Celebrating in Pennsylvania 1819-1820 with John Lewis Krimmel 1786-1821

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John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) The first known image of a Christmas tree in America

John Lewis Krimmel was born in Ebingen, Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1787, and accidently drowned near Germantown, Pennsylvania, in July of 1821. He came to Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence had been debated & signed, in 1809, to engage in business with his brother but soon abandoned the business to concentrate on his art.

He began his art career painting portraits, but a copy of Wilkie's "Blind Fiddler" caught his attention; & he turned to humorous subjects and genre painting. Krimmel gathered information for his paintings in the American countryside around Philadelphia by observing local habits, rituals, & ceremonies, so even though he took most of his compositional formats from British prints made after paintings by the satirical artists William Hogarth & David Wilkie, his subject matter was familiar to his potential audience at the Pennsylvania Academy. He also painted more serious historical pictures, & at the time of his death he had received a commission to paint a large canvas on the landing of William Penn. Krimmel was president of the Society of American artists.

John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) 4th of July 1819 in Philadelphia


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Barroom Dancing 1820


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Portrait of Jacob Ritter Sr.


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Black Sawyers Working in Front ot the Bank of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Blind Man's Bluff


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Country Wedding 1820


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Fourth of July in Centre Square Philadelphia, 1812


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) In an American Inn 1814


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Members of the City Troup and other Philadelphia Soldiery


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Merrymaking at a Wayside Inn


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Nightlife in Philadelphia - An Oyster Barrow in front of the Chestnut Street Theater



John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Pepper-Pot Woman at the Philadelphia Market. 1811


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Philadelphia Election Day 1815


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Sunday Morning in front of the Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) The Sleighing Frolic


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Young Girl With A Blue Dress


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) The VillageTavern


John Lewis Krimmel (German-born American artist, 1786-1821) Wordly Folk Questioning Chimney Sweeps and Their Master Before Christ Church in Philadelphia 1811-13


John Lewis Krimmel (German American arttist, 1786-1821) The Quilting Frolic 1813

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Civil War Christmas Memories of Dolly Sumner Lunt 1864 in Georgia

December 12, 2014, 1:30 am

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A Woman's Wartime Journal: an Account of the Passage over Georgia's Plantationof Sherman's Army on the March to the Sea, as Recorded in the Diary of Dolly Sumner Lunt (Mrs. Thomas Burge) :
Dolly Lunt Burge, 1817-1891, was born in Maine in 1817. As a young woman, moved from Maine to Georgia with her physician husband in the 1840s. By the time she began her diary at age thirty, Dolly had lost her husband and her only living child to illness. A devout and self-sufficient schoolteacher, she soon married again, to Thomas Burge, a planter and widowed father of four. In 1855, she gave birth to their daughter, Sarah, called Sadai. Upon her second husband's death in 1858, Dolly independently ran the plantation, located in Mansfield. She remained there during the Civil War, witnessing Sherman's march through the area. Dolly married a final time, in 1866, to Rev. William Parks, a prominent Methodist minister. Dolly's diary is filled with news about her daughter, her struggles, and her slaves. See Documenting the American South (DocSouth.unc.edu), a digital publishing initiative of the University Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

DECEMBER 24, 1864.
This has usually been a very busy day with me, preparing for Christmas not only for my own tables, but for gifts for my servants. Now how changed! No confectionery, cakes, or pies can I have. We are all sad; no loud, jovial laugh from our boys is heard. Christmas Eve, which has ever been gaily celebrated here, which has witnessed the popping of fire-crackers [the Southern custom of celebrating Christmas with fireworks] and the hanging up of stockings, is an occasion now of sadness and gloom. I have nothing even to put in Sadai's stocking, which hangs so invitingly for Santa Claus. How disappointed she will be in the morning, though I have explained to her why he cannot come. Poor children! Why must the innocent suffer with the guilty?

DECEMBER 25, 1864.
Sadai jumped out of bed very early this morning to feel in her stocking. She could not believe but that there would be something in it. Finding nothing, she crept back into bed, pulled the cover over her face, and I soon heard her sobbing. The little negroes all came in: "Christmas gift, mist'ess! Christmas gift, mist'ess!" I pulled the cover over my face and was soon mingling my tears with Sadai's.

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Mrs. Lydia B. Bacon's Journal, 1811-1812 from Boston through Pennsylvania to Indiana & Kentucky & Michigan

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In 1811 Lydia Bacon traveled with her husband, a lieutenant in the U.S. Infantry, from Boston through Pennsylvania, then down the Ohio River to Vincennes. She stayed in Vincennes through the winter of 1811-12 while he participated in an Indian campaign in the area. After the battle at Tippecanoe in November 1811 the couple traveled by horseback through Kentucky with his troops, then on toward Detroit. Enroute she and other ladies were taken prisoner by the British. 

Mrs. Bacon recorded much of the trip in letters home, and 20 years later used those letters to write a book, which was published as The Biography of Lydia B. Bacon from her original manuscript.

Edited by Mary M. Crawford
Mrs. Lydia B. Bacon's Journal, 1811-1812
1944 Indiana Magazine of History, Volume 40, Issue 4, pp 367-386 

Mrs. Lydia Bacons journal, while traveling with her Husband, when he was engaged, in the service of his Country, as Leiut. & Quarter Master, of the 4 Regiment, United States Intry. Written at the oft repeated request of her Nephew James J. Jarves.5

My Dear James, Your Uncle B. having a Military taste, saw fit to enter the Armey, about the commencement of the last War, & he obtain'd a commission, in the 4. U.S. Re. Intry, then commanded by Col John P Boyd, & after being station'd, at Fort Independence for a season, the Regiment was ordered to Pittsburg. Accordingly, on the 9th of May, 1811, we embarked on board Vessels, provided by Government, for the Transportation, of the Troops & prooeded to Philadelphia-from thence we were to cross the Alleghany Mountains to Pittsburg.

May 9th 1811.

Having obtain'd Mothers Consent, that Sister Abby should accompany us as far as Phil,ia, we proceded to the Fort in the Barge, which had been sent, to convey us to the Vessel, which was there waiting for the Troops to embark. We arrived safe on board, about 8 oclock A.M., & commenced our Voyage, with a fair Wind & fine weather, the second day I was very sea Sick, but Sister Abby proved an excellent Sailor, not being affected, at all, by the motion of the Vessel, the 3d day we arrived at Marthas Vineyard, where we were detained several days by head winds, which was not unpleasant to us, as we had acquaintances, with whom we passed our time agreably.

May 16 continued our Voyage which was pleasant, altho my former companion [seasickness] returned, the moment we left the Land, & remained with me till we saw it again, which was several days. I kept on deck, as much as possible, thinking it the best medicene, for Sea Sickness, going up Delaware Bay had a Thunder Gust,

5 James Jackson Jarves was born August 20, 1820, about eight years after Mrs. Bacon returned from Vincennes. He was the son of Mrs. Bacon's sister, Anna Smith Stetson Jarves, and Deming Jarves, a glassmaker at Sandwich, Massachusetts. During his early twenties, Jarves went to the Hawaiian Islands where he founded and published the Polynesian, a weekly newspaper that was made the official state paper of the Hawaiian government. Two years after his return to the United States, in 1849, Jarves went to Europe and after several months settled in Florence where he collected art treasures which he later brought to the United States and placed in museums. From 1879 to 1882 he served as vice-consul and consul for the United States at Florence. He died June 28, 1888, at Tarasp, Switzerland, and was buried in the English Cemetery at Rome. Theodore Sizer, "James Jackson Jarves," Dictionary of American Biography (20 vols., New York, 1928-1936), IX (1932), 618-20.
violent but of short duration, sickness confined me to the Berth but Abby enjoyed the sublimity of the scene very much, being the first Storm she had ever witnessed on the Water, & did not leave the deck till the Capt thought it imprudent for her to expose herself any longer.
(I ought to have mentioned that Uncle B. went by land having business to transact ere the Troops arrived) When we entered Delaware River, I was releived of the Sea Sickness & enjoyed the scenery very much, beautiful Farms, on each side of the river delighted our eyes, with the plenty, & comfort, which they exhibited. The contrast was great with that we had left, for at that early season in New England, vegetation, had just made its appearance, & here all the first fruits were rapidly advancing to Maturity, & when we went ashore at the Lazaretto, where we were to stop a short time, & which is a few miles from the City, we thought it enchantment, every thing looked so luxuriant, we amused ourselves with examining, all that was curious, among which were some old trees that had been wounded in the revolutionary War, & some of the shot remained beded in their trunks. At this place we found other companies of Troops, who had been ordered to meet us there, belonging to the same Regiment, & who had been stationed at New London, & Portsmouth, or at New Castle, below Portsmouth. The Capt of the Company from New Castle, was accompanied by his Wife, a lovely woman, with whom I formed a Friendship, which solaced, many an hour, while our Dear Husbands were on duty, seperated from us, & which continued while life remain'd. She died some years since, preceded by her beloved Husband, only a very short time.

The first night we stoped at the Lazaretto, it not being convenient to go to the City, to see our Friends, as we had anticipated, & being crowded with the additional Troops we were obliged to put up with any accommodations we could get, & for the first time in our lives, Abby & myself reposed or rather tried to repose on the floor of Doctor Heilimans Parlor with a Blanket & pillow, this felt rather hard to those who had been accustomed always to a soft bed, but I was young then &, blest with a share of health, spirits, & enthusiasm which made me surmount many difficulties. The next morning we went to the beautiful City Phillm which I had long wish'd to behold, & was received by our Dear Cousin Penroses, with all that cordialaty which we desired & expected, they did all they could to make our time pass pleasantly, & profitably, the time flew very swiftly, & the Period, too soon arrived, when we must be seperated, from our Dear Sister, & Cousin. The remembrance of those days, will ever be retain'd by me, they were among the few, White days, which fall to the Lot of man. I never saw these dear Cousins again for they paid the debt of nature a few years after, Uncle B saw them once or twice after we were there together. Among many things worthy of observation was the Penia Hospital founded by William Penn. Cousin William was one of the managers, & going with him we had a fine Opportunity, to examine every thing in & about the establishment, as I have keep no account of it, except in my mind, I shall not attempt to describe it, as no doubt you will ere long have the pleasure of vewing this noble edifice yourself. I recollect, the beauty, Order, neatness & convenience, of the establishment, filled me with wonder, & with pleasure.

From this Period I shall give you extracts from letters written at the time, & which your Dear Grand Mother has preserved, & from a journal keep some part of the time. & while reading you must keep in mind, Dear James, that these events, transpired, more than twenty years since.

June 1st 1811.

The Troops took up the line of March from Philia. Mrs. P. [Mrs.] MG. & Myselfe went in the Stage, under the care of a Nephew of the Cols, who was travelling with us for his health, the weather was serene, the roads good, all nature appeared in its richest dress. the Land from Philm to Chambersburg, which is at the foot of the Alleghany Mountains, is rich & highly cultivated, large farms with Barns of spacious dimensions built of stone, meet the eye in all directions, & what particularly attracted our attention was the Hogs up to their backs feeding in rich clover, & the Dutch Girls working in the fields performing the labour of Men. The Hogs appear'd the most favour'd. I had often heard the remarks of Pigs in Clover, & here I saw it, realized.

Pittsburg June 26 We arrived here 10 days since after a tedious yet delightful journey, tedious in consequence of the extreme roughness of the road, but rendered delightful by the beauty of the surrounding landscap. On every side was exhibited, to our admiring eyes, a constant succession, of scenery, at once grand, sublime, awful & sweet. A variety of emotions, fill my mind, at the survey of God works, everything is calculated, for our instruction, comfort, & pleasure, & while we contemplate the wonderful variety, of naturs works, our dependence on the Author, is more firmly fixed in our hearts, could we be sensible of our obligation to him, & of his goodness to us, we should not let a murmuring thought arise, but be wholy resigned, to his will, & pleasure, what ever that should be.

The Stages were very bad, obliged to walk the horses up the Mountains several miles together, & sometimes for a change we would all get out, & walk ourselves, at one time the seats were taken out, plenty of straw put in the Dottom of the Stage, & the Passingers stowed in, like baggage. This did very well for a little while, but to those who wish'd to view, the landscape, as we passed along, it soon became wearisome, & we concluded we should rather endure the pounding than be deprived of this pleasure, just imagine, to yourselfe, Lydia, seated on one side of stage, for the benefit of the view, holding on with both hands, exerting every nerve to maintain my Equilibrium, on one side of me, my neighbours elbow pushing in to my side, on the other, the side of the stage which was not stuffed, rubing against me, till I was black & blue, & then bounce would go my poor head, against the top of the Stage, till my brains were ready to fly. but all this, I could bear, for the sake of beholding, the scenery. at a distance the Mountains would tower to the clouds, on our side & within a foot or two of the Carraige wheels, an awful precipice, at whose base a beautiful river, glided along, unmindfull alike of the danger, or admiration, of. the beholder, after a little, we would ride through this stream, or cross a rude Bridge thrown over it, then again we would see it at a distance, we were obliged to lock the wheels decending the Mountains, & when we came to a very narrow place, the driver would sound a tin horn to warn any who might be approaching to stop in a safe place till we passed. It is 160 miles across these Mountains the way we went, which took us several days to accomplish, there are some pretty & thrifty Villages among the Mountains, we stoped at several, but the one which attracted my attention most, was called Bedford we lodged there the second night, it was situated in a beautiful Valley watered by a very lovely stream called the Junitta [Juniata], it reminded me of Johnsons Eassellas [Rasselas], who was born & educated, in a similar valley, surrounded so entirely by mountains, that he lived, to the age, of man, ere he learnt, there was any other world, beside the spot he inhabited, & then prompted by curiosity he climbed, one of the mountains, when lo, another world, burst upon his view, which he explored, but return'd, (if I recollt fight) not much delighted, with his discovery.

Pittsburg is a pleasant Village surrounded by Mountains. On one side, the Monongahala [Monongahela] river, laves its banks, on the other the pure Waters of the Alleghany unite & mingle with the Majestic & beautiful Ohio This Village is famed for its manufactories, the people appear very industrious & engrossed with the all important business of accumulating wealth, coal is used here which gives the Village a very dirty appearance, & the Children appear neglected, we visited Grants Hill a place, rendered conspicious, and not so much from the loftiness of its summit as from having been the scene of Battle between the enemy & our people in the old War. we have visited, a number of Factorys, & a large flour Mill, which are worth seeing, saw them blow Glass at the Factory, also saw some cut glass, the first I ever saw manufactured in our own country. The first steam boat, ever built on these Western Waters, is now on the stocks, & will soon be launched, if it were ready now, we might have the pleasure of going in her. had a terrible thunder gust to day the thunder was tremendous, accompanied with vivid lightining, & rain, which drenched the street like a flood, the Thunder is always more violent among the mountains than in a level country, the heat is oppressive but does not make me sick, all kinds of provision is cheap & of a good quality.

The Military Quarters are small & do not accommodate all our Regiment, the Col with his staf reside at the quarters, while the rest of us board out, or live in hired houses, Leiut G & wife with Husband & myselfe & some of our Brother Officers have hired a new Brick building in market Street & have one table, Josiah provids & I see that it is cook'd & served up in proper order, which is not much trouble as we have plenty of servents & those that are pretty good. The Military Quarters here resemble an elegant country Seat, they were built by General Wilkinson who no doubt you have heard of, in the rear of the house, which is commodious & elegant, is a large Garden, arranged with much taste, all kinds of Fruit trees, shrubbery, & flowers, regale the eye, & please the palate, while the odours which is emitted from the whole, leave nothing wanting which a person of tast could desire. A Canal runs thro the grounds, over which is a Chinese bridge, with seats round, & about it. the Col has tea parties frequently, & entertains his company, in the Garden while the Band plays at a distance hid from our view. I was highly entertain'd, the other day at one of these Parties. I was siting on the bridge, under the shade of some beautiful trees, conversing with some of the companey, when casting my eye into a walk at a little distance, I saw our gallant Col on his knee presenting a glove to a beautiful damsel, which she had let fall (perhaps on purpose) you recollect he is 50, she I presume was 16. the inhabitants treat us with every attention, our next door neighbours are Irish, we find them all we could wish, they are extremly kind & attentive, they have a family of little Children one of whom is quit a pet with Josiah. Mr. Richardson has a great desire that Josiah should leave the Army & settle here.

July 27 Since writting the above, we have received Orders to go to Newport, Kentucky, on the Ohio river, its 500, miles from this place. We go in keel boats covered like Houses, & stope at night if we like, the river is narrow, in most places you can call across & be heard quit plain. We are told it is very pleasant going down the River, but we should prefer stoping here, for the present, we are much pleased with the people, & have just got comfortably fixed, but go we must, the Evenings here are delightful, after the excessive heat of the day. soon as the Sun retires, you see the inhabitants in the Streets, siting at their doors or walking with heads uncovered, that they may enjoy the soft breezes of twilight, sometimes Our Band of Music will play a part of the Eve, they take a Boat & go up the rivers each side the Village, the Music has a fine effect among the Mountains, some beautiful Ec/ios. The whole together reminds me of something I have read but never expected to realize.

The cause of our proceding is this, the Indians are committing depradations upon the White inhabitants who are located on our Frontiers, & the Govener of Indiana has requested some regular Troops to keep them quiet.

August 2d 1811. 10. A.M.

Embarked on board the Boats. The fleet (if I may so term it) consisted of 11 Boats. Our family are Mr & Mrs A. Mr G & wife. Capt S. Husband & selfe, & two little Brothers of Mrs A We went 40 miles to day. Stoped at Custard Island, the ground not being good we sleep in the Boats, Cut a curious figure I assure you, we were obliged to put our beds on the floor of the Cabin, & we females slept together, while our Husbands spread Blanketts on the seats on the sides of the Cabin which answer'd for Sophas & chairs, & thus enjoyed a comfortable repose, after the novelty of the scenic, situations, & circumstances, allowed us composure, to court the drowsey God.

Mrs P & her Husband are in another boat they have a small Cabin to themselves. We are as comfortable as if in a House, it is a very pleasant way of travelling we have our meals as regular as if in a Hotel.

We have just passed a small Villiage on the Banks of the river. it is very pretty, this is a beautiful River but extremely crooked, in some of the bend it appears as if we were enclosed in a Pond, & I can not help the association in my mind of the Indians with their Tomahawks, & scalping knives, peeping at us, from behind the bushes, & yet Admiration & astonishment seize the mind on beholding the wonderful works of an Almighty hand.

We were awake at day light by the revualle. left Custard Island at 5 oclock AM. passed the Towns of Stubenville & Charlestown, both are handsome, fair weather, & a fine breeze on the water. 8 oclock, PM. Stoped at the foot of a beautiful bank on which are several Log Houses, with large famlies of Children happy as they need be, it is a lovely Eve the Moon is as bright as day, tents are pitched on the side of the river, & fires made for the Soldiers to prepare their suppers, plenty of business going on-Mrs A is making up her Husbands bed, & reprimanding Mrs G. who being a little offended will not do the same for hers. I wish you could take a peep at us.

August 4th we were aroused this morning by the Drums beating the tune which accompanies these words, "Dont your hear your General say strike your Tents & march away." Our Pilot has a Bugle Horn on which he plays some good tunes, which echo & reecho among the Hills & sound more delightful than you can possibly imagine. One Infant has died to day-happy Child, taken from this scene of sin & sorrow-

Our boat is 70 feet long, 12 wide, 7 high & without Sails, it is propeled by 22 oars, the top is boarded & shingled like a House, the sides are tow cloth which we can put up & down at our pleasure, the river is perfectfully smooth, & we are going with the Stream, of course we pass along very rapidly.

1 oclock PM. Obliged to stop, Squal coming on, it-looks rather gloomy. It is past, and no damage done. We are under way again. 7. PM. It has been delightful weather since the shower. I wish you was with us, I can not express my feelings better than in these lines I have just been reading. "On such a blessed night as this I often think, if Friends were near, How we should feel, & gaze, with bliss, upon the moon bright scenery here." There are many small Islands in this River which adds much to its beauty.

5th August Stoped at Marietta, it lies on the Ohio & Muskimgum, the Inhabitants are principally New Englanders, whose employment was building Vessels, which they found very lucrative but the embargo put a stop to this business, & injured the place in walking about the Town which I did this morning accompanied by my Husband, we struck with the stillness that prevail'd, it is now so thinly inhabited that the clover is quit high in some of the principal Streets, indeed in some of them, there is hardly a foot path, it reminded us of Goldsmiths deserted Villiage. It is well laid out & beautifully situated, I walk'd till fatigue compelled me to return to the Boat, then Josiah with some Brother Officers, went to examine some Indian Mounds, which were at a little distance.

We are passing some beautiful places, to look at which, I must put away my writing.

The weather is unpleasant & the rain prevents my going ashore on Blannerhassetts Island, which I regret excedingly, for it must be worth examining, if the description, which I will give in an extract, taken from the Western Tour if it be correct.

On ascending the bank, from the landing, a quarter of a mile, below the eastern end, we entered a handsome double Gate, with hewn Stone Piliaster. A gravel walk lead us about 150 paces to the House, With a Meadow on the left a Shrubbery on the right, seperated by a low hedge of Privy Sally, thro which, innumerable Columbins, & various, other hardy flowers were displaying, themselves, to the Sun. The House is handsome & large, the Shrubbury, well stocked with flowering Shrubs, & all the variety of evergreens, natural to this Climate, as well as several exotics, surround the Garden, & has gravel walks, Labyrinth fashion, winding through it. the Garden is not large, but seems to have had, every delicacy, of fruit, vegetables, & flowers, which this fine Climate, & luxurious soil produces, in short Blannerhassetts Island, is a most charming retreat, for any man of fortune fond of retirement, & it is a situation perhaps not exceeded for beauty in the world, it wants however, the variety of Mountains-precipice-Cataract-distant prospect, & ccc [sic] which constitute, the grand, & sublime.6 This description was given several years ago. Since then Blannerhassett was concerned with Burr, in his attempt to sever the Union, and was obliged to abscond from this charming retreat, at present its inhabitants are a few Slaves who raise hemp, the entrance is choked with bushes & the whole has a romantic appearance.

The farther we procede down the river, the Country grows more cultivated, & more level, we have almost lost sight of the Mountains.

August 6th 6. AM. Last night the boats were locked together, the current drifted us 40 miles, dark drizly night, but the Col, being anxious, to reach Newport, thought it best to continue on through the night. Went over Letarts falls, which I did not see, for Morphus had taken posession of me. us females suffered no inconvenience from this arrangement but our Husbands were obliged to take their watch on deck & got wet to their skins, We are this moment opposite to a log House situated in a corn feild, the corn is rather higher than the House. A dozn Children are playing about the yard.

Aug.st 7 A M7 Drifted last night. Stoped this morning a halfe hour, found a Boston man settled on the Banks of the Ohio, his name is Gardener

6 Mrs. Bacon's statement that she is including an "extract" from Western Travel is the only indication she gives that the preceding part of this paragraph is a direct quotation from that book.
7Biography of Mrs. Lydia B. Bacon (Boston, 1856), 19, gives the following paragraph in this form:

"August 7th. We drifted much last night, and this morning stopped half an hour and landed at a thrifty farm. Here we found a son of old Justice G-, of Boston. In early life he married a

dener (a Son of old Justice Gardener of Boston) he married a young Lady in Saint Domingo, & was residing there when the Slaves rebelled & massacred a great part of the White Population, Mr G with his Wife & her Mother, escaped & came to this country, & has lived here 12 years, We took him & two interesting Children in our boat 30 miles to a School where he left the Children we found him an intelligent pleasant Man.
Last Night lashed the boats, two together, & drifted all night, two boats run ashore, in consequence of the fog, A Soldier sleeping on deck fell over & was drowned, poor fellow summon'd, in an unexpected moment, into an unknown world he had a thick watch Coat & a blanket round him which weighed him down. Our boat got on to what they call a Sawyer which are trees blown down, the freshets take them into the river, they catch in the bottom of the river, & when the Water is low, (which is generally the case, at this season of the Year) they are very dangerous, the tops are just above the waters, & if the Boat is not very strong, these Sawyers split holes in the bottom, & they sink, the jar and noise awoke, us out of a sound sleep, & alarmed us considerably, you may well imagine, but a kind providence preserved us from danger & damage.

Aug.si 8 PM. Stoped this Eve at a beautiful place, took a walk on the bank, & went into a House to purchase butter, & on enquiring of the Lady if she had any to spare, she very carlessly observed, that they had been making soap that day & not having quit grease enough, had made up the deficiency, by putting in Butter, fine Country thought I where people take butter for soap grease, we are in the habit of buying Eggs butter &ccc as we go along, we get them cheap & good.

9th Augst A M. Arrived at Newport, found decent qua[r]ters in a beautiful place, this is a Military depot. Cincinnati lies directly opposite, it is a flourishing town, I intend going to see it today the view of it from this side reminds me of Boston more than any place I have seen yet. 30 years ago it was almost a wilderness, but you will the more readily account for its rapid growth, when I tell you the settlers are principally Yankeys.

