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Yale University Library
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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

KINGSTON

AND THE

LOYALISTS OF THE "SPRING FLEET"

OF

A. D. 1783

WITH REMINISCENSE8 OF

EARLY DAYS IN CONNECTICUT:

A NARRATIVE.

BT
Wa lt js r b at e s , Esq.,
Sometime High Sheriff of the County of Kings.

TO WHICH IS APPENDED A DIARY WRITTEN BY SARAH
FROST ON HER VOYAGE TO ST. JOHN, N. B.,
WITH THE LOYALISTS OE 1783.

EDITED WITH NOTES BY
W. O. RAYMOND, A. B.
Hector of St. Mary's Church, St. John, iV". B.

SAINT JOHN, N. B. :
BAENES AND COMPANY, 84 PRINCE WILLIAM STREET.
\1889.

KINGSTON AND THE LOYALISTS OF
THE " SPRING FLEET » OF 1783.

INTRODUCTORY.

Year by year the task of collecting reli
able information regarding the early his
tory of this province becomes increasingly
difficult. Already through indifference and neglect
much valuable information has been irre
parably lost. It, therefore, becomes a
matter of some importance to preserve in a
more permanent form such trustworthy
¦records as are yet in existence.
It is by no means improbable that much
material of real value to the future historian
lies hidden from the light of day in many
.an old dwelling in this province. Qld>
family documents and letters — faded' and >
musty — consigned in. numerous instances
to the attic or the lumber-room, are capable
of supplying here and there a missing link,
or throwing light on some obscure point
in our provincial history.
The publication of the following extreme
ly interesting narrative of the late Walter
Bates Esq., of Kingston, will be especially
•valq&ble if it should prove the means of
arp/using a spirit of inquiry and investiga
tion amongst the possessors of old papers
.and documents.
In the notes which I have appended to
the narrative, occasional reference will be
made to the History of New York during
the Bevolutiona," y War, by Thomas Jones,
justiceof the supremecourtof that province.
The work is a remarkable one. It is ably
•edited by Edward Floyd de Lancey, a per
sonal friend of Dr. C. W. Weldon, M. P.,
of this city, to whose kindness I am in
debted for its perusal.
The position taken by the Loyalists at
the time of the American revolution has
been largely misunderstood, and, as a con

sequence, greatly misrepresented. Their
true position is admirably stated in the
preface to the work just mentioned, and
the following quotation is particularly valu
able, as coming from a citizen of the United
States :
" It is a common belief," says Mr. de
Lancey, "that the loyal inhabitants of
America — the truly loyaL those who acted
from principle, were the unhesitating sup
porters of the British government in its
unjustifiable and tyrannic invasions of the
rights and liberties of its American people.
' ' United States writers have naturally,
perhaps, so described them, while the few
.English historians who have treated Ameri
can History, have either taken a similar
view, or have ignored them altogether,
" The history of the course of the Loyal
ists at the American Revolutionary epoch,
and of their plans for relief from the Brit
ish tyranny which then oppressed America,
has never been written. There can be no
greater error than to suppose that the
Loyalists as a whole were willing to sub
mit quietly to the exactions of the Mother
Country, and her invasion of their rights
and liberties as British subjects. As Ameri
cans they felt those grievances, and were as
indignant at the treatment they were sub
jected to as those of their countrymen who
took up arms. But they wished to fight I
the battle for those rights and liberties and '
the redress of those grievances, with the
powerful weapons which the constitution of
England gave to them as to other English
men — weapons which had proved successful
before as they have proved successful since
in similar emergencies — freedom of speech,
freedom of the pen, freedom of the press.

4

INTRODUCTORY.

They desired," by political agitation, to
force the home government to a change of
policy, or to drive it from power and place
in office the foes of the oppression of the
colonies. '*
' ' Their enemy was ihe ministry of Lord
North, not the King of England, to whom
they owned and had sworn allegiance.
This object they were prevented from carry
ing out. Royal folly in England and
demagogic fanaticism in America eagerly
joined hands to crush such a constitutional
settlement of |he dispute, brought about a
bloody civil war, and finally effected a ter
mination of the quarrel unlooked for by
.either party at its commencement."
' A brief biographical sketch may here be
given of the author of the old . manuscript
whidh now for the first time appears in
print. Walter Bates was the fourth son of John
and Sarah (Bostwick) Bates. He was born
March 14, 1760, in the eastern part of the
town of Stamford, Connecticut — now known
as Darien. The story of his early man
hood is given in a very entertaining form
in the narrative that follows.
After his arrival in Kingston, A. D. 1783,
he soon become quite a prominent person
age in the land of his adoption. Indeed
during the later years of his life the name
of "Sheriff Bates" was familiar in Kings
county as a household word.
A man of strict integrity and good abili
ty, he naturally took a leading position in
civic affairs. For many years he filled the
position of sheriff of Kings county with
much efficiency and fidelity.
He was ever a loyal British subject, and
a faithful and devoted member of the church
of his fathers, in whose welfare he took the
liveliest interest.
As a writer, he was possessed of no
mean ability. Indeed, it is probable that
in no other way will the name of Walter
Bates be more widely known or longer
remembered than as the author ot that re
markable and popular book, The Mysteri
ous Stranger, or Memoirs of the Noted
Henry More Smith — a book first published
by W. L. Avery, of this city, and which

has passed through many subsequent edi
tions by George W.. Day.
Walter Bates died at Kingston, at the
advanced age of 82 years.
This very year old Trinity church, m
whose erection he greatly rejoiced, com
memorated the centennial of its existence.
It stands as a faithful sentinel amongst the
silent graves of' its builders — those hardy
pioneers beneath whose axes the giant
trees of a primeval forest rang 100 years-
ago. And there, beneath the shade ofthe
old church he loved so well, the old Loyal
ist rests from his labors. A square free
stone column bears the following inscrip
tion: In Memory of
WALTER BATES, Esq.,
High Sheriff of this' County,
Who died
Feb. 11th, A.D. 1842,
Aged 82 years.
In Memory of
MRS. ABIGAIL BATES,
Wile of Walteb Bates, Esq.,
Who died
July 6, 1820, in the 68th year of her age.
It seems undoubtedly to have been the
intention of Mr. Bates to publish the old
manuscript, but increasing years and in
firmities prevented the consummation of his-
wishes. In 1840 he drew up the following;
PROSPECTUS.
Nearly ready for the press— published by sub
scription—A brief historical sketch of the seven
ministers who first, at the 'commencement of the
rebellion against King Charles the First, embraced
the doctrine of predestination and' free will election,
and to escape from the king's dis-pleasure fled to
New England, and there proclaimed themselves
Puritans. ... . With a brief extract oi their first
Blue Laws; contrasted with those ehurcrl ministers-
and loyal British subjects who were persecuted in
the times ofthe late rebellion in New England, and
who on the declaration of Independence fled' fi-om.
persecution into the wilderness of Nova Scotia,
A.D. 1783, and established the Church of EnglaiyJ
in Kingston.
The volume to contain more than 100 pages.
Price to subscribers, Zs. 6d.
Passing over for the present the former
part of Mr. Bates's manuscript, which is
in some places incomplete, I proceed to
take up that portion which will be of
special interest;
W. O. Raymond.

THE NARRATIVE OF WALTER BATES.

CHAPTER I.
EARLY DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION, WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE
SUFFERINGS OF THE LOYALISTS.

Having through age and other infirmities
been much longer with the former portion
of my subject than I at first anticipated, I
must therefore of necessity be very brief
in what follows, hoping that my infirmities
in so doing may not be viewed with severity.
It is now my desire to give a narrative
of events connected with the rise and pro
gress of the Protestant Episcopal Church
in Kingston, New Brunswick, recording
facts but not inventing anything, rescuing
many valuable facts from oblivion. The
work in a few minor details may possibly
be not always correct, yet in the main it is
unaffected — a body of facts, many of which
in our day are entirely new and the whole
is no where else to be found in so conveni
ent a form. The work has been prepared
at great expense of time, under the press
ure of many cares not unmingled with sick
ness, pain and sorrow.
/ In the words of Bishop Bramhall : "No
man can justly blame me for loving my
.spiritual mother, the Church of England,
in whose womb I was conceived, at whose
i breasts I was nourished, and in whose
\ bosom I hope to die."
"^t must only give a brief statement of
what took place after the return oi those
five gentlemen in Orders under the patron
age of the society in old England for pro
moting Christian Knowledge. Whereupon
•the Episcopal church increased mightily in
Connecticut. Several of the Presbyterian
ministers went to England and obtained
Episcopal ordination and soon after their
return churches were built in almost every
town in Connecticut, to the great annoy
ance of the old Puritans who cherishedl

great jealousy against the Church of]
England, inherited from their ances-(
tors. They asserted that the Episcopal clergy
were guilty of writing home amazing false
hood and that it would seem to be an agree
able office to distinguish the innocent from
the guilty. About this time mobs were as- L
sembled for persecuting the loyal element \
in Connecticut.
Every town which did not subscribe for *
support of Boston was styled a Tory j
town, which they spared not to insult.
As on one hand rebellion raised her crest
in Connecticut with more insolence than in
other parts, so loyalty has there exhibited
proofs of zeal and fortitude beyond example
to be found elsewhere. Ih particular the v
clergy by their steady adherence to their )
oaths and firmness under the assaults of /
their enemies were a conspicuous example j
of fidelity. Not one among them all in
their fiery trial have dishonoured the Kingl
or the Church of England. The suffering
of some of them within my memory I can
not wholly pass over in silence.
As a resolute antagonist of the Puritan
party, and a zealous supporter of the loyal
cause, the Rev. Mr. Peters stood conspi
cuous. Many were the attempts to ruin
him and his character. In carrying out
their systematic plan of persecution, the I
doors of the prisons were opened, and
prisoners became the leaders of mobs, com
posed largely of negroes, vagabonds, andj
thieves. The governor and council finally
entered the lists, and anxious at all events
to get rid of so formidable an opponent,
accused him of being a spy of Lord North

6

KINGSTON AND THE LOYALISTS

and the bishops, and proclamation was
made to that effect in every Republican
pulpit in the colony on Sunday, the four
teenth day of August, 1774. This en-i
couraged an armed mob of "patriots" to'
surround hf.s house the same night in a
tumultuous manner, ordering gates and
doors to be opened.
Mr. Peters, from his window, asked
if they had a warrant from a magistrate
to enter his house. They replied, "We
have Joice's warrant, which Charles the
traitor submitted to, and it is sufficient for
you." Finally, it was agreed that a committee,
composed of the most respectable men in
the party, should read all the papers be
longing to Mr. Peters. Accordingly, after
inspecting all his papers as much as they
pleased , they reported that they were satis
fied Mr. Peters was not guilty of any crime
laid to his charge.
On Sunday, the 4th September, the
country was falsely alarmed by reason of
Colonel Putnam's declaring Admiral Graves
had burnt Boston, and that General Gage
was murdering' old and }'Oung, except
Tories and churchmen.
The governor seized this opportunity to
set the mobs with redoubled fury upon Mr.
Peters and the loyalists of Hebron, whom;
they called "Peterites." On this occasion;,
intoxicated rnffians spared neither houses, |
goods nor persons. Some had their bowels
crushed out ot their bodies. Others were
covered with filth and marked with the
sign oi the cross, in token of loyalty to';
bishops and kings, who, they said, designed'
to crucify all good people. Even women
were hung up, tarred and feathered. The;
Rev. Mr. Peters, with his gown torn off,
was treated in the most insulting manner.
His mother, daughter, two brothers and
servants wounded, one of his brothers so
badly that he died soon after, and these
fiends dragged Mr. Peters almost naked
from his dwelling, in spite of the cries and
tears ofhis mother and sisters, which might',
have melted the heart of a savage, though t
it produced nothing but peals of laughter j
which rent to the skies. While they were
dragging him to their "Liberty Pole," with
intent of hoisting him up and down, as was
their manner of treatment, so extremely
cruel and barbarous was their usage that
the sheriff of Litchfield county could not
withhold his interference, by whose timely
assistance Mr. Peters was finally set at

liberty and his life providentially saved.
Half naked and wounded, he fled to the^
royal army at Boston, from whence he
went to England, by which means he prei
served his life, but not his property, fromA
the rapacity and bloody hands of his cruelj
countrymen. After such an experience, it is not to be-
wondered at that Mr. Peters had but a,
poor opinion of Republican liberty, or that_.i
he should have penned the following recipe :
Take the herb of Hypocrisy and root of Pride\
three handsfull— two ounces of Ambition and Vain-
glory— pound them in the morter of Faction and of I
Discord— leave oyer the fire ol Sedition until you. ;
perceive the Scum of Deceit at the top— strain it ',
through the cloke of Rebellion — put it in the bottle
of Envy— stop it with the cork of Malice till settled
—then make it into pills of Conspiracy— take nine
when you no to bed— say a long prayer that may be ,
heard in the street— -then go to sleep if you can, and
it will be sure to hase the due effects. All the next
day you will he well disposed to censure the church,
burn all the Bishops, murder the King, plunder the,
nation and cut the throats of all honest men.
After the escape of Mr. Peters, 1775T
the Rev. Messrs. Mansfield and Viets were
cast into prison and tried for high treason-
for giving food to loyalists flying from
drunken mobs — fined and imprisoned.*
Everything but decency and order over--)
ran the colony, and lrequent irruption was- '
made in which many loyalists were disarm
ed, plundered and made prisoners, among
whom was the Rev. Dr. Seabury and the
mayor ofthe city of New York. Governor

