ANNALS OF PHILADELPHIA AND PENNSYLVANIA, IN THE OLDEN TIME; BEING A COLLECTION OF MEMOIRS, ANECDOTE, AND INCIDENTS OF THI CITY AND ITS INHABITANTS, AND OF THE EARLIEST SETTLEMENTS OF THE INLAND PART OF PENNSYLVANIA, FROM THE DAYS OF THE FOUNDERS. INTENDED TO PRESERVE THE RECOLLECTIONS OF OLDEN TIME, AND TO EXHIBIT SOCIETY IN ITS CHANGES OF MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, AND THE CITY AND COUNTRY IN THEIR LOCAL CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS. rEMBELLISHED WITH ENGRAVINGS, BY T. H. MUMFORD. BY JOHN E WATSON, IYMBER OF TIIE HISTORICAL SOCIETIES OF PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK, AND MASSACIIUSETTS IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. "Oh! dear is a tale of the olden time!" Sequari vestigia rerum. "Where peep'd the hut, the palace towers Where skimm'd the bark, the war-ship lowers; Joy gaily carols where was silence rude, And cultured thousands throng the solitude." PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 1870. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by ELIJAH THOMAS, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. CONTENTS OF VOL. II. Olden Time Affections and Researches. - - -. Pennsylvania Inland Germantown, - -. 16 Frankford, -...72 Byberry, - -.. 75 Gwynedd, in Montgomery County, - - - -78 Norristown, - -. - 79 Chester County, - 80 Chester, - - - 92 Bucks County. - 95 Penmnhury, - - - - - - - 101 Historical Noticea of Lancaster and Lancaster County, - - 108 Harrisburg, &c. - - 113 Wyoming and its Massacre, - L- 23 Pittsburg and Braddock, - - - 127 Frontier Towns,... - 147 Indians, - - - - - - - 151 The Pirates, - - -212 The Swedes, -.. 227 The Germans, - - * - - 254 The Irish, -..... 259 Negroes and Slaves, -. - 261 Redemption Servants,..- 266 The Stamp Act resisted, -. - - 269 British Duties and Tea Act resisted, - 271 The Governors of Colonial Days, - 273 Occurrences of the War of Independence,. -- 278 Alliance Frigate, - - -338 The Federal Procession, - - 341 Seasons and Climate, - -.. 347 Medical Subjects, - - -. 370 The Post, -- 391 V vi Contents of Vol. I. Gazettes and Printing Press, 394 Statistic Facts, - - - 402 Remarkable Incidents and Things, 410 Curiosities and Discoveries, --- 422 Whales and Whalery, -428 Grapes and Vineyards, - -- 430 Beasts of Prey and Game, - - - 433 Culture of Silk, - - - 436 Ships and Shipbuilding, -438 Paper Money, - - -440 Lotteries, - - - 443 Steamboats, - - - - 446 Waterworks, - -- 457 Anthracite Coal, -- 458 Watering Places, - - - 462 Canals, Railroads, Turnpikes, - - - 465 River Delaware, - - 470 River Schuylkill, - - - 475 Country Seats, - - 477 Miscellaneous Facts, - - - 481 Relics and Remembrancers, - 500 List of Unpublished Papers, -- - 505 Appendix, - - - - 511 Final Appendix of the Year, 1856 - - - 587 Variety of Passing Brief Facts, - 614 LIST OF EMBELLISHMENTS IN VOLUME II. gg'Avdl Directions to the Binder. Penn's Treaty with the Indians. (Frontispiece.) Shoemaker's First Farm, Germantown, - - - 23 Market Square and Church, Germantown, - - - 23 Harris' Frontier House, Harrisburg, - - - - 23 Green's House, Germantown, - - - 28 Scene on the Wissahiccon, - - - - - - 42 Block-house and Log-house Settlers, - - - - - 147 Nedowaway leaves the Susquehanna,- - - 147 Indian Treaty, -'- - - - - - - - 15( The Meschianza at Philadelphia, - - - - - 290 The Alliance Frigate, - 338 Fitch's Steamboat, - - - - --- 338 Oliver Evans' Car, - - - - - - - 446 Fulton's Steamboat, - - - - - - - - 44 Schuylkill Waterworks, 4- - - - - 57 Centre Square Waterworks, - - - - - - - 457 Watering Place-Seashore, - - - - - - - 462 Gray's Ferry (Steel), - - - - - - - - 476 Stenton, Logan's Country Seat, - - - - - 480 British Defences of Philadelphia, - - - - - 610 Anthony's House, -.- - 618 The Willing House, - - - 619 ( vii) ANNALS OF PHILADELPHIA AND PENNSYLVANIA. OLDEN TIME AFFECTIONS AND RESEARCHES. OUR love of antiquities,-the contemplation of by-gone days,is an impress of the Deity. It is our hold on immortality. The same affection which makes us reach forward and peep into futurity. prompts us to travel back to the hidden events which transpired before we existed. We thus feel our span of existence enlarged even while we have the pleasure to identify ourselves with the scenes or the emotions of our forefathers. For the same cause relics are so earnestly sought and sedulously preserved,-" they are full of local impressions," and transfer the mind back to " scenes before." As Americans, we see in a short life more numerous incidents to excite our observation and to move our wonder, than any other people. The very newness of our history and country ministers to our moral entertainment, and increases our interest in contemplating the passing events. A single life in this rapidly growing country, witnesses such changes in the progress of society, and in the embellishments of the arts, as would require a term of centuries to witness in full grown Europe. If we have no ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum to employ our researches, no incomprehensible Stonehenge, nor circle of Dendara to move our wonder, we have abundant themes of unparalleled surprise in following down the march of civilization and improvements,-from the first landing of our pilgrim forefathers to the present eventful day! The wealth and ambition of a potent prince may have accomplished a magnificent city in shorter time upon the banks of the Neva; but in this country we have many equal wonders by the energies and resources of a people, until lately " no people." The wisdom of our fiee institutions has made our land the desired asylum of the oppressed. Here human life is not wantonly wasted in ambitious broils for sovereignty; we therefore behold our population quadrupled in a term of forty years; and our hardy pioneers subduing the soil, or advancing.their settlements from the Atlantic to the Pacific wave. Canals, rivaling in magnitude the boasted aqueducts of imperial Rome, Vol. II.-A 1 2 Olden Time Affections and Researches. are in successful operation. By these and rail roads, inaccessible districts are broughtnigh; mountains charged with metallic treasures are entered, u.nd their deposits of iron, coal, and lead, &c., lavished over the land. Cities, towns, and villages, arise in the west, as if by enchantment. Many of their present inhabitants redeemed their soil from a waste howling wilderness. In less than twenty years our exports have grown from twenty to eighty millions. Our navy, from " cock-boats and rags of striped bunting," has got up to power and renown. Our private law, commercial code, and bold diplomacy, have grown into a matured and learned system. Our inventions and improvements in the arts, which began but yesterday, make us, even now," a wonder unto many;" and our vapour vessels, while they crowd our waters and overcome the rapids of the Mississippi and Missouri, are accomodating and enriching the old world by their adoption and imitation. Here we have no lordly potentates in church, " lording it over the conscience of the people;" no standing armies to endanger their liberties: no despots to riot in the oppression of the subject. Nay, so exalted are our privileges as a self-governed people, that the fact of our example and happiness is bidding fair to regenerate other nations, or to moderate the rigour of despotic government throughout the world! If topics like these,-which enter into the common history of our growing cities, may be the just pride and glory of an American, must not the annals, which detail such facts, (and to such these pages are specially devoted,) be calculated to afford him deep interest; and should it not be his profit, as well as amusement, to trace the successive steps by which we have progressed, from comparative nothingness, to be " a praise in the earth!" There are minds, feeling and cultivated, which can derive rich moral pleasure fiom themes like these, for " Is there a man, with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath saidThis is my own, my native land!" Such views and such feelings impressed and imbued the mind of the author, else he had never attempted these pages. His stimulus was purely con amore; recompense he did not contemplate, and time he could ill spare fiom other engagements; wherefore, indulgence for casual imperfections is but justly due from the considerate leader. He wrote at first for his sole gratification, never intending his colleclions for the public eye, nor does he encounter that oideal but by the encouragement of those friends who are willing to accept the performance by their sense of his limited means to perfect it. If it should stimulate others to add to these materials, it will be a grateful service. And if the example, thus set to the sister cities of New York, Boston, &c.,should engage minds of kindred feelings and adequate industry'o make similar collections of their domestic history, the usefulness Olden Time Affections and Researches. 3 of the present publication will be still more felt and acknowledged; and the eventual aim of the author still more accomplished. We should not forget these things: our land and our fathers have been the subject of many heaven-descended mercies. They who love to contemplate the cause of the numerous effects, so indicative of our blessings as a nation, will regard it not less a duty of piety than of patriotism to thus preserve their memorial. "Go call thy sons,-instruct them wnat a debt They owe their ancestors, and make them vow Topay it,-by transmitting down entire Those sacred rights to which themselves were born!" In writing these memorials of the times by-gone, I have often felt the suggestion pressed upon my mind, whether I was indeed pursuing inquiries and preserving facts which will have the sympathies and countenance of others, or am I so peculiar, as to be only amusing myself. I have thought the contemplation of time past has something inherently attractive; not indeed in the notice of our personal waste of years, when sufficiently old to see our sun declining, but in the recollections of the exhilarating sunshine beams of our youth. Not that, when the past was the present, we were all satisfied with our situations and ourselves, but that vexations have been forgotten in the lapse of years, and we remember pleasures alone; as, in looking back on the landscape we have passed over, the rude hills become softened by distance, and the cliffs, that were so difficult to surmount, seem dissolving in the purple sky. For this reason, the recollections of childhood are so captivating to every unperverted mind, though to him whose soul is stained with crimes, they are fraught with pain and remorse. The causes which operated to induce me to form the present museum of incidents of " men and manners" are curious even to myself. The resolution to execute them, was only a concern of a few years; but the love to such objects in general was as early as my childhood, and has indeed " grown with my growth and strengthened with my strength." I may now say, I feel gratified that my mind has been thus led to chronicle incidents. Many of them ought to be preserved as the eventful facts of a land peculiarly favoured of Heaven, and as destined, perchance, to future renown. We should not forget these things; and the record of them, in sulch manner as I lhave adopted, should be deemed a generous service to all those who, with grateful hearts, love to consider the causes of their blessings. Piety and patriotism equally cherish such sentiments. I have had frequent occasions to lament that this kind of inquiries was not instituted sooner, even by myself; they might have been advantageously begun much earlier, by still older persons. In now recollecting the aged of my early days, of whom I might have inquired, how many are remembered from whom nothing was attempted! To illustrate these ideas, what a treasure might Dr. Franklin .4 Olden Time Affections and Researches. have imparted of all he had seen or knew, from the years 1723, to 1790, when he died! He was remarkably qualified to have given us the materials for such a history as I have attempted in these pages He must have been familiar with the traditions of the primlitive settlers; must have seen many who saw Penn, &c. But his mind appears never to have been drawn to the consideration of their value to us, their posterity. The truth is, very few minds are so abstracted from the daily concerns of life, as to perceive that the things which at any given moment every man knows, may, thereafter, become highly interesting. Another reason may be, that Franklin nevei saw, at any period, any such astonishing improvements, as, since his death, every where arrest attention. Colonial things were too uniform and tame to arouse the mind. All things, in his day, were regularly progressive, gliding to their end with the smoothness of a stream. But if a person of my inquiring mind had had opportunities of drawing fiom such an observing mind as Franklin's, what a fund of entertainment and information could have been derived for posterity! For reasons like the above, I, who am but little past middle aged, ama better qualified to ask various questions which would never occur to the mind of much older men. To me, the field was all new and unexplored, and therefore, with the eagerness of a child which asks questions about every thing, I felt constantly awake to inquiries on topics which would not affect the minds of old persons; things in which they had long ceased to be curious. Owing to this faculty of the mind, the most interesting travels, like Silliman's, are those which record every new thing which most surprises or pleases it. Then such a writer must speak feelingly enough for those who, like himself, have never seen what he so discovers to them. And even to those who have, he refreshes their memories in a way most grateful. About twenty-seven or twenty-eight years ago, I desired to see some such work as the present effected. Not thinking to attempt it myself, I suggested some such scheme to a friend. It met the approbation of the late Mr. Delaplaine, who set upon it with great ardour. My ideas were expressed in the form of a prospectus, which procured a subscription list, it was said, of four thousand subscribers, before the book was even written. With such a patronage, there was a defect of labour or enterprise in producing the materials, and Dr. Mease was resorted to as composuist, to bring out something to answer the claims of the subscribers. It received the name of " The Picture of Philadelphia,"-but how far like my present result, the reader must judge. The doctor has managed his materials unexceptionably; but the defect was, that he had not the proper staple to weave into his fabric. Had he succeeded better in what were my aims, I should never have made this attempt; but, untouched as my scheme had been, I have made at last, though thus late, my own efforts, although subject to the disadvantage of residing six miles from the city, about which my inquiries and observations are employed, and being withal fettered Olden Time Affections and Researches. 5 with daily official duties, and cares of paramount consideration. From reasons like these, those who know me best will be readiest to excuse imperfections, whether of style or selection,-and critics, if they deign to notice such labours, did they know the irregular hours and intervals in which fragments of time were seized for the purpose might rather wonder it has been so well, than that it should have been so ill executed. To judge beyond this may savour of illnatu re, "Which taught them still to say, Whate'er wvas done, might have been better done!" To such I need only say,-"'What is writ, is writ,-would it were worthier." * Many of my selections of local facts were derived fiomn a very great mass of court papers, and had to be hunted out among files of petitions, recognisances, special presentments for assaults, batteries, felonies, tippling and disorderly houses, &c., being the usual accornpaniments of "quarter sessions," as is well known to those in any degree acquainted with the criminal docket. Most probably, such a search they have not had before, since packed away as the lumber of office, and such another, I presume, they will never have again! Some local notices may appear too trivial for notice; but who knows what future discoveries may be made, in digging into some of the former "fillings up?" as, for instance, the late discovery of sub-terrane logs in Chestnut street, by Hudson's alley, (the remains of the old bridge, &c.,) which no living persons could explain from memory! If ajewel, or some pieces of coin, (as may occur!) should hereafter be dug out of some of the " breaches" of Front street, (afterwards filled up,) some of the foregoing facts may tend to elucidate the cause of their deposit there. As Boswell said, in an apology for his minute mention of the " oak cudgel,"-it was because it might afterwards become the hero of a good tale, in the hands of so interesting a character as Johnson! Johnson's Rambler, too, justly remarks, " not can it be always safely determined, which should be rejected or retained; for they may sometimes unexpectedly contribute to the illustration of history, and to the knowledge of the natural commodities of the country, or of the genius and customs of its inhabitants." Poulson's paper of March 6th, 1821, contains an article by mle, entitled " Old Times" of [769, &c. It requests others to communicate similar facts. I thus tried to set others at this kind of service, and to exempt myself;-but none heeded my counsel,-and afterwards I made my own attempt. Fame or reward never entered into my motives.'Like quaint John Bunyan, "' Twas mine own self to gratify!' The service was sufficiently pleasing in itself, to be a positive recreation and amusement, furnishing its own reward by the way: i* 6 Olden Time Affections and Researches. "For having my method by the end, Still, as I pulled, it came; Till at length it came to be, For size, the bigness which you see!" If I were to give the history of my troubles or profits in the publishing of my three books, it might startle some and discourage others. The Annals wenl off heavily, and allowed a profit equal to the pay of a copyist, if I had used stuch a help; and the two books of Historical Tales produced nothillg for authorship. It had been a pity, indeed, if their readers had not'been obliged or benefited, since their author was not. I have deemed it my duty, in many cases, to support my facts with the names of the credible relators. Not that they alone mentioned them to me, for it was my practice to confirm surprising facts by concurrent testimony, so far as the things told were susceptible of being known to others. Several authorities too, deemed awkward or indelicate to introduce into the printed text, may be found in their connexion, in the original MS. Annals, in the City Library, and in the Historical Society. There is another remark concerning names which might be appropriately mentioned here, as showing that I was aware that names and personalities are sometimes too sensitive to bear the touch. Yet I found it needful to retain them in general, and especially in my MS., as nmy necessary proofs and vouchers, in case of dispute or reference. Some that I designed only in initials, the inadvertency of the printer sometimes retained. In other cases. the names were sanctioned by the informants or persons themselves-and finally, as an imposing reason, some names occasionally became a necessary appendage to the story. Searching for some of these facts was like seeking for the " living among the dead." Only a few of the very aged, as by accident, had preserved their memory. And very often, persons equally old, or even older, dwelling on the spot of interest or inquiry, knew nothing, or nearly nothing, about it. The comparative intelligence of different men of equal ages was often very dissimilar. To exemplify this, I have only to say, that not one aged man in fifty, now in Philadelphia, could tell me where was " Guest's Blue Anchor tavern, in Budd's long row" —-nor the " Barbadoes lot,"-nor the "Swamlp,"-nor the adjoining " Society hill,"-nor " Bathsheba's bath and bower,"-the " SchIuylkill baptisterion,"-the " old Hospital,"-Hudson's orchard,"-' Penny-pot landing,"-' Penn's cottage,"-the " Swedes' house,"-~and mariny other thiinrgs spoken of in these pages. I came at them by reading ancient papers, and then, by recalling forgotten things to their memories, their minds were enabled to seize on long forgotten facts. Sonietimres, when I hlave, asked ancient persons to tell me what they knew of antiquity, such would seem to have nothing to relate: all seemed a blank to lhet, B.ut when I have transported myself back to the cotemporancous cccir Olden Timze Affections and Researches 7 rences of their youth, and warmed their imaginations with recitals, with which they were once familiar, I have been rewarded, by receiving many of the lively images of things which my conversation had generated. Without vanity, I may say that I have often made my compan;y agreeable to the aged, and have seen them quickened to many eiotiois younger than their common feelings or their years. On other occasions I have visited such as were past sensibility,-the body enfeebled itnd the memory decayed; I laboured in vain to revive the expiring spark of life. They were looking for their " appointed change," and this not unwisely engrossed all their thoughts. Finally, earlier questions might have been more successful, and any thing later t;han my attempt would have been absolutely fatal! What I rescued was " trembling on the lips of narrative old age," or " tumbling piece-meal into the tomb." My regret is, that some of those of whom, or from whom, I write, will scarcely stay to have the chance of reading some of these pages. I might perhaps pertinently hint at lmy being fully aware of occasional repetition of facts in substance, though not in language,-this necessarily occurred occasionally from the design of making given chapters more complete on given subjects. In connexion with the foregoing, it may not be inappropriate to add, that many of the little histories of places and things set cown in this book have been often since used in substance, by publishers and orators, as a part or parcel of their own explorations and insight into the past,-not even hinting at the source whence derived. It gives me no offence, since I wished them to be known,-but it is but justice to myself to here suggest, in self-protection, that I came not at thlem, fiom their discoveries and researches, but as the results of my own industry. With some I shlall doubtless need an apology for the little estimation in wlhich they may regard some of my collections; I am con tent to say, I have only written for kindred minds. Such affections as mine have had precedents enough in feeling mlinds; for instance, " tle oak," immlortalized by Cowper's muse, became so precious that the owner, the Marquis of Northampton, to keep it from its frequent pious thefts, was obliged to enclose it by a strong fence, and to affix to it. a notice of prohibition. The chair in which the poet Thiomson composed, is exhibited at his commemorative festivals. How many pious thefts have been made upon Shakspeare's mulberry tree; and cups made froml that, and from the " royal oak," have sold at great prices. Learned doctors still deem it an honour to shroud tllemselves in Rabelais' old cloak at Montpelier. The taking of the sword of Frederick the Great, by Buonaparte, from Ber_in to Paris, while it shows his estimate of relics, is treated by Scott and the world as a heinous offence to all other men. Of all such things, says Edgeworth, and truly too, " we contemplate such with deep curiosity, because they are full of local impressions, and by the ~b ~ Olden Time Affections and Researches. aid of these we create the ideal presence." They connect the heart and the imagination with the past. We may take as another evidence of the appreciation of relics, the fact of tie late proceedings of congress, upon receiving from the heirs of Washington, the gift of his sword and the cane of Doctor Franklin-called " two most interesting and valuable relics connected with the past history of our country,"-and saying of them, that'associations are linked in adamant with their names, and with those sacred symbols of our golden age." The sword was a plain hanger, with a green hilt and silver guard, made at Fishkill, in 1757,-the samee which lie had worn first as colonel in the Virginia service il Forbes' campaign, and afterwards through the whole period of the Revolutionary war. Among the encouragements to such reminiscences, I may mention such evidence as results from public celebrations of fetes intended to revive and cherish such recollections. They prove to me that my anticipations from such records as the present have not been vain. Already have the semi-historical sketches of Irving's muse, in this way, given rise to a drama, in which is portrayed the costumes and manners of the primitive Knickerbockers. The prologue to his " Rip Van Winkle" has some sentiments to my taste and to my future expectations of what may be hereafter set forth in poetry, painting, or romance, to arrest the attention of modern Philadelphians, to what were the primitive manners of their forefathers. The poet thus speaks, to wit: " In scenes of yore endeared by classic tales The comic muse with smiles of rapture hails;'Tis when we view those days of Jluld Lang Syne, Their charms with Home-that magic name-combine. Shades of the Dutch! how seldom rhyme hath shown Your ruddy beauty, and your charms full blown' How long neglected have your merits lain! But Irving's genius bids them rise again." Since the publication of my former edition, my fiiend, William Dunlap, Esq., of New York, while stirring up his recollections of the past, at my suggestion and for my use, found that he could compile enough to make a work for himself in my way, viz., his History of New York for schools and youth; and afterwards, as his mind expanded with his theme, lie felt impelled to bring out his large work, the General History of New York State. Thus every way, the fund of historical truth is increased. J. R. Broadhead, Esq., also is procuring state papers, &c., in Holland, for a future publication. The Annals of Portsmouth, Lewis' History of Lynn, Gibbs' Collections of Salem, and Davis' Notices of Plymouth, are such works as we wish to see multiplied in our country. So also is Johnson's Early Notices of Salem, N. J. Olden Time Affections and Researches. 9 Such works furnish occasions for imaginative works and tales, such as we have already seen deduced from my Annals, in the story of " Meredith, or the Meschianza,"-and in " a Tale of Blackbeard the Pirate." Our country has been described abroad, and perhaps conceived of at home, says Flint, as sterile of moral interest. " We have, it is said, no monuments, no ruins, none of the colossal remains of tern pies, and baronial castles, and monkish towers, nothing to connect the heart and the imagination with the past, none of the dim recollections of the gone-by, to associate the past with the future." But althoughl we have not the solemn and sombre remains of the past, as the remains of the handy work of man, we have every thing in the contemplation of the future. Fot when our thoughts have traversed rivers a thousand leagues in length, when we have seen the ascending steamboat breasting the mantling surge, or seen her along our opening canals, gleaming through the verdure of the trees, we have imagined the happy multitudes that from those shores shall contemplate their scenery in ages to come, in times when we shall have'' strutted through life's poor play," and " been no more!" As our desires conspire with our feelings in wishing to promote and excite a love of the study of the past, we purpose herein to add a few of such articles as have most ably sustained the arguments which we wish to enforce-viz.: Walter Scott had early habits of antiquarian study. He dwelt with fondness on the rude figures of the olden time. Blackwood's Magazine says that anecdotes of men and things will have a charm as long as man has curiosity. " Hudibras (says Dr. Johnson) is one of those compositions of which a nation may justly boast, [mark the reason,] as the images which it exhibits are domestic, the sentiments unborrowed and unexpected, and the strain of diction original and peculiar." Hutton, speaking of Birmingham, says, " while the historian only collects matter of. the day, the antiquarian brings his treasures from remote time-calls things back into existence which were past-collects the dust of perished matter, remoulds the figure and stamps the past with. a kind of immortality,-by his recreative power." Blackwood's Magazine says, " things that. may appear trijing now, when present and familiar, may become very different, when they are read after the accession of a totally different set of manners. They are the materials from which alone a graphic and interesting history of the period can be formed. With what delight do we read the glowing pictures in Ivanhoe, and the Crusaders, in Quentiml Durward, and Kenilworth, of the manners, customs and habits of those periods!" "Instructed by the antiquarian times. He must, he is, he cannot but be wise." The author of Scott's Memoirs (George Allen) presents many VOL. II.-B 10 Olden Time Affections and Researches. facts to prove how very much the readers and admirers of Scott are indebted, for their interest in his writings, to his affection for talking with, and gathering up, the recollections of " the ancient crones and gaffers." When a young man, Scott was wont to make frequent journeys into the country, among strangers, going fiom house to house, with his boy George,-and particularly seeking out the residences of the old people, with whom lie delighted to enter into conversation, and exciting them to dilate upon the reminiscences of their youth. Finally, says his biographer, " all who know his woiks must feel how much of their amusement they owe to his gypsy strolls." All this he did too from his innate love of antiquity; and not merely from the design of drawing pictures of common life for books, -for it was earlier than the time of his career of authorship. These facts are worth consideration. Hannah More, in writing to Mrs. Gwatkins, on the occasion of her first visit to London, says " I have rambled through the immediate shades of Twickenham; I have trodden the haunts of the swan of the Thames."-" I could not be honest for the life of me; from the grotto I stole two bits of stones; fiom the garden a sprig of laurel: and from one of the bed chambers a pen; because the house had been Pope's." On another occasion, speaking of her visit to Kent, where had once dwelt Sir Philip Sidney, and Sacharissa, she says, " I pleased myself with the thought, that the immense oaks and enormous beeches, which had once shaded them, now shade me." [This last is the very thought I have expressed in passing the woods to Harrisburg, and thinking they were the same trees which had shaded the aborigines, now so wasted and expelled.] The Edinburgh Review, in discussing the leading objects of history, says, " the perfect historian is he in whose work the character and spirit of an age is exhibited in miniature; by judicious selections, rejections and arrangement, he gives to truth those attractions, which have been usurped by fiction. He considers no anecdote, no peculiarity of manner, no familiarity of saying, as too insignificant for his notice, which is not too insignificant to illustrate the operations of laws, religion, and of education, and to mark the progress of the human mind. Men must be made intimately known to us, by appropriate images presented in every line. Sir Walter Scott has succeeded to illustrate history, by using up those fragments of truth which historians have scornfully thrown behind them, in a manner which may well excite their envy. A truly great historian would reclaim those materials which the novelist has appropriated; society should be shown fiom the highest to the lowest. Instruction derived from history thus written would be of a vivid and practical character. It would be received by the imagination as well as by the reason. An intimate knowledge of the DOMESTIC history of nations is therefore absolutely necessary." [I have aimed at this last.] Hone's " Every Day Book," which I have only lately been, is an expensive and embellished work, published in 1827, in London, got Olden Time.Jtfections and Researches. 11 up oil purpose to illustrate, after my manner, the perishing memorials of by-gone men and things in London. The chief difference between us seems to be, that he is often supported by the written contributions of others, from all parts of England, and of course producing the pleasing varieties of nmany minds, whereas I never could enlist the help of aly competent mind to furnish me with any personal reminiscences. Hone manifests much tact and good feeling and good taste for his subject-giving us many interesting actions of men and things-several of them disused and obsolete-which in that cause enhances their value and character to us as moderns. His "Every Day Book" abounds with sentences commendatory of olden time affections, and shows'that, in the estimation of men of sense, they are decidedly worthy of all praise. It may also be remarked, that in many cases, much smaller matters than I have preserved, and which some might deem trifles, are deemed of sufficient value to be embellished with dlrawings, or gravely supported with proofs. The whole is calculated to prove that the memlorial of times by-gone is certainly valued, because of the insight it affords into the character and action of a departed age; and for that very reason is most valued by those who are most intellectual. Those whose imaginations are most occupied about their readings of any given people or place, are those who most like to have the pictures and images, whicl their fancies may instinctively draw, satisfied and settled by facts; and hence the love for those portraits and delineations of olden time, which bring up the " very age and picture of the past." Chambers' "'raditions of Edinburgh," which 1 only saw in 1834 -after the publication of my Annals, has much the spirit and purpose of my own book; it is even more minute in sundry articles than I ventured to be: such as characteristics of crazy or silly persons and beggars, under the chapter "objects;" also "the hangman;" some rmemorable " old maids," &c. His leading topics are "characters" of sundry peculiar or remarkable men and women; sundry "' closes and places;" taverns, clubs, and convivial places and parties; sundry remarkable "old houses" and their inmates; and many miscellaneous facts of men and manners, in the former age. The whole in two volties, 12mo.: 2d edition, Edinburgh, 1825. The author speaks of his performance, as a subject which had engrossed his leisure for many years, and that the praise which it has received is to be ascribed to the accidental excellence of his subject, rather than to any personal merit of his own. He gives several pages on ladies' dresses, such as " calashes, bongraces, (a bonnet of silk and cane,) negligees, stomachers, stays, hoops, lappets, pinners, plaids, fans, busks, runple, knots, &c., then worn and now forgotten." Gentlemen's dresses he appears to have overlooked, save that he incidentally says that they wore a small black muff, hung by a cord fiomn the shoulder, and seen dangling at the side, when not in use, like a child's drum! A life or a book of observation may always be useful; and this 12 Olden Time Affections and Researches. idea is supported by Mr. Walpole, from the opinion of a poet, spying, that " if any man were to form a book, of what he had seen or heard himself, it must, in whatever hands, prove a most useful and interesting one." I am fully of the same opinion, fiom numerous facts known to me in my researches among the aged for reminiscences and traditions; and with such sentiments, I would make the above sentence my motto, to such future observations or passing events as I may record. Our eloquent countryman, Everett, has touchingly commended to our notice a just regard for our national recollections, —saying of them, " it is thus a free people is to be formed, animated and perpetuated. With such fine examples and studies at home, we need not to be eternally ringing the changes upon Marathon and Thermopylae. From the lessons of our forefathers, let us glean our instructions. Let us consult with profit their prudent councils in perplexed times; their exploits and sacrifices, either as settlers, or as citizen soldiers, contending for themselves and posterity. The traditionary lore still dwelling in the memories of the few revered survivors among us is worth our preservation. Let us seize it all as the rich inheritance of our children; as a legacy from our progenitors, virtually saying," My sons, forget not your fathers." Some have taken it for granted that I must have a decided preference for every thing olden, as if age alone made things valuable; but they mistake my bias and feelings; mine is a poetical attachment. I go into it as into the region of imagination. The Edinburgh Review, in noticing the works of Sir Walter Scott, has ascribed principles of action to him, the force of which, in its degree, I also felt and can appreciate, viz.: " his attachment to the manners of antiquity is to be considered merely as a poetical attachment. He is won by their picturesqueness, and by their peculiar applicability lo purposes of romance." Iwrite of olden time, because Ithink the facts, if so preserved, will eventually furnish the material of future legendary story and romance. I also, as I think, am thus preserving useful facts for national recollections and reflection. The public in general have very little conception of the really pleasing character of olden time inquiries. They view the volume as so much accumulated facts, attained, as they suppose, by laborious delving, and exploration, and inquiry. They wholly overlook the real poetry of the subject; the stimulus and gratification whicl a mind duly constituted for the pursuit acquires, by opening to itself the contemplation and the secrets of a buried age. Such an inquirer examines a world of beings known only to himself; and while he walks and talks with them, he learns facts and incidents known only to themselves. By comparing in his mind the things which may have been so unlike the present, he learns how to estimate the measure of changes which may probably occur in the future, and thus opens to himself additional subjects of gratification and consideration. Thus his mind is busied in the contemplation of things-calm Olden Time Affections and Researches.'3 and soothing in their nature, which others do not consider and cannot enjoy. The present race are mostly engrossed in themselves, and their various bounds of action and concern. Their ideal images are limited; but the lover of olden time, revels in the regions of past events, and peoples his intellectual reveries with persons and society all his own; not of fairy creatures like Shakspeare's, but of sober reality, and of such choice selection as may best minister to his entertainment and edification. He sees the forefathers of our land, fresh and ardent as they were, when first set upon the enterprise of cultivating a new Eden for us; he enters into their spirit, and feels their sympathies at home and abroad; he hears their deliberations in the domestic circle, and in the public councils; he is present at every new inland settlement; sees how new plantations are effected, and how towns are created; sees original lands, now dense with population, just as they were in their state of wild nature, then savage with beasts of prey and tawny aborigines. He sees aged oaks and hemlocks, and visits uncultivated spots, like the many still undisturbed scenes on the banks of the Wissahiccon, and cheers his imagination with the fact that he sees the same unaltered objects, which they had once seen and considered: "It soothes to have seen what they have seen, And cheers to have been where they have been." The poet who expressed that sentiment, had a soul which anticipated and felt all which is meant to be here embodied by thesefew remarks. To an imaginative mind rightly cultivated, the very few hints here suggested will present an unlimited field of amplification. To such, every thing of the past is filled with imagery: and the possessor of the faculty is always enabled to evoke from the store-house of his memory the ideal presence, and is at all times ready " to walk and talk with men of other days." Surely there is positive gratification in faculties like these. " A fool and an antiquary (says Hutton) is a contradiction-they are, to a man, people of letters and penetration." Superficial observers and thinkers may think lightly of the contemplation of facts and things that are past, or grown gray and neglected with years, only because they do not think with the same class of thoughts and associations, or the same character of emotions, which actuate the minds of the real lovers of the times and things hy-gone. The affection for such pursuits and studies is wholly intellectual. There are occasions when the soul feels irrepressible reverence, and a hushed silence, in the contemplation of a known relic, or the remains of what was once memorable and peculiar. The soul has a ready facility in investing the perishing, or rescued remains, with an impersonation and ideal presence which enables it, as it were, to speak out to our arrested and excited senses, and recites to us, mentally, the long tale of its notices and observations on men and things, which, through days of by-gone time, it may have witnessed 2 14 Olden Time Affections and Researches. or considered. FIrom such a cause of operation, who can behold an ancient mummy, for instance, and not instinctively revert in reflection to Campbell's touching apostrophe to such an impressive relic! saying within ourselves:" Statue of flesh -inmortal of the dead! Imperishable type of evanescence! Come, prithee tell ius something of thyself; Reveal the secrets of thy prison house:Since in the world of spirits thou hast slumbered, What hast thou seen-what strange adventures numbered? 