ing of Yorktown, when the palisades were scaled; who placing one foot on the shoulder of a soldier who knelt for that purpose, sprang upon the parapets, and was the first man within the wall, an act worthy the days of chivalry.

single combat with a British soldier whom he killed with his bayonet.

On the day succeeding the battle of Lexington, where was first shed the blood of the Revolution, Joseph Warren, who had but just escaped with his In the cabinet of this society we have the do- life, felt it his duty as president of the Provincial nation of the sword, epaulets and military sash Congress, to address a dignified letter to General worn by General William Heath, of Roxbury, Gage in reference to our besieged, degraded, and during his service in the war of the Revolution. garrisoned Boston. Here we must take occasion [Here these relics were exhibited.] The well to allude to a passage in the prize essay of the burnished blade of his sword glitters on this table. Abbe Raynal on "The Revolution in America," It did good service at Lexington. As General written for the Academy of Science, Polite LiterWarren rode beside him in that fight, we will citeature and Art, at Lyons, France, in 1783, for which a passage from Gen. Heath's narrative of the bat- he was awarded the sum of fifty Louis d'or. Raytle. Gen. Heath on the morning of the 19th Apl. nal thus defines the powers and duties of the 1775, proceeded to the Committee of Safety, of President of the Provincial Congress: "The exewhich Gen. Warren was the vigilant chairman. cutive power was committed to its president. His From the committee Gen. Heath took a cross road rights and obligations were to listen to every apto Watertown, the British being in possession of plication from any of the people; to call them tothe Lexington road. At Watertown, finding some gether when circumstances might require it, to militia who had not marched, but applied for or- provide for the arming, and subsisting of the troops, ders, he sent them down to Cambridge, with di- and concert the operations of them with their offirections to take up the planks, barricade the south cers. He was at the head of a secret committee end of the bridge, and there to take post; that in which was to hold a continual correspondence with case the British should, on their return, take that the general congress." I will now quote a portion road to Boston, their retreat might be impeded. of Warren's letter to Gage. "Your excellency," He then pushed to join the militia, taking a cross remarks Warren, "knows very well, I believe, the road towards Lexington, in which he was joined part I have taken in public affairs; I ever scorned by Dr. Joseph Warren, afterwards a major gen- disguise. I think I have done my duty; some may eral, who in the language of Gen. Heath, "kept think otherwise; but be assured, Sir, as far as my with him." Our General joined the militia just influence goes, everything which can be reasonaafter Lord Percy had joined the British; "and bly required of us to do, shall be done, every having assisted in forming a regiment, which had thing promised shall be religiously performed. 1 been broken by the shot from the British field should now be very glad to know from you, Sir, pieces; for the discharge of these, together with the how many days you desire may be allowed for flames and smoke of several buildings to which the such as desire to remove to Boston with their efBritish nearly at the same time had set fire, opened fects, and what time you will allow the people in a new and more terrific scene; and the British Boston for their removal., When I have received having again taken up their retreat, were closely that information, I will repair to Congress, and pursued." On descending from the high grounds hasten, as far as I am able, the issuing of a proclain Menotomy, on to the plain, the fire was brisk. mation. I beg leave to suggest that, the condition At this instant a musket ball came so near to the of only admitting thirty wagons at a time into head of Dr. Warren as to strike the pin out of the the town, appears to me very inconvenient, and hair of his earlock. Here we must digress for an will prevent the good effects of a proclamation inallusion to a singular oversight in the Hundred tended to be issued for encouraging all wagoners to Orators where we state that this event occurred assist in removing the effects from Boston with all on the day after the Battle of Lexington, when it possible speed. If your excellency will be pleased should read on the day of the battle. How evi- to take the matter into consideration, and favor us dent is it that authors are responsible to the liter- as soon as may be, with an answer, it will lay me ary tribunal for every error stated. under a great obligation, as it nearly concerns the welfare of my friends in Boston.”

