ond his years; his manner, such as made
friends of all who knew him."

Thus does he appear before us, while to use Burke's apt expression, he
was yet in the gristle, and had not hardened into the bone of manhood.
But he was already a man in his high sense of honor, his unsullied
integrity, and the polish of his address: if he had not won laurels, he
had acquired the esteem of the worthy.

Thus endowed, we learn that he entered into commercial life, in
Fredericktown, shortly before the commencement of the American
Revolution. There is little doubt, that had this course been pursued, it
would have been crowned with eminent success, for he afterwards united,
to an extraordinary degree, military genius with scientific business
habits. But when the clouds, which had so long been gathering over the
sun of peace, burst at last, all thought of pursuing quiet trade was
abandoned. The spirit that prompted Putnam to reverse the Scriptural
promise, and beat the plough-share into the sword, kindled kindred
feelings in the breast of Williams. A company was formed in
Fredericktown, and under the command of Capt. Price, marched for Boston.
Williams might easily have obtained the captaincy, but with the modesty
which always kept pace with his success, he declined to press a claim to
command, saying to the committee, that though ambitious to lead, he was
willing to serve. This spirit uniformly attended him--he deferred
cheerfully to authority himself, and exacted obedience from those whom
he commanded. He was a strict disciplinarian, as all good officers are,
but governed his own conduct by his rigid adherence to the rules of
superiors. In reporting an officer to Gen. Greene, for disobedience, he
says: "When orders are received with contempt, and rejected with
insolence, examples are requisite to re-establish subordination, the
basis of discipline."

But, before attempting to trace the career of the soldier, it will be by
no means uninteresting, or uninstructive, to depict the man. His letters
to his family and friends, are true mirrors in which he was reflected,
and we cannot more fully present him, than by a few sentences from his
correspondence. Indeed, I have found his letters so graphic and elegant
in style, so illustrative of any subject on which they touch, that I
have made large extracts, believing that they would be of much greater
historic value, concerning the scenes and actions of which they treat,
than any description of