1 cannot but observe it as a fact in our history, which may perhaps be applied in general to most other early history, that the chances for a true account of the origin of things, are but few and difficult-because I cannot but perceive that such is the little of investigation employed thereon by competent minds, and so little are the topics within the cognizance of the mass of the people, that there remains scarcely any to detect a fraud or misconception; but almost all tacitly concede to the first writer or compiler, the complaisance to believe all that he asserts of times by-gone. I have, in after time, detected somle such lapses, especially in typographical errors of dates, &c., in my own pages; but which none of the vigilant reviewerssofond of faults, had the sagacity or skill to expose! Sometimes very old people assert things as facts, which they verily believe and have often told, only because their extreme age has destroyed the power of accurate discrimination,-they confound things —and yet they seem so sure and so plausible, that we are constrained to believe them, until subsequent official or written data of the true time and circumstances, disclose the truth. A remarkable instance of what I mean, is verified in the incident related by old Butler, aged 104, respecting General Braddock's marchingfrom Philadelphia, when he landed at Virginia and travelled westward, via the Potomac! If these never come to light to contradict the former assertion, the oft repeated tale goes down to posterity unmolestedfor ever. In this manner the oldest persons in Philadelphia had all a false cause assigned for the name of " Arch street," and it was only the records of the courts which set me right. The historian of North Carolina gave a wrong case as the cause of the origin of "Yankee Doodle;" and if I had not discovered another cause, it would have stood as confirmed history for ever. Mr. Heckewelder has given us much detailed history of our Pennsylvanian Indians, and of the Delawares, and has said these last were an original people, and more powerful than all the other Indians; but a late writer, in Mr. Vetake's New Review, endeavours to prove that it was an illusion of the good missionary. Ile had said too, that the name of " Manhattan" was given to New York by the Indians, as meaning "the place where they all got drunk." This is in opposition to the facts told one hundred and fifty years before, by De Laet, a cotemporary, who twice asserts that the Olden Time Affections and Researches. i Manhattes was the name of a tribe there. We do not pretend to decide in this last matter, but we can discern hereby, how it is. that given facts take a " local habitation and a name." Truth, therefore, requires much wariness, in seeking. My notices of olden time were wholly of my own conception and suggestion. I had never read any similar works,-and even to this day, (1842,) although I have named them in my "Annals." I have not read Lewis' Lynn, Gibbs' Salem, Notices of Plymouth. &c., none of which have been made a part of- the Philadelphia Library. We had thought to have here concluded this chapter, already longer than we had purposed, when we began it-but we think that a few beautiful remarks which we shall here give from Alison's Notices of the Beautiful and Sublime, will be willingly read by every intellectual reader. He says: " The delight which most men of education receive fiom the consideration of antiquity, and the beauty that they discover in every object whicl is connected with ancient times, is in a great measure to be ascribed to their perceptions of beauty. Surrounded by relics of former ages, we seem to be removed to ages that are past, and indulge in the imagination of a living world.'Tis then that all that is venerable or laudable in the history of those times, present themselves to the memory; then the imagination and fancy are stimulated. The subjects of consideration seem to approach him still nearer to the ages of his regard: the dress, the furniture, the arms of the times, are so many assistances to his imagination in guiding or directing its exercises; and offering him a thousand sources of imagery, provide him with an almost inexhaustible field in which his memory and his fancy may expatiate." " There is no man who has not some interesting associations with particular scenes. The view of the house where he was born, of the school where he was educated, and where the gay years of infancy were passed, is indifferent to no man. The scenes which have been distinguished by the residence of any person, whose memory we admire, produce a similar effect. The admiration which the recollections afford, seems to give a kind of sanctity to the place where they dwelt." " It is not the first prospect of Rome, as Rome only, which creates our emotions of delight. It is not the Tyber, diminished to a paltry stream. It is ancient Rome, with all its associations, which fills the imagination. It is the country of Caesar, and Cicero, and Virgil, which is before him. All that he has read and studied opens at once before his mind, and presents him with a mass of high and solemn imagery which can never be exhausted." I cannot but be aware, that my mind has been instinctive in its perception of matters and things in their state of transitu, that are habitually overlooked by many others. In the consciousness of my own peculiarity therein, I cannot but feel the force of remarks made by Colonel Trumbull, in his autobiography,-tending equally to 16 Pennsylvania Inland. show that in his department of national painting, which is, in fact, his desire for preserving his pictorial images of the past, we have been actuated measurably alike. " His aim (he says) has been to transmit to those who come after us, the personal resemblance of those who have been the great actors in those scenes that are past,-to portray which he had some superiority, because he had been an actor and a willing observer of things, for which no one then lives with him, possessing the same advantag e;-and withal, no one can come after him to divide the honour of their truth and authenticity. He may therefore cherish an honest pride (he says) in the accomplishment of a work-such as never has been done before, and in which it is not easy that he should find a rival." PENNSYLVANIA INLAND. THE whole of Pennsylvania-such as it was for the first half century of the settlement,-was comprised within the three counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, and Chester; of these, therefore, we are chiefly to speak in the following pages. All beyond these-westward and northward, until of latter years, consisted of unsettled lands or Indian hunting grounds;-so very modern is every thing of improvement and civilization in Pennsylvania, which we now behold. Such a country, so rapid in its progress-so lately rising from comparative nothingness, to be "a praise in the earth," may well demand our admiration and regard. Cotemporary with the first settlement of Philadelphia, the colonists proceeded into the country, and laid the foundation of sundry towns and neighbourhoods; as this was done while the country was in a wilderness state, and in the midst of the Indian nations, it may justly interest our readers to learn the earliest known facts concerning several of such settlements. To this end, we shall relate sundry incidents concerning Pennsbury, Bucks county, Chester, and Chester county, Byberry, Germantown, Frankford, Lancaster, &c. We begin with Germantown, the largest and oldest town begun in Philadelphia county, to wit: Germantown. The Germantown settlement was first taken up by Francis Daniel Pastorius, the 12th of the 8th month, 1683, by a purchase from William Penn, and was surveyed and laid out by the surveyor general, 2d of 3d month, 1684; under a grant to him for himself and others for 6000 acres. It proved, however,to contain but 5700 acres. Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 17 It was a part of Springetbury Manor, and was distributed among the proprietaries as follows, viz.: 200 acres to Dr. Francis D. Pastorius himself, on Chestnut Hill, 150 do. to Jurian Hartsfielder (the same who in 1676 owned all Campington,) 5350 do. To Pastorius, as agent to German and Dutch owners, called the Francfort company. 5700 do. Pastorius and Hartsfielder were to pay yearly Is. per 100 acres, quitrent: and all the others at the rate of Is. per 1000 acres, (" they having bought off the quitrents,") for ever to William Penn and heirs. The patent for all the preceding land from Penn is executed by William Markham, secretary for Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, the 3d April, 1689, and it therein specifies" the purchasers," as follows, viz.: Jacobus Vandewalle - -535 acres Johan Jacob Sheetz -. — 428 do. Daniel Spehagel - - - - 3561 do. John W. Uberfeld - - - - - - 107 do. George Strauss -. - 178 do. Jan Laurens.- - - 535 do. Abraham Hasevoet - - - 535 do. 2675 do. Jacob Tellner. -.... 989 acres Jan Strepers - -. -- 275 do. Dirk Sipman -..... 5S8 do. Gobart Renckes -. - 161 do. Lenert Arets - - 501 do. Jacob Isaacs - - - - 161 do. 2675 do. The distribution of the lands was made as follows: Germantown (proper) contained - - - 2750 acres Cresheim --. 884 do. Somerhausen - - - - 900 do. Crefelt - - -. 1166 do. 5700 do. All the above 2675 acres were sold in 1708, for 8~000, to one Sprogel, by Daniel Faulkner, as agent to the Frankford Company, but as it was contrary to the wish of his principals, it was always deemed a fraud, and did not convey a transfer. Vol. II. -C 2 18 Pennsylvania Inland.-Germantown. Germantown was incorporated as a borough town by a patent from. William Penn, executed in England in 1689. Francis Daniel Pastorius, civilian, was made first bailiff; and Jacob Tellner, Dirk Isaacs op den Graff and Herman op den Graff, three burghers, to act ex-officio as town magistrates, and eight yeomen; the whole to form a general court to sit once a month. They made laws and laid taxes. The town lost its charter for want of a due election, officers not being found willing to serve; somewhere about 1706. In a letter from Pastorius to William Penn, dated in 1701-2, he states his concern that he should not be able to get men to serve in the general court for'conscience sake;" and he trusts, for a remedy, to an expected arrival of emigrants. This difficulty probably arose from the oaths used in court proceedings. All the settlers in Cresheim built on the Cresheim road, before settling a house on the Germantown road through Cresheim. There is an old map, made in 1700, in which all their residences and barns at that time are marked. The Germantown town lots (55) were located in 1687, and were drawn for by lot in 1689, being 27T lots on each side of the road. Their side lots up town began from Abington lane, (at Samuel Johnson's) and went up to the foot of the hill by Leibert's board yard. The original price of the township of Germantown was Is. per acre. The original of the following curious paper is in the hands of John Johnson, Esq. " We whose names are to these presents subscribed, do hereby certify unto all whom it may concern, that soon after our arrival in this province of Pennsylvania, in October, 1683, to our certain knowledge Herman op den Graff, Dirk op den Graff, and Abraham op den Graff, as well as we ourselves, in the cave of Francis Daniel Pastorius, at Philadelphia, did cast lots for the respective lots which they and we then began to settle in Germantown; and the said Graffs (three brothers) have sold their several lots, each by himself, no less than if a division in writing had been made by them. Witness our hands this 29th Nov., A. D. 1709. Lenart Arets Thomas Hunder Abraham Tunes Jan Lensen William Streygert Jan Lucken Reiner Tysen. The Frankford Land Company gave titles to much of the lands on each side of Germantown Main-street. The company at first consisted of ten gentlemen living in Francfort, on the Maine, in Germany; their articles were executed in that city on the 24th November, 1686. They bought 25000 acres of land from William Penn. The Germantown patent for 5350, and the Manatauney patent for 22,377 acres. F. D. Pastorius was appointed the attorney for the company, and after his resignation Dan. Faulkner was, in 1708, made attorney. Most of the old houses in Germantown are plastered on the inside with clay and straw mixed, and over it is laid a finishing coat of thin Pennsylvania Inland.- Ger'mantown. 19 lime plaster; some old houses seem to be made with log frames and the insterstices filled with wattles, river rushes, and clay intermixed. In a house of ninety years of age, taken down, the grass in the clay appeared as green as when cut. Probably twenty houses now remain of the primitive population. They are of but one story, so low that a man six feet high can readily touch the eves of the roof. Their gable ends are to the street. The ground story is of stone or of logs-or sometimes the front room is of stone, and the back room is of logs, and thus they have generally one room behind the other. The roof is high and mostly hipped, forms a low bed chamber; the ends of the houses above the first story are of boards or sometimes of shingles, with a small chamber window at each end. Many roofs were then tiled. In modem times those houses made of logs have been lathed and plastered over, so as to look like stone houses; the doors all divide in the middle, so as to have an upper and a lower door: and in some houses the upper door folds. The windows are two doors, opening inwards, and were at first set in leaden frames with outside frames of wood. The Germans who originally arrived, came for conscience sake to this land, and were a very religious community. They were usually called Palatines, because they came from a Palatinate, called Cresheim and Crefelt. Many of the German Friends had been convinced by William Penn in Germany. Soon after their settlement, in 1683, some of them who were yet in Philadelphia, suffered considerably by a fire, and were then publicly assisted by the Friends. The original passports of the first inhabitants coming from Germany to Germantown were written with golden ink on parchment, and were very elegant. Wishert Levering, a first settler, lived to the age of 109, and died at Roxborough in 1744. Jacob Snyder lived to be 97. Francis Daniel Pastorius was a chief among the first settlers; he was a scholar, and wrote Latin in a good hand, and left a curious manuscript work called "the Bee," containing a beautiful collection of writing, and various curious selections. He once owned all Chestnut hill on both sides of the road. He was a member of assembly in 1687; and attorney for the Frankford Land Company. He died about the year 1720. I have been indebted to the kindness of James Haywood, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for an explanation of the old German pamphlet, 121no., in the Cambridge Library, done by F. D. Pastorius, as a "Description of Pennsylvania." Its consists of sundry subjects, printed in Holland, viz.: A voyage from London to Pennsylvania, in 1683. Pastorius' Account of the condition of Pennsylvania, in 1683. The Charter by Charles II. to William Penn, of March 1681Penn's Constitution,-a Geographic Description of the Country, its Trade, and a History with some account of the Aborigines,-and 20 Pennsylvania Inland. — Germantown. Extracts of several letters of Pastorius to his friends in Germany,_ An extract of William Penn's account of Pennsylvania, in a letter to his friends in London, &c. The whole seems to be an extract (imn anszug) with notes, done from some larger work. Arents Klincken came from Holland with William Penn in his first voyage in 1682. He had seen and known Penn in Holland. He built the first two story house ever raised in Germantown; and Penn was present and partook of the raising dinner; the same old stone house on Justus Johnson's premises. He died at the age of 8(). He left a son whose name was Anthony Klincken, a great hunter, who spent a long life in such exercises. He used to have the garret of the house filled in the winter with wild game, and had it marked with the date when he killed it, so as to eat it in due succession as an epicure. The same house next to Justus Johnson's premises. He even purchased a German Yager, celebrated for shooting, to aid him in his field sports; he had iron prickers to the hands and feet to aid in climbing lofty trees for crows' scalps, which bore a premium. He used to wade the Wissahiccon in the depth of winter; finally contracted rheumatism and gout, which so ossified the flesh of his knuckles, that he could scrape chalk from them when old! He never went to Philadelphia without taking his gun with him in the spring and fall, and never came home without several geese or ducks, which he had killed in a spatterdock pond, then at the corner of Fourth and High streets! He called it the best game pond any where to be found. This was probably about the years 1700 to 1710. He used also to speak with wonder of seeing hundreds of rats in the flats among the spatterdocks at Pool's bridge, and that he was in the habit of killing them for amusement as fast as he could load. He was born about the year 1677, and died about 1759, aged about 82 years. As early as 1700 there were four hermits living near Germantown -John Seelig, Kelpius, Bony, and Conrad Mathias. They lived near Wissahiccon and the Ridge. Benjamin Lay lived in a cave near the York Road, at Branchtown. John Kelpius, the hermit, was a German of Sieburgen in Transylvania, of an eminent family, (tradition says he was noble,) and a student of Dr. John Fabritius, at Helmstadt. He was also a correspondent of Maecken, chaplain to the Prince of Denmark in London. He came to this country in 1694 with John Seelig, Barnard Kuster, (Coster,) Daniel Falkener, and about forty-two others, being generally men of education and learning, to devote themselves, for piety's sake, to a solitary or single life; and receiving the appellation of the " Society of the Woman in the wilderness." They first arrived among the Germans at Germantown, where they shone awhile " as a peculiar light," but they settled chiefly "on the Ridge," then a wilderness. In 1708, Kelpius, who was regarded as their leader, died " in:he midst of his days," (said to be 35,)-after his death the nember. Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 21 began to fall in with the world around them, and some of them to break their avowed religious intentions by marrying. Thus the so ciety lost its distinctive character and died away; but previous to their dispersion they were joined about the year 1704 by some others, among whom was Conrad Mathias, (the last of the Ridge hermits,) a Switzer, and by Christopher Witt, (sometimes called Dr. Witt of Germantown,) a professor of medicine, and a " magus" or diviner. After the death of Kelpius, the faith was continued in the person of John Seelig who had been his companion, and was also a scholar. Seelig lived many years after him as a hermit, and was remarkable for resisting the offers of the world, and for wearing a coarse garment like that of Kelpius. This Seelig records the death of his friend Kelpius in 170S, in a MS. Hymn Book of Kelpius', (set to music,) which I have seen-saying he died in his garden, and attended by all his children, (spiritual ones, and children whom he taught gratis,) weeping as for the loss of a father. That Kelpius was a man of learning is tested by some of his writings; a very small-written book of one hundred pages, once in my possession. It contains his writings in Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German and English: and this last (which is very remarkable, he being a foreigner,) is very free and pure. The journal of his voyage to this country, in sixteen pages, is all in Latin; some of his letters (of which there are several in German, and two in English) are in Latin: they are all on religious topics, and saving his peculiar religious opinions, reason very acutely and soberly. From venturing with the thousands of his day to give spiritual interpretations to Scripture, where it was not so intended, he fell upon a scheme of religion which drove him and other students fiom the Universities of Germany, and under the name of Pietists, &c., to seek for some immediate and strange revelations. He and his friends therefore expected the millennium year was close at hand-so near that he told the first Alex. Mack (the first of the Germantown Tunkers) that he should not die till he saw it! He believed also that" the woman in the wilderness," mentioned in the Revelations, was prefigurative of the great deliverance that was then soon to be displayed for the church of Christ. As she was " to come up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved," so the beloved in the wilderness, laid aside all other engagements, (i. e. being hermits, and trimming their lamps and adorning themselves with holiness, that they may be prepared to meet the same with joy.) " Therefore they did well to observe the signs of the times, and every new phenomenon (whether moral or preternatural) of meteors, stars, or colours of the skies, if peradventure the harbinger may appear." He argued too, that there was a three-fold wilderness, like state of progression in spiritual holiness: to wit, "the barren, the fruitful and the wilderness state of the elect of God." In the last state, after which he was seeking, as a highest degree of holiness, he believed it very essential to attain it by dwelling in solitude or in the wilderness: therefore he argues Moses' holiness by being prepared forty years in the 22 Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. wilderness —Christ's being tempted forty days in the wilderness as an epitome of the other-John the Baptist coming from the wilderness, &c. He thought it thus proved that holy men might be thus qualified to come forth among men again, to convert whole cities, and to work signs and wonders. He was much visited by religious persons. Kelpius professed love and charity with all-but desired to live without a name or sect. The name they obtained was given by others. There are two of Kelpius' MS. Hymn Books still extant in Germantown: one of his own composing, in German, is called elegant; they are curious, too, because they are all translated into English poetry (line for line) by Dr. C. Witt, the diviner or magus. The titles of some of them may exhibit the mind of the author: " Of the wilderness-or Virgin-Cross love." " The contentment of the God-loving soul." "Of the power of the new virgin-body wherein the Lord revealeth his mysteries." "A loving moan of the disconsolate soul." " Colloquium of the soul with itself." "Upon Rest after he had been wearied with Labour in the wildern1ess." Although he looked for a qualification to go forth and convert towns and cities in the name of the Lord, it is manifest, that neither he nor his companions were enthusiastic enough to go into the world without such endowment. They often held religious meetings in their hermitage, with people who solicited to come to them for the purpose. Kelpius' hut or house stood on the hill where the widow Phoebe Riter now lives. Her lot house has now stood more than forty years on the same cellar foundation which was his; it is on a steep descending grassy hill, well exposed to the sun for warmth in the winter, and has a spring of the hermit's making, half down the hill, shaded by a very stout cedar tree. After Kelpius' hut went down, the foxes used to burrow in his cellar; he called the place the " Burrow of Rocks, or Rocksburrow" —-now Roxborough. Doctor Christopher Witt was born in England (in Wiltshire) in 1675: came to this country in 1704, and died in 1765, aged 90. He was a skilful physician and a learned man; was reputed a magus or diviner, or in grosser terms a conjuror; and was a student and a believer in all the learned absurdities and marvellous pretensions of the Rosicrucian philosophy. The Germans of that day, and indeed many of the English, practised the casting of nativities -and as this required mathematical and astronomical learning, it often followed that such a competent scholar was called " a fortune teller." Doctor Witt " cast nativities," and was called a conjuror: while Christopher Lehman, who was a scholar and a friend of Witt, and could cast nativities, and did them for all of his own nine children, but neverfor hire, was called a notary public, a surveyor, and a gentleman. $1HOEMAKER'S F'IRST FARM, GERMANTOWN. —Page 23. ~5 MSACM_. _~~~~~~~~~ - MARKET QAKRES AND CHURCH, GERMANTOWN. —Page 24. Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 23 Benjamin Lay, the hermit, called the "Pythagorean, cynical, Christian philosopher," dwelt in a cave on the York road, near Dr. De Benneville's. He left it in the year 1741, and went to reside with John Phipps, near Friends' meeting house at Abington. He was suddenly taken ill when from home, and desired he might be taken to the dwelling of his friend Joshua Morris, about a mile from Phipps', where he died on the 3d of February, 1759, aged S2 years. He was the first public declaimer against the iniquities of holding slaves. He was in communion with the Germantown Friends. It is to the honour of the German Friends of Germantown, that as early as 168S they addressed the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting at Burlington, " protesting against the buying, selling, and holding men in slavery, and declaring it, in their opinion, an act irreconcileable with the precepts of the Christian religion." Fmends.-Their first meetings were held at Dennis Conrad's house, (then spelt Tennis Kundert,) as early as 16S3. Part of the wall of that ancient house may now be seen on the north-west end of the two houses rebuilt and occupied by Lesher, as an inn. On the site where Dr. George Bensell's house now stands, there was an ancient house, pulled down by Dr. Bensell, in which William Penn preached: it was low and built of frame work and filled in with bricks. He also preached at Schumacher's ancient house, built in 1686, and till lately standing in Mehl's meadow-of which see a picture. In 1705, the Friends built a meeting house of stone, in their present graveyard on the street. It has been taken down. From the original subscription and account book, it appears that they bought fifty acres for X60, raised by subscription of individuals and other meetings, in sums of fiom 20s. to o10, 4s. In Philadelphia, one hundred and thirty persons of that meeting gave 112, 7s. Sd. Eighteen Friends in Frankford contributed.22, 8s. In Abington, thirty-seven persons gave S21, 6s. chiefly in wheat at 4s. Byberry meeting gave forty bushels of wheat, 8S, 3s. The prices of labour were then 3s. 6d., apples Is. 6d. per bushel, boards 10s. per hundred, lime 14d., oats 2s. 6d., malt 4s. 6d., bricks 22s. per thousand, linseed oil Ss., nails is. 2d., shingles 10s. per thousand, timber 6s. per ton, sawing 10s. per hundred. Tunkers.-In 1709, the Tunkards from Germany and Holland emigrated to Pennsylvania, and settledfirst at Germantown. Their first collected meetings were held in the log house in front of their present stone church in Beggarstown. Alex. Mack was then their principal leader. He was a very rich miller in Cresheim, gave all his property in common, and came with S or 10 to Germantown in 170S. He died old: and his son Alexander lived to be near 91 years of age. That log house was built in [731, by John Pettikoffer, for his dwelling, who procured his funds, by asking gifts therefor fiomr the inhabitants. Because it was the first house in the place and procured by begging, it was called " Beggarstown." The stone church on the 24 Pennsylvamna Inland.- Germantown. same premises was built in 1770. Alex. Mack, junior, succeeded his father as minister, and Peter Baker had been their minister as early as 1723. The original Tunkers from Ephrata, used to dress alike, and without hats covered their heads with the hoods of their coats, which were a kind of gray surtout, like the Dominican friars. Old persons now living remember when forty or fifty of them would come thus attired on a religious visit from Ephrata, near Lancaster, to Germantown, walking silently in Indian file, and with long beards; also girt about the waist, and barefooted, or with sandals. The Mennonists' first meeting house was built here in 1708, and was a log house, in the same lot where their present stone house (built in 1770) now stands. The log house was also a school house, kept by Christopher Duck, in 1740. The German Reformed erected their first meeting house, opposite to the market house, about the year 1733. The front half part wa, first built; the back part was added in 1762. This old church, (of which a picture is given,) in the market square, originated as a Dutch Reformed, and was built and used as one directly under the Reformed church in Holland. From thence it had its first pastor. It had an ancient shingle roofed steeple after the Dutch manner, and was surmounted by a well finished iron cock, being the Dutch sign of a church. From its low elongated form, of stone, with its adjunct additions and affixes, and bare beams to the gallery-with high and narrow pulpit and sounding board-it was in itself a venerable specimen of the olden time, and for that cause was to be prized for its associations. It seemed in itself calculated to bring up the recollections of the forefathers who once worshipped there. It seemed the very place to inspire the descendants with hallowed reminiscences of those who had gone before them. Among its recollections was that of its being the place, in 1793, where General Washington and his family regularly went, as often as they had English preaching, which was sometimes done by Doctor Smith, from the Falls of Schuylkill. But time, and the passion for newness, resolved them' to pull down and build greater." They therefore lately made a new brick church in its place. The steeple was taken down with much skill, entire, and taken away to be preserved as a graceful summer house, by one who had the fancy for thus preserving it as a relic of the past; and the rod and vane were taken and set up again upon Mr. Stokes' hall. The steeple at the summit had many rifle bullets in it, shot there by the Paxtang boys, when they shot at the vane as a mark. The old organ, too, with its trumpet angels in their golden array, just as the whole came from Holland, was discarded and cast aside. The whole subject forcibly brings to mind the poetic description made by Mrs. Seba Smith, saying, They all are passing from the land, Those churches old and gray, In which our fathers used to stand, In years gone by, to pray Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 25 They never knelt,* those stern old men Who worshipp'd at our altars then. No, all that e'en the semblance bore Of popedom on its face, Our fathers as the men of yore Spurn'd from the holy placeThey bow'd the heart alone in prayer And worshipped God thus sternly there. Through coarse gray plaster might be seen Oak timbers large and strong, And those who reared them must have been Stout men when they were youngFor oft I've heard my grandsire speak, How men were growing thin and weak. His heart was twined, I do believe, Round every timber thereFor memory loved a web to weaye Of all the young and fair, Who gather'd there with him to pray For many a long, long Sabbath day. He saw again his youthful brideHis white hair'd boys once more All walk'd demurely by his side, As in those days of yore. Alas! those boys are old and gray, And she hath pass'd in death away. That sounding board! to me it seem'd A cherub poised on highA mystery I almost deem'd Quite hid from vulgar eye. And that old pastor, wrapt in prayer, Look'd doubly awful'neath it there. I see it all once more; once more That lengthen'd prayer I hearI hear the child's foot kick the door,I see the mother's fearAnd that long knotty sermon too, My grandsire heard it all quite through. But as it deeper grew and deepHe always used to riseHe would not like the women, sleepBut stood with fixed eyes, And look'd intent upon the floor, To hear each dark point o'er and o'er. Aye pull them down, as well ye may, Those altars stern and old:* It was one of the points of early opposition to the Church, that dissenters should not kneel, as they said the others did, too much by rule. VOL. II.-D 3 26 Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. They speak of those long pass'd away, Whose ashes now are cold. Few, few are now the strong arm'd men Who worshipp'd at our altars then. And they reproach you with their might, The pious, proud and freeThe wise in council, strong in fight, Who never bow'd the knee. And those gray churches only stand As emblems of that hardy band. Then pull them down and rear on high New-fangled, painted things, For these but mock the modern eye, The past around them brings. Then pull them down, and upward rear A pile which suits who worship here. The Lutheran Church.-It is not accurately known when this was built, but it had an addition of its front part made to it in 1746. It is certain, too, that there was a church in Germantown before the first one in Philadelphia, which was erected in 1743. The first ordained minister, Dr. H. M. Muhlenburg, came to Philadelphia in 1742, and of course before that time their services in Germantown were conducted by their schoolmaster, as is their practice in similar cases. In 1754 a lottery of five thousand tickets, at $2 each, was drawn in Philadelphia, to net X562 to purchase a messuage and lot of ground in Germantown for the minister of the Lutheran church and school house, &c., for the benefit of the poor of the society, the minister to instruct the poor children. In 1761 the Lutheran church at Barren-hill was also built by a lottery. Nothing but German was preached in the Lutheran and German churches till of late years, and the present Presbyterian church was formed by the seceders from those churches, because the other members would not agree to have English preaching for half the time. They built their stone church in 1812, under the patronage of the Rev. Dr. Blair. The Methodists began to preach in Germantown about the year 179S, and in 1800 they built their stone meeting house, in the lane opposite to Mr. Samuel Harvey's house. In 1823, their former church being too small, they built a new and larger meeting house. The Protestant Episcopal Church of St. Luke was built in the year 1819: the first Rector was the Rev. Charles Dupuy: previously the society assembled for worship at the house of James Stokes, at the corner of the church lane. The lower burying ground of half an acre was the gift of John Streeper, of Germany, per Leonard Aret; and the upper one was given by Paul Wolff. The potter's field in Bowman's lane was bought in 1755 for o.5 10s. containing one hundred and forty perches. Pennsylvania Inland. -Germantown. 27 The first grist mill set up in Philadelphia county was that now called Roberts' mill, in Church lane, just one mile north-east fiom the market square. Roberts' mill was erected as early as 1683, by Richard Townsend, a public Friend, who brought the chief materials from England. Some years afterwards, in his printed address to Friends, he speaks of this mill and his early difficulties, and the kind providence extended to him there, which are very interesting. He states that his was the only mill for grain in all the parts; and was of great use to the inhabitants. That they brought their grist on men's backs, save one man, who had a tame bull which performed the labour. That by reason of his seclusion in the midst of the woods, he had but little chance of any supply of flesh meat, and was sometimes in great straits therefor. On one occasion, while he was mowing in his meadow a young deer came near to him, and seemed to wonder at his labour; it would follow him up while he worked, but when he stopped or approached it, it skipped away; but an accident made him stumble, and so scared the deer, that he rushed suddenly aside against a sapling, and being stunned, he fell and was taken alive and killed, to the great relief of the family. See Appendix, p. 511. The first paper mill in Pennsylvania was built by Garret Rittenhouse. It stood about a hundred yards higher up the stream than where old Martin Rittenhouse now lives, at C. Markle's. It was carried off by a freshet. William Penn wrote a letter soliciting the good peo. ple to give some aid in rebuilding it with their money. The grist mill, now Nicholas Rittenhouse's, on Wissahiccon, below Markle's, was built without the use of carts, or roads or barrows. The Academy.-There were numerous scholars here in the German school, sixty-five years ago; now there are none taught. The public school now called the Academy was first commenced in building in 1760, by a subscription chiefly raised in Philadelphia; but it not being likely to be finished thereby, in 1761 they made a lottery to draw in Philadelphia, of 6667 tickets, at $3, to raise $3000 at 15 per cent. to finish it. In 1821 the legislature granted $1000 to help it out of debt. Their first teacher was Dove, distinguished in Philadelphia as a scholar: and he had considerable fame as a satirical poet in political controversies. He used to send a committee of boys with a lantern and candle in day time, ringing a bell, to find absent scholars, and bring them with shame to school. His name was David I. Dove. He differed with the trustees, and built the house next to the Academry as an opposition seminary, and found himself unsuccessful and mortified. Pelatiah Webster succeeded him; all that time there was also a German master and scholars, and all the education there was at 10s. per quarter, and now English is $5, and the languages $10. The market house andprison was built in 1741. The ground was granted for that purpose by James de la Plaine in 1701; the said De la Plaine lived in and owned James Stokes' house. There was once a pound in the market square at the south-east end, and near it 2S Pennsylvania Inland. —Germantown. stood a small log prison, in which one Adam Hogermoed was imprisoned for a small offence of intemperance. His friends pried it up at one corner and let him out at night. Some time after he made the prison his free house, for when the charter was lost, it was sold to him and he lnoved it to where it now forms part of Joseph Green's group of houses. In 1761 Jacob Coleman began, from the King of Prussia Inn, the first stage with an awning, to run to Philadelphia, three times a week, to the George Inn, south-west corner of Second and Arch streets. He afterwards ran a stage to Reading. I have not seen any ancient inhabitant who had a correct knowledge respecting the terms on which they once held court. They had a tradition that they held courts here before it was done in Philadelphia! But I have seen the record of the original patent, from which I abstract as follows, viz.-A patent of William Penn, dated London, August 12. 