Thus, you see Mr Dear Mother, & Sisters, I have endeavoured, to give you an account, such as it is, of our proceedings thus far, & if it contributes to your ammusment I shall be amply repaid. Altho I wish much to see you yet as my Husband was obliged to come, I never have for a moment regretted accompanying him, It is a great

young lady in St. Domingo, and they were happily residing on that island when an insurrection among the blacks obliged him to flee with his wife and mother. They succeeded in reaching this country with a remnant of their property, and settled upon the Ohio. Here they have remained twelve years; they work hard but sleep sound. Their greatest trouble is the want of educational privileges for their children, who are very intelligent and promising. Having heard of a good school about twenty miles from their location, (this was the nearest within their reach,) the father with two of his children accompanied us in our boat. We found him a very intelligent and agreeable companion."
source of happiness that we can be together, & I have the satisfaction of knowing I am performing my duty.
At Newport we became acquainted with a very interesting family by the name of Taylor, who treated us with great hospitality, often sending us the most delicious fruit, they owned a beautiful plantation a little distance from the Military Quarters on the bank of the river, very pleasant is the recollection of the hours passed in their society, when in the brilliant twilight, we seated ourselves on the Piazza, which overlooked, the lovely Lawn, in front of the House, that spread its verdant Carpet, to the edge of the river, while the trees loaded with fruit, not only delighted the eye but refreshed the Palate.8

Newport, Kentucky August 11th 18119

In my last I mentioned our being ordered here. We arrived the 9th, & are now waiting further Orders, which I hope will be to stay here or return to Pittsburg, we hope for the best, & expect the worst, Our journey so far has been very pleasant, do not Dear Mother make yourself uneasy on our account, the place is healty & we are well, the season is delightful, all kinds of fruit in abundance & very cheap, This is the Country for poor people, there are a great many Yankeys here. I think of you & my Sisters often & with the thought the wish arises, that I may behold you once more, but I dare not flatter myselfe

September 2d 1811 Well My Dear Mother here we are again on the Ohio, speeding our way, further & further, from the place of our Nativity, we have much to engage our time & attention, but amid all the variety & bustle incident, to our present situation, my thoughts dwell much, with you, & I trust time nor place will ever diminish, the affection I have for you. I have no Lady Companion, with me* in the Boat this time, Our family consists of Ct S Husband. & myselfe. Our Cabin is quit large, we are very well accommodated, we stope every night, & those who chose sleep in Tents on shore. The lowness of the Water renders it dangerous to procede in the night.

8Biography of Mrs. Lydia B. Bacon, 21-22, gives this paragraph as follows:

"At Newport, Capt. and Mrs. Bacon formed the acquaintance of a family by the name of Taylor. The gentleman was a brother of General Taylor, afterwards President of the United States. He owned a beautiful plantation a short distance from the military quarters, upon the bank of the river, and treated Mr. and Mrs. B. with the utmost attention and hospitality. He often sent them delicious fruit, aud [sic] frequently invited them to his house. Years afterward, Mrs. Bacon writes, 'Very pleasant is the recollection of the hours passed in their society. Sweet was our social converse when seated in the calm twilight, on the front piazza, overlooking the splendid lawn which spread its green carpet to the edge of the river. The; fruit trees on either side of the mansion were loaded with their rich treasures which not only delighted the eye but regaled the palate.'"

9 In Mrs. Bacon's manuscript, the following letter was copied after the entry in her journal for July 29. To avoid confusion for the reader, it has been omitted from its original position and given here instead.
Septb 3

Last Might Our Boats were anchored under a very high bank whose Summit presented nothing very inviting, so much so, that we hardly thought of taking the trouble to ascend it, but our minds were soon changed by the report of some whose curiosity had led them to reconnoiter a little distance, they returned with some beautiful straw Hats, which they purchased of a Swiss family, whom they found settled a short distance from the River, About 30 families had taken up their residence here, being driven from their own country by the troubles in France they fled to our peaceful shores, & purchasing some land of Government have planted Vineyards, the produce of which, enables them to realize what they had fondly anticipated in an exchange of Countries, their Wine made from the Maderia & Clarret Grapes is excellent. We purchased some. This place is called Veva, it is in New Swiss.10

We went into one of the Vineyards, it was a delightful sight, the House appertaining to this Vineyard, was sweetly situated, the yard fronting the House was laid out with taste, we approached the House through rows of Grape vines, supported, by poles about 5 or 6 feet high loaded with ripe grapes. While the peach and nectrine trees swept the ground with their branches notwithstanding many had been proped up to prevent their breaking so loaded were they with the most delicious fruit, the family were dressed in their best, it being the Sabbath, a number of fine healthy Children ornamented, the yard, the Grass had been newly mown, & perfumed the air with its fragrance, It was twilight, & one of the most brilliant, I ever beheld, we tarried till the full Orbed Moon, arising in Mild Majesty, reminded us it was time to depart, which we did with much reluctance, & like Our Mother Eve, on leaving Eden, we cast a long a lingering look behind. I had often read of such places, & thought they existed only in the Authors brain, but my eyes have been gratified with a sight, equal to anything I ever read.

Septb 4 Read by L.A. B in 1841 Arrived at Jeffersonville this morning at 9 oclock, the boats are preparing to go through the rapids, the water is very low which makes it necessary to take all the Bagage out & send it by land, the distance is Three miles & takes 13 Minutes to go by Water. Leiut. Gs boat has gone safe with his Wife, & Mr and Mrs A. We could go by land, as Josiah has charge of all the Bagage, but we had a desire to go the same way as the rest, of the Officers & their wives, each Boat obliged to have two Pilots one at the bowes and the other at the stern.

4.th PM. we are safe through the rapids, it is frightful indeeed it seemed like being at sea, in a storm, surrounded by breakers, the Clouds heavy, the wind high, threatening a thunderstorm which actually took place just as we got in to port, No person in our Boat but Capt P & Lady & ourselves. The Soldiers went by land, we stood, while passing this tremendous place with our eyes stretched to their utmost width, & hardly daring to fetch a long breath, expecting

10 This was the settlement now known as Vevay, Indiana.
every moment when we should dash against a rock. We wished to see the whole, in perfection & we did. We have laid below the falls these two days, & have been highly entertain'd viewing the Petrifactions which are abundant, & extremely curious, we took some peices with us in, hopes you might have the pleasure, of seing them, some future day, I often wish I could transport you here to behold with me the wonderful works of Nature.
We are fast approaching the lowland from Pittsburg so far, there has been a constant succession, of Hills & dales, in a few hours more a vast extent of level country will open to our view-We have come to the lowlands, the contrast is great, now not a Hill or mountain meets the eye.

This is a pleasant way for traveling, every thing goes on as regular is [as] if at housekeeping, We had to dismiss Brown for misconduct, & in his place, have got an excellent waiter, who cooks well & washes admirably. We drink the river water it is very good, but I have some qualms when I see the dirt that is thrown in to it. I have endeavoured to give you some idea of the Boats we are in, in a rude sketch I have drawn in this letter, No doubt, you will laugh, at the elegance of the drawing, & I don't think you can very well help it.

Mrs Weir, one of the Soldiers wives, had a daughter last night, it was born in a tent, on the Banks of the Wabash.11

We have left the Ohio & are assending the Wabash, It is very difficult to assend these rivers, the current is against us & is very strong, We make as much progress with the current in our favour, in two days, as we do against it in twelve, & what makes it more difficult the river Wabash, is full of snags, sawyers & Sandbars. The night air is very damp & if exposed to it we are in danger of fever Ague.

October 1st, 1811 We have arrived at Vincennes, Indiana Tery all are engaged in preparation for a Campaign against the Indians. Our health is very good at present but we have been quit sick, I with the dreadful fever-Ague, & Josiah has been burnt with powder, which might have destroyed his life, but a kind providence, preserved him, he was priming his gun for the purpose of shooting some wild fowl which are plenty on the river, the flint of the gun being rather long-the powder in the pan took fire from the flint coming in contact by shutting & the Flask which held a half pound & which was nearly full, exploded, & the contents went immediatly into his face, he shrieked & putting his hands to his face took the skin entirely off, his eye brows & lashes burnt close & he could not see for a fortnight, & we sometimes fear'd he never would see again but a simple curd made of new milk & Vinegar cured his eyes, the application to his face was oil & brandy

11Biography of Mrs. Lydia B. Bacon, 25, gives the following paragraph in this form:

"Last night we had a recruit added to our number, in the shape of a bit of female mortality born in a tent on the banks of the Wabash, which river we are now ascending."

In the original manuscript at this point appears a rude sketch of the boat. It is omitted here.

alternatly, which healed it very rapidly. I took cold, viewing the Comet, which has just made its appearance, We were two pitiable objects I assure you, neither able to wait on the other & both needing assistance, When we arrived at Vinncennes both of us had to be led to the house, as for myselfe I was hardly able to step, from debility &
poor Josiah could not see at all, & no carraige could be procured, the night was dark, the weather very unpleasant, amid all these difficulties we reached our lodgings, which for the present we engaged, in the only Tavern the Villiage could furnish, it is keept by a Mr Jones12 & proves to be a very good House, at present we are rather crowded but shall be better accommodated when the other Officers are gone, there are a number from Ohio & Kentuckey who put up here We share our sleeping appartment which is a large Hall, with the family-I find this fever Ague, a tedious painful desease, have lost flesh, they gave me some medicene to vomit me, mixed in a pint bowl, I put it by my bed side, & did not find it necessary to tast it, for the sight & smell had the desired effect, Governer Harrison called on me today, equiped for the March, he had on what they call a hunting Shirt, made of calico & trimed with fringe & the fashion of it resembled a woman Short gown, only the ends were pointed instead of square & tied in a hard knot to keep it snug around him, on his head he wore a round beaver hat ornamented with a large Ostrich feather, he is very tall & slender with sallow complexion, & dark eyes, his manners are pleasing, he has an interesting family,

October 5th The Troops have left Vincennes. It was a sad sight to see them depart, a great many fine young men, a number of Volunteers from Ohio & Kentuckey, some very young, left their studies at Colledge, to go on this Campaign, my Husbands sight continuing weak it was not thought prudent or proper for him to go with the troops, the charge of Fort Knox is assigned him with the care of the Invalied Soldiers.13

8 October, What a changing scene is my life at present, here we are at Fort Knox, a stockade or military depot on the Wabash, not a female to associate with, no companion but my Husband, I walk sometimes outside the Picketts, but altho a Soldiers wife dare not venture far, for I do not like the thought of being scalped by our red Brethern, I read write & think of you my Dear Mother & Sisters, Josiahs eyes are getting strong fast, & he is determin'd to

12 Peter Jones, the owner of the Tavern, was a member of the House of Eepresentatives of Indiana Territory and at one time acted as judge of common pleas and quarter sessions at Vincennes. His shop at the ferry was patronized by the gentry. John B. Dillon, A History of Indiana (Indianapolis, 1859), 448; Logan Esarey (ed.), Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison (2 vols., Indiana Historical Collections, VII and IX, Indianapolis, 1922), I, 256.
13 On September 26, 1811, Governor William Henry Harrison, accompanied by members of the Militia of Indiana Territory, troops and officers of the 4th U.S. Regiment of Infantry, and volunteers from Ohio and Kentucky, left Vincennes to scatter the hostile Indians who gathered at a village known as the Prophet's Town located on the Wabash River near the mouth of the Tippecanoe River.
join the Troops, as soon as the Physician will permit him, he has written the Col requesting Mm, to order him to join his regiment. Josiah has received orders to join the Regiment very much to his satisfaction, tho not to mine, we have been here just a week, what a charming variety, now must Pack up our goods, & go back to Vincennes,
Vincennes, October 10. My Husband is gone & I am boarding with Mrs Jones, here I have a very pleasant companion, an Officers wife by the name of Whitlock, she is extremely kind to me, we chum together for the sake of company.14 I have had a return of feverAgue & she has waited on me like a Sister.

The Troops are 80 miles from here, building a Fort, the Indians as yet, have not manifested any hostility towards our Troops, but they are deceitful in the extreme, the British furnish them with Arms, ammunition & rations.15

Col Miller has been very ill, but is better, was obliged to lie in a tent on the ground, I assure you they see service now, if they never did before, I want very much to ask them how they like their new situation.

We have had no cold weather till within a few days, have not set by a fire for the last six months. I expect we shall stay here all Winter, which will be very disagreable to me, for I do not like the place or people much-Dear New England I love the better then ever, 0 that I may be so happy, as to visit thy blessed land once more, for blessed it is, endeed. The land in this Western Country needs but little labour compared with ours, & the produce does not command so good a price. This place was first settled by the French, one hundred years ago, but from the appearance of it, & its original inhabitants, they never had much interprise or industry, they are Roman Catholic in their religion, but in their habits & appearance not much superior to the Indians, the local situation of the place is very pleasant, lying on a clean stream of Water which affords them a variety of fish & facilitates their intercourse with the Neighbouring States & Territories. it is perfectly level, with the exception of three Mounds, situated in the back of the Villiage, supposed to be raised by the Indians some Centuries ago, they are quit Ornamental, the Center one is the highest & easy of access, having a smooth foot path at the Back of it. 1 rode to the tope on horse back, doubtless future generations may see this a flourishing place, there are some American families here, emigrants, chiefly from Kentuckey, & Virginia, slavery is tolerated here.

Adieu My Abby! nev'r forget, that far beyond the Western Sea, is one, whose heart remembers thee.

14 This was probably the wife of Lieutenant Ambrose Whitlock, Virginian and an old acquaintance of Governor Harrison. In 1811, Governor Harrisson recommended that Lieutenant Whitlock be placed in command of Fort Knox. Esarey, Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison, I, 341, 355.
15 This fort was called Fort Harrison. It was built on the east bank of the Wabash River at a point about two miles above the old Wea village where the city of Terre Haute now stands. Dillon, A History of Indiana, 461.
I am anxiously expecting news, from, My Dear Josiah, may he be protected from danger.

November 30th 1811 Still new mercies, call for our loudest, songs, of praise & gratitude, to him, who is our constant Benefactor & presever. My Husband has returned in safty after being exposed in the most horrid of all Battles, an Indian one, Oh my Mother, could I describe my feelings I would, but words cannot do it. I hope this great mercy may be a means, of raising my thoughts to God, who has watched over us ever since we have had a being, is it not strange that Beings so dependent should have so little Idea of their own weakness. We live, constantly recipients of the divine bounty, but it makes often no impression on our hard unfeeling hearts, could we be made sensible of our own frailty & the immutability of him, who died for our redemption, we should be happy here & hereafter.

I do not regret that Josiah was in this Battle, for I trust the kindness of God in thus sparing his life, has left impressions on his mind, that will not readily be effaced, His duty as Quarter Master is particularly ardious on a March, of course he was not attached to any company, but equally exposed to danger with those who were. While bridling his Horse a Ball hit his hoof & his own boot & at another time his hat, the Army was encamped in a Hollow Square on a rising piece of ground the tents all facing out-ward beyond which a guard was placed. The Indians attacked them a little before day which is their usual method. The Regular Troops not being accustomed to Indians & being assured by Govr. H. that there was no danger, had retired to, rest but not without some suspicions of the hostile intentions of the Enemy & taking the precaution to lay down already to start, with their Weapons of War by their side. their slumbers not very sound you may well suppose. The Indians do not fire regularly like well traind troops, the first gun was heard, & the regulars at their Post in a moment, the enemy, had their faces painted black, as is their custome, this our troops could only see by the light caused by the flashing of the guns, & this added to the tremendous war hoop with the groans of the wounded rendered the scene terrific endeed. our troops answered the war-Hoop with 3 cheers, the Battle lasted till day light, when the Indians were compeled to retire with great loss.16 Leiut Peters relates an affecting circumstance. Among the Malitia from Kentuckey was a Capt Spencer who had been in 12 Indian Campaigns, he had a Son 12 years old which he had suffered to accompaney him on the present expedition, he had a gun adapted to his size, he behaved extremely well, went on guard in his turn & fought in the Battle as well as a man, the darkness of the night prevented anyone from knowing who had fallen in the contest, each one fear'd for his fellow.17 This poor Boy soon as the Battle was over sought his

16 The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on the border of Burnett's Creek about seven miles northeast of the present site of Lafayette, Indiana.
17 For a more detailed account of Captain Spencer's death, see Dillon, A History of Indiana, 471.
Father & found him among the slain, Lt Peters meet A Gentleman leading the Dear Child by the hand both were in tears, he enquired the cause, the Gentleman answered that in searching among the slain he had found this afflicted Child weeping Over the mangled body of his Father. The situation of his Mother is truly distressing being left poor, with a great number of Children to support. Many Widows, & Orphans, are made so, by this dreadful fight, when will Brother cease to lift his hand against his Brother, & learn War no more, there were but two married men killed from the 4th & those were soldiers, only one married Officer wounded. O what a day was that, we heard of the Battle, hearing only the report without receiving any Official communication, our feelings were harrowed to the quick, each one expecting to hear sad news from their dearest Friend, At length the express arrived, with letters for many of us, but his feelings were so wrought up that he could not compose himselfe sufficiently, to select the different letters, but put them all into my hand, & I could neither see, nor read, and passed them into the hands of a Lady who stood by me, & who not having her Husband among the Troops felt a little more composed & was enabled to find mine, & when I saw the writting & held the letter in my hand I could hardly believe my own eyes. My bodily weakness was great, being just recovered from another attack of the fever ague, & my anxiety so intense respecting my Dear Husband, that I could hardly keep from fainting. I sunk down on the first chair I could find and with Mrs G, kneling on one side & Mrs W, on the other & Mrs J, before me, I opened the letter & began to read, but proceded only to the third or fourth line, when we all burst into tears which relieved our aching hearts & I was enabled to read my letter, & to my great joy, found that my beloved Husband & others, whom I valued, had escaped without injury, how often have I read, & heard of Indian fights, till my blood chilled, in my viens, & little thought I should ever be so personally interested in one. Our situation was very exposed while the Troops were absent, for every thing went that could carry a musket & left us Women & Children without even a guard, Mrs W. & myselfe had loaded Pistols at our bedside but I some doubt if we should have been able to use them had we found it necessary, had the Indians known our situation a few of them could have Massacred the Inhabitants & burnt the Village, but was not permitted, a kind providence prevented.
Capt Bain whom no doubt you reccallect, was tomahawked in a most shocking maner.18 It was thought by the distance, in which he was found from Camp, that the Indians attempted to take him Prisoner, & he chose death rather than submit to them, he was a fine man & is much lamented by his Brother Officers, he was buried on or near the scene of action, & his grave disguised, that he may not be disentered & his bones left to bleach upon the plains, this has been done to the rest, they being all consigned to one grave, the Indians have dug up the bodies, & left them exposed to the wild animals who roam in that region.

18 This may have been Captain Baen wose activities are described by Dillon, A History of Indiana,468, 471.
The 4 Regiment acquited themselves with much honor, & from what I can learn, it seems to be the general opinion, but for them, the Indians would have conquered-I refer you, to the last chapter, of the 3 Vol. of Washingtons life for a more distinct Idea of Indians & their treachery. My Husband was gone 4 weeks & in that time only took of his clothes to put on clean ones,

Some Indian Cheifs have been to the Governer, desirous of peace, they are much exasperated with one, whom they style their Prophet & who urged them to fight, assureing them they would be victorious, the event proved he was but a mere Man, & their confidence in him is shaken.19

We are keeping house with Mr & Mrs Whitlock, & are very comfortably & pleasantly situated, as much so, as is possible, among intire strangers, they are excellent people, we eat together, but have our seperate Parlors with fires, of course shall not fatigue each other with being too much in each others company,

A number of Soldiers have died of their wounds since their return, funerals often, sometimes two a day, very solemn is the sight & sound, for the coffins are followed by Soldiers, with their Arms reversed, marching to the tune of Roslin Castle beat upon Muffled drums, poor fellows, thou hast paid the debt of nature, with no kind Mother, or Sister to alleviate thy distress, or wipe the cold sweat from thy brow, strangers have performed the last sad offices for thee, & among them, thy bones shall rest, till sommoned, by the last trump, to stand before the judge, of quick & dead.

January 29th 1812 Vincennes I cannot discribe to you my Dear Mother, how anxiously I look forward, to the time, when I shall once more, behold you, God grant that your precious life may be spared, & that we may be permitted to pass many happy hours together, it is 9 months since I left you, this is a long time to be seperated from those we love, but the variety of scenes through which we have passed, has of course made it appear to fly with rapidity. I long to be in a place where some respect is paid to the Sabbath, There is an excellent Preacher here, of the Presbyterian Order, we attend his preaching, & are much pleased with him he is an excellent Man & has an interesting family, but few keep holy time here, the generality are intirely engrossed with the world, Our Friends with whom we reside attend with us & are pleased with going.

19 The Prophet, a brother of the Shawnee warrior Tecumseh, preached against drunkenness, witches, and the type of civilization that the white men had brought to the frontier. Both he and Tecumseh urged the Indians to return to the customs of their forebears rather than adopt the white man's culture. Their influence on the Indians in the Indiana Territory, especially on those at the Prophet's Town, was believed by Governor Harrison and others to be in a large part responsible for the hostility and violation of treaties of the Indians in the area. The Battle of Tippecanoe resulted in the breaking up of the Indian settlement of Prophet's Town and a decline in the prestige and influence of the Prophet among the more important northwestern tribes. It temporarily relieved the frontier settlements from the threat of hostile Indians and defeated Tecumseh's plan.
We were very much alarmed the other night with a violent shock of an earth quake. We were awoke out of a sound sleep by the House shaking in a most strange maner, at first we could not imagine what it was, my first impression was that the Indians were trying to get into the house, for I never thought of an Earth quake, but we soon discovered what it was, it was truely alarming, they have continued since, some times two a day, a few chimineys have been thrown down & the ceiling of some houses cracked considerably the feelings excited by them are different from any thing I ever experienced. The judgments that are abroad in the world all tend to shew us the falibility, of earthly enjoyments, & the nescessity of religion, to make us happy, & enable us to veiw these judgments, as we ought, how mild are they compared with what our sins deserve. Dear Abby youth is the time for preparation, Piety in youth is delightful, the Poet says, "religion never was designed to make our pleasures less."

I felt a little vexed, with those wives you mentioned, in your letter, who would prefer, staying at home, rather than suffer a little inconvenience, what did they get married for. Never, no never, for a single instant, have I been sorry that I came with mine, on the contrary, I feel grateful to him who is the Author of all our blessings, that I was enable to accompaney him, to take care of him when he is sick, & to console him under the various ills incident to human nature, some might say this was enthusiasm, but I do think we have been married long enough to find out whether the attachment, that grow, with our growth, & strengthed with our strength is real or imaginary.

Vincennes March 11, 1812 We expect to leave this place soon, but where our destination is, we know not yet, we hope it will be towards you, the boats are reparing to convey us hence, We continue to feel repeated shocks of the Earth, I often rise in the night & go to the door to examine the Weather, for the most severe ones have been felt in calm lowering weather.

There was an Indian Counsel here last week which curiosity prompted me to attend, there were about 70, painted & ornamented in various ways & no doubt to their own admiring eyes, appeared very beautiful, one, had one side of his face, red, the other green, with nose and ear jewels, Some with silver Bands on their arms, & meddles suspended from their necks, one had a pair of cows horns on his head, they are good Orators but all they said, had to be interpreted, after the council the Calmut of peace was smoked, which is a long pipe made especally for this purpose, each one smoking the same, in turn, Mrs G smoked with them, but I keept out of sight in a small room adjoing, as I felt not the least inclination to taste it, after so many red Brethern, before they left the Village, they gave the inhabitants a specimen of their agility, in danseing before each house, their music is a keg, with deers skin drawn over it, it makes a direful humdrum noise, they wear nothing, on such occasions, but a peice of cloth round their waist, their squaws & papposes came with them, the Ladies ride astride, they are perfect slaves to the Men, When will their condition be ameliorated by their becoming subjects to the meek & lowly Jesus.

I visited a sugar Camp as it is called, last week, & was gratified with viewing the process, holes are bored in large trees, called the Sugar Maple, with which this part of the country abounds, & tubes put in, which conveys the liquor into a trough, it is very clear, & pleasant, to the taste, those who take pains with it, make very excellent sugar suitable for any use, the labor is performed by blacks and superintended by their Mistress, the person whom we saw, was a Lady of great respectability & very rich, it was a beautiful after noon, all nature smiled, the air was soft & sweet, delightful riding horseback. This climate is mild, have put on no extra clothing this Winter, except when walking or riding, & then a coat or large shawl, was sufficient, in the coldest weather, a very little snow has fallen, which disappeared, as soon as it touched the ground, trees blossom in Febuary, & the gardens are quit forward at present, lettuce, Radishes, & asparagus, we have now without the assistance of hot beds.

