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f Some Old Letters ^
^ Bits of History J

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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

1957

Some Old Letters
Bits of History

Some Old Letters
Bits of History
BY
^av^axtt ^Delia Coopet

PRIVATELY PRINTED
iBeto gorfe
1901

Entered according to Act of Congress in the Year 1901, by
Sarah Cooper Hewitt, in the OflSce of the Libra
rian OP Congress, at Washington.

ChJJ 4tt>

A Memory

A.MONG the pleasantest recollections of an
unusually happy childhood, there stand
out in strong relief some occasional hut
eagerly lookedforward-to visits to a de
lightful roomy old house in Bushwick,
Long Island, which has been hut recently
removed from its original site to make
space for a public pleasure-ground, now
known as Cooper Park. At that time, how
ever, Bushwick was essentially in the coun
try and the old-fashioned house lay at the
end of the typical little Long Island vil
lage, very much in the same relation to it as
the country seats of the English gentry are

[ Vi]'
to their surrounding hamlets in England
to this day.
This old house, however, instead of being
occupied by the lord of the manor, was
graced by the presence of three most charm
ing ladies, who to my childish mind corre
sponded exactly to those three good fairies
in Grimm's never-to-be-forgotten Fairy
Tales, with which I first made acquaint
ance there, as well as with books dear to
my soul, which formed part of an enchant
ing child's library that filled all the lower
shelves of the old bookcases, where my good
fairies had cleverly placed them within con
stant reach of our youthful hands.
These fairy godmothers were the three
Misses Cooper, daughters of my grand
father's brother, William .Cooper, and the
society of three such clever, sympathetic,
and delightful hostesses it is seldom given

[ vii ]
to tlie lot of young people to enjoy. How
well I remember all the many happy and
useful hours spent in their company, when
we unconsciously learned from them so
many valuable and interesting lessons, and
how great was our desire to he with them
as much as possible/
Occasionally, when their family carriage,
with the cross old Dutch coachman, Fran
cis, neglected to meet us at the Long Isl
and side of the ferry, my sister and I ven
tured to walk alone from there to the house,
by way of the short-cut foot-path crossing
the old Bushwick Common.
Here, in the spring, fiocks of geese were in
the habit of pasturing upon the young
tender grass, and once we were actually
attacked and chased by an exceedingly
grumpy old gander, so that ever after
wards we were in deadly terror of these

[ viii ]
most worthy descendants of the defenders
of the Roman Capitol. Yet even the almost
certain prospect of being again confronted
by similar doughty foes did not deter us
from returning to the dear old house and
its inmates as often as might he.
On rainy days it was an inexhaustible de
light to he turned loose in the large old-
fashioned garret and left undisturbed to
play hide-and-seek in all its nooks and
corners, behind the pieces of furniture,
spinning wheels, brass-hound and nail-
studded horsehair trunks, boxes and bar
rels of every description which were stored
there. Several of these barrels were objects
of unfailing amusement, for they contained
family papers and letters of the Revolu
tionary period, and we children loved to
turn them over to examine the different old
seals and to hold the queer paper with its

[ix]
prim old-time writing in faded inks up to
the light, in order to detect the different
watermarks, as well as to try to imitate the
intricate manner of folding the paper to
form covers such as were used before en
velopes were invented.
How enchanted we were when sometimes,
after we had been unusually good, which
was, alas, a most rare occurrence. Miss
Adelia Cooper, as a particular treat, read
aloud to us some of the most interesting of
these letters, explaining and interweaving
them with historical stories belonging to
that time. Years later, she must have gone
over these same letters carefully, perhaps
for the purpose of sorting them out from
the corfusion in which our disorderly little
hands had left them, and it was probably
then that she selected certain ones and wove
them into a little sketch called "Some Old

Letters and Bits of History," which she
read before the "Causerie de Lundi," a
small literary society of which she was a
member. After reading it hut once, being
far too modest to think of publishing it.
Miss Cooper placed it among her papers,
where it was found after her death. It
was like an actual breath of the past and
gave a faithful little picture of the quiet
social life here in the first part of the last
century, showing loving care and feeling
for that time, which was one of charm
ing simplicity, and about which authentic
documents are none too plenty and very
meagre of detail. It seemed to me that in
stead of allowing it to perish it should be
made known to the public, and with this
idea I obtained from Miss Julia Cooper,
shortly before her death, permission to
have her sister's manuscript printed ex
actly as it was written, a permission of

[ xi ]
which I now gladly avail myself as a very
small token of the gratitude and affection
I sJudl always feel for her and hers, to
whom I owe so much. Saeah Cooper Hewitt.
April, 1901.

Some Old Letters

The letters which form the substance of
this paper are in no wise noteworthy as
letters merely, for they are carelessly writ
ten, mostly by girls to their girl friends,
with no thought of meeting other eyes,
and the wonder is that they have been so
long preserved. With other manuscripts
they had long lain hidden under the eaves
of an old garret, and become so yellowed
by time and covered with stains from the
raindrops which, in the course of long years
and innumerable storms, had found their
way through shingles warped by winter
snows and blazing summer suns, that in
many places they are quite illegible. Mice
have nibbled their comers, and bits fall

[2 J
out from the creases worn in the foldings,
refoldings, and cross-foldings after the
fashion of the day, when one part slipped
within another was fastened with wax or
wafer, in the leisurely manner of the time
before the hurried and inelegant, if more
practical, days of the lip-moistened gum-
fastened envelope.
They are interesting only because they
date so far back into the past, and cover
periods so momentous in the history of
our country, when even the smallest allu
sion to passing events, to social customs,
dress, books, topics of the day, has a
value as time goes on, in helping to pre
serve the colour of the time, and in a way
giving a fresh side light upon History.
Some of the writers were residents of New
York at the time of the Revolution, and
when matters became so threatening as to
make a longer stay there unsafe, they re-

