one of the most splendid productions of the age. But it has many little faults, and many beggarly resemblances to the fashionable rhymsters of the day, which it is the duty, as we are sure it is in the power of its author, to correct. Many of the rhymes would disgrace even Searson. We cannot conclude without inviting the author to tune his lyre once more;-let him undertake some other work; let him mature it and he may then draw his mystic circles, in Heaven, Earth, or Air-he may spread his incantations on the "driving wind," and we may venture to promise that all who can fancy themselves within the one, or can be touched with the gossamer of the other, shall be chained to silence and delight. Q.

MISCELLANY.

BIOGRAPHY.

Biographical Sketch of Colonel Jacob Hindman, of the United States' Army-(with a Portrait.)

Our readers will recollect, that we promised, some time ago, a series of Biographical sketches of some of our distinguished Officers. Maryland has borne an ample share, in the dangers and honours of the late arduous struggle; and our fellow-citizens of that state will participate, in the satisfaction which it affords us, to be enabled to commence this series, with one of her most distinguished sons.

COLONEL JACOB HINDMAN was born in Queen Anne's county, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, in the year 1789. His father, a physician of great respectability, and a man of as much worth as ever lived, died in the year 1794; leaving four children; one by a former marriage, and three by his second marriage; the subject of the present memoir, being the oldest of these three. The earlier

part of his education was received at a small school in the country, and subsequently, in an academy at Easton. From thence he was sent to Princeton college, where he continued until 1806, when a disturbance arose, in which nearly all the students were involved-most of them left Princeton; but Mr. Hindman, with several other young gentlemen, remained in the town, and these were to act as a committee of correspondence. At a subsequent meeting of the trustees, terms were held out to the students, which were accepted by most of them, and they generally returned to college. Mr. Hindman manifested an unwillingness to accede to those terms, and his friends did not urge him, as his education was nearly completed. It is believed that he, with all the other members of "the Committee of Correspondence," was formally expelled. He soon afterwards went to Baltimore, where he resided in the family of his maternal uncle, the honourable Judge Nicholson, and commenced the study of the law under the direction of Walter Dorsey, Esq. who, with his characteristick liberality, afforded him the use of his books and his office, declining to receive any compensation.

In the summer of 1807, the affair of the Chesapeake occurred: an event which lighted a flame in the breast of every American. A war with England was universally expected, and the youth of America crowded the desk of the secretary of war with applications for appointments in the army. Mr. Hindman was one of the successful applicants, and in the spring of the year 1808, received a commission, as a second Lieutenant in the 5th Regiment of Infantry. He was soon after ordered on the recruiting service, in the state of Delaware, where he passed the summer. Having recruited a company, he marched it to Fort McHenry, where he remained till December, 1808, or January 1809; when he embarked at Annapolis, with a number of recruits, for New Orleans.

At Orleans he was early distinguished for his exemplary conduct and unwearied attention to business, and was appointed adjutant of the regiment.-He continued to act in this capacity, devoting as much of his time to his studies as could well be spared from military avocations, until the summer of 1810. Believing at this period, that the prospect of war was at an end, he applied to the secretary of war, asking an indefinite furlough, with

a suspension of pay and emoluments, in order to enable him to proceed in the prosecution of his studies. His request was granted, and in the Autumn of 1810, he returned to Baltimore, and resumed the study of the law.

In the Spring of 1812, our political horizon began to thicken, and he solicited and obtained an order to join his regiment, then stationed at Frederick Town, (Md.) where he again had the duties of adjutant assigned to him. In July of that year he was appointed a captain, in the 2d. regiment of artillery, then commanded by Colonel (since Major General) Izard, having for its Lieutenant Colonel the present Major General Scott. During the remainder of the year 1812, captain Hindman was stationed at Fort Mifflin, where his rigid attention to discipline attracted the notice, and secured the respect of his superiour officers.

Early in the spring of 1813, lieutenant colonel Scott took the command of the battalion of artillery recruits, to which captain Hindman was attached, and marched it to the Niagara frontier. After passing Greenbush, Hindman became the second in command, and during a halt of twelve days at Rome (waiting for orders) Scott determined to lose no time in giving the best possible degree of discipline to his battalion. In this he was greatly assisted by the indefatigable exertions of captain Hindman, who had acquired some experience; and an opinion may be formed of the nature of the duty, when it is stated, that during these twelve days, the men were drilled 108 hours, or nine hours in each day. This battalion, whose fortune it was afterwards, to act so distinguished a part, was principally formed during that period.