* The clergy of the Episcopal Church were par
ticularly obnoxious in New England during the
Revolutionary war. This fact was in some measure
due to the old antagonism existing between the
descendants of Puritans and the Church of England.
Rev. Samuel Peters, relerred to in the narrative,
was a staunch supporter of the cause of "Church
and State" and a resolute opponent of the Puritans.
After his return to England, in 1775, he wrote a
History of Connecticut.
That the Puritans entertained sentiments of de
cided hostility towards Mr. Peters we have already
seen. Subsequently he was charged by them with
maliciously forging the so-called "Blue Laws of
Connecticut." The origin of the "Blue Laws" has
been the source of much controversy — some of it
of a recent date. It would seem most probable that
the truth lies between the views of the extremists,
viz. : thatiu the early days of Connecticut there ex
isted laws similar to those recorded by Rev. Samuel
Peters, although not expressed in language iden
tical with that employed by him.
In connection with the name of Mr. Mansfield,
mentioned above, the following is of interest as an
illustration ofthe narrow-minded spirit ofthe times.
Whilst attending Harvard College, Cambridge,
young Richard Mansfield through religious convic
tion renounced the faith of his forefathers, and de
cided to study for the ministry in the Church of
England. So great was the animosity excited by
his conduct, that when he sailed for England to be
ordained by thevBishop of London, his own sister
prayed that he rn,%ht be lost at sea.

OF THE " SPRING FLEET " OF 1783.

Tryon and others happily escaped their
fury through a back window.
Mr. Rivington, the King's printer, was
one of the sufferers by loss of property.
They plundered his house of all his printing
materials — since employed in the service of
their congress. The King's statute main-\
tained its ground in New York until)
Washington took possession of the city,
when it was indicted for high treason
against America, found guilty and received
sentence that the lead of it should be rur
into bullets for the destruction of the
English. '
Mr. Washington thought proper to
notice in his General Order next day he
was sorry his soldiers should in a riotous
manner pull down the statue of the King,
yet he could not but commend them for\
defaming every monument of BritishJ
tyranny. Meanwhile, in Connecticut organized
mobs continued their acts of violence and
outrage, breaking windows in the houses
of loyalists and crying out, "No Bishops,
Kings, Lords or Tyrants !" The N ew
Englanders felt that the authority of the
government of England and the National
church must be crushed or their Puritanism
be overthrown. It was this spirit largely
which originated the late rebellion in
America. Throughdut this unhappy war, the Epis
copal church, in some places veiled in
obscurity, still continued to exist in Am
erica, notwithstanding the utmost persecu
tion evil men could bring upon it, and at
length I have happily lived to see what so
long I vainly hoped for — Dr. Seabury, the
persecuted priest from the city of New
York, return the first consecrated Diocesan
Bishop ot Connecticut — my native land. *
* Dr. Samuel Seabury was consecrated Bishop
at Aberdeen, Scotland, November 14th, 1784, by
Bishops I-. ilgour, Petrie and Skinner.
As long ago as 1716 the Rev. John Talbot had ex
pressed the desire felt in America for a resident
Bishop in the following emphatic words : "The poor
church here in the wilderness, there is none to guide
her among all the sons she has brought forth.
When the apostles heard that Samaria had received
the word of God, immediately they sent out two of
the chief, Peter and John, to lay hands on them,
and pray that they might receive the Holy Ghost.
And when Paul did but dream that a man of Mace
donia called him, he set sail all so fast, and went
over himself to help them. But we have been here
these twenty years calling till our hearts ache, and
ye own 'tis the cause and call of God, and yet ye
have not heard, or have not answered, and that's all
one." More than thirty years later (A. D. 1748) Rev.
Dr. Johnson writes "twenty-five men have gone a

In July, 1776, Congress declared Inde- \
pendency, and ordered the Commonwealth /
to be prayed for instead of the King and/
Royal family. All the loyal churches were
thereupon shut up, except one at Newton,
Connecticut, of which the Rev. John Beach
was rector. His gray hairs adorned with
loyal and Christian virtues overcame the
madness of his enemies. This faithful
disciple entered his church, saying : "If I
am to credit the surmises kindly whispered
to me, that unless I forbear from praying
for the King I shall never pray or preach
more, I can only say, whilst no intimation
could well be more distressing, it admits
not one moment's delay : with all due re
spect for my ordination oaths, I am firm in
my resolution while I pray at all to con
form with the unmutilated liturgy of the
church, and pray for the King and all in
authority under him." ;
Upon this the rebels seized him, resolved
to cut out his tongue. He said, "If my
blood must be shed, let it not be done in
the house of God." The pious mob then
dragged him out of the church. "Now,
you old devil," said they, "say your last
prayer !". Whereupon he devoutly kneeled
down, saying, "0 Lord and Father of
mercies, look upon these mine enemies and
forgive them. They know not what they
do; they are blindly misled; O God, in
mercy open their eyes."
By the Providence of God, the council
of his enemies was brought to naught and
his life spared, f
In September, 1776, Washington was com
pelled to evacuate New York, by General
Howe, to the great reliei of loyalists in
New York. He penetrated into the country
thousand leagues for Episcppal orders, of whom no
less than five have lost their lives and several others
suffered the most dangerous sicknesses, and all at
the expense of more than we could well afford."
t In his last letter to the Society for Propagation
ofthe Gospel, written from Newton, Conn., Oct. 31,
1781, Mr. Beach, after referring to the difficulties
of conveyance of letters, savs : "A narrative of my
troubles"I dare not now give. Newton and part of
Readins are (I believe) the only parts of New Eng
land that have refused to comply with the doings of
Congress, and for that reason have been the butt of
general hatred; but God has delivered us from en
tire destruction. I am now in the tCerU£* <Z££^*Cd
year of my age, yet do constantly, alternately, per
form service and preach at Newton and Reading;
my congregation being commonly about 300 at Read
ing and at Newton about 600. I have been sixty
years a public preacher, and after conviction in the
Church of England fifty years." Six months later
Mr. Beach died, fairly worn out, but feeling assured
that he had conscientiously tried during his long
life to "Fear God; honor the king."

KINGSTON' AND THE LOYALISTS

as far as White Plains, about twelve miles
from Stamford, to the alarm of all the
sympathizers with the British cause. In
the day of battle we were collected by the
mobs and confined, under strong guards,
where we could hear the report of guns,
hoping soon to be relieved. The British
returning shortly after the mobs all dis
persed and the "Tories" were set at
liberty.

The British fortified Lloyd's Neck with a
garrisbn, opposite the islands and coves
lying between the churches otNorwalk and
Stamford, whose inhabitants were wealthy
farmers — Churchmen and Quakers — all
loyalists that afforded a complete asylum
and safe passage, by which my three
brothers and hundreds of others passed
by night almost continually to the British
Garrison.

CHAPTER II.

PERSONAL ADVENTURES OF THE NARRATOR DURING THE WAR.

At length the thing I greatly feared came
upon me. A small boat was discovered
by the American guard, in one of these
coves, by night, in which they suspected
that one of my brothers, with some others,
had come from the British. They sup
posed them concealed in the neighbor
hood and that I must be acquainted
with it.
At this time I had just entered my six
teenth year. I was taken and confined in
the Guard House ; next day examined be
fore a Committee and threatened with
sundry deaths if I did not confess what I
knew not of. They threatened among
other things to confine me at low water and
let the tide drown me ii I did not expose
these honest farmers. At length I was sent
back to the Guard House until ten o'clock
at night, when I was taken out by an armed
mob, conveyed through the field gate one
mile from the town to back Creek, then
having been stripped my body was exposed
to the mosquitoes, my hands and feet being
confined to a tree near the Salt Marsh, in
which situation for two hours time every
drop of blood would be drawn from my
body ; when soon after two of the com
mittee said that it I would tell them all I
knew, they would release me, if not they
would leave me to these men who, perhaps,
would kill me.
I told them that I knew nothing that
would save my life.
They left me, and the Guard came to me
and said they were ordered to give me, if I
did not confess, one hundred stripes, and
if that did not kill me I would be sentenced
to be hanged. Twenty stripes was then
executed with severity, after which they

sent me again to the Guard House. No
"Tory" was allowed to speak to me, but I
was insulted and abused by all.
The next day the committee proposed
many means to extort a confession from
me, the most terrifying was that of confin
ing me to a log on the carriage in the Saw
mill and let the saw cut me in two if I did
not expose "those Torys." Finally they
sentenced me to appear before Col. Daven
port, in order that he should send me to
head quarters, where all the Torys he sent
were surely hanged. Accordingly next
day I was brought before Davenport — one
of the descendants of the old apostate
Davenport, who fled from old England —
who, alter he had examined me, said with
great severity of countenance, "I think
you could have exposed those Tories."
I said to him "You might rather think I
would have exposed my own father sooner
than suffer what I have suffered." Upon
which the old judge could not help acknow
ledging he never knew any one who had with
stood more without exposing confederates,
and he finally discharged me the third day.
It was a grievous misfortune to be in such
a situation, but the tear of God animated
me not to fear man. My resolution com
pelled mine enemies to show their pity
that I had been so causelessly afflicted, and
my life was spared. I was, however,
obliged to seek refuge from the malice of
my persecutors in the mountains and forests
until their frenzy might be somewhat abated.
After two year's absence, on my return
home, I found my father down with the\
small-pox, suspected to be given him by:
design, consequently the family were all in
incoculation, which "i also had to endure,

OF THE "SPRING FLEET" OE 1783.

after which I could not by any means think
of leaving my father until I had assisted
him in his wheat harvest.
The first night after I was summoned
•with a draft for the Continental Service
•with three day's notice, consequently was
compelled to flee for refuge, I knew not
where, but providentially found myself next
morning in the immediate neighbourhood
of a British garrison. Here I was inform
ed I must go through the regular process,
be reported, and take the oath of alle
giance. I was provided with the necessary pass
from the commanding officer to General
DeLancey* at Jamaica (Long Island), who
furnished me with a pass directed to General
Smith at Brooklin, who furnished me with
a pass to Colonel Axtellf at Flat Bush, who
administered the oath and also furnished me
me with a pass to General DeLancey again
at Jamaica. Here not being acquainted
with customs of the army exposed me to
great inconvenience. I just only prudently
knocked at the same door where I had re
ceived my pass the day before. This I
was informed was considered an offence
and that the old General was apt to be very
.severe after drinking wine all night.
At length the old General came down
from his chamber, and surely his face
looked to me as red as his coat.
"Where is that damned rascal who has
•disturbed my quarters this morning?

