  defeated  by  an  immense  force,  migrated  to  this 
countiy  in  1850.  He  was  for  several  months  Major  of  the  Fifth  New  York 
Militia  Regiment;  subsequently,  Professor  of  Military  Science  at  St.  Louis; 
and,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  became  Colonel  of  the  Third  Missouri 
Volunteers,  and  Acting  Brigadier  under  General  Lyon. 

He  was  made  a  Brigadier  in  August,  18(J1,  his  commission  dating  from 
May  17.  Ho  performed  efficient  service  in  the  protection  of  St.  Louis,  and 
seizure  of  Camp  Jackson.  He  was  soon  ordered  to  Southwest  Missouri, 
where,  near  Carthage,  Jasper  County,  with  only  nine  hundred  men,  he  met 
General  Jackson,  with  over  four  thousand  men,  whom  he  attacked  with  suc- 
cess, until  his  artillery  ammunition  gave  out,  and  he  was  obliged  to  retreat, 
which  lie  accomplished  with  but  little  loss,  having  only  thirteen  killed,  and 
thirty-one  wounded,  while  the  Rebel  loss  was  over  three  hundred  and  fifty. 

August  10,  1861,  he  conducted  the  famous  retreat  from  Wilson  Creek, 
where  Lyon  was  killed  ;  and  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  where, 
on  the  7th  and  8th  of  March,  1863,  he  displayed  great  bravery  and  consum- 
mate artillery  skill,  and  by  which  he  turned  the  tide  of  battle  from  what 
seemed  to  be  a  defeat,  to  a  decided  victory ;  for  which  gallantry  and  skill, 
he  was  made  Major-General,  and  received  a  command  in  Western  Virginia. 
He  served  through  Pope's  Virginia  campaign  ;  took  a  prominent  part  in 
the  Second  Bull  Run  ;  and,  in  September,  1862,  was  appointed  to  com- 
mand the  Eleventh  Army  Corps,  but  was  relieved  early  in  the  following 
year. 

In  the  spring  of  1864,  he  commanded  in  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah; 
but  having  been  twice  badly  defeated,  he  was  relieved  in  May  by  General 
Hunter,  yet  still  continuing  t  >  act  under  that  General,  who,  being  defeated 
and  driven  across  the  mountains,  the  enemy  advanced  down  the  valley  to 
Martiusburg,  flanking  Sigel,  and  obliging  him  to  retreat  to  Maryland 
Heights,  which  he  held  until  the  enemy  were  driven  back  to  the  -^alley.  In 
May,  1865,  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  army. 


219.   CHARLES   G.    HALPIXE. 

General  Charles  G.  Halpine  (more  generally  known  by  his  non  de 
plume,  Miles  O'Reilly),  was  born  in  November,  1820,  in  the  County  Meath, 
Ireland.  His  father  who  was  an  Episcopal  minister,  editor  of  the  Dublin 
Mail,  and  one  of  the  principal  contributors  to  BhickicoocCh'  Marjazine,  took 
great  pride  in  the  education  of  his  son,  whom  he  prepared  for  and  entered 
at  Trinity  College,  in  184G.  In  the  following  year,  young  Halpine  hav- 
ing married,  removed  to  Boston,  where  he  became  an  associate  with  B.  P. 
Shillaber  (Mrs.  Partington),  on  one  of  the  literaiy  papers  of  that  city,  called 
The  Carpet  Bag ;  and  subsequently  connected  himself  with  lli^  Pilot. 

In  Ibis  he  accepted  the  position  of  French  Translator  on  the  New  York 
Herald;  and,  while  holding  this  position,  wrote  sketches,  poems,  and  edito- 
rials, for  nearly  all  the  other  leading  daily  and  weekly  papers  of  the  city.  He 
was  next  appointed  the  Nicaragua  Correspondent  of  the  New  York  Times, 
and  wrote  a  series  of  remarkably  spicy  letters  on  AValker's  famous  fillibus- 
tering  expedition  to  Central  America.  After  acting  as  Washington  Corres- 
pondent and  Associate  Editor  of  mat  paper  for  a  time,  he  purchased  an  inter- 
est in  the  Leader,  and  assisted  in  editing  that  journal  until  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Rebellion;  but,  at  the  same  time,  wrote  for  the  Tribune,  Times, 
and  Herald. 

Although  not  known  to  the  world  at  large  as  a  writer,  yet  many  brilliant 
things  came  from  his  pen  ;  among  others,  a  poem,  published  in  the  Tribune 
some  years  before  the  war,  entitled  "Stanzas  to  the  American  Flag,"  has 
been  credited  to  him,  but  is  now  claimed  by  William  Oiand  Bourne,  editor 
of  The  Soldiers'  Friend.  It  begins:  "Tear  down  the  fi.iunting  lie" — 
a  poem  prompted  by  the  horrors  of  the  last  slave  hunt,  in  which  a  poor 
human  being  was  dragged  from  toil-bought  freedom  into  hated  bondage 
again,  under  the  banner  which  waved  "  over  the  land  of  the  free,  and  the 
home  of  the  brave." 

In  18G1  Mr.  Halpine  severed  his  connection  with  the  Lender,  and  entered 
the  military  service  as  a  private  in  the  Sixtj^-Ninth  New  York  Regiment  of 
three-months'  troops.  At  the  close  of  the  tliree  months'  service,  he  was  ap- 
pointed on  the  Staff  of  General  David  Hunter,  wilh  whom  he  served  in 
Missouri  and  at  the  South,  but  was  afterward  transferred  to  the  Staff  of 
General  Halleck. 

At  the  South,  under  the  nom  de  guerre,  "  Miles  O'Reilly,"  in  a  communi- 
cation to  a  New  York  paper,  he  gave  a  long  and  entirely  fictitious  account 
of  the  arbitrary  imprisonment  of  a  private  by  that  name,  who,  it  was  pre- 
tended, had  given  some  slight  offense  to  General  Butler,  the  cause  of  which 
was  asserted  to  be  a  "  Lampoon  '  written  by  "Private  Miles  O'Reilly,"  of 
the  Forty-Seventh  New  York  ;  and,  in  his  next  letter,  he  gave  a  copy  of  the 
lampoon,  which  caused  great  merriment  wherever  it  was  read.  This  first 
brought  him  into  notoriety,  Avhich  was  greatly  increased  by  his  account  of 
a  supposed  dinner  given  to  Miles  O'Reilly  at  Delmonico's,  whereat  Mayor 
Hoffman  sang  a  comic  song,  and  other  well-known  dignitaries  indulged  in 
ridiculous  speeches. 

Just  before  his  resignation  from  the  army,  he  w^s  made  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral of  Valunteers,  by  brevet,  and  commissioned  as  Major  in  the  Regular 
Army.  He  was  appointed  on  Governor  Seymour's  staff  on  his  return  to  New 
York;  and,  in  18GG,  was  elected  Register  of  the  City  and  County  of  New 
Y''ork.  Previous  to  this,  he  purchased  the  Citizen,  a  weekly  journal,  of 
which  he  remained  Managing  Editor  until  his  de:ith,  Monday,  August  3, 
1868.  General  Halpine  was  a  warm-hearted  and  generous  companion — 
ever  ready  to  give  or  take  a  joke, — and  wa3  a  favorite  with  all  classes  of  hia 
readers. 


220.  JAMES   T.    BKADY. 

Ja:mes  T.  Brady,  one  of  the  most  eminent  and  accomplislied  of  New 
York  lawyers,  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  April  9,  1815,  of  Irish 
parentage.  His  addresses  and  orations  are  characterized  by  all  the  wit 
and  eloquence  of  his  gifted  race. 

He  received  a  liberal  education,  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1835.  Commencing  its  practice  in  New  York,  it  gradually  increased 
until  it  rose  to  be  among  the  most  lucrative  and  influential  of  the  distin- 
guished lawyers  of  the   day. 

In  addressing  a  Jury  he  was  generally  successful  in  gaining  their  entire 
confidence  and  respect ;  and  the  Judges  were  equally  influenced  by  his  logic 
and  legal  acumen. 

Associate  counsel  of  the  late  Daniel  "Webster  in  the  great  India  Rubber 
case  between  Day  and  Goodyear,  he  received  from  that  eminent  statesman 
and  jurist  the  highest  encomiums  for  the  able  manner  in  which  he  had 
assisted  in  conducting  the  suit. 

He  early  identified  himself  with  the  Democratic  party  ;  and,  about  the 
year  1845,  was  regarded  as  among  the  most  influential  of  its  active  leaders 
in  the  city  of  New  Yoi'k.  Holding  the  office  of  Counsel  to  the  Corporation 
for  several  years,  he  retired  from  it  with  honor  to  himself  and  credit  to  the 
city. 

Popular  and  eloquent  as  a  public  speaker,  Mr.  Brady  was  constantly 
the  champion  of  popular  rights  and  philanthropical  movements,  and  was 
ahvays  distinguished  for  his  boldness  and  fearlessness  in  discussing 
public  men  and  measures.  Never  a  seeker  for  office,  he  was  always 
enabled  to  hold  an  independent  position  either  in  his  own  party  or  toward 
his  opponents. 

Early  obtaining  popularity  as  a  public  orator,  Mr.  Brady  had  the  happy 
faculty  of  swaying  the  "  Fiery  Democracy "  either  in  its  turbulence  or 
sympathy.  Gifted  with  this  power  in  voice,  manner,  and  person,  the 
announcement  of  his  name,  when  he  took  a  more  active  part  in  politics, 
Avould  fill  a  large  hall  to  overflowing,  and  possessed  the  most  magical  in- 
fluence. 

-  Ever  just  in  his  convictions,  his  detestation  of  oppression  did  not 
leave  him  in  sympathy  with  turbulence  and  disorder;  and,  actuated  by 
these  principles,  he  was  one  of  the  most  influential  in  suppressing  the  riots 
of  July,  1863. 

Outside  of  his  professional  and  political  life,  Mr.  Brady  was  peculiarly 
amiable,  and  exceedingly  fond  of  social  enjoyments.  He  idolized  the 
children  of  his  sisters,  and  was  always  happy  in  winning  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  the  little  ones. 

He  never  married,  but,  like  "Washington  Irving,  cherished  fondly  the 
memory  of  one,  from  whom  death  had  separated  him. 

Yet  in  the  prime  of  life,  with  a  vigorous  frame  and  a  powei'ful  intellect, 
Mr.  Brady  was  struck  with  paralysis  ;  and.  after  lingering  a  few  days  under 
that  terrible  malady,  died  February  9,  1869,  in  New  York  City. 


221.   HENEY  J.   EAYMOND. 

Henry  Jauvis  Raymond,  the  founder  of  The  New  York  Times,  was  born 
in  Lima,  Living-ston  County,  New  York,  January  24,  1820.  The  son  of  the 
proprietor  of  a  small  farm,  he  early  assisted  in  its  labors ;  but,  while  still 
young',  he  entered  the  Academy  of  Lima,  and  in  the  winter  of  IboO-oG, 
taught  a  district  school.  He  graduated  at  the  University  of  Vermont  in 
1840,  Avhen  he  repaired  to  New  York  ;  and,  after  studying  law  for  a  year  in 
the  office  of  Edward  W.  Marsh,  he  maintained  himself  by  teaching  the 
classics  in  a  young  ladies'  seminary  and  by  contributions  to  the  New  York 
press. 

He  was  connected  with  the  Neio  York  Tnhune  upon  its  establishment, 
in  April,  1841  ;  and,  in  the  capacity  of  Assistant  Editor,  distinguished  him- 
self by  great  ability  as  a  Reporter,  an  art  then  in  its  infancy  in  the  United 
States.  Accepting  an  offer  from  General  James  Watson  Webb,  of  a  position 
on  the  New  York  Courier  ami  Enquirer,  he  relinquished  it  in  1851.  Some 
four  years  previously  he  had  formed  a  literary  connection  with  the  publish- 
ing house  of  Harper  &  Brothers,  which  continued  uninterrupted  for  teu 
years. 

The  social  doctrines  of  Fourier  finding  at  this  time  a  zealous  champion 
in  Horace  Greeley,  Mr.  Raymond  entered  into  a  prolonged  and  spirited 
controversy  with  Mr.  Greeley  respecting  them — which  controversy  was  sub- 
sequently published  in  a  pamphlet  edition,  and  attracted,  from  the  ability 
displayed  on  both  sides,  very  general  public  attention. 

Elected  in  1849  to  the  State  Legislature,  he  soon  became  prominent  as  a 
ready  debater  and  legislator.  Re-elected  in  1850,  he  was  chosen  Speaker  of 
the  Assembly.  During  this  session  he  advocated  vigorously  the  Common 
School  System  and  the  Canal  policy  of  the  State.  The  adjourament  of  the 
Legislature  found  Mr.  Raymond  in  impaired  health,  for  the  benefit  of  which 
he  sailed  to  Europe.  Returning  in  August,  he  published,  September  18, 
1851,  the  first  number  of  The  New  York  (daily)  Timei^,  a  journal  which  has 
continued  to  grow  in  public  respect  and  confidence  from  the  great  ability 
displayed  in  its  editorial  management. 

Acting  as  a  substitute  for  a  regular  delegate  to  the  Whig  National  Con- 
vention at  Baltimore  in  1852,  he  addressed  that  body,  against  violent  oppo- 
sition, in  defense  of  Northern  sentiment. 

Nominated,  in  1854,  by  the  Whig,  Anti-Nebraska,  and  Temperance 
Conventions,  he  was  elected,  over  two  competitors,  by  a  large  majority, 
Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State. 

Taking  an  active  part  in  the  organisation  of  the  Republican  party, 
caused  by  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise,  he  drew  up  the  "  Address 
to  the  People,"  submitted  by  its  first  National  Convention,  held  at  Pittsburg 
in  February,  1856.  During  the  Presidential  canvass  which  followed,  he 
made  numerous  public  speeches  in  favor  of  General  Fremont,  its  candidate. 

His  term  of  service  as  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State,  expiring  Decem- 
ber 31,  1857,  Mr.  Raymond  declined,  the  same  year,  to  be  a  candidate  for 
the  Gubernatorial  office.  Entering  energetically  into  the  Presidential  can- 
vass of  1800,  he  took  a  prominent  position  both  in  his  journal  and  in  public 
addresses,  in  favor  of  Abraham  Lincoln's  election,  and  sustained  throughout 
a  zealous  prosecution  of  the  war  against  the  seceding  States.  Governor 
Raymond  was  subsequently  elected  to  Congress,  and  in  that  body  maintained 
an  influential  position  from  his  ability  as  a  debater  and  an  able  legislator. 
A  popular  speaker  and  a  practical  writer,  he  could  not  fail  to  wield  a  great 
power  by  the  combined  strength  of  the  forum  and  the  press.  He  died  June  18, 
1869. 


222.    HIRAM     WALBRIDGE. 

Hiram  Walbridge  was  born  in  Ithaca,  Tompkins  County,  State  of  New  York, 
February  2,  1821.  At  an  early  age,  after  completing  his  primary  education  in 
Utica,  he  was  sent  to  school  in  Ithaca,  X.  Y.,  living  while  there  with  his  uncle, 
Judge  Walbridge.  In  18;]5,  the  family  moved  to  Toledo,  Ohio  ;  and  Walbridge, 
then  only  fourteen  years  old,  began  the  study  of  law  with  Judge  Tilden,  of  Toledo. 
His  mastery  of  the  theory  of  the  legal  profession  was  very  rapid,  and  at  the  early 
a:e  of  twenty-one,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  all  the  Ohio  courts,  and  soon 
after  to  the  bar  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court. 

In  184:1,  he  was  commissioned  a  brigadier-geiipral  of  Ohio  militia,  a  fact  which 
explains  the  title  of  "  General  "  ever  after  prefixed  to  his  name.  During  the 
Mexican  war  he  was  offered  a  colonelcy  of  a  volunteer  regiment ;  but  he  declined 
it,  and  soon  after  moved  to  New  York,  where  he  ever  after  resided.  He  forsook 
the  profession  of  law  for  mercantile  pursuits,  and  for  many  years  has  been  iden- 
tified with  the  produce  interests  of  this  city. 

He  was  an  active  member  of  the  Cliamber  of  Commerce  and  of  the  Produce 
Exchange  in  this  city,  in  both  of  which  institutions  he  was  a  zealous  promoter 
and  advocate  of  all  schemes  for  the  advancement  of  the  commercial  interests  of 
the  country.  He  was  president  of  every  commercial  convention  that  has  been 
held  in  the  United  States  up  to  within  the  last  two  years,  and  took  a  deep  interest 
in  all  kinds  of  internal  improvements,  of  which  he  was  a  liberal  and  eloquent  ad- 
vocate. 

