The
Edward Deming Andrews
Memorial Shaker Collection
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike,
302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Deming, William.
Title: Journal of William's travel to the state of
Ohio.
Dates: 1810
Call No.: ASC 818
Acc. No.: SA 778
Quantity: 1 vol. (57 p.)
Location: 29 C 5
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
William Deming was a Shaker who lived in the
Hancock, Massachusetts, community. He
was born around 1779 and died at Hancock on September 21, 1849.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
William Deming's trip took place between May 5
(although entries do not begin until May 21) and October 4, 1810. He started and ended in Hancock,
Massachusetts, although he recorded mileage and expenses from New Lebanon, New
York. Eliab traveled with him at least
from New Lebanon, if not from Hancock, although his name rarely appears in the
diary. The accounts of his travels
between New Lebanon and the Shaker community at Turtle Creek in Warren County,
Ohio, are very sparse. He lists towns
through which they traveled, how many miles were covered per day (traveling on
horseback), and how much was spent each day (but not what was purchased). Very little else is recorded for this part of
the journey.
However, he gives a little more information about
the Shaker communities in Ohio and Kentucky, both Pleasant Hill and Gasper,
although these entries are also short.
He mentions the building of a meeting house at Turtle Creek, the harvest
of crops, helping in the stone quarry, planing timber for a loom, fishing,
meeting with different Shaker families, viewing Indian mounds, etc. He also describes opossums, the cliffs of the
Kentucky River near Pleasant Hill, and large trees. The
entry for August 27 contains a transcription of Benjamin Seth Youngs’ pamphlet entitled "Transactions
of the Ohio mob, called in the public papers an expedition against the
Shakers." This describes a mob
coming to the Turtle Creek community, making demands on the community, and the
community’s responses to the demands.
It is possible that this volume is a fair copy of
Deming’s original travel journal. Pages
1-33 are numbered in the original; the remaining page numbers have been
added.
ORGANIZATION
Entries are in chronological order.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The diary is in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Gift of Mrs. Edward D. Andrews.
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Harlow,
Eliab.
Topics:
United Society of Believers
in Christ's Second Appearing.
Shakers.
Shakers - Ohio
Shakers -
Kentucky.
Shakers -
Buildings, structures, etc.
Religious
communities - Ohio.
Religious
communities - Kentucky.
Mounds - Ohio.
Mounds - Kentucky.
Travel.
Travel costs.
Trees.
Men - Diaries.
Travelers -
United States - 19th century.
Kentucky -
Description and travel.
Ohio -
Description and travel.
Diaries.
Additional author:
Youngs, Benjamin Seth.
TRANSCRIPTION
OF THE DIARY
Note: punctuation has been added to enhance
readability. Original spelling retained,
with the exception of the use of extraneous capital letters.
[p.1]
From the 5th to[?] the 20th of
May 1810, travelled 104 miles 104
From July 15 to August 20th besides
journeys travelled about in different parts of Kentucky miles
70
Travelled in the state of Ohio besides my journey
miles 155
My expence while at Turtle Creek was $4.36 cts
[p.2]
Journal of William’s Travel to the State of Ohio
[note:
surname Deming added in pencil by another hand]
Monday morning May 21st 1810
Set out from New Lebanon for the State of Ohio in
company with Brother Eliab. At night we
put up at Stockings in Hudson, having come on horseback
Miles 28
Our expences for 24 hours were $2.75
May 22
Crossed the North River at Catskill & lodged at
Feltons in Kingston.
Travelled 31 [miles]
Expences $2.92
May 23
Traveled 34 miles & lodged at John McClean’s in
Montgomery.
[miles] 34
[expenses] $2.74
May 24
Travelled by Goshen Court House & lodged at John
Spittull’s[?] in Burlingsbrooktown [place not identified].
[miles] 27
[expenses] $2.90
May 25
Crossed N. York line into N. Jersey. Lodged at John Coursen’s in Hardwick.
[miles] 32
[expenses] $2.28
[p.3]
May 26
Left N. Jersey, passed into Pensylvania & put up
at Easton Hotel after crossing toll bridge.
[miles] 34
[expenses] $3.2[0]
May 27
Passed through Moravian town [Bethlehem], crossed
the Lahie [Lehigh] River twice & lodged at George Fister’s in Kutestown
[Kutztown].
[miles] 36
[expenses] $2.81
May 28
Passed through Reading & lodged at Godfrey Kanur’s
[?] in Mayor’s town [Myerstown].
[miles] 39
[expenses] $3.15
May 29
Road to Jeremiah Rees’s in Harrisburg, a place of
good entertainment.
[miles] 32
[expenses] $3.58
May 30
Crossed Susquehanah [Susquehanna] River and lodged
at Candells in Shippingsburg [Shippensburg].
[miles] 40
[expenses] $3.6[0]
May 31 Crossed the Blue [Ridge – erased] Mountains [sic, Blue Mountain is the proper name]
& lodged at David Field’s.
[miles] 31
[expenses] $2.28
June 1
Crossed Sideling & Race[?] hills, passed through
Bedford & lodged at R. Whittaker’s, foot of Dry Ridge.
[miles] 37
[expenses] $2.37
June 2
Crossed Dry Ridge & the Allegany mountain &
lodged at Bhroo’s[?] – perhaps more properly Brooks.
[miles] 37
[expenses] $2.88
[p.4]
June 3
Crossed Laurel Hill & Chestnut Ridge, passed on
by Mount Pleasant. Killed a
rattlesnake. At night put up at John
Robertson’s in South Huntington township [Westmoreland County, Penn.].
[miles] 35
[expenses] $2.49
June 4
Crossed Youghiogeny [Youghiogheny] River and
Monongahela. Very wet and mudy
travelling. Lodged at Wm. McComment’s in
Washington.
[miles] 32
[expenses] $2.78
June 5
Travelled sixteen & half miles to the Virginia
line, thence through a part of Virginia to the Ohio River, which we crossed
& put up at Thomas Thomspson’s in the state of Ohio at the ferry.
[miles] 33
[expenses] $2.64
June 6
Passed through Newellstown [not identified, but not
the Newellstown which is now Tarlton] and Morristown & put up at John Bradshaw’s
in Kirkwood township [Belmont County], where we had some of our cloths
[clothes] washed.
[miles] 30
[expenses] $2.43
June 7
Passed through Cambridge, thence over the toll
bridge. Met a silly man who said he was
going to Lebanon & came from Lebanon; at night we staid at Geo. Heap’s in
Union township [Muskingum County].
[miles] 37
[expenses] $2.43
[p.5]
June 8
Passed through Zanesville, crossed Muskingum River
& put up at Jer. Conaway’s in Beding [place not identified].
[miles] 36
[expenses] $2.40
June 9
Passed on through Lancaster, thence to Pickaway
Plains & lodged at Col. Pratruff’s[?] in Pickaway township.
[miles] 36
[expenses] $2.70
June 10
Crossed Scioto River, passed through old
Chillicothe, crossed Paint Creek [i.e. Painted Creek] twice & lodged at
Charles Clifton’s in Fairfield County [this is a mistake, as Lancaster is in
Fairfield County, and they had already passed through there before reaching
Chillicothe; probably Fayette County was meant].
