Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-05-16
Death OF NEr. BrinkerfsGff.
HOUSE OF RESENTATIVES.
May 9, 1874.

NAY y, 1Oft.
Mr.. Porter of Ohio rose and spoke as
follows:
Mr.. Speaker: 1t has required no long
membership of this House to familiarze
one with the custom of announcing pub
!icly to its members the death of one of
thell number.
Already have we witnessed in this
hall, during the present session of Con.
gress, the funeral obsequles of three sen,
ators and six members OF this House !;
and we are about to add another to the
record of death amongst us.
This seems to be period In our histo-
ry in which death has liked high aim
for his shafts. He has but recently
struck down the head of the nation, fol-
lowing up that sad blow by an unparal-
lelIed fatality to the heads of the differ
ert departments of the government; and,
as if dissatisfied with the ordinary de-
mards for victims, he has sought, in high
places, to mark his power, reminding the
reat. the wise, and the ambitious, and
through them the nation, that no place,
however high and honorable, is exempt
from the common lot of all; and that the
end OF all earthly glory is the grave.
1t has fallen TO my lot to announce
the death of my colleague, Henry r.
Brinkerhoff, late member of this House
from the State of Ohio; and in doing so,
| cannot refrain from reviewing briefly
his history, as it is replete with instruc-
ton, and one out of the many thousand
examples our country affords of the ben
eflts of free institutions to the develop
ment Of the human mind, and Of their
tendency TO raise it to the high destiny
towards which it aspires
General Brinkerhoff was born of hum
Bile, but honest parents, in Adams coun-
ty, in the State of Pennsylvania from
! whence, in early boyhood, he emisra.
ted, with his fathers family, to Cayuga
county, in the State OF New York, then
a trackless wilderness.
From the condition of the country
his opportunities for early education
were but limited; yet, possessed of "a
mind which rose superior to every OBJ :
stacle which it encountered, he became
man OF much general intelligence, and
enlarged views.
On the breaking ont of the late var
with Great Britain, he repaired to the
frontier, in command of a company OF
volunteers of the New York militia, and
at the battle OF Queenston Heights, dis
tinguished himself as brave and patti
! oic soldier.
For many years he held the Office oil
major general of New York State mill
tia, and at time, too, when military
honors were sought after, even in the
military service of the country, by hel
best and ablest patriots, and inspired the
respect of every citizen.
He was twice elected member of the
New York legislature, where he was dis
tineushed for sound practical sense. ant
!, a rigid adherence to the interests of hi
, constituents
In the spring of 1927, lie removed t
Huron cenntv. Ohio; and here, amongs
{ strangers, in the space of six years. hi
had az 4ured the anlimiied confidence
Of large constituency, and was elected
, a member Of the twenty eigth Congress
in district opposed to him in politics.
: When about to leave home for tn
2 scene of his contemplated labors here
he was attacked it'll the disease, which
{ although it tlattered him with the hope 0