In  1833,  he  was  elected  on  the  Democratic  ticket  to  represent  the  Fourth  Dis- 
trict of  this  city  in  Congress,  and  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  declined  a  renoaii- 
nation.  This  was  the  only  political  office  h.c  ever  b.eld.  In  Congress,  Ceneral 
Walbridge  introduced  the  measure  known  as  the  "  Militia  of  the  Seas,"  and  was 
also  the  first  member  of  Congress  to  advocate  the  construe  ion  of  the  Pacific  Rail- 
road, having,  from  a  recent  and  extended  visit  to  California,  become  impressed  with 
the  importance  of  the  Pacific  coast.  General  Walbridge  was  at  this  time  inte- 
rested'in  the  faoious  Mariposa  estate,  and  owned  one-quarter  of  that  valuable 
property. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion,  General  "Walbridge  took  a  prompt  and 
bold  stand  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and  advocated  the  immediate  calling  out  of 
600,000  men  to  suppress  the  insurrection.  lie  had  traveled  extensively  in  the 
Southern  States,  where  he  also  possessed  a  large  property  interest,  and  was  one 
of  the  few  men  who  foresaw  at  the  outset  the  magnitude  and  desperate  character 
of  the  rebellion.  He  was  offered  a  seat  in  President  Lincoln's  cabinet,  but  de- 
clined, and  spent  a  large  share  of  his  time,  during  the  war,  in  advocating  with 
his  tongue  and  pen  the  cause  of  the  Union,  and  arousing  the  patriotism  of  the 
people,  particularly  of  the  commercial  classes.  After  the  war  he  was  among  the 
earliest  advocates  of  universal  amnesty.  Few  men  had  a  larger  personal  acquain- 
tance in  all  sections  of  the  country  than  General  Walbridge,  and  fewer  still 
had  a  larger  personal  popularity.  He  was  kind-hearted,  affable,  generous,  whole- 
souled,  and  magnanimous.  As  a  public  speaker  he  was  ready,  earnest,  and  elo- 
quent, and  possessed  a  command  of  language  and  a  power  and  volume  of  voice 
such  as  few  men  are  gifted  with.  His  last  service  of  a  public  nature  was  jierform- 
cd  as  one  of  the  Government  Commissioners  appointed  to  examine  and  report 
upon  the  condition  of  the  Pacific  Railroad,  and  the  improvements  needed  to  bring 
the  road  up  to  the  government  stipulations.  General  Hiram  Walbridge  died  at 
the  Astor  House,  in  New  York,  December  6,  1870. 


223.    GEOEGE    B.    McCLELLAX. 

General  George  B.  IMcClellan  was  Lorn  in  Philadelpliia,  December 
3,  1S2G.  He  entered  the  military  academj^  at  West  Point  in  1842,  grad- 
uated in  18-10,  and  was  immediately  called  into  active  service  as  Second 
Lieutenant  of  a  company  of  sappers  and  miners,  which  sailed  for  Mexico  on 
the  24th  of  September,  with  orders  to  report  to  General  Taylor  at  Camargo, 
by  whom  he  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  Matamoras. 

Great  praise  was  bestoAved  upon  him  for  the  amount  and  excellence  of 
the  work  done  in  this  j^art  of  Mexico.  From  Tampico  they  went  to  Vera 
Cruz,  where  Lieutenant  McClellan  was  engaged  in  the  most  severe  duties — 
in  opening  paths  and  roads  to  facilitate  the  investment,  and  lighten  the  toil 
and  hardship  of  the  trenches,  which  was  always  done  with  intelligence  and 
zeal.  On  the  2Uth  of  August,  1847,  he  distinguished  himself  at  the  battle  of 
Churubusco,  for  which  he  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant ;  at  Molino 
del  E,ey  and  Chapultepec,  his  gallantry  secured  him  the  additional  rank  of 
Captain  by  brevet. 

The  following  year  he  assumed  command  of  the  sappers  and  miners, 
which  position  he  held  until  1831,  in  the  autumn  of  which  year  he  super- 
intended the  building  of  Fort  Delaware.  In  1852  he  was  assigned  to  duty 
in  the  expedition  that  explored  the  Eed  River ;  and  also  served  as  an  Engi- 
neer upon  some  explorations  in  Texas. 

In  1853  he  aided  in  surveying  the  Northern  route  of  the  Pacific  Railroad, 
for  which  he  was  highly  complimented  by  the  Secretary  of  AYar,  Jefferson 
Davis.  Shortly  after,  he  was  sent  on  a  secret  mission  to  the  West  Indies, 
and  on  his  return,  in  1855,  received  a  Captaincy  in  the  United  States 
Cavalry ;  and,  the  same  year,  was  sent,  in  company  with  Captain  R.  E.  Lee, 
to  watch  the  progress  of  the  Crimean  War,  and  perfect  themselves  in  the 
art. 

In  1857  he  resigned,  and  accepted  the  position  of  Vice-President  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  which  office  he  held  for  three  years,  when  he 
accepted  the  Presidency  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Railroad. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  Ohio  immediately  made  him 
Major-General  of  her  militia,  which  he  organized  quickly  and  thoroughly ; 
and,  on  the  14th of  May,  wis  assigned  to  the  Department  of  Ohio,  as  Mujor- 
General  in  the  United  States  Array.  Then  followed  his  campaign  in  West 
Virginia,  and  victories  of  Rich  Mountain  and  Philippi.  November  1,  1801, 
he  was  appointed  to  succeed  General  Scott  as  General-in-Chief  of  the  United 
States  Armies. 

He  organized  the  army  with  great  abilitj- ;  but  when  the  advance  took 
place,  in  March,  1802,  he  Avas  restricted  to  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  He  first  invested  Yorktown,  where  he  exhibited  extraordinary 
engineering  skill,  and  which  soon  fell  into  his  hands.  He  subsequently  con- 
ducted  the  campaign  of  the  Peninsula,  reaching  James  River  on  the  2d  of 
July ;  and,  in  the  middle  of  August,  conducted  the  army  back  to  Washing- 
ton, where,  for  several  days,  he  held  command  of  the  Washington  fortifica*' 
tions. 

At  the  close  of  Pope's  campaign,  he  resumed  his  old  command,  and 
fought  the  battle  of  Antietam.  On  November  7,  he  was  relieved  by  Gen- 
eral iiurnside.  He  was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  President  of  the  L'nited 
States  in  18G4,  and  resigned  his  commission  in  the  fall  of  that  year.  He 
has  since  traveled  in  Europe. 

Immediately  on  his  return,  in  1868,  he  was  called  upon  to  superintend  the 
completion  of  tlie  Stevens  Battery,  at  Hoboken,  N.  J.  ;  and  on  the  1st  of  August, 
187Q,  he  was  appointed  Engineer-ia-Chief  la  the  Department  of  Docks  for  the  city 
of  New-York. 


224.   JOHN   0.   FREMONT. 

General  John  C.  Fremont  was  born  in  Savannah,  Georgia,  January 
21,  1813.  His  father  was  French,  and  his  mother  a  Virginia  lady.  At 
fifteen  years  of  age  he  entered  Charleston  College,  S.  C,  where  he  made 
rapid  progress,  graduating  at  seventeen. 

For  three  years  he  was  employed  as  Instructor  in  Mathematics  in  various 
schools  iu  Charleston,  and  as  Practical  Surveyor.  In  lb8o  he  was  appointed 
Teacher  of  Mathematics  on  board  the  United  States  sloop-of-war  Natcliez, 
and  m.ade  a  cruise  of  two  years  and  a  half  in  that  vessel.  From  this  time 
until  1888  he  was  employed  as  Engineer  on  the  Charleston  and  Auyrusta 
Bailroad.  In  i8o8  he  accompanied  M.  Kicollet,  to  explore  the  country 
between  the  Missouri  and  the  British  line,  and  assisted  in  preparing  the 
maps  and  report  of  the  exploration,  when  he  was  appointed  Second  Lieu- 
tenant, United  States  Topographical  Engineers. 

In  1842  he  applied  for  and  obtained  an  order  to  explore  the  "Wind  River 
Peak  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  He  left  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  River, 
June  10,  and  proceeded  up  the  Piatt  River  and  its  tributaries  to  the  South 
Pass,  which  was  carefully  examined.  Thence  he  proceeded  to  the  \V  itid 
River  Mountains,  the  loftiest  peak  of  which  was  ascended,  and  returned  to 
Kansas,  October  10.  His  report  was  laid  before  Cono;ress  in  the  winters  of 
1843-43.  Humboldt  praised  it,  and  the  London  Atheneum  pronounced  it 
one  of  the  most  perfect  productions  of  its  kind.  He  again,  .n  May,  1843, 
Get,  out  with  twenty-five  men,  to  find  a  new  route  across  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  for  nearly  a  year  was  lost  to  the  world,  suffering"  unheard-of  hard- 
ships in  the  snow-clad  mountains,  planting  the  flag  of  hia  country  upon 
their  highest  peak,  discovering  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  Sierra  Nevada,  the 
valley  of  the  Sacramento,  and  establishing  the  geography  of  the  Western 
poi'tion  of  the  continent.  For  this  service  he  was  breveted  Captain  in 
1845,  when  he  set  out  on  his  third  expedition,  which  resulted  in  giving 
California  to  the  United  States.  Arriving  in  California,  he  became  in- 
volved with  the  Mexican  Governor  of  that  State  ;  and,  with  the  aid  of  a 
few  Americans,  defeated  the  iMexican  forces,  raised  the  Independent  Beat* 
Flag,  and  was  elected  Governor  by  the  settlers,  which  election  was 
ratified  by  Commodore  Stockton.  He  was  afterward  made  a  victim  of  a 
quarrel  between  General  Kearney  and  the  Commodore,  and  dismissed 
the  service.  The  President  reinstated  him ;  but  Fremont  would  not  accept 
"mercy."  He  resigned  his  commission,  returned  to  California,  making  his 
li)me  on  the  Mariposa,  and  was  elected  its  first  Senator. 

In  the  winter  of  1848  and  1853,  he  made,  at  his  own  expense,  surveys  across 
the  continent,  to  determine  qtiestions  involved  in  the  building  of  the  Pacific  Rail- 
road. In  1856,  he  was  unanimously  nominated  as  a  candidate  for  President  of  the 
United  States  by  the  Republican  Convention,  but  was  d-feated  by  James  Buchanan. 
Being  in  Paris  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion,  he  purchased  a 
quantity  of  arms  for  the  United  States  Government  v/ith  his  own  private 
credit,  and  brought  them  with  him.  On  liis  arrival,  a  Major-General's  com- 
mission awaited  him,  and  he  was  assigned  to  the  Western  Military  Depart- 
ment, where  he  arrived,  July  25,  1861.  He  at  once  set  vigorously  to  work 
organizing  an  army,  fortifying  St.  Louis,  and  dratting  plans  for  a  Western 
campaign.  He  continued  in  this,  Departm^ent  until  November  2,  during 
which  he  issued  hia  celebrated  proclamation  freeing  the  slaves  of  Rebels 
within  his  command. 

He  afterward  distinguished  himself  in  the  Shenandoah  valley  in  variovis 
battles  with  *'  Stonewall "  Jackson ;  but  his  political  prominence  making 
him  a  victim  of  jealousy  and  intrigue,  he  left  the  service,  June  Zl*  IScS, 
and  resi;?ned  his  commission  iu  May,  1864- 


225.  WILLIAM  T.  SHERMAN. 

General  AVilliam  T.  Sherman  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Ohio,  in  1820; 
graduated  at  West  Point,  in  1840;  and,  in  the  same  year,  was  appointed 
Second  Lieutenant  of  the  Third  Artillery.  He  served  in  California  during 
the  Mexican  AVar ;  was  breveted  Captain,  in  1850  ;  but,  in  ISoo,  resigned  his 
commission,  and  engaged  in  business  in  San  Francisco. 

Li  18o8  he  became  President  of  the  Louisiana  Military  Academy,  but 
resigned  his  position  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Robellion. 

In  June,  1801,  he  was  commissioned  Colonel  of  the  Thirteenth  Regular 
Infantry,  and  was  subsequently  appointed  Brigadier- G-eneral  of  Volunteers. 
He  participated  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  in  the  ensuing  autumn 
and  winter  was  in  Kentucky  and  Missouri. 

In  the  spring  of  1852  he  commanded  a  division  in  Grant's  army,  and  dis- 
tinguished himself  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  earning  thereby  his  promotion 
to  M  ijor-General  of  Volunteers.  He  made  an  unsuccessful  attack  on 
Vicksburg  in  December,  1862,  and  took  part  in  the  subsequent  campaign 
against  that  place  under  Grant. 

Beitig  ordered  by  General  Grant  to  assume  command  of  the  Department  of 
Tennessee,  and  to  march  toward  Chattanooga,  he  joined  him  there  in  November, 
and  aided  materially  in  the  success  of  Grant's  movements  against  Bragi,'  in  tliat 
vicinity  ;  after  which  he  marched  to  the  relief  of  General  Burnside  at  Knoxvilie, 
who  was  besieged  by  General  Lontistreet,  compelling  that  general  to  raise  the 
siege,  and  retreat  to  tlie  borders  of  Virginia. 

Early  in  18G4  General  Sherman  conducted  a  successful  raid  through 
Southern  JNIississippi  and  Alabama,  where  he  made  the  most  complete  de- 
struction of  railroads  ever  performed,  destroyed  the  arsen  il  at  ileridian,  which 
was  filled  with  valuable  stores  and  machinery,  and  burned  a  large  number 
of  Government  warehouses  filled  with  stores  :ind  ammunition,  besides 
destroying  depots,  bridges,  and  rolling  stock  ;  after  which,  he  retraced  his 
steps  to  the  Mississippi,  with  over  eight  thousand  liberated  slaves  and  an 
immense  amount  of  spoils.  His  whole  loss  in  the  raid  was  less  than  two 
hundred. 

In  March,  1804,  Grant,  then  recently  appointed  Lieutenant-General  and 
Commander-in-Chief,  turned  over  to  Sherman  the  command  of  the  Military 
Division  of  the  Mississippi,  who  soon  after  commenced  his  successful  cam- 
paign against  Atlanta,  during  which  he  fought  the  series  of  battles  from 
Chattanooga  to  that  place,  driving  General  J.  E.  Johnston  before  him,  and 
succeeded  in  obliging  Hood,  who  had  superseded  Johnston,  to  evacuate 
Atlanta,  September  1,  18G4. 

In  the  succeeding  November,  after  driving  Hood  into  Northern  Alabama, 
General  Sherman  commenced  his  triumphant  march  through  Georgia,  and 
reached  Savannah,  which  he  captured  in  December. 

Thence  he  marched  North  to  Goldsboro',  North  Carolina,  near  whie?\ 
place  he  received  the  surrender  of  General  J.  E.  Johnston's  army,  Aprii  2i), 
1805.  He  was  soon  after  appointed  to  the  comm  md  of  the  Military  Division 
of  the  Mississippi,  and  subsequently  transferred  to  the  Western  Division^ 
v/hich  position  he  now  holds. 

In  June,  1803,  ho  was  made  Lieutenant-General,  Grant  having  been 
raised  to  general,  and,  in  March,  1869,  was  appointed  General  of  the  Army  in 
place  of  General  Grant,  who  had  been  elected  President  of  the  United  States.' 


22G.  JOSEPH   E.   JOHNSTON. 

General  Joseph  E.  Johnston  was  Lorn  in  Prince  Edward  County, 
Virginia,  about  the  year  1808.  Great  attention  was  paid  to  his  early 
education,  which  he  received  in  Abingdon  district. 

In  1829  he  graduated  at  West  Point  with  great  credit,  and  was  immedi- 
ately assigned  to  the  Fourth  Artillery  as  Brevet  Second  Lieutenant.  He 
remained^there  until  ISoG,  when  he  was  a|)pointed  First  Lieutenant. 

In  1838  he  was  appointed  First  Lieutenant  of  Topographical  Engineers; 
and,  in  that  capacity,  served  through  the  Florida  War,  where  he  greatly 
distinguished  liimself  by  hig  coolness  and  bravei'y. 

February  16,  1847,  he  Avas  breveted  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  Yoltigeurs, 
and  sailed  with  the  expedition  of  General  Scott  to  Mexico,  where,  on  the 
advance  to  Cerro  Gordo,  he  made  a  most  daring  reconnoissance,  and  where 
he  was  severely  Avounded.  He  distinguished  himself  at  Molino  del  Key, 
and  was  again  wounded  at  Chapul tepee. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War  he  was  retained  as  Captain  in  the  Topo- 
graphical Engineers  ;  and,  at  a  later  date  (1855),  was  made  full  Colonel  in 
the  Regular  Army.  In  June,  1860,  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  Quar- 
termaster's Department,  with  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General. 

When  Virginia  seceded  he  felt  bound  to  join  the  service  of  his  native 
State,  when  he  was  appointed  to  a  high  command  by  Governor  Letcher,  and 
afterward  was  commissioned  Major-General  in  the  Confederate  army,  with 
command  of  the  Army  of  the  Shenandoah,  where  he  acted  against  Patterson, 
whom  he  eluded,  and  arrived  at  the  first  battle-field  of  Bull  Kun  in  season 
to  turn  the  scale  of  battle  against  the  Federals.  He  subsequently  com- 
manded at  Richmond  in  the  early  part  of  the  Peninsular  campaign,  and 
was  severely  wounded  at  Fair  Oaks,  after  which  he  was  assigned  to  the 
Trans-Mississippi  Department,  where,  in  attempting  to  succor  General  Pem- 
berton  at  Vicksburg,  he  encountered  General  Grant  at  Jackson,  was  defeated, 
and  forced  to  evacuate  that  cit3^ 

In  January,  1864,  General  Johnston  took  command  of  the  Army  of  Ten- 
nessee (General  Bragg  having  been  removed),  and  contested  General  Sher- 
man's advance  into  Georgia  in  a  series  of  battles,  among  which  the  most 
severe  were  at  Resaca  and  around  Dallas,  Altoona,  and  the  Kenesaw  Moun- 
tains, all  of  which  he  conducted  with  great  skill,  but  was  obliged  to  retreat 
before  the  superior  force  of  Sherman  to  Atlanta,  Avhen  he  was  superseded 
by  General  Hood,  in  obedience  to  a  j)opular  clamor  against  what  was  called 
his  Fabian  policy  of  retreat. 

