end doctor Kirkland, president of Harvard college, who had enjoyed his personal friendship and intimacy. The volume is fraught with profound remarks, various historical lore, and eloquent declamation. Although the political interest of most of the topics is gone, there remains much to captivate and reward attention in the richness of fancy, warmth of feeling, beauty of language, and felicity of copious illustration, which distinguish almost every page. Fisher Ames left seven children and a wife, to whom he was tenderly attached. In person, he exceeded a little the middle stature, was well-proportioned and perfectly erect. His features and countenance were fine, and his manners easy and affable. Of his delivery as an orator, his biographer states, that he did not systematically study the exterior graces of speaking, but his attitude was firm, his gesticulation natural and forcible, his voice clear and varied, and his whole manner earnest and expressive. According to the same authority, all the other efforts of his mind were probably surpassed by his powers of conversation.
COLONEL AARON BURR.
Colonel Aaron Burr was born on the 6th of February 1756, at
Newark, in New Jersey. His father, the Rev. Aaron Burr, was the
first president of the College of New Jersey, which was opened at Newark,
but was subsequently removed to Princeton; his mother was the
daughter of the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, so distinguished as a metaphysician
and divine, and who succeeded his son-in-law in the presidency of
the College. The former died in 1757, and the latter in the following
year, leaving only two children, Aaron and a daughter, afterwards the
wife of Judge Tappan Reeve, of Conneticut. Colonel Burr inherited
from his father a considerable property. He was graduated at Princeton
when only 16 years old. When in his 20th year he joined the American
army, after the battle of Bunker's Hill, in the neighborhood of Boston.
Here he volunteered to accompany General Arnold in the expedition
against Quebec. This officer led the detachment under his command
into Canada, by way of the Kennebec, and through the wilderness
between the St. Lawrence and the settlements in the regions now constituting
the state of Maine. On his arrival at Chaudière pond, Burr was
sent with a communication to General Montgomery, who was advancing
from the state of New York with the forces under his immediate orders;
and who was so much pleased with the young messenger as to appoint
him to be one of his aids-de-camp. In this capacity Burr was present at
the battle of Quebec, and near the person of the General when he was
killed. On his return from Canada, in May, 1776, he proceeded to the
city of New York, on being 'notified verbally, that it would be agreeable
to the commander-in-chief' that he should do so. But it would seem that
Colonel (then already Major) Burr, for some reason or other, failed to
make a favorable impression personally on General Washington. He, in
consequence, became, in his turn, dissatisfied, and even inclined to quit
the service; when through the instrumentality of Governor Hancock,
he obtained the appointment of aid-de-camp to General Putnam,—an
appointment which he gladly accepted.
In July 1777, he was promoted to the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel; but was obliged, in March 1779, to resign his commission in the army, on