[3 J
treated to more secure abodes along the
Hudson, at Newburgh, and other places,
leaving the abler members of the family
to remain and engage in their country's
defence.Many of the letters therefore give graphic
accounts of sloop voyages up and down
the river, which in those days was the
principal highway of travel Northward,
and since over two hundred years of
civilization have given us nothing better
than our present country roads, we can
easily imagine what rugged ways our an
cestors jolted over in their journeyings,
nor wonder at their dependence upon
this broad river as a means of transit.
When winter set in and ice blocked the
river, communication was much more dif
ficult between New York and the river
towns. The arrival of the sloops, which in sum-

[4 ]
mer plied up and down two or three
times weekly, was watched with the great
est eagerness; for by them came friends,
parcels, and letters. The mail being so
slow, it was rarely availed of while the
river remained open. The approach of a
sloop was announced by the blowing of
a horn. "The horn blows. Good bye," is a
frequent ending to letters — and we can
imagine the hasty run down to the wharf
to get the letters on board in time.
To compare these contemporary and fa
miliar records with the published accounts
of the times, and trace out in history the
events to which allusion is made, has been
my purpose in arranging this paper. That
it is fragmentary and disconnected has
been unavoidable, owing to incomplete
ness in the correspondence, much per
sonal matter which had to be omitted,
and the unrelated topics suggested.

[5 J
Among the earliest letters is one trom a
pupil of the Moravian school at Bethle-
hon. Pomsylvania, one of the oldest, if
not the oldest, boarding school in the
country. It is dated
--V<-x Fori-. JprU eC'th, l.^^tf.
"With great joy I iHoke the seal of a
"letta- the othar day. and found it was
" from SaBy, which was quite unexpected,
•¦ for I must own I have neglected witting
"as often as I should, but I hope your
"goodness will pardon me for it. ^Ir. Van
" Meek, and two of the Tutoresses have
~beai here from Bethlehem: I wish that
" you had been hoe to see them, as they
" woe dressed just as they dress at Beth-
" lehem. with their German caps, and con-
" tushes, that is a kind of jacket and petii-
"coat. Pattv Binninger came with than
"to see her papa and mama. They re-

[6]
"turned again yesterday morning, and I
"had the pleasure of crossing the ferry
"with them. Governor Jay's daughter
" went vidth them to stay until FalL
" There has been a great meeting of the
" citizens to-day down in the Fields, to con-
" suit about the Treaty. But I do not know
" what they have done."
I came across an unlooked-for confirma
tion of this letter in a History of New
York, which says: "The schools of New
York, particularly those for girls, were as
yet of an indifferent character, and Mrs.
•Jay placed her two daughters, Maria and
Anne, aged eleven and twelve, at the
celebrated Moravian school for girLs at
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where it has
been said were educated a large propor
tion of the belles who gave the feshion-
able circles of New York and Philadel-

[7]
phia thdr inspiration during the last
twenty years of the caittu^-."
The Fields or Commons were situated
ba^ of the old Almshouse and the Bride
well where the City Hall now is. and were
used as common property by the citizens
from the eariiest times, as pasture under
the peaceful sway of the Dutch Burghers,
and in the stoimy times which preceded
the Revolution as the gathering place of
the patriots; the cradle of Liberty. What
Faneml Hall was to Boston were the
Commons to Xew York. Here the Sons
of Liberty raised and defended their fe-
mous Liberty Pole. Here they met to de
nounce the odious stamp act and here
they came to rejoice over the news of its
repeaL A meeting was held "in the Fields"
July 6th, 1774. in reference to the landing
of the "Tea Ship," and again in Juhr 7th.
so it appears that "the Fields" had long

[8 ]
been historic ground when this meeting
of citizens took place to consult about the
Treaty on April 20th, 1796, of which
mention is made by this youthful corre
spondent. The following letter gives an account of
a voyage by sloop from New York to
Newburgh :
" While the events of the last week are
"stiU fresh in my mind I will endeavour
"to try and transmit them to paper as
" circumstantially as possible for your
"amusement. On Friday last about sun-
" set I hastened away from Mr. Van A.'s
"accompanied by Ellen, Cecilia W., a
" couple of beaux, and my little cousin
"Selina, who accompanied us as far as
"the sloop, which made rather a sorry
"appearance, the weather being damp
"and misty, the deck of the vessel lum-

[9 ]
"bered with plaster of Paris, and the
"little cabin crowded with between sev-
"enty and eighty passengers and their
"baggage, which altogether seemed not
"to present a very enviable prospect. I
"resolved, however, to make the best of
" it, comforting myself with the idea that
" it would be but for a night and a day at
"farthest ere I should be at the end of
" my journey. 'T was near nine o'clock be-
" fore we set sail and our progress was but
" slow. Cast anchor a httle above the State
"Prison for the remainder of the night,
" and next morning had proceeded about
" eight miles up the river, when we were
"met by Captain H. returning to New
" York in distress. They had been between
" three and four days trying to make their
" way through the ice, but without effect,
"and finally got discouraged and were
"making the best of their way back, in

[10 J
"order to recruit their stores and their
" spirits, which were both exhausted.
" From our sloop, which returned and ac-
"companied them, they received a tem-
" porary supply of provisions. The piinci-
"pal part of our passengers were landed
" and proceeded by land. We arrived near
"by where we started at about twelve
"o'clock. Just as we were going ashore
"we were met by ISIr. Van A., who had
"a hearty laugh at our expense, and bid
" us go up to his house, where he joined us
"in a few moments. The girls, however,
" could not be prevailed on to stay, and
" went to some friends of theirs who hved
" at some distance. In the night it began
" to blow hard from the South and next
"morning before I was up had two mes-
" sengers to let me know the vessel was
"to start within a few minutes. With all
"possible despatch I got myself ready.

