ing, which he would need so much, were being developed by the habits of his boyhood. He loved to climb the tallest tree, skate on the thinnest ice, and ride the wildest colt,here is where he acquired his fine horsemanship, so noticeable when he rode with his staff on parade Election Day, the day of the Governor's Inauguration, or when he had occasion to review his State troops. Every old veteran, whom he sent off in his regiments, or welcomed back, will recall his appearance on horseback.

In this connection, it may be mentioned that the only acquaintance he ever had with military affairs, was as a member of a company or cavalry in his native town. He enlisted before he left home, and as he was required to do military duty somewhere, he preferred to do it there among his old comrades, and so for years after his residence was in Norwich, the first Monday in May, and the first Monday in September, always found him in their ranks. Those Troopers were a famous set of boys in those times and in those parts. Their uniform was gorgeous-scarlet coats, white pantaloons, heavy, black bear skin cap, with white plume feathers and red tip, the saddle with its holsters. and valise, and horse with curbed bit and double reins, and showy housings. Then the horses,-not well trained, to be sure, but each the pride of some young farmer, when in line making such a show, and in motion as they trotted off and especially on a full gallop, so formidable to our boyish eyes-before any of us knew anything of real war,-these gave us our ideas of Cromwell's "Ironsides that were never conquered," and Napoleon's legions which thundered over Europe. And what made this thundering part so real was their heavy cavalry pistol loaded to the muzzel, which they were always firing. This leads me to refer to the most serious, and what came near being the most to be regretted rashness of the Governor's youth. He and his company were on their way to a regimental review, and riding up to

the Tavern, a squad of them, as was their habit, gave the inmates and the neighborhood a rousing salute. The tavern keeper, as he came to the door, received their discharge full in his face, and the Governor's charge went straight through his hat. Of course it was a matter of deep regret and ample apology. But the pleasant result of it was, that the one who was treated so roughly, was ever after one of the Governor's good friends, and we venture to say that, whatever might have been his politics, if he lived to have the opportunity, he always voted for him. At any rate he never came to Norwich without calling upon the Governor, and once a year the Governor gave him a new hat. But whatever may have been the pranks of the Governor's boyhood, or the indiscretions of his youth, he kept his heart true and noble, and his morals pure. He was frank to acknowledge his faults and would take more than his share of the blame, and you could not make him tell a lie, while his sincere regret for his misconduct made you love the child, as his readiness to right the wrongs he might have done, secured respect and inspired confidence in the man.

Governor Buckingham acquired most of his education in his native town. He was for a while in the Family School of a neighboring clergyman, then sent to the Bacon Acad. emy at Colchester, and as he wished to become a land surveyor, a profession which at that time had some of the attractions of civil engineering now, and also had some State patronage, he was put into the field in charge of one of that profession. His love of mathematics, as well as his energetic physical nature, prompted him in that direction. But after trying it for a while, and then teaching successfully for a winter a common district school, he came home and worked for three years upon the farm. He always claimed that he did as much work as any of the hired men, and pointed in proof of it to the solid stone wall

he laid, and which must stand there yet, to show that he was always good for any hard work that he was set to do. It was decided, however, that he should go into his uncle's dry-goods store at Norwich, where he remained two years, and after spending a short time in a wholesale store in New York he returned to Norwich, to begin business for himself. dry goods s

This began at Norwich in 1826. In 1830 he added to his dry goods trade the manufacture of ingrain carpeting In 1848, having furnished a friend with means to carry on the manufacture of rubber boots and shoes,--a business then in its infancy,-he relinquished all his other business, to organize the Hayward Rubber Company, of which he was the principal business manager, until he went into public life, and its treasurer as long as he lived. He was a - stockholder also in a number of other manufacturing companies, to several of which he devoted special attention. Indeed it was a general business principal with him, not to invest his money where he could not have an oversight of it, and wherever he was a director, and especially if he was a trustee, he felt bound to look after it more carefully than if it was his own property that was concerned. His business lideas and habits were most exact and rigid. He could give jaway money cheerfully, and meet losses with equanimity, but failure to meet business engagements, or neglect of responsibilities that he had allowed to be put upon him, were not to be thought of. While conducting business on a large scale for thirty years, which included periods of serious financial disturbance in the country, like that of 1837, he constantly maintained his credit, paid his obligations and passed safely through the crises which wrecked or crippled so many men who were both able and industrious in their business. Such a business character and habits proved of great service when the war came on, and he was obliged to appeal to individuals and monied

institutions for the means of raising and equipping troops for the field, and also in keeping the accounts of the State promptly and easily squared up with the General Government. His business ability and habits made him successful in each of the kinds of business in which he engaged, so that he acquired a handsome property for the times which preceded the war, when no such fortunes were rapidly accumulated as have been made since; so that he had the means, as well as the disposition, to be public spirited and charitable, as well as give to his State the benefits of his personal credit and private fortune. He was so long in public life that, with his ideas of official duty, he was obliged to neglect his own business, and suffer losses, of which he never complained, only playfully remarking, as he did to a friend in Washington when he was senator: "If one comes here and makes any money while he is in Congress, he has been robbing the Government; but if he has lost any, he is irregular in his habits, which last must be the case with me."

CHAPTER I.

THE COUNTRY BEFORE THE WAR.

How Slavery was at First Regarded-The Expectation that it would at Last Cease to Exist-Agreements for Its Restriction BrokenThe Missouri Compromise, Fugitive Slave Law and Kansas Question-Birth of the Republican Party.

In every respect, save one, nothing seemed so unlikely as secession and civil war. The South and the North had essentially the same English origin. They were united by kinship, acquaintance and business. They had struggled together through the War of Independence, and no two of our original colonies, who now found themselves most at variance on the subject of slavery, were more united and determined in behalf of freedom than Virginia and Massachusetts. They had been considerate of each other's convictions and wishes, and made all needful concessions in the organization of the General Government, and to secure the adoption of the Constitution. And since its adoption, we had enjoyed together for three-quarters of a century, as we boastfully, but not untruthfully; said, more freedom and prosperity than ever fell to the lot of any other people on the globe. We were strong in our unity; so strong that the most powerful nations were reluctant to pick a quarrel with us, we were so sure to stand by one another if they did. And when we were so well aware that union was our safety, and disunion our destruction, as to have adopted it as a political maxim, "United we stand, divided we fall,"