To command men in the field was a and repairing disaster. The year 1776 light task, with all its responsibilities, was one of constant labors to him in to the work of getting them there. To his attendance upon the forts, negotiathis duty, with all its train of attendant tion with the Indians, repressive meaprovisions in supplies and equipments, sures against the Tories, and securing General Schuyler now devoted himself. the means of defence generally, and it His central position threw the work was rendered a particularly painful upon his hands. He had an extended period to him by the distrust and oppoline, stretching into the Indian country, sition of the New England men in beset with enemies, to watch over, from Massachusetts, and the New Hampthe Hudson to the St. Lawrence, while shire grants bordering the colony. The he was to be acquainted with every failure of the Canadian expedition was movement in Canada. Forts were to unfairly imputed to him, and he had to be garrisoned, men to be raised, and bear the obloquy of disappointments what was more, paid and provisioned, entirely beyond his control. He bewith a defective commissariat and a came so disheartened, in fact, with the half supplied treasury. · Arms and suspicions which followed his labors, , ammunition, also, were wanting. Like that in September of this year, 1776, Lafayette and others, Schuyler pledged he actually sent in a resignation of his his own personal credit for the public commission as Major General, and of wants. The service upon which he all his offices and employments, to Conwas engaged was not a brilliant one-- gress. “It is much to be lamented," it makes no appearance in bulletins he wrote to General Gates, who held a and gazettes—but especially at this command subordinate to his departperiod of the war it was all in all. To ment at Ticonderoga, “ that calumny is keep an army alive was the great so much cherished in this unhappy effort, waiting the opportunity for illus- country, and that so few of the servants trious deeds. In all the exploits of the of the public escape the malevolence region bordering on the Hudson and the of a set of insidious miscreants. It has lakes and extending into Canada, though driven me to the necessity of resignother generals might bear the appoint. ing."1 Congress, however, would not ment, their success, their very existence, consent to lose so faithful a servant, and rested upon the exertions of General he was requested to continue in his Schuyler, who, at Albany or Fort command. But an uneasy feeling still George, or along the line, was con prevailed, which soon brought him into stantly engaged in feeding and recruit- collision with Congress itself. A proud, ing their armies. Montgomery fell, and high-spirited man, he was impatient of was succeeded by Wooster, Wooster unworthy censures and imputations, by Lee, Lee by Thomas, Thomas by and one or two incidents of this kind Sullivan, Sullivan by Gates; but Schuy- galled him severely. There was ler ever remained constant at his post, serving all alike, stimulating success

· Irving's Washington, III. 35.

an

unpleasant correspondence, growing ment seemed to be fully restored. In out of an intercepted letter, in which the conflict of authority with Gates he was charged by the Commissary which ensued, the extent of the NorthGeneral, Joseph Trumbull, with secret- ern Department was defined to include ing or suppressing a commission sent Albany, Ticonderoga, Fort Stanwix, for his brother, Colonel John Trumbull, and their dependencies, and its comas Deputy Adjutant General. Schuy- mand was assigned anew to Schuyler. ler deeply resented the charge, calling This disappointed Gates, who now left upon Congress to decide between the Ticonderoga to push his interests with utterer of it and himself, by dismissing Congress at Philadelphia. General St. one of them from the service, that he Clair was placed in charge of his post. might be “upon a footing to do what Schuyler now devoted himself with the laws of honor, and a regard to his all his energy to the work of preparaown reputation, rendered indispensably tion for the opening campaign, and necessary.” Schuyler also addressed a particularly to the defence of Ticonremonstrance to Congress, in February, deroga, which needed extraordinary 1777, on the dismissal, without con- efforts for its support. He had col. sulting him, of an army physician, in lected men and supplies, and was on whose appointment he had interested his way with a considerable force to himself. As these complaints received strengthen the place, when he was met no attention, he reminded Congress on the way by the intelligence of its that it had failed in what he conceived surrender by St. Clair. This unfortuto be a duty to him. That body, in nate event proved, as usual with the return, rebuked him for the tone of his disasters of the war in this region, a epistles. This occurred in March; in new injury to the fortunes of Schuyler, April he himself took his seat as a who was in no way responsible for the member of Congress, and demanded an circumstance. It found him in the investigation of his conduct in the midst of difficulties; the enemy was army through the whole of his career. pressing on; there was imminent danger Meanwhile, he held a command at both from the north and west. The Philadelphia, and was actively em- remainder of July and half the month ployed in the construction of military of August were passed in extraordiworks on the Delaware, and assisting nary efforts to collect troops, prepare the commander-in-chief. The report defences, and meet the advancing army of the committee, which consisted of a which was making its way from Canada member from each State, rendered in under General Burgoyne. Schuyler his favor, was highly complimentary had the roads broken up to impede the to his military character and devotion, advance of the enemy, removed pro

, and drew from him a memorial in revisions from the route, dispatched ply, in explanation of the remarks in Arnold to the assistance of the endanhis correspondence, so that his former gered posts on the Mohawk, and good understanding with the Govern- in correspondence with Washington, whose masterly mind was fully dis- tary rewards of one of the most patriplayed in the military arrangements otic and laborious officers of the Revono less than in the moral courage with lution, who had just organized a great which he sustained the endeavors of victory for another. The self-sacrific.

the defenders, he stood prepared for ing hero gets an acquittal; the medal the foe. At this movement, on the eve is struck for the chance comer. In of the engagements of Saratoga, with military affairs the tulit alter · honores victory, in a measure, already secured, has seldom received a more remarkable by his exertions, with Bennington exemplification. fought and won, he was superseded in ,