[ 11 ]
" took a dish of coffee and repaired once
"more to the sloop, found the Captain
" swearing mad, and poor Mrs. W- in hy-
" sterics at the delay of the girls. Mr. W.
"was despatched for them and it was an
" hour and a half before they made their
" appearance."
Unfortunately the rest of this letter is
missing, and we cannot know what further
adventures befeU the travellers or how
long it took them to reach their destina
tion at Newburgh.
It was not until 1807 that the first steam
boat, called contemptuously "Fulton's
Folly," appeared upon the Hudson River.
This account has been given of the event :
"The 'Clermont,' built under the direction
of Robert Fulton at a ship yard on the
East River, one bright summer morning
was ready for the trial trip to Albany.

[ 12 J
But few believed it would ever reach its
destination. The gentlemen whom Ful
ton had invited to accompany him on
this expedition, were there with evident
reluctance. They predicted disaster and
wished themselves well out of it. Pres
ently it stopped, and crowds on banks
shouted in derision, while audible whis
pers reached Fulton's ears, of 'I told you
so.' But the horrible monster steamed
on breathing fire and smoke. Pine wood
was used for fuel, and the blaze often
shot up into the air considerably above
the tall smoke-stack and whenever the
fire was replenished immense columns of
black smoke issued forth mingled with
sparks and ashes. The terrific spectacle,
particularly after dark, appalled the crews
of other vessels, who saw it approaching
in spite of adverse winds and tide. Many
of them fell upon their knees in humble

[ 13 ]
prayer for protection, while others disap
peared in the cabins, or escaped on shore.
As this new-fangled craft was passing
the Palisades, the noise of her machinery
and paddle wheels so startled an honest
countryman that he ran home to tell his
wife he had seen the DevU on his way
to Albany in a sawmill! Shortly after a
steam ferry was estabhshed at 'Paulus
Hook,' now Jersey City."
Another voyage by sloop is recounted in
a letter dated
"Caurtlandt Plain, September 7th, 1807.
" I WILL commence, my dear, with giving
"you a history of our voyage. We con-
" tinned moving from one pier to another
" until near seven o'clock. Had I known,
" we should have had time to accomplish
" all our business, and taken a comfortable
" cup of tea with Margaret V. This, how-

[ 14 ]
" ever, was a pleasure we were denied, the
" Captain continually saying we were go-
" ing in a moment. However, after a long
" time, and our patience being nearly ex-
" hausted, we got under way. I was lost in
" admiration of the beauty of the scenery,
" as turning the point of the Battery, both
" Nature and Art seem to have united in
" rendering it one of the most picturesque
"spots that can possibly be imagined.
" While I stood thus gazing in momentary
" forgetfulness of myself, a gentleman — if
" you saw such a thing on board — stepped
" up and introduced himself by directing
" my attention to the Paulus Hook steam-
" boat that was just passing, of which he
" gave a complete description by way of
" making himself agreeable. We had con-
" siderable chit-chat upon various subjects
" imtil being tired of standing I left him
" under pretense of being cold, and went

[ 15 J
"into the cabin for my shawl. I found
" Mrs. H. the younger, and Ameha's Uttle
"Frenchman rattling away most terribly
"with their tongues. Not feeling much
"disposed to enter into their mirth, I
" seated myself on the large chest where
"the green-coated gentleman with the
" queue was seated, if you recollect, when
" you came on board. I had not sat long
"when my intelligent friend again ad-
"vanced and was entering into conversa-
"tion when green-coat stepped up, and
" shoving himself by degrees between him
" and me, commenced a learned disserta-
" tion on the situation, numbers and prop-
"erties of the stars, which was of course
" extremely edifying."
In reference to the queue, this description
has been given by Josiah Quincy, of the
manner of dressing the hair by gentlemen
in 1808: He says, "My servant, not con-

[ 16 ]
tent with tying my hair simply with a
ribbon, works it into a most formidable
queue, at least three inches long, and as
big as a reasonable Dutch quiU. He says
this is the mode in New York, and as I
do not wear powder, and it looks a Httle
more trig, I acquiesce." Although John
Jay in one of his letters speaks of the
French Revolution as having abolished
silk stockings and high breeding from the
land, and Jefferson was making a study
of carelessness in personal attire to illus
trate his notions of equality and democ
racy, old school fashions had by no means
become obsolete.
Peter Parley teUs an amusing story of a
New York barber who, shaving a gentle
man on the evening of Madison's nomi
nation, exclaimed, "Surely this country
is doomed to disgrace and shame. What
presidents we might have had! Look at

[ 17]
Daggett of Connecticut, or Stockton of
New Jersey! What queues they have
got, sir! As big as your wrist, and pow
dered every day, sir, like real gentlemen
as they are. Such men wiU do honour to
the country, but this httle Jim Madi
son, with a queue no thicker than a pipe
stem, sir! It's enough to make a man
forswear his country." (Those were surely
the days when a gentleman was known
by his coat.)
I find but few references to woman's dress,
strange as it may appear, in these girls'
letters. "M. looked very handsome at church yes-
"terday, in her new bonnet, and a pink
"silk handkerchief tied in a bow under
"her chin," writes one. And again, "Send
" me three yards of blue satin ribbon like
"that on your bonnet, and a yard of