1689, and on the back thereof, this endorsement, viz.: " 12 8mo. 1689, let this pass the great seal. To Thomas Lloyd, keeper thereof, in Pennsylvania. (Signed) William Penn." On the inside was affixed, " passed under the great seal of the province of Pennsylvania, on the 3d day of the 3d mo. t691." This therefore marks the period, I presume, at which they began to live subject to the laws of a, borough town. The patent grants"that Francis Daniel Pastorius, civilian, and J. Tellner, merchant, Dirk Isaacs op den Graeff and eight other freemen of Germantown, (named,) shall be a body corporate by the name of the bailiff, burgesses and commonalty of Germantown, in the county of Philadelphia. To have perpetual succession, and at all times thereafter shall be able and capable in law with a joint stock to trade, and with the same to take, purchase, &c., messuages, lands, &c., of a yearly value of Z1500 per annum. To have and to use a common seal. That there shall be elected one bailiff(Pastorius) and four burgesses and six persons committee-men, all from the aforesaid eleven nominated corporation, which shall constitute'and be called the General Court of the Corporation of Germantown.' The then appointed corporation to continue in office till the 1st December next ensuing, and from thence UNTIL there be a new choice of other persons to succeed them,' according as therein directed. The bailiff and the two eldest burgesses for the time being shall be justices of the peace. The bailiff and the oldest burgesses, and the recorder for the time being, shall hold and keep cne court of record, to be held every six weeks for hearing all civil causes according to the laws of the province. And also to hold and to keep a market every sixth day, in such places as the provincial charter doth direct." [Recorded at Philadelphia, 13th 3d month, 1691.] The government of Germantown began the 6th of Smo. 1691, and terminated 25th of 12th mo. 1706-7, being fifteen years. The borough and court records of Germantown were ordered to the Recoider's office in Philadelphia, by an act of the General Assembly in 1769. From those records I have extracted the following __- _ — _- ~~~ _ -_ ~ _:~L~ ~ ~ ~ _ =-= —---------- ___-_- _ _ ~~~~~~GRE' HOUSE, GERMANTOWN. —- ------- --------— P-e; 2S. - Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 29 primitive and "simple annals" of that beginning era of settlement and civilization, to wit: The Records of the Courts of Record held in the Corporation of Germantown, from the 6th day of 8t.h month, anno 1691, [the year of their getting their charter from William Penn,] and thenceforward from time to time;-thus transcribed by order of a general court held at the said Germantown, the 26th day of 10th month, in the year 1696. Anno 1691. The 6th day of the 8th month the first court of record was held at Germantown, in the public meeting house, [of Friends,] before Francis Daniel Pastorius, bailiff, Jacob Tellner, Dirk Isaacs op den Graef, and Herman Isaacs op den Graef, the three eldest burgesses. Isaac Jacobs van Bebber, recorder; Paul Wolf, clerk; Andrew Souplis, sheriff; Jan Lucken, constable. Proclamation being made by Andrew Souplis, the charter was read, and the officers attested. Caspar Carsten and his wife, who were both bound over to this court for menacing the constable, when about to serve a warrant upon them, were called, and, submitting to the bench, were fined two pounds, ten shillings. The court adjourned until the 17th of November next. 1692, the 29th day of 9th month. John Silans (upon Jacob Schumacher's complaint) promised before this court to finish the said Jacob Schumacher's barn within four weeks next coming. [Observe there are no fines or penalties in the case-only a promise of better action!] Walter Simons and James de la Plaine, for themselves and in behalf of their neighbourhood, protested against the road from the Mill street towards Thomas Rutter's, as not being laid out by the governor's order. 1692-3, the 21st day of 12th month. By reason of the absence of some, for religious meeting over Schuylkill, this court was adjourned till the 4th of 2d month, 1693. [How considerate and accommodating!] 1693, the 8th day of 6th month. Francis Daniel Pastorius, as attorney of the Frankford Company, delivered unto Wigart Levering a deed of enfeoffment containing fifty acres in Germantown. James de la Plaine, coroner, brought into this court the names of the jury which he summoned the 24th day of 4th month, 1701, viz.Thomas Williams, foreman, Peter Hearlis, Herman op den Graef, Reiner Peters, Peter Shoemaker, Reiner Tissen, Peter Brown, John Unslett, Thomas Potts, Reiner Hermans, Dirk Johnson, Herman Turner. Their verdict was as followeth: We, the jury, find that through carelessness the cart and the lime killed the man; the wheel wounded his back and head, and it killed him. 1701, the 20th day of 11th month. Reiner Peters, for calling the sheriff, on open street, a rascal and liar, was fined 20 shillings. 1703, the 28th day of 12th month. When the cause of Matthew Smith against Daniel Faulkner being moved, the plaintiff, by reason n^a 30 Pennsylvania Inland. —Germantown. of conscience, viz., that this day was the day wherein Herod slew the innocents, as also that his witnesses were and would for the aforesaid reason not be here, desired a continuance to the next court of record to be held for this corporation; which was allowed of, provided the said Daniel Faulkner do then appear and stand to trial. 1703-4, the 8th day of 12th month. George Muller, for his d(runkenness, was condemned to five days' imprisonment. Item, to pay the constable 2 shillings for serving the warrant in the case of his laying a wager to smoke above one hundred pipes in one day. [At this place there seems to be a stoppage of court proceedings. until the next opening in 1706-7, which was then made final. A letter of Pastorius to Win. Penn, when in Philadelphia in 1701-2, which I have seen, says, he believes there will be a difficulty to get men to serve in the general court, "for conscience sake "-meaning the oaths.] On the 17th of 12th mo., 1701, the general court of Germantown present to Wi. Penn, their " honourable and dear governor," newly arrived, "the petition of the Germantown corporation'"-to the effect, " that seventeen years preceding they had laid out the township in lots and more compact settlements than elsewhere had been done, so that some dwelling so near each other, had not enough of timber to make their separate fences, whereby they were compelled to fence in four quarters-[meaning, it is believed, on the four angles of the oblong square, on the outside only]-consequently requiring much care, lest by carelessness of one or other, the rest [within the enclosure] should suffer harm or injury." They also represent, " that by reason of the charter of 16S9, granted unto Germantown-construingthe same most beneficially to the grantees, they have hitherto refused to pay those taxes, levies and impositions, which the county courts do lay upon those under their jurisdiction-for being by the said charter exempted from the county court of Philadelphia, and having our own court of record, as well as our general court, we cannot but, believe that we are freed fiom all charges towards the said county-seeing that it would be rather a burthen than a privilege to pay both the county taxes and the taxes of our own corporation. [Just the very thing which citizens of Philadelphia now do.] As to the provincial taxes we make no exceptions, and are willing to bear our share, as good and loyal subjects should." " We implore thy benevolence, that thou wilt so defend and support our township, by way of explanation to thy aforesaid charter, that our corporation may be exempted from all and every county tax; and whereas, we before represented a difficulty of finding persons to serve in the corporation, for conscience sake, we hope it may be remedied, as it is already in part, by arrivals of new comers among us." 1706-7, the 11th day of 12th month, (January,) before Thomas Rutter, bailiff, &c. The court was opened; the queen's attorney Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 31 George Lowther laid the following points before this court: 1st, that the general court of this corporation did lay taxes, &c.; 2d, that the justices wanted their qualifications; 3d, that this court did clear by proclamation, &c., and 4th, bind over to the peace, and not to the Philadelphia county; 5th, that Johannes Kuster married a couple without the limits of the corporation; and [he, the said queen's attorney,] desired the court's answer to the government: whereuport this court adjourned till two o'clock in the afternoon, and having given their answers to the said attorney-general, further adjourned to the 25th day of this instant. N. B. The said attorney-general promising then to procure the government power to qualify them himself-the which, nevertheless, he did not, though often require d wd ell paid; and therefore, from thence, no more courts were kept at Germantown! And the above charged points being partly false, and the others sufficiently answered, convinced the said attorney-general, as by his own handwriting, hereunto affixed, may appear. Old Mr. J. W., about the year 1720, purchased five hundred acres of land at 2s. per acre, adjacent to where his descendant now lives; when he afterwards sold much of it at X3 per acre, he thought he was doing wonders; some of it has since been worth $200 to $300 per acre. The price of labour in and about Germantown, sixty years ago, was 3s. a day in summer, and 2s. 6d. in winter. The price of hickory wood was 10 to 1ls. per cord, and oak was 8 to 9s. Hickory now sells at $8, and oak at $6, and has been $2 higher. In 1738 a county tax was assessed of 1Id. per pound on the city and county, (including Germantown,) for " ewolves and crows destroyed, and for assemblymen's wages," at 5s. per day. The blackbirds formerly were much more numerous than now; a gentleman mentioned to me that when he was a young man, he once killed at one shot (with mustard seed shot) one hundred and nineteen birds, which he got; some few of the wounded he did not get; they had alighted in an oat-field after the harvest, and he was concealed in a near hedge, and shot them as they rose on the wing. There was a law in 1700 made to give 3d. per dozen for the heads of blackbirds, to destroy them. A person, now 80 years of age, relates to me that he well remelnbers seeing colonies of Indians, of twenty to thirty persons, often coming through the town and sitting down in Logan's woods, others on the present open field, south-east of Grigg's place. They would then make their huts and stay a whole year at a time, and make and sell baskets, ladles, and tolerably good fiddles. He has seen them shoot birds and young squirrels there, with their bows and arrows. Their huts were made of four upright saplings, with crotch limbs at top. The sides and tops were of cedar bushes and branches. In these they lived in the severest winters; their fire was on the ground and in the middle of the area. At that time wild pigeons 32 Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. were very numerous, in flocks of a mile long; and it was very common to shoot twenty or thirty of them at a shot. They then caught rabbits and squirrels in snares. The superstition then was very great about ghosts and witches. Old Shrunk," as he was called, (George S., who lived to be 80,) was a great conjuror, and numerous persons from Philadelphia and elsewhere, and some even from Jersey, came to him often, to find out stolen goods and to get their fortunes told. They believed he could make any thieves who came to steal from his orchard " stand," if he saw them, even while they desired to run away. They used to consult him where to go and dig for money; and several persons, whose names I suppress, used to go and dig for hidden treasures of nights. On such occasions, if any one " spoke," while digging, or ran, from "terror," without' the magic ring," previously made with incantation around the place, the whole influence of the " spell" was lost. Dr. Witt, too, a sensible man, who owned and dwelt in the large house, since the Rev. Dr. Blair's, as well as old Mr. Frailey, who also acted as a physician, and was really pretty skilful, were both U e doctors, (according to the superstition then so prevalent in Europe,) and were renowned also as conjurors. Then the cows and horses, and even children, got strange diseases; and if it baffled ordinary medicines, or Indian cures and herbs, it was not unusual to consult those persons for relief; and their prescriptions which healed them, as resulting from witchcraft, always gave relief! Dr. Frailey dwelt in a one-story house, very ancient, now standing in the school house lane. On each side of his house were lines of German poetry, painted in oil colours, (some of the marks are even visible now); those on one side have been recited to me, viz.: Translated thus. Lass Neider neiden, Let the envious envy me, Lass Hasser hassen; Let the hater hate me; Was Gott mir giebt What God has given me Muss mann mir lassen. Must man leave to me. An idea was very prevalent, especially near the Delaware and Schuylkill waters, that the pirates of Black Beard's day had deposited treasure in the earth. The fancy was, that sometimes they killed a prisoner and interred him with it, to make his ghost keep his vigils there and guard it. Hence it was not rare to hear of persons having seen a sphoke or ghost, or of having dreamed of it a plurality of times, which became a strong incentive to dig there. To procure the aid of a professor in the black art, was called IHexing; and Shrunk, in particular, had great fame therein. He affected to use a diviner's rod, (a witch-hazel) with a peculiar angle in it, which was supposed to be self-turned in the hands, when approached to any minerals; some use the same kind of rod now tofeel for hidden waters, so as to dig for wells. The late Col. T. F. used to amuse himself much with the credulity of the people. He pretended he Pennsylvania Inlanld. -- Germantow)in. 33 could hex with a hazel rod; and oFt en1 e has 1lh(d sriperstilious persons to come anid offer hIll slhares ii spooils, which they had seen a spl)oke upon! He even \\rot elll a printed a curious old play,* to ridicule tie thing. Describing the terrors of a midnight fright in digging, he makes one of the party to tell his wife, "My dearest wife, in all my life Ich neber was so fritened; De spirit come, and Ich did run,'Twas juste like tunder, mid lightning." Mr. K., when aged 78, and his wife nearly the same age, mentioned to me, that in their youthful days they used to feel themselves as if at double or treble the distance they now do from Philadelphia, owing to the badness and loneliness of the roads; they then regarded a ride to the city as a serious affair. The road before it was turnpiked was extremely clayey and mirey, and in some places, especially at Penn's creek, there was a fearful quicksand. Several teams were often joined at places along the bad road to help out of mires. and horses were much injured, and sometimes killed, thereby. Rail stakes used to be set up in bad places to warn off. In those times the sleighing used to continue for two or three months in the winter, and the pleasure parties from the city used to put up and have dances at old Macknett's tavern, where his son since lived. It was then very common for sailors to come out in summer to have frolics, or mirth and refreshments at the inns. The young men also made great amusement of shooting at a target. They used no wagons in going to market, but the woman went, and rode a horse with two panniers slung on each side of her. The women too carried baskets on their heads, and the men wheeled wheel-barrows-being six miles to market! Then the people, especially man and wife, rode to church, funerals and visits, both on one horse; the woman sat on a pillion behind the man. Chairs or chaises were then unknown to ther; none in that day ever dreamed to live to see such improvements and luxuiry as they now witness. The first carriage of the coach kind they ever saw or heard of belonged to Judge Allen,t who had his country seat at the present Mount Airy College; it was of the phaeton or Landau kind, having a seat in front for children, and was drawn by four black horses: he was of course a very opulent man' a grandee in his generationsuch phaetons cost 04400. The country seats thet were few. Periington had his country house where C(hew's now stands, and the present kitchen wings of Chew's house sufficed for the simplicity of gentlemen of those days. Another country house was Samuel Shoemaker's, a mayor of Philadelphia, and is the same now a part * A copy of it is in the Athenaeum Library. - There were three or four earlier carriages in Philadelphia, viz.: Norris, Logan, and Shippen's. VOL. II.-E 34 Pennsylvanma Inland.- Germantown. of the house of Mr. Duval's place, and enlarged by Col. T. Forrest. In their early days, all the better kinds of houses had balconies in the front, in which, at the close of the day, it was common to see the women at most of the houses sitting and sewing or knitting; at that time the women went to their churches generally in short gowns a1d petticoats, and with check or white flaxen aprons. The young ietl had their heads shaved, and wore white caps; in summer they, n ati without coats, wearing striped trowsers, and barefooted; the old.'' ie lds wore wiVs. 1ii their day y every house was warmed in winter by "jamb stoves," tnd Mr. Sower, of Germantown, (the printer,) cast the first stoves perlaps thus used in the United States. They were cast in Lancaster; none of them are now up and in use, but many of the plates are often seen lying about the old houses as door steps, &c. A jamb stove was set in the chimney jamb, (or side,) in the kitchen fire-place; it was made something like the box form of the present ten-plate stoves, but without a pipe or oven, and it passed through the wall of the chimney back into the adjoining sitting rooms, so as to present its back end (opposite the fire door) in that room. The plate used to be made sometimes red hot; but still it was but a poor means of giving out heat, and could not have answered but for their then hardy constitutions, and the general smallness of their rooms in that day. Mr. K. remembers very well, that when he was a lad, there was yet a little company of Delaware Indians, (say 20 or 30 persons,) then hutted and dwelling on the low grounds of Philip Kelley's manufactory ground. There was then awood there through all the low ground, which now forms his meadow ground and mill race course. Some of the old Indians died and were buried in Concord burying ground, adjoining Mr. Duval's place. After they were dead the younger Indians all moved off in a body, when Keyser was about 14 or 15 years of age. Indian Ben among them was celebrated as a great fiddler, and every body was familiar with Indian Isaac. In going to the city there-was a thick woods on the south-west side of the turnpike below Naglee's hill-where Skerrett's house now stands, called Logan's swamp and woods. The road then went on the low ground to the south-westward of said hill and house. At Penn's creek, (or Three-mile run, now Albanus Logan's place,) and at the opposite side on Norris' place, began a deep and lofty wood, which extended on both sides of the road nearly into the suburbs, and from thence the woods continued many miles up the Delaware. There was then no inlet into the city but by the Front street road. The Second and Third streets were not then formed. On the 20th of October, 1746, a great public fair was held at Germantown. In 1762, the Paxton boys, from near Lancaster, halted at the market square, preparatory to their intended invasion of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 35 to kill the friendly Indians sheltered there; they yielded to negotiation and went home. There were several hundred of them. Rittenhouse, the celebrated philosopher, as well as Godfrey, the inventor of Hadley's quadrant, were of the neighbourhood of Ger mantown. Captain Miller, who was basely killed at Fort Washing ton, after its surrender, was of Germantown. The old road of Germantown continued in a line with the first. bank of Germanttown, (to the south-west of the present,) ran near the poor house, by S. Harvey's, up through R. Haines' low lands, and came out by the Concord school house, by the Washington, or Abington lane. Some of the logs now lie sound under ground, back of Justice Johnson's, on which the road ran by the swamnp. The quantity of Indian arrow heads, spears, and hatchets, all of flint and stone, and attached to wooden or withe handles, still ploughed up in the fields, is great. I have seen some of a heap of two hundred together, in a circle of the size of a bushel; some of them, strange to tell, are those taken from chalk beds, and not at all like the flint of our country. The creek on which Wm. L. Fisher's mill stands is the head of Frankford creek, and was called by the Indians Wingohocking. The creek at Albanus Logan's, called Penn's creek, was called Tumanaxamamzizg, and goes out at the upper end of Kensington. Anthony Johnson, who died in 1823, aged 78, saw, when a lad, a large bear come across the road in daytime from Chew's ground, then a wood; he has seen abundance of wild turkeys, and has often heard the wolves howl at night near his father's house; the one rebuilt at the corner of S. Harvey's lane. The woods then came up near the house. He has seen several deer in the woods, but they were fast going off when he was young. Near the same house, when the old road passed in the swamp behind it, his father told him he once saw six wolves in daytime. After James Logan's house was built, in 1728, at Stenton, a bear of large size camne and leaped over the garden fence. Jacob Keyser, now 88, tells me that he and others pursued and killed a small bear, about sixty-five years ago, on one of the back lots; it was, however, then matter of surprise and sport. Mr. K. remembers that a Mr. Axe, in his time, killed a bear on Samuel Johnson's place, not far from the Wissahiccon. Foxes and rackoons were then quite plenty. Only about fifty years ago a flock of six wild turkeys came to Enoch Rittenhouse's mill, and remained about there till his family shot the whole of them; and in the winter of 1832 they shot a lynx there. In 1721 a bear was killed in Germantown, and so published, and two more nearer to Philadelphia. In the house of Reuben Haines, built by Dirk Johnson, a chief and his twenty Indians have been sheltered and entertained. Anthony Johnson, when a boy, has seen near two hundred In.. 36 Pennsylvania Inland.G- ermantown. dians at a time on the present John Johnson's place, in a woods on the hollow adjoining to the wheelwright's shop. They would remain there a week at a time, to make and sell baskets, ladles, fiddles, &c He used to remain hours with them and see their feals of agility. They would go over fences without touching them, in nearly a horizontal attitude, and yet alight on their nimble feet. They would also do much at shooting of marks. One Edward Keimer imitated theml so closely as to execute all their exploits. Beaver and beaver dams A. Johnson has often seen. The eailiest settlers used to make good linens and vend them in Philadelphia. They were also distinguished, even till modern times, for their fabric of Germantown stockings. This fact induced the Bank of Germantown to adopt a seal, with such a loom upon it. The linen sellers and weavers used to stand with the goods for sale on the edge of the pavement in Market street, on the north side, near to Second street corner. The cheapness of imported stockings is now ruining their business. Professor Kalm, who visited Germantown in 174S, says: " The inhabitants were so numerous, that the street was always full." Old Mr. W., in 1718 or'20, shot a stout deer between Germantown and Philadelphia, and the rifle he used is now in possession of his grandson. John Seelig predicted men's lives when requested, by the rules of nativities; and he had a 1mysterious cane, or rod, which he commanded to be cast into the Schuylkill in his last sickness, and which, as the tradition goes, exploded therein! Kelpius too kept lhis diary by noting the signs of the Zodiac. Doctor Witt left all his property to strangers by the name of Warmer, saying, they had been kind to him on his arrival, in bestowing him a hat in place of his, lost on shipboard. The tombstone of C. F. Post, the missionary and interpreter, so often named in Proud's history, is in the lower burying ground. He died in 1785, aged 75 years. The Germantown newspaper, by C. Sower, was printed but once a quarter, and began in the year 1739; and what was curious, he cast lis own types and nmade his own ink! It eventually was printed monthly, but from and after the yea" 1744. it. was printed every weel', under the title of the "Germantown Gazette," by C. Sower, Jr., and was not discontinued till some time in the war. A copy of these papers would be a kind gift to the Germantown Library. Sower published first in the United States a quarto Bible, in German. Germantown was a place of great interest during the wlar of the revolution, and at the celebrated battle there. It occurred on the morning of the 4th of October, 1777. The main body of the Bri. tish army, under Gens. Howe, Grey, Grant and Agnew, were attack ed by the Americans in the following order: Washington, with the division of Sullivan and Wayne, flanked by Gen. Thomas Conway's brigade, entered the town by Chestnut hill road. Gen. Arm. Pennsylvania Inland.-Germantown. 7 strong, with the Pennsylvania militia, attacked the left and rear, near Schuylkill. The division of Generals Greene and Stephens, flanked by Gen. M'Dougall's brigade, were to enter by taking a circuit at. the market house, and attack the right wving, and the militia of Maryland and Jersey, under Generals Smallwood and Freeman, were to march by the old York road and fall upon the rear of the right. General Sterling, with Generals Nash and Maxwell's brigade, formed a corps of reserve. Admnirably as this attack was planned, it failed, from those fortuitous events in warfare, over which Gen. Washington had no possible control. Lieut. Col. Musgrave, of the British army, as the Americans advanced, threw himseIf, with six companies of the 40th regimlent, into Chew's large stone house, which stood full in fiont of the main body of the Americans. Musgrave, before the battle, encamped back of Che!'s house in excellent huts, and Col.'Webster's regiment (33d) lay back of John Johnson's in huts also; they were as regular and neat as a town. Gen. Read, it has been said, was for pushing on immediately, and was opposed by Gen. Knox as against military rule, to leave an enemy in afort in the rear. Any how, in attempting to induce the surrender of Lieut. Col. Musgrave, the precious moments were lost, and gave Generals Grey, Grant, and Agnew, (who dwelt in Germantown,) time to come up with a reinforcement. Much blame, too, was attached to Gen. S.'s division, who was said to have been intoxicated, and to have so far misconceived and broken his orders as to have been afterwards tried and broken. The morning was exceedingly foggy, which would have greatly favonred the Americans, had not those, as well as part of Greene's column, remained thus inactive. Col. Mathews, of Greene's column, attacked with great spirit and routed the parties opposed to him, and took one hundred and ten prisoners; but, through the fog, he lost sight of his brigade, and was himself taken prisoner with his whole regiment, (on P. Kelley's hill) and his prisoners released. Greene and Stephens' division, formed the last column of the retreating Americans. Count Pulaski's cavalry covered their rear. Washington retreated to Skippack creek —his loss amounted to one hundred and fifty-two killed, and five hundred and twenty-one wounded. upwards of four hundred were made prisoners, amongst whom were fifty-four officers. The cannon which assailed Chew's house were planted in fiont of the present John Johnson's house; Chew's house was so battered that it took four or five carpenters a whole winter to repair and replace the fractures. The front door which was replaced was filled with shot holes-it is still preserved there. A cousin of mine, who was intimate with Gen. Washington's aidde-camp, told me that he told him he had never heard the general utter an oath, but on that day, when he seemed deeply mortified and indignant, he expressed an execration at General S as a drunken rascal. The daughter of Benjamin Marshal, Esq., at whose house General 4 3S Pemnsylvania Inland.- Germantown. Washington stopped after the battle, told me he reached there in the evening, and would only take a dish of tea, and pulling out the Jalf of a biscuit, assured the family the other half was all the food he had taken since the preceding day. The general opinion then was, that but for the delay at. Chew's house, our army must have been victorious, and we should have been sufficiently avenged for our losses the preceding month at the battle of Brandywine, and would have probably caused the British to evacuate Philadelphia. But Gen. Wilkinson,in his late memoirs, who has described minutely the battle therein, and was but a few years ago here on the spot, examining the whole ground, has published his entire conviction that it. was a kind providence, which overruled the disaster for our good: for had we been successful and pushed on for the city, Gen. Howe was coming on with a force sufficient to have captured or destroyed the whole American arny. He states, that Washington relied on information from a deserter, that Howe intended a movement of his troops towards Fort Mifflin,which, unknown to Gen. Washington, he had countermanded, and so enabled him to come out in full force. See Appendix, p. 554. There were as many as twenty thousand British, &c., in and about the town under Gen. Howe. He was a fine large man, and looked considerably like Gen. Washington: he lived some time at Logan's, and also in the present Samuel Morris' house; he walked abroad in plain clothes in a very unassuming manner. Gen. Grant occupied the house now Michael Staiger's, near the lane. The artillery lay on the high ground in rear of the poor house; two regiments of Highlanders half a mile in the rear of Reuben Haines' house: and the Hessians lay on the Ridge Hill above Peter Robeson's, near the road; all the infantry were on the commons about where J. Price's seat now is. In the time of the battle Gen. Howe came as far as the market square, and stayed there giving his commands. Gen. Agnew rode on at the head of his men, and when he came as far as the wall of the Mennonist grave yard, he was shot by Hans P. Boyer, who lay in ambush, and took deliberate aim at his star on the breast: he fell fiom his fine horse, and was carried to Mr. Wister's house, where he died in his fiont parlour. He was a very civil and gentlemanly man. The man who killed him was not an enlisted soldier, and died not long since in the poor house. At that same place is a rising hill, at which the severest of the firing and battle was waged, except what occurred so disastrously for us at Chew's house. The British advanced no farther than the said hill on the road, until after the retreat. Several have told me, who saw the dead and dying after the action, lying on the ground, that some in their last moments were quite insane: but all who could speak were in great thirst fronm anguish, &c. In Samuel Keyser's garden many bodies were lying: and in the rear of Justice Johnson's, Gen. Morgan of the rifle c(rps came up Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 39 with a small body after the action was supposed to be closed, and very daringly and unexpectedly killed nineteen Hessians and an officer, all of whom were buried there, save the officer, who was next day removed to the city. Boys were suffered to get very near the combatants on the flanks. Benjamin Lehman was one, who has told me, there was no order nor ranks after the first fire, and soon every face was as black as negroes' about the mouth and cheeks, from biting off the cartridges; British officers, especially aids-de-camp, rode at full rate up and down through the men, with entire unconcern as to running over them. The ranks, however, gave way. When the British burned seventeen houses at one time, between Philadelphia and Germantown, in retaliation for some aggressions made, they said, by Col. Ayres, fiom some of those houses, they ordered Stenton house to be included: two men came to execute it, they told the housekeeper there, to take out her private things-while they went to the barn for straw to fire it. A British officer rode up, inquiring for deserters; with much presence of mind she said they had just gone to the barn to hide themselves in the straw-off he went, crying, " Come out you rascals, and run before me back to camp!" In vain they protested, and alleged their commissions; and thus Logan's venerable house was spared. This house was built in 1727-8, by James Logan, secretary for Penn, and in which he resided; it was a palace-like structure in that day, and was surprisingly well built. Gen. Howe stayed part of his time there. A fence of cedar boards is now standing in Peter Keyser's yard, which was very much perforated with musket bullets in the time of the battle. On the 19th of October, the British army removed from Germantown to Philadelphia, as a more convenient place for the reduction of Fort Island. After the battle, the British surgeons made use of Reuben Haines' hall as a room for amputating and other h ospital operations requiring prompt care; the Americans who were wounded were carried to the hill where Thomas Armiatt's house is, and were there temporarily attended by surgeons, previously to being sent to the hospital in the city. Capt. Turner of North Carolina, and Major Irvine, and six men, were all buried in one grave, at the N. E. corner of the buryingground by the school house. We have set lthem a stone there. On the north-east side of Three-mile run (Fox Chase Inn now) was a wood in the time of the war. In it were thirty Oneida Indians, and one hundred of Morgan's riflemen, who raised a warwhoop and frightened Lord Carthcart when in a conference with MCLane. A British picket lay in the present yard of Philip Weaver, and several were shot and buriedl there. The most advanced picket stood at Mount Airy, and was wounded there. Gen. Agnew and Col. Bird. of the British army, are both buried in tho lower burying ground, side by side, next to Mrs. Lamb's grave. ~40 Plznnsylvania Inland.- Germantown. stone, (south-west side of it,) at ten feet from Rapp's wall, in a line with the south-west end of his stable. Gen. Agnew showed great kindness to old Mrs. Sommers. Col. Bird died in Bringhurst's big house, and said to the woman there," woman, pray for me, I leave a widow and four children." The late Mr Burrill, whose father was grave-digger, told mehe saw them buried there. They now ha ve a stone. When the British were in Germantown, they took up all the fences and mnade the rails into huts, by cutting down all the buckwheat, putting it on the rails, and ground over that. No fences remained. Gen. Howe lived a part of his time at the house now S. B. Morris', so said B. Lehman. B. Lehman was an apprentice to Mr. Knorr, a carpenter, and went to the city with half a calf on his shoulder, for which he got quickly 2s. 6d., metal money, per pound, he also sold his old hen for I dollar! He saw there men come stealthily fiom Skippack, with butter carried on their backs in boxes, which they sold at 5s. There were woods all along the township line to near the city, and they could steal their way through them. Lehman was out two months in the militia diaft, but never in battle, he got 200 dollars paper money; for 100 dollars he bought a sleigh ride, and for the other 100 dollars a pair of shoes! Samuel Widdes, in Germantown, used to go to the city with a wheelbarrow to take therein apples and pears, which he sold high. Lehman, and all the other boys, went to meeting in tow trowsers and shirts, without jackets or shoes. What homely days! At that time, and during all the war, all business was at a stand. Not a house was roofed or mended in Germantown in five or six years. Most persons who had any substance lived in part on what they could procure on loan. The people, pretty generally, were mentally averse to the wvar-equal, certainly, to two-thirds of the population of the place who felt as if they had any thing to lose by the contest. So several have told me. Mrs. Bruner, who died in Germantown, in 1835, at the age of 80, the wife of a blacksmith, in respectable circumstances. had been the mother of twelve children, and kept her house with such a family more than sixty years of her life without ever having had any hired help. She had (lone all her own work and done it well; and very often, in her younger days, she had sat down every night, after her house work was done, to tmake leather gloves for pay as a seamstress. She was but a specimen of many of her day, who looked to such industry as a means to acquire a small estate at the end of a long life. Industry becamle so habitual to both husband and wife, that they knew not, in time, how to rest when idle. The family was pious, benevolent and kind. When slall we see such people among the moderns? The trustees of the Academy of Germantown, in the year 1793, had applications from the State, and United States, to rent their academy for their use. It was thereupon resolved by the trustees, on the 26th October, 1793, that they would take measures to accom Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 41 modate the Congress of the United States, at their next session, with the use of the same, for the sum of 300 dollars. Only think of such a school-house, of eighty by fifty feet, being seriously purposed for the use of the American congress. The congress was then so small; it is now so great. The circumstance which led to the intended application of the house, grew out of an inquiry made by Gen. Washington, who then resided in Germantown, in the house afterwards for many years the summer residence of the Perot family-now of Samuel B. Morris. In 1793, when Gen. Washington dwelt in Germantown, the town was held as the government place of the state of Pennsylvania and of the United States; and this was because of the necessary retreat of the officers and offices, from the city of Philadelphia, where the yellow fever was raging with destructive effect. At that time the office of state, &c., of Pennsylvania, was held in the stone house next above B. Lehman's. There you could every day see Governor Mifflin and his secretary of state, A. J. Dallas. The house now the Bank of Germantown was occupied by Thomas Jefferson, as secretary of state of the United States, and by Mr. Randolph, as attorney general. The Bank of the United States was located in the three-storied stone house of Billings, and when its treasure was brought, it was guarded by a troop of horse. Oellers, once celebrated for his great hotel for the congressmen, in Chestnut street, had his hotel here, in the house since Clement Bringhurst's; and, at that house, filled with lodgers, the celebrated Bates, of comic memrory, used to hold musical soirees at 50 cents a head, to help to moderate the gloom of the sad times. At that time, the whole town was crowded with strangers and boarders; and especially by numerous French emigrants, escaped from the massacre of St. Domingo. It was then expected that the next, or future years, mnight be again visited by yellow fever; and, therefore, numerous engagements of houses, and purchases of grounds at increased prices were made, to insure a future refuge. In this way, the Banks of North Alnerica and of Pennsylvania found a place in the Academy in the next fever, which occurred in 1798. It ought to be mentioned as a peculiar circumstance connected with Perot's house, before mentioned, that it had been the residence severally of Gen. Howe, the British commander in the war of the revolution, and at the same time, the home of the then youth, Prince William, the late king of England, William IV.; afterwards, in 1793, the residence of Gen. Washington, while President of the United States. Look at its size as then regarded good enough and large enough for a president, in contrast with the present presidential palace at Washington city! It is thus that we are rapidly growing as a nation fiom small things to great things! The French West India residents that were in Germantown, were of various complexions, were dressed in clothing of St. Domingo fashion, presenting a peculiarity of costume; and showing much VOL. II-F 4* 42 Pennsylvania Inland. — Germantown. gayety of manners. They filled the streets with French conversation by day-for they were all idlers; and with much of music at night. They were withal great shooters, and killed and eat all manner of birds without discrimination-they saying that crows, swallows, &c., were as good as others, as all depended upon the style of the cooking. I have seen or known of several officers of the Revolution, who had been in the battle of Germantown, who caine again, in advanced age, to revisit the active scenes of their military prowess; so caime Capt. Blakemore and Capt. Slaughter, both of the Virginia regiment; so Col. Pickering, of New England; so some of the relatives of Gen. Agnew, who was killed, &c. What scenes for them to remember afresh. Intimately connected with the fame and reputation of Germantown is the now frequently visited stream, the Wissahiccon, made attractive by its still native wildness, and rugged, rocky, woody character; there is also there, under the name of the " Monastery of the }Wissahiccon," a three-storied ancient stone building of an oblong square, situated on high ground, near to a woody, romantic dell, through which the Wissahiccon finds its meandering way. About this house, so secluded and little known to the mass of the people, there have been sundry vague and mysterious reports and traditions of its having been once occupied as a monastery. A name, and purpose of use, sufficiently startling, even now, to the sensibility of sundry protestants. The place was last owned and occupied by Joshua Garsed-a large manufacturer of flax-thread, twine, &c.