He was born November 25, 1817; graduated at Union College 1835 ; studied law, and was admitted to the bar in New York City in 1839. For ten years he was engaged in the practice of his profession, occupying himself, at the same time, more or less with literature and literary journalism. In 1850 he became one of the proprietors and editors of the New York Evening Post, and sustained this relation more than ten years. In 1856 he published a life of General Fremont, when the latter was a candidate for the Presidency. He spent the years 1859 and 1860 abroad, writing letters to the Evening Post. He had previously written interesting narratives of trips to Jamaica and Hayti ; the former presenting his views of the practical working of emancipation in Jamaica. Early in the administration of President Lincoln he was appointed consul at Paris, and upon the death of the minister, Mr. Dayton, in 18()4, was chosen to succeed him. While consul, he published in French, for the information of the people of France, a valuable work on the resources of the United States. Early in 1867 he returned to the United States, bringing with him the original manuscri]Hs of Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, which he published in the following year, with notes and an introduction by himself. Mr. BigeJow is the author of some valuable mono-

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

graphs on social and political phases of French history, as well as of many other papers and sketches. In December, 1871, he submitted to Senator Conkling, of New York, an elaborate scheme for the commemoration of the first centennial anniversary of American independence in 1876, which was published in the New York Tribune, and first directed public attention to the approach of that occasion. Mr. Bigelow was a warm supporter of Governor Tilden for the Presidency, and for some years has been prominent before the public as Mr.