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Mr. Buchan -2-

"Mr. Fish, a lawyer of New York". My Grandfather, Colonel Nicholas
Fish, had studied law, and was I believe admitted to practice before the
Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, although at that time under
twenty-one years of age. At the breaking out of hostilities he entered
the military service of the State of New York, and later that of the
Continental Line. His first service was in close association with
Hamilton, their commands being brigaded together, and the friendship
thus begun lasted until Hamilton's death. Colonel Nicholas Fish died
in 1834, and his son, Hamilton Fish, my Father, was born in 1808. Col-
onel Fish's widow survived until 1854. While none of my immediate fam-
ily now living knew my Grandfather, a number of them well recollect my
Grandmother, and from conversations with them I feel pretty certain that
there must have been some mistake about Colonel Nicholas Fish having been in
Europe at any time and especially between the close of the Revolutionary
War in 1783, and the death of the Young Pretender in January 1788. Dur-
those years my Grandfather occupied the somewhat important position
of Adjutant General of the State of New York, the duties of which office
presumably kept him at home.

Colonel Fish was never a member of Congress, nor of the Legis-
lature of the State of New York. Nor can I find in the Biographical
Directory of Congress any member of that body by the name of Galloway as
representing the State of Maryland therein; nor one of the name of
Sylvester as representing Pennsylvania. By way of showing you what
there is on that subject, I enclose an extract therefrom, which speaks of
a Mr. Galloway having been born in Maryland, and having represented Penn-
sylvania in the Continental Congress in 1775. He, however, thereafter
took service in the King's Army, moved to England in 1778, and died
there. There is also mentioned a Mr. Sylvester, who was a member of
the first and second Congresses under the Constitution of the United