-who has shut up many of the windows, which were formerly equal to four to every chamber, making two on every front or angle of the square. Those who saw the structure sixty years ago, say that it then had a balcony all around the house at the floor of the second story. The tale told in the early days of the present aged neighbours was, that it once contained monks of " the Seventh-day Baptist order," and that they used wooden blocks for pillows [like those at Ephrata,] scallopped out so as to fit the head. Some have also said that they remembered to have seen, near to the house, small pits and hillocks which indicated a former burial place, since turned into cultivation. With such traditionary data for a starting point, it has become matter of interest to many, who are curious in the history of the past, to learn what further facts we can produce, concerning the premises. If the house should have been built as early as 1708 —when Kelpius, the hermit, died " at the Ridge," it may have been constructed by the forty students froim Germany-the Pietists who came out in 1694, with Kelpius, to live a single life in the wilderness; but if it was built, as is most probable, and as has been said, by Joseph Gorgas, a Tunker-Baptist, who intended it as a branch of the brotherhood established at Ephrata near Lancaster, and to whom he afterwards moved and joined himself,-then he must have built it before the year 1745, when Conrad Matthias, " the last of the Ridge her. 7 31 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~I 17 _~~~. _S EN O T E TS:IICC N. Il-c42 z~~e~~mric ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~,~i ~'~: i~~~~~i Pennsylvania InJand.- Germatown. 43 mits" died. It is known, by " the Chroniea Ephrata,"-a folio, that there was a brotherly affinity between " the Ridge hermits' (of Roxborough) and those of Ephrata. After Joseph Gorgas had gone to Ephrata, tie premises, with a farm of seventy acres and a grist mill, fell to his son John Gorgas; from him it was sold about the time of the Revolution, to Edward Miller;-thence to Peter Care, fifty years ago, who held it till about the year 1800. Then it was bought by John Livezey, miller; next by Longstreth, who made it a paper nill; and lately and lastly, by Joshua Garsed & Co. Since their possession of the premises, they have considerably increased the numbers and size of the buildings along the creek; and the Monastery House they have converted into an agreeable dwelling, changing and modernizing the internal forms of the rooms-taking out all the corner chimneys, &c. The scenery from this house, and from the dell below, is very romantic, rugged, and in nature's wildest mood, —presenting, particularly, very high and mossy rocks, studded with stunted trees-the whole standing out very perpendicularly into the line of the Wissahiccon, and turning it off very abruptly in another direction. It was in the year 1732, that the religionists of Ephrata first agreed to quit their former solitary life, and to dwell together in monastic society as monks. This they did first, in May 1733. Their book of chronicles says, that " the society was enlarged by members from the banks of the Wissahiccon." Of course, intimating and confirming the idea already advanced, that there was a brotherhood of their order, dwelling at or near the place now called the Monastery. Christopher Ludwick, once an inhabitant of Philadelphia and GermIantown,-interred at the Lutheran ground in said town, in S101, at the age of 81 years, was quite a character in his day; and deserves some special notice. A short memoir of his life has been drawn up and published by Doctor Rush; he deeming him to be a person fully worthy the effort of his pen to report him, as an exemplary and valuable citizen. He was by birth a German, born in 1720; by trade a baker. In early life he enlisted in the Austrian army and served in the war against the Turks. At Prague he endured the hardships of the seventeen weeks' siege. After its conquest by the French in 1741, he enlisted and served in the army of Prussia. At the peace, he entered an Indiaman, and went out to India under Boscawen; afterwards he was in many voyages, from 1745 to [752, from London to Holland, Ireland and the West Indies, as a sailor. In 1753, he sailed to Philadelphia with an adventure of.25 worth of clothing, on which he made a profit of $300, and again returned to London. He had taken the idea of becoming a gingerbread baker in Philadelphia; and in 1754 he came out with the necessary prints-a seemingly new idea among the simple cake eaters then! He began his career in Lctitia court, and began to make money fast by his new employment. He proved himself an industrious, honest and .1 1 Pennsylvania Inland.- CJermaniown. good neighbour, which led to a deserved influence among the people, and to the soubriquet of the " governor of Laetitia court." At the commencing period of the Revolution in 1774, he had become rich, and gave his influence and his money freely, to help on the resistance of the colonies. He was elected readily on all the committees and conventions of the time, for that object. On one occasion, when it was proposed by General Mifflin to procure fire arms by private subscriptions, and whilst several demurred to it as unfeasible, he put down the opposition, by saying aloud, let the poor gingerbread baker be set down for ~200! In the summer of 1776, he acted as a volunteer in the flying camp, without pay. He possessed great influence there among his fellow soldiers; he stimulated them to endurance; and on one occasion prevented their revolt when complaining of inadequte rations, by falling on his knees before them, and imploring them to patience and better hopes. When eight Hessians were captured and brought to camp, he interceded to have them handed over to him to manage; which was to take them to Philadelphia, to there show them the fine German churches, and the comfort and good living of Germans in humble pursuits of life, and then to release them to go back to their regiment, and to tell the Germans that. we had a paradise for his countrymen, if they would but desert their service. Desertion did follow whenever occasion offered; and the most of these lived prosperous citizens among us. So much for the warfor them! With the same good design for his countrymen he solicited and obtained the grant to visit the Hessian camp on Staten Island, as a disguised deserter. There he succeeded fully to impress them with the happiness of Germans settled in Pennsylvania, and to return safely, with a full assurance of the usefulness of his mission. In the year 1777, he was cordially appointed by Congress as baker general of the American army, and to choose fieely his own assistants and necessaries. In their instructions to him, they expected to require from him one pound of bread for every pound of flour, but Christopher readily replied, " Not so: I must not be so enriched by the war. I shall return 135 lbs. of bread for every 100 Ibs. of flour:" an increase of weight by baking, seemingly not then understood by the rulers! and not much byfamilies now. As a proof that he was respected and valued in his sphere, he was often invited to dine with Washington, in large conpanies, besides having many opportunities of long conferences alone with him, as commander of the army, in relation to the bread supplies. The general appreciated his worth, and usually addressed him in company as " his honest friend." In his intercourse with the officers, he was blunt, but never offensive. By common consent he was privileged to say and do what he pleased. His German accent, his originality of thought and expression; and his wit and humour, made him a welcome guest at every table in the camp. He took with him to Pennsylvania Inland. —Germantown. 45 camp a handsome china bowl brought by him from China; around its silver rim was engraved his name, &c., and from it he was accustomed to offer his punch or other beverage with his own leading toast, to wit: " Health and long life to Christopher Ludwick and wife." That bowl still exists as a bequeathed legacy, to be perpetuated. At the return of peace, he settled on his farm near Germantown. In his absence it had been plundered of every thing by the British. A certificate of his good conduct, in the proper handwriting of General Washington, given in 17S5, was much valued, was put under frame, and kept hung up in his parlour, as his diploma. In that, he much gloried; and considered it a full recompense for losses which he had sustained by a depreciated currency, paid to him by sundry persons, for his bonds for good money lent them. He owned at one time eight houses in Philadelphia, and had out f3000 of money lent on bonds and interest. He left a great deal of his money to public charities, especially a fund for educating poor children. He delighted to find out objects of charity, and to relieve their wants. In the time of the yellow fever of 1793, he went into Fraley's bakery in Philadelphia, and worked at bread baking gratuitously, to relieve the wants of the poor. He had a great respect for religion and its duties, which he said he inherited from his father, who had given him, in early life, a silver medal, on which was inscribed, among other devices, " the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin." This he always carried with him as a kind of talisman; and with a view to enforce its remembrance and its precepts, when he left it to his family, he had it affixed to the lid of a silver tankard, and on the front he had inscribed a device of a Bible, a plough, and a sword, with the motto, " May the religious industry and courage of a German parent, be the inheritance of his issue!" Such a man leaves the savour of a good name, and a good example, to posterity. His remains now rest beneath an expensive monument, where the reader may read. of his worth, and go, if he can, and do likewise! His last house of residence in Philadelphia was No. 174 North Fifth street. He had had two wives; but left no children to survive him. Their relations became his heirs. Colonel Gray's Powderhorn.-In July 1841, there was found in digging about two feet below the surface, in the lot of the New Lutheran church in Germantown, a very curiously wrought powderhorn of the Revolution, used and lost in the battle of Germantown, by Elijah Lincoln, a volunteer of Windham, Connecticut. This, when found, showed the way to its ownership, and the facts connected therewith,-by being published as a curious relic, in the Germantown Telegraph. It was a large white bullock-horn, and had engraved thereon, besides the name of the owner-E. Gray-several pictures and devices: such as a sketch of Boston and its environs, Bunker's hill, Dorchester, and encampments of the military, the British fleet and positions. The facts in the case were these: — 46 Pennsylvania llland.- Germantown. Ebenez, l Gray, and William Hovey-the inscribed maker of the horn, with Elijah Lincoln, were young volunteers of Windham, going to begin the war at Bunker hill. While encamped near there under Washington, the horn was engraved by Gray. At this time, we are to presume that regular cartotch boxes were not supplied. Upon the regular organization of the armly, Gray, who was an educatad man, received a commission, wlich he honoured by his after services and bravery, and rose to the rank of colonel. When promoted, he gave his horn to Lincoln, under his promise to use it faithfully for his country. That he did in many battles; till at last it was lost in the affair at Germantown, by being pulled from his side by the grasp of a dying colmrade, shot by his side, in the very act of drawing a load from it, for his musket! The company, with Lincoln, rushed forward without the horn, and soon after he found another well filled for his purpose. When the present horn was found and published, it came out, from the publisher of the Democrat, of Columbia county, Pennsylvania, that he had been formally engaged in making out a pension claim for Lincoln, and had all these facts, before told, in his possession! Colonel Gray is deceased, but his widow and son and daughter are alive at Windham, and have oeen informed of their opportunity to repossess this long lost relic of a patriot's service and glory.- It is something to be valued and perpetuated in a family! This circumnstance reminds me of the following facts, of Captain George Blackmore, of the Virginian line.t He made my acquaintance in Germantown in 1832, desiring to go over the battle ground, where he h ad fought, side by side with his brother, in Chew's field. The brother was killed, and left near a spring house, found to be at Duval's fish pond in the rear of his house. He wanted to find that place again, and to shed a tear; and he had a difficulty to find the positions and places in his memory, since so changed by elegant improvements. It was a feeling concern to travel once more with his eyes and explanations " o'er the tented field to )oolk the dead." Every thing interested him, and especially a choice of bullets, which I gave him, gleaned fronm Chew's house. He chose a battered leaden bullet which had been picked out from Chew's door. That, he said, he slould incase in silver and hang to his watch chain, and bequeath to his heirs. I was giad thus to minister to his mournful pleasures. I might add, that I introduced him to Mr. Jacob Keyser, who had buried that brother, with four others, in the place at the spring hou.se, since made the fish-pond,-in one hole, all in their clothes. Alas, poor uzndistinguished, yet meritorius sufferers for their country! It was once a remarklable characteristic of Germantown, in its early history, say about the year 1700,-when it was described by Oldmixon, that the whole stIee, of one mile in length was fronted with blooming peach trees. To think of a state of society where their t He was of Berryvsville, Frederick county, Virginia. * His grandson has since got the horn. Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 47 shade trees along a public highway, should consist of the most delicious fruit! An original paper, by F. D. Pastorius, found at Stenton, of Malrch 1708-9, presented to the council, sets forth his difficulty of getting redress against one John Henry Sprogel, through tie plotting and contrivance of Daniel Falkner, pretended attorney for the Frankford Company, for lands in Germantown-and to effect his fiaudulent purposes, he had feed or retained the four known lawyers of the province, so as to deprive the said Pastorius, (himself a civilian,) and John Jawart, of all advice in law; and being in himself unable to fetch lawyers from New York, he therefore prays the interference of the governor and council, so as to restrain further proceedings, until further action from the principals in Germany. I have seen an old family Bible, Svo., of the Shoemaker family, which came out with the first settlers in 1682, printed at Zurich in 1538, by Christoffel Froschouer, in Switzer-German, done so early as to be without verses. In many pages, verses are marked with a pen, and many passages are underscored to add to their force. It was marked as being bought for 50s. at second hand, in 1678. In it was a record of family marriages, births, and deaths. Isaac Sch umacher, the head of the family, was born in C resheim in Germany, married in Pennsylvania Sarah Hendricks, who was born in the same town, the 2d of 10 mo., 1678. She died a widow the 15th June, 1742, her husband having died the 12th February, 1732. Benjamin, a son of the above, was born in Germantown, the 3d August, 1704, married in Philadelphia, the 18th June, 1724, to Sarah Coates, daughter of Thomas andl Bulah Coates. Benjamin died at Philadelphia in 1767; the wife died the 8th June 1738, leaving four children. I have indulged in this lengthened detail, because this venerable old relic has got out of the family, by some means, and fallen into the hands of strangers; and thus shows, how strangely families will sometimes allow their records to sink into oblivion! It is since given by me to Samuel M. Shoemaker, in Baltimore. There is, I presume, a great mass of citizens, who having never oeen in battle, feel a desire to have a close insight into the incidents which must there occur;-this, as a means to remove some of the vagueness of their imaginings and conjectures. Such feelings I have had myself; and which have been in part relieved, by such enquiries as I have occasionally made among the few remaining individuals who had witnessed the doings in the battle, and at the British encampment, &c., in Germantown, to wit: The most of the conflict was on the north-eastern side of Germantown. That part of our troops which encountered the Hessians and British, near the junction of the Wissahiccon with the Schuylkill, had defiled for that purpose, after they arrived at Chestnut hill, going thence, as led by two guides, of whom Geo. Danenhower, lately alive, was one. When the battle began, the fathers of families were quickly busied 48 Pennsylvania Inland.-Germantown. in disposing of their children and women in cellars. In the present C. M. Stoke's house, then belonging to Squire Feree, there were collected two dozen of weeping and terrified women. George Knorr and other boys ran towards Philadelphia, as far as Nicetown, where they met the Hessians coming out, and then stopped. One cannon ball struck a tree at Haines' brewery, as they passed, and then went before them down the street. Boys wele very curious and venturous; and several of them plucked up courage and got tothe tops of houses, and even into the streets. to see what could be seen. Such as some of them saw, I shall re. late:-Such as the battallion of tall Virginians, under Col. Matthews, brought in prisoners from Kelley's place, and lodged in the church at the market house. The faces of the prisoners and their guards were well blackened about their mouths with gunpowder, in biting off their cartridges. These Virginians had just before captured a party of British in the fog, and set up a hurrah, which brought a greater force upon them, and caused their own capture. The roar and rattling of discharges of musketry and cannon, was incessant: and the whistling of balls, were occasionally heard. Combatants could be seen, from the house top, occasionally in conflict, then obscured by smoke, and then again exposed to view. The battle, though begun at day light, was continued till after 10 o'clock. The retreat, when it began, a little before 11, must have been skilful as to general arrangement and orders, for it went off with entire silence. It seemed like a conflict and a great outbreak, suddenly hushed. The battle was but little witnessed in the town, after the first onset, and but few of the military were seen along the main street. It was chiefly on the north-eastern side, on the tillage ground; and the fences were mostly down. A great deal of fighting must have occurred in Joseph Magarge's field, near Branchtown, (probably with Stephens' division,) ascertained from the great number of leaden bullets found in his ten acre field, for years afterwards. Stephens himself had been set aside some time before, by his own officers, as too much inebriated to command. This was told me by one of his captains. The present Dr. George de Benneville, of Branchtown, now aged 83 years, was a lad of sixteen, at the time of the battle of Germantown, and saw much of the fight, and of the preceding and succeeding operations of the two armies. They had the Highlanders and British cavalry quartered in his neighbourhood. They were always cheerful, and always seemed to go gaily and confidently into expected fights. On such occasions, the kilted Scots went off in full trot, keeping up with the trot of the cavalry. The soldiers made free to take and kill the cows of his family, and their neighbours; but the officers were gentlemanly in their deportment, and seemed to try to put them in a way to get some recompense. Several of the British officers were quartered in Thomas Nedrow's house Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 49 the same now Butler's house, opposite to the residence of the present Pierce Butler. When the battle came on, the British made a barricade across the York road, at the place of those two houses. Our militia, in the time of the battle, made no stand of resistance in the neighbourhood of Branchtown, but seemed quickly to make their retreat; and for this non-defence, as many of them were known in the neighbourhood, they did not fail, afterwards, to receive the jibes and jeers of the people. They accused them of throwing away their cartridges, as a feint of having exhausted them in fight! Dr. de Benneville saw the British army come down the York road, on their return and defeat, after they had had their affair at Edge hill, where Gen. Morgan, with his riflemen, had so ably discomfited them. The British still looked well, and as if able to make a bold stand, if pressed to it. The doctor has described to me, with lively vivacity, his vivid recollections of those days; and says they were daily of the most stirring interest to him, and others of his neighbourhood. They kept them daily excited, and interested in every thing doing around them; and almost every day brought something new to pass, which in some way or other, might engage the feelings, or the wonder, of himself, and his youthful companions. Such recollections, to their possessors, at least, are even now felt to be worth a whole age of lesser years! A British officer, wounded, was seen near the market house, in Germantown, led by two soldiers;-he unexpectedly met there a surgeon, and said to him, all pale and faint, " I believe it is all over with me, doctor-I have got a mortal wound?" The doctor opened his breast, while still standing in the street, and turning aside his linen, soon said,-" Don't fear, I shall save you-go on." On he went, quite a renovated man. Mr. John Ashmead, still alive, and then an intelligent lad of twelve years of age,-as soon as the battle ceased, started from the market house, with a young companion, to " range o'er the tented field to note the dead." He saw several lots of dead, in parcels of sixes and sevens; none of the wounded remaining. They visited Chew's house-there they saw before the house about thirty dead, whom citizens were already beginning to bury, north-west of the house. They went into the house and all over it-saw blood in every room-noticed where a six pounder, which had come in at the front window, had gone through four partitions, and then out at the back of the house. Observed that some of the British therein, had used the back windows on the roof to get out, and under the shelter of that roof, to fire upon assailants approaching the front. They saw a dead American soldier, lying by his still smoking fire brand, who had evidently gotten there under the shelter of a board fence, joining the house to the kitchen out-house, and had been shot, (vainly seeking " the bubble reputation,") as he was about setting fire to the same, by a soldier from the cellar window. Another, a fine young warrior, volunteering to effect the same purpose, with a VOL. II.-G 5 50 Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. oundle of straw at a window, at the north-west corner, was also shot down on the spot. The same persons saw some six or seven bodies of soldiers, partially interred, back of the Methodist meetinglane; ground was heaped upon them just where and as they fell. Their feet were partly uncovered, and told their tale. In R. Smith's woods, in Branchtown, were lately taken up the remains of three American soldiers, buried theie, and reinterred by him with a head stone; part of their clothes and caps still remained, also their buttons and flints. They were there as an advanced picket guard, and were surprised. Persons who saw our retreating men at Chestnut hill, say they passed there with some show of order and control. It is, however, surprising how very few seem to have seen the whole scene, with sufficient intelligence to afford a picture to any inquirer now. One wants to know how they looked and did, how fared the wounded, and how they got on, &c., &c. Some of those in the retreat passed by the way of Oxford, thus showing a wide dispersion. Sundry of our wounded were deemed far enough removed when taken into the Episcopalian church, as their hospital, at Flour town. The British, shortly after the battle, concentred in Philadelphia and vicinity. Directly after they left Germantown, a troop of American horsemen came through the town upon their rear, so closely, that a British surgeon, who had just left dressing the wounds of three American officers, prisoners in the Widow Hess' house, was overtaken on foot in the street. When they were about to arrest him, W. Fryhoffer, who saw it, and knew the facts in the case, proclaimed his useful services, and he was told to walk to the city at his ease. In the mean time, the three officers were taken as prizes, and thus unexpectedly liberated. The same troop, advancing a little further, encountered a Quaker looking man in a chaise, who, in trepidation, made a short turn at Bowman's lane and upset, and thus exposed a large basket full of plate. He and his treasure were captured and ordered off to head-quarters. One of the boys of that day has told me how he used to go to mill, to bring flour to an individual in Germantown, who used to deliver it out to women coming from Philadelphia,+ at high prices, and carrying it in small parcels concealed about their persons. These were probably petty dealers for the wants of the town, and thus made their gain. The same returned with salt, &c. British officers were generally quartered in houses in the town, and demeaned themselves very civilly to the families therein. The officers, very many of them, were young; only the superior grades were aged. The soldiers were well disciplined, and did not commit any severe aggressions. The 33d one night stole a neighbour's cow, killed her, and covered her with straw, behind the late Win. Keyser's * It was carried to Philadelphia, and brought $8 per cwt. I knew a man to carry J cwt., and boys that carried 4 cwt., but they had to take a by-road for fear of losing it. Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 51 bark house; a sham search was made next morning, but it was soon hushed, and the cow cut up. They were said to be the clearings of the jails. The 33d were noted thieves, but they had to do it quietly. Two of the inhabitants of the town, Andrew Heath and young Sowers, became guides to the British, and wore their green uniform when so acting, intending, probably, to pass unnoticed; but they did not, and had to leave the place till the peace. At the same time, the brother of Sowers was an active whig. The honest father was abused as a tory, although he had actually given many blankets to the town militia. Sundry of the whig persons, engaged with the army, used to make, occasionally, hazardous excursions to visit their families stealthily, by night, &c. On one occasion, Mr. Denny, who was a militia lieutenant, came to his father's, near the market house, and when going away on horseback, at midnight, he chanced, as he was intending to turn into the church lane, to encounter the advance of a secret silent detachment going against La Fayette, at Barren hill. As he whipped up to turn the corner, they let fly a platoon, a ball fiom which, passed through his thigh, scarcely making him sensible of a wound, for he actually got over to the Branchtown tavern before he stopped. Such an alarm, at midnight, soon startled the whole town, and rapidly brought up the whole force of the expedition, at the same time breaking the intended secrecy. On another intended secret invasion of the British at midnight, a Mr. Lush, who was an acting wagoner for the gunpowder for the American army, was apprised to be on his guard. He geared up his team, and had it ready at the door for a start if needful; finding no approach, he concluded to ride down the city road to reconnoitre, and there he soon fell into their hands a prisoner. But his wagoner, more alert than his master, saw the approach in time to mount his team, and at full whip, dashed up the street, waking up all the inhabitants, to look abroad for something strange, and to see the exposure of the British array. Mr. John Ashmead, when a lad of twelve, had the exciting spectacle of seeing the whole British army come down the main street of Germantown, at their first entry. He was allowed, unmolested, to set in the street porch. Their whole array seemed in complete order-the display of officers, the regular march of red coated men, and refugee greens, the highlanders, grenadiers, their burnished arms, &c. There was, however, no display of colours, and no music-every thing moved like machinery in silence. In all their progress there was no violence and no offence. Sundry men occasionally came up and said, " Can you give us a little milk or any cider." On being referred to the father, who purposely kept in door, as he was a known whig, it was deemed expedient to give out readily. In time, the cidet carrel began to fall low, when it so occurred that a young officer came to ask a like indulgence;-when it was said to 52 Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. him he was welcome, but others had been before him, and left it muddy; he expressed his surprise at their exaction, and said it should be corrected. Quickly there appeared a sentinel before the house, who kept his place till superseded by another and another, for six or eight changes, until the whole army had passed. It showed disci pline, and a decorous demeanour in an enemy, which it is but honest justice to record. This discipline could be confirmed in another thing:-An insolent refugee soldier used to come to the cow yard of a family, who had officers quartered in their house, and to take his quantum of milk as his right. At last it became a grievance, which was hinted to one of the officers; he replied, ask his name, or notice the number of his button, and I shall soon have him punished. The culprit was cautioned by the aggrieved, and begged pardon, and never came again. In going over these incidents of the battle, and while yielding to emotions of compassion for the dead and the wounded, it cannot but occur to the mind, that even the fortunate and the victorious then, are now nearly all whelm'd in one common lot; —scarcely any now survive! Jacob Keyser, now an aged citizen of about 89 years of age, was then a lad; he, with his father's family, lived where is now the house of the Rev. Mr. Rodney. Its high position above the street enabled them, by placing an apple under the cellar door, to peep abroad and see the battle in the opposite field, distinctly. He could see there, those who fell under successive peals of musketry. After the battle he went abroad; he saw at the gate, adjoining his present house, many bullet marks; also an Adjutant Lucas dead, and his fine clothes divested. He was buried in the ground near by. Before the door of Jacob Peters' house, lay a fine large American officer dead, on the pavement. In a little while, when he again passed there, he was nearly stripped, and while he beheld him, a man forced off his shirt as his own lawful prey! His body was interred in the north-east corner of the burying ground opposite. His brother, Abraham Keyser, saw several officer looking persons, much divested of their clothing, laying dead along the inside of Chew's front wall-fence. It was understood that these inhumanities were inflicted by the followers of the camp-sometimes by soldiers' wives. These two brothers saw seventeen bodies put into one pit, near Chew's house, under a cherry tree. There was a row of cherry trees from the gate up to the north side of the house, and behind these trees men approached towards the house, as their shelter; some were dead, or wounded, at the foot of those trees. A fine large soldier, from Reading, lay dead at the gate; also, a lad, a son of Col. Chamberlane, of New Jersey. Soon after the battle, British officers came to the houses, and asked for young men to come out and bury. While they were so burying, a Bnutsh soldier came and said, " Don't bury them with their faces up, Pennsylvania Inland. Germantown. 53 and thus cast dirt in their faces, for they also' are mothers' sons.'' An officer came to a speechless, dying man, and said kindly, " Pray now for your soul." One of the bodies, very slightly buried, south of the house, was scented and dug after by the dogs, and afterwards corn was noticed to grow there with wonderful luxuriance. Very few girls were known to have formed any attachments for the enemy-a Miss Servor, and another, were the only two known to have gone away. In going into Chew's house, they noticed that the rooms were all much blackened by the smoke of their firings-not much blood observed. Saw only one man who had been wounded in the house, and he was dying. One Isaac Wood, at the present John Andrews' place, on Lime Kiln road, was killed at his cellar door, whilepeeping out at the battle, which was near him, along side of Dr. Betton's woods. An elderly lady and her nephew came to Germantown, about seven years ago, making inquiries for the remains of Gen. Nash, which, it is believed, none could then inform them about. He was shot through the thigh, and the same shot killed his horse, and his aid, Major Witherspoon. Very few accidents occurred to cattle during the fight. A cow, which belonged to John Smith's father, and which was in the field between the combatants, was bought after the fight for ten joes (80 dollars); at that time her beef would bring 50 cents a pound.'They had hard fare then, and all lived on the coarsest and cheapest kind of food. A cow, killed by a bullet in Peters' stable, was cut up, and eaten willingly. The house now Duval's, (then Christopher Huber's, and once Samuel Shoemaker's, a mayor of Philadelphia,) had the floor at one time covered with army tailors, making up clothing. The shoemakers and smiths would go to shops in squads, and use the tools for their work, in which the owners would join them, for the sake of keeping an eye on the preservation of their tools and materials. At and about the spring house of the same Duval's place, (at the rear of his'garden lot,) the premises being then in the tenure of Ch. Huber, the Virginia troops became engaged. On that occasion a soldier was shot and killed along side of iWm. Dolby, who, from that circumstance, became averse to war; soon after left his station in the ranks, found a retreat at Thomas Livezey's, (a miller and Friend,) then a very secluded place amid the wilds of the Wissahiccon. There he became fully convinced of Friends' principles, joined the society, and was afterwards a very acceptable and approved public Friend. He afterwards settled in Delaware state-often visited the yearly meetings in Philadelphia,-and at the end of forty years after the above mentioned battle, revisited the spot of his outward and inward conflict, and told the facts to Abraham Keyser, my informant, now 80 years of age. I once had a similar fact of convincement from my old friend 5* 54 Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. John B1aylie, who was engaged as a non-commissioned officer, a volunteer, under Wayne, at Trois rivers; and whilefearlessly entering into battle, all at once, one of the men in the ranks near him, (a militia man,) beginning audibly to pray for the salvation of those who might fall, he had such a conviction of his unpreparedness fot death and eternity, that he felt himself to tremble from head to foot under the divine power-he also ejaculated prayers —resolved instantly to kill no mnan-fired above his mark-became tra'nquil and self-possessed-went fearlessly into all danger,-and as soon as he got home, joined the Friends in Bucks county, and relinquished his pay. There was much woods on the north-east side of Beggarstown, up to Leibert's board yard; and along these woods were many dead and wounded. Houses along the town were much fewer in number than now, and generally lower and smaller-not such as we now see them in the same places. John Smith saw an American trooper driving dashingly along the poor house lane, towards Germantown, then turned off the road and lid himself and horse in a cider mill, on present John Wistar's place. Soon there came a troop in pursuit, and missed him When Smith first left his father's house, at the beginning of the battle, to seek a refuge, he saw walking on the street two wounded British soldiers, bloody, and going to the rear. He ran to Nicetown before stopping, and there met the British coming out fiom the city, in a kind of half running march. In Jacob S. Wunder's lot, he saw two of our men wounded, who had lain there all night, and he took them cider to drink. They were shot in the limbs, so that they could not walk, or help thenselves. The British army were covered with dust, when they first passed through Germantown; they were at other times kept very clean. Their horses were heavy, clumsy and large. Horsemen of both armies would occasionally pass rattling through the streets of Germantown by night, and in the morning it was clearly designated of which side the horsemen were, by the English horse being so very much larger in the hoof. The Hessian cavalry were gay ponies, much decorated with leather trappings. Women coming from Philadelphia, when met by our scouts, were very rudely searched for forbidden things about their persons, and often shamefully plundered of real necessaries. There were several rich young gentlemen, volunteers, attached to the British light infantry army, without coimmissions, seeking opportunities of promotion. There were three or four brothers of the name of Bradstreet among them. They used carbines. A. K. thinks that there was not much fighting along the street; he had often seen Col. Musgrave, who defended Chew's house. On one occasion the Colonel asked him if he had heard that Burgoyne was taken, and whether he was a citizen of Germantown; and on his answering "Yes," the Colonel repeated sternly, " Yes, yea' Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 55 meaning to reproach him for not adding sir, to a gentleman! He had been shot in the mouth, and had his face disfigured thereby, with a hole in his cheek. None of the officers were observed to have had any ladies with them, and had no intercourse as visiters in the families of the place. Indeed, the society then was very plain and unfashionable, and generally talked more German than English. The soldiers alone were most at home among the people, and they freely admitted the boys and old men of the place to visit their camp before the battle; but afterwards, they changed greatly, and kept often changing their grounds, and finally drew themselves wholly into and about the city. A large body of Hessians were hutted in Ashmead's field, out the School lane, near the woods; their huts were constructed of the rails from fences, set up at an angle of 450, resting on a crossbeam centre; over these were laid straw, and above the straw grass sod-they were close and warm. Those for the officers had wicker doors, with a glass light, and interwoven with plaited straw; they had also chimneys made of grass sod. They no doubt had prepared so to pass the winter, but the battle broke up their plans. One of the Hessians afterwards became Washington's coachman. Lieut. Craig, of the cavalry, was often adventurous; on one occasion, being alone and pursued up Germantown by the British horse, he purposely led them across a marsh at Cresheim, where one of their horses so mired, that he could not get out; this stopped the pursuit, and they had to kill the horse on the spot. Col. Pickering, in speaking of his recollections of the battle of Germantown, says, Washington's army started the evening preceding the battle, and lnarched all night. In the march, Gen. Washington followed Sullivan's column, and when the battle began, said to Col. Pickering, "Go ahead, and say that I am afraid he is throwing away his ammunition, and to try to reserve himself for a more- general action." The colonel then passed Chew's house without seeing any demonstrations of fight there; and he thinks the unseen troops therein were then barricading the premises. He overtook Gen. Sullivan three or four hundred yards beyond that house, and when returning, saw for the first time, that they were firing from that house across his road. He soon rejoined Gen. Washington, with his officers, at Billmeyer's house A flag was sent forthwith to the house to summon their surrender, which Lieut. Smith, of Virginia, volunteered to carry, and got shot as he was advancing, and afterwards died from the wound. Sullivan's division, therefore, was never delayed by the force in the house. Gen. Greene's column on the left did not get into action till three quarters of an hour later than those on the right, because of the greater circuit which they had to make; whereas, those on the main street, went more directly to the point of attack. In Col. Pickering's opinion, Judge Johnson's " Life of Greene" has given erroneous statements respecting Gen. Washington's hesitancy to pass Chew's house; and he distinctly says, that only Gen. Knox 56 Pennsylvania Inland. Germantown. could have been present, to obtrude any advice in that matter; all the rest of the general officers were in their places, with their commlands. The first of the retreating began for want of more ammunition, they having exhausted it, as the. comlmnander-in-chief had before apprehended. The boys of Germantown made play-work of the war, making themselves three forts (upper, middle, and lower,) along the town. They had regular embankments, and fought with stones, under a show of wooden guns. On one occasion, an Amierican officer, in passing, called out, "'Who comimands there?' and they called out his own name, " Proctor!" An aged gentleman, who has been a contributor of many of the facts of Germantown, and to whlom I have submitted the perusal of the preceding pages, has commended them- for their accuracy, and has furnished some additional illustrations, which I have added, viz.: Christopher Ludwicl, the baker-general, usually bore, and received, the appellation of general. He once owned the plantation, now belonging to John Haines. He lived many years in a very independent manner, in the house next Mrs. Sarah Johnson. He was of a very social cast, talking freely along the street with all he met, and in so loud and strong a voice, as every where to announce his vicinity;-so much so, that it was usual in families, in doors, to say, " There goes the general!" The frankness which characterized him, encouraged the woman, who became his second wife, to say to him, in meeting him in the street, that. as she felt concerned for his loneliness as a widower, she would offer herself to him for a companion, in case. he thought it might conduce to their mutual happiness. He took it, as he said, into a short consideration, and they became man and wife; she being a good wife, and both of them a happy couple, in the opinion of all! He had but one eye. My informant has seen many of the brotherhood of Ephrata, passing through Germantown, following in Indian file, all dressed alike, mnd all their clothes, from head to foot, was without colour! Flourtown, in old Shronk's day, \was, as rememnbered, the peculiar head-quarters of witchcraft, and witch-credulity. There, almost every body credited the evil influence; and from that cause old Shronk was under frequent requisition to go there, fromi his house at Schuylkill falls. When seen riding from home along the town, it was common for old and young to run to the windows to take a look at the rare man, and to sa, surely he is again called off to Flourtown. When arrived there, he would fling his arms about and proclaim that, here and there, in given directions, are many, many witches! The whole place was in serious trouble and confusion for several years; one anid another accusing and charging the other with being witches; and all referring to Shronk, to know the verity of their several apprehensions. An eye witness has thus described the British array, viz.:-The trim and graceful grenadier, the careless and half savage highlander, Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 57 with his flowing tartaned robes, and naked knees; then the immovably stiff German-here a regiment of Hessians,-and there slaves of Anspach and Waldeck, the first sombre as night, the second gaudy as noon. Here dashed a party of dragoons, and there scampered a party of yagers. The British officers gay in spirit and action, and the German officers stiff in motion and embroidery; the whole forming a moving kaleidoscope of colours and scenery. Mr. Jacob Miller, when aged about 82, told me of his observations in Germnantown, when a youth of sixteen. He lived, while the British were in Germantown, in the house now of George W. Toland; then the house of George Miller, a captain in the American army.