iii (''^-y\^.A^ C^■o-^>^A■K? --v^ /CC PROCEEDINGS moth Inland iistorical Hocidg, 18 7 9-80 J)GiCA;. iC'Crvi ^-^Qrat** r-i P R O V I I) P: N C E : rillXTKD von TlIK SOCrKTY 1 S 8 . PROCEEDINGS I l") ■ lii IIP C^r 'M\m\t \ liland tlistorical Socidii, 1879-80. L 16610 P R V I I) E N C E : I'lIIXTKU I'OU TIIK SOCIETY. 1880. p^l Conimiitec on PublicaiioH. JOHN RUSSELL BAKTLETT, J. LEWLS DLALAX, EDWIN MARTIN STONE. IMUNTKU HV THE I'lIOVlDENX'E PRESS COMl'ANV. O F F I (J E P. S OF TIIK KMIODE ISLAM) inSTOJJKVAL SOCIKTV Ei.i-XTKi) Januai!y ISrii, 1880, Presidcnl. SAMUEL G. ARNOLD,* - . . . . PoirrsMorrr,. Vice Presidents. ZACHAKIAH ALLEN, ..... p,,,vn>KN.K. FRANCIS BRINLEV, - . . . Nkwpokt. ' i^ccrct'iry. AMOS I'ERRV, PKovn.KxcK. Treasurer. RICHMOND V. EVERETT, .... l>,:,)vn>KNci.:. Lihrnrinn and Cnlmiei Keeper of the Northern Deparlnieid. EDWIN M. STONE, ..... 1>k.>v.i.knck. * Dc-Lvasod since iiiiiiual iiRctiiiff. 4 RHODE ISLAKD HISTOKICAL SOCIETY. Commiltee on Koyninalion of New Mtinhers. ALBERT V. JENKS, Pijovidexck. WILLIAM STAPLES, Puovidknck. W. MAXWELL GREENE, - - - . Puovidkxck. Committee on Leettires and I^iadinr/ of Papers. WILLIAM GAMMELL, PitoviDEXCK. AMOS PRRRY, Puovidkxck. CHARLES W. PARSONS, . - . . PuovinKXCK. Committee on rublicaiions of the Socidy. JOHN R. BARTLETT, Puovidkxck. J. LEWIS DIMAN, Pkovidkxck. EDWIN M. STONE, - - - - - Phovidkxck. Committee on Genealogical Researches. HENRY E. TURNER, ..--.. Nkwpokt. ZACHARIAH ALLEN, ----- Pkovidexce. WILLIAM A. MOWRY, Pkoviokxce. Committee on Care of Grounds and Duildiny. ISAAC H. SOUTH WICK, - - . - I'iiovidence. HENRY J, STEERE. Pkovidexck. ROYAL C. TAFT, Pkovidkxce. HENRY T. BECK WITH, WALTER BLODGICT, JOHN P. WALKER. Audit Committee. Pi:o\ll)EXCE. Pkoviuexce. PitOVIUEXCE. Procurators. GEORGE C. MASON, - WILLIAM J MILLER, - ERASTUS RICHARDSON, HENRY F. SMITH, CHARLES H. FISHER, - GEORGE H. OLNEY, Newpoht. BiMSTOL. WOOXSOCKET. PaWTL'CKET. SCITUATE. HOPKIXTOX. HOXOEAPvY MEMBERS. Elected since January 1st, 1873. (For complete list previous to tliis date sec Proceedings for 1872-73.) July 1, 1873. *William Culleu Bryant, LL. D., New York City. Oct. 7,1873. fHon. John Lothrop Motley, LL. D., London, Eng-. .Tan. 20,1874. James Anthony Froiule, F. Ex. Col. Ox., " " Nov. 10, 1874. +Hon. Brantz Mayer, Baltimore, Md. Oct. 2,1877. Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, Boston, Mass. Oct. 1, 1878. Don Jose Maria Latino Coelho, Sec. Royal Academy Sciences, Lisbon, Portugal:. April 1,187'.). Hon. Charles Francis Adams, Cambridge, Mass.. July 1, 1870. Prof. K. Gislason, Sec. Royal Society Northern Antiquaries, Copenhagen, Deni Jan. 13, 1880. Hon. Carl Schurz, Sec. Interior, Washington, D. C^ Deceased. 187^. t Deceased, 187 X Deceased,. 1879. CORRESPONDING MEMBERS . Elected since Apiul 1st. 1873. (For complefe list previous (o this dnte .ce I'roa, dings for isrj-r;!.) •Tuly 1, 1873. Oct. 7, 1873. Jan. ?0, 1874. April 7, 1874. •Tilly 7, 1874. Nov. 10, 1874. April G, 187u. July G, 1875. " u Oct. 5, 1875. '( ii Jan. 18, 187G. Kev. Thomas T. Stone, Col. Albert IF. Iloyt, William Chambers, LL. D., Prof. J. C. Hoist, G. J. Bowles, Esq., Frederick Kidder, Esq., William J. Uoppin, Esq , Hon William Greenongh, Jiev. Saninel Osgood, I). D.. Col. John Ward, Alexander Duncan, Esq., Lyman C. Draper, Esq., Col. Percy Daniel, Charles-H. Ru.ssell, Esq., Hon. J. Carson Brevoort, Thomas F. Rowland, Esq., C. Mason Kinnie, Esq., Franklin B. Hough, M. D., Edmund B. O'Calligan, LL. D., Benjamin Greene Arnold, Marcus D. Gilmaii, Esq., Lib. Vi Historical Society, Silas Bonfils, Esq., Bolton, ]\Tass. Cincinnati, O. Edinburoh, Scotland. Christiania, Norway. Quebec, Canada. Boston, Mass. New York City. Boston, Mass. New York City. '* (( (, England. Madison, Wis. Worcester. Mass. New York City. Brooklyn, N. Y. San Francisco, Cal. Low vi lie, N. Y. New York City. Montpelier, Vt. Mentone, France. COKRE.SrONDINC :\IEM15E1!S. 7 Jan. 18, l.S7(;. Pliinoas Bates, Jr., Esq., Boston, Mass. " " "W. Elliott Woodward, Esq., " " Oct. 3, 187(1. Bt. Bev. M. A. DeWolf Howe, Beading, Pa. " " Hou. John S. Braytou, Fall Biver, Mass. April 3, 1877. Hon. Bicliard A. Wheeler, Stoningtoii, Conn. April 24, 1877. Bev. Elmer II. Capen, D. 1)., Sonierville, Mass. Jan. 15, 1878. Asa Bird Gardner, LL. 1)., Prof. U. S. Military Academy, West Point. " " Major-Gen. George W. Cullnni, U. S. A., New York City. " " Brig-Gen. A. A. Hnmphreys, Chief Eug Depart., U. S. A., AVashingtou, I). C. Oct. 1, 1S7S. lion. Isaac N. Arnold, Prest. Chicago Hist Society, Chicago, 111. " " Hiram A. Huse, Esq., Lib. Vt. State Library, Montpelier, "Vt. April 2, 1878. Gen. Henssein Tevfik, Constantinople. " " Hon. John Fitch. New York City, " " Edward F. DeLancey, Esq., " " " Jan. 14, 1879. Bev. Charies Bogers, LL. D., Sec. Boyal Hist. Society, London, Eng. " " Col. 'i'hos. Wentworth Iligginsou, Cambridge, Mass. " " Hon. Thomas C. Amor^^ Boston, Mass. April 1, 1879. Bay Greene Hnling, Fitchbnrg, Mass. A. W. Holden, M. D., Gleu Falls, N. Y. July 1, 1871). Lt.-Col. Thos. L. Casey, U. S. A., Washington, I). C. " " Hou. Edonard Madier de Montjau, Prest. Soc. Ethnology Am., Paris, France. Jan. 13,1880. Prof. Moses Coit Tyler, Ann Arbor, Michigan. '• " Samuel Dnnster, Esq., East Attloboro, Mass. ^%fi*«^ R E 8 1 1) K N T M E U r> E R S 1880. Repouted by the Treasurer. ELECTED. ELECT 1876. Adams, Charles P. 1878. 1874. Addemaii, Joshua M. 1872. 1874, Aldrich, Nelsou W. 184G. 1822. Allen, Zacliariah 1880. 1875. Ames, William 1870. 1875. Angell, Albert G. 1875. 187G. Angell, Edwin G. 1857. 1836. Anthony, Henry B. 1874. 1876. Armstrong, Cyrus C. 1876. 1875. Aplin, Charles 1878. 1874. Arnold, Olney 1874. 1844. *Arno.ld, Samuel G. 1878. 1877. Arnold, Stephen H. 1880. 1877. Babbitt, Edward S. 1859. 1872. Barrows, Edwin 1876. 1831. Bartlett, John R. 1873. 1876. Barton, Robert 1874. 1879, Barton, William T. 1874. 1849. Beckwith, Henry T, 1857. 1877. Bedlow, Henry 1880. 1858. Binuey, William 1872. 1873. Blodget, Walter 1879. EU. Bogmau, Edward Y. Bowen, Holder B. Bradley, Charles S. Brayton, William D. Brinley, Francis Brown, John A. Bi'own, Welcome O. Brownell, Stephen Biigbee, James H, Bull, Samuel T. Burnside, Ambrose E. Burrough, Frank M, Burrows, Daniel Calder, George B. Campbell, Horatio N. Carpenter, Charles E. Carpenter, Francis W. Caswell, Edward T. C'hambers, Robert B. Chandler, William H. Channing, William F. Chace, Lewis J. * Deceased, February 13, 1870. "KESIDKN'T MEMBERS. ELKCTED. EEECTK 18(J8. Cliacp, Thomas \V. 1874. 1873. Claflin, George L. 1878. 1880. Clarke, E. Webster 1870. 1878. Clarke, James M. 1878. 1873. Clarke, Sam AV. 1855. 1878. Clark, Thomas M. 1875. 1879. Clarke, William E. 1844. 1880. Coats, James 1875. 1877. Codiiiaii, Arthur 1880. 1879. Colt. LeBaroa 13. 1850. 1879. Colt, Samuel P. 1878. 1877. Coiiaiit, Hezekiah 1858. 1872. Coiigdon, Johns H. 1878. 1872. Cooke, Joseph J. 1878. 1874. Cranston, Henry C. 187G. 1877. Cranston, George K. 1874. 1879. Cross, William J. 18GG. 187G. Cushman, Henry I. 1877. 1874. Day, Daniel E. 1879. 1871. Dean, Sidney 1872. 1879. DeWolf, Winthrop 1872. 1874. Dike, Arba B. 1878. 18CG. Diman, J. Lewis 1879. 1877. Doringh, Cliarles H. K. 1878. 1877. Dorrance, Samuel K. 1874, 183G. Doirauce, William T. 1878. 1851. Doyle, Thomas A. 1877. 1875. Dnnnell, William Wanton 18^0. 1877. Dnrfee, Charles S. 1871. 1849. Durfee, Thomas 1873. 1838. Dyer, Elisha 1873. 1873 Eames, Benjamin T. 1874. 1872. E-iton, Amasa Af. 1874. 1878. Elliott, Albert T. 1874. 1S7G. I'Jy, James W. C. 1871. 18G2. Ely. William D. 1880. 187G. Ely, William 1843. 1858. Everett, Riehmond P. 18G7. Fairbrother, Henry L. Farnsworth, Claudius B. Fay, Henry H. Fisher; Charles H. Gammell, Asa Messer Gamniell, Robert Ives Gammell, William Gardner, Henry W. Goddanl, Francis W. Goddard, William Godding. Alvah W. Gorham, John Gorton, Chailcs Greene, Edward A. Greene, Henry L. Greene, Simon Henry Greene, AVilliam Greene, W. Maxwell Greer, David H. Grosvenor, William Grosvenor, William Jr. Hall, Robert Hammond, Benjamin B. Harkness, Albert Harrington, Henry A. Harris, C. Fiske Hartshorn, Joseph C. Hazard, Rowland G. Hazard, Rowland Hidden, Henry A. Hidden, James C. Hill, Thomas J. Holbrook, Albert Hopkins, William H. Hoppln, Frederick S. Howard, Albert C. Howland, John A. Jenks, Albert V. 10 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. ELECTED. 1879. Jillson, Charles D. 187-I. Joliusoii, William S. 1879. Joliiisoii, Elias H. 1880. Jones, Aiigustin« 1807. Keoiie, Stephen S. 1873. Kendall, Henry L. 187G. Kimball, James M. 1879. Knight, Edward B. 187G. Knowles, Edward V. 18G9. Lester, John Erastus 1879. Lincoln, John L. 1880. Lippitt, Christopher 1878. Lippitt, C. Warren 1872. Lippitt, Henry 1879. Loekwood, Amos D. 1873. Lyman, Daniel W. 1877. Mason, Charles F. 1877. Mason, Earl Philip 1877. Mason, Eugene W. 1877. Mason, George C. 1876. Mattcson, Charles 1878. Mauran, Edward C. 1878. Manrau, James E. 1867. Meader, John J. 1876. Metcalf, Henry B.. Paw 1875. Miller, Augustus S. 1873. Miller, William J. 1876. Moulton, Sullivan 1873. Mowry, William A. 1874. Mowry, William G. K. 1877. Mumford, John P. 1877. Munroe, Bennett J. 1880. Munroe, Wilfred H. 1880. Nichols, Amos G. 1876. Nickerson, Edward I. 1874. Nightingale, George C. 1865. *01dfie]d, John * Deceased, January 8, 1880. ELECTED. 1879. Olney, George H. 1862. Ormsbee, John Spurr 1878. Owen, Smith 1870. Pabodie, Benjamin F. 1874. fPabodie, Benjamin G. 1874. Paige, Charles F. 1867. Paine, George T. 1867. Parkiuirst, Jonathan G. 1847. Parsons, Charles W. 1875. Parsons, Henry L. 1873. Pearce, Edward 1877. Pearce, Edward D. Jr. 1849. Peckham, Samuel W. 1875. Pegram, John C. 1858. Perry, Amos 1880. Perry, Marsden J. 1874. Persons, Benjamin W. 1873. Philips, Theodore W. 1878. Porter, Emery H. 1880. Potter, Charles L. 1876. Rawson, Henry M. 1874. Richardson, Erastus 1877 Richmond, Walter • 1878. Rider, Sidney S. tucket, 1866. Roger.s, Horatio 1878. Russell, Levi W. 1877. Seabury, Frederic N. 1877. Seagraves, Caleb 1874. Shaw, James Jr. 1875. Sherman, William O. 1874. Shedd, J. Herbert 1879. Shepley, George H. 1876. Sherman, Robert 1877. Slater, Horatio N. Jr. 1876. Slater, William S. Jr. 1875, Smith, Edwin A. 1873. Smith, Henry F. t Deceased, January 25, 1880. RESIDENT MEMBERS. 11 KI.KCIKD. ELKCT 18(J1). Southwick. Isaac 11. 1877. 1H74. Spencer, Gideon L. 1873. 1870. Spencer, Joel M. 1875. 1877. Stanhope, Frederick A. 1874. 1873. Staples, Carlton A. 1874. 18(!!). Staples, William 1874. 1878. Starkweather, Joseph IT. 1861. 18(58. Steere, Henry J. 1878. 187!). Stiness, John H. 18G8. 1848, Stone, Edwin M. 1868. 1873. Swan, Jarvis B. 1874. 18.->6. Taft, Royal C. 1877. 1874. Taylor, Charles F. 1876. 1878. Tilli-nghast, James 1880. 1871) Tibbitts, William T. ED. Thayer, Thatcher Thurston, Benjamin F. Trippe, Samuel G. Turner, Henry E. Wales, Samuel H. Walker, John P. Waterman, Rufus Watson, Arthur H. Weeden, William B. AVestcott, Amasa S. Whitford, George W. Wilson, George F. Woods, Mar.sha]l Woodward, Royal LIFE MEMBERS Jan. l(i 1872. Jan. 17 1872 Feb. 21 1872 April 3 1872 April 25 1872. July 11 1872 Jan. 29 1873. July 11 1873 Jan. 26 1874 April 12 1875 Jan. 29 187G April 1 1 1877 Jan. J 4 1879 July 8 1879. Oct. IG 1879. Jan. 7 1880 * Decta sed. George T. Paine, Henry T. Beckwitli, William Greene, Rowland G. Hazard, Holder Borden Bowen, Aniasa M. Eaton, James Y. Smith,* Jarvis B. Swan, Benjamin G. Pabodie,* Albert G. AngcU, William Ely, Hezekiah Conant, Samuel G. Arnold,* Amos D. Lockwood, lloyal Woodward, Charles Gorton, Providence. Warwick. South Kingstown. Providence. North Providence. Providence. Pawtuckct. Portsmouth. Providence. Albany, N. Y. Providence. PROOEEDH^J-GS RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY SPECIAL :meeting. Providexce, January 28, 1879. A meeting was held this evening at 7| o'clock, Vice Presi- dent Allen in the chair. A note was read from the Librarian, who was detained by indisposition, announcing numerous donations made since the last meeting, among which was a piece of the first Atlantic Cable, with an original letter from Cyrus "W. Field, pre- sented by Christopher Burr, Esq. Hon. Abraham Payne then addressed the Society on the Life and Times of Jonathan Edwards. Mr. Payne stated, at the outset, that his object was not to present a sketch of this most reiuarka])le theologian, l)ut simply to awaken inter- est in his writings. He spoke for upAvards of an hour, enlisting the close attention of his auditors. At the" conclusion of his address, Rev. ]Mr. Stajdes related several striking anecdotes illustrative of the eloquence and 14 EHODE ISLAND HISTOEICAL SOCIETY. earnestness of the o;reat divine, and concluded his remarks by offering a resolution thanking ]Mr. Payne for his eloquent and interesting discourse, which resolution was seconded by Hon. Thomas A. Doyle, and after some spirited remarks by Vice President Allen, was unanimouslj^ passed. Col. John AVard, of Xew York, was announced to read the next paper on the 11th of February. The meetino: was numerously attended, and the exercises passed off in a most satisfactorA^ manner. Adjourned. Amos Pekky, Sec'y. SPECIAL MEETING. Providence, February 11, 1879. A meeting was held this evening to hear a paper read by (Jol. John Ward, of Xew York, Vice President Allen in the chair. A list of donations received since the last meetino- Mas read by the Secretary. Besides twenty books and pamphlets was a relic of slavery in the form of a slave chain taken from the body of a negro who was found chained with it to a tree on the plantations of ]Mr. Belson, near Simmsport, Louisiana, in May, 1863, by Capt. Peter Brucker, of the Second Rhode Island Cavalry, and b\' him presented to the Society. Col. John "Ward read a graphic and succinct account of the Siege of Harper's Feny by Stonewall Jackson in 1862, PROCEEDINGS. 15 The reading occupied an hour and a half, and was listened to with profound attention. On motion of Prof. Diniun, Col. Ward received a unani- mous vote of thanks for the highly interesting paper. In offering the resolution, Prof. Diman paid a marked compli- ment to the lecturer, and Vice President Allen added his word of commendation. Notwithstanding the rain-storm the room was well filled. Dr. Henry E. Turner, of Newport, was announced to read tlie next paper on the 2oth inst., to which time the meeting was adjourned. Amos Perry, Sedy. SPECIAL MEETING. Providence, February 25, 1879. A meeting was held this evening at a quarter before eight o'clock. Vice President Allen in the chair. Dr. Henry E. Turner read a paper on Jeremiah Clarkt^ and his descendants, showing this family to have been remarkable for the number of governors and deputy-govern- ors it has furnished the State, and for the wide diflusion of its blood through the old colonial families of various names. The i)aper evinced extensive and thorough historical re- search, and threw much light on a portion of our history pertaining to the period of the Sir Edmond Andros usurpa- tion. It vividly portrayed some of the leading characters 1(3 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. of the Jeremiah Clarke family, and set forth in a clear li<>ht the principles of the o})posing factions in the State. At the close of the reading, which occupied an hour and a half, some spirited and highly complimentary remarks were oflered by Messrs. Denison, Allen and Perry, and a unani- mous vote of thanks was passed to Dr. Turner for his exhaustive and instructive address, which, it Mas remarked, should be printed and widely circulated. Notice was given that John Austin Stevens, Esquire, Edi- tor of the Magazine of American History, would read the next paper, March 11, on the French in Khode Island. The meeting was then adjourn(HL xVmos Perry, Sec'y. SPECIAL MEETING. Providence, ]\Iarcli 11, 1anization and arrival of the tirst expedition under Count d'Estaino- to aid the United States in estal)lishini»- their indeju'ndenee, till the departure of the .second expedition under Count Uoehanibeau, after the sur- render of Cornwallis at Yorktown, which eh)sed the Kevolu- tionarv A\'ar. The paper gave a detailed account of the French occu})a- tion of our State and of their military and civic relations with the o-overnment and the })eo})le, and moi'e especially with the inhabitants of New})ort and Providence, l)y whom the French allies were Avarmly welcomed as the friends of our republic, then struii'o'lino; into existence, and entertained with a cordial and generous hospitality as champions of the American cause. Personal sketches were also given of prominent F'rench otKcers of both expeditions and of many l)olitical and social mo\ cments and events with which they were connected during their residence in this State and country. The Historical Cabinet was tilled with an audience of ladies and gentlemen who listened to the reading of the ])aper with deep interest. Mr. Stevens received the thaidvs of the Society, embodied in a resolution ofiered by l\t. l\ev. Thomas ]\I. Clark and seconded b}- Prof. J. Lewis Diman. Some highly interest- ing; reminiscences were added bv A'ice President Allen, and critical remarks l)y Messrs. Clark, Diman and Denison. Adjourned. Amos Peimiy, /Srri/. 18 KHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. QUARTERLY MEETING. PijoviUENCE, April 1, 1(S79. The quarterly meeting of the Society was held this even- ing, at a quarter before eight o'clock. Vice President Allen in the chair. The Secretary read the record of the last meeting and of the last annual meeting. lie also announced the reception of letters from Don Jose ]\Iaria I^atino Coellio, Secretary of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, Portugal, accepting with thanks his election as an honorary member ; and from Hon. Thomas C. Amory, of Boston, his election as a corresponding member of the Society. The Secret:iry then laid ])efore the Society the following connnunication : ri!ovn)i';NCK, K. I , April 1, lS7t). Mr. Amos rerrij, Secretart/ It. I. Historical Society: Deak Sh! :— I hereby present, through you, to the Ilhode Ishiiitl Histori- cal Society tiie accompanying watch, which was the property of my late luisbaiid, Captain Joseph Herlitz, Commander of the great ship Ganges, when she was driven up to the head of the Cove'by the great gale of Sep- tember 23, 1815. It was worn by him at that time. It has always been an excellent time keeper, and in running onler up to a recent time, when it was injured by .scune repairs. Its manufacturer was Richard Farrell, of Dublin, Ireland, and it came into my husband's possession at the close of a voyage, — a gift from the owner of the vessel. Since his death, December 18, 1817, it has naturally been a most precious memento to me of by-gone days and events, and now feeling the thread of life to be nearly run, — being In my eighty-third year,— I desire to deposit the watch in the safekeeping of your honorable Society, that it may be handed down to future generations as an interesting relic and memorial of olden times. I am respectfully yours, Louis.v (Lu'pitt) Ukulitz. The following resolutions oft'ered by Rev. E. M. Stone, were then unanimously passed : PROCEEDINGS. 19 Jiesolrrd, Tliat tlie tluniks of this Society arc licrohy presented to Mrs. Louisa Lippitt Ilerlitz for tlie very acceptable donation of a watcli, worn by her late husband, Captain Joseph Herlitz, Commander of the great ship Ganiies ^vhen driven by the great gale of September 23, 1815, and the force of an extraordinary tide, against the Washington Building, and there stranded. Ix'csolvcd, That in accepting the gift of Mrs Herlitz this Society begs leave to assure her that it shall be preserved with great care among its articles of virtu. The Lil)rarian annouiK-ed niimorons donations and ox- cliano'os since tlie last niec^ting. Mr. R. P. Everett otiered the following resolution, Avhioh was seconded by Rev. E. M. Stone Avith a brief eidogy of Mr. Williams, after which it was adopted inianimously : Resolved, That by the death of William Greene Williams, the Society has been deprived of one of its oldest, most active and devoted members, and that in view of his long and useful services, a record of this event be made by tl>e Secretary, and a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the family of the deceased. Mr. A. Y. Jenks, chairman of the Committee on Nomina- tion of Xew ^Members, reported in favor of the election of the folloAving gentlemen, and they were acconlingly elected : Kksident Mkmhers.— John II. Stiness, Charles D. Jillson, Wintlirop DcWolf, Edward B. Knight. CoiJUKsPONOiNG Mkmi5E1!.s. — Ray Greene Huling, Fitchburg, Mass., Dr. A. W. Holden, Glenn's Falls, N. Y. HoxoRAHY Mkmhkij.— Hon. Charles Francis Adams, Cambridge, Mass. Mr. George T. Paine read a detailed report, in behalf of the Committee appointed a year ago to keep the Cabinet open, and })roseciite the work of cataloguing the effects of the Society, together with the Act of the (icneral Assembly granting annually to the Society five hundred dollars for the care, preservation and utilization of the State property in charge of the Society. The Act, which was formally accepted, reads as follows : 20 RHODE ISLAND HLSTORICAL SOCIETY. \_rassed at the January Session, 7S79.~\ CHAPTER 7U. AX ACT IX AMEXDMEXT OF CHAPTER 24 OF THE GEXEUAL STATUTES "OF THE STATE LIBRAUY." (Passed Marcli 7, 1870.) It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows : Section 1. The sum of five luindred dollars is anminlly appropriated, to be expended under the direction of the Rhode Ishmd Historical Soci- ety, for the care and preservation and the cataloguing of the i)roperty of the State in its keeping, and for purchase and binding of books relating to the liistory of the State, and for copying and preserving the records in the several towns of the State. Skc 2. The Rhode Island Historical Society shall annually, at tlie May session, make report to the General Assembly of the manner in whicli the above appropriation has been expended. Skc. 3. All books and papers belonging to tlie State, in the keeping of the Rhode Island Historical Society, or which may be purchased under the above appropriation, shall be plainly marked as the property of the State, and shall at all seasonable times be for the use of tlie citizens of the State. Skc. 4. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. The report was {iccepted, and the followitiir resohilioii, recommended by the Committee, was th(Mi adopted : Resolved, That be a Committee who shall arrange with the General Treasurer for the payment of the money appropriated by the Legislature of the State to the annnal use of the Historical Society, and shall, in their discretion, disburse the same in accordance with the pro- visions of the act. Messrs. John H. Stiness, Charles W. Parsons and George T. Paine were nominated and elected as the Committee })ro- vided for by the above resolution. A recommendation for the appointment of a (V>inmittee on Criticism failed to pass. Mr. George T. Paine otfered several pro})osed amend- PROCEEDINGS. • 21 inents to tho (\)iistitnti()ii, wliicli were road, and oontimuMl for action to tho iioxt (juartorly meeting in July. On motion of Mr. Amos Perry, the thanks of the Society were voted to the Special Committee, for their extended, otfioiont and satistactory work in roorganizinij and cataloonin«: the Lil)rary and kooj)ininnino; of the dis- (Uission Dr. Ellis repeated, as a guiding })rinciple, the quaint adage that no question is settled until it is rightly settled. The discourse was the fruit of a vigorous and well-trained mind, thoroughly enlisted in the discussion of a grave and ])ractical subject, and its author received at the conclusion of the reading, on motion of Prof. J. Lewis Diman, seconded by Hon. John 11. Bartlett, the imanimous thanks of the Society. One of the conclusions reached l)y Dr. Ellis, and urged as the key to all right action in the premises, was, that our Government is the guardian of the Indians and, conversely, that the Indians are the wards of the (Jovcrn- ment. On this ])oint he s])oke"Avitli positiveness, bewailing the evils that have resulted from mixed systems and con- fused ideas. To longer waver here is, he said, l)oth a folly and a crime. The guardian must exercise good faith, decis- ion and energy,, and at the same time must insist that his wards shall have fixed habitations and shall cultivate such liabits of industry as tend to Christian civilization, ^^'ith()ut disparaging the War Department, he insisted on the exercise of moral force, and especially on fairness and honesty in our dealings Avitli these children of the forest. He denounced as l)arbarous and heathenish, the doctrine of extermination, understood to l)e favored by some citizens outside our mili- tary ranks. The general tenor of the discourse was pro- nounced by Prof. Diman to be in accord with the teachings of Roger AVilliams and John Elliot, whose apostolic charac- ter has received the sanction of the present generation. On motion, the meeting was adjourned. Amos PEiiRY, fSec'y. PROCEEDINGS. 28 QUAIITEliLY MEETING. Phovidexce, July 1, 1879. The regular quarterly ineetiu<>- was held this afternoon at 8 o'eloek, the President in the eliair. The record of the last (|uarterly meeting was read and approved. A letter was also read from Hon. Charles Francis Adams accepting the office of honorary member of the Society, and ex})ressing an interest in the objects pro})osed. The Secre- tary also gave an abstract of letters from Mr. Hay Greenti Huling, of Fitchburg, ]\Iass., acknowledging the honor of his election as corresponding member, and ex})rcssing his readiness to co-operate in promoting the objects of the Society. The Librarian reported numerous valuable donations made since the last quarterly meeting, among which was the Whitney Genealogy, consisting of three superbly bound and illustrated volumes, presented by J. Whitney Phoenix, of New York. This o-enerous donation called forth warm exjn-essions of ai)})reciation and of gratitude to the donor, though no formal vote was })assed. The Committee on the Nomination of New Members rec- ommended, through Mr. A. V. Jenks, the following persons for membership, and they were accordingly elected : Rksidknt Mkmbkrs.— Hev. C. A. L. Richards, Rev. E. H. Johiisoii, D. D., Rev. D. H. Gieer unci Amos D. Lockwood, Esq. IIONOUAUY MicMBKU. — Prof. K. Gislason, Secretary of the Rojal Society of Nortiierii Antiquaries, Copenliagen, Denmark. 24 RHODE ISLAND HI8TOKICAL SOCIETY. The Secretary laid l)efore the Society a letter from the Hon. John H, Stiness tenderinp: to the Society the resigna- tion of his office as a member of the Special Committee to carry out the State Appropriation Act. After due consider- ation the motion was made and passed that Vice President Allen l)e appointed a Committee to confer with Judge Sti- ness and request him to favor the Society with his continued services as a inenil)er of the above named (^ommittee. The amendments to the Constitution, proposed at the last quarterly meeting and referred for action to the present meet- ing, were taken up and discussed section by section. The section proposing to have a standing connnittee lo be caUed "A Library (\)nnnittee," and the section dehning the duties of this connnittee, were laid \\\Hn\ the tal)lc to bi- calKnl u}) for action at the next aiuiual niccting. All the other pro- })Osed amendments wc^re indefinitely postponed. ^Ir. TIenry T. Beckwith received permission to take from the lil)rary, under the usual restrictions, a certain l)0()k, for the purpose of having a picture therein copied. A resolution was offered and seconded, liavdng for its object the prevention of hasty action in stam})ing the seal of the State on the Society's collections. After the manifesta- tion of a lively interest on the subject the resolution was Avithdrawn. A report from the Special Connnittee appointed at the last (quarterly meeting to carry out the General .Vssembly grant of mone}' was called for. The Committee had reported to the General Assembly, and, })robably l>y oversight, had failed to account to the Society to which it is primarily responsible. Vice President Allen was appointed a Commit- tee to look after this branch of business. Mr. Edward S. Babbitt gave, l)y invitation, an extended PROCEEDINGS. 