[miles] 38
[expenses] $1.81
June 11
Very wet & mudy.
Travelled twenty miles by the worst road that ever any man would desire
to see. Lodged at Aaron Sewel’s in
Vernon township [Clinton County].
[miles] 20
[expenses] $1.80
June 12
Crossed Todd’s Fork & the Little Miami
River. Passed through Lebanon and
arrived safe & in good health at Elder David’s – were received with a kind
& hearty welcome & once more enjoyed the refreshing feelings of
breathing the free & wholesome air of our own & well beloved brethren
& sisters, whose thankful hearts were replenished with a new cause of
gratitude on our arrival.
Traveled this day miles: 20
Whole distance from N.
Lebanon, N.Y., to Turtle Creek township, Ohio: 755 miles.
[p.6]
Turtle Creek Township, Near Lebanon, State of Ohio
June 13
This day I went to see the meeting house & the
frame of a new dwelling house & saw 30 boys at work.
June 14
Went out with Peter to see the farm, the saw mill,
& the tan yard. The next day went
with Nathan Sharp into the woods for a load of butternut bark & the next
day went to sawing at the mill.
June 17
Went to [the
– erased] meeting & heard Benjamin & Richard speak to the world.
June 18
Went in a waggon with Peter, Hortence, and Molly to
Cincinnati & returned the third day.
June 21
Went to the week meeting, and Elder David delivered
Mother’s love to the Believers, and the love of all the elders & brethren
& sisters in the East, & an hymn was sung which Richard had composed on
the occasion of our coming & which he afterwards sent to Mother.
June 22
Robert Gill & John Slover arrived here from
Bussero [Busro, Indiana]. John had
several times been taken prisoner by the Indians, suffered a great deal
[p.7]
among them; the last time they had him a prisoner,
they had him bound to be burnt, & under guard, but he strangely escaped out
of their hands & saved his life. He
informed me of the Big Bone Lick. He saw
one tooth which [was nine feet long –
crossed out] weighed nine pounds & was dug out of the earth 18 feet below
the surface.
June 23
Went with Peter to Lebanon & the next day being
Sabbath, I went to meeting.
June 25
Drew a draught [draft] of the meeting house &
the next day helped the brethren in laying the sills on the wall of the new
house.
June 27
Visited the families of Jonathan Davis, John Wallace
& Samuel Serring. At John Wallace,
we saw about 35 children.
June 28
Went with Peter & helped in drawing stone for
the new house.
June 29
We went to John Houston’s, David Spinning’s, Stephen
Spinning’s & John Woods, visiting the brethren and sisters of those families;
in the last place we saw about 53 children.
June 30
Visited the brethren & sisters in Amos
Vallantine’s family near the meeting house.
P. M.: Joseph & Constant came here from Kentucky, also Issachar
& John Rankin.
[p.8]
July 1
Sabbath, went to meeting & heard Benj. &
John Rankins speak to the spectators.
July 2d
Worked in the joiners shop, plaining timber for a
loom. The brothers began to harvest
their grain and grass.
July 3
Went with Archabald to where the brethren were
putting up a log house for a man of the world, and the next day worked at the
loom & was helped some by Archabald and Joseph.
July 5
Went with Benjamin to Lebanon Printing Office. On returning, saw the log on which Richard
tried to kill the little quail & about which he made the little hymn. I saw also the place with the robbers cut
their clubs & hitched their horses.
In the afternoon I went to turning [flax – crossed out] hay with the brethren. Issachar showed me some peocon[? i.e. pecan?]
trees he had planted.
July 6
We went with Archabald to Joseph Lockwood’s[?] &
David Smith’s & saw their wives Phebe & Mary. P.M.: worked with the brethren at making hay.
[p.9]
July 7
Helped the brethren bring the bents[?] on the new
house. Benjamin & John Rankin set
out to fulfill an appointment for a meeting on the banks of the Great Miami [river]
22 miles off & returned next day evening.
July 8
Sabbath, went to meeting & heard Issachar &
Richard speak to the spectators.
July 9
The brethren, about 80 in number, raised the body of
the new house. The next day I helped six
of them put up the rafters.
Leave Turtle Creek.
July 11
Set out with Joseph Allen for Kentucky. Crossed the Ohio River at Cincinnati &
put up at Kenada’s at the mouth of Licking River in Kentucky [Licking River enters
the Ohio River across from Cincinnati; it divides Covington and Newport,
Kentucky].
Rode miles 30
July 12
Passed through Bank Lick Creek & thence on to
Jones[?] on the Dry Ridge in Pendleton County.
Miles: 49
July 13
Crossed Race Creek & forded Big Eagle, midside
to the horses, thence on & passed thro Georgetown & thence to Lexington
& put up at Shidalls.
[miles] 41
July 14
Went from Lexington & crossed Kentucky River at
the mother of Dicks [i.e. Dix] River,
[p.10]
which comes from the wilderness, & thence to the
Believers at Shawanee [i.e. Shawnee] Run & were gladly received &
kindly treated by Elder John & all the elders, brethren & sisters &
the young Believers of their family.
At Shawanee Run.
July 15
Went to meeting & heard Matthew Howston [i.e.
Houston] speak to the spectators. This
day saw all the young brethren & sisters of Elder John’s family and many
others who live in other families.
July 16
Went with Samuel & visited several families, viz
John Briant’s & George Sailor’s, who had believed in the course of last
summer & winter. Afterwards I went
with Matthew Howston to the stone quarry.
July 17
Visited the brethren & sisters in the family of Willias
Ballancer. Saw Nancy Hemley[?], who on
account of her faith had made her escape from her relations in Shelly [i.e.
Shelby] County, 50 miles off. She came here yesterday. She has a sister younger than she who
continued, sending her word to keep her faith & that she means to come
likewise as soon as she is of age.
[p.11]
July 18
Joseph & I went to the Kentucky River to see if
the water was low enough for catching fish.
After we returned, we went to meeting & elder John spoke to the
Believers. The next day I went with
Samuel to get timber for a washing mill.
July 20
Went about with Cornstalk[? i.e. Comstock] to see
the farm. The land on which the
Believers are here settled is very excellent but rather uneven, stony in some
places & every where a solid body of rock underneath.
July 21
Eight of the brethren went to Salt River a fishing,
besides Joseph & myself; they waded in the water about six hours &
caught 48 little fishes with a sean [seine].
The fish were bullheads, perch & flat side. Returned home and found Elder David, Elderess
Ruth, Eliab, Peter & Matha [probably means Martha] were arrived from Ohio.
July 22
Set down at the table on the Sabbath with fourteen
of the elder brethren and sisters, viz Elder David, Elder John, Samuel,
Comstock, Peter, Eliab, Joseph & Constant & Elderess Ruth, Elderess
Lucy, Anna, Hopewell, Matha and Mary.
[p.12]
July 23
I worked with Samuel Hooser at the meeting
house. P.M.: went with Elder David,
Eliab, Samuel & Peter to the stone quarry & thence to Tobias
Wilhoit’s.
July 24
Went with Joseph to Col. Thompson’s. Saw his deer park with five elk & 40
deer. Saw also 20 acres of tobacco
belonging to Thompson. Thence we went to
Harrodsburg & thence to the new place which the Believers here have lately
purchased; it is a very beautiful rich level tract of land and hansomly
situated & well timber’d.