- The first night of the arrival of the British army, upwards of a dozen of the British officers made their quarters in that house. While they were all present in one large room, they sent for him, and questioned him about his knowledge of many of the localities. In such inquiries, they always called every thing American " rebel;" and upon his saying he did not know what they meant to ask by the word rebel, some were rough, and charged him with wilful ignorance, and some others justified him, and said he was not obliged to acknowledge the term, even if lie understood it. His mother was soon employed to be their baker, and daily after she received their flour, and made it into bread, pound for pound, leaving her a good supply of gain, for the use of her family. He did not dare to go much abroad among the encampments, unless with some of the retainers of the army, for fear they might arrest him; therefore did not see much of their doings. The boys and girls of the place, he believes, kept very close house; he heard of no violence or insult to any of the inhabitants. Ming, Lightfoot, and Heath made themselves most useful to the British, and were afterwards regarded, and treated by ourselves, as tories; they were once afterwards paraded through the town to disgrace them, and were threatened with tar and feathers. The most outrageous conduct was committed on the person and property of Christopher Sower, a worthy, innocent, good man, on account of his son Christopher, who had taken the enemies' side. When the battle began, he and several others went across the street to Lorain's old house, and secured themselves in the cellar, from the door of which they peeped out and saw the cannon balls making their streaks through the air, towards Toland's woods;'hey also heard the whistling of many musket bullets. The British cavalry were hutted on the lots of Mehl's tand Royal' present open fields. Just as the battle began, and when he was going to the cellar be fore mentioned, he saw Gen. Howe ride up with several officers, from his quarters at Logan's house, (the owner, Wri. Logan, being * He afterwards became a colonel, and distinguished himself with the Germantown militia at Princeton. VOL. II.-H 58 Pennsylvania Inland. — Germantown. then deceased,) and stopping near Lorain's house, he heard General Howe say, quite loud, " My God, what shall we do? we are certainly surrounded!' They then rode onward up the town. After a while they left the cellar and ventured abroad; finding the firing had ceased, and seeing wounded men, on foot, coming there as to the rear, he ventured to go towards Chew's house, by the back lots, the fences being all cut down. He saw many dead, and a soldier stripping an officer who had a fine watch. When he got near there, he found himself unexpectedly near some renewed firing-one of the balls went through the porch where he was standing —he retreated rapidly homeward. When again at home, he found a gathering at his neighbour Mechlin's house, (the present Wagner's,) and went in, where he found, in the large stable in the yard, a British hospital, where surgeons were beginning to arrange long tables, made of the doors, on which to lay men, (friends and foes,) for amputation. They soon pressed him to assist them, but he not liking the employ, soon managed to get off and hide himself. He saw as many as two dozen there, wounded; they cut off arms and legs, and cast them, when done, into the stone quarry near, where they were afterwards covered with a little earth. He knew that, afterwards, dogs got at some of themn; he took from a dog a leg, which he buried at Mehl's gateway. He knows that there was a great deal of fighting on his present'ot in Danenhower's lane; and also on Armstrong's hill, by the mill. There, he and other boys have collected several hatfuls of leaden bullets; even to this (lay, he finds bullets and flints in his lot, whenever he ploughs the place. He supposes he gathered as many as a bushel of them, not long after the battle, getting usually a hatful at any one time of searching; and these he used to hide in post holes for the time. He used to steal to Philadelphia occasionally, to get things wanted for the family. His way was to watch occasions when parties of the British came out, then to follow closely in their rear; and afterwards to get home by by-paths and back roads, and always keeping a good look out. to shun Capt. Allen M'Lane, who was always on the scout, and was often seen by him and others close upon the British outposts. He has seen him pursued several times, from near his house. Dover and Howard were officers also in the same service. He saw Gen Agnew and Col. Bird buried, in the lower burying ground, with very little parade. There was also a British officer buried there, fiom Ottinger's house, where he died of sickness. He saw several dead soldiers buried in Mechlin's tanyard after the battle; they were probably from the hospital there, and at Armat's house. One of the officers, who was unwell, the night of their first arrival, wanted him to go up the town to purchase something for his relief, and he being afraid to go alone, expressed his reluctance, when the officer said, " I'll give you a scrip which will pass you." So he went, and at every little distance he found a sentinel along the Pennsylvania Inland.-Germantown. 59 street, by whom he was challenged, and showed his passport, and proceeded till he got what he wanted. On Taggart's ground were a great many of the British encamped in huts, made up from the fences, and overlaid with sods. On the same ground, he afterwards saw Count Pulaski's cavalry, of four hundred men, in their whitish uniform, where they made a grand display of military evolutions, in exercising in a mock battle. They were formed mostly from the prisoners of Burgoyne's army, Germans, and others. Their exercises made a deep impression on his youthful fears; for when he beheld their frequent onsets with drawn swords, he felt quite persuaded they must turn it all to earnest. One of them got killed in the onset. At one time, it was said that the British were intending to take into their service all the half grown boys they could find in the place; to avoid which, he and others got off to a public house near Flourtown. He supposes that it was a false report. He was present, with the brother and sister of Major Witherspoon, (aid to Gen. Nash,) when he was disinterred, in Philip Weaver's front lot. They had brought a coffin, and outer case, intending to take him home to Princeton, but his body was too decayed and offensive to bear such a removal. He was in the same pit with six other bodies; but he was known from the rest, by the loss of part of his skull, and by being the only one wrapped in a blanket. The sister cut off a lock of his hair. What an affecting scene for relatives! The English cavalry pursued the Americans eight miles, on the Skippack road, fifteen and a half miles fiom Philadelphia, into Whitpaine township, as far as the Blue Bell. We have heard from an old friend, a witness now at that place, that our militia was already there when the British cavalry arrived, and wheeled about to make good their retreat and return. He describes the confusion that existed among the Americans as past the power of description; sadness and consternation was expressed in every countenance. While the dead and dying, (which had preceded this halt at the Blue Bell,) were before seen moving onward for refuge, there could be seen many anxious women and children rushing to the scene to learn the fate of their friends, and to meet, if they could, the fathers, brothers, or other relatives, who had been before sent forward for the engagement. Again and again, the American officers were seen riding or running to the front of the militia with their drawn swords, threatening, or persuading them to face about and meet the foe. But all efforts seemed to fail; and officers and men were still seen every where borne along on the retreat. They broke down fences and rushed away in confusion, as if determined no longer to hazard the chances of war in another onset. Some few, however, still held on to the moving mass of dead and wounded-for some had died, while still in the course of their removal. General Nash, of North Carolina, Col. Boyd, Major White, of Philadelphia, aid to Sullivan, and another officer, who were among 60 Pennsylvania Inland. —Germantown. the wounded, were carried onward, so far, as that when they died they were all buried side by side, at the Melnonist burying ground and church in Towamensing township, a place beautifully shaded with forest trees. Their graves there I have visited, twenty-six miles from Philadelphia. I have learned from the sons of one De Haven, that their father had assisted in carrying Gen. Nash, who was brought into his house, and then taken two miles further to his brother's house, where he died,-having in his profuse bleeding for his country's good, bled through two feather beds before he died. A Mr. Godshalk, who is alive at Kulpsville, saw his interment; Major White was deemed the finest looking officer in the service-his beauty and dress had conferred on him the soubriquet of "beau White." He was an Irishman by birth, married to a London lady, and the father of the present Judge John M. White, of Woodbury, New Jersey. He had gone on after the battle, wounded, but. riding on his own horse. He had reached the house of Abram Wentz. on Skippack road, where he had before quartered. As the alarm of the pursuing army came onward, he undertook to ride six miles further, when he took a fever from his exertions, of which he died. A lady who saw him at Wentz's house, and who is still alive, has told me he came there with Gen. Furman, and that the major was gay and cheerful, and declined any bed or assistance. In the same company there was a very young officer from Virginia, (supposed to be Lieut. Smith,) wounded in the shoulder, who also went onward. An old German, a soldier, has informed that four of our officers were buried side by side at Whitemarsh, [most probably non-commissioned ones.] In that neighbourhood there are still some remains of the former entrenchments. A large portion of the American army lay encamped on the Skippack road, twenty and a half miles from Philadelphia, and while there, Gen. Washington, and several of the officers, were quartered in the house of Mr. Monis —-since known as the large country house and residence of the late Dr. James, of Philadelphia. Gen. Washington had also his quarters at Jacob Wampole's farm house (the father of the late Isaac Wampole, the eminent city scrivener,) located near a woods, and three quarters of a mile from the aforesaid Mennonist burying ground. That family had known that the general was in the practice of retiring to pray. It occurs to me here to say a little of the state and class of people settled in this section of country. Such as are known to me of Towamensing and Franconia. They were generally German Mennonists and Tunkards. The latter have a meeting-house and a well dressed congregation, by the Indian creek; all the farms are well cultivated, and evince prosperity,-far different from what their forefathers could have enjoyed in their own country. Such a country as this is now, so little distant from Philadelphia, was only first settled in 1719-at the cost of but J10 for fifty acres. When first settled, several small remains of Indians still lingered about; and the We have since given them a monument there, Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. ol name of Indian creek, given by the settlers when the first surveys were made in 1718 to J. Steel, shows their then understood vicinage and home. There I have been shown their grave ground, &c. When Henry Funk settled there in 1719, in Franconia, he was six niles northward of any neighbour, and although his place is now a mill, he then had no mill nearer than the present Mather's mill at Flourtown, (so called most probably as the earliest known place of supply,) to which place the family used to send a single bag of grain on!horseback. The late Gen. Cobb, who was long a member of Gen. Washington's military family during the war, has informed us of some of the habits of the chieftain. Every thing was to be precise and punctual there-at the breakfast hour, the general was sure to be punctual, and then he expected to find his aids, Cobb, Hamilton, Humphreys, awaiting him. He came then dressed for the day, bringing with him the letters and despatches of the preceding day, with short memoranda of the answers to be made; also the substance of orders to be issued. After breakfast, these papers were distributed among the aids, to be put in form. Soon after, he mounted his horse to visit the troops, and expected to find on his return, before noon, all the papers prepared for his inspection and signature. There was no familiarity in his presence; it was all sobriety and business. Throughout the war it was understood in his military family that he gave a part of every day to private prayer and devotion. Gen. Cobb, though so long closely connected with so grave a leader, was himself a man strongly disposed to enjoy a laugh; and yet he says, that in his long intercourse with him, he had only met with one officer-Col. Scammel, who had the power of affecting the risibilities of the general. Scammel was full of ludicrous anecdotes, and when dining at the general's table, was allowed to take the command, and to excite, beyond any other man, the general himself. It may afford interest to some, to learn some of the local facts incident to the management and retreat of La Fayette, at Barren Hill, where he was intended to be surprised and broken up by Gen. Gray, such as I learned them to be, from Samuel Maulmsby, a respectable Friend, dwelling then and since at Plymouth meetinghouse. He was at the time an active and observing boy. The whole British force arrived early in the morning at the meeting-house, in the rear of La Fayette, and halted in the public road, remaining there about an hour and a half, seemingly perplexed and disappointed; and, as it is believed, debating between the choice of going either to Spring mill, oradson's ford. The men seemed unwearied, but chagrined and angry. He had then an uncle-a Capt. Davis, of the Pennsylvania militia, who being then with the American army, and familiar with all the localities of the country, was much consulted and often used as a guide, &c. From him Mr Maulmsby learned many facts concern6 62 Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. ing the retreat of La Fayette across the Schuylkill at Madson's ford Such as that the British made their approach with all possible quiet ness and secrecy, in the night (as before mentioned, through Germantown, &c.) They turned at Mather's mill to go on to Plymouth. At that mill lived a Capt. Stoy, who having occasion to get out of bed, chanced to see the army passing his door. He immediately ran across the fields and nigh cuts, to give La Fayette the alarm; but his breath failing him, he called up one Rudolph Bartle, who ran on to Barren hill and gave the intelligence. La Fayette immediately sent off his artillery to the other side of Schuylkill, at Madson's ford, and going himself to the same place by the way of Spring mill. There were Oneida Indians attached to his command, who took their own course, and had to swim the river. In doing this, they left behind them a young prince of twelve years of age, whom they there lamented in strong cries and yells of distress, as being captured or drowned. He soon after appeared, when they all kneeled in solemn praise and thanksgiving, to the Great Spirit, for his safety. The force of La Fayette moved on to Valley Forge to join Washington's army, then there. Mr. Maulmsby saw among the British several refugees, who seemed to be very active advisers. Some of them had been his neighbours. They were dressed in greenish uniforms. He told me a fact, which should be remembered, as it helps to illustrate many cases, I presume, of alleged cruelty and plunder. A party, from the force in the road, came into his mother's house under pretext of getting water. They seemed to be highlanders; these immediately ran over the house and up stairs, forcing open chests and drawers with their bayonets, and taking off what they liked. Had the matter rested there, the whole might have been deemed a common violence; but an accident showed another system. An officer came in to ask if they could spare a pair of swingle-trees, which when young Maulmsby had found, the price was asked, and none being required the officer gave him a guinea. At this time, a soldier was observed running to the house for his musket which he had forgotten, and out of this fact grew an explanation of the previous plunder. The officer forthwith entreated the widow to come out to the men to designate the depredators, assuring her the property should be restored, and the men punished before her face; he saying, they had already been threatened with death, if they attempted to plunder. Just then firing was heard at a distance, when they all hastily marched off. General Washington was often to be seen riding abroad, with a black servant, having a guard and some officers in company. How different things then, from what he must have afterwards witnessed them when a summer resident in Germantown, and going occasionally over the same happy and prosperous neighbourhoods, witnessing their changes and improvements. In preserving the remembrance of the past, I may mention that Pennsylvania Inland.-Germantown. 63 the house in which I dwell was the residence of Th/omas Jefferson, in 1793, when he was secretary of state. The same house was before occupied by John De Braine, a French-German, distinguished as an astronomer; who published, while here, several small publications, and diagrams, too occult to be understood! Persons now visiting Germantown, and witnessing its universal English population, could hardly imagine that a place so near Philadelphia could have retained its German character, down to the year 1793. Before that time, all the public preaching was in German; and nearly all the plays of the boys, and their conversation, was in that tongue. The yellow fever of 1793 brought out here all the officers of the general and state governments, and of the banks, and filled all the houses with new inmates. In the next and subsequent years, sundry families from the city became summer residents. Then Englisl succeeded rapidly; and soon after, increased desires for English preaching, in part, began to be manifested among the young, and to be resisted by the aged. Then, Runkle, Wack, and others, who could preach in both languages, were inducted. Now, Mr. Richards is the only one who preaches in German, and that only once a month; the chief of his sermons are in English. The Methodists were the first who introduced English preaching-they beginning in the school house, at first. While the British were here, the chaplains of the Hessians preached in the German churches, and two remained in this country after the war. One of them, the Rev. Mr. Schaeffer, took the Lutheran church, in Germantown. The yellow fever could make no headway in Germantown, although so near Philadelphia; only six or eight persons died of it here, and they had derived it from Philadelphia. The place is always pre-eminently healthy. General Washington, when residing here, in 1793, was a frequent walker abroad, up the main street, and daily rode out on horseback, or in his phaeton. So that every body here was familiar with the personal appearance of that eminent man. When he and his family attended the English preaching, in the Dutch church, at the market house, they always occupied the seat fronting the pulpit. It was also his own practice to attend the German preaching, thus showing lie had some knowledge of that language. His house was closed on the Sabbath, until the bell tolled, when it was opened, just as he was seen coming to the church. I chance also to know, that he had some knQ\ledge of the French, because, when my friend, Jacob Roset first arrived in this country, about the year'1792, he, with four or five of his countrymen, met the general in the street, in Philadelphia; and stopping to let him pass, he held out his hand to Mr. Roset, and said to him and his friends, Bien venu en Amerique. A salutation which delighted them. When he left Germantown, to go onward to Carlisle, to join the western expedition, and was intended to have been escorted by a 64 Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. troop of horse, from Philadelphia, he wishing to shun the paraae, went off in his single seated phaeton, drawn by four fine gray horses, out the School lane, and up the rugged back road of the township line. so as to escape their notice and attention. Many remember his very civil and courteous demeanour to all classes in the town, as he occasionally had intercourse with them. He has been seen several times at Henry Fraley's carpenter shop, and at Bringhurst's blacksmith shop, talking freely and cordially with both. They had both been in some of his campaigns. His lady endeared herself to many, by her uniform gentleness and kindness. Neither of them showed pride or austerity. I could illustrate the assertion, by several remembered incidents in proof. Those who now visit Germantown, and notice the general neatness and whiteness of the front faces of the houses, and see the elegance of some of the country seats, can have little idea how differently it looked in 1814, when the writer first became a resident in the place. Then, most of the houses were of dark, moss-grown stone, and of sombre and prison-like aspect, with little old fashioned windows, and monstrous corner chimneys, formed of stone. Now the chimneys are rebuilt of brick, and taken from the corners; and nearly all of the front walls are plastered over in imitation of marble; besides this, the whole town is laid with good foot-pavement, and thus relieving the street-walkers fiom the great annoyance of muddy feet These changes were effected by the frequent expostulations and suggestions of writers in the Germantown Gazette, among whom the present writer was to be numbered. Numerous shade-trees were also introduced along the streets, so as to add to the charm of the promenade, the whole length of this remarkably long town;-sometimes called Long ville, in reference to this, its peculiar characteristic. Many of the old houses, now of two stories, have been raised from one and a half stories. Before the Revolution, the most of the houses were but one and a half stories, with high double-hipped roofs. Gilbert Stuart, the great painter, dwelt in Germantown, in 1794-5. His dwelling was the same now David Styers'; and his paintings were executed in the barn in the rear, with one light. There he executed that memorable head-his second Washington; the first being destroyed by himself, voluntarily, as insufficient to meet his views of that extraordinary man. The head, only, was finished-the drapery having never been executed. The same head is now owned by the Boston Athenaeum, procured after the death of Stuart, from his widow, at a cost of 1000 dollars. From that head he executed all his other portraits, including his full length portrait, done at Germantown, for Lord Lansdown, and afterwards badly, as an engraving, by Heath, in London. Stuart had a great aversion to the drudgery of making drapery to his pictures, and used to employ another hand.o execute them. At his house Gen. Washington and his lady were frequent visiters, seen here, as such, by many. Mrs. Washing. ton had a great desire to have possession of that finished head of the Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 65 general; but as it was his chef-d'oeuvre, and he had no hopes to be able to execute another as well, it was conceded to him as an indulgence, to retain it for himself during his life. While here, he executed a full length portrait of Cornplanter, the celebrated Indian chief. Mr. Stuart was noted for his eccentricity, and his love of good eating and drinking. To the latter, he was much addicted after his dinner, showing therefioml a much inflamed face, and much of recklessness in his actions when excited by his drink. In this he dealt in wholesale way; —buying his wine, brandy, and gin, by the cask. On one occasion he was seen kicking a large piece of beef across the street from his own house over to Diehl's, his butcher, and tumbling it into his premises; as if to say, such beef was not only unfit for his table, but too bad to be handled. On another occasion, he took a fancy to paint for Riters' tavern a finely executed sign of the King of Prussia on horseback, (the painter to be unknown!) it stood for years worthy of admiration, and at last got painted over with letters' The King of Prussia Inn," none knowing that it was, in fact, a curiosity and a relic. At my request this sign is now preserved, and will be given to any company of artists who may wish to preserve it, by taking off its last covering of paint. The history of his life, as told in Dunlap's Arts of Design, shows many singular characteristics of this remarkably gifted man; he was great in his person, and extraordinary in all he did; highly honourable in his sentiments, and independent in his actions. Another character of Germantown, but of quite another cast, was Redheifer, the pretender to pe.rpetual motion. For a while he enlivened the town with his numerous visiters, to see his machinery in perpetual motion, at the extraordinary price of one dollar each visiter. It was at. last found to be moved by a crank, which was wound perpetually, by a concealed little old man in an upper loft! The machinery was elegant and expensive; and might have produced something, had it been preserved for exhibition, as a curious and amusing toy. But he and his apparatus disappeared together. He was himself s'aid to be an immoral man, and a gambler. Among the characteristics of the place was its unrivalled manufacture of superior stockings-all done by hand weaving, as originally brought into use by the first settlers; these hlave been in modern times driven out of use. The place was also. since the revolution, pre-eminent for its superior build of coaches u.nd vehicles; but, in late years, the workmen of Newark have drawa off the business by their reduced prices. The first introduction of carriage building was somewhat curious. Mr. William Ashmead, a smith, observing the heavy build of the coaches of his day, and that they were mostly imported, if intended to be of a superior kind, bethought him to form an open-fiont light carriage, on his own plan. When it was done, it was admired by many and was often called for by the wealthy who wished to travel to distances;-among these was Mr. Bingham. They engaged it at VOL. II-I 6* 66 Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. one dollar a day; and it was in constant demand. At last, a gentleman fiomn Maryland, who had seen it, camle to the place to buy it. It was not for sale; but he offered J'120 for it, and took it. Then another and another was built, and orders were renewed upon Mr. Ashmead. Soon, increased demands occurred; and his son John being made a carriage maker, received numerous orders for many kinds of light carriages, and especially for phaetons. About the same time, (the time of the revolution and afterwards,) Mr. Bringhurst, who was at the time a chaise maker, went largely into the making of carriages. Coaches and chariots were made for ~200 and phaetons for 100. The same William Ashmead, as a smith, had made himself a plough with a wrought iron mould-board, which was found to be a great improvement; and was so much admired by La Fayette, who saw its utility, that he purchased four of them, for his La Grange farm in France. No patent was taken; and in time some other person, following the hint, made the same thing of cast iron,-such as is now in general use. Germantown was the first place in our country to declare against the practice of slavery. The declaration proceeded from the Friends' meeting, of whom the chief members at the time were Germans. The old inhabitants have been old observers of " Lammnas'floocls," to prevail from the 1st to the 10th or 12th of August, and well it is marked, while this work is going through the press, in August 1843, flooding Philadelphia; drenching the military encampments daily; carrying away fifty bridges in Delaware county, &c.! St. Lam mas is of record in the German almanacs-and mind! make no appointmentsforpleasure in Lammas' times! It may justly surprise the present generation to have a little insight into the state of farming before the revolution, and before the introduction of clover and plaster of Paris. These were the things which enriched the cultivators and beautified our fields. It was first started about the year 1780, at Chestnut hill, by Abraham Rex, and at Germantown, by Leonard Stoneburner. It became a wonder to see men making grass, and hauling it in from upland fields. Every body was delighted to see the effect of this new era in farming. The aged now can well remember the stirring interest which was every where excited by this important improvement. Before this time, a farmer at Germantown would consider one hundred acres of land as inadequate to provide his frugal living then, unless he had also a good portion of natural meadow to supply his stock. It soon came to be experienced that fifty acres of land, well tilled, produced enough to fill a barn of double the size before used! The horses and cattle soon found a joyous change to their benefit, and well they showed the difference of their feeding. We tell these things for the sake of the gratitude and acknowledgment which such benefits, conferred on us, deserve. Pennsylvania Inland.-Germantown. 67 Another great era of public benefit, now but little considered, was the formation of the Germantown turnpike-a measure got up chiefly through the exertions of Casper Haines. The common road through Germantown, before this time, at the breaking up of die winter, as well as at some other times, was impassable for wneel carriages. To that cause it was that the most of the marketing, going through the place to Philadelphia, was all carried on horseback with side panniers and hampers, and the most of the horses were ridden by women. Think what a relief they have had since those days! It is a well known fact that horses and carriages have been swamped and lost! In going through the town, (now all well paved,) their horses would enter the mud to their knees at every step, and not being able to progress faster than two or three miles an hour, and then often endangered. Now what a change do we witness!-No men or women now on horseback with marketing, but going with easy spring dearborns at five and six miles an hour, as easy and safe as if in state carriages. Even wagon loads of hay can be seen sometimes passing in a trot! The young farmers now know almost nothing about former difficulties and poor returns; and they are not sufficiently aware that the fine barns and fine houses, as they have since seen them, have all been the result of clover cultivation and improved husbandry. We aim, therefore, to keep these facts " before the people," that they may thus know " the rock from which they were hewn." I ought to take this suitable occasion to explain why it formerly was, that great country stores could be so well sustained at Germantown and Frankford, and out on Lancaster road. It arose from the extreme badness of all great roads leading into the city, in particular seasons. To avoid such, farmers bringing produce could sell out their whole loads to Rex, and others, on Chestnut hill, or at Stoneburner's, Fry's, and Miller's, in Germantown. In return they could get salt, fish, plaster of Paris, clover and grass seed; all kinds of groceries and dry goods. Such stores were granaries for all kinds of grain, and received and cured hogs and beef. They all made money. You might see a dozen country wagons at a time about their premises. All this continued until turnpikes insured safe passages into the city; and then the stores began fast to decline, and finally to give up, or to contract themselves into sinall affairs. The present aged Jacob Keyser was told by A. Cook, a primitive inhabitant, that he could well rememnber Germantown street as being an Indian foot-path, going througl laurel bushes. John Miller, Esq., a respectable gentleman and a magistrate, dwelling in Germantown, in the house now belonging to the Chanceller family, kept a diary of passing events, during the time the British occupied that place and the city of Philadelphia. He was a strong whig, and eventually lost a great deal by the continental money. From his MS. book of twenty pages, quarto, I select the following notices, to wit: 68 Pennsylvania Inland.- Gernmntown. Sept. 18th, 1777, he speaks of much alarm among the people froml the expected approach of the British, and the apprehended capt!ure of Philadelphia. He and his wife go to the city to consult witll their children there, to settle to what places they should remove for refuge. They determine to wait a little. September 19th. On a second visit to the city, found his son-in-law, Mease, and family, had, in the interval of a day, fled from their house at four o'clock in the morning, and had gone towards Trenton. He finds there, that great numbers had fled the last night and this morning. The roads were full of persons going away. September 20th. He states that the roads are still full of poor people flying off from their good homes, to fall perhaps into greater danger. To-day, his wife went to the city to endeavour to save some of the furniture, left behind by her daughter. September 22d. The news and reports, of to-day and yesterday, are all uncertain. They heard a cannonading up the Schuylkill; cause unknown. September 23d. The alarm this morning is great. The militia are returning in great haste; tell us the British passed the Swedeford last night, and are since in full march for Germantown. From this news many fled this night. Among them was Doctor Bensall and family, which went to Horsham. He left a well furnished house and a large shop of medicines, which the enemy, as he was a known whig, destroyed, or carried off. September 25th. The British army entered Germantown at eleven o'clock, and encamped around them, and occasions much fear, especially from the foreign mercenaries. They burnt and destroyed all his fences, grain, potatoes, turnips, &c., and endeavoured to inveigle away some of his negroes. To his person they were complaisant, and readily gave hinm a safeguard to keep his effects in door, from harm. A heavy rain fell at night. September 26th. The morning was cool fiom the rain. General Lord Cornwallis marches into Philadelphia in great state,-the incidents of wvhich were inscribed in pompous language, and at much length, on the Coffee House books. September 28th. He hears that his daughter's family, which had gone to Summer Seat for refuge, had to change their place, and were going to Lancaster for greater security. Her husband, Mr. Mease, was with the camp. This day, for the first time, General Howe made his entrance into Philadelphia, and made his call upon Lord Cornwallis, then at Richard Penn's mansion, in High street, near Sixth street. [The same afterwards Washington's residence.] September 29th. The army seem all quiet-have a fine seasonare hourly destroying the property of all within their reach. September 30th. This day, and at other times, he speaks of visiting Galloway in the city for a pass, to visit his daughter, but is always refused or put off. October 2d. He hears the attack begun on the Fort at Mud Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 69 Island. He mentions hearing, from day to day, for near two months after this, the heavy cannonading continued on that fortress-(so gallantly and long defended). It sensibly shook the ground, he says, at Germantown! October 4th. He returned to Germantown this morning from the city, and finds that a hot engagement had occurred between the two armies at Germantown. His poor wife was alone, up two pair of stairs, when a cannon ball passed through a window very near her. October 6th. Great numbers came out from the city to satisfy their curiosity respecting the battle of yesterday. After the battle, the Hessian camp is placed just by him, and makes him much dislike their presence. October 7th. Several were executed for desertion and others were flogged for offences. An aid of General Knyphausen, (one Copenhouse,) robbed him of a Map of Pennsylvania, and otherwise behaved unlike a gentleman. In the evening, a great number of the Highlanders were encamped up town,-and the following morning were again moved off. October 10th. He notices the army to be in great motion this morning; and it is the opinion of some, that Washington is approaching:-others say, (so uncertain is the news!) that he has crossed the Delaware. October 11th. He notices the first white fiost. Before day light the soldiers went off to try to surprise the Americans, and by eight o'clock, A. M., returned without falling in with any of them. October 17th. Orders came for all horses in Germantown and the environs to be sent to Philadelphia by eight o'clock, with their harnesses. About five hundred were so sent and appraised, but only tories received their pay! His horse was exempted by the kindness of Sir William Erskine. At this time, his house being marked for the quarters of General Sterne, it is occupied below stairs by his aids; and next day, there came a great suite of his officers, and fixed their sentinels around the house-filling the stables with their horses;-~ but in an hour, much to his joy and comfort, came an order for their return, and to say, he would not come. October 18th. Three regiments marched as high as Barren hill in quest of rebels, as they said. In the evening he heard thirteen cannons and volleys of small arms,-which proved afterwards to be a feu-de-joie from the Americans, for the capture of Burgoyne's army. October 19th. The army is in motion at day light, to march from here and not to return. By ten o'clock, they were all gone for the city. In about an hour, the American light horse appeared, and soon had some skirmishing down the road. They took three or four prisoners and some wagons. October 20th. A part of General Wayne's division marched down through Germantown, and returned in the evening. He speaks of several American officers as being entertained at his house as friends' IO Pennsylvania Inland.