[ 18 J
"sarcenet." What is sarcenet? We know
it belonged to the day of dimity and lute
string and "sprigged muslin," but mod
ern fashions know it no more by that
name, at least.
"I found my silk frock in the bandbox,"
writes another. Not such an astonishing
receptacle, when you remember the huge
leghorn bonnets and "calashes" of the
time and the bandboxes to contain them.
In the old garret of the letters, among
the flotsam and jetsam which had floated
down from the past, was an enormous
blue one adorned with a pink landscape
running around it, having the capacity
of a modern steamer trunk; also a big
leghorn bonnet with a long elegantly
bordered green gauze veil, worn strung
around the crown and depending from
one side. Dresses at this time were worn
short and chnging, and the feet were en-

[ 19 ]
cased in slippers, with ribbons crossed and
tied around the ankles.
It is easy to understand why the mails
were so little used at this time, when we
find that it took a month for a letter from
New York to reach Newburgh, as appears
from this letter dated ''December 8th, 1806.
" You, my dear girl, wrote the 9th of last
"month and I received the letter last
" week by mail, which was the 4th of De-
" cember. And I expect this letter is the
"last you wUl receive by the sloops this
" winter. I hope you wUl improve the op-
"portunity before the river shuts up."
Even by the sloops communication by
letter seems very uncertain, as they were
carried by favour of the captains and
not a regular system, according to a let
ter dated Newburgh, June 19th, 1812.

[ 20 J
WhUe travelling by water was slow and
uncertain, journeying by land was even
more difficult. The following letter dated
" Olympia," gives an account of a stage ride
to Hempstead. This high-sounding name
stands for Brooklyn Heights, and fre
quently occurs in the letters. The writers
seem given to applying fanciful names
to people and places — Cory don, Alexis,
Esculapius, were among their admirers,
sometimes spoken of as "swains," and
amusingly described in letters and verses.
Lucelia, Sehna, EmmeUne, replace the
sweet and homely names of Patty, SaUie,
or Peggy. This might smack of the vaga
ries of "Les Prdcieuses" of Moli^re, but
it appears to have been a fashion of the
time and was perhaps only an effort to
invest life with a Uttle poetry, or some
thing outside of the commonplace — in
the words of Whittier,

[ 21 ]
" Weaving through all the poor details
And homespun warp of circumstance
A golden woof-thread of romance.''''
To proceed with the journey :
"Last Saturday week, as I proposed in
" my last, we set out on our excursion to
" Hempstead. When the hour arrived,
" John went to the stage house to order
" the driver to stop for us. What was our
"amazement when he returned and in-
" formed us the stage would be so full that
" it would be impossible for us to go. This
"was indeed too much for even a Job's
"patience — but how could we help our-
" selves? It was a third attempt, and begin-
" ning to think the fates had decreed other-
"wise, we resolved not to make another.
"So the stage advanced. However, Mr.
" H. called out to us to exhibit ourselves
"at the door — when lo and behold, to
" our unspeakable joy the driver stopped,

[ 22 J
" and though there were already thirteen
"passengers, they made room and we
"were crowded in among the rest. We
"had not gone far when we were over-
" taken by a gentleman, who on account
" of the number of passengers had under-
" taken to walk. However, as we were to
"lose some of our load within a mile or
"two, he was entreated to get in also,
"which he did without much hesitation.
" I must confess I was not without my
"apprehensions lest the strength of the
" carriage should not be sufficient to sup-
" port the weight it contained.
" We, however, jogged along quite com-
"fortably squeezed until we got to Bed-
"ford, when we dropped four of our crew.
" We arrived safe at Hempstead about
"dark. " Sunday we went to church, where we
" saw all the lads and lassies dressed up in

[ 23 ]
" their Sunday clothes. After church took
"a long walk on the Great Plain, which
" appears to be bounded on the North by
"a chain of hills that extend from one
"end of the Island to the other, on the
" East by the horizon, and on the West
"by nothing but a thick wood. I was
" much better pleased by the situation of
" the place than I expected; from the de-
"scription I had formed the idea of its
"being almost as barren as the burning
"sands of Arabia, instead of which I
"found it quite fertile, and in many
"places highly cultivated. A few miles
" around the Plain — the Great Plain as it
"is called — pastures, luxuriant orchards,
" fields waving with corn and grain of
"various kinds, diversifying the scenery,
"together with numerous rivulets that
"meander through the plain."
This minute description of these unknown

[ 24 J
regions, so near at home, recalls the rapt
urous enthusiasm of the charming heroine
of "A Giri's Life Eighty Years Ago,"
over the surpassing sublimity and gran
deur of the scenery about Glens Falls!
Few things more strikingly mark the
changes that have taken place since the
beginning of the century than the rapid
ity, ease and frequency of traveUing now-
a-days. What would these old school
ladies have thought of the recent feat
of the young women correspondents who
accomplished a journey around the world
in less time than in even his wildest im
aginings the brilliant French novelist ever
dreamed of?
The following account has been given of
travel by stage from Boston to New York
about the period of this Hempstead jour
ney:

