The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

 

Doc. 1555 (acc. 08x23)

 

Diary of a trip to Philadelphia, 1826.

 

[note: some punctuation has been supplied.]

 

Left Boston for Phila. in(?) mail stage on Saturday.

 

 

July 15thHartford, Sunday, wind south, moderate

Very pleasant.  Supped at Worcester late first part of journey, & avd. [arrived] at Hartford at 8 Sunday morning.  Did not call at Miss Beecher’s until just before meeting abt. [about] 10 o’clock.  My daughter much rejoiced to see me.  All went to Mr. Hawes’ meeting.  [illegible] he preached from [blank in mss.] – a very awakening & excellent sermon.  Dined at Bennetts.  Afternoon heard Mr. H. again from [another blank in mss.]. 

 

Took tea & lead(?) in family devotions at Miss Beecher’s.  Evg. [evening] went to conference(?) room.  Mr. Hawes prayed & an elder read a sermon.

 

[Catherine Beecher ran the Hartford Female Institute from 1823-1831.  The Rev. Joel Hawes was pastor of the First Congregational Church in Hartford.  He also led some religious exercises at Miss Beecher’s school.] 

 

 

Monday 17th - cloudy, wind S., cool

Breakfast by appointment at 7 with Mr. Wadsworth who called yesterday immedy(? i.e. immediately] after meeting.  A pleasant visit.  Mrs. Silliman & Miss -- there.  At 8 called on daughter & pd(?) Miss Beecher’s bill.  Gave daughter the books, &c, I brought & went to the school & heard Mr. Hawes’ address as usual on Monday morning after first recitation.  Walked with M.T.(?) & spent some time at her hs(? house).  Mr. Hudson(?) accompd. [accompanied] her with me to the boat.  She could not help shedding tears.  Started at 11, when it commenced raing. [raining] & with little intermission cont. until 9 in the evening when it cleared up &

[p.2]

I walked on the poop for an hour & a half.  Slept pretty well.  Arose at 5 o’c.

 

[M.T. is probably his daughter – see penciled note on back of diary.]

 

 

Tuesday, July 18 - pleasant, wind NW

Did not get to the wharf until 9 o’ck.  Went in(?) 9(?) to Goodhues.  Went up with Perit to his hs(? house).  I saw Mrs. [or Miss] P.  They are to start tomorrow for LeRoy on a visit to their sister & brother.  Wrote some letters to go abroad.  Started at 12 in the Emerald.  Dined on bd. [board].  Arvd. at Trenton at 8 ½ in evening.  Had a pleasant tho rather a rough ride.

 

 

Wednesday 19

Started at 5.  Breakfasted on bd. & at Phila at 9 ½.  Sent(?) my things to Mrs. [illegible]  Went to P & C’s [Perit & Cabot].  Wrote to Boston.

 

[Perit & Cabot was a firm of merchants in Philadelphia.  The partners were John W. Perit and Joseph Cabot.] 

 

 

Thursday 20

P & C [illigible] the goods.  Called at P’s hs.(?)   Writing, &c, & attending to the gen. arrange [general arrangements?].

 

 

Friday 21st - very warm

Began to discharge, but made slow progress as some of the permits were not out.  Took tea & spent evg. at Perits.

 

 

Saturday 22d - extremely warm

Attended to sundry things about the ship &*c.  Evg. took a bath.  Very warm.

 

 

Sunday 23d

Very warm.  Reading in morng.  Forenoon heard Dr. Wilson from “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ,” an excellent sermon.  In afternoon heard Mr. Skinner from “before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”  I was

[p.3]

much gratified with the spirit & earnestness of the sermon.  Retd. [Retired] with a bad headache.  Took 4 of Andersons(?) pills – Rochelles(?) &c, but it contind. [continued] until 2 o’clock & indeed was very [illegible]

 

[James P. Wilson was pastor of First Presbyterian Church.  Thomas Skinner was pastor of the New Presbyterian Church.]

 

 

            Monday 24th - wind N to W, squall in the aftn. [afternoon]

A day set apart by the City on account of the death of the late Pres. Adams & Jefferson.  The military paraded & a procession was formed & attended an oration for the occasion by John Sargent in Independence Square.  I walked & viewed the military & the multitudes & then came home.  Afternoon walked with Perit to the wharves & then returned & read & wrote to my wife.  Evg. spent at Perits.  Dr. [blank in mss.} & Ann Dunlap present.

 

 

            Tuesday 25 - fair, wind NW, cool

Charming day.  Cool.  No doubt much rain N & NW of us last evening.  Wrote home & to my wife.  Also to [illegible initials] & sent sample.  Letter from [illegible initials] of 22nd.  But little doing at the ship today on a/c of McCauley’s want of arrangement.  At 6 went with Mr. Perit to attend the funeral of Mr. Jaudon, one of the elders of Mr. Janeway’s church.  No prayer was made, but a solemn address at the grave.