-Germantown. such as General Reed, Colonel Bradford, &c., and then, as returning to their camp in the afternoon. October 23d. A part of General Washington's army began to march by ten o'clocl at night through Germantown, and continued till day-break. They formed on the heights near the city and drove in the pickets. The enemy not venturing out., the troops withdrew, as they did not wish to attack the city. They hear the cannonading at tle fort, and two violent shocks of explosion, shaking the earthl,which afterwards proved to be the Augusta man-of-war blown up, &c. November 10th. Several parties from our camp pass through town to forage. Several deserters from day to day fiom the city confirm the scarcity of bread, &c., there. The cannonade at. the fort is still very heavy, and still shaking the very earth. November 11th. A hard frost, and next day seems to begin the first of the winter-snow having fallen all the preceding night. November 15. The weather clear and cold. They cain see from a house in Germantown, by the aid of a spy glass, two men-of-war, closely bombarding the poor little fort, which has held out nobly since the 2d October, and only yielded at the end of seven weeks. November 17th. Several women of the British camp were caught last night plundering the gardens, and were carried to head-quarters, to look and feel very awkwardly. November 20th. Several women came from the city to look up a little provision for their families. Desolation and famine seem to threaten us. November 22d. In the afternoon the British burnt the house of John Dickinson, Esq., (the same now known as J. P. Norris' house,) also the tavern of the whig lady, Mrs. Nice, at the Rising Sun, and several others in that neighbcurhood, on the Gerimantown road. They also burnt the house of Jonathan Mifflin; Peale Hall, Francis' place, &c. This to their great shame! November 25th and 26th. There was much alarm in Germantown, from reports that it was the purpose of the enemy to burn this place. It was even said, that the party for this purpose was resting at the Rising Sun. In consequence of this fear, he conveyed away a trunk of valuables as far as Chestnut hill. November 27th. There appeared a great and surprising northern light-as red as blood. December 4th. The enemy were much in motion —-had pressed yesterday numerous horses, wagons, &c. December 5th. The whole of the enemy's force, last night and this morning, passed through Germantown on their way to surprise General Washington at Whitemarsh. They did much damage as they went-wantonly burning and destroying houses and property in the night time. At ten o'clock, A. M., was heard a heavy firing begun on Chestnut hill, and lasting for two or three hours. They returned on the Sth instant. Pennsylvania Inland.- Germantown. 71 December 6th. The enemy and our light horse place us in inuch danger, as they patrol our streets alternately. December 10th. He finds many of the inhabitants of the town deploring their losses. Several had sent their goods for safety to Chestnut hill —where the enemy took some and burnt the rest. He, however, found that his trunk, which had been left at Mr. Bush's house, had escaped the pillage, although the house itself had lost mluch, while occupied as the temporary quarters of General Howe and his attendants. [This house was, since, Lentz's house, at the fork of the road.] When they returned, the night of the 7th, down the Old York road, they spared neither friends nor foes, but burnt and robbed all along the road. They carried with them about forty loads of wounded. Mrs. Bush was so frightened by the violence of some towards her son, Dr. Bush, then a wounded officer in bed, in threatening to stab him, &c., that she miscarried with her twentieth child, and was interred at Philadelphia, on the 21st December. December 20th. The navigation at Philadelphia was stopped for ten or twelve days by the ice. In January, 1778, the weather being severely cold, the British armly goes into winter quarters-often sending out foraging parties to rob the country around, and on market days to protect the country people bringing them produce. The 19th of May, a large detachment of British marched up the Old York road; and next day a second party came through Germantown, and had a skirmish. They returned about five o'clock, P. M. in some haste, with several wagons of dead and wounded. The Indians killed seven British horsemen on the banks of the Schuylkill. May 28th. A large detachment of the enemy came up and re turned, without permission to do any harm. June 3d. The British army came up and went through the town by break of day, and returned by nine o'clock, A. M. They rob gardens and steal fowls, as they pass along. June 6th. They came up again in force and returned by nine o'clock, A. M.-having with them a few wounded in a skirmish. June 10th. The enemy came up again by different routes, and joined forces at Allen's lane, (now Mount Airy,) and returned before nine o'clock in the morning-effecting notling but the plunder ing of gardens, &c. The English commissioners came up strongly guarded as far as Chew's house, and returned just after the above force. June 13th. The army marched up for the last time, and got as far as Mount Airy. They returned in two hours. June 16th and 17th. They are embarking and making all preparations for a departure from Philadelphia: and on the 18th, the Americans again took possession of the city. Laus Deo! ~' The foregoing, it will be observed, speaks more of the predatory aggressions of the enemy, than was generally complained of, by others. We give the facts as they have been told us. 7a2 Pennsylvania Inland. —~Fankford. Such are the leading facts of the ancient town of Germantownfirst, of its antiquities, as old as Philadelphia itself; and next of its stirring incidents as a captured country, and a battle field. We conclude with a single additional recital and confirmation, to wit: Mrs. Hall, of Philadelphia, gave a short notice of the retreat of her family to Jersey-which, like many others, was by market wagons, carts, and other rough vehicles. She went away with others in a wood flat, fully crowded, sitting in smoky cabins, or wrapped in blankets and laying on the decks. Many were thankful to get into barns and out-houses in the country on their first arrival. Those who met abroad felt an instinctive brotherhood, and all did what they could to help and accommodate each other. Some went down to Delaware and along the Chesapeake, and were again driven from their asylums in the following summer, by new alarms. When they afterwards met at their desolate homes, marvellous and amusing were the adventures recounted at the firesides.' Sir, (said a gentleman, whose name was eminent among the patriots,) these stories will be told by our children when we are dead and gone!" And so they shall,-Ecce resfacta! Frankford. There has been an opinion prevalent about Frankford village, that it derives its name from Frank, a black fellow, and hisford, where he kept a ferry for passengers on foot; but, besides its looking too artificial to be true, there are obvious reasons against that cause of its name. It is called Frankford creek in Holmes' map, in 1682. I see it, as early as 1701, referred to in a public petition concerning a road under the name of Frankford: besides, it lies on the creek. the Indian Wingohocking, which comes from the " Prankford Company's land" in Germantown. It was their proper water passage to the river. Jonathan Dickinson, in 1715, writing respecting Fairman's land at " Frankford creek," says, " a ford there will be very needful, and very expensive, as the winds drive the waters fiom the Delaware over much marshy land."+ For two hundred and twenty acres he offers X400. It falls short in the survey thirty-seven acres, thus showing how vaguely it was first done. He says it cannot be surveyed on the marsh [now all converted into productive meadows, &c.] till the winter is so as to go over it on the ice. He states that one hundred loads of timber were cut off it, because untenanted in the l.zt winter, by moonlight night. Thus there were great depredators then! They probably cut it for staves and ship timber. In the year 1814, Christopher Kuhn, at Frankford, in digging a cellar foundation for a small store house, on Kinsey and Hilles' prevent tanyard, came to a pot of old coin, hid perhaps by pirates. * Thomas Fairman had been a surveyor, who dwelt at the Treaty tree. Pennsylvania Inland.-Frankford. 73 This tanyard, on the Frankford creek, was close to the bank where it is hlgh; and at three feet depth, he came to an earthern vessel highly glazed, which held about half a pint, and contained one hundred pieces of various sizes and shapes of silver coin. None of it was left to be shown to me; the whole having been sold soon after to the silversmiths as old silver! On questioning him as to their character, he stated that there were many cut pieces of the size which would re main in cutting quarters and halves of dollars into sections of four pieces each. He observed dates to some as much as three hundred years old: One piece was as large as a crown, and was square. Two pieces had a tree on one side, and were marked MJassachusetts, such a coin I have myself, of the year 1652. On the whole the vessel contained quite a treasure for a collector, and yet none were saved. The aged Giles Gillingham, who died at Frankford in 1825, at the age of 93 years, said that when he was a boy, it was quite common with him to play with Indian boys in the neighbourhood. Frankford then had but very few houses, and was often called Oxford, after the name of its township. About the time of Braddock's defeat, there came an Indian from a distance, blowing a horn as he entered the Indians' place; they soon:went off with him, and were no more seen near the place. The Frankford mill, now possessed by Mr. Duffield, was originally used as a mill by the Swedes before Penn landed. The earliest house in the place, now T. WV. Duffield's, near the same mill, was deeded to Yeamans Gillingham, by Penn's commissioners, in 1696. The " Swedes' mill" was probably a saw mill, as wind mills were first used for grist. It appears, by the minutes of council, that the inhabitants of Frankford petition, in 1726, that the road may be altered so as to have but one bridge in use, instead of the two then existing. Some very old tombstones are still in existence near Crescentville, in Bristol township, on the country seat of James N. Dickson, which have been intended to designate the remains of a mother and her two sons, of the name of Price, of Welsh origin, who died there in 1702. They were members of the community of Seventh-day Baptists,-the same which afterwards took the na.me of Keithian Baptists, from their union in sentiment with George Keith, who had been a Friend. They owed their origin to Abel Noble, who arrived in 1684, and formed a society of Baptists in Upper Providence, Chester county, where he baptized Thomas Martin, a public Friend, and others. This last, as a public minister, baptized Rees Price, in 1697. In the year 1702, Rees and John Price, and others, built a meeting house in Oxford township, on a lot given to them by Thomas Graves; but neglecting to get their deed in due time, it came to pass that the Episcopalians got both the lot and house,-the same premises on which now stands the Oxford Episcopal church. The tomb stones referred to are thus inscribed, to wit: VOL. II.-K 7 74 Pennsylvania Inland. —Iankford. No. 1. FOR THE MEMORY FOE ELIZABETH PRICE WHO DIED AVGVST THE 2st 1697. No. 2. No. 3. FOR FOR THE MEMORY THE MEMORY OF REES OF JOHN PRICE WHO PRICE WHO DIED JVLY DIED JVNE THE 11th DAY 1702 T 17 AGED 20 AGED 23 YEARS YEARS. Back of No. 2. Back of No. 3. This YOVNG man was These are first So much with sence indved Thats in this Dust i say That of his own and Gods sabbath kept Brothers Death contlvde To wit ye seventh Day. Saying Dear Brother in faith they DY'D This know well Do i Here side by side remain'Twill not be long Till Christ shall come Before we both must die. To raise them up again. It may not be inappropriate to mention another old tombstone, of the same vicinity. It is one to the memory of Ralph Sandiford, and is now in the possession of Jesse Griffith, at the place where R. Sandiford was buried-at Sandy hill-on the Bustletown road. The stone, to some, will be regarded as a curiosity, because he was a Friend, and was withal the early protestant against negio slaveryto wit: IN MEMORY OF RALPH SANDIFORD SON OF JOHN SANDIFORD OF LIVERPOOL. HE BORE A TESTIMONY AGAINST THE NEGRO TRADE, AND DYED YE 28th OF YE 3d MONTH 17322 AGED 40 YEARS. Pennsylvania Inland.-Byberry. 75 Byberry. This township was settled as early as Philadelphia itself. The first Englishmen who explored it were four brothers of the name of Walton, who had landed at New Castle, and set out on foot to make their discoveries and choice of location. When they came to Byberry, they were much pleased with a spot of open grass land, and determined to make it their permanent home. They soon got a few acres into wheat, although they had to go back as far as Chester to procure their seed. These were soon after joined by other settlers, among whom were Comly, Carter, Rush, and others,-the latter named was the ancestor of the distinguished Dr. Rush. The greater part of the first settlers were Friends, which for numerous years afterwards gave to the country the ascendency of Friends' principles and manners. It was therefore, for many years, the preferred spot of visitation for the remaiining Indians, numbers of whom used to gather annually from Edge Pillock and other places in New Jersey, forming little colonies, which would set down at favourite places in the woods, and subsist a while on the land turtle they could catch, and the game they could kill. In these woods they gathered their supply of materials for making baskets, spoons, and ladles, bows and arrows, &c., and saying, as their apology, that their forefathers had reserved such rights in their disposal of the territory. The people were too kind to them to dispute their privilege, and they continued to visit, unmolested, until the period of the revolution. The frank and generous hospitality of the Indians to the original settlers deserved a kind and generous return. The descendants of the original settler, (Carver,) have told me of a striking case of kindness. When his family was greatly pinched for bread-stuff, and knew of none nearer than Chester or New Castle, they sent out their children to some neighbouring Indians, intending to leave them there, until they could have food for them at home; but the Indians took off the boys' trowsers, tied the legs full of corn, and sent them back thus seasonably loaded. Byberry is remarkable for having been once destined as the location of Philadelphia city! At the lower or southern side of the mouth of the Poquessink creek is a pretty elevation of table land, conforming to the line of the river Delaware, covered with a range of pine trees and others, intermixed, and showing now a. primitive state and character, such as we understand Philadelphia itself originally had. Our youth who pass it in the steamboats should observe it. This site had once been surveyed and plotted as Philadelphia; and circumstances, for numerous years afterwards, caused it to be called popularly, " Old Philadelphia." It is now apart of the country seat of Mr. Morgan;-and his present mansion, altered and repaired, was once celebrated as " the bake house," at which, on a large scale, biscuit were baked for sea service, and for the continental army. 7b Pennsylvania Inland.-Byberry. So many of the descendants of the primitive inhabitants still occupy in prosperity the places of their forefathers, and give perpetuity to the names of so many original settlers, that it is gratifying now, to ride through their township, and to witness the comforts enjoyed by them. This love of visiting and contemplating places filled with local impressions, generated by the events and doings of our forefathers, is one of the strongest and purest feelings of our nature, and one which we wish to foster, with warm hearted interest, in these pages. It flings over the imagination a delightful spell, where fancy draws those pictures of the past, more homebred, social and endearing, when viewed glimmering through the mist of years. With thoughts like these, we are prompted to add, in conclusion, some extracts from a letter written with pathos and feeling by the celebrated Dr. Rush, to the Hon. John Adams-his warm and social friend, on the occasion of his visit to Byberry, in 1812, to see the old homestead, and to revive the images of his childhood and departed kindred;-even its length, in this place, will be excused by those who know how to appreciate such pure emotions, so prompted by country and home. Such feelings are full of poetry and sensibility, and may some day present to some future Byberry poet, the theme of a touching poem! When silent time, with lightly foot, Had trod o'er fifty years, He sought again his native spot With grateful thoughts and tears;When he drew nigh his ancient home His heart beat all the way,Each place he pass'd seem'd still to speak Of some dear former day. " I was called," says he, " lately to visit a patient in that neighbourhood, and having with me my youngest son, I thought I would avail myself of the occasion to visit the farm on which I was born, and where my ancestors for several generations had lived and died. In approaching it, I was agitated in a manner I did not expect. The access was altered, but every thing around was nearly ttie same as in the days of my boyhood, at which time I left it. The family there, though strangers to me, received me kindly, and discovered a disposition to satisfy my curiosity and gratify my feelings. I soon asked permission to conduct my son up stairs to see the room in which I drew my first breath and made ny first unwelcome noise in the world, and where first began the affection and cares of my beloved and excellent mother. I next asked for a large cedar tree which once stood before the door,-planted by my father's hand. It had been converted into the pillars of the piazza befbre the house. Filled with emotion, I embraced the one nearest mle. I next inquired for the orchard planted by the same hand, and was conducted to an eminence behind the house, where I saw a number of apple trees which still bore fruit, to each of which I felt something like the Pennsylvania Inland.-Byberry. 77 affection of a brother. The building, which is of stone, bears marks of age and decay. On one of the stones near the front door, I discovered the letters J. R. Before the house flows a small but deep creek, abounding in pan fish. The farm consists of ninety acres, in a highly cultivated state. The owner did not want to sell; but I begged, if he ever should incline to dispose of it, to make me or one of my surviving sons the first offer. While I sat in its common room, I looked at its walls, and thought how often they had been made vocal by my ancestors-to conversations about wolves, bears and snakes, in the first settlement; afterwards about cows and calves, and colts and lambs, &c., and at all times, with prayers and praises, and chapters read audibly from the Bible; for all who inhabited it. of my family, were pious people-chiefly of the sect of Quakers and Baptists. On my way home, I stopped to view a family graveyard, in which were buried three and a part of four successive generations, all of whom were the descendants of Captain John Rush, who, with six sons and three daughters, followed William Penn to Pennsylvania, in 1683. He had been a captain of a troop of horse under Oliver Cromwell; and when I first settled in Philadelphia, I was sometimes visited by one of his grandsons, a man of eighty-five years of age, who had, when a boy, often seen and conversed with the former, and especially concerning his services under the Protector. I retain, as his relics, his sword, watch and Bible leaf, on which is inscribed, in his own hand, his marriage, and children's births and names. My grandfather, James Rush, after whom my son, the physician, is named, has his gravestone and inscription in the aforesaid grave ground-as " departed this life, March 16, 1727, aged 48 years, &c." He was a farmer and gunsmith, of much ingenuity in his business. While standing and considering this repository of the dead, there holding my kindred dust, my thoughts ran wild, and my ancestors seemed to stand before me in their homespun dresses, and to say, what means this gentleman, by thus intruding upon our repose; and I seemed to say-dear and venerable friends, be not disturbed. I am one who inherits your blood and name, and come here to do homage to your Christian and moral virtues; and truly, I have acquired nothing from the world, (though raised in fame), which I so highly prize as the religious principles which I inherited from you; -and I possess nothing that I value so much as the innocence and purity of your character. After my return from such a visit, I recounted in the evening to my family, the incidents of the day, to which they listened with great pleasure; and heartily they partook of some cherries fiom the limb of my father's tree, which my little son brought home with him as a treat to them." Such a letter, from such an eminent man, consecrates to kindly remembrance such hallowed localities;-It gives to me, if I needed it, a sufficient apology for thus enlarging this chapter on recollections and incidents of Byberry. They will come home to the bosom of many. 7* 78 Pennsylvania Inland.- Gwynedd. There is not a spot in this wide-peopled earth, So dear to the heart as the land of our birth;'Tis the home of our childhood, the soul-touching spot, Which memory retains when all else is forgot! A letter written under such circumstances does more to illustrate the character and the heart of the writer, than a volume of common biography. The visit of such a man to the graves of his ancestors, creates a stirring at the heart of the sensitive reader. There is piety in it-an enthusiasm and holiness of feeling devoted to the dead, which give character and immortality to him who cherished them. His feelings were far better and more pure than to be borne aloft by his renown, amidst the hosannas of the people. In such a place for thought —for mental abstraction, how withdrawn from the tempests which sweep over the world's affairs! What a rest to the heart!The fancy only is busy, when it there cons over the former employments, business, joys, sorrows, hopes and fears of those now beneath his tread. The world's glory-its highest ambition, quickly fades and dies before the tranquil pleasures of such an hour as this. Such a home is consecrated by such a letter, and should be perpetuated and visited as the solum natale of a man both good and great. One cannot forbear the wish that the sons of such a father should long possess the home, and there preserve the simple and touching narrative of such a parent! I would inscribe such a letter upon its walls for ever-Esto tu erpetua. Gwynedd-in AMontgomery county. The late venerable Jesse Foulke stated, in substance, the following facts concerning what he knew of the settlement of Gwynedd, to wit:In the year 1698, the township was purchased of William Penn, by William, John, and Thomas Evans, and distributed among original settlers, to wit: William, John, Thomas, Robert, Owen and Cadwallader Evans, Hugh Griffiths, Edward Foulke, Robert Jones, John Hughs, and John Humphreys. Only the two eldest were then Friends-all were Welshmen; and all, except the two Friends, were churchmen. These held their meetings at Robert Evans'; and there Cadwallader Evans was in the practice to read from the Bible to the people. But as Cadwalladar Evans himself related, he was going as usual to his brother Robert's, when passing near to the road to Friends' meeting, held at John Hughs' and John Humphreys', it seemed as if he was impressed " to go down and see how the Quakers do." This he mentioned to his friends at the close of his own meeting, and they all agreed to go to the Friends the next time; and where they were all so well satisfied, that they never again met in their own worship. In 1700, they built a log meeting house, near where the present Pennsylvania Inland.-Norriatown. 79 one stands. This gave place to a larger one of stone, in 1712; and in 1823, that was removed for a still larger one. The Friends' meeting house, at Gwynedd, was made a hospital for the wounded of the army after the battle of Germantown. I have given the foregoing recital of the manner of Evans' convincement, in the words of Mr. Foulke; but his kinswoman, Susan Nancarro, who died lately at the age of 80 years, told it to me a little variant. She said that the brothers read the public services of their church, and convened in a summer house. As one of the brothers was once going to that place, he passed where William Penn was speaking, and willing to hearken to him, he became so earnestly convinced that way, that he succeeded to bring over all his brethren. Mrs. Nancarro had often seen and conversed with her grandfather, Hugh Evans, who lived to be ninety years of age. When he was a boy of twelve years of age, he remembered that William Penn, with his daughter Letitia and a servant, (in the year 1699 or 1700,) came out on horseback to visit his father, Thomas Evans. Their house then was superior iri that it was of barked logs, a refinement surpassing the common rank. The same place is now E. Jones', near the Gwynedd meeting house. At that house William Penn ascended steps onz the outside to go to his chamber; and the lad of twelve, be. ing anxious to see all he could of so distinguished a man, went up afterwards to peep through the apertures at him; and there he well remembered to have seen him on his knees praying, and giving thanks to God for such peaceful and excellent shelter in the wilderness! What a subject for a painter! I heard Mrs. D. L. say that she had also heard the same facts from old Hugh Evans. There was at this time a great preparation among the Indians near there for some public festival. Letitia Penn, then a lively young girl, greatly desired to be present, but her father would not give his consent, though she entreated much. The same informant says she ran out chagrined, and seeming to wish for something to dissipate her regret, snatching up a flail near some grain, at which she began to labour playfully, when she inadvertently brought the unwieldly instrument severely about her head and shoulders; and was thus quickly constrained to retreat into the house, with quite a new concern upon her mind! This fact made a lasting impression upon the memory of the lad aforesaid, who then was a witness. Norristown. This place, now so beautiful and numerous in houses, is a town wholly built up since the war of independence. At that time, it was the farm of John Bull; and his original farm house is now standing in the town, as the inn of Richard Richardson. As early as the year 1704, the whole manor, as it was then called, which included the present township of Norrington, was sold out by William Penn, Jr., for $850. From Isaac Norris, one of the purchasers, the place has since taken its name. 80 Pennsylvania Inland. —Chester County. The original settlers about the neighbourhood of Norristown, Swedes' ford, &c., were Swedes, who much inclined to settle along the banks of the Schuylkill, and, like the Indians, to make fiee use of their canoes for travelling conveyances. The Swedes' church, not far off, was much visited by worshippers going there in their boats; and in still later times, when horses became a means of conveyance, it was common for a man and woman to ride together on one horse, the women wearing for economy " safe-guard petticoats," which they took off after arrival, and hung along the fence until again required. There are still remains below Norristown, nearly fronting the ford. of a long line of redoubts, made by the Americans, under the direction of Gen. Du Porteuil, to defend the passage of the ford against the British approaching from the battle of Brandywine, and which had the effect to compel them to pass six miles higher up the river, at " Fatland ford." Some of the cannon, in an angle of the redoubt, have since washed into the river bank, and may at some future day surprise a discoverer! It was on the river bank, at Norristown, that the first spade was set to excavate the first public canal attempted in the United States' This should be remembered! It was indeed abortive for want of adequate funds, as well as economy; but it tested the early spirit of enterprise of our leading citizens,-acting a few years in advance of the age in which they dwelt. This fact, in connexion with the MS. account of Mr. John Thompson, of Delaware county, of his early adventure in a boat, the White Fish, by a navigation fiom Niagara to Philadelphia, by the water courses in New York state; showing beforehand, the practicability of the Grand canal of New York, are so many evidences of our early efforts in the " canal system!" The boat, after so singular a voyage, was laid up in the State-house yard, in the year 1795, and visited as a curiosity. A sight of that boat, and a knowledge of the facts connected with it, is supposed to have prompted President Washington, at that early period, to write of his conviction of the practicability of a union of the waters of the lakes with the ocean. A subject, happily for all, now no longer a problem. Chester County. At the time the European emigrants first settled in this county it was principally overshadowed by forests-only a small patch here and there around the Indian huts having been cleared by the natives, for the purpose of growing their corn. But the woods at that time wore a very diferent appearance from what they do now. Owing to the Indian custom of firing them once or twice in a year, the small timber and bushes were killed in their growth, and of course the forests were but thinly set. I am informed that one of the first settlers said that, at the time of his first acquaintance with the county, he could have driven a horse and cartfrom one end of its extremi Pennsylvania Inland.- Chester County. 81 ties to the other, in almost every direction, without meeting with any material obstruction. For a number of years the process of agriculture by the new settlers was extremely rude and imperfect. No regular rotation of crops was observed. A field was frequently appropriated to one kind of produce for several successive years. No man's care in relation to his ground extended beyond the sowing and gathering of his crops, and by total neglect of manuring andfertilizing their lands, the strength of the soil was yearly and daily exhausting itself. This was so much the case within the memory of one ancient now living, that when he departed fiom the common course, and began to endeavour to recruit his soil, his plan became the subject of general ridicule among his neighbours; and the saying was applied to him on all hands, " a penny wise, a pound foolish." His success, however, began to have its influence in his neighbourhood; but still they did not then know the beneficial effects of lime-little use was made of it before the revolution, and so little was it valued in itself, as to be often sold for five or six cents a bushel. Wheat, rye, oats and barley, were the principal productions. Indian corn was so little regarded, that many depended upon getting the little they used from the lower counties, in preference to raising it themselves. Clover was almost wholly unknown, and timothy quite so. Meadows which were irrigated furnished the grass for hay and pasturage. How very differently managed is every thing now! Now all the farmers are becoming wealthy and happy. Thus proving that conduct is luck. This county originally contained within its limits the present county of Delaware, and they together formed one of the first settled counties in the state. The first settlers were generally of the society of Friends, and now their descendants mostly occupy the south eastern and middle townships. The Welsh settled along the " Great Valley," a fine region of land, of from one to three miles wide, traversing the whole county from east to west; the Irish Presbyterians settled in the south-west; and the English intermixed generally throughout the whole county. Many of the townships are of Welsh origin, as is indicated by their names,-such as Tredyffin, Uwchland, the Calns, Nantmels, &c. Other names indicate lands formerly belonging to the London company, such as London Grove, New London, London Britain, Birminglham, &c. The appearance of the fruitful and picturesque country of the' Great Valley," is well worth a visit from the youth of our city. It comprises nearly fifty thousand acres of the choicest lands, and is boidered on either side by long continuous ranges of high ridges, called Nortl and South hills. From their summits, there are sometimes very extensive and beautiful views-such as might lead out the young mind to conceive of those much greater elevations, " the Blue mountains," and the great Allegheny " backbone of the state." The Brandywine, running through this county, is a fine stream, affording much profitable " water power," and some very picturesque VOL. II.-L 82 Pennsylvania Inland. —Chester County. scenery. Brantewein (brandy) is a word of Teutonic origin, which might have been used equally by the Swedes and Dutch to express its brandy-coloured stream. Certain it is, that at all early periods, after the river lost its Indian names of Minquas, and Suspecough, it was witteUra Bradjxw.c, Since the county sustained the separation of Delaware county, the county town has been located at West Chester, a very growing place and possessing a genteel and intelligent population. At this place, are tile original records of Chester county, and of course affording to the curious inquirer the means of exploring the antiquarian lore of the pimnitive days. As our business is to show to the present rising generation the great difference between the present and the remote past, when all was coarse and rustic, we shall subjoin some scraps of information illustrative of such change, to wit: Mr. William'Worrell, who died but a few years since,-an inhabitant of Marple township, at the advanced age of nearly one hundred years —-says, that in the country there were no carts, much less carriages; but that they hauled their grain on sleds to the stacks, where a temporary thrashing-floor was made. He remembered to have assisted his father to carry on horseback one hundred bushels of wheat to mill in Haverford, which was sold there for but 2s. a bushel. The natural meadows and woods were the only pasture for their cattle; and the butchers of Philadelphia would go out and buy one, two, or three head of cattle, from such as could spare thelm, as all their little surplus. He recollected when there were great quantities of wild turkeys; and a flight of pigeons which lasted two (lays! Ontly think of such a spectacle! They flew in such immense flocks, that they obscured the rays of the sun! One night they settled in such numbers at Martin's bottom, that persons who visited them could not hear one another speak, by reason of their strong whirring noise. Their weight on the branches of the trees was so great as to break off numerous large limbs! He never saw coffee or tea until he was twenty years of age then his father brought some tea from Philadelphia, and his aunlt did not know how to use it, till she got information first from a nore refined neighbour. On another occasion a neighbour boiled the leaves and buttered them! In going to be married, the bride rode to meeting behind her father, or next fiiend, seated on a pillion;-but after the marriage, the pillion was placed with her behind the saddle of her husband. The dead were carried in coffins on the sloulders of four men, who swung the coffin on poles, so that they might proceed along narrow paths with most ease. Another ancient inhabitant, William Mode, who died on the west branch of the Brandywine, in 1S29, at the age of eighty-seven years, said he well remembered the Indians-men, women and children, Pennsylvania Inland. CChester County. 83 coming to his father's house to sell baskets, &c., and that they used to cut and carry off bushes from their meadow, probably for mats to sleep on. The deer, in his boyhood, were so plenty, that their tracks in the wheat field, in time of snow, were as if marked by a flock of sheep: at one time his father brought home two of them on his sled. Wild turkeys in the winter were often seen in flocks, feeding in the corn and buckwheat fields. Foxes often carried off their poultry; once their man knocked one down near the barn. Squirrels, rabbits, rackoons, pheasants and partridges abounded. Samuel Jeffrey, too, a man of eighty-seven years, who died at West Chester in 1828, said he could well remember when deer were plenty in the woods of Chester county, and when a hunter could occasionally kill a bear. He also had seen several families of Indians still inhabiting their native fields. N. Marcer died in 1831, aged one hundred and one years. This county still contains some of the oldest inns known in the annals of our country. Thus, Powell's Journal, of 1754, speaks of his stopping on the way to Lancaster, at " the Buck," by Ann Miller-at " the Vernon," by Ashton, (now "the Warren")-" the White Horse," by Hambright-" the Ship," by Thomas Park-" the Red Lion," by Joseph Steer-and " the Wagon," by Jamles Way, &c. Chester county is also distinguished as being the theatre of some important events in the revolution, —such as " the battle of Brandywine," the " massacre of Paoli," and the winter quarters of oui army at "the Valley Forge." The battle ground of the Brandywine, near where La Fayette was wounded, may be still visited at the Birmingham meeting-house of Friends. There, if you see the gravedigger turning up the grave ground, you may possibly see the bones of some British soldier at only two feet under the ground, with fiagments of his red coat, his stock-buckle, buttons, &c.! You may even be shown some old gold coin, found concealed once in the great cue of a buried Hessian! If you ramble down to " Chadsford," not far distant, you may still see remains of the little redoubt which disputed the ford; and there, as a relic of silenced war and bloodshed, pick up an occasional bullet or grapeshot. The county was at one time much disturbed, and made withal remarkable, by a predatory hero in the time of the revolution. He was usually called' Captain Fitz," but his real name was James Fitzpatrick. He roamed the country in stealth, as a " British refugee," making his attacks upon lhe chattels of the " stanch whigs," and seemingly delighting in his perils and escapes. His whole character made him a real Rob Roy of his time. At last he was seized and executed. The state of the American army at the Valley Forge, in the drear winter of 1777-8, was an extremely perilous and suffering one. Tney were kept in necessary fear from so superior a force as Howe's well appointed army; whereas, ours was suffering the need of almost every thing. An officer, an eye-witness, has told me, that a sufficiency of food or clothing could not be had; that so many men were 84 Pelnnsylvania Inland.-CChester County. without whole shoes, that several actually marked the snowy ground with their bloody footsteps; some, while on duty as sentinels, have doffed their hats to stand in, to save their feet fiom freezing; of salt beef or pork, they could not get a supply, and fresh beef was wholly impracticable to get at all; of vegetables they got none. One wooden or pewter dish answered for a whole mess; and one horn tumbler, in which whisky rarely entered, served for several. Much of their diet was salted herrings, too much decayed to bear separation; but were dug out of the cask en masse. Sugar and coffee were luxuries not seen; and paper money, with which they were paid for such severities, was almost nothing! If such were the calamities of war, and such the price they paid for our self-governrnent, oh! how greatly should we, their descendants, prize the precious boon! Maddened be the head, and palsied be the hand, that should attempt to despoil us of a treasure so dearly purchased! A public journal of Philadelphia, of August, 1778, thus describes the circumstances of the conduct and capture of the aforesaid Captain Fitz, saying, " The celebrated bandit of Chester county was taken and brought. to Philadelphia in August. He had been made prisonet by Robert McPhee (McAfee) and a girl. Fitz entered the house of McPhee's family while they were at tea, armed with a rifle, a sword, and a case of pistols, saluting them as friends; upon their saying they did not recognize him, he swore he would soon be better known,'as Captain Fitz, come to levy his dues on the cursed rebels.' He soon demanded his watch and buckles, and soon after ordered them all up stairs before him, whilst he should search for his money. When he had got up stairs, he, thinking he was safe, began to arrange his shoe buckle on the edge of the bed, when McPhee (McAfee) signing to the girl, Rachel Walker, a young woman, they sprang upon him, and so held him that he could not escape." The reward was 1000 dollars, which was divided between them, and Captain Fitz was hung. While in Philadelphia he broke his hand cuffs twice in one night. At Chester, afterwards, he filed off his irons and got out of his dungeon, and would have escaped but for the extraordinary vigilance of his jailer. His real name was James Fitzpatrick, he was hanged at Chester: was a blacksmith. The New London Academy, of New London, though not much spoken of now, fuirnished, in colonial days, some of the leading scholars, such as Dr. Francis Allison, Charles Thomson, Gov. Thomas M'Kean, Dr. John Ewing, Dr. Hugh Williamson, M. C.; Dr. David Ramsey, historian; the Rev. James Latta, &c. The " battle ground of Brandywine," so eventful in our revolutionary period, will ever tend to consecrate it as a place of remembrance, and by some as a place of visitation. To those who may choose with us " to wander o'er the bloody field to book the dead," we shall here furnish such notitia, and notes by the way, as will serve as a companion to others: — Pennsylvainzia Inlacnd.