March 31. We have received orders to procede to Detroit I shall go the rounds, ere I am permitted to see My Dear Mother & Sisters, I understand the place is gay & dissapated, this makes it objectionable to us. the Climate is like New England, The troops are to go by land & not by Water as was first thought, they will have to march 600 Miles, this being the distance, from Vincennes, to Detroit, & sleep on the ground, in tents every night, it will take us some days to accomplish it, we shall procede to Newport Ke'ny from thence cross the river to Cincinnati & through Ohio to Michigan, a part of the way will be thro woods & Praries where as yet none but the Indians foot has penetrated. Mrs F Mrs G, & myself will perform our journey on horse back, & my Husband being in the Staf will have this privilege also, so I shall be spared the distress of seeing him encounter difficulties, which those who march must nescessariely endure, I have been learning to ride horse back, & like it much, but how I shall succede in going through swamps & fording rivers experience will alone determine.

In the first part of her manuscript, Mrs. Bacon told of her journey from Fort Independence on Castle Island in Boston Harbor to the Wabash Country and of her stay at Vincennes. The author, who accompanied her husband, Lieutenant Josiah Bacon, a quartermaster of the Fourth Regiment of the United States Infantry, described in detail their boat trip down the Ohio from Pittsburgh, their stops along the way, and her experiences at Vincennes while she waited for her husband to return from the Tippecanoe campaign led by Governor William Henry Harrison against hostile Indians along the Wabash.

The concluding portion of Mrs. Bacon's manuscript which is presented below tells of her journey back to Massachusetts and her experiences along the way which included being made a prisoner of war twice and witnessing the siege of Detroit and General Hull's surrender to the British. When Mrs. Bacon left Vincennes on horseback to go with her husband's regiment to Detroit, she carried in a bag on the pommel of her saddle a Bible, a copy of Homer's Illiad, and a "huge Spunge cake."

When within eighteen miles of Detroit, British officers stopped the boat in which Mrs. Bacon was traveling, seized the hospital supplies and officers' baggage, and declared the occupants prisoners of war. That night, Mrs. Bacon slept on a British prison ship near Maiden where earlier in the day some hostile Indians who had taken part in the Battle of Tippecanoe hovered around her and her companions when they went to the tavern. The next day, she and all the others who had come with her, except the officer in charge of their boat and his wife who preferred to remain with him, were

1 While in the West, Mrs. Bacon kept a journal and wrote letters to her mother and sister Abby in Massachusetts. Some twenty years later, she arranged these records of her trip in chronological order and added a few paragraphs to cover the parts of her trip not mentioned in her letters or journal. This manuscript is now owned by the New York Historical Society from which permission was obtained to publish it. Permission was also obtained from the Pilgrim Press, the present representative of the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society, which published the Biography of Mrs. Lydia B. Bacon (Boston, 1856).
permitted to go on to Detroit, There, Mrs. Bacon waited for her husband at the home of General Hull. When serious fighting began at Detroit, she witnessed it first from the fort and, later, from a root house. Following General Hull's surrender to General Brock, Mrs. Bacon and two other officers' wives boarded the British ship, Queen Charlotte, with the other prisoners bound for Quebec by way of Niagara and Montreal. After one night on the ship, the other women were moved to another vessel and Mrs. Bacon continued on the journey as the sole woman occupant of the Queen Charlotte.
After crossing Lake Erie, the ship stopped at Fort Erie in Canada. At that place General Hull, who was on the Queen Charlotte, was provided with a carriage and escort for the thirty-six mile overland drive to Newark on the Niagara River, and he invited Lieutenant Bacon and his wife to ride with him. At Newark, General Brock, who was at that place on his way to Montreal, at General Hull's request paroled Lieutenant Bacon because he was accompanied by his wife. Anxious to get back to the United States, the couple hurried across the river to Fort Niagara where they obtained funds and engaged a cart to take them toward their home in Massachusetts. The last lap of their long, hazardous journey was made from Batavia, New York, by stagecoach.

The most significant part of Mrs. Bacon's letters and journal which follow is her account of General Hull's behavior at Detroit. Although she witnessed his surrender to the British, the author gives no indication of any feeling of criticism of General Hull's action, by herself or by any of his officers or men.

May 14. 1812.

Left Vincennes, our Friends manifested much grief at parting with us, & altho thankful to leave the place, I was not so to leave those kind companions, with whom we had passed our time so agreably. Their affectionate attentions has made an indelible impression on my heart, that time or distance never can efface, may you beloved Mr & Mrs W. never need a Friend, but if you should, may you find those, who will be as ready, to administer to your necessities as you have been to mine.

6. o'clock P M.

I seated myself with the other Ladies on a trunk of a tree, & was much amused with seeing the Soldiers pitch the tents, a business, which is performed by them, with much alacrity & order, our tea table was the ground,

15. P M.

Went 15 miles today the roads were bad, our progress, of course was slow, the weather is beautiful, fine moon light night. I like travelling on horse back, & slept finely on the ground last night, for the first time in my life, with a bear skin for our bedstead & a Buffaloe Robe for our Bed, Col M, begs us not to break our Bedstead down for there is danger of falling into the cellar, the mosquitoes are very troublesome.

16. P M. Went on before the Troops, Stoped in the woods, & had a fire made to keep the Musquitoes off, spread blankets on the ground & had a fine nap, & felt refreshed thereby, had a detachment of troops for A guard. Am now seated on a bed in a log house, fire place large enough for a room, the chimney is built of logs & mud, & I am sure those who sleep in the House when it rains must get wet to their skins, this is one of the best Houses between Vin-es [and] Louisville.

May 17. A M. It rain'd hard all day, never sleept better than last night—We are now ready to start, I wish you could see us, it is really laughable to witness the comical scenes that are acted— I have a large bag on the Pomell of My saddle containing some necessary articles, a Bible, Homers Illiad, & A huge Spunge cake presented by one of our kind Friends the morning of our departure. I enjoy myself very much, & one great source of pleasure is, anticipating yours if I should ever be permitted to relate in person the many curious circumstances that occur.

18. A M.

The General is beating, I must put away my pen & turn out to have my House packed for marching. We have stoped for the night, it has rain'd all day, I got wet through, we stoped in the woods & had a large fire made, no scarcity of wood here, have brilliant fires, the Waiters gather heaps of dry sticks & place them against a large green tree, the branches of which served for a shelter while we dried ourselves, rather uncomfortable drying wet garments in this maner—After this used an umbralla & went on nicly, the fatigue of the day has given me a fine appetite, our supper is ready, & Josiah is beging me to eat good [to] night, we rode through some beautiful forests, ground enamelled with flowers.

19th bright Sun, all going on in good health & spirits, but my feelings are somewhat tried seeing the poor Soldiers wives trudging on foot, some of the way mud up to their knees, & a little Child in their arms, only 4 or 5 Waggons allowed to carry the baggage, the poor women of course have to suffer, I should think it would kill them, saw two Houses one of them deserted, afraid of the Indians. We understand a camp of them are near us, hunting, they subsist in this way. I suppose you will be anxious to know what we have to eat, how we carry conveniences to eat out of, & how we cook —we live very well as to the quality of our victuals & have enough, plenty of elegant Bacon (nothing better) in this part of the world they smoke the whole Hog, you would laugh to see our waiters roast chickens, they take a green stick & put the fowel on it & put the stick in the ground before a good fire, & they roast to a charm, & when they roast a joint of meat, two sticks are put in the ground, opposite the fire cut like a fork at the top, & another put across resting on the two with the meat suspended from the center, meat cooked in this way is very good endeed, we have a pack horse who carries a pair of mess Boxes made with separate apartments to hold cups plates & cccc & our tea & sugar in canisters, & our table is the hind board of a waggon set on a portable cricket made like a cot bedstead, our candlestick is a bayonet reversed with the point in the ground, the part which goes on to the gun, serves admirably for a socket to put the candle in. tonight we have encamped near a House, the Land Lady is very Patriotic & very large, weighs 300, she gave all the Soldiers plenty of Milk.

20 & 21,

Rainy weather, one poor man was taken sudenly ill with the Choira Morbus & breathed his last in a waggon, he is buried in the woods, in a bark Coffen, the only one, the times would admit of.

23d Every step fetches us nearer home, yet it is a roundabout way to get there, I think could I see you once more I could sit & look at you for A month at least, dul wet weather, ground in a bad condition to lie on, when we have straw we put some between the ground & buffaloe robe, which serves for our bed, & when straw is scarce, we substitute the leaves of trees, & cover them with bark which makes an excellent carpet for our tent, & renders it very comfortable, with a fire at the door, to keep the Musquitoes from devouring us, we are in good health eat hearty & sleep Sound.

27th

Have Omitted several days, having nothing pleasing to relate, bad weather, our Men get sick, two buried one morning, I have never mentioned my Poney, & as she is a character of some consequence at least to me, shall just observe that she is very clever, has been on a campaign ere this, steps to the sound of a Drum, equal to any regular & minds the fireing of guns, no more than you would the singing of Birds, I sit on her while the Men discharge their guns.

We have arrived at LouisvilleKentucky, A very handsome flourishing Town situated on the Ohio, the Citiezens gave the Officers a splendid diner, you will recollect that the Kentuckians were associated with the 4th Regiment at the Battle of Tipacanoe, We have had a delightful ride these two days, the State of Kentucky is like a perfect garden, but slavery is tolerated here, which is a great evil.

May 29. 1812. had green peas & Strawberries, great respect is paid to the Regiment as they pass through Kentucky—it is realy amusing, to see what a muster, it makes in the different places that we pass, one old Gentlemen ask'd Capt Brown if these young Women came from yonder meaning Mrs F & myselfe, the Capt said one came from yonder, the other had been [in] the whole Campaign. Well said the old man, some how, the Garls will go with Soldiers. We have passed thro Frankfort, another flourishing town in Kentucky the inhabitants treated us with every possible attention here a dinner was given to the Officers, & refreshment to the Soldiers, on leaving the Town a salute was fired accompanied with 3 cheers.

June 7, Newport. We have once more arrived at this place with feelings far different, from those we felt, when we left here last Summer, then we were going from home, now we trust we shall see you ere long.

June. 10, 7 oclock P M. 5 miles from Cincinnata

Cross'd the Ohio at 2 oclock this afternoon, The American Banner, & Regimental colors, ornamented the Boats, which conveyed the Troops across the River, at Cin—ti, two Companies of Artillery waited on its bank to receive them fired a salute & escorted them through an Arch erected for the purpose (with this inscription To the Heroes of Tippecanoe.) to the encamping ground where a handsome Colation was prepared by the hospitality of the good people of this delightful town, previous to this the Officers of the 4th had been invited to General Ganos (the Brother of Docter Gano of Providence) & treated with every attention they could desire.

The other Eve we encamped on dry Ridge, in Franklin County, near a Tavern, where a puppet show had drawn together all the Lads and Lasses for twenty Miles round, after they had examined the show sufficiently, & the day not spent, the remainder of it was passed in dancing, some of us went to the Tavern, not to see the puppet Show, but to see the dancing, & were much amused, it was intensly warm & they danced with all there strength, dressed in their best, of course, peticoats of the present fashionable length, leather shoes with sharp toes, the Lads took of their Coats & Jackets, & thus disencumbered of a part of their clothing performed feats of activity, while the perspiration flowed copiously down their blooming faces.

We have at last reached Urbana where we found General Hull with 1500 Militia waiting for the Regiment, which was received with great respect by them some distance from the Town giving the 4th the Right & escorting them into Urbana through an Arch ornamented with Oak branches & Laurel, from the forest, in the center the American Eagle spread her broad pinions, on one side was inscribed Tippecanoe on the other Glory—We take up the line of March tomorrow for Detroit, A party has gone on to cut roads, General Hull & Governer Meigs called on the Ladies, of the Regiment, immediately on our arrival, they are both very courtly, in their maners, particularly General Hull.

Camp Necessity

After travelling 3 or 4 days raining incessantly accompanied oft with most tremendous Thunder & lighting, through dreadful roads, intire swamp, some of the way, repeatedly wet through, the clouds have disappeared, & the bright Luminary of day has at last condescended to shine upon us, O how: cheering are its rays after so long an absence, & in such a situation, our tent was on the Battle ground at Tippecanoe, & many a shot tells its storry, these Holes admit the air & rain too, & at night we have to sleep with an open umbralla over us, to keep the rain from disturbing our repose, we shall stop here a day to prepare cartridges, the troops are expecting an attack from the Indians ere we reach Detroit, God only knows our fate, but my fervent Prayer is that such a calamity may be averted from us, it would be dreadful, such a number of Women & Children along. We understand a large number of Indians are at Fort Maiden, the English have been holding a counsel with them, & no doubt every thing will be done, on their part, to instigate them to hostilities, breast works are made every night round the encampment by felling trees & heaping them on each other, it seems as if the very ground trembled beneath us as the mighty Oak falls. Officers & men sleep with their cloths on & their implements of War by their side, let me ask Dear Sisters how should you feel in such a situation, no doubt while you read you shudder at the Idea of a female being so exposed, it is a fact I believe that people in perrilous situations do not realize their danger for I feel somewhat composed & those around me appear so too, endeed they wish for a fight, but I am too much of a Quaker, to think it nescessary, except on the defensive, I think I should die with fright, but I hope my courage will not be put to the test.

June 18th 1812. 63, miles, north of Dayton, & 5, beyond, the Indian Boundary, Amid the noise & bustle of a camp the almost continual sound of Drums & firing of guns, my heart like the needle true to the magnet flies to you far quicker than the swiftest winged bird, & with delight contemplates the virtues of her who gave me birth, with your image are associated numerous others, dear to me by the ties of consanguinity & friendship, I think of you all with the livliest pleasure, & cherish the fond hope, of seeing you all once more, in the full enjoyment, of all the common blessings of life.

We are encamped on a spot of ground where once stood an Indian Village, very little remains to show, that human beings ever inhabited this place, the ground is covered with strawberry vines full of fruit, wild roses and various other flowers very beautiful, it looks like a perfect garden without the aid of art, in one corner of my tent is a very sweet wild rose, looking almost concious of the pleasure it bestows upon the Pilgrims, who have taken up their abode here, for the night, could you travel with us, through our American Wilderness, astonishment would seize your mind, in viewing the wonderful works, of our Almighty Father, & praises would voluntarily flow from your heart to him, who has been so bountiful to his sinful children.

The Malitia are very different from regulars, most of them have no Idea of order & dicipline, they think they can do as they please, one man for mutinous conduct, has been tried & sentenced to have half his head shaved, Torry written on his back, & drumed out of camp, with the Rogues March. I thought the poor fellow would have fainted, when he heard the sentence, he fell on his knees, & beg'd for pardon, if this was impossible, he beged, they would shoot him, (it would have melted your heart could you have seen him) he said he had a wife & Child, & had voluntered to serve his country, & not understanding Military law, had been led to commit this fault, /I looked at the General & my heart wispered be ye merciful as ye expect mercy to be shown you from above, he was led through all the Regiments with his hands tied behind, & the sentence was read, the Barber stood ready to shave his head, when the General pardoned him, It made the Soldier happy, and contributed not a little to the pleasure of many, when I saw Him on his knees imploring pardon, my mind reverted to his wife & my imagination portrayed her distress (had the sentence been executed) in lively colors, it was almost too much, I do not like to witness such scenes, but I trust should they be oft repeated, that they will not harden my heart, We have been Six weeks on our journey four of which has been damp with a great deal of rain, I find it difficult to guide my Horse some times, the new roads cut by the Soldiers are rather narrow, & the boughs of the small trees & large bushes come in contact with our faces, & when it rains, I have to hold the reins, & Umbralla, with one hand, & with the other endeavor, to keep the bushes from scratching my eyes out, & tearing my bonnet of my head, not long since I was riding along musing, & the first thing I knew, I felt a violent jerk, which almost threw me of my Horse, but the kind creature stoped instantly or I know not, but like the rebellous Son of David I should have been left hanging to the tree by the hair of my head,—

Fort Finly, Blanchards Creek.

Block Houses are erected every 20 Miles to keep open the road for provission, to pass from Ohio to Detroit as we have no Vessels (should their be a war with great Britain) to keep open our communication by the Lake, it is very tedious travelling through roads that are cut as you procede, sometimes the Horse is in danger of Mireing, than of Breaking his legs going over log bridges, & in fording the rivers, the current is so strong, oft times, it is almost impossible to gain the opposite shore, & many a one has a fine bath ere they reach terea firma, but as yet I have been exempt from this disaster which would take all my Phillosophy to bear, I assure you it takes all my strength, & prowes, to maintain my equilibrium, sometimes the rivers are so deep, I am obliged to put my feet on the Horses neck to keep out of water & she has pretty long legs too—

This moment a man has brought us a beautiful fish caught in the creek, which we shall have for our Supper, with a short cake made by our cook, & if we chose we can have a dish of garlics, for we are encamped on ground that is ful of them, my tent smells like a French cook shop, its not quit as agreable as when we encamped on ground covered with strawberries & roses, An express has just reached us from Washington, hastening the Troops to Detroit—War is to be declared, with far different feeling shall we celebrate this 4 of July, from any ever experienced by us, You inhabitants, of Boston will not suffer like those on the Frontiers, the latter are exposed to the merciless Tomahawk—

This Eve we have encamped on a delightful spot of ground on the bank of Miama river, which empties in to Lake Eri, about a mile from where General Wayne defeated the Indians, you have particulars of the Battle in the life of Washington, in the last Vol—

We have had dreadful roads today several horses gave out, two droped dead, one wagon left in the mud,—

Today we have passed through some handsome Pararies coverd with wild fruit & flowers, the weather is very pleasant—

30th June

We pass from the Indian Boundary to the Michigan Territory, 70 miles more & we reach Detroit, which seems a short distance. I could ride it in two days dare I leave the Army, good health & spirits pervade the Troops.

July 1st

Took up the line of March to day & passed thro a small Village called Miama, it was situated in a fine Pararia 3 or 4 miles in length, the Army appeared very well, the Ladies rode on to the edge of the Woods, which terminated the Paraia,—had a fine view of the whole, This Eve have encamped at the foot of the rapids, in crossing the river, the water got into the mess Boxes, & wet our Sugar, a few evenings since as I was setting in the door of our Tent enjoying the beautiful twilight & thinking of Friends far away—I heard the report of a gun, & felt the wind of something, pass close to my ear, presently an Officer came along with a ramrod in his hand which he said had just fallen on their tea table as they sat around it, this is what I felt as it passed, only think what an escape, one inch closer, & it would have gone directly through my head, & death would have been my portion, not in the field of Battle but thro the carelessness of a Malitia Soldier, who in discharging his gun forgot the Ramrod was in it & did not elevate it, thus I am constantly preserved through dangers seen & unseen. Accompanied by my Husband visited an old fort that formerly belonged to the British, rode into the Fort Horse back, it must have been a very good one for the times. At this place it was thought best to send the Baggage & sick & feeble of the Army by water to Detroit, in a small unarmed Vessel, which had been sent from D. …. t for this purpose, Mrs G, Mrs F, & myselfe being much fatigued concluded to take this water conveyance, as Mrs Gs, Husband who was an invalide was to have charge of the baggage & Property & would be our Protector, it was fine weather & a few hours pleasant sailing would land us safe at the place of our destination,1 We embarked, & enjoyed the sail very much, after riding Horseback nearly 600 miles & sleeping on the ground 50 nights. We were in high spirits anticipating the pleasure we should receive, in resting awhile, but when within 18 miles of D. …. t opposite Maiden on the Canada side, which is a thrifty Village, with a fort & military depot—We saw a large Boat coming from thence towards us with all possible speed, & when near enough to be heard, ordered our Capt to lower his sails, he not knowing why he should do this, had a mind to run from them, but a second thought convin'ed him this would be endangering the Vessel & the lives of those on board, as we were so near their fort (the channel is near the Canada side) that they could with ease blow us out of water, even while this was passing in the Capts mind, those in the Boat fired twice at us, & as the Shot whistled

1 Lieutenant George Gooding was injured during the Battle of Tippecanoe. See Logan Esarey (ed.), Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison (2 vols., Indiana Historical Collections, VII and IX, Indianapolis, 1922), I, 631, 639-640, 709.
above our heads, it caused a sensation not easily described, for excepting the ramrod, I had never come in contact with shot & balls before. The sails was lowered & the English Capt with his Men jumped on board deligh'ed with their prieze, most of the Hospital stores were on board & all the Officers baggage. Leiut G enquired the cause of this conduct & was informed that War was declared, & we had taken two of their Vessels, we could hardly believe it, but it was too true, General Hull received the intelligence, after we started, & sent immediately to stope us, but we had got beyond their reach— Mrs G, & F, flew into the Cabin soon as they heard the shot whistle, but a love of novelty, spiced with curiosity, overcame my fears, & I continued on deck for a while, The Capts name was Rulet, a very gentlemanly young man, he took the Helm & in a short time we were anchored at Maiden Prisoners to His Majesty King George 3d, on honor, I little thought would ever be my lot, but one, I should have most cheerfully dispensed with, The Quarter Master, came on board, Leiut G—introduced us Ladies to him, observing we were Officers Wives, he assured us we should be treated as such, politely invited us to his Quarters till we procured a room at the Public House, Mrs G. & F. Leiut G, & myselfe, accompanied him, to his habitation, & was introduced to his wife, a very pleasant Lady, & their only Child, a Babe in her Arms, Cake &ccc was offered us, & for a time we almost forgot our real situation.
A number of Indians were at Maiden, some of whome were in the Battle of Tippecande, they soon learnt that some of the fourth had been taken prisoners, & when we went to the Tavern they hovered around us, with an expression of countenance truly terrific. We dined at the tavern, after dinner, several British Officers called upon us, & I requested them to let Mrs F & myselfe go to Detroit the next day certainly said he, & added, we have not made war upon the Ladies, Leiut G could not be paroled, of course his wife chose to stay with him, this night we slept on board a prison ship, but as we were the first prisoners, it had not got dirty & was comparitively comfortable, I slept pretty well, considering the novelty of my situation, & awoke right early in the morning having a strong desire (it beind the 3d of July) to set my feet on Republican ground ere the fourth arrived. Agreable to his promise the Quarter Master procured us a pass from the Commanding Officer, & a Chaise & driver for us and a Cart to carry our baggage—he also permitted at my request, two small Boys, sons of Malitia Officers, & a Soldiers Wife, who had an infant with her to go to Detroit, also, & now behold Mrs F & myselfe in a Chaise without a top with a man seated in front to drive, & the Cart with a Canadian to guide it, in our rear, Loaded with the Woman & her Child, the two Boys & our baggage, it was a beautiful day & we very happy in the prospect of seeing our Dear Husbands once more, the road very excellent, directly on the bank of the River Detroit, this river is wide & deep enough for Vessels of any Dimensions to sail upon, the person who drove us lived halfway between Maiden & Detroit, say 9 miles, we stoped here, to rest the Horse a few moments, which I spent in reconnoitering his garden and found it a very good one, with some nice fruit in it, we resumed our seat in the Chaise & soon found ourselves at the Ferry opposite Detroit, here a boat was furnished by the Gentleman, to whom I presented our pass, & who politely voluntered his services to see us across the river, which we accepted & in a short time we were seated in the Boat on our way to Detroit, it was a long Canoe made out of the trunk of a tree, & had been lyeing exposed to the sun out of water, which had caused it to crack, the Gentleman took the Helm in one hand, & his cane in the other, with my white Pockethandkerchief tied on it, for a flag of Truce, the only way we dare approach, the enemys shores, in such troublous times, we could hardly keep our feet dry, the boat leaked so badly, in consequence of the cracks I mentioned, that we were actively employed all the way across, in bailing the water out, As we approached our American shore, we observed a number of men, on Horse back, riding quit down to the waters edge, & when we came near enough to hear them call to us, they ordered us not to advance any nearer, & we saw they had large Pistols pointing directly at us, this was in consequence of all communication being prohibited between Detroit & the places opposite, but we had a flag of truce which is always respected & which they must have seen, & I never learnt the reason of their improper conduct, on the wharf a guard of regulars waited to receive us commanded by an Officer, who demanded, who we were, I replied we are Officers Wives of the 4th Regiment, upon which we were immediately suffered to land, and Ct, H waited on us to General Hs Quarters, the Gentleman who escorted us in the Boat, I had promised at his request, should return immediately without molestation, this I made known to the Officer commanding adding, I hoped it would be performed without delay, he assured me it should, At the Generals Quarters we were cordially received by his Daughter who was keeping his House, the rest of his family excepting his Son, were in New England, & with this Lady I tarried while in Detroit, & received from her all that attention, which a refined mind could bestow, her Husband had a commission in the Army, & she had two Dear little girls & the care and attention they required helpd to pass pleasantly, some of the other wise tedious hours incident to our situation, for from this time till our capture one continued din of War caused us anxious days & sleepless nights, no Sabbaths, no sanctuary, privileges blest, us with their return, but all days were alike merged in a continual preparation, for Brother to shed his Brothers blood, for here had been such a friendly intercourse keept up, & been cemented by marrying with each other, that it seemed like families taking up arms against their fellows, do not be uneasy on our account, I trust we shall be protected, our cause is good, & let us hope that the same kind Providence who fought our Battles in the revolution will still succour & protect this highly favour'd people.

