William Learned Marcy, an American statesman, born at Southbridge, Mass., Dec. 12,1786, died at Ballston Spa, N. Y., July 4, 1857. He was the son of a farmer, graduated at Brown university in 1808, and studied lawr in Troy, N. Y., where he was admitted to practice. When the war with England broke out in 1812, he was a lieutenant in a military company belonging to Troy, and was stationed at French Mills, now Fort Covington. On the night of Oct. 22, 1812, he was sent with a detachment under command of Major Young to capture a party of Canadian militia posted at St. Regis. Lieut. Marcy led the attack, broke open the door of the blockhouse occupied by the Canadians, and when they surrendered received their arms. These were the first prisoners taken by the Americans on land, and their Hag the first standard captured in the war. He remained in service till the close of hostilities. From 1816 to 1818 he was recorder of Troy. He then became editor of the Troy " Budget," a daily newspaper, which he soon made a leading organ of the democratic party.

In January, 1821, he was appointed adjutant general of the state militia; and in February, 1823, he was elected by the legislature comptroller of the state, when he removed to Albany. In 1829 he was appointed an associate justice of the New York supreme court, which office he held till Feb. 1, 1831, when he was elected United States senator. During his term he was chairman of the committee on the judiciary. In 1832 he was elected governor of New York, and resigned his senatorship. He was reelected in 1834, and again in 1836, but was defeated by Mr. Seward in the election of 1838. He was appointed by President Van Buren one of the commissioners to decide upon the claims of the Mexican government under the convention of April, 1839, and performed the duties of tins office till 1842. In 1845 President Polk appointed him secretary of war, a post whose duties were made peculiarly difficult and responsible by the breaking out of the war with Mexico in the spring of 1846. As a member of President Polk's cabinet his diplomatic powers were exerted to advantage in the settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute with England, and his abilities as a statesman were called into requisition upon many other questions.

In March, 1853, he was appointed by President Pierce secretary of state, and in the latter part of that year he greatly distinguished himself at home and abroad by his correspondence with the Austrian government on the subject of the release of Martin Koszta by Capt. Ingraham of the United States navy. (See Ingkaiiam, Duncan Nathaniel.) Besides his Koszta letter, his state papers on Central American affairs, on the enlistment question, on the Danish Sound dues, and on many other topics of national interest, exhibited his remarkable ability as a writer, statesman, and diplomatist. He retired from office on the inauguration of Mr. Buchanan, March 4, 1857, and just four months later died suddenly while lying on his bed reading. He left a reputation among his countrymen of all parties as a statesman of the highest order of abilities.