*01iver DeLancey upon the submission of Long
Island to General Howe, in 1776, was commissioned
a. Brigadier-General, with orders to raise three
battalions of 500 men each for the defence ofthe
Island. To raise this corps large sums of money
-were contributed by General DeLancey and by the
inhabitants of every town on the island.
Sons of many reputable farmers and a number
of respectable freeholders enlisted. The third
"battalion, commanded by Colonel Gabriel G. Ludlow,
was composed entirely of natives of Queens county,
Long Island. Colonel Gabriel Ludlow was afterwards
firstmayor of St. John, N.B. (A.D. 1785) , also Adniin-
strator of the province for five years after the retire
ment of Lieut. Governor Thomas Carleton. The
house in which he resided still stands, near St.
George's church, Carleton, N. B.
Colonel Ludlow's battalion was stationed at Brook-
haven and Lloyds Neck, on the north shore of Long
Island, till the close ofthe Revolutionary war, when
the three battalions were disbanded in Nova Scotia.
A full and extremely interesting account of Dc-
Lancey's corps will be found in the History of New
York During the Revolutionary War, by Judge
Thomas Jones, edited by Edward Floyd de Lancey.
f Judge Jones gives an amusing account of Colonel
Axtell and his achievements: "William Axtell,

Send him to the guard house ! " roared he.
This subjected me to great difficulties,
too unpleasant to mention.
Yet kind providence seemed to prepare
ways and means, unforseen by me, for my
escape and preservation amidst all troubles,
afflictions and dangers by land and sea,
and during that unhappy war there were
many instances of God's mercy for which I
can never be sufficiently grateful. For
example in the case of my eldest brother's
sickness, on Long Island, with the fever
that few survived at that time, I was provi
dentially in a situation to render him every
comfort he could receive while in life, and
after his death to attend to his decent
burial in the town of Huntington, the 10th
day of September, 1781 ; and soon after I
was taken sick with the like fever on Lloyds
Neck, where I must soon have died had
not I providentially been removed to a
friendly house in Huntington, where I
received the kind attention of the family.
It was feared that I could not survive until
morning, a doctor was called late at night
who administered medicine which, under
providence, gave immediate relief and I
was soon restored to my former health.
Shortly after this I commenced teaching,
a school on Eaton's Neck, where all the|
people were Loyalists and most part with !
myself, churchmen from Connecticut.
Here some of the Church clergymen
came occasionally to bold divine service
on Sundays.
There being none of other religion on
the "Neck" we were so united the church

Esq., of Kings county, Long Island, was com
missioned by the Commander-in-Chief as Colonel
of a regiment to consist of 500 men, to be raised by
him on the King's account, the officers to have the
same rank, and pay, as the other provincial corps,
with this condition however, they were to-be dis
banded on the first day of the ensuing December.
Axtejl's recruits amounted to about thirty. These
formed his regiment. It was in pay from the 1st of
May 1779 to the 1st of December following, seven
months. It was encamped in his court yard. It
guarded his house, his poultiy, his hogs, his sheep
and his cows. No other service did the regiment
do. Yet he received full pay, clothing, arms, and
provisions for 500 men the whole time. . . . His
excellency, the General, trave orders that no person
whatever should pass Bi-ookland (Brooklyn) ferry
from Long Island to New York without a pass from
Colonel Axtell. Not less than 20,000 people, ex
clusive ofthe military, at that time annually passed
the ferry. Every one, instead of the two pence
formerly paid, was obliged to pay the Colonel eight
shillings, which yearly amounted to the tune of some
thousands."

10

KINGSTON AND THiS LOYALISTS

at Eaton might be justly styled a church
The Rev. John Sayre came to attend
public worship here in April, 1783, and at
the same time to acquaint us that the King
had granted to all Loyalists who did not
incline to return to their homes, and would
go to Nova Scotia, two hundred acres of
land to each family, and two years pro
visions ; provide ships to convey them as
near as can be to a place for settlement
where lands would be granted for support
of church and school. The next day I ob
tained the articles for settlement (yet in my
possession) from Huntington. A general
meeting was held on Eaton's Neck to inves
tigate the same together with our present
and iuture prospects.
After we had discussed the matter it was
resolved by all present, and mutually
agreed to remove with all their families into
the wilderness of Nova Scotia, and settle
all together in such situation as we might
enjoy the comforts of a church and school

in the wilderness, fully relying for future
support in the promises of God to His-
people. I here introduce the rhymes of.a young
School master:
Come Loyalists all come "  •>
And listen to my word ; I
We left our country and our home I
And trusted in the Lord;
Let us not now forsake our trust I
Returning back with sorrow;
I fain would see the Rebels flee
Like Sodom and Gomorrow,^^/
Y>t think these offers very jusff-
And thank the King sincerely —
Altho' the Rebels gain so much,
We see not yet quite clearly;
God is too wise to be unjust,
Too good to be unkind,
While subject to his sovereign will
Our hearts are well inclined.
God when He gives supremely good,
Not less when He denies;
Afflict ious from His Sovereign hand
Are blessings in disguise.
For in the wilderness, we're told,
God's church will comfort give,
And no good thing will He withhold
From those who justly live. W. Bates.

* Nevertheless, the position of the Loyalists at
Eaton's Neck was not fi ee from its trials, as witness
the following, the original of which is in possession
of Miss Pickett, Kingston, N. B. :
" To His Excellency, James Robertson, Esquire,
Governor and Commander-in Chief of the Prov
ince of New York and Lieutenant General of
His Majesty's Forces, etc., etc., etc.
The Memorial of John Fowler, Israel Hoyt and
David Pickett, most humbly sheweth :
That having left their properties in the country
and come within the Royal Lines for protection,
upon application to Government lor support they
obtained with others a grant of Eaton's Neck, the
property of John Sloss Hobart, in Rebellion, but the
same be ng applied for and obtained by James
Jauucey, Esquire, and others, who had a mortgage
on the same, your memorialists hired the same irom
those gentlemen at a Rental agreed on.
That being settled on said place upon the afore
said terms, and endeavoring to support their families
by honest industry, they found themselves disap
pointed, and prevented enjoying the fruits of their
labors by the crews of the armed vessels stationed
in Huntington Bay for their protection, who have
taken their property from them without any license,
pay or satisfaction.
That they have made repeated application to the
commanders of said Guard Ships to prevent the
ravages of their crews and to obtain satisfaction, but
obtaining neither, they, with their associates, ap
plied to Admiral Digby for redress, who kindly
wrote to said commanders on the subject, but with
out producing the desired effect; that upon the de
livery of Admiral Digby's letter to Captain Steel he
flew into a violent passion, threatening to tye the
complainants to a gun and flog them, ordering them
out ofthe ship, and adding he would blow them to

Hell if they came alongside again, telling them he-
would give them no redress nor protection, but
would have his revenge before he left the station.
In this situation, being left remediless, they ap
ply to your Excellency, as Governor of the Province,
the Patron and Director of all Loyal subjects driven
from their habitation, and humbly request that youir
Excellency would be favorably pleased to recom
mend their distressed case to His Excellency Ad
miral Digby, and to interpose in their favor, so that
they with the others suffering in a similar situation^
may have effectual redress and a stop be putto such
ravages for the future; and they as in duty bound
will ever pray, etc.
New York, 8th January, 1T82.
Nov were the British soldiers more forbearing
than the seamen, as will be seen from the following
extract from Judge Jones' Loyalist History of New
York. Speaking of the conduct of the soldiers
quartered on Long Island, he says : "They robbed,
plundered and pillaged the inhabitants of everything
they could, lay their hands upon. It was no uncom
mon thing, of au afternoon, to see a farmer driving
a flock of turkeys, geese, ducks or dunghill fowls
and locking them up in his cellar for security dur
ing the night. The whole day it was necessary for
a person to attend in the fields where they fed to
protect them from the ravages of the military.
It was no uncommon thing for a farmer, his wife-
and children to sleep in one room, while his sheep-
were bleating in the room adjoining, his hogs grunt
ing in the kitchen, and the cocks crowing, hens
cackling, ducks quacking and geese hissing in the
cellar. Horned cattle were for safety locked up-
in barns, stables and outhouses.
. This robbing was done bypeople sent to America,
to protect Loyalists against the persecutions and-
depredations of Rebels! To complain was needless-
The officers shared in the plunder."

OF THE " SPUING FLEET" OF 1783.

11

CHAPTER III.

THE VOYAGE OP THE FIRST FLEET OF 1783 AND THE SETTLEMEMT OF
KINGSTON BY A BAND OF LOYALISTS.

It seemed as if heaven smiled upon our
undertaking, selecting the best ship in the
fleet for our comfort, and by far the best
captain. And so, with warm, loyal hearts,
we all embarked with one mind on board
the good ship Union, Captain Wilson, who
received us all on board as father of a
family. *
Nothing was wanting to make us comfor
table on board ship, which blessing seemed
providentially to attend us throughout.
From Eaton's Neck the ship sailed
through East River to New York.
Having a couple on board wishing to be
married we called upon Reverend Mr.
Learning f who received us with much
kindness and affection, most of us having
been formerly of his congregation ; who
after the marriage reverently admonished us
with his blessing that in our new home we
pay due regard to church and school as
means to obtain the blessing of God upon
our families and our industry. We re-
embarked. Next day the ship joined the
fleet and on the 26th day ot April, 1783,
upwards of twenty sail of ships under con
voy left Sandy Hook for Nova Scotia — from
whence our good ship Union had the
honor of leading the whole fleet fourteen
days and arrived at Partridge Island before
the fleet was come within sight.
Next day our ship was safely moored by
Capt. Daniel Lsavett, the pilot, in the most
convenient situation for landing in the har
bor of St. John all in good health.
We remained comfortably on board ship
?Huntington Bay, on the north side of Long Island,
is formed by Lloyds' Neck on the west and Eaton's
Neck on the east, both of which project a consider
able distance into the Sound. The water is deep
enough for the largest man-of-war; the anchorage
food, and the bay secure from almost every wind.
he bay is large enough to contain the whole navy
of England.
The embarkation began on Friday, April 11th,
and was completed five days later. The original
Manifest of the ship Union is now in the posses
sion of William Fyler Dibblee, of Woodstock, N. B.,
a copy o£ which is set out on the following page.
t The Eev. Dr. J. Learning of Norwalk, was
elected by the clergy of Connecticut in 1783 to be

till we could explore for a place in the-
wilderness suitable for our purpose of
settlement. Those who came in other
ships were in some cases sickly, or pre
cipitated on shore. Here again we were
favored. A boat was procured for the purpose oi
exploration, and David Pickett, Israel
Hait, Silas Raymond and others proceeded
sixty miles up the River Saint John. Oni
their return they reported that the inhabi
tants were settled on intervale land by the-
river — that the high lands had generally
been burned by the Indians, and there was-
no church or church minister in the-
country. They were informed of the existence of a
tract of timber land that had not been
burned on Bellisle Bay, about thirty miles
from the harbor of Saint John, which they
had visited. They viewed the situation*
favorable for our purpose ot settlement.
Whereupon we all agreed to disembark
from on board the good ship Union and
proceed thither. We departed with Cap
tain Wilson's blessing, and embarked on.
board a small sloop all our baggage.
The next morning with all our effects,
women and children, we set sail above the-
Falls, and arrived at Bellisle Bay bef ore-
sunset. Nothing but wilderness before our eyes ;
the women and children did not refrain
from tears !
John Marvin, John Lyon and myself
went on shore and pitched a tent in the
their first Bishop. He however declined on the-
ground of his infirmities and Dr. Seabury was then
chosen. On July 11, 1779, Norwalk was burned by General'
Tryon. In the conflagration Mr. Learning's church
and house were destroyed. "I have lost every
thing," he writes, "my furniture, books, and all my
papers, even all my apparel except what was on my
back. My loss on that fatal day was not less than-
twelve or thirteen hundred pounds sterling." He
was soon after placed in jail as a Tory, and denied.
even the comfort of a bed. This brought on hip-
disease which made him a cripple for life.
Many of the early settlers of Kingston were-
baptized and married by Key. Dr. Learning.

12

KINGSTON AND THE LOYALISTS

Meturn of the Famelies, etc., Embarked on Board the Union Transport, Consett Wilson,
Master, Began Huntington Bay April 11th, and Compleated April 16th, 1783.

Signers' Names.

TTvler Dibblee 
Walter Dibblee 
'William Dibblee  ¦
John Lyon 
.John Lj'on, jr 
Tieuben Lyon 
David Picket 
.Joseph Caswell  ¦
Ephraim Deforest 
Ebenezer Slokum 
William Boon... 
••Seth Squid's 
.Seth Squiers, jr 
.John Baker 
Abram Carrington 
William Straight 
.-Seth Seely 
•Seth Seely, jr 
-John Hendrickson 
Israel Hait 
Widow Mary Raymond.
Nathan Shippy 
Martin Trecarty 
.Silas Raymond 
Jaramiah Hoi comb 
'George Happio 
-Joseph Rothburn 
James Picket 
Lewis Picket 
-John Underwood 
Widow Ruth Nichols....
Johannes Chick 
-John Chick 
^^SWalter Bates 
John Gordon 
Joseph Lyon 
J3imon Losee 
Thomas Carle 
Jacob Maybee 
William Maybee 
Widow Hester Burlock.
Stephen Fountain 
'Thomas Burdin 
¦George Sweet 
"Thomas Wade 
Abram Dickermon 
JEleazor Slokum 
Samuel Boon 
Massey Harris 
-George Lumsden 
Robert Comely 
John Fowler 
John Hand 
Elias Scribner 
Hesekiah Scribner 
Thaddeus Scribner 
-Joseph Ferris 
-Gideon Coree 
:Solomon Tucker 
Daniel Smith 
Andrew Jostlin 
Abel Bard sley 
Ephraim Lane 
¦ John Marvin 
John Seaman 

6

Former Place of Abode.

