■.n'b .^^^(^7 REMARKS ON SOME RARE GERMAN PRINTS OF NEW YORK AND QUEBEC, AND ON CON- TRIBUTIONS IN THE YEAR 1781 BY THE CHURCHES OF MASSACHUSETTS TO THE DISTRESSED INHABITANTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. At a meeting of the Massachusetts Historical Society, held in Boston, on Thursday, October 11, 1894, Dr. Samuel A. Green spoke as follows : — At a meeting of the Society held last February, I gave, in the name of our first Vice-President, Mr. Charles Francis Adams, a set of rare German prints, four in number, which represent scenes in the town of Boston during the Revolu- tionary period. Through his continued kindness, I now pre- sent for him seven more prints, belonging to the same series, of which five were made by the same engraver, Francois Xavier Habermann, and the other two by Balth. Frederic Leizelt, all published in Augsburg. Two of them represent scenes in New York, and the remaining five portray scenes in Quebec. Like the former prints, these Views are not dated, but they belong to the same period, and presumably are as fanciful in their origin ; and, like that set, they are colored. The legends under the engravings are in both German and French, and in the following list I give a free and somewhat abridged translation of such titles. Though the prints are unnumbered, I here speak of them by numbers. No. 1. " Representation of the Great Fire in New York, during the night of September 19, 1776." No. 2. " View of New York," by Balth. Frederic Leizelt. No. 3, "View of Quebec (upper town)." No. 4. " View of Recolets Street, Quebec (upper town)." No. 5. " View of the Capital Square, Quebec (lower town)." No. 6. "View of Quebec (lower town), toward the St. Lawrence River." No. 7. " View of Quebec," by Balth. Frederic Leizelt. Dr. Gkeen also referred to some remarks by Judge Cham- berlain, made at the June meeting, which appear in the new Serial now lying on the table. They describe the contribution of money by the church at Chelsea for the benefit of the dis- tressed inhabitants of South Carolina and Georgia, who were driven away from their homes by the British troops during the Southern campaign of the Revolution. The learned Judge said that, while he had made no particular study of the subject, his sole knowledge of the fact was derived from a receipt of the money by one of the Boston agents, on December 14, 1781, which he read ; and he expressed the hope that additional information might be gathered in regard to the interesting fact. He stated, furthermore, that no Massachusetts histo- rian, so far as he knew, had mentioned the particulars of the contribution, which was probably a general one, and not con- fined to any town or neighborhood. Judge Chamberlain's '\ ^1 surmise as to the extent of the beneficent work was correct, as it spread over the whole Commonwealth. The raising of the money by the various churches at that period for the relief of the Southern people was prompted by a Brief from the Governor ; and he in his turn was instructed b}' the General Court to send such a letter to the several towns and districts within the Commonwealth. The following Resolutions are found among the Massachu- setts Archives (CCXXXIV. 366) at the State House : — \{ In Senate Oct, 18 1781. Whereas the United States in Congress assembled have recom- mended opening a Subscription for a Loan, for the Support of Such of the citizens of the States of South-Carolina and Georgia as have been driven from their Country and Possessions, by the Enemy — And also voluntary and free Donations, to be applied to the further relief of the Said Sufferers, Therefore Resolved, That Samuel Adams, Isaac Smith and Thomas Russel, Esquires, be, and hereby are appointed, to open a Subscription for a Loan, to Such of the distressed Inhabitants of South- Carolina and Georgia, as have been driven from their Country and Possessions, by the Enemy, upon the Plan recommended by Congress : and that the monies that may be loaned be remitted by the abovenamed Gentlemen to the Committee appointed by Congress, for receiving Such Loans. Resolved, That the Governor be, and is hereby requ ^ted to Issue a Brief, through the Several Towns and Districts, within t lis Common- wealth, recommending an attention to the distresses of Such of the Inhab- itants of South-Carolina and Georgia as have been driven