Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/247

Rh lected and issued in a handsome octavo by the Bradford club of New York, and in 1808 theywere included, with several unpublished "Croakers," in an edition of Halleck's poems. In place of the original signatures of Croaker, Croaker Junior, and Croaker & Co., the editor of the volume made known for the first time the respective author of each {loem, indicating also by the letters D. and H. the joint authorship of the literary partners, or, to (luote Halleck"s familiar words to his biographer, that " we each had a finger in the pie." Whoever among the present generation wishes to learn something of the leading men of the city and state, and of the social, scientific, and political events of so interesting a decade as that of 1819-'29 in New York history, cannot but be enlightened as well as greatly amused by a perusal of these sprightly poems. When Drake was on his death-bed, at his wife's request Dr. Delvay, an intimate friend, collected and copied all his poems which could be found and took them to him. "See, Joe," he said, "what I have done." "Burn them," was the reply of the dying poet ; " they are valueless." A judicious selection of her father's poems, including "The Culprit Fay" and "The American Flag." was, however, made in October, 1835, by the poet's daughter, being the volume issued in New York during the following year, and fitly dedicated to Fitz-Greene Halleck. Thirty years later an illustrated edition of "The Culprit Fay " was issued in New York, of which many thousands have been sold. The young poet, who was described by his literary partner "as perhaps the handsomest man in New York," left behind him two portraits, one a miniature, from which the accompanying picture is copied, the other an oil-painting by Henry Inman. It was for half a century in the possession of Charles P. Clinch, the last survivor among Drake's intimate friends. See Wilson's "Life of Halleck" (New York, 1869), and " Bryant and his Friends" (1886).

DRAKE, Samuel Gardner, antiquarian, b. in Pittsfield, N. H., 11 Oct., 1798; d. in Boston, Mass., 14 June, 1875. He was brought up on a farm, educated in the common schools of his neighborhood, and in 1818-'25 was a teacher. He early showed a fondness for literary pursuits, and in 1828 established in Boston, whither he had removed, the first antiquarian book-store in the United States, devoting special attention to the collection of books relating to the early history of this country. He continued to do business as a bookseller and publisher during his life, and the most noted writers of his day availed themselves of the store of information that he had collected. Mr. Drake was one of the founders of the New England historic genealogical society in 1847, its president in 1858, and for many years edited its quarterly &ldquo;Register,&rdquo; contributing many articles to its pages. In 1858-'60 he resided in London, England. He published Church's &ldquo;Entertaining History of King Philip's War,&rdquo; with additions (Boston, 1825); &ldquo;Indian Biography&rdquo; (1832); &ldquo;Book of the Indians,&rdquo; a standard authority (1833; 11th ed., enlarged, 1851); &ldquo;Old Indian Chronicle&rdquo; (1836; new series, 1867); &ldquo;Indian Captivities&rdquo; (1839): &ldquo;Account of the Family of Drake&rdquo; (1845); &ldquo;Review of Savage's Edition of Winthrop's Journal&rdquo; (1854); &ldquo;History and Antiquities of Boston&rdquo; (1856); &ldquo;Result of Searches among the British Archives&rdquo; (1860); &ldquo;Memoir of Sir Walter Raleigh&rdquo; (1862); editions, with introduction and notes, of Mather's &ldquo;Indian War of 1675-'6&rdquo; (1862); &ldquo;Early History of New England&rdquo; (1864): and Hubbard's &ldquo;Indian Wars&rdquo; (1865); &ldquo;The Witchcraft Delusion in New