25 account of the pro})()scd ))i-cciitcnuial cele1)ration at Ikistol (luring the coming year, and near the close of his remarks, which were listened to with lively interest, invited the co-ope- ration and friendlv aid of the Societv in l)rin<>in2: about the proposed re-union and jubilee. Mr. Babbitt's glowing account and earnest api)eal drew forth a jirompt response hy Mr. Perry, who expressed, in l)ehalf of the Society, a hearty appreciation of the historic movement in the town of Bristol, and at the conclusion of his remarks, offered the following resolution : Resolved, That leaniiiig this afternoon of the proposed bi-ceutennial observance in Bristol, the Historical Society seizes the occasion to send words of greeting to that delightful historic town upon Narragansett and Mt. Hope Bays, expressing a lively interest in the proposed celebration, and proffering such co-operation and aid as are in its power. The resolution was seconded l)y Prof. J. Lewis Dinian, and after calling forth cordial expressions of interest from Messrs. Diman, Stone, Allen and Southwick, was unani- mously ado})ted. Mr. Bennet J. Munro, the veteran journalist, and an authoritative antiquarian of Bristol, responded in brief terms to some enquiries al)out the early history of his native town. On motion, the meeting was adjourned. Amos Perry, Sec't/. QUARTERLY MEETING. Providence, October 7, IS 71). The meeting was called to order at a quarter before eight 4 26 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. o'clock, when, Yice President xVllen not having arrived, lion. John II. Bartlett was called to the chair. The record of the last meeting was read. The Librarian reported the donations received since the last meeting, consisting of 239 pamphlets, 7SVry. SPECIAL MEETING. PnoviDEXCE, Xoveml)er '), IS?!).. The meeting' was called to order at 7| o'clock, and in the absence of the President and both \"ice Presidents Rev. Carlton \. Staples was elected Chairman. The Librarian announced 10(1 donations received .since the last meeting ; of which 40 were bound volumes, 45 pamphlets, and the remainder nowspajwr.s. A communication from Kev. Frederick Denison was laid before the Society, suggesting that an elibrt be made to pre- serve some portion of an old Indian pottery manufacturing- establishment, recently brought to light on the farm of Mr. H. X. Angell, in the town of Johnston, and a Committee consisting of Rev. Frederick Denison, Vice President Allen and William G. R. Mowry was appointed to take this matter into consideration, and report at a subsequent meeting. The Chairman then introduced General Horatio Rogers, who read a paper on La Corne St. Luc, the leader of Bur- PROCEEDINGS. 31 Ji'oyuo'.s Indians, (icneral Rogers first sketched the ^jersonnd of Burgoyne's officers, and from their character reasoned that the leader of Bnrgoyne's Indians wouht l)e a man of no common order. lie alhided to the feeling of Burgoyuc against the employment of Indians in the war against the Colonists, — a feeling Avhich the home government did not resjjcct, — and then gave a l)rief but comprehensive and ex- ceedingly interesting sketch of La Come St. Luc, St. Luc had })erformed eminent civil and military service in C\mada before the Revolutionary AVar. He was an active leader against the English in Canada, but during the Revolutionary struggle he joined hands with his former enemies, the English, Avho had gained possession of Canada. Disappointed and chagrined he made })reparations to leave Canada and reach France with his family and followers, and he set sail, but the vessel was wrecked, his family and most of his fol- lowers lost, and after a joiu-ney of sixteen hundred and tifty miles, in the severest season of the year, he arrived at Qiie- ])ec February 23, 17(52. The loss of his family and friends changed his plan of life, and he remained in the country. For several years he was Superintendent of the Indians in Canada, and in 17.78 was one of the Legislative Counsellors. When the hostilities between Great Britain and the American Colonies began St. Luc, then sixty-six years old, took up for the Crown, and his pai-tisanship was intensified by a feeling of revenge for ill-treatment at the hands of General ]Mont- gomery. The services and atrocities of the Indians, during the campaign under Burgoyne, were described, and the paper closed with a summing up of the character of St. Luc, who was represented as a man of education and civil and military ability, but also as brutal, sanguinary', grasping, avaricious and unprincipled. The pa})er was received Avitli marked favor by a highly ai)preciative audience, and at the conclusion of the reading, on motion of Rev. E. M. Stone, who otfered extended 32 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. remarks on the general sul)ject, the following resolution was unanimously passed : Besolved, That the thauks of this Society are hereby presented to Gen- eral Horatio Rogers, for the liighiy interesting and valuable contribution to the military historj^ of the Revolutionary period of the United Ameri- can Colonies, read this evening, and that a copy of the same be requested for the archives of the Society. On motion, the meeting was adjourned. Amos Perry, Sec'y. SPECIAL MEETING. Providence, November 1!), 1)S79. The meeting was called to order this evening at 7 1 o'clock by Vice President Allen, who at once introduced Prof. J. L. Lincoln, LL. I)., as the lecturer of the evening. The latter began with the remark that he had had occasion recently to examine the character and works of the Historian Tacitus, and that in this essay it was his aim to set forth the impres- sions and reflections deriveounty jiapers ; some are books and correspond- ence relating to the State loan of 1780, among which are letters of the leading caj^italists of the State at that time ; some relate to divers legal settlements, and all are of an his- 3G IlIIODE ISLAND HISTOlilCAL SOCIETY. torical cliarnctcr, and have a special interest to Providence. The letter was received and referred to the. Librarian to be reported on at the annual meeting. The Librarian announced the donations received since the last meeting, among which were mound builders' beads, which were taken from a mound in (ieorgia, and used to belong to a President of the Georgia Historical Society, — presented by a lady. llev, Frederick Denison read, by reiiuest, the lxei)ort of the Committee on the Anofell-Johnston Indian Pottery Devel- opment. The report was received and ordered on tile to be printed with the Proceedings of the Society. The report was then adopted, and Messrs. William G. R. Mowry, Frederick Denison and Henry T. Beckwith Avere apj)ointed a Connnittee to carry into action the views contained in the rei)ort. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAI, SOCIETY ON THE OLD INDIAN STEATITE POTTERY. Your Committee, after different meetings, visits and examinations of tlie quarry in Johnston, and consultations with scholars and business men, having duly weighed all evidence and opinions, respectfully report the following facts and recommendations : I. TllK KACTS. 1. This ledge of soapstone is located in Johnston, R. I., about one- eighth of a mile west of the Greek Tavern, north of the Hartford turn- pike, on the lands of Mr. Horatio N. Angell. 2. The quarry was first opened by Mr. Angell in February, 1878, from which time it has attracted large and increasing attention both within our State and ftir beyond it. 3. The stratum of steatite containing the pottery is about twenty-five feet in thickness, having a dip to the east, and has now been cleared of drift and the debris of Indian art for the space of about a hundred feet. It lies between walls of slate stone. 4. In this stratum are several excavations made by the aborigines in securing stone pots, pans, dishes and pipes. One excavation, however, surpasses all others in magnitude and the marks of Indian workmanship. 5. This largest excavation measures about ten feet in length, six feet PROCEEDINGS. 37 in widtli. and now five feet in depth; bnt from the top oftlie ledge, as left by the i^hiciers, the excavation nnist have been carried down about fifteen feet or. more, inasmuch as when it was opened there lay across its top a fallen slab of slate stone that once stood full ten feet high above it, form- ing its eastern wall. 6. The excavation was found partly tilled with dirt, debris of Indian art, some whole stone pots, some partly finished pots, some only blocked out, numerous stone hammers, the horns of a deer, the bones of an ani- mal and a few shells. Many of these valuable relics have passed into private hands and are highly prized. 7. The sides and bottom of this excavation contain about sixty dis- tinct pits and knobs of places where pots and dishes were cut from the rock, wliile all parts bear marks and scars made by the stone implements of the swarthy quarrymen. 8. From the excavations and their surroundings have been removed about three hundred horse cart loads of the stone chips left l)y the Indian workmen, yet some have been preserved by Prof. J. W. P. Jenks, in the Museum of Brown University. 9. Sections of the quarry revealing Indian Avorkmanship and speci- mens of the workmen's chips have been secured by the Smithsonian Insti- tution, the Permanent Exhibition at Philadelphia, the Museum of Brown University, the Peabody Museum at Cambridge, the Boston Society of Natural History, and the Franklin Society of Providence. 10. Some of the stone pots found in the excavations, amid the debris, are now a i)art of the very valuable private Indian Cabinet of Mr. Charles Gorton, of this city. 11. Naturalists, ethnologists and students of history are anxious to secure views and specimens from this remarkable quarry. Au able report of it was made bj' Prof. Putnam, Curator of the Peabody Museum. 12. It is a historical fact stated by Hutchinson, (p. 458,') and quoted by Potter iu his History of Narragansett, (p. 8,) that the Narragansetts were distinguished for mechanical arts and trade, and furnished earthen vessels and pots for cooking to the adjacent native tribes. 13. It is confidently computed by men of judgment in such premises that this quarry must have beeu worked b}' the aborigines for centuries before whites visited this coast, and that, first and last, this ledge must have yielded thousands of pieces of stone ware. 14. So far as now known this ledge, is the only pottery of the kind in New England, and must have been exceedingly valuable and famed amoug all the tribes of the country. 15. All who have visited the pottery have instinctively felt that some- how it ought to be preserved ; and those who have studied it most are tlie most emphatic in this opinion. IG. The conviction of all minds is that it ought to be secured and held as a revelation and monument of Indian life and a historical treasure of Rhode Island. 38 RHODE ISLAND IIISTOKICAL SOCIETY. 17. The citizens of Providence and of the State, so far as they ha\e expressed themselves, are unanimous and hearty in their approval of the action talcen by the Rhode Island Historical Society, and indicate a readi- ness to support the Society in any wise and eftectual phui for securing and preserving the section of the ledge containing the wonderful worksliop. 18. The owner of the ledge is ready and anxious to co-operate with the Society in any proper plan for preserving the unique memorial. 19. Photographic views of the ledge from different positions liave been secured by Mr. Angell, and fine stereoscopic views of the excavations were secured by Prof. J. W. P. Jenlis, Curator of the Museum of Brown University. 20. This ancient Indian workshop, properly preserved, Avould be a fit- ting, perpetual and impressive monument of tlie life, arts and customs of the aboriginal tribes of Rhode Island, wiiose hands executed it, and a rare historical and ethnological treasure in our country. 21. It is felt that it might reflect very seriously upon our historical knowledge and our archaeological taste and interests, to sufler this ancient and conspicuous evidence of Indian art and workmanship to be broken up or secured by parties out of our State, as we fear it may be. 22. While relics and memorials of old nations are being eagerly sought in all lands at vast expense and treasured in costly museums, as aids in the study of history, archjeology, and anthropology — ail studies of vital interest — it Is urged that Rhode I.sland cannot afford to be indifferent to the most remarkable memorial of Indian life in New England, providen- tially found in her own borders, and described in Prof. Putnam's able report of it as of superior worth. 23. So far as we have been able to calculate, after taking counsel of good judges, the large excavati )n may be secured and eligibly located in our already beautiful Roger Williams Park, to be henceforth carefully pro- tected, at a cost of about six hundred dollars. In view of these facts, your Committee would report ir. RKCOMMKXDATIONS. 1. That a Committee of three be chosen to form and execute a plan for obtaining and preserving the old Indian Steatite Quarry and Pottery as above mentioned, in a section of the ledge to measure about twelve feet in length, nine feet in width and seven feet in depth, or of such size as may seem to be most suitable, provided the citizens of Providence and of the State are willing to contribute the funds necessary for the purpose. 2. That inasmuch as the worthy idea of having, at some time, a museum of Indiaii art in Roger Williams Park has been entertained and encouraged by our city officials and citizens — unless a more suitable loca- tion shall be found, the authorities of the city of Providence be respect- fully asked to grant a place for the keeping of the memorial in Roger Wil- liams Park; and that they be requested to designate a spot for this pur- PEOCEEDINGS. 39 pose, on a slope witliin sight, at least, of the statue of the founder of the State. 3. That every member of the Society, and every lover of our State's history, feel himself charged with an obligation to co-operate with and assist the Committee in executing the measure here proposed. 4. That the suljscriptions made for carrying out the proposed measure be regarded as due when their amount shall reach the sum of six hundred dollars. 5. That copies of this report be put in type for the use of the members of the Society and the Committee, in soliciting the subscriptions required. All of which is respectfully submitted, F. Denison, Zachahiah Allen, WlLLUM G. R. MOWRY. Hon. Zachariah Allen then read a carefully prepared essay on the domestic life of the Indians, which contained a great amount of valuable information gleaned from niunerous authentic sources. The paper was received with marked expressions of satisfaction. The tal)le, and the shelves and wall behind the President's seat w^ere covered with Indian relics gathered in Rhode Island, and belonging to the remarkable collection of ]\Ir. Charles Gorton, who was highly complimented b}^ Vice President Allen and called upon to give some explanation of the various utensils before him. Mr. Gorton responded to the call, "ivino- a irreat amount of valuable information in a brief time. Prof. J. W. P. Jenks, of Brown University, Mas next called out and made an instructive address, strongly endors- ing the views set forth l)v th(> Committee. Mr. II. N. Angell, the proprietor of the Indian pottery estal)lishment, and Mr. F. Denison each answered the call of tile Chairman, speaking in a way to entertain and instruct the audience. On motion of Mr. William A. Mowr^', avIio prefaced his 40 ERODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. resolution vdth some very complimentary remarks, the thanks of the Society were yoted to ]\Iessrs. Allen, Gorton, Jenks, Anoell and Denison for the rich and varied entertainment of the eyening. A copy of Mr. .Mien's address was asked for to be printed with the Proceedings of the Society, and the desire was expressed that another evening should be devoted to the history of the Indian. The meeting was numerously attended and its interest was fully sustained till the close at ten o'clock. The announcement was made that Hon. William D. Bray- tcm Avoidd read the next })a})er on the Oswego Ex})edition in wliich Khode Island Continental troops performed their last scrAice before the declaration of peace in 1783. Adjourned. Amos Perry, Sec^y. SPFXTAL :\IEETING. Providence, December 10, 1870. A meeting held this evening was called fo order at 7| o'clock ])y Mce President Allen. The Secretary laid before the Society a request signed by Mr. George Edward Allen for the loan of the plat of Camp Sprague to be hung in the Infjintry Armory at a meeting to be held on the 30tli instant. On motion of Mr. A.Y. Jenks, it was Voted, That the Librarian be authorized to grant the request on the usual conditions. PlIOCEEDIXGS. 41 The Librarian annouiu'i'd numerous donations received since the hist meeting. ]Mr. William G. R. ^Fowrv called attention to a marble block that used to stand at one end of A^'ashin^■ton liridge, and served for many years as a pedestal to the l)nst of Washington. Hon. William D. Brayton was then introduced and read a j)aper on the Oswego Expedition of 1783. He was led to essay a sketch of this military enterprise by a crude Ijallad which he heard sung in his younger days by a negro famil- iarly called Prince Greene, who was in the expedition and Avas made a cripple for life by exposures to liiting frosts and by the want of suitalde food. The plan of the expedition was explained by means of the correspondence between Washington and Colonel Willet of Xew York, Avho wa» entrusted with the connnand. The fort at Osweo:o was to be taken by surprise or not attempted. The effort resulted dis- astrously. The sketch, which was drawn largely from the authentic documents of the time, closed with the ballad of Prince Greene, Avhicli, after pertinent comments and expla- nations, Avas admiral)ly read. The meeting was fully attended and the interest was sus- tained to the close. On motion of Rev. E. ]M. Stone, the thanks of the Society Avere tendered to Hon. William D. Braj'ton for his entertain- ing and valual)le paper, a copy of AA'hich was re(|uested for the archives of the Societ\'. Adjourned. Amos Pekky, Serf/. 42 EHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. SPECIAL MEETING. Peovidexce, December 31, 1S70. A meeting was held this evening beginning at a quarter l)efore eight o'clock, Vice President Allen in the chair. The record of the last meeting was read and approved. William B. Weeden, Esq. , was then introduced and read an historical sketch of the rise of person and propei'ty, illustrat- ing his subject l)y numerous references and quotations. The paper was the result of learning, research and industry, and showed conclusively that person and property have advanced together in the progi-ess of the world. At the conclusion of the reading, Prof. J. L. Lincoln highly com})limented the learning and research of the lec- tiu'er, and moved the following resolution : Besolved, That the thanks of the Society be presented to William B. Weeden, Esq., for his scholarly, interesting and instrnctive paper, and that a copy of the same be requested for the archives of the Society. The motion was seconded ])y Isaac H. South wick, Esq., and after some pithy remarks by Vice President Alien, was unanimously passed. ' Despite a severe storm of snow and sleet, about thirty of our prominent business men were in attendance and listened attentively to the discussion of a sul)ject intimately connected with their affairs. The interest of the meeting was fully sus- tained, though the Chairman expressed his fears at the outset lest the absence of ladies might have a dei:)ressing effect. After notice that the annual meeting would be held on the 13th of January the meeting was, on motion, adjourned. Amos Perry, Sec't/. PROCEEDINGS. 43 ANNUAL :\ip:etixg. PROVIDENCE, Jjimiary lo, 1'^, was called up, and after some discussion, the (juestion whether the Society should have a Standing Connnittee on Library, and what should be the duties of said Committee, 46 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Avas referred to a Committee consisting of Mr. ^MUiam A. ]Mowiy, Prof. J. Lewis Diman and Gen. Horatio Roger.s, who were instructed to report at the next quarterl}^ meeting. The report of the Committee on the State Ap})ro[)riation was read bv Judge Stiness, and gave an accoimt of the pro- gress in catah^o^ning the Society's works. The report was received and ^Messrs. Stiness, Parsons and AVeeden were appointed to fultill the duties of the said Com- mittee till the establishment of a Library Committee. \'ice President Allen reported verbally in l)chalf of the Committee on the Slate Rock Monument. The report Avas accepted and the same Committee, consisting of Messrs. Allen, Diman and Walker, was continued. The Committee on the Indian Pottery Development re- ported progress. On motion of Mr. J. P. AValker, it was Voted, Thiit the Committee on Publications be antliorizod to have printed five luindred copies of the Reports of the Society, with tlie Pro- ceediniis and Necrolog\' of 1879-80, the expense of the same not to exceed one luindred and seventj^-fivc dollars. On motion of Mr. J. A. Ilowlaud it was Voted, That a tax of three dollars be assessed on each resident member to defray the current expenses of the j'ear. Kev. E. M. Stone made a verbal report in regard to cer- tain historical documents that are offered to the Society l)y Mr. James E. Mauran, of Newport. The Committee con- sidered the documents valuable,. and olfered to contribute one-quarter of the forty dollars required for their purchase. The Secretary tendered his resignation, but the Society promptly adjourned Avithout taking action thereon. Amos Perky, Sec'y. REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES PUKSENTF.1> TO THE ANNUAL MEETING, JANUARY 13, 1880. NECROLOGY, 1879-80. TREASURER'S REPORTS Dr. Bichmond P. Everett, Treasurer, in account with the Rhode Island Historical Society. 1870. Jan. H. To cash on hand, . . . . Interest from Life Membership Account in Providence Institution for Savings, - - - Dec. 17. Interest from Life Membership Account in Providence Institution for Savings, ... 1880. Jan. 13. Taxes from 163 members at $3, Admission fees from 17 members at $5, Subscriptions for arranging and worlv in Library from members, as follows : — Henry J, Steere, - - $50 00 Henry T. Beckwith, - - 50 00 William Greene, - - 50 00 Rowland Hazard, - - - 50 00 H. Conant, - - - 25 00 718 20 11 80 13 00 489 00 85 00 225 00 For sale of books and pamphlets, - - - 27 85 Subscriptions for printing Reports of 1878-79, - 36 72 $1,606 13 Cr. Richmond P. Everett, Treasurer, in account vnth the Rhode Island Historical Society. 1879. Jan. 22. Providence Press Co., for printing Reports of 1877-8, .S243 98 Amount carried forward, - - - S243 98 7 50 RHODE ISLAXD HISTOKICAL SOCIETY. Brought forward, . - . . $243 98 July 21. Treasurer, for amount advanced by him in 1878, 312 25 1880. Jau. 13. Providence Press Co., for printing Reports, 1878-9, 18G 72 Printing, advertising meetings, expresses and postages, 1G5 74 Fuel, gas and janitor, ... - 150 29 Library Committee, - - - - 95 15 Building and grounds, - - - - 85 53 Sewer tax, - ... - lOO 35 Magazines and books, - - - - 15 60 Balance on hand, .... 250 52 .fl,60G 13 There is on deposit in the Providence Institution for Savings, - - - $243 2G Treasurer, - - - 7 2G $250 52 RICHMOND P. EVERETT, Treasurer. Phovidknce, January iS, 1880. ■J'lic uiuli'i-signcd liuvi' exaiiiiiied tlie above report, and coiiiiiarcd same with vouchers, and tiiid it correct. HKXKY T. 15KCKWITH, WALTER liLODGET, .JOHN P. WALKER, Audit Committee. LIFE MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT. Dr. Bichmond P. Everett, Treasurer, in (recount vjith the Rhode Island Historical Society. 1879. Jan. 14. To cash on hand, .... Life membership of Samuel G. Arnold, Interest from Providence Institution for Savings, .July 8. Life membership of Amos D. Lockwood, 16. Interest from Providence Institution for Savings, Oct. IG. Life membership of Royal Woodward, of Albany, N. Y., 1880. Jau. 7. Life membership of Charles Gorton, $•599 82 50 00 11 98 50 00 13 00 50 00 50 00 $824 80 treasurer's I5EPORT. 51 Cr. Bichmond P. Everett, Treasurer, in account u'ith the Rhode Island Historical Society. 1879. March 2G. Interest from Providence Institution for Savings, -sll 80 Dec. 27. " " " " " " 13 00 1880. Jan. 13. Balance on hand, - - - - 800 00 $824 80 There is on deposit in tlie Providence Institution for Savings, - - - $800 00 RICHMOND P. EYEKETT, Treasurer. PuoviDEN'CK, January 13, 1880. The undersigned have exaniined tlie above report, and compared it with the vouchers, and find tlie same correct. HENRY T. BECKVVITH, WALTER BLODGET, JOHN P. WALKER, AiuUt Committee. REPORT OF THE NORTHERN DEPARTMENT khodp: island historical society This tifty-eiiihlh annual meeting tinds the Khoiie Ishmd Historical Soci- ety in a healthful condition. Its various coniniittees have been prompt in the discharge of their respective duties. The Librarian, besides answer- ing" numerous letters of inquiry addressed to him from various parts of the country, and aiding inquiries of a local character, has devoted much time to soliciting and obtaining contributions to its collections Under the direction of a special committee, Mrs. Rebecca R. Gushing, has con- tinued the work of cataloguing the Society's collections and of examin- ing our tiles of newspapers for the purpose of ascertaining their defi- ciencies. This latter has been completed. Our newspapers are among the most valuable of our treasures, affording, as they do, a rich mine of facts for the historian, the biographer, and genealogist. PAPERS KKAI). The papers read before the Society were eleven in number, as follows : 1879. January 28. Hon. Abraham Payne, on The Life and Times of Jonathan Edwards. February U. Col. John Ward, of New York, on The Siege of Harper's Ferry by Stonewall Jackson. February 25. Dr. Henry E. Turner, of Newport, on Jeremiah Clarke and his descendants. REPORT OF NORTHERN DEPARTME^T. 53 March 11. Jolin Austiu Stevens, E.sq., of New York, on The Frencli in Rliode Island. May 20. Rev. George E. Ellis, D. D., of Boston, on The Present Indian Question with our Government. October 10. Hon. Isaac N. Arnold, of Chicago, on The Northern Cam- paign of 1777, including the Militar)' Services of General Benedict Arnold. November 5. General Horatio Rogers, on La Corne St. Luc, the leader of Burgo.vne's Indians. November 10. Professor J. L. Lincoln, on The Character and Works of the Historian Tacitus. December 4. Rev. Frederick Denison read by request a Report of the Committee on the Angell-Johnston-Indian-Pottery Development. December IG. Hon. William D. Brayton, on The Oswego Expedition of 1783. December 21. William B. VVeedeu, Esq., on The Rise of Person and Property. CONTUIBUTIOXS. The contributions for the year number 3.025. Of these, 2,440 were pamphlets; 331 bound volumes of books; 50 unbound volumes of books; 14 bound and 18 unbound volumes of newspapers ; 48 manuscripts; and 23 maps, plats and charts. The residue comprise engravings, broadsides, hand-bills, single newspapers, cuttings, and articles of virtu. Among the books specially noticeable are the valuable scientific works issned by the Federal Government, that come to us through the State, Treasury, War, Navy and Interior Departments, and the Smithsonian Insti- tution. Besides being fine specimens of the printer's art, many of them are profusely illustrated with prints as pleasing to the eye as the text is instructive to the mind. By exchanges and a few purchases a considerable numbt-r of town his- tories have been added to our collections. One of our valuable acquisi- tions is " The Genealogies and Estates in Charlestown, Mass.," in two volumes, — a Mork of immense painstaking. This work, comprising eleven hundred and seventy-eight pages, was commenced and advanced by Thomas Bellows Wyman, an earnest antiquary, but whose lamented 54 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. death, in 1878, prevented its completion by his hand. In accorchmce with his expres,«ed will, the labor of finishing the work was assigned to Rev. Henry H. Edes, to whose indnstry, care and fidelity, every page bears honorable testimony. To persons seeking to trace their connections with the early settlers of Charlestown these volumes will be found of great value. One of the latest Genealogies, worthy of special notice, is that of "The Whitney Family of Connecticut" and its affiliations, representing the descendants of Henry Whitney, 1649 to 1878, by Stephen Whitney Phoenix, Esq., of New York. It was completed in 1870, and is comprised in three volumes (quarto) of 2,740 pages, being the largest privately printed work of the kind ever issued in Europe or America. The edition consists often folio and five hundred quarto copies, all for presentation — one of which is in the library of the Rhode Island Historical Society. The work is worthy of careful inspection by every one interested in the study of gene- alogy, for its merits cannot be fully described. Ten years of constant labor were devoted to it by Mr. PhoLMiix, and he wrote upwards of four- teen thousand letters, to many of which no replies were received — so lit- tle interest do some people take in the preservation of family history. Several 3'ears ago the last revised proofs were returned to the printer with the manuscript, and twenty minutes later both the manuscript and the text of the whole work were destroyed by fire in the city of New York. Phcenix like he recommenced his genealogy on a more extensive scale than before, seeking new materials ; and the commendable result achieved is the enviable reward of his patient toil and persevering industry. That it was a labor of love is obvious from the inscription it bears : " I inscribe these volumes to the dear memory of my beloved mother, Mary, daughter of Stephen and Harriet Whitney, for whose tender love and devotion I owe a debt of more than filial gratitude and reverence." The volumes contain particulars of twenty thousand three hundred and sixty one prin- cipal persons, whose names are in heavy-faced type, and there arc admir- able indexes of places and surnames, which are invaluable.