-Chiester County. 85 " Our direction was to the forks of the Brandywine, on Jeffrey's ford, the point at which Lord Cornwallis crossed the river on the 11th of September, 1777 —the day of the battle, known by the name of the river on the banks of which it was fought. " It was near the close of July of that year, that the British army under Sir Williami Howe, and their Hessian auxiliaries, under Gen, Knyphausen, embarked fiom New York on the meditated invasion of Pennsylvania. The squadron had a long and unpleasant passage. Fin(dingr the Delaware too well prepared for defence, to allow of a very favourable ascent of tllat river, the British commander bore away for the Chesapeake-thence ascended Elk river into Marylandl as far as that stream was navigable, at which point the army disenibarked, and on the 23d of September took up its march for Philadelphia. In the mean timte General Washington returned fiom Jersey, for the defence of that important city, and public opinion seemied to require the hazard of a pitched battle. The Ametican comn-ander, therefore, marched upon the Brandywine to intercept the advancing foe, and crossed the river with a part of his forces. The British forces advanced until they were within two miles of the Americans; but, after reconnoitring the enemy on the night of the 8th of September, General Washington, apprehending the object of the enemy to be to turn his right, and, by seizing the heights on the north side of the river, to cut off his communication with Philadelphia, changed his position by recrossing the river, and taking position on the heights near Chadd's ford, several miles below the forks.' From the dispositions of the enemy, it was supposed that he would attempt to cross with his whole force, at this place; but while the Americans were making preparations to receive them at this point, Lord Cornwallis, at the head of the enemy's column, took a long circuitous march to the left, until he gained the forks, and crossed at Trimble's and Jeffrey's ford, without difficulty or opposition. Continuing east fromn the ferry, about three quarters of a mile, he took a road turning short down the river to the right, in order to fall upon the right of the American forces. The movemnent was a partial surprise upon the American commander, who, however, as soon as he was apprised of it, took all possible measures to provide against the effect, by detaching General Sullivan, with a.l the force he could spare, to oppose Cornwallis. General Sullivan took an advantagfeous position, on commanding grounds, near the small Quaker meeting house of Birmingham, his left extending towards the Brandywine, his artillery advantageously disposed, and both flanks covered with woods. Wayne's division, with Maxwell's light infantry, remained at Chadd's ford to keep Knyphausen in check, while the division of General Greene, accompanied by the commander-in-chief, formed a reserve at a central position between the right and left wings. "In the interesting excursion we are now describing, we took the track of the division of Cornwallis, where it turned south after crossing the forks of the river. It was at two o'clock in the afternoon; 8 86 P entsylvania Inland.-Chester County. and such was the deliberation of the British troops, that they stopped for dinner upon the brow of a hill, about midway between the corner and the position occupied by the Americans. An old resident, yet living near tie spot, and iwho was forced into the service of Cornwallis, affirms, that it was a merry though a brief dinner frolic allongst tlhe officers. The American forces being no where even in sioght, though scarcely two miles distant — another hill intervening to cut off the prospect-the young officers felt but little apprehensionprobably supposing that the " rebel Yankees' woultd hardly make a stand even when they did come in sight. Among tle gayest of the gay, as a volunteer in the suite of one of the Britisll generalls, as tradition informss us, was a sprightly and chivalrous descendant of the Percies-not the Lord Percy who brought the ill-fated British detachment back fiom. Lexington, at the comnmnencement of the revolution, (who was the last duke of Northumbelrland, and died in 181,) but a younger one still. He was a noble and generous youth, and had volunteered on the present occasion, as an amatelur to see how fields vwee wonl. He wore a splendid uniforml, and rode, like a Percy, a noble steed richly caparisoned. The column resumed its march at half-past three, and by four o'clock ascended the intervening hill before mentioned, vhich brought them in full prospect of tile American troops, in battle array, and coolly awaiting the onset. Instant dispositions were made for battle. As (he young Percy came over the brow of the hill, he was observed suddenly to curb in lis impatient steed, and tlhe gay smile upon his lively feal ures, clanging at first to gravity, soon became sad and pensive, as lie glanced his bright eye over the extensive rolling landscape, now rife with aninimation. It was a glorious spectacle. The wide prospect of gentle hlill and dale, with forest and farml-house, the bright rwaters of the Brandywine, just appearing in one little winding section in a low and beautiful valley on tie right, formed of itself a pictulesque view for the lover of the simple garniture of nature. But enlivened, (as it, now was, by the presence of two hostile anrmies, both eager for the onslaught-on that side the American line resting upon their burnished arms in order of battle; and on tlis the brisk note of preparation, the displaying of columns, and other mlanmouvres necessary to the sudden change of position and circumstances"' The neighing steed, and the shrill trump, The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife, The royal banner, and all quality, Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war,' all combined to mlake up a scene whlich it would hardly be supposea would have damped the ardour, or clouded with gloom tlhe fine features of a young officer, whose proud lip would at any other mloment have curled with scorn, and his eye kindled witl indignation at the remotest intimation of a want of firmness in the hour of trial. Yet, with a subdued and half-saddened eye, the young Percy, wlo but a moment before was panting to play the hero in the contest, paused Pennsylvania Inland.- -Chester County. 87 l;,r a; 1ome!. longer. Then calling his servant to his sice and taking his diamondc-stuidded repeater firom his pocket-' Here,' said he,'take this andt deliver it to my sister in Northumberland': I have seen this field and this landscape before, in a dream in England: Here I shall fatll; tand' —drawing a heavy purse of gold fromn hIis pocket —- tlale this for yourself.' Saying this, lie dashed forward with hiis fellows. The lines were formed, and at four o'clock the battle conmmenced. Tlie onset was impetuous, and the Americans leceivecd lleir haughty invaders with coolness and courage. But tleir right wing being overpowered by nulmbers, was at lengtl coml pelled to give way. Tlle remaining divisions being now exposed to a gallinlg fire on thle flanlk, continued to break, until a route ensued, althlOlglh several strong posts were successively defended with intrepidity for a time.' The most obstinate fighting, during the engagement, took place near the centre, which rested upon the little stone meeting house of the Quakers, and in the grave yard, walled on all sides by a thick stone mason-worlk which, with the church, are yet standing as firmly as at the period of which we are writing. This enclosure was long and resolutely defended by the Americans, and it was near this place, ab)lout the middle of the action, that the noble young Percy fell, as he believed he had been doomed to do. The enclosure was at length scaled, and carried by the bayonet. The wounded were taken into the meeting-house, built by peace-makers, for the worship of the God of peace, though now the centre of the bloody strife; and tlie dead xvere inhumed in one corner of the burying ground, in whichi they had many of them been slain. Just before our visit, a grave had been dug, and the remains of a British soldier disinterred. A part of his shoes remained; a few pieces of red cloth, which fell to pieces, however, on leing exposed to the air, were discovered; a button, likewvise, mnarked' 44th Reg't.,' and a flattened bullet-probably the winged messenger of death to the wearer,-were also found, both of which were given to us by the good nman near by tle meetinog house.' Trhere is a, scrap of unwritten history attached to this little obscure meeting-house, —true, though living only in tradition,-which is full of interest. A few years before the revolutionary war, the little parish of Birmingham was favoured on one occasion by the presence of one of the most gifted and eloquent preachers of their peaceable sect. Tlhe spirit moved him to preach, and as he proceeded, lhe seemned to rise to an unnwonted measure in his thoughts; an unusual ardour possessed him, and his words fell with a holy unction upoll his listeners. He proceeded, in language still more glowing and lofty, until Ils kindling eye seemed to catch glimpses of things unseen. and to penetrate the curtain of things yet to come. At length a vision broke upon him, and he burst forth, in language similar to that of Milton 88 Pennsylvania Inland.-Chester County. "' Oh what are these? Death's ministers, not men who thus deal death Inhumanly to men; and multiply Ten thousand fold the sin of him who slew His brother!' He then, in words of one'rapt-inspired,' predicted the coming con. flict with its attending scourges, and declared that there, even in that quiet community-whose precepts and conduct breathed nothing but peace on earth and good will to men-the angel of destruction should spread his wings-even there, the blood would flow to their horses' bridles-even there, within the walls of that little sanctuary, would be piled up heaps of the dying and the dead The fulfilment was as exact as the prediction was surprising. The little meeting-house, and the grave-yard, were alike opened to our examination, and were both viewed with that interest which the associations connected with them would naturally inspire. The space here consecrated for the repose of the dead is of ample size for a country town, but it has been thus occupied for more than a century and a half. There is no clustering of houses adjoining this hallowed spot. There are spreading elms around, and one Xvitllin the enclosure-and a cedar of more than a century's growth, which is as funereal in its appearance as the yew tree; and as' the air its solemn stillness holds,' one standing here could hardly refrain fioma quoting the inimitable and deathless Elegy of Gray-particularly as nearly the whole area is now closely filled with the little grassy mounds which cover the dead:"'Beneath those rugged elms, that yew tree's shade, Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap, Each in his narrow cell for ever laid, The rude forefather's of the hamlet sleep:' And onward; [the sentimental reader, however, must quote for hilmself.] But of all the dead who repose here, not a single stone, nor the slightest discriminating memorial, indicates the spot where slumber the ashes of any particular individual. This neglect of such memorials, or marks of respect for the dead, we are aware is in strict and uniform accordance with the usages of that peculiar people; although it little accords with the views and feelings of others. True, as the same beautiful poet above quoted, intimates, neither'storied urn.' nor animated bust, can call back the'fleeting breath;' nor cp. Iie flattery of inscriptions, deserved or undeserved,'soothe the dull cold ear of death.' And it is likewise a sad-a melancholy reflection, how very short a period do nearly all the memorials reared to the memory of the dead, by the hand of surviving friendship and affection, endure! A few-a very few brief years, and the headstone has sunk-the slab is broken-the short column or pyramid overturned. Yet while they do remain, they are often memenloes of many interesting incidents, or endearing recollections. An incident Pennsylvania Inland.-Chester County. S9 of this description now rises upon the memory, and as its relation will wound none among the living, we will repeat it. There is an humble freestone standing in Trinity church-yard, New York, so near the street, that the bright and laughing eyes of beauty and pleasure can look upon it any day as their possessors are tripping along Broadway. It stands beneath the tree at the corner, by Doctor Bliss' book store, and the inscription yet retains the name of Mrs. Johnson. The deceased was young and beautiful, full of intelligence and vivacity, when she was Inarried, a fexw mnonths before the breaking out of the pestilence which desolated New York in 1798. One Sunday afternoon, soon after the fever had commnenced, and before there was much alarm, walling down the Broadway, upon the arm of her husband, by whom she was adored, and whoml she adored in turn, in company with a friend who was also newly married, the epidemic was among the natural topics of conversation. Mrs. Johnson, whose natural buoyancy of spirits, perhaps, imparted, even at that moment, an appearance of light-heartedness she did not feel, was remarkably lively and cheerful. In passing the spot we have indicated, where the tree was then casting its refreshing shade upon the green sward beneath, she suddenly stopped, and looking up into her husband's face, with a sweet though slightly pensive smile, remarked with the utmost naivete:-' There, Johnson: if I die of the yellow fever, bury me here.' On the very next Friday, she was buried there! " But we have strayed a wide distance fiomn Brandywine, without finishing the battle. Return we then to that part of our narrative. No sooner had Cornwallis defeated the Americans at Birmingham, than Knyphausen, after successfully keeping the attention of WVayne's division all day with an apprehension of' an attack, whichi he did not intend, made the passage of the river, and carried the entrench. ments, and took the battery and cannon intended to cover and defend the ford. After a severe conflict, the Americans posted in this quarter were compelled to give wxay, and thus the defeat became complete. The retreat continued that night and the day following to Philadelphia." In examining the records of Chester county-beginning with its origin in 1681, we have found sundry items and facts, which may tend to give us an insight into the men and things and doin;fgs of the olden time, to wit: The first court is recorded as being opened the 13th September, 1681, at Upland (Chester)-the justices present, Williaii Clayton, William Warner, Robert Wade, Otto Ernest Cock, William Byles, Robert Lucas, Lassey Cock, Swan Swanson, Andre-as Bankson, Thomas Fairman. Sheriff, John Test. Clerk, Thomas Revell. Tle fir)st action is a case of assault and battery-being Peter Erickson vs. Harmen Johnson and wife. The jury of twelve find for the plaintiff an award of 6d. damages, at his costs of suit. Whereupon, the same Harmen Johnson and wife reverse the VOL. II- M 8 90 Pennsylvania Inlan. — Clester County. action, anl become plaintiffs against the same Peter Erickson, foi assault and battery, and recover 40s. damages and cost. There must have been some adroitness in the use of law, to have so managed a defence as to turn about and mulct the accuser! In the same court it was granted, by proclamalion, that if any person present had aught against one of the justices, they might declare it. Whereupon, Daniel Brenson and Charles Brighan, upon oath, and'Walter I'umphray upon attestation, declare that they had heard certain Indians speak against him, and also against Captain Edward Cant\well, a former sheriff. Then the said Lassey Cock upon oath declared his innocency, and that he had not spoken such words, whereupon the case was quieted or quashed. At the court held November 30th, 1681, William Markam, Esq., governor and president, present with ten justices. Joln Anderson is accused by Richard Noble, Peter Ramnbo and L. Lawrenson, of stealing and concealing sundry articles of pork; and on examination is acquitted. The overseers for the highways were nominated and elected at the court, Matrchl 14th, 181, to serve for one year, for repairing the roads, &c., to wit: Woolley Rawson, from Marcus creek to Naman's creek; Robert Wade, fiom thence to Upland creek; William Oxley, fiom thence to Amos' land; Mauns Stawkett, fromn thence to Karkus' mill; Peter Yokeham, from thence to Schuylkill falls; Andreas Ramlbo, from thence to Tacony creek; Erick Mullickay, from thence to Poetquessin creek; Claus Johnson, from thence to Samuel Cliff's; John Akraman, froim thence to Gilbert Wheeler's. The foregoing arrangellent for earliest roads evidences thre lite of the first routes of intercourse, beginning from Marc'us Hook, keeping nigh to the Delaware till they reach the Schuylkill, (then spelt Schorekill) and thence to go tup along its line to the falls, (thus going behind Philadelphia) and thence across the country (above the city) to the Tacony creek; thence up the country to Wheeler's place; that is as far as Pennsbury manor, then the end of all travelling! At the court held at Chester, on the 27th of 4 mo., 1684, William Penn, Esq., proprietary and governor, was present. At the court held the 6th of the 8 mo., 1685, it was ordered that, for defiaying the public charges, there be a levy upon land of 2s. 6d. per hundred acres, and a poll tax of 2s. 6d. The same may be paid in wheat at 4s. 6d., rye at 3s. 6d., and corn at 2s. Sd. David Lewis, a servant to Robert Dyer, is seized upon suspicion of treason; as having been concerned, by his own say-so, with the duke of Monmouth in the west country. He gave the security of his master to answer at the next court. James Sanderlaine, bestows in the 10th mo., 1686, a convenient piece of land in the town of Chester, for the erection of a court house and prison. At the court of the 7th of 4 mo., 1687, the grand jury present Pennsylvania Inland. —Chester County. 91 Thomas Colborne, of Chester, for selling rum to the Indians, contrary to the laws of the province. John Blllustone made a record of a deed of one acre of land in the township of Darby, to build a meeting house thereon for the use. of said town\ship,for the exercise of t/e true worship of God. Richard Crosby is arraigned for drunkenness and abusive lan guage; he submitted himself to the court and was fined 5s. Elias Keach is arraigned and reprimanded, for speaking false nevws, contrary to law; "remitted, provided he do so no more."' [' Elias Keach" was the first Baptist minister at Pennepeck, in 1687; lie married Mary, the daughter of Nicholas Moore, of Moreland.] William Coblett, of Concord, is presented for travelling on the hig'hway with his wain drawn by oxen and horses on the first cay of the week; showing that they then reverenced the Sabbath. At th-e court held at Chester, 1.689, John Maddock, of Ridley, is arraigned for speaking scandalous words against Willialn Penn, the proprietary, and against his present governor, John Blackwell,whereupon he is fined X5 and costs. On the 27th of 6 mo., 1689, a case of Crim. Con. occurs. The parties confess their guilt before the grand inquest, whereupon a jury of wonmen is called to make further inquisition. They report that': they cannot find that she is (as charged,) neither be they sure she is not." Isaac Brickshaw, having offended John Sirncocks, is dimissed op making humble confession. At the court of 8 mo., 1691, the grand jury present Henry Barnes, for swearing several oaths. Also, Edward Eglinton, for breaking the stocks in the town of Chester, and letting the prisoner free. Also, Richard Thompson, for ranging the woods and taking up horses, saying he was ranger, " but we find him not fit for that honest trust." At the court held March 7th, 1692, John Maddock, is again arraigned for abusing John Sirncocks and John Bristow, two of the justices, calling them rogues; he boldly averred the same before the court, saying they were the greatest rogues that ever came to America. He was again fined X5 and costs. At the court of 1st mo., 1693, John Clews and Eleanor Arme, now his wife, being presented by the grand jury for imnmoral intercourse, pleaded guilty, and were adjudged to pay 50s. fine, and that thle said Eleanor shall stand at the whipping post a quarter of an hour, with a paper on her breast, written thereon,-" I here stand for an example to deter all others," &c. One feels some revoltings at such manner of publicity, and cannot but reflect how few juries of twelve men, all opportunities considered, might be able-all of them, to stand such searching self-rebukes as our Lord once inflicted upon those who brought him a similar sinner to condemn. " He thb is 92 Pennsylvania Inland. —Chester County. without sin, let him cast the first stone: and they went out one by one," till no accusers were found! At the court held at Chester the 2d October, 1695, the grand jury state that the country is in debt, and that the prison is not yet finished, and that, besides, there are several wolves' heads topay for; wherefore; they recommend a levy, to wit: on all real and personal estate of id. per pound, and 3s. per head poll-tax. The valuation then given is important now, as showing values then, to wit: All cleared land under tillage to be valued 20s. per acre; rough land by the river 10 per hundred acres; lands in the woods at ~5 per hundred acres; horses and mares at J 3; cows and oxen 50s.; sheep Gs.; negroes, fiom sixteen to sixty years, at'.25; females at ~20. Then come Jive mills at the earliest places, to wit: Chester nill t100; Joseph Coebarn's ~50; Darby mill ~100; Hartford mill ~20; Concord mill ~10. At the court of 10th December, 1695, Patrick Kelly and Judith Buller are presented for marrying against the law of 2d December. It is ordered that they appear at the next court, and that in the mean time, they marry ag'ain, as the law directs. The grand jury present Robert Reman of Chichester, for practising geomanccy according to Hidon, and divining by a stick. He submits himself to the bench, and the court fines him ~5 and costs, and never again to practise the arts. They also present the following books: Hidon's Temple of Wisdom, which teaches Geomancy, and Scot's Discovery of Witchcraft, and Cornelius Agrippa's, teaching iNecromancy. The books are ordered to the next court. At the court at Chester, of 24th of 12 mo., 1701-2, the court then allows the charge of f26, incurred in running and settling the ciiircular boundary line next to New Castle. Clhester. In April, 1827, we made a visit to Chester, with a view to see and examine the venerable remains of that once distinguished town. We had for a companion a gentleman whose soul is alive to such inquiries. In our ride we often noticed the unusual indications of a very forward spring such as has not before occurred since the year 1791: tle wild flowers of the fields and woods were in bloom on the 23d April, which formerly appeared only in May. We were necessarily frequently pleased to notice the air of comfort and improvement indicated by various farms on the road side, contrasted with the few, still remaining, small log houses: —houses which Kanl, in his Travels., on the same road eighty years before, said were the general structures of that day. The numerous wild grape vines which he then noticed were gone, as well as the extended woods. Red clover-then unknown as to any practical benefit, now assisted with plaster of Paris, every where enriched the farmer and gratified Pennsylvania Inland.- Chester. 93 our senses. The wild bees, which then sheltered their cells in the depths of the forest, now having lost that refuge by the clearing of the country, have become domesticated in the bee-boxes, seen by the wayside in the most of the gardens-then the road was but little travelled,-by pleasure carriages, scarcely ever, when but very few existed. The few travellers who could be be met were on foot, or if on horse back,-often having a female up behind-or if a female going to market, having two great panniers poised on either side of the animal. Wilson has thus described them when going home. "There market maids, in lively rows, With wallets white were riding home; And thundering gigs, with powder'd beaux, Through Gray's green festive shades to roam." The women and girls on these occasions were clad in homely, useful " homespun," and the beast was a real pacer. A chaise you could but seldom meet: but we were frequently met by gigs, sulkies and coaches, sometimes effulgent in glittering plate! So, times are altered! Having reached Chester, we could not make our entry without thinking of those primitive founders, all of whom had gone down to the dust. Our busy imaginations could not forbear to frame conjectures, and to weave, in fancy's loom, the images of things as we presumed they generally were in their early state. For the inhabitants whom we now saw in the streets, in modern habiliments, and some of modish mien, we substituted, instinctively, the homespun yeomanry of other appearance, manners and feelings. We peopled the streets and houses with Swedes and Quakers, with such men, and their wives and children, as Sanderlaine, David Lloyd, Robert Wade, Caleb Pusey, the Parkers, Richard Townsend and others; and instead of ancient and decayed houses, as several of them had now become, we contemplated all, as if then lately built or building. Instead of a dreary old court house, old prison, old church, &c., we saw them, in fancy, in the finish and brightness of a new thing, as buildings, of which the labour and expense of erecting was past, and the community was reposing in complacency, resting from their works. But to come more immediately to facts, as we now found them:Our first wish was to see the house of Parker, the colonial register, &c., and the father of that excellent and eminent lady, Mrs. Deborah Logan. There her good father and her mother lived and died. It was a two-storied brick house, of respectable dimensions, built in 1700, had much of old-fashioned wooden wainscotting. In the chambers up stairs the pannels were curiously painted in a congeries of colours, not unlike yellow mahogany. The house had originally small glass panes, set in leaden frames, of which a few specimens still remained in the casements on the stairway, large closets were on each side of the chimneys, large enough for small beds, which 94 Pennsylvania Inland. —Chester. were lighted by small windows in the outer walls; on the side of the house stood a one-story office, which had long contained the records of Chester county, from the earliest dates, and which being since removed to West Chester, might prove curious, if now examined with antiquarian tact and skill. James Sanderlaine, often written Sanderlin, was a wealthy Secdish proprietor of all Chester, and extending back into the country a considerable distance on the Chester side of the creek; from him descended all the land titles. Robert Wade, of the Essex house, was an equally extended proprietor of all the lands on the other side of the creek. Sanderlaine appears to have been an eminent Episcopa. lian, and probably the chief founder of the old Episcopal church there, of St. Paul, as I find his Iemory peculiarly distinguished by a large and conspicuous mural monument in that church, covering a space of six and a half by three and a half feet. It is formed of fine sand-stone, and is chiseled in relief anJ' ornament, in a very elaborate and skilful manner. It is in itself a curiosity, as expressive of a death of a citizen which occurred as long back as 1692. Not one of the name of Sanderlaine remains! His daughter was married to Jasper Yates. Jasper Yates, at an early period, built a great building, still standing, called the Granary, and sometimes the Bake-house, it having been formerly used for both purposes. In the cellar part was the bake-house, and above it were the grain rooms, intended in their day to receive and use up the grain fiom the fruitful fields of Lancaster county-a commerce disused for several years. The bakery, while it lasted, made biscuit by wholesale for shipping. Near to that building was shown me the first used court house of brick, now a dwelling house and cooper's shop, and owned by John Hart. Near to it is a part of the stone wall of the first prison, now converted into a dwelling house. The second, or present, court house and prison were built in 1724. We next visited the house of David Lloyd, a name of perpetual occurrence in our early annals, as a leading member of assembly opposed to proprietary interests; as a disturbing Friend, an educated lawyer-a man who had once been a captain in Cromwell's army. and who sought his peace by coming to this country. His house is lhe same building facing the river, now known as the altered house of Commodore Porter. It was built in 1721. Pestilent and refractory as D. Lloyd appeared in public life, he was excellent and amiable in his social relations. The body of himself and wife are marked by head stones in the Friends' ground. In 1798, Chester was visited with yellow fever in its most appalling form, derived from the families who fled from Philadelphia to Chester for refuge. It spread in Chester with frightful rapidity, and depopulated whole families and streets. Chester has been often called " Upland," in the early history Few, or none, have a right conception of the cause. The name. I Pennsylvania Inland.-Bucks County. 95 am satisfied, was applied to the whole land held by the Swedes at and above Chester. They called the country of Philadelphia county, Upland County-wherefore the court town took the name of the country. The name was first given to contradistinguish the UpDelaware country, from the Low-Delaware country, or lower counties, where the Swedes first settled. Bucks County. This county had its first settlers located nearest to the neighbourhood of Bristol and Pennsbury. They were nearly all of them of the society of Friends; among these, James Harrison and Phineas Pemberton were most influential and conspicuous. Strong expectations were entertained by these first settlers, that the city of Philadelphia might have been located at either of those chief places; but it was deemed that the river channel was too shallow for ship navigation. All the first settlers who arrived were obliged to bring certificates of acceptable character, and to be enrolled in a record book, which I have seen, kept by P. Pemberton, as clerk of the court, giving therein the names of the parents, number of children, names and number of servants, and the vessels by which, and at what time, arrived. This, it must be granted, forms a curious record of consultation now, and may show some families their " ancestorial bearings" then. The Indians were round about in small settlements in almost every direction. Some, long after, dwelt on the " Indian field," near Penn's estate at Pennsbury, and some at Ingham's spring; others were on the Pownall tract, the Streiper tract, and Fell tract.'I'he last of the Indian race went off from Buckingham in a body, in the year 1775. The general state of woody wastes was much the same as has been already described in the county of Chester. The Indian practice of burning the underbrush in the woods, made the woods in general easy of traversing and exploring. The people of Bucks county have been, from the earliest settlement, trained and disciplined to a kindly spirit of good neighbourhood and frank hospitality. It arose at first from their universal brotherhood and mutual dependence; and it was long kept alive by the unreserved welcome, for ever cherished, under their eyes, by the Indians settled about them. A true Indian never deems any thing too good for his friend or visiter. The greater part of the centre grounds of Bucks county were located as early as 1700. Such was Buckingham and Solesbury. Among the first of those settlers there, were Thomas and John Byle, William Cooper, George Pownall, Roger Hartley, and other Friends, from the neighborhood of the " Falls Meeting." Thomas Watson arrived and settled among them in 1704. For the first few years, considerable of their supplies of grain for any new comers had to be drawn from the Falls, or Middletown; and until 1707, they had tc 96 Pennsylvania Inland.-Bucks County. take all their grain on horseback, for grinding, to Gwin's mill, on the Pennepeck, near to the Billet. In the mean time, many persons had to be content to pound their grain at home in wooden mortars. Several of the houses of the original settlers are still standing. Such a house, built for Thomas Canby, now belongs to Joshua Anderson. The great portion of the houses were constructed of logs, and called log-houses, a rude but very comfortable kind of building. Improved land was generally sold by the acre, at the nominal price or value of twenty bushels of wheat; so that when wheat was at 2s. 6d. a bushel, the land was actually sold at 50s. The women were always industrious, clothing their families in general by their own hands-spinning and weaving for all their inmates, all the necessary linen and woollen clothing. For common diet, milk and bread, and pie, formed the breakfast meal; and good pork or bacon, and a wheat-flour pudding or dumplings, with butter and molasses, were given for dinner. Mush, or hominy, with milk and butter, and honey, formed the supper. Chocolate was only occasionally procured, and used with maple sugar; and deer-meat and turkeys, when the season answered. Only a few of the wealthiest farmers had any wagons before the year 1745; about the year 1750 was the time of their more common use. Carts were the most in use in going to market. John Wells, Esq., was the only person who then had a riding-chair. Taverns were scarcely known any where; the one at Coryell's ferry was the first. After the year 1750, a new era seemed to commence, by the influx of more wealth among the people. Bohea tea and coffee were introduced, and sundry articles of foreign fabric for the farmers' wives, brought among them by the pedlers,-such as silk and linen neckhandkerchiefs, some silk or figured gowns. The men, too, began to wear vests and breeches of Bengal, Nankin, fustian, or black everlasting, and cotton velvet. Coats also were made of the latter, But no man or woman, in any condition of life, ever held themselves above the wear, for common purposes, of home-made " linseywoolsey," of linen or woollen fabric. Bucks county has the honour of having had located, at the forks of the Neshamony, the once celebrated " Log College," so called, of the Rev. William Tennant, commenced there in 1721; and from it issued some of our best men of earliest renown. It was then " the day of small things." Bucks county, in the period of the revolution, was made conspicuous, by a daring " refugee family," called the Doans. Their numerous perilous adventures, in scouring the country for " whig families,' and to make their plunder on such, brought them into great renown as bold desperadoes. There were five brothers of them, severally fine looking men, and expert horsemen. Great rewards were offered for them; and finally, two were shot in combat, and two were apprehended and executed. They were far above ordinary robbers, being very generous and humane to all Pennsylvania Inland.-Bucks County. 97 moderate people. The whigs had injured them, and they sought revenge at the hazard of the'i lives_ Dr. John Watson, of Bucks county, contributed to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania a very interesting account of the primitive state of society in Buckingham and Solsbury. From his account I add a few particulars. See Appendix, p. 119. When wheat and rye grew thick and tall on new land, and all was to be cut with sickles, many men, and some women, became dexterous in the use of them, and victory was contested fiom many a violent effort. About the year 1744, twenty acres of wheat were cut and shocked in half a day in Solsbury. Rum was drunk in proportion to the hurry of business on all such occasions. In fact, rum being a Briitish liquor, had to be used, if at all, as the common beverage. A bottle of rum was handed about at vendues, each taking his draw from the neck of it, by a swallow or more. At wedding regales, and even at funerals, mixed and stewed rum, called spirits, was an expected and common entertainment. Rum was even put on their toasted bread occasionally. It led to its evils, and serious and considerate persons got an act of assembly prohibiting the use of spirits at vendues. Now temperance societies impose its disuse in every thing; and we know of good apple orchards there, now, of which they will no longer make even cider. Apple pies, both green and dried, have ever been in plentiful use all the year round in this county. The first settlers, and many of their sucoessors, were accustomed to wear a strong and coarse dress-such as enduring buckskin. It was used for breeches, and sometimes for jackets; oznaburgs, made of hemp tow at Is. 4d. a yard, was used for boys' shirts; sometimes flax, and flax and tow were also used. Coarse tow for trowsers, wool hat, strong heavy shoes, brass buckles, two linsey jackets, and a leathern apron, made out the winter apparel. Such apparel for the labouring class was common down to 1750. A higher class. however, had means to procure such suits as would have purclased two hundred acres of land! The coat of broad-cloth had three or four plaits on the skirts; they were wadded to keep them smooth, as thick as a coverlet. The cuffs very large, went nearly up to the elbows. The hat was a good broad-brimmed beaver, with double loops, drawn nearly close behind, and half raised on each side. The ladies, in full mode, wore stiff whalebone stays, worth eight or ten dollars. The silk gown much plaited in the back. The sleeves were short and nearly twice as large as the arm; the rest of the arm covered with a fine linen sleeve, nicely plaited, locket buttons and long-armed gloves. The head was covered with -a Bath bonnet and its cape. On marriage occasions the bride dressed in a long black hood without a bonnet. Two yards of rich paduasoy made such a hood, and used to be loaned for nuptial occasions. In time, came up the straw plait, called the bee-hive bonnet, and with it the blue or green apron. VOL. II.- N 9 98 Pennsylvania Inland.-Bucks County. Before the use of upland grass and clover, they could only form or procure their grass in plains or swamps-often at several miles from home, in which case it was stacked on the spot, and hauled home as needed, on sleds during the winter. In those days it was common to go ten or twelve miles to mill on horseback; the same distance to get any smith work and repairs. Horses were seldom shod, and blocks to pound hominy were used, in imitation of the Indians. The Indians were still much among them, very often bringing presents of game, beans, &c., and refusing any pay. The Indian children were very sociable and fond of play. The prices, from 1724 to 1735, as seen marked in books of the time, set wheat at from 3 to 4s.; rye, 2 to 3s.; middlings, fine, 7 to 8s.; coarse, 4s. 6d.; bran, is.; salt, 4s.; beef, 2d.; bacon, 4d.; pork, 2d. Swine were easily raised and fattened. Venison roasted and in stew-pies, were luxuries of frequent use in their homely log cabins. Indian corn was not attempted to be raised in large quantities before the year 1750. Wheat was the great article for making money, it was cultivated with open fallows, and was generally ploughed three times a year. In the neighbourhood of Doylestown is considerable of Indian remains, such as their graveyard, &c.; and on the Neshamony near there, is said to be the grave of the celebrated chieftain Tanmanee, after whom we have now the popular name of " Saint Tamany." It is said also, that the first court held in Pennsylvania was held in this county; and the oldest record to be found in our state, is to found in the county office at Doylestown. It is a record, or register of ear marks, for sheep and cattle, and showing, by a drawing of the head of the animal, the different crops upon the ears, as well as an accompanying description in words, and in the name of the individual who assumed it. as his designating property. This record, it is said, was made a little before Penn's landing, and was continued in practice for a number of years subsequently. Tie date is now effaced, but was certainly as early as 1681. The next record, in point of time, is a record of the Orphans' Court, No. 1; its first entry bears date the 4th day of 1st mo., 1693, and was held at the private dwelling of Gilbert Wheeler. " Present, the governor, Wm. Penn, with justices James Harrison, Jonathan Otter, Wm. Yardley, Wmn. Beaks, and Thomas Fitzwater. Phineas Pemberton, clerk." The next court was held at Pennsbury; the next again at Gilbert Wheeler's, on the 7th of 8 mo., 1684. At a court of Quarter Sessions, held the 10th of 10th mo., 1684, the eldest of Clark's orphans was bound to Richard Noble, until she attained the age of twenty-one, and was then to receive as her freedom, one cow and calf, and one sow. The above record book is complete to October 1692; and after that time the court was suspended or omitted for several years, having at times the record,' No Pennsylvania Inland.