Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-02-21
relied on, and we slate them without a

.,-D'''"c ID huW cbutI % years OF
age. He was born in 1859 in Westnore.
land county Virginia, on the Potomac, ON
the land of which his ancestor, who first
migrated to America, century and half
ago, was the original grantee. he was e.
ducated at William and Mary's College,
and to 1776, entered. with several other
Young men of respectable connexions, of
the same College, as cadet, in the third
virginia regiment, then commanded by
Col. afterwards Gen. Mercer, the same
who fell at Princeton. lie WAS very SOON
appointed lieutenant in Thornton's COM
pany, and IN the summer of that year, he
marched, with the regiment, under the
command of Col. Weldon to New-York,
where it joined the army under General
Washington, Immediately after the affair
OF Long Island. He was engaged with
his regiment in the battle of Harlem
Heights In that of White PIains-in the
retreat through the Jerseys, and in the at
tack on Trenton. In the latter he was il,
the vanguard, commanded by Captain w.
Washington. The captain and himself
were both severely wounded. Mr.. Nj. re.
ce,ved ball through his left shoulder.
For their gallant conduct in that action.
captain w. was promoted to the rank of
MAJOR IN regiment of cavalry, and Mr..
NJ. to that of captain in regiment of in
tantry, which were ordered to be raised /;
the latter under the command of colonel
1hurston. Soon after this event lord
Sterling invited Mr.. M. into his family as
ard de camp. In this capacity he served
IN the campaigns of 1777 and 1878, and
was engaged in the actions of Brandy
wine, Germantown, and Monmouth, in
which he obtained, in distinguished man
ner, the appreciation, not only of his lord
ship but OF the commander i'm chief
Lord S. commanded in those campaigns
Wayne's and MaxweIl's brigades by
whose officers MIR. M. was always much es-
teemed, and by the survivors he is still re-
membered with affection.
BY entering the family of Lord s. Mr..
Nj! had lost his rank in the line, which he
was anxious to regain. AS this could not
be done the continental army, he formed,
In l779, the plan of transferring his SER
vices to the south, by raising corps in
the state OF Virginia. General Washing
ton approved his design, and gave him
letter OF strong Recommendation to pro-
mote it. The legislature of Virginia al
SO approved it. An act was passed au-
thorlsiDg. the raising of n regiment, the
command of which was given to Mr.. NJ.
This regiment, however, in the then ex-
hausted state of the country, could not be
raised. Thus disappointed Mr.. M. re-
sumed his studies and having been origi-
nally destined for the bar, he commenced
the study of the law in the latter part of
that year, under direction of Mr.. Jeifer-
son, then governor of Virginia. La the
subsequent invasions of that state Mr.. Nj.
was active, as volunteer with the militia
Alter the fall OF Charleston, in 1880 at the
request of Gov. Jefferson, he visited, in
the character of military commissioner,
the southern army, under De Kalo. In
this service his conduct was highly approx
In 1882 MIR. M. was elected, from the
county OF King George member of the
assembly of Virginia, and, In the same
year, was chosen, by that body, member
of the executive council. In 1888. at the
age OF twenty four, he was appointed
member of the old congress, in which he
served the constitutional term of three
years. AS the debates of that body were
with closed doors we can speak
OF him as one of the members, only from
public report and the journal of its pro-
cee0ings. BY these we find, that he was
always at his post, and engaged in the
most important duties. The following in
stances deserve to be particularly noticed
The incOmpetency of the powers of Con-
gress, under the confederation, was felt at
ter the revolution, as well as during its pro-
sress: Mr.. NJ. appears tohaye been seDsi-
BILE OF the defects of the system, and deSi-
rous OF removing them, we find, in the
Journal OF Congress for 1896, a motion.
by him, to vest that BODY with
power to regulate the trade with all the
States. This motion was several times dis
cussed, but never decided. The conyen-
ton at Annapolis, which led TO that of
Philadelphia, and to the adoption of our
present Constitution, was, perhaps, the
cause. One of the conditions oil which the
state of Virginia had ceded that portion of
her territory which lay to the north west
Of the Ohio, was, that it should be laid OF
into states, not exceeding miles in
length, and in width. Mr.. Monroe
foresaw that, ifthis condition was oh
served, the whole of that territory must
remain, for long time, i'm the coIonial
state, if, indeed, il should ever be admitted
Iato the union. lie introduced resolu.
ton, recommending to the state of Virginia
an amendment Of its grant, so as to author
Use Congress to enlarge the bounds of the
states, to be established in that part of our
rounfrv This rpeoIut;o,, ,,,., 49, a