[p.4]

Engaged to go to to Mr. Chaloner’s tomorrow to tea.  I met Mr. Chaloner in Canton in 1809.   Took tea at Perits & we all walked out a mile to see a night blooming cereus but when we ard. [arrived] found that one had bloomed some nights before and that no more was expected.

 

[The deceased was possibly Samuel Jaudon.  Jacob Janeway was pastor at Second Presbyterian Church.   Mr. Chaloner was probably William Chaloner, a merchant.] 

 

 

            Wednesday July 26th  - cool, fair, wind NW, no news

Quite cool & pleasant.  Wind NW.  Busy writing to Balto [Baltimore] & seeing about entering the cargo &c.  Afternoon went with Mr. Perit to Kensington to view the ships there.  Took tea with Mr. Chaloner who I knew in Canton in 1809.  Mrs. C very pleasant.  She is a daughter of Mr. Dennison.  Mr. M. Ralston the only other present.  He mard. [married] Miss Chester.  Invited me to tea with him tomorrow evg.

 

 

            Thursday 27th – cool & pleasant, wind NW to N

Cool & very pleasant.  Fine October weather.  Sold all the indigo very well at auction except mine & K&W at private sale.  Took tea with M. Ralston at Mrs.(?) Holins(?).  Mr. H. Chester, brother of Mrs. R, & their little daughter 5 yrs old.  Pleasant visit.  Asked about Mrs. Reed & [illegible] R & C.

 

 

            Friday 29th – cool, pleast. [pleasant]

Very pleasant.  Wind NW round to E, moderate.  Busy unlading ship.  Sold sugar & twine, also 100 bags saltpetre.  Settled with the crew.  Evg. went to Mr. Skinner’s vestry & heard Mr. Lea(?) of Bucks

[p.5]

County from “Jacobs going to perform his vow.”  Mr. Skinner added some very appropriate remarks.  Alarm of fire, but it was nothing.

 

           

Saturday 29th

Very pleasant.  Wind S.  Busy at the ship.  At ½ past 12 went to Perits & took dinner & went with Mr. P, Anna Dunlap, Miss P and Mr. Rumsey (father of Dr. R addressing Anna Dunlop) to ride.  Crossed the Schuylkill at flat rock & at a mile above the falls, the pole broke & we were in great danger but were preserved.  It took 2 hours to mend the carriage.  When we returned & spent the evg. at P’s, learned that a Mr. Hartwell has hung himself & that our Stevidor [stevedore] had had a finger jambed(?) off.

 

[William Rumsey was a doctor in Philadelphia.]

 

 

            Sunday 30th – wind N

Very charming weather.  Just cool eno [enough] for comfort.  Heard Dr. Wilson all day, being too lame with my toe to go further.   Morning from “sinners also love sinners.”  Shows that there is but one holy One(?).   The pretended friendship of the world is unholy & has nothing in it pleasing to God.  He thought badly of all college associations, secret societies, etc.  Afternoon from “the unjust steward.”  All very good.  Evg. I heard a very common discourse from Mr. Kennedy from “in the day thou eateth

[p.6]

thereof thou shalt surely die.”  Shows that God cannot lie & the sermon appeared to be in vindication of the veracity of God, in this particular against some late publication of a Universalist.  Mr. Fellow’s child born.

 

[Mr. Kennedy not identified.]

 

 

            Monday, 31st

Pleasant.  Wind SEy [southeasterly], but not much of it.  The noble ship Warrior launched at Kensington.  I saw her through a glass.  Letter from M. Reed.  All well at home.  Evg went to St. Georges Methodist Ch. To hear the Wyandot chiefs, but it was so much crowded I could not endure it & came away & spent an hour at Perits.  Met Wm Dwight there.

 

[William T. Dwight was an attorney in Philadelphia.]

 

 

            Tuesday, 1 August

Cloudy in morning & light rain, through the forenoon.  Afternoon cleared off, but clouds hung around the horizon.  Moderate.  Latter part warm & muggy.  Busy writing(?) to Goodhue & to wife.  Letter from home, all well.  Pen(?) Alvin(?), my late servant, drowned at Saco, having, I suppose, been to visit Lucy, our late female servant.  Thus uncertain is life.  I see the death by a fall from his horse of Captn. Luce of Mr. E. Parkes’(?) brig America, who I saw in perfect health in Norfolk in May, with his wife,  now a widow.  In the midst of life we are in death.  Lord make us all to know our end & to keep it in view.  Evg. at home.

