fect his General in the fields of Guilford, of Hob- | changed confidence. Nor was he less esteemed kick, and of Eutaw, invariably exciting by his im- by his brother officers, or less respected by his pressive example officer and soldier to the anima- soldiery. ted display of skill and courage. Returning, upon Previous to the disbandment of the army, Conpeace, to his native state, the Government, desi- gress manifested their sense of Williams' merit rous, (at that time common through America,) to and services, by promoting him to the rank of reward, wherever it had the power, those officers brigadier-general, of which we have his own acand soldiers who continued to the last, bestowed count, in a letter to his friend, Major Pendleton, upon this distinguished patriot the collectorship written in Philadelphia, and dated May eighof the port of Baltimore-the most lucrative of-teenth, 1782:fice within its gift. On the adoption of the present constitution and government of the Union, Washington was called to the presidency, and of course continued Williams, with whose merit he was particulary acquainted, in his office. "MY DEAR PENDLETON: Your laconic epistle of the twentieth of April was handed to me by General St. Clair, in the situation you wished. Involved in scenes of the most agreeable amusePrevious to this epoch, he intermarried with therefore if I have been guilty of any omissions ments, I have scarcely had time for reflection: Miss Mary Smith, daughter of William Smith, toward you or any of my southern friends, I hope Esq., one of the ancient and most respectable in- it will be imputed to the infatuating pleasures of habitants of the town, by whom he had four sons, the metropolis. My promotion (for which I am all of whom survived their parents. General principally indebted to my invaluable friend GenWilliams' health had for many years before his eral Greene) might prove the efficacy of making death been very delicate, resulting from the hard-a short campaign to court, (especially as it had ships incident to military life, increased in his been once rejected,) if the circumstances which case by the severe treatment experienced while attended it did not too evidently discover how a prisoner in New York, which was peculiarly much the greatest man are actuated by caprice, oppressive at that period, while Sir William and how liable the most respectable bodies are to Howe commanded the British forces in America. inconsistencies. Upon the application of General Vainly attempting, by change of climate, and every Greene, seconded by the recommendation of other advisable measure, to stop the menacing Washington, the votes of Congress were taken disease, he, unhappily for his country, his family whether I should or should not be made a brigaand his friends, fell a victim to the pulmonary dier, in consequence of former resolves, which complaint in July 1794, on his way to the Sweet very clearly, in my opinion, gave me a right to Springs. His amiable and disconsolate wife soon promotion. It was resolved in the negative. fell the victim of grief, exhibiting a rare display of Upon the second motion in Congress the same the tenderness and ardor of conjugal love. Brig-letters were reconsidered, and the man whose leadier-general Williams was about five feet ten in-gal claim was rejected (because it was inconveniches high, erect and elegant in form, made for ent or might give umbrage to others) is promoactivity rather than strength. His countenance ted in consideration of his distinguished talents was expressive, and the faithful index of his warm and honest heart. and services. I wish I may be always able to justify and maintain an opinion that does me so much honor. If Congress will please to wink at my imperfections, I will be careful not to meddle with theirs." ODE Pleasing in his address, he never failed to make himself acceptable, in whatever circle he moved, notwithstanding a sternness of character which was sometimes manifested with too much asperity. He was beneficent to his friends, but very cold to all whose correctness in moral principle became questionable in his mind. As a soldier, he may be called a rigid, not a cruel, disciplinarian obeying with exactitude his superior, he Written for the occasion of the celebration of the fiftieth exacted the like obedience from his inferior. He anniversary of the Inauguration of Washington, as First Presipossessed that range of mind, although self-edu-dent of the United States, thirtieth of April, 1789 by W. C. cated, which entitled him to the highest military Bryant. station, and was actuated by true courage which can refuse as well as give battle.