July 25
Went to the school house to meeting. Elder John gave Mother’s love to the
Believers & the love of all the elders, brethren & sisters & all
the Believers in the East. And they all
kneeled down in token of their thankfulness.
July 26
Elder David, Elder John & Elderess Ruth &
nine of the old Believers went to Willis Balance’s to dinner & thence to
John Briant’s to supper & returned home.
July 27
Visited the families of Joseph McCarver and George
Sailor.
[p.13]
July 28
Elder David, Elder John & Elderess Ruth &
all the elder brethren & sisters, except Hopewell, went to the family of
Frances Whyte’s (lastly Elisha Thomas), where we sat down at a very full table
of everything comfortable and necessary.
July 29
Went to meeting & heard Matthew speak to the
spectators in a very effecting manner.
Saw the old Rev. Col. James Smith’s pamphlet against the Believers.
Leave Shawanee Run.
July 30
Set out with Comstock & Isaac Price for
Gasper. Forded the Rolling Fork of Salt
River & put up at John Mulden near the fork.
Travelled miles: 44.
Had some new cyder.
July 31
Forded Green River & Little Barren River &
put at Joseph Martin’s at Preweth Knob.
Miles: 50
August 1 day, 1810.
We went into two caves, went into one of them about
ten rods and it was a beautiful sight.
Forded Big Barren River, arrived at Elisha Thomas’s at Gasper.
[miles:] 41
[p.14]
At Gasper
Aug. 2
We went with Elisha to the head of the Clear Fork of
Gasper River; the Clear Fork is a large, beautiful spring near which the
Believers have settled. After this we
visited Elisha’s family. Next we went to
John Rankin’s house & visited the family of Samuel Edes.
Aug. 3
We went with Samuel Whyte to the saw mill, about 4
miles off. Passed by John Rankin’s
meeting house in which he formerly preached.
Went to a cave which was 40 feet deep & water enough running through
it at the bottom to turn any kind of mill.
Aug. 4
Went with Wm. Pittillo to cut a bee tree. He informed me that he helped removed the stone
from one of the mounds which are so numerous & unaccountable throughout
this western country. This mound was in
the form of a cole [i.e. coal?] pit, arched over with earth. The human bones found in the inside were
innumerable, the size of some of the jaw bones would extend over William Pittello’s
above two inches.
[p.15]
Robt. Briant informed me of a cave 16 miles from
here at which he had been, that it was 50 feet deep. The inside was in the common form of mounds
above ground, i.e. the cave was small at the top & grew larger & larger
to the bottom. And in it 50 feet below
the surface of the earth were great & small human bones, without number.
Aug. 5
We went to meeting.
The spectators behaved very rude, & indeed, some of them danced with
the Believers out of derision. A man
from S. Carolina by the name of Ebenr. Morehead went home with us and disputed
with Comstock & Elisha, but finally acknowledged that it was the truth.
Aug. 6
Went to Saml. Robertson’s. Here they informed me that a number of the
world came the day before & carried off Robert Briant’s wife & three
children to the world. She had been the
week before to her father’s, & the Believers here thought that she then
contrived the plot with the world, to have them come & take away herself
& children from among the Believers.
[p.16]
Leave Gasper
Aug. 7
Early this morning, we set our faces for our native
land, the sky clear & the weather exceeding hot. Saw a very pleasing sight today, a mound that
had been uncovered. It was arched all
over with stone, and among the trees growing on it was a maple tree about 2 ½
feet over, & we thought it must be at least 20 years old. The trees growing on these mounds appear
generally as old as any of the trees of the woods which surround them. These mounds generally stand on some level plain
& many of them are surrounded with artificial banks and trenches of various
extent & forms, which appear to have been calculated for defence in
war. Some of the mounds are 30 feet high
& 40 or 50 rods in circumference at the bottom & covered with trees
which look as antient as the rest of the woods.
Passed
on through Bowling Green, a town on the bank of Big Barren River. Forded the river & rode on over the
Barrens to the Dripping Spring, & thence on to Joseph Martin’s at Preweth
Knob.
Miles: 41
Aug. 8
Left Prewitts Knob.
Crossed Little Barren & Green River & put up at Benjamin Gibbs.
Miles: 51.
[p.17]
August 9th, 1810
Passed through Harrodsburg, & from thence to
Shawanee Run. Last night the brethren
here caught two possums. They are some
in the shape of a young pig & covered with a kind of hog hair & about
the size of a pig of 6 or 8 weeks old.
They were the first I ever saw.
Miles: 43
At Shawanee Run
Aug. 10
Went and worked with Joseph Allen at the stone
quarry. In the evening we went to Andrew
Cooney’s to see a sick child which had been rode over purposely by a wicked man
on horseback. The child died in a few
days.
Aug. 11
Went with Comstock & Samuel to the cliffs of
rocks on Kentucky River. The cliffs here
were 300 feet high from the bed of the river.
We rolled down several stones from the top of the cliffs into the
river. The waters of this river
sometimes rises 40 feet & upwards & never overflows it banks because of
the high cliffs of rock which are almost every where on its sides. Through its whole length, it runs through the
middle of the state & the Kentuckians esteem it very highly as a water
portage
[p.18]
for carrying their produce into the Ohio & so
down the Mississippi to Orleans.
We
also saw a whitewood tree which measure a little above the ground 16 feet in
diameter; two feet above ground it was 12 feet in diameter & 8 feet from
the ground it was 8 feet in diameter & continued about this size & very
straight for about 90 or 100 feet, growing a little less towards the limbs. It was the largest I ever saw.
At
night the brethren had their blacksmith’s shop broke open & a saddle,
bridle, sursingle, handsaw, drawing knife, hammer, all the files, and a shirt
stolen.
Aug. 12
Last night the brethren here watched all night; two
theives came and tryed to get into the shop again. But as they could not get in, they went
towards Wyllis Ballance’s. James Guest
& Lewis Wilhoit followed them till the thieves discovered them and sett out
to return. James bid them stop; they did
so and one that had a gun swore that if he did not hold his tongue, he would
shoot them. Lewis told the thief to
crack away then – upon this,
[p.19]
James pointed his gun at one of the thieves &
they run with all their might.
How
hard it was for a bold Kentuckian to watch with a gun and not use it. Went to meeting; the Believers had a powerful
meeting. Matthew Houston spoke to the
spectators.
Aug. 13
Went with Saml. to Harrodsburg & then 1 mile
beyond Salt River to get some pipe clay.
Saw a lame bear of about 19 months old.
Aug. 14
The brethren began to raise the upper part of their
meeting house, at which I helped. The
next day the rafters were put on. The
latter part of the day I stayed in the house, being unwell.
Aug. 16
We went with Comstock, Elderess Lucy & Hopewell
to Isaac Prices’s. Susannah Price got us
an excelent dinner.
Aug. 17
Edward Fry from Bullitt County removed to Shawanne
Run with all his family. He lived on
Crooked Creek. His family consist of 6
blacks. Two he sold before he came away. They would rather be slaves than be made
free. Edward is a
[p.20]
considerable wealthy man, a widower. Crooked Creek is a place where a number of
Believers have moved from. Some call the
place Long Lick. It is about 70 miles
off.
