Background
Pierre Étienne Du Ponceau was born on June 3, 1760 at Saint-Martin-de-Ré, France. His father was of ancient lineage and held a command in the army at St. Martin.
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Mémoire Sur Le Système Grammatical Des Langues De Quelques Nations Indiennes De L'Amérique Du Nord... Pierre-Etienne Du Ponceau A. Pihan de La Forest, 1838 Social Science; Ethnic Studies; Native American Studies; History / General; History / Native American; Social Science / Ethnic Studies / Native American Studies
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Pierre Étienne Du Ponceau was born on June 3, 1760 at Saint-Martin-de-Ré, France. His father was of ancient lineage and held a command in the army at St. Martin.
Du Ponceau's early education was obtained at the grammar school there, supplemented by private tuition, and he acquired a thorough knowledge of English and Italian from soldiers of those countries quartered in the town.
It had been intended that he should undertake a military career but this had to be relinquished because of his weak eyesight, and in 1773 he entered a college of Benedictine monks at St. Jean Angely with a view to a classical education, but returned to the île de Ré the next year on the death of his father. His family was Catholic and now desired him to become a priest. So he “took the tonsure” and became a regent in the Episcopal college at Bressuire in Poitou.
At the end of 1775, however, he abandoned the idea of entering the Church. Going to Paris, he at first earned his living expenses by translating and teaching, and then became secretary to the philologist, Court de Gébelin. Shortly afterward he was introduced to Baron Steuben who needed a secretary familiar with the English language to accompany him on his approaching journey to America, and who, on learning of Du Ponceau’s qualifications, at once engaged him. Embarking from Marseilles, they landed at Portsmouth, New Hamshire, December 1, 1777.
Du Ponceau was appointed captain in the Continental Army February 18, 1778, and on Baron Steuben’s being appointed major-general and inspector general by Washington at Valley Forge a few days later, he became Steuben’s aide-de-camp. Though ill qualified for military life through his nearsightedness, he remained in active service for two years, but in the fall of 1779 he was compelled by an affection of the lungs to retire to Philadelphia on sick leave. Later he recovered sufficiently to join General Greene, but had a relapse which necessitated his leaving the army.
He became a citizen of Pennsylvania, July 25, 1781. Recommended to Robert R. Livingston, secretary for foreign affairs, by Judge Peters, he became Livingston’s under-secretary, October 22, 1781, continuing as such till June 4, 1783, and fulfilling his duties with great ability. He had prior to the close of the war determined to enter the legal profession, and after two years of study was admitted an attorney of the court of common pleas at Philadelphia on June 24, 1783, becoming an attorney of the supreme court in the following year. He commenced practise in Philadelphia, the international situation at that period and his own unusual attainments combining to bring him to the front at the bar in a very short time.
The United States was neutral in the European conflict, and complicated questions of the conflicting rights of neutrals and belligerents arose continually, which the local practitioners were generally incompetent to handle, whereas Du Ponceau’s acquaintance with civil and foreign law and languages caused him to be frequently retained in matters involving international law and practise. He became recognized as a leading authority in this country on that subject and as such appeared constantly before the supreme courts of Pennsylvania and the United States. Much French and other foreign business came to him, and he had among his clients the diplomatic and consular agents of France in the United States. Later in life he was frequently consulted on questions of constitutional law. He never evinced any interest in politics, local or national, and passed a somewhat sequestered life, engrossed in his professional engagements and finding his only recreation in literature and linguistic studies, in which latter field he acquired wide fame.
His correspondence with John Heckewelder on the languages of the American Indian was published in the American Philosophical Society, Transactions of the Historical and Literary Committee.
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
In his later years Du Ponceau became almost blind, and an increasing deafness was an additional obstacle to the prosecution of his investigations. His mental faculties, however, remained unimpaired to the last, and he only relinquished study a few weeks prior to his death.
On May 21, 1788 Du Ponceau married Anne Perry.