From  this  time  until  February,  1865,  he  was  virtually  retired  from  the 
army,  when  public  opinion  had  begun  to  set  in  strongly  in  favor  of  his 
restoration,  and  he  was  reinstated  and  placed  in  command  of  the  forces  in 
North  Carolina,  in  place  of  Beauregard,  who  continued  to  serve  under  his 
old  commander.  He  concentrated  his  forces  at  Raleigh,  where  he  prepared 
to  resist  the  advance  of  Sherman  from  Savannah  ;  and,  by  the  time  Sherman 
arrived,  had  made  tip  an  army  superior  to  his  in  cavalry,  and  formidable 
enough  in  artillery  and  infantry  to  make  it  incumbent  upon  Sherman  to 
move  with  caution,  and  to  afford  a  prospect  of  being  able  to  resist  his  pro- 
gress ;  but,  on  the  2Gth  of  April,  1865,  after  being  driven  back  beyond 
Goldsboro',  and  hearing  of  Lee's  surrender  to  Grant,  he  capitulated  on  the 
same  terms  to  General  Sherman. 


227.  JOHN   A.   LOGAN. 

General  John  A.  Logan  was  born  in  Jackson  County,  Illinois,  February 
19,  182G.  He  was  early  thrown  on  liis  natural  resources  of  energy  for  suc- 
cess in  life,  and  received  a  good  common  school  education,  "When  the  war 
with  Mexico  occurred,  he  entered  the  army  as  private,  was  elected  a  Lieu- 
tenant of  a  company  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers,  and  was 
made  Quartermaster  of  his  i^egiment.  Returning  home  on  the  close  of  the 
war,  he  was  elected  County  Clerk  of  Jackson  County  in  1849,  but  resigned, 
and  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  1850.  Having  graduated  at  the  Louis- 
ville University,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1852,  and  the  same  year  was 
elected  to  the  State  Legislature  of  Illinois,  where  he  acquired  distinction. 

In  1853  he  was  appointed  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  the  Third  Judicial 
Circuit ;  in  1856  was  a  Presidential  Elector ;  and  the  same  year  was  again 
elected  to  the  Legislature. 

In  1858  he  was  elected  a  Representative  from  Illinois  to  the  Thirty-Sixth 
Congress,  and,  in  18G0,  was  re-elected. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  he  resigned  his  seat  in  Congress, 
and  entered  the  Union  army  as  Colonel,  distinguishing  himself  by  his  great 
bravery  at  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  July  21,  1801. 

Returning  to  Illinois  in  August,  he  organized  the  Thirty-First  Regiment 
of  Illinois  Volunteers.  His  regiment  participated  in  the  battle  of  Belmont 
in  November,  18G1,  and,  also,  at  the  capture  of  Fort  Henry.  He  took 
an  active  part  in  the  capture  of  Fort  Donaldson,  and  was  wounded  in  the 
left  arm. 

Commissioned  a  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers,  March  24,  1862,  he 
reported  to  General  Grant,  and,  after  participating  in  the  siege  of  Corinth, 
he  was  placed  in  command  of  the  United  States  forces  at  Jackson.  H-  com- 
manded a  division  of  the  right  wing  in  the  movements  into  Mississippi  in 
December,  1862,  and  subsequently  held  one  in  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  under 
General  McPherson. 

In  the  spring  of  1803  he  was  confirmed  a  Major-General  of  Volimteers, 
with  rank  from  November  9,  1862,  and  distinguished  himself  with  General 
Grant  in  his  rapid  march  from  Grand  Gulf  to  Jackson,  in  May,  1863,  Avhen, 
continually  in  the  advance,  he  occupied  the  Mississippi  capital. 

He  participated  prominently  in  the  battle  of  Champion  Hills,  and  was 
equally  distinguished  at  the  storming  of  Vicksburg,  May  22,  1803.  On  the 
surrender  of  Vicksburg,  July  4,  1863,  General  Logan's  command  occupied 
the  surrendered  city,  an  honor  bestowed  upon  his  gallant  corps  for  its  dis- 
tinguished services,  and  he  was  made  Military  Governor. 

Returning  North,  General  Logan  took  an  active  part  in  all  the  political 
questions  growing  out  of  the  war,  addressing  public  meetings  througliout 
the  country,  and  was  again  elected  Representative  to  Congress,  in  1800, 
where  he  participated  in  the  debates  on  Reconstruction,  and  was  chosen  one 
of  the  Managers  on  the  part  of  the  House  in  the  impeachment  of  Andrew 
Johnson. 

The  great  organization  wliich  constitutes  the  "  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic" selected  General  Logan  as  its  Chief;  and  in  tliat  capacity,  with  his 
political  prominence,  he  is  one  of  the  most  influential  men  of  the  couutry. 


228.  ROGER  A.  PRYOR. 

Rr.GEii  A.  PRTOR  was  born  in  Dinwiddle  County,  Virginia  July  lO.lS.'S, 
ancl  giadaated  at  Hitmijden  bidney  (Joiiege  aud  t^e  Uuiveraity  of  Virginia, 
ia  184;>. 

He  adopted  the  profession  of  tlie  law,  cmmpucing  pr-ictice  in  Cliar- 
Inttpvillp,  Virginia.,  l)..t  relir.quished  it  on  accuuat  of  Lis  heallb,  and  in 
18j1,  becimean  Kditor  in  PeicM>burg 

lie  w.is  e.trly  drawn  into  politics  in  which  he  toolc  an  active  and  con- 
spicuous pirt. 

In  18.3i  Mr.  Pryor  connected  him'^elf  with  the  "Washington  Union'' 
as  a  writer,  bur,  relinquished  his  p'sitiun  on  account  of  a  difference  with 
the  Admitiistr.ition  in  respt^ct  to  our  relations  with  Russia, ^Ir  Piyor  being 
pro  Riissian  in  his  sentiments  In  1^53  he  j'tned  tte  "  llichniond  En- 
qu  rer,"  which  he  edit»M].  In  18."^5  be  w;is  ai>p'>  nt.«'d  b>  President  Pieice  a 
special  comm  ssioner  ti)  Greece  to  adjust  cc  'ain  difficult  t  s  wi  h  that  c«'un- 
try,  <  riginaung  in  the  persecution  ot  the  K  v.  Dr.  K  ng  an  Anieiici.n  Mis- 
sionary, which  be  succes^luMy  setiied.  On  hisreturnhe  e^tabl.thed  a  po  it- 
ical  journal  called  ttie  "South,"'  w'.ich  stopp.  d  in  eiglileeu  n  ontlis,  ai  d 
was  afterwards  cnnected  for  lour  months  with  the  "  Wash  nsrlr.n  Si;tt<  s."' 
In  1859  he  was  elected  Representative  to  the  thirty  sixth  tongrfss.  ai  d  was 
re-e'e  ted  to  the  thnty-seventh  Congress,  but  was  am.  ng  tliose  who  were 
prom'nt'nt  in  the  seces-ion  movement.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Pi  ovisicnal 
Congress  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  and  was  conspicuous  among  those 
who  aided  ii  the  formation  of  the  New  Government. 

He  was  elected  to  the  regular  Congress  of  the  Secession  States,  but 
resianed  his  position  to  enter  'he  Confedernte  Army  and  was  appointed  a 
Colonel.  He  was  promoted  to  aBiigadier-G<  noral  and  set  ved  in  the  Army  of 
Northern  Vircinia  until  18G4,  when,  rcsignli  ghisiankon  account  of  a  differ- 
ence with  Jefferson  Davis,  he  served  -^-s  a  private  u"  til  the  end  of  the  war. 

Ilemoving  to  New  York  City,  in  18  J5.  he  settled  as  a  Lawyer  and  at 
once  took  a  prominent  portion  at  the  bar,  where  lie  has  advanced  to 
distinctif  n  and  a  lucrative  practice.  In  Congress  Gen.  Pryor  was  distin- 
guished as  a  readv  debater  and  took  a  lead  n<jr  part  in  iill  tlie  stormy  legis- 
lation preceding  the  war.  Eschewing  policies  since,  he  has  devoted  liimself 
exclusively  to  his  profession,  and,  making  numer(  us  friends  among  Ids  new 
a^soeiates,  both  in  nnd  out  of  his  profession,  Gen.  Pryor  has  a  fair  field 
before  hira  of  future  promotion  and  distinctio.n. 


229.   RICHARD   TAYLOR. 

General  E.ICIIARD  Taylor  (popularly  known  in  the  late  war  as  "  Dick  ' 
Taylor,  of  the  Confederate  service),  was  the  son  of  General  Zachary  Taylor, 
the  tenth  President  of  the  United  States,  and  was  born  in  Louisiana  about 
the  year  1822.  The  son  of  a  President  of  the  United  States,  he  also  had 
the  peculiar  fortune  of  being  the  brother-in-law  of  the  President  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy. 

He  first  disting-uished  himself  in  "  Stonewall  Jackson's"  famous  campaicrn 
in  the  valley  of  Virginia,  when,  at  Port  Republic,  the  Louisiana  Brigade, 
commanded  by  General  Taylor,  decided  the  day  by  an  attack  upon  the 
Federal  artillery,  which  was  taken  in  response  to  Jackson's  stern  command, 
**  That  battery  must  be  taken  1" 

With  the  rank  of  Major-General,  he  was  afterward  transferred  to 
another  field  of  operations,  and  placed  in  command  of  the  District  of 
Louisiana. 

Here  transpired  the  chief  interest  of  his  military  life,  in  its  remarkable 
connection  with  the  city  of  Xew  Orleans,  which  he  indulged  the  hope  of 
relieving  or  capturing. 

Engaging  actively  in  the  campaign  in  the  La  Fourche  country  in  the  sum- 
mer of  18G8,  General  Taylor  capti'j:ed  Brashear  City  and  its  forts.  This 
position,  with  that  of  Thibodeaux,  placed  him  in  command  of  the  Mississippi 
River  above  New  Orleans.  The  unexpected  fall  of  Yicksburg,  involving  so 
many  other  operations,  proved  equally  disastrous  to  General  Taylors  place  ; 
and,  exposing  Port  Hudson,  compelled  it  also  to  surrender,  rendering 
General  Taylor's  position  in  the  La  Fourche  country  still  more  hazardous. 
Unable  to  hold  it  with  a  force  of  only  four  thousand  men,  he  was  compelled 
to  abandon  it. 

In  the  famous  Red  River  campaign  in  the  spring  of  18CI,  acting  under 
the  orders  of  General  E.  Kirby  Smith,  he  encountered  the  army  of  General 
Banks,  moving  from  Alexandria,  and  gained,  it  is  claimed  by  the  Confed- 
erates, two  of  the  most  important  victories  of  the  war. 

The  battle  of  Pleasant  Hill  being  won.  General  Taylor  favored  the  pur- 
suit of  the  Federal  troops  with  the  view  of  the  destruction  of  Panics  and 
Porter,  and  then  rapidly  opening  the  Avay  to  Xew  Orleans.  The  views  of 
General  Taylor,  indulged  from  a  romantic  andp  brilliant  point,  were  not 
sympathized  m  by  the  Commander-in-Chief,  so  they  were  abandoned,  much, 
to  his  disappointment. 

Banks  escaped  before  any  concentration  could  be  formed  against  him, 
although  Taylor,  with  a.  small  force,  was  in  hot  pursuit. 

Promoted  to  Lieutenant-General,  he  v/as  transferred  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  placed  in  command  of  the  Department  of  the  Southwest,  com- 
prising East  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  and  Alabama.  Surrendering  this 
command  to  General  Canby  on  the  4th  of  May,  ISGo,  General  Taylor's 
military  career  ended  with  the  end  of  the  Confederacy. 


230.  SILAS   H.    STEINGHAM. 

Admiral  Silas  Horton  Stringham  was  Dom  in  Middletown,  Orange 
County,  New  York,  November  7,  1798.  He  entered  the  navy  as  Midshipman 
in  1810,  and  served  in  the  frigate  President,  then  under  command  of  Com- 
modore Kodgers,  being  on  board  during  the  fight  with  the  Little  Belt  and 
the  Belvidere — British  vessels. 

In  1815  he  was  in  Commodore  Decatur's  squadron,  and  took  part  in  the 
Algerine  "War. 

In  1816  young  Stringham  distinguished  himself  by  the  rescue  of  part 
of  the  crew  of  a  French  brig  at  Gibraltar.  He  served  as  Lieutenant  in  1819, 
on  board  the  Cyane,  which  conveyed  the  first  settlers  to  the  Colony  of 
Liberia.  Here  he  went  on  an  expedition  after  slavers,  and  captured  four, 
was  made  Prize-Master,  and  sent  home  with  his  prizes. 

In  1821  he  was  promoted  to  a  First  Lieutenancy  :  and,  in  the  Hc^'net,  on 
the  West  India  station,  aided  in  the  capture  of  a  notorious  pirate  and  slaver. 

From  1825  to  1829  he  was  on  duty  at  the  Brooklyn  Navy- Yard ;  then 
sailed,  as  First  Lieutenant  .of  the  Peacock,  to  search  for  the  Hornet,  sup- 
posed to  have  been  lost  nearTampico;  was  transferred  to  the  Falmouth,  and 
returned  to  New  York  in  1830.  For  the  next  five  years  he  was  engaged  on 
shore  dtxty. 

In  1835  he  was  ordered  to  the  command  of  the  sloop-of-war  John  Adams, 
then  in  the  Mediterranean  squadron  ;  and,  in  1887,  Avas  appointed  second  in 
command  of  the  Brooklyn  Navy-Yard.  In  1842  lie  was  ordered  to  the  razee 
Independence',  and,  in  the  following  year,  was  assigned  to  the  command  of 
the  Brooklyn  Navy-Yard.  In  1846  he  took  command  of  the  ship-of-line 
Ohio,  and  was  engaged  in  the  capture  of  Vera  Cruz. 

After  various  important  services,  in  1861,  on  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Rebellion,  he  was  appointed  Flag-Officer  of  the  Atlantic  blockading  squadron, 
and  ordered  to  the  Minnesota.  He  commanded  the  joint  expedition  which 
captured  Forts  Hatteras  and  Clark,  August  27  and  28. 

On  September  23  he  was  relieved  from  his  command  at  his  own  request; 
and,  August  1, 1862,  was  ma'Ge  a  Rear-Admiral,  and  placed  on  the  retired  list. 

Since  that  period.  Admiral  Stringham  has  been  in  the  enjoyment  of  a 
well-earned  repose.  His  long  and  arduous  life  of  patriotic  service  is  grate- 
fully remembered  by  his  country,  and  he  lives  a  noble  example  of  the  honors 
of  a  well-spent  life,  spared  by  an  all-wise  and  over-ruling  power  to  remind 
us  how  faithfully  we  ouirht  to  cherisn  the  memory  of  those  devoted  spirits 
which  are  now  translated  to  higher  and  more  glorious  spheres  of  existence 
as  the  reward  of  their  fidelity  and  truth. 


231.  S.  F.  DUPONT. 

Admiral  S.  F.  Dupoxt  was  born  at  Bergen  Point,  New  Jersey,  Sep- 
tember 27,  180l>.  In  1815,  Avhen  but  twelve  j'ears  of  age,  ho  was  commis- 
sioned by  President  Madison  a  Midshipman  in  the  United  States  navy,  and 
sailed  on  his  first  cruise,  in  1817,  on  board  the  frl.z:ate  Franklin,  under 
Commodore  Stewart.  Owing  to  the  peaceful  relations  subsisting  between 
the  United  States  and  other  powers,  the  duties  of  his  profession  Avere  of  no 
special  importance.  He,  however,  showed  himself  an  active  and  able  officer 
in  whatever  capacity  employed,  and  exxDerienced  a  fair  proportion  of  sea 
service. 

