. The magazine of American history with notes and queries. from Great Britain before 1635,and settled near Ipswich, Massachusetts ; and his father, Major SamuelVarnum, was a large landowner on the banks of the Merrimac, and a manof prominence and influence in the community. Young Varnum spent ashort time at Harvard University, then entered Rhode Island College,where he was graduated. He is said to have early developed a singularcapacity for learning, and made liberal acquisitions in general knowledgeand literature. On leaving college he taught a classical school for awhile, studied law with Ho
. The magazine of American history with notes and queries. from Great Britain before 1635,and settled near Ipswich, Massachusetts ; and his father, Major SamuelVarnum, was a large landowner on the banks of the Merrimac, and a manof prominence and influence in the community. Young Varnum spent ashort time at Harvard University, then entered Rhode Island College,where he was graduated. He is said to have early developed a singularcapacity for learning, and made liberal acquisitions in general knowledgeand literature. On leaving college he taught a classical school for awhile, studied law with Hon. Oliver Arnold, the attorney-general of RhodeIsland, was admitted to the bar in 1771, and soon after established him-self at East Greenwich, where he rapidly rose to distinction in his pro-fession. He married Martha, daughter of Hon. Cromel Child. His houseat East Greenwich, built in 1767, which is still standing (1887), was re-garded in his day as one of the finest in the colony, and under its hospi- Vol. XVIII.—No. 3-13 186 GENERAL TAMES M. VARNUM. GENERAL JAMES M. VARNUM 187 table roof he entertained in great state Generals Washington, Lafayette,Greene, Sullivan, and other distinguished officers of the American andFrench armies, while stationed in Rhode Island during the war, and insubsequent years. Commissary-General Blanchard, of the French army,relates that when he dined with General Varnum at his pleasant home,in August, 1780, their conversation was in Latin. From early life General Varnum evinced a decided taste for militaryaffairs, and in 1774 became commander, with the rank of colonel of the Kentish Guards, an organization which furnished from its ranks manydistinguished officers to the American army. Upon the outbreak of theRevolution he at once offered his services to the government, which wereaccepted, and he was appointed, on the eighth day of May, 1775, by theRhode Island Provincial General Assembly, colonel of the First Regimentof Rhode Island Infantry. On t
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