-Soaring far above the reach of vulgar praise, he singly aimed at promoting the common weal, satisfied with the consciousness of doing right, and desiring only that share of applause which was justly his own. There was a loftiness and liberality in his charactor which forbade resort to intrigue and hypocrisy in accomplishment of his views, and rejected the contemtible practice of disparaging others to exalt himself. In the field of battle he was selfpossessed, intelligent and ardent; in camp circumspect, attentive and systematic; in council sincere, deep and perspicuous. During the campaigns of General Greene, he was uniformly one of his few advisers, and held his un GREAT were the hearts and strong the minds, Had forged and knit, are brighter yet. Ancient Persian combat, showing how the Spears were used. From bas-reliefs at Nakshi-Roustan. SWORDS. (Continued from last number.) In our last, we noticed the manner of using the long and short spear, for close combat, or for hurling. Among the Romans, a small kind of spear, or dart, was frequently used, not more than three feet in length, and an inch thick, with a point about four inches long. The point was tapered so fine, that it bent at the first stroke, and hence the enemy could not use it in return. They were carried by the light-armed horsemen of Rome, each having a number of them in the lefthand, to be thrown as occasion might require. Such darts were undoubtedly known among the Hebrews, and were, probably, the kind used by Joab, who, it is related, had three in his hand, and pierced the heart of Absalom with them as he hung in the tree. As we have before remarked, it required much skill to use the spear, javelin or dart successfully, and the scene of a combat with these weapons must have been peculiarly striking. Virgil says of one of his heroes: "Poised in his lifted arm, his lance he threw : "Thick storms of steel from either army fly, And clouds of clashing darts obscure the sky." We will conclude our notice of carried armor by a brief description of the swords used by the ancients, and also some now in use among the orientals. Ancient Persian Swords and Daggers.-From sculptures at (a) Persepolis, (l) Shiraz, (c) Takht-i-Bostan. Although swords are named among the first | in common use, according to Homer, and constiwarlike weapons in the scripture, it is by no tuted an essential part of a warrior's armor. means probable that they were of such early in- They were generally of brass or copper, and invention as the spear and shield, the bow and the deed the reader of the Iliad will observe, that aldart, for of no other material than metal would most every kind of metal weapon or instrument, they be efficient in warfare. The working of were constructed of the former metal. It is probmetals implies civilization or demi-civilization, and able that iron was not then in general use, and hence it is that among savage nations, the sword, hence the universal employment of brass. The even at the present day, is unknown. We read great sword of Achilles was made of this materithat Simeon and Levi did much execution at Se- al, and they were not unfrequently splendidly chem with the sword, and that Jacob defeated the decorated. Of Agememnon it is said :Amorites with the sword and bow. These are the earliest records of the use of this instrument, but as anciently as the siege of Troy, they were "He slung his sword Athwart his shoulders; dazzling bright it shone Ancient Swords and Daggers.-From Montfaucon. a, Greck; b, Roman; c, Ancient, but uncertain; d, Dacian. Long subsequent to the time of Homer, the swords of the Greeks and Romans continued to be of copper. Specimens of this metal, supposed to have belonged to the Phenecians, and subsequently the Carthagenians, have been dug up in various countries; and in England and Ireland, specimens have been found, similar to those discovered at Cannæ, where it is known that the Carthagenians sustained a great overthrow and terrible slaughter. In the British museum are specimens found in Palestine, and supposed to have belonged to the Israelites after their possession of Canaan, which very much resemble the Roman swords in thecentre of the group in the preceding engraving, with the exception of the cross-bar or guard. These weapons vary in size, some being merely a dagger twenty inches in length, and others, from three to four feet long. Of the latter size, many were found in Ireland. The copper swords which have been discovered, are generally alloyed with some other metal, which makes them quite hard, and susceptible of a fine polish. Indeed, it is the opinion of some, that these swords were superior to iron, until the tempering of steel was employed. As a general rule, the swords of ancient civilized nations were straight, and those of barbarians curved. The cavalry used long swords, but not such thin, keen weapons as are known to moderns. As the forms of ancient weapons are still retained among the people of the east to a great extent, we subjoin a group of such swords and daggers as are in use among them. The Egyptians generally used cutting-swords, although straight ones and daggers have been found among them. The ancient Israelites, also, had straight swords and daggers; the former 462 h Turkish Sabre; d, Dagger of