In  1845,  being  then  a  Commander,  he  was  ordered  to  the  command  of  the 
frigate  Congress,  under  Commodore  Stockton,  and  was  on  the  California 
coast  at  the  coro.mencement  of  tlie  war  with  Mexico.  He  was  soon  after  put 
in  command  of  the  Cijane,  and  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  conquest  of 
Lower  California.  In  185G,  Dupont  attained  to  the  rank  of  Captain,  and,  in 
the  succeeding  year,  was  placed  in  command  of  the  steam-frigate  Minnesota, 
which  conveyed  Mr.  Reed,  the  American  Minister,  to  China;  and,  after  visit- 
ing Japan  and  the  coast  of  Southern  Asia,  returned  to  the  United  States  in 
1859.  In  January,  18G1,  he  was  appointed  to  tlie  command  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Navy-Yard. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  it  was  determined  by  the  Govern- 
ment to  occupy  one  or  more  important  points  on  the  Southern  coast,  where 
the  blockading  squadron  or  cruisers  of  the  Government  might  resort  for 
shelter  or  supplies,  or  rendezvous  for  expeditions  ;  and  to  Captain  Dupont 
was  intrusted  the  selection  of  such  a  place.  The  harbor  of  Port  Royal,  on 
tlie  coast  of  South  Carolina,  was  fixed  upon  ;  and,  during  the  summer  of 
1861,  preparations  for  a  joint  naval  and  military  expedition  thither  were 
vigorously  pursued.  On  the  29th  of  October  the  whole  fleet  of  over  fifty  sails 
stood  out  to  sea.  After  encountering  a  furious  gale,  which  dispersed  the 
vessels  in  all  directions  and  caused  the  loss  of  several  transports,  the 
greater  number  arrived  off  Port  Royal,  November  4,  when  a  recon- 
noissance  discovered  that  Hilton  Head  and  Bay  Point  were  protected  by 
works  of  great  strength,  scientifically  constructed,  and  mounted  with  guns 
of  heavy  calibre.  After  a  few  days'  x^reparation,  they  were  attacked  by  the 
fleet  on  the  morning  of  the  7th  ;  and,  by  two  o'clock,  the  enemy  were  dis- 
covered in  rapid  flight  from  Fort  Walker,  which  was  taken  possession  of, 
and  the  next  morning  Fort  Beauregard  was  also  abandoned  by  its  garrison. 

This  victory  excited  universal  enthusiasm  throughout  the  loyal  States, 
contributed  to  restore  confidence,  and  increase  the  eclat  which  had  attended 
the  naval  operations  of  the  war. 

Commodore  Dupont  immediately  took  active  measui-es  io  follow  up  this 
success,  and  his  fleet  was  afterward  busily  employed  in  expeditions  along 
the  coast  and  in  co-operation  with  the  land  forces  under  T.  W.  Sherman  and 
Hunter. 

Apart  from  his  sea  service,  and  for  the  past  quarter  of  a  century, 
Admiral  Dupont  has  been  employed  on  shore  in  numerous  important  public 
du.ties  requiring  the  exercise  of  high  professional  knowledge  and  experi- 
ence.    He  died  ut  Philadelphia,  June  2  ',  1865. 


232.    N.    B.    FORREST. 

Lieut-General  N.  B.  Forbest  was  born  on  the  13th  day  of  July,  1821, 
atCh  ppil  Hill,  Bedford  Co.,  iennessee.  Kemoviug  in  1831  with  h.sfaiher, 
William  Forrest,  to  Mississippi,  he  settled  in  that  State.  Amassing  a  con- 
siderable fortune  in  various  pursuits,  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  found  him 
a  suceesslul  planter  on  the  Mississippi  Bottom. 

Entering  the  Confederate  service  as  a  private  soldier,  he  soon  obtained 
the  autht.rity  to  raise  a  lli^giment  of  Cavalry  which  he  commanded  with 
d  stinguished  gallantry  at  Fort  Donelson  Subsequently  a';c<imp;inying 
Gen.  A.  S.  Johnston  in  his  retreat  to  the  Tennessee  River  he  was  witli  him  at 
the  Battle  cf  Shiloh,  where,  rendering  distinguished  service,  he  was 
sever*- ly  W(Uinded. 

Acting  ill  co-operation  with  John  Morgan,  when  that  General  made  his 
raid  into  Kentucky  to  operate  on  the  communications  of  Gen.  Grant's 
Army  in  Mississippi,  Forrest,  with  a  cavalry  force,  marched  to  oppose  those 
of  Gen.  R  'seneranz,  in  Tennessee. 

Crossing  the  Tennessee  River  at  Chattanooga,  Forrest  captured  Mc- 
Minnville,  surprised  the  garrison  of  Murfceesboro,  taking  prisoner  Gen. 
Crittenden  and  capturing  a  force  of  20C0  infantry. 

G-n.  Brazg's  Army  advancing  from  Chattanooga  towards  Kenlucky, 
Forrest  was  sent  again  to  Middle  fennessee.  Forrest's  Cavalry  covering 
the  whole  front  of  the  Confederate  Army,  constant  engagements  were 
fought  between  them  and  the  F«  derals. 

Col.  S.raight,  the  active  Federal  commander,  disembarking  a  select 
Brigade  in  the  neighborhood  of  Tuscumbia,  Alabama,  Forrest  marched 
rapidly  with  a  force  of  1500  men  to  the  Tennessee  River.  After  48  hours  of 
rap.d  pursnit  he  overtook  the  Federal  rear-guard  in  the  mountains.  Bring- 
ing his  antagonist  to  bay,  Straight  made  his  disposition  for  battle.  Forrest 
demanding  his  surrender,  Straight,  believing  himself  overwhelmed  by  a 
superior  fovce,  surrende'  ed  to  his  invincible  enemy. 

Gen.  Van  Dorn  dying.  Forre-t  was  placed  in  command  of  the  whole 
Cavalry  corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

At  the  Battle  of  Chicamaugua  his  command  occupied  the  extreme  right 
of  Br;ig2r*s  line  of  battle.    Alter  many  other  achievements  and  his  success- 
ful expedition  to  Faducah,  Gen.  Forrest  appealed  before  Fort  Pillow  on  the 
Mississippi.    This  fort,  garrisoned  by  negro  troops  surrendered  after  terrible 
slau<ihter,  April  12,  1864.    Its  capture  covered  the  nam^  of  Gen.  Forrest 
throughout  the  North  with  great  ignominy  from  his  alleged  merciless  mas- 
sacre of  the  colored  soldiers  after  their  surrender.     Afterward,  in  1868,  General  For- 
rest was  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  Convention  to  nominate  candidates  forPresi- 
dent  and  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  which  was  held  in  Tammany  Hall, 
New  York  City,  and  took  a  very  active  and  prominent  part  in  the  deliberations  of 
that  body. 


233.   WILLIAM  J.    HAEDEE. 

General  "William  J.  Hakdee  was  born  in  Savannah,  Georgia,  about 
the  year  1817.  He  entered  the  military  academy  at  West  Point  in  1834, 
ai?d  graduated  with  honor  in  1838.  He  was  then  commissioned  Second 
Lieutenant  in  the  United  States  Dragoons,  and  was  sent  to  Florida,  where 
he  served  nearly  two  years.  On  the  3d  of  December,  1839,  he  was  promoted 
to  a  First  Lieutenancy,  and  was  sent,  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  to  the  cele- 
brated military  school  of  St.  Maur,  in  France.  There,  he  was  regularly 
attached  tc  the  cavalry  department  of  the  French  army  ;  and,  after  com- 
pleting his  studies,  returned  to  the  United  States,  bringing  a  flattering  let- 
ter of  recommendation  from  Marshal  Oudinot  to  the  Secretary  of  W^ar  at 
Washington. 

Lieutenant  Hardee's  regiment  was  now  staticnsd  on  the  Western  fron- 
tier, and  quickly  joining  it,  he  soon  became  actively  employed  in  defend- 
ing the  advanced  settlements  from  Indian  depredations.  On  the  18th  of 
September,  1844,  he  was  promoted  to  Captain  of  Dragoons,  and  accompanied 
General  Taylor  across  the  Ptio  Grande,  being,  in  the  Mexican  campaign, 
the  first  to  engage  the  enemy,  at  a  place  called  Curricitos,  where, 
overwhelmed  by  superior  numbers,  he  was  taken  prisoner ;  but  was  ex- 
changed in  time  to  take  part  in  the  battle  of  Monterey.  He  afterward 
joined  the  forces  of  General  Scott  at  Vera  Cruz,  and  displayed  great  gallantry 
in  an  affair  at  Madelin,  for  which  he  was  promoted  to  Major  of  Cavalry. 

After  the  close  of  the  contest,  Jefferson  Davis,  then  Secretary  of  War, 
detailed  him  to  prepare  a  system  of  Tactics,  which  were  published  as 
"  Hardee's  Tactics,  or  the  United  States  RiSe  and  Infantry  Tactics,"  in  two 
volumes.  On  the  completion  of  the  work,  in  July,  1856,  he  was  appointed 
Commandant  of  the  Corps  of  Cadets  at  W^est  Point,  with  local  rank  of  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel. 

He  resigned  his  commission  in  the  United  States  Army,  January  31, 
1861,  and  offered  his  services  to  the  Confederate  Government,  was  made  a 
Brigadier-General,  and  was  sent  to  Arkansas  with  his  command.  He  was 
aftei'ward  sent  to  Kentucky,  when  he  was  appointed  a  Major-General;  and, 
on  the  17th  of  December,  18G1,  fought  the  battle  of  Munfordsville,  Ivy. 
In  18G3  he  commanded  a  corps  in  General  Polk's  division,  and  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  where  his  zeal  and  ability  was  spoken  of  by  Beaure- 
gard, in  his  official  report.  From  this  time,  General  Hardee's  corps  was 
attached  to  Bragg's  army,  and  accompanied  it  in  all  its  movements,  to  the 
battle  of  Perryville.  His  conduct  on  this  occasion,  and  throughout  the 
campaign,  procured  him  the  appointment  of  Lieutenant-General.  He  took 
a  conspicuous  part  in  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro',  in  December,  1862. 

In  the  month  of  July,  1863,  he  was  assigned  to  duty  in  command  of  the 
department  formerly  held  by  General  Pemberton,  but  was  soon  recalled  to 
Bragg's  army,  and  the  Second  Corps  placed  under  him.  The  battles  of 
Chickamtiuga,  Lookout  Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge,  followed  ;  and,  finally. 
General  Hardee  was  appointed  to  temporarily  succeed  Bragg  in  the  general 
command. 

In  May,  1864,  General  J.  E.  Johnston  assumed  full  command  of  the 
army;  and,  in  September,  General  Hardee  was  relieved  at  his  own  request, 
and  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Department  of  South  Carolina.  When 
General  Sherman  advanced  upon  Savannah,  General  Hardee  occupied  that 
city,  with  fifteen  thousand  men  ;  but  finding  it  vain  to  attempt  resistance,  he 
cvacua^ted,  it  December  21,1 8G4,  and  retired  into  South  drolina.  He  after- 
ward held  command  under  J.  E.  Johnston,  in  l»'orth  Carolina,  and  was  in- 
cluded in  the  surrender  of  that  General,  in  April,  lb'65. 


234.  lEANCIS  P.  BLAIE,  Jr. 

General  Francis  P.  Blair,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Lexington,  Kentucky,  in 
1821.  He  graduated  at  Princeton  College,  New  Jersey,  and  settled  in  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  where  lie  was  the  political  associate  of  Thomas  H.  Benton,  and  was 
among  the  first  public  men  in  Missouri  to  denounce  the  institution  of 
slavery.  His  bold  and  fearless  efforts  did  much  to  revolutionize  public  sen- 
timent in  St.  Louis. 

In  1856  he  was  elected  to  Congress  as  a  Republican,  and  was  re-elected 
by  increased  majorities,  in  1858  and  1862  ;  and  tiiroughout  these  years  he 
continued  earnestly  to  advocate  Free  Soil  doctrines.  At  the  commencement 
of  the  llebellion,  he  was  among  the  first  to  organize  troops  for  the  defense 
of  St.  Louis  and  Missouri ;  and,  in  conjunction  with  General  Lyon,  raised 
the  forces  known  as  the  "Missouri  Home  Guards."  He  was  made  Colonel 
of  the  First  Regiment,  and  assisted  in  the  capture  of  Camp  Jackson,  near  St. 
Louis,  May  10,  18G1.  Colonel  Blair  also  participated  in  the  battle  of  Boone- 
ville,  under  General  Lyon,  June  17, 1801,  and  his  regiment  took  a  very  active 
part  in  the  battle  of  Wilson's  Creek,  where  General  Lyon  was  killed,  August 
10,  18G1 ;  but,  in  conseqence  of  his  having  to  occupy  his  seat  in  the  special 
session  of  Congress,  Colonel  Blair  was  not  present  during  that  action. 
During  the  session  of  1801-62,  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Military  Affairs,  and,  as  such,  did  good  service  to  the  country. 

Upon  the  close  of  the  session,  he  i*etumed  to  Missouri,  and  commenced 
the  organization  of  a  regiment  of  artillery;  but  afterward,  at  the  request 
of  the  Secretary  of  "War,  he  raised  a  brigade  of  infantry,  of  which  he  was 
placed  in  command,  and  commissioned  a  Brigadier-General  in  August,  1862. 
General  Blair  participated  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  greatly  distin- 
guished himself.  He  also  commanded  his  brigade  in  General  Sherman's 
wing  of  McClernand's  army  during  the  capture  of  Fort  Hindman,  on  the 
the  Arkansas  River,  January  10  and  11,  1868.  For  gallantry  displayed  in 
these  contests,  General  Blair  was  promoted  to  Major-General  of  Volunteers. 
During  the  remainder  of  the  war,  General  Blair  took  an  active  part  in  nearly 
all  the  great  battles  of  the  West,  and  exhibited  many  high  traits  of  general- 
siiip.  He  commanded  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  at  Missionary  Ridge,  and  was 
then  transferred  to  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  which  he  commanded  through  the  At- 
lanta campaign,  and  in  the  campaign  through  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas.  As  soon 
as  the  war  was  over,  he  urged  a  liberal  treatment  of  the  ex-Rebels. 

The  Legislature  of  Missouri  having  passed  a  law  disfranchising  all  who 
participated  in  the  Rebellion,  it  was  opposed  by  him  as  proscriptive  and 
unconstitutional. 

With  regard  to  the  test  oath,  he  absolutely  refused  to  subscribe  to  it,  and 
his  vote  was  refused  at  the  polls.  For  this  act  he  brought  a  suit  before  the 
courts,  for  the  purpose  of  testing  the  law.  The  case  is  now  before  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.  He  gradually  withdrew  from 
the  Republican  party,  and  denounced  the  Reconstruction  laws  of  Congress 
as  djspotic.  He  opposed  the  policy  of  universal  Negro  suffrage,  creating  no 
lit;lo  surprise,  as  contrasted  with  his  former  opinions,  and  showing  how 
greatly  men's  views  change  in  the  progress  of  events. 

In  July,  1868,  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democratic  party  a  candidate  for 
Vice-Presideat  of  the  United  States,  but  was  defeated. 


235/  NATHANIEL  P.   BANKS. 

Nathaniel  P.  Banks  was  bora  in  AValtham,  Massachusetts,  January 
30,  181G.  His  father  was  overseer  in  a  cotton  factory,  and  when  he  was 
yet  young-,  he  became  a  "  Bobbin  boy."  Some  few  months  at  school  had 
instilled  into  him  a  thirst  for  knowledge,  and  all  his  leisure  hours  were 
devoted  to  history,  political  economy,  and  the  science  of  g-overnment.  He 
afterward  learned  the  machinest  trade.  During-  all  this  time,  he  was 
unremitting  in  his  studies,  and  soon  began  to  lecture  before  lyceums, 
temperance  societies,  and  political  assemblies. 

In  1840  he  stump-d  the  State  of  Massachusetts  for  the  Democratic  party. 
He  became  editor  of  a  paper  in  Lowell ;  and,  under  Polk's  administration, 
received  an  ofiice  in  the  Boston  Custom-liouse.  For  six  years,  he  was  a 
candidate  for  a  seat  in  the  Massachusetts  Legislature,  but  was  defeated  each 
year.     On  the  seventh,  he  was  elected  a  Representative  from  Waltham. 

In  1850  he  was  simultaneously  elected  Senator  from  Middlesex,  and 
a  Representative  from  Waltham.  He  concluded  to  continue  in  the  House, 
and  was  chosen  Speaker.  He  held  this  position  for  two  years.  In  18-52, 
Mr.  Banks  was  elected  to  Congress  by  tlie  Democrats,  rimning  upon  the  ticket  with 
General  Frank  Pierce,  Democratic  candidate  for  President. 

He  left  the  Democratic  party  in  1854,  on  the  formation  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  Avas  by  them  again  elected  Representative  to  Congress,  where 
he  was  chosen  Speaker  after  a  trial  of  nine  weeks.  In  1857  he  was  elected 
Governor  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  re-elected  in  1858  and  1859,  during 
which  time  he  administered  the  government  of  the  State  with  eminent  wis- 
dom, and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  parties. 

Soon  after  the  expiration  of  his  thii-d  term,  he  removed  to  Illinois,  where 
he  became  associated  with  the  conduct  of  a  railroad,  and  so  continued 
until  the  war  actually  broke  out.  He  was  appointed  Major-General  of  Vol- 
unteers, May  oO,  1861,  and  took  command  of  the  Department  of  Annapolis, 
with  headquarters  at  Baltimore,  where  he  stopped  one  soiirce  of  secession 
aid,  by  arresting  Marshal  Kane  and  his  police  board,  whose  quarters  resem- 
bled, in  some  respects,  a  concealed  arsenaL 

July  25  he  took  command  of  the  Department  of  the  Shenandoah ;  and, 
on  the  8th  of  February,  1862,  General  Banks  commenced  active  operations 
by  moving  up  the  valley,  driving  the  Rebels  before  him.  He  had  advanced 
as  far  as  Harrisonburg,  when  an  order  came  to  send  a  portion  of  his  troops 
to  McDowell,  and  retreat  to  Strasburg.  He  succeeded  in  reaching  Wil- 
liamsport,  without  material  disaster.  On  the  8th  of  August  he  successfully 
fought  the  Rebels  under  Jackson  and  Ewell,  at  Cedar  Mountain,  where  his 
personal  bravery  and  good  management  were  conspicuous. 