-Bucks County. 99 court then held." On the 10th of 8 mo., 1697, a court is again held, when the record closes with " No court then, nor since, for orphans." The first record bookfor deeds commences in 1684. It is to be supposed, that if all the records were well examined by an industrious hand, and by a mind of proper tact for olden time inquiries, that something strange, amusing, or useful, might be found to gratify the present generation. But who shall do it? The " Crooked Billet," now known as Hatborough, was originally settled by John Dawson, a hatter, of London. The first name was derived from the first house there built, it being used as a public inn, with the sign of a crooked billet of wood hung out as its token, and the place, when made a town, was changed to the name of Hatborough, in reference to the employment of the first resident. His descendants have informed me, that when he first came there he built a cabin, and afterwards a stone house, with his own hands; and was assisted with stone and mortar, by his daughter Ann, who married Bartholomew Longstreth, who came from Yorkshire in 1699. The same John Dawson moved to Philadelphia in 1742, and dwelt in the house south-west corner of Second and Church alley, made notable there as " the first built brick ho'ese." His relative, Wm. Clinkenbeard, a farmer in Plymouth, lived to be one hundred and eight years of age. Bartholomew Longstreth first opened the York road from the Billet to Neshamony. When he built his house, one hundred and twentyeight years ago, now occupied by Daniel Longstreth, he sawed all his joist with a whip saw, from hewn squared logs. That family still retain the bell-metal mould in which he used, like other farmers, to make his own pewter spoons Think of that specimen of household economy then! They have also preserved the same iron with which old John Dawson used to smooth beaver hats. Old Jacob Heeton, who died about ten years ago, had resided at, and died on the spot, and perhaps at the same house, that was first built in Wrightstown by his ancestors, who emigrated from New England at the time of the Quaker persecution. A remarkable providence attended them, deserving of some record here. The family was obliged to escape in the night, and eventually to cross the Delaware, not knowing whither they were going. They sat down in the woods, and to their surprise and satisfaction, found an old neighbour who had also fled on the same night, without the knowledge in either of them of their several intentions! Here, amongst wild beasts and Indians, they found that security and repose that was denied them elsewhere. The road from Philadelphia to Buckingham, prior to the opening of the York road, was across the Neshamony at Galloway's ford, one mile above Hulmeville, through Langhorne park, thence by Attleborough, &c. Near that ford, once stood Growden's old fire proof, in which were kept the records of Bucks county; and when Joseph Galloway went 100 Pennsylvania Inland.-Bucks County. off with the British in'78, the office was broken open, and the records strewed about, to the use of any who might choose to possess them. Thomas Paxson, who saw them so strewed about on the ground the next morning, got hold of a MS. journal of a voyage down the Ohio, that was curious and interesting, and being lent about, has disappeared. The first built mill on the Pennepeck was Gwin's mill, the same place where James Varee now has his rolling mill. An old log house of a Swede still remains, near the Neshamony, which has such superior construction as to be remarkable. All the logs are so grooved thus, ^ one above the other, as to turn all winds and rains, without the use of intermediate mortar, except in very thin quantity. John Watson, now of Buckingham, who is in himself a walking library in matters of local antiquity, especially in Buckingham valley, where the family first settled in 1691,-besides the MS. book of occurrences, (made by his father, Dr. John Watson,) which he has bestowed on the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, has been a strenuous advocate of the` poor Indians," who, as lie and others of Bucks county allege, were cheated out of their lands by the agents of the Penn family, at the time of the notable " great walk." He has written and given to the Philosophical Society, for their library, his circumstantial narrative of that "great walk." It was once a very exciting subject of animadversion and general discussion in Bucks. The agents publicly advertised a fee of o5 for the greatest walker for one day, and procured Marshall, who ran over four times as much ground as the Indians expected. He argues, and supposes, that all the country north-west of Wrightstown meeting-house, was taken from the Delawares without compensation. [Nicholas Scull, the surveyor general, made oath, in 1757, that he was present when James Yeates, and Edward Marshall, together with some Indians, walked one and a half days back in the woods from Wrightstown; that they walked but eighteen hours, and made out fifty-five miles; did not run, or go out of a walk; that B. Eastburn, surveyor general, and T. Smith, sheriff, were also along, and were satisfied of the same; and that no objections were expressed by the Indians at the time.] The Indians always cherished a spirit of revenge against Marshall; and a party of warriors once came firom their settlement, at Wyoming, to seek his life. He was from home, but his wife was made prisoner, and his children escaped, by an Indian thoughtlessly throwing his match coat over a bee hive, which caused the party to be so attacked and stung, that they went off withcut the children. The mother, being pregnant, could not keep up with the party, and her bones and remains were found, six months afterwards, on the Broad mountain. In the revolutionary war, the Indian warriors again returned from west of the Ohio, into Tinicum, or Noxamixon townships, still aiming at Marshall, and he again escaped by being from home; they then went back through Jersey. This they told themselves aftet Pennsylvaclia Itnland.-Pennsbury. 101 the peace. The mlost of these facts, above told, are not in his " Narrative of the Walk," as above mentioned; but, coming from his own mouth, are to be respected and believed, as the relations of an honest and intelligent gecntlernan: for such h(e is. The "Log College," of Tennant, still remains near the Neshamony; and lately it was so, that a gentleman called and offered five dollars for a piece of its log, and scared the occupants, as if the enthusiast was demnented! It would seem, fiom family names existing in Bucks, that many of the Dutch must have been primitive settlers there, most probably under grants from Governor Andros, of New York. There is a place, beyond Abington, called isolland, which even now is much settled with Dutch names, such as VWynkoop, Vanmeter, Vansant, Corell, &c. The Presbyterian church too, at Abington, founded in 7117, was originally got up by the people near there of the Reformed Dutch faith, the descendants of Dutch forefathers. These facts were confirmed to me by the present pastor, the Rev. Mr. Steele. New Britain was settled by the Welsh. Pennsbury. This was the name of Penn's country place and mansion-sometimes called his " palace,"-in Bucks county, situated on the margin of the Delaware river, below Bordentown. There William Penn and his family lived, during part of his stay among us in the years 1700 and 1701. There, he often entertained Indians, and held treaty covenants, religious meetings, &c. The place was constructed in 1682-3, at great expense for that day, having cost S7000, and having considerable of the most finished or ornamental materials brought out fromn England. The mansion was sixty feet in front, by forty feet in depth; the garden, an ornamental and sloping one, lay along the river side in front of it, and numerous offices were in a fiont line with the dwelling. All that now remains is the house now occupied by Robert Crozier-the same building of wood which was originally formned for Penn's family " brew-house." After Penn had gone back to England, his place was retained some time in hopes of his return. His furniture was long preserved there, and finally got sold and spread about in Bucks county. His clock, and his writing desk and secretary, I have seen. For many years the people of Burlington used to make visits to the place, because of its associations with so distinguished a man-" a hallowed haunt, though but in ruins seen." Beneath a great grove of walnut trees they used to regale, and take their refreshments. A leaden re-servoir on the top of the house, kept there for retaining water as a security against fire, got to leaking, and caused the building to fall into premature decay, so that at the era of the revolution, it was torn down, with an intention to rebuild another; but the war prevented 9* 102 Pennsylvania Inland.-Pennsbury. that design. While it rested in a state of decay, it had a furnished chamber, hung with fine tapestry, and in which the family descend. ants were intended to be lodged in case of visits. This, from its being so seldom opened, and when seen, presenting so many tokens of musty and cob-web interior, got the reputation of " the spirit-room," and was deemed to be a haunted chamber! All who used to visit the premises in years long since, were accustomed to take away some relics of the place. Some such I have preserved,-such as the carved side of the door, and a piece of the bed cover, curiously worked by Letitia Penn. In the Pennsylvania Hospital is Penn's chair, taken from this mansion. The country immediately around, through Penn's manor, presents a generally level and rich soil; but its aspect from the river side is quite low and tame. Formerly a creek (now dry) ran round behind the mansion, at some distance, forming the farm into an island, and being crossed at places by bridges. At those places Penn once had his pleasure barge, and some small vessels. It has been matter of surprise to some, why Penn so soon provided for a country residence, even when society for mutual benefit was so necessary in the early rise of Philadelphia. A cause may perhaps be found in his predilections for a country life, as expressed in his admirable letter of family counsel, to wit: "Let my children (he said,) be husbandmen and housewives. This leads to consider the works of God and nature, and diverts the mind from being taken up with the vain arts and inventions of a luxurious world. Of cities and towns of concourse beware. The world is apt to stick close to those who have lived and got wealth there. A country life and estate I like best for my children." A letter of William Penn says, the place cost him ~7000, and he intended to settle permanently there, saying, ".I should have returned to it in'86 or'89 at furthest." In 1705, he says, " whether I surrender to the crown, or not, shall make no difference as to my coming and inhabiting there." He says he bought there of an old Indian king. Of course it was a royalty once! It was called Sepessin. The original tract of Pennsbury contained, in 1684, about 3431 acres, from which were abstracted, at various times afterwards, about 1S88 acres granted to others, and 400 acres besides to Arthur Cook, a public Friend of Philadelphia. John Richardson, a public Friend, speaks in his journal of living with William Penn, at Pennsbury, in 1701-saw there a public meeting and a marriage; also, an Indian assemblage to renew and revive former covenants with Penn before his departure for England-they held a cantico or worship, sitting around a fire, and singing a very melodious hymn, after which they joined in a dance, &c. Having had, in my possession, the book of MS. letters from Wil Pennsylvania Inland.-Pennsbury. 103 ham Penn to James Harrison, his chief steward-i. e., his general agent of the years 1681 to 1687,-[vide the letters in form in my MS. Annals, pages 164 to 171, in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.] I have here selected such extracts, as will serve to show the character of the houses, &c., once made or intended as the residence of the proprietary and his future generations, to wit: In August, 1684, he says, he sends Ralph, his gardener, some walnut trees to set, and some seeds of his own raising, which are rare good. He urges Ralph to stick to his garden, and to get the yards fenced in, and doors to them. By an Irish ship, he says, he sends butter, cheese, shoes, &c.-Some beer at S10 a tun, and some wine. On the 18th of 11th month, 16S4-5, he says, " I have sent herewith four servants-three carpenters, and a gardener; he had three more, but they failed him. I would (says he) have a kitchen, two larders, a wash-house, a room to iron in, a brew-house, and a Milan oven for baking, a stable for twelve horses; all my rooms I would have nine feet high, and my stables eleven feet, and overhead half a story. What you can, do with bricks. What you can't, do it with good timbers, and case them with clap-boards, about five feet, which will serve other things, and we can brick it afterwards."-[Probably this was never done so afterwards, and furnished a cause of premature decay.] " Pray, let the court-yard be levelled, and the fields and places about house be cleanly and orderly kept: so let me see thy conduct and contrivance about grounds and farm accommodations. I hope the barge is kept safely. Let Ralph take the lower grounds of the garden, and the other, his helper, the upper grounds and courtshave too a convenient well, or pump, for the several offices. " I desire that a pair of handsome plain steps be made at the landing right against the house, also the bridge more passable going to Jolhn Rowland's, unless one over the creek near the New England people may be better done. "I would have a walk to the falls [meaning in the direction to them,] and to the point where S. H.'s son built, cleared so as two may walk a foot. It would be pleasant if the old Indian paths were cleared up.' Pray, secure the refusal of the New England people's farms-I ave some in my eye that will buy them. "Let there be a two-leaved door back, and have a new one in one for the front, as the present is most ugly and low. I would have a rail and banisters before both fronts. The pales will serve round, though they are sad ones." The 19th of third month, 1685, he writes and says, " I like all thou hast sent me. I hope they go on with the houses and gardens, and let them finish that which is built as fast as they can. The partition between the left parlour and the great room the servants used 104 Pennsylvania Inland.-Pennsbury. to eat in, should be wainscotted up. The doors had best be large between the olher patdlour and the withdrawing room. "If the catle of Col. Lloyd are not brought home fron Maryland, dissolve the bargain, because I will supply beef from Ireland. The last I sent went by way of Barbadoes. " Let Ralph tlhis fall get about twenty young poplars, of about eighteen inches round, beheaded to twenty feet, to plant in the walk below the steps to the water. I menltione d tile kinds of out-houses wanted, but I know how to slhift. I all a tlmna of providence tost to and fro." "Thle 111h of 5th monthl, 1685, he writes and says, " Tell Ralph I lmust depend on his p)erfecting his gardens-hay dust [is not this seed?] firom Long Island, such as I sowed in my court yard, is the best for our fields. I will send divers seeds for gardens and fields. About the house miay be laid out into fields and grass, which is sweet anid pleasant. I trust to provide myself at my coming with carpenters, husbandmen, bricklayers and makers. I hope care is had of my three mares and their colis. I intend to bring more when I come, and a fine horse. A good dairy my wife will love." The 4th of 8th Io., 1685, he says, " I hear poor Ralph is dead. Let Nicholas then follow it (the garden) diligently, and I will reward him. Do not much hiring of carpenters and joiners. That I sent will do. Assure my servants, if they prove faithful and diligent, I will be kind to them in land and other things at my return. By this ship, I purpose to send some haws, hazelnuts, walnuts, garden seeds, &c." In another letter he says, " I have now sent a gardener (in place of Ralph, deceased,) with requisites. Let him have help of two or three men when needful. He is to have his passage paid and o30, and sixty acres of land, at three years, and a month in each year to himself; he to train me a man and a boy. There comes also a Dutchman, a joiner and a carpenter, that is to work one hundred and fifty days, and pay me S?5 or X.7 country money, for. 7 sterling lent him. Let him wainscot and make tables and stands: but chiefly help on the out-houses, because we shall bring" much furnitutre. " " I would have Nicholas (the gardener) have as many roots and flowers next spring, by transplanting them out of the wcoods, as he can." 7th of 9th month. 1685, he writes and says, "I am glad the Indian fields bore so well. Lay as much down as you can with hay dust, and clear away the wood up the river to open a prospect upwards as well as downwards. Get some wooden chairs of walnut, with long backs, and two or three eating tables for twelve; eight, and five persons, with falling leaves to them." 17th of 9th month, 1685, he says, " P. Ford has sent James Reed more trees, seeds, and sciences, (scions) which James, my gardener here, bought. Tell James I would have him lay in a good stock Pennsylvania Inland.-Pennsbury. 105 before he parts with any thing I send him. I would send free stones for the steps, if he had the dimensions. What you build i, best done with bricks. The man I sent can make them. A bettei kitchen would do well, with milk-house, stable, &c., but all by degrees. rThere is giavel for walks, that is red at Philadelphia, near the swamlp. In what you build, let there be low lodgings over head of eight feet. Let all be uniform, and not ascu from the house. Get and plant as much quick, as you can, about fields, and lay them out large, at least twelve acres in each." In 16S6, he writes: " I send a wheelwright, who can also work as a carpenter. I should be glad to see a draft of Pennsbury, [and so might we!] which an artist would quickly make, with the landscape of the house, out-houses, their proportions and distance from each other. Tell me how the peach and apple orchards bear. Of what are the out-houses built, and how do they stand to the house. Pray don't let the fronts of the house be common. I leave thee whether to go on with my son's land above Welcome creek or no." Such is the early history of the munificent expenditures and in tentions of Penn. A letter of Win. Penn to James Logan, of the 23d of 5th mo., 1700, then at Pennsbury, says, " That, because of an injury done his leg, he is unable to meet the council, &c., and therefore desires that four of the counsel, the collector and minister, and witnesses, to come up to him by his barge, which he will send to Burlington." He adds, too, "' Let the Indians come hither, and send in the boat more rum, and the match coats, and let the council adjourn to this place. Here will be victuals." At this time he speaks also of his coach or " calash" and horses, then in Philadelphia, and of his man John (a black man) to drive it. Tile above letter seems to indicate an assemblage or ga:hering for a treaty. It would seem there must have been a plurality of such Indian assemblages; for, in 1701, John Richardson, in his journal, tells of his being there when many Indians and chiefs were then to revive their covenants with Win. Penn, before his return home. There they received presents, and held their cantico or worship, by dancing around a fire prepared on the ground. In 1703-4, when young William Penn came to this country, there assembled as many as one hundred Indians, and nine kings, at Pennsbury, to greet his arrival there. It may further serve to give us a more direct insight into household economy and domestic concerns of such a man as Penn, and as marking the state and style of the grandees of olden timle, to give here a list of the furniture and plate, which once was deposited at Pennsbury, to wit: J. F. Fisher got from Stoke Pogis, of John Penn, two papers containing an account of what goods and plate Penn had at Pennsbury, and left there on the 3d of 10 mo., 1701, to wit: VOL. II.-O 106 Pennsylvania Inland.-Pennsbury. In the best chamber, sundry tables, stands, cane chairs, a bed and bedding, and a suit of satin curtains, &c. In the next chamber, a bed and bedding, six cane chairs, a suit of camblet curtains, &c. In the next chamber, one wrought bed and bedding, six wooden chairs, &c. In the nursery, one pallet bedstead, two chairs of master John's, and sundries, &c. In the next chamber, one bed and bedding, one suit of striped linen curtains, four rush-bottomed chairs, &c. In the garrets, four bedsteads, two beds, three side saddles-one of them my mother's, two pillions. In the lower rooms. Best parlour, two tables, one couch, two great cane chairs and four small ditto, seven cushions-four of them satin, three others green plush, and sundries more. The other parlour, two tables, six chairs, one great leather chair, one clock, a pair of brasses, and other mentioned things. In the little hall, six leather chairs, five maps. In the great hall, one long table and two forms, six chairs, pewter dishes, five mazarins, two cisterns, and sundries others. Linen and plate, damask, Irish diaper, fine Dutch diaper, hugabag, five sideboard cloths, one large tankard, one basin, six salts, one skillet, five plates, seven spoons, two forks, two porringers, &c., small articles. A chest of drawers containing an invoice of linen, all marked W. P. H. In the closet and best chamber, bed and bedding, two silk blankets and white curtains, also two damask curtains for windows, six cane chairs, one hanging press. In the kitchen, a grate iron, one pair of racks, three spits, one pair of great dogs, &c. I see also another paper entitled, " Plate carried to Pennsylvania," fron- which I extract some of the items: one large tankard, one caudle cup, three tumblers, six spoons, two forks, three chafing dishes, with things to burn spirits, one large plate with the Springet arms, that Springet's grandmother gave him, one little strong-water bottle, G. M. S., one save-all, G. S., six spoons with a cross, six egg spoons, W. P. G., six porringers, G. W. P., eighteen spoons, G. W. P., six forks with W. P.'s arms, one skillet, J. P. M., one sucking bottle, M. P.-W. P., one sugar dish, J J. MJ., one large chafing dish with gridiron, a top, which Letitia's grandmother Penington gave hers also one skimmer, from the same to her, one large plate with the Springet arms, that Springet's grandmother Penington gave him. (Several other items are named.) In conclusion, we add hereto three original letters of Penn, to John and Mary Sacher, while overseeing his concerns at Pennsbuary. They are so primitive, frank and friendly, as to,et the spirit of the man before us, while we read them. Pennsylvania Inland. Pennsbury. 107 Lond. 12, 8 on., 1705. Honest John and Mary.-My reall love is to you, and desire you and your little ones preservation heartily, and I know so does my dear wife and loving mistress. We are all, through the Lord's mercy, well, save little Hannah at Bristoll, whose arme has a weakness. She is a sweete childe, as Thomas and little Margaret. I doubt not your care and good husbandry, and good housewifery, to make that place profitable to me, after the hundreds, yea thousands, yt have been sunk there fromn the beginning. Though if that could be lett, to one yt would not misuse it, and you upon a plantation for my deare Johnne, I should like it better, and pray tell James (Logan) so; for I think I have spent too much there already. Johnne grows a fine childe, tall, brisky as a bird, his mother's limbs, but my countenance, and witty, as others say, and as healthy as any of them. Let me hear from you how Sam and Sue attend, and if the black boy and little Sue begin to be diligent. The Lord be with you, and all his humble and faithful ones, on both sides the water. Farewell: your reall friend, WM. PENN. Lond. 18, 3 mo., 1708. John Sacher-Loving friend.-I had thy letter with satisfaction, and glad to hear of thy and family's welfare. I am glad to hear of the good condition of poor Pennsbury, beloved of us all, and there, in the will of God, we wish ourselves. If thou leavest it, give J. Logan an acct. of ye fruit of thy labour, as acres cleared, and fence, and of both plow and sow land. Likewise, deliver all ye plate, linnen and household stuff into his possession and care. [This may account for my Penn-chair received from Mrs. Logan.] I bless God, we are all alive and well, save our dear sweete Hannah, whom the Lord took four months ago, at 41 years, the wittiest and womanliest creature that her age (of 4-) could show, biut His holy will be done. Thy loving fiiend, WM. PENN. To Honest Mary.-I had thine by our frd. Mary Dannester, with the pair of gloves to Johnne, which both pleased and fitted him well. I was well pleased to heare of yr well doing while at that place of mny pleasure, poor Pennsbury, which I like for a place better than I have ever yet lived at, and I hope since'tis lett, (which to be sure James (Logan) does to our advantage,) it will be kept as it deserves, and be fitt to receive me, if the Lord please to make way for our croming thither again. My dear father has been dangerousill, which -hurry'd me to Bristoll lately. There I saw thy brother, who has three children, and thrives in person and trade. With true love to thee and thy husband, and honest friend Jane, remain thy friend, W. P. 108 Pennsylvania Inland. —Lancaster. Graeme Park. Mris. Hart, an aged lady, remembered the park when, in the affluence and circumstance of the Grceme family, it was stocked with deer, and when all the woods, of five hundred acres, was cleared of underwood, and throughl the whole were several open avenues, (since grown up.) One place only was left uncleared, called the thicket. The place was surrounded by privet hedge. Miss Stedman, whlo dwelt with, and survived Mrs. Furguson, the talented daughter of Doctor Grneme, retained all the poetic and other papers of Mrs. Fulguson, and at the death of Miss Stedlman, the papers fell into the hands of Mr. Smith, of Lehman and Smith, druggists in Philadelphia. Mis. Furguson was a remarkably ready talker, even when a very aged woman, and always talked well. She was habitually called " Lady Furguson" by the neighbours of Grmaee Park. This same place was sold to French, in 1836, as a poor farm, at a very small price. Sic transit gloria mundi! Mrs. Furguson, it will be remembered, was the lady who was enmployed, as it was said, to offer the British bribe to Governor Read. Historical Notices of Lancaster, and Lancaster County. Lancaster was laid out as a town in 1728. In 1729 Lancaster county was erected out of part of Chester county. The German settlers, in consequence of the new county being formed, applied to the proper authorities for leave to enjoy the rights and privileges of British subjects, which was granted. The law containing their names and their petition is signed by Emanuel Zimmerman, (now Carpenter,) in behalf of others. A large number of Irish emigrants settled at Pequea, also sundry Welsh. A court house and prison is begun at Postlewaite's, and lS300 were lent by the governor upon bills of credit to defray the same. X,300 addilional were afterwards lent to the sam.e object. 1730, Stephen Atkinson built a fulling mill at great expense upon the Conestoga, but the inhabitants on the upper part of the creek assembled and pulled down the dam, as it prevented them from rafting and fishing. Mr. Atkinson then altered his dam with 20 feet passage for boats and fish. In 1731 a great. excitement was caused throughout the settlements, by the shameful murder of three Indians, by the settlers on Swatara creek. This creek was called after a town in Ireland, by Mr. Patterson, one of the original settlers. In 1732 a violent contest for a member of assembly took place between Andrew Galbraith and John Wright. On that occasion Mrs. Galbraith rode throughout the town at the head of a numerous band of horsemen, friends of her husband. In consequence of her activity, her husband was elected. In 1734 an Episcopal church was built in Conestoga, fifteen miles from Lancaster. The same year a Lutheran church was built in Lancaster. Pennsylvania Inland.-Lancaster. 109 The seat of Justice is removed from Postlewaite's to Lancaster, which last place, Hamilton laid out at the request of the proprietaries. In 1739, at the request of the Scots Pirsbyterian ministers and people, they were excused from " kissing the book," when giving their evidence on oath; the practice being contrary to the doctrine and worship of the church of Scotland. In 1742, a number of Germans stated that they had emigrated from Europe by an invitation from the proprietaries, and being attached to the Omish doctrines, and that being conscientious as to oaths, they cannot procure naturalization by the present laws. Whereupon a law was made in conformity with their request. [These Omish people wear long beards like the Dunkards, but have no places of worship, save their own private houses, and always retiring to a private and retired place, when inclined to pray. They have been excused from juries, in criminal cases, from their known inclination to acquit in cases of taking life.] In 1743, at an election to supply the vacancy of Thomas Linley, the Irish compelled the sheriff to receive such tickets as they approved, and to make a return accordingly. The assembly cancelled or so altered the return as to give the seat to Samuel Blunston. Note.-The proprietaries, in consequence of the frequent disturbances between the governor and Irish settlers, after the organization of York and Cumberland counties, gave orders to their agents to sell no lands in either York or Lancaster counties to the Irish; and also to make advantageous offers of removal to the Irish settlers on Paxton and Swatara, and Donegal townships, to remove to Cumberland county, which offers being liberal, were accepted by many. " Du verfluchter Irischer" used to be a frequent ejaculation of reproach in former days.. In 1774, Murhancellin, an Indian chief, murdered John Armstrong and his two men on Juniata, and was apprehended by Captain Jack's party, but released after a confinement of several months in Lancaster prison. This year a treaty was made with the Indians, in Lancaster, by Conrad Weiser, interpreter and agent, &c. John Musser complained to the governor that the Indians barked his walnut trees, which stood in the town, designing the bark as covers to their cabins; he asked X6 for damages, and was granted $3. In 1745, the Episcopal church was partly completed. In the year 1745, the German pastor of the Lutheran church (built in 1734) united a portion of his congregation with the Moravians. A great ferment was excited among the Lutherans. The Lutherans alleged that they were compelled to hear a doctrine which they did not approve, or else to resign their church. The " dark swamp," once in the centre of Lancaster, was attempted to be cleared of wood, and a drain made to carry off the water. In 1749, James Webb complained to the general assembly of 10 110 Pennsylvania Inland. —Lancaster. the undue election and return of a member from Lancaster county, and stating it was done by violence, and by many persons voting five to ten times severally, making 2300 votes out of 1000! Tlhe election was confirmed, but the managing officers were brought to the house and reprimanded. In 1751, at a large meeting held at Lancaster, it was resolved that a house of employment should be erected specially for the use of settlers, who had severely suffered from the hardships of new settlers and fiom the hostilities of Indians. A farm was procured and also implements for manufacturing, &c. They made stockilngs there, which soon gave celebrity to Lancaster in that article. In 1758, the fieemen of the county, by reason of the badness of the roads to Philadelphia, in spring and fall, pray to be excused from attendance there in the supreme court, and request a county court in lieu thereof. In 1759, in consequence of the distracted state of the country by Indian cruelties and French hostilities, a barrack was erected in Lancaster, to contain 500 men, for the security of the country. A petition of 1 763, by settlers along the Conestoga, complains of its dams, as destroying the former fishery of shad,,salmon and rock fish, which were before in abundance, and the tributary streams had plenty of trout,-all now gone. In 1764 occurred the terrible massacre of the Indians in the prison of Lancaster, where they were placed for security. A company of fifty men from Paxton, with blackened faces, armed and mounted, entered the town in full gallop, went to the prison and effected their cruel purposes. They had before destroyed the town of Conestoga manor, murdered six of the Indians, and burnt the place! The Ephrata institution near Lancaster has hitherto been little understood; prejudice has served to distort facts in the case, so that, fiom Carey's Museum,-in an article written by a British officer, down through Hannah Adams' View," &c., Buck's Theological Dictionary, and even the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, there has been a succession of misconceptions and mistatements concerning the community. They had nevertheless traits of character, which might redound more to the credit of the state and themselves than has been hitherto appreciated. For many years the institution was the seat of learning and the fine arts; and many families of Philadelphia and Baltimore resorted thither to have their children educated; and well the children loved the brotherhood. It contained some of the most learned men of the colony. Peter Miller, the prior, was employed by the government, and translated the Declaration of Independence into seven different languages, to be sent to the courts of Europe. They had one of the first printing presses in the state; and for a period of twenty years, did more book-printing than was done elsewhere in the whole province; and more original works were wrritten and printed at Ephrata, during the time it flourished, than in any province of the union! Thefirst Sabbath school too, on Pennsylvania Inland.-Lancaster. 111 record, was established there: for as early as 1740, full forty years earlier than Robert Raikes' much applauded system was known in England, this one at Ephrata was begun by Ludwig Strecker and others, which continued under good auspices, down to the year 1777. Music was much cultivated; BEISSEL was a first rate musician and composer. In composing sacred music he took his style from the music of nature; and the whole, comprising several large volumes, are founded on the tones of the.ZEolian harp-the singing is the IEolian harp harmonized. It is very peculiar in its style and concords, and in its execution. The tones issuing from the choir imitate very soft instrumental music; conveying a softness and devotion almost superhuman to the auditor. Their music is set in two, four, five, and seven parts. All the parts, save the bass, are led and sung exclusively by females, the men being confined to the bass, which is set in two parts, the high and low bass-the latter resembling the deep tones of the organ, and the first, in combination with one of the female parts, is an excellent imitation of the concert horn. The whole is sung on the falsetto voice, the singers scarcely opening their mouths, or moving their lips, which throws the voice up to the ceiling, which is not high, and the tones, which seem to be more than human, at least so far from common church singing, appear to be entering from above', and hovering over the heads of the assembly. Their singing so charmed the commissioners who were sent to visit the society by the English government, after the French war, that they requested a copy to be sent to the Royal family in England; which was cheerfully complied with, and which I understand is still preserved in the National Library. About twelve months afterwards a box was received of three or four feet long, and two or two and an half wide, containing a present in return. What the present was is not now certainly known-none having seen it but FRIEDSAM and JABEZ, who was then prior, and into whose care it was consigned. It was buried secretly by him, with the advice of BEISSEL. It is supposed, by a hint given by JABEZ, that it was images-of the king and queen, in full costume, or images of the Saviour on the cross, and the Virgin Mary; supposing, as many in this country have erroneously thought, that the people of Ephrata possess many of the Catholic principles and feelings. The king, at whose instance they were sent, was a German, and we may presume that he considered that they retained the same views as the monastic institutions of Europe. Trhey have nearly a thousand pieces of music, a piece being composed for every hymn. This music is lost entirely now, at Ephrata-not the music books, but the style of singing: they never attempt it any more. It is, however, still preserved and finely executed, though in a faint degree, at Snowhill, near the Antietam creek, in Franklin county, of this state; where there is a branch of the society, and which is now the principal settlement of the Seventh Day Baptists. They greatly outnumber the people of Ephrata, and 112 Pennsylvania Inland.-Lancaster. are in a very flourishing condition. There they keep up the institution as originally established at Ephrata, and are growing rapidly. Their singing, which is weak in comparison with the old Ephrata choir, and may be likened to the performance of an overture by a musical box, with its execution by a full orchestra in the opera house, is so peculiar and affecting, that when once heard, it can never be forgotten. The Pequea valley, besides having been the loved home of the Delawares, is still the chosen and fruitful region of their successors, the prosperous farmers of Lancaster county. At the first settlement of the county, it was selected as the preferred residence of sundry iT'enchfamilies of the persecuted Huguenots. They bore the names of Dubois, Boileau, Larroux, Lefevre; and some of their descendants remain there to the present day. A large quarto Bible, which Isaac Lefevre brought with him from France at that time, is now in the possession of John C. Lefevre, Esq., and held as a prized relic. The aforesaid names were also united with those of Charles De La Noe, a minister, and Andrew Dore, and some other Frenchmen, who had come out under the influence of William Penn, to form vineyards, and to cultivate grapes, " up the Schuylkill.' They, however, not succeeding to their expectation, felt prepared to avail themselves of a change to the Pequea valley, which was produced by the arrival, in 1712-13 of Madame Mary Feree, a widow lady, having with her three sons and three daughters, and coming to this land to seek a peaceful asylum from the persecutions of religious intolerance abroad. She had just lost her husband, a gentleman of eminence in France, by such persecution; and reaching England for refuge, she found friendship in William Penn and Queen Anne, by whom she was aided in her embarkation for America. She became possessed of four thousand acres of the best land in Pequea, recommended by Penn's agent, in this country, to her special notice: two thousand acres of which came by grant, and the other two thousand acres by purchase. To this place all those French people went for settlement, and were there heartily welcomed by the Indian king, Tanawa. When he died, soon after, all the Huguenots attended his burial; and his grave was marked with a pile of stones, which long remained to mark the place,-on what is now called La Fayette hill, near Paradise. The church of All Saints now stands on what was the Indian burial ground. The name of Madame Feree is still remembered and venerated in the neighbourhood of Paradise, where she settled, and gave, by grant of deed to trustees, the ground for general burial, as now used by the people there. Isaac Lefevre, before named, had lost both his parents by the massacre in France, and he arrived at Philadelphia, a youth of seventeen, in 1686; afterwards he became the husband of Catharine, the daughter of Madame Feree, and their son, by this marriage,;vas the first born white child in Pequea. Philip Feree married Leah a i!ARRIS' FRONTIER IIOUSE, HARRISBURG.-Page 113. 71 - i' L L1 BLOCK-HOUSE AND LOG-HOUSE SETTLERS.-Page 147. Pennsylvania Inland.-Harrisburg,