my penness by the in 1686, he was one of the purchasers of Wondepreciation of that country's currency; the nalancet's possessions south west of the Meremployee of another in exploring the wild rimack, known as Wamesit, and afterwards lands of a mountain region; his future, dark and moved upon the purchase. In 1713, he repdesolate, if his past life were taken as a pres-resented the town of Chelmsford in the Gen

ROWELL, PRESCOTT & CO., PROPRIETORS....C, E. POTTER, EDITOR.

BIOGRAPHY OF GOV. BENJAMIN

PIERCE.

tige; might well have occupied his thoughts. IT DID. And as he silently pursued his path, and from bluff and hill surveyed the rich lands of the valley of the Contoocook, he reviewed his thoughts, taking in the checquered events of his past life, and its result was, a full determination to take up his abode in this wilderness valley.

At the close of a beautiful day in the autumn of 1785, a man in the prime of manhood, with a military bearing, and active movements, was slowly making his way, solitary and alone, save the noble horse that bore him, down the banks of the Contoocook river."There is a tide in the affairs of men Slowly, for there was but a seldom used bri"That taken at its flood leads on to fortune. dle path upon that part of the Contoocook in 1785, and that extended but little way up the And here on the bank of this mountain stream, "Branch," down which our traveler was jour-our traveler met that tide at its flood. With neying; so that, the inequalities of the path, and its various turns to accommodate itself to the windings of the river, or the ravines that indented its banks; together with the projecting branches of the trees, that not unfrequently interlaced themselves across the path, prevented any other than a slow pace of travel. Our horseman was returning from the highlands upon the branches of the Contoocook, where he had been exploring a tract of land for its wealthy proprietor; and as he had passed over hill and valley, mountain and ravine, in his solitary explorations; partaking only of the scanty stores of food carried by a single horse with its rider, and sleeping as best he might in the open air; thoughts of his condition and prospects naturally occupied his mind. An orphan at six years of age; a soldier at "Bunker Hill" at seventeen;-such

him decision was action. Determined upon his future plan of life, he put that plan into immediate execution. He called at a log house for entertainment over night; enquired the price of land in the neighborhood; found the owner of a "lot" meeting his views; made a purchase; and the next day left for Chelmsford, his native town, the owner of fifty acres of land in the valley of the Contoocook. Does the reader ask the name of this traveler? It was BENJAMIN PIERCE, the afterwards GOVERNOR OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.

The name of Pierce is among the early settlers of New-England, Abraham Pierce, being of Plymouth as early as 1623-and one of the proprietors of Bridgewater. John Peirce of Watertown, was admitted a freeman in 1638. Others of the name lived in Woburn. Among the early settlers of Chelmsford, through the entire war of the Revolution;- from Woburn, was "Steven Pierce," probaleaving the service in command of a company; bly a son of John Pierce, of Woburn. Steafter spending near nine years in the service ven Pierce was a man of energy and substance. of his country; left nearly penniless by the In 1686, he was one of the purchasers of Wondepreciation of that country's currency; the nalancet's possessions south west of the Meremployee of another in exploring the wild rimack, known as Wamesit, and afterwards lands of a mountain region; his future,dark and moved upon the purchase. In 1713, he repdesolate, if his past life were taken as a pres-resented the town of Chelmsford in the Gen

Benjamin resided with his uncle, laboring upon his farm, until the commencement of hostilities at Lexington; when, equipped by his uncle, at the age of seventeen years, he hastened to the scene of action; and on arriving at Lexington, finding the British had retreated to Boston; with hundreds of others, young

25th day of April, 1775, he enlisted in the company of Captain John Ford, attached to "the 27th Regiment of foot in the Continental army." This company of 60, including officers and privates, was composed of men from Chelmsford; and the regiment to which it was attached was mainly officered from the same town, as its Colonel, Ebenezer Bridge; Lt. Colonel, Moses Parker; and Qr. Master, John Bridge, were from Chelmsford.

