INTRODUCTION

C

HARLES CARROLL of Carrollton easily ranked next to Washington in the value of the services rendered the patriot cause in our Revolutionary struggle.

He devoted more of his time and more of his money to the cause of the people than any other patriot.

He spent more time with Washington at army headquarters than any other civilian, and was more closely identified with the purposes, impulses and activities of the great commander than any other man in or out of the army.

He served the people in more different positions of responsibility and usefulness than did any other man, and never failed in a single instance, to measure up to the highest standard of statesmanship and patriotism.

During the critical year of 1776 he was a member of Congress, a member of the Maryland Assembly, Member of the Convention to draw a new constitution for the state, member of three different provincial committees, member of the War Board charged with the conduct of the war, and a commissioner from the United States to Canada. And in every position he was either the most active, or one of the most active in the work. In addition to these duties that year, he was the most successful man in his county in collecting coin to be sent to the soldiers in Canada, and was superintending the erection of saltpeter works for producing gun powder. It is not

necessary to add that he gave every moment of his time to the public.

He was the richest man that signed The Declaration of Independence, the first man that signed, the most useful man that signed, the only Roman Catholic that signed, and the last man to die of those who signed it.

These are a few of the many reasons that have convinced me that full justice has never been done to the memory of the noblest citizen of my native state.

The work of preparing this book is in pursuance of a long cherished purpose. The Carroll history and traditions have been familiar to me from the time of my early youth. My grandfather and his father were closely associated for a great many years with Charles Carroll of Carrollton in an important business enterprise; and my father knew the famous signer as well as a boy of thirteen would be likely to know an elderly man. It was in this way that my knowledge of, and interest in the Carroll family commenced as soon as I was old enough to give thought to such affairs. The feeling that I ought put in shape the facts at my command grew as I saw others better qualified for the work pass away.

During the winter of 1865-66 I was a law student in the office of I. C. W. Powell, an eminent lawyer of Easton, Md. The firm of Johnson & Kerr of Baltimore attended to Court of Appeals business for Mr. Powell, and I was a great deal in their office. Mr. Reverdy Johnson was a United States Senator from Maryland, and his son-in-law, Mr. Charles Kerr, a native of our county, was a close friend of Mr. Powell and of Mr. J. H. B. Latrobe. In this way I made the acquaintance of Mr. Latrobe. He had office room with Johnson & Kerr, and was busy at the time revising his law book, "Justice Practice in Maryland" and I helped him whenever I could in this work.

Mr. Latrobe was for many years private secretary to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and wrote the life of Mr. Carroll for Sanderson's Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. This work as prepared by him made 85 pages of manuscript and would have been about 85 pages in Sanderson's book. But after Mr. Carroll had cut out all he thought ought to be cut out, and Sanderson had cut out all he thought ought to be cut out, but 21 pages were left. This presented but a meagre and inadequate telling of a great story. Mr. Latrobe explained that Mr. Carroll was living at the time and added, "You know, no man's biography can be written properly during his life time." Mr. Latrobe read me the original manuscript two or three times and commented on various phases of it. He also had very full notes of Mr. Carroll's work in connection with our relation with France. It was his intention to write a volume on the French Alliance, and with that purpose in view he had secured valuable papers original and copies from France. My interest in the matter by reason of the association of my family with the Carrolls made Mr. Latrobe the more ready to talk to me on the subject. At that time Mr. Latrobe appeared to me to be the ablest, best posted and most versatile man I had ever met. Literally, he seemed to know everything on every subject, and to be able to tell it in a most entertaining manner. Each time I met him, he had a new fund of entertaining information. It is not too much to say that no man in my entire life ever impressed me as did Mr. J. H. B. Latrobe. Sometimes I have thought it might be merely my boyish admiration for an older man who seemed to take me so fully into his confidence; yet when I recall the things he said, the subjects he discussed, the information he imparted; I am still impressed with

the belief in his great ability. It was from this man who was so close to Charles Carroll of Carrollton for so many years, and who loved him so well, that I drew the inspiration that impelled the writing of this book. One day in speaking of the venerable signer, I asked how he ranked as compared with Senator Johnson. He did not directly answer the question, but said after a pause, " I know of no man of the present generation who could anywhere near rank with him in the essentials of real greatness. He had unusual opportunities and he made the most of them. I think of Mr. Carroll as Burke said of Pitt, 'You couldn't go under a shed with him out of the rain, without feeling that you were in the presence of greatness.'" Then he reverently added, " and what is more Mr. Carroll was as good as he was great." It was mainly to give an idea of the value of this opinion that I told so fully what manner of man Mr. Latrobe actually was. When I next saw him after that winter, some years had elapsed. His son, Gen. Ferdinand C. Latrobe, was Mayor of Baltimore for the second, third or fourth time, but his father seemed as vigorous, entertaining and lovable as ever. I expressed the hope that if he did not write the things he had in mind, he would leave his papers so that his son could do so; but he replied, Ferdinand is too busy with the present and future to care much about the past." However the papers have fallen into competent and loving hands; and besides the use that has already been made of them the country is to have a life of that most able, estimable and lovable of men, J. H. B. Latrobe. That he wrote history, invented a stove, experimented with electricity and chemistry, and was one of the best lawyers of the state, being for years attorney for the B. & O. Railroad, is pretty good evidence of his ability and versa

tility. His father was a man of great worth and experience and the son had fully lived up to the opportunities that had been afforded him.

Reading the voluminous correspondence of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, one is impressed with the great industry, ability and usefulness of the man, but is still more struck with the vein of genuine piety that runs through his busy career. He never forgot his religion, never faltered in his abiding faith in God. As I read, I caught myself repeating Mr. Latrobe's remark of years ago, "He was as good as he was great."

Mr. Carroll's life has never been written. The twenty-one pages in "Sanderson's Lives" tell but little, and told that before his career was ended. The valuable work of Miss Kate Mason Rowland is devoted mainly to making a record of the Carroll letters and documents and in that way represents great labor and is a work that will be used by scholars in all times. It was in no sense intended as a commercial enterprise, but was issued in a small edition at the expense of the family for their own satisfaction; as well as for the use of future historians. These, with some short sketches mainly in state histories and religious books, comprise all that has been told of a man who certainly deserves to rank as one of the very greatest of his own or any other age.

In telling the life story of one whose time was so fully given to the public, it is necessary to recount much of the history of the days in which he lived. Any one doing this kind of work will be struck by the many discrepancies encountered in what he had been led to consider reliable authorities. Where such differences are found, it is necessary to go back to original sources of information when this can be