* In 1867, a genealogy of The Descendants of John Phoenix, an early set- tler of Kittery, Maine, was privately printed by the Bradstreet Press for Mr. Phoenix, and he has ready for publication the Genealogy of the Family of Alexander Phoenix, the first emigrant, born in England in 1643. *Next to the Whitney Genealogy in point of magnitude is that of the Taylor Family of England. REPORT OF NORTHERN DEPARTMENT. 55 Mr. Pliu'iiix lias also id, While we, with heart and hand. Our mutual rights defend. God save our Slates ! 10. God save the Thirteen States! Long watc)! the prosp'rous fates Over our .states I Make us victorious, Happy and glorimis; No tyrants over us ; God save our States! 08 KHODE ISLAND HISTOKICAL SOCIETY. In 1780 the day was quietly noted in Providence. A salnte was fired at ten o'clock on the State House Parade by the Continental Post of Artil- lery, and also by an armed vessel in the harbor. At Newport, '• His Most Christian Majesty's Frigate Hermoine, commanded by the Chevalier de la Tonche was ornamented with a variety of colors, and fired three salutes, viz., at morning, at noon, and in the evening " For the next five years salutes and Parades of the United Train of Artillery appear to have been the sum of public observances. In 1787 the IJhode Island Society of the Cincinnati celebrated the day, and dined at Mice's Tavern In 1788 the town assumed the patriotic duty, and invited Kev. Enos Hitchcock, D.l)., pastor of the First Congregational Church, to deliver an Oration. A military and civic street procession was a part of the display. Dr. Hitchcock's Oration (the first on such an occasion in Providence, and l)y request printed,) was replete wilii patriotic sentiment. He began by saying : "To felicitate Americans on the anniversary of their Independence is a dictate of philanthropy. To echo among my fellow-citizens in grateful acclamations, the accession of a freed federal government, is but tlie nat- ural ett'nsion of a heart elate with joy. To sacrifice at tiie slirine of lib- erty 'the fat of fed beasts,' and pour out the generous liI)atiou, if con- ducted with prudence, may njt ))e unsuitable expressions of the pleasure we this day experience. '• But a nobler employment awaits us. We ascend from gratulalLons and amusements to contemplate, in the temi)le of lil)erty, the various beau- ties of the edifice, to recount the multifarious blessings she proflers our favored land " After a wide survey of the ri.se and progress of freedom, "the liappy eft'ects of the American Kevolntion" upon lands "far l)cyond the bounds of America," and the advantage it has already brought to the new nation, he closes as follows : " We have little now to fear from our enemies, but every thing to iiope from the situation, extent and resources of our country, and from the enterprising spirit of its inhabitants. Under the smiles of approving heaven may they proceed and prosper in every useful art — increasing in knowledge and virtue, until they become as conspicuous for the purity of their morals as for the equality and perfection of their government.' •• May no one, this day, prove himself unworthy the freedom he enjoys, by a conduct inconsistent with the purest pleasures, — by anything unbe- coming him as a man, as a Christian I May temperance, sobriety and REPORT OF NOHTIIEIJX DEPARTMENT. 69 (Iccoruin preside over all our joys, and he our constant attendants throuffh the various walks of life. Then may we look forward witli hope and joy, through all the variations of imperfect government, and the struggles of the contending passions of man, to a state of more perfect society,— to that grand community where 'universal love smiles on all around.' " .\ skmi-centi;nni.\l. Advancing fifty joars from the day of our Nation's birth, we reach 1826, and find ihe fire of freedom burning with undiminished glow. It was a semi-centennial year, and "Independence Day," — made specially memo- rable throughout the land by the deaths nearly simultaneously of two of the distinguished patriots and founders of our Republic, John Adams and Thomas JeflTerson, — was observed in Providence with martial and civic pomp worthy the descendants of a people "born to be free." The Com- mittee of Arrangements were Rhodes G. Allen Josiah Whittaker and Nehemiah S. Draper, who discharged their duties with excellent judg- ment. The day was ushered in with the ringing of bells, and the firing of national salutes from Christian Hill, Jefferson Plain, and Fox Point. The great events of the day were the public procession, and the services held in the First Congregational Church At about eleven o'clock the proces- sion was formed on Market square, under the direction of Captain Stephen K. Rathbone, Chief Marshal, and Messrs. George C. Hale, Allen 0. Peck, William H. Rodman, Samuel W.Wheeler, and Edward R. Young, Assistants. The procession numbered more than one thousand persons, and extended from Market square to the Theatre, the present site of Grace Church. As it moved through several of the principal streets the scene was brilliant and exhilarating. First came the military escort, consisting of six companies, viz : The United Train of Artillery, Colonel Hodges; the Independent Volunteers, Lieut. -Colonel Babcock; the First Light Infantry, Captain John J. Stimsou ; the Second Light Infantry, Captain Townsend; the Independent Cadets, Lieut.-Colonel Greene; and the P"ay- ette Rifle Corps of Pavvtucket, Captain Jacobs. Following the escort were the Committee of Arrangements, Governor Cooke and suite, pre- ceded by the High Sheriff; Orator of the day and officiating clergyman ; past orators of the anniversary; clergymen of the town; Town Council, and other town officers ; members of the Rhode Island Society of the Cin- cinnati ; United States and State officers, naval, military and civil; for- 70 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. eigu officials; officers and corporation of Brown University; Mechanics Association; Marine Societj'; Domestic Industry Society, and various other associations ; School Committee and pupils of the public and pri- vate schools (upwards of three hundred) with their teachers; strangers, and citizens. In the midst of this procession appeared one hundred and six veterans of the Revolution, among them a drummer beating the drum once used by him on the field of battle. This remnant of men to whom strokes for freedom at Bunker Hill, Harlem Heights, Trenton, Monmouth, Princeton, Rhode Island and Yorktown, had been familiar, was led by Captain .Aaron Mann, who for gallant conduct in the retreat from Rhode Island, received promotion from General Sullivan. But to the concourse of citizens thronging the streets a special attraction was an elegant barouche in which rode the four survivors of the Gaspee exploit in 1772, viz. : Colonel Ephraim Bowen, Colonel John Mawney, Captain Benjamin Rage, and Cap- tain Turpin Smith. The barouche was drawn by four white horses, driven by Mr. Horatio Blake, landlord of the Franklin House, who volun- teered the service. Over the heads of these venerable patriots waved a splendid silk banner, designed and painted for the occasion by Mr. Sam- uel J. Bovver, of Providence, whose pencil exhibited the skill of an accomplished artist. Within wreaths and appropriate devices, bearing the names of the survivors, the ' G.\si'i:k," and the date 1772, ai)pears a representation of the ill fated vessel in flames, with a boat containing a number of the daring assailants rowing from the burning wreck. On the reverse are the Arms of Rhode Island, with the legend " July 4, 1770. In God we Hope. For Liberty and Independence. July 4, 182efore his departure he had been disciplining his mind for the event. He became a member of this Society in 1858, took a deep interest in its affairs, and for many years served its interests faitlifully as a member of the Committee on Bniidiug and Grounds, and as a member of the Com- mittee on Non>inations. NiCHOL.xs Redwood Easton, sou of Nicholas and Dorcas C. Easton, was born iu Providence, and died at his residence. Central Falls, Lincoln, March 24th, 1879, in the sixty-ninth year of his age. He was of the firm of Easton & Burnham, spindle manufacturers. He had been confined to the house for several months, but had not been in good health for a num- ber of years. He was a member of the Congregational Church in tliis vil- lage. For nearly a score of years he has lived and done business in this community, and won the respect of all who knew him, as a straight forward, upright business man ; one whose word was as good as his bond. He was of a quiet yet genial disposition, and we do not believe he had an NECROLOGY. 87 enemy. He will be missed by his family, by relatives and friends, by the church of which he was a consistent member, and by the community where his life of integrity has been marked and approved. The funeral was solemnized from his late residence on Broad street, March 27th, at eleven o'clock, v m Kev. J. H. Lyon, of the Congrega- tional Church, officiated. The remains were taken to the North End Ceme- tery, Providence. — Central Falls Visitor, March 28, 1879. Mr. Eastou was elected a member «f this Society in 1878. Waltkr Paink, son of Walter and Lydia (Snow) Paine, was born in Providence, and died at his residence in this city May Uth, 1879, in the seventy-eighth year of his age. Mr. Paine for many years was clerk of the Supreme Court in Pfovidence Count}', subsequently entering the insurance business, and for the past twenty-eight years he has been offi- cially connected with the Merchants Insurance Company. He has repeat- edly represented the city in the General Assembly; was two years Justice of the Police Court; was member of the Common Council seven years, and one year President of that body; and was Alderman for the fourth ward in 1858-59. All his public and private trusts were administered with fidelity and intelligence, and he leaves the record of a good citizen and an honest man. About two months preceding his death Mr. Paine was taken with a severe attack of some form of paralysis, from which he partially recov- ered, and for a week or ten days was again regular in attendance at his place of business. Two days before his death he was at the office the last time, when he remained for three hours. The next morning, at 6 o'clock, he was taken with a second attack, and from that time remained in a tor- pid state until the time of his death. Mr. Paine was one of the persons named in the charter of the Merchants Insurance Company, and at the meeting for organization. May 15th, 1851, was chosen Secretary, which position he tilled for sixteen years. In June, 1867, upon the resignation of President Coinstock, Mr. Paine was chosen President, and remained so up to the time of his death. His terra of service with this company was twenty-eight years, lacking one day, and all the time the office was in the What Cheer Building, where it was opened before the building was rtnished. Mr. Paine was married September 23d, 1823, to Miss Sophia F. Taylor, 88 EHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. who bore him seven children, five of whom, witli his widow, survive. He was elected a member of this Societv in 1875. Colonel Robkut Guosvexor, son of Dr. William Grosveuor, was born in Providence, November 2d. 1847. After completing his prelimi- nary studies he entered Norwich University, at Nortlitield, Vermont, where he was graduated in June, 1868. In 1876 the degree of A. M. was con- ferred upon him by his Alma Mater, and at the time of his death he was one of the Trustees of the University. Colonel Grosveuor was trained to business in the office of the Grosveuor Dale Company, and discharged most usefully and acceptably the duties of his position, giving promise of a successful and honorable career as a business man. In 1860 he became a member of the Marine Corps of .\rtillery, of which, in 1871, he was made Adjutant, in 1872, Second Lieutenant, in, 187:5, .lunior Major, and in 1874, Lieutenant-Colonel commanding. For this corps, as also for the Marine Corps Veteran Association, Colonel Grosveuor cherished a warm interest, and did much to promote their welfare. In ,Jnly, 1879, he was stricken with typhoid fever, which terminated fatally on the nineteenth of that month, causing a deep and painful void in the domestic relations, and filling a wide circle of friends with sorrow. Colonel Grosveuor, at his decease, was in the thirtj'-second year of his age. In social life he was genial, courteous, and in the highest sense of the term a manly num. lie left a wife but no children. Immediately on the announcement of his death the Marine Corps and Veteran Association met at their armory and passed resolutions appreciative of his character, and tendering sympathy to his bereaved family. As a husband, son, brother, citizen, friend and business associate, he filled the measure of each requirement. The fune- ral, which took place Monday noon, July 21st, was numerously attended, the Marine Corps of Artillery and the Vtteran Corps being represented. -The services at the house, and at the ftimily ground at Swan Point Ceme- tery were conducted by Rt. Rev. Bishop Thomas M Clark, D.D , LL.D., and Rev. David H. Greer. The casket in which the body reposed was covered with flags, and the floral offerings were numel'ous, and were arranged with great taste and beauty. Colonel Grosvenor was elected a member of this Society in 1872. j;olc m NECROLOGY. 89 Gkorge Tauiisrox Spicer, a well-knowu and respected stove inerchaiit and Alderman of the city of Providence, was born in Hopkinton, R. I., Auj^ust 4tli, 1802. His father was a farmer who improved a larj^e tract of land, and was also proprietor of the Village Hotel, which, with its host, is thus pleasantly described in a diary published nearly fifty years ago : " In the village of ' Hopkinton City,' so called, where I stopped several months, was an inn, kept by a church member, and now aged landlord, Captain Joseph Spicer, a man of the most unbending honesty, whose full fare for man and beast, and his ready and urbane attention to the wants of the weary traveller, gave him as far as he was known the reputation of ' a good host.' But what struck my attention with no little interest was the sign in front of the house, suspended from the limb of a noble sycamore. At the top was a beautiful eagle, the emblem of our independence, over which was a cluster of stars. Directly underneath was seen the anchor, emblem of hope. At the base of the picture, in rich gold letters, were the words, ' In God we Hope,' the only sure guarantee of individual or national safety. With such a hope was America once made free, and with it shall always remain so." Alderman George T. Spicer was the son of Captain Joseph and Mary (Saunders) Spicer, and one of a family of six children. He was early trained at home in habits of industry and self reliance, receiving also such public instruction as the village school afforded. He was scarcely twenty years old when he received a commission from Governor Gibbs as Captain of the first company of Hopkinton Volunteers, which he held for several years, when, desiring to learn the trade of a machinist, he resigned his commission and commenced work at the village of Potter Hill, about four miles distant. While here he became a member of the Seventh Day Bap- tist Church, for which he always cherished warm interest and affection. After learning his trade he removed to Phenix, in the town of Warwick, where he remained seven years, having charge of the machine shop a part of the time, and discharging his duties with the most exemplary industry and fidelity. He was also the first Superintendent of the Sab- bath School at Phenix, started about this time (1827). In an article on the Hon. Charles Jackson, published in the Providence Journal, January 24th, 187G, the writer thus pleasantly alludes to the. work which Mr. Spicer was then doing : " That cheerful, bright, and I was going to say old gentleman, (but he is only seventy-three, and never seems to me to be older than forty when 12 90 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. I meet him,) our Alderman Spicer, was then a young machinist at work for Daniel Gorhara at ' the Phenix.' He was employed by Governor Jackson and his brother to make the machinery and looms for their mills. He had never seen a power loom, and tells a good story of how he got sight of one. It was at the Anthony Mill. While he was busy examining it, the overseer came and ordered him out, but he had seen enough to enable him to construct one." Mr. Spicer was afterwards employed in Providence for a short time at the machine shop of Thomas J. Hill, when, in 1830, lie removed to Pon- tiac, in the town of Warwick, where he became connected, as superin- tendent, with the mills and bleacher^' of John H. Clark, retaining full charge till he moved to Providence fifteen years later. He also had cliarge at Pontiac, of the school affairs of the district. In October, 18o3, Mr. Spicer married Mary Sheldon Arnold, (huighter of Horatio and Celia Arnold, and grand-daughter of Judge Dutee Arnold, of Warwick, who served the State as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1817 to 1822. In April, 1845, Mr. Spicer permanently removed, with his family to Providence, where he became interested in the manufacture of stoves and furnaces. He was Superintendent of the High Street Furnace Company for five years. In 18.50, he, with ins brother-in-law. Dutee Arnold, and Zelotes W. Ilolden, erected a new stove foundry on Cove street, and laid the foundations of the successful business with which he retained an undiminished interest up to the time of his death, wliich occurred at his summer residence at "Fort Hill," Pawtuxet, August 17th, 1879. We copy the following editorial article, concerning his business and oHieial life, from the Providence Journal of August 18th, 1879 : " George T. Spicer, the head of the house of Spicers & Peckham, a ven- erable and mucii-respected citizen, died yesterday morning, after a brief illness. Although still engaged in the active labors and duties of life, Mr. Spicer had reached his seventy-eighth year. He has continuously repre- sented the fourth ward in the Board of Aldermen since 1870, (iiaving pre- viously served in the Common Council,) and was twice elected President of the Board. Mr. Spicer also represented the city several years in the lower house of the General Assembly. He brought to the discharge of his public functions broad general information, good ability, the habits of a well trained business man, and loyalty to what he believed to be right. In business ancF social and domestic life he was greatl}^ respected and beloved. Born in Hopkinton at the beginning of tlie century, he was familiar with Rhode Island history, tradition and sentiments, and his NECROLOGY. 91 conversation upon past men and 'times abounded in pleasant personal reminiscences and nnwritteu political information." From the same paper, 21st inst., we quote: "The funeral services were conducted by his pastor, the Rev. J. G. Vose, D.D., of the Beneficent Congregational Church, who impressively dwelt upon the integrity, purity and industry of the departed life, his faithfulness and tender affection for his family, and his reverence for relig- ion, and constant attendance upon worship." We will only add, that during a long life, in eventful times, he main- tained a character for independence and honesty, without I)einga partizan, and secured that good name which is to be chosen above riches. Mr. Spicer was elected a member of this Society in 1878. John Oi.dfield, son of William and Mary Oldfield, was born in Brad- ford, England, IMarch 0th, 1796. He was one of a large family of chil- dren, and early manifested a taste for horticulture. Several years of his minority were devoted to perfecting himself in the knowledge and prac- tice of scientific gardening. On arriving at his majority, he emigrated to this country and located in Philadelphia, where he remained a number of years pursuing his profession. From that city he removed to New York, and there followed the same occupation for a short time. Thence he went to Charleston, S. C, where he spent six months, and in 1824 came to Providence, where he at once entered the employ of the late Thomas P. Ives as gardener. At the end of four years he engaged in the lumber business on his own account, which he prosperously pursued for about twenty-five years, when he retired from it, and purchased a farm iu Cranston. This lie managed for some time, but the last twenty years of his life were devoted to the care of his property and his family, and enjoy- ing the society of his friends. His extensive travels made him a pleasant and instructive companion. He married Martha Sampson, daughter of Earl Sampson, a prominent citizen of Assonet, Mass. His wife, two sons and two daughters survive him. Mr. Oldfield had warm sympathies for the poor, and his unostentatious charities will be greatly missed by many who partook of his bounty. He became a member of this Society in 18G5, and was a very constant attendant upon its meetings. He died January 8th. 1880, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. 92 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Benjamin Gladding Pabodie, sou of William and Henrietta (Glad- diug) Pabodie, was born in Providence December 1st, 17^9, and died at his home in the same city January 25th, 1880. His ancestor, John Pay- body, with three sons and one daughter, emigrated to this country from England about 1635. With his youngest son William, (of whom the de- ceased was a direct descendant,) he is named among the original proprie- tors of Plymouth, Mass., and in 1G45 their names appear among the own- ers of Bridgewater. William removed to Duxbury where he owned much land and filled many public offices ; he was one of the purchasers of Sakonet or Little Compton, and removed thither in 1G84. William's wife, Elizabeth, was the third child and eldest daughter of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, whose story is told in Longfellow's " Courtship of Miles Standish." In the fourth generation, Ephraim, the grandfather of the deceased, moved from Little Compton, where the family had flourished for over sixty years, to Providence. The remainder of the family, following the law of immigration, gradually went westward, until naught but the gravestones remain to perpetuate the name in the old town. The subject of this sketch attended school at the Academy at Bank Vil- lage in Smithlield, kept by David Aldrich. He there met with an accident which, after years of confining and painful sickness, resulted, in his sev- enteenth year, in the amputation of one of his legs. Upon his recovery, he assisted in the business of his father, who for many years carried on the manufacture of fur hats, and also had two stores for the sale of those and kindred goods, — one on High street, the other on Market Square. About 1825 he went into the retail hat and fur business for himself on Maiden Lane in New York city, but not meeting with success he soon re- turned to Providence, and opened a similar store there. He removed to the Arcade, on its completion in 1828, where he remained until 1801, re- moving then to No. 39 Westminster Street, and finally retiring from active business in 18G3. He was a member of the Common Council of Providence from the first ward during the years 1851 to 1854, inclusive. He was elected to the General Assembly of the State in the spring of 1866, and served during that and the following year. He was Trustee of the Keform School in 1854; and served as Director of the Arcade Bank from July, 1833, and after its acceptance of the pro- visions of the National Bank Bill and change of its name to Rhode Island National Bank, until 1876. XECKOLOGV. 93 He became a member of the Rhode Ishind Historical Society in 1870, and a life member in 1874. He married February 4th, 1836, Frances Hayward Blackman, who died October 1st, 1854, leaving one son who still lives; and November 15th, 1858, he married Lucy Ballon Taft, who survives him. Hon. Samiel Gukenk Arnold, son of Samuel Greene and Frances Rogers Arnold, was born on the 12th of April, 1821, in Providence, in the house on the corner of South Main and Planet streets, made famous in local history as the rendezvous of the band of patriots who there made their final arrangements for the capture of the British schooner Gaspee, commandtd by Lieutenant William Duddington, and which was accom- plished June 9th, 1772. In this assault Lieutenant Duddington was wounded, being the first blood shed preliminary to the American Revolu- tion. In his early boyhood Mr. Arnold attended a school kept by Messrs. Crane andlveely. He was afterwards a pupil of Prof. George W. Greene, and was subsequently under the instruction of private tutors. From them he passed to Dr. Muhlenberg's school at Flushing, Long Island. He entered Brown University and graduated in the class of 1841. In 1848 he was elected a Trustee of the University, which office he held at the time of his decease. He was called to till various offices of responsibility, and as a member of the School Committee, as a Trustee of the Butler Hospital, as a Trustee of the Reform School, as a member of the Franklin Society, as for sixteen years an active member of the Fire Department, and as Presi- dent of the Charitable Baptist Society-, he rendered faithful and efficient services. After leaving the University Mr, Arnold entered the law school at Cam- bridge, and at the close of his legal studies received the degree of LL.B. While in college, and during a vacation, he travelled in the West, where his health became impaired by an attack of yellow fever. For this cause he was obliged to leave college and cross the ocean to recruit. He went, accompanied by his pastor, the Rev. Dr. Hague, as far east as Greece and Constantinople. His next visit to Europe was after gradu- ating from college, and, while pursuing mercantile studies, he went as supercargo in a vessel to St. Petersburg. In 1845 he went again to Europe, and extended his journey through Egypt and the Holy Land. It was during this absence that he went to Norway, and was only the second 94 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. American who had visited the North Cape. lu 1846 he was for the second time at Constantinople. In 1847 he crossed from Europe to South Amer- ica, where he passed a j'ear in niakinghimself acquainted with the histor.v, social life and material resources of that country. Here he formed a pleasant acquaintance with many distinguished personages, among them Geu. Bartolome Mitre, a historian, poet and publicist, and Don Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, afterwards Argentine Minister to the United States, and subsequently President of the Republic. In 1865, while on a visit to Providence, Don Sarmiento was the gnest of Mr. Arnold, and delivered a discourse before the Historical Society on North and South America. In 1869 Mr. Arnold went again to England, where he spent several months. His various journeys furnished him with materials for several interesting and instructive lectures, which were read in this city and else- where. Among these was one on "The Pampas of South America;" one on " Peru ;" and one describing his " Journey to the North Cape." The results of his observations were embodied in an interesting Essay, and in 1851, published in the N^orth American Review. Although Mr. Arnold received the honors of the Cambridge Law School, his legal studies were not pursued with a purpose of practising at the Bar, but rather to gain knowledge that would be helpful as a mental dis- cipline, and promote habits of accuracy in thought. His fondness for lit- erary pursuits, especially history, was early developed, and he was led thereby to a pursuit that has placed him prominently before the public as a historian. In 1853 he delivered a discourse before this Society on " The Spirit of Rhode Island History," which foreshadowed the acumen that characterizes the two elaborate volumes that followed it in 1850 and 1860, viz : the " History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Planta- tions," dedicated to the people of the State as a memorial *' of the trials and the triumphs of their ancestors." In preparing this work, exhaustive examination of public archives, both at home and in London and Paris, was made, as well as of all available printed works and private papers, leaving little or nothing of vital importance to be gleaned by future histo- rians. Seldom has so much of detail been crowded into a State history, while its general accuracj- will give it an imperishable place among works of a similar character. The other published writings of Mr. Arnold were "Memorial Address on Judge Albert G. Greene, Judge William R. Staples and Dr. Lusher Parsons; " " Centennial Anniversary of Building the First Baptist Meeting-house;" "Centennial History of Portsmouth ; " " Cen- tennial Fourth of July Oration before the Municipal authorities and citl- XECROLOGY. 