Aug. 18
Issachar & John Rankin arrived here from Bussero
[i.e. Busro] in company with nine brethren & sisters from that place, viz
Benjamin & Peggy Price, David & Fanny Price, John Slover Jr. &
Nelly, William & Rebecca Pierce, William Boyles and James Price.
Issachar left Turtle Creek
July 18th. Arrived at Bussero
the 24th and again left that on the 11th of August.
This day we visited the
young Believers here for the last time.
This afternoon Molly & Lucy arrived here from Ohio in company with
Malchum [probably Malcolm] Worley, Calvin Morrell, Polly Thomas & Rosanna
Shields. The [sic, i.e. they] left
Turtle Creek the 14th.
Aug. 19
Went to meeting & heard John Rankin speak to the
spectators. He spoke well & with
power.
Aug. 20
Prepared our things for our journey, took our leave
of many of the young brethren & sisters.
They expressed great thankfulness for our coming to this country and
[p.21]
anxiously desired us to come again, and with much
feeling, but this we could not grant.
Mathew Houston’s brother from Tennessee came to see him.
Aug. 21
We took our leave of Elder John & all the elder
brethren & sisters in the family and of all the young Believers with them,
and set out for Ohio, in company with Matthew Houston; forded Kentucky River,
passed on through Lexington and put up at Michael Robinson’s.
Miles: 32
Aug. 22
Passed thro’ Georgetown, crossed North Elkhorn on a
bridge, forded Big Eagle and went to Theobald’s on the Dry Ridge.
[miles:] 44
Aug. 23
Crossed the Ohio River at Cincinnati and then lodged
at the Columbian Inn & the next day we arrived at Elder David’s at Turtle
Creek.
[miles:] 36
[miles:] 30
Traveled in all our journey from Ohio to Kentucky
and back again, miles: 558.
Expences for the time: $7.48 cents.
Aug. 24
James Smith took his children to Lebanon and gave up
himself & them to the authority
[p.22]
for protection from the mob which is daily
expected. James had been taken by the
sheriff & a suit commenced against him by his wife.
At Turtle Creek.
Aug. 25
In the afternoon a young man from near Hamilton came and gave
information of a Mob who were preparing to come against the Believers on Monday
next. This young man’s name was Wade
Loofbourrow[?].
Aug. 26
Went to meeting and heard Benjamin, Richard, & Matthew speak
to a very large number of spectators. They spoke very lengthy and suitable to
the occasion of opposition & the spirit of injustice against the gospel,
& on the nature of the gospel in opposition to the spirit of the world.
Aug. 27
Transactions of the Ohio Mob called in the Public Papers an
Expedition against the Shakers.
[note: this is copied, not entirely accurately, from Benjamin Seth
Youngs’ pamphlet of the same title. See
ASC 466 in the Andrews Memorial Shaker Collection.]
Monday August 27th, 1810.
This day occurred in the County of Warren, near Lebanon in the
State of Ohio, one of the most extraordinary
[p.23]
instances of unconstitutional proceedings & the most
formidable appearance of infringement on the rights of conscience that ever
transpired of the kind since America was first peopled by a civilized nation. A
body of 500 armed men, equipped in uniform & in military order, with their
officers, appeared on the ground before the meeting house and by a committee of
about 12 men appointed for the purpose, demanded of us that we should renounce
our faith & practice, our public preaching & mode of worship, or quit
the country.
This very extraordinary accurrence began
to be principly agitated through the instrumentality of John Davis, John &
Robert Wilson, & John Bedle, who had apostatized from the faith of the Gospel
and became bold in wickedness & false accusations against the Believers; whereby
those who had long waited for false witness to accuse the Believers of
something criminal were at length furnished with sufficient matter to answer
their purpose. Accordingly, about the first of June, a piece appeared in the public
papers signed by Col. James Smith, stating as matter of fact what he had been
[p.24]
informed by the aforesaid apostates, viz that the education of
children among the Shakers is chiefly a pretense, that they whip their
underlings severely and also their children, that they count it no sin to have
carnal knowledge of their own women, that all surplus money and property is
given up to Elder David, that he keeps the whole treasury of the Society in his
own hands, and that he, like the Pope, exercises unlimited authority over all
under his controule, and that he, with his council, lives sumptuously on the
labors of others, with many things more of a like nature. With remark made to
exasperate the public with the hottest indignation against the Society as being
a poisonous nest and enemys to the cause of American liberty, but what seemed
to be intended as the weightiest charges in this publication were certain things
therein alleged against James Smith Jr. who was among the Believers & for
which their was some plausible pretense. James' wife Polly having left him on a
count of his faith, and he refusing to give up his children to her, furnished
the old man with matter for many heavy charges as oppression and cruelty.
[p.25]
This piece was publicly answered in a spirited manner by Richard
McNemar, the falsity of it exposed, and the author sited to prove what he had
alleged or bear the character of a slanderer.
Not withstanding as many wished to receive accusations on any ground whatever,
the answer was little regarded by such, nor did it appear that Smith, or any of
his associates, had any intention of prosecuing the matter in any lawfull
manner. About the middle of July, we
were secretly informed that a subscription paper was handing about for the purpose
of raising a mob against us, & that John Davis & the two Wilsons were
active in it, but they being openly taxed with it, denied that there was any
such thing in agitation. And so it
remained in the dark untill August 23rd. There was a small hint dropped to some of the
Believers at meeting that Col. Smith with a number of men from Kentucky were
over and engaged in collecting others to assist in taking off his grandchildren.
The next day being Friday we heard from credible authority that five hundred
men were to assemble the next Monday morning
[p.26]
at Capt. Killbreath’s, about 3 miles off, and intended to come as
a mob and take off James Smiths' children & other acts of outrage. The next day the news became still more
flagrant, and in the afternoon we were informed by Wade Loofbourrow, a young
man from Butler County near Hamilton, that he had seen written instrument which
the designing party had signed, but did not read it; that it was in the hands
of Major Potter at Hamilton Court the day before; that the Mob was common
subject of conversation on that occasion; that he heard Major Potter say that
500 were subscribed, also that Matthew G. Wallace was forward and active in the
business; that Major Potter would be 2d in command; that the Springfield Light
Horse would be on the ground, & many more of the baser sort from Springfield,
the big hill & from around Hamilton & from the vicinity N.W. of us; that
we might expect the party to appear on Monday without all doubt; & that he
came on purpose to inform us of the plott and wished to tarry and see the
event.
[p.27]
The same evening news came in from different quarters of their
preparations and threats of the abuse; that they meant to tar and feather
Richard McNemar, drive the old Shakers out of the country, and restore the rest
back to their former faith and manner of living. The next day, being the first day of the week,
some of the party came to our meeting, particularly Capt. Robinson, who avowed
the fact they would be on the Ground the next day for the purpose of violence,
but what, he did not fully specify. The
State Attorney Joshua Collett and the Sheriff of the county, Saml. McCrary, both
of Lebanon, finding out their place of rendevoes [i.e. rendezvous], went for
the purpose of giving them a lecture on the unlawfulness of their intention, which
we understood they delivered. The thing
had now become generally known, & a number of sensible & influential
men, being at our meeting, determined to return the next day and see the event.
