258 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



June, 1812, is rendered memorable by events associated 

 in my mind. Mr. Mills Day, a tutor in Yale College, and 

 brother of Professor (afterwards President) Day, lay dead 

 at his brother's house on the corner of Orange and Crown 

 Streets. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Wadsworth were in my 

 house on a visit ; and Colonel Gibbs was in town, ready to 

 proceed with the opening of the cabinet, when, on a Sab- 

 bath morning in June, the tidings came of the declaration 

 of war with England. A thrill of painful excitement an 

 electrical stroke vibrated through the Continent. It 

 was a thrill of horror to all good minds that were not par- 

 alyzed by party ; for fraternal blood, after a peace of almost 

 thirty years, was now to be shed again ; and it did flow in 

 torrents. This war of less than three years, indeed, only 

 two years and eight months, sent probably 50,000 men 

 on both sides to premature graves, while nothing was 

 gained on either side but military and naval renown, 

 dearly bought. A spirit of justice and mutual conciliation 

 would have prevented the conflict. On our side we gained 

 not one of the points for which we had contended. In the 

 treaty of peace concluded at Ghent in December, 1814, 

 the principal alleged causes of the war the right of 

 search for the property of an enemy, and the impressment 

 of American seamen are not even mentioned. But I 

 forbear. The painful topic was, however, not without an 

 important bearing upon the peaceful pursuits of science. 

 The question of course arose in our minds : Shall we pro- 

 ceed to open more treasures in a maritime town, treas- 

 ures which we cannot remove, and which may be destroyed 

 by the vicissitudes of war? We concluded, however, to 

 trust in God and proceed with our work. 



Colonel Gibbs devoted himself with great zeal to our 

 pleasant labor, and he was quite satisfied to remain quietly 

 in New Haven, for he had brought with him a treasure 

 more valuable than his gems. Miss Laura Wolcott, 

 daughter of the distinguished statesman and patriot, the 



