100 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
March. 
Memoir of Colonel Pickering - . 
Editors Cultivator— Prompted by your suggestion, I have en- 
ieavored to prepare a sketch of the life and character of the late 
Timothy Pickering, for your Journal. From 1818 to 182S, it was 
my privilege to be often in his company, and to be favored with his 
mstruction. My aim has been to give a general view of the promi¬ 
nent incidents of his life; and more particularly those which show 
ihe distinguishing traits of his character. As a farmer , especially, 
nave I endeavored to present him,—because in this capacity I knew 
nim best; and because, in this, he most delighted. Such anecdotes, 
as I learned from him personally, I have interspersed, because these 
are the illustrations of character most likely to be remembered. 
If this attempt to delineate character, (an exercise altogether new 
to me,) shall meet your expectations, I shall be gratified. I have 
found it more difficult to say little , than to say much. And although 
some may think my admiration extravagant; I have endeavored, as 
far as in my power, to use the same words he would have used, un¬ 
der like circumstances; considering his model, both in life and writing, 
enough to satisfy any man’s ambition. I am happy to learn, that his 
only surviving son, Octavius Pickering, Esq., is now occupied in 
preparing a biography of his father—a work that cannot fail to in¬ 
terest every friend of virtue, and admirer of patriotism. 
Very respectfully yours, 
John W. Proctor. 
Danvers , Mass., Jan. 1, 1851. 
Timothy Pickering was born at Salem, Mass., July 
17tb, (6th old style,) 1745. He died at Salem, Janua¬ 
ry 29th, 1829, in his 84th year. His father, Timothy, 
descended through three generations of Johns, the first 
of whom came from England to Salem about 1680, and 
settled on an estate adjoining Broad-street, which has 
ever since remained in the Pickering family. He was a 
substantial yeoman, magistrate of the county, and deacon 
in the church. From him the subject of this memoir in¬ 
herited those traits of decision, industry, and integrity, 
which were ever his distinguishing characteristics. 
Cradled at a time when events most momentous were 
starting into being,—associated with those whose fortune 
it was to guide the destinies of his country,—his charac¬ 
ter was necessarily strongly marked by the incidents of 
the age in which he lived. There is a reciprocal influ¬ 
ence between men and things; when great events hap¬ 
pen, great characters are developed; but whether the 
events produce the characters, or the characters the 
events, can only be determined by a careful analysis of 
all the accompanying circumstances. This was pecul¬ 
iarly the case with those who figured conspicuously in the 
American Revolution, among whom Timothy Picker¬ 
ing will ever be entitled to a position in the front rank. 
The first rudiments of education were acquired by him 
at the free school of Salem. At the early age of four¬ 
teen, he entered Harvard College, at Cambridge, and 
graduated in 1763, with marks of distinction. At this 
moment, the first glimmerings of the flame of Liberty 
began to kindle. He entered upon the study of the law, 
but never upon the practice, as a professional pursuit. 
He was early appointed a judge of maritime cases for 
the counties of Suffolk and Essex, in Massachusetts. In 
1774, he was chosen by the 'people of Essex, as register 
of deeds, an office that had been holden by his uncle 
John, for many years. Bred, as he was, when resistance 
to oppression first assumed a distinct character; sum¬ 
moned as he was, to command, in opposition to the first 
armed movement of the enemies of his country, all the 
energies of his naturally ardent temperament were thus 
rallied into action. Coming forward just when the rum¬ 
blings of the volcano were beginning to be heard, and 
the earth was trembling beneath, his discriminating sa¬ 
gacity directed his attention to the necessity of military 
science,-—while his physical energies were admirably 
adapted to the illustration of its benefits. He soon be¬ 
came an adept in all of the art that was then known,—■ 
and a volunteer in instructing others. 
When, in 1774, the act was passed by the British par¬ 
liament, commonly called the Boston porUbill , that shut 
out the capital of Massachusetts from all trade upon the 
ocean, threatening the ruin of its business—and at the 
same time the seat of government was removed from 
Boston to Salem—the citizens of Salem, in town meet¬ 
ing assembled, regardless of their own interests, through 
Col. P., their file-leader, selected for this purpose, ut¬ 
tered these remarkable words, equally creditable to the 
head and heart of their author. “ By shutting up the 
port of Boston, some imagine that the course of trade 
might be turned hither, and to our benefit. But nature, 
in the formation of our harbor, forbids our becoming ri¬ 
vals in commerce with that convenient mart,—and were 
it otherwise, we must be dead to every idea of justice, 
lost to all feelings of humanity, could we indulge one 
thought to seize on wealth, and raise our fortunes on the 
ruins of our suffering neighbors.” 
Having been invited by Gov. Gage, while the seat of gov¬ 
ernment was at Salem, to a conference relative to the du¬ 
ties the colonies owed the crown, the Governor concluded, 
“ Well, there are merchants who, notwithstanding all your 
agreements, will import British goods.” To which Col. 
Pickering replied —“ They may import them, but the 
people will use their liberty to buy them, or to let them 
alone.” 
Immediately preceding the first hostile movements of 
the enemy, he was chosen to the command of the troops 
at Salem and the adjoining towns, and was ever after¬ 
wards familiarly known by the title of Colonel. 
On the 19th of April 1775, in the morning, shortly 
after entering his register office, he was informed by an 
officer from Danvers, that the British were moving to¬ 
wards Concord. He gave permission to the captain to 
go ahead, and forthwith assembled his regiment, and 
led them to the scene of action, in season to meet the 
British on their return. Seven of his Danvers friends 
then offered their lives on the altar of their country as 
a first sacrifice. This sound judgment saved many 
others from a like sacrifice. We speak with confidence, 
in relation to these events, because we have heard them 
in minute detail from his own mouth; and from others 
who were actually engaged in the battle of Lexington. 
Soon after this he was called to the command of a regi¬ 
ment of volunteers from the county of Essex, he him¬ 
self being the first to step forward; and joined the army 
under Washington in New Jersey. The discriminating 
eye of Washington, selected him for the office of Adju¬ 
tant General, and of consequence as one of his own 
staff. Here, his accurate business habits and well cul¬ 
tivated intellect, made his services of great value. 
Washington always spoke of him in strong terms of con¬ 
fidence and approbation.* 
* The following extract is from a letter that was addressed to the 
President of Congress by Gen. Washington: 
“Morristown, May 24, 1777. 
Sir — I beg leave to inform Congress, that, immediately after the 