July 7th

The Army has just arrived, all in good health & spirits, this is a beautiful part of our Country, good gardens in the Village, & fine farms in the vicinity, had a delightful ride horseback on the bank of the river above Detroit.

August 5th

Some parties from our Troops, have had several skirmishes with the British & Indians, an english Officer dresed & painted like the Indians, lead the Savages on to Battle, is it not surprising that a white man of any refinement can do such a thing, after one of the Skirmishes they suffered some Indians to take a scalp which came of a Yankey Soldiers head, & carry it 12 miles for the purpose of shewing it to Leiut G. on board the Prison Ship, this was done in the most insulting maner, since this took place, they have been obliged to move the Prison Ship out in the stream some distance, to prevent the Indian fireing into her, which they did once, but injured no one. poor Mrs Gooding must be very unpleasantly situated no female companion to speak to, & in constant terror, the 12 of July General H crossed to Sandwich oppisite Detroit with his troops, & took possession, the Inhabitants either quiting the place, or stoping under American jurisdiction. A detachment of Troops have gone to Browns-town & My Husband among them we have heard, that an ingagment had commenced between the English & Americans, the thought is almost too much to bear, that it is possible my beloved Josiah may be among the Slain. We have just heard that our troops are victorious, no Officers killed & only one wounded, Col Miller commanded, my Dear Josiah has returned in safty.

12 August

Our Troops have vacated Sandwich & returned to this place, since then the Enemy have been very buisy on the opposite shore building a battery we suppose, as the ends project beyond a large building, which covers them while they work, & at night we can hear them throw their cannon balls from a boat on to the land—

one of our Physicians Docter F is very sick we fear he will die, he is a very particular Friend of Josiah & myself, a most excellent young man unblemished morals & posessing a refined mind, higly cultivated.

Today received a message from the Docter requesting I would favour him with an interview, obeying the summons, with all possible dispatch, I hastened to his room, & found him very near his end, in replying to my enquiry how he was, he observed, Mrs B, I have sent for you to converse about dying, my male Friends are not willing to converse on this subject, but thinking you are a rational woman, I feel as if you would not object to hear me, I assured him, it would give me pleasure to alleviate his sufferings all in my power, he then informed me what his desease was, said it was hereditary that his Mother & several of his family had died with the same, Spoke with the greatest calmness of his immediate dissolution which he thought must take place ere tomorrows sun sunk in the West, as there was an abscess forming which on breaking would in all probability terminate his existance, he appeared to feel perfectly confident of his acceptance with God on the score of his own merits, he acknowledged no Savior, he needed none his own righteousness was all sufficient, I knew, I felt, he was altogether wrong, that he was building on the Sand, but I was so struck with finding him so near his end, & with the calmness & resignation he discovered, & feeling my incompetency to direct him aright, that it took from me almost the power of utterance, & I left him without Saying one word to undeceive him. O how culpable was I thus to see the fellow creature just on the verge of eternity & not say one word to endeavour, to convince him, of the sandy foundation, on which he was building, My feelings on leaving him were indiscribable, for I could not indulge the hope that he would survive, after hearing his explanation & the certainty he felt that he must die, & he was correct, for the next day as the Sun gain'd its Meridian he yielded his spirit to him who gave it. he observed to me while conversing, that he felt very grateful to God, that he had no Mother, to mourn his loss,—he was buried the next day with Military honors, he was much esteemed & respected.

I was much mortified while a prisoner, to hear a British Officer say, the New England states will not take up arms against his Majesty, & then add, you have federal governers, nothing would delight them so much as a disunion, & they are strengthened in the Idea by reading so many improper pieces in the paper, but I know the vile productions which I see in the papers are not the sentiments of a majority of the people in the place which ranked among the first to achieve our independence. O may the bright flame of patriotism, which glowed in the bosom of Our Washington, & his compatriots, animate the breasts of their decendents, that while one drop of blood, flows in the veins of Americans, they may remember the dying injunction of the Father of his Country, to unitedly maintain that Independence which (under Heaven) their Fathers so gloriously obtained—

15 August

A summons has been sent to day, from General B. [Isaac Brock] Commander of the English forces in Canada, to General H. [Hull], to surrender Detroit with the Army to him, this the general has not seen fit to comply with, & every preperation is making for a Bombardment, the British Soldiers are very busy puling down the, large House which conceals their Battery, if I did not feel halfe frightened out of my wits, I could laugh, to see what quick work, they make of it, never did a building come down quicker, all the Women & Children are to go into the Fort as the only secure place against the Indians, & the Bombs, & 24 pound shot of the English, the Officers who came with the summons have returned & as soon as they arrive on the Opposite shore the fireing will commence.

19 August

Amidst the horrors of War I have not been able to compose myself sufficiently to write a line, but as the carnage has ceased with us for the present, & I with my Dear Husband & many others, are prisoners of war, seated very quietly in his Majestys Ship the Queen Charlotte, I will now endeavour to give an account of some of the very interesting events which have transpired within these five days past. While the bearers of the summons were returning with a negative to their demand, I took Mrs Hs oldest girl, a Child about three years old & went into the Fort which was some distance from our House, & I did not tarry by the way I assure you, but when I arrived I found many had got there before me. it was not long, before the fireing of cannon commenced on both sids, & continued without effecting anything, till the enemy about midnight discontinued, & we ceased allso, some of us females & Children had not been able to eat anything all day, & feeling very faint concluded to make some tea, this meal we might call an early breakfast as it was one in the Morning when we partooke of it, after this we endeavoured to get some sleep. Captin Sn. had been married only 'two days previous to this dismal event, & his Bride a sweet little Girl of 14 years of age, was with us. She with her nephew a Child of 5 or 6 years old, cried themselves to sleep, as children often do. In vain I tried to court the drowsey God, Sleep was banished from my eyes, & many others found it as difficult as myself to get a moments rest—it was a night long to be remembered & a scene never to be forgotten,

16 August Soon as auroras beautiful rays adorned the east, the Cannon began to roar apparently with tenfold fury, to do execution, the enemys shot began to enter the Fort, & as some Ladies were making cylinders, (bags to hold the powder) & scraping lint in case it should be wanted, a 24 pound shot entered the next door to the one they were in, & cut two Officers who were standing in the entry directly in two their bowels gushing out, the same ball passed through the Wall into a room where a number of people were & took the legs of one man off & the flesh of the thigh of another the person who had his legs shot off died in a short time, thus one of these angry Messengers destroyed the lives of three & wounded a fourth in a moment of time, one of the Gentlemen who was killed in the entry, was a Capt in the regular Army, & had been taken prisoner at Chicago, and was in the Fort for safty, as he was not allowed, to take up Arms till he was exchanged, soon after this, another ball of equal size, entered the Hospital room, & a poor fellow who lay sick on his bed, had his head severed, from his body instantly, & his attendant was likewise killed, the shot striking him in his breast, the enemy had got the range of the Fort so completely, that it was considered dangerous for the Woman & Children to stay any longer in the Quarters, & we all hurried to a root House (on the opposite side of the Fort) which was bomb proofe. never shall I forget my sensation as I crossed the Parade ground to gain the place of safty, you must recollect, my feelings had been under constant excitement for many weeks, & now were wrought up to a high pitch, weep I could not, complain I would not, & I felt as if my nerves would burst, my hair felt as if it was erect upon my head, which was not covered, & my eyes raised upward to catch a glimpse of the bombs shells & balls that were flying in all directions, in the midst of all this, I saw the little Boy whose Father was tomahawked by Indians at Tippecanoe, runing about on the parapets exposed to the fire of the enemey as fearlessly as if in play—on gaining the root House, I found it nearly full of Woman & Children, one Lady so sick obliged to be carried there in a bed. What a scene was here presented, such lamentation, & weeping, I never heard before, & I sincerely hope I never shall again, among all this number but three appeared composed, & they felt more than can be described, the Wife of one of the Officers who had been shot as above mentioned, was in an agony of grief as you may well suppose, & amidst her lamentation, asking what she had done to deserve this sore trouble. O thought, I, what have any of us done to diserve any thing else, one Child too young to realize danger, was screaming most violently for its attendent to walk with her on the Parapet, on looking out of the door of the root House, opposite, I saw a Ball take a chiminy down & was told the same ball killed some one on the Parapet, the other side of the House, who was stationed there on duty—

About this time, the Enemy landed on our side, under cover of their armed Vessels, of which they had a sufficiency to demolish Detroit if they chose, & we had not a boat in order to carry a single gun. & General Brock's effective force was double, the number of ours— The Indians were let lose upon the inhabitants in all directions, & but a very small supply of Provision & Ammunition, under such circumstances the General after counciling Col Miller saw fit to2 surrender under the best terms he could, for in addition to what I have already stated a part of the Generals more efficient force, were some distance from Detroit where they had been sent on duty previous to the summons. A white flag was accordingly displayed upon the Parapet the common signal for a cessation of hostilities, & the Cannon ceased to roar, all was still. Immediatly the Enemy sent to ascertain, for what purpose the white flag was exhibited, & learnt the determination of the General to surrender.

Our Soldiers were then marched on to the Parade ground in the Frot, w[h]ere they stacked their arms, which were then deliver'd to the Enemy, the American colors were taken from the Stafe on the Fort & immediatly replaced by the English colors, & a royal salute fired, from the very cannon, taken from them in the revolutionary war — while their music played God save the King, their national tune, in the most livily maner. A thousand emotions struggled in my breast, too numerous for utterance, & too exquisitly painful to be described, — the poor fellows that were shot in this contest were buried in one common grave. After the Surrender those who had fled to the Fort for safty, returned to their respective abodes, the little Girl of whom I had charge in the begining, was with me all the time, & when she saw the fine uniform of the British Soldier expressed her delight in Broken accents, for she could not speak plain, calling them pretty—poor Child she little thought or realized, the sorrow, the transactions of that day might bring upon her family, & did actually, cloud their happiness for a long time afterwards.

17 August

The prisoners were put on board his Majestys Vessels to be sent to Niagria & from thence to Montreal on their way to Quebec thus a second time in the short space, of less then six weeks I was

2 On August 16, 1812, the town of Detroit was surrendered to General Brock by General Hull. Esarey, Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison, II, 92. At this point of the manuscript, Mrs. Bacon had written, "call a council, of Officers, and the result was to," but she scratched over it and inserted, "after counciling Col Miller."
a prisoner & feared I should not be so easily released this time as I was with my Husband & he being of more consequence to the enemy, than a woman, might not get paroled, & I felt determin'd not to leave him unless obliged to. we were put on board the Queen Charlotte a fine Armed Ship of 300 tons, in the same Vessel were a number of others among whom were General H, & his son, Capt H, a number of 4th Regiment Officers, with their Soldiers, & several public Civil Officers, & only three Ladies Mrs F, Mrs S. & myself, Mrs F & S—only staid' on board our Vessel one night, the next day they were put in to another Vessel, ours being very crowded, & I was left intirely without a female to communicate a thought to, but I think notwithstanding our being prisoners, you would have laughed heartily, could you have seen us, when we laid ourselves down for the night. I am sure I never felt in a merrier mood, & the same feeling seemed to pervade all, except the General who was not in our Cabin, there was but one stateroom in the Cabin allotted for the Prisoners, & this had been taken possession of by Mrs F ere Mrs S and I arrived, Capt S, was much offended that a stateroom had not been provided for his beautiful Bride, who had been so hardly a week. To be sure we was led to expect more from British Officers whose politeness to the Ladies is proverbial, than their monopolizing all the Staterooms for their own use, but as we had been accustomed for many months to make the best of every thing, we thought it the best Policy to do so on the present occasion, & therefore proceded to arrange our beds as well as we could, consulting comfort & decency, as much as the times would possibly admit. Capt S, put his bed next the State room where Capt F & his wife were, we put ours next his, he took his place next the door his wife next him, I laid down by her & my husband the other side of me. thus he & Capt S formed a guard for their wives, while the rest, all gentlemen, covered the rest of the floor completely, altho nothing but variety had been our portion for many a month, I must confess the unpresedented novelety of our present situation intirely excluded sleep from our eyes, tho every thing in the Ship was quiet but ourselves, one Officer passing through our Cabin observed we were a merry set of prisoners, Mrs S requested him to give her some water to drink, which he politely complied with We were wind bound several days, which was very tedious being crowded & our fare not very good, one day at table a gentleman observed to me if I could eat such bread as this, (breaking as he spoke, a biscuit which he held in his hand), I was a better Soldier than he, for as he broke the bread, the hairs & Sticks shewed to great advantage, I was the best Soldier if eating the bread without thinking of the dirt made one, for untile my attention was called to it I had not thought of it, & was eating it with a very good relish, one day I made a huge apple pudding, which the Gentlemen enjoyed very much endeed, sewing, reading, & conversation, made the time pass talerably pleasant. When we went on board the Charlotte I had A bundle in my hand containing some work, with all my sewing apparratus a very handsome pearl breast Pin (the Gift of Brother John Bacon) & some money, this bundle as I was assending the side of the Vessel from a boat which conveyed us to it I put into the hand of one of the men who rowed the boat, & never saw the man or bundle again, this was a serious evil I thought at the time as I should be deprived the pleasure of sewing, my favorite employment, but a young Officer (Brittish) learning my misfortune went ashore & purchased, needles, pins, scisors, & thread & presented them to me—we were 14 days before we reached Buffaloe, 11 of which we lay waiting for a fair wind, & only 3 days going across Lake Eri, it was a pleasant sail, when we landed at Eri on the Cannada side, the Commanding Officer gave General Hull the liberty to fill the Carraige which was provided for him & his Aid & the only one which could be procured at the place. My Husband had been long acquainted with the General, which I suppose was the reason of his offering us the vacant seats in preferance to others, & as my Husbands duties ceased when the Soldiers were prisoners, he could avail himselfe of this comfortable conveyance. Officers of the line were obliged to be with their Men—& I after wards understood their wives had a very uncomfortable time in geting to Newark 36 miles from Eri, without protecters or proper carraiges to ride in, & now behold us seated with the General & his Aid guarded by Officers of suitable rank on horse back, 2 each side the Carraige, & 2 behind & the same number preceeding us, going just as fast as they could make the Horses go,3 which to be sure was not the best, but mean as they were I am inclined to think it was at the risk of our necks, we were hurried along with such velocity, the reason for their so doing I presume was, they feared our getin a view of their fortifications, which were erected at short distances from Eri to New Ark—In descending Queenstown Heights, I expected we should be precipitated into the abyss below, my head whirl'd as I endeavoured to catch a view as we flew along, We dined at a Tavern near the Falls of Niagra, These Falls, of which I had heard so much, I had a great desire to see, & oft times had said when speaking of returning home, we must see Niagra Falls before we return, & now I could be gratifyed, but how strangly brought about, I observed to the Officer in command that altho a prisoner I hoped to be permitted to view the Falls, he immediatly answered in the affirmative, immediatly after dinner General, & Capt H, Husband, & myself, escorted by the Guard, proceeded to the Falls, which answered our expectations, as far as we had time to examine them, but this was not as long as we could have wished as we must reach our destined Haven that afternoon, but since then, under more propitious circumstances, we have been astonished and delighted with the stupendous & sublime work of nature.
We found in conversing with these Gentleman that they were well acquainted, with Mrs Gooding, & her Husband, they admired her, they informed us they had a short time previous been sent to Montreal, & that on their way there had stoped at New Ark some weeks, he was closely confined in consequence of some terms he made use of in speaking of his Majesty which they thought improper, he had the liberty of the Village before this, I afterwards learnt from herself,

3 Between the lines and nearly erased are the words, "poor old worn out creatures gallop."
that she was treated by the British Officers & their wives with great respect being often invited to visit them, & found them very pleasant & refined.4
We resumed our seats in the Carraige & about 5. P M arrived at NewArk, a very pleasant Village, directly opposite Fort Niagra, here we found good Quarters, the same Leiut G, & Wife occupied, we found their names written on the Wall, we were not detain'd at Newark long, for very providentially for us, General Brock was at this place on his way to Montreal, & at General H-s request paroled My Husband, because his wife was with him, & ere the other Officers arrived who desired the same privilege, the General had left, & they had to proceed to Montreal, where All who had wives were immediatly liberated, this provoked some of the Batchalors very much, & made them almost promise, they would get married directly, if they could find anyone to have them, all those who were carried to Montreal were marched through the Streets & round Nelsons Monument to the tune of Yankey Doodle, before they were allowed to put up, this display of prisoners was something like the conquests of old.

My Dear Josiah having obtained his parole, was anxious to depart, & the next day we left his Majestys dominions with heatt felt joy altho we had but 25 cts to travel 500 miles with. The Troops had not received any pay for a long time, the communication being so hazardous at Detroit, prevented the Money being sent, & all the money we had was in the Bundle, I lost, when climbing into the Queen Charlotte, but this did not trouble us, so delighted were we with the thought of being once more in our own Country—The river between Niagra & NewArk is quite narrow, & in a few moments we were safely landed in our beloved United States, & our respiration became more free, at least we thought so, We went immediatly to the Fort attended by our Brother Officers, who had seen the Boat approching & came to the wharf to receive us, The Stone building in this Fort was erected by the French more than a Century ago, it is situated directly on the Bank of Lake Ontario, the distance between the building & the Water hardly admitting a foot path—in its rear—its high Windows, lofty walls, strong doors, & wide stair case, all denoted the object for which it was designed, we visited different parts of it, & well do I recollect the Magezine, which many years after, (while our Country reposed in peace, & we would feign have flattered ourselves the angry passions of men had Subsided also) became the prison of the Unfortunate Morgan, & I also remember how lovely the beautiful Lake appeared to me, which was undoubtdly his grave,5—After dinner we proceeded by invitation to the House of Docter West, a phycisian in the Army, who had purchased a farm on the Lake & whose family, consisting of a Wife, a Sister, & several Children, resided there, we passed through some woods near the Fort, & the recollection that this same woods, had been consecrated, by the prayers of that beloved Saint, Mrs Isabelle Graham, made

4 This comment may have been added when Mrs. Bacon copied her diary and letters.
5 This section was probably added when the diary and letters were copied.
them pecularily interesting I had been for so long a time uncos-tomed to walk, that in going the distance of a mile & half, my feet became blistered, & with pleasure I haild the appearance of the habitation through the trees which was to be our resting place for the night, we were received with hospitality by the Docters family, who expressed much interest for us, & endeavoured in every possible way to make us comfortable, & happy, once more a witness to the happiness of the domestic circle, we for a season almost forget the perils we had passed through, & felt there was something yet to enjoy, the Sister when I retired for the night followed me into the room, assigned us, & insisted on bathing my blistered feet, (an office which had never been performed for me when I had strength to do it myselfe) & all the objections I could offer, did not deter her, from her benevolent purpose, surely if any one ought to remember the stranger it is us, so many acts of kindness have been shewn us by them, that the knowledge of anyones being a Stranger seems to be a claim upon us, refreshed & invigorated by our short stay with this kind family, & anxious once more to behold our Dear Parents & relatives, Josiah obtain'd funds of the Pay Master at Niagra, & the next day we proceeded on our journey towards the place of our nativity, the Stage at this time did not run farther than Buffaloe, 36 miles from where we then were, & we hired a Cart the best vehicle the times would afford in this Cart, we put our trunks, & on a trunk we put our Mattrass & thus made a tolerable comfortable seat, but the roads were dreadful, logs most of the way slightly covered with earth, we bore the jolting till our limbs seemed almost dislocated & then, tried how walking would affect us, this was some reliefe, but fearing to blister my feet which were hardly well, we had recourse to our miserable conveyance again, & about 9 at night arrived at a wretched tavern the only one we could reach, & with in a few rods of the Falls, the distance we had travel'd was only 18 miles The badness of the roads, & the frequent interruptions occasioned by the Officers Stationed all along the road, calling on Josiah to give them an account of the Surrender, of which they had as yet heard only imperfectly related, detained us very much, & wearied exceedingly with our days travel we gladly avail'd ourselves of a shelter for the night however mean, on entering the House I was immediatly struck with the Paucity of everything that could be called comfortable, & feared we had not exchanged our situation for the better, the event proved we had not, the only female we saw prepared us a miserable supper, which after we had tried to eat, I sat till I thought I should have fallen on to the floor, so fearful was I of seeing the room where we were to sleep, while waiting for our repast we heard a groan, & on enquiring if anyone was sick, in the House, was answered in the affirmative, on asking who it was, they said it was a young Soldier sick with the camp fever—at last I told Josiah I must go to bed, & we were shown up a ladder into an appartment where the poor young man, whom I should not think more than 18 years old lay very ill endeed, so ill they thought he must die, he looked dreadfully, the head of his bed was close to the door of the room we were to occupy, which was off its hinges & set up as well as it could be without them, it containd two beds which almost came in contact with each other the room was so small, a window consisting of Six panes of glass mostly broken, admitted the full moon which shone with uncommon brilliancy, & helped to make more visible the extreme filth of the place, one traveler seemingly unconscious of the weal or Woe that surrounded him was in one of the beds, the other was for us, the pillow cases was the color of coal & on turning down the cloths they were worse if possible, & emitted such an efluvia that with difficulty I was kept from being sick. O said I, soon as I recovered power to articulate, dont let us stay here, do go into the barn, or outdoor, or anywhere rather than pass the night in such a place as this, it appeared to me it was more dreadful than any place I had been in through the whole Campaign, (one reason I presume for this was, my having been so much in the open air) that dirt & confinement appeard terrific)—but Josiah with his prevailing desire to make the best of every thing observed, dont say a word, they have given us the best they could, I told him if we must stay, we would not undress, but spread our pocket handkerchief on the Pillows, & lay down on the out side of the bed, this he agreed too, which we accordingly did, but sleep had fled, & the bugs which begun their repast soon as we got warm & from the voraciousness with which they regaled upon our poor wearied bodies, evinced they had not made a meal for a long time, combined with the piercing groans of the dying man & the stench which came from his bed, precluded even the possibility of such a thing— besids the thundering of the mighty Cataract would have been sufficient to have banished sleep, with this combination of circumstances you can form some faint Idea of what a dreadful night we passed, & it can be but faint either, for I have not the command of language sufficient to give you any adequate conception of the scenee. As soon as the day dawned we arose, & looking at the young Man as we passed, we saw he was near his end, A person apparently his own age attended him, perhap he was his Brother, but I asked no questions & hasted away fearing we had imbibed the disease. In reviewing this scene I have often thought how supremely selfish I was, instead of passing the night, in useless regrets, that we were so situated, it was my duty to have endeavoured to alleviate the sufferings of the sick stranger, possibly I might have rendered him some service that would have been beneficial, at any rate my own reflections would not have been so painful at the retrospect. While the man who drove us was attending to his horse & preparing to depart, we visited the Falls for a few momments, & bid them Adieu as we thought forever, & once more taking possession of our splendid Vehicle, we proceeded on our journey & like the day previous Josiah had to answer, innumerable questions, at every place we stopped, respecting the surrender, some of which amused, & others provoked us exceedingly, it rain'd part of the day & the only shelter we had was an unbralla, which prevented us from being intirely wet through. We arrived at Batavia about 6, AM, found a good House & had a comfortable nights rest, which refreshed, & prepared us, for taking the stage the next morning. We found the stage a good one, fine roads & what was better than either, very delightful companions, one Officer in the American Service, two Gentlemen from New York, & a Lady who was going to Detroit but hearing of the Surrender, was on her way back to the City, she had two Children & two Servants with her, this Lady & the Gentleman all proved to be very sociable & interesting, minds highly cultivated & maners very refined, we enjoyed their Society as far as Albany, & have never seen them since, except the Officer who dined with us once, at Sacketts Harbor, As I am now relating incidents intirely from memory, which took place twenty years since, I cannot remember at what place we slept the first night, we travell'd in the Stage nor is it of consequence, as, but little occured that I can insert here, except we had to Share our room which contain'd two Beds with our Friend the Officer, the House tho large was crowded, we passed the second day th[r]o several delightful Villages Cannadagua, Skeeniatless [Skeneateles], Auburn & Geneva, & others, crossing Lakes & rivers with which that part of the Country abounds, all tending to charm the eye exhilerate the Spirits, & raise our thought to that great & good being, who hath made all things for the comfort & growth of grace, in his intelligent creation if improved aright, Arrived at Uttica a very beautiful Village at the Head of the Mohawk, a very pretty river, which only a few years Since wafted the light canoe of the Aboriginies on its bosom, & their Wigwam adorned its Banks, but now how changed, beautiful farms, regale the eye of the beholder, & a Canal passes through them, fed by the Mohawk which conveys beautiful Boats loaded with property, & thousands of people engaged in different persuits find it, a safe and delightful conveyance, We put up at Mr Baggs Hotel renowned for its elegant accommodations as its LandLord is, for his attention & sauvety of manners to all those who are so fortunate as to make this their resting place, refreshing repose prepared us anew to enjoy the scenery around us, as well as the very interesting remarks of our travelling companions, & we arrived at Albany congratuling ourselves on having such an agreable journey so far, & regretting exceedingly that we must now separate from those who appeard so worthy of our regard, but we were now near our dear Friends from whom we had been seperated 17 months, two more days, & we should without accident behold them, the thought was pleasant indeed, but we found on enquiry that if we continued directly on to Boston the next day, being Saturday, we must Stop over Sabbath in Northampton, & we concluded to stay in Albany As General Dearborn was at the Military depot near there, with a number of Officers, whom Josiah wished to see, Saturday Morning we sleep till past the breakfast hour, & had our morning meal sent into the Parlor where we were sitting, in one corner of which sat a Quaker Lady of very pleasing aspect, who informed us as a peice of news, that the Eve previous, An Officer, & his Wife, had arrived directly, from Detroit, who had been taken Prisoners by General Brock, & added, have you heard any thing about them? We observed we were the Persons, upon which she expressed her pleasure at seeing us, & made many enquiries, respecting the transactions, which had excited such commotions, throughout the United States, Soon as it was known we were at Albany, A number of the Military called on us, & my Husband was dilligently employed in answering innumerable Questions, which every new comer wished to have answered. In the Eve, the stage arrived from Bolston Springs, & a Gentleman & Lady came into the room where I sat, who in a few moments I recognized to be Lawyer Thurston & Wife whom I had often seen at Aunt Smiths, Mrs T, being an intimate Friend, of my Aunts, & associated with her, as managers of the female Orppan Asylum, I longed to speak to her, but thought it best to wait, & see if she recollected me, & it was not long before I found she remembered me perfectly, they appeared much interested in us, & we passed the ensuing Sabbath together, & for the first time for many a long month, we enjoyed the means of Grace, with none to molest or make us afraid, & altho I could not estimate this great privilege, then as Ihope I have since, yet the recollection of that season is very sweet. Monday Morn, we started for our beloved home cheered with the prospect of soon seeing our Dear Friends, & delighted, that we had such agreable companions, for the rest of our journey, for Mr & Mrs T. occupyed seats in the same stage for Boston with ourselves, we have generally been very fortunte, in meeting good companey, in all most every situation where our lot has been cast, which we considered a blessing, for nothing is more unpleasant than disagreable travelling companions we had a great deal of pleasant conversation, which made the time pass swiftly, & we arrived at Northampton at rather a late hour in the Evening, A good supper & bed invigorated our bodies, & early in the morning we persued our journey with all that intensity of feeling which our situation was calculated to produce, we went on very pleasantly till about 11 o clock, when our stage gave way & we were obliged to take open waggons as far as where the stage exchanged, here we found a good carraige, & proceeded without further accident to Boston where we arrived about 10 at night, Our Dear Mother with a shout of joy received us with open Armes, & My Dear Sisters Abby & Annah who had retired for the night, hearing the stage stop & the exclamation of joy that followed, soon made their appearance & I once more had the pleasure of embracing those I dearly loved.