Stanford, Connecticut 
do. do. 
do. do. 
Reading, do. 
do. do. 
do. do. 
Stanford, do. 
Massachusetts 
Reading, Connecticut 
Rhode Island 
do  ¦ 
Stratford, Connecticut 
do. do- 
Massachusetts 
Milford, Connecticut 
Killingsworth, do 
Stanford, do 
do. do 
Duches County 
Norwalk, Connecticut 
do. do 
Duches County 
do 
Norwalk, Connecticut 
Hackingsack, Jersey 
Duches County 
Rhode Island. 
Norwalk, Connecticut 
do. do 
Newport, Rhode Island 
do. do. 
Eaton's Neck, Long Island. . .
do. do.
Stanford, Connecticut 
Danbury, do 
Connecticut 
Long Island 
Duches County 
do. 
do 
Norwalk, Connecticut. 
Stanrord, do 
Massachusetts 
Rhode Island 
do 
New Haven, Connecticut 
Massachusetts 
Rhode Island 
do 
New Haven, Connecticut 
Pennsylvania 
Massachusetts 
East New Jersey 
Norwalk, Connecticut 
do. do. 
do. do. 
Newtown, do 
Rhode Island 
Stanford, Connecticut 
New Milford, do 
Rhode Island 
Fairfield, Connecticut  . 
do. do. 
Norwalk, ¦ do. 
Duches County 

Occupation.

Attorney -at-Law.
Farmer.Farmer.Farmer.
Farmer. Farmer.Farmer. Blacksmith.
Shoemaker.
Farmer.Farmer.
Farmer. Farmer.
Seaman.Farmer.Refiner of Iron.
Farmer.
Farmer.Farmer. Shoemaker.Carpenter. Carpenter.Carpenter. Farmer.
Shoemaker.
Farmer. Carpenter.Carpenter.Farmer.Farmer.
Farmer. Farmer.Farmer.Farmer. Shoemaker.
Farmer.Farmer. Farmer.
Blacksmith. Farmer.Wheelwright.Farmer. Shoemaker.Seaman.
Farmer. Shoemaker.Mason.Farmer. Carpenter.Shoemaker.Farmer.Shoemaker.
Joiner.Cooper.Weaver.Farmer.Farmer. Farmer.
Farmer. •
Farmer.Farmer.

•65 Signers; 35 Women; 59 Children over 10 years old; 48 Children under 10 years old; 2 Servants.
Total, 209. A True Return Test, (Signed) FYLER DIBBLEE, D. Agt.

OE THE "SPRING FLEET" OF 1783.

13P

bushes and slept in it all night. Next
morning every man came on shore and
cleared away and landed all our baggage,
women and the children, and the sloop left
us alone in the wilderness.
We had been informed the Indians were
uneasy at our coming, and that a consider
able body had collected at the head of
Bellisle. Yet our hope and trust remained
firm that God would not forsake us. We
set to work with such resolution that before
night we had as many tents set as made the
women and children comfortable.
Next morning we discovered a fleet of
ten Indian canoes -slowly moving towards
us, which caused considtrable alarm with
the women. Before they came within gun
shot one who could speak English came tol
let us know, "We all one brother!" They)
were ofthe Micmac tribe and became quite \
friendly, and furnished us plentifully with)
moose meat.
We soon discovered a situation at the
head of Bellisle Creek suitable for our pur
pose of settlement with Church and school.
No surveyor was appointed until July
when Frederick Hauser was commissioned
with directions to survey and allot our land
according to our wishes.
He commenced where we had designed
for our Church and school house in King
ston with a road six rods wide and survey
ed twenty-two lots numbering on each side.
Before the lots were exposed for draft it
was agreed that one acre off each adjoining
corner of the four first numbers should be
allotted the place for the Church and school
house and that lot number one on the west
side shonld be reserved for the parsonage.
The water privilege to be reserved for
those who would engage to built a grist
mill and saw boards enough for our Church
and school house.
Accordingly the lots were drawn and the
numbers fell to the persons named in the
grant. Whereupon every man was jointly em
ployed clearing places for building, cutting
logs, carrying them together by strength of
hands and laying up log houses, by which
means seventeen log houses were laid up
and covered with bark, so that by the
month of November every man in the dis
trict found himself and family covered under
his own roof and a happier people never
lived upon this globe enjoying in unity the
blessings which God had provided for us
in the country into whose coves and wild

woods we were driven through persecution.
Here with the protection of a kind provi-
dence we were perfectly happy, contented1
and comfortable in our dwellings through
the winter, and on Easter Monday met to
gether, and as secondary means to promote-
religion, elected the following persons pre
paratory for the church, namely :
WARDENS.
David Pickett and Joseph Lyon.
VESTRYMEN.
John Lyon, James Ketchum,
Israel Hoit, Silas Raymond,
Jonathan Ketchum, Ephraim Lane,
Andrew Patching, James Moore,
Elias Scribner, Seth Seeley,
John Fowler, Thomas Sumner.
The Rev. John Sayre who ministered tc
us at Eaton's Neck soon after his arrival in
the fall fleet removed to MaugerviUe.*
The Rev. John Beardsley f officiated
for us occasionally, and made some pre
paration for building in Kingston.
On Thursday, the 7th day of October,
1784, I had the honor of the first marriage
* The Rev. John Sayre was missionary at Fair
field, Conn., where he had a trying experience dur
ing the Revolutionary war. In a letter dated Nov.-
8, 1779, he speaks of the hardships endured by the-
Loyalists at the hands of both the contending parties.
In his church the hangings were torn down, the-
leads stripped off, bullets fired through the windows
and the entire buildings exposed to every sort of
wanton defilement. His congregation were sub
jected to every kind of oppression — fined and im
prisoned on the most frivolous pretences. Mr.-
Sayre himself was confined to his house and garden
and proclaimed as an enemy to his country, and all
persons were forbidden (under threat of severe pen
alty for disobedience) to have any manner of deal
ing with him. "This order was posted up in every
store, mil], mechanical shop, and public house in
the county and was repeatedly published in the
newspapers. ****** Yet we wanted for
nothing; our people under cover of night sup
plying us with the comforts and necessaries of
On July 7, 1779, the British troops under Generar
Tryon landed at Fairfield and set fire to the town.
"The ungovernable flames," writes Mr. Sayre "soon.
extended on all sides and .in a few minutes left me
with a family consisting of wife and eight children^
destitute of food, house and raiment. * * * My
loss included my little all." \
t Rov. John Beardsley, of Stratford, Conn., was-
for some time stationed at Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
During the war he was Chaplain in Col. Beverly
Rpbinson's regiment, and with it came to New
Brunswick. He was the first clergyman to officiate-
at St. John and Kingston, after the landing of the
Loyalists. From 1786 to 1802 he was stalioned at
MaugerviUe. Retiring from active work, he then-
resided at Kingston, where he died in 1810.
On June 24th, 1803, when at the age of 71 years,
Mr. Beardsley preached a sermon in Old Trinity
church, St. John, to the Free Masons, met to cele
brate the memory of St. John Baptist. A copy o!
this sermon, printed by Jacob S. Mott, Prince
William street, is in the possession of J. W. Law
rence, Esq.

14

KINGSTON AND THE LOYALISTS

toy the first minister. On the death of the
•Rev. John Sayre, in 1786, the Rev. John
Beardsley was removed to MaugerviUe
The vestry appointed to hold church at
the house of Elias Scribner, and Mr.
Frederick Dibblee to read the prayers.
Public worship was thus attended regularly^
on Sundays till July, 1787. when Rev.-"
James Scovil came from Connecticut, with
the view of removing to this province as a
missionary. As an encouragement we
voted him the lot reserved for the parson
age, and on the following summer he re
moved with his family into Kingston, and
.attended public worship on Sunday in the
house of Elias Scribner, where he found,
and much to his comfort, a full congrega

tion of church people in the wilderness
ready to do everything in God's name the
exigencies of the church required.
With the coming of the Rev. James
Scovil and the establishment of all the
ordinances of religion, our little commu
nity was well content.

d ^yVt*

These homes for weary pilgrims made.
Dike happy tents of peace they stand -^y
Amid the dark and silent shade, ^\
The Altar cheers our forest land.
No splendor clothes each humble dome,
No shingled roof or painted shriue,
Yet faith and hope find here a home —
The Christian feels the place divine.
"Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house and
the swallow a nest where she may lay her young,
even Thy altar, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my
(rod."

CHAPTER IV.

TRINITY CHURCH — ITS HISTORY AND ITS RECTORS.

At the meeting held on the 5th day of
July, 1787, to arrange with the Rev. James
Scovil about his coming to reside with us,
Messrs. Silas Raymond, Elias Scribner and
John London did in the presence of said
meeting, give each of them, severally, one
acre of land off the adjoining corners ot
their respective lots to the said church free
and clear from all incumberances for ever,
as a privilege to build a Church House
thereon. At the same meeting it was
voted to build a Church on the hill upon
the land given by Silas Raymond, Elias
Scribner and John London.
Later in the season a subscription paper
was drawn up as follows :
Kinsston, December 5th, 178?.
"We, the subscribers, impressed with a full and
vigorous sense ofthe importance of religion, and the
strong obligation we as Christians are under to pay
all due homage, adoration and obedience to Al
mighty God the common Father and benevolent
Governor of the Universe, in whom we live and
move and have our being — and upon whom all our
hopes depend both for time and eternity; and being
firmly persuaded that a due performance of the
duties of religion in His house of prayer are the
most likely and effectual methods of cultivating and
keeping alive a proper sense of religion, according
to the laws ofthe Gospel among us, do for the best
good of ourselves and our children for ever, covenant
and agree to pay to the Church Wardens and Vestry
ofthe Parish of Kingston, in Kings County, or their
order, such sum or sums as shall be by us affixed to
our names, in labor, money, or other articles as we
shall sign — which sum or sums signed by us shall
j>e appropriated and applied in the most prudent

and effectual manner for the erection of a House to
the Honor and for the Public Worship of Almighty
God according to the usage of the Church of
England, in the Parish of Kingston aforesaid upon
the square or plot of ground near the house of the
Rev. James Scovil.
The subscription paper was returned in
a few weeks with seventy-two signers —
total amount subscribed £134, 15s. Od.
In February it was agreed to build the
Church 50 feet in length and 38 in breadth
under the direction ot the vestry, and it
was further agreed to allow fifteen shillings
a thousand tor eighteen inch shingles and
three shillings a day for common labour.
On Saturday the 27th day of June, 1789,
the frame was raised in perfect harmony
and in good order, and by united exertion
was so far advanced that on the 5th day of
November it was dedicated to the service
of Almighty God by the Rev. James Scovil
by the name of Trinity Church.
On examining the records in the clerk's
books, I found no mention of the conser
vation of Trinity Church. I cannot omit
giving my statement ot the same from my
own recollections and such statements as I
find in my possession, however imperfect
they may be found by those who may have
more and better information.
This, then, is a brief sketch from the
address delivered by the Rev. James
Scovil on the occasion ot the consecration
of Trinity Church in Kingston, N. B.

OF THE "SPRING FLEET" OF 1783.

15

"Mt Christian Brethren : We have now wit
nessed a ceremony which in all probability we as
a Parish shall never witness again. This is but one
of the solemn considerations which is brought into
view by an event like this.
We have now begun a temple dedicated for the
worship of God, m which temple by God's grace
our children and their posteritv are made meet par
takers of a rich inheritance. Wherein the precious
tidings of Christ and His cross shall ever find sanc
tuary. Where we trust the Divine presence shall
abide after we are gathered unto our fathers.
But why need there be any religious ceremony on
this enterprise of our building?
Because, 'exempt the Lord build the house their
labor is but lost that build it.' We therefore now as
it were in a mystical sense baptize our church in its
infancy by the name of Trinity Church, and with

be applied on the church and one-third for
the parsonage, but afterwards fifty pounds
was appropriated to the use of the church
at Oak Point, in Long Reach, and it was
voted likewise that the inhabitants on the
Kanabeckatious should have an equal
amount for the building of a church on
that river, near James Hoyt's.
The seats and pews were rented in 1796
for twenty-one pounds twelve shillings, but
the amount diminished year by year.
Objection was made that since there was not
pews for all many did not like to intrude

KINGSTON CHURCH

the sign of the Cross in token hereafter it shall be a
monument and a witness of the faith of Christ
crucified. In the name of God we have erected it and we
today ofier this token of our devotion to Him who is
the way, the truth, and the life.
Here we may believe that God's promises will be
fulfilled and blessings will be abundantly bestowed.
May the permanent blessing of heaven rest upon
the solemn transactions of this day, and may this
Parish of Kingston ever be the means of extending
pure and undented religion. In this and all our
undertakings may the Lord bless us and keep us,
the Lord make Hia face to shine upon us and be
gracious unto us, the Lord lift up the light of His
countenance upon us and give us peace both now
and ever. Amen."
It was decided to furnish the church with
pews and seats. In July following we re
ceived a donation from government of four
hundred pounds. Voted that two-thirds

into the seats of others. Others claimed
that all pews ought to be free. The vestry
then proposed a subscription, which suc
ceeded, and the pews and seats all re
mained free.
In 1803, the Rev. James Scovil being
infirm and unable to hold Divine service on
all occasions, it was proposed to employ
his son. Elias, who was then ordained, to
assist his father, and to secure forty pounds
a year, to be paid half-yearly. He to
officiate one-half of his time in Kingston,
one-fourth in Hampton and one-fourth in
Springfield. The former place to raise
twenty pounds and the others ten each.
We continued to make improvements in
the church from time to time. In the

16

KINGSTON AND THE LOYALISTS

spring of 1808 the sum of one hundred and
three pounds was subscribed by forty-nine
persons for the purpose of erecting a
steeple with an end gallery and complet
ing necessary repairs on condition the sale
of pews be revoked, and they be free in

chancel be built square with a Venetian win
dow at the end. ,i September, 1813, was
received a bell weighing 129 lbs. generously
presented by some gentlemen of Saint
Johns as a gift to the church. It was-
voted that the sum of two pounds ten shil-

'"\ '

iliJi

m

vmt

/ r>

•-j..