from their Country and Possessions, by the Enemy, and their charitable Contribu- tions for their relief; and that Such monies as may be collected, be paid into the hands of Samuel Adams, Isaac Smith and Thomas Russel Esquires, to be by them remitted to the Committee appointed by Con- gress to receive Such Donations Sent down for Concurrence N° 1 S Adams Presid' In the House of Representatives Oct' 29, 1781 Read & concurred Nath Gorham Speak'" Approv'd John Hancock [Indorsed] Resolue appointing a Committee to open a Loan for the distressed Citizens of Charlestown South Carolina and requesting the Governor to Issue a Brief thro' the Several Towns in this Common- wealth October 18 1781 page 95 & 6 [These figures refer to the pages of another volume, where this paper had previously been placed ; and the " N° 1," as given above, may imply other papers in the same file, but not necessarily bearing on the same subject.] There is in the possession of this Society John Hancock's Letter-book for the period from November 7, 1780, to March 6 13, 1782, which was given to the Library on November 13, 1817, by Mrs. Dorothy Scott, whose first husband was Governor Hancock. Fortunately for our purpose a copy of the letter sent out to the Boston ministers enclosing the Brief is found in the book, and runs as follows : — Boston 15"> Nov^ 1781 Rev? Sir, I have the Honor to inclose you a Brief, which I request you will be pleased to read to the Society under your Pastoral Charge, in the Forenoon of the next Lords Day ; & I am confident your Recommendation will induce a liberal Contribution in the Afternooa of the same Day, & answer the Benevolent purposes of the Brief. I am, With Respect, Sir, Your very hble Servf To J H The Rev'? Do jt^ Chauncey M' Elliott ]\P Croswell Doct Mather M^ Stillman M' Howard Doct Cooper ]\P Parker Elders of the Presbyterian M'' Lothrop M^ Skillman Church M-- Wight M"" Lewis Rev? Gent^ who officiates at the New South — M' Acklie The following item from " The Continental Journal, and Weekly Advertiser" (Boston), November 22, 1781, seems to fix the date when the Brief was read in the several churches of Boston, and presumably in those throughout the Common- wealth so far as they could be reached : — Last Lord's Day [November 18] a Brief was read in the several Churches in this Town, and a generous Collection made for our unfor- tunate Brethren of South-Carolina and Georgia. On the last page (183) of the record-book (not numbered as a volume, but begun on June 1, 1761) of the First Parish at Groton, Massachusetts, is found a list of the contributions made on special occasions by that Church between July 19, 1761, and February 19, 1795 ; and among these entries is the following : — 1781. The Congregation contributed twenty five Dollars in hard Decern^ 13. money & four Dollars new Emission which are equal to one in hard, to the poor & distressed people in S. Carolina & Georgia, in Compliance with a Brief issued by His Eccellency the Governor for that Purpose. Dr. Green announced the death of S. A. R. le Comte de Paris, an Honorary Member, which took place at his residence, Stowe House, in Buckinghamshire, England, on September 8. He was the elder son of the Due d'Orleans and grandson of Louis Philippe, and was born at the Tuileries in Paris, on August 24, 1838. When the War of the Rebellion broke out in this country, he and his brother, the Due de Chartres, de- sirous to see active military service, came here and joined the Army of the Potomac on the staff of General McC'iellan, where they both worthily upheld the honor of their family After nearly a year of camp life, they returned to England, ' t Comte devoted himself to literary and social pursuit lis "History of the Civil War in America" (Philadelphia e ion, four volumes) already ranks as an authoritative work of its kind. He was chosen a member of this Society on Decem- ber 9, 1875, soon after the appearance of the first volume of his History. Dr. Green also communicated, in behalf of Mr. Barrett Wendell, who is now in Europe, a memoir of the late Edwin L. Bynner, for publication in the Proceedings. LIBRftRY OF CONGRFSS I mill mil nil Hill mil mil iiiiiiiiriiiii I'll: mil III! III! 011 769 568 2 # ^' -r LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011 769 568 2 Conacrvation ReMMircet Lig-Frec* Type I Ph 8.5, Buffered