1830 Odd Scraps of Information for the Frugal Housewife

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Lydia Maria Francis Child
The Frugal Housewife - Dedicated to Those Who Are Not Ashamed of Economy 2nd Edition To Which is Added Hints to Persons of Moderate Fortune
Boston: Carter and Hendee. 1830

Henry Mosler (American genre artist, 1841-1920)  Just Moved

ODD SCRAPS FOR THE ECONOMY-MINDED

IF you would avoid waste in your family, attend to the following rules, and do not despise them because they appear so unimportant: 'many a little makes a mickle.'

Look frequently to the pails, to see that nothing is thrown to the pigs, which should have been in the grease-pot.

Look to the grease-pot, and see that nothing is there which might have served to nourish your own family, or a poorer one.

See that the beef and pork are always under brine; and that the brine is sweet and clean.

Count towels, sheets, spoons, &c., occasionally; that those who use them may not become careless.

See that the vegetables are neither sprouting, nor decaying; if they are so, remove them to a drier place and spread them.

Examine preserves, to see that they are not contracting mould; and your pickles, to see that they are not growing soft and tasteless.

As far as it is possible, have bits of bread eaten up before they become hard. Spread those that are not eaten, and let them dry to be pounded for puddings, or soaked for brewis. Brewis is made of crusts, and dry pieces of bread, soaked a good while in hot milk, mashed up, and salted and buttered like toast. Above all, do not let them accumulate in such quantities that they cannot be used. With proper care, there is no need of losing a particle of bread, even in the hottest weather.

Attend to all the mending in the house, once a week, if possible. Never put out sewing. If it be impossible to do it in your own family, hire some one into the house, and work with them.

Make your own bread and cake. Some people think it is just as cheap to buy of the baker and confectioner; but it is not half as cheap. True, it is more convenient; and therefore the rich are justifiable in employing them; but those who are under the necessity of being economical, should make convenience a secondary object. In the first place, confectioners make their cake richer than people of moderate income can afford to make it; in the next place, your domestic, or yourself, may just as well employ your own time, as to pay them for theirs.

When ivory-handled knives turn yellow, rub them with nice sand paper, or emery; it will take off the spots and restore their whiteness.

When a carpet is faded, I have been told that it may be restored, in a great measure, (provided there be no grease in it) by being dipped into strong salt and water. I never tried this; but I know that
silk pocket-handkerchiefs, and deep blue factory cotton, will not fade, if dipped in salt and water, while new.

An ox's gall will set any color,--silk, cotton, or woollen. I have seen the colors of calico, which faded at one washing, fixed by it. Where one lives near a slaughter-house, it is worth while to buy cheap fading goods and set them in this way. The gall can be bought for a few cents. Get out all the liquid and cork it up in a large phial. One large spoonful of this in a gallon of warm water is sufficient.
This is likewise excellent for taking out spots from bombazine, bombazet, &c. After being washed in this, they look about as well as when new. It must be thoroughly stirred into the water, and not put upon the cloth--It is used without soap. After being washed in this, cloth which you want to clean should be washed in warm suds, without using soap.

Tortoise shell and horn combs last much longer for having oil rubbed into them once in a while.

Indian-meal and rye-meal are in danger of fermenting in summer; particularly Indian. They should be kept in a cool place, and stirred open to the air, once in a while. A large stone put in the middle of a barrel of meal is a good thing to keep it cool.

The covering of oil-flasks sewed together with strong thread, and lined and bound neatly, makes useful table-mats.

A warming-pan full of coals, or a shovel of coals, held over varnished furniture, will take out white spots. Care should be taken, not to hold the coals near enough to scorch; and the place should be rubbed with flannel while warm.

Spots in furniture may usually be cleansed by rubbing them quick and hard, with a flannel wet with the same thing which took out the color; if rum, wet the cloth with rum, &c.

The very best restorative, for defaced varnished furniture, is rotten-stone pulverized, and rubbed on with linseed oil.

Sal-volatile, or hartshorn, will restore colors taken out by acid. It may be dropped upon any garment without doing harm.

Spirits of turpentine is good to take grease spots out of woollen clothes; to take spots of paint, &c., from mahogany furniture; and to cleanse white kid gloves.

Cockroaches, and all vermin, have an aversion to spirits of turpentine.

An ounce of quicksilver, beat up with the white of two eggs, and put on with a feather, is the cleanest and surest bed-bug poison. What is left should be thrown away: it is dangerous to have it about the house.
If the vermin are in your walls, fill up the cracks with verdigris-green paint.

Lamps will have a less disagreeable smell, if you dip your wick-yarn in strong hot vinegar, and dry it.

Those who make candles will find it a great improvement to steep the wicks in lime-water and salt-petre, and dry them. The flame is clearer, and the tallow will not 'run.'

Brittania ware should be first rubbed gently with a woollen cloth and sweet oil; then washed in warm suds, and rubbed with soft leather and whiting. Thus treated, it will retain its beauty to the last.

Eggs will keep almost any length of time in lime-water properly prepared. One pint of coarse salt, and one pint of unslacked lime to a pailful of water. If there be too much lime it will eat the shells from the eggs; and if there be a single egg cracked, it will spoil the whole. They should be covered with lime water, and kept in a cold place. The yolk becomes slightly red; but I have seen eggs, thus kept, perfectly sweet and fresh at the end of three years. The cheapest time to lay down eggs, is early in spring and the middle and last of September. It is bad economy to buy eggs by the dozen, as you want them.

New iron should be very gradually heated at first. After it has become inured to the heat it is not as likely to crack.

It is a good plan to put new earthen ware into cold water, and let it heat gradually, until it boils,--then cool again. Brown earthen ware in particular, may be toughened in this way. A handful of rye, or wheat brand, thrown in while it is boiling, will preserve the glazing, so that it will not be destroyed by acid or salt.

Clean a brass kettle, before using it for cooking, with salt and vinegar.

Skim milk and water, with a bit of glue in it, heated scalding hot, is excellent to restore old, rusty, black Italian crape. If clapped and pulled dry, like nice muslin, it will look as well, or better, than when new.

Wash-leather gloves should be washed in clean suds, scarcely warm.

The oftener carpets are shaken, the longer they wear; the dirt that collects under them, grinds out the threads.

Do not have carpets swept any oftener than is absolutely necessary. After dinner, sweep the crumbs into a dusting pan with your hearth-brush; and if you have been sewing, pick up the shreds by hand. A carpet can be kept very neat in this way; and a broom wears it very much.

Buy your woollen yarn in quantities from some one in the country, whom you can trust. The thread-stores make profits, upon it, of course.

It is not well to clean brass andirons, handles, &c. with vinegar. It makes them very clean at first; but they soon spot and tarnish. Rotten-stone and oil are proper materials for cleaning brasses. If wiped every morning with flannel and N. England rum, they will not need to be cleaned half as often.

If you happen to live in a house which has marble fire-places, never wash them with suds; this destroys the polish, in time. They should be dusted; the spots taken off with a nice oiled cloth, and then rubbed dry with a soft rag.

Feathers should be very thoroughly dried before they are used. For this reason they should not be packed away in bags, when they are first plucked.--They should be laid lightly in a basket, or something of that kind, and stirred up often. The garret is the best place to dry them; because they will there be kept free from dirt and moisture; and will be in no danger of being blown away. It is well to put the parcels, which you may have from time to time, into the oven, after you have removed your bread, and let them stand a day.

If feather-beds smell badly, or become heavy, from want of proper preservation of the feathers, or from old age, empty them and wash the feathers thoroughly in a tub of suds; spread them in your garret to dry, and they will be as light and as good as new.

New England rum constantly used to wash the hair, keeps it very clean, and free from disease; and promotes its growth a great deal more than Macassar oil.

Brandy is very strengthening to the roots of the hair; but it has a hot, drying tendency, which N. E. rum has not.

If you wish to preserve fine teeth, always clean them thoroughly, after you have eaten your last meal at night.

Rags should never be thrown away because they are dirty. Mop-rags, lamp-rags, &c. should be washed, dried, and put in the rag-bag. There is no need of expending soap upon them: boil them out in dirty suds, after you have done washing.

Linen rags should be carefully saved; for they are extremely useful in sickness. If they have become dirty and worn by cleaning silver, &c. wash them and scape them into lint.

After old coats, pantaloons, &c. have been cut up for boys, and are no longer capable of being converted into garments, cut them into strips, and employ the leisure moments of children, or domestics, in sewing and braiding them for door-mats.

If you are troubled to get soft water for washing, fill a tub or barrel, half full of ashes, and fill it up with water, so that you may have lye whenever you want it. A gallon of strong lye put into a great kettle of hard water will make it as soft as rain water.
Some people use pearlash, or potash; but this costs something, and is very apt to injure the texture of the cloth.

If you have a strip of land, do not throw away suds. Both ashes and suds are good manure for bushes and young plants.

When a white Navarino bonnet becomes soiled, rip it in pieces, and wash it with a sponge and soft water. While it is yet damp, wash it two or three times with a clean sponge dipped into a strong saffron tea, nicely strained. Repeat this till the bonnet is as dark a straw color as you wish. Press it on the wrong side with a warm iron, and it will look like a new Leghorn.

About the last of May, or the first of June, the little millers which lay moth-eggs begin to appear.--Therefore brush all your woollens, and pack them away in a dark place, covered with linen. Pepper, red-cedar chips, tobacco,--indeed, almost any strong spicy smell is good to keep moths out of your chests and drawers. But nothing is so good as camphor. Sprinkle your woollens with camphorated spirit, and scatter pieces of camphor-gum among them and you will never be troubled with moths.

Some people buy camphor-wood for trunks, for this purpose; but they are very expensive, and the gum answers just as well.

The first young leaves of the common currant-bush, gathered as soon as they put out, and dried on tin, can hardly be distinguished from green tea.

Cream of Tartar, rubbed upon soiled white kid gloves, cleanses them very much.

Bottles that have been used for rose-water, should be used for nothing else; if scalded ever so much, they will kill the spirit of what is put in them.

If you have a greater quantity of cheeses in the house than is likely to be soon used, cover them carefully with paper, fastened on with flour paste, so as to exclude the air. In this way they may be kept free from insects for years. They should be kept in a dry, cool place.

Pulverized alum possesses the property of purifying water. A large spoonful stirred into a hogshead of water will so purify it, that in a few hours the dirt will all sink to the bottom, and it will be as fresh and clear as spring water. Four gallons may be purified by a tea-spoonful.

Save vials and bottles. Apothecaries and grocers will give something for them. If the bottles are of good thick glass, they will always be useful for bottling cider, or beer; but if they are thin French glass, like claret bottles, they will not answer.

Woollens should be washed in very hot suds, and not rinsed. Lukewarm water shrinks them.

On the contrary, silk, or anything that has silk in it, should be washed in water almost cold. Hot water turns it yellow. It may be washed in suds made of nice white soap; but no soap should be put upon it.
Likewise avoid the use of hot irons in smoothing silk. Either rub the articles dry with a soft cloth, or put them between two towels, and press them with weights.

Do not let knives be dropped into hot dish-water. It is a good plan to have a large tin pot to wash them in, just high enough to wash the blades, without wetting the handles. Keep your castors covered with blotting paper and green flannel. Keep your salt-spoons out of the salt, and clean them often.

Do not wrap knives and forks in woollens. Wrap them in good, strong paper. Steel is injured by lying in woollens.

If it be practicable, get a friend in the country to procure you a quantity of lard, butter, and eggs, at the time they are cheapest, to be put down for winter use. You will be likely to get them cheaper and better than in the City market; but by all means put down your winter's stock. Lard requires no other care than to be kept in a dry, cool place. Butter is sweetest in September and June; because food is then plenty, and not rendered bitter by frost. Pack your butter in a clean, scalded firkin, cover it with strong brine, and spread a cloth all over the top, and it will keep good until the Jews get into Grand Isle. If you happen to have a bit of salt-petre dissolve it with the brine. Dairy-women say that butter comes more easily, and has a peculiar hardness and sweetness, if the cream is scalded and strained before it is used. The cream should stand down cellar over night, after being scalded, that it may get perfectly cold.

Suet and lard keep better in tin than in earthen.

Suet keeps good all the year round, if chopped and packed down in a stone-jar, covered with molasses.

Pick suet free from veins and skin, melt it in water before a moderate fire, let it cool till it forms into a hard cake, then wipe it dry, and put it in clean paper in linen bags.

Preserve the backs of old letters to write upon. If you have children who are learning to write, buy coarse white paper by the quantity, and keep it locked up, ready to be made into writing books. It does not cost half as much as it does to buy them at the Stationer's.

Do not let coffee and tea stand in tin. Scald your wooden ware often; and keep your tin ware dry.

When mattresses get hard and bunchy, rip them, take the hair out, pull it thoroughly by hand, let it lie a day or two, to air, wash the tick, lay it in as light and even as possible, and catch it down, as before. Thus prepared, they will be as good as new.

It is poor economy to buy vinegar, by the gallon. Buy a barrel, or half barrel of really strong vinegar, when you begin house-keeping. As you use it, fill the barrel with old cider, sour beer, or wine-settlings, &c. left in pitchers, decanters, or tumblers, weak tea is likewise said to be good: nothing is hurtful, which has a tolerable portion of spirit, or acidity. Care must be taken not to add these things in too large quantities, or too often: if the vinegar once gets weak, it is difficult to restore it. If possible, it is well to keep such slops as I have mentioned in a different keg, and draw them off once in three or four weeks, in such a quantity as you think the vinegar will bear. If by any carelessness you do weaken it, a few white beans dropped in, or white paper dipped in molasses, is said to be useful.

If beer grows sour it may be used to advantage for pancakes and fritters. If very sour indeed, put a pint of molasses and water to it, and two or three days after put a half pint of vinegar; and in ten days it will be first rate vinegar.

Barley-straw is the best for beds; dry corn husks slit into shreds are far better than straw.

Straw beds are much better for being boxed at the sides, in the same manner upholsterers prepare ticks for feathers.

Brass andirons should be cleaned, done up in papers, and put in a dry place, during the summer season.

If you have a large family, it is well to keep white rags separate from colored ones, and cotton separate from woollen; they bring a higher price. Paper brings a cent a pound, and if you have plenty of room, it is well to save it. 'A penny saved is a penny got.'

Always have plenty of dish water, and have it hot. There is no need of asking the character of a domestic, if you have ever seen her wash dishes in a little greasy water.

When molasses is used in cooking, it is a prodigious improvement to boil and skim it, before you use it. It takes out the unpleasant raw taste, and makes it almost as good as sugar. Where molasses is used much for cooking, it is well to prepare one or two gallons in this way at a time.

In winter, always set the handle of your pump as high as possible, before you go to bed. Except in very rigid weather, this keeps the handle from freezing. When there is reason to apprehend extreme cold, do not forget to throw a rug, or

Never allow ashes to be taken up in wood, or put into wood. Always have your tinderbox and lantern ready for use, in case of sudden alarm. Have important papers all together where you can lay your hand on them at once, in case of fire.

Keep an old blanket and sheet on purpose for ironing, and on no account suffer any other to be used. Have plenty of holders always made that your towels may not be burned out in such service.

Keep a coarse broom for the cellar stairs, wood-shed, yard, &c. No good housekeeper allows her carpet broom to be used for such things.

There should always be a heavy stone on the top of your pork, to keep it down. This stone is an excellent place to keep a bit of fresh meat in the summer, when you are afraid of its spoiling.

Have all the good bits of vegetables and meat collected after dinner, and minced before they are set away; that they may be in readiness to make a little savoury mince meat for supper, or breakfast.

Vials, which have been used for medicine, should be put into cold ashes and water, boiled, and suffered to cool before they are rinsed.

If you live in the city, where it is always easy to procure provisions, be careful and not buy too much for your daily wants, while the weather is warm.

Never leave out your clothes-line over night; and see that your clothes-pins are all gathered into a basket.

Have plenty of crash towels in the kitchen; never let your white napkins be used there.

Soap your dirtiest clothes, and soak them in soft water over night.

Use hard soap to wash your clothes, and soft to wash your floors. Soft soap is so slippery, that it wastes a good deal in washing clothes.

Instead of covering up your glasses and pictures with muslin, cover the frames only with cheap, yellow cambric, neatly put on, and as near the color of the gilt as you can procure it. This looks better; leaves the glasses open for use, and the pictures for ornament; and is an effectual barrier to dust as well as flies. It can easily be re-colored with saffron tea, when it is faded.

Have a bottle full of brandy, with as large a mouth as any bottle you have, into which cut your lemon and orange peel, when they are fresh and sweet. This brandy gives a delicious flavor to all sorts of pies, puddings, and cakes. Lemon is the pleasantest spice of the two; therefore they should be kept in separate bottles.

It is a good plan to preserve rose leaves in brandy. The flavor is pleasanter than rosewater; and there are few people who have the utensils for distilling.

Peach leaves steeped in brandy make excellent spice for custards and puddings.

It is easy to have a supply of horse-radish all winter. Have a quantity grated, while the root is in perfection, put it in bottles, fill it with strong vinegar, and keep it corked tight.

It is thought to be a preventive to the unhealthy influence of cucumbers to cut the slices very thin, and drop each one into cold water as you cut it. A few minutes in the water takes out a large portion of the slimy matter, so injurious to health. They should be eaten with high seasoning.

Where sweet oil is much used, it is more economical to buy it by the bottle than by the flask. A bottle holds more than twice as much as a flask, and it is never double the price.

If you wish to have free-stone hearths dark, wash them with soap, and wipe them with a wet cloth; some people rub in lamp-oil, once in a while, and wash the hearth faithfully afterwards. This does very well in a large, dirty family; for the hearth looks very clean, and is not liable to show grease spots. But if you wish to preserve the beauty of a free-stone hearth, buy a quantity of free-stone powder of the stone cutter, and rub on a portion of it wet, after you have washed your hearth in hot water. When it is dry, brush it off, and it will look like new stone.

Bricks can be kept clean with redding stirred up in water, and put on with a brush. Pulverized clay mixed with redding, makes a pretty rose color. Some think it is less likely to come off, if mixed with skim milk instead of water. But black lead is far handsomer than anything else for this purpose. It looks very well mixed with water, like redding; but it gives it a glossy appearance to boil the lead in soft soap, with a little water to keep it from burning. It should be put on with a brush, in the same manner as redding; it looks nice for a long time when done in this way.

Keep a bag for all odd pieces of tape and strings; they will come in use. Keep a bag or box, for old buttons, so that you may know where to go when you want one.

Run the heels of stockings faithfully; and mend thin places, as well as holes,; 'a stitch in time saves nine.'

Poke-root boiled in water and mixed with a good quantity of molasses, set about the kitchen, the pantry, &c. in large deep plates, will kill cockroaches in great numbers, and finally rid the house of them.

The Indians say that Poke-root boiled into a soft poultice is the cure for the bite of a snake. I have heard of a fine horse saved by it.

A little salt sprinkled in starch while it is boiling, tends to prevent it from sticking; it is likewise good to stir it with a clean spermaceti candle.

A few potatoes sliced and boiling water poured over them makes an excellent preparation for cleansing and stiffening old rusty black silk.

Green tea is excellent to restore rusty silk. It should be boiled in iron, nearly a cup full to three quarts. The silk should not be wrung, and should be ironed damp.

Lime pulverized sifted through coarse muslin, and stirred up tolerably thick in white of egg makes a strong cement for glass and china. Plaster of Paris is still better; particularly for mending broken images of the same material. It should be stirred up by the spoonful, as it is wanted.

A bit of isinglass dissolved in gin, is said to make strong cement for broken glass, china, and sea-shells.

The Lemon Syrup, usually sold at fifty cents a bottle, may be made much cheaper. Those who use a great quantity of it will find it worth their while to make it. Take about a pound of Havana sugar, boil it in water down to a quart; drop in the white of an egg to clarify it; strain it; add one quarter of an oz. of Tartaric acid, if you do not find it sour enough, after it has stood two or three days, and shaken freely, add more of the acid. A few drops of the Oil of Lemon improves it.

If you wish to clarify sugar and water you are about to boil, it is well to stir in the white of one egg, while cold; if put in after it boils, the egg is apt to get hardened before it can do any good.

Those who are fond of soda powders will do well to inquire at the apothecaries for the suitable acid and alkali, and buy them by the ounce, or the pound, according to the size of their families. Experience soon teaches the right proportions; and sweetened with a little sugar, or lemon syrup, it is quite as good as what one gives five times as much for, done up in papers. The case is the same with Rochelle powders.

Native American Women Gathering Rice by Seth Eastman (1808-1875)

October 16, 2016, 1:35 am

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Seth Eastman (American artist, 1808-1875) Rice Gatherers

From Europe to the Atlantic coast of America & on to the Pacific coast during the 17C-19C, settlers moved West encountering a variety of Indigenous Peoples who had lived on the land for centuries.

Born in 1808 in Brunswick, Maine, Seth Eastman (1808-1875) found expression for his artistic skills in a military career. After graduating from the US Military Academy at West Point, where officers-in-training were taught basic drawing & drafting techniques, Eastman was posted to forts in Wisconsin & Minnesota before returning to West Point as assistant teacher of drawing. --- While at Fort Snelling, Eastman married Wakaninajinwin (Stands Sacred), the 15-year-old daughter of Cloud Man, Dakota chief. Eastman left in 1832, for another military assignment soon after the birth of their baby girl, Winona, & he declared his marriage ended when he left. Winona was also known as Mary Nancy Eastman & was the mother of Charles Alexander Eastman, author of Indian Boyhood. --- From 1833 to 1840, Eastman taught drawing at West Point. In 1835, he married his 2nd wife & was reassigned to Fort Snelling as a military commander & remained there with Mary & their 5 children for the next 7 years. During this time Eastman began recording the everyday way of life of the Dakota & the Ojibwa people. Transferred to posts in Florida, & Texas in the 1840s, Eastman made sketches of the native peoples there. This experience prepared him for the next 5 yeas in Washington, DC, where he was assigned to the commissioner of Indian Affairs & illustrated Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's important 6-volume Historical  Statistical Information Respecting the History, Condition, & Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States. In 1867, Eastman returned to the Capitol to paint a series of scenes of Native American life for the House Committee on Indian Affairs. From the office of the United States Senate curator, we learn that in 1870, the House Committee on Military Affairs commissioned artist Seth Eastman 17 to paint images of important fortifications in the United States. He completed the works between 1870 & 1875. Of his 17 paintings of forts, 8 are located in the Senate, while the others are displayed on the House side of the Capitol. Eastman was working on the painting West Point, when he died in 1875.