95 zens of Providence;" aiul "Centennial Address Coniineniorativc of the Battle of Rhode Island." Thrice Mr. Arnold was elected Lieutenant-Governor of this State, — in 1852, 180 1 and 18G2. In the last named j'ear he was chosen by the Gen- eral Assembly Senator to Congress, to fill out the unexpired term of Hon. James F. Simmons, the duties of which office he discharged with uncom- promising fidelity to the Union. When, in 1861, the assault upon Fort Sumpter, indicated but too plainly the disturbed condition of the country, Lieut. -Gov. Arnold offered his services to Governor Sprague, who placed him upon his staft" with the rank of Colonel. As such he took the general command of " The Marine Artillery" until after it reached Washington. In passing Alexandria, then in the hands of secessionists, danger was apprehended ; but Ijy a wel' devised strategy the steamer upon which the battery was eml)arked reached the capital without molestation. On his return from South America, in 1818, Mr. Arnold was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Giudrat Arnold, daughter of his uncle Richard J. Arnold. Mrs Arnold and three daughters survive to mourn his loss. In \8ii Mr. Arnold became a member of the Rhode Island Historical Society. In 1845, under the original organization, he was elected a Trustee, a position held by him until 1849. From 1855 to 18G8 he held the office of a Vice President. In 1868 he succeeded the late Judge Albert G. Greene as President, — his two predecessors, like himself, dying in office. His classical training, his extensive travels, his familiarity with men and events, his pronounced opinions on public aflairs, his keen sense of right, his quick recognition of social proprieties, his high ideal of honor, his consistenpy in friendships, his urbanity, and his readiness to impart infor- mation by whomsoever sought, eminently qualified him for instructive companionship, and for tlie acceptable discharge of public duties. For several years prior to the decease of Mr. Arnold a gradual weaken- ing of the vital forces was perceptible. Journeys to a more genial climate, if they retarded, did not stop the progress of disease, and in the winter of 1879 the rapid approach of its final issue was made painfully manifest to solicitous friends. But in the prospect before him he was calm and self-possessed. " In his last illness," writes one wluse accurate delineation of Mr. Arnold's life and character appeared in the Providence Journal on the morning after his decease, " it was observed how quick and warm was his appreciation of the kind attentions of his friends. The pain and sore weariness of wasting disease he bore not only without com- 96 RHODE ISLAND HLSTORICAL SOCIETY. plaining, but with patience and cheerful courage. When his friends were sad and depressed by his bedside, it was the patient himself who came to their relief with some bright, uplifting I'emark, uttered in the same famil- iar tones they had been wont to hear in the days of his health and strength. In the full possession of his faculties to the last, he made all his arrange- ments with calmness, as if for some journey he was about to make. Accustomed to contemplate thoughtfully the issues of life and the reali- ties of the hereafter, he looked to the coming inevitable hour with com- posure and with expectation, in submission to the will of Heaven. And so has gone from among us another of our worthiest citizens. Not only by those who were nearest to him, and in the midst of whom he died, but by many others, too, will he be missed and mourned. _ But he leaves behind him the memory of an upright, honorable and generous character, and of many valuable services, which he loyally rendered to his native city and State." Mr. Arnold died at the Narragansett Hotel in Providciico, where, with his family, he was temporarily residing, February i;5th, 1880. On the afternoon of the following day, the Historical Societ}^ met to take becom- ing notice of the sad event. A minute to be entered on the Society's Rec- ords was presented by Professor William Gammell, which he supplemented with a discriminating notice of the deceased. Remarks were also made by Professor J. Lewis Diman, and the writer of this brief sketch, draw- ing attention to the striking characteristics of Mr. Arnold. The minute was then unanimously adopted. The funeral services of the deceased took place February lOth at the First Baptist Meeting house, in the presence of a very large audience, among whom were Governor Van Zandt, Secretary of State Addeman, members of the State legislature, His Honor Mayor Doyle, members of the city government, and members of the Rhode Island Historical Society. The services, simple, appropriate and impressive, were conducted by Rev. Drs. Ezekiel G. Robinson, Samuel L. Caldwell, and William Hague, each of whom made touching addresses. The remains were interred in Swan Point Cemeter}'. e. m. s. THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE, HABITS AND CUSTOMS, NATIVE INDIANS OF AMERICA, AND THEIR TREATMENT BY THE FIRST SETTLERS. A'N ADDEESS DELIVKRED BEFORE THE RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY, DECEMBER -1, 1879, ZACIIAKIAII ALLEN 13 "'^^ HISTORICAL ADDRESS. THE INDIAN AGE OF STONE. The recent discovery of an ancient Indian manuftictorj' of stone pots and smoking pipes near Providence, and the persevering researches of Rev. Frederic Denison and of Mr. Charles Gorton, have excited fresh interest in the early liistory of the Indian race. The admirable collection of more than a thousand specimens of artistic stone-arrow-heads, hatch- ets, chisels, pestles and mortars, and also of shell beads of different col- ors, exhibited before you, are memorials of the race of red men who once owned and occupied the beautiful isles and shores of Narragansett Bay, and are now passed away. These implements of stone are evi- dences of their progress in the useful arts, and of their degree of civiliza- tion. While they have disappeared, their thoughts and deeds remain engraved on those imperishable stones. So the petrified remains of plants and animals, found on our planet, are the *' sermons in stones," that, as pre-historic records, show the exercise of divine intelligence and power. The first exercise of human skill and intelligence was early manifested by modelling the abundant quartz and flints on the earth's surface into various tools and implements subservient for useful purposes in the arts of war and peace. For this reason the primeval stage of human existence has been characterized THE .\GK OK STONE. Stone implements, such as arrow heads, hatchets, pestles and mortars, etc., now displayed before you, have been found on different parts of the earth, resembling those made by the New England Indians. The quarry of soft soapstone, or steatite, near Providence, offered facili- ties for modelling this material into various useful vessels, as pots and pipes. The extent to which this quarry has been worked by the Indians 100 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. is mauifest by the excavations whicli the present proprietor* states once formed apartments under cover of the shelving cliff. There workmen might have been emploj'ed as in a manufactory But no metallic imple- ments of bronze, of Indian manufacture, have here been discovered, such as were found among the native Indians of Mexico, when discovered by the Spaniards in 1492. The Indians there had so far progressed as to be able to extract metals from ores of copper and tin, and to melt them together to produce bronze. This compound is rendered nearly as hard as steel for cutting wood and granite, by being cast into cold metallic moulds to chill it, as practised at the present day, in chilling cast iron and bronze. The native Mexicans had thus made a progress in the useful arts, wliich has been classed as THE AGR OF IIKOXZK. Their second stage of human progress included also skill in the manu- facture of gold and silver vessels, of textile fabrics of cotton, wool and flax, dyeing cochineal red, and also of interweaving the bright feathers of parrots and of humming-birds into gorgeous mantles, that were prized by the ancient- dames of Spain, as they now are by modern ladies. The age of bronze in Mexico, and in Egypt at an earlier date, appear to have been nearly similar, as neitiier had progressed to the third stage of THE AGE OF IRON. The natives of India and China appear to have made the earliest pro- gress in the use of iron and steel, as well as in the manufacture and dye- ing of cotton fabrics, wool and silk. The silks of India were early prized in Europe at nearly the value of their weight in gold. Fine India muslins were of such a gossamer texture as to leave the contour of beautiful forms half revealed beneath folds of transparent drapery. The porcelain of china also surpassed that of Europe during the past century, and still remains admirable as " china ware.'' The Chinese were the first to utilize steel for magnetic needles for guiding vessels across pathless seas, and travellers across the great steppes of Asia. Then the Greeks progressed in the use of steel in the art of war, and were thus enabled to dominate over the less skillful nations of the earth. The serried ranks of the Macedonian phalanx, armed with glittering steel, and led by Alexander, marched triumphantly to the regions of India. * Horatio N. Angell. ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAII ALLEN. 101 Afterward the superior skill of the Romans in the use of steel swords predominated over the civilized world, with a facility graphically described by Caesar in the memorable words, ^-Veni, vidi, vici,— ! came, I saw, I conquered!" Since then, this paramount power in the use of steel implements of war has been acknowledged by international law as supreme " by the right of conquest." After a time the relaxation of Roman vigor by luxury enabled the hard- ier nations of the North to predominate, and then came the decline and fall of the Roman empire. Next followed the great improvement efl'ected bj' combining the use of iron implements as guns, for rendering efficient the explosive force of gunpowder. In this invention the Turks took the lead iu the fourteenth century by capturing Constantinople from the Romans, — by besieging Vienna, and threatening to overrun Europe. They fitted out Barl:mry corsairs, which spi^ad terror along the shores of the Mediterranean, and the adjacent Atlantic. All christians (as infidels) were captured and sold as slaves, unless ransomed. One of the original settlers of Providence, William Harris, was captured by a Barbary corsair on his voyage to Kurope, enslaved, and finally ransomed by the Connecticut col- onists, in whose service he was employed. Thus Carthage once ruled the waves, as Britannia has since, by superior efficiency in the use of iron and gunpowder on the high seas. In the recently published biography of Admiral Farragut it is stated : "In 1558 the Turks carried off four thousand of the inhabitants of the coast of Italy, including his ancestor, Antonio Farragut, his wife, and six children; who were ransomed and returned to Italy after six years' cap- tivity." What a contrast does this event attbrd to the superior power wielded by their descendant on the waters at New Orleans and Mobile. The maritime countries of Europe long continued to pay tribute to the Barbary States, untTl the skill and courage of the people of the United States of North America finally compelled the Crescent to yield to the Cross, by boldly attacking the fortified ports of Tripoli and Algiers; whereby Europe was relieved from further tril)ute. The early superiority of the Turks in the effective use of cannon and fire-arms was realized by me on visiting the arsenal of Constantinople, in the year 1851. Among the specimens of ancient arms, there were breech- loading cannon and guns, and I'evolving fire-arms, which antedate these inventions by any other people. These rude specimens of fire-arms exhib- ited a remarkable contrast, when compared with the improved breech- 102 KHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. loadiug rifles, of which six hundred thousand were recently furnished to the Turks from the workshops of Providence, to repel the Russian invaders. The rapiditj'^ of discharging rifle balls from these improved guns, with a range nearly equal to that of artillery, and a precision that is marvellous, has essentially changed the old systems of warfare, and of artillery practice, aud is destined hereafter to determine "the course of empire." Had a few of these rifles been available on the classic fields of Troy, near Constantinople, where Homer's heroes, gods and goddesses, con- tended in a teu years' war, Jupiter might have preferred a repeating rifle to a zig-zag thunderbolt, and Ulysses have "got through aud gone home," before he was forgotten by his wife. The dexterity of the Spaniards with their superior steel weapons in ex- terminating the natives of Central America is descrii)ed by Las Casas, Bishop of Chiapa, who was an eye witness of their actions : " The Span- iards, mounted on horses, and armed with steel swords and lances, com- mitted the most horrible slaughters with impunity. They passed tlirougli the towns, killing W'omen and children as well as men. They laid wagers one with another, who could cleave a man down most dexterously with his sword, or take ofl" his head from his shoulders at one l)low, or run a mau through most efl'ectually. They lianged thirteen of these poor hea- then in honor of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles. They erected scaffolds upon forked poles, and laid the chiefs and principal men ujjou them, and kindled a slow fire beneath to cause the most ex(iuisite anguish and outcries." "By the barbarous cruelties inflicted by the Spaniards on the aborigines in Mexico, they exterminated more than eleven millions of them within forty years after the discovery of America." The Spaniards, under Philip 11, inflicted similar exterminating cruelties on the Protestants in the Low Countries, and Protestants, Jews, Gen- tiles, and Mohammedans, all alike, have used their predominant physical power in exterminating, bj' martyr fires aud cruel deaths, others of dif- ferent religious creeds, denoted " heathen." To resist this genei'al instinctive propensity of the more powerful to dominate over the weaker, swords were formerly worn by the sides of civilized men, and revolvers at the present day. The human species hav- ing no natural weapons for self defence, as horns, claws, tusks, or stings, are necessitated to seek out many inventions for strengthening " their hands to war, and fingers to fight." For mutual protection of the weak against the strong, various species of animals associate together in flocks ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAH ALLEN. 103 and lierds, and the human species unite as fellow citizens in communities; whereby the power of the whole population is employed to protect each individual. This is civilization. The advantages of Roman citizenship, or civilization, was manifest in the appeal of St. Paul against the cruelties of the Jewish priests. After the christian nations of Europe improved their steel implements of war, reinforced by gunpowder, they in turn began to dominate over other nations of the earth, as the Romans and Mohammedans had previ- ously done When the Spanish rulers sent out Columbus to take posses- sion of America, " by virtue of his Christianity," the Pope in Rome actually made to them a free gift of the whole continent from pole to pole, with all the people and their property ; which was certainly a very munificent gift. Then all other christian nations joined in the general scramble, by sending out maritime expeditions for plundering heathen countries. Royal licenses were granted to buccaneering adventurers, " to take possession of any lands or property not previously subjected to any christian prince or people." The great wealth of the infidel people of India early attracted the notice of the steel-armed Greeks under Alexander, and then of the Mohammedans. The proverbial wealth of "the great Moguls" was a tempting prize to the European christians, and especially to the Italian merchants and navigators of the fourteenth century, who were engaged in oriental commerce. It became the day-dream of the Italian navigators to reach India or Cathay directly, by sailing westward. To accomplish this purpose an Italian navigator, Columbus, prevailed on the Spanish rulers in 1492 to fit out vessels to make the passage direct. He stumbled on the intervening continent of America, Avhich barred his way ; but was very successful in plundering the heathen natives of Mexico of their gold and silver, and other property, accumulated in their ancient cities. This success stimulated a second Italian navigator. John Cabot, to go to England, to promote another attempt to reach Cathay by a direct passage by sailing westerly in a more northerly latitude. Cabot induced a com- pany of English merchants to fit out an expedition in 1490, four years after that of Columbus. They obtained a license or royal patent from Henry VII, in consideration of one-fifth of the profits accruing to him. He gave them authority under the British flag " to sail over the seas and seize any lands or countries not previously possessed by any christian people." John Cabot made the attempt to reach Cathay by sailing to the icy coasts of Newfoundland, and then by proceeding southerly along the coast. He 104 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. failed in flndiiig a passage; which was fortunate for tlie people of India, who were thus saved from the spoliations inflicted* by the Spaniards on the American Indians. Central America, when first discovered, was supposed to be a part of India, and hence that region was called "West India," and the natives were denoted "Indians." A third Italian navigator, John Verazzano, came to France twenty-eight years later (1524) and urged the royal rulers to renew the attempt to find a direct passage to India. He sailed directly to the present capes of Vir- ginia, and from thence explored the coast as far as Maine and Newfound- land. He published an account of his entering the mouth of the present Hudson river; which was seventy-five years afterward settled by the Dutch under the English navigator, Hudson. Verazzano from thence fol- lowed the southern coast of Long Island, passed Block Island, and entered Narragansett Bay. There he anchored, and remained fifteen days in exploring its shores and islands. He was the first European who ever beheld the land where we now dwell, — unless credit be given to the legends of the Northmen. He describes the natives as being " the goodliest people we have found, being liberal and friendly, but unacquainted with the use of iron." "They are clothed in dressed leather skins and furs. The women modestly refused to leave the canoes to come on board our vessel. The shores and islands of the bay are covered by forest trees." Continuing his voyage along the coast around Cape Cod, he describes the natives there as being " suspicious, hostile, and desirous of obtaining steel implements for defence against kidnappers ; who frequented the coast to seize and transport them for sale as slaves to the Spanish planters in the West Indies. There being no gold or silver here to reward the navi- gators, as in Mexico, and only a few furs and skins for traflic, the buc- canneers, for profit, had recourse to the capture of the natives for slaves : as has been the case in ages past on the coast of Europe by the Moham- medans, and on the coast of Africa by all other nations. Imbued with the belief of the right of ownership, founded on superior might of arms and conquest, all the first maratime adventurers from Europe considered the lives and property of heathen people to be subjected to their peculiar use. The first settlers of New England began to kill and sell the natives at their pleasure. After despoiling the Mexicans and Peruvians of their gold, silver, and other wealth, accumulated in their Age of Bronze, the Spanish adventurers and cavaliers sighed for other similar regions to conquer,— au Eldorado ADDRESS OF ZACIIARIAH ALLEN. 105 somewhere in the interior of North Atiu-rica. Ponce ile Leon and De Soto made raids from Florida and traversed wild forests only to find poor, un- civilized natives, armed with bows and stone-pointetl arrows, and pos- sessed of no valuable property. These adventurers obtained food by plun- dering the Indians, and found graves beneath the forest shades. De Soto was buried in the turbid waters of the great river Mississippi, which he was the tirst of Europeans to discover. The poverty of the natives saved them from the continued presence and oppressions of the invaders. The whole coast of North America, from Florida to Maine, oflered no inducements to tempt Europeans to settle therein, except for agriculture. Labor and toil were not relished by the tirst maritime adventurers, who brought with them only swords and lire-arms, and no hoes or ploughs for tilling the soil. After the lapse of nearly a hundred years of repeated ex- ploring expeditious in vain attempts to reach the coveted wealthy regions of India, the French people appear to have beeu the first to commence a more rational system of trading with the natives for skins and furs, and especially for embarking in the profitable cod-fishery. on the New England coast. To carry on these liouest business pursuits, they sent vessels under Jacques Cartier, in 1534,— eighty-six years before the first settlement of Plymouth in New England,— to make permanent locations ou the sea-coasts adjacent to the cod-fisheries, and to establish trading posts among the interior tribes of Indians on the great river St. Lawrence and on the great lakes, over to the river Mississippi. Jacques Cartier narrates that he was *' entertained near Montreal by an assemblage of Indians, with a feast of corn, beans, squashes pumpkins, and fishes." This statement shows that the aborigines of North America were an agricultural, not merely a nomadic people, living by the chase and fishing. The importance of the cod-fishery on the coasts of Newfoundland and "New England" as first named by John Smith in 160G, was manifested by " the employment of more than four hundred fishing vessels from Europe in this profitable business so early as the year 1583." The island of New Foundland being convenient for a permanent fishing station, a company was organized in England by Humphrey Gilbert under the first English royal patent, granted by Queen Elizabeth, -'to take possession of any remote lands not occupied by any christian prince or people, and to exclude all persons from coming to settle within two hun- dred leagues of any place he might occupy," the queen " reserving a right to share one-fifth of all the profits." U 106 RHODE ISLAND HISTOEICAL SOCIETY. Gilbert made a permanent settlement in Nevvfounclland, and, 'by right of discovery by John Cabot, secnred the possession of that island, with all its coal mines, to England. He was accompanied by his step-brother, Walter Raleigh; who obtained another patent from Queeu Elizabeth, two years later (1585), for establishing a colony further south under a milder climate on the American coast, and with a similar exclusive right " to all territory within two hundred leagues of his settlement." Two vessels were fitted out by the company of merchant adventurers in London, which carried out emigrauts destined to settle north of the Span- ish settlement in Florida. They were landed on the coast near Roanoke, which they named " Virginia," in compliment to their virgin queen. Mr. Bancroft desci-ibes these adventurers to have been "broken down gentlemen and libertines, more fitted to corrupt a republic than to found one. There were very few mechanics, farmers, or laborers among them." They carried out swords and fire-arms, like the previous Spanish and French adventurers to Florida, to win their living, instead of earning it by labor. They immediately began to seize the provisions belonging to the natives, and proved themselves to have been a buccaneering associa- tion of communists by plundering and enslaving the natives, and uniting in a Joint Stock London Company, to divide the profits of their plunder. Although armed only with arrows and spears, the natives resisted their invaders successfully, and not one of them was left to tell the tale of their extermination when the next company of adventurers arrived. The second company, pursuing the same course of pluuderiug, was nearly exterminated. More than three hundix-d and fifty were massacred in one night. Having brought no agricultural tools for producing their own food, and the feeble natives having fled to the forests, the few sur- viving colonists were reduced to such a condition of starvation, that "the living had not strength to bury the dead decently, and the bodies were trailed out for burial like dogs." Based on communistic and socialistic principles, the Virginia Company failed of success, until this system was radically changed to that of indi- vidual self interest, by a division of the land, under the direction of Cap- tain John Smith, of Pocahontas celebrity. He induced the directors to apportion lots of land in plantations for each one of the colonists; where- by, as historically stated, "every man, working for himself, produced more than thirty working for the common stock." He instituted syste- matic industry for self support, instead of the wild and adventurous caaeer ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAH ALLEN. 107 of which their chivalrous ami talented leatler, Sir Walter Haleiu;h, had been an eminent example, with the termination of his life on ;v scafl'old, in 1602, after devoting it to colonizing enterprises and expending £40,000 in vain. Immediately after abondoning the system of plundering the native In- dians, and reorganizing the colony on the basis of individual self interest, labor, and economy, the Virginia settlers began to thrive by raising corn and tobacco, making turpentine and resin, and exporting timber. Thus rendered independent and comfortable, they became desirous of making there a permanent home, and being lonesome, like Adam in paradise without a 'wife, but not being, like him, furnished with a supply ready at hand, they fouud it necessary to send out orders for them to London. The cost of importation is described as having been established at one hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty pounds of the staple article of tobacco ; which appears to have been about the average weight of the articles imported. " Some of the first families in Virginia," history states. " are descended from these first settlers." After the rational system of laljor and self dependence had been estab- lished by John Smith, Gates, and others, the colonists began to throw ofl" their dependence on the English rulers, and to elect their own officers, and the first representative assembly was chosen in IG19. But the buccaneer- ing principle of enslaving the natives of America was transferred to enslaving the natives of Africa in 1G18 ; which subsequently cost the lives of a million of freemen fully to abolish. After the commencement of a system of self government in the Vir- ginia Colony, the further services of the old directors in Loudon became so obnoxious to the people, that in 1623, the royal Virginia patent was formally cancelled, and the company dissolved. In the depressed condition of the Virginia Joint Stock Company, after the decapitation of their leader, Walter Raleigh, Captain John Smith re- turned to England, and commenced a project of retrieving the financial condition of the company by securing a monopoly of the profitable cod- fishery on the coast of New England. He proposed to plant a colony on the adjacent shore of" Cape Cod," and then to claim the monopoly of this lucrative fishery under the broad patent of the Virginia Company, by ex- cluding all-others from coming within "two hundred leagues of their col- ony." Accordingly John Smith was sent out by the London Directors to explore the New England coast, in order to find the most favorable loca- 108 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. lion for a fishin.i; station. Aided by Ferdinando Gorges he went fioni the present border of Maine to Cape Cod in au open boat, and made a chart of the coast. He selected the port of Plymouth, and gave it its present name. This project being favored by Captain Gosnold and Gorges, the Virginia Company advertised shares in this new joint stock company, under their old patent, for ten pounds per share to capitalists, and for seven years' personal services to actual settlers, with a division of the land and profits at the end of seven years. Their advertisements reached some English refugees, who had fled from England to enjoy the exercise of their pecu- liar religious principles, in Holland, that glorious country of religious freedom. Their leaders, Mr. Bradford and Mr. Robinson, state that they were kindly received, but the emigrants became restless because their j'ounger members intermarried with the Dutch, and their English lan- guage was yielding to the Dutch language. The refugees, who assumed the name of Pilgrims from their second removal, appointed John Carver to contract with the London Directors of the Virginia Company ; and many of the very poorest bound themselves to seven years of personal ser- vice in the colony as a commutation for the ten pounds per share, and also to find their own food and clothing. In accordance with this contract, no supply of food or tents were provided, and the emigrants were landed in mid-winter on the cold New England coast, and left to care for themselves. The natural result was the death by exposure and starvation of nearly half of these Plymouth colonists during the first winter, — precisely as had occurred in the tvv^o previous attempts of this "Virginia Company" to colonize. Thus were these poor emigrants deluded by the advertisement of the Loudon Joint Stock Company, and instead of sharing in profits and the division of lands, equal in extent to the whole of Holland, they found graves on a sandy blufiT of the sea-shore. The grasping London Directors not only attempted to obtain the posses- sion of a great region of territory on the land, but also a monoply of the adjacent fishery on the high sea, within the designated "two hundred leagues of their settlement." They thus calculated both to plunder the Indians of their lands, and also their fellow-countrymen of their common law rights on the open sea. To carry out this purpose they prevailed on the authorities to send out an English Admiral to enforce their claim, and drive oflf any vessel approaching the coast without their license. It was this blockade that prevented any vessels coming to the port of Ply- mouth, and consequently prevented the first settlers from obtaining sup- ADDRESS OF ZACIIAKIAH ALLEX. 