[ 25 ]
" The stages were old and shackling, much
of the harness was made with ropes; one
pair of horses carried the stage eighteen
mUes. We generally reached our renting
place if no accident intervened at ten
o'clock, retiring after a frugal supper,
with the notice that we should be called
at three the next morning, which gener
ally proved to be half-past two. Then,
whether it snowed or rained, the travel
ler must rise and make ready with the
help of a horn lantern and a farthing
candle, and proceed on his way over bad
roads, often obliged to get out and help
the driver lift the coach out of a quag
mire or a rut, arriving at New York after
a week's hard travelling, wondering at
the ease, as well as the expedition, with
which the journey had been effected."
I copy this httle scrap from a letter from
Newtown, for its delightfully pastoral

[ 26 ]
suggestion: "You and Ameha should be
"here to help rake hay. Mr. Lewis is
" grumbhng every day that the ladies do
"not turn out in the harvest fields, as
" they do in Philadelphia. The perfume is
" dehghtful; our harvest is almost over."
In striking contrast to the elaborate and
lavish entertainments of to-day is an ac
count of a simple little party in New York
which echoes from a long-distant primi
tive past: " Tuesday evening.""
(No other date given.)
" We had a small party here. It consisted
"of Miss Ann, and Margaret V., Miss
"Kip, Miss Wynkoop, Miss Groshon,
"Mr. Bogardus, Mr. Demilt, Mr. John
"Van Antwerp and Mr. S. Our amuse-
"ments were Bhnd Man's Buff, The
" Criminal Alphabetical Admiration, and
"other plays, the names of which I do

[27]
" not recollect. Mrs. V. was then soUcited
"to play upon the piano. She began the
" 'Fisher's Hornpipe,' which was no sooner
" done than the gentlemen began to mus-
" ter around for partners. After which Mrs.
"V. sang several songs, and then they
" took their respective leave about eleven
" o'clock."
It would appear that the art of bad writ
ing cultivated as a fashion is no new
thing, as appears from this extract:
" Since bad writing is the fashion, I '11 not
"take the trouble to hunt for my pen
"knife to mend my pen, but just scrawl
"away. See me and JuUa in our apart-
"ment seated upon a httle foot-stool,
" with a pan of dying embers at one side.
"Their tongues keep up such a chatter
"in the parlour I could scarcely write."
Among the letters were two written on

[ 28 ]
board the ship "Tonquin," bound on the
expedition to the Columbia River which
resulted in the setthng of Astoria.
I give a short extract from one intended
for an ardent love letter, but the cheerful
expression of patience and resignation at
the prospect of a prolonged separation
from the girl of his heart is to say the
least most amusing:
"¦Sandy Hook, on board the ship ' Tonquin^
"September 8th, 1810.
" I EMBRACE the opportunity of the Pilot,
" who promises to convey my letter of
"yesterday morning, as well as this, to
" you, and by this I must bid you a long
" farewell, and hope you may enjoy every
"blessing Nature mingled with Art can
"produce until I see you again. As for
"my part I have resigned to my fate,
" for I find where contentment is there is
"everything agreeable following." [Then

[ 29]
comes a long bit of poetry, after which is
addedl "I hereby repeat my desire that
" you would omit no opportunity of send-
"ing me letters; I only expect them
"yearly and then I hope you wiU give
"me a fuU relation of every occurrence
"during the interval, with some interest-
"ing pieces out of the 'Long Island Star,'
" and some small garden seeds tied up in a
" package, carefully assorted ; and by giv-
" ing them yourself to John Jacob Astor,
"Esq., in Broadway, New York, about
"the time you hear there is a vessel go-
" ing to sail for us to Columbia River we
" wiU be sure to receive them. Perhaps,
" dear S., I have acted too freely in my
" writing and taken too much liberty, but
" if so, I hope you will remember that to
" err is human, to forgive divine.
"Between this and New York the land
"seems excellently cultivated both by

[30 ]
" Nature and Art. If I do not get an op-
"portunity before we arrive at Columbia
" River of writing to you, you cannot ex-
" pect a letter from me sooner than two
" years from hence — a very long time in-
" deed. Nothing now before me but the
"roaring ocean and the boundless deep,
" so adieu."
Of the end of this voyage and the tragical
fate of the "Tonquin" and its crew a fuU
account is given by Washington Irving
in his "Astoria."
The vessel was equipped and sent out by
Mr. Astor with the object of estabUshing
a Une of trading posts with the Indians.
After a long and eventful voyage, of
which a graphic account is given by
Irving, they landed at the mouth of the
Columbia River and estabUshed the port
caUed Astoria.
Leaving a portion of the company there

[31 ]
the ship proceeded Northward in search
of furs and peltries, until they reached
Van Couver's Island. Here the Captain,
through lack of tact in dealing with the
Indians, managed so to enrage and exas
perate them that, with the knives he had
given them in barter, they feU upon the
crew and slaughtered them before they
had time to reach their guns to defend
themselves. One of the company who
eluded the Indians for a time, finding he
could not escape, set fire to the magazines,
destroying the ship and aU on board.
The foUowing letter recounts the disaster:
"Picture to yourself, my dear M., my
" feelings when I teU you the fate of our
"poor Northwesterners. After having en-
" dured every hardship that from circum-
" stances we have reason to believe they
" must have endured, having just arrived