After  the  Virginia  campaign,  he  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Washington,  and  remained  in  command  until  November,  1802,  when  ho 
was  sent  to  New  Orleans  to  relieve  Geneial  Butler,  where  he  arrived  December  17, 
1862,  and  immediately  sent  out  exp.  ditioiis,  took  Baton  Rouge,  Port  Hudson,  Bate 
le  Rose,  Corpus  Cliristi,  and  had  numerous  other  engagements,  some  of  which 
were  defeats.  He  was  succeeaed  by  General  Canby,  in  May,  180-4;  and  on  the 
close  of  the  war,  having  returned  to  Massachusetts,  he  was  again  elected  ilepre- 
sentitive  to  Congrciss,  which  position  he  now  hulda, 


236.  GEOEGE  H.   THOMAS. 

General  George  H.  Thomas  was  born  in  Southampton  County,  Virginia, 
July  ol,  181G.  He  received  a  good  education,  and  commenced  the  study 
of  law  at  the  age  of  nineteen;  but  his  attention,  from  some  cause,  turning 
to  military  life,  he  received  an  appointment  as  Cadet  in  the  West  Point 
Military  Academy,  in  I80G,  and  graduated  in  1840,  receiving  a  commission' 
as  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  Third  Artillery. 

In  November  of  the  same  year,  he  joined  the  army  in  Florida,  "when  the 
Seminole  War  was  in  progress ;  and,  for  gallant  conduct  in  that  war,  he  was 
breveted  First  Lieutenant. 

On  the  first  indications  of  war  with  Mexico,  he  was  ordered  to  Texas, 
and  was  with  the  first  L'nited  States  troops  which  occupied  the  soil  of  that 
State.  He  was  left  by  General  Taylor  to  garrison  Fort  Brown,  opposite 
Matamoras,  which  was  invested  and  bombarded  by  the  Mexicans  for  about  a 
week,  when  they  withdrew,  to  reinforce  General  Ampudia  at  Kesaca  de  la 
Palma.  General  Thomas  served  with  General  Taylor  through  the  Mexican 
campaign,  and  was  breveted  Captain  and  Major  for  gallant  conduct. 

In  1851  and  1852,  he  was  Instructor  of  Artillery  and  Cavalry  at  West 
Point,  and  subsequently  saw  much  active  service  in  the  West. 

In  April,  1861,  on  the  commencement  of  hostilities,  he  was  assigned  to 
duty  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  to  remount  his  regiment,  which  had  been  dismounted 
by  General  Twiggs,  and  ordered  out  of  Texas.  He  was  promoted  to  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel and  Colonel  of  the  Fifth  United  States  Cavalry,  and  from 
M;.y  to  August,  was  acting  Brigadier-General,  under  Patterson  and  Banks. 
On  the  17th  of  August,  he  was  appointed  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers, 
and  ordered  to  the  Department  of  Kentucky,  where  he  defeated  Zollicoffer  at 
Mill  Spring,  or  Somerset,  January  19,  1862.  He  was  appointedMajor-General 
of  Volunteers  in  April ;  and,  during  the  summer,  commanded  a  wing  of  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

He  commanded  the  centre  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  at  the  battle 
of  Stone  River;  participated  in  the  advance  upon,  and  occupation  of, 
Chattanooga ;  and,  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  saved  the  Union  army 
from  destruction.  In  October,  he  was  appointed  I0  the  Department  of  the 
Cumberland,  assumed  command  of  his  troops  at  Chattanooga,  and  had  an 
important  share  in  the  victory  of  November  24,  at  that  place.  He  partici- 
pated in  Sherman's  campaign,  ending  in  the  capture  of  Atlanta,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1864,  and  was  then  ordered  to  Nashville,  where,  on  December  15  and 
IC,  he  practically  annihilated  the  army  of  Hood,  in  a  series  of  battles,  which 
may  bo  said  to  have  ended  the  war  in  the  West.  He  is  now  a  Brigadier- 
General  in  the  Regular  Ai-my,  and  commanded,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  the 
Military  Division  of  Tennessee. 

He  afterward  commaiided  the  Third  Military  District,  under  the  Reconstruction 
laws.     He  died  March  20,  1870,  in  Califoiuia. 


23  7.   HOEATIO   SEYMOUE. 

Horatio  Seymour  was  born  in  Onondaga  County,  Xew  York,  in  ISIO, 
of  -wealthy  parents.  He  received  a  liberal  education,  studied  \a.vr,  was 
adrnitred  to  practice  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  But  he  did  not  long  pursue  the  piotession, 
tlie  death  ol'  his  father  having  made  him  successor  to  a  large  estate,  requiring  his 
attention. 

Mr.  Seymour's  politics  -were  inherited  from  his  ancestors.  He  first 
appeared  in  political  life  as  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Mayor  of  the  city 
of  Utica,  in  1842,  and  was  elected  by  a  fair  majority,  thouarh  one  of  the 
strongest  Whig  localities.  In  the  same  year  he  was  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature,  and  nerved  until  1845,  when  he  declined  a  re-election. 

In  1650  he  was  a  candidate  for  Governor  of  his  native  State,  but  was  un- 
successful. In  1852  he  was  again  a  candidate  for  the  same  office,  against  the 
same  opponent,  AVashington  Hunt,  and  was  elected  by  a  large  majority. 

His  administration  was  distinguished  by  his  veto  of  the  Maine  Liquor 
Law  bill,  which  had  passed  both  houses  of  the  Legislature.  In  1854  he  was 
again  a  candidate  ;  but,  there  being  four  in  the  field  that  year — two  Demo- 
crats, "  hard  "  and  "  soft  shell,"  one  Republican,  and  one  Know-Xothing — 
the  Republican,  Mr.  Clark,  was  elected  by  a  small  majority 

After  his  defeat,  Mr.  Seymour  retired  to  private  life,  but  still  took  an 
active  part  in  politics. 

When  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  he  served  as  Chairman  of  the  War  Com- 
mittee, in  his  county,  aiding  in  forwarding  troops  to  the  seat  of  war. 

In  1863  he  was  once  more  nominated  for  Governoi',  and  was  elected. 
During  his  administration,  he  had  quite  a  warm  controversy  with  the  Gen- 
eral Government  respecting  the  draft,  by  claiming  that  the  quota  of  troops 
from  the  southern  portion  of  the  State  was  larger,  in  ].roportion  to  the 
voting  population,  than  that  of  the  northern.  The  matter  was  finally  set- 
tled by  a  revision  of  the  draft  list.  This  revision  having  proved  that  he  was  right 
in  his  position,  the  Legislature  gave  him  a  vote  of  thanks,  although  it  was  politi- 
cally hostile  to  him. 

In  1803  the  draft  riots  broke  out  in  New  York  City,  and  Mr.  Seymoirr 
addressed  the  rioters,  urging  them  to  disperse,  promising  to  do  all  he  could 
to  stay  the  execution  of  the  draft.  President  Lincoln  and  Mr.  Stanton  wrote  to 
him,  when  Pennsvlvania  was  invaded  by  General  Lee,  thanking  him,  in  the  warm- 
est term*,  for  the"  aid  he  gave  them.  In  1864.  he  presided  at  the  National  Conven- 
tion at  Chicago,  at  which  General  McClellan  was  nominated  for  the  presidency,  and, 
in  the  same  ye;»r,  he  was  again  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  Governor,  but  was 
defeated  by  Mr.  Teuton  ;  and,  in  18r)8,  he  was  nominated  by  the  Demo- 
cratic Convention,  held  in  IS'i^w  York  City,  in  July  of  that  year,  a  can- 
didate for  President  of  the  United  States,  but  v/as  defeated  by  General 
Grant. 

In  personal  appearance,  Mr.  Seymour  is  quite  dignified,  and  is  said  to  be 
a  very  sociable  and  liospitable  gentlemitTi.  As  a  public  speaker,  he  is  fiuent, 
eloquent,  and  argumeutative,  and  one  of  New  York's  most  popular  orators. 


238.  FEENANDO   AVOOD, 

Fernando  Wood,  a  Member  of  the  United  States  Congress,  and  for 
three  terms  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Kew  York,  -was  born  in  Philadelphia,  in 
1812,  during  the  early  part  of  the  second  war  with  Enghmd.  Moving  to 
Isew  York,  he  engaged  in  commercial  pursuits,  and  amassed,  by  his  energy 
and  talents  for  business,  a  handsome  fortune. 

His  political  life  commenced  as  a  Member  of  Congress  from  one  of  the 
districts  of  the  city  of  New  York,  having  been  elected  for  the  term  beginning 
with  December,  1841,  and  ending  March  3,  1843. 

Mr.  Wood  distinguished  himself  in  Congress  by  taking  a  decided  ground 
against  any  concessions  growing  out  of  our  controversy  with  Great  Britain, 
relative  to  the  boundary  line  between  Maine  and  Canada,  that  question  then 
being  an  absorbing  one  in  the  public  mind. 

Leaving  Congress,  he  resumed  his  position  as  a  merchant ;  and  in  the  year 
1850,  was  a  candidate  for  the  Mayoralty,  but  was  defeated.  Undaunted,  he  ran 
again  in  1854,  and  was  elected  for  three  successive  terms. 

If  a  debt  of  gratitude  was  due  Mayor  Wood  for  nothing  else,  it  would 
be  acknowledged  for  the  energy  and  characteristic  perseverance  he  displayed 
in  securing  to  the  city  the  Central  Park. 

It  was  intended  by  the  Board  of  Aldermen  and  Councilmen  to  limit  the 
southern  extent  of  the  Park  to  Seventy-Second  street,  when  Mayor  Wood, 
on  March  23,  1855,  vetoed  the  resolution  on  the  ground  that,  "though  it 
pi-oposed  to  take  from  the  Central  Park  a  portion  of  the  area  agreed  upon, 
still  it  would  be  in  effect  a  blow  at  the  whole,  and  jeopardize  the  success  of 
the  most  intelligent,  philanthropic,  and  patriotic  public  enterprise  which 
had  been  undertaken  by  the  people  of  this  city  since  the  introduction  of  the 
waters  of  the  Croton  River." 

Being,  ex  officio,  one  of  the  Park  Commissioners,  he  administered  that 
office  with  ability  during  the  period  of  his  Mayoralty.  Among  the  number 
of  practical  and  beneficial  reforms  which  he  introduced  was  the  organization 
of  the  Municipal  Police.  The  action  of  the  Legislature  in  1857  changed 
this  to  the  Metropolitan  Police  ;  but  it  continued  to  retain, without  municipal 
control,  many  of  the  efficient  features  which  Mayor  Wood  introduced. 

Defeated  in  the  election  of  December,  1857,  by  Mayor  Tieman,  Mr.  Wood 
was  triumphantly  elected  at  the  subsequent  election,  and  occupied  the 
Mayor's  chair  for  18G0-'G1.  The  Japanese  Embassy  and  the  Prince  of  Wales' 
visit  were  two  conspicuous  events  which  transpired  during  the  year  1860  of 
Mr.  Wood's  Mayoralty. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  18G2,  Mr.  Wood  was  succeeded  by  the  Hon. 
George  Opdyke,  and  in  December  following,  he  was  elected  to  Congress  for 
the  term  ending  March,  1865,  and  was  reelected,  in  1866,  to  the  Fortieth  Congress, 
commencing  December  1,  1867. 

In  the  November  election  of  1868  he  was  triumphantly  re-elected  to  Con- 
gress, with  a  combination  of  two  opposing  candidates  in  the  field. 

Alternately  victor  or  vanquished,  Fernando  Wood  possesses  a  stamina 
and  vitality  of  character  which  knows  no  such  word  as  fail,  and  is  a  man  to 
whom  the  public  are  indebted  for  many  great  reforms,  and  an  example  of 
public  spirit  and  invincible  ener^. 


239.    JOIIX  B.  HOOD. 

General  Joiix  B.  Hood  was  bom  in  Bath  County,  Kentuck}-,  June  29, 
1831.  He  was  educated  at  Mount  Sterling,  entered  West  Point  3Iilitary 
Academy  in  1849,  and  graduated  in  1853,  when  he  joined  the  Fourth  Regi- 
ment of  Infantry,  with  which  he  served  nearh^  two  .years  in  California.  In 
1855  he  was  transferred  to  the  Second  Cavalry,  and'  with  tliis  regiment  did 
duty  on  the  Western  frontier  of  Texas,  where  m  July,  1856,  he  was  wound- 
ed in  a  fight  with  the  Indians.  It  was  here,  no  doubt,  in  the  wild  service 
of  the  Texan  West,  tliat  in  common  with  others  who  were  employed  in 
that  service,  he  derived  that  boldness  and  dash  so  conspicuous  in  him 
during  the  rebellion.  He  resigned  his  commission  in  the  U.  S.  army  April 
IG,  1861,  and  entered  the  army  of  the  South  with  the  rank  of  first  lieute- 
nant, with  the  order  to  report'to  General  Lee  early  in  May. 

He  was  sent  to  Magruder,  then  in  command  en  the  Peninsula.  On  the  30th 
of  September,  1861,  ne  was  ordered  to  Richmond,  and  received  the  rank  of  colo- 
Del  of  infantry,  taking  command  of  a  regiment  of  Texas  volunteers. 

When  Senator  Wigfall  had  to  take  his  seat  in  the  Confederate  Con- 
gress on  ]Marcli  3d,  1862,  Colonel  Hood  was  assigned  to  his  post  with  a 
ibrigadier's  rank,  and  attached  to  Longstreet's  corps. 

The  first  great  fia:ht  in  which  Gen.  Hood  took  a  prominent  part  was  the 
battle  of  Gaines'  Mills,  June  27,  1862,  his  brigade  having  been  previously 
held  in  reserve,  and  placed  where  skirmishing  or  outpost  work  was  carried 
on.  Now,  however,  they  were  called  upon  to  show  of  what  stuff  they 
were  made,  and  a  desperate  part  was  assigned  them.  The  federal  batteries 
had  to  be  charged,  and  when  the  word  was  given,  Hood  himself  on  foot, 
led  them  forward,  and,  with  a  wild  shout,  at  a  run,  they  rushed  on,  right 
into  the  redoubts  and  among  the  guns.  A  hand  to  hand  conflict  ensued. 
The  result  is  known.  For  his  gallantry,  Hood  was  promoted  to  a  major-general 
after  the  battle  of  Antietam. 

From  this  time  the  movements  of  General  Hood  were  bound  up  with 
the  grand  armv  under  Lee,  but  we  find  honorable  mention  of  him  at  the 
first  and  second  invasion  of  Maryland,  at  Fredericksburg  and  at  Gettys- 
burg, at  which  latter  place  he  was  wounded  in  the  arm.  He  afterwards 
accompanied  Longstreet  into  East  Tennessee  and  on  to  reinforce  Bragg, 
then  preparing  for  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  in  which  he  took  an  active 
part,  and  in  the  engagement  of  the  second  day,  September  20,  1863,  he  was 
again  wounded,  making  amputation  of  his  leg  needful,  it  being  terribly 
shattered.  For  his  valuable  services  in  this  and  other  engagements.  Hood 
was  afterwards  made  a  lieutenant-general.  Six  months  elapsed  before  he 
could  asrain  take  the  field. 

On  the  18th  of  July,  1864,  General  Johnston  having  been  relieved  of 
the  command  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee,  General  Hood  was  appointed  in 
his  place,  and  assumed  command  at  Atlanta,  Geo.,  which  he  evacuated 
September  1st,  being  flanked  by  General  Sherman.  In  October  ho  moved 
against  Sherman's  communications,  and  passing  through  Northern  Ala- 
bama invaded  Tennessee  in  the  latter  part  of  November.  After  the  hard 
fought  battle  of  Franklin  he  moved  upon  Nashville,  where  he  was  defeated 
by  General  Thomas  December  15  and  16,1864,  and  retreated  into  Missis- 
sippi with  the  remnant  of  his  army,  where  he  took  leave  of  them,  having 
been  relieved  of  his  command  by  his  request. 


240.  JUDSOX   IvILPATRICK. 

General  JudsoN"  Kilpatktck  wa.i  born  in  New  Jersey,  January  14, 1838; 
graduated  at  West  Point,  in  IbGl  ;  wai  commissioned  m  Second  Lieutenant 
ot  Company  O  of  tha  First  Regiment  ot  United  States*  Artillery,  May  6, 
ISGl  ;  and  soon  alter  wa.4  promoted  to  Fir;st  Lieutenancy. 

Obtaining-  leave  of  absence,  lie  accepced  ;i  Captaincy  in  Duryea's 
Zou'.ved  (Fifth  New  York  Volunteers),  and  p  irticipatf  d  in  the  battle  of  131  f 
Bjthel,  Juno  Id,  ISGI,  in  wliich  he  was  wounded.  Kecovering,  ha  was  com- 
missioned Lieutenant-Colonel  of  tlie  Harris  Light  Cavalry.  Attached  t> 
G-eneral  McDoweil's  army,  his  regiment  guarded  the  outposts  of  the  First; 
Army  Corps  on  the  banks  of  tho  Kappahannock. 