Scalp Dance Of The Dakotas by Seth Eastman (1808-1875)

October 17, 2016, 1:35 am

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Seth Eastman (American artist, 1808-1875) Scalp Dance Of The Dakotas

From Europe to the Atlantic coast of America & on to the Pacific coast during the 17C-19C, settlers moved West encountering a variety of Indigenous Peoples who had lived on the land for centuries.

Born in 1808 in Brunswick, Maine, Seth Eastman (1808-1875) found expression for his artistic skills in a military career. After graduating from the US Military Academy at West Point, where officers-in-training were taught basic drawing & drafting techniques, Eastman was posted to forts in Wisconsin & Minnesota before returning to West Point as assistant teacher of drawing. --- While at Fort Snelling, Eastman married Wakaninajinwin (Stands Sacred), the 15-year-old daughter of Cloud Man, Dakota chief. Eastman left in 1832, for another military assignment soon after the birth of their baby girl, Winona, & he declared his marriage ended when he left. Winona was also known as Mary Nancy Eastman & was the mother of Charles Alexander Eastman, author of Indian Boyhood. --- From 1833 to 1840, Eastman taught drawing at West Point. In 1835, he married his 2nd wife & was reassigned to Fort Snelling as a military commander & remained there with Mary & their 5 children for the next 7 years. During this time Eastman began recording the everyday way of life of the Dakota & the Ojibwa people. Transferred to posts in Florida, & Texas in the 1840s, Eastman made sketches of the native peoples there. This experience prepared him for the next 5 yeas in Washington, DC, where he was assigned to the commissioner of Indian Affairs & illustrated Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's important 6-volume Historical & Statistical Information Respecting the History, Condition, & Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States. In 1867, Eastman returned to the Capitol to paint a series of scenes of Native American life for the House Committee on Indian Affairs. From the office of the United States Senate curator, we learn that in 1870, the House Committee on Military Affairs commissioned artist Seth Eastman 17 to paint images of important fortifications in the United States. He completed the works between 1870 & 1875. Of his 17 paintings of forts, 8 are located in the Senate, while the others are displayed on the House side of the Capitol. Eastman was working on the painting West Point, when he died in 1875.

Sioux Men & Women Breaking Up Camp by Seth Eastman (1808-1875)

October 18, 2016, 1:35 am

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Seth Eastman (American artist, 1808-1875) Sioux Indians Breaking Up Camp

From Europe to the Atlantic coast of America & on to the Pacific coast during the 17C-19C, settlers moved West encountering a variety of Indigenous Peoples who had lived on the land for centuries.

Born in 1808 in Brunswick, Maine, Seth Eastman (1808-1875) found expression for his artistic skills in a military career. After graduating from the US Military Academy at West Point, where officers-in-training were taught basic drawing & drafting techniques, Eastman was posted to forts in Wisconsin & Minnesota before returning to West Point as assistant teacher of drawing. - While at Fort Snelling, Eastman married Wakaninajinwin (Stands Sacred), the 15-year-old daughter of Cloud Man, Dakota chief. Eastman left in 1832, for another military assignment soon after the birth of their baby girl, Winona, & he declared his marriage ended when he left. Winona was also known as Mary Nancy Eastman & was the mother of Charles Alexander Eastman, author of Indian Boyhood. - From 1833 to 1840, Eastman taught drawing at West Point. In 1835, he married his 2nd wife & was reassigned to Fort Snelling as a military commander & remained there with Mary & their 5 children for the next 7 years. During this time Eastman began recording the everyday way of life of the Dakota & the Ojibwa people. Transferred to posts in Florida, & Texas in the 1840s, Eastman made sketches of the native peoples there. This experience prepared him for the next 5 yeas in Washington, DC, where he was assigned to the commissioner of Indian Affairs & illustrated Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's important 6-volume Historical & Statistical Information Respecting the History, Condition, & Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States. In 1867, Eastman returned to the Capitol to paint a series of scenes of Native American life for the House Committee on Indian Affairs. From the office of the United States Senate curator, we learn that in 1870, the House Committee on Military Affairs commissioned artist Seth Eastman 17 to paint images of important fortifications in the United States. He completed the works between 1870 & 1875. Of his 17 paintings of forts, 8 are located in the Senate, while the others are displayed on the House side of the Capitol. Eastman was working on the painting West Point, when he died in 1875.

Indigenous Americans by Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1874) - An Indian Camp including Women

October 19, 2016, 1:30 am

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Alfred Jacob Miller (American, 1810-1874) An Indian Camp

"At no distant date, the mountains and prairies of the Far West will no longer be a place of refuge from the onward march of civilization & 'then (as an American writer remarks) will the last Indian stand upon the verge of the Pacific seas, and his sun will have gone down forever.' The sketch presents a scene at an Indian camp, with their Lodges near at hand;- the principal figure wears a painted robe whereon is depicted his battles,- the figures shewing a glorious contempt for all acknowledged rules of perspective. In the foreground a female is cording a bale of dried meat,- distant figures trying their bows &c." A.J. Miller, extracted from "The West of Alfred Jacob Miller" (1837).

In July of 1858, Baltimore art collector William T. Walters commissioned 200 watercolors at $12  apiece from Baltimore-born artist Alfred Jacob Miller. These paintings were each accompanied by a descriptive text written by the artist, & were delivered in installments over the next 21 months & ultimately bound in 3 albums. These albums included the field-sketches drawn during Miller's 1837 expedition to the annual fur-trader's rendezvous in the Green River Valley (now western Wyoming).  These watercolors offer a unique record of the the lives of those involved in the closing years of the western fur trade & a look at the artist's opinions of both women & Native Americans.  The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland.

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Women on the North American Canadian Frontier in 19C - by Dutch-born Cornelius Krieghoff 1815-1872

October 20, 2016, 1:00 am

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Cornelius Krieghoff (Dutch-born Canadian painter, 1815-1872) Winter Landscape Laval 1862

Cornelius Krieghoff 1815-1872 was born in Amsterdam, spent his formative years in Bavaria, & studied in Rotterdam & Dusseldorf. He traveled to the United States in the 1830s, where he served in the Army for a few years. He married a young woman from Quebec & moved to the Montreal area, where he painted genre paintings of the people & countryside of Canada. According to Charles C. Hill, Curator of Canadian Art at the National Gallery, "Krieghoff was the first Canadian artist to interpret in oils... the splendour of our waterfalls, & the hardships & daily life of people living on the edge of new frontiers" Krieghoff moved to Quebec from 1854-1863, before he came to Chicago to live with his daughter.

Attack by Crow Indians with Women Watching by Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1874)

October 21, 2016, 1:30 am

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Alfred Jacob Miller (American, 1810-1874) Attack by Crow Indians

Miller did not see this scene, which occurred during one of Captain Stewart's earlier trips to the mountains, but it was explained to him in detail and he painted several versions of it, including a large painting approximately 5 x 9 feet for Murthly Castle and this fine watercolor. According to LeRoy R. Hafen's account of the incident ("Broken Hand," p. 134), a band of young Crows invaded the camp while Fitzpatrick was away and Stewart was in charge. They carried off stock, pelts, and other property. They encountered Fitzpatrick on their return and stripped him of everything of value as well. As Stewart described the incident, the Crow medicine man had told the braves that, if they struck the first blow, they could not win. Thus, they had to provoke Stewart or someone in his party into striking the first blow. Stewart stood firm, refusing to strike. The Crows left, and the captain survived a situation in which he would have surely lost the battle. Fitzpatrick managed to talk the Crows into returning most of what they had taken

In July of 1858, Baltimore art collector William T. Walters commissioned 200 watercolors at $12  apiece from Baltimore-born artist Alfred Jacob Miller. These paintings were each accompanied by a descriptive text written by the artist, & were delivered in installments over the next 21 months & ultimately bound in 3 albums. These albums included the field-sketches drawn during Miller's 1837 expedition to the annual fur-trader's rendezvous in the Green River Valley (now western Wyoming).  These watercolors offer a unique record of the the lives of those involved in the closing years of the western fur trade & a look at the artist's opinions of both women & Native Americans.  The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland.

Narrative of Bethany Veney, A Slave Woman

October 22, 2016, 1:00 am

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The Narrative of Bethany Veney a Slave Woman.
Published in Worcester, Mass. 1889.

CHAPTER I CHILDHOOD - FIRST LESSONS IN MORALITY - FIRST LESSON IN THE ART OF ENTERTAINING.

I have but little recollection of my very early life. My mother and her five children were owned by one James Fletcher, Pass Run, town of Luray, Page County, Virginia. Of my father I know nothing.

The first thing I remember with any distinctness was when, about seven years old, I was, with other children, knocking apples from a tree, when we were surprised by my young mistress, Miss Nasenath Fletcher, calling to us, in a loud and threatening tone, demanding what we were doing. Without waiting for reply, she told us to follow her; and, as she led the way down to a blackberry pasture not far off, she endeavored, in a very solemn manner, to impress us with the importance of always telling the truth. "If asked a question," she said, "we must answer directly, yes or no." I asked her "what we must say if asked something which we did not know." She answered, "Why, you must say you don't know, of course." I said, "I shall say, 'Maybe 'tis, and maybe 'tain't.'" I remember well how the children laughed at this; and then Miss Nasenath went on to tell us that some time all this world that we saw would be burned up, - that the moon would be turned into blood, the stars would fall out of the sky, and everything would melt away with a great heat, and that everybody, every little child that had told a lie, would be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone, and would burn there for ever and ever, and, what was more, though they should burn for ever and ever, they would never be burned up.

I was dreadfully frightened; and, as soon as I could get away, I ran to my mammy, and, repeating what mistress had said, begged to know if it could be true. To my great sorrow, she confirmed it all, but added what Miss Nasenath had failed to do; namely, that those who told the truth and were good would always have everything they should want. It seemed to me then there was nothing so good as molasses and sugar; and I eagerly asked, "Shall I have all the molasses and sugar I want, if I tell the truth?""Yes," she replied, "if you are good; but remember, if you tell lies, you will be burned in the lake that burns for ever and ever."

This made a very strong impression upon me. I can never forget my mammy's manner at the time. I believed every word she said, and from that day to this I have never doubted its truth.

Though my conception of what constituted the truth was very dim, my fear of what should befall me, if I were to tell a lie, was very great. Still, I was only a young child, and could not, long at a time, be very unhappy...

About the Author
Bethany Veney was born a slave on James Fletcher's plantation in Luray, Virginia in 1815. She had a daughter by her first husband, identified in this narrative as Jerry, and a son by her second husband, Frank Veney.  She served a number of different masters, and was separated from her family for a time before being sold to a northern businessman, G.J. Adams, who freed her and her son. Veney worked for Adams and his family in the North. After living for a short time in Providence, Rhode Island, Veney settled in Worcester, Massachusetts, with her daughter and three grandchildren. Bethany Veney published The Narrative of Bethany Veney, a Slave Woman in 1889, over twenty years after slavery was abolished. It includes details of her childhood, incidents that occurred while serving various masters, the way she received her freedom, and her new life in the North. 

Woman at a Waterside Encampment by Seth Eastman (1808-1875)

October 23, 2016, 1:35 am

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Seth Eastman (American artist, 1808-1875) Winnebago Encampment

From Europe to the Atlantic coast of America & on to the Pacific coast during the 17C-19C, settlers moved West encountering a variety of Indigenous Peoples who had lived on the land for centuries.

Born in 1808 in Brunswick, Maine, Seth Eastman (1808-1875) found expression for his artistic skills in a military career. After graduating from the US Military Academy at West Point, where officers-in-training were taught basic drawing & drafting techniques, Eastman was posted to forts in Wisconsin & Minnesota before returning to West Point as assistant teacher of drawing. - While at Fort Snelling, Eastman married Wakaninajinwin (Stands Sacred), the 15-year-old daughter of Cloud Man, Dakota chief. Eastman left in 1832, for another military assignment soon after the birth of their baby girl, Winona, & he declared his marriage ended when he left. Winona was also known as Mary Nancy Eastman & was the mother of Charles Alexander Eastman, author of Indian Boyhood. - From 1833 to 1840, Eastman taught drawing at West Point. In 1835, he married his 2nd wife & was reassigned to Fort Snelling as a military commander & remained there with Mary & their 5 children for the next 7 years. During this time Eastman began recording the everyday way of life of the Dakota & the Ojibwa people. Transferred to posts in Florida, & Texas in the 1840s, Eastman made sketches of the native peoples there. This experience prepared him for the next 5 yeas in Washington, DC, where he was assigned to the commissioner of Indian Affairs & illustrated Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's important 6-volume Historical & Statistical Information Respecting the History, Condition, & Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States. In 1867, Eastman returned to the Capitol to paint a series of scenes of Native American life for the House Committee on Indian Affairs. From the office of the United States Senate curator, we learn that in 1870, the House Committee on Military Affairs commissioned artist Seth Eastman 17 to paint images of important fortifications in the United States. He completed the works between 1870 & 1875. Of his 17 paintings of forts, 8 are located in the Senate, while the others are displayed on the House side of the Capitol. Eastman was working on the painting West Point, when he died in 1875.

Women & Baby on the Canadian Frontier by Cornelius Krieghoff 1815-1872

October 24, 2016, 1:00 am

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Cornelius Krieghoff was born in Amsterdam, spent his formative years in Bavaria, and studied in Rotterdam & Dusseldorf. He traveled to the United States in the 1830s, where he served in the Army for a few years. He married a young woman from Quebec and moved to the Montreal area, where he created genre paintings of the people & countryside of Canada. According to Charles C. Hill, "Krieghoff was the first Canadian artist to interpret in oils... the splendour of our waterfalls, and the hardships and daily life of people living on the edge of new frontiers" Krieghoff lived in Quebec from 1854-1863, before he came to Chicago to live with his daughter.

Cornelius Krieghoff (Dutch-born Canadian painter, 1815-1872) Bringing in the Deer

Arapaho Woman & Baby by Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1874)

October 25, 2016, 1:30 am

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Alfred Jacob Miller (American, 1810-1874) Arapahos 

"This scene represents an Arapaho Indian en famille, smoking his pipe and reposing under a blanket suspended from the branches of a tree, to screen them from the sun. We saw some fine speciments of this tribe. They do not shave their heads like the Sioux, but braid the centre or scalp lock with ribbons or feathers of the 'War Eagle.' We noticed also a difference in their moccasins, the fronts extending only to the instep and wanting the side flaps. Indians are capable of designating a tribe very often by merely having the moccasins. The Arapahos were tall, finely formed men, from 5 ft. 8 in. to 6 ft. in height. In setting out on their war parties, the process of painting, dressing, and adorning themselves occupies considerably of their time and attention. When a party is seen scouring over the prairies under thes circumstances it bodes no good to theose they happen to encounter. As regards their steeds, they have no geldings & we saw none, except those brought from the States. The animal thus preserves all his game spirit & is capable of great endurance. They partake somewhat of the Arabian breed." A.J. Miller, extracted from "The West of Alfred Jacob Miller" (1837). 

In July of 1858, Baltimore art collector William T. Walters commissioned 200 watercolors at $12  apiece from Baltimore-born artist Alfred Jacob Miller. These paintings were each accompanied by a descriptive text written by the artist, & were delivered in installments over the next 21 months & ultimately bound in 3 albums. These albums included the field-sketches drawn during Miller's 1837 expedition to the annual fur-trader's rendezvous in the Green River Valley (now western Wyoming).  These watercolors offer a unique record of the the lives of those involved in the closing years of the western fur trade & a look at the artist's opinions of both women & Native Americans.  The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland.

Women traveling in Winter on the Canadian Frontier - by Cornelius Krieghoff 1815-1872

October 26, 2016, 1:00 am

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Cornelius Krieghoff (Dutch-born Canadian painter, 1815-1872) Winter Landscape 1849

Cornelius Krieghoff 1815-1872 was born in Amsterdam, spent his formative years in Bavaria, & studied in Rotterdam & Dusseldorf. He traveled to the United States in the 1830s, where he served in the Army for a few years. He married a young woman from Quebec & moved to the Montreal area, where he painted genre paintings of the people & countryside of Canada. According to Charles C. Hill, Curator of Canadian Art at the National Gallery, "Krieghoff was the first Canadian artist to interpret in oils... the splendour of our waterfalls, & the hardships & daily life of people living on the edge of new frontiers" Krieghoff moved to Quebec from 1854-1863, before he came to Chicago to live with his daughter.

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Women's Rights, Freedom, & Equality - A personal look at American Women fighting for the right to vote

October 28, 2016, 12:30 am

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I have noticed, while writing these blogs about the work of women in America beginning in the early 1700s, that I am particularly incensed that women did not get the right to vote in our democracy until 1920. Nearly 30 years ago, I found myself at lunch with a former ambassador and a female member of Congress, who politely disagreed on a point or two over crabcakes, with all the dancing & bowing inherent in such genteel disagreements.

When the congresswomen excused herself, the gentleman declared, "She doesn't know her place. I can remember, when women couldn't even vote."It was as if I wasn't even there, although there were only two of us left at the table; or as if I weren't a woman as well. A knife into the soul - not easily forgotten.

That memory inspires this very quick review of the women's rights movement. (For all those courageous women that I leave out of this overview, and for all those scholars who have spent years searching for them, I am truly sorry.)

Basically, Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) created the agenda for the woman’s rights movement. Elizabeth grew up in a period when women were expected to restrict their activities to home and family. Most were not encouraged to pursue a serious education or a career. After marriage, women did not have the right to own their own property, keep their own wages or inheritance, or sign a contract. In addition, no woman in America had the right to vote. Before the American Revolution, women could vote in several British American colonies. After 1776, most states rewrote their constitutions preventing women from voting. After 1787, women were able to vote only in New Jersey; until 1807, when male legislators officially outlawed woman suffrage.


During the years Elizabeth Cady was growing up, thousands of American women were becoming interested in abolishing slavery. Women wrote articles for anti-slavery papers and circulated abolitionist petitions for Congress. Southerners Angelina Grimke Weld (1805-1879) and Sarah Moore Grimke (1792-1873) became famous for making speeches to mixed (male and female) audiences about slavery.


Clergymen rebuked them for their “unwomanly behavior." As a result, in addition to working for abolition, the Grimke sisters began to advocate for women’s rights. The Grimke sisters found it strange that society would condemn them for making speeches to both men and women, but do nothing to condemn "gentlemen" like their deceased father, South Carolina Judge John Grimke, who had owned hundreds of slaves enduring daily horrors and injustices.

The sisters came from a family of 14; but eventually they left Charleston heading to Philadelphia to join the Quaker faith, where they could rail against slavery, especially the brutal slaveowning practiced in South Carolina and by their brother Henry, who fathered three children by one of his slaves. Sarah was one of the first to compare the restrictions on women and slaves, writing that "woman has no political existence . . . . She is only counted like the slaves of the south, to swell the number of lawmakers."

When Elizabeth Cady was a young girl, her only brother died; and her grief stricken father declared, "Oh my daughter, I wish you were a boy!" Elizabeth vowed to be as good as any boy. She excelled in Greek, Latin, and mathematics, while obtaining the finest education then available to women at Troy Female Seminary. In March, 1840, Elizabeth married abolitionist lecturer Henry Stanton, and they eventually had 7 children. In an unusual choice, the newlywed Stantons decided to travel to London for their honeymoon to attend a World’s Anti-Slavery convention.


There convention officials rejected the credentials of American delegate Lucretia Coffin Mott (1793-1880), Quaker preacher and abolitionist. Santon and Mott became furious with male abolitionists (and the general patriarchal system they represented), who had excluded women from the London conference. They vowed to call a woman’s rights convention back in the United States.

Stanton and Mott, like other activist women in the United States, began to see the obvious similarities between their status and that of the slaves. Nearly 8 years later, they convened the first Woman’s Rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York. There Stanton presented “The Declaration of Sentiments,” demanding changes in America's law and society - educational, legal, political, social, and economic - to elevate women’s status and to give women the right to vote.

After the Seneca Falls conference, Amelia Jenks Bloomer (1818-1894) introduced Stanton to Susan Brownell Anthony (1820-1906). Bloomer was noted for her pioneering temperance and woman’s rights newspaper,  The Lily (1849), and for wearing a "reform"dress featuring full pantaloons and a short skirt – "bloomers."Freedom from the strictures of womanhood, even if they
looked ridiculous. Ultimately Bloomer and other feminists abandoned the more comfortable outfit, deciding that too much attention swirled around clothing rather than the issues at hand.

Susan B. Anthony first became interested in equality for women while teaching in New York state, where she discovered that male teachers were paid several times her salary. She led a woman's protest at the 1876 Centennial delivering a Declaration of Rights written by Stanton and Frances Dana Barker Gage (1808-1884), whose gravestone reads, "There is a word sweeter than Mother, Home or Heaven; that word is Liberty."

Anthony, Stanton, and Cady were also joined by the likes of Ernestine Louise Siismondi Potowski Rose (1810-1892). Rose had been born in Poland; and at 16, she petitioned Polish courts to obtain the inheritance she received from her mother. As was the custom, her father had assigned Rose and her "dowry" in marriage to a man his age. After successfully appealing to retain her inheritance at court, she fled Poland and ended up in the United States, lobbying for the passage of a married women’s property bill. At the first woman’s rights convention in her heavy accent, she boldly called for“political, legal, and social equality with man.” Rose merged anti-slavery, temperance, and freedom of thought philosophies into the woman’s rights speeches she delivered at many rights conventions between 1850 and 1870.

Lucy Stone (1818-1893) was the first Massachusetts woman to receive a college degree in 1847. Shortly after graduating from Oberlin, Stone began lecturing for the American Anti-Slavery Association. As a protest of restrictive marriage laws, Stone kept her maiden name when she married, thereby coining the phrase “Lucy Stoner” for all women refusing to take their husband’s name. Stone began the Woman’s Journal which gained the reputation as the “voice of the woman’s movement.”

Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910) is best known for writing the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and co-founding the American Woman Suffrage Association with Lucy Stone. She helped Stone found its paper, the Woman’s Journal, which she edited for 20 years. She established and led major women’s clubs and suffrage organizations in the Northeast, and was the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Howe fought for the right to vote and to liberate women from the confinement of the traditional “woman’s place” in often stifling marriages.

Caroline Maria Seymour Severance (1820-1940), pioneer organizer of women’s clubs, distinguished herself as “The Mother of Clubs,” founding the first club in the East, the New England Woman’s Club (1868), and the first club in Los Angeles. Viewing clubs as vehicles for social reform and a bridge for women from the home to the public arena, she brought political awareness and support of women's rights to the club movement.

By 1861, the Civil War curtailed most suffrage activity, as women from both the Union and the Confederacy, concentrated their energies on the war. After the war, women created memorial societies to help preserve the memory of their losses. This brought many white Southern women into the public realm for the first time. During this same period, newly emancipated Southern black women began organizing as well.

Sensing that it was time to energize the movement again, in 1866, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony formed the American Equal Rights Association, an organization for all women and men dedicated to universal suffrage.

In 1868, the 14th Amendment was ratified, to extend to all citizens the protections of the Constitution against unjust state laws. This Amendment was the first to define "citizens" and "voters" as "male." Now it was all spelled out. No women of any color simply could vote in America nor did they have equal protection under the Constitution.

In this same year, the Wyoming territory organized with a woman suffrage provision. In 1870, the 15th Amendment passed declaring that voting rights could not be denied on account of race but did not mention sex.

In 1872, Susan B. Anthony was arrested and brought to trial in Rochester, New York, for attempting to vote for in the presidential election. At the same time, civil and women's rights activist and former slave Sojourner Truth (1797?-1883) appeared at a polling booth in Grand Rapids, Michigan, demanding a ballot. She was immediately turned away.

Frances Gage attributed the inspiring “Ain’t I a Woman” speech to Truth. In 1867, Frances Gage spoke at the First Anniversary of the American Equal Rights Association. Gage wrote the lift all boats speech with a few jabs at the menfolk. "When we hold the ballot...Men...will actually respect the women to whom they now talk...silly flatteries: sparkling eyes, rosy cheeks, pearly teeth, ruby lips, the soft and delicate hands of refinement...The strength, the power, the energy, the force, the intellect and the nerve, which the womanhood of this country will bring to bear...will infuse itself through all the ranks of society, (making) all its men and women wiser and better."