General Schuyler, a few months after his command by Congress, by the ap- his character had been thus certified, pointment of General Gates. The old resigned his commission, and withdrew New England prejudice was still ope- from the army. He by no means, howrative against him. The manner in ever, abandoned public life. He again which Schuyler received the officer who took his seat in Congress, as a delegate came to pluck the laurels from his from New York, where his military brow afforded only a new proof of the experience in committee and other sterling nobility of his nature. He duties was of no little advantage. In cheerfully offered him every facility, 1780 he served on the committee apasking only the privilege of assisting pointed to confer with Washington on his country in a region where no man the needed reforms in the army—an had more influence, at this critical appointment suggested by the commoment. After the victory, his courmander-in-chief himself, who wrote, tesy to the officers of the captured “there is no man that can be more usearmy, to the Baroness Reidesel, and to ful, as a member, than General SchuyBurgoyne, on whom, though he had ler," enumerating particularly his “persuffered severe losses in the destruction fect knowledge of the resources of the of his property, by orders of that gene- country, the activity of his temper, ral, before his surrender, he bestowed his fruitfulness of expedients, and his all the resources of his ample hospi- sound military sense.” tality, calls forth a distinguished word After the war was ended, General of praise from his ardent appreciator, Schuyler was a member of the New Washington Irving. “ This,” writes York Senate, and employed in the he,“ was indeed realizing the vaunted negotiations of the State boundary courtesy and magnanimity of the age line with Massachusetts. In the move. of chivalry.”

ments for the adoption of the Federal The following year, Schuyler again Constitution he was a zealous particireceived the acquittal of a court sitting pant, and was chosen one of the first in judgment on his conduct of the cam- senators of the United States from New paign of 1777, “ with the highest York when that instrument went into honor," and Congress approved the operation. He served until 1791, when

, verdict. Such were the negative mili. he was elected a senator of his native

was

State, and in that capacity particularly Society of the year 1828, thus spoke interested himself in the establishment of his distinguished merits in the counof companies for inland lock naviga- cil and the field. “If the military life gation, and may thus be regarded as of General Schuyler," he said, one of the fathers of the eminently inferior in brillancy to that of some successful canal policy of the State. others of his countrymen, none of them In 1797 he introduced to the Senate, ever surpassed him in fidelity, activity, and afterwards published in a pam- and devotedness to the service. The phlet, a plan for the improvement of characteristic of all his measures was the State revenues—a topic on which utility. They bore the stamp and he was much at home, from his unerring precision of practical science. fondness for arithmetical investiga- There was nothing complicated in his tions. He was subsequently returned character. It was chaste and severe to the United States Senate in 1797 as simplicity; and, take him for all in all, the successor of Burr. Failing health, he was one of the wisest and most however, soon compelled him to seek efficient men, both in military and civil repose in retirement at his hospitable life, that the State or the nation has mansion at Albany, where his last days produced.” Of his more purely persowere visited by domestic affliction in nal traits, Chancellor Kent added : the loss of his wife in 1803, followed “ His spirits were cheerful, his converthe next year by the fatal duel of his sation most eminently instructive, his eminent son-in-law, a pillar of strength manners gentle and courteous, and his to the household, Alexander Hamilton. whole deportment tempered with grace General Schuyler survived the event and dignity. His faculties seemed to but a few months, dying at Albany the retain their unimpaired vigor and 18th of November, 1804, at the age of untiring activity; though he had eviseventy-one.

dently lost some of his constitutional Of the character of General Schuy- ardor of temperament and vehemence ler we may safely adopt the judgment of feeling. He was sobered by age, of one who knew him well, and whose chastened by affliction, broken by dispraise was never lightly bestowed, the ease; and yet nothing could surpass late Chancellor Kent, who, in his dis- the interest excited by the mild radi. course before the New York Historical | ance of the evening of his days.”

DANIEL MORGAN.

An uncertainty hangs over the birth. | Ridge were indebted to the teamsters place of this gallant partisan officer of for their supplies and means of comthe Revolution. Indeed, very little is munication. It was a service which known of his early years. When he required strength and courage, and became celebrated, he appears to have Morgan was fully equal to both detaken little pleasure in such distant mands. His frame was of extraordireminiscences, and the track is too ob- nary vigor, and his manly spirit rapidly scure to be followed by the most zeal developed itself in this free, bold, fronous biographers. The latest and most tier life. authoritative, Mr. James Graham, gives It was quite to be expected that such the preference to New Jersey over a man, on the breaking out of the Pennsylvania, as the State where he French hostilities, and the arrival of first saw the light. He decides that Braddock, should be called upon for he was born in Hunterdon County, in his services in the war.

He was acthe former State, in the winter of 1736. cordingly engaged as a teamster, and His parents, it is ascertained, were of joined the British forces on their disasWelch extraction, who landed in trous expedition against Fort Du America at Philadelphia, and settled Quesne. At the time of the defeat he upon the Delaware: upon which side was with Colonel Dunbar, who was of the river they lived at the time of following the commander with the their son's birth is really of little con- heavy baggage. His duties, consesequence, since neither State could quently, did not call upon him to parclaim much from the man. He really ticipate in the fight, though he had his belongs to Virginia, where he first ap- share of the excessive labors of the peared as a runaway from home, in his campaign. A story is told of his seventeenth year, a rude, uncultivated prowess, which, as an indication of his farmer's boy, seeking employment in career, may be worth repeating. His the labors of the field in what is now immediate officer in command was upon Jefferson County. He had work in the point of engaging with a notorious him, proved it to the satisfaction of his pugilist and bully who followed the employer, and speedily rose to the re- camp. “Captain,” says Morgan, “ you sponsible post of wagoner—for in those must not fight that man. It would be days the settlers west of the Blue a disgrace for you to be flogged. I

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