109 plies from the miinerous fishing vessels on the adjacent sea, althonf;h, as Morton states, there were more than seventy at one time near them. •Having bronght no supply of provisions with them, the Pilgrims imme- diately after landini,' used their swords and guns to carry out the original purpose of taking possession of the country and property of the natives. The historian of Plymouth, Morton, narrates: "The lirst explorers found fair baskets of corn and beans in the Indian houses, wliich they brought away without paying for. The Indians defended their property witli bows and arrows until the bullets splintered the bark of trees, behind which they were sheltered ; when they sprang away with a yell." One of this exploring party, Mourt, narrates: "We found houses ftir- nishedwith bowles, dishes, and trays, made of wood. There were earthen pots, baskets ingeniously ornamented with shells of black and white col- ors, wrought together in pretty work. Among useful household stufl'werc ornamented things, such as deers' horns, shells, and eagles' claws. There were provisions of corn, beans, dried fish, and tobacco. Outside were bundles of flags, bulrushes, sedges, and other materials for manufactures " " The houses are built of poles, arched over at top, with an opening for the smoke. The inside was neatly lined with mats." lie continues: "The best things we brought away with us, including ten bushels of corn and beans. And truly 'twas God's Providence we found these things in our starving condition." The natives, armed with their bows and arrows, fled from the superior efficiency of the guns and swords ; which were then rendered useless for forcibly procuring bread, and could only be used for killing game. Had not a supply of shell-fish been obtainable on the shores, Mr. Palfrey states they must have nearly all perished in the winter. The assaults and robbery of the natives excited their hostility, and ren- dered them " enemies," as the first settlers made them, and called them from the outset. As an immediate consequence of a fear of retaliation, it is narrated : "Their sufl'erings by hunger and cold during the winter were augmented; for tluring their weakness and wants, they wore necessitated to employ their feeble strength to inclose the settlement with a palisade, and to barricade their dwellings." " They even carefully smoothed over the numerous fresh-made graves of their companions, to conceal from the Indians the diminished numbers and weakness of the survivors. The few survivors had scarcely strength to attend the dying." At one time, " a man could not halloo at night without creating a general alarm of an onslaught by the enemy." 110 EHODE ISLAND HISTOEICAL SOCIETY. That tlie first settlers of Plymouth brought these troubles upon them- selves is proved by the subsequent frieucUy course manifested by the adja- cent Indians. After the famishing Plymouth settlers, in the ensuing spring, were reduced by hunger to the necessity of acting like christians, in send- ing payment to the Indians for the corn they had robbed them of, and of offering to pay them justly for more, then the Indians not only brought them corn, but showed them how to plant and raise it for themselves. That the Indians of New England were naturally endowed Avith gentle as well as grateful feelings, is proved by the kindness and hospitality of the Sachem Massasoit, the chief of the natives near Plymouth, lioger Williams, as a christian missionary, visited him, and labored to improve and benefit his people. Years afterward, when Williams Avas proscribed by the Massachusetts Puritans, he fled to the hospitable shelter of his wig- wam, and was kindly entertained there during fourteen weeks in mid- winter. And Canonicus, the same old Narragansett Chief, who defiantly sent a bundle of arrows tied together by a rattlesnake skin, to the Plj'- mouth settlers, gratefully requited the kind treatment of Koger Williams by freely giving to him, when banished, the land where the city of Provi- dence is built, and where we now have our pleasant homes. Thus it appears that though the Indians had only weapons of stone, yet they had not hearts of stone. In like manner the first settlers of Hartford obtained, in their extremity, during the first year after their arrival, a cargo of corn from Canonicus. By pursuing the course of christian justice and kindness to the Indians, the people of Rhode Island ever lived amicably among them ; and until the four United New England Colonies made an exterminating war against them, Williams affirms : "I cannot learn that the Narragansetts have ever stained their hands with any English blood, either in open hostilities or secret murders. Many hundreds of the English people have found them inclined to peace and love. Through all their lands many a solitary Englishman has travelled alone with safety and loving kindness. Hath not the God of peace and Father of Mercies made these natives more friendly to us in this their own country, than our fellow-countrymen in our native land ?" Edward Winslow stated in a letter : " We have found the Indians very faithful to their covenants of peace with us, very loving, and ready to pleasure us. We go with them fifty miles into the country, and walk as safely in the woods as in the highways in England. Though not profess- ing religion, they are trusty, quick of apprehension, humorous and just." ADDRESS OF ZArilAUIAlI ALLKN. HI Cushmau writes : '-To us they liavc been like lambs; so kind, trusty and submissive, that many christians are not so sincere." Had the first settlers of New England been wholly actuated by christian principles of " peace and good will to men," instead of being involveil as adventurers in rapacious joint stock companies, by the false and delusive representations of their promoters, a. very difterent history of their char- acter and conduct might have been recorded. When the real intention of the directors of the Virginia Company to enforce a monopoly of the fisheries on the New England sea-coast l)ecame known, they were strenuously opposed by the English merchants and members of Parliament, and immediate measures were adopted to defeat the attempt. A new royal patent was forthwith applied for and obtained from King James, in November, Ifii'O, even while the Mayflower was on the way to New England. This royal patent constituted the original basis of the *' Massachusetts Bay Company." After arriving at Plymouth, so remote from the original locality of the Virginia settlement, the Pilgrim emigrants became immediately aware of the deception practiced upon them, which was shuftied ofl" upon the cap- tain, as having been " bribed by the Dutch to land them on the New England coast." Kealizing that the Virginia patent was worthless author- ity for founding a colony in New England, the emigrants held a meeting in the cabin of the Mayflower before landing; and in this emergency no other course was left than to make an immediate agreement among them- selves for the regulation of their conduct, and submission to such leaders as the majority might appoint. This simple agreement, written and signed on board the Mayflower, constitnteil their original democraiic form of government under the common law of England. Before they had entered into this covenant in the cabin of the Mayflower they were legally subjected to the new charter granted by King James to another set of directors in the southwest of England. But having become organized and in actual possession of that part of the country, the Plymouth Col- ony was left to its own control without interruption for many years until tlieir final union with " the Bay." In forming the New England Colony, John Smith narrates : " I labored to bring together the western merchants and the London Virginia Com- pany, but found that each desired to be lord of the fisheries. To induce emigrants to go to New England, and leave the comforts of the English homes, I believed that no other motives than profit would determine them." 112 KIIUDE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. The patent granted by King James to the New Western Company in- chuled an extraordinary extent of territory, authorizing tliem to hold exclusive possession of all the land lying between tlie fortieth and forty- eighth degree of north latitude, and extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean,— then called " the South Sea." This grant covered terri- tory already in possession of the Dutch on the Hudson river, and French in Maine and along the river St. Lawrence to the great lakes, and even to the Mississippi river. ''This Massachusetts Patent included more than a million of square miles, capable of containing a greater population than Europe then contained."* " Without permission of this new company of ' the Council of Plymouth,' not a vessel was allowed to enter a harbor between Newfoundland and the latitude of Philadelphia, nor a skin to be bought of an Indian, or a tish caught on the coast; or even an emigrant to tread on their soil." Bancroft adds : 'A royal grant of such a vast extent of the American continent without regard to the rights of other nations and individuals, excited the amazement of Englishmen, and the scorn of powerful nations. This grant was illegal, as a violation of the constitu- tional laws, by contravening the common law rights of all Englishmen. It was protested against by Sir Edward Coke in Parliament, as conceal- ing plans of private prolit under color of public good, in planting a colony." Mr. Bancroft further adds: " The maritime adventurers of those days, joining the principles of bigots with the boldness of heroes and pirates, considered the wealth of the countries which they might discover, as their rightful plunder, and the inhabitants, if christians, as subjects; — if infi- dels, as their slaves." "Experience shows that corporations, whether commercial or proprietary, are the worst sovereigns; gain being their object If skillfully administered, the colonists are made subservient to commercial avarice, and are pillaged by faithless agents. Corporate ambi- tion is deaf to mercy and insensible to shame." Mr. Palfrey says:* "It would be an error to suppose that the commu- nity at Plymouth was strictly of a religious character. The London Joint Stock Company had business objects, and was by no means solely swayed by religious sympathies There is no proof that these Leyden people had any control in the selection of their copartners. One of them, John Bd- lington, was afterward hung for murder; and two others were punished * BimcrofVs History of the United States, ch. v. t History of New England, ch. v. ADDRESS OF ZACIIAHIAII ALLEX. 1 1)] for fi<.1itiiii? with swords iuid daggers. Of the twenty-seven who survived the first winter after being landed from the Mayflower, eleven only were favorably known. All the rest are either known unfavorably, or only liy name." But certainly their piety and self-sacrifice in leaving their native land and fleeing to Holland for the purpose of there enjoying religious freedom entitles them to esteem and veneration. The Dutch rulers ottered to transport the English emigrants to their colony in New York, and to allow them the same freedom of public wor- ship they had enjoyed in Holland ; hut it appears they could obtain no otherguarautyof the same privilege in America than the assurance, "there are no bishops to persecute you." They chose New Eugland rather than the Dutch colony at New York, because, as they averred, they desired to preserve their English language and relationships. They became copart- ners in a grasping London company for sharing in the profits of seizing Indian lauds, and their owners as heathen slaves, and for obtaining a wrongful monopoly of the fisheries ou the adjacent sea. With a desire to believe paternal ancestors were solely actuated by religious motives in coming to Plymouth, the inflexible records of the early history of New England demonstrate that they came to America like the myriads of emi- grants who have since arrived here, for the primary worldly purpose of bettering their condition in life. To judge aright of their motives and action, it is necessary to revert to the circumstances and times when speculative maritime adventurers obtained buccaneering licenses for sailing over the seas to capture and plunder feebler countries. A recent report of the civil service in Great Britain alllrms: " Charters and monopolies, in a fit of good humor, were once tossed by a king to- some favorite person at court, who might have pleased him ; and these patents were as arbitrarily revoked in a fit of anger or drunkenness. An English king could once enrich a great baron or favorite, not only with spoils of foreign lands, but with those of fellow subjects. The great lords and ecclesiastics looked down haughtily upon the half-enslaved com- mon people. Reactions against such tyranny culminated in the riots under Watt Tyler, Jack Cade, and in the rebellion under Cromwell ; and finally in the execution of King Charles. America was given away, and colonized under royal grants and patents to trading monopolists." Pilgrims and Puritans alike, by virtue of their Christianity, assumed themselves to be the saints of the Lord, and that " the earth, with the 15 114 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. fiilness thereof, is the Lord's and the inheritance of his saints." They l)ractically attempted to establish the Jewish doctrine in the uew world which the Saviour came to abolish in the old world, in accordance with the precept: " The law was given by Moses ; but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." After the unsuccessful experiment of carrying out these doctrines in Virginia and Plymouth, few emigrants were willing to make another sim- ilar experiment in Massachusetts. A few fishermen located themselves at Naumkeag, (Salem), under Mr. White and Mr. Conaut in 1628, and Endi- cott was sent out there in 1629, by the new company in England ; but the hardships of a fisherman's life on the ocean waves deterred new settlers from joining this small settlement, especially after learning the sufl'erings and miseries of all similar joint stock colonists under the management of a board of directors in England. Emigrants were unwilling to leave the comforts of their English homes and the security under English courts, to subject themselves to the arbitrary power of mercenary joint stock direc- tors, three thousand miles away. Having realized that the Virginia and Plymouth colonists had never prospered while they continued to be ruled by directors in England, and that they immediately began to thrive after the management of their affairs was placed in the hands of the colonists, to elect their own oflicers, the new company of the Council of Plymouth in England despaired of success, unless they allowed similar privileges of self-government to induce emigrants of wealth and influence to embark for settling their proposed colony on Massachusetts Bay. The English directors proffered to actual settlers not only the privileges of self-gov- ernment and of titled offices of distinction, but also the unimaginable extent of profits from sharing the Indian lands from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans, which constituted the capital stock of the new Massachu- setts Bay Company. The idea of becoming independent rulers in New England, as governors, legislators, judges, etc., and of obtaining titles of honor and profits, from which they were excluded by the civil and eccle- siastical aristocracy in Old England, was fascinating to wealthy and ambitious men. Coveting such distinctions and honors, laymen and clergymen alike now ardently came forward to seek their fortunes in the New World. As it was entirely contrary to the policy and feelings of the royal rulers and Parliament of England to concede any formal grant of independence to the colonists, this result could only have been brought about indirectly, by considering the settlers to be members of an incorporated joint stock company, to which the appointment of agents and other officers is com- ADDRESS OF ZACHAKTAH ALLEN. 115 monl3^ conveyed by legal acts of incorporation, as being essentially neces- sary for the judicious management of their attairs. To accomplish the proposed plan of establishing an independent company on the shores of Massachusetts Bay, the directors of the Council at Plymouth in England sold to Sir Henry Roswell, John Young, Johu Humphrey, John Endicott, and about forty others, a portion of their vast original patent; " bounded northerly by a line three miles north of every part of the river Merrimac, and by another line three miles south of the river Charles and the Massa- chusetts Bay, and extending westerly from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean."* This long and narrow belt of land somewhat resembled a tape line in relative dimensions. To give a color of authority to the convey- ance '* the signature of King Charles I. was obtained after much labor and expense." " To his eyes the transfer was only that of a trading corpora- tion." " Not a single line alludes to freedom of religious worship."! These liberal terras, with advertisements of the profits from sales of lauds, and of the pleasures of free hunting and fishing on their own lands, excited such a rush of emigrants, that nearly three thousand came over in 1629 and 1630; including gentlemen of wealth and influence, and clergy- men. John Winthrop was elected governor, and the civil government was organized. The ministers, Skelton and Higginson, who were clergymen of the Church of England, organized also an independent ecclesiastical government. These clergymen, who had taken an affectionate leave of their "dear mother church" on embarking, after disembarking cast ofi" their dear old mother for a new step mother, by a speedy wedding between their reorganized church, and the State of Massachusetts. They at once* began to exercise their usurped ecclesiastical power as supreme rulers, or popes in Boston. This was protested against by two brothers. Brown, shareholders in the Massachusetts Bay Company. They were arrested Ijy the civil rulers on complaint of the co-ecclesiastical rulers, and were sent back to England by the same vessel that brought them, with warning that " this is no place for such as you." They only desired the liberty of going to church as they had been accustomed to do. For this reason, Mr. Ban- croft affirms, " Episcopacy had no inducements to emigrate to Massachu- setts, for it was only Puritanism that emigrated to obtain ecclesiastical power." The ecclesiastical power then usurped by Skelton and Higgin- son was maintained in Massachusetts two hundred years, until linally abolished by a popular vote, establishing the Bill of Ilights, that now ex- * Prince, 247. t Bancruft, vol. i, p. 343. IIG RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. empts all persons from beiug taxed to support aiij^ church which they do not attend. To strengthen their authoritj- by couuectiou with the civil power of the State, the ministers in Boston, like the priests in Jerusalem and the Pope in Rome, assumed to be interpreters of God's will, and thus established a kind of Theocracy, enforcing their doctrines with the frequent use of the term, " Thus saith the Lord." That the Puritans did not come to New England to establish " religious freedom " and " for conscience* sake," as is commonly maintained by their descendants, was immediately manifest by their commencing to persecute the Baptists, Quakers, and other dissenters. The principal motives that induced our forefathers to come to New England, as previously narrated, were the profits of the sea-coast fisheries and the possession of a great extent of land under the royal license, de- noted a Patent. The immediate motive of the emigration of the wealthy and influential leaders was personal ambition to better their condition in life, and to act as independent rulers in the new world. That the main object of the first settlers of New England was the profit- able coast fishery is evidenced by their early suspending a huge codfish from the ceiling of their General Assembly room, over their heads, as a memorial of their devotion to their staple business pursuit. This Puritan codfish is still reverently preserved by their descendants in Boston, and may be now seen suspended over the heads of the representatives in the State House, covered with the dust of ages. The ancient Jews similarly ,.set up and idolized a golden calf as an emblem of their devotion to their staple business of raising cattle. Likewise a great bale of wool is placed conspicuously in the House of Lords in England, and the presiding officer mounted thereon, to serve as an emblem of their devotion to the princi- pal staple manufacture of Great Britain. "The pursuit of fishing is an honest and honorable business," as affirmed by the King on signing the royal patent, "for it was the avoca- tion of the early christian disciples." The seizing possession of the In- dian lands without compensating the owners, as was expressly enjoined on the grantees of the royal patents, was not an honest or honorable busi- ness, and was opposed by the teachings of Roger Williams. For oppos- ing the unjust seizure of the Indian land, which afiected the pecuniary value of the capital stock of the Massachusetts Bay Company under their patent, Williams was indicted for treasonably "teaching certain strange doctrines, denying the authority of the magistrates," and sentenced to be ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAH ALLEN. 1 1 7 sent back to England by a vessel then ready to sail ; precisely as the brothers Brown had been sent back for similarly denyiii- the authority of the ministers in Boston. The following protest was addressed by Williams to the rulers at a later date : •'In the sight of God you will rtnd tliis question at bottom to be, First— a depraved appetite for the great vanities, dreams and sliadows of this vanishing life by the acquisition of great portions of land in this wilder- ness; as if men were in great necessity and danger for want of land, like the poor thirsty and hungry seaman on a starving passage. Land is one of the gods of New England, for the idolatry of which the Most lligji will punish the transgressors." Having practically realized the despotic power wielded by the union of church and State, it thenceforth l)ecame the life-long labor of Williams to found a new colony upon the constitutional basis of separation of the ecclesiastical from the civil power. At that time the established church of England predominated in Great Britain under the rigid rule of Charles IT His tyranny excited the rebellion that caused his execution in IGW, and the subsequent triumph of Puritanism In England under Cromwell. The Massachusetts colonists, in becoming independent of the British rule in church and State, in 1630, set up a new independent dynasty for them- selves, in which Puritanism superseded the old established church with increased exacting rigor. During this period of revolutionary troubles in England, the little colony planted by Williams at Providence struggled for existence, in villages governed by mutual and conventional agreements on democratic principles. In 1643 an act of incorporation of Providence, with several towns under one government, was obtained. As historically stated, "the settlers were careful to conciliate the goodwill of all the Indians who claimed any sort of interest in the lands. Those who had built wigwams, or tilled the soil, received gratuities, in addition to what had been paid to the sachems. Confirmatory deeds from the successors of the first grantors were obtained; every new deed requiring some fur- ther gratuity." Amity was thus maintained, and the settlers built tiieir houses alongside of the Indian wigwams. The Rhode Island colonists continually struggled against the encroach- ments of the Four United Colonies around them, until a royal charter was obtained, in 1662, from Charles II, granting them civil and religious free- dom. The King desired to secure religious freedom for public worship to the Catholics in England, and gladly signed the charter conveying this 118 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. privilege to the people of the little colony, as "a livelj- experiment" for showing that a civil governraeut amy best be established and maintained with a complete freedom of opinion in all religious concernments. The Puritans in England delayed the final passing of the charter under the great seal, fearing that this liberal concession might be a precedent for the free worship of the Roman Catholics; but "the roaring of the lion finally prevailed and brought it about," as Williams narrates. A similar resistance to the establishment of religious freedom in England was made afterward by the sectarians, when James II. attempted to pro- claim religious toleration for the benefit of all dissenters from the estab- lished church, including the Roman Catholics. "A convocation of the leading dissenters thanked his majesty for his courtesy, but answered, they preferred to remain as they were. Then the King tore up with his own hands the proclamation he had prepared."* The ecclesiastics verified the origin of their name from the original Greek word, ekkleio : I exclude. To prevent ecclesiastical tyranny in our republic the people made the first amendment to their constitution, forbidding "any establishment of religion, and any law prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The adoption of the Monroe Doctrine, in 1823, virtually checks the arrogant assumption of absolute power by Europeans over the land and people of America, as they have been accustomed to do in ages past. The last attempted was by a French emperor to place Maximilian on a throne. By opposing the right of European maritime adventurers to seize the lands and property of the Indians in America, Roger Williams appears to have taken the lead in this Monroe Doctrine, as well as in establishing freedom from ecclesiastical tyranny in the separation of Church and State. While the leaders of the New England settlers have often erred in not adhering to principles of justice and christian beneficence, the common people have steadfastly persevered with intelligence and skill in making the wilderness to blossom as the rose. They have manifested vigor and virtues that have honored the human race Relying on the gratitude of the Indian chiefs for his sacrifices in their cause, Williams fled from his home in Salem in mid-winter, to escape deportation, and sought shelter beneath the hospitable roof of Massasoit in Warren during fourteen weeks. The grateful sachem gave to the refu- gee a tract of land on the eastern shore of the Seekonk river by the side *Nears History of the Puritans. ADDRESS OF ZACIIAKIAII ALLEX. 