Subsequently,  ho  was  commissioned  Colonel  of  this  regiment,  and  -pav- 
ticipated  in  the  cavalry  operations  of  the  campaign  of  G-eneral  Pope,  i:i 
August,  18G2.  In  the  various  operations  of  General  Pleasanton,  in  thi 
Maryland  campaign,  lie  was  actively  engaged,  as  also  at  the  time  of  thj 
advance  of  tho  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  Falmouth,  under  General  Burnside. 
At  the  last-named  post  he  was  particularly  distinguished  with  his  regiment 
for  conspicuous  gallantry. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Cavalry  Corps  under  General  Stoneman, 
General  Kilpatrick  received  the  command  of  the  First  Brigade  of  the  Third 
Division,  and  took  part  in  the  famous  Stoneman  raid,  arriving  at  Louisa 
Court-House,  Va.,  May  3,  18()3.  He  detached  his  own  regiment  from  the 
command  ;  and,  through  all  the  subsequent  movements,  led  it  in  person  to 
Gloucester  Point,  opposite  Yorktown,  marching  nearly  two  hundred  miles 
in  less  than  five  days.  The  expedition  was  attended  Avith  marked  success, 
capturing  over  three  hundred  men.  Returning  to  the  main  army,  then  on 
the  north  side  of  the  Pot  imac,  by  way  of  Urbana,  he  passed  completely 
around  the  entire  Rebel  army.  Previous  to  this,  he  had  made  three  other 
raids,  and  was  speedily  promoted  for  his  bravery. 

Li  June,  1SG3,  he  received  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers, 
and  commanded  subsequently  a  division  of  cavalry  under  General  Pleasan- 
ton. June  17,  1803,  he  conducted  the  battle  of  Aldie,  and  took  part  in  those 
of  Middleburg,  June  21,  and  Hanover,  July  1,  of  the  same  year. 

In  the  campaign  in  Pennsylvania,  after  General  Meade  had  taken  com- 
mand of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  General  Kilpatrick  was  engaged  in 
operations  on  the  Hanks  of  Lee's  Rebel  army.  In  this  service  he  destroyed 
many  trains,  captured  a  number  of  prisoners,  and  otherwise  dealt  many 
blows  to  the  enemy.  •^ 

On  the  28th  of  February,  18G4,  he  conducted  a  daring  raid  toward 
Pbichmond,  having  for  its  object  the  liberation  of  the  Union  prisoners  con- 
fined in  that  city.  He  forced  his  way  through  the  first  and  second  lines  of 
the  enemy's  works  ;  but  the  bridge  over  Brook  Creek  having  been  destrDyed, 
and  not  being  reinforced  as  he  expected,  he  did  not  attempt  the  third,  but 
mjved  off  toward  the  Chickahominy,  destroying  a  large  amount  of  the 
enemy's  property,  and  returned  again  in  safety  to  tho  Union  lines,  having 
again  passed  entirloy  around  Lee's  army. 

Ho  was  afterward  appointed  to  command  a  cavalry  division  in  Sherman's 
army,  and  was  with  that  General  in  his  triumphant  march  through  Georgia, 
iu\x  until  the  surrender  of  Johnston.  At  the  close  of  this  campaign,  he  was 
breveted  Major-General  of  Volunteers  ;  and,  at  the  end  of  the  war,  was 
appointed  Minister  to  Chili.  He  returned  on  leave  of  absence  in  October, 
l8u3,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  Presidential  canvass  for  Grant  and  Col- 
lar, when  he  infused  into  his  political  campa'-gn  mtich  of  the  spirit  and 
energy  which  characterized  his  military  operations. 


2-11.  ROBERT  C.  SCHEXCK. 

RonKRT  C.  ScHRXcK  was  born  in  Franklin,  "Warren  County.  Ohio,  Octo- 
ber 4,  16j9.  Receiving  a  liberal  academ.cal  education,  he  entered  Miami 
Univers.ty,  and  graduited  in  1S27.  He  remained  in  this  iusti  uti^  n  as 
tutor  for  cue  or  two  years  afterwards,  when  be  commenced  the  study  of  t;ie 
law  and  was  adinitct  d  to  the  bar  in  1831.  Settling  iu  Dajtun,  Obio,  he 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  which  he  became  eminently 
distinguished  and  succes.4ul. 

Ha  commenced  his  political  career  in  the  exciting  Presidential  cam- 
paign of  1S4(),  which  elected  General  Harrison  for  President  of  the  Uni  e.l 
feta;es,  and  Mr.  Schenck  as  Representative  to  the  Ohio  Leg  slature.  Serving 
■with  satisfaction  to  bis  constituents  he  was  re-elected  in  lSi2. 

The  ability  displayed  in  the  State  Legislature  caused  his  nomination 
and  election  as'  Representative  to  Congress  in  Ibf  3.  His  peculiar  fitness  for 
this  position,  and  his  fidelity  to  his  constituents,  made  h;m  more  popular 
than  ever,  and  he  was  re-elected  to  the  three  successive  Congresses,  during 
which  he  served  on  many  Committees,  and  during  the  'ihiriieth  Congress 
serve. 1  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Roads  and  Canals. 

On  bis  retirement  fom  Congre.-s  he  was  appointed  by  President  Fllli- 
more.  Minister  to  Braz  I.  and  during  his  residence  in  South  America  he  took 
part  in  negotiating  a  number  of  treaties. 

On  his  return  to  the  United  S;ates  in  1853,  he  becnme  extensively 
engaged  in  the  Railway  business  in  which  he  continued  until  the  breaking 
out  of  ihe  Rebellion  in  ISGl,  when  he  offered  his  seivicesto  the  Governmenc 
and  was  commI>sioned  Brigadier-Gt-neral  of  Volunteers  in  the  Union  Army, 
serving  during  the  Campaign  of  18G1  under  McDowell. 

Being  ordered  to  dislodge  a  force  ot  the  enemy  at  Vienna  a  few  miles  from 
Washington,  he  took  ttie  1st  Ohio  Volunteers  and  on  th«  17th  ol  June,  pro- 
ceeded by  the  Alexandria  Railroad,  cautious  y  tov.'ards  that  place.  On 
turning  a  curve  in  a  deep  cut,  he  was  surprised  by  a  volley  of  shot  and 
shell  fiOm  a  battery.  Leaving  the  cars  with  hi.s  Regiment  he  retreated 
under  cover  of  the  woods,  until  meeting  reinforcements,  when  he  returned 
and  dislodged  the  enemy. 

He  continued  to  serve  during  the  Campaign  of  that  year,  and  was  pro- 
moted to  ^Iaj<»r-General  of  Voluntee:s,  but  being  elected  in  1SG2  to  the 
Thirty-eighth  Congress,  he  resigned  bi-  commission  and  took  his  seat  in  that 
body,  serving  as  Chairman  ot  the  Commlfee  on  Military  Affairs.  Re-elected 
to  the  Thirty-ninth  and  Fortieth  Congresses,  he  continued  to  st-rve  as 
Chairman  of  the  same  Committee,  distinguishing  himself  for  eminent  ability, 
sound  statesmanship  and  patriotic:  energy. 

Mr.  Schenck  particularly  exerted  himself  to  establish  the  National  ]\rili 
tary  and  Naval  Asylum  for  the  benefit  of  Disabled  Soldiers  and  Seamen  of 
the  Army  and  Navy  of  the  United  S  ates. 

In  18G8  lie  was  again  a  candidate  for  Congress,  bis  opponent  being  ^Ir. 
Clement  C.  Vallandigham,  A  spirited  contest  ensued  and  Mr.  Schenck  was 
elected  to  the  Fortv-First  Cc::giess.  / 


242.  WILLlAlSt  C.   BEYANT. 

"William  Cullen  Bryant  was  born  at  Cummington,  Hampsliire 
County,  Massachusetts,  November  8, 1794.  His  father,  who  was  a  physician, 
observed  the  manifestations  of  young  Bryant's  genius  as  soon  as  he  could 
read,  and  encouraged  and  trained  it. 

At  liine  years  of  age  he  wrote  verses  that  were  quite  respectable  ;  and,  at 
ten,  his  poetry  was  given  to  the  world  through  the  newspapers  of  his 
neighborhood.  At  thirteen  he  published  a  political  satire  called  the  "  Em- 
bargo," which  gained  for  him  some  applause,  and  soon  passed  into  the 
second  edition. 

He  was  not  quite  sixteen  when  he  entered  Williams  College  in  advance. 
Here  he  made  I'apid  proficiency  ;  and,  after  remaining  less  than  two  years, 
he  asked  and  obtained  an  honorable  dismissal,  that  he  might  pursue  the 
study  of  the  law. 

In  1815,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  opened  an  office  at  Plainfield,  and 
the  year  following  at  Great  Barrington,  where,  for  ten  years,  he  followed  the  tor- 
tuous course  of  legal  practice,  but  at  last  gave  it  up  for  the  more  genial  profession 
of  literature. 

When  he  was  nineteen,  and  while  yet  studying  law,  he  published  his 
*'  Thanatopsis,''  "  Entrance  to  the  Woods,'"  and  several  other  pieces,  in  the 
North  American  Uevieic. 

These  publications  brought  the  author  into  notoriety  at  once,  and  he 
was  requested  to  deliver  the  poems  before  the  Phi- Beta-Kappa  Society  of 
Harvard  University.  He  renioved  to  Great  Barrington,  where  lie  married 
a  young  lady  of  that  place  in  1821,  and,  the  same  year,  nublished  the  volume 
entitled,  "  The  Ages,  and  Other  Poems." 

In  1825  he  removed  to  New  York,  and  became  one  of  the  editors  of  the 
New  York  Review.  He  published,  in  1827,  several  poems  and  tales,  which 
quickly  became  popular.  From  this  point  he  went  on  successfully,  writing 
in  the  chief  periodical  publications  in  connection  with  some  of  the  leading 
American  authors  of  his  day.  He  then  became  one  of  the  editors  of  The 
(New  York)  Evening  Post,  and  his  sweet  voice,  which,  of  yore,  waked  the 
echoes  of  the  still  evening  and  the  green  hills,  began  to  grow  hoarse  with 
the  harsli  ej)ithets  of  the  political  arena. 

In  l8o4-"35,  and  also  in  1845,  Mr.  Bryant  traveled  in  Europe,  writing 
descriptions  of  what  he  saw  for  his  journal  in  America.  He  again  visited 
Europe  in  1849,  and,  on  his  return,  published  his  "  Letters  of  a  Traveler," 
being  a  resume  of  his  tours  in  Europe  and  this  country.  He  made  three  subse- 
quent visits  to  Europe,  and  published  two  other  volumes  of  letters  relating  to  his 
travels.  He  has  gained  a  high  reputation  by  his  poems;  and  his  political  writings 
iti  favor  of  free  trade  and  free  discussion,  and  against  monopolies  of  all  kinds,  are 
marked  with  clearness  and  vigor. 

He  has  labored  earnestly  to  diffuse  a  taste  for  the  fine  arts  in  this 
country,  and  was  President  of  the  Apollo  Association  prior  to  its  incorpor- 
ation as  tlie  American  Ait  Union.  He  has  lately  translated  the  Iliad  of  Homer 
into  blank  ver^^e  ;  tlie  version  has  been  published  in  Boston. 

Mr,  Bryant,  in  his  **  Thanatopsis,"  has  touched  the  chords  of  the  human 
heart,  makin*  thorn  vibrate  to  the  innermost  of  man's  being,  and  stirring  up 
a  consciousness  of  immortality  within  him,  to  which  he  was  a  stranger  until 
that  deep,  solemn,  and  heavenly  music  was  drawn  from  the  "  wondrous 
harp "  of  his  existence  by  the  magic  wand  of  the  poet. 


243.  SAMUEL  P.  HEINTZELMAN 

General  S.  P.  Heintzelman  was  bom  at  Manheim,  Lancaster  County, 
Pennsylvania,  in  180G.  He  graduated  at  West  Point  in  182G,  as  Brevet 
Second  Lieutenant. 

He  became  Captain,  in  1833;  Assistant  Commissary,  in  183G;  and  Assistant 
Quartermaster,  in  1838.  As  Captain,  he  served  in  the  Quartermaster's  De- 
partment in  Florida  during  the  Creek  War.  In  1840  he  was  ordered  to 
Mexico  as  Captain  in  his  old  regiment,  the  Second  Lifantry.  Having 
acquitted  himself  with  distinction  at  Huamantla,  he  was  breveted  Major 
in  1847. 

In  1848  he  was  ordered  to  California,  and  assigned  to  the  command  of  the 
southern  district  of  that  State,where,  for  nearly  three  years,  he  acted  against 
the  hostile  Indians  of  that  country. 

From  the  close  of  1851  to  1855,  most  or  all  of  Ileintzelman's  time  was 
passed  at  the  most  distant  of  all  the  army  posts,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Gila 
and  Colorado  Rivers;  but  in  1855,  he  returned  East  as  Superintendent  of  the 
Western  Recmitintr  Service  at  Newport,  Ky.,  wliere  he  remained  until  1857,  when 
he  was  ordered  to  join  his  regiment,  which  was  then  serving  in  Texas  under  Gene- 
ral Twiggs,  where  he  distinguished  himself  in  an  action  against  Cortinas,  a  Mexi- 
can, wlio  was  ravaging  the  country  about  the  Rio  Grande,  for  which  brilliant  affair 
General  Scott  asked  for  him  a  brevet. 

The  treachery  of  General  Twiggs  surrendered  the  army  in  Texas  on 
the  18th  of  February,  1801,  to  the  Rebels,  and  the  officers  and  men  were 
paroled.  Heintzelman  escaped  by  having  taken 'advantage  of  the  arrival 
of  his  Lieutenant-Colonel  to  procure  leave  of  absence,  and  arrived  in  Wash- 
ington in  the  spring  of  1801.  During  all  the  portentous  and  despairing 
months  that  signalized  the  opening  of  the  new  administration,  his  acknowd- 
edged  militaiy  ability  and  sterling  loyalty  made  him  the  confidential 
adviser  of  niany  officers  at  Washington. 

In  April  he  was  stationed,  for  a  short  time,  at  Governor's  Island,  New 
York  harbor.  A  day  or  two  after  he  occupied  Arlington  Heights,  he  received  a 
commission  as  Colonel  of  the  Seventeenth  United  States  Infantry,  and  was  assiga* 
ed  to  the  command  of  the  forces  at  Alexandria. 

At  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  on  the  21st  of  July  following,  he  commanded, 
the  extreme  right  wing  of  McDowell's  army,  and  was  wounded  in  the  arm 
when  leading  the  Brooklyn  Fourteenth  in  a  desperate  cifort  to  recover  the 
lost  fortunes  of  the  field,  remaining  in  the  saddle  for  fifteen  hours  after, 
rallying  his  straggling  troojos  in  the  best  order  he  might,  and  slowly  falling 
back  on  Alexandria. 

In  October,  1801,  he  was  made  a  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers,  and 
assigned  to  the  left  Aving  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  On  the  8th  of  March, 
1802,  the  army  was  reorganized,  and  formed  into  five  corps,  and  Heintzelman 
took  the  Third.  The  history  of  this  corps  is  a  hist  -ry  of  fighting.  It  was 
the  first  to  land  and  the  first  to  advance  on  Yorktown.  On  the  5th  of  May, 
Heintzelman  fought  the  fiercely-contested  battle  of  Williamsburg,  General 
Sumner,  his  ranking  ofiicer,  being  but  slightly  engaged.  He  was  afterward 
prominently  engaged  in  all  the  battles  oi  the  Peninsula  ;  and,  on  arriving 
at  Harrison's  Landing,  was  promoted  to  Major-General. 

He  was  soon  after  ordered  to  serve  with  Pope  on  the  Rappahaiinock, 
where  he  again  distinguished  himself  in  many  hard-fouglit  battles. 
When  Banks  commenced  the  organization  of  the  Gulf  expedition, Heintzel- 
man succeeded  him  in  command  of  the  defenses  of  Washington.  History 
sometimes  brings  out  and  emblazons  forever,  some  whom  the  laurel  of  the 
day  has  never  crowned;  and  bo  may  she  do  for  Heintzelman,  without 
snatching  a  single  leaf  from  the  leaders  under  whoi.i  hn  fought. 


244.    JOHX    S.    MOSBY. 

Colonel  John  S.  Mosby  was  born  December  6,  1833,  at  Edgemont,  Powhatan 
County,  Virginia.  Graduating  at  the  University  of  Virginia  in  1853,  with  the  highest 
honors,  he  soon  after  established  himselt  in  the  practice  of  the  law  in  Albemarle. 

Marrying,  on  the  30th  of  December,  1857,  Miss  Pauline  Clark,  the 
daughter  of  the  Hon.  Beverly  L.  Clark,  of  Kentucky,  he  settled  in  Wilming- 
ton County,  where  he  was  in  the  successful  practice  of  his  profession  at  the 
breaking  out  of  the  great  Rebellion.  Volunteering  at  once  as  a  private  in 
the  First  Regiment  of  Virginia  Cavalry,  he  rapidly  distinguished  himself 
by  his  reckless  boldness  and  successful  exploits  as  a  scout. 

The  celebrated  cavalry  leader,  General  Stuart,  seeing  and  admiring  the 
daring  clntracter  of  Mosby,  took  him  into  his  confidence.  The  result  of  this 
combination  is  said  to  he  the  wonderful  tour  which  General  Stuart  made 
around  the  enemy  with  such  great  success  while  on  the  line  of  the  Chicka- 
hominy. 

