Frederick William Thomas was the oldest child of E. S. Thomas and Anna
his wife. He was born at Providence Rhode Island, but spent his
earlier years at Charleston South Carolina, where Mr. E. S. Thomas
resided and edited and published the Charleston City Gazette.

While Frederick William was still young, Mr. Thomas removed to
Baltimore Maryland, and there his son was educated and brought up to
the profession of the law. Being unfortunate in business, when
Frederick William was about nineteen, Mr. Thomas resolved to remove
with his family to the west, which he did, making Cincinnati his place
of residence. His son however, remained in Baltimore.

It was in the following year while journeying West, to join his family
in their new home, that this poem--the Emigrant was suggested to him,
by the associations and the romantic scenery of the Ohio river, and
while descending it most, if not all the poem, was written. He was
about twenty-one when it appeared. It was followed by "Clinton
Bradshaw," or the adventures of a Lawyer, published by Carey, Lee and
Blanchard, of Philadelphia. This was called the best American Novel of
its time. Mr. Thomas' next venture was "East and West" which was
succeeded by "Howard Pinkney." During the years which intervened
between the writing of these books he resided in the west, principally
in Cincinnati, and wrote tales, sketches, fugitive poetry, delivered
lectures, and made political speeches. In 1840 when General Harrison
was elected President, Mr. Thomas went to Washington City. After
General Harrison's death, Mr. Tyler gave him an office under
government and he continued to reside at the Capital, but wrote little
except an occasional song or story. Some years elapsed and Mr. Thomas
left Washington and went south on a lecturing tour. He was engaged to
write for several newspapers and continued lecturing through the South
and West. His literary efforts at this period were chiefly confined to
Magazine articles, short poems and songs. His song "T'is said that
Absence conquers Love," was one of the most popular of the day. He
often spoke of the feeling he had in passing of a summers night
through a strange city and having his own words greet him from houses
whose inmates only knew of his existence through them.

Clinton Bradshaw was also very popular. An American visiting Calcutta
India, wrote home of the thrill it gave him to find it on the shelves
of a book store there.

Mr. Thomas was p