From 1876 to 1879, lawyer Belva Ann Lockwood (1830-1917) was denied permission to practice before the Supreme Court. She spent three years pushing through legislation to allow women to practice before the Court and became the first woman to do so in 1879. Buoyed by her success, Belva Ann Lockwood ran for president in the 1884, on the National Equal Rights Party ticket. Although suffrage leaders opposed her candidacy, Lockwood saw it as an entering wedge for women. She polled nearly 4,500 votes and ran again in 1888. She was the first woman to dare to run for president, even though women could not vote.

A Woman Suffrage Amendment was introduced in 1878 to the United States Congress. The wording remained unchanged in 1919, when the amendment finally passed both houses. Progress was slow. In 1893, Colorado became the first state to adopt a state amendment enfranchising women. In 1895, the aging but still angry Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote The Woman’s Bible, questioning Biblical pronouncements on the inferiority of women, which she declared were the greatest obstacles to women’s progress.

Theodore Roosevelt's 1912 Progressive (Bull Moose/Republican) Party was the first national political party to adopt a woman suffrage plank. In 1913, members of the Congressional Union organized a suffrage parade, carefully scheduling it for the day before President Woodrow Wilson's inauguration and causing a commotion in Washington, D.C.


By 1916 , Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947) unveiled her "secret" plan for suffrage victory at a large women's rights convention in New Jersey. Catt's tactics called for the coordination of activities by suffrage workers in all state and local associations. In the same year, Jeannette Rankin of Montana was the first American woman elected to represent her state in the U.S. House of Representatives. The next year women won the vote in New York State.

Between 1917 and 1919, World War I slowed down the campaign as some--but not all--suffragists curtailed their activism in favor supporting the troops "over there."

But momentum propelled the drive ahead, and in the summer of 1919, the 19th Amendment passed both House and Senate and was sent to the states for ratification. On August 26, 1920, following ratification by the necessary thirty-six states, the 19th Amendment was adopted. Now female citizens could vote in the United States of America. That little boy, with whom I had lunch and who grew up to become an ambassador for the United States of America, was 10 years old in 1920. 

Three years later,in 1923, the National Woman's Party proposed the Equal Rights Amendment to eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender. It has never been ratified.

Women's Rights, Freedom, & Equality - A Man's take on a Liberated Woman

October 28, 2016, 12:34 am

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John George Brown (1831-1913) A Liberated Woman 1895

Women's Rights, Freedom, & Equality - Call to the 1st US Women's Rights Convention 1850

October 28, 2016, 12:36 am

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Elizabeth Cady Stanton at the National Portrait Gallery

A CONVENTION
Will be held at Worcester, Mass., on the twenty-third and twenty-fourth of October next, (agreeably to appointment by a preliminary meeting held at Boston, on the thirtieth of May last,) to consider the great question of Woman's Rights, Duties, and Relations; and the Men and Women of our country who feel sufficient interest in the subject, to give an earnest thought and effective effort to its rightful adjustment, are invited to meet each other in free conference, at the time and place appointed.

The upward tending spirit of the age, busy in a hundred forms of effort for the world's redemption from the sins and sufferings which oppress it, has brought this one, which yields to none in importance and urgency, into distinguished prominence. One half of the race are its immediate objects, and the other half are as deeply involved, by that absolute unity of interest and destiny which nature has established between them.

The neighbor is near enough to involve every human being in a general equality of rights and community of interests; but, Men and Women, in their reciprocities of love and duty are one flesh and one blood -- mother, wife, sister, and daughter come so near the heart and mind of every man that they must be either his blessing or his bane. Where there is such mutuality of interests, such an interlinking of life, there can be no real antagonism of position and action. The sexes should not, for any reason or by any chance, take hostile attitudes towards each other, either in the apprehension or amendment of the wrongs which exist in their necessary relations; but they should harmonize in opinion and co-operate in effort, for the reason that they must unite in the ultimate achievement of the desired reformation.

Of the many points now under discussion and demanding a just settlement, the general question of Woman's Rights and Relations comprehends these: € Her Education, Literary, Scientific , and Artistic; € Her Avocations, Industrial, Commercial , and Professional; € Her Interests, Pecuniary, Civil, and Political; in a word € Her Rights as an Individual, and her Functions as a Citizen.

No one will pretend that all these interests, embracing, as they do, all that is not merely animal in a human life, are rightly understood or justly provided for in the existing social order. Nor is it any more true that the constitutional differences of the sexes, which should determine, define, and limit the resulting differences of office and duty, are adequately comprehended and practically observed.

Woman has been condemned for her greater delicacy of physical organization to inferiority of intellectual and moral culture, and to the forfeiture of great social, civil, and religious privileges. In the relation of marriage she has been ideally annihilated, and actually enslaved in all that concerns her personal and pecuniary rights; and even in widowhood and single life, she is oppressed with such limitation and degradation of labor and avocation as clearly and cruelly mark the condition of a disabled caste. But, by the inspiration of the Almighty, the beneficent spirit of reform is roused to the redress of these wrongs. The tyranny which degrades and crushes wives and mothers, sits no longer lightly on the world's conscience; the heart's home-worship feels the stain of stooping at a dishonored altar; Manhood begins to feel the shame of muddying the springs from which it draws its highest life; and Womanhood is everywhere awakening to assert its divinely chartered rights, and to fulfil its noblest duties. It is the spirit of reviving truth and righteousness which has moved upon the great deep of the public heart and aroused its redressing justice; and, through it, the Providence of God is vindicating the order and appointments of his creation.

The signs are encouraging; the time is opportune. Come, then, to this Convention. It is your duty, if you are worthy of your age and country. Give the help of your best thought to separate the light from the darkness. Wisely give the protection of your name and the benefit of your efforts to the great work of settling the principles, devising the method, and achieving the success of this high and holy movement.

Women's Rights, Freedom, & Equality - Abby Price's Address US Women's Rights Convention 1850

October 28, 2016, 1:04 am

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Read to the "Woman's Rights Convention," at Worcester, by Mrs. Abby H. Price 1814-1878, of Hopedale, Mass.

In our account of the work of Creation, when it was so gloriously finished in the garden of Eden, by placing there, in equal companionship, man and woman, made in the image of God, alike gifted with intellect, alike endowed with immortality, it is said the Creator looked upon his work, and pronounced it good - that "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Since that time, through the slow rolling of darkened ages, man has ruled by physical power, and wherever he could gain the ascendancy, there he has felt the right to dictate - even though it degraded his equal companion - the mother who bore him - the playmate of his childhood - the daughter of his love. Thus, in many countries we see woman reduced to the condition of a slave, and compelled to do all the drudgery necessary to her lord's subsistence. In others she is dressed up as a mere plaything, for his amusement; but everywhere he has assumed to be her head and lawgiver, and only where Christianity has dawned, and right not might been the rule, has woman had anything like her true position. In this country even, republican, so called, and Christian, her rights are but imperfectly recognised, and she suffers under the disability of caste. These are facts that, in the light of the nineteenth century, demand our attention. "Are we always to remain in this position" is a question we have come here to discuss.

The natural rights of woman are co-equal with those of man. So God created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him; male and female, created he them . There is not one particle of difference intimated as existing between them. They were both made in the image of God. Dominion was given to both over every other creature, but not over each other. They were expected to exercise the vicegerency given to them by their Maker in harmony and love.

In contending for this co-equality of woman's with man's rights, it is not necessary to argue, either that the sexes are by nature equally and indiscriminately adapted to the same positions and duties, or that they are absolutely equal in physical and intellectual ability; but only that they are absolutely equal in their rights to life, liberty , and the pursuit of happiness - in their rights to do , and to be, individually and socially, all they are capable of, and to attain the highest usefulness and happiness, obediently to the divine moral law

These are every man's rights, of whatever race or nation, ability or situation, in life. These are equally every woman's rights, whatever her comparative capabilities may be - whatever her relations may be. These are human rights, equally inherent in male and female. To repress them in any degree is in the same degree usurpation, tyranny, and oppression. We hold these to be self-evident truths, and shall not now discuss them. We shall assume that happiness is the chief end of all human beings; that existence is valuable in proportion as happiness is promoted and secured; and that, on the whole, each of the sexes is equally necessary to the common happiness, and in one way or another is equally capable, with fair opportunity, of contributing to it. Therefore each has an equal right to pursue and enjoyit. This settled, we contend:
* 1. That women ought to have equal opportunities with men for suitable and well compensated employment.
* 2. That women ought to have equal opportunities, privileges, and securities with men for rendering themselves pecuniarily independent.
* 3. That women ought to have equal legal and political rights, franchises, and advantages with men.

Let us consider each of these points briefly. Women ought to have equal opportunities with men for suitable and well compensated employment in all departments of human exertion.

Human beings cannot attain true dignity or happiness except by true usefulness. This is true of women as of men. It is their duty, privilege, honor, and bliss to be useful. Therefore give them the opportunity and encouragement. If there are positions, duties, occupations, really unsuitable to females, as such , let these be left to males. If there are others unsuitable to men, let these be left to women. Let all the rest be equally open to both sexes. And let the compensation be graduated justly, to the real worth of the services rendered, irrespective of sex.

However just and fair this may seem, it is far from actual experience. Tradition so palsies public sentiment with regard to the comparative privileges and rights of the sexes, that but little even is thought of the oppressions that exist, and woman seems to have made up her mind to an eternal inferiority. I say eternal , because development constitutes our greatness and our happiness

If we do not properly develope our human natures in this sphere of existence, it is a loss that can never be made up. Hence, for the sake of her angel-nature, her immortality, woman should have her inalienable rights. She cannot act freely, be true to her moral nature, or to her intellect; she cannot gratify her charity or her taste, without pecuniary independence, that which is produced by suitable and well compensated employment. Woman, in order to be equally independent with man, must have a fair and equal chance. He is in no wise restricted from doing, in every department of human exertion, all he is able to do. If he is bold and ambitious, and desires fame, every avenue is open to him. He may blend science and art, producing a competence for his support, until he chains them to the car of his genius, and, with Fulton and Morse, wins a crown of imperishable gratitude. If he desires to tread the path of knowledge up to its glorious temple-summit, he can, as he pleases, take either of the learned professions as instruments of pecuniary independence, - while he plumes his wings for a higher and higher ascent. Not so with woman. Her rights are not recognised as equal . Her sphere is circumscribed not by her ability, but by her sex. The wings of her genius are clipped, because she is a woman. If perchance her taste leads her to excellence in the way they give her leave to tread, she is worshipped as almost divine; but if she reaches for laurels which they have in view, they scream after her, " You are a woman ." She is sneered at for her weakness, while she is allowed little or no chance for development. The number of her industrial avocations are unnecessarily restricted, far more than reason demands. And when she is engaged in the same occupations with men, her remuneration is greatly below what is awarded to her stronger associates. Those women who are married, and have the care of families, have duties and responsibilities that rest peculiarly upon themselves, and which they must find their highest pleasure in performing. But while they have disciplined themselves by faithfulness and attention to all these, say not to them - you have done all you may do, keep your minds and attention within that narrow circle, though your mature and ripened intellects would fain be interested in whatever concerns the larger family of man, and your affections strong in a healthful growth, yearn towards the suffering and the afflicted of every country.

And why not allow to those who have not become "happy wives and mothers," those who are anxious of leading active and useful lives, of maintaining an honorable independence, a fair chance with men, to do all they can do with propriety?

At present it is well nigh a misfortune to a poor man to have a large family of daughters. Compared with sons their chances for an honest livelihood are few. Though they may have intellect of a high order, yet they must be educated to be married as the chief end of their being. They must not forget that they are females in their aspirations for independence, for greatness, for education. Their alternatives are few. The confined factory, the sedentary, blighting life of half-paid seamstresses, perhaps a chance at folding books, or type setting may keep them along until the happy moment arrives, when they have an offer of marriage, and their fears for sustenance end by a union with the more favored sex. This should not be so. Give girls a fair chance to acquaint themselves with any business they can well do. Our daughters should fit themselves equally with our sons, for any post of usefulness and profit that they may choose. What good reason is there why the lighter trades should not open with equal facilities for their support, and why their labor should not be well paid in any useful and profitable department? Is it fair that strong and able men capable of tilling the soil, should be paid high wages for light mechanical labor that is denied woman because she is a woman, and which she could with equal facility execute? The newspaper press, clerkships, and book-keeping, not now to mention different offices in Government, (whose duties are principally writing,) would, if they were equally open to our daughters, afford them an opportunity of well paid and congenial employment; would relieve them from the necessity of marriage or want, and thereby add dignity and energy to their character. What good reason is there why women should not be educated to mercantile pursuits, to engage in commerce, to invent, to construct, in fine to do anything she can do? Why so separate the avocations of the sexes? I believe it impossible for woman to fulfil the design of God in her creation until her brethren mingle with her more as an equal, as a moral being, and lose in the dignity of her immortal nature the idea of her being a female. Until social intercourse is purified by the forgetfulness of sex we can never derive high benefit from each other's society in the active business of life. Man inflicts injury upon woman, unspeakable injury in placing her intellectual and moral nature in the background, and woman injures herself by submitting to be regarded only as a female. She is called upon loudly, by the progressive spirit of the age, to rise from the station where man, not God, has placed her, and to claim her rights as a moral and responsible being, equal with man.

As such , both have the same sphere of action, and the same duties devolve on both, though these may vary according to circumstances. Fathers and mothers have sacred duties and obligations devolving upon them which cannot belong to others. These do not attach to them as man and woman, but as parents, husbands, and wives. In all the majesty of moral power, in all the dignity of immortality let woman plant herself side by side with man on the broad platform of equal human rights. By thus claiming privileges, encouragements, and rights with man, she would gain the following results:
* 1. A fair development of her natural abilities and capabilities, physical, intellectual, economical, and moral.
* 2. A great increase of self-respect, conscious responsibility, womanly dignity, and influence.
* 3. Pecuniary competence, or the ready resource for acquiring it in some department of human exertion.
* 4. A far higher moral character, etc.

Now take a survey of things as they are. The general opinion that woman is inferior to man, bears with terrible and paralyzing effect on those who are dependent upon their labor, mental or physical, for a subsistence. I allude to the disproportionate value set upon the time and labor of men and women. A man engaged in teaching can always, I believe, command a higher price for his services, than a woman, though he teach the same branch, and though he be in no respect superior to the woman. It is so in every occupation in which both engage indiscriminately. For example, in tailoring, a man has twice as much for making a coat, or pantaloons, as a woman, although the work done by each may be equally good. In the employments which are peculiar to women, their time is estimated at only half the value of that of men. The washer-woman works as hard in proportion as the wood-sawyer, yet she makes not more than half as much by a day's work. Thus by narrowing the sphere of woman, and reducing her remuneration of labor so unjustly, her resources are few and she finds it hard to acquire an honorable independence. Necessity, we are compelled to believe, cruel necessity , often drives her to vice, especially in our large cities; as the only alternative from starvation! Deplorable and heart sickening as the statement is, I have good authority for saying that more than half of the prostitutes of our towns are driven to that course of life from necessity! M. Duchatelet, in his investigation in Paris, established this fact in the clearest manner. In his work, Vol. I., p. 96, we read the following statement: "Of all causes of prostitution in Paris, and probably in all large towns, there are none more influential than the want of work and indigence resulting from insufficient earnings. What are the earnings of our laundresses, our seamstresses, our milliners? Compare the wages of the most skillful with the more ordinary and moderately able, and we shall see if it be possible for these latter to provide even the strict necessaries of life. And if we further compare the prices of their labor with that of others less skillful, we shall cease to wonder that so large a number fall into irregularities, thus made inevitable! This state of things has a natural tendency to increase in the actual state of our affairs, in consequence of the usurpation by men, of a large class of occupations, which it would be more honorable in our sex to resign to the other. Is it not shameful, for example, to see in Paris thousands of men in the prime of their age in shops and warehouses, leading a sedentary and effeminate life, which is only suitable for women?"

M. Duchatelet has other facts, which show that even filial and maternal affection drive many to occasional prostitution as a means, and the only means left them, of earning bread for those depending on them for support. He says, "It is difficult to believe that the trade of prostitution should be embraced by certain women as a means of fulfilling their filial or maternal duties. Nothing, however, is more true . It is by no means rare to see married women, widowed, or deserted by their husbands, becoming abandoned, with the sole object of saving their families from dying with hunger. It is still more common to find young females, unable to procure, from honest occupations, adequate provision for their aged and infirm parents, reduced to prostitute themselves in order to eke out their livelihood. I have found," says he, "too many particulars regarding these two classes, not to be convinced that they are far more numerous than is generally imagined." Had I time, I could read you pages from the London "Morning Chronicle," on the Metropolitan Poor, where the most affecting cases are stated of poverty and of destitution, enough to melt the heart of steel, where poor creatures have been driven to vice from absolute starvation , - suffering remorse and self-loathing the most intolerable. Poor outcasts! - miserable lepers! Their touch even, in the very extremity of human suffering, shaken off as if it were a pollution! They seem to be considered far more out of the pale of humanity than negroes on a slave plantation, or felons in a Pasha's dungeon! It is thought to be discreditable to a woman even to know of their existence. You may not mention them in public. You may not allude to them in a book without staining its pages. Our sisters, whose poverty is caused by the oppressions of society, who are driven to sin by want of bread, - then regarded with scorn and turned away from with contempt! I appeal to you in their behalf, my friends. Is it not time to throw open to women, equal resources with men, for obtaining honest employment? If the extremity of human wretchedness - a condition which combines within itself every element of suffering, mental and physical, circumstantial and intrinsic - is a passport to our compassion, every heart should bleed for the position of these poor sufferers. I have the authority of Dr. Ryan, and of Mr. Mayhew, persons of well known integrity, who have investigated most faithfully and patiently the matter, - though it was a difficult and painful task, which they prosecuted with the most unwearied benevolence, sometimes travelling ten miles to ascertain the characters of women who made their statements to them, - and they publicly affirm, that nearly all were driven to dissolute lives because there were no means open to them of obtaining an adequate maintenance. The writer in the Edinburgh Review, who presented extracts from the elaborate researches of Duchatelet, in Paris, says, "We believe , on our honor, that nine out of ten originally modest women who fall from virtue, fall from motives or feelings in which sensuality and self have no share. Aye, we believe that hard necessity, - that grinding poverty, - that actual want, induced by their scanty resources, drive them to vice." Now let me present his statistics.

Of the 5,183 Parisian prostitutes, his investigations show that:- 2,690 were driven to the profession by parental abandonment, excessive want, and actual destitution; 86 thus earned food for the support of parents or children; 280 were driven by shame from their homes; 2,181 were abandoned by their seducers, and had nothing to turn to for a living! You may say, this may be the case in the old countries, but not in our own cities. Very little difference exists in the state of actual society here. Women are the same proscribed class here as elsewhere. The same difference is made between male and female labor. Public opinion surrounds them with ten thousand restrictions. The law disfranchises them. Christianity, to whose influence alone woman is indebted for all social dignity that she now enjoys, is appealed to, as sustaining the present degree of dominion over her, and tortured to prove her inferiority . Thus the cause exists, and why may not the evil also? It does exist to a fearful degree. And, painful though the contemplation of the sad picture may be, it is nevertheless our duty to investigate and seek its cause - then to apply the remedy - and to do now what we may to educate a different public sentiment.

I come now to my second proposition. Women ought to have equal opportunities, privileges, and securities with men for rendering themselves pecuniarily independent. And why not? Can woman be independent, free, and dignified without the means? Can she provide for future wants, exercise proper economy, without the means for so doing? Without a certain degree of pecuniary independence, it is impossible for man or woman to rise in usefulness, excellence, and enjoyment to the height of their natural capabilities. Women at present are cramped, dwarfed, and cowed down. Mothers, with large families of girls, though they may see in them intellect and genius, which, were they boys, might open to them in the future the pathway to independence and perhaps to fame, find that to girls nearly all avenues are closed. There are some branches of the fine arts, if they are very remarkably gifted, where they may find brilliant and dazzling success, as in the case of Jenny Lind. They may perhaps excel as poets and as painters. But these are the exceptions. Greatness is rare. Though they may see in their daughters the large reasoning powers that would enable them with much advantage to pursue the study of the law, yet Blackstone and Coke must be shut to them. The bright pinions of their intellect remain unfolded, and they are perhaps permitted to learn the trade of a milliner, already crowded to excess, and miserably paid. For men, too, have monopolized the profits in that business, and hire their milliners at the lowest possible wages. Very few girls can acquire money enough to compete with the aspirants of the other sex, and so they must submit to their destiny. Again, the mother may see largely developed in her daughter qualities that might fit her eminently for a physician. A distinguished doctor once said, "there are no diseases, there are diseased people;" and this fact explains the claim of women to the profession of medicine, for who understand so well as women the peculiarities of individual character? Their marvellous powers of observation, their tenderer sympathies, their greater caution, render them peculiarly qualified for the position; yet whoever heard of a female M. D.? And that mother would run the risk of incurring the world's laugh, who should avow the design of having her daughter prepare herself to be a physician! All the education she is allowed, all the resources opened before her, have for their object marriage , that is to say, a husband. "She was made only for man," is the idea, and of what use will this or that be to her, when she is married? To develope all her faculties, as an individual, is not thought of. Does not a woman live for herself, then? Is she not a member of the race, an immortal being, - unless she is married? O yes, for above these titles of wife and mother, which depend upon circumstances, accidental and transitory, are suspended by absence and perhaps broken by death, there is for woman a title, eternal, inalienable, preceding and rising above all, - that of human being, co-existent with man; and with him she can demand the most complete development of heart and mind. In the name of eternity, then, in behalf of the race, we ask her elevation. Do you acknowledge this? Do my sisters here feel that they have relations to the Universe, - capabilities to be developed for immortality? In the name of eternity, we ask our brothers no longer to proscribe our sphere. I say, then, that we are cramped, dwarfed, and cowed down, for the want of pecuniary independence. Is not this a miserable doctrine, that woman is subject to the man, that she must, if married, ask her husband to dole out her charities for her, to say when she may sign a petition, when she may speak out for the dumb, when she may plead for the poor, when she may visit the widow and fatherless in their affliction? Does it not compel her to take off the crown of her womanhood, and lay it at man's feet? No; give her her right to the disposal of her own property, to the disposal of her own earnings. As a wife, do not compel her to explain all her needs to one who can scarcely apprehend them from his want of attention to her situation and comforts, but let her have an equal right to the disposal of her earnings, equal privileges with man to acquire, hold, and manage property. The rightfulness of this is beginning to be felt and acknowledged. Laws have been recently passed by many of the States, giving to wives the right to control property owned before marriage; and would it not be equally just to give to them also some well protected rights regarding what they may save and acquire by a faithful discharge of their duties as wives and heads of families.

Thus, employment and occupations being opened, as contended for just now under the first head, let all other opportunities, privileges, and securities of law, custom, and usage, follow. Then woman, at every step, becomes greater, in all respects; more free and dignified; less the plaything, and more a fit companion for man, - a truer and better wife and mother, more influential for good everywhere, in all the relations of life. Thus marriage, generation, education, man, the race, - all rise higher and higher. Look again, and see how things are, and the consequences. Woman degenerates, physically and intellectually. By thus narrowing their sphere, and curtailing their rights and resources, women are doomed to an endless routine of domestic drudgery, to an indoor sedentary life, with little or no stimulus to great or noble endeavors. They feel, indeed, with their narrow views and narrow interests, and their weakened bodies, that they are overcrowded and overdone with cares and labors. Dooming women to satisfy their love for excellence in household arrangements only - their love for beauty in dress, etc., is a great injury to both soul and body. We are so constituted, that exercise and great exertion, with high and soul-arousing objects, are potent to give us strength and powers of endurance. Witness wives in the times of our Revolution, think of the privations, hardships, and toil our grandmothers endured; compare them with the sickly race of wives and mothers whom modern improvements and labor-saving machinery in cloth-making are relieving from so much exertion, yet reducing their physical strength in proportion!

My remedy for this increasing degeneracy in health and consequent weakness of mind, is:- give woman her rights; acknowledge her equality with man in privileges for the improvement of all her gifts; lift off the incubus weight, that crushes half her rights; allow her to feel that she has other obligations resting upon her than the eternal routine of domestic affairs. The beautiful home duties she will none the more neglect, but with new-springing happiness she will, with new strength, perform them, stimulated and cheered by the new relations she is sustaining. Change is rest; and woman will so find it when she allows her mind to change from the narrow circle of home duties to take a general survey of the vast machinery of affairs, where she too has responsibilities and interests. If married women have too little stimulus and objects, how much less have young girls, whose very dreams of the future are restricted to getting married! Having no encouragement for great endeavors, excluded from the liberal professions by the law, how many poor victims, who are not obliged "to labor" but only "to wait," are yielded up to be the prey of that frightful disease called ennui. To suffer with pain, and to be exhausted with toil, are evils, doubtless very great afflictions, but from these we do not shrink, for they are the necessary consequences of life; but ennui, - that scourge of existence, that living death, that conscious annihilation, that painful, aching nothingness, - that it is which corrodes and destroys the soul. Painful, though true, our country abounds in young ladies whom forced idleness condemns to this torture. I say forced , because a false public sentiment restricts and condemns woman to a few crowded avocations, so that she has nothing to stimulate her ambition or to encourage her hopes. Thus she yields to her slavery, her imprisonment. Ah, it is work , approved, creditable, well-paid work, that would reanimate these wretched existences. There are hard trials on this earth, but God has appointed labor , and all are cured. Work is a pleasure unequalled in itself; it is the preserver of all other pleasures. All may abandon us, - wit, gaiety, love, - but industry may still be ours; and the deep enjoyment which it produces, brings with it life's greatest pleasure, the approval of a good conscience. It is of this good that woman is deprived. She is accused of being too imaginative, and yet she is left a prey to reverie. She is complained of for being easily impressed, and yet society does its utmost to increase that susceptibility. This is cruel, oppressive. Dispute our rights, envy us our claim as mothers, but leave us our privilege to labor . Give us our just remuneration. Allow us a fair and equal chance, if you would see the genius of woman rising in its peculiar beauty, its free and natural manifestation.