[32 ]
"at the end of their voyage, — and no
"doubt hope, that fond deluder, and
"pleasing anticipations of future success
"were beginning to reanimate them, —
" when a tribe of barbarous savages rushed
"upon them, set fire to their magazines,
"and blew them, ship and aU, to atoms!
" Alas what a horrible fate awaited them,
" too horrible for imagination, much less
" language, to convey the most distant idea
" of. How often are we poor short-sighted
"mortals led to murmur at the impene-
" trable ways of providence and question
" the wisdom of its designs, but the ways
" of the Almighty are just and cannot err.
" He tries various means and even permits
" affUctions in order to bring us to a sense
" of our helplessness and dependence upon
" his divine aid; thus when rightly consid-
" ered, our afflictions are reaUy blessings
"in disguise. You are indebted, dear M.,

[33]
" to my candle for a release from this mel-
"ancholy strain, for it is just expiring and
" I must hasten to my piUow."
Before closing the final chapter of this
story, it is a reUef to find it less tragical
than at first appeared, — fof a later letter
gives a more cheerful sequel.
''Clover Lawn, July 18th.
" Last Tuesday afternoon just after I had
"sealed my last to you I was much sur-
" prised to see a gentleman approaching
" the gate. I instantly recognized Mr. S.,
"who inquired for my ladyship. AU in a
"flutteration I flew about my room, ar-
" rayed myself and made my appearance in
" the parlour below, and was immediately
" greeted by our old friend, who, after the
"first salutations were over, hastened to
" inform me that the reports circulated re-
" specting them were incorrect, — the com-

[34]
"pany having aU landed ere the dreadful
" catastrophe took place between the In-
"dians and the ship's crew. Mr. S. has
" performed the pedestrian journey of fif-
" teen hundred miles, and almost, from the
" dangers he has escaped, begins to fancy
"himself immortal. He had the pleasure
"to find a certain young lady stUl single,
" who, I believe, is more inclined than ever
" to Usten to him favourably. Poor feUow!
" I reaUy think he deserves the reward of
"her smiles. He informs me he had been
" with a friend of mine six months before
" leaving, who would have written had he
"known of his returning so soon. Our
" t§te-k-t§te was here interrupted by the
" entrance of Aunt K. and he soon shortly
" after took his leave with the promise to
" call soon. I feel very anxious to hear the
" rest of his adventures."
The man who "returned to tell the tale,"

[ 35 ]
Mr. David Stuart, mentioned in Irving's
"Astoria," and the impatient fiery lover
of the "yearly correspondence" and the
"assorted garden seeds," were of the party
left at Astoria, and thus escaped the dis
aster to the "Tonquin" and her crew.
From another letter it appears that the
latter still fives, is "making a fortune, and
intends returning next summer."
It is, however, a satisfaction to know that
the lady did not respond to his ardent
flame, for she writes to a friend, "I can
"assure you no part of my heart went
"out to the Columbia River."
I must pass over, or this paper would be
much too long, many letters that I had
marked for some little glimpse that seemed
to Ulustrate and vivify the past, to the
sacrifice of much that is delightful, and
hurry on to the description and sugges-

[36]
tion of the troublous times of 1812, which
were fast approaching.
That keen observer and student of his
countrywomen, HoweUs, has said that the
cultivated American woman is prover-
biaUy ignorant of the history of her own
country. The world has moved since his
"Wedding Journey," and Professor Fiske
is abroad in the land leaving no historical
or even archeological stone unturned, from
pre-Columbian times down to the present,
to reverse that base aspersion. It may,
however, be admitted that the history of
other countries has been more studied and
been found more attractive than our own,
and before proceeding with the letters it
may perhaps give them added interest to
take a Uttle survey from history of the
condition of affairs at the opening of the
war. Questions of international and mari
time law had long been the cause of great

[ 37 ]
bitterness of feeling between the United
States and Great Britain, and were not
fuUy settled to the satisfaction of either
country by the Treaty of 1796. Great Brit
ain was incensed by the supposed leaning
of the United States towards France, and
took no pains to prevent a war, beUeving
she could easily maintain her supremacy
through her naval power and defeat and
humiUate the United States. The war was
strongly opposed in the United States by
the Federalists, on the ground that there
was greater cause for war with France
than with Great Britain, and that the
country was not prepared for war. It was
favoured by a majority of the old Repub-
Ucan party, but opposed by Madison who,
however, finding that his support for a
second term for the presidency depended
upon his consenting to a declaration of
war, finally yielded, and on the 22nd of

[38 ]
June, 1812, the edict went forth and the
war was declared. Thus it appears that
dissensions at home, as weU as war with
a foreign foe, conspired to render this a
doubtful and gloomy period for the young
repubhc. A letter dated from Newburgh, June,
1812, says:
" The steamboat on Sunday brought
" word that the war was declared, which,
" though apparently beyond dispute, I do
" not wish to believe until British bullets
" come flying about our ears to enforce
" the truth. Come to us, and you wUl be
" safe, or have time to settle upon a more
" secure abode."
Another letter says :
"If JuUa is stUl with you tell her she
"must write and tell us aU about our
" friends in B., who are going to the war.

[39 ]
"and who to the mountains. The horn
"blows, good-bye." " Brooklyn, June 24th.
" Julia has at last bid us adieu and taken
"her flight to Newtown, but with a
"promise to return if Aunt K. concludes
" upon taking her journey Northward, of
" which I think there is Uttle doubt, since
"the present disturbances, instead of de-
"terring as I expected, seem to augment
" her wish to go.
" Mrs. B. is suffering the most direful ap-
" prehensions of being driven from her
"new and elegant abode, just as she has
"it completed. W. teases her by telling
" her that it would be a commodious and
" deUghtful situation for some British am-
"bassador. Please teU papa I have heard
"nothing of Mr. W. The probabUity is
" that he is at present on board of some
"of the war ships of the United States

[ 40 ]
"cruising out along the coast in pursuit
"of the enemy, several of which have
"already been seen nigh our borders. It
"is reported that a severe engagement;]
"ensued last night, that the report of
"cannon was distinctly heard at Rock-
"away, and lasted some considerable
" time. Enough about war. I hope Mama
"is well, and more happy than at B. I
" shall expect letters on the return of the
" bearer of this." "Newburgh, July ^, 1812.
"One at night.
" Cousin I. wiU be the bearer of this to
" you, and I cannot let pass so good an op-
" portunity of sending an epistle. I would
" not advise you to prolong your stay in
" B  untU the return of Aunt K. from
"Albany. Her going there I think very
" doubtful, and apprehend too much dan-
"ger attending to warrant it."

