WINFIELD,

THE LAWYER'S SON.

CHAPTER I.

HIS BIRTH-PLACE.

"When real nobleness accompanies the imaginary one of birth, the imaginary seems to mix with the real, and becomes real too."-Greville.

N the 14th of February, 1824, in a retired part

ON

of the county of Montgomery, near Montgomery Square, Pennsylvania, WINFIELD SCOTT HANCOCK was born. He is the son of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN and ELIZABETH HANCOCK, who are also natives of Montgomery county. His twin-brother, HILARY BAKER, is a resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he has been for some years engaged in the practice of law. The only remaining brother, Major JOHN HANCOCK, was in the Army of the Potomac, at the time of the commencement of this volume. These three are all the children of this branch of the Hancock family.

At the age of four years Winfield removed, with his parents, to Norristown, Pennsylvania, a beautiful borough, finely located on the sloping banks of the Schuylkill river, about twenty miles from Philadelphia. It is the shire town of Montgomery county. In the year 1864 it contained a population of 9000. The court house is well situated, on a commanding eminence, and built of the handsome gray marble of the vicinity. Its spire, which resembles that of some modern churches, is seen from a considerable distance, and forms an attractive object in the central portion of the town. some of which are quite elegant in appearance. The streets are nearly all wide, straight, and generally laid out at right angles. Some of them are finely shaded with trees. One of the principal thoroughfares has beautiful rows, the clean trunks and shady branches of which reflect credit on the common sense and good taste of the citizens. The banks, newspapers, hotels, markets, and other town appliances, betoken the activity and conveniences of the people. Of the weekly journals there are four, which circulate widely through the adjacent country, while the daily papers of Philadelphia and New York find numerous and constant readers, in a few hours after they leave their presses. The public schools, which

There are seven churches,

have been established several years, are abundant and well conducted. There are two large seminaries, finely situated in the outskirts of the town, which afford the best facilities for male and female education. Owing to its being favored with a court house, and the strong stone jail 'appurtenance thereunto belonging,' Norristown has a liberal supply of gentlemen of the legal profession. Their numerous signs give evidence of the things signified in all the most frequented places. A somewhat amusing instance of the abundance of this highly valuable class of the community, in this quarter, occurred with the author.

We were returning from a visit to the market, whither we had gone before sunrise, in order that we might note its peculiarities in these war times, and had just turned a corner by the court house, when a countryman accosted us:

"Maybe you're a strenger in Norristown?" "Yes, sir," was our reply.

Maybe you was 'quirin' 'bout the prices in merket?"

"Yes, sir," we again answered.

Maybe you're a lawyer?" said he, looking at us with great reverence.

"No, sir!" we replied, not a little surprised at the