Being  captured  about  this  time,  he  was  kept  a  prisoner  until  after  the 
leattle  of  Malvern  Hill,  when  he  was  exchanged. 

Continuing  his  servi<;es  with  Stuart,  as  a  scout,  until  March,  18G3,  he 
was  commissioned  as  a  Captain,  and  authorized  to  raise  a  com^pany  of  Par- 
tisan Rangers. 

Placed  in  this  independent  position,  henceforth  the  name  and  career  of 
Colonel  Mosby  became  famous  throughout  all  the  campaign  in  Virginia  during 
the  War  of  Rebellion. 

What  Morgan  was  as  a  Partisan  Ranger  to  the  Southwest,  Mosby  was 
to  Virginia.  Daring,  reckless,  and  bold,  he  was  always  on  the  skirts  of  the 
Union  army  with  Ids  equally  daring  and  reckless  young  Cavalrymen. 
These  embraced  some  of  the  hottest  and  truest  blood  of  the  boasted  chivalry 
of  the  Old  Dominion,  from  a  great-grandson  of  President  Monroe  to  the  sons 
of  ex-Governors  and  Senators,  all  serving  as  privates  in  Mosby 's  famous 
cavalry. 

Surprising  Federal  Generals  at  night  in  their  beds,  when  not  in  their 
camp,  making  dashing  raids  into  quiet  and  unsuspecting  towns,  surprising 
railroad  trains,  anticipating  telegraphic  intelligence  by  cutting  the  wires,  or 
stopping  it  by  the  same  mea^s,  were  some  of  the  arts  of  war  which  this 
guerrilla  chieftain  practiced.  Vary  these  with  a  love-making  with  the  fair 
dames  and  damsels  of  Old  Virginia,  and  we  have  the  bold,  dashing,  and 
daring  John  Mosby  pretty  well  photographed. 


245.  GEORGE  D.  PRENTICE. 

George  D.  Prkxticr  was  born  in  Preston,  Connccticui,  in  1804.  lie 
was  ediicated  at  Brow/i  University  i^i  Rhodo  Island  where  he  graduated  in 
1823.  He  afterwards  resided  in  Hartford  where  he  was  several  years 
engaged  in  edltin,^^  "  The  New  England  Weekly  Review,''  and  in  the  year 
18 il  her -moved  to  Louisville,  Kentucky.  Since  that  time  he  has  be(Mi  a 
resident  ol'that  City  and  editor cf  the  celebrated  "Loui>vilIe  Journal," with 
which  his  name  bas  since  bi-come  identified  and  which,  in  his  hands,  has  he- 
come  one  of  the  most  popular  and  succes.^ful  in  the  country.  For  many 
years  the  ••  Louisville  Journal'^  was  a  leading  advocate  in  the  West  of  the 
policy  of  the  Whig  party,  and  Mr.  Prentice  won  for  hini'^elf  a  high  and 
world-wi'de  reputation  for  political  ability,  and  as  one  of  the  greatest  wits 
and  most  powerful  satiric  il  writers  in  the  country. 

In  1860  he  sustained  the  Union,  or  Bell  and  Evirett  party,  and  in  1861, 
maintained  with  great  zeal  and  ability  the  cause  of  Union  against  the 
Secessionists,  and  was  instrumental  in  connection  with  Robert  J.  Breckcnridge, 
John  J.  Crittenden,  Lovell  II.  Rousseau,  and  James  Speed  in  preventing  Kentucky 
from  being  driven  into  the  vortex,  although  his  two  sons,  "  his  oidy  children," 
went  to  the  rebel  army.  He  was  not,  however,  a  very  zealous  supporter  of  the 
Administration  of  President  Lincoln  and  the  policy  of  the  Republican  Congress 
on  the  Reconstruction  of  the  Seceding  States,  but  followed  the  lead  of  Andrew 
Johnson,  and  advocated  the  unconditional  readmitsion  of  all  the  States  and  the 
pardon  of  all  the  rebels. 

Mr.  Prentice  particularly  interested  himself  in  procuring  the  release  of 
parties  who  were  confined  as  prisoners  ia  Fort  Lafayette,  but  his  efforts 
were  unsuccessful,  ami  on  its  destruction  by  fire  in  18G8,he  hailed  the  event 
with  undisguised  satisfaction. 

To  his  other  accomplishments  Mr.  Prentice  unites  that  of  being  a  poet. 
Most  of  his  poetical  productions  are  the  work  of  h  s  early  years,  and  they 
have  never  been  collected  into  a  volume  but  may  be  found  in  Collectiong 
of  Amf^r'can  Poetry.     A  selection,  however,  was  published  from  newspa- 
per paragraphs,  m  New  York,  m  1860,  under  the  title  of  "  Prenticiana."     They 
are  all  of  a  t>igh  order;    but  his  "Closing  Year"  and   "Lines  at  my  Mother's 
Grave  "  ae  probably  his  best. 

As  an  Editor,  his  style  was  especially  terse  and  sharp.     lie  was  famous  for  his 

witty  paragraphs,  for  his  sarcasms,  and  invectives,  which  were  bitter  and  merciless. 

He  spared  no  one,  and  had  no  consideration  for  age,  sex,  color,  lace,  oi-  kin. 

On  the  other  hand,  he  was  genial  and  earnest  in  his  laudations,  warm  and  sincere 

in  his  friendships,  and  honest  and  clear  in  his  convictions. 

As  a  poliiician,  he  declined  the  highest  honor  that  the  State  could  give  him.  He 
was  always  highly  respected  by  the  citizens  of  Lf.uisville,  and  had  troops  of  friends, 
as  well  as  that  wliieh  should  accompany  old  age — "  honor,  love,  •  nd  o))odience." 
In  person,  Mr.  Prentice  was  short  but  stout,  with  a  round  face  and  well-cut  features, 
His  right  arm  was  paralyzed  ;  and  he  was  compelled  to  emplov  an  amanuensis. 
He  died  at  the  residence  of  his  son,  Clarence,  near  Louisville,  in  January,  1870. 


246.  CASSIUS  M.  CLAY. 

Cassius  M.  Clay  -was  born  in  Madison  County,  Kentucky,  October  0, 
1810.     He  took  the  degree  of  A.  M.  in  Yale  College,  in  18o2.  ' 

In  1835  he  commenced  his  political  career  by  being  chosen  a  Mem.ber  of 
the  Legislature  of  Kentucky,  and  was  re-elected  in  lb'36  and  1840.  While 
a  member  of  that  body  he  advocated  an  improved  jury  system,  internal 
improvements,  and  common  schools,  all  of  which  were  ultimately  carried 
into  operation. 

In  1839  he  was  chosen  Congressional  Delegate  to  the  Whig  National 
Convention  which  nominated  W.  H.  Hariison  for  the  Pjesidency. 

In  1844  he  traversed  the  Free  States,  canvassing  in  behalf  of  Henry  Clay 
for  President  of  the  United  States,  and  in  opposition  to  the  annexation  of 
Texas. 

On  the  3d  of  June,  1845,  he  commenced,  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  the  weekly 
issue  of  The  True  American  newspaper,  devoted  to  the  overthrow  of  slavery 
in  Kentucky. 

While  sick,  in  August  of  that  year,  his  press  was  torn  down,  and  shipped 
to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  by  a  mob,  and  a  resolution  passed  that  they  would 
assassinate  him  if  he  revived  it. 

When  he  recovered  from  his  illness,  he  immediately  revived  his  paper, 
and  fearlessly  vindicated  the  freedom  of  the  press;  and  since  that  time  the 
press  has  been  open  to  the  discussion  of  this  issue  in  that  State. 

War  having  been  declared  against  Mexico,  on  the  7th  of  June,  1846,  he 
was  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States,  as  Captain  of  the  "  Old 
Infantry,"  the  oldest  company  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  then  acting 
as  "  mounted  men." 

They  reached  Monterey,  by  land,  after  its  capture.  .Captain  Clay  was 
detached  from  his  regiment  by  General  Taylor,  and  sent  to  the  head  of  the 
column  at  Salrillo. 

On  the  23d  of  January,  1847,  under  the  command  of  General  Gaines, 
Captain  Clay  was  taken  prisoner  at  Incarnation.  On  the  25th,  by  great 
coolness  and  presence  of  mind,  he  saved  from  massacre  all  the  prisoners,  for 
which  heroic  act,  on  his  return  home,  in  1847,  he  was  presented  with  an 
elegant  sword. 

In  1851  he  separated  from  the  Whig  party,  in  consequence  of  the  "  Com- 
promise measures." 

In  the  summer  of  1851  he  ran  for  Governor  of  Kentucky,  in  opposition 
to  the  regular  Whig  and  Democratic  nominees,  upon  the  anti-slavery  basis. 
He  received  nearly  four  thousand  votes  (tAventy  thousand  not  voting),  and 
caused  the  defeat  of  the  Whig  nominee  for  the  first  time -for  more  than 
twenty  j^ears. 

In  1856  he  was  an  enthusiastic  and  zealous  advocate  of  the  election  of 
John  C.  Fremont  for  President ;  and,  in  1860,  in  the  canvass  for  Abraham 
Lincoln,  he  was  equally  earnest  and  zealous. 

In  1861,  he  was  appointed  Minister  to  Russia  ;  was  recalled  by  Mr.  Seward,  in 
1862,  and  made  major-general  fn  tiie  Army  ;  was  reappointed,  in  1863,  to  Russia, 
where  he  remained  till  November  5,  1869,  when  he  returned  to  the  United  States, 
While  in  Russia,  he  rendered  efficient  service  to  his  country  by  being  instrumen- 
tal in  producing  amicable  feelings  between  the  two  countries, 


247.   GEORGE   F.  TRAIN. 

Geoege  Feancis  Teain  was  bom  in  Boston,  Massachusetts.  He 
started  in  life  as  a  clerk  in  a  store  and  rose  rapidly  to  be  a  merchant. 

The  activity  and  energy  of  his  mind,  with  the  roving,  enterprising 
spirit,  characteristic  of  the  New  England  nature,  led  him  to  seek  a  more 
extensive  field  abroad,  and  following  this  impulse,  he  emigrated  to  Austra- 
lia where  he  established  a  mercantile  house.  Eeturning  to  America  he 
entered  into  Street  Kailway  enterpris  s,  and  afterwards,  travelled  exten- 
sively in  Europe,  where,  in  several  of  the  Capitals,  he  attempted  to  estab- 
lish the  same  system,  in  some  of  which  he  was  partially  successful.  From 
Street  Eailways  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  Facific  Ftailroad  scheme,  and 
advocated  it  with  characteristic  zeal  and  energy.  Going  to  England  in 
18t)8,  he  became  prominently  indentified  with  the  Fenian  movement,  and 
from  his  agitation  and  known  sympathies,  was  arrested  by  the  British 
authorities  and  imprisoned  in  the  jail  at  St  Patrick.  Ireland. 

From  the  prison  he  issued  numerous  letters  to  the  prer.s  and  addresses 
to  the  Irish  people,  which  tended  far  more  toward  establishing  '•  Irish  Na- 
tionality" than  had  he  been  allowed  to  lecture  through  the  country  undis- 
turbed by  the  authorities. 

Released  from  prison,  he  returned  to  the  United  States,  where  he  is 
lecturing  extensively  on  Fenianism  and  other  pojDular  topics.  Prolific  in 
Financial  as  well  as  Railroad  and  political  schemes,  he  was  one  of  the  most 
active  in  founding  the  Credit  ilobilier  of  Ameiica. 

Without  belonging  to  any  political  organization  he  has.  upon  several 
occasions  offered  himself  as  a  candidate  for  Con^uress,  but  without  success. 
Favoring  Female  Suffrage  he  made  sj)eeches  in  Kansas  on  the  subject,  in 
1^07,  and  aided  in  establishing  the  "EevohUion."  a  weekly  paper, 
csppcially  intended  to  disseminate  information  which  will  bring  woman  on 
a  political  equality  with  man,  edited  and  conducted  with  eminent  ability 
by  Mrs.  .-tanton.  Miss  Anthony  and  Parker  Pillsbury. 

In  ISiiU  Ml*.  Train  had  a  public  controversy  at  the  Cooper  Institute, 
New  Yoik.  with  Cassius  M  Clay,  our  distinguished  Minister  to  the  Court 
of  St.  Petersburg,  on  the  questions  that  were  then  agitating  the  public 
mind. 

With  the  indomitable  "  American  spirit"  of  not  to  be  put  down,  im- 
posed upon  or  defeated,  ho  has  brought  suits  for  damages  against  the 
English  Government  for  false  imprisonment  and  threatened  the  people  of 
the  riuited  States  with  being  their  President  before  he  dies.  Bold,  ardent, 
fluent  in  speoch,  and  prolific  in  resources,  practical  and  chunerical.  George 
Francis  Train  is  a  mixed  type  of  the  New  England  mind  in  its  more  active 
and  turbulent  state.  With  a  constant  ebullition  of  feeling,  sympathising 
with  cveiy  popular  movement,  he  becomes  the  leader  and  spokes- 
uaan  of  more  timid  and  lo.^s  audacious  people  entertaining  the  same  views. 

By  nature  impulsive,  hd  is  by  neceBsity  a  "Bepresentativo  Man."  and 
posf^essea  mu(;h  more  of  the  **  pbpuiftr"  than  Dttftuy  otliers  who  profess  ttt 
reptfe^oiit  thttfc  thatracler. 


248.  ANDREW  G.  CURTIN. 

Ar^DRE-w  Gregg  Cuktin,  formerly  Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  vras 
born  in  Bellefonte,  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania,  April  22,  1817.  A  pupil 
of  the  celebrated  law  school  of  the  Honorable  John  Heed,  Professor  of  Law 
in  Dickinson's  Lolle-ge,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1839.  and  immedia  ely 
commenced  practice  at  JJellefonte.  Taking  an  ;.ctive  part  in  politics  ho 
canvassed  the  State  for  Henry  C'ay,  in  Ibli,  and  for  General  Taylor  in 
1848.  Appointed  by  Governor  Pollock  in  1853,  Secretary  of  State  and 
Superintendent  of  Public  Schools  in  Pennsylvania,  he  brought  to  the 
duties  of  both  offices  an  ability  which  found  new  channels  of  exercise  in 
subsequent  ])05iti03sof  public  responsibility  and  trust,  liis  term  of  office 
closing  in  1838.  ho  returned  to  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Bellefonte. 

JS'ominated  for  Governor  of  Pennsylvania  in  l<SuO,  by  the  Republican 
party,  after  an  exciting  canvass  in  which  he  personally  took  an  active 
parfc'^by  canvassing  the  entire  State,  he  was  triumphantly  elected  by  the 
overwhelming  majoritj'-  of  thirty-three  thousand  votes  over  his  popular 
competitor  Generul  Foster,  who  held  the  odds  against  Governor  Curiin  by 
•uniting  the  combined  support  of  the  Bell,  Breckenridge  aiid  Douglass 
parties.  Tlae  outbreak  of  the  civil  war  in  18G1,  found  Governor  Curtin  at 
the  head  of  aflfiurs  in  Pennsylvania,  in  which  responsible  position  he  de- 
voted himself  with  great  zeal  and  energy  in  equipping  troops  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  Government  and  the  speedy  overthrow  of  the  rebellion.  In 
May,  ISGl,  he  addressed  a  message  to  the  Legislature,  at  its  Special  Ses- 
sion, in  which  he  urged  the  establishment  of  a  reserve  corps,  which  sub- 
sequently rendered  imi)ortant  service  to  the  country. 

Tii8  invasion  of  Pennsylvania  by  General  Lee  and  his  Confederate 
armies,  being  regarded  as  the  turning  point  in  the  great  rebellion,  Gov. 
Curtin  achieved  great  reputation  for  the  energy  and  ability  he  displayed  in 
his  position  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  forces  of  Pennsylvania,  by 
virtue  of  his  office  as  Governor  of  the  State,  in  arousing  his  fellow  citizens 
to  action  and  resistance  to  (he  invaders. 

The  result  of  that  memorable  battle  in  favor  of  the  Union  forces,  must 
ever  make  tho  State  of  Pennsylvania,  as  one  of  the  great  border  States, 
pre-eminent,  standing  as  a  bulwark  against  the  surging  tides  cf  rebellion, 
and  render  its  patriotic  Governor,  for  the  patriotic  stand  ho  took  during 
this  trying  period,  eminently  distinguished  and  historical.  Fortunately 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  State  nt  this  eventful  time,  ho  had  the  equal  good 
fortuno  to  see,  partially,  through  his  ovrn  patriotic  zeal  and  exertions,  tho 
■  >iate  saved  as  well  as  the  Union,  v.-hilo  other  border  States  were  suffering 
all  tho  terrors  of  a  desperate  civil  wnr,  their  Governors  and  Councils  in 
maiiy  instances,  at  tho  mercy  of  conflicting  parties,  ifc  was  the  good  lortuno 
«'f  Pennsylvania  to  meet  this  shock  of  contending  forces  with  intrepidity 
and  victory,  and  tho  distinguished  merit  of  Go  vemoi' Andrew  Oar  tin  to 
h/a  feigual  td  fcliQ  pOBition  "whiuU  ho  held  itud  haiiOi-6d» 


249.    EDVv'IX    D.    :\IORGAX. 

l^DwiK  Denn'ison  Morgan  was  born  in  Washington,  Berksliire  County,  Mass., 
on  the  8th  of  Febnuirv,  1811.  At  an  early  age  he  eomnienced  commei'cial  pur- 
suits in  the  town  of  Hartford,  Ct.,  and  wiien  but  twenty  years  of  age,  Ite  was 
talcen  into  copartnership  in  the  house  where  he  eommt^need  ;is  a  clerk.  Remov- 
ing to  tlie  ciiy  of  New  York  in  1836,  he  extended  hi-s  coinmeiciai  eiiterpiises,  and 
with  that  sagacity  and  foresight  which  has  so  en.inently  disiinguislied  hi  n,  he  niet 
witli  great  succe-s.  Identifviug  hiiiiself  with  the  Wliig  party  upon  coming  to  the 
city  of  New  York,  he  became  a  prominent  leader  of  tiie  RepubUcau  orgaiiizatioa 
upon  its  consolidation  with  that  party. 