Among these were Doctor Budd &
Doctor Blatchley from New Jersey, Col. Stanley from Cincinnati, and Davis
Corneal, a noted young man from Kentucky.
[p.28]
Monday morning, the Believers went about their ordinary business,
and about 8 o'clock, the people began to collect from different quarters, as spectators
of the scene which they expected shortly to commence. The first Circuit Judge
of the State, Francis Dunlavy, was early on the ground, intending if anything
unlawful should be attempted, to countermand the proceedings. News came from every quarter that the troops
were assembled at Killbreath’s, and would certainly appear. Doctor Blatchley, with some company, concluded
to meet them, which he accordingly did, and about 12 o'clock returned and informed
us that they had mounted & were moving on & would be on the spot in
less than an hour. According [sic, i.e. accordingly], about 1 o'clock the troops
appeared, entered in by the Dayton Road from the North, and marched in order
till the front came within a few poles of the meeting house, and called a halt.
A number of the officers were in uniform
& the troops armed and generally equiped in regimental order. The whole body of people now collected on the
ground consisted
[p.29]
of about 1500 or 2000, some supposed upward of 2000, besides the
500 troops in military order. Many
scattering ones who came with the multitude were also armed but undisciplined
persons, old gray headed men, boys & others, who exhibited a very mean
& mob like appearance. Some of the
undisciplined multitude were armed with guns, some with poles or sticks on
which were fixed bayonets, and others with stones & hatchets & knives
& clubs. The exhibition presented a
scene of horror, the intention of which was still covered with duplicity. It is very probable that thro the influence of
some of those peace designing men before mentioned, the mob had agreed upon the
expedient of choosing a Committee to state to us proposals in the name of the
party, & to receive & return our answers. After a few minutes halt at the meeting house,
the Committee came forward & faced the yard before the Dwelling house of
the Old Believers. They requested three
of the original men (meaning of the Old Shakers), viz John Meacham, Benjm. S.
Youngs, and Issachar Bates, to come forward in order to confer with them on the
occasion of the peoples assembling,
[p.30]
observing that a committee was chosen for that purpose consisting
of 12 men, those present, among whom one was Chief Speaker.
They were told that two of the men they called for were not here,
only one of them viz Benjamin Young [sic] was present. Then they said two others (in the place of
those absent) would answer.
Several respectable characters stood present in the yard before
them, and we concluded to take with us three or four of those who were not of
our society, viz Judge Dunleavy, Gen. Schenk, Esq., Ichobad Burren & Aaron Haerlin[?],
allowing that six at least were not too many to be present with the committee,
whom they said consisted of 12 in number. This we propose but they objected, allowing
none to be present but those of the Society & of those only there. Judge Dunleavy asked, Have you any objections
to be standers? They answered, yes. We proposed to meet with them in a room in the
house; to this they also objected and insisted upon going into the woods.
Unreasonable as this request was that
[p.31]
none who were not of our society should be present in the conference
proposed, so that no one could be witness for us of the proceedings! Yet we consented. Three of the society, viz Benjamin Youngs,
Peter Pease, and Matthew Houston, withdrew with the committee into a piece of
woods beyond the garden, about 60 poles South of the dwelling house & half
a mile South of the Meeting house.
The leading characters of the Committee were: Matthew G. Wallace,
a noted Presbyterian Preacher & Chief Speaker; Doctor Squire Little, a New
Light; Capt. John Clark; & John Fisher; the names of the rest we did not
ascertain.
Wallace began in the name of the people, by stating their
grievances, observing, that our principles & our practice had caused great
disturbances in the mind, of the people & led to the extinction of Civil &
Religious Society, which they were determined to uphold; that our system was a
pecuniary system and led mankind into bondage & oppression & that the
people were determined to bear it no longer, insinuating that they (the
Committee) were in a capacity to prevent evil being done and perhaps prevent
much blood being shed, as the people were determined on a redress, provided we
would comply with the terms they had to propose as the voice of the people.
[p.32]
After speaking awhile in this manner, they stated the following
proposals as the only terms on which the people would be satisfied &
prevented from forcing a compliance by violent measures., viz 1th
That we should deliver up the children of James Watts, deceased, to their
grandfather, alleging that the said James at his desease [i.e. decease] gave
the children to his father, & also asked us if we did not see the
propriety? We answered, we had not seen
the Propriety hitherto, as we supposed that the mother, under whose care the
children now were, had the greatest right to them, & asked them if it was
recorded that the said James gave his children to their grandfather? They answered, It was not. We told them that we could not give up that
which was not in our possession. The
children were with their mother and under her care, and we exercised no
authority over them. We were sure that
the mother and children might be seen by any two or three civil men, if the
parent was willing & the children wished to go. It was not our wish to have them retained,
nor, if any demanded them & chose to force them away, should any violence
be used to prevent them.
[p.33]
2d. That old William Bedle
be permitted to see his grandchild, a son of Elijah Davis, alleging that the
said child came away & was forcibly brought back contrary to his
inclination. To this we also replied
that the child was under the care of his own parents, that we had not any
controls over him, that we did not usurp the parents’ right over their children,
but that we doubted not the child might be seen, &c, &c, similar to the
above.
3d. That we should give up
the children of James Smith, observing that we were doubtless well acquainted
with the circumstances relative to these children. To this we also answered that the children
were under the care of their father, that they were now in the hands of the
authority, & that a suit had commenced in Court respecting them. This, therefore, they concluded to drop for
the present.
4dly. The Chief Speaker
here observed that the next thing might probably seem some hard to us, and then
proceeded to state the weightiest proposal as the sense
[p.34]
of the party, viz That we cease publicly to inculcate our
principles & that we cease from our practice, that we cease to dance on the
Sabbath Day, and on the week days, observing that such practices were reverse
from the gospel, or depart out of the country by the first Monday of December next. The amount of which was that we should relinquish
our faith & practice, our manner of living, preaching, and mode of worship,
or depart out the Country.
These were the terms proposed in the name of the party collected,
whom they called the People. If we acceded
to the terms, well, and if not, the people were fully determined to enforce
their designs by violence. We requested them
to state their proposals in writing, but this they pointedly refused.
It was now 2 o'clock, and one hour was agreed upon to return a
positive answer.
The committee arose and we returned home. All the elder brethren
& sisters present were assembled together in an upper room of the house. We invited in Judge Dunlavy, Esquire Currun
& Gen. Schenck all
[p.35]
of this county. We stated
in their presence the proposals of the committee, and the answer we expected to
return, observing also wherein we felt their requirements unreasonable and
unjust, particularly in their not allowing any who were not of us to be present
at the time of the conference so that no witnesses could be produced in our
favor, or against the unlawfulness or injustice of their demands, and also of
the unreasonableness of grandfathers demanding to be given up to them their
grandchildren who were among us under the care of their own parents. These judicious men appeared much affected on
the occasion & to be feelingly interested for the cause of justice, tho
they said nothing.
After we arose, Judge Dunlavy and Gen. Schenck went out &
found Doctor Little, one of the Committee, in the yard before the house, and
talked to him in an effecting manner on the illegality & the consequences
of this day’s concourse of people.
At the expiration of the time appointed, Benjamin informed Dotr.
