wilderness, where his parents lived in a rude log cabin. He was
appointed to the United States military academy through casual favour, and
graduated in 1847, when war with Mexico was nearly over. In 1853 he
resigned his commission, and from 1853 to 1858 was engaged in the
manufacture of firearms at Bristol, R.I. In 1856 he invented a
breech-loading rifle. He was employed by the Illinois Central railroad
until the Civil War broke out. Then he took command of a Rhode Island
regiment of three months militia, on the summons of Governor Sprague, took
part in the relief of the national capital, and commanded a brigade in the
first battle of Bull Run. On the 6th of August 1861 he was commissioned
brigadier-general of volunteers, and placed in charge of the expeditionary
force which sailed in January 1862 under sealed orders for the North
Carolina coast. The victories of Roanoke Island, Newbern and Fort Macon
(February--April) were the chief incidents of a campaign which was
favourably contrasted by the people with the work of the main army on the
Atlantic coast. He was promoted major-general U.S.V. soon afterwards, and
early in July, with his North Carolina troops (IX. army corps), he was
transferred to the Virginian theatre of war. Part of his forces fought in
the last battles of Pope's campaign in Virginia, and Burnside himself was
engaged in the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. At the latter he was
in command of McClellan's left wing, but the want of vigour in his attack
was unfavourably criticized. His patriotic spirit, modesty and amiable
manners, made him highly popular, and upon McClellan's final removal (Nov.
7) from the Army of the Potomac, President Lincoln chose him as successor.
The choice was unfortunate. Much as he was liked, no one had ever looked
upon him as the equal of McClellan, and it was only with the greatest
reluctance that he himself accepted the responsibility, which he had on two
previous occasions declined. He sustained a crushing defeat at the battle
of Fredericksburg (13 Dec. 1862), and (Jan. 27) gave way to Gen. Hooker,
after a tenure of less than three months. Transferred to Cincinnati in
March 1863, he caused the arrest and court-martial of Clement L.
Vallandigham, lately an opposition member of Congress, for an alleged
disloyal speech, and later in the year his measures for the suppression of
press criticism aroused much opposition; he helped to crush Morgan's Ohio
raid in July; then, movin