[41 ]
"Newburgh, July 2nd, 1812.
"Had you been with us to-day, you
I " would have seen such a number of ves-
" sels before a highly favouring gale; many
"merchantmen just from sea, going, I
"imagine, as far as Hudson to receive
" crews at a secure harbour. Several sloops
"with our troops on board bound for
"Canada, which on a less melancholy
"occasion would have been a new and
"pleasing sight. They came immediately
"under the shore, gave three cheers and
" in a few minutes were out of sight.
"I have made a new and agreeable ac-
"quaintance in the person of a young
"lady from HaUfax residing at present
"with her aunt, living opposite. The la-
"dies complain very much, say there are
"but few fashionable men here, and that
"those few are quite modem in their
"manners, very independent and inatten-

[ 42]
" tive to the girls. Fortunately for me, I
"neither wish nor expect much and wiU
" be suited with Mama and Cousin. I am
" already quite in favour. How it is with
" the 'modern,' I neither know nor care."
"August 12th.
" A CERTAIN person of whom you expect
"me no doubt to say a great deal, has
"not returned from Baltimore. I hope
"he has not faUen into the hands of the
" Baltimore riot, which has been carried
" by poUtical frenzy to such a height that
" not only the property but Uves of some
" of the people have been sacrificed in a
"most barbarous manner. We cannot be
"too thankful for the blessings we enjoy
"in having magistrates who, instead of
"sanctioning, check every appearance of
"mobbing and rioting, which is to be
" more dreaded than actual war. Of Com-

[ 43 ]
" modore Rogers we have had no account
" since the 4th of July. Some of our pri-
" vateers have taken a number of British
"prizes. One was taken in Philadelphia
"last week laden with dry-goods to the
"amount of seventy thousand pounds
" sterUng, and another very valuable prize
"by the 'Hornet,' a British brig mount-
"ing 36 guns. I understand the elegant
" Mr. Cummings is going to be married to
" a young lady in New York. I think the
"girls are mad to marry officers at this
"critical juncture. My candle is almost
"expiring, and I must hasten to my
"pUlow." I find this reference in history to the
Baltimore riots on June 24th, 1812 (two
days after war was declared): "Great out
rages were committed in Baltimore be
cause of opposition to the war, by one
of the newspapers, and several lives were

[ 44 ]
lost in the riots that ensued. The pride
of the war party was severely humbled
by repeated faUures, and its strength
was fast diminishing under the stinging
ridicule of the Federal newspapers, when
reUef came through a series of unex
pected successes."
Of Commodore Rogers, history says that
within an hour after receiving official in
telligence that war was declared he saUed
from New York in command of a squad
ron of gunboats, and in his cruise through
the summer kept more than twenty Brit
ish vessels in search of him for weeks, and
returned late in the autumn having cap
tured eleven merchantmen, and a British
armed schooner. "September 20th, 1812.
"The city is in a constant uproar with
"the troops marching in from different
"places, and others going out. Sunday

[ 45 J
" seems like a Fourth of July, the drums
" beating and guns firing continually.
" Commodore Rogers is not boasted of as
"formerly; his cruise has not given that
"pleasure to the Demos they expected.
"You hardly hear him mentioned. The
"principal topic at present is the shame-
"fiil surrender of Hull's. A number of
"companies have volunteered to go to
" Canada and regain if possible some ad-
" vantage out of it, but they wiU meet
"with cold noses before they go far, for
" the weather is so cold we are obliged to
"creep to the fire; it is more like Novem-
"ber than September."
It is recorded that General WiUiam Hull
was sent to invade Canada at Detroit and
Niagara, although much against his judg
ment unless more strongly supported. He
succeeded, however, in crossing over to
Canada and hoisting the American flag.

[ 46 ]
Not daring to push forward for want of
reinforcements, after a few weeks he in-
gloriously retreated to Detroit, and the
white flag was raised. The capitulation
included a detachment who were on their
way to reinforce him, which arrived just
as the surrender was made. Their wrath
was terrible, and the whole army was in a
fury of disappointment. "September 12th, 1812.
"Dear S. : — Your two obUging letters
" came safe to hand. For delaying so long
"to reply, you will probably, on the re-
" ceipt of this, apply the old adage ' Better
" late than Never.' You wUl, however, do
"me the justice to beUeve that the delay
"has not proceeded from unwUlingness
" promptly to acknowledge the obUgation
"you have laid upon me, but from the
"hope I daily indulge of being able to
" furnish you with some information of a