eral Court and was annually elected to that office for twelve years. In 1718, he, with twenty others, built the first schoolhouse in Chelmsford. In 1725, being chosen a member of the General Court, he was denied a seat in that body "by the resen he did not reside in Chelmsford," but in the Indian precinct of Wamesit, which had not been joined to Chelms-Pierce pushed on to Cambridge, where on the ford by act of the General Court. This act caused much difficulty in the town, and the citizens of the part that had thus been deprived of representation, refused to pay their taxes. In 1726, the affair was settled, Wamesit being added to Chelmsford, by act of the General Court. Steven Pierce had sons, Benjamin and Robert if no others. Benjamin had ten children, of which the subject of this memoir was the seventh, named Benjamin from his father, and was born Dec. 25, 1757. This was doubtless owing to the fact In 1763, his father died, leaving his son at of a previous military reputation, gained in a the age of six years, in the care of his uncle frontier settlement, which called into play sucRobert Pierce, who also resided at Chelms-cessful military talent and enterprise. ford. The advantages for an education in any Young Pierce was among the first that enpart of Massachusetts, out of Boston, were at listed in Capt. Ford's company. He went to that time few, and in a frontier town like meet the enemy, and with a promptness that Chelmsford, they were few indeed. Their ever marked his character, he at once placed schools seldom continued more than three or himself in a proper position to meet them.-four weeks in the year, and the catalogue of Nor did he long wait for the opportunity. On school books extended no farther than Dil- the memorable 17th of June, his company worth's spelling Book and the Psalter. Books and his regiment distinguished themselves in of history then were few, and those confined the ever to be remembered battle of "Bunto the library of the minister; while his stock ker's Hill." Young Pierce shared with them of theological works must have been limited, the dangers of that day; and what they were, when a theological work was thought of such may be judged from the facts that eleven, or great value as to be made the subject of a gift one fifth of the soldiers of Capt. Ford's comto a Parish-to be preserved and handed down pany were wounded; while Col Bridge received to posterity by certain written restrictions!-two sabre cuts at the redoubt, and Lt. Col. In 1730, through the friendly interposition of Parker fell at the same place mortally wounda gentleman of Boston, Samuel Holden, Esq. ed. presented to the church and society in Chelms- Young Peirce was one of the men, who at ford, the works of Baxter in 4 volumes, "The the commencement of the action, assisted in minister and two brethren of the congrega- drawing a field piece, ingloriously left by Caltion were made the trustees of the gift: one lender, up to the lines, and which there disvolume was to be kept in or near the house of charged upon the advancing foe, assisted in worship for the use of the people on the Sab- attaining the glorious result of that eventful bath, and the other volumes were to be lent day. He was not the person to turn back to the inhabitants of the town and to neigh-in a good cause; and when after the evacuaboring ministers within three or four miles!" From this fact we may well suppose that books were scarce, and opportunities for obtaining an education very limited. Such as they were, young Pierce improved them to the best advantage, and succeeded in laying the foundation of a good business education, so that with the improvements attained in af- He participated in most of the hard fought ter life, he was able to transact the business of battles of that long and varied war, ever cona varied public life, with credit to himself, and ducting himself with the utmost coolness and to the satisfaction of his constituents. The bravery. His uniform good conduct, attractlate Governor Hill, who had abundant oppor-ed the notice of the officers, and he was soon tunity to judge of the acquirements of Gov. promoted through the various non commissionPierce, in after life, says, "Gov. Pierce was much more sensitive to his want of education, than others had occasion to be for him.

* With a very slight change of grammatical construction, his productions were always fit for the press; he never put upon paper a sentence that was unfit for the public eye."This is no slight testimony.

tion of Boston, by the British army, others of his townsmen, returned to their homes, he persisted in following the fortunes of the continental army-and was one of the gallant and determined number, who continued in the service of their country through the entire war of the Revolution.

ed grades being orderly of his company at the battle of Bhemis' Heights on the 17th of Oct. 1777. He won his commission of Ensign on that day, memorable for hard fighting, by an act of cool courage, that well might have commanded the admiration of both the American and British troops.

In the thickest of the fight, when each ar