Soon after, the right flank of the British was exposed to the fire of a body of militia, which had come from Roxbury, Brookline, Dorchester, and other towns. For a few minutes, the fire was brisk on both sides; and the British had here recourse to their fieldpieces again; but they were now more familiar than before. Here the militia were so close on the rear of the British, that Dr. Downer, an active and enterprising man, came to

"I ever scorned disguise" says the ingenuous, magnanimous Warren, to Thomas Gage, the oppressor of Boston. Here we have Warren's opinion of Gage in a letter to Josiah Quincy, Jr. After stating that Gen. Gage had rendered the entrenchments at the entrance of Boston as formidable as he possibly could, he states: "I have frequently been sent to him on committees, and have

several times had private conversations with him. Warren," of Boston. In the year 1776, Dr. I have thought him a man of honest, upright prin- Gordon, the historian, then of Roxbury, of whom ciples, and one desirous of accommodating the dif- we have many animated reminiscences, received a ference between Great Britain and her colonies curious, ancient small book of Psalms from an in a just and honorable way. He did not appear English clergyman. The edition, one of the earto be desirous of continuing the quarrel in order to liest translations of any part of the Bible, was exmake himself necessary, which is too often the case ecuted during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and with persons employed with public affairs;" but a printed at Geneva. The typography is very fine. copy of a letter via Philadelphia said to be written The binding is in a beautiful and peculiar style, by him to Lord North, gives a very different cast being composed of goat skin, and studded over to his character. His answer to the Provincial with gilt fleurs-de-lis, and is in every part still perCongress, which was certainly ill-judged, I suppose fect. The book is about two by three inches. It was the work of some of that malicious group of contains another inscription on the back of the harpies whose disappointments make them desirous title page, which informs us that it was purchased to urge the governor to drive every thing to ex- of a private engaged in the Battle of Bunker Hill, tremes; but in this letter, if it be genuine, he by an English clergyman, Dr. Samuel Wilton, who seems to court the office of a destroyer of the lib-gave ten times its value, lest, as he says, it should erties, and murderer of the people of this province. be exhibited in triumph as the spoil of a PresbyBut you have doubtless read the paper and thought terian rebel. Dr. Wilton sent it to Dr. Gordon, with indignation of its contents." Warren said with the request, that it should be delivered to to Quincy of the Bostonians in 1774, that "they surviving relatives, if any there were. Dr. Wiltake an honest pride in being singled out by a ton died within three months after. Dr. Gordon tyrannical administration as the most determined faithfully executed the commission, consigning the enemies of arbitrary power." book to Dr. John Warren, from whom it passed

Having exhibited the visible and tangible indi- into the hands of Dr. John C. Warren, its recent cation of the devotion of General Warren to the possessor. It is now transmitted to Dr. John independence of his native land, which was far Mason Warren, who has kindly loaned it for the dearer to himself than his own life's blood, I in- inspection of our antiquaries here. I shall ever revite your attention to an indication of his devotion member my agreeably surprised sensation, when to his God, in the possession of the book of pure the venerated Dr. Warren, now deceased, very piety, now before us, which was printed within one cautiously presented this highly antique relic to year of three centuries ago. [Here an antique my view, when preparing the Hundred Orators, book was exhibited.] Perhaps the proof that this before I had heard of its existence, and his exvolume was actually found in the pocket of War- treme care to prevent a copy of Dr. Wilton's inren after the Battle of Bunker Hill, is not so posi- scription from being taken. tive as is the evidence in relation to the sword, yet we think it highly probable.

The fourth, and last Warren relic which we have here is, the bullet that the Hon. Alexander A British soldier, on his return from Boston to H. Everett exhibited at Charlestown, June 17, London, exhibited a Psalm Book to the Rev. Dr. 1836 [here the bullet was exhibited] on the deSamuel Wilton, of that city, stating that he took livery of an anniversary oration, which, he inthe volume from the pocket of General Warren, formed the audience, was the identical ball that after the Battle of Bunker Hill. The title of this killed Gen. Warren. "The cartridge paper," exgreat rarity is as follows: "The Boke of Psalmes, claimed he, " which still partly covers it, is stained, wherein are contained Praires, Meditations and as you see, with the hero's blood." While I reThanksgivings to God for his Church, translated gard the evidence that the bullet was one of the faithfully according to the Hebrew. With brief balls that entered Warren's body as being as and apt annotations in the margin. Printed at strong as that regarding the identity of either the Geneva, by Rowland Hall, 1559." It is a sweet Rapier or the antique Psalm Book, I see no evilittle 32mo. volume. On the inside cover of this dence that it was the actual ball that occasioned book is written - "North America. Taken at his death. The blood stains upon it will ever sanc

ye Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775, out of tify the precious relic. It is important to examine Dr. Warren's pocket." On the inside cover, at the testimony of the Rev. William Montague, forthe end of the volume, is written "Thomas merly rector of Christ Church, in Boston, regardKnight," probably the name of the regular who ing Arthur Savage, of London, who stated that he found the book. I was informed by Dr. John removed the ball from the body of Warren, after C. Warren, that General Warren's autograph, the battle, for evidence upon this subject. which was on a blank leaf, has been abstracted. I would here enter a protest against the un