Will

THE RIGHT REV. CHARLES INGLIS.

the future. On June 15, the steeple was
framed and raised in good order without
any accident happening to any one.
It was not until 1810 that a stove was
procured for the church when fourteen
pounds fourteen shillings was raised for
erecting a stove and completing the same
with pipe.
The following year it was voted that the

lings a year shall be allowed for tending
the stove of the church and ringing the bell.
On December 19th, 1808, it pleased God
to take to himself our worthy and revered
rector, in the seventy-sixth year of his age,
and fiftieth year of his ministry, of which
twenty years he was rector of Kingstdn.
In the last years of his life he suffered
with a long and painful disease, which con-

OF THE "SPRING FLEET" OE 1783,

17

tinued day by day to increase until he
entered his rest.
He was cheerful in common conversa
tion, and instructive in the strength ofhis
reasoning. As a minister he was an orna
ment to his profession — a worthy example
tor his congregation. The duties of re
ligion he inculcated by example as well as
precept. The life he recommended to his
congregation he lived before them. His
friendly intercourse with his people con
tinued to the last unquenched by sickness,
pain and old age. He was gentle without
weakness, dignified without pride, strict
without severity. Good cause have his
children to remember the kind counsel and
pleasant companionship of such a father.
Happy, too, are we that his successor in
the church is of the same family.
On Sunday, -July 29, 1809, the Right
Rev. Charles Inglis, Bishop of Nova Scotia,*
visited our church and confirmed 257 per
sons. Having learned that the pews in the
church were all held free, the Bishop wrote
the following letter, expressing his dis
approval : Fredekicton, 5th August, 1809.
Gentlemen, —
When lately at Kingston I received much pleasure
from seeing so large a congregation on Sunday, the
decency of their behavior during divine service, the
large number of persons who presented themselves
for confirmation.
I sincerely rejoice at these circumstances, and
now earnestly pray the Great Shepherd and Re
deemer of souls that -He would effectually bless both
the ordinances then administered in that church to
*Rev. Charles Inglis, D. D., was the last Rector
of New York under the Crown.
In a letter dated New York, Oct. 31, 1776, he de
scribes at length the trials and difficulties ex
perienced by himself andjhis brethren in the ministry.
"Some," he writes, "have been carried prisoners by
armed mobs — detained in close confinment for several
weeks and much insulted. Some have been flung
into jails, by committees, for frivolous suspicions of
plots. Some have been pulled out of the reading
desk because they prayed for the King. Others have
had their houses plundered and their desks broken
open under pretence of containing treasonable papers.
Soon after Washington's arrival in New York, he
attended our church, but on Sunday morning before
divine service began, one of the rebel generals
called at my house and. left word that General Wash
ington would be at church and would be glad if the
violent prayers for the King and royal family were
omitted. This message, as you may suppose, I dis
regarded. The conduct of the messenger, I since
learned, was not authorized by Washington. . . .
One Sunday when I was officiating and had pro
ceeded some length in the service a company of
about 100 armed rebels marched into the church,
¦with drums beating and fifes playing, their guns
loaded and bayonets fixed. The congregation was
thrown into the utmost terror and several women
fainted expecting a massacre was intended. It was
expected that when the prayers for the King and
the royal family were read I should certainly be
2

the spiritual nourishment and growth in grace of all
who did or shall partake of them. ....
But it gave me no small concern to learn that the
pews in the church of Kingston were all held in
common, and that none were appropriated to indi
viduals—as is the case in all other churches in our
communion. I never knew an instance before this, in Europe
or America, where the pews were thus held in com
mon, and where men — perhaps of the worst charac
ters — might come and set themselves down by the
most religious and respectable characters in tlie
parish. This must ultimately tend to produce dis-
ordpr and confusion in the church, and check the ,
spirit of true devotion and piety.
When a man has a pew of his own, he can leave
his Bible and prayer books in that pew when public
worship is ended on Sunday, and he will be sure to
find them in his pew on the ne>.t Sabbath.
The infirmities of age and bad health require at
tention to the comfort of warmth, especially in the
winter. A man may procure that comfort by] lining
his pew with some kind of cloth and covering the
floor. It is needless to say that the mode of holding the
pews in common must necessarily preclude these
with many other benefits and conveniences that
might be named.
What could occasion such an innovation — such
a departure from the usage ofthe Church of England
I am unable to conceive ; the greatest disorder must
be the consequence, if this mode be continued, when
the country becomes populous ; in some places it
would at this day be ru'nous to the church.
* * * * Very earnestly wishing for the prosper
ity of the Church and Congregation at Kingston, I
earnestly recommend to your consideration, Gentle
men, the removal of this strange arrangement.
Your prudence and good sense will point out the
mode of accomplishing this, which should be gentle
and conciliatory — and I flatter myself whe!n the
matter is coolly and deliberately weighed tlia^ there
will scarcely be an objection to it. '
To obviate any difficulty there shoiild be in yours,
as in most other churches, a pew or two set apart
for strangers, and the poor should not be neglected.
And as Government contributed to the building of
your Church, the same order should be observed
in it as in all other regular established churches.
fired at, as menaces to that purpose had been frequent-
ly flung out. The matter, however, passed over with
out any accident, though I was afterwards assured
that something hostile and violent was intended, but
He that stills the raffing of the sea and the madness
of the people over ruled their purpose whatever
it was.
A fine equestrian statue of the King was pulled
down and totally demolished. All the King's arms,
even those on signs of taverns were destroyed. The
committee sent me a message which I esteemed a
favor to have the King's arms taken down, in the
church or else the mob would do it. I immediately
complied." The royal arms here referred to were until re
cently supposed to be the same now in Trinity
church, St. John, N. B., but this has lately been
shown by Mr. J. W. Lawrence to b"? a mistake.
In February, 1775, Dr. Inglis wrote an answer to
a pamphlet by Tom Paine, entitled "Common
Sense." The first impression was seized by the
"Sons of Liberty" and burnt. A second edition
was printed at Philadelphia, and a copy is now iri
possession of Mr. Jonas Howe, of this city. *
For some time alter the publication of the reply
to "Common Sense" Dr. Inglis was exposed to
great danger.
At the evacuation in 1783 he came to Halifax. On
August 12, 1787, he was consecrated at Lambeth,
and became thereby the first Bishop in the colonies-
of Great Britain.

18

KINGSTON AND THE LOYALISTS

Heartily commending yon and your congregation
to the special blessing and protection of Almighty
<*od. I am gentlemen,
Your affectionate friend and servant in Christ,
Charles Nova Scotia.
To the Hector, Church "Wardens, 1
and Vestry of Kingston. \
The people being acquainted with the
Bishop's letter upon the question of selling
the pews being put to the meeting thirty-

In 1819 the Rev. James Cookson came
out as missionary to the Parish of Hampton,
much to the satisfaction of the people of
Hampton and to the relief of the Rector of
Kingston. In 1820 it was voted that the Church be
dressed in mourning for King George the
third who had deceased.
July 26, 1826, the Right Rev. John

^^^^:::^^"^^^

THE RIGHT REV. JOHN MEDLEY,
(First Bishop of Fredericton.)

D. D.

three" voted to comply with his wishes and
seven only to the contrary , Of course the
pews tavere sold, and remained so ever
since.* The following extract from the Parish Records of
1845 will he of interest in this connection. Bishop
Inglis' views regarding paid sittings were rather
different from those of the first Bishop of the newly
created diocese :
" The Eight Bev. John Medley, (the first Bishop
" of this province) made his first visit to Kingston

Inglis, Bishop of Nova Scotia, made his
first visit and confirmed 182 persons.
In 1833 voted money in hand for the

".and held confirmation, administering this holy.rite
"|o 63 persons, on the 27th day of August, 18.48'.
"His Lordship again visited the Parish on the 30th
" of October, 1845, and consecrated the new cha'pel,
" (called St. James) on the Long Reach. Beforcthe
"consecration his Lordship required the sittings
"should be made free, and the pew holders signed

OF THE "SPRING FLEET" OF 1783.

19

purpose of adding to the Church the con
venience of a vestry room.
On Sunday the second day ot August,
1835, the Right Rev. John Inglis, Bishop
of Nova Scotia, ordained in the Church at
Kingston, William Scovil, Deacon, to the
office of Priest. f After Divine Service,
his Lordship addressed the Corporation in
the Vestry room where in his pleasing
address he represented the Church in King
ston as the root from which all other
churches in the county were sprouts.
Having brought my history thus far I
must now bring it to a conclusion hoping
that my readers may judge of my infirmities
without severity.
It may be mentioned that oi Mr. Fred
erick Dibblee's removal irom Kingston in
1790 to be ordained as the first clergyman
At Woodstock, it was voted that SDme fit
person be appointed to read prayers and a
sermon in the absence of the Rector.
Walter Bates was selected and by this
means the Church in Kingston has ever been
kept open upon the Lord's Day.
Having now with all fidelity treated of
my subject, I would fain hope it is some
thing more than idle curiositv that prompts
me to wish it was possible to know the
future destiny of this country.
One conjecture, I presume, to offer on
the subject, that sometime or other there
will surely be a restoration of the colonies
of America — that after a long series of drs-\
sensions and contests their downfall will
come from the north, and by the like
means which hath been usual in the course |
of history, and that at some future period!
the vast and northern deserts of Aoadiat
and Canada will give laws to all North)
America. But what will be the destiny of
the three portions of the globe where a few
*' an agreement to that effect, reserving the right'of
4( resuming their seats on the terms of the original
" sale, it while they live in this Parish it should be
" deemed advisable, with consent of the Bishop,
"to have the pews again sold and appropriated
" to individuals;" (Signed) John Raymond, Vestry Clerk*.
+Mr. G. Herbert Lee, in his " historical sketch' of
the first fifty years of the Church of England in the
Province of New Brunswick," writes, "It is note
worthy that father, son, and grandson occupied,
successively the position of Rector in the same
Parish. For one hundred and thirty years the three
Scovils were in the ministry, and for ninety years
they officiated at Kingston." Rev. Elias Scowl
died Feb. 10, 1841, in the 70th year of his age, and
the 40th of his ministry; and the Rev. William E.
Scovil on June 6, 1876, in the 67th year of his age and
43rd of his ministry.

have acted their part alone ? I refer to
British North America, the British settle
ments in Hindostan and the vast but yet
infant colony of Botany Bay. What is to
hinder Great Britain from transporting her
empire to the East, where she might
possess in India a territory inferior only to
the kingdom of China, which for love of
peace would be a good neighbor.
I am tempted to hazard the conjecture
that there will be eventually the appear
ance of a great new power in the world
under one great British monarch, which it
is no more within my province than it is V
within the compass of my abilities to deli
neate in detail. I cherish the idea of a
new, strong and durable wise confederacy
— a triple cord formed by the three hap
piest countries in the three quarters of the
world. %

To the foregoing story of Walter Bates
a very few words only need be added.
Soon after his return from a visit to his
old home (see foot note), he in all proba
bility completed his narrative, of which the
reminiscences of the early days of Connec
ticut j which follow are by no means the
leasj interesting portion.
The closing wor.ds, as given above, are
almost a dream of Imperial federation.
Kingston church was remodelled in
1857. but is yet, however, substantially
the same church, erected by the energies
of its Loyalist founders one hundred
years ago. The accompanying engraving
is from a photograph , taken about the time
of the centennial commemoration, June,
1889. JRev.E. B. Huntington, in his history of Stam
ford, says : "In 1838 Walter and Augustus Bates,
who were among the banished loyalists returned to
the home of their childhood. Though honored and
much esteemed in the home of their adoption, they
still retained their youthful love for the one they had
lost. The following extracts are from a brief
'Jubilee,' which the former brother penned as ex
pressive of their feelings.. * '
'Our two oldest brothers being dead, the remain
ing family, eight in number, were singularly separ
ated — two only remained in Stamford, two settled in
different towns within the United States, two in the
province of New Brunswick and two in Upper
Canada where we remained 1,200 miles from each
other, and 600 from our native place, until the eldest
had arrived at the age of 80 and the youngest to the
62nd year of his age. After the full term of fifty
years, guided and-protected by a kind . Providence,
we are permitted to visit our native ^lome, the town
and place of our birth, here to celebrate this our
jubilee, . . . praising God in communion with
our remaining relations and friends, in the same
church wherein we were ¦ in infancy first dedicated
to God by our parents.' "

20

KINGSTON AND THE LOYALISTS

PART II.

