The Wisconsin magazine of history: Volume 4, number 4, June 1921

              rufus king soldier editor and statesman general charles king my first direct american ancestor in the paternal line was richard king who came from kent england to amer ica in 1710 the king genealogy for the first half century or so thereafter is somewhat obscure but richard king of scarboro maine a son of the original immigrant stands out as a prosperous shipbuilder and lumber dealer who had served as captain and commissary at the siege of louisburg in king george's war his son rufus king the first served as senator from the state of new york for upwards of twenty years he also served as minister to england in the administration of george washington and again for a short time twenty years later the second son of rufus charles king was long the editor of the new york american and later for many years the president of columbia college my father rufus king eldest son of charles king was born at number 3 pearl street new york city january 26 1814 he grew up in new york city and received his earlier education there when only fifteen years of age he entered west point and was graduated at the age of nine teen being probably the youngest graduate who has ever gone out of that institution he was commissioned brevet second lieutenant of engineers and assigned to duty as assistant to captain robert e lee united states engineers in the construction of fortress monroe later he was or dered to duty on the improvement of the navigation of the upper hudson with headquarters at albany from his association with captain lee he conceived an affection and respect for that officer which the stress of civil war did not destroy in the winter of 1861-62 when my father was in command of a brigade in the union army he was sta tioned at arlington the estate of general lee opposite