Liected  to  the  State  Senate  iu  1849,  Mr.  Morgan  continued  a  member 
of  that  body  for  fouf  veais,  during  wliicli  time  he  introduced  and  cariied  through 
the  Legislature  the  bill  establishing  the  Central  Park  of  New  York.  On  the  22d 
of  February,  1856,  he  was  one  of  the  Vice-Presidents  of  the  National  Conven- 
tion held  at  Pittsburg.  Elected  Chairman  of  the  National  Committee,  he  held 
that  position  for  several  years,  consolidating  the  strength  of  the  Republican  party 
and  commanding  the  support  of  its  leaders. 

Elected  in  the  year  1838  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York,  he  was 
inaugurated  on  the  1st  of  January,  1859.  Re-elected  to  the  GKbernalorial 
office  in  18j0,  he  was  fortunate  in  being  the  only  Gavernor  succeeding  for 
a  Second  terai  for  twenty  years  previously  ;  wLile  his  ti  iuraph  with  the  elec- 
tion of  Abraham  Lincoln  to  the  Presidency,  made  it  nioie  historically 
memorable.  Entering  upon  his  second  term  on  the  veiy  eve  of  tlie 
Bebellion,  he  conducted  the  affairs  of  the  Slate  in  a  manner  wnicli  mastered 
the  situation,  and  by  his  judicious  administration  averted  much  uf  the  blood- 
shed which  otherwise  would  have  been  occasioned  by  conflicts  of  authority 
and  opinion. 

While  zealously  engaged  in  his  Gubernatorial  cfiQce,  Governor  Morgan 
was  active  in  extending  all  the  support  of  his  ofScial  position  to  the  Na- 
tional Government  in  aiding  in  the  suppression  of  the  Eebellion.  With  his 
accustomed  zeal  and  activity, less  than  sixteen  months  found  him  with  one 
hundred  and  twenty  thousand  men  equipped  for  the  field.  Among  the 
other  triumphs  of  hs  administration  of  the  Chief  Magistracy  of  the  State, 
was  the  reduction  of  the  State  debts  and  the  increase  of  the  revenues  of  the 
canals.  Courageous  and  honest  in  the  exercise  of  his  authority,  he  never 
swerved  from  using  h's  veto  pow<n' whenever  it  was  attempted  to  be  over- 
awed by  fraud  or  guarded  the  jniblic  interest. 

Commissioned  a  M 'jor-General  of  Volunteers.  September  20,  1861, 
Governor  Morgan  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Military  Departir.ont  of 
New  York.  With  disinterested  public  spirit  he  refused  to  receive  any  pay 
for  this  service. 

In  1863  Governor  Morcran  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  from 
the  State  of  New  York,  and  during  his  Senatorial  period,  as  through  his 
Gubernatorial  and  Military  career,  ho  has  been  distinguished  for  ability, 
pviblio  spirit  and  patriotism. 


250.    FREDERICK    DOUGLASS. 

Frederick  Douglass  was  born  a  slave  on  a  Maryland  plantation.  His  father 
was  probably  a  wliite  man,  whom  he  never  knew;  liis  mother  was  a  slave,  whom 
he  never  saw  but  five  times,  because  she  was  employed  upon  a  plantation  iwelve 
miles  away,  and  died  when  he  was  quite  young.  When  he  was  ten  yeiirs  old,  he 
was  sent  to  Bnliimore  to  be  a  family  servant,  where, /o7*  a  iirne,  his  new  mistress 
treated  him  with  the  tenderness  of  a  mother,  and  taught  him  to  read  ;  and  bting 
proud  of  his  progress,  exidtingly  told  her  husband,  vlio,  iinmzed  at  ler  simplicity, 
told  her  the  dangers  of  her  undertaking,  and  promptly  forbade  her  continuing  it, 
assuring  her  it  was  unlawful.  But  the  desire  ior  learning,  once  awaktned,  could 
not  be  subdued. 

Douglass  persisted,  by  the  most  ingenious  artifices,  to  grope  his  way  to  know- 
ledge, and  speedily  became  deeply  imbued  with  the  ideas  tliat  expanded  his  mind, 
becoming,  however,  taciturn  and  morose  as  he  reflected  on  thedegiaded  condition 
of  his  existence. 

He  now  became  difficult  to  manage,  and  matured  a  plan  of  escape.  He  had 
learned  to  write,  and  was  at  last,  allowed  by  his  masteV  to  work  on  his  own  ac- 
count, paying  his  owner  one  half  his  earnings.  He  was  a  Cfmlker  in  a  shipyard, 
and  succeeded,  by  his  acquaintance  among  vessels,  in  finding  his  way  to  New  Bed- 
ford, Mass.  Here,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  who  had  followed  him  irom  Marxland, 
he  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  being  his  own  master,  and,  for  reasons  of  safety,  speedi- 
ly abandoned  his  old  name,  assuming  that  of  a  character  which  had  inspired  him 
while  reading  Sir  Waher  Scott's  beautiful  poem,  The  lady  of  the  Lake.  He  soon 
subscribed  for  the  Liberator^  and  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Uanison.  From  this 
time  his  course  was  upward. 

The  talents  he  exhibited  in  recounting  his  experience  as  a  slave  induced  the 
Anti  Slavery  Society  to  off.  r  him  the  position  of  an  agent.  He  visited  Englai  d. 
The  interest  excited  in  him  there  was  so  great  that  several  English  friends  united 
and  paid  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  sterling  for  the  purchase  of  his 
liberty  ;  while  others  raised  him  a  fund  of  several  thousand  dollars  to  enable  him 
to  fit  up  a  printing-office  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.  Here  he  establi-hed  and  conducted 
a  paper  during  sixteen  years,  and  gave   it  up  when  slavery  was  abolished. 

Since  then  his  course  has  been  well  known,  more  thiough  the  ceaseless  revil- 
ings  of  the  enemies  of  American  freedom  than  his  own  writings ;  while,  as  an 
orator,  he  has  acquired  a  reputation  of  acknowledged  eminence.  Two  of  his  sons 
fought  bravely  in  the  war  for  lil)erty  ;  and  Frederick  Douglass  has  nrjade  his  name 
to  be  honorable.  His  career,  as  freeman,  began  in  1838,  and  he  now  edits  the 
Xew  National  Era,  at  Washington,  D.  C,  a  weekly  journal  recently  established. 


INDEX 


PAGE 

211  Adams,  Charles  P. 
2  Adams,  John. 
6  Adam:?,  John  Q. 

34  Adams,  Samuel. 

144  Allston,  Washhigton. 

35  Ames,  Fisher. 

151  Audeison,  Gen.  Robert. 
132  Andrew,  John  A. 

93  Appleton,  Samuel. 

98  Atherton,  Charles  G. 

61  Bainbridge,  Com.  W. 
110  Baker,  Gen.  E.  D. 

135  Jiallou,  Rev.  Hosea. 
178  Bancroft,  George. 
235  Banks,  Xathanid  P. 
209  Barnum,  P.  T. 

175  Bates,  Edward. 

188  Beauregard,  Gen.  P.  G.  T. 

176  Beeeher,  Henry  Ward. 

136  Beeeher,  Rev.  Lyman. 
196  Benjamin  J.  P. 

208  Bennett,  James  G. 

86  Benton,  Thomas  H. 
122  Berrv,  Gen.  Hirjm  G. 

69  Black  Hawk. 
234  Blair,  Gen.  Francis  P.,  Jr. 
2u7  Blair,  Montgomery. 

95  Boone,  Daniel. 
220  Bradv,  James  T, 
170  Breckenridge,  J.  0. 
157  Broderick,  David  C. 
130  Brooks,  Preston  S. 
126  Brown,  John. 
190  Brownlovv,  Parson. 
242  Bryant,  William  C. 

15  Buchanan,  James. 
185  Burnside,  Gen.  A.  E. 

66  Burr,  Aaron. 


PAGE  -s, 

171  Butler,  Benjamin  F. 
141  Butrick,  Col.  J. 

76  Calhoun,  John  0. 
155  Cameron,  Simon. 

39  Carroll,  Charles. 

97  Cass,  Lewis. 
134  Channing,  Rev.  W.  H 

172  Chase,  Salmon  P. 
92  Choate,  Rufus. 

58  Claxton,  Com.  A. 
246  Clav,  Cassias  M. 

78  ClaV,  Henry. 

91  Clinton,  De  Witt. 

197  Cobb,  Howell. 

199  Colfax,  Schuyler. 

19  Columbus,  Christopher. 

138  Cooper,  J.  Fenimore. 

179  Cooper,  Peter. 

SO  Corwin,  Thomas. 

101  Crittenden,  John  J. 

89  Crockett,  David. 

248  Curtin,  Andrew  G. 

148  Davis,  Henry  Winter. 
167  Davis,  Jefferson. 

99  Davis,  John. 

59  Decatur,  Com.  Stephen. 
94  Dickinson,  Daniel  S. 

149  Dix,  John  A. 

250  Douglass,  Fi-ederick. 
82  Douglas,  Stephen  A. 
231  Dupont,  Com.  S.  F. 
118  Ellsworth,  Col.  E.  E. 
159  Evans,  George. 
100  Everett,  Edward. 
186  Ewell,  Gen.  R.  S. 
129  Farragut,  Admiral  D.  G 
203  Fenton,  Reuben  E. 
215  Fessenden,  William  P. 


PAGE 

13  Fillmore,  Millard. 
Ill  Foote,  Admiral  A.  H. 

19  Foote,  Solomon. 
210  Fornev,  John  W. 

232  Forrest,  Gen.  N.  B. 
25  Franklin,  Benjamin. 

224  Fremont,  John  C. 
45  Fulton,  Robert. 
G7  Gaines,  Gen.  E.  P. 

212  Garrison,  W.  Lloyd. 
87  Giddii  gs,  J  .?luia  R. 
;>6  Gerry,  Elbridge. 

83  Granger,  Francis. 
18  Giant,  Gen.  U.  S. 

16G  (iroeley,  Horace. 

57  Green,  Major-Gen. 

219  Halpine,  Chailes  G. 

24  Hamilton,  Alexander. 

20a  Hamlin,  Hannibal. 

200  Hampton,  Wade. 

31  Hancock,  John. 

233  Hi.rdee,  Gen.  W.  J. 

9  Hariison,  William  H. 

85  Havne,  Robert  Y. 

243  Heimzehiian,  Gen.  S.  P. 

120  Hill,  Gen.  A.  P. 

30  Henrv,  Patri.k. 

213  Hoffman,  John  T. 
184  Holt,  Joseph. 

239  Hood,  Gen.  John  B. 
189  Hooker,  Gen.  Joseph. 
44  Hopkins,  F. 

84  Houston,  Samuel. 
181  Howard,  Gen.  0.  0. 

21  Hudson,  Hendrick. 
140  Hudson,  John. 
127  Hu};hes,  Archbishop  J. 

62  Hull,  Com.  Isaac. 
123  Hunter,  Gen.  David. 
217  Hunter,  R.  M.  T. 
145   Irving,  Washington. 

7  Jackson,  Andrew. 
109  Jackson,  Stonewall, 

32  Jay,  John. 

3  Jefferson.  Thomas. 
17  Johnson,  Andrew. 
226  Johnst<;n,  Geu.  Joseph  E. 
180  Johnson,  Herschel  V. 
174  Johnson,  Reverdy. 


PAGE 

lu2  Johnston,  Gen.  A.  S. 

60  Jones,  Com.  Paul. 
119  Kearney,  Geii.  Philip. 

73  Keokuk. 

49  Kent,  Chancellor  J. 
240  Kibatrick,  Gen.  J. 

90  King,  William  R. 

27  Knox,  Gen.  Henry. 

40  Ktjsciusko,  Tbaddeu3. 
33  Latkyetie. 

1J6  Lane,  Gen.  James  H. 

G4  Lawrence,  Capt.  J. 

165  Lee,  Gen.  Robeit  E. 

43  Lee,  Richard  H. 

16  Lincoln,  Abraham. 

38  Lincoln,  Benjamin. 

227  Logan,  John  A. 

183  Longstreet,  Gen.  J. 

128  Lovejoy,  Owen. 

112  Lyon,  Gen.  Nathaniel. 

4  Madison,  James. 
88  Marcy,  William  L. 

66  Marion,  Gen.  Francis. 

50  Marshall,  Chief-Justice  J. 
173  Mason,  James  M. 

162  Maury,  Professor  M.  F. 
223  McClellan,  George  B. 

113  McPherson,  Gen.  J.  B. 
187  Meade,  Gen.  George  G. 

114  Meagher,  Gen.  T.  F. 

41  Middleton,  Arthur, 

115  Mitchel,  Gen.  0.  M. 

5  Monroe,  James. 

55  Montgomery,  Gen.  R. 
249  Morgan,  E.  D. 
150  Morton,  Oliver  P. 
142  Morris,  George  P. 
244  Mosby,  Col.  John, 

52  Moultrie,  Gen.  William. 

70  Osceola. 
125  Parker,  Theodore. 
205  Pendleton.  George  H. 

28  Penn,  William. 

63  Perry,  Com.  Oliver  H. 

202  Phillips,  Wendell, 

42  Pickering,  Timothy. 
14  Pierce,  Franklin. 

139  Pierpont,  John. 
46  Pinknev,  William. 


PAGE 

11  Polk,  James  K. 
198  Pomeroy,  Samuel  C. 

152  Pope,  Gen,  John. 
137  Porter,  Cora.  W.  D, 
245  Prentice,  George  D. 

74  Prophet,  Indian, 
228  Pryor,  Roger  A. 

26  Putnam,  Gen,  Israel. 
204  Ramsey,  Alexander. 

6.5  Randolph,  John. 
221  Riivraond,  Henry  J. 

72  Red  Jacket. 

106  Reno,  Gen.  Jesse  L. 
29  Rush,  Benjamin, 

241  Schenck.  Robert  C, 
68  Sclioolcraft,  H,  R, 
108  Scott,  Gen.  WinMd. 
216  Schurz,  Carl. 
103  Sedgwick,  Gen.  John. 

191  Seward,  William  H. 
237  Seymour,  Horatio. 

153  Sheridan,  Gen.  P.  H, 

225  Sherman,  Gen.  William  T. 

154  Sickles,  Gen,  Daniel  E. 
218  Siegel,  Gen.  Frauz. 

160  Slidell,  John. 

75  Smith,  John. 
168  Soule,  Pierre. 
195  Stanton,  Edwin  M. 

54  Stark,  Gen.  John. 

192  Stephens,  Alexander  H. 

193  Stephens,  Thaddeus. 
51  Storv,  Joseph, 

230  Striiigham,  Com.  S.  H. 
121  Stuart,  Gen.  J.  E.  B. 
23  Stuyvesant,  Petrus. 

161  Sumner,  Charles. 

107  Sumner,  Geu.  E.  V. 


PAGE 

81  Taney,  Roger  B. 
229  Taylor,  Gen.  Richard, 

12  Taylor,  Zaehary. 

71  Tecumseh. 
236  Thomas,  Gen.  George  H. 

163  Toombs,  Robert. 
158   Toucey,  Isaac. 

247  Train,  George  Francis, 

146  Trumbull,  Lyman, 
10  Tvler,  John.' 

177  Vallandigham,  C.  L. 
131  Vanderbilt,  Cornelius. 

20  Vespucius,  Americus. 
133  Van  Buren,  John. 

8  Van  Buren,  Martin, 
169  Wade,  Benjamin  F. 
105  Wadsworth,  Gen.  J,  S. 
222  Walbridge,  Hiram. 
156  Ward,  Marcus  L. 

37  Warren,  Gen.  Joseph. 
1  Washington,  George. 

53  Wayne,  Anthony, 

77  Webster,  Daniel", 

147  W^ebster,  Fletcher. 
194  Weed,  Thurlow, 
214  Welles,  Gideon. 

47  West,  Benjamin. 
182  Wilkes,  George. 
143  Willis,  Nathaniel  P. 

164  Wilson,  Henry, 
22  Winsiow,  Josiah. 

48  Wirt,  William, 
201  Wise,  Henry  A. 
238  Wood,  Fernando. 
104  Worth,  Gen,  W.  J. 

96  Wright,  Silas. 
124  Yancey,  William  L. 
in  Zollicofier,  Gen.  F.  K.