11 '.I of a little cove. After plaiitiiiij; corn there, Williams was iiotilicd hy Gov- ernor Wiuslow that this location was within the bonnds of the Massachn- setts patent. He was then provided with another tract of land by the In- dian chief Canonicus, on the west side of the Seekonk river. l)eyond the boundary line of the Massachusetts claim. Here he tlnally settled the new colony, which he named " rrovidcnce," as providing a place of refuge from injustice and from civil and religious tyranny for the oppressed of all the nations of the earth. By thus anticipating the Massachusetts Puritans in gaining possession of the much coveted Indian lands, their hostility to him and his colonists became intensified to such a degree, that all commercial as well as friendly intercourse ^vith them was prohibited by penal laws. Williams writes : "They intruded upon the Providence settlers in an unchristianly way, contrarj' to their own laws and ours." They armed some of the Indians to join the ranks of their soldiers in marching across the border of the colony to seize Samuel Gorton and his associates at Warwick, and to carry them as prisoners to Boston for trial by the chief ministers for alleged blasphemy. It afterward appeared to have been a righteous retribution, that the arms thus put into the bauds of the Indians to kill Khode Islanders, were the first used in King Philip's war against their employers. The Plymouth colonists joined the Massachusetts aggressors on the east side of Rhode Island, and the Connecticut colonists on the west, to seize the intermediate lands included in the Rhode Island patent. They, with the New Haven colony, formed an alliance under the title of "the Four United Colonies of New England," and while warring against the Indians rigidly excluded the Rhode Island colonists from their alliance and protection. Arnold says : " The surrounding colonies continued their grasping attempts to gain possession of the Indian lands included within the Rhode Island patent."* The sole object of the seizure of Gorton's lands and of his cattle and furniture was to break up his possession and title obtained from Miantonomo. An honest historian of Massachusetts, Judge Savage, records: "I regret to acknowledge the belief is forced upon me that Miantonomo was condemned to death because he favored Gorton and his associates in transferring to them his huuls at Pawtnxet." The seizure of Gorton by armed soldiers on the accusation of "blas- phemy," was manifestly only a pretence, as evidenced i)y the final result of his discharge by a majority of two votes of the commissioners uf the ♦History of Rhode Island, pp. 379-38.'}. 120 EHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. other three colonies, after a year's imprisonment, and by the subsequent order for him to quit Boston within two liours under penalty of death, after he beijan to address the people there, and narrate to them the wrongs and ruin inflicted on him by their ministers and magistrates. In describing this act of sending a military force to bring Gorton and his companions to Boston to be tried for "blasphemy," and then giving him only two hours' notice to quit under penalty of death for disobedience, Arnold says, page 180 : " The details of this memorable trial remind us of the application of a nursery rhyme, as made by the late Archbishop of Dublin :— 'Old Father Long-legs wouldn't say his prayers : Take him by the right leg- Take him by the left leg- Take hhn fast by both legs— And throw him down stairs ! ' "There, said his Grace, in that nursery verse you may see an epitome of the history of all religious persecutions. Father Long-legs refusing to say the prayers that were dictated and ordered by his little tyrants, is re- garded as a heretic and suffers martyrdom. Who shall say hereafter that there is no moral conveyed in Mother Goose's melodies?" As a pretence for seizing the lands of the Indians, the Puritans contin- ued to trump up pecuniary claims against them, in order to levy execu- tions for sale of their property under color of lawful debts due from them. On complaint of a neighboring tribe of Mohegan Indians, Arnold says, page 275 : "A great wrong was committed upon the Narragansett Indians by the Commissioners of the Four United Colonies, by levying a fine of five hundred and ninetj'^-five fathoms of wampum-peage as a penalty for alleged offences against other Indian tribes; and by then forcing the chiefs to mortgage their lands to a joint stock company composed of their leading politicians, — Humphrey, Atherton, John Winthrop, Jr., Governor of Connecticut, John Hudson, Richard Smith, Amos Kichardson, and others. Then, on default of due payment, the Indians were finally com- pelled to deliver "formal possession of twig and turf according to English law, in the year 16G0." Arnold says they thus - attempted to wrench possession of the Indian lands within the Rhode Island charter lim- its, in order to gain possession of the whole of Rhode Island. This was the foundation of claims persisted in during more than forty years, until finally annulled by special royal commissioners." ADDRESS OF ZACIIAHIAII ALLEX. 121 Afterward a Narracransctt sachem, to avenj!;e the dcatli orMiaiitoiiomoby the hands of Uiicas, gave notice to the Commissioners of the United Colo- nies of his intention to make war on tlie Mohegans. This occasion ottered another very favorable opportniiity for destroying both tribes, and getting their lands, by joining Uncas with a force of three hundred soldiers, to defeat the more powerful Narragansett chief, Pessicus. Pessicus was then ordered to appear in Boston, and was fined by the Puritans, as the French were fined by the Prussians, for the cost of the war. While in du- ress he was obliged to sign an agreement to pay two thousand fathoms of wampum witliin two years. Being unable to pay this imposition when due, "the Four United Colonies sent Humphrey .Atherton, with twenty soldiers, pistol in hand, to obtain payment. He forced his way into his wigwam, and seizing him by the hair, dragged him out, threatening instant death if any resistance were made."* A conveyance of his land was made by Pessicus to Atherton, the agent of the joint stock land company, com- posed of John Winthrop, Jr., the Governor of Connecticut, and others of the principal colonial rulers. Roger Williams states that this company ottered him a share of their profits; and he replied, "that the whole transaction was illegal." This same company afterward legally bought lands of the Indian sachems and owners at "Boston Neck" in the Narragansett country, which was sanctioned by the Rhode Island government. The Connecticut colonists profited as mercenary soldiers under Uncas, and were paid by him in his title deeds to tracts of land. Trumbull states: "Mr. Leftingwell received a conveyance of nearly the whole township of Norwich for his services to Uncas." King Philip told Mr. John Borden of the wrongs he had suflered, in the following words : "After I became Sachem, the English disarmed all my people, tried them by their judges for damages done by cattle, there being no fences. They assessed damages which they could not pay ; and then took their lands. I was seized and confined until I sold tract after tract to pay claims for damages, until only a small part of the dominion of my ancestors remains. I am determined not to live until I have no country." A plan was devised for obtaining possession of all the Indian lands in the Narragansett country by the Governor of Connecticut, John Winthrop, Jr., by going to England and procuring a new charter for the colony, so altered as to include all the territory previously granted to the Rhode Island colonists by their royal patent. The Colonial Itecords of Conuec- *History of Rhode Island, Arnold, vol. i, p. IW. 16 122 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. ticut show, page 581, that John Winthrop, Jr., went to England in 16G2 to obtahi a new charter " which should be bounded eastward by the Ply- mouth line, and northerly by the Massachusetts line." This proposed change of boundary lines, which would have included tiie whole of Rhode Island, proved to be too open a disregard of the riglits of Englishmen under chartered grants, and Winthrop failed in this attempt. Not dis- couraged in zeal forgetting possession of all the Indian lands, the next attempt was to get possession of half of Rhode Island with all the lands of the Narragansett Indians, by obtaining a new charter and surrepti- tiously interpolating an explanatory description of the east boundary line of Connecticut. The old Connecticut charter defined the east line to be bounded by " Narragansett river," which received its name originally from its forming the division line between Connecticut and the Narragansett country. The new scheme was to be efl'ected by interpolating after the name NarrayanseJt river, this super-added explanation : ^^ commonly called Narragatisctt Bay." This bay being twenty-four miles further east than the Narragansett river, now known as the Pawcatuck river, this change would have brought the whole of the Narragansett lauds within the juris- diction of Counecticut. The letters of John Winthrop, Jr., and of his agent in London, John Scott, published in xVrnold's History of Rhode Island,* reveal the details of the whole plot, and the employment of a '-potent gentleman" and actual bribery to accomplish their purpose of obtaining a new charter with the King's signature, and with this interpolation. Triumphing in this achievement, Connecticut officers were sent to take possession of the Narragansett country under this fraudulent reissue of the Connecticut charter. Arnold says: "The Atherton Company had accomplished their selfish purposes by u baseness that cannot easily be surpassed." John Clark, the agent in England of the Rhode Island colonists, notified them of these proceedings. They appointed their Deputy Governor, Joseph Jenckes, to make their protest to the royal council in the following \vords : " Through the private and clandestine deception of the agent of Connecticut, John Winthrop, Jr., the new Connecticut charter is so altered as to bound upon the Narragansett Bay ; and this is done contrary to the solemn promise to our agent, Mr. John Clark. "t It is stated: "The King was surprised by this interpolation, and com- missioners were appointed to rectify the boundary line; so as to nearly * Vol. i, pp. 378-383. f R. I- Hist. Coll., vol. iii, p. 206. R. I. Records, iv, p. 276. ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAH ALLEN. 123 coincide with the orii-iiial ciiarter lino of Rhode Islancl, which was linally continued in 1708 l)y agreement between the two adjacent colonies." " The evil that men do lives after them"; and the wrong committed I)y the Puritan rulers of New England, in seizing the lands of Pcssicus and transferring them to the Atherton Company, was perpetuated by the lat- ter in attempting to protit by the sale of a portion of them to forty-live families of Huguenots, who were deluded into settling thereon. The Atherton Company contracted with a committee of refugees, who had fled from France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, to seek a peace- ful asylum in America, where they might freely worship their Creator. In "The History of the Huguenot Settlers in Rhode Island" by the Hon. E. R. Potter, (recently published by Mr. Sidney S. Rider,) it is stated: ' The .\therton Company, in the year 1G86, contracted 'to lay out .\ meet and Considerable tract of Laud, whereon Each Family shall have a hun- dred Acres on payment of twenty-five Pounds.' They were located on the border of Narragansett Bay, on hind now constituting East Green- wich, and still retaining the name of ' Freuchtown.' They soon built twenty-five houses there, and prepared for a church and school-house, vineyards and orchards; but after finding that the General Assembly of Rhode Island had previously granted the land to others, and that they had been deceived in the validity of the claims of the Atherton Company, they became discouraged, and suftered greatly Ijy being necessitated to become refugees a second time. Some went to New Rochelle, others to New York, where they originated 'The French Church,' that long flourished there. Philadelphia, Virginia, and South Carolina became the abodes of others, where their posterity are respectable inhabitants at the present day. Allaire went to New York, Ayrault to Newport, Le Moine (Maw- uey), Tonrge, Collin, Totcrtellot, Tourbemtx (anglicised Tarbox), Bom- passe (changed to Bninpus and Bump), Ganeau (to Gano), Despcau, and a few others, lingered in Rhode Island." The sad breaking up of this Huguenot colony, which promised to become a centre of refinement and civilization, was lamented by Rhode Islanders. Another Huguenot colony at Oxford, in Massachusetts, was in like manner broken up by Governor Dudley, who gained experience in Indian land speculations by serving on a committee of claims of the Atherton Company. It appears that the leading political Puritans in New England took an active part in profiting by the seizure of the Indian lands; and that Governors Dudley and Stoughton, like Governor Winthrop of Con- necticut, made a business of dealing in such acquisitions. Dudley sug- 124 EHODE ISLAND HISTOEICAL SOCIETY. gested to the General Court of Massachusetts the feasibility of obtaining possession of the Indian lands in the westerly part of the Massachusetts Bay patent, from the Blackstone river to the Connecticut river, by pur- chase of the tribe of Xipnuick Indians; and was appointed with William Stoughton and Robert Thompson, Colonial Agent on Lands, to make the purchase. The Colonial records show that they ol)tained a conveyance of the whole Nipmuck country, ranch larger than the territory of Rhode Isl- and, " for fifty pounds and a black coat," from " Black James," a Nipmuck Indian, and Waban and his tribe of Natic Indians. The Committee were rewarded by a grant of one thousand acres of the laud each, for their efficient services. No question was made of the authority, or right of "Black James," or of the Natic Indians to sell out all the hunting grounds and homes of the adjacent tribe of Nipmuck Indians. The next move that appears on record, was the petition of Governor Dudley, William Stoughton, a political minister and afterward governor, and Robert Thompson, for a grant of eight square miles of these Indian lands, containing fortj'-oue thousand two hundred and fifty acres. This grant was readily made to them by the General Court of Massachusetts in 1682, (constituting the present township of New Oxford in Worcester county), on the proposed conditions of "the settlement thereon of an orthodox minister and thirty families within four years." On being notified of this transfer of their hunting grounds and homes, the Nipmuck tribe became exceedingly exasperated, and so hostile to all intruders, that the Land Company, composed of Dudley, Stoughton and Thompson as copartners, could not induce any ftimilies to remove and settle on their grant of land within the stipulated terra of four years. They consequently obtained an extension of time for three years longer to obtain settlers. Failing to find any colonists, who knew the circumstances of the grant and the vindictive hostility of the Nipmuck tribe toward all intruders, it became necessary for the copartners to look abroad for emigrants, who were ignorant of the wrong done to the natives, and of their consequent hostility to settlers. The London copartner, Robert Thompson, then had recourse to inveigling some of the families of French refugees, who had fled thither after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in 1685, and were seeking a home, where they might peaceably worship their Creator, One Isaac Bertrand du Tufieau was found willing to attempt enlisting the thirty families required by the terms of the grant. The origin of the ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAH ALLEX. 125 Huguenot Colony, which was settled at Oxford, is statrd by one of the principal emigrants ; who in after years thus detaih d his losses and snft'er- ings in a petition to Governor iShnte :— " Your petitioner humbly begs your Excellency graciously to assist him in his great necessities. Your petitioner, on the revocation of tlie Edict of Nantes, fled to London, where he Avas presented l)y the Treasurer of tiie Protestant Church of France to the "Society for the propagation of the Gospel among the Indians of New England," of which Mr. Robert Thomp- son, the President, offered to install him as a member; and also oftered laud in the government of the Massachusetts Bay. Thereupon, one Isaac Bertrand du Tuffeau desired your petitioner to assist him, the said Du Tufteau, to go over to New England to settle there a Plantation of the French Refugees. This your petitioner did, by advancing to the said Du TuflV;au the sum of Five hnndred Pounds Sterling." "The said Isaac du Tufleau, after arriving in Boston with letters of credit from said Major Thompson and your humble petitioner, delivered them to his late excellency Joseph Dudley, Esq., and to the Hon. William Stonghton, deceased; who did grant to the said Du Tuileau seven hun- dred and fifty acres of land at New Oxford conjointly with your peti- tioner." (They thus secured the zeal of the agent by giving liim one- half of the land, and at the same time a control of the management.) "Your petitioner being excited by the letters of said Du Tuffoau, did ship himself and family, with servants, and paid to Captains Foye and ^Vare passages for above forty persons. " Your petitioner being arrived at Boston, presented letters from Major Thompson aforesaid to the aforesaid Dudley and Stoughton, Esquires; who were pleased to grant to your petitioner 1750 acres more; and for authentic security, did accompany him to New Oxford, and put him in pos>ession of the said tsventy-five hundred acres of land : these he has held for better than thirty years last past, and has spent above Two Thousand Pounds to defend the same from the Indians ; — who at divers times have ruined the said plantation and murdered settlers : — Your peti- tioner most humbly represents tliat some of the inhabitants do now dis- pute his right and title, for tlie purpose of hindering him from the sale of the said plantation ; which puts him to the utmost extremity ; being now near eighty years of age, and having several children, and children of children depending on him (under God) for subsistence, after having spent more than ten thousand pounds towards the benefit of the country 126 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. in I)nildiiig ships, making nails, and promoting manufacture of stufts, hats and resiu. "Your petitioner doth most humbly beg your excellency's compassion in confirming the said two thousand five hundred acres of land free from molestations by the inhabitants and any pretensions of said Du Tuflfeau ; who abandoned said plantation, selling out the cattle and other movables for his oicn particular use and went to London ; where he died in a hospital." The following authentic details will show how all these troubles were wrongfully brought upon the principal Huguenot settlers, and how the whole Huguenot settlement was broken up and repossessed by Dudley and his copartners. The records of deeds in Suflblk County, Mass., volume xxx, page 2G8, show that, on the 24th of May, 1688, Joseph Dudley, William Stoughtou, and Robert Thompson signed a deed of twenty-eight hundred and seventy- two acres of land, "selected by said Bertrand du Tufleau for himself and for Gabriel Bernon within a tract called *Nevv Oxford Village,' on the condition of building a corn mill thereon and paying a nominal quit rent of forty shillings. New England currency, and with an appended proviso : ' In case of the relinquishment or abandonment of said lands, this grant shall thenceforth cease and be utterly null and void ; and the lands shall revert unto the said parties of the First Part, and may be lawfully entered upon by them as their former estate.' " After the completion of the contract for settling the thirty families and building the mill, the record shows, Feb. 6th, 1690, that all the copartners of the Land Company except Governor Dudley, duly acknowledged the deed before a magistrate, to give it validity; but Governor Dudley withheld both his acknowledgment and the delivery of the deed itself, until the 5th of February, 1716, — a period of twenty-seven years and nine months after it was signed. During all of this time Gabriel Bernon and the thirty refugee families were deprived of a title valid in courts of law. Trespassers upon the land could not be ejected, and the Huguenot set- tlers here, as in Rhode Island, became disheartened without a legal title. After waiting in vain for three or four years for Dudley's deed, they began to abandon the settlement. Governor Dudley not only withheld his acknowledgment and the delivery of the deed, but encouraged others to dishearten the French families, and cause them to abandon and desert the lands; as appears by his regaining possession of most of the prop- erty, mills, and improvements under the clause of the grant providing ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAH ALLEN. 127 against abaudoiinient. This dclibcrateli' contrived course of Governor Dudley is stated in a remonstrance addressed by Boruou to him, dated March 1, 1707, stating: "Mr. Hagborn, your brother, has done his utmost to ruin my interest in said Oxford. He lias caused Cooper to abandon the old mill, and Thomas Allerton to leave my other house, de- claring I had no power to settle them. When I made complaint of this, he threatened to drive me from tlie place, myself." " It is notorious that the said Ilagborn, your brother, has caused the planks of my granary to be torn up and conveyed elsewhere, and ortlered the o.\en to be worked," etc. Superadded to this were the continual annoyances of the surround- ing families of Nlpmuck Indians, who appear by the remonstrance of the French minister, Daniel Bondet, to the General Court, to have been sup- plied "with rum without limits, so that they fought like bears with each other." The traders from Boston bought the game and furs they took. Some of the Indians worked as laborers, and the women gathered berries and made baskets and mats for sale. It appears " the Selectmen of Woodstock, an adjacent town. Peti- tioned the General Court against the sale of Rum by the Traders; to prevent the riotous drunkenness, and fightings, until they are brought to death's door. There are none here to prevent this woeful conduct." The Massachusetts rulers having annulled the power of the sachems to maintain order and justice, by granting their lauds to the Dudley Land Company, they were left to themselves without any magistrate to restrain them, and literally lawless. Beruou petitioned Governor Dudley, as the ruling member of the Land Company, as well as of the Massachusetts Bay Company, for his aid and influence in restraining the Indians, and only received a letter in reply, dated July 7th, 1702, including the commission of a captain at Oxford, with orders to "take care to arm the people, and garrison them in your own house, with a palisade." To quiet the fears of the French settlers at Oxford, Beruon built a strong fort, partly of stone, the ruins of which remain to this day. The alarm at this time was caused by the exodus of most of the Indian families to another distant place. That French emigrants were able to cope with the Indians of America is manifest by their wonderful success in living among the uatives-from Quebec to the river Mississippi, where they esta])lished themselves permanently before New England was settled. It is to be remembered, too. that when the Johnson family was murdered on Ber- uon's plantation in 1G96, the power of the New England Indians had been nearly annihilated by the war and death of King Philip in 1G76, 128 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. twenty years before, aud by the extermination of tlie Narragansetts and other tribes; so that we have reason to believe that this Huguenot colony in Massachusetts was not broken up by the Indians, but like the Huguenot colony in Rhode Island, by the fraudulent conduct of the Puritan ruler. Although the border Indians of Canada, during the war between France and England, sent scalping parties to devastate the frontiers of Maine and New York, yet there is no authentic account of their penetrating so far south as Oxford. If the Nipmuck Indians, excited by rum, riotously killed one another, it is not surprising that they may have murdered a family living among them. At the time of the abandonment of Oxford there was no Indian war to threaten the settlers with special danger. This belief is confirmed by the statement of the French minister at Ox- ford, Daniel Bondet, in his communication to the General Courtof Massa- chusetts, as follows : " The Inhabitants know that all the disturbances that have been in this plantation have happened because some people give the Indians drink without limit. We most humbly supplicate that you give orders to stop this; which puts us in great danger of our lives." This danger of their lives, by the neglect of the Puritan rulers, and the withholding of their title to their land by the Governor for twenty- seven years and nine months, are sufficient reasons for the dispersion of the Huguenot colony at Oxford A touching account is given by George T. Daniels, Esq., of the final departure of the body of the colonists from their homes at Oxford : — " Tradition says, early In the morning of the day of their departure, each family bade adieu to its plantation and home, and then assembled at the church for a season of worship. Next they repaired to the burying ground, to take leave of the graves of departed friends. Finally rejoin ing in a procession, they went away over the rough forest road to Boston." " On that August morning in 1696 the scene of leave taking at this sacred spot may be imagined. As we look westward across the meadows, the lonely houses appear with their closed doors and blank windows. Near at hand stands the rude chapel, where just now the farewell songs and prayers have been offered up. In the middle foreground are the graves of the dead; and, here and there, friends bending tearfully over them."— " We shall have to look far in New England history to find an incident more full of dramatic interest and genuine pathos than this." Describing the conduct of Governor Dudley in withholding the deed of ADDRESS OF ZACIIArjAH ALLEN. 129 the lands at Oxford nearly twentj'-eight years, Mr Daniels remarks : " It will be remembered the deed was drawn May 24, IGSS, probably on the completion of the contract to settle the thirty families. Two days after the date of the receipt for building the mill, we find two of the grantors acknowledging the deed before a magistrate; but still it was not delivered Years passed. The first colony flourished awhile and became extinct; the second was begun and continued five years, was abandoned and lay waste for nine years." * Then, in 1712, Governor Dudley and the lieirs of William Stoughtou, the surviving copartners of the Land Com- pany, accomplished their purpose in taking possession of all the lands, with improvements, except the portion on which Bernou had kept ten- ants for securing uninterrupted possession. They issued "A Proclama- tion." declaring that : " Having established a number of French llefugees, who have since deserted the place, we do hereby offer to thirty English Families that shall settle thereon, all the lands of the said village, except what is held by possession ot Mr. Bernou." "Then the thirty English families came in. took the places of the thirty original French families; and Bernou surrendered to them all his rights to the mills." t After the departure of the French families, it appears that Beruon struggled to preserve the possession of his houses and land adjacent, by keeping two tenants thereon. To break up also this remaining claim by twenty years' possession, Governor Dudley wrote a letter to Bernon, dated May 20, 1707, threatening to " turn out of the place your two ten- ants, if you do not remove them yourself"; — with the obvious intent of breaking up his continuous possession, that the plantation might revert to the grantors, under the clause of abandonment. After narrating the hard-handed dealing of Dudley, Mr. Daniels says : " We cannot avoid the conclusion, that in business matters Bernon had more than his equal in Governor Dudley." J * Page 112. t Probably to secure tlie acknowledgment of Dudley. t Page 113, " Huguenots in the Nipmuck Country." The unscrupulous conduct of Gov- ernor Dudley, as a predominant Puritan leader and a crafty lawyer, is adverted to by the liistorian, Bancroft, (vol. iii, pp. 99-100), as remarkable for "profound sellishuess." He was denominated " a wolf," and Rancroft calls him " Slassachusetts' own apostate son." Cotton Mather, who at first admired him for his efficiency in sustaining the ecclesiastical power, and who promoted his appointment to the office of Governor, after finding him to be too selfish, sets liim down in his private diary as "A wretch."