Illustrated Biography; Or, Memoirs of the Great and the Good of All Nations and All Times. Comprising Sketches of Eminent Statesmen, Philosophers, Her

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1856. Excerpt: ... date for governor of the slate or United Slates senator, and also refused i Iip offices of attorney-general and secretary of war, tendered him by President Polk. On, the breaking out of the Mexican war, however, Mr. Pierce, enrolled himself as a private soldier in the New England regiment, but President Polk sent him a colonel's commission, and subsequently raised him to the rank of brigadier-general in March, 1847. His command consisted of 2,500 men, with whom he landed at Vera Cruz, the 28th of June. He was -ngaged in several of the battles which were fought between Vera Cruz and the city of Mexico, and made himself highly popular with the men under his command. On the restoration of peace between the two countries, he resigned his commission, and returned home, to resume his legal practice. The democratic convention met at Baltimore June 1, 1852, to nominate a candidate for president; after more than forty ballotings for the selection among the prominent candidates, the name of Franklin Pierce was proposed, and on the forty-ninth ballot he was chosen as their standard-bearer. The election occurred in November, and resulted in his success by an overwhelming majority over his competitor, General Scott, receiving 252 out of 295 electoral votes, or those of all the states but four. He entered on the duties of hi- high office as president of the United States, March 4, 1853. In 1824, Mr Pierce was married to Miss Jane Means, daughter of Rev. Dr. Appleton, formerly president of Bowdoin college, by whom he had a son, whose sudden death by a railroad accident in Jan., 1853, was asevere bereavement to his father almost at the moment of his political triumph. FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. Felix Mkndblssohn-bartholdy, the greatest musical composer of the...