INCIDENTS OF THE EARLY DAYS OF CONNECTICUT.

The part of the narrative now to be
taken up is of a rather fragmentary nature,
' several pages apparently having been lost.
In reading what follows we must bear in
mind that our author was a man of decided
character and pronounced views. He had
suffered much tor his loyalty to king and
country, and he writes from the standpoint
ofhis party and ofhis times.
The relations existing between the des
cendants of the old Puritans of New Eng
land and the Loyalists — never very cordial
at the best — were greatly embittered by
the Revolutionary war : So much so that
it is only of recent years that the burning
topics of that period have been temperately
considered by the descendants of either
party. Impartial American historians of
today, however, admit that the Loyalists of
New England received exceedingly harsh
treatment at the hands of their fellow
citizens during the early vears of its history.
The Rev. Ur. E. E. Beardsley, of New
Haven, in a valuable historical work writes :
"The sufferings of the Puritans were the fruit of
"the principles of the times. * * * Neal, in his
"History of New England, says 'it must be allowed
"that when the Puritans were in power, they carried
" their resentments too far'. Unwarrantable
"cruelty in one party is no justification of it in
"another; yet when men talk of the sufferings and
"sacrifices and self-denial of the Puritans, they
"should consider the spirit and principles of the
"age, and remember how those who were thus per
secuted turned persecutors, and practised the
"rigors from which they thought to escape."
Preparations for the settlement of Con
necticut were begun in 1633 on the banks
of the river which gives name to the. State,
but shortly before this the Dutch from
Manhattan had erected a fort at Hartford.
The name of the celebrated Joseph
Hooker is inseparably connected with the
early days of Hartford, and has been gen
erally viewed in a different light from that
in which he appears to our author, who
¦writes as follows:
When Hooker first established himself
at Hartford, he was received by the ruling
Indian chief with caution. The Sachem

did not like his new neighbors ; refused to>
give or sell any land to them, but told
them, as they came to trade with him and
spread the Christian religion among his
subjects, he had no objection to their
building wigwams, planting corn and hunt
ing on his lands.
The wisdom and steady temper of thd
Sachem made Haynes and Hooker cau
tious of their conduct.
Many people of Massachusetts Bay,
hearing that Hooker had made good terms
with the Sachem, removed to the banks of
Connecticut, that they might share in the
work of spreading the gospel among the
poor benighted heathen. Rev. Mr. Huet,
with his followers, fixed themselves at
Windsor, eight miles north of Hartford,
and Rev. Mr. Smith at Wethersfield , four
miles south of it. So that in the space of
eighteen months the dominion of Barttord
contained several hundred inhabitants and
several voluntary independent churches.
Hooker, Huet, Smith and others hereby
found means to spread the gospel into-
every Indian town, and to their eternal in
famy with the gospel spread the small-pox.
This distemper raged in every quarter ; it
swept away the great Sachem, and laid
waste his ancient kingdom.
Hereupon Haynes and his assembly pro
claimed Joshua Sachem, who had been an
ambitious captain under the great Sachem,
and all such as did not acknowledge his-
power were to be put to death or fly the
dominion. These colonists having at last driven out
the heathen, and got possession of a land
flowing with milk and honey, next expelled
the Dutch as a dangerous set of heretics.
Hooker having done so much for his new
Dominion expected the homage of every
independent church. This homage, how
ever, he could not obtain, because each
minister had pretensions not much inferior
to his own. Hence disputes arose about
doctrine and discipline. Hooker is said to
have taught the existence of forty-two>
varieties of Grace, though all of little value

OF THE "KPBING FLEET" OF 1783.

21

except saving Grace. As to discipline, he
held he had received his ministerial ordina
tion from the hands of the laity who were
in full eommunion.
Throughout the controversy the majority
of the people were on the side of Mr.
Hooker, and they soon determined by vote
according to their code of laws in his
favour. But the other ministers and the
minority were not convinced by this vote.
To avoid excommunication they formed
themselves into separate irresponsible
bodies. Nevertheless they soon felt the
thundering anathemas of Hooker and the
heated vengeance of the civil power.
However, persecution by its certain con
sequences fixed the Separatists in their
schism which continues to the present time
in Connecticut.
Hooker may be said to have reigned
twelve years as high priest over Hartford,
and then died, about 60 years of age, to
the great joy of the Separatists ot well nigh
as many sects as Hooker had taught kinds
of grace. .
The death of Cromwell in 1658 struck an
awe throughout all New England. Hart
ford and New Haven appointed their days
of fasting and prayer. Davenport prayed
the Lord to take the New England vine
under His immediate care as He had re
moved by death the one great protector of
the Protestant liberty. Nevertheless,
Davenport lived to see the time when
Charles the second obtained possession of
his father's crown.
However, in the midst of their sorrows
they were comforted by the presence ,of
many regicides and refugees who- fled from
England, amongst whom were Whalley,
C-offg-, and Dixwell, three of, the judges
and murderers of Charles the first.
Davenport and Leet, the then Governor,
received them with open arms, and blessed
God they had escaped from the hands of
Herod, the son of Barrabas
They arrived about the 27th of March,
and made Mr. Davenport's house the place
ot their residence. For some time they
appeared to think themselves out of danger,
but it was not long till the King's proclama
tion against the regicides arrived, requiring
wherever they might be found they should
be immediately apprehended.
They remained secreted most of the time
at Mr. Davenport's until about the last of
April. For a short time they made their
quarters in the woods and then fixed them

selves in a cave in the side of a hill, which
they named Providence hill, where Dixwell
died and lies buried with the seeds of
rebellion in New Haven, and where his
grave is visited with veneration, even held
sacred as the tomb at Mecca.
New Haven dominion, being suddenly
filled with such inhabitants, saw itself en
abled, to support its independency, and paid
no attention to the king and parliament of
England. The people of Massachusetts, ever for
ward in promoting their own consequence,
privately appointed Mr. Winthrop their;
agent to negotiate their business in Eng
land,- which he willingly undertook, and
procured from the incautious Charles the
Second as ample a charter as was ever
given. New Haven too late discovered
the intrigue, but after two years' opposi
tion, they submitted to the charter, purely
out of fear lest some of their leaders should
be put to ignominious death for aiding in
the murder of the king. .
To the joy of the people of Boston,
Winthrop was appointed by the charter
Governor of all Connecticut, and was an
nually elected till his death, which hap
pened in 1676. The laws enacted under
the charter are decent compared with the
Blue Laws. One law is as follows :
"When any trespass is committed in the
night, the injured person may recover
damage of any one he shall thinU proper
to accuse unless he can prove an alibi."
Queen Ann repealed the cruel laws re
specting Quakers and other denominations.
The idea of independence of Great Bri
tain was not, as might be imagined, de
stroyed by the charter. Indeed, the char
ter is as much in favor of Connecticut as if
it had been drawn up in Boston or New
Haven. v
The general assembly made a law, that
whosoever should attempt to. destroy the
constitution of this colony as by charter
established, should suffer death, and de
clared "Sober Dissent" to be the estab
lished religion of the province.
They denied to the inhabitants the free
exercise of conscience, arbitrarily fining
those who would not come to their congre
gational assemblies. Members of other
religious bodies inhabiting there could not
obtain justice in the courts of that colony,
and all men ot known lovalty were ex
cluded from the government in order to
keep the law in the hands of the majority.

2-!

KINGSTON AND IHu LOYALISTS

In consequence of his impeachment, King
James the Second ordered quo warranto
to be issued against the Charter of Con
necticut. The people at length perceived the King
was in earnest. The Assembly met as
usual in October according to charter.
Whilst they were sitting, Sir Edward
Andros, General of New England, de
manded the Charter and declared the gov
ernment under it to be dissolved. Where
upon the Assembly resigned the Charter
into his hands at Hartford, October,
1687. But the very night after its surrender,
Captain Samuel Wadsworth with the as
sistance of a mob broke into the apartment
of Sir Edmund, regained, carried off and
hid the Charter in the hollow of an elm and
Robert Treat, who had been elected in
1G87, was declared by the mob still to be
the governor of Connecticut. The latter
daringly summoned his old Assembly, who
being assembled voted the Charter to be
valid in law, and that it could not be
vacated by any power without the General
Assembly, and voted that Samuel Wads
worth should bring forth the Charter, which
he did in solemn procession attended by
the High Sheriff, and delivered it to the
Governor. The General Assembly voted
their thanks to Wadsworth and twenty
shillings reward for stealing and hiding the
Charter. The General Assembly though unsup
ported either by law or justice, now resolved
to settle their land west of the Susque-
hannah River. They modestly passed over
New York and the Jerseys and seized on
Pennsylvania claimed by the Quakers who
fight not either for wife or daughter, and
as if to imitate the iniquity of their fathers,
destroyed the Quak -rs and Indians, and
took possession of their lands. They plead
that their Charter bound them west by the
South Sea.
The Sober Dissenters having been estab
lished by the General Assembly, the true
Independents denied that the Assembly had
any power over Christians than their pro
tection. Hence arose contention between
the Assembly and the Independents, and
both parties having been brought up under
Cromwell their battle was well fought.
The Independent ministers proclaimed
from their pulpits that the Assembly acted
more for their own interest than for the
glory of God. These spiritual warriors

proved formidable opponents. Indeed)
none disputed their vote with impunity.
At length a governor was appointed who-
determined to reduce them under the civil
power, and accordingly the Assembly sent
their sheriff to bring before them certain
leading men among the ministers of whom
they banished some, silenced others, and
fined many for preaching sedition. The
ministers told the assembly that "curst
cows had short horns." However they
ostensibly submitted to the Assembly and
went home. But when the day of the elec
tion came they told the free men that the-
Lord's cause required a man ot Grace to
stand at the head ot the colony and with
confidence recommended the moderator of
their association to be their governor, who
accordingly was elected.
This event greatly inflamed the magis
trates, who thereupon cried out, "This is
Presbyterian Popedom !"
While the churches were thus divided,
alarm was caused by the appearing of the-
Quakers, a number of whom arrived in
Boston, and were committed to the com
mon gaol. A number of their books had
been seized with a view of being burnt.
At the general court, in September, it
was recommended to the several general
courts that all Quakers, Episcopalians,.
Ranters and heretics should be prohibited
coming into the colony.
While speaking ot the religious phrenzies
and persecutions m Connecticut under the
sanction of their charter, I must notice the
word of an eminent Quaker, who was ban
ished, and upon return sentenced to be
hanged: "Dost thee not think," said he
to his judge, "that the Jews who crucified
the Saviour of the world had a charter V
As late as the year 1746, the Rev. Mr.
Gibbs, of Symsbury, refusing to pay the-
rate for the salary of the Congregationalist
minister in the same town, was by the
collector thrown across a horse, lashed
hand and foot under the creature's belly,
and carried several miles to gaol. Mr.
Gibbs was half dead when he got there,
and though he was released by his church.
wardens, who, to save his life, paid the
assessment, yet having taken cold in addi
tion to his bruises, he became delirious,
and remained in a state of insanity untiL
his death.
The Rev. Mr. Mozley, a missionary
from the Society for Propagation of the
Gospel at Lichfield, was prevented by the

OF THE "SPRING FLEET" OF 1783.