 

           

Wednesday, 2d.

Clear & pleasant.  Fine breeze from westd [westward].  Not oppressive.  No letter from home.  Miss Cabot went for Boston.  Sold silks today.  Ship Asia(?) ard. [? arrived] below.  Unlading fast.  Evg. at home.

 

 

[p.7]

            Thursday, August 3

Pleasant; moderate.  Busy unlading &c.  One thing we not do so well now the Asia(?) has avd.  Saltpetre came out in bad order.  Letter from home; all friends well.  Trying to get ready for ship to go on Saturday, but feat we cannot.  Evg. went with Miss Anna Dunlap to Mr. Boyd’s lecture.  A M [illegible], a missionary, preached well.  Mr. Boyd added some good remarks.

 

[Rev. George Boyd was rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church.]  

 

 

            Friday 4

Very pleasant & not uncomfortably warm.  Wind rather fresh at ENE.  Unlading the ship.  Letter from home; all well.  Evg. heard Mr. Skinner lecture from Is. 53.3 [Isaiah, chapter 53, verse 3] – it was good.  Called afterward at Mr. Perit’s & found Dr. Rumsey & sister & Anna Dunlap.  Wrote home today.

 

 

            Saturday 5

Wind E to NE, strong.  Cloudy but no rain.  A storm gathering.  A letter from my wife & one from Reed.  All pretty well at home.  My wife gave an account of Alvin’s sudden death.  He was soon to have been married.  How great & sudden the change!  Many are the warnings we receive – oh may we improve them.  Took a carriage at 6 ½ and took Mrs. Perit & A. Dunlap to Mr. Boyd’s.  He is an Episcopalian minister & a good man.  Had a very pleasant visit.  He & his wife are spiritual people.  Dr. [blank in mss.] came in the evg. with his 2 sisters & walked home with Miss D & one of them.  We rode home.  Evg. damp & cloudy & drear(?) at times.

 

 

[p.8]

            Sunday, 6th

Wind strong at NE.  Began to rain at 8 am & rained very fast but fine at intervals.  Morn heard Dr. Wilson on the subject of election.  A very satisfactory & clear sermon.  Reading Mrs. Huntingdon’s life.

 

Afternoon, Dr. Wilson on the last chap. of Luke 1st to 30th verse.  He made the whole come in in corroboration of the doctrine of the morning: mention is made of the [illegible] of Lapepta(?) & of Pharaoh; why did God show his sovereignty?  Because he chose to do it.  The preacher desired us always to carry with us the recollection viz. the exercise of sovereignty is always the exercise of mercy because God is merciful, while justice(?) is perfect and can do nothing but what is exactly measured(?) by the merit or demerit of the subject.

 

The observation of the doctor this morning is worthy(?) of recollection: to say that a man has grace is nothing less than to say that in fulfils his duties according to his life & knowledge & relations: he [illegible] to show strongly the free agency of him.  I went at ¼ before 8 to hear Mr. Bedell, understanding he was to preach; but

[p.9]

I found his church shut.   I then went to Mr. Skinner’s, but he was lecturing in the small vestry which was crowded & I did not like to be standing at the door.  I could not find any one who could tell me where the 7th Presbyterian Ch. was & finally I came home, after stopping a moment at the circular(?) Baptist church. 

 

It did not rain after dinner.  Wind still E & cloudy at times; cool.  Evg. generally star light, but cloudy.

 

[Gregory Townsend Bedell was rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.]

 

 

            Monday August 7th

Extremely hot & sultry.  Very little wind until towards night, then a fine breeze from Wd. [westward] .  Getting the ship ready.  Finished my teeth at Dr. Harrington’s.  Tea at home.  Gave up my room & took a chamber.  Evg. went with Perit to a family party at Dr. Rumsay’s.

 

[David Harrington was a dentist.]

 

 

            Tuesday 8th

It rained a good deal all last night.  Remainder of day wind NE & cloudy – cold but no rain.  After breakfast, felt the sick headache coming on & took many things but all did not prevent.  Came home at 1 o’clock & took 4 of Lee’s pills.  Violent hdache [headache] until 8 when it became [illegible] & I got a good night’s sleep.

 

 

[p.10]

            Wednesday August 9th

Very pleasant.  Wind NW.  My headache gone off.  Got the ship away at 10.  Went around & got all business done pleasantly.  At 6 went over to Campden [i.e. Camden] with Perit & had a pleasant sail.  Tea at home.  Evg. called up at Perits.  Delightful weather.

 

[end of diary; penciled on back: Journal to Phila.  July 1826.  Stopped at Harford to see Mary T. Ro[illegible]