"Let's cut through the forest instead of going through the fields," suggested Charles Clinton in 1774. He was speaking to his brother De Witt Clinton, who was a kind and gentle child, five years of age.

The two young boys were taking a birthday cake to Grandmother De Witt. The dark forest in New York Province was full of frightening shadows and possible dangers, but the short cut was cooling and inviting.

Along the winding path that led through the forest the two boys had an exciting meeting with an Indian lad, named Thunder Cloud. The Indian lad was hungry, so De Witt generously gave him some of the cake.

De Witt's kindness to Thunder Cloud later proved to be a great help in the troubled days of the Revolutionary War. A few months later, Thunder Cloud saved the lives and the home of the Clinton family during an Indian raid. Thunder Cloud also befriended De Witt in many other ways.

The ancestors of De Witt had come to the new world to build homes in the wilderness. His father, his brother Alexander, and his Uncle George were actively engaged in the Struggle for Independence.

De Witt remembered with pride the celebration which the people of New York held when the British evacuated the city. His family had an important part in the ceremonies, and he was fired with ambition to do something for his country. Before many years, his ambition would be realized.

Young De Witt enrolled in Columbia College in 1774. Here he had an excellent opportunity to learn first hand the needs of the new state and the new nation.

Somehow De Witt Clinton was inspired with a desire to help his state and his country to grow. He based his political career on this desire, and was elected to one political office after another. In all these offices, he served the people well.

One of the great projects which Clinton promoted was the building of the Erie Canal. He helped to plan the canal and later, as Governor of the State of New York, he saw the canal become a reality.

De Witt Clinton: Boy Builder is the seventh book written by Mabel Cleland Widdemer in the Childhood of Famous Americans Series. In this new volume, she captures delightfully the ambitious spirit of a pioneer statesman. Also she paints a colorful picture of early days in the growth of our nation.

From the dust jacket