Little, that we
[p.36]
were now ready to meet them.
Accordingly, we again meet the committee at the same place in the
woods, & delivered our answer:
1st. Respecting
the children: we observed that we had already stated what we had to say on that
subject, adding that all adults among us were free & that it was contrary
to our principles & our practice to oppress any or to hold any in bondage.
2dly. Respecting our faith,
which we held in the Gospel: we esteem it dearer to us than our lives &
therefore meant to maintain it, whatever we might suffer as the consequences. And as to our leaving the country, we were on
our own profession [sic, i.e. possessions],
which we had purchased with money obtained by our own honest industry. It was our endeavor not to owe any man
anything, we had not a cent of any man’s money, & enjoyed our own peaceable
possessions in a free country & were entitled to those liberties (including
the liberty of our conscience) which the law of our country granted us. This was the sum of the answer.
In the course of the first setting of the committee, we had
observed to them that
[p.37]
things were misrepresented & wrongly reported of us; that
there was no evidence of the things of which we were accused, being only
reported by prejudicial persons; and that there was no need of all this
concourse of people. If we had done
wrong in any matter, we were willing that any judicious persons should make
examination, and the laws of our country made ample provisions for the redress
of grievances; to which they replied (by
the Chief Speaker) that the means prescribed for redress, would require too
lengthy a process, and the people would not wait the issue of such measures,
adding that they had witness sufficient.
It is here worthy of notice that altho the Committee had solemnly
agreed not to admit any of the party while they conferred with us, yet before
we closed with them, they had a number of witnesses & accusers standing by
with charges against us, particularly John Davis who accused us falsely &
in the most malicious spirit. Others
also were standing round, ready to take their turns.
[p.38]
We asked the Committee again & again if they had understood
us? And they again & again answered
in the affirmative. And though we had pointedly delivered our
answers, still they labored hard to urge upon us the propriety of our
compliance, for how, observed Wallace, could we withstand a 1000 men? But not according to their terms we left them,
and it appeared very doubtful what would be the event.
Above the Meeting house, the school house, the children's family,
and the first family of young Believers, there was a vast, a promiscuous
concourse of armed men and spectators, some disputing, some enquiring, others
railing out against, endeavoring to scatter falshood and urging the propriety
of banishing us out of the country by violence. Some men of talents were engaged in contesting
such measures, urging our right of citizenship from our peaceable deportment &
the unconstitutionally of infringing upon our right, which had never been
forfeited by any misconduct.
About three o'clock, a public speaker of the party standing in
[p.39]
the street before the meeting house door proclaimed that all who
had any charge against the Shakers should come forward and enter it. A number of charges were produced, but no
charge however, was regardedly entered and taken up, except a charge of murder
against Amos Vallantine, upon the deposition of John & Robert Wilson, who
disposed that when they lived among the Shakers, the said Amos had a boy that
had fits, that he whipt the said boy unmercifully, also that the said boy was
whipped by Daniel Moseley, & that the said Amos and Daniel both wished that
he was dead; that the said boy had for some time past been missing and that
they, the said deponents, believed that the said boy was murdered & put out
of the way. A Habeas Corpus was
immediately served on Amos, & he was put under guard untill the said boy
should be produced. The boy was
immediately sent for, being at Moses Eason's, about 4 miles off.
About this period, the Committee were setting the second time,
with the three Brethren before mentioned. Judge Dunlavy, who understood
[p.40]
the proceedings of the Committee before, followed them to the edge
of the woods, & there sat down on a log about 5 rods off, waiting to see
the issue. Immediately after the
Brethren left the committee, he mounted his horse & rode up to the concourse
at the meeting house, & setting on his horse in the midst of the assembly,
& with a loud voice calling attention, he delivered a solemn injunction
that no one violate the laws of Ohio; and required all civil officers present
to take cognizance of the conduct of any who should violate them.
Soon after, the aforesaid the boy arrived, which was about 4
o'clock, & Dunleavy understanding the case, gave information of his
arrival, & the satisfaction which was given of the innocence of the party
accused, ordered the prisoners to be released, & the people to disperse as
nothing remained as any matter of investigation.
Nevertheless Capt. Killbreath refused to comply, alleging, that he
was as high in office as the Judge, upon which Dunlavy ordered him to be
apprehended & put in prison; but Killbreath, being armed with a sword &
pistol
[p.41]
& refusing to be taken, they left it to be determined in some
other way which of them should be the greatest. The prisoner, however, was released. But some of the party treated the Judge with
great contempt and uttered the most bitter invectives against him for his
interference.
At this stage of the proceedings, the Committee having returning
[sic] and mingled among the multitude, & Dunleavy having given his orders,
the party were somewhat irritated & thrown into confusion; but the word of
command being given & the party mounted, they moved down the street in a
violent carreer & clouds of dust, and halted in a vast crowd facing the
dwelling house of the elders; & after a little pause, Major William
Robinson, with a loud voice, demanded of those in the house whether they would
comply with the proposals of the Committee, Yea, or Nay. This was repeated a number of times, crying, give
us an answer, Yea or Nay, but none answered a word.
Then all the people of the house, old and young, were commanded to
come out of the house and to place themselves in
[p.42]
a circle on the green before them, but none appeared. Then Robinson continued his speech to this
effect: that we should comply immediately with the proposals of the committee
and accede to remove out of the country by the first of December or suffer the
consequences, & then cried aloud, is not this the voice of the people? Which was instantly answered by the Mob, with
uplifted hands & a general loud & hideous yell in most exasperated
manner.
But as none yet appeared, nor answered, they ordered the gates to
be thrown open, which after some hesitations, some of the concourse ventured to
perform. The doors of the house were now
shut and fastened, as hitherto they had been left open. The main body of the corps remained on their
horses in the street, but after the gates were opened, the house was soon
surrounded by a promiscuous multitude.
After some consultation they proposed a committee from among them,
whom they wished to enter & search every apartment to see whether there
were not some such as was reported. The
Committee came forward, consisting of Major William
[p.43]
Robinson, Captain John Robinson, Capt. John Clark, Capt. Corneleus
Thomas, and one or two more. They
entered upon conditions of behaving civilly, & began their search &
examination with the young sisters and asked them one by one, if they wished to
leave the Shakers?
Betsy Seward replied that she was satisfied with the people &
her present place of abode, that she liked it better than among her natural
relation because they treated her more kindly than ever her natural relation
did, & that she did not wish to see any of them any more while they
remained so wicked. The committee then
said, Let her stay.
Prudence Morrell being interrogated, replyed that all the world
would be no inducement to her to go away, that she had much rather lay her head
down upon the floor & have it chopped off than that she should be taken
from among the Believers. Caty Rubart
also made a very firm reply to the same amount, and so did Jenny Minemas, &
all the rest, each declaring that they were free to go away if they chose at
any time, & that nothing bound them but their faith and love. All whom they interrogated, whether brethren
or sisters, made similar replies.
[p.44]
The committee, having searched every apartment of the house,
declared themselves satisfied. Capt.
Thomas, who was a man of considerable feeling in particular, said he saw a
decent house and decent people in it. They
then drank generously of cold coffee, went out and reported well satisfied.
