Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-01-08

Of fourteen, about nundreu mics tIoA' 'o"''
and placed under the tuition OF Mr. lamp
bell, q ciergyma Of great respsctaoii'y. ne
remained with him year, ard then returned
home, and was put under the care OF oeo'In
gentleman. who was Just introduced into the
n,r;sb. as pastor, and resided in his fathers
family. He pursued his classical studies un'
der this pentieman's direction, while ne renal
ned in The family, which was about year, aha
a. the termination of il he had commenced read
;np Horace & Lisy. His subsequent mas'e.
70 Of the classics was the result OF his own ell
forts. without any other aid than his grammar
and dictionary. He never had the benefit OF an
education at any college, and his attainments
in learning have been nursed by the solitary VI
oils of his own genius. His father, however,
Continued 10 Superintend his English educa'
lion. 10 cherish his love Of knowledge, 10 give
solid cast to his requirements, and 10 store
his mind with the most valuable materials.
He was not merely watchful parent, out en- In.
s,ructiye and aHectionate friend, aud soon be-
came The mosl constant, as he was almost the
only intelligent companion Of his son. ne
time not devoted 10 his society was passed In
hardy athletic exercises, aud probably TO th's
Circumstance loving that robust constitution,
which vet seenss fresh and firm in green OLD
age. .
mAbout the time when young Marshall en>
tered his eighteenth year, The controversy De-
tween Great Britain and her American colonies
began 10 ssume a porprniou, aspect; and en-.
q sped; and indeed absorbed, the attention OF all
the colonists, whether they were young, or o!d,
in private and secluded lite, or IN political and
public bodies.s He entered INFO il with all the
zeal and enthusiasm OF youth, iuil OF love ior
country and liberty, aud deeply sensible oil us
Ia tpH NH
70 acquiring the first rudimen!s Of military ex-
ereise in a volunteer independent company,
composed of gentleman Of the country, to trai>
ming militia company in the neighborhood,
aud to reading the polite al essays Of the day
For these anius,ing pursuits, the preludes oi
pubic resistance, he was quite content to reiin-
ouish the classics, and the less inviting, but
with reference 10 his future destiny, the more
profitable commentaries of Sir William Black
stone.
"In the summer Of l775, he received an aP-
monument as first Lieutenant in a company Of
minu,emen enrolled for actual service,who were
assembled in battalion on th' FIRST OF The ensu-
ing September In few Gays they were or
dered 10 march into the lower country, Tor the
purpose Of defending il against small regular
and predatorysforce commanded by Lord Dun
more. They constituted part Of the troops des.
tined for the relief of Norfolk, and Lieut. Mar
shall was engaged in the battle Of the Grea,
/ Bridge, where the British troops, under Lord
Dunmo,e, were repuised with great gallantry
and hrmness The way being thus opened by
the retreat ofthe British, he marched with the
proyincials TO Norfolk, and was present when
that city was set on fire by detachment from
the British ships, then ,lng in the river, and
when hs rrs Of sasv
and the place evacuated.
! IN July, l776, he was appointed FIRST lieu
tenant in the eleventh Virginian regimen, on
the continental establishments, and in the
course Of the succeeding winter, he mai ched TO
the north, where, in May, I777, he was promot-
ed 10 the rank OF captain. He was subsequent
ly engaged in the skirmish at Iron Hill with
the light infantry, and fought in the memora-
bic battles oil Br.ndywine, Germantown, and
Monmouth
"Tha par, Of the Virginia line, which was
not ordered to Charleston, IS. Co. being in eff,
feet dissolved by tie expiration of The term OF
enlistment Of the soldiers, the officers (among
whom was Captain Marshall were, in the win>
ter Of l799-80, directed 10 return home, In orr
der to take charge Of such men as the state le>
| gisla,ure should raise tor them. was during
this season Of inaction, that he availcd himself
of the opportunity Of attending course Of law
lectures given by Mr. Wythe, afterwards cham
cellor of the state, and a course Of lectures on
natural philosophy, given by MIR. Madison, Pre-
sident Of William and Mary College in Virgil
MIA He left this College in the sumner vaca-
ton Of 1880, and obtained licence TO practise
law. In October he returned to the army, and
continued in service until the termination Of
| Arnold's invasion. After this period, and be-
fore the invasion OF Philips, in February, l78l l.,
there being redundancy Of officers in the Vir>
ginia line, he resigned his commission.
"This redundancy of officers was the leading
motive for his resignation, since it left him at
liberty, consistently with the most scrupulous
devotion 10 his country, to consult his own fd-
ture prospects in life, and to favor the advance
ment Of lis companions in arms. In fact, how
ever, he may be said to have been in service
during the whole war, and to have had an am
pie share In the brunt of battle, and in the diff
culties, discoursgements, and sufferings, with
which the American army was surrounded in
! the most gloomy Of its campaigns. That he
| served with great distinction, and was equally