I gather further information of this relic from controllable passion among our countrymen, and "The Genealogy of Warren, by Dr. John C. even among antiquaries, for the varied relics

transactions, except such as by their express order were published in the papers; but in general you may be assured that they approved themselves the true representatives of a wise and brave people, determined at all events to be free."

of eminently noted persons, or of great or singular events in the world, either ancient or modern. Were every institution of this character to appoint a committee like the Papal Court of Rome, which has its Congregation of Relics, or Council of Cardinals, to superintend the relics of Our great chronicler, Mr. Adams, further reevery age, it would frequently be as impossible to marks on the decease of Warren and Quincy, in separate the spurious from the genuine, as it ever 1775, that they were two characters as great in prohas been with the Court of Rome. Indeed I verily portion to their age, -the former being but thirtybelieve that were all the reputed relics of the Pil- four, and the latter but twenty-five years of age, grim Mayflower, of the year 1620, and of but 180 as any that he had ever known in America. Intons burthen, carefully gathered on Boston Com- deed he was animated by them in the painful, danmon, they would accumulate to such an immense gerous course of opposition to the oppressions extent that the British steamer, Great Eastern, brought upon our country, and the loss of them could not contain them. Moreover, is not the au- had wounded him too deeply to be easily healed. tograph enthusiast quite liable to be the most fre- Moreover, John Quincy Adams, in the biography quent victim of imposition? A lithographic fac-of his own noble father, relates, that as the strugsimile of Patrick Henry, William Penn or Alex-gle for independence approached, his beloved ander Hamilton may be palmed upon him for a mother was accustomed to recite to himself and round sum, as a pure original, and when redress is his brothers, as applicable to the fall of Warren, obtained, who next becomes the purchaser of the the following impressive lines of Collins, addresssame imitation? ed to a lady, on the death of Col. Charles Ross. "O'er him, whose doom thy virtues grieve, Aerial forms shall sit at eve And bend the pensive head; And fallen to save his injur'd land, Imperial Honor's awful hand Shall point his lonely bed. The warlike dead of every age Who fill the fair recorded page Shall leave their sainted rest; And, half reclining on his spear, Each wandering chief by turns appear To hail the blooming guest."

Admirable, indeed, is it for the historian and the biographer, that while conversational tradition is ever changing with the varying memory of man, authentic autograph letters and other documents of past time give confirmation and rich developments of important principles and events, that otherwise could not be established; and it would be well for every household before they destroy the old letters and other manuscripts in their dwellings, to take them to an autograph collector, or some learned neighbor, who will know how to estimate their value; especially those written by persons who have figured in public life. Those of the most ancient date will generally be the most highly valued.

In Force's ponderous American Archives we find among the revolutionary papers for the month of June, 1775, "An eulogium sacred to the meThat noble patriot, the ever to be venerated mory of the late Major General Warren, who fell John Adams, whose bust is in this Hall, in writing June 17, 1775, fighting against the Ministerial on the practice of the Provincial Congress of Massa- Army at Boston." The peculiar fervor of style chusetts, when they first formed their army, remarks in which it is written indicates that its author was of Joseph Warren, their president, that he was ac- James Allen, the famous poet of that day, yet we customed to make a harangue in the form of a have no other evidence. It pours so warmly from charge in the presence of the assembly, to every offi- the spirit of Bunker Hill that we will quaff a few cer, upon the delivery of his commission; and he libations. "Say, illustrious shade, what new renever failed to make the officer, as well as all the sentments kindled in thy bosom at the prospect of assembly, shudder upon those occasions. There is executing vengeance upon the foes of liberty? no question that his eloquence at such times, could Say, what were the transports of thy mind, when be measured by nothing short of his valor on the the twice repulsed enemy fled before thy powerful field of battle. arms? But, when, alas, borne down with num"It is the united voice of America," said War-bers, thou wast forced to retreat, and death showed ren to Quincy, when alluding to the Provincial his commission to the ball that pierced thy bosom, Congress" to preserve their freedom, or lose their lives in defence of it. You would have thought yourself in an assembly of Spartans or ancient Romans had you been a witness to the ardor which inspired those who spoke upon the business they were transacting. An injunction of secrecy prevents my giving any particulars of their