The soul needs some aliment, if it is not to be left to prey on itself. What is called instruction will not serve the purpose. What is study without an object, knowledge without practice? Instruction enlarges the circle of woman's wants, without bringing anything to satisfy them; gives thirst, but supplies no drink; for to live is not to learn, but to apply. When so large a share of the public business is writing, why are so many maiden middle-aged ladies restless with ennui, having nothing to do? Why are overseerships in female prisons, in manufactories, in asylums, filled so entirely by men? Because women are a proscribed caste, the weaker sex, invidiously called, and men, in their great wisdom, triumph.

I come now to my third proposition. Women ought to have equal legal and political rights, franchises, and advantages with men. Why not? Our laws ought to respect and protect all their rights. They ought to have an equal voice in constituting government, in administering it, in making and executing laws. Why not? This follows as the climax of what we have contended for. There may be some offices more suitable to males than females, and let matters be arranged accordingly. These are details of convenience; but for the rest let them be equal. Why not? If a woman may earn property freely, hold and dispose of it freely, etc., should she not have a free and equal voice in the government which regulates and protects her rights? She must, or be a mere ward under guardianship, a serf, a plaything, an appendage. And why should she not? Has she less at stake? Has she less moral sense? Has she less regard to the common good? Would she degrade and brutalize the exhibition at the polls? In the legislature, at the bar, etc., would the State be worse governed than it is by man alone? It is absurd to suppose it.

Is there any sound reason why women should be excluded from all political functions? At present she has no legal existence. Dr. Follen, in his Essay on Freedom in our own country, says: "Woman, though possessed of that rational and moral nature which is the foundation of all rights, enjoys among us fewer legal and civil rights than under the law of continental Europe."

Blackstone, in his chapter entitled Husband and Wife, says: "By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in law; that is, the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, - or at least is consolidated into that of her husband, under whose wing, protection, and cover, she performs anything." So, the very being of a woman, like that of a slave, is absorbed in her master! All contracts made with her, like those made with slaves by their owners, are a mere nullity. Her legal disabilities are too well known to render it necessary to quote many of the laws respecting them. That she sustains the same relation that slaves do to our government is well known. That the laws are unjust towards her is believed by all who candidly give their attention to the subject.

Well, then, why should women be denied the elective franchise? It must be for one of two reasons. The first is that, though they constitute one half of the human race, women have no interest in the government under which they live, and whose laws they are bound to obey. Or, they are incapable of the degree of intelligence or the amount of knowledge presumed to be possessed by those who vote. The first objection, perhaps, few will attempt to maintain. For the answer to the second, let us look around on the first assemblage of independent electors who may happen to meet. Why is there such apathy, such indifference on this subject, manifested by women? Not more than one woman in a thousand feels the slightest interest in the subject. Are we willing forever to be thus disfranchised? The justice of this question was well stated by Condorcet, in a passage quoted by M. Legouve, though his argument was, of course, applied to France, a country that admitted universal suffrage. "In the name of what principle, of what right," he says, "are women in a republican state to be deprived of public functions? The words national representation , signifies representation of the nation. Do women, then, form no part of the nation? This assembly has for its object to constitute and maintain the rights of the French people? Are women, then, not of the French people? The right of election and of being elected, is founded for men, solely on their title as free and intelligent beings. Are women, then, not free and intelligent? The only limits now placed to that right is condemnation to an infamous punishment, or minority. Are women, then, to be regarded as criminals, or are they all minors? Will the argument be taken upon the ground of the corporeal weakness of women? It that case, we ought to make our candidates pass before a medical jury, and reject such as have the gout every winter. Shall we object to women for their want of instruction, their deficiency in political genius? It appears to me that many of our representations manage to do without either!" He proceeds to say, "The more we interrogate common sense and republican principles, the less reason we find for excluding women from political existence. The capital objection which is found in all mouths, and which assumes with it, at first, an appearance of solidity, is that to open to them the career of politics would be to snatch them from their families. This does not apply to women who have never been wives or who have ceased to be such. But all this appears an unreasonable objection. Would the exercise of the elective franchise once or twice in a year be likely to prevent a woman's properly fulfilling her important home duties? Would not the recognition, publicly, of her claims as an intelligent member of society, or any measure that would equally tend to raise the character of women, greatly contribute to the dignity and comfort of many a home, by giving to the wife and mother some better object to fill her vacant hours than unnecessary shopping or idle visiting?"

People echo the cry of "danger to home" without stopping to inquire whether any such danger exists. Our grandfathers saw great danger to home and to the female character in the decline of household spinning. No, no, you do not endanger home by giving woman her true position as equal companion in theaffairs of the nation as in the administration of home. So far from these new functions interfering in the least with the sacred and holy duties of wife and mother they would be rather their reward and crown. Plutarch relates that the Gauls called into their councils, on great occasions, the elite of the women of the nation. Lycurgus gave to virtuous women a part in great public celebrations. The festivals of Proserpine and Ceres reserved certain political and religious functions for wives and mothers of spotless reputation. And our imagination looks forward to the time, with pleasure and hope, when experienced and virtuous matrons, who have passed through years of domestic duties with fidelity and care, shall sit in the Councils of the Nation wisely to control and direct their deliberations, to speak from their deep maternal love for the suffering and oppressed, to blend with the sterner element of Government that true affection for the suffering and the erring, which only woman knows, to suppress by their presence that undignified and unworthy ruffianism, which so often disgraces the councils of the nation, and finally to encourage decision, haste, and despatch of business, as only women can do, who are attracted home by an ever abiding love, that with them would be an influence far stronger than eight dollars a day.

I think you must all feel that women's rights as human beings are greatly encroached upon, that they suffer a degree of tyranny the world over, unworthy the nineteenth century, that in view of their degraded position, women are called upon loudly to remonstrate, that patience has ceased to be a virtue, that it is time we demand our rights. Are we willing to be denied every post of honor and every lucrative employment - to be reckoned as the inferior sex , and but half paid for what we do - to feel that we are a proscribed caste, in all our aspirations for excellence and great and noble exertion, and to receive in return the fulsome, and sickening flattery of perverted taste - to be complimented about our shrinking delicacy, our feminine weakness, our beautiful dependence! And shall we with complacency receive and smile on such praise, bought by the sacrifice of our rights, our noblest endowments, while we know that he who thus compliments us for shrinking and dependence, is but a frail mortal like ourselves, and that to cower before man is to be recreant to God, false to our higher angel natures, and basely slaves! Is there a woman here, who is willing to be disfranchised, to be taxed without representation, to feel that she has no part or lot in the Government under which she lives - that she is a mere thing!

If there is a woman who is willing to be in this position, I do not envy that woman her spirit, and no wonder that such mothers have dough-faced children. I am happy to feel that in the little Commonwealth where I live, all persons have equal rights, in public deliberations. Men and women are alike recognised as having a common interest in public officers and public measures. Hence our annual meetings and elections are quiet and orderly, the business is soon despatched, for our women never forget their homes to wrangle and discuss business points of minor importance, and I have never, in the small State of Hopedale, heard of one home being neglected, or one duty less thoroughly attended to by allowing women an equal voice. I could not vote under the present wicked Constitution of the United States, but I ought to have the privilege of coming out from that Government, and of bearing my testimony by a free and voluntary choice

In view of all these oppressions, - this undervaluing our labor, - taking from us our right to choice in our industrial avocations, - infliction of pecuniary dependence , - shutting us from the trades, and the learned professions - wresting from us our legal rights, - denying us political equality, - denying us the right of free speech, - chaining us to a prescribed sphere, - we say that these, and other usurpations, demand our speedy remonstrance. "Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow." No matter if the yoke we wear is soft and cushioned, it is nevertheless a yoke. No matter if the chain is fastened by those we love, it is nevertheless a chain. Let us arise then in all the majesty of renewed womanhood and say, we must be free . We will attend to our previous home duties faithfully, cheerfully, but we must do it voluntarily, in obedience to our Maker, who placed these responsibilities more especially upon us. If the affairs of the nation demand the attention of our fathers, our husbands, and our brothers, allow us to act with them for the right, according to the dictates of our own consciences. Then we will educate our sons and our daughters as equal companions, alike interested in whatever concerns the welfare of the race. Our daughters, equally provided for the serious business of life, shall no longer be dependent upon the chances of marriage; teaching them not to live wholly in their affections, we will provide for them, as for our sons, a refuge from the storms of life, by opening to them the regions of high intellectual culture, of pecuniary independence, and of moral and political responsibilities. Parents, I appeal to you: are you willing to train your daughters with reference only to marriage? Are you willing they should be the prey of that sickly sentimentality, that effeminate weakness, which is produced by making that one idea the focus of life?

Husbands, are you willing to urge the cowering obedience of that being whom you admit is your "better half," especially when you consider your own frailties, and oftentimes misguided judgment? Will you assume to be her lawgiver and ruler? Are you proud to see her bend her soul to man? Brothers, are you willing to see your sisters, whose sympathy and communion in childhood was the sweetest solace of your life, prevented from future companionship, by the threatening scowl of a narrow, and heathenish public sentiment that must blast their highest aspirations - palsy the wings of their genius - dim the crown of their womanhood, and make them slaves? Again, I say - give us an equal chance. Allow us one free choice. Talk not to us of weakness when you have so long broken our spirits by the iron hand of oppression. Lift off that hand - give us our rights inalienable, and then a new era, glorious as the millenial morning, will dawn on earth, an advent only less radiant than that heralded by angels on the plains of Bethlehem.

"What highest prize hath woman won
In science, or in art?
What mightiest work by woman done,
Boasts city, field, or mart?
She hath no Raphael! Painting saith -
No Newton! Learning cries;
Show us her steamship! her Macbeth!
Her thought-won victories.

"Wait, boastful man! Though worthy are
Thy deeds, when thou art true, -
Things worthier still, and holier far,
Our sisters yet will do.
For this, the worth of woman shows
On every peopled shore,
That still as man in wisdom grows
He honors her the more.

"O, not for wealth, or fame, or power,
Hath man's meek angel striven;
But, silent as the growing flower,
To make of earth a heaven!
Soon in her garden of the sun
Heaven's brightest rose shall bloom;
For woman's best is unbegun!
Her advent yet to come!".

Women's Rights, Freedom, & Equality - Paulina W Davis' Address 1850 Women's Rights Convention

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Paulina W Davis

This leaves me at liberty to occupy your attention for a few moments with some general reflections upon the attitude and relations of our movement to our times and circumstances, and upon the proper spirit and method of promoting it. I do not even intend to treat these topics formally, and I do not hope to do it successfully; for nothing less than a complete philosophy of reform could answer such inquiries, and that philosophy, it is very certain, the world has not yet discovered.

Human rights, and the reasons on which they rest, are not difficult of comprehension. The world has never been ignorant of them, nor insensible to them; and human wrongs and their evils are just as familiar to experience and as well understood; but all this is not enough to secure to mankind the possession of the one, or to relieve them from the felt burden and suffering of the other. A creed of abstract truths, or a catechism of general principles, and a completely digested list of grievances, combined, are not enough to adjust a practical reform to its proper work, else Prophets and Apostles and earnest world-menders in general would have been more successful, and left us less to wish and to do.

It is one thing to issue a declaration of rights[2]or a declaration of wrong to the world, but quite another thing wisely and happily to commend the subject to the world's acceptance, and so to secure the desired reformation. Every element of success is, in its own place and degree, equally important; but the very starting point is the adjustment of the reformer to his work, and next after that is the adjustment of his work to those conditions of the times which he seeks to influence.

Those who prefer the end in view to all other things, are not contented with their own zeal and the discharge of their duty to their conscience. They desire the highest good for their follow-beings, and are not satisfied with merely clearing their own skirts; and they esteem martyrdom a failure at least, if not a fault, in the method of their action. It is not the salvation of their own souls they are thinking of, but the salvation of the world; and they will not willingly accept a discharge or a rejection in its stead. It is their business to preach righteousness and rebuke sin, but they have no quarrel with "the world that lieth in wickedness," and their mission is not merely to judge and condemn, but to save alike the oppressor and the oppressed. Right principles and conformable means are the first necessities of a great enterprise, but without right apprehensions and tempers and expedient methods, the most beneficent purposes must utterly fail. Who is sufficient for these things?

Divine Providence has been baffled through all the ages of disorder suffering for want of fitting agents and adapted means. Reformations of religion have proved but little better than the substitution of a new error for an old one, and civil revolutions have resolved themselves into mere civil insurrections, until history has become but a monument of buried hopes.

The European movement of 1848[3] was wanting neither in theory nor example for its safe direction, but it has nevertheless almost fallen into contempt.

We may not, therefore, rely upon a good cause and good intentions alone, without danger of deplorable disappointment.

The reformation which we purpose, in its utmost scope, is radical and universal. It is not the mere perfecting of a progress already in motion, a detail of some established plan, but it is an epochal movement-the emancipation of a class, the redemption of half the world, and a conforming re-organization of all social, political, and industrial interests and institutions. Moreover, it is a movement without example among the enterprises of associated reformations, for it has no purpose of arming the oppressed against the oppressor, or of separating the parties, or of setting up independence, or of severing the relations of either.

Its intended changes are to be wrought in the intimate texture of all societary organizations, without violence, or any form of antagonism. It seeks to replace the worn out with the living and the beautiful, so as to reconstruct without overturning, and to regenerate without destroying; and nothing of the spirit, tone, temper, or method of insurrection is proper or allowable to us and our work.

Human societies have been long working and fighting their way up from what we scornfully call barbarism, into what we boastfully call modern civilization; but, as yet, the advancement has been chiefly in ordering and methodizing the lower instincts of our nature, and organizing society under their impulses. The intellect of the masses has received development, and the gentler affections have been somewhat relieved from the dominion of force; but the institutions among men are not yet modelled after the highest laws of our nature. The masterdom of the strong hand and bold spirit is not yet over, for men have not yet established all those natural claims against each other, which seem to demand physical force and physical courage for their vindication. But the age of war is drawing towards a close, and that of peace (whose methods and end alike are harmony) is dawning, and the uprising of womanhood is its prophecy and foreshadow.

The first principles of human rights have now for a long time been abstractly held and believed, and both in Europe and America whole communities have put them into practical operation in some of their bearings. Equality before the law, and the right of the governed to choose their governors, are established maxims of reformed political science; but in the countries most advanced,[4] these doctrines and their actual benefits are as yet enjoyed exclusively by the sex that in the battle-field and the public forum has wrenched them from the old time tyrannies. They are yet denied to Woman, because she has not yet so asserted or won them for herself; for political justice pivots itself upon the barbarous principle that "Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow." Its furthest progress toward magnanimity is to give arms to helplessness. It has not yet learned to give justice . For this rule of barbarism there is this much justification, that although every human being is naturally entitled to every right of the race, the enjoyment and administration of all rights require such culture and conditions in their subject as usually lead him to claim and struggle for them; and the contented slave is left in slavery, and the ignorant man in darkness, on the inference that he cannot use what he does not desire. This is indeed true of the animal instincts, but it is false of the nobler soul; and men must learn that the higher faculties must be first awakened, and then gratified, before they have done their duty to their race. The ministry of angels to dependent humanity is the method of Divine Providence, and among men the law of heaven is, that the "elder shall serve the younger." But let us not complain that the hardier sex overvalue the force which heretofore has figured most in the world's affairs. "They know not what they do"[5] is the apology that crucified womanhood must concede in justice and pity to the wrong doers. In the order of things, the material world was to be first subdued. For this coarse conflict, the larger bones and stronger sinews of manhood are especially adapted, and it is a law of muscles and of all matter that might shall overcome right. This is the law of the vegetable world, and it is the law of the animal world, as well as the law of the animal instincts and of the physical organization of men; but it is not the law of spirit and affection. They are of such a nature as to charge themselves with the atonement for all evils, and to burden themselves with all the sufferings which they would remove.

This wisdom is pure, and peaceable, and gentle, and full of mercy and of good fruits.

Besides the feebler frame, which under the dynasty of muscles is degraded, there remains, even after justice has got the upper hand of force in the world's judgments, a mysterious and undefined difference of sex that seriously embarrasses the question of equality; or, if that is granted, in terms of equal fitness for avocations and positions which heretofore have been the monopoly of men. Old ideas and habits of mind survive the facts which produced them, as the shadows of night stretch far into the morning, sheltered in nooks and valleys from the rising light; and it is the work of a whole creation-day to separate the light from the darkness.

The rule of difference between the sexes must be founded on the traits which each estimates most highly in the other; and it is not at all wonderful that some of woman's artificial incapacities and slaveries may seem to be necessary to some of her excellencies; just as the chivalry that makes man a butcher of his kind still glares like a glory in the eyes of admiring womanhood, and all the more because it seems so much above and unlike her own powers and achievements. Nature does not teach that men and women are unequal, but only that they are unlike; an unlikeness so naturally related and dependent that their respective differences by their balance establish, instead of destroying, their equality.

Men are not in fact, and to all intents, equal among themselves, but their theoretical equality for all the purposes of justice is more easily seen and allowed than what we are here to claim for women. Higher views, nicer distinctions, and a deeper philosophy are required to see and feel the truths of woman's rights; and besides, the maxims upon which men distribute justice to each other have been battle-cries for ages, while the doctrine of woman's true relations in life is a new science, the revelation of an advanced age, - perhaps, indeed, the very last grand movement of humanity towards its highest destiny, - too new to be yet fully understood, too grand to grow out of the broad and coarse generalities which the infancy and barbarism of society could comprehend.

The rule of force and fraud must be well nigh overturned, and learning and religion and the fine arts must have cultivated mankind into a state of wisdom and justice tempered by the most beneficent affections, before woman can be fully installed in her highest offices. We must be gentle with the ignorance and patient under the injustice which old evils induce. Long suffering is a quality of the highest wisdom, and charity beareth all things for it hopeth all things. It will be seen that I am assuming the point that the redemption of the inferior, if it comes at all, must come from the superior. The elevation of a favored caste can have no other providential purpose than that, when it is elevated near enough to goodness and truth, it shall draw up its dependents with it.

But, however this may be in the affairs of men as they are involved with each other, it is clearly so in the matter of woman's elevation. The tyrant sex, if such we choose to term it, holds such natural and necessary relations to the victims of injustice, that neither rebellion nor revolution, neither defiance nor resistance, nor any mode of assault or defence incident to party antagonism, is either possible, expedient, or proper. Our claim must rest on its justice, and conquer by its power of truth. We take the ground, that whatever has been achieved for the race belongs to it, and must not be usurped by any class or caste. The rights and liberties of one human being cannot be made the property of another, though they were redeemed for him or her by the life of that other; for rights cannot be forfeited by way of salvage, and they are in their nature unpurchasable and inalienable.

We claim for woman a full and generous investiture of all the blessings which the other sex has solely or by her aid achieved for itself. We appeal from men's injustice and selfishness to their principles and affections.

For some centuries now, the best of them have been asserting, with their lives, the liberties and rights of the race; and it is not for the few endowed with the highest intellect, the largest frame, or even the soundest morals, that the claim has been maintained, but broadly and bravely and nobly it has been held that wherever a faculty is given, its highest activities are chartered by the Creator, and that all objects alike - whether they minister to the necessities of our animal life or to the superior powers of the human soul and so are more imperatively needed, because nobler than the bread that perishes in the use - are, of common right, equally open to ALL; and that all artificial restraints, for whatever reason imposed, are alike culpable for their presumption, their folly, and their cruelty.

It is pitiable ignorance and arrogance for either man or woman now to prescribe and limit the sphere of woman. It remains for the greatest women whom appropriate culture, and happiest influences shall yet develop, to declare and to prove what are woman's capacities and relations in the world.

I will not accept the concession of any equality which means identity or resemblance of faculty and function. I do not base her claims upon any such parallelism of constitution or attainment. I ask only freedom for the natural unfolding of her powers, the conditions most favorable for her possibilities of growth, and the full play of all those incentives which have made man her master, and then, with all her natural impulses and the whole heaven of hope to invite, I ask that she shall fill the place that she can attain to, without settling any unmeaning questions of sex and sphere, which people gossip about for want of principles of truth, or the faculty to reason upon them.

But it is not with the topics of our reform and the discussion of these that I am now concerned. It is of its position in the world's opinion, and the causes of this, that I am thinking; and I seek to derive hints and suggestions as to the method and manner of successful advocacy, from the inquiry. Especially am I solicitous that the good cause may suffer no detriment from the theoretical principles its friends may assume, or the spirit with which they shall maintain them. It is fair to presume that such causes as have obscured these questions in the general judgment of the governing sex, must also more or less darken the counsels of those most anxious for truth and right. If our demand were simply for chartered rights, civil and political, such as get acknowledgment in paper constitutions, there would be no ground of doubt. We could plead our common humanity, and claim an equal justice. We might say that the natural right of self-government is so clearly due to every human being alike, that it needs no argument to prove it; and if some or a majority of women would not exercise this right, this is no ground for taking it from those who would. And the right to the control and enjoyment of her own property and partnership in all that she helps her husband to earn and save, needs only to be stated to command instant assent. Her appropriate avocations might not be so easily settled that a programme could be completed on theoretical principles merely; but we need discuss no such difficulties while we ask only for liberty of choice, and opportunities of adaptation; and the question of her education is solved by the simple principle, that whatever she can receive is her absolute due.

Yet all these points being so easily disposed of, so far as they are mere matters of controversy, the advocates of the right need none the less the wisest and kindest consideration for all the resistance we must encounter, and the most forbearing patience under the injustice and insolence to which we must expose ourselves. And we can help ourselves to much of the prudence and some of the knowledge we shall need, by treating the prejudices of the public as considerately as if they were principles, and the customs of society as if they once had some temporary necessity, and so meet them with the greater force for the claim to respect which we concede to them. For a prejudice is just like any other error of judgment, and a custom has sometimes had some fitness to things more or less necessary, and is not an utter absurdity, even though the reason on which it was based is lost or removed. Who shall say that there is nothing serious, or respectable, or just, in the repugnance with which our propositions are received? The politician who knows his own corruption may be excused for an earnest wish to save his wife and daughter from the taint, and he must be excused, too, for not knowing that the corruption would be cured by the saving virtue which he dreads to expose to risk.

There may be real though very foolish tenderness in the motive which refuses to open to woman the trades and professions that she could cultivate and practice with equal profit and credit to herself. The chivalry that worships womanhood is not mean, though it at the same time enslaves the objects of its overfond care.

And it is even possible that men may deprive women of their property and liberties, personal and political, with the kindly purpose of accommodating their supposed incapacities for the offices and duties of human life. Harsh judgments and harsh words will neither weaken the opposition, nor strengthen our hands. Our address is to the highest sentiment of the times; and the tone and spirit due to it and becoming in ourselves, are courtesy and respectfulness. Strength and truth of complaint, and eloquence of denunciation, are easy of attainment; but the wisdom of affirmative principles and positive science, and the adjustment of reformatory measures to the exigencies of the times and circumstances, are so much the more useful as they are difficult of attainment. A profound expediency, as true to principle as it is careful of success, is, above all things, rare and necessary. We have to claim liberty without its usually associated independence. We must insist on separate property where the interests are identical, and a division of profits where the very being of the partners is blended. We must demand provisions for differences of policy, where there should be no shadow of controversy; and the free choice of industrial avocations and general education, without respect to the distinctions of sex and natural differences of faculty.

In principle these truths are not doubtful, and it is therefore not impossible to put them in practice, but they need great clearness in system and steadiness of direction to get them allowance and adoption in the actual life of the world. The opposition should be consulted where it can be done without injurious consequences. Truth must not be suppressed, nor principles crippled, yet strong meat should not be given to babes. Nor should the strong use their liberties so as to become a stumbling block to the weak. Above all things, we owe it to the earnest expectation of the age, that stands trembling in mingled hope and fear of the great experiment, to lay its foundations broadly and securely in philosophic truth, and to form and fashion it in practical righteousness. To accomplish this, we cannot be too careful or too brave, too gentle or too firm; and yet with right dispositions and honest efforts, we cannot fail of doing our share of the great work, and thereby advancing the highest interests of humanity.