In the month of May, 1813, General Dearborne resolved to attack Fort-George, on the British side of the Niagara river, then garrisoned with a strong force. As Lieutenant Colonel Scott was at that time Adjutant General of the army, it became his duty to make all the preparatory arrangements.-His own battalion had, under his own eye, attained such a high state of discipline, as to give him full confidence in it, and he determined to convert a part of it into Light Infantry, and make it the advanced corps. Hindman's, Stockton's and Biddle's companies were selected for this purpose, to which were added about two hundred men, detached from the rifle corps, and from one or two regiments of

infantry, the whole amounting to about 500 men, which Scott determined to lead in person-a service not required by duty; but it was the post of danger, and, therefore, in his eye, the post of honour.

Before day break, on the morning of the 27th of May, the army embarked in boats for the purpose of crossing the riverthe advance led the way, and moving on with great rapidity, landed under a heavy fire of musketry from the enemy, who were drawn up immediately on the bank. Hindman's company was the first that landed, and himself the first individual that touched the enemy's shore. He was quickly followed by the whole of the advance, and they were ordered to form immediately under the enemy's fire, and within less than twenty paces. From a violent cold which Scott had taken, his voice had nearly failed him for the preceding twenty-four hours; but Hindman was seen and heard every where at the point of landing. Some of the men too, eager to engage the enemy hand to hand, leaped the bank immediately on landing, and were thus exposed singly, to well closed ranks and a murderous fire. It was necessary to force them down again, and in the execution of this dangerous service, Hindman's zeal and gallantry were highly conspicuous.

This probably is what was meant, in a paper published some time ago, in which it is stated that "the advance fell back several times, before Boyd came up."-It was not so: the advance never faltered for an instant; but the line being formed, they steadily ascended the bank (twelve or fourteen feet high,) made a desperate charge, and drove the enemy at the point of the bayonet, to the distance of about thirty paces, behind a bog or ravine. Here the contest of fire took place that proved so destructive to the enemy; and it was during this time that the head of Boyd's brigade landed, and fired some few scattering shots; but the merit of routing and driving the enemy belongs, of right, to the advance. The enemy soon gave way, and directed his retreat by the road leading up the river towards Queen's Town, leaving Fort George to the left. Colonel Miller, with his regiment, joined Scott's, opposite the Fort; when, perceiving that the enemy were evacuating that post, and hearing from a deserter, that they intended to blow it up, Scott took Hindman's and Stockton's companies from the head of his column, and marched

against the Fort, to prevent the accomplishment of either of these objects. Some prisoners were made and a magazine exploded, before the gate could be forced. The prisoners gave information that other and larger magazines were about to explode; and entreated that they might be removed to a greater distance. Whilst the gallant Scott was personally engaged in tearing down the flag, Hindman compelled a British sergeant to lead him to the magazine, stated to be on fire, and with his own hands snatched away the lighted fuse. It is not our intention to bestow fulsome or unmerited eulogium, but surely we may be permitted to dwell for a moment, on that cool and steady composure, that daring intrepidity of spirit, which could lead a young officer into the jaws of almost certain destruction, with the sole view of rendering more complete, and, therefore, more honourable to his country, the victory that moment won. By retiring a short distance, the lives of the whole might have been saved; but the enemy would have boasted, that he had destroyed his works, and weakened the Post. Hindman not only saved the lives of his brave companions in arms, but preserved the most important key to Upper Canada.

The service rendered by the advance under lieutenant colonel Scott, in the capture of Fort George, may be estimated by its comparative force, and the return of the killed and wounded. The advance consisted of five hundred men, and it lost eightynine killed and wounded. The remainder of the army, including Boyd's, Chandler's and Winder's brigades, had only forty-eight killed and wounded.

Immediately after the capture of Fort George, it was determined to attack the enemy, for the purpose of dislodging him from a position which he had taken in the neighbourhood of Burlington heights-on the first of June, the army was put in motion, and the command of the expedition assigned to brigadier general Chandler-lieutenant colonel Scott had resumed his duties as adjutant general, and the command of the elite or light troops, devolved on captain Hindman. The greater part of these consisted of his own and of Biddle's and Archer's companies, all of the 2d regiment of artillery, but now acting as infantry. The light troops under Hindman were pushed forward two or three miles in advance of the army, and on the evening of the