— (Massaclmsetts Historical Collections.) He addressed a letter to him January 20th, 1707, charging him with " an unhallowed hunger for riches"; with "setting up a reign of bribery, which I know you have been guilty of." "The horrible trade carried on at the castle reaches to 17 130 EIIODE ISLAXD HISTORICAL SOCIETY. He continues: "At last, after Beniou's hopes and expectations had been again and again disappointed, and he had grown old, and from lack of means unable to assist the settlement further, on Feb. 5th, 1716, nearly twenty-eight years after the deed was written, it was acknowledged by Dudley, and passed over to hlra." This was done only after Dudley had been deposed by the king and deprived of all further ability to exercise the authority of a Governor to shield his duplicity as a man. After describing his conduct in the " History of the Huguenots in the Nipmuck Country," Mr. Daniels remarks : " We can hardly withliold our sympathy from Bernon"; "Oxford, as a town, never questioned the rights of Bernon." After yielding up the legally executed deed to Bernou, Dudley next endeavored to regain the grant at a nominal price, by deterring pur- chasers from buying it. So effectually did his agents at Oxford exert themselves, that Bernon, in despair, appealed to the sympathies of Dudley's son, in a letter dated October 20th, 1720, as follows: "Sir, I entreat you to assist me in my petition to His Excellency Governor Shute and the General Court, to sustain my title to the Oxford lands. I can make it appear by Major Buor, that when he would have bought my plantation, they told him not to do it; that my title was nothing worth." "I see myself about ruined by such hostility; I entreat you, sir, to aid me in obtaining the assistance of the Governor, your father, that I may sell the lands." He also made efforts to counteract adverse influences by obtaining testimonials in Boston from his "fellow Huguenots, certifying the fixcts of his paying valuable considerations for the estate, and of his title by possession." Among the twenty or more signers appear the names of J. Boioduin, Sigourney, Daille, and Faneuil, who married Bernon's sister. At last, on the IGth of March, 1725, a sale of what was left of the original grant was made to Thomas Mayo, Samuel Davis and William Weld for twelve hundred pounds, and thus the Huguenot Colony at Oxford ended. That religious freedom, the boon sought for by the Huguenots, did not exist in Boston, where Bernon resided while establishing the thirty fami- lies of refugees at Oxford, he appears by his diary to have early realized. the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth," (pp. 130, etc.), adding : " The Attorney-General, your son, has done infamous things in this way." Dr. Increase Mather charges him with gross duplicity, and tells him : " Some you have promoted will say you are the falsest man in the world."— {Mass. Hist. Coll., I. .Series, vol. iii, pp. 127-8.) These are samples of a few of the charges made against Dudley by his cotemporaries. ADDRESS OF ZACHAEIAH ALLEX. 131 The same intolerance that had shipped back to England the two brothers, Browne, and persecuted non-conformists, was still exercised against dissenters. On refusing to paj' a tax for the support of a church which he did not attend, and whose services his people did not understand, it appears b^- his diary : "They seized, (among other property), my wife's riding hood and my leather breeches" to support Puritanism. In this way he took occasion to make an early protest against taxation for religious sects, and against the union of Church and State. This protest has been in after times sustained by the people of the United States in the first amendment of the national Constitution, and afterward by the people of Massachusetts, in 1834, by the adoption of a Bill of Rights by a popu- lar vote, in the year 1832. This independent course marked him for a dissenter at once, and incurred the hostility of both the ecclesiastical and civil rulers, causing not only a forfeiture of sympathy for his sufierings as an exile for his fiiith, but also of his claim to civil rights in his adopted country. This determined his removal to Newport, Rhode Island, This second exile riveted the hostility to him, and to the Huguenot colony at Oxford. At one time, so inveterate were the feelings of the Puritans toward the Rhode Island Colonists, that all commercial intercourse was pro- hibited with them. One of the earliest acts of the Rhode Island Colonists was a treaty with the Dutch at Manhattan for a supply of necessaries. To get rid of the thirty families of non-conforming Huguenots, Dudley and his associates issued the proclamation for " Thirty English Families to take the places of the thirty French families."' At that time Indians and Rhode Islanders stood on a par in the estimation of the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay, neither having any right which was respected by them. After the arrival of the aged Huguenot in Rhode Island, Mr. Arnold states: "To the persevering piety and untiring zeal of Gabriel Ber- non, the first three Episcopal churches in Rhode Island owed their origin,"* viz. : Trinity Church in Newport, the Narragansett Church, and St. John's Church in Providence. While history shows that the progress of civilization is evidenced by a corresponding progress in the arts of peace and war, from the age of stone to that of bronze, of iron, steel, gunpowder and steam, history does not show that christian virtues and beneficence have correspondingly * Volume ii, pages "5-116. 132 RHODE ISLAND HISTOEICAL SOCIETY. kept pace with modern civilizatiou. In the language of Roger Williams : "A depraved appetite for acquisitions of great tracts of land in this wilderness is one of the gods of New England, which the Most High will punish." The punishment is speedily brought about by the reaction of the animal instinct for self-preservation, which exacts prompt vengeance for wrongs, and renders the ways of transgressors proverbially "hard." The millions of losses by the war of the rebellion, as stated by President Lincoln, were the equivalent of the unrequited toil of slaves; and "every drop of blood drawn by the lash, is compensated for by one drawn by the sword." The robbery and murder of the Indians by the Plymouth settlers cost them the lives of half their number by starvation, which might have been saved by friendly intercourse in obtaining a supply from the Indians; and the wrongs done by the Four United Colonies of New England to the natives, cost them the lives of more than fourteen hundred of the settlers and millions of dollars in losses of property, besides the fears and anguish of anticipated vengeance from lurking foes. It was the wrong committed by the Puritan leaders, in robl)ing Pessicus of his Narragansett lands, "pistol in hand," as described by Arnold, and by transferring them to the Atherton Company, that ruined the forty-five families of the Huguenot Colony in Rhode Island; and the similar transaction in robbing the Nipmuck Indians and granting their lands to political leaders, enabled them to inveigle thirty families of French refugees in London to come to Oxford to fultill the conditions for holding possession of tlie Indian lauds, with a like disastrous result. The bold enterprise and vigorous action of our Puritan ancestors would have proved more successful, with less of trouble and suftering, had they adopted for their guidance the Christian instead of the Jewish code. History has not been silent as to their merits, in making tlie wilderness to blossom as the rose. We now note their frailties, and the barbarous cruelties of the religious persecution they practiced, only as far as necessary to take warning from their example. As said by Nathaniel Hawthoi'ne : — " While thanking God for having given us such ancestors, each successive generation may thank Him not less fervently for being one step farther from them in the march of ages." In accordance with this historical estimate, Mr. CharlesSumner advised, in an Address to the City Authorities of Boston: "Cease to vaunt of what you have done, and of what has been done for you ; and learn to walk humbly, and think meekly of yourselves." ADDRESS OF ZACIIARIAH ALLEX. 133 STATE OK CIVILIZATIOX, CUSTOMS AND JIODES OF LIVING OK THE INDIANS IN NEW ENGLAND. The earliest accounts of tlie natives of North America show that they were an agricultural people, and lived in villages in a rnde state of civili- zation. The first exploring party of the Plymouth settlers found their houses furnished Avith supplies of corn, beans, tobacco, and other pro- ducts of agriculture, and with rude materials for manufacture. As previ- ously noticed, the Plymouth settlers first robbed the Indians of corn, and then were furnished by them with seed corn and instructed how to culti- vate it. The settlers of Hartford, in Connecticut, obtained a supply of corn when destitute during the first year after their arrival, by sending a sloop around to Narragansett Bay to purchase a cargo from Canonicus. These facts indicate that the natives of New England relied on agriculture as well as on hunting and fishing for their support. The attempts to produce wheat on the sea-board of New England have not proved successful on account of the open winters in the vicinity of the warm water of the Gulf Stream. Consequently Indian corn still con- stitutes the principal cereal cultivated in New England. AGKICULTU15E OF THE INDIANS. The system of agriculture pursued by the Indians is described by Roger Williams as being "a social and loving way of breaking up the laud for planting corn. All the men, women and children of a neighborhood join to help speedily with their hoes, made of shells with wooden handles. After the land is broken up, then the women plant and hoe the corn, beans, and vine apples called squash, which are sweet and wholesome ; being a fruit like a young pumpkin, and serving also for bread when corn is exhausted." This account shows that our familiar " squash" is by nature and name a native of Rhode Island. Williams says : " For winter stores the Indians gather chestnuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, and acorns; the latter requiring much soaking and boiling. The walnuts they use both for food and for obtaining an oil for their hair. Strawberries and whortle- berries were palatable food freshly gathered ; and were dried to make savory corn bread." Wood states in his "New England Prospects": "The Indians excel our farmers in keeping the ground clear with their clam-shell hoes, and hoes made of the shoulder-blades of the moose, as if it were a garden rather than a cornfield. They do not sufter a choking 134 EHODE ISLATfD HISTORICAL SOCIETY. weedto advance its audacious liead above tlieir infant corn." Williams says: "The agricultural labors were mostly imposed upon the women; as was also the toil of carrying the burthens of game and tish, taken by their husbands. In the annual removals of their wigwams from the win- ter residences in sheltered valleys and dense cedar swamps, to the vicinity of their cultivated fields, the wives carry the burthens of the mats and furniture." Williams says : '• They are the caterers for their husbands, lugging home deer and other game for belly timber; for a husband will leave a deer to be eaten by wolves rather than impose the load on his own shoulders." He adds : " The mothers, in addition to other burthens, carry about their infant pappooses, wrapped in a beaver's skin and tied to a board two feet long, and one foot broad, with its feet heeled up to its back. The face is left exposed to the cold winds. The mother carries about with her the pappoose when only three or four days old; even when she goes to the clam beds and paddles in the cold water for the clams." Truly the lot of woman was hard in uncivilized life. In a Canadian Indian village, which I visited in 1820, I saw several pap- pooses bound to boards set on end and leaned against the side of a cabin, while the mothers made a call within. Wliile I was curiously regarding them, a dog came along, and, from a curiosity like my own to ascertain what they were, ran up to smell of their unprotected faces. Having no use of hands or feet for self defence, all the pappooses could do was to wink and yell when the dog's nose approached their faces. The owners speedily came out to the rescue. During twelve or fifteen months after birth the pappooses are kept most of the time (like the Italian babies) bandaged by swaddling clothes. INDIAN HOUSES. The Indian houses discovered by the Plymouth settlers are described in Mourt's Journal : " They are made round, like an arbor, with long young saplings stuck in the ground and bended over, covered down to the ground with thick and well wrought mats. The door, about a yard high, is made of a suspended mat. An aperture at the top served for a chimney, which is provided also with a covering of a mat to retain the warmth. In the middle of the room are four little crotchets set in the ground, sup- porting cross-sticks, on which are hung what they have to roast. Around the fire are laid the mats that serve for beds. The frame of poles is double-matted ; those within being fairer " ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAH ALLEN. 135 Williams says : " The frames of their houses, constructed of poles, are set in the ground by the men. Then the womeu cover them with coarse mats, and line the inside with embroidered mats, like a fair show of hang- ings with us. The mat hung before the opening of the door is lifted aside on entering," — like the ancient doors of classic Greece and Rome. To protect these frail houses from the cold blasts of winter, they are removed to sheltered valleys or to dense cedar swamps ; wherein they also made their forts, secured by wet ditches. It was to one of these cedar swamps that the Narragansett Indians retreated, and were therein surrounded and exterminated by the four confederated New England colo- uies; who excluded the Rhode Island people from their confederacy, and purposely left them exposed to extermination by the exasperated Indians. Williams says : " The Indian houses are removed in a few hours in the summer to the vicinity of the cultivated fields; so that on returning at night to lodge at one of them, it was gone, and I was necessitated to sleep under an adjacent tree." "Their houses are kept warm by fires during the night as well as the day, for avoiding the necessity of warm clothing. Instead of shelves and closets they have baskets to contain their house- hold stufi"; and their stores of corn are contained in great hempen bags, capable of holding five or six bushels. They paint their valuable deer and moose skins ornamentally with figures in various colors. The Indian women are ingenious and skillful in braiding mats of flags and corn husks." I remember several old Indian women who went around to re-seat flag- bottomed chairs with neatness and dexterity, and to sell ornamented bas- kets and mats. INDIAN CLOTHING, In Summer and Winter, and in their warmed houses, the Indians, as de- scribed by Williams, " wear aprons after the pattern of their and our first parents ; they have also fur skins on their backs, capable of being readily wrapped about thera. A coat or mantle, interwoven curiously with bright colored feathers, is to them what a velvet mantle is to us." The female children, from their birth, as said by Williams, " they in a modest blush cover with a little apron of a hand breadth." * * Under the more fervent heat of the torrid zone, the Mexican Indians similarly dispense with superfluous clothing, according to the narrative of a traveller, who describes a mod- em Aztec belle "reposing in a hammock, with no other attire than an elegant diamond ring." 13G ERODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Williams says "the young Indian virgins wear their hair falling down bashfully over their foreheads and eyes," similar to the present fashion of "banging" the hair. Williams testifies to " the always modest behavior of the Indian girls and women in all circumstances of life." Winslow writes : " On visiting the neighbouring Indians near Plymouth, the women were induced to sell us their coats from their backs, and then, with much shame-faceduess, tied leafy boughs about them. Indeed, they are more modest than some of our English women are." "To preserve their fur skins from injury by wet in raius, they economically prefer to wet their own naked skins." INDIAN MARRIAGES, AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. Williams describes the social relationships of the natives as follows : " The Indians generally have only one wife; although there is an induce- ment to have more, for the profit of their labor. The loss of the labor of daughters to parents is compensated for by customary presents from hus- bands, as was done in Israel." Arnold states : "During all the Indian wars the English women, when captured, were uniformly treated with respect, and in not a single instance was violence offered to their persons. Inviolable protection was given with chivalrous honor." The constant labor and anxiety to procure the means of daily subsist- ence so continually occupied the time and strength of the men and women, that little leisure was left for the idle dissipation and immoralities that characterize civilized society in modern times. DOMESTIC LIFE AMONG THE NATIVES OF THE INTERIOR. The abundance of food from the shores and fisheries of Narragansett Bay afforded resources to the natives not available to the interior tribes, whose principal supply of food was derived from hunting. An early ex- plorer of the colder regions of the Northwest, occupied by the tribes mainly dependent on the chase for subsistence, gives a graphic account of the toilsome aud anxious life of the fathers and mothers having families of children to provide for. The father is described as ever anxious, during the long northern winters, to obtain deer and other wild game. " He goes out at the first gleam of morning light to traverse the snowy forests in pur- suit of game, and continues roaming until late in the evening ; often return- ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAII ALLEX. 137 ing unsuccessful to his disappointed and faitliful wife. Slie liindly cheers him when thus fatigued and cold, draws ofl" his moccasins, — perhaps wet and stiileued with frost, — and then rubs his feet to restore circulation. She puts away his bow and arrows, and quietly takes a seat by his side in front of the fire. Having no means of satisfying his hunger and that of the family of children, by cooking the expected game, to soothe him she hands him some water to drink and his pipe to smoke. Then his children gather around him lovingly, and a little one climbs on his knee to hear about his hunting wild animals. He tells them he has walked all day long through the woods, but the Great Spirit has sent no deer in his way. To-morrow he might get plenty for them all. Then they retire cheerless, and creep beneath their coverings of skins and furs. The careful wife remains to dry the moccasins and leggings before the fire, and desolately listens to the plaintive tones of the voice of her husband while attempting to sing himself to sleep at midnight, and to obtain rest and strength for renewed toils at the dawn of day." The Indians of the far West had advantage of abuudance of buflalo in their annual summer migrations. In the cold northerly regions the Mohawks obtained scanty supplies of corn from agriculture, and uncertain supplies of game, and consequently, often suffered from destitution, as described by Roger Williams : '• Up in the West, two, three and four hun- dred miles from us, the Moliawks mix the bark of trees with animal fat to satisfy the cravings of hunger, and at times are necessitated to become cannibals. For this reason they are called ' man-eaters,' from the Indian name Moho, I eate." A kind of tuber, growing in the ground like potatoes at the extremities of roots of a shrub, and denoted " ground nuts," varying in size from that of a gooseberry to a hen's egg, aflbrded a palatable food when boiled or roasted. HOSPITALITY OF THK INDIANS. Whatever food they obtained was freely shared with less fortunate neighbors; and whoever came in during their meals was invited to par- ticipate, even when there was not enough for themselves. Williams says : " When I have arrived in the night the men and their wives have risen to prepare refreshments for me." When banished by the Massachusetts Puritans into the wilderness in mid-winter, he was hospitably received under the roof of Massasoit in Warren, until the return of Spring. Then 18 138 RHODE ISLA2»fD HISTORICAL SOCIETY. the kind old chief gave him laud for a plantation in Seekonk, near the cove of Ten Mile River. There he planted corn in May, but was warned again to leave the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. He then weut around to another place at the mouth of Moshassuck river, which was freely pre- sented to him by the Narragansett chief Canouicus. There he founded the colony of Providence Plantations, where we now are. The debt of gratitude due to the good old chief Massasoit as a benefiic- tor to the founder of our State has recently been recoguized by the people of Warren, who are engaged iu erecting a monument to him.* When justly and kindly treated it appears that the Indians on the shores of Narragansett Bay have been friendly and gentle toward the European settlers. Williams says : "I have been gratefully requited for kindnesses rendered to Indians, many years after I had forgotten them. They lovingly greet the English iu the woods on meeting them, and also each other, by the word ' Netop,'— friend." "They enjoy stopping to chat with one another in their forest paths, and will strike a fire with stones or sticks and take a smoke together." This description of their friendly meetings affords a contrast to their unfriendly meetings with the maritime adventurers from Europe, " who visited every convenient port of the present United States to capture Indians for slaves,"— as affirmed by Mr. Bancroft, and as narrated by Morton in the History of Plymouth ; who says the spot where the settlers first met the Indians was called by the name of " First Encounter " with the Enemy. The Indians had their annual festivals after harvest, corresponding with Thanksgiving, which custom may have been the example copied by the New England settlers. Williams says: "The Indians showed their grateful feelings by shoutings for their bountiful god. Cowtautowit, and made general distribution of presents, corresponding with Christmas presents with us." They had their social gatherings. The great Council House of the Narragansetts was fifty feet in diameter. They delighted to assemble in general meetings in temporary structures of arbors, one or two hundred feet long. There they had public games and amusements. In their public councils they are seated in a circle, commonly around a fire, hence denoted " the council fire." They formed several circles to listen to the news, and hear debates on business affairs. It appears the *In noticing this beneficent work, the editor of a Cincinnati journal remarks : " While the people of Rhode Island are preparing a monument for the Indians, the people of Colo- rado are preparing Indians for a monument." ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAH ALLEN. 139 women attended some of these council debates, and influenced decisions. After deciding trials of wrong doers, their punishments were inflicted by the hands of the Sachems as the executive rulers. KELIGION. The Indians believed in the existence of a Great Spirit, denominated Manitou, and iu an all-pervading difl'usion of a portion of this intelligence in living animals, and even in lifeless material objects, somewhat corres- ponding with Greek and Roman mythology. Williams satirically remarks : "Like the Papists, they have their He and She Saints, as Saint Patrick, Saint Dennis. They have their Fire God, who leaps in a spark out of a stone, to warm a poor Indian, to cook his food, and burn him when he offends." " They have a good custom not to disturb any one iu their relig- ious worship." What a blessing it might have been had the first settlers of New England adopted this Indian custom? A contentment with their humble lot prevailed, according to Williams's account of their creeping thankfully at night into a coat of fur skins, counting it a felicity to be snug therein. INDIAN LANGUAGES. It is stated the Indian languages were remarkably copious, regular in inflections, and diversified by combining words together. Four dialects existed in North America, — the Esquimaux and Delaware, spoken on the sea-coast, the Iroquois in the interior. The Delaware language was spoken throughout several hundreds of miles north and south of Rhode Island. To open missionary communications with the natives, Eliot translated the Bible into the Indian language of New England, with unwearied zeal; and Roger Williams wrote an Indian dictionary, which he entitled "A Key to the Languages of America." and it now constitutes one of the most in- structive works relating to Indian history. INDIAN MANUFACTURES AND TRADES. The Narragansett Indians are described by Wood, an early historical writer, as being " the most numerous as well as the most industrious and richest of the Indian tribes. They catch beavers, otters and musquashes for furs to sell to the English, and receive commodities which they sell to 140 KHODE ISLAND HISTOKICAL SOCIETY. remote Indians for double profit. They seeli rather to grow rich by indus- try than to become famous in war. Some malce bows and arrows, wooden dishes, and earthen vessels and pipes. Some on the Bay shore store up shells in summer for making wampum money in winter. They dressed the skins of animals to serve as leather (commonly produced by tanning) by using the brains of animals instead of oak bark. Their snow shoes were copied by European settlers for their usefulness " "Narragansett," says Wood, "is the manufactory of all kinds of rude merchandize for the Indians of those parts, especially great stone pipes holding a quarter of an ounce of tobacco. With th.e steel awl-blades they obtain from the Dutch and English they perforate the stems with such ex- cellent art in imitating English pipes of green stone, that it is hard to dis- tinguish the difference. Some of the stone pipes carved are so massy that a man might be hurt by one of them falling upon him ; and swung by the stem might be sufficient to beat out the brains of an ass." He adds this moral reflection : " How many men's brains are smoked out, and asses' brains smoked in by tobacco pipes in England." Another old writer adds : <' They account it odious for boys to smoke, while our young men often smoke, not being so well trained." The Calumet of Peace is described by Hennepin as " a large tobacco pipe of red, black or white stone, with the bowl finely polished, and a stem or reed of cane two feet and a half long, adorned with bright col- ored feathers, interlaced with women's hair." "This pipe is a safe con- duct among all the allies of the nation, which furnishes the calumet as a symbol of peace." The arrow-heads, hatchets, and other stone implements found in Ohio, are described by Mr. Atwater to be precisely similar to those found in all the Atlantic States. Plates of copper, copper pipe tube, and silver arti- cles have been found in the works of the mound builders of the Missis- sippi valley. These relics are supposed to have been procured from the copper mines of Lake Superior, and probably some of the pots and earthen vessels were obtained from the spoils of the Aztecs in Mexico by these northern invaders. The material of flint stone for arrow-heads, I believe, is found nowhere in New England except on the northern border of Modsehead Lake in Maine. Thei-e the precipitous Mount Kineo, two thousand feet above the level of the sea, is composed of a vast mass of pure flint stone. " Tomahawks " were originally made somewhat resembling the South Sea Island clubs, terminating in a heavy knob ; and flint hatchets were ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAH ALLEN. 