Mr. Bancroft at King's Mountain [pp. 161-165]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
A MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO LITERATURE, SCIENCE AND ART.
RICHMOND, MARCH 1856.
MR. BANCROFT AT KING'S MOUNTAIN.
cant incident as well as a beautiful episode in the transactions of the day. The
manner in which he was received by the
Southern assemblage, and the graceful
and impressive presentation of himself to
the enthusiastic demand of the multitude,
is finely set forth in the account of the
day's proceedings in the beautiful pamphlet, (p. 33,) issued by Mr. Melton, the
most active and effective promoter of the
celebration, who from the firs'. idea of it
to its consummation by this publication
of a full and complete recital of it in a
When Polybius was collecting material
for his great history, he widely traversed
Spain,'Gaul and other provinces, that he
might observe with his own eye the scenes
of those transactions which he was to record in his pages. The vivid knowledge
of localities, drawn from actual inspection, must, of course, enable him who
describes them to impart a more graphic
picture, not only of them, but also of the
events connected with them, for on the
ground there is an ideal presence of the
drama, and upon a very obvious principle
of mnemonics, every thing connected
with it is the more fixed in the memory.
Polybius also had obtained a knowledge of public affairs, by serving in political stations and had been, besides being actively engaged in administrative
offices, employed on an embassy to Rome.
The influence of localities upon the
spirit of an historian, is illustrated by the
fact that amongst the ruins of Rome,
Gibbon conceived the idea of his great
work; and that Mr. Bancroft's name is
well and properly associated with these
illustrious writers, is proved by the actual
union of them in that beautiful letter of
Mr. Everett to the Historical Society of
New York, upon its fiftieth anniversary.
Ite says that Mr. Bancroft is entitled to
rank with Tacitus and Livy, and with
Hume, Gibbon, and Robertson, and from
the decision of this high literary judicature, there can be no appeal until remote
posterity sits in judgment.
The presence o f Mr. Bancroft therefore
at the recent celebration, was a signifi
neat brochure of more than a hundred pages, exhibits the energy, intelligence and
enthusiasm with which he entered into
the affair.
Mr. Bancroft's eminent position, as the
historian of the Revolution, of course demanded for him a very special invitation
amongstthedistinguishedpersonageswho
were aske d to attend. In compliance with
this invitation and in obedience to his own
impulses to be present at the celebration
of a striking historical event in the South,
upon the scene of action, he repaired
from his residence in New York, to King's
Mountain, in South Carolina, making a
journey of a thousand miles. The labor
of this patriotic and literary pilgrimage
was, doubtless, compensated in a great
degree not only by the gratification of the
main purpose, but also by the interest
and beauty of the route which led to the
scene, and farther by the opportunity it afforded him of manifesting the sympathies
of a Northern gentleman and scholar, with
the historic m-emlories of the South. " For
VOL. XXII-11