[ 47 ]
" more interesting nature than what Ru-
" mour with her thousand tongues one day
" so confidently proclaims, and the next as
"confidently refutes. I might of course
"have informed you of what is doubtless
"already known beyond the Highlands:
"that Captain HuU has given the proud
"sovereigns of the ocean a practical les-
" son on the great difference between en-
" countering Americans or Frenchmen on
" that element ; that vast numbers of pri-
" vateers have saUed from, and many
" more are fitting out in the port of New
"York, and every other port in the
"United States, and already they have
" taken to the number of 175 prizes, many
" of them laden with valuable cargos. An
"expedition from the Navy Yard in this
"place is about to proceed under com-
"mand of Captain Chauncey to attack
"the British forces on the Lakes. WhUe

[ 48 ]
" I am writing a number of English pris-
" oners taken by one of our privateers are
"on their way to Flatbush jaU."
History records that Commodore Isaac
HuU of the frigate "Constitution" en
countered and chased England's famous
"Guerri^re," one of the best frigates of
the English Navy, and in a close conflict of
half an hour's duration disabled and cap
tured her. This thriUing event occurred
August 19th, at the mouth of the St.
Lawrence, just three days after the sur
render of Detroit by the uncle of this
heroic Commodore.
" Ju7ie 16th, 1813.
" I SUPPOSE the news of the city being in
" a state of Blockade has reached you be-
" fore this. A number of vessels that were
"going out have returned and confirmed
" the news. A pilot brought word that two
" 74s were within the Hook, and 30 gun-

[ 49 ]
" boats were sent down, no doubt to give
" them battle. I wonder why they did not
" send some of our ferry-boats to assist."
By referring to history, it appears "that
an occasional blockade had aU along been
maintained by the British cruisers, but
after so many defeats Great Britain de
termined to cripple New York by com
pelling her to keep her cruisers at home.
One or two large vessels coiUd already be
seen off Sandy Hook, precursors of the
formidable British fieet which took pos
session of Gardiner's Bay and the sur
rounding waters early in the following
AprU and kept New York under strict
blockade for a year and ten months."
"August 13th, 1815.
" I WAS at a party on board that gallant
"httle ship, the 'Hornet,' Tuesday even-
"ing. The party met at the steamboat

[50 ]
"wharf, where a great number of Navy
" barges Uned with flags were waiting our
"arrival. We were rowed by twelve men
"to the 'Hornet,' lying opposite the
" Navy Yard, and when I got on board, I
"never saw anything more like enchant-
" ment. There was an awning, or rather
"room (as it was enclosed on aU sides),
"formed with flags; at each end of the
"room stood tables with refreshments,
" under which the British flags taken from
"the 'Peacock' and 'Penguin' were laid
" low. We had also the band of the 'Pen-
"guin,' which I think equal to the 'Mace-
" donia's,' play for us. There were four
"chandeUers of bayonets, wound around
"with striped flags, the Captain's Cabin
"and Ward rooms were ornamented with
"artificial flowers purchased by the offi-
"cers from the Nuns of St. Salvador.
"I am almost sorry I attempted a de-

[ 51 ]
" scription, as no person can possibly im-
" agine the briUiancy of the scene except
"those who were witnesses of it."
I find this pubUshed account of the recep
tion of Lawrence, and his exploits :
"On the 25th of March the city was in
a proud and joyful commotion over the
arrival of the 'Hornet' under Captain
Lawrence, who had added one more vic
tory to those already recorded. He had
attacked the frigate 'Peacock' off the
South American coast on the 22nd of
February, and with such a blaze of fire
that in fourteen minutes she not only
struck her colours, but raised a signal of
distress. Her Commander was slain, and so
severely riddled was the 'Peacock' that it
was impossible to keep her afloat."
Everywhere the name of Lawrence was
honoured throughout the land.

[ 52]
Afterward in a battle between the " Ches
apeake" (of which he was in comrnand),
and the British ship "Shannon," in which
he was defeated, and mortaUy wounded,
as he was carried dying below he cried,
"TeU the men to flre faster — ^don't give
up the ship — fight tiU she sinks." And his
dying words became the battle cry of the
American Navy during the war. It was
the motto borne by Perry's flagship into
battle three months later; a flag bearing
these words being used as a signal to the
other vessels when an attack was about
to be made.
One more letter and a short extract from
history will conclude this already too
lengthy paper. "December 1st, 1814-
" Nothing, dear S  , would have given
" me more pleasure than to have had an
" opportunity of paymg you a visit, but

[ 53 ]
" war, the destroyer of every comfort, has
"deprived me of the pleasure. Our fam-
"Uy has so many gentlemen that aU but
" mother and myself have been in the ser-
"vice. At present there is a faint hope
" of peace taking place. I hope the news
"may prove true. Your mother went
" with me last week to see the parade at
" Margaret's, who sends a good deal of
" love to you and aU the family."
This faint hope was soon to become a
joyful reaUty, for on the 24th of Decem
ber, a Treaty of Peace was signed by the
Commissioners of both nations, and im
mediately transmitted to London, and
was ratifled the 28th of the same month
by the Prince Regent. On February 11th,
the ship "Favourite" arrived under a flag
of truce, bringing two messengers with
the Treaty. It was late Saturday night,
but the news spread with lightning rapid-

[ 54 ]
ity, carrying the blessed word Peace!
People rushed into the streets in an
ecstasy of delight, cannon thundered, bells
rang, bonfires were lighted, houses iUu-
minated, and flags were unfurled from
steeple and dome, strong men wept and
grasped each other by the hand — others
fell upon their knees in heartfelt prayer,
and amid cheers and rejoicing messengers
were sent in aU directions to proclaim
the joyful tidings of Peace throughout
the land. MARGARET ADELIA COOPER.

Two HuKDRED Copies of this book were printed at
the Merrymount Press, Boston, in June, 1901.

:^....i4t^

'vSi