141 oi'iginally used in warfare before the introductiou of the steel implements by Europeans. THE INDIAN MODES OF TRAVELLING, AND TRANSMITTING INTELLIGENCE. "For speedily transmitting important intelligeuce the Indian messen- gers run swiftly ; and at every town fresh messengers are speeded away to reach the chief's house. When within a mile the messenger commences hallooing, and all who hear begin to halloo; whereby a great concourse is soon gathered to hear the news; for all men have an itching desire for news." Williams continues : "It is admirable to see what smooth paths their naked, hardened feet have worn in trails leading through the wilder- ness, even among stony places. Guides and porters are found for hire to conduct to remote hunting-houses for lodging in the vast forests at night. I have often been lost in the woods and guided by them. The Indians are quick of foot, being from boyhood trained to practice running. To save the wear of shoes they often carry them on their backs. I have known Indian messengers to run four score to an hundred miles in a summer day, and return in two days afterwards." These feats of pedestrianism excel modern walking matches, when it is considered that the Indian trails were uneven forest pathways. They demonstrate that men can walk one hundred miles per day. Williams states: "Notwithstanding their agility the natives covet the possession of horses more than of cattle and cows; preferring," as he quaintly says, " the comfort of ease to their legs to that of the belly from milk." "They are punctual to their appointments, and have sometimes charged me with a lie for failing to keep time punctually with appoint- ments." "In conversation they have often asked me why came the Englishman here? Is it because you want wood for fire? When they have burnt up the wood around them, they are faine to remove to a fresh place to get more." INDIAN CANOES AND FISHERIES. In traversing the rivers as well as forests the natives were active and expert ; ^nd even adventured on the ocean waves in fleets of canoes. Williams affirms: " They had naval conflicts of thirty or forty canoes ou each side. I have divers times been aided by them in crossing rivers and 142 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. bays. They harpoon sturgeons and kill bass with arrows from their canoes, after cooping them in some little cove or river by nets." The Narragansetts made canoes of large chestnut, white wood, and trunks of pine trees, hollowed out by stone adzes and chisels, and by burning out the middle part and scraping the charred surface. To accom- plish the labor ten or twelve days and much skill are requisite, and conse- quently a large " dug out" canoe was prized as valuable property. The Canadian and eastern Indians had recourse to the thin sheets of bark stripped from the peculiar kind of birch which abounds in those regions, and serves to form sheets that were sewed together, and rendered water tight by turpentine or pitch. These sheets being sewed by withs and deer-sinews to ribs of bended hoops of wood, were so light as to be read- ily transported from the sources of adjacent rivers across ridges, denoted '* carrying places"; so that there were thus established regular lines of communication by water for transferring furs and food, (like those of modern civilization,) by " the coureurs des bois." Father Hennepin explored the wild regions of the West by journeys of thousands of miles, as he states, "in small canoes made of bark of birch trees, carrying nothing with me but a blanket and a mat of rushes, which served as bed and quilt." "Williams says : " The sea-board Indians made their dug out canoes suffi- ciently large for carrying forty men, who propelled them by paddles, and by sails made of mats upheld by poles for masts. In them they crossed the sea to Block Island. INDIAN MONEY, OK WAMPUM-PEAGE. The currency adopted by the natives of New England to represent inter- changeable values, denominated wampum, was manufactured from sea shells, somewhat after the Asiatic models of perforated discs of metal, to be strung like beads for readiness of handling and counting. The Narra- gansett Indians being skillful in making arrow-heads, pots, hatchets and other articles of commerce, and having intercourse with the Dutch for distributing European commodities among the Indians of the interior, appear to have taken the lead in establishing a kind of currency for esti- mating values by a common money standard. They gathered the shells in summer and employed their leisure time in winter in rounding the pieces of shells into little discs, and making small holes through the middle of them for stringing them together. The conical apex of the periwinkle ADDRESS OF ZACHAEIAH ALLEN. 143 shell served to facilitate the work of rouuding the edges and making the hole through the middle. The circular discs thus made constituted the white wampum, and from the facility of manufacture was estimated at only half of the value of the dark or blue wampum, made of the central part of the quahog shell. When the Dutch furnished the steel awl-blades to the natives for perforating the holes through the solid shell, the dark blue wampum was more easily made than before. The white wampum was estimated at only half of the current value of the black wampum. Both were strung on deer's sinews, and estimated at a certain number per foot or ftithom. Williams says : " Six of the small white beads, with holes to string them like bracelets, are current with the English for one penny, and three of the black ones, inclining to blue, make an English penny." "The white they call Wampum, the black Suckahoc." " When strung or wrought into girdles they are denoted Wampum-peage." " Before ever the Indians bad awl-blades from Europe they made shift to bore holes in their shell money with stone, such as used with wooden handles to fell trees." In the early history of New England frequent mention is made of pur- chases of land, etc., for a certain number of fathoms of wampum ; but I have been unable to find a specification of any standard number of shells or coins contained on a string of six feet, or one fathom. To obtain an estimate of the probable number I had recourse to measuring the thick- ness of each disc in the most perfect specimens now obtainable. There appears to be a diversity of dimensions of the discs, as might be expected from the rude process originally employed to grind them by hand on the surfaces of stones. In this respect they are much less uni- form than coins from steel dies. Some coarse specimens are found nearly half an inch thick, and others about one-fourth and three-sixteenths of an inch; and the diameters about five-sixteenths of an inch. To obtain the most authentic average dimensions of these little primitive coins I meas- ured a fac-simile engraving of "the William Peun Wampum Belt," on which there appear to be very nearly five hundred in one fathom; so that probably a standard fathom of wampum represented half a thousand coined shells. The remarkable resemblance between the shell wampum beads made in Rhode Island and in the islands of the Pacific ocean, attracted my atten- tion. Those made by the South Sea Islanders are very perfect and even 144 RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY. ornameiital as strings of beads for bracelets aud necklaces. They also are made of black aud Avhite colors; the former being of only one-fourth the thickness of the latter, aud of the uniform diameter of oue-fifth of au inch, pierced with very small central holes. About eighteen hundred of the white shell discs make a string of one fathom, aud nearly four thou- sand of the black. The beauty of this fine shell work, with interlaced black and white beads fancifully arranged, seems to indicate their use for ornament rather than money. The black and white shell beads were interwoven on strings, ornamen- tally, to form belts and bracelets, which were worn by the men and women, and, like diamonds, represented the wealth of the wearer. Captain Church gives a graphic account of the belts and circlets of wampum which constituted the regalia of King Philip, delivered up by Aiuiwan, after his capture. Captain Church states tliat the belts were tastefully wrought in black and white into figures of birds and animals, with fanciful border designs. Williams describes an elaborate wampum belt woveu of the width of several inches, aud valued at more than ten pounds. Wood states : " The wealthy natives preserve their wampum with anxiety and care as their wealth. The wealthy natives having no strong chests for securing this kind of wealth or money, carefully wore their wam- pum constantly in the day time. At night they keep it under their heads while they sleep." Thus the care of riches were even more burthensome to the Indians than to modern capitalists, who have their iron chests aud vaults. These traits of Indian character for economy and thrift are evidences of their capability of taking care of themselves, were they allowed a fair chance under the protection of courts of justice and a police, like that established in the Briti.sh dominion in Canada, as described in Governor Laird's speech to the Indians at Fort McLeod in 1877, in the following words : — " If you sigu the treaty for the sale of your lauds, every man, woman and child will get twelve dollars each, paid to the head of the family ; and ever afterwards each Indian will get five dollars. Chiefs will get a suit of clothes, a silver medal and flag; and every third year another suit of clothes. To every five persons one square mile will be allotted as a re- serve, from which all trespassers will be excluded. Roads will be made, cattle given, aud potatoes for planting; and as soou as you make a settle- ment teachers will be sent to instruct your children." "You all know ADDRESS OF ZACHARIAH ALLEN. 145 you can rely on the Queen's promises being fulfilled, for no promise to you has ever been broken." * "The Indian chiefs replied : 'Your treatment of us has always been good. If you had not sent the Police to our country, bad nieuAvould have killed us with whiskey, and what should we all have been this day?'" A similar equitable system has been magnanimously adopted by British rulers in Australia. By paying each individual for improvements made, and an equitable com- pensation for loss of hunting grounds, if the reckless and dissolute fail to retain their property, the fault will be their own, and not imputable to the rapacity of the political financiers of a great Republic, who place the natives under guardianship, and entail their property for the future profit of the Republic by removing them from one reservation to another less valuable, until they are exterminated by trespassers. While the sons of rich white men are purposely left free to squander their inheritance under special laws against entailments, tending to perpetuate a money aristoc- racy uuiler a democratic form of government, the sons of the Red men are strictly restrained from selling their lands, and discouraged from hopes *This system of justice and good faith was originally adojjted by the founder of the State of Rhode Island in obtaining lands from the Indians, with the result of the most kindly intercourse with them, until the Four United Colonies commenced a war of exter- mination against them. In a letter to the Commissioners of these Colonies, dated in 176r, he explains his just and peaceful intercourse with the natives, as follows : — " I mortgaged my house in Salem (worth some hundreds) for supplies of gifts to Massa soit, — yea, and to all his; and also to Canonicus and all his, in tokens and presents, many years before I came in person to Narragansett. And when I arrived, I was welcomed by both of them." " I also bore the charges and venture of all gratuities, which I gave to the great Sachems round about us, and to a peaceable and loving neighborhood lay engaged for my great charge and travel among them." (Backus, vol. i, p. 94.) After the death of Wil- liams, his son stated in a letter : " My father gave away all ; and being ancient, his needs must pinch somewhere. He gave to me only about three acres of land. It looked hard, that out of so much at his disposal, he should have had so little." Governor Wiuslow, on visiting Williams, in Providence, as noticed in a letter written to Major Mason, "kindly melted, and put a piece of gold into the hands of my wife for the supply of our necessi- ties." This self-denying spirit of true christian beneficence was the means of subduing the natives to reciprocal acts of kindness, and of breaking up an alliance between the I'equots and Narragansetts against the Four United Colonies, which would have swept away nearly all the European settlers of New England. In the final war of King Philip he went safely amid the army of exasperated warriors, and extorted from them this precious eulogium : "You are a good man, and not a hair of your head shall be injured." 19 I4() RHODE ISLAND HISTOEICAL SOCIETY. of bettering their condition by economy and industry. A gradual exter- mination of the race is the sure result. The Puritan rulers of the Four United Colonies contrived to gain pos- session of the much coveted Narragansett lands under the pretence of involving the sachems in debt, payable in wampum, their own coin ; and then, in default of payment, they levied on their lands by a process of civil execution, instead of military conquest; this being a quieter way of accomplishing their purpose. As previously noticed, the rulers took advantage of inciting Uncas to attack the Narragansetts, and took their pay in deeds of lands. Then when the Narragansetts made war in retal- iation, the colonists sent three hundred soldiers to arrest him, and then fined him for the costs, as the Prussians did the French, and imposed a fine of two thousand fathoms of wampum, ecpial to more than two miles in length of coins. The poor sachem being unable to produce such a quantity, was made to sign a bond and mortgage, and then in default to surrender his laud as previously stated. This was truly a Shylock plan of procedure; but the injustice was checkid and the proceedings annulled by the royal commissioners. Calculating the number of white wampum at five hundred to the fathom, Pessicus was fined a million of the shell coins, payable at a short credit. Williams refers to the financial abilities of some of the natives as fol- lows : '"Tis admirable how quick the Indians are in casting up great munbers, without the help of letters, figures, or pens, by using grains of corn. They are subtle in bargains, and will try dift'erent markets, going thirty miles to save a sixpence." " Some are honest, but most of them will never pay a debt unless fol- lowed up to their houses. They partake of the general folly of mankind, by running into tormenting debts, not only for necessary, but also for un- necessary things " The measures of the time of day, were designated by the position of the sun in the heavens. The number of days by " suns," of months by " moons," and years by " Winter snows or harvests." FORMS Ol' INDIAN GOVERNMENT. The tribal system of Indian government was necessarily democratic, and somewhat paternal. Councils of the people were held for consulta- tion, at which it appears the women were sometimes present, on the con- ADDRESS OF ZACIIARIAH ALLEN. _ 147 vej'ance of lands and making treaties. The chiefs rarely acted In making laws and regnlating tribal affairs, without convening the people for their assent and ratification. Their " ayes and nays " were expressed by pecu- liar guttural sounds, corresponding with cheering and the goose-like hiss- ings in modern popular assemblies. The executive functions were per- formed by the sachems; and also the duties of a sheriff in punishing criminals devolved upon them. They did not lack debaters in their discus- sions or powivows, and discords occurred like those in our modei'n assem- blies of the people. MEDICAL PRACTICE OF THE INDIANS. The Indians, having no experience with chemical compounds, confined their treatment of the sick to herbs and roots in doctoring. As described by Mr. Douglas : "Tiie^' pursued the old women's treatment as practised in couutry villages in England in ancient times, by using decoctions of vegetables for emetics, for cathartics, and sudorifics. The use of steam baths ill caves, or beneath mats, by heating stones and pouring water thereon, was deemed a health restoi'ing expedient. But with little reli- ance on human skill, the superstitious natives placed more hope on the spiritual influence of their religious quack doctors, or Powwow men, who performed mystical ceremonies over invalids with shoutings and liowl- ings, as if to scare away aflSrighted demons of diseases. Their services were paid for like lawyers' fees, the amount paid being also in proportion to the continuance of vociferations. FISHING AND HUNTING. The abundance of fish in the Bay, and the wild game on the land, formed a principal part of the subsistence of the Narragansett Indians, They used nets made of twisted fibres of hemp, and of deer's sinews; and fish-hooks made of sliarpened bones of birds and of certain fish bones. Williams says : " They were dexterous in using scoop nets and in spear- ing fishes in the night by alluring them to the surface by the glare of light from burning torches placed in front of their canoes. They were successful in catching the several kinds of fish still found in the Bay, and known by their Indian names of tautog and scuppaug. Bass, and smaller fish called smelt and frost fish were perseveringly sought for by night and by day. " They patiently lie down with their nearly naked bodies on the cold shores, and wade in icy water to set their nets." 148 RHODE ISLAND HLSTORICAL SOCIETY. The clam-bakes on the shores of Narragansctt Bay Avere as much appre- ciated and enjoyed by the natives in former days, as by the present mnlti- tudes of excursionists. Williams describes clams as " a sweet kind of shell-flsh, readily digged out from the shore-sands at low water by the women, and delightfully relished by all Indians for the savory broth made by them, which serves instead of salt for seasoning their uassanmp and corn bread." Williams adds: "The Indian women and English swine go to the shores at low water to dig and root out the clams, and are competitors. The swine are therefore hated by tiie Indian women." "The English have learned to make a dainty dish of the brains of a bass, resembling marrow." INDIAN COOKERY AND INDIAN 15UF.AD. "To kindle a fire for cooking, the natives strike violtMitly together two stones, with some punk intervening between them. After kindling a tire, they place therein several stones or boulders in a layer; and after becom- ing hot the stones are dropped in water containing tlsh or tlesh in a wooden vessel, thus causing the water to boil. The soapstone pots were in like manner placed in a fire until they became hot, and then the water was poured in and the food to be boiled was placed therein." The original mode of Indian cookery, by heating stones, is still prac- tised by the shore parties at their picnics on the borders of Narragansctt Bay. The heated stones are arranged like a pavement on the ground, some sea-weed is spread upon them, and then layers of clams, fish, ears of corn, potatoes, and other articles of food, are added in successive layers, until a little mound is raised, with a thick covering of sea-weed. Then a pailful of water, dashed upon the top of it, percolates to the hot stones, and produces abundance of steam, that is diffused throughout the whole mass. After a suitable time the mound is opened and the contents carefully withdrawn and served on the festive board. Some little prac- tice is requisite before novices and dainty young ladies can gracefully lift the clam from its native shell by the neck, and suspend it on a poise above the parted lips, with the face and eyes turned heavenward, as if with pious devotion to the idolized clam. To reduce the flinty kernels of corn to meal for making bread, the In- dians use the stone pestles, such as are here exhibited before you. Previ- ously to the introduction of mill-stones, vvpodeu pestles shod with iron and ADDRESS OF ZACIIARIAH ALLEN. 149 lifted by water wheels, were used by the pioneers, and denominated " Stamp- ing Mills." The first water-wheel made in Khode Island, soon after the arrival of Williams, was for a stamping mill near Steven's bridge on the Moshassuck river. The street leading to that place still bears the descrip- tive name of " Stamper Street." The water privilege below was given by the original proprietors to John Smith in consideration of his building thereon a mill for grinding corn. The first mill built in Massachusetts was for grinding corn at Plymouth in 1G36, as appears by the colonial records. The Indians rendered the corn more brittle for being pulverized by pes- tles, and at the same time prepared for eating, by parching it in hot ashes, and then sifting it out. Like modern "'pop-corn" this parched meal was ready cooked for food, and required only to be moisteued with water. Williams says : " I have made many a good dinner and supper of parched meal, moistened by a spoonful of water from a brook. With no other food I have travelled with two hundred Indians an hundred miles ; each one- carrying a hollow leather girdle around his waist, or a little basket on his back, filled with parched meal." This parched meal, kneaded with water, and baked on a hot stone, or before a fire, constituted the bread they called " Nokik," — strangely angli- cised into No Cake. The unparched meal makes Journey Cake, or Johnny Cake. In his description of the mode of making a Johnny Cake, Roger Williams omits an essential part of the preliminary process, which re- quires the use of boiling water instead of cold water in kneading the meal. This knowledge was acquired by me, under peculiar difiiculties, while floating down tiie Ohio river from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati on a flat boat or ark in 1817, before steamboats were in use there. Our party bou^^ht a boat and were their own navigators and cooks. To our surprise and in- dignation our flrst Johnny Cake became meal again when baked before the fire. To learn the art and mystery, I rowed the skifi" from the flat boat to a house on the shore, and there under the instruction of the smiling wife of an Ohio farmer, I finished my scientific education in this special department. She poured boiling water upon the corn meal, and invited me to test the quality by partaking of the cake. Some of the gentlemen here present may be as ignorant as I was, and, profiting by this lesson, may leave the hall wiser if not better men. The introduction, by Europeans, of light metallic kettles, adapted for being hung over a fire, afforded desirable fiicilities for convenience of transportation, and for more quickly boiling food in traversing wild forests. 150 EHODE ISLAND HISTOEICAL SOCIETY. An opportunity was aflbrded of inspecting tlie process of cookina; in these kettles by a party of Sioux Indians, near the Falls of St. Anthony, in the year 1817. A war party, returning from an attack on a tribe of Chippeway Indians, had erected their lodges on the banks of the Mississippi river. The captain of the steamboat landed a few of us to visit the encampment of the painted warriors beneath the shade of the forests. They exhibited a surprising spectacle with their peculiar attire, vermillion streaked faces, and feathers in their hair. Many of them were gathered around their boiling pots .suspended over blazing fires, resembling tlie weird scene of the witches' caldron in Macbeth. They severally contributed to the boil- ing caldrons such articles as they had procured from the forest and river. The whirling ebullition of this boiling compound brought to light succes- sively the materials of which the soup was composed ; showing the bill of fiire to l)e pieces of meat, tish, and whole turtles, that seemed swim- ming amid the. boiling cui-rents. The view of this compound was sufli- cient to cure the appetite of a hungry Englishman. The lodges were made, by inserting four poles in the ground, about twelve feet apart, and by tying their inclined tops together, and then lean- ing additional poles to rest against the tops of the four standard poles, with the lower ends spread out to a circle at the bottom. Buffalo skins sewed together in large sheets were wrapped around the conical frames of the poles, and a rope wound spirally' around the outside, like lioops, bound them all tightly together. The outsides of the skins were painted with figures of animals. Some few presents made to the Indians conciliated them to acts of courtesy instead of scalping. One of the stalwart plumed wari'iors gallantly advanced toward a beautiful St. Louis belle, and mak- ing a formal bow, took an eagle's feather from his hair, and chivalrously inserted it in the tresses of the confused and blushing girl. Pausing a moment to gaze admiringly upon her, and making another formal bow, he slowly turned and strode away to rejoin his wild companions. This tribe of Sioux were compelled by the United States goverument to pay a penalty to tlie tribe of Chippeway Indians for this assault upon them, MOURNINGS FOR THE DE.\D. That the natives of New England had kindly feelings and affections, was manifested by their sensibilities for the death of friends. Williams says : " When they come to the grave they lay the body down. Then all join in ADDRESS OF ZACHAEIAH ALLEN. 151 lamentations. I have seen tears rnn down the cheeks of stoutest cap- tains as well as of little children. After the body is laid in the grave, sometimes personal eflects are deposited witli it, as a solemn sacriflce. On the death of his son, I saw the aged chief, Canonicus, as a great sacri- flce to hiiTi, burn his residence. Their mourning is continued for months." Black appears to have been selected for an emblem of grief, as devoid of cheerful radiance and reflection of light, alike by the natives of Europe and America. The Indians used soot mingled with oil for consistency as a pigment. The memory of the dead was cherished, as manifest by the return of the Indians at times to visit and honor the graves of their fathers. Now the mourners and their graves have disappeared, except in the far West, where the mounds, like the pyramids, have survived as memorials of the builders. "They grieved; — but no wail from their slumbers may come; They joyed : but tlie voice of tlieir gladness is done. They died,— aye they died; and we things that are now, Who walk on the turf that lies over their brow, Who make in their dwellings our transient abode, — Meet the changes they met in their pilgrimage road " We now occupy their places for our transient abode, as others will soon succeed us, and make in our dwellings their equally transient abode. These fleeting scenes of continual changes in our pilgrimage road, con- stitute the history of mankind. To preserve memorials of the race of lied men, who once owned and occupied the pleasant shores of Narraga- sett Ba.v, now our enjoyable homes, is a special object aud duty of the members of our Historical Society, as has been set forth by our esteemed associate, IVIr. Denison : — " We, children of a favored day, Inheriting their homes, Would guard their history from decay, And mark their mouldering tombs." INDE PAGE. Alk'ii, Zucluu-iali, Address by on the coiulitions of lilV, liabits and customs of the native Indians of America, and tlieir treat- ment by the first settlers . '.)7-ir>l An early proclamation C.i, (Jo Bower, Samnel J., notice of 70, 71 Charter, amendment of 20 Committee to disburse State appropriation 20 Communication from Rev. Frederic Denison 30 Changes in a hundred years. (>1, (J2 Donations lo, 14. Id, IS, 10, s.',, L'l;, 30 (tKXK.\I.()(HKS : — Genealogies and Estates in Charlestown, ^lass 53 Whitney Family, by Stephen Whitney riiomix .J4 Dunster Family, by Samuel Dunster 5.5 Russell Family, by John R. liartlctt 55 Drowne Family, by Henry Thayer Drowne 55 Cooke Family, by Albert R. Cooke 55 Tilley Family, by R. Ilannnitt Tilley. 55 Douglas Family, by Charles II, J. Douglas 55 20 154 RHODE ISLAND IIISTOniCAL SOCIETY. PACK. Hitchcock, Rev. Dr., oration by 08, 09 Herlitz, Mrs. Louisa Lippitt, letter from lt> u o '• •• watch pi'esented to Historical Society, by, .50 Indepciulence, Declaration of in Providence 64-05 " commemoration of, 1820 09-73 Liberty granted Mr. Henry T. Beckvvith to copy an engraving 24 " " Rev. Mr. Stone to photograph the sword and pistols that were owned and used by Col. Ephraim Bowen in the Revolution 28 Librarian authorized to examine manuscripts otlered for sale to the Society by Mr. James C. Manran, of Newport 30 Mkaibehs : — Honorary 5 Corresponding 0-7 Resident 8-11 Life 12 Resident, elected 19, 23, 20, 44 Corresponding, elected 19, 20, 44 Honorary, elected 19, 23, 44 Life, elected 20 Nkcrology :— Williams, William G 85, 80 Easton, Nicholas Redwood 80, 87 Paine, Walter 87, 88 Grosvenor, Col. Robert 88 Spicer, George Thurston 89-91 Oldfleld, John 91 Pabodie, Benjamin Gladding 92-93 Arnold, Hon. Samuel G 03-96 IXDEX. loo rAOK. Officers of the Society ;^_+ Ode, seiui-ceiiteiiniiil, by Albert G. Greene 71, 72 Procee(iiii,i>-s, vvitli various reports to be printed .LM-4r) Proposed amendments to the Constitution indefinitely postponed 24 Purchase of Rider's Historical Tracts authorized 2S Papers read . . r)2, 53 Patriotic Sonij (57 Request for loan of plan of Camp Spraijne uranted 40 Rksolutions : — Proffering co-operation and aid in oljserving the bi-centen- nial anniversary of the Settlement of liristol 25 Thanks to Gen. Horatio Rogers 32 " William B. ^A^eeden 42 " Hon. William D. Brayton 41 " Dr. E. M. Snow and S. S. Rider 44 RK.roins : — Conunittee on the Angcll-Johnston Indian I'ottcry Develop- ■ ment 30-30 Treasurer 49-51 Librarian 52-75 Procurator for Newport 70-77 " Bristol 78-71) Committee on Grounds and Building 80 " " Genealogical Researches 81-82 " '• Publications 83 " " State appropriation 84 Thanks voted to Special Committee " •• " Stephen Whitney Pluenix. " " " Mrs. John Carter Brown ■. Williams, William G., resolution concerning !•> Washington Bridge, notice of '^< Wants of tlie Society 73-, .. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ! I 014 075 489 4 iiiiii'