234 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 
OUR GREATEST CHIEF JUSTICE 
91. The foremost jurist of the evolving young America was 
Joun MarsuHatt. His early manhood caught him in the throes 
of the Revolution and he performed ably as an officer of Virginia 
militia. At Monmouth, Brandywine and Germantown he showed 
his military ability, but at Stony Point and in covering Mayor 
LEE’s retreat at Paulus Hook, he showed his real genius and per- 
severance. His military career was terminated by recruiting duty 
in Virginia in 1780, and while he participated in Baron STEUBEN’S 
operations in Virginia, he never really indulged so actively again. 
His legal career began at the time of his recruiting duty in 
1780. During his leisure hours he attended the course of lec- 
tures given by CHANCELLOR WYTHE of William and Mary, and 
late in the season he was admitted to the bar at Williamsburg. 
In 1781 he resigned his commission and entered upon law prac- 
tice in Fauquier county. He attained immediate prominence and 
was elected a member of the house of burgesses. He forthwith 
located in Richmond, and barring the time he was on national 
duty, remained there the rest of his days. 
JoHn MARSHALL was one of the four lawyers engaged by the 
defendant in the celebrated case of WARE vs. HitTon, tried before 
Justice Joun Jay, involving the question of indebtedness to 
Britain. His colleagues were Patrick HENRY, ALEXANDER CAMP- 
BELL and JAMEs IrvINE. He declined attorney-generalship under 
WASHINTON’s first administration, also a foreign mission. On 
the occasion of the French hostility due to the replacement of 
James Monroe as ambassador by CHARLES C. PINCKNEY, he was 
appointed a member of the special mission to France to settle 
the difficulty. This proving impossible, he returned to America, 
after backing up PINcKNEY’s immortal “millions for defense, 
but not one cent for tribute.” 
He resumed his law practice, declining an appointment as 
supreme justice, but in 1800 he was appointed Secretary of State 