After this, they went back again to their former ground at the
meeting house & the same committee proceeded to examine the house and
family of the young Believers. All who
were interrogated made a very firm reply, that they were free and might go but
would not. Several said they had rather
die than abandon their faith or forsake the people of God.
By this time, the committee was under considerable mortification
& their zeal began to abate, having been disappointed in their researches. Some persuasion had to be used to get them
into the school house. Matthew, being
present at their examinations, wished them to go, especially as they had it
reported that we would not suffer our children & youth to read the
scriptures.
When they went in, they found testaments plenty. Matthew told them that they might
[p.45]
see that at least one lie had been told them.
They looked at the children writings, which they acknowledged far
surpassed their expectations. Matthew
then wished them to ask the children questions, whether they had enough to eat,
&c., observing that he had children among them & had been long absent
and knew not how it might be with them.
When they were asked 1st, Have you enough to eat? They
answered, Yea, yea, yea, as much as we
want, ran all through the school.
2d. Are you whipped more than
you deserve? They answered, Nay, nay, nay, all through, and many said Not
whipped at all.
3d. Do you want to go from
these people; if you do, we will protect you, fear not. Nay, nay, nay, ran all through the school. They were then wished to hear the children
read, but they would not, but declared themselves fully satisfied.
Then they were requested to go down to John Woods; perhaps they
might find there that enslaved woman of whom they had spoken & about whom
the party were so much agitated (for it was reported that some certain woman
was enslaved by the Shakers & they had not yet found her, thou another
select number of the party had searched the
[p.46]
meeting house for her a little before this, & the children's
order at John Woods had also been examined). But the committee would go no further, declaring
themselves fully satisfied, and so they departed.
No ground of accusation being found or reported to the party, and
the generality being fatigued with the scene and under a mortifying
disappointment were dismissed, the last of whom disappeared as the darkness of
the night began to creep over the horizon, without leaving behind them any
visible marks of cruelty.
No disturbances or confusion appeared among the Believers, through
the whole occasion; the generality kept busy at their usual employments, took
dinner in their usual manner and entertained such as they could with
convenience. They answered those mildly
who spoke to them, whether peaceable or in a taunt. Such as wished to enter into their rooms from
the noise did so & spent the time in conversation.
Perhaps a scene entirely like this has never transpired since the
rights of conscience have been esteemed sacred by man. That no evil or cruelty
was transacted after such formidable preparations
[p.47]
of design can be assigned to no other causes, than the interposing
hand of Divine Providence, that invisible power of God which turneth the heart
of men whether soever he will & say to the mighty waters, Hitherto shall
thou come and no further.
N.B. The foregoing transactions are stated according to the best
recollection & information of the circumstances after the event had
transpired. It is not to be understood
that every individual of this vast crowd were persons of malicious design. Many even of those who were under arms
appeared not to know in reallity what they were come together for, only as they
had been ordered out by their officers. Many also had been influenced to evil designs
by the evil reports, & when they received true information & were
induced to consider the impropriety of such illegal proceedings, they
manifested no disposition to do the least injury or act of injustice. Some of this description (we were informed)
left the mob & returned back after Doctor Blatchley went to know their
intentions. There were numbers also, who
were men of good information & just
[p.48]
Principles, some of whom
have been mentioned whose only endeavors were to inculcate reason into the
minds of as many as were accessable & to maintain a spirit of peace &
the cause of freedom.
The End
August 28
Went to view the Meeting house, which is now all finished, except
the plastering & doors of the upper rooms.
August 29
Went with Peter to Lebanon; saw James Smith & his children,
who had for some days past been kept in the Debtors Room of the prison on
account of the threatening of mobs. Went
also beyond Lebanon to a pump maker’s in order to get a pump. On our return we found James & his
children going home. Cold evenings and
mornings.
Aug. 30
John and Cassia Dunlavy came here from Eagle Creek. The Believers there were all well. Frost at nit [night].
Aug. 31
Went with Peter to Murphey’s & James Norris to agree for some
appels [apples].
September 1
Went with Daniel round the fields.
Went to the burying ground; saw Prudence grave & the grave of John
Wallace’s child, the only ones who have deceased from among all the
[p.49]
Believers on Turtle Creek since the Gospel came here.
Sept. 2
Went to meeting & heard John Dunlavy and Matthew Houston speak
to the world. The people generally
behaved civilly, except one old woman openly told John he was a liar because he
made no distinction between the professor & non-professors.
Sept. 4
The Believers from Bussero [Busro] set out for home & all
desired their love to be taken to the East.
Molly and Lucy returned from Kentucky with Constant. They left all well there.
Sept. 6
Went with Archabald & visited Moses Eason’s, John Miller’s,
John Gee’s, John Slater’s, John Huston’s, & from thence to John Dennis’s a
the tan yard for the first and the last time.
Sept. 8
Got my horse shod for my journey home. Went with Peter to Lebanon & saw a very extraordinary
piece of stocking machinery.
Here insert the current prices of some principal articles as sold
in this country, viz
salt per bushel or 50 lb wt. from $1.25 [p.50] to $3
iron per hundred wt. $10
blistered steel per lb. 50 cents
cracoley[?] do. 37 ½ cents
castings per lb. 6 1/4 cents
cotton per lb. 25 cents
bohea tea per lb. 75 cents
best kinds of tea, lb. $2
country sugar per lb. 12 ½ cents to 25 cents
Orleans or West India sugar per lb. 31 cents to 37 ½ cents
Pepper & coffee per lb.
50 cents
Allspice & ginger per lb.
50 cents
Wheat per bushel 50 cents
Corn per bushel 25 cents
Fresh corn-fed pork per cwt. $2.50
Fresh beef per cwt. $2.50
Sept. 9, 1810
An account of a remarkable tree growing in the state of Ohio taken
from a Cincinnati Almanack of this year.
On the land of Abraham Miller in the township of Seal & county
of Scioto in this state, there is growing a forked hollow
[p.51]
Sycamore tree which measures on the inside 21 feet in diameter
& more than 60 in circumference, tapering from the base upwards, so that at
the height of 5 feet it only measured 42 feet.
The opening of the cavity at the bottom is 10 feet wide & 7 at the height
of 5 feet, terminating at the height of 9 ½ feet. The fork is about 8 feet from the
ground. One of the branches is dead
& broken off about 20 feet high, the other green & thrifty. The specimen’s cavity attracted the attention
of the neighbourhood, 14 of whom assembled on the 5th of June 1808
on the spot, and 13 of them advanced on horseback into the trunk and at the
same time sat there with perfect ease.
The other being a skittish horse did not venture in, but there was room
for two more to be perfectly secure from a falling shower of rain.
Sept. 9
Went to meeting. Heard
Richard speak to the world in the first meeting. In the last meeting, the Believers labored in
great power.
Sept. 10
Went with Constant to Saml. Lerring’s, John Wallace’s, &
Jonathan Davis’s. They were all very
felling & particular in sending their love to the Believers in the East.
[p.52]
Sept. 11
Went to John Houston’s & John Woods. They sent much love & many thanks for our
coming to this country to visit them.
Sept. 12
This day went to the first family of the young Believers &
took our leave of them. They were
exceeding hearty & feeling in their expressions of love & their
thankfulness. Now prepare for our
journey home. Archabald & Benjamin
also prepare for a journal to the Wabash.