say, what joy thrilled after it, at the prospect of having thy brows encircled with the patriot's crown of martyrdom? Tell me, ye brave Americans who beheld our hero fall, did he not, in his last moments, pour forth his usual expressions of loyalty to the crown of Britain, and his wonted prayers for the welfare of his country? Did he

not in faltering accents, call upon his fellow sol- year were unanimously reëlected. [See a list of diers to forget his death, and to revenge his country's these officers in the January number of the H. M.] wrongs alone? Ah! he breathes his last! Crowd Rev. Chandler Robbins of Boston, Dr. Geo. Chandler of Worcester, and Mr. R. Impey Murchison, President of the Geological Society of Great Britain, were chosen members. The various reports of the Society represent it to be in a flourishing condition as to funds, accessions to the library, and literary productions of its members. -Boston Courier.

not too closely on his shade, ye holy ministers of Heaven. Make room for yonder spirit! It is the illustrious Hampden who flies to embrace him, and pointing to the wound that deprived him of life in a conflict with arbitrary power, above an hundred years ago, he claims the honor of conducting him to the regions of perfect liberty and happiness. Come hither, ye American fathers and mothers, and behold the sad earnests NEW ENGLAND HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGof arbitrary power! Behold your friend, your ICAL SOCIETY (Officers No. 2, p. 46). — A meetfellow-citizen, one of the guardians of your coun- ing was held at Boston, on Wednesday Nov. 4, try, the pillar of your hopes; behold this illus- Hon. Timothy Farrar, Vice President, in the chair. trious hero covered with blood and wounds! But Mr. Trask, chairman of the Library Committee, pause not too long in bedewing his body with reported a number of donations. Mr. Drake, Fly to your houses, and tell your Corresponding Secretary, read letters of acceptchildren the particulars of the melancholy sight. ance from Daniel Henshaw, William Emerson Chill their young blood with histories of the cruel- Baker, and Daniel Bates Curtis, all of Boston, ty of tyrants, and make their hair to stand on end who had been previously elected resident members with descriptions of the horrors of slavery! Equip of the Society; also a letter from J. Y. Akerman, them immediately for the field. Shew them the Esq., of London, Secretary of the Society of Anancient charter of their privileges. Point to the tiquaries, announcing that certain publications of roofs under which they drew their first breath, and that Society had been forwarded through the shew them the first cradles in which they were Smithsonian Institution, to this Society. Five resrocked. Call upon Heaven to prosper their arms, ident and three corresponding members were, on and charge them with your last adieu, to conquer, nomination of the Directors, elected. or, like Warren, to die in the arms of liberty and glory."

your tears.

A thousand benedictions on the appeal of the blood-stained pavements of the Boston Massacre, and the conflicts of the Battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill, which forever crushed the power of Britannia over Columbia! We may very properly adapt to Warren the sentiment of our patriotic Robert Treat Paine in reference to Washington, that the temple of freedom can never be demolished; for

"His sword from the sleep
Of its scabbard would leap,
And conduct with its point,
Every flash to the deep."

Societies and their Proceedings.

MASSACHUSETTS.

Hon. Timothy Farrar, who has been chosen a Vice President of the Society, for five years, stated that having lately received a note from the nominating Committee informing him that they had selected him as a candidate for reelection, he would improve the present occasion to announce what he had before determined to do his inability to serve longer in that office. He returned thanks to the Society for the repeated testimonials of their approval of his services.

Rev. Joseph Richardson, of Hingham, then read a paper on the influence of hereditary laws upon the formation of character, which he illustrated by examples drawn from ancient and modern history. The main argument of the paper was directed against the assumption that talent or greatness is principally attributable to hereditary descent.

Frederic Kidder, Esq., exhibited a cannon ball found on the battle-field of Bladensburg, which he presented for preservation in the cabinet of the Society.

James Spear Loring, Esq., next read a paper AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY (Officers on the relics of Gen. Joseph Warren, the revoluNo. 1, p. 18). — The annual meeting was held at tionary martyr. He exhibited the swords and Worcester, on Wednesday, October 21st, it being other relics of Gen. Warren and his friend Gen. the anniversary of the discovery of America by William Heath, who was with him at the battle of Columbus. Hon. Stephen Salisbury presided. Lexington. The relics of Gen. Heath belong to The report of the Council, prepared by Judge the Society; those of Gen. Warren (except the Barton, and the reports of the Librarian and Pub- ball taken from his corpse at Bunker Hill) had lishing Committee, were read, accepted, and re- been loaned for the occasion by Dr. J. M. Warferred for publication. The officers of the past ren, a grand nephew of the General. The paper

attention.