23'

grand jury from marrying a couple belong
ing to his parish, the banns having been
duly published and consent of parents ob
tained. The court mildly fined him £20
because he could not show any other
license to officiate as clergyman than what
he had received from the Bishop of London.
One ofthe judges said : 'It is high time to
put a stop to the usurpation of the Bishop
of London, and if fines will not curb you,
imprisonment shall."
Hartford town is deemed the capital of
the province. The town is half a mile
wide. A grand court house and two very
elegant meeting houses, with steeples, bells
and clocks adorn it.
In 1760, a foundation of quarry stone
was laid for an Episcopal church in this
town, at an expense of £300, on which
occasion mortifying proof was afforded that
the present inhabitants inherited the spirit
of their ancestors. Samuel Talcott, Esq..
one of the judges of the County court, with
the assistance of a mob, took away the
stones, and with them built a house for his
son. This action was justified by the Gen
eral Assembly of Connecticut.
In 1652, this town had the honour ot
executing Mrs. Greensmith, the first witch
ever heard of in America. She was
accused of practising evil things on the
body of Ann Cole, which did not prove to
be true, but the Rev. Mr. Stone and other
ministers swore that Greensmith had con
fessed to them that she had had very inti
mate relations with the Devil. The court
then ordered her to be hanged.
The same year, Springfield, not to be
outdone by Hartford, brought Hugh
Parsons to trial for witchcraft. The jury
found him guilty, because he made females
love him and males hate him ; but the
judge prevented his execution till the mat
ter was laid before the general court of
Boston, which determined he was not
guilty of witchcraft.
The tomb of the famous Mr. Hooker, in
Hartford, is viewed by his followers with
much reverence. Here one of his grand
sons is a minister, who inherits more than
all his ancestors, virtues without his fail
ings. According to Dr. Mather, New Haven
was, about 1646, to have been made a city,
the influence of the city with Cromwell's
party being then very great, but a wonder
ful phenomenon prevented it, and as the
New Englanders to the present time be

lieve his report, I will present my readers
with the history of this miracle :
The people of New Haven fitted out a
ship and sent her richly laden to England,
to procure a patent for the colony and a
charter tor the city.
After the ship had been at sea a few
weeks, there happened in New England a
violent storm, which induced the people of
New Haven to fast and pray, and to in
quire of the Lord whether their ship was in
that storm or not. This was a real fast,
for the people did neither eat nor drink
from sunrise till sunset. At five in the
afternoon they came out of meeting, walk
ing softly and heavily and sadly homeward.
On a sudden the air thundered and the
lightning shone abroad. They looked up
towards the heavens and beheld their ship
under sail, and the sailors steering from
west to east. She came over the meeting
house where they had fasted and prayed,
and was then met by a violent wind, which
rent the sails and overset the ship. In a
few minutes she fell down near the weather
cock on the steeple, and instantly van
ished. The people all returned to the meeting
house, where the minister gave thanks to
God for answering the desires of his
servants by token oi the loss of their ship
and charter.
This, and divers other miracles said to
have happened in New England, have
been and still are useful to the clergy in
establishing the people in the belief that
there is a great familiarity between God
and their ministers.
If I were to give the character of the
people of New Haven, I should be inclined
to use the words of the famous George
Whitefield, in his farewell sermon to them
a short time before his decease, who then
said: "When I first preached in this mag
nificent house, about twenty years ago, I
told you you were part beast, part man
and part devil, at which you were offended.
I have since thought much about that ex
pression, and confess that for once I was
mistaken. I, therefore, take this my last
opportunity to correct my error. Behold,
I now tell you that you are not part man
and part beast, but wholly of the devil."
New Haven was settled with the most
violent Puritans, who claimed so much
liberty to themselves that they left none tor
others. They ever hated the idea of King,
Lords and Commons. They sent agents to

24

KINGSTON AND THE LOYALISTS

fight against the King of England. They
denied the jurisdiction of the Bishop of
London. Religion and government prop
erly speaking they have none — nor ever
had, but in impertinence they excel all the
world except Boston and Spain. It I could
repeat the names of all the religious so
cieties and voluntary associations which
have arisen through their strife and self
will it would display the prolific invention
ot mankind. I shall mention a few of the
most considerable : Saybrook Presbyter
ians, Congregationalists, Methodists, Bap
tists, Scandinavians, Lutherans, Brownists,
Independents. Quakers, Old Lights, JSlew
Lights, Rogerism, Davisonism, Unitarians,
Universalists, Separatists, Hammonites,
Brooksites, Peterites.
Concerning New London it may be said
that the ports and harbours are the best
in the colony. The church, the meeting
house and court house are not to be boasted
of— the fort is trifling. The first English-
made Indian King resides with his party in
the town, to whom the people pay some
respect because they made him King.
The people of this town have the credit
of inventing tar and feathers as a proper
punishment for heresy.
They first inflicted it on Quakers and
Baptists. A very extraordinary circumstance hap
pened here in 1740. The Rev. George
Whitefield paid them a visit and preached
of righteousness, temperance and judgment
to come, which roused them to cry out
"What shall we do to be saved ? " The
preacher from the pulpit answered them :
"Repent; do violence to no man; part
with your self-righteousness, your silk
gowns and laced petticoats : burn your
ruffles, necklaces, tinselled waistcoats with
your morality and Bishop's books this very
night, or damnation may be your portion
before the morning dawn."
Some of them carried their enthusiasm
to such an extreme that they made a large
fire to burn their books, clothes and orna
ments, which they called idols. This
imaginary work of piety and self-denial
they undertook on the Lord's day and
brought their books, necklaces and jewels
together on the main street.
They began with burning their errone
ous books, dropping them into the fire one
after another pronouncing the words, "If
the author oi this book died in the same
sentiment and belief in which he wrote

it, as the smoke of this pile ascends so the
smoke ot his torments will ascend forever
and forever. Halleujah. Amen."
But they were prevented from burning
their fine clothes and jewels — their idols.
John Lee, of Lyme, told them his idols
were his wife and children, and to burn
them was contrary to the law of God and
man. At this period America was overrun with
superstition and fanaticism.
Eternal damnation was preached to all
people who neglected to attend public
worship twice every Sabbath day, fasting
and thanksgiving day, provided these last
are appointed by themselves and not by
the King and parliament of Great Britain.
The steeples of their meeting houses at
New London stand at the east end, and the
inhabitants bury their dead with their feet
to the west because the Episcopalians bury
their dead with their feet to the east. A
traveller has observed, "They are so per
verse and opposite as if thej' built to God
in spite."
Saybrook is greatly fallen from its
ancient grandeur, but is notwithstanding
resorted to with great veneration as the
parent town of the colony. In 1709, this
town was honored by a convention of con
tending Independent divines, who were
pleased with no constitution in church or
state. This assemblage, after long debate,
published a book called the Saybrook
'Platform, containing the doctrine and rules
of the church in Connecticut.
The proceedings of the Ecclesiastical
courts during the early history of Connecti
cut were often marked with much severity.
In the course of 160 years, they bored the
tongues with hot needles, cut off the ears,
branded on the forehead, and banished,
imprisoned and hanged more Quakers,
Adamites, Ranters, Episcopalians tor what
they call heresy, blasphemy and witchcraft
than there are instances of persecution in
Fox's Book of Martyrdom.
A curious event at Saybrook must be
mentioned. Time not having destroyed
the wall of the fort at this town, Mr.
Whitefield ih 1740 attempted to bring
down the walls as Joshua did those of
Jericho, hoping thereby to convince the
multitude ot his divine mission.
He walKed seven times around the Fort
with prayer and ram-blowing ; he called on
the angel to do as he had done at the walls
of Jericho, but the angel was deaf to his

OF THE "SPRING FLEET" OF 1783.

25

call and therefore the wall remained. Here
upon George cried aloud, "This town is
accursed for not receiving the messenger of
the Lord, therefore the angel is departed
and the wall shall stand as a monument of
a sinful people." Having so said, he
shortly afterward went to Lyme.
I may here say of George Whitefield that
notwithstanding his eccentricities I ever
shall admire his general character — his
personal piety, his goodness of heart and
hatred of persecution. I ever viewed him
as an instrument of heaven, as the greatest
blessing America ever knew : he turned
the profligate to God and roused the luke

warm Christian. It is true also he has
made wise men mad.
New England, before he came, was but
the slaughter house for heretics. He was
admired by the oppressed Episcopalians
and trembling Quakers. He was followed
by nearly all sects. He made peace where
there was no peace and even his enemies
praised him in the gate.
He is now landed where the wicked
cease from trouble and the weary are at
rest and where his works of faith, love and
charity cloathe him. May his virtues be
imitated— his imperfections forgiven.

26

KINGSTON AND THE LOYALISTS

THE DIARY OF SARAH FROST.

WRITTEN ON BOARD THE SHIP " TWO SISTERS " DURING HER VOYAGE'.
TO SAINT JOHN'S RIVER, NOVA SCOTIA, IN THE
SPRING OF A. D. 1783.
INTRODUCTORY.

The narrative of Walter Bates has sup
plied us with an accurate and reliable
account of the departure from New York
and subsequent arrival at St. John of the
first fleet of A. D. 1783.
The following diary will be found to
throw additional light upon the nature
of the voyage with all its accompanying
discomforts. It will also enable the reader
in some measure to realize the trials ex
perienced by the Loyalists in parting with
near relatives and life-long friends, and
give some idea of their first impressions on
landing upon our rugged shores.
Sarah (Scofield) Frost and her husband
were natives of Stamford, Connecticut, and
relatives of Walter Bates. After their
settlement on the banks of the Kennebec-
casis, at what is now Lower Norton, they
manifested much interest in the welfare of
the church at Kingston until the erection
of a church more conveniently situated.
The name of William Frost occurs as a
member of the second vestry elected at
Kingston on Easter Monday, 1785.
During the closing years of the Revolu
tion a systematic guerrilla warfare pre
vailed between the Loyalists on Long
Island and the "rebels" of Connecticut.
It is quite amusing to read the widely
differing estimates entertained by the
opposing parties regarding the merits of
certain individuals and their actions. For
example, DeLancey's corps of Loyalists
was heartily commended by the commander-
in-chief of the British forces, who stated it
"had behaved with credit, reputation,
honour and courage." The "patriots" of
Stamford, on the other hand, strongly pro
tested against allowing any "unprincipled
wretches who belonged to the most infa
mous banditti, called DeLancey's corps,"
to return to their homes in Connecticut.

During the war William Frost made him
self exceedingly obnoxious to many of the-
citizens of Stamford, by an exploit which
must now be briefly described : Having
been driven from home, on account of his-
sympathy- with the cause of the mother
country, Mr. Frost found an asylum at
Lloyd's Neck, Long Island. Thence, on
the night of July 21st, 1781, he proceeded .
at the head of an armed party, crossed the
Sound in seven boats, and with his party
lay stealthily secreted in the vicinity of
Stamford until the following afternoon,
when they surprised and captured Rev.
Dr. Mather and his entire congregation.
The doctor having, in the earlier stages of
the quarrel between Great Britain and her
colonies, been a pronounced advocate of
rebellion, was marched off in company with
forty-eight of his townsmen to the boats in
waiting, whence they were carried as pris
oners to Lloyd's Neck. Here they found
1 not congenial friends, but many of their
'life-long neighbours, whom the war had
transformed into active opponents.
From the British point of view, Captain
Frost's expedition was no doubt a brilliant
achievement, but the Stamford local
historian records it as a "sacrilegious
foray." On a subsequent occasion Captain Frost,
with considerable rashness, paid a secret
visit to his old home. His presence being
suspected he came very near falling into
the hands of foes from whom he would have
received little consideration. He was,
however, eventually smuggled on board a
schooner, concealed beneath some hay, and
returned in safety to the British lines.
The parents of Mrs. Wm. Frost espoused
the side of the Revolutionary party, and
her's was one of the many sad instances-
where families were divided by the event

OF THE "SPRING FLEET" OF 1783.

27

of the war. It appears from the diary
which followsHhat the second spring fleet
of 1783 consisted of fourteen vessels with a
frigate as convoy, bringing probably some
2,000 Loyalists from New York and its
vicinity. It is quite possible some of the
vessels may have gone to Annapolis. At
least two vessels in this fleet, the Bridge-
water and the Hope had already visited St.
John with the former fleet and must there
fore have returned immediately to New
York for the second voyage.

At the time of the arrival of the Two-
Sisters, June 29, only two log huts had
been erected on the site of the future city,-
and town lots sold at from two to twenty
dollars. It may be mentioned that Hannah,
daughter of William and Sarah Frost, born-
July 30th, one month after the arrival of
the Two Sisters, was the second female
child born in St. John. The "little girl,"
(seven years of age) mentioned in the diary,
was grandmother of the wife of the writer
of this introduction.

THE DIARY.