All to start tomorrow morning.
Farewell, loving
brethren, farewell, farewell.
May the blessings of Heaven with you ever
dwell. B.
Sept. 13
In the morning we took our leave of Elder David, Elderess Ruth
& all the elder brethren, sisters.
They all told us to remember their love to Mother in particular, also to
all the ministers, elders, brethren, and sisters in the East, & to thank
them all kindly for sending us to see them & for all things else that we
have received from them.
Likewise all the
young Believers in Elder David’s family in the same manner as above.
[p.53]
We then set out
on our journey from Turtle Creek in company with Benjamin & Archibald who
were going to Bussero [Busro]; came with them a few rods and parted, they to
the west and we to the East. We came
thro Lebanon to the Little Miammia [Miami], forded it, then thro an old fort
about 80 rods wide from one wall to the other.
These wall [sic] are about 15 feet high, on which there is tall white
wood trees 4 or 5 feet in diameter. Then
on between 2 mounds which were about 6 rods apart and between 20 and 30 rods
from the mouth of the fort [they were probably passing through what is now Fort
Ancient State park], then to Morgan Vanmeter’s and put up in Highland county.
Miles: 34
[expenses] $2.12 ½
Sept. 14
To Bee Creek, crossed it 3 times, then crossed
Rattlesnake and Walnut Creeks, then thro Geenfield [sic, i.e. Greenfield] to
William Clark’s in Ross County & put up, in all
[miles] 33
[expenses] $1.60
Sept. 15
To the Scioto, forded it, then thro the Pickaway
plain, then thro the priary [i.e. prairie?], then thro Hockhocking Creek
[possibly means Hocking River] to Jacob Caster’s in new Lancasters [i.e.
Lancaster] & put up, in all
[miles] 37
[expenses] $2.66 ½
Sept. 16
Thro Jonathans Creek to the Muskingum, forded it,
then to Richard Reave’s in Zanesville & put up, in all
[miles] 36
[expenses] $3
Sept. 17
To Cambridge, then to Wills Creek, then to A.
Clements in Washington, Gorenza [Guernsey] County, & put up, in all
[miles] 36
[expenses] $3.6[0]
[p.54]
Sept. 18
Thro Smith’s town and Morristown to John Thompson’s
in Newelstown and put up, in all
Miles: 35
[expenses] $3.20 ¾
[Smith’s town has not been identified; Newelstown,
Ohio, is now Tarlton, but is in the wrong place for it to have been the town
meant for this day’s travel.]
Sept. 19
To the Ohio River, crossed the ferry at Wheeling in
Virginia, then crossed Wheeling Creek 15 times & left Virginia & went
on thro Alexandra [i.e. West Alexander] to John Craken’s in the State of
Pennsylvania, township of Denagord [probably means Donegal], in all
[miles] 33
[expenses] $3.66 ½
Sept. 20
To Washington, very wet & mudy, to Edward
Todd’s, in all
[miles] 19
[expenses] $2.94
Sept. 21
To Williamsport on the Monongahela River, crossed
the ferry, then to the Yohogany [Youghiogheny] River, crossed the ferry, then
thro Mount Pleasant to the foot of Chestnut Ridge and put up at John
Lovinger’s. Verry wet and mudy. In all
[miles] 35
[expenses] $3.40
[Williamsport on the Monongahela has not been
identified; Allenport was probably meant]
Sept. 22
Over Chesnut [Chestnut] Ridge & Laurel Hill,
then thro Summerset [i.e. Somerset] and put up at Sabast[? perhaps Sebastian]
Groff’s in Summerset [Somerset] County, in all
[miles] 35 ½
[expenses] $3.62 ½
Sept. 23
Sabbath day.
We crossed the Allegany & the Dry Ridge, then crossed the Juniette
[Juniata] River 5 times, thro Bedford to Bloody Run [now Everett]. Put up at Samuel Tate’s, Bedford County, in
all
[miles] 38
[expenses] $4.13
Sept. 24
To the Juniette [Juniata], forded it, then up Rase
Hill, then down Sidling Hill [i.e. Sideling Hill], then by Fort Littleton, then
over the
[p.55]
Tuskarora [Tuscarora] Mountain & Middle Mountain
to Geroge Skinner’s, put up, in all
[miles] 37
[expenses] $3.11
Sept. 25
Over the Blue Mountain, then thro Straws Burge [probably
meant Upper Strasburg], then thro Shipingsburge [Shippensburg] & Carlisle
to Thomas Williamson’s in Cumberland County, put up, in all
[miles] 40
[expenses] $3.54 ½
Sept. 26
To the Susquehannah River, crossed the ferry at
Harrisburge, then thro Humblestown [probably Hummelstown] and Pohnyrerestown [not
identified] to Jacob Greenawall’s in Lebanon & put up, in all
[miles] 38
[expenses] $3.73
Sept. 27
Thro Mayerstown [Myerstown], Wommelsdoff
[Womelsdorf], then to the Skuylkill [Schuylkill], forded it; then thro Reading
to Thomas Zweyer’s in Richmond township, Berks County, and put up.
[miles] 42
[expenses] $3.20
Sept. 28
Thro Kutztown, then by the Big Springs, then to
Allenstown [Allentown], then to the Leehigh [Lehigh River], forded it, then to
N. Gulick in Eastown [Easton] and put up, in all
[miles] 39
[expenses] $5.25
Sept. 29
Over the Delaware on the toll bridge, into New
Jersey state, then over West Peak and Bever Creeks, thro the old Moravain [sic]
town [Hope, Warren County, N.J. is probably the old Moravian town] by the old
log jail, to John Cowson’s in Hardwick township, county of Sussex, and put up,
in all
[miles] 36
[expenses] $3.64 ½
[p.56]
Sept. 30
By Sussex Court House, then thro Hambury [probably
means Hamburg] village, then to Florida in Orange county, York state, put up at
Daniel Gilbert’s.
[miles] 36
[expenses] $4.88
Oct. 1st
Thro Goshen & Montgomery, then over the toll
bridge, thro Turtletown to Ezekiel Low’s in New Poltz [New Paltz], county of
Ulster & put up.
[miles] 37
[expenses] $3.73 ¼
Oct. 2
Over the Rosendolph River, thro Kingston, then to
Kaatskill [Catskill], then to Athens and crossed the ferry at Hudson and put up
at Stockings in Hudson.
[miles] 43 ½
[expenses] $5.53 ½
Oct. 3
We reached Lebanon about 2 ½ o’clock.
[miles] 28
[expenses] $1.83 ¾
All in health, viz Eliab Harlow, Constant Mosely,
& Wm. Deming reached his home at Hancock on the 4th in the
morning.
Where all made him welcome, having been gone 137
days.
[p.57]
The whole distance from Turtle Creek township, state
of Ohio, to New Lebanon in the state of New York is miles: 752
From May 5th 1810 to the 20th,
I travelled 104 miles.
May 21, 1810
I set out my journey to the westward to the state
[sic] of Ohio and Kentucky, and returned home October 4th, having
travelled miles: 2287.
The whole expense of my journey to the westward and
back again is $65. 43 1/2.
[remaining 3 pages in booklet are blank]