33 



them, they invaded his home, and, on one occasion, took him 

 from his bed, — carried him, manacled, far into the forest, and 

 kept him for weeks, vainly endeavoring to compel him, through 

 fear or weariness, to comply with their demands. His own 

 account of this abduction is highly interesting and character- 

 istic. In 1790 he was a member of the Pennsylvania Con- 

 vention for revising the State Constitution. Then, for four 

 years, he was employed, under a commission from George 

 Washington, in negotiating treaties with the great Indian 

 tribes. From the same hand he received, in 1791, the ap- 

 pointment of Post Master General. Two years later he was 

 made Secretary of War, and from 1795 to 1800, he was 

 Secretary of State. Removed from office by John Adams, 

 and finding himself in debt, with only a scanty ancome, this 

 *' greatly independent " man took with him one of his sons, 

 and retiring to the back- woods of Pennsylvania, where he 

 owned some wild land, built there a log-cabin, and made a 

 small clearing around it. But generous friends in Massachu- 

 setts soon relieved him from his embarrassments, and called 

 him back to his native State. His debts were paid — the 

 Wenham farm was bought — and there the warrior and states- 

 man went to work in good earnest. Yet after all this, he 

 represented Massachusetts for eight years in the United States 

 Senate, and Essex County for two years in the House of Rep- 

 resentatives. At his death in January, 1829, Col. Pickering, 

 was in his 84th year. 



A.pi*]Eisri3ix: B. 



The following is a complete list of the annual orators, 

 showing also the years of omission : 



1818, Timothy Pickering. 1819, No address. 



5 



