HARRISON, WILLIAM HENRY, President of the United States; was born in Virginia, 9th February 1773. His father was Benjamin Harrison, who was a member of the first Congress which met at Philadelphia in 1774, was one of those who signed the Declaration of Independence, and was afterwards governor of Virginia, his native state. He died in 1791. 'William Henry was educated at Hampden Sydney College, in Virginia, for the medical profession ; but soon after the death of his father he joined a force which was raised to defend the Ohio territory against the Indians ; and the next six years of his lifa were spent in military service. He was present, in the capacity of lieutenant of artillery, and distinguished himself at what is called the battle of the Miami, in which a signal victory was obtained over the Indians. After this he was placed in command of Fort Washington, one of the most important defences of the western frontier. In 1797, this war having been brought to an end, be resigned his commission, and was appointed secretary and ex officio lieutenant-governor of the north-western territory, then comprehending all the country to the north-went of tho river Ohio. In 1799, when the north-westerts terri tory was admitted to what is called tho second grade of territorial governments, entitling it to a legislative body composed of representa tives chosen by the people, he was elected a member of the territorial congress. In 1801, when Indiana was erected into a territorial govern ment, Harrison was appointed governor, and this situation he held till 1813. He distinguished himself in the war with the Indians
under Tecumseh in 1811, and in that with the English in 1812 and 1813. In both these wars he held the rank of a generaL In 1816 he was returned to the House of Representatives as one of the members for Ohio. In 1824 he was elected to the Senate of the United States. In 1828 be was sent se minister from the United States to Columbia, but was recalled on account of a difference of opinion with General Jackson. 13y all these military and civil services General Harrison had acquired great popularity ; and in 1840 he was elected president; but he died, at the official residence in Washington, on the 4th of April 1841, just one month after his installation in his new dignity, being the first president who had died iu office. Harrison was a valuable public servant and an able man ; but like all the recent American presidents he was not chosen from among the intellectually great men of America ; and be was far inferior in mental charac teristics to his predecessors in the presidential office—Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison. In his Essay ou the Aborigines of the Ohio valley,' which was published in the ' Transactions of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio,' voL L, 1839, he has made some interesting remarks ou ancient Indian mounds and on the original state of the forests of America.