25, 1783.— I left Lloyd's Neck
with my family and went on board the Two
Sisters, commanded by Capt. Brown, for a
voyage to Nova Scotia with the rest of the
Loyalist sufferers. This evening the cap
tain drank tea with us. He appears to be
a very clever gentleman. We expect to
sail as soon as the wind shall favor. WTe
have very fair accommodation in the cabin,
although it contains six families, besides
our own. There are two hundred and
fifty passengers on board.
Monday, May 26- — Nothing happens
worth mentioning. We lie at anchor in
Oyster Bay the whole dav, not having got
all our passengers on board.
Tuesday, May 27. — At 8 o'clock we
weighed anchor at Oyster Bay, with a fair
wind, for New York. Half after eleven,
we are brought to by the guard ship at
City Island. Our captain was very angry
that they should bring him to, but they did
not detain us long. We went on with a
fair breeze through Hell Gate ; but as we
got through, the wind and tide headed us,
and we had like to have gone ashore, which
put us all in a great surprise. They tried
twice to go on, but at length were obliged
to anchor at the mouth of Harlem Creek,
where we lay that night.
Wednesday, May 28. — We weighed an
chor at Harlem Creek at a quarter after
six in the morning, with a fair breeze, but
the tide being low we struck a rock. We
soon got off, but in a few minutes struck
again. At half past seven we got off and
went clear, and at ten we anchored at the
lower end of the City of New York, the

tide not serving to go round into the North
River as we had intended. An hour later-
I went on shore in Capt. Judson's whale
boat and went to Mrs. MacKee's, and
from there Mrs. Raymond and I went to
Mr. Partlow's, where we dined and spent
the afternoon. AVe met Major Hubble
there, who formerly commanded the Loyal
ists at Lloyd's Neck. At evening we re
turned on board ship, where I drank tea
and spent the evening with my little agree
able family.
Thursday, May 29- — This afternoon-
my husband went on shore with my little
son, nearly nine years old. I long to have
them come on board again to hear what
observations the child will make, for
for he has not been in. town for some years-
now. Later — He has come on board
again. He pleases me very much with.
his discourse about what he has seen.
Friday, May 30. — Went on shore and.
spent the day at Mrs. Partlow's. Mrs.
Mussels, Mrs. Scofield and Miss Lucretia-
Bates came there towards evening and
gave an account of my parents' welfare and'
my friends in the country. I am afraid I
shall not hear from ' them again before I
leave New York. I grow tired, so I think.
to quit for the night.
Saturday, May 31. — I rose early, having
spent the night at Mr. Partelow's ; waited'
some time for breakfast and then went out
amongst the shops to trade.
In the evening came on board ship again
with my husband and children.
Monday, June 2nd. — We are still lying
at anchor in the North River, not having.

¦28

KINGSTON AND THE LOYALISTS

.any orders for sailing, and I don't know
when we shall sail but hope soon.
Nothing happens worth mentioning.
Wednesday, June 4. — I staid on board
.all day. It being the King's birthday there
was such a firing of cannons and noise
amongst the ships it was enough to astound
anyone. At night they fired sky-rockets.
(Manuscript torn and part of the
narrative missing) .
Friday, June 6. — We are still lying at
anchor waiting for other vessels of our fleet.
My father will come on board in the morn
ing if my husband can go and fetch him.
I do so long to hear from my dear mother
and my brothers and sisters. We have
had a very bad storm this evening. Our
ship tossed very much, and some of
the people are quite sick, but I am in
hopes the storm will soon abate. It grows
late as I conclude for the night, hoping to
see "Daddy" in the morning.
Saturday, June 7 ¦ — My husband went
on shore and brought father on board to
breakfast. Soon after breakfast he returned
•on shore, for he expected to go home in
the same boat he came down in, but hearing
there was a vessel coming from Stamford
today, he concluded to stay and return in
it, so he came on board again to dine.
Sunday, June 8. — We are still lying at
.anchor in the North River. We expected
to sail tomorrow for Nova Scotia, but I
believe we shall remain at Staten Island or
Sandy Hook for some days, or until our
fleet is all got together.
Monday, June 9. — Our women, with their
children, all came on board today, and
there is great contusion in the cabin. We
bear with it pretty well through the day,
but as it grows towards night, one child
cries in one place and one in another,
whilst we are getting them to bed. I think
sometimes I shall be crazy. There are so
many of them, if they were as still as com-
imon there would be a great noise amongst
them. I stay on deck tonight till nigh
eleven o'clock, and now I think I will go
down and retire for the night if I can find
a place to sleep.
Tuesday June 10. — I got up early, not
being able to sleep the whole night for the
•noise of the children. The wind blows
very high. My little girl has been very
sick all day, but grows better towards
•evening. Wednesday, June 11. — We weighed
.anchor in the North River about six o'clock

this morning, and sailed as far as Staten
Island, where we came to anchor. I went
on shore with Mr. Goreham and his wife,
and Mr. Raymond and his wife, and my
two children. We picked some goose
berries. We staid but a short time. In
the afternoon I went ashore again with Mr.
Frost and several others.
Thursday, June 12. — Nothing seems to
be worth mentioning today. We are so
thronged on board, I cannot set myself
about any work. It is comfortable for
nobody. Friday, June 13. — Tt is now about half
after three in the morning. I have got up,
not being able to sleep for the heat, and
am sitting in the entry-way of the cabin to
write. It storms so I cannot go on deck.
My husband and children are still sleeping.
Through the day I am obliged to lie in my
berth, being quite ill.
Saturday, June 14. — I am something
better this morning. My husband brings
me my breakfast, which I relish. We are
still lying at Staten Island. We expected
to sail this morning.
Sunday, June 15. — Our people seem
cross and quarrelsome today, but I will
not differ with any one, if I can help it.
At half-past twelve our ship is getting
under way — I suppose for Nova Scotia. I
hope for a good passage. About five
o'clock we come to anchor within six miles
of the lighthouse at Sandy Hook. How
long we shall lie here I don't know, but I
hope not long. About six o'clock this even
ing we had a terrible thunder storm, and
hail stones fell as big as ounce balls.
About sunset there carne another shower,
and it hailed faster than before. Mr.
Frost went out and gathered up a mugful
of hail stones. Such an instance I never
saw before on the 15th day of June.
Monday, June 16. — Off at last! We
weighed anchor about half after five in the
morning, with the wind north-nor'west,
and it blows very fresh. We passed the
lighthouse about half after seven. We
have twelve ships belonging to our fleet
besides our commodore's. Two hours
later a signal was fired tor the ships all to
lie to for the Bridgewater, which seems to
lag behind, I believe on account of some
misfortune which happened to her yester
day. At 9 a. m. we have a signal fired to
crowd sail. Again we are ordered to lie
to. I don't know what it is for, as the
Bridgewater has come up. It is now two

OF THE "SPRING FLEET" OF 1783.

2fr

o'clock, and we have again got under way.
The mate tells me they have been waiting
for a ship to come from New York, and
she has overhauled us. We have now got
all our fleet together : we have thirteen
ships, two brigs, one frigate. The frigate
is our commodore's. The wind dies away.
It is now three o'clock, and the men are
fishing for mackerel. Mr. Mills has
caught the first one. I never saw a live
one before. It is the handsomest fish I
ever beheld.
Tuesday, June 17. — The wind began to
blow very fresh last night, about eleven
o'clock. About half after five we are sixty
miles from the lighthouse at Sandy Hook,
the wind southwest. They say that is a
fair wind for us. At half-past nine we are
out of sight of land.
Wednesday, June 18. — Feel very well
this morning and go to work, but soon the
wind blows fresh, and I have to go back to
my berth. At noon we are an hundred
and ten miles from Sandy Hook, with the
wind very fair, at southwest. At half after
five we saw something floating on the
water. Some thought it a wreck ; others
said it was a dead whale. One of our
ships put about to see what it was. At
sunset we are one hundred and fifty miles
on our way.
Thursday, June 19- — We are still steer
ing east by south, with a fine breeze. We
sailed five miles an hour through the night,
and today we sail seven miles an hour the
chief part of the time. It is now about
twelve o'clock. We have shifted our
course, and are now steering north by
east. At two o'clock, Captain Brown tells
me, we are two hundred and fifty miles
from Sandy Hook, on our passage to Nova
Scotia, with the wind west-nor'-west. At
six o'clock we saw a sail ahead. She
crowded sail and put off from us, but our
frigate knew how to speak to her, for at
half-past seven she gave the stranger a
shot, which caused her to shorten sail and
lie to for the frigate to come up. Our
captain looked out with his spy-glass. He
told me she was a rebel brig ; he saw her
thirteen stripes. She was steering to the
westward. The wind blows so high this
evening I am afraid to go to bed for fear of
rolling out.
Friday, June 20. — At half after nine
this morning our frigate fired to shift our
course to north-north- east. We have still
fine weather and a fair wind. Mr. Emslie,

the mate, tells me we are at five in the
afternoon, five hundred miles from Sandy
Hook light. We now begin to see the
fog come on, for that is natural to this-
place. At six our comm adore fired for
the ships ahead to lie to till those behind
should come up with us. The fog comes
on very thick this evening,
Saturday, June 21. — I rose at eight
o'clock, and it was so foggy we could not
see one ship belonging to our fleet. They
rang their bells and fired guns all the
morning to keep company with one an
other. About half after ten the tog went off,
so that we saw the chief part of our fleet
around us. At noon the tog came on
again, so that we lost sight of them, but
we could hear their bells all around us.
This evening the captain showed us the
map of the whole way we have come and
the way we have still to go. He told us-
we were two hundred and forty miles from
Nova Scotia at this time. It is so foggy
we have lost all our company and are en
tirely alone.
Sunday, June 22. — This morning the
fog is still dense. No ships in sight, nor
any bells to be heard. Towards noon we
heard some guns fired from our fleet, but
could not tell in what quarter. The fog is
so thick we cannot see ten rods, and the
wind so ahead we have not made ten miles
since yesterday noon.
Monday, June 23. — It grows brighter
towards noon, and the fog disappears
rapidly. This afternoon we can see several
of our fleet, and one of our ships came
close alongside of us. Mr. Emslie says-
we are an hundred and forty miles from
land now The wind becomes more favor
able, the fog seems to leave us and the
sun looks 'very pleasant. Mr. Whitney
and his wife, Mr. Frost and myself have
been diverting ourselves with a few games-
of crib.
Tuesday, June 24. — The sun appears
very pleasant this morning. Ten ships are
in sight. The fog comes on, and they all
disappear. We have been nearly becalmed1
for three days. A light breeze enables us
to sail this evening two miles and a half an
hour. Wednesday, June 25. — Still foggy ; the
wind is fair, but we are obliged to lie to for
the rest of the fleet. The commodore fires
once an hour. The frigate is near us, and
judging by the bells, we are not far from'
some of the other ships, but we can't see-

30

KINGSTON AND THE LOYALISTS

ten rods for the fog. We have measles
very bad on board our ship.
Thursday, June 26. — This morning the
sun appears very pleasant. The fog is
gone to our great satisfaction. Ten of our
ships are in sight. We are now nigh the
banks of Cape Sable. At nine o'clock we
begin to see land, at which we all rejoice.
We have been nine days out of sight of land.
At half after six we have twelve ships in
sight. Our captain told me just now we
should be in the Bay of Fundy before morn
ing. He says it is about one day's sail
after we get into the bay to Saint John's
River. Oh, how I long to see that place,
though a strange land. I am tired of being
¦on board ship, though we have as kind a
captain as ever need to live.
Friday, June 27. — I got up this morn
ing very early to look out. I can see land
on both sides of us. About ten o'clock we
passed Annapolis ; after that the wind all
died away. Our people have got their lines
out to catch codfish, and about half after
five John Waterbury caught the first one
for our ship.
Saturday, June 28. — Got up in the
•morning and found ourselves nigh to land
on each side. It was up the river St.
John's. At half after nine our captain

fired a gun for a pilot ; an hour later a pilot
canle on board, and at a quarter after one
our ship anchored off against Fort Howe
in St. John's River. Our people went on
shore and brought on board spruce and
gooseberries, and grass and pea vines with
the blossoms on them, all of which grow
wild here. They say this is to be our city.
Our land is five and twenty miles up the
river. We are to have here only a build
ing place of forty feet in the front and a
hundred feet back. Mr. Frost has now
gone on shore in his whale boat to see how
the place looks, and he says he will soon
come back and take me on shore. I long
to set my feet once more on land. He
soon came on board again and brought a
fine salmon.
Sunday, June 29- — This morning it looks
very pleasant on the shore. I am just going
ashore with my children to see how I like
it. Later — It is now afternoon and I have
been ashore. It is, I think, the roughest
land I ever saw. It beats Short Rocks,
indeed, I think, that is nothing in compari
son ; but this is to be ihe city, they say!
We are to settle here, but are to have our
land sixty miles farther up the river. We
are all ordered to land to-morrow, and not
a shelter to go under.

i.'fffi