was quite interesting, and was listened to with deep native of Africa. Although it was written in the Arabic character, Mr. H. discovered, after studiCol. Samuel Swett followed with some reminis-ous attention, that it was a part of the Goscences that he had gathered of General Warren pel by John in the Negro English dialect spoken and his appearance at the battle of Bunker Hill. through the Southern States. The writer, who One who saw him early on that day states that seems to have been a Mandingo, and had received having presided in a public assembly, he was much an education in Africa, became a convert to Chrisdressed. He wore a light cloth coat, covered but- tianity in the United States, and undertook the tons worked with silver, with his hair curled up at difficult task of writing down in Arabic characters the sides. a portion of the New Testament, probably from the lips of some fellow slave, who could read Engligh, though in an imperfect manner.

Col. Swett afterwards spoke of Aaron Burr and stated that beyond doubt Aaron Burr worked his passage home from Europe to Newburyport, on which occasion the ship was driven by stress of weather into Boston. Neither Burr nor his biographer have stated this fact, but Col. S. considered it well authenticated.

The thanks of the society were tendered to Messrs. Richardson and Loring for their paperscopies of which were requested for the archivesand to Dr. Warren for the loan of the relics.

NEW YORK.

AMERICAN ETHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY.On the evening of Oct. 13th, this Society held their first meeting since the summer recess, at the house of George Folsom, Esq.

Mr. Hodgson gave some interesting particulars of the application of several alphabets to books originally written in others; as Arabic works in the Gothic character, taken to Africa in the 16th century, by "Nuevos Cristianos," or converted Moors, who were driven from Spain with their Mohammedan brethren. He then suggested the importance of our missionaries applying the Arabie alphabet to the negro languages in Northern and Middle Africa, and the European alphabet to those in the southern part of that continent, on the ground that they have been already so far established in those regions respectively, as to render it easy to extend them, and difficult to introduce others.

Mr. H. then exhibited a page of Arabic writing, from the pen of an aged negro, named Rahman It has been in existence about twelve years, and, Abdel, who was manumitted by his master in under the presidency of the late Hon. Albert Gal- Mississippi, and sent back to Africa in 1835, by latin, published two large volumes of Transactions, the Colonization Society; and he referred to which are known in Europe as well as in America. another African, lately living in Fayetteville, N. C., The first part of the third volume, which was who writes Arabic with facility. printed three or four years ago, was unfortunately The Recording Secretary then informed the destroyed by fire before its publication. The So-Society that he happened to have in his pocket a ciety now propose soon to commence the publica- specimen of the writing of the individual last retion of frequent bulletins, to contain their original ferred to, written in 1831, which he had laid papers and foreign correspondence. The Society before the Society several years ago, with a transhave directed their researches primarily to Ameri- lation made by the Treasurer, Mr. A. J. Cotheal. can antiquities, customs and languages, as their Although the author (Omar ben Said, a Moro) first duty; and, by confining themselves to facts, stated that he was ignorant of Arabic gramand passing by theories, have done their part to mar, and had been in America twenty-five years, repair the faults of past times, and to lay a solid he gave a few interesting particulars of his life, in basis for future investigations in that interesting a style which, with all its difficulties, the translator department. They have availed themselves of some of the facilities offered by the commercial position of New York, to obtain information from remote and secluded portions of the human family, from which individuals are sometimes brought by vessels visiting the centre of American commerce. At the late meeting, in the absence of the president, Professor Robinson, Mr. Figaniere, the Portuguese minister, was called to the chair; and after The Secretary informed the Society, that Rahsome preliminary business, a paper was read by man Abdel, (above mentioned) was the man from Mr. Hodgson of Savannah, describing and com- whom he obtained the information he laid before menting on a curious manuscript volume, which he the Society several years ago. He was called Paul exhibited. It had been obtained from a gentleman in this country, and by the Serecules (his people,) in Texas, who had removed thither from Virginia, Lahmen Kébé. A brief notice of him published and it was the production of one of his negroes, alin 1836 had excited interest in Europe, and ap

succeeded in comprehending. The MS. was dated in 1831, and was obtained by the Secretary in 1835. It stated that the author was a native of Futa Toro, taken prisoner in war, sold and carried to Charleston, where he had a hard master, from whom he ran away, and after reaching North Carolina, found a kind master with whom he had lived ever since.