the Modern Oriental Swords and Daggers. a, Syrian Sabre; b, Syrian Dervish Sabre; Prince Royal of Persia; e, Albanian Knife Dagger; f, Yataghan of a domestic of the Turkish Grand Vizier; g, Janissary's Dagger; h, Bedouin Arab's Dagger and Sheath. were often two-edged, and were girded upon the | sionally a hand-guard or cross-bar. The Romans thigh. The ancient Persians wore their swords wore the sword on the right thigh, that it might suspended from a belt on the right side, and He- not obstruct the free use of the buckler, yet this roditus mentions golden swords as having been rule was sometimes departed from. The Bedouin captured from the Persians. These were proba- Arabs, more than any other of the eastern nations bly only inlaid with gold. The early Greeks wore or tribes, retain the customs of the patriarchal their sword under the arm-pit, so that the pummel times, and it is supposed that the dagger (4) givtouched the nipple of the breast; it hung by a en in the preceding cut is the most ancient of belt, and its length was that of the arm. Some any, and was probably known in the time of Jowere for thrusting, others for cutting; and the seph. We will now proceed to notice other imlatter sometimes had the edge on the inner curve. plements of war, used by the ancients. Their hilts were of ivory and of gold, with occa Balista prepared for the discharge of a stone. Catapulta prepared for the discharge of an arrow. From Montfaucon. In II Chronicles, chap. xxvi. verse 15, we find | and Romans, and as they are not mentioned by it recorded, that Uzziah "made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towns and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal." This undoubtedly refers to the baliste and catapulta of the Greeks Homer, nor any of the writers prior to the time of Uzziah, (eight hundred years before Christ) we must, notwithstanding the general obtuseness of the Jews in such matters, believe that these "engines" were the "inventions" of, and not adopted by, Uzziah's "cunning men." Diodorus says, that had the besiegers of Nineveh, in the time of Sardanapalus, possessed these engines, with battering rams, that siege would much sooner have been brought to a close. Of the construction of these machines, (some of which are still extant,) Pliny and others have given descriptions. The leading principles upon which they operated were those of the cross-bow, the recoil of twisted ropes, and the sling. The above cuts illustrate those acting upon the first two principles. The acting power lies in two coils of twisted rope, set apart from each other, into which are inserted, horizontally, the ends of two strong levers, the remoter ends of which are connected by a strong rope or ligature. Thus a gigantic cross-bow is formed, which, when the two arms or levers are drawn toward each other, increase the tension of the twisted ropes, and give a tremendous recoiling power, applicable ground, it had an almost overpowering tendency to recoil upward. When a pear-shaped bag of stones had been hung at this end, the beam was released, bounded up, and discharged its burden with immense force at the enemy. Scorpion. The Scorpion was a smaller instrument, for the discharge of arrows, and was essentially a crossbow, without the power of coiled ropes, as may chine was used by the ancients for throwing pebbe seen by the above engraving. The same mables and larger stones. These engines were used in great numbers, in besieging cities, and in the defence of the same. The Romans took upward of two hundred of them, large and small, from the Carthagenians; and at the siege of Jerusalem, the besieged had nearly four hundred of these machines, great and small, which they had taken from the Romans. Those used by the latter at that time, and partic Head of the Catapulta, showing the rope, levers, and springs of ularly those of the tenth legion, were much twisted rope, by which the discharge was effected. stronger and more efficient than those of the Jews, some of which would throw huge stones to There was another machine, called Onager, or the distance of a quarter of a mile, and sweep a sling, which power was also given by ropes. Two whole file of men, from one end to the other. Joperpendicular beams, set apart, were connected sephus who was present at the siege of Jerusaat top, by two strong cables, between which was lem, states, that a man standing near him, had his inserted a large, crooked, tapering beam. When head knocked off by one of these stones, projectthe small end of this beam was drawn toward the led nearly three furlongs. Another engine of war, peculiar to the Romans, | vention is not positively known, although it is was the Battering-ram, used for demolishing for- highly probable that the Babylonians have the tresses, and making breaches in the walls of honor. It is mentioned in sacred history, only in cities, to